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iomoru · 18 days

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"He's The Type To..."

A/n: I couldn't decide between kazuha and albedo so I did both

Genre: Hcs, Modern! Au, Fluff, Suggestive Smut, Teasing, G!n Reader, Kazuha x Reader, Albedo x Reader, Proofread

Kazuha:

• He's the type to send you spontaneous texts throughout the day, sharing random thoughts, pictures of the sky, or the poems he's working on. It's basically his way of keeping you close, even when your apart.

• He's the type to sneak you away to quiet, scenic spots. He'll find the perfect hill or rooftop to lie back and stargaze, playing soft melodies on his guitar as he whispers poetry under his breath.

• He's the type to silently admire you while you're talking, a small, content smile on his lips. You'll ask what's he's thinking, and he'll just shake his head, brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear, replying, "You're captivating."

• He's the type to pull you into his lap when you're both just lounging around, absentmindedly playing with your hair while his other hand traces patterns on your thigh. There's a soft intimacy to the way he holds you, but it lingers with a hint of something more.

• He’s the type to get lost in deep conversations with you late at night. He'll talk about his dreams, his philosophy on life, and how much he appreciates your presence, all while his hands slowly drift over your skin, his touch becoming more intentional as the night goes on.

• He’s the type to be subtle but intentional when it comes to showing affection. A light brush of his fingers down your arm, a kiss to the back of your neck when you least expect it, or the way he’ll draw you in closer if you start teasing him a little too much.

• He's the type to tease you about how easily you get flustered. Whenever you stumble over your words or blush at something he says, he'll tilt his head and smirk slightly, leaning in closer just to murmur, "You're really cute when you're shy, you know that?"

• He's the type to playfully challenge your boundaries, letting his hands rest at the curve of your waist when you're both alone, his fingers tracing dangerously close to more sensitive areas. He'll flash a teasing smile and ask, "What's wrong love? You seem a little distracted."

• He's the type to whisper lustful comments in your ear in public, completely unfazed, leaving you the one struggling to keep composure. When you ask him to stop, he'll chuckle softly, "I'm just talking, what's on your mind?

• He's the type to lean in for a kiss but pull back at the last second, enjoying the way you lean forward to chase his lips. "Impatient, are we?" He'll tease, only to give in moments later, kissing you deeply while his hands slide down your back, pulling you flush against him.

Albedo:

• He’s the type to get so absorbed in his work that you have to remind him to eat. He’s always grateful when you bring him snacks or drinks, and the soft smile he gives you makes the effort worth it every time.

• He’s the type to silently observe you when you’re doing something mundane, like reading or working. He finds your everyday actions fascinating and is always curious about how your mind works.

• He’s the type to be incredibly thoughtful with his gifts. He’ll design something especially for you, whether it’s a sketch, a small invention, or even a carefully chosen flower that he says reminded him of you. His gifts always come with an explanation of the deeper meaning behind them.

• He’s the type to hold you close when you’re both in bed, his hand resting gently on your waist. He’ll trace circles on your skin, his voice low as he murmurs scientific facts or musings about the universe until you fall asleep against his chest.

• He’s the type to get flustered when things start getting a bit more intimate. His usual calm and collected demeanor falters slightly, his breath catching as your lips trace along his jawline. He may not be as forward, but the way his grip tightens on your hips speaks volumes.

• He’s the type to engage in long, heated debates with you about random subjects. Even when you challenge his knowledge, there’s a glint of excitement in his eyes. The playful back-and-forth often ends with him pulling you into his arms, murmuring how much he enjoys your mind as much as your presence.

• He's the type to subtly tease you about how much you crave his attention. When you pout or tug at his sleeve for affection, he'll raise an eyebrow and smirk slightly, "Needy today, aren't we?" His tone is soft, but there's a glint in his eyes that shows he's fully aware of the effect he has on you.

• He's the type to make sly, teasing comments during your study or work sessions together. If you make a mistake, he'll hum thoughtfully, leaning close as if to help, but instead whisper something suggestive in your ear, "You seem distracted...I wonder why." He loves watching the way you tense up or blush.

• He's the type to gently push your buttons, especially when you're in a quiet moment together. He'll brush his fingers lightly along your thigh under the table, or trace his hand down your back, just to see how you react. When you shoot him a look, he'll smile innocently, "Darling I'm just testing a hypothesis."

• He's the type to get a little more bold behind closed doors, especially when you've been teasing him all day. He'll pin you lightly against a surface, his lips just barely touching yours as he whispers, "You've been asking for it, haven't you?" His hands will roam around your body calculated precision, each touch deliberate and torturously slow.

A/n: I might not make a part 2 because I'm so tired and kinda lazy to do it but if I did then it'll be about Heizou and Xiao, ONLY if I did I'll still think about it

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breadmecoshy · 4 months

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🙌

Hiiiii !!!

I've started to notice a pattern in the hk community.

When people (not all but most) draw pk ,in bug or gijinka, they tend to hide his pretty wings or not draw them at all.

So I've decided to ask bloggers if they could show or describe the king's wings, just out of curiosity (and for my own amusement)

(Btw if you are not taking requests please forgive me, I did not wish to annoy you with my silly babbles)

Yes, I accept requests, and I am very glad to receive them! ^w^

I've been wanting to draw gijinka the Pale King and the White Lady for a long time, so I might have gotten a little carried away, haha, it doesn't quite match your request for wings….

He Pale King was described in the game as a recluse who was rarely seen outside the palace. I think he hid his wings under his cloak so as not to attract too much attention. Perhaps initially he wanted to have a more mundane connection with his subjects, but they still elevated him to the rank of god and prayed to his idols, so he just tried to look less like such an idol in everyday life

And as for his gijinka, he just wears the most closed clothes so that his divine nature does not confuse ordinary people (since the gijinka of other beetles are completely ordinary in my mind) The head is covered with a cloth, and the body is covered with a spacious medieval cotto. Only the face is visible, so mysterious~

The White Lady, on the contrary, does not hide her divine nature, I love this design of hers so much….. She is big and imposing, with exposed body parts, because her nature is higher than that of simple beetles (and it's probably not obvious in the picture, but she is very well-fed, after all, as the goddess of reproduction, she must be strong and fertile, huh)

#hollow knight #hk #hk pale king #hk white lady #hk pk #hk wyrm #hk wl #hk gijinka #My style completely depends on the artist I saw last #This time it was Nikolai Feshin #I'm crazy about his paintings #The Pale King loves the White Lady very much...#She as the goddess of birth can give care and peace of mind even to the former huge predictive worm #The very embodiment of maternal and marital love #Send me more requests!!!!#It's fun to draw them and I'm always happy to have questions

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the-littlest-lily · 9 months

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30 Days of G/t Self Care

I'm not fully sure where this idea came from, but here we go! I do enjoy a fun little daily challenge, and like most things my mind went to “but how can I make it G/t?” And here we are! Just in time for the new year, a 30 day self care challenge but… sizey. I wanted to make an actual calendar thing, just in time for the new year (though it can be started at any time, it's not specific to January). Check the days off, spread them out over a longer time, pick out just the ones that speak to you, whatever you want to do 😊 Here's the guide to go with it.

Day 1. Set aside a few minutes to take some deep breaths and focus on the present moment. To help ground yourself, perhaps wrap yourself in a blanket and imagine you are in a large, lovingly grasping hand, or hold a small item and imagine it's a tiny friend.

Day 2. Revisit some nostalgic G/t media. What first got you into this? Let yourself reminisce and remember why you love this in the first place.

Day 3. Make G/t art. It can be anything! Drawing, writing, crochet, pottery, you name it. No need to hold yourself to a certain standard or show anyone else, just take some time to be creative. Even if you don't deem yourself an artist, give it a shot and see if you enjoy it!

Day 4. Relax with a word search puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 5. Try out this journal prompt. If you could be tiny/big at will, what types of things would you do to relax? How might you extrapolate from this and apply it to your real life?

Day 6. Stretch your body today. What imaginary setting could you give yourself to make it G/t? Are you surrounded by gigantic furniture in your mind’s eye? Perhaps the yoga video on your phone helps you pretend you have a tiny instructor?

Day 7. Listen to some G/t music. This could be anything, from sizey music videos to songs with sizey lyrics to the Arietty soundtrack.

Day 8. Practice gratitude by listing out all the little things you're thankful for. (See what I did there?) Add some big things to the list for good measure.

Day 9. Practice stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit by talking about G/t, out loud if you’re able. Whether it's discussing with a friend (you brave soul), recording yourself on your phone (you can immediately delete it), or just mumbling to yourself in the shower. Maybe you’ll realize you want to make a G/t podcast and we all win!

Day 10. Here's a little creative prompt. Arrange everyday items to make a G/t scene (use toys, miniatures, or even fashion a tiny person out of paperclips or paper). Take a picture, share it if you like!

Day 11. Create a cozier space today to enjoy your G/t content. Grab some blankets, make yourself a snack or some tea, light some candles, whatever sounds nice to you. Sometimes it's making a mundane moment special!

Day 12. Make yourself something healthy to eat. While you prepare it, imagine how different the task might be to carry out if you were very big or very small. Maybe even have some fun making your snack in miniature too.

Day 13. Try out some affirmations today and see if you can make them both sizey and relevant to your life. Ideas of mantras could be “I am allowed to take up space,” “I choose to appreciate the little things today,” “I will achieve great things through small steps.”

Day 14. Go out into nature for some fresh air. Lean in close and pay attention to the small details, perhaps imagining a shrunken version of yourself or a small friend exploring.

Day 15. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill today to bring your Gt ideas to life. Maybe it's learning how to code, or making your own VR avatar, or learning a new art tool or technique. It's finally time to watch that tutorial you've been saving!

Day 16. Pull out your dream journal, or start up a new one! Maybe we’ll figure out the whole lucid dreaming thing and come close to experiencing Gt, wouldn't that be the dream~ If this doesn't resonate with you, maybe start a journal to jot down your Gt daydreams instead!

