#the laws of spectre dynamics

[shorthaltsjester]

there are literally no standouts in downfall because everyone sat down at that table and said hey you wanna see something cool and proceeded to Become their characters but idk if it’s because they’re beside each other and that aids the dynamic or just because it’s the delicious similarities and insurmountable distance between the god of death and the god of (in various ways) life but ayden and emhira’s interactions were so chewy and delicious. i’ll be thinking of their exchange fairly early on after ayden cast lesser restoration on that old man and emhira not cruelly but just simply stating “you cannot heal everything.” and ayden’s equally simple reply “we can always try.” emhira seeing the family trist has built and wondering at the presence of children, “surprised there is laughter in such a horrible place” and i know she’s speaking of hawk’s hill but i wonder if she is also speaking of exandria itself in some ways. the delicious space between in and out of character that only really happens in improv stories where as brennan is narrating and says “in this dark room” and nick interrupts and adds “it is not dark.” brennan’s incisive point in the cooldown that while the love that ayden and trist have for mortals and for exandria is warm and the kind of love someone would likely Want from gods, there is something maybe more honest or whole about emhira who says . actually these mortals are little shits that will kill you not because they fear you but because they hate you. whose very existence should be (and still often fails to be) a reminder that the gods can be usurped by mortals. the insight nick shared in the cooldown that ayden does not forget emhira’s origins but in a way dismisses them, that the god of death is a different beast. ayden wanting to find. way to save the people of aeor, insisting that the prime deities Win if they can find a way to do so. emhira reminding everyone that death is inevitable (and she does not add anything to clarify that she intends such a statement to only exist for mortals) as she argues for them to work to take down aeor and the people in it. the fact that the god with the most present connection to mortality is also the one given the most explicit clarification that she Is the god we know as SILAHA calls her the matron, brennan’s narration clarifies purvon is her champion, taliesin as asha asks for clarification on the recognition of emhira as a god and prompting the familiar spectre of a woman in a white mask.

i want to be very clear that when i say there are no standouts i Mean it because i’ve been awed and endeared and intrigued by every single character choice everyone made and as always brennan’s narration is so incredibly well suited for the mission impossible greek tragedy vibes that comes with this story and i’m so fucking delighted by the fact that laura, ashley, and taliesin are playing gods that their characters have known quite well in the past. i’m incredibly excited by what we’ve already gotten to see from abubakar, nashir, and nick and cannot imagine what other greatness is to come. i’m psyched to see the relationship between asha and the law bearer and am delighted that (perhaps for now perhaps for the whole arc) it is being seen through the lens of “my wife promised me a visit with apples and all i got was a rock ice emissary”. i also have many incoherent thoughts about the fact that, of the players who appeared as the same character in the opening and the story, taliesin’s ash and asha are the ones whose name remains the most unchanged.

i’m obsessed with the fact that this creature sent as a stand in by the god of law and duty believes his primary gift is love. while there is a certain mourning and sadness to every god we see, that SILAHA has a certain playful whimsy and jofyful curiosity about the world. that the only one of them who has been mortal before stops to steal an imp necklace from the neck of a drunk on the train (and that moment between brennan’s narration that this man will be dead by morning but, with death standing invisible in front of him, he is incapable of seeing it coming, and then laura as emhira breathing in deeply and brennan having that spark a coughing fit. they are Story Telling). asha seeing the erased image of a god, of a family member and saying “there’s a hole in all of us.” brennan narrating “this is a place where they tried to kill a story. it’s a very frightened thing to do.” (and god. the motif of fear. especially given the very present fear felt by the gods in current day exandria. they’re doing insane things in the critical role 3 part departure).

trist reminding ayden “he never tells the truth” and asha contesting “he only tells the truth, it’s just rotting.” emhira and asha both as perhaps the less Good™ much more neutral but doing so in such different ways, asha as bitter and hungry while emhira seems uncomfortable but there’s a familiarity and a certainty in her discomfort with mortality (the law bearer would also be included here but the emissary seems much more like trist and ayden (for now) than emhira or asha). something as insignificant as trist and her husband speaking to their children and affirming that little lies are okay while trist has lead a significant part of her life likely dishonest about who she is. the fact that there’s a certain childlike quality to the emissary who they’re all charged with ensuring makes it to the end of things even if they cannot. the fact that nahal (unclear which god they were, and i’m assuming it’s the first god of death but regardless still an absolutely compelling development in a short amount of time) in those opening moments is horrified by the concept of away which is unfamiliar to them only to soon after look upon their family and say. maybe away was better. Especially if those were words spoken by the god who would one day be replaced. these three episodes are going to haunt me and i’m excited to meet the ghosts.

[gloryofdawn]

Pretty much everybody on Tumblr seems to look at Garrus and be like, "Hm, yes, the optimal love interest." And that's fair! Garrus is great. Date him if you want.

But goddamn, have I just always had brainrot for Shepard and Garrus platonically. Their dynamic is just so flawless. I have never believed a game more when it has told me "These two people are best friends." They are the most found family siblings I've ever seen.

Every party member in Mass Effect 1 (who lives) goes on to achieve greatness above and beyond pretty much any party member introduced in subsequent games (except that I do specifically think the human party members are outstripped by Mordin), but you get to watch it happen with Garrus and Tali because they never leave you. Garrus starts off as "That loose cannon cop who signed on to help get Saren." After Shepard dies, he decides he's just going to casually end organized crime and is alarmingly successful. When Shepard shows up again, Garrus' reaction is to fucking shoot them and then joke about it when they finally make it to him. Shepard deflects Garrus' near death experience by calling him ugly. During his loyalty mission, you have the opportunity to have some absolutely raw conversations with him about ethics and morality that you don't really ever see with another companion except Jack, and she basically completely ignores everything you say until you see her in 3. With Garrus, he'll resist what you're saying, but you can see him trying to find the line between justice and revenge, law and chaos. If you put him in charge of the second team during the suicide mission, you can see how much he's grown with you as he effortlessly coordinates his team with yours. And all that is just in Mass Effect 2.

Once you get to 3, you really start seeing it. Garrus has made his way up in the Hierarchy and is leading their efforts against the Reapers, just like Shepard. When you ask him about it, he immediately starts talking about it as the shared work you've had since the first game. No other companion identifies themselves with you through this struggle. Sure, other companions will mention the previous games and what you did with them, but there's always something else. Liara is the Shadow Broker now. Tali has the Geth to worry about. The Virmire Survivor is bound up in the Alliance and becoming a Spectre. Wrex has the Krogan. But Garrus? Garrus is here with you. He's standing right next to you, giving the Reapers his full attention. And as you go throughout the game, he's consistently the one there for you. When you're struggling to get the Council Races to work together, he's there. When things go tits up on Thessia, he's there. Even you're going into the final run, he's there. When the two of you die, if Turian heaven is the same as human heaven, he'll meet you at the bar.

There is no Vakarian without Shepard. There is no Shepard without Vakarian. These two soldiers are bound together with blood, sweat, and the sheer Terminator-grade determination to save the galaxy, no matter how much it kicks and screams. There is no fire they won't jump into for the other one, and they'll make fun of each other the whole way. There's no other relationship like it.

I'm Glory of Dawn, and this is my favorite platonic ship on the Citadel.

[nari-writes]

What's a fic you want to write but are scared of?

Oh man. Aw man. I presume you mean something like "dang this is gonna be massive and I don't want to dive into it" but.

But.

This is a perfect excuse to segue into: I don't want to write this fic because I'll stick my foot in it. 'Cause of the relationship focus (PLATONIC!) that would just. The two factions of people who would see it would Both be angry/annoyed. Reading comprehension in this decade is horrendous. And I don't want to get death threats from people who won't read my explanation/won't get that I'm doing this for comedic purposes and ALSO as someone who ships a tiny-ass rarepair I do not want to engage in the....adjacent queerbait of "this is possibly an inherently romantic concept but I am playing it ENTIRELY straight"???

