#not sure how i feel about her as a love interest for eliot

[queenofglassbeliever]

The Double-Edged Sword Job

bonus

I recently finished watching this episode and I swear Eliot had more chemistry with Libby than with the Marshall.

[my-beloved-lakes]

I just now noticed the dirty/scolding look Sophie gives Breanna when Breanna asked if Eliot was off to kill someone in The Fractured Job. It was very subtle, but if you watch carefully it's there.

While I did think it was funny, her question also bugged me a little, even though I know she was joking, cuz it felt a little insensitive considering all the guilt Eliot feels about his past. But now that I think about it it actually kinda makes sense that she wouldn't understand how insensitive it could be. Like yes, she knows Eliot and she's known him for a long time. But she knows a different side of him than everyone else. She knew him as the cool, badass uncle who her older brother always brought to family gatherings and Christmas and stuff. She probably knows little snippets of Eliot's past but not enough to fully realize that her joke might be a little insensitive. (She would never intentionally be insensitive about it!) Eliot probably never let her see the guilt ridden side of himself because she's like his little kid niece.

Her joke didn't really seem to bother Eliot that much, but Sophie immediately shut it down and I love that. Because Sophie knows just how much guilt Eliot feels and she knows it's something that's caused him a lot of pain. And like Hardison said, they trust her to make sure they're okay. So even if Breanna's joke didn't actually bother Eliot, Sophie still felt like she needed to let Breanna know to back off a bit. And then Breanna did back off.

Idk what point I'm trying to make here but I thought it was an interesting little detail.

Edit: just in case it wasn't clear, (I should have made this more clear to begin with.) This is not a hate post about Breanna or even a criticism really! The way I see it, Breanna didn't know and had no way of knowing what she said would be insensitive because Eliot didn't let her know. That's what I was trying to get at. Eliot has been doing a very good job of shielding her from his past and she knows a different side of him than the others. I don't want negative things about Breanna said on this post (or any of my posts for that matter.) Of course everyone is entitled to their opinions but please don't put that sort of thing on my posts. If you have something negative to say about Breanna go make your own post please and thank you.

[make-me-imagine]

Not So Unrequited Love

Plot: Eliot seems to be happy with his new relationship with U.S. Marshall Maria Shipp. All the while, Y/n, who has had feelings for Eliot for years, watches. After an overheard conversation, Eliot learns just how stupid he has been.

Requests: Reader is jealous of Maria + “You said you wouldn't fall in love with me." "I lied."

Requested By: Two Anons. Prompt is one half of a request. I will use the other prompt in a separate fic I have planned.

Warnings: Tame themes of jealousy and unrequited love.

Words: ~3k

A/N: This is also a re-write of how Maria and Eliot's relationship ends.

-

"I think I got someone I can call to help us out with that part of the con." Eliot spoke up from beside you as he grabbed his phone and got up to leave.

You felt your chest tighten at his words, knowing exactly who he was referring too. Your fist tightened around your pen.

Parker smirked "Tell Maria hello for me."

Eliot glared at her "You don't know that was who I was gonna call, Parker!"

As Parker rose to follow him she continued to smile "Then who is it, huh? You got another girlfriend I should know about?"

"Parker, don't antagonize him!" Sophie sighed before she turned to you and Breanna. "I'm going to go find our Mr Wilson, you two get ready."

You and Breanna both nodded, watching Sophie leave. Your eyes locked on Eliot outside as he spoke on the phone. He had a smile on his face as he disappeared around the corner.

Breanna looked over at you, noting the way your face had fallen from moments before. She noticed it every time Maria came up in conversation.

"Sooo..." She began slowly as she eyed you.

You looked at her, noting the look on her face. "Are you about to ask for a favor?"

She shook her head "No, not a favor."

"Then what?"

"I was just wondering why it is you seem so effected every time Eliot and Maria are brought up."

You straightened up a bit at this, which she did not fail to notice.

She continued with a hint of caution in her tone "I mean, you're the only one who doesn't make jokes. Who doesn't ask Eliot how he and Maria are. And anytime she gets brought up, you tend to go quiet, or find and excuse to leave."

You smiled softly "You're better at noticing things than I gave you credit for."

She shrugged her head "So what is it?"

You shook your head lightly, uncertain if you should tell her.

She leaned a little closer, her face expressing a small pout. "Come on, please? 'Cause I gotta be honest. When I first showed up here, I really thought you and Eliot were a couple. I mean you two are perfect for each other."

You let out a soft breath "Yeah, I've heard that before."

"So?" She gave you a hard look.

You rolled your eyes lightly before you looked past her to make sure everyone was gone. You took a breath before you began.

"When the team first got together, me and Eliot got along a lot faster than we did with the others. I'm not really sure why, we just...clicked. He would often insist that he didn't like working with a team, that he was better alone, blah blah. One day when we were talking about it again, once the team was a bit more settled. I joked that it was because he wasn't only afraid of finding a family, but falling in love."

Hearing a noise outside, you paused for a moment. Seeing Eliot leaving, you figured he was going to meet Maria. You sighed softly before you continued.

"And honestly, by that point, I...had developed feelings for him. So the joke was kind of a test I guess, to see if he showed any interest"

Breanna leaned a little closer. "Did he?"

You let out a soft dry laugh "Actually, he just retaliated with some dry sarcasm. Saying things like 'Men like me don't fall in love'"

You mimicked his deeper voice and Breanna chuckled.

"But then he said, that I had to promise to never fall in love with him. It was a joke at the time, and I agreed not too. Not that long later I figured it was for the best. I mean, we have a dangerous life, it's dangerous to fall in love in our line of work. But the longer I spent with him and the others, the more I felt at home.

Breanna spoke softly "And...the more you fell for him?"

You nodded softly as you tapped your fingers on the table. "Me and Eliot are close, but not that kind of close. He's never shown any interest in me, not like that. So I just- I stay with him in the ways that I can. While he falls in love with attractive marshals." You smiled, but it did not meet your eyes.

She shook her head as she stared at you with a mix of pity and surprise "You gotta tell him!"

"No, I don't Breanna. He's got Maria, and as far as I can tell, he's happy with her. I'm not the type to try and bust that kind of thing up. Eliot deserves someone, and it took him a long time to get over the not falling in love thing. It may not be me, but, at least it's someone. Besides! What if-" a fearful thought you had many times washed over you. You let out a soft breath. "What if I do tell him, and..."

"And he doesn't feel the same." She said with dejection.

"That would kill me Breanna, and the team would never be the same again." You shrugged, the sadness on your face evident "I can't risk that, I wont."

"So you're just gonna watch the man you love, love someone else?"

You nodded "The things we do for love Breanna, especially unrequited love, often hurt."

Hearing your phone buzz, you looked down to see a text from Sophie. "It's time" You knocked on the table before you began to leave, stopping you spun back around and pointed at her "This stays between us."

She nodded, before she watched you go. A newfound pity, and respect for you heavy on her chest.

--- --- --- ---

Sitting in the food truck with Breanna, you listened to the various conversations over the comms. While Harry schmoozed up to an old evil lawyer, and Sophie made her way back to the truck, you heard the tail-end of Eliot and Maria's conversation.

Your's and Breanna's comms weren't on, so though you could hear them, they could not hear you.

"You owe me for this one Eliot." Maria said.

"Yeah yeah I know." He said with an obvious smile.

"Maybe dinner? When you're done...working, or whatever this is."

"Yeah, dinner sounds good."

"Good. Call me later then."

Breanna made a sound akin to a sick cat "She is really good at" she mimicked a fishing rod "Reeling him in isn't she?"

"Breanna!" You said softly.

"What? I'm on your side."

"On Y/n's side of what?" Sophie's voice came from behind you as she entered the food truck. You looked at Breanna with a mild warning look.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." You said coolly, as you rose. Grabbing your ear comm, you began putting on your coat.

"Mark primed and ready for me?" You asked Sophie.

"Yes." She said while watching you closely, unconvinced of your dismissing comment.

Once you let the truck, Sophie looked over at Breanna, who quickly looked away and began typing.

Sophie sat beside her "Breanna, if something is going on between Eliot and Y/n I need to know. Are they fighting? What is it?"

Breanna looked nervously from her screen to Sophie. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

Sophie narrowed her eyes "But you clearly very much want to." Her eyes widened a it "Is it a secret? I love secrets! Y/n has a secret from me?"

Breanna shrugged, weighing the consequences. "Okay-" she began as she muted Sophie's the comms so you would not be able to over hear once you turned yours on, "First tell me this. Have you ever thought that Y/n and Eliot should be together?"

Sophie rose her brow "Oh I always thought they should, but I never understood why they haven't." Sophie gasped "What is it, now you have to tell me!"

"Alright Sophie, Maria is gonna help." Eliot frowned when he heard no response "Sophie? Breanna? Y/n what's going on?"

"What?" You whispered.

"Sophie and Breanna aren't responding to me."

"They're in the truck, I just left them. I gotta go, I'm approaching the mark."

Eliot sighed as he walked up to the food truck. Seeing the door slightly ajar, he opened it slowly, fearing someone else may be inside. He paused though, when he heard Sophie and Breanna.

"What is it, now you have to tell me!"

Eliot was about to call out to them, but stopped when he heard Breanna.

"Have you ever noticed Y/n withdrawing and getting weird whenever Maria comes up in conversation?"

"Oh yeah definitely."

Eliot frowned, he never noticed that. He would have noticed that. He felt a small jolt of realization, as he recalled that you tended to avoid any conversation about her. He thought you were doing it for his sake, but maybe not?

"Right?! So, it's because Y/n has been in love with Eliot for years!"

"What!?"

Eliot felt his heart drop as he felt his breath catch.

"Eliot made a joke years back when Nate first got you guys together, that Y/n had to promise to never fall in love with him. They said they wouldn't, but Y/n already had feelings for him then too."

"Oh my God."

Eliot's hands tightened on the handle of the truck as he continued to hold his breath. Everything from years ago rushing back into his head.

"Y/n said that Eliot never showed any signs of being interested in them so they never acted on it. And Eliot would say things like he doesn't fall in love, ya know, typical Eliot stuff. But now, years later he's with Maria and not Y/n, and now they just have to watch, while their heart is being ripped apart watching the man they love, be with someone else."

"Oh dear, poor Y/n." Sophie said with a dejected tone.

"And Y/n refuses to tell Eliot because they don't want to jeopardize ruining the team."

Eliot stepped away and leaned against the truck, finally taking in a staggered breath.

All this time, you had loved him? The years that he spent convincing himself to never feel anything for you. Because it would be dangerous, because you deserved better? The whole time, you were doing the same, for him.

As much as it broke his heart never being with you the way he dreamed, he convinced himself it was for the better. So when people like Maria came into his life, he jumped in. Now he knew that every time he did that, he was hurting you.

All this time, you had never gotten into a serious relationship. Was this why? What it because of him?

"Eliot? Hello!?"

Breaking from his thoughts as Sophie's voice rang in his ears, he shook himself from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you coming back to the truck? We have to go."

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." He replied, waiting for a few moments before he went into the truck.

Right now he needed to focus on the con, but once it was over. He would fix this. He would set it all right.

--- --- ---

You grinned at the client as she shook Sophie's hand, before turning to the rest of you "Thank you all so much."

"I hope you're able to get back on your feet quickly, let us know if there is anything else we can do." You said softly.

As she thanked you all again and walked off, you looked around at the others. You paused momentarily as you saw Eliot staring intensely at you. His face a mix of emotion you weren't sure you could identify.

Seemingly pulling himself from his thoughts, he pulled his eyes from you as he turned to follow the others inside.

Letting out a sigh as you looked around, you smiled, glad the con went well.

Looking at the time, you felt a small tug at your heart as you recalled Eliot's promise to Maria of dinner. You sighed as you tried to shake the thought from your mind, as you had many times before.