Day 17. Relax with a crossword puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 18. Try to cross a few to dos off your to do list someday. Make it more fun by adding in some joke tasks in there, like “leave out a snack for the fairies” or “prep for borrowing trip tonight” or “meet with giant friend for coffee.” Maybe even schedule some real life Gt tasks - such as “work on chapter 2 of (Gt story you're writing)” or “plan a VRC hangout”.

Day 19. It's time to dress the part! Is there any way you can dress up or accessorize yourself in a sizey way? Maybe you have an oversized hoodie, or a necklace of a tiny Eiffel tower, or an old shirt with Tinkerbell on it. Did you know you can actually buy Arietty’s giant hair clip thing? Or if this better scratches your creative itch, maybe your objective is to make tiny accessories for a toy or figurine.

Day 20. Take some time to rest. Just allow yourself to lay down in a quiet, cozy setting for at least a few minutes and have some dedicated G/t daydreaming.

Day 21. Try out a new exercise routine and use your G/t imaginings to make it more fun. Watching a new workout video? You’re a giant visiting the gym and that's your human instructor on the screen. Spontaneous dance session in your room? You're a fairy frolicking in a field of enormous wildflowers. Going for a swim? You're actually crossing a vast ocean, or maybe a small glass of water.

Day 22. Check out a new G/t story. Not a big reader normally? Just give it a shot!

Day 23. Give yourself a pamper night, whatever that means for you - face masks, cucumber water, a warm drink, candles, the works. Pamper night (face masks and stuff)

Day 24. Make or buy something for your G/t interests (miniatures or toys, “max”iature like a giant flower pillow, fairy-themed stationary, make a giant paper mache strawberry, etc)

Day 25. Relax with a coloring page. You can use any of your favorite artist’s lineart (just make sure to get permission and/or proper attribution if you want to post it). Here's an example option from me.

Day 26. Make a list of all the things you love about G/t. It's always nice to remember the various ways this interest might benefit our lives.

Day 27. Motivate yourself to try out a new hobby by making it G/t. Take that pottery class you've been meaning to take and make a giant acorn-shaped mug. Get into cosplay so you can dress up as a borrower. Dabble with watercolors and you may end up becoming a G/t artist. Study a new language and enjoy new sizey media you couldn't understand before. Whatever speaks to you!

Day 28. Do a favor for your future self and make a self care kit for when you're having a hard time. This could include a journal or affirmation cards, or perhaps some grounding items like fidget toys, stress balls and mints. Add a little something G/t in there too. Perhaps some kind of miniature with an interesting texture, or a fidget toy in the shape of a person, or a stuffed animal of a giant ladybug to hug.

Day 29. An act of kindness can do wonders for our mental health. Send someone in the G/t community a kind comment today, whether it's a long-time friend, someone you just met in a Discord group, or a comment to your favorite G/t artist.

Day 30. Reflect on all the activities you’ve tried during this self care challenge and journal about it. What have you learned about yourself? What might you incorporate more into your self care routines going forward? Pat yourself on the back for investing some time and attention into yourself - you deserve it!

#g/t #giant tiny #giant/tiny #gianttiny #sfwgt #gtselfcare #30 day challenge #30 days of gt

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all2angels · 4 months

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hi im the stoner gee anon.. :3 im back 4 more.. and its bad its not even stoner gee anymorw..

2019 gee who grooms u and wants to make u his oblivious-to-how-wrong-your-relationship-is gf/bf!! you guys would meet at some umbrella academy panel thing. he's so enamored by you when you walk up to the table, so much so that when you ask for a signature and drawing, he just HAS to put his number on there..

you're happy, anyone would be happy that a celebrity noticed them. but no, this is gerard way.. the man of ur dreams. as soon as you get home, you lock yourself in your room and text him, shuffling around and pacing like crazy as you anticipate his response. he starts off easy, just making small talk and asking you about your dreams... then a few weeks in or so, he'll drop the bomb that he slipped you his number 'cus he thought you were so beautiful. just stunning, actually.

he eventually starts talking about issues in his own relationship, telling you about how the sex is just so boring and sad.. how his marriage doesn't even feel like a marriage anymore. you feel a little uncomfortable that he's telling you this, but anything to help your heroic idol, right?! then he goes back to how pretty you are, saying that he wishes he had married you, that you were older so he could've met you earlier, so it could actually happen.

there's a night where he calls you, and he's breathing quite heavily. you ask, "what's wrong?" and he brushes it off, replying with a dismissive "nothing." on the other side of the line, his pants are tugged down, his hand's just ghosting over his cock, and he's so turned on. he's been thinking about you so much lately. "how was your day?" he asks, now teasing the tip of his cock, smearing pre-cum over it.. you're not even sure what's going on, but you oblige, telling about how mundane it all was. you can hear small whines over the phone, but you keep going. his hand is going so fast, pumping up and down with every word you say. you get to how you took a shower earlier, a fleeting comment, and he quite literally cums seconds after, with the photo in his imagination. he tries to hold the moans back, but he can't. and it's all finally clicked in your mind.

that was so long. i'm so sorry. but i'm not. i love your posts and these r my gifts to you <3

tw: MAJOR TW! underage, grooming, weirdo behavior. dead dove don't eat i didn't edit this this is literally my pure, unedited thoughts. i did not hold back LMFAO

STONER GEE ANON 😭😭😭😭 i want to give you the world. THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!

i love this dynamic so much ong MY TAKE BELOW

you swear that it wasn't creepy. like, a man in his forties giving his underage fan his number sounds bad, but it didn't sound bad to you. because he was your hero, he saved your life! it's not creepy.

it was when he admitted that he gave you his number because he thought you were attractive that you were hit my a bad, nauseating feeling. but you buried that feeling deep, deep down. he was just complimenting you. gerard way thought you were attractive circled your head alot.

gerard likes to talk a lot. he can go on and on about media that he likes. whether it be a book or a music album, he can go on for ages. you don't have the heart not to listen or tell him you were busy or anything. this was the person that gave you comfort for years, how could you deny a chance to talk to him? even if he's the only one talking.

then it stopped being about comic books, music, or books. things got personal. really personal. and, honestly you were a little uncomfortable when he shared graphic descriptions about his sex life. did you stop him? no. it was gerard way. you awkwardly laughed when he said he wished he could marry you, hoping he was joking even though you knew he wasn't.

this goes on for almost everyday. he'd lock himself in his office, talking to you for hours. when you told him you had school or anything, he'd guilt trip you until he settles for a quick (2, 3 hour?) call before you go to bed.

but despite your gut telling you that he has ill intentions, you were so attached. you were already attached before he gave you his number. and maybe that's why he felt so comfortable sharing these things with you like there were no possible consequences. he knows you can't let go of him.

and maybe that's why he has no shame when he calls you, dick in hand, painfully hard and asking about your day. your voice sounded so good to him, he could've finished just by listening to you. but when you let it slip that you showered was more than he could ask for. he let out a moan that you could hear from your end of the call and when you realized what was happening you hung up quickly.

nothing changed after that. he messaged you asking when you were free so you both could hop in a call, like he didn't just have a one sided SOP with you. you obviously didn't address it. but, you also gave him the time you were available. because how could you decline talking to your hero?

#tw!!#gerard way smut #mcr smut #all2angels

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maniculum · 6 months

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Bestiaryposting Results: Slagzogg

This is, interestingly, our third consecutive Beaſt that's actually a common everyday animal pretty much all over Europe, including the area where this manuscript was produced. This is interesting to me because the three are handled very differently. First we had the salamander, which I'm pretty sure got mentally separated from the actual animal somewhere, probably because people use different terms for the real-life amphibian in different regions and languages, and not everybody is going to recognize that it's just the Greek word for the same animal. Second we had the deer, which it seemed like the manuscript producers did recognize, because the illustration is clearly a deer... but elements of the entry are just nuts (As @sweetlyfez said, "How do you make up this many wild myths about a guy you live with"). And now we have the [redacted until end of post], which is just given a completely mundane, if engaging, description with the only weird part being the symbolism attached to it.

I think it might also be our first domestic animal -- the entry even talks about the difference between wild and domestic varieties -- which seems like it's worth noting.

Anyway, as usual people who don't know what I'm talking about should check https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting. The entry this week's artists are working from can be found here:

This is another one where I almost didn't put it in because it seemed super obvious what it was, but the artists have done a superb job not drawing that. Excellent work on everyone's part, and it can be found below the cut:

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) shows us both a domestic and a wild Slagzogg; the design of the domestic one makes me think of fancy pigeons, which I think is a pretty good direction to take here. The vulture-like faces really improve the design also. Very good birds, and you should go check out the linked post to hear about the design decisions and real-life inspirations behind this one; I think it's pretty interesting.

@pomrania (link to post here) observed that, though the entry mentions beaks and flight, it doesn't actually say "bird", so they can draw a pet dragon and have it fit the description. Fair call, and I think it turned out well. I like the contrast between the fairly dignified-looking creature on the left -- this is a Slagzogg who is on its way to win Best in Show -- and the sketch on the right of someone forcibly preventing it from getting into a fight. If you check out the linked post, you can see Pomrania's progress thread for this design.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) has made the eminently-understandable decision that if they're going to draw a bird with no specific anatomical details given, it's going to be a potoo. On the left we have three domestic Slagzoggs socializing, and on the right we have a wild one perching alone. I like how this incorporates the symbolism of the entry: we're told that the wild type is meant to signify people who choose a religious life ("those who keep apart from this world wear the modest garb of penitence"), and this wild Slagzogg does look a bit more serious and... monastic? Like, that bird is a nun. (Also, thank you for including alt text.)

