#Process Controller Dubai

[timmydraker]

Every now and again, Tim breaks things.

Not as in he accidentally snaps a pencil or messes up when fixing a grapple, though that does happen, when Tim breaks things on purpose it’s… a lot.

It started when he was a kid the first time his parents canceled his birthday after an opportunity came up in Dubai and they wanted to stay longer. Tim was seven and at that point his birthday was the only day in the whole year that he could be sure they would be home.

At first he stood in his room two days before his birthday with silent tears as he processed what he had just heard told via a short phone call.

Then he just… lashed out.

Tim banged on his door and screamed like a banshee before ripping hooks of his shelf and throwing them at the walls and leaving dents. He yanked on his closet door till it creaked and broke one hinge and then took a pencil and stabbed it into his pillow.

He cried himself to sleep and upon waking up to his nanny arriving in the afternoon he panicked and quickly cleaned up the mess he had made.

Tim was ahed of himself for getting so emotional and making a mess, feeling like the child he was but more importantly he felt so very out of control.

He ignored the part of him that felt better after causing a little chaos and putting his anger outwards. A relief and high of a sort when he gave into an anger he hadn’t really felt before.

So, after that he decided that if he was really, really, really upset and he couldn’t get his blood to stop pumping so quickly, couldn’t get rid of that overpowering urge to hit and thrash and throw, he could do so as long as no one saw.

It happens again when Jason dies and Thai tiem he throws his camera out the window, which then makes him sob as he still had photos of his beloved Robin inside and also panic because how the hell was he supposed to fix a window without his parents noticing?

He does it a few times when he’s training to be Robin, to the point he tries to use a punching bag but when he found that the lack of damage being done left him feeling worse, he may or may not have grabbed a Batternag and stabbed instead.

Tim did not do it when his mum died, nor when his father was almost taken off life support, because they wouldn’t like it and it was about them.

The bats don’t k ow about it, but his team does.

Greta had heard him have a rather rough conversation with Batman and when she went to check on him after he hung up, she saw as he opened his Bo staff and started whacking against the Titan Tower console, hitting over and over in dead quiet before activating the blade on the end and slicing through the biggest scream, causing half of it to fall off the wall.

She had gone to the others and Tim had been given no choice but to open up to his team.

It took him a while to admit that it helped a hell of a lot more to talk to them than to smash up multi-million dollar equipment.

Jason and Damian are the first of the bats to see it, though by then Cass was well aware of his habit as Tim could never lie to his sister.

He hadn’t had a moment like that for months, nearly a whole year, but then one night when Jason and Damian had needed to come by his Nest to get some backup toxin cure when Ivy was announced as escaped: he got a call that pissed him off.

One of the board members he had very clearly told Bruce he wasn’t willing to work with as the prudish man annoyed him, had been transferred to DI from WE because for some reason Bruce seemed to think Tim needed to work less and needed more help. Why that was in the form of a useless former CFO was beyond Tim, but it wasn’t abnormal for Bruce to make company decisions like he was operating with the Justice League and everyone had basic respect for each other-

During the call, Jason and Damian had been watching and observed as Tim grew more and more tensed as he spoke with Lucious, who was doing his best to calm the situation as he had witnessed the aftermath of one of Tim’s outburst within a week of knowing the young man.

Damian watched as Tim tells Lucious to call him back in a few hours so he can be more rational before handing up and very slowly placed his phone down on the desk.

Being an assassin, Damian is an expert of body language and had been working with Cass to become a master, but to see such anger on Tim was odd. Tim was a snappy and shouting kind of angry, but this quiet and shaking rage was something different.

“Drake-��

Tim holds a hand up and when Damian actually goes quiet, Jason knows something is up and moves to stand beside the youngest of them just one case.

“If you would please give me a moment.”

The two watch as Tim moves into another room, one that they knew to be a work room that Tim used when he built or repaired things.

He shuts the door and for a moment there’s nothing before the sounds of clanging, bashing and thudding starts to rattle the walls. They hear it all but see nothing, only having the sounds of Tim shouting out obscenities and metal hitting metal to go off.

Though it’s muffled they can hear some of what he’s saying like, ‘stupid fucking Bruce with his stupid fucking meddling’ and in a mocking voice: ‘“I act dumb so people don’t know I’m Batman”- ARE YOU SURE ITS AN ACT?!’.

Glass shattered as Tim said something about buying Bruce’s company just to fire him.

By the time it settles down they can hear his breathing through the walls.

A deep inhale sounds before something, maybe a desk, is righted upwards and Tim walks back out looking only mildly disheveled. “Sorry, needed a moment. What was it you needed?”

Damian, who was caught between defending his father and trying to get a peak into the thrashed room, wanted to insult Tim for his poor emotional regulation but got the feeling it wasn’t the time.

Jason seemed to agree and answered for them both, saying, “Just some toxin cures… Ivy for out.”

Tim inhaled deeply again, looking behind him and giving a blank look, “You’ll have to ask someone else.”

Damian raised an eyebrow, “why?”

Tim gestured to the room he had just exited, “I was reorganising.” A pause. “They were in there.”

Jason gave him a teasing smirk, “you broke them didn’t you?”

With a shrug, Tim adjusted his gloves and walked over to his desk, “It was that of Bruce’s face.”

[lizardkingeliot]

I took a ton of notes during my rewatch of 2x07 just now but the thing I kept coming back to again and again was Armand's framing of the entire narrative and how it plays with truth vs lies in such an insidious way it's honestly brilliant in its cruelty. Truth being used as a cudgel not only against Louis, but against Lestat as well. And against, us, the viewers at home.

We obviously all know Armand is a very powerful 500 year old vampire who is not going to be held back by an infant of a vampire like Santiago. Like… Armand. Babe. Let’s get real. But that’s the narrative set-up. The coven, now being led by Santiago, has Armand captive behind his little rickety baby gate with Sam and his prop weapon not letting the puppy come out to play. He cannot prevent it! Poor baby. Someone get him a juice box and a snack.

Enter Lestat. The vengeful lover come to make Louis and Claudia pay for what they did to him. What's interesting here is that everyone—Daniel, Louis, Armand—acknowledges in Dubai that the trial IS a sham from the beginning. A tool to allow Lestat his revenge. But the truth of why it's actually a sham is being hidden behind a thousand layers of gaslighting and deceit by Armand. Lestat is merely another prop on the stage. Being forced to use the TRUTH of his love story with Louis—and to twist essential elements of their beginning as a couple—as a weapon to drive the final wedge between them so that Armand might have Louis all to himself. That's what this is about. A farce so that Armand might have what he wants more than anything in the world. Someone who will be with him always. Without Claudia, without Lestat... who else is there for Louis to run to?

The trial as we see it is told mostly through Louis' POV. It seems to be a true picture of how it all happened but the cognitive dissonance watching him try to reconcile what Lestat was doing on the stage with the framing provided by Armand (who cuts in frequently to assure us that Lestat shapes things to suit HIS narrative) is painful. Louis sees and feels and hears the sincerity of Lestat. A Lestat who is defiant from the jump and refuses to paint the story as butchery. It's about LOVE. It is always always always about the love. An entire sham trial about vengeance and murder framed around... love.

Everyone who's familiar with the books already knows Lestat didn't want to be there. I won't go into that too much but the show did a good job of showing us just how unwell Lestat was during the entire process. But there are also some really interesting moments where we are TOLD explicitly through Louis' recounting of the events that Lestat was not actually there for revenge. Namely, the moment when Lestat says HE deserves to be punished alongside them. These are not the words of someone who is seeking vengeance. These are the words of someone desperately rattling the bars of his own cage trying everything he can to prevent what's happening. Because unlike a certain someone, in that moment Lestat is quite literally unable to prevent it!

The entire episode is Louis trying to reconcile the conflicting truths that exist inside him: that Lestat was there for revenge, that Armand couldn't prevent the coven from exacting their cruelty, and that the Lestat who was on stage WAS sincere and emotional and fighting with everything he had to let the truth ring as true as it was when he was able. He refused to refer to Louis as the accused every time Santiago insisted on it. He would only refer to Louis by name. He would NOT allow the narrative to frame him as someone who didn't also do monstrous things to his lover. He was weeping and flooded with shame. Sincerely, genuinely remorseful for the awful thing he had done to Louis.

There's also something else here about Lestat acknowledging he tried to crush what he could not own vs Armand deceiving Louis into the false sense of control that is the entire basis for their relationship. Owning something he does not crush, merely confines. He's not crushing Louis with insanity, he's locking him inside his prison of empathy. He quite literally has Louis locked in a cage while allowing him to believe he's truly free. Free from the insanity of Lestat. Evil, vengeful, gaslighting Lestat who only uses the truth to shape the narrative for himself.

There's a lot more going on here. I can't possibly get it all out of my brain right now and I imagine I'm going to be picking apart the nuances for a while. There are so many layers. The truth vs lies vs intentional reshaping of the truth of it all. But if you rewatch, pay attention to Armand's face, the score that accompanies his recounting of events, the passive way in which he holds his body in both Paris and Dubai. He's locking Louis in a dream world where the truth is present in such a way it only serves to amplify its own distortion. I don't even think he's fucking with Louis' memory all that much, just framing it in such a way that Louis cannot see past what is right there in front of him. What he already knows. If only he had just a few more tiny pieces of the puzzle...

But he's trying to get there. He is getting there. The truth of Lestat is breaking though. Lestat is still present there with him in Dubai, as real as if he were really in the room. After 74 years, Louis can still recall every detail of his face, still smile at him recalling the truth of his memories. The truth he wouldn't allow himself to look at all the way. The truth he himself had to distort for his own sake because it hurt too much. He's allowing himself to see not only the truth of himself and his own actions, but the truth of Lestat. All the complicated, sincere truth of him. The truth of the one who truly could not prevent it.

[yesimwriting]

I can't help but notice you have the perfect opportunity to elaborate the relationship and plot even further with bestie reader traveling to dubai. What's Armands reaction to her broken wrist?? Will Louis notice Armands crush on his best friend and if so, how? And how would Louis react? Their relationship had been open and on and off in the past, so don't think he'd consider it cheating lmao.