Taking a short break with everyone before they left, you were left alone, sitting at the tables outside the restaurant. You slowly spun the glass in your hand as you stared into the bubbles of the drink.

You were so lost in thought, you didn't see Eliot come around the corner. You didn't see him stand there for a while as he watched you.

He felt guilt pull at him as he watched you sit alone. After most cons, you and him would sit outside somewhere, talk, laugh, eat, watch the stars. It was your thing.

But recently, he would leave after cons to go see Maria. Just another thing he took from you.

Finally walking up to you, you heard his steps and looked up. You smiled at him with mild surprise. He smiled in return, feeling a warmer tug at his heart than before.

"Everyone leave?"

"Yeah" You nodded before you frowned slightly "I thought you were getting dinner with Maria?"

Eliot let out a sigh as he sat in the chair next to you. "Yeah, about that. I did see Maria, but it wasn't to get dinner."

You furrowed your brow "Something happen?"

He nodded "Yeah. Uh, me and Maria aren't going to be seeing each other again."

You sat up a bit straighter, both pain for Eliot, and a small amount of relief washed over you. "What happened?"

"I did." He said softly.

You turned in your chair to face him "I don't get it."

"I ended it, because...I overheard a conversation between Breanna and Sophie earlier."

"About...Maria?" Your heart was beginning to pick up pace as you swallowed hard. What exactly did Breanna and Sophie talk about when you left?

He shook his head "No, about you."

You stared at him with a blank face as you processed what he said. When you left Sophie and Breanna in the truck, she had just walked in after Breanna made a comment about being on your side.

"Oh God." You muttered before you leaned down, setting your head on the table a bit harder than you intended "What did the say?" You asked with a dejected tone.

Eliot smiled a bit as he sat forward, putting his arms on the table and leaning forward. He spoke softly "About how your in love with me. And that you have been for years."

Your heart was pounding in your chest, as your neck burned hot. You were afraid to look up, afraid Eliot would have a look on his face that told you he didn't feel the same.

But then you remembered what started this conversation. He ended it with Maria because of what he overheard. Did that mean-

Looking up, you saw Eliot with a soft smile staring down at you. No judgement, no repulsion, no rejection.

"You said you wouldn't fall in love with me." He said softly with a smile.

You let out a soft breath "Yeah, well. I lied."

His smile grew a bit "So did I."

You squinted a bit in confusion and he replied "About when I said men like me don't fall in love. Because I did. With you, years ago. And every single day since I, regretted telling you not to fall for me. I never really thought you would, but I wanted it."

"Is that why you never told me?"

He nodded softly "And I'm sorry. If I had, if I had shown any of the things I was feeling...things would've been different"

You shrugged lightly but smiled "Not so different."

He smiled "Maybe not. But they would have been better. I would have gotten what I wanted the most."

"Which is?"

"To be with you in all the way's we never had."

"I anted that too. But you aren't the only one who hid it. I was so convinced you never would that I never showed how I felt either."

He shook his head "I guess we both got that guilt in common then. But at least now we can amend that, and make up for the time we lost."

You smiled, but your face fell. "But what about Maria? I never intended f-"

He shook his head as he leaned forward, setting his hand on top of yours.

"It never would have lasted with Maria. She's a Marshal, and I'm- well, you know. It would have ended sooner or later. And I would rather be with the one person who has always been there for me, seen the best and worst parts of me and never left my side. I'd rather be with you than anyone else."

You gazed softly at each other for a few moments as he gently caressed your hand.

"Since I've been going to see Maria after all of our cons recently, I neglected our routine of getting dinner together. Have you eaten?"

"I have not."

He motioned his head towards the restaurant "Let me make you something to make up for it."

You smiled as you both began to rise "I would never say no to that."

He smiled as you both move to go inside. Suddenly stopping, he grabbed your hand and pulled you into his chest. Staring into his eyes, he smiled at you before his eyes flicked to your lips. Meeting your eyes again his lips quirked into a bigger smile.

Smiling in return as you both inched loser, your lips met in a soft kiss. Placing your hands on his chest, he moved his hands to your waist as he deepened the kiss.

As much as you were going to chastise Breanna for telling Sophie the one thing you told her not too. You'd be forever secretly grateful that she did.

xx End xx

Hope you enjoyed it! If you did please consider reblogging, it helps out a lot and is always a great motivator and makes my day! <3

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Leverage/Eliot Taglist: @groovy-lady, @aaannabbanana, @peoniarose, @fablesrose, @spuffyfan394, @malindacath, @winnifredburkleismyhero, @that-marvel-simp, @gatefleet,

[greypetrel]

Hello! ⭐ Maybe "i had a dream about you" for Raina? Feel free to change it tho!

Hey there! <3

I kept Raina, but hoping you don’t mind, I tried to dip my feet in the Whale AU 2.0, the fully original one. I blame @theluckywizard for putting the HawkexInquisitor bug in my ear. Then I remembered that my toxic trait is recycling characters. I know this, as all OC content here will interest three people, but please indulge me. Raina will change her name, but I kept her as Raina still for commodity. A sketch at the bottom!

Ah for your knowledge: we’re in Iceland in the Edwardian Era, I still haven’t set a precise date, but I’m pending towards 1910.

Tis the prompt list

Morning, Noon and Nightime, too

“I had a dream about you”

[ Famale Hawke x Female Lavellan || An Edwardian AU || 3256 words || CW: Shipwrecks, storms, non-graphic description of violence ]

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. - T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Raina was born by the ocean. Raised on it. Her first steps had been on her father’s boat, her first memories were by the seaside. She knew the ocean, her feet were more stable on a ship than on dry land. She knew how to move, knew how to read the waves, knew when a storm was coming and it was time to seek shelter and drop the anchor, knew how to move if the coast was too far and the anchor wouldn’t reach the bottom.

That night, nothing mattered.

That night was cold and wet and salty, she was cold to her bones, the ship swayed left and right, waves scroshing down the bridge white with foam, too much for her footing to keep sure.

At a certain point, she had to hang on the railing and wait for the next wave to shift the Hvalur around and sweep the bridge. It made it slippery and wet, but she had something to hang onto and avoid slipping down, down, in the black of the water and to a certain death.

She was desperately trying to reach the wheel, but it seemed like the hull extended longer and longer the more steps she took. The more difficult, harsh and slippery steps she took. It felt like for each step she made, the storm pushed her back two.

Rain filled her eyes, it didn’t matter how much oilskin she had covered herself with. The ship rolled too much for it to be effective, the Northern Atlantic cold and unforgiving. It mattered little that it was the same ocean that saw her whole life passing by.

She used her hands to drag herself further. Further. A little more, headed to the stern lantern. Closer and closer, she gritted her teeth in effort, pushing her heavy, cold legs to work for a little more. Just a little more, and-

- someone yelled to her back, someone Raina knew.

If she thought her blood was frozen from the cold before, she was wrong. It froze now, recognizing that voice as her brain filled with dread.

She turned, heart beating fast, in time to see two things.

The first, was that whales were blowing in the water, puff glowing starkly white against the blackness of the surroundings, black noses emerging, mastodontic tails breaking the waves right after. Everything was fast and quick, but those tails, growing bigger and bigger -too big, a part of her brain knew they weren’t as-

The second thing was Aisling, climbing over the railing of the vessel. One foot, the other, hands propping herself up on the border…

Panic took her, making her limbs suddenly light, too light. She forgot about the ship -she never reached the wheel in time and the ship wrecked, she knew, trying to change it was pointless anyway- and lunged for the other woman. The ship was lost, but Aisling was not. Aisling would not be. She let go, slipped and turned, yelled at her not to jump, it wasn’t-

- Thunder cracked in the sky, illuminating the night, and everything seemed to go slower.

Raina turned, in time to see a tail -huge, enormous, too enormous- contrasting black against the whitened sky, horribly close to her. Aisling slipped and fell with a yelp that wasn’t happiness, was dread.

Raina knew what was about to happen. She knew it all too well.

She saw the same scene before, after all, even if she couldn’t remember when or why, and some details where off. It was the first time that Aisling was there, but the rest, she knew.

Time sped up, recovering the pause of before. The tail descended on the ship, heavy and quick, the ship tilted to it obediently.

A crash, a boom, the pavement slipped from under her feet and her hand lost grip, Raina collided heavily on the water.

The ocean filled her clothes, slipped inside her oilskin, her trousers and sweater and shirt. She thrashed madly, confused and not understanding where was up and where was down.

Everything was black, she never felt so cold in her life, nor so scared.

Or well, she already saw and felt everything there, and she, indeed, felt just as cold and just as scared.

But she couldn’t remember when.

She saw Aisling back again, taken down by huge jaws full of teeth, eyes void.

She screamed, and her lungs filled with water and salt.

A familiar flavour, at least, just before she drowned.

---

Raina woke up screaming from the bottom of her lungs, jolting awake and up.

She couldn’t breathe -or well, she could but it was difficult- her heart thrummed in her ears, and she was still mortally cold, and felt wet. Everything she saw was black, black, a vast nothingness and an infinite ocean where up and down were the same thing, and each meant death.

She struggled to breathe, body not fully responding, blinking and squinting to get a clue of where she was, anything to tell her that it wasn’t the bottom of the Atlantic, there were no whales around her.

Something shifter beside her, something else squeaked from the same direction, but it made her just more on pins and needles than she was before.

“Raina?”

A voice, groggy with sleep, which brought a too vivid image to her mind. Not being able to see her didn’t help: she kept imagining her maimed and mauled, brought down in the ocean by sharp teeth.

“It’s ok. It’s just me. It’s fine, you’re safe.”

Aisling kept on, shifting closer, voice soft and quiet. Not the voice of a person who is dying. It calmed her a little, but not seeing her didn’t fully help, even if slowly breathing was becoming easier.

“Can I touch you?”

She asked, and slowly, oh so slowly she approached. Raina felt the faintest of touches, barely the shifting of the cloth on her shoulders, brushing over her skin. When she didn’t react, the touch became a real one, hands placing delicately on her shoulders. Gradually, very gradually, fingers squeezed, and when nothing else happened, the squeeze became a hug, a cheek rested on her shoulder, she felt hair brushing on her jaw.

Her body wouldn’t move on its own, but she let Aisling gently move her, to lean on her more thoroughly first -her fingers combed through her hair, nails gently scratching her scalp- and then down, back to bed, when her breathing got more regular and her shoulders unclenched some.

She remembered where she was, then, and why it was so dark.

It wasn’t the ocean, it was Aisling’s hut. The embers in the fireplace must have extinguished, and the rain still ticked on the glass of the curtained window, behind the steel bars of the bed’s headboard. They were sharing the bed because Aisling received some bad news about her research, yesterday, and all she had asked was if she could sleep in her bed tonight, and not in the hammock hanging from the ceiling. Raina couldn’t tell her no, not when she had looked so uncharacteristically down. It was her bed, after all, and Raina had been occupying it since two months. Two months since Aisling found her on shore, miraculously still alive after the shipwreck. She tried to offer to sleep in the hammock, but she was too tall for it, and too heavy for the hook in the ceiling. So, they shared.

Sweat had cooled down on her skin and she shivered. Quickly, the blankets were back on her. Aisling shifted around, as she kept chatting in a soft voice about what she was doing and why. Tucking her in, so she was fully covered, the night was chilly and they both didn’t want her to get another fever. Fixing the sheet and the blanket together, Raina apparently had twisted them around while thrashing in sleep.

It was too much, and a part of her brain was screaming to tell her to stop -she would have, Raina had only to ask. One thing was pining and finding her cute and not acting upon it not to make the situation any weirder than it already was, another was sharing a bed, waking her up in the middle of the night and taking advantage of her kindness like so.

Maybe it was the nightmare, maybe it was still some lingering fear that clutched her throat and her heart like so, maybe it was the bone-deep need of knowing she was unharmed, she wasn’t bloody and drowning.

Raina listened to the other part of her brain, and as soon as Aisling too, finally, curled down beneath the covers, she shifted forward and slipped her arms around her waist, dragging her closer.

