#eve polastri (they told me you were a killer)

[hvbris]

@theresastargirl . liked for a starter

"You should never tell a psychopath they're a psychopath, it upsets them," mused Eve, parroting something 'someone' had told her before. The irony wasn't lost on her, but it happened to be good advice. She looked at the girl, closing the file she had been reading earlier. "You know, in case you meet one. Might happen, in this line of work."

[hvbris]

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 & 𝐄𝐕𝐄 @ladiesandwitches

"My new boss just... thought my input would be valuable to the case," she replied dismissively, rolling up her sleeves as she settled comfortably in the chair. Eve didn't really want to talk about the hospital or her stubborn obsession.

"Oh- yeah, don't worry, I'm not here to take over anything," she assured the other, waving her hand in the air. She wasn't even sure if the killer was her assassin. Hm. Poor choice of words. "We can work together on this." Not that Eve was always great at working with people.

"Let's do that." Elegant assassin. Had she sounded completely obsessed again? Whatever. Whatever! She stood up from her chair.

"You were transferred?" Stella asked, one eyebrow raised in silent query as she privately imagined just what had led to the transfer. "Was there any particular reason for the move?" While it was not uncommon, it was rarely done without reason, and Eve Polastri didn't strike her as someone who had recently worked her way to a promotion; aside from being a woman, she was also Asian, and therefore even less likely to have her hard work noticed.

An assassin? There was a thud of interest, of professional intrigue, in her chest, but Stella revealed nothing, staying silent, observing Eve while she allowed her to continue her explanation uninterrupted.

"I see," she concluded when she was finished. Elegant was certainly one way to describe the crime scene. "Well, unless MI6 insists on taking over this case completely, I have no intention of relinquishing it," she informed her. "So I suppose this means we will be working together for the forseeable, Ms Polastri." She flashed her a smile before leaning forward in her seat, her hands clasped in front of her on her desk. "Why don't I take you to our incident room and you can show me just where your elegant assassin fits in?"

[wearevillaneve]

Killing Eve S3, E5: “Are You From Pinner?“ should  really  be called “Killing Oksana.”

With “Are You From Pinner?” in the books, we are past the halfway mark of the Suzanne Heathcote era of Killing Eve and in some circles of the fandom, the hope is this wet firecracker of a season will blow up in the final three episodes.

Based upon what’ has come before, this may be a tad optimistic.   As erratic and disjointed as the preceding four episodes, E5 introduced something entirely new and different to Killing Eve.  A standalone showcase for Jodie Comer’s Villanelle without Eve or Dasha or Konstantin or any of the other regular cast to block the spotlight. Can you see the fatal error in all this?

Typically when something is dubbed a “shitshow” it’s meant metaphorically, but as one of the set pieces was Villanelle literally throwing shit, it becomes an accurate description.

Before we got to this point, the six-month time jump from the end of last season looked like a combination of a tactical error and a missed opportunity.   Instead of Villanelle returning to Russia to drop in on the home folks, there were a many more unanswered questions from “You’re Mine” in dire need of an explanation.

1.  Who rescued Eve found and transported her to the hospital?  The “lucky some tourists found you” one-liner by the late Kenny Stowton seems pretty flimsy.   Didn’t the Rome police have any questions about this Asian woman with amazing hair ended up in Hadrian’s Villa lying facedown in a pool of blood?  Was it a robbery?  Okay, so then did Eve have any money, passport or ID to get back to England once she healed sufficiently?  Did she receive any rehabilitative aftercare?   Is she on any pain-killing medicines?  What was her mental state after being shot by V?  What was her emotional and psychological state after slaughtering Raymond to save V?

2.  How did Niko get out of the storage locker?  Eve didn’t know where he was and neither did MI6.  Even if he was found by someone else, how did he explain away the small matter of Gemma’s rotting corpse? Niko griped to Eve that MI6 intervened to make it look like Gemma committed suicide to cover up the fact that not only can’t a spy agency catch an international assassin who kills British citizens at will, they later hired her to work on an off-the-book mission where a technocratic billionaire got his throat slit.  

Why would MI6 go through all that fuss and bother to cover up a murder of a civilian when it could easily be laid at Niko’s feet? His only defense is Gemma was killed by a beautiful blonde psychopath with a crush on his estranged wife.  Carolyn told Eve she was on her own after Rome.   What changed, because something must have for MI6 to ride to Niko’s rescue. 3. Isn’t The Twelve presented as this immense, almighty, sprawling international diabolical entity of murder, violence, and sowing chaos and espionage against nations with their dirty little fingers apparently manipulating every intelligence agency on the planet?  It also deploys assassins and goons too fucking stupid to look under a bed to find an unarmed MI6 agent hiding there quaking in fear OR recognize said agent when a thug asks her out for a sushi dinner.   Well, okay then. Killing Eve logic explains it all.  Returning back to this sluggish solo flight, Villanelle’s family in Mother Russia are a bunch of dopey dunces with anger management issues, poor self-control, and flat-earthers who break out in spontaneous dance routines while the prodigal trouble child, Oksana, looking like the Whitest White Girl Ever who tried to shake her moneymaker, but couldn’t because both of her feet were super-glued to the floor, stands by bewildered probably thinking, “Who the hell are you people?”