Also fun fact, (as far as I know) Armand with his past history female paramours has shown to be less "toxic" with his love. I speculate it's because of the unbalance of roles that may come with opposite gender. It seems like he prefers to be a sub with men in his life, even when he's truly the stronger one and in control. Most of the time. :P It's perfect in my eyes because I feel like you now may have much more space for his and bestie's dynamic.

PS. YES. Hand holding should absolutely be a content warning. WHAT the hell Elle (0_o) WHAT wAs ThAT im screaming. Literally had to put my phone face down and take a lap around my living room. Q: what is his thought process when he initiates physical contact and why did he do that. is reader even open to see armand as a romance possibility? i think so, no? she did not recoil from his touch after all.

I do have a fic about bestie going to Dubai with her broken wrist in the drafts, so I don't want to go into too much detail about Armand's respone, but his reaction to her broken wristis definitely interesting because of two conflicting truths.

The first truth is that he wants to come off as aloof and detached, and the second is that her broken wrist is a reminder of bestie's physical fragility in a way that makes him sick. In the fic this ask is referencing, Armand hints at being upset that bestie doesn't live with/near them, and while part of that is because he's prone to obsession, it's also his way of indicating genuine worry.

However, I also think Armand reads so much into the reactions of those that he cares about, so he's also a tiny bit irritated that bestie didn't want to abandon her own life to live with them in Dubai.

Bestie's hesitance when it comes to leaving her home and moving in with her best friend and his companion is obviously not a personal attack, but bestie lives so well when she's with Louis and Armand that it genuinely irks him that she doesn't want to uproot her life to be closer to them.

I think Armand is trying to hold onto this annoyance so that he doesn't become too sentimental about her injury, but it's not that helpful when he has to see bestie in a cast. If bestie had princess treatment in that penthouse before, it's absolutely next level when she's hurt. Armand even side eyes Louis for trying to take her out and not encouraging her to rest when she's hurt.

Which brings me to your question about wether or not Louis would consider it cheating if Armand was to develop his own relationship with bestie. Like you said, they've been open on and off in the past, which seems like a fairly common thing when it comes to vampire companionships. It makes sense, if you and your partner know you're going to live forever, it isn't a totally surprising thing if your views on commitment and relationships begin to evolve after a few decades/centuries.

I don't think Louis would consider it cheating, especially if they talked about it before anything happened. Also, Louis knows bestie's heart and knows that she'd never do anything to hurt him. And, if bestie were to be with Armand in that way, Louis wouldn't have to worry about Louis choosing to settle down with someone (likely a human) that wouldn't be okay with them spending so much time together.

However, if anything, I think he'd be more concerned about how Armand might treat bestie than jealous. Even though at this point in the story, Armand is definitely already impacting Louis's mind and perception of events, Louis knows that Armand can be a lot, and while he's used to it/believes he can handle it, he wouldn't want bestie to enter a situation that could potentially be dangerous.

I think with time, maybe watching how protective/careful is around bestie while she's injured, Louis does start to see that Armand doesn't have any ill intentions towards her. Of course, that's susceptible to change based on Armand's moods and perceived betrayals, but I do think Louis does eventually accept that Armand is particularly and intentionally gentle towards her, even when he's mad/upset.

This fits into your point about Armand being less "toxic" with female paramours. From what I've read and seen, I do think he seems generally less hostile and aggressive with female partners. I don't think it's that he feels like a female partner is incapable of hurting him or that he has some innate power over the women in his life (like I don't think it's sexism if that makes sense??), but that he has less trauma that he can subconsciously associate with his female paramours, so he doesn't feel as great a need to project his strength to feel in control of the relationship.

As a side note, this isn't me saying that Armand should/has to end up with a female partner (I'm a devil's minion end game truther for life 🙏), but I do think that this subconscious distinction in the way that Armand views his romantic partners based on gender can add a lot to his dynamic with bestie.

He's definitely generally softer around her (which ends up benefiting Louis, because Armand is calmer in her presence) and I think it'd be a little easier for him to open up to her and he'd be more comfortable being attached (and a little bit clingy) to her.

For example, Armand has already been kind of touchy with bestie (in appropriate/neutral ways), and I can see him slowly but surely becoming a lot touchier until he's casually seeking out physical affection from her without context/justification because he's okay with appearing more vulnerable in front of her.

[szariahwroteit]

Doll House: A Jude Bellingham + Orginal Character Erotic Series.

18+ Minors DNI

Chapter 13

Although Jude valued the opinions of his loved ones, the playful teasing from Marcus didn’t possess the bite it used to.

He’d mindlessly told Marcus that he had dropped Tori at a doctor’s appointment one morning before training. Honestly, he hadn’t put the same thought into it as his best friend did; that morning, she had stayed over at his place. He had time to kill, and she had somewhere to be.

Jude didn't mind his brother's playful remarks and had no issue reminding him that, regardless of the person he had in his life, he was still very much a single man.

However, things took a less playful turn when the following Thursday arrived. Marcus and his girlfriend Charlotte had come to spend the weekend in Madrid to watch Jude and his teammates as they took on rivals Barcelona. With them, they had brought Anastasia, a friend of Charlotte’s who was previously familiar with Jude.

Letting out a breath he’d been holding as he sat on the edge of his bed, Jude pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind ran wild with thoughts of Tori.

“What am I supposed to tell her?” Jude asked Marcus as he opened his eyes, his voice tinged with frustration. Marcus leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, an amused glint in his eyes.

“Honestly, I didn't mean to put you in hot water like this. But when you introduced me to Tori in Dubai, I thought she was just your piece for the trip. Had I known it was more, I would have never brought Anastasia along.” Marcus snickered, a hint of remorse creeping into his tone.

“She means more than that,” Jude replied sharply, a flash of irritation sparking in his chest. He instantly regretted the bite in his voice but kept his eyes locked on Marcus, who raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? So, you’re telling me you and Tori are… more?” Marcus pressed, his voice lacking the amusement it once held. “When you told me you were single over the phone, I figured Anastasia would be a welcomed surprise.”

“I am single, but the things we’ve been doing… the way we've been moving, I'd be doing Tori dirty by entertaining anyone else,” Jude divulged.

“The way you've been moving?” Marcus repeated.

“The appointment I took her to was for her to start birth control,” Jude blurted out, his gaze flicking to the floor as he felt the heat creep into his cheeks. He could practically hear the gears turning in Marcus's mind.

“Fuck,” Marcus said slowly, processing the information. “You're really feeling her then. This isn't just some fling?”

Jude sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not. I care about her, and it’s becoming more than just physical.” He hesitated, his thoughts tumbling together unceremoniously.

“Look,” Marcus said, straightening up, the teasing tone dropping altogether. “We can get Anastasia to stay in a hotel for the weekend, but she is still going to be in Madrid with us. She is going to cross paths with Tori continuously.”

Jude leaned back on the bed, feeling the weight of Marcus's words settle over him like an unwelcome blanket. The thought of Tori and Anastasia interacting filled him with a mix of anxiety and dread. He had known Anastasia sporadically during their former years, her sharp wit and playful demeanor often leaving an impression, but their connection fizzled out over time. Since meeting Tori, Jude’s attention hadn't been anywhere else, regardless of titles.

"What do you suggest then?" Jude asked, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. The room echoed with uncertainty.

Marcus pushed off from the doorframe, stepping closer. “Look, just be upfront with Tori. If you’re serious about her, let her know what’s happening. You don’t want her to feel blindsided or like you have no regard for her feelings.”

Jude nodded, the weight of Marcus's advice settling heavily on his shoulders. "You're right. I just... I didn't plan on this. Tori isn't my girlfriend, but she is where my head is and a priority of mine," His voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping in.

“Then make it official in your head first,” Marcus advised, his tone steady and encouraging. “You don’t have to label everything right now. Just be honest about how you feel and where you stand. If she knows where your head is, there should be no trouble.”

Jude exhaled, mentally wrestling with the idea. Would laying his cards on the table only complicate things further? Would it change the light, free-flowing nature of what they shared? Yet a small voice reminded him that avoiding the conversation wouldn’t help.

“Theoretically, but she's going to be here soon, and when she turns up, a girl that I used to fuck is going to be sharing space with the girl I am with. Tori is understanding, not a pushover.” Jude spoke, the tension in his voice revealing the swirl of emotions churning inside him.

Marcus considered what he said momentarily, his expression shifting from playful to severe. “Look, it’s going to be awkward, but if she’s as understanding as you say, then she’ll handle it. Being upfront is the only way to avoid misunderstandings. Trust me—communication is everything. If you want me to, I can explain that this was on me.”

Jude felt Marcus's seriousness resonate within him. Communication had always been essential in relationships, yet he had taken the easy road, gliding along on the surface without diving deeper into what was unfolding with Tori. His heart pounded with the possibilities that awaited—both enticing and terrifying.

“Yeah, but what if I mess this up?” Jude sighed, searching Marcus’s face for answers that would put him at ease. “It’s just… this is all new territory for me. I genuinely enjoy what Tori and I have; I don't want to fuck it up.”

Marcus stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Jude's shoulder. “You won’t mess it up unless you don't communicate. Trust your instincts, Jude. You’ve got this. You know Tori better than anyone. If she’s as special to you as you say, then you owe it to her to be honest.”

Jude nodded slowly, allowing Marcus's words to sink in. He could feel the weight of responsibility pressing down, and with it, a fierce determination began to bubble up within him. He cared about Tori more than he had admitted to himself, even in the solitude of his bedroom.

“Okay,” Jude finally said, his voice steadier. “I’ll talk to her when she gets here. It might be messy, but I’d rather deal with the mess than leave anything to chance.”

“Good,” Marcus replied with a nod. “And hey, if it helps, I’ll look into a hotel for Anastasia to stay at. Charlotte and I will take her there once we figure everything out.”

Jude felt a wave of relief wash over him at the thought of his friends intervening, easing the tension that had begun to unravel him. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Just thinking about Tori and Anastasia in the same room sends my stomach into knots."

"Understandable," Marcus said with a sympathetic smile. "But you know Tori well enough to handle it. Just be honest, and the rest will fall into place."

