#for all mankind post season 2

[gordopickett]

WIP Wednesday!

Thanks for the tag, @youreorangeyoumoron 💙

I'm actually getting to this on a Wednesday for once! 😆

So far I have 29 chapters up on Ao3 of my For All Mankind post-season 2 fix-it fic called And If It's Not Okay... This is an excerpt from chapter 36, wherein Gordo & Ed have made plans to hang out one evening, but Ed doesn't show.

Gordo arrived at the Shamrock ten minutes before seven. He walked through the warm, inviting lobby with its muted green floor and walls of mahogany paneling and travertine. He found the Pine Grill where he was supposed to meet Ed, and he slid into a booth. A waitress came over immediately and took his drink order – a club soda. Gordo hadn’t cut out alcohol from his life entirely. But he had cut back significantly, ever since he had gotten serious about his training for Jamestown 91. He was sure that that – along with getting back into a workout routine – was what had helped him lose so much weight before his launch. He hadn’t been particularly set on losing weight, per se, but he had wanted to get back in shape. He always felt better when he kept his body strong and moving. The weight loss had just been a byproduct of that. But ever since his return from Jamestown, Gordo hadn’t felt strong. His injuries had kept him immobile for days and then fairly sedentary for nearly three weeks. Now that he had been cleared by the NASA flight surgeon to start exercising again, he looked forward to getting back to it. He knew he would have to start out slowly, however. He had lost a few more pounds and a lot of muscle mass over the past three weeks, and he felt much weaker than he was used to. Getting back in shape would be a process, but Gordo was up for the challenge. And he didn’t have a launch deadline to meet, so he knew he could do it at a slow, healthy pace. Gordo sipped his club soda, waiting for Ed to arrive. He checked his watch again, noting that it was now ten minutes past seven. He wondered why Ed was late. It wasn’t like he had to drive across town. He was staying right upstairs in the hotel. Gordo waited a few more minutes. He was beginning to wonder if Ed had forgotten about their plan when the bartender shouted, “Gordo Stevens?” Gordo looked over. “Yeah?” The bartender looked at him, lifting up the phone receiver he held in his hand. “You’ve got a phone call.” Gordo furrowed his brow curiously and got to his feet. He walked over to the bar, and the bartender handed him the phone. He held it to his ear. “This is Gordo Stevens.” “Mr. Stevens?” a female voice said timidly in his ear. He didn’t immediately recognize it. “Yes?” “This is Kelly,” she said. “Baldwin. I, uh, tried calling your house, but Jimmy said you were at the Pine Grill.” “Yeah. I’m supposed to be meeting your dad here. Is everything okay?” “I didn’t know who else to call.” “What’s going on?” “I don’t know. Something’s wrong. We’re up in our room. Dad’s been drinking, and he’s just—He seems really upset.” She paused. “I’m worried about him.” “What’s the room number?” Gordo asked. When she told him, he said, “I’ll be right up.”

I wanted this scene to be a sort of parallel to Karen calling Ed to come get Gordo at The Outpost in episode 2x02. But instead of Ed helping Gordo when he's drunk & spiraling, this time it's Gordo helping Ed who's going through something similar.

Tagging @benwvatt @lacontroller1991 @rachg82 @onekisstotakewithme @roughroadhaley

@kayhi808 @marvmerchant @margospiano @violetmuses @castalyne

@cicada-circuitry @nadia-el-mansours @flamingo24 @tavners @allatariel & anyone else who wants to play!

Feel free to share anything you're working on, writing or not, but no pressure either way! 😊

[captainfantasticalright]

Today on this scene inspired this other scene in Good Omens:

We have The Time Machine (1960) and The Book (episode 2 of season 1).

General plot of the film:

Time Machine is a 1960 American period post-apocalyptic science fiction film based on the 1895 novella of the same name by H. G. Wells. It was produced and directed by George Pal, and stars Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, and Alan Young. The story is set in Victorian England and follows an inventor who constructs a machine that enables him to travel into the distant future. Once there, he discovers that mankind's descendants have divided into two species, the passive, childlike, and vegetarian Eloi and the underground-dwelling Morlocks, who feed on the Eloi.

Sadly I cannot link the original tweet anymore because Douglas’ account is no longer there. But I did screenshot it beforehand.

Here is a side by side comparison of the scene in the film that inspired that scene of Aziraphale reading the book and “the cocoa doth [grew]cold”.

Pay special attention to how things move outside of the windows! That is the most important bit. And of course the relation to time and how the person doing the action is almost static, whereas all around is rapidly changing.

Film trivia:

When George's guests leave for their New Years activities, it is clearly daylight. The clocks in the room said 6:05 pm. Sunset in London on December 31, 1899 was at 4:01 pm. It would have been dark outside. (This is when he is first trying his machine).

Luckily in Good Omens when Aziraphale dashes back into the bookshop, it is dark outside and thus finishes reading when it is light again.

For another this scene inspired this scene: about The Bishop’s wife.

[ddagent]

Fam (and Margo & Sergei)

So, finally, I have finished For All Mankind.

Season 2 continues to be my favourite: I enjoyed Margo's story arc as Director, the 80s fashion, the focus on NASA and the cold war. This is closely followed by Season 3, despite the heavy angst. Season 1 is fantastic at worldbuilding but too slow in parts. Season 4, however, was a slump - and I am honestly so glad it's over. Maybe it was different watching week-by-week but I was not invested in any of the new characters (although Eli is growing on me). It is such a sharp contrast from the previous seasons, I doubt I will ever re-watch it in its entirety again.

Margo, Sergei and Aleida's storylines have both uplifted and broken me. I knew all the spoilers going in, after dash-watching the show through @moocowmoocow. There are some things that I, as a writer, would not have chosen to do. But they would go against the grain of the show which is dark in its approach, with little happy endings no matter the morality of the characters. I'm not sure whether Margo will return for S5; I'm not sure whether she or Sergei will join the spin-off Star City. But I will certainly continue to watch the show, for Aleida if no one else.

The joy of FAM for me is the small, dedicated fandom on tumblr. Everyone reblogs the same posts; everyone is free with the essays in their tags. I enjoy how show-focused we are: no real forays into bts that I know from previous experience gives fuel to my anxiety. It is just such a pleasant place to be and I want to thank you all for welcoming me in.

I have so many gif ideas. So many fic ideas. All the fic to read and all the discussion to be had. Two weeks and one day until my summer begins. I cannot wait.

[incorrectsibunaquotes]

I have a theory that the reason we as an audience feel like Sibuna in Season 3b are making monumentally stupid choices is because the show doesn’t actually spell out for us that the kids don’t have all the information we have. In fact, they are operating with less than half of our knowledge. (This is gonna be a longgggg post, so read under the cut if you dare)

On my latest rewatch of S3 for fanfic purposes, i found myself really struggling to justify why the hell Eddie couldn’t put two and two together with his vision of Patricia and the “traitor” in Sibuna. I was frustrated with him because to me it was incredibly obvious! Like who else could it possibly be?? But then, I rewatched it again with a closer eye and everything suddenly clicked:

We, the audience, are watching the action from a completely zoomed out angle. We’re not just following Sibuna, but we’re also following Team Evil. We know Robert is capturing Sinners and what a Sinner actually is, before Sibuna is even fully aware that they failed to stop the eclipse ceremony. The kids metaphorically tripped at the starting line.

Furthermore, this is the first time in the show that the Sibunas have not had either the upper hand or were even on equal playing field with the adults. In Season 1, the Society was wholly unprepared for a bunch of adolescents to start foiling in their plans (bc why would they be prepared for that??), and Sibuna basically destroyed them due to adults underestimating their willingness to fuck around and find out. In Season 2, Victor/Vera and Sibuna were on equal ground; no one knew how to solve the tasks and it was a matter of a bunch of separate parties trying to figure it out before each other. They were all just throwing shit at the wall and hoping it stuck.

At the top of Season 3, we play a lot with both the S1 and S2 dynamics. At first, Sibuna is leagues and bounds ahead of the adults, and then they pretty quickly end up on the same footing. Then, in the second half of the season, that entire dynamic is flipped on its head, and it’s Sibuna who are wholly unprepared for the adults. I’ve talked about how the kids, especially our Sibuna veterans, got a little too comfortable with Victor and co’s ineptitude and cocky with their own intelligence… but that’s not even why they were so slow on the uptake.

None of the Sibunas even hear the word “Sinner” until they find that book in the secret room and read it while sitting on the stage. And the book does not explain at all what a Sinner actually is. It tells them that Ammut needs “the souls of five human sinners who embody the greatest flaws of mankind” and once she has five of them she can enter the human realm and cause lots of problems. Absolutely nowhere in the book does it ever say “Also, much like Robert, the soulless body of the Sinner is reawakened in service to the underworld.” The only other hint that could have possibly clued anyone in is “when your friends are not your friends”. But like, that clue was ages ago! Why would they even be thinking about that, when it had absolutely no bearing on their hunt for the secret room/answers up to that point? I cannot stress this enough, THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHAT A SINNER IS! (I’m gonna repeat this sentence about 400 times in case you don’t get it now lol) Mind you, that atp in the timeline, this is approximately fifteen or so minutes before Denby captures Patricia.

But let’s rewind all the way back to when Team Evil devises a plan to kidnap Eddie. He’s in the crypt, right? It’s pretty evident to him that it was probably Denby, Victor, and/or Robert who trapped him here, but he’s got no real clue as to why. Of course, we all know that they’re planning on turning him into a Sinner, because we saw Victor get turned. But as far as Sibuna knows, Victor has never really been on their side, so all they think is that he’s being meaner than usual but of course he’s opposing them. That’s not strange.

Okay, so Eddie is stuck and distressed, but he’s not as panicked as he needs to be because nowhere in his mind does he think this could potentially end in what is essentially his death. Now, throw in the horrifying vision he has of Patricia getting dragged into a glowing sarcophagus. He still doesn’t know what a Sinner is, but he knows that whatever he just saw was really bad; it’s an incentive from the Osirian spirit (or the house, or the gods, or literally whatever) to actually try to get the hell out of there.

So we’re all sitting here watching going “Oh my god they’re gonna nab Patricia and make her evil! 😰” because we have context; Eddie has absolutely none. It’s also really important for later on that his vision ends when the sarcophagus door shuts. It’s framed as incredibly final, and for all Eddie knows, they’ve just stuffed Patricia in what he knows is a tiny cramped space and locked the door behind her. He thinks that at best they are going to kidnap her or, at worst, straight up kill her. Nothing in that vision indicates she’s walking out of there at all.

When Patricia ran off after the fake messages, Eddie is concerned for a lot of different reasons, but the two primary ones are the obvious “oh my god my girlfriend thinks I cheated on her what do I do???” and the other is “if she’s run off on her own, the adults could fulfill my vision!” But then she turns back up, which should be clear to us by now means that he thinks she’s safe. He’s waiting for her (for any of them) to disappear. But when none of them do, they think it’s fine. It’s not that Eddie doesn’t think Patricia is in danger of becoming a Sinner, he just doesn’t realize what that would actually look like.

Even when they’re all in the hallway morbidly joking about having to give up sinning, the language KT uses is telling of what they think being a Sinner means: “We don’t want to accidentally help out Team Evil [by sinning].” Of course, this statement works with the knowledge the audience has of everything, but if Sibuna actually knew what they were dealing with, KT would have said something more like “We don’t want to get captured/turned by Team Evil.” The jokes they’re making are still morbid, but because they think you just get put in the sarcophagus and that’s the end of it.

Let’s flash forward again to the phonograph getting smashed and Eddie’s second vision that prompts the witch hunt panic in the first place. The vision can be separated into three parts: 1) Eddie sees a hooded figure smash the phonograph (okay Sibuna already knows someone did it on purpose, not too crazy); 2) Robert approaches him creepily and has the mic-drop moment of “it was one of your little friends; you have a viper in your nest” (seriously what a raw line of dialogue… but also now Eddie is being told that there is a traitor. Pretty cut and dry); 3) he turns around and sees every other member of Sibuna mockingly throw up the Sibuna sign (uh oh!)

So here is where people (including me!) always got a little annoyed with Eddie for not doing the math. But upon several rewatches and actually listening to what everyone was saying, never once do any of the kids ever bring up the word “Sinner” during the entirety of this whodunnit arc. And that’s simply because it’s not even a thought that crosses their minds. The language they use is very telling: “traitor” and “betrayal” being the heavy hitters. If any of them actually had context for what was actually going on, the language they would be using would be more like “victim” or literally just “Sinner” as a noun. But they don’t, which is why they’re so hostile toward one another… and why KT was screwed from the moment Eddie had that vision.

Because the fact that they don’t know that a Sinner is an evil version of themselves (not just someone whose soul is being used as a power generator), means that on a subconscious level Fabian, Alfie, and even Eddie already assumed KT was guilty. And Sinner!Patricia knew that, and that’s why she was so easily able to pivot and pin it on her. KT was directly linked to Frobisher, and Fabian and Alfie had already been suspicious of her at the start of the season for other reasons. It’s why Fabian let Patricia help him with the finger printing in the first place: because he doesn’t believe it’s her. And Eddie would have no real reason to suspect Patricia for three reasons: 1) Because he’s in love with her; 2) Because he knows just how long Patricia (and Fabian, and Alfie) have been loyal to Sibuna and to each other; 3) Because he, like everyone else, was looking at this betrayal as a willing capitulation to the Team Evil.

The first time Sibuna becomes aware that a Sinner is an entity that they have to actually watch out for walking about (as opposed to just having to watch out becoming), is after KT and Harriet manage to escape Patricia in the Gatehouse. Harriet clearly knows what a Sinner is bc she has the presence of mind to actually explain (vaguely, of course, because she’s drugged to kingdom come) to KT what she’d just narrowly escaped.

And then when she confronts Sibuna and Patricia in the hallway after Miss Crocodile Tears is telling tales about KT trying to kidnap her, KT drops the bomb on the boys: “She was trying to make me a Sinner just like her!” Pause. Record scratch. Okay. Now everything they thought they knew about the situation is completely recontextualized as something much more sinister than what they initially thought. Because I’d always struggled with how cruel they were being to KT, especially if they thought it wasn’t her fault. But everything up until this point deeply suggests or rather expects us to understand that Sibuna only had two pieces of an 100 piece puzzle, and that them being mean to KT was because they thought she actually betrayed them.

With all of this in mind, Eddie is not stupid for not figuring it out right away. In fact, without knowing what a Sinner actually is, it would be an insane leap to assume Patricia had anything to do with the phonograph.

I’ve basically talked myself and all of you in several circles, but the bottom line is the show didn’t do a fabulous job of telling us that Sibuna had no clue what they were up against. It’s easy for us to sit back and go “what the hell is wrong with them are they stupid?” because we have all the knowledge of what’s going on eons before they do. This is a far more charitable read of the characters’ choices and thought process, and the only way any of their actions make any sense. In fact, this is less of a theory and more of what is… literally canon, I guess

[turtlesaph]

HAZBIN HOTEL / HELLUVA BOSS RP!

^ click that box to join, its the discord link.

SPOILER:: THIS SERVER WILL CONTAIN SEASON 1 HAZBIN HOTEL SPOILERS, ENTER IF YOU'VE SEEN THE SHOW ALREADY OR DON'T CARE ABOUT SPOILERS.

"Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshipped good and shielded all from evil. Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world. So he watched as the angels began to expand the universe in their ways. From the dust of Earth, they created Adam and Lilith. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Adam demanded control and Lilith refused to submit to his will. She fled the garden.

Drawn in by her fierce independence, Lucifer found her and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love. Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the fruit of knowledge to Adam's new bride, Eve, who gladly accepted. But this gift came with a curse. For with this single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven had worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucifer and his love into the dark pit he had created, never allowing him to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked.

Ashamed, Lucifer lost his will to dream. But Lilith thrived, empowering demon-kind with her voice and her songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power. Threatened by this, Heaven made a truly heartless decision. That every year, they would send down an army, an extermination to ensure Hell and its sinners could never rise against them. But Lilith's hope remained. And her dream was passed down to their precious daughter the Princess of Hell."

It's been a week since Charlie Morningstar started her Hazbin Hotel with the help of Alastor and his helpers. The hotel will start to gain more patrons as time progresses. The hotel however has gained the attention of certain individuals who are curious to what she's trying to accomplish.

The next Extermination draws near and Charlie will feel the loss of her people very deeply. During all of this her father was absent as well as her mother… That is where our story starts.

☆ 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐁𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐋/𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐕𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐏.

☆ Canon and OCs [canon first serve] | Auditions.

☆ Vast realms to explore.

☆ 16+ please!

If the link expires let me know and I'll post a new one. <3

CHARACTERS ALREADY CLAIMED:: 2 Archangel, 1 Seraphim, 1 Fallen Archangel, Lucifer, Charlie, Death, Vox, Velvette, Rosie, Adam, Valentino, Blitzo, Lute, Alastor.

RESERVED SO FAR:: Fizzaroli.

[thetarttfuldickhead]

I know that Jamie/Colin isn't the focus of this blog, but I really liked your "Locker Room Conversations" ficlet, and I was wondering if you had any headcanons/thoughts on how, in an alternate universe, a Jamie/Colin might shake out.

Well, to be honest I’ve never really thought about it too much since I don’t particularly ship Jamie/Colin, but let’s see what I can scrounge up for you, ey?

The one actual headcanon I do have:

Colin had a bit of a crush on Jamie back when Jamie first joined the team, and Jamie knew about it but never said anything. I entertain this notion at least half-seriously because I find it’s very entertaining to think about Jamie knowing and not really reflecting much on it, other than to go “uh yeah of course he has a crush on me who can blame him i mean have you seen me?”

Pre-canon angst

If you want something early and angsty and potentially canon-compliant, you could have the two of them hooking up before Jamie and Keeley get together (we have no idea when that was, but I think it was after Jamie joined Richmond purely for logistical reasons – hassle keeping a London girlfriend when you live in Manchester),. For Jamie it’s mostly about getting off and feeling a bit better about himself (both from making Colin feel good sexually and from Colin being a bit of a fanboy, giving his ego a boost) because Jamie’s not in a great place at this time. For Colin, there’s also feelings, so yes. Angst. Could end on that unhappy note, or you could go full AU and have Jamie slowly realizing that actually, he cares for Colin. (SHOCKER!) Obviously you’d need a turning point of Colin taking a stand and breaking things off with Jamie because he doesn’t want to be used like this anymore. He is a strong and capable man who deserves better! Cue Jamie having to prove his genuine affection and woe Colin back. Very classic rom-com vibe, and thus not my style at all, but I’m trying to give offer you a variety of flavour here.

Season 2 Enemies to lovers

In an another world, I think there’s a lot of potential for something set early during season 2, when Jamie first returns to Richmond. As mentioned in my recent post, I’m very intrigued by Colin’s reaction to this and how they go from him being very angry with Jamie to loving him so much, man. Besides, enemies to lovers is my one true ship trope, so I might even read this if I ever came across it.

Vanilla version: Colin is working hard to convince himself that he’s a strong and capable man, and he doesn’t need Jamie Tartt reminding him – simply by being around – of the person he used to be only a year before. Jamie is hellbent on repairing their friendship, though, and while initially Colin finds some measure of petty satisfaction at seeing Jamie’s bumbling attempts at making amends, he’s little by little and in spite of himself won over. I can see Jamie persistently taking him out on friend dates and Colin first agreeing only because he kind of enjoys torturing Jamie a little by being an ass, but Jamie is undettered and then they start having a really good time together and in therapy Colin comes to realize that part of his anger with Jamie is really anger with his own past behaviour – and maybe some shame over having had a crush on someone who was such an asshole. Over time, soft and mushy feelings develop. There are lots of hand-holding and cuddling and watching reality shows and bitching about the contestants together. They go on really stupid fucking adventures and love clubbing and once they come out to the team they are really kind of insufferable because their joint himbo energy is a threat to all of mankind, but they are so fucking adorable it’s hard to be mad (except for when they bring their bitchiest selves and team up to bring it down on everyone else, epic sassy style).

Dark/angsty/kinky version: Jamie is doing his best to make things right with the team, but Colin’s still not having it and in the end Jamie (remembering the crush Colin once had on him) offers sex as a way to make amends/prove how sincere he is. Colin can’t resist taking him up on the offer because even if he’s long over his crush the idea of Jamie kneeling in front of him, of Colin’s fist twisting in Jamie’s hair as he fucks his mouth, of Colin using Jamie however he sees fit and Jamie letting him… That does things for Colin, particularly when he’s in this vengeful state, yeah? Can end on a dark note, if that’s your jam, or end with some sweet comfort, aftercare and reconciliation.

Cracky post-canon poly shenanigans

Keeley is dating both Roy and Jamie, and while Jamie and Roy are not dating each other there’s this tension between them and yeah, maybe they wanna give this whole also sleeping with each other thing a go, except neither of them has ever done anything with another man before and so they’re a bit unsure about how to proceed and things keep Not Happening. (In this universe, Keeleys staunchly refuses to guide them, no matter how hot she’d find it, because she’s very much and rightly on the let Roy and Jamie sort Roy and Jamie out track.)

Jamie, glorious solution oriented himbo that he is, goes to Colin for some pointers on how to be gay, mate and after Colin stops staring inredulously at him he shrugs and gives him some general hints, the more gay love the better right, only Jamie soon comes back for a more hands-on tuition session because no, i tried, mate, but i just couldn’t figure it out, could you maybe show me instead? and Colin is a good friend (who once had a crush on Jamie), so yeah, that happens.

Keeps happening too, because everything Colin is teaching Jamie is working great and Roy and Jamie are very much getting it on and having a grand old time – but to no reader’s great surprise, there’s also some feelings starting to grow between Sassy Himbo No. 1 and Sassy Himbo No. 2. and in the end Jamie is not only dating Keeley and Roy but Colin too!

Colin only dates Jamie, though – the very idea of being involved with Keeley, a woman, or Roy, a Roy, is slightly nauseating and somewhat scary to him. There are no joint dates, no dinners for all four of them. Isaac is a little perplexed and initially concerned over the whole set-up but he sees how happy it makes his best friend so he rolls with it, even if he does end up having a talk with Roy about how he needs to make an effort to not look angry when Jamie and Colin go off together after training. I’m not angry, that’s just my face, Roy protests. Yeah, Isaac agrees, I know, bruv, but it’s freaking Colin out a little so maybe make an effort to not look like yourself, yeah? So the next time, Roy tries for a smile and Colin has trouble sleeping that night.

(For an extra helping of crack if Jamie/everyone is your thing: When the rest of the team learns of this, a few of the lads complain that it’s not fair that Keeley and Roy and Colin all get to have Jamie as their boyfriend when they don’t, but Jamie quickly assures them that he can be their boyfriend too! [Right… ? with sideway glances at Roy and Colin who just nod.] There’s plenty of Jamie to go around! Except he’s kind of busy with the partners he’s already got so maybe they need a scheduele and it’ll mostly be odd dates, but yeah, everyone who wants to can sign up for the Jamie Tartt Boyfriend Experience and in the end one fourth of the team is dating Jamie in some shape or form.)

That’s what I got for now. I hope at least one of them tickled your fancy, even if I strayed into OT3+ territory there for a bit...

[fexalted]

watching tos for the first time since like, roughly 2012/13-ish? i don't remember what year it was, or why i only got thru most of season 1 before stopping

it's been fun to refresh my swiss cheesed memory with this tho so here's a semi-liveblog of the first 10 eps that i watched over the past couple weeks

1x01 - the man trap

things i remembered beforehand:

salt monster

"plum" uwu

that gay little run and crawl jim does when he's taking cover (it fills me with such delight)

things i did not remember:

how many people died, good god man it's only the first episode

1x02 - charlie x

things i remembered:

jim's bright red exercise pants

that stupid fucking face charlie makes when he uses his powers

not liking this ep at all when i first watched it, possibly due to me being around the same age as charlie at the time

additional thoughts: i enjoyed it more this time and felt more sympathetic for charlie. poor kid needed some parents, and also, like, a hug

1x03 - where no man has gone before

things i remembered:

bones isn't in it :'( (bored) (sad) (missing my bestie)

"James R Kirk"

that post i saw on here recently about how their contacts were made of glass

the only thing i could think about while watching:

their contacts

were made

of GLASS

(yes i understand this was how contacts were made back then. still freaked out by the concept of people putting glass in their eyes on purpose)

1x04 - the naked time

things i remembered:

sweat disease

sulu fencing

oh kathleen

"ONE-MORE-TIME!!"

"love mankind"

spock breakdown (extremely uncomfortable to watch)

bones casually ripping jim's shirt sleeve to jab him in the arm (extremely hilarious every time i think about it)

did not remember:

anything about them almost crashing into a planet lol

jim's little monologue when he gets infected (lmao)

time warp???

additional thoughts: hey remember when they reused this plot in tng and tasha and data fucked (<- literally the only thing i can remember about it) ((edit from future fex: i rewatched that ep. it was wild. tos did it better tho))

1x05 - the enemy within

things i remembered:

unicorn dog :)

evil kirk and poor little meow meow kirk

"I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!!!"

things not remembered:

dog dies :(

evil kirk's killer eyeliner

additional thoughts: say what you will about shatner / his acting but this ep is Peak shatner performance and a lot of fun to watch. he put his whole pussy into it, as the kids say these days

1x06 - mudd's women

things remembered:

could not forget harry mudd if i tried

the women are color coded like the powerpuff girls lol

they're also like, on some kind of drug that keeps them looking young or something

cool costumes tho

i don't have much to say about this one lol, harry's a fun character but the rest of the ep wasn't super interesting to me. did finally learn how to pronounce "ophiuchus" tho so i'll thank it for that

1x07 - what are little girls made of

things remembered:

is this the penis rock episode (it is)

uhhh i think kirk gets put into some kind of spinny machine that makes androids (he does)

more cool costumes (debatable)

things i find funny:

the number of planets we've encountered so far that are populated by like. 2-4 people

the way ruk (the big guy) just picks up and throws kirk like he weighs nothing

so much buildup with kirk and the penis rock and he doesn't even get to hit ruk over the head with it smh

also not a funny moment but i liked the way kirk was able to get a message to spock thru the android kirk, v clever

wait i just realized bones wasn't in this ep either. deducting 1/4 of a star from my mental rating bc i missed him (but apparently not that much)

1x08 - miri

remembered:

planet of children (bc everyone else died of terminal puberty)

"no blah blah blah!"

bones tests his newly discovered, untested cure on himself, in true mad scientist fashion (also spones moment <3)

saw this ep on a "what's your fave 'bad' episode" poll here recently and i can't remember if i thought it was good or bad when i first watched it lol

forgot:

another earth?? there's just a second, identical earth floating around out there?? and (of course) they don't mention it at all for the rest of the episode

300 year old children

oh these kids are so much more annoying than i remembered, however i may just be biased bc i don't like kids shfkshfk

1x09 - dagger of the mind

remember:

absolutely nothing! oh boy!

thoughts:

wow this ep is fucked up!

okay actually i don't think i've seen this one at all before?

usually there'll be moments that jog my memory but the only thing even slightly familiar to me was kirk going "helen don't go!" while in the neutralizer chair, but i could've just seen a clip/gif of it before

i remember skipping episodes in season 1 (i was impatient and wanted to get to city on the edge of forever) but i thought i'd at least made it to halfway thru the season before skipping any

anyway did i mention this ep is fucked up? (star trek really does love to drop an absolutely haunting 50 minutes of television on you and then never address it again, i understand this now. roll credits!)

1x10 - the corbomite maneuver

remember:

uhh

there's a thing out there

it's in the way

preventing them from boldly going, even

looks like an old windows screensaver

i might've skipped this ep too now that i think about it

thoughts:

cute mckirk moment in sickbay :3

i love that this cube has its own theme music whenever its on screen

oh shit it's the sequel to cube: orb

jesus christ that's a big orb

man they really said "okay we've got 3 music tracks and we're gonna get our money's worth out of them"

i gotta say this ep slaps tbh—WAIT HE'S A BABY???

LITTLE BABY MAN

LMAOOOOO

honestly great episode tho i'll stand by that

[nobodysdaydreams]

The Mysterious Benedict Society Christmas Carol AU

(I was gonna wait until December to post this, but Gogh and they were interested, and I have zero impulse control so here we go!)

I wanted to make something for my TMBS mutuals this wonderful holiday season, and I never get tired of Christmas Carol adaptations. Dickins knew what he was doing when he wrote that one. There's just nothing that gives me that warm, wholesome, special holiday feeling more than the idea of finding a cruel selfish person and putting the fear of God and compassion for mankind into their heart by haunting them with their own sins and terrifying the living daylights out of them.

So I figured, why shouldn't Curtain get his turn too?

For @sophieswundergarten and @myfairkatiecat based on your wonderful vision (I’m sorry I know I promised you this in like…August. But better late than never). And for @itsgoghtime so that we can scream about it together!

Trigger warning for multiple character deaths (don't worry it's all good at the end part though).

Obviously Scrooge is none other than Curtain/Nathaniel Benedict himself. The other roles are generally shared between characters.

This takes place in between season 1 and 2. The extended Benedict family is celebrating Christmas together, but Nicholas has trouble getting into the spirit of the season, because the holidays have never felt the same without Nathaniel. But then it occurs to Nicholas that now that he knows where his brother is, he can invite him to Christmas this year (though there still is the small problem of them being enemies and the fact that his friends might not approve of it).

So, Nicholas, after sleuthing out his brother’s address in Italy, decides to secretly write him a letter inviting him to their Christmas party, explaining that he forgives Nathaniel, is sorry he didn’t come back when they were children, and that he sincerely misses his brother and wants him to be part of his family again (so I guess for the purpose of matching characters, Nicholas has the role of Fred in this instance).

Meanwhile, back at the compound, Garrison (who has the role of Bob Cratchit, at least for now), has a huge fight with Curtain over the happiness technique, and in typical Curtain fashion, he rudely insists on doing it his way and verbally abuses Garrison. SQ overhears his father yelling at her but doesn’t say anything.

Later, Jackson and Jillson come to Curtain with some concerns about the way Marlon had been doing things at the compound. They ask Curtain what they’ll be doing for Christmas this year, and suggest doing something for charity in order to promote the work they’re doing. Curtain replies that the work they are doing is inherently charitable, and that they don’t have the time to waste celebrating Christmas. He then orders a disappointed Jackson and Jillson to get back to work.

As Jackson and Jillson leave, they drop a letter on Curtain’s desk, which was delivered to the compound that morning. It’s Nicholas’ invitation. Curtain, believing it to be a pathetic attempt to get him to surrender by appealing to his nostalgia and sentimentality, scoffs at the letter as SQ enters the office and asks his dad who sent them a Christmas card. Curtain replies that it’s junk mail and throws the letter in the trash.

SQ then nervously asks his father why they aren’t celebrating Christmas this year. Curtain replies that he understands this is a disappointment, but explains that he can’t afford to relax when his brother (Nicholas) is spreading lies about them. However, he tells SQ that he got him some lovely art supplies to make up for it, and promises that they’ll have a lovely celebration next year. SQ is visibly disappointed, but tries his best to sound grateful and wishes his dad a Merry Christmas before going back to his room.

Meanwhile, Curtain, who is still upset about the holiday (which he views as a waste of time) and Nicholas’ letter, angrily settles in for a night of hard work.

And that’s when the haunting begins.

For this AU, Jacob Marley is the ghost of SQ's dad, since he's dead, and he and Curtain worked together. But in this version, he isn't a chained up ghost (because he wasn't a bad person in life), but he is still a sad ghost. He asks Curtain why he's trying to control the world and begs him to change his ways. Curtain is startled, but believing the ghost to be a hallucination, insists that what he's doing is best for their son and best for the world. When SQ's bio dad's ghost challenges him on this, Curtain slowly begins to accept that he might be real, but grows tired of being criticized and says that this is what he had to do to survive and move on after SQ’s bio parent’s deaths. SQ's bio dad sadly replies Curtain has one last chance to change, but that he will be haunted by three spirits. He then disappears, and Curtain believes it to be a dream.

He dozes off and awakens later to see what he believes to be his brother Nicholas surrounded by a glowing light. But not Nicholas as he knows him, but the child version of his brother, who introduces himself as the ghost of Christmas past. Curtain reluctantly follows the ghost, who leads him through memories of Nathaniel celebrating Christmas with Nicholas. Even though they didn't have much at the orphanage (and heck, they don’t even know if their birth family even celebrated Christmas or any holiday at all), they always did their best to give each other nice gifts and make the holiday their own. The ghost reminds Curtain that this was something he looked forward to every year, and suggests that Curtain misses spending the holidays with his brother. Curtain scoffs and dismisses the warm feelings, stating coldly that Nicholas never really loved or appreciated him (though he doesn't quite look like he believes what he's saying and a part of him wishes it wasn't true).

The little ghost seems very sad to hear Curtain's words, but reluctantly takes him to his next memory, which is of Curtain celebrating Christmas with Garrison, Milligan, and SQ's birth parents back when they were his employees and Curtain wasn't as evil or uptight as he is now. Milligan (who I guess is a stand in for Fezziwig in this AU), is the one who insists that they have a celebration and break from their work, and they all have fun together. Curtain, for a moment, gets swept up in the good feelings. The ghost notes that Curtain never does anything like this for his current employees, which Curtain dismisses by saying that things are different now, and they'll have time for celebrations later, after they've won.

The ghost then points out SQ's birth parents and reminds Curtain that this was the last Christmas they spent together before they died. Curtain tries to talk to them, and ask SQ's birth father why he appeared in his bedroom earlier, but the ghost tells him that these are only memories, shadows of what was. No one here can hear them, and Curtain can't interact with any of them.

They continue to watch SQ's birth parents, and Curtain, in a moment of sentimentality, does admit that they were good friends and good people. The ghost says it's a pity they died without having children, and Curtain corrects him by saying that they did have a child. The ghost remarks that Curtain is right: they had his son SQ (so I guess SQ's birth parents and SQ are also stand ins for Fred and Fran).

Curtain then sees a memory of him spending one of his first Christmases with baby SQ, right after his birth parents die. He promises his son that even though his parents are gone, he’ll make sure that he always feels loved and knows that he has a father who loves him. The ghost then asks if SQ enjoys Christmas parties as much as his birth parents. Curtain is too ashamed to talk about it, and mutters that it's unimportant.

Now, if you want to make this an exact Christmas Carol AU, I could also insert a scene here of Garrison friend zoning Curtain and asking him to keep their relationship professional after SQ's birth parents die and she watches Curtain slowly turn into a worse and worse person. This would parallel Scrooge getting rejected by Belle and feed into the Garrison and Curtain divorce drama agenda™️, but it's take it or leave it.

Either way, at this point, the emotions of the memories lead Curtain to the verge of a narcoleptic attack, which he dismisses by declaring that the past doesn't matter and he doesn't care about it. He tries to snuff out the ghost's light, but that only makes it glow even more, as it's face transforms into the faces of Curtain's old friends and family and the scene changes between the different memories shown to Curtain. In frustration, Curtain throws an blanket over the ghost when they are back in his bedroom and the ghost disappears.

And of course, now that Curtain finds himself back in his bedroom in the present, who does he find but the ghost of Christmas present. The ghost again looks like Nicholas, but different somehow, in a way Curtain can't quite explain. The ghost does look joyful and at peace, which is very much a Nicholas way of being, but also very professional, and he's dressed more the way Curtain usually dresses, just in Christmas colors instead of the usual blue.

The ghost takes him to Nicholas' house, where Curtain sees Nicholas and his family celebrating Christmas. The children are playing a guessing game (like Fred's friends in the original story), and Constance asks them to guess something that's exactly like Mr. Benedict, but awful in every way, immature, sad, and dumb. Everyone is confused as to how something that resembles Mr. Benedict could possibly be so awful, but then Reynie realizes the answer is Curtain, and everyone laughs (though Nicholas looks a bit sad).

Curtain is insulted and tells the children off for being rude, only for the ghost to remind him that they can't hear him. Curtain watches the party for a bit, at first insisting that it's stupid and he wouldn't have wanted to come anyway, but he slowly beings to participate in the games (getting especially frustrated when people have trouble guessing obvious answers), and actually enjoys himself. When the ghost points it out to him, Curtain has a moment where he realizes, to his shame, that this is always what he's wanted: Christmas with a family. But he rejects the thought as soon as it comes.

Then he notices Kate struggling with the injuries she received from his men at the Institute, and notices the worry on Milligan and Nicholas' faces (She's Tiny Tim in this AU). He asks the ghost if Kate will be okay, and the ghost replies that Kate is more injured then she's letting on, and warns Curtain that she'll put on a brave face if it means stopping him and protecting her family, even if it means injuring herself more permanently. Curtain accuses the ghost of blaming him for Kate's condition, and the ghost replies that he's merely answering Curtain's question. Curtain scoffs and says that this is stupid anyway. He has his own family and doesn't need or care about Nicholas'.

The ghost nods and takes him back to the compound, where he sees Jackson and Jillson celebrating Christmas by frantically trying to get everything together for Curtain as Marlon yells at them to work faster. The ghost comments that Marlon seems to have a very different attitude towards his underlings on Christmas than Milligan did, and asks Curtain whether he thinks this is an improvement to the work environment. Curtain replies that unlike Milligan, Marlon is loyal, and that's something to be valued. The ghost observes that Jackson and Jillson certainly seem loyal too. Curtain overhears how miserable Jackson and Jillson are, and that they don't really care about Marlon, but they follow his orders because they don't want to disappoint Dr. Curtain. Jackson and Jillson both reveal that they look up to Curtain and genuinely want to do a good job for him. They also wonder whether Dr. Curtain is proud of them or appreciates their work. Curtain realizes that he's never once thanked either of them.

He then sees SQ on Christmas, surrounded by all the fancy art supplies that Curtain gets him every year. SQ talks to an old photo of his birth parents and comments that this is nice, and he doesn't want to see ungrateful, but he wishes that he had friends and family to celebrate Christmas with, and that his dad wasn't always so busy. Although he knows his son can't hear him, Curtain says aloud that he didn't realize that this was making his son so miserable, and promises that once his plans come to fruition, they are going to have many wonderful Christmases together. SQ doesn't hear him or respond, he just sighs, puts the photo away, and goes to bed.

The ghost then tells Curtain they have one last person to see: Garrison (who is also a version of Bob Cratchit in this, I guess she and Milligan sort of share the role).

Curtain watches Garrison get out of bed and sneak out of the compound. He's surprised she found a way to do that, but follows her down the street. She walks past a church with a bulletin board outside and stares at it for a few minutes, as if debating what to do. When people begin showing up for the Christmas mass, she sighs and quickly continues down the street before anyone gets the chance to talk to her. Confused, Curtain looks at the bulletin board and realizes the church is also a space used for alcoholics anonymous meetings. Garrison continues down the street until she comes to an crossroads, one of which leads to the train station, the other leads to a local bar. Garrison stares at the train station for a long time, trembling and shivering, before she decides to go the bar instead. Curtain watches her down several drinks before stumbling into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror and muttering that she's a pathetic coward for not being strong enough to leave or ask for help. Curtain tries to tell her this isn't true, but the ghost reminds him that she can't hear him. Curtain comments that this doesn't make sense, since he thought Garrison had succeeded in staying sober. He and the ghost listen to Garrison declare that she deserves all the terrible things the alcohol is doing to her and that Curtain deserves this too, because he drove her to this. The ghost sadly explains that Garrison took up drinking again after Curtain started using her happiness on people.

Curtain, frustrated at being "blamed for all of this" angrily insists that if he'd know this was a problem, he'd have done something to help. He follows Garrison outside, trying to get her attention as she stumbles outside into the snow, shivering and shaking all the way back to the compound. The ghost follows too, telling Curtain that his time is almost up. The ghost looks noticeably older by now, and in fact has been slowly aging this entire time, but Curtain ignores this and tries to run after Garrison, but the snow starts falling faster, swirling all around him, and Garrison disappears in the dark and snow. Church bells start chiming. The ghost informs Curtain that his time is up. The ghost of Christmas present disappears and Curtain finds himself alone on a dark street, and the swirling snow around him has now vanished.

He turns and sees a figure covered in a black robe hobbling out of the darkness. Curtain asks if he is the ghost of Christmas future. The ghost doesn't answer, he merely nods and beckons Curtain to follow him.

The first place he goes is an insane asylum. In it he finds Garrison, and overhears her caretakers talking about how she really got a bad deal working for that "horrible man". It's implied that Nicholas defeated Curtain, and in the aftermath, Garrison's history of substance abuse and mental illness got her declared insane, so instead of sending her to prison, she was placed here. She looks completely miserable and has a dead and far off look in her eyes, and doesn't really speak at all. She only whispers "it's my fault" over and over again. Disturbed, Curtain whisperers to her that he'll make sure this doesn't happen, but she doesn't seem able to hear him, and Curtain is really creeped out by her staring and wonders what could have happened to make her like this.

Curtain then finds himself in an old and dirty factory, where he finds Jackson working alone. It's revealed that since Jackson and Jillson were legally over 18, they went to trial as adults. Nicholas did his best to keep them from prison, but the courts forcibly separated them, and since neither have very good job skills and both have criminal records, they each work in factories in different parts of the country, where they are exploited and forced to work in horrible conditions for very low wages. They both dream of saving enough money to be able to find each other again, but Curtain can tell that neither of them could possibly save enough for that. He calls what happened to them cruel and blames Nicholas for it, since this is apparently the result of Nicholas defeating him. He demands to be taken to the Benedict residence.

The ghost still doesn't speak, but complies. Curtain finds the Benedicts (and friends) celebrating Christmas, but they are not as happy as before. Milligan and Kate are notably absent. The mood is extremely somber. Curtain is confused, saying that they won, so they should be happy. He then overhears Nicholas privately tell Number Two and Rhonda that he wishes he could have been allowed custody of SQ after Curtain went to prison and done more to help him, to which Curtain yells that Nicholas ought to stay far away from his family. Nicholas doesn't hear him, and the subject of Nicholas visiting Curtain in prison comes up. Apparently, Nicholas has not gone to see Curtain once. Nicholas feels guilty about this, but also says it's going to be hard to face his brother after everything he took from them. Nicholas then sighs and admits that his friends were right: the brother he knew really is gone for good.

Nicholas gets emotional and leaves to have a moment alone. Curtain goes after him, yelling after him that Nicholas is one to talk considering the brother he remembers was one he was so eager to leave behind. Although he can't hear him, Nicholas breaks down into tears the second he's alone, admitting to himself that he knows he's the reason Nathaniel is gone forever, he's the reason there's only Curtain now. Curtain then realizes that this is the first time he’s heard Nicholas call him "Curtain" instead of "Nathaniel" and is disturbed by it, wondering what prompting Nicholas to starting calling him by that name.

Curtain then addresses the ghost, asking him what the meaning of this is. Why is Nicholas acting like this when he's the one who won? What could he possibly be so upset about now, he already knows Curtain is his brother? The ghost takes him to a graveyard where he sees Milligan sitting by a grave stone that's surrounded by flowers, cards, and candles.

Milligan apologizes to the grave stone, saying that he should have been more vigilant, that he should have prevented "her" from facing off against such a dangerous enemy all alone while recovering from an injury. But he then adds that he knows she did it because she cared about her friends and wanted to save them, without ever thinking of herself. Milligan then tearfully apologizes for losing her again so soon and declares that even though they only had a short time together, he was proud to have her as his daughter. He then says "Merry Christmas Katie-Cat" before sadly leaving the graveyard.

Curtain is shocked to find that Kate is dead and from hearing the comments of some passersby as they watch Milligan (looking like a shell of his former self) leave the graveyard, learns to his horror that in this future, Kate fought through her injuries and tried to fight some of Curtain's men alone, an action that resulted in her accidental death when she slipped off a ledge. The people at the graveyard shake their heads and comment how sad they feel for poor Milligan. They also express their disgust at how awful and terrible Curtain is, saying that prison time is still too merciful of a sentence for such a terrible crime against such a brave and selfless child.

Curtain is suddenly back in the Benedict residence and hears Number Two comment that it's a shame Mr. Benedict still blames himself when his brother is the one who is a murderer. The others agree.

The ghost raises his hand again, as if about to show Curtain another scene from his future, when Curtain grabs his arm to stop him, insisting that he's not a murderer, and that he never intended for this. In a moment of panic and desperation, he insists that the only reason the future is like this is because Nicholas and his friends won. In a world where he won, none of this would have happened! Curtain demands that the ghost show him that future, the better future, the one where he won instead. The ghost complies.

Curtain declares that in this future, everyone will be happy and better off, and at first, this does seem to be true. Instead of insulting, mocking, and belittling him, everyone on the streets cheerfully discusses how wonderful Curtain is. He's considered a hero and visionary. Curtain is pleased by this. He then sees Jackson and Jillson, smiling and agreeing with the other passersby. However, the second they are alone, Jackson and Jillson drop there fake smiles and start sobbing with guilt about what's going to happen to these people being all their fault, and they express regret at having ever followed Curtain and their role in helping destroy the world. Curtain is confused, and askes the ghost what they could possibly be talking about when everyone else seems so happy.

The ghost then takes him to the compound to show Curtain what has become of his followers, Nicholas, and the society. Curtain is relieved to see them all alive and well, but slowly realizes they they aren't moving. As he explores the compound, he discovers that this is the fate of everyone here, Nicholas and the children included, and a consequence of the happiness technique that's spreading out of control across the world. He starts to panic, thinking of what he can do to stop this, and then realizes that Garrison would know what to do. He demands the ghost take him to Garrison immediately.

The ghost takes Curtain back to the same graveyard from earlier. Curtain is upset, saying that he saw that Kate was alive (but frozen with the others) in this future, and insists that she and the others will be fine as soon as he finds Garrison and asks her how to reverse whatever is happening. The ghost merely points to a gravestone, which has Garrison's name on it now instead of Kate’s, and is barren and empty compared to how Kate's grave looked before with all the cards and flowers. A newspaper flutters past Curtain's feet, revealing that after seeing what her happiness was doing to the world, Garrison blamed herself and drank herself to death out of guilt. Frustrated, Curtain yells at the ghost to stop showing him all these horrible things, but the ghost does not reply.

Curtain, growing increasingly frustrated, says this isn't what he wants either, and the ghost finally speaks, and asks Curtain what sort of future he does want if he is so unsatisfied with futures where he wins and loses. Curtain breaks down and finally fully admits the truth (both to the ghost and to himself) and confesses that he wants what he's always wanted since the orphanage: a future where he can be happy with his family on Christmas.

The ghost tells Curtain that his family is the one thing that remains the same in both futures.

Curtain finds himself standing in front of an unfamiliar, but nice looking house. After peering through the windows, he sees a family that seems to be celebrating Christmas, or some sort of holiday together. A first, Curtain is confused. This isn’t his family, so why would the ghost bring him here? But still, he knocks on the door, and finds to his surprise that this time his hands are solid, and he can actually knock on it. A young teenager that looks like SQ answers the door, and to Curtain's surprise, the boy can actually see him. Curtain tentatively asks if the boy is SQ, and the boy shakes his head and calls for his father. Curtain then realizes he is at the home of future SQ and the people inside the house are his son's friends and children (Curtain's grandchildren).

When grown up SQ comes to the door, he is upset by the sight of his dad and protectively tells his children and family to go back inside and let him handle this. Curtain asks SQ to let him come in, so that he can meet his grandchildren and have a chance to be in his son's life again, but SQ angrily refuses and declares that he won’t let his father hurt his family anymore. Curtain begs him for a second chance, but SQ tells him that he threw that opportunity away a long time ago. SQ also tells Curtain that he'll do anything to protect his family, and threatens to contact the authorities if he ever comes to their house again.

After the door is closed in Curtain's face, the ghost of Christmas future restates that this is the one thing that remains the same in both futures.

In the future where Curtain won, he was unable to bring himself to use the happiness technique on SQ after seeing what it did to Nicholas, and SQ, horrified by what his father had done to control the world, spends the rest of his life running away and establishing a new identity and life so he could be free of his father. When Curtain eventually tracks down his son, he is turned away and SQ threatens to hurt his own father if he ever dares approach his family again, for fear his will use the happiness on him or his children.

In the future where Curtain lost, he eventually gets paroled out of prison decades later as a very old man and goes to find his son, only to be turned away in a similar manner because of what he did to Kate after being informed that SQ has a restraining order against him.

Curtain, in tears, yells at the ghost and demands to know who he is and why he is doing this to him. The ghost lowers his hood to reveal the face of future Curtain as an old man, and Curtain finally realizes that the ghosts he was seeing weren't alternate versions of Nicholas at all, but distorted reflections of himself. The ghost of who he was, the ghost of who he could be, and the ghost of who he will become. Curtain gasps and stumbles back. As he does so, he catches a glimpse of his face in the window and realizes that he now looks old too. He turns back to the ghost, only to find that the ghost has disappeared, and this is his life now.

He starts to panicking and running the streets, looking for someone who can help him, but his visions of the two futures begin merging together and everywhere he turns he either sees unsettling groups of people under his happiness technique staring at him with creepy frozen smiles, unable to move, or people jeering, spitting at him, and shoving him as they call him a criminal and a murderer.

Finally, Curtain starts breaking down in tears, begging God, the universe, or anyone who is listening for a chance to go back and change things. Then his narcolepsy takes control and he falls asleep.

When he wakes up, he runs through the compound and grabs Jackson by the shoulders asking him what day it is. Jackson replies that it's Christmas (and Jillson, who of course is next to him adds "December 25th to be precise"). Nathaniel is so relieved and overjoyed, and hugs them both, which confuses Jackson and Jillson. Nathaniel immediately orders them to prepare to attend a Christmas party and gives them a list of presents to buy. Jackson and Jillson are confused, but happy with their new assignments.

Nathaniel then finds Garrison trying to escape the compound. Because Nathaniel is still the insane dramatic theater kid that he is, he does the fake out thing Scrooge does to Bob where he yells at her and backs her into a corner. Garrison cowers in fear, only for Nathaniel to hug her and promise her that he's going to raise her pay, publicly declare her innocent, get her help for her alcoholism, and put her in charge of their entire operation just before he confesses to his crimes and goes to prison after celebrating Christmas with his family.

Garrison, believing him to have gone insane, asks if he tried to use the technique on himself or if he's having a mental breakdown, but after a thorough examination, realizes to her surprise that he is being sincere. Nathaniel begs her to join him for Christmas, and with no where else to go, and too shocked to come up with any excuse, she agrees.

Nathaniel then grabs all of the employment records, addresses, and information he has on the Wetheralls before Milligan's brain sweeping (with generous financial compensation) and sends it to their house (similar to how Scrooge sent the turkey to Bob Crathcit's house).

He then finds SQ and declares that he was wrong about Christmas, family, and everything, and begs him for a second chance. SQ is surprised to see his father actually apologizing to him that he agrees, even as Nathaniel starts telling him the truth about his narcolepsy, his evil plans, Nicholas, everything. It's a lot for SQ to take in, but he's happy his dad is coming clean and being honest with him, as shocking as it might be. He's also pleasantly surprised to see his dad seems genuinely happy.

Nathaniel then takes SQ, Garrison, and Jackson and Jillson with him to Nicholas’ Christmas Party ("But Bods, aren't the Benedicts in America and the compound is in Italy, do they teleport now?" "Nathaniel has private jets now." "Uh... okay, but it would still take hours-" "Don't question the magic of Christmas").

Nicholas' friends start threatening Nathaniel immediately, assuming he's there to ruin Christmas and do something horrible, but are surprised to see that Nathaniel brought gifts for all of them (surprisingly well thought out gifts too). Nathaniel introduces the others and asks Nicholas if it’s not too late to reconsider his offer and celebrate Christmas with them. Nicholas replies that it’s never too late.

Of course when all is said and done, Nathaniel serves a nice looonnnngggg community service sentence, but he's back with his family, he's good now, and all is well with the world.

*Cut to a scene of the ghosts of SQ's bio parents smiling at Nathaniel before they disappear*

I hope you guys like this!

[aragarna]

a meme!

tagged by @silverfoxstole, thank youuu <3 <3

Tag someone you want to know better!

Favorite color: red, or green. Depends on things

Last song: There's And The Money Kept Rolling, from the Evita soundtrack, floating around in my head right now. (I rewatched the movie recently and that soundtrack slaps!)

Last movie: During my long and tedious transatlantic flight I watched The Fablemans, by Steven Spielberg, Empire of Light, by Sam Mendes, and Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse. All three excellent.

Currently watching: Finally tackling season 3 of For All Mankind. Not sure why I postponed it for so long, it's such a good show!

Other stuff I watched this year: Good Omens S2, like everyone else. Also just started Foundation.

Shows I dropped this year/didn’t finish: It was so bad that I've already forgotten about it.

Currently reading: Cher Connard, by Virginie Despente. A very post-#MeToo story from one of the fiercest feminist French writers.

Currently listening to: The French radio out of order (I'm currently in the US, but I like keeping up with the news, and I like my daily routine timed on the morning programs, so I'm listening the morning news in the morning, despite them being 9 hours old. Other times of the day, I just pick whatever program of the day I want to listen.)

Currently working on: I have 2 short Zorro one-shots in the work. I have also re-opened the WC/Forever crossover of doom... (also, a multi-chaptered Zorro fic that is on pause for plot reasons, an idea for a sequel to my last fic, AND quite a fun concept for a Disney Zorro/Mask of Zorro crossover)

Current obsession: As you may have noticed, I currently am in a sort of Good Omens phase... (but also my brain can't seem to get over the Zorro obsession, so...)

Tagging with no obligation: @amalthea9 @thesymphonytrue @ascreamintothevoid-blog @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @spinner-sophie @stan-of-many @penna-nomen and any of you who likes to do memes :-)

[olympic-paris]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

September 6

1809 – English sailor Charles North receives 300 lashes and 2 years of solitary confinement for "indecent liberties" with a ship's boy.

1890 – Carl Maria Weber who also wrote under the pseudonym Olaf, was a German educator and writer born in Düsseldorf, Germany.(d.1953) Carl Maria Weber was the author of poems and essays . His early poems often deal with typically Expressionist themes such as the love of mankind and the call to action; his later work was strongly influenced by the youth movement and characterized by a vague sympathy for socialism.

Carl Maria Weber was the son of a teacher. He grew up in Düsseldorf. During his studies at the University of Bonn from 1912 to 1914, he made contacts with Thomas Mann and Kurt Hiller.

During the First World War, Weber became a pacifist. In 1919 he was a member of the Wandervogel movement. In 1920 he was appointed by Wilhelm Vershofen to the group of "Workers on House Nyland"; there he was in charge of lecturing. He published his texts in numerous expressionist Magazines.

From 1921 to 1926 he was a teacher of German and history at the Free School Community of Wickersdorf. After he passed his teacher exams in 1927, he worked as a teacher at various private schools in the province. In 1932 he withdrew from literary life after one of his stories was mutilated by the censors because of its anti-militarist tendencies.

From 1937 Weber worked as a teacher at the Marquartstein Landerziehungsheim . His unchanged pacifist attitude and his homosexuality made his work there increasingly difficult. After the nationalization of the home in 1942, Weber saw no other way out than to join the Nazi party, especially in order to avoid the threat of being called up for military service.

His Nazi party membership was his undoing after 1945. He was dismissed by the American occupiers; the attempt to be politically rehabilitated failed, so that Weber fell into deep poverty and finally died of a starvation-related heart attack.

1976 – Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo is an American football linebacker and special teamer who played in Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college football for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1999.

Ayanbadejo has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times as a special teams player. He also was named to the All-Pro team two times as special teams player by Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association. He has also been a member of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins of the NFL, the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and BC Lions of the CFL.

Ayanbadejo was born in Chicago to a Nigerian father and an American mother of Irish descent. He has one older brother, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, also a professional football player. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Nigeria, but after his parents separated he returned to the United States with his mother, settling in Chicago and then Santa Cruz, California.

Since 2009, Ayanbedejo has advocated for legalizing same-sex marriage. His advocacy rather suddenly became a cause célèbre in September 2012, after Maryland State Delegate Emmett C. Burns, Jr. wrote an August 29, 2012 letter to Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, on official Maryland State letterhead, demanding that Bisciotti "take the necessary action ... to inhibit such expressions from your employee." Burns' letter went on to state that, "I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing. Burns' letter was widely criticized as an effort to infringe on Ayanbadejo's right to free speech. According to The Washington Post, the Ravens acknowledged receiving the letter but had no further comment.

Shortly after the Burns letter was delivered, Ayanbedejo publicly announced that, as the son of interracial parents whose own marriage would have been illegal in 16 states prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Loving v. Virginia decision in 1967, he had no intention of remaining silent on an issue of conscience and public importance. Ayanbadejo has since said that he has received widespread support in the world of football. Among others, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe wrote a scathing response to Burns, while the Ravens also publicly sided with Ayanbadejo. In February 2013, Ayanbadejo and Kluwe filed a joint amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage, particularly in the case dealing with California Proposition 8.

1980 – Vikram Kolmannskog is an Indian-Norwegian writer, psychotherapist, and jurist.He was born and lives in Oslo, Norway. In 2008, as a legal adviser working with the Norwegian Refugee Council, Kolmannskog wrote Future Floods of Refugees: A Comment on Climate Change, Conflict, and Forced Migration. This became the starting point for the work that he and the Norwegian Refugee Council did to improve the rights of so-called climate refugees.

Kolmannskog has practiced as a gestalt therapist since 2012. In this field too he has been particularly concerned with research related to marginalised groups, including trans folks.

Kolmannskog writes fiction and poetry. Much of his work explores the intersections of queerness, sexuality, and spirituality. With Taste and See: A Queer Prayer, published in 2018, he became known as an author who 'reconciles religiosity, spirituality and being queer'. His work was described as 'a lyrical study of passion, both religious and carnal'.

Many of his poems and short stories have been written during, and as part of, the Indian LGBTQ mobilisation, and he has been a regular contributor to Indian LGBTQ magazines such as Gaylaxy. On 6 September 2019, on the one-year anniversary of the Indian decriminalisation of homosexuality, a collection of his short stories Lord of the Senses was published by queer-of-colour–centric press Team Angelica.

In March 2020, Lord of the Senses was announced as one of the Lambda Literary Award finalists in Oprah Magazine.

Jwan Yosef (L) and Ricky Martin

1984 – Jwan Yosef is a Syrian-born, Swedish painter and artist. He specializes in plastic arts and is based in London, England.

Yosef was born in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, to a Kurdish Muslim father and an Armenian Christian mother. His family immigrated to Sweden when he was two years old, and later he studied painting in Pernby School of Painting in Stockholm between 2004 and 2006, then moved to Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm.

Yosef has taken part in a great number of art fairs and group exhibitions. He held two solo exhibitions in 2013 titled Painting about Sex, Flesh and Violence, lol at the DIVUS Gallery in London and High Notes, at the Galleri Anna Thulin, Stockholm. He participated in the Threadneedle Prize exhibition in 2013 and the BEERS Contemporary Award for Emerging Art both in 2013. In 2015 he exhibited at Galleri Bon with group exhibition There and Back Again with fellow Konstfack graduates Josef Bull, Petr Davydtchenko and Natasja Loutchko. He is a founding member and studio holder at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation in Archway, North London.

Yosef is openly gay. In April 2016, during the amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research gala in São Paulo, Brazil, he publicly announced that he had been in a relationship with Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. The couple married in 2017. On December 31, 2018, Martin and Yosef announced, via Instagram, the birth of their daughter, Lucia Martin-Yosef. On October 29, 2019, Martin and Yosef announced the birth of their son, Renn Martin-Yosef.

2005 – The California legislature becomes the first to pass a bill allowing marriage between same-sex couples. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes the bill. The same thing happens in 2007.

[gordopickett]

And If It’s Not Okay... (For All Mankind post-s2 fix-it fic)

*** Chapter 31 is up! ***

Chapter Title: Astronaut’s Wife

Chapter Summary: Ed goes back home to have a conversation with Karen about their marriage, but it doesn't go as smoothly as he had hoped.

And for anyone who wants to read the chapter here on Tumblr...

*******

Chapter 31: Astronaut’s Wife

Ed drove back home from Ellington in his two-tone Stingray. He and Gordo had taken the T-38s up again. Ed had been a little concerned at first about Gordo getting back up into the air after what had just happened. A “panic attack,” Gordo had called it.

Ed had listened to Gordo take a few deep, calming breaths before their second takeoff, but after that, Gordo had seemed fine. In the air, they had joked and laughed like normal, giving each other a hard time. They had agreed to a best-of-three in their second round of dogfighting. Gordo kicked Ed’s ass twice in a row.

Gordo had always been an amazing pilot – probably the best pilot Ed knew – but Gordo seemed more confident in the air lately than he had in years. Since before their first mission to Jamestown. Gordo’s renewed confidence reminded Ed of how he had been ten or fifteen years earlier. He was an even better pilot nowadays. He wasn’t arrogant like he had been back then, but he had faith in his skills as a pilot.

Despite the panic attacks, despite everything he had been through, Gordo still came alive when he was in a cockpit. And Ed was proud of him for doing that. He was proud of Gordo for immediately facing his fear and getting back into the cockpit at Ellington. Ed could tell that Gordo had changed tremendously over the past few months. He still had his demons. He still had his fears. But he wasn’t letting those things hold him back any longer. Ed was glad to see it.

And even more than that, Ed felt inspired by it.

He had been afraid to talk to Karen. Afraid of what might happen. Afraid she would tell him that their marriage was over. That she wanted out.

But Ed was ready to talk now. He wanted to make things work. He wanted to stay married and fix whatever had broken between them. He was ready to let Karen know how he felt.

After climbing out of the T-38s, Ed and Gordo had made plans to meet up at the Pine Grill at the Shamrock the next evening. In the meantime, Ed was going back home to talk to Karen.

Ed rolled up in the driveway and went into the house. He found Karen at the kitchen table, balancing the checkbook. There were papers scattered over the surface of the table, but Ed didn’t look at them.

“Hey,” he said, stopping in the doorway to the kitchen.

Karen looked up, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked him over. He was still wearing his flight suit, but he had removed his parachute pack and left it in the car with his flight bag.

“Hi,” Karen said, looking at him curiously. “Where are you headed?”

“Nowhere,” he said. “I just got back from Ellington. Gordo and I took up a couple of jets.”

“Oh,” she said, setting down the checkbook. “Everybody okay? Nobody had to be rescued from the Gulf this time?”

“No.” Ed smiled sheepishly. “No, everyone is fine.”

“That’s good.” She paused briefly. “How are you?” she asked. “How’s Kelly?”

“We’re...okay,” he said. “You?”

“I’m okay.”

He nodded slowly, letting his gaze wander around the kitchen, not looking at anything in particular.

“What’s going on, Ed?” she asked finally.

He scratched at the back of his neck, and as he lowered his hand, he said, “I was hoping we could talk.” He paused. “About us.”

“Okay,” she said. “Are you sure?”

He looked at her. He thought he was sure. He had been sure on the drive over. But now, looking at Karen sitting in their kitchen, he wasn’t so sure. His fear about the future of their marriage was returning. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, thinking about Gordo getting back in the T-38 after his panic attack. If he could do that, Ed could surely have a conversation with his wife.

Finally, Ed nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

“All right,” Karen said, setting the checkbook down on the table. “Would you like to start?”

Ed hesitated. He didn’t know how to begin. He didn’t know what Karen was thinking or what she wanted for their relationship.

Ed thought about what he wanted. He took a deep breath and said, “I don’t want to get divorced.”

Karen nodded slowly but said nothing.

Unable to read how she was feeling or what she was thinking, he said, “I don’t know what happened.” He hesitated, stammering a bit as he continued. “With—with us. I don’t—I don’t know what went wrong.” He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “I want to fix it, though. I want…” He trailed off and sighed softly. “I want us to be okay.”

Karen studied him for a long time. Ed still couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“Thank you,” she said finally. “For wanting to talk about us.”

He nodded and slowly walked towards the table where she sat. “What, um—How are you...feeling about it? About us?”

Karen took a deep breath. She looked down at the table where the papers were scattered about. He glanced down as well, noting, among other things, a pamphlet for William and Mary.

“I’m glad you want to fix things,” she said, looking up at him again. “I do too.”

Ed exhaled a relieved sigh. “Good.”

“But we have a lot of work to do, Ed.”

“Okay,” he said, taking a seat to her left at the table. “You said you think we need counseling.”

“I do.”

He nodded. “If that’s what it takes to fix things, we can do that.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, almost in a whisper. She looked down at the table again, absently fingering the corner of the William and Mary pamphlet.

He glanced down at it. He knew Kelly had been considering William and Mary, but he was pretty sure that she had since decided on the Naval Academy. Ed wondered why Karen had the pamphlet out.

“That’s not all, though,” Karen said.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re an astronaut, Ed,” she began. He didn’t know where she was going with it, so he waited for her to continue. “Your whole life has been about the Navy and NASA. Which means that my whole life has been about those things too.”

She looked at him, and Ed wondered if he was supposed to understand what she was getting at. He didn’t.

“After Shane, I stopped caring so much about being the dutiful astronaut’s wife. And when I bought The Outpost, I thought I was carving my own path.”

Ed nodded his agreement.

“But that’s not true,” Karen said.

Ed furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Sure, I owned a bar. But it’s an astronaut bar. The astronauts still hang out there. Other people come in, hoping to get a glimpse of an astronaut and to buy astronaut trinkets and baubles.” She went quiet for a moment.

“I—I don’t understand.”

“My whole life still revolves around the space program. Around your career.” She paused. “I love you, Ed. And I support you. I do.”

“Okay,” he said, dragging out the word. “But?”

“But I need something just for me, Ed. I’ve never had that.”

Ed shook his head, confused. “What are you saying?”

She searched his eyes for a long moment before saying, “I’m thinking about going to business school.”

Ed opened his mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. He would support her – of course he would – but he didn’t understand why she seemed hesitant to tell him.

“I need to be able to do something for myself. I want that, Ed.”

“Okay,” he said, still confused. “I think that’s great, Karen. You should do something for yourself.”

She glanced down at the table again. Ed followed her gaze, eyeing the William and Mary pamphlet again. His stomach knotted.

“Wait,” he uttered. “Are you…”

She looked up at him, and he could tell that she was bracing for his reaction.

“No,” he said. “You’re—You’re wanting to go to William and Mary?”

“I’m thinking about it,” she said, holding his gaze.

He got up from his seat. He paced for a few seconds and then stopped, looking at Karen who remained at the table. “You want to go to school halfway across the country?”

“Like I said, Ed, I’m thinking about it.”

“How are we supposed to work on our marriage when you’re in Virginia?”

“This semester has already begun, so the earliest I could start would be the spring semester. We would still have months before I would need to leave.”

“‘Leave,’” Ed muttered with a wry chuckle. “You want to leave?”

“What’s the big deal, Ed? You leave all the time. And space – hell, the moon – is a hell of a lot farther than the east coast.”

“That’s…” Ed trailed off, not sure what to say. She had a point. He hated that she had a point, but she did.

“Don’t say ‘that’s different,’ Ed. It’s not. Your entire career – our entire marriage – has been based on you leaving. Going to war. Going to space.”

“Yeah, but…” Ed waved a hand, unsure how to continue. It felt different to him, but he couldn’t figure out why.

“But what, Ed? Is it because it’s me leaving this time? It’s okay as long as you are the one who gets to leave, but it’s not okay if it’s me. Is that it?”

“I…” That was part of it, but Ed didn’t want to admit it. He knew that would only anger Karen. “I thought you wanted to work on our marriage.”

“I do, Ed. It doesn’t have to be either-or. We can do both.”

“How?” he demanded, raising his voice. “You’ll be gone for months at a time.”

“You were on the moon for months, Ed,” she said plainly.

“Yeah, but—But we still talked. We had the video comms.”

“We can still do that,” Karen said. “I’ll get a comm for my apartment in Virginia.”

“Your…” Ed shook his head in disbelief. “Your apartment?”

“Yeah, I don’t imagine I’ll stay in the dorms.”

“I don’t—You’ve already decided this, haven’t you?”

“I haven’t,” she said. “Not for sure. But it is something I’m seriously considering, Ed.”

“I…” Ed trailed off, shaking his head again. He didn’t understand what was happening. “I came here to talk about us,” he said, his voice strained with emotion. “And now you’re telling me you want to leave. You want to go halfway across the country instead of staying here to work on our marriage.”

“Not ‘instead of,’” Karen said.

“I don’t—I can’t listen to this right now.” Eyes stinging, Ed turned and headed for the door.

“Ed,” Karen said from behind him.

Something screamed at him to stop. To turn around and go back. To finish talking with Karen and figure things out. But he didn’t listen. He stormed out the front door, hopped in his Corvette, and sped towards the Shamrock.

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien’s Rumors & Secrets – Season 2: He Who Knows No Bound (知无涯者)

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for an R&S that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

“He is always looking for a way to knock on the door that leads to the future.”

Translation under the cut!

[Chapter 1]

At the recording of a science education program in the United States, Lucien was sitting in the focus center of the camera and wearing a white lab coat. He heard the host, Jimmy, speaking in a regretful tone across the room.

"I regret to tell you all that Professor Lucien, who used to be our guest on the show and was very popular, will be appearing on our show for the last time today, and will be returning to his home country for personal reasons… But I've also heard the good news." Jimmy looked across the couch at Lucien, "It is said that the 'Lucien Bioscience Research Center' you established here is almost completed?"

"Yes, the project is going more smoothly than I expected, so I've moved up my plans to return to my home country."

"So, as an old friend of the show, can you share your reasons for returning to your home country to start your own research center?" Jimmy raised his eyebrows and said with a curious look, "You know there are a lot of science professors who are loyal viewers of our show, and I think some of them are concerned about your research center and might want to be involved in it... Do you need to use our platform for some publicity?"

Jimmy's humorous words made the audience unconsciously laughed and Lucien also raised the corners of his mouth, "Thank you, but right now the team members have already been formed."

"The idea of setting up my own research team was something I had for a long time. I have been studying overseas since I was very young, but I have been following the situation in my country. I'm glad that in recent years, there has been a surprising development in the field of neuroscience here, and the prospects are very promising. I think this is a good time to go back. In addition to that..."

Lucien paused, and turned to the camera in front of him, "I also expect that the 'Lucien Bioscience Research Center’ will explore not only neuroscience but also in those more far-reaching propositions—fields related to the future of mankind. And, I expect that it can also produce exciting and amazing results.”

Lucien said without haste, showing the usual light smile on his face.

Jimmy looked across at the young scholar he had known for more than two years, and his heart couldn’t resist feeling a touch of admiration. Jimmy has worked with many scientists, but Lucien is undoubtedly the most impressive one, he seems to always be gazing at something more profound through those things that are happening in the present.

Underneath Lucien’s gentle appearance, there is a certain vigorous ambition that drives him towards a wider world.

“So, the last question - what does your ideal future for humanity look like?”

Lucien paused a little, sinking into a rare moment of deep thought. A few moments later, he met Jimmy's eyes once again.

"I can't answer you with certainty. After all, only those who are in the future will know what the ideal future will look like. But I think that the instinct of survival and evolution will point us the way forward."

Lucien's eyes flashed with a sharp light, "I hope I can have this opportunity to take as many people as possible to that future."

After the show, Lucien walked backstage and came across a man talking with a walkie-talkie, Lucien's eyes lingered on him and recognized him as a staff member of the director's team, and they had met a lot in the past two years.

The staff smiled and waved to Lucien: "Professor Lucien, I heard that you are going back to China? What a coincidence, I have the same intention in the near future. Maybe we'll have a chance to meet again."

Lucien also smiled lightly, but his smile didn’t reach the bottom of his eyes.

"Well, I've heard about it too."

"It's just that... rather than spying on me, the organization should have more pressing matters to deal with, right?"

Lucien slightly bite the word "organization". The man's face stiffened, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze had a trace of panic and shock that could not be concealed.

He opened his mouth in disbelief as if he could not believe that his disguise, which had been hidden for many years, had been broken so easily. This man named "Ares" was far more dangerous and unpredictable than he had imagined, just like the rumors in BS…

However, Lucien no longer paid any attention to him. Lucien just indifferently glanced at him, as if nothing happened and walked forward.

[Chapter 2]

In the bar, noisy laughter was mixed with classic jazz music. Amidst these various crowds, a few young scholars at a long vintage wooden table were particularly noticeable.

"...Although we have worked together in the same research institute for several years, but when I think about it, I really haven't had much contact with Professor Lucien in private."

"This time, knowing that you are going back to your country, we wanted to get together and send you off, but we didn't expect that you'd really say yes."

A Chinese scholar raised his glass to Lucien. Lucien raised his lips and clinked his glass with him.

These scientists, all with diverse colors, are Ph.D. students from the top 10 QS World University Rankings and some of the most highly regarded young minds in academia at the moment.

One of the dark-skinned Indian scientists shook the glass in his hand and looked at Lucien.

"You know what? Lucien, when I first heard you were coming, I was particularly curious to see who you really are."

"What curiosity, you are obviously not convinced!" A British scholar with freckles next to him pulled the rug right under his feet.

The researchers had heard of Lucien before he arrived. After all, Lucien had already made a name for himself in the academic world. This "Genius Scientist from the East” can be seen in top academic journals and on the most-watched science programs in the United States.

These young doctoral students are also the pinnacle of the human race and naturally have some arrogance in their hearts, so they will inevitably have some judgment about Lucien, who is so "high-profile".

"But after working together, your ability convinced us." The British scholar took a sip of beer and said, "When you return to China, according to your strength and talent, you should become a big figure in the academic world in the future!"

"You are too kind.” Lucien, who had been listening to them, loosely leaned back in his seat, his cheeks flushing under the effect of alcohol. But even in such a relaxed moment, Lucien's eyes remained clear, they seemed to be separated by a thin layer of frost as if giving the people around him a certain amount of trust while maintaining a subtle distance from them without a trace.

"The field I want to explore back home is still at the stage of building the foundation, forming the framework, and creating the top layer… I can't do all these complicated tasks by myself. I'm just standing on the shoulders of my predecessors, hoping that the seed will germinate in my place."

Lucien rubbed the edge of the glass with his fingertips, thought for a long time, and the corner of his lips curved in a meaningful arc.

"Hopefully this time, luck will be on my side."

Everyone looked at each other and smiled as they raised their glasses to Lucien.

"Then I wish Professor Lucien all the best when he returns to China!"

Lucien also raised the wine glass, the clinking glasses made a clear, crisp sound.

"There's still a long road ahead."

"Perhaps we will have the opportunity to work together again."

[Chapter 3]

A week before his return, Lucien called a moving company to pack up the things in his apartment in America.

After the worker stepped into Lucien's house, they were a little surprised.

"Your home is really empty."

Hearing that, Lucien was slightly stunned, and couldn’t help but look at this place where he had lived for several years –

The big living room is simply furnished with a few pieces of furniture, except for a few paintings on the walls, it is almost impossible to see the preferences of the owner of the house, as well as the traces of life.

"However, it may also be because the room is too big... that's why the house looks empty and lifeless."

The worker saw Lucien's silence and was worried that his words might have been too abrupt, so he smiled again to make up for it. Lucien only lightly lifted the corner of his lips, he had heard such words from professors or scholars who came to his home, but he didn't pay much attention to them.

"Whoa… All these certificates need special packaging, right?" In front of the cabinet that occupied the whole wall, the worker scanned the certificates on the shelves with astonishment, rummaging through the bag to find the tape and bubble wrap, but Lucien just smiled and shook his head.

"No need." Lucien looked at the certificates in the cabinet with a calm expression.

"Just pack it up like any other item."

When the worker was packing his belongings in the living room, Lucien went to his study alone and continued to organize the organization chart of the "Lucien Bioscience Research Center" on his laptop.

The core team of the research institute has been formed, he slides the mouse, browsing the information of each member. These are scholars that Lucien has interviewed one by one, some because he especially admired them; some are personally recruited by Lucien.

Lucien's eyes rested on the information of a white-haired professor on the screen, a professor who was well-known both in his country and abroad. Lucien still remembered the moment when he brought the blueprint for the construction of the institute and invited this scholar, who was far more experienced and knowledgeable than himself, to cooperate.

"Every scientist who joins the research team will have maximum freedom in research. There are no financial restrictions on any worthwhile project, and the research institute will do its best to give maximum technical support."

The old professor listened to Lucien's introduction while flipping through the information in his hand, tapping his fingertips on the armrest of the seat.

Lucien saw that he was interested, and added without haste.

"The institute I'm starting is not just a research institute in the traditional sense, it will involve a lot of research beyond the cognition of ordinary people… So I think the addition of a distinguished scientist like you will bring some unexpected sparks to the team."

The old professor slowly closed the information in his hand and took off his glasses.

"It seems that times have indeed changed, and your generation of young people is very bold and courageous. I greatly appreciate it, and also willing to do my part. After all, the future is in your generation's hands."

"But I'm curious." The professor looked at Lucien, a wisp of interest crossed his eyes, "How did you, a young scientist, accumulate so many resources and wealth in a short period of time?"

Lucien just lightly chuckled and faintly lowered his eyes, "Because I've been preparing for this moment since a long time ago."

The sound of bubble wrap and packing rustled outside the door, allowing Lucien to snap out of his thoughts.

He looked at the completed structure diagram on the laptop, in fact, these members are not all experienced scholars, there are also a number of outstanding interns in school. When his mouse swept over the name "Pete", Lucien paused for a moment.

He had a certain impression of this person, and during the online interview, although he was still a student, he had a lot of internship experience, and he was also a serious and careful person, and he always managed to catch some key points that were difficult to find in his previous project.

When Lucien's eyes swept over the words "lab assistant" after his name, the worker's voice came from the living room, saying that his belongings had been packed.

Lucien responded and looked at the screen again, finally confirming that the diagram was complete, he closed the laptop, put it in his bag on the desk, and walked towards the outside of the study.

[Chapter 4]

(T/N: 4th and 5th part of this R&S take place somewhere between S2 Chapter 38-39, you can read S2 ch 39 here)

"Professor Lucien, I just received a call from your assistant, Pete, saying that you want to cooperate with our laboratory on dark matter. I didn't expect that you would come here in person not long after."

In the first-floor office of Hubble's underground laboratory, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat held a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Lucien. Lucien nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then turned his head to look out the window: the huge comet loomed in the sky like a painting. Like a frozen frame.

These days, most of Loveland city is already enveloped in the "overlap zone", and the scope is constantly expanding.

The words of π the wandering lighthouse seemed to ring in his ears again, Lucien's expression became a little dignified. He clearly knew in his heart that the calmness of the city is only temporary, and there is not much time left for them.

"Time was short, so we came straight here."

Lucien met the man's eyes and stated his intentions straight away, "I would like to collaborate with your laboratory. To show our goodwill, my institute can provide models that can be used to explore the concentration of dark matter, and we can also help you with resources and technology, together with the Ultima Bioresearch Centre."

Lucien looked at his assistant, Pete, who immediately nodded in understanding and walked to the side of the desk. A few moments later, the buzzing sound suddenly sounded.

"You can think of this machine as a miniature world detector," Lucien explained to the man, "It can detect the effects of any force acting on the surrounding environment at a certain distance. After our many tests and evaluations, the accuracy rate can reach 96.3%... If you apply it to your current experimental project and use the exclusion method to target areas of higher dark matter concentration, you can greatly improve the speed and accuracy of the project."

Maybe because he didn't expect Lucien to start the conversation in such a straightforward manner, the man looked a little surprised.

Just when he was in deep thought, he suddenly heard Pete's voice.

"Professor, please have a look."

Pete took several A4-sized sheets of paper and handed them to Lucien, filled with dense numbers and coordinate symbols, Lucien only briefly scanned the data and handed it to the man across the table.

The man curiously took it, browsing the information on the paper word by word, a look of amazement surfaced in his eyes.

"This result is indeed the same as what we measured before... I didn't realize that the technology your research institute holds has far exceeded my imagination."

The man looked at Lucien with interest, his fingertips tapping the paper twice, "But I don't understand one thing, since you already have such advanced technology, why don't you carry out your own research?"

"Because the Hubble Underground Laboratory has more experience in studying dark matter."

"Cooperating with you can reduce our trial and error costs, and I want to achieve the goal in the fastest time possible."

Lucien didn't hesitate to answer, and the man's face showed a smile of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Professor Lucien, for being so frank, and I will gladly accept this invitation to collaborate. I will now have the researcher bring your team here, along with the model provided for inspection in the mine."

"Then I'll go back to the research institute now and inform the other colleagues."

When Pete was about to go out, Lucien spoke before he did.

"No need."

Lucien stood up, the light in his eyes reflected clearly under the incandescent light.

"I'll go over there myself."

[Chapter 5]

After a bumpy ride, the man led Lucien to the front of the mine.

They took an elevator and descended into a deep mine shaft, lit only by faint mine lights. After passing through the protective doors, the two came to a huge laboratory where researchers in protective suits were conducting detection work in an orderly manner.

"One might find it hard to imagine that the very substance that can influence our future destiny is hidden in such a dark and cramped underground."

Amidst the humming of the instrument, the man's tone carries a bit of humor, yet reveals more determination to succeed.

"Professor Lucien, with the model you provided to us, we will be able to move forward with our research at a significantly faster pace."

"Let's hope so."

"However, the current regional test has only just knocked on the door to reveal the truth of the dark matter." Lucien's face was stern. Dark and unclear emotions were hidden in his deep eyes.

"After that, there will be more questions waiting to be answered."

After checking the progress of the experiments at the mine, the two returned to the surface to further discuss the next research protocols.

During the break, the man looked at the alternative stars hanging in the distant sky and said casually: "This strange phenomenon is indeed very unusual, as far as I understand, many scientific institutions are cooperating in research, hoping to be the first to reveal the reasons behind the occurrence of this phenomenon..."

“Speaking of which, I've heard from some of the staff that there's also some interesting public opinion on the internet about how there are now rampant blood diseases and some unusual celestial events. Many people are speculating whether this could be some kind of ominous sign – perhaps a sign that the world is coming to an end?"

The man smiled and looked at Lucien beside him, his tone relaxed, "Although this is just nonsense, if the world is really in danger, I think my life will definitely end on the way to the experimental project inspection… How will Professor Lucien spend it?"

Lucien paused, his mind unexpectedly struck with the figure of a girl.

"I'll go see the person I want to see, and then…"

"Continue with the experiment in hand."

"I don't think the end of the world is an unsolved problem, so I'll spend until the very last second trying to solve it."

The two looked in the direction of the mine, standing side by side for a while, and suddenly Lucien looked at his watch.

"I'm going to leave for a while, I'm going to pick up someone."

The man raised his eyebrows, “Seems that the person is a great scholar, even Professor Lucien needs to personally pick them up.”

"No." Lucien denied it, but the emotions in his eyes unconsciously softened a bit.

"But she's a really important person, both on this project and in many other ways."

The man nodded his head and extended his hand towards Lucien.

"Well, then, I hope we can work well together."

Lucien also shook hands in response, the man seemed to think of something and suddenly laughed lightly.

"Professor Lucien, in fact, before you came to the laboratory, there are many organizations that want to cooperate with us, but I refused."

"Then it seems that we are a little more fortunate."

The man smiled and shook his head, "We did a lot of background research on you and your research institute after we received your call to collaborate. I've always been a person who relies on logic and reason rather than intuition, but for some reason, after reading those resumes and results, I suddenly had a miraculous feeling."

The man looked at Lucien who was unperturbed, and his voice became firm.

"-I just think that by working with such a person, we might really be able to do something to change the fate of mankind."

[kuwdora]

Newjob anxieties really has me wiped. job transition is such a thing. particularly after a spate of some bad/awkward/frustrating job circumstances. And a fuck of a time job hunting to get here. Been rough going especially during the week, leaving me lower energy than usual. Newjob seems to be working out pretty well, though. I like it and am getting a lot out of it but I don't think the anxieties will go away for awhile until I feel more settled.

mmm, fannishly. I remain in so much love with all the new Star Trek Lower Decks and have like 2 posts inside me of raving about my love but I doubt I'll get around to writing it in full. I have so much love about it. god.

I somehow managed to watch all of The Fall of the House of Usher over the weekend. It's like Mike Flanagan is hooked into my brain sometimes for things that make me tic, it's great. Gnashing my teeth on the cinematography and Carla Gugino and all the awful bisexuals in this show.

Still trundling away with editing and working on like four different Witcher fics. Trying to finish things. I'm very pleased and still very excited about my Witcher stuff. Also my to-read fic tabs are so exciting, I can't wait to have enough brain to read and comment again.

For All Mankind is coming back soon, so I will be losing my goddamn mind again on a week to week basis for that and I'm so thrilled for season 4.

Also contemplating signing up for festivids for the first time since 2019. The nominations are looking pretty good, though I don't know what I'd actually want to ask for yet. Know what I'd want to vid though. Decision time later this week, maybe.

[goodluckdetective]

Fic: Falling

Fandom: Good Omens

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48304483

Summary:

Crowley has very good reasons he doesn't want Aziraphale to fall. These are the reasons why.

Notes: This fic is actually quite old but Tumblr ate it when I first tried to post it back in 2019. So I cleaned it up and decided to shove it on here before the new season. Enjoy!

Contrary to what one may assume, Crowley has no desire to ever see Aziraphale fall. For good reasons, if you were to ask him on the subject. 

It’s painful, for one. Crowley might have sauntered vaguely downwards but the pain when he reached the landing that is Hell was the same as any other demon. It is hard to describe, pain is very much a human sensation, but the best comparison would perhaps be apt to being dunked under frozen water by barbed wire after being flayed alive (1). And while that initial pain eventually fades to that of a lingering cold in one’s bones (2), it is one Crowley would much rather like Aziraphale to avoid. It is not just a physical pain either; it is a harsh pang of loneliness in the most crowded of rooms, the ache of being the last person left at what was once a full table. Can the angel handle pain? Of course. Can the angel handle loneliness? Heaven made sure of that. But that does not mean Crowley wants him to suffer through it if it can be otherwise avoided.

Another small, but valid reason Crowley has no desire to see Aziraphale fall is simple: Aziraphale would be a terrible demon. It might be nice to work together in an official capacity, sure, but Aziraphale is not suited for the callous indifference and the minor inconveniences Hell specializes in. It is not that he is too soft, far from it (3), but Aziraphale wears his softness much like one wears a jacket. He finds the outstretched hand of kindness a nobler cause than the sword. And while kindness is forgotten in heaven these days, at least the angel is allowed to share his own on Earth somewhat freely. He may get in trouble for too many miracles, but he does not have to hide his care for performing them. But Hell?  Hell is never kind. 

Neither of those thoughts, while crucial concerns, are not the main reason Crowley hopes that Aziraphale will never fall. No, Aziraphale can not fall, because to fall is to lose faith. Faith in God, faith in humanity, faith in the world being kind. It is to doubt, to do it constantly, to never be quite sure that the move you are making is the correct one. Crowley knows doubt, it comes to him with every decision he makes, and the weight of it is far more painful than the lingering chill of hell’s flames. It is a doubt that does not allow for any faith in almost anything, not even in that of oneself. Doubt is the reason he puts on his sunglasses before he looks in the mirror some mornings, as if to pretend the yellow eyes are still an amber cold. 

 Doubt, the consuming kind that comes with being a demon, is the antithesis of Aziraphale.  Aziraphale who decided to believe God could have intentions for mankind other than their doom. Aziraphale who thought mankind could be good, if they were allowed to try. Aziraphale who gave his flaming sword to Adam believing he would use it wisely (4).

Aziraphale who saw a demon and decided that his faith, the most powerful thing an angel could have, could be placed with a snake who talked too loud, drank too much, and secretly loved mankind enough to die for them (5).

If Aziraphale were to fall, the loss of faith, the faith that things can be good, would be the end of him. He would survive, but as something else. Someone else. And Crowley rather likes the Aziraphale he knows now.

So screw Aziraphale falling. Crowley already did that for the both of them. He can do it again if asked. He’ll spend an eternity falling as long as Aziraphale keeps his faith in others tucked behind a fond smile.

(Falling for that smile, after all, is still the best type of falling Crowley has ever done.)

Footnotes:

1. This is not Crowley’s personal comparison of choice, as he thinks it rather medieval and far too dramatic. The barbed wire comparison was popularized by the demon Alostar, who Crowley thought was an “overly winded-prat with a terrible taste in ties.”

2. This Crowley has used as a description for the sensation, though he himself did not popularize it.

3. Anyone who has the misfortune of meeting Aziraphale during the fall of Rome, when he decided to save as many humans as he could with his two fists and a shard of pottery, would never consider calling Aziraphale soft. Ever.

4. Adam actually did use the sword wisely, mostly to set fires to keep warm and to slay beasts that threatened him and Eve. It would be his ancestors who would use the blade to shed the blood of their fellow men. 

5. Not that he would ever admit it. 

[televinita]

Good Omens 2: the first 2 episodes

Watching w/ husband, who Does Not Binge, so I think it is probably gonna take minimum 2 weeks to finish the new season (love how I ignored season 1 for nearly a full year, casually looking at every post and gifset known to mankind in the meantime, and now I'm like NO SPOILERS, SPOILER LOCKDOWN, TELL ME NOTHING. the lack of press has allowed me to exist in a state of truly knowing only what was shown to me in the one (1) trailer).

That said, it means you get Thoughts!

Crowley's AUUUGH GABRIEL! scream is the funniest thing ever

A close second is "there! no one even noticed that tiny fraction of a miracle" / *jump-cut to: alarms blaring with flashing red light*

I'm so bored with the coffee shop ladies already

Beelzebub is still disgusting

Awww at soft!Crowley the Angel. He is literally mesmerized by the beauty of the world (or at least the process of creating it).

Orange-Cat-Level Himbo Gabriel* in general is also proving extremely entertaining. (*aka Jim, "Short for James. Long for Gabriel.")

Crowley "literally smoking" and then exploding lightning bolts everywhere: 👍

I'm SO CURIOUS what is going on! But no, I shan't, I shan't look at ze spoilerz.

EPISODE TWO

Oh my god I love this show's flashbacks so much. Even when they feel more blasphemous than usual, so I have to ask Google what the story of Job is and then have to retract my statement because "oh. all righty then. did in fact make a bet with Satan in canon exactly like that." (also canon: Bildad the Shuhite, an old friend)

Husband and I as the cute lil' goats are zapped: NOOOO! Husband and I as it turns out the goats were just transfigured: WOOOOOO!

Youngest child's enthusiasm to be turned into a lizard (specifically a blue one): aces

Ty as the wildly spoiled and disdainful eldest child? Perfection.

Jane Austen's long list of wild activities, and Crowley's patent disbelief that she also wrote books. "Jane Austen? That Jane Austen? an author?? well, good for her."

My shipping meter in episode one: (silence) My shipping meter when Aziraphale starts crying about being basically a demon now and is fully distraught about having betrayed his purpose, and Crowley's sunglasses barely hide the adoration beaming out of his eyes because Aziraphale is the most pathetically adorable being in the universe: FWIP! (arrow slams 180 degrees from "cold" to "scorching"

Husband declared this his favorite episode of the series so far, including season 1.

[thejourneyofwan-fanproject]

The Journey of Wan Premise+Masterpost

Almost 2 years have passed since Wan became the first avatar. In that time, the spirits were guided back home in the spirit world, Wan closed the spirit portals, and the lion turtles retired as guardians of mankind. Since then, humans have been free to roam the earth again without fear of the spirits, but new troubles arise when humans wage war with eachother, hunt hybrid animals, and abuse the elemental powers bestowed upon them. As the first human to have power of all four elements as well as the world on his shoulders, Wan does whatever it takes to restore balance to the world.

Main Cast: Wan, Mula, Raava, OCs

Pairings: OCxOC, Wan/OC

~~~~

4 books/seasons with 15-20 chapters each:

Book One: Light

chapter 1 (under construction)

chapter 2 (completed?)

chapter 3 (TBA)

~~~

Q&A/FAQ:

How long has this project existed?

I started this project 2015-2016, after the release of the "Beginnings" episodes of LOK, which basically started from me creating OCs that existed 10,000 years ago, for no other reason than for the fun of it. I made friends with a shared interest in ATLA/LOK/Beginnings whom also created ocs for Wan's time period and their own takes on the lore behind the spirits and we collaborated with eachother. I had started the first two chapters of book one, that can be found on deviant art and wattpad (plus a few written prompts that featured ocs and wan's relationship with Raava) but with the newer updates, will also be posted here and archive of our own. After writing and publishing the second chapter, I began to focus on other priorities in my life, as I was taking classes in junior college, dealt with deaths in the family, and got caught up in other fandoms.

I never lost interest in this project, ocs and concepts that had yet to be fully fleshed out, however, they were always in the back of my mind and I would occasionally draw my Wan/oc ship, but not much further. Now with the release of the Kyoshi and Yangchen novels, comics and shows/movie announcements, I started to feel more compelled to revisit and commit to seeing this project through, even if friends I once collaborated with moved on or lost interest. I am taking this as an opportunity to redesign ocs or do some rewrites of old prompts and make any needed adjustments to the plot/characters/etc.

Are you doing this project alone?

As it stands, it appears so, but this is on me due to my own inactivity.

How many books are there going to be?

It has always been four: Light, Renewal, War, Legacy

Each with a varying number of chapters, but ideally the goal is 20 max. per book/"season"

Are you open to collaborate/form a writing team?

It is a possibility. As of now, I would like to reconnect with former peers and see if they would like to revisit this story or not, and seek consent on use of their ocs before moving any further.

Can I submit fanart to this blog?

Fanart is absolutely encouraged and welcome, once I have some art of my own and OC designs up of course. If you like what you see, then you are most welcome to draw and submit fanart.

Where can I find the story?

You can find it on:

deviant art: the-journey-of-wan and wonderpepperboops

wattpad: zhervey06

archive of our own: thejourneyofwan1006 (currently has short story prompts)

You can also find my inspiration board on Pinterest!

~

Thank you for your time!

(last update: August 23, 2023)