#nobody wins a war

[33max]

Bean, I just read your fic "nobody wins a war" a couple days ago. It is so unique and well written. Could you tell us more about it? What happened after they move to San Francisco? Thank you.

It’s almost a year old now, and it’s still the fic I am most proud of to be honest! (x)

Max and Daniel move into a tiny one bedroom flat in San Francisco, but it’s all they need. They spend a while just… settling in. They have to do things like scout out a new busking spot for Daniel (very important!), find a new physiotherapist for Max (as the VA doesn’t exist yet), make friends in the community etc etc.

Not too long after they move Carlos gets injured in Vietnam, he’s discharged from the United States Army, leaving Charles alone out there. Max worries himself sick, he’s not there, Pierre isn’t there, Carlos isn’t there to keep Charles safe. He knows Charles won’t be coping, and he’s proven right when Charles appears on his doorstep late one evening.

Charles has been discharged on psychiatric grounds, and he’s in active addiction, which Max half expected. He’s seen what people do to cope. He doesn’t blame Charles at all.

For a while it’s really hard, Charles inhabits their sofa, screams at night, argues with Max during the day, and then cries. And cries. And cries.

Daniel and Max help him get involved in local rehab centres, there’s one that a member of the community has set up specifically for young gay men. It’s a good thing for Charles, a real turning point, and it is where things start to improve for him.

Over the years Daniel gets involved in lots of different types of activism. Max is more of a quiet supporter, but it works for the two of them.

When the war officially ends, Max cries deep heaving sobs of relief into Daniel’s shoulder. They take a walk out to the Golden Gate that evening, and Daniel encourages Max to climb up, hold the railings and scream out into the bay. He does, and then he kisses Daniel out there in the open.

Years later, Daniel is involved heavily in HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns and Max worries for him, worries about the names Daniel gets called, worries for their community. There’s not a huge amount of understanding and at the time so they also worry for their own health (they only sleep with each other and they are clean so it’s okay, but they don’t know that).

But one thing is for sure: they grow old together and their home is filled with song and laughter, and eventually Max’s nephews will visit from Eugene. They grow up knowing that love is love and Uncle Max loves Uncle Daniel and that sometimes people are mean but kindness is the future 🥺♥️

[colleybri]

A blink and you miss it moment of Cassian becoming an excellent leader in episode 9 of Andor.

Ulaf is slowing the team down, and Cassian (‘Keef’) has the idea to swap places with Taga. Taga asks why and Ham rather brutally tells him “Keef is faster”. Hurt, Taga grumbles “There’s a better way of saying that!”

After Kino comes over to investigate, he asks Cassian whether the swap was his idea, clearly about to compliment him.

Kino is still quite antagonistic towards Cassian (who he has marked as a troublemaker like Melshi) so we might expect him to enjoy receiving some praise but instead of accepting the compliment, Cassian says that the swap was Tagas’s idea. “Are you kidding?” says Taga in respect, and happily accepts the praise, making up for the insult 30 seconds earlier.

Earlier, Cassian wanted to avoid attention for self-centred reasons . Now, this trait is becoming a positive leadership quality . Standing behind others, encouraging them on, freely allowing them to use his ideas and even his words. Motivating them to find their own motivation. 

^^ Kino using Cassian’s words

I think Kino realises exactly what was going on here and comes away with new respect for Cassian. Kino is the figurehead and voice of the prison rebellion, but it’s pretty clear who is the real leader.

[wonder-worker]

Thinking about Elizabeth Woodville as a gothic heroine is making me go insane. She entered the story by overturning existing social structures, provoking both ire and fascination. She married into a dynasty doomed to eat itself alive. She was repeatedly associated with the supernatural, both in terms of love and death. Her life was shaped entirely by uncanny repetitions - two marriages, two widowhoods, two depositions, two flights to sanctuary, two ultimate reclamations, all paralleling and ricocheting off each other. Her plight after 1483 exposed the true rot at the heart of the monarchy - the trappings of royalty pulled away to reveal nothing, a never-ending cycle of betrayal and war, the price of power being the (literal) blood of children. She lived past the end of her family name, she lived past the end of her myth. She ended her life in a deeply anomalous position, half-in and half-out of royal society. She was both a haunting tragedy and the ultimate survivor who was finally free.

[bimoonphases]

@wolfstarmicrofic September 14 - prompt 14: House-Elf [word count 719]

They were in the Sirius and Remus’s living room, right after Flooing back after a meeting with the Order. James was pacing back and forth and Sirius was nodding gravely even if James wasn’t saying anything. Remus raised an eyebrow at Lily, sitting across from him, and she rolled her eyes.

