#the wesley family in general

[callmesel]

Not sure if you wanted to play or not

if you don't feel free to delete

but got any thoughts you want to share on Percy?

any unpopular opinions?

Any ships you'd like to see more of?

I have some thoughts but they are all so random that there is no way to categorize it so it is going to be just me yapping

Percy is a theatre kid. I have a headcanon that Hogwarts has a theatre club somewhere and he has being going there since first year. It was just for extra credit and then he found that he actually enjoys it and he is really good at it. That poker face had to came from somewhere. But he stop after the become prefect but there are some times that he had directed the plays because prefect duties and he is really happy to help. Bill was one of the prefects who help him when he was part of the cast so he feels nostalgic whenever is his turn.

Kind of realated to the last one, he knows how to play the piano and the violin. Tbh, any of the strings suits him in my mind. I want to think that aunt Muriel made all the Weasley kids go in a full manners and etiquette course and playing the violin because the piano is too easy and your kids need something to make them stand out from the rest was part of it. But the only one that took it seriusly was Percy, I think Ron is also able to play is but he was lazy and bored by it as a child, buit he is pretty good at it. Not saying that he is good at it, he is mediocre at best but he knows how to play. What he can paly really well is the piano. He has long fingers and a delicate hands so I think he would be great playing soff symphonies or ones that required to move you hand around the keys. Having long fingers is really useful if you don't have a really big hand so I think it would be easier for him to reach the keys in the cornerrs.

I want to think that he was a bug and insects kid, but not like the ones that goes around looking for them, no, that is Charlie. He just watches them. Like, Charlie gets the bugs and he just puts them in a jar and Percy is just there watching over them. They do that with every animal Charlie finds, half of the time is both of them watching over the animal, the other half is Percy taking it as his and only his so now is Bill thing to make sure that they don't have and infestation of ants in a week. That is how they got Scrables.

He likes laying over Oliver's thighs sometimes. It's just in some special ocations and when he is feeling really tired or they are alone in their room he does it but then he is kind of embarassed because of the position. Oliver has told him multiples times that he is okay with it and that there is no issue, and Oliver himself has done the same with Percy but he is just kind of ashame. This might be a bit of projecting but when I'm aware of how I'm actually position or how I look in set position I become really selfaware and it's really unconfortable and I feel that Percy would have the same problem. He is aware of everything that his body is doing and when he isn't he then questions himself. It isn't always negative but most of the time it is.

He does journaling. He owns like a hundred notebooks from all the years he has being journaling. It's more of a common place book if you know what I mean, but it's really organised and colour coded. He has a colour scheme depending of the topic, the feeling and how is expressed. Even though it's really organised, you can't really understand his thought process because it jumps from a topic to another. And the colours and notes, because he sometimes goes back on what he has written to comment on it an reflect on it, are kind of distracting you from the actual reading.

He has a library somewhere in his house. I don't think his collection is small but if its, it doesn't matter because it's also categorise in the following way: muggle author or magical author, genre of the book,with a tier list, top shelf is a 5 star book and the lowest shelfs are the one stars, and arranged in an alphabetical order according to their title and not author. He doesn't really care about the author except if he really likes them. If he does, he has a special shelf for them and their books.

He doesn't really like bubble tea that much but he drinks it when Penny buys him some because he is not going to make her feel that she has waisted her money and she looks so happy to gave the new flavour that she discovered in a near shop that he can't just say no. And sometimes he actually likes it and tells Penny, which makes her happier.

He had a crush on one of Charlie teammates who was really friendly with him once and when Charlie found out he went crazy and told his teammate to back off and let his little brother alone. It was just onesided and like a puppy love than anything else but Charlie is Charlie and didn't think before saying dumb shit. Now he jokes about it and Bill is like "bro". But Bill is not better, when he found out the also went crazy and was like "TEN FEET APART PEOPLE". They just didn't know how to deal with their little bother having a crush because in their mind he was still a baby like all the other siblings. It's more of the age gab they have, because Bill and Charlie are like just one or two years and with Percy is like 4 and 7 so it's a big distance, specially in their teenage years.

He likes having his head stroked, it reminds him when his mother use to do that to calm him down during the war and it just calming in general. It's better because when he is cuddling with Penny or Oliver, they just do that without thinking and he really likes it. Has he told anyone about it? No. Would he tell anyone? No. But he is happy with them.

There is a spot in his back that is you press it he will bend. It's a reflex he has but doesn't really know why. Fred and George has used it to mess with him and they always get screamed after but its worth it. Ginny has done it too, specially when he isn't listening to her and she thinks it's really urgent so she press his back and he just flips. She doesn't get screamed because she is Ginny.

He has two favourite siblings, Ginny and Charlie. I don't think I have to elaborate.

He has read fanfiction about polititians before, and his hogwarts teacher. Penny writes them and sometimes Percy will asked Penny for an expecific trope from some characters of a book because he can't write it himself. Penny is thrilled whenever this happens and sometimes things excalated and they end up planing a full novela about how Lockhart is in love with Snape but Snape is rejecting him because he is in a toxic relationship with Mcgonagall, where she was cheating on him with Pomfrey . There was this one ocation that Flitwick heard them and ask Mcgonagall if she had anything to tell him something and Mcgonagall was like "wot?"

And also about the ships, I shipped him with Snape back in 2021 but it was because of this one fic that it was super good for my standars. I cried a lot. Like it had destroyed me when I read it but I re read it a few months back and it was a bit disturbing, and more if I was reading it when I was 13. It's called Tacenda and it was really good depicting their relationship and how fucked up it was, specially because it started when Percy was still and student and he was like 15/16 but you still wanted to root for them. Or at least that is how I remember it. I really liked fucked up dynamics that can easily end up as an abused relationship. Now I can read anything that isn't fluff because it makes me anxious. I also remember that it has just been finished but it took me a month to finish it.

Sometimes I wish to be able to read stuff like that without a care in the world but with that bitter after taste.

I think that is all for now, i can't really think properly lately so if there is a lot of typos or incoherence, i'm sorry

Thanks for asking because I would have never really posted anything similar :D

[rosalie-starfall]

Beverly & Her Boys

Space Family

Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Picard

[jalicecookie]

Cat Food

When Data has to work longer on an important Project, he asks Reginald the shy Engineer to step in as babysitter. And Reginald quickly learns, that Cats and Toddlers are not that different - because both can cause a lot of Chaos - or try to eat the Cat food together.

Some things in life are simple. Like how to do good friends a favor - or write an entry in your personal log after a successful day at work.

Other things, however, are incredibly difficult and complicated. Like how to build emotional bonds when feeling emotions was limited or impossible. Or take on the upbringing and responsibility for a child and also have a job.

Not to let the gap between family life and work get too big seems impossible to many and even on the Enterprise there are moments when more exhausted family mothers and fathers visit Deanna Troi and ask for advice.

There are many crew members who get along well with the children who live on the ship and then there are some residents of the Enterprise who prefer to keep a large distance from the younger Members. One of those people is Captain Picard. It's no big secret that he doesn't get along well with children and that there is an unwritten rule that he will not tolerate children on the bridge. And yet the families who lived on the ship were one of the strengths - because there is nothing better than observing this bond. And the Captain couldn't find a bad word against this statement either.

But it wasn't always easy for Parents to go to work and have family Time. That hit Commander Data that early evening. The Android recently took in a little girl and a little boy as adoptive Children in order to be able to explore another facet of Humanity and to give the two orphans a new family.

It had been an battle, and Data was still getting very strong criticism for not being able to parent two young children with as an Android . But he showed everyone that it was chaotic, devastating and complicated every day - but the two children absolutely loved Data - even if Data himself would never be able to reciprocate this love. Because an Android like him was not able to feel emotions.