She felt the other gasp, the chatting stopped for a moment. Raina squeezed her eyes hard and clutched the other’s body closer, if but for a moment before rejection came crushing hard on her.

The moment passed, another came. And another.

The next, she felt Aisling sigh and shift. Not to slip away, but to slip an arm in the crook of her neck and hug her shoulders back, cheek resting on top of her head and fingers coming back to caress her hair, tread in short black locks leisurely.

“Don’t let me go.” It slipped out of Raina’s lips automatically, without her thinking too much about it. She would have hated how hoarse and whiny it sounded, if there had been anyone else with her.

“I won’t.” Aisling just told her, staying right where she was and hugging her tighter in all answer.

Soft and steady between her arms and under her cheek, she pressed her ear on her shoulder, and felt her heart beating, her chest rise and fall with breath.

She smelled liked salty water, but on her, it didn’t make her antsy.

Her breath calmed, and she forget embarrassment and pining, and let the solid body in her arm, the fingers in her hair, Iull her back to a dreamless sleep.

---

The next time she woke up, the hut was illuminated by grey light filtering from the other window in the kitchen corner.

The day was cloudy, and there was still noise of rain, more intense on the glass, even if curtains were drawn to cover the window on the bed.

Raina, on her belly, took a moment to get used to the waking world again. She didn’t feel so tired after all, even if she felt a weird pressure on her back, pinning her down.

The cupboards and cabinets were all in their place, with the stove. The table was still full of papers, books and writing materials in terrible order, the fireplace, the yellow armchair beside the bed, in front of her, was still there. Everything -the few things that could fit that barrack, that was, and they had to choose between the table and a second bed because both wouldn’t have fitted- was exactly where she left them the night before.

It felt silly, now, to have actually believed that it was the ocean and everything could have been swept away by the storm.

She couldn’t see in the dark the whales and waves and sea animals painted on the walls. And even if she could, Aisling was an enthusiastic painter, but not a talented one. She knew that was a seal –“a sea lion, that’s very different”- only because she tried to guess and mistook it for an otter first. Little to fear, even in the night and after a nightmare.

She shifted, trying to get awake and at least get some of her dignity back by getting breakfast ready, when Aisling groaned, too close for comfort, and the weight on her back shifted, something squeezed her waist.

Raina fell back down with wide eyes, turning her head as she could to glimpse the curve of Aisling’s back at her side, disappearing up her back when she couldn’t see. One of her arms stuck close to her bust.

Fuck.

Embarrassment came all back, and the exact memory of what she did in the night crushed on her barely awake conscience. Well, she was fully awake now, and ready to panic.

Aisling had found her after the shipwreck and welcomed her in her home. In the home that was allegedly too small for one person alone. She left her her bed, slept in an old hammock that she hung on a hook on the wall that couldn’t have surrected Raina’s weight. Aisling never complained, never once even when they quarreled because all the biologist could speak about were whales and Raina didn’t want to hear anything about them that wasn’t how monstrous they were.

And two months later, she took advantage of her kindness in that way.

Hell, she had a fiancée back home. A façade of one, but still she had one.

And Raina didn’t want to intrude letting her know that she could as well see her as more than a friend. Now it would have been difficult to explain otherwise.

But, as her pining mind scrambled to find a passable excuse that kept her behaviour proper and fitting, Aisling shifted again. She felt her nuzzling in the space between her shoulder blades, rustling her shirt, squeeze her waist with her arms and curl up more  snugly against her side, groaning with a groggy voice.

“Mmmmh, five minutes more…”

Which was perfectly, blissfully normal, and made Raina snort, despite her heart beating too fast.

“Let me go-” she didn’t want her to let her go. “-and I’ll get breakfast ready while you sleep some more?”

Another groan from her back, longer.

“No. You’re warm and cozy.”

That didn’t help.

“And you told me not to let you go.”

That helped even less.

Raina cleared her throat, biting her tongue before her traitorous mouth could answer with something else she would have regretted later.

She shifted amongst drowsy protests and arms trying to keep her there -that helped very, very little- and seeing her face all pouty still with her eyes squeezed close made her want to bend down and kiss her.

Bad.

She bravely resisted the urge, and deftly slipped her pillow between Aisling’s arms, slipping down the bed and depositing her back on the mattress. She ruffled her hair -that was proper, maybe- and tucked the blanket up her shoulder.

And went directly to the kitchen, hoping that cooking would have cleared her mind more, and maybe distracted Aisling enough to forget to talk about things Raina wasn’t exactly ready to discuss.

She lit the fire in the hearth and then approached the kitchen. Picked from the larder eggs, butter, sugar, milk and flour. It was a pancake day she decided, and shifted bowls and tools out of their cupboards. Cooking had been something she took up since she could stand for long enough. Partly to thank Aisling for her hospitality, partly to not feel so much a dead weight and get a little less restless while forced to rest, partly because Aisling was even worse a cook than she was a painter.

And, the stove allowed her to give her back to Aisling, and clear her mind with another task to keep her hands busy. Crack the eggs, mix them with sugar, add the melted butter and the milk, add flour, little by little.

Skillet on the fire, she let some butter melt on the iron, swinging the pan back and fort to distribute it.

Mechanical tasks that kept her attention on them. Soon enough, whatever emotion was swirling around in her mind -how Aisling smelled like sea-salt, the exact curve of her waist- tuned down, substituted by pouring batter and checking it didn’t burn up.

It lasted little. Muffled steps on the wooden planks, a chair got dragged back, and her roommate sighed heavily, paper rustling under her arms.

“Pancakes?”

“Yup.”

“Wow, what’s the occasion?”

“You had a rough day yesterday… I thought it could cheer you up.” It was true. Also, a thank you for not making it weird.

“Mh.” She hummed, with a certain tone that told Raina she wasn’t convinced. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” Raina asked back, too briskly maybe, her muscles contracting.

Aisling got the hint and waited before answering. Her eyes burned on Raina’s neck, but she soldiered on, flipping one pancake on a plate and pouring another ladleful of batter on the skillet, rolling it around to spread it in a circle. Just another officer checking her work, she was. Nothing she hadn’t faced before. Or so she tried to tell herself.

“What did you dream about?”

Aisling, finally, asked, voice impossibly soft, hesitating as if she wasn’t fully sure she even could ask.

 They’ve been in contact in a narrow space for enough time -Raina spent almost half her life on ships to know that time didn’t matter much in relationships of any kind between humans when space was scarce. And the hut was narrower than any ship she ever worked on. She knew that the biologist wouldn’t have minded if she had changed the topic. She knew all too well. And yet…

…Yet, that kindness melted away fears. She knew, from experience, that if she had told her, she wouldn’t have minded. As she wasn’t minding last night accomodations and talking to her normally now.

Raina sighed heavily, flipping the pancake around. She burned it a little, in all her musing, and she glared at him as if it was its fault.

After a minute, she slid it on the other plate she had readied -her own-, and left the skillet on the stove on its own, turning towards Aisling.

“I dreamt about you.”

She declared, simple as that. No pain, no gain.

Aisling’s cheek turned pinker, and it was her turn to lower her eyes.

“Oh.” She just told her. “I see. Well, I must have been horrible if you woke up so startled, I apologise.”

Raina laughed at that. Let it to her to apologise for someone else’s dreams. Aisling turned her face up, giggling shily with her.

“Anything else?” Aisling asked, a smile still on her face.

“Well...” Raina shrugged, turning back to the skillet. More butter on it, and more pancakes when the butter melted. “The usual.”

She told her, ironizing on how only her could try and make friend with a gigantic whale on a murder spree. It made Aisling laugh, agreeing and counter-arguing -as Raina knew she would have- that the whale surely had her good reasons, probably was just scared and didn’t do it on purpose.

In the morning light, with laughter filling the room, the perfume of sweets in the air and rain ticking rhythmically on the windows and buttering the sea outside the window, it all seemed less scary and less serious than it did even half an hour before.

They ate their breakfast, still bickering and laughing about how murderous whales exactly were, as their usual.

Aisling said nothing about the night and sleeping hugged together.

But, she shifted on the chair, collecting her legs on the sittee -she could sit straight only if she took an effort- and one of her feet rested on Raina’s chair, at her right over the corner of the table. Toes gently resting on her thigh.

Raina felt herself blushing, Aisling smiled and her cheeks were pink as well. Nobody said anything about it, and it felt right, there and then, before another day fully began.

It didn’t help at all, but Raina didn’t mind it.

[astrals-and-pirates]

given that the cast just revealed their classes in campaign 2 (HYPE!!!!), heres me trying to predict what subclass each of them are gonna take based on player vibes and the setting hints (and also general thoughts and hopes?)

im basing this off of the assumption that were gonna be seeing a lot of gritty city characters with the freelance detective prcoedural-ish premise of s2

Red - either Oath of Redemption or Oathbreaker Paladin. i think this one's fairly obvious because Red has a clear type for Big Guys with Tragic Backstories (see: Binh from the atla two-shot and Red's love of Eliot from Leverage). i also think a backstory heavy character would be really interesting to contrast with Kyana who is very backstory-lite. Also interesting to have Red play a character with connections to a god or entity that supplies their powers and i'd love to see her play a character who is more of a schemer (given the high charisma stat) than Kyana.

Sophia - College of Whispers Bard and ??? Rogue. i'm not super familiar with rogue subclasses but i think any of them would be super cool and work well depending on the character's role. Arcane Trickster or Phantom if Sophia wants to lean towards a magical character, Inquisitive or Mastermind if she prefers a more detective/investigator character and maybe even Scout or Thief if we're getting another street rat. For the bard subclass, i remember a Q&A where Sophia mentioned enjoying that subclass and given the Rogue multiclass, Whispers seems like a good in-character pairing. Also given the Recently Divorced archetype Sophia mentioned enjoying, i think it would be very fun if she played a depressed, wet-cat-vibes older character in contrast with Dani's hyperactive youth.

Wally - Gloom Stalker Ranger. Given that the table is already established and comfortable with each other, i'm excited to see if were gonna see more of Evil Wally in this campaign, and i think the Gloom Stalker subclass works with a sort of tricksy character with questionable vibes he might enjoy playing. Wally also mentioned thinking abt sprinkling in some Cleric and i think that would be so fun, even if i have no subclass i can predict for that (i think Death, Grave or Trickery Domains would be fun tho).

Noir - College of Lore Bard? This is the one i'm the least sure about bcs theres so many fun types of bard, but Noir mentioned Lore as one of his fave bard subclasses and i think it makes sense with this version of the party i've invented. he would probably fill in the researcher/smart guy/magic user role and Lore Bard feels like a good standalone class to start with at the start of the campaign. i do feel like its the most similar to VR-LA so i am apprehensive with my prediction and do think Noir would enjoy mixing it up a bit, so i'm excited to see how he'll surprise me. (College of Eloquence maybe? so Noir can back his speeches up with dice rolls?)

so yeah, campaign 1 isn't over yet but im already so excited!! i <3 'gil

[findusinaweek]

10 Characters/10 Fandoms/10 Tags

I was tagged by @ainulindaelynn and @krankittoeleven. Thanks, buddies! I didn't know most of the characters you mentioned, so it's fun getting to be introduced. I honestly like when my mutuals post about characters they love, even if I have no clue or am not into it. It's just fun seeing what people are passionate about, you know? Also, ainulindaelynn, I like blurbs so I'll do that too.

1) Akito Sohma (Fruits Basket) A terrible person. The first character that I felt like I needed to chew on, you know, like really just gnaw on them. Unhinged4Unhinged. Me questioning my sexuality, morality, and religion over this character. UGH. These are screenshots from the remake, like actual dialogue, and 100% how I feel about this character.

2) Chell (Portal 2)

I love her. She's powerful. Good at jumping. Mute. Smart. Infuriating to murderous A.I. Probably traumatized as all hell.