@cheapsweets (link to post here) also went with the direction of "well, it doesn't say 'bird'," and so we have this really charming image of a medieval person feeding their domestic... pterosaurs. Love it. Honestly, these alternate visions of the Middle Ages where people have entirely different domestic animals than our timeline are really appealing to me. Too much Dinotopia as a child, perhaps. Anyway, check out the linked post for substantially more detail, it's worth it. In fact, everyone reading this should just go ahead and follow all of the bestiaryposting participants. (Also, thank you for the alt text.)

@strixcattus (link to post here) is clearly thinking of the modern day's feral pigeons, formerly the result of selective breeding by pigeon fanciers. We can see the "fancy" domestic version on the left contrasted with the wild version on the right. (I think it's interesting that everyone who's drawn both has put the domestic Slagzogg on the left and the wild Slagzogg on the right.) Anyway, as is usually the case with Strixcattus, the writing included in the post is absolutely worth your time and you should read it. And again, follow them, as well as everyone who has ever contributed to bestiaryposting. Go do it; you won't regret it.

Now, to the Aberdeen Bestiary.

Beak shape aside, these are clearly geese.

I think the degree to which people guessed that varies somewhat; Strixcattus made a post suggesting they were leaning "pigeon", but Pomrania probably clocked it, because they described two Slagzoggs fighting as a "hissing match" despite hissing not being mentioned in the entry. I have no idea where everyone else landed.

Honestly, what I find interesting about this entry is that it's pulling symbolism while remaining pretty much entirely grounded in reality. Check this out:

The goose marks the watches of the night by its constant cry.

Okay, I don't know to what degree it's useful in marking time, but I don't doubt that geese make noise at night.

No other creature picks up the scent of man as it does.

That one I'm not sure about.

This next bit I cut because if anyone knows Roman history they'd nail it right out of the gate:

It was because of its noise, that the Gauls were detected when they ascended the Capitol. Rabanus says in this context: 'The goose can signify men who are prudent and look out for their own safety.'

Okay, that might be less history and more legend, but still, people know it, I think.

There are two kinds of geese, domestic and wild. Wild geese fly high, in a an orderly fashion, signifying those who, far away from earthly things, preserve a rule of virtuous conduct.

I can absolutely see medieval people looking up at geese flying in that V formation and going, "look how orderly these birds are; clearly they are virtuous creatures."

Domestic geese live together in villages, they cackle together all the time and rend each other with their beaks...

Yeah, that sounds like what geese would do in a village.

All wild geese are grey in colour; I have not seen any that were of mixed colour or white. But among domestic geese, there are not only grey but variegated and white ones. Wild geese are the colour of ashes, that is to say, those who keep apart from this world wear the modest garb of penitence.

This bit falls into the category of "I believe it, but it does not accord with my personal experience." Because if you told me that in Europe they had a variety of different aesthetically-pleasing domestic goose breeds, I'd have no problem believing that. And I'm sure some wild geese are gray. But I live in North America, so to me wild geese look like this:

And domestic geese look like this:

But again, I have no difficulty believing that the experience of the medieval Europeans was different from mine.

What really sticks out to me here is the fact that the characteristic behavior of domestic geese is to make noise and get in fights -- I think the Untitled Goose Game would have made perfect sense to a medieval audience.

(After the Smithfield Decretals)

#maniculum bestiaryposting #slagzogg

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minthandsoap · 10 months

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The Little Things

Marie and Jordan have different love languages

880 words

Marie was always better at words between the two of them. Always the one to ask the questions, make the apologies for being a little too loud in the library, says the “please” and “thank yous.” From the most stuck up professors to fucking newborn babies, she could melt hearts and bend anyone’s wills with just a few expertly crafted sentences and that dazzling smile.

With Jordan especially, Marie was a symphony of words. Her compliments to Jordan flowed freely, each one unique and tailored to highlight the best in Jordan. "You have the sweetest brown eyes," she would whisper in their ear, her voice a soft caress. Or, "You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down," she’d recite from some sappy movie she watched the other day. Her words weren't just empty compliments though, but heartfelt expressions of her love and admiration to Jordan.

She would say "I love you" not just with her words, but with her entire being. It was in the way she held their hand, they way her fingers intertwined with Jordan's, like a silent promise to them. It was in the way her eyes would just sparkle with warmth and tenderness. And it was in the way she would say it, not just as a some frivolous saying, but with genuine emotion that resonated within Jordan's soul.

Cuddling close to Jordan was her favorite pastime, her head resting comfortably on his chest as she recounted the day's events. Her voice, a soothing sound to Jordan’s everyday worries, would paint vivid pictures of her day, maybe talking about how fun she had during one of her combat training lessons or something mundane like the food she at at the cafe, often drawing him into her world. He would listen intently, always happy that Marie would spend time with them like this.

Jordan, on the other hand, was more of a “actions speak louder than words” type. Words tend to stumble on their tongue, a little clumsy and awkward. And it’s not like they don’t like talking. No, they talk a whole fucking lot, often quick jokes and sarcastic quips. They just struggled a bit with the “nice” part. But what they lacked in their words, they more than compensated for in gestures and deeds. A hand reaching out to brush a stray hair from Marie's forehead, a late-night surprise coffee run when she was hastily finishing an essay, a carefully chosen book left open on her desk with a single, underlined passage - these were the ways Jordan spoke their heart, to portray their love and devotion to Marie.

Jordan was constantly drawn to her, their arms instinctively wrapping around her waist whenever they were together. It was a way of anchoring themself to her presence. Even when surrounded by their friends, Jordan would find herself gravitating towards Marie, her arm encircling her waist like a protective shield, just listening to the chatter around her.

There was a particular comfort Jordan found in resting their head on Marie's lap. It was like a sanctuary, a safe haven where the world seemed to fade away and only the gentle touch of her fingers running through their hair remained. They would close their eyes and bask in the amazingly soothing sensation, smiling to themselves, happy and content with their touch.

But their roles reversed once they were alone, caught up in one another's desires. Jordan, would often take control, leaving Marie helplessly moaning and groaning as they relentlessly pumped their cock into her. She could only hold onto Jordan's arms for dear life as they fucked her with a ferocious passion. Or when they buried their tongue into Marie's pussy, gripping her thighs, spreading her eagle wide as they pumped their fingers relentlessly into her soaking pussy.

But no matter what they did, it always ended with Jordan buried deep inside of Marie, their bodies intertwined in a frenzy of passion. They would move together until they were both breathless, collapsing in a tangled mess of limbs and sweat.

And when they weren't fucking each other senseless, they were exploring other ways to pleasure one another. Jordan would often bury their tongue into Marie's pussy, gripping her thighs and spreading her wide as they pumped their fingers relentlessly into her soaking wet entrance.

Jordan, in contrast, became surprisingly vocal during their lovemaking. They would tease Marie, whispering the most obscene and decadent things into her ear. "Tell me how much you love my dick inside you, Marie," or "You're such a good girl for me, baby, the way you devour my pussy." The filthy words only served to heighten their pleasure, driving them both wild with desire. Marie would surrender herself completely to Jordan, reveling in their dominance and the intense pleasure it brought.

And when Jordan would cum, god they’d make the most beautiful noises, whispering the most scandalous things into Marie’s ears.

As they lay tangled together on the bed after yet another mind-blowing session of sex, Marie would lay quiet, wrapping her arms around them and Jordan would hug her tight, whispering sweet nothings into Marie's ears.

And they would do it all again.

#gen v #limoreau #marie moreau #jordan li #jordan li x marie moreau #mariejordan #marie moreau x jordan li #jordanmarie #gen v marie #gen v jordan #limoreau fic

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randomfoggytiger · 1 year

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X-Files' Collector's Edition: Fight the Future Fics (Part I)

No introduction necessary, I think.

Loose chronological order below~!

astronaught's Equilibrium - Entr'acte

""He doesn’t like having an aversion to smallness because it means he might reject a truth for being insufficiently grand. Tall tales curdle in Kurtzweil’s mouth, and for the eighty-seventh time that year he feels dirtied by their hold on him....

If their work was going to be destroyed by anything, he didn’t think it would be because she lost her nerve. He and she share a tendency to hold their noses when it comes to dealing with the spiritually mundane, but they don’t do so childishly....

But all the same. Their intellectual honesty has always been its own kind of snobbery. It isn’t really smallness (nor practicality, nor effort) that he’s averse to, but rather inefficiency of a very specific kind. His duty is to the necessary. To the fundamentally true....

And he thought she was the same.""

Mulder and Scully spin their wheels, confused and hurt by each other's lines they draw about the work.

red2007's Icarus

""One breath. Two breaths. Chest compressions.

Molten lava was licking through his veins. Every movement he made, every memory he conjured was a four alarm fire coursing through his body. He’d been pulled closer to her everyday since they’d first met, no one else heard him or bothered to listen. No one could see him the way she did, she made him feel relevant. Her trust in him made him feel invincible. He didn’t remember what life was like before her, he didn’t care to.

He was terrified of a life without her and it was burning him up from the inside out. This partnership turned friendship turned codependency turned love…he didn’t know how to survive without it.""

Mulder's body is on fire with adrenaline as he pushes its limits to save his partner.

@leiascully's (Ao3)

OctoberFicFest Day 6: Frost (Ao3)

""He’s too desperate to revive her to think of how empty, how shattered his heart will be if she doesn’t wake up.""

Mulder ruminates on twisted fairytales while saving his frosted partner.

To The Ends Of The Earth (Ao3)

""He’s still shivering, even in his suit in the sun in the summer. He’s seen her shivering too. They’ve both been drinking more coffee since Antarctica. He’s been watching her lace her fingers around her mugs, just letting the warmth seep into her. He hopes his hand is as soothing to her as the terrible coffee in the bullpen.

“If I quit now, they win,” she said. He turns it over and over in his mind as they walk. He doesn’t know where they’re going. He doesn’t care. They’re together. They survived. They have their work. That’s all that matters to him anymore, Scully and the work.""

Post FTF Mulder and Scully leisure around DC, he enjoying and she surprising.