"I am very grateful Reginald . I would otherwise have left them two in Geordi's care. But my best friend is part of the project...so we both need to work this Evening" - Data was in an ssressed position and he had to take part in an important Project. He needed a babysitter for the Toddlers, and since the shy engineer gets on so well with Spot, Data has no concerns about hiring him as a babysitter for the evening. It had taken a bit of persuasion, but now Reginald was here in Data's quarters and looked around nervously.

"N... No problem. I just hope I'm not doing anything wrong ... I've never been a babysitter before ... well, except for Spot. Is there anything I have to consider with the two of them?", Barclay stuttered nervously and watched, how Spot came running up to Data and started running around the android's legs, rubbing her head against his pant leg, purring.

"The project lasts 2 hours and it would be appropriate,  if the children are ready for bed when I return. We had dinner together half an hour ago - Castor and Despina probably want to play with Spot later. Oh and you should make sure,  that they don't go to the bathroom alone - last time they managed to fill the bathroom with soap bubbles ", Data nodded briefly to Reginald and then left the quarters.

Reginald was nervous and he didn't know if he would be a good babysitter. Even if it should only be for a few hours - Data was the main reference person for the two toddlers and Barclay doubted being able to do justice to the pressure. But what didn't you do for friends?

***

"Desy give back. Mine!" - a small, dark-haired boy ran after his sister and tried to snatch the toy from her, which actually belonged to him. His sister took it very unfairly and now he wanted to play with it. She should look for something else.

"No Cas - Desy Toy", said the blond-haired little girl and she ran with the toy in her hands into the entrance area of the quarter, where she almost collided with Reginald's legs and was able to stop just in time.

"Desy my toy. Give back," Castor turned directly to Reginald. "Where Daddy? Gone?", Despina asked shyly and let the toy fall directly on the floor, to look from Reginald to the door. Castor took this chance and took the toy with a big grin.

"Daddy gone work - Regy babysitter";  Castor explained and his little sister looked up from her brother to Barclay questioningly. "That right kids - I'll babysit you as long as Data has to work. D ... Do you want to go to your Room? You have more toys there, yes?", Reginald spoke nervously and while Castor ran forward enthusiastically, his little sister looked away sadly the door to Reginald.

"Daddy coming back?", asked the toddler fearfully. "Of course - he'll be back ... y ... you don't have to worry, okay?", Reginald replied and for the moment the words seemed to calm the little blonde and she ran in the direction of the nursery as well.

***

Reginald watched Minutes later, how the two Toddlers were playing with their toys and were completely immersed in another world. It was amazing that in the three months that they lived with Data they had settled on the Enterprise.

The two are not biological siblings. Castor comes from an abandoned research station on the edge of the Alpha Quadrant and has survived an attack by a hostile species by hiding in an empty box and Despina ran into Data on an outside mission and never wanted to let go of his leg. The inhabitants of the planet on which the mission took place have told the Enterprise crew that the little blonde showed up with her parents a while ago, but that her parents had been killed by one of the dangerous predators in the wild.

Data had taken both children in and every single day was a challenge for the Android. It later emerged that both Castor and Despina still had relatives on earth - but it was clear that they wanted to stay with their new Guardian- they wanted to stay with Data. And Reginald finds the bond that the emotionless Android has built to the two toddlers in these three months impressive.

When it was time for the two children to get ready for bed, they had already passed their bedtime. Reginald hadn't kept an eye on the time and at some point he had sat down with the children and they had started building a small town out of Lego.

When the shy man looked at his watch, he was shocked to see that Data would be back in five minutes. So he went to the bathroom with the Toddlers and helped them brush their teeth - but the engineer was distracted when there was a loud clank from the kitchen and the meowing of Data's cat Spot.

The adult went to the kitchen, followed by Castor and Despina, and found the cat sitting on the counter. Spot had managed to toss a glass from the counter and now proudly meowed over it.

"Oh no - you two are staying here - I'll take the broken pieces away. Not that Spot or you are still stepping in, yes?" - said Reginald and got a broom to sweep up the broken glass from the floor. He was busy with this task for maybe two minutes and when he turned around again Reginald saw that neither Spot nor the two toddlers were standing behind him.

"Castor? Despina? Spot?"

Reginald put the broom aside and began searching Data's quarters for the two Children and the Cat. He found the trio a few moments later at Spots Food Bowl.

The two siblings sat next to the Cat and had some of the cat food in their little hands and before Reginald could have prevented anything, the two toddlers ate the cat food together with Spot.

And exactly at that moment Data came back and while Reginald nervously from the trio that enjoyed the ´dinner´, looked over at the android - the engineer tried to find a suitable answer to any questions.

".... the project was a complete success. Geordi and I achieved some interesting results. Is everything all right Reginald? You seem ... more nervous than usual?"

"I'm more nervous than usual ... it just comes across ... why should I be more nervous and ... okay I think the children started eating the cat food at a careless moment ..." Reginald stuttered nervous and Data looked from the babysitter over to the corner where Spot had her food bowl.

"The two show this behavior often. I have already tried to teach them to stop from doing it. But so far, my attempts at raising Children in this field have been unsuccessful. Castor? Despina? You shouldn't eat Spot her cat food away  - come to me please? ", Data explained and it took a moment until the two Toddlers listened to his calls and came running to Data with an innocent smile on their face.

"Were you good and behaved while Reginald took care of you?", Data asked the two siblings, while he gently removed the remains of the cat food they were holding in their hands.

"Yes Daddy - Regy come back again? Cas and Desy brushed teeth," said Castor and Despina nodded in agreement.

"Hm - I think we have to brush your teeth again - cat food is not something you should eat. Say goodbye to Reginald and then go to the bathroom. I'll be right there," said Data in a neutral tone and Reginald watchend how the children waved him goodbye,  before they ran to the bathroom.

Reginald then said goodbye to Data, who thanked the shy man again for helping out as a babysitter. When Reginald was on the way to his Quarters, he had to realize that cats and toddlers weren't that different after all and that he might be suitable as a babysitter.

Only next time Reginald should place Spot's food bowl outside of the toddlers reach. 

THE END

[divinemissem13]

The Watcher

Whumptober, No. 20: “People don’t change people, time does.” | Found Family Fandom: Star Trek (TNG, PIC) Ship: Beverly Crusher & Wesley Crusher AO3 link

The being who used to be Wesley Crusher could see every moment at once. It had taken him years of training to be able to do this, and then even more years to be able to focus on only the moment he wanted or needed to see. 

He missed a lot of Wesley Crusher’s life, during these years of training and retraining. Of course, he could go back and visit those moments. But he had missed his chance to be an active participant. 

He wasn’t supposed to be an active participant in Wesley’s life anyway, and all of those years lost to confusion and overstimulation of his senses had certainly helped him stay away. 

But the key to finding one moment, as it turned out, had been his mother’s voice, calling him back from the abyss. 

Wesley Crusher hadn’t seen Beverly in years - not since attending Will and Deanna’s wedding. He had seen the lingering looks and the furtive touches between Beverly and his former captain at that wedding, and for the first time he had suddenly been able to see multiple moments at once. 

He was at the wedding, watching his mother and Picard dance, and he was in the captain’s quarters, watching them clad only in bathrobes and sharing silly contented smiles over coffee and croissants. And he was at Starfleet Medical, watching an older Beverly as she held an infant boy to her chest and stared at him in wonder as tears streamed silently down her cheeks. 

He knew, then, that she would be ok without him - happy, even - and he had returned to his mentor and proclaimed himself ready for the next step in his training. 

That had been years ago. Or a minute ago, depending on your perspective. 

Wesley Crusher finally emerged from the time stream, ten years after he had entered it, because she needed him. 

