#we love father-son convos <3

[brainrothawks]

endeavor apologists are nuts, cause now we’re going to have to have the same convos with anime only as the convos people were having way back when the todoroki abuse was really delved into. people saying “touya had it better” “he was given choices” “enji was being a good dad, he didn’t want touya to hurt himself” like??? bro “didn’t want touya to hurt himself” in the same way a flame doesn’t want to be put out. enji completely neglected touya and pushed him onto rei so he didn’t have to face the responsibility himself. sure, maybe deep down enji the father didn’t want his son to hurt himself but we all know he was upset that touya wouldn’t be able to accomplish what he was born to do. touya todoroki wasn’t a loved child that enji cared about. he was a failure, his first failure among 3 others until he forced rei to have shoto. that’s why his name means “arrow” because his only purpose was to surpass endeavor the hero and all might his rival. enji todoroki is a coward who abused his whole family, including touya. enji todoroki is a selfish man who only wanted children and wife so he could get what he wanted. fuck enji, fuck endeavor.

[reveluving]

hold me closely ; rick flag x reader

summary: 'cool, calm & collected' is how many describe the Flags, and they're right. to a certain degree, at least. (a.k.a some of your & Rick's favourite convos in the family group chat)

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff & humour (ft twin sons Ethan & Richie, daughter Irene & Tofu the cat!)

a/n: made sumn for my rick babes (+ s/o to my girl @lacontroller1991​ for the cutest hubby rick ask??? ily) so enjoyed imagining what it’s like to be his wifey and mother of kids eeee <33 love y’all!! don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

disclaimer!! despite the face claims (joy from rv btw) & running theme here, you are highly encouraged to imagine yourself or your oc as the MC however you see fit!

» wanna read more rick flag fics or anyone by joel kinnaman? check out my j.k. m.list!

↳ january 19th ༉‧₊˚✧

me 🌸 : how's Tofu, kids?

richie : [ sent 3 photos ]

mister e : pretty gud mom

me 🌸 : ??? the last photo??

my beloved ❤️ : @.mister e what did we tell you about putting Tofu on your head

mister e : i told richie it was a bad idea but he didn’t listen 😔

richie : ??? u literally suggested the idea??? 🤨

↳ march 21st ༉‧₊˚✧

me 🌸 : have u guys seen the package i brought in this morning? i ordered a pillow for your sister

richie : [ sent 3 photos ]

richie : dw we gave it to her already

mister e : Tofu also conquered the box just so you guys know

↳ june 5th ༉‧₊˚✧

my beloved ❤️ : store’s got vanilla ice cream but it’s not the one you asked for. is it still okay @.me 🌸?

me 🌸 : more than okay! tq ❤❤

mister e : nvm we bought like, 9 different kinds

mister e : [ sent 3 photos ]

me 🌸 : ? how???

richie : dad drove us to four different stores lol

my beloved ❤️ : i still don't think it's enough

↳ july 4th ༉‧₊˚✧

richie: [ sent 3 photos ]

[ my beloved ❤️ reacted with a ‘ ❤️ ’ ]

[ mister e reacted with a ‘ 🎉 ’ ]

[ you reacted with a ‘ 🥰 ’ ]

↳ july 22nd ༉‧₊˚✧

richie : what do you guys call a fake noodle?

me 🌸 : what?

richie : an impasta

[ my beloved ❤️ has removed richie from the group ]

me 🌸 : RICK

my beloved ❤️ : it’s a little funny, i admit

mister e : heh

my beloved ❤️ : you wanna join your brother, too?

mister e : no sir 🚶

↳ august 6th ༉‧₊˚✧

mister e : [ sent 3 photos ]

mister e : richie, irene and i @ the aquarium + ice-cream and bookstore after

[ you and my beloved ❤️ reacted with a ‘ ❤️ ’ ]

richie : hope the dinner’s going well!

me 🌸 : [ sent 2 photos ]

my beloved ❤️ : [ sent 2 photos ]

my beloved ❤️ : it's going amazing. thank you boys 😌

» juuust in case you're still confused: 'my beloved ❤' is Rick, 'mr e' is Ethan & 'richie' is, well, Richie!

» ❛ fun lil’ trivia about the flags ༉‧₊˚

Irene and the twins have an eight-year age gap!

Richie’s full name is Richard Flag the Third.

Although identical, Richie has certain mannerisms that resemble his father. The same case applies to Ethan, the younger twin, who picks up more of your quirks. Despite that, Richie, usually the photographer of the group, encourages (and even adds to) Ethan’s odd photo ideas.

Sporty ahh kids. All three of them. Need I say more?

» gorgeous rose divider by @firefly-graphics ♡

[c2-eh]

Oh my god I'm so so sorry eva. It completely slipped my mind. I was going to follow up with what I wanted. I was trying to be dramatic. Girl (gn) I'm terribly sorry. But I was going to ask you to please give me your entire versainz thesis cause oh my god "after the battles comes the reward" was such an amazing fic. I was just going to ask you not to gatekeep your versainz brain and give me all the thoughts you had about them. I'm reading to read essays. The fic was amazing. The personalities were so contrasting to each other and at the end when Charles and max see each inherent and that whole moment was so guckin spectacular. I loved the whole thing. That's all I wanted to ask. Once again really sorry for leaving you hanging like that.

<3<3

i'm so so sorry anon for leaving you hanging like that, but i was not in the right place to answer and i wanted to answer this properly!! also don't apologize so much it's fineee!! :)) i should be the one apologizing because of how long this took 😭

okay so first of all thank you so much, i'm so happy you liked the fic!! <3 i have to put it under "keep reading" because i went kinda insane with it hehe

so my versainz thesis is partly reflected in the fic. i don't think it is appreciated enough how great their relationship is after all these years – even after all the "alleged" bullshit and toxic atmosphere that was going on in toro rosso (the toxic versainz was jos and sr, no one is changing my mind). they were each others' first teammates, they kinda eased into the whole f1 world together – young and eager and trying so so hard to beat each other because that is what you do, no? they tried to prove themselves (especially in the team that would get them to RBR) and still managed to be friends, to respect each other and that stayed with them till today. they both are sons of famous fathers so the expectations and pressure was even worse (from public? NO, from their own fathers) so that is another thing to bond on. why? one understood what the other was going through and he got why the mood was swinging here and there every day, and why the mood depend on if "he" was at the race.

another thing is that i am sure carlos was max' gay awakening (max wasn't carlos' because carlos was dense and way too convinced his dad is the god (iykwim)). they might not have been bestest of friends (they still kept their distance because they did not know having friends in this sport is ok), but you can see by every single of their interactions how much they respect each other. they have very contrasting personalities as well, which is so very compelling to me. as i portrayed it in my fic, max is all "no bullshit guy" when it comes to racing and he is not afraid to be blunt and tell how things are. all while carlos is calmer and more well spoken. if we combine them, it is perfect balance. i see max as the one that is overprotective - when he talked about how carlos felt in vegas 2023? that moment is integrated into my brain forever. on the other hand, carlos is the one that is calm, stands for what's right and protects his loved ones, but does it with more grace and peace. they just fit so well, because they are the definiton of thunder (but not really) vs calm (but also not really) (but for that we would need another convo lmao).

i just think these two are the definition of "right person at the very wrong time" because they understood each other (and still do), but the time was not right – too young, too soon, so much responsibility, distraction and so on... there are SO many things that speak so loudly about these two. like, they are not even "getting back together" trope, but "finding someone you loved again and it is finally a right time". also max is soft – soft and giggly but not many know it, but carlos does. and carlos loves it, which makes max even more soft.

the fact they started together and saw each other win – carlos even was right there (literally next to max, might i add) when max won his first wdc. the hug is so personal to me to this day. they just love each other, thank uuu

i would pay good money to have these two as teammates again to see the relationship and the dynamic and how it shifted now they are older and more experienced <3

so sorry it is so long actually haha, love u anon ! sequel to that versainz fic will come in the summer!

[aftgficrec]

Anonymous asked: anything around Wymack and Kevin having father son bonding or something like that.

Our fandom loves Dadmack! -A

NB: find the original ask here in this new twinyards bonding post

previous recs for Kevin & Wymack:

Kevin & Wymack 1 here

Kevin & Wymack 2/Kevin with a child here

post canon Kevin & Wymack here 

Wymack raising Kevin here

Kevin & Wymack paternity convo here

‘domestic bliss’ here

‘Somewhere Other Than Here’ here

‘the prince in the raven tower’ here

‘And Then There Was One’ here

‘How You Live On,’ ‘Missed Signs (accepting help),’ and ‘how did i get here’ here

‘A Record of Life,’ ‘Welcome,’ ‘Home,’ A Dad By Any Other Name’ and ‘Those days we rise above the stars’ here

‘Call it new’ here 

‘Searchlights’ here

you may also like:

‘Right Where It Begins’ here

‘The Way We Are’ (completed) here

‘Oh my Queen, we are here again’ (strained relationship) here

‘quicksand’ here

‘lionblood (flowin' through my veins)’ here

‘Made of Stone’ here

‘the name of the game’ here

‘The Cards We're Dealt’ (updated) here

Father’s Day, ‘08 by rekikiri [Rated G, 1717 Words, Complete, 2023]

twenty two years late, kevin finally gets to spend a fathers day with wymack.

tw: implied/referenced alcohol abuse/alcoholism

unexpected pride by teddy_writes_not_ted_talks [Rated T, 959 Words, Complete, 2023]

Part 1 of Disability Pride Oneshots (etc), NB: part 8 is Wymack-centric 

Kevin Day struggles with staying grounded in a body that doesn't always feels like his. He learns that sometimes all you need to do is ask for help. The first in a series of Disability Pride Month fics.

tw: dissociation, tw: ptsd, tw: implied/referenced abuse

the lovers, the dreamers and me by dayurno [Rated G, 26315 Words, Complete, 2023]

“Coach,” Neil starts, parsing the words in his head to digest them into something more believable. Fortunately, before Neil further makes himself sound insane in front of his father-in-law, the door to Coach Wymack’s office swings open, revealing Andrew with a small child tangled in his legs. Andrew is as blank-faced as always, but the child peers at the room warily, his eyes big and green. Even without words to introduce him, they all know who this is. Coach Wymack audibly sucks in a breath. Alternatively, when the adult Kevin Day regresses in time to his six-year-old self, the Palmetto State Foxes are forced into a state of disarray. It is as the saying goes: it takes a village to raise a child.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: disordered eating

And I wanna kiss you, make you feel alright by Harmonique [Rated G, 3181 Words, Complete, 2023]

Part 3 of AFTG whump, part 2 here 

Kevin is sick, but it's fine. He's been raised in the Nest, he's not allowed to be weak. He'll be fine. (he won't :) )

tw: vomit, tw: nightmares, tw: implied/referenced abuse

Consequences of Coaching by Bookworm1063 [Rated G, 4812 Words, Complete, 2022]

Sometimes, the line between being an Exy coach and being a parent is very thin indeed. Or, five times Wymack was more father than coach, and one time being a coach had nothing to do with it.