@scapegrace74-blog/scapegrace74's Walking After You

""It was foreordained that Mulder be beside her. Where fear and the improbable intersected in her life, there was her partner, vigilant defender against all her katabases. She no longer questioned his presence there. He simply was.

...Her beautiful Don Quixote, caring only for the quest, and not its consequences.""

Scully pulls Mulder to her on the ice, contemplating her childhood dreams and her partner's revitalized wonder.

@all-these-ghosts's (Ao3

if i am hopeful - Chapter 6

""After everything, all of the strife and regret, she will die here. In this great whiteness. They say that freezing to death is an easy way to go, but she is a doctor and a realist and nothing, nothing has ever been easy for them.

He has already stopped shivering.""

Scully is convinced she and Mulder will freeze to death, noting his deterioration but grateful to perish with him.

unfinished business

""This is Scully, he reminds himself. Scully who follows him on every insane adventure, who pulls him back from the edge, who not even a year ago was dying in a hospital bed while he raged, unable to contend with his absolute powerlessness.

And now, here in his living room: he is not powerless.""

AU-- Scully is overthinking her rescue, questioning why Mulder went to the ends of the earth for her. He finally demonstrates why.

@scully/humancredentials’s

a series of tumblr prompts - Chapter 8 (Ao3)

""Her eyes sting, her tears freezing on her face as soon as they fall. She feels the ache in her bones and her lungs burn with every inhale of cold air. She presses her cracked lips to his forehead and tastes blood. His, she thinks, but she’s not sure....

“Mulder,” she murmurs, her voice hoarse and underused. He doesn’t react, doesn’t even move, this foolish hero of hers that followed her to the ends of the earth. He has given her his warmest clothes.""

Scully begs her partner to stay awake, thrilled and relieved when he cracks a joke.

@frangipanidownunder’s (Ao3)

I Love You Prompts: Tiny Fics - Chapter 2

""Thank you,” she says and her voice is cracked like the ice.

He doesn’t know what to say. She would have done the same for him. Had done the same. Their rescues of each other are becoming more epic by the year. He chuffs out a laugh at the thought but it gets stuck in the frozen air.""

Mulder drags Scully to the Snocat, letting Scully off the hook for not remembering the hallway completely. They always save each other, after all.

Cold, happy, tired.

""She can recall his expression though. Standing before her in that chamber, willing her to breathe. His lips parted, his eyes wide with a mix of terror and happiness. Wet hair flopping over his face. He had saved her and himself - the relieved note in his voice told her that. In that moment, a tiny speck of time between them, she knew she loved him. Irrefutably. The thought flashed through her mind, a bolt of reality. It warmed her chest, spurred her on.""

AU-- Scully sees the spaceship; and, mind blown, helps drag her weary partner to safety, welcoming his tiny little move.

@sixhours/6hoursgirl's (FFN) Waking Hours - Chapter 1 (FFN)

""Mulder,” she tries again, jaw aching with the effort. “Wake up.”

He does, then, ice crystal lashes blinking open to reveal muddy hazel eyes. His lips form her name, a soundless whisper cast into the storm, received by mutual telepathy.""

Scully wakes Mulder up in the icefield, pulling him away from looking for the spaceship he claimed to have seen for more practical pursuits.

@scullydubois/scully_dubois's txf prompts - Chapter 2

""He is numb to everything except a weight and warmth near--one that could not possibly have originated from him, for he has known nothing except ragging breath and stillness for...well, he doesn’t know how long. There are no sunrises or sunsets here to mark the time.

He remembers, then, why he is here. That he’s not alone. That he came here to rescue the one person that’s ever believed him when he needed it, and that he did, and so she must be here, she must be that weight against his side.""

Mulder wakes to Scully, filling her while on the ice and leaving it open-ended on how to go forward.

@contrivedcoincidences6/Spooky66/geektime66’s

Never Let You Go

""For as long as I live I’ll never be able to get the image of her in that capsule out of my head. It will haunt me till the day I die.""

Mulder drags Scully back to the Snocat, both vowing to never let the other go.

Helpless

""I’m too late.

As I helplessly pump at her chest I begin to feel the sobs. My chest and my throat feel like they are being ripped open with the force of them.

She’s gone. Scully is dead and there is no point in living.""

Mulder has a nightmare; and he makes a move on Scully while she attempts to comfort him.

@i-gaze-at-scully’s (Ao3)

Tundra

""I saw it,” you whispered, holding me, as the loose wet hair around your face froze in strands.

Belief as soft and fresh as the snow we laid in insulated us from the cold.""

Mulder and Scully lay on the tundra, warmed by their belief.

Pad Thai and poison apples

""They get out together though, naturally, at the basement level. Scully wants to be smug, wants to rub it in Diana’s face that this is her office, her work, her.... she wants to, but she can’t. Not without a nameplate on the door. Or even a desk.""

Post FTF Diana goads Scully about not getting a lunch invite from Mulder. And even though he'd forgotten about Fowley, it doesn't soothe the sting.

ML/ML_is_me’s (Ao3, Gossamer, DW, Invidiosa) and LaVa, Jacquie and Tess

Fight the Good Fight

""His cot was less than ten feet from hers but it might as well have been ten miles. She was exhausted by the time she reached his side. Collapsing onto the floor beside him, she called to him.

"Mulder. It's me."

Fear sent her heart bumping against her breastbone when he didn't stir.""

Scully is worried for her partner, both physically and mentally: it's obvious that he's losing his drive for a quest that always hurts her.

@allyinthekeyofx’s (Ao3)

Small Considerations Between Partners - 6 (Ao3)

""Because mostly what I remember is the fear; the absolute all encompassing terror I felt when I tried to swallow and discovered my throat was blocked by a tube, gagging as I tried to scream, to shout, to have someone please come to get it out of me. This invader of my prone body that stole my breath and rendered me almost hysterical as I fought with everything I had to lift my hands in an attempt to rid myself of it; the restraints that prevented me from doing so biting cruelly in to the soft flesh of my wrists even as I arched myself from the bed, the high pitched sound of alarms piercing my already aching head as I silently screamed for him to help me, needing him to find me, to save me just this one last time as scalding tears streamed down my face only to become instantly chilled against my skin.""

Scully is traumatized while recovering from her experience; but Mulder is there (as always) to comfort and reassure.

@danascullysrationalism/ARoadInCapeCod's Whatever's Left

""For too long, she had been his ripcord.... She would always bring him up and out. Alive.... It had saved him too many times when he wandered too far in the ticks of light that led him astray. She was the storm that let him live. He always knew there was something righteous inside her.

This was all he could do to thank her.""

Scully is lost in her recovery, knowing she can't follow Mulder forever; and Mulder is lost watching her recover, knowing he can't give her more.

chezamanda's The Five Times Fox Mulder Didn’t Tell Dana Scully He Loved Her (and the One Time He Did)

""Now here they are, still together even though it feels like the world is constantly trying to keep them apart. If I quit now, they win.

FTF (amongst other seasons) Mulder ruminates thrice on his awe of and love for Scully.

Singing_Violin's This I Can Do

""We are so cold. But she is alive. I am thankful for that.""

The one thing that Fox Mulder can do is hold Dana Scully.

@broadcastnews1987/audries/@kennedyandheidi/inkspl0tchess's (WBM 1/2/3)

string theory (or seven times dana scully wore fox mulder's clothes)

""be careful,” she thinks she says as the medics move them into the helicopter. the voice in her head is cool, detached, precise. hypothermia demands gentle treatment, it says. he needs me, she tries to tell them, he told me so. she doesn’t know why they won’t let her hold his hand.

two days later and he is slouching in her doorway wearing sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. he tilts his head to wait for permission and she uncurls her fingers to open her palm like a flower.""

Scully's hypothermia hinders her responses but not her resolve-- to care for and stay with her partner.

DanaScully77's Delirium

""Dearie, you really shouldn’t be speaking.” The nurse is kind with a calming hand on his chest. “Do you remember what happened?”

Mulder shakes his head no. His eyes are pleading with the nurse, confusion too thick in his brain to make sense of anything around him. All that keeps ringing in his mind is that Scully is hurt and that he needs to get to her.

“You both were found in Antarctica by a team of scientists exploring disturbances in the ice. Do you remember how you got there?”

Flashes of alien testing tubes fill his mind and his jaw opens. “Scully.""

The Unnatural Mulder remembers comforting Scully during the events of FTF. Now, they enjoy hot cocoa at his apartment, happy.

@frogsmulder/Brynstein's Chapter 1: Post Fight the Future

""Mulder, it's me."

He couldn't help but let a laugh go down the line. "Never have I heard sweeter words, Scully."

"Mulder?" The was a pause of quiet, no doubt filled by the rise of a singular eyebrow. "Have you just taken your meds?""

Post FTF Mulder wanders around, bored, before calling Scully to re-patch his wound.

@mashnotesofthemythopoeic/Penumbra/The_Mythopoeic - Works/Penumbra's X-Files Fiction (Alt., Zuffy's Tripod)

The Cretan Paradox

""No minotaur," she says, as they gain the center.

"Looking for trouble, Scully?" he asks, with some intent. His soft mouth quirks.

Labyrinths, Mulder explains, are convoluted journeys fraught with dead ends and blind passages, and are solved by intuition and creativity. "But a maze is a left-brained puzzle." He looks down at her, eyes narrow and warm in the afternoon light. Not unlike you, his eyes say.""

Post FTF Mulder takes Scully to a maze, showing her how to always escape it and leading up to his tentative movie night invite.

AUs

@oceanofthesky/noifsandsorbees’s White Noise (Ao3)

""She smiles and she laughs. A lot.” Mulder says suddenly, and his eyes are faraway, lit up and peaceful. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“What are you talking about, Mulder?”

“Scully. The rare moments when she lets herself be happy. It’s really something.""

Mulder and Scully may resolve things between them in the hallway, but she's still reassigned. Many phone calls, doubts, and insecurities plague their long-term relationship, deeply rooted by the time they're reunited.

