#exercises in observation

[sisterdivinium]

It’s tempting to think of Jillian as an atheist given her connexion to science, her confrontation with the church in s1 and simply as a counterpoint to all the religious characters around her. I’ve used the word for her myself in fic before, but I did it fully knowing that Jillian is perhaps the character who most wants to believe.

There’s an implication that she speaks from experience when she tells Kristian one doesn’t ever really leave the church…

… And her firm principle of proving faith and science can coexist shows she has no intention of dismantling faith in itself or the value people find in spirituality.

When Luther supposedly nailed his objections to that fateful church door, he didn't intend to shake the core of what faith actually is—quite the contrary, one could argue.

Neither is Jillian trying to destabilise faith in itself... The difference is that she just decided to build her own door instead.

The church might stand in her way, yes, but one could could make a case about how it is more due to their keeping of divinium than to the criticism she directs at Vincent on the subject of Hell and the subjugation of women. She might well believe it—or any part of her performance during most of season one, really—but her conflict with the institution lies less in the way of ideology than in matters of practical consequences.

Were it not so, wouldn’t she have been a little more resistant to her son’s visions of an angel? Why believe in a child’s prophetic drawings otherwise? Even if she by any chance didn’t consider the giver of those visions an angel, the very fact of taking a vision seriously would suggest some degree of fidelity to the very idea of there being something more, something else than the life we know in this plane of existence.

If she doesn’t admit the existence of a god outright, she at least lends credence to the idea that there is something. We might not be able to take her fully at her word in the scenes where she’s playing her part as a seeker of knowledge maligned by the Vatican, but there is some amount of truth to what she says. She might not have truly found Heaven, she might not be able to prove her portal actually leads there...

… But she most certainly wants to be right. For Michael’s sake, there must be something else, even if not precisely what has been foreseen by scripture.

And, even so, she finds worth in that very scripture she doubts.

Perhaps she’s being honest when she tells Vincent she likes the stories—there’s a lot of knowledge to be found in even the simplest of them to she who knows how to seek it.

Perhaps there’s an underlying attachment of hers to the Bible, a past she cannot really abandon. It’s not all that common for people with absolutely no ties to Catholicism to have something like the image of a saint as decoration hanging in the background.

Sure, there are other religious elements scattered in her workplace including a Buddha, but it’s a man who used to be an archivist at the Vatican she hires, not a defected monk or rabbi.

Yes, she will work with anyone who is equally willing to work with her. It’s not from the goodness of her heart as there is a component of selfishness in such cooperation—one to which she admits herself—but her attitude is also a testament to the openness she has concerning the results she might obtain. Maybe the OCS is right, maybe there’s a God and saints and Heaven and Hell…

It doesn’t really matter as long as there is something, something to work towards, something to seek.

Or it didn’t matter—while Michael was alive.

She has had her proof of there being more... And she has paid a high price for learning of it.

It’s a pity we don’t know what she would have done with this information. How do we react when what we believe is confirmed to be true but not in the way we expected or desired?

Whatever shock the nuns have experienced to their faith in this business with Adriel, the perversion of the power of prayer and all else they've survived during season two, Jillian is likely to have felt the very same blow right alongside them.

[r-aindr0p]

Pomefiore shenanigans and Deuce casually doing the human during training flag as asked for an upcoming spectacle Idk yet if I add a bit of shine or decoration to the thief outfits or if I lust leave it like that, not that it would matter much in monochrome but I want them to be stylish at all times Other info is that this is a non magic circus, including the magic tricks ! Of course the theft is done without the use of magic as well, it's much more thrilling that way. Circus Corvus is based in Sage Island on an artificial peninsula No theft operation is done on Sage Island, the rest isn't spared :))))

Bonus cheebs, I just wanted to make the joke w/ leona but He's probably going to be on the "got robbed" side of this story.

[hyohaehyuk]

Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson about *Dreamstat* (Interview with the Vampire Season 2 ❤️🩸 Behind The Scenes)

Note: i dont know what is the original source (maybe is a content from amc+ u need to pay to watch) but i found a similar video on amc official channel.

Sam saying that it was Jacob that came up with name "Dreamstat" (what surprise ofc it was him) and Jacob mentioning about Sam was mirroring his/Louis' body language when he was playing Dreamstat.

