#not even interesting just a flat city that goes on and on

[scorpius-rising]

I think the most fascinating thing about the US being a shit place to live is the fact that from all the indicators it shouldn't be. Like yes, there are far worse places to live for many people. But the US is the world's largest economy. Its hegemonic media and celebrities dominate the global culture. Its business exploits the labour and resources of billions of people and its military is the most dominant on the planet. By all rights it should be a pretty good place to live and instead it's just...bad.

[ew-selfish-art]

Dpx Dc AU: Ectoplasm is required for Ghosts to be visible to the human eye- And Danny creates his own ectoplasm.

Danny is visiting Jazz in Gotham and its weird how friendly everyone is. Like, the city gets a really bad rapport, everywhere he goes there is someone trying to strike up a conversation or answer his questions about getting around to the tourist spots. A few people even pointed out restaurants and ways to find off the beaten path gems! Jazz seems to role her eyes at him, but when he brings up her 'roommate' being kind of cute she flat out laughs.

Danny then comes to understand the Jazz doesn't have a roommate and that Ghosts in Gotham don't move far from their haunts- He's just been inadvertently turning these undead folks visible by accident of generating abnormal amounts of ectoplasm.

Which, is comforting in a way, he's never walking this dangerous city alone and really, most of the ghosts have been really friendly! They disappear once he's a few blocks away from them anyway.

---

Tim Drake is having a horrible day.

He'd been given intel that one of Black Mask's guys was going to snitch but that he'd died before given the opportunity to reach out to the GCPD. He tracks down the guy's last know whereabouts and yikes. Its next to the Theater. Tim was often grateful for his childhood obsessions, this time it backfired.

Tim and Bruce get into an argument about trust and respect and, worst of all, mental health. And even though Tim was vehemently against Batman accompanying Red Robin to the alleyway - that's exactly what happens.

They arrive and Bruce is closing up faster than a clam in the contaminated Gotham Bay- Clearly being in the Alley bothers him. No fucking shit. RR gets started on collecting evidence, there are a few extra blood splatters and a single left shoe... When a kid walks into the Alley.

"Uh, sorry to intrude-" The kid looks scared shitless, and runs away. And then, all of a sudden, Batman and Robin aren't alone in the Alley.

Tim can hardly believe his eyes as the dead man appears and quickly blabs Black Mask's bank passwords and what the plan had been- and While he's over joyed to have that closure, he turns around to Batman weeping in the arms of his parents.

The ghosts fade, and the emotions are certainly charged as this was never something Bruce or Tim would have ever dreamed of happening. Ghosts in Gotham. Talking, floating, granting closure.

"RR, Bats, come in." Oracle calls into their ears.

"Reporting in, but, uh, we need a minute."

"A minute? We have a case on 4th and-"

"O, we just saw the ghosts of the Waynes. It's going to be a minute."

"...Lots of Ghost reports lately then. Any chance you saw a kid looking like he could be adopted?"

"Yeah, actually, black hair and blue eyes. He was super polite before he ran away."

"We have work to do. Oracle, lets prioritize finding our person of interest and divert Nightwing and Robin to the case on 4th." Batman cut between them on the comms and he sounded... calmer than either of them anticipated.

---

Jazz is no longer laughing when Batman appears at her door explaining that he's looking for Danny (Who already flew away from town to get a good night's sleep before class on Monday). Turns out Danny reunited the man with his dead parents just briefly- and then the second guy appears and mentions how Danny had also given a guy who'd been murdered by a Mob enough time to explain the ongoing threats the city faced.

Jazz just rolls her eyes and says that it's not like the ghosts are going anywhere anytime soon and Danny will visit in another month. When pressed, she just explains that her brother is a weirdo. No of course he doesn't have powers. Gaslight and Girlbosses her way out.

And Jazz thinks that the game is up for at least another month, obviously when Danny visits more shit will stir up, but then this new guy appears.

Unlike the other Bats who are keen on watching her from a distance, the Red Hood knocks on her door. Are her eyebrows all the way into her hairline when Red Hood asks her to send his thanks along to Danny because somehow this whole situation led to his Dad expressing remorse for his actions and apologizing? Yes, yes they are.

But Jazz can smell Dissertation Data off of these vigilantes- Who is she to send them away? Jazz welcomes Red Hood into her place for a cup of tea and a small chat.

The story then devolves into Jazz getting shit done, Danny being cute by proximity and also bringing ghosts to the party, and the Bats having trauma resolve between them.

[burr-ell]

What do you mean by 'trying to mighty nein-ify vm instead of having actual character moments'? Not intending to be hostile or aggressive, I just saw those tags and got curious.

That's okay! Mighty Nein-ification is a bit of a misnomer (especially because it's unnecessarily hostile to the Nein). The problem isn't so much making Vox Machina like the Mighty Nein (all indications are that VM was just as rough around the edges as the Nein were when they were starting out), it's that I think they retreated to old shorthands they were familiar with that work well with the Nein and don't work with VM in the time they had.

So when we first meet Vox Machina in the stream, they're already established and respected adventurers at level 9 sent on a quest by a member of the Council of Tal'dorei. They've already killed Brimscythe and the Dread Emperor and saved the Sovereign and his family; while we see their scrappier beginnings in the Origins comics, it's purely backstory in the campaign. With the Nein it's the opposite, where we actually follow them through their low-level adventures as they get to know each other, watching them argue and mistrust each other and slowly build up both their friendships and their clout within the political factions of Wildemount. We watch them go from a gang of slapdicks who no one likes or respects and are constantly fighting to a strong and cohesive team of movers and shakers.

Here's the problem: the cast is now producing an animated adaptation of Vox Machina's campaign, which is almost universally agreed to really pick up around episode 24, the beginning of the Briarwood arc. Between the slower-paced first 20 episodes and the red dragonborn in the room, the Briarwood arc makes the most sense as the starter story. We can't just jump right into that without taking some time to establish VM as a party, right? That's what the opening two-parter of season 1 is for: they need to establish who Vox Machina are as individuals and a party so we have a baseline understanding of them before following them through an iconic storyline. There are different ways they could do this!

And the way they chose to do it was "gang of slapdicks who no one likes or respects and are constantly fighting".

This would have been fine if they weren't starting with the Briarwood arc and leading into the Conclave arcs, which both require VM to have some rapport with each other and the Tal'Dorei Council to work. Instead VM are still on thin ice with the council and honestly don't give anyone a reason not to think of them that way even before everything goes wrong at the feast. (Like, I don't think Scanlan's antics in 1x03 are funny; I think they make him look like a dumbass and they make VM look like dumbasses by association.) Allura and Kima barely tolerate them and Allura is reluctant to speak in their defense when the Sovereign puts them under arrest. I can understand that they thought this kind of conflict would be more interesting, but this is the lead-in to the Briarwood arc. There's PLENTY of conflict here to be interesting! Why not try to build up Vox Machina as a competent party with friendly allies who struggle with but still overcome a difficult challenge, maybe straight-up open on them killing Brimscythe and then lead into a truncated Kraghammer arc?

Because this doesn't just make for a lackluster opening two-parter. Emon being so hostile to the party means they have very little investment in or connection to the city, and as a result, when the Conclave attacks, it lacks emotional weight. Keyleth has a line in season 2 about their home being destroyed that falls flat because Emon wasn't their home; they were kicked out of every tavern and multiple people pointed out how bad their reputation was. The lack of friendship with Kima and Allura makes their meeting in Season 2 Episode 5 very jarring, because they greet each other like old friends when they're not. (I think Seasons 2 and 3 did a good job developing Allura and Kima's friendship with VM, but this is work that should have had its foundation laid sooner.) When Keyleth asks the question of "why are we even together", it's never really answered in the emotional sense in which it's asked. Why are they together? Because at the eleventh hour they finally started acting competent, I guess. Don't get too attached to the idea of that theme, because it's not gonna come up again all season.

You see what I'm saying here? They didn't go for what would most efficiently tell the story in a way that made sense; they went for tropes—archetypal stories of scrappy underdogs pulling together for a common goal. And while it seems like a quick fix that solves the problem of distilling the first twelve levels of Vox Machina's campaign into a 12-episode season, in the long term it undercuts what the show intends to do later because the groundwork they laid was too focused on using familiar adventure story imagery to try to push audience reaction buttons. That's a problem that has hung over this show for three seasons now, and I think the metapigeons have come home to roost.

[gothicbarbie]

MY TOP 10 BEST BL COUPLES OF 2023

So I guess I'm a little late considering it's now 2024 in most places, but well, better late than never. I tried and failed to rank top 20 or even 10 kisses... I just couldn't remember them all or even choose... but most of my top couples have some pretty great kisses, so at least there's that! I can, however, rank my favorite BL pairings from 2023, so... let's do it! I will be ranking these from least favorite to favorite because I think it's more fun that way... Also I credited all the gif makers at the bottom but I did list the tumblr user for each specific gif underneath. If someone wants me to remove their gif, please let me know and I will so! I just wanted to pretty up the post a bit.

Also, to clarify, any couple on a show that is currently airing and not complete yet is not eligible to be on the list for 2023. Trust me, there were many I wanted to include!

Honorary Mentions:

Tinn & Gun | My School President

So, spoiler, a different GeminiFourth pairing will be on the actual top 10 so I didn't really want to include both pairings on the list, but I really did love the two of them in My School President. G/F just have such a wonderful and natural chemistry. The way they always look at each other just feels so pure and sweet. I really like pairings where one is secretly pining for the other, but Tinn/Gun also sorta had a hate/love ISH thing going for a little while. The progression of their relationship to actual boyfriends was just so fun to watch and really well done.

Dong Wook & Do Hyun | A Breeze of Love

I watched this BL so quickly that it didn't really resonate with me as well as some other series, which is why these two didn't make the top 10, however, I really enjoyed their relationship on the show. I love hate to love pairings and I found their backstory scenes really sweet as well. I also thought they had a really nice chemistry and there were some strong kissing moments for a kbl.

Jihan & Jaejun | City Boy Log

I didn't include these two on the main list for two reasons, one: the show is not over yet... i don't think? and two: this technically isn't a BL drama? IDK anymore, but regardless I love this series and this couple so dang much! I love the realness of them filming themselves and how their relationship is portrayed so subtly until their feelings just sort of emerge. They have some really wonderful and special scenes or moments together that we don't typically get on other series. I am anxious to see where the rest of the story goes and I hope the actors get another opportunity to work together. The side pairing is great too!

Top 10!

#10. Ai & Songkhram | Destiny Seeker

These two were so damn fun to watch, I really loved the hate to love thing at the start that quickly turned into love (Or I guess always sort of was???). The actors had such a great chemistry together and they had so many fun little moments and bantery scenes together. While the rest of the series felt a little flat for me, their connection continuously kept me interested.

#09. Ze Rui & Zong Yi | Kiseki Dear to Me

Honestly don't even know what to write about these two or how to explain why I like them, because there wasn't anything particularly special about their dynamic that typically draws me in, but I just really enjoyed the actors chemistry together and I really liked the progression of their relationship and how well they meshed together. Their kissing was extremely natural too.

#08. King & Eua | Bed Friend

Firstly, these two are HOT AF, and I really loved the friends with benefits storyline between these two, but more than that, we have a perfect character imo with King, who was continuously there for Eua and always trying to help him and make him understand how much he really cared. The show could be very dark at times but I love that King was always sort of the shining light for Eua.

#07. Segaski & Yoh | My Personal Weatherman

I can admit that the big draw to this show for me originally was the sexy scenes and moments, and while I do think the series could have done with some more scenery changes and better storylines, considering the time frame, I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two characters develop. It's nice to get a friends with benefits type of relationship and see how it progresses into more than that. And for a JBL it was nice to see some high heat with a happy ending.

#06. Su Yu & Wu Bi | Stay With Me

SIGH. THESE TWO. So I mean, I understand the criticism of this show and their relationship. So many things are implied but personally I felt like the end half made it pretty clear that these two were 100% a romantic couple. (just wish it was clarified when that change happened) But the progression of their relationship from hate to love was so beautiful to watch. Even if it was just a friendship it was worth it imo to see how close they got. Fair warning, the finale episode is not the best lmao, but I hope we get a second season to sort of fix it? Fingers crossed on that one.

#05. Wan & Ki Tae | Our Dating Sim

This was definitely one of the cutest BL's of the year and this couple falls into that category well too. I really loved seeing them re-connect. I love that they were old best friends (with feelings) that had a lot of issues to sort through and we saw some adorable flashback scenes as well as current scenes. I also love that they got together and were mostly happy instead of having a lot of intense drama.

#04. Li Ming & Heart | Moonlight Chicken

These two... so much to say about them and yet I don't really know where to start. Gemini and Fourth just work so well together and I felt like this duo was even deeper than in MSP. They started out on bad terms but quickly became close and I really loved the progression of their relationship and then I adored how we also got to see them together as a couple too. My favorite thing about them was how hard Li Ming worked to try to understand Heart and how he learned sign language for him and encouraged him to get to know others like him and to put himself out there. They also had such a fun banter with playful moments and scenes. It was just so damn pure and sweet to watch with no unnecessary or stupid fillery drama.

