#and diane's is never really specified

[freak-accident419]

Good Tidings

Josh Futturman x GN!Reader

Summary: You and Josh barely have any time to yourselves due time traveling nonstop, trying to save the fate of humanity. However, being at the Futturman’s Christmas dinner party granted you two a fair amount of time.

Word Count: 2.9k

Content: 18+ Smut, MDNI, gender neutral reader (no genitals specified, it’s just vague penetration), cockwarming, lots of fluff, takes place during Future Man S1E6 “A Blowjob Before Dying”, too much shitty sex jokes n puns (im sorry) (not), giddy+silly+sweet love making, you think you are sooo fucking funny, more goofy than serious/lustful, you two are very much in love, more plot (high ass dialogue) than porn tbh

(A/n: Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!! Hope you enjoy this muahahaha and thank you all for your recent support! First smut written on this account, so be gentle with me please !)

-

You, Tiger, Wolf, and Josh were at the Futturman household, schedule disrupted due to the reluctance of Josh’s parents. They insisted that you all join them for their small Christmas dinner party. You were all sat down at the dining table, as well as the neighbors, Josh’s Uncle Barry, and Diane’s friend, Wanda (who was especially invited to perhaps keep Barry at bay).

While Tiger was mostly impatient and displeased with every mindless convo and laughter, talk revolved around several topics like DNA kits or Wolf’s strangely fascinating culinary.

You sat beside your boyfriend, Josh, slightly nervous about the time you were wasting. Ever since you’ve been dragged into the whole ‘Biotic Wars is real’ and ‘kill or be killed’ shit, you and Josh have been dealing with the worst, unimaginable shit ever. With the two of your adrenaline wearing off, you gradually processed everything that’s happened the past few days since you were never given a break. Hence the hand holding under the table as you two would seek comfort from one another.

But you attempted to distract yourself from the deaths you’ve witnessed and the near-death experiences you’ve had to your best ability by indulging in every conversation.

“Gabe, honey, tell them about—about the recent fishing trip we went on,” Josh’s mother, Diane encouraged to her husband with her sweet, achingly kind voice. You had so much respect for Josh’s parents, so it was pretty easy for you all to hit it off well. They loved you. In fact, they were heavily relieved that Josh had finally found someone, let alone someone as amazing as you.

Gabe let out a hearty chuckle as he prepared himself to tell the table his story.

“So, a couple of days ago, Diane and I went on a small fishing trip. And I remembered an old trick back in the day that attracted a lot of trout,” he explained as you picked up your glass of wine, sipping some generously. Diane smiled at him with a nod as he continued. “One of the very efficient ways to go about fish bait is blowing worms.”

You choke on your wine, holding in a laugh, coughing a bit instead as Josh looks at you with a knowing smile. “I’m sorry, what?” You asked, trying not to grin too widely. Did you hear that right?

“Blowing worms,” Gabe repeated, getting a confined chuckle out of you and Josh. “You inflate the worms with air, which makes them float instead of having your bait be at the very bottom. It’s perfect, especially near the winter time. Worked like a charm.”

“Ohh,” you gasp in wonder. You chuckle to yourself before you spontaneously say, “Yeah, actually, I think I did do that a few times. Blew a-a worm.”

You looked at Josh, thinking you were being hilarious, but he looked at you with surprised eyes and parted lips of shock that slowly transitioned into a smile.

“Really?” Josh’s father expressed with intrigue. “I didn’t even know you fish. You have someone teach you that method, or—”

“Oh, no, Mr. Futturman, I,” you speak as you occasionally switch from looking at him to Josh. “I think it’s a very popular method. It’s a pretty natural instinct, you know? Blowing worms, that is.”

“Wow, really? Always thought it was an old-fashioned sort of thing.”

“Nah, far from old-fashioned, it’s almost contemptuous!”

You did pretty well at suppressing your laughter, because you sounded really earnest. Josh covered his mouth, amused by your subtle humor.

“Joshy, we didn’t know that Y/n likes fishing. We could’ve taken them on our trip. In fact, we could’ve all went,” Diane suggests as she looked at Josh and then you.

It was like everyone at the table was blind to your immature, yet humorous implication. Except, of course, your boyfriend.

“Oh, no worries, Mrs. Futturman,” you insisted kindly. “I don’t usually fish. Plus, blowing worms can be very exhausting.”

“Y/n—” Josh reacted, but interrupted himself with a suppressed laugh.

“You think so?” Mr. Futturman raised an eyebrow. “I just stick a syringe in them, inflate it, and bam, it’s all thick and ready to g—”

You and Josh burst out laughing, holding onto the table and each other. You swore there were slight tears coming out of your eyes as both of your faces were red. You felt overjoyed to feel happiness and delight for the first time ever since your involvement in the mission. And you felt even more glad that it was your boyfriend that you fooled around with.

“Sorry, sorry,” Josh says after his laughter died down as the entire table was confused. “I just—We just thought about a, um, moment when—Um… Actually, Y/n and I did go fishing once. Isn’t that—isn’t that right?”

You nod and go along with it, detaining your giggles.

“Well, anyways, we actually did that method, and yeah, you’re right, it works like a charm!” He exclaimed with joy as his parents smile at him with approval and pride.

“Bet the worm was pretty small, huh?” Tiger jumped in wittily, however, in a coldly nonchalant manner.

“And pathetic!” Wolf blurted.

“Hey, even if that might’ve been true—might’ve—it-it probably had a personality, you know?” He reckoned with a shrug, making you laugh again.

***

“You are—are fucking terrible, you know that?” Josh quickly muttered under his breath as you two continued to kiss each other deeply on his bed. “Those were my parents.”

“C’mon, baby, admit it, it was comedy gold,” you giggle, pressing your lips to his once more by tugging his black, skinny necktie towards you as you remained sitting on his lap.

The dinner party was still going on downstairs. After a long time of looking at each other longingly at the table, you two decided to excuse yourselves in order to “prepare gifts for Josh’s coworkers that he forgotten to wrap” in his room.

When you guys rushed in his room, you couldn’t take your hands off each other, immediately making out once the door was locked. However, you then had to close all his blinds before you met him back on the bed. This wasn’t new to you, none of it was. The soft, warm orange that his room’s light emitted strangely comforted you, as well as being back on his soft, spacey mattress.

Was it a good idea to leave Tiger and Wolf alone with Josh’s family and company? Probably not. But you’ve taught them enough shit. They tolerate Josh’s parents, so why not a few other guests as well? And you’ll only be gone for no longer than five minutes, you’d hoped.

You bring your hands to his pants, attempting to unbuckle his belt. “Shit—What the—What the fuck is this?” You grumble, Josh laughing at you as you struggle.

“I think it’s—” He giggled, bringing his own hands to his belt, trying to remove it, pulling. “I think it’s stuck.”

“What the shit?” You wheeze. “Fuckin���—Fuckin’ cock block!” You continue to mess with the belt, trying your best to unbuckle it.

“Wait, you—you’re almost there, you—”

“Oh my god! Holy shit! I got it!” You let out a surprised gasp, quickly unbuttoning and unzipping his pants right after.

“Oh shit! Flawless victory!” He exclaimed, making you stop in your tracks, looking back up at him.

“You did not just quote Mortal Kombat because I successfully unbuckled your belt,” you raise an eyebrow, nevertheless amused by his dorkiness.

“Maybe,” he answered smugly.

“You’re lucky I am in love with you, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have let that slide,” you chuckle.

“Oh, come on. You’d love my video game references either way,” he insisted.

“I’m serious, Josh, the amount of things I’ve let slide because I love you is kind of crazy. Let me just say, I am so glad I met you after the ‘apple juice’ incident that Ray told me about.”

“Ray told you about that?”

“He told me a lot of things. Mostly the embarrassing things. I think he wanted to freak me out, you know? Always thought I was too good for you.”

You pulled his pants off, throwing it carelessly down on the floor. Your lips attached once more as he snickered as you then cupped his face with your warm hands. You look at your lover, his big, brown, desperate eyes looking at you with utmost adoration. “Well, jokes on him, he was entirely wrong. You are so good to me, you know that?”

He smiles at you softly, and you could sense how flustered he felt to hear that (the blushing patently gave it away). “You’re the one who’s been on my side since forever. Even when you got involved in all this shit that you didn’t even have to be in. You-You could’ve called me crazy, and-and broken up with me, but you believed me and stayed by my side, even knowing that things were gonna get dirty. And they did, get really dirty.” Rest in peace Janis and Carl? Or, rather, die, you evil perf-cocks? Eh, doesn’t fucking matter. “You’re so good for me, sometimes I can’t believe you’re even real.”

You giggle sweetly as you give him another kiss, a quiet smack caused by your lips deftly leaving his own to speak. “Well, I’m here and I’m real, and I’ll always be there for you, baby,” you reassure. You were perfect for him. Indefinitely.

He smiled blissfully. “I love you so much.”

You two made out passionately until you were laying under him, the lower halves of your bodies bare as you discarded the necessary clothes.

“Do you think your parents and everyone else knew about the worm thing or are they just that… I don’t know… clueless?” You asked endearingly under your breath as your fingers entangle in his soft, brown hair.

“Hmm. Possibly,” he reckons, raising his eyebrows as he thought about it. “That was still kind of evil of you, though.”

“Me, personally, I thought it was hilarious.”

“Blowing worms?”

“C’mon, your father set himself up for that.”

“Tiger called it small,” he muttered lamentably. “And Wolf said it was pathetic.”

“Jeez, whatever happened to personality?” You chuckle softly.

He sighed. “They still sort of called me out.”

“Shut up. It’s average, to say the least. Doesn’t matter either way, you’re enough.”

“But—”

“Josh, if it bothers you this much, then just prove them wrong right now,” you reply with a laugh.

“As in—?”

“Josh, c’mon, we don’t have time anyways. They’re expecting us any minute because of that shitty made-up story excuse. I love foreplay, dude, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t acknowledge the time at all. Quickies are definitely not our cup of tea. Y—” Your breath hitched as you felt his tip prod at your sensitive entrance. He gave you a soft, comforting kiss on the nose. You looked into each other’s eyes deeply, then your lips crashed into each other’s as the two of you stifled your moans once Josh finally thrusted in.

“Y-You know you’re p-perfect just the—mm—way you are, right?” You ask gently, wrapping your arms around his neck.

He smiled at this, kissing your lips once more, beginning to move. Your heart fluttered each second you felt him thrust in and out, slightly and satisfyingly stretching you. His hips moved quite skillfully, but also slightly clumsily, which was nonetheless admirable.

Your usual soft moans and gasps would be replaced by stifled grunts and sighs, due to the company downstairs. As much as you wanted the whole world to know that Josh Futturman was yours and only yours, you also had dignity—plus, it was his goddamn parents downstairs.

You giggled as you felt his nose against yours each rough kiss. “Y-You know, however, I think the only complaint I have about you is the fact that you hate Super Mario Bros.” You point out with a chuckle.

“Y/n, in my—agh—defense, it literally makes no sense. Like, why would there be pipes that are—”

“Okay, why rely solely on logic and rationality, hm, Futturman? I thought video games were all about escape. It’s all just harmless fun.”

“Yeah, well, I’m much more into games with thought-out plots and challenges,” he remarked, making you roll your eyes playfully. “Anyways, it pretty much just got ruined for me even more when Tracy at the video game store talked about Luigi having a very hairy, Italian cock.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“Baby, I love you. However, your goddamn dick is currently inside of me. Please do not talk about Luigi’s theoretic hairy penis.”

“Noted,” he assents, going back to kissing you passionately, while moving slowly inside of you, yet deeper with each thrust. You let out a quiet, pleasured gasp as you felt him fill you perfectly, his hands lovingly gripping your waist to keep you still.

Your eyes closed as you indulged in the feeling of his gentle thrusts, him peppering kisses on your neck, softly chuckling under his breath. He guessed he was still in disbelief that he had someone as amazing as you.

“I… I still can’t believe someone as perfect as you would ever go out with a loser like me,” he scoffed, pressing more kisses against your neck and jaw.

“Hey, seriously?” You frown, holding his face in your hands once more, stroking his cheeks with your thumbs. “You are… a lot of things, Josh. But a loser isn’t one of them. Okay? You are so kind and funny and caring and thoughtful a-and—m-mm—amazing i-in general.”

“I—Fuck. I—I don’t deserve you,” he panted.

“J-Jesus Christ, sh-shut your fuckin’ rathole. Yes you do, baby. You deserve me as much as I deserve you.”

It was becoming harder to focus on your words as you continued to feel an increased sensation and pleasure as his thrusts quicken and falter. You let out a small gasp as you tense things up by wrapping your legs around his waist to bring him in even deeper. You two had been speaking and giggling to each other constantly that you didn’t even notice the lewd, wet, slapping against the skin that came from each heavy thrust. Josh grabbed one of your hands, interlocking your fingers tightly on the mattress beside your head.

“J-Josh, I—” You begin breathlessly.

“I know, me too,” he grunts as soft, inaudible whimpers and whines leave his lips while the movement of his hips stuttered. His rhythm was becoming unsteady, but it was also increasing in speed. “I—Y/n, f-fuck, I’m c—”

“Sh-shit, baby, I—” You pant as you felt closer and closer over the edge, every mere feeling increasing your stimulation. You bring your hand to cover your mouth and suppress any loud moans as you finally released, the knot in your stomach undoing itself as you sigh afterwards once your hand left your mouth. Josh came exactly right after you as his hips jolted for the final time, spilling his warm, white seed inside of you, burying his face in your neck to muffle a high-pitched grunt and acute whines.

You two were breathing heavily, kissing each other’s lips softly and lovingly after you both came down from your high. You two never moved from your position, still fragile and sore. Josh caressed the side of your waist under your shirt, his head resting in your neck as you moved your hand to play with his hair, holding him in your arms.

“This is probably the only time we’ll have together alone before we have to continue with the damn mission,” you figured, tangling his strands of hair in between your fingers.

“It’s bullshit,” he mumbles, his thumb continuing to rub your waist.

“Enjoy the moment while we can?” You suggested with a small chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess,” he sighed dejectedly.

A beat.

“Hm,” you hum thoughtfully.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing, I just… I like it whenever you’re inside of me,” you comment softly. This was probably the most affectionately vulnerable and honest you have been with him. Your tone lacked any intention for humor or lust; you were genuine.

He lifted his head up from your neck. “Seriously?”

“I don’t know. It just feels right. You know, as if you were, like, made for me exactly,” you whispered lovesickly, looking down at his sweet, plump lips to his profound, gorgeous brown eyes. “I wanna stay like this a little longer. You’re so perfect for me. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he replied with a smile, kissing your lips soothingly.