[surumarssi]

This image wouldn't leave my mind until I drew it.

[quadrantadvisor]

This post reminded me of the time I got entranced by the idea of in-universe rpf and wrote an "excerpt" of a hypothetical accidental selfcest fanfic.

The Lore tm is that in a universe where Bernard never met Tim, he became a prolific Capes RPF writer as well as conspiracy theorist, and that the popularity of the Bruce Wayne/Batman ship gave him the fun idea of pairing up the Wayne kids with Batclan counterparts, which lined up surprisingly well! Tim, who frequents the Gotham Capes RPF tag for normal reasons (as a kid he wrote a surpisingly popular series of gen fics where his self insert oc got adopted by Batman, he was like 11 don't judge him) sees this fic and finds certain details, such as, y'know, shipping his family members with themselves, highly suspicious. He must investigate this person and find out how much they know.

-

[...]

“What are you doing here, Nightwing?” Officer Grayson sighed. He looked tired, the hero noted. He understood that. A city like this could make a man tired in his soul. “The case is over. There's no reason to see eachother anymore.”

It didn't take long for Nightwing to find a reason. “There's no Batman in Bludhaven,” he said. “I need to take allies where I can get them, and you… I think you're in the same boat.�� He remembered the photos of young, pretty Richie Grayson, smiling in the tabloids,  and thought about how the force could beat down someone like that. “I know you want to make Bludhaven a better place. We can keep helping eachother, working together. We need eachother.” That was all true. But none of it was why Nightwing had come to the officer's apartment balcony.

Grayson rubbed a hand over his face. “I don't think you understand how much trouble I could be in. If the other officers found out I was slipping information to a vigilante…” He frowned, the dark circles beneath his eyes even more pronounced with the expression. “They don't trust you.”

“Do you?” Nightwing couldn't help but ask.

Grayson clenched his jaw, and his gaze on Nightwing became piercing. Looking at him, the vigilante knew—he had been beaten down, but not broken. His free spirit compressed into something stronger, harder. There was fire in his eyes. “I don't know,” the officer said, “should I?”

In some ways, the display of dominance was adorable, and Nightwing couldn't help flashing his signature sharp grin. “You can,” he promised. “It's up to you. But I could show you.” He hopped onto the balcony's railing with his inhuman grace, and held out his hand. “If you put your trust in me, I'll make it worth your while.”

The man looked dubious, gaze flicking from Nightwing's shielded eyes to his outstretched hand. “How?”

“You used to be an acrobat, didn't you, officer?” the hero asked.

Grayson looked away. “That was a long time ago.’”

“Well,” said Nightwing, still grinning that wicked grin, teeth flashing in the dim light, “how would you like to really fly?”

The officer's eyes went wide, and for a moment, Nightwing worried he would close the door, shut him out, and it would all be over. Then a determined look swept over him, and he stepped forward, reaching out.

Grayson's hand slipped into his, and Nightwing took the leap.

[...]

End notes:

😭 why did you have to become a cop richie how am i meant to acab like this????

like yes cops are Bastard but like. Richie Grayson was an outlier and should not have been counted. he's perfect your honor. he's never done anything wrong in his whole life. no one tell me otherwise pls

also nightwing is some kind of fae creature but don't worry about that

[middlenamesage]

MARS, the planet of ACTION: What type of exercise Mars in each sign makes me think of

Note: this is not necessarily advice about exercise to consider based on your Mars sign. So many things in the chart and the individual’s life will tweak the picture. Being that I’m a 6th house Mars who’s making it a goal lately to exercise daily (or most-daily😆) because I see the benefits for my mental and physical health of having intentional physical activity in my routine, this is just my musings on the type of exercise that comes to mind first/strongest when thinking about the archetypes of each sign. ✨

Mars in Aries- lifting weights/strength training 🏋️‍♀️ Mars at home! I thought about maybe also going with martial arts for this one! ❤️‍🔥 Mars/Aries does have a strong purpose for defense. As the first sign in the zodiac, Aries’ archetype is also that of a straightforward, more simple and direct energy. To simply get buff seems like quite the way to pay tribute to this potent combined yang energy! 💪

