#commander fred waterford

[happy74827]

Take Me Over

[Nick Blaine x Wife!Reader]

Synopsis: In the heart of Gilead’s oppressive regime, you find yourself thrust into a marriage with Nick Blaine, a man whose silent demeanor hides a truth you’ve realized to be shared.

WC: 2189

Category: Lime/Spice, Slight Fluff {TW — Forced Marriage}

I’m back at it again with another character that no one seems to write about 🥲 (I love him your honor)

『••✎••』

The dim light of the candles flickered in the oppressive silence of the room. You sat on the edge of the bed, your hands tightly gripping the stack of letters tied together by a brown string while you contemplated what you were about to do.

It’s been a total of two days since you were placed to be a part of the household of Commander Fred and Mrs. Waterford. Two days since you were forced into a role that you were not comfortable with. Two days since a new life was placed before you.

Two days since your marriage, and now here you are, sitting on the edge of a bed, dreading the moment that the door would open and once again reveal the man who was forced to be your husband.

Nick Blaine, that was his name, and it was all that was given to you. You knew nothing about him. All you knew was that you were his wife, and he was your husband, and you both had a role to play. Though, if the letters that you currently held in your hands were anything to go by, Nick Blaine, your husband, played the role of a rebel.

Shock. It was the first thing that you felt when you discovered the stack of letters hidden behind one of the drawers in the room. Then, curiosity. What exactly were they? You were so intrigued that you couldn't help yourself. You had to find out.

You didn’t regret it.

You didn't even want to.

What you had found was something you could not believe. Something so secret and dangerous that you could not fathom. The contents of the letters, the words written upon the papers, were like a breath of fresh air.

Stories, that's what they were. Stories that you would tell in hushed whispers. Stories that were passed around. Stories of the world before Gilead.

They seemed to be all handmaids. Handmaids telling their side of the story. Brave women who would take such risks, who would defy the rules, just to let their voices be heard.

They were inspiring, and as you read through them, you realized the more dangerous these letters were, the more powerful. And the more powerful they were, the more they were needed.

It was a small act of defiance, but it was enough. It was something that could keep the flame of hope alive, and that is exactly what they needed in the current situation.

But the question still stands. What was Nick Blaine doing with them?

You weren’t sure how you were supposed to feel, especially now that you were aware that a man of his stature and position could risk everything for the sake of those who were fighting against Gilead.

So many things were racing in your mind, but then it hit you. The soft glow in his eyes whenever Waterford’s handmaiden was around. The way he looked at her. Sympathy and guilt. He cared for her.

The revelation was almost jarring, but you weren’t too surprised. Nick always seemed different from the others. Hell, it’s been two days, and he hasn’t touched you.

You could almost guarantee that all the other men who were promoted and newly married would have already taken their wives by now. They would’ve taken their wife that night after the ceremony. But not him. Not Nick.

You were grateful.

He had a heart, and that's all that mattered.

A knock on the door snapped you back into reality, and before you could even respond, the door was opening.

It was Nick.

For a split second, the two of you just stared at each other, his eyes moving in slow motion as they trailed from your face to the stack of letters you were holding.

Of course, as he did so, all you could do was look at him in admiration. He was always easy on the eyes before, with hair and eyes that were darker than the luxurious dark chocolate you once loved to eat before Gilead. But, knowing what you know now, everything about him was just much more attractive.

But then, a flicker of fear was shown in his eyes, and all at once, the atmosphere seemed to grow tense.

Without saying a word, Nick stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. You could visibly see a sweat drop trickling down his neck as he tried to compose himself, his eyes never leaving the letters that were clutched tightly in your hands.

"Nick." You whispered, and you could see him stiffen at the mention of his name. The poor man was terrified, and it was heartbreaking.

"How much did you read?" His voice was rough and gravelly, and the sound was music to your ears.

"Enough." You answered, and without missing a beat, you slowly stood up and began to make your way toward him. "Enough to know I can trust you."