Then suddenly,

“Futturman! L/n! Get out of there, we gotta go now! Operation Cameronium!” Tiger called from the other side of the door. “Goddamnit. The fucking—tiny man—baby thing—is, just, really starting to piss me off. Let’s go!”

You and Josh looked at each other for a while in silence before bursting out into laughter.

“We-we better go before she considers murdering little baby Wallace,” you suggest with a soft smile.

“Yeah… Wait. Do you really think—”

“No…” You answer before he could finish his sentence. “I know she seems all stoic on the outside, but I feel like the past few days, she changed a bit. Empathy-wise. Slightly, at the very least.” Josh nods.

“I’m really gonna miss this,” he sighs.

“Me too. But don’t worry, once we fix everything, we have all the time in the world together,” you assert.

“Okay,” he smiles sweetly, kissing your lips before slowly pulling out of you, leaving you to feel empty and slightly bummed.

The two of you, with your clothes back on and hair quickly fixed, you waltzed downstairs with no problem. Your hands had been interlocked, faces a bit flushed as you smile to yourselves.

“You two sure look happy,” Diane expresses joyfully. “You really got into the Christmas spirit, wrapping all those gifts upstairs, huh?”

You giggled under your breath. “Oh, yeah, definitely, Mrs. Futturman. Uh, very much so. I really love Christmas, you know? The gift wrapping Joshy and I did upstairs and, you know, all the Christmas traditions. ‘Specially, ‘specially the yule log.” You look at Josh with a knowing grin as he just listened in, suspecting nothing at all. “Really makes you feel warm inside, am I right?”

[veryqueermovies]

My list of Queer books.

Now my labeling only has to do with the main protagonist, except for the books labeled "Queer" some of those the main protagonist is not Queer but the book has lots of Queer main and side characters. I only included the first books to make it easier but some of these are series.

The problem with making lists for books is that there's So. Goddamn. Many! New ones are being released every single day so all I can really do is add as I go. I also take recommendations so let me know of books I missed (specify what category they go in please 😊). I could also add specific Sexualities and Genders but right now I'm just doing basic categories because this is going to take time.

MLM:

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

In Deeper Waters by F.T Lukans

So This Is Ever After by F.T Lukans

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston

The Taking Of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Call Down The Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Zachary Ying and The Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Disasters by M.K England

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzalez and Cale Dietrich

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

The Song Of Achilles by Madeleine Miller

WLW:

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

The Unbroken by C.L Clark

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Deliah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

She's Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

Polyamorous:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (F/M/M)

The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare (F/M/M)

A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson (F/F/M/M)

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin (F/M/M)

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton (M/F/M)

She Whom I Love by Tess Bowery (F/F/M)

Knell, Mr. President by Lauren Gallagher (F/M/M)

Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylvester (F/F/F)

Midnight At The Orpheus by Alyssa Linn Palmer (F/M/F Poly V)

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi (Multiple Interlinked Poly V's)

The Fell Of Dark by Caleb Roehrig (M/M/M)

Books Of Raksura by Martha Wells

Lifelode by Jo Walton (M/M/F/F)

The Elemental Logic by Laurie Mark (6 person polycule)

The Tale Of The Five by Diane Duane (Group Polycule)

In The Ravenous Dark by A.M Strickland

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Queer (Books that have characters of many different identities):

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (everything written by them is Queer)

Chef's Kiss by T.J Alexander

The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

The Backstagers and The Ghost Light by Andy Mientus and Ryan Sygh

Once & Future by A.R Capetta and Cory McCarthy

Nimona by N.D Stevenson

Trans/Non-Binary/GNC:

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

The One True Me And You by Remi K. England

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M Johnson

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callander

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

Aro/Ace Spectrum:

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Bardger

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire l

Tarnished By The Stars by Rosiee Thorr

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

The Sound Of Stars by Alechia Dow

Thaw by Elyse Springer

The Ladies Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee

[skruffie]

okay, so "descendian"

if you're not in a lot of online Indigenous communities you're probably not sure what these "-dian" terms are. You probably have seen pretendian floating around, which is somebody who claims to be native with zero ancestry to back it up. The newer one in the mix is descendian. It's not as common as a term but here's a graphic I saw today that had been reposted by one of my cousins:

Descendian - is a person who has a remote indigenous relative WAY back in their family genealogy, and then take that indigenous Ancestor from multiple generations back to lay claim to full indigenous benefits today. That is wrong!

There's a lot that can be unpacked on this image and what this is mostly geared toward, I think, is more like... either the white people that would otherwise be called pretendians, or unfortunately this could result in lateral violence against a lot of eastern coast tribes that were the first to have contact with settlers. When my cousin had reposted this I had to really consider if or how I would respond because it makes me feel a lot. My own ancestry and reconnection journey has often felt like it was too far away and yet also too close at the same time.

(Also not to nitpick but it's not actually guaranteed you have 16-128 individual great+ grandparents because pedigree collapse is a very real thing but that is beside the point)

I really wonder whoever wrote this considers the tribes that do in fact rely on an ancestor from a specified period of time rather than concepts like blood quantum. The more generations of people we have, the farther removed those ancestors on the documents become, so at what point is that nation going to die out? When is the genocide going to be completed?

The other part of this is that even within tribal communities and with enrolled members it is not an immediate guarantee that you'll be connected to your culture. Sometimes people just... don't. Or they can't. Or their nation rejects them due to disenrollment, homophobia, transphobia, etc.

The part about this that is valid is that if you're like me and trying to repair the connections that almost got lost, it is not the same as having grown up around the culture and being recognized as part of that. Part of the reconnection journey, especially when you're also racially white, is balancing unpacking the privileges that you do have with the knowledge you have about your ethnicity. That is where you have more expertise: your own individual journey but not necessarily that of your ancestral background. A lot of the criticisms I've described here I've seen laid out from other people.

In the end I responded to my cousin with "this is an interesting one because I am constantly wondering what it actually means to be raised in an Indigenous way. My grandma got orphaned and though she was not raised with the culture or stories, she was raised to value keeping a family together" and my cousin thankfully knows that the descendians outlined here are not at all the same as the people who are earnestly trying to reconnect in a good way. That's something I appreciate, and I also know at the same time this term is going to gain more traction and be used as a paintbrush against every other person who is still reconnecting no matter if it's in good faith or not. It's not as big a deal offline as it is on the internet, but I've still seen bits of it in action and it makes me feel acutely aware when I'm walking through an Indigenous space/event/etc and especially if I'm wearing something culturally identifiable.

Sidebar: it is actually incredibly difficult for me to know the difference between what is "my right" to reclaim versus if it's just an extension of unpacking the ol' white suitcase. Ironically, there was an essay written by Gwen Benaway that compared whiteness to that of a specific cryptic I will not be naming--one that is cannibalistic and consumes everything but is never satiated, and it's something that really resonated with me when trying to work through my race versus ethnicity. Then, naturally, it came out that she was a pretendian and it left me just kind of hanging in the air about what I'm supposed to do now.

[ducknotinarow]

2012 RaphVon - "Just say it!" - Topic: Donatello

| My muse struggles with the truth... Send "Just say it!" And my muse will confess to something they don't really talk about.

Bonus: specify a specific topic and that's what they will talk about!

Raphael was strolling right on in to the lair with out a care in the world, a half lidded gaze and faint warm smile to his beak, as if no one would be able to tell what had him in a current good mood. The clear remains of black and white face paint smeared on his own face and hints of some lip gloss as well from when Casey added some on after the first round of making out in the alleyways. How was Raphael meant to not kiss Casey when they added on that shiny crap on? If it weren’t for the fact Casey had to go to class early the next day? Well Raphael would either be heading back to Casey’s or tugging his boyfriend along with him to make a quick run towards his bed room. He wished it was one of the day’s Casey had the later class or no class at al now. But he was just grateful they got a chance to hang out at all. With Casey’s new school schedule since going to college and all.

Maybe Raphael would just hold out till Casey was begging?

He wondered to himself as he made way into the kitchen. No where near tried at all, more worked up if anything. And morning training would be in a good few hours anyway. Might as well get a head start on breakfast before the crank bitch comes in. One might think he meant Donnie but in truth he meant Leo with that thought. Him and Don were still on rocky ground. So even playful jabs were a bit off the table right now.

So go figure the only other person in the kitchen was Don’s girlfriend. What was her name again? He tried to recall it as he just eyed her from behind. Wasn’t the first time thy were meeting. No, that was when Donatello was being a stupid idiot and nearly died because apparently taking his medicine for his diebeties wasn’t fucking important. Raphael wanted to be mad at him for so much still. But it was hard to really pick what. Mostly? He was just pissed off with how things were between them he guesses. Man what was her fucking name again? During all the worry and panic he’s not sure he ever actually got it?

He just made his way to the fridge, all he could remember about that night was that Don apparently spoke about him a lot? Was it good? Had to be something decent if she went looking for him and not Leo or even Splinter. Raphael felt guilt drop in his gut over that. Even with how things were between them Donnie talked about him? To a point someone he never met felt he was the one to get to help? Why was things so messy with them right now? Grabbing for the carton of milk as he set it down on the counter and went for a bowl and cereal next. Of course, all the noise he was making was bound to draw the girls attention his way. Raphael soon sat himself down at the table putting together his bowl of cereal aware of the eyes on him. Man he really couldn't recall her fucking name.

 Mildred? eh no, maybe Diane? hmm Rachel? Ariel? nah none of those it started with a Y he thinks? She must be expecting it from how she was staring at him. Raphael just let his brow knit in. As if he could glare enough to get his answer. Than again a girl who clearly been mutated? Likely wasn't going to find Raphael all that scary. Soon he sighs and slams his spoon to the surface of the table.

"What?" Watch her gesture to her own face, Raphael had no idea what she was doing. She could talk he was pretty sure of that. "Uh?" Was all he offered before she pointed to him then her face again. Slowly it start to click as he used his spoon as a sort of mirror. Able to easily make out the smuggling of black and while clearly covering his beak and a bit of his cheek. Raph slightly huffed annoyed “Fuckin’ Casey and his stupid face paint.” As if Raph slamming Casey down to the ground to kiss him was somehow Casey’s fault earlier. As he rubbed at his face till he got the paint off and just wipe it on to the table. “Uh thanks, Girl I don’t know the name of.” She didn’t seem offended by that but did offer it “Yvonne? Hm sounds familiar. Maybe ya did tell me before”

He didn’t speak on any more as he scooped out a heaping serving of cereal into his spoon and shoved it in to his mouth speaking around the mush it started to become when he did. “So whatcha’ doing out here? Ain’t ya like ya know.” He waved his spoon around as if Von would understand what he was trying t say without saying it. In truth Raph wasn’t all to sure what she was to Donnie? He assumed they were dating she watched TV with them once befor after all and they seemed cozy?

“Just say it”

“With Don?” He just went with and she looked well annoyed seemed fitting to say at least. “Pfft what that idiot ditch ya for April again or something?” She looked defeated by the comment. Raphael dropped his grin at the physical response. Now he kind of felt bad only kind of after all but eh at the same time? He can get it. After all how many times did he get upset when seeing how touchy Casey was with his team mates? Thinking so many of those were just a them thing. “Ya know” Raph speaks up suddenly. “The him and April thing? That’s over pretty sure he tells you more than he shares with her. She only knows about him needing that medicine cause well her and her dad helps us get it for him. Pretty she he never tel anyone if not or that. But he told you. Heck even talked about me with you and not sure which shocks me more.” Raph expresses a bit not really elaborating on the reason why he felt that way about it. “He’s just an idiot, April’s the first human friend we ever had and his first friend ever as well. April’s lived with us and gone on missions with us as well. She’s always gonna have a special place with Donnie but it ain’t that sort of special. Trust me I know, my own boyfriend had a thing for her too. So, I get it.”

Raphael expressed because yeah he often once thought about how he was maybe Casey’s second choice something he worked over long ago thanks to Casey. But he can understand how that can feel. Likely better than any of them could. He moved from his seat and moved to sit next to her. “He’s also a jerk at times, I’ve roughed him up could few times for it myself. So if he’s being a dick? I’ll hit him for you. Ya seem cool to me after all.” Raphael stated lowering his voice now as the reason for him moving in the first place.

“But, Don’s really not all that bad if you give him a chance sometimes ya gotta just tell him how you feel and he will try his best to fix it sort of his thing. He’s a idiot but he doesn’t mean to be he just ain’t smart when it comes to people. If you were a hunk of metal? He understand you better.” Raphael jokes a bit then moves to sit back up right as he takes another large chomp from his bowl of cereal. In time for his brothers to all make way int the kitchen now. Smirking at Don’s expression seeing him with Von right now.

Eh he knows they have issues right now still but? “Careful Don, I might steal ya girl if you don’t give her better attention. Even for a bug I gotta say he’s kind of pretty.”

[vingtiemes]

@aspirinqs​​ inquires:  ✿ hehe

PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME 0.2. always accepting.

FRIENDSHIP.     childhood friends  /  work buddies or coworkers  /  family friends  /  friends with benefits  /  smoking buddies  /  adventure buddies  /  fake friends  /  recently friends  /  party buddies  /  friendship of need  /  dying friendship  /  circumstantial friendship  /  partners in crime  /  old friendship  /  [ your muse ] is the good influence  /  [ your muse ] is the bad influence  /  [ my muse ] is the good influence  /  [ my muse ] is the bad influence  /  opposites attract  /  ride or die  /  frenemies  /  roommates or flatmates  /  penpals  /  exes to friends  /  enemies to friends  /  other

ROMANCE.     childhood sweethearts  /  [ your muse is mine’s ] childhood crush  /  [ my muse is yours’ ] childhood crush  /  exes  /  exes to lovers  /  forbidden lovers  /  highschool sweethearts  /  secret relationship  /  opposites attract  /  long distance  /  unrequited [ from your muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from my muse’s side ]  /  unrequited [ from both sides ]  /  skinny love  /  friends to lovers  /  enemies to lovers  /  spurious relationship  /  power couple  /  newly entered  /  soulmates [ metaphorical ]  /  soulmates  [ literal ]  /  awkward  /  turning toxic  /  toxic love  /  cheating [ on your muse ]  /  cheating [ with your muse ]  /  other

FAMILIAL.     siblings [ half ]  /  siblings [ step ]  /  [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure muse  /  [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse  /  [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours  /  [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse  /  guardian figure  /  legal guardian  /  adoptive child  /  foster child  /  [ your muse ] is taken under mine’s wing  /  [ my muse ] is taken under yours’ wing  /  other

ANTAGONISTIC.     dangerous to each other  /  dangerous to others  /  unpredictable  /  rivals  /  petty  /  developing into sexual or romantic tension  /  based off family matters  /  based of off circumstance  /  based of professional matters  /  based off misunderstanding or lies  /  conflict of ideology  /  betrayal  /  hero - villain dynamic  /  enemies  /  fight club  /  friends turned enemies  /  lovers turned enemies  /  exes turned enemies  /  other

[eremiie]

hi i’m tryna get better at writing, and i really enjoy your writing. i honestly hope to get as good as you are lol. but do you have any writing tips for beginner writers? i’m stuck.

hey, yeah i can give you a few basic writing tips!

grammar

as basic as it is it’s really important. grammar can really turn people away from your story really fast— nobody wants to read something that sounds like how they text

show don’t tell

i talk ab this a few times on my page but it’s really important. it gives the story life and gives the reader a chance to immerse in the story. reader will be able to feel what you’re telling them to feel, reader will be able to indulge more deeper in the story. here’s an example i gave from a previous post i talked about;

telling: she kissed him passionately.

showing: a whine, she whined for him as her hands scrambled to grab a hold of the fabric of his shirt, twisting it between her hands and pulling him forward hard, lips clashing with his.

