#also for katya i feel i should add a

[galactickle]

Jealousy

James Maguire x reader

Summary: reader is jealous of james and katya, and becomes really good friends with david donnelly, but james thinks david and the reader are something more.

Masterlist

“Who is this?” Katya asks, her accent thick.

“Oh, that's just James,” Erin replies.

“You are handsome,” Katya says, “and also sexy.”

Everyone in the room was shocked by this revelation.

“Is her English not great?” Michelle asks.

Katya looks James up and down before getting up and kissing him.

The girls continued to make comments as you all watched them kiss, but you heard nothing they said. You had been secretly crushing on James for a little while, unbeknownst to your best friends, and the sight of him kissing the Ukrainian had you seeing red.

~~~

You were at Brennan's eating lunch with the gang. The girls were all fighting about something or other while you picked at your food silently, when Jenny showed up with her Ukrainian lad.

“Listen, I have a feeling Artem and a few of the others are a bit homesick,” Jenny explained, “It'd be nice for them to spend some time together. So I’m having a soiree at my place tonight. It's going to be great!”

Just then, Erin’s longtime crush and a good friend of yours, David, walks in. You were closer to David than the other girls, as your parents were friends with his.

He looks around the restaurant until he sees Jenny. “Hey, do you have the playlist for tonight then?” he shoots your group a smile and a nod.

Jenny hands him a piece of paper, “I'll need the sound system set up by 7.”

“Is your band playing at this thing?”

“Oh no, I just do a bit of DJing on the side.” he laughs and heads to order some food.

“On second thought, I think this party might be good for Katya,” Erin says to Jenny.

Just then you look up to see James and Katya making out right in the middle of the restaurant. You look down at your food in disgust, then excuse yourself to go to the washroom.

~~~

At the party, the first thing you saw when you walked in was David at his DJ stand, you waved hello to him before going to find your friends.

You mingled at the party a bit before you got tired of Erin freaking out about Katya taking James’ virginity. You found yourself hanging out with David, talking and drinking beer. David was cool and you enjoyed talking to him, it got your mind off of James for a bit… until you all heard a commotion upstairs, you followed David and the others to the stairwell, only catching the end of the argument.

“--How dare you? I am poor Ukrainian, so I must be prostitute!” Katya yells. You raise your eyebrows in shock.

Erin comes to address the crowd forming on the stairs, “Hear me out, first she comes on to James here. What would possess her?” you roll your eyes, “Financial gain, that's what!”

“He attractive boy, Erin.” Katya reasons.

“He's English, Katya.” Erin replies offhandedly.

“I have no problem with this.”

“You should,” Michelle butts in.

Erin continues yelling about the condoms in Katya's bag, and the money the Ukrainians have been giving her all evening.

“How the hell do you explain that?” Erin asks Katya in regards to the money.

“I organize, how you say it, whip round. We like to buy Jenny present to thank her for nice party.” Katya explains in her normal, but angry voice.

“Ohhh, you guys!!”Jenny replies sweetly.

Erin is left speechless, as is everyone else.

“So not only you insult me, but you've also spoiled Jenny’s surprise!” Katya adds.

“I think you should leave,” Jenny states. you sink back behind David in the crowd, not wanting to associate or even be seen by your friends. You could feel their eyes on you though, as they passed by in shame.

“You can still hang with me for the rest of the night,” David offered, you smiled slightly at him and nodded.

You spent the next little while drinking and talking, but David could tell you were a little off.

“So what’s up?”

“What do you mean?” you ask, taking a swig of your beer.

“You seem… distracted, sad even.”

“Nah, it's nothing,” you try to brush it off.

“Obviously it's not, so spill.”

“I… I.. have a wee bit of a crush on James…” you say with a pained look on your face.

David nods and hums in agreement. “So the whole Katya thing…?” he trails off.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.. that sucks, well, if it's any sentiment, he's gotta be into you too, because like every guy in Derry is into you,” He nudges you shoulder.

You laugh, “Yeah, OK.”

“It’s true!!” David chuckles.

“Okay, okay, I believe you!” you look around at the dwindling party, “Well… I should probably get going,” sigh, getting up from your spot on the floor.

“Want me to walk you home?” David offers, getting up as well.

“Yeah, I’d like that, thanks,” you smile at him as he sticks out his elbow for you to take.

The walk home is full of drunken giggles and nonsense.

When you reached your house, you turned to David to say thank you again, and, unbeknownst to you, James was looking out his window watching. He had been waiting to make sure you got home alright, after he realized you hadn't followed the group out of the party.

“Thank you,” you smiled up at David.

“No problem,” he replied, “we should hang out more.”

