#At the time that the argument/fight happened only Claire was a minor

[morganbritton132]

Even more add-ons for the Steve Has Older Siblings AU:

1. One time Jason asked out a girl at the park but she turned him down because she can’t date someone with a kid. Instead of explaining that Steve was his brother, he left a four year old alone at the park to go see a movie. Steve got bored and hungry so he walked to Tommy’s house because it was close by. Mrs. H called his dad’s office and they both got in trouble.

2. Steve went to work with his parents for Take Your Kid To Work Day when he was five and his dad pointed at a guy and said, “This is Matt McDonald. One day his job will be yours.” Matt was an unpaid intern and also his dad spent the entire day berating him so much that he looked like he was going to cry. Steve slipped out the room the moment he got the nerve up and sat under his mom’s desk for the rest of the day.

3. During Steve’s first year lifeguarding, Claire and Richie brought their kids to the pool and Jason, who doesn’t have kids, came too to hang out. No one asked if Steve wanted to come. None of them even talked to him while they were there even after they must’ve seen him working.

4. None of them met Nancy. Steve made real damn sure of that.

5. Its not the first argument between his parents to scare him but it’s memorable because it’s New Years Eve and they break the model car he got for Christmas. It’s also memorable because it’s the first time someone calls the cops. They stand on the front porch with Chief Hopper, and his mom is saying that she’s taking the kids to her mother’s, and Richard is saying that she can take her kid but not his. He gives in when Claire starts crying, and they sleep four in a row on his grandma’s pullout couch. The next morning, Richard shows up with flowers and breakfast, and they all go home. Everything forgiven.

6. Steve gets pulled aside by his dad later that day and given a lecture on when it’s appropriate to call the police and when something is a family matter. Steve tells him that he didn’t call 911 and gets his tv privileges revoked for lying even though he wasn’t. He asks about his model car and Richard says he’ll get him a new one. He never does.

[mccoyyy]

moving this to my new blog so I can pin it again lol

@stregoni-benefici you are completely correct but I just wanted to expand on this a little bit - also i’m putting this under a read more cause this got a lot longer than i originally thought it would be

sexism: smeyers treatment of female characters throughout the entire series is extremely problematic. like you don’t even need to read deep into the books to see that. the backstories of all her female characters all involve some form of trauma and are significantly more violent than the male vampires (Rosalie and Esme enduring physical/sexual assault meanwhile Edward dies of the flu and Emmett gets vibe checked by a bear).

she also creates the idea that a woman isn’t complete without children/being a mother. every female vampire in the series is desperate for children yet can’t, its mentioned in pretty much every book and extreme emphasis is placed on how tragic this is. a female character wanting children isn’t wrong or sexist at all but the way its written in twilight makes it seem like its something a woman has to do in order to be happy and smeyer pretty much cements this idea by making Bella suddenly desperate to have Renesmee despite showing no interest in children/audibly voicing her thoughts against having children in eclipse and the start of breaking dawn (i’m pretty sure Bella has a line of dialogue in the books where she says something like she didn’t realise it was something she wanted/needed until it happened bit I’m not sure I try not to read/think about breaking dawn)

there’s also the way she writes female characters, specifically Rosalie. its mentioned throughout the series that Rosalie has extreme mechanical skills and multiple degrees in STEM fields but its barely ever shown, and instead her characterisation focuses on being obsessed with her looks (first couple pages of this, written by smeyer for new moon), and being a ‘stereotypical bitch’. for the first three books most of her character/dialogue is based on being cold and rude to Bella. She is unnecessarily painted as the villain for having different views on Bella (quite literally) giving up her life and future to be with a man (which is a whole other can of worms). the same is done to the character of Leah in eclipse/breaking dawn. Leah is a woman in the Quileute Tribe, she has been severely affected by the Cullen’s presence in the area and is painted as a character that the reader is supposed to dislike simply because she doesn’t like Bella/the Cullen’s despite having extremely valid reasons not to

anti-Native - smeyers treatment of native tribes is horrendous. she has profited fr years off of of native american culture for years and has done so without any acknowledgements. furthermore, she also demonises native american teens (especially in new moon) by calling them wild, violent, dangerous and out of control and then uses these stereotypes to create a contrast between the self control and patience of the Cullen’s and make them seem more like the good guys, and the wolf pack being lesser. She does this again with the treatment of Jacobs character in new moon and especially eclipse.

Jacob starts off in new moon as Bella’s best friend. he helps Bella come out of a severe depression caused when Edward left at the start of the book. however in eclipse his character makes a complete flip and he becomes moody, temperamental, argumentative and disrespectful of Bella’s boundaries. his character becomes unrecognisable and despite smeyers claims of a love triangle, it is obvious what the outcome will be. I have seen countless instances of people on this site claiming they hate Jacob because he is a dick/disrespectful/just as unhealthy as Edward. this was done on purpose by smeyer as she uses Jacob to make Edward seem like the obvious and correct choice for Bella. if you need more proof of this, take the scene where Jacob kisses Bella without her consent and she breaks her hand when punching him, Edward swoops in and almost gets into a fight with Jacob for touching Bella without her consent. this is an obvious attempt to make Jacob seem like the villain and Edward the white saviour

there’s also the treatment of the native characters by the white characters in the books. multiple times in the series, the native characters are called/compared to dogs/brutes and have a distinct unpleasant smell. I don’t think I need to explain how this is racist. the pack also helps the Cullen’s/saves Bella’s lives and never receive any acknowledgement/are treated any better by the Cullen’s/anyone really. the pack are only ever used as a way to make the Cullen’s look better.

there’s also some pretty obvious similarities to colonisation with the Cullen’s entering Quiluete lands which then forces them to start phasing into wolves (and I’m pretty sure none of the pack actually want to start phasing). also, remember Leah? the only female member of the wolf pack? because of the change she effectively can’t have children? that has implications.

and to top it all off, after doing all that, smeyer has never once addressed this or even acknowledged the Quileute Tribe.

pedophilic - I mean even without mentioning breaking dawn its pretty awful. first of all you’ve got the blatant sexualisation of minors throughout the entire series. Edward is 17 throughout the series and smeyer is writing literal paragraphs about his chiselled abs. Jacob is 16/17 when she has him running about forks topless with a 6 pack. this is way more apparent in the movies but its still a huge issue in the books and lead to Taylor Lautner being confronted by adult fans trying to get him to sign their underwear, and being forced into being shirtless for most of the movies which made him extremely uncomfortable (Elizabeth Reaser (Esme) briefly talks about this in the ID10T podcast on spotify). and just as a reminder, Taylor was 16 when the first one was filmed and 17 for the second.

Breaking Dawn is a whole other can of worms. the glaringly obvious issue is Jacob imprinting on a literal newborn baby. now the concept of imprinting itself has racist elements to it, but its heavily implied in the series that imprinting will inevitably lead to a romantic relationship. Jacob imprinting on Renesmee and waiting until she is old enough to enter into a romantic relationship (never mind the fact that shes ‘old enough’ she will still technically be 5) is pretty much grooming. The same happens with Quil and his imprint, Claire (a two year old) where I’m pretty sure there’s a scene in breaking dawn where Jacob and Leah are watching Quil play with Claire and talking about how Quil isn’t going to date anyone because he and Claire are ‘pretty much inevitable’ (i might be wrong though, like I said I try not to read/think about breaking dawn)

smeyer has also written a spin off book (its like 250 odd pages) called the short second life of Bree Tanner (Bree is that newborn vampire killed after the battle in eclipse by the Volturi btw). In this book, Bree is 15 almost 16, and another character Diego is 18 which is definitely pushing the boundaries of ok. (also as a side note, funny how Bree and Jacob are literally the same age and smeyer states multiple times how Bree deserved better and is only a child (who straight up kills people), yet when it comes to Jacob he has to be a responsible adult and is vilified for every mistake he makes)

racist - smeyer refused to let Catherine Hardwicke (director of the first twilight) have a diverse cast because she ‘imagined them a certain way’ (white) and it was a fight to get Edi Gathegi cast as Laurent and had to compromise with smeyer to make Bella’s friend group more diverse. this woman straight up refused to hire more diverse actors and only agreed to when they were side characters/villains.

Also in the official companion book/guide to twilight, smeyer literally writes that vampire venom makes you white

‘the venom leeches all pigmentation from the skin into a more indestructable vampire form…regardless of original ethnicity a vampires skin will be exceptionally pale’ (official illustrated guide pg.69)

this is a whole lot of bullshit cause she is literally whitewashing characters, but when you pair this with the idea that vampires possess inhuman levels of beauty it becomes extremely problematic and implies that being pale/white is more beautiful than darker skin tones.

also, if we go back to Laurent’s character for a second. so Laurent is one of the only characters who isn’t described as white (in the books he is described as having a pale olive skin tone) and in the first book he comes across as pretty reasonable (warning carlisle about James/Victoria, travels up to Denali and tries out the veggie lifestyle) but in new moon, his characterisation pulls a 180° (sensing a theme here) and is suddenly trying to kill Bella as a favour to Victoria and is Evil™ despite in the first book he literally says to Carlisle he didn’t particularly like travelling with James/Victoria and was only really doing it for convenience. where did this undying loyalty come from? yet again, smeyer is completely disregarding established characterisation in POC characters specifically to villainise them.

and finally, we have Jasper. for some reason (that reason being that she is racist) smeyer decides to make Jasper a confederate soldier in his human life. if you don’t have a lot of knowledge on the american civil war, the confederacy were the side of the US that seceded from the union in order to keep their slaves. Jasper was a confederate soldier, and not just any soldier, but a major. Jasper was a major in an army that fought for 4 years to keep the existence of slavery (and don’t even try to say that slavery wasn’t the root cause of the civil war. states rights aye? states rights to do what). now there’s an argument out there made by certain fans that a lot of people joined the confederate army out of pride/were forced into it cause of conscription to try and head canon the racism away but like that doesn’t matter. there was literally no need to make jasper a confederate in the first place. if she was so desperate to have a civil war vampire then she could have made him a member of the union. its been common knowledge that the confederacy was racist for a long time now, smeyer has absolutely no excuses here.

a lot of these issues overlap and I have probably missed heaps of issues (so feel free to add on) but hope this helps explain why smeyer can *ahem* get tae absolute fuck

[cinnamon-bugg]

The Road To Recovery Chapter 2: Filling In the Gaps

Chapter two boisss. I suprised myself with this chapter because I thought it’d be shorter.  So there’s that, anyways. Here the aftermath of last chapter as well as some new problems.