“slow down,” he mumbled against her lips, but she didn’t listen— kissing him harshly, sloppily, like she’d never get a chance to feel the slight chap of his lips again, like she’d never be able to feel him again. like he’d be gone when she woke up.

which one sounded better, and which one could you really feel? envision?

detail

detail is a really big part of story telling. being detailed with your writing really helps, and this kind of relates to the show don’t tell thing. adding detail into your story gives better imagery for the reader and really gets across what you’re trying to portray in a non-vague way. for example;

not detailed; “she ran her fingers through his knotted hair.”

detailed; “deft fingers carded through his blonde locks, some of the digits getting caught on the knots he failed to brush out that morning.”

once again, which one sounded better? which one could you really feel? envision?

diction

diction isn’t as important but it can really make a story feel more alive. having good word choice and picking the words you use carefully can help paint a more precise picture for the reader. not only does it help with that but it can also help you whose writing with your vocabulary + expanding words you use in a story. also, it can remove redundant words in a sentence, give a sentence clarity, and clean up a sentence in general. for example;

“his green-blue eyes looked over to her then looked back to his book.”

compared to,

“verdigris eyes flit to her then back to his book.”

and sometimes diction isn’t even about making sentences more clear, or shorter. sometimes it’s just about being more specific to let the reader envision what you want them to see better.

“she crouched into the space between the front seat and the backseat, hiding herself from the lights that were shining through the glass of the car window.”

compared to,

“she ducked into the footwell, concealing herself from the light that tried to spot her through the windshield.”

even if you don’t know what footwell means context clues would give you an idea. concealing is a stronger word than hiding and gives you this imagery of someone really trying to cover/hide themselves from something compared to hiding which is a more familiar word. you already know that lights shine so there was no point of saying that, and you know that car windows are made out of glass so why say that? also, specifying that it was the windshield makes you paint a better picture of the way she was hiding and where the light was coming from.

or another thing is that using good diction can paint emotion as well, tell a story better. i’ll use eremika for an example (this is just an example!);

“the purple flowers on the windowsill were drooping down, and mikasa’s heart ached— the only memories she had left of eren dying right in front of her eyes as well. the splash of her tears hit the edge of the pot, falling down the side until it met the white sill. not even her tears could revert the death of the flowers, and they wouldn’t revert the death of her love either. ”

compared to,

“campanula’s sat idle on the windowsill. the flowers were wilting, and mikasa could feel pain grasp at her heart. the only memories she had left of eren began to die— fall from her hands like him, right in front of her eyes. a splash of water hit the edge of the pot, swimming down it until it met the white sill. it was her tears, and not even they could revert the death of the flowers, nor would they revert the death of her love.”

so yeah, go diction! 

write from your heart!!!

most important tip in my opinion. let your writing flow. stop focusing so much on being the best writer, instead focus on what writing should be— a way to express your feelings and a hobby not a chore. when we put too much thought into writing it can really sway how we feel about our writing. a tip is to fast draft at first, which is just getting your words on the page first thing. afterward you can go back and add details, remove details, add diction, clarify your writing, things like that. writing is a process and you’re writing’s not gonna be perfect the first time you get it on the paper. also READ!!! read other people’s works, don’t steal their writing but definitely take tips from their writing. see what you like in their writing and make it your own, see what you don’t like and make sure you don’t do that. you’ll never stop improving writing. from here on out you can only go up <3.

hope this helps!!

also some youtubers for writing help that i like are diane callahan and alexa donne!

[writingwithcolor]

Magical person in history, on not intervening on human rights issues

I am writing a dating sim/visual novel set in the present day. A major (non-romanceable) character is an ancient sorceress who moved from France to the Pacific Northwest in the 1850s. She is white. She is shown to have powerful magic. She also works closely with the main characters and develops personal relationships with them as she teaches them magic, giving each character comfort and advice during their respective stories.

Considering the events in America around her move-in date, there’s no way she could have missed the horrible human rights abuses going on, and there’s no way she was too powerless to help, even when most of the fighting and slavery was so far away. So I’m having trouble balancing “don’t make her a white savior by having her personally fireball Robert E. Lee” against “Hogwarts University is cancelled because Dumbledorette didn’t care about slavery.” I had the idea that the magical regulating body back home in France didn’t want her to intervene due to political reasons, so she helped out in small ways that could safely fly under the radar. She later realized that she prioritized her social standing over the suffering of countless others, so she began making a point of reducing human suffering as much as she could.

I can’t imagine this will show up in more than one small scene, but doing it wrong could really sour the whole thing. Is this backstory still icky? Should I just not mention it and let readers headcanon what they please?

I’m wondering what you think was happening in the PNW at the time for the fighting and slavery to be “far away.” Washington State had the Cayuse War at exactly this time period, Oregon didn’t ratify treaties and was calling for the extermination of “the I*dian race” in roughly this time period, and California’s Gold Rush created the California Genocide starting heavily in the 1840s, picking up steam in the 1850s, which included slavery of California Natives thanks to a law enacted in 1850 that lasted for 13 years. 

This is all from the top five results of googling “pacific northwest genocide 1850”, for the record. It’s not exactly hidden history.

So suddenly your character’s lack of movement in healing the poisoned populations as disease ravaged the area, in attempting to stop or at least buy and free the enslaved Natives being auctioned on their doorstep, or in attempting to get treaties ratified and honoured looks a lot more damning.

This is not counting any of the future events that happened at the turn of the century, including the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Hawai’i monarchy being overthrown, and Federal Order 9066, which is the WWII concentration camps (that included Japanese, German, and Italian individuals). This is just to name a handful of coastal issues in the next 100 years, completely ignoring Jim Crow, residential schools, the San Francisco Earthquake (which nearly had Chinese people relocated to the worst land imaginable for gentrification purposes, had the Empress of China not stepped in), and many others.

In short: she would have had hundreds of opportunities to end suffering, and focusing on a single event as a small scene feels disproportionate to how much she could have done.

And honestly? The French were no angels. 

The Second French Colonial Empire was one of the largest empires in history, and it began in 1830, covering roughly a third of Africa. The First French Colonial Empire began in the 1600s, and had both India and North America, primarily Canada.

She was white. French. You don’t specify her birth year other than “ancient”, but considering the sheer amount of territory-grabbing France has been doing since Normandy invaded England in the eleventh century AD, I’m going to assume her birth year is somewhere more recent than that. Therefore, I’m going to assume she has been around the Catholic Missionary Attitude that France had; one could call that attitude the bedrock of its existence for at least a millennia (and is still visible in modern day).

So tell me: when did she break out of it? What made her even care about human atrocities, when she has likely grown up watching France commit them her entire life? 

Because let me just say, she has had plenty of opportunities to realize she did nothing in the face of her neighbours’ hatred of people not like them, and she has never taken them before. 

Did she (or her parents, if she was born around this time) decry Napoleon re-introducing slavery in France in 1802? Side with Haiti when it declared independence in 1804, and hate that the government forced Haiti to pay for the “theft” of slaves and land (that was only paid off in 1947)? Is she presently championing for France to pay Haiti the money it wrongfully took from the country? Did she hate the delays in stopping the French slave trade, which took 11 years to actually stop after it was banned on paper? 

Unconditional emancipation was only reached in 1848, after all. I don’t care if she was born in 1830, there was some sort of major racial event happening in France all throughout the late 1700s to mid-1800s. Where did she side then?

Abolitionism was not an unknown concept in France, so it is possible she had already been working towards it quietly, but that would mean she would have felt guilt at inaction much earlier, depending on when she began decrying slavery—if she was even delayed in decrying it, which I will admit is possible. 

And if she was an abolitionist, would she have even listened to the French government in not at least easing the genocide around her? Because she would have watched nearly 100 years of the French dragging their feet on stopping slavery in their empire, and known how BS it all was… if she saw it that way.

That’s just abolitionism, and is not even counting the French relationship with the Native population in Quebec and the Great Lakes region, which is a giant tangle of proxy wars, colonialism, missionary work, and very, very, very complex relationships that started off good and ended terribly.

So I ask again: why did she only start caring then?

Speaking of proxy wars, the Napoleon Empire wanted a Confederate victory, because the Confederacy was its source of cotton and the American Civil War created a “cotton famine” in France that basically forced the textile industry into a massive downsizing. The Confederacy also tolerated Napoleon’s plans for expanding the empire in Mexico, which actually had begun in December of 1861.

So when it comes to how a magical board would rule—even though France was officially neutral in the war, the court of public opinion (among politicians and capitalists) was more on the Confederate side than the Union side. Many politicians secretly worked with the Confederacy, until they abandoned them when the Union showed signs of winning. The only reason France officially remained neutral is because a war with the British was inevitable if they acknowledged the Confederacy, and Napoleon didn’t want that.

I shall work under the assumption that because it was rather literally on her doorstep when she moved to America, she lost insulation to it (if she hadn’t thought about it before), but I will say how iffy that makes her look in the long term if she had so many opportunities beforehand (at the very least, seeing slaves in France).

My other option is the word “ancient” is liberally applied and she was only in her 20s or 30s when 1850 hit, and therefore had not had many opportunities to see otherwise (but she still would have seen slaves in France, likely).

Onto the white guilt and white saviour aspects

Strictly from a writing perspective, you have to determine if she changed the course of history, or not. This would not necessarily be within the realm of white saviour, seeing as white people were the only ones listened to at the time. You can see people who changed the course of history in this period by looking up the pastor who insisted Lincoln hold fair trials for the Dakota, which brought the execution count from over 200 down to 38. You can also look at Alice Fletcher, who made quite a few laws designed to protect Native people, but whether or not they were successful is up for debate (and she regretted some of the laws she helped enact).

If not, then you have the current tangle you’re dealing with.

Option 1

She was unestablished in America and relied on the magical regulations board to protect her, and she figured working small and under the radar would mean she could do more good long-term by not being killed, so long as you establish that such a threat is viable.

This option only works if she’s an active advocate for the slew of other racist acts that pass once she’s settled in America, of which I gave many examples above.

Option 2

She actually did change the course of history in perhaps a mixed way, or perhaps a positive way. She could have relied completely on being a white, well-to-do voice in the community, which would have granted her some privilege without using a drop of magic. 

This can apply to any point in history, seeing as there were a lot of others to pick from. It would be particularly useful once suffrage was achieved, and if she was part of suffrage, did she call out Susan B. Anthony’s racism? Did she encourage allowing non-whites to vote?

Option 3 

She was slow to care, and did not actually understand what a big deal it was that such atrocities were happening until it was too late. This leads to her dedication to atonement the strongest, but you have to be careful about white guilt. This option can go along with option 1.

This allows her to be a passive player in future racist events, but makes her an even more privileged white character who PoC will have a hard time seeing as kindly, and you should go out of your way to show white players how unkind and privileged she was, and perhaps still is.

Option 4 

she doesn’t actually care much, because she has a president of not caring about atrocities happening in France, and her bigotry shows up in other ways in modern day and she’s just a kindly-but-bigoted character. She’s your wonderful grandma who you have beautiful memories with… she just doesn’t care about anyone not white.

This can go along with option 3, as she was so slow to realize that she is still bigoted and hasn’t done any work, but her racism is going to be more covert and you’ll have to do research on microaggressions and how to frame them.

Based off the way her lack of action is framed in-story and how little a plot role it plays, I would say that option 4 with a dash of option 3 appears to be the most likely interpretation of her character by PoC. She’s lip-service to progress, at present, but seems to have made no strides in losing her social standing to be an ally.

Now here’s why I don’t think you should let readers headcanon her however they want:

White players in particular are going to minimize her culpability in what happened, and think that she did all that she could, and she is a Totally Redeemed Character now. In fact, they’ll probably wonder why she’s even an Atoner, because she did something, right? She helped, right? And now she’s helping and that’s plenty. She’s good to the players, so she is a Good Person.

Meanwhile PoC players are going to see yet another white author ignore the fact that colonialism was happening en masse at the time, and that white people deeply benefited from it, and are going to see the “it happened in the past why do you keep bringing up racism?” defence continued.

Let her be flawed. Let her be on stolen land and acknowledge it every time she teaches them something, and let her sit and exist in the guilt that happens when she realizes she could have stopped the theft but didn’t. Let her not wallow in self hate, but acknowledge her mistake with every lesson the main characters receive, and let her work on righting that wrong by championing “land back” causes that centre Indigenous voices.

Let her dialogue options show every trace of how the past is not over because the past’s actions are still being felt and reparations have not been made. The settler state is still controlling the land she has made home and she knows exactly what they did to get it, and she passes that knowledge on.

Let players be uncomfortable with the knowledge that, if they sit by and “only do small things when they can, to not lose anything”, they are complicit. Let white people see they must well and truly denounce what has been given to them by their racist, colonial ancestors in order for PoC to “stop talking about racism.”

Make her use whatever income she makes be paid in part to Native causes, as rent for the land she occupies unfairly. Make her refuse to teach bigoted students who want “mystic secrets” that aren’t hers to give, that were appropriated centuries ago. Make part of her life’s work be hiding away Black and Indigenous spiritual leaders to minimize the loss.

Let her past be imperfect. And do not force redemption on her, but instead let her own the fact she made catastrophic mistakes that will not be redeemed until land has been returned to the Native population. Until all forms of slavery are abolished. Until colonial powers give back all the resources and finances they stole from their colonized regions. Until the privilege that white people spilled so much blood to secure is no more.

Because if you want her to truly be a good character who does not support racism? That is the level you have to step towards.