The Watcher, as he was now called, could visit any moment in time that he chose, but he could not participate. Wesley could participate, but he was tied to linear time and was not able to choose his moments. 

Beverly called, as she had many times over the years, but for the first time in years, he was able to respond. And so Wesley found himself pulled into that moment in Starfleet Medical, the one he had foreseen a decade ago, to realize that he had badly misjudged the situation. 

Beverly cradled the infant to her breast as she looked down and cried. But those were not tears of wonder. Her voice wavered as she spoke aloud in the otherwise empty room. “Oh Wesley, how I wish you could see him. That we could be a family again.” She smiled ruefully and continued. “I’m a lot older than I was the first time I did this, you know. I don’t know if I can do it alone, again.”

Alone? Why would she be doing this alone? Where was Picard anyway? This was his son, wasn’t it? Had he died? Or just left? 

Wesley asked the questions but it was the Watcher who knew the answers. Beverly was the one who had left. It was her own choice, one that she made to protect her younger son from the complications of being Jean-Luc Picard’s child. But just because it was her choice, didn’t mean it hurt any less. 

Even as Wesley Crusher he wasn’t really supposed to interfere, and he still had so much to learn about time and space… but the Watcher reminded him that the thing about the infinite nature of time and space was that there would always be plenty of both. 

So Wesley stepped out of the shadows and declared “You’re not alone.” 

Beverly gasped and blinked away her tears, startled by the sudden appearance of this strange man in her hospital room. But as her vision cleared, she could see, past the scraggly facial hair, past the dark circles, she knew those eyes. 

“Wesley?” she breathed softly.

The tall, lanky man (and when did he get so tall?) gave her a sheepish smile as he approached the bed. “Hi, Mom.”

[sshbpodcast]

Episode 93: Sibling Rivalries

TNG: "Family" and "Brothers"

It's a big week for siblings on SSHB. and they really can be a pain. First up, Picard goes home to the most British village in France to visit his Luddite brother in "Family". Then it's a Soong family reunion as Data and Lore drop in to meet their maker in "Brothers".

Also this week: Caitlin gives us her thoughts on "Best of Both Worlds", varying name pronunciation, and password security.

Timestamps: synopses: 0:37; catching Caitlin up: 5:00; Family: 11:42; Brothers: 39:24; Caitlin's present from Mr. Mobile: 1:12:19

[fic-dumpster]

Just remembered how that Shadowhunters book series made most of their readers swallow incest.

[wilwheaton]

When I was a kid, and I was 14, 15, 16 years old, my home life was terrible. I was really sad and abused and having a terrible time at home, and the only place I was happy and felt safe was at work. I went to work and I loved my Star Trek family, and they loved me and I loved being there. And then the work we did, people were mean to me about it. People who didn't know me, who I didn't know, got on what was Usenet at the time, and they were awful. They wrote angry letters to Starlog, and they were really mean to me. They were cruel to this child at conventions and stuff in ways that would never fly today. I think that a narrative took hold — “Nobody likes Wesley.” That is empirically false. That is completely unsupported by decades of data. The truth is the kids who Wesley was meant to bring into Star Trek loved him! A lot of them grew up to work on Star Trek, right? [Laughs] What happened is, at that time, the kids who loved it weren't writing letters, they were not using Usenet. They didn't even have modems! They were just loving the show. It took me 30 fucking years to hear them and meet them and know, “Hey, buddy, you're not the person your dad said you were. You're not the person that those fans made you believe you were. You're that guy, and he is you, and there's a bunch of you together. You inspired a generation of kids.” I am so relieved and happy for my younger self. I wish I could just, like, pop through time real quick and just whisper in my ear, “Buddy, I know how much it hurts right now, but I promise you there's a day coming where it's really okay. You're not even gonna remember this.”

Wil Wheaton Reacts to the Positive Reception of Wesley Crusher's Star Trek Return: "It’s 35 Years Overdue"

[hawkepockets]

actually. 🫷😀🫸 THOUGHTS ON AVELINE

i think aveline is a CORE da2 character, and her relationship with hawke is super super interesting. she’s hawke’s oldest friend in the game & by act 3, maybe the only enduring connection to their homeland & childhood besides the mabari. her voice, her bearing, her stated values are all very noble & movingly fereldan—but her actions both as guard captain & as a party member should be so profoundly disappointing to hawke almost no matter how you play them, which generates a powerful tension. imo it’s really poignant and adds a lot to the game’s central tragedy.

because how can hawke cut her off! but look at how she behaves: ignoring the serial killing & sexual assault of isolated older women and elf girls, baiting the arishok, slut shaming isabela, condescending to merrill. but how can they cut her off? the question is a privilege and a torment!

in this way i think she strikingly complements gamlen. like no matter what gamlen does and says to you, your love interest, leandra, the surviving hawke twin—he’s family and the only way into kirkwall. hawke is not permitted to sever those ties. and no matter what aveline does and says to you and all the women in your party, she remains your oldest friend and the only way back to ferelden, emotionally.

both aveline & gamlen will maintain a warm relationship with hawke as long as hawke tolerates their picking on those in proximity to hawke—but if hawke pushes back with aggressive dialogue options, both will tone match and became sour and hostile. aveline can be really quite awful to a red hawke, and will throw them to the ground and beat them at 100% rivalry. so there’s kind of an underlying challenge in both of these characters: how much will hawke, as gang leader & player character, put up with when it’s not directed at them?

of course, for all the nostalgia that seems to occlude av’s wrongdoings in kirkwall, she’s not really a childhood friend of hawke’s. she was a grown woman when they met, lothering was lost, and the moment was pretty heated thanks to aveline’s hostile templar husband.

and yet hawke is no more reliable & objective in their treatment of the past than varric is. and aveline is what they have! she’s standing in for all of ferelden, all of the past before the blight!

and likewise hawke for her! hawke is the only one left in act 3 who remembers wesley! aveline is the only one who remembers the dead hawke twin!

and as reprehensible as some of her decisions are, aveline’s grief for wesley and her enmity toward the old corrupt guard captain are sympathetic and her voice is sexy and husky and beautiful enough that. well im sorry i just lost the plot for a minute. uh

there’s also the act 3 subplot of the templars trying to take over the city guard, which sets up aveline as the only thing standing between kirkwall’s mages & absolute templar authority in the city. it’s literally her or cullen at his most brainwashed & violent. (to cullen’s credit he also thought it was a bad idea. but i won’t give him so much credit that i believe he’d turn down the position if aveline was removed.) between a knight-commander and a hard place, a pro-mage hawke has to choose the hard place.

so both of my playthroughs i’ve felt like hawke’s friendship with her is at the very least strained, if not completely ruptured, but they have to back her. how much that feels like fucking sandpaper may vary from hawke to hawke.

ultimately i just think she brings a lot to the table. i don’t necessarily understand why she’d be anyone’s all time #1 favorite companion, but you know.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Once in a Lifetime

The Rookie x SWAT documentary-style (reader insert) crossover

Summary: Mid-Wilshire opens a case that requires seven police departments, numerous SWAT teams, and an unusual witness. As the public watches a documentary all about the case and the people involved, they see more than crime.

Warnings: narration is in italics, injuries and blood, character death, discussion of child abuse, depiction of cults/brainwashing, fake tweets, I probably went overboard, fluff and comfort at the end I promise

Word Count: 4.2k+ words

A/N: This idea struck me last night and I had to do something with it. I hope someone enjoys it, but I'm never using a tweet generator again because it took an embarrassing amount of time.🤍

What if a once-in-a-lifetime moment depended on a single decision, rather than a plethora of them?

“I didn’t call the police because it’s none of my business. I’ve seen how she treats her kids, why would I interject my family into that when I don’t have to?”