Mars in Taurus- Yoga 🧘🏽‍♂️ Taurus needs something at a bit slower of a physical pace, and the very conscientious attention yoga places on your relationship with your body is very Taurus/2nd house. Plus every Taurus rising I’ve ever known has been into meditation and/or yoga. 🤷‍♀️ Always looking for the calmest ways to do things! 🧘‍♀️

Mars in Gemini- Running 🏃🏻‍♀️ idk this just seems like a flighty Mars sign! 🏃‍♂️🚀💨

Mars in Cancer- In-home exercise, regardless of type, is what immediately comes to mind! Maybe a really pimped out Mars in Cancer would have an in-home pool.💧😂 🏊‍♀️🏠

Mars in Leo- Dancing! 💃🏻🕺🏼This is my Mars sign and never been a dancer, so this goes to show how I’m just thinking about the archetypes of the signs. But the Sun’s gotta shine/will get noticed 🌞 and dancing also is so highly CREATIVE. ♌️

Mars in Virgo- Gymnastics 🤸🏿‍♀️ I’m just so impressed with the precision♍️ in the routines of gymnasts. Perhaps Pilates is another example, that’s a little more common place. I personally avoid any exercise that requires attention to precise detail as it gets my Mars worked up in a bad way😤… so more power to anyone who’s built to like this type of exercise!

Mars in Libra- Ballet 🩰 The pure archetype of Libra is grace. Enough said.

Mars in Scorpio- whichever combat sport or martial art is the slyest. 😂 Mars at home I think could be quite motivated to be fighting somebody; but Scorpio’s gonna be concerned with technique, not in it to make a big bold scene. 🤺

Mars in Sagittarius- Hiking 🥾🌄🌲 Or biking! 🚴🏻‍♀️ The sign built for exploring. Hiking is always an adventure. You never quite know what you’ll see even when you’re hiking nature trails you’ve hiked before. And it tends to be a popular activity when visiting new places. ✈️

Mars in Capricorn- Climbing 🧗🏽‍♂️ Climbing has an obvious association with Capricorn. 🐐🌄 And Caps could always use inspiration to reach some pinnacle! 🙏 Also, fun fact, Saturn is the planet that rules the skeletal system and muscles in medical astrology. 🩻 Climbing works basically every muscle in your body!

Mars in Aquarius- some eccentric aerial sport. 😂 I don’t know much about anything in this area, I just know something that’s done in the air 🌬️ and something that’s unusual makes me think of Aquarius! ♒️

Mars in Pisces- Swimming 🏊‍♀️ I’m giving the final water💧sign, the one most like the vastness of the whole ocean, this official association with swimming. Related fun fact: my Piscean🌞 grandmother was the one who taught me how to swim (and was very delighted to do it). 💙

Bonus thoughts, from a Mars conjunct Venus: it’s really worth considering exercise that puts you in nature if you too have this conjunction, or Venus in harmonious aspect with Mars!🌲🌷 On this note, I’d think of Mars-Mercury being suited for things that are also exercise for the mind, Mars-Sun being suited for daytime outside exercise, Mars-Moon being a good fit for nighttime exercise, and exercise in new places or that doesn’t follow a set routine being suited for Mars-Jupiter!

[manyblinkinglights]

I went to mom’s human horse doctor, who quietly does barely anything to you (gentle sustained maybe half a limp handshake’s pressure on your business) and then all your problems are solved. And he solved all my problems! It’s been long enough that the actual slipped disc is like, healed, but I hadn’t recovered from my back muscles all locking up, or so long spent lopsidedly hobbling around.

I got prescribed toe walking/sneaking around the house like a cartoon character to help get a more active foot and keep from locking all up again.

This guy’s highly skilled, it was cool to feel him zero in on a prodromal migraine tension spot on the back of my neck that I did NOT tell him about, and then, over the course of a few minutes, fucking fix it. I rub that shit and make it ten times worse—which is why I never do anything about neck tension—and he sat there for a while with his fingertips on it and picked my head up for a bit and, just, it was dealt with.