@starwalker42 (Ao3

can't stay awake

""Underneath our cocoon of blankets, trembling fingers wrap around mine. I barely feel the contact, but I’m glad for it all the same. It’s not lost on me that not an hour ago, she was frozen in ice on the brink of death, and now she’s the one comforting me. She’s too good at this – looking after me when she’s the one in pain. I know I don’t deserve Dana Scully. I certainly don’t deserve to die next to her. But I’m glad that if I have to go, I get to go like this.""

Mulder keeps a slurring Scully awake by bantering about penguins; but the two of them soon slow on the ice, dropping a love you before they succumb to sleep.

@o6666666's (Ao3) Prompts 1, 2, and 83

""He came with a big bottle of aloe, planning to paint her cheeks with it. How funny that his conscientious Scully should get sunburned in the dog days of August from lying out on the ice. (It wasn’t funny.)

They’d brought her all the way to Antarctica in her skirt suit. He pictured the henchmen in their parkas and gloves and boots, none of them caring how she shivered.""

Mulder's guilt over his ice-burned, clingy Scully almost destroys the potential between them. She sees past his reticence and reassures.

2plumsandagherkin's Like You Wanted to

""Do you remember anything that happened… in the hallway?” he asked, tentatively.

“No, what happened in the hallway?”

He explained about her getting stung by the bee and the ambulance crew taking her and trying to shoot him, but she had the feeling he was leaving something out.""

Scully doesn't recall the hallway incident until later, rushing over to Mulder's and affirming her love.

@frostbitepandaaaaa/FrostbitePanda’s Four Days AU

""If she had just followed her parents’ wishes... she would be laying in a king bed right now. Safe in some boring suburb with a dog and perhaps even some handsome husband watching reruns of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and idly wondering what it would feel like to be a pioneer, a woman planted on the edge of the unknown, spread before her vast and endless and hers for the taking.

That’s what Mulder gave her— a borderless realm, a fertile landscape lain with both the dreadful and the sublime.

“I’ve always felt… that it should interest me. That… in order to be a real person in the world, I needed to want those things.” She shakes her head, tilted back on the seat, staring at the riveted ceiling, beaded with condensation.

A great breath shifts out of him, but he says nothing.

“But the only thing that has ever made me feel like a real person, Mulder, is you.""

While trapped in the Snocat for four days, Mulder and Scully reopen their hallway discussion and plan for a first date that is not over file cabbage packaged meals. Diana tries to throw a wrench in that; but Skinner is not going to sit idly by at the FBi shindig.

Ann Ripley's Any Resemblance

""The chip was reinserted and her health steadily improved. I know this because I was able to watch the process through a two-way mirror.... They cured her but also filtered out all her memory of our work, our partnership, our love.

Anna's recovery and future safety was the price I paid for my silence. Any subsequent investigation into the consortium or revelation of colonization plans would result in the cancer's return. It was not too high a price to pay. I would do it again in a second.

The show debuted a year after Mrs. Spriggs wheeled Anna out of the consortium-run hospital and started a new life.""

FTF was based on the life of two real people; but the fact was separated from fiction after the unhappy reality. The man who Mulder was based on watches the show, ruminating on all that never and really was.

Enjoy!

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sarucane · 11 months

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OFMD Spiral Narrative 47: What Would Jeff Do?

Intro: What I love most about how season 2 builds on season 1 of OFMD is the spiral narrative structure. Ground is repeatedly and explicitly re-trod from season 1 to season 2, but in season 2 everything goes deeper than season 1. Meanings are shuffled, emotions are stronger and truer, and transformation is showcased above everything. The first season plucks certain notes, then the second season plucks the same ones--but louder, and then it weaves them together to create a symphony.

---

Ed identifies himself as "Jeff" twice in the series, once in each season. In the first season, the name--and the personality that goes with it--is essentially a throwaway, a casual lie as Ed reaches for a childhood fantasy. But using that name also gives Ed an excuse to disconnect from himself, from his own fears and insecurities. When the name reappears in season 2, he's no longer strong enough internally to maintain that dissonance. But then a funny thing happens: by the end of the series, Ed absorbs "Jeff" into his everyday self, as he sets out on a new chapter in his life.

The first time Ed mentions "Jeff," it's when he's attending a fancy party with Stede. The implication is that he's been fantasizing about something like this ever since he was a child--but his reasons for choosing his name and profession here are shallow.

The joke, of coure, is that Ed, who's lived a mad life, would find this mundane name and dull job "exotic." And even then, he doesn't really know how to reach for a different life. His reaction to experiencing fear at the party is to project his own everyday methods of survival onto "Jeff."

Not only that, but he then proceeds to tell stories as himself, but pretending to be "Jeff."

The only reason the "Jeff" persona survives this is that people think he's telling tales. The division between "Ed" and "Jeff" is broken in Ed's mind, but to these people Ed doesn't really exist. This might look like a kind of integration, but it's not. It's all about pageantry, and the ideas people are projecting onto Ed.

By the end of the night, Ed's not even being called "Jeff" anymore. They've given him a new cruel nickname.

The "Jeff" identity fails to give Ed any safety in this unfamiliar setting, and he almost immediately loses control of its meaning.

In season 2, Ed resurrects Jeff, complete with a new title: innkeeper.

On the one hand, this actually immediately signals how Ed's matured since the first time he called himself "Jeff." He chose accounting because the word sounded good, but he demonstrates having actually thought about innkeeping and why he'd like it.

Accounting was just a word to Ed, but innkeeping is something he can draw on his own experience to understand (kinda), translating it into terms that are relevant to his life.

That said, Ed still demonstrates a level of removal from the situation. He doesn't really believe at this point that he could have a life like "Jeff the Innkeeper" (just like he feared he couldn't have a life like Jeff the Accountant).

And he immediately attacks himself for thinking he could have a life like this. Hornigold is Ed: when Hornigold sneers at the idea that Ed could become something other than a pirate, that's Ed sneering at himself.

But then the seasons diverge. In season 1, Ed never mentioned Jeff or accounting again. In fact, he never restarts his lessons on "the ways of an aristocrat" again, abandoning the dream for the shallow thing it is. Because he doesn't want it anymore. He wants something else.

The meaning of that scrap of silk he carried used to be that he'd always long for something fine he could never have; now there's someone in front of him who thinks he's "fine" himself. He doesn't need to long for more, he has more.

In season 2, Ed also never mentions Jeff again. But he does mention becoming an innkeeper again.

Not only that, he expands the idea of innkeeping to include Stede.

In season 1, Jeff was a version of Ed who had all of the benefits of piracy (determination, good stories), but none of the drawbacks; a version of Ed who was worthy of all the things Ed feared he was unworthy of. An innocent, childhood fantasy.

In season 2, Jeff is gone. There's just Ed, who is no longer trying to reconcile dissonant versions of himself, who is putting aside piracy to try to grow in different ways. A version of Ed who is adult, and flawed--and loved.

#ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd #ofmd s2 #our flag means death #ofmd spoilers #ofmd meta #ed teach #stede bonnet #blackbonnet

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aprettyspy · 2 years

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For the wonderful @bishybarnaby. Happy Birthday sweetie

Happy Birthday Q

Bond had noticed it as soon as he had returned south from Skyfall. Despite an absolute shed load of work to do as a result of Silva's decimation of their security, Q had taken the time to mark the birthday of one of his minions. There had been cake, singing and the surprise gift of the afternoon off. Each time Bond called to Q Branch, there seemed to be a desk covered in cards, or semi-deflated, shiny helium balloons. Three months after Skyfall, Bond had arrived to return his equipment only to find Q hanging up birthday bunting in preparation for the morning.

He didn't see the fascination with birthdays himself. He had a vague recollection of cake and singing from when he was 7? 8? There had never been a big party- so few other children in the area. At Eton, his birthday had only served to remind him of how alone he was- no big parcels of food and cake for him. As he'd grown older, he had even begun to see his birthday as a steady march towards the inevitable; each one firmly reminding him of the ever shortening odds of him remaining alive.

Clearly, though, his Quartermaster loved them. James imagined a childhood of parties and games, maybe visits to museums and art galleries as he grew up. Definitely a lot of love and warmth. Why else would he insist on making such a fuss of them?

Ten and a half months after he and Q had first met, James had found a small, shiny wrapped parcel in the go-bag he had retrieved from the Aston's boot. Suspicious of an unknown object, he had laid it carefully on the bed, circling it. There were no ticks, it had no smell and wasn't moving or shaking in any way. Gun unholstered, he pulled on the bow, the silver-grey ribbon falling away to reveal a box. Nestled within were a pair of oval cufflinks, platinum and engraved with his initials. He found the note underneath the cushion:

"Happy Birthday, Bond. Do take care of these, they contain a tracker, of course, but also an EMD that will disable all electronic devices within 10 meters, quite the range, if I do say so myself. Regards, Q"

It was only as he shot his cuffs to admire them in place did Bond calculate this was the first birthday gift anyone in MI6 had ever given him and his first since a girlfriend 17 years ago.

***

Bond threw the paper folder at the wall in disgust, the 4 sheets contained within floating gently to the ground. He had reached another dead end. Every single time he thought he had a lead, it just turned out to be a brick wall. The Quartermaster didn't have a birthday. When Q had adopted his new identity, it had not come with such a mundane thing as a birth date - or confirmable age. Such a good job had been done in burying his previous existence that even calling in 3 favours had resulted in drawing a blank. So, he decided to try a different approach.

A few careful questions, a lifetime of reading micro expressions because his life depended on it and some word association meant Bond had narrowed it down to February. He then launched a campaign of attrition. He asked, begged, pleaded, hounded, harassed and even threatened Q to tell him when Q's own birthday was. None of it worked.