Your response was met with a surprised look, and it was clear to you that he was not expecting that. Truthfully, you were surprised yourself.

This was all new to you. You've never spoken so freely before, and you never expected the day would come when you would have the courage to defy the rules. But today was a strange day.

"I’ve never believed in miracles," You whispered, taking a few steps forward. Your eyes were locked with his, and you could see the surprise and curiosity swirling around in his beautiful, dark brown eyes. "but you might be the closest thing to one I could get."

A soft smile tugged at your lips as you slowly walked towards him, and as the two of you were only mere inches away from each other, you raised the stack of letters and gently pushed it towards him.

"You need to do better than hiding them behind a drawer, though. I almost tripped on it when it fell out." You said, and for the first time since you had met him, you saw his lips curl up into a ghost of a smile.

"Noted."

And then the two of you lapsed into silence. A comfortable silence that was filled with the soft glow of the candle and the faint crackling sound of the fire.

That night was the night your trust was built and the beginning of a bond that would eventually bring the two of you together.

It was a couple of months later, when he returned from Canada with the Waterfords, that your relationship from close friends to lovers began.

He’d gotten the letters out. He’d finally gotten them out, and as the news of the failed union between Canada and Gilead left his lips, all you could think about was the relief and the excitement.

Your heart was overflowing with joy, and your body was filled with a sense of warmth that you had long forgotten. Nick had done it. Nick had finally done it.

As soon as he finished recounting, you rushed to embrace him. A strong grip wrapped itself around his waist, and your face nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

Nick, on the other hand, was stiff as a board. Even though you two were married to each other, he still felt that it was inappropriate for him to touch you in such a manner.

The thought didn’t last long, however, as you pulled away and gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

Your smile was radiant. Your eyes were twinkling, and your face was glowing. For the first time in a long time, you were truly happy. And Nick didn't think that he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

"I'm proud of you."

Your words were soft, and as you placed your hand on his chest, you could feel his heartbeat quicken beneath your palm.

His eyes were locked on yours, and he could see the emotions swirling around in your eyes.

Relief. Excitement. Happiness. Admiration.

The list could go on, but in the end, all that mattered was that he could see the love that you held for him.

And that… that look was all it took for his hands to gently grasp your shoulders and guide you backward as you told him another set of words about how he was a hero and that he was amazing.

You didn’t even realize what he was doing until your back felt the concrete wall. Once you realized you weren’t moving anymore, you paused and looked at him, and the moment you did, your breath got caught in your throat.

Nick was looking at you with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand. His hands had moved from your shoulders to the nape of your neck, and the warmth of his skin sent a shiver down your spine.

"Nick." You whispered, watching as his thumb grazed the outline of your bottom lip. It was a simple, tender gesture, but it was enough to send butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

You couldn’t get a response out, not even a single word, as you watched his eyes glance down at your lips, his own tongue darting out to lick his.

Then, his head was moving forward, and his lips were brushing against yours. It was a ghost of a kiss, barely touching your lips, but the electricity was there. It was a spark that made your entire body tingle and your heart race.

When Nick pulled away, he was met with your intense gaze. You were almost upset at the weak display. Even though you understood his hesitation, a part of you was hoping he would be braver.

"That's it?" You murmured, a hint of teasing in your voice.

And the moment those words left your mouth, he was smirking. He was actually smirking, and his fingers were running through your hair.

"Are you asking me for more?" He asked, his voice low and deep, sending another shiver down your spine.

"I’m not asking," You breathed out, leaning in close and pressing your forehead against his. The moment you did, his grip tightened around your waist, and his free hand slid down to your hip, squeezing it slightly. "You were brave enough to get those letters out. Be brave enough to kiss me like you mean it."

Those were the magic words.

He didn't say anything in response.

He didn't need to.

Instead, his hands went back to the nape of your neck, and his lips were once again on yours. Only this time, it was not a ghostly touch. It was real, and the moment his lips were on yours, all your senses were flooded with him.

