#emotionally hurt Martin

[annabelle--cane]

my problem as a nuancepilled s5chad is that I am really compelled by all the ways jon and martin keep winding up hurting each other and the ways in which their relationship is dysfunctional, but unless I am very clear in my intent then I get people who think they agree with me coming into my notes/inbox to say "yeah, it's a bad/poorly written relationship and they're just bad for each other," which isn't quite what I'm trying to say.

I think these are two very unwell people with intensely varying levels of self-awareness, but they also have a strong, heartfelt commitment to each other and appear to really enjoy spending time together, and if, for example, the safehouse period had stretched on forever, they would have had a successful if sometimes very emotionally taxing relationship. I think they both royally screwed up a few times during the apocalypse, and that that was basically inevitable given the environment, and that they showed a willingness to communicate, reconcile, and change. but also they were ultimately the center piece of a tragedy narrative so they were never going to have the chance to actually Become Healthy.

idk, I see where "they're a toxic couple and need to break up" as a take is coming from and I respect having it, but to me it feels the same as saying that romeo and juliet were a toxic couple. nah mate, the tragedy isn't that they're bad for each other, it's that they could have worked out under almost any other circumstances, but they live in a world where that was never going to be possible.

[ingravinoveritas]

Lovely new article about Michael in Paste magazine. Article is behind a paywall, so here is a transcription (with thanks to the person on FB who transcribed it, and the parts in bold are my own emphasis).

There’s so much to love about Prime Video’s Good Omens. A delightful adaptation of the popular Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, the series is romantic, thoughtful, hilarious, and heartfelt by turns. The story of the almost-apocalypse and what comes afterward, it wrestles with big concepts like destiny, free will, and forgiveness, all framed through the lens of an unorthodox relationship between an angel and a demon whose love for one another is a key to saving the world.

As anyone who has watched Good Omens already knows, nothing about this series works without the pair of lead performances at its center. Stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen—who play the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively—have the kind of lighting-in-a-bottle chemistry that’s the stuff of legend, and their characters’ every interaction conveys both their deep affection for one another and the Earth they’ve made their home. Their romance is the emotional linchpin around which most of the series turns, and their heartbreaking separation in the Season 2 finale is so devastating precisely because we’ve seen how necessary the two are to each other’s lives.

But it’s Sheen’s performance in that final scene that really twists the knife. As Aziraphale’s face crumples following his and Crowley’s long-awaited kiss, the actor manages to convey what feels like every possible human emotion in the span of less than thirty seconds as the angel realizes what he has both had and just lost. The moment is emotionally brutal to watch, particularly after sitting through five and a half episodes of Aziraphale looking as lovestruck as the lead in any rom-com. Sheen makes it all look effortless, shifting from giddy joy to devastated longing and everything in between, and we really don’t talk enough about how powerful and underrated his work in this series truly is.

Though he’s half of the central duo that makes Good Omens tick, Sheen’s role often tends to get overshadowed by his co-star’s. It’s not difficult to see why, given that Tennant gets to spend most of the show swanning around in tight trousers looking like the Platonic ideal of the charming bad boy, complete with flaming red hair and dramatic eyewear. Tennant also benefits from Crowley’s much more sympathetic emotional arc. I mean, it’s hard not to love a cynical demon with a heart of gold who’s been pining after his angelic best friend for literal millennia even after being cast out from Heaven. Of course, viewers are drawn to that—likely a lot more easily than the story of an angel who’s simply trying the best he can to do the right thing as he wrestles with his role in God’s Ineffable Plan. Plus, let’s be real, Tennant’s sizeable Doctor Who fanbase certainly doesn’t hurt his character’s popularity.

As a performer, Sheen has a long history of playing both real people (Tony Blair, David Frost, Brian Clough) and offbeat villains (Prodigal Son’s Martin Whitly, Underworld’s Lucian, the Twilight Saga’s Aro). In some ways, the role of a fussy, bookish angel is playing more than a bit against type for him—Gaiman himself has said he originally intended for Sheen to be Crowley—but in his capable hands, Aziraphale becomes something much more than a simple avatar for the forces of Good (or even of God, for that matter). With a soft demeanor and a positively blinding smile, Sheen’s take on the character consistently radiates warmth and goodness, even as it contains surprisingly hidden depths. The former guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden who gifted a fleeing Adam and Eve his flaming sword and befriended the Serpent who caused their Fall, Azirphale isn’t a particularly conventional angel. He enjoys all-too-human indulgences like food and wine, runs a Hoarders-esque bookshop that never seems to sell anything, and spends most of his time making heart eyes at the being that’s meant to be his hereditary adversary.

Given the much more difficult task of playing the literal angel to Tennant’s charming devil, Sheen must find a way to make ideas like goodness and forgiveness as interesting and fun to watch as their darker counterparts. It’s a generally thankless task, but one that Sheen tackles with gusto, particularly in the series’ second season, as Good Omens explores Aziraphale’s slowly evolving idea of what he can and cannot accept in terms of being a soldier of Heaven. His growing understanding that the truth of creation is colored in shades of grey and compromise is often conveyed through little more than Sheen’s deftly shifting expressions and body language.

Our pop culture consistently struggles to portray the idea of goodness as something compelling or worth watching. Explicitly “good” characters, particularly those who are religiously coded, are frequently treated as the butt of some sort of unspoken joke they aren’t in on, used to underline the idea that faith is a form of naivety or that kindness is somehow a weakness. For a lot of people, the entire concept of turning the other cheek is a sucker’s bet, and believing in something greater than oneself, be it a higher power or a sense of purpose, is a waste of time. But Good Omens is a story grounded in the idea that faith, hope, and love—for one another, God, and the entire world—are active verbs. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Sheen’s characterization of the soft angel whose old-fashioned waistcoats mask a spine of steel and who refuses to give up—on Crowley, on humanity, or on the idea that Heaven is still something that can be saved.

Though he and Tennant have pretty much become a matched set at this point (both on and off-screen), Sheen’s performance has rarely gotten the critical accolades it deserves. (Tennant alone was nominated for a BAFTA for Season 2, and Sheen was categorized as a supporting actor when the series’ competed in the 2019 Saturn Awards.) But it is his quiet strength that holds up so much of the rest of the show around him, and Sheen deserves to be more frequently recognized for it. That he makes it look so easy is just another sign of how good his performance really is.