Which is why Q now found his office filled with 5 balloon displays, 3 bouquets of flowers, a number of half eaten trays of doughnuts, no less than 12 birthday cards and a pile of unopened gifts. Bond had just treated the previous 2 weeks as if everyday was Q's birthday. Each offering had received the same response; a shake of Q's head and a muttering of, "but it's not my birthday."

February 21st arrived overcast, but a little milder than the previous few days. Bond arrived at Q's office for 9.30 a.m. He handed Q a takeaway cup of Earl Grey and a small, red gift bag. Q placed the tea down carefully and met Bond's hopeful gaze. For the first time, he actually opened his gift - a selection of 3 colognes from his favourite place. Raising his head, he smiled at Bond:

"Thank you, James. It has been a very long time since I marked my birthday."

Bond beamed in delight."So I finally got it right? Happy birthday, Q! May I give you a hug?"

Q nodded and Bond drew him into a warm, relaxing hug. They stayed there for a long moment. Both men knew Q was lying, but they didn't care. From now on, as far as James was concerned, February 21st would always be Q's birthday and he was already planning how to outdo himself next year.

#happy birthday bishy #james bond #00q #00q fic #fluff #secret birthdays #Q loves birthdays

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vote-gaara · 11 months

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This is neither here nor there but I love the idea of gaara being super into music but *solely* to have deep thoughts about the lyrics while almost disregarding the music itself entirely. mcr famous last words 'I am not afraid to keep on living/ I am not afraid to walk this world alone' 🤔 wow just like when I spoke to kankuro. carly rae jepsen call me maybe 'before you came into my life I missed you so bad' 🤔 the depth of yearning for a precious thing missing from your life that you dont even realise you're missing. billy joel piano man 'they're sharing a drink they call loneliness/ but it's better than drinking alone' 🤔 the pain of loneliness leads one to seek companionship in the most unlikely of places. Do you see my vision

Thank you for this ask as it has allowed me to consider aspects of Gaara I would've never thought of.

Mostly, I think Gaara is a little...hmmm....BORING! But then again, I don't think that's true, either. Let me explain:

I don't think that, according to his "default", he has appreciation for things like music, art, fiction or movies. Likely this is the result of how he was raised in isolation, where the feelings conjured by artists eluded him because he couldn't relate to the characters nor appreciate the source the story came from. This habit of disregarding things that weren't "more serious" or "relevant" to his everyday life then carried over to his current self, as since becoming Kazekage, he really has no time to partake in leisure (but very necessary) practices like experiencing art.

Now here's where the complexity of Gaara's character really comes into play:

I believe, wholeheartedly, that Gaara would actually make a FANTASTIC artist, and that he could learn to be moved through art with the right guidance and proding.

Gaara has poor art literacy. He doesn't see a movie or read a book to explore themes; rather he sees them as very objective plot lines such as "first A happened, then B, then C, then it ends."

Basically, Gaara can parse through a story for information but he needs to work on tapping into his empathy for characters that may not exist.

I guarantee that if you get this man into a book club, he would show up to the second or third meeting after reading a few chapters and he would be BLOWN AWAY by what other people had observed; the emotion, the themes, the ambiguity, the subtle things he missed because he wasn't reading the book "correctly."

It would be a borderline religious experience for him, I swear to you.

Even with music, as you suggest. Gaara would see it as "noise" but you get him to really think about what emotion in conjures - what power can be moved through lyrics - and suddenly his mind would be completely and totally blown. Especially if you get him with the symbolism of different instruments. He would suddenly see it as a language that he didn't even know existed (which he would find really cool)!

As I said before, he would probably make a really great artist himself. If you sit him down and you tell him to paint, draw, sculpt, or even write a poem about his life you would get something very moving and powerful. The type of art that brings you to your knees. But alas, he wouldn't really be moved by his own piece, either. Sure, it would be lightly therapeutic for him to have created something from his soul, but it would seem almost mundane to him.

Any art he creates he would see as just being a reflection of his life - or at least how he would see it - and it wouldn't mean anything to him passed "this is what happened to me, and it hurt, but things are better and the world is a better place."

Which begs the question:

Is Gaara really artistically illiterate? Or has he experienced so much in his life that anything that would move the masses, emotionally destroy you or me, simply be too elementary to him?

Either way...I vote that you drag him to concerts and plays, and you share music with him. At the very least, he would (as his current self) appreciate the bonding moment.

#gaara #sing barbie girl gaara #do it #enjoy the bop #kazekage

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godsfavdarling · 7 months

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chapter 23

pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!oc

summary: Molly gets bad news about Spencer.

list of chapters, also available on wattpad and Ao3, my masterlist

warnings: just sad. prison arc!

words: 1,5k

Dear Spencer,

I hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits. There are so many things I want to share with you, and though I wish I could say them in person, I hope this letter will suffice for now.

First and foremost, I want you to know that Diana is doing great. She's in good health and spirits, and we've been spending a lot of time together.

Cassie, the nurse, has been a wonderful companion, and we've grown quite close. It's been comforting to have your mom here, especially during the times when I miss you the most.

Work has been keeping me busy as usual. My students are a joy to teach, as always, and they never fail to put a smile on my face.

Speaking of work, Sarah finally moved closer to her family as she's expecting a baby. It's been bittersweet saying goodbye to her, but I'm happy for her and her husband.

In my free time, I've been experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. You'd be proud to know that I've been cooking up a storm, trying out different dishes and perfecting old favorites. I bring them to Diana as often as I can.

And there's exciting news on another front - Henry and I have been spending more time together, playing the piano. He's been making tremendous progress! We've even started tackling some more challenging pieces, and I must say, our duets are becoming quite impressive!

Do you remember that beautiful day we spent at the beach when we first started dating, the warmth of the sun on our skin and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore? It was one of those moments that felt like time stood still, and all that mattered was you and I.

I wish you could be here with me, holding my hand. But until then, please know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers. I miss you more than words can express, and I long for the day when we can be together again.

Sending all my love and warmest wishes,

Molly

.......................................

Even though Spencer refused to see Molly, she didn't give up on writing him letters every day. Each evening, she would sit down with pen and paper, pouring her heart out onto the page. She wrote about her day, the mundane details of work, and the small joys she found in everyday life.

She reminisced about their memories together, asking him if he remembered certain moments and trying to paint vivid descriptions of the days they shared or the holidays they celebrated. She knew Spencer could remember everything, but she hoped that reliving these memories through her words would bring him some comfort.

Despite the turmoil she faced, Molly made a conscious effort to keep her letters positive. Only the good things, omitting her own struggles—the nights spent crying and the sleepless hours plagued by nightmares.

Instead, she focused on the books she was reading, the movies she watched, and the weather outside her window. She wrote about Diana. Anything pleasant that surrounded her found its way onto those pages, her attempt to bring a ray of sunshine into Spencer's now dark world.

One day, Molly decided to include a photo with her letter. It was a simple snapshot taken by Spencer during one of their vacations.

In the picture, she was smiling at the camera, sitting in a chair at an outdoor cafe. She wore a flowing white summer dress, her hair naturally curled and dancing in the wind. She hoped that the image would bring some warmth and comfort to Spencer, a reminder of happier times and their love.

Moreover, Molly made a point to call every day a team member who was on visit duty, asking for details about Spencer's well-being and what they talked about during their visit. What was he saying? Is he okay?

.................................

As JJ gingerly handed her the crayon drawing, Molly felt her heart swell with emotion. There they were, depicted in vibrant hues on the crisp white paper: Henry, with his infectious smile and wild imagination; Spencer, his gentle eyes filled with warmth and love; and herself, standing beside them, her hand intertwined with Spencer's as they stood beneath the shade of a towering oak tree.

Tears welled in Molly's eyes as she traced the lines of the drawing.

"It's beautiful," Molly murmured, her voice thick with emotion as she looked up at JJ, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Thank you for showing me this."

JJ smiled softly, her gaze filled with understanding. "He's quite the artist, isn't he?"

Molly nodded, a small smile gracing her lips as she wiped away a stray tear. "He really is."

...................................

Molly was sitting at the table, lost in thought. It was Saturday, and later she was going to spend some time with Diana. She sat with her cup of tea when she heard a knock at the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw Garcia.

"Hey," Molly greeted, opening the door and letting her in.

"Hi, honey," Garcia responded, her expression filled with worry.

"What happened?" Molly inquired, concerned as she let Garcia in.

Garcia let out a sigh as she sank onto the couch.

"Penelope... What happened?"

At that moment, tears welled up in Garcia's eyes, and her usually bubbly personality seemed to vanish.

"Didn't you go see Reid today?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, I did," Garcia replied, feeling a sense of unease creeping over her.

"What's wrong? Is he okay?" Molly pressed, her concern growing.

"Molly..." Garcia began, her voice wavering.

"Please just tell me. I feel like nobody is telling me anything. I just want to help," Molly pleaded, her anxiety mounting.

"He's hurt," Garcia finally revealed, her words heavy with sorrow.

"Hurt?" Molly repeated, her heart sinking.

"Yeah... pretty badly... He got beat up," Garcia confirmed, her voice filled with anguish.

Molly's stomach churned, and she dropped onto the couch, feeling overwhelmed by a rush of emotions.

"I already talked to Luke, because I was about to go to the warden's office. Spencer should be in protective custody..." Garcia explained.

"He's not in protective custody?" Molly interrupted, her voice filled with disbelief.

Molly's heart plummeted like a stone, the weight of the news settling heavily in her chest. It felt as though a physical blow had knocked the breath from her lungs, leaving her gasping for air amidst the suffocating sense of disbelief.

"No, he wasn't at least. Luke said he's going to take care of it and do something," Garcia reassured, her voice tinged with concern.

But Garcia's attempt at reassurance offered little comfort in the face of such dire news. Molly could see the worry etched in her friend's expression. The overwhelming sense of dread gripped her.

As Garcia reached out to embrace her, Molly felt like she was drowning in a sea of despair. The weight of the situation bore down on her, threatening to crush her beneath its unbearable burden.