AO3

As the rain poured through the streets of Arcadia, the police station was crowded with officers. Detective Scott had some paperwork he had to fill out after finishing a case of his. After that, he hoped to go home and spend some time with his daughter, if she wasn’t out with her friends. But he knew that Darci was at home since both Claire and Mary were said to be in detention for most of the day, so surely there was nothing to worry about. From a few desks away from him, an officer saw that their phone was going off and answered it.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” They asked.

“Hello? Me and some students were in a car crash and one of us is missing.” 

The officer tensed at what they heard from the person’s voice on the other line, they began writing down the details they were given. “What’s your name?”

“C-Claire Nuñez.” Crap, the officer knew that was the councilwoman’s daughter.

“Okay, and where are you?”  

“Uh. I don’t know, somewhere around the campsite- Toby! Did you find Jim?” 

The officer continued to silently listen to the other line. “Yeah, but he got seriously messed up! I- I think he might be dying Claire. Please tell me you called for help!” 

Then, the other line hung up. The officer immediately began to contact dispatch to anyone who was close around the area and began to call an ambulance. By that time, Detective Scott was done with paperwork and was heading home.

Barbara looked up from her phone as someone announced that there was trauma incoming. She had been trying to contact her son for a while but to no avail, calling lead to voicemail and texting lead to no response. With a sigh, Barbara tucked her phone away and got ready to return to work. She anxiously waited for the ambulance to arrive, and in a matter of a few minutes, they arrived. 

As the paramedics swung the door open, Barbara made her way to assess the patient they brought in. But when she got close enough to see who it was, the doctor froze in complete shock. The sight of her son bleeding out in a gurney made it feel like Barbara’s entire world was going to shatter right then and there. Her baby boy, her ray of sunshine, was now dying right next to her. No, she thought. This was the irrational part of her mind speaking, Barbara did not know the full extent of Jim’s injuries. But, she had to let another doctor take care of her son. Holding herself as tightly as she could, Barbara watched her co-workers take Jim away. They did not question why she didn’t treat him, because practically everyone in the hospital knew it was her son, and Barbara knew that because of this fact, they would do everything they can to save him.

“Dr. L!!” The doctor snapped out of her train of thought and turned around to see Toby making his way towards her with tears in his eyes. Barbara braced herself as the teen came to her for a hug. 

She stayed quiet and let the tears stream down her face while allowing Toby to break down. A paramedic came through the entrance and spotted the teen. “Hey! You can’t go running off like that without a doctor examining you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.” Barbara muttered, her voice sounding dull and hollow. As more patients came to the ER, she began to recognize them to be students from her son’s class. “Come over here Toby, I need to examine you.”

“But Jim-”

“There’s nothing you can do right now except allowing me to make sure you’re alright.” Toby silently agreed, slowly making his way to one of the gurneys that were in the ER.

Barbara couldn’t do anything to help her son, but what she could do was to make sure these kids were alright and healthy. That’s all she could do, and the doctor hated that fact so much. As Barbara examined the redhead teen, she heard some commotion in the waiting room. The doctor saw Ophelia, shouting at one of the nurses to let her see her daughter while Javier was trying to calm his wife down.  

Babara let out a tired sigh and told Toby, “Your injuries seem to be minor, but I want to run more tests to make sure you don’t have any internal injuries. For all of you.” She took a quick glance at the other teens before walking toward the waiting room. “Mrs. Nuñez, there is no need to cause a scene.” 

“Cause a scene? My daughter was in a car accident! Do you know how common it is for someone to die in a car crash?!” Of course, Barbara did, she was a doctor. That’s why she was always anxious at the idea of her son riding a vehicle.

“How can you say such a thing? Your child wasn’t the only one in the accident and yet you don’t see us shouting at others like they own the place.” Detective Scott interjected, obviously offended by how the councilwoman was acting.

“Claire wasn’t supposed to be out there! None of them should have!” 

Soon enough the other parents joined in on the argument while Barbara watched them with a tired stare. The doctor drowned out their voices with her own thoughts, not wanting to take part in this pointless bickering.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never broken the rules before! Going behind your parents’ backs for the sake of rebellion!” 

It was very apparent that Jim needed surgery, but to what extent? She didn’t have enough time to see all of his wounds.

“Not when it comes to risking my own life for it!”

Should she call her family? They never gave the effort to be a part of her son’s life but that didn’t mean they never care about him. Barbara wasn’t sure how much of a support system he would need after this.

“Oh don’t give me that-” 

What about his mental state? The traumatic experience will very much affect him in more ways than one. Does this mean she’ll have to get a counselor of some kind, or would her son be more comfortable with someone close to him? When it came to therapy, it was hard for Jim to adjust to such a change at a young age. But what if it wasn’t enough? What if thinking ahead was a pointless endeavor in the end? Jim not making it was still in the realm of possibility.

“People please.” The parents went silent by Nana’s stern voice, something that even Barbara rarely heard. “Arguing among each other will lead us to nowhere. Our children are hurt. This is not about you, so you must let Dr. Lake and the others do their jobs.”

Once the silence filled the room for a few moments, all eyes were on Barbara. “Some of them appear to have minor injuries as far as we know, and while others have more serious wounds, none of them seem to be fatal.” The doctor explained bluntly. She couldn’t have any emotion in her voice, otherwise the grieving mother in her would come out and that wouldn’t be so professional of her, she had to keep her emotions in check. “I will let you know when you’ll be able to see them.”

Each parent began to calm down and some of them took a seat. The doctor noticed someone she didn't expect to see from the waiting room. Coach Lawrence sat amongst the other parents. She only knew him as one of the teachers of the public highschool of Arcadia and nothing more. Barbara took a shot in the dark and guessed that one of the kids was one of his. She didn’t dwell too much on it, after all, their children were going to be fine. 

Barbara took a deep breath and went back to the ER. The doctorly mask she’s been struggling to keep was still intact, but it was inevitable that it would have to come off, and she knew that.

After further testing, it is safe to say that Toby wasn’t suffering from any internal injuries, rather some lacerations and small head trauma. Barbara told him and the other students that some of them would stay here overnight for observations, just in case. The redhead didn’t want to leave with his nana just yet, he wanted to be there with his friends for support. 

“You alright Claire?” Toby asked anxiously as he sat next to her.

“Yeah.... just the morphine that’s all…” She answered, her speech slightly slurred.

“Don’t worry Toby, in a few hours the drug will probably wear off,” Darci reassured, taking a seat on the right side of the bed. She had her in a cast on her arm and had a sling around her to support it. “Though I get the feeling that it isn’t Claire who you’re about.” 

The redhead teen looked at the person next to him, her expression hesitant but still determined to obtain answers. He let a dry but quiet chuckle and said, “I would think that would be obvious by now.” 

“Sorry. But you haven’t talked about it. I’m just trying to make sure that you’re alright, well that everyone is alright mentally, but for you specifically. Jim is your best friend and anything can happen. You might even have to brace yourself for the worst-case scenario.”

Toby cringed at the thought of losing Jim, grabbing the fabric of his pants with a tight grip. “Jim’s a fighter. You’d be surprised how much he can take.” 

Darci couldn’t help but pity him, but she did not understand the true extent of Toby’s words. She did not know the countless fights the trollhunter faced with creatures that were twice his size.

“Did...did you see what attacked Jim? You and Steve are the only ones that found him and he won’t talk.”

The redhead’s eyes were glued to the floor with an intense stare. The image of one of his companions, his friend’s protector, slamming Jim deeper into the ground and leaving him there with no remorse. “I-it looks like a bear.” He muttered.

“A bear?” Darci repeated, who was having doubts.

“I think so. Look it was dark and I was still in shock, but to me, it seemed like it was a bear.” Toby couldn’t handle more of his classmate’s interrogation, he just didn’t want to replay the awful images in his head.

“Hey. Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to get something to eat.” He responded.

“But we’re at a hospital.” 

“I’m sure I can find something around here.” With that, Toby left before Darci could continue their conversation. 

The girl’s eyes then wandered to the blonde bully. Like she said to her departed classmate, Steve refused to speak with anyone the moment the ambulance came. He just stood frozen, sitting in one of the gurneys with a blank stare. Darci cautiously shuffled towards the unresponsive student.

“Um. Toby told me what happened.” She said nervously. As much as Darci wanted to believe Toby, the girl always liked to double-check her facts. It’s helped wash the worries away. 

“Why do you care?” Steve asked, his voice quiet but somehow intense enough that it made Darci uncomfortable. But she stayed persistent because if today meant anything, it was that Steve was like everyone else. That there were people he thought mattered and wasn’t so terrible, or at least that was what she hoped. 

“Police get involved in this kind of stuff, so they ask questions. I thought It’d be easier on all of you guys if I asked first so there wouldn’t be any added stress on talking about it with a stranger. ” She explained before continuing with, “Toby said it was a bear that attacked Jim. Is that true?”

The blonde teen blinked, then said, “A..... bear?” 

Darci only nodded. She could see how Steve was reeling in this information. “Yeah. That’s what I saw, probably the biggest bear I’ve ever seen.” The intense tone of his voice never left, but only grew. What would Steve be mad about? Unless Toby’s statement was false. “Where ‘s Domzalski?” 

She didn’t want to tell him, cause it felt like that would only stir the pot. But they were at a hospital, so Darci had nothing to worry about, right? “He said that he was going to get something to eat but-”

Steve immediately got up and pushed his classmate aside to leave the ER. Darci groaned in frustration, already feeling her regret. The young student looked around and saw the police. She took a deep breath and tried to shake off her nerves, Darci needed to be there with her friends for this. She tried reassuring herself that there was nothing between the two boys. 

Toby sat on the floor next to a vending machine, all while staring at the amulet that dimly glowed a blue light. The redhead managed to grab it just before the ambulance took him away. He dreadfully waited for the small object to do something, for better or for worse. Suddenly, someone grabbed Toby by the collar of his shirt and began dragging him into a secluded area in the hospital. 