Cats In The Cradle by emmerrr [Rated T, 2019 Words, Complete, 2017, Locked]

“Maybe you should go down there,” Abby says. “Keep him company for a little while.” David takes a long sip of his coffee without breaking eye-contact with Abby. She acts casual, but David knows what she’s getting at. “I’m sure he doesn’t want me getting in the way,” he says. “David,” Abby says gently, then seems to struggle to figure out what she wants to say next. “It’s just — have you spent any time with Kevin alone at all since finding out he was your son?”

an imperfect picture is still just right by belncaz [Rated T, 3784 Words, Complete, 2017]

After Wymack learns Kevin is his son, Kevin leaves to go on vacation with the other Foxes. Here's what I imagine happens on David's end as he grapples with a new part of his identity.

The truth in the dark by KweenKevin [Not Rated, 489 Words, Complete, 2018]

Part 3 of Does that make me crazy?, part 5 here

The truth is this: all Kevin ever learned was Exy, and were he used to play for his mother, he now a new person to play for

let me know what piece i've lost by orphan_account [Rated G, 799 Words, Complete, 2018]

Having a son was a new thing to Wymack. A new, very confusing thing. Kevin was a, and he would say this reluctantly through gritted teeth, fully grown adult.

An Understanding by wesawbears [Rated G, 730 Words, Complete, 2016]

The conversation between Kevin and Wymack when Kevin finally gives him the letter and tells him the truth in The King's Men.

trans Kevin and Dadmack prompt fill by @willowbird [Tumblr Fic, 2023]

Dad’s trip bullet fic by @jeanmoreaudefensesquad [Tumblr, 2022]

Sign language education! Dadmack by @this-is-my-main-i-follow-from [Tumblr, 2021]

wymack getting married and wanting to have another child + kevin’s reaction hc by @gthechangeling [Tumblr, 2020]

Kevin thoughts on his father meta by @robincross [Tumblr, 2017]

Art

let me and Andrew do the talking and My father comes to all of my games art by @rainbowd00dles

endless list of families-david wymack & kevin day edit by @mint-and-memories

They all deserve a different childhood art by @masslowart

#1 Dad and Dadmack art by @nerdzewordart

[zellkernchen]

I GENUINELY WANT TO KNOW YOUR IDEAS ON GRIEVOUS REMANING FAMILY

I was having a convo with a friend the other day about it and like?? Do they think of him? Does he think of them? It's stated he probably doesn't miss them because of his transformation, but he still cares about Gor so I believe he could think of them.

Idk all rhetorical questions I do want to hear someone's ideas.

OMGGG THANK YOU AND @alenchikova FOR ASKING! I actually do have lots of stuff on Grievous' remaining family, who they are what roles they'll play in my series and all that but I'll just write down everything that requires the least amount of spoilers for everything. (I might however expand more on them if it's specifically requested and because I love to infodump on anything related to my headcanons and ocs/my fanfic series).

I'll post an introduction to them before answering @nettlebrand's questions and expanding a bit on them.

TW: Death mention

Who is part of Grievous' remaining family?

Out of ten wives and thirty children only 3 wives and 4 children survived. There is however a child of Grievous' who has been missing since around 43 BBY. Their fate remains unknown to the family for a loooong time.

His three surviving wive's names are: Ouhlma kel Pokitstrej (1st wife), Noonaklis san Kvetik (6th wife and Bentilais' sister), Gahnzi pot Braviir (10th wife).

Ouhlma became his wife some months after Ronderu's death, ca. end of 45 to start of 44 BBY and they had their first and only child who was born on the day Ronderu died. Ouhlma's child hasn't been seen on Kalee since around 43 BBY. Ouhlma was born on the year of 64 BBY and is the distant relative of Grievous' Izvorsha Tshoat kel Nejilneski. Ever since the disappearance of her child, Ouhlma isolated herself, refused to bear any more children and now carries her child's favourite doll wherever she goes. She named her child after the woman who raised her.

Noonkalis was given to Grievous' as a way to represent comradeship between Grievous and Bentilais' cousins after half a decade of small conflicts. Noonkalis bore him three children (all of them were born in 39 BBY), however one died at the age of 8 years old. Noonkalis was born on the year of 65 BBY, she and Grievous are the same age. She was part of Grievous' Izvorsha until she unfortunately developed chronic back pain and couldn't fight anymore. Noonkalis sometimes trained her surviving son in sword fighting and was her daughter's biggets supporter whenever it came to her marksman skills, despite not knowing much about guns herself.

Gahnzi's marriage with Grievous was the result of his drunkenness and impulsive decisions, some weeks before he was sent off to work for the IGBC. They didn't have any children together until the year of 24 BBY, the same year the Shuttle crash occurred. She's the youngest of the three, being born in the year 59 BBY. She somehow managed to become Ouhlma's best friend and is always there for her whenever she needs it. The same goes for vice versa. Gahnzi used to be a waitress and dancer at the restaurant- bar she worked in before getting married to Grievous. The children, except her biological child, all know how to dance fluently thanks to her.

Here are their height differences:

(Their colours pretty much represent their skintones)

The four surviving children of Grievous are: Skashnilla jai Namesda, Baldruga jai Sanigbasa, Ziszgo jai Nigdu and the young Qymaen jai Dumu ("Dumu" is the equivalent of "child" which is in this case used to represent a title we would label as "Junior". Basically his name is Qymaen Junior).

Starting off with the two oldest siblings Skashnilla and Baldruga. The two of them were, as mentioned earlier, born on the year of 39 BBY and are super protective of their family. Since they were the ones who got to interact the most with Grievous out of their alive siblings, Skashnilla and Baldruga have learned how to deal with weapons from their father. Skashnilla specialises in the Outland Rifle, meanwhile Baldruga in Lig Swords. However, it wasn't just Grievous and his wives who raised them, Bentilais also played a big role. I mean, he's their uncle afterall. Baldruga and Skashnilla absolutely adore their uncle, though they are a bit upset that he's been rarely able to visit them over the last few years. Skashnilla despises the Yam'rii, Jedi and Republic, even directly blaming her late brother's death on them. Baldruga does hate the Yam'rii but can't bring himself to hate all the Jedi and the whole Republic. He doesn't forgive them for their deeds but still feels as if only the Yam'rii are to fully blame of this. Occaisonally, the two siblings lead out small troops to combat Yam'rii forces who, since the shuttle crash, have immigrated back to Kalee.

Ziszgo is the quiet and "weird" child out of the four and there are several reasons for this; Ziszgo suffers from Hypotropia, is (what we would label as) Autistic and super introverted. As a child she always spoke too much and tried to befriend every child near her, but their discomfort and bullying towards her made her introverted and a bit "nocturnal" (as in she only shows herself at night). Unlike her siblings, Ziszgo's mother isn't alive, she was Grievous' 8th wife who died of puerperal fever. Ziszgo had three other siblings, none of which survived past 2 years of age. As a result, Ziszgo was raised by Gahnzi. Her special interests are anything related to technology, bombs and a specific carnivorous plant on Kalee known as "Poljiaccsi". Her room is full of those plants. Ziszgo aids Baldruga and Skashnilla during all of their campaigns by either helping them convieve battle plans or small bombs. She never attends any of their campaigns because she knows that, physically, she's useless for a battle and will only get herself killed. (I forgot to mention but she was born in the year 30 BBY)

Born some short months after the infamous shuttle crash incident and named to honour his father, Qymaen is only a young pup. He loves being around his mothers and siblings. His favourite activity is eating. The boy learns words rather quickly and loves to shout them at random times. He had two other siblings who were unfortunately stillborn, the factor of Gahnzi being stressed was a major factor in this.

Here are their height differences:

Nowww onto the questions!

Does Grievous' family think about him?

Oh absolutely. It's always a worry at least in the back of their minds. Well... except for Qymaen. He's a literal toddler by the time of the clone wars. All he knows is that his father is somewhere, fighting. But he's sure he'll come back. He does sometimes ask questions about Grievous.

Skashnilla and Gahnzi think the most about Grievous (and are the most worried about him). For one, Skashnilla has always been a massive "Daddy's girl" and he's her idol. Second, Gahnzi hopes that Grievous will return so Qymaen can at least get to know his father. Pictures, Video footage and Holograms can only do so much.

Baldruga, Zizsgo and Noonkalis wonder occaisonally where he is, how he's doing. But they've given up hope on contacting him as their calls always goes unanswered. Almost as if their calls can't even reach Grievous, weird.

Ouhlma does think about Grievous, but she's more worried on her child. It was said that they would be something great, just like the Shaman said for Baldruga, Skashnilla, Ziszgo and Qymaen. There's no way they're dead, no matter how much others think against it.