A few weeks ago rumors from not-very reliable sources were floating around that executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle had mused it might be conceivable Killing Eve could conceivably go on without one of the two leads.  Perhaps Woodward Gentle is hedging her bets should Comer or Oh not return after the fourth season. “Are You From Pinner” is proof that’s not true.  The show is called Killing Eve, not Killing Villanelle.  Though she has become the sun to Eve’s moon, there’s a reason for Eve Polastri to inhabit a central place in Villanelle’s life.   She is the other half which makes Villanelle whole.  Whether together or apart, what keeps the audience coming back is the strange relationship between Eve and Villanelle. Without Eve to humanize Villanelle, she become just another attractive, charismatic killer with a sad back story.   Yet Villanelle is not a Marvel super villain and many fans were perfectly fine with not knowing what it was in her past that made her who she is now.

Heathcote subverted expectations of another meeting between the central characters in episode 5 as her showrunner predecessors Emerald Fennell and Phoebe Waller-Bridge had done previously, but she went further by removing Eve completely.  Eve was not referenced a single time by Villanelle and weirdly, Sandra Oh and all the other cast members names were removed from the credits.  Heathcote’s erred by that omission as it reinforced the notion some KE fans have held that she and Fennell tilted the balance in favor of Comer’s character as Oh’s is diminished.  That may not have been the newest showrunner’s intention, but it certainly feeds the impression that it was. The conclusion of Villanelle killing her mother and burning down the house was a wrenching, powerful moment, but taken in totality of the entire show, not nearly enough to compensate for the lackluster and pointless set-up scenes.

What we learned from Oksana's origin story is you really can't go home again.  Fine, but why did that require an Eve-less episode to know that.  This all could have unfolded in the six-month jump after Rome as a sub-plot playing out over the first four episodes.   It didn’t justify a standalone showcase for Villanelle. 

All it did was blunt the equally affecting impact of Eve witnessing Niko’s death.  A better and much fairer approach would have been devote the first half to Eve grieving for her murdered husband and the second to Villanelle less-than-warm welcome home. Minus Eve,  and without Konstantin and no Dasha to exercise some guidance over the nuclear missile that is Villanelle, what you get is an unleashed assassin alternatively being childish, being a smart-ass, being mysterious, being fashionable, before inevitably turning murderous.

Most of the time it works and we forgive Villanelle her many trespasses  This time it face-planted despite a sensational closing sequence between Oksana and her mother.  Unfortunately, ten riveting minutes do not make up for the uninteresting 32 minutes which preceded it. 

Villanelle has become unstoppable in her homicidal tendencies.   She has morphed into a female Terminator who occasionally imitates human traits.  Nothing can stop her or barely slow her down.  She commits mayhem and slaughter like most of us breathe and suffers zero consequence for it.  The fact she took out her own mother should neither shock nor surprise. 

“Are You From Pinner?” demonstrates Villanelle’s complex charms shine most brightly in her interactions with Eve, Konstantin and Dasha. Remove them from the equation and even Comer’s wealth of talents are not enough to rise above flat, lifeless characters, muddled motivations and a plot which wavers between the comedic for too long and the tragic too late to register.    A friend said she didn’t much like “Are You From Pinner” but hoped it would be better after a second or third viewing.  I told sometimes a first impression is a right impression and that it was doubtful a third watch would help much.  How much subtlety and nuance is there to be found from a turd tossing contest? I can say with all confidence, I can't see myself watching this episode again.   Like ever.  If you got something out of this misfire and it touched your heart and made you squirt a tear for Oksana, more power to you.   All I got out of it was confirmation why the show is called Killing Eve and not Villanelle and Her Wacky Russian Family.   Come for the comedy.  Stay for the kills.  In a new interview for her Elle Canada cover story, Oh spoke of how she had reached a point in her life where she was not looking for the next big blockbuster movie, but interested in roles where her Korean American identity can be explored.  “I decided that I’m only going to play characters that are essential to the plot, that conduct the narrative and therefore can’t be cut out.” Eve is an essential character who conducts the narrative, and was cut out of the latest installment of the program that bears her name.   And that bothers me.   It bothers me a lot more than just a mediocre Killing Eve story.  I will never watch another Killing Eve which erases one of the female leads to elevate the other.    That is not how women empower women. 

FINAL GRADE: C 

[banshee-cheekbones]

ladies bingo round 8 masterlist!

over the last few months, I've been working my butt off on completing a blackout for my Ladies Bingo card, and I did it!

first, some statistics.

total number of fics: 25

total number of fandoms: 20

total word count: 67,713

most common pairing: Dani/Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor) with 4 fics.

and now, the fics!

Title: Naughty Nuns of the Ninth

Fandom: The Locked Tomb Trilogy

Relationship: Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus

Prompt: orgasm

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, blasphemy

Summary: The one where Gideon buys a Ninth House themed porn magazine to piss off Harrow and ends up fantasizing about her instead.