I love this so much. The thoroughly well-deserved praise for Michael's incredible performance as Aziraphale, but also that Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship is specifically described as a "romance." And of course, the first sentence of the last paragraph that acknowledges how much Michael and David are indeed a "matched set" that cannot (and should not) be separated...

[o-lanterns]

Simon Petrikov the Episode... I know Simon's the star but I can't stop thinking about Finn.

Seeing firsthand just how badly his grief over Jake has messed him up. All of his progress in emotionally connecting with himself and with others essentially went down the drain. He can't process anything outside of the lens of epic questing. His idea to help Simon is to put the man in mortal danger for the purpose of rescuing him and never once considered that Simon could be seriously injured or killed, because of course Finn the Human is too strong! This is nothing to him, his job is to fight and protect. And when Simon does actually get hurt Finn shrugs it off. Ahh, that's just another battle wound, nothing fatal! It'll be a cool scar!

He is literally not coping but he thinks he's doing great. And it breaks my heart that it's all so... Martin-like of him. He cannot have back what he lost and he responds by bottling it and pushing through jovially as if unaffected, and in turn does not register anything as a true threat anymore because in his eyes nothing could be worse than what has already happened. He is all jokes and rowdy hubris and "Hey now, talkin' about sad stuff gets ya nowhere! Forget about it!"

Finn is just living thrill to thrill and clinging to distractions in between (and trying to find someone to fill the hole where Jake was- we saw him taking on Bronwyn as an adventure partner in Obsidian and now TV. but they don't stick. it's never going to be the same.) and we already know from Together Again that he will maintain this behavior until his last breath.

It's fantastic character writing but I am so distraught at the state of my boy.

[hanahanumana]

From AnaMaria Abramovic on Fb

Paste magazine has done an article about Michael and how underrated he is in Good Omens and I found a transcript since it's behind a paywall. Here's the link if anyone wants to subscribe. 💙

https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/amazon-prime-video/good-omens-michael-sheen-underrated-performance-explained-streaming

There’s so much to love about Prime Video’s Good Omens. A delightful adaptation of the popular Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, the series is romantic, thoughtful, hilarious, and heartfelt by turns. The story of the almost-apocalypse and what comes afterward, it wrestles with big concepts like destiny, free will, and forgiveness, all framed through the lens of an unorthodox relationship between an angel and a demon whose love for one another is a key to saving the world.

As anyone who has watched Good Omens already knows, nothing about this series works without the pair of lead performances at its center. Stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen—who play the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively—have the kind of lighting-in-a-bottle chemistry that’s the stuff of legend, and their characters’ every interaction conveys both their deep affection for one another and the Earth they’ve made their home. Their romance is the emotional linchpin around which most of the series turns, and their heartbreaking separation in the Season 2 finale is so devastating precisely because we’ve seen how necessary the two are to each other’s lives.

But it’s Sheen’s performance in that final scene that really twists the knife. As Aziraphale’s face crumples following his and Crowley’s long-awaited kiss, the actor manages to convey what feels like every possible human emotion in the span of less than thirty seconds as the angel realizes what he has both had and just lost. The moment is emotionally brutal to watch, particularly after sitting through five and a half episodes of Aziraphale looking as lovestruck as the lead in any rom-com. Sheen makes it all look effortless, shifting from giddy joy to devastated longing and everything in between, and we really don’t talk enough about how powerful and underrated his work in this series truly is.

Though he’s half of the central duo that makes Good Omens tick, Sheen’s role often tends to get overshadowed by his co-star’s. It’s not difficult to see why, given that Tennant gets to spend most of the show swanning around in tight trousers looking like the Platonic ideal of the charming bad boy, complete with flaming red hair and dramatic eyewear. Tennant also benefits from Crowley’s much more sympathetic emotional arc. I mean, it’s hard not to love a cynical demon with a heart of gold who’s been pining after his angelic best friend for literal millennia even after being cast out from Heaven. Of course, viewers are drawn to that—likely a lot more easily than the story of an angel who’s simply trying the best he can to do the right thing as he wrestles with his role in God’s Ineffable Plan. Plus, let’s be real, Tennant’s sizeable Doctor Who fanbase certainly doesn’t hurt his character’s popularity.

As a performer, Sheen has a long history of playing both real people (Tony Blair, David Frost, Brian Clough) and offbeat villains (Prodigal Son’s Martin Whitly, Underworld’s Lucian, the Twilight Saga’s Aro). In some ways, the role of a fussy, bookish angel is playing more than a bit against type for him—Gaiman himself has said he originally intended for Sheen to be Crowley—but in his capable hands, Aziraphale becomes something much more than a simple avatar for the forces of Good (or even of God, for that matter). With a soft demeanor and a positively blinding smile, Sheen’s take on the character consistently radiates warmth and goodness, even as it contains surprisingly hidden depths. The former guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden who gifted a fleeing Adam and Eve his flaming sword and befriended the Serpent who caused their Fall, Azirphale isn’t a particularly conventional angel. He enjoys all-too-human indulgences like food and wine, runs a Hoarders-esque bookshop that never seems to sell anything, and spends most of his time making heart eyes at the being that’s meant to be his hereditary adversary.

Given the much more difficult task of playing the literal angel to Tennant’s charming devil, Sheen must find a way to make ideas like goodness and forgiveness as interesting and fun to watch as their darker counterparts. It’s a generally thankless task, but one that Sheen tackles with gusto, particularly in the series’ second season, as Good Omens explores Aziraphale’s slowly evolving idea of what he can and cannot accept in terms of being a soldier of Heaven. His growing understanding that the truth of creation is colored in shades of grey and compromise is often conveyed through little more than Sheen’s deftly shifting expressions and body language.

Our pop culture consistently struggles to portray the idea of goodness as something compelling or worth watching. Explicitly “good” characters, particularly those who are religiously coded, are frequently treated as the butt of some sort of unspoken joke they aren’t in on, used to underline the idea that faith is a form of naivety or that kindness is somehow a weakness. For a lot of people, the entire concept of turning the other cheek is a sucker’s bet, and believing in something greater than oneself, be it a higher power or a sense of purpose, is a waste of time. But Good Omens is a story grounded in the idea that faith, hope, and love—for one another, God, and the entire world—are active verbs. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Sheen’s characterization of the soft angel whose old-fashioned waistcoats mask a spine of steel and who refuses to give up—on Crowley, on humanity, or on the idea that Heaven is still something that can be saved.

