#indira point

[thirteens-pocket-watch]

I may be clowning but I hope we get a Torchwood reference in the ep with Indira Varma

[theinfinitedivides]

how does this man never disappoint me. what is in the water

[impval]

slowest heart

omega!Cate Dunlap x fem!alpha reader Warnings: a/b/o, mentions of rape.

Yeah, Godolkin is chaos incarnate. A bunch of young supers with so much freedom at Godolkin - it's like a recipe straight out of a reality TV show. It's like they wanted the place to turn into a teen drama. The idea of a deadly virus that could wipe out all the supers? In a world where superpowered beings are treated like celebrities and tools and threats, it was only a matter of time before shit like this happened.

Indira wanted to kill all the supes?

Oh goddamnit, no way, the villain is British? Fuck, what a damn stereotype.

When Jordan and their girlfriend came to you seeking your help, it was hard to focus on anything but Cate. Why would she get involved in something like this? Was she coerced? Blackmailed?

You like Cate.

You had always been drawn to people like her - sharp, powerful. Despite being an omega, Cate's powers and status meant that she was rarely, if ever, belittled or diminished due to her biology. People respected (feared) her.

Back when Luke was alive, you respected Cate's decision to be with him, even if you thought their relationship was a bit strange. They seemed more like a pretty picture than a real, happy couple. But after he died, you didn’t want to impose on her grief. Who hits on an omega right after her boyfriend died? It just felt wrong. So you kept your distance.

Experiments, Vought, the Woods.

You knew why Jordan and Marie approached you. You were possibly the only person on the planet who couldn't be mind-controled. The perks of your power. Jordan and Marie deal with Sam, and you..

In a timeline where all of this never happened, where this shitshow never started, you would never have met Cate. And everything would be so different. Carnage. Blood. Death. A missing arm. In another universe, you never would've been born.

But you were in this universe. The one where you did exist.

When you saw Cate, you knew instantly what Jordan was rambling about. The blood, the madness, raw and untempered, in her eyes. Now you could believe that she had killed Dean Shetty. You better understood now just why Jordan was so reluctant to deal with her and her power. The omega was terrifying, with a determination in her eyes that could only be halted by violence.

Or a alpha.

Heats. Just one word. And all it brought with it. The sweat, the pain, the lust. The loss of control that came with it. Cate had experienced all her heats on her own - because she was locked away in a room. Then it was her choice. Every single damn time. Even when Luke gave a gentle offer. Even when the alphas stared at her with hungry lust.

This time, Cate had ignored the symptoms - the aches, the need - because let's be real. With Luke dead, with Indira and her orders, she had bigger things to worry about than a simple heat. Cate wasn't going to let her own biology or desires distract her - because she sure as hell didn't deserve anything good. Not after all the crap she had done. The death, the pain. Cate didn't want this, but who gave a fuck?

Cate had come so goddamn close. If she held on just a little bit longer, a little bit longer, a goddamn bit longer...the Woods would be empty, just as she wanted. A pathetic, cheap version of redemption. That was all Cate could really do.

Her scent was not that of a sweet, submissive omega. Nothing fragile, nothing warm, nothing easy. Her scent was sharp, demanding, heavy, dominant. Screaming and loud.

She picked up on your scent long before you were even in front of her, eyes widening in quiet surprise as your scent washes over her. Alpha. Alpha, dammit. Honestly, you're way too soft for an alpha. Or lazy, but that depends on perspective. You've never seen the point in fighting for power, dominance, status. And you have never been on-board with the Stone Age alpha-omega bullshit.

As an alpha, you could pay no attention to the whole mess.

But Cate is an omega, and she could not. She had lived her whole life fighting for her own freedom, her safety, and her own body. Maybe it was that, that made her start spitting out threats the moment she saw you, baring her fangs. Like a wild animal.

Or was it your scent. It was soft - nothing like the dominating, heady scents of other alphas. Despite the fact you are, a goddamn alpha. And if Cate had paid better attention to her own body, the all signs - she would never have gotten into a situation that was basically every omega’s nightmare.

Looks like the epic battle is going to have to wait for a different time.

It's ironic that Cate was such a walking, talking disaster that a mere minute with you - a minute of conversation - was the only thing she needed to have her heat suddenly flare up, nearly bringing her to her knees.

No.

"No," Cate gasps, even as her hands curl around your shoulders. Her skin's clammy beneath your touch. "No," she repeats more firmly, even as her body arches against your chest.

Cate is afraid. She is well aware of, knows exactly what most alphas do to omegas. How the hell they use them as playthings. She had not wanted an alpha. Not even Luke, and despite how terrified it made her, a part of her was actually relieved when he died.

Her back strains as if trying to arch away from you and even her skin looks inflamed, the flushed skin of her face spreading all the way down her exposed neck.

She's so fragile in your arms, so impossibly light. Too thin, too bony, too weak. And fuck - you had never been a fan of Luke, but you had thought, believed that he mattered to her. That he cared. Apparently you were incorrect, he had clearly not given a fuck, because...

Her scent is bitter - the sharp tang of fear, of horror, and all the madness, the raging fire that had been flaming in her only a blink of an eye ago, has vanished suddenly. Your own alpha instincts are going wild.

Protect, claim, guard, mine, mine, mine.

This entire situation is so wrong.

Cate hates feeling weak and helpless like this. She can barely move, let alone control the pathetic whimper that drags itself out her throat as she's laid down. She doesn't want to be here. Cate knows you, understands that for some damn reason, her powers do not work on you. You are the singular person who is safe and who is immune to her powers and, what's worse - you're an alpha.

The room smelled entirely of you, it was your damn room, after all.

When you return with a pills and water, a flash of fear appears in Cate's eyes, and she starts to sit up - only to sink back against the sheets with a bitten-off cry.

There was so much of Cate in the room, her heat, the scent of omega that it took all of your will-power to not react. You moved away the moment you placed the pills and the bottle of water on the bed, ensuring there was distance between you and her - letting her at least keep the illusion of security.

Cate stares up at you, lips parted, breathing heavy and ragged as she tries not to let the pain show across her expression. She hates being so exposed, so vulnerable. You could do anything to her, and all she can do - all she's capable of - is lie here and take it.

And yet you don't do anything. You retreat, you give her space.

Fuck it all to hell. You could always just, leave - lock her in your room and go somewhere far away. Somewhere where you can’t smell the heat in her scent, or hear the whimpers, but for whatever damn reason - you don’t. Must be a sadist, because you are both suffering.

No demands, no commands. Despite your physical power, you're not using it over her. Maybe you're just biding your time, but you don't act like it, smell like it. Your scent is soothing, a warm blanket, a promise of comfort and safety.

Cate's breath trembles as she tears her gaze away. She takes a deep breath before pushing herself up on her hands. Despite her obvious pain, she tries to sit up straight. Cate has a fucking genocide to start, an entire revolution (a carnage) - but she is stuck in the cage of her own biology. What a shame.

The pack of pills in her hands do look like painkillers. The name is familiar, the look is familiar. She takes a couple and washes them down with water, praying it's not a trap.

It's not a trap.

Ten minutes later, Cate's trembling somewhat eases. The pain's still there, but it's numbed enough to be more of a dull ache. It's also enough for her to realise that you're still sitting there, and her tongue feels thick and heavy in her mouth.

All this time you work through every single damn breathing exercise you know, counting sheep, and trying not to think about Cate on your bed. You want to touch her. You long to take away her pain, caress away her suffering and mark that lovely neck of hers. You would be so goddamn good to her. Better than Luke, better than anyone.

But you continue to stay seated on the cold, uncomfortable floor.

"You're...not gonna touch me?" Cate asks quietly, and she'd be embarrassed by how weak and broken she sounds if she wasn't already overwhelmed by everything else.

You have helped other omegas in heat before - lend a helping hand. However, it was always at the consent, the request of the omega. You have never understood - cannot comprehend the alphas who have taken, without caring about others, disregarding the pain, the tears of their omegas.

Despite how loudly your instincts are roaring, demanding that you take her, you don't even move or try to touch Cate when she's made it so clear that she's terrified of it. You briefly wonder over why Cate is so terrified of you, of alphas (?). You truly don't want to think on the sickening possibility that it's from personal experience.

Your hands have clenched in your lap as you take a shaky breath, trying to stay in control. “You said no."

No.

One word. A simple, but powerful.

It's been a long time since Cate's had any sort of positive experience with an alpha. Luke, of course, was an alpha, but he was...well, Luke. He was with her only for status. In a way, he was using her. This is the order of things.

Cate has always known this.

Her own mother, a cruel, indifferent alpha who did nothing to soothe her daughter’s suffering. The media that has forever painted omegas as helpless and empty. The arrogant alphas on campus who would leer, smirk. Only Cate’s power, her status, and Luke’s status had provided her any form of protection.

Twelve (?) minutes ago Cate had been screaming threats and insults at you. It is obvious that Cate is crazy. It would be logical for you to do what every other damn alpha would do, subdue and take the bitchy omega, force her into compliance. Claim her and make damn sure that she doesn’t cause further problems.

She doesn't know what to say, much less how. Her brain's still half-melted, but there's one thought that just keeps repeating in her head.

safe safe safe

Safe? There’s no such thing as safe, never will be again. Not after what she did. Broken, broken, broken. Twisted and ugly. Pathetic.

But being here, in your bed, in your presence, is safe enough to allow her body to relax, just slightly to ease some of the cramping and tension. The pain still lurks, just waiting to rise at the first sign of any stress, and Cate isn't about to test her luck.

You can notice it even now, in the midlle of her heat. Cate is not okay, not okay at all. A heavy feeling settles deeply in your stomach. You should had asked Jordan more questions.

But you can begin now, and you’ve always wanted to get to know her.