Title: that look in your eyes (is so familiar a gleam)

Fandom: The Haunting of Hill House

Relationship: Eleanor Crain & Olivia Crain, Olivia Crain/Poppy Hill

Prompt: midnight

Rating: T

Warnings: Manipulation

Summary: On one of the nights where the Bent-Neck Lady appears to Nellie, Olivia has a visitor of her own.

Title: home is such a lonely place (without you)

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Relationship: Dani Clayton/Jamie

Prompt: hopelessly devoted

Rating: T

Warnings: Canonical character death, angst

Summary: Dani isn’t coming back. Of course she isn’t. Pretending otherwise is a waste of time.

Title: reach out and touch faith

Fandom: The Locked Tomb Trilogy

Relationship: The Body | Alecto | The Girl in the Tomb/Harrowhark Nonagesimus

Prompt: touch

Rating: T

Warnings: Blasphemy

Summary: There is someone else in her room. There is someone else in her bed.

Title: Some Much Needed Advice

Fandom: Wonderfalls

Relationship: Jaye Tyler & Sharon Tyler

Prompt: courtship rituals

Rating: T

Warnings: Drinking

Summary: Even though she has no idea how her life has come to this point, Jaye gives Sharon some relationship advice.

Title: catch me if you can

Fandom: Killing Eve

Relationship: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova

Prompt: factories and other industrial spaces

Rating: T

Warnings: Light dom/sub, blood, canon-typical violence.

Summary: In the midst of Eve's attempts to hunt her down, Villanelle shows up on Eve's doorstep with a gift.

Title: Test Subjects

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Relationship: Kira Yukimura/Malia Tate

Prompt: aphrodisiacs

Rating: T

Warnings: Implied sexual content

Summary: Stiles asks Kira and Malia to test out some aphrodisiac tea that he has created, and things do not go according to plan.

Title: and the collision of your kiss (that made it so hard)

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Relationship: Dani Clayton/Jamie

Prompt: water spirits

Rating: T

Warnings: Canonical character death, angst, grief/mourning

Summary: Jamie can't leave. Not until she says goodbye.

Title: hold me closer (don't let go)

Fandom: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Relationship: Adora/Catra

Prompt: compare and contrast

Rating: G

Warnings: Light angst

Summary: A study in the sleeping habits of Adora and Catra, both separately and together.

Title: Turning Point

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Relationship: Dani Clayton/Jamie

Prompt: the unexamined life is not worth living

Rating: T

Warnings: Canonical character death, angst,

Summary: Before she slips away, Dani looks back on her improbable life.

Title: Temporary Haven

Fandom: The Meg

Relationship: Jaxx Herd/Suyin Zhang

Prompt: something useful

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Summary: It’s been nearly a month since they left the ocean behind, but Jaxx is still getting used to waking up to the sound of birdsong.

Title: with a little help from our friends

Fandom: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Relationship: Perfuma/Scorpia

Prompt: we're surrounded

Rating: G

Warnings: Canon-typical violence

Summary: “I like you, Scorpia. I really like you. And I wish that I had told you that before we were surrounded by killer robots, but better late than never, I guess?”

Title: Trigger Discipline

Fandom: Borderlands

Relationship: Lilith/Mad Moxxi

Prompt: remix

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, gunplay, minor violence

Summary: “Are you sure that this is a good idea?” Lilith asks from where she’s kneeling between Moxxi’s legs, turning over the bright pink gun in her hands.

Title: Breathing Room

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Relationship: Dani Clayton/Jamie

Prompt: freestyle AU

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A,

Summary: The first time Dani meets Jamie, Dani has just fallen from the sky.

Title: take me to your paradise ('cause I don't wanna wait anymore)

Fandom: The Locked Tomb Trilogy

Relationship: Gideon Nav/Dulcinea Septimus

Prompt: bewitched, bothered and bewildered

Rating: T

Warnings: Mild sexual content

Summary: “Gideon the Ninth,” Dulcinea says slowly, her smile growing bigger with every word, “have you seriously never kissed anyone?”

Title: Secret Glitter

Fandom: Gravity Falls

Relationship: Wendy Corduroy & Mabel Pines

Prompt: outsider POV

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Summary: In an effort to figure out where Mabel keeps disappearing to, Dipper launches Operation Identify Mabel’s Mystery Boy and ends up with a surprising result.

Title: The Fine Art of Gift-Giving

Fandom: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Relationship: Frosta & Glimmer

Prompt: hero

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Summary: Tomorrow, Glimmer and Bow are getting married, and Frosta still doesn’t know what to give them as a wedding present.

Title: she moves like a knife

Fandom: Hemlock Grove/Shadowhunters

Relationship: Camille Belcourt/Olivia Godfrey

Prompt: gore

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Explicit blood and gore, vampires, explicit sexual content, body horror

Summary: Camille wants to be truly monstrous.

Title: Collision Course

Fandom: Daredevil/MCU

Relationship: Karen Page/Claire Temple

Prompt: an ethical dilemma

Rating: G

Warnings: Mentioned drinking

Summary: This can’t be happening. Hell’s Kitchen is small, but it can’t be this small.

Title: salt & citrus

Fandom: Birds of Prey/DCU

Relationship: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance

Prompt: a truth is revealed

Rating: T

Warnings: Drinking

Summary: “Shit,” Dinah says after she’s polished off the last of her margarita and added her glass to the pile of detritus on the table, “you can kiss me, if you want to. If you want to get your first time over with.”