“I agree,” you laughed. You leant up on your tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, “Goodnight, David.” With that, you turned on your heel and walked into your house, David yelling ‘goodnight’ after you.

~~~

The next couple weeks, James didn't talk to you, which you didn't mind because you had been ignoring him before anyways. Plus now you were in a good mood due to your blooming friendship with David. It’s not that you had romantic feelings for him, but you did really like him, although you would never do something to hurt Erin.

The whole friend group watched in confusion as you and David became closer friends. After a couple weeks of silence James finally blew up.

“Why are you hanging out with him?” You were at Michelle’s house, you and James were alone in the kitchen getting drinks.

“What?” you asked, genuinely confused.

“David, why do you keep hanging out with him?” James repeated.

“I don't know, he's nice and fun to be around..”

“So are we!” James countered.

“Fine. Why did you let Katya kiss you?”

“I--I..”

The girls had heard the commotion and came into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Erin asked.

No one said anything for a second..

“I saw Y/N kiss David Donnelley!” James exclaims. You gape at him.

“What?” The girls gasp.

“No! I didn't! I kissed him on the cheek-- which is a totally different thing! I was just saying thank you for walking me home!”

“How could you Y/N?” Orla asks, cradling Erin's head.

You shake your head, then turn and leave. James follows you outside, “So what? You're just gonna leave?”

“Yeah! Well, it doesn't feel like I’m welcomed there anymore!” you yell back, exasperated.

“Y/N!” you could hear a change in tone in James’ voice, was that desperation? “Wait! I've been a dick, I’m so sorry!”

You slowly turn towards him, “Yeah, you have been.”

“I’m sorry I just.. didn't like seeing you with him,” James reveals.

“How do you think I felt about Katya?” you say quietly.

James looks at you, confused, for a moment, “Wait-- you mean?” you nod in a response, smiling crookedly.

James runs forward, enveloping you in a hug, “I’m so sorry,” he whispers in your shoulder.

“Me too.” And your lips collide in the most beautiful kiss either of you have ever experienced

[artemis-pendragon]

Red and White: A meta analysis of color and the subversion of morality in Martin Scorsese's Goncharov (1973)

Katya Goncharova

By now everyone knows that Katya is the Woman in White. Aside from the obvious ghost/haunting implications of this color scheme, white can be used to signal purity, something Katya should, by all accounts, have left far behind.

So is this a subversion of a cliche and outdated ideal of purity (although not at the time of the film's creation, making this possibility even more daring and subversive), or is there another meaning? Virginity and innocence are only two types of purity. There is also love, and the complex purity that often accompanies it. Katya is, at her heart, a very emotional and loving person. She may not show it as openly or loudly as Sofia, but it's undeniably there: her love for her husband, and, of course, for Sofia.

It's also an interesting departure from the red/black femme fatale/black widow color schemes of Soviet women spies and assassins in films made around the same time. Katya is a killer and a player in this deadly game, yes, but at her core she wants so desperately to be a good person, to escape the life her husband has condemned himself to. Katya hopes, against all odds, that love can redeem her. Perhaps her insistence on always wearing white is meant to hint at her longing for innocence and purity, even though her hands are already stained red.

Love and its complexities, as well as the discussion of traditional red and black color schemes used for femme fatales brings me to

Sofia

Sofia is both Katya's foil and mirror. She challenges Katya's morality by upholding her own, living off a value system that, while twisted in its own way, is ultimately one of the strongest moral compasses in the film. Her descent into the role of killer is not only Katya's doing; Sofia was destined for bloodshed long before they even met, and only comes into her own as a real player after the cocktail scene. This is demonstrated through Sofia's red and black color scheme, which, as I mentioned earlier, is typically associated with femme fatales and black widows.

However, Sofia also wears white, notably at the end of the film after the Boat Scene, after her descent into destruction and The Life. This shot is especially powerful, as it uses a red backdrop to emphasize the change that Sofia has gone through, and her merging with Katya while also retaining her own history and morality.

While she starts out as Katya's foil, over the course of the film the two women begin to merge, their twisted morality aligning until Sofia's femme fatale false persona become her truth. It is only then that she comes into her own and begins wearing white, and, interestingly, that half white/half red color pink: the mixed feelings and emotions of a changing woman.

Ultimately, color plays a critical role in Goncharov, especially in the portrayal of Sofia and Katya and their complex, emotional, and ultimately tragic joined fate. Sofia loses the vibrant reds and deep blacks of her scheme after the Cocktail Scene, which is when it seems that she's finally accepted her feelings for Katya and lost herself to that lifestyle. She has spilled blood, and the red of her clothes becomes the red on her hands.

For example, this is Sofia's outfit before and during the Boat Scene:

This is her outfit directly before the Cocktail Scene:

Tumblr won't allow me to add another image (reached my limit ranting it seems lol) but in Sofia's final scenes, she is seen in all white, just like Katya.

Winter has, truly, come to Naples, and it has swept Sofia up in its bitter white embrace--the embrace of a colder, more calculating mindset and morality, as well as the literal embrace of Katya Goncharova, her salvation and her doom.

[secondchoice-ragdoll]

Do you think Trixie ever had feelings for Katya?

hiyaaaaaay now thats definitely a question😭 disclaimer: this is veeeery wishy-washy and fanfiction-y, based on barely anything else but *vibes* and my observations. this is strictly my perspective, and may not at all overlap w anyone's involved. none of this should be treated as actual information (just like anything else i say, pretty much).

so the quick answer is: yes. (but "feelings" is very broad)

in depth: i am 99,9% sure the answer is yes. at some point(/s), to some degree, some kinds of feelings, definitely yes. in the beginning it (whatever it was) seemed to pair with a sort of admiartion, which im sure they still have, but back then K could have been more like a far away, untouchable, sensational concept, now K is closer and she knows her well and loves and trusts her (and she is her god. never forget that😭😭😭). like rn she for sure loves K very very dearly and very very much. do you know abt that kind of love when u r not exactly sure what box to put it into, but all that matters is that its there and its a big feeling. and maybe u would be open to it being sexual/romantic too, but u might as well be fine w nothing of the sort ever happening, u just want to keep each other close. well they seem to fall under this bracket from where i stand.

obvi we know K has vocalised her opinion on the matter back in the days pretty clearly. and i'd argue that she has kept doing so up until very recently. and i'd also argue that so did T. like, the jig has been up for a decade, i think atp its their subconscious speaking sometimes, and they might not even be fully aware of how they r coming off (for example: the way they kept describing each other when asked abt their ideal partners. like, im sure they do not spend their days actively pining for each other. but like. u see it, i see it, we all see it?). im not saying they'd be perfect together w no issues and no rough times, bc thats just not realistic at all, but i know for a fact that they do love each other so very much im not even sure what a person can do w that intensitiy. (do they love each other the most? like, im not joking here, do u remember the times they have both said things like "u r my fav person" or "i definitely love u very much" or T pressing K on who she loves the most until she said her name? like??? if things have happened in the last months then i think ppl might have fallen out of Ts line who had a chance at being higher on the list (for a few possible reasons. such as being a romantic partner and how u r "supposed to" place those ones higher. but i get that. i just also have a lot of feeling abt this, surprisingly) then they *do* do love each other the most, dont they? so its all veeery complicated w them😭

the thing i am not certain abt is if T ever called it what it was, even only to herself. bc. like she doesnt seem to be a very big fan of said possibility of said feelings towards said person regardless of whether or not its true. like yes she will float the idea as a """joke""" of K being her partner at netflick in the middle of watching something totally irrelevant. but as a sentimental deep and actual reality im decently sure she does not like it. at different times of the last decade for different reasons (understandable ones, if i might add. the worst of it is that i can easily justify everything from both ends and thats why its just so UGH bc i get it. but i still think they r silly for doing things the way they do them). i think she knows on a level of being aware of what time it is, but the most in-character thing in my head would be for her to just go "no💗 like okay i see u i hear u i cant do anything but accept the fact that there is smth but just no. we got to stop, we cant be doing this. so i will not be acknowledging anything of the sort. bye". like ik it sounds stupid spelled out like this, but what i mean is that i feel like she worked on putting these things neatly away (before they even really had a chance to form into a graspable thought), and despite the box being made of glass and a little seetrought here and there, she seems to be content abt it being as it is.

and for how things are since her break? not a single fucking clue. i couldnt even tell u if i got paid to do so. i have a few ideas, all of them being based on even more nothing of a nothing than any of my other ideas. but i am seated for whenever we will be hearing abt how things went, or just seeing how things r when she is back. hope she is doing amazing wherever she is!!

[azure-wolf-227]

Headcanons for the BATTs (Derwin, Katya, and Amber)

These headcanons will be used in all (or most) of my TOH AUs. Most of the headcanons are about the backstories I made for them.

I might add more in the future.

Edit: I changed some stuff relating to Katya's bio dad.

Edit 2: Changed stuff relating to Amber's parents. Originally, her mom was a witch and her dad a bat demon, but I decided to switch their species.

Amber

Her full name is Amber Kari Batkin. Kari, after her voice actress, Batkin, is a reference to her bat traits.

She is 18-19 years old.

Her parents' names were Jet and Kari; Kari was a bat demon while Jet was a witch, explaining Amber's bat traits. Both of them were Bards. Jet has an older brother named Flint, who is a member of the Construction Coven; Flint has a son named Jasper. Jasper is a canon background character, he is the bat kid who's Skara's Grom date. Jasper's mom is also a bat demon.

Amber's mother died when she was a baby, and her father when she was six. Her uncle's family should have taken her in but couldn't afford to care for two children. So, Amber was placed under the guardianship of Raine Whispers, who was a friend of her parents.

Amber's Palisman is an Albino Bat named Rouge, whom she adopted from the Bat Queen. Yes, it references Rouge the Bat from the Sonic franchise.

Amber likes hanging upside down from time to time. It's not something related to her bat demon heritage, she just likes doing it.

Amber inherited the ability to use echolocation from her Bat Demon father; she is also skilled in imitating sounds and voices.

I keep switching between lesbian or bi with Amber. Maybe bi, but she leans more toward girls.

Katya

Her full name is Katya Lisle Fang. Lisle is after her voice actress, Grey DeLisle; Fang is because of her prominent fangs. Also, @ito-itonomen uses that surname in their fics.

She is 21-22 years old, about three years older than Amber.

Katya's mother was called Ruth Fang, a wild witch; her biological father is called Bragi Skald, head of a wealthy family. Bragi was a womanizer in his youth, partially out of rebellion against his strict parents, so Katya was conceived from a one-night stand.

Ruth did her best to care for Katya by herself, being a loving mother, but the life of a wild witch isn't often kind, so Ruth died of sickness when Katya was about 12.

Katya was sent to an orphanage where the staff wasn't very kind due to Katya being the daughter of a wild witch. Katya eventually ran away when they tried to get rid of her mother's Palisman, which she had inherited. Katya barely spent one night in the streets before being found by Raine Whispers, who then became her Guardian.

Bragi was not aware of Katya's existence, but even if he had been, he could not have taken her in because his parents would have disowned him. He found out about Katya shortly after she was taken in by Raine, immediately realizing she was his child with Ruth. Despite this realization, Bragi still could not take in Katya due to his parents (and because he felt unworthy of being her father). Instead, he trusted his friend Raine to take care of her.

Katya eventually learned who Bragi was, and while she was initially furious that he did not want to be her father, she eventually understood his reasons. While she does not see Bragi as a parent and feels awkward when interacting with him, she does respect him as a fellow member of the Bard Coven and vice versa.

Bragi Skald is also the father of Skara, making the Bard Track student Katya's younger half-sister. Katya knows who Skara is and gets awkward whenever the two cross paths. Skara isn't aware of her relationship with Katya, but if she did, she would be furious with her father for not telling her about Katya.

Katya's canon beetle Palisman is called Jewel; she originally belonged to Katya's mother, and after she died, it bonded with Katya.

Katya is very passionate about her fanfics but is shy about showing them to people outside those closest to her. This feeling increases after the Comformatorium incident.

Katya is pan (she likes love!), and I sometimes ship her with Steven.

Derwin

His full name is Derwin Robin Heckel. Robin after his voice actor Zeno Robinson; Heckel is one of the forms of the modern bassoon, Derwin's signature instrument.

He is 22-23 years old. About a year older than Katya and four years older than Amber.

The names of Derwin's parents are not relevant at this moment. They're alive, but for various reasons, they were deemed unfit to raise a child when Derwin was 14. He ended up with Raine Whispers, their music teacher, as his Guardian.

His Palisman is a deer-antlered wolf named Lyka. I gave him a wolf Palisman because his VA also voices Hunter, who is interested in wolves.

Derwin doesn't speak much and is usually the most calm, collected, and mature of the younger BATs. So, when something truly angers him, you better pray that he has mercy on you.

Trans, Gay, and Demi-Romantic.

Headcanons for all three of them

These three see each other as siblings and act as such, with Derwin as the responsible older brother who keeps an eye on his bickering little sisters. All three see Raine as their parent, and they have semi-joked about officially changing their surnames to Whispers.