Jude leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts drifted to Tori. He could still feel the warmth of her body next to his, the laughter they shared over late-night snacks, and the way she challenged him to be better both on and off the field. It felt different with her—more substantial than any casual fling. He needed her to know how much he valued what they had built.

After a moment of silence, Marcus clapped Jude on the shoulder. “I’ll let you have some time to gather your thoughts. Just call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll definitely take you up on that.”

As Marcus left the room, Jude's heart raced with anticipation and anxiety. He pulled out his phone, glancing at the time. Tori would arrive any minute now, and as ready as he was to lay his cards on the table, he couldn't deny the nerves that swirled inside of him.

He had already ironed things out where Anastasia was concerned. She knew she had been invited by mistake, and despite his look of embarrassment as he explained he had someone in his life now, she had been gracious, understanding his position. It was a good start but only heightened Jude's awareness of the delicate situation.

The anticipation felt like a weight pressing down on him with each passing moment. What if Tori had other expectations? What if she saw their relationship differently? He couldn’t shake the doubt but knew he had to deal with things head-on. He couldn't afford to leave things up to interpretation.

The sound of his doorbell ringing through his spacious home made his heart leap into his throat. There it was—his chance to face the music. The weight of his indecision felt almost unbearable as he took a deep breath and went downstairs to the door, his mind racing with thoughts of what to say.

He opened the door, and there stood Tori, a smile breaking across her face as she spotted him. She looked radiant, her hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes shining with a warmth that eased and intensified his nerves.

“Hey!” she smiled sweetly, stepping across the threshold and into Jude’s arms.

Jude enveloped her in a warm embrace, pulling her close and savoring the familiar scent of her hair—a mix of coconut and something sweet, truly Tori. For a moment, he lost himself in the comfort of her presence, letting her laughter wash over him. It was a fleeting distraction from the weight of the conversation looming ahead.

“Hey! You made it,” he replied, his grin matching hers. “You look incredible.”

“Thanks!” she giggled softly. “I just pulled on the first thing I could find when I got home from rehearsal.”

Jude's heart swelled at her radiant smile, but the thrill of the moment was tempered by the conversation he knew he had to initiate. He wanted nothing more than to relish their easy banter and the tangible connection between them. Yet, the gravity of his unspoken feelings weighed heavily on him.

Stepping back slightly, he gestured for her to come inside. “Tori, we need to talk.”

The lightness in Tori’s expression shifted to one of curiosity, her brows knitting together in gentle concern. “Talk? About what?”

Jude closed the door behind them, feeling an electric tension settle in the room. He needed to keep his tone casual, but the weight of his words felt monumental. “It’s... about us and the weekend ahead.”

Tori tilted her head, taking a step closer, her gaze searching his face for answers. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” he reassured her quickly, wanting to dispel any sense of unease. “It’s just that Marcus and Charlotte brought along Anastasia, and I didn’t realize how complicated it could get.”

He watched Tori’s face, her expression shifting as she processed the information. “Anastasia? Who is she...?”

“She’s a friend of Marcus’ and someone I—” Jude hesitated, searching for a way to frame it delicately.

“And she's here in your house?” Tori asked cautiously.

Jude nodded, feeling a rush of heat creep into his cheeks. “Yeah, but it’s not what you’re thinking. We had a history, but it’s... it’s not the same anymore. I just wanted to be upfront with you because I care about where we’re headed.”

Tori’s brow furrowed as she stepped back, crossing her arms as if to shield herself from what she was perceiving. Jude could see the surprise and confusion play across her beautiful features, and he felt an immediate pang of regret for springing this on her.

“Okay. So, Anastasia is staying with you for the weekend, too?” she prompted, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“Marcus is sorting a hotel for her,” Jude replied, his heart pounding at the building tension in the air. “But she will be around this weekend.”

Tori took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing slightly as she processed his words. “I appreciate you being honest with me, Jude, but why didn’t you mention her earlier? I wouldn't have come here.”

Jude swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her disappointment. “I want you here, Tori,” he said, his voice steady but low. “I didn’t know she was coming over with Marcus and Charlotte until they landed earlier.”

Tori regarded him with a mix of incredulity and concern, her eyes searching his for sincerity. “Do you have feelings for her? I mean… she’s from your past. What if she’s trying to rekindle something with you?”

“No!” Jude immediately countered, desperation creeping into his voice. “It’s not like that at all, I promise you. Anastasia and I have history, but it’s ancient history. I haven’t thought about her or anyone else in that way since you came into my life; she’s been nothing more than a past chapter.”

Tori’s gaze softened slightly, but the tension still hung thick in the space between them. “Then why does it feel like you're gearing me up to walk into some kind of competition?” The vulnerability in her question cut deeper than Jude anticipated.

Jude's ex had turned up unannounced with his best friend and his girlfriend. Regardless of what Jude had to say, their lives were obviously intertwined.

Jude felt the weight of Tori’s words settle heavily in the air, the silence between them stretching uncomfortably. “It’s not a competition,” he insisted, his voice tinged with desperation. He stepped closer, trying to bridge the emotional gap that had sprung up. “I care about you, Tori. I thought we were building something special, and I still want that. I want you.”

Tori tilted her head, eyes searching his for the truth amidst his assurances. “You’re saying all the right things, but this situation is… complicated, Jude. I just don’t want to feel like I’m the second choice while you have someone from your past around.”

“I get that,” he said, his heart racing as he grasped her hands, holding her gaze. “But I’m not looking back; I’m looking forward—at you.”

Her expression softened slightly, but unease lingered in her eyes. “So, if she’s here for the weekend, how do we navigate that? I mean, it’s not exactly easy to just pretend everything’s fine.”

Jude took a deep breath, steeling himself for the weight of the conversation ahead. “I want you to know that you are my priority. We can talk about it if it becomes uncomfortable for you, and I’ll handle it. I’d rather lose my pride than jeopardize what we have.”

Tori’s lips parted as if to speak, but her voice faltered for a moment before she found her words. “You realize how it sounds, right? You’re telling me that you’re serious about us, yet we’re dropping right into this chaos with someone who shares your past… It feels unfair to me.”

“Unfair?” Jude echoed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface as he struggled to keep his voice calm. “No, what wouldn’t be fair is if I didn’t bring this up with you. I want to be transparent. You deserve that, Tori. I have feelings for you—real feelings—and I’m trying to be honest about everything. I’ve only had my focus on you.”

Tori's brows furrowed, her expression flickering as she considered his words. “I appreciate your honesty, I do…” she trailed off, her voice softening. “But it’s just hard to reconcile that when Anastasia is literally right here... The thought of you two being around each other, of you having any history—it’s crazy.”

Jude could sense the turmoil brewing within her, the agitation playing out across her features. He felt the walls he once thought would hold a sense of safety now beginning to crumble under the weight of their reality.

“I wish it were simpler,” he said earnestly, running a hand through his hair. “But I can’t ignore the fact that she’s here for the weekend. That said, I also can’t ignore how I feel about you. You mean so much more to me than whatever I had with anyone else in the past.”

Tori blinked, the strength in her posture weakening slightly as she searched his eyes for sincerity. “You mean that?”

“More than anything,” he replied, taking a step closer, allowing the honesty in his gaze to shine through. Hooking a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her face toward his, searching her eyes for the truth of her feelings. "You’re different.“

Her gaze softened, though the tension still lingered. She was clearly trying to reconcile the feelings swirling within her. "Jude, I don't want to come off as jealous or insecure. I'm just trying to understand everything because it feels really overwhelming right now."

“I get that,” he said, voice low and sincere. “Please just trust that I won't do anything to disrespect or hurt you.”

Tori gave a slight nod, her eyes searching his, and for a moment, they stood in silence, each feeling the weight of what lay between them. Jude could see the internal battle playing out in her eyes—as if she was trying to make sense of it all while she wrestled with the emotions that threatened to spill over.

“Look,” Jude said softly, trying to coax her into a more relaxed state. “Let's take this one step at a time. I want you to be comfortable this weekend, and if that means we need to set some boundaries regarding Anastasia, I'm all for it.”

Her expression shifted slightly, gratitude dawning amid the uncertainty. “I appreciate that, honestly. It’s just... this feeling of sharing space with someone that I know you’ve been with before. It’s unsettling.”

“I understand,” Jude replied, his heart aching for her. “But I promise you, my focus is on you. Anastasia is just an echo of my past. Can we work together to make things feel okay for both of us? I want this weekend to be special for us.”

Tori took a deep breath, her resolve mingling with her vulnerability. “Okay,” she said finally, her voice steadier. “I think as long as you keep communicating, I can manage. It’s just hard because—”

"Because you want assurance," Jude finished for her gently, his heart pounding under the weight of her words. "I get it; you're not just navigating my past; we're trying to establish a future."

Tori nodded, a flicker of relief spreading across her features as she stepped closer to him. The warmth of her body eased the tension in the air. "Exactly. I don't want to feel like I'm constantly competing for your attention. I want you to be present with me, Jude."

"Then let's make that the priority," Jude said firmly. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, marveling at the softness of her skin and the tangible warmth between them.

Her breath hitched slightly as he leaned in a bit closer, the air crackling with unspoken tension. “I promise you, Tori. I want this weekend to be about us. No games, no distractions.”

Tori's eyes shimmered with a mix of hope and resolve. “Okay, I trust you. But you have to understand, this is an adjustment.” She paused, her expression softening as she stepped back just a fraction, realizing they stood on the precipice of something deeper.

“I understand,” Jude replied, positioning himself closer as he sought her gaze, his hands coming to rest on her hips as their eyes met.

Leaning into her, a soft hum ripped from Jude’s throat as their lips met in a delicate, tentative kiss. It was soft at first, carrying the weight of their conversation, but it quickly blossomed into something more passionate and urgent. The world around them faded, and it was just the two of them, their connection deepening in the embrace.

Tori responded to Jude’s intensity, her arms winding around his neck as she melted into him. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest, a comforting rhythm that synced with his own. It was as if they were both reminding each other just how right this felt—beneath the uncertainties of the weekend and the looming presence of Anastasia, what mattered was their shared connection.

