#helena love of my fucking life

[neverbelessthan]

SEVERANCE 2x10 | "They give us half a life and think we won't fight for it."

[sorrydetka]

wonder if now that mark knows that gemma is “alive” and milchick told mark that his innie found love, he thinks its going to be with ms casey

[unfamiliaris]

if markhelena don't get nasty with it I'm throwing myself into open traffic

[queenerdloser]

not me buying tickets to see my local theater's production of a midsummer night's dream for the third time lmaoooo

[kirsteng42]

PP needs to revisit this look as this is him at his sexiest!!! Then him in the Din suit….but yep this side profile is epic…….

JAVIER PEÑA in every episode of NARCOS    ↺ S01E02 / THE SWORD OF SIMÓN BOLIVAR

[weirdero]

I’ve seen a lot of people speculating that Gemma’s storyline will lead to a cloning reveal, which like, it’s a decent theory and wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But god, this show is so specific and detail oriented Ben Stiller himself has even said nothing in the show is a coincidence. The cloning theory has also been shut down a couple times by some producers and writes from what I understand and idk I feel like a cloning reveal would just be so boring. And honestly, I don’t know if this is insane, but I’m fully leaning towards the idea that when it comes to Ms. Casey/Gemma, it’s more of a resurrection situation.

Okay so hear me out I believe our Ms. Casey is still physically Gemma her original body, her bones, her blood she’s alive baby that’s her but like also it’s not her. It’s like in horror or fantasy stories when a character dies and comes back but comes back wrong YK?. Physically it’s still them but it’s not them. In my opinion, her brain has been completely reset, wiping away whatever kind of person she used to be.

To back this theory I’ve been heavily leaning on the interaction between Ms. Cobel and Helena in the parking lot and just the general existence of the Mammalian Nurturable department.

Now, I might be reading into this too much, but I just love these characters so much and this show so please bear with me, this is a long one.

this season Harmony/Ms. Cobel is a problem. Like there is just no way she isn’t. Lumon is already struggling to keep it together after the scandal the main four caused, and a change in management isn’t helping. People are (probably) starting to pay attention, and they do not need that kind of heat. Ms. Cobel literally crashing tf out making herself homeless and sneaking around in the dark probably isn’t helping.

Helena’s choice of words have always stood out to me. She’s calculated, smart, and precise in how she speak just like Harmony. Both of them are masters at saying exactly what they need to without ever outright saying it yk? So when she she spots Cobel in the parking lot in the middle of the night she clocks her immediately.

Harmony walks out as if she still has a job in that bitch and has the audacity to tell Helena what her needs are and exactly how they should be met. And in my opinion, Helena is appalled but not surprised. She calls her out on her behavior.

“I hear ego, hubris, and arrogance. Kier teaches us they only cause pain.”

To me, this isn’t just a read it’s a warning. Harmony doesn’t take it. She bites back, calling Helena a NEPOTISM BABY. wild.

And I mean look at Helena’s face.

So Helena lays it out for her as plainly as possible

“We didn’t have to ask you back.”

No translation even needed, she just said it flat out Baby, we don’t need you here. You do not, no matter what you think, represent us. You are not Lumon.

And Harmony, being just as cunty clocks her shit right back

“You didn’t have a choice.”

At this point, Ms. Cobel isn’t just skating on thin ice she’s walking across a frozen lake in metal combat boots, her ass skipping around as if the ice won’t break. And that’s her mistake.

Helena, after giving Harmony multiple chances to walk away. Multiple chances to come back in on lumons terms. Multiple chances to stop playing in her fucking face, finally pulls back with a kind smile and offers her a chance to “restart”.

As they walk towards the car, Ms. Cobel locks eyes with Helena’s bodyguard and the instant terror is actually insane. Full deer in headlights.

A lot of people saw that shot and took it as a straight-up Sopranos esque death threat like, if she gets in that car, she’s not gonna survive the drive (RIP Audriana). And sure, it could be as simple as that, but this show is just way too good for it to be that simple.

I think Cobel recognizes the bodyguard. She knows him and I mean like fr knows him.

I saw a theory on Reddit suggesting that the bodyguard might be someone she knew maybe a former coworker, someone from her personal life (they suggested it could’ve been someone she was super close with before she even became the woman we know today) idk just somebody she knows knows and out of nowhere suddenly, he’s here, presented as Helena’s bodyguard. But it’s not him. It’s his skin, his bones, his blood but it’s not HIM.

And the way it plays out, it doesn’t seem like the bodyguard recognizes her at least not in the same way she knows him. That stare man that stare. I didn’t even know Harmony could experience fear. Who knows, maybe in that moment she’s reflecting on everything that’s happened. She bitched out the boss’s daughter in this empty ass parking lot on the brink of a mental break down, and suddenly there’s a chance to start over. All she has to do is get in that car, with that man, talk to the higher-ups, and hit the “reset” button.

Basically my theory is that Lumon are essentially grave robbing the fuck out of that town. Taking people who have been in serious accidents car crashes, house fires, construction site falls, factory explosion, hell even a drive by. I also think they’re also taking drug addicts, the homeless people who have no loved ones looking out for them, or even looking for them at all, the ones who are confirmed to be gone in every way, physically or emotionally. They’re taking these people and giving them a full system reset rebooting the computer.

By doing this, Lumon gets to create a free labor force that works 24/7 without question or resistance, exploiting people who have no emotional ties or support systems. Blank slate baby! They’re also using these individuals as test subjects for whatever weird shit they wanna launch out as a new product.

This helps explain a lot of the weird shit going on with the employees at Mammalian Nurturable. They look so rough and are also really off-putting towards outsiders. Which is understandable but I genuinely believe they haven’t even “clocked out” in days, if not ever.

Even though this theory makes the most sense to me, It still has its plot holes like if Gemma isn’t a clone and it’s her “resurrected” where does she go when she’s not her innie. In Season 1, she tells Mark she’s only conscious as her innie for a couple of minutes at a time, and the longest she’s ever stayed “alive” was the 8 hours she spent with his department. So where tf is she if not there as Ms Casey i don’t know man I do not know.

Anyways I have some other general curiosities about the town itself and why Lumon decided to build their main building there. I saw a TikTok video of someone saying it reminded them of company-built towns like Hershey Pennsylvania or Kodak Town, and I agree. Anywho I love this show so much it hurts I hope it never dies I literally missed having an obsession this intense I hope it gets all the love and awards it deserves!!