Though he and Tennant have pretty much become a matched set at this point (both on and off-screen), Sheen’s performance has rarely gotten the critical accolades it deserves. (Tennant alone was nominated for a BAFTA for Season 2, and Sheen was categorized as a supporting actor when the series’ competed in the 2019 Saturn Awards.) But it is his quiet strength that holds up so much of the rest of the show around him, and Sheen deserves to be more frequently recognized for it. That he makes it look so easy is just another sign of how good his performance really is.

[tiagems]

Thing that drives me a little bit insane about tma time travel fics is that when s5 Jon and Martin are teleported back to s1, they never act like themselves

S5 Jon has magically learned how to talk to people and s5 Martin sounds so emotionally dead and every time I'm like "they would not fucking say that"

S5 Jon should be manic and terrified, he should be in a lot of pain and depending on if he's connected to the Eye still or not, he should be groggy and vague and not making sense. S5 Martin should be a fucking mess, in the middle of crying, but also able to say with a degree of clarity that he's not here to hurt anyone, he just wants to find Jon, where is Jon

They do get one thing right, and that's if asked s5 Jon would absolutely infodump as much as he can

[cheesecakeluver]

AT FIRST GLANCE

hamzahthefantastic x reader

ᶻ𐰁 ࣪ °⋆ when you arrive in Toronto, after three years from home, you meet with your close friend Mandy, who has a visitor that you know, at first glance, is bound to be yours.

———————-

As the taxi slows, i find that my stomach turns and churns in excitement. The idea that now, after three years, ill see Mandy again, after being apart for so, so long, enthralls me. We constantly facetimed and messaged after i had to move, for work purposes. Los Angeles was a great city, but once you really got settled and started to understand life there.. it made you miserable. Thankfully, my work as a journalist had moved me back to Toronto, and i could finally see my friends and family.

I retrieve my heavy suitcases from the boot of the car, thanking the driver and sending him away with a twenty dollar bill. I don't think i'll ever get over the price differences between Canada and the USA. I stand outside Mandy's place, which she shared with her boyfriend, Martin. Of course, i'd heard all about him, because as soon as i moved away, they met. She updated me on every date, every exciting occasion, and every detail of their lives together, including his youtube channel, whom he shared with a friend unknown to me, though Mandy constantly called him clingy and annoying, which left me laughing.

I knock on the door, one, twice, and then thrice. I see a figure moving towards the door, and i get excited, recording the whole moment with an old camera. I'd recently started youtube myself, and had had a good amount of luck, my first two videos not exactly blowing up, but doing pretty well for my first time. I see the figure head towards the door, and i shove the camera in front of me, my smile wide, grinning even.

The figure opens the door, and i'm stunned. It was in fact, not Mandy i was met with, who stood at 5,4. No, this was a nearly six foot tall, dark curly haired man, who looked like he'd just gotten out of bed.

"Uh.. who are you?" he mumbled, wiping his dark curls out of his face, pushing his rectangular glasses up on the bridge of his nose, his chocolate brown eyes widening as he stared deadpan at me.

i pull the camera down to my side, revealing my face as my smile drops. i stutter a little, taking a step back. Had i went to the wrong address?

"Does Mandy live here?" i asked nervously, my concern become increasingly evident on my face. I was never good at hiding my emotions.

"Oh, yeah. She said something about someone coming over today. Just didn't mention who." The man said, his eyebrows unfurling as the confusion fled his face, allowing me to view him more. He was attractive, and even i couldn't deny that, as i stared into his dark eyes. The worry wiped off my face as he opened the door wider, allowing me to step into the home, where Mandy was snuggled into Martin's side, a blanket over them on the couch, as i heard the nostalgic theme of 'Gilmore Girls' playing on the tv.

I smile, leaving my bags by the door as i hear Mandy ask whose at the door, until her eyes land across me. She screams, ditching Martins arms and she runs to me, hugging me and jumping with glee spread across her face. I hold her in my arms, happily.

"I've been waiting for you to arrive!" she says, pulling away from the embrace, still smiling so hard i believe it must hurt. "That's Hamzah, by the way, the one who answered the door. He's the one who does the podcast, and youtube with Martin" She explains, babbling on about what the boys did. I listened eagerly, intrigued, as she told me about this podcast, which i'd never known of before. She asks me how i am, knowing how hard Los Angeles hit me, leaving me emotionally drained.

"I'm excited to be back in Toronto, really. I've been wanting to come back ever since i left. Los Angeles was.. alright at first, but god, once you really get settled, and begin actually connecting.." i sigh, drifting off. The people that inhabited Los Angeles, were just not the people i was made for, and oh how glad i was to be back in Toronto. Back home. I look around, impressed at the new house they'd just moved in to, which now looked like a home due to the decorum, as i see dinner bowls lying around.

Martin cleans them up, putting them in the sink and introducing himself. "Sorry, we just ate.. probably should've cleaned that up earlier." he jokes, wrapping an arm around Mandy.

The whole time, the boy i know now as Hamzah had just been by the door, his keys in hand. i came to the conclusion he must have just been heading out when i arrived.

He jingles the keys in his hand, grabbing my attention. He looks a little nervous, his eyes darting around. "I'm gonna head out, it was good meeting you.." he says, finally looking at me, smiling, his hands in his pockets. He lingers on, and i catch the hint he wanted my name.

"Oh, y/n" i smiled, a little flustered as his eyes remained steady on me, a glint in them. I found myself drawn to him, even though this was our first meeting.

Mandy turns to me, Martins arm still wrapped around her. "We were just going out, for ice cream, if you wanted to join us?" she smiles at me, Martins arm rubbing hers and he stared at her, entranced.

I think about it, but ultimately decide against it, as i had ate the shitty food served on the airplane, and felt as though my stomach deserved a break after. That, and i wasn't in the mood to become a third wheel, especially as jet lagged as i was.

"I need to sort through the boxes as well, get my apartment into living conditons, but thank you guys, i appreciate it." i say, thanking the couple in front of me.