All three see Eda as a mother figure and ship her with Raine hard. Luz and King have a good relationship with this trio, who treat them like little siblings.

Though not to the extent of Eda's kids, these three can be magnets for trouble, especially Katya and Amber.

All three are very skilled Bards, which is no surprise since Raine was their teacher. Once their Coven Brands are removed, they each learn at least one other type of magic.

Amber learns Beast-Keeping because it compliments her skill of imitating sounds like animal calls; Katya learns Illusions as they complement her storytelling hobby; Derwin probably learns Healing to patch up his little siblings.

[brilliantobservations]

Billion Dollar Pinkie

Billion Dollar Pinkie

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  Episode 267 Billion Dollar Pinkie Brilliant Observations Comedy Conversation Podcast with Melissa Brilliant and Amy Fugazi

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[girinma]

i've been lazy with posting this but finished two books on my last boat trip so my thoughts on Kraken by China Miéville and Under Ground by Megan Marsnik.

Kraken

another jacob geller recc and my least favorite of the 3 i've read. Museum specimen collection boy Billy gets his giant squid stolen and enters a world of urban fantasy. It's a fun romp though really good worldbuilding but the central plot ultimately falls flat. 7/10

I don’t understand where breaks between paragraphs are. The scene won’t change nor will the POV character. Why is there a blank line. It feels like it was a web serial and these were breaks from that but if so why maintain them in the print version? Also there will be an indent for dialogue when both lines are by the same person. Why????

Also while I liked the realism of the dialogue it was sometimes difficult to read because of the way things were written as if someone literally said them combined with the accents. Sorry for being anglophobic.

Under Ground

I don’t understand how this book came to a Charleston used book thing when it is so Minnesota regional? A mystery. Anyway it's the 1910s, Katya leaves Slovenia because her parents die and she moves in with her aunt and uncle in Minnesota. but uh oh! the iron mines fucking suck so the miners are going to go on strike. surely the management will be willing to negotiate. right? it's based on an actual strike which is neat. 6/10

In general it's very easy to read and reminded me of grapes of wrath. This is obviously not an Author Author so I cut her slack but there are multiple points where you can tell she’s basically recounting a real thing because it does not fully mesh with the narrative sections. Forrest Gump esque scenes.

I would have appreciated a map of Minnesota because I ain’t been there but also I don’t know how this book escaped Minnesota so ?

For a book about unions, it was Not Socialist Enough. I wanted more vitriol. It tries to paint a happy ending at the end but I think it should be more call to action. “These people will kill you and nothing will ever happen and they keep getting away with it.”

Loved the focus on women, very good. Yes comment on the unpaid household labor the girlies are doing so their husband can work twelve hours in the mine. A shift that long and in that time period? Couldn’t survive without a woman doing everything else in your life.

Boardinghouse is such a good setting. It had a great cast of characters and was very natural to have everyone around. I know they were real but I think it worked really well for the story.

I’ve realized I’m pretentious and don’t really like historical fiction. Like yeah I’ll read it but if I want to read a book set in the past I’ll just read a book from the time period…

Overall it was fine. Not super memorable but it was obviously a passion project so yay Megan happy you finished it and got published :)

AND spoilers under the cut as usual

KRAKEN

The ending is… I don’t know. I like it in some ways and not in others. It did a good job calling back to the beginning and I think it’s very funny to bring The Christian God into this polytheistic world. That being said, I don’t think Vardy’s plan was foreshadowed enough in the middle? As soon as he disappears it’s obvious what’s happening but before that it wasn’t really there beyond the beginning. Also I don’t get it. Ok, he pushed the squid apocalypse forward as cover for his actions? But how did he get Griz to want to steal the squid? I think Vardy giving him the idea should have been made explicit.

I wish the author went more meta with the Griz fight. Like, the book is printed in ink and he is ink! Use that! The author already has some fun with page breaks and italics n such, so put some strikethroughs when Griz is editing reality to delete things and have Billy use footnotes to put things back in. House of Leaves this. Also if he did this he could add like a scene that’s partially destroyed by the memory fire. Literally just add a REDACTED or something.

The little epilogue/finale sucked. Just pairing off characters in straight pairings as if billy and saira or collingswood had anywhere near the relationship of billy and Dane. make it gay. Dane also got a shit ending he should have died with more fanfare. I think the book should have just ended after the cops came and arrested people.

As I said before the worldbuilding is wonderful I love every little concept he comes up with. The gunfarmers are my favorite but it’s all very fun yet aware of the eccentricity. yes everyone has themes weapons and yes people complain about it to their leaders because guns would be more effective BUT NO. The familiar strike and Wati in general was also very fun. Leftist king.

I really dislike Billy’s arc? He starts out interesting - refusing the call, he’s a funny little academic thrust into the world of fantasy. I like how long he’s sad that Leon died but I wished he had more to say about him. Like little things reminding him of Leon and not just reliving the moment he died. But as he comes to accept his role he becomes very much a vehicle of the plot. He becomes simply Hero without ever really using his skills (no preserving no squid knowledge no biology knowledge) and even though yes he lies a bit he isn’t A Liar. He does a little taxonomy at the end with Griz but I want more. He gets a phaser and then he just does what other people tell him. It’s like the author forgot Billy could have any knowledge from before the story started.

Under Ground

Everything after the bar shoot out is rushed but doesn’t go straight to epilogue? Like there was a struggle to wrap things up when the strike fails in real life and nothing good happens ever.

The romance was cuuuuute very cheesy in a This is a Book for Women ;) way but overall it was good. I will take Katka’s “this guy is sooo hot I’m immediately in love with him and will fantasize about him for years before he comes back from prison for being anti-American” over Billy’s “I need to fuck a magician let me call all the women I know.” I did wish there was more of a honeymoon period and not just Paul coming back and being like “I’m also madly in love with you yayayay” because if he got to know her he would have loved her. She is not just some Slovenian girl but she also works on an independent newspaper and does journalism!! His union leader ass would love her pro-labor reporting.

Katka is kind of a bland character though. I KNOW it’s 1915 but she literally is only an individual because she 1. Can type and 2. Likes guns. Could she have a fucking flaw? She needed inner conflict - have her be against the strike and come to view it as necessary, or maybe she’s depressed due to her parents dying and doesn’t see why she should care about the future. She needed something going on Internally beyond “paul <3”

[sheacouleecametoslay]

Season 7 (2015)

With just about every competition show I've followed, whenever there's a highly praised season, the one that follows it is almost always disliked. And Season 7 of Drag Race is no exception. It has a pretty bad reputation. Is it warranted though? I think to some degree it is. On paper, this should be a strong cast, but they quickly divide between the younger queens vs the bitter older queens, and the latter group is pretty unlikeable. Actually the younger are pretty unlikeable at times as well, including the winner. One of the biggest issues with Season 7 is the challenges. There's so many acting ones. There's SEVEN team challenges for some reason. And the producers tried to add twists, but a lot of their ideas didn't pay off. The premiere ditched the photoshoot and replaced it with the first ever Fashion Show, which ate up so much time that we didn't really get to know much of the cast. The first runway was the Nude Illusion, which was a flop. The Merle Ginsberg skits had such weird writing. The whole Conjoined Twins Makeover was weird too. As was the half-man/half-woman design. And the Hello Kitty Ball was a disappointment too. Plus there was TWO singing challenges! The second one even involved a sketch about poo. On the other hand, the award show was something new, and I think that one worked. I laughed at Kathy Griffin tearing apart everyone's banter. The Snatch Game was one of the best; it's also the first instance of queens impersonating past contestants. And the Rusical was good but had too much screaming. I also really question the judging throughout the season. I disagree with so many challenge winners. Pearl shouldn't have won the lip sync against Trixie. Pearl shouldn't have made Final 3. It seemed like they were protecting Fame and Violet from lip syncing. Max was done really dirty. And Katya was robbed. Also, the returnee twist came back. But I'm glad that a challenge was used to determine the returnee instead of the producers just handpicking whoever they wanted. Although I think Trixie was the favourite to return either way. Pearl being her partner in the Makeover really played into that storyline. Another reason I lose interest in this season is because my top 3 favourites get knocked out at 8th/7th/5th, and while I don't hate the Final 4 necessarily, it just feels like an underwhelming ending. I think Ginger was supposed to be the winner too, but the audience wasn't behind her, and that's what matter these days. There's some production changes in Season 7 too. Santino was replaced by Ross and Carson alternating, since Santino's knowledge didn't apply to where the show was headed. The Untucked location was moved to the backstage area. It's the first season where the eliminated queens take home a participation trophy at the end of every episode. It's the first time that Ru shows the childhood photos during the final critique. And the "She-Mail" videos were thankfully changed to "she done already done had herses". They also kept "Sissy That Walk" for the runways, proving that it is the best runway song. Season 7 definitely has its share of drama. From Sasha vs Pearl, to Tempest vs Kandy, to Kennedy vs Violet, to Fame vs Peal. There's also the infamous Pearl vs Ru stand-off. As well as Ru yelling at the losing team in "ShakesQueer". This season goes off the rails at times doesn't it? But I don't think it's as bad as its reputation says.

Queens Ranking: 14. Frisbee Jenkins (FKA Sasha Belle) A superfan who did her homework! But it didn't do her any good. All of Frisbee/Sasha's looks were pretty unpolished - the orange harness in her entrance, her wig in the Spring look, the crab design in her Fall look (where she also tossed a fan lol), her raggedy Jetset Eleganza, and of course the Nude Illusion where she misunderstand the assignment. I still don't understand how she wasn't in the bottom 2 in that first episode. She also said Pearl should go home because she's "standoffish" and lacks charisma, which lead to some tension between them. And then in the Rusical, she didn't like her role; while during the performance, she unclipped her hair for whatever reason. 13. Kandy Ho "Right on my alley". Kandy only made it as far as she did because of her lip sync moves. She got quite into it during "Lovergirl", which I enjoyed more than "Geronimo". But then Jaidyn outdid her in "Break Free". That elimination was long overdue. Kandy started the season commenting on Tempest's age, basically saying that her style is passé. She shouldn't have been bottom 2 in the first episode, but I guess production wanted to play up the storyline. Her fashion show looks were pretty bad though and she was read for contouring a beard. However once Tempest left, Kandy was kind of just... "there" for the next 5 episodes. She had some sexy hand movements in the Rusical, but her other performances were pretty boring. While her acting as RuPaul was too hammy, and not in a fun Max way. She wasn't nice about Fame in the Conjoined Twins episode too. 12. Tempest DuJour Despite Tempest being a costume designer, I wasn't a fan of any of her looks. She popped a baby in her entrance, her Spring outfit should've been left behind in the 60s, her Fall outfit was that black poncho thing, and her Nude Illusion involved golden crabs around her waist. But I loved her message about not letting age stop you from reaching your dreams; her weight loss story and her dealing with conversion therapy were also personal moments. Otherwise, Tempest had some conflict with Kandy, and I guess that's why they were bottom 2 together. And her squiggly arms in the lip sync lacked conviction. But I end up not caring about Tempest that much. 11. Violet Chachki Violet had a stereotypical pageant girl attitude. She was vain, rude, and a diva. Almost all the other queens didn't like her. She retorted "no one says [Hotlanta]" to Jasmine. She disagreed with Michelle's critiques. She passed blame onto the directors in rehearsals. Kennedy and Max called her a "bitch". Trixie and Kennedy shut her down as team leaders in two episodes. Although Violet did have an awakening moment in the Episode 5 Untucked. She made a conscious effort to grow afterwards. Then at the Final 4, Ginger and Kennedy beat her down, so her ultimate win proved them wrong. Obviously Violet is known for her runways - the tartan reveal, being totally naked in Nude Illusion, the pink dress in Bearded and Beautiful, the super cinched waist in Death Becomes Her, the S&M Leather and Lace, and her Hello Kitty headpiece. But I prefer winners who are more comedic. She was praised for the seatbelt bit in the Rusical, but meh. Her award show banter didn't land. She'd often have these pauses when acting. She fumbled a line in the "Poo" skit. Her "ShakesQueer", Michelle Visage and Alyssa Edwards in Snatch Game were all towards the bottom for me. But I liked her Adore impersonation in the music video. And she aced the tango dancing. She had the best look for that too. Still... according to my judging, Violet has one of the weakest track records from the winners. 