What if the one moment that could change everything was slipping away before you arrived?

“I’ve got a pulse! As soon as we’re code 4, I need an R/A standing by!”

What if the world stopped for your once in a lifetime?

“The 405 has been shut down between Signal Hill and Alameda Street. This sudden, unexplained closure, in conjunction with the heavy law enforcement presence throughout Los Angeles, has citizens alert and concerned.”

What if the only person who can save you is the result of dozens of perfectly aligned once-in-a-lifetime moments?

“7-Lincoln-100, I’ve located another-“

This is Once in a Lifetime.

Sergeant Tim Bradford, Officers Chen, Nolan, Juarez, and Smitty enter different areas of the Mid-Wilshire police station. Detective Lopez and her husband, attorney Wesley Evers, take a seat in their home, while Detective Nyla Harper and Sergeant Wade Grey sit at their respective desks. Each officer has been interviewed for a documentary before, but the mood is distinctly somber as compared to the other episodes.

“Hi, I’m Alex, host of ‘It’s All Bloody (and) True,’” the man behind the camera introduces. “Today’s episode is about the case involving eight different police departments, four specialized units, a major highway closure, and - correct me if I’m wrong - a series of once-in-a-lifetime decisions and opportunities that seem mathematically impossible.”

“Mathematically impossible?” Wesley repeats. “Try completely impossible. On paper, there is no way this case should have lined up the way it did.”

“Not to say it was easy,” Angela adds. “I’ve been on the job for a long time, and this was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“As the veteran officer on this case,” Wade continues from his office, “I agree with Detective Lopez. Everything g about this was unprecedented.”

“I’d like to start with day one of the investigation,” Alex requests. “Take us through the first moment, the call, and how this came into your station and became your duty.”

Lucy answers, “911 dispatchers received a call from a distressed man claiming that his neighbor had gone missing.”

“A call that raised concern for more reasons than his distress, correct?”

“Yes,” Sergeant Bradford says. “The caller mentioned the name of his neighbor’s employer.”

ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT OF 911 CALL: CALLER She- she went to work like she always does, but this was days ago. It would’ve been… Monday, no Tuesday because my wife was making donuts for her board meeting. Eileen called her in at some crazy time. DISPATCH You said Eileen? Is that your neighbor’s boss? CALLER Yes, yes. Eileen Indigo, I believe. She’s made her do crazy things before, but she needs the job, you know? I’m just really scared because she’s never done anything like this before and Eileen has some serious issues. DISPATCH Officers have been alerted and will be performing a welfare check, sir.

“You responded to the welfare check?” Alex inquires.

“We did,” John Nolan replies. “There was no answer at the door, so we surveyed what we could see and there was no sign of anyone inside, of forced entry, or any foul play.”

“Without that, there’s no probable cause for us to enter,” his rookie, Celina, adds. “Although there was a feeling of urgency surrounding her residence.”

“Is that- is that something you look for as police?”

“Of course not,” Tim snaps. “But we’re human, we have emotions. We notice things about how people and places feel.”

“Unfortunately, Officer Juarez’s empathy and intuition wasn’t enough for us to move forward,” Lucy continues. “And without any sign that something nefarious had happened, all we could do was post a missing person’s report.”

“But the case stood out?” Alex guesses.

“Right,” Tim agrees. “Because of Eileen Indigo.”

PREVIOUS INTERVIEW FOOTAGE: “Ms. Indigo,” Detective Harper greets. “We have a few questions about your relationship with Devon Taylor.” “There isn’t one,” the young woman replies, picking at her shirt rather than looking at the cop across from her. “He left six months ago. During our kids’ birthday party, can you believe that?” “Ma’am, we located Mr. Taylor. He’s deceased, and his body was dumped in a viaduct.” The woman sits back in the chair, straightens her shirt, and asks, “Did he have cash on him? I gave him $50 for a new flat iron before he ran out.”

“So, why did the mention of her name spark interest?" Alex asks. "Taylor’s case had been closed, his best friend - who turns out to be Ms. Indigo’s, uh…”

“Sidepiece?” Angela suggests.

“Mister?” Wesley adds. “There’s not a direct mirror of ‘mistress,’ is there?”

“Yeah, the friend got jealous that Indigo hadn't left her husband and offed him. What made us remember Indigo was the complete lack of care,” Grey explains.

“That and the concerns about her treatment of their children,” Nyla comments.

“Surely if she was mistreating her children, it would have been uncovered during the duration of your investigation?” Alex hypothesizes.

“Not our investigation.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

“Right, there were eight police stations involved in this case,” Alex remembers.

“There are only 21 stations in Los Angeles, for reference,” Wesley says. “Seven of the stations working this case were in LA. So, one-third of the officers were directly tied to this case in some capacity.”

“And the introduction of Eileen Indigo introduced this collaboration?”

“Not exactly,” Tim begins. “When we began looking into Indigo, it was only in regards to how she was treating our missing person. And, as we began looking into that, we discovered past complaints and CPS reports of her children being mistreated.”

“And?”

“CPS found nothing,” Nolan replies.

“Their investigations - plural - all determined that the children were in good health, being cared for, and not in any immediate danger,” Celina states.

“So, you went back to square one,” Alex says, flipping a page of his notes.

“Not at all,” Wade interrupts. “We were still trying to piece together the caller’s claim that Indigo mistreated her kids and her employees when we received a call from another station.”

“And he dropped a bombshell,” Nyla deadpans.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

“Would you mind introducing yourself?” Alex asks.

“Sure. I’m Commander Robert Hicks, LAPD SWAT,” the man seated in a different station greets.

“Upon learning that Mid-Wilshire was looking into Eileen Indigo, you called their watch commander. Why?”

“After the initial report of child abuse, my 20-David SWAT team was dispatched to Indigo’s residence. Responding officers reported that she had barricaded herself and her children inside. My people got there, got in, and found that Indigo and her children were asleep, completely safe and unharmed.”

“And that didn’t bring more questions?”

“Of course it did,” Hicks argues. “There’s just procedure to follow, and even though my team wanted to get to the bottom of what happened and find out more about Indigo, we can’t just dive into people’s background because we feel like it.”

“When you called Grey, were you planning to offer your team to be on standby?”

“No, and I didn’t right away.”

“When was it decided that SWAT would be beneficial to working the case?”

“After the next call,” overlapping voices reply.

BODY CAM FOOTAGE - Roll Call Room: “This is Sergeant Harrelson, Sergeant Kay, Officer Luca, Officer Tan, and Officer Street,” Wade introduces. “They will be on standby during the visit to Ms. Indigo’s home. If a warrant is issued, they will serve it.” “We have experience with Indigo and have been on the home before, so we’re happy to offer any assistance we can,” Harrelson adds. “What if she lets us search the house and we don’t find anything?” Officer Juarez asks. “It’s a missing persons’ report, there’s not much we can do,” Nolan answers. “One thing at a time,” Wade reminds them.

“Not only did you secure a warrant because of a subsequent complaint, but you felt it necessary to bring in five additional departments from different stations,” Alex muses. “What did you find that led you to take such extreme measures?”

“Let’s just say, I drew up the affidavit, and while you’re only required to provide the judge with probable cause to believe evidence is present in the location being searched, my document was nearly 50 pages in length,” Wesley shares.

“And the judge only read the first page,” Angela adds.

Nyla then says, “The judge signed not only the warrant for her office but gave us a warrant for every piece of real estate she had under her name. We found five additional residences and several acres of land outside of Palm Springs.”

“Making Palm Springs PD the third station to join what was turning into a hunt for the missing woman,” Lucy connects. “It was also at this point that Sergeant Grey knew we needed to serve all six warrants simultaneously, so we needed more hands.”

