#mayday as in a distress call

[goodoldbandit]

Mayday: A Call Through History and Its Meaning Unveiled.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in Discover the fascinating origins, history, and meaning of Mayday. Explore its significance and the compelling stories behind this iconic term. Mayday — A Word Packed with Power Imagine this: a voice crackles over the radio, urgently repeating, “Mayday!” Instantly, the call sends ripples of attention, action, and concern across…

[slyandthefamilybook]

okay because I'm seeing some misinfo, here's the story on the Key Bridge collapse

What was the Key Bridge?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge (also called the Key Bridge, the Beltway Bridge, and the Outer Harbor Crossing) was steel-arch continuous-through-truss bridge spanning the Patapsco River south of the Baltimore Harbor. The bridge took 5 years to build and cost an estimated $145 million ($735 million in today's dollars). The full bridge project (including approaches) was 10.9 miles long, but the stretch over the Patapsco was 1.6 miles long and 4 lanes wide, and comprised a length of I-695, the Baltimore Beltway. It traveled between Hawkins Point and Dundalk, and in addition to the I-895 Harbor Tunnel was the primary way for Marylanders to cross from the Eastern Shore to the West. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles per year. There is a lane for ships to pass under the Key Bridge with enough clearance.

Was it structurally sound?

The bridge received its latest inspection in 2022 and received a 6/9 score, which is considered "fair" by federal standards. There was a concern with one of its columns, which was downgraded from a health index of 77.8 to 65.9, but it is not clear yet if this was one of the columns struck by the ship. In 1980 the bridge was struck by a different cargo ship which destroyed a concrete support structure, but the bridge itself was unharmed. There is as of yet no evidence that the bridge collapsed because of poor condition. Experts say the lesson to be learned is about the size and weight of modern cargo ships, and that the bridge was not to blame. Engineers have noted, however, that the bridge's piers lacked protective devices such as fenders.

What was the ship?

The MV Dali is a container ship flying the Singapore flag. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and operated by Synergy Marine Group Ltd. The ship is currently being chartered by Maersk, a Dutch shipping company. It was built in 2015 by Hyundai. The ship is 980 feet long and 157 feet wide. The ship's gross tonnage (its internal volume) is 95,128 tons (190,256,000 pounds). Its deadweight (the weight of cargo it can carry) is 116,851 tons (233,702,000 pounds). The ship was carrying 3,000 containers. The engine is a MAN-B&W 9S90ME putting out 41,480 kilowatts (55,626 horsepower).

Over its lifetime the Dali has been inspected 27 times, and only 2 faults were ever found. On June 27, 2023 the Dali was held in port in Chile due to an issue with the propulsion system. According to an inspector the pressure gauges on the heating system were "unreadable". The fault was fixed before the ship left port.

The Dali is crewed by 22 Indian nationals including 2 maritime pilots.

What happened?

The Dali arrived at the Port of Baltimore on March 23, 2024. At 12:44 AM on March 26, 2024 the Dali left port, beginning its journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka. At 01:26 AM the ship suffered a "complete blackout" and began to drift out of the shipping lane. It is not yet known what caused the electrical failure. The backup generator did not power the propulsion system. At around 01:26 AM the crew of the Dali sent a mayday distress call to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) informing them of the loss of power and that a collision with the Key Bridge was possible. The anchors were dropped as an emergency measure to attempt to slow or stop the vessel. At the request of one of the pilots traffic flow over the bridge was immediately halted. Black smoke was seen coming from the Dali, which experts believe was the result of the crew managing to restart the power system to regain some maneuvering capability.

At 01:28 AM the Dali, traveling at 8 knots (considered to be a fast speed) collided with a support strut beneath the Key Bridge's metal truss at the southwest end of the bridge. A Baltimore resident said he heard the collision and that it "felt like an earthquake". Emergency teams began receiving 911 calls at 01:30 AM, and the Baltimore Police Department were alerted at 01:35 AM. One of the officers present radioed that he was going to go onto the bridge to alert the construction crew as soon as a second officer arrived, but the bridge collapsed seconds later.

What was the damage?

The Key Bridge has completely collapsed. The metal truss relies on structural tension from the bridge itself to maintain its rigidity. As soon as one of the support columns was destroyed, the rest of the bridge quickly followed.

The damage to the Dali is reported as minimal. The ship was impaled by the bridge's structure above the waterline, but has maintained watertight integrity. The crew has not reported any water contamination from its 1.8 million gallons of marine fuel. 13 containers carrying potentially hazardous material were damaged, and are being inspected by a team of Coast Guard divers. At least 5 vehicles including 3 passenger cars and a cement mixer were detected underwater, but authorities do not believe they were occupied

Who was hurt?

The crew of the Dali reports no casualties, except one crewmember who was hospitalized for minor injuries. There was a crew of 8 construction workers on the Key Bridge filling in potholes. 2 were immediately pulled from the water by rescue crews, with 1 being rushed to emergency care and the other reporting minor injuries and refusing treatment. The hospitalized worker has since been discharged. 1 of those rescued was Mexican. The remaining 6 remain missing. Of those 6, 2 have been identified:

Miguel Luna from El Salvador

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval from Honduras

Of the remaining 4, 2 are Guatemalan nationals. Neither have been identified, but the Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Ministry has stated that they were a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén, and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula. The other 2 are presumed to be Mexican.

Rescue Efforts

The Coast Guard was immediately deployed for search-and-rescue operations. Military Blackhawk helicopters were seen over the river. Rescue efforts were ended at 07:30 PM on March 26, 2024 due to darkness, fog, and cold temperatures. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said "Based on the length of time that we've gone in the search, the extensive search efforts that we put into it, the water temperature -- at this point, we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive". Recovery operations resumed at 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 with all 6 workers presumed dead.

No divers have yet entered the water underneath the bridge. Supervisory Special Agent Brian Hudson of the FBI's Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team said "the debris field is pretty sizable and I know that’s why they’re hesitant to send divers down because some of the debris is still shifting, the heavy weight of the rocks". The FBI has deployed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) equipped with cameras and SONAR.

Aftermath

At 05:08 AM on March 26, 2024 Transportation Secretary Pete Buttegiege posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

At 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 President of the Maryland State Senate Bill Ferguson posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"Over 15,000 in the Balt region rely on daily operations at Port of Baltimore to put food on the table. Today, with Del. @LukeClippinger and colleagues representing Port, we are drafting an emergency bill to provide for income replacement for workers impacted by this travesty."