10. Ginger Minj Ginger was a contender from the start, but I liked her less and less as the season went on. She just seemed fake and two-faced? She constantly talked s**t about other queens in Untucked, basically stirring the pot, but acted so congenial and defensive at the same time. She said Fame wasn't a "performer performer" and claimed she didn't mean to start s**t. She became Pearl's friend in the episode 11 Untucked, then threw her under the bus next episode. And towards the end, Ginger got in her head whenever there was a sewing or dancing challenge. She wound up in the bottom 2 twice because of it. The conjoined boobs didn't even look like boobs; she also got annoyed at Sasha during that challenge. She overcame it in the Rusical though, which she actually won. She stood out as the center role during her team's section, but I wouldn't call it a winning performance. Otherwise, Ginger excelled at the comedy challenges - the award show, playing a demonic Michelle Visage, Adele in Snatch Game, her bit about the eggs in the John Waters film. I'd say she had the best "Born Naked" skit too. She was good at giving comedic faces and brought that comedy to the lip syncs. But her runways weren't all that either. Her glittering red Spring look is probably my fave. 9. Mrs. Kasha Davis My initial reaction going into this re-watch was "who?" But Kasha was a good performer. She probably should've won the Rusical - that's where she danced around the pitcrew and blew the whistle at the end. She was good as Lady Cappuccino in "ShakesQueer". And her Joan Rivers bit in that mini-challenge was funny. But then Katya overshadowed her in the awards show opening (why were they standing so far apart?) And she had that Cowardly Lion voice thing. Still, Kasha held her own against Kandy in the lip sync. The green money dress was my fave look of hers. And she was the only member of the "Bitter Old Lady Bridge" that didn't get on my nerves at times. I can understand why she got frustrated at Pearl and Jasmine for not trying when she applied for 7 years. She didn't have much tolerance for bad attitudes from the other queens lol. But ultimately, I don't think she had enough charisma to stand out in the contest. 8. Trixie Mattel Somwhat overrated. Trixie was "meh" in Season 7. She has a signature make-up style and she brought some campy looks - the tennis Nude Illusion, the plane on her head for Jetset Eleganza (which Jasmine and Ginger did not get on Untucked). And her Rusical performance was her best challenge moment. But she left early because she didn't deliver on initial expectations of being a comedy queen. She was kinda flat as the narrator for "ShakesQueer" and she wasn't funny in the tanning music video. She then lost a lip sync to Pearl that every fan agrees was the wrong result. She was justifiably given a second chance a few episodes later, but she didn't do much with her second run either? She was okay in the John Waters film, while the campy dancing with Ginger didn't win me over. Trixie was also pretty dry in confessional to me. She's a nice person though, and I liked that she turned an abusive insult into her drag name. Overall, she's... okay to me. 7. Jasmine Masters Everything about the cocoon runway - her describing it to Ru in the Werk Room, Ross and Carson's reactions, the fact it wasn't resort wear - is hilarious. But Jasmine rubbed me the wrong way whenever she looked down on the younger queens, namely Fame/Trixie/Pearl/Violet. She thought what they did wasn't real drag, just because her generation was different. She'd bash them with her friend Kennedy. She criticized Trixie's look in Untucked, and when Trixie asked how Jasmine's look fit the theme, she got annoyed at Trixie running her mouth. Projection much. I wasn't so into her crop tops either. And then her "ShakesQueer" acting was so bad and she wanted to give up if she had to lip sync against Kennedy. She ended up doing some squats in that lip sync, so she didn't really give up. Otherwise, her episode 3 runway gown and her Rusical performance were Jasmine's better moments. 6. Max Max had this pretentious theatre accent, and she wasn't that well-liked by the other queens. Lol at Fame ripping up her newspaper after her entrance. But Max was a solid actress and brought high fashion runways - her Fall look, her Jetset Eleganza, her bearded look, the cut-out heart in a box. The crutches Nude Illusion was creative too. Her Spring look was shoddy though. But yeah, Max benefited from Season 7 having so many acting challenges. She had the exaggerated oxygen mask bit in the Rusical. She 100% deserved that win for playing Juliet in "ShakesQueer". She played off of Pearl well in the awards show. Even her bizarre Merle Ginsberg impersonation was funny. Max also promoted positive energy. She got read for wearing grey wigs all the time (c'mon it's her style!), and she disliked vulgarity (lol). But then the Snatch Game came up, and she tried to play a "Disney version" of Sh*rn N**dles which bombed (like that confusing "temper tantrums" answer). Then during the judge's critiques, she needed to loosen to corset to breathe and sang to relax... and the shady producers made her look like an attention-seeker. 5. Pearl I love Pearl, but her making finale is questionable. She's a classic 4th boot archetype. She entered with the chinstrap and labelled herself as a "robotic Stepford Wife bitch", which is accurate. She had a lot of white/beige runways, usually in a lingerie style, or with a "diaper" on. I was into her Spring look cuz it was fresh. But her headphones Fall look and her devil Bearded and Beautiful look were my faves. And I think her Makeover win was earned. However Pearl was often flat as a pancake in the acting challenges. Her "ShakesQueer" character was confusing. Her singing was awful. She looked lost in the "Poo" skit. And her intense lip syncs were probably Sashay-worthy. But she surprised everyone by being the funniest in the award show. Her Big Ang in Snatch Game was underrated. And she had fun with the dancing duets, bad twerking aside. Otherwise, Pearl was known for her chill attitude. She was definitely annoyed at people - she had to withstand so much s**t from the judges and her fellow queens - but she never raised her voice. She came off personable and mostly reasonable. Obviously her most remembered moment is her stand-off with Ru ("Is there something on my face") and walking out of the Werk Room. She knew the show was a sham and Ru was fake, so she didn't give a f**k. 4. Miss Fame Fame started off as a contender - she had the spiky alien entrance, she had the best Spring look, and the second best Fall look. She could've won that first episode. And she continued to be a top runway queen (Death Becomes Her was my fave). But Season 7 had so many acting challenges, and Fame lacked performance experience. She was stiff in the Rusical, she was the worst on the winning team for "ShakesQueer", she insisted on doing Donatella Versace in Snatch Game and did nothing with the character. She had to work with Pearl 4 times, and Violet 3 times; AKA the bad acting trio. She also gave a very subpar lip sync against Pearl. Production probably wanted them to be bottom 2 for the storyline. Pearl was Fame's arch nemesis. She didn't respect Pearl's chill attitude and acted cold towards her. It felt unwarranted and Fame harped on it too much. Fame was too dismissive and serious; and overly bossy in team challenges. She wasn't fond of Jasmine "giving up" either ("Nobody wants to pop the corn"). Still, Fame was there for Katya, she was Violet's only friend at one point, the chicken farm thing was funny, and she was emotional. Like about her grandfather, her breakdown during rehearsal, or crying over Ginger's video message. Fame's thing was that she couldn't stop talking. And she kept missing the "how's your head" joke. Her random obsession with Pearl is the only reason I don't rank her higher. 3. Kennedy Davenport "The struggle is real". Kennedy slayed the comedy challenges, but she was so condescending towards the younger queens, with no respect for what they do. Like in this disdainful, sour, "I'm tired of them" way. It's like she always had a problem with Pearl or Violet, culminating in that Final 4 episode. She criticized Pearl's runways. She said Violet was too young for the crown. She was also a terrible team leader for "ShakesQueer"; miscasting roles, dismissing Violet's request to practice, then blaming her on Untucked. But anyways, Kennedy's best competition moments are: her wings in the Nude Illusion, her "I Got Paid" character, the wall clock joke in the award show, her Little Richard in Snatch Game, and getting violent with Katya in the John Waters film. As well as giving the best lip sync of the season to "Roar". I think she did better than Pearl in the F4 challenge too. But Kennedy's misfires were the Rusical (messy), the bearded look, the infamous chicken outfit (including her explanation of it LOL), and being the worst in the Hello Kitty Ball. Meanwhile, my fave looks were Leather and Lace, the green theme, and the F4 pride dress. But at least Kennedy was more unapologetic about not liking people than Ginger was. And Kennedy is just naturally funny. 2. Jaidynn Diore Fierce "No ma'am, no ham, no pam, no cauliflower, no corn bread, no green beans!" I just loved Jaidynn's energy. She was so genuine and heartfelt, giving hashtags along the way. She just wanted her family to accept her. She gave her best, even if she often struggled in rehearsals ("I FORGOT MY LINE"). Despite her bad knee, she still gave a funny (albeit a little messy) sexual performance in the Rusical. She broke down during "ShakesQueer", but I thought she did good in the end. She should've won the music video challenge - her Bianca impersonation was spot on. But she couldn't recover a third time when playing RuPaul (they didn't have a better take?). It did lead to Jaidynn giving a classic lip sync performance to "Break Free" though, and being the one to finally send Kandy Ho packing. Her barbed wire look was fun too, despite what the judges said. Her Raven-Symone in Snatch Game was "one note", but she had more laughs than Fame and Max. The Makeover is what ultimately ended Jaidynn's game - but Tempest was difficult to match with. The execution didn't really work. 1. Katya The best narrator in the show's herstory? Katya is who I wanted to win this season, and she probably had a good shot it weren't for Kennedy's impressive lip sync. Sure she had that early hiccup in the Rusical, where she completely bombed the lip sync. But she had super solid track record afterwards. She was funny in every comedy challenge - the tanning lady, her acceptance speech (which was the best one), playing Merle Ginsberg, Suze Orman in Snatch Game, the Conjoined Twins characters, her character in the John Waters film. She was also the best on the losing team in "ShakesQueer". And sure, she had the worst Hello Kitty look, but her dialogue in the first part was my favourite. Katya also delivered on the runway - the Abe Lincoln look, the green dress stomp, the shark on her leg. I liked all 3 of her premiere looks too. She also fought for her spot in that first lip sync with the jump splits and slow splits. Otherwise, Katya had this intense way of talking to emphasize things. She battled anxiety and her sobriety. She was very candid. She was naturally funny both with words and goofball body movements. The Russian thing is her brand. And she never came off malicious. Favourite entrance: Violet Chachki Challenge ranking: 1. Snatch Game 2. RuPaul music video parodies (Singing) 3. DESPY Award presentations 4. "Glamazonian Airways" (Rusical) 5. John Waters film parodies (Acting? Singing?) 6. Hello Kitty Ball 7. "ShakesQueer" (Acting) 8. "Conjoined Twins" Makeover 9. "Born Naked" Music Video 10. Half-man/Half-woman dancing (Choreo) 11. "Whatever Happened to Merle Ginsberg" (Acting) 12. Nude Illusion tearaway Lip Sync ranking: 1. Katya vs Kennedy Davenport ("Roar") 2. Jaidynn Diore Fierce vs Kandy Ho ("Break Free") 3. Kandy Ho vs Mrs. Kasha Davis ("Lovergirl") 4. Katya vs Sasha Belle ("Twist of Fate") 5. Jaidynn Diore Fierce vs Max ("No More Lies") 6. Ginger Minj vs Trixie Mattel ("Show Me Love") 7. Ginger Minj vs Jaidynn Diore Fierce ("I Think We're Alone Now") 8. Jasmine Masters vs Kennedy Davenport ("I Was Gonna Cancel") 9. Pearl vs Trixie Mattel ("Dreaming") 10. Kandy Ho vs Tempest DuJour ("Geronimo") 11. Top 4 Lip Sync ("Born Naked") 12. Miss Fame vs Pearl ("Really Don't Care") Season ranking so far: 5 > 6 > 4 > 2 > 7 > 3 > 1 > AS1

[rollertoasteroflife]

I JUST DIPPED MY INK INTO MY TEA NOT MY WATER WHAT THE FUCKITY BUT REAL QUESTION WILL I DIE IF I DRINK THE TEA BECAUSE I JUST MADE IT AND I DON’T WANT TO WASTE IT 

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Darkdawn

Author: Jay Kristoff

First published: 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

A satisfying enough ending to an elaborate revenge story, that I enjoyed but there is no denying this is hardly quality literature. In any case, I was more interested in this than the second volume, which just dragged. What cuts the book in its knees especially is the unnecessary, artless baseness with which the physical love, as well as physical suffering, is treated throughout. I do love Mr Kindly though. Also, all the points to the book designer.

The Dutch House

Author: Ann Patchett

First published: 2019

Rating: ★★★★☆

A book about relationships, familial loyalty, hurts and the possibility of forgiveness. Beautifully written, but one should beware there is not much of a plot. An ideal book for a quiet, calm afternoon as you sip a large cup of delicious tea.

The Book Smugglers

Author: Anna James

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★★★★

Yet more delightful goodness from Anna James. This is the ultimate book-loving series for kids to fall in love with reading! Every volume is just lovely and I feel like falling into it likeinto a comfortable blanket.

Katia: Wife Before God

Author: Alexandre Tarsaïdzé

First published: 1970

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The main strength of this publication is the many letters, presented without shortening, that were exchanged between Alexander II and his beloved "Katya". that said the author made some maddening decisions of inserting a million footnotes which should never have been footnoted, but information incorporated into the main text. The rest of the footnotes are often so random and unrelated that they baffled me (what good is it to me to know a distant relation of a random courtier mentioned in the book was living in the US in the 60s?). Add to it that there are some inaccuracies regarding names and ages, and all that remains is my ardent wish that this should have been just a published correspondence.

The Betrothed

Author: Alessandro Manzoni

First published: 1827

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I am in two minds about this one. On the one hand, the whole thing is incredibly slow, the characters rather superfluous and their plight left me cold. On the other hand, when the author decides to leave those characters behind and instead focuses on the historical events and general populace, I was hooked and truly impressed and felt both compassion as well as horror. The parts dealing with the war and plague were actually incredible. (And oh gosh! The parallels of the populace reacting to it were too similar to our own experiences with covid it just hit me right in the face how unchanging humans are throughout the ages!) I understand the characters are needed for us to travel with them, but in the end, this is the story of a region, not the two lovers and their friends/enemies.

Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of King Edward Longshanks

Author: Kelcey Wilson-Lee

First published: 2019

Rating: ★★★★★

Fantastic, immensely readable family portrait from the depth of the medieval age! Stands to show that even though their voices are often so muffled by the male censure of history, the women of the past centuries (even if only the ones born into privilege) were very much present during pivotal moments, wielded influence and claimed their own spaces.

The Last Graduate

Author: Naomi Novak

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

*deep sigh* The whole idea of this is great. The characters all have potential. It is definitely something that just deserved a tighter approach or a merciless editor. The amount of pages where the main character just goes on and on and on about things we already know is just devastatingly high. I love Naomi Novik´s previous books and I really was intrigued by Scholomance, but unfortunately reading should not feel like a chore and this book felt exactly like one.

The Pillars of the Earth

Author: Ken Follet

First published: 1989

Rating: ★★★★☆

There is absolutely no better review of this book than THIS ONE.

The Nature of Witches

Author: Rachel Griffin