3) Handsome Jack (Borderlands series)

My favorite irredeemable villain? I want to study him like a bug.

4) Haldir (LOTR)

OK! He's very cool! He's very pretty! He shows up at Helm's Deep and the way Legolas is grinning behind him is how I feel about him too. He's just so cool!!

5) Jim Jimenez (OFMD)

6) Erwin Smith (AOT) I'd follow this guy and his eyebrows to my death, sure. Very charismatic. I like the deep dives into his character, the ways he must feel guilt and shame. He's a very devoted man, and I'm impressed by that type of characterization.

7) Lito Rodriguez (Sense8) I admire his grasp of emotions. I admire his growth through the show, from cowardice to sticking up for the people he loves. 8) Eliot Waugh (The Magicians) His "Becoming me was the greatest creative project of my life" quote lives in my head.

9) Anna Karenina (Anna Karenina) Flawed, fascinating. The kind of character that waltzes into my brain and steals my attention. I need to try to read the book again. It's interesting how my feelings about her change as I get older. I'm less behind her decisions, but I think I understand them better.

10) Brasidas (AC Odyssey) Do I need to say anything about this guy? Do I? You know how I feel, I'm sure.

Also, I'm unsure if I've seen this gif before, but wow <3 <3 <3

@saenora, @milfeivor, @shirayuki7, @hagiographer13, @illegible-scribble, @thecontractorandtheastronaut, @stressfulsloth, @fikali, @the-writings-of-a-mad-foxgirl, @cata-liinaa If you all would like, go ahead. If anyone else wants to do this, go ahead as well.

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s2e7

STOP IGNORING ME STOP IGNORING ME YOU PUSSY !!!!!!

you will know exactly what i'm going to say i'm going to say it until she goes away. i love you niffin alice.

one of these dummies is gonna call the brain police and you've got priors!

Evil Things Inside of Me That Used to Be Alice

SOOO fucking interesting, their conversation on "boxing her up" because alice is right! he IS trapping her! the first time i watched this show i was truly TRULY so angry at him for this. when he says "or you could be quiet and you could let me try and solve this" like my god the man never lets anything go! it's so unhealthy and like NOW i don't blame him because he's my best friend but the first time around i could only think of it as selfish and sinister and controlling.

the world's foremost expert on all things me... an all timer quote. god what a quotable scene!

i'm not bloodthirsty i just wanna be free :-( sorry but she's so hot if she was bloodthirsty i'd still do what she wanted

julia's hair is so nice in this scene

i love you korean knife magicians i really love you so much sometimes this show really just charms me

BANK HEIST !!!!!!!!! one of my favorite moments in this show

GOOD BECAUSE I DON'T margo marry me

sometimes i think about how many plots are running in any given scene/episode/season of this show and i swear i could pass out like who remembered ember shitting in the wellspring except tick pickwick did !!!!!

also love the magic-seeing lenses in this show that's always been charming to me. same with the mann reveal but i like the little lenses more.

when they kill off the haxenpaxen it feels to me like they were like okay we can't keep track of all this. which must have been a difficult decision for the magicians showrunners.

that poor girl is ~fucked!~

yeah to circle back to the one million concurrent plots i like that q's plot for the time being is "liberate the being of pure chaotic energy that looks like my girlfriend which is trapped in the tattoo on my back" in the grand scheme of things here it's kind of a minor issue lol

raise your hand if she's the reason that you fucking exploded in this life!

my best friend in the world does crazy shit and doesn't listen to me and like he probably means jules but unfortunately it's true of literally every character on this show

q is a remarkably good friend very attentive very concerned

help us rob a bank oh my god yes

love the anthropomorphic books also. fun throughline.

kady and penny have crazy fucking chemistry CRAZY chemistry

THERE'S OUR LITTLE KING. oh my god ohhhhh my god

margo's hair is sooo so so good.

aw i love that eliot didn't know margo had robbed a bank. it's so obviously a device so she can walk them through the security procedures because he would absolutely know that within like a month of them knowing each other but it's so cute.

ohhhh margo's little two-piece outfit. i'm not gonna look it up but i'm pretty sure this was from 2016 and i know this simply because i wore a two-piece dress to my high school winter formal. it was a dark fucking time.

yeah pass i like air >:-(

kady could've had her own show there's so much going on with her. and you know what? i'm not ashamed to say it. underutilized in fic.

alice had the bedroom of a precocious seven-year-old daughter of a single mother in a 2009 dramedy. where the wild things are ass bedroom.

return of the best bitches !!!!!!

brakebills must have some CRAZY fucking wards you ever think about it?

"oh nut up it's just a finger"

penny and kady grow up as though q did not get that finger in an orifice he was perfectly fine with

margo is so excited to coordinate a bank heist she is the number one girl in the world

remarkably extraordinarily fake bees i have to admire it

q and his FUCKING inability to take a sweater off

penny not touching the floor stresses me out SO badly. toe on the floor. (penny voice) god damn it.

love the security guards in love

the wrecking ball is a weapon of peace :'-)

(cuntiest voice in the world) oh well, rest in peace penny

i understand his reasoning for not telling anyone about niffin alice in his head but if i was q i would've been immediately telling everyone like that's not the shit you keep inside

"i've always been good at math" i would never believe that

q's saddest little "oh no :-o" this heist has everything !!!!

once again i feel like horomancy only becomes a big tricky thing later in the series because jules invents a time machine within like an afternoon. maybe two days.

ohhhh the fucking dokkaebi stress me out

first of all el taking a fatal injury for q :-( second of all KADY FUCKING DECKING THE BATTLE MAGICIAN !!!!! third of all q struggling to leave even the golem oh this gentle little guy who is in love with eliot waugh

somebody find out how they did julia's lashes i'm jealous

[stickystarspectrumtroll-ocs]

pinned post ask game for allets and eliote: 🔮 ⚠ ♿ 💢 😒 ⛪ 📺

🔮 - Your character is having their future told by someone pretty shady. Do they call the fortune teller out or just roll with it?

Eliote absolutely 100% calls them out.

Allets tries to hear them out while also taking what they say with a grain of salt.

⚠ - What has your character almost done that made someone talk them out of or convince them not to do it?

Allets definitely eventually gets up to wanting to do / trying to do SOOOOOOOO many hairbrained schemes and ideas that reasonably a person ought to be talked out of or convinced not to do. Y'know, demon-summoning, raccoon-domesticating, breaking-and-entering, etc. Eliote and/or Finley definitely try for a bit to talk her out of it, but end up going along with it a lot of the time.

Eliote, it'd have to be something like pulling five consecutive all-nighters to work on something, or fortifying the house to a truly insane degree with like SO many locks and traps and electric fence type stuff.

♿ - Is your character in some way handicapped? (This includes physical, emotional, and mental.)

Eliote definitely has PTSD, quite possibly also anxiety and/or depression. Also insomnia.

Allets, there's probably gotta be some kinda CPTSD in there. Anxiety is also extremely possible. I'm also considering whether autism and/or ADHD makes sense for her, not sure.

💢 - What frustrates your character more than anything?

Allets: Failure to do things comes to mind. A lot of the time the feeling that comes with failure for her is shame, and sometimes fear, but there are probably some times where there's frustration. Apart from that, all that comes to mind is just. Mean, snippy people.

Eliote: She gets frustrated by SOOOOOOO many things. A very big one is definitely forced positivity though. She HATES that with her entire being, and the more of it one throws at her the more bitter and grumpy and angry she gets in response.

😒 - “Ugh! Not him/her/them/it again.” How does your character react to annoying people?

Eliote glowers and snarks and snipes and generally makes it very bluntly clear how annoying she finds them.

Allets tries her very very hardest to be polite but it is Painful. Once she makes friends with Eliote and Jewel and Luna she does at some point get to a point where she's able to complain about people to them though. Only to them. Still gotta keep her thoughts to herself for everycreature else.

⛪ - Is your character religious or spiritual in anyway?

Eliote's parents might've believed in and practiced some religion in a low-key but very wholehearted way. She might've hung onto a little of that.

Allets...I'm having a hard time deciding whether her parents are like, devout christians who drill some of the most toxic ideas peoples get out of christianity into her, or whether they generally consider religion to be stuff and nonsense. Whatever religious or spiritual beliefs they have get drilled into Allets, but she never really resonates all the way down with them. She'd probably be agnostic really, and probably find it interesting to learn about different religions. And tbh I think she'd kinda vibe with satanism really sdlkjflkXD

📺 - What would your character’s favorite TV show be? What’s their favorite genre?

I think she'd really really like Over The Garden Wall. And also The Owl House. There is SO much that would resonate hard with her about The Owl House. Also, while this is technically a Netflix show and not a TV show, I think she would LOVE Centaurworld. Also, while we're on Netflix shows, She-ra would DECIMATE her.

As to favorite genre of media, I think honestly horror would be up there. She'd have a very deep fascination with horror. With all things spooky, occult, grotesque, and/or nightmarish. I've thought about the OC squad listening to TMA before, and I see her as being the one who'd most get into relistening to episodes for the statements and not just the plot or characters.

Eliote...it's honestly hard to say if ANY of the shows I watch (or know anything about) would be her favorite show. She-ra (though, again, not a TV show) might be a possibility? Precure? Infinity Train? Not sure. Allets would probably get her to watch Centaurworld and she'd probably wind up enjoying it a lot more than she anticipated. I think that might be up there.

As to genres I honestly have no idea sdlkghsdg;kjs;k

[teaposing]

entirely against my will i am a teeny-tiny bit fully obsessed with 1899 -- meta-adjacent thoughts below the cut. spoilers through the entire first season. i have seen very little meta for this show so this is probably not innovative or anything but i wanted to put it out there if only for posterity

first off i have to admit that i am extremely extremely skeptical of this type of convoluted puzzle-box scifi. they’re very compelling to me especially at the beginning but i don’t think most of them are anywhere as smart as they’d like to appear. well-made as dark was, i didn’t find the ending particularly satisfying, and this show seems to be in a very very similar vein.  i LOVE 1889 so far -- it’s so stylish and fun to watch, the characters and their relationships are incredible, the mysteries have completely drawn me in  -- but i don’t have super high expectations for the eventual resolution. that being said i will be happy as long as it stays bonkers. which i think is EXTREMELY likely.

probably an obvious one, but i’m definitely thinking the 2099 spaceship is probably another layer of the simulation, not the final reality. that prediction is mostly because it seems to make more structural sense -- this show is pretty heavy-handedly concerned with the nature of reality, and a multi-layered simulation would play into that. from what i gleaned from dark it’s also stylistically consistent (ie as convoluted as possible i say this with great affection).

the other big theory ive heard is that daniel isn’t real. i agree and i’d go further and say that i don’t think any of maura’s family (daniel, eliot, henry, ciaran) are literal people -- none of them are present aboard the ship in 2099 (except ciaran; i don’t have enough info to say what the fuck is going on there but i would say he’s probably not a human person). maybe this is too hokey but i’m wondering if they’re somehow representations of maura’s own self. it doesn’t make sense to me that maura created the simulation to keep eliot from dying -- why would she erase her memory of him and daniel if it was borne of an obsessive desire to keep living together as a family? also, maura is very explicitly not driven by emotion. desperation and grief can definitely make people do uncharacteristic things, yeah, but there’s such an intentional focus on that aspect of her personality, and that feels like an indicator that henry is lying. if he created the simulation, though, why would he be in it himself? i don’t think either maura’s theory or henry’s is entirely true -- i get the feeling maura made the simulation, but not for the reasons henry suggests.

the logistics of daniel and eliot don’t make a ton of sense to me (why do they remember, how does daniel control the simulation from within, what does it mean that they used the prometheus to “gain access”) and i’m not really sure whether those things are intentional and will be revealed or if they’re hand-wavey plot devices. 

similarly i’ve had the thought that maybe everyone onboard is a fabrication -- since i’m solidly of the belief that 2099 is not a final reality either, anything is possible -- and that maura has trapped herself in the simulation either to examine her own mind or escape from reality. i’ve decided that it’s unlikely, though, because of how omniscient the show’s perspective is. it would be very jarring if the characters turned out to be unreal, considering how often and deeply they interact among each other without maura present at all. also, the memories would be pointless if they were just parts of a constructed person. the only way it would make sense, i think, would be if they were all also representations of maura’s self, but that seems too far out even for these guys, and also not really all that interesting. plus it would be a bummer imo.

i’m curious about the statement that everyone aboard the kerberos agreed to enter the simulation to escape their own pain -- they very clearly did NOT escape their pain. it’s literally under the floorboards. the whole situation is very compelling to me -- it’s half-therapy, half-torture. are the memories real ones altered to be plausibly turn-of-the-century, or are they completely fabricated? because the simulation does seem to be at least partially a kind of psychological experiment, i doubt they’re completely out of nowhere, but i genuinely have no idea to what degree they’re based in reality.

finally and most importantly i would like eyk and maura to kiss. thank you for reading

[somestorythoughts]

I think Maria Shipp is an interesting character and the actor did pretty well, not sure how I feel about her and Eliot’s relationship (that much not knowing each other for an ongoing period probably not a good foundation) but I did notice that there’s a big difference in the way they worked her into the season compared to past reoccurring characters.