And then ALSO I don't ship them so I also don't want to fall into the trap of my OWN DANG SELF where I LOVE writing romantic drama and will potentially-possibly actually-accidentally turn it romantic simply because I love writing pining so much. It could be fun! I can see why their dynamic would be SO PAINFUL (and fun) to ship but I don't, but I know writing this WOULD MAKE ME want pinning involved. Because I love writing Romance. I'm a goddamn romance/fluff/plot author. It'd be there. A spectre. Haunting me. Cackling in a little :3c fashion. I know myself. I know myself. I will fail. I'm weak and the internal pressure of writing this would lead SO well to pining and then I'd probably get attached because I can justify so much so easily and when I write people stuck in romance-esque situations I make it Work for what I Like and I DON'T want to do that because I DON'T want to con myself into shipping this.

"what the fuck are you talking about Nari," you ask, "and why the hell are you adding so many disclaimers before you even go into the fic idea???"

So Dick Grayson gets married to the Red Hood.

(this is platonic) (BEAR WITH ME) (THIS IS PLATONIC)

1 x Bludhaven Cop finds out that he's gonna get called upon to testify against the Red Hood and due to some absolutely WILD Shenanigans that will never make more than a singular mention in the fic, the Bludhaven court currently is running around with Diana's lasso of truth and/or some other artifact that makes it LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to lie on the stand. You WILL tell the truth. It is great for weeding out false confessions. The crooked cops and judges are incensed and trying to get rid of this thing ASAP but Dick has spent months trying to keep it safe and Still Working and he- he can't get rid of it.

And if Dick Grayson, Bludhaven Cop, current third witness in a case revolving around the Red Hood, gets on that stand...Oh Fuck He Knows So Many Red Hood Secrets. He 👏 knows 👏 so 👏 many 👏 secrets 👏

So Dick Grayson, Bludhaven Cop, sleep-deprived and panicking, goes: FUCK.

Well I can't be forced to testify against my spouse.

Jason howls when he hears what Dick has decided. He is absoLUTELY going along with this, this is the dumbest shit his brother has gotten himself into, how the FUCK is he gonna explain it to his co-workers. Jason is DELIGHTED at how stupid Dick is being. This man's a moron.

"oh I need to work within the confines of the law" YOU ARE A VIGILANTE, DICK, says Jason, cackling. Steal the damn thing!

BUT IT'S BEEN SO HELPFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY AND DECREASED FALSE ARRESTS, says Dick, so, so sleepy and so so emotional as a result. I CAN'T TAKE AWAY THEIR HOPE, JAY.

They do not have a ceremony. Jason grabs one of his lieutenants to act as signatory/witness and they go to the one branch of city hall that's in Crime Alley because Dick needs it done now and the case is in a week. There are three leaks in the ceiling. They are taking advantage of Jason's reputation to a) skip the line and waiting period and b) convince the magistrate to accept Jason's so incredibly fake ID:

(Chew. Chew. Pop.

Dick kinda wishes there was a polite way to say 'hey can you spit your gum out before it makes my brain explode from how not-seriously you're taking this super serious matter?' but he has a feeling something will get lost in translation, and the look on the registar's face is already deadpan and unimpressed.

Chew.

Chew.

Chew.

"And that's your legal name?" she asks, and the gum pops. Jason tilts his helmet, and Dick can imagine his grin; can hear it when Jason says,

"Definitely a legal one."

"You file your taxes under the name 'Red Hood'?" she inquires, her drawl filled with such a level of derision that Dick knows why she's chewing gum, now. It's to highlight how much she doesn't give a shit. Why is every resident of Crime Alley like this?

Her name tag says her name is Monica - Monica, like this is a normal day with a normal person! - and there are four people behind him with cellphones. There's a security guard behind them with a cellphone. He's not even calling the cops, he's definitely just recording them. Dick wants to vibrate out of his skin.

"Yep," says Jason, popping the p obnoxiously. "I'm an LLC, baby."

"Look, Monica," Dick says, shoving the bystanders out of his mind and giving her his most charming grin. "When secret identities come into play, getting married is a bit difficult. Dick Grayson is definitely dating the Red Hood-," holy shit he finally managed it without sinking into the depths of his 'how the fuck did we end up here???' self-spiral! "-which means if I want to marry him I have to marry the Red Hood. If I suddenly show up with some new, random husband that doesn't have this shiny primary-coloured helmet, isn't it going to be a bit weird?" And here's the part he can actually say with sincerity, even if, in this context, it'll mean something different- "I love him. I want to get married. But I need to protect him. Please?"

Monica looks at him. She looks at Jason. She pops her bubblegum, and then reaches for her stamp.

"Congratulations," she says, and slides the wedding certificate under the glass. "Enjoy domestic bliss.")

(We #loveMonica. She cares just barely about the legalities of marrying a crime boss and is Not Paid Enough to Deal With Anything Else).

Anyway, other things that occur that @midnightluck and I talked about, everyone say <3 <3 to Lucky for having the funniest goddamn words. Wildly out of order/messy/random humour things that occur (under readmore because this post is INSANELY long):

Precinct is Not Surprised by Officer Grayson revealing he has a partner, due to conversations like this:

(phone rings) "Grayson here. Wha--oh, hi. What? No, I didn't touch your book, you know I don't read your books. No, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Chaucer, I just don't have the time-- can we. Can we not. Look, I don't know, maybe it's on the nightstand where you left it after that concussion last week? No, not the one with the grenade drawer, though we do need to talk about that, how do you go through so many so fast? No, I know that, that's why the spare room is your armory, I don't have a problem with that--yes, I know, but that doesn't mean-- ugh. You know what. No, I'm at work. This can wait. Uh huh. Uh huh. No, I want Thai. Thai. You owe me satay for this and you know it. What? Yes, we're still on the Robinson case; whatcha got for me? Uh huh. Uh huh. Really, them? Oh, I know that address, isn't that that warehouse where Timmy--yeah, haha, right? Oh, right? For sure. Let's get that picture printed; he'll hate it. Uh huh. Okay, gotta go, some of us have a day job--no one pays you to be a zombie, okay? Okay, see you at home. Bye."

Reasons why people think it is the Red Hood:

police officer Dick is doing a thing at work and suddenly! The Red Hood appears at his raid/bust/whatever! And he's all "drop the weapons or I'll get another duffle bag" and Dick goes, "Everyone chill a sec," pulls out his phone and is like, "Hey, Red Hood, are you in Blud right now?"

"No? You know I've got that thing at the harbour tonight. Why would I be in Blud?"

"Well, I've got a Red Hood and that's definitely your jacket and hood he's wearing, like, a couple iterations ago but it's yours. You piss off any magic users lately? Trip into any time slips? Dimensional mirrors?"

"No? Shit, when's he from, can you tell?"

"It's that jacket with the high collar, with the stain on the sleeve, you know the one? The red piping?"

"Huh. I haven't worn that one since two summers ago, so careful, he might be riding green?"

"Lemme check. One sec--hey! Mr Hood! How do you feel about Tim?"

"…Tim who?"

"…That's not me."

"That's not you. It's not a time dimensional thing, is it, mr Hood. You're just a copycat."

"I bet he found an old safe house, he stole my shit--Hey, asshole! Wait, am I on speaker? Put me on speaker. Hey, copycat! I want my stuff back! And I'm coming to get it!"

and later when the precinct has gotten sort-of-used to Dick Grayson "being married" to a vigilante:

Grayson and partner walk out the station doors and Red Hood descends upon them, gun out, gets right up in Dick's face and says "I swear to god Dickolas if you leave your wet towel on the ground one more time I will start washing it with peppers and make you regret everything."