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Look, there is nothing particularly wrong with this book, but I was bored out of my mind for most of it. This is a great pity because the idea of "seasonal" witches definitely struck me as new and original and the writing itself was not half bad either. And the shallow me loved the cover. However, there really is no plot unless you count a very vanilla and done-to-death romantic relationship.

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz

Author: Heather Dune Macadam

First published: 2020

Rating: ★★★★★

Why would anyone ever be content with any fictional book about Holocaust, when there are nonfiction books like this out there? Beautifully, and sensitively put together to commemorate a specific group of young women who suffered in Auschwitz, this is a dignified tribute to those who died and those who survived.

The Adventures of Pinocchio

Author: Carlo Collodi

First published: 1883

Rating: ★★★☆☆

A wild trip of imagination that somehow did not make me feel like I was on drugs (looking at you Alice in Wonderland), had some genuinely laugh out loud moments and delicious sarcasm sprinkled on top. Is it the best children´s classic I know? Not, but I would choose Pinocchio over Peter Pan any day.

[roxy206]

Season 2, Episode 4 — Drag Duets

Jumping into this with pretty much no knowledge of what has happened in the first three episodes

Ru’s look is sooo good in this episode

Also this whole Juju, Brooke Lynn, & Monet situation!

Brooke Lynn Hytes and … Vanjie? 😂

Monet’s look in this backstage scene omg 😍

Okay Chakra 7 & Eureka though

You can add kooky, you can add funny

SHE LOOKS SO GOOD!

Katya is a fan favorite

The UNHhhh promotion

Remember: go to sizzling, hot, nasty sex queen

She’s like the Nancy Kerrigan & I’m going to be the crowbar that takes her out at the knee

I feel a sense of safety to act a fool & just be confident in myself

Get that pussy juice flowing

I’M SORRY THEY’RE DOING LET ME BLOW YA MIND oh my god

OH MY GODDDDDD

Oh my godddd

Sorry let me just watch that again!!!

These outfits were so misleading lmao

I’m obsessed with this

It’s so wonderful that you got paired with the hottest drag queen from Russia. She’s a hundred percent woman X X chromosome honey

It was a dream to work with Katya

Katya going I love her so much she should be scared lol

She’s gonna replace me

Is this Kevin McHale with Violet?

Based on looks? Katya, I’m sorry my dear you’re up for elimination

Sorry the winner this week? I’m not invested but … really?

Hang on hang on hang ON you’re telling me Thirsty isn’t even safe?? Seriously??

Brooke & Katya standing together to watch the lip sync is so cute I love this

Okay good Thirsty definitely won the lip sync I still think it’s incorrect that she was in the bottom two

[qqueenofhades]

... Remember the Russian Revolution au? Which ended with Fedyor's sister very sick and Fedyor searching for Ivan in hopes of getting help for her from him? Fedyor finding Ivan and offering to do "anything" in exchange for his sister's medical treatment? Ivan secretly wanting Fedyor, but refusing to take what he wants like that? Soooo... I would also like the big the big 3 of your coming projects to happen, but... y'know... just.... wanted to bring this au up again... ;)

Behold, the oft-requested follow-up to the first two Russian Revolution au ficlets. Ahem.

Fedyor does not sleep that night. He does not even think about sleeping. He only leaves the army headquarters long enough to think hard about what he is proposing to do, wonder if it is worth it, and decide that it is. Katya needs the medicine, he has no other recourse, and he is categorically unwilling to return home to his family as a failure, when they have placed all their trust and hope in him. Ivan has hinted that he might be able to obtain it, and so that, no matter what it takes, is what Fedyor will have to get him to do. And for that…

He knows that he is not unattractive. He has dark eyes, dark hair, a dimpled smile, a personable and friendly manner that, in happier times, attracted the attention of many an eligible young lady who wished to ice skate or promenade around the park or take a carriage ride, as courting Russian couples are wont to do. However, while Fedyor was perfectly happy to chat with ladies, or escort them to a ball, or fulfill his essential chivalric duty, he was not otherwise interested in wooing them. It was partly for that reason that he signed up to the military, where an enterprising young man can have other opportunities in the darkness of the barracks. So long as his family was kept conveniently unaware.

For all that the Bolsheviks have overthrown the government without a clear plan as to what to do next, and accordingly plunged them all into this miserable civil war, Fedyor does secretly sympathize with certain of their beliefs on the remaking of family life. They say that marriage is outdated and bourgeoisie, that monogamy is unnatural, that women should not be subject to patriarchal systems, and that homosexuality is an equally valid state of nature. Such a possibility of sexual classification and divergence is much discussed in Europe these days, and there is even a small but growing scholarly literature, written by eminent scientists. Sexual Inversion by Havelock Ellis, published in 1896, argues that the man-loving man is indeed even a possibly improved form of human, associated with superior intellectual and artistic achievement, and that nothing about his attachment is wrong or abnormal. Two years before that, Edward Carpenter wrote Homogenic Love, and in 1900, the German Elisar von Kupffer published an anthology of homosexual poetry, Lieblingminne und Freundesliebe in der Weltliteratur. Such texts are relatively easy for an educated, French- and English- speaking young Russian intellectual, such as Fedyor Mikhailovich Kaminsky, to lay his hands on. He is not sure what can come of it, but at least he knows that he is not alone.

The question remains as to Ivan Ivanovich Sakharov’s proclivities. Unless Fedyor is very much mistaken, Ivan was at least considering the possibility of accepting his offer, and turned it down for honorable, moral reasons, feeling it unjust to sexually extort a young gentleman in exchange for his sister’s care, rather than physical horror at the idea of such a coupling. If he’s a Bolshevik, he’s probably acceptably tolerant of their philosophy on an abstract level, but it’s less clear as to whether that extends to its personal practice. If Fedyor turns up in his bunkhouse – which, come to think of it, is probably shared, curse these Bolsheviks and their dratted communality, highly inconvenient for a midnight seduction attempt – scantily clad and willing, will Ivan’s objections hold out then? Or… or what?

Fedyor doesn’t know, but the uncertainty adds to the frisson of shameful excitement, rather than detracting from it. He searches through the streets of Chelyabinsk for some bread (it does not seem in much greater supply than in Nizhny Novgorod) and waits for the sun to go down. In March, the days, though getting steadily longer, are still short and chilly, and it’s bitingly cold when it gets dark. Then he pulls up his muffler, tells himself not to be unduly precious about it, and heads for the makeshift army quarters on Kirovka Street.

The buildings in downtown are beautiful, built in the Russian Revival style of neo-Byzantinian splendor, though the onion-domed Orthodox churches have all been converted into stables and armories, and anything that whiffs of an ideology contrary to the Red one has been economically discarded. Fedyor reaches the door, knocks, and when a disgruntled sergeant comes to answer it, expecting him to be a soldier out too late and in line for a ticking-off, Fedyor raises his hands apologetically. “I’ve come to join up,” he says. “The great socialist cause of the world’s workers is the only true one for a patriotic Russian man, and I vow it my full allegiance, if you will have me. I was speaking to my friend earlier, Ivan Ivanovich, and he suggested it. Is he still here?”

The sergeant eyes him squiggle-eyed, but they cannot afford to look gift horses too closely in the mouth, or turn aside willing recruits. It takes a while, but he shouts for someone who shouts for someone else, and this finally produces the startled personage of Ivan Sakharov, who clearly thought it was for the last time when they parted several hours ago. Upon sight of Fedyor, he stops short, looking alarmed, angry, and wary all at once. “What are you – ?”

“Can we talk?” Fedyor is resolved to do this, he truly is, but he feels it best to get it over with before that wavers in any degree. Whether he wants it too little does not seem like the problem; on the contrary, he fears that he wants it too much, and if he stops to reflect on it or delude himself with any nonsensical notions of it being more than once, that can only hurt the cause. “Somewhere… private?”

Ivan hesitates, as if asking to commune out of sight of the others is tantamount to heresy (though it’s not as if these damn hypocrites didn’t plot in secret, away from their own countrymen, for months and months, Fedyor thinks angrily). Then he jerks his head. “Fine. Five minutes. This way.”

He leads Fedyor up a few narrow, creaking staircases, past closed doors that echo with snorting and snoring and coughing, the cacophony of his comrades, none of whom seem to be enjoying their glorious victory quite as much as they thought. Ivan, however, appears to be sufficiently high-ranking in the Red Guards that the room they finally arrive at, though not much larger than a closet, is at least private. It reminds Fedyor forcibly of Ivan’s room back in St. Petersburg, the one they slept in together, that first night after the Winter Palace. It sounds more intimate in his recollections than it actually was. Nothing happened, of course. But Ivan was kind to offer it, kind when he did not need to be, when a young tsarist soldier alone in the ferment of riot and revolution, such as Fedyor was, would not be likely to see the new red dawn. It is that which Fedyor keeps in mind as he shuts the door with assumed casualness, then turns around, meets Ivan’s eye in a significant fashion, and shrugs off his coat, cap, and muffler. Then, unmistakably, starts to unbutton his shirt.

He has almost gotten to the bottom by the time Ivan, who is staring at him as if he’s lost his marbles (it is unclear if this is an encouraging fashion or not) finally recovers his sense. He strides forward and covers Fedyor’s hands with his own large, callused rifleman’s fingers, sending a shock of attraction burning through Fedyor from head to toe, along with the death of any more illusion that he could continue to be casual about this. “What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Fedyor’s throat is as dry as a bone, but he forces himself to speak. “I said that I would do anything for my sister’s care, if you would help.”

He lingers suggestively on the word anything, just as he did before, in case there was any doubt (as if the undressing wasn’t enough) what he means here. Ivan looks like a cornered bear, but as his eyes catch Fedyor’s and flick across the lean, muscled torso thus revealed beneath the shirt, he swallows hard and has to glance away. The attraction trembles silently in the air between them, tense as a piano string, tuned to snapping. In the old days, that is, when people played pianos, and did not burn them for firewood, as Fedyor’s parents were preparing to do with theirs when he left home. It chokes raw and painful in his throat. He is attracted to Ivan – desperately attracted, in fact – and yet he still hates what the Bolsheviks have done, even if the Romanovs and the Provisional Government were no better. The deposed Tsar Nicholas II is under house arrest with his wife and five children, the four tsarevnas and the tsarevich, in Yekaterinburg. Little sick Alexei Romanov, whose hemophilia opened the door for Grigori Rasputin to control the queen, the royal household, the government of Russia, and so bring about the end of their house. He was like something from a fairytale monster, that Grisha. The rumors of his death, not quite two years ago in December 1916, is that it almost did not happen, he was so hard to kill. A demon. A beast.

“You cannot do this,” Ivan says, his voice too rough, his eyes still struggling to remain decorously averted. “It is not – it is not right.”

“Not right?” Fedyor flares. “So a little spot of armed treason and overthrowing the man who, however deficient he might be, was the heir of one of the oldest and greatest empires in the world? That part was entirely aboveboard, but this, when you want this – don’t lie to me, I’m well aware you do – to help my sister? That would be a sin?!”

Ivan backs up a step, glancing around shiftily. These walls are thin, and he clearly does not want his beloved brothers-in-arms to hear this. “Fedyor Mikhailovich – ”

“Have me.” Fedyor is done playing games. “I’m here, I’m yours for the taking. You can do whatever you want to me, as long as you give me the medicine at the end.”

For a long, spellbound moment, he thinks Ivan is on the brink of agreeing. Then once again, he shakes his head. “No,” he says. “I could not in good conscience consent to this. But I will fetch you the medicine. You do not have to give me anything in return.”

Fedyor gawks at him, shocked – and, it must be confessed, more than a little disappointed. “I thought it was fair trade,” he says. “Tit for tat.”

“It is…” Ivan shakes his head, eyes once more straying to Fedyor’s bare chest. “Button your shirt up,” he says, half-laughing, not angry, breathless and soft. “It is very distracting.”

“Good.” Fedyor takes another step. “I think you deserve it, you obnoxious bastard.”

“Be that as it may.” At least Ivan has the good sense not to dispute it. “I cannot do this,” he repeats, more gently. “You are a fine young man, Fedyor Mikhailovich. Perhaps in another life… but it would not be honorable to trade your virtue for this.”

“My virtue?” Fedyor has to laugh. “What makes you think I have that?”

Once again, Ivan wavers. But to give him (loathing) credit, he will not be swayed. “Button it,” he repeats. “I will arrange to have the money and medicine sent by your lodging by tomorrow, if you give me an address in the city.”

“I don’t have one.” Fedyor folds his arms. “Only here.”

Ivan looks even more startled. His lips part, he takes a step forward, and for a brief, wild, exquisite yearning of an instant, Fedyor thinks he is actually going to kiss him. They’re almost close enough – not quite, but almost – for it to happen. Then Ivan says, “Your family must be very proud of you.”

“I…” It catches in his throat. “I don’t know. I hope.”

“I would,” Ivan says. “I would be.”

And that, somehow, is all that seems to matter. Even as Fedyor spends a night in Ivan’s narrow camp cot of a bed, Ivan insisting on taking the hard floor out of an excess of gallantry, an echo of their first night in St. Petersburg. Ivan does as ordered, gives Fedyor some rubles and some medicine and a train ticket back home to Nizhny Novgorod. He personally escorts Fedyor to the train station to make sure he does not come to grief, then stands on the platform, staring after him like Vronsky watching Anna leave one more time. The train begins to huff and puff, spitting soot and embers, and Fedyor keeps his nose pressed to the glass, leaving a smudge, until long after, as it seems he is never destined to do anything but, Ivan Ivanovich Sakharov has vanished into the mist.

[petrovna-zamo]

I am currently contemplating going to the yard sale- on one hand, I live like 40ish minutes away so it’s a quick drive and I might find something really cool; on the other hand, I don’t have anyone to go with and I’m not sure if I can afford anything. I’m also not sure if it’s ok to go as a fan (if that makes sense?) like I’m not a super fan or a creep and if I were to go it truly would just be to find something cool but I worry that my appearance as a 22 yr old girl would come across as psycho stalker fan. Any advice? (I might just be overthinking)