Granted this is probably purely because they’re doing a romance thing so don’t take this as a significant meaningful critique.

It’s just, think of the way reoccurring characters, ones that appear more than twice, came up in the original series. Sterling, McSweeten, and Maggie are probably the main ones, I think Chaos comes up 3 times so I suppose he can be included and I have no recollection of how often Bonanno shows up but must be at least 3 times. The point I’m getting to is these characters appear what, two or three times a season tops? I’m not sure what the exact numbers are because I’m not invested enough to pull up an episode list, but despite being important when they do show up (Maggie and Sterling. McSweeten goes up and down) they still only come occasionally. Maria is in at least 4 episodes in one season. The only character in the original I can think of like that was the Italian, and that was because she blackmailed them into taking down Moreau. Like I said it’s probably because they’re doing a romance but it’s just a thing I noticed.

Also, it took 3 whole seasons for the 2 couples in the team to get together, arguably four for Sophie and Nate, and we still see them have relationship trials after. It’s very slow burn. So maybe part of the weirdness I’m getting from Maria and Eliot is just that it felt rushed in comparison.

Edit: I completely forgot Alexandra Bligh! So 3 characters I can think of that reoccur multiple times in a single season, and one’s a flat-out apathetic villain, one well we don’t know her deal but there was blackmail and sketchy diamonds involved, and one’s a weirdly done love interest.

I still have no idea what this says about anything

[vickyvicarious]

Just as I was about to go to sleep last night, I got a brain flash that went basically "something something flashback episode thiefsome themes???" so now in the light of day let's re-examine. This still isn't anything too polished, but... I think there's some interesting stuff to be found here.

Putting it under a tag so it doesn't clog up peoples' dashes too much, but the gist is that their roles actually represent their relationships/desires at each respective point in canon quite well, and it's giving me some thoughts about what a possible flashback with Hardison/Eliot would look like.

In the van Gogh Job, we get flashback Parker/Hardison. Obviously it wasn't them and the names are different and all but I'm just gonna call them f!Hardison and f!Parker because it's easier.

f!Hardison is brave, clever, determined, and deeply in love

f!Parker is loyal, comfortable, just as deeply in love, but terrified

Their flashback story is a cautionary tale as much as it is a romance. F!Hardison shares so many traits with Hardison himself, and f!Parker is a clear representation of current Parker. They make no bones about it, the parallels are extremely obvious and are even what makes the guy start telling Parker his story in the first place. Parker loves Hardison but she has found a place to belong in the team (flashback town/roller rink) and is afraid of what will happen if she disturbs that status quo by getting into a relationship with him. She's too scared of losing him (flashback to her racist dad/his buddies killing or hurting him, modern to the possibility of death mostly) to take the step to actually be with him, even though they both know she wants to. I love that there isn't any hint of her doubting his feelings or that he will remain devoted in either flashback or modern; the focus is entirely on her own fears for him and how she would handle that, not ever of him in any way.

Regardless of the timeframe, it's clear that (f!)Hardison loves her and will respect what she is willing to give him, even if that means leaving her. In the flashback, f!Parker still loves him and saves his painting in his honor for the rest of her life, remaining loyal to him despite never seeing him again. None of the emotion is in question at all, and it's clear that if she is willing to give it, her faith in him will be completely justified.

The episode basically just acts out Parker's fears (puppet-style?) and demonstrates to her that even though she would be fine if she doesn't take the leap - she'll be so much happier if she does. There's no guarantee of a happy ending, but Hardison is still himself and that means that before that ending comes at the very least, she will be happy. (Much like Sophie's beautiful speech to her.) Parker was already beginning to ease into a relationship with him, and this episode doesn't exactly drive her to jump in headfirst, but it's clear when we watch her reaction to the story what she will choose. She's going to build up her courage, but she's going to take the risk.

.

Now, given how transparent that episode is on their pairing, I kind of wondered what would happen if I look at the one that pairs Parker/Eliot's flashback selves: the D.B. Cooper Job.

f!Parker is understanding, supportive, loyal, and gives him a place to belong

f!Eliot starts out doing something bad for the sake of someone he loves, is drawn to her, and later feels wracked by guilt and seeks redemption by helping others

The focus in this one obviously isn't on the romance. It isn't even on either of these characters, so much as it is on Nate and his flashback self. But the parallels between modern and f!Eliot are still pretty apparent, if a bit watered down in that f!Eliot has no intentions to hurt anyone and in fact takes pains not to do so.

But as far as pairings go, I think what they do between these two is pretty interesting. Their flashback characters are drawn to one another, feel a kind of understanding and recognition that they can't quite explain. It's why f!Parker stops him before he jumps and never gives him up, it's why f!Eliot trusts her in the first place and why he shows up at her door after it is all over. I think this is a really nice parallel to the way Eliot and Parker understand one another and have this connection that is different from the rest of the team.

The other thing I like a lot is that in this episode, f!Parker is the steady support. She represents the home f!Eliot longs to have, even if she isn't the one who eventually offers him the chance to help others and make his own redemptive efforts. In fact, him working with f!Nate starts out for selfish reasons and only later evolves into a place where he feels he belongs. That's another obvious parallel to the Eliot we know, but the Parker in this episode is a little less immediately recognizable. Sure, she's an incredibly loyal person and will obviously not care overmuch about crime or whatever but mostly it's harder to see her as much in that role.

But I think she serves much the same role here as f!Hardison in the other episode. Though modern Eliot isn't hearing this story and making any resolutions based on it, the casting still represents their relationship. Parker is growing steadily into the position of leader/mastermind, and at this point she and Hardison are openly together. She is someone who understands Eliot on a very deep level, and she is coming to be the person who is his rock. While I'm not discounting Hardison's importance at all, Parker more closely fits the role of the person who encouraged him to take the job in this flashback. She's the one who, only three episodes later in Rundown, verbalizes a promise to change together. She (and also Hardison) represent the home Eliot craves to have, the belonging and support necessary for him to grow and to do good in the world. What's more, f!Parker is accurate in representing her side of things as someone who wants that for him. She wants to invite him in, wants to support him even if it's from a bit more of a distance at first (pre-relationship) but would absolutely welcome him inside as soon as he shows up at her door (once he's ready, she will bring him into the thiefsome).

And Rundown shows us that in action, again only three episodes later. Not in the sense of canon thiefsome, but Parker and Hardison are absolutely supporting Eliot leaving his darker past behind, changing with them for the better - and not just getting away with his own hands clean, but doing the extra work to help others (going after the guy who tried to hire him instead of just leaving town; again when they realize how serious the situation is but stay to fix it). The episode even ends with Eliot literally throwing away the crutch that would allow him to walk on his own, and pull them both in to support him instead. He's in the middle, he's deciding to join them even if he could get by alone, it's all representative for them welcoming him into the relationship too. (I headcanon something went down between them here but it isn't all cleared up relationship-wise until the Toy Job, but either way the themes are there!)

.

So with this in mind... The flashback with Hardison/Parker focused on Parker and her fears/decision to enter into a relationship with Hardison. Similarly, the flashback with Eliot/Parker focuses more on him and his desire to join the relationship. For both of them, the episode represents a shift in their relationship with one another, something not entirely unknown before, but a step that is challenging for them personally. Still, this step leads to greater happiness and growth.

All that in mind... what would a Hardison/Eliot episode look like, if we got it in Redemption? I'm getting into slight spoiler territory here, so leave now if you haven't seen the first few episodes.

.

.

Okay, so since we've had more focus on Parker, and on Eliot, this episode would focus most on Hardison. It makes sense as well for his role in the new series, because while Parker and Eliot are a little more stable, Hardison is the one entering a challenging new period of his life that is difficult but helping him grow.

I don't have any kind of full plot figured out, but here are some things I think we might see:

f!Eliot is supportive, confident, and believes deeply in him

f!Hardison is bold, struggles with self-doubt, and upends his own life in order to change the world for the better

I think Eliot's role in this flashback would be smaller, but he'd love f!Hardison deeply and the focus would not be on their relationship developing, but on the challenges it would face as f!Hardison embarks on... whatever it is. It has to be something f!Eliot knows he cannot do, and maybe even something that might mean the end of their relationship (though much like the van gogh job, the love between them is never in question).

I've seen people mentioning a Stonewall flashback episode for these two before, and that's possible. But another thing we could see is f!Hardison working against racist laws or something. Whatever the case, he needs to be doing something that benefits many, many other people, and it needs to put him at personal risk. I'm not entirely sure on what would be holding Eliot back from helping in the same way - it may just be as simple as f!Hardison gives amazing speeches and inspires so many people, while f!Eliot just doesn't have that skill. Maybe he is sick. Maybe, their relationship does end up attracting violence, and he gets hurt (doesn't even have to be their romantic relationship, if we're going a race angle and setting this episode further back, it could just be an open friendship with their romance kept secret. the themes would still be there). Whatever the case, f!Hardison has to leave Eliot behind.

And yeah, this has already happened in canon. We're already here. But if we wanted this episode to happen, I think it would be possible for the themes to still be relevant and the challenge to still be there for Hardison's character, if something brings him back to the team. If something goes down and he isn't there, and it terrifies him that he wasn't there, and he has trouble leaving again even though his work isn't done. Or if he organizes something on his end of the world that goes horribly wrong somehow. Sometimes it's not the first step that's hardest, it's keeping on even after the first big challenge. No road is free of bumps, after all, so Hardison might well think he's fine at first but start having doubts even after things have been going well for a while.

That is where you can bring this episode into play. That's where you start - f!Hardison is already getting involved in activism of some kind, but his own fame brings about negative consequences or something unrelated happens, and it scares him and makes him consider giving his work up. The episode can be bittersweet, with them never reuniting, or it can have a happier ending where he returns and f!Eliot is still waiting for him. But it's important for Eliot to represent a home that Hardison is already comfortable in, and one he has to leave in order to help others (however temporary the leaving is). And we need to see him away from the team, thriving and growing and improving so many peoples' lives in ways that never would have happened without him - both in the flashback, and in the modern part of the episode. In fact, Hardison doesn't even need to actually be physically with the team at all in the modern part of the episode. It can be more like the Broken Wing job, where we get hints at what they are doing but the focus is entirely on him and his struggle.

Of course, I have no idea how this would tie in to a modern heist. But maybe the format could be changed up, if we focus more on Hardison outside of the team. I'm sure there's some way this could be worked. And I think it would do really well in completing the trio of thiefsome episodes, and giving equal emphasis on all three of them in each one.

[party-gilmore]

...well, I managed to get to literally JUST BARELY before the actual smut starts, so please enjoy this unbetaed 2k word teaser prologue of "demi/grayace Parker doesn't feel like she's Enough for Eliot without Hardison around, so he sets the record straight."