You could feel his warm, plush lips molding against yours and the gentle way his fingers were running through your hair.

But what made you absolutely weak was the taste of him. Your legs were almost wobbling the moment his tongue slipped into your mouth. It was like a dance, his tongue brushing against yours as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And as the two of you kissed, all the tension and the desire that had been building up in the past months slowly dissipated.

Your heart was racing, and your mind was in a daze. The only thing you were thinking about was Nick and his lips. And as his fingers gripped onto the strands of your hair and the way his hips began to press against yours, all you could think about was getting him closer.

So, your hands traveled down from his chest and to his back, gripping the material of his jacket as you pulled him towards you.

The action elicited a groan from the back of his throat, and his hips began to press firmly against yours. You could feel the way his hips were subtly grinding against yours, and as his hardness began to rub against the thin material of your dress, the moan that escaped your lips was swallowed by his mouth.

The kiss was turning heated and passionate, and your lips were swollen and bruised. Your fingers were tugging on his hair, and his were clutching at the strands of your own.

His teeth gently bit down on your bottom lip, and a moan escaped your lips; the sound was swallowed by his mouth, and you could feel him smiling.

You and Nick were so lost in each other that night, so focused on the taste of one another and the way his body was pressed against yours; it created a bubble where you both were safe, warm, and blissful.

It was the first time in a long time either of you had felt that way, and that feeling continued to grow, and eventually, it blossomed into a love that was deeper than the ocean and brighter than the sun.

And that was when you realized that no matter what happened, the two of you would always have each other, and no matter how cruel the world was, the two of you would always find a way to stay true to yourselves.

[sleazyjanet]

peace — i will stop your mouth

or, a kiss in the daylight (the horror!)

and fun closeups:

[iwasbored777]

Me watching The Handmaid's Tale writers give Serena Joy beautiful character development just to ruin it every single time for no reason:

[uluthrek]

damn you, fred waterford. your beard so ugly. your voice so infuriating. your aura so slimy. your life so worthless. your eyes so pokeable. your teeth so kickable. your face so jared leto. your wife so hot. i‘ll kill you, fred waterford.

[casualkryptonitekitten]

I love how much irony there is in The Handmaid's Take sometimes because it's actually terrifying

Like S2, E6, Fred Waterford says "She has a right to speak! This is America!" when he and Serena Joy are being dragged out of that college after she tries to give a speech about how women shouldn't be going to college and instead should be home with their families

And the it immediately cuts to later, in Gilead, where Serena Joy isn't allowed to speak anymore anyway, and he's the one enforcing it

Idk something something poetic justice... You reap what you sow and all that

[abovethegaragepodcast]

The way Nick looks at June as he reads the Corinthians verse about love in front of the whole household 💗

[generic-whumperz]

Have you ever named a Whumper after a villain/antagonist character before?

Shall we start a thread? Open tag to anyone who wants to share a pic or gif of who their Whumper(s) is named after! (And feel free to tag others if you want!)

Just curious to see people’s name inspirations :)

I’ll start! I’ve only done this once so far- named him Frederik, Fred for short, after the despicable Commander Frederick R. Waterford from The Handmaid’s Tale. My blood boils seeing this man.

[autistichalsin]

Drow society is basically a gender-flipped Gilead, and Halsin is akin to an escaped Handmaid. Meanwhile the Drow noble houses, especially the Matron Mothers, are essentially Commanders, with Minthara bearing a resemblance to Fred Waterford in some respects and Serena Joy in others. In this essay, I will

[glasskey]

I’m Gonna Cut Your F#cking Heart Out - The June Osborne Hit List Pt 2.

I'm back, and this time I’ll be covering my favorite June mic drops from Season 2. Apart from the faux hanging at the beginning, this season started out fairly promising with Nick starting to get his Mayday on, and hatching a half-assed escape plan. Unfortunately apart from her short holiday away from Hell at the Boston Globe with her side piece, June was juggled back and forth between Aunt Lydia and Serena's nefarious clutches. It’s enough to make a heavily pregnant Handmaid just a wee bit cranky.