“In addition to recruiting Metro, patrol, and SWAT officers from our sister stations,” Wade adds, “we also put out a nationwide BOLO. It was Thursday afternoon at this point, so we were two days past when the 911 caller had last seen his neighbor alive.”

“With a plan to raid Indigo’s office and homes at the same time, you went out in teams,” Alex says. “But most people who’ve had A&E any time after 2004 know that the first 48 hours of missing persons investigations are vital, and after that, the chances of finding them alive go down.”

The camera shows Nyla, usually the effortlessly funny detective, sigh deeply before she says, “That’s what made the next part so hard.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

Alex finds a paper with names on it, then says, “This is the team that raided Eileen Indigo’s office in California Heights. Going around the table quickly, we have Commander Bob Hicks, 20-David SWAT members Sergeants Harrelson and Kay, Officers Luca, Tan, and Street, as well as Detective Harper, and Officer Chen. Additionally, Metro Sergeant Tim Bradford.”

“And I was the one who chose to close the 405,” Wade offers.

“As someone who worked for LBPD, I continue to support that decision,” Street says. “The office building - which was a converted house - backed up to Orange Avenue, which crosses the 405 and has its own on-ramp. Had she been able to get on there and disappear into car-pocalypse, we’d be telling a different story right now.”

“That was surprisingly logical,” Harrelson - who invited everyone to call him Hondo before the cameras started rolling - muses.

“So, the 405 is closed for a good reason, but why leave the public hanging?” Alex wonders.

“To protect ourselves and others,” Lucy says. “If she knew we were coming, who’s to know what she might have done.”

“She would’ve run,” Tim adds from his commander’s office. “Or, worse, she would have harmed the people close to her to throw us off her scent.”

“You said ‘the people closest to her.’ Raiding Indigo’s office made this case about more than a missing woman,” Alex editorializes.

BODY CAM FOOTAGE - Eileen Indigo's Office Building: “LAPD,” Hondo calls quietly as a woman sitting at the front desk raises her hands in shock. “Get down on the ground. How many people are inside?” “Just Ms. Indigo, her assistants, and the trigon team,” she whispers.

PREVIOUS 911 CALL: CALLER I don’t know what exactly she’s doing! Her children are outside in the cold reciting something about tricycles, maybe? She has a paper in her hand and when they say the wrong word, she threatens them! DISPATCH Officers and EMS are en route.

“Tell me more about Trigon,” Alex requests.

“I wish we could,” Angela replies.

“Indigo’s trigon team continues to be a mystery,” Wesley explains further. “There’s real estate holdings with each team member listed as a beneficiary, they’ve got a joint bank account, but we can’t find any real evidence of them actually doing anything together.”

“As far as we could tell,” Tim begins, looking away from the camera quickly, “the so-called trigon team was some sort of attempt at starting a cult. The uh, ‘members’ were evaluated by a psychiatrist, who believed there had been a degree of brainwashing involved.”

“When we connected the 911 call about her – how do I put this? – initiation of her children, we knew there was more to Indigo’s business than we anticipated,” Lucy says. “But, at the moment during the raid, we were in no way interested in getting these answers, just finding the missing woman and getting cuffs on Eileen.”

“Without an arrest warrant,” Wade reminds Alex and his viewers. “We had to find probable cause to legally arrest her, and though the judge understood our evidentiary concerns and issued the search warrants, he didn’t have enough to give us an arrest warrant.”

“So, you went in looking for something you could arrest her for?” Alex asks, suddenly sounding accusatory.

“No,” Tim snaps. “We went in looking for a missing person because there was more than enough evidence that Indigo had engaged in threats of violence in and out of the workplace.”

“But isn’t workplace mistreatment a civil matter?”

“Most cases are,” Wesley agrees. “But when it grows more severe; when threats progress to actual physical assault, it becomes a criminal offense under California law.”

“There was no evidence of that included in the affidavit.”

“That’s because Palm Springs PD hadn’t found her trophies,” Nyla responds.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

BODY CAM FOOTAGE – Eileen Indigo’s Palm Springs Property: “Clear!” an officer calls. “We’re code 4.” “I got something!” another voice alerts. A sergeant passes through the barricade and kneels by the recently disturbed dirt. A large metal box protrudes from the shallow hole, and he radios for a forensics team. When they arrive, the box is photographed before it is removed and opened. Inside, there are dozens of disturbing photographs (which have been blurred for viewers of the documentary). “Get Sergeant Grey on the phone!” someone yells.

“When I received the call, the teams serving warrants on her LA properties had already left the station,” Wade explains. “I alerted the senior officer at each location and allowed them to distribute that knowledge as they saw fit.”

“It ended up being completely irrelevant,” Sergeant ‘Deacon’ Kay interjects. “When we reached the conference room of Indigo’s office, we had enough to arrest her.”

“The trigon team was…” Angela pauses, attempting to find the right word.

“Cataloging,” Nyla finishes for her. “They were sorting new, additional pictures that put Indigo not only at several crime scenes but explained how she had evaded CPS and past officer visits in the past.”

“She was mistreating her children?” Alex translates.

“Not physically,” Celina answers.

“Though there were early signs of that progression during the children’s examinations,” Nolan adds. “No, she preferred psychologically abusing her children. Brainwashing, manipulation, a sick sort of training, whatever you want to call it, she forced it upon her children.”

“And her employees, as it proved with the trigon team.”

“So, you find the trigon team, arrest them with relative ease, and then what happens?” Alex asks.

“It sounded like the world was ending,” Lucy answers.

BODY CAM FOOTAGE – Eileen Indigo’s Office Building: “Street, Bradford,” Hondo calls, “with me.” Street and Tim fall into line behind Hondo and continue moving through the narrow hallway. As they pass Indigo’s open door and empty office, a sudden, deafening noise fills their ears and the microphones on their body cameras. Every officer ducks forward instinctually and attempts to drown out the noise. “It’s coming from the garage!” Tim yells. “7-Adam-19, we need backup in the kitchen! Taking fire!” Lucy radios. “Go!” Street tells Hondo, “We’ll handle the garage.” Hondo nods and moves through the noisy house to assist the officers being fired at. “Eyes on Indigo!” Nyla alerts. “Moving from the kitchen toward the master bedroom!” Tim taps Street’s shoulder before they enter the garage. As the door opens, the noise grows louder. “What the-“ Street mumbles. “Go!” Tim yells. “Shut it off!” Street nods, then pulls the strap on his gun across his chest. With his hands free, he grabs the jackhammer being held upright by 5-gallon buckets filled with sand and water. As he tries to find the right button to turn it off, Tim circles the car slowly before he drops to his knees and slides his head and shoulders beneath it. “Eileen Indigo is in custody,” Nyla radios after the jackhammer silences. “Back bedroom is barricaded,” Luca adds. “Hold for entry.” “Bradford, what are you doing?” Street inquires. Tim pushes himself out, and Street immediately sees the blood – your blood - coating his hands. Tim says, “I found her,” then returns to his original position beneath the car. “Officers taking fire!” Tan alerts. “Deac!” Street calls into his radio. “We need a medic.” “We need a little more than a medic!” Tim barks. “Where are you?” Deacon asks, raising his voice over the commotion in the house. “Garage,” Street answers. “I can’t get over there, Street. I’m on the 3-side and there’s a firefight between us,” Deacon replies. “Victim has been located,” Tim radios, shockingly calm for someone with blood up his forearms. “We need an R/A. I’ve got a pulse, but not for long.” “Can we move her?” Street asks, moving to his knees to look under the car. “She’s not responsive,” Tim replies. “It’s not smart, but we’re running out of options.” “It’s probably a stupid idea,” Street decides. Tim turns his head, keeping his hands against your sides. “What’s a stupid idea?” “This car probably runs, has a big trunk… We need to get her help, right?” Tim hesitates, then says, “Get in the car.” “What part of move her did you not hear?” “We can’t move her much, she’ll bleed out. Pull the car forward.” “Hondo, we need someone blocking the garage, we're moving the vic,” Street radios as he climbs into the car. “It’s a button-start, if the key isn’t close enough, we can’t start it.” “Street, try!” Tim yells as gunfire grows louder.