At around 09:40 AM on March 26, 2024 Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declared a State of Emergency to take effect at 10:30 AM March 26, 2024, and to last 30 days. Baltimore's Emergency Operations Plan was put into effect.

More than 1,000 personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have been deployed to assist with clearing the debris and rebuilding efforts. President Joe Biden has pledged that the federal government will pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge.

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the Dali's data recorder, and will be inspecting both the Key Bridge and the Dali to determine the cause of the crash and the collapse. She says the investigation could take up to 2 years to complete.

Was it intentional?

According to William DelBagno, head of the FBI's Baltimore field office: "There is no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident".

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said: "There are no indications this was an intentional act".

At least 3 people have been killed in accidents related to ships operated by Synergy in the past 6 years. In 2018 a person on board a Synergy ship in Australia was killed in an accident relating to the vessel's personnel elevator. In 2019 an officer aboard a Synergy vessel in Singapore fell overboard while performing maintenance. In 2023 at least one sailor was killed when a Synergy ship collided with a dredging ship in the Philippines. In the first two cases safety inspectors noted that proper safety procedures had not been adhered to.

Sources

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

[anim-ttrpgs]

"The Eye of Neptune," a Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Adventure Module

This previously patreon-exclusive adventure module was just released in beta on itch.io!

This adventure module takes place in 2020 during the height of the pandemic lockdowns, and actually has two possible starting points, one where your characters are fishermen picking up a distress signal from an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and one where your characters are workers on that oil rig.

This horror-mystery adventure module should last you about 1-2 sessions.

You can download it here. Payment is optional, but highly appreciated!

Here’s the full adventure hook under the cut.

Route A: Man has built a city of steel and black blood atop the endless abyss. It is a beating heart bound together with labyrinthian pipe veins. Hundreds of miles away from civilization, it stands in the midst of the Gulf of Mexico with naught but empty horizons around it. Within is a vast structure of winding halls, grinding machinery, and thousands upon thousands of small parts working to achieve a grand design. It is the Offshore Oil Rig Neptune, and it was once run by 200 workers. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has fallen to more or less a dozen. These last vestiges of life in the rig spread themselves thin and work their hands to the bone to keep the massive beast running. In the midst of this overwhelming isolation, two members of the already shorthanded crew are unaccounted for, Seth Barlowe and Lukas Ward. The installation manager, Noah, has convened a meeting to try to find out what happened to them. With the crew already severely shorthanded and tensions running high, a mysterious disappearance is the last thing anyone needs. 

Route B: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday…” Hundreds of miles away from civilization, a distress call echoes out to a fishing boat about a hundred miles south of shore in the Gulf of Mexico. It hails from a city of steel and black blood atop the seemingly endless abyss, powered by a beating heart bound together with labyrinthian pipe veins - the Offshore Oil Rig Neptune. The distress signal continues, in a haggard and nervous male voice: “This is the fixed drilling platform Neptune (spoken three times). 

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, fixed drilling platform Neptune. My position is 27.383 North, 93.299 West. My vessel is under assault by an unknown perpetrator, and I am requesting immediate evacuation.

I have fourteen persons aboard, this message will repeat.”

A few moments after the message is received, a radio response from the Coast Guard reports that they have received the Neptune’s distress call, but they are weathered-in due to a storm - neither boat nor helicopter will be able to respond for eight hours at minimum. Those aboard the fishing boat set a course to investigate, perhaps out of compassion or perhaps out of legal obligation - and what they will find when they arrive is anyone’s guess.

[eugenedebs1920]

In the ancient times of the Roman republic, 2nd century AD, to celebrate Dionysus and Aphrodite, and to welcome spring becoming summer, Floralia, or the festival of Flora, is the earliest record of practicing mayday.

Throughout the centuries, all across Europe, many cultures have welcomed summer with mayday celebrations of their own. Although traditions vary from region to region, and have changed over time, the overall theme is similar, embracing the warmth and beauty of spring with bonfires, dancing, drinking, feasting and community.

As human civilization moved into the industrial age, a period that saw great prosperity for a few, and exploitation to the many, mayday took on a new persona.

In Paris, 1889 the International Workers Congress called for worldwide solidarity of the working class to demand the 8 hour workday.

In defiance of the robber barons, in the early days of the Gilded age, the United States observed its first participation of the labor movement celebrations of mayday in 1886, protesting for the 8 hour workday and for universal peace with a work stoppage, or general strike.

As you could imagine the so called masters of men, the titans of industry, the robber barons, the tech oligarchs, the hoarders of capital, considered this action of solidarity amongst the working class threatening and unacceptable. Throughout the years there had been much violence and turmoil surrounding the holiday. Mayday is still widely celebrated in Europe as an observation of the worker and the invaluable contribution they give to society through the sweat of their brow, their determination and grit.

Venez m’aider, or in short, m’aider, is the French phrase for, come and help me, or help me. In England in the 1920 the term mayday, an adaptation of m’aider, was adopted for the early air traffic controllers as a distress call, alerting pilots and crew of potential dangers. It has since been a general call for distress

This may 1st hold duel meanings and great significance. Both in the celebration and defence of the working class, and as a signal of dire warning.

The activist group 50501 is continuing their ongoing campaign against oppressive oligarchy, tyrannical rule, American and human rights, with demonstrations beginning May first, or Mayday.

En lieu of Trump’s proposal of CUES, let’s give him, and the fascist surrounding him, a social “cue”, showing our determination, strength and grit. The American people are that of immense resolve, fiery spirit, and insufferable defiance. Perhaps some have forgotten the stubbornness of Americans. Maybe they forgot our opposition to tyranny. it may have slipped some folks recollection of our insistence for freedom, for liberty, for our hard earned rights.

This is both a celebration of the people and a call for general distress to the world.

This Mayday, May 1st, take to the streets. No matter the size of your town or city. Protest oppression and autocracy together with your fellow countrymen (countrypeople) and show that fascism and totalitarianism will not be allowed in the United States of America. As one we are meek, together there is nothing that can stop the power of the American people. Together we stand, divided we fall.

For more information check out, www.fiftyfifty.one or www.maydaystrong.org

We must join in solidarity for liberty, to quote some orange, second rate reality tv personality, wannabe strongman, prick, “or we won’t have a country anymore”

May our nation endure such dark times…

🇺🇸

[alilobsessive]

How does the Batfam react to Mayday!Reader when they first meet them? Like, what kind of family are they to them? Are they overly coddling? I think Bruce definitely would be at least.

I mean, Mayday!Reader is probably the weirdest kid he’s ever had to look after. They’re his grandchild, the host of a symbiote, a ‘spider’ and they literally cling onto him all day. Like all day, Bruce has to hold them like a little baby in his arms. Not that he minds that, they’re so tiny.

Well firstly they didn’t realize reader is a spider, not yet the first few days they seemed just like any normal traumatized child. Clinging onto Bruce and throwing a tantrum when he had to leave for literally any reason. Why Reader clung onto Bruce is a mystery, maybe it’s because of how similar him and NW look, maybe it’s for a different reason entirely. Everyone treaded carefully around Reader, yes they all lost their own parents when they were kids, except Damien. But none of them lost their’s while they were still in kindergarten. Eventually Bruce was able to pry reader off of him and hand him over to Tim so he could get back to his one true calling in life, being Batman. It was very awkward, Tim’s not good with kids and honestly doesn’t know how to handle them. But for some inexplicable reason, Reader latches onto him, reader finds Jason to boring with his only redeeming quality being his motorcycle much to Jason’s chagrin. Reader thinks Dick is creepy, which results in a very distressed Dick. They still remember the way Damien looked at NW corpse that day and throw hands on sight. Duke and Cas are chill but Reader doesn’t have strong opinions on them, they are secretly competing with Tim for favorite Uncle/Aunt.

Of course they start noticing odd occurrences since Reader moves in. They don’t think to hard about it, there all adjusting to a small child moving in. It isn’t until Dick sees reader scurrying on the ceiling, look down at Dick, hiss at him then continues on there way do things click. It does explain the sudden lack of the arrogant spider themed superhero and all the weird things going around the house. But they desperately attempt to keep reader away from the vigilante life, even with the knowledge that Readers Vigilante lineage is a lot thicker then previously thought. Except Damien who is constantly trying to train them. If only they would stop biting him it would be a lot easier.

[kinardsevan]

motivation monday

one more, just because this is kind pouring out of me right now. more on words never said in a story that didn't end (aka, mel does a helicopter crash fic, but not the one I have planned quite yet).

-

They’re somewhere over the east ridge, about a mile off from the fire when the helicopter suddenly makes a sharp dock to the right and Evan slams his hand against the door, glaring over at Tommy. 

“What the fuck!?” 

Tommy glares back at him as he rights the chopper, getting them back on level flight. Evan narrows his gaze at the man, ire setting into his expression. 

“Did you do that on purpose?” He asks a bit incredulously. 

“I said now was not the time, Buck,” Tommy growls back at him. 

Evan huffs, his eyes widening at the other man. “Then when is, Tommy? Because it’s not like you’ve exactly made it easy in the past few months. You don’t reach out, you ignore calls, you bubble but don’t send any actual text messages. So when the fuck am I supposed to be able to tell you anything?” 

“What could there possibly be to say at this point,” Tommy bickers back. There’s a mild rattle from the helicopter, but Evan doesn’t notice it. “You’ve moved on, as you should. You’re better off without me anyway.” 

“And since when did you get to start making all the decisions in this relationship without me having any input on it all,” Evan argues. “It’s like you decided that whatever I feel isn’t relevant because you get the last word in it all, no matter how I feel.” 

Tommy glances over at him, his expression softened slightly. “Look, Buck-..” “And would you stop fucking calling me that,” Evan growls. “Buck is- is a fucking mask. It’s- it’s distance, a-and a shield, and separation between who I really am and the outside world. Any version of that for you died the first time I let you fuck me.” 

Tommy gulps at Evan’s statement, momentarily silenced at his words before he remembers that he had a point. 

“I- look, like I said, you’re still figuring out-..” 

“I don’t need to fuck other people to know I’m in love with you!” Evan growls at him. ��So if there’s some god damn number, please name it so that we can circle back to this conversation.” 

Tommy looks over at him, completely speechless, and the helicopter docks again, sharper this time, and hard enough that their shoulders slam into each other. 

“Tommy!” Evan yells. 

Tommy’s breathing picks up and the way his blood flushes out of his face tells Evan immediately that it wasn’t the pilot who made that shift that time. Before either of them can say anything though, suddenly at least three different sensors on the dash are flashing and blaring with noise. 

“W-what-..” 

Tommy forces a breath down, swallows down the bile desperately trying to rush up his esophagus and pushes the button for the open line.

“Mayday. Mayday. This is pilot Kinard in rescue 1701. I have firefighter Buckley with me. We’re roughly a mile and a half off the east ridge and in distress. I have-..” He glances down at the dash again. “Losing altitude, trying to-..” 

“Tommy,” Evan repeats, panic rising in his voice. 

“Near the cliffs,” Tommy continues. “Trying to find a safer-… we’re going to need assistance. Evan!” 

Tommy’s hand fists around the collar of his turnout, yanking him as far over as he can. This close together, this close to the ground, there’s no hiding the panic in Tommy’s eyes. There’s also no way to hide the same look reflected in them Evan recognizes from every time he was this close to Tommy. 

“I love you,” he repeats, his heart surging in his chest. “I-I love you.” 

Tommy opens his mouth to respond, but they slam hard as the landing skids hit the ground and then the chopper is down with Evan slamming into the door, skidding across the cliff. And then silence. 

[crimethinc]

Happy May Day! 🏴🏴🏴

For a short history of this day of celebration and resistance across a century and a half:

https://crimethinc.com/MayDayHistory

To give a sense of what the day means to us, read this excerpt of a text published today in Russian by the anarchist project http://akrateia.info.

We've translated it because it is a beautiful and inspiring expression of how the struggle for liberation and mutual aid has persisted across centuries against all odds.

"Mayday is an international distress signal in radio communications, similar to the SOS signal in telegraph communications. This is an approximation of the French phrase 'm'aidez,' a shortened version of the phrase 'venez m'aider'(meaning 'come to my aid,' 'help me'). On this day, we offer to come to each other’s aid (what Peter Kropotkin called 'mutual aid').

"We appeal to you: wherever you are—under fire, in a hospital, in prison, in a foreign country, trying to find a way to earn money, in your native country where you risk becoming a victim of torture by the authorities—we want to remind you that you are not alone. We want to be with you in spirit, no matter how difficult it may be right now.

"Anarchism never died. Throughout the bloody history of the 20th century. it survived and developed. If you are reading these lines, that means you are also involved in our great cause. How many times have anarchist periodicals addressed their readers on May 1? How many times have anarchists feared that anarchism might die and totalitarian countries and fascists would win?

"We will continue, as our predecessors did. We will not give up because we are coming to help each other."

[goldenhourwriter]

˜”*°•𝔦 𝔠𝔞𝔫’𝔱 𝔴𝔬𝔫’𝔱 𝔣𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲•°*”˜

°pairing: miguel o'hara x wife!reader

°summary: your husband is against miles. you're for him. but, you two are still married, no matter what

°warning(s): couples fighting, angst, talks of violence and fighting, kissing, a tiny bit of fluff, and I only know like a chunk of Spanish. It was all checked through spanish dictionary, please correct me if I’m wrong

I swing into my room. Well, the room I have to share with my husband. I land silently, a quiet ‘thwip’ following my actions of flying through the air. I take a moment and look around, my heart thumping loudly.

I sigh, getting up and mumbling under my breath about hating this day. This whole week. Today was starting off rather well, but of course, being a Spider-Person in a while league of Spider-People, a disaster is always lurking.

“Miguel, back off,” I warn. He spares me a glance. “Mi princessa,” he begins, his tone signaling he’s done with the conversation. “¿En serio no está considerando todo lo que está en juego aquí? All the lives that we can actually lose?”

I bite my lip, and the entire Spider Society is staring at us. Hobie’s eyes, for once, hold shock. It’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Gwen doesn’t know how to react, Peter is standing there while Mayday coos and climbs over his head, letting out soft giggles. Miles doesn’t know what to do, how to stand, to even breathe or not. Everyone watches as we hold each other’s gaze, defensive.

Now, Miguel isn’t stupid. He knows exactly how this may end, but he can at least try to keep his wife from fighting against him.

“Y/N, listen-“ “No, Miguel, you’re not listening.” I shoot back. His gaze darkens as I cut him off. Frankly, I’m the only one who has the guts to, and the only one he at least tolerates here.

“This kid’s dad is in danger. You can at leatest relate to not wanting lose a loved one, imagine if it was me!”

“Y/N,” his tone is much darker now. “Don’t you dare go there.”

“Exactly, Miguel. You wouldn’t be able to stand it. Just try to put yourself in the kid’s shoes!” I raise my voice as he walks past me, his eyes now on Miles. “Miguel,” I call at him.

“I’m sorry, kid,” he says, taking out a device.

“Miguel, no!” I shout louder, my feet taking me at a sprint to get to him. Miles’s eyes widen in fear as Miguel hurls the device at him, a bubble then forming around him. People start to try to console a distressed Miles. Miguel holds me back from him, his one arm being strong enough to keep me in place.

“Miguel, you can’t, he will find a way out.”

He just keeps staring forward. My heart cracks as I look up at my husband.

Then, Miles makes the shield dissolve. I curse under my breath. He laughs nervously.

Then, he takes off running.

I shoot a web to the ceiling, flying up before Miguel could stop me. He tries to reach up for me, but I’m too fast. I swing after Miles, and he somersaults to try and get father from me.

“No, kid! I’m on your side!” I shout at him. He gives me a small smile.

Of course, in my adrenaline-run haze, I completely forgot I didn’t have my suit. Any of my good weapons. So, I had to swing back to my home. Only for the suit. That’s all.

That’s the only reason.

At least, that’s what I’ve been trying to convince myself. I breathe heavily as my nerves grow. I cross to my drawers, pulling open the top drawer. My mind races as I ruffle through it, finishing my suit.

“Come on, come on, come on,” I repeat under my breath. I grunt in displeasure as I find it’s tangled with some other clothes. I’m not really needed on missions, I’m more of the desk woman, so I don’t wear my suit that much. So, of course, it gets buried under all my other clothes.

Truly, I didn’t want to go against my husband. Of all people, but my beliefs don’t have to be his. And vice versa. He’s being crazy. He had no right to tell a kid that he was a disappointment, a mistake. I watched with anger on the train, and honesty, I know he’s the happiest with me right now. We’re both too stubborn to see each other’s side, much less give in and switch sides. Plus, I made Miles a promise.

I finally get it untangled, and I let out a small voice of victory, a smile growing on my face. I crouch down onto the floor to reach the bottom drawer, opening it. Before I can even remember what I’m looking for, a deep, rumbling voice calls out to me.

“Y/N.”

I freeze and suck in a breath, my head looking up, each one of my hairs standing up on my neck.

Oh, shit.

I heave out a sigh.

I grab my good webshooters quickly and stand up, walking right past him and to the window. I try to walk fast, wordlessly, but his red, laser-like web shoots out and grabs my arm. I look down at it, and then I look at him.

“What?” I ask shortly. His eyes hold some sadness at this, but his face remains stern.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” he questions, taking a step towards me. I don’t move towards him. I stay quiet. So, he softens his voice, he lets down the scary, mad, and broken persona for just a moment. “You have a duty, a responsibility that you promised to everyone-“

“No, no, Miguel! No!” I interject. I shake my head, grabbing the web and throwing it down, spinning around to look at him fully.

“I promised my own father to protect him. Then he was made fucking captain, he was given that dammed position, and he died! I promised him, and I promised Miles. I need to do this, you can’t stop me.” I turn around again, but his web grabs my back, and he pulls me back. I help as he spins me into him, and I collide with his rock-hard chest. He towers over me, and as he looks down, he’s almost begging me.

“Mi vida,” he whispers. My eyes search his, alternating between his left and right eye. “Don’t make me do this.”

His arm raises with the same device that he used on Miles, and I try to tug away. I grab his arm, pausing his movements. He and I both know he can easily overpower me any day, but he doesn’t. No, he won’t.

“Then don’t,” I respond simply.

He shakes his head. My spider-sense go off the hook, and I hop onto the ceiling, sticking to it. I look down at him, and in his other hand, he’s holding a stun gun. “Really, Miguel? You’re going to be that cliche?” I ask, crawling away from him.

“Dammit, Y/N! Just come here!” He shouts at me. He hops into the ceiling as well, his claws digging into the plaster. I gasp, and I use a web to sling over to the window, but he webs it shut before I can fly out. I fly into the now-closed window. I groan as I clutch my head, a small bump forming. I turn and Miguel is walking right up to me, and he pins me to the wall.

A moment of silence passes between us.

“Why?” I whisper.

He shakes his head, gritting his teeth, his fangs visible. We won’t get physical. We both know this. We can’t hurt each other even to save our own souls, it’s against our nature, against every instinct. Then, all the emotions of today come flooding to my heart. It hits me.

We’re at war.

My eyes flood with think, hot tears. I bring a shaky hand up to his cheek, and I gently cup it, my thumb coming to stroke his cheekbone. He shuts his eyes, and he leans ever so slightly into my touch. The weapons he has drops at his side, and he leans down to bury his head in my shoulder.

“I can’t let you oppose me,” he whispers to me, his hands coming to circle around my waist. “I-I can’t fight you. No, I won’t fight you.”

I nod, and I let my arms come around his neck, and I breathe him in, my eyes fluttering shut.

“I don’t want to, Miguel. I don’t. But I need to. I need to help Miles, because he needs his Dad. Wouldn’t you try anything to save someone you love?”

“I did,” he mumbles. And my heart sinks. His daughter. He doesn’t want another disaster like that, he doesn’t want other fathers to lose their daughters. I stay quiet, not wanting to disturb this moment of peace we have. Possibly the last moment of peace we’ll have in a good long while. He eventually pulls away, his eyes red. He grabs my left hand, and he looks down at my wedding ring. A simple diamond with a silver band. He traces over it with his thumb, and he leans down and kisses it. He leans down and presses his forehead against mine.

“Prométeme que te mantendrás segura, mi ángel.” He mumbles. I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion, but before I can ask, he pulls the window open, a breeze coming in. I stare at him, and I give him a small nod.

Then, I reach my arm out behind me, but before I shoot out a web, I whisper out.

“I still love you.”

He smiles.

“And I love you.”

Then, I fly out the window.

[angelfuckery]

*remembers this used to be mostly a worm blog*

Uh...

Amy being *So Normal* about Vicky's yoga session...

Somehow work a Pan-Pan joke in there (it's a distress call a couple levels below a mayday call)...

Hit post...

Yeah, i still got it.

*i feel the most like Amy when I am covered in his bl-*

Yeah, i still got it. Totally Normal (tm) wormblogger here, nothing out of the ordinary...

[ocram-station-admin-and-records]

>// Woah mama this is a mayday distress call I and my mech are currently drifting through space and do not wish to face the cold embrace of death for it holds no warmth and mercy for unremembered souls humina humina humina

[message repeats]

//Hound Dog\\

Received by Akhaan Security

Distress call received "Hound Dog"

Please broadcast distress beacon "S.O.S" on all frequencies you are able to.

Your nearest trade vessel has been contacted and are deploying a lifeboat, ETA 1 hour.

How much oxygen do you have left?

-Alexis, Akhaan Security

[bones4thecats]

Can we please get Loona x Male Reader who has similar issues like Blitzo, but less extreme? Specifically believing that others are better off without them, and guilt for past incidents, although they never go as far as to hurt Loona. Loona probably has experience with this bc of Blitzo, I could also see Blitzo starting to like reader more, since he sees himself in them. Thanks for your time!

-🐺 anon

Loona's S/O With Similar Issues To Blitzo

Characters: Loona Buckzo Requester: 🐺Anon A/N: This obviously full of angst and fluff, so expect mentions of blood and fire. By the way, there are mature themes here so be aware of this! Have fun! ⚠️ Spoilers/Trigger Warnings for: Blitzo's Backstory and S2 Ep8 ⚠️

••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●•

»»———————————-　Loona Buckzo　———————————-««

🐺 Loona and you had first met years ago during a small debacle between your boss, Verosika Mayday, and her father. And when your brother, Vortex, and her began to speak and talk with him, you bonded just as well

🐺 During a follow-up job of yours while working with one of Verosika's recording directors, an electrical fire erupted and as you helped others get out, a rogue explosion bashed into one-half of your face, causing a massive burn to make you half-blind

🐺 Verosika had to let you go, much to Vortex and her chargains. You just told them it was understood why, and Vortex and Loona asked if you needed somewhere to stay, offering up their homes

🐺 You passed it off until you came by to hang out with Loona at your place, finding a paper saying you had a couple weeks to get your stuff out of the place due to a loss of your rent

🐺 Loona patted your shoulder and rubbed your arm, asking if you still didn't want to move in with her and her father, saying how he'd love having you around more. You two did get along well

🐺 You smiled and kissed her forehead, nodding before she called her dad and delivered the changed news to him. The only sound you could hear on the other end was the imp laughing and cheering, saying he would love having another guy in the apartment

🐺 When all of your things were moved into Loona's room, now you and her's, Blitzo had you fill out a paper on what you did and didn't like, in which you smiled nervously and wrote down everything

🐺 As the many weeks passed of you living with them, you noticed just how different their lives were now that you lived there. And you couldn't help but think, were you a burden to them? Would they be better without you there? Was this change in their lives your fault?

🐺 Later that day, Blitzo came home early from his 'time' with Stolas and knew that Loona would be out that night. She was going to hang out with Vortex while you stayed home, saying you didn't want to go out because you felt ill

🐺 Blitzo laid a sack on the counter-top and stretched his back before hanging his coat up and moving around the couch, only to find you laying there, wrapped up and crying...

"Kid, you good down there?"

"Am I a... am I a burden, Blitzo?"

"What? Who the fuck said you were a burden?!"

🐺 Holding your head up, Blitzo saw just how distressed you were. And it was far from pretty. It reminded him of himself when he was younger and just blaming himself for the loss of his mother and his family

🐺 You saw that Blitzo was kinda agitated when he came inside the apartment at that time, something must have gone wrong at Stolas'. And when you took the tissue that he offered you and whiped your nose and eyes, before asking what went wrong with Stolas

🐺 He sighed and began to rant to you on how stupid that bird was, how he was most definitely crossing a line with showering him with this rush of feelings. All they ever did was a contract-fucking, nothing like this!

"Y'know, I think we both have out own issues. Like we're fucked up in unique yet similar ways."

"Do you think we should tell Loona about it?"

"When the time is right, kiddo. Not yet. Anyways," Blitzo stands up and pops his back again before yawning and wrapping his tail around his leg in pleasure from the pop, "I need to get some sleep after this. Loona said she was on her way home a few minutes before I got here, so expect her soon, 'kay?"

"Yeah. And, hey Blitzo!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for being the father that I've needed for a while."

"... It's no problem, sweet dreams, okay?"

"Right back at 'ya..."

»–•–«

🐺 The sound of a door opening a closing made you look up from your phone tiredly, seeing your girlfriend hanging up her jacket and smile at you with a slight yawn

🐺 You stood up and noticed that when you hugged the hellhound, she slouched and began to snore, making you chuckle and carry her to your room

🐺 Maybe your thoughts were wrong... the way that Blitzo comforted you from your crying and the way that Loona balled herself in your arms to gain some more warmth and comfort just made you think more clearly

🐺 Maybe you weren't such a waste of space...

[scrubbinn]

Mimic HRT: 20 months “Broken patients”

“Ah Ms.Mulberry… I, er, didn’t expect to see you. This early I mean. Making use of that outside privilege we worked so hard to get you. Of course you would. We managed to set the standard that all of your kind will keep their citizenship status until their crossroads, rather than at the start of their treatment. But, we’ll need to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Why don’t you- Ah, already taking a seat I see. So then… How are we feeling today? You seem… yourself.”

“...”

“Well, let’s see, what we can expect now is a few more days in court just to settle things, make sure the government is satisfied with the arrangements we all agreed upon. We’ll also need a few weeks to determine if this therian support group is actually reputable enough that this will count towards your psychological evaluation. Recently there have been some rumors about the manager being a bit unsavory, so that will cause a delay, if not entirely set you back some time. Really now, you must have realized finding a professional therapist would have been a much safer move… Excuse me, Ms.Mulberry, can I inquire why-

“You will not. Now keep talking.”

“Ms.Mulberry you seem rather upset, perhaps-

“You’re wondering why I decided to not use my mimicry to disguise a face for myself today. Oh believe me, I would have loved to walk in here a mass of sludge with eyes and teeth all over but it turns out human society doesn’t really like that too much. Having a head with no eyes to look at is a courtesy I am giving you. It’s more than you deserve. What the fuck is all this talk of we? You weren’t even at the last fucking meeting. Our lawyer wasn’t even at the last fucking meeting!”

“You’re clearly distressed, you should leave the premises immed-

“SHUT UP! YOU DON’T GET TO TALK!... Just shut up and listen. There is no we. As far as I am aware, this bullshit lawsuit against your clinic is the most roundabout way to specifically get me into a criminal court considering this incident didn’t even take place in hyper city. The lawyer I was given is somehow less competent than you are! Do you know how much time I’ve spent these past two months learning, specifically, Hyper city legal jargon? How overly complex a nexus point’s laws have to be to account for literally anything! And you left us to sink or swim! I could pass the fucking bar exam here if I wanted to at this point! And the worst part, oh my god the worst part. It cost me everything. I can’t so much as afford a hot dog on the way back home now. Because you’re some blinding asshole who thinks I should have to pay for everything! Well you know what? Perhaps you should be the one paying now! I am going to drag you down into the mud with me. Do you really think I don’t know why you never showed up, why I had to do everything? Because what's one experiment to you? Scape-goat, lab-rat, guinea pig, a mimicry of something human no longer. The second your clinic was in the clear, you left me to fend for myself. I can't believe I had an ounce of pity for you. When you comforted my decision to stop at my crossroad I actually thought you cared about me. That there was someone that could understand my fears!”

“Mayday that was what I was doing! I saw someone in pain and I did my best! I-

“Your best?! Oh my. Ha. Hahahaha. You don't even get it yourself do you? No you idiot! You comforted us because you saw the last shred of our humanity and told us to never let go of it. You're not clever Theodore. Inside that mind of yours whether you admit it or not, the second we start this treatment, you see all of us as inferior and beneath you. You self-righteous bastard. You know what, how about I let you talk. Won't cut you off this time. I want you to explain to me what your goal is. Why do you help us when you could simply refuse? Why put yourself through this? 

“And if I don’t feel the need to justify my actions to someone threatening me? What if I were to call security to drag out a crazed patient? What would you do then?”

“What would I do? I'll know the second you push that panic button, and we both know what we can do to a human body. Don’t make me go through that again.”

“Right then, I suppose I'll have to give you a truth that will satisfy you in this clear state of psychosis brought about by a clear lack of sleep and several stressors.” 

“We both know you're nowhere near trained to be a psychiatrist. Stick to working with hormone levels Mr. endocrinologist.”

“You want the truth? Fine, How's about this? Some witch had weird friends and made a promise of a lot of money if I sold her magic as a medicine. Happy? No? Of course not! That's not what you're asking you frea- No. I won't let you get the better of me. You want to know why I stuck around. Why after all these years I haven't retired… I really could, couldn't I. There are other doctors, for over a year I haven't been the only one supplying this stuff. I've had my fair share of attacks both verbally and physically from both sides of this city. I'm not sticking around because I have to, I've made enough breakthroughs and connections to create my own hormonal formulas without the need of the witch who dragged me in this business in the first place. There are so many reasons to retire and let my legacy live on in the scientific textbooks of all worlds. But no. The truest reason I fight for this clinic is to see people who walk through these doors happy! I see dozens of brilliant and kind souls walk through this door, ones who had the unfortunate fate of being born in the wrong body! I am giving my time, life, reputation, and money to help people because that is its own rewar- Stop growling! You said no interruptions!”

“Well you're clearly lying to yourself if you actually think seeing us happy is your end goal. Or were you not paying attention when I had to remind you that you abandoned me in a court case that shouldn't have even legally happened. They spent half their time trying to get the victim, my god damn girlfriend, to indict me as a crazed lunatic. If their goal was to crush me mentally and physically then they succeeded. Otherwise it was just a waste of time. I can’t even fathom how much time they must have if spending it going after an otherkin that slightly bothered them is possible! There is one thing that I got out of it though. There is one glimmer of light in this forsaken tunnel. Because that useless lawyer let me get a look at all the documentation of this clinic. Maybe the reason for this case was just for them to get a look at it. Find something to pin you with. Either way I guess everything you do is legal since they never went after you about it. But still, getting to read everything you’ve ever done has been quite the eye opener. Every experiment and procedure you’ve ever done.”

“And? As you already said, everything I’ve done is above the board and… Wait, you couldn’t possibly think of leaking those to the general public? You shouldn't even have them anymore. Making copies like that is illegal! If you leak those documents then you’ll go down with me. This is all a bluff to you.”

“Erian, you should know better than anyone how well we can disappear. Or how well we could make you disappear. Besides, for the record, I never said I made copies, but perhaps I might have. I just want you to know exactly where we stand. You hurt me, but I’m not so petty as to hurt you back. Instead you’re going to give me a job here. As an assistant.”

“This might be the worst job interview I’ve ever held. You do realize blackmail makes an awful resume don’t you? But I can’t exactly decline now can I. Tell me Mayday. What happened to the young woman who came here scared yet excited for a better life? You once said you wanted to work here before, but resort to this kind of behavior. Why even take a job here? It would make your bargaining chip even worse for you than for me?”

“Look, despite everything. What you’ve done to us, what you’ve done to others. Everything I learned. I, don't hate you. It’s not in my nature. I am quite literally doing this because it is my only option to not starve. And despite my attempts to hate you this whole confrontation I can't hold onto it for long. I get that what you think you're doing is some greater good for therians. But you're not the misunderstood hero you think you are. You're just seeking attention. Doesn't matter if it's good or bad you just end up making awful problems for everyone in the name of research that at best, will only ever appear in a science textbook, and you know that. Look, it's ok, I get what it’s like to seek that sort of validation. I could help you. Please, just give me the job.”

“You are wrong about me Mayday, you consider me obsessed with my image of a hero but perhaps your delusions about me are simply your obsession. I don't have a choice in giving you a job. I suppose I'll find something for you that's out of the way. I can’t say I'm excited to work with you. But perhaps you'll make a good legal advisor for now if you're as well versed in law as you say you are. No, trusting you with that would be a mistake, we’ll start you off as a janitor perhaps, I’m sure your body’s makeup should help you in that field. Besides, janitors are already basically invisible to everyone else, I’m sure your mimic mind would prefer that.”

“Oh no, we are not ending this conversation like that. Legal advisor? Janitor? Are you trying to make us angry again? No, I'm staying as far away from those kinds of positions as possible! You'll be paying for my degree and I'm working directly as an assistant. This isn't something you can negotiate!”

“I think you’ll find that it is! Because as far as I’m concerned, you’ll settle for any job. You don’t have the power to demand what position I find for you. The second you have this job, it becomes too valuable to destroy. You will accept this role or you will sink us both. Do I make myself clear?”

“I- I could attack you. You know a bite from me could kill you! I’ll do it!”

“You’ve already played your hand Mayday, I know most of this conversation was just a bluff from you anyways. Be thankful that, if I feel generous enough, I’ll forget this little incident when the time comes that I can secure this clinic’s future without fear of your threats. I do see many brilliant souls walk through this door. It’s a shame you weren’t one of them. But, I’m someone who cares about my patients despite your attacks on my character. I’ll give you one last chance to convince me why I shouldn’t give you the worst possible job I could find.”

“I- You’re right. This is just a bluff. I can’t even call it a roar, this is just my last whimper before I lose everything. I don’t. There’s nothing left after today. Abi can’t afford to take care of me. Going back home is what caused this mess in the first place. Theo, I’m here because you are my last lifeline. You can decline my employment if you want. I never actually copied the evidence I saw. I’m just a mimic of empty threats. My last echo before I disappear. I’m just scared. We lost.”

“Mayday… You are certainly good at trying my patience as well as heartstrings. Fine then, I’ll overlook these threats of yours as brought about by desperation. You will never state to the public what rumors they might have claimed as evidence, and you will be worked down to the bone- er, tooth, as an assistant. Do I make myself clear?”

“Oh my stars thank you!”

“Please do not mention it.”

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

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@aster-is-confused, @bloodandbrandywyne, @glitchgloop, @nyxthewary, @lunadook

[unhingedangstaddict]

WIP Wednesday

Got tagged by the amazing @typicalopposite

Here's some more of my fix-it fic! It will be posted later tonight but in the mean time here's a small teaser!

Eddie was sitting with Hen and Bobby while they ate. Chim was still working and Buck had been sent to get some sleep about an hour ago. Not much was being said, they’d all rather focus on eating and then maybe getting some sleep than they were interested in talking.

“Base-” The radios sparked alive with noise. “Base come in-” The audio was distorted too much to try and guess who it was, but there was urgency or perhaps panic in the voice. “This is a distress call-” The transmission cut out. “Mayday-” The static became too loud to hear over. “Pilot Kinard-” More static. “Going down.” Yet more static before the radio fell silent again.

Eddie looked at Bobby and swallowed thickly. “Did that just say,”

“Pilot Kinard?” Bobby filled in. “Yeah, it did.” Bobby confirmed.

“Oh my god.” Hen muttered.

“Okay, I’m going to go find out what I can. Eddie, can you go check on Buck? Make sure he didn’t hear that?” Bobby requested.

“On it, cap.” Eddie nodded and took off to find Buck.

“We’re gonna keep it a secret from him?” Hen couldn’t help but question. Normally she would never question Bobby’s authority on anything but this felt different.

“You didn’t see Buck when the well collapsed on Eddie, or how desperate he was when you were in a helicopter crash in Texas four years ago, or when Chim was stabbed and Maddie was taken. I’m not keeping it from him to be cruel, Hen, I’m simply saying if he doesn’t already know yet, maybe it’s best for everyone if we don’t tell him until we know something.” Bobby explained and turned on his heel to go find out what if any information they had on Tommy.

Tagging @desert--moonchild @sunnywithachanceofbi @ladyeyrewrites

[twobirdsonesong]

@118dailydrabble Day 55: Mayday

Buck/Eddie || Rated: T || Tags: pre-buddie

Eddie jogs up the steps to the loft of the firehouse to get a bottle of water, only to find Buck, Hen, and Chimney gathered in the kitchen.

“Edmundo!” Chimney greets. “Thank you for joining us.”

“Pretty sure I’m going to regret coming up here.”

“When was the last time you had sex?” asks Chim.

Eddie hesitates, looks at Buck who is not meeting his gaze. “Sex? Or good sex?”

“Oh.” That’s Hen, giving him big pity eyes.

“Yeah.” Eddie shrugs.

“Mayday, mayday, we have a man in distress." Chim mimes the call into a radio.

"Fuck off.  Why're you asking."

