#rapists need to be hanged

[ariella-has-lost-her-mind]

it doesn’t matter if you’re thirty or just three months old,

whether your clothes are vibrant or modestly fold.

it doesn’t matter if you wander through midnight’s hush,

or sit in your classroom, in learning’s gentle rush.

as long as you’re a woman, the shadow remains,

a threat that persists, through joy or through pains.

no matter the age, the dress, or the place,

the danger is real, no matter the face.

[h0n3yk1tt3n]

"Dywh served no narrative purpose outside of breaking up puppylove and upstage because it's never brought up again in any meaningful way and really should've been replaced and/or written differently" and "male victims of s/a from female perpetrators need their stories to be told and taken seriously instead of being relegated to a scene set up seemingly for shock value (see sexy baby costume and no effort to address the trauma of this scene later as bmc was never going to Be A Story About That)" and "Chloe is a tragic and complex character that pins most if not all of her self-worth on being desirable as a conventionally attractive teenage girl and it makes her act out in cruel ways (bringing down the other girls around her and trying to sleep with her best friend's boyfriend on her ex's parents' bed to rile up said ex)" and "while Chloe should've backed off sooner and the alcohol is no excuse for her actions, her drunken mind had very little way of knowing that Jeremy wasn't interested as the squip FORCED him to participate in something he didn't want and is MORE at fault for deliberately ignoring his pleas to 'make it stop' than Chloe getting mixed messages and not understanding what Jeremy wanted when the squip MADE him stay, drink, and kiss her" are all sentences that can and should coexist.

Including the tags in the actual post because I'm not gonna have anyone try to twist my words against me

[abeeehaswriting]

[tiredf-o-u-r]

Ig please invent a dislike before I comment mean things on peoples pics 💜💜💜

[stuck-writing-sickos]

In Poor Taste [P1]

(Yandere × F!Reader)

[Series link]

[Warning: obssessive, workplace/academic discrimination, xenophobia, mention of SA, slowburn, dense plot, not even sure if its dark romance, not sure if its romance at all]

You were never crazy about spoiled rich men. They were nothing but troubles.

You knew his type. Rich, spoiled, and never told no. In college, you would see them flocking down walkways in goofy polos, or if there were events, in color-coded suits and ties as if going to their first communion. They were never alone, stuck in bubbles of laughters and champagnes and vape vapors. You were not there besides them. You sat rooted in the library chair, dropping in and out of kickbacks of other students who also never fit into their puzzle of oxfords and high heels. You didn't resent them. You had your own little life. You found comfort in turning it up in the weekend with your fierce eyeliner and fishnet when your bank balance was full, or sitting in your friends' living room greening out on Mexican weed when you were broke.

So when you graduated side by side with them, ordered by names, you didn't feel as if you missed the school spirit. Your ex was chatting up with his crowd a couple rows down, arms in arms with a known rapist. In a sea of them you treaded in your scuffed heels and walked the stadium to your fine, leather-bordered diploma and took a half-hearted photo with the dean before sneaking out early, never to see any of them again. Sure, you missed your friends, but you could always call and catch flights (when your bank balance so permits). The rest of them slipped off your mind easily like vapor.

You moved country. That was the right move. Sure, you could stay in the States and try out a desk job, but you didn't find it in you to belong. Plus, with the recent development of AI  technology coupled with the impending economic recession, you weren't too optimistic about finding a position that lasts. So you packed up and left, missing barely anything. 4 years of your life remained in the tissues your cried into in the dingy airport toilet. You called your family to let them know your ambition. They scoffed, trying to talk you out of it for the last time yet, before their persuasion became discouragement. Before they told you that the corporation needed an heir, and that you were stubborn just like your father was. You turned off your phone and boarded. Your 20s seemed wide open, soaring with you, louder than the plane engine that roared even in your sleep.

3 years later, in your little cubicle in a Japanese high school, you didn't feel like you were soaring anymore. Perhaps your wings got caught somewhere, shredded in the engine just before you landed. You buried your head into piles of notebooks, your red pen gliding. The power to decide who passed and who failed was in your hands, and the soft-hearted nature you carried with you squirmed as you had to mark down zeros and ones. You found yourself smiling at your students and encouraging them, as well as enduring the resistance from the rebellious ones. Little by little, the spark of hope in you matured into a quiet resolution. You learnt to be calmer, to hang your head more, and to speak less of your opinions. In the mirror, you saw a new face.

You pushed on, narrowing your shoulders in the subway, cooking your dinner in your modest kitchen, and packing your own lunch at five in the morning. Sometimes you went out with your coworkers, sometimes you remained indoor. Settling in a monotony as Tokyo raged on with its flourescent storm, you feel, in your quiet moments, as if you were half asleep.

Then one summer morning just before another school year ended, the head of the foreign teacher department walked in. Walking by her was a face you didn't recognize.

"This is Mr. Lukas."

As customary, you stood up and greeted with a polite smile.

"Yes, good morning Mrs. Tahara. Good morning Mr. Lukas."

"I know this is late into the school year", Tahara said, "but Mr. Lukas is the perfect fit for our school. He has plans to stick with us for the next 2 years, so I was hoping he would get the training he needs by trying out at our summer program."

"That seems like a lovely idea", you acknowledged.

"Since you have the most experience in our department so far, and also the only one left since the rest of the team has taken an early vacation as customary for them", Tahara continues, finally building up to her point, "I was wondering if it is not much trouble for you to mentor him this summer. I know that you have said that you would take the summer off this year, but there is nobody else we would trust quite as much!"

You felt a knot of frustration in your chest. After 3 years of dedicating yourself to the summer program, you did finally decide to take the summer off to have some time for yourself. Truth was, you had found yourself growing weary of the monotony in your life which had lulled you into a state of daydream. This summer was supposed to be for you to travel and visit your family. Plus, with the money your had accumulated by pinching your purse, you were hoping to finally fly to LA to meet with a long-term friend you had been dying to see.

But you knew this was not a request. It was an order. Though Tahara was smiling, she was not going to take "no" as an answer. The woman did not climb to her position in this expensive international high school in the heart of Tokyo by being softhearted like you.

"I see", you nodded, the blank smile yet to leave your face, "Very well, then. I will do my best."

Tahara also did not let hers falter when she tried to soothe you, "I heard the staff vacation is to Thailand this year. How exciting, right? It is the 10th year anniversary of our school after all. Tell you what, I will lobby for you the best room there is!"

The pang in your heart did not go away as you chuckled, "Oh, there is no need at all. Please, I am happy to do this job."

"Nonsense", Tahara insists, "Best room there is! Please leave that to me. All you need to worry about is Mr. Lukas."

You bowed your head.

"Thank you very much. I will do my best."

With that, Tahara turns to the newcomer: "Your cubicle is right here next to her. Please get settled in, and she will show you around. You have her full attention for today- I checked, there are no classes today, right, Miss?"

You nodded at the last part. Tahara briskly walked away, leaving Lukas standing in front of you.