Lifting Tori off the ground so her legs wrapped around his waist, Jude deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of her lips, the softness of her body pressed against his.

A soft gasp escaped Tori's lips, her fingers tangling in Jude's hair as she nestled closer to him. The sensation of her warmth against him made his heart race, igniting a fire within that he hadn't realized he craved so much. They stood there for a moment, forgotten in the world outside—a world that suddenly seemed far less important than the intimacy they shared in that instant.

“Jude…” she breathed against his lips, her eyes glimmering with an emotion he could only begin to understand but desperately wanted to explore.

“Yeah?” he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur as he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, searching for answers in the depths of her chocolate-brown eyes. The seriousness of their earlier conversation still lingered, but the electric thrill of their kiss had shifted the atmosphere from tension to something deeply intimate.

"I just don’t want to lose what we have," Tori admitted softly, her fingers sliding from his hair to rest on his shoulders. “This weekend, with Anastasia... I can do it, but I need you to promise me we’ll navigate it all together. No bullshit.”

“No bullshit,” Jude repeated before his lips were back on hers, drawing her closer yet again, letting the warmth of their connection dispel the remnants of tension. It was a promise that they both felt, evident in the way their bodies instinctively responded to one another.

Unbeknownst to both Tori and Jude, Anastasia stood just out of sight, watching them from the hallway, her expression caught between surprise and intrigue. The way Jude held Tori, the softness of their shared kiss, stirred something in her — a curious mix of nostalgia and an unshakeable feeling of jealousy. She had known Jude once upon a time, and while their past had been filled with thrilling moments and hot sex, it was evident to her that she was witnessing something deeper.

Anastasia felt her heart tug as she observed the undeniable connection radiating from Jude and Tori. Memories of their brief romance flickered in her mind, but they felt distant now, overshadowed by the intensity of what she was witnessing. She had come to Madrid expecting a weekend filled with laughter and good times, but the sight of Jude and Tori together ignited a complicated mix of feelings.

Should she interrupt? Should she turn and leave? The moment felt so intimate that she almost felt like an intruder. But she was also acutely aware of the fact that she needed to assert herself in this situation. This was her chance to rekindle something with Jude, and seeing him with Tori stirred something deep within her—a sense of longing for what they once had but also a realization that things had changed.

As she hesitated in the shadows, Charlotte appeared beside her, raising an eyebrow at the scene before them. “Looks like we’ve interrupted something,” she whispered, a smile creeping onto her face.

Anastasia shot her a look, a mix of irritation and contemplation. “I didn’t expect to walk into this,” she replied quietly, her eyes still locked on Jude and Tori. “Why didn’t Marcus mention he was seeing anyone seriously?”

Charlotte shrugged, crossing her arms. “Maybe he didn't know either. But Jude looks pretty smitten, don’t you think?”

Anastasia's heart sank a little at Charlotte's words. The chemistry between Jude and Tori was palpable, the way they moved together like two pieces of a puzzle that had finally found their match. It stung to see him so at ease with someone new, someone who clearly brought out a different side of him—one that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Yeah, I guess,” Anastasia replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m here now. I can't just back down. I need to make my presence known.”

“You sure about that?” Charlotte asked, her voice laced with concern. “It looks like they’re pretty serious. Do you really want to interrupt?”

Anastasia hesitated, torn between her desire to reclaim what was once hers and the realization that she might have already lost.

“We’ll see where the weekend takes us I guess,” she said, a hint of determination creeping into her voice. “But I can’t just sit back and watch them together. I owe it to myself to at least try.”

Charlotte regarded her with a mixture of sympathy and caution. “Just be careful, okay? You don’t want to disrupt something that seems to be blossoming between them. Sometimes, letting go is harder than holding on.”

Anastasia felt the weight of her words, but a spark of defiance ignited within her. “I know what I want, Charlotte. I want to remind Jude of what we had. He hasn’t really moved on, not completely. I could see it in his eyes when I got here.”

“He has arranged for you to go to a hotel instead of staying here with us; I think he's making his intentions pretty clear.” Charlotte pointed out.

Anastasia's resolve wavered slightly at Charlotte's words, but the fire in her belly refused to be extinguished. “Just because he’s with Tori doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about me entirely. We had something real, and I know that part of him still misses it.”

Charlotte shook her head, concern etched across her features. “You might be right, but you also might be setting yourself up for disappointment. Jude looks genuinely happy with Tori, and that’s not something to take lightly.”

Anastasia sighed, her heart heavy with conflict. “I get that. But I can’t just let him slip away without at least trying to remind him of what we had. I deserve that chance.”

Charlotte studied her for a moment, her expression softening. “Just be careful, okay? You don’t want to hurt anyone, least of all yourself.”

“Trust me, I know where the lines are,” Anastasia replied, a steely determination settling into her posture. “But I’m not going to let this weekend go by without making my intentions known. If I have to compete, then I will.”

With that, Charlotte stepped forward to make her presence known. Unlike her friend, she was excited to meet the girl who had Jude so captivated. The tension that had been hanging in the air felt thick and charged, and Charlotte sensed the unease radiating from both Anastasia and the couple in the living room.

“Hey, you two!” Charlotte called out, her voice light and cheerful as she approached Jude and Tori. “We didn’t mean to interrupt! We just wanted to introduce ourselves.”

Jude and Tori broke apart, their cheeks flushed from the shared kiss, and Jude felt a wave of heat wash over him as he briefly met the eyes of a small segment of his past. Tori’s expression shifted from surprise to a mask of polite friendliness, though he could feel the tension radiating from her.

Jude's heart raced as he sensed the shift in the atmosphere. Tori's expression transformed, a cautious smile replacing the warmth that had just enveloped them. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him, the air thick with unspoken words and the intensity of the situation.

Tori wasn't his girlfriend by definition, but she was undoubtedly his.

And now, with Anastasia stepping into the room, the boundaries of that definition felt precariously thin. Jude could sense the tension coiling tightly around them, and he was acutely aware of how much was at stake.

“Hi, I’m Tori,” she said, extending a hand toward Charlotte, trying to maintain her composure despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Charlotte smiled brightly, taking Tori’s hand warmly. “Nice to meet you too! I’ve heard a lot about you from Marcus. He mentioned you’ve been keeping Jude on his toes.”

Jude could see Tori’s smile falter for just a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features before she regained her footing. “Yeah, I guess you could say that,” she replied, her tone light, but Jude could hear the underlying tension in her voice.

Anastasia stepped forward, her presence commanding yet casual. “And I’m Anastasia,” she said, her gaze sweeping over Tori with a hint of curiosity. “It’s great to meet you.” The words were innocuous enough, but Jude could sense the underlying challenge in her tone.

“Likewise,” Tori replied, her voice steady but her body language betraying her discomfort. She shot Jude a quick glance, and he could see the uncertainty etched on her face.

Jude felt the weight of the moment pressing down on him as he stood between Tori and Anastasia, two women from different chapters of his life. The apprehension was palpable, and the air felt charged with unspoken words and emotions.

“So, what brings you to Madrid?” Tori asked, her voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in her stomach. She was trying to maintain a sense of grace and poise, but Jude could see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

Anastasia smiled, her demeanor confident as she replied, “I came along with Marcus and Charlotte to enjoy the weekend and catch up with old friends.” The words hung in the air like a challenge, and Jude could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.

The tension in the room felt like a live wire, crackling with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Jude stood between Tori and Anastasia, acutely aware of the weight of the moment. He could feel the air thickening with uncertainty and the palpable energy of two worlds colliding.

Tori took a deep breath, her gaze steadying on Anastasia. “I hope you enjoy your time here. This city has so much to offer.” Her voice was polite, but Jude could sense the underlying tension, the way she was bracing herself for any potential blows.

Anastasia flashed a bright smile, though Jude could see the challenge lurking beneath the surface. “Thanks! I intend to make the most of it. It’s always nice to reconnect.” Her gaze flicked to Jude, and he could feel the unspoken challenge in her words, a bold reminder of their history.

As Marcus rounded the corner, his eased smile faltered as he realized what he had walked into.

“Is everything okay here?” he asked, the tension in the air heavy as he came to stand beside his girlfriend.

He anticipated Tori and Anastasia’s meeting being awkward, and had he known the seriousness of Jude’s feelings for Tori, he would have never taken it upon himself to invite her.

Now, standing in the midst of the consequences of his decision, Marcus felt its weight heavily. In hindsight, he should have asked Jude before inviting anyone.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jude replied, his voice steady but strained as he tried to navigate through the uncertainty now pulsing in the room.

“I’m just getting to know Jude’s surprise guest,” Tori added, her tone matching Jude’s effort to play it cool despite the undeniable tension between her and Anastasia.

“Sorry about that, Tori,” Marcus said, immediately recognizing the discomfort in the air. “I should’ve given Jude a heads-up before inviting anyone.”

“It’s all right,” Tori said, forcing a smile, though Jude could see a hint of hurt behind her eyes. “It’s all good; no, if you'd excuse me, I'm going to go and put my bag upstairs in Jude’s room.”

Turning on her heel, Tori grabbed her weekend bag and made her way upstairs towards Jude's bedroom, with him following close behind. This action didn't go unnoticed by Anastasia.

Anastasia's gaze shifted between the two of them, a tight knot of jealousy forming in her stomach as she watched Tori ascend the stairs. Jude’s attention was solely focused on Tori, and the flicker of disappointment in Anastasia’s chest grew.

“Jude, wait!” she called out, her voice cutting through the heavy air as she stepped forward, determination shining in her eyes.

Jude paused at the base of the stairs, glancing over his shoulder at Anastasia, his brow furrowing slightly in apprehension. “What?”

“What’s your plan here?” she asked, crossing her arms, her tone assertive yet not unkind. “Are you just going to ignore what happened between us?”

“Anastasia—” Jude began, but she cut him off.

“No, hear me out,” she insisted, her expression shifting from frustration to something softer, more vulnerable.

“Anastasia, I can’t. Tori is my priority; she’s the girl I want.” Anastasia’s expression flashed with disappointment, a mix of old feelings and raw emotion that tugged at the edges of her heart. “So that’s it? You’re really willing to just brush our past aside because of this… this new thing with her?”