Cate was with Luke, but he had never marked her. And then he'd died and it had turned out she was sleeping with Andre, but not once was your eyes drawn to the sweet, unmarked skin of her neck.

You swallow and can't hold in your damn curiosity any longer. “Why didn’t Luke mark you? You guys looked perfect together."

Luke and Cate seemed like the perfect couple. The most popular couple at God-U. The golden couple. Everyone looked up to them, and Cate would lie and pretend that her relationship with Luke meant anything at all. It was only Indira who had demanded, ordered her to be with him. Maybe Luke had instinctively known that she was manipulating him. Perhaps that’s why he had never marked her.

Now that she thinks about it, it's funny how much of her life was filled with lying.

"Appearances are deceptive," Cate mutters quietly, forcing herself to keep her breathing even.

Her mother locked her away, afraid of her power, of her touch. Indira had been kinder. She had touched her with such kindness, with a gentle smile. But she had also pushed Cate over the edge time after time - erasing memories, hurting and breaking people again and again. Cate had always been a needy, desperate, touch-hungry omega, yet it was Indira who had molded her into a pathetic, truly broken creature.

Cate can't help but scoff. If Luke had known how much of a manipulative psycho she really was, he'd never have touched her. No one wants that kind of crazy.

Cate's hands clench in the blankets, nails digging into her palms as she tries to calm her breathing. It's hard to remain calm when she still has a raging heat, and even just the thought of a mate triggers her instincts.

“Why…Why did you get in my way?” the question hangs in the air.

Why hadn’t you just stayed away, why had you even searched for her, why hadn’t you let her fall into madness?

Why are you looking at her so softly?

“Well, I would’ve missed this entire party, but Jordan literally stormed into the classroom, dragged me right out of there." you answer honestly. "They were so nervous, like the apocalypse was about to start."

Cate wants to scream and laugh. Indira truly did love her, it was true. She loved her, used her, and abused her trust. Yet Cate had chosen not to trust Indira, but instead her own friends, and where are they all now?

For those she called friends, Cate was nothing but a freak, a monster, a feral animal. They couldn’t even fucking face her. Of course they threw you at her. You, who couldn't be controlled by Cate.

Truly, Jordan was her favorite, the only one who was even close to a friend. Andre only desired her, Luke saw her as a damn trophy, and Jordan… the beta was the only one of them who tried to understand Cate.

You see something dark pass over Cate’s face, as if something in her heart, her chest is breaking right in front of your eyes. It only lasts a second before she buries it behind a anger, and pure stubbornness.

“Did Jordan tell you? About the Woods? About the things humans do to us. And all that bullshit is right underneath us, right now,” Cate spits, her voice bitter.

Cut, electrocuted, injected with gods know what. Students were nothing more than lab rats, nothing but specimens to be studied.

You never realized that you could have been one of them. You could not be more grateful that your power was not more interesting, that you were just yourself. You were fine with stupid jokes and a somewhat stable psyche. Brink had never shown the slightest interest in you, and Indira hadn’t even looked your way.

But Cate was not so lucky.

You refuse to take your eyes off of her. “Yeah, they told me. They also said that they had a plan to deal with it,” you said, hoping that they really did know how to handle it. Anything was preferable to letting the traumatized students out of the fucking torture chamber.

Cate gives a strangled sound before pulling the blanket tightly around herself, hiding her face from your gaze. She was sweating, shaking in your bed, surrounded by pillows and a blanket that served as a makeshift nest.

Right.

"So..a killer virus?" you can't help but ask.

"I helped Indira. I did what she wanted. That’s why Luke is dead. He couldn’t handle all of the bullshit." Cate touches her head and you know what she means.

Jordan has given you the details. Mind control, erased memories. You can’t help but pity all of them, losing memories, literal pieces of their own selves is awful. It was even worse when it had been done to them by a friend, someone they’d thought they could trust.

"I didn't want this."

You say nothing. There’s nothing that you can say. After all, you can’t bring back the broken memories without the pain. Luke won’t return from the grave. It would be a still huge fucking mess.

So you just stay quiet.

An hour, maybe two had gone by and still no one had sent even a single text. At this point, it was getting dark and you had absolutely zero idea of what was going on outside of your safe bubble.

Cate was as quiet as possible, but she was unable to stop herself from a pained sound, or an occasional tear. Even with painkillers, this heat is horrible.

Maybe it's the heat, or the pain, or just the intense vulnerability of the moment.

"Why would you even here? If not to use me? I'm crazy." she's almost scowling, but she can't keep the tears from welling in her eyes. "I have issues. I'm damaged."

Your head snaps up quickly, surprised by the sudden question.

Oh god, Cate… is beautiful.

Even with her hair slick with sweat, eyes bloodshot and face pale, she’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever laid eyes on. She doesn’t need force to make you do anything, you do it all willingly, on your own accord, of your own free will.

Your entire body, aching from the hard, cold floor, and desire. So desperate, so close to her. You lick your dry lips.

You hadn’t given her a second thought, back then. It was the incident, that’s what had made you notice Cate.

"We used to have a class together, you know? We sat next to each other, but we never spoke. I'm not even sure if you remember that I was there."

Two alphas flirted with you. Lots of muscles but not a single thought in damn head. One of them started grabbing you, right in class, like this was the norm. And you didn’t even blink, you dealt with them so quickly, that I didn’t have a chance to open my mouth. All it had taken was a single touch to you to get them to beat themselves between the legs down at the sports ground. And you just continued to read your book. I can remember thinking at the time: wow, what a damn shame she is with Luke, I totally would have asked her out.

Cate is looking at you, really looking at you.

You…

You remember that?

For Cate, it was just one of many occasions where she used her powers as a tool. It was a way to gain more popularity. To make herself look tough and powerful.

But you remember it as the first day you saw her, as the first time you became interested in her as an omega.

"You like me?"

Goddamn it, you didn’t want to say it, but you wanted to be honest with her. Your cheeks are burning red and you nod. “Yeah…I tried not to press you. You’re so… independent. Even when you were with Luke, you looked like you hated the idea of anyone having any power or control over you.”

It wasn’t just that she hated anyone having power over her. It’s more like she was so used to people trying to get control of her that even Luke’s very existence felt oppressive.

"I don’t like people telling me what to do." Cate mutters.

Even with her powers, she felt like she couldn’t be her own person. Even when she had all the power, she still felt helpless.

"I’m a difficult omega."

You can't help but laugh a little. "I’m a a weird alpha."

Part of her finds it amusing. Part of her finds it very attractive.

"You are a weird alpha." she agrees, giving you a slight smirk.

It is this realization that finally helps her to relax.

You want her, yearning for her. Cate knows what to do with you, how to use your want, your need, your desperation. Even immune to her power, you are still alpha.

Luke is dead, Indira is gone too, Andre doesn’t want to even look at her. Let Jordan and Marie deal with the Woods and all the consequences.

Cate, on the other hand...Cate can just let go.

"Come here."

Oh god. You weren’t expecting this-

But how could you possibly resist, when Cate looks at you with those eyes and asks (orders)?

You rise, your legs a little sore from the hard floor, moving in towards the bed, step by step. Until you are stood at the bedside, and waiting for her response before you move any closer.

She’s expecting you to push her back onto the bed. She’s expecting you to force her to submit, to tell her what to do.

But of course, you don’t do that. Instead, you hesitate, almost awkwardly, waiting for her to tell you what to do.

Even when you’re standing above her, standing beside the bed, you’re so sweet and submissive.

She loves it more than she thought she would.

She pats the spot next to her.

"Sit."

Maybe, maybe Cate has found the one she's been looking for her whole life. A person, an alpha with whom she'll be safe.

Your heart is pounding in your chest, your pretty sure Cate can hear it. Your scent is mixing with hers and it just feels so… right.

You sit yourself down on the bed, still watching her, like a puppy waiting for a command.

Normally, Cate hates the way alphas smell. It’s a sharp, musky stench, like rotting meat. Like death.

But yours is different. It’s like cinnamon and firewood and honey all together. You smell like a home. A home that she just wants to get closer and closer to.

She scoots closer.

"Lie down."

Part of you just cannot believe that this is happening. That Cate, the girl you’ve wanted for such a long time, is looking at you like this now. The other, alpha, is singing - so ecstatic that she has finally noticed you.

Now you’re lying down, on your back. And Cate, despite being the omega of the two of you, is straddling you, sitting on top of you and looking down at you.

She’s not touching you yet. Her thighs are touching the sides of your hips. Cate is in complete control. And she isn’t even using her powers to do it.

She can see the way you are laying under her, unmoving. She leans down, her blonde hair falling forward and tickling across your face.

"Kiss me."

A simple order, and you follow it happily. Her lips brush against yours, tasting you.

You kiss her slowly, gently and lightly, your hands cupping her face. It feels so amazing to have her weight upon your body, to have her above you.

You don’t try to overpower her, to force into her mouth. You let her take control, like a good girl, and she can feel the way your body goes soft and relaxed under her. The sound of your lips against hers is the sweetest sound she’s ever heard.

Finally, she pulls back, panting, feeling the first waves of exhaustion. it’s not the right time, Cate thinks, annoyed at the timing.

Your lips are swollen, your pupils dilated wide. You are willing to give in, to be soft, pliable, obedient and give her everything she wants, everything she needs.

"Cate?"

“I’m…I’m fine. Just tired.” She admits, suddenly feeling a little bit weak and vulnerable in spite of her position on top of you.

Oh. Her heat must have taken a lot out of her, her body exhausted. She is sweaty, pale, and slightly shaking. You smile gently, stroking her cheek softly and reassuringly. “We can just lay together. Just sleep.”

For some reason, that’s exactly what she needs to hear. Cate is suddenly overcome with exhaustion when you say those words. Like just the reassurance of those few words was enough to release her from the stress.