#03. Jae Won and Ji Hyun | The Eighth Sense

Something about this pairing just felt so much different than the typical KBL pairing. The show itself was so much deeper and had a more serious tone than we typically get, which was amazing. The actors nailed the roles and you could really feel the tension and longing between them right from the beginning. I loved their storyline so much and the actors seemed so comfortable together.

#02. Yamato & Kakeru | I Cannot Reach You

This was one of my favorite BL's of the year and their relationship was a huge part of it. I thought I was more into hate to love, but clearly, based on this list, that isn't always the case. There is something so sweet and adorable about best friends turned to lovers. I really love too when we see one side pining for the other, so this couple was extremely enjoyable to watch!

#01. Chen Yi & Ai Di | Kiseki Dear To Me

Good Lord these two... they had the perfect formula for my favorite type of pairing. Hate to love, drama, tension, angst, one-sided pining... it was so painful to have to wait every week for more. But god, it was worth the wait and their chemistry was just so good, their kisses were phenomenal too. Def. a memorable pair and a show I will be rewatching very soon!

THANK YOU to all these wonderful humans for making the most amazing gifs that I used in this post!

[gamergirl-niffler]

Alright, listen up! I'm throwing it out there — hit me with some fluffy Christmas prep scenarios featuring Bakugo, Kirishima, Shinso and Eri (together), Midoriya, Present Mic, and Aizawa. Politely asking, of course 🎄

YAY! Time for some Christmas Spirit!

Hope you will enjoy it!

Christmas preparation with MHA men

Bakugo

- He isn't much of a "Christmas enjoyer"

- He has better things to take care of! Like his hero work, training, getting better. 

- But seeing how much you like christmas... He is willing to go with it all for your sake.

- Katsuki makes sure to get you THE BEST christmas tree there is. He is going to fight for it if he has to!

- Bakugo helps you with decorating the flat and he complains about it a lot.

- He complains about the amount of stuff you put around the flat and about all the stuff you hang all around BUT he still helps you by lifting you up when some place you try to decorate is too high for you.

- What Katsuki actually loves is helping you with cooking, altho his help is scolding you during this. We all know he is a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, so you are ready for some hard times. It's worth it in the end. 

- If you ask really nicely, he reluctantly puts on a christmas sweater. Just don't tease him about it, if you cross the line the sweater will be ripped into shreds.

- Same goes for Christmas music. One year he blew up the radio because it was playing too much of it! 

- Katsuki tells you that he doesn't want any gift from you, leaving you puzzled about what to get him since he never shows the need to have something. He himself already has few gifts for you. All of them were bought even months ago.

- Christmas with Bakugo are indeed difficult sometimes but in the end he is trying to make it nice for you because he knows it makes you happy. 

Your happiness is his happiness.

Kirishima

- He. Loves. Winter!

- The moment the first snow falls Eijiro is glued to the window watching the pretty snowflakes fall upon the city.

- As soon as you are back home, you're pulled out outside to enjoy the fresh snow with your excited boyfriend.

- Winter means Christmas and it means lots of fun! 

- Buying the tree, ornaments and decorations is just so magical for him, all because the shiny, glittery atmosphere it creates.

- The two of you decorate the whole apartament, from floor to ceiling. Of course to make stuff easier for you, he is letting you sit on his shoulder to help you reach high places.

- Cooking is fun but baking is even more fun! Both of you make delicious food and cute gingerbread cookies to enjoy.

- Matching Christmas sweater is a MUST.  Maybe they aren't too pretty but they scream Christmas and that's the most important.

- For Kirishima, the best evening is just the two of you, snuggling up under the warm blanket with hot chocolate and some christmas movie on, bathed in this magical atmosphere and warmth.

- He showers you with many gifts! Even if you asked just for one thing. According to him it's what you deserved.

- Gift from you is treated like the biggest treasure. No matter what you gave him, he doesn't care. It's a gift from you and that's what counts.

Shinso and Eri

- They are an interesting mix. Shinso doesn't care that much but still enjoys Christmas while Eri is EXCITED about them. 

- You can't blame her, she has been celebrating Christmas for just a few years.

- Before she was rescued she never celebrated Christmas.

- Shinso is like a big brother to her, so he is doing his best to make it as great as only possible and you are there to help.

- Your shared apartment is decorated with lots of lights and many cute and pretty Christmas decorations which you also love.

- The tree you buy is big, and of course Eri helps decorate it. Whole fun is finished by Eri being lifted up by Shinso so she can put a star on top of it.

- Baking gingerbread cookies, decorating them is fun. You create a cookie that looks just like Shinso while he decorates his own cookie to look like a cat.

- Later, you help Eri with building the gingerbread house.

- After that it's time to go outside and it's a blast!  Shinso actually looks happy while building the snowman with Eri or while throwing you into a pile of snow.

- As fun as it is, you two have no chance against Eri in a snowball fight. 

- According to Shinso, your snow angel is the prettiest but not prettier than you.

- Back at home it's all about hot chocolate and Christmas songs. You and Eri can sing your hearts out but Shinso won't join it but he will agree to dance with Eri.

- It turns out your boyfriend is a decent dancer and you are recording this as a souvenir.

- When Eri is asleep after all the excitement and fun the two of you spend some alone time just talking and enjoying each others presence.

- Getting gifts for Eri is easy, she clearly voices what she would love to receive, Shinso on the hand is a little tricky.

- He may not seem like it but he is very perceptive and already has gifts prepared for his favorite girls.

Midoriya

- He is excited but he isn't over the top.

- The two of you celebrate in a calm way. Just getting your shared apartment all nice, cozy and full of christmas spirit.

- Izuku loves to visit family during this time, and you visit his mom together, and then visit your family, no matter how big it is.

- Back at home, the two of you bake Christmas cookies and even build a gingerbread house together. It's too pretty to eat.

- Your Christmas tree is full of All Mighta ornaments because of course it is. Izuku collected a lot of them over the years and he bought new ones this year as well.

- Your favorite is the little All Might in Santa's hat.

- Not to mention he owns a few All Might Christmas sweaters. Some are already too small for him so you get the privilege to wear them so you both match! 

- Radio is playing the whole time, blasting the Christmas music. You both even sing together if you know the lyrics.

- Buying him a gift isn't easy since you want to give him something special. He on the other hand already planned what to get you.

- Christmas with Izuku is simply wholesome, full of fun and love.

Hizashi Yamada

- This man loves to celebrate, so Christmas is a great time of the year. (Not to mention that pretty soon after Christmas there is New Year!)

- Christmas music is playing in your flat from the very first day of december and there is lots of singing.

- Your flat is decorated in a pretty flashy way; a lot of glitter and colorful, flashy lights.

- Hizashi loves to randomly grab you and pull you into a dance right in the middle of your living room to whatever song is now playing.

- Celebrating together is fun but what's even more fun? Celebrating with friends.

- You two invite Shota and Nemuri to have a drink and a good chat about something different than just kids, school and work. 

- Of course he is not only all about partying and being loud all the time. Hizashi loves taking you for a walk so the two can take a look around the city and enjoy all the lights and decorations. 

- Not to mention he loves to snuggle up with you on couch or in bed, share earphones and just spend time together.

- Each year you aren't sure what to get for him as a gift but in the end you end up getting something he loves.

- When it comes to him, he is a master at this! No idea how he is doing this.

- You don't mind any of the stuff he does, this makes your Christmas even more special. You couldn't be more perfect than they already are.

Shota Aizawa

- Shota wouldn't celebrate Christmas if it wasn't for you.

- Sure, it's a nice festive time but he prefers to use this free time to get some much deserved rest. It was like this until you showed up in his life.

- When others have big christmas trees that are fully decorated in rich lights and ornaments, he prefers a simple, small fake tree. 

- It's still not safe from the two cats you own but it's not as messy and won't hurt any kitty if they decide to hunt it down. 

- Not to mention the real tree is expensive, takes up the space and in the end it will leave a mess. It's not worth it, according to him.

-  He isn't up to decorating the whole flat but seeing how much you love it, he agrees to put up some more decorations.

- Shota wants to rest and hates cold weather but he agrees to go on a walk with you or help you with Christmas shopping.

- He reluctantly helps you with cooking, even if he prefers to just take a nap.

- There is one thing he actually loves to do, and it's dressing up your two cats. Shota loves seeing them in cute Christmas outfits. His phone is full of pictures of them just looking cute.

- His recipe for Christmas is easy. Tasty supper, exchanging gifts and snuggling on the couch while watching or listening to something. Shota really doesn't need much, all he wants for Christmas is you. 

- You can enjoy your movie/song while he naps holding you close.

- Surprisingly he has no problem with getting you a perfect gift, Shota is really perceptive so it's easy for him to pick something you need or will enjoy.

- When it comes to you getting him a gift it's even easier; a new sleeping bag or cozy blanket. That's all this man needs besides your love.

[jazzyblusnowflake]

In what ways do you believe V would display romance and affection?

V is... a difficult one smh. she hardly even allows anyone to touch her, and the solver had altered her AI beyond the possibility of her being able to relearn a new personality easily- or at least not overnight. Its like a semi-perminant trauma response.

so lets see-

V is prideful, even if she doesnt flaunt it like J, she couldnt bring herself to actually face people when shes doing something kind for them, she usually does it from behind the curtain. she doesnt want anyone to know she has anything soft about her, shes still scared of getting hurt, we have seen this several times during the show where she gets put off by the solver when Uzi uses it.

But when in a relationship she had to deal with the fact that the bond has to go both ways. it was... not easy for her to even admit she liked to be in a relationship in the first place. in fact i doubt if any of them even thought about it at all- before they knew what was happening they were all just an inseperable part of eachothers lives, and try as she might, N and Uzi just knew she cared about them lol.

V learned to open up a bit more. She opts for silence rather than flat out lying to peoples faces now, and when she feels ready to share something the others hear her out.

another thing that V does is trying to participate in things N and Uzi suggest. its really not easy to deal with 2 people who are so emotionally charged- so N and Uzi dont blame her for sitting out of activities but she tries to join them just to have the company, like going out around the desolate human cities looking for random stuff and sharing interests, or cuddling in a fort and doodling stuff- maybe even sometimes dancing or looking for clothes and getups. even though she might not participate in the activity herself, she still likes to be present and that itself shows N and Uzi that she cares.

speaking of clothes, Vs time with Lizzy showed her that a part of her still wishes she had the freedom to live as a normal drone for all the time that was robbed of her. she likes to look pretty and she likes to wear pretty outfits... something that she might have not had the choice on even if she had lived all her life as a normal drone. and showing the other two some of the outfits she choses and prettying herself up for her partners is probably a side of her shes not gonna willingly let anyone else see any time soon. N and Uzi arent complaining :p

Initiating any physical affections is something that she does rarely but sometimes even she craves the attention. Uzi and N feel like a cat had chosen to trust them lmao. She used to start really simple like curling her tail around N or Uzi or their leg or tail- she opted to skip hand holding and just go towards hugs or cuddles whenever she wanted the attention or N and Uzi were idly doing something and she just decides to join. sometimes she would demand neck scratches and rubs or head pats, she usually doesnt let anyone simply touch her so those are a big deal. and well if she goes for more like kisses or anything more intimate, she makes sure that her partners are okay with it and that shes not bothering them or forcing them by doing so.

Sleeping. thats it. V hardly allows herself to rest. the fact that she would let herself sleep around N or Uzi or even cuddle with them shows shes immensely trustful and happy of where she is right now. N and Uzi want to expload cuz its like a cat had fallen asleep on them and now they cant move cuz they dont wanna wake her up TvT

i think thats all i have for nowwww >:3

[olympeline]

Been thinking about why I found Arthur in the Dark so impressive and it made me realise something kinda significant. Something significant that I’m going to put under a read more because it revolves around a heavy subject. So I wouldn’t advise looking beyond the cut if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.

Less important, but everything below is a big spoiler and, guys seriously. If you like USUK and can handle darker fiction - no pun intended - give AitD a try. Don’t spoil yourself here. Go try it first and then come back if you’re interested. Try it if you’re neutral on USUK. Or, heck, even if USUK is a ship you dislike but isn’t an outright NOTP. I’d still recommend checking out this comic. Arthur in the Dark is still worth a read in my opinion. It’s that good. But enough gushing. Read on for the meat of this post.

Ready? Here we go: Arthur in the Dark has one of the best depictions of rape I’ve ever seen in a piece of media. “Best” as in most skillfully crafted for narrative purposes. Honestly and truly. Not even kidding. Which is kind of amazing considering it’s a depiction that came from a fan comic based on a jokey, anime gag series. Why do I feel this way? A couple of reasons:

Firstly, the rape in AitD is frighteningly, tragically realistic. Something the majority of fictional rapes are not. We tend to think of rape as taking place in a dark alley in the inner city. Stereotyping up a scene of a bottom feeder, criminal man dragging a (young, attractive) woman away to violate her. They’re usually total strangers and it’s always violent. These kind of rapes do happen, but statistics tell us they’re the minority. The majority of rapes happen like the one in AitD did: between two people who know each other well. Friends, romantic couples, even family members, make up the bulk of rapists and their victims.