Jude took a deep breath, his heart pounding with the weight of her gaze. “Yes, I am. With you and anyone else.”

Heading up the stairs without a second glance at Anastasia, he followed in the same path that Tori had taken into his bedroom.

As Jude entered his room, he found Tori already setting her bag down on the floor, her back turned to him. Jude took a moment to soak in the sight of her—how at ease she was in his space, almost like she belonged there. The warmth of the moment felt bittersweet as the weight of their conversation threatened to return, but he couldn't shake the need to reach out to her.

“Tori,” he began softly, taking a step closer. She turned to face him, her expression a mixture of apprehension and vulnerability.

“Hey,” she said, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a swirl of emotions. The uncertainty hanging in the air between them felt suffocating, a looming cloud of unresolved tension.

“I know things just got a bit… complicated,” he continued, his hands finding a resting place on his hips as he tried to gauge her mood. “I didn’t mean for you to feel like there was a competition or that you’d walked into some mess.”

Tori let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “I know. It's just… hard, Jude. I didn’t expect to deal with this as soon as I walked in the door. Learning that someone who used to be part of your life is going to be around all weekend—it's unsettling.”

“I understand,” Jude replied, moving closer until he could reach for her hand. He squeezed it gently, hoping to convey how much he valued her presence. “But you are the one who matters to me. All I want is to focus on you this weekend. I want us to be okay.”

Tori's gaze softened as she looked down at their intertwined fingers. “I appreciate that, Jude. I really do. It's just that I feel like I'm walking on eggshells here. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured because of me.”

“What I want is for you to feel secure,” he said earnestly, the intensity of his words hanging between them. “If that means I have to set boundaries with Anastasia or make it clear to her that I’m choosing you, then that’s what I’ll do.”

She met his gaze, a glimmer of hope igniting in her eyes. “You mean it?”

“Absolutely,” he said, nodding firmly. The realization of how much she meant to him ignited a fire he hadn’t fully acknowledged before—a resolve to ensure that Tori knew she had him.

[papoochu]

Next up on the council, is Gabriel's replacement: Keza Kaberuka! I love drawing her!

Background:

Keza = Rwandan name meaning “beautiful one”

Kaberuka = Common Tutsi surname; evokes heritage, resilience, and ambition

Born 1988 in Kigali, Rwanda to an educated Tutsi family with deep cultural roots and political aspirations

Father was a professor of history; mother was a nurse

1994 – Rwandan Genocide (Age 6):

Family targeted during the genocide

Father is abducted and executed by local militia. Keza and her mother seek sanctuary in a church

Militia overruns it. Her mother is killed defending her. Keza survives by hiding beneath corpses.

Rescued by a Belgian photojournalist and smuggled out under UN protection, Taken to a Johannesburg refugee center

The council is here ready to intervene and start grooming her into their weapon

In the refugee camps, she learns something vital: Beauty can open doors. Vulnerability can be a weapon.

Trauma fuses with clarity: The world respects nothing but power and presentation.

Johannesburg Upbringing:

Raised in the household of a South African diplomat’s widow, who uses Keza as a status symbol while grooming her for high society

Attends elite private schools on sponsorship - an outsider among the privileged Learns to mimic affluence, control perception, and move unnoticed through influence circles

Fluent in French, English, Swahili, Afrikaans

Begins studying conflict minerals and post-colonial economies as a quiet obsession; Understands diamonds are not just ornaments - they are geopolitical weapons

2006 – First Industry Contact (Age 18):

Attends a diamond investment gala as an escort to a wealthy patron

Meets a Belgian mining tycoon - seduces him subtly, plays on his guilt, fascination, and ego

Becomes his protégé - travels to Geneva, Luanda, Dubai etc.

Learns how diamonds move across war zones and into luxury boutiques

Understands the power of intimate diplomacy: charm disarms faster than threats

Blood Diamond Trade Expansion:

Establishes a shell company in Mauritius and begins dealing directly with rebel commanders in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola

Context: Rwanda was helping rebel groups at the time for political reasons; Angola was facing post-civil-war instability and is one of the world's largest diamond producers

Offers them access to satellite data, encrypted communications, and luxury goods in exchange for exclusive rights to diamond-rich zones

Smuggles stones through private jets, diplomatic pouches, and via fake humanitarian convoys

Creates a mythos: a woman who never carries a weapon, but always exits with everything she came for

Uses her connections to get stones past the Kimberley Process via falsified documentation and complicit middlemen

Kimberley Process: an international initiative aimed at preventing the trade of conflict diamonds, ensuring that diamond purchases do not finance violence or human rights abuses

2012 - “Court Kaberuka” Era:

Launches Court Kaberuka, a luxury consultancy for “heritage stone placement” - a front for laundering blood diamonds

Double entendre - "court" for royalty and "court" for seducing

Advises politicians, oligarchs, and royalty on how to convert illicit stones into family jewels, auction pieces, and “clean” assets

Begins maintaining a private vault; The Silent Portfolio: a collection of the most politically damning diamonds in circulation

Each gem in the vault is tied to a secret: assassinations, coup funding, war crimes etc.

Uses the collection as leverage, not profit

Infiltration of Global Diplomacy:

Cultivates discreet romantic and political ties with various politicians and people of importance:

A foreign trade minister

A UN sanctions coordinator

An Emirati royal involved in arms logistics

etc.

Offers influence, protection, and secrets - all cloaked in charm and intimacy

Establishes a diplomatic status under a Central African nation’s special envoy credentials

Moves across borders without scrutiny

2016 – Recruited by the Council (Present-Day):

Former council operative "Diamond" is eliminated

Keza, already known to council members as a power broker too effective to ignore, is approached,

Terms are simple: absolute discretion, full operational autonomy, and the codename Diamond

She accepts with a single condition - she chooses which wars not to stop

Seductive but never promiscuous - her intimacy is transactional, weaponized, and unforgettable

Uses her power not for chaos, but for leverage - every gem a favor owed, every buyer a pawn

In the diamond world, beauty is value - and Keza Kaberuka is priceless

Design Notes/Character Study

Tutsi culture

Long-horned Inyambo - hairpin; can be used as a weapon too

Choker:

Based on pics of Intore dancers and Tutsi warriors

Outfit inspirations

Anok Yai

Elsa

Mel Medarda

Scar on thigh

Shows to seduce officials

If she shows you, that's not an invite - that's a threat

Friendly with children

Picture of child - show hand reaching for diamonds but watching apple

Apple - reference to Adam and Eve

Wants to make a new world through the new generation

Queen of Hearts reference

Diamonds woven into her hair

Remember: seductive but never promiscuous

Make her the center of attention

Glides with grace - like a dancer

Silver jewelry matches her cool-toned skin

Dimples - must be charming, friendly, and welcoming

[trans-queen-administrator]

Hey, can I hear about your shatterbird thoughts? She's always been my favourite member of the nine :]

[@faultlinescrew]

Oh I'm about to type for entirely too long.

Alright so a chunk of this is kinda headcanon, but any of that is fully based on canon. I had a giant fanfic planned that was literally an expanded telling of Shatterbird's life from trigger to death, and some plot points there may bleed into this unconsciously.

Number one favorite thing about Shatterbird is that initially, she did nothing wrong. She was unwillingly dosed with a Cauldron vial, and her scream and subsequent exploding of Dubai wasn't her fault. She had no intention to hurt anyone, it was done entirely out of her control as she gained powers and she should not be blamed for her first time destroying a city. The thing is, that doesn't matter in universe. She's still going to be hunted down by countless capes because she killed an untold number of people with that scream. No one's going to just let her go because it wasn't her fault, because she's the only person who can be blamed. People want revenge for their loved ones, and I'm willing to bet that she had a sizable bounty. It's similar to the situation we see with Rachel, where she can't have a normal life because she killed someone in her trigger and her identity is public, but on a much much larger scale.

I think the guilt ate at her so fucking bad at first. She killed her dad, her friends, her sister, her mother, countless others, and as much as it wasn't her fault she's still the one that did it. There's no way she doesn't blame herself for what happened, but when does she even have time to mourn? She's fled to a desert, she's gotta be struggling with food and water, and she's being hounded at every turn by people who want her dead. What's she supposed to do, let them kill her so she can atone for what she did or something?

I just love what a tragic backstory this is. She's one of the most horrible people we meet in canon, and I don't think it's unreasonable to say she has one of the highest body counts on Earth Bet, but she started as someone innocent and desperately trying to survive. And as much as I love this backstory and will defend to the death that she did nothing wrong at this point, it doesn't excuse who she becomes.

Shatterbird laughed.  “There’s only two ways to recover from something of that magnitude, to deal with the fact that you inadvertently killed thousands and thousands of people, and hospitalized twice that many.  You break, or you become it.”

(quote is from the missing interlude)

This is the quote that puts her entire character in a nutshell. The biggest question to me is... when did she become it? She implies in that interlude that it was rather quick, and that she went to Britain so she could hit a big target, but the Tattletale clone calls this out as a lie. She was running, the desert that she'd been in for months was unbearably loud with all that sand, and I think she was sick of living on the run. She wanted society, structure, something to make her feel human. I think she's full of shit saying she went there to destroy it, some accident or desperate confrontation occurred (timeline fits well enough for it to be a result of the Simurgh's attack, but that's just one possibility) and she broke London just as bad as she broke Dubai. What do you even do from there? Any slim hope of clearing her name is gone, she just has to keep running and try to ignore the guilt. And she ran to America, where the Slaughterhouse Nine found her.

The recruiting of people by the Slaughterhouse Nine fascinates me, because most are unwilling to join at first. Unfortunately the alternative is to die. No one in Brockton Bay was jumping to be the lucky winner, and the only people we know nominated themselves are Cherish and I think Siberian. Shatterbird (ever notice how she's the only S9 member with no canon first name? drives me nuts) was dragged into the recruitment process with no say in the matter just like most everyone is. Someone in the Nine found her, thought she would be a good fit because of London and Dubai (and how would that feel, to have someone on the S9 see you as just as bad as them?) and even if she explains that was on accident... what does it matter? It never matters that it was an accident. It never will matter. It's just something that she can tell herself to keep her sane.