I feel like a .unitypackage that just got migrated to a new project.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Observation balloon exercise in Toulon, Provence region of France

French vintage postcard

[sisterdivinium]

Warrior Nun truly is the most fucked up fucking show in the whole fucking world isn't it

Thecla (Ancient Greek: Θέκλα, Thékla; Greek: Θέκλα; Turkish: Tekla) was a saint of the early Christian Church, and a reported follower of Paul the Apostle. The earliest record of her life comes from the ancient apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla.

In one scene, female beasts, particularly lionesses, protected her against her male aggressors.

It is also said that Thecla spent the rest of her life in Maaloula, a village in Syria. There, she became a healer and performed many miracles...

...but remained constantly persecuted.

In one instance, as her persecutors were about to get to her, she called out to God, a new passage was opened in the cave she was in, and the stones closed behind her.

Around AD 280, Thecla features as one of the characters in Methodius of Olympus' Symposium, in which she displays considerable knowledge of profane philosophy, various branches of literature, and eloquent yet modest discourse. Methodius states that she received her instruction in divine and evangelical knowledge from Paul, and was eminent for her skill in sacred science ("Logos 8").

According to some scholars, Thecla's story inspired many later stories of women saints who dressed as men

All of these women were empowered by Thecla, a woman who did things that not many women would ever dare to do

In Spanish-speaking countries, she is also facetiously counted as the patron saint of computers and Internet, from the homophony with the Spanish and Catalan word tecla ("key").[citation needed]

(text on Thecla of Iconium taken from Wikipedia)

[inkwingart]

Three skills you need to make beautiful art, in order of importance:

observation/perception

taste/creativity

coordination

Note that these are skills. They’re not gifts bestowed by some divine entity. And skills can be improved through practice.

Note, also, that I rank observational skills highest, even above creativity, because without strong observational skills, you won’t be able to identify your own mistakes. It’s also not intuitive to train.

Here’s a simple exercise to get you started:

Pick an aesthetically pleasing photo or artwork that doesn’t have obvious lineart. Turn up the contrast a bit if the colors are muddy. Print it out or import it to your choice of drawing software.

Put some tracing paper over it or turn down the opacity and make a new layer. Don’t use tracing paper that is *too* transparent.

Trace out the areas of light and shadow. Don’t get hung up on details, just the broad strokes. Fill in the shadows, try to stick to just 2-3 values of shadow. Try hard NOT to outline “objects” in the image. Try not to erase.

Now view your trace without the original image. Can you still recognize the original subject? Can you see where you messed up/want to make changes?

Now do it while looking *at* the image rather than tracing directly from it.

Compare your referenced drawing to the traced one.

Repeat steps 1-6 with new photos/images.

Once you feel confident, try drawing from a reference without tracing.

This exercise will help you learn how to use light and shadow to define 3D forms as 2D shapes. Questions you should ask yourself during this exercise:

Can you tell where the light is coming from?

Is it a strong or weak light source?

Is there more than one light source?

What kind of materials are you observing?

How does light interact with shiny surfaces versus matte ones? Soft versus hard? Round versus angular?

Where are the edges of light and shadow? Are they soft or hard edges? Is the transition gradual or abrupt?

How would you use these observations to depict something from your imagination?

[sorry-but-no-sorry]

Maybe part 1 of the poses freely given by major_pectoralis

I needed the observation exercise

[sisterdivinium]

(I'm going to run away with your post for a second, OP, hope you don't mind!)

This constant flux of suffering Jillian goes through is something that keeps gnawing at me. Here's this brilliant woman with a generous amount of money to allow her quite a lot of agency and yet she is one of the characters whose actions seem most restricted within the story.

Sure, she creates Michael out of thin air or something, but he's sick beyond what common science can heal; sure, she is wildly intelligent to build "the world's first quantum portal", but it might just bring about the end of the world; sure, she has the resources and the gumption to side with the OCS and take on Adriel, but her hacking into the systems controlling the plagues has no effect, the protection of her bulletproof glass, as you point out, is more a cage than a shield and it seems that every single one of her attempts to influence her reality is thwarted.

So what I would like to know is why.