Set during The Hurricane Job, because who gives a damn if the ep is even OUT yet, am i right? XD

“Room 236.”

“What was that?” Eliot hums. His voice is muffled beneath the heavy, sopping weight of his jacket as he tugs the damn thing over his head. His shirt peels off right along with it, so he just shucks the whole shebang in the generic direction of his luggage. He’ll have plenty of time to see to it properly tomorrow - the storm will have them trapped at least another day. With a groan, he stretches out his bad shoulder. It’s not quite dislocated again, but it’s not quite right either. Two nimble hands sneak up from behind and flit their way over the shoulder blade, one bracing against the wet neck of his white tank top while the other presses swift and hard on the joint - and ‘pop’ goes the weasel.

Eliot flashes Parker a pained but soft smile through the old dresser mirror, but it falters when he catches her eyes peeking over his shoulder. There’s a look in them he isn’t familiar with, but doesn’t think he likes.

“Park-” he starts to turn around, but she manhandles him back away from her and shoves her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. No small feat tonight, they way the rain has soaked and damn near suction cupped them to his ass. “H-hey, woah, alright there darlin’, slow it down a bit,’ he chuckles, reaching back to feel for her, but she’s already hopping back and flashing a small, colorful rectangle at him.

“Room 236,” she repeats, flipping it around her fingers like a coin. Eliot frowns. They’re in room 225, just down the hall. They’d found what the crooked cops were after with time to spare, so there was nowhere left to search. Why then, would he still have a room key for-

Oh. He reaches back and pats the offending rear pocket, flushing as he remembers Marshall Shipp’s parting flirtatious wink and accompanying gentle smack on the ass as they’d parted ways a half hour ago. He hasn’t exactly been… discouraging her interest. It's felt good that women are still interested in him even as he’s put a few more miles on, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the attention - especially from someone as 'his type' as Maria.

Well, what used to be his type, at least.

He shoots a sheepish, apologetic grin at Parker. Maria’s ‘interest’ was quickly becoming ‘intent,’ and now Eliot needed to find a way to nip that in the bud sooner rather than later.

“Damn, I should’ve noticed the reverse lift,” Eliot clears his throat, toying with the edge of the pocket absentmindedly. “She must’ve slipped it to me after we completed the radio broadcast. I was uh, distracted by our success I guess.”

“Bet that’s not all she’d like to slip you,” Parker’s voice takes on a bit more of a playful tone for a moment. Cheeky, teasing. It feels like solid ground.

“Hey now,” Eliot teases back, starting to undo his belt, slow and deliberate, as he begins toeing out of his boots. “I can’t help that I still ‘got it,’ darlin’. I can think of a couple folks I know offhand that might like to, uh… 'slip me a little something' right now, 'specially since I'm properly alone with one of 'em for the first time since-” The only problem is, he forgot how damn difficult these boots are to get off on a good day, let alone when soaked through with salt water. Swearing under his breath, he abandons his attempt at being suave to sit at the end of the bed and fumble with the ties. He should know better than try to look cool for either of his partners nowadays. It never works out quite right, and he’s starting to get to the age where he doesn’t even see the use of that kind of posturing anymore himself. They’ve seen him at his worst already - mentally, physically, emotionally - so what would be the point, really? On top of that, he may make a fuss about his ‘cool points’ in front of Breanna, but he knows Hardison’s sneaky ‘dorkification’ process he's been slowly contaminating Eliot with over the last decade is almost complete. He's still drawing the line at DnD, but he doubts that'll last much-

“...or, if you wanted, you could go let her slip it to you.”

Eliot is too caught up in his own head to really register the suggestion at first. He's busy ruminating on how differently his younger self would be handling this whole situation - all smooth moves and hot edges, shucking off clothing with a kind of casual grace.

‘Yeah, those days have long passed,’ he thinks, hunched over and fighting the waterlogged leather of his boots with fumbling, aching fingers. He gets the first one yanked off his foot less than gracefully, wincing at his ankle’s unsubtle protest, before what Parker said finally processes.

Slowly, he sets his singular boot the side and shifts enough to face her. Parker’s tone didn’t hold any bitterness or bite, just nervousness and a bit of resignation. She isn’t looking at him, but out the window, arms wrapped tight around her midsection in a way he hasn’t seen her do in a while. She bounces restlessly on her heels. There’s a clear energy inside her looking to get out. The thunder rumbles lowly through the suddenly silent room, murmuring a warning through the curling reverberation in Eliot’s gut.

He starts out gentle. Easy.

“...now why would I wanna go an’ do somethin’ like that?” Sometimes it’s easiest to bring things to Parker head on, and she’ll respond in her usual stark, frank manner. Just lay it all right out in the open to be picked apart. This isn’t one of those times. Eliot can read that much in every restless tap, every rapid twitch of her eyes to some place else in the room, any place that isn’t him.

“She’s your type, isn’t she?” Parker’s voice is a higher register than it should be, but not quite into her panicking zone yet. That’s a start. “She’s badass, sexy… passionate.”

Eliot notices her leaning heavy on that last word, and frowns.

“So are you, Parker.”

“Not in the same way!” She turns a bit, still looking outside, but her arms unwrap from herself to gesture between them. “Not the same way you and Hardison are!”

It’s quiet for another beat. The white noise of the hissing rain against the window settles into the room with a steady, thrumming tension. Eliot doesn’t jump to demanding clarification like he might’ve done a decade ago, doesn’t snap and tell her to stop beating around the bush. He’s learned that Parker tucks away all the information he needs to understand in every phrase, no matter how inane or incongruent it may seem. So Eliot holds his tongue and chews on the words for a while.

“Me and Hardison, huh?” He leans forward, elbows on his knees, and rubs his jaw in a performance of pensiveness. The movement draws Parker's attention and she finally looks over to him, following the back and forth of his fingers. He presses on, carefully. “Thought we were talkin’ bout me and the marshall. What’s Alec got to do with this?”

“Because he isn’t here!” Parker breaks, not enough to falter or crumble but enough to say what's on her mind before she can overthink it. "He isn't here and it's different! I can feel it! I'm not-" she fumbles her words for a minute, just waving between them again. "-all passionate about the whole sex thing like he is!"

There's that word again. Eliot knows where to go from here, at least. It's all about that word. He stands up, albeit a little awkwardly with one foot still in an inch high boot.

"Sure it's fun and I like it sometimes, but not like you two do! Alec balanced me out, could give you what you needed! I'm not… by myself, I'm not enough for… for y-..." Parker cuts herself before she can grow any more manic, bunching her face up and looking away again like she does when trying to stave off any waterworks before they can start.

Eliot can see her closing up again as her words fail her, but that's alright. What needed to get out made it out. He can take it from here. He hobbles over in his awkward, single-socked gait until he's close enough to take her shoulders in hand, but he doesn't pull her in for the hug. Not yet.

"Now I want you to listen to me, and listen good." Eliot makes sure his tone is firm, but gentle. Parker responds the way he'd hoped - still not looking, tilting her head down, but leaning toward him. Into his space. Receptive, and ready to hear him. "Yeah, it feels different. That's cause you and me? Are different from me and Alec. We're always gonna be. 'That makes us, us,' remember? Just like that's different from you and Alec. It's all part of 'us,' yeah, but it's… we got our own thing, Parker. And sure, we might like it best when it's all three of us, just because we love him so, so much, yeah?"

He lifts one hand from her shoulder and tucks a bit of hair back behind her ear, giving her a chance to respond if she wants. Parker murmurs a quiet "yeah," and steps in a little closer. Eliot tugs her in the rest of the way now, assured that she's open to the touch. She pillows her chin on the shoulder she fixed, and Eliot lays a light kiss to the outside of her ear before continuing in a lower voice.

"So… we miss him, when he's not here, and we don't have the 'all three of us' thing right now. That doesn't make our thing, the you and me thing, any less good. It doesn't- Parker, you're so much more than just enough for me. You're who I need... especially when we don't have Hardison. Don't ever doubt that."

"I'll try," Parker turns her head and mutters it into the crook of Eliot's neck, and he loves her all the more for it. It's better than any empty promise of 'I won't,' because he knows the honesty of it. Knows it's not just an empty platitude of 'I'll do it,' but the vulnerable admission of 'I want to, but don't know if I can.'

"That's all I ask, darlin'."

Because it is. That's all Eliot ever asks of her. To try. Never demands that she change, never insists she should be thinking of herself differently or more kindly than she does. Just that she tries to.

"Now. About this whole 'passion' thing," Eliot sighs, pulling back so he can do that thing he does to Hardison that Parker loves to watch him squirm under, but likes it a lot less when it's turned on her. That thing where he ducks his neck and tilts his head and looks up at her through his hair with that serious, intimate look that makes her want to run because he for sure can see all of her secrets like this but also want to sink deep into that comforting gaze and never leave it. "I don't know where you got this idea that you're not passionate from, but-"

"Yeah, but it's not-!"

"The same?" Eliot cuts off her half-hearted attempt at argument. "Course it's not the 'same' as us, Parker! You aren't us. So, you… you don't lose yourself in it the same way me and Hardison do, okay? Him and me, how we get high off each other, the way we act... so you don't do that. That's fine! That’s only one type of passion, darlin'. You can't tell me,” he lets his hands skim down Parker’s arms until they meet her own palms. “That the way you focus so damn hard on taking us apart - taking me apart…”

Eliot brings Parker’s hands to his hips, and her fingers start to fidget with the hem of his shirt. Anchoring herself with the ribbed texture of the tank. Starting to explore up his stomach the way Eliot knows that Parker knows he likes. She’d ferreted that one out of him ages before they’d even thought up this whole ‘you and we makes three’ train. He lets his voice go a little breathy, a little raspy, makes sure she notices how she's affecting him. “-the way you always know exactly how to do it, piece by piece, single-mindedly pulling me apart like a damn puzzle, Park… you can’t tell me that ain’t some kind of passion.”

“Yeah, but that’s just the same way I steal stuff,” Parker giggles a little, the familiar flutter of Eliot’s sides under her deft fingers grounding her and soothing some of the unease. He’s right about this. How she knows what to do with him. How good she is at it. But that’s not anything special, it’s just-

“Exactly, Parker,” Eliot is trying to walk them back toward the bed, but it’s not really working out well. Between his having only the one boot on and Parker actively seeking out the ticklish bits of his belly that make his knees go all wobbly when she scrapes her nails down them, it’s comical enough to startle another giggle out of her. Or it’s a sob. Or it’s a hiccup. Or it’s some weird combination of all three, she isn’t really sure, but it doesn't seem to really matter either. The sound is whatever it was, just like she is whatever she is.

“It's just like that. Just like how you plan your next score. And that’s your Thing. Like me and food, Hardison and his nerdery... Do you realize how that makes me feel? Knowing you treat me like a heist? Like the thing that you let define you?”

“Yeah but that’s not a sex thing, it’s just a me thing.”

“It doesn’t matter that it’s not a sex thing, Parker, it’s your passion. Your Thing. Yours.” Eliot finally makes it back to the edge of the bed and drops, pulling Parker into his lap. He guides her wandering hands to his chest so she can feel the rumble in his voice as he growls.

“Darlin’, you treat me like damn masterpiece. Like I’m standing smack under a spotlight in the middle of the Louvre, and the only thing in the world that matters to you is how you’re gonna pick through my security piece by piece until all that’s left under your hands is a canvas stretched tight as it’ll go and a picture meant only for you and the people you choose to see it."

Parker’s nails scrape against the skin of Eliot’s collarbone as her fingers instinctively curl in, wanting to grip take steal hold climb, and he barely restrains himself from throwing his head back in a moan. He needs to make sure Parker’s in the right place first, before he gives himself over to his own wants.