So she's doing the fun little tests, I'm actually very curious how she altered herself for Mannequin's since he always does the same test, she's a very vain person, but that's off topic. Atrocities, horrors, being hunted by the Siberian, and suddenly she's at the end. Her and someone else.

“That’s not really a test,” Shatterbird spoke, “There hasn’t been a round of testing since I joined the group where we didn’t whittle it down to one candidate.” “We could forego the final test, pitting them against one another.” Shatterbird turned to him, “Ah.  But, again, the last test where we had to go that far was… mine?”

And she kills them. Dubai, London, those were accidents. This was on purpose, maybe even the first time she's done it on purpose. She could either break and decide she couldn't live with herself as a member of the nine, or she could just as horrible as everyone sees her. All her choices were rigged, there was never much of an opportunity to get better since so many paths closed off to her, but she voluntarily chooses to get worse. What's the point in holding on to the fact that it wasn't her fault at the beginning? She's never escaping what she did, so she'll become the monster everyone sees her as. You break, or you become it.

And there's not much of the more sympathetic side of Shatterbird in canon (partly because her backstory chapter was removed). She's fully embraced herself as a mass murderer. She revels in the attention, the fear. She parrots Jack's philosophy as a way to feel better about what she's doing, and eventually she doesn't need to feel better because she enjoys who she is now.

I don't know, I rambled for a while there but it boils down to me being fascinated by the circumstances of her gaining powers, and the shift from innocent but hated/feared to making damn sure that fear is justified.

Ok, so moving on from the backstory analysis, other miscellaneous details. Fuck it, I'm putting every thought I have on Shatterbird in this post.

She's the Nine's primary recruiter! Woo, good for her. Notably, she recruits Burnscar. Mimi is in a similar position to Shatterbird's past self with the whole involuntary mass destruction, although on a lesser scale (it'll always be on a lesser scale, Shatterbird has the worst trigger event out there in terms of consequences and she didn't even trigger). Mimi was on the streets and trying not to use her power, and Shatterbird scooped her up into the Nine.

“I- before I knew it, the Slaughterhouse Nine had found me.  Shatterbird recruited me.  And now I’m stuck.  I’m trapped.  You know there’s a kill order out on me?  If I try to quit, either the Nine or the cops will off me.  So I keep going, I work for them, and it all just gets worse.”

It's a situation Shatterbird can very likely relate to, but she's perpetuating it and making Mimi suffer like she did. No sympathy, no helping someone get through it and avoid the pitfalls she fell into, she's dragging other people down with her like a crab in a pot. Worth noting that I believe she's still bitter about the hand she was dealt even if she's embraced where it led her to, she remembers how horrible it was to be forced into everything and she does not care if she inflicts it on others.

But if someone else willingly joins the Nine, she takes it personally. Cherie says Shatterbird hates her, and that's because Cherie chooses the life Shatterbird was locked into. She's bitter that she never had that choice, and so she makes sure Cherie understands what it's like by chasing her for days for her test, not allowing any rest or sleep. However, this could also simply because Cherie sucks and is an unpleasant person to talk to, and Shatterbird is stuck-up.

Another thing I like is Shatterbird's appearance of knowledge and elegance. She's trying to appear put together, confident, in-control, and to be fair she does a pretty good job, her costume and theming are great. But under that is someone violent and angry, she's keeping up appearances to everyone else but also to herself. The fact that she's always trying to keep up appearances, even when locked in a room and doomed to die with one Witness (haha get it) she's trying to make it look like she was calm and in control when her body is found, is what 100% convinces me exploding Britain was an accident. The Tattletale clone calls her out, and to me it seems like another attempt to seem in control by framing it as deliberate.

Anyway, my attempts to woobify a mass murderer aside, I also like that she was a spoiled rich kid before all this and her prim asshole attitude points to that. She quotes Edgar Allen Poe, she reads because it makes her feel better than others, she's just so pretentious and unpleasant and to be clear I love this as a character trait, it's fun and leads to her speaking in overdramatic ways.

“Then you should know, nearly-Tattletale, that I’ve spent too long in the company of monsters to be scared by words.”

She thinks she was soooo cool saying that.

I also want to look at the last few weeks of her life. She spends so much effort propping herself up as great and in control, only to be locked in a box and puppeted around against her will. Genuinely I cannot think of anything more humiliating and agonizing for her to endure. She has nothing to do but think as she's used as a marionette.

She had a long time to reflect on her life, to look back at how she got here and what she regrets.

But I think she spent it stewing in her rage, itching and planning to get violent revenge and keep hurting others to be respected. She's unwilling and unable to go back, she'll double down on this forever because this is who she is now. And because 99% of characterization for Shatterbird isn't in Worm anyway, I may as well toss in this minor AU summary by Wildbow. If she escaped, she would have started her own version of the Nine with Damsel of Distress and Trickster. There is nothing left to sympathize with or redeem Shatterbird by the time we see her in canon, she's simply past that point. Side note but Shatterbird + Damsel of Distress + Trickster as a team is perhaps the funniest combo ever and I really wish those 3 fuckers got to interact in canon. Weirdo assholes who dress up fancy and have a taste for theatrics as a murder crew, we were robbed.

I could analyze the Hookwolf interlude but I don't want to. I'm very annoyed that Shatterbird (still no first name) is the only member of the Nine to lose the fight against her recruit instead of appearing terrifying and unstoppable. How come Burnscar can solo Faultline's crew but 3 nazis can take out Shatterbird, who has way more experience? It's pretty uncomfortable to have the only member of the Nine who isn't white be the one that loses to nazis, while one calls her a slur in his internal monologue, in the interludes where everyone else on her team is introduced as a force of nature. I think we should just collectively agree to make this interlude not canon and un-retcon the Witness interlude. While I'm on the topic it's also a bit questionable to have Sophia and Shatterbird (no first name. I am annoyed by this) as the only named capes puppeted by Regent?

But that's not the topic I wanna explore. The topic is that Shatterbird is a great character and I wish that she had depth in the story itself rather than scattered through 20 different sources, because she's legitimately my favorite non-undersider in the story. There is a lot of potential to explore her, one could interpret her backstory in a less charitable way than I did just for an example, and I really think she's neat! She takes hurting someone in an accident and then becoming the monster people see her as, something we see a few times throughout worm, to its ultimate conclusion in terms of scale. That alongside her outer layer of intellectualism and pretentiousness, which I'm a massive sucker for as a trait, and she's just perfect. Did nothing wrong (citation needed). I love her and I do hope that at least some of the stuff written her makes someone appreciate her character more.

Ok! That was... 2.2k words about Shatterbird (no first name). Woo! If some stuff seems inconsistent between paragraphs here, it's probably because I wrote this in chunks over the course of a few weeks and my feelings at the time can influence my interpretation of things and my writing to feel different when read all at once and compared. If you think I'm woobifying her too much, cool. I think it makes her more compelling to examine how much we know was her fault and how much she shouldn't be blamed for, and making her have less agency makes her more tragic which I always like. If you actually read this to the end, thank you! Have a nice day!

[littlestsnicket]

random armand focused iwtv thoughts and headcanons with absolutely no fandom wank this time:

i think armand is actually probably a really good teacher. he was certainly successful at teaching louis to use the fire gift, and i think it dovetails nicely with his desire to provide service and his capacity for levelheaded severity and dominance. (which he does have--the evil trauma gremlin is a separate trait and doesn't usually get triggered when teaching)

fucking obsessed with the park bench scene. louis sitting there in the rain with an umbrella in his lap, looking at armand, looking at the umbrella, and being like "i'm a bit wet". he's feeling that out, seeing how armand responds to this power dynamic before they have the rest of that conversation. like... this is calculated, louis knows and is telegraphing what he wants from armand, and armand is so eager to give it. it makes me insane. obsessed with their dynamic. truly obsessed.

and the scene before louis is going to give madeleine the gift... i actually don't think armand takes poorly to having his boundaries respected. i don't think armand is quite that fucked up (or more accurately, he is that fucked up, but has a good understanding in at least some parts of his brain about exactly how fucked up he is even if he has some weird cognitive dissonance about it, and is able to rationally interpret that as a good thing in that moment, even if it puts him off balance). what armand takes poorly is louis being wrong. louis took responsibility for something and couldn't actually handle it and that totally undermined armand's sense of safety in their relationship. which is obviously not reasonable or healthy, but i think makes a lot of sense for armand and his decision making process.

i'm also really attached to the idea that armand has a good working knowledge of modern risk aware BDSM practices. he has the internet. and as much as louis and armand don't have many (hardly any) actual peers and are therefore wildly codependent, i think they both have a ton more casual contact with people than they appear to in the dubai interview. i think louis is coming out of a particularly bad depressive funk so temporarily doesn't have much contact with the outside world, and showing himself to have outside contact doesn't serve armand's narrative. anyway, i think armand has been to his fair share of kink clubs.

i think a large part of why lestat lets louis go with armand in the tower is because he believes (correctly, at least in this case; that is literally the least convincing yes i have ever heard when louis asks armand if he saved him) that armand is not a very good liar so if louis doesn't believe lestat saved him, it's primarily because louis doesn't want to. armand is great at controlling a narrative, significantly less great at flat out lies.

armand functions, structurally, as a femme fatale in a detective story. he's exactly as simultaneously shady, secretive, tragic, and alluring as he seems to be--the reveal is just that he's done something worse, but still totally in character, than we thought.

loumand from louis' perspective: i loved you in paris, i'm not sure if i love you now or am just scared of being alone. sometimes i can work with that and things are good, other times i think i'm betraying claudia's memory by being this close to you and am going to punish both of us for it. a lot of the time i'm clinically depressed in a way that actually has very little to do with you, but you're such a martyr you can't see that and sometimes i crave the resulting attention and subservience and other times it makes me sick with both of us.