Of course there's a running theme of characters being "trapped" one way or another (I've written about Mother Superion perhaps too many times, but it applies to Michael trapped within the halls of ArqTech, it applies to Ava trapped in the orphanage, it applies to Beatrice trapped within her own ideas of what she should or should not be, etcetera), but if Thekla Reuten's question is well-placed, if Jillian is being punished somehow, then we'd need to know why and by whom.

Michael more or less equates Reya to God, calls her "unimaginably powerful", yet this alleged divine being needs two kids to do her bidding and that does not sound like the omnipotence we've come to expect from the concept of god. If there is any form of direct punishment inflicted by Reya upon Jillian, perhaps it has to do with the blighting of an adversary, a candidate in usurping her position in the future ( @halobearerhavoc has already touched upon how Jillian and Reya reflect one another. Would it be a reach to assume that Jillian's creations might be seen as a threat? The more powerful someone is, the more paranoid -- and the mightiest kings are known to fear their own harmless shadows...) So maybe there's that.

But characters don't have a life of their own, they're embedded in a narrative. Whether Reya is responsible for what Jillian is going through or not, our favourite scientist is still enduring the worst days of her life and losing everything she has worked for inside the framework of a story. Greek gods would decimate the mortals that dared stand in their way or claim their laurels, the God of the Old Testament is rather fond of smiting those who aren't keen on him -- and these stories serve a purpose. They are meant to tell us something about human ambition and pride and staying in our damn lane. If we're not humble, if we don't bow down to superior power, we will be struck down -- cursed with the gift of prophecy but which nobody will believe, turned into an arachnid for daring to weave better than a goddess, washed away by a wrathful god in a mighty flood that exterminates life on Earth but for a chosen few...

These narratives play a part in "civilising" us, setting boundaries, "taming" us.

So what does it mean that Jillian is being punished, if that is indeed what is happening? What's her crime? Is the boundless desire to enact motherhood seen in a negative light for once? Or does it have to do with her ambition, her willingness to stop at nothing to get what she wants? We recall Duretti being more than welcoming to the idea of ripping Ava up to fetch the halo or setting OCS rejects on her with explicit permission to kill her, but don't we forget that Jillian literally bought out Macready's mercenary operation? That technically she has a little militia of her own, whose pay is guaranteed with her own money?

I wonder whether this is a jab at our way of life in this stage of capitalism. Money shouldn't be able to buy it all, ethical concerns be damned; science and knowledge shouldn't be furthered at the price of human empathy and well-being, only to fuel some big-shot technocrat's fragile little ego. What are we accomplishing when obscene amounts of money keep the rich and powerful away from the consequences of breaking the law, when technology is being developed for the sake of it or the financial gain of it rather than/in detriment of the benefit of all?

When Jillian and Duretti confront one another in season one, that's what she says about divinium, that it shouldn't be hoarded by the church but held out to the light instead, "for the world's gain" -- is that what she's doing? We know the ark is meant to save Michael first and foremost. The possibilities of what she has created, the sating of human curiosity or whatever advantages to humanity as a whole come second.

So I guess what I really want to know is where they'll take Jillian Salvius from here. The loner genius has had her triumphs crumble and seen her sanctum torn down and invaded by a bunch of nuns; I like to think the show not-so-subtly advocates for the idea of sisterhood, of (consciously) being part of some sort of web of relationships, taking up the responsibilities that come with that instead of going out on one's own. Therefore, Jillian will have the chance to do so now and put her money (if there's anything left after Kristian's little stint) and her mind in service of something greater than her own selfish wants ( @emylilas and I have already wondered why on Earth doctor Salvius is so adamant on having a child of her own -- might it not really just be a matter of ego?)

And maybe, just maybe, she'll be allowed to exit this particular jail she's been trapped in and have her actions finally bear weight on the world around her. It might be a shift in motivation that finally lets her end her own cycle of apparent activity but practical passivity...