He was then shoved into a wall and dropped the amulet from his hand. The redhead gazed upwards to see Steve in front of him, who had a furious expression. While rubbing his neck, Toby muttered, “Oh come on…” to himself.

“A bear? That’s what you went with?!” He shouted.

“So I see you’ve talked to Darci,” Toby remarked, trying his best to smooth-talk his way out of this.

“Are you stupid?! No one is going to believe that a bear caused all of this!” 

“You’d be surprised. There’s a lot of bears in California, you know?”

 “Oh, my bad. I didn’t realize bears had enough strength to flip a car over, let alone breaking trees in half!” Toby wasn’t sure why the blonde teen was so mad at him for doing it, it’s not like he did anything better or anything at all when Darci asked him what he saw.

“Listen. It’s a lot more believable than what actually happened. I’m trying my best here so cut me some slack alright.” The redhead tried to leave but he was shoved back again, only this time Steve didn’t let go. “Urgh! What is your problem?! I was trying not to make us look crazy and yet you’re mad at me?! You have no right to treat me this way!”

The blonde teen faltered and let go of Toby. Jim’s words began to echo in his mind, “You just have a reputation okay? And not a good one, but you already know that. I know you are capable of being a nice person.” 

He was doing it again, and Steve didn’t realize it. He was going back to the school bully that tormented others, going back to the person that everyone hated. “I.......I’m trying to be a better person....” Steve muttered, but more to himself than to Toby. “Sorry....”

“Well, at least you got it out of your system right?” The redhead bitterly said back.

Of course Toby didn’t forgive him, why would he? The blonde teen would’ve probably hurt him if he continued. 

“Steve Palchuck....” 

Both of them froze at the new voice, Steve wasn’t able to recognize it. “Steve Palchuck.....” He turned to the right to see a small object on the floor, the hands ticking away. 

Toby quickly fell to his knees and snatched it from the floor, his hands shaking. The redhead looked absolutely terrified. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” He got up and ran out of the room they were in, with Steve following behind. 

This isn't happening. Jim was fine, he was fine. What Toby heard was just his mind playing tricks on him. His best friend wasn’t dead, he can’t. But the amulet said Steve’s name, that wouldn’t have happened if...... if......

The redhead stopped at a screeching halt at the sight of doctors blocking his path, one of them being Barbara. “What are you two doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the ER?”

“Uh,” Toby looked back to see Steve, who was glancing away at the group of people. “We... just wanted to grab something to eat Dr. L, but we got lost. It’s a big hospital you know.” He couldn’t hold back the tears, as the idea of Jim being gone finally settling in. “Sorry about that.” Toby sobbed.

“No. Don’t apologize, this all must be very hard on you.” Barbara took one of his hands while wiping her tears away. She then took him to a few corridors until they made it to the ICU. When Barbara led Toby to one of the rooms, he quietly gasped. “He’s still in critical condition. But there’s hope that Jim will make it. 

The redhead felt a tidal wave of relief wash over him. He wasn’t dead, his best friend was still here. But if that was the case, then why did the amulet call for Steve. Toby began to worry, was the amulet just preparing for the inevitable. Can it even do that?

Barbara left the room to go talk to the doctors again. She saw Steve standing outside of the room like he was afraid to even enter with Toby. The doctor had heard a lot about him, with none of it being good. However, Steve was just a child, and just like the rest of his classmates, he was terrified about this ordeal. So, despite her hesitance, Barbara silently allowed the blonde teen to stay. 

Steve had expected Lake’s mother to kick him out, he wasn’t close to her son, not by a long shot. Now that it was just him and Toby, he felt intrusive and out of place. Steve was about to leave until the redhead spoke. 

“Something’s wrong.” 

“What?” He asked while seeing Toby holding his friend's hands. 

“The amulet. It won’t call someone unless the previous user has died.” Oh. Steve sensed a chill slowly running down his spine.

“But Lake’s fine. He has tubes in his mouth, but he's still alive.” The blonde teen rationalized. 

“I want to believe that too. But there has to be a reason why the amulet said your name.” 

“Maybe it’s broken.” Toby raised an eyebrow at Steve's suggestion. He showed the small object in his hand and tossed it at his classmate. 

“Does it look broken to you?” Steve inspected it, there didn’t seem to be any cracks or anything out of place as far as he knew.

“It’s magic, right? It’s messed up and we don’t see it.” The redhead groaned in frustration and pulled his hair back.

“Look man, I don’t have all the answers. I’m just spouting stuff other people told me.” 

The blonde teen was unsure if this was the right time, but at this point, he couldn’t stand being in the dark anymore. “S-so, you know what caused this?”

Toby stayed silent for a moment, the lump now in his throat made it difficult to get the words out. “Yeah..... I guess I do.” 

“Then can you please tell me what is going on? Because you can fool everyone in this hospital, but you sure as hell can’t with me.” Steve was able to control himself from shouting this time. 

Once again, there was a long pause from Toby. All he wanted to do today was to get his peers to enjoy themselves. He wanted Jim to have one day, one day where he was at peace and didn’t have to worry much about his responsibilities. The redhead had never expected this to blow up on his face this hard. Now Steve was the trollhunter while there was a huge possibility of his best friend dying.

“Well then, you might want to sit down for this part. Cause it’s a lot to take in.” Toby said with a sigh, his eyes focusing on Jim. Hoping that the universe will be kind enough to keep him alive. 

After a few hours, the sedative the doctors gave Claire wore off. She began to feel extremely sore in some parts of her body, most likely where the more severe injuries she suffered were treated. At some point, her parents were able to see her when Claire was moved to her own room. Most of the time it was just her mother scolding the young teen while her father watched with a sympathetic look. Like always, the councilwoman had to make it about her instead of her own daughter.

At this point, Claire had learned to just tune out the lectures. She had heard it enough times to understand her mother. That she’d be disappointed in her no matter what if Claire didn’t fit the perfect image the councilwoman envisioned. Soon, the young teen had the room to herself. As she waited for some of her friends to come, her phone began to vibrate from the counter on the right side.

Claire picked it up and that it was Blinky. She took a deep breath and braced herself. “Hello?” 

“Ah, Lady Claire. Is Master Jim with you? There is something important we need to discuss and he hasn’t been answering my calls.” The troll greeted, his voice sounding somewhat relieved but still worried.

The young teen bit her lip, before saying, “Blinky. We were in an accident and-” 

“Great gronka morka! Are you alright?!” 

“I’m fine, Toby is too, but Jim...... he..... he was hurt pretty badly. I don't know what happened to him yet but I'll let you know as soon as I find out.” Claire explained nervously. She had started to wonder where the redhead even was since there was no sign of him despite being hours since Claire last saw him.

“Oh dear. This.... this is not good. What are we going to do now?” By the sounds of it, Blinky was talking about something completely different.

“What’s going on Blinky?” She asked.

“I’m afraid that this night will not get any better. The Tribunal has requested for the arrest of Master Jim.”

“What?! Why?”

“Apparently Usurna has evidence that Master Jim has released Gunmar into the surface.” This could not be happening right now. Jim was not in any shape of getting out of this hospital, but knowing how stubborn trolls could be, there was no telling what the Tribunal would do if the trollhunter didn’t show.

“Can you just explain what happened and just postpone it?” She knew all too well that trolls weren’t so kind to humans, especially for Jim’s case, but surely they can give him some form of sympathy and stop this.

“I’m afraid with an accusation as severe as this, it cannot be dropped so easily for the Tribunal are very adamant for punishment. If it’ll not be Master Jim, surely they’ll find someone else who was involved in it to take responsibility.” Claire quickly dropped her previous sentiment once Blinky clarified that this situation was not going to be easy to get out of. “Telling the ordeal you’ve been through tonight could give you for a few days at the very least. However, that’ll make the Tribunal restless which might not help your case.” 

The young girl pinched the bridge of her nose, their options weren’t great, but there wasn’t much they could do. “Well, you’re doing your best. That’s really all I can ask for. Me and Toby will try and be there as soon as possible.” 

“Very well then. I wish the best for you all.” As Blinky hung up, Claire sank herself further to the mattress of the hospital bed. Too much, there was too much going on with little time to actually process it. She then heard a knock on her door and saw Toby standing in the middle of the door frame.

“Hey Claire.” He sheepishly said. 

“Toby, you just missed a call I got from Blinky.”

That caught the redhead’s attention as slowly walked closer to his friend. “Really? What did he say?” 

Claire sighed as she began to fiddle with her phone. “Nothing good really, but before I tell you, any word on Jim?”

A tired smile formed on Toby’s lips. “He survived the surgery. Dr. L says that he has a long way to go but he’s doing fine all things considered.” The young teen felt a lot of her anxieties washed away and glanced at her phone. 

“That’s.... that’s good to hear. I’m going text Blinky about right now.” 

“Uhh sure you do that, but while you’re at it, there’s just one more thing I need to say, or show you in this case.” Toby didn’t make it seem like it was anything bad, but he was good at sugar coating things. 

The redhead looked outside from the room and made a small gesture to someone to come inside, and that someone was Steve. 

Claire blinked in surprise. “Oh. Hi Steve.” 

Toby scratched the back of his head while saying, “Sorry I didn’t come sooner. I was giving out some good ol’ exposition to our “buddy” over here.” 

The tension then came back to her and lifted herself out of bed. “You told him?” 

“Easy there. He saw Draal the moment we found Jim, so there was no point in lying.” Toby was leaving something out, she could tell by the tone of his voice. 

“The stupid amulet called my name,” Steve muttered. “But I guess the person who had it before is supposed to die.” It was obvious that he was uncomfortable at the thought, and who would be?

Claire stayed silent with a blank stare before saying, “I thought you said that Jim was alright,” with a frantic voice

“He is! It’s just that the amulet picked Steve for some reason, but before you take the chance to freak out more, mind telling us the not-so-good news Blinky gave you?” Right, there was also that. Man does this day keep getting better and better. 

“Uhh, he said that the Tribunal wants to arrest Jim for releasing Gunmar.” Toby’s eyes widened in shock while Steve’s shoulders tensed up.

“That’s bad, right?” The blonde teen asked. 