Title: sugar and spice, virtue and vice

Fandom: Lucifer

Relationship: Ella Lopez/Mazikeen

Prompt: virtue and vice

Rating: M

Warnings: Mild sexual content, light d/s

Summary: Ella is curious about dominance.

Title: cutting the strings

Fandom: Jessica Jones/MCU

Relationship: Jeri Hogarth/Pam, Jeri Hogarth/Wendy Ross, Pam & Wendy Ross

Prompt: identity crisis

Rating: T

Warnings: Canonical character death, blood, vomiting

Summary: Pam never wanted to become a killer.

Title: (Not So) Fresh Start

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Relationship: Braeden/Melissa McCall

Prompt: could it be ritual? archaeologists and their theories

Rating: T

Warnings: Mild blood and gore, canon-typical violence

Summary: Regardless of whether the source of the screams is supernatural or not, Melissa already knows that there’s no chance that the rest of her shift is going to resemble anything even close to peace.

Title: let the record show

Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Relationship: Amilyn Holdo/Leia Organa

Prompt: epistolary

Rating: T

Warnings: Canonical character death, angst.

Summary: Amilyn uses her last few moments to record a long overdue confession.

Title: what a lovely way to burn

Fandom: Birds of Prey/DCU

Relationship: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance

Prompt: action and reaction

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

Summary: Helena almost wishes that she’d done some research on Lance beforehand, because seeing her for the first time in person is like getting sucker-punched in the chest.

[please-return-to-villanelle]

Seasonal Themes of Villaneve: Past, present, and future

Thank you @fuckyeahoksanaastankova for motivating me to finally write this.

Past

Season 1: The Obsession Begins

The obsession between Villanelle and Eve starts long before the two ladies meet face-to-face.

Let’s re-introduce Eve Polastri of MI5.

When we are first introduced to Eve we learn that she has been independently compiling a multitude of research on a murder that she finds utterly fascinating. Keep in mind, Eve at this point in time was an MI5 worker in charge of arranging security detailing and NOT an MI6 agent whose job it was to track down killers for justice.

She is drawn to the artful and clever kills this assassin does because she finds this person fascinating and brilliant. Eve also develops a theory that this killer is a woman based on her complied evidence. Desperate to prove herself right, Eve jumps at the opportunity to join MI6 in an attempt find out everything she can about this intriguing assassin.

And then we have Villanelle.

Villanelle, on the other hand, meets Eve before her obsession starts. Yes, it’s obvious by looking at her face that she is attracted to Eve, physically, but her obsession for Eve truly begins when Eve, the MI6 agent is in hot pursuit.

Konstantin told her about a woman that created an entire department at MI6 for the sole purpose of finding her. Villanelle is immediately intrigued by the fact that this woman is focusing on just her. This plays into Villanelle’s narcissism and thus begins her obsession with Eve who just happens to be the stunning woman she already met.

Eve + Villanelle = obsession.

Their mutual obsession organically blossoms from Eve’s natural curiosity and Villanelle’s inherent narcissism. Their relationship continues to develop during the course of the season as Villanelle and Eve are brought into each other’s’ orbit again and again.

Present

Season 2: Expectation vs Reality

Outside of their brief and passionately charged encounters, Villanelle and Eve spend the majority of show physically separated and constantly thinking about one another. It should come as no surprise that their envisioning of one another is skewed by their own expectations.

Eve’s expectation:

Villanelle is the perfect mixture of passion, danger, and excitement for Eve. She has this awakening of what her life is like now that she truly feels alive and it’s all due to having Villanelle as a constant prescience in her life.

Villanelle’s hopes and dreams:

Similarly, from Villanelle’s point of view, Eve is the embodiment of normalcy and a life free of boredom. This is the life Villanelle truly wants but has never been able to have and sees this as an achievable outcome with Eve by her side.

Expectation meets reality.

When Villanelle and Eve are finally alone together, they keep all of their defensive walls up. They act as if they are hesitant to show the other who they really are and in doing so, they don’t really get to know each other.

This works against them when they are finally forced to face reality in the finale.

Villanelle attempts to manipulates Eve in order to finally get her normal life with Eve. When Eve turns down her offer, Villanelle’s self-created fantasy of Even is shattered.

“I thought you were special”

Ironically, Villanelle’s pursuit of her fantasy life with Eve is what destroys Eve’s own perception of Villanelle. Her trust in Villanelle dissolves upon discovering she had been manipulated by Villanelle.

Both ladies are left devastated with the reality that they were both wrong about each other.

Despite the confrontational ending, season 2 did give the pair the opportunity to spend more time in physical proximity to one another than ever before. In this time together, they got a taste of what life together looks and feels like.

If they could just manage to have an honest conversation and treat each other like equals, perhaps Villaneve team can get back together

And that brings us to season 3.

Future

Season 3: Am I Better Off Without You?

Jodie has eluded in interviews that at the start of season 3 Villanelle will whole-heartedly believe that Eve is dead. She will turn off her emotions, erase all thoughts of Alaskan cabins, and leave Eve behind, both physically and emotionally. Similarly, Eve will be all alone in the ruins of Rome and the ruins of her life.