I say you should go! As a fellow 20 something year old resident of Los Angeles, I’m not too far off from you in age and distance so I can relate to a lot of this, especially the social anxiety and a tendency to overthink things lol. So you came to the right place! I’m going to break down all the reasons why I think you should go. Hopefully I’ll dissuaded some of your fears and won’t add to them!

I totally get why you might feel weird about going, especially as a fan, but considering they gave the address out to everyone, when they said all are welcome I think they really do mean it! Katya may cosplay as a communist but ultimately at the end of the day she just wants your money too lol. I think that’s why she and Andrew opened this up to the general public with the full knowledge that fans can and will come. They’re trying to make a buck!

I know in the past Katya has done this type of thing with Willam and from what I can recall, a lot of fans showed up and they were prepared for that so you’ll probably be in similar company! You’re also approaching this more as a consumer/buyer than as a fan which is kind of the most normal of interaction to have? Especially when going alone. Just think of it as shopping! Also it’s super close to that 8000 Sunset Strip shopping plaza right around the corner so I’m sure they’re going to be attracting bystanders as well, not just fans so there will be normal amount of “regular” people that will be there. I think it will be half their artsy porn friends and half fans aka us regular folks. Ultimately I think at the end of the day it doesn’t matter much to them, they’re happy to have everyone and again, they just want your coin lol.

As far as cost goes, I think things will be priced from all other the place too so don’t let that deter you. I know Katya really bumps the price up for items on her depop because she can as a famous person selling sweat soaked personal belongings, but I get the sense that this is for items big and small that can’t be easily sold online. It’s a moving/everything must go type of deal. So there will be furniture like bed frames that I’m sure are costly but I bet there will be less expensive knickknacks as well like face masks that are more affordable. Also Katya is very thrifty herself so while she may over charge in some areas, I don’t think everything will be entirely unreasonable. I remember from the drag sale with Willam, they sold stuff in every price range. Some fans said that while they may not have been able to afford the more expensive clothing items, there were plenty of little things like accessories that were cheaper so they felt they were still able to purchase something special.

Also, I totally relate to the social anxiety of going to something alone! I don’t know if that’s a big hang up for you in this instance but I will say as time has gone on, I’ve felt more comfortable doing things solo (and sometimes even prefer it!). Have you ever gone to something with a friend who wasn’t as into it as you and it almost ruined the experience because they didn’t share the same level of enthusiasm? Maybe that’s just me lol. I will say every time I’ve gone to something on my own that I really wanted to attend, I’ve always ended up enjoying it. I never regretted not going in those situations, you know?

And lastly, I will say the fact that you care enough to not push boundaries and appear “stalkerish” means you have more social tact than most and the other fans that will undoubtedly show up and definitely act that way. Idk how much fan interaction Katya is planning on doing, but again at the Willam thing she was down to take pics and chat. She’s pretty amenable to that stuff because she likes meeting people. This might be all business though so who knows. But if you’re not expecting anything on that level then you’re already approaching it in a more respectful manner and can’t really disappoint or be disappointed in that department!

If it seems like I’ve really thought this through it’s because I definitely have! If I didn’t have another commitment that I can’t really get out of this Sunday, I would seriously consider going myself. Since we’re both Angelenos, if you feel comfortable and ever want to come off anon and chat about it some more, I’d be happy to talk! I also understand maintaining your privacy, especially online. But if there’s ever future LA related Katya events that you’re considering going to and wondering if anyone else is, you can bet that I probably am as well! I will admit part of me is rooting for you to go to this so that we have someone on the inside to let us know how it went and report back lol. Hopefully if you do decide to go, you buy something cool or at the very least have a fun shopping experience. Anyways, good luck either way!

[artificialqueens]

Kids Have Terrible Timing (Biadore) - Sarcastacnt

Summary; One of Roy and Danny’s two daughters has a tendency to get over excited at the smallest things and at the worst possible time for her fathers.

“We can always return her right?”

“See, this is what happens when we trust your genes. Let’s take a second to notice how the spawn with my genes is basically a Saint compared to her sister.”

Danny pulled a face and whacked Roy with a pillow. “Not what you said when she ruin, how many of your gowns was it again? 9?”

“It was 15 and you know it.” Roy grumbled still puzzled at how the then five year old Sabrina had gotten a hold of the gowns, let alone figured out how to work his sewing machine. Something that still eluded Danny.

“Let’s just agree that they’re both evil in their own special ways.” Danny offered, trying desperately not to laugh at the pained expression on Roy’s face.

Roy snorted, “Not much longer until they go through puberty. That’s when we cash in all those offers to babysit from Shane.”

Danny groaned and flopped down dramatically against the bed. “Two teenage girls in one house. What the fuck were we thinking?”

Roy shrugged, “Probably that at least one of them would be a boy.”

Danny laughed, “At least then they wouldn’t bug to borrow our drag. Well, your drag.”

Roy laughed at the memory of the two dark haired girls gasping in disbelief at the room full of princess gowns and lumberjack clothing. “Still can’t believe how good that read was, fucking lumberjack.” He was still snickering when Danny decided he was no longer comfortable laying on the bed.

With a surge of power from his left leg he moved to straddle Roy’s hips. “You’re the one who married a lumberjack Haylock.”

Roy automatically dropped his hands to rest on Danny’s thighs. “You married a princess, least I’m still gay in this version of reality.”

Danny snorted, “Whatever, that makes you a princess, least I’m still a man.” He leaned forward and licked Roy’s neck before whispering in his ear. “Although every single time I’ve fucked you while you were dressed as a princess was hot as hell. You really should let me fuck you in drag more often.”

Roy let out a groan as Danny squirmed on his lap. “Why would I put a bunch of clothes on for sex? Doesn’t being naked make everyone’s lives easier?”

Danny began kissing Roy’s jaw, taking a familiar path down to the collar of Roy’s shirt. “I meant when we preform asshole.” He said as he started to work the buttons of Roy’s shirt open.

Roy rolled his eyes, “Because normally after we preform you’re so fucking horny that you beg to get fucked.” Roy brought both hands crashing down on Danny’s ass, “Remember?”

Danny started to kiss his way down Roy’s chest now that the button down was pushed open. “Fuck yeah I do.” He looked up at Roy, eyes gone a little glassy with arousal. “Speaking of which, it’s been quiet for almost an hour. We should probably take advantage while we can.”

Roy chuckled and began to tug at Danny’s shirt. “You’re absolutely right.” When Danny didn’t move to remove his shirt quick enough, Roy rolled them so he was on top. He quickly pulled off the light sleep pants Danny wore and began stroking the already half hard cock. “Doesn’t take much to get you going, does it?” he teased before taking Danny’s erection into his mouth.

“Never has.” Danny admitted before groaning at the very talented tongue that was quickly turning his brain to mush.

Roy held out his hand, without stopping the blow job and Danny reached blindly for the small bottle of lube on the nightstand. He pushed it into Roy’s hand before letting his head fall back against the pillows.

Wasting no time, Roy lubed up two fingers and pressed them into Danny. It only took a few thrusts before Danny was demanding that Roy ‘stop fucking around and put your dick in me!’. With such a sweet request, how could Roy refuse? He pushed his own sleep pants down and lubed up his erection before taking a second to tease Danny’s entrance.

“Fuck me Roy!” Danny demanded, his hips lifting off the bed in frustration.

“Fine, but next time we have time I’m gonna make you pay for being an Impatient bitch.” Roy said as he grabbed Danny’s hips and started to push himself inside-

“DADDY!!!”

*CRASH, SLAM, BANG*

Roy didn’t know how he did it but somehow he got both of them covered up under the blanket before 6 year old Stevie managed to scramble up on the bed.

“Stevie remember how we talked about knocking? And you’re not listening to me at all, are you?” Roy sighed as he swung his legs over the far side of the bed and pulled his pants up. Danny had no chance to pull anything on, Stevie was not only on the bed but sitting happily on Danny’s stomach.

“Daddy! I found something cool! You gotta come see this!” the little girl had a big grin on her face as she waved her hands in the air. Stevie’s grin was an exact match for Danny’s (pre lip injections, of course). In fact Stevie was the spitting image of Adore, especially on the odd occasion her fathers put her in make up. Not only was the physical resemblance strong but both Stevie and Danny were two of the loudest people Roy had ever met.

A quiet knock at the open door caught Roy’s attention. He looked up to see blue eyed eight year old Sabrina shaking her head in exasperation. “Sorry dad, I tried to remind her to knock but…” she trailed off with a shrug, gesturing to the excited noises coming from the bed as Stevie and Danny talked about something Roy couldn’t quite catch.

Roy chuckled, “It’s okay, I understand my love. What were you two doing anyways? I thought we said goodnight an hour ago.”

Sabrina walked around the bed, giving it a wide berth. She had walked too close to the bed once during a similar situation just in time for Stevie to launch herself off the bed (much to her fathers horror) and land on not only her feet but her sister’s as well. “I showed her a book.”

Roy ached an eyebrow, “Why is she so excited about a book.”

Sabrina made a huffing noise as she crawled up on the bed to sit next to Roy. “There were no pictures in it.”

“You’re telling me your sister is losing her mind over a book, without pictures?” Roy could feel his eye start twitching.

Sabrina nodded, “Are you sure she’s really my sister?” she eyed Roy suspiciously.

Roy sighed, they had this conversation every few weeks. “Yes Rini, you both have the same mother, remember?” Roy remembered the initial thrill when they discovered that the surrogate they had used for Sabrina was more then happy to take on another pregnancy for the pair when they decided to expand their family a year and a half later.

“Are you really sure? Did you check?” Sabrina grilled her father as she watched Stevie and Danny (who had managed to pull pants on while he was distracted with Sabrina) rush out of the room to get a look at this ‘amazing book’ that Stevie had discovered.

“Yes Rini I’m a hundred percent sure she’s your sister. Besides she acts just like Dad, doesn’t she? I promise she’s part of this family.”

Sabrina frowned, “Whatever. I’m gonna go make sure they don’t break my stuff.” She hopped off the bed, her long twin braids floating behind her as she stormed off after them.

Roy fell back into bed and began laughing uncontrollably. He had no idea which part of the last five minutes he found so funny. The interrupted sex, Stevie’s excitement over a book without pictures or Sabrina’s continued irritation that her sister was insane.

Tears were streaming down his face, high pitched giggles still escaping him and abdominal muscles cramping when Danny returned.

“She’s nuts.” Danny proclaimed as he flopped down next to Roy.

A minute later, Roy managed to get his laughter under control. “Was she really that excited over a book with no pictures?”

Danny nodded, eyes wide in disbelief. “War and Peace! I didn’t know books could get that big! That shit’s more complicated then anything I ever read!”

Roy nodded, “Katya was reading it last time her and Trixie were over with their hellspawns. She probably forgot it here.” They almost always used drag names when referring to Brian and Brian just to save themselves the confusion.

Danny snorted, “Least we had time to breathe between kids. I don’t know how they managed 3 at once! Like who even has triplets?”

“Trixie and Katya do, poor bastards. If two teenage girls seems like a nightmare waiting to happen, imagine three hormonal teenage boys. The structural damage alone may just bankrupt them! If those two weren’t bald already that’s what would finally do it. Trying to figure out how much to add to the budget for household repairs every week.” Roy mused, choosing to ignore the fact that while he and Danny did in fact have one less kid, one of said kids shared genetic material with Danny. Roy hoped, not for the first time that Stevie calmed down as she got older. Last thing he needed was one of his daughters proudly proclaiming to be a ‘messy slut’. The thought of the generally sweet (if loud) Stevie strutting around in a mini skirt and low cut shirt made Roy shiver in fear.

“We’re never gonna have sex again, are we?” Danny half heartedly complained, lacing his fingers with Roy’s as they looked at each other with tired smiles on their faces.

Roy released Danny’s hand and rolled so he was on top of his husband. “So dramatic.” Roy teased as he captured Danny’s lips in a breath taking kiss.

It wasn’t long before Danny was a moaning, begging mess under him. Roy sighed in relief as he entered Danny roughly, rather pleased with himself for the broken sound that tore itself from Danny’s lips.

“DADDY!!!!”

“I’m taking her back!” Danny proclaimed loudly as Roy pulled away from him and managed to get their pants back on before Stevie came flying into their room again. This time she was screaming something about the ‘coolest bug ever!

Wasn’t parenting fun?

A/N Thank you to the annon who requested a kid fic where Roy and Danny keep getting interrupted. Swore I’d never write one of these but hey, here we are! I’m also tempted to continue this but for the moment it stands alone.

The girls names; Stevie is named for Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame and Sabrina is name for an alternative name for a boat neck collar. I know nothing about fashion so that’s what a quick Google search pulled up.

As for the teasing each other about which kid has which genes, it doesn’t mean they love either kid less then the other. I think most parents like to harass their partner about who is responsible for which less desirable trait their off spring demonstrates. Like when Sarabi says to Mufasa in The Lion King “Before sunrise, he’s your son.”

[thatsamericano]