Does Grievous think about his family?

In my series and AU, yes, he does. His transformation and brain alterations didn't make him completely forget about them. He knows they should exist (surely he would be informed if one of them did die, no?) and does care about them as much as his alterations allow him to, but his brain and priorities have been twisted and manipulated. He'll get his revenge on the Jedi, that's his top priority. Though, on his worst days, he can't help but wonder how they're doing. But according to Dooku; his family hasn't contacted him since they last got to see him in that bacta tank (There's no way he would lie about this, right?). Perhaps it's best if he stays where he is and leaves them alone. However, he would never admit any of that to anybody.

That’s pretty much it for now. If anyone has any more questions please lmk!

[highfantasy-soul]

NATLA Episode 6 - Masks (5/5)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

<previous/next>

After Zuko's painful flashback, we get the animated series' convo between Aang and Zuko from the Blue Spirit episode - I like closing with this bit as it has built naturally from the conversation earlier. Instead of Aang just randomly telling Zuko he thinks they could have been friends out of the blue, he's built a connection with Zuko - they've humanized themselves to each other, so the comment about friendship actually makes sense.

I think the live-action did a really good job taking great concepts from the animated series and fleshing them out to make them more organic rather than a blunt 'here's the lesson, kids' thesis statement that comes out of the blue and you just need to take on faith because it's a kid's show and you just accept the leap of logic for the sake of the story (Katara claiming she's Aang's 'family' in episode 3 of the animated series vs her telling him that at the end of the live-action season after they've, you know, actually built a familial foundation with each other).

And just like the animated series, Zuko can't take the compassion, the kindness, the nudging toward a softer future, and just blasts with his firebending, pushing Aang away. He knows it won't really hurt Aang, it's not actually a strike to incapacitate, it's a blow to ward off any sign of weakness or 'humanity'.

The follow-up flashback with Ozai talking to Zuko as he's 'recovering' was such a good addition. Ozai GENUINELY believes he's doing a good thing for his son. He GENUINELY thinks he's helping. Again, I love the complexity they're giving Ozai and Zuko's relationship where there actually IS a chance that Zuko could get in his father's good graces - honestly, that makes his turn to join Team Avatar that much more impactful. It's not a 'well I was never going to get the approval from my father anyways' decision, it truly was a 'I could have had it all, but it wasn't right'.

To me, that's what made the OG redemption arc so good: Zuko DID choose to 'get everything he ever wanted' and turned away after he was secure in that - but there was still that little lingering knowledge that Ozai really never would actually accept him - it was all a ploy. The live-action strengthened that thread with making it so that Ozai really could accept him - it's a real thing Zuko would be giving up rather than a shallow imitation of 'acceptance' the animation gave Ozai and Zuko.

Ozai insisting that Zuko needs to be able to give up the weak in order to preserve the strong is such an interesting beat to keep hammering home with Ozai and his world view. He's obsessed with his own version of 'strength' and I honestly think there's a lot of trauma for him around that idea. When Zuko argues that the weak can become strong, I think that it actually shakes Ozai, that's why he lashes out in anger at that comment - just like Zuko does when Aang tells him that he can be better than what the fire nation is right now. Ozai mentions Zuko's mom and I think it terrifies him, the idea that the 'weak' can become strong - I think Ozai has been taught that either you're strong or you're weak, it's innate and unchangeable. He can't imagine he's created a weak child, so Zuko MUST be naturally strong, he's just been too sheltered so it hasn't been able to come out yet.

The idea that what Ozai thought was fundamental could actually change I think shifts Ozai's entire world view. If he accepts that, then it would mean all his 'sacrificing of the weak' would have been incorrect even by his own logic - and I think it could tie back to Ursa, his wife, as well. I hope we get more on her and Ozai's actual dynamic in season 2 as it was something I felt was lacking from the OG show. Ozai, I believe is struggling as to where, actually, to place Ursa on his 'weak' or 'strong' hierarchy and it's destabilizing to him. He has to keep up the idea that the strong are strong the weak are weak and it's just the natural order of the world that the fire nation is on top - because it means they're inherently strong and that cannot change.

AAAHHHHHHH the 41st reveal!!!!!!!!! Just, the genius of that move - the layers, the angst, the connection Zuko and the crew now naturally have - it's just so good. Zuko is surrounded by evidence reminding him of the biggest failure in his father's eyes - the reason he was punished right before him. Of course he's going to harbor resentment, then extra anger when they don't treat him with respect due to his resenting them. Of course he's going to have so many conflicting feelings about being surrounded by the people whose lives he saved - at the cost of his home, his dignity, and his father's love.

He didn't intentionally set out to sacrifice all that to save their lives, but his actions led to that outcome anyways and I think that's such an interesting take to have on a 'sacrifice to save lives' story. Zuko was just doing what he thought was right. He was trying to save people, and he took his actions not having a clue what it would cost him. It's not a cut and dry - I saw something bad happening and willingly took the consequence to save them, it's much more complex than that - a complex story where the one who unwittingly gave the sacrifice learns that it truly was a sacrifice and not a punishment. Someone who was forced into a 'hero' position who has to grow and change in order to fit into that hero mold their actions have already put them in. It's just a really fascinating angle to show a heroic act.

I've seen some issues about the 41st being Zuko's assigned crew, so I wanted to address that: I assumed that all Fire Nation military was the navy. They're an island nation and every single Fire Nation military group we see are on or from ships - and we see presumably the same soldiers operating the ship as we do on the war rhinos when they come ashore. So I didn't think it was odd at all that the battalion that was about to be sacrificed in a land assault was also the one running the ship. I also don't think it 'cheapens' Zuko's sacrifice or makes it so that it was a…idk, story choice that said 'see, it's justified what all happened'. Definitely didn't see Ozai's convo with Zuko after being burned as the writers saying 'see, all this is justified and we should see good logic in Ozai's choice here' - it was very clearly still framed as bad? Yeah, Ozai thinks he's doing the right thing, but like, media literacy y'all.

Ugh, Lieutenant Jee and the rest of the crew showing Zuko the respect a crown prince would usually get right after one of Zuko's greatest 'failures' of a mission. Zuko is confused at Aang's compassion toward him, angry that he's poking holes in his world view, and crawling back on board after having lost the Avatar once again - and being greeted with love and care and respect. "Our prince has returned" - It's not the home Zuko thinks he needs to return to, but it IS the home he and the crew have made for themselves over the past 3 years. It's a place he's being welcomed back to while he's still thinking the goal is to get back to the fire nation. Such a good message that unfortunately, Zuko doesn't see quite yet, but each little step in the right direction counts.

Again, linking the ending monologue back to EVERY character in the show - this time the narrative having drawn so many parallels to how Zuko retains his mask and then showing how his father reacts the same way - showing that Ozai is wearing a mask too, just one that's been welded onto him through many more years. This was truly Zuko's episode - and it's his mask that needs to slip the most - or rather, for him to realize that the Blue Spirit that saved Aang and connected with him wasn't the mask at all, but rather what could be his true face.

I really, really liked the alterations from the animated series they did in this episode. Yes, having Zuko fight his father in the Agni Kai was a HUGE change, having his father be more than a cold and distant disapproving figure was VERY different, but I think this is what the showrunners meant when they said they were taking a more 'mature' and 'GOT' tone with this adaptation: they were adding depth and nuance to the 'villains' and making them more grounded in reality than the heightened villainy of the animated series. Older kids (and adults) can handle seeing a villain have complex interactions - they can understand that even though Ozai BELIEVES he's doing the right thing by Zuko, that he ISN'T ACTUALLY (ok, some of us can see that, others seem to think the show was saying Ozai is good, actually but that's an issue with them and their media literacy, not with the writing of the show that expects the audience to have critical thinking skills).

Anyways, it was a fantastic episode and has provided much content for my essay about live-action Ozai that I'm writing.

[mz-elysium]

why wyll....

i finished bg3 with wyll and idk if i've ever been SO MAD about any story's writing choices. i legit feel robbed of what we could've had.

i've never felt such a feral need to write fanfic to fix... an entire character.

spoilers and rant under cut

idk if people were whining THAT MUCH about Wyll in early access. I just know he was rarely used bc as the "Blade of Frontiers" w/o Pact of the Blade, he really suffered in combat.

But, hey, he's now... quite good. My hero of Act 2 fights (sorc!Tav, Wyll, Shadowheart, Astarion). Gave him two levels of Paladin and he hits like a truck.

But they ~rewrote~ his story.

They broke him. This was a PERFECTLY good warlock and they ruined him. He was a fraud, a liar, a reckless proud cheat who wanted to be beloved by the smallfolk and sung about by the bards -- and not beat by goblins at level 1, but he was a useless fighter so he made a pact with a devil. Like the others, he was complicated. Flawed. In need of fixing a deep-rooted problem that the tadpoles could've taken advantage of.

But now, he's unfinished. His story feels so empty in Act 3. I managed to free him from the pact AND save his father, but their reunion is so flat and lackluster. I was totally expecting to find that an overbearing father was at the heart of Wyll's need to be praised/admired/loved, but there's just total forgiveness.... after 7yrs of exiling your teenage son for fucking a devil. Their dialogue trees also kept looping and his father addressed Tav as "my son" more than once.

Throughout the game, Wyll also said (in the same convo) that he "always wanted to get out of the pact", "never regretted it", and had "a hero's heart". He encouraged me regularly to follow my heart, that we don't need tadpoles or other powers to Do The Right Thing. Bruh. You're a warlock. What moral high-ground do you have? Either Mizora has never fucked you over by having you kill innocents/do minor evil (obviously not true), or she has, in which case you're a desperate liar but I can't call you out on it.