2. The Precinct All So Fully Aware of Dick Grayson's secrets yeah man they all know it! Dick Grayson is....dating the Red Hood!

"Grayson? Yeah, he's dating the Red Hood, they're basically married--"

"W h a t, we are not--how--what--"

"oh shit, my bad man, y'all broke up? Sorry to hear it. Anyway, Grayson is the Red Hood's ex--"

"I'M NOT."

"-you're still together?"

"We were never together!"

(precinct decides to set up Officer Grayson and the Red Hood because OBVIOUSLY they've got a bond.png)

"you can encourage him away from crime, grayson!!!"

"I can't encourage him to do shit," dick grumbles, "i cant even get him to have a shower if he doesn't feel like it." (dick ignoring the times he has actively bullied jason into taking care of himself)

Every single not-dirty cop is just: no no of COURSE Grayson won't admit it. That's not fair! He loves being a cop. It must be so hard to balance justice with love.

3. married behaviour: Dick Grayson is Never Beating the Allegations

the Red Hood waltzing into the Blud police station all "here to see Grayson please--that way? (The guns are out but then he asks for Grayson and everyone's like oh shit yeah we wanna see this first hand) "Thanks. Dickiebird! Honey bun! Your forgot your lunch at home, puddin' pie!"

"…what."

"now, now, all these nice folks here have told me we're together, so we must be, mustn't we?"

"No?"

"Oh? You don't want your delicious lunch I handmade for you out of love?"

"…I…didn't say that…"

("Don't you love me?" Jason asks, and every single warning sign yells: this is a trap!! Dick contemplates burying his face in his hands.

"At work?" he says instead, wishing he could transplant his pain so Jason would stop finding such joy in his embarrassment.

"Oh, so you aren't bummed you forget your wonderful home cooked lunch at home? You're happy for me to turn around and take your lunchbox back home with me?"

Roll back- his what?

Jason smacks a bento box on his desk, the clear lid showing off tiny red sausages cut into mini replicas of Jason's helmet and tiny guns, and Dick chokes. Jason's face, he can imagine, is gleeful; his tone certainly gives it away. "And after I put in so much effort…"

"No, no, I love you," Dick says, lunging for the box and mentally discarding the stale coffee and sandwich made with slightly-off meat that he'd been planning to get from the cafeteria.)

Gives him the lunch, goes to kiss him on the head but with the helmet he just straight up bonks him painfully, waltzes out again. "See you later for dinner, sweetheart!"

"Sooo, Grayson…"

"can we arrest him? Why aren't we arresting him? He's super wanted, let's arrest him."

"Please, like we'd get involved in your domestic affairs"

Dick torn between Homemade food and god jay why are you doing this. Do you exist only to make him suffer. Why are you the most evil sibling.

The fake is the biggest one, the kickstart, because how would officer Grayson know that wasn't hood unless he knew the red hood well? - but then it's bits and pieces, that Dick doesn't even do consciously, and then Jay finding out and the Lunch Situation Dick gets called in by his captain and he's like no sir I swear sir it's not, I'm not-

I'm doing an undercover op

His captain, not buying that shit for a minute: uh-huh

Barbara: "okay but Deathstroke was bad enough, now you're going after the Red Hood? You've got a dangerous type, boy wonder"

"babs why are you doing this to me"

"don't pretend you don't know >:/"

babs hanging in the bludhaven office during Dick's lunchbreak and ABSOLUTELY supports more rumours. She's Dick's best friend!!! Of course SHE'D know about Dick's ~paramour~.

Dick is going to hide under his desk and Never Ever Come Out Again

His captain realising red hood is less violent when Grayson's on the scene and finally awkwardly is like "look….if it's because the Precinct isn't a safe space for you…"

"IF I REALLY WAS DATING A CRIMINAL IT SHOULDNT BE A SAFE SPACE."

so his co workers start working around it but then Dick gets into a situation where he'd Have to testify and he's like. Shit. and he goes NOPE SORRY CAN'T DO IT, CAN'T TESTIFY AGAINST MY SPOUSE WHO IS. THE RED HOOD. :) MY SPOUSE THE RED HOOD. (is dying)

Moment of quiet then "wait who won the pot? Was it Johnson? Mick, you owe me $20 personally--"

Jason is going to be insufferable.

But also yes, Dick getting wildly congratulated for "finally managing to put a ring on it" or some shit and he's like/ Don't put your head in your hands don't put your head in your hands, don't --

"So how'd you two meet?"

1: "he stole my dad's tires so we kidnapped him" (true)

2: "he attempted to kill my little brother and also my dad" (true)

3: "he saved me from a mugging?" (Embarrassing lie)

and you KNOW he has to say 3 tho, the other two may have come up earlier about Jason and he canNOT let anyone connect them

The bullpen dissolving into yelling as everyone tries to sort out bets. Dick being asked who/how popped the question.

4. Dick Grayson and "I was trying to infiltrate the dirty cops of the precinct but goddamnit being Red Hood's fiance has revealed there are so many of them- and now they're throwing me a stag party. great.

Dick trying to salvage any of his dignity: Red Hood proposed. He was very romantic about it. Read me Shakespeare. Threatened to maim my enemies. Very sweet

"awww.. it's really great that he's so enamored with you Grayson, you deserve it :))"

"and you stopped him at only maiming!!! Dude, nice!!"

"yep. That was his (grits teeth) proposal gift. No more killing."

Jason, busting into their apartment later: DID YOU TELL PEOPLE YOU WERE ENGAGED TO THE RED HOOD?

Except Jason busts in on a contingent of tipsy and delighted cops. Who are like oh!!! Grayson friend!! Celebrate with us!

Jason forcibly cuddled and celebrated with, trying to yell at dick in code: "YOU'RE MARRYING THE RED HOOD? ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT ABOUT HIS REPUTATION."

Dick: "I CAN'T TESTIFY AGAINST HIM JAY. HE'S IMPORTANT TO ME."

Cop: "Wait you didn't tell your brother you were gonna have a wedding?!?"

"It was- it was a city hall thing! It's hard to be discreet- Hood didn't want witnesses-"

"Not gonna want witnesses for what happens next either," jason mumbles.

5. Tim Does Not Need to be Blackmailed into Humiliating Dick:

"Here to see Grayson please. That way? Thank you." (deep breath) "D--Dick?"

"Tim? Timmy, oh no, why are you crying, what's wrong, Tim, what--"

"How could you?"

"Little bird no, what did I do, Timmybird talk to me--"

"You're dating a supervillain? What if you get hurt??? Dick, this isn't like you!"

"...how much is he paying you."

"How could you think that of me!"

"Oh. What's he blackmailing you with?"

"I JUST WANT YOU TO BE CAREFUL," Tim howls, scrubbing his eyes and using his stupid babyface to great effect and Dick's gonna kill both of them

Dick finally get him to "calm down" and as they hug and say bye, Tim whispers, "if you think this isn't the funniest shit I've participated in all year you're out of your mind. Blackmail isn't required."

Dick, uncomfortably aware that Tim will help Jason stir the pot in cackling delight if he thinks something's funny, is not comforted by the fact that they're bonding. He is immediatly right, because he later finds pictures of himself drooling on Jason's shoulder, but they've been edited so Jason has on the hood. Several guys in the precinct think it's very sweet

("Aww I just thought Dick would like some family photos for his desk, y'know, officer John? Let him know we support him🥺")

6. Post-wedding wedding gift from the precinct:

"We had a whiparound for you, Grayson; here."

"…Uh. What."

"Well since you're with the Red Hood--"

"UH!?"