Both women will have to face the harsh reality of what their lives look like without one another.

Villanelle will go back living a boring life without feelings after having felt her version of intense emotions elicited by Eve.

Perhaps she will engage in reckless behavior in an attempt to feel something again.

In her time apart from Villanelle, Eve will be forced to fully process her life. Rome went by in a blur for Eve and she simply did not have time to marinate on what happened and how she felt about it.

Perhaps she will fully come to terms with her true feelings and motivations behind her recent life choices.

At some point, they will either meet or gain wind the other is near. It will be interesting to see their initial reactions to this news. Will there be anger, excitement, passion or all three?

Either way, they will have to decide if they WANT to remain separated.

Perhaps they will make a conscious effort to leave their walls down and honestly commutate what they truly WANT.

Perhaps in doing so, they will actually get to know each other and discover they are compatible and WANT to be around one another.

And perhaps, just perhaps… Eve will realize their feelings for one another are mutual and something she WANTS to act on.

[thesilverstaganddoe]

PSY 153: Psychology and the Law (Killing Eve Fic) Chapter 6

AO3 Link Chapter [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Chapter 6: Discussion Forums 

It had become a joke. And then it became a game. And then someone started placing bets. The first few were stupid things. A bag of chips at the bottom of someone’s bag if Dr. Polastri did that thing where she gave Dr. Astankova a condescending look but a brief smile broke through at the end. Trading an aisle seat if they caught Dr. Astankova’s eyes flicker to Dr. Polastri’s ass as she came in the door.

And then it was more than that. A little bit of money exchanged hands if the door was locked during office hours. Or if the two of them left class right together. Or...the list went on.

Then there were a couple longer term ones that they were waiting on. If someone were to catch them kissing by the end of the term. If one of the two professors slipped and said “babe” or “honey”. If another faculty member confirmed it. A big payout if they were found to be sleeping with each other. And of course, the simplest one - if someone got the courage to actually ask them. Which everyone knew was probably the reasonable thing to do, but they were a couple of intimidating people to talk to, even if it was simply about classwork.

As vibrant as Dr. Astankova was, she was also striking and somewhat difficult to communicate with. She was gorgeous and tall, even before the high heels that she tended to wear most days. She towered over a lot of students, which was intimidating in and of itself, but she was also the type of person who just had the air of towering over people. Her accent was Russian, which for students who weren’t familiar with her made everything she said somewhat harsh. She had a tendency to break into brief spurts of Russian when she felt the need to make a particularly strong point and that was a bit overwhelming for even the most confident of the students. She was brusque when she was bored or didn’t like the subject matter and wasn’t always good about keeping with the idea of “there are no stupid questions”. On the other hand, she could get far too excited about things and she was sometimes hard to keep up with. She spoke too fast and her ideas didn’t always follow in a logical pattern. She wasn’t someone whose reactions were always entirely predictable.

Dr. Polastri was equally intimidating, but in her own way. She looked eternally exhausted and frazzled, like someone who didn’t have a moment of free time and could snap at any moment. Her past career was somewhat haunting, too. The idea of someone who could look cold blooded killers in the eye without blinking was a little bit terrifying. Supposedly, she’d refused police protection at the time, despite threats on her life, and the thought of coming to someone like that with such trivial problems as homework issues or relationship questions seemed a bit...frivolous. She’d glare. Or stare blankly as if their question wasn’t even worth a response. Because it probably wasn’t. It was juvenile foolishness.  

So no one asked. They just wondered and gossiped and tossed a bit of money back and forth.

——-

“Oh my god,” Oksana shouted from the bedroom, “They’re taking bets!”

“What are you talking about?” Eve asked, wandering in from the kitchen holding an apple. “Who is? Bets on what?”

Oksana was sitting on the bed with her laptop, looking like she was about to burst into laughter at any moment.

“The student! You know that discussion forum website? Not the school’s one, but the outside one that most of them use for trading notes and stuff.”

“Yeah,” Eve said, coming to sit next to Oksana and peer over her shoulder while she munched on her apple.

“I found the page for our class. And it’s mostly normal stuff, Could I get someone’s notes from Monday? What chapters does the quiz tomorrow cover?, whatever. But there’s this one thread where they’re just debating if we’re in a relationship.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Look.”

Oksana wasn’t even slightly exaggerating. “That’s ridiculous,” Eve said, setting the apple on the bedside table and reaching out to scroll through the comments.

“I know. Look at that one. They want us to kiss.”

“Why?”

Oksana grinned and kissed Eve’s cheek. “Because we’re an enchanting couple.”

“I know we are, but why do they care?”

“Who knows. They’re bored. Whatever.” Oksana shrugged. “But we need to get in on this, we could make some good money. I propose that we ‘get caught’ making out in the classroom before class starts as people start trickling in.”

“Don’t be a child.”

Oksana gave her a cheeky smile. “Come on, don’t you want a scandal?”

“Not really.”

“I want a scandal.”

Eve snorted. “You just like attention.”

“Yes. And I like you.”