"Call me tomorrow though, we'll meet up then?" i ask, and Mandy nods, smiling. "Of course! Im so, so happy your home. Atleast now i've got someone to hang out with when these two are filming. Ooh, and maybe even double dates, and-"

Hamzah coughs loudly, interrupting her, and their eyes land on each other, and something, almost like realisation, hits Mandy.

I look between the pair, an awkward silence filling the room, as the four of us just looked at our feet.

I knew Hamzah had been there a couple of times when i had been facetiming Mandy, as i heard him and Martin in the background, but i never thought anything of it.

I pull my phone out, prepared to call another taxi, and head out of here, as i gather my bags and suitcase by the door.

"Anybody know how much a taxi from here to Parkson street costs?" i ask, breaking the silence

Martin speaks up immediately, as if snapping out of a trance.

"Hamzah, don't you live near Parkson street?" he asks the boy, who averts his gaze from mine, eyes focused now on Martin, as a pink blush cascades over his caramel skin, slightly covered by the messy curls strewn on top of his head.

"Yeah, i live on Parkson street" He replies, and i see Martin wink at him, before he speaks again.

"Oh, okay yeah, do you need a ride?" Hamzah says, eyes on mine as i see his hands fiddle inside of his pockets, causing me to smile.

"Yeah.. thank you. Really, your helping me out a a lot here." i blush slightly as he helps me with a couple of my bags, and our hands brush together, my face heating up, as does his.

"Really, you don't have to-" i say, prepared to take the bag, as he shakes his head in defiance, which leaves me to sigh, smiling as i do.

"I could see you struggling when you first arrived, let me help you" He says, picking the bags i struggled with up easily, impressing me as his biceps bulged whilst doing the action, causing me to stare.

Martin interrupts us, as he begins saying his farewells to Hamzah. I make my way over to Mandy, one last time, knowing ill meet her tomorrow.

"Call me tonight, and tell me everything" she says, with that knowing look in her eye, causing me to softly chuckle as i embrace her again.

We part ways with Mandy and Martin, saying goodbye to the pair as they began to get ready to get dessert. I smile at the couple as i leave with Hamzah, wishing i had the type of relationship they had, watching them laugh and cuddle and kiss. In my dreams i guess.

As Hamzah walks me to his car, we begin small talk. He asks about my life back in Los Angeles, and i tell him about my journalism and my small channel, as he told me of his podcast. He seemed passionate about it, using his hands as he spoke, and all i could do was become entranced by him. I had met this boy less than twenty minutes ago, yet already he had caught me attention, and by the looks of it, i had caught his.

"I originally started the podcast by myself, and did around.. i think thirty or so episodes before Martin joined. Honestly, its much better when your not just speaking by yourself, to a camera." He explained, hooking me in with every word he uttered.

"I guess i can kind of understand. When i film, so far, its always been by myself. My job as well, it gets lonely, because journalism isn't a very.. i don't know.. social type of job. Sure, I sit and write about all the things i love, but sometimes i just wish i had someone to talk to about my interests, instead of people just reading my words via a news outlet, or magazine."

i let out my thoughts, feeling slightly vulnerable when doing so. Hamzah watches me talk, allowing me to explain what's on my mind, and for the first time in a long time, i feel seen.

"Listen, i know we just met, but honestly, i feel like i know you already. I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to, even if its just about the stupid stuff." He says, a little shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he speaks. I find myself walking close beside him, and we continue talking back and forth, all the way to his car.

Once we reach his car, he opens the door for me, and just when i'm strapped in, does he make his way to the drivers side, causing a feeling of warmth to erupt in my stomach.

Getting in, he sets his phone on my lap, smiling. "Since your a guest, i'll trust you to pick something good" he says, as i notice spotify opened infront of me.

It nearly made me melt, as i saw his recent listens. "Men i trust, Freddie Dredd, The maria's.. you have good taste" i smile, seeing some artist that we have in common.

I see him smile warmly, staring at the phone as i type my favourite song in, hoping, no, praying he would like it.

"Bags by Clairo.. you have good taste" He replies, copying me, as the song begins to filter through the car, and i hum lightly to it.

entranced by the music, and the feeling of content flowing through me, i rest my head against the window, taking in autumnal Toronto in all its beauty, realising just how much i had missed this place.

I feel Hamzah's eyes on me, and i turn to him, a grin erupting from me without my consent, as his curls fall into his eyes, and his hands mark the wheel.

We continue the rest of the ride in silence, the only thing heard is Clairo's majestic voice through the speakers, and both of us are okay with that. Upon arriving at Parkson street, i feel a little disappointed, missing Hamzah's banter and voice already, even though we hadn't parted from each other yet. I needed to get a grip on myself.

We get out, still walking close to each other, our arms brushing against one anothers, and begin walking back to our apartments, noticing we both strode in the same direction.

"Hamzah, what apartment number is yours? Not to be a creep or anything.." i joke, seeing his eyes light up.

"I'm 112.. what about you?"

I feel myself smile, pink flushing my cheeks, and not just due to the autumn chill in the air. We stop outside of his apartment, and he sees where my gaze lies, his cheeks flushing as well.

"I'm apartment 113” i say, grinning, our proximity exciting me like nothing before. maybe, just maybe this meant i did have a chance. endless excuses we’re running through my mind, thinking of ways i could interact with him on the daily.

He smiles, walking me to my door and setting the suitcases and bags in my doorstep, his cheeks tinted pink, and his eyes on me the entire time, looking me up and down with ease.

He smiles at me, one last time. "I'll see you around, y/n" he says, walking the two paces to his apartment, next door. My heart fluttered, and the minute i go inside of my new apartment, i jumped on the bare mattress, not caring about the unboxed suitcases and bags, picking up my phone and dialing my best friend.

"Mandy, i think i’m starting to like him."

---------------

[mad-scientist-enthusiast]

Rant about Jedidiah Martin because I'm getting brain worms...

Jedidiah knows love from his upbringing, which is why his favorite game growing up was "playing house." Jedidiah practiced his mother's example of parenthood on his "children;" that being keeping them close by and admiring them, but neglecting them nonetheless. Sydney's comment about the fruit fly really captures this dynamic.

"It hadn't even occurred to him. He'd gotten up every morning and admired that starving animal, throwing itself against the walls of its container. Hadn't even thought to put a little piece of cantaloupe in there. And his beloved fly died hungry, empty, trapped, and alone."