Everything else is simply whiteness trying to make itself feel better.

~Mod Lesya

[soulstrainer]

30 Rousing Quotes on Women Education

Women’s Education has become one of the hottest controversial affairs swimming with the current. The education of women and girls is one of the important connections in the alleviation of poverty. Thus, it has been correctly pointed out, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Comprehensive linked topics include single-sex education and religious education for women, in which education has divided gender lines.

Furthermore, because of the far-reaching effect of female education on society, alleviating inequalities in education for women is a spotlight in Sustainable Development Goal 4 “Quality Education for All’ and greatly associated with Sustainable Development Goal 5 “Gender Equality”.

Women Empowerment

As Women have earned rights, formal education has become an ‘emblem of progress' and a step towards gender equity. For instance, when past Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, specified the misfortune of Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan and the girls kidnapping in Chibok, Nigeria as similar, using girl’s education as the key focus, history, and circumstances were ignored. Here are some of the quotes on women education quoted by famous personalities.

22 Women Education Quotes to Motivate You

1- “We should be respectful but we must also have the courage to stop harmful practices that impoverish girls, women, and their communities.” - Graca Machel2- “The seeds of success in every nation on Earth are best planted in women and children.” - Joyce Band

3- “Women share the planet 50/50 and they are underrepresented – their potential astonishingly untapped.” - Emma Watson 

4- “We educate women because it is smart. We educate women because it changes the world.” - Drew Faust

5- “To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” -  Hillary Clinton

6- “Education is the key for self-liberation.” - Lailah Gifty Akita

7- “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and  heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” - Sheryl Sandberg

8- “Women are leaders everywhere you look – from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.” - Nancy Pelosi 

9- “To educate girls is to reduce poverty.” - Kofi Annan

10- “Young women who want an education will not be stopped.” - Freida Pinto

11- “There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free, and educated woman.” - Angelina Jolie

12- “Education is everything- education is your power, education is your way in life for whatever you want to do.” - Ciara

13- “If we are going to see real development in the world then our best investment is WOMEN!” - Desmond Tutu

14- “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” - Margaret Thatcher

15- “I am a woman / Phenomenally / Phenomenal woman / That’s me.” - Maya Angelou

16- “I always want to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman.” – Diane von Furstenberg

17- “I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna

18- “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” -  Madeleine Albright

19- “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” - Audre Lorde

20- “Feminism is for everybody.” – Bell Hooks

21- “Words have power. TV has power. My pen has power.” - Shonda Rhimes

22- “A strong woman builds her own world. She is one who is wise enough to know that it will attract the man she will gladly share it with.” – Ellen J.Barrier

Women Education Quotes by Inspirational People

1- “You know, we’re in a sports center. Imagine if you have a team and you don’t let half of the team play. That’s stupid. That makes no sense. And the evidence shows that communities that give their daughters the same opportunities as their sons, they are more peaceful, they are more prosperous, they develop faster, they are more likely to succeed.” - Barack Obama 

2- “As a tribute to the legions of women who navigated the path of fighting for justice before us, we ought to imprint in the supreme law of the land, firm principles upholding the rights of women.”- Nelson Mandela

3- “The content of a book holds the power of education and it is with this power that we can shape our future and change lives.” – Malala Yousafzai

4- “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” - Melinda Gates

5- “When women are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” - Michelle Obama

6- “If you educate a man, you educate an individual; education contributes to his individual growth; it becomes his ‘private property’, as it were. But when you educate a woman, you educate the entire family!” - Dada J.P Vaswani

7- “You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female’.” - Erin McKean

8- “I am an educated black woman in a time when educated black people will be called upon to risk everything for the rights of black people everywhere.” - Allan Dare Pearce

Final words

On the whole, everyone must wrap their head around the saying that Girls are the base of life, educate them and empower them! Education is power and makes a girl powerful.

[nyanberri]

I've finally finished the first set! It's the same kids again tho, lol. But next time will be never before seen characters! So I wanted to get everyone drawn in the Omniverse style so I could visualize it all properly and it also made for a good opportunity to tweak designs as needed. They're all heavily referenced from official art so I could get it perfect and it made for great practice too! Of course I added some personal touches to the art style too cuz if I didn't it would have bothered me too much, lol.

Anyway, below the cut are finally proper profiles for all the kids and some additional info as well!

M'kay, so before we get started on the kids' bios, it's important to specify this is an alternate universe. And I don't mean it's an AU of the Prime Dimension. This is quite literally another universe within the omniverse. It's a mostly untouched one that even Paradox, Eon, and Maltruant have never been to and therefore a lot of things are different while a lot of things are still the same tho. It's unofficially called the Feniverse cuz Fen is the main character, but it does have a more official name. I'm just, uh… not aware of what that name is yet, lol!

Anyway, the Ben in this dimension branches off from the development of Prime Ben. Anybody remember the fact that the very first Ben 10K episode said Ben became the way he did in the future cuz he killed Vilgax by ripping him to pieces? Yep! That's what this Ben did too! But obviously he doesn't end up exactly like that Ben 10K. But so this dimension's Ben is therefore officially labelled Slayer Ben since some people refer to him as 'The Vilgax Slayer'. And that experience did definitely screw him up pretty bad, which is why he's so different from both Prime and 10K.

So from left to right:

Name: Fenrick Fih Rook-Tennyson

Age: 13

Height: 5'1

Voice: Todd Haberkorn

Bio: Fen is Ben and Rook's son. He has always been known for being quiet, surprisingly wise for his age, and quite the troublemaker. In actuality, only two of these things are true. Fen is more calm than he seems and as a young child he wasn't much of a talker, giving people the perception that he's quiet. Unfortunately, Fen also has many great ideas that end up badly. However, his ideas always come from the desire to help someone or solve a problem, but he always gets caught when his plans fall apart, making it look like he causes trouble. Some people even accuse him of trouble he didn't start, not helping his reputation. And as the son of Ben 10 of all people, he tends to be held to higher expectations. His wisdom never ceases to amaze people either. Even Ben and Rook get surprised at the wisdom he recites, wondering where exactly he learned it all. Due to that, he tends to put up a fight whenever himself or someone else gets wronged. He especially defends his friends and fellow alien kids in town. Although his only true friends seem to consist of his childhood friend, Millie, and his cousin, Sven.

At the age of 13, Fen discovered his ability to transform into a couple dozen of Ben's aliens. He quickly aspired to become a hero like his parents, much to Ben's disapproval, who worries about his safety. Despite that, Fen wants to form a hero trio with Sven and Millie and become the next generation of heroes in the galaxy.

Developer's Notes:

Fen's almost always been the same since I first created him, with just a few design and character tweaks done to him. He used to have a talent for jewelry making but that was switched out for him being wise for his age. He was also a bit more generic as far as the upbeat and reckless young male protagonist with famous parents archetype goes, but he's been adjusted enough that he now stands out from that archetype. Or, at least I hope, lol. Also, funny thing to note, Fenrick is not a real name! The closest name there is is Fenwick and iirc, that's a last name! I considered changing it to Fenwick or even Fenick but Fenrick is too special to me. His, uh, unfortunate name even has an impact in-universe with him being embarrassed by it and some using it to make fun of him. Also in-universe, I chalk it up to Ben having a dumb moment by misremembering the name Fenwick and Rook not knowing any better to catch Ben's mistake. Also, if you think his hair style is stupid, good. That's the point. He wanted it like that when he was seven and Ben and Rook were like 'sure' and it's been like that ever since.

Name: Millicent

Age: 13

Height: 5'0

Voice: Jennifer Paz

Bio: Millie is Ester's daughter. Her biological father is a human who decided he didn't want to be a father and Antonio soon stepped up to fill the father role when he and Ester got married. She has been friends with Fen and Sven since they were all babies. Millie is the level-headed one of the group and has been noted as being oddly emotionless. Her tone of voice is almost always flat and she usually keeps a straight face when not looking nervous. She never intends to be rude, but she will bluntly say whatever comes to her mind to her peers. At the same time, she can be nervous about making bold decisions and hates being a part of any decision making. She either refuses to do anything, or apologizes profusely for making a decision even when nothing bad happens.

Due to being more human than Kraaho, Millie is perfectly capable of handling the temperatures of Bellwood. However, she is still a bit sensitive to cold temperatures and needs to bundle up more than others during the winter. She sadly cannot handle the heat in the Hot Spot for very long either. Much to Millie's dismay, she was not born with the Kraaho's stretching ability. No one can figure out why, but it's simply something she can't do. As a result, she considers herself a normal human and has resigned herself to the fact that 'normal' is simply all she will ever be. Despite this, she has taken up quite a big secret that contradicts her decision and expresses who she wishes she really was.

Developer's Notes:

Millie only ever had one design change with her outfit and slight adjustment to the way her hair works and she's been the same ever since. Since the beginning she was always calm and stoic and I've always worried that she doesn't have much of a presence or purpose, but now I feel like she plays off Fen and Sven well enough that she stands out thanks to them. I've always flipped back and forth between Fen and/or Millie having a crush on each other, but I've finally settled on them both just seeing each other as near and dear loyal friends. It ultimately works out better that way and doesn't cause conflict with Millie's personal story or Fen's real love interest(and the one other character with feelings for him). Her name also used to be Mina, but since I've now taken that as one of my own names, it felt really awkward to keep her as that. I used to have a habit of naming characters with names I wanted before realizing I could change my name in the future, lol.

Name: Sven Elijah Levin

Age: 12

Height: 4'8

Voice: Wally Wingert

Bio: Sven is Gwendolyn and Kevin's son and Jenny's older brother. Sven is a rather unfortunate boy. He is constantly terrified of everything to the point of running millions of 'bad ends' through his head. He can barely talk most of the time without being a stuttering mess and always thinks he's going to be in trouble for anything and everything he does. Everyone is certain he either has severe anxiety or paranoia, or likely both. Perhaps even more. Who knows. Sven tends to cling to his cousin, Fen, who he looks to for guidance and advice, most of which isn't anything Sven should actually be following. Because he is a grade below Fen and Millie, he's often left alone to deal with problems in his own classes, or really just panic about them. He does, however, have a close relationship with Zed and likes to be the one to take her out on walks in the afternoon. And not many people know it, but he's actually a pretty decent artist.

Even though he is an Osmosian thanks to being Kevin's son, no one knows what ability he may have. It doesn't really matter though, since he wants to stay out of any potential trouble that having powers could bring him. Regardless of that, he has an interest in magic thanks to Gwendolyn's expertise in it. He even sneaks peeks at her spellbook and the strange bag she keeps in her office that he can hear a voice coming from at night.

Developer's Notes:

Now Sven is a character whose personality has always been pretty much the same while his design was never consistent until reaching his current one. He was originally very anime looking and in a gaudy orange outfit that I regret even thinking about, lol. He looks much better in neutral colors. I guess there's not much to say on him though, which makes me worry he's a tad unremarkable, but perhaps it's just since I'm leaving out the things about him that are better left discovering on your own… if I ever get to finishing that fic that is… ahaha.

Name: Saki Boulais

Age: 13

Height: 4'11

Voice: Stephanie Sheh

Bio: Julie and Hervé's daughter, one of the more popular girls in school, and the most deceptive in town. Saki has gone her whole life, since the first time she told a successful lie, tricking people into thinking she's a completely innocent little girl who's never done anything wrong. This allows her to get away with anything she wants, and she especially enjoys getting Fen in trouble when they butt heads with each other. The two have even been enemies since they first met at age three and Saki pulled Fen's tail, he pulled her hair in return, and she managed to get away with claiming he started it. Their feud has even turned into murderous intent, which Saki refuses to hide.

On a lighter note, Saki always has the company of her two best friends, Rachel and Diane, who will gladly join her in her tormenting of others. Saki even greatly admires the most popular girl in school, Fiona, and whoever the mysterious new hero girl, Miracle-M, is.

Developer's Notes:

Yes, Saki was always meant to be That Bitch in the cast. I feel like it's unrealistic to have all next gen kids be friends and get along with each other. It's perfectly believable to have some of them dislike, and in Saki and Fen's case, even hate each other. It makes it more interesting with them being Ben and Julie's kids respectively too. Adds good drama, lol. But anyway, really the only thing that's changed about Saki is her hairstyle and some other slight design tweaks like her necklace, shorts, and shoes. I also just recently changed her colors from purple and blue-ish purple to just blue so that isn't not all three girls here wearing purple. She also looks better in blue and it contrasts nicely with Julie's pink imo. I suppose I do worry about her being disliked since she's so antagonistic and with her being Julie's daughter, I really hope her character doesn't send the wrong message since I genuinely love Julie a lot. It really is just For The Drama Of It All. I think it's really fun to watch her go into full 'Murder Fen' mode too. Very fun to write, lol. Oh right, also Boulais is my headcanon last name for Herve. I just wanted her to have his last name but he doesn’t have one! So I had to pick one for myself.

Name: Jennifer Elizabeth Levin

Age: 10

Height: 4'6

Voice: Brina Palencia

Bio: Jenny is Gwendolyn and Kevin's daughter and Sven's younger sister. She is surprisingly serious and stoic for her age. She gets annoyed by her family's constant 'abnormal' status and wishes everyone could just act normal with no weird events happening. She throws herself into school work as a means to keep herself out of it and tries to keep her personal life at school with friends far away from her life involving family. She seems to have a quick temper, but really she just acts that way to get what she wants since she knows it works and in the hopes that she can use it as an opportunity to vent her frustrations. She hates getting involved in her brother and cousin Fen's antics, but sometimes her no nonsense attitude is needed to resolve a situation. She has a strange obsession with eating bread, finding it the perfect food and almost always exclusively eating something with bread involved. Gwendolyn definitely worries about her diet, but Kevin finds it harmless.

She may not have the spark like her mother, but she doesn't dare confess that her status as an Osmosian became very apparent just recently. As a result, she has a stash of broken objects stuffed under her bed and cracked floorboards that she covers with her rug.

Developer's Notes:

Jenny went through a decent redesign. Character wise I feel like I still don't have some things etched in stone for her as I still haven't gotten to the point in my writing where she does anything of interest. She could honestly probably end up pretty different from her bio here if I'm not careful, lol. The characters write themselves as they say after all! But I definitely prefer the newer Jenny compared to the previous way I envisioned her character, which was designed to fit a character type I actually hate just cuz I felt it worked for her. Thankfully I can avoid it tho with the big overhaul I did after returning to these characters. And I do like Jenny cuz I like writing her dialogue, but it still feels like her character is still that of a person I would not wanna be around, lol.