They made Wyll flawless, mature, always right, and honourably heroic. He never loses his cool. He holds nothing against his father. He's never lost a major defeat to hold grudges against. I would've loved EA Wyll to have a chance to become this stoic, calm, centered paladin. But Wyll, now, doesn't feel like he's earned it.

They made Gale less manipulative/sketchy before launch, which is fine. But completely erasing Wyll's growth by dropping him at the finish line is so unsatisfying.

I can totally see EA Wyll's development: from a lying adventurer crutching on his powers and needing the praise and reputation as a folk hero, to leaving the pact behind and growing up to save his father at the cost of his legend; becoming Grand Duke to do "common boring heroics" that make a difference.

But it just... doesn't exist. I have no idea why full-release Wyll wouldn't become his father's heir. He doesn't seem to need his identity as The Blade of Frontiers as much as EA Wyll did. He's older, mature, and less violent.

It felt the whole time like I was adventuring with someone whose arc had already finished. Shadowheart and Astarion changed dramatically; their comments, greetings, convos. Wyll was so static and painfully dull.

Also, making him half-devil looks super wonky. His horns are too wide and don't really suit him, let alone how he clips. He has no arc, coming to terms with them. You can't uncurse him.

I was most excited for Wyll in full release and I just feel like I played 92hrs waiting for him to turn on. A waste of a companion slot, when I could've taken Lae'zel this whole time and actually had a character with depth and development.

[besidesitstoowarm]

"The End of Time part 2" thoughts

happy valentine's my bf and i ate indian takeout watching this ep and both teared up when wilf saluted the doctor. there is so much going on here

so we open on the time lords convening and one of them says "the doctor still possesses the moment" a detail i did not recall. i can't wait to get to "day of the doctor" and track the throughlines. there's a seer predicting "gallifrey falls" again i say. apparently many people in the time war just die over and over on repeat, which is rough. rassilon describes the doctor/master relationship as "enmity of ages" their impact.

the master taunts the doctor about wilf saying "your dad's still kicking up a fuss" and wilf says "well i'd be proud if i was" it hurts me. the doctor calls donna his best friend and then says "you could be so wonderful....you could be beautiful" to the master hello? girl? the master says "i don't know what i'd be without that noise" and the doctor says "wonder what i'd be without you" HELLO??? GIRL??? the doctor tells the master he's dying and the master snaps back "this body was born of death, all it can do is die" we love inevitability!

so we get THEE laugh, the one repeated on echo from the last part, and it's the moment where the master realizes the time lords planted the drumbeat in his head. that's the moment that plays in everyone's head, the realization

ten and wilf are stranded in space. ten says he's 906, meaning only like 3 years have passed as ten?? the fucking second doctor was 450, two doctors (and two had more life to live after that convo) had 450 years and ten had THREE?? damn this bitch was busy. he and wilf trade war stories. wilf says they must all seem so tiny to him and he says "i think you look like giants" then he gets all melancholy again. "sometimes i think a time lord lives too long" yeah dude i remember lazarus too. he refuses wilf's gun until he realizes the time lords are coming back and then he SNATCHES it up

star wars ass scene shooting missiles out of the sky. wilf says basically it's okay if they're about to die but please tell him. ten does not say anything and they crash to earth instead. rassilon and the other time lords come back and everyone says exposition out loud. one of the dissenters was the woman who appeared to wilf in visions last ep, she clearly recognizes the doctor and the doctor clearly recognizes her. wilf even asks at the end who she was and the doctor doesn't answer. prevailing wisdom 10 years ago was that this was the doctor's mother but i don't think i believe that. if she is anyone we've met before, it's 1000% susan. before the war he was a father and grandfather and now he is NEITHER!! but he is STILL A DOCTOR!! it's rich to me. i want to ask russell if this was supposed to be anyone in particular i'd give anything. "vale decem" plays a little when they lock eyes

anyway the master shoots rassilon w force lightning for making him this way and they all get exploded i think? they all disappear anyway, time lock restored, just the doctor lying in a broken heap on the floor. wilf is locked in the radiation room and the doctor screams and cries and throws up knowing he has to save wilf (or feels like he does). "my reward" and all that. this doesn't really feel like rose to me, i'm not sure where this attitude comes from. closest analogue i can make is eleven snapping in "a town called mercy" where he even references the master as one of the lives lost because he showed mercy. he does save wilf tho, of course. he engages in his favorite pastime of "dying of radiation poisoning" and goes on his farewell tour

martha and mickey are married which is bullshit. he sets jack up with alonso which is cute. hi sarah jane and son. he stops by donna's wedding and gives her a lottery ticket (winning) w money he borrowed from her deceased father. wilf salutes, crying, and we both choked up watching. ten says "i'll see you one more time" did russell know? did he know. i'm glad it was true at least. then rose and jackie!! it's new years 2005!! i bet you're gonna have a great year!!

ood sigma plays him out. "vale decem" in full swing, it's a banger of a track. iconic "i don't want to go" and eleven's introduction by crashing his on-fire tardis. this episode was a wreck and made no sense. it's amazing and i love it dearly. gonna try and do a specials/era retrospective in the airport tomorrow

[greyeyedmonster-18]

Just finished clear eyes and I ADORED IT!! But I would love to know, how did Orion say the move to NY wasn’t happening - like I know Sirius predicated it and did the pretend convo to James but did Orion call Sirius? And then did Sirius tell everyone? Or did he just phone the house and tell whoever picked up? How did effie and monty and James react? And then following on from that how did remus react when Sirius told him?

I just loved it and it’s consuming my mind now, I loved the potter family with Sirius and regulus so integrated in and it was so cool, i also really enjoyed the Americanness as a non American like monty in particular i was reading it in like a (my version of) southern American accent and every time he said son I died 🫶🫶🫶 sorry for the spam of questions, I’ve asked way way way too much here so no pressure to answer or respond at all!!

hello and thank you for reading!! I'm glad you enjoyed a football fic as a non-american and the non-specific southern accents they all had <3. no need to apologize for the spam questions! one thing about fic writers is we all love to talk about our fics. ask away!

i had no idea that that question of like "but how did new york not happen????" would haunt so many readers so...i'm just going to give a little bonus and write it out <3

Last trip before all your final exams start, bud, I swear.

That's what his Father had said during their last phone call, when Sirius expressed that weekly trips to New York, now that the Football season had come to a close, wasn't exactly helpful for a study schedule and finishing up a school semester. An excuse? Maybe, but Sirius knew it was one that worked. Half of Sirius's closet had been packed and placed into suitcases, and he clung to the handles of both as he and Regulus made their way through the busy baggage claim of the New York airport. Sirius had his phone in his other hand, checking and double-checking for a phone call to tell him where to meet his Dad.

"Slow down," Regulus said from somewhere behind him as Sirius shouldered his way through the crowds, desperate to find any type of breathing room or personal space. But Sirius had a feeling touching perfect strangers would be his norm very soon. Even the buildings were close together here.

"You're s'posed to be the fastest one in the State, I think you can keep up, Reg," Sirius teased, looking over his shoulder to make sure Regulus was actually somewhere close behind him and not lost in Terminal 3. Regulus had a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, wheeling a suitcase behind him, and a scowl on his face from all the people who simply couldn't be bothered to say excuse me.

"I just don't know what you're runnin' for. Dad's not gonna leave without us." Regulus told him when he caught up, now that they were outside of the terminal and waiting on the sidewalk for pick-up. Puffs of air ghosted out in front of their faces, warm breath meeting cold air and it didn't take long for Regulus to put his hands inside his coat pockets, shoulders shrugging up around his neck.

"Get's ya places faster..." Sirius returned, looking down at his phone and then back toward the line of cars. It seemed like the sound of the cicadas and birds chirping would be replaced with honking horns and ambulance sirens, and Sirius wasn't sure he was ready for it. Not at all.

--

Hours later, there had been no phone call. They waited outside on the curb until Sirius's fingers felt like they had frozen in place around the phone. He had called his Father several times, to have it ring. The last time he called, it went straight to the voicemail, and by then they had moved inside to the baggage claim, Black Brothers slumped against a wall, watching as the carousel went around and around.

Flights came and went. People picked up their bags and reunited with loved ones. Sirius and Regulus waited for a phone call, or else a stranger with a sign to appear signaling that someone had remembered they were coming, and were excited to see them.

Sirius checked his watch, and let out a breath through his lips.

"...You go first." Regulus whispered quietly, his head reclined and staring up at the ceiling. Voice strained and Sirius was afraid to look completely at him, knowing there were tears likely streaming down his face.

Hypothetical Freaks.

"...No." Sirius said quietly, shaking his head, "No." Louder. "I'm not playin' that anymore. I'm...I'm not doin' this."

Sirius flipped his phone open and pressed a few buttons before holding it to his ear.

Ring.

Rin--

"Sirius?"

"Hi Mom," Sirius practically choked out, not knowing until that moment how much relief he would feel, just having someone pick up the damn phone.

"Monte, it's Sirius and Reg!" Euphemia called and Sirius couldn't help but smile, imagining her screaming through the house, "Well, hi sweetheart, did you make it--"

"Mom, we're still at the airport," Sirius started, "I've called, I can't even tell ya how many times now, and it rings and it rings and no one answers, and we're stuck sittin' here at a stupid airport, I don't know where to go--I don't have my new stupid address memorized yet or the subway or anythin' and we can't go anywhere, and please just tell me what to do, please." Sirius didn't care that his voice had gone up two octaves the longer he spoke to his Mom; Sirius didn't care that he shook with every word, or that for once he dropped like he had everything figured out in front of Regulus. Nothing was okay, nothing was fine, and Sirius was done pretending it would work out okay.

There was rummaging on the other side of the phone.

"Sirius? You just hold on now, okay?" Fleamont said, "You know I'm not too good with the flights and lookin' at times, so I've got Effie on her phone right now. We'll figure this out, okay?"

"Can we just...come home?"

"We got you, kid. Just hold on."