Cate is in no rush. Now, with Indira gone, there will no longer be experiments. No more orders and violence. It will be just Cate and her life. If others want to deal with the mess, she let them.

And Cate...Cate will take what she wants.

She lets out a breath and suddenly lets herself soften, sinking down onto you so that her head is on your chest.

“Just sleep.” She agrees, nuzzling into you.

Her eyelids are so heavy. Suddenly, the exhaustion is all she can focus on. She’s not even aware of her own soft purring.

You wrap your arms around her, pulling her close, covering you both with the blanket. She’s unnaturally hot, and you know that her heat will very likely not go away until the early hours of the morning.

She’s been fighting her heat for this whole week. It’s been a struggle everyday to keep her body from acting up, to keep her mind in control. But now, she’s lying here, in your arms.

And finally, finally, she can sleep.

[hussyknee]

Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani’s Kitab al-Aghani records the lives of a number of individuals including one named Tuways who lived during the last years of Muhammad and the reigns of the early Muslim dynasties. Tuways was mukhannathun: those who were born as men, but who presented as female. They are described by al-Isfahani as wearing bangles, decorating their hands with henna, and wearing feminine clothing. One mukhannathun, Hit, was even in the household of the Prophet Muhammad. Tuways earned a reputation as a musician, performing for clients and even for Muslim rulers. When Yahya ibn al-Hakam was appointed as governor, Tuways joined in the celebration wearing ostentatious garb and cosmetics. When asked by the governor if he were Muslim Tuways affirmed his belief, proclaiming the declaration of faith and saying that he observes the fast of Ramadan and the five daily prayers. In other words, al-Isfahani, who recorded the life of a number of mukhannathun like Tuways, saw no contradiction between his gender expression and his Muslimness. From al-Isfahani we read of al-Dalal, ibn Surayj, and al-Gharid—all mukhannathun—who lived rich lives in early Muslim societies. Notably absent from al-Isfahani’s records is any state-sanctioned persecution. Instead, the mukhannathun are an accepted part of society.

...

Far from isolated cases, across Islamic history—from North Africa to South Asia—we see widespread acceptance of gender nonconforming and queer individuals. - Later in the Ottoman Empire, there were the köçek who were men who wore women’s clothing and performed at festivals. Formally trained in dance and percussion instruments, the köçek were an important part of social functions. A similar practice was found in Egypt. The khawal were male dancers who presented as female, wearing dresses, make up, and henna. Like their Ottoman counterparts, they performed at social events.

- In South Asia, the hijra were and are third-sex individuals. The term is used for intersex people as well as transgender women. Hijra are attested to among the earliest Muslim societies of South Asia where, according to Nalini Iyer, they were often guardians of the household and even held office as advisors.

- In Iraq, the mustarjil are born female, but present as men. In Wilfred Thesiger’s The Marsh Arabs the guide, Amara explains, “A mustarjil is born a woman. She cannot help that; but she has the heart of a man, so she lives like a man.” When asked if the mustarjil are accepted, Amara replies “Certainly. We eat with her and she may sit in the mudhif.” Amara goes on to describe how mustarjil have sex with women.

...

Historian Indira Gesink analyzed 41 medical and juristic sources between the 8th and 18th centuries and discovered that the discourse of a “binary sex” was an anachronistic projection backwards. Gesink points out in one of the earliest lexicography by the 8th century al-Khalil ibn Ahmad that he suggests addressing a male-presenting intersex person as ya khunathu and a female-presenting intersex person as ya khanathi while addressing an effeminate man as ya khunathatu. This suggests a clear recognition of a spectrum of sex and gender expression and a desire to address someone respectfully based on how they presented.

Tolerance of gender ambiguity and non-conformity in Islamic cultures went hand-in-hand with broader acceptance of homoeroticism. Texts like Ali ibn Nasir al-Katib’s Jawami al-Ladhdha, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani’s Kitab al-Aghani, and the Tunisian, Ahmad al-Tifashi’s Nuz’ha al-‘Albab attest to the widespread acceptance of same-sex desire as natural. Homoeroticism is a common element in much of Persian and Arabic poetry where youthful males are often the object of desire. From Abu Nuwas to Rumi, from ibn Ammar to Amir Khusraw, some of the Islamic world’s greatest poets were composing verses for their male lovers. Queer love was openly vaunted by poets. One, Ibn Nasr, immortalizes the love between two Arab lesbians Hind al Nu’man and al-Zarqa by writing:

“Oh Hind, you are truer to your word than men. Oh, the differences between your loyalty and theirs.”

...

Acceptance of same-sex desire and gender non-conformity was the hallmark of Islamic societies to such a degree that European travelers consistently remarked derisively on it. In the 19th century, Edward Lane wrote of the khawal: “They are Muslims and natives of Egypt. As they personate women, their dances are exactly of the same description as those of the ghawazee; and are, in like manner, accompanied by the sound of castanets.”

A similarly scandalized CS Sonnini writes of Muslim homoerotic culture:

“The inconceivable appetite which dishonored the Greeks and the Persians of antiquity, constitute the delight, or to use a juster term, the infamy of the Egyptians. It is not for women that their ditties are composed: it is not on them that tender caresses are lavished; far different objects inflame them.”

In his travels in the 19th century, James Silk Buckingham encounters an Afghan dervish shedding tears for parting with his male lover. The dervish, Ismael, is astonished to find how rare same-sex love was in Europe. Buckingham reports the deep love between Ismael and his lover quoting, “though they were still two bodies, they became one soul.”

...

Today, vocal Muslim critics of LGBTQ+ rights often accuse gay and queer people of imposing a “Western” concept or forcing Islam to adjust to “Western values” failing to grasp the irony of the claim: the shift in the 19th and 20th century was precisely an alignment with colonial values over older Islamic ones, all of which led to legal criminalization. In fact, the common feature among nations with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation isn’t Islam, but rather colonial law.

Don't talk to me I'm weeping. I'm not Muslim, but the grief of colonization runs in the blood of every Global South person. Dicovering these is like finding our lost treasures among plundered ruins.

Queer folk have always, always been here; we have always been inextricable, shining golden threads in the tapestry of human history. To erase and condemn us is to continue using the scalpel of colonizers in the mutilation and betrayal of our own heritage.

[smashorpassgilf]

I feel like more people need to understand that this blog is for people who look old by normal human standards and not just some dude with grey colored hair or someone who has passed (or has been assigned) a particular arbitrary age number.

It's been a running joke between my partner and I since I started this blog that half of y'all would puke if you saw the porn stars I watch. Like no shame in liking what you like! I understand, everyone's got a preference. But the point of this blog was to focus on older people, like Diana Rigg, John Cullum, Tina Turner, Udo Kier, and the likes, not like David Muir or Indira Varma. If you sort the spreadsheet by age, people over 90 are twice as likely to get a pass as someone in their 50s. I understand; you're afraid that they're too frail when they're older etc, but the whole idea of this blog was to introduce people to old people they haven't gotten to see yet.

I'm a bit biased, however. most of the old men I love to watch the careers of are well into their 70s.

[empthy1]

request^ reader helps Cate cope with her lost arm. angst, hurt/comfort. a lot of cuddles

cate is casually a biter and you cannot convince me otherwise. give that girl an arm while you're watching a movie and you'll have teethmarks by the end of it. 1.1k words.

“Fuck!”

Here we go again.

Cate’s vexed voice, in your ears and stinging like nettles, echoes across your Vought provided apartment, right in the tower. It’s too big for the two of you. The ceilings, high as Cate’s hackles, are unnerving compared to the comfort of your dorms. There, the ceiling pressed down at an appropriate height, the space enclosed and cradling you in painted drywall. Now you’re surrounded by concrete and polished stone, everything gleaming unnaturally under cool lights.

Another hiss from Cate echoes through the space, spurring movement from your prone form. This had never been a problem before—hm. The incident. A curling of shivers collects at the base of your neck and scurries down a taunt spine. Breathe. One, two. Help her.

You’ve made a habit of counting. Breaths, steps, meals.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven until you reach the generic door to your joined bathroom. It’s about four too many for comfort. Four too many than you’re used to.

“Catey?” Rings out with your knock, through the reenforced door to startle a tangled mess of clothes and human inside. “You okay?”

“Uhm—” The anxious note, echoing defensively is commonplace at this point. Her voice keeps its shake through most days—today no exception, unfortunately. “N—yea-yeah. Totally… fuck.”

The door clicks open to invite you in. Totally not okay.

Pushing through, you find her fumbling with her bra—trying to be rid of the garment, bath already filled and steaming. Her one hand, non-dominant, too, makes it a clumsy motion. Her arm is tiring, pale fingers struggling to undo the simple front clasp. What’s more pressing, though, is silvery tracks blooming along rosy cheeks—one tear drip-drip-dropping down to darken a circle on the cotton of her undergarment.

Oh, this sight is much more familiar than it ought to be—this time plagued with asymmetry and smooth, sensitive scar tissue. (Should you even touch it?)

“…you need help?” Comes your softening murmur. It’s no good trying to help her without permission—her freedom’s the most important thing to her, and it’s shitty taking that away just because she’s disabled. It shouldn’t be one thing after another, from her mother’s fear to Indira’s control to, now, this. You’re determined to be better.

“…” She hesitates for a long time—ten, twenty, thirty seconds spent contemplating your offer before she acquiesces.

“…yeah. Sure.”

Your hands reach out slowly. A step closer, and your fingers meet the plastic clasp. A visible shiver runs up her shoulders. Her pink mouth parts around a breath; black eyelashes, heavy with tears, flutter at the warm graze of your fingers against the skin of her chest. It almost seems she'll cry again, just at the touch. Her waterline is almost overwhelmed by a thick emergence of tears before she blinks them away and averts her eyes towards the sterile-looking ceiling.