Name: Bevel Tennyson

Age: 20

Height: 5'9

Voice: Dee Bradley Baker/Yuri Lowenthal

Bio: Bevel is the youngest of the Big Chill offspring born twenty years ago. They were in an accident involving a passing spaceship on their way to Kylmyys that damaged their right wing to the point they could no longer fly. It's suspected the wing has severe nerve damage, making Bevel unable to unfold it as well. Their siblings helped them make it the rest of the way to Kylmyys, but over the years, the dangers of Kylmyys left the siblings with only Bevel and the eldest two, Emboss and Curve, remaining. As they got older, Bevel could never forget their only memory of their parent, who the others didn't remember. A desire to reunite with their parent caused Bevel to make the lone decision to explore the universe in search of their parent.

Bevel is a very cheerful and sweet person, but their secluded upbringing and lack of knowledge about Earth makes them very naive. They will believe anything they are told and have a very black and white moral view due to not understanding nuance. They have strange habits that appear unnatural in their attempt to act human and have an intense craving for Earth candy. They have also taken up being a mercenary to get by after leaving Kylmyys and once they join the Tennyson family, Rook suggests they use the skills they've picked up to become a Plumber, but that's an idea Ben isn't fully onboard with.

Developer's Notes:

Right off the bat I want to shout out that his old human design used to keep the Necrofriggian antennae. I still think it's a cute design even tho it wasn't canon compliant with the antennae. The only things that have changed about him too are just that, his hair style, and his shoes. Plus I stuck bunny ears on his hoodie recently as a shout out to those antennae he used to have. Otherwise he's always been the same. And I guess I haven't explained why he has a human form, but that's also an answer to discover later. I didn't draw his Necrofriggian form tho cuz we should all know what the UAF design looks like(and yes I am screwing with art style difference bullshit cuz OV Big Chill is not real and you cannot convince me otherwise). And I also just realized his pronouns aren't matching up in this section so I should add his official pronouns are he/they, but characters refer to him by he/him and narration uses they/them. He is still a Necrofriggian and therefore doesn't do the whole gender thing after all. Which is why he's fine with anyone viewing him as whatever they want to too. He just goes with it. That's also why he doesn't get what's weird about him calling Ben 'Mother' after he learned the word, lol.

[sineala]

Queer novel recs

[A repost from my Patreon.]

By request of the one person who is pledging at a Patreon tier that lets them make meta/review requests of me, some recommendations for queer novels. Fiction-wise, I read pretty much exclusively science fiction and fantasy, with the occasional excursus into historical fiction, so that's what you're getting.

SF/F these days is, happily, getting queerer and queerer. As a general recommendation, a good place to start is the lists of winners and nominees of the Otherwise Award (formerly the Tiptree Award), which, according to their website, "encourages the exploration and expansion of gender." There's also the Lambda Literary Awards, which are awarded to both fiction and non-fiction LGBT books across various categories, including genre (mystery, romance, SF/F & horror). It's obviously not going to be a guarantee that you'll like any particular one of these books, but at least it means that somebody did.

A whole lot of the Hugo award nominees and winners this year coincidentally happened to be queer fiction, especially in the longer categories. The Best Novel winner, Arkady Martine's The Memory of Empire, is a sprawling space opera starring a diplomat who incidentally (very incidentally) happens to have some Feelings for her cultural liaison, and it's a really good book, anyway. I actually voted for Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth, which is billed as "lesbian necromancers in space," and it is pretty much exactly that. It's a murder mystery, which you'd think would be less mysterious in a book where half the characters are necromancers, but this doesn't actually help them much. I thought it was delightful and I have the sequel sitting here on my Kindle waiting for me to read it. But had Gideon not stolen my heart, I would have voted for Kameron Hurley's The Light Brigade. Everything else I have read by Hurley -- well, okay, that's just the Bel-Dame Apocrypha series, actually -- has starred kickass queer people, and this one's no exception. It's military SF in the vein of Starship Troopers or The Forever War with a really well-done time travel plot, in which the twists just keep coming. The narrator's gender is intentionally obscured for about 95% of the novel, and for added fun, they're bisexual. (Charlie Jane Anders' The City in the Middle of the Night also had queer characters but it didn't really grab me.)

(I have to admit I bounced off a lot of the Hugo novella nominees this year, including most of the queer ones, but Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone's This Is How You Lose The Time War (lesbian time-travel agents) did win, although it wasn't really my thing, and Rivers Solomon's The Deep (lesbian mermaids) appears to have gone on to win this year's Lambda instead, although that one wasn't really my thing either. Becky Chambers's To Be Taught, If Fortunate also had some lesbians and I liked that a bit better, but none of those got my #1 vote.)

I have not read it yet and cannot vouch for it but my wife is reading N. K. Jemisin's new short story collection and she says they're very good and a lot of them are queer.

Okay. So. What about less recent queer SF/F, you ask?

I started reading SF/F in the mid-90s, and there wasn't a whole lot of queer SF/F out there in the mainstream SF market, so I imprinted pretty heavily on what there was that I could find, which was basically, at first, the blink-and-you'll-miss-it gay dragonriders of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. Pern is what The Youth these days would probably call problematic in several ways, but there wasn't much else out there. I also then read Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, which is basically iddy iddy whump fic with magic telepathic animals who love you, so I'm not saying it's a complete literary masterpiece but Confused Baby Lesbian Sineala sure spent a lot of time wondering why she was identifying so very hard with Vanyel from the Last Herald-Mage trilogy. (I also really enjoyed Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books, especially the ones about the Renunciates (the lesbian ones), Heritage of Hastur (the gay one), and The Forbidden Tower (the one where a telepathic orgy solves everyone's problems) but owing to the, uh, terrible things we all found out about MZB after she died, I don't think I can recommend them. Or read them ever again.

Other older queer SF/F that was beloved among my friend group: Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint and its sequels are about a duelist and his boyfriend and a lot of people liked this one, but I never liked it enough to keep up with all the sequels. The first few of Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner books, however, punched me straight in the id; the protagonists are a pair of spies and thieves who are, more or less, this fantasy world's version of elves. There are a whole lot of grätúìtôūs dīåcrìtïcs and after the third book everything gets a little too horrific for me, but I really loved the first three.

But if I had to pick a top three list of authors who have written queer SF/F, this would be my list:

(1) Diane Duane. She is pretty much my favorite author ever, so I am biased here. I first discovered her work with her Star Trek tie-in novels (which, if you like Vulcans and Romulans, are amazing) and then her YA series Young Wizards, which is about teenagers who can do magic and use it to make the universe a better place and it's about ten thousand times more meaningful to me than Harry Potter ever was. But, anyway. She also has a fantasy series called The Tale of the Five, which is an everyone-is-bi-and-poly series started back before that kind of thing was even cool. Also there's a group marriage involving, like, six people, one of whom is a fire elemental. There are three books out in that series, she's still writing novellas set in it, and she swears that she's going to write the fourth and final book that we've been waiting about 25 years for.

(2) Melissa Scott. Everything I have ever read by Melissa Scott, either as a solo author or with her late partner Lisa Barnett, is queer as hell and has amazing worldbuilding. I first encountered her work when I randomly picked up Trouble and Her Friends (lesbian cyberpunk) at a used bookstore and ended up adoring it. Her other works include Shadow Man (set in a future where humanity has a whole lot more intersex people), The Kindly Ones (which has a protagonist whose gender is never specified), and The Armor of Light (alt-history involving Kit Marlowe and a demon). But my favorite series of hers is the Astreiant series, which is a Professionals AU with the serial numbers filed off, but they're filed off really well. It's a series of police procedural mysteries set in Fantasy Matriarchal Renaissance Netherlands, starring a m/m couple, and the fantasy gimmick here is that astrology is really real and really works. They're a lot of fun.

(3) Nicola Griffith. All of her books are about queer women. She has a few that are modern-day thrillers that I didn't so much care for, but I really love her SF. The first book of hers I read was Ammonite, about an anthropologist who gets sent to a planet of only women to try to figure out how they reproduce and ends up going native instead. I really adored it. I also remember really liking Slow River although I no longer remember the actual plot, except that the main character worked at a sewage facility. And it's historical fiction rather than SF, but she's probably most famous for Hild, a novel about Hilda of Whitby. I liked it a lot except for the part where it annoyed me that Griffith invented out of whole cloth the idea that women would have a special female companion and made up a name for it in Old English and everything, and most people who read the book probably believed it was a real thing. But, uh. I did really love Ammonite. I am so weak for planet-of-women books. (This is why I am so sad that I can't ever read the Renunciates of Darkover books again.)

That's about all I can think of right now. I hope some of those recs are, at the very least, new!

[gins-potter]

TV Guide Article

So I had a lot of fun running down what happened in the teaser and thinking about what it means for the new seasons, so I thought I would do something similar for the tv guide article that came out a couple days ago.  Thoughts and musings under the cut because it got long:

Chicago Fire

“We are going to reflect what the world is like in 2020 for Chicago firefighters, pandemic and all” so that’s pretty blatant that we’re going to get covid-19 storylines in some regard on Fire.  Maybe Stellaride is the couple who have to quarantine together (again i heard that was going to be upstead but am not sure if that’s confirmed or not).

“[Brett] becomes a mentor to young medic Gianna Macket, who grew up in the same rough South Chicago neighborhood as firefighter Joe Cruz” hopefully is Brett is becoming a mentor to Gianna that means they’ll be friendly pretty quickly, I’m not a massive fan of drama within company’s.  I do love that the new girl might already know Cruz going into the house (altho they lowkey missed the chance for a cross-show dynamic, because I think the Halstead bros also grew up on the south side?)

“Look for Brett and Macket to quickly find themselves in harrowing circumstances, Haas reveals: ‘Don’t miss the premiere’s last 10 seconds’“ so we’re gonna have a cliff hanger in 9x01 which is interesting.  Usually they leave that sort of thing for the season finale, altho they could be making up for the one we didn’t get in s8.

“Brett could experience a new partner in her personal life as well.  Will she begin a serious romance with smitten Captain Matt Casey?  The first two episodes will tell.” Well, there it is Brettsey fans.  We’ll know if our ship’s setting sail by 9x02.  The use of the word smitten is giving me hope, along with the knowledge that they’ve been building this ship for two seasons.  Hopefully they don’t back out in the last second.

“Firefighter Stella Kidd heads in a new direction when Chief Wallace Boden asks her to take the lieutenant’s exam.  Her ambition could cause tension between her and boyfriend Lt. Kelly Severide.”  I’m down for Lieutenant Stella Kidd, but not down for tension between her and Kelly.  Happy Stellaride all of s8 was amazing and I don’t want trouble now.  If she does get her bugles (if i’m using that phrase right) I wonder where she’ll go since all the Lt spots are full, but she could pull a Herrmann and just stick around until something opens up and fill in when she’s needed.  I’m a tiny bit worried they’re gearing up to write one of our Lt’s out, but I’m hoping I’m very wrong.

“’Ritter has an epic rescue coming up,’ says Haas, ‘and he might be taking a break from [his boyfriend]’” Yay epic rescue, boo break from his boyfriend (unless that means Ritter/Gallo in that case I’d totally be here for it).

“While Gallo’s effort to woo EMT Violet Lin fizzled” rip, I wasn’t a massive fan of Violet/Gallo but sad to see her go cause she was a badass paramedic.

“[Gallo] now faces an even bigger challenge: impressing his boss, Captain Casey. ‘Especially,’ warns Haas, ‘if he decides to cowboy a call instead of following orders.’“ I’ve seen the theory that Gallo cowboying a call is what puts Brett and Gianna in danger and Casey loses his shit and it leads to Brettsey and honestly?  I’m here for it.

Chicago PD

“... new Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller who arrives in Chicago with an intense police reform agenda, in a story inspired by the country’s current movement.  ‘Miller wants to abolish the ‘warrior-cop’ mentality and help Hank Voight and Intelligence adapt to the new reality’ says exec producer Rick Eid.... Facing hostility from the community and scrutiny from his bosses, Voight must assess whether, indeed, ‘he’s part of the problem of part of the solution’.” Honestly this type of storyline is long overdue and I really hope they’re committed to following it through.  Because we’ve seen them explore themes of ‘reform’ in the past but they never seem to stick.  I think if cop shows want to stick around they need to take a hard stance against police brutality in their story telling and be willing to be critical of their own main characters.  It’s not enough anymore to see the characters stand up against other racist cops, they now need to look at how their own policing has been racist.  It won’t make PD a completely unproblematic show (and I don’t know if there can be a completely unproblematic cop show) but it will be a step in the right direction.

“While the unit lost undercover specialist Vanessa Rojas at the end of last season...” so, did I miss this happening?  I assumed Lisseth would come back for 8x01 to write off her character but this makes it sound like she isn’t.  Which has me confused because I’m pretty sure they haven’t given her a proper exit yet, but maybe I’ve just forgotten about it.  The fact that they specified she’s an undercover specialist makes me think she’s just going to disappear and they’ll throw out a single line about how she’s gone undercover for another unit.

“Upton’s chemistry with Det. Jay Halstead did not weaken during her absence, but both know the complications of dating colleague.”  this ain’t gonna be a smooth ride to canon Upstead, me think.

“As do officers AdamRuzek and Kim Burgess, still mourning her miscarriage.  ‘It’s become an emotional impediment to their relationship,’ Eid says. ‘They have an unbreakable bond, but are they better off as friends?’“ Fuck off Eid, and just let them get back together already.  That’s all I have to say on that.

“Intelligence’s Kevin Atwater has his own troubles - with members of the force.  After breaking the ‘blue wall of silence’ by testifying that racist cop Tom Doyle was killed in crossfire after racially profiling an innocent Black man, Doyle’s connect friends and family want vindication.” This storyline coupled with the new superintendent sets up a very interesting season.  But I will say this, they better let Kevin Atwater carry this season, because it is his time and he deserves the spotlight.

Chicago Med

“The stories on Med’s sixth season will consider how first responders have been impacted by the coronavirus.  But while the docs at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center will see covid-19 patients, ‘we focus more on how other types of cases are treated in this new environment’ exec producer Diane Frolov says.” this is an interesting way to do covid storylines and i’m interested to see where it goes.  clearly none of the shows are shying away from the current state of the world which i’m personally fine with, but can understand why some people don’t like.  tv is a form of escapism for a lot of people, but personally i enjoy when tv shows aren’t scared to go there and get real with certain subject.

“Amid all this, Dr James Lanik quits as emergency department chief (but stays with the hospital)” rip bye Lanik, can’t say I’ll overly miss you.  I find it interesting that they specify that he’s not leaving the hospital though.  I wonder if that means we’ll see him in another position.