[feuqueerfire]

From Now On, Showtime! Live Blogging

This is actually one of the first non-queer kdramas I added back on MDL after I started getting into BL/GLs because I saw a clip on twitter (from ep 4? idk) where he's doing a magic trick with floating cards with the help of ghosts.

Finally managed to download something onto my iPad to watch on my long-ass commute.

Ep 1 (June 14)

ah he’s a shaman fr

Was that in the past or it happened now?

Ah magician Cha Cha Woong

he’s got ghosts helping him right?

This cop reminds me of the MC of Midnight

Ah ofc the arrow

How’d he even dooo that oh wait was a ghost riding the bike

First meeting

Switched helmet? Will the camera catch Cha Woong being weird w the ghosts

Pls the hearts

Lol the dash cam catching all this convo, he even mentioned ghosts

Ah so grandpa dying was indeed in the present

Oh corrupt Chief Seo is Captain Heesoo’s father

Nooo how did neighbour dad-to-be die

He was murdered?!

Cha Woong is sooooo heartless

I wonder what the dashcam actually recoded though bc i wanna know the crime scene

pls not the ghosties protecting him against her arresting Cha Woong

I was wondering if he'd reveal the ghosts or not - he could still spin it as a silly joke like "ahaha a ghost ofc" but we'll see

Ep 2 (June 14)

lol ghost Mr. Ma (?) reminiscing on his thug days when he'd be taken to the police station

wait are they supposed to be a romance? why did they linger like that on her grabbing on to him? I thought maybe she and the sunbae would become something

who is that guy? some boss at the car place - he easily seems like the one who ran the dude over, though my initial guess was actually the Chief Seo guy - the detective mans dad

...it's not 1004 but there's a car with 1604 near the bakery?

lol the SUV of the company indeed the boss. so if they've found it so quick

ah is this a 2-ep format like Tomorrow? deal with a new ghost every week?

why didn't the ghosts come to get the helmet?

ah, confession under duress - will this actually work? ig it might by drama logic

oh loll this is the card floating trick that I saw on twitter

ah, so they managed to get and restore the helmet, that feels necessary

so is the Chief Seo protecting Seul Hae by not letting her be a detective (since the son mentioned that his father still feels bad about what happened to her dad) or is he covering his tracks by ensuring she can't catch him doing something bad?

so this is softening Cha Cha Woong, I see

ah man love triangle already? Cha Woong getting jealous seeing her and the detective after telling her to never come near him again? be serious

pls T.T this worshipping spirit scene

too dark, idk what's happening but Chief Seo and Seul Hae's dad fighting some spirit? oh he was killed by the full moon murderer? did they ever catch him?

oh i see, he fell off the cliff

oh? that's the full moon murderer? in the fishing village? idk why they're zooming in on his ear - is there a bullet hole or smth? te split on his ear?

or where'd that flashlight come from and who picked it up under the water?

wtf is that voice - slight horror vibes here?

damn bruh, that was Cha Woong's dream/nightmare that the Worshipping Spirit gave him?

ah, Cha Woong fainting and Seul Hae having to hold him up, okay

Ep 3 (June 15)

watched the first half while going to get my covid booster + waiting afterwards

so he doesn't have to be a shaman, just needs to do good things to get thanks from Seul Hae

oh, that's why everyone could see the worshiping spirit, they're all ghosts

plsssss ofc the cops barge in when they're here

The first half of the episode was so boring, my goodness but at least it picked up once we got to the gambler son story

Ep 4 (June 15)

damn some past life stuff?

second lead Heesoo is annoying wtf is "just to clean? this late? just you two?"

damn, what's happening - this creepy vibe

oh second couple? eh

ohh i was like why is he being so nice to this cafe owner but it's actually the ghost's pay i guess?

a dark soul into this Soondong dude's body oof the spirit is killing people on the full moon again but how'd it go into that lamp thing all this time

ah, so Cha Woong's grandpa and the whispering spirit had sealed the full moon spirit and drowned it

oh, Cha Woong and Seul Hae's past life that we saw a glimpse of is from the worshipping spirit's time?

Do we always need a Joseon era past lives connection in these fantasy type kdramas lol I watched Tomorrow recently and that had that too

Ep 5 (June 16)

Thoughts after watching the whole thing.

the full moon murderer at it again and this time he even saw Seul Hae

ah Cha Woong saw Seul Hae’s dad that last day + saw her at the funeral while she hates his grandpa shaman - Aris drug sting ah

the fuckass love triangle stuff is irritating like why are we doing this posturing thing. also the male bestie who is so possessive of his female bestie is a boooo trope

how is he suddenly such a good fighter, the ghosts are helping or what

Ep 6 (June 16)

Thoughts after watching the whole thing.

ah this chief is soooo agh full of corruption

Plsssss side girl’s reading of herself being dangerous and greedy and telling him to be careful

the cha woong fiancé wannabe is such a bitchhhh but she's funny i can’t decide if i like her or not

ahh the argument about grandpa vs father at the police station is great

ohhh i want the chief dead “why don’t you quit the force and find a nice man to marry” um die you fucking crook cheat corrupt ladder climber

at least he gather up 1 tiny bit of courage to go after the full moon murderer even if he returned a decade later

chief is soooooo booooooooooo ew

Ep 7 (June 16/17)

oh, she died because of him? he accidentally killed her?

worshiping spirit's goal is to connect the two of them? what? what was the mistake he made?

so he was a robber thief man and then the evil spirit got him?

ah the sunbae asks her to weekend bowling and now Cha Woong has to also get a move on. he's so silly tho repeating every last word gbye

I wish the evil spirit man wasn't the only one with a limp or some sort of disability in the show

don't kill herrrrrrrrrrrr D:

plssss her arguing with the grim reaper

but now she can tell them the guy who came to beat her up, right? ask herrr

pls can't she just say what the dude was wearing and stuff bc then at least they can check the CCTV again etc

wait wtf, her husband killed her?

The fact that all the pure and 7 whatever have been all women is boring and predictable boo

Ep 8 (June 17)

the evil spirit could tell the husband was "like him?"

oh at least we get one dude with the pure 7 skies thing or whatever

plsss not the bed-sharing to see the ghosts in the video

i wish we got to see a bit more of the aftermath of catching the husband and how the sunbae and his father reacted to it all

oh the people who the evil spirit had buried were the parents of the house?

evil spirit is also from 2000 years ago goddamn but i think we knew that, right? since the ghost was release from the Cha family

Ep 9 & 10 (June 17)

ngl i really don't care about their past lives

a ring magic trick??? be srs

pls why do seul hae and cha woong keep getting into these unintentional couple face-offs

what is this couple's match where only the guys play

ah

plsss the grandma telling him that "aigoo, you have bad taste in women" because he likes yeji

i need the chief to die sooooo terribly like just painfully take that coward out you piece of shit

I can't remember when I went onto the next ep without doing the new ep thing but I guess it's around here.

they really left the evil fucking spirit at a place just like that so that some kids can easily release it fr?

plsssss Yeji has such a rancid personality, she's so funny

ah, is the grandma gonna die?

damn, she's really leading him into a secluded place by themselves? bruv. but ig him somehow recognizing her will save her

ah as expected he too recognizes her from 2000 years ago

couldn't you just have stuck the paper on him, this time of meeting and then nothing coming out of it is annoying

at least Hee Soo sunbae knows the truth about his father and the tragedy 10 years ago now

hm would Hee Soo die trying to get full man murderer?

anyway since early on, the chief and his son's relationship where the father is corrupt and the son wants to seek justice has reminded me of Beyond Evil (it was done better in BE) and I miss that show.

I've also been like ah, this past lives thing reminds me of Tomorrow and I don't care about it whatsoever. let's stay in the present pls

Ep 11 (June 17)

ah, this old-time past-life stuff

oh, he got the evil spirit into the bottle?

yang taechoon is an ordinary man now right, no evil spirit within him - just regular evilness that made the spirit choose him? - though i wonder if he'll manage to free the spirit again or what

oh Hee Soo shot him

oh she can see the ghosts now

ewwwww the way the detectives talk about Seul Hae "she always talks about her goal to be a detective but her goal's to actually be with you" "be careful or she'll put those shackles on you" agh

plsss so funny to see Yeji's rotten personality around the cop dude's mother like oh miss you're gonna regret it

agh we're just going through the past life and it could be okay what with the treats Poong Baek was facing etc but fr is Seul Hae's old life just spent cooing over Poong Baek or what. did i intend to watch a show where our main female lead is just pureness and boy crazy?