You finally turned your attention to him, getting a good look for the first time yet. Lukas was tall, black haired, with a strong nose and freckles. His defined body was complemented by his white button-up and slack pants. The way his body opens up by his wide shoulders and his face held up high told you that he was a stranger not only to this work environment, but to the country as a whole. He still seemed alert, yet to be lulled into sleep like you.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lukas", you held your hand out for him to shake. His hand was soft, and his grip was gentle. You could tell clearly now... he hadn't been a working man.

"Hi", he smiled, "I'm so excited to be here. I'm all yours now, so... lay it all on me!"

American, you mused in your head, noticing his accent and the loud, overly friendly manner. He reminded you of the people you knew from college.

"Of course. Let me give you a quick tour of the school before we get started!"

"Great! It's a beautiful school. Can't wait!"

The moment you and him exited the teacher lounge, Lukas couldn't help but immediately make small talks.

"So... how long have you been working here?"

"Oh, for 3 years now", you replied absentmindedly.

"Woah, that's a long time. To be honest, I just graduated college last December, so this is all totally new to me."

You hummed and pointed out to him the nurse's office, letting him know that he could find assistance there in case of student injuries. Finding it difficult to simply ignore his attempt at a conversation and partially feeling sympathetic at the assumption that he may feel alone in a new country, you picked up the small talk.

"I understand it may feel intimidating at first. I was just like you... moving from an American college to work here is a big change."

"Oh, you were in the States, too? Where at?"

His head turned toward you. He seemed intrigued.

"Yes. I was studying in Texas. X Univerisity."

"So you are smart, then. I was in T University. Your rival school."

"That's a good school, too. What did you major in?"

He sheepishly grinned.

"I was in their business program. What about you?"

You didn't want to divulge more information about yourself, so you directed the focus back on him: "Business? Then what makes you decide to teach here in Japan?"

"Well, I wanted a change of pace... My family, they have a job lined up for me already, and I can come back for it whenever I want. So right now I guess I'm just, like, trying to live my life, you know? Figuring myself out. I thought Japan would be a nice start."

A part of you felt that you could relate to him. Indeed ... if you wanted, you could simply go back to your own family company and work toward inheriting it. But from the way he was talking, it seemed he had a better relationship with his folks.

"That's a great way to challenge yourself", you nodded, now leading him to visit the indoor gym. Your indifference toward him left you with a lukewarm response.

"What about you? You didn't think I'd forget, did you?"

It was your turn to look at him now, a bit bewildered. You didn't expect him to show interest in what you do. Most people usually got caught up in talking about themselves, especially with you who knew to ask more questions to evade the attention.

"Oh... well, I guess I've been interested in linguistics ever since high school. This place put me into curriculum development and researching, so I figured it would be a great addition to my CV."

He narrowed his eyes barely.

"So you have a plan?"

"I do."

"You wanna get a Master's?"

"Well, higher, if I can."

"Ahhh... so you are smart smart."

Uncomfortable now that the topic was you, you quickly looked away: "Not really. Tell me, what is the position your folks have lined up for you?"

He chuckled.

"Business consultant. It's nothing special, but it's steady."

"Where are they based?"

"New York."

Right. So they have money money.

"Are you perhaps a nepo baby?"

He laughed.

"Well, I guess you could say that. But I don't want to be defined by them. I want to create my own ... my values, you know?"

You almost felt yourself sympathizing with him, but the feeling of seperation came back. You remembered the looks you received and the empty seat next to you in classes filled with his type. You remembered being talked over and put aside when you wanted to speak on team projects. You remembered the blatantly perverted things you were told, the arms that linked with rapists, the lack of protection that you and your friends got from anyone when one of them had laid his hands onto a girl you knew.

"Anyway... would you be free for dinner sometimes this week? I'm totally new and alone here, and I could use someone to show me around, you know?"

You held back a sigh as you looked at him who had stopped in his track. He still was younger and, as he said, new and alone in Tokyo. When you were just like him, your coworkers indeed did you the same favor he was asking of you.

"Yes, I can arrange that."

"Does tonight work? If you don't mind, of course."

Against the strange aftertaste that lingered on your tongue, you agreed: "I can do that."

You knew that it wasn't in your nature to ignore someone who felt lost. But you decided that you would not be too close a friend with him. After all, you knew his type.

[historic-meme]

Thinking about Leo Frank today and how even though there is a historical consensus he was completely innocent modern neo-nazis still put up websites claiming he was a child rapist and murderer.

Thinking about how this defilement of his memory is just a continuation of the antisemitic violence he faced in the last years of his life and is what killed him.

Thinking about the ease with which goyim, and white people specifically, accuse jews of heinous crimes. As if the main evidence and reasoning needed is that the accused is a Jew. Everything else is secondary.

Thinking about the local newspaper that was able to increase its circulation from 25,000 to 87,000 almost entirely on spewing antisemitism while reporting on the Frank case.

Thinking about how when the first major Northern newspaper reported on the case they considered the antisemitism in Atlanta to be a “natural” consequence of the Jews banding together to support Frank. A classic case of blaming Jews for antisemitism.

Thinking about how the mob, that tore Frank out of his jail cell, dragged him back to Marietta and then finally lynched him, were spurred by the fact his sentence had been commuted from the death penalty to life in prison.

Thinking about how the lynching was not a moment of angry mob violence but rather a carefully crafted plan. That these men sat around planning for months on how to inflitrate the prison, kidnap Frank, and then return to Marietta to hang him before the authorities could do anything about it.

Thinking about how after the lynching men, women, and children came by to grab “souvenirs” from the site including pieces of the clothes Frank was wearing. They sold postcards of photos taken of the lynching. They were all very popular.

Thinking about how the photos that clearly showed the lynchers were not published for fear of being arrested. Thinking about how no one was ever charged with the lynching due to the protection of the local community.

Thinking about how when the leaders of the lynch mob were named in 2000, it included the Governor of Georgia the year Mary Phagan was murdered, a future President of the Georgia Senate, and the Mayor of Marietta at the time.

Thinking about Judge Morris, a previous politician and at the time lawyer in the private sector who ran to the lynching site once he heard. How he calmed the mob and protected Franks body from further defilement.

Thinking about how the New York Times reported on his actions by calling him ‘the only hero of the Frank lynching’ in the same section where they quote him denying antisemitism had any part in the case and saying “The men who lynched Mr. Frank were intelligent men; they did it in an intelligent way...[T]hey brought him here to this town in the light of day, so that they might put him to his death in an appropriate place.” Later he said, “I believe Frank has his just deserts.”

Thinking about how this judge posed for a picture by Franks still hanging body.

Thinking about how eventually Franks body ended up in a local funeral parlor. Another mob threatened the parlor wanting to see the body and after bricks were thrown, they allowed people to file past his body.

Thinking about how these people who filed past Frank’s body probably thought he got what he deserved and were glad to see him dead.

Just thinking about how antisemitism never really changes.