"--right, since you're totally not with the Red Hood and have no contact with vigilantes ever and James totally didn't see anyone crawl through your window the other night bleeding, we got you a good first aid kit. So you can learn and be a more supportive boyf--I mean. Just in case. First aid kits are a good staple of any mixed household :)"

Dick later delivering it: "Guys at the precinct got us a wedding present. It's a first aid kit."

"Oh? Cool, we're out of Oxy anyway, good timing--"

"it doesn't have Oxytocin in it, Jay, that's a controlled substance, they're cops!"

"Well then what use is it!"

"Its usefulness isn't the point! Anyway, they themed it."

"WAIT THEY DID WHAT" (immediately delighted and digging through the kit)

Someone has individually drawn tiny red hood helmets on the bandaids

A note like "eyo dick, washable red pen works rlly well if u wanna write notes to your beau on these too"

Jason cackles and puts a bandaid on his perfectly fine helmet because he's so charmed

Dick goes into work one day with a black eye, a small cut on his forehead, and a Red Hood bandaid over it. Jason has written a tiny message on the bandaid like "healing kisses applied".

One of the secretaries who works DV cases very worriedly and subtly approaches him but Dick just immediately says, "No I got mugged, he saved me"

"damn. You get mugged a lot in front of him huh-"

"Well I have that kinda face, I guess"

"good thing you've got someone to save you!"

"…Yes. It's a good thing I get saved. Yes indeed. Love it."

(gasp) "Is this a flirting thing???"

7. Dick Grayson Has a Type, don't you know?

Red Hood manages a short appearance with just the domino, not the hood, and he's dyed his hair temporarily red

(this backfires: Dick shamelessly takes the opportunity to glomp on and brag about his super smart so strong really amazing (little bro)

"he can bench me!! It's so cool! And he's so supportive when he does I feel so safe in his arms :)))"

"you're a loser and I'm gonna hurt you."

"and my enemies~")

8. FAMILY DINNER, BABY

Bruce: so. I heard something interesting the other day. The bludhaven Precinct got to celebrate an engagement

Dick: no

Bruce: congratulations, Dick

Jason, also lowkey dying bc he figured bruce would know but was also kinda not expecting him to bring it up in front of the WHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY

Bruce: I'm sure you've put plenty of thought into your....choice.

Dick: I'm going to self combust and then you won't have a son OR a dining room table. Is that what you want? Is that what you want, Bruce?

Bruce: I just wish you'd invited more family than just. Jason.

Dick: you're dead to me

Jason, mumbling: hey tbf I had to be there

Bruce: "I want you to know I support you, no matter what. Just because Red Hood is--"

Jason: "what, a vigilante? A zombie? A mass murderer? What am I, Bruce?"

Bruce: "--male, I don't see you any differently. You're my son, no matter who you love."

Bruce: I just wish- well, no, it was your choice. But I hope you know a private wedding won't get you out of wedding gifts.

Jason/Dick: nO

Bruce: I took the liberty of having them delivered already :)) And if you would- Just a small ceremony, in the backyard--it would mean a lot to Alfred, and to me--

Jason: OLD MAN WHAT DID YOU DO

Dick: there better be a return policy---

and because it's fucking Bruce he's absolutely using the excuse to get them So Much Fancy Bitch Shit

(And a dog 🐕)

Bruce: a home for a family :))) if you'd like. I know the Red Hood cares deeply for children. --and you know how I feel about your place in Blud, Dick, it's no place to start a family.

Dick: "Please don't tell me you bought us an apartment."

Bruce: "Don't be silly, boys. I bought the whole building. it'll give hood plenty of space to store his things away from the kids!"

Jason: what kids.

Bruce: well, I always presumed, from red hood's behaviour, he'd quite like a few children. Even just to foster.

Alfred coming out stone faced, "congratulations on your nuptials, master Dick. Felicitations."

Dick: "Not you too."

Alfred: Miss Gordon informed me.

Alfred, sounding disappointed as fuck: I'm glad I was informed by someone.

Jason: Bruce I'm absolutely gonna bury you

Bruce: may I meet my grandchildren first?

Bruce: Anyway that was Dick's present. Please give this to Mr Grayson-Hood--oh, did you not hyphenate? I assumed you would, apologies. It's full tuition to Blud U for however long he wants. Do give him my best wishes too.

And then Bruce just. So soft. "And please make sure he knows he's always welcome, if he'd like to join us for family dinners. No matter his profession or choices."

I feel like this line would be Way Too Much for Jason and he'd storm off tho 🥺 and Dick would have to go get him to Chill out.

"it's just Bruce. You know what he's like."

"Overbearing and insufferable?" Jason sneers, hands curled around his elbows, and being "married" has been awkward but at least it's finally started to mend the physical distance Jason's been keeping. Dick knows, when he slings his arm around Jason's shoulders and pulls him in close, that Jason isn't going to go stiff and angry.

"Hey. I have an idea on how to make you feel better," he says with a tease, and Jason grunts. "Okay, no, little wing hear me out. How are we gonna get divorced?"

[ufonaut]

What are your favorite JSA designs ?

that's a very broad question given that you didn't specify which incarnation of the jsa but i'll go with a random assortment of some of my favorite members from all over :)

alan scott

there's just no beating paul reinman as far as i'm concerned! a couple designs have come close (paul smith in the golden age 1993 and eduardo barreto in all-american comics 1999 as well as mikel janin's current work on justice society of america 2022 all come to mind) but mr reinman had it all figured out all the way back in comic cavalcade 1942. the ideal alan is old hollywood handsome and just about the biggest guy in the room at all times but with rounded edges too, the kinda physique born out of physical work during his years on the railroad and later maintained by the starheart. james robinson certainly isn't wrong when he says "no one else's that tall" in tga '93 #2!

jay garrick

in contrast to alan, jay's gotta be all thin and lanky (and relatively short although he doesn't quite look it) and john byrne's the man for the job through his jsa arc in wonder woman 1987 #130-133. diego olortegui's work on jay garrick: the flash 2023 is also entirely ideal to me -- that's the jay i know and love!

jonathan law

the fantastic tarantula costume from all-star squadron is already a redesign of his original 1940s costume (which was a bit too kirby-era sandman for everybody's taste) but the gunfighter-esque look paul smith gave him in the golden age 1993 is beyond anything. so good it's unreal.

rex tyler

peter snejbjerg's hourman. perfection. something wildly deeply charming to me about the clean lines and the manic energy of his three-issue appearance in starman 1994 #77-79, perfectly in character for my ol' pal rexy. there's plenty of great hourmen out there, this one's mine :)

ted knight

it's not even worth pretending anyone has ever topped emil gershwin's work on starman or ever will. my god, it's extraordinary. it's something else entirely. emil's brief run on adventure comics 1938 was utter perfection, and that's saying something considering he followed jack burnley whose work on ted was already gorgeous!

johnny quick

mort meskin's sense of motion, his lithe lean playful impossibly dynamic johnny quick... that's the stuff of legends. it doesn't get better than meskin on more fun comics 1936, and the classics are classics for a reason.

jim corrigan

i mean, jim aparo's hard boiled detective throughout wrath of the spectre 1988. what else is there to say!

[pinkrangerv]

Okay yeah fuck it this needs A Post.

So! Power Rangers! Anyone noticed the not just Really Queer but Really Kinky undertones?

Like not even a sex thing. Everyone's banging and we can trace who's banging who but that part is 100% irrelevant. You know what is?

When Tommy joins the MMPR team, he and Jason have to learn to work together. They do it by learning to swap weapons and armor. By learning to let each other access parts of themselves. Coming back, Jason's officially the leader, but they co-lead, and do it by moving power between each other.