Tears streamed down Molly's cheeks. Each tear that fell deepened her heartache, a raw pain gnawing at her insides.

Unable to find the words to express her anguish, Molly buried her face in her hands, her sobs muffled against her palms.

Garcia's attempt at comfort was met with a silent, desperate embrace. "I'm so sorry, Molly. But Spencer is strong. He's going to be okay," Garcia murmured softly.

Despite Garcia's words, Molly couldn't shake the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't just about whether Spencer would physically survive this ordeal—it was about the toll it would take on his spirit.

Even if Spencer emerged physically unscathed and regained his freedom, Molly knew deep down that he would never be the same.

The scars left by this harrowing experience would penetrate his soul, forever altering the fabric of his being.

................................

In the ensuing weeks, the torrent of misfortune continued to pour down upon them.

It was weeks later when Molly learned from the team that one of Spencer's friends had been brutally murdered right in front of him. The news hit her like a sledgehammer to the chest, leaving her reeling with shock and disbelief.

She couldn't comprehend why they had kept this information from her for so long. It wasn't as if she could change what had happened; all she wanted was to be kept in the loop, to share in the burden of knowledge. Yet, even that small solace was denied to her.

As the days dragged on with no breakthroughs in the hunt for Scratch, Molly felt her hope dwindling with each passing moment. Every day seemed to bring new challenges and fresh heartache, leaving her feeling utterly powerless in the face of adversity.

The weight of uncertainty bore down on her shoulders like a leaden mantle, threatening to crush her beneath its oppressive burden.

Amidst the chaos and turmoil, there was one silver lining: Diana. Despite the storm raging outside, she remained a beacon of light and stability in Molly's life. Their bond grew stronger with each passing day, and the moments they spent together brought a sense of peace and tranquility amidst the chaos.

Yet, even in the midst of their moments of respite, Molly couldn't shake the haunting image of Spencer's fear-stricken face from her mind.

He rarely admitted when he was scared, preferring to bear the weight of his burdens alone. But to Molly, he had always been willing to show his vulnerabilities, to seek solace in her embrace.

She knew how much he despised feeling helpless and dependent, and the thought of him enduring such torment tore at her heartstrings.

#keep holding on #spencer reid x oc #spencer reid angst

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lonelywriter2710 · 1 month

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Better Things - A Deep Dive into the Life of Sam Fox

Better Things is not just a show; it's an intimate exploration of life’s messiness through the lens of Sam Fox, a single mother juggling her career while raising three daughters.

Context: Created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K., Better Things premiered on FX and ran for five seasons from 2016 to 2022. The show, starring Adlon, is semi-autobiographical, drawing from her own experiences as a mother and actress.

Expectations: As someone who’s 18/19 years old, I was specifically looking for a show with a primarily female cast that I hadn't watched before. The premise of a single mother raising three daughters intrigued me even more. Being close in age to Max, Frankie, and Duke made it easier for me to relate to their experiences, and I was curious to see how the show would depict the complexities of growing up and the dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship.

Plot Summary (Without Spoilers)

Overview: Better Things centres around Sam Fox, an actress and single mother, as she navigates the ups and downs of life in Los Angeles. The plot is less about a linear story and more about the everyday experiences of Sam and her daughters, each at different stages of growing up.

Setting & Premise: Set in LA, the series captures the chaotic yet loving environment of Sam’s home life, her professional struggles, and her relationship with her eccentric mother, Phil.

Key Characters:

Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon): A fiercely independent woman balancing motherhood and acting.

Max, Frankie, and Duke: Her three daughters, each with their own quirks and challenges.

Phil (Celia Imrie): Sam’s free-spirited British mother, who lives next door.

Analysis

Storytelling & Script: The narrative structure of Better Things is unconventional, often feeling more like a series of vignettes than a traditional plot-driven story. This approach perfectly mirrors the unpredictability of real life. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and deeply authentic, capturing the nuances of family dynamics.

Direction: Pamela Adlon, who also directs many episodes, brings a personal touch to the show. Her direction is intimate and often unfiltered, allowing moments to unfold naturally. Adlon’s ability to capture the mundane yet meaningful aspects of life is where Better Things truly shines.

Performances: Adlon’s portrayal of Sam is nothing short of remarkable. She embodies the role with a blend of toughness and vulnerability that feels incredibly real. The supporting cast, particularly Celia Imrie as Phil and the young actresses playing her daughters, delivers strong performances that add depth and texture to the show.

Cinematography & Visuals: The visual style of Better Things is understated yet effective. The camera work often feels close and personal, which complements the show's intimate tone. The use of natural lighting and real-life settings enhances the authenticity of the series.

Sound & Music: The soundtrack is eclectic, featuring a mix of contemporary and classic tracks that perfectly match the tone of each episode. The use of music is subtle but impactful, often amplifying the emotional weight of a scene.

Themes & Messages (Spoilers)

Supernatural Elements

A unique and recurring theme in Better Things is the presence of the supernatural, magic, and superstition. The show integrates these elements in a way that adds depth to the characters and their experiences:

Beanie Boy Statue: At the top of their staircase, the Beanie Boy statue serves as a ritualistic object that each character touches before going upstairs or downstairs. This statue, which symbolises a connection to the supernatural, is smashed in Season 5 but is replaced by a new one in the finale, underscoring its continued significance.

Ghosts & Illusions: Duke, in particular, has a connection to the supernatural. She frequently sees ghosts, including the spirit of her deceased grandfather, whom she never met. This supernatural thread is further emphasised by Sam, who also experiences illusions of her father talking to her. The show portrays these experiences with a blend of reverence and casual acceptance, reflecting the family's belief in the supernatural.

Tarot Readings: Duke uses tarot readings as a means of communicating with spirits, adding another layer to the show's exploration of magic and superstition. This practice is portrayed as an integral part of her character and her relationship with the unseen world.

Family Beliefs: All the key female characters in Better Things share a belief in the supernatural, which influences their actions and interactions. This collective belief in the mystical and magical aspects of life adds an intriguing layer to their personal and familial dynamics.

Motherhood & Identity

At its core, Better Things is a meditation on motherhood and the struggle to maintain a sense of self while caring for others. It tackles themes like ageing, the pressure of societal expectations, and the joys and frustrations of raising children.

Artistic Expression

One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about Better Things is its artistic implementation. The creative nature of Sam, who is not only an actress but also skilled in playing the piano and singing, permeates through to her daughters. Max excels in photography and dabbles in ceramics, ballet, and piano. Frankie explores singing, piano, and some emotive acting, while Duke delves into ballet, piano, and shows promise in writing and poetry. The artistic inclinations of each daughter are clearly influenced by Sam, highlighting how her passion for the arts is an integral part of their upbringing. This artistic thread running through the family adds a rich layer to their characters and emphasises the role of creativity in self-expression and coping with life’s challenges.

Artistic Spaces & Costuming

The show beautifully showcases the importance of artistic expression through the design of the family’s living spaces. Each daughter’s room is surrounded by art and colour, reflecting their unique personalities and artistic interests. The rest of the house is vibrant and full of creative energy, allowing each female character to express herself freely. The costuming of the daughters also plays a significant role in defining their characters. Max’s outfits are more revealing, reflecting her teenage rebellion and exploration of identity. Frankie’s wardrobe is nerdy and conservative, aligning with her introspective and thoughtful nature. Duke’s clothing is childish yet stylish, capturing her youthful exuberance and emerging sense of self. I found myself taking inspiration from the varied and realistic costume choices, as they add depth to each character and ground them in the realities of growing up.

Sam's costuming sharply contrasts with that of the other characters in the show, particularly her family, who tend to dress in flamboyant, vibrant outfits. In contrast, Sam adopts a practical, understated style typical of a busy mom, often favouring toned-down or muted colours. However, she accessorises with boho-style rings, necklaces, and boots, which add a personal touch to her look. The idea behind Sam's less attention-grabbing clothing could be her desire to avoid being recognized in public. Although she rose to fame at a young age, her career has since declined, but she still occasionally receives attention from strangers. By maintaining a more subdued style, she makes herself less recognizable. She often wears sunglasses, further enhancing her anonymity

Puberty & Growing Up

The show intricately explores the theme of growing up, particularly through the lens of Sam’s daughters:

Seasons 1-3: Focus on Max's development into adulthood, capturing the turbulent journey from adolescence to early adulthood.

Seasons 2-4: Highlight Frankie's evolution as they start to care more about those around them, learning to respect and appreciate others more.

Seasons 4-5: Center on Duke, at the cusp of 13, where the onset of puberty brings mood swings and behaviours that echo the earlier experiences of Max and Frankie.

The show portrays the challenges and changes that come with each daughter's growth, reflecting the cyclical nature of parenting through different stages.

Family Dynamics

Sam has a unique parenting style with each of her daughters.

Max: the eldest daughter, is moody, dramatic, and rebellious, often clashing with Sam over various issues. These include Sam’s permissive attitude towards smoking marijuana, allowing a keg of beer at Max’s graduation party when she was only 17 or 18, and the financial burdens Sam faces, such as supporting her family and paying alimony to Xander. While Sam does scold and argue with Max, she ultimately understands that Max is a teenager finding her way. Sam doesn’t get overly angry when Max defies her, recognizing that this rebellion is part of Max’s journey towards independence. When Max leaves for college in Chicago, their relationship reaches a high point as Max begins to mature. However, this period of harmony is short-lived. After just one semester, Max moves back home, choosing to pursue her passion for photography while working a part-time job and living rent-free at Sam’s house. As Max starts working, she begins to see eye-to-eye with Sam on many things, finally understanding the importance of earning money and the challenges her mother faces. This newfound appreciation deepens after Max’s father abandons her before graduation, making her realise that Sam is the only parental figure she truly needs. In the final season, their relationship gains a new layer of complexity when Max has an abortion. Max hides this from Sam for much of the season while taking on more adult responsibilities, such as trying to rent an apartment and guiding Duke through her mood swings and bad behaviour. When Max tells Sam that she’s staying in London, it signifies to Sam that Max has finally grown into an adult capable of making her own decisions, though Sam will always worry about her. Sam never imposes the stereotypical expectations of being the eldest daughter onto Max. Instead, she allows Max to be authentically herself, without the pressure to care for her younger siblings or serve as a role model.