[gghostwriter]

I feel terrible for asking when your requests are closed bur Holy shit this is my real life and I need some loving.

I have a court case soon about putting a p*do in jail that I dobbed in, I'd live to have the team with me in court. I don't have to talk on the stand since he's already pled guilty but if we don't have a hang judge he'll most likely get home detention and on the Registry. My friends and I are hoping for jail bur yeah, I'd love to have the team soothing my anxieties as he doesn't know it was me that dobbed him in (I met him once) I need some loving and reassurance. Like I'm glad I got him done in but still seeing it go down I'm just messed up

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader Trope: Established Relationship; Fluff and comfort Word Count: 0.9k A/N: Anon, I hope this brings you comfort! I also want to personally say that you did the right thing and I know it took a lot of courage to report that sick sick man to the authorities and I’m so proud of you. Do let me know the outcome of the trial and I’m hoping the case was assigned to a hang judge for harsh punishment. Main masterlist

Sentencing. // Spencer Reid

You dreaded to be here. Here being standing outside the judiciary building as the reason why burdened your chest like a twenty tonne weight making it hard to breathe. The anxiety was wafting out of you in waves—you wanted to vomit or pass out or both from the idea that there’s a fifty percent chance of justice not being serve. The numbers were wrong, you knew, but you were not your genius boyfriend who can chatter off the correct statistics based on government reports. You were just you—a regular civilian who took the courage to report a crime and do stand up for the victim. Spencer was proud of you and the grit it took to stand up for another specially for the young but here, right now, you felt anything but brave. 

A hand slid into yours, making you jump in fright.

“Spence?” You questioned your sanity then. It was a weekend and although that meant no work for him, his phone had rang and the both of you parted ways at the subway, him going to Quantico and you going to the court trial. So the idea that he was here, standing beside you seemed too ludicrous. A figment of your strained imagination possibly before his cedar wood perfume registered in your mind. “Are you real—I mean, what are you doing here?” 

He squeezed your hand. “I called back Hotch and he convinced Strauss to give the case to the other team. You’ve been nervous for the past few days, picking on your nails—” bringing up your hand to see the nail beds dry and pink “—biting on your lips—” touching them as he observed the faint teeth marks “—and not being able to focus—” pushing away a stray lock of hair that escaped your haphazardly tied bun. “—I want to be here for you and remind you that you did the right thing.”

“I know that. It’s just—what if the judge assigned to the case doesn’t give a harsh sentence? What if he just gets registered as a sex offender and walks?” 

“According to the statistics, 87% of convicted rapists are incarcerated while 13% receive a probation sentence. Pedophilia is also widely considered as one of the most egregious crimes by the system and the fact that he has already pled guilty gives a higher chance of imprisonment,” he rattled off as his own way of comfort. 

For some, the daunting two digit number minority seemed big, and it is, but you trusted his insight especially knowing his own experiences in the field of protecting the weak and capturing the sick.

The numbers had it’s desired effect, lifting a bit off the weight dragging you down. You pressed your lips together and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go.” 

He squeezed your hand three more times—a silent communication between you two that meant I love you as he pulled you in the assigned court room. 

You occupied the last few rows, noting the family members of the victim also in attendance and although Spencer had calmed a bit of your nerves, each tick of the clock mixed with the palpable tension in the confined space had you shaking your knee in agitation. All of this combined made you unaware of the multiple presences that slid behind your bench. It took Spencer letting go of your hand and turning his head to bring you back to the present.

You swiveled, curious as to what had caught his attention, and breathed a sigh of relief.

It was the rest of the team.

Hotch reached out to squeeze your shoulder while Dave did the same on the other. Derek and Emily gave you a nod of encouragement and sweet smiles from JJ and Penelope.  It made you want to tear up to feel such love, support, and reassurance from Spencer’s chosen family. 

Unsure on how to put your gratitude into words, you gave a brief smile before turning back to the front as the judge entered the bench.

Bang.

Bang. 

The gavel echoed, effectively silencing any chatter of the audience.

Court was officially in session. 

———

The twenty tonne weight that sat on your chest lifted as the judge sentenced the accused to fourteen years in prison with no chance of parole. The scene of each family members of the victim crying and hugging each other in elation and relief made the steps you took worth it. Children deserved to hold on to their innocence for as long as they could and they warrant the protection from any concerned adult and the system.

Stray tears escaped the confines of your eyes as Spencer placed a kiss on your forehead before leading you out of the building, all decorated agents in tow.

“Hey Rossi, we should have dinner at your house to celebrate,” Emily cheekily suggested once everyone was out on the steps. The same steps you were hyperventilating on a few hours ago.

Dave scoffed. “Fist of all, it’s a mansion and second of all, what is it with this team inviting themselves over?” 

Derek laughed. “Aw c’mon man, we know you’d love to host us. JJ can bring Will and the kids and Hotch can bring Jack. It’ll be fun plus Y/N—” nodding in your direction “—deserves a good Italian dinner after all of this, don’t you think?”

Dave took note off all the members nodding their heads in agreement before sighing. “Fine, I’ll whip us up some Bolognese pasta, our Bambina’s favorite over here. Come by at 7pm sharp or else I’m locking the gates.” 

Everyone cheered and soon parted ways, promising to see each other later on, leaving you and Spencer leisurely walking to the subway station.

He squeezed your hand again three times and smiled. “You make me so proud of you. So so proud.” 

“Thank you for being there with me Spencer,” you squeeze in return. “I really appreciate it.”

“Anything for you, love. Anything at all.”

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[livuyang]

snowfall director has now closed his account because he is facing criticism from novel and drama fans. fans were dissatisfied with the ending so he released an alternative ending for characters but this made them more mad. they said if he didn't put in the drama, there was no need to read it. they are also saying why they changed a rapist character and gave him a redemption arc, the director also cut a lot of situ and milan scenes (not due to censorship), he was the one who turned the female lead into a vampire they changed it, he changed also the ending in the novel, from it seems he gave extra scenes to ryan ren and cut from others characters. you can check it on weibo just searching chinese name of the drama. i will keep watch the drama but it's so sad seeing this.

the alternative end:

a few years later

△mi lan sat at the table and wrote a letter. the handwriting is beautiful but free and easy, quite in the style of shen zhiheng.

mi lan: (vo) mr. shen, i have also traveled all over the country, met many friends, and read many stories. i thought i would no longer remember the name shen zhiheng. however, everything i saw seemed to have your name written on it. i think this is the world you taught me.

△mi lan's room is piled with a lot of groceries, and the whole small room is like a grocery store. almost all the items that used to be in shen's mansion are preserved and placed in various positions within reach. there is also a piano in the sun.

mi lan: (vo) you once told me that you wanted to see when the prosperous era would come. i especially want to tell you about my experiences over the years. i have seen wars, sufferings, and the difficulties when it was first built, but i have also seen that this country is getting better and better. you… should be very happy, right?

△mi lan was walking on the street and happened to be standing at the door of a concert hall. there is a poster hanging outside the concert hall, which reads: the most mysterious pianist lan tianjin-hong kong concert.