IDK if I’ll be able to fit this in plot wise, because there’s already so much going on in this story, but I just wrote a scene where Chiara’s mom is like “LOL that boy is madly in love with you” when Alfred automatically blushed because she grinned at him conspiratorially as soon as he and Vinny got to the house. (She was grinning because she could tell Al and Vinny recently did NSFT activities because of their wrinkled clothes and mussed hair, and Alfred was blushing because he knew she knew). Chiara immediately stopped smiling, then her little sister Alice told their Mamma to stop because Chiara doesn’t think that’s true, so she should stop talking about it so much. Alfred realizes her mom has been bugging her a lot about this, possibly while Alfred isn’t even with Chiara. Chiara gets this distant, slightly sad look on her face because the issue is her parents have no clue she likes girls and has a huge crush on a girl right now even though they met Amelia months ago and have been around her multiple times. Instead, they’re getting fixated on this imaginary romance between her and Alfred because they think she’s straight, and it’s getting to her.

I’m thinking she’ll be at a better mood at the Christmas Market to tease Romerica and be like “congratulations on whatever you did to each other that left you looking so barely put together when you came over for dinner,” but I do kind of want a scene where Alfred gets Chiara alone and asks her what’s up with her and her parents, maybe after she tries to tease him over something Vinny related and her mom does the “LOL, he likes you” thing, especially if she looks sad about it again. Alfred asks her what’s going on, because he gets being annoyed by what Chiara’s mom is doing, but it seems bigger than that. Chiara tells him that her parents don’t know she likes girls, and Alfred gets worried and asks if he thinks they’ll have a problem with it. She says no, and she adds that she doesn’t think anyone in the extended family would either, because everyone has known Tonio was bi for years and don’t care if he’s with two men, they’re just happy he finally managed to find a long term relationship that’s important enough for him to introduce his partners to the family. She also says everyone knows Nonno Vargas dated boys and girls before he found Sofia, and she mentions a couple other people Alfred has no idea who they are. (I left a couple of the blood related aunts/uncles unmarried, and I’m thinking one of them is aroace, though Chiara would probably say “just not into anyone like that” or just say “asexual, I guess.”) But her parents are straight, and they’re assuming she is too, because she did date boys in high school. She liked them okay, but she just recently figured out she also likes girls because of Amelia, and it’s been really confusing for her. (She starts ranting about it in a vague way like “this idiota came up to me with her camera while I was out taking a walk and started filming me, and after that I couldn’t get her out of my fucking head.” I want to keep the reveal that Amelia is a blonde American for later.) She can’t get a read on how Amelia feels because she’s so fucking friendly to everyone and it’s hard to tell with girls what’s friendly versus what’s more than friendly, especially since this is Chiara’s first time dealing with this kind of thing. She recently found out Amelia likes girls as well, but the way she found out was Amelia sobbing over the fact that she’d tried to tell her parents and they were shitty to her about it.  (Amelia brought up Chiara specifically, but Chiara doesn’t know that.) Her friend has been going through a really hard time lately, and Chiara doesn’t think it would be fair for her to dump her feelings on Amelia when she’s already dealing with so much. And just because she likes girls doesn’t mean that she likes Chiara (she does, of course).

Alfred feels a little overwhelmed when Chiara tells him all this, and all he can do is empathize with the parents assuming she’s straight thing since he grew up with two dads and they never assumed anything about their kids’ sexuality. (Mattie told FrUK he liked girls exclusively before he started dating Katya, which Alfred gathers is not how it normally goes.) He tries to give her the best advice about Amelia he can, and it basically amounts to “don’t be dumb like I was.” He gives her some of the Romerica pre-relationship history about how he was ready to go for it with Vinny, but then he dated a girl, Al got spooked and started twisting himself into knots because he thought Vinny was straight and didn’t know how to ask him if he wasn't, and then he found out he was bi after they became stepbrothers and it didn’t matter anymore. He understands the situation is delicate because of Amelia’s parents giving her a hard time, but she likes girls and isn’t Chiara’s stepsister. So, if she’s around Amelia and Amelia is in a good mood and isn’t too upset about her parents, Chiara should tell her how she feels and ask her out. If she says no, accept it graciously, but don’t go assuming she’ll say no before you even ask like Al did.

[kurtty-drabbles]

House of M- Redone (part 4)

N/A: This idea came to me in a feverish dream. Ok, thank God I wasn´t with a fever...but the idea came as if I was so...anyway. I have an idea for the villain in this story, thank God again.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @tieflingteeth @muninandhugin @djinmer4

Genosha has rules. Genosha needs rules to function even though, some misguided people seem to relish on the illusion that "if you´re a mutant, you´ve got a free pass to do anything" which the royal family is doing their best to disprove that. King Magneto´s marks still can be felt and sometimes, only sometimes, the royal family has to admire the tenacity of their father. If nothing else.

Rules are needed and no one is above law. Kurt Wagner is one of those people that work to make sure power doesn´t corrupt, at the same time, making sure power doesn´t go impune. The Red Guard has a reason to exist and Kurt has reasons to fear excess of power.

If we ever oppress the oppressed ...how can we ever dare to call us as Red Guard?

Thankfully, right now, is one of those moments where his true nature shines. "Is everyone present?" his golden eyes goes to Bobby Drake, one of Piotr´s victims or almost victims, then goes to Kitty Pryde- too silent and too composed to let anyone read her expressions- and finally to Illyana Rasputin the sister of the culprit.

"I´m waiting for my lawyer" is Yana´s only replies and she´s a reward by Roberto da Costa entering in the main office of the Red Guard´s headquarters spotting an easygoing smile. Then his eyes lock on Yana and both start talking in a different language.

Kurt follows Kitty´s expression and it seems she´s lost as well. Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot is a lawyer and was born and raised in Brazil, therefore, is no wonder he´s speaking in his native language. His golden eyes watch the scene for a moment and land back to Kitty. She too appears to be clueless about what they´re saying.

Bobby Drake, however, seems to not mind this interaction.

"Ok, I´m apart of the situation" Roberto uses a more professional tone. "I´ll represent Yana, Kitty and Bobby" his eyes linger to the Ice mutant for a moment, asking for permission, and said mutant nods solemnly. "In regards to what just happened" and faces Kurt now. No more easy-going smiles.

Kurt can be professional as well. Is his job and his career. " Piotr Rasputin was arrested for attempted murder on Bobby Drake" the ice mutant is not happy about it and shows no inclination of forgiveness. "As well to Kitty Pryde" and Kitty looks too unreliable. He doubts even Kwannon would be able to get through her mind.

Maybe ...she´s from project X after all.

"The victims present charge against the mutant, but, no one here wishes him to spend his entire life in...Rockbell" Kurt concludes and Kitty looks at Yana only nodding softly. A message was sent and Kurt is clueless about it.

"No one here wants that, but, we want justice...so, what´s the alternatives?" Roberto begins with a very pointy inquiry. "The laws of Genosha are too absolute. So as everyone here already vetted out for Rockbell, the only remain options are Expulsion, blocking off their abilities, or SweetBells!" his tone is sharp and focus.

"And I ask you, Red Guard Nightcrawler if we really have any choice here"  Roberto tries again. Kurt sighs and is bound to speak the truth. If we oppress the oppressed ...what´s the point?

"Normally, that would be a choice linked only to the victims and the system, however, it comes to our attention that Piotr Rasputin has done something similar to a man named Pete Wisdom...while he was saved by a nick of time...is still an aggravating" and his golden eyes seem to shine even more in direction to Yana Rasputin. "His options are really trim here...your brother seems to have a severe anger issue and presents to be a problem to everyone around him"

Maybe it was harsh. But, also true.

Kitty rose from her chair in the exact moment Yana, muttering something in Russian, is hiding her face behind her hands. "Is my fault...I should have done something ...when Piotr tried to kill Pete...I was naive and stupid to think he would stop..." she confessed.

And Yana slams her fists on the table hard. Too hard to the point a crack is made. "Shut up, Katya. This is not your fault...if anything, it should be mine...I saw the signs...I saw what he was becoming but...I didn´t do anything" her tone is crestfallen for a moment until her eyes shimmer a hellish hue. "My brother has demons to face and that I can understand more than anyone in this room"

No one spoke against such a claim. Magik has a heavy story.

Roberto looks at Yana and nods. "A compromise can be made. Sent him to the SweetRock and his powers will be blocked until he´s deemed to be better. Justice will be served and everyone will be in agreement" Roberto suggests.

Bobby wants to complain. Bobby wanted to complain but Kitty´s eyes stop him.

"If that happens...your brother will be there for a long while" Kurt warned. The SweetRock doesn´t work like other institutions, Piotr may as well spend his entire life in that place.

"Yes, I know, and considering what he tried to do...that´s too good for him" Yana states. "Can I go see him? Can I show him how much this displease me?" her face twisted into something demonic and Kurt almost back down. Almost.

Kitty is the voice of reason. "Yana, don´t! Anger won´t solve more anger" and again, those two send secret messages and Kurt is curious about their past.

"If Katya says so...you feel safer this way? If you prefer him to be exiled and without powers...I´ll understand" Yana has to say it.

"I did consider this...but, no...SweetRock is a good option" for you, she mentally adds. The conversation is over.

"My client, Yana Rasputin may visit her brother in the facility?"

"Not after 2 months"

"That..." Yana nods at Roberto. "is agreeable"

And the conversation shifts to insurance policies. A mutant going crazy, for whatever reason, and trying to kill you does warrant you some compensation.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Once putting the laws aside, life goes on. Kitty is a teacher and has to continue to do her job. She can´t help feeling bad for Yana (imagine if your brother tried to kill two people in an angry fit!) and won´t lie by saying Piotr deserved worse, however, she wouldn´t dare to inflict more pain in Yana´s life.

Her nose tracks the strong scent of brimstone and turns right to see Nightcrawler again. "Hello?"

Nightcrawler is still with his uniforms. Kitty can look at him up and down and understand why he´s so popular, yet not understand why he´s here of all places.

"I came here to see you...Before the fiasco with Piotr...I wanted to tell you the Juggernaut´s case has been dealt...he won´t cause any trouble ever again" there´s conviction in his tone. Sure, Kitty will be thankful.

Kitty blinks at this and then snaps her fingers. "Oh, yes. I completely forget about this, thanks...I guess."

She...forget?

"And I´m also here to ask you..." and Kurt believes the best defense is a quick attack. "if you´re a subject from the program X"

Kitty is deadpan staring at him. Too pointy and too bemused for his like.

"No, actually I was part of the program WXYZ" and stares at him pointy.

"You´re making fun of me...aren´t you?"

"One of many qualities I learn in the WXZY is subtle" and wink at him.

"So...you´re not from Program X?"

And Kitty chuckles leaving Kurt behind. She needs to laugh. Kurt can pick a new theory.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Wanda Maximoff is one of the most powerful mutants in the world. A fact no one let her forget and also, a fact that often comes with lots of burdens. One of its perks though is how no one would dare to pick a fight with her. Not that Polaris and Quicksilver aren´t powerful, but, the Scarlet Witch is another level.

However, as she stares at the lifeless body of her biological father-Magento and her may share DNA. Django Maximoff is the one who raised her and is her and Pietro´s father for real- Wanda can´t help by biting her bottom lip and let her eyes be as crimson as the moniker Scarlet Witch suggests.

Lorna is the one to break the silence. "So, is really not Wakanda or Atlantis that is after us..."

Pietro looks down at his biological father- Django is his father for real- not daring to touch the body. Not daring to speak ill about the dead either. "...There´s a message here" and is no metaphor.

There´s a small message next to Magneto´s body.

Wanda waits for Pietro to read for them.

"I´m back to return what´s mine"

And Lorna´s eyes wide. "Wait...how many people know about the real history of Genosha?"

"Few people and fewer are still alive...Another case of Dad´s henchmen wanting revenge" Wanda is not happy. "And if they plan on attacking Genosha...it means they´re tired of living" is her final words as she uses her magic to change the coffin in something more proper to Magneto. "We have a funeral to do. Our Jewish father deserves this much"

[theworldbrewery]

Plot Build: Murder Mystery

This is a plotline built to be adapted to your own own campaign or for use as a oneshot. Feel free to change names, NPC races, etc., or adapt by adding or removing enemies, traps, etc. to increase or decrease the difficulty of the adventure. This build assumes a 4-person party at 8th level.

Want a customized plot build for your party? $15 Ko-Fi supporters can leave a private message with their tumblr or email contact information to request a personalized outline.

One-sentence hook:

The war with the Republic has decimated Empire forces and left the Crown Prince desperate for more troops; this could be a profitable business move for your adventuring company--assuming that something or someone doesn’t sabotage negotiations.

The outline will be available under the cut at the end of the post, just in case your players follow your blog 👉😎👉 (pro-tip: if you’re not a DM or prepping to be one, don’t look!)

Groundwork to lay before the plotline begins:

You’ve been assigned to protect Guildmaster Ryker as he negotiates a contract with the Ellywick Empire to supply relief forces for the war effort.

Conflict between the Empire and the Republic of Drexia has been going on for decades, but exploded into war after the late Queen Donella passed a few years ago.

Recently there’ve been attempts on the life of Crown Prince Theodore and so Ryker has been pressured into taking bodyguards to make sure the negotiations aren’t compromised.

See the rest of the build below the cut.

Whodunit - All The Answers - 

What: An attempted assassination of the Crown Prince of the Ellywick Empire

Who: A local weapons manufacturer, Antaeus Cloudstrider

Where: During the announcement of the Empire’s contract with the party’s adventuring company

How: Antaeus casts dominate person on Guildmaster Ryker, forcing him to kill the Crown Prince

Why: Antaeus has been ordered to sabotage the Empire by a cloud-giant who has made a bet on the outcome of the war