Joseon era powerful princess or whoever in high station being kind to the poor people is so eye-roll worthy ngl

ah, that's why the ring is significant

she's sooo cute and pretty and funny pls the way she got a proposal out of him

...aren't the evil spirit man and Cheon Hwa related... like if he's the illegitimate son and his brother is the king and she's the princess, then she's his niece?

bruh 40 minutes of the joseon era past and we still don't know the full story? be serious

Ep 12 (June 17)

man we're still on the past-life train

oh i see, never mind so mans gave his own brother the king of his own kingdom the poisoned concoction, not Seora's king. so they are indeed not related, i was so confused

ah, so he really was a traitor? i thought he's been framed but maybe not?

ah indeed he was framed

why do i always have to watch women be abused or treated as property in these shows like we can have fantasy of seeing ghosts and magic but not enough fantasy to not have women face sexism and abuse?

ah they're finally dying over 30 minutes in, so we'll get to go back to present time

oh damn Cha Woong already told Seul Hae about their past life, interesting I didn't think it'd be such a footnote in their interactions

plsss Cha Woong becoming soooo weirdly sweet now, my man is sooo in love with her (including her past life self lol) and keeps remembering it pls like it's a little weird actually <- ah she thinks so too that he keeps reenacting past life stuff

pls him saying he'll wait for her to kiss him

....would Hae Soo end up being evil? That'd be cowardly of the show to do

ohhh the reason the worshipping spirit is making up for his bad karma with the Cha bloodline is because he betrayed Poong Baek?

bro i needed this flashback to be 2 minutes max but we're getting everything

ahh, Hae Soo pretending (I'm assuming?) that he's just like his dad reminds me so much of Beyond Evil - but also ummm why is that voice sounding? Is Hae Soo possessed by the evil spirit or something

oh fuck they really made Hae Soo be an evil spirit victim. this would've been better if Seul Hae still liked him or was dating him but now it just feels cowardly as a way to remove him as an option

Seul Hae is for real the only female cop and detective

It does make sense that the evil spirit isn't fully gone because it'd be too easy otherwise

Ep 13 (June 17)

plsss even the grandma reading that the son's gf (Yeji) is not a good person

eww hae soo

it's dark, i can't see anything

ah they're together now i guess

i'm glad dongcheol found his gf tho

Ep 14 (June 18)

lmao all the ghosties against Cha Woong and Seul Hae relationship

oooaaaa so Yongryul's not rich and Yeji's gonna end up actually liking him

plssssss Cha Woong unable to help Seul Hae and it being the awkwardest thing on this double date good bye I'm dying

i think Seul Hae could've told Yeji about why he's not helping her lol this is so awkward I'm gonna crawl into a hole

ahh this fire where Areum saves a kid T.T

Ep 15 (June 18)

I have an assignment + homework thing to do ahhh but i just wanna watch some more of this

i need to kill every man in the detective office btw the way they blame and yell at Seul Hae for every fucking thing

ahh Yeji and Yongryul's mom's first proper meeting

why don't we get anywhere with the Hee Soo thing? it's

damn all the ghosties dealt with unfinished business and went to nirvana T.T

oh at least we still get to have Hee Soo in the mirror, so we might still have him return to being an okay person by the end

pls Yeji also has the 7 stars channel thing? how's that possible when she's so rancid, I thought it was supposed to be a pure thing

why'd he even announce himself before just capturing the spirit or whatever

Ep 16 (June 18)

1 last episode ah I should at least start working on my assignment but alas, I'm here...

um???? is this stupid ass breakup because he's gonna be possessed?????? she's in danger and you're leaving her like this? you piece of shit you fuck just tell her the truth

ah Heesoo's father now

bruv ofc Chawoong would hold the knife and ofc the dumbass detectives would get here at this time

the old ghosties T.T plssss

it was sooo small case almost non-existent threat for the past few episodes that it's like what? when it comes to the high stakes of this ep

hmmm would they have truly killed him?

agh fuckass past life again, go backkk idc

wait the worshipping spirit is coming back again or something?

kids?! wtf tiny ass ghosties

ohh their kid Maru is reincarnated worshipping spirit mans lol

Overall:

Funny and comedic with likable characters (even rancid characters like Yeji were charming to me). Nothing too deep, though it had some touching moments. Too much dramatic romance in the second half, I don't care about their royal/shaman past life tragedy and I think that made it kinda meh for me in the latter half.

Rating: 6.5/10

[sugaroto]

Imagine getting called to the head teacher's office being accused for cigarettes, for him just to tell you "We're cousins" and τίνος είσαι εσύ?😭

Yall-

Ok so in the morning when I had a class in room 9 I found an old cigarette butt under my desk, and I was like "there's a cigarette here" and my teacher was like that's not yours? Who sits here during the rest of the day? (Cause my class only uses that room for 2 hours a day) and I'm like those 2 guys sit here (which I knew were sitting there cause one has been carving his name in the desk and the second one left his book under my seat the other day) but I was like "it doesn't mean, they're smoking it could be literally anyone else in the class + the teacher would have seen/smell them"

Anyways some hours later I'm sitting out and the teacher comes like "Sugar can you come with me,"

And like what the fuck does she need me for?

Does she need help with something? Probably not, she personally picked me yknow

And I'm like???

And she's like "the head teacher wants to see you, about what you saw in the morning" or something and the bell rings and I'm like -you know I have a class and all- right now?

And anyways, she informed the teacher I had a class with about it I guess and offered to come with me in the head teacher's office, she probably could see I was kinda panicking

And we go in, this mfing celebrity speaks to the phone of course, and the poor science teacher is sitting in the chair, -who knows for how long- and me and the teacher just stand in the corner like 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

And after he's done with his call he's like "what did you saw in the morning?"

Me:"An old cigarette. "

Head teacher:"You don't smoke?"

Me: "No I don't-"

Teacher: "Sugar is a really good kid, I know she doesn't smoke-"

Head teacher: "I know she doesn't, because we're cousins!"

And then he changed the subject so fast asking me if I'm related to X guy who had the English classes and what relationship they have with [place head teacher is from] and I'm like "I don't know much about that side of the family, my mom raised me" like- my knowledge goes as far as recognizing he's talking about my grandfather from father's side, idk what relations they had with [his place]

And he's like "I know. What's your mom's last name?"

And im like "[last name]"

And then he had me explaining my whole family line😭

- Your mom is [that] priest's daughter?

-Yeah

-He has 3 daughters right?

-Yeah, 4 kids

-is your mom the oldest?

-no she's the second

-who is the oldest ?

-my aunt [1name]

-and the 3rd one?

-my aunt [2name]

- who works at [place]?! I know her, who's the 4th one then?

-my uncle he lives in [far]

-oh that's why I got confused, he has a son.

-You're also related to the guy who has the school canteen?

- in junior high school? I think so...

-he's a cousin of your mom?

- I think

- I have a class I need to leave now, (she realized this was a lost cause and I was safe😭)

-your aunt [1name] stil works there? She goes and help sometimes?

-no, that's not my aunt, my aunt works at [place] (my 48 year old aunt and the 70+ woman who had the school canteen have the same first and last name)

-oh the place with the salads?! (Like dude- they sell literally everything what the fuck do you mean salads, why are you so specific?)

Meanwhile after my teacher left I was also getting closer to the door, like 👁👄👁Ihaveaclassletmeleave yeah aunts😀

Btw the convo is little mixed up but before he started with my family line, he was like the cigarette could have fallen from the roof cause we had workers there like a month ago, and it could be old and all

And my teacher had come with me to support me cause she knows I don't smoke 💪

But then he started acting like an aunty and she was like yep I'm out

Meanwhile the physics teacher was there the whole time😭 waiting for the nonsense to end so he could finish his job or whatever

Anyways he sent kisses and love to my aunt #2 cause they work together there and to my mom too

So remember kids, if without your knowledge you're cousins with your head teacher, that means a)you're not smoking and that b) he sends a lot of kisses and love cause he works with politics stuff and needs voters loves your family

[rgs-savant-praytell-airor]

No one understands the word continuity, it means making sure it lasts and honor for in the scitz life their is none, try to get high with the 2012s and the word continuity in mind to balance so you may pour evenly efficiently the weed in your mouth.

2012

Conclusion

2012

Solution

2012

resolution

Judge all things even jab slaves.

Chanting circles

Reading biblay.

The evidence of reality.

Just rotate that in your mind and smoke and live life.

Remember the solutions pain is a call hence cloud.

Conclusion the honor hence continuity.

And resolution a quarter pound c15.

Remember it's an itch let the dandruff fade.

Word btwn us maybe the aircon let's you shit as parents do but perhaps a child's 1st memory is when he shits on his own.

........

2012s was is is to come

Faith hope love and the greatest of these is love.

Constitution 1g dream.

America.

Son of silence, the word, life

War peace paradise

Dream mahershalahhashbaz emmanuel

E.t. phone home

Flouride phone 25cnt

By this you know the world is empty and it lies

I got 50gs.....static

2012

....................

. .. .....

. ..

Faith war god anger

Hope peace dre wrath

Love paradise jesus fury

333...

☓

Gja

🚬

Trust aol.

..........

2012

Kiss 2

Chant bible life

Faith hope love

Blood withdrawal 1

Greetings rash tyhomas

Son of silence the word life

.......

G code

25 cnt 25 yes 200 know

Tyhomas yack noise cancelation

2020

Riz

Alpha and omega

Anger wrath fury 0

Cars AOL lie

Constitution 1g dream

+

Dream mahershalahasbaz emmanuel.

If you don't know the day and you don't know the hour that means you can't see the son only the father knows.

SpongeBob elden.

.........

I tell you the truth

25cnt cursing and blessings

Fb god

2023 the face of him who sits on the throne. Wire tap.

E.t. phone home.

........

You call jesus loop the people in 25cnt use the g code for collect, tell him the kiss make it ever more real in the blood withdrawal and be yourself in zero riz, imagine heaven imagine earth will a trumpet be blown...

2 witnesses learning remembering/memory

Truth mary.v

Gold copper silver

Gja

.......

New tip:

Imagine a *V*

The quarter is at the fulcrum

Think jesus/urself*

The left is 1 life*/chanting 2

The right is noise cancelation1/bible

Talk to the quarter.

The right is phone.peter the left flouride.ariel

Even you the quarter/jesus.

Imagine electricity running threw the left flouride down into the quarter and out the phone. 3 dre.

Then Imagine your brain taking a shit upward removing the scitz just by relating to jesus in convo. Comfy.

I Imagine that's what was happening with the Germans.

They built quarters fried jews and fused with Germans all one race.

Instead of quarter ships we have quarter shits from birds. And we do we have body of beryl j ships.

......

Please note with the aircon your flying and curing illness multiplied prayer. When you pray it leaves a stench from your body. On top of that people will drip liquid nitrogen in it.

You must smoke and return the curse to the sender, by faith we know who it is, use the formula the kiss most above all for strength and the blood withdrawal a stab in the back as clarity of continuity the magic of being reaped from the earth and the seriousness of life and passing. The lord is with you in anger wrath fury /cars AOL lies talk to him. It's God dre jesus faith hope love, son of silence the word life gold copper silver.