“...and a main character is unexpectedly named to the position.”  I feel like it might be Ethan, because iirc Will is running some sort of clinical trial or something?  And being a surgeon I doubt it can be Marcel.  Nat’s lower than Ethan in terms of hierarchy I think so I don’t think it’ll be her, but maybe that’s the unexpected part.  Ethan or Nat for the position would be my guess.

“‘There’s always a push-pull between Dr Ethan Choi and Nurse April Sexton, but deep feelings remain on each side,’” guess we shouldn’t give up on Sextoi just yet.  pretty ambivalent on them these days which is a shame cause i used to really like them.

“trauma surgeon Crockett Marcel and Dr Natalie Manning have drawn closer since Marcel opened up about the loss of his child.” okay this is the one thing I’m actually interesting in seeing in s6.  Not a massive Marcel fan but I liked the storyline about his past (not liked as in glad he’s gone through shit but liked as in it made him slightly more sympathetic to me).  I’m also curious to see where this thing with Nat goes.  Especially because I swear I saw a lingering glance between her and Will at Maggie’s wedding.  I smell a love triangle?  Love quadrangle perhaps if April’s still into Marcel?  Love pentagon, if Ethan’s still into April?  Goodness.

“...and Dr Will Halstead, who’s tapped to supervise a clinical trial on a new heart disease medication, is still entangled with ob-gyn Hannah Asher.  Whether Halstead should trust the recovering addict is still to be determined.” yup knew Will had some other big thing going on this season.  Don’t need the Asher relationship stuff tho.  Sorry Jessy Schram, I’m sure you’re lovely but you can leave now.  That being said if they pull a Bekker level stunt and have her go batshit in order to write her off, I will actually lose my shit.

And there we have it.  All my thoughts on some pretty big scoops for the new seasons and what I think might happen.

[robertisbisexual]

15?

You didn’t specify fluff or angst, so i’m gonna swerve and hit ya with both themes. - “yeah, well, if you weren’t so drunk maybe i would.” / “maybe in another world.”

//

“Yeah, well, if you weren’t so drunk maybe i would.”

“I’m not drunk.”  is Robert reply, his tone petulant.

But they both know he was.

Because they’ve been best friends since they were ten - sixteen years that felt like a lifetime in moments like this - and because Robert only ever made a pass at Aaron when he was drunk.

Aaron made the mistake of going with it one time when they were eighteen and he was a little bit too drunk himself to know better. Aaron had come out the year before, had  been in love with Robert since he knew what it meant, and in his drunken haze thought life was finally giving him a win.

Robert came out three days later: by making out with Mike in the middle of Bob’s. They never talked about what happened three days prior in Ross’s bedroom at the Barton party.

He didn’t make the mistake again, though the opportunity kept rearing it’s head. If Robert wasn’t Robert, he might actually hate him for it.

Now they were twenty-six and Robert hadn’t done this in almost two years.

“Go inside, Robert.”

“Is this because of what’s his face? The doctor?” He waved his beer bottle towards the entrance of the pub, his sister's wedding reception in full swing, while they stood out here by themselves. His boyfriend, the doctor, inside seemingly oblivious that Aaron had been missing for a while now.

“It’s because you’re a drunk selfish prat.”

Robert was in his space, it caught Aaron off guard, and put him on the defensive. He tried to step backwards, to put space between them, but his shoulders hit the wall of the pub and made that impossible.

“Knock it off.”

Robert watched him quietly for a moment, gaze flickering across Aaron’s face before settling on Aaron’s mouth, though it seemed to require a great deal of focus to manage.

“Why are you even with him? He’s boring.”

It wasn’t where Aaron had expected the conversation to go and he stumbled over a response. “He’s...nice.”

Robert snorted, a very un-Robert like reaction.“Nearly two years and that’s the best you’ve got. He’s nice? What an endorsement. No wonder he’s moving in. Can’t imagine how you’d describe your sex life.”

Robert stumbled slightly and Aaron forced himself to not reach out and steady him.

“Fuck you, Robert.”

“Yeah, I’m trying.”

Aaron tried to remember that he was drunk, that Robert was his best friend, and that Robert probably didn’t have any idea of what he was saying, but when Robert leaned in to try and kiss him he shoved at him, hard, and Robert ended up on his ass blinking up at Aaron, beer bottle broken beside him.

“What the fuck, Dingle?”

“You’re unbelievable. We’re not kids anymore, Robert, so stop acting like one.”

He stepped around him, headed for the door, but he could hear Robert struggling to get back to his feet and felt the tug to turn and help him. Because it was Robert and Robert was always going to pull at that place deep inside him, even if he shouldn’t.

“Aaron - wait, just..wait.” He let his fingers fall away from the door and took a deep breath before turning to face Robert again. Found his best friend looking awkward in front of him. “Don’t be mad at me, I’m sorry. I’m sorry okay? I won’t - I don’t want to fight.”

“I have a boyfriend, Robert.”

“I know.” Robert replied, voice soft.

But Robert’s gaze had gone unfocused again and Aaron felt himself deflate. Resigned to the fact that this would just be another night they never talked about again. Just like every time before.

““I can’t keep doing this Rob, I thought we were past it.” He looked away from Robert then, let his gaze drop to the other man’s feet, because sometimes looking at Robert hurt too much. “Maybe in another world...maybe you’d have actually want me back. Really truly wanted me the way I wanted you and not just some drunken mistake you can’t forget soon enough. But we’re in this world and I’m too tire, I’m too fucking exhausted to keep this up.”

“..Aaron.”

But something had finally cracked and Aaron couldn’t seem to stop now that he’d gotten started.

‘I have a boyfriend. He’s moving in. He wants me at all times, not just in the fucking dark where no one can see it. And I fucking got it in high school. I didn’t like it but I got it, because being out as a kid is weird and maybe I was just some experiment. Maybe it had to do with your dad. It hurt but I could handle it but what’s the fucking excuse now, Robert? You’re out. You’ve dated men. Everyone knows Robert Sugden is out proud and bi and that’s great but I’m still not good enough for you. I’m still some secret. I’m still not worth of Robert Sugden when he’s sober.  Just.. just leave me alone.”

“Aaron hold on-”

He was gone before Robert could finish the thought. Back inside a party that he no longer wanted to be at. But Aaron was a good friend and even better at masking things. So he plastered on a smile for Vic and tried not to shrink away from Alex when his boyfriend shuffled over to him and wrapped an arm around him.

He was still faking his way through things the next morning at breakfast. Vic and Ellis beaming at one end of the table as they talked to Diane and Doug while he stewed at the other end, Alex on his right and Robert’s empty seat to his left.

Until Robert’s seat wasn’t empty anymore and Aaron prepared himself to pretend like last night hadn’t happened. Only when he glanced over he found Robert staring right back, instead of the usual avoidance they’d have the day after.

“What?”

“We should talk after breakfast.”

“We don't have any-”

“Shut up, Aaron.” There was no heat behind it though and Robert stole a strip of bacon off Aaron’s plate before his gaze focused on Alex, the next words out of his mouth making Aaron’s world tilt on it’s axis. “Your bags are by the door.”

“My - what?”

“I said your bags are by the door. You can go after breakfast.”

Aaron had the irrational urge to laugh as the rest of the table fell silent at Robert’s words. Part of him should be angry, he knew it, but this was the most on brand thing Robert had ever done. Of course he’d finally decide to do something and do so in the most dramatic way possible and before talking to Aaron about any of it. Aaron should hate it but Aaron was a fool and he knew exactly who Robert was and had loved him for a decade anyway.

He realized belatedly that Alex was trying to get his attention but he couldn’t seem to look away from Robert. Mouth opening and closing a couple times before he managed to get something out. “What are you doing?”

“Making changes to the world.”

It was cheesy, embarrassingly so, and this time Aaron does laugh, happier than he can remember being in a long time.

[kiss-my-freckle]

"The rest will come, I promise you."  

Tom Keen’s character was centered between both Liz’s biological parents. 

Forewarning, this is a lengthy post. 

Diane Fowler and Red’s search for answers.

Red isn’t looking for answers about his family, shown more than enough in dialogue and scene throughout the entire series. He knows all that he needs to about Liz and her parents, of things that happened in the past. If answers were locked inside of Liz’s memory, he would be digging into her memory to get them. Otherwise you’re basing your belief on Red risking his life while he waits for Liz to have a flashback. If answers were hidden somewhere in her things, he’d be digging through her things to get them. Otherwise you’re basing your belief on Red risking his life while he waits for Liz to find something that could answer the truth about his family. The only thing left to base your belief, is Red risking his life while he waits for a specific enemy to enter Liz’s, when that enemy would need to be specific to Masha Rostova. Debunked by Liz being outed as Masha Rostova back in S2 & S3. Liz has absolutely nothing to do with Red getting answers about his family. 

Diane: I know the truth, Red. About that night. About what happened to your family. Do you want to know the truth? Red: More than anything in the world. But if you know the truth, Diane, then somebody else does too.

Red already knows what happened to his family. That's why he'd rather kill Diane Fowler than take her somewhere else to be tortured, moreso if he truly wanted those answers “more than anything in the world.” That’s quite literally why he stated, “then somebody else does too.” He IS that somebody else. Obvious as ever, Diane had no idea she was speaking to an imposter. That’s why her dialogue got her killed.  

It’s the difference between knowing the truth about Red’s family -

Diane: About that night. About what happened to your family.

And knowing the truth about Red specifically -

The Director: I know who you really are, Raymond. Who you are to her. 

Red’s statement to Liz negates his statement to Diane - 

Red: Please, understand, I want more than anything to help you. It’s the reason why I’m here.

His answers would trump his desire to help Liz if he truly wanted them “more than anything else in the world.” More than anything, he wants to help Liz. 

To believe Diane Fowler knew Red's real identity, you'd have to believe one of two scenarios: Either Diane learned his real identity within those five minutes they sat and spoke at her house, or she learned his real identity prior to him stopping by. If you believe she learned his real identity within those five minutes they sat and spoke at her house, then you believe she hadn't the slightest bit of fear of the person everyone else seems to be terrified of. You could chalk it up to her belief that she was still being protected by the Cabal, but not fear him when he was waiting in a dark corner of her house after she just sold him out to Anslo Garrick and Alan Fitch. And how exactly did Red reveal his true identity in those five minutes? If you believe she learned his real identity prior to him stopping by her house, and you believe he's Ilya Koslov, then you basically believe Diane didn’t bother to inform any other Cabal member of this. You must also believe Diane made no attempt to cash in on the fact that Red is the one man who would know the true status and location of Katarina Rostova. 

Past vs present, pulling in Tom Keen.

People assume what’s past and what’s present. I’ve said this before regarding Liz’s second Krilov memory wipe. Krilov never specified that the truth removed from her memory was a truth of the past, and because they revealed Red to be an imposter, many assume this was the truth removed from her memory. Not necessarily the case, and I highly doubt it will be the case at this point in the story. A bit silly to bring it in when she already found out Red is an imposter. A bit silly to bring it in when she already believes him to be Ilya Koslov. If you’re wanting to believe her second memory wipe has to do with Red’s real identity, then you’re willing to believe the writers introduced that second memory wipe in S4 with the intention of not revealing it until the end of the series, and you’re basing this on top of your belief that Red isn’t Ilya Koslov as Liz herself was led to believe. Pointless if you ask me. That memory wipe will have nothing to do with Red’s real identity. 

Back to Red and his family. He entered Liz’s life, not for his answers, but to help get HERS. When you understand and accept this for what it is, you see why the show plays out as it does. The writers themselves have already stated he’s there FOR HER. And because he’s there FOR HER, the blacklist is also FOR HER. Yes, Red is getting answers FOR HER. 

That’s why we’re given this dialogue in 1x8 -

Red: But I’m here because you want answers to questions you haven’t even thought of yet. Now, if that doesn’t matter to you, the solution is simple I get in this car and I disappear.

This has nothing to do with Red getting answers about his family. That’s why he offered Liz the opportunity to be rid of him. It’s not FOR HIM, it’s FOR HER. 

That’s why we’re given this dialogue in 1x21 -

Liz: But there are answers I need, and I can’t get them without you. Red: And I can’t get them without you.

First, one must take note that Red’s statement was in response. This is not Red stating he’s in search of answers for himself. This is Red stating he’s in search of answers FOR HER. That’s why he can’t get them WITHOUT HER. Also take note to his use of a conjunction. “AND” confirms he’s speaking in response to her answers because he’s there FOR HER.

When you understand and accept that, you see exactly what the writers are doing. As I stated at the start, Red knows all that he needs to about Liz and her parents, of things that happened in the past. One shouldn’t assume past over present. When you consider present-day answers, you see EVERYTHING. 

Like Red’s questions in 1x2 -

Red: Tell me about your husband. Does he know you as well as you know him? Does he know about you as a child? Does he know about the fire? 

And his statement in 1x18 -

Red: Right now, the only thing that matters is the immediate threat - your husband - finding out who he is and who he works for. The rest will come, I promise you.

What he told Mr. Kaplan in 4x17 -

Red: As I feared would happen, elements from Katarina’s past are circling Elizabeth like a pack of wolves in the night. I put Tom Keen in her life to keep an eye on her, and he married her. Kate: This isn’t about Tom Keen. It’s about your need for control. Red: Indeed. I need to control the danger to Elizabeth. I’ve built a vast criminal network predicated on that very principal. It’s time to live up to my mission statement.

Now, let’s go back to their full conversation in 1x18 -

Liz: My husband chose me. He inserted himself into my life because of you. Red: I can only assume that’s the case. Liz: Why? How are we connected? Red: That is just a distraction. Liz: No, that is all that matters! This is my life! Tell me! Red: Right now, the only thing that matters is the immediate threat - your husband - finding out who he is and who he works for. The rest will come, I promise you.

For the sake of it, let's imagine Red hired Tom Keen as he hired Ezra, to protect Liz at an arm's length. Ezra did not enter Liz's life, she entered his when she realized he was following her. 

Liz: My husband chose me. He inserted himself into my life because of you. Red: I can only assume that’s the case.

So when you see Red's initial response, he could actually be telling the truth. Red did not hire Tom to act as Liz’s boyfriend/lover/husband. As far as Tom’s hire is concerned, we can’t be certain of anything, we can only assume. It’s quite possible Red had no idea why he entered Liz’s life. Did he enter her life because an enemy of his hired Tom to, did he enter her life because he found out her true identity, or did he enter her life because Red literally placed Tom in her life as a friend - which was far more than Ezra was hired for.

“The rest will come, I promise you.”

Cut to this bit and we’re given more to consider. What exactly is he talking about here? Refer to the statement Liz made prior and what his response was. 

Liz: Why? How are we connected? Red: That is just a distraction.