The bra comes apart with a soft snap. Your hands are overwhelmingly warm as they push it off her shoulders, coaxing it over the remnant and her one whole arm.

"Good?" Your words are so gentle, reaching her ears as a muted murmur. She can only nod. She's not good. You both know it. But she can do this.

What panics her is when you turn to leave. Her shoulder shifts forward, like she tried to reach with the arm that no longer remains. She reaches out the other, catching your wrist.

"Stay? Please." Her voice is quiet. She sounds pained, asking for your presence. For her, company was a luxury, not a given—and something that was taken away from her at any whim.

Your silent nod makes her exhale with relief. You're staying. When you start to join her in nakedness, she realizes you intend to bathe with her.

The idea startles her. She hadn't done it since she was in her mother's porcelain tub, splashing around with her brother and washed by caring hands. She was their angel, then, all toothy-smiles and chubby cheeks.

Now she has no family. She's lost her friends, her boyfriend, even a part of herself. Everyone but you. So she realizes she's grateful for your presence.

Aiding her into the tub, you slip in behind her. Despite Vought's endless budget, it's not the largest tub—big enough to comfortably fit her lengthy limbs, at least.

She settles back against your chest with an exhale. This was new, intimate. She'd never been so open with you, even after three years of friendship that survived her rampaging genocide and bloodshot eyes. You stuck with her, even then.

She finds she relishes in your touch. It's unsurprising. She was always so starved for contact, and you don't make her wear her gloves.

Your motions are leisurely as you wash her hair, wash her body, wash away her sorrows. The soft hand you bring to her skin also tips the cup, washing suds and sadness from her form with a rush of warm water.

She looks a bit like a cat out in the rain, sitting pliantly in the full, steaming tub. All water-darkened, flattening hair and wet eyelashes, a few drops of water flicking from them when she blinks. You kiss her eyelids and call her beautiful, in your perfectly soft timber.

Her center of gravity is still off, not quite recovering after her injury and subsequent surgeries. Your palm is warm when it presses into her lower back, aiding her up and out of the slippery, draining tub.

You swing a towel over her shoulders, dry her tenderly. Ruffle her hair maybe a bit more than necessary, the messiness you soon smooth out making you smile widely.

She follows closely behind you as you guide her to her room. She's taken to sleeping with you more nights than not—the high ceilings, white walls and open air only bringing nightmares of bright, bloody explosions and trapped girls in small, small rooms.

She lets you dress her, help her arm through the soft long-sleeve (that's tailored to only have one arm, the fabric gently cupping the abrupt mass of scar tissue,) and pull a pair of panties up her legs. She's quick to tug you down onto the plush mattress, to burrow into your side like a territorial tortoise and gently bite at your collar.

The feeling of your skin carefully held between her teeth and the warmth of your arms around her reminds her that she's alive, and there's someone with her that trusts her. Trusts her touch and her raging mind. Trusts her to keep them safe, to not take advantage of any and every vulnerability.

She finally lets herself cry, silent sobs into your neck soothed by your gentle hands and comforting, sweet coos.

[csuitebitches]

Interviews with Incredible Women

Here are some interviews that I think are absolutely brilliant, and I’ll explain why.

These women are trailblazers in what they do and I think, have really nailed the interview process down and you can tell because the more natural a person appears to be on camera, the more effort has gone into looking that way. Uneasiness, discomfort, shyness are easily spotted, especially with body language - and you can see the confidence just radiating from them.

Now, you may not like some of these women for whatever reason. I don’t really care about that - I’m simply looking at their oratorship, their presence in front of everyone and how they carry themselves. There’s obviously lots of powerful female orators, leaders and figures out there but I can’t possibly list them all so excuse me if I’ve missed out on your favourites - I’ll add them next time.

There’s a few things these women have in common:

1. They don’t always jump to answer. They think for a second or two before answering.

2. There are no filler sounds. They speak at a measured rate, which allows them to think ahead about their sentences.

3. They have a vast vocabulary.

4. They are not shy in disagreeing with the person in front of them. None of that diplomatic nonsense. There is clearly a strong sense of self identity and personality, unapologetically.

5. They show their vulnerabilities, weaknesses and hard times as thing of the past and accept them without a fuss- they don’t oppress themselves with it, and come across as strong survivors rather than wallowing in self pity. It’s what makes people admire them.

6. They don’t answer what they dont want to. And they beat around the bush with it, clearly stating that they will not answer those questions.

7. One thing I loved about Rekha’s interview - when questioned about an ex lover, she asks: “hey, is this interview about me or Mr Bacchan?” And it didnt come across as haughty or egoistical.

8. There’s feminineness in their strength. Them being strong in their stances is not masculine, overly aggressive or yelling - its firm, to the point, yet graceful.

This is what you should be looking at, carefully:

- body language

- Vocabulary

- Talking speed

- Gestures

- Facial expressions

- Voice modulation

- Expressing emotions

Video Links

1. Rekha

2. Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel

3. Meryl Streep

4. Indira Gandhi

5. Princess Diana

6. President Sirleaf

7. Lady Gaga

8. Naomi Campbell and Vivienne Westwood

9. Anna Karina

10. Michelle Yeoh

11. Mika Brzezinksi

[cinamun]

Aww yes, of course we didn't forget that the twins had birthdays just three months ago and on the same day their beloved pet Bitch passed away!

Join me under the cut for a deeper dive at what these two rolled and a peek at the non-theatrical version of events.

Indira Dior Destiny Drake

Her aspiration is to be a master actress, how this will work out for her is yet to be seen. She has all of the qualities necessary with the High Maintenance, Self-Absorbed and Snob personality traits. Snob is new and obvious given that she's known nothing but luxury her entire life. She is ultra feminine and loves the color pink.

In terms of her relationships and future plans, its just vibes at this point.

Darren Drake Jr.

He wants nothing more in simulated life than to have a big, happy family. As such, he is a hopeless romantic but a down-to-earth bro who is quite athletic. While recent events have left him questioning his simulated life choices, he's currently playing running back for Foxbury on a full ride.

Nothing and I mean NOTHING goes as planned literally ever so of course we missed Indira's sparkle spin (so did she REALLY age up?) AND her candle blow out because apparently Indya wanted us to know she makes bomb cheesecake (as if we didn't already know.... heffa)

Also Hope was late, but not absent.

As for DJ....

we caught a little bit more of the pomp and circumstance.

Darren and Indya are over the moon to have raised healthy and intelligent children. Let's see where Things™ go from here.

Stay tuned friends!

[timetravellingkitty]

omg your tags about indira's assassination reminded me of this indian international student that my roommates used to be friends with. okay so for context all three of these roommates are white, so before they knew me well she would just tell them these insane "facts" about india and whenever they were like "uhhh im not too sure about that" she would say they're all white and she knows better then them. some highlights include:

-saying that they didn't have brooms in india (so she didn't know how to use one) to justify leaving her toenails clippings in the living room (after a bit of pushing she admitted that she grew up with maids but it's actually super common!!!)

-that her islamophobia was justified because "in india muslims are actually oppressive" (this one my roommates actually tried to argue with her on and got her to stop being openly islamophobic by saying her """justified""" islamophobia would get mistaken for the racist kind of islamophobia we have in the west so it's better for her to stop 💀💀)

-one day i came downstairs to her talking to one of my roommates and she asked me "what do you think about indira gandhi's assassination" and me being raised sikh went "oh it fucking rocked i'm glad she died" which was apparently the WRONG answer because she idolized her ("she's like what hilary clinton is to you guys to me" (horrible example, my roommates are communists))

anyways i have so many stories about her (and she fucking HATED me to the point of calling me a "fake indian" (true but im not taking that from her!!) because anytime my roommates would mention anything she said about india i would go "wait that's not true at all..")

didn't have brooms in india is WILD what do they think they beat our asses with I desperately need more stories now

[fanhackers]

Platforms and Fan Experiences

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about platforms and the way in which they influence fan experiences. As a consistent lurker, I have been on Tumblr for more than a decade, and more recently on Twitter for the past few months, and have been reflecting on my experiences of fandom on both platforms.

In a roundtable discussion published in a tumblr book: platform and cultures, speakers Flourish Klink, Rukmini Pande, Zina Hutton, Lori Morimoto and Allison McCracken discuss the ways in which Tumblr is a very visual platform:

Klink: Tumblr fandoms tend to be much more visual than other fandoms. I often find that this  is the most difficult part of Tumblr for people who are not familiar with it. The visual languages in play on Tumblr are as meaningful and complex as any slang or textual interactions on Twitter… Klink, Flourish, Rukmini Pande, Zina Hutton, Lori Morimoto, and Allison McCracken. “A Roundtable Discussion about the Cultures of Fandom on Tumblr.” In A Tumblr Book: Platform and Cultures, edited by Allison McCracken, Alexander Cho, Louisa Stein, and Indira Neill Hoch, 167–80. University of Michigan Press, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.11537055.23.

I find this particularly interesting—and also ironic, in some ways—given that to me, as both a lurker, and a Fandom Old, the draw of Tumblr is that, while it may be a visual platform, it is not necessarily a visible platform, particularly in comparison to Twitter. There’s little chance of the celebrity you’re writing RPF about coming across your racy post or interacting with you directly.

In the same discussion, they go on to talk about the ways in which Tumblr’s visual culture has often led to progressive politics and practices, like race/genderbending.

Hutton: …One of my favorite things about being on Tumblr is seeing the way that members of the fandoms I’ve been in— primarily the DC and Marvel fandoms—reimagine their favorite characters as characters of color and give them queer and gender identities that match theirs. You can see photosets reimagining the Batman family group as more visibly diverse, and fancasts ( fans re-casting roles with actors of their choosing) of Marvel superheroes where they’re portrayed as women of color. And these fancasts generally push back against the idea of whiteness as a perpetual default. Klink, Flourish, Rukmini Pande, Zina Hutton, Lori Morimoto, and Allison McCracken. “A Roundtable Discussion about the Cultures of Fandom on Tumblr.” In A Tumblr Book: Platform and Cultures, edited by Allison McCracken, Alexander Cho, Louisa Stein, and Indira Neill Hoch, 167–80. University of Michigan Press, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.11537055.23.