Eve rolled her eyes and returned to the computer. “Okay, what in the world is this? One of these kids is claiming that they caught me run my hand down your back in class.”

“When did they see that?”

“They didn’t see that, that never happened. I genuinely have no idea what they’re talking about.”

“These kids need to get a life.”

Oksana was cackling. “Yeah, I don’t think they have lives. Look at this. I know I shouldn’t be this obsessed. But they remind me of this couple on TV that I just adore. And the show is on hiatus so I need something to distract me.”

Eve rested her chin on Oksana’s shoulder. “What show are they talking about?”

“I don’t know, but they’re right. We are a positively adorable couple. And you know what actress I think you look like.”

“Shut up.”

“She’s hot.”

“I know you think that.”

“But obviously you’re hotter.”

“Shut up.” Eve was blushing bright red and refused to look at Oksana. Oksana grinned and pulled her onto her lap. She looped an arm around Eve’s waist, holding her tight against her as she continued scrolling.

“Wait!”

Eve reached back to clap a hand over Oksana’s mouth. “Babe, you’re shouting in my ear.”

Oksana ignored her and continued talking through her fingers, “They’re talking about that psychopathic assassin show that’s supposed to be really gay. See, they think you look like her too. I told you we needed to watch that.”

“Netflix and chill?”

“I actually want to watch it.”

Eve laughed and closed the laptop, pushing it the side of the bed. She flopped back against the pillows and draped her legs across Oksana’s lap. Oksana began massaging slow circles on Eve’s legs while she mulled things over.

“Maybe we should tease them,” she suggested. “You could ‘accidentally’ call me babe in front of the class. And then look mortified and stumble over an explanation. Or maybe even better just act like you didn’t even notice it because you call me babe alllll the time. Because you lovvvve me.”

Eve gave her a look. “I am not calling you babe in front of an entire class of college students.”

“It would make me feel loved,” Oksana said with a cheeky grin.

“I already make you feel loved.”

“Yes, but it would make me feel even more loved.”

“Oksana, we have done our best to maintain a professional front for years.”

“Well, judging by this extensive forum we are no longer really succeeding.”

Eve sighed. “That doesn’t mean we need to flaunt our relationship. Decorum. Professionalism. Not that that’s something you’re necessarily familiar with.”

Oksana grinned and struck a pose. It was the first day of spring and she had decided to celebrate it by wearing the fluffiest, twirliest, brightest pink dress she could have ever possibly found in a size for a grown woman. And she’d been wearing it since class that morning. It was classic Oksana. Eve had worn a gray pantsuit, one of her many gray pantsuits.

Eve looked frustrated and slightly worn out. Oksana dropped her perkiness level down a few notches leaned in toward her, tightening her fingers around Eve’s hand. “I know, I’m mostly just teasing. I have a certain reputation for being a bit...out there and wild. And that’s not what you’re going for in your academic career and that’s okay. No one there really talks about relationships or personal lives or anything like that, most especially not in front of students and I have no issue breaking those wall but that’s not your thing. I get that. And it’s fine. I’m not pushing you. I’m happy with what we have.”

Eve seemed to relax and she finally smiled. “Thank you, Oksana.”

“Of course, baby.” Eve grabbed her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. “However, I am going to keep dressing in dramatic and fashionable ways and making occasional wild comments about my personal life. I just won’t involve you in any identifiable way.”

Eve laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

[cielrouge]

Killing Eve Event Recap at the Split Screens Festival 

I went to BBC America's Killing Eve event at the IFC Center earlier today, as part of their annual Split Screens Festival in its second year. The festival presented their annual Vanguard Award to Sandra Oh, given to an individual who's changed television. In its first year, the award previously went to David Chase, the showrunner of The Sopranos. After a screening of the first episode Nice Face, the moderator sat down with Sandra Oh for an extended conversation.

Sandra noted that episodes 1 -3 is where the show establishes its footing.

So it's not until episode 5 where you have this moment of narrative breakthrough with Eve and Villanelle.

Sandra admitted that her favorite episodes were 3, 5, and 8.

Jodie Comer didn't really get her bearings as Villanelle and her characterization until the 5th episode.

Killing Eve as a Cultural Phenomenon

Sandra admits that she doesn't read much in terms of critical reviews because it's too anxiety-inducing for her, but in terms of personal reactions, it's been marked by an obsessive quality. She noted that people have been excited about the show in a different way, like it's really 'delicious' and a 'little naughty.'

When the moderator asked if 'lighting has struck for Sandra in this particular way before,' she responded: "It's subtly different. You can't plan whether something becomes a hit or not ever. The way you fall in love once is the never the same as falling in love twice. But [the show] was lightning in a bottle after it aired."

Sandra admitted that she's learned a tremendous amount during her time as Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy, and feels wiser: while the state of television is very different from how it was just 10-15 years ago, Sandra felt that she's learned how to be an artist and not just a commodity. She feels that she knows herself well at this point, but it is part of the business where actors take a long time to figure out who they are and what works for them personally.

Sandra's Creative Process & Craft as a Television Actress

Sandra noted that she loves working in the metaphor and in terms of a lot her work, she lives in that space as a greater part of her creative process.

Within this space, using episode 5 as an example (when Villanelle takes a certain object), Sandra had to think what does this object mean to Eve, because: "when I pick this up, it has tremendous meaning to me" and once she figured this out, it "will mean something to you as the audience."

One of the things that Sandra did for Eve's character building was writing down her dreams in a dream journal-esque way. Sandra noted that she's worked with an acting teacher for a span of 13 years who's really helped changed her own creative process, but also participates in workshops with other actors as well.

Sandra noted that much of her creative process happens before actual shooting. Likewise, Sandra admits that she doesn't typically doesn't like watching post-production, since sometimes some of her favorite scenes can get cut. Therefore after she finishes shooting an episode, Sandra is okay with letting go of her work and having it out of her hands, in comparison to other actors who many want to extend a sense of control.

Sandra works very closely with the show writers and has had a lot of close conversations with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (writer & creator) when it comes to Eve's characterization.

Sandra admitted that shooting the 1st season was bananas, but this is typical for most shows, since you're still in the midst of the creation process. In comparison to film which is finite, television is an ongoing process that she finds more challenging - "it's this living, breathing thing.”

 "Which also tends to be true for most television scripts, since you essentially have no idea what comes next after it, and showrunners can start writing things to the strength of the characters as they develop."

Eve Polastri's Characterization

When Sandra first got the television script, she immediately understood Phoebe Waller-Bridge's voice and off the page, Sandra could tell it was a different tone to the show. Shoe noted that there was a definite, multidimensional quality to Eve and mostly 'I felt like I got [Eve's] wit. Her specific style of it. I kind of loved her messiness."

What struck out to Sandra was this is clearly a psychological cat-and-mouse game with these two women [Eve and Villanelle] and a show that specifically examines this kind of POV was fascinating to her.

"It's not like it's just a detective and a serial killer and it could be anyone, it has to be these two women, since the show is an examination of the female psyche and archetypes."

Sandra also noted: "For Eve you have the practical, she's hunting this person [Villanelle] down, but on the unconscious level, what is she really hunting down? What is she trying to kill? What is trying to kill her?"

When talking to Phoebe early on, Sandra asked if it was preferred to portray Eve with an English accent. Phoebe replied that she didn't have to. So, Sandra noted that "even though it's a BBC America show, a very English show with this very European feel, I think they [the network] still wanted to have a grounding American element to it, to kind of bring people over to it, and that was Eve."

In the pilot episode where Eve and Villanelle first met in the bathroom, you have the "wear it down" line that Villanelle says to Eve. Sandra noted that this was specific moment in the show where "something had to be done visually that we could carry on."

 Pretty much for most of this episode, you see Eve fiddling with her hair, since this is just something that women with long hair do. But Sandra actually lobbied for Eve's hair to be down in this scene, "kind of in its natural state, since it allows for its frazzled-ness that you don't have to play "- so it acted as a form of unconscious storytelling where 'things about to get wilder' and is a direct contrast when you see Villanelle with her wigs and hairpins earlier on.

Sandra also cited the use of Eve's handbag which became a part of her character, so "it's not just visually defining but becomes part of character's psyche in some way." Though, she's generally not the biggest fan of pronounced symbols and prefers more subtler use of metaphors where the audience gets to step in and put in their own projection.

The Use of Humor in Killing Eve

The moderator admitted that he was really struck by the show's use of humor: "the very first scene with Villanelle is funny, in a James Bond/Atomic Blond kind of way. And then there's Eve's introduction, which is just a laugh riot."

In terms of balancing humor with the other elements, Sandra noted that part of this was the difference in tone: where it's "not like jokes are told for humor's sake, but rather buried and so deeply grounded within the characters. When you put Carolyn and Eve together in a scene and there's running dialogue, you can get something really funny, but it's based within their characters. You never think that they're doing something funny for funny's sake. It's really the way that they speak, along with their body language."

"All the characters are funny in the way that people you know are funny. But the humor doesn't necessarily counteract with the intensity, since you're still getting character dimension."

Sandra stated that humor is "one of the most grounding human elements in how you relate to someone. How you get people to understand you. If they can recognize themselves in you, and a lot of times this is through doing something so human. It's not necessarily that it's funny on its own, but in the context of this character, it becomes familiar."

Sandra admitted that she loves doing work that has both elements of drama and comedy.

 Unfortunately there wasn’t time for an audience Q&A afterwards, but getting these types of insights are always super fun in my opinion. 

[hvbris]

@toxicmalicex​ sent: “Did you really think you could call up the Devil and ask him to behave?”  [ for eve :p ] from: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐗-𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒

Eve eyed the woman up and down, nose wrinkled and eyebrows furrowed. “God, do you guys learn villain punchlines by heart, or something? Do you like repeat them in front of the mirror to practice?”