[alleyskywalker]

I keep turning over in my head this whole Armand deleting Louis SF memories unilaterally thing and something about it just...doesn't sit well with me. Because…ehh sure Armand is amoral enough that he would do something like that if he really felt it was necessary, but I also do think it’s not something he goes around doing left and right or without feeling truly compelled to. So, he’d do it but I feel like he’d need a good reason. And, given what he does and doesn’t erase, I can’t figure what his goal would have been here, and why, if he was already doing it, wouldn’t he have erased more?

If he’d just erased the entire night, it would have made sense. Like it’s pretty clear that Daniel, or rather the interview with Daniel – to Armand’s POV anyway – was the linchpin, the root cause of everything spiraling out of control. It’s the interview digging up all of Louis' memories and prying open all the wounds, a lot of which hadn’t even healed over yet (Paris/Claudia). Louis, then having taken a sudden and baffling fascination to Daniel, lashed out at Armand about the whole him being boring thing, which was probably there anyway, but clearly Daniel and drudging up memories of Lestat were what triggered the outburst. And then, of course, all these freshly torn over wounds lead to Louis' attempted suicide. On top of it all, Louis feels so attached to this mortal reporter that he gets Armand to keep him alive. So, from Armand’s POV, Louis was already struggling, and then came Daniel and made it even worse.

But Armand doesn’t erase the interview or Daniel (which…bet he’s kicking himself for that mistake now…). He erases the fight and everything that comes after (up until they’re back home and Louis’ fully recovered I’d assume). But why? Why that part specifically? What does Armand get out of it? Their fight was ugly and possibly the worst one they’d had, but I doubt they hadn’t had bad fights before, given Louis’ destructive behavior at that point in time/the tension in their relationship. If Armand was doing this to be Evil and Manipulative, it would make more sense for him to let Louis have his memory of his attempted suicide while high. It would give Armand’s assertions about protecting Louis from himself more weight. “Remember when you were self-destructive and nearly killed yourself? What would have happened if I wasn’t there?”

And you know…Armand lashes out at Daniel in a really nasty way, which  Louis could have been mad at him for, but I don’t think that’s enough of a reason. Because the way that segment ends, they’ve…not exactly made up but Louis apologizes for having “acted out” re: the attempt, tries to comfort Armand when he’s clearly broken up with jealousy over Lestat, invokes their companionship as a reason to let Daniel live… Like they’re not ok, but they don’t seem to be about to break up or anything. And in Dubai, when Daniel is like "wow your bf is a jerk," Louis defends Armand and empathizes with how he was hurt but couldn't take the rage out on Louis when Louis was already hurt. (If Armand just regretted the bad decision to contact Lestat, he could have just wiped that specific part.) If anything, Armand would probably want Louis to remember talking about the endurance of their companionship.

Just…what exactly about these memories – but not Daniel and the interview – was so harmful/threatening to Armand that he took the pretty big step of unilaterally erasing Louis memories? (And it couldn’t have been easy, either, to do so undetected, if even possible? From what we see with Daniel, it’s kind of a process that requires some participation from the subject.)

[archive-z]

a few months ago i was wracked with the Horrors (nightmares) & coped by sending @ghstbird deranged rashidposting takes from 3-6am

it’s been saved in my notes app for awhile, so as a midwinter treat pls enjoy 1k of comedic “what if ex-talamasca agent rashid needed a new job post-dubai & became daniel’s personal assistant/butler?”

Rashid’s cover is blown, which means his time as a Talamasca agent is over. It’s either desk duty for the rest of his life (a waste of his abilities) or quit and find something else he’s good at. Not surprisingly, all the skills you need as an undercover intelligence agent — on-the-fly problem-solving, fastidious attention to detail, implacability, reading people, blending into the background of any room you occupy — are the highly sought after traits of ultraluxury butlers/personal assistants.

Afterall, Daniel does kind of Owe Him One for helping him out in Dubai. The least he could do is offer some sense of stable employment, with fuckoff $ compensation that newly minted multimillionaire Daniel Molloy is now in the position of being able to provide. Fetching Daniel’s dry cleaning and handling his divorce paperwork is child’s play in comparison to navigating the volatile psychosexual energy of the Dubai penthouse.

The only problem is that it’s boring. Rashid is depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars into tax-havened bank accounts and doing very little to endanger his life in the process and he is bored. Naturally, his only course of action is to engage in Jeeves-levels of deep psychological warfare for sport.

(Daniel keeps buying white jeans, Rashid keeps burning them in the utility sink).

Daniel, quintessential Bertie Wooster that he is, is mostly unaware of this going on around him. He has not considered that the decision over whether or not he should wear a tie on his next tv appearance warrants the 5d chess. (Brat tamer Rashid is so good at brat taming that the brats aren’t even aware they’ve already been tamed in the first place). on the rare occasion Daniel does happen to notice the ironclad grip Rashid has on some minor aspect of Daniel’s life, he thinks its hot (something something giving up control & being put in his place).

As a matter of convenience, Daniel does drink from Rashid when he needs a snack, because hunting really cuts into his busy schedule of celebrity appearances and firing off expletives on twitter. Daniel was initially hoping it would be the like Louis-and-Fake-Rashid schtick in Dubai, but Rashid stays 100% dead eyed and implacable throughout le petit coup, which Daniel finds somehow even hotter. Occasionally, Daniel attempts to engage in the vampiric equivalent of edging Rashid during le petit coup, but when he reads Rashid’s mind to see if it has any effect, Rashid is doing to mental equivalent of a number station broadcast.

When Daniel is in his “why won’t my deadbeat maker fucking text me back era” he absolutely has Rashid roleplay as Armand. Rashid looks down on him with a mixture of disdain & pity and Daniel’s like “wow, you nailed that impression” and Rashid is like I’m not doing an impression, that’s just literally how I think of you 🫥

However Daniel is also out there lavishing Rashid with gifts of unfathomable $ bc he’s lonely & likes feeling like he can show off his own wealth & status thru like. wearing beat up converse himself but having Rashid decked out in the best of savile row. at one point Daniel has an extremely tired & long suffering Rashid tell dinner guests that he, Rashid, is “the devil’s minion, [and Daniel, the devil], grants his every wish”. everyone in the world is like wow Daniel midlife crisis much?

Rashid gets to blow off steam after a day of catering to Daniel’s most annoying whims by slipping into his Armand cosplay and being like “alright you pathetic worm, time to lick my savile row leather oxfords” to which Daniel is already like “put your cigarette out on me” levels of Into It

Real Rashid, smoking a cigarette: you were already divorced and won a pulitzer the year i was born, isn’t that interesting? Daniel: can yuo put that out on me?

Rashid’s personal feelings are deep down: 1) this isn’t actually the most Bullshit job he’s worked & the pay is actually commensurate with the predicted risk to his livelihood, unlike working for the Talamasca 2) he’s bored & getting to run a vampire’s life is the most fun a girl can have without putting his life at an untenable risk-reward ratio 3) Rashid thinks sex is pretty cosmically boring for the most part (beyond its function as stress relief), but knowing it pisses Armand off somewhere in the world adds a lil frisson to the arrangement that Rashid actually enjoys 🖤 he derives sexual enjoyment from being in danger & he knows Daniel’s freak behaviour will probably inspire Armand to rip Rashid’s spine out & slow cooker him in jealousy so he’s like “haha, neat :)”

Daniel is doing weirdo exhibitionist stuff like having guests to dinner and being like “okay, real rashid you sit in my lap and pretend to be fake rashid so i can drink from you” in the hopes that the psychic “wtf is going on” from his dinner guests is loud enough for Armand to catch the psychic wavelength and be pissed off about it. (it takes MUCH coordination to get their relative heights into a configuration that suits this).

Daniel gives Rashid a monogrammed locket of his blood to keep him safe from other vampires & Rashid openly rolls his eyes at the gift. (every vampire in a 100km radius has already clocked that Rashid is actually the one to Be Afraid of, not the coked up nepofledgling).

[will post part two later — will involve what happens when Armand gets wind of what’s going on]

[heliza24]

Ok so I still don’t think that Armand IS Alice but I do think that Daniel subconsciously sought out partners that reminded him quite a lot of Armand, and that he repeated the patterns that made him and Armand not work without understanding why, over and over again. Because that’s how trauma works.

And would he have felt freer to be in love in Paris, in a place that was closer to this buried love that he was playing out again and again? Maybe!

I DO think that Armand is talking about himself, when he’s saying he wanted to say yes to Daniel but couldn’t fully trust him. Armand is doing that thing where he’s saying one thing and meaning another, putting his own feelings in Alice’s mouth about Daniel asking Armand to turn him and the reason Armand said no.

It would make sense for Alice talking about Daniel’s addiction, but it would make sense for Armand for the same reason. We see how much Armand has had to control and perform romance in order to survive. In his early years before becoming a vampire, in the coven, in the fortresses penthouse in Dubai. And Daniel was not controllable or even reliable (they may do all sorts of things with young Daniel characterizations but I’m pretty sure this will stay the same).

I mean, Alice could be Armand and I could be wrong and that would still work. But I like the heartache of Armand having to watch Daniel search for him in all of his future partners, without realizing it, and the implications it has for the way Daniel processes his trauma more if they’re separate.

[notwiselybuttoowell]

Excerpts:

The centre of everything is a long-running row over oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas. BP and the French oil company Total used to hold most of these rights, but they baulked at the political and environmental challenge of drilling so close to the world’s biggest centre of terrestrial biodiversity. Instead, Brazil’s state-run oil company, Petrobras, stepped up. For Lula – and the senators in nearby regions – that meant potential votes, jobs and export earnings. The only thing standing in their way was the environment ministry, which has delayed a licence for years due to the risks of a possible spill in such an ecologically sensitive area.

That handbrake was lifted earlier this week, when the head of the environmental regulator, Ibama, ignored the warnings of 29 expert advisers by moving on to the next stage of the approval process for operations in the Foz do Amazonas. This capitulation followed pressure from Congress and the president.

This was followed by the biggest legislative setback for the environment in more than 40 years. To the delight of the mining, construction and farming industries, the senate has passed a long-pending bill that strips a range of environmental licensing powers from Silva’s ministry. This piece of legislation – dubbed the devastation bill by opponents – allows companies to self-license or avoid environmental licensing for road construction, dam-building and other projects. It is a shift of control from the representatives of the people to the executives of big companies.