While Hutton also points out the ways in which a lot of it can turn into clickbait activism, later on in the discussion, without truly engaging with what it means to racebend a character beyond simply making a visual edit, it’s Pande’s comment about interacting with white fans that echoes my own experience:

Pande: When I first came on Tumblr for instance, I mainly followed people I knew from LiveJournal and “Big Name Fans” whose writing I had followed in previous fandoms. This resulted in my Dashboard being filled with almost exclusively white-dude content. In retrospect this is not surprising, but the visual-ness of Tumblr made it particularly apparent, especially post-Racefail at a moment in fandom in 2009–10, when POC fans had started becoming more vocal about this whiteness. Klink, Flourish, Rukmini Pande, Zina Hutton, Lori Morimoto, and Allison McCracken. “A Roundtable Discussion about the Cultures of Fandom on Tumblr.” In A Tumblr Book: Platform and Cultures, edited by Allison McCracken, Alexander Cho, Louisa Stein, and Indira Neill Hoch, 167–80. University of Michigan Press, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.11537055.23.

As a PoC fan myself from the Global South, particularly one that does more lurking than posting, I often find that Tumblr does not always have the kind of linguistic inclusivity or even fandom inclusivity I am looking for. Perhaps it’s that I am a lurker, or perhaps I am not looking in the right spaces. Whatever the reason, I find Twitter has more of that inclusivity; whether I am looking for a fellow Hindi-soap opera fan, or a Supernatural fan, I can find both. And depending on which platform I choose, the content I make/consume differs—not just in form, but also in language and meaning.

What do you think? How has your platform shaped your fandom experience?

[fizzigigsimmer]

Roy Tillman needs to catch a bullet. I think he’s going to, and that Gator is going to be the one to serve it to him. Warnings ahead for spoilers through episode 9.

First let me just get my initial reaction out of the way: SCREAAAAAAAAMS. Y’all when I tell you I had my tv paused at the two minute mark trying to gird my loins to get through what I knew was coming. 😆 I mean I knew it was coming but I didn’t expect them to just throw us in like that. So it seems they were not overstating the parallels between Gator and Oedipus. There was lots of talk this episode about choosing paths and digging ditches when it would be wiser to change course - and for his failure to change course, for his sins, Munch has taken Gator’s eyesight.

He has made Gator useless in the eyes of his father (who although worried about him in some distant fashion when he goes missing) abandons him in the mist after delivering the parting message that ‘if he ever had a point’, it is surely gone now. Gator is blind, orphaned and exiled. On the other end of the spectrum there is Dot, who has been in exile since she was a child, running from wolves. She tried to carve out her own space and build the family she wanted, but the wolves came back. She’s at her wits end, back against the wall - but she’s finding that she is no longer alone. Her husband and child are waiting for her and thanks to Indira, Lorraine has finally looked past her own bias and seen her for who she is. With Witt and a swat team rallying to save her and Munch arriving just in time to save her from the grave she’s been fleeing all these years it is reinforced over and over: Dorthy Lyon has finally been seen. And with that support she is finally able to stop running.

This was such beautiful storytelling and I cannot 🥹 say enough how much I love this show for telling it. I am even fairly confident now that Gator is going to survive the series, and here is why. Firstly, if there was ever a moment for him to pay for his sins through death the moment feels past us. At this point his death would just be superfluous. This narrative is really big on themes and when certain seeds are planted we know they’ll be paid off in some fashion or another.

Thematically Gator has been likened to both Jack Skellington and Oedipus Rex, and as I’ve said before these are both tragic hereos who make selfish, reckless impulsive decisions that bring about destruction. They both however survive their enlightenment and seek to right their wrongs.

Dot has three times now plead with a fellow victim to stand with her against Roy. First Linda in her dream, then Gator in the shed, and finally Karen in her old bedroom. Linda was just a dream and is already dead, so there can be no taking back there. Gator initially refused and told Dot he wasn’t going anywhere - that he was staying on the path he was on. Karen didn’t say it so explicitly but she chose the same. But by leaving Gator alive and opening his eyes to the depth of his father’s disregard, Munch has left Gator with the opportunity to change his course - one last opportunity.

Dot has already planted the seed of doubt in Gator’s mind that Roy never loved him and that he may have taken away the one person who did (Linda). And now that Roy has abandoned him and proven her point, I think that in the end Gator will choose to protect Dot end up being the one who kills Roy.

He has devoted his entire life to measuring up to trying to make Roy proud. But Roy never was. For all the times that Gator has told himself and Roy that he’s a “winner” Roy has only ever rejected the notion that he is. He once asked Gator how he’s supposed to teach him to be a winner if he keeps losing all the time, the implication therein that Roy is waiting on evidence that Gator has the right stuff to win at all.

Gator frequently swears up and down to Roy that he does have the right stuff, reminding him of his skills specifically as a marksman. He once told Roy he could have smoked Munch like in High Noon, but the conversation that really resonates with me is the one they had after the botched Wayne kidnapping.

Because when Roy starts in on him about his “bad luck problem” aka his inability to win, Gator straight up tells him the reasons why he thinks Roy should be proud of him. The point of Gator = All state QB, crack shot, knocking pins down every time. “That’s your boy”.

I’ve lost track of the amount of times Gator has bragged and or threatened to shoot someone between the eyes or whatever, lol, but we know he likes his guns and apparently he’s good with them. When he attempted to murder Munch he did so with a sharp shooters toolbox.

But Roy has never been impressed by Gator’s skills. Every time Gator reminds him of his success in this area Roy dismisses him. First by telling Gator life is not like the movies - which, fair enough - and secondly by outright saying he didn’t care and was ready to take luck out of the equation. Aka, he’s taking Gator out of the equation. Which was a big ouch for Gator’s pride and led him to try and prove his point, killing “Munch” with a single shot.

Dorthy Lyon has finally been seen and is ready to take down Roy, and running parallel to that is Gator who maybe finally sees himself and his father clearly. I’m not sure if it will come down to a gunshot, but I definitely think Gator is going to play a role in how Roy dies. 😆 Time will tell!

**Edit to add that Dot is also the only one to ever see Gator clearly.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DC Cinematic Universe - Creature Commandos: Part IV

Chapter Four: Fiends Made From Misery

Warning, uh...I'm gonna get a little heated in this one. I'm upset.

The Tourmaline Necklace, episode two of Gunn's Creature Commandos' first season, focuses heavily on one of his favored characters in the series: the Bride. We'll get into his iteration of her origin story in a moment here, but I will preface this with a few things. First, there is nothing wrong with making the origin stories of thee characters absolutely dripping with tragedy, and the Frankensteins definitely qualify in that regard. However, once again, Gunn's version of that tragedy is...fucked. It's fucked, when you really think about it. But again...it's allowed to be a little fucked. We'll get to it, but I will say that The Tourmaline Necklace is certainly...effective, and not badly written in terms of the Bride's origin, overall.

Secondly, I adore the Bride and Frankenstein's Monster in the comics, and I also honestly like the idea that she's the leader of the Creature Commandos, and that he takes a back seat in his role, never actually joining the team. Having two stitched together Victorian monsters on one team is a little much, and I do think this was a good decision, as was putting her in the leader position as one of the most famous monsters in history. Third, having the Bride be a rough-ass character and a bit crude is not a bad character trait. She can be a bit of a bitch (her words), and that's OK. Plus, Indira Varma knocks it out of the park in her characterization, and the Bride is one of the most fun characters to watch in the series. Genuinely, I do enjoy her character, and much of her character development. Not all, but much.

And fourth: having the Bride hate Frankenstein's Monster is a valid and genuine character trait. Yeah, no problem with that. She hates him in the comics, but also learns to tolerate and forgive him over time, which is character development. And there are different reasons for that hatred in the comics (and the original book) than we get in the series, and that's...a problem. Oh, and fifth, both have excellent designs, and the animation for them, especially in terms of the Bride and her action scenes, are genuinely stellar. Great job to the animators and character designers (even though she's missing something, but more on that towards the end).

OK. I've addressed my positives. So...deep breath...spoilers ahead...

WHAT IN THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER???

Why is he a whiny incel fuckboi? What the hell?!? This is a knightly, dignified character, who isn't the monster that he appears to be on the outside, and yes, loves the Bride because they had a bond, broken by the blades of tragedy and trauma! He isn't a whinging murderous jealous stalker pissbaby who throws tantrums when somebody gets too close to his "beloved"! He's in denial, sure, but not a goddamn delusional...monster! HE ISN'T ACTUALLY A MONSTER! THAT'S THE ENTIRE FUCKING POINT OF THE CHARACTER!!!!

...OK. OK. I have been WAITING to get that out of my system for WEEKS. I honestly love this character, and doing this to him in his first adaptation outside of the comics genuinely breaks my heart. And yes, he's coming back, and there's a chance of some kind of redemption for the character, but he's always going to be stained by this season's portrayal. And that's for the entire new DCU that Gunn is crafting! The character is actually ruined in every live-action or animated incarnation under that umbrella, possibly for years!!! It's just...incredibly frustrating. And I haven't even gotten to their backstory in the series, OR the comics. So...ugh. Let's get into this.

The first thing to be acknowledged, of course, is the backstory for both characters. As everybody probably knows (or should know), Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was an 1818 book written by the mother of all Goth kids, 19-year-old Mary Shelley, and introduced the classic story of Doctor Victor Frankenstein, who sought to create life from the dead, and assume the role of God. He did so, and created Frankenstein's Monster as a result. This creature was like a child (like Victor's child, in truth), but was also innocent and naive despite his monstrous appearance. But Victor hated his own creation, and the monster fled, afraid of his creator and the world he was brought into.