“You find Eileen Indigo, take her into custody, and find the missing woman,” Alex reiterates. “And decide to drive over her, knowing she was injured. That seems like an absolute last resort.”

“Considering we were in a gunfight with Eileen’s version of private security and an ambulance can’t come in until we’re completely clear, we needed a last resort,” Nyla snaps. “It’s not something we’d do every day, but it was what we needed in this instance. It was try to get her in the car and out of the house, or risk letting the woman bleed out.”

The shot changes to Tim Bradford, who looks at a piece of paper lying in his lap but doesn’t speak.

“Sergeant Bradford?” Alex says softly.

“Yeah,” he replies, shaking his head as he looks up. He flips the paper, briefly showing the camera that it’s an image of you – smiling, happy, and alive. “While Officer Street started the car, I kept pressure on the victim’s wounds and ensured neither of us was in the way of the tires.”

“Officer Street’s recollection suggests you covered the victim’s body with your own. Is that what made this case emotional?”

“Amongst other things.”

BODY CAM FOOTAGE – Eileen Indigo’s Office Garage: “Okay, let’s do this,” Street says, rounding the SUV as the trunk opens. Tim shifts, moving to your left side as his hands press against your side, just below your ribs. “The kids,” you mumble. “We’ve got them,” Tim assures you. “Do you know where you are?” You open your eyes and meet Tim’s gaze, murmur, “Thank you,” and lose consciousness. “She’s fading, we have to go now,” Tim states. “Tell me what to do, Sergeant,” Street requests. Tim looks around and gestures to a stack of beach towels with his chin. “Put those in the trunk, then come put pressure here.” Street does as Tim instructed and holds your side as Tim lifts you in a bridal carry. You groan, and Tim is glad to hear you reacting but terrified by how much blood you’re losing and your lack of consciousness. “Drive,” Tim demands as he climbs into the trunk with you. “26-David and Sergeant Bradford, transporting victim in suspect’s Chevrolet Tahoe, partial plate Foxtrot-9-3-4,” Street alerts dispatch. The hospital becomes visible just as Wade radios, “We’re 10-4 all around, code 4. Indigo and the shooters are in custody.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

“With the teamwork of seven stations, nearly 200 officers, and a 60-hour-long hunt, the missing woman was located,” Alex narrates. “And is transported to the hospital.”

“Less than an hour later, we received a call that she died on the operating table,” Nyla says. “There really wasn’t anything we could do at that point, just hope that the evidence would talk, and Eileen’s reformed followers and children could testify.”

“You found the victim. How did that news affect you?” Alex asks Street and Bradford, now separated from the other officers.

“What kind of question is that?” Street asks. “Regardless of who found her, the news of her death was still devastating.”

“Calls like that are always hard,” Tim answers flatly. “But we didn’t have a ton of time to dwell on it before Officer Thorsen found something else.”

ACTUAL RADIO COMMUNICATION: “7-Lincoln-100,” Aaron Thorsen radios. “I’ve located another employee of Eileen Indigo’s. Albert Camden, in custody for 211 with a water gun.” “Yeah, Albert Camden was still relatively sane,” Wade deadpans. “He gave us everything we needed to prosecute Eileen to the full extent of the law.” “Why turn on his employer so easily?” Alex inquires. “She threatened to kill his family if he didn’t rob the corner store where he was arrested,” Angela answers. “After he learned she was in custody, he gave us detailed accounts of his time with Indigo and why he didn’t quit.” “And it was during this time that the final 911 call came in,” Alex says.

ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT OF 911 CALL: DISPATCH 911, what’s the location of your emergency? CALLER I need to speak to Bradford. DISPATCH I’m sorry? CALLER He’s a cop, and I have information for him about Eileen Indigo, but I don’t know which station he works at.

Tim looks up from the camera and the corners of his lips quirk up.

“Welcome,��� Alex greets, shaking hands with someone behind the camera. “Thanks for coming to tell your side.”

Tim shifts his seat to the right and invites the 911 caller to sit beside him.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

“Mind introducing yourself?” Alex asks.

You send him a small smile and shift in your seat before offering your name. “I worked for Eileen Indigo for about 6 weeks before she decided she wanted me to be a 24-hour employee.”

“Meaning?”

“She invited me to stay in the office 24/7 and do essentially anything she asked me. I very briefly considered it, only to ensure her children were safe, but ultimately turned it down. It was at that time she abducted me.”

“Why did you decide to fake your death?”

“I didn’t,” you reply with a smile. “Sergeant Kay did, and after the role he played in saving my life, with Officer Street and Sergeant Bradford, I wasn’t going to argue.”

“So,” Alex begins with Deacon and Street, “Why?”

“We learned that the father of her children wasn’t out of the picture, not like we thought,” Street answers.

“Mr. Devon Taylor was not murdered,” Deacon adds. “He met with detectives at the Mid-Wilshire station and worked with them to try to recover his children from their birth mother.”

“Taylor had an associate who was planning to take over Indigo’s business and real estate endeavors,” Nyla explains.

“I figured if her enterprise was directly connected to a murder, he’d hesitate,” Deacon continues.

“And he did,” Alex replies. “Just long enough to be caught using Indigo’s bank account. So, he was taken into custody, yet your people were not alerted to the actual survival of the victim.”

“Right,” Tim answers through a clenched jaw. “A minor oversight.”

“One of the doctors caught it and allowed me to call Sergeant Bradford,” you say. “I had to thank him for saving me, but he did hang up on me.”

Lucy laughs, leaning forward, before she exclaims, “His face! He hung up and immediately drove to the hospital with his lights and sirens on.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DURING LIVE BROADCAST:

“After a series of no less than a dozen once-in-a-lifetime opportunities aligning perfectly, Eileen Indigo was arrested and is going to trial in the coming weeks,” Alex concludes. “Anything that stands out to you as the case comes to a close?”

Each officer offers a lesson or two that can be learned from their time working the case, except for Tim, Deacon, and you. During Alex’s ending narration, a cameraman steps around a corner and zooms in on you. Viewers watch in delight as you smile with Tim and Deacon. When your hand rises to Tim’s arm after Deacon excuses himself, people begin to wonder if Tim got more than a good arrest.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AFTER LIVE BROADCAST: (featuring your response to the massive amount of feedback)

Lucy Chen - 2 new messages

It’s not just us, everyone can see the chemistry🤭 Have fun on your date!!

He might not say it, but you’re Tim’s once-in-a-lifetime. Thanks for being there for him.