“Yeah, it really is. So what do we do now?” The redhead moved closer to his friend and sat next to her. 

“We have to go to Trollmarket as soon as possible. Or least until I get discharged. If we don’t show, things will probably get worse.” Claire explained with a sigh.

“Do I have to come?” Steve didn’t want to ask that question, he really didn’t. But this was starting to sound serious, and maybe there was a small chance that he could help. How exactly? The blonde teen wasn’t sure. 

“It’s really risky, especially since you never had any combat training.” As much as a frustrating person Steve was, she would never wish any harm on him. And if what she heard about Trollmarket’s reaction when they found out that Jim was the trollhunter was true, then bringing him along could lead to the exact opposite of what Claire wanted.

“But what if the Tribunal thinks we’re lying about Jim? We’re not someone who they really trust, and he could be backup, a fancy sword made of magic can do much wonders as a defense.” Toby suggested with a shrug. “And if something goes wrong, he has you, me, and Aaarrrgghh to help him  out.”

The two boys watched the young girl weighing the options. Sure, it was two out of one, but Claire was smart. And at this point, she was silently placed as leader until further notice. “I can’t believe I’m going through with this, but we’re all pretty much screwed right now. So, do you have any trouble sneaking out of the house at night Steve?” 

“Not at all.” He had successfully snuck out a few times to go to some late-night parties, this shouldn’t be any different.

In one of the private offices of the hospital, Barbara laid head first on the desk. She was on break and finally had time to let all of her exhaustion set in. The information given to her about Jim’s condition and the outcomes it might lead to. 

The worst of her son’s injuries was the one on his spine. The doctors stated that most likely that he will have permanent damage to his nerves. There was no telling he would regain complete function of his limbs or would have to deal with something else. Either way, Jim’s body won’t work the same way as it used to. 

As Barbara put her hands above her head, an elderly voice called to her. “Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” The doctor straightened herself and turned her chair around to see Toby’s grandmother. “Mrs. Domzalski-”

“Dear please, how many times do I need to remind you to call me Nana.” The old woman teased as she entered the room.

Barbara let out a tired laugh, removing her glasses to rub her eyes. “Old habit I guess. Though why were you trying to find me? I discharged Toby a few hours ago.” 

“He wants to check on the councilwoman’s daughter. They’ve been friends for awhile you know.” Nana explained. “And also wanted to see how you were doing.” “What you’d expect I suppose.” She wanted to grieve, to let all of those raw emotions free, but Barbara just couldn’t at this point. And she knew that there wouldn’t be enough time even to do that if she could.

“Dear, I don’t believe I know the answer to that. Only you do.” Nana placed her hand onto Babara’s left shoulder. “And if you’re willing to talk to me about it, then I’ll know. It’s never healthy to keep everything bottled up.” 

Barbara allowed the old woman’s word to sink in. “ I will give anything to do that, but I’m just so tired right now. I don’t have enough energy to even fall apart and cry for hours.” 

“You know for someone whose job is to take care of people, you don’t seem to do that for yourself.” Nana never understood that. She could forgive those who didn’t have any extensive knowledge of health, they just didn’t know any better. Doctors, however, did. The old woman could remember the countless times she has seen medical professionals ignore their health.

“Well, I’d like to think that we’re the biggest hypocrites on earth,” Barbara explained with a quiet voice. 

It took two days for Claire to get discharged, the doctors told her parents that she just had to take it easy for a few days. That statement made the young girl second guess herself about going to trollmarket but pushed the idea aside. Sooner the better, because there was no telling when the Tribunal’s patience would wear thin. When the night came, Claire took her shadow staff and created a portal while a small changeling watched from behind.

“Remember NotEnrique, you have to keep watch to make sure mom and dad don’t know I’m gone.” 

“I hear ya. And I’ll let ya know if they come running over here.” The changeling added. Claire smiles at him before entering the portal. 

In Arcadia’s canals, Toby and Steve stood below the bridge there waiting for the young girl to arrive. The two never said a word to each other for a good while now. Something about being alone with Steve made the redhead uneasy, bringing back the memory of him and Claire trying to retrieve the bridge pieces. Meanwhile, the blonde teen was too anxious about seeing trolls to even talk to Toby. He tried to play it cool at the hospital when learning that there was an entire society hidden underground in their town, but when Steve made it home, that’s where he took the time to openly show his nervous breakdown in his room.

Everything that felt out of place in Arcadia suddenly made sense. But very quickly he wanted to forget it, the mantle of being a trollhunter sounded too dangerous for his taste. Steve had no intentions of dying, and going through with this sounds like the exact opposite of what he wanted. However, the blonde teen would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious. And who wouldn’t? It’d be near impossible to just ignore the existence of magic and trolls and not look into it. 

Steve’s were ripped away at the sight of a dark portal appearing in front of the two boys. Claire then hopped out of it and it quickly disappeared. She pulled her hair back and exhaled. 

“Okay. We’re all here, now it’s time to face the music. Would you like to do the honors, Toby?” The redhead nodded and took out an orange crystal that had a wooden handle attached to it. 

Toby made his way to the canal’s wall, with Claire and Steve following behind, and began to draw a curved line as big as he could. Once he was done, the redhead pressed his hand on the wall and in a matter of seconds, it began to break away into various pieces and disappear. Steve watched as Toby quietly went inside the glowy entrance. He extended his arm but pulled it away when it made contact with the magical wall. 

“It’s now or never.” The blonde thought before jumping headfirst inside the canal’s walls. 

What he was met with were massive blue crystal staircases that twirled around until they reached the ground. The blonde teen stared in awe by how beautiful the sight was, but had to divert his attention away to getting all the way down. Claire noticed her classmate’s reaction and decided to catch up to him.

“You know. I really wished this was under better circumstances.” Steve jumped at the sudden sound of the girl’s voice, almost falling off the stairs. He looked at her in confusion, so she continued as they walked. “Coming here for the first time, it’s a one of a kind moment. But the difference between now and before is that there were no lives at stake or trolls coming to arrest us. I just hope that when all this blows over, you get to share the same experience that we all had.” 

It was very strange. Hearing someone genuinely talking to him, was it supposed to feel like this? First from Coach Lawrence, then from Lake, and now Claire, would he be able to get used to such a thing? As the three of them walked down the final set of stairs, two large creatures, which Steve assumed were trolls, pointed their spears at them. The trolls barely looked like the one he saw in the woods, but that didn’t make them less terrifying. 

Toby and Claire stood in front of the blonde teen and took their weapons out with a defensive stance. It didn’t take long for more trolls to contribute to this ambush. They all looked the same except one, who came towards the group. Their appearance was formal and very fancy in Steve’s perspective.

“Where is the trollhunter?” Usurna hissed while glaring at them.

“Didn’t Blinky tell you? He’s at the hospital and is in no condition to come right now.” The troll scoffed at Toby’s notion.

“You could easily be lying. Trying to hide him from our grasp.” 

The redhead glanced at Claire and muttered, “Told you they wouldn’t believe us.” 

She turned to the blonde teen with a nervous expression. “Steve, take out the amulet.” He did as he was told and heard many gasps from the trolls at the sight of him. “Read the incantation.” 

“Incantation?” Steve looked at the small object more closely and noticed there were words inscribed on it. “For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is Mine to Command.” He read slowly. 

The amulet began ticking and its blue aura shined. Armor then appeared out of nowhere and was placed onto Steve. It felt tight at first before the armor adjusted to his size. With a flash, Steve was holding a sword, which made itself slightly bigger than before.

“Holy shit.” He whispered, amazed by such magic. 

“So..... the trollhunter died, and amulet dared chose another fleshbag to hold the mantle,”  Usurna stated, disgusted at that fact.

“Did not listen to what I said. He’s still alive.” Toby quickly corrected, but before he could say anything else Usurna spoke.

“I believe it does not matter at this point. Arrest the human trollhunter.” She commanded before turning their back on them.

“What?!” The three of them shouted in unison. 

The troll guards grabbed Steve by both arms and dragged him away. A fight or flight instinct came over Steve, an instinct that has been proven useful to him countless times. “Let go of me! Or else I’ll beat the hell out of you!” He thrashed and kicked at the trolls, yelling with all his might. But it was futile. 

Claire ran for Usurna and blocked her path. “You can’t arrest Steve! He had no idea about all of this! Wouldn’t it make more sense to arrest the people who took part in the release of Gunmar?!” 

“You have no authority over me, fleshbag. If James is unable to attend to his own arrest, might as well let this new trollhunter to fill in the role.” The troll pushed past the girl with such force to almost make her fall to the ground. “And besides, it’s more than Gunmar’s escape that will be put into question.” 

As Claire helplessly watched Usurna leave, Toby sprinted to Blinky’s library for aid. Because this was not going according to what they planned at all. God, could there be one day where everything went smoothly without any issues?

[low-budget-korra]

The first text I made was over 2,000 words so I’ll try to summarize it.

First I'm going to talk about what I think is Bury Your Gays and poor writing of minorities.

For me, Bury your gays is when certain productions kill the lgbt character for the sake of shock value, often in the most stupid ways possible. A famous example of this was what happened to Lexa in the 100. When it feels like the character only died because he is gay.

And for me, poor writing for minorities (poc, lgbt, people with disabilities ...) can be characterized as:

1. Productions that want to portray the image of progressives and put a poc or lgbt character (which are the most common cases) without personality, unimportant, without development ... Character that are just there for decoration

2. When they even create an interesting character but soon create a reason to kill him to shock the audience. Kill them because they are poc.

And for me having a poc or lgbt character (since these are the boxes where I identify with) interesting, important ... this is the word: Important! whether it is important directly in the plot as a protagonist who carries the story or a supporting role with a good role on the story and a good development, it is much more significant than a character forced only for certain productions not to be accused of racism, sexism or lgbtphobia.

Of course, each case is different. I will now comment briefly on Atomic Blonde, The Last of Us part II and The Legend of Korra.

In Atomic Blonde we have the death of Delphine, a lgbt character who has generated some discussions about being a "bury your gays". I don't particularly agree because I believe that if she were a man or straight, she would die anyway. Since the protagonist's other love interest had died in the beginning and he was a heterosexual white man, and because the character of Delphine, despite being a spy, did not belong in that work or life style . Something even commented by herself. She was an inexperienced agent in the worst possible scenario to be one . But i now understand and why some people still think It was bury your gays.