God the way that guy draws a cross in blood on Jillian’s bulletproof glass right over her face. The symbolism of it, not just what William was intending it for, but of it as marker of the fate she can’t escape. The parallels between her and Micheal and Mary and Jesus have never been subtle but this one just hits different somehow. She’s seen Micheal tell Ava this’ll be their best chance on the broadcast, she has a good idea now what he’s planning to do, that he’s planning to sacrifice himself. The way the bulletproof glass is there to protect her, but it only restricts her; she can’t get through when Superion is shot, she can’t do anything when the arc is being taken. And in the end she can’t stop her son sacrificing himself. Can’t stop him carrying out the will of a being she doesn’t understand. To save a world he never truly got to experience. In the end, he’s determined and she has to let him go. She can’t stop the boy she just wanted to see live from dying. In the end there’s just a mother, and a bloody cross

[nonbinary-octopus]

I understand rock/metal music now.

my previous experiences with them mostly amounted to "driver of this long car trip likes this band and is playing a lot of it too loud and I have a headache", so I was not much a fan.

But

I have just listened to a heavy metal cover of a song I like

And guys

It was so good

you could not have prevented me from moving enthusiastically to the beat if you tried.

just dancing happily, a mixture of stompy feet, hip swinging, head bobbing, and like. it's not exactly fist pumping but it is similar

these were the motions that were spontaneously evoked by this song

and I get it now

I really do

I understand the headbanging and the yelling along and all of it

fabulous.

[balluprojects]

Fuzzy Hairs, 2024

Mixed media: wax crayons, eccoline pens and coffee on 200g paper

have a funky weekend ahead*

[sisterdivinium]

But there's a little more to it, isn't there? It's not just Vincent's trap, it's larger than that.

The show is already dealing with the issue of cycles, patterns, repetition even if details here and there are skewered when an event occurs again -- the whole line of warrior nuns is a cycle; Adriel's prophet persona and his building of a church happen in the past we're told of and in the present we are shown; the very fact that we are introduced to a dead Ava who gets another life at the start of s1 and that we later say goodbye to her (for the time being, at least) as she is dying and on the cusp of getting yet another life on the other side at the end of s2... It's less how an action returns than what it might hide underneath.

Breaking a cycle is hard, even though that is what Ava purports to do ("I'm going to be the last warrior nun"); it's harder still when one does not (or can not) look into the past to understand how one risks running into the same problems of their predecessors by retracing their steps.

Mary wasn't wrong in her quest as she sought justice/resolution in Shannon's murder; Lilith isn't wrong either as she searches for a missing Mary. Their cause is not so much in question as their execution is, since both of them go it alone -- Mary because of the preponderance of "a mission" and the manipulation of a man pulling her sisters away from her, Lilith because of similar reasons while the rest of the OCS deals with other problems. In both cases, there is a sort of overconfidence (two shotguns that would "negate" the need for combat training, strange demonic powers that would supposedly give one an edge over others) -- and they are both overburdened by exterior forces, too. Nobody who looks for a missing person can do so alone in the real world so in fiction it is an even heavier, more difficult, perhaps unreasonable job to bear.

One of those big, glaring "messages" in the show is the importance of community, of belonging, of cooperation. So the lone wolf behaviour both characters exhibit is bound to fail as they are both denied the chance of using their real advantage:

And then there's the pattern of misplaced faith/trust which we already see in different degrees along the episodes -- Ava's misplaced faith in "freedom", Beatrice's in "selflessness", Jillian's in her own abilities (just as a young Suzanne also overestimates her own power), Mother Superion's in Duretti, Duretti's in cardinal William, Vincent's in Adriel, Michael's in Reya... There's a whole slew of trust put upon people and concepts that are wholly mistaken.

Mary and Lilith both end up trusting the word of a man (as opposed to the women of their community) and a father (as opposed to the sisters of their community), which isolates them even more from their group, ultimately resulting in Mary's disappearance and Lilith's change of allegiance.

So it's not just Vincent's trap (since even he himself falls into it, by putting his faith into some man instead of into the broader collective body, paying the price for such foolishness) -- it's what he stands for, values that are present in their fictional world as much as in our real one and that we can all easily fall prey to.

In a world of savage individualism, where we're all fed the lie that we can do anything by ourselves, that we don't need others, that certain ideals of solidarity (between workers, between women, etc) are obsolete and unnecessary in a post-whatever world, the trajectory of both these determined women with worthy causes is a good reminder for us to look at our own paths in life and evaluate whether we might or not be following in the same direction: neglecting those who are around us and even ourselves in the heat of the moment, competing rather than working together, so blinded by the belief (however justified) we carry in our principles that we would unnecessarily endanger ourselves in their pursuit...