When Kim dates Tommy, Kim is the one in the lead and command. She's the most powerful Ranger, and Tommy is very much her service sub. Again--not in sex. Because Tommy gets her a cactus instead of flowers, because it's a rare one she wants for her garden; because Tommy backs her play when she attacks a monster; because Kim is the one with functionally a guided missile launcher in bow form and when she shows up, the monster dies, and she saves Tommy, despite what fandom thought for a long time.

Other seasons? Look at in Space--TJ takes the unquestioned lead almost all the time. Andros is Red, sure, and trains the other Rangers on a lot of things, but TJ is the leader in an almost military style, because TJ is very the fuck competent, but also because TJ takes care of all of them. TJ displays leadership as dominance in the BDSM sense--everyone fully, enthusiastically consenting, and he's taking care of them.

And that means when Karone defects, TJ ends up violating international laws of war--prisoners of war (can't find anything on defectors, but at that point the sensible assumption was to start with her as a prisoner of war and move from there) are entitled to be treated according to rank, and only imprisoned at need. Which means that chaining Karone up in a spare room? Fucking war crime.

Everyone goes along with it, because TJ is the one they trust. And Karone could easily have let them die for it. And being honest, that probably plays into why she volunteers to go try and stop the asteroid and gets recaptured--TJ is taking care of his team, but can she trust him? Because the Princess of Dark Spectre's empire damn well knows the law, and she knows even her own brother won't turn on TJ if he breaks it again.

Another season: Jungle Fury. Camille and Jarrod don't have a direct dynamic where one surrenders power to another. Instead, both of them learn over time--usually in time spans of a couple minutes--how to completely transfer power to the other. And that is the most vital tool of escape either of them have, and saves them both from Dai Shi.

Switching seasons again? Dino Thunder. Mesegog isn't like other villains. His generals aren't loyal, his minions are mindless hordes, his monsters are thoughtless creations.

Because Mesegog's evil is that he takes power without consent, that he abuses people. He spends the entire season using magic to physically abuse everyone, even his own son. Dino Thunder's villain is a warning about abuse, and yes, that means talking about consent and why power can rightfully only be claimed freely.

Because Conner's Triassic Form required freely-given power. And it was more powerful than any Ranger alone, because his teammates gave it freely. And the Rangers won because they moved power between themselves because they wanted to.

Like. We don't really talk about this in fandom, but BDSM is one of the only places I've seen it discussed about how leadership involves power exchange. And Power Rangers has at least one plotline each season about how that works.

With a lot of shipping undertones. Because this is the shipping show. Obviously.

[sparatus]

Sparatus? 🙂

🥺👉👈

Sexuality Headcanon: painfully bisexual. somebody please stop surrounding this old man with hot people his heart can't take it. also very much not xeno in the slightest

Gender Headcanon: turian gender stuff is complicated and doesn't fit into human binaries, so while he's generally understood to be and is fine with being perceived as a cis man because he's perfectly happy with the body he was born with, a closer approximation is masculine nonbinary, just... not the way humans understand nb to be

A ship I have with said character: i mean. [gestures vaguely to entire internet presence] do i even have to specify teia at this point.

aside from the obvious, sparatus/quentius is also a fave, i do so love boss and loyal dragon dynamics, and the two of them are that plus a flip side out of work where they're just best mean girl friends hanging out being catty old men together. plus for bad end it makes it so much juicier that not only was sparatus quentius's friend but also a sometimes-lover, bad end hurts but it's so so deliciously messy

plus also @thetrashbagswasteland put sparatus/desolas in my head and it bops around from time to time, just like, suave but chaotic military man with the personality of a mob boss "you wanna fuck me so bad it makes you stupid" vs prickly by-the-book law boy "i hate that you're actually as charming as you think you are you charismatic asshole" i think it would be fun okay someday ill write it teia and abrudas can also get in on it for fun or they can bang on the side it's fine

A BROTP I have with said character: sparatus & quentius, for reasons listed above. the more i dabble around the more sparkyteia and quentilea are becoming just a platonic polypile, oopsie, they're all good friends. also quite fond of sparatus & saren, because saren is very well-trusted and the council's golden boy and not every spectre is going to have shepard's experience with the council so it only makes sense for saren to have that sort of loyal right hand kinda dynamic with sparky. sparatus & valern is also fun for my usual political intrigue reasons but we don't have time to get into the complicated bullshit fueling the turian-salarian alliance rn

A NOTP I have with said character: sparatus/shepard, for reasons i should hope are obvious by now. guys idk how to explain this but sometimes characters just hate you without secretly wanting to fuck you. he has legitimate criticisms of shepard and ill die on this hill, there's no ust he isn't into you and mad about it he just doesn't like your fucking attitude. and you can't convince me your shepard somehow turns it around into genuine love, i don't fucking believe you, it's ooc some characters will simply never grow to truly Like you more than respecting your ability and that's fucking okay and normal

also sparatus/saren, because while i adjust saren's age in my work to bring him up to 70 in me1 (and closer to sparky, 76) the main works i know of for that ship have sparatus more than twice his age (in his 60s while saren was EIGHTEEN) and taking advantage of the age gap and saren's emotional turmoil after his brother's death to groom him into the perfect partner, which... oh my god no. and it was presented as romantic! as saren's first real love before nihlus!! i am calling the police!! and pretty much everyone ive seen who talks about that ship got it from that fic so. yeah that author is my parasocial enemy

A random headcanon: despite how closely they have to work together, and sparky being a prosecutor pre-politics (thus allegedly on the side of the cops), he and pallin have a rather... antagonistic relationship, mostly because of how sparky responds to pallin's complaints about spectres ("i'll let them know" which usually means nothing will be done and the spectres will continue treating civil misdemeanors and traffic violations like a game) but also because sparky himself has personal beef with like 7 different prominent cops, is from a "fuck the cops they're imperial shills we can police ourselves" background, and is so so good at being pedantic and annoying when he's feeling petty which is any time pallin isn't talking about an actual serious issue. he wants pallin to stop bothering him about traffic stops. pallin wants to fuck the smug look off his face. they're not allowed to have face-to-face meetings without quentius present because they WILL go straight to childish squabbling.

General Opinion over said character: he's my grandpa. he's Me. nobody in this fandom deserves him y'all need to remove the main character pov blinders and think about shit from his perspective and stop just assuming he's racist and stupid because he tells you no. the man has his position for a reason, and if you listen to what he's actually saying he's DEEPLY empathetic and concerned with how the public at large will be affected, he fucking cares about people it's canon it's canon it's CANON he literally goes behind his colleagues' backs to try to help you save palaven and stop the war right away that's not what a selfish heartless bureaucrat who only cares about his own small circle does i have ESSAYS dammit

.... oops i care about this old man So Much

send me a character

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 1 Replay, Feros Aftermath:

Normandy Meeting

-The human subconscious instinctively resists joining. Is this always the case, or just because it’s Shepard’s first time and they barely know Liara?

If humans always resist, that raises some awkward questions about human/asari relationships.

-Liara states that the Prothean visions would destroy a lesser mind than Shepard. Poor Manuel. Shade just keeps getting thrown on the dude.

-Of course the Salarian Councilor would have preferred the Thorian be captured for study.

Squad

-Huh. If you go full renegade, I think you can lose the Kaidan romance here. He definitely thinks Shepard is not quite in the right mind.

-If Vrynnus had gotten to an infirmary quicker, he may have survived. So why didn’t he? Subtext is they let him die.

-BAat sure was something. Kids died, the instructor died… Kaidan killed a man and they just let him go, rather than deal with it.

-People complain Kaidan doesn’t up unless you romance him, but I got maybe four lines out of Liara this time and none of it was about her. Kaidan is way more talkative if not romanced; you still get most of his backstory.