Jedidiah is very dependent on his mother. He still lives with her, he relies on her protection to handle everything he cannot. Despite this, Lucille always keeps him at arms length and never any closer. She has this weirdly detached style of parenting, where she needs Jedidiah close in proximity, but not close emotionally. And Jedidiah mirrors this in his relationship with Sydney.

I think Jedidiah really does love Sydney, however, the only way he knows how to treat Sydney is the way his mother treated him.

He keeps Sydney close, essentially trapping him at the Camp, and admires him from afar. He does a lot to ensure Sydney's physical safety, sure, but this is done so with minimal interaction with him. Sydney is his fruit fly. He loves Sydney, and ultimately does not want Sydney to die, but he is doing nothing to nourish their relationship. I think he almost views Sydney's state of being "alive" as the physical act of living. He is breathing, his body is functioning. But being alive is much more than that. His clinical approach to their relationship is the reason why he doesn't seem to conceptualize how much he's hurt Sydney. And only when he starts to feel hurt by Lucille's treatment of him does he realize he's put Sydney in the same position.

It's almost as if Lucille and Jedidiah don't entirely view the subject of their "love" as a separate, autonomous human being.

It almost reminds me of the like "Teaching STEM without the humanities" memes. Jedidiah has no reference for an emotional connection with other people, so when he wants to be in a relationship with someone, it results in this dynamic we see between him and Sydney.

[akirasstories]

✨ zodiac signs for the teen wolf characters: my very correct headcanons✨

(bc astrology is real and i said so)

before anyone gets loud in the tags: YES i know some of their canon birthdays YES i ignored them YES i rearranged the stars but this is MY headcanon list. i have done DEEP emotional analysis (and okay, some are just vibes). also theo raeken is NOT a sagittarius and i will simply not allow it. i moved his birthday by one day. cosmic crime? maybe. do i regret it? absolutely not.

Theo Raeken – Scorpio sun, Aquarius moon, Gemini rising

📅 22nd Nov

he's manipulative, unreadable and hot. tell me a sagittarius could do that. you can’t. scorpio sun bc duh, aqua moon bc he’s emotionally repressed and gemini rising bc he flirts & charms like it’s a threat

Liam Dunbar – Aries sun, Cancer moon, Scorpio rising

📅 14th April

tiny angry fireball with deep feelings and absolutely zero chill. cries when he’s mad, mad when he cries. fights everyone, especially himself. adorable. terrifying. has two modes: fight me / please hold me

Scott McCall – Libra sun, Cancer moon, Virgo Rising

📅 16th Oct

captain "let’s talk about our feelings" loyal, steady and morally stressed. makes big decisions at a glacial pace (seriously bro let's move a bit faster here) gives incredible speeches and even better hugs. would die for you (probably already has) libra moon for the diplomacy and virgo rising bc he’s lowkey judgy

Stiles Stilinski – Gemini sun, Virgo rising, Scorpio Moon, Aquarius mercury

📅 2nd June

you know this is true... this man has 47 tabs open in his brain and is somehow narrating all of them at once. chaos personified. detective energy. scorpio moon for the inner angst, virgo rising for the color-coded murder board, aquarius mercury bc he sounds like he’s explainingthe multiverse while holding a baseball bat

Isaac Lahey – Scorpio sun, Libra rising

📅 30th Oct

emotional trauma wrapped in a cashmere scarf. romantic. brooding. might write poetry about you and then never text back (all libra risings rise now pls) wants to be held and also left alone. hair always perfect, which is unfair (jk i love my sad sweet boy)

Lydia Martin – Capricorn sun, Leo rising

📅 3rd Jan

yes, i know canon says march bday. i do not care. this girl is a capricorn: organized, lethal, flawless. she is ten steps ahead and doing AP Calculus in heels. the leo rising gives her effortless main character energy. she’s smarter than you and she knows it. i would die for her

Malia Tate – Aries sun, Sagittarius rising

📅 18th April

feral hot girl energy. will bite you, forget your name and then ask what's for lunch (deer hopefully) impulsive, wild and painfully honest. sag rising gives her that “jump off a cliff for fun” vibe. we love her

Kira Yukimura – Pisces sun, Cancer moon, Virgo rising

📅 27th Feb

soft girl with a sword. will apologize for hurting you while electrocuting a demon. emotional, sensitive and slightly awkward. she is deadlier than she looks. secretly stronger than everyone (will absolutely destroy you in a fight and feel really bad about it after)

Allison Argent – Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon, Cancer rising (???)

📅 27th August

okay this was hard but hear me out: virgo sun because she’s strategic and sharp, sag moon because she follows her heart into battle and cancer rising because you feel safe around her! until she pulls a bow on you oops... elegant, brave, emotional and absolutely iconic. RIP queen 💔

Mason Hewitt – Aquarius sun, Libra rising

📅 9th Feb

resident genius and sass master. probably emotionally healthier than the rest of the pack combined. the kind of best friend who helps you process your trauma with a joke, a hug and a 10-slide powerpoint. appreciates the beauty of life (the shirtless lacrosse team)

Corey Bryant – Libra sun, Taurus moon

📅 11th Oct

peaceful, aesthetic and secretly the backbone of the friend group. balances everyone’s chaos while serving soft boy realness. would kill for mason but make it gentle and morally justified. he can do no wrong

Hayden Romero – Scorpio sun, Pisces moon, Aries rising

📅 28th Oct

total badass. the scorpio sun gives her don’t-mess-with-me energy, the pisces moon explains her soft center (especially with Liam) and that aries rising? pure fire. would knock you out and bring you an ice pack (love me a mean lesbian)

Alec – Sagittarius

📅 23rd Nov

chaotic ADHD himbo energy. says the wildest things with full sincerity. dramatic, loud, loveable menace. has strong i’m the main character vibes and honestly?? he is. probably your fav (he’s definitely mine)

Nolan – Pisces

📅 14th March

anxious wet cat energy with a heart of gold. cries, panics, overthinks, the anxiety of a raccoon in a thunderstorm and somehow still has a redemption arc

[sterek-ao3feed]

Beneath the Layers

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/62648710

by themistakenwolfe

It was a talent, really. The way Stiles could mask his pain, hide the bruises, and act like everything was fine. Years of practice made him a master at deception. The Sheriff was a hero in Beacon Hills, the man everyone respected. Who would believe his son was the one suffering behind closed doors?