I am Free

Nick having found out that he’s about to be a baby daddy, decides to help June hotfoot it to the border. In this scene June sheds her handmaid’s garb, and proceeds to burn her figurative emotional shackles. In a bloody display of grit and determination, she cuts out her ear tag with a pair of scissors and tosses it into the fire. Standing in the flickering firelight, drenched in blood, Osborne proclaims her freedom…..and she almost makes it. Almost. Fire is traditionally cleansing, it has the power to utterly destroy, and for June it signals both annihilation and rebirth.

At the end of season two Blaine attempts unsuccessfully to facilitate her escape once again. This time on a freezing, pitch black night, Nick and the resident Martha's set fire to a neighboring house, creating a diversion. Together with the sudden violent downpour, it symbolizes Nick and June’s collective grief over the loss of their family unit, and signals Nicole and June’s passage to other realms.

Back at the Waterford home, Nick lights Serena's cigarette, it is not the first time we have seen him smoking at somewhat pivotal points for his own emotional conflict and it wont be the last. Upon June's unceremonious return, Serena drives her from the family home by setting fire to the Waterford estate, severing June's bindings to both Fred and Serena, beginning with the marital bed. Serena stands in front of what can only be described as a blazing funeral pyre, entranced. She almost goes down with it. it is June who coaxes her back from the edge, fittingly in later episodes, these two will share a cigarette. The walls tremble beneath June’s hands, a giant incendiary force boiling beneath the surface waiting to explode; finally ripping through the family home leaving it a pile of smouldering ash.

In season 4 it’s not just the appearance of a fire, but a colossal explosion that finally marks her liberty. It’s no coincidence that it’s Blaine who unleashes it. Much like this explosion, each of his background manueverings, has an impact in her life that reverberates outwards. Each one bringing her closer and closer to freedom.

In Atwood's text June’s desire to stay in Gilead with Nick is a commentary on how easily freedom can be forgotten in the face of these types of relationships. But in the series Blaine presents a conundrum, he appears somewhat trapped, unhappy and regretful. He actively facilitates her escape on several occasions and is angry when she refuses to leave. Blaine sees June as a beacon of freedom and as such his salvation lies with her.

“Freedom agrees with you” observes Blaine in 4 09, but June continues to stay tagged; both Hannah and Nick remain in Gilead. Ironically they have met in the freezing snow, and time will demonstrate that despite her return to a peaceful home, her constant longing for Hannah and Blaine remains. Her freedom is just an illusion, Gilead still has her by the throat.

You Know My Fucking Name

Yes indeedy. Season 1 June Osborne was just an anonymous little handmaid, come season 3 she’s a household name and by season 5 she’s Gilead public enemy number 1. To say her PR division had been busy would be an understatement. Particularly to Aunt Lydia, Osborne has been somewhat of a thorn in her paw, she’s been acting like a bit of a “rebel handmaid commander” as Nick so eloquently put it. Defiant, unruly and just a wee bit mouthy. This scene is memorable to say the least. Aunt Lydia has come bearing gifts; it’s June’s slavery in the form of her pretty little Handmaid’s dress.

Having tasted freedom for a spell, and just a tad bit resentful of being chained up once again, June now has a nice big belly full of fuck you. When Aunt Lydia calls June by her slave name, she quietly snarls “It’s June. You know my fucking name”. She demands acknowledgement as the individual with rights Lydia knows she is, and not just some incubator for Gilead. Being preggers, June thinks that she has the upper hand, but unfortunately she’s dead wrong. The following scene is a call back to S2 Episode 1 when Aunt Lydia tried to convince June to eat all her veg by showing her the disheveled, insane, heavily pregnant handmaid, chained to a bed in the basement. Desperation just oozes out of her pores, her eyes appeal to June who relents in the face of this pathetic creature whose fate it is simply to give birth and then meet the noose. As the other handmaids are brutally tortured for their insubordination, in front of her, June chokes down every last bite.

In Episode 4, Aunt Lydia wastes no time in reminding her that if she doesn’t lose the attitude quick smart, she’ll end up just like her “defiant” friend. It’s no mistake that Aunt Lydia has chained June to the bed and the comforter looks eerily similar, all it takes is a surgically worded threat from her and technicolor visions of her predecessor flash through June’s head. Sure enough June obediently dons her Handmaids garb once again, and is trotted back off into the Waterford’s clutches. Well played Aunt Lydia.

I Can't Lose You

Someone is definitely in love. Like up to her neck in it. She’s just returned from the Boston Globe where her and Nick have had almost 3 months to bond during the first trimester of their baby. If these two are not in love by now, they never will be. Nick, so blinded by it, makes the ill informed decision to step up to Serena, who is sharp enough to recognize his reckless abandon for exactly what it is, and “rewards” him with a sparkling new child bride. Young Eden, having been heavily indoctrinated to dutifully carry out Gilead law, then proceeds to press him to help her conceive a child. The idea of having sex with a 15 year old is abhorrent to Nick. He successfully dodges her for a while, but then she starts using phrases like “gender traitor”, something which could easily get him killed. Nick and June can’t escape it, he’s going to have to consummate the relationship and he’s appalled. June’s quick to point out that shit like this is her everyday existence, if he doesn’t do it she’ll lose him and that’s something that she just can’t do. When June blurts this out, it isn’t quite her saying I love you but it’s definitely the first sign of it, and Blaine immediately clocks it for what it is.

As she walks out the door he states in a very definitive tone, that he loves her, firmly declaring his position in their relationship and reassuring her that despite current circumstances, he’s not going anywhere. It’s a stunning admission from the usually stoic Blaine who would otherwise need the jaws-of-life to articulate such emotion. It marks the opening of the veritable flood gates; from here on in he’s an absolute font of such sentiments. Fuck it. It’s Gilead, he could die tomorrow.

Since the Boston Globe their relationship had taken on a whole new tenor. Instead of the silent uncommunicative Blaine who refused to engage with her, despite her pleas of “talk to me”, we now had a Nick who couldn’t contain himself, proclaiming such sentiments as “I think about us all the time.” Now it was actually June trying vainly to keep him at arms-length, but it was already way too late. While she may have coldly declared that Eden is his wife in response to his sudden declaration of love; behind closed doors she’s in pieces.

The Natural Way

Technically, Serena’s line but I’m going to give this one to June as it’s about her trauma and pain so she should own this moment. Serena is livid at June’s false labor, she humiliated her in front of her resident knitting circle and then gloated about it in front of a bunch of quietly snickering handmaids, Serena’s decided it’s fucking on. Conveniently ever since she got back from her “kidnapping”, Fred’s just been itching to get his hands all over June. As a result Serena convinces Fred to “help the baby come out the “natural way”.

June has managed to keep Fred at arm’s length since she was recaptured and this is just the permission he needs to take what he wants. There’s a moment in this scene where Serena speaks to June gently, coaxing her down onto the bed and then grabs her in a vice like grip to hold her down. This is Serena in a nutshell; a sweet luring word followed by a brutal trap. At first this starts as a joint endeavor between Fred and Serena with them hypnotically chanting out the usual rant about Rachel and Bilah, but it quickly deteriorates as Fred dissolves into a vicious frenzy and Serena realizes that Fred’s not interested in anything but the actual act of violently raping June. June has retreated into a state of utter shock, she stares silently at the ceiling, her spirit recoiling to some dark corner that neither sees nor hears. She can’t even scream. In this moment June seems so vacant she appears almost lifeless, a mere body being torn apart by two monsters. Serena’s stunned by Fred’s frantic desire to possess and consume June, his evident rage at being previously denied. She can barely look at him by the end, ironic given Serena was originally using Fred to actualize her fury. There are moments throughout THT where Serena, confronted by the consequences of her endeavors, is sickened and visibly flinches. This is one of them.

This is the moment that may have damned Serena forever, I personally cannot forgive her for it and I’m not sure that any inner journey will ever be suffice to earn her a survivable character redemption. In Atwood's text Serena was aged and crippled, but in the series Serena is young and beautiful, as such she challenges our ideals and illusions of beauty as a sign of a nurturing or maternal spirit. She’s cold, toxic and despite June’s continued best efforts, absolutely unreachable. Serena's violence is more coercive control than the obvious physical force that Fred wields, but make no mistake, she is no second string. Serena has a truly devastating power, matched only by her cunning, and here in Gilead Serena is a snake who uses Fred as her fangs.

I’ll be back with another hit lit very shortly. In the meantime I’d love to hear what your favourite June line was from S2, in the comments.

[eleanoroliphant]

laura,,,, what’s your take on season 5? what were your ups and downs and what is your overall opinion?

i'm aware and so sorry i'm horribly late with this, i didn't realise i forgot about this ask until i did my season 5 rewatch. sorry again!

in case you're still interested (which you probably aren't!)

i comparatively liked season 5 because fred wasn't in it. i always thought serena was the better character (character doesn't equal person, although she's probably also a better person), and strahovski the better actor, between the waterfords, and i couldn't stand watching fiennes anymore. the fact that he wasn't around allowed me to enjoy season 5 more than i did 3 and 4.

unfortunately, just because i found the show was better it doesn't mean it's good anymore. it's desperately trying to be game of thrones and it's not. at this point, i see it as a soap with some dystopia used as background. the world building has gone down the toilet (what do you MEAN no one's ever seen the girls in purple? did gilead just invent this new color code or were they blind?), no one's believable anymore, laws are simply made up as we go.

i don't buy nick as ambiguous any more than i did in earlier seasons, which was little anyway. no one seems to notice he has nothing of the bigot or religious extremist he should be and he's just a thoroughly good person who doesn't belong in there. and characters who are supposed to have more urgent matters to deal with will just randomly have conversations on how much he and june love each other like it's a bridgerton novel.

lawrence is one of the biggest disappointments. not that i hate him, but he's become just a completely good man now, you can tell the writers love his one liners so much that they've resorted to completely erase his complexity and forget the fact that he came up with some of the most horrible stuff in the state. the audience already love to blame it all on serena anyway, and there's nothing bruce miller likes more than villainising her while absolving every single man around her from his crimes.

lydia should be much more fascinating but just like the flashback episode about her did nothing to explain her conversion i don't see why the new events would believably bring her to reason now rather than earlier. the girls were already in terrible pain before. what's changed?

and then there are june's plot armour and closeups, both a joke at this point. moss is very good and her struggle between being an inherently good person but also a traumatized survivor is great television, but the show suffers from spending all that time with her. the commanders can't seem to have any other topics to discuss. she can't possibly be the only handmaid who's smart, mad and resourceful enough to be a danger.

and when was the last time moira was allowed to do something relevant? it's bad enough that black people tend to die on this show, the ones that are still alive have little to do apart from supporting june and probably eventually dying so she can have the romantic endgame the fans want.

overall i'm stuck with this show, especially serena and lawrence (well, and mark) tbqh with you, i will definitely be watching the final season, but i found the testaments to be terrible so i also kind of can't wait to be done with it.

i am terribly sorry again and i hope you're doing well! xx

[hughesgarnet]

one of the most satisfying villain deaths ever goes to Commander Fred Waterford! so poetic!!

[riverlarking]

the only man you can say "i need him in ways that are concerning to feminism" about and actually make it make sense is commander fred waterford from the handmaid's tale

[zackzona2005]

Countryhumans: The Commanders of Gilead

Drew this back in December 2022 and finished it on April 13, 2024.