-Ashley was going to drink. So at least her drinking isn’t new to ME3, just… massively expanded.

-Finally hear about the Williams’s history. Ashley’s resigned – nothing she does will ever be good enough for the Alliance.

-The Turians dropped rocks on everything that moved.

I’ve seen this criticized as breaking C-Space laws, but if I read the codex correctly you can bombard garden worlds if they’re hostile. I suspect that’s the loophole the Turians went for with Shanxi.

-I think the Shepard-Kaidan-Ashley dynamic was supposed to mimic Kirk-Spock-McCoy. Kaidan/Spock are the head, Ashley/McCoy are the heart.

Council, calling about Virmire

-The Council prefers not to become involved in the specifics of spectre activities. They’re really gunning for plausible deniability

-Spectres are one arm of the council. Infiltration unites (STG) are another. Interesting – Spectres work directly for the Council. The STG are part of the Salarian Union, but here they’re presented as working for the Council as well.

-In both this and the post Feros conversation, the Turian Councilor is much more talkative if you go renegade.

The impression I get is that he wants as little do with Shepard as possible, but can’t quite keep his mouth shut when Shepard pisses him off

Citadel

-Broadcast says Feros is turning a profit. How? We didn’t discover anything other than the Thorian, and that got killed.

They’re totally selling the geth ship’s claw, aren’t they? Or the destroyed geth platforms.

-Udina’s right; politics are as necessary as force. On a good day, politics can even prevent force from being used.

Edit: Fix spellings and the claw the ship belonged to

[ofgildedhearts]

♙      ⸻      ·   。…      [     charlotte spencer  +  twenty-eight  + cis woman  +  she/her      ]      the  city  of  new  york  welcomes  isla sinclair  to  the  social  season  of  1887,  the  cousin  of  arundel family.  known  to  be  gracious  and  astute,  their  rumored  aloof  and  unimpressed  tendencies  might  prove  to  be  their  unmaking.  the  street  musicians  often  string  along  a  tune  that  sounds  like  the history of man  by  maisie peters  whenever  they  are  near,  hoping  for  a  coin  or  two  as  a  reward.  unbeknown  to  their  peers,  isla  views  the  social  season  as  sometimes it's endless and tiresome obligation but not without its flashes of interest and joy. mostly it's an escape. but  when  holding  a  secret  such  as  secret engagement that had love win out over logic, leading to a lapse in judgement and a pregnancy scare ,  it  would  be  best  to  keep  their  opinions  to  themselves.   

full name: isla alexandra sinclair nicknames or aliases: will only answer to isla or the correct form of address age: twenty-eight date  of  birth: 29th august occupation: landed gentry ( daughter of a viscount ) parents: alexander sinclair & elspeth sinclair née arundel siblings: campbell sinclair extended family: the arundels ( maternal cousins ) marital status: engaged ( secretly ) sexuality: demisexual

the secret: -

isla usually always puts logic over emotion, rarely letting her heart guide her in anyway. she remained neutral on the idea of marriage, happy to content herself to an amicable match if they could at least achieve something together. what she didn't count on was falling in love and she finally set aside reason long enough to enter into a secret understanding. the pair are engaged but things have cooled slightly since she'd briefly though she'd fallen pregnant. it was enough to bring her back down to earth and begin to reconsider things.

thoughts  on  high  society: -

society is something of a double edged sword for her. on the one hand she thinks she'd be stupid not to see the benefit of it and despite finding it boring at times, she'd never be one to sever her ties from it entirely. she enjoys being influential in some way and the security it gives her. isla knows she is good enough at playing the perfect lady that she doesn't find it a struggle, just dislikes how monotonous it can be when she'd rather have a challenge or be left to her own devices. new york provides her with a sense of escape, new dynamics able to form without the spectres of her estranged father and brother to hang over her.

personality: -

traits: haughty, astute, cautious, quick-witted, ambivalent, condescending, thorough, strategic, sceptical, observant, judgemental, loyal, dependable, guarded, impartial. zodiac: virgo moon, taurus sun, capricon rising - individuals display a personality that is practical, disciplined, and focused. they are methodical in their approach to life and are always striving to improve themselves and their surroundings. hardworking, reliable, and dedicated to achieving their goals, they have high standards for themselves and others, which can make them appear critical or demanding. however, they genuinely want the best for themselves and those around them. they also have an appreciation for beauty and art, which manifests in their love for the finer things in life. enjoy living comfortably and appreciate a stable, predictable routine. when it comes to emotions, individuals with this combination can be reserved and slow to express themselves. however, they are still highly sensitive and can be deeply affected by emotional situations. moral alignment: lawful neutral temperament: melancholic

headcanons: -

tl;dr - isla grew up with a disinterested viscount father and a resentful brother, never fully accepted by the men in her family. while her mother was warm there was only so much she could do to reduce the chill felt in the sinclair home. her mother's side of the family, the arundels, always welcomed her and so she finally found those close family ties that she had been denied. loyalty to them runs strong and she will always do her best for them, using intellect to try to do whatever might be beneficial for them.

tw for miscarriage/infertility

the marriage between alexander sinclair, a viscount, and elspeth arundel was not a happy one but the pair managed a functional relationship. the viscount was cold to all, clinical and cutthroat but successul in retaining the wealth that he come with the inheritance of his title. they had a son quickly after their married, campbell, but struggled with fertility for years after. elspeth suffered miscarriages before eventually having isla.

alexander was not impressed by a daughter, the reason that he'd kept trying being that he'd wanted a 'spare'. he was disinterested in his daughter aside from the fact that he might be able to secure a connection with a match for her when she was older. elspeth, however, was thrilled after years of heartbreak, finding comfort in her children while she got none from her husband.

but where her father simply seemed apathetic towards her, campbell was outright resentful. for eight years he had had the undivided attention of his parents and while isla was no competition for their father's focus let alone affection, elspeth doted on her. her mother treated both children with equal care and love but to a son unused to sharing it seemed as though his mother's attention had been diminished by isla.

as much as she might be loathed to ever admit it she was still her father's daughter. his intelligence and calculating manner was something she seemed to have inherited. their similarities went unnoticed by most, however, with only her mother noticing and deciding that isla should spend more time with her cousins lest her lonliness drive her towards a cruel nature.

the arundels provided her with the warmth and welcome that she had been denied and she quickly became attached to them. reluctant to leave and always begging to return. her mother indulged the relationship as much as possible, taking frequent trips to see her brother with isla.

a close relationship meant that when she was finally introduced to society her cousin, alastair, was happy to begin to include her in family business. finally feeling valued, isla thrived in the environment using the skills her mother had instilled in her to be the perfect lady and win people over whilst still being impartial enough to give shrewd advice.

there was a brief spell where her father took an interest in her, seeing what she had been capable of but while he opened the door slightly to her being included campbell slammed it shut. after that she firmly distanced herself from the sinclairs aside from writing to her mother.

on the surface all is well with her family, her father and brother would never risk the scandal or whispers that knowledge of the dysfunction would bring so isla enjoys a healthy allowance as long as she brings no shame to their name. it's this that she used to help her cousins wherever she can and enjoy freedom away from her father.

connections: -

friends - while isla does prefer to keep a small, close circle those that she does include would be seen as almost family to her. she would probably have to see them as equals in some way but there's a variety of ways this could be accomplished!

pen pals - isla likes to be well connected!! they could be connected through her father somehow or anyone who might have been to the UK.

fellow aesthetes - she's a bit of an enjoyer of art and architecture though it's probably not something she offers particularly readily. but anyone who might share those views with her and lead to her talking about something she genuinely enjoys.

suitors ( past or present! ) - wealthy and titled, isla would be a valuable match for anyone and it's likely that a fair few have tried, unsuccessfully. whether it be due to isla's own disinterest or perhaps her father not deeming the match good enough, there's likely been a few spurned. there's an option for the dynamic to have turned positive though! perhaps a friendship developed or some mutual respect or perhaps they just avoid each other and pretend it never happened.

probably lots more, open to everything tbh!!