Most narratives prefer the less common type of rape. Usually because the creator doesn’t want to tell a story about rape. Not really. What they want is a gut-punch to add easy drama and darkness to their creation. The sliding scale of “irredeemable bad guy” roughly goes: murderer → cold blooded torturer → rapist → child rapist. Making a villain a rapist is one of the worst things he - because 99% of the time it’s a he - can be. Conversely having a character be raped gains them instant sympathy because people are moral and empathetic creatures at heart. Most creators know this and throw in a rape for the shorthand: “Look how evil our villain is!” Which often makes the rape and its aftermath feel artificial. In no small part because the rapist characters, by virtue of being written to be the worst of the worst, don’t come off as very human. They can’t be when their main purpose is to be loathed by the audience. I could go on because there’s tons more to unpack about rape in fiction, but you get the point.

The rape in AitD isn’t like that. America and England know and love each other. Their relationship is complicated (oh boy, is it ever!) but that part of it is never in doubt. They’re each other’s most treasured person and have been for centuries. They’re not a duo made up of a flat, hate bait, villain on a collision course with their victim. Who’s doomed to suffer and be pitied until the creator decides the audience has had enough of their trauma and shuts it away so the story can move on. America and England are two people living together, going through a period of immense change and stress, trying to manage as best they can, and sometimes getting it very wrong. From a narrative point of view, this makes what happens between them so much better and so much more upsetting at the same time.

Which brings me nicely to reason number two of why this particular rape works: the build up. Like everything else in AitD, America raping England is carefully planned out and set up. The chocolate bar scene, man. Brilliant, I have to say. Alarming, uncomfortable, and brilliant. The scene in the garden is not just sprung on the reader for a jarring “Oh no! Oh shit-!” moment. If your typical under written rape is a cheap jump scare, the rape in AitD is a carefully crafted slowburn dread. Early on we start to become aware we’re building to something bad. From the foreshadowing, the art, the atmosphere, etc. We just know a storm is coming. It’s done without America acting OOC too, which is very important. It’s how he can come back from what he did. Something that would be impossible if the author didn’t handle this setup well. America’s actions aren’t right, but they are understandable. That’s the crucial distinction. The psychology of the whole thing is so very well done. America was in love with England and had been for a long time. The guilt he felt tormented him because of what their relationship was in the past. Caught between his human side and his immortal one. The guilt helped keep America in check because he didn’t want England seeing the lustful way he’d begun to look at him. Then they started living together and England was suddenly vulnerable. Vulnerable in more ways than America was aware. Which is another vital detail of how the creator keeps America sympathetic, but more on that in a moment. England willingly went blind so he wouldn’t have to see when America - the man grown from the child he raised - looked at him with lust. The guilt America felt peaked, only to clash with the realisation that he could freely indulge in his fantasies. Indulge and push (again, chocolate bar scene) now the usual moral restraint - England seeing his desire - was removed.

Meanwhile, England himself felt that same guilt but his was also laced with panic and despair. He didn’t want to lose or strain his relationship with the most important person of his centuries long life. Pulled between human standards of morality and the very inhuman existence of nation-people. Incidentally the clash between their existence as humans, while also being something more than human, is brilliantly done in AitD. It’s something that’s hard to get right - especially involving such taboo topics - but Hotama nails it. USUK usually handwaves the implications around England raising America, but here it’s made part of the narrative. Part of the tragedy, part of the resolution. Good stuff. Anyway, England begged Arthur to take his sight away so he wouldn’t have to see the way America looked at him. Then banished Arthur back into the dark in an attempt to run away from his problems. But without Arthur - without his strength - England couldn’t stand up to America when he needed to. Not that America was aware of any of this because he never knew about Arthur. Which brings me to point three: nuance of blame.

“Blame” is a very loaded word in this context, so I’ll do my best to talk about this carefully. Rape in the media is almost always black and white. Absolutely evil, irredeemable rapist. Absolutely blameless, sympathetic victim. But real life isn’t always that simple. Obviously the rapist is always the perpetrator and the one most in the wrong. I need to make that very clear. But the scene in AitD illustrates that sometimes a victim could have done more to help themselves. Not always, but sometimes. This is a delicate subject so I hope you understand I’m not trying to victim blame. Just saying that rape, like all crimes, doesn’t always deal in absolutes. Unlike media, real life is often complicated and tragic. Good people can give in to temptation. Be weak, do bad things, or allow those bad things to happen. England told America to stop, but failed to follow it up when needed. When America pushed for more and used England’s own words to argue he’d already been given consent, that was when England needed to push back. Interpretation comes in here but, personally, I think if England had told America to stop when prompted, America would have. But England didn’t and he gave in instead. Something America took as a tacit “yes.” Again, not right, but understandable in how it could happen. Their power imbalance had grown extreme, stress and feelings were running high, they were struggling to connect as they used to, England’s prior cowardice and separation from Arthur prevented him from being strong when he needed to be, America was ignorant of his problem, and it all came together in a horrible, tragic mistake. All throughout, the rape continued to be brilliantly, awfully realistic. America not noticing - either genuinely or from denial - that England was not enjoying what was happening. England quickly becoming too distracted by the pain to do anything other than focus on enduring it. Then the aftermath where America didn’t realise what he’d just done due to coming down from a post-sex, post-stress euphoria. Awful, miserable, horrifying, tragic, perfectly crafted scene.

Which brings me to my final reason why this comic impressed me in its depiction of rape: where the story goes from there. Where it goes and how the narrative builds from the rape instead of trying to move on because the “shocking” part is over and now we’re in diminishing returns. Going back to my first point, too many stories see rape as something that happens in an isolated part of the narrative. It happened, it was shocking and brutal, now it’s done and we can move on because we didn’t plan to interweve the rape with the rest of the story. So we won’t give it the weight it needs. At best the victim might get a few scenes expressing their trauma later on - maybe a callback or two - but that’s it. It’s shallow. Plenty of fictional rapes could be replaced with a savage beating and nothing would change. In the worst cases you could remove the rape, not replace it with anything, then run the story with minimal problems. Not so in AitD. There, the rape isn’t just another semi-important plot point. It’s a crucial one which couldn’t be replaced with anything else. The whole first part of the story, the engine of the narrative, is built around America and England failing to deal with their changing relationship. A relationship between a pair of humans who also happen to be strange, immortal beings that ordinary humans can’t understand. Changing from platonic/familial to romantic over hundreds of years. With romance comes lust. Lust can be perfectly healthy just like any other bodily appetite. In this case it became twisted by circumstance, and the only “suitable” narrative payoff was rape. Nothing else would have had the necessary impact.

Then there’s how the rape compares to the final sex scene in some classic narrative juxtaposition. The final sex scene which happens to be the only one in the comic that’s fully consensual on both sides. The one that goes beyond sex and becomes real, honest to goodness lovemaking. It’s a perfect contrast. The rape scene had all the trappings of a classic romance. Right down to it being their first time and taking place in a rose garden. But it’s tragic, horrifying, and deeply unsexy. Then, near the end of their story, America and Arthur get lost on their road trip and have sex in their car. Their crappy, cramped car, where they’re surrounded by ordinary luggage, both of them sweaty and a little cranky with each other after a long day. It’s awkward, ordinary, imperfect and gorgeous. If we didn’t have the rape before to show us the nadir of this relationship, the healing and the dawn that came after wouldn’t be half so meaningful. A very strange thing to say without context, but it was a perfectly done rape that gave the audience the payoff of perfectly done lovemaking. It’s no small feat to get a reader to cheer for a romantic resolution after all of the above. Kind of in awe of Hotama’s skills, I tell you what.

Up to this point and I don’t know what else there is to say other than, geez. This comic, man. Blew me away. I’m so happy I rediscovered my interest in Hetalia if for no other reason than I got to read Arthur in the Dark. I’m a bit of a bookworm in my spare time and I’ve read quite a lot of classic literature over the years. Classic literature with rape scenes not crafted half so well as AitD did. Really think about that. An amateur fan comic based on a jokey gag series about national personifications being silly with each other. Did better at something than the books we hold up as the best of the best. Can’t really say anything else than that is genuinely bloody amazing

[thestrangesthell]

Afterlife Jobs and Civil Service

Seen a few theories and "plot hole" accusations flying around after Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and thought I'd add my own hypothesis on what the deal is with jobs in the afterlife.

This will contain spoilers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

TW: This post will discuss suicide. Please only proceed if you are comfortable.

The short version: I think (for the most part) jobs are a choice and available to those who need to hang around due to unfinished business (even if they themselves don't know what that is). I think those who commit suicide do have to work for some time as it wasn't their time to die yet. They can't just board the soul train and move on to better plains. Instead, (and though rather sour in the mouth), they're met with the shock that it isn't over. This is Beetlejuice, after all. Death and life is hard.

Now, for the long version (and it really is long), read on!

Despite the fact I do personally think it's canon that those who commit suicide end up having to work (at least for a while) in the afterlife, we can't believe that purely because Otho said so. Firstly, the guy is living, pompous and has zero evidence for that statement. Secondly, he's not a credible source. He may have been "one of New York City's leading paranormal researchers until the bottom dropped out in '72," but his interest in anything can be boiled down to obsession with image and aesthetic more than a desire to get into the nitty gritty.

What we as the audience do see is people working in the afterlife that could have died by suicide.

There's the Road Kill man ("Thanks, I've been feeling a little flat!"), Juno (*who I will come back to) and most obviously, Miss Argentina. These people are working and likely (if not outright confirmed) died by suicide.

It's a weird thing to pick up on, but what about the skeleton workers?

Besides being a great visual gag, there's not really a clear indication of death by suicide here. We could, of course, suggest they died this way and have since been "worked to the bone" - as this is the Beetlejuice franchise after all, and lord knows pun-based humour is...well, pun-damental - but no other ghosts seem to have permanent alterations to their state. In the Beetlejuice universe, once you're dead, you're stuck that way. (Unless you get your soul sucked that is).

Well, that clears things up, right?

Maybe not.

For a long time, a lot of us in the fandom accepted the whole "in the afterlife they become civil servants" thing because, well, that was what we were told. But with the recent instalment of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice this is now dubious.

Why?

Betelgeuse himself.

Betelgeuse was largely assumed by many to have died by suicide. Various headcanons over the years include strangulation, hanging, poison, drowning, electrocuting himself - the list truly goes on. part of his charm is the mystery. But with the sequel, it is suggested that he died by poison from another. Delores.

Why is this an issue?

Well, if Betelgeuse didn't commit suicide, why was he Juno's assistant?

I have two theories for that.

Firstly, in line with this entire post - he died after Delores poisoned him and then chose to work up from the bottom to become Juno's assistant. He claims himself that his heart was pretty much blackened before he met Delores, so what's to stop him from wanting to take over in the afterlife after finding himself there ahead of his time? He probably feels robbed of life and hella opportunistic. It would support the theory of unfinished business and explain the random jobs we see him doing in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. From Guide to working Immigration, man's got one hell of a resume.

Then there's my second theory, which muddies the waters quite a bit.

We didn't actually see him die after he was poisoned.

I'll let that fester for a bit...

Ready to move on?

Let's talk about *Juno!

Juno, my beloved.

Despite recent questions surrounding her cause of death, I do personally feel the cut on Juno's throat was self-imposed. The issue fans have with how deep the cut is can be answered fairly reasonable. This is more practical rather than an effort for believability. Beetlejuice is high camp and smoke pouring from the throat of a ghost only adds to its ridiculousness. Plus, it helps back up my theory that those who commit suicide are required to do some type of work in the afterlife to make up for their shortened time on earth.

The reason I believe this is that Juno seems to really hate her job - or at least hate the crap that comes with it. If she had chosen to be a caseworker, (or been given a job similar to what she did when living), we'd perhaps see her be a little more understanding to everything that was going on. Instead, she's burdened by her paperwork, sick of having to deal with issues from baby ghosts and their "routine hauntings," and the poor woman is constantly haunted by the knowledge that Betelgeuse is out there.

(While we don't know their history, we do know that Betelgeuse ended up with a bit of a liking for Bio-exorcisms. I don't think she believes him evil any more than she considers him a nuisance, so we can only assume he got caught up in trouble that threatened Juno's line of work, leading to him getting fired.)

The real reason I can suggest that jobs are largely a choice are the recent additions to the Beetlejuice universe. I'm talking about Richard, Wolf Jackson, the Shrinkers, the Janitor and all of Wolf Jackson's squad, (plus a handful of others). They all have jobs, with some having more legitimate jobs than others.

This is where my theory really comes into play.

I think all of the above characters (possible with the exception of the Shrinkers) chose their jobs. Why? They have unfinished business - just as Barbara and Adam had unfinished business in Beetlejuice.

(Of course "they found a loophole and moved on" but this is more-so to explain their necessary absence in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. From a lore perspective, they could very well still be haunting the house for another 89 years. I (like many others now) believe the loophole was unfinished business. They had the family (Lydia) that they wanted all along and when she moved on with her life, they felt complete. Next stop: The Soul Train and The Great Beyond.)

When looking at these new characters, here's what I theorise for each of them:

Richard - Unfinished business: a family reunion. Richard died in the Amazon, away from Astrid and likely didn't get a proper goodbye. After saving her, thus seeing her once more, he could move on. It's possible too that he's not going to move on after Beetlejuice Beetlejuice due to waiting on more family to see again. But we don't know that, so I'll keep it short.