In The Last of Us part II I saw many people complaining about the death of Jesse, Yara and how Lev was just a supporting character. The Last of Us part II .... a game that is not afraid to kill loved characters without any ceremony simply because in that world, one mistake can cost your life. Regardless of gender, sexuality, age, skin color ...

Jesse and Yara played Asian American characters and died. Mel, Joel, Owen ... were Caucasian, cishet characters who died too. None of them die because they are asian american or caucasian, they die cuz that world is fucking ruthless.

And about Lev not being important just because he is an supporting character... First that he is for Abby what Dina is for Ellie, both of them are extremely important support for the protagonists and Interesting characters with their own internal struggles and development. I think it is very unfair to throw this away with the argument like: "ah, but he is not the protagonist so it is not important"

And still about The Last of Us part II we are talking about a game and for those who do not know the gamer community is toxic, full of sexism, racism, lgbtphobia ... And the game developers had the balls for not only make two protagonists women outside the steryotype of femme fatalle or defenseless love interest(still very present in games) and one of them a lesbian, but also introducing an important trans character in a mainstream high-budget game.

People, until recently the only image we had of women in games was that of a busty model running around, made purely to please male players, good and important black, asian and lgbt characters was really rare or just didnt exist at all.

And today we have characters like Ellie, Lev, Kassandra (AC Odyssey), Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield who were reimagined more humanely in the remakes of Resident Evil, Lara Croft herself in the 2013 Tomb Raider remake, Max and Chloe(Life is Strange), Lee and Clementine(TWD from telltale), Marcus (Detroit Become Humam ), Connor (AC3) ... I know, there is still a long way to go until we have achieved the equality and representativeness that we want in the world of games but we are advancing. They may be a baby step but they still are steps forward. We should continue to support this initiatives and demand better representation.

Now about The Legend of Korra ... Reading the comments in the post i get the feeling that people were much more angry with Bryke for being cishet than with questions related to the narrative.

It bothers me the fact that it seems that whoever made the posts (originally from twitter) did not watch avatar or simply watched without paying attention. It was NEVER about Korra needed suffering but about finding Meaning in suffering. And yes, they are two different things.

When in the end Korra is talking to Tenzin, about understand the why she had to go through all that , for them be abble to be more compassionate of others. That shit is real. When you have a panic attack , for exemple, you become more abble to help someone who also suffers from that. Or when some people lose someone for a disease or acident and choose to become a doctor to help others, wanting no other person had to go through that pain... In this case, the person didnt have to lose someone to be a doctor but maybe after saw all the fight that the doctors put in to save someone and the pain of losing someone may have made the person spend the rest of his life saving people. Get It?

And in Avatar, both TLA and TLOK, people have suffer.

Aang: Cast aside by his friends when people discover he was the Avatar. Runaway and lose all of his people. Had to see the devastation for himself and find the bones of his friend and possible father figure. Almost die a few times. For many years had the weight of been the last of his people. And in a part of the journey, lost Appa.

Sokka and Katara: Lost their mother. Their dad leave to fight and possible die in the war. Sokka was only a teen when he was the man responsable for his tribe. Katara had the weight of being the only waterbender of her tribe and be the only one that could calm Aang once he was in Avatar State.

Toph: as a blind kid, her parents think of her as someone unable to do anything. Had to choose between save Appa or save the others in some point of their journey

Zuko: When i start with him?

Azula: oh Boy...

Iroh: Lose is only son. Had to see his brother burn Zuko's face. And Zuko betrayed him, kind of, in the end of book2.

Asami: Her mom was murdered , maybe even in front of her. Her dad was a evil genius. She probably suffered with Korra in those 3 years.

Mako and Bolin: They grow up as orphans on the streets...

I could go on and on, dude, even the cabbage man had suffer from losing his cabbages over and over.

But all of the sudden, Korra now had to have plot armor or else Bryke is wrong and are terrible people.

Everybody loves to talk about how perfect Zuko's arc and development is. Zuko, who was one of the characters who most have suffered in the show. But for him all was necessary, had meaning, perfect storytelling and structure but with Korra.... "She cant suffer cuz she is brown"

And its not like Bryke was making something up outta nowhere just to torture the character. All she face it was a consequence direct or indirect of her actions and actions of other people.

Amon and the Equalists? Aang didnt kill Yakone nor put him in prison for life, just took his bending. Yakone was a terrible father, and one of the reason Amon hate bending (even himself been a waterbender) so much to the point of him do what he did. The same to Tarrlok. He turn his sons into monsters. And the triads only help them, because they use their bending to rob the non benders.

Vaatu? Look up The Beginning epsodes because this one is more complex.

Unalaq? Look, the worst villain of Avatar. But he took advantage of things that happen as consequences of the ending of book1

Zaheer? Direct consequence of that happen in the finale of book 2.

Kuvira? Direct consequence of things that happen in book 3

Again, i could go on and on and go deeper on all that. But this is already getting to big.

But what pissed me off most is ... Look im years in this fandom. As a Brazilian i saw and read stuff from the fandom here in my country and the fandom here in Tumblr. And in those years i read so much about how Korra journey help people overcome their struggles with ptsd, anxiety, depression...myself included. How much Korra was important to lesbians and bissexuals girls, especially girls of color.

And them we have those few people throw shit on all this and "cancel" you for not agree with them...

The Legend of Korra ended 2014, 6 years ago and still is so loved, so important to so many people, for the most diverse reasons.

For a cishet, Bryke did a amazing job creating this amazingly beautiful universe. With the most diverse inspirations, coming from places that are forgotten on western media. But i guess its easier criticize, and cancel them and the show than do what they did.

I know that sometimes we just wanted a scape from our difficult reality but seriously, if you Just want a movie/tv show/book...100% happy, rainbow and sunshine with no suffering at all, stick with the fanfics because even romcons sometimes have their among of "i you make you cry and suffer" kind of shit.

Suffer is present in our life and what a lot of movies/tv shows/games/books...try to do is bring our struggles and our suffering into them. Why? Its easier have simpathy for characters who look like us, characters who had been through the same stuff as us.

Is so difficult talk those things in another language. I always feel like i didnt express myself right. And im really sorry if i offended anyone, it wasnt my intention.

[three-drink-amy]

All the Shine of a Thousand Spotlights

Thanks so much for the support of this fic! It made me happy to know so many of you wanted it to continue. I hope you enjoy what’s to come! 

masterlist - AO3

Chapter Three - Take a Chance, Take a Chance, Chance

I knew what I needed to do, I was just dragging my feet. The only person who could probably convince Jamie to take this role was me. But I was also a bit worried that I was the last person he wanted to see. The last time we’d spoken, he seemed angry that I was trying to talk to him. I could understand the position he was in, and likely why he was about to turn down the role. But he couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let him. 

I had to act quickly. It wasn’t like we had forever. Production would need to begin eventually and we needed to have our lead. Marilyn and John were going through the list of other actors who had auditioned, but we all knew we didn’t want them. We wanted Jamie. I wanted Jamie. John was never wrong with his instincts, but I hoped that when I talked to Jamie alone, he’d tell me that he was taking the part. 

Swallowing harshly, I looked up at the building in front of me. Taking all the courage I had, I ran forward to catch the door as a delivery man left. I followed the familiar path to his door. It was painfully obvious to me how different my situation was now than it was the last time I was here. Shaking my head, I tried to dispel the images of him pushing me against the wall and kissing me senseless in the very stairwell I was climbing. Before I got too caught up in memories, I made myself keep walking. There was a reason I was here, after all, and it wasn’t to vividly remember night we’d spent together. I did that enough on my own. 

I must have stood in front of his door for a full minute before I finally knocked. My heart hammered away in my chest as I waited for him to answer. One of his neighbors walked past me. I bounced on the balls of my feet, willing him to be home. The sound of footsteps on the other side of the door almost made me lean closer to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. 

The door swung open and he stood before me. I flashed him a strained smile. His eyes widened in shock as he stared back at me. “Claire,” he said, “what the hell are ye doing here?” 

“I needed to talk to you.” 

He schooled his face, not letting his emotions show anymore. “What about?” 

“You can’t turn down this role, Jamie,” I told him, not wanting to beat around the bush. 

Jamie sighed, running a hand down his face. “Seriously? That’s why ye came by here?” 

“Yes! Look, we saw plenty of men for this role and I promise you that you are the only man we wanted,” I told him. I was being more open than I ever had been with an actor before. “Jamie, you are perfect for this role. And not just because you were the only person who actually sounded Scottish. You have to take it!” 

“No, I dinna have to do anything.” 

I groaned. “You auditioned for it. Why do you suddenly want to turn it down?” 

“Because of you,” he answered in no uncertain terms. 

I recoiled a bit, taking a step back. My arms crossed in front of me defensively. “Because of me?” I could hear how small my voice sounded and I hated it. This wasn’t me. I never groveled or begged people to do anything. He was bringing out a terrible side of me. 

He at least had the decency to look a bit guilty for what he said. “Aye. I’m sorry, but I canna take it. I didn’t want to turn it down immediately. I suppose I wanted to be able to change my mind, but I canna. I canna take the role.” 

“Can you tell me why?” I asked. “Other than because of me.” 

Jamie’s face fell. “Ye have to know how much I actually want the role -”

“Then, take it!” I cried. 

“I canna. I’ll no’ let anyone accuse me of sleeping my way to a role.” And there it was. My mouth fell open at his statement. “I may no’ have much of a career, but I do have dignity.” 

“It’s not like anyone even knows,” I reminded him. “Besides, you didn’t even know who I was. You weren’t doing that.” 

“No, I wasna. But if anyone knew the truth, all they’d be able to see is that I slept wi’ ye one night, auditioned for yer play the next day, and then was given the role,” Jamie pointed out. “I want the role, but no’ that badly.” 

“No one knows,” I repeated. I was getting desperate.

“I’ll no’ risk it,” he maintained. His eyes dropped from mine. “I appreciate that ye thought I was good enough. But I can’t.” 

“Please think about it,” I urged. “This could be the role of a lifetime.” 