Frankie: Sam’s relationship with Frankie, her middle child, is far more complex. Frankie is strong-willed, rude, and unfiltered, often overwhelming Sam with her bluntness. As the genius of the family, Frankie skipped grades and graduated two years early—an achievement Sam finds endearing, though Frankie sees it as no big deal. Frankie often educates Sam on social, cultural, and political matters, which can sometimes overwhelm or even offend her mother. While Sam usually refrains from scolding Frankie for speaking her mind, others—like Phil, Sam’s friends, and even some strangers—suggest that Frankie should be more considerate when addressing her mother. This external criticism adds to Frankie’s insecurities. At the end of Season 3, Frankie runs away from home without any apparent reason, leaving Sam worried sick. Despite her concern, Sam chooses to give Frankie the freedom to make her own choices, understanding that pushing her too hard might drive her away even further. Frankie partially realises that her actions were wrong, but she often struggles with apologising for her behaviour. As Frankie matures, she begins to defend Sam against critics, including Max and Duke. She also starts guiding Duke, as their closer age gap allows for a stronger bond than she shares with Max. Among the three daughters, Frankie is the one who tries the hardest to connect with their father, possibly due to her strained relationship with Max or her naturally rebellious nature. Although she often forgives her dad for his mistakes, she always sides with her mom. After graduation, Frankie finds herself unsure of her next steps, symbolising her development from a stern 13-year-old who seemed sure of her path to a confused 16-year-old who is learning that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Duke: Sam’s relationship with Duke, her youngest daughter, is the most positive among the three, largely because Duke hasn’t yet reached puberty. Sam often refers to Duke as the “favourite child” due to her kind, caring, and open nature—not just towards Sam, but to everyone she meets. While Duke occasionally argues with her sisters, particularly Frankie, Sam usually sides with her, likely due to Duke’s age, which sometimes causes Frankie to feel jealous. Duke shares Sam’s passion for animals and is often seen with their pets more than her sisters. She also believes in spirits and claims to see the ghost of her grandfather, whom she never met, mirroring Sam’s own experiences with illusions of her father. However, Duke has a hidden rude side, often cursing and insulting others while maintaining a perfect image in front of her mom. Duke’s transition into puberty, which begins in Season 5, is brief but dramatic. She starts to resemble a younger Max, yet Duke struggles with bad mental health and self-image issues. She develops a vaping habit, which others frequently scold her for, and her once cheerful demeanour becomes more negative and depressive, leading to further isolation. This stark contrast from the Duke of previous seasons reflects the turmoil she’s experiencing. In the final season, Sam and Duke’s relationship is less prominently featured, partly due to the earlier focus on it and Duke’s growing desire for independence. However, in the last two episodes, Duke begins to regain some clarity and direction during their time in London, reconnecting with her past interests and appreciating the world more than she did before.`

Empowerment

Sam’s journey is one of empowerment, as she learns to navigate the challenges of life on her own terms.

LGBTQ+ Identity

The show also touches on themes of LGBTQ+ identity, particularly through characters and subplots that explore sexual orientation and gender identity. This exploration adds depth to the narrative, reflecting broader societal conversations about identity and acceptance.

Sexual and Racial Identity

Better Things addresses issues of sexual and racial identity, using its characters and storylines to delve into the complexities of these themes. The portrayal of these aspects is nuanced and contributes to the show’s exploration of personal and social identity.

Culture and Mental Health

The show provides a candid look at mental health, incorporating it into the everyday struggles of its characters. Cultural influences also play a role, enriching the narrative with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Character Analysis: Phil Fox

Phil's Charm and Complexity

Phil Fox, Sam's eccentric mother, is a deeply loved character due to her charm, humor, and talkative persona. Despite her endearing qualities, she embodies the type of mother that many daughters would find challenging, as illustrated by her complex relationship with Sam. Over the seasons, as Phil’s health declines, Sam’s role shifts to becoming her primary caregiver, which complicates their dynamic but also leads to a deeper mutual respect.

Phil's Background and Relationships

Phil's relationship with Sam's late father, who was a comedian and influenced Sam’s acting career, adds depth to her character. Phil married Sam’s father for his humour, and while it's suggested that she may have had affairs during their marriage, these details remain ambiguous. Phil seldom reminisces about her husband unless prompted, often criticising his family, likely due to her estrangement from her own Liverpool-based family after marrying a Jewish man in America. This background contributes to her unconscious bias against her late husband's Jewish side of the family and a greater respect for her British roots.

Role as a Grandparent and Critic

Phil’s role as a grandmother includes moments where she scolds her grandchildren for their perceived lack of respect toward Sam. Her criticisms extend to her late husband, Xander, whom she derides as a "deadbeat" and blames Sam for staying with and having children with him. This critical perspective highlights Phil’s often conflicting attitudes towards family and relationships.

Character Development

In Season 2, Episode "Phil," Phil acknowledges Sam’s efforts by expressing her pride and gratitude, especially after Phil’s poor memory leads to an accident. This episode marks a poignant moment where Phil’s vulnerabilities are laid bare, and Sam’s care for her mother is underscored. Phil’s acknowledgment of Sam’s support and her subsequent accident, which leads her to seek comfort in a hospital, illustrate the complexity of their relationship and Phil’s need for security and validation.

Character Flaws & Hypocrisy

Sam's Affair

A significant and subtle flaw in Sam’s character is her ongoing affair with a married man, which runs from Season 1 to Season 3. This relationship starkly contrasts with her strong advocacy for her female friends to leave their unsatisfactory marriages. Her past marriage to Xander, which ended in failure and resulted in her becoming a single mother, informs her stance on marriage, yet her actions reveal a troubling hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in Action

Despite being a vocal critic of unhappy marriages and advocating for women to leave their husbands, Sam's own behaviour contradicts this. She maintains an affair with a married man without regard for his wife, whom she does not know. This duplicity becomes more apparent when Sam meets the man's wife, Laney, in Season 4, Episode "New Orleans." The encounter is tense and showcases Laney’s suspicion about Sam and her husband’s relationship.

“New Orleans” Episode

During this episode, Sam and the man walk through the streets of New Orleans while discussing his departure from his wife. His justification—that she knew he didn’t want to be there—allows Sam to accept the situation without apparent guilt. The scene, in which they smoke cigarettes together, further symbolises Sam’s toxic behaviour and her failure to address her own moral inconsistencies.

Self-Reflection

Sam’s affair and her reactions to it underscore her inner conflict and hypocrisy. While she champions women’s independence and criticises flawed marriages, her involvement in a secretive and morally questionable relationship highlights a significant personal contradiction. This hypocrisy adds complexity to her character, making her a flawed yet deeply human protagonist.

Season 5: Episode "England"

Liverpool and London

In Season 5, Episode "England," the Fox family travels to Liverpool, where Phil grew up. Phil reconnects with her old friend Ben and begins working in his pub, suggesting a close but ambiguously defined relationship. The nature of their bond—whether romantic or platonic—is left unclear, but their deep connection is evident. Meanwhile, Max chooses to rent a spare room in her cousin's flat in London, symbolising her search for independence and a new start.

Max's Abortion and Transition

At the beginning of Season 5, Max undergoes an abortion, a decision that profoundly affects her sense of direction. Her move to London represents a physical and emotional escape from her past, reflecting her state of being lost and her desire to forge a new path.

Sam's Reaction

Sam is visibly shocked by Max and Phil's decisions. While she ultimately accepts their choices, she also warns them about the implications of their new paths. Sam’s acceptance of their decisions, despite her initial shock, underscores her evolving understanding of her daughters' needs and the complexities of their individual journeys.

Additional Topics

There are many other aspects of Better Things worth discussing, including Sam’s complex relationship with her brother, the differing treatment of Sam and her brother by Phil, Sam’s lingering sexual feelings towards women

Favourite Episodes

Season 1: My favourite episode from Season 1 is "Future Fever." This episode brilliantly captures the anxieties and uncertainties of looking forward to what the future holds, something I deeply relate to at my age.

Season 2: Season 2 is packed with standout episodes. "September," "Phil," "Eulogy," "Arnold Hall," "White Rock," and "Graduation" each left a significant impact on me, particularly with how they delve into family bonds, loss, and personal growth.

Season 3: "The Unknown" from Season 3 is a personal favourite. The way it explores the concept of the unknown in both literal and metaphorical senses is profound and moving.

Season 4: Season 4 offers several favourites: "She’s Fifty," "DNA," "New Orleans," "High Man Bye Man," "Fathers Day," and "Batcenera." Each episode in this season highlights crucial moments in Sam’s life and the lives of her daughters, making them incredibly memorable.

Season 5: The final season has gems like "Fuck Anatoly's Mom," "Ephemera," "The World is Mean Right Now," "England," and "We Are Not Alone." These episodes beautifully wrap up the series, with poignant reflections on life, legacy, and the ties that bind us.

Personal Reflection

Watching as an 18/19-Year-Old: Watching Better Things as an 18, nearly 19-year-old was a reflective experience. At the start of the series, Max (Mikey Madison) is 15, Frankie (Hannah Alligood) is 11, and Duke (Olivia Edward) is 8. Being older than each character in Season 1 allowed me to see my younger self in their struggles and growth. By the end of the show, each character has aged by five years, mirroring my own transition into adulthood. This passage of time made me more appreciative of the subtleties of growing up and the challenges of navigating relationships with family, especially in light of Sam’s complex and flawed character.

#better things #sam fox #max fox #frankie fox #duke fox #pamela adlon #mikey madison #hannah alligood #olivia edward #phil fox #celia imrie #better things review #tv show review

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