[aelizel]

i love how for better or worse, the women of severance simply don't fuck around. ms. cobel is a terrifying enemy to be up against, her violent outbursts make her feel unpredictable at times but they don't even hinder her, if anything they make her even more threatening because she's so calculating and unstoppable. she's ready at all times to either rip someone's throat out or ruin their life.

then helly, my beloved, is so fierce even as a blank slate of a person. if she can't have her freedom, then she'll make her captor pay the ultimate price even if it means she dies too. i don't even need to say anything else, you all know. you know her scenes by heart. even helena is so determined to make her mark at lumon that she'll undergo severance and become someone she sees as beneath herself. she'll craft this 'happy worker at the perfect company' narrative all to further her cause even as her life is at risk because that worker is deadset on killing her from the inside. the duality of this character.

and devon keeps coming in clutch. she gives no quarter to mr. milchick and is ready to protect innie!mark because she recognizes that he and her brother are one and the same. she's further from lumon than the rest of the characters but she sees the situation clearly, and even though she doesn't know how to help in the long term of this situation she's doing everything that she can in the short term. without her, who even knows how much deeper mark would be in his own grief, addiction and isolation. she's literally caring for her new baby and her grieving brother at the same time that she's figuring out this conspiracy, she's got a lot on her shoulders

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 7!

in which i handed in a thesis proposal, caught a cold, and read some lovely fics... it's been a wild week lol

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

baby that's why i fell into you | playinginthunderstorms/@playinginthunderstorms | 1.7k | GA

Eddie has amnesia, Buck struggles. genuinely one of the best love confessions i've read in ages <3 this had me smiling so much!!

call me what you will | ameliahart | 5.9k | E

A  continuation of 8x06 where Buck pouts, Eddie feels joy, and they fuck about it. genuinely i will eat up any and all post-8x06 fics and this is no exception... love the eddie characterisation here!!

faded from the winter | Daisies_and_Briars/@cal-daisies-and-briars | 9.9k | T

Eddie struggles to bounce back after the shooting. Buck starts leaving him with his service dog, Cranberry. cranberry fic!! i love this series so so much <3 especially love the eddiemaddie friendship in this one!

golden morning sunbeams | Buddiesmutslut/@buddiesmutslut | 10.3k | GA

As Eddie is debating his move to Texas, a few texts from his son in the middle of the day set him on a course to getting everything he's been wanting. such a fascinating look at the whole chris in texas/helena and ramon doing whatever the fuck it is that they're doing plot! so good!! and buck here is just <3

hopeless, breathless, burning slow | mostardent/@laracrofted | 14.9k | M

After the coma, Buck struggles to feel real and unofficially moves in with Eddie. there's some gorgeous gorgeous imagery in this one <3 one of the best post-coma fics ever!!

let me give you my life | paleredheadinascifi | 6.4k | T

another take on what happened after the couch scene. Eddie *wants*. They're both brave about it. they're so brave about it <3 wonderful fic!!

slaughterhouse | kithmet/@kithmet | 21.3k | E

Eddie announces he’s leaving. Buck, naturally, begins a slow descent to madness. such a stunning fic it genuinely left me speechless... the most beautiful codependent freak4freak buddie <3 an immediate bookmark for sure!!

take two falls out of three | doitgently/@doitbuckley | 16.3k | M

Eddie tries to go to Texas. What do you get when you cross a man and an eighteen-wheeler truck? such a fantastic look at chris and eddie's relationship <3 beautiful writing!!

the moon like a spotlight | dykeries/@buddiesbian | 4.7k | E

Three months after Eddie moves to El Paso, Buck comes to visit. this is sappy and soft and also funny (the starnaming!!) and just so very perfect <3

the rainbows we chase | timeshareindestin/@timeshareindestin | 5.8k | M

buck accidentally makes an appointment for their first kiss. the proposals!! i love the proposals!! love is stored in the calendar indeed <3 so so good!

too far from the sun | idiotsinkdaisies/@idiotsinkdaisies | 9k | M

Where Eddie Diaz spends time in El Paso, and handles it fine. Buck is back in Los Angeles, and Eddie does not feel the hundreds of miles between them like a physical ache. (He might be lying to himself.) blanket rec for an author whose work i've been LOVING this week!! this one has the most stunning writting and eddie characterisation and i love it so much <3

u/fuckley's reddit post history. | dylaesthetics | 7.9k | M

the emotional rollercoaster of Buck’s Reddit posts throughout the history of knowing Eddie. this is such a brilliantly formatted fic!! i read this on a cold dark bus back home and it was exactly what i needed <3

what if all i need is you | serenelystrange/@serenelystrange | 3k | GA

“Eddie doesn’t even like men,” Buck says with a frown. “I asked.” “Of course you did,” Chim says, dropping his head into his hand with a murmured whisper of *Jesus Christ*. another blanket rec for an author who's been posting some truly brilliant works <3 this one is soft and fun and has such lovely firefam interactions!!

with a little water and a little bit of sunlight | teaspoonmoon/@young-waverer | 4.7k | T

The one where it's not Homes.com but it's also not porn on the iPad. such a lovely alternate ipad-scene <3 so sweet!! i love the dialogue here especially!

[bye-bye-sugar-blue-eyes]

Plot points I hope to see in season 8b/9

(this is long because the writers have a lot to make up for)

• Airport scene

• Eddie gives Buck his St. Christopher necklace

• Buck's coping mechanism of briefly turning into slutty Buck 1.0 after Eddie leaves. Only this time it's with guys that resemble Eddie but he doesn't notice. Maddie does. And she wishes desperately that she wasn't pregnant so she could drink

• Buck actually uses the word bisexual or bi to describe himself

• Finally getting to see Eddie's sisters. And maybe while he's in Texas he facetimes Buck and they come into frame. And in true little sister fashion, they embarrass him: "Oh, Edmundo! Is this the Buck we keep hearing about? He IS cute!"

"I never said that!"

Buck: "...you don't think I'm cute? 🥺"

• Maddie, Sofia, and Adrianna meeting and bonding over their dumbass brothers

• Everyone else finds out that Buck is in Eddie's will and they all just stand there, mouths agape cuz how THE FUCK do they not know they're in love?? Everyone else can see it!