“Well, then congratulations to yer second choice,” Jamie said, effectively taking the argument out of me. “Goodbye, Claire.” 

I sputtered, trying to get one last word in, but the door shut in my face. My hands laid over my face as I tried to fight off my anger and disappointment. The worst part about it all was that he didn’t mince words. It was clearer than ever that his reason to not take it was me. Even more than wanting to have the perfect cast, I wanted to defend myself and tell him all the reasons he was wrong. 

Except that, ultimately, I respected his decision. As I descended the stairs, feeling low, I understood why he stood his ground. I’d known a good amount of actors in my life, and I’m not sure that any of them would have the integrity to actually turn it down. And that’s not even addressing the ones that would have truly slept with the director to get the part. 

I wanted a win, but I wasn’t getting it. More than that, I wanted to change the way he looked at me. I’d seen plenty of different gazes from him the night we’d spent together. But now, it was nothing but a cold shadow in comparison. 

My office was dark, save a low lamp in the corner. I was wallowing in the misery of my failed attempt. John and Marilyn hadn’t the faintest idea that I was even going to try to sway him. That was probably for the best, since I’d failed. Elbows propped on the desk, my head was in my hands as I tried to figure out my next step. John walked in without knocking. He sat down on the couch in my office. Both of us looked a bit off. 

“What’s up with you?” I asked. 

He shrugged. “Nothing. We’re just getting close to production.” 

“I’m aware.” 

“I got a few more confirmations today,” he told me. 

“But not the one you’re wanting.” 

“It’s the lead role,” John sighed. “If we fuck that up, our play is dead on opening night.” 

“I know.” 

“And the thing that makes me the maddest is that we didn’t do anything wrong!” John continued. 

That you know of, I thought to myself. 

“What do you think we can do?” he asked. “We all agreed that he’s the best. Surely the three of us can figure out a way to convince him. We’re all experienced.” 

I nodded, trying to think of some comfort to offer John. I was coming up dry. “Look, we’re casting minor roles next week. By the end of next week, we have to have our cast list set. We’ll give him til then and hopefully he’ll come around.” 

John laid his head back against the couch. “Okay. I guess that’s all we can do. But after that, we’ll have to act fast.” 

“We will, if necessary,” I promised him. 

But as John walked from my office, I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. I was in full brainstorming mode the rest of the day and my entire evening at home. It was a lot harder to come up with ideas when I knew what the problem actually was. How could I solve it, short of traveling back in time and not sleeping with him? But then again, I wasn’t sure I would really want to do that, even for the sake of the show. 

For the next few days, I sat through auditions, trying to be as present as possible. This show was supposed to be my passion project but I was failing. Somehow, my thoughts were only ever on Jamie. What did he think of me? Would I ever see him again? What were the chances he’d change his mind and accept? Had he actually liked me before my true identity had been revealed? Could something more have happened if he’d never auditioned for my show? 

The ridiculous amount of “what ifs” and “how comes” kept me incredibly distracted at a time when I needed to be focused. I’d gone out the night I met him because I’d needed a break. But now, I needed one again for a very different reason. I knew first hand how much dedication the role of director took. And that was how I knew I was blowing it spectacularly. 

All I wanted to be able to do was figure out a way to convince Jamie to take the role. Perhaps that would put a smile on my face. I figured it would definitely put a smile on John’s face. I was at a loss, though. 

It took me two more days of spending all my time up in my head before I finally realized that the answer was in front of me all along. 

I poured myself a stiff glass of whisky and sat down on my couch. Glancing over at the clock, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t too late. I took a sip to give myself some courage, and then I dialed his number. 

The line rang twice before he answered. “Hello?” he answered. 

“Jamie, it’s Claire.” 

He was silent for a long moment. “How did ye get this number? I dinna recall giving it to ye. Or ye asking me for it, for that matter.” For the first time, I wondered if he was bitter about more than the situation with the play. It had been a mere accident that I’d run out without giving him my number or getting his. As I’d left his apartment that morning, I was more than open to seeing him again. I wondered if he’d ever believe that with everything else that had happened. 

“It might not be the most ethical thing, but I pulled it off your audition form,” I informed him. “We need to talk.” 

Jamie sighed. “No, we dinna.” 

“Yes, we do. Jamie, this role is yours. You are perfect for it and I meant what I said when I told you it could be the role of a lifetime.” 

“I already told ye no once.” 

“You haven’t turned it down though,” I retorted. “Why is that?” 

He took a deep breath. “Because I ken exactly how big a role this is and it’s killing me to turn it down.” 

“Then don’t.” 

“Claire —” 

“I have a new offer for you.” I talked over him. 

“Oh?” 

I took another sip, needing more liquid courage. “If you take the role…” I trailed off, afraid to actually make my offer. “If you take the role, I will step down as director.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“I’ll step down if you take the role. That way, no one will be able to accuse you of sleeping with the director, because you wouldn’t have.” I tilted my head, thinking. “Well, theoretically. I don’t know your whole history.” 

Jamie was silent again. It was frying my nerves. “Why would ye do this?” His voice was softer than all our interactions since the truth came out. It gave me hope.

“I remembered what you told me the night we met,” I said, my voice growing softer, too. “You said you often led your family to believe that you were more successful than you were. Jamie, this could truly be your big break and you deserve to have it. You have more bloody dignity and self-preservation than most people I know. It’s time for the world to see how great you are. But that can’t happen if you turn down the role.” I stopped to take a breath. “I heard you loud and clear. Your problem wasn’t with the role, but with me. So, if I’m out of the picture, it’s perfect. And this show needs you.” 

“What about ye?” 

“Not to sound too much like a braggart, but if I step down as director, I’m fairly certain I could find another show rather quickly,” I told him. 

I could hear him breathing on the other end. “Claire, this is —”

“Just think it over,” I advised. “You have until Friday to make a decision. We have to have our cast list finalized by then.” 

“Alright,” he agreed. 

“Okay. Well, one way or the other, I’ll talk to you soon.” I said goodbye and ended the call. The idea of calling him and making such an offer had seemed like the hardest part. But I was wrong. 

Waiting was going to be the hardest part. 

Next chapter

[siincore]

five times kissed ( from Leon to Ares >:3 )

sharing every sunrise with you -- accepting

Once, upon the hand. Much like that of a mother comforting her child, Ares had pressed a gentle kiss on the bandaged hand Leon had been groaning over. The cut wasn't too deep, but hurt like hell, for which the mechanic apologized. She knew the only thing she could do was clean and wrap the wound, but joked anyways that it was "the slash of a sword", earned by a warrior who was "defending his princess." It made Leon laugh, a momentary distraction from the burning in his palm. She got lost in the rythm of the motions, the blue of his eyes, for a moment too long and maternal instinct moved her. Once she realized what she had done, embarrassment flushed her face and ears, her hands casting the remaining pieces of the medkit back into place. Leon's laughter reached her ears, a comment of how that kiss was a "good luck charm", and she couldn't help but grin.

Twice, rested on the head. Coping with the apocalypse was hard. Raising a child was harder. Doing both was hardest. And raising a child scarred by what you both had experienced was nearly impossible. Ares, who had been through the life of a mother, even if the child is biologically not your own, saw the struggles Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy were suffering. She offered her help in the beginning, and did as much as she could, but the little girl wouldn't really look Ares in the eyes for more than a second. She was afraid of the mechanic, whose face was still red from gashes healing over. They all had nightmares, but Leon had some of the worst. And with the Southern out of commission for sleep, she was there to aid those who were startled awake, often screaming and in tears. Leon was the most frequent, and she felt bad for him. So, when he slumped next to her on the couch, whole body tilting as he was verging on finally drifting off, she asked if he was alright. He asked her to sing to him, just like she did with Eden. She obliged, and took mere moments to feel his head rest against her shoulder. She kissed the top of his head, running her fingers through his hair, hoping the gestures would keep his sleep peaceful and easy.

Trice, on the cheek. Time off. Something this group hadn't seen in years. A week of doing nothing. Claire and Chris hosted, with their home holding everyone comfortably, as the agents retreated from the world. A fun idea, brought up by a drunken Claire, was spin the bottle. A game Ares hadn't thought about since high school, and felt dumb for agreeing to. She was tipsy, having laid off the alcohol, while her friends seemed to be drunk and enjoying it. Claire and Eden had made it clear they were together when Claire's spin landed on the younger Grimm sister, while Chris just avoided kissing everyone if he could. Eden had given Leon a peck on the forehead, calling him her "big bro", slurring on about how he and Ares had to get married. Everyone laughed while the mechanic took her spin. Much to her misfortune, it landed on Leon, who was buzzed and not really aware of what had just happened. She felt her body go up in flames, nervousness and booze flooding her veins. She braved up, though, and gave Leon a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting back coolly, like nothing had happened.

Fourfold, grazing the shoulder. Another day of work, another batch of injuries. Ares had become sort of the local medic, patching up minor wounds and helping prep major ones that would require surgery. People were in and out of her makeshift medbay all day, leaving her occupied. Once Leon stumbled in, she prepped the cot and sanitized her station again, making sure everything was completely clean before she decided to work on him. When he gave her the rundown of his injuries, she prompted him to lift his shirt so she could look at the cuts across his back. They weren't pretty, but nothing she couldn't handle. She got him sterilized and began her work, idly chatting with him. They had been talking about everything under the sun long enough that 3 hours had passed without either realizing it. She was long since done with her handiwork, but they were mutually distracted. She had made a flirty comment about how he got hurt just to come and see her, to which he laughed, but didn't provide a rebuttal. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder, a small show of her love for him. He sighed in content, and sat with her until it was time to close up shop.