Stiles had figured out how to dull the scent of pain around the pack. Wolfsbane in small doses, masking agents in his detergent, and sheer force of will kept them from knowing. No one ever suspected. No one ever looked too close. And that was exactly how he wanted it.

Until Derek.

Words: 2882, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin, Malia Tate, Isaac Lahey, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Vernon Boyd, Liam Dunbar

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Protective Derek Hale, Caring Derek Hale, Angry Derek Hale, Found Family, Pack Feels, Wolf Pack, Wolf Derek Hale, One Shot, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Abuse, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Tension, Blood and Injury, Blood, Family Drama, Trauma, Secrets, Protectiveness, Fear of Discovery, Healing, Physical Abuse, Stiles Stilinski Needs a Hug

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62648710

[sapphic-agent]

Why is Simon able to see Maddie?

I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think I might have an answer.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Let's start with what I don't think it is. I'm 99% sure that it's not because Simon's dying. There's speculation that he has a tumor or undiagnosed cancer causing him to slowly die and that's why he's able to see Maddie. But I have two issues with that:

Why is he only able to see Maddie? If him approaching death is what enables him to see and talk with a ghost, why is that only extended to one ghost? At the very least, wouldn't he have some kind of connection with the other ghosts? Maybe if not outright seeing them, then sensing their presence or something? But he's never given any indication they're there, we've seen that. If he was dying, he'd have a connection to the entire metaphysical plane, not just Maddie.

Why does he only start seeing her at that exact moment in season 1? If he was dying, wouldn't it have been sooner? Maddie was "dead" for three days before Simon saw her. And it was only at this specific time that he was able to do so.

What this tells me is that this isn't possible because of anything from Simon's end. Or, not completely from his end.

To answer this question, we need to look at the only other instance of a living person and ghost interacting. What enabled Maddie to see Janet and Mr. Martin arguing? What allowed Janet to steal Maddie's body in the first place?

I think it's a combination of things. Mr. Martin says to Janet, "What did you feel? You have to tell me." This implies that she did something that was completely unexpected by him. We don't know what it was exactly, but we can assume that it has to do with blurring the lines between life and death even if it was just a little. But I don't think it was just this that allowed Maddie to see her and Mr. Martin.

When Maddie describes her altercation with her mother to Simon, she says very deliberately, "She killed my spirit." Maddie wasn't just feeling upset in that boiler, she was broken. A lifetime of being battered down by her mother's alcoholism and negligence and this was the final straw. She wasn't physically dead at that point, but emotionally she might as well have been.

I think that these two things happening at the same time created a sort of passageway between Maddie and the metaphysical plane. The hollowness Maddie was feeling coincided with whatever Janet had done to blur those lines, and that's how Janet was able to push her soul out.

Now, if I'm right about all of that, what does that have to do with Simon?

Well, remember what Simon said to Ms. Fields, "I don't know how I'm going to survive this place without her." It's important to remember that Simon had a feeling she was dead, or at the very least seriously hurt/in trouble. He accepted the possibility of her being gone as fact, which is why he never questions her being a ghost. It isn't such a stretch to assume that he was feeling the same hollowness that Maddie was concerning her mother.

(This also answers why he was the only one. Sandra and Nicole still believed Maddie was alive, they weren't broken in the way that Simon was. And when Sandra did receive the news that there was a good chance Maddie was dead, she was at home, not the school. So her and Maddie wouldn't have been able to connect the way her and Simon did. Also, Maddie's relationship with her mother is very complicated. They don't have anything close to the bond that her and Simon do)

But like I said above, the connection has to be on both sides. Not only did Maddie watch him have this breakdown and was probably feeling similarly to him in that moment, she also had a tether to the living world; her body. So, the combination of their emotional bond, Simon's emptiness when faced with a world without her, and Maddie still technically being alive allowed them to connect past the limitations of death

[beescribblz]

—Kinda vague TMA spoilers??—

Someone needs to do a Jonmartin animatic of the one part of Skyfall.

Y’know the “Where you go I go, what you see I see,” part. It literally overlaps with what Martin says to Jon in MAG200.

I know it would emotionally ruin me but it would hurt so good.

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

did you guys ever read the REDWALL books?

Martin the Warrior and Mossflower hurt me emotionally for so long.

the copy i have of mossflower was so re-read and sobbed over by my young self its spine diintegrated and there's a hairband holding it together

it was the [redacted] after all that hardship that got me, and broke the protagonist. iykyk

dont think i ever finished the series, but i remember the badger centric one and the hares, and then muriel the bellmaker and her friend dandin and the other crazy shit they got up to.

should really re-read it one day.

the books we read as kids fundamentally changed us.

[hellostarposts]

Episode 53 - Crusader

Gertrude tape?!?!?

Gertrude!!

Operation Crusader?

Oh this is going to be a struggle. This man's voice is annoying.

Nazi Tank?

Okay pause time I’m going to go read the wiki page on this Operation Crusader thing.

Did they steal the nazi tank? Or is this guy a Nazi?

Nope because he wasted time with the Italians.

The tank experience is very descriptive. I like it.

They got shot. And our man is definitely paralyzed or lost a leg.

Mans is also having a ptsd episode.

Oof him getting hurt saved him from being a POW.

All he remembers is being in pain and then being high as a kite. 

Ah the hospital is in Alexandria.

Yay! He didn’t lose the leg! Just a limp and nerve damage.

He just wants some peace and quiet, god dammit.

Fell into a random basement.

They didn't notice because the basement doesn't actually exist.

Only a sewer grate in the basement, but theres something shiny beyond it.

Dude, you have a bad leg. Why are you climbing into tunnels?

Came up to a circle room in the tunnel and there is an alcove that had a old parchment scroll sitting in it.

Correction: many holes in the walls. Each with their own scroll.

My guy, you are in Egypt. Spooky tunnels are par for the course.

He found a mummified corpse.

Bruh, they are not bringing the Knights of Templar into this.

Like I should've seen this coming but it always feels like low hanging fruit for some reason.

Either the corpse scratched its own eyes out or rats did it.

Mans can now see in the dark.

A thousand eyes you say???

So a robed figure with long spindly fingers and only one eyeball instead of a face

They had me wanting to say that it was Micheal in the first half of the description.