Major Locations + NPCs:

Antaeus Cloudstrider, the big bad

Cloud-Giant/Rakshasa

An emissary for the Cloudstrider clan of Cloud Giants who has been posing as a wealthy and eccentric weapons manufacturer for the past few years. He plans on getting Guildmaster Ryker to assassinate Crown Prince Theodore through mind magic. Half cloud-giant and half-rakshasa, Antaeus has inherited both illusion magics and hearty strength. His parent in the Cloudstrider clan has made a bet on the outcome of the war, and is not above mobilizing Antaeus to tip the scales in his favor. See Anateus’ stats under encounter 5.

Guildmaster Ryker, the gruff merc

Half-Orc Rogue

Gruff leader and founder of the adventuring guild. He’s been contacted by the crown and is headed to the capital to negotiate a contract. He wants the political grandstanding over and done with, and is weary of the number of recent attempts on the Crown Prince’s life. His low wisdom and relative renown makes him the perfect target for Antaeus’ manipulations.

Guard Captain Katya Hauss, the loyal watchdog

Half-Elf Fighter

A veteran of The Ash Guard (also known as Slaggers or Dust Devils) who served the Crown Prince’s late mother Donella before him. She is on the fence about mercenaries, but convinced that Ryker is not a spy from the Republic. After the assassination attempt, she will try to delay Ryker’s execution but presents the party with a timeline for their investigation to uncover the real culprit. She is suspicious of Magistrate Tossletock’s overt critique of the Crown Prince.

Magistrate Nyx Tossletock, arcane advisor

Gnome Wizard

A sour faced advisor on the arcane to the empire. She is against hiring mercenaries and thinks that the crown prince’s brother, Fredrick, should rule instead of Theodore. She doesn’t have many friends in court, but she is powerful and has allies among both the mages and nobility. She should be a potential suspect for the party to investigate, is innocent.

Heid the “Servant”....*cough* spy *cough*

Human Rogue

Heid, if that is her real name, has been sent by the Republic to spy on the Crown Prince and the negotiations. She’s been posing as a servant for the past few weeks to gain more information. She should be another suspect, but will provide the party information if they can track her down and convince her.

Theodore Ellywick, Crown Prince of the Ellywick Empire

Gnome...just a regular gnome

In charge of the dynasty while his twin Fredrick leads armies against the Republic. He’s a young gnome with prematurely receding hairline and touches of grey from the stress of the war. His main purpose is to get stabbed a lot.

Cloudstrider Estate - an elegant Victorian style mansion surrounded by luscious and immaculately groomed gardens owned by Antaeus Cloudstrider. The gardens are patrolled by 3 Griffons and 2 Goliath Berserkers. Inside the mansion’s library is a secret passageway leading down towards Antaeus’ lair.

The Cracked Flagon -  a ramshackle bar in Old Town where a spy for the Republic, Heid, has set up base. She was sent to gather intelligence, and since the attempted assassination has begun her own investigation into the culprit.

Ashguard Prison aka The Black Peaks - Twin towers which hover over the castle and city like a watchful hawk. The prison holds the most important of the Empire’s enemies and doubles as a guard garrison. The party will be led here after the assassination attempt and held for a time before meeting with Guardcaptain Hauss.

The Castle - is a castle...its impressive but generic

The Guildhall - the base of operations for your adventuring party. This is where they meet before leaving on missions, and can restock their potions/equipment if necessary. 

Encounter 1 @ The Guildhall w/ Guildmaster Ryker:

Purpose - EXPOSITION - Provide the PCs with a chance to familiarize themselves with their skills and lay the groudwork for the plot

You enter the guildhall and see Ryker there, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “Finally! Well, come-on. Out to the training yard with ya. What, did you expect me to take you on a job as important as this without seeing what you’re made of first?”

This is the Tutorial section of the one-shot

Start off with either a one-on-one combat or free for all with the party members fighting each other. This will allow them to get familiar with their skills and meet the rest of the team.

Afterwards, on the road, they will be able to ask Ryker questions about the world and their job. They can learn the groundwork points in character here.

Encounter 2 @ The Castle w/ Guildmaster Ryker, Guardcaptain Hauss, Antaeus, Heid, Magistrate Tostletock, & Crown Prince Theodore

Purpose - COMPLICATION - To foreshadow potential culprits, introduce all the characters, execute the “murder”

You arrive at the castle gates, and are greeted by a hand-full of guards in grey chainmail and shields adorned with the Royal crest. One of the guards--a tall half-elven women with sharp cheekbones and a no-nonsense look about her--steps forward, her black cloak and shining plate armor adorned with golden trim. “We have been expecting you.”

The party is greeted by Guardcaptain Hauss at the gates, who shows them to their room. Ryker will insist on beginning negotiations right away while the party settles in, forcing Hauss to lead him off and leaving the party a chance to explore the castle if they’d like.

There are several ways you can foreshadow the events of this evening and present suspects before the assassination takes place:

The party overhears a conversation between guards, or questions someone to learn (depending on the success of their ability check):

The spy master was just fired, as the amount of information leaking to the Republic is atrocious and there keep being assassination attempts against the prince

There’s open hostility towards hiring mercenaries for the war effort and Magistrate Tossletock has suggested that Theodore be replaced by his brother

The party explores the castle and spots a servant (Heid) leaving a hidden passageway from behind a tapestry

They can question her, finding suspicious but plausible deniability in taking shortcuts on her deliveries

They can investigate the passage themselves to find that it leads inside the wall of the Crown Prince’s study where negotiations are happening between him and Ryker

After exploring, the party will be called back to attend the feast tonight where the Crown Prince will announce their contract and provide a general update on the war effort. At the party, Antaeus will approach and present himself as an ally, making small talk. Additionally, with a high enough perception check, the party can spot Heid serving food and drink with a concealed dagger hidden in her belt. After a period of chat, Tossletock will approach and make a poor impression, letting it be known that she disapproves of mercs.

Eventually, the Crown Prince will begin to make a statement. In the middle, those with a high enough passive perception should notice Ryker disappear (stealth check 30--damn rogues). Ryker stabs the Crown Prince twice, rendering him unconscious, before Guardcaptain Hauss has him subdued on the ground. He doesn’t struggle, as dominate person only lasts a minute and he’s now come out of it.

It doesn’t matter if the Crown Prince dies--the party and Ryker will be in trouble regardless. In fact, I would encourage you to let the party try to save the Crown Prince, as that will provide even more reason for why they’re allowed free to investigate while Ryker is imprisoned.

The party will be escorted to Ashguard Prison by guards to await questioning.

If they resist and escape, have Guardcaptain Hauss approach them in disguise/a hooded cloak after a few hours to begin the following conversation about Ryker’s execution

If only some of them escape, add some pressure on that the ones who ran away will be considered guilty with Ryker if they don’t find the real culprit

Encounter 3 @ Ashguard Prison w/ Guardcaptain Hauss

Purpose - MOTIVATION - To present the party with a timeline for their investigation and consequences should they fail (Ryker’s execution and their own trial)

The guards march you through the castle hallways until you reach a doorway, watched by more soldiers. You pass through, and for a brief moment you see the night sky, stars shining above before your view is obstructed by a pair of hulking, charcoal-grey behemoths of towers directly in front of you. Behind their jagged peaks, storm-topped mountains crackle with lightning. Welcome to The Black Peaks, Ashguard Prison.

After spending the night in the prison, Guardcaptain Hauss meets the party and explains that the Council wants to execute Ryker, but she thinks he was manipulated. Since the room was warded from outside interference, the culprit must have been in the room, and she suspects that Tostletock has conspired with the Crown Prince’s brother. Ryker is set to be executed quickly as a show of force. The party has 24 hours before Ryker’s execution. There is also pressure to hold the party for investigation, but Hauss has been able to fend that off for now. It’s uncertain how long that will last.

The party should have two leads after talking with Guardcaptain Hauss: The Magistrate, and The Spy. You don’t want Antaeus to be too suspicious yet or that will spoil the big reveal.

Encounters 4a/4b

Purpose - INVESTIGATION - To provide additional information that will eventually lead the party to Antaeus

These are intermediary steps which should lead the party to the final encounter. They can do both or either in any order.

4a. The Magistrate’s Chambers

The magistrate’s chambers are in suite style. There is a main sitting area which seems to double as a study. An ornately woven rug and plush deep burgundy sofas compliment a dark mahogany desk and tall bookshelves. To the side is a workbench with various arcane contraptions and papers on it. The bedroom is fairly standard. There’s a tall four poster bed with a wooden chest at the foot of it. Off to the side is a vanity and dressing table, as well as a partition that separates the bathing and washroom area. The entire suite bleeds lavish opulence and high society comforts.

There is a trapped chest in the bedroom that holds gold and magic items

A poisoned needle is hidden within the chest’s lock. Opening the chest without the proper key causes the needle to spring out, delivering a dose of poison.

When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3 in. straight out from the lock. A creature within range takes 1 piercing damage and 11 (2d10) poison damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour.

A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check allows a character to deduce the trap’s presence from alterations made to the lock to accommodate the needle. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools disarms the trap, removing the needle from the lock. Unsuccessfully attempting to pick the lock triggers the trap.

There’s a desk with a letter inside from the Crown Prince’s brother Fredrick explaining that he too is suspicious of Antaeus trying to push Theodore towards mercenaries and his sudden appearance at the start of the war, but they can’t do anything about it and Tossletock should simply bide her time.

If the party wont enter the rooms, then consider having Tossletock approach and allow them to convince her of their good intentions

The party should leave here convinced that Tossletock is innocent but Antaeus is suspicious.

4b. The Cracked Flagon

You make your way through the city, passing from the more affluent areas to those more working class. Old Town lives up to its name. The buildings are a bit ramshackle, with patchwork repairs--a melding of different stonework and timbers. Eventually, you see a building--lights on, and a bit of music coming from slightly cracked windows--with a sign hanging out front of a mug that’s been cracked down the middle.

When the party enters the tavern, Heid will attempt to slip out the back. If the party can catch her and convince her to talk, she can reveal she’s already investigated Magistrate Tossletock and found no evidence of any plots. Instead she’s begun to be suspicious of Antaeus, who isn’t a Republic agent but seems to be working against the crown.

The party should leave here convinced that Heid is innocent but Antaeus is suspicious.

OPTIONAL Encounter 4c @ Back Alleyway

If you’re really having trouble getting your party to latch onto Antaeus as the big bad, then add in an ambush encounter while they’re in the city. They will face 2 Berserkers who were sent by Antaeus to either kill or scare the party away from investigating the assassination attempt. The berserkers will either flee when bested--running back to the Cloudstrider Estate--or carry a note on them with Antaeus’ signature and seal. This will serve to confirm their suspicions and lead towards the final battle.

Encounter 5 @ The Cloudstrider Estate w/ Antaeus

Purpose - RESOLUTION - The climax and battle where Antaeus will reveal his motivations and the party will defeat him, clearing the name of Ryker and themselves.

The Cloudstrider Estate is in the Sunset ward, closer to the castle. You pass by numerous shops and businesses, houses that border on mansions. A lot of them have hedges and fences that remove the main house from the street. One of these such estates is protected by stone walls about 8 ft tall. You can see on the entrance-way besides the front gate is an engraved placard that reads Cloudstrider in fancy letters with the crest of a sword piercing a cumulonimbus beneath it. The interior of the walls is big. You’d estimate almost an acre worth of land, most of which is taken up by a beautiful garden. The house itself is a two story classic Victorian style with dark blues contrasting white masonry.

The exterior gardens are guarded by 3 Griffons and 2 Berserkers. If the party find the estate by chasing after the barbarians sent to attack them, the barbarians will raise an alarm and the guards will be more alert. Also feel free to adjust the number of guards based on how many they fought/killed in the optional alleyway encounter. There should be several options for dealing with the guards:

Sneak past them

Distract them

Fight them

Negotiate with them

Unless the party convinces the guards to lead them inside peacefully for a conversation with Antaeus, they will have to investigate to find Antaeus and/or evidence. The physical evidence is all hidden underground in a secret bunker activated by uncovering a trapped rug in the library.

The rug hiding the secret passage is woven with a glyph of warding which will activate unless the proper password is given or it is dispelled.

The glyph can be spotted with a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check by the faint shimmer of an arcane sigil or a detect magic spell.

When activated by touching the rug without using the password, the glyph’s explosive runes erupt in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the rug. The sphere spreads around corners, encompassing most of the sitting room. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw DC 18. A creature takes 5d8 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The thunder also alerts the guards (if they are not aware already) who will arrive in 1d4 rounds.

If they find it right away, Antaeus will be waiting in the bunker, otherwise he will exit and confront them upstairs. If they are fighting upstairs and seem to be doing very well, consider having any remaining guards/griffons join the fray to spice things up. Otherwise you can always add a few berserkers chasing the party down to the bunker. Antaeus has the stats of a cloud giant with the added bonus of a curse ability and the Rakshasa’s dominate person and invisibility spells, which should make him plenty difficult for your party.