And on the fifth, the lips. It was a time when things were bad. Through work and Leon's heartbreak over the fact that Claire couldn't love him, he had been out more often and drunk when he was home. He had been miserable, spending his time ranting to Ares about the unfairness in the world. She had been falling apart at the seams, not seeing him and dealing with his angry rambles about the woman he had fallen for. He didn't seem to see her at all, using her as a punching bag. And she had taken it. But, at some point, that string will snap. And she did. He was getting ready to leave for another assignment, said he'd see her when he came back. Normally, she would've stayed put, cooling off after an argument about his leaving, but today was different. She decided to step over the line in the sand and follow him. He told her to stay back, that the mission was far too dangerous for her to tag along. She stayed close. They went back and forth, what started as warnings devolving into a full on screaming match. He didn't wanna see her die. She didn't wanna live if he wasn't around. She needed to stay alive for her sister. Her sister had found a new family. He didn't wanna come home to not find her there. She was sick and tired of him always coming back to just complain to her, to bitch and moan over how hard life was knowing Claire is gay and how she can't love him, how much she loved him and how hard it was to say anything knowing he doesn't love her back, that even after all of these years, he's still hung up over the girl who isn't hardwired to like men, how much she hates him and loves him and hates herself for loving him. How she was cursed to love him, and her mistakes. On and on, to the stars, everything she had held back. Sobbing. And he can't take anymore of it. He silences her with a brutal, passionate kiss, one that takes her breath away. Something she had dreamed of, wanted so desperately, now hers. When he pulled back, it was gingerly, almost afraid. Like if he opened his eyes, he'd find himself in his bed, waking from a dream. But, her shuddering breath, her grip on his arms; he cracks, he sees her standing before him, face red and eyes wide. He realizes what he's done, and tells her he loves her. That he didn't wanna say anything because he didn't wanna ruin their friendship. But he realized that he loved her the night she had kissed his cheek during that game of spin the bottle. He had hoped she would kiss him then and there, not going for a peck on the cheek. But she didn't, and he felt like he had lost the fight for her. Ares is shaken by shock and relief, and falls into his arms. Leon, grateful for the truth being in the open, laughed. Music to Ares' ears.

"I love you, you fuckin' idiot."

"I love you too."

[devolympian]

Argo, chapter 2, synopses.

Working on the second chapter, but would like feedback on the summery?

The second chapter starts with Skye describing the crowded arcade as if it were a grotesque monster, before attempting to leave.

               Clair stops her and proceeds to carry the other girl into the arcade against her will, informing her that there was no avoiding the situation.

               After failing to bribe Clair with promises of pong, Skye gives up and the two proceed to look for a game to play with Skye becoming ecstatic upon seeing the arcade version of a mobile game the group are fans of.

               Skye describes Arcana as a fighting game where you can create your own character and how the arcade version had been released about a year prior.

               The two girls lode up their characters and then get into a minor argument over how they look, with Skyes being more stylish but lacking items that boost her stats, while Clairs character has a mix match of items that clashed greatly with their look, but gave the character more power.

               However, they were interrupted by Clair letting out a loud yelp of slight pain.

               She assured a concerned Skye that she was alright, while her eyes turned from violet to blood red and a young man fell to the floor in pain, the hand he had grabbed Clairs butt with becoming swollen and enflamed.

               The girls proceeded to play their game, with Clairabell winning almost every match, much to Skyes frustration.

               Eventually, the two were approached by a strange man with a large red afro and a handlebar mustache.

               A confused, and scared, Skye is informed that it was Zee wearing a very bad disguise, much to her shock.

While they are distracted, a group of people take over the Arcana machine, forcing the three to find a different game.

               Unfortunately, the only available game was a basketball machine.

               Still wanting them to have fun, Skye suggest that they play, which Clair and Zee are reluctant to do, reminding Skye what happened last time.

               She assures them that it would be fine, and that the fire wasn’t as bad as it looked and that her hair eventually grew back. Skye than proceeds to put a quarter in the machine, inviting her friends to help.

               Her first shot ends with the ball bouncing back at her, slamming into her head, her falling to the ground, and accidently ripping Zees wig off in the process.

               The moment his disguise is ruined, a crowed of people start swarming the group, causing Skye to have a slight panic attack.

               In her attempt to run away a man ends up dumping his beer onto her and proceeds to yell at her for knocking into him.

               Terrified and unable to get through the crowd of people that her friends were buried in, Skye rushes to the restroom and locks herself into the stall.

               With tears streaming down her face and shacking from head to toe, the 18 year old attempts to calm down before belittling herself for not being able to handle a crowd of people.

               After a while, she hears the bathroom door open and sees that someone is standing in front of her stall.

               The still shaken girl assures them that she was coming out, and gets ready to leave, until she notices that the latch to her door was unlocking its self.

               The door then flings open revealing the stranger from earlier standing in front of Skye, who then rushes into the stall and grabs the still shaken girl by the arms and screaming that she needs to leave right this instant.

               Skye than saw that the strangers face was changing every second from a youthful child, to a handsome teenager, to an ugly old man. She also realized that their hands were crushing her arms.

               Finally at her limit, Skye let out a scream of pure fear and pain which rang throughout the bathroom.

               The stranger stopped screaming at her, their insane eyes widening as they let out a small “no”.

               That’s when the building started to shake and the water pipes exploded flooding the bathroom.

[praecantorp]

The Eight of Pentacles

[Levi Fawley] is a 7th year pureblood in Ravenclaw. They resemble {Michael B. Jordan}

The Eight of Pentacles is …

a pile of letters that were left unsent. wood shavings underfoot. an old iron ring in need of polishing. falling asleep when you’ve stayed up studying. the shelves of the library after hours. the feeling of finishing an important project.

+ passionate, diligent, focused  - unemotive, strict, loner

The Card

Fawley had never been an extraordinary name and neither had there ever been an expectation that Levi would be an extraordinary wix. Though Sacred 28, the Fawleys had neither the backbone of the Weasleys and Longbottoms or the wealth and power of the Malfoys and Blacks. They moved along through history, riding the coat tails of tradition and content with the general privilege that came from their status in society.

But fortune seemed to strike when the family was given twin sons. Two chances for an heir, two chances to raise their status in life. The family was not unaware of the changes that have been hovering in the air - the moment between the two ways this world could turn. Levi and the King were raised to help secure the best position possible for their families in this new world. Levi understood duty and family and purpose. Almost sorted into Slytherin, it was only is innate curiosity and the questions they carry that brought them among the eagles. 

Levi and their twin were born only moments apart and, breaking from convention, it had been decided that the one who most proved themselves worthy as an heir would take that role. At the surface, Levi might seem to be best suited as carry the Fawley legacy. When the King was sorted into Hufflepuff, it was assumed to be as good as given to Levi. Yet as the twins grew older, the King showed themselves to have a charisma that Levi lacked, a willingness to do what was needed where Levi preferred to retreat into his books. Levi, despite his steady character, never seemed to have the teeth of the King.

Instead, Levi became the quiet shame of the Fawley family. He was allowed to chase his inappropriate interests - muggle astronomy, science, philosophy - and keep inappropriate company, so long as they did so quietly and were willing to put on the appropriate airs when brought before good and decent company. Levi, in spite of their interests, was no justice fighter, no passionate voice for equality. They simply had a curious mind which was disinterested in pointless restrictions and arguments which lacked basis in logic.

They never thought to question for more until they began to spend time with The Sun. The Weasley was everything that they were not and everything they never thought they would admire. At first, Levi thought that they were annoyed by the Sun - until they realized that annoyance was balanced by captivation. And in that admiration, Levi began to question more of the assumptions they had made about the world and their own preference for silent work in the background.

No one in Levi’s circle knew about the connection they had with the Sun and therefore none of them understood when the night of the fire had the impact upon them that it had. The Fawley’s might have fought more when Levi insisted on attending Ilvernmorny, but it offered up two distinct advantages: a culture even more restrictive of muggle/magical relations and a chance to send Levi away for their ‘rebellious phase’ where they would be too far to cause the family shame. 

Now that Levi has returned, they know that their family is hoping that they have gotten it out of their system. That he will be ready to be the pureblood son he was intended to be, to take up the mantle of their name and cause. But though Levi is one slow to move and change, the passing time has made him more and more open to the idea that perhaps the Sun truly had it right.

Levi has a choice to make and everything it implies still weighs heavily upon them. Alongside the questions they still carry: what happened that night?

Connections:

to the major arcana - The Sun: had been in love with to the minor arcana - The King of Cups: closest friend - The Ten of Cups: dislikes - The King of Pentacles: twin, loves but always fighting

The Eight of Pentacles is closed. They are played by Claire.

[idontneedasymbol]

@chiisana-sukima

Oh! @idontneedasymbol, I don’t know if it will end up working for you, but I have such a happier textual interpretation of S12 to offer you! I think it’s quite well supported, although we’ll have to wait over time to know for sure. I *love* Dean this season (with the exception that I think all of the characters, including him, are being written somewhat inconsistently and flat), and I think what’s going on isn’t that he’s being written as one-dimensionally violent, but that they’re trying to fix his issues with violence without acknowledging explicitly exactly what those issues are. Which is a complicated endeavor, and so it’s coming out uneven and choppy at times.

(my no doubt overly-copious mounds of thinking on this below the cut)

Keep reading

New post because my stupid, stupid tumblr won’t allow Keep Reading cuts in reblogs! (and I definitely need a cut for this, it got REALLY long (even by our standards ^^;;;;))

I like and agree with most of this reading -- at least subtextually; am not convinced it's deliberate on the part of the writers, but there is an argument for it (in particular I totally agree that Dabb is much more invested in writing them as more standard heroes in regards to killing/violence, rather than Carver's dark, borderline anti-heroes, and I've been a fan of that from the start.)

At the same time, it doesn't address my major issues with Dean's characterization this season. The problem I'm having with s12 Dean is that, while the writing may be exploring his relationship with violence and improving it, at the same time the writers are opting not to show the bulk of good traits the character has always had. (And fair warning, this is a very ungenerous reading of the season. The last ep really got to me; I wasn’t nearly this negative a few eps back, but as the trends I’ve noticed seem to be worsening rather than improving, I’m getting increasingly cranky. Please argue me out of it if you have counter-evidence; I want to be enjoying the show again!)

I don't protest Sam getting the big kills; as pointed out, there's always been an imbalance there, with Dean taking out the majority of the big bads. A lot of this was necessitated by the story. Like you say, Dean's story has always been much more steeped in his complicated relationship with violence, and therefore it was more needed to show that his violence could be heroic; it was always played as a two-edged sword, one of his strengths as well as a weakness. So it makes sense that as his worst issues with violence are reduced, and it's less important to show him being violently heroic, Sam should get more of his share of the kills.