[darthkvznblogs]

If they had been integrated into the Kryptonverse, how would the dynamics of the Lantern Corps have been in the Milkyway? How would they have handled the Galra/Gem invasions?

I think the Green Lanterns would butt heads with the established empires of the Milky Way a lot. They're ultimately a force for good, don't get me wrong, but they can be territorial, and the Guardians of Oa are fairly infamous for sometimes being these insufferable know-it-all's that want things done their way or not at all. I think they'd probably be in a perpetual state of bare tolerance with the Kree, in particular, as they'd no doubt intervene in events that are considered "normal" in Kree space but pretty much criminal to the GLC. I think they'd have this super cooperative relationship with the Nova Corps on the surface, but there'd be a ton of issues because while the Nova Corps is more of an established army/law enforcement body, the Green Lanterns are more like lone rangers or gunslingers, and those are two entirely different approaches to keeping the peace.

I do think having the GLC would change Wild Space/the Terminus Systems a lot. Kinda like the way Spectres in the ME universe are the only form of Council Authority that's fairly universally respected (or feared), I think Green Lanterns would also be the only form of law these systems would even acknowledge.

As for how they'd handle those kinds of invasions, I think it's very simple. The sector's assigned Lantern would evaluate the situation and notify the Corps on a course of action. I doubt they'd try to fight immediately - they'd inform the invaders of Guardian law and try to figure out their purpose in the Milky Way and whether or not it deserves punishment. If and when talks broke down, then the GL would probably have to call in the case and request assistance. In both examples, I think the GL would probably manage to curtail the invasions enough to force some kind of compromise, though in a protracted, all out war, I don't think they'd be able to win.

[denimbex1986]

'The year 1999 saw the release of Anthony Minghella's film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. The film had a memorable cast with Matt Damon playing Tom Ripley, Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge Sherwood, respectively. The project was a commercial and critical success, earning over $128 million on a $40 million budget and receiving five Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Law. Now, nearly 24 years later, another adaptation is set to be released on TV titled Ripley.

Before tuning in for the TV adaptation, make sure to check out the following helpful guide that contains everything we know so far about Ripley...

Does 'Ripley' Have a Release Date?

All eight episodes of Ripley are set to premiere on Thursday, April 4, 2024. This comes over four years after it was originally announced. It also comes hot off the heels of Saltburn, which was influenced by the 1999 movie and Patricia Highsmith's novel.

Where Can You Watch 'Ripley'?

When the series was first announced, it was initially set to air on Showtime. However, it was revealed in February 2023 that the series will instead premiere on Netflix. This was a result of the series being shopped around due to Showtime being integrated into the Paramount+ platform. Being a limited series, it is most likely that all eight episodes will be released simultaneously on Netflix.

Is There a Trailer for 'Ripley'?

Netflix released the first teaser trailer for Ripley on January 22, 2024, also revealing the release date for the series.

Netflix released the full trailer for Ripley on March 4, 2024, giving an extended look at the series.

What Is 'Ripley' About?

Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, the series will follow the titular Tom Ripley and his involvement with Dickie Greenleaf and Marge Sherwood. Tom is a struggling con man living in New York who uses his duplicitous skills of forgery and impersonation to get by. By chance, he encounters Herbert Greenleaf, an acquaintance and rich shipbuilder, who enlists Tom's help to retrieve his son, Dickie, who is living it up in Italy. Tom takes advantage of the opportunity and tracks down Dickie, only to form an obsession with befriending the wealthy boy and becoming part of that luxurious lifestyle. However, Tom's intentions are challenged by Marge, Dickie's close friend who happens to be in love with him.

Given the story's genre as a psychological thriller, audiences will be gripped by the tension and twisted dynamics between Tom, Dickie and Marge. Particularly, the audience will see the lengths that Tom will go to climb the social ladder. With Steven Zaillian at the helm of the series, it looks promising that this adaptation might be darker and grittier than the 1999 film adaptation due to Zaillian's established serious tone like in his previous limited series The Night Of. The official synopsis from Netflix reads as follows:

Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom's acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder. The limited series drama is based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels.

Who Is Starring in 'Ripley'?

Andrew Scott will play the titular protagonist, Tom Ripley, an ambitious but cunning man who takes on the opportunity to fly to Europe and improve his life. Scott is a BAFTA-winning Irish actor best known for his TV roles in Sherlock and Fleabag. Over the past decade, he has starred in major films like Pride, Spectre, and 1917. He also appeared in other TV series like Black Mirror, His Dark Materials, and Modern Love. He most recently starred in the romantic drama film All of Us Strangers, where he earned some of the highest praise of his career.

Johnny Flynn will portray Richard "Dickie" Greenleaf, the wealthy and spoiled son of Herbert that escaped to Italy and becomes the target of Tom's focus. Flynn is a British actor who worked on various TV series like Lovesick, Genius, and Vanity Fair. He also appeared in films like Cordelia, Operation Mincemeat, and the 2020 adaptation of Emma. He most recently starred in the historical film One Life alongside Anthony Hopkins.

Finally, the role of Marjorie "Marge" Sherwood, the closest friend and romantic interest of Dickie, will be played by Dakota Fanning. The American actress made a name for herself as a popular child actress in films like Man on Fire, I Am Sam, and Uptown Girls. Fanning later starred in films such as The Twilight Saga, The Runaways, and Brimstone. She even worked on TV series like The Alienist and The First Lady. Her most recent project was reuniting with Denzel Washington in The Equalizer 3.

Eliot Sumner also joins the cast in a recurring role as a friend of Dickie who grows suspicious of Tom. Sumner is an English musician and relatively new actor who has appeared in films like The Gentlemen, A Mouthful of Air, and No Time to Die. He is the son of The Police frontman Sting.

John Malkovich is also set to appear in the series in an undisclosed role.

Who Are the Creators of ‘Ripley’?

Steven Zaillian leads the limited series as a writer, director, and executive producer. This marks his second TV miniseries after the Emmy-nominated show The Night Of. His other impressive writing credits include drama films like The Irishman, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Schindler's List. Joining him as executive producers are Garrett Basch (What We Do In the Shadows), Guymon Casady (Game of Thrones), Sharon Levy (The Biggest Loser), Ben Forkner (The Flagmakers), and Philipp Keel (Deep Water).

Andrew Scott will also be a producer on the series. Robert Elswit is the cinematographer for the show.

When and Where Did 'Ripley' Film?

The series stayed faithful to the story's location by filming in Italy, specifically in Rome and Venice. Filming was originally planned for September 2020 after the show's first announcement but was ultimately pushed to 2021 following the casting of Dakota Fanning. Filming allegedly started in August 2021 based on a Twitter post showing Andrew Scott on set in Italy.

Production in Italy wrapped by April 30, 2022, based on an Instagram story from the assistant director Emiliano Guido.

Filming was then moved to New York City where Scott was spotted in a Twitter video filming the New York-based scenes during May 2022.

Will There Be Another Season of 'Ripley'?

Despite the show being described as a miniseries, it was reported that showrunner Steven Zaillian originally pitched the show with the possibility of exploring Patricia Highsmith's other novels in the "Ripilad" series. These four subsequent novels involve the character of Tom Ripley which Zaillian had the original intent to adapt one book per season. It remains to be seen if these plans will officially follow through after the first season is released. Until then, make sure to watch Ripley when it drops on Netflix.'