Detox your aircon. Believe in my cross.

Liquid nitrogen it's Stat description is liken unto bleach, tread on serpents as paul who was bitten did into the fire, return curse to sender. Beware the spells and incantations of witches and warlocks.

[intolerancecare]

See...

Did viber recorded my convo? or the devil did?

I'll do a timeline:

That effing devil asked me something about Dina (my roommate) and Carlos (his roommate) He is feeling close. I don't like him. them. My alterego ate or maybe the baby don't like them. Understand? They were not raised poor.

Then he asked again if I have a phone. I'm not interested actually. I have an analogue. I just wanted a laptop for YM and movies. But he mentioned Viber, which is not yet in the Philippines then, (he knows because he came to Kwt, around 6 months before my batch) He even asked me that day to join him because they are going to the mall. He even waved like a puppy from the other bus.

I didn't join him, but I did take a phone because I learned that it was their mode of communication. Everyone even whatsapp. So, he is the first person that I asked about the app. I was so haphazard in checking. He sent so many food stickers.

January birthday celebrants prepared a party (I think they collected money from us too) I wanted to join. That's how we were raised in school. K? We were kinda like part-time actors. All performing arts after school. Yes, like Singapore's Private classes. The top students like Korea's cram school. I thought maybe because the pop student was a director's son. Yes, he is not the relative. Going back, when I asked him about the party, he didn't answer that was his style. I was a bit insecure at that time. He doesn't answer even those he hears me he was kinda like internalizing.

Then C and her minions attacked me. Real? She you? It wasn't necessary. Jim's dopple ganger was right. No expectation. I know my place. They made this epic. It wasn't necessary.

March, your anniv? She kind?

My friend's birthday.

I panicked, so I asked a friend. A late acceptance to his prior invitation. I don't want to talk to the girls. The bastard cried. I'm used to hanging out with friends. Why would he cry? I'm supposed to be the one crying on that day. I wanted to meet new friends. I think I knew then that the white lady from H&M was in their flat. That extortionist? That's what I know. And Dina also talks a lot about Carlos, his roommate. That's me. I needed friends.

I knew then that I was dealing with... If I am a robber, I was seeing pick pocketers. You know, scheming planners. Like these, that I am blubbering. building effing network. A network's name...

They just hit me hard. Obando after Jerry. They turned him. Yeah, they became Millionaire's children.

He is not real to me? Then what was his purpose for getting close to me? You know when gossip mongers whisper their cuss, they will gather around me. Then he'll say "apat dapat" (must be four) He, Melojane and Monatus. See, they ganged up on me. Threat? because I was surrounded with foreign friends. Sayang naman panlilibre at pagkocoat nila for a dinner sa hotel. Eliting the arabs? Elite e. Melojane was like: My husband brought me this for this KD. Yes, 3 idiots' mr. price tag. I know some real rich people would say I bought this BRAND for a cheaper price (but of course it was not really cheap). Then Arjun will say: We used to be rich. My father had a business. He a fortune teller? He is so fucking amazing? Fucking kind to everyone right? Haha! See, they like throwing parties. I just like parties. No bribery. No political advertisement. They look so effing rich. Monatus said his mother is a DOH secretary (he was a grocery bagger)

Me and Melojane was chosen as the trainer cum assistant. They had to go back to the stores. Look here. During our team building and send off party for them, he sat beside me. Didn't notice him until he asked (surrounded by everyone) "Did you love me?" How do relationship starts? I dunno? but maybe I should try. I think my quick thoughts was actually the possible impediments of my finances, like, if I can handle him if this is a kasubuan, like, not for fun. I still have responsibilities. I mean gf can be so I said "yes, maybe" (duh! how did your first relationship started? Love at first sight? He's not handsome, He's not intellectual and he is not good looking and not articulate) THEN HE CRIED LIKE A DRAMA ACTOR. WATERFALLS. saying "my girlfriend is coming" I said ok. For me, it was just a try. An answer to his question. When he said that then, it's invalid. Truth is, in my blog, I was thankful for the shady part. It didn't become a commitment. Wait for the effing bluntness. What actually confused me was after his drama, he acted like a victorious actor. They rode a taxi, I was left with Mina. We walked to our place. Then I realized, maybe he cried for me? That was another loss? So, I cried, while Mina was tracking our way in his GPS. Accidentally, my phone fell on the beach that night. Thankfully, I don't need to talk to him. He was my chatmate. I chat with others too. Even Don (not dawn) I was not interested. More cautious with them. Because I don't know their culture. What I didn't know was the desperate kababayan culture. We have mixed friends right? Gender? Come on, adult doctors that I know male and female mix too. I have group of friends that are very very mix. Pride. I was testing waters, we mixed during the training.

You will think, to see if you can handle the consequences. But it was just all good intentions. Fucking trust in humanity. I have broken relationship with my family. Rehab wasn't the norm, but we do argue, just a spur of emotions but we normally make up so yeah, when I'm kind, I'm weak. Kind people don't win. Devils won.

Anyway, I did cry. But I was really happy about the training. They know I love the brand. My phone was off for days. I even yahooed, It said I should open it, let it dry and bury it under my rice. (Devil's advocate, hey, I read it from a local pocketbook) I tested my phone during our lunch break at work. In less than a minute, it rung. He was calling. He never call. I think not in viber. He called. I was very happy then. It was nothing really. Honestly. Not necessary to avoid. The thick faced called. Laughing! Did he think that I closed my phone because of him. How many times did he try? Instant rung? Coincidence? Thick face right? I searched him on FB. I didn't see any picture of a girlfriend or a name in all his posts. His family? Fat. Dark. Shady. No right to be mean. Who like who? I am not Cherry. But I only have filipinos to rely on. I don't belong to christian church too. Not kidding. Not religious but, very student for me. You know, like me as a student and nurse. They do recollections every week. See, my lola was a community prayer leader. I always join her. She pinches me whenever I move my head or say "hipus" eventhough I am not talking to anyone. But we just pray the rosary. My tita brought us to a catholic group. There was a seminar for new joiners, me and my cousins make fun of what we do sometimes but we listen. Some acts are too dramatic but we've done it in school. The priest invited us to his seminary where my father used to study. I don't know how long. I'm not an atheist. We just attend mass after the orientation.

Then one time, Melojane invited me to visit everyone at avenues. we saw him with Carlos. He was too elated, fooling around. Not disciplined? It was so effing awkward. What I did instead is stand before Carlos who was doing embroidery at some baby blanket. I shut my ears. I was too shy. It was awkward. He was too happy. I thought, this is what I do at my lola's house. Maybe I didn't think of that, but that is what I normally do. I watch skilled people.

Fucking people who said I'm the bitch.

[aces-drew]

NANCY DREW | 3x07, ‘The Gambit of the Tangled Souls’

[transmutationisms]

id love to hear more abt the piss motif could u give me a comprehensive guide so far

omg yes of course

so on the surface level, pissing on this show is often a way of expressing dominance or power relations. which makes sense on an intuitive level—it's sort of like a dog marking its territory. that's what logan is doing in 'lifeboats' when he pisses on kendall's floor, and what matsson is doing in 'too much birthday' when he pisses on the waystar app. it's also what that rando is doing when he throws piss at logan in 'austerlitz' (impaled upon his own piss-sword, humiliated by his own design, etc).

i think the writers also subvert piss-as-dominance, though, by drawing the audience's attention to 1) the grossness of it and 2) the times when characters (logan) transgress the bounds of the appropriate time/place to piss. eg, the opening scene with logan pissing on the rug. he's an incredibly rich man and he can afford to just pay someone to clean up after himself—but it's still humiliating, he can't look directly at the person doing the cleanup, and obviously it foreshadows his haemorrhage. similarly, in 'retired janitors' he's pissing constantly because he's lost control of his bladder and consequently his mind, and he becomes a tragicomic figure rather than the omnipotent patriarch-king he normally tries to be.

most interestingly, though, i think the flow of bodily fluids in general tells you something about the character's emotional state. when you see someone bleeding, pissing, shitting, puking, yerfing, or even spitting you're usually also seeing some kind of emotional turning point or release. (my faves are kendall shitting the bed at his big emotional shift in s2, and the way tom swallowing his own load is symptomatic of his emotional constipation/repression/inability to get what he wants).

plus, when i think about piss motif, i also think about the large number of scenes that take place in bathrooms (depends how you count, but roughly an average of one per episode). the bathroom is socially coded as the one place where civilised people can go to release, and i don't think it's a coincidence that we also see so many emotionally charged and significant conversations on succession happening in these settings. eg, tabitha has two significant convos about roman's sex and intimacy issues where she's in the bathroom; tom has a couple important phone calls with shiv where he's in the bathroom; i also wrote about togan piss dialectics here which was semi a joke but also... true lmao.

there's also some excellent power plays in bathrooms. eg, kendall bringing the bear hug letter to logan. he catches his father off his guard, half-dressed, in a vulnerable situation. but, because he's kendall, he feels bad about this and logan can tell, and still manages to bully his son. still, the scene ends with logan's hand literally in the toilet, so i'd say this was a relative high point for kendall. or there's greg catching logan in the bathroom and telling him he wants out of waystar, and logan manipulating him into staying. logan is the character who's most free to be emotionally expressive/manipulative, and he's also the one the piss motif centres around.

there's obviously some overlap here with other recurring imagery/motifs in the show. kendall and roman both have a thing with mirrors; kendall has a water motif; there are also lots of other bodily fluids flowing on this show. i also think that, strictly speaking, piss motif and bathroom motif are two different things, though for obvious reasons they do come together in some scenes. but bathroom motif involves a lot of like... vulnerability and emotional dis/honesty and secrecy.

anyway yeah tl;dr: piss motif, to me, is about 1) power relations, 2) the inherently humiliating nature of possessing a human body, 3) emotional expressiveness/release. it's a top-notch motif :)

[inthememetime]

Cleaning the Gravestones Chapter 4

AO3 link here:

Chapters 1-3 (Tumblr): click here, or just search my page for the tag #Cleaning the Gravestones

Original Tumblr post:

Taglist: @murderandjam @reading-wanderer @xxwintrynightzxx @mochazocha let me know if you want to be added!