“Wow,” she whispers, damn near reverent now as she looks down at him. There’s a dawning in her eyes that tells Eliot they’re alright. That they’re gonna be good. That it’s okay to pull her tighter and ask her to go ahead and steal him again tonight, since he knows her rigging is secure.

"I can't imagine anything more passionate than that."

“Uh-huh, ‘wow' is right,” he laughs breathlessly, and reaches up to take hold of her chin. It’s a light grip, barely any pressure where he between his thumb resting on the front and the rest of his fingers curling around under her jaw, but she lets Eliot guide her down until their lips touch. Not kissing, yet, just touching. His mouth moves against hers as he speaks, tongue briefly darting out to wet two pairs of parched lips. “-so tell me, why the fuck would I want to go to anyone else?”

“Maybe if you got some bad advice,” Parker murmurs, voice strong and confident again for the first time since they wrapped up the con. “From someone who didn’t realize she made you feel that way?”

“Hmmn, that could make sense,” Eliot hums back, resisting the urge to roll up against her in wet jeans that would only serve to chafe rather than provide any of the friction that having Parker in his lap always makes him crave. “If someone could help me get this damn boot off, maybe I could get to work making sure she’ll never forget it?”

[reflectingiridescent]

For the character meme...let's go with a hard one, Nate Ford! And also Sophie Devereaux, if no one has sent her to you yet. ;)

Yeah, let's do both!

(Send me a character!)

Nate Ford

do I like them: I've gone back and forth on this over the years, but I'm going to say yeah, yeah I do. S5 contributes A LOT to this as do multiple rewatches of the series (I did like...four in 2021 in the span of 3 months...it was kind of wild). Also personally healing my own relationship with my father (who was already passed when the og series premiered) helped with this a lot.

5 good qualities: smart, focused, really good at long-term planning, sees the big picture, protective of his loved ones

3 bad qualities: manipulative, arrogant, self-righteous

favourite episode/etc: I'm torn between what I feel is maybe the obvious answer (The Cross My Heart Job, "I didn't kill you. God killed you. I just made sure it took.") and the episode that has surprisingly popped up in my head for this prompt which is The Inside Job. I know that's a Parker episode, but like the dad stand off on the roof with Archie? "You're going in after her?" "Always was." ENDS ME.

otp: Sophie/Nate. I was what, 15 when this show came on? Since I was 15. HALF MY LIFE NEARLY.

brotp: Nate & Parker. I highly suggest doing a watchthrough with eyes only for the Nate & Parker dynamic. It is fantastic.

ot3: Hmm...see, again, I feel like the obvious answer here is Sophie/Nate/Sterling, which piques my interest, but I don't feel it the way I necessarily feel, like, Sophie/Nate and then Sophie with occasional secondary partners. (And for those of you who were not around this weekend to witness my quick and graceless descent into one such situation, here you go. One iteration of how that might have worked out.)

notp: I feel like the relationships on this show are so well laid-out without becoming uninteresting that this is actually hard because a lot of notps were explicitly not really made possibilities in the first place. Nate/Eliot maybe???

best quote: "I didn't kill you. God killed you. I just made sure it took." but honorable mention to "My name is Nate Ford, and I am a thief."

Honestly I really cannot stress how this dude is an extreme version of everyone at the American church/Catholic school I grew up at. Which is not to say I like it, but he's perhaps the most compelling exploration of the well-meaning yet self-righteous white man Catholic mentality that's graced my screen since Jed Bartlet.

head canon: Ok I'm going to do a combined one for Nate and Sophie since I'm doing Sophie next.

Omg I have so many mini ones, especially during that happy period when he's retired. But hmm, a lot of times when I think about retired Nate, I think about that Bob's Burgers Mother's Day episode where Lin gets into a series of unfortunate events and gets separated from her family. Bob takes the kids to look for her, and while they're looking, he takes suggestions from the kids about where she could be and learns about secret little rituals she has with each of them that Bob doesn't know about.

And I kind of like that dynamic for both Nate and Sophie. So like when Eliot, Hardison, and Parker come to visit, they don't always show up together, and they have little things that are just theirs. Like Nate and Eliot have their book club that they're both very serious about, Nate and Hardison have their long distance chess game that Hardison keeps up on a computer and Nate has open in a room in the back, and Nate and Parker are surprisingly adept at model ship building together.

Sophie gets better at boundaries over the years but is also a huge snoop. She finds out and gets a little weepy tbh.

And then the Sophie version of this is: Sophie & Eliot's side winery business which is propping up a way larger portion of the US economy than you'd think, Sophie & Hardison going out for elaborate theater/musical/concert/museum gala dates (he hacks them Hamilton tickets, front row, and looks over at her very enthusiastically at "Immigrants / we get the job done"), and Sophie & Parker stealing but also frequenting cult film things like Rocky Horror and The Room.

Sophie Devereaux

do I like them: Yeah, she's probably the fictional love of my life

5 good qualities: brilliant teacher (which I think she never would have discovered had she not met the crew), empathetic, appreciative of art (physical or other people's skillsets), also something about how she believes in very little and yet still pursues some level of moral right, also this is interesting because I have "selfish" down below but she's incredibly generous with both her heart and when it comes to teaching people and skills she admires

3 bad qualities: manipulative, selfish, turns deflecting into an art form tbh

favourite episode/etc: Everything is so hard with this show lol. I’m still going to say The Corkscrew Job because I love love that scene where she sells Madigan the exact same wine. It’s 100% just Sophie doing what she does best. But also The King George Job has that scene with her talking about her art skills and it’s absolute gilded perfection every time.

I listed about 5 others but I’m exercising self control and stopping at those two.

otp: Sophie/Nate, though I talked myself into Tara as a long-term secondary partner so thoroughly this week that I'm honestly struggling to function a little. I'm not opposed to Sophie/Harry either. Sophie/Grifting? Sophie/being alright and comfortable with herself.

brotp: Sophie & Hardison (though I need to heavily heavily emphasize how much I love Sophie & Parker)

ot3: Sophie/Tara/Maggie would be like super super cute down the road, I think!

notp: Omg I can ship her with so many people...but not Hardison. And I will be forever screaming about the scene where he calls her "mum" for the rest of my life, thank you.

best quote: THIS IS HARD. Let's go with "This life is not worth living without the people that make us want to tear down those walls; the thrill of vulnerability, the danger of opening your heart. It makes us feel alive."

[dontwantthenextcommanderiwantyou]

Okey the season ended so we can talk about it now.

I think they handled the angst between Raelle and Scylla beautifully. I loved them finding each other and forgiveness. It's not just Realle forgiving Scylla. I feel like Scylla found her own redemption too. And their love stand againts everything.

Orphan Black handled Cosima x Delphine's story pretty poorly. I was worried about something like that but I'm happily surprised that Elliot come through.

Their relationship started pretty fast. So we never had time to actually see them building things with time. For me their love wasn't as strong looking or deep in season 1. But this season they took their time. We see them loving the other fiercely, kindly and of course distantly. We are sure of their love now, as Realle is sure too. 1x9 is long time ago now. The question marks are gone.

Also one of the thing that i loved about their storyline is that we never see any unreasonable drama. No cheating, nothing toxic. Most shows feed from these storylines, not even caring what they are doing to their characters arc. But there was none of that in MFS. They respected their love and made sure they didn't destroy that for the sake of drama.

Anyway,I love reading your takeaway. So what do you think about their storyline this season? Did you like it? Was there something you would change? And if you compare Seaoson 1 Raylla to Season 2, what is your takeaways.

(I'm not a native english speaker so forgive me for my poor writing. )

"Also one of the thing that i loved about their storyline is that we never see any unreasonable drama. No cheating, nothing toxic."

YES! THIS! EXACTLY! I swear I get so tired of all the drama these shows throw into a relationship for no reason. Some people were legit hoping for a "love triangle" where Raelle uses M to make Scylla jealous and I'm just over here like why the fck would you even want some dumb shit like that??? Raelle and Scylla obviously love each other even tho they're not together, like it couldn't have been more obvious that they both needed to work on themselves, but people wanna throw in a whole third person just to cause more trouble smh I'm so glad Eliot didn't go down that shitty road, even Taylor mentioned in an interview that Raelle wouldn't hook up with someone else out of spite because her love for Scylla is so strong.

I LOVE the way they handled their relationship this season as well as how they handled each character's individual growth. I'm glad they gave adequate time before the Raylla reunion, they didn't have them makeup quickly, they also didn't drag out their separation longer than it needed to be. I think the entire 8th episode was exactly what they needed to go thru before they could get back together. Scylla was respectful of Raelle's boundaries, she handled Abigail's contempt towards her so well... she went in with no expectations other than to help and protect Raelle and her sisters. Raelle not only acknowledged the fact that Scylla has changed, but she defended Scylla even when they were all under Nicte's spell in the cabin... in a moment where they're all slinging mud at each other she still points out that they wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Scylla. Everything was perfect. Scylla only offered, she never pushed. Raelle kept an open mind, she didn't shut Scylla out. Their reunion couldn't have been handled any better.

I liked Raelle's storyline with Mother Mushroom, I'm glad some things fell into place by the finale but I still have questions. I really wish they would've explained how Scylla knew the seed for Mother Mushroom and how Mother Mushroom knew Raelle had that graveyard memory. I know they didn't have time to get to this in the finale but I can't help wondering if Raelle tells Scylla that Mother Mushroom is made up of dead witches... which includes Scylla's parents... that'd be interesting.

I fcking loved Scylla's storyline with adoptive mom Anacostia, then with mother-in-law Willa, and they even squeezed in a bit with foster daughter Breanna and father-in-law Edwin. Scylla's S1 storyline was completely about Raelle, so I'm happy we got to see her bonding with other people because building those relationships helped her grow. I mean it when I say "I came for Raylla, I stayed for Scyllacostia"... two women, on opposite sides, so different yet so much alike. Beautiful!

Comparing S1 Raylla to S2 Raylla... the first thing that comes to mind is while I believe their love for each other in S1 was real, by the end of that season, neither of them believed the others love was real. Raelle found out she was Scylla's mark & understandably doubted Scylla's feelings for her. Then Scylla begs for her forgiveness, making a point that she chose Raelle over the Spree, but the last thing Raelle says to her is "I'm sorry we ever met". Then you have S2 where by the end of this season, both of them know 100% that the other's love for them runs so deeply it can't be denied. We saw the love they still had for each other from the beginning, when Edwin asks Raelle about Scylla, when Willa talks about Raelle's childhood, it's written across Raelle & Scylla's faces every time they thought about the other. The difference this season was they had time to build a strong foundation for their relationship, whereas in the first season they just dove in head first.

Let me stop before I end up writing a whole novel on here 😂 I could legit go on and on about Raylla.

[idanit]

possibly underappreciated Good Omens fics I enjoyed once upon a time

Indirectly inspired by a video series about fanfiction I watched, I decided to pull together a list of Good Omens fics I have bookmarked as stories I enjoyed, but which have less than 250-300 kudos at the time I’m writing this. No particular order. They’re accompanied by short excerpts from my private fic reading notes (not originally intended to be read by anyone but me, mind), sometimes slightly edited for clarity—and, sometimes, the comments I left on the fics.

This list sat in my drafts for a long time and the recent S2 announcement reminded me of it. I’d love it if it inspired you to do something similar! Spread the love.

And mind the tags, please.

△ = general and teen ▲ = mature and explicit 

thermodynamic equilibrium ▲ 7K the author has such an ear for dialogue and is unapologetic about what they want to write the characters like. They think of the characters as a mix of TV and book canon, but they feel like a homemade blend to me. (...) It’s very funny.

such dear follies ▲ 6K I can really picture this Aziraphale—Crowley as well, but her especially. She’s rather distinct. (...) Nice writing.

The Words Were With - △ 1.2K post-Blitz vignette, Aziraphale realizes what he feels and wonders if they're human enough for this. I liked it, and I liked the tag "transhumanism, but in reverse?", too—what an interesting idea. I'd say it's a vignette in a dire need of a follow-up, but, well, there's the show. The show is the follow-up. It fits very nicely within the canon and I totally believe it could have happened, like a deleted scene.