[felassan]

New today on DA:TV from Game Informer:

"How Romance And Relationships Work In Dragon Age: The Veilguard by Wesley LeBlanc on Jul 08, 2024 at 02:00 PM Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a BioWare RPG, which means a lot of things, including the fact that the game will feature romance. Based on what I learned during a recent trip to BioWare's Edmonton office for the current Game Informer cover story, Veilguard will be the team's most romantic game yet. Relationship Level"

"Every companion in the game has a Relationship Level related to Rook, and the choices you make (and not even specifically about the companion, but in the world in general), what you say to companions, how you help or don't help them, and more all play into it. Every time you rank up a companion's Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion. Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook's expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there's still some customization here.  Each companion has access to five abilities, but you can only take three into combat. Thus, it's important to strategize which abilities to spend a skill point on and how those abilities can synergize with your current build on the battlefield. Though I couldn't confirm, Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes hints that companion issues, problems, and personal quests will play into this Relationship Level and how a companion interacts with Rook.  "[Bellara Lutara, for example] has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you're on," Rhodes tells me while I watch game director Corinne Busche play through a linear, story-driven mission in Arlathan Forest where Rook is searching for Bellara. Busche adds that "relationships are key, not only romance but friendships. We wanted to lean into not just the relationships the characters have with you but the relationships they have with each other. It's a found family, and at the end of the day, they need to trust they all have each other's back." Romance"

"However, fret not, BioWare fans – romance is a key part of relationships in the game, Busche says, noting some of the romances will get quite spicy. However, not all of them will, as "each romance has a very different flavor," according to Busche. Some characters are straight to the point, while others are more awkward, having never been in a relationship before. "You learn who these characters are in how their romances unfold," she says. She likens romantic and platonic relationships to another way to "level up" your companions. It's not just experience and skill points that determine Rook's standing with companions, but diegetic conversations, too.  BioWare has already revealed that every companion in Veilguard is pansexual, notably different from the community-dubbed "playersexual" approach in some games, which sees NPCs adjust romantic and sexual interests based on the player rather than their own sense of sexuality. As pansexual companions, they are attracted to people of any gender (or regardless of gender). That's a critical distinction because, in Veilguard, your companions aren't just going to vie for your affection – they might take attraction to other companions in the titular Veilguard.  Giving one companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm shoulder of someone else on the team. Busche says companions can form romances with each other, although I'm unable to confirm if that means locking Rook out of forming a romance with them.  I saw nothing resembling romance in my very early hours with the game. However, I did see the romantically inclined "emotional" response in Rook's dialogue choices at times, which led to my Rook flirting with ice mage and private detective companion Neve Gallus. Busche says this is the option to flirt and push platonic relationships into romantic territory, though Rook's flirtatious efforts aren't always reciprocated. But that's not to say you should ignore the other options – I saw dialogue choices resembling friendly, snarky, and direct, too, and I can see how these different flavors of dialogue likely mix and mingle into Rook's relationships with companions. It's still a mostly mysterious system to me, but as Veilguard is due out this fall, I don't have to wait too long to learn more and neither do you. For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below."

[source]

[phoenixyfriend]

Movies I've been meaning to see for ages and now, on the plane, I finally have:

Lisa Frankenstein

Birds of Prey

Scott Pilgrim

Disenchanted

V for Vendetta

Blade

I have opinions on all of them. (Yes this was all the same flight. Thirteen hours.)

(I've slept a total of maybe 4 hours in the past uhhhh 46? Gonna pass out as soon as I can lol.)

Lisa Frankenstein is a high-budget Wattpad fic and I mean that in the best way possible. The main characters are generally ludicrous overall and it actually works! The "slutty cheerleader" stepsister is actually the sweetest character in the movie and I adore her. Also, Cole Sprouse is clearly having SO much fun.

Birds of Prey: I was spoiled for a LOT of this movie. I didn't realize how late in the game they came together, though, and while people had talked about Ewan really selling Sionis as this blatantly queer villain trope, I still was not spoiled for That Much. Like. It didn't come across as a homophobic stereotype (to me) but I'm BAFFLED as to how.

Most likely, it's because we see three former relationships or signs of attraction, and all three are at BEST messy (f/f, Montoya and Ellen Yee), but generally just really bad, in the abusive f/m (Joker/Harley) or toxic m/m (see everything about Sionis, but also idk what he and Zsasz were up to).

Scott Pilgrim: The diegesis! I expected this to be something in the vein of Walter Mitty, where the superhero segments are all just extended daydreams that are 100% not actually happening. I thought the space-time weirdness was just the new show. But no! People have comic book and video game logic! And they're aware of it! People literally die and leave behind coins! Insane!

Also, wow, you(?) all really weren't joking when you said that 22yo Scott dating a 17yo is more Pathetic and Doormat than predatory creep.

Also I did not expect the mind control.

And I knew there'd be some big names but I was still blindsided by Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick in the opening credits.

Disenchanted: love the plot concept! I adore some enforced tropes and family bonding! However, some of the "heavy" lines fell flat due to the writing, and the songs overall just felt worse, both in execution (Amy and Idina both sound strained when reaching for their upper registers) and just in general writing quality.

V for Vendetta: Really cool overall, great plot and messaging, but I occasionally had trouble keeping track of the Various White Men. V's accent seemed to slip to American a few times? I kept trying to figure out what year it supposedly was, and also which characters I saw being claimed as "V before he transitioned" on Tumblr.

Blade: I love the way Wesley Snipes talks in this. IDK why.

Pleasantly surprised that there was like... way less sexism than I'd expect from a 90s action flick. However, I was blindsided by the vaguely incestuous energy that was brought in every time Blade talks to his vampire mom.

[dcdreamblog]

Simialr to the previous question, but less heavy; how often did people in general, and other superheroes in particular, give Stripesy agita over being an adult who sidekicked to a child?

No, if only because the term "sidekick" hadn't been invented and that's not how either Pemberton or Dugan saw their relationship.

See, the term "sidekick" wasn't used in contemporary records and it's never recorded as being in use by the heroes themselves to their younger partners.

(A war bond image of The Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy. You can tell it's a war bond model because that is NOT what Wesley Dodds looked like! Circa 1943)

These superheroes tended to refer to their sidekicks as "wards" if referring to their age specifically, placing themselves in the legal caregiver role and responsibility. Most often though they simply called them their "partners" or even their "young partners" if they wanted to be specific. The sidekicks were trusted comrades to the heroes they palled around with, if they weren't they certainly wouldn't have been trusted to go up against nazis, criminals and supervillains.

Any attempt to undermine or overrule superhero sidekicks in official channels or ESPECIALLY in the heat of battle were pushed back on HARD by the heroes themselves.

To use Sandy as an example, there's a famous anecdote of an OSS agent speaking over Sandy during a JSA meeting and being interrupted right back by Hawkman slamming his mace on the table before every hero present turns to Sandy and asks him to continue his thought.

Afterwards the agent was given a warning by Hawkman: "Sandy is one of us, we trust him."

With the implication being clear as to their opinion of the agent.

Stripesy was a special case but not an absurd one.

(A signed promotional shot of the pair, signed and given out to a young fan. circa 1942)

Now don't get me wrong everyone knew which of the pair was "in charge", just look at how they're billed. And SOME heroes did give Stripesy some pain for following the Kid's directions so flawlessly. Wildcat specifically was known to be particularly adept and willing to press that button. But Wildcat was a gadfly on his best day and it was some good natured ribbing among friends.

Any attempt by the public, ESPECIALLY media or government to talk down to Stripesy would have and was met with direct, warning hostility from any other heroes present. Especially the Kid himself.

The most demonstrative story is one where the Kid was invited to take a meeting with a state's governor to discuss a raft of sabotage afflicting coastal manufacturing. When the governor's security attempted to disallow Stripesy entry to the meeting, the Kid turned, kicked both of the guards' knees out of from under them and chilled any response from the governor with a glance.

Pemberton and Dugan saw themselves as partners, no matter what. Especially due to Pemberton's...distant and difficult family life, Dugan was the closest thing to family Pemberton ever saw himself as having to the point that Dugan was/is the sole inheritor of Pemberton's will and trust. (Save some deep legal chicanery from one Lex Luthor that has since been corrected)

[iconuk01]

From about ST:TNG Season 4-ish: After an spacial anomaly leads to the disappearance of the Enterprise shuttle Einstein, it is believed that it has cost the lives of several crew members: Commander Riker: Lt Commander Worf, Ensign Wesley Crusher, Dr Selar and a few other minor characters.

After spending a suitably long time searching for any sign of them, the decision is made to call off the search and, along with some nice little moments like seeing how Riker's Dad, Selar's mother and Dr Kate Pulaski react to the news of the loss of their family/friends, we see the memorial service held for them on the Enterprise, and we have some rather nice eulogies. (For some reason I really like Geordi's tribute to Wes, it paints a good mental image) Star Trek: The Next Generation #21

Writer: Michael Jan Friedman Pencils: Peter Krause

(Of course, spoilers: they are eventually found)

[fantasyfantasygames]

The Fall of the House of Crusher

The Fall of the House of Crusher, Wild World Entertainment, 2018

No connection to Wesley or Beverly.

I have been very happy in the past decade to see more and more games that get outside the traditional RPG box. I like fantasy adventures and sci-fi merchant ventures and maybe some modern fantasy, but we have a lot of that. So when other kinds of games come along, even if I wouldn't play them myself, I'm always intrigued.

The Fall of the House of Crusher (FoHoC, pronounced like faux-hawk) is a drama that follows a pro wrestler and his family as events unfold and unravel in their lives. The eponymous Crusher has been a heel for years, both in the ring and out. His wife is cheating on him with his best friend and he knows but hasn't called them on it yet. His daughter, "Generation", also a wrestler, is infatuated with a new wrestler who's a face in the ring, but Crusher knows he's an asshole outside it. You pick up the pre-gens and make a few tweaks (including gender options). Then play what is assumed to be a three-part game, whether that's three acts in one day or across multiple sessions.

One of my favorite bits is that all of your moves (this is a PbtA-type game) are both wrestling moves and emotional moves. It's not that you have to choose which version you're using - every move does both things at the same time. So the DDT dazes someone, which switches their stance to "unready", which means your next move is more likely to land. Then you can hit them with a Giant Swing, which forces them to Reset, losing any momentum they had. That can be physical, with the slam and the spin, and at the same time it can be emotional, where you stun someone with a revelation and then turn the tables on them to force them out of the argument they've been building.

Another cool piece is how you switch from playing your character to playing the crowd. When you're in the limelight, it's assumed that you have an audience. It might be a wrestling match, an argument at an outdoor restaurant, an argument at an outdoor restaurant that devolves into a wrestling match, a date at a movie theater where the other moviegoers are heckling you and it becomes a wrestling match, etc. There's a lot of assumed wrestling is what I'm saying. The mechanics only cover wrestling.

The game definitely has a good ending and a bad ending, and several mixed ones. They give short suggestions for other ways things might go, but honestly I think "the wedding" and "the divorce" cover a lot of ground.

In the end this might make a better LARP than tabletop game. The story could be condensed, the mechanics could be adjusted, you could keep the PC/audience switching for major events... I could see this running at Intercon very nicely. You just need a strict reminder that no actual wrestling moves are to be performed.

[explosionshark]

(Kicking my feet off the bed Iike Faith) so anyways. Caitlyn’s maternal family have been watchers for generations, but Caitlyn resents that her mother uses her influence on the Watcher’s Council to keep Cait out of harm’s way. She LEAPS at the opportunity to ship off across the pond & be away from her, even if her assignment at that point is just “twiddle your thumbs for a bit”.

she’s assigned to the same county that Vi is incarcerated in: ostensibly because the council has credible reports of a potential slayer in the area & will send details soon (lol), more realistically bc sending her there fulfills her desire to be In The Field while satisfying Cassandra’s desire to keep her safe. After all, the only would-be Slayer she could mentor is behind bars, and the Council can’t just meddle in the American Judicial System for their own benefit, right???

right?????

Anyway Vi 110% does not listen to her bc who the fuck are you, you’re like 4 years at most on me, fuck off. It’s Caitlyn exasperatedly trying to explain things and plan with Vi whose solution to everything is just “okay but I can stake them and they die right? So why not just go in with that plan every time?” While Caitlyn tries not to Scream

im realizing implies Jayvik are the closest things to Willow and Tara and yknow what. That’s not that wrong either. When you really think about it, Mel leaving Piltover is kinda like Cordelia leaving Sunnydale. Which I guess makes Noxus the Los Angeles of League/Arcane, a statement that is actually not untrue LMAO

Anyways. I’m going insane about this now. I’m so normal about this. Vi the Vampire Vlayer real.

CAITLYN IS WESLEY....!!!! LIKE SHE SUCKS LESS BUT DUDE SHE'S LIKE IF WES WAS A HOT LESBIAN WITH MOM ISSUES

Honestly, Cait's mentor being Grayson who managed to pull strings for her to get Vi released is perfect bc like. Yes it was the right thing to do. But it also involves the absolutely unconscious flex of a massive amount of privilege that Caitlyn would 100% not even think of acknowledging (it's not PERSONAL privilege after all, it's just using the massive institutional power she has behind her and it's actually just making things right so no big deal???) and that would absolutely put her and Vi in such a tense place to start out bc Caitlyn literally bucks the entire prison system ("what like it's hard?") that has had its boot on Vi's neck for years and THEN starts telling her whAT TO DO. NO SHE DOESN'T HAVE FIELD EXPERIENCE BUT SHE TRAINED A LOT AND HAS ALL THESE BOOKS

But also she IS hot and Vi IS a dyke and she ALSO is weak to anyone taking care of her at all so it wouldn't take much to get a hook in her.

Jayvik + Mel rounding out the Scoobies is so good. Ekko + the Firelights could stand in for Gunn and his crew. There's something here. I'm going crazy.

[HEAVY BREATHING] VI AND CAIT H/C AFTER THE CRUCIAMENTUM (CAIT WASN'T TOLD ABOUT IT, ABSOLUTELY FLIPS HER SHIT WHEN SHE FINDS OUT VI IS IN DANGER, BIG BREAK FROM HER IDEALISM HERE)

[space-morningstar]

In Star Trek almost all the captains after Kirk are paternal.

Janeway? She saw her crew and said "Yes, we're going to be together for 70 years, so I'm your mother until we get back to Earth" and then spends the whole series protecting her crew, swapping stories and spending time with them as a family.

Sisko? literally a father, he looks out for them, takes care of them, takes them to baseball games, they play on the holodeck and everything, Sisko adopted his crew even though he has a son already, so he's definitely the father of DS9.

Pike? HE IS THE DEFINITION OF DADDY I mean, he doesn't just make silly puns, he spends time with them every weekend, dude! he meets his crew for dinner as a family, he jokes with them, he sticks up for them over anything, he asks if everything is alright, he makes sure everyone feels good and comfortable, he is the father of the entreprise and everyone knows it.

And I'm not going to mention Archer because I'm not done with ENT yet, the point is that any of the captains will see someone slightly lost and say "That's it, I'm adopting you, you need a father figure and I'm here" their first instinct is to care and help those who need it.

Everyone… except Picard

Which is deeply funny to me, because everyone in the enterprise will just say "Oh yeah, that's my dad, I'll be great and he'll be so proud of me" whereas Picard literally one of the first things he said to Riker (his number one) was "Hey, I don't get along with kids, you take care of anyone who comes near me."

He doesn't hate them, in fact he's shown that he can be very kind and understanding with them, giving them advice or trying to cheer them up when things aren't going well, he does his best, but he runs away from them like the plague. With Wesley he does his best and yet he still yells at him and treats him very badly at first.

Sometimes I think part of it might just be his bad childhood, he never really had a chance to behave like a child, it might also be the fact that in general he doesn't like to be around people beyond professional treatment given how introverted he is.

But it's still an aspect of Star Trek that I like, how most of the adults aren't idiots with children, they treat them with care and do their best to explain things to them and protect them, they are willing to explain and help, and I will always hold that in my heart.