The one thing Liz had yet to learn: “How are we connected?” Currently believing Red is Ilya Koslov. But prior to that, it was the only thing she had yet to learn. Or is it? Let’s go back to that 4x17 conversation Red had with Kate, then consider current characters and storyline. 

Red: As I feared would happen, elements from Katarina’s past are circling Elizabeth like a pack of wolves in the night. I put Tom Keen in her life to keep an eye on her, and he married her. Kate: This isn’t about Tom Keen. It’s about your need for control. Red: Indeed. I need to control the danger to Elizabeth. I’ve built a vast criminal network predicated on that very principal. It’s time to live up to my mission statement.

Red connected Tom Keen to elements from Katarina’s past, and he has YET to be connected to those elements. S1 was Berlin, a connection between him and Tom was already made and confirmed. Tom admitted to this betrayal - to his alignment with Berlin himself. So why wouldn’t “the rest” come at this point in the story when Red promised it would? Because a connection wasn’t made between Katarina and Berlin. The only thing connecting them was the Russian inspection stamp on her ring. That is not a connection to person, but to country. Berlin was not the “element” Red was referring to. 

You’re basically left with four choices, all of which await confirmation. Which element from Katarina’s past was Tom Keen connected to?

1. The Cabal: Katarina’s handlers 2. Constantin Rostov: Katarina’s husband 3. Mr. Kaplan: Young Masha’s nanny 4. Current day “Katarina”: Her truth yet revealed

Tom Keen himself wasn’t connected to the real Red other than what we’ve been told of Liz’s scar, what we were given in Tom’s own dialogue, as well as the mark in his passport box. Given this, it makes sense to throw his death in the center of that suitcase truth - between both Liz’s parents. Tom is stitched somewhere in between, so let’s look at those. 

Tom Keen and the real Raymond Reddington.

The mark & Liz’s scar. This ties in Luther Braxton, the fire, and the Fulcrum. It ties in Gina Zanetakos through the box that was found in her motel room. It ties in the manila envelope Tom stored in his safety deposite box. 

It also ties in Constantin Rostov through the Arioch Cain blood pool. 

Red: Tell me about the scar on your palm. I’ve noticed how you stroke it. Liz: There was a fire. I was fourteen. Red: Someone tried to hurt you.

Liz: I was scared when I was your age too. But I had a secret weapon to keep me safe. My daddy gave it to me. It’s very special. I’ve never shown it to anybody. It’s like magic. Beth: What does it do? Liz: Whenever I’m feeling sad or afraid, I just touch it like this, and it makes me brave. 

Dr. Creel: Now It says here that your parents died when you were 4. What do you remember about them? Liz: Nothing, really.

Liz: I have no recollection of my mother or my father - not their faces, nothing. All I know - or think I know - is that my father gave me this. [shows her scar]

Liz: The day we met, you asked how I got my scar. And I told you my father gave it to me. But you knew that already, didn’t you?

Obviously Tom never met the real Red because he died in the fire, so we must consider those in story where Tom COULD connect. Only two can connect in both aspects - the mark and the scar. Whatever the mark represents, that mark is what scarred Liz. Mr. Kaplan wasn’t at the fire, she was at the motel, so she should know nothing of the mark. This removes Mr. Kaplan as the “element” Red was referring to. The Cabal didn’t know of the mark, otherwise they would’ve known about Liz’s scar and identified her as Masha Rostova long before S2. This removes the Cabal as well. We are now left with two possibles.

1. Constantin Rostov: Katarina’s husband 2.  Current day “Katarina”: Her truth yet revealed

Either Constantin Rostov sent his own man to the real Red’s beach house on the night of the fire, or the mark is connected to our current day “Katarina.”

Coincidence in these two dialogues? 

Nik: Reddington’s her father? I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m sad for her. That sucks, but what does this have to do with me? Tom: Nothing. That mystery has been solved. But this one hasn’t. 

Ilya: It is a mystery, right? So, we give them the answer. Katarina: What does that mean?

I think not. Tom had no idea that Red was Liz’s father. He also had no idea that the real Red was dead - that our Red is an imposter. Refer back to his 1x22 whisper to Liz, and it leaves one to question - or what one SHOULD'VE been questioning from the moment that truth was revealed. Why did Tom tell Liz that her father’s alive when he’s dead? Why did he tell Liz that her father’s alive when he had no idea that Red is her father?

The writers told us that Red’s whisper to Alexander Kirk is endgame. It only makes sense to reveal the truth behind Tom’s whisper first. 

Tom Keen and Katarina Rostova. 

From the moment Red connected Tom Keen to elements from Katarina’s past, everyone should’ve known at that point Tom would somehow be connected to elements from Katarina’s past. And because he wasn’t connected to “Katarina” before his death, he will be connected to her after. 

Liz: I had the photo enhanced. It’s a rough extrapolation of features since the face was almost entirely blown out. I ran it through every FBI database from facial recognition, mug shots, surveillance feeds. Tom: Or I could just buy this boat, and we could disappear. Liz: Do you know how many images are in the NGI database? Tom: If we go away, none of that matters Liz: And not a single one of her. Tom: Reddington knows who she is. Liz: I know who she is. That girl - that’s me. And the woman - I believe that may be my mother.

Liz: What? Tom: That stamp. The ring - I’ve seen it before. Liz: Where? Tom: Berlin. He wore a ring with that exact hallmark. It’s a Russian inspection stamp. Liz: You know people who worked with Berlin. You could reach out.

Tom: Did the same thing last month. It’s probably why you don’t recognize me. Constantin. Berlin, man, he’s tough. I had to get away for a while, go to Germany, figure a few things out. Russian: I come here for the peace and quiet. Tom: Sure. Sorry. Gosh, you know, I just thought maybe you could help me. Man: He said to piss off, pal. Tom: Just take a minute. Russian: I don’t know who that is. Tom: I think you do. Why don’t you take another look? Liz: I believe he was asking for a name. Russian: I can’t. I swore on my life I wouldn’t. Liz: You swore to whom?

Liz: God! Stay with me! Come on! My mother - he’s the only one who knew about her. Tom: Liz - Liz, he’s gone.

As I said at the start of this post, Red already knows all that he needs to about Liz and her parents, of things that happened in the past. The one thing he didn’t know about was Tom Keen. Berlin wasn’t tied to Katarina Rostova, so the rest didn’t come. That’s why we were given a gap in Tom’s character storyline. 

Which handed us this bit of conversation in 2x15 -

Dembe: You need to tell her, Raymond. Red: Tell her what? Dembe: About Tom. You should have told her some time ago. Red: I don’t know how do that, Dembe. Dembe: Yes, you do. You tell her the truth by telling her everything. Red: I don’t think I can do that. Dembe: Maybe you should stop thinking about it and do it.

HIring Tom is one truth. “Everything” is everything. this parallels Tom’s dialogue to Red in 5x8. Tom: Because I know the truth. I know everything. And now Liz is gonna know too.

It also handed us this bit of conversation in 2x19 -

Red: A confluence of peril had entered your life, and I wanted to be within reach, to have influence. I turned myself in to the FBI to point you toward a truth that inevitably you would have to discover for yourself. Liz: Is that all of it? Red: Some of it.

When Tom died in-show never mattered. They connected him in the pilot through that mark in his passport box. Until 3x23, there was no indication that Red knew his real identity. This thickens the plot and the playout.

Red: If you kill her, the answers you’ve been looking for your entire life will die with her. Tom: What are you talking about? [Flashback:] Scottie: I remember my little one looking up at me, eyes full of wonder. Tom: My mother. Red: Yes. Which is why I didn’t want you involved.

This scene quite literally plays off Liz’s with Alexander Kirk. And because it does, Red basically told the audience that Tom’s father is already dead. If his father wasn’t dead, those answers Red claimed Tom had been looking for his entire life wouldn’t die with his mother, they would die when his father dies. This coming long before Howard’s plane went down. As I said, same concept for Liz and Alexander Kirk. Red already told Liz that her mother is dead. With her mother dead, those answers would die when her father dies.

Liz: He’s gonna die because a bus accident delayed some lab work, and all the answers I’m looking for are gonna die with him. Tom: Some answers about who you were. But none about who you are or who you will be. Certainly none that affect your happiness, which is all I care about.

“Some answers about who you were.”

Coincidence that Liz’s two dialogues mirror Tom’s? 

Red: You’ve entrusted Agnes to Scottie Hargrave? Liz: Yes. To Tom’s mother. Red: Who ordered a hit on your wedding. Liz: She didn’t know who we were.

Liz: About who you used to be - there’s something I need to ask you.

I think not. Both Ilya and Katarina were there the night of the fire, which connects both the mark and Liz’s scar to both Katarina and Ilya. If you believe Red is Ilya and Katarina is the real deal, then you should quite literally expect this woman to reveal the truth of Liz’s scar and the mark in Tom’s passport box. Why? Because Red connected Tom to elements from Katarina’s past - not Ilya’s, and I’m pretty sure Ilya would know if he was connected to Tom once he found out who Tom was. It basically means Tom was directly connected to the real Katarina - either through Katarina herself or through her husband, Constantin Rostov. Because Red’s whisper to Kirk is endgame, that reveal won’t come through him, it will come through her.

If you believe as I do - that imposter Red is Katarina and imposter Katarina is Ilya, you’re still left with those two choices: imposter Katarina or Constantin. But again, should expect this woman to reveal the truth of Liz’s scar and the mark in Tom’s passport box. The only difference is the plot and the playout. Two possible theories that vary in playout, all-depending which way you lean. One of them was in contact with Tom Keen. 

Was it Constantin or imposter Katarina?

Let’s look at imposter Katarina first. Tom didn’t even know her identity - shown in his 2x20 scene. However, this could be explained in her using an alias just as Constantin Rostov could’ve when he hired Tom. She appears to know nothing of the task force, shown looking over Cooper’s FBI file in the promo - information Tom would’ve had access to since he had them posted on his clue board back in S1. Not a single attempt to enter Red’s life up to this point. Not a single attempt to enter Liz’s life up to this point. Not the slightest indication that she’s been seeking vengeance for the past 30 years. Because Red and Katarina both know each other quite well, she shouldn’t have questions about mother or daughter. However, like Red, she knows nothing of Tom Keen. Not only his real identity, but his marriage to Masha. Now she’s about to enter Liz’s life, and likely as Agnes’ nanny. Why? Because she already knows who Red is, she already knows who Masha is, but she doesn’t know who Tom Keen is. 

Now Constantin. And again, they had reason to center Tom between both of Liz’s parents as both fall within that suitcase. If Tom didn’t know that Red is Liz’s father, then who was he referring to when he told Liz that her father’s alive? A coincidence that a huge chunk of Tom’s dialogues mirror Constantin’s? Consider it. Tom works for Constantin Rostov. Red finds out during their war that Tom is the son of Scottie Hargrave. He not only has reason to fear for the safety of Liz and Agnes because of his own truth with Kirk, but reason to fear involving Tom in that war because of his truth with Scottie. Consider it again. If Ilya is Tom’s father, and Red already knows this in knowing Tom is the son of Scottie, then he now has reason to fear for the safety of Liz and Agnes because they just brought Ilya into story. That danger would be doubled just as it was for Alexander Kirk’s arc, but in the opposite. Instead of Tom’s mother, it's his father. One thing to have Moscow searching for Katarina when she’s hiding under Red’s identity. Quite another if Tom’s father became Katarina - Red’s double - who Moscow is now searching for. 

A coincidence in these three dialogues?

Ilya Koslov -

Red: Is that what you think you did? Because I think you may have made things worse. 

Rostova Glasnost file -

Red: It just keeps getting worse. Tom’s calculus book -

Dembe: How bad is it? Red: Worse than I thought.

I think not.

I basically believe Red and Tom are playing opposite sides of the entire series. Imposter opposite imposter, many truths opposite many truths. I believe they’re planning to reveal why Red left Tom alone after their wedding only to want him dead two years later. Trust when I say, Tom gave Red reason to, and that desire didn’t come out of nowhere. 

I’m gonna post a short one for those who follow my dialogues tag.

[scienceoftheidiot]

"You've got a ferver... of course I'm not going anywhere!"

You didn’t specify for whom, so of course it’s my OCs Desden and Diane :P 

It’s a little long, quickly written and I didn’t proofread it, so. But it was fun ! thanks :D 

Knocks onthe door. Must be Farid with the groceries. Desden got up from his sofa,dragging the covers with him, draping himself in them. To hell with being presentable.He opened the door, gently pushing the dog away. “Hey.” It was not Farid. “Uh. Hey?“It’s Diane. Can I come in? I got your groceries. “Yes, uh. Please come in.” He flattened himself against the wall, suddenly veryaware he was wearing old rags, almost pyjamas, and his glasses weren’t on hisnose. He felt his cheeks warm up.

“Farid toldLaurence to ask me to do the shopping for you,” Diane explained from thekitchen, where Desden caught up with her, slowly, while blowing his nose. “Says he has a bad case of the flu, he’s in bed, and she couldn’t go… seems you’veseen him not too long ago, judging by your face.” She sneered. He had cowlicks evenwith his short hair, most of them on the left side, where his cheek had thetraces of folds in the cushion he had slept on. His pyjamas were all crinkledand bore traces of heavy sweating around the neck – his hair was damp on theneck. There were bags under his eyes that were half closed, more than usual, atestament to how tired he was. He was still habitually wearing his glasses nextto her, but was getting less and less guarded around that, and she was happyabout it. But right then, he looked like shit, and this wasn’t making herhappy. “What face?“The face of someone who was sleeping on the couch. And sweating.“Yeah, I’m not in my best moment.” He tilted his head and passed a hand in hishair. It was nice to see her but he was embarrassed. He didn’t want her to seehim at this time. He must look like shit. “Just… just leave the stuff here orin the fridge and go.” He gestured over his shoulder. “You’re going to catchthis. “Are you feverish? You really look bad, you know. “I don’t know. Thanks for this, but you really shouldn’t stay. Just go.“Well, for once, you need me to label the three or four tin cans there’s in thebags or you’re in for a surprise meal one day or another.” Diane, placing a fewfresh vegetables in the fridge, heard him groan. She turned to him once she wasdone. “Secondly, don’t move.”

He tried to put what he hoped was a waryexpression on his face. “What are you doing?

“Testing if you got fever.”

“What would it change? I’m sick, that I know” he muttered, and his voice wasstarting to disappear. Diane had closed in on him and, one hand on his chest,had placed the other on his forehead. She was obviously unbalanced, probably ontiptoes. He bended a little, so she could be more comfortable, and cleared histhroat. There was no way she would be able to tell if this was fever for real –his cheeks were burning, and this was not the flu.

“You’re boiling.”