I wanted to draw the Commanders of Gilead from Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale in Countryhuman style. I wanted to make them as accurate as possible. *Yes, I also added Donald Trump because for my headcanon I'm working on for the Hulu series' alternate history, he's a Commander in Gilead* I previously drew my first Gilead design back in November 2022. At first, I liked it but now I don’t like the head since most Countryhumans have round heads like Countyballs. So, when I drew the Commanders, I wanted to make them more human-like heads than round but keep the style of Countryhumans like the white eyes

Commander Fred Waterford played by Joseph Fiennes

Commander Nick Blaine played by Max Minghella

Commander Joseph Lawerence played by Bradley Whitford

Commander Andrew Pryce played by Robert Curtis Brown

Commander Warren Putnam played by Stephen Kunken

Commander MacKenzie played by Jason Butler Harner

Commander Donald Trump as himself *obviously*

Commander George Winslow played by Christopher Meloni

[waterfrd]

@moralpuppet said: ❛  i needed to understand what real suffering was, so i could become more compassionate to others.  ❜

"I don't know, Serena. Can you see any of these in your home?"

No. I can't.

"I mean, I'm glad they rescued these children from those unfit mothers. They needed to be saved."

They need good homes. Good families to raise them in God's light.

"Of course. Of course they do, poor dears. You just... You never really know where they came from. Or who they came from. Do you?"

It's days like this Serena thinks that perhaps she should've heeded Naomi's warning.

Oh, but she couldn't help but fall in love with Orel the moment she laid eyes on him. He was a perfectly, sweet child and already so pious. How could she not come to love him as her own? So, the boy was brought into her home and became a Waterford. Far too old to change his name, to really make him into her own, but Serena would give her best attempt to shape the boy. Fred wasn't the most attentive father, with his work as a Commander taking precedent but he cared for the child as well. They would raise him in God's light, train him to be a future Commander. He took well to the schooling, as far as Serena could tell. He was learning scripture and Gilead law without fail. All things considered it was going well, until Offred came into the home.

Serena tried to avoid it for quite some time, having a handmaid. Having one child in the home was enough to ward it off for a few years, but not forever. Gilead was all about children, rebuilding society and bringing up healthy birthrates. So, enter the first handmaid. Curiosity from a child is to be expected when something new comes into the home. It was like a puppy, this new addition, only a very dumb one. She never knew her place, how to act. One would think the Rachel & Leah Center would've trained the girls better before sending them out into the world. Serena couldn't stop the boy from being curious. And the former handmaid's suicide, discreetly covered up, likely didn't help. When the new one came in and took her place, the Wife should have known it would bring trouble.

What was this most recent fight about? Ah, yes, Offred wasn't pregnant. Her menstrual cycle had just been late. It was enough to anger Serena, banishing the handmaid to her room. She wan't allowed to leave the home, or even come down for meals. She was to remain locked up until Serena said otherwise. Every member of the household was to ignore her, leaving her to sit alone in that room upstairs. Why couldn't Orel respect that? Curiosity had seemingly gotten the better of him, causing the boy to pay a visit to the handmaid. Perhaps he would have gotten away with it, had Serena not seen him coming down the stairs leading up to her room. ❛ What were you doing up there? ❜

"I needed to understand what real suffering was, so i could become more compassionate to others."

❛ And I love that about you, Orel. But, the handmaid… She’s none of your concern. ❜ Serena plasters a smile, sitting awkwardly upon her face. ❛ I assure you, Offred is just fine. She just needs some time in her room, to remind her of her scripture. Blessed are the meek, right? She must remember that. ❜

[romangoldendream]

That evil touch

[abovethegaragepodcast]

Coffee at the Boston Globe in The Handmaid’s Tale 203 is the most “normal” relaxed couple time we ever see of Nick & June. It’s a nice glimpse of what they might look like in the real world-and back when we took for granted just seeing them having actual quality time together🥺