AYYYY our first person to get a grippy sock vacation.

Oh my god, he probably didn’t put the grate back did he.

So this is the same feeling of being watched that they experience while in the archives.

Gertrude sounds nervous.

Serapion(?) of Alexandria

Ancient iterations of the archives. BRO WHAT

“Those who sing the night” 

Omg my brain juices are flowing now. Is the cult of darkness (or whatever their name is, I’ll have to go find it) infiltrating the christians to control some aspect of the religion and obviously spread their message.

Additionally, also trying to prevent the institute from existing because they’re documenting and investigating their shenanigans ( this one feels far fetched and too scooby doo villain like but I enjoy the mental image of it)

One of the few crusades that actually doesn’t have religious reasons. That’s fun but it obviously does. Just not the religion they want to talk about.

The idea that the archivist turns into an entity living in the tunnels is delicious. But if that is what happens why did Gertrude need to be murdered. Unless she was getting to close to the truth.

Jon is just going to become even more paranoid, great.

Five stitches from an incident with a bread knife? How sharp is that bred knife?

Nevermind, the spotify comments reminded me about the Micheal incident.

Of course Gertrude isn’t the person you thought she was. You literally only had the faintest image about who she was and that was in the form of an untidy archive room.

Spotify comments are also saying that Martin asking Jon to go to the sandwich shop with him is a date. That didn’t feel like asking for a date but Jon is also emotionally constipated so I guess that it’s accurate.

Someone or something blew up the location that the statement was talking about. Totally not suspicious at all. Need to stop looking at the comments, They’re saying that Gertrude is responsible. I respect that.

Personal theory time, there are multiple archives/institutes across the world and the tunnels that were discovered during the worm attack are what connect all of them. Now I know that if there were actually that many all active at the same time they realistically should be in communication with each other. Simple fix really to that. The others aren't active but the previous locations before it had to move because shit hit the fan. AKA archivists lost their shit. And you might say “oh but the topography wouldn’t allow for there to be tunnels connecting locations such as London and Egypt” pocket dimensions are a thing so why can’t the tunnels just be another one. Additionally, if this is true it would make sense why a cult would want to have control over such a pocket dimension. Like how easy it would be to enforce your rules if you had handy dandy tunnels that let you traverse the earth so quickly.

While I did find the voice/speech pattern annoying, I respect that voice actor so much. It was incredibly accurate and well delivered. Gertrude obviously knew so much about what was going on, and was fully intending on putting a stop to it. Too bad three bullets put an end to her girlboss era. I need to know more about this cult and why they were infiltrating the crusades. I just find them neat and want to know what their deal is. Also, finding out that the feeling of being watched is just something that happens in the archives, appalling. But it does explain Jon’s paranoia more. Like if he’s been feeling that since before the Prentiss attack, no wonder he’s losing it now. Maybe the sandwich date with Martin will help a bit but I feel like it will only make Jon more suspicious about Martin. 

The dots might start connecting soon. So exciting.

[blenselche]

Why do you ship finn/fern? I want to know what you see in it. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I think rare ships and why people like them are interesting.

how can i not when the show literally

ok but forreal, this is long so I'm throwing it under a cut, my fern brainworm really got away from me here...

Finn and Fern's story at its most bare bones is: someone incredibly damaged by abandonment is torn in half and those halves abandon each other. Fern does it literally, Finn more so emotionally. Only when it's too late does one half try to rectify the situation, showing unending patience and unconditional love and being met with vitriol and avoidance. And then... acceptance, and with that acceptance is the ultimate abandonment: death. Tragic, hurts just right. Add onto that-- their relationship references The Green Knight and the Narcissus Myth. The Narcissus myth comes through loudly in CAWM especially. My fav of Ovid's Metamorphoses and all Greek mythology, so that's def a factor. My dad said I cried when he read it to me for the first time lmao.

I don't ship them during/in canon. In canon all I can see is something nebulous and one sided, and we don't need to read into subtext for that, we can just appreciate the show as it's written: Finn helps create this person that 100% gets him after being the odd one out his whole life, Fern's existence even soothes his abandonment issues with a curse that binds them together forever, but he clings too close and doesn't give Fern space, reminding him of how he falls short. Ultimately this want to be "even closer" (very smooth, Finn) is what drives them apart. It's good where it is, it's a great starting point for shipping.

Where I ship them is past canon, blowing subtext up into large print font to pull Fern out of plot device hell into his own character, piggy backing off what we know about the grass demon.

The grass demon/blade was not made to serve the powers of good, but it actively changes/curbs its behavior for the approval of its hero wielder. It helps Finn with anything that deeply emotionally moves him (holding on to Martin, building the tower) keeps him out of unneeded conflict (refusing to attack the vamp king) helps impress his romantic interest (flute spell) it even reverses his arm nullification twice. The grass demon keeps him safe but it goes above and beyond its purpose for Finn's happiness. It reluctantly joins the fight against Bandit Princess because that sword is still Finn, and when its blade pierces/breaks the quillion it even cocoons the Finn Sword's essence safely away. Though, no matter how much good it might do it is still a demon. It has no morals, and doesn't understand them, all it cares about is Finn's safety and well being. When one of Finn's loved ones hurts him it doesn't hesitate to protect him, but (of course) Finn retaliates-- and so it creates a Finn of its own, one that won't hurt it for trying to keep him safe and happy. (OOPS! that backfired.) I love the grass demon, I love what we can glean about it because of its actions through the show and what that could mean for Fern and Fern's feelings surrounding Finn. This is the foundations of the ship to me.

I like to ship them when Fern remembers all of this/what he is (a demon that basically consumed half of Finn's soul), has accepted himself and has integrated his two ego states. We don't need to do any legwork on Finn's end. Dude's already weird enough about Fern canonically, but I do like to build his guilt up until he's a mess on the floor, crying over his past mistake of assuming Fern needed saving in the first place (the thing that leads Finn to ignorantly prompting/assisting in his suicide), haunted by the words of Fern's time echo from the The Beginning of The End comic, never truly being able to trust if he's actually helping someone again.

I like to play in that space of au/hc: a demon and the man he's bound to/he shares a soul with who loves him unconditionally, reunited somehow (a wish, diverging from canon, Penelope and Fern's next incarnation finding one another, etc) and coming to terms with the baggage of all the shit they inflicted on one another. Then maybe Fern can finally hear Finn out without the cloud of festering insecurity when he tells him again how he'd still like to be "even closer".