“James, please stop, you’re giving me a headache,” she said.

“But you heard them, Lils,” James stopped in front of the fireplace. “We’re just to what? Sit around while other people risk their lives for our world?”

“We just joined the Order, and it’s been only four months since we graduated from Hogwarts,” Remus sighed. “It makes sense they wouldn’t want to throw us right in the middle of the war immediately.”

“Oh, so we’re to let ‘the adults’ do the job again? Because that’s worked so well so far,” Sirius scoffed.

“Exactly,” James nodded. “Everyone thinks we’d just be reckless and get ourselves killed but we’d be an asset. Come on, modesty aside, we’re the most brilliant minds of our generation. We could win this if we all work together!”

“Speaking of together, why is it only the four of us here?” Sirius asked. “Where are the others?”

“Mary had a shift at St Mungo’s,” Remus said. “Marlene and Dorcas said there was no war that could stop them from celebrating their anniversary and Peter had to check on his mother who’s been ill.”

“Let it be known I don’t approve the way you three convinced him to join the Order,” Lily frowned. “Peter looks terrified all the time lately, he barely said goodbye before going today.”

“Peter always looks terrified, you get used to it,” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“We didn’t force him to do anything,” James finally sat by Lily’s side, looking outraged. “We just talked about it and he accepted.”

“You know he would jump into the Black Lake if you happened to ask him, James,” Lily took her fiancé’s hand in hers. “You’re charming like that.”

Remus looked away from James beaming and immediately leaning over to kiss Lily to thread his hand in Sirius’s.

“Relax,” he said. “The war won’t end by the time Dumbledore decides we’re ready to help, unfortunately. Besides, I’m sure there are other things we could do.”

“Like what?” Sirius grumbled.

Before Remus could think about it, a loud crack echoed in the room and a house-elf appeared right in the middle of the carpet. James, Lily and him almost jumped on their seats, but Sirius only raised a bored eyebrow as the creature turned around frantically, his hands clasped in front of him until he stopped, staring at Sirius.

“Master Sirius! Master Sirius, Kreacher finally found you!”

“What is it, Kreacher?” Sirius snapped. “Did Mother finally die?”

“Mistress is very well,” the house-elf looked outraged for a second then his expression shifted. “Please, Master Sirius, Kreacher needs your help.”

“Yeah, like that’s gonna happen,” Sirius got up. “Get out of my house.”

Remus could see the house-elf almost immediately obey the order, then his hands clasped even harder on whatever he was holding.

“Please, Master Sirius,” he repeated, evidently fighting the instinct to obey Sirius. “It’s Master Regulus.”

“What about my idiot brother, Kreacher?”

“Please, Master Sirius, Master Regulus is in danger. Master Regulus is dying.”

Remus saw Sirius stiffen. Despite all the bad blood between them, he knew the only regret in Sirius’s life was never getting to save his brother from their parents.

“What do you mean dying?”

“Master Regulus went on a secret mission, but he’s dying, and he ordered Kreacher to leave with this and destroy it,” the house-elf opened his hands to reveal a heavy locket. “But Kreacher can’t leave Master Regulus dying, so he came here.”

There was a moment of silence, Sirius getting paler and paler, James and Lily looking alternatively at him then at the locket. Remus got up and took Sirius’s hand.

“I don’t care he’s on the wrong side,” Sirius whispered. “I can’t leave him dying, not again.”

“I know,” Remus nodded. “I’m coming with you.”

“We’re coming too,” Lily and James chorused, getting up.

Sirius nodded and looked at Kreacher.

“Take us to Regulus. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Master Sirius, thank you Master Sirius,” the house-elf answered.

With another loud crack the living room was empty.

[redding]

ppl mad as hell abt this ep CANNOT be me!!!! helaena & alicent each being the only person to be able to comfort each other bc they are trapped in the same cage team black dysfunctional as fuck daemon suffering rhaenyra loving her kids emma d'arcys cheekbones in the septa outfit baela and rhaena screentime gwayne hightower hating criston cole RHAENICENT REUNION. everyone is DOOMED im having a fucking blast

[lady-quen]

Hello Guild Wars 2 community! A new poll has dropped! 🐦‍⬛

(At least, hopefully new, lol.) I'm curious, which blessing did your Commander get on their first/canon go through the Raven Sanctum in the story mission "The Invitation?" Choose and tell me in the tags why they made their specific decisions :)

Compiled explanations from the wiki below for ease of access:

The trial choices in order:

Save the wounded man or save the healers

Save the spell tome or save the historical record

Save the queen or save the prince

Blessings:

Blessing of Daybreak

"When the fear of beastly claws and a child's pain is made sharp by the knowledge of elders, we make no mistakes. But do we grow?"