[pretchatta-writing]

yesterday’s @kaneraweek​ contribution was a continuation of an old fic (because despite my best efforts I can’t write 7 prompt fills on only a month’s notice 😭) the laws of spectre dynamics, my low-stakes modern university au which I haven’t forgotten about and will one day finish!

chapter four  rating: teen; 2.7k words

---

 Kanan felt like he was floating as he walked home from Hera’s. The ghost of their final parting kiss lingered on his lips and her bright green eyes burned in his mind like a candle flame long after her front door had disappeared from sight behind him. He almost didn’t want to meet Ezra; he wanted to spend several hours committing that morning and the previous night to memory so that he would never forget his time with her. But then, if he’d had the time, he wouldn’t have left her so soon.

 He sighed as he reached his own terraced house. Being over two floors, it was slightly larger than her maisonette, but not by much. Still, it was plenty enough for him. He dumped his bag in the narrow hall and jogged up the stairs, listening to the familiar tune of the creaking steps under his feet. He just needed a quick change of clothes, and then he’d be good to go – showering at Hera’s had saved him the need to do it here, even if she had no shampoo and terrible water pressure.

 Kanan knew he was cutting things a little close. If he hadn’t planned to be early he wouldn’t have even come into the house, but as it was he still had time. And it was good that he did – Ezra had noticed his sweater the previous day, and the last thing he needed was the kid making comments about it being unchanged. He pulled on fresh clothes, opting for something more casual than what he usually wore to teach, and dragged a comb through his still-damp hair.

 Unsurprisingly, his thoughts kept drifting to Hera. His hair was in the state it was because she had absolutely no haircare products to speak of; it was obvious, given her species, but not something he’d ever thought about. He wondered if it meant she was quicker in the shower, or if washing her lekku took just as much time. He realised he was drifting away, slowly combing the same section of hair as he thought about her, and shook himself out of his reverie. He forced himself firmly back to Ezra, running through his mental list of things he needed to bring today. He grabbed his spare calculator and the case of exam materials he kept on hand for situations just like this one and decided he was ready to leave.

 He jumped into the car only a few minutes later than he’d originally planned to. The address Ezra had given him took him to a street very similar to his own, though it was unsurprising given that most of Lothal’s streets looked like that. He pulled up outside and wondered if he could nip out to knock on the door, but the street was narrow and he didn’t want to be caught blocking the road. He didn’t have to worry; moments after he pulled up, the door opened and Ezra launched himself out of it.

 He skipped a greeting as he slid into the passenger seat. “Did you bring the calculator?”

 Kanan could immediately tell that the boy was a ball of nervous energy.

 “Don’t worry, I have it,” he said, trying to put as much calm into his voice as he could. “You have everything you need to do well today, and it’s only a practise. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

 "Uh-huh. Sure." Ezra’s voice was slightly higher than usual as he put his seatbelt on.

 "You just need to stay focused, you've got this," Kanan said, pulling out into the street.

 He could tell his attempts to calm the boy weren’t working, so he fell back on old techniques he’d picked up over his years of tutoring. What Ezra was usually most afraid of was the unknown, so Kanan started running through every minute detail of the process from the moment they would walk through the front door of the building. It seemed to help – somewhat. Ezra relaxed, but Kanan could tell he was still jittery.

 At the end of the car ride they reached the exam hall a little later than Kanan would have liked; the exam didn't start for another fifteen minutes, but the candidates had already been let in. He walked Ezra up to the sign-in desk, just like he’d said he would.

 The woman behind the desk was a lot younger than the usual administration staff. She looked barely older than Ezra, but she seemed very organised. A colourful array of highlighter pens was spread out before her along with several pieces of paper bearing matching coloured swipes. The girl herself was just as bright; her short hair was dyed orange and purple, and though her clothes were fairly neutral she was covered in splatters of paint.

 "Hi,” Kanan greeted her. “We're here for the exam."

 She looked up from where she'd been doodling on the corner of one of the papers and raised an eyebrow.

 "Both of you?"

 Kanan couldn’t tell if she was being serious. "No, just Ezra here."

 The girl’s eyes slid to Ezra as she nodded. "Do you have his candidate number?"

 He set about giving her the relevant details and papers, including Ezra's recommendation letter from Cal. She made note of each, neatly colour-coding the boxes on her forms.

 "Okay, I think that's everything – oh, hold on, it says here you haven't provided a signed parental permission slip. Do you have that too?"

 Kanan frowned. "I didn't realise we needed one. I haven't had to provide it before."

 "Usually they're handed in before the candidate even registers for the exam, when they're recommended for tutoring," the girl explained.

 "Oh.” Kanan thought for a moment. “Well, I'm sure we can get one, do we need it now?"

 The girl grimaced. "I don't think I'm allowed to let you in without one."

 "Forget it, Kanan,” Ezra cut in, waving a hand dismissively. “I guess I just won't take the exam." He spun around and started towards the door.

 "No!” He reached out to grab Ezra by the shoulder. “You've worked hard for this, there's no reason to let an administrative slip-up get in the way.” Kanan turned to the girl. “Come on, his parents clearly support this, he's been coming to me for tutoring for the last three months and he's here today. Is there any way you could let him in today, and we'll bring the slip for the real exam? It's just a practise, after all."

 The girl looked conflicted. "...Alright. I guess that would be okay. I can get you another copy of the form." She turned to Ezra. "You'd better head in. Here's your seat number, the invigilators inside will take you through the rules and structure of the exam. Good luck!"

 Ezra's eyes lit up. "I can go in?"

 "Yes, and you've got two minutes before it starts, so get moving." Kanan gave the boy a gentle shove. "Remember, there is no try. You will do great."

 Ezra swallowed and nodded, looking nervous but determined. He marched through the doors, and Kanan felt a sympathetic pang of nerves, but it was mixed with pride for his student.

 “There’s a couple more candidates who still need to arrive, but once they’re here I can get you that spare form,” the girl said from behind him. “You can take a seat over there.”

 Kanan walked to the row of chairs she’d indicated and sat down, thinking. Ezra had seemed so ready to leave, and so surprised when he’d been allowed in – was that why he’d been so nervous in the car? Had he known he was missing the form? Why hadn’t he just said something to Kanan? Was he worried Kanan would tell him off for not having done it sooner? Kids could be weird like that sometimes; they could talk about it later, after the exam.

Continue on AO3 ->

[pretchatta]

I would love to hear more about The Laws of Spectre Dynamics!!

thank you friend!!

TLoSD is a very low-stakes modern AU set in a university where the Force is actually Theoretical Physics and I get to make dumb science puns. Kanan and Hera are lecturers, Ezra is a kid Kanan is tutoring, Sabine is an early entry student of Hera's and works at the place Ezra takes his exams, and Zeb is a friend of Hera's as well as Ezra's coach who he's currently living with for lack of better options. The biggest drama is that Kanan asks Hera on a date and they forget to exchange contact details. It's going to be around 9 chapters in total – 3 are already posted, a 4th is finished and a 5th is on the way, but I want to have it completely done before I resume posting. I'll put a snippet from when Kanan meets Sabine in chapter four under the read more!

ask me about my wips!

Sabine, meanwhile, reached for her papers and pulled one out from the middle. It looked like the list she’d been marking as each candidate arrived and Kanan assumed she was about to input it into the computer, however before she could fully extract it the already-precarious pile shifted at the movement and half slipped off the desk to fall on the floor.

The papers spread out as they fluttered down, covering an impressive area of the office’s small floor space.

Sabine cursed and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I shouldn’t swear –”

“Don’t worry about it, here,” Kanan reassured her, gathering the papers nearest to him and handing them back to her. 

“Thanks.”

Kanan paused over handing her the last one. They were drawings, he saw; sketches and paintings of people and animