#penance for the war crimes

[rad-twister]

i had such an embarrassing crush on him when i was 14. and unfortunately i still think he’s hot 💀💀💀

[mariacallous]

BERLIN — For the first time since the Nazi era, a far-right party in Germany has won the largest piece of the electoral pie in a state election.

Mainstream politicians and Jewish leaders are expressing alarm following Sunday’s elections, in which the anti-immigrant, Eurosceptic and pro-Russia Alternative for Germany party came out on top in the state of Thuringia, with 32.8% of the vote.

The 11-year-old party also earned second place to the traditional conservative Christian Democratic Union party in the neighboring state of Saxony. Both states are in the former East Germany.

“No one can brush this off as a ‘protest’ vote anymore,” Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, said in a statement late Sunday.

“Exactly 85 years after the start of World War II, Germany is in danger of becoming a different country again: more unstable, colder and poorer, less secure, less worth living in,” said Knobloch, a former head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany who herself survived the Holocaust in hiding.

The election came just over a week since a Syrian refugee was arrested after a deadly stabbing spree at a festival in the city of Solingen, and only days after Germany resumed its program of deporting refugees convicted of crimes. The knife attack, in which three people were killed, reignited popular anxiety about social unrest connected with the more than 1 million refugees admitted to Germany since 2015.

AfD stresses isolationism, takes an anti-EU and pro-Russian stance, and is accused of fomenting anti-Muslim sentiment. Some of its most extreme representatives have also belittled the Holocaust, saying that Germany has paid enough penance for the sins of an older generation.

Mass protests against the party took place earlier this year following revelations that the party had held a secret meeting at a lakeside villa to discuss plans to deport foreigners, including those who had become German citizens. Prominent neo-Nazis attended the meeting, according to the news organization that broke the story, inducing painful echoes of the gathering of Nazi leaders at nearby Wannsee in 1942 to devise a plan to deport and then murder Jews.

But while support for the AfD dipped in polls at the time, it soon rebounded and then accelerated. Now, it has achieved breakthrough results in state elections and raised concerns for next year’s national elections.

The party — whose Thuringen leader, Bjoern Hoecke, has been convicted twice of using a Nazi slogan to boost his party — is unlikely to form a ruling coalition in either state, since it is shunned by other parties. Still, it will have additional seats in the state legislatures and will have the numbers, particularly in Thuringia, to interfere with some governing decisions.

A far-left party, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance or BSW, also produced notable results, coming in third in Thuringia with 15.8% of the vote. Last month, the current head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, warned that the party, which has accused Israel of genocide in its war in Gaza, was “fueling hatred of Israel in Germany.”

The new election results bode ill for Germany’s future, Schuster said on Sunday.

“Can we recover from this hit?” Schuster wrote in a column in the Bild newspaper. “Our free society must not fall, especially in the face of Islamist terror. Unvarnished truths — honesty and sincerity — are needed, not populist pseudo-answers from radical parties.”

In Thuringia, the mainstream Social Democratic Party barely squeaked in, with 6.1%. Several parties, including the Greens and Free Democratic Party, received so few votes that they will not have any seats at all.

BSW also came in third in Saxony, with 11.8% of the vote, following the AfD with 30.6% and the CDU with a narrow win at 31.9%.

Younger voters overwhelmingly favored the AfD in this week’s elections, according to an NTV-Infratest exit poll.

��The survivors are asking themselves: ‘Didn’t we do enough to teach, to tell, to show?” Christoph Heubner of the International Auschwitz Committee, told the Guardian.

Some Jewish leaders say German politicians would do well to address the concerns apparently expressed by voters this weekend.

“The election results in the German federal states of Thuringia and Saxony are a clear wake-up call to the centrist parties in Germany to listen to the real concerns and fears of the people,” Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said in a statement. “When half the population votes for parties on the extreme fringes, their problems must be addressed openly and honestly.”

Sunday was an “insanely sad” election day, German Jewish journalist Samira Lazarovic wrote on Facebook. She said her 96-year-old father compared the outcome to the opening salvo of World War II, exactly 85 years ago.

Lazarovic said it was is urgent to reach out to younger voters. “It’s not that we know better than they; but we should shape the future together.”

Obviously, it wasn’t enough to take to the streets and protest against the far right, she added: “Populists all over the world have one thing in common. They mean exactly what they say and do everything they can to turn their words to deeds.”

[undeadcourier]

thinking about how the theme of letting go (and the related motif of critically examining long-held beliefs/relationships) appears with the companions.

there's arcade and veronica, who were raised in insular environments and surrounded by enemies their entire lives, who fundamentally disagree with the politics of those groups, and who have to find a way to reconcile the love and loyalty they have for the only families they've ever known with their personal ideologies and goals.

while cassidy and crimson caravans aren't major factions in the vein of the ncr/enclave/brotherhood, cass' quest also revolves around whether she upholds the legacy of her family or follows her own path.

boone is disillusioned with the ncr after the bitter springs massacre but still wears his first recon beret, perhaps as a sign of lingering loyalty, or perhaps as penance. he participated in a horrible war crime because he was following orders, because that mindset was drilled into him since he joined the military. he's not as ideologically opposed to the ncr as arcade and veronica are to the enclave and brotherhood, respectively, but the similarity is worth noting.

what makes these companion quests so memorable is that we're meeting these characters at critical crossroads in their lives, where they have to come to terms with complicated attachments, where they'll define themselves by whether they choose to hang on to a legacy or strike out on their own.

[aniimamundi]

Pride & Prejudice - a Drarry tale

(I've been wanting to write a Pride and Prejudice inspired Drarry story for a while. I'm writing it as a full-length fic that I won't start posting on Ao3 till I have a few chapters written in full. Meanwhile, I'm posting it as ficlets here on Tumblr.

Warning: This is going to be very silly and campy. Also, I know it makes more sense to have Draco as Mr. Darcy but my heart really really wanted him as Lizzy, and so there's tremendous amount of twisting to fit that narrative 😅)

Chapt 1: Cissy & Portia

Narcissa Black was a changed woman. The tides of war had swept over her life and when they retreated, they took her husband, his significant fortune, and her desire to perch atop the social pyramid. In retrospect, those things had brought her nothing but anxiety and it was just as well that they were gone. 

These days, Narcissa lived for simple joys and her children. The actual one and all the other strays that she had taken under her wing. Oh. And for Portia as well she supposed, blushing a bit at the thought.

As if on cue, the beautiful Portia Zabini bustled into the library where Narcissa sat behind the desk with a book.

“Narcissa! Darling! You would not believe what has happened,” exclaimed the excitable woman.

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t tell me and save yourself the wasted effort.”

“Oh! Cissy!,” Portia cried, flicking her handkerchief at her, “you wicked woman! If you weren’t so pretty, I would be so mad at you.”

Narcissa couldn’t help but smile. “All right. Tell me.”

“Netherfield Park is let, at last! And you would not believe who has taken it! Ronald Weasley!"

Narcissa frowned at that information. Ronald Weasley was a child. Well, not a child technically, but a child to the likes of them. Why was Portia excited at the notion of … Her blood ran cold at the thought. Portia with her propensity to marry powerful men …

Portia flopped down on her lap and put her arms around her neck. “Silly goose, I’m talking about our children.” 

Narcissa couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter. “Our children!”

“The Weasleys are rich now. With monetary rewards from the war and their very successful family business. The gossip through the grapevine is that Ronald Weasley has not been promised to anyone. Imagine! Pureblood. Rich. Single. What a fine thing for our boys!”

“Darling, the Weasleys hate our children! Need I remind you that Draco took the dark mark? He almost killed Ronald Weasley.”

Portia waved her concerns away. “That was ages ago –”

“Three years.”

“Bygones are bygones.”

“Are they?”

“The children are serving their sentences. The Wizengamot thinks community service is enough penance to wipe off their crimes, why should anyone else think differently?”

“Oh, Portia.”

“And even if he doesn’t want Draco or Greg or Vince, perhaps he will fancy Blaise or Theo. There might be a wedding sooner than you expect. As soon as they move in darling, we must visit them. The Parkinsons have already made plans to do so.”

Narcissa couldn’t help but laugh at her partner’s detachment from reality. “Count me out. You can visit alone if you like and convey our approval for Ronald Weasley marrying whichever of our delinquent children he likes. He can even have them all.”

Portia got up from her lap in a huff. “Must you vex me so? Oh to have suffered seven husbands only to find a beautiful woman and discover that she is no better! I will get all the children married. You just wait and see!”

Narcissa watched her lover flounce out of the room with an attitude. Her arse looked delectable in the tight skirt she was wearing. Portia Zabini was a force of nature. Perhaps the children really would all be married by the end of the year. She shuddered at the thought, before remembering her resolution to take life easy and not worry about such bothersome matters.

(read next part here)

[thegreatzombieartisan]

Nope Fuckity Bye: Two Theories on Why Sauron Skipped Seeking Pardon

“Sauron … did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds…”

*

Before diving in, some givens and inferences:

Tolkien’s work is fundamentally Catholic work. To understand his POV, use this lens.

Maiar share a similar psychological landscape to Elves and Men. Men and Elves can procreate. Elves and embodied Maiar can too. Do the math.

Ecclesiastical language is telling. So, let’s clear up the oft misuse of “repentant.” Repentant = contrite (sincere sorrow for offense) vs. Penitent = contrite + actively seeking reconciliation.

*

Recognize the Sacrament of Penance reflected throughout legendarium

Per his faith, Tolkien believed redemption was ever an option. Thus, a penitent sinner like Sauron would need to satisfy conditions (sacraments) to absolve offense (sin) and reconcile with Eru Illuvatar (God).

All sin can be absolved, no matter how great.

Contrition or sincere sorrow for one’s offenses

Reconciliation aka “confession” aloud to a “priest” for accountability and absolution of sin

Repentance is assigned reparations for amends.

Theory One. Sauron couldn’t bear facing the Valar, but ecclesiastical language in text strongly suggests pardon meant facing his victims too

*

Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds….

Abjure: to solemnly deny, disavow, or renunciate.

Tolkien might’ve chosen: “disavow”, “renounce”, or “repudiate.” But he chose abjure. As ecclesiastical language, it can be interpreted as holding significance.

For in ye olde Roman Catholicism, “abjuring” occurred in an abjuration - or a formal, timely, voluntary, and public ceremony to renunciate heresy

Rather than a civil criminal trial, it’s suggested, that as a heretic, Sauron would have faced judgment in something closer to this.

(How does an abjuration work? A more robust, public version of the private typical reconciliation process. Moreover, in place of a priest, a higher authority like a bishop is required to oversee it.)

*

For Sauron hath done much naughty

You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:2–3).

Heresy is sin deemed especially egregious. And Sauron committed the greatest sin of all: idolatry. For to follow Morgoth was to place a “god” before Eru Illuvatar (God).

Moreover, as a principal perpetrator or accessory, much of Sauron’s alleged* sins are largely war crimes:

murder, torture, slavery, terrorism, breeding corruption/mutilation, spiritual corruption, conspiracy, theft, attempted sex trafficking, propaganda, etc.

Let’s not forget Sauron’s sick lyrical game.

* Sauron is only known through narrative bias of incomplete history. His actual sins could be more or less.

Applying the Sacrament of Penance to Sauron seeking pardon from Eönwë

*

Sauron = penitent heretic

Eönwë (representative to Manwë) = priest

Manwë (Valar chief + representative to Eru) = bishop

Eru Iluvatar = God

Sauron (penitent sinner) sought out Eönwë (priest) and confessed his evil deeds (sins) to reconcile with Eru (God). But Eönwë realized Sauron’s sun was in fact heresy, thus requiring the higher authority of Manwë (bishop) to reconcile.

Thus, Eönwë commanded Sauron (now penitent heretic) to seek pardon (reconciliation) with Manwë, who would instigate an abjuration (public renunciation of heresy) and determine a sentence (repentance).

Sauron says NOPE, moving from a penitent heretic to a repentant heretic.

*

Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence

And an abjuration would be even more excruciating.

Besides the Valar, also present would be Elves who Sauron/Morgoth had victimized. Plus, other Maiar who once befriended him, sought his wisdom, and praised his talents. All who knew Mairon “the admirable.” Now the abhorred, defeated, disgraced.

Before all, Sauron would renunciate his evil deeds that led to ruin and suffering. Perhaps to be met with jeers, curses, and woeful sobs. But also, silent dismay. Fear. Disappointment.

Ultimately, Sauron chose his pride, peaced out, and the rest is history.

*

He lingers in Middle-earth. Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of the ruin of Middle-earth

Where exactly? Who benefited? What were the outcomes? Like what, did Sauron open a cat rescue or build playgrounds for disenfranchised youth? It remains unclear. Just another one of Tolkien’s vague passages that deny Readers’ ability to judge for themselves.

Therefore when Eonwe departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong."

That is, Sauron was trauma-bonded to Morgoth. He also had to be low-key terrified of him. Because at some point, it would’ve became clear that Morgoth’s means didn’t further Sauron’s goals. For what other reason would someone who strives for efficiency continue serving a counterproductive cause?

But Sauron was always vulnerable to corruption. It’s even theorized that Even as Mairon, he had paternalistic entitlement to desired outcomes on Middle-Earth. For lack of boldness or pragmatism, it made him susceptible / a target for Melkor’s Vala power, Eru-may-care audacity, and corruption.

Fast-forward. In forsaking pardon yet engaging in “fair” works, Sauron continues his heresy, his idolatry. But instead of Melkor, he now places himself above Eru.

By skipping abjuration, Sauron robbed himself of humility and thus, true reflection on his evil deeds. Not insignificantly, he robs justice for victims.

By skipping reconciliation, Sauron forgoes support and belonging. One can’t heal in an echo chamber. The “bonds of Morgoth” were heavy and he’d need help breaking free of them.

By skipping repentance, Sauron’s self-assigned “fair works” were likely inappropriate. Nope - perpetrators don’t get to fuck up then decide how to make amends. Victims do.

Theory Two. Sauron feared being unfairly judged for the evil deeds of Morgoth’s other servants

*

“Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great.

Oh, cry Finrod Felagund a river.

But Tolkien overlooked a glaring motive for Sauron fear of a long sentence. Of all of Morgoth’s Maiar servants, Sauron is the only one known to have attempted to seek pardon.

For gravitas, imagine being the only high-ranking member of a fallen fascist regime on public trial. What would you fear? Receiving a sentence disproportionate to your crimes because you’d be the sole focal point of blame and penance. Sauron would be no different.

Sauron’s fear was legit but how likely was it?

Morgoth was hunted down and chained before being thrown unceremoniously into the Void. A fate that certainly would’ve terrified Sauron.

Yet in stark contrast, even after his confession of evil, Eönwë merely commanded Sauron to seek pardon from Manwë. That he wasn’t apprehend or escorted can be interpreted that Eönwë believed his penitence to be true and thus, he’d do as told. Or perhaps Eönwë simply relayed his master’s orders to let Sauron choose to reconcile.

In any event, Eönwë’s response to Sauron reflects Manwë’s benevolence. For the Vala would understand that a servant of evil must first be it’s victim. More likely than not, Sauron would’ve received mercy.

But he instead chose to thro w redemption away with both hands.

Thank you for reading!

Your likesand tagged reblogs are appreciated. Got feedback?

What did you like? Got theories or insights to share?

Disagree? I love good faith debate and sparring!

Spot an inaccuracy? Hey, Tolkien's work is complex. Drop it in comments or DM.

[saccharinecoffee]

In merit and rule, Ch. 1 | LouWill

Pairing ◈ Louis Guiabern & Will

Chapter word count ◈ 2,102

Info & Warnings ◈ Post-canon, slow burn, mutual pining, future smut, Louis social link, spoilers for the whole game!!

Read on Ao3

"As penance for his crimes, His Majesty the King William I has sentenced Count Louis Guiabern to a life of duty in service of the crown." The rightful heir takes the throne, Louis bends the knee, and a strange bond of trust is forged.

“As penance for his crimes, His Majesty the King William I has sentenced Count Louis Guiabern to a life of duty in service of the crown.”

The throne room was dead silent as Batlin read his first decree to the Lords and Ladies of the United Kingdom of Euchronia. Will was seated at the very back, on the elevated marble podium where the people’s throne lay. At the very foot of it were his comrades in arms, the recently appointed Six Partisans and his captive in war. Between Leon Strohl and Eiselin Hulkenberg was the man every single person in the room was staring at with looks of utter contempt and disdain, a tall head of pale blond curls and soiled cream leather.

Bound in iron around his wrists and stripped of his igniters he was only a man, and one nobody could bring themselves to fear any longer.

“King William I does not pardon his crimes against Euchronia,” continued the crier, “but offers leniency on the count of the admittance of his guilt and his unprompted submission to His Grace.”

That was enough to prompt a buzzing of chatter amongst the crowd. In hushed voices and frustrated huffing they displayed their scorn, not just for Louis, but also his prosecution.

Batlin rolled up his scroll and glanced sheepishly at Will. He could only sigh. He’d always expected that dealing with the Lords would be the most difficult part of ruling, but he hadn’t expected pushback on his very first audience, much less with how overwhelmingly popular Louis had been.

The people were fickle, he supposed. Especially those who wanted to poke and prod their way up the social ladder.

He stood up and raised his hand, quieting the whispers across the hall in an instant. The long, regal cape he wore over his shoulders weighed down his every movement, and his crown just the same. Symbols of the responsibility he bore of carrying both his fate and the people’s trust. There was, however, a safety in that feeling, one he saw reflected in the eyes of his closest friends, his confidants, and now, his protectors. It only spurred him further and lit the dark path before his feet.

“Count Louis has done this country a great harm and disservice, be it in regicide, conspiracy, or magic-born atrocities – of this I will never deny,” he spoke loud and firmly. He took a step down, and then another, inching closer to his comrades and his captive with every word he uttered. “However! I will not put another man to the sword without due process and reason. The former was resolved the moment Louis Guiabern bent the knee before the Six and I. The latter is made clear if you take the smallest glance at the life he has led.”

He stood before them all on equal footing. Etiquette demanded the King to always stand above all, or so he learnt in his youth. Instead, he followed the rule he chose for himself. With his back to his chained nemesis and his front to the country’s most powerful figureheads. His journey to that point had taught him many a skill, and audacity was but one of them.

“My Lords and Ladies this man has more use to us alive than he does dead. No matter how you spin the truth, that much is clear.”

Years of stellar service in the military, unprecedented skill in battle, wisdom in war and intelligence in analysis. Resilience in facing horrors, shrewdness in overcoming obstacles, and building an empire of his own. Banding tribes of all creeds together and making them work with each other seamlessly was but the tip of the iceberg. Look a little under that and one could find a wealth of rich expertise. Louis was everything he needed in a new administration. If he weren’t so corrupted by grief he might have made an admirable ally from the get-go.

When he turned around to face away the disgruntled crowd, Hulkenberg eyed him somberly in concern. It mattered not. He knew he was doing the right thing.

“Do any of you know what it is like to hold no prejudice in your heart? To treat others equally and measure them on their work and character alone?”

Louis’s eyes pierced his own most sharply, something indescribable in the ice-cold blue of his irises. 

“This man’s crimes will not be ignored, and will not go unpunished. But he will be utilised to help further our nation’s project of unification and equity. Despite our countless differences, and despite his treason, we have a shared ideal.” He faced the crowd one last time, and in earnest, he concluded. “I ask only that you trust my judgement.”

Louis was tall and dignified, even when bound and rid of his prosthetic horns. He towered over Will as he eyed their Clemar, Roussainte and Rhoag guests with as much disdain as his stoicism permitted. It was satisfying, Will realised. So used to the vitriol of others he was, he’d quickly learnt to always keep his head down and save face. Louis cared little of it, especially now that the cat was out of the bag. Self-preservation meant nothing when stripped of titles and protected under the crown.

When he looked down at Will, he could have sworn he was smirking just a fraction. The notion aggravated him. It was hard not to when Louis was the reason he lost so much and almost lost a whole lot more.

“Louis Guiabern. Do you swear now and forever, in front of all the great houses of the Kingdom of Euchronia, your undying fealty to me as your King and to my sovereignty across the land?”

Louis’s eyes sharpened like blades, his gaze never leaving Will’s as he got down on one knee and reached his bound hands for Will’s own. The gesture was unexpected, more akin to how a knight might ask a maiden for her favour than a soldier begging forgiveness. Weeks of strange emotions welled up in him, weeks of taking apart and building Louis’s ideology back together, of analysing every look he gave Will over the course of their acquaintance in futile attempts and better understanding him, of begrudgingly easily empathising with his feelings as a fellow Elda, orphaned and cursed and left with nothing to grasp but a name. Spellbound, he watched the blond's elegant movements, his gaze met with his own. Like he could read Will wide open, in most infuriating defiance, he brought his left hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. He felt his cheeks burn, heart caught in his throat as his lips curled into a scowl. The Lords were all used to rings being kissed by their vassals, the Ladies accustomed to roses and handkerchiefs. Louis was of the Eldan Sanctum, of the skies and the battlefield; what he did was a provocation, surely, not fealty.

Will looked up and met the mortified looks on his friends' faces, Hulkenberg and Heismay ready with hands on the hilts of their swords. But Will, heart pounding in his ears and so drawn into Louis’s strange web, only watched in vexed fascination.

The curly blond tresses of his hair were more matted than before in the aftermath of his imprisonment, but they curled into his cheeks and framed his face most handsomely nonetheless. His surcoat was dirtied in brown, either by blood died cold or dirt left unshrugged from the aftermath of their battle and fall from the skies.

It was arrogance. Everything about Louis dripped that brand of confidence built like gilded armour around a heart they both knew and saw was tortured with anxious trauma. To feign submission most transparently, after everything he did to him and his country, was begging for punishment. Will was forgiving and understanding, with a heart large enough to gather all with both flaw and virtue, but Louis was walking on a knife’s edge. Purposefully so.

He did not hide the frustration in his face. And Louis seemed utterly amused, gazing up through his lashes and pretty hair. If he could, Will would show him his royal archetype once more.

“I’ve already done so, Your Grace. But I swear it anew before the pigs who gorge themselves on that which they did not earn.”

It took Will’s best efforts not to laugh amidst his anger. It was a great offence, one that had gasps and loud sneers of indignation echoing throughout the hall, begging for their Majesty to cull the man’s head right off his shoulders for insubordination.

Will barely heard any of them, as he and the man below him shared something between their locked gazes that kept his feet rooted to the ground. His undivided attention rested not in the court or in the words he ought to say, but the conspiratorial smile the Count offered most willingly. Perhaps he did wrong in doubting him.

The look in his mirthful eyes wasn’t one of insubordination; it was one of a desire for challenge. His tongue peeked from between his lips and licked over the raw, pink skin, barely parched despite the less-than-optimal conditions of his prison cell. Will mirrored the gesture unconsciously, his heart fluttering with excitement in his chest, his palms growing sweaty.

Naive. They would call him naive. But how could they not, when they didn’t know what it was that swimmed between them when he grabbed Louis from the fall and brought him back to his senses amidst the humid earth at dawn. They didn’t understand the grief in Louis’s eyes as he saw the King’s archetype fall from around Will as he closed his hands in tight fists in his lap, his ego crushed and his ideals of equality smothered by his King. They could never even guess the strange grin he gave him as he admitted with uncharacteristic humility Will was his better, worthy of the title, and leagues stronger than he ever could be. 

For a man like Louis, that was loyalty in the truest form. Loyalty born out of pure, unadulterated merit. He was a man who followed not the rule of law but the rule of labour.

Vexation and feverish heat ever present, Will nodded, his voice so low only Louis and those closest to them could hear.

“Doublecross me at your own risk.”

Louis cocked his head to the side, not unlike a playful cat. His pale thumb unconsciously traced over his knuckle.

“Do you mistrust me so, that you’d doubt me after all you’ve seen?”

“I don’t know what to think about you.” The words were almost spat out, the months of exhaustion that had insidiously built up beginning to creep up on him the more he tried to make sense of the blond. 

“I think you do,” he said with utmost ease, his voice silky soft and caressing him in all the right ways. Louis was complicated, a right headache of a man, but at the root of it they were two sides of the same coin. Bound by tribe, by ideals, by fate. He could assume the worst all he desired, the truth was bare and spoken plainly before him.

He squeezed Louis's hand lightly, the walls around his heart hardening. As he slipped it away from his calloused palm, little jolts of electricity danced on the surface of sun-kissed skin.

New Bond: Rank one.

“You’ll earn my trust if you’re as honest as you claim to be.”

For a fraction of a second Louis seemed relieved, bowing his head as his shoulders relaxed before looking back up with the same infuriating smile.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Will took a deep breath, the weight of his Kingdom on his back as he took his sword out. He brought the tip to Louis’s left shoulder, then raised it and rested it on the right.

“I pronounce thee, Louis Guiabern, my loyal vassal and retainer henceforth,” he spoke louder, projecting his voice deserving of his title. He then sheathed his sword and took a step back. “Now rise.”

Louis did just that, towering over Will once more. He realised how relaxed he had been as he watched him quickly became rigid before the hateful eyes of the court. He was nothing if not a caged animal patiently peering through iron bars and salivating at his own bloody thoughts. It threatened to send a shiver down his spine.

“This audience is adjourned," he said finally, wiping the sweat of his hands on the pristine fabric of his trousers. "I bid you all good tidings and safe travels.”

◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈

Thank you so much for reading! Please consider sharing and checking out my other works! 💗💗💗

[weyrwolfen]

Happy Cody Day! Have Some Fic Recs

I wasn't able to finish writing anything for the 2-2-24 cause, so it seems like the least I could do was throw some recommendations for a few of my favorite Cody-centric fics into the ring to help celebrate. Enjoy!

Gen:

And Your People Shall Never Be Destroyed (complete) by independent_variables

Summary: A-017 turned and regarded him silently for a long moment. “You ask a lot of questions, Kote.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Is it really as simple as being one or the other?”

Kote bit his tongue.

‘17’s expression tightened, and he stepped forward to grip Kote’s shoulder.

“One day you’re going to ask a question you don’t like the answer to,” he said, eyes bright and burning. “And that’s when you’ll have to decide: is this a good thing, or a bad thing?”

My Comments: Features a whole slew of precocious CC cadets dealing with the horror show that is Kamino, but Cody is the POV character for the first, longest fic in this multi-story series. Heartbreaking with a happy, hopeful ending.

First Choice (complete) by smilebackwards

Summary: The clones get to choose their Jedi generals.

My Comments: This series has three fics in it, and while the first one is Obi-Wan-centric, the next two are from Cody's POV. The first two are a bit more serious in tone, while the last one is basically Cody's brothers relentlessly trolling him.

Shippy Fics (nothing explicit, because those fics are between me, God, and probably some overworked Ao3 website volunteers):

Our Own Choices (WIP Cody/Obi Wan) by heartofroses112

Summary: CC-2224 made the choice. Cody had to live with it. The Commander... well, he was prepared to burn the galaxy down as penance.

Or, Cody decides to leave the Empire, but that doesn't stop his past decisions from haunting him. In the midst of trying to repent for the crimes he 'willingly' committed, Cody may very well start a rebellion against the Empire while he's at it.

My Comments: Can it really be called shippy if we're 88 chapters in and the tagged pairing hasn't actually laid eyes on one another? Anyway, Codywan is pretty clearly endgame, if that either is or distinctly is not your thing. I'm mostly here for my catnip, which is the post-Clone Wars clone rebellion angle.

Our Caches and Constellations (complete Cody/Obi-Wan) by johanneb

Summary: Eleven years ago, the Jedi order got wind of the closing pincers of a Sith trap and scattered to the remote corners of the galaxy. Ten years ago, millions of clone commanders and troopers were introduced as the Republic’s new Army, made for fighting a war alongside people the galaxy seemed to be forgetting ever existed. Nine months ago, Commander Cody decided he was no longer going to risk his men's lives for the whims of clueless generals. Now, his decision to save a boy and a man in the desert, and the plan he comes up with to get away with it, will change the galaxy.

My Comments: Cody quiet quits the Empire as a prelude to loudly quitting the Empire, which is a lot easier in an AU where all space flight and communications technology is steampunk-y and fairly slow. Very creative world building.

100% open to receiving some recs too. I know both shippy recs were Codywan, but I'm not actually all that attached to that ship over any other. Happy @codyday2224 everyone!

[housewarningparty]

Your turn!

It's halfway through the year! Got any favorite albums/books/tv shows/whatever to recommend?

thanks to you @badwolfwho1 who both asked me!

music:

right off the top i'm gonna recommend 3 pop albums bc i almost never have this many TO recommend. but tei shi's valerie, empress of's for your consideration, and shygirl's club shy EP have all been on constant repeat for me this year.

big year for metal also - in particular crypt sermon, job for a cowboy, darkest hour, gatecreeper, aborted and tzompantli were all incredible. i feel like between seeing them live and the release of cure, this is the first time erra has really clicked for me and i'm loving it.

for post-hardcore i've loved the debut LPs by with sails aheads and your ghost in glass. the EP lonely people by love rarely was on repeat for me for weeks also - really great stuff.

i got heaven by mannequin pussy slaps too. and i also really, really want to recommend you could do it tonight by couch slut - if you love the queasy, depraved noise that chat pile make, you absolutely should be listening to couch slut.

i threw a couple little playlists together to roundup some of my faves:

(extended version here)

honorable mention: as was really apparent from my charts this year, i spent A LOT of time listening to the saosin s/t again. but also got really back into grouper this year - especially her 2021 album shade, which i missed entirely when it came out.

books:

okay for music i focused mostly on 2024 releases but for books i won't be so strict.

shirley jackson: a rather haunted life by ruth franklin was REALLY good and provided a lot of great insight into jackson's work and also just had some really interesting history in it. really enjoyed it.

hit so hard by patty schemel a rock music and addiction memoir by the drummer of Hole. very dark and upsetting at points, but compelling. was very illuminating re: the 90s seattle music scene and the drug culture around it, provided a lot of context and detail to some stuff i thought i already knew about. really great stuff.

penance by eliza clark - this is a fake true crime book that REALLY got under my skin. it's a meta commentary on true crime as a fandom and an industry and the exploitation inherent in it. it's a mirror to make you stare at your own internal biases. it's SO fucking 2014 tumblr. i've gotten like three other people to read it and they all went insane like me. highly recommended.

hex by thomas olde heuvelt - very late to the party on this one but i loved it. translated AND localized from dutch, with very interesting results. almost goofy to start and ends up totally bleak. i adored it.

magic for beginners and white cat, black dog by kelly link - REALLY falling in love with kelly link this year. read these two and currently re-reading stranger things happen and i just adore her style. weird but SO heartfelt, surreal and dreamy, as often horrifying as it is sweet. she's so talented, i'm really excited to read the book of love later this year.

between two fires by christopher buehlman - FINALLY read this and i loved it. absolutely deserves the hype. kinda wild that dark ages horror isn't more of a thing? i re-read buehlman's the blacktongue thief too and really loved it, definitely cemented it as one of my favorite fantasy books. i'm reading the daughters' war now and enjoying it a lot.

i also re-read the golden enclaves by naomi novik and had such a great time with it.

tv shows:

finished my buffy re-watch! been watching a ton of xena with @holdsteady and @nataliving this year too - we just finished s3 and it was insane and i loved it soooo much.

i watched under the bridge and thought it was very good, but i'd recommend people learn a little about the real reena virk case before engaging.

hacks season 3 was INSANE it made me crazy i loved it so much.

haven't watched much tv aside from that!

[codenamesazanka]

do you think shigaraki would be fine with going to prison? what about spinner? dabi?

Feel like that depends on whether the Heroes have broken Shigaraki's will enough/convince him he's remorseful enough to obediently serve a sentence/have him agree he deserves to be locked up as penance. That even solves the restraints issue - Shigaraki willingly agrees to not use his quirk to break out of prison, because he considers staying in jail to be rehabilitation/just punishment.

Like, saving him means stopping him, having him let go of destruction, and restoring his hope in the world, right? And that last part probably means he will want to reintegrate into society and abide by its rules. Trust in Heroes and listen to them/the governance they uphold. And that will most likely mean serving a prison sentence, so that he'll have paid for his crimes enough that he can rejoin society as a normal and proper citizen after getting out, whenever that will be.

So how Shigaraki will be saved - how convincing Deku will be in saving his heart - will influence how fine he is with going to prison, I think.

However, in general, I don't think Shigaraki is fine going to prison. Would anyone? Definitely not the way he is now.

If he suddenly gets stopped now, he'll be more like Toga - he's feeling better, but he'd still rather have the new, freer world that rises from the ashes of the old one. He's not going to sit and wait on death row*. He's going to skidaddle.

As for Dabi and Spinner... I don't think they would be fine going to prison either? And if they go because they're incapacitated and captured, that's not really a choice of being 'fine' with it.

Spinner hasn't been saved. Dabi is back with his family, which is the first step of a long journey to true salvation. Neither of them - nor Toga (nor Compress) - are remorseful about what they've done and wants to go to jail as penance. Toga explicitly rejects this.

They'd just be getting captured and going to prison.

Whether they try to break out is the question. If they failed to break out, then whether they eventually make peace with it and serve out their sentence because they lost the war, the world moved on, and they're here in the future their opponent created, so they might as well deal, is the question.

(* i know there's the idea that he won't get the death penalty or a life sentence, maybe he'll serve only a few years then he'll get bailed out by Deku or All Might due to their influence or an generous undue influence plea, or have to work as a pro-hero in exchange - but that's literally favoritism/making an exception for him/not following the new system they profess to have faith in??? "Hey, this guy has done more damage than any other villain, BUT the No. 1 Hero thinks he's a swell guy, All Might calls him nephew and hired the best lawyer that exists to argue that he was totally manipulated into everything, and he'll be doing community service in the highly-coveted and well-regarded career of pro-heroics, so let's give him a short sentence. Every other villain can just stay in prison until whenever because no one cares enough about them to intervene so greatly. We have a fair and impartial justice system."

What about Gentle, you might ask? Well, Gentle's crime was that he tried to break into UA to make a youtube video. Then he partly redeemed himself in the eyes of the law by stopping a prison break during a national emergency. Compare that to Shigaraki... not exactly the same level of bad.)

Thanks for the ask!

[ginger-snap-talkin-nonsense]

Iron Man 3 as best Phase 2 movie? Ooh, that's an intriguing take. I remember everybody hating it when it came out for the Mandarin twist (which is moot now thanks to Shang-Chi and that one short film) and Tony telling a terrorist his address on live TV with no plan after that. I can still remember Honest Trailers ripping into it. But admittedly I haven't seen it since 2013, so is it actually a great movie and I just didn't realise?

I can’t believe people have a problem with Iron Man 3. It’s some of the best Marvel has to offer period.

“Tony doxxing himself on live tv with no plan was really dumb” yeah no shit! It’s hard to remember this in a post “everyone acts like cinemasins” world but not every characters actions are logically justifiable. You know who else tells Tony that was the dumbest shit they’ve ever seen? Literally everyone around him!

The crux of the movie is that Tony is being dangerously self destructive because he has severe PTSD from the EVERYTHING he’s been through and also feels as though the entire world rests squarely on his shoulders. Tony believes he owes the world his life as penance for being blind to the horrors Stark Industries contributed to the world while he went off and partied. The whole movie is a character piece about Tony realizing that he is metaphorically and literally letting Iron Man kill him, and that it’s not fair to the people who love him to keep doing that.

It’s also just extremely solid as a movie. The villain is fun and his plan is diabolical, the mandarin twist was fucking cool and literally circumvented the movie having mega racist undertones and instead made a point about using the War on Terror and the racism of the American people for militaristic and political gain (which is something Iron Man loves to do), and there’s some great scenes and characters!

The team of Iron Man suits all showing up to help save the president at the end? Peak cinema. Happy watching Downton Abbey in the hospital because Tony remembers it’s his favorite show while he visits him in his coma and so he asks for it to be turned on? I may cry. Pepper finally getting to have cool scenes that don’t amount to bickering with Tony because we remembered she’s a person? About damn time!

Dude I am still so fuckin bummed that Harley never showed up past being at Tony’s funeral-he’s such a reflection of Tony and also a plucky young science boy who throws snowballs at walking bombs to save people like holy shit that’s Spider-Man before Spider-Man was out get that little shitster a mini series where he and Tom Holland fight crime together.

I love Tony Stark, I think he’s the most nuanced character in The Avengers lineup and Iron Man 3 is the perfect culmination of everything Tony is, was, and will be. Having a problem with it because “Tony makes bad choices” is to have a problem with most of the movies starring Tony, which is hilarious considering Tony is the most popular character in The Avengers lineup pre Civil War and it’s not even close.

[roohuh]

Summer Letters

Part 5 of year Five in Obliviate

Ominis X MC

Summary: Some of the letters you received from Ominis over your summer holiday

Warnings: just floof

Dear MC,

How are you? Are you rested from your journey home? Sebastian has been on his best behavior this week in efforts to repair his relationship with Anne. We will see how long that lasts. She is being gracious but they have a long road ahead of them before this wound is healed. What was the name of that book you were recommending? Have you started on your summer assignments? Summer in Feldcroft is always such an enjoyable time but for some reason it seems rather lackluster without your infectious laughter.

-Ominis Gaunt

Dear MC,

How are you? Thank you for sending me that book. It saved me from having to travel to Hogsmead to find it. It is quite an enjoyable read. I am nearly finished now, only having set it down to write to you. Sebastian’s good behavior was short lived and he is back to his ridiculous gallivanting. He has declared war on the Dugbug population determined to collect all the tongues he needs for the entire school year. I feel he has already reached his goal and then some but he persists. Anne wishes you were here with us saying a girl around here would be a nice change of pace. I was sorry to hear your panic attacks are back and will spray my cologne on the parchment before I send the letter as requested. I am glad you find my smell so comforting. I miss you.

-Ominis Gaunt

Dear MC,

How are you? I have finished the book, you were right, the ending did cause me to shed a few tears. Please do not tell Sebastian. I think your theory about his venting frustrations on the Dugbugs are correct. I caught him crying over Solomon's grave after which he disappeared for hours returning with quite the collection of tongues. I have a strange request which you are fully allowed to decline. But would you attach a lock of your hair in your next correspondence? I had not anticipated how much I would miss you over this holiday. What I wouldn’t give to hear your laughter once more. Every time I hear your owl I can not think of anything els until I have read the letter she brings. I am sorry you are having such a rough time of it this summer. I wish I could apparate into your home and hold you when the attacks come but know that you are constantly on my mind.

-Ominis Gaunt

Dearest MC,

How are you? I have something I would like to ask you but I feel it is better in person. I am counting down the days until we are together again at Hogwarts. I was wondering what classes you were going to be taking next year. Thank you for the lock of hair and the chain you attached it to was so thoughtful. I keep it with me always, it feels as if you are not quite so far away. Anne helped me pick and press the flowers I will fold into the letter. I hope they are to your liking. They had a wonderful smell when I picked them and Anne informed me that they are pretty colors. I would like to take you to the field we found them in when we are together again. I think it is a place you would enjoy. Do not forget your summer assignments. I have finished mine now if you have any questions about yours.

-Ominis Gaunt

Dearest MC,

How are you? I feel the sentiment must be growing old by now but I miss you dreadfully. I have a bit of a cold at the moment, I am sure it is from the damp cave Sebastian dragged me into. One day his scheming will be the death of me I swear. As penance he is making me soup grumbling the whole time about how soup in summer is some sort of crime. You said you had a dream about me? I would be interested to know what happened in the dream if you are comfortable with sharing. My head is starting to hurt again so I am going to have a lie down but I wanted to respond as soon as I received your owl. Don’t forget your summer assignments.

-Ominis Gaunt

Dearest MC,

How are you? I am feeling much better thank you for the tea leaves they did help my throat immensely. While on a walk the other day a dragon swooped down and snached a sheep from the field right next to the path I was walking on! The wind generated from the beast's enormous wings almost knocked me over. I wonder if it is the same dragon you and Poppy freed from the poacher camp. One more week until we are back at Hogwarts, please tell me you have finished your summer assignments, Sebastian is only now starting his and is completely overwhelmed by the amount of work. He keeps asking to copy mine but it serves him right for procrastinating. Your dream sounds like it was lovely, I am beside myself with excitement to see you. You will laugh at how long my hair has gotten. It will need a proper cut when I am near Hogsmead once again. I was wondering if after the sorting ceremony I could have a private audience with you in the Undercroft.

-Ominis Gaunt

[austinramsaygames]

A False Campaign Intro

Yesterday I recorded an episode with Campaign Spotlight as a guest talking about the intersection and differences between home games and actual play. It was a very rewarding interview and I'm excited to share it when it comes out in a few months. Part of their format is that every episode starts with a monologue from the guest reading the opening text crawl of their game. Well, I don't do that kind of opening to my campaigns so I had to make something from scratch for it. I was reasonably happy with what I wrote going in but as I read it aloud and saw the reactions from the host it became something I wanted to share. So here's the opening narration for The Furies: a Beam Saber Rush Wars campaign.

This is a world similar to but not our own. A world where cars have an even greater importance than in our world. They are both an identity and a conduit for power. Those esteemed few who can tap into a car’s true potential become Heroes and Villains the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Trojan War. The bond between driver and vehicle for many is a holy one. Detroit, the motor city. Once a mover and shaker in our world was a gargantuan presence in this one, but much like ours it's most fondly remembered in the history of decades ago and the residents who cling to its true nature as their homes. Residents like The Furies, a girl gang at the forefront of the illegal street racing scene that thrives on the rusting body of the city. Cinderella "Candy" Stiehl, the gang's de facto leader and muscle, is short, round, commanding, and loyal. A bulldog of a woman whose mob ties had her take the fall for a job gone wrong, and spent years in prison then the government's Jaghund task force in penance. Free once again, both from the shackles of prison and her family, she returns to crime in her monster truck, The Carolina Reaper, as it's the only way she knows how to move through the world. May Day, the group's infiltrator, is in many ways the opposite of Candy: tall, lean, impulsive and chaotic, but just as fiercely loyal as any other member of the gang. After dropping out of her interpretative dance college due to her sister's illness, she was lost at sea until she found her place first in the fans of the racing scene, and then in The Furies. Now she's strapped some nos to her thigh high roller skates, and makes sure that no one can predict what her street family does next. Rebecca Bolger, the newest member of The Furies and its mysterious face. Classically beautiful and verbally cunning, she brings info and gear from unexplained and often elided connections. No hard questions have been asked of her yet, as she's been as willing as the rest to put her body and her car, the sports coupe Bella, on the line for the girls. Now, a multi billion dollar company, Enterax, run by a man whose fans consider him a genius, has started to move in on Detroit. City council and business leaders are pleased as punch at the prospect of a new Giga Factory being built in one of the city's poorest neighbourhoods, but The Furies have their ear to the ground and can read between the lines. Whistleblower suicides, OSHA violations, disappearing local activists, battery fires. While Enterax might have a squeaky clean image those who look a bit closer and don't turn away find a company that doesn't care for its workers, customers, or neighbours, only the shareholders and its founder's ego. Proper channels haven't stopped Enterax, and respectable resistance hasn't done anything either. Lucky for Detroit there's a group of pissed off girls willing to crash this company's plans, parties, and portfolio. And they'll do it one twisted wreck of an electric vehicle at a time.

[reneees]

Her love damned the beginning of night and the love wared in yellow Sun-mooned kurtas darling a doze off the night that is. Her. Nights weaken the night. A love wars a penance lie. A lover becomes God. A night loves shapes of nights. A night hiss in the trite word of lessened lies if the night. A war of umbrage youth war-siding with crime. Night havocs night. Occlude raiments of nice hems that is. Her. Her night. Her loom is dye is the night. Hope is the courage of war. A light of becoming her. A night disseminates through the wings of her par. A gift lay-down in the spite might of the keeper girl. A night loved of the God nights barking. A night in the hope of down life’s to the denude love of God. Parsimonious life in the clout heaven, her high his God. Her March is new, her motivation. Her lie. Becomes water. Her mouth becomes ear. War lies in the dining love of war. Her. Light devices in the card of heaven. Her. Simple shun of God in the occupying mess of love. A lover. A night. A lover. Her. Works of God and the loves of rite. Her. World in the humming war of shy girls seeking war apprentice in the love. Her. Imprimatur faces of her love mood of lipstick and the eyes of heaven. Her. Night wallows suddenly and thinks of arching approval from her shy girlfriends. A love braised till it kept quiet in the bliss of makers and the night of honours. Her, her. Night. Love on nights and the moon of inks. Her. Light and love always. Her.

Sunidhi

[shallowseeker]

My friend says John wasn't really there in that season??

Yay, Lebanon! Yes, I've seen this theory floating around, and I think it's a good one. I think the theory came about because the reuniting of the four doesn't include a satisfyingly obvious confrontation. Overall, though, I think it has the subtle bones of how the dynamics would work between them, and they're fascinating.

As for it being "real" of not, my personal view is that him waking up in his car lends to it being real. I'm 100% behind the other interpretation as well, though!

If you'll humor me, I wanna ramble about the dynamics. I have dreams of writing fic about this someday, so puzzling it out is something of a pastime for me:

///

First, I read somewhere (I think it was @queermania) that 14x13 Lebanon as an episode is too ambitious. The idea of Lebanon-the-town being its own character deserved a separate episode, and the idea of John returning needs its own episode. And I agree completely. Really, the episode doesn't have time for satisfying confrontations.

///

==It's not revenge porn, and that's a little disappointing==

Overall, think the fandom balks at John's return because at worst, what we want is reciprocal revenge to be inflicted on John. At best, we crave a verbal sparring where he's taken to task for his past crimes.

Lebanon is neither of these.

So, it's easier to wrap up John's "best behavior" as ghostly wish fulfillment, and that certainly works for me. It's satisfying. (I also subscribe to the theory that Dean wishes for John in order for Mary to be happy.)

But for me, the long and the short of it is that I think it's more interesting and very telling that John's on his best behavior here. That implies...interesting things.

Mary's presence grounds him, and even then, he's still subtly passive-aggressive in ways I adore. I think their interactions have built-in conflict, and I think it works as is! I even think him catapulting back into his own time has a dark implication (below).

///

==Mary & John==

Mary does not batter John; she greets him with relieved kisses. I think that makes sense for Mary given what we know about her. Her anger manifests as cold and controlled. She does not tend to fly off the handle.

The past haunts her. Mary last saw John on a regular night at home. They had dinner together, kissed their kids goodnight, and went to bed with baby monitors and all. She misses that guy. She loves the man he was, his best self. Not his worst self. She read his journal, but that's something she knows in her head, not her heart. It'll take a while to square that man with this man. And even then, she might just try to love him through it. I think Mary is the kind of flawed, frustrating woman who might make excuses for John.

She rationalizes. She views herself as having made a lot of mistakes with the boys, too. John had "drunken rages and neglect," sure, but in season 12, she almost got Cas killed, lied to the boys, and then she became Mary!natural-born killer and almost shot them. She's going to rationalize.

Team hunting dynamics. I suspect that so long as they're not in a Particularly Dangerous Mission Mode, the dynamic is going to be Mary bossing John, not the other way around. She might square the past by expecting him to do penance to the boys as a family protector and attack dog. I actually think Mary might mistreat him! And she'd definitely put the things on him that she can't take. My thesis is that I think she'd wind up treating John a lot like how she treated Cas, mid-season 12 in First Blood. If they hunt together, they'd have to get to know each other as hunters, which would lead to a frustrating tug-of-war. (John cries a lot, even in the original run, and Mary goes stone-cold. She's gonna hurt his feelings and wound his pride. It's going to be tumultuous.) I think Mary would become the control freak, because she's the one who is now tied to the current life, the one with a hunting network, and the one with superior knowledge, etc.

EXAMPLES from cut scripts & aired transcripts

Mary & Cas in 12x01 Keep Calm and Carry On & 12x02 Mamma Mia:

Here, I think Mary instinctually moves to put familial duty & responsibility on Cas. I think she intuitively recognizes him as Dean's spouse, and so, his strength & support are available by-proxy to her.

I know this is mostly indirect evidence, but I suspect this is exactly how she'd treat John within the world of hunting.

///

Mary & Cas in 12x09 First Blood:

MARY: You left them. CASTIEL: No, I… Dean told me to go. The woman-- MARY: The one you lost? CASTIEL: I didn’t. I… I thought that she-- MARY: Stop making excuses. [Cas looks down, and Mary sighs heavily]

///

Back to John

I can imagine Mary making digs about him not knowing critical hunting fundamentals, and he'd make digs that he wasn't raised with as many resources as she was (a petulant shot at her lies). I find it more likely that he would sull up and eventually explode at her. Mary lied to him. That still hurts.

The critical blowup would happen when John finds out that Mary was even hunting while the boys were small. "I thought you were cheating. This is worse!" Mary didn't even give him a chance to fight for himself or to access the tools and knowledge to help defend his family. (She didn't trust him!) He never had the chance to even try! Etc etc. Messy!

I think Mary would get cold and judgy. Like Dean, she could even fall into idealizing/romanticizing her other hunting partnerships to make digs at John's shortcomings ("AU Bobby/AU hunters/the boys/Cas don't make mistakes like this. They've never let me down," etc etc.) Regardless of John's past crimes, I think she'd fall into expecting too much of John...I'm 99% certain of that. It's so juicy and crunchy!

AU Bobby? Sadly, I think with John back, she would drop AU Bobby like a hot potato. Sorry. Sucks for AU Bobby, but it seems like they were already broken up/going their separate ways in 14x11 Damaged Goods. (Lebanon is 14x13.) The hardened AU Bobby, unlike OG Bobby, would probably like John, which would be a horrible feeling for the boys.

///

==Sam & John==

Sam skirts around John's past misbehavior. It's uncomfortable. Two seconds later, John tries to get a rise out of Sam.

Sam puts it aside and chooses to love John anyway, to try to start fresh where they're at. I think that makes sense for Sam, because Sam likes to cut away and compartmentalize the parts of life he doesn't like. Sam dissociates. Sam doesn't want to talk about it. But I also think that, over time, John would keep digging until he found a pressure point to try and get Sam to explode at him. John is prodding at Sam to talk in a similar way that Sam prods Dean to talk.

By the way, I think John's apology is right in line with the tearful crybaby John we saw on our screens in seasons 1 and 2, too. John was volatile, but he wasn't always unemotional. (Remember when Pastor Jim died?) That's why he always felt so unpredictable as a caretaker.

SAM: Yeah, Dean and I tried to make that once. JOHN: I, um… I remember. I screwed up with you a lot, didn’t I? SAM: No, that’s okay. JOHN: No, it’s not. Sammy, tell me the truth. SAM: I don’t want to talk about that. JOHN: You didn’t have a problem talking about it before you left. SAM: Dad… for me? That fight… that was a lifetime ago. I don’t even remember what I said, and – I mean… yeah. You know what? You did some messed-up things. But I don’t… I mean, when I think about you… [voice breaks] and I think about you a lot… I don’t think about our – our fights. I think about you… I think about you on the floor of that hospital. And I think about how I never got to say goodbye. [JOHN puts his hand on SAM’s shoulder.] JOHN: Sam. Son. I am so sorry. SAM: I’m sorry, too. But you did your best, dad. You – you fought for us, and you loved us, and… that’s enough. [JOHN tearfully smiles at SAM and pats his shoulder.]

Team hunting dynamics. I think John would at times reach to undermine Sam's leadership, especially with the AU hunters. I think this could manifest in him being contrary to Sam's ideas. It'd be kinda like how AU Bobby balked at Sam's leadership skills, but to the power of ten.

If Mary's present, all bets are off. John submits to her. But if Mary's not there, he probably jumps right into questioning and nitpicking Sam's decisions. When that doesn't work, he approaches Sam through cold, hard logic, and that could potentially get Sam on his side. Sam is very swayed by moral relativism, and John would appeal to that. "We've all done things we regret." And once John digs up enough of Sam's mistakes, I think Sam would be swayed to give John another chance in order to avoid being faced with the dreaded hypocrisy.

Tension points: I don't think John would like Rowena at all, and that would be a point of tension between them. He'd make so many snide digs about her, mark my words. Rowena would hate John, too though, and that's where 90% percent of the fun would actually come from.

///

==Dean & John==

Dean is wary around John. There's no better word for it. John's presence makes Dean's home at the bunker feel insecure, like the ground is crumbling beneath his feet. The bunker is Dean's house, and he's already feeling shaky by having AU hunters there. At the point of Lebanon, Dean's got Michael locked in his head, pounding away at a locked door.

Lebanon happens right after Prophet & Loss, where Sam resorted to battering Dean with his fists to try to get him to care about himself. Dean's feeling extra, extra vulnerable. He'd be like a cornered animal with John in the house.

///

In Lebanon, Dean is upfront with John about their living situation:

JOHN: Then it’s all true. God, the devil, you boys smack in the middle. Now you live in a secret bunker with an angel and Lucifer’s kid. DEAN: Yeah.

Later, John is passive-aggressive with Dean, too, but it takes on a completely different dimension than it does with Sam. Sam and Dean both live with, "an angel and Lucifer's kid," but Dean is the one John "suspects something of," and so, like a gossiping church lady, he pokes. About relationships.

He's trying to figure out if Dean is...attached.

DEAN: Dad, we pulled you here. JOHN: No, son. My fight. It was supposed to end with me, with Yellow Eyes. But now you – you are a grown man, and I am incredibly proud of you. I guess that I had hoped, eventually, you would… get yourself a normal life, a peaceful life, a family. [DEAN nods. He smiles.] DEAN: I have a family. [JOHN smiles.] JOHN: Yeah. Alright. What’s next? DEAN: We eat. [DEAN leaves for the kitchen.]

Do I think John accepted that Dean has a family? Yeah, I actually kinda do. I think this conversation is just John confirming suspicions he already had. And Dean is patient with him about it. I suspect Dean's patience would turn into holding him at arm's length, and John would be spun by that.

I don't think John would act a homophobe. John liked Lee. Competence wins out for John. I favor John not being cartoonishly homophobic on a personal level so much as a societal one. I can see him rationalizing the thing with the nuns as him being scared of Dean enduring a difficult lifestyle re: the time periods they respectively grew up within.

But now? With all this acceptance? There's less reason to do that.

Household dynamics: I think that, right out of the gate, John does some boundary crossing. It's implied in the finale script that when John was with Mary, John was the cook. (He cooks pot roast!)

Seeing this human, empathetic side of John would be devastating. John tends to take over the kitchen, and Dean feels pushed out. John is funny, just as Mary said he was. It'd be like entering an upside-down world. (And if John is like this now, why weren't Sam and Dean enough for him to even try?)

///

John & Cas & Jack

Because John is doing public "penance," and because Dean is sort-of icing him out, John would "work on" those closest to Dean: Cas and Jack. I can see John trying to suck up to Cas and Jack with a surprising degree of success!

Cas

With Cas, it'd be a rocky start. Maybe it starts when John outright demands that he wants Cas's truck when he sees it in the garage. Then, he's aggressive towards Cas and suspicious of his angelicity.

But ultimately, Cas's competence and gray-rock method of communicating win John over, and when he wins John over, he wins him over in a big way. John even seems to trust Cas more than Sam and Dean, and that gets ugly.

Oddly enough, I think he'd take to Cas way more readily than he'd take to someone like Rowena. Cas is a soldier. When John learns that, he tries to awkwardly soldier-bond with Cas, using marine lingo and making crass male-bonding jokes at Dean's expense. (Super weird, super disrespectful, and super awkward!)

There's also some stuff in Cas that reminds John of Henry Winchester, which makes it even more complicated. Like Mary, he senses Cas's spousal dynamic with Dean, and because of Cas's angelic strength, he also expects too much of Cas. (Poor Cas!)

I think the result would be Dean and Cas having big emotions about it, because Dean needs to get out of the bunker a lot, and he'd cling extra hard to Cas as a reflex to John's pushy "trying to steal my best friend," stuff.

Jack

I think John'd spoil Jack, kind of like he did with Adam. Jack represents a clean slate, a new chance to bond with a son. John wouldn't spoil him in a lovey-dovey way, either.

I think he'd key into what Jack is missing, and provide the, "You did good today/that was nice work/I'm proud of you," stuff. Jack values blunt honesty and tough love, so long as it's paired with a sliver of respect. John could worm his way in so fast if he really wanted to!

Dean would probably hit his limit with John trying to get close to Jack and step in. But Jack would painfully point out that when Cas came back, Dean changed, too.

"You said it yourself Dean. 'We're gonna make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. Right?' You said, 'We can get better. Every day, we can get better.' Why can't he?"

(This, of course, comes back to bite Jack in the ass.)

Due to where Lebanon occurs in the timeline, Jack is human-ish, but when John discovers the AU Michael situation and what Jack's Nephilim capabilities were, John gets pragmatic at Jack's expense. Perhaps, they decide to rescue Adam together, to secure the OG Michael to fight the AU Michael? I can come up with all sorts of terrible things John and Jack might get up to together "for the greater good."

///

On the whole, John is intel-gathering. Under the guise of bonding, he's collecting a list of Dean's, Sam's, Cas's, and Mary's worst mistakes to use as ammo and rationalization...if he ever needs it.

And the thing is, John's bonding is simultaneously genuine. He's defensive and damaged, but some of his better intentions are so ugly because of that.

///

==John goes back to the past, though. What are those pesky implications you mentioned?==

Well, like I said in the beginning, in the actual episode, John wakes up in the past. That softly implies it was "real." He tells a worried past!Dean that he, "had a good dream."

But the implication is that John is now even more certain that his revenge is the righteous path. Look how safe and strong Sam & Dean turned out! He's convinced now: even though he hurt them, his methods were the right ones.

///

That got long was WAY more than you asked for, but I'm not sorry. Thank you for the ask! It allowed me to brainstorm about some things I've been kicking around in my head for a good while.

(Text Attributions// Supernatural scripts here via @spnscripthunt. Transcripts are located here via SPNWiki. Visit their Tumblr to donate.)

[utilitycaster]

GOD that post I just reblogged about how Succession is cracking something open on Imogen and especially the solstice lead up because it really is about how, once the words are out of her mouth and she says "well what if the Vanguard are right", there's a tension! There's a tension that wouldn't be there if she didn't have doubts, if she didn't have a pull - literally a blood tie in more ways than one - to the Vanguard, and so the choice she makes actually matters, and we as an audience can see her struggle with it and say "there is a way to decide to do what's right and stand by the people who made this possible rather than repeating the cycle (Liliana leaves her family/Imogen doesn't) and yet you still will feel a pull to that past. Maybe even a constant one and a strong one, at least for a while, and you'll wonder if you did the right thing." And all that disappears if you refuse that tension and believe it's impossible for people to make the "wrong" or "bad" choice!

And more generally it's why so much of the discussion about other flawed characters is so terrible. Who cares if Essek is a good or bad person in a vacuum, this isn't asking that, it's asking "what might make people change? What if you didn't ruin your life entirely and you can live it out, even if the consequences will always remain with you? What if other people like you believe the same thing? What if you could undo it? What if you didn't?" and both sides, those that jump to eternal condemnation of him for war crimes against pretend people, or the idea he is good because of some endless hypothetical journey of penance, miss out on that. That's why Percy is a good (in the sense of interesting and well-done fiction, not morality) character: because he's set up to answer the question "who would be so desperate as to introduce a horrible tool into the world, and what might that look like for them" and here's the thing, do you really believe that if Ripley hadn't got away that guns wouldn't have still gotten out in some way? That the secret would have died with Percy? But he's young and horribly traumatized and thinks he can control this and that also makes us think, and when he straight up asks a god if he's good or bad for doing it she says that's not the point. Redemption arcs aren't about who deserve them and that argument is moot. They're about who is offered them, and who takes that opportunity and who rejects it, and what might happen.

And to be clear I do like talking about the morality of characters - not in an abstract black and white This is Good and This is Bad, because those things are contextual, but in terms of harm to the other pretend people in the story, and intent, and efforts made, because that's fun. But god like. I have blorbos, I absolutely have blorbos, and I'll make my share of jokes about people who never did anything wrong in their life, but I think that's why I am so repulsed by the blorbo-ification that involves scooping up your special guy and sticking them in a mason jar terrarium and judging them solely on those qualities because they're part of the story. They're part of the story! They're here because (as I yelled in the tags of that post) it's really fucking hard to relate to the abstract concept of breaking the cycle, and very easy to relate to the person trying to escape. Characters are just part of the gedankenexperiments good fiction is setting up, which brings me to the other weird thing that's fueling all of this which is this excerpt of The Infinite Playground:

"Physicists, for example, contribute to a different aspect of our reality than, for another example, fiction writers. When physicists make an assumption, like the universe being a hologram, they know they can't prove it, but they can assume it and see what happens as a result. Fiction writers like to assume things and then pretend those things are real. Both connect us to through the imagination, but one must, out of the necessity of their mission, substantiate their work through their understanding and the observations of their peers; the others, the artists and planners and politicians, are not so much into substantiation as they are into becoming part of a shared belief, a community of believers, one might say."

Like the most important part about fiction is that you can prove things from the text, sure, and you should use evidence for inferences, but moral rightness isn't really a provable thing, and the point in the end isn't, well, to prove a point. It's to say I hope the poison doesn't drip through, I hope the venom in your veins is not inborn but can slowly wear off or even be purged, I hope the brokenness isn't irreparable or at least that it does not mean the building has to be abandoned and demolished, at least not for a while. And some stories exist to explore what happens when that hope is realized, and some to explore what happens when it isn't, and the characters are just the pins on which to hang it, and you're supposed to care about them in both of them.

[kataraavatara]

in light of daemon’s arc in Harrenhaal is him kamikaze-ing aemond now an act of penance/character growth in order to save the civilians in Riverlands from him and Vhagar or will Aemond just never do warcrimes leaving daemon to be the ultimate bad guy