Chapter under the cut! (Also, I shamelessly paraphrazed the wine convo from Schitt's Creek, you can see it here)

"Mother, Grandmother, so good to see you!" Harriet greeted, and the three women exchanged hugs.

Kim cleared her throat and leaned in for a loose, quick embrace, while her little sister, Amy, did the same. Michael patted her on the shoulder.

She shook her father's hand, polite and cool. Then, she shook the hand of the young man standing beside him, and introduced Vlad.

They had catered to her grandmother's house. With a staff and everything for only 13 people. She had not been prepared for this. If Kim had mentioned the boy her dad invited over was the son of a vehicle manufacturing tycoon, maybe she would've- and would've been able to warn Vlad of the very fancy manners required, and how to use all the little forks and spoons.

After all, her family was new money. His was old money. Old, old money. As in, if the fall of the Russian royal family hadn't happened, he would have a title.

To her surprise, it didn't seem to throw him at all. And then she remembered- Masters. From the Romanov-Masters, according to some of the things he'd mentioned offhand in their talks while he was in the hospital. Vlad might enjoy normal things like football, hockey, greasy takeout, and cheap booze, but he was probably more used to this sort of thing than she was.

"So Harriet, James here is a doctor! What does your... Brad, was it? Do for a living?"

Vlad smiled. "I go by Vlad. Technically, Vladimir Romanov-Masters."

She noticed he didn't mention he'd recently started a bartending job. That didn't matter to her dad- judging by the way his face paled, he realized that he was talking to a person whose last name was on multiple libraries, museums, and public buildings.

"I've got two PhDs and a Master's degree, though I'm taking a gap year. Tell me, James, where do you practice?"

James cleared his throat. "The Romanov-Masters Oncology Center."

Vlad smiled. "Wonderful building. I've always been fond of the skylights my grandfather ordered built into the main center. Have you seen it, Harriet?"

"I can't say I have, no."

"It's a twin to the Romanov-Masters Museum of Science and Technology. He had both buildings built at the same time as a gift for his second wife."

"That was Katlya, right? Or your Babushka?"

"Babushka was Valeska- wife number four. The buildings were built for Katlya, though." He replied cheerfully. "Babushka was the one I'm named after."

"How do you get babushka out of Valeska?" Kim asked.

"Babushka just means Grandmother," Harriet answered. "It would be like if we called Grandmother Lao Lao."

She smiled. "Oh, I could've sworn I told Kim I was dating a doctor." His glare swung over to her sister.

Her father cleared his throat and glared at her. "Harriet, I didn't think you mentioned we would have such a distinguished guest."

Kim laughed nervously. "Well, you know how Harriet is. I thought she was joking."

Vlad tilted his head to one side. "Really? Why would she? She's certainly lovely enough to catch anyone's attention, wouldn't you say?"

Kim laughed awkwardly, and Harriet decided she'd leave him alone about the plant theft for at least 2 weeks. "Of course she is."

Once her mother started talking about something- anything else, really- Vlad leaned over. "You didn't mention the full last name, did you?" He sounded delighted.

"Nope," she replied, carefully hiding her grin.

"Tricky. I approve."

"You're going to make me laugh, stop." She whispered back.

"Harriet, you mentioned something about football games to your sister. Have you gained an interest in sports?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow, knowing full well she knew nothing about football and didn't care to learn.

"That was supposed to be a surprise," she said, and feigned a sigh. "Oh, well. I got us Packers tickets for your birthday."

Vlad beamed. "Thank you! The Packers and the Maple Leafs are my favorite teams, really."

"The Maple Leafs aren't a real football team," her father said with a frown. "There isn't a need to lie and make up names to cover my daughter's interest in something unladylike."

Vlad got that odd stony-faced look he did when he was considering something awful, and she discreetly bumped him with her knee. The last time, he made a jerk on the bus cry. "The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the foremost and well-renowned hockey teams worldwide. You are correct- they aren't a football team. However, they are a team."

Her father flushed and her mother winced. Her Grandmother looked delighted, and Amy tried to disappear behind Michael and his wife.

"I see." Her father said coldly. "My apologies."

Vlad made a...less grumpy face. "Of course. And I don't mind any unladylike interests. Harriet is certainly worthy of love and attention even if she weren't a-"

3 weeks. She'd leave him alone about plant theft for 3 weeks. And look at tickets to a Maple Leafs game.

"She is my daughter, and as such my feelings on the matter of her behavior are the ones that matter. You are hardly married to her."

"I wasn't aware this was 1789- I thought it was 1989, my apologies."

Her father stood, slammed his hands on the table, and a candle unexpectedly flared, lighting his sleeve on fire. Harriet calmly took a sip of her wine as the rest of the table began to panic. God, she wished she had pictures.

-

Dinner went well, or terribly, or terribly well depending on who you asked.

Harriet leaned towards terribly well. Her father, no doubt, leaned towards terribly.

"Harriet, I am so sorry, I shouldn't have gotten into that argument with your father."

She beamed at him. "It's fine. I'm pretty sure the rest of the family likes you."

"Even after your father ruined your sister's dress because he was set on fire?" He asked dryly.

She grinned and leaned on his arm, not caring about the soot clinging to his sweater in the least. "Oh my dad and Kim hate you, maybe even Amy. But I had a great time."

He snorted. "Well, I can never look your parents in the face again, so I suppose it's good you don't bring them over."

She laughed. "Well, my grandmother adores you, so there's that."

"I have no idea why," he chuckled. "What did she give you?"

Her grandmother had pulled her aside shortly after the fire, and given her a seemingly random assortment of items. Several books, a few packs of incense and a holder, a small copper mirror, and a small stack of recipe cards involving red beans or peaches.

"Completely random stuff," she answered, "and a few new recipes."

He made a noise much like a happy dog, and Harriet found herself snickering. "Too bad you can't cook," she teased.

"I can make pancakes!"

"And?"

"...and I am otherwise not allowed to touch anything in the kitchen except the fridge, microwave, and kettle."

"Thank you," she said, and he snorted.

Suddenly, she stopped. "This isn't the way to the bus stop." In fact, it was the opposite direction- faster to the apartment, but it crossed a damn cemetery.

"The busses stop at 9," he said with a frown, and looked at his watch. "It's already 9:30."

She checked her own, using the light-up display. "9:40, actually. Damn it. I hate the cabs this time of night, they're so creepy."

"It's only 2 blocks if we cut across Forscythe."

He grinned, and for a moment she swore there was a bluish tint to his skin. She saw the blue neon sign over his shoulder and dismissed it. "Harriet, I promise I won't let any ghosts hurt you."

She looked at him incredulously. "Vlad. It's Friday the 13th, and you want to cross a cemetery at night."

Again, there was that odd seriousness. If it had been anyone else, there would probably be a mocking tone, but Vlad was deadpan- as if it was a serious concern and he could realistically stop it.

"It's not the ghosts- I'm not even sure they exist- it's the fact it's pitch black out here, and we don't exactly live in the best part of the city."

He frowned. "Fair enough. I suppose we could see if the cashier will let one of us use the phone to call a cab?"

She thought about it and sighed. "Is it bad that the cemetery sounds safer than a cab at night?"

"It is," he agreed. "Is it one specific driver, or just a weird feeling, do you think?" Vlad asked, leading them forward again. "I've never had that, but I don't usually take cabs anywhere."

"No offense Vlad, but you're a 6-foot-tall white man, and I'm a 5'4" Chinese-American woman. Our experiences are not the same."

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately, and she shook her head.

"No, it's not your fault, it's just- people see you, and they see someone who probably isn't worth the fight they'd have to put up. People see women, especially women of color, and see a target."

She couldn't see his face now, with the streetlights becoming a rarity as they neared Forscythe Cemetery. "I can get that, sort of- but I can hide it, if you get what I mean."

"I don't," she said, "sorry. Care to explain?"

"I, ah-" he cleared his throat. "Well. Have you heard the wine metaphor?"

"I haven't."

They passed the cemetery gates, and in the faint light, she could only see vague parts of the path. Vlad, however, seemed to have no trouble, and she held tightly to his arm. "I am a red wine drinker. Based on what you've mentioned about former boyfriends, you are too."

That was definitely a non-sequitur. Before she could ask for clarification, he continued, "but I'm also a white wine drinker. And merlot, and cabernet, and- well. There are laws against anyone who likes to drink more than just red wine."

She opened her mouth when it hit her. Red wine. A woman who has boyfriends- but not girlfriends. Anti-sodomy laws. "Oh."

"When I'm drinking red wine, there's no problems. When I start drinking anything else, well. I have to be careful." He took a deep breath and sighed. "But as I said- I can hide it. Luckily, I don't only drink white wine, many have it considerably harder."

"I see. That's- I can't say I didn't expect it, but- thanks. For telling me."

He squeezed her arm lightly with his free hand. "Least I could do after ruining dinner."

Harriet laughed, and felt relief as they left the darkened cemetery in favor of the street lights. "Hey, it's not like you set my dad on fire. People can't really do that. Besides, he wasn't hurt except his pride, and he needed to get knocked down a peg."

He chuckled. "That would be impossible for a human," he agreed.

They were mostly quiet until they reached the apartment. She'd had a long day at work, following a long week stressing about the dinner, and it was freezing. She shamelessly absorbed some of Vlad's body heat- how he was warm in the chill air, she had no idea.

"Thanks for doing this," she said as she pulled off her heels and he untied his only pair of nice shoes.

He smiled. "Anytime."