At its simplest I like finn/fern because I love Fern, and finally accepting and seeing Finn as a completely different person (enough to engage in a relationship, whether sexual/romantic/queer platonic/something that no label fits because of what they are, whatever) speaks to an ultimate form of self actualization, and Fern really deserves to feel that level of "himself" imo.

Hope that was adequately interesting.

[madam-whim]

Hi! I have some OC asks for you :D 📓,🌲 and ⚔️ for any of your choice!

Oh I'm going to answer these for Arri since they suit her best!

📓Basically, for Arri, it's the entirety of Within Temptation's "The Fire Within", courtesy of a dear friend of mine, who sent it to me and just said "Arri :)"... And he was entirely right, the whole thing screams Arri during the Imperial City showdown. We did a whole Arri-themed analysis with this song. Though the lyrics probably give a major thing about her away, so maybe if you don't already know it, don't listen with an Oblivion/HoK context in mind.

🌲She does, in fact, have a few favorite spots, though she only gets those after about 20 years of never staying in the same place for long! One of them is Martin's bedroom (which, to be fair, is going to be their shared bedroom) at Cloud Ruler Temple. Arri and Martin are two southerners, with him being having been raised around Kvatch and her being from Bravil, and they both hate the cold. And so that room eventually ends up being the coziest and comfiest place imaginable, with so many blankets and pillows, and she adores it. Her other favorite place would be her garden, where she grows her alchemy ingredients, flowers and practically any plant she might like. She even has a greenhouse, where she can grow things that require a bit of a different climate.

⚔️Arri and conflict... that's a bit of a funny thing. She does cultivate this image of being a bad person who's always ready for a fight and who goes actively looking for it. She pretends to have constant anger issues, she's picking (verbal) fights with just about anyone, she's yelling and cursing and just being plain rude. She's rarely ever serious about it, it's just a thing she does to make people hate her so they don't get close to her and possibly get their lives ruined (due to the curse she believes she's under). In reality, though, she is a kind person who does not, in fact, start fights. But she sure does finish them. She is the most protective person you'll ever meet, and she will fight anyone who threatens someone she cares about. Daedric princes included. If she's really emotionally in it when it comes to a verbal conflict, you can tell because she's either going to be completely flipping out, voice cracking and close to tears, or she's going dangerously quiet and appears kind of calm and collected, but the look in her eyes means death. The first happens when she is also scared or hurt, and the second happens most often when she's witnessed a grave injustice. Physical fights? Well, she fights the ones that have to be fought. She doesn't go into any of them unprovoked, but she will attack first and strike from the shadows because she was trained as an assassin and she needs that element of surprise to be at her best. She sneaks past anything that can be avoided, but if she needs to take someone out (say, for example, Mythic Dawn agents) to protect someone else, she will do so without question. Her professional assassin days have long since passed, though. She doesn't kill for money and hasn't in a very long time - she was literally a teenager when she was in the Dark Brotherhood.

[lyledebeast]

"Cowardice" in The Patriot

For a film in which women and children do so much heavy lifting to humanize men, The Patriot sure heaps contempt on men who prioritize protecting women and children over engaging in political violence. The earliest example of this comes when Gabriel Martin accuses his father of hiding behind his children when he refuses to vote in favor of South Carolina joining in rebellion against the crown, and indeed this is the one choice for which Benjamin Martin is ever made to atone. Another character strongly implied to be a coward for attempting to protect the defenseless is the nameless man who gives Colonel Tavington details about the militia's home base. He is taking Tavington up on his offer to spare those guilty of treason in exchange for such information, and he means more than just himself. When Tavington orders the doors of the church shut, the man rushes forward to say, "But you said we'd be forgiven," not "I'd be forgiven."

The charge of cowardice in this man's case is inaccurate as well as unjust. Everyone in the congregation is scared. They know who Tavington is. They respond to him riding his horse into the nave in the same way the Whos down in Whoville respond to the Grinch launching himself into the Holiday Cheermeister ceremony in How the Grinch Stole Christmas later the same year. This man has to overcome that fear in order to speak out, but there is an additional fear he must face down that is exclusive to him. Even if Tavington had spared the congregation owing to his information, this man would likely still have been reviled for giving up the men this congregation is supporting. In a best-case scenario, he is sacrificing his good name in the community.

This scene sets up a clear contrast between two men in this congregation: this man and Peter Howard, father to Anne and now father-in-law to Gabriel. The first point of contrast is visual. The nameless man is fairly young and apparently able-bodied. Howard is significantly older and, as he points out in his first scene while making a speech before the Charlestown Assembly begins, lost a leg fighting for King George in the French and Indian War: "And now he cuts off my other leg with his taxes!" The contrast the narrative most clearly highlights is between the Patriot and the traitor, but an equally valid one may be made between the man most guilty of Tavington's charges and the man least guilty. Despite claiming to be crippled by the king's taxes as much as by his war wound, Howard is nearly single-handedly keeping the militia afloat; we never hear of them getting supplies from anyone else. The man who gives up Martin is guilty of nothing except keeping his secrets until now, which is guilty enough from Tavington's perspective. Tavington is an asshole. This is not news.

I believe Tavington would have burned the church with all its occupants inside regardless of the information they gave up or withheld, but this is not a senseless act of cruelty. Tavington knows killing these people will hurt the militia, and not just emotionally. Even without warning from Martin--and I will never understand how he failed to warn them at Anne and Gabriel's wedding--they should have known it was game over when the Butcher arrived in their nave. But Howard does not give himself up, nor does he plead with Tavington for leniency. He just stares defiantly and calls the nameless man a fool for breaking the silence. A moment that always makes me laugh, bitterly and unintendedly, comes when smoke appears from underneath the locked door and Howard orders the panicking parishioners to "Remain calm." You made this choice for yourself and everyone else, Mr. Howard. Sit all the way down.

In contrast, the nameless man chooses to give up Howard and Martin for the sake of protecting women and children who lack the power to make any choice at all. He does what Martin promised and then failed to deliver for his own children at the very first test. His refusal to protect men who have done nothing to protect their own families and neighbors carries its own kind of defiance. If this man is a coward, then maybe cowardice is something the world needs more of.