Wolf Jackson - Unfinished business: "keeping it real." Wolf Jackson seems slightly in denial about his situation. Janet has to continuously remind him that he in an actor because he gets too into the bit he's currently doing. I think the man gets completely convinced he is a spy/detective/investigator/whatever it is he is hyper-fixated on becoming. He's method, dedicated to his craft and won't move on until he feels he has fulfilled every cast-type possible for his range. He's gunning for a Gross-cer.

Wolf Jackson's squad (including Janet) - Unfinished business: supporting cast. Judging by how useless they all are, I'd hedge bets that they are actors too, waiting for their "big break" or recognition to feel satisfied with life (or death). In the Toonverse, celebrities are canon. If these universes are more aligned than previously thought, this could be a possibility.

The Shrinkers - Unfinished business: think big. These poor sods got on the wrong side of a witch doctor (although I really do think a certain B-man is to blame for this). We saw what happened when the portal to the living world opened. Those suckers saw a bid for freedom and went for it. I'd wager that they're somewhat forced to work for Betelgeuse. Maybe he's promised them 'head' (not that kind) if they do his dirty work. After all, he got his head back to normal size. Who's to say he hasn't promised them the same if they work for him? (Let's hope they read the fine print in that contract).

The Janitor - Unfinished business: a taste for revenge. To be honest, I think this guy either died by suicide or totally on accident. Either way, it was from ingesting something toxic. He's got a hankering for bleach and chemicals, who's to say this was just in death? I think he was content working in the afterlife, consuming these deadly toxins with zero repercussions.

Much of the same can be said for the Dry Cleaner. People need their clothes cleaned, he was good at it in life. Why not carry on if you're not ready to go?

Speaking of ready to go...

All aboard The Soul Train!

Another key point in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that (aside from Astrid, who was semi-forced to board), The Soul Train is something you board when you're ready to depart. Maybe some people are forced here and there, as there are guards stationed, but we are also reassured that Hell is an option for those who do truly fucked up shit.

(It's worth noting also that The Soul Train has other stops. The Pearly Gates, Elysium and another stop (my memory fails), all of which were DELAYED. Time works differently in the afterlife; maybe some people get jobs because the wait is truly an eternity.)

WOW, you made far! Congratulations for enduring my ramblings, here's a beetle for your trouble 🪲

After all that, here's what we do know:

If you died within a certain radius of your home, you're left to haunt it for 125 years.

If you died by suicide (and if Otho is correct), you have to work for an unspecified amount of time as a civil servant in the afterlife.

If you died via a horrific accident (Wolf Jackson, Janet and Richard), jobs are there for you and you don't even need the credentials to back up your experience.

You cannot leave the afterlife unless you are confirmed "dead dead", board the soul train, attempt to swap souls with a living person or get sent to Hell.

In summary:

Jobs are available in the afterlife. There's no expectation to "work" but there's not much else to do. If you're not ready to leave the afterlife, (perhaps you're still processing death, waiting for loved ones to meet you on the other side or even enjoying the weird and wonderful atmosphere), why not get a job?

Well...unless you're forced into one by a horny poltergeist. But that's a whole other post.

But hey, what do I know? I'm only living.

[sleepingdeath-light]

being her one true friend hcs ; azula

requested by ; batstickblog (16/06/22)

fandom(s) ; avatar: the last airbender

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; azula

outline ; “Azula x fem!reader (taking place event’s of Book One: Water) Shy daughter one of Imperial Firebenders. Visiting the palace, when she met the princess of the Fire Nation. Quickly closed friend’s and Azula truly care about the girl more than her two friends and brother before she leaves. Stories mixed between Fluffy and Fix-it fic.”

warning(s) ; canon typical levels of angst but mostly fluff

the two of you had first met when you were children — with your father having dragged you along to a war meeting with his fellow aristocrats in order to gain some sort of leverage with the ailing fire lord

he’d been beaming and filled to the bursting with the pride and aggression your kin were known for as he discussed strategy and hostile takeover — but you were just bored and looking for any opportunity to escape the clutches of thinly veiled mathematics and other boring grown up stuff

so you came up with an excuse of feeling sick and needing air, slipping away and running to the courtyard like your heels were on fire

and that was where you met your best friend

princess azula; the young daughter of the fire lord’s younger son — renowned overachiever and star student who earned nothing but praise from her tutors and family members

princess azula who was training right in front of you — blue flames pillaring up from her fingertips as she danced across the large flat stone she’d haphazardly thrown onto a shaded area in the far corner of the courtyard

you’d watched her for a while before she realised she had company and with the confidence only found in children, she invited you to spar with her

and, as the saying goes, the rest was history

as the years passed by, the two of you stuck by each other through it all — through her grandfather’s death, through her father’s coronation, through her mother’s disappearance and through her brother’s banishment

arm in arm and side by side through thick and thin — there was nothing that could separate you from each other

you trained together, you learned together, you lounged together, you mocked together and you grew up together — truly two peas in a pod

you were there cheering her on from the sidelines as she mastered her bending and were the one to push her to pursue lightning bending — there to help her work through her issues with her parents until she reached something close to contentment and acceptance

she was there ready to sponsor and help you reach your goals — funding your hobbies and bolstering your studies by giving you full access to the palace library on the condition that you spend more time with you — but also ready to scold your parents if ever they try and force you any which way (a princess outranks any aristocrat, after all)

and whilst she’d never be caught dead admitting how deeply she cares for you, it’s clear to see through how kindly she treats you compared to anyone else — soft eyes, gentle words, pushing you more when you think of giving up and threatening anyone who even thinks of hurting you

how she only ever sleeps soundly when she’s pressed against you: leaning against your side or lounging across your lap as she promises she’s just resting her eyes

how you’d always catch her smiling softly out of the corner of your eye whenever you’d start passionately ranting about your latest interest

how she balked and paled and started spitting out excuses when you overheard your father proposing that your family move into one of the earth kingdom cities that the army had just captured — far away from her and everything you’d ever known

a greater reaction than when her oldest friends left the capital — mai for the same reasons your family had considered and ty lee for the circus — and when her own brother was burned and banished

she feared — truly feared — losing you and it showed

but, thank the spirits, that day never came and your parents decided to stay in the city and you didn’t have to leave azula behind — honestly you could have cried

the week following that she barely left your side, finding every excuse she could to be around you — training, studying, practising her royal duties and on and on…

(not that you minded, of course, but you certainly got in your fair share of teasing remarks anyway)

and for a short while everything was back to normal — or as close as it could be with the fire nation being so close to winning the war

… until azula was assigned on a mission to retrieve her brother and uncle

…

that was a difficult conversation for the two of you to have: tearful, emotional, genuine and above all else hard

hard to be hugging not knowing how long you’d be apart (she couldn’t know exactly where zuko was after all)

hard for her to insist on you staying behind (not because you couldn’t hold your own but because she didn’t want to run the risk of you getting hurt under her watch — it would kill her to see you hurt)

hard for you to wave her off whilst keeping an encouraging smile on your face (because if you wavered then so would she — and you didn’t want her to give up this opportunity to further prove herself to her father)

hard for her to promise to fetch her dear brother and uncle back home safely before the comet hits (because, no matter how hard she tried, there was still a part of her that dreaded zuko stealing the love of their father and their people as he had their mother)

just hard in general, really

but somehow you managed, giving a hug and a cheek kiss goodbye before she hurried onto that boat — azula filled with determination as you waved her off

she would bring them home

she would do her part to help ensure the victory of the fire nation

she would come home safely to you

because, really, what other choice did she have?

she’d sworn it you she would and she’d never once broken a promise she’d made — not to you, not ever

so failure simply wasn’t an option

[akhillaous]

TikTok TSOA fans are so funny because they’ll swear up and down that they despise Achilles and “only read it for Patroclus who was sweet and innocent and did nothing wrong 🥹🥹” like ijbol u people are not serious. Hate Achilles all you want, he did do bad things, me personally I hate him for sacking certain Trojan cities and refusing the embassy, no one’s denying that he was wrong and that he was a bad person at times, but loving a character does not equal justifying their actions for one thing and to act like any character from the illiad was a paragon of perfect morality is fucking insane. ( Yes, even Hector, everyone’s favorite “🥺he was such a perfect husband🥺” man of the month ) It’s literally so crazy to say that Achilles was the only one of the two of them to actively commit bad deeds and war crimes during the WAR they were in. Just close the damn book I’m sorry but obviously a book with morally ambiguous and dark topics are not for you at this point. Like I get your point, what Achilles did was bad, it’s not like majority of people DONT agree with that point.

But characters are not supposed to be FLAT. They are not supposed to be all good or all bad. Your insistence that Patroclus was only a good person does not make him a good character. It actually makes him really fucking boring. I’m getting way too passionate about this but like I’m so over everyone acting like

1) Achilles was the worst person to exist in Greek mythology history when he’s not even the worst fucking person in the illiad itself 😭 ( that honor goes to Paris, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Agamemnon <3 )

2) A character can only be liked or appreciated or even just talked about if they fit modern ethical standards

Like every conversation I see about TSOA, any video on TikTok, there’s always a comment that has to bring it up like “I only liked Patroclus and he was an unreliable narrator so Achilles was actually much worse” Like okay we get it, God, fuck off please!

Also the whole thing between him and Apollo. PLEASE. Those two are two sides of the same exact coin. I think Apollo was justified in killing him but yall act like Apollo has not done the same if not worse than what he killed Achilles for. And that’s. FINE. I still love Apollo! For all the good and the bad that he does I think he’s the most interesting Greek God on the Pantheon and in the Illiad he’s actually one of my favorite characters to hear from. And I don’t expect the Greek god to act with good moral intentions. I expect him to act like a Greek god. I expect Achilles to act like a Greek demigod. Which is, exactly the way he acts. Maybe yall expected something different. If you wanted a short sweet story that happened to be queer with two perfectly acceptable, 100% goody two shoes main protagonists, please drop the classics inspired books and watch heartstopper.

[coffee-at-daybreak]

what we want | teldryn sero x reader

Ever since you helped clear Raven Rock mine recently, the town was seeing a boom in business. Miners were flocking to get their share of work in. As a result, the Retching Netch would become quite hectic every night, seeing as all the exhausted workers just wanted a nice meal and drink and a comfy place to stay. You were lucky to have come into the inn when you did, before the rush, so you managed to snag a table tucked away in the corner. You stare at the half-finished loaf of bread you’d been picking at, lost deep in thought despite the ruckus around you.

You’re jolted out of it when you feel a boot tap against your own under the table. “Still awake, serjo?” Teldryn asks.

You look up at him, met with his slightly concerned but amused red eyes. “Huh?”

“You haven’t even had a drink yet and you look out of it.” He tilts his head. “Everything alright?”

How dare he ask you that, with that damned helmet off, staring at you with those damned alluring eyes, on that damned captivating face of his. You’ve seen it before, but the effect it has on you is just as intense as the first time - your skin gets warm, your mouth goes dry, and your belly feels like it’s housing a frenzied moth with all its fluttering.

But you maintain your composure, thank the gods. You nod at him. “Y-yes, I’m just … thinking.”

“About what?”

You gulp, nervousness wringing your already unstable belly into a knot. “Well…"

Teldryn chuckles. “Uh oh.”

There’s a long pause as he patiently waits for you to gather your words. The sound of voices and laughter echo off the walls of the inn. You toss around options in your head for a moment, but you finally go with the blunt, flat approach.

“What are we?” You ask.

He simply stares at you for a second. “..What?” He finally shoots back, in a tone that makes you feel like you just asked something silly.

But it’s not something silly to you. There’s a lot about him and your relationship that you do know. You know that you started out as a simple patron and hireling pair. You were acquaintances, people who talked only to discuss plans and money and whatnot. Then you were friends - you talked about your backgrounds, about your adventures, about your interests and dreams. You went from simply using his company, to actually cherishing it.

And you don’t know when, or how, but you strayed onto the messy path of more than friends. His lingering touches when he helped adjust your armor. The soft tone you started to adopt when you said his name. The way you two embraced after a brutal, exhausting battle at a bandit fort. Sharing a bed at an inn or holding hands to stay together in a crowded city. In the heat of the moment, these things all came naturally to you, and you honestly had never given it much thought before.

But it hit you this morning, when you two had been locked in a practice sparring session, and one particular moment had you mere inches apart, and all you wanted to do was pin him down and kiss the life out of him. But he’d leaned back, declaring you’d had enough practice and it was time to get moving. And you’d finally felt the strangling weight of that dreaded thought.

You didn’t know what you were - just a patron and their hireling, or something more.

“W-well, it’s just…” You rub at your neck nervously. Your pulse sounds like thunder in your ears. “I don’t want to assume anything, but sometimes it feels like… maybe we…”

You can’t even get the words out. There’s a strange, suffocating fear gripping at your chest. You can’t help but worry that this will turn out to be a grand misunderstanding, and you’ll be made to look like a fool. Knowing that could end in Teldryn leaving your side is all the more terrifying.

He is silent for a second, which only increases your fear. Then he’s cracking a smile, one side of his mouth lifting. “You are adorable, Dovahkiin.”

Heat grows under your cheeks. You watch him as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. His boot taps yours again, playfully.

“What do you want us to be?” He asks.

You blink at him. “Wha- you can’t ask me that!”

“Why not?” He laughs.

“You could be setting me up here,” you mumble. The warmth on your skin is spreading everywhere, and you worry you’ll start sweating any minute now.

“Now, now, I may have my dark side, but I’m not evil.” Teldryn’s smile turns into a grin. “I just want to hear you say it.”

“You are the worst. I regret saying anything.”

“Come on, tell me.” His eyes narrow, staring at you with paralyzing intensity. “What do you want us to be, serjo?”

You fight the urge to pick up your abandoned piece of bread and throw it at him. Instead, you take a deep breath in. You shift your foot under the table, extending it so that your leg leans into his a little. He holds your gaze, but you notice the way his eyes relax from their narrowed glare.

“I want us to be more,” you say, trying to keep your voice as firm and as steady as you can keep it. “I want you to be more than just a mercenary, and I want to be more than just your boss. I want us to be together because we want to be, not because we have to be.”

There’s another tense silence, in which he continues to simply stare at you. Panic overtakes you and you wave your hands in front of you a little. “Unless of course, you don’t want the same. Then I shall pay you a handsome amount of septims and we can pretend I never-”

“Sh.” He interrupts sharply, which works because you stop and look back at him. Your entire body is in overdrive. Your heart feels like it might leap out of your throat.

Teldryn’s smile softens. He unfolds one of his arms and pats at his lap. “Come here.”

You give him a split second “are you insane” look but he urges you again. You swallow the last of your nerves and stand, knees feeling a little weak as you step over to him. You take a very unsure, very careful seat on his leg. One of his arms immediately wraps around your waist to pull you closer. His other arm dives to pick up your legs and drape them across his lap, so you are situated comfortably against him.

It’s not fear that’s fueling your crazed heart rate anymore, but a thrill of elation. Especially your eyes lock with his, and you realize you’ve never seen them this close up before, their intense red color more hypnotizing than ever. In the cozy lantern lights of the inn, you could sit and study his details forever, from the angles of his face to the tiniest scar notched into his skin.

“Firstly, I don’t do this with any of my patrons,” he says , his voice so much closer and warmer, now that you hear it better amongst the noise of the inn.

“I’d hope not. Because if so, you might be in the wrong field of employment,” you quip, and his body quivers beneath your own with his laughter. You snake an arm around his neck, resting it over his shoulders. You can’t help but smile, a cheesy but genuine smile. Relief starts to sweep through you, eradicating the last of your worries.

“Second, consider this my resignation as your hireling,” Teldryn continues.

You arch an eyebrow in question. “What is your new title, then?” You dare to ask.

His hand moves off your leg and reaches out to take your own hand into it. You’d never felt his hand without his gloves on before. His skin is calloused but warm, and like him, it feels so strong, so protective.

He lifts your joined hands to his lips, planting a delicate kiss on your knuckles. “Yours. All yours,” he murmurs against your skin.

Were he not holding you so firmly right now, you might have actually swooned. That flutter in your abdomen floats up to your chest, where your heart feels like it’s blooming in joy. You don’t even care if there happens to be anyone looking at you two. It’s hard to care about anything else right now when he’s holding you like this, and looking at you with a tenderness reserved for only you.

“I do like the sound of that,” you admit. “I’ll approve it, so long as we make it fair and you consider me yours as well.”

He grins up at you, his arm giving you a playful squeeze around your abdomen. “Deal.” Then he lowers his arm at your back, which drops you just enough for him to lean in and join your lips together, as if to seal your new agreement.

[cer-rata]

Goddesses That Would Be Better Wonder Woman Antagonists Than Hera

Enough with Hera as a bitter, manipulative, shortsighted hag!!!

WE GET IT! HERA HATES ZEUS'S BASTARD KIDS! SHE GETS MAD ABOUT IT! ENOUGH! SHE HAS OTHER TRAITS!

*Cough*

I'm so sick of media making Hera a flat, hysterical cunt, especially compared to the general moral nuance that her entire pantheon represents. It's just lazy at this point and done to death, and for Wonder Woman to have to fight a woman who's main grievance is being cheated on and generally mistreated by her husband again and again again and again like...optics people.

So here are my choice picks for goddesses of other pantheons (and one Greek on) that would be interesting obstacles to Diana, both ideologically and materially. Also! I say antagonists on purpose, because generally in polytheism, gods aren't truly evil, even if they have negative attributes, it's always more complicated than that, and while these ladies WILL cause some conflict, they're all more than just flat villains. Most could reasonably also be allies, and Diana is all about making her foes into friends.

Skadi

A goddess and Jotunn, Skadi is the queen of bowhunting, skiing and winter, generally. Famous for storming Asgard alone to avenge her father, and being intimidating enough for Odin to choose to attempt to appease her instead, Skadi is intense, and fittingly cold, but also fair and capable of seeing reason. Her tentative truce with Odin and her failed marriage to the god of the summer, Njord, could be ripe to twist into reasons to cast her eye towards current events, both divine and mortal. A proud, mighty giantess that will do what she deems necessary to see justice done to herself? You can do stuff there.

Izanami-no-Mikoto

The Shinto creation deity turned goddess of death, Izanami is upset! Very upset! And fairly so! She's like if Eurydice got really livid after Orpheus ignored her simple instructions and vowed to break all of his little toys. Because that is exactly what happened, they almost have the same myth. As revenge for him messing up her resurrection, Izanami vowed to kill 1k people each day to hurt her husband, Izanagi, the other creator deity. Izanagi responded by making 1.5k new people each day, which...I mean solves maybe the wrong end of the problem but...

Unlike Hera, she poses an active threat to mortals and has the power to make dealing with her difficult. Maybe Diana and Amaterasu have to team up to deal with her insane...uh...step mother? Kind of? It's a little complicated, I'm not going into it, Wikipedia is your friend.

Ishtar

I'm going to be honest she's my mythology blorbo and I made this post for her okay--

The Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, conquest, divine law, the Queen of Heaven, patron of queer folk (No I'm not making that up, she's down for the gays mythologically speaking), Ishtar is complicated, a little strange, and funny, so funny. She's got a short temper, is easily offended, yet is generally fair and uninterested in harm coming to mortals. Her bit thing is how her conquest domain often manifests. She doesn't care about leading armies or whatever, she goes to attempts to swindle or fight other gods for their domains. Her big famous myth is about her hubris in attempting to single-handedly storm the underworld to steal the seat from her sister. She's incredibly powerful and self assured, a little petty, but not cruel. If you want a goddess who will show up, slap Diana down a city block and intend it as a friendly hello, while also vaguely suggesting that they make out, it's Ishtar. She's a perfect occasional antagonist/ally depending on her whims, and she's so disinterested in bothering humanity that you can really have mostly consequence free god fights. An arc where she decides that Ares is starting to embarrass the war god community and she's going to beat his ass and take his job? Diana has to try to get her to stop without offending her and making it a personal problem? Because again this woman is crazy, she has beaten a mountain to death because it wouldn't bow. It was not a sentient mountain. She'd be so much fun!

And we're going to ignore the version of her that showed up in "Black Adam" because that was boring, lame, and focused completely on the sexual angle, because straight men can only focus on one trait at a time--

Pele

Polynesian goddess of volcanoes, Pele fills a lot of the same niche's as Ishtar here, in that her rage and displeasure is catastrophic, befitting the personification of a volcano. Though even as a volcano god she's notably scary, in some tellings the previous volcano god who occupied the volcano she lives in now, caught wind that she was coming in his general direction--not specifically for him mind you, just in his direction--and he fled for his life, vacating the volcano. She's as multifaceted as a volcano though, bringing life as well as destruction. But you know. Her domain IS a natural disaster, so it's not hard to create a scenario where Diana would need to try to stop that from being a thing. Bonus points if she's irritated about the colonization of Hawaii, that could be an interesting narrative for Diana to contend with.

Nemesis

DC dropped the ball here as well, don't look her up, you REALLY don't want to see her design, it's nasty.

Anyway, Nemesis is the goddess of retribution, but SPECIFICALLY for the crime of "hubris" or arrogance against the gods. She punishes you for thinking you're hot stuff in comparison to the divine. She's the reason Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection and died. She did that. She thought he was a bitch, and she was correct. Why is that distinction important? Because she's not just vengeance, she's a tool to defend the honor and ego of the gods. Who in the DC universe would make the Greek gods feel disrespected and threatened? An alien who is willing to punch them in the face perhaps? We could have Diana desperately trying to stop this divine terminator from messing up her super friends who really don't understand the levels of petty the her pantheon is willing to stoop to to save face. Shes a winged warrior goddess with a heart of stone!!! Give us that fight!!!

Anything but Hera!!! Anything!!! Leave her alone!!!!

[ivanttakethis]

Wren’s Log - Entry 1.0

————————————————————

Wren was surprised Tov had taken everything so well.

The twin sibling reveal.

The pseudo-sibling reveal.

The “surprise-you’re-a-year-younger-than-you-thought” reveal.

Even Tov’s reaction to the shock ring was tamer than the call for security and restraining order Wren was expecting.

Granted, she was still recovering from a heart attack and heavily medicated. It could take a few days for her to fully process through all of what she, Elias, and Prem had shared.

Maybe Wren would get the restraining order in the mail, or maybe Tov would follow through on her threat to wring her by her neck.

Naz is gonna get a kick out of that.

As soon as she and the boys left Tov’s hospital room for the night, Elias took Wren aside as Prem led the way down the hall.

“I didn’t want to alarm Tov, but I found something on the stage.” He said in a low voice. When Tov was shocked, goes unsaid.

“Oh?” Wren couldn’t resist the chance to mess with him. “You’re speaking to me so soon. I was sure I’d get the silent treatment for being ‘out of my fucking mind’.” She said.

Elias leveled her with a withering look that fell flat on its face, “I’m still mad at you for that. It was a batshit insane idea and if I knew about it, I would’ve stopped you.”

“Which is why I didn’t tell you. Besides, it’s not like you had a better idea.”

“Not the point.” He said.

She took that as a concession, “Yeah, yeah. What did you find?”

“The bullet.”

Wren stumbled mid-stride.

A shot was actually fired?

The crack she’d heard over the broadcast, right before she sent the electric shock through the ring, had been pinging around in her head since Tov collapsed.

That must’ve been the shot.

The shooter just missed.

“What kind of bullet?” She asked.

“Not any kind that guards would have easy access to.” Elias said. “This bullet had a paralytic tranquilizing agent inside of it. Whoever planned to shoot Tov wasn’t trying to kill her, they just wanted it to look like they did.”

So someone else wants Tov alive? How interesting.

“Any thoughts on who could be behind this?”

He shook his head, “Not yet. But if I had to guess, it’s someone who can afford to pay off a guard.”

Or a guard themselves…

Wren kept this thought to herself.

They rounded a corner toward the elevators, passing by floor to ceiling glass windows looking out onto the bustling city street below.

Even deep into the night, the buildings were still brightly illuminated and cars clogged the roads.

“Could it be Tov’s guardian, Cassio?” She asked.

“You know them better than I do,” Elias said, shrugging. “What do you think?”

It wasn’t a secret that Cassio was extremely wealthy. Their fashion house Cassiopeia was a well-regarded luxury brand these days.

And Wren knew Cassio cared a lot about Tov, more than enough to orchestrate her “death” to keep her alive.

The amount of money to bribe a guard would’ve been pocket change to them.

But still, Wren wouldn’t say she knew them “better”. More exposure, maybe.

As the group came upon the elevators, Wren glanced through a glass door leading out to a balcony.

A tall, pale blue figure stood alone out at the railing.

Cassio.

Speak their name and they appear.

“I’m gonna go find out.” Wren said, nodding toward the door. “Don’t wait up on me.”

Elias followed her line of sight, “I see. Be careful.”

She smiled and clapped him on the shoulder, “I’m always careful.”

They both knew Wren was joking.

———

“Evening, Guardian Cassio.” Wren greeted as she approached the balcony railing.

Cassio tucked their phone back in their pocket and nodded to her, “Good evening, Wren.”

Curt, but polite.

Not many words.

I see where Tov gets it from.

“Tov woke up not too long ago.” She said.

“I know,” Cassio said. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

Wren frowned, “How so?”

“The heart attack was too well timed to be a natural occurrence.”

Ah, well.

There was no reason to deny it now.

It wasn’t like Wren was ashamed of what she did either.

The only person who had to live with the morality of her decisions was herself. She would sleep just fine.

“Guilty as charged.” She said with a shrug.

Cassio hummed, “I can’t really blame you. If Tov were my sister, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

Only now did Wren realize she wasn’t wearing her mask or her contacts.

She chuckled to herself, “Also guilty.”

“When were you going to tell her?” They asked.

“I wanted to tell her when the Season 39 contestants came to Anakt Garden, after Round 12.” She said. “But then I saw her face… when that Flor girl died… I could tell she cared for her a lot. She didn’t need anything more to worry about on top of that.” Wren shook her head, “And every time after that was an even worse moment to bring it up.”

Round 17? Wrong.

Round 24? Wrong.

Round 26? Wrong.

Round 29? Wrong.

Wrong wrong wrong.

It was all wrong.

“I should thank you, truly.” They said, drawing Wren out of her thoughts. “You’ve given me the chance to make things right with Tov… eventually.”

She glanced over at them, eyebrows furrowed. Their gaze was still fixed on the cityscape ahead.

There was a somberness laced in their tone of voice.

“I don’t get it. Aren’t you going to see her soon?”

Cassio sighed, long and suffering, “How am I supposed to face her? After everything I’ve put her through? She lost so much and it’s all my fault.” They said. “If I hadn’t enrolled her in Anakt Garden, none of this would’ve happened.”

That’s true… but…

Wren turned to look out at the city too, thinking.

If she could go back in time and reject the Anakt Garden scholarship, would she do it?

Most of her classmates would probably say yes, but Wren hesitated.

Without Anakt, she never would’ve been placed in Ra’s care. She never would’ve met Cindy, or Toki, or even Inna. She never would’ve fallen for Naz either.

If Wren hadn’t gone to Anakt Garden, she wouldn’t have become Wren.

And she quite liked herself and her life, even if it wasn’t always pretty or easy.

Only Tov could answer if that was true for herself.

But if those stars in the sky named after her friends held as much meaning to Tov as she said they did, Wren already knew what her answer would be.

“Did Tov tell you that?” She asked.

Cassio blinked at her, “What? No, she hasn’t.”

“Then ask her.” Wren said. “She might surprise you.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to fail her any more than I already have.” They said. “When Tov was younger I… wasn’t there when she needed me, and I regret it every day. I don’t know where to even start trying to make it up to her.”

“You can’t change the past. All you can do is be there for her now.”

“Is that enough?”

Wren could only shrug, “It has to be.”

We don’t have any other choice.

“You’re off to a good start.” She said instead.

Before Cassio could respond, the shrill ring of their phone cut through the low din of the night and startled them both.

Their lips briefly curled into a snarl as they read the caller ID.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I’m being summoned by Alien Stage producers for an ‘emergency meeting’.”

It’s definitely about Tov. She thought, nodding.

“Good luck. I’ll come back some time tomorrow to see Tov again.”

Cassio smiled, genuine, before turning to leave.

“Oh, by the way,” They started, stopping themselves short and looking back at her, “I wanted to ask how you did it. How did you trigger Tov’s heart attack?”

Wren held up her right hand — with the good luck charm now on her ring finger — and pointed to it, “Electric shock.”

They chuckled in surprise, looking mildly impressed. “That was better than my idea. I just made Tov’s dress out of bullet resistant fabric, requested they shoot her center mass, and hoped for the best.”

Oh.

Oh shit.

Wren forced herself to smile as she waved them off, waiting until they returned back inside the hospital before letting it drop.

Cassio didn’t bribe anyone to shoot Tov with that paralyzing bullet.

If they weren’t behind the bullet, then that meant someone else was involved.

An unknown third party.

But who were they?

And what did they want with her sister?

————————————————————

Huh… I wonder who else wants Tov alive? (I say, knowing full well who it is)

Anyways, I’m finally doing Season 40 stuff! Tov will still have her logs, but I’ll also be doing some for Wren too.

Next up is a log from Cassio’s point of view. That emergency meeting for Alien Stage should be interesting 👀

Naz belongs to @lookatmysillies.

Cindy belongs to @tsukacchako.

Toki belongs to @zerostyrant.

Inna belongs to @alien-til-i-stage.

Tagging: @starry-skiez @rockwgooglyeyes @chevalperd @apple8ees

[dandelion-wings]

Sucks that life is life-ing. Hope the writing helps!

For the whumptober, from the double list: 10. Blow to the head. *Hands you KaeJean in a blender*

Thank you for the ask, and for the well-wishes! :> And for requesting two of my favorite things. It was actually an interesting process to balance them, because I came up with an action setup for the physical injury first and then realized that... when there's Knightly action to be had, I think of Jean and Kaeya as both going very professional, which is not very shippy. But! I managed to finesse around it! And I think I managed both, in the end.

(Speaking of which, the very end was written with a splitting migraine, so I am hoping it's comprehensible. 'Method writing', I guess?)

---

Perhaps Jean should have seen the attack coming. But her guard is down, and she and Kaeya are both taken unawares.

They're nearing the top of Starsnatch Cliff, where Jean had invited Kaeya for a quiet evening walk. There's always a risk in the both of them being out of the city at the same time, but Mondstadt really is safer, the monsters fewer and the knights left under Jean's command more experienced, than it had been only a year or two past. Jean has felt more able lately to take an evening or two off in Kaeya's company.

It's been a long time since she and Kaeya have been able to ramble about like this, taking their time and enjoying the scenery. The last time she recalls taking this particular walk in leisure, first to Windrise and then to Starsnatch Cliff....

Well, the last time they'd *tried* they had only gotten as far as Windrise, and Jean would rather not dwell tonight on that long-ago conversation. The last time they'd actually made it to the peak of the cliff in time to watch the moon come up, Diluc had been with them, and she and he had been far more innocent, though one of the revelations of that later night at Windrise had been that Kaeya never was.

This time, it's been a very pleasant walk. The Combined Arms Company was up here testing some new tactics just a few days ago, so there are no monsters in sight. Clouds scudding across the sky on the first leg of their journey have gone beautiful purple-blue on their undersides and crimson above as the sunsets, and the lingering warmth from the afternoon is countered by a gentle, crisp breeze. The cliff itself rises ahead of them, its grey bluffs and green flats studded with flowers. Jean is looking forward to the view from the top.

She's looking forward even more to enjoying it with Kaeya. He deserves a relaxed evening too--however much he might like the wine, she knows he can never fully relax in a tavern, one ear always out for intel and useful gossip--but that's not the reason she's invited him out here with her. Her reasons are a little more selfish.

As they start up the final stretch towards the top, she diverts a little from the path towards a patch of cecilias and smaller flowers besides the last bluff. Kaeya makes a curious noise, but doesn't stop her. She feels a pleasant tickle of anticipation at the thought of his face when she hands them to him. Kaeya is dashingly silver-tongued when giving out compliments, but tokens offered in return always make him blush.

Then there's a flicker of movement to her right, just around the bluff, and Jean freezes. She holds out a hand, stopping Kaeya in his tracks behind her. That's a cincin--and it's already reacted to her approach as she'd reacted to its flickering flight, jittering backwards, catching the attention of its accompanying Cincin Mage.

Fatui on Starsnatch Cliff, of all things? Jean's hand goes instinctively to her hip, but she doesn't draw her sword as she steps forward, around the bluff, taking in the Mage and the Operative and the Mirror Maiden all coming to attention and turning from what might have been a conversation to face her in eerie unison. She can't be the one to attack first. The Fatui's diplomatic pressures might have eased in this past year, too, but they still maintain that their people are diplomatic personnel first and foremost, and as Acting Grand Master she must make a pretense of respecting that.

"Excuse me," she says sternly, feeling the faint chill of Kaeya's presence as he comes up on her right, "but this is a historical area under the supervision of the Knights of Favonius, and you have not registered-"

Kaeya's chill at her right gives Jean her only warning. It dampens under a rush of heat that draws in behind her like Diluc looming close--still her first instinctive thought all these years later--and she spins about, drawing her blade just in time to block the Pyro Agent's knife. She can feel Kaeya's flinch even though she's not touching him, even though it's not visible on his face, just a second's pause the length of her own heartbeat. Fire, by surprise, always makes him momentarily freeze.

"Now!" the Operative shouts.

Cincins dart in at the same time the Agent makes a furious gesture and throws out spinning wheels of flame. Jean is flung back and then bounced a few more times by the Overload, knocked past the Mirror Maiden and up against the grey stone of the bluff. Kaeya must have been tossed as well, because he ends up flying at a different angle, towards the edge of the cliff. As he starts to regain his feet, the Operative dashes towards him, flinging her cane.

A red sigil appears above him as the cane crashes down, and Jean sees him seize up in response. "Kaeya!" she shouts, leaping to her feet and rushing after him.

It isn't just the reaction to seeing him hurt. They have to fight together; she can tell at a glance that this group of Fatui is formidable, and now that they've attacked the Knights' two ranking officers they cannot possibly see any choice but to kill them before they report back. The pretense of diplomacy the Fatui employ mean that if their people are caught in too gross a misdeed, they must disclaim them and turn them over--Jean has gotten them to do it before.

Jean gets there just as Kaeya is recovering from the rush of lancing wind that follows the cane, and summons a Dandelion Breeze as she hauls him to his feet. He comes up gasping, and for a moment she thinks the Breeze isn't enough, his face still drawn and his skin tinted worryingly red, but then the Bond of Life fades and he straightens and draws his sword.

"I see the Fatui wanted to add some excitement to our night," he says, confidently amused, and Jean feels her shoulders relax and gives him the briefest of smiles.

Then the Fatui move in, and Jean and Kaeya are fighting for their lives.

*Only* Jean and Kaeya, which takes Jean a little too long to realize. They're both ready for a mutually defensive fight, but when the Cincin Mage's shield drops, she stands and summons more cincins instead of blinking away when Jean and Kaeya move in. She drops under both their blades halfway through the her summoning, and Jean hears Kaeya say, "*Shit*" and look towards her with a wide eye, and a cage of mirror-shards appears around her.

He throws himself grimly between her and the knife as the Agent reappears on one side of her, but the Operative is already there on the other, taking the opportunity to catch Jean with another Bond of Life. She sways in place as the cane slams down and wind follows. A few more slashes of water and then the mirror-cage breaks. Looking over she sees Kaeya, clothes charred and bleeding down his arm but chasing a shadow wreathed in Cryo towards the cliff's edge. She glances back at the Operative and the Maiden, nearly untouched, and makes a decision.

"Kaeya!" she shouts, dashing after him with a silent prayer of gratitude to Barbatos that he's already so near the cliff. The Agent turns away from the edge and Kaeya pivots to go after him; Jean catches his arm and yanks him along with her. "Retreat," she tells him curtly as she continues towards the cliff-edge, and he looks that way, nods, and falls in step as they sprint the last few feet.

They almost make it. Do make it, in fact, which is the worst part. Jean lets go of Kaeya to yank the pull-cord of her glider as she steps off the edge, and hears the rustle and snap of his opening a step behind. They're in the air, swirling over trees and water and, off to their right, the Thousand Winds Temple, and Jean thinks they're clear.

A massed bolt of wind orbs slams into her glider, tearing at the wings, shredding one to pieces and knocking the other terribly askew. Jean shrieks as she goes plummeting towards the ground far, far below. She hears Kaeya shout her name somewhere above and thinks she sees him closing his own glider, diving to try and keep up with her, but she can't organize her own limbs into the same plunging attack while wracked with the Bond of Life.

Damaged as it may be, it's the ruins of the glider that save her. Jean comes down hard on her back, and the broken wing and the wooden frame of the harness take the first, worst impact, brutally crunched beneath her before her head bounces across the ground. Her vision still goes completely white for a moment, and when she can see again it looks--and *feels*--like some of Klee's toys are exploding behind her eyes.

"Jean," Kaeya is saying, breathless and urgent, reaching down to lay her blade across her chest and physically grasping her hand to wrap her fingers around its hilt herself when she reacts too slowly. "Can you call another Breeze?"

She can, though just barely, the Anemo tenuous and thin when she reaches out, fighting against focus already clouded by the screaming pain in her head. It's enough to swirl the familiar scent around them, and she sees Kaeya sigh in relief and pained tension in his shoulders ease, which is satisfying. For her own part....

The Bond of Life is broken. She can feel its burning corrosion fade from her veins. But it takes most of the Anemo she had. The rest she pours into herself, but it's not enough to even dampen the agony throbbing inside her skull.

"Time to go," Kaeya says, glancing up. When Jean doesn't react fast enough he again goes to move her, crouching down and grasping her arms to pull her to her feet. She loses her grip on her sword, whimpers in protest, and then can't choke her cry as he hauls her up and the throbbing in her skull explodes like another round of Sparks 'n' Splash.

She loses a bit of time, something that's later only a scrambled half-memory of panting loud and harsh and trying to hold herself up, stumbling behind Kaeya with his hand on her arm towards the Thousand Winds Temple. When the explosions calm enough for her to see, to think, she almost doesn't realize it, because real explosions are shaking the stones around them. They're crouched low beneath a slanted, fallen wall leaning against another still standing, only a thin sliver of the twilit temple visible from their hideaway. That sliver lights up with the boom of a Ruin Guard's bombs, and she hears the Mirror Maiden's perishing lament, distant through the roaring in her ears.

Kaeya is kneeling with Jean pulled up against him, halfway in his lap, head cushioned on the white fur of his cape and his hand over her mouth. It's a position Jean would have been delighted to be in tonight had circumstances gone any other way. As it is, all that she can do is be grateful for the softness of the cushion, little as it seems to help the ache of her head, and for the firmness of his grip around her waist. Though she has no idea why her mouth is covered.

The juddering roar of the Ruin Guard lurching into a spin, and the Operative wails out her despair as she's brought down. Kaeya goes stiff and still; stiff seems beyond Jean right now, her muscles shivery with weakness, though she's certainly still. The Ruin Guard slows from its spin and makes one of the little grumbling noises that seem almost like their speech, and then she hears the steady, regular cranking as it returns to its normal rounds.

She hadn't realized Kaeya was holding his breath until he lets it out, a long, soft hiss, and lifts his hand from her mouth. "I did tell you that was a useful strategy."

"Not when...." There's a retort there, one that *should* be automatic after the number of times they've had this conversation, but Jean can't seem to find it through the shrapnel of her thoughts. She whimpers in frustration.

"Lost for words?" Kaeya doesn't chuckle, though, just tilts her forehead back a little and leans down to look into her eyes. The seriousness of his expression tells Jean that they aren't out of the woods just because the Ruin Guard has taken out their foes.

It's hard to focus on the problem, though, when he's bent so close and his eye is staring so intently into her own. Jean studies it back as best she can; there's a halo to it, her vision not quite entirely doubled, like she's let her eyes unfocus, though she's trying so, so hard to look directly at him. She unthinkingly reaches up and grasps his jaw to hold him still.

"Ah-" He startles at the touch.

"Your eye is beautiful," Jean tells him, drawing the words out with some effort, slurred and slow.

He smiles, small and shy and pleased, the way he used to when Jean or Diluc would offer him some confidence or trust as a child. Though his cheeks hadn't gone dusky like this, then. It's the color she'd hoped for when she'd thought to pick him flowers; it always looks so very good on him.

"Hahaha, well, it is the good one," he says, taking her wrist and pulling her hand back down. He tilts his head. "We can discuss my tactics later. It sounds like this is the best time to get out of here. Try to stay quiet," he adds, with mortifying gentleness, and nudges Jean forward to crawl ahead of him out of the slot.

Every muscle protests the movement, rubbery and trembling, but Jean forces herself out. It's the way her head throbs at every tilt and movement that's worse. She closes her eyes against the sparks in her vision and waits for Kaeya to emerge behind her and take her arm to help her up. Any humiliation at having to be practically carried across the lowest seats of the temple's stadium is outweighed by relief at not having to struggle over the broken stone by herself.

Once they're out of the Thousand Winds Temple, Jean can breathe easier. Metaphorically, at least--too deep a breath seems to set off another flickering burst in her head each time, so she's keeping her breaths shallow and slow. But the hilichurls should still be frightened off and the slimes dissipated by the Combined Arms Company's work; the only threat they hadn't handled was the Ruin Guard, which reassembles itself over a week or so every time it's destroyed in any case, and which the Knights have been leaving in place and simply warning travelers against for the past two years.

Kaeya slows, too, walking slowly and carefully, letting Jean grip his arm instead of carrying her and following her tugging as she picks a careful path along the road. Placing each foot securely is about as much as she can manage right now, with her head aching and her thoughts clouding over. They're heading towards Windrise, which feels right, and she knows *is* right even though the reasons and justifications aren't coming easily to hand right now. 'Safe,' she can muster, and nothing more.

"So," Kaeya says quietly, once they've reached a point where the ground levels out, "who did you tell about our little jaunt this evening?"

Jean nearly stumbles at the sudden insertion of a new subject into her awareness. "Why?"

"Because I think it might have to do with why our Fatui friends are up there."

She isn't sure how it could, but Jean is aware she isn't thinking particularly well at the moment. Kaeya, on the other hand, is *always* thinking, ticking along at top speed to stitch disparate clues and seeming coincidences together. Trusting his speculations has rarely led her wrong.

"Lisa," she says after a moment of concentration, far more difficult than it should be. "Amber... but I didn't tell her that I had invited you. I confirmed that the Cliff was clear with Phonia and...." She frowns, which sends a twinge through her temples. "...another member of Seventh Company."

"Together?"

"No, I... it was a different conversation. He asked if I was going to inspect it personally. I told him... no, that's not the important part. Who *was* he?"

She can feel Kaeya's arm tense beneath her hand, but he doesn't push her. Jean stops dead and closes her eyes, trying to level all her focus on this question. She should know all her knights. She *does* know all her knights, even the ones recently back from the expedition, which he was--wasn't he? She hadn't known him well before he left, is embarrassingly certain she hadn't known his name, but she's made sure to check in with all those Varka sent home, both for debriefing and to get them settled in to their new assignments. He'd been so utterly unremarkable, but she *has* to know his name.

"Pascal," she says at last, just a little triumphant beneath the all-encompassing pain. "Sir Pascal."

"*Fascinating*. I seem to recall Sir Pascal making some wagers in the Cat's Tail last month with a few players I had to, ah, take aside and talk to later on. I wonder if he ended up back in their debt? Though that's a problem for later," Kaeya adds, a little apologetically, brushing his hand against the small of her back to nudge her on. "First let's get you to Windrise, so you can rest safely while I go fetch Sister Barbara."

Right. Because it *is* safe, because monsters won't come within a certain distance of its holy grounds. Jean feels a satisfaction at a mystery solved that she hadn't with the frustrating puzzle of Sir Pascal's name. She opens her eyes and sets off again, one careful step at a time, determined not to fall.

Focusing her eyes so hard against the double vision makes her headache worse, and while there are no more jolts to send explosions dancing through it, the throbbing grows stronger and stronger as they approach Windrise. Jean keeps closing her eyes against the pain, then opening them and having to force herself to re-focus again, so as to actually see the ground before her. She's grateful that the moon is out to light their way.

Once again, it's only Kaeya's chill that warns her of danger. The same brief dampening as upon the cliff, this time to her left, where he's walking, at an angle not meant for her. Jean's thoughts are too slow to process it this time; she's certainly not thinking when she moves, shouldering Kaeya aside, out of the way of the same flaming knife. Only impulse and instinct, the intimate knowledge that the flash of fire will make him freeze for that one single heartbeat, and the years of knightly experience telling her that one single heartbeat's time can be enough.

This time she doesn't have anything like the coordination to bring her sword up in a parry. She just bowls Kaeya over, knocking them both to the ground, as the Agent appears above. Kaeya's breath stills in exactly that moment she'd expected, and then he shoves her off, rolling over her and scrambling up with his sword out. Her head knocks against the ground when he shoves her, and she loses a snatch of time again, just snarled words too tangled for her to get sense out of and the hiss of Melt.

It isn't as long this time, though Jean isn't tracking the fight at all when she pushes herself up, painfully and laboriously, into a sitting position on the ground. She locks her elbow, breathing hard, and can only watch as Kaeya matches the Agent's swirling Pyro with whirling Cryo of his own, Melting the Agent's offense away and plunging in to slide, in that eye-wrenching impossible-to-follow way of his, behind. His sword gleams dark with blood in the moonlight as the Agent falls.

Kaeya bends low and makes absolutely certain that isn't a feint, then wipes his blade clean on the Agent's cloak and hurries back over to Jean. He crouches down and cups her cheek in order to tilt her head and check her eyes again, his breath held behind his teeth until he's satisfied with his examination. Jean lets him carry it out and hopes he can't feel how hot her cheeks are.

Finally, he sighs and pulls back. "You know, when someone is the target of an assassination attempt, throwing themselves on top of the person there to protect them is usually ill-advised."

"He was going after *you*."

"He was trying to get me out of the way. A good attempt, but believe it or not, Jean, I'm not completely helpless on my own."

A stab of indignation goads Jean to retort, "You would have frozen. You always freeze, when it's fire, and you don't know." At Kaeya's sudden, unbreathing stillness, she adds, "Just like that."

Kaeya breathes out long and slow again, then gives a rueful little chuckle. "Just like that, huh?"

"It's never *long*. You're fit for battle. I just...."

Jean looks at him, crouched over her with one hand gentle on her shoulder, a smear of mud across his chin, his clothes cut and charred and bloodied by a night she hadn't at all expected when she'd suggested he dress nicely for the occasion. The moonlight catches on that one pale streak in his dark hair, hanging over his forehead, and the diamond pupil of his eye. Even battle-worn, he's breathtaking in the low light.

Windrise is just ahead, the great tree looming over them. She remembers the last time they sat together out here in such gentle darkness, clouds crowding the stars, with only the moon overhead for light. The expression Kaeya is wearing now isn't the same, thank Barbatos, but there's a trace of vulnerability that she recognizes, the same look of having been seen more deeply than he likes.

"...I want to protect you," Jean tells him, saying out loud what she'd vowed privately then, those years ago on that night. What she'd meant never *to* say aloud, but thought is lagging too many steps behind feeling right now, and the slowness of her tongue doesn't hold that feeling back long enough.

"*Do* you," Kaeya says, and there's a breath where she's certain he's going to smile, laugh, and make the painfully obvious joke about who's been protecting who tonight. She can *see* the smirk start to form on his face, the words line up on his tongue, probably with a cutting edge, because Kaeya's reaction to someone delving too close has always been to try and drive them away.

Then the smirk settles down into just a mild, affable little smile--his mask, but his mask at rest--and he takes her arms and pulls her back to her feet with no comment at all. This time he keeps his grip on Jean, instead of letting her hand on to him, and walks her step by step the last few meters to the dais in the shadow of the great tree's leaves. A now-familiar tone, just on the edge of hearing, arises from the statue their Honorary Knight had awakened after arrival, and Jean feels a pulse through her Vision that has the sense of a greeting from a friend.

"Here we go," Kaeya says, his voice light with relief. "You sit tight, and I'll be back with Sister Barbara in no time at all."

Jean lets him settle her down into a seat on the dais, at the statue's base. But when he goes to rise, she catches his arms before he can stand. "Kaeya," she says, thought arriving at last, worry flaring frantic and high. "You are a very capable knight, and you've done far more tonight than I. I don't want you to think that I don't respect that. What I said-"

"Were the expert analysis and honest sentiment of the Acting Grand Master, who famously cares for all of the knights under her command," Kaeya says, and Jean realizes miserably that she would have preferred the cutting retort a minute ago, because that affable public smile is worse. "Why would I take offense?"

"That wasn't," Jean says, and she can feel tears welling up in her eyes, and blinking them sends little flickers of pain through her skull, "I wasn't saying it as *the Acting Grand Master*. Kaeya- did you think all I wanted was to take a walk?"

"I did suspect you might have had an ulterior motive," Kaeya says, in the same tone, but he's stopped looking at her, his gaze darting about as if he's seeking an escape route. "Not that I would have minded a simple walk, if we'd left out the Fatui assassins."

Jean gives a helpless little laugh that drives her straight into a wince. She lets go of Kaeya to bow her head and rub, uselessly, at her temples. "I was hoping it would go *better* than last time."

She can't see Kaeya; she expects him to bolt, now that she's let go, even if he'll do it with a salute and a light reassurance and maybe something joking that will nonetheless make clear that she shouldn't hold any more hopes. Instead he stays there and nudges her hands aside to place his own on her temples, releasing a burst of Cryo so blessedly numbing that Jean sobs aloud in relief.

"Third time is the charm, they say," he says, and she feels the chill of him loom closer, and the faintest brush of cool lips against her forehead as he lifts his hands away. Then he stands, adds, "After I've had a *very* long talk with Sir Pascal and his gambling companions," and strides away.

By the time Jean looks up, he's launched into a sprint. She watches the glint of his cape in the moonlight, disappearing into the dark, and keeps her hands folded in her lap. She wants to keep the ghost of his cool touch on her temples as long as possible, not rub it away with her own warmth. Even bound up in the misery of her throbbing head, and even through her clouded, fuzzy thoughts, she can settle more peacefully in to wait with that reassurance left behind.

[bestworstcase]

I have a question about some of your Salem thoughts

If Salem is 110% certain that she can take down the Gods (assuming that's her goal since we don't actually know), why wouldn't she communicate her plan to Oz? Especially if she truly doesn't want anyone to die like you say. Oz would jump at the bit if Salem said "Hey I want to stop fighting" since that would mean their shadow war would stop. I really don't think Oz likes the Gods either, and even if he's afraid of them, if *Salem* is that confident she can stop them (she's far from an idiot), I'm sure he'd at least hear her out (which would tell Salem a LOT).

If she's that confident and truly doesn't want to fight, why wouldn't she tell Oz her new plan? And why would she kickstart her plan by attacking the kingdoms/Academies? Surely she could find a way to steal the Relics without flat out attacking them (like sending in double agents to take the Maiden powers)? Like... she would've known she'd get people killed, including children and innocent people. Even if she did damage control (which I think is just strategic, why bother going after people if she's focusing on the Relics? She's not gonna waste precious time and resources), she surely knew people would get caught in the crossfire.

Don't get me wrong, I like what you bring to the table!! Your posts are thought provoking and unique. But I can't see Salem being somehow secretly good. I don't think the show is setting her up that way, and I think she's a fantastic villain, so from my own perspective, doing that kind of twist would be a disservice to her character. I don't think she's inhuman or a complete and total monster who should go, but she's definitely not a good person especially if she can't communicate that she supposedly doesn't want people dead. She seems to be an "the ends justify the means" kind of person, and the show I think has stated that that isn't a good mindset i.e. Ironwood.

Sorry, I rambled and completely strayed from my point 😅 I don't mean to be mean if I come across that way. I hope my ask is interesting or thought provoking though :P

my position is that salem is right, not that she’s secretly good—that is an important distinction. i think she sees the gods clearly for what they are, thinks the divine ultimatum repulsive and unjust, wants remnant to be free, and believes that humanity is transcendent over their creators; she also, quite plainly, does not have any compunction about doing whatever it takes to achieve her ends and while i do think she is still fully capable of and driven by love, she is so TERRIFIED of being hurt again and so CERTAIN that no one could ever care for her that when she does care for someone else it comes out in very, very twisted and often cruel ways. she’s not good, she’s not nice, she’s just right.

equally the heroes are good but not right, because they have yet to really grapple with the premise of the divine mandate (that humanity as it exists right now does not deserve to exist) or their own role in upholding it (their immediate goal is survival, but when they envision the ending of this war they imagine salem driven back and the relics squirreled away again in hope of at best everlasting stalemate). the point of structuring the narrative this way is that neither side can get to the proverbial good ending alone; they need to work together, salem’s ends with the heroes’ means.

like. she’s evil. lol. that’s not in question and i think it goes without saying that she is doing evil things so i don’t feel the need to make a “but she’s still evil though” disclaimer every time i try to tease out what’s going on in her head. notice how my reaction to salem razing vale was OH GLINDA LAYS SIEGE TO THE EMERALD CITY, WE’RE REALLY IN IT NOW and not, like, shock or dismay that salem would do such a terrible thing. brgdfjs

(i DO think she has mostly been trying to avoid ozma and not reciprocating the shadow crusade against her prior to about fourteen years ago and that she isn’t about wanton destruction or killing for the sake of it; and in that sense i think she’s not as bad as the general fanon reading. but that comes with the territory of thinking she has actual reasons for doing what she does as opposed to being, like, a genocidal lunatic.)

anyway. to your questions. the short answer is she’s just as scared of oz as he is of her.

“but he’s the good one!”—think about this from her perspective for a minute. set aside your opinion of her and oz, presuppose for the moment that i’m correct on her motivations, and consider what everything ozma’s done in the last few thousand years looks like to her.

she knows that the gods were monsters. she witnessed them slaughtering the whole world and she saw how little it mattered to them after. she was alone for millions of years, and then hated and feared for thousands of years because she didn’t look human. all that suffering because the gods are punishing her for praying to them. yes?

then ozma returns to her, somehow. he doesn’t explain how or why—maybe he tells her he just doesn’t know—but that’s alright. what matters is that he’s here. he asks what happened to her, and she tells him the truth: the gods ended the world. cursed her. killed everyone. she was alone for so long. (maybe not the whole truth: there are things she’s afraid to say, because the gods did it all to punish her, and it’s her fault, and she’s so scared that he’d despise her if he knew everything. the only reason for her to fear ozma would reject her is if she blamed herself. you don’t hide things out of shame if you don’t feel ashamed of them.)

they learn each other again. fall in love all over again. things are finally okay. they fix up her house. they’re happy together. one day ozma tells her that he’s worried about how divided people are. she wants so badly to make him happy; she would move mountains for him. salem herself has no interest in ruling over people as a god—if she did, she wouldn’t have been living alone in a rotting shack in the middle of nowhere—all that enthusiasm is for him. to support what he wants.

they build a following, found a prosperous kingdom, start a family. four children! how long do you think they were married—ten years? twenty? and the whole time, the whole time, ozma was keeping these secrets from her. that the god of light, who’d condemned her to eternal suffering for praying to his brother, who’d shown utter indifference to the deaths of millions, had sent him back to redeem humanity FROM HER SINS, from what SALEM did. that the point of all this is cleansing humankind of her defiance and inviting THAT MONSTER to remnant to judge whether this world deserved to be subjugated under the brothers’ tyranny again or else be put to death.

imagine how she must have felt when ozma finally told her the truth, knowing that the first thing she told him was that the gods ended the last one. imagine the sickening realization that their whole marriage is built on a lie, because she would never, ever, ever have agreed to help him unite the world if she had known what he sought to unite them for, and ozma knew she never would. that he deceived her! manipulated her into serving the will of a god she knows to be a monster!

and even then—even to the very end—she loved him enough to try. she was willing to forgive all of that and figure out a way to move past it together, and the only thing she asked was that he walk away from his task of submitting this world to the judgment of THAT MONSTER. and he wouldn’t do it.

there’s a gap we don’t get to see, in between ozma backing away from her and salem catching him leaving with the girls, but we can infer that ozma walked out of that room and salem didn’t. imagine how she felt. ten years, twenty years, however long it was, and he was lying to her through it all, and he left her with hardly a moment’s hesitation when she refused to help him enact THAT MONSTER’S retribution against herself. because that is, ultimately, what this is all about; humanity is found guilty by association with her.

imagine how she felt. used. worthless. duped. like a fool for ever trusting him. did he ever love her at all, or was that a lie, too?

when she caught him in the hallway later that night, they both attack each other in the same instant. ozma remembers her attacking him first, but their volleys meet in perfect symmetry and right before salem throws her first bolt of magic, her eyes flicker down in surprise as she tracks the motion of his staff (which we see in the previous shot)—salem remembers him attacking her first.

because they were both so tense and scared and angry at each other that they snapped in exactly the same moment.

their battle is so intense they blow up the castle, and when the smoke clears, salem is a pile of ash. ash! he incinerated her! imagine how enraged you have to be to burn someone to ash. that level of fury, of absolute hatred of her, is literally burnt into her memory as the last thing he did to her before she managed to kill him, inextricably twisted around the guilt and unbearable grief she feels for her children.

he’s dedicated all but a handful of his lives since then to getting rid of her. finding a way to destroy her. (how far is he willing to go? what would happen if salem tried to move on, find community and solace somewhere far away from him? would he come after her? would he follow his god’s example and go after the people she cared about to punish her? is she willing to risk that he might?)

do you think salem understands why ozma did any of this? she doesn’t. she doesn’t get the luxury we do of jinn narrating his side of the story and showing us the anguish he felt, wanting so desperately to be with salem but eaten alive by terror of dooming the world for his happiness. she doesn’t know.

all she knows is how he treated her: the secrets, the deception, the manipulation, the immediate and absolute rejection when she told him no, the explosively violent anger at the end, then centuries upon centuries systematically erasing her from history and enforcing her exile whilst searching for the relics he needs to summon his god for the final judgment. which she knows will inevitably end in the annihilation of the whole world and yet more torture for her with no hope of reprieve, because if all of this was not enough to satisfy the god of light’s grudge against her for, again, just praying to his brother, nothing ever will.

salem feels about ozma now the way blake felt about adam. why did he lie to her, why did he use her, why does he keep coming back, why won’t he just LEAVE HER ALONE, hasn’t she suffered enough, hasn’t she been punished enough, when will it be enough—and intertwined with that, she is being EATEN ALIVE by the conviction that no one could ever truly care about her or feel for her or want to help her or think that she deserves help or even just see her as a person, because if ozma—ozma, the one who saved her from her father’s tower, who knew her and loved her before all of this happened—if ozma thought her so worthless that he would rather serve a god who ended the last world and promises to condemn this one too than suffer her to exist at all in this world, why the fuck would anyone else be any different?

thousands of years later, she still flies off the handle when anyone lies to her. (except cinder. but cinder is always the exception, to every rule.) there’s a reason she recruits the kind of people she does—desperate, broken, angry people starving for something she can promise to give them if they make themselves useful to her—and it’s because she does not believe that she can get anything better than strictly transactional relationships with people who have literally nothing and nowhere else to turn. and when she actually cares about someone? she fights herself tooth and claw over it because she desperately doesn’t want to open herself up to more heartbreak. look at how erratic and cruel she is with cinder.

it’s not rational. salem is smart and very, very tactically shrewd but she is making all of her plans and all of her choices from the assumption that she is and will always be alone in this, because she is unlovable, because she is worthless, because she is the reason this world is damned. and she’s terrified of ozma because to her everything he does suggests that his conviction and dedication to the god of light has never wavered. she cannot see his doubt. she cannot see his misery. she cannot see how much he misses her and desperately wants to make amends. all she can see is that he’s zealously guarding the relics and spreading his god’s word and training children to fight and die in the name of keeping her exiled.

why doesn’t ozma just go to her and tell her he wants to make amends? because he’s terrified she’ll never forgive him and terrified that he’ll damn the world to annihilation if he follows his heart. they’re the same. they’re exactly the same.

but this is also what makes it so possible—even easy—for salem to undergo a villain-to-hero arc, because the only thing that needs to happen is a spark of real hope. that someone, anyone, could really care about her. like. the things she says in her soliloquies about the transformative power of hope? “even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change,” and “it’s true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary…”—that’s her. one small reason to hope. that is all she needs to change.

she doesn’t want to be razing kingdoms to the ground or cutting a bloody path through children to get those relics. she is willing to do it because she truly, genuinely, from the depths of her soul believes that it’s the only way to free herself from the torture she’s been subjected to for millions of years. she’s driven to this by desperation. she won’t keep doing it if she’s given a reason to feel less desperate.

but she does need to be given a reason, first. she’s hemorrhaging. this is why the winnowing of her inner circle and the split between everyone else in vacuo versus salem + cinder + summer in vale is important; Those Two are the ones she cares about—technically we don’t know for sure regarding summer yet, but the level of trust she has for the lieutenant holding beacon is suggestive—and that being reciprocated is what ignites her hope.

[courtneysartblog]

The Places an Angel and Demon Inhabit Outside of Heaven and Hell:

I’ve seen a couple people talk about how Aziraphale’s bookshop is the anthesis to Heaven, cozy, warm, overcrowded with stuff, but I never see Crowley’s apartment in this discussion at all, so let’s do that! 

In so many ways Aziraphale goes against the grain of what it probably means to be an angel. He has and cares for and loves his material objects. And once we go to Heaven, we see just how much in contrast Aziraphale’s home is. The bookshop is sometimes darkly lit yes, but it’s also warm, lived in, well loved, antiquated, messy and so full of material objects where heaven is stark, bright, empty. At the end of season two Aziraphale is willing to give it all up (you can’t leave this bookshop/nothing lasts forever), but this is a final solution to Aziraphale, he's putting everything he is aside to protect, to save, but it’s not who he is.

Because when Aziraphale’s in heaven, he stands out from the angels. He has color, he not as put together, he feels, almost human (I think that’s why he looks so off when he’s discorporate and put in the all-white suit). 

Now in many ways Crowley is a foil to Aziraphale. He’s the grump to the sunshine, the dark to the light. And his space reflects that.

He’s neat as a pin, his flat is modern and spacious, and has much less stuff. And this is where my interest comes in, because, just like Aziraphale, Crowley’s place, the things he makes a home in, are the opposite of Hell. Hell is grungy, overly dark, messy, and kind of gross. Crowley’s home feels much less lived in than Aziraphale’s, but it’s obvious that Crowley has a style, that he’s a careful curator of things, and that his home is modern, stylish, and clean and full of modern luxury, a very different vibe than Hell. 

(There are no good photos of Hell but if your reading this, I know you know what it looks like)

But if Heaven and Hell are opposites and Crowley and Aziraphale’s places are opposites, that would make the bookshop more aligned with Hell and Crowley’s flat more aligned with Heaven. I want to thank the amazing prop people and set dressers who make each Good Omens location different, because yes they do an amazing job, but also Hell never reminds me of the bookshop nor does Crowley's flat remind me exactly of Heaven, even though they are more stylistically aligned. Yes, Aziraphale’s shop can be messy and dark, but it’s too human and cared for to ever truly be like Hell, and Crowley’s place is too carefully curated and too moody to ever be like Heaven.

But there are similarities there, especially for Crowley. And as a former Angel, it’s just so interesting to me that Crowley’s home would ever be, even a little bit, like Heaven. The trial of Hell is the only time Crowley’s place looks even a little like Hell, with the moody lighting and use of modern concrete, but in most ways, Crowley’s home is much more aligned with the Heaven aesthetic: it’s clean, somewhat barren, modern, a more expensive look, and probably has great views overlooking the city, much like Heaven has that big room overlooking the buildings of Earth. But we know Crowley does not see himself aligned with Heaven, and the difference in his set dressing makes the same distinctions that Aziraphale’s makes from both Hell and Heaven. Crowley might be made from the same stuff as an angel, but he’s grown too dark, grown too human, grown too attached to material objects. (It's also interesting to think how different Crowley's style is from Aziraphale but how, even still, the bookshop is somewhere he feels so comfortable, his home.)

Aziraphale and Crowley have spent too long on Earth, gone native. Humans, material objects, and love, things they have collected through their years, are not just a part of their history, it's shaped who they are. There's a reason an angel like Muriel is so naive, almost a clean slate, why we see even Haster and Liger have such a hard time appearing human, they haven't spent enough time there, they haven't been shaped yet.

Something, something, shades of grey, Aziraphale and Crowley hold a bit of each other and bit of Heaven and Hell, a lot of Earth inside themselves.

For both Aziraphale and Crowley there are remnants of Heaven and Hell in their spaces, but the differences set them in such stark contrast from the entities they are supposed to represent. Heaven and Hell are both modeled to be a corporate office building after all, Heaven the top floor where the important workers are, Hell the basement were the low rung workers toil. Aziraphale and Crowley have set themselves outside this dynamic, instead they have created a home, spaces that show just how different they are to their respective offices. Places, it think, that show they have learned what love is, what to be human is.

Anyway, here’s another reason to think every person who worked on Good Omens is brilliant.