“Yeah, thanks, doc.” He tilted his head backwards, to detach his forehead fromher hand, feeling dizzy. No idea if it was the flu, the fever or somethingelse. “Now. Go. We’ll label the cans some other time, with you or Farid. Flusucks, you don’t want it. Go home.

“You’ve got a fever, of course I’m not going anywhere. I got my shot a monthago. Not like you, it seems.” Now she had placed both hands on his chest – he wasway too aware of them through his t-shirt – and gently pushed him back, makinghim retreat in the living room.

“I remember the last time you cooked for me for a week. Let me give it back. Yousit down,” she pulled on the cover on his shoulders to close in on his chest. “I’llmake something for you.”

Five minutes later, Desden was holding a mug that smelled heavily of rum, honeyand lemon, trying not to think about misplaced kitchen appliances, but stillwith a smile on his face. Diane was putting the TV on, a stupid reality showfor them to bitch about as they did sometimes when they spent evening together –it was always an experience to hear her describe the people there. In fact, shenever talked as much usually. She’d leave when he fell asleep. Or not.

[sepiadice]

Tales of Genius Ch. 3: Blossomforth Brides Pt. 1

(1/26/2019)

I’ve been wanting to get to this session for years. Literal years. Since the overly dramatic high school group, when I first introduced and used North Fort in a Pathfinder session, then reiterated on for years after, always dying to do this campaign.

What feels like a decade later,[1] we finally reach Blossomforth.

Shorter session this time. Limited player availability, late start, arguments over the difficulty dice in magic, my usual distraction making dinner.[2] The usual.

Hopefully I can coordinate sessions more often, since we actually stopped two-thirds of the way through my plans.

I’ll have to actually figure out what happens next. Dang.

CAST

Eli Roberts: (Played by Lyons) Child of Clio. Doctor, travelling to write a medical text akin to Gray’s Anatomy. He’s an Intellectual! Older gentleman, hits on women to fluster the GM.

Olivia Grayson: (Played by Maddie) Child of Thalia. Apprentice to Eli. Believes her Squirrel-raccoon companion is her boyfriend reincarnated. Murdered a dude, stole his clothes.

Fromthe: (Played by Jose) Child of Calliope. Military veteran and current mercenary. Also has some mercantile ambitions. Doing fine.

Jean De Ferrero: (Played by Anthony) Child of Terpsichore. Travelling con artist. Took aforementioned murder victim’s gun.

So we pick up where we left off last time: standing outside the Soldier’s Rest Mayor’s office, Eli with a letter. I had an idea for what they encounter if they backtracked to North Fort,[3] if they stay,[4] and of course if they actually move forward.

This is why it’s handy to be loose with session planning: gives you extra room to think up threads for other locations if the party goes rogue and wants to go back or over there. If you intend to mostly wing it, you can write out a couple sentence-long ‘this is a possibility’ suggestions, and be prepared to improv if you get called on it!

But the players tend to be good at minding my overly obvious plot threads. Maybe in an overly meta way. I have to learn subtlety.

Anyways, the party reviews the plot, and figures out how to advance. Namely, by going south to the nearest train station in Blossomforth.

They get a wagon ride and arrive about a half day later, in the evening.

Blossomforth is an agricultural town well regarded for its Strawberry Wine, which is exported even beyond the borders of Astree. Small town, traditional, and because I’d watched a Let’s Play of Night in the Woods, there’s a subtle undercurrent of the younger folks moving away and the older folks being afraid of the town fading away.

Eli happens to know someone in the town whose son he saved.[5] William lets Eli and pals stay at his home, noting his son moved to Taffyport and works at a factory.

Which is the first canon mention of Taffyport.

Unfortunately, due to winter, the trains aren’t running up to Blossomforth just yet. That’ll have to wait until after the Forest Bride Festival.

You see, every year, a little before spring, the town gathers to prepare for planting season and celebrate surviving winter. They open a barrel of Strawberry Wine prepared during the last Harvest Festival, dance, sing, play booth games, send a maiden into the woods for an ancient ritual, feast. That sort of stuff.

The party joke about human sacrifices. William gets uncomfortable. After some needling from Dr. Roberts, William comes clean:

The titular Forest Brides are supposed to come back. Historically, they do! Bring in a bottle of wine and food, supposedly talk to the local deity,[6] then come home.

The last two never came back. So the town’s divided. Be Tevye and continue tradition, or maybe stop losing girls to the woods... Forest? I’m not clear on that.

Anyways, Olivia hears forest and wants to go that way. We really need to examine why she’s learning medicine from Eli if she hates people so much.

The party manages to talk her into waiting for morning.

The next morning, she immediately heads towards the woods. The rest of the party follow. So I move a character from town to the woods so I can do the plot.

This is Ms. Marian Shepherd. In another, more elf-inhabited universe, the niece she shares a name with is often called Trix.[7]  Marian’s trying to get a pair of town guards to let her into the woods to investigate. Both Eli and Jean try to flirt, but Ms. Shepherd is more concerned about one of her pupils, Maryanne Diane, being this year’s Bride. Olivia hides amongst the trees.

Fromthe is businesslike, so she mostly deals with him.

She says they’d need to get permission from the town council, and agrees to take the party to them.

Olivia senses magic. There’s a lot of magic. Unfamiliar magic yet similar to what the party sensed in the mines they’d come from.

The party goes to where the festival preparations are happening and meet with the town council, who Eli decides he knows. I compromise, but mostly ignore the personalities he ascribes. We have Briggs, Sarah, and the third member who never got a name.[13] The party try to negotiate permission to investigate, mostly to Briggs.

Briggs is initially hesitant, but slowly comes around. The first Bride to go missing was his granddaughter, Ashley, but it’s not impossible she used the chance to run away and find a new life elsewhere. Fading town subplot, after all.

Councilwoman Sarah is opposed and doesn’t particularly like Eli, and tradition demands no trespass in the woods. Argue argue.

The third councilman, who most falsely assume is senile, speaks up and gives permission. As he’s the oldest person in a town that operates on a Town Elder system of governance, it’s the final word.

Briggs gives them a permission slip.

They invite Ms. Shepherd along, but she concedes she has nothing to offer, and was only trying to get into the woods so someone would be looking into things. Now someone is.

Into the woods.

The party follows the source of the odd magic, and eventually come upon a woman sitting on a boulder, eating a Corned Beef Sandwich with extra mayonnaise.[8] She introduces herself as Isabelle.

Oh, and Isabelle is wearing the same robes as the man Olivia murdered in the mine, and a rabbit skull mask. She also does not like seeing Olivia wearing the cloak and snake skull mask she looted, and demands to be allowed to burn it.

Olivia refuses, and after the party try to convince her to give the items up, Jean just grabs the mask, and eventually Olivia agrees to give up the cloak.

Turns out she’s here for the same reason as the party, more or less, and as they walk deeper into the forest, she provides some exposition.

She’s a Dark Shepherd, a secret society dedicated to maintaining cosmic balance and the traditions of Deep Magic, sometimes called dark magic or blood magic and the like. But it’s not really a morality thing, don’t worry.

The guy killed in the mines, however, belonged to a splinter group: the Feral Oaths. They think covering the land in iron and the growth of industry is bad and should be undone to return to the old ways.

She also says that, while deeply tragic, killing the giant snake in the mines may have been necessary, and doesn’t condemn the group. And while the loss of life is always sad, the man Olivia murdered[9] was a Feral Oath, so screw him.

They reach a clearing in the center of the forest. There’s a serene pond with a small island in the center with a tree on it. Isabelle takes a moment, concludes she doesn’t actually know if there’s a proper ceremony nor how to perform it, so she just sits.

A massive deer emerges.[10] The tree, as it turns out, is part of an antler. He’s really big.

He speaks. Probably in the mortals’ minds for the time being, but I didn’t specify that since I needed to get to a dramatic hanger.

So he’s been lonely. No one came last winter. Or the winter before that.

Which means the brides haven’t reached their destinations.

Huh.

Thus ends the session.

This is actually a little earlier than I planned, so I’ll have to figure out how to fill out the next session. I already have the general path Eli’s following, and I have schemes prepared for Fromthe and Olivia. I need to figure out something for Jean De Ferrero.[11] Probably should just talk to the player. Like a reasonable GM.

Lessons learned: nothing concrete comes to mind! I’m feeling more comfortable behind the screen, even though I still feel an amount of inadequacy. And I still need to confront my anxieties about my voice and speech impediment[12] before I can shift into a podcast project, but practice is always important. And hopefully a group that can lend gentle criticism and maybe argue about the magic rules less.

I think a good background thing is that it’s okay to have sidequests and plans that need to be triggered like a video game, and not to close options because the players didn’t jump on them. Narrative time is flexible, things can get moved, cooperate with players and grant them the chance to do what they feel is pressing and/or fun in the moment without sacrificing story or investment.

Until next time, may your dice make things interesting.

-

[1] Can’t be bothered to do the math. Write up should be on this blog.| [2] Everytime I tell myself ‘Next time, casserole’. Then I make something with curry. [3] Fun fact: in North Fort, I had a vague concept for what would happen if they decided to screw the catacombs/mine, and instead try going North to ask for help. Also an explanation the North Fort mayor would give for not trying this himself. [4] Both events could still trigger. Heh heh. [5] Lyons has picked up on my willingness to accept things that circumvent minor problems or non-issues. Would’ve let them grab an inn, but it doesn’t actually matter. He also names everyone because I’m garbage at names and haven’t enacted any solutions to said garbage. [6] Who isn’t a wolf that resides in wheat, and don’t you suggest I wear my inspiration blatantly on my sleeve! [7] Original, Pathfinder plan was this was a retired Trix, but things shifted, and Ms. Shepherd doesn’t have the right personality. [8] She needs the calories. [9] There were some lies about what happened, since he didn’t get a shot off, or really provide any characterization himself. [10] I decided to reference Princess Mononoke moments before I utilized it. So add it to the list of things I blatantly rip off. [11] Maybe he can found a confection company? [12] This has been occurring more often at work than the table, but still. [13] Lyons said third council-guy is name Lysander. I don’t recall this happening, so it’s a footnote of dubious canon now.

[berkeleycollege]

Award-winning interior designer Diane Durocher

After 27 years in business as the owner and lead designer of Diane Durocher Interiors, Diane Durocher, ASID, IIDA, CAPS, CID, has won numerous awards (including multiple “Design of Excellence” awards from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)). She has firsthand experience in all aspects of the interior design industry and is a firm believer in the importance of continued learning. In a recent conversation, she spoke of her Berkeley College education, her journey to becoming one of the area’s most successful interior designers and what she looks for when hiring new interior designers. Intense preparation for the real world “My Berkeley education laid the foundation for where I am today,” said Ms. Durocher. “The Interior Design program was very serious, and my professors were demanding. They instilled a great work ethic and were very focused on the skills that I needed. I feel that the program really represented the professional world that I was about to enter.” She continued, “It was very diversified in terms of exposing us to all areas of interior design. Another important aspect of the program was the emphasis on running a successful business. Interior design is about attention to detail, learning how to present your designs, and translating those ideas to a client. These critical parts of my education are as important today as they were then.” Paying her dues along the way Like many Berkeley College students, Ms. Durocher was older than the traditional first-year college student when she made the decision to embark on the program that would change her future. As the mother of three young children, she started slowly by taking evening courses. Berkeley was ideal for her as the school has always made a commitment to making education possible for everyone—even in the days before online education. She persevered, perfecting her skills and taking guidance from the Berkeley faculty. “My professors were also experienced professionals. They were designers and architects - and they were sticklers,” she remembered. “That, along with what I learned during my internships, made the difference.” Striking out on her own After her graduation in 1995, she established Diane Durocher Interiors with just two clients. Her business has grown steadily, and she consistently relies on Berkeley College as her first choice when looking for interns and staff. “Almost all of my staff have been from Berkeley,” she pointed out. “And many of them have been with me for years, including one of my top design associates Heather Frabasile, who graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 2012. She interned with me, came on staff shortly after, and is my valued 'right hand'". Current opportunities in interior design “I am always impressed with the Berkeley talent!” according to Ms. Durocher. “I’ve had excellent experiences with both graduates and interns. I encourage the students to think outside of the box when pursuing a career in interior design and often find myself saying, ‘Look at every building and home that you see. Within those buildings are career opportunities. Interior design is all around us. There can be career opportunities in specifying and designing flooring, lighting, furniture, wall covering, fabric, cabinetry, kitchens and bathrooms, and on and on—so don’t limit yourself to thinking that you can only pursue one avenue of interior design.’ I know many Berkeley graduates who are working in different areas of the interior design business. They are using the skills that they learned in school and getting a chance to create.” Never stop learning In addition to the skills needed to get started, Ms. Durocher spoke of the interpersonal qualities she looks for. “I learned a long time ago, when I worked in the banking industry, that the customer really is always right,” she said. “This business is all about the clients. An interior designer's job is to design for our clients - it’s their style preference, their palette choice, their home - our guidance. A successful design project is based on our clients' satisfaction. It's important for them to feel connected to us. They’re putting their trust in us and it’s our responsibility to guide them. At Berkeley, I learned to confidently present my work, our professors were our ‘clients’. Satisfying the criteria was critical.” “Interior design is like fashion; it is always changing. However, like a classically designed suit, clean lines - never go out of style. It’s our responsibility to stay informed about trends, have knowledge about sustainability and learn everything you can about universal design and aging in place.” Qualifications that can help you stand out According to Ms. Durocher, it’s important to stand out to employers and potential clients. “Having a degree in interior design and the professional associations with which you’re affiliated will help validate your qualifications,” she explained. “The learning doesn’t stop after you graduate. Continuing education credits are mandated for professionals and pertain to the health, safety, and welfare of the public. It’s impossible to know everything about the interior design business when you graduate. Continue to grow in this field and apply what you learn along the way.” Looking back on professional and personal success Since her days at Berkeley, Diane Durocher’s talent has been recognized throughout her career. Looking back, she said, “It’s wonderful to have a career that I still enjoy after 27 years. I’ve been blessed.” In addition to her many awards, she has been selected to showcase her work in prominent designer showhouses and has been featured in prestigious design publications. But her success comes from more than just her sense of design and her ability to bring visions to life. It took hard work. “It wasn’t easy to go back to school while raising three small children, but it was important to me to pursue my dream,” she recalled. “And if something is so important, you should pursue it—it’s never too late.” To learn more about career-focused degree and certificate programs, including the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Interior Design program accredited by CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation), visit BerkeleyCollege.edu. [bts/disclaimer1] Originally published here: https://berkeleycollege.edu/berkeley-today/2022/07/award-winning-interior-designer-diane-durocher.html