But at the same time they're reducing Dean's heroic kills, they're also reducing all of his other heroic actions as well. He hasn't been given a single scene alone with any innocent victim to bond or show sympathy or offer emotional support.  He has been less involved in researching hunts (e.g. going off to have sex in 12x18 while Sam stays up doing research, apparently not helping with the nephilim hunt in 12x19) and more dismissive of Sam's work (along with a new inability to understand computer searches. Dean has been downright stupid a lot this season, which has never been true of him before; he's got random knowledge gaps and he likes to play the idiot, but this season it feels like he really doesn't understand what Sam is talking about a lot of the time.)

It’s not just Dean; the season (second half especially) seems to have been trying to show the Winchesters as not very good at finding hunts or solving them, apparently to justify them joining the BMOL (since information seems to be all they're getting from them?)  And by and large, both of the Winchesters have been superfluous to the main story this season; it feels like the majority of what has happened in the arcs would have happened with or without them, and even in MotW eps they've managed to save only a single person most of the time (if even that.) But with Sam they’re at least giving him a little -- being a researcher has always been a fundamental part of Sam's character, so they've kept that up nominally, and he’s gotten to be badass. Dean doesn’t have that much going for him; he has no role in their partnership now, when Sam can do everything.

Except damsel in distress, I guess? But damsels are usually the gentle ones, the heart of the team. And along with not getting the kills, and not helping with the research side of hunting, Dean also hasn't been showing much in the way of positive feelings like compassion or empathy.  Emotional vulnerability at times, yeah; but not kindness. That, too, has been left up to Sam.

Dean has been unusually unsolicitous with Sam himself. This, I think, is partly a result of Sam's s12 characterization, which is definitely tilted more toward Big Damn Hero, strong and unneeding of assistance or comfort in the face of torture or monsters or anything else. Dean has not once asked Sam if he's okay this season, even casually after a fight; but neither has anyone else. There has been atypically little light h/c of the sort of the boys getting tossed around and one of them helping the other up, and what there has been has been entirely Sam helping Dean. On the multiple occasions Sam has gotten in trouble, Dean always gets there too late to be of any help, and doesn't show concern when he does arrive. This was at its worst in 12x02, that travesty in which Dean fails to exhibit any concern for Sam whatsoever, even when witnessing him tied up and bleeding (despite vowing to take Toni apart if Sam is hurt in just the previous episode.) At the time I blamed it on Bucklemming, but given later episodes (12x04, 12x14, 12x15) it seems to be the trend, that Dean is not given to showing caring for his brother anymore, either by threatening those who hurt him or worrying over his condition.

(I admit, Dean caring for Sam is my favorite thing in the whole damn show. So the near total lack of it this season, even in minor moments, has stood out to me.) (Meanwhile Sam repeatedly expresses concern for Dean's physical and emotional states. Which I love, don’t get me wrong; but I like it going in both directions? I miss eps like “Mystery Spot”...)

Even with other characters, while Dean can express worry for family/friends (always initially expressed as anger, then walked back to a grudging apology; the Dean who would express worry through humor or supportive gestures or asking to talk is nowhere to be found) his caring is always matched and usually overshadowed by Sam's (except arguably for a couple times with Cas, for the sake of Destiel). And Dean is the one who doesn't understand what Mary's going through, Dean is the one who is mean and petty to Cas, Dean is the one who overreacts to Claire’s decision. Dean's role is to be Goofus to Sam's Gallant, showing, over and over, what not to do.

And yes, they've always had a measure that Dean is the more volatile and emotional one while Sam is calmer and more rational. But it's more extreme now, to the point that Dean can't be calm and rational EVER -- while Sam only gets emotional for brief moments and then calms, without it ever clouding his judgment or decisions.

That Dean has had no time with the innocents this season really bothers me too, because it’s always been one place the show has been quite even -- Sam & Dean have different ways of dealing with the victims of monsters, but they're both effective.

Reading over your analysis of Dean and violence, I wonder if this is all related -- that because the show is softening him in terms of violence, it sees less need to show his caring side otherwise, which has always existed in contrast to his capacity for cruelty. Or even that to preserve his nominal 'tough guy' appearance, when he's not as violent, he has to be harder in other areas.

I really hope that's not the case. I really hope the kind Dean, the Dean who tried to comfort Michelle at the end of "Red Meat" and told Sam he wasn't leaving him in “Don’t Call Me Shurley”, who managed to save the universe by empathizing with Amara, isn't gone for good.

(Even in "Regarding Dean," Dean is sweet and cute, but he's not especially kind. And while I do love that ep, it's probably my favorite of the season, I hated how at the end, once Dean's back to 'himself,' he teases Sam, and there's no sense that he realizes that Sam was genuinely hurting. That's mostly in the editing, they could've easily played it as teasing but also sympathetic. But they don't; he's just a smug jackass. Likewise in "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell" Dean's fussing over Baby would've been fine if there had been any hint that he was actually concerned about Sam or the innocent and blustering over it with his worry about the car -- like way back in the pilot, asking if Sam was okay, then covering his concern by saying that he'd kill him for damaging the car.)

It's touches like that I'm missing. And as you say, the characterization has been flat this season, and these are some of the details that are getting flattened out. I am hoping that’s all it is, and not that they’ve just decided Dean’s not like that anymore.

And I do hope you're right about the season's general arc. The decrease in violence, especially from the boys and between the boys, was one of the things I most enjoyed about s11, and one of the things I am glad about s12. (I admit I was a little concerned about that -- Dabb wrote one of the worst moments of domestic violence in the show, in that it was played as no big deal, in Dean punching Sam in "Girl Next Door" -- but that hasn't come up; Dean’s being written as a jerk, but at least not an abusive one.) If that is a deliberate choice, it’s one thing to celebrate!

[theconservativebrief]

Move over, Nancy Pelosi, the right has a new boogeywoman.

In the wake of a bitter and contentious fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, Sen. Dianne Feinstein has emerged as another key Democrat conservatives are using to rile up their base ahead of this November’s election. The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the senior senator from California, Feinstein has been on the receiving end of growing Republican ire ever since she referred a letter detailing sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh to the FBI.

For much of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Republicans refrained from directly attacking Christine Blasey Ford — the Palo Alto University professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault — given the tricky optics of doing so. Instead, they trained their outrage on Democrats.

Since Feinstein not only leads the committee’s minority but also played a pivotal role in addressing Ford’s letter, she quickly became the focus of this onslaught. And that animus has only bled into the midterms.

“If Phil Bredesen wins, Dianne Feinstein picks your judges. Bernie Sanders runs the budget. And Chuck Schumer runs everything,” says one ad recently released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Tennessee’s contested Senate race.

[embedded content]

During the confirmation hearings, Republicans accused Feinstein of using Ford as a political football and of leaking the letter to the press, something she’s denied.

With the Republican base fired up over Kavanaugh’s confirmation already, candidates for seats in both the House and the Senate appear determined to maintain that energy in the final weeks before the election. One way they’re trying to do it? Keeping up the attacks on Feinstein.

In the same way that Republicans have historically framed individuals like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Schumer, and Pelosi in order to suggest that specific candidates — especially those in red states — are more closely aligned with the Democratic establishment in Washington than they are with voters in their own districts, they are continuing to use that same playbook with Feinstein.

“It’s always been their game plan to attack Democratic leaders and say congressional candidate X or Y is just like them,” says Feinstein political strategist Bill Carrick. “Frankly, it feels like a big cliché.”

A recent ad opposing Jacky Rosen in Nevada attacks her for being “a Hillary person,” for example, and juxtaposes her likeness against clips of Clinton laughing. Many other ads have gone after candidates like Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly for supporting Pelosi and Schumer.

Feinstein has made an increasing number of cameos like this in various campaign ads.

“At Diane Feinstein’s command, Martin Heinrich voted NO on confirming Brett Kavanaugh,” reads a Facebook ad for Republican Mick Rich’s New Mexico Senate campaign. “Heinrich has shown that he will blindly vote for the radical left’s agenda.”

Mick Rich Senate campaign/Facebook

“Using Feinstein puts a face on the argument, and that always makes it more effective,” says Cook Political Report’s Jennifer Duffy. In this case, Feinstein serves as a particularly fitting proxy for Republicans to call out as they seek to highlight remaking the federal judiciary as a key issue that candidates can campaign on. The NRSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Tennessee ads in which she’s spotlighted.

And ads aren’t the only outlet where Republicans have been hammering this message.

Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley, who is up against vulnerable Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in November, has even called for a special counsel investigation into how Feinstein passed on the information about Ford’s letter, echoing congressional leaders like Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) who have pressed for an ethics probe.

“They want to make this about something else than what’s happening in the states,” says Carrick.

President Trump appeared to illustrate at a rally earlier this week in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that Feinstein has, indeed, proven to be an incendiary character who resonates with Republican voters.

During the event on Tuesday, Trump questioned how Feinstein approached Ford’s letter and the allegations she brought against Kavanaugh. “How about Senator Feinstein? That’s another beauty,” Trump said as part of remarks mocking the lawmaker’s response to inquiries about the leak. “Did you leak the documents? … ‘Huh, what? What? No, I didn’t …’”

As Trump spoke, the crowd began chanting a line that’s often been used to attack Hillary Clinton and her private email server. “Lock her up! Lock her up!” they shouted. This time, however, those chants were aimed at Feinstein.

The response seems to suggest that Feinstein has increasingly become somebody that at least some Republican voters view with hostility. Republican senators canvassed by the Hill broadly noted that they didn’t approve of Trump’s comments, in spite of their disagreement with Feinstein. “The president is responsible for his statements. I’m responsible for mine. It’s not something that I would say,” said Cornyn. Feinstein, meanwhile, said the remarks were simply part of Trump’s “technique of division.”

One area where experts say they don’t expect the increase in Republican attacks to make any dent is Feinstein’s midterms race in November, when she’ll face off against fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon in order to maintain her Senate seat. “Provoking harsh Republican criticism is not likely to prove harmful to her election chances,” says Robert Huckfeldt, a political science professor at UC Davis.

“It just helps us in California,” says Carrick, Feinstein’s political strategist.

Original Source -> Dianne Feinstein is the right’s new boogeywoman

via The Conservative Brief