Gossip and Good Counsel △ 19K/? I love their companionship and how they're set up to be opposites by the management even though they get on pretty well. It feels very in keeping with the canon, but I feel like the fact that it's an F/F set in this particular time period adds a meaningful layer to the situation. It's women supporting each other in the world of men, working with the personas that are created for them, but, privately, being normal, well-rounded people. (...) and of course your writing is always a pleasure to read. (...) SDHDGDHDHDG Maisie is truly an Aziraphale.

Crowley Went Down to Georgia (he was looking for a soul to steal) △ 6K This was nice. Based on a song I didn’t know. Crowley goes to a funeral in the USA, one of a fiddler he knew and lost a bet to once. (...) The fic has not one but two songs composed for it and embedded inside it and that makes it even better. I really enjoyed the experience.

The Thing With Feathers △ 18K WARLOCK you'rE HORRIBLE AND I LOVE IT I would read an entire novel-length fic just of Crowley fighting his battles with Warlock. Written like this? It would be a blast. (...) The OCs are believably characterized and well-loved by the story. (...) Everyone seems to need a friend in this house. (...) This was so fun, and at the same time, their mission has weight here (...) We wonder about what the future holds even though we know it.

Here Quiet Find △ 11K This fic aimed for my head and the aim was sure precise. It was a story of Crowley sensing Aziraphale's distress and finding him in a self-quarantined English village in the seventeenth century, tired and anxious. It's hurt/comfort, so there was washing and bedsharing and I had to love it, so I did.

outside of time △ 2K Post-Almostgeddon, (...) nicely-written, short, but strung with a soft kind of tension and unspoken words. There's no drama, just "can we really", and "do you really" of sudden freedom. They fall into being inseparable. Book canon, which I like for this story (sitting on a tarmac). I liked the footnotes. There's a mention of Eliot. All in all, very much yes.

She'asani Yisrael △ 2K It’s Crowley going through a two-hour service and drinking blessed wine. He also keeps an eye on a boy he was asked to. It’s 1946. It was pretty good, so far the best Jewish GO fic, I think, from the ones I’ve read.

To Guard The Eastern Gate △ 11K  I loved it. You really made Sodom feel lived-in; the description of Keret, Hurriya and Yassib's house and relationship were great. I got attached to both them and the city (...) Aziraphale and Crawley’s interactions were generally very entertaining. I laughed (...) Your rendering of their voices just lands so well (...) But then oh, the entire ending (...) hurt, hurt a lot, and your descriptions are so vivid.

If you’ve been waiting (for falling in love) △ 14K AAAAA a good ending line. The whole paragraph, in fact. I love a good smattering of philosophy in my fics, and this was really nice. I can get behind Thomas Aequinus's and Crowley's view on eternity. It's (...) a pretty simple fic (...) - the courage to express yourself and take a risk is awarded with winning what was at stake by the virtue of reciprocity - but the way it was intertwined with a study of how they would experience a forever was done well. 

Holy unnecessary ▲ 2.2K It's well-written. (...) this is my type of sexual humour if I have any. So subtle. Blink and you'll miss it. Lovely.

The Parting Glass △ 17K Through the ages, they're dancing around their relationship until after the Armageddoff. (...) Wow, this was really, really nice. Very simple in its concept and nothing I haven't read before, but very well-executed. (...) AAAAH I LOVED the first chapter. I always like abbeys as settings, that's a given, but the banter, the good writing, the moral ambiguity!

Name The Sky △ 33K This Crowley is different, but very intriguing. Without his sarcastic talk, and much more animalistic. (...) I love how expressive Crowley is. (...) This fic has a very nice balance of drama and levity. I don't love Crowley-before-the-Fall stories very much, but with this execution I can read about it. (...) Okay I've read Crowley offering fruits, and even Aziraphale biting fruits, but the two of them sharing the apple? Outstanding. Ingenious. What a take.

A Flame in Your Heart △ 5K post-Blitz (why are so many dance fics post-Blitz?), they go to the bookshop and have an actually believable conversation. Then they dance the gavotte. It was really nice! Believable writing, emotions, the dancing! (...) Of course it's too early for them, (...) but the author's note? yeah.

Put down the apple, Adam, and come away with me ▲ 32K At this point it's just reading original stories with characters with names and some personality traits that I recognize. (...) I really enjoy this, the careful dance, the opposition between their views. (...) This is well-written, wow. (...) it's not an easy read (...) this story feels very believably 50s, but also reaches out to the present time. 

Liebestraum ▲ 10K/? It really is like music. I'm enjoying the writing a lot. (...) oh my actual god. This, this? Wow, uh. This came for my throat. (...) THE MUSICAL COMPOSITION, THE MOTIF RETURNING, THE AUTHOR KNOWS WHERE IT'S AT (...) Excellent. This hits the right beats so precisely, (...) and with feeling, too.

Down Comforter △ 2.4K and they lay down in angeldown, a soft rug ‘neath their heads– alright. Well, Crowley lies under Aziraphale's wing on a Persian rug after the Apocalypse, and they talk (...). It was sweet.

The Corsair of Carcosa △ 5K Crowley wakes up from a nap, visits Aziraphale for some drinking, and they read The King in Yellow that he happens to own. Good writing, so I'm bought. Aziraphale mentions Beardsley, so I'm bought twice over. My god, a discussion of etheral/occult madness? Caused by some wrong/true reading? Yes.

Very Good, Omens! △ 6K It's rather well-written, well-pastiched. People don't do that too often, nowadays - try to write in the style of a particular writer. (...) I love wordplay like this.

Reviving Robin Hood: The Complicated Process of Crème Brûlée △ 30K it's well-written (...), has a rhythm to it, and quiet humour. (...) Finally some nice, good, light writing. The attention to detail! (...) I'm still reading most of it aloud, the rhythm of it compels me to. (...) okay this does sound like Pratchett&Gaiman, the Good Omens itself (...) The fic is meandering, hilarious, sensitive in all the right places, and overall lovely.

my dear acquaintance △ 1K Oh. Oh. Yes, yes! Aziraphale in Russia, Russia I've never been in, but I can feel the snow and the evening of. Very real, and the bar, too. Attention to detail - vodka flavoured with dill, what on earth? Yes. He would totally have a distinct taste in operas and he would totally complain about a subpar one. I'm glad Tchaikovsky's there.

there is a crack in everything △ 1.8K This was good! Ah. Inspired by a comment (...), I went looking for Mr. Harrison and Mr. Cortese fics—really, what a big brain moment someone had and why have I never thought to look for them? This is Crowley getting suddenly anxious and Aziraphale going out of his way, through all his layers of not-thinking and denial, to console him. I also really liked how the Arrangement is a carefully unacknowledged partnership-marriage.

Scales And Gold And Wings And Scars △ 6K  No conflict, no plot, one tiny arc like a ripple on the surface of water on a calm sunny day - of Aziraphale discovering Crowley’s scars. It's the South Downs and it's early summer. They bask and swim in a spring. Non-sexual nudity, love in the air like a scent. Nice.

Nineteen Footnotes In Search Of A Story △ 0.4K This is a Good Omens story told only through footnotes. Your mind can fill in the gaps. Fascinating (...). Also, it’s an experiment so apt for this particular fandom.

Hell on Earth △ 6.5K Oh, I loved it! How could I not love it: it's Beelzebub-centric, it's historical, it has classical painting, and even a hilarious scene with a cuneiform phrase, as if I didn't enjoy this story enough already. There are so few Beelzebub fics out there and I find searching for them very difficult (I accept recs if anyone has any), and it's such a shame, so this was really like a gift to the fandom. I absolutely adore the way you portrayed them, small, frightening, powerful, and confident. Also, it was super fun to see how different Crowley seems when we're not in his POV or in a story about him and Aziraphale. (...)

Go Up to Ramoth-Gilead and Triumph △ 24K Daegaer is... pure class. (...) hdhdhdh what pfttt why you so funny (...) I love this Crowley. (...) This got unexpectedly intense. (...) I love the little nods to the fact that Israelites, especially the poorer ones, still believe in other gods. I also really like that they sleep on roofs. It's just the kind of detail that grounds the story and shows that the author is, in fact, a historian. 

[backstabkitty]

Finale Predictions

Just some of my S2 finale predictions and possible S3 theories:

1. The Vice President has to be the one who helped the Camarilla infiltrate the base. Its the only thing that makes sense and they are practically beating us over the head with the obviousness of it all.

2. I don’t think Khalida will die. I think she will see how bad this witch plague is and finally help out. Her journey has been one of defiance in letting the Army use her seeds from the beginning but IMO she has to see that laying down and dying instead of helping to end this war is not the right thing to do. I don't think Adil is dying either. They have put Abigail through ENOUGH this season.

3. Nicte is too interesting of a character to kill. I feel like we haven't seen the last of her relationship with Tally. And they will explore more of that next season. She’s gonna learn some Spree shit. I can feel it.

4. I think Alder will die but not permanently. At least I hope that's the case. Lyne Renee is far too valuable an actor for this show to loose but I also see how from the writers perspective they might consider Alder’s story finished.

5. If Sterling is somehow magically the ONLY one of the Vice President’s men who didn’t know what he was up to(because the VP is totally evil!) then I could see Anacostia, head of Intelligence, using him to help infiltrate the Camarilla next season. And I’m sorry. Is he a witch or a civilian? I need Eliot to answer this because if he is a witch I still say it makes no sense for him to be on the Vice President’s detail if that is the case. If he is a civilian and secretly part of the Camarilla then yeah.

6.Captain Quartermain’s secret Camarilla mission is probably going to be a big plot point next season and I’m sure she will be enlisting Scylla’s help with it. They have to give Anacostia some sort of intriguing storyline with this which is why I’m being kind of skeptical that Sterling isn’t up to some shit. And him being a double agent is more interesting to me then him just being a witch who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and has a smooth relationship with Anacostia all through S3. There is no conflict in that and its not interesting to watch from a viewer standpoint. Also, let her be bi and give her a female love interest too. The Top Energy has always been strong with this one. Besides, Petra has THREE FUCKING DUDES!!!! Let me have one more queer you little shits. LOL.

7.Scylla is not dying y'all. Lol, they are not about to kill off one-half of their flagship couple and tank their ratings. Come on now. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does with the dodgers and/ or Spree. And I want to see some more Necro shit. I feel like that is the least explored of the “specialties” on this show.

8. Not everybody is surviving this finale. Plenty of “red shirt” Army cadets are going to die. Penelope and her unit are probably for sure dead. Gregorio might not make it. Izadora might not make it. The witch plague is going to wipe out a whole swath of this base which will leave the witches wide open for next season. Its a brilliant plan by the Camarilla who I have been kind of mistaking as less than smart all season. The Camarilla has to be a real threat next season and loosing a good portion of the witches heading into “The Last War” accomplishes that.

9. I think the Camarilla are going to target that bus that is most likely full of dodgers. This has to take place after the attack on the base because Anacostia can be seen on the ground there in the promo. Most of the finale is likely the base attack(which is at night) and this bus attack(which is during the day).

10. Abigail will successfully conjure a storm. 100% on this.

11. Raelle will use the witchbomb to stop or slow the plague. I posted earlier about the Unit and Anacostia standing before the Mycellium in the promo and wondering if they will touch it. I feel like they wouldn't have teased us with the possibility of Abigail touching it in 2x09 if that weren't going to be the case at some point.

12. “Revolution Part 1″--This is absolutely going to end on a cliffhanger that will wreck us so its going to piss me off if we never get the Part 2 because the show is cancelled. 

Oooh editing to add:

13. Just thought about it. The Vice President is absolutely about to make sure the President doesn't survive this attack. He is next in line to the Presidency and can let the Camarilla really go nuts with him in office. It’s happening. I’m calling it now.