• Buck tells literally everyone at the 118 about his feelings for Eddie because he needs advice. And Chim makes a joke like,

"He already has everyone crushing on him! Why can't someone have a crush on me for once??"

"...dude, you're my brother-in-law."

"So?? We don't have to tell Maddie!"

• Buck admits his feelings but Eddie ends up not leaving so Buck avoids him out of embarrassment like jk pranked ya!

• Buck NDE because I NEED to see Eddie lose his shit

• Or they both have a close call and later have a serious 'spousal' discussion about what would happen to Chris if they both died. And then they share a moment of comradery, trash talking Helena & Ramon and hoping they never get custody again

• Speaking of Shitty Parents 2.0 (Shitty Parents 1.0 being the Buckley's) we need more screen time hating on Helena. Ramon got multiple scenes showing how awful he is and Eddie calling him out on it. But Helena is a selfish woman that keeps trying to manipulate Eddie into giving her Chris. And even when Eddie tries to keep in contact with his son while he's in Texas she just brushes him off and doesn't try to get Chris to talk to him. All because she got her way so she doesn't care, pushing Eddie further into his pit of self-hatred. And for that she must be punished

• Eddie talking to Bobby about his Catholic guilt in relation to his sexuality. And then going to Michael for advice about the transition of believing he's straight and having a heterosexual marriage and family to where he is now. The 3 of them need to go on a fishing trip or something. They'd have it all sorted out within the weekend

• Eddie and Maddie having ANY kind of interaction on screen. The writers know that if they teamed up they'd be besties instantly and they're keeping that from us!

• Chris needing dating advice but as soon as his dad tries to help he cuts him off like: "Not from you, you're obviously gay and all of your straight relationships sunk like the Titanic. But thanks anyway. Hey Buck!"

"Wtf? His relationships weren't great either!"

• Eddie having more discussions with Hot Priest™️ about his guilt and he just smiles fondly at Eddie, "I don't know about you, but my god doesn't judge. Not when someone lives their truth. I think you're more afraid of your family's judgement. If I were you, I'd go back and think of every time I thought God was judging me and consider the possibility that I was putting Him in place of my parental figures." and Eddie just blue screens for many minutes as Hot Priest™️ patiently waits for him to catch up as if he hadn't just changed his entire fucking life

• A scene where either Hot Priest™️ or Bobby or Buck asks him: "Would you judge Christopher if he questioned his sexuality?" "What? No." "Would you tell him to go to confessional or try to pray it away?" "Of course not!" "Would you ever discourage him to be anything less than who he truly is? Or stop him from doing something that makes him happy?" "No!" "Then why do it to yourself? Why set that example? Even if it turns out your parents or Abuela aren't comfortable with you exploring your sexuality, you can always do better than them. Break the cycle for the one person who matters most to you. Be happy, be yourself, be what you want to be, not what others expect from you. And I know you, you won't do it for you. So do it for Christopher. Show him that it's okay, great even, to be you."

• Josh getting all giddy while talking to Eddie like he did when Buck asked for gay dating advice

• Eddie talking to Hen and Karen about how they coped with their foster kids leaving. Like, how do wake up every morning to a quieter house and empty bedrooms, knowing the breakfast table is going to be lonely? They exchange bittersweet looks and hug him

I will accept no less than 80% of this becoming canon. Thank you and good night.

[grahambaham]

Controversial opinion, especially for any Jason Todd fans out there (I'm one of them), but I completely understand why the fans in, the 80' I think, voted to kill him off. Hear me out, okay?

Jason was at first a literal Dick Grayson copy, was legit given his backstory and personality with the name being the only change. And for a while that was all they knew about and, rightfully so, hated about him. Now I'm not sure whether he was given the whole Alley kid who tried to steal Batman's tire story before or after his death but either way, in those fans' minds, Jason Todd was just a boring replica of Dick Grayson and no one liked him. If I was alive and a fan back then, I honestly would have done the same thing.

WHICH IS WHY I HAVE SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE WRITERS DOING TO JASON THE EXACT SAME THING THAT GOT HIM KILLED OFF BEFORE!!!

Jason immediately after getting brought back to life was a villain. He wasn't misguided, he wasn't an antihero, my man was a Villain with a capital V. He didn't protect workings girls or children from any drugs or anything, he just made one off hand comment to a guy not to sell to kids and that's it. One of his only interactions with any prostitutes is to mock her for her past and decisions that led to her becoming one. Bruce did not abuse him or attack him unfairly. Jason had not only tried to kill Joker or other horrible villains, he killed anyone whether they were rapists, or robbers, or petty fucking thieves and he didn't do it for justice or whatever the fuck but because he was angry and taking it out on everyone he could get his hands on. He stopped Batman from going after Nightwing after Bludhaven blew up with him in it. He blew up a school. He beat up Tim in his little Robin panties and was a fucking villain.

I love Jason. But I love him as the messed up asshole he is. Not as some misguided wittle antihero. Which is why I despise the fact that the fandom latched onto the completely inaccurate version of him, because the writers of DC had started writing him the way the fandom wanted and he is now irreversibly ruined. Aside from the already mentioned stuff, they made him into a copy of Dick Grayson (for the second fucking time) and Helena Bertinelli.

Helena is the one protecting women and children, the antihero that often uses violent force. She's the one with the reluctant sibling relationship with Tim. Jason was not Tim's Robin by the way, Dick was. Tim does not like Jason one fucking bit and spends most of their forced interactions roasting him so bad he has to buy burn salves. Also her personality was taken and given to Jason in some ways too, like her manner of speech and stuff, but I'm willing to let that slide as accidental.

From Dick Grayson, they mostly took his relationships, romantic and platonic. Jason slept with Barbara and Kori both, which aside from just being dumb as hell is also weird and creepy because Jason is six years younger than them at least and they knew him as a fourteen year old when they were at least twenty, and they would never date someone so much younger than them, they aren't fucking creeps. Then they took Starfire and Arsenal and made them forget their own lives to join Jason's little antihero team (neither of them are antiheroes what the fuck) and act like the sun shines out of Jason's ass and he's their leader or some shit when they would never follow him before that, especially Roy who has led so many other teams and does not deserve that shit. Some fans also ship him and Jason, which is both creepy and character assassination for Roy's entire character more than him being friends with Jason and in the Outlaws already is.

Also, Pit Madness is not a thing you fucking brainless losers. Stop trying to justify and erase the flaws that make him an interesting character. His anger has always been due to the trauma of being tortured and dying and the misguided feeling of betrayal he felt for Bruce. He was unwell and taking his problems out on others. So, repeat after me: PIT MADNESS IS NOT A REAL THING!!!

Thank you for reading <3

[poselysscripts]

Art by SARDINE! on twitter

Note: Helloooo, been a while, got a job, got fired halfway through writing this…. Yeah, life. This is highly self indulgent, highly inspired by my own struggle when I still had my job. Very short as well. I'm posting it here a few days after releasing it on AO3, don't think it did very well, not sure if I like it that much either (I feel like I write better than this usually, pff) but here you go. Anyways, fuck capitalism, have a good read!

You come back from work, exhausted, depressed. All you need, to be buried in your boyfriend's arms.  Leon X GN!Reader

My brother in Christ had today been a hard day…. you had taken this job because you needed it to survive the bullshit that is capitalistic society.

You’d worked there for a few months, and things had been okay for the most part, it wasn’t even that hard of a job. You could consider yourself lucky. But lately… Jesus… You don’t know what it was but, you were getting tired, anxious. Was your life all it was supposed to be? Didn’t you have any other purpose that could animate your life? Or was it just supposed to be, wake up, work, wait at the end of the month to get your pay, spend it on rent, food and things that could potentially give you the serotonin you lacked, for only a few moments. Then repeat.

Really? You desperately wished for something, anything, to free you from the shackles of this reality. But well once again, you needed the pay, and truly, whatever self worth you had left couldn’t just let you depend fully on your boyfriend. He could afford his rent and yours, could spare a few dollars on a Sanrio blindbox, a game on steam you’ve wanted to play for ages, or the third volume from this one manga you haven’t even begun quite yet, but according to what you’ve seen on tiktok, should be worth the read. Leon was a godsend. You don’t even know how you scored him, but well he doesn’t even know how he scored you either. 

How could you be attracted to him? tragic past, tragic life, tragic mental state. Even his flirting was tragic! (According to Chris that is, but well, he wasn't one to talk either). And then there was you, constantly asking yourself what you could have possibly done to make him fall in love with you. You were so anxious, an overthinker, always trying to get in the minds of the people around you, instead of just, asking. But oh no! what if you asked, and then people hate you? You didn't talk very much either during gatherings, you were awkward, painfully so. But so was Leon actually, according to Claire (Chris's sister, Leon's.... friend? Been a while since you last saw her around), a few of his coworkers agreed too, mostly Ingrid and Helena. 

 You loved him deeply, and he did too, but the one thing you just absolutely couldn't let yourself do was, be fully dependent on him, as much as he told you that you could always quit and he’d take care of you, you had your mind set. You were not gonna depend on a man. As wonderful as it sounded, there was always this part of your mind that kept telling you, ‘What if you break up? Then what?’, ‘What if you rely on him too much?’. And somewhere deep in your mind, you just wanted to prove that you could take care of yourself.

“Baby? You okay?” damnit, you loved his voice, you wish he talked more, wish he were the one yapping away at his interests or about his day. But he was the listener in the relationship.

You hum in response looking at the time on your phone, jesus you’d been staring into space, thinking, for an hour. God, today truly was rough if you’d been dissociating on the couch ever since you came back from work. You didn’t even hear him coming in. And ever since that one time he scared you half to death, he made some noise, or just gave a greeting when coming in.

“hm…. yeah, I’m fine”, you were not fine.

“I called you twice, are you sure?” Oh damn you really were not fine… The blond comes sitting next to you on the couch, expectantly waiting for you to spit it out. He could see it on your face, something was bothering you, he’d never force you to say anything, but if he could help you in any way…

That was the problem with Leon, always helping everyone, he’d give, and give and give, until he had nothing left. Always the saviour, never the saved.

He was working on it ever since you forced him into seeing a therapist. But habits die hard, like the ember liquid he’d down from a shot glass every night. Or how he’d stop just a second too long if he saw a dark haired woman dressed in red in the crowd. He was working on it.

Aquamarine eyes pierce your soul, and you break. Letting yourself fall face first on his chest, arms around his waist. Instinctively a calloused hand comes combing your hair, while the other sets on the small of your back.

“Just wanna stay like this for a while…. please” the end of your sentence breaks, and his hand travels up under your shirt, tracing your spine with the tip of his fingers. Up, and down. Soothing. After a moment of silence, he whispers, scared to break your state of calmness, “Want to talk about it?” . You take a moment, inhaling his scent. “I don’t know… Just a hard day ” but usually a hard day doesn’t make you spiral like this, trapped in the depths of your mind. But today it did.

You take another breath “I just- I don’t really know what happened, I’m just tired, and, like, is this, all I was made for? Is there more I just haven’t found yet? Am I gonna be stuck doing this for god knows how long? What the fuck am I supposed to do? I-“ and it all came spilling out, although a bit muffled from being against Leon’s chest, but it still did.

It left you dizzy, and left Leon to debate on the right words to use. Thing was that he knew all too well what you were feeling. Ever since he was a kid, he knew what he wanted to be, until at 21 it was ripped from him, now he had only one option, he didn’t ask himself those questions too often, he’d been doing this for so long, what was even the point anymore? And in a way, he was still saving lives, it just cost him all that he had been. Rookie cop ebbed away along with Raccoon City. But he couldn't tell you this, Classified, all of it, classified, unless he wanted to put a target on your back. He hated keeping it all from you, but did he have a choice? When did he ever have a choice? 

“You’ll figure it out, sweetheart, I know how this feels, you'll make it” he settled for this, albeit awkward, unsure if it was the right thing to say. But for now, it was enough, and you were too tired to keep talking about this, and anyway, the way he held you, and when you looked up, the way he gazed at you, he just wasn’t good with words, but it was enough, in the comfort of his strong arms, he understood you.

Divider by @uzmacchiato, image found on pinterest!

[hackfixation]

rewatching episode 1

1) something about the detail of Mark swapping out his watches drives me mad. They're not even allowed a single *hint* of their external personalities. It's just a decal watch, but thats enough for it to be contraband

2) "You look hungover" Mark S. knows nothing about his outie, so this comment from Ms. Cobal is definitely a form of emotional manipulation.

3) This show really hits right in the feels of being an office employee

4) So much blue in this series. Blue is associated with calm & tranquility, a type of peace. On the other hand blue can also be associated with order, superstition and depression. Also associated with Medicine & Tech

5) "I've wanted to pummel mark myself bit I'm his employer" "one part of your orientation that mark can't possibly derail" Manipulative af. Scapegoating & Underminding Mark.

6) "Every time you find yourself here it's because you chose to come back" Mark S. sounds so dissociated while saying that line. As if he's tried to convince himself of it.

7) Imagine if he had hit Helena, the fucking shit show of a news circus. "Maybe his innie influenced him subconsciously?!"

8) Devon and Mark have such a great sibling dynamic, I love it

9) The Severance "Dinner" Talk is such an awkward and succinct display of College Educated Liberal-Progressive political conversations. They can easily discuss a topic in vague terms "Life & Food" but the minute you confront them with actual corrections "No one would've called it ww1 as ww2 hadn't happened yet", Mark wasn't questioning his intelligence but the look the man gave suggested that he took it that way. Plus the minute it's revealed he's severed through someone "outting" him, everyone stares at him as if he's something fascinating or horrifying. They care about the optics, ethics and politics of his lived experience than about him. "I stand by you with no reservation" yet lists all the reasons why its controversial? "So well said" "I definitely stand by mark" meaningless commentary, nobody there actually *cares* about Mark ( besides Devon ) because they're all just performing compassion

10) THEIR SIBLING DYNAMIC IS SO AMAZING

11) Ricken is so hard to describe. The actor captures that balance between well-meaning & self-aggrandozing liberal so well? Hes caring & compassionate but completely not reading social cues.

12) Racecar means something but couldn't tell ya

13) PETEY!

14) "Sorry, I had to drown out the memory of mom & dad switching out our beds when we were kids" I love these two so much

15) "Hi, Kids Whats for Dinner" Good try at the sleeper agent bit, Petey

16) "I'm your best friend, you're my very good friend" Love this line because if a stranger told me that, I would be mildly offended lowkey.

17 ) The Ms. Selvig reveal. Even if shes not severed, still a commentary about who we are in our personal lives vs our work lives.

[jackactuallywrites]

All Seeing, All Knowing, All Loving Part 21

Warnings: Smut

Summary: Being wine drunk makes you horny. Also you make Ghost watch twilight

Notes: Yes it took forever no there isn’t an excuse I’m just lazy xx

Word Count: 3,221

ao3 link

“You haven’t fucked yet?”

How you’d missed hosting girls' night. There was nothing like being interrogated and scrutinised by Kate.

You sighed, shifting on the sofa and swirling the wine around in your glass, trying to think of a good answer for her that wouldn’t make you seem like a pussy. “There’s just not been a good opportunity.”

“Pussy. Just take him into the bedroom next time he turns up and ride him until you forget your names. Easy.”

“I’m not sure that’s quite my style, Kate.”

“News to me.”

You shot her a look, and she gave you a shrug in response, unbothered by your glare. You were quite far from being a virgin, but damn. Helen returned from your kitchen carrying a plate filled with toast sticks, as well as a melted Camembert in the middle. God, you loved that woman. She set the plate down on the coffee table, and then took her place on the floor, grabbing her wine as she looked at you, “What we yapping about?”

Kate answered for you, “Simon.”

Helen hummed, “She still hasn’t fucked him yet?”

“Nope.”

“Can we please talk about something other than my love life?”

“Alright,” Helen said, “We going for Twilight or Bridget Jones?”

Both you and Kate answered at the same time. “Twilight.”

Your discourse around the film hasn’t changed since the very first time you’d watched it in the cinemas; you liked Edward, Kate believed that Bella should have a threeway with Edward and Jacob, and Helen couldn’t understand why Bella would go for either man when Alice was right there. The years that had passed since that first viewing had only made you all further entrenched in your positions, although you had always seen the reason in Helen’s argument. She was arguing just as passionately now as she did then, though she was wearing significantly less eyeliner this time, “And I mean, Edward is a full-on stalker! Like, he broke into Bella’s room multiple times. She should have staked him the first chance she got.”

You weren’t sure how much of a pedestal you had to stand on, considering the Ghost of it all. Thankfully, Kate was arguing for you, allowing you to be quiet.

“It’s hot in fiction, Helena. If we apply real-world logic to vampire fiction, then the whole thing falls apart.”

Helen didn’t have a good answer for that; her argument dismantled before you’d even started the film, wanting to get the debate out of the way first.

Before you’d even seen Edward murder a sweet little deer, there was a bang at the door, which reminded you that, given the right pacing and a different soundtrack, Twilight would make a great horror film. What was more horrifying though, was the fact that you were pretty sure you knew what that bang was. Your own stalker. For all you knew, he very well could be an ageless vampire; you didn’t really know much about his personal life, never mind his age. You should really find that out before shagging the man.

“You gonna answer the door?” Helen asked, an amused look in her eyes. She knew, and she communicated this knowledge to Kate with a single look. It wasn’t like you could ignore Ghost; if you did, he was likely to just break in.

Very reluctantly, you pushed yourself up from the sofa and walked over to the door. You weren’t quite over the last time you’d seen him; you’d kissed, and he’d been insufferably smug about it all night, to the point where you considered smothering him to death with a pillow. Ugh. This wasn’t how you’d wanted him to meet Kate, and sober Helen. You’d wanted to put that off for as long as possible, and continue existing in your little bubble.

“Baby, you gonna make me huff ‘n puff?” Ghost purred through the door, and you groaned, dragging your hand over your face. You had to steel yourself for this one.

Carefully, you opened the door, not wanting him to fall through the doorway again. He was in his usual civvies, dark blue jeans, and a black waterproof, the bruises on his face almost completely faded, though the scabs across his cheek hadn’t entirely healed just yet, and the new scar across his head was still visible in the shorter hair. Rather than flowers, this time he held a giant portion of chips in his hand, still tightly wrapped up in paper, still fresh. You knew this, because Ghost had immediately brought you in for a tight squeeze, and you could feel the warmth of the chips radiating through the fabric of your top, which just so happened to be the T-shirt he’d left behind.

You cleared your throat, gently trying to put some space between you, “Simon, you remember Helen? And I don’t think you’ve met Katie.”

Ghost’s eyes finally shifted away from you to the other two women in the room, his back straightening. He looked at them, then back to his chips. “Fuck. I don’t have enough for the four of us. Want us to go back out and get more?”

You could see the amused look in Kate’s eyes, and she smiled at him, “We’re all good on dinner, ta.”

Was that Ghost feeling awkward? There was a certain stiffness in his posture, a vague look of unease on his face. You weren’t sure you’d ever seen the man feel anything other than confident, whether it was in lust or anger. Either way, you couldn’t just leave him hanging.

“We’re watching Twilight. Wanna join?”

Ghost shifted on the spot, running his hand over his head, “Which one’s that?”

Helen answered for you, “Sparkly vampires.”

Katie chimed in, “We have wine!”

Ghost looked down at you, leaning on the doorframe, “If you’re sure I’m not interrupting.”

You glanced between Ghost and your girls, and Kate heard your silent question, patting the sofa next to her, “Come on, the more’s the merrier.”

You’d thought it had been about 30/70 if Ghost would join ladies night, but apparently his dedication went deep enough to spend his night watching a teenage romcom. He followed you into the living room, like an oversized guard dog at your heels, and you sunk into the middle seat of the sofa, letting him take the corner. Kate grabbed the remote, taking a glance at Ghost, “You really never seen Twilight? Was pretty big when it came out back in ‘08.”

He shrugged in response, “Was deployed overseas.”

She grinned, “So we’re taking your Twilight virginity? Special night for us. It’s so rare to find someone who’s not seen even bits of it.”

Oh, you loved Kate. You could already see the slight twitch of Ghost’s lips, and the way he settled back into the sofa, his arm sprawled out across the back behind you as his other hand undid his chips, “Bring on the vampires.”

Two hours and two bottles of wine later, Ghost was the centre of attention, being interrogated on his thoughts on the film. Of course, the most important question had come first, and he’d answered without much thought.

“Jacob. Bella’s a kid, and Edward’s a creep.”

Kate cackled, “Yes, Simon! She should have staked the cunt the second he confessed to stalking her.”

You leant away from Ghost to look at him curiously, “Really? You think Edward’s a creep?”

“He’s a hundred years old, she’s ten.”

Couldn’t argue with that. Well, you could, but you didn’t want to. Ghost didn’t seem keen to drop the subject just yet, “You tellin’ me you like the stalker?”

The bastard.

“It’s romantic. Bite me.”

Ghost grinned widely, and you knew exactly what he was smug about. Thankfully, Helen interrupted before his ego could consume you all, “Enough about the boys; how about the women?”

That, Ghost had to think about, and he stared up at the ceiling as he thought, his head hanging off the edge of the sofa, “What’s the mum’s name?”

Kate answered, “Esme?”

Ghost sat back up, “Only one remotely in my age range.”

You rolled your eyes, “They’re vampires, Simon.”

He shrugged, “They still look like kids.”

You scoffed at him, “Well yeah, if we’re being factual, we’d go for Charlie or Carlisle, but it’s if you were also a teen.”

Ghost thought quietly for a moment, “Teen Simon?” He seemed to be carefully considering the question, “Alice.”

Helen laughed, “Get in! Man of taste right there.”

He actually smiled at her. It wasn’t the same way he smiled at you, smug or slutty; he just looked happy.

Katie yawned suddenly, looking up from her phone, “Uber’s here.”

That was news to you.

“You ordered an Uber?”

She pushed herself up off the floor, “My sister gave me a curfew.”

It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for Jess to give her a curfew; the woman could have finally reached her breaking point with Kate constantly stumbling in drunk. But you didn’t believe her in the slightest. The plan had been for a girly sleepover, not for the girls to go home after one film. The sly bitch was probably plotting again. Oh, this had her stink all over it. She pulled Helen to her feet, “Come on, you’ll sleep at mine. As long as you don’t hit on my sister.”

Helen grinned at that, “No promises.”

There was no time for you to protest; they were out the door the second they’d given you a hug goodbye, leaving you alone with Ghost. Crafty bitches.

With your girls gone, that familiar aura began to creep in again, the unspoken desire, a quiet whisper of excitement and potential. Simon was in the kitchen, tidying up as per usual, leaving you to sprawl yourself out over the sofa as you waited for him to return. What was it about being wine-drunk that made you feel so slutty? Vodka made you stupid and playful, but wine made you want to take your knickers off and grind. It was as though your very skin was alight, desperate to be touched, craving intimacy. Kate knew this, and she’d deliberately made herself scarce, so it was only you and Ghost alone in the flat while you were off your tits on Merlot. How much of this had she planned? She had bought the drinks, after all. Oh, you were too tired to play detective. You needed all of your cognitive faculties to focus on not taking your top off. Already, your fingers had started to play with the hem. Get ahold of yourself!

Ghost came back into the room, sleeves rolled up, and you beckoned him over to you, rolled on your side with your back against the cushions, unable to keep yourself from resisting temptation. He seemed steadier on his feet, but there was a slight glaze to his eyes as he crawled onto the sofa beside you, a certain looseness to his smile as he stretched out opposite you. Already, your hands were reaching out to slide over his chest, desperate for the touch, enjoying the softness of his top, the warmth of his bare chest emanating through the fabric. Oh, you knew what you wanted. You tugged at it insistently, your lips moving of their own accord, “Take it off.”

Clearly, he didn’t need much encouragement. He wasn’t exactly graceful, struggling as he tugged it up over his head, but eventually it was tossed aside, revealing that beautiful body to you once again. Sober, you might have noticed the two large puncture marks, where he told you he’d been hung from, but you were more interested in the simple fact that his skin was bare, fingers already reaching out to touch him. He was beautifully warm, soft, and a little fuzzy, his chest lightly covered by soft blond hairs. As you trailed your hands over his skin, he watched you, one arm propping his head up on his elbow, the other lazily resting on your waist, having found its way under your top to lay against your bare skin. You let your hand shift to his shoulder, gently pulling him closer, and he didn’t resist, leaning in until his forehead was touching yours, his eyes flicking over your face. He was strangely quiet, not that you noticed, as though he was terrified to break the spell, afraid that if he spoke, he’d ruin the moment. His hand shifted from your waist, sliding up over your body until his fingers were cupping your cheek, thumb grazing over your cheekbone. Your hand was on the back of his neck, fingers brushing against the buzzed hair, and it took only the slightest pull for him to come crashing against you, his lips pressed against yours, body caging you in.

This time, he didn’t break away, instead pulling you closer to him, his arms reaching out to embrace you, one curling around your neck, the other around your waist again, his fingers digging into the back of your hipbone as he kissed you, pressing you into the cushions with the desperation of his kisses. You could feel butterflies dancing in your stomach as your arms snaked around his neck and the familiar tingles in your core as you felt Ghost grind against you, bulge straining at his jeans, the denim rough against your soft body. It was torturously pleasurable, and you couldn’t help but roll your hips back against him, earning a guttural growl from his throat and the slightest nip of his teeth on your bottom lip, a warning. His knee pushed in between your legs, his thigh pressed up against you, and you shifted a little so you could press your clit against him through two layers of fabric, angling yourself perfectly to get the maximum amount of pleasure. With the next kiss, he ground you against his thigh, and it was impossible to quiet the moan that left your lips, your fingers digging into the back of his neck.

It seemed as though Ghost hadn’t been entirely aware of what he had been doing to you up until you made that noise, breaking away from your kisses, his breath heavy as he looked at you, his eyes dark, pupils like two black holes. He only paused for a second, renewing his efforts in earnest, though now his lips were at your neck, kissing and sucking the skin, no doubt leaving little marks behind, not that you were in any position to protest, entirely focused on the way he was grinding his thigh up against you, beginning to coax forth your pleasure. It was becoming impossible to stifle your moans now, and the louder you became, the more insistent Ghost was, breaking away from your neck to kiss you properly, his tongue dancing with yours, and you could feel yourself beginning to peak, that familiar tightness building, and your fingers dug into the back of his head, breaking away again, “Simon, fuck, Simon, I-“

He actually looked a little surprised, his face curious, excited, eyes scanning over your face, flicking down to where you were pressed against him, then back up, “Are you gonna-?“

There wasn’t enough time for you to retort, everything released like a burst dam, nails digging into his skin as you finished, teeth sinking into your bottom lip. He rushed in to kiss you again, holding his thigh firmly against you, as he whispered against your lips, “Fuck me, that’s my girl.”

You’d cum from dry humping. Jesus Christ. That was a throwback. Ghost looked utterly delighted with himself, but at least he had the decency not to tease you about it, even if his voice was insufferably smug as he murmured into your ear. “You do wonders for a man’s ego, love. Don’t think I’ll ever be forgetting this.”

Yeah, you couldn’t leave it at that. You moved your hand from his neck, shifting down over his chest and following the trail of hair down to his waistband, immediately fumbling with the button of his jeans. As soon as he clocked what you were doing, Ghost tensed as though he wanted to tell you to stop, to be the gentleman, even if every part of him screamed otherwise. The button came undone in your hands, and you looked up at him, eyes asking permission, “Only fair, isn’t it?”

He answered you with a kiss, his hips bucking up into your hand, and you took that as a yes. Your fingers brushed against him through his boxers; he was hard as a rock, the tip already dampening the cotton, clearly just as desperate for release as you had been. You slipped your hand into the hole in the front of his boxers, pushing aside the fabric so you could wrap your hand around his cock, feeling the girth of it in your fingers, the way it seemed to pulse the second you touched it. He thrust into your hand as you stroked him, breaking the kiss to bury his face in your neck, quiet as the grave but for his breathing, hot and heavy on your skin, and you could feel his fingers tighten on your body as you quickened your pace. Already, you could feel his body tensing, and his voice was a strained whisper in your ear,

“Jesus fuck, love, I can’t-“

The rest of his sentence was lost in a string of muffled curses, his face buried back in your neck as he finished in your hand, his arms tightening on you like a vice, crushing you in his grip.

For a moment, neither of you said a word, basking in each others pleasure.

Simon broke the silence first, letting out a dry chuckle, still tightly embracing you, “Not exactly what a lad wants to show his girl. One minute man.”

You grinned at that, carefully removing your hand from his boxers, having managed to get his come only on himself. He grimaced, pulling away from you, “Need to get cleaned up. Back in a ‘mo.”

You allowed him to extricate himself, stretching out on the sofa. Both of you had cum tonight, and you didn’t even fuck yet. God, if he could drive you crazy with just his thigh, what was the rest of his body capable of? You couldn’t wait to find out. While he cleaned himself up, you headed to bed, stripping down to just his tshirt, quickly replacing your damp knickers with a fresh pair before you climbed in between the sheets. Kate was a fucking genius. You’d have to buy her some flowers.

Ghost returned to you after a few minutes, following your lead and stripping down, then joining you in bed, immediately wrapping his arms around you. He cradled you against his bare chest, his fingers stroking through your hair.

“You are a dirty bird, you know that? Got me fuckin’ addicted already.”

In contrast to his words, he pressed a gentle kiss to your head before he rested his chin atop it, letting out a heavy sigh, “Come on. Sleep before you keep me up all night.”

Tempted as you were, cumming did make you sleepy, so you did as you were told, curling up into him and letting your body wind down, still wonderfully relaxed and loose, resting your cheek on his bicep as you slowly drifted off.

[bisexualmikisayaka]

also it’s lowkey crazy to call innie!burving an unsanctioned erotic entanglement because while i don’t want to call it not erotic, unless burt and irving were fucking off screen in the O&D bathrooms, the most they did was some premarital handholding and emotionally charged forehead touching. like there’s the thing there about what could possibly constitute a sanctioned erotic entanglement (helena > mark, perhaps?) but also like… idk, their relationship was something very innocent as seen on screen because it was so meaningful that both of them were willing to bend and break the rules of lumon that had initially brought them together.

i think my (in-universe) gripe with the term o!burt understood their relationship by is that it reduced them down to something quick and dirty, pleasure-seeking and illicit to control the narrative and probably humiliate outie burt for breaking the rules as an innie. they could never tell him what it really was - two men finding a love so meaningful that one of them was inspired to reject all that he had believed in before and go against his religion, god, and former way of life to see his soulmate again (and help his friends try to burn everything to the ground along the way). he was ready to and ultimately did die for it. wouldn’t necessarily call that an “unsanctioned erotic entanglement” unless i wanted to downplay how significant a relationship it really was!

[weirdero]

I want to talk about Helena’s performance as Helly and her deep rooted misunderstanding of who Helly is as a person. And just in general how I think she perceives her especially after yesterday’s episode.

Helena is incredibly attentive, almost to the point of being terrifying. In the short moments she interacts with anyone, everything in her head is already scripted, calculated, and premeditated. She’s also a great method actress, reacting based on the energy around her. It’s like a stand up comic, constantly adjusting their performance to make sure their actions land. If something doesn’t click, she shifts.

Throughout the past couple of episodes, Helena spends most of her time just trying to go with the flow move with the water, trying to fit in without standing out, constantly monitoring the group and their reactions at every turn. And so far, she was good at it. She can play the part, until her own emotions towards helly start to blind her.

In these two pics she does a quick scan of Irving’s and Marks faces trying to analyze their reactions

Helena knows the group loves Helly. She knows Mark loves Helly. And honestly, I’d bet every dollar in my bank account that it genuinely makes her want to kill herself. She has zero respect for Helly, and she doesn’t need to. To Helena, Helly, and by extension, the group, are low value. Insignificant. At her highest, Helly is just a worker, a cheap extension of herself created with the sole purpose of just being a good employee to be displayed to the public as a little shining lumon puppet. But shit, the bitch can’t even do that. She’s done quite the opposite. So yeah, not a person to be respected or valued.

This particular disdain (and fuck it, I’m just gonna say hate) that Helena carries for Helly spills into the bonfire scene with Milchick.

While Milchick is reading the story, enunciating every word like a second grade elementary school teacher, showing pictures like they’re in a reading circle, I kept wondering to myself if Helena ever experienced something similar to this as a child. How many times has she heard this same story? Or hell, any other old Kier mythology? Lumon, Kier, the Eagan legacy, it’s all she’s ever known. This world is nothing new to her.

Even though I believe Helena is a loyal servant, she probably didn’t love all the weird shit she had to put up with in her childhood. The weight of the Egan legacy probably suffocates her. But she accepted it either way because that was the life she was given. Unlike fucking helly. Fucking helly who’s forced her into this situation to begin with. In my opinion, all of these particular feelings make their way into Helena’s reaction to the story as Helly, which could only be described as a middle schooler who suddenly thinks they’re too old for camp.

I saw this post someone made about this scene, and like shit, yeah, that’s probably right. Helena had one chance to shit on the weird religion that’s been shoved down her throat since birth and she took that chance.

Helena, in this moment, settles for crude, mocking jokes. She probably does this partially out of her own selfish need for Mark’s validation, as well as playing her role trying to fit into the group but I also think it’s a great reflection of her own personal feelings toward Helly. Helly, who would’ve never acted that way. Helly, who is many things, but never cruel. Helena doesn’t seem to understand that. For the moment, Helena takes a step back, flanderizes Helly, reducing her to this cheeky, crude, disruptive little jokester. That’s how Helena views her. With no respect. No nuance. Helly has layers Helena does not care to see. Helly doesn’t just break rules; she actively causes chaos, subverting everything around her. She’s purposefully, and happily, malcontent. A bitch, dare I say, an ungrateful bitch, most likely from Helena’s point of view.

Irving, who keeps testing her, makes her slip a little more. I talked about this a little bit in my last post about severance, but Helena doesn’t take well to being disrespected. She shifts from wanting the group’s (and mostly Mark’s) validation to just wanting to put Irving in his fucking place. These people aren’t equal to her in her mind. They aren’t cut from the same cloth probably not even made from the same fabric. There are levels to this shit, and they are not on her level.

She says what she says. It’s cruel. Mostly, it’s stupid on her part.

And just like Irving said later, and what I said earlier Helly was many things, but…

What Helena did at the bonfire was a fuck up. An especially surprising one coming from a woman as controlling and calculated as her. I’m fully convinced all those little mistakes came from a deep frustration within her. Much of that anger, in my opinion, is stewing from the realization that Helly, someone created by her, literally the source of all of Helena’s recent problems, someone who will stop at nothing to take her down, that person, the woman who’s literally locked up inside her, is more free than she will ever be.

Yes, Helena has no respect for Helly. Yes, she most likely hates that bitch. But when she herself is acting as Helly, it gives her the opportunity to almost let go. She gets the chance to essentially kill the bitch that’s been fucking up her life whilst simultaneously getting a chance to talk to this man who cares so deeply for a version of herself she hates, Even if it’s not the most ideal of situations (it’s not), it’s still something. I think, at the bonfire, she reflects on the ridiculous situation she’s found herself. All this shit caused by some other version of herself that she created, that situation plus all the other shit going down at Lumon is probably alot. And it just all bubbles up inside her. And when she’s given even the smallest opportunity to let anything out, she’s going to take it.

Idk it’s therapeutic in a way I guess.

She’s unfiltered, blunt, and almost carefree in a way that’s shocking almost unsettling. It’s clearly how she sees Helly to some degree, but also her own need to scratch an itch she’s never dared to before. And even though it’s an act of “Helly”, it still leaves a clear aftertaste of Helena.

Keep thinking about these two little moments whilst she’s making her jokes she not only keeps checking on mark’s reaction but also seems to laugh at her self in a way that just seems so genuine almost self deprecating. She acknowledges the ridiculousness of her situation and this dumb ass story she’s probably heard a million times

In my last post about Severance, I mentioned that Helena is the master of speaking her truth without outright saying it. She hides behind walls, but as Helly, she’s free to speak without restraint.

(Also her having sex with mark is a clear way of her expressing this new found freedom with in her role as helly but ima talk about that later)

[your-gracelyn]

At the end of her life, when she’s deliriously ill, in the book, Alicent says; “I want to see my sons again, and Helena, my sweet girl, oh ... and King Jaehaerys. I will read to him, as I did when I was little. He used to say I had a lovely voice.” But, Alicent doesn’t know Jaehaerys in the show, and the only person we see her read to and have a connection to via a book page is Rhaenyra.

HOTD writers you have the chance to absolutely ruin me, don’t fuck it up.