△mi lan looked at the full moon on the poster and was lost in thought.

mi lan: (os) mr. shen, study hard and write, and see the world for you… you used newspapers back then, and now i use music. i am learning the path you have taken, moving forward step by step. i am so lonely, so lonely, i seem to have finally become you, so where are you?

mi lan: (laughing and whispering) i have waited for you year after year. waiting for the first spring rain every year. so today, i miss you especially.

△as soon as the words fell, mi lan seemed to feel a familiar breath, but when she turned around, she saw nothing.

2,

△situ weilian walked slowly through the cemetery, and then stood in front of one of the graves.

△situ weilian was holding a bunch of tuberose flowers. situ weilian slowly bent down and placed the bouquet in front of the tombstone.

△the tombstone reads: tomb of mother jin jingxue

△situ weilian stood in front of the tomb, looking at these three words.

△at this time, a descendant (female) of the jin family came to visit the tomb, and for the first time saw a young boy standing in front of jin jingxue's tomb. very curious.

descendant: hello, do you know grandma jingxue?

situ weilian: (chuckles) of course i know her. she is the most beautiful woman in tianjin.

descendant: (even more curious) i heard so too. my mother said that this grandma was the most fashionable person in tianjin. she never got married and lived a very chic life. it seems that your family has also received her kindness.

situ weilian: yes, you are right.

△situ weilian listened to this lively voice, and his expression gradually softened. the descendant placed the flowers.

△situ weilian slowly squatted down, looked at the name on the tombstone, and finally spoke in a low voice.

situ weilian: i'm sorry that i couldn't fulfill my promise to you. you must have left very disappointed.

△in front of the tombstone, only the flowers were shaking gently.

3.

△ sister zhang came out of the concert hall and grabbed mi lan.

sister zhang: the concert is about to start, where are you going?

△ mi lan couldn't help but take a few steps back, stretched out her hand to feel the falling rain, and smiled.

mi lan: sister zhang, i won't play in the concert hall today. i want to go to another place.

△ mi lan suddenly turned around and trotted.

4.

△ mi lan ran to a square, where there was an old piano, which was placed in the corner for tourists to use when the square was attracting customers.

△ mi lan suddenly walked over, sat down and started playing the piano.

△ the first song she played was the first song she learned when she was in the choir.

△ the spring rain gradually fell in the sound of the piano.

△ the crowd that had gathered to listen to the piano began to slowly disperse, until the whole square was filled with only the rustling sound of rain and the piano sound like a heaven and earth music.

△ in the rain, a man holding an umbrella slowly appeared on the square. the whole world seemed to have only one listener, but only this one listener.

△the sound of the piano gradually became softer.

△mi lan looked up at the man standing beside her, who stretched out his hand to shield her from the rain. it was shen zhiheng, whom she had not seen for a long, long time.

△mi lan stood up in disbelief, and slowly turned to look at shen zhiheng.

mi lan: you are… mr. shen.

△shen zhiheng held a pot of bright red camellia in his hand. he just looked at the much more mature mi lan tenderly. then he answered softly.

shen zhiheng: yes, i am. i'm back.

shen zhiheng: (os) mi lan, i crossed mountains and seas just to accompany you to listen to this spring rain.

△the rain hit the piano keys, as if it had become a melody again.

△the sky and the earth are getting farther away, just like the rising sun.

△the spring rain is falling down.

△the budding red camellia finally bloomed. the rain fell on the flowers, on the leaves, and in every corner of this world.

[crazy-bxmbo-bxtch]

Yandere HUMAN! Hazbin Hotel X Popular reader

Summary: Separate Hazbin characters and their love and obsession for the school's popular girl

A/n: I'm very excited about this one, also College AU/ Modern

Characters: Alastor, Charlie, Vaggie, Lucifer

___________________________________________

Alastor

I feel as if he would like to have an innocent or the mega bitch type of girl. An innocent to play into his love for corruption, a bitch so he can break her sprirts.

Now, if you're an innocent, he will be in awe of you. The reason you are popular is your kindness and beauty toward others, even the bad ones.

Alastor would constantly look at you during lectures, and it was noticeable to anyone who squinted, looking at you promptly.

One day, he will gain the door to be active in your life, getting close to you, by studying.

Imagine this, you are failing a class, and you ask your teacher after in private about it. After talking, you realize there is no fixing your current grade for the class, and the semester is almost over. Not to worry, Alastor will happily invite you over to study with him.

Now... a smart person, knew not to go into Alastor's home, as he is the school's sketchy phyco, as in, the whole university is pretty sure he kills people in private....and practiced black magic..

But in your position, you need the help, plus you're pretty sure he's not a killer, I mean, how could he? Based on the talk you had, he's a man who likes music, loves and respects his mother, and knows how to sing and dance. He's harmless. He was so sweet too, telling you things like "the color on your lips looked Devine on you doe." Or "such a pretty thing." He was even kind enough to make tea....

Once you were knocked out, his plan had set up into motion, then when u woke all you know is that alastor saved you from some rapists, he said "they wanted to take something precious from you." You believed him, now you were the new power couple on campus.

Now, if your a bitch, be in for some hardcore fi

Fuckary. Alasor is attracted to your spunk and your sass. He wants to be the only person who sees it.

As you beat up some pathetic girl who dared to question your delightful singing voice, Alastor was watching in awe from afar. You look so cute when you are upset. You can do no wrong in his eyes.

When it comes to courting, Alastor will be using a different approach and technique. You are not so trusting and lenient as you could have been.

I feel Alastor would show you the crazy he possesses. Let you know that, compared to him, you are weak and need protection, not independence.

Imagine you are running through your home, only in a T-shirt and panties, trying to escape the stranger who just burst into your home. As you run, you rush into the bathroom, locking the door and barricading it with anything you can find. You struggle to unlock your phone as you do so, the person says, "I wouldn't do that, my dearest." You recognized the voice, and all your fear was replaced with anger. "Alastor! What are you doing? I knew you seemed off but not this fucking unhinged!!"

As the house fell silent, Alastor let out a chuckle, "Now my dear, it's time for this attitude of yours to falter." You blacked out, now you can't leave his home, forced to drop out and become a housewife.

In either case Alastor will always

1. Obsess

2. Posses

3. And mf PROTECT

Charlie

I feel like she would also like someone coming from both mean and nice sides, a nice girl because AHHHHH HOW CUTE IS SHE, and a mean one because she wants to find your softer side and help bring it out of you.

An innocent angel that Charlie is good friends with! You both hang out all the time. You could practically be besties. Forever, and ever, and maybe even more? no, even more!

People around campus would notice how much she spends time with you and how much she touches you, she touches certain parts of your body for too long, you could be at Starbucks and she would just be practically hanging on your shoulder.

But don't be fooled, you never pay for your little "bestie dates" when you are with her, even if you offered to go and even offered to pay and she agrees to you paying, you will never be able to truly pay.