In his innocent and naive wanderings, he learned to speak and educated himself, becoming very eloquent and expressive, rather than the stumbling moaning brute he's been portrayed as. In a way, that misunderstanding of his character is a poetic irony, as media tends to turn him into what the people in the book fear him to be: a monster with little mind. However, even in the book, the monster is corrupted, and grows to hate mankind as much as it seems to hate him. He swears to kill his creator, and eventually makes his way back, killing his brother in the process. Eventually, he finds Victor and, rather than kill him, demands that the scientist builds him a bride, so that he's no longer alone. And that goes...poorly.

Here's something media seems to have forgotten: Victor breaks his promise. See, the Monster threatens him to make a bride for him ("Shall each man,' cried he, 'find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?"), and promises to leave with her forever. But Victor is so afraid that they'll create Monster Babies that, knowing that the Monster is watching, he destroys the progress he had been making on the bride. In return, the monster returns to kill Victor's new wife, Elizabeth, some time later. And yeah, what this means is that Mary Shelley didn't invent the Bride of Frankenstein. I also forgot that was the case until recently. The Bride's existence is thanks to the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, which makes a stitched-together woman with the iconic white streak in his hair.

With that said, though, the end of the Monster's story in the book comes when Victor chases the Monster across Europe to enact his revenge, and the two finally meet within the Arctic Circle, only for Victor to die of hypothermia, and the Monster to realize that his creator's death did nothing for him emotionally, and decides to return to death the Viking way, and end the saga of Frankenstein and his Monster once and for all. No burning windmill, pursued by angry townsfolk with pitchforks, like in the 1931 film. Just a sad monster and his creator, fueled and emptied by pointless revenge.

And that's where the DC Comics Universe's story begins.

A Modern Modern Prometheus

Grant Morrison, maverick that they are, was hired to reboot the classic DC Comics team, the Seven Soldiers, with an all-new roster. So, they decided to bring a classic literary character into DC Comics lore, and it fit surprisingly well. This Frankenstein has much of the same origin story as the original, with the appearance of the 1931 film version, and one major addition: Victor actually did build the Bride. And like in the original 1935 film, she rejected him (wasn't her type; yes, actually, no more acrid than that), and when he seemingly dies, the Bride wandered the Earth on her own. In the process of her adventures, a random supervillain named the Red Swami found her, brainwashed her, and added two extra arms to her to have her look like a reincarnated Kali. But the secretive organization S.H.A.D.E. found them, and rescued and recruited the Bride as an Agent.

Meanwhile, Frank survives the Arctic, and travels to the United States, where he has multiple adventures, including an encounter with the difficult-to-explain eldritch being Melmoth, with whom he has a long history and rivalry (and one of the main villains of Morrison's Seven Soldiers). He's sent into dormancy after a battle with Melmoth, then brought back by a bullied high-school student, because Grant Morrison. He soon was recruited by the Bride to be an Agent of S.H.A.D.E., and joined the Seven Soldiers to fight against Mr. Melmoth and the Sheeda Queen (again, Grant Morrison). And then...Flashpoint and the New 52 came, and Frank and his Bride got a revamp. And not a bad one, to be clear. This time, both began as Agents of S.H.A.D.E., as leaders of the Creature Commandos. However, Frank and his Bride were on the outs when we first see them. And the reason for that is...understandable.

In the 1950s, S.H.A.D.E. technology allowed the doomed couple to actually have a child, created from their DNA. However, while the Bride was excited about this, Frank was worried, and for good reason. The Child broke out of its containment early, rabid and wild, and attacked the Bride. In order to protect her, Frank shot the product of their artificial union, and the Bride hated Frank for his actions. Neither is unjustified in their feelings, although Frank still loves his Bride, no matter what. However, what neither of them knew was that the Child actually lived, and S.H.A.D.E. knew this. It escaped and ran back to Castle Frankenstein on instinct, killing people in its path, and the Bride and Frank went to confront it.

When they found it, Frank recognized it as his child, contrite for his rash reaction when they first met, and attempted to calm it down. However, it was actually in pain and pleaded for death, leading to the Bride doing exactly what Frank did decades before, and killing the Child. This led to her leaving S.H.A.D.E., no longer able to trust the organization and their secrets, and to Frank now angry at her for killing their child, but still in love. If you want to read this yourself, check out Jeff Lemire's run on Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. 1 - 8, and while you're at it, check out Superman (2016) #12 - 13, where Frank and the Bride team up with Superman and Lois Lane to stop a monster, and...compare marriages. For only being in one issue, it's a frighteningly good read, I promise, as well as being gorgeously drawn.

So, with that, you may now realize how complicated these two are, both in backstory and in character. Frank is an eloquent and well-spoken character, extremely noble and stiff-lipped, but willing to dip into the morally gray for the sake of obligation, and haunted by his past. He is a murderer, but never an unjustified one. And yes, he does deeply love the Bride, but doesn't pursue her out of respect (and later, out of anger). The Bride, on the other hand, is admittedly less-defined. She is fiercely independent, stubborn in her own fashion, and does not brook deception. She doesn't care for honor as much as duty, and is far less bound than Frank is. They are starcrossed lovers, but syzygy is nowhere to be found.

There's a lot you can do with these two, so you may be able to see why I'm so...irritated. The Bride's personality, as I said before, is fine in the series. No real issues with it. But Frank? Ugh, Frank. You turned him from this knightly, noble and troubled character into a consciously murderous baby, with NO redeeming qualities to him whatsoever. And again, that's without considering the horrible changes in their backstory.

Rage Without Bounds

Spoiler alert, but in this version of the Frankenstein story, Victor Frankenstein creates the Bride at the behest of his creation/son, Eric Frankenstein (why Eric, by the way, why not Adam?), in his castle in the fictional nation of Pokolistan, where the series' main mission just happens to be taking place. Eh, whatever. Anyway, Eric throws a tantrum to his father/creator, who reluctantly creates the Bride for his son/creation from multiple bodies, as expected. After he is done, the new Bride is immediately frightened of Eric, whose literal ONLY desire is to smash, and doesn't even slightly remember how difficult it was for him to come into existence. He's genuinely an idiot.

We see a montage of Victor teaching the Bride about life and language, all while Eric complains that the Bride doesn't wike him yet, boohoohooGODIhatehim. And as the Bride grows this connection and trust in her creator/father/teacher, she also grows afraid of Eric, who grows increasingly frustrated and pathetic about not being able to have sex with her, blaming Victor for her opinions and calling it a failure, before running out in tears. Ugh. And, then, instead of destroying the Bride in front of his son, as in the book, Victor arguably does something far worse.

He has sex with her. His creation/daughter/student.

I just...I mean...what the fuck, Gunn? Look, I have literally no problem with sex in a DC Comics property, and I get that shitty people online have been calling comic book films sexless, specifically Marvel, but if you asked if I wanted to know the color of the Bride's nipples, I would've said I DON'T FUCKING CARE??? WHO THE FUCK WOULD CARE??? This is a fucking horrible plot point, not even including the fact that Victor was, again, essentially her father and teacher, making this spiritually adultery, incest, and in a way pedophilia, BECAUSE SHE WAS BASICALLY A CHILD!!! And sure, you can argue that this makes Victor Frankenstein the true monster, but guess what? You corrupt that point in the next scene by MAKING ERIC KILL HIM!!!

The Monster killing Frankenstein isn't a crazy idea, mind you, but you immediately paint him as the villain in doing so, as well as in the subsequent stalking-through-the-decades montage, and try to make the audience forget what Victor just did! YOU TRIED TO MAKE HIS ACTIONS THE LESSER EVIL, BUT IT'S STILL INCREDIBLY FUCKED UP WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT FOR LITERALLY 5 SECONDS!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING???

And the worst part, of ALL of this, if that's even POSSIBLE at this point, is that in the end, ERIC'S STORY DOESN'T EVEN MATTER!!! Nothing that this character does has ANY EFFECT ON THE PLOT WHATSOEVER!!! When we get our Eric Frankenstein episode in episode 4, The Iron Pot, we find out that not only did the dude kill the kindly blind person analog from the original story, for truly no good reason, but he also is still a whiny piss-baby, AFTER A LITERAL CENTURY OF BEING ALIVE IN THE WORLD!!! At least the Bride grew up at all, but Eric learned nothing? And frankly, this is a waste of David Harbour. The guy isn't a bad actor, at all, actually, but he JUST. KEEPS. GETTING. FUCKED. And he did a really similar character with teh Hellboy reboot a few years back! I just don't get it.

But yeah, when Eric shows up in the series finale to deliver his message, the Bride just shoots him before he gets the chance, calls him a stalker, and walks away! WHY WAS ERIC EVEN IN THIS STORY? FOR LAUGHS? BECAUSE I AM NOT FUCKING LAUGHING!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Purist Choice: Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride

Have Frank be the leader of the Creature Commandos, occasionally talk about the Bride and have her appear as a rival bounty hunter, maybe give them some version of the son story without S.H.A.D.E. involved, so you can still give Frank the lost love thing, get rid of the whole Victor spiritual incest subplot, and DON'T MAKE FRANK A GODDAMN FUCKING INCEL STALKER

Creative Choice: The Bride and Frankenstein's Monster

Have the Bride be the leader of the Creature Commandos, bring in Frankenstein's Monster as a side character and maybe intimate that he works for a rival organization so you can set up S.H.A.D.E. as a potential spin-off in the future, give them some version of the on story with or without S.H.A.D.E., get rid of the whole Victor spiritual incest sublot, AND DON'T MAKE FRANK A GODDAMN FUCKING WHINY LOSER INCEL STALKER

IT'S A PAGE ONE FUCKING REWRITE!!!