"Just talking about dry spells," Hen offers.

Eddie cracks open the water, finds Buck staring at him.

(collection on AO3)

[lover-of-mine]

Tell me if I'm crazy. But as a Buddie forever girl. I warmed up to Taylor in the sense that after her actions with Bobby ext, there was an actual redemption era. We saw her back story. We saw her doing Covid. We saw her being Bucks friend. We saw her with Bobby. We saw her with the Diaz family. Would I have accepted her end game? Well fuck no. BUddie will be on my gravestone.

So why do BT shippers think I need to accept Tommy. TBH is earlier actions were, in fact, far worse than Taylors. He has been on screen maybe 5 times. I haven't seen him actually do anything to have a redemption arc. It seems Hen and Chim have to do the heavy lifting to make it seem like he wasn't a jerk. I mean I will forever be annoyed he left buck stranded. Tell me you wouldn't be annoyed if your BFF called you admitting someone left you behind any where because they were annoyed at you for any reason. But especially because you were still in the closet.

Like why should I give him more mercy than Taylor just because he has a dick.

*deep breath* oh wow I'm really about to publicly defend Taylor Kelly and the validity of bucktaylor? Dear God, how the times have changed *distressed chuckle*

Okay, the thing with Taylor is that they established a friendship before putting her with Buck romantically. We all knew it was gonna go there, and at the end of season 4, like it or not Taylor had a fighting chance. Because the thing is, they brought Taylor in s2, and she is supposed to be this distorted female Buck 1.0 to push Buck into action. She's unapologetic and she comes out as not caring for anything but herself, BUT her reintroduction to us, includes humanizing her. She has an extreme reaction because Buck was using her and she thought he cared and she has a deeply relatable reaction to the covid thing. This means that along with her still being sharp and unapologetic, we see her have a softer, dare I say even as caring as she can be, side before they get together. So Taylor could be a nice presence in Buck's life, she calls him out on his bullshit, she indulges him in his shenanigans, she freaks out because Buck might be hurt, and we establish that before they are officially romantically involved. So we witness Taylor open up to Buck during 4b, and that means that, if they wanted to, they could've kept that energy going and make her a decent match for Buck. A Taylor who cares about Buck as much as she cares about the truth, is a decent match for him (would that be better than buddie? No, but it wouldn't be a worst case scenario either). They could've been a nice golden retriever/black cat thing, and their friendship could've also been interesting if they had kept that evolving and didn't stumble them into a relationship. So when we contain bucktaylor to s2 and 4 and the 6 episodes Taylor's in, she was presented as someone who didn't care about a lot besides her own gain and evolved into someone who cared about Buck as much as she could. The key difference between bts here is the way they established a bond between Buck and Taylor before getting them together. Season 5 keeps throwing rocks at their relationship because they can't figure out how to love each other but they are trying. Even moments where Taylor comes out as dismissive, like her reaction to Buck being worried the team hates him for Chim leaving actually ends with her validating his feelings in the only way she can with the breakfast. They end up being terrible for each other because Buck cares too much and she can't match that. But it's not for lack of effort. We see the effort. In her own way, Taylor tries. Does she end up being the thing she tried to protect Buck from? Yes. But that conversation with Lucy during mayday shows a real understanding of Buck. She was trying. The fact that the way they love is incompatible doesn't negate that, it just shows that they are bad as a couple. Buck needs something she couldn't deliver. And Buck couldn't accept that. And they shouldn't, there's compromise and there's fundamentally changing who they are as a person, which in the end was what would be necessary for them to work as a couple.

Tommy, on the other hand, since the show wanted Buck being bi to be the 100 episode event, he didn't have time to establish himself in Buck's life before. And then there was no effort after. And we can scream reduced season all we want but if they did it with Taylor in 4 episodes, they could've done it with Tommy in 6. Season 4 was also reduced. And it had Jinx and Treasure Hunt. And let's face if they can write a reporter into the plot, why couldn't they write a firefighter? But ignoring that, we are being explicitly shown a lack of effort. The show decided that gay excuses complacency, which is their prerogative, but when applied to Buck they are making choices, the outfit thing is one thing, not being at the hospital is another. I will give Tommy a "pass" for walking out on Buck, Buck shoved him back in the closet, he had every right to be upset, BUT he also could've communicated that better without deciding Buck is not ready and only telling Buck he's leaving when he's already in the car. And the "I didn't want to pressure you" excuse you was bullshit. But again, lack of effort. Comparing to Taylor again, Taylor heard a firefighter had been injured and she raced to the hospital because she couldn't reach Buck. She's actually a steading person for Buck in that moment, she understands what Eddie being injured means for Buck, she talks to him, she offers to drive him (dear God I'm letting Taylor Kelly set the bar), so the contrast that actually exists here is in the level of effort in understanding Buck and trying to provide him with what he needs. The thing that bothers me most with bt is actually the lack of casual intimacy. I was talking to a friend yesterday about this and it all comes down to the way the show had moments where they could write that in and chose not to. Things like not warning Buck his face is dirty or even helping Buck clean it once the scene had served its purpose, not dressing up, not being at the hospital, not even offering Buck a comforting hand on top of his at the table during that dinner. It makes me not want to be invested in the relationship because it lacks effort. I'm not in the mood to lower my standards for him. Taylor wasn't perfect under any standards and with the way the relationship evolved I wanted her as far away from Buck as possible, but she always came back, that willingness to try and get things to work is a key difference. No matter what they do Buck is the main character, and like you said, it feels like having my best friend call me about someone who's a parade of red flags that he's too blind to see and I just have to smile and nod and secretly hate him because there's nothing to do until he snaps himself out of it. Buck is the one I love in this situation and I was not given enough to allow Tommy some grace. Even more when people keep yelling at me that I need to love him just because he's a man.

I need you to know this was painful to write. I was taking breaks and I took a lap around my house then I went on a walk looking at the sky asking how did I get here. I will never forgive this fandom for forcing me to defend Taylor Kelly. I think Taylor is an interesting character, awful match for Buck in the end, bad human all around, but I can't believe I keep being pushed into a position where I need to defend the validity of her presence because somehow people stopped seeing the actual problems that existed there and decided the only issue was that she's a woman.

[kineticpenguin]

You ever think about how weird it is to use “mayday” as a distress call? Maybe it narrowly beat out just screaming “communism!” into your radio while the plane goes down