Picture this, during a lecture you text Charlie. Her being the lovesick cinnamon roll she is, she texts back immediately, you ask if she wants to go out to a park or something, and she says, 'It's a date :)'. While you are preparing later that day to hang out with your friend, Charlie is getting ready to hang out with her lover....if you are not catching on.....Charlie is DELULU.

Your friends try to warn you that she's trouble, and a little off, but you ignore them because your friends are harsher than you, you are the sweet one of the group.

Charlie's obsession with you is, for the most part, completely unknown. She can hide her sinister intentions with a smile and a trip to Starbucks.

She writes you love songs that she hopes to be able to sing for you one day, she's a charmer like her father after all.

Her biggest fear is you not wanting to be with her anymore, friends or more, she does not care, she will always make sure that u will see her as one of the people most close to you.

Now, a meaner darling will require a more pushy Charlie, she gets all up in your business, stalks your schedule, and ultimately...BOTHERS THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU.

She never leaves you alone, always trying to be overly friendly to you. She tries to get you to open up to her and look at her as someone you can trust, but hell no.

Eventually, she grows a little impatient and uses her advantage of being the principal's daughter to good use. Now you keep getting in trouble with a punishment of study hall and another punishment of having Charlie monitor you.

As you sit there under her watchful eye you can feel something peering through you, not her but a part of her. She smiles and goes back to talking about random nonsense, you got 10 more days of study hall.

...sucks to be u

Vaggie

I feel like she would love a weaker kinder girl, who is also very talkative, one who is like Heather Macnemera, one who is popular because of peer pressure. She would notice and take note of it. All of it, even your life.

The fact that you love, jewelry, hair clips, and having your nails done every month. She would definitely be awkward as hell and would get flustered a little easily.

It also was not a shock...to me at least, that you seemed to pay her some attention, whether you asked her about homework, what she does in her free time, and what her favorite foods are.

She loves the fact that you like to yap because she loves to listen. I can imagine...

Vaggie was doing her work for her major. Blasting music in her earbuds and just vibeing, when she gets a tap on her shoulder. "Hey, you got the notes from earlier?" She freezes when she sees you, "oh...uh..what?" She fucked up her response..shit..."oh..I was asking if you got the notes from earlier? He was going a little too fast for me, I blanked." You were done asking.

You scooch over lean over her shoulder and start copying her notes. Vaggie was panicking, not only were you this close to her but, you spoke to her, with not a hint of malice. Your friends give anyone hell so she was luckey to get this treatment..or that's what she thought. You were always sweet to eveyone...

After you took down the notes you started asking her meaningless questions like, 'What's your favorite color or food?' She would answer, then all of a sudden, "Ms. L/s, do you mind carrying your conversation at another time!?" The professor shouted, but, you always clap back " Well damn, chill out I was just getting the notes your fast ass keeps speeding through, not my fault." That shut him up, now all Vaggie has to do is keep you focused on her just a little....ok maybe a lot more, now she has your attention and she would be damned if she stopped now.

You both became close, Vaggie was an amazing friend...she always protected you, and made sure you stayed by her side and out of harm's way, she was amazing at self-defense, and she would always take you to your favorite fast food places. You did not even know she was crazy....oh well, need to pay attention more.

Lucifer

Now I know this man would be a class clown, it's giving Goofy short king, bro cracks jokes at the teacher that would low-key be insulting or straight rude, especially the teachers that gained some type of excessive liking of you.

He knows everything about you, your fave color, food, jewelry, car....license plate...what your car smells like.....adress....credit card number....all the numbers...anyway.

He is so lovestruck over you he would do anything to entertain you and make you laugh, even though you are two grown adults in college but eh, everyone needs to have fun once in a while.

Now, since in the show, his wife is an entertainer, I feel as though in this he would also have an entertainer darling, one that dances sings, or even acts. He always is there at your performance, he imagines that whatever you are doing is to make him happy, but he's already happy with you ..in his head at least, you do what you do because you love it, but let him be delulu.

He seems very touch starved so I know he would be clinging. Always 5 feet away from you, going off campus for food? He'll ride with you. Does YOUR class start soon? He will drop you off then go to his.

Lucifer, being Goofy, would have been already popular, so many thought you two were dating, lucifer would proudly smile and wall around like you two are together...he could only dream.

You noticed he had a thing for ducks, a little weird, but you can look past that because knows origami....and he makes duck origami for you.. which is hella random but oh well. He even made one that looks like you...he also has a secret one, well like two. They look like you both and are making a heart shape, you don't know about it.

~"Heyyy N/N, sooooo...whatcha doing..?" He asked mentally attacking himself for losing confidence halfway through his introduction. You tell him you want to head over to the park and eat sandwiches and feed the ducks, HIS WIFE, he just loves you. "YOU BETCHA, I'LL BE THERE IN 30". it's a date for him.

While you two sat and laughed, he was beaming at the fact his bad jokes were working, maybe he has a chance? You talk about majors and what you plan to do when you both leave, and he loved that you loved the arts, did he ever mention he sings?~

One thing I know is that this man likes to stare and make faces, he's jealous, what can he say? He won't admit it though, he's too prideful duh. If he attends one of your performances he watches so closely, and he almost forgets about the men making inappropriate comments about your body, they will be handled shorty though, whether he damages their dignity, or fucks them...up...he fucks them up.

Not much thought, just vibes ✨️

Requests: OPEN

[antisocialhatred]

neurotypicals be like "im sorry you can't form deep attachments and really care for your close relationships" to justify still hanging out with their rapist friends as if that's my limit for being too cold and rational, and not theirs for letting fleeting egotistic feelings determine morality. oh but you need guilt and empathy to be a good person, of course, so i must be the problem.

[ilynpilled]

ive been thinking about this a bit and i feel like i have some very different feelings towards certain things and strongly disagree with the implications present in the ways i see them discussed. i do not like to simplify these themes to “vengeance/punishment bad wahh”, because it does not at all feel complete enough to convey my true feelings, or the themes of the text itself for that matter imo, but like… ofc i personally cant read things like cersei’s walk of shame, where she is punished, humiliated, and dehumanized through the one thing she was unfairly condemned for her entire life— jaime’s brutal maiming and torture where he is humiliated, fed things like horse piss which he forces down because he is so thirsty before vomiting it back up, gets repeatedly beaten unconscious, and is nearly driven to passive suicide— theon��s excessive physical and mental torment that would take too long to list that breaks him entirely— and even a man as deeply evil as vargo hoat (who is not at all three dimensional) having his hands and feet and arms and legs cut off, be cannibalized, and even be forced to eat parts of himself, causing the pov character that swore to enact brutal vengeance on him to feel ill and repulsed once he finds out— and experience much, if any, catharsis, personal feelings about these characters aside. asoiaf is a series where the author pretty often deliberately places us inside the heads of bad people that have done terrible things, who some readers may feel a certain hatred for, as they are put through torment. not to make the reader feel good and satisfied about it, but to present it as something that should not really be a thing that we revel in, and encourage us to be critical about what is even gained through what they are going through. even a morally dark antagonist without a pov like joffrey and his death was meant to have elements of tragedy. during, tyrion notes that he is a young boy with fear in his eyes that he had never seen in the eyes of his father. whether you feel a certain way about it (and i am not arguing that you are morally flawed for not sympathizing with a fictional character, this isn’t real life, i am just discussing themes that i am identifying), the goal was not really to provide us with a feel-good “justice at last!” emotion through the brutally violent death of a 13 year old boy. it makes me genuinely wonder how some ppl come away with the idea that this series is intended to be a celebration and glorification of punitive justice. i am not saying justice in general is not a huge theme, and some catharsis, especially for victims, over the death/defeat of their abusers & tormenters is present in the text as well, understandably so, because it can mean safety. take pia smiling through broken teeth when jaime has her rapist executed and presents his head to her while setting a precedent with gregor’s men. some people need to die, and deserve it, but what does that look like? who decides it? why? by contrast, the instance of jaime actually feeling good when he hangs a bunch of random outlaws reads as something more tied to his current relationship to the self and certain selfish desires at this point in his story than real justice, and it is further elaborated upon and taken apart in the book. anyway, all these questions are present and the answers are not near as simple as i often see them made out to be.

it doesn’t feel like to me that most things that can be interpreted as enactments of punitive justice or moments of karma are these epic events that should just make the reader blindly cheer and applaud, or even feel good about. there is a reason that some things go awry (like with oberyn), and it isn’t cynicism. there is nuance, and not in a way where victims are condemned for fighting back, or a pacifist ideology is idealized. there just really isn’t a glorification of brutal punishment, ‘eye for an eye’ vengeance, and the needless causing of suffering. same with a blind upholding of duty and law based around flawed feudalistic constructs. and all these things should not even be conflated. not to mention that punitive justice exists also in a way where it is connected to institutions. take the faith and organized religion for example. the whole process is interrogated: what is sin? what sins are being punished? how? why? and what are the actual effects? be it jaime’s and brienne’s conversations/interactions with a bunch of different tertiary characters in affc, or cersei’s punishment in adwd. at the end of the day, she is punished for her body, for being a woman. she does not suffer “consequences” for her actual wrongs and the suffering she causes. she doesn’t really learn anything, and it will all just make her spiral more. the whole concept of punitive justice gets focused on especially with theon’s entire identity being withered away through torture. he experiences so much torment that there comes a point where he is robbed of his mind and agency. what does the “criminal” learn? how can a person change in these circumstances? what is the point, and why should we feel good about this? he is not even really “punished” for his crimes, and certainly not by people with any moral high ground over him, he is just being brutalized. same is the case with jaime in asos: it is a bad person being brutalized by men even more vile than he is, and they are not doing it because they want to deliver any justice to his victims. also, though the maiming does kickstart crisis with him specifically, it is not the determining factor when it comes to his reformation. this story is not actually saying that people can be, and should be, tortured into becoming better people, and if they can’t the solution is to just axe them. there is nuance, sure, mercy is not something everyone is entitled to in all circumstances. sometimes “mercy” towards certain evil people will lead to the enablement of the suffering of others, even entire populations. there are certainly circumstances where compromise isn’t an option. but, again, i dont think george is ever holding back on actually interrogating the moral quandaries when it comes to identifying cycles and ending them, and he is for sure not treating every single aspect of these conflicts as black and white. even tyrion murdering his father, who purposefully does have a very ironic and humiliating death scene, which is important thematically, doesn’t end in easy and feel-good catharsis, especially for tyrion, which doesn’t equal “oh, tywin should be forgiven and spared”.

all of this is also why i do not really see how events like the fall of house lannister (first of all, we know it is gonna include the likely very brutal deaths of two innocent small children), red wedding 2.0, valonqar etc would be these grand and glorious moments of justice and pay-off, treated as just the good guys finally getting an epic W. they will very likely be filled with tragedy, so i am genuinely curious about where these expectations for this kind of catharsis come from

[abeeehaswriting]

DR. MOUMITA DABINATH

A cruel night

when a girl was in white

Wearing a stethoscope

To save lives

Then a evil enters to shake her life

She was crying for her right

Shaking her legs, crying blood from her eyes

When they set her half naked

All alone she was and no one came for help

It throbbed everyone's heart

When another girl came to seek justice

They crushed her face with a stone

And left her all alone

Is this the independent nation?

Where she is crushed on her duty

Rape then murder her with no serenity

We cry for justice , and do protest

But this nation is celebrating independence

For the rapist

-Abiha

[cgcgs43046]

Call to All Helluva Boss Writers (Critics, no stans) 🗣 🔥:

Hi, Hello, and Salutations! :D

Welcome to the Re-Imagined Helluva Boss and Hazbin (still thinking of a name). Dive into the creative process as we try to rewrite the Hellaverse in specific episodes and moments, and give the characters we know and love glow-ups! We also aim to provide some mythological/biblical/theological accuracy to the lore, as well as any personal rewrites on the core themes and ideas.

And let me say this again, I want to provide Blitzø with a more satisfying ending and better partners in this rewrite. I believe Blitzø deserves better writing and adjustments, and I don't want him to end up with a pompous owl who is a hypocrite, areepy predator/rapist, and an imp fetishizer! 😤

If you're interested in contributing to this project, you're welcome to join! I'm seeking writers, artists, concept designers, or anyone who wants to contribute. Just to clarify, my main focus is on the writing part. Even though I've watched the show many times already, I still need help, okay?!

I've drawn inspiration from various AUs, such as @Lovesart23 (I really liked her rewrite, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@LovesArt23 or check her Twitter), as well as Kaldeya and many others. I'm integrating my own original characters and lore into it.

For animators and concept artists, you guys don't really need to do as much work since this will be a written work mostly but I'm open!

Rules:

First and foremost...

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Any form of bullying or disrespectful behavior will lead to an immediate ban.

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Engage freely, share your interests, and have fun! This is a space for you to enjoy and feel part of a welcoming community.