Lula could yet wield a veto on this bill. But so far the president’s response has been tepid. His party has a weak presence in congress, so he depends on a broad and fractious coalition, many of whose members are enmeshed in agribusiness or mining. Next year’s presidential election seems to be weighing on his mind more than November’s Cop30 climate summit in Belém.

At the Amazon Summit in Belém two years ago, he declined to sign up to Colombian president Gustavo Petro’s calls for a fossil-free rainforest. Soon after, at Cop28 in Dubai, his government shocked many of its supporters by announcing it would join the Opec+ oil cartel. Lula can argue that this is pragmatism as Brazil depends on petroleum sales for a growing share of its GDP. Fossil fuel realpolitik is likely to be evident at a Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, where the Brazilian president will rub shoulders with China’s Xi Jinping of China, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and other world leaders.

His base – the working class and poor – are already suffering the brunt of climate impacts. The south of Brazil has been deluged by devastating floods. The northern Amazon has been stricken by record droughts and fires.

[groupfazza]

حمدان بن محمد يوجّه باستقبال طفلة فنلندية مريضة بالسرطان في دبي وتوفير برنامج سياحي متميز لها ..

في لفتة إنسانية كريمة تعكس حرص سمو الشيخ حمدان بن محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، ولي عهد دبي نائب رئيس مجلس الوزراء وزير الدفاع رئيس المجلس التنفيذي لإمارة دبي، على دعم الحالات الإنسانية ، وترسيخ قيم العطاء والتضامن التي تميز نهج القيادة الرشيدة لدولة الإمارات، وجّه سموه، سعادة الفريق محمد أحمد المري، مدير عام الإدارة العامة للهوية وشؤون الأجانب بدبي، باستقبال الطفلة الفنلندية أديلي شستوفسكاي، البالغة من العمر تسع سنوات، والتي تعاني من مرض سرطان الكلى، وتنفيذ برنامج سياحي متميز لها خلال فترة زيارتها لدبي.

عندما سُئلت أديلي عن وجهتها المفضلة، اختارت دبي، المدينة التي تعرفت على معالمها من خلال منصات التواصل الاجتماعي، حيث أبهرتها مبانيها الشاهقة ومناخها الجميل، وكانت أديلي قد طلبت من أسرتها أن تحقق لها أمنية وحيدة وهي زيارة دبي. وتحقيقا لأمنية الطفلة المريضة، تم استقبالها في دبي حيث تم تجهيز كافة تفاصيل الزيارة لتكون تجربة مميزة لها.

ومنذ لحظة وصولها إلى مطار دبي الدولي، كان فريق العمل على أتم الا��تعداد لاستقبالها وعائلتها، حيث تم تجهيز كافة التفاصيل لتحقيق تجربة مميزة لهم.

When nine-year-old Adele Shestovskaya was asked where in the world she wanted to visit the most, she had just one answer: Dubai. The Finnish child, who is battling kidney cancer, had long admired the city’s awe-inspiring skyline and sun-soaked beaches on social media. But she had a dream to experience it in person.

Her wish did not go unnoticed. Under the directives and close follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the emirate’s officials organised an unforgettable visit for Adele and her family. The trip was overseen by His Excellency Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, who mobilised a dedicated team to welcome the family and ensure every detail of their stay was thoughtfully arranged.

From the moment they arrived at Dubai International Airport, the experience was carefully crafted. Adele and her family were greeted by GDRFA officers and Dubai’s travel mascots, ‘Salem’ and ‘Salama’, figures designed to make immigration processes smoother and more engaging for young travellers. At the children’s passport control counter, Adele and her family had the chance to stamp their own passports, a small but joyful touch that set the tone for the days ahead.

[rosengris]

'"For you see,' I (Louis) said to her in that same calm voice, 'what died in this room was not that woman. [...] What has died in this room tonight is the last vestige in me of what was human.'"

I see this scene as a lovely interpretation of what's in the book. Louis described wanting to remove the blood from within him flatly. Was it Madeleine's blood he was trying to rid of? Was it vampiric blood? Beneath the numbness there was a deep sorrow. A desire to claw back some of his humanity. Even when he'd rationalised with himself that he was bringing one into The Blood in a good way.

What has always fascinated me about show!Louis is this mismatch between what he says and what he does. We have yet to meet the real Lestat. I'd say we've only seen the real Louis in glimpses, often via his actions. Lestat said it well in the pilot episode: Louis has always performed different roles to different people because of his race and sexuality. In season 2, Claudia asks the same question: who are you outside of your relationships? Louis was lost beneath his many hats in 1910s. He was a traumatised man who had no way of processing what he'd done in the 1940s, grasping even harder at any (illusion of) power. Since episode 3, he's been projecting calm/control, falling back to callousness at times.

This might also have been another moment of genuine connection between Louis and Armand. Louis turned Madeleine and thus let go of Claudia. Armand showed up, essentially 'chose him' and healed him. I think Louis was touched by it. We don't see any of his overt affections and casualness on display here. Dubai Louis recalled Armand standing in his blood and touching his hair. This moment has stayed with Louis down to a small piece of sense memory. I don't think it's coincidence that when the dust settled, Madeleine pointed out that Louis loved Armand. Well, for whatever definition of love either of these two was capable of.

[indigiqueers]

there's a line in this book "what [is] genuine liberation and what [is] just un-tempered psychic chaos?" and i'm thinking about armand alone. without a coven without a companion. constantly inviting in other figures to liberate him from subservient roles—roles that he imposes on himself, btw, because as a survivor 1. he still retains that to submit is to survive but 2. in choosing to submit he remains in control. the issue is he deludes himself into believing he can take the role off at any time. the issue is that he doesn't, and can't, because it is easier to remain motionless, frozen, and masking the trauma that's formed his psyche.

becoming a maker/choosing a fledgling signals a promising initiation of a new cycle in his mind, saving face from the end of a relationship that surely had met it's expiration (or more likely, saving the monotony of a relationship where two people had become more or less complacent with one another). my theory is daniel molloy is a 70 year man who is, in this iteration of himself, is uninterested in facade. completely turned off by the lie. unsurprised that armand would choose to bind them together, given his damage—but having no memory of a relationship or meaningful tie other than 6 days at divasidero and how many weeks in dubai, he has no reason to seek out a relationship armand, unless it's to write another book (so something transactional). to daniel: yeah, it'd be nice if armand stuck around to show him the ropes, but he's a manipulator, sooo. he's got louis du lac to call up. and eventually, lestat. he's not alone in the vampiric world. he's fine on his own.

all of this to say: i want to see the shattering of armand's psyche upon realizing that he fucked himself, actually. he doesn't have anywhere to go after this. yeah, he's free. but at what cost.

with no persona to build upon (unanticipated fracture of his relationship with louis caused by the one he'd hoped to become their third/child/fledgling), he could create a new persona. or he could regress. move backward. reckon with the fact that he has substantive dissociative fractures that affect his identity and relationships. you know how people are sometimes forced to reckon with the wounds of their inner child upon becoming a parent—well, show me the vicious helplessness of armand looking upon daniel, his fledgling, the love of his life, someone he'd hoped to become a constant in his life, and seeing zero ways he can form a meaningful connection without utter manipulation (that daniel easily dodges, sneers at, unpacks). show me armand being helpless to his own desires and the ways the bond re-activates a kind of psychic vampiric nervous system, lighting his entire body on fire, erupting the bodily shame and fear that is hundreds of years old, anxious to finally be heard and seen.

and daniel is still an asshole, i think, but i suspect he's forced to empathize through the bond. let him see and feel all that chaos and ruin of armand's psyche and decide: armand is self-destructing. armand is losing his fucking mind and cannot process the meaning of his own story. but i can.

[dreamschanuzerpuppieshome]

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[nalyra-dreaming]

Ooooooooh That dark side of Louis quote has me thinking of Jacob saying how he felt initially like he disagreed with some of Louis’ actions and behaviour this season before coming around to the idea 👀

What will Louis be up to….do you think he will be doing certain things in order to feel lestat’s presence more?

Oh yes.

I think he might. And I also think... you know there is this element that could be called ruthlessness to Louis (and I do not mean that negatively here) that appears when he lets go. A certain abandonment of control, because he usually is so controlled.

It's what surfaces when he lets go at the feast (and rips off the jaw), it's what surfaces when he goes to the Alderman, or later when he (rightfully) flips his shit and destroys the coven.

Jacob said in one interview that Armand is not "just a rebound", and while that is obviously true, there is more to that statement (or could be) - because who is the rebound? I have speculated (in fics, others have done that, too) that Louis might hunt blond men for a while, for example. We know of that cast agency post looking for members for an orgy in a park... and so on.

Louis will be suffering, and in a very dark place in the beginning and the end of season 2. Armand will seem like a light in the dark in-between.

But Armand... will also be very interested in Louis' memories of Lestat, and so he might further or prompt those memories and actions to "feel Lestat more" as you called it, in fact I believe both oh-so-innocent "mentions" of Lestat's name are exactly that, namely poking at Louis and his armor. (Armand of course can read Louis' mind and knows immediately where to poke, even if we neglect the fact that Lestat might already be there in Armand's dungeons^^).

I think Louis might kill in Europe, with abandon, for a while.

Then he might find his control again, obviously before Paris once more, since Armand comments on it.

Grief is a process.

And no matter how shitty, if you meant the relationship (and they both did, else it wouldn't have played out as it did), you will mourn it, deeply.

I expect Louis to go to dark places, in the past - and in Dubai.

And re the "dark place" in Dubai... well, I have speculated about Jacob meaning that when he said he was surprised, because his s1 statement might contradict here with the possibility of Merrick. Also, that dark side... by whose judgment? Because Louis drinking blood from the "farm"... it will be very interesting to learn what the farm is, actually. For example. Just how "dark" a "vampire" is Louis in Dubai, in contrast to the one in Paris?

We'll see.

By the episode writers listing I would say that episode 5 will be the trial, and episode 7 will be the shift to Dubai (in the sense that whatever is needed for segueing into s3 will start then).

I said it before, dark, darker, IWTV.

We'll go places.