Healers -> historical record -> prince

Grace of Dawn

"When wisdom is favored in all things—a healing hand, a text of old, a beloved queen—we lose the sharpened sword of the truly bold."

Healers -> historical record -> queen

Consecration of Morning

"We seek to destroy monsters with sharp claws and icy breath, but do we protect ourselves from the beasts shaped like us, who prey on the young and vulnerable, who seek to rule us?"

Healers -> spell tome -> prince

Invocation of Midday

"When we flee from the things we fear most - the teeth of beasts, the storm of a dragon, a change of power-we risk running backward."

Healers -> spell tome -> queen

Supplication of Midday

"We favor the skill of healers and the wisdom of elders over the uncertainty of the future. But the young take chances, and the young push us forward."

Wounded man -> spell tome -> prince

Consecration of Evening

"We long for the comfort of a healing touch, an ancestral word of wisdom, a leader we know and trust. But comfort is fleeting, and with it comes inertia."

Wounded man -> historical record -> queen

Grace of Dusk

"We sacrifice so much—safety from the claws of death, knowledge of the ages, a steadfast reign—to propel ourselves forward. But if we move too fast, do we risk the inability to stop?"

Wounded man -> spell tome -> prince

Blessing of Twilight

"We try so hard to do the right thing. We heal, we protect our people, we preserve stability. But we cannot control how the winds of fate may shift, and a tight grip can sometimes hurt more than it helps."

Wounded man -> spell tome -> queen

[queenvhagar]

"'It has always been so, since Aegon's day and before. Daemon Blackfyre, the brothers Toyne, the Vulture King, Grand Maester Harwth . . . traitors have always paid with their lives . . . even Rhaenyra Targaryen. She was daughter to one king and mother to two more, yet she died a traitor death for trying to usurp her brother's crown. It is law'" (Stannis Baratheon, p. 492, A Storm of Swords).

The biggest evidence that Rhaenyra did not win the war is that her legacy is that of a traitor and usurper. History is written by the victors, and they certainly viewed Rhaenyra as a failure. She did so poorly as a ruler that she couldn't even hold the throne for more than a few months before she was driven out by her own people, in an event that also got the remaining dragons in King's Landing killed. Her time in power is likened to that of Maegor the Cruel's. Nobody officially recognizes her reign as queen in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, and she's remembered for trying and failing to claim and keep Aegon II's throne.

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #24(finally, an age i am not yet)

Danny starts a prank war with young justice.

They’re fast friends, and this normally wouldn’t be a problem for any of the younger heroes to mess with each other, but Phantom is… a bit extreme with the pranks.

It started simple, like moving furniture two inches to the left, even phasing it partially into the wall.

Now there’s a dozen rabid reanimated hotdogs running loose, robin’s cape is possessed, and miss martian can only speak the espiranto version of pig latin… nobody is sure how it got to this point.

[heyhylix]

Remember! It doesn’t have to have any trans characters, this is all abt The Vibe

[ghculism]

[zhi-liet]

“Venka remained an open question, a traitor and an ally both at once, which was the only way Rin could bear to remember her.”

[unsolicited-hotd-opinions]

One rich lady getting what she wants DOES NOT equal Women's Liberation

Women (Elizabeth I, Wu Zetian, etc.) who rise to power in a male dominated monarchy don't necessarily help to change the system for their own class or any other, and things go right back to male primogeniture when they die.

I too identify with Rhaenyra for bucking against the Westerosi patriarchy. But if your feminist reading of F&B or HOTD is that having a ruling queen is the MOST important thing in the story, while the royals let thousands of women and girls suffer and die during the Dance of the Dragon, and continue to view themselves as inherently superior to the masses ... you might want to learn about intersectionality, because class is just as important to this story as gender issues.

(I mean it's fiction, none of these people exist, none of it really matters, but there's my two cents anyway)

[novembermorgon]

have you ever drawn jaehaera i think she would look so good in your art style she has that depressed and slightly unsettling swag like naerys?

i have :-)

i really like her but i cant think about her too much because i get really miserable

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Dorian Pavus

[plazsma]

i often think about how chill the ninja were about being split up and in a new dangerous and barren world in dr but considering the shit that’s happened to them over 10+ years the merge was lifechanging for sora and arin but for lloyd and the gang it truly was just tuesday

[tsukkibito]