Looking forward to working with you guys! :)

Bye~! :D

[demeterdefence]

i want so badly to like this scene because on the surface it has so many elements that could have and might have worked if they were implemented any differently but god it's still such a surface level display of a plot that's been hanging around since season one.

like yeah, she would be! persephone has not seen her rapist since he threatened to expose the photos he took of her during the assault, and it caused her to break down and run away. she knows he's manipulative, she's seen first hand how apollo has warped and twisted so many people to hide his crime, she knows he's powerful and dangerous. even surrounded by so many other people, the nineteen year old girl who was asleep in her bed is still terrified of apollo.

i have zero issue with this part - in fact, i really sympathized with persephone here. the idea of not only having to play nice with your abuser, to pretend to give them an ounce of respect or kindness they do not deserve, but knowing they are not sorry for what they did, knowing they want still to hurt you in some way? you can be queen of the underworld or the mortal realm or of all the gods, and that is still a horrifying prospect.

but then we run into this:

and it's not a bad sequence, or a problematic one; the issue is that persephone has not done any of the work to get to this point.

and by work, i'm talking about therapy, about sitting down and talking to someone about this on her own terms. she had one therapy session where her assault was tacked into the last five to ten minutes of the session; there is no indication she's ever gone back. she's been confronted on her assault - hades, hera, artemis, eros, and hermes have all found out about it without persephone telling them, or wanting to tell them, and hephaestus is aware (which it seems persephone does not know) because he deleted the photos of her assault. hera and hephaestus literally saw her assault in those photos. all of those people and instances are outside of persephone's control; she has never, not once, told any of her friends or her husband of what happened to her of her own choice. in at least three of those instances, she had to comfort the other person who is finding out about her trauma.

and that leads to another issue, which is that persephone has categorically refused to bring apollo to justice. in the past, when apollo had leverage over her, and she was still coming to terms with what happened to her, it was understandable that persephone didn't want anyone to know what happened. the problem is that in the time between her rape and current time, apollo has tried to kill one of her close friends, brought demeter to zeus in exchange for persephone's hand, attempted to kill the king of the gods, and is now weaponizing the deadly winter to become king. at least three members of the olympians know persephone was assaulted, including the queen of the gods. persephone has witnesses and backup and power, and she is still not using it to put apollo away.

so this promise to protect herself, to protect the nineteen year old girl who was alone with a monster - it rings a little too hollow for me. because persephone isn't protecting herself, she's running from herself. she's running from who she used to be and what she once was and what led her to that point. and as so many abuse victims can attest to, running often feels like the easiest thing, and the most protective thing. but at some point, you have to stop running, because it isn't protecting you - it's wearing you down.

persephone doesn't need to run anymore, and as much as i like to trounce this comic and all the narrative choices, i say this with a lot of compassion and remorse: this isn't protecting herself, and i want better for her.

[rise-my-angel]

Heres the thing: Danys idea of ruling with an iron fist is to cruely punish all she deems as wrong doers with no due process and then is defensive about pushback. Such as her refusing to acknowledge that she crucified Hizdahr Zo Loraq's father, then when he informs her his father was an intelligent and highly respected man who tried pushing back against the other more cruel masters behavior, she did not say anything but scornfully remind Hizdahr that shes in charge and to watch what he says.

She doesn't see people who engage in bad behavior as worthy of redemption when it's a crime she views as irredeemable.

Jon starts the story somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that some of his brothers in the Nights Watch have done awful things. There are criminals, thieves, murderers, and rapists who are all now his brothers.

But the longer Jon is there, the less he judges them for it because now he sees them as people trying to find new footing in life. He condemns those who decide to re engage in awful behavior, and punishes where needed. But he is not cruel in the punishment and gives them every fair process.

He takes Janos Slynts head as it is traditional Northern practice of execution, and he is very respectful and calm when telling him he is allowed to say his final words. Jon looks him in the eye, and hears his final words before executing him as he does Bowen Marsh, Othell Yarwick, and Ser Alliser Thorne in season 6 when he hangs them. He takes ending a life with respect, because he is not punishing them to be cruel.

Jon does not look down on his brothers for being criminals in their past, because he grows to consider the Nights Watch a chance at redemption.

Dany punishes with cruelty as she sees fit because she is black and white about when someone does something wrong. Jon gives those men a chance to prove they can better themselves after having committed that crime.

These two could never even have a civil discussion because Jon's entire thing is giving people a second chance to prove they are more then their worst moments. Danys entire thing is deciding her viewpoint of right and wrong is the only justification she needs to punish.

Jon executes men himself in what is seen as fair and just practices of execution that respects the criminals right to speak his last words or make a final request and does not feel any joy when doing so. He takes it seriously because even in death, these bad people are still human just like Jon.

Dany gets her army to crucify hundreds of men without any hesitation, and stands up at the top of her newly claimed temple with pride as men in the city scream in dying pain.

Jon rescued six direwolf pups by imploring his fathers empathy that his children were meant to have them. And does not raise Ghost to be a killing machine, but instead utilizes Ghost as a means of defences and protection. His direwolf is an extension of his identity and raises Ghost to value life as he does.

Dany considers her dragons her children and only once condemns them after one of them has done irreversible and horrific harm to an innocent child. Dany burned alive her own slave, a healer who was gang raped by Danys own people, doing so for her political cause, and killed her in what we know Jon considers a horrible way to die, all to birth dragons who she repeatedly uses on purpose to cause massive damage and harm.

These two would never even get along at a basic functioning level.

[littlecello]

Lazarus: An Autopsy

So. I just got back home, and though I have to get up at stupid o'clock for work tomorrow morning, I am sitting down at my computer to give you all as much of a detailed write-up of the table read as I can. Please bear in mind these are my and Fern's opinions personal opinions, so if you disagree with anything said here, that's totally fine! This is all coming from the perspective of people who have been in the fandom since 2012 and 2009 respectively, and both of us love the show very dearly.

Now, without further ado - here is a summary and discussion of the table-read of the pilot episode of Lazarus. The detailed write-up is under the cut, but I want to share this shaky train-doodle I banged out on the way home to give shape to my own feelings:

Set Up

This was a dramatic table-read, meaning actors were sat on stage, taking the roles of the main and side characters, plus one narrator who read out the scene-set ups in the script. This was a complete reading of the pilot-episode as it would have aired on TV, complete with songs playing over the speakers as they appeared in the show (off the top of my head - Another Brick In The Wall, Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Ukulele Version), Life on Mars (yes they went there), Merry Christmas Everybody, and several more). It's important to note that this was not performed by the original actors; rather, they brought in a troupe of actors associated with the BFI, called the BFI Players. Unfortunately they aren't credited on the BFI website and there were no printed programme notes, so I can't tell you their names. Notably, though, Ashley Pharoah (co-writer of LoM) was present; after the table-read, there was a short-ish Q&A session.

Lazarus Pilot: A Summary

We start in 2024, with a car chase. Sam Tyler, now DCI of Internal Affairs of Greater Manchester Police, is hot on the pursuit of a Constable who we later learn has raped multiple women while on duty. Notably, Sam is driving exactly the way Gene would, ignoring regulations, nearly running over pedestrians and a cyclist. Sam apprehends the PC on the campus of Manchester University, which is filmed by the assembled students of the lecture that's been interrupted (a quote from the script: "heteronormative queer trans students") - that video subsequently goes viral as another example of police violence. It's clear that the PC is guilty of his crime, but he's let off, and most of CID pretty much turns against Sam. Sam's DI, incidentally, is biromantic and asexual, which is also turned into a joke with Sam making some acephobic remarks.

The next day, Sam finds the rapist PC dead - hanging from a lamppost as though he's died by suicide. CCTV reveals that about an hour before his death, a car idled in front of his home, and the PC had hurled abuse at said car. The driver cannot be seen. That same car is seen at a carehome in Didsbury, idling there just like it did in front of that house... and that car is also confronted, by none other than a geriatric Gene Hunt.

Here is where we start to realise that this Sam is different. It seems he never went back to 1973. He never had that accident, he never met Gene Hunt - he is, however, married to Annie Cartwright (only until half of the episode though, at which point she says they need to get a divorce). A lot of anachronisms going on here, but those will get explained a little later in the episode. Sam also starts having visions - first of a Space Hopper that keeps passing him by, later Clangers from the Planet of the Clangers appear to him. He keeps remembering lines we've heard in Life on Mars ("I never stitched anyone up who didn't deserve it", "If you can feel things you are alive, but it's when you can't feel things that you know you aren't alive", etc). Eventually, he goes to visit Gene in the care home and invites him for a drive, to see if that will jog any memories.

Gene, however, has other ideas - he eventually forces Sam to stop by the roadside, insisting "I'm going back! I'm going BACK!" The two start arguing, and then it devolves into a physical fight, which pushes them into the road... at which point, they are both his by a car. A red Audi Quattro, in fact, and just as everything fades to black, we see someone with white cowboy boots and a white leather jacket get out of the car...

1977. Sam wakes up utterly hungover in the Cortina, next to Gene who's driving. These are their 70s selves. They get to the station, where they find out that they've both been suspended due to Gene assaulting the Superintendent ("I didn't assault him, I strategically placed him... in a bin."). The department has been disbanded and taken over by none other than Derek Litton. Sam and Gene leave, with Sam driving home... to his wife Annie. On his way, he realises that he must have dreamt about 2024, and obviously doesn't understand what is going on. He talks to Annie about it, who becomes upset that he's starting to talk about all the future stuff again. It becomes clear that the case that Sam was investigating in 2024 (the dead rapist PC) is mirrored in 1977. And, crucially, near the end of the episode we realise that Gene also has memories of what we saw happen in 2024... and just at the end, when Annie is on her own, she suddenly sees the video footage mentioned at the very top (the fight at the MU) playing on the TV, and realises that Sam was telling the truth.

The Good

Let me start with the really enjoyable part of this afternoon - the actors who performed the script for us. They all did a brilliant job, especially Sam's actor. I'm pretty sure he must have studied up on John Simm's performance, because he got Sam's tone and cadence so closely to the original that I could really believe he was the character. The production was done well too, with the songs being played over the speaker system; plus, the narrator was absolutely brilliant at setting the scene, reading the descriptive bits of the script with loads of character and humour. The other actors were great too (Litton got a fantastic impression). The only one I wasn't convinced by was Gene's actor, because he gave his Manc accent a very theatric drawl that sometimes made him sound like a pirate. Definitely didn't come close to Philip Glenister's brilliant delivery of his lines.

Speaking of lines, there were some genuinely funny jokes in this. The whole scene with Litton was hilarious, and some of the modern-day jokes landed quite well too (Sam's DI pulls an "ok boomer" on him, to which he responds "that's Gen X I'll have you know").

And of course, I have to mention that it was SO LOVELY to meet a bunch of you in person!!!! It was lovely to chat, and thank you especially to @bisexualroger and friends who came and said hello, you genuinely made my day 🥹 The Bad

Sigh. Buckle up.

This table-reading really cemented for me what I've been saying for several years: The writing in Life on Mars is very mediocre. What made the show so amazing and special was the fact that the crew and actors took that material and elevated it to the heights we know and love. If you take that away... All of its shortcomings become very glaring.

This was even more obvious with Lazarus. Although we have to remember that this was a pilot, which means it was basically a sales pitch to studios and as such they tried to cram as much exciting stuff into it as possible, on the whole it just came across as very confused and embarrassingly self-referential. The characters often (but not always) came across as caricatures of themselves. The script often pointed out the race/ethnicity of characters in ways that felt very unnecessary and strange (more on that later). Most of the dialogue that took place in 2024 was incredibly stilted (again, more on that in a little bit). Most crucially, although it's clear that Lazarus was trying to bring Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes together to tie them up in a neat little bow, it just felt far too all over the place, even for a set-up episode (Lazarus as a whole was planned to be two series with 6 episodes each, like LoM). The Ugly

Basically, this show was supposed to be commentary on the present-day commentary between the public and the police... written from the perspective of two Old White Men(tm) with an unhealthy amount of nostalgia for the past who seem to think of the police as literal guardian angel, which is why they made Gene an actual angel (this is confirmed by what Ashley told us the ending of Lazarus would have been, which I will write up tomorrow because this would be too much for this post).

So, what does that mean in practice? It means that everything that was set in 2024 was an absolute shitshow. There were jokes about "wokeness" in every scene - things such as gender identities, diversity, ethnic food, vegan food, recycling, climate activism and more were only ever played for laughs, with a clear emphasis that everything was better in the "good old days". Especially all the jokes about gender and sexuality made me so angry, seeing as the fandom who has kept the show alive for the last 10 years is overwhelmingly queer.

Worse than that, this show would have been absolutely choc-full of copaganda. We already learn in the pilot that the entire philosophy is that "bad cops" are simply "rotten apples" that need to be removed from the force, which can only happen from the inside (this is Sam's role as DCI of Internal Affairs). And also, the public are just way too mean to cops, for no reason whatsoever - this is very literally shown in a scene in 2024 where a male PC touches a drunk woman's arm in sympathy and she yells at him "DON'T TOUCH ME", whereas in a mirrored scene in 1977 we see a PC giving a woman advice, who seems to be extremely grateful for it and even squeezes his hand for it. Which, if you know ANYTHING about what was going in Manchester at the time, in the wake of the Yorkshire Ripper and the associated police failings, is laughable at best, and an insult at worst.

Furthermore, during the Q&A, Ashley Pharoah unintentionally told on himself and Matthew Graham. I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said that when they both realised during the watchalong on twitter back in 2021 there still were a lot of fans of the show, that's when they felt compelled to properly give Lazarus a go. It very much came across as him saying "we loved the attention and wanted more of it, oh and also we thought we had something to say about the state of affairs regarding the police". Which, as I have laid out above, frankly is a sick joke. After everything that's happened - the protests in 2020, the way police forces in the whole country handled the Sarah Everard case, the fact that the current Chief Superintendent of GMP is an old conservative guy - the fact that Matt and Ash had the audacity to shop a show like Lazarus around to be picked up for TV is... astonishing. The confidence of white men, eh?

In Conclusion

Both Fern and I are very, extremely glad that Lazarus was not, and never will be made into a TV show. We are very glad that we get to keep Sam, Gene, Annie and all the others as they are. And we are also very glad that we went to this table-read, since we can now stop wondering what could have been. It's done and dusted. And, funnily enough, this has invigorated my fandom fire for LoM. I now want to create art of the characters I've come to know and love, to reinforce who they are to me. They are our characters now, Ashley and Matt. You don't get to play with them anymore. You don't get to twist them and put them through the wringer.

Tl;Dr