There's a theme at play. Yes, they're both trying to fix their families somehow, be it with information, be it by rescuing an absent member of it. They do so, however, by stepping away from that same family and there lies the trick and the tragedy -- especially if we consider that Shannon, too, was trying to protect them all while keeping silent on her suspicions, carrying it all upon her own shoulders... Until she was killed.

(As a side note, it remains to be seen, concerning the repeated actions and consequences of "splitting up the team", whether Beatrice's exit from the OCS context, also faring out on her own, might in some way see her fall into a similar problem or if there will be some interesting subversion to spare her and grant her some other sort of needed sisterhood. It would be nice to see the end of at least one violent cycle after all...)

A parallel I haven’t seen much talk about: how Lilith goes on the warpath for Mary the same way Mary went on the warpath for Shannon (and how they both fall into Vincent’s trap).

Season one Lilith was all about the OCS (or rather her ambition for the Halo). She told Mary not a day after Shannon’s murder that she needed to think about the mission, not her own personal agenda (which was not only hypocritical, but as Beatrice said, unfair). And in that same scene, she dismissed Mary as not being a true member of the team because she wasn’t a nun and didn’t take vows like the rest of them. She was a free agent who operated on her own terms.

But after their tearful reconciliation in the catacombs, Vincent’s betrayal, and Mary’s subsequent disappearance under an army of wraith demons, Lilith’s priorities shift significantly. The start of season two finds her as the new lone wolf as she hunts down Vincent herself. And while the OCS is just as interested in finding him to get to Adriel, Lilith’s only concern is Mary. She’s ready to tear him apart herself, just as Mary threatened that man in 1×02, and then later goes through a whole squadron with her bare hands.

The part that really gets me, though, is Lilith and Vincent’s scene in the car. She’s finally got a lead after two months, finally has a location on Mary. And despite being outnumbered, despite being about to walk into Adriel’s fortress without backup, there isn’t one shred of fear or hesitation. She just tells Vincent to signal the guards. “Put a foot out of place and I’ll –”

“You’ll kill me. I know,” Vincent says.

A small smile plays around Lilith’s mouth. “I won’t kill you,” she says easily. “I’d never take that pleasure away from Mary.”

She gives him a pointed look and Vincent just grimaces before they climb out of the car.

Vincent is jovial as he greets the guards and then gestures to Lilith with an outstretched arm. “I have brought home a friend.”

And Lilith, chuckling, slides right into the embrace like it’s nothing, even putting her head on his shoulder. They walk through the gates just like that, leaning against each other.

It’s such a cruel twist of the knife to think that that’s how they were before. We’ve only really seen Vincent’s one-on-one dynamic with Ava, Mary, and Beatrice, but this ease, this familiarity with Lilith is something completely different. Given her family’s history with the OCS and her claim that she’s trained harder than anyone else, she was probably one of the closest to him.

Their embrace is that of a father and daughter. This was someone she could laugh with, lean on, confide in. Someone she trusted to take care of her. Now it’s just a part she plays on paper so that she can get her real family back.

[ailelie]

observations from the 9th of may

bright green leaves pressed against a vivid blue sky, with just a bare wisp of cloud

a glass, one-third full of water, siting near the edge of a coaster; the light passing through creates patterns of shadow and light; the shadows fade in and out of depth, radiate from and twist around each other

a stone griffin standing atop a high pillar, backed by the clear, bright sky

the too salty, herb-pressed crust of a sandwich

fingers splayed, pushed through thick, light-brown curls

a laughing boy with chin-length hair, neither blonde nor brown, racing up and down the side-wall of a cafe, his arms raised behind him

bushes of purple flowers, darker in the dusk, each tall flower a cluster of smaller blossoms; the sweet fragrance fades in and out as I pass

the trash overflows next to the bus stop

layer after layer of words, all different colors, all different hands, cover the walls and stalls of the bathroom, except for a patch between the sink and the door that is a cool, flat black

a small, circular radio attached, by chain or clip, to an older black man with thin limbs. The music is good. He sways and mouths along to the words. He exits the bus mid-dance step.