I'm...pissed. I realize that my irritation is...over-the-top, but I am genuinely upset by this. And honestly, while I was perturbed and annoyed in the moment when that episode came out, my feelings have matured like a fine wine into all-out rage. And yes, it's extremely possible that the fucked-up nature of their origins will be revisited in the second season of this show that we're getting. I welcome that immensely, honestly. But either way, their character's history is still written in stone. This will always be a part of their backstory in the DCU, and there's no changing that now. It's incredibly upsetting to me. And sure, bad things happen in a realistic universe, but...did this have to be one of them? Ugh. What a waste, in multiple ways.

And another thing, while I'm airing my last grievances: why not give the Bride four arms? I get that it's harder to animate, but there's a very easy way to fix that: don't let her keep the arms. If we did want to give the Bride and Frank a rivalry over the years because of hatred, she easily could have HAD the arms, and seen them ripped off during a fight between the two of them at some point. Or, even worse, she was given the arms in an unforeseen event, and they were later ripped off by their son. That would only have to be one scene of her arms in the flashbacks, and we could see why she and Frankenstein hate each other so much. There are ways it could've been done, and it's upsetting that Gunn didn't seem to try. And maybe he did try...but if so, this is what he came up with? Not impressed.

The Bride deserved to be in Creature Commandos, as did a version of Frankenstein, and both would make it into my iteration of the series, while only one would be an official member of the group, exactly as Gunn did. There's more to it that that, of course, but I'll leave some of that for later, when I talk about the story in a separate essay. And I'm looking forward to seeing the Bride again (NOT Eric), knowing that the decision made about her character aren't the character's fault. What's more, I will say again that her design and animation (even without the two extra arms) are both excellent.

And even though that one thing done to advance her character in the season finale was VERY shitty, I can see that Gunn likes the character enough to develop her, and she's definitely his Rocket Raccoon for the Commandos. And from there...yeah. I'm gonna lie down. This was a frustrating entry. Next essay, though, we'll hit episode three, Cheers for the Tin Man, as well as my favorite character in the series, G.I. Robot.

See you next time (maybe, no pressure)!

Part One: Introduction and Adaptation Part Two: The Original Creature Commandos Part Three: Amanda Waller and Rick Flag, Sr. Part Four: The Frankensteins Part Five: G.I. Robot

[shellibocs]

New oc's hello!!!!!! Would love to know more about indira and delia! What do they do, where do they live, do they travel? Who are they close with, any enemies? What are their hobbies, do they have any big dreams for themselves?? 👀👀👀

TEEHEE op ur opening a bit of a pandoras box with this ily thank u

SO INDIRA otherwise known as indi, is an alchemist originally from novigrad but settled in velen bc. she got the fuck outta dodge with the witch hunts. most of her day to day is spent making potions and salves for nearby villagers, but she does dabble in the darker side of alchemy, she’s basically like. a victor frankenstein esque character trying to create life. she’s a little bit of a freak, she doesn’t talk to the villagers around her so she kind of. gets lumped in with the crones and witches in the area.

she’s settled kind of near crookback bog, and bc of that she meets ciri shortly after her encounter with the crones. she helped patch ciri up and over the time ciri was staying with her, the two got close. ultimately though ciri did have to leave, which left indi a little heartbroken. she decides she wants to be with ciri even if it’s dangerous for her, so she joins geralt on his mission to find ciri, meeting @viktorgf ‘s sybil, @auricfog ‘s lucina, and @risingsh0t ‘s satine along the way!

in my minds eye. she looks like this

miss delia henrietta von frey, or just delia, is the daughter of a baronet and comes from a family that funds archaeological expeditions and excavations due to her father’s interest in history, mainly ancient civilizations. delia inherited this interest from her father and spends a lot of her time studying these civilizations when she’s not being forced to socialize by her family. she struggles with socializing, because she is a chronic yapper and is a little bit of a know it all. she also doesn’t get out much because of her family, but she is constantly trying to go on expeditions with the archaeologists.

she meets alucard when he somehow made it to london and was asking around about sekmet’s tomb. delia, again being a chronic yapper + know it all + special interest in ancient civilizations, “um actually”ed her way into the conversation which lead to her accompanying him on his trip to egypt. after that, she travels with him for 3 years until the events of castlevania: nocturne, and by then the two are pretty close. he’s taught her how to fight, taught her some spells, gives her a cloak that he’s warded to protect her. she’s able to info dump about history to him, with him occasionally adding in bits from his own life since he is 300 years old at that point. throughout season 2 they have a sort of will they won’t they thing going on, until by the end of the season he decides to make the jump and tell her how he feels. I have entirely no clue what is going to happen if there is a season 3 of this show but in my head, her and alucard continue to travel around, probably helpig rebuild Paris or following richter and annette to Saint-Domingue. unsure! either way she’s going wherever he does.

in my minds eye, she looks like this

[arkhamvampire]

Cate Dunlap: How she falls on the Anti-Hero & Anti-Villain Spectrum

Words: 382

Characters: 3,302

(a/n??) • cute collage of Cate made by me 🥰

Okay okay so I've seen majority of the fandom call her a villain, and another majority call her an anti-villain. Guess what? The people calling her a villain don't like Cate, and the people that do like Cate consider her to be an anti-villain. But what is her role really? Personally I think most people that consider Cate to be a villain never really paid attention to her character in the first place, and they only really acknowledge black and white (hero and villain) and leave out the various shades of grey (anti-hero and anti-villain) (ew this is reminding me of that one movie ewww). Even Cate kind of acknowledges it herself, "Shades of grey don't really sell like black and white, do they?" I think from a casual viewer perspective, she definitely seems like a villain. But I think her situation & role are definitely more comparable to characters like Magneto, and Wanda- in terms of their actual actions, and I somewhat say the stuff they had to endure considering how Magneto, and Wanda objectively had it worse than Cate in terms of childhood trauma. Both Magneto, and Wanda are described and agreed upon the majority to be anti-heroes. Early on in Gen V, I would consider her to be more of an anti-hero, before the last few episodes and The Boys where she gets caught up in Homelander bullshit. Of course, a character's path can always change. Just like how Wanda became an antagonist to a protagonist in the span of one movie in Avengers: Age of Ultron. (I know I keep mentioning these characters, but they are just people I had always thought Cate was so similar to) Obviously, there were lots of character development, and experiences involved. In the beginning she was manipulated as Indira gained her trust by making Cate believe she was helping her control her powers in which she was actually suppressing Cate's powers, and made her believe she was helping them and the supes with the operations. Obviously Cate was PISSED when she found out the truth and what Indira and Vought was really doing. And this is when she develops into an anti-villain. She now has a hatred for humans as she believes they all (or at least majority) hate supes. "You're a product to them, a freak. I'm trying to save you." This is what makes her work with Homelander so they can revamp Vought with supes instead of humans. Now this makes her sound like the mustache man, but just like Magneto, she wants to wipe out humans as they tried to wipe out her and supes first (and yes supes have the upperhand, but who created them?). The mustache man wanted to wipe out the Jewish as he believed Germans were the superior race, and if anything he viewed anyone below inferior including other minorities other than the Jewish. With Cate, she doesn't really view anyone as inferior and superior. When she says "This school thought they could torture you. Why? Because they said you were all crazy? Inferior? But you're not inferior. You are superior to them" it's moreso for them to stand up to Vought, and their operations (there's no way I just created an imaginary argument as to why Cate isn't the mustache man). Anywho, my point is that Cate has always believed she was helping supes, even now when she is working with Homelander, which thus currently makes her more of an anti-villain because of that.

[ghostingghostingghosted]

Lyons and Tigers and Bears (and Gator too) Oh My!

So I've been a Fargo viewer since S2 and have followed each season relatively closely (except most of S4). Noah Hawley is a sucker for hidden messages and meanings, as well as using symbolism derived from inspiration, such as - as shown in S4 - Alice in Wonderland. Hawley symbolically uses Alice in Wonderland in S5 as much as S4, but with a heavier focus on the dangers - "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!" Here is an analysis of how some character behaviors entwine with their representative animal's instinct.

SPOILS BEWARE AHEAD

CASE STUDY #1 - WOMEN REPRESENTING LIONESSES

Everyone should know that a group of lions is called a pride. Within a pride, there are multiple lionesses, and one or two male lions which usually have a monopoly on these lionesses. The male lions exploit these lionesses as multiple mates and depend on them for food typically. Mating aspects aside, the group of lionesses are the ones who hunt prey for the pride. Male lions can also hunt for themselves, but I digress with the following statement: when the lionesses are successful in the hunt, they have to eat their share quickly before the male lions come and take the rest of the meat. The male lions have the purpose of protecting the pride from other hostile, wandering male lions, so they're not completely useless.

But that's not the point of this post.

Lorriane Lyons and Indira Olmstead, in my humble opinion, show two sides of a lioness. Their husbands, respectively, represent the male lions and their exploitation of the women's work.

Lorraine Lyons represents the strength, determination, and intelligence of a lioness. I mean, come on! Lyons = lions. Did I just blow your mind with that connection?

Lorraine Lyons has a husband, Mr Lyons. As far as I remember, we don't see him until episode 6 when he's visiting his son, Wayne, at the hospital. Did we even need to know Mr Lyons existed? In my humble opinion: No.

(Tinfoil hat: I thought Danish Graves and Lorraine had something going on, and Graves was Wayne's dad. Secret love affair or whatever.)

Mr Lyons serves no purpose than emphasizing just how much Lorraine works for her, and his, "food." She runs a multi-billion company as a debt collector (or whatever the professional term is). She looks flawless. She has zero time for bullshit. Can't you see she's busy? If it weren't for her, her husband wouldn't have his train collection we later see in the same episode (6). Although she acts like her family is a burden to her, we see in some moments of her immense love for her son: such as her over protectiveness of him and coldness towards the outsider Dorothy, and her love towards her granddaughter, Scotty. Again, in episode 6, we see a brief moment of her smiling when Scotty hugs her father, until she puts back on the facade of HBIC when she speaks with Olmstead. So far, we don't see how she interacts with her husband, which can stand for as its own evidence. Lorraine's scenes with her family and professional life show that they wouldn't be who they are today without her (wo)man power. Another interesting thing to note about Lorraine and her behavior as a lioness is how, even though she doesn't like Dorothy, she still considers her as part of the pride as she's the mother of her granddaughter and her son loves Dorothy. As the idea goes, you're as strong as the weakest link, and Lorraine knows she's better off protected with Dorothy on her side than trying to get rid of her, especially as the season goes on.

(Note: Lorraine had Dorothy committed. Okay, I get that. She still hates Dorothy and wants her gone. However, Lorraine plays the sibling game in that she can bash and ruin Dorothy all she wants - as long as SHE IS THE ONLY ONE DOING IT. When Roy Tillman came around sniffing for Dorothy, she refused to even entertain his wild ideas about responsibility and freedom, and even admitted to keeping Dorothy close because of her being the mother of her grandchild and the wife of her son. She kicked Roy Tillman's ass to the curb with a, "I don't like her, but she's a Lyon now, and you're a dipshit with a 'dead' wife." Rant over.)

Another side note: Regarding Wayne, Lorraine only helps him out in extreme cases of emergency. When he suffers the head injury from electric shock, she makes sure he has the best care and best hospital room. Anything outside of emergencies, he's on his own. While he's not the strong lion we typically picture, Wayne is a lion in his own right. Male lions typically leave the pride when they come of mating age and join another pride of unrelated kin females. Here, Wayne made his own pride with Dorothy and, later, Scotty. By the way, lion prides usually consist of mother-daughter kinship, with a few outsider females and one or two male lions. Wayne still has a long way to go, but we do see him protect Dorothy and Scotty in his own way, such lying for her to the police about her kidnapping, helping her against Gator and his accomplices, etc.

Moving onto Indira Olmstead, she represents the other side of a lioness, which is the exploitation. I won't be nice: her husband is the biggest piece of shit. Even though it would be assault, I wanted her to throw her scalding hot coffee in his fucking face when he went on a tirade about wanting a real wife. Well guess what, fuck face? She wants a real husband. Either go get a job or suck your wife's dick in appreciation. Ya know?

Her piece of shit husband wastes what little money they have on worthless dreams that don't go anywhere. At one point, he wanted to be a famous drummer. Now he wants to make it big at pro golf. He sucks ass. Hard. But that would be a compliment to him. The biggest point of his exploitation is complaining about how Olmstead isn't a wife while eating the food she puts on the table with her income. He doesn't help hunt aka get a job. He doesn't support her. I have a feeling that if Olmstead gets into trouble where her physical being is at risk, he'd run away! Fuck him! Also, he's no doubt cheating on her. Hope he dies. Or gets his dick cut off. One of the two.

CASE STUDY #2 - DOROTHY AS A TIGER

Dorothy Lyons may have taken on her second husband's surname, but she is far from a lion. Several times throughout the season, Munch, and even the narrator in a special episode, calls her as a tiger; in the episode with the narrator, she describes her behavior as the behavior of a tiger. And she is a tiger.

Unlike lions, tigers are not social cats. They are solitary except with mother-cub relationships up to a certain point. We have seen how exceptional Dorothy is at defending herself, especially when she is alone. A pride needs a male lion or two to protect the pride from hostile male lion outsiders. A tiger doesn't have the protection of a pride or pack against the forces of other hostile animals of the same or different species. Dorothy fought off two kidnappers, effectively killing one and wounding the other. She fucks up Gator's accomplices on Halloween through a series of traps and tricks. Later on, she puts up a good fight against the male nurses ready to take her away to the hospital. She outsmarts the FBI detectives. She continually outsmarts Roy Tillman and Gator.

While Dorothy, in her own way, loves her husband, I believe she used him and his family's wealth as a cover at the beginning of their relationship, but only for that extra layer of protection. Later on, she probably developed feelings similar to that of a non-sexual relationship, relying on him as a closely dear friend whom she can trust to protect her and especially their daughter when she isn't around. Anyway, she is cautious because she knows she can only rely on a select handful of people - if that. She goes at life like it's her vs the world, and rightfully so considering Roy's abuse of her during their marriage. Telling of this is how she springs into action when the PTA (?) meeting in E1 descends into chaos and she pulls out a taser on an unsuspecting cop.

CASE STUDY #3 - OLE MUNCH AS A BEAR

I love this character so much, and it's such a shame that everyone is (rightfully so) thirsting over Gator. We get it: pathetic boy with daddy issues and a middle schooler boy personality is cute and all, but when will people wake up and take on the may-be-may-not-be a sin eater from 1522, who is nice to old women, a killer of idiots, and how takes his jobs deadly seriously?

(Don't get me wrong, I like Gator as much as the next person, but everyone is sleeping on the King of the season imo.)

Anyway, I propose that Ole Munch represents a bear. Bears are the king of the forest. They can eat mostly everything, from nuts and berries to full on meat. They hibernate for some months out of the entire year. They can fuck up a full sized moose.

Munch's backstory revolves around starvation: starving so much that eating a deceased's sins is nothing compared to a few gold coins, a loaf of bread, and a goblet of wine - if we take that 1522 flashback as truth, or some part of the truth. Munch can also fuck someone's shit up: exhibit a): the two ranch hands ready to kill him at the Tillman's ranch and breaking Gator's arm; exhibit b): Gator's partner; exhibit c): the old woman's loser son in the latest episode.

When I think of a bear, I think of a creature motivated by food and a lot of it, especially male bears. Bears are one of the higher mammals on the food chain; the only danger to a bear is another bear - or maybe a big cat. Bears wander the forest in search of food, food, food. Unless they have to assert their dominance with another bear in the area, they don't have to worry about costly fights. (If you can stomach it, watch a YouTube video of bears fighting. It's crazy.)

In Munch's early scenes, we see him motivated primarily by money, or in essence, the means to buy food. He only goes out of his way to kidnap Dorothy because Roy Tillman promises him payment, and tries to re-kidnap her by any means, even when she has the upper-hand at the gas station. When he doesn't get paid by Roy, he then sets his sights on fucking with Roy and Gator.

Silent and deadly, but don't fuck with this guy - or shall I say, don't poke the bear. Nothing with Munch is nothing personal. I'd go as far to say him messing with Roy and Gator aren't for personal reasons. Gator keeps insulting Munch right to his face, but he doesn't react at all to it. He only reacts when he doesn't get his payment. Hell, I have a feeling that if Roy tried to kill him after paying him, Munch might not have reacted then, either. He probably would have gotten the hell out of Dodge in search of another job. It's just not worth it when a man's (or bear's) livelihood is at stake as long as food is readily available somewhere else.

Also, Munch always wear brown clothes. The latest is the fur-line neck of a brown coat he took from the old woman. Make of it what you will.

Further, I consider Munch a bear because he "hibernates" like one. When he isn't out causing chaos for Roy and Gator Tillman, he goes back to his place of shelter (aka the old woman's house)and rests there with a cigarette. I don't bother to do the math, but I bet you that half of Munch's time on screen focuses on his "hibernation" at this dark, cave-like home.

RANDOM THOUGHT ON GATOR

Is it just me, but why would Roy name his son Gator? So far, no one calls him by any other name but Gator, so we have to assume Gator is his legal name. Which, imo, is a stupid name.

(Do you think his dad named him after Gatorade? lol)

However, looking deeper, we have menacing characters taking on animal representatives: Lorraine and Indira as lionesses, Dorothy as a tiger, Munch possibly as a bear. Where does (a) Gator in snowy Fargo (or wherever the fuck) fit?

That's the thing: he doesn't fit.

Alligators, as said by the National Zoo website (googled) live in freshwater, slow-moving rivers, and also in swamps, marshes and lakes. Aka, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Fargo is the exact opposite of that description: cold, cold, snowy, and cold.

Therefore, Gator Tillman is metaphorically a "fish" out of water. He doesn't belong in this strange environment his father inhabits. He doesn't belong to Roy's idea of what a man should be. Gator doesn't know how to be himself, but he needs to survive and adapt because he's seen what happens when someone doesn't, so he tries to take on the personality of his father - but with heavy failures and setbacks. He isn't built to be like Roy. That's why, in my humble opinion, Gator has that strange name. It's showing how much he, a "Gator", doesn't fit the environment his father created. In the latest episode, Dorothy even mentions this. She says she still sees good in him, but he still wants to be Roy. This implies that a person cannot be Roy and still have goodness in them. The two shalt never intertwine. I'm pretty sure Gator's bio on the Fargo website says something similar to him wanting to become his father, but it never working out in his favor. He wants to be a "winner" or the fittest in survival. But he is struggling hard, and his father is quickly losing patience with him.

Rant over.

Note: Other than the Fargo tv series + movie, as well as some Reddit/Tumblr media consumption, I do not know anything about Noah Hawley or his writing style, inspiration, etc. Also, I did not do much, if any, research on the animals studied here. Everything comes from minimal knowledge. This is purely an opinion.

PS: It's come to my attention that Lyon is not spelled Lyons with an 's' at the end, but simply Lyon. I'm too lazy to fix this issue. Sorry. Also, sorry if there's any incoherent sentences and/or grammar issues. I needed to get this out of my system.

I would also like to say that a lot of my information, ideas, and opinions come from TV Tropes (website) where they have a lot of insightful facts about characters and their personalities, among other things. I suggest checking them out!