[hvbris]

𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐏 with the beta editor not saving up any tags with caps in them, I'm saving them all again in lower cases only!

caesar (ladies and gentlemen; your master of ceremonies; caesar flickerman!) cassia (i'm the queen of nothing; i'm the king of the world) lucy gray (the show's not over until the mockingjay sings) effie (let's go show them what real beauty looks like) primrose (let me stay gentle) tigris (baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go) clove (vincere aut mori) clarice (have the lambs stopped screaming?) hannibal (i am having an old friend for dinner) wednesday (if i wanted to kill my husband i wouldn't get caught) morticia (black is such a happy color) scully (i'm afraid to believe) mulder (the truth is out there) eve polastri (they told me you were a killer) hélène (moi si j'étais un homme je serais capitaine) harley (i'm crazy but you like that i bite back) captain hook (it's not such a wonderful thing to be young) eleven (friend don't lie) viktor (i am not a villain) voldemort (there is only power and those too weak to seek it)

[hvbris]

@omniishambles​ . continued from here: 5. A kiss between laughter

  “You were, Eve, you were scared!”

It wasn’t worth mentioning that Villanelle had jumped just as significantly when the monster on the screen suddenly emerged and attacked, but Eve had sent their popcorn flying in all directions. It clung to her beautiful hair, nestled all over the blanket they were sharing.

And Villanelle was laughing, enjoying the irritated expression of denial on Eve’s face despite the evidence. But she had to crack eventually, finally allowing herself to laugh too at their silliness. It was nice. Being silly over nothing together.

  “It’s okay, you know? You’re cute when you’re scared.” Villanelle told her, grinning as she leaned in to steal the older woman’s lips. Still giggling, like a child. When had she last laughed like this?

It didn’t matter. She was laughing now.

“You were just as fucking scared as me!” argued Eve in between laughter, shaking her head so the popcorn that had flown there would fall down. When it failed, she started plucking them out of there herself, as annoyed as she was amused. She still grumbled about it. 

She still had one finger stuck in her heavy black curls when Villanelle reached in for a kiss, laughing against her lips. She gave in to the embrace, letting a smile find its way back to her as she kissed the blond.

Eve liked moments like that. Joyful moments, like the ersatz of a simple life. It was what Villanelle had always wanted, right? And maybe nothing would ever be simple with her, with the violence sleeping behind the childish giggle. But it was still... 

Sweet.

“Well you’re cute too, when you’re scared,” she retorted, “I didn’t know assassins could be afraid of horror movies, though.”

[hvbris]

𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈 Killing Eve

Name: Eve Polastri

Marital: Niko Polastri (separated)

Exclusive: @omniishambles​’ Villanelle

Date of birth: May 5th

Age: 41

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Eve is half British but was born in Connecticut. She was fiercely ambitious growing up, but mainly to impress her father, who she adored.

From a young age she had wanted to work for MI6 in tracking down assassins all over the world, and soon developed a somewhat morbid interest in the criminal mind. It was this dark interest that got her to get a degree in criminal psychology, and she ended up working as an MI5 security officer. She’d always dreamed of working as a spy but instead, she was desk-bound, assigning protection to foreign people of interest during their trips to London. Struggling to find meaning in her work, her ennui began to get the better of Eve.

Then Eve’s fantasy crossed her path in the form of Villanelle, a dangerous and charismatic assassin. Appointed head of a secret MI6 unit by Carolyn Martins, Eve could now exercise not only her gifts, but also her obsessions. As Eve investigated the string of assassinations across Europe, her fascination with Villanelle grew. Soon it was no longer just a job. It was personal.

[hvbris]

𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈 - 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋

This is a starter call for Eve Polastri. Like this post and I’ll write a starter from Eve! I might message you to plot beforehand. You can like / unlike this starter call as many times as you want.

[hvbris]

Then & Now / Eve Polastri

[hvbris]

@ladiesandwitches​ / Eve Polastri starter call

“I didn’t know the FBI was investigating the Twelve too,” said Eve in place of hello as she sat in front of the agent. 

She looked like she had just stepped out of a storm, which, to be fair, was how she always looked. It gave her a rough charm. With a sigh, she took off her jacket, put in on the chair next to her. She didn’t take the time to really smooth down her disheveled turtleneck. 

“I’ll be straight forward, I was surprised to hear you wanted to meet with me to discuss this case.”

Surprised that Carolyn was fine with her chatting with the fucking FBI. Maybe she was hoping a little alliance would help the investigation. Eve wasn’t thrilled. 

[hvbris]

@theresastargirl​ / Eve Polastri starter call

“Oh, hi, you’re -uh”

Eve walked into the room like a storm, her coat falling from her shoulder. She was holding a paper cup filled to brim with coffee that was way too hot and had been burning the tip of her fingers for 10 minutes.

“You’re that new girl Carolyn told me was coming in today, right?”

Coffee girl, had said Carolyn. Considering the ridiculous size of their office, it seemed a bit trivial, to add an assistant to the mix. But well, the girl was MI6, and Eve supposed it was Carolyn’s way of congratulating them for their good work. 

“Well then welcome to the team.”

[hvbris]

@omniishambles​​​​ sent # Villanelle for Eve / send me “#” for cell phone headcanons about our muses / accepting

what your muse’s name is in mine’s phone Villanelle 🔪

what your muse’s picture is in mine’s phone

what your muse’s ringtone is in mine’s phone Tonges & Teeth - The Crane Wives

my muse’s last text to your muse [text:  Villanelle 🔪] I don’t care if the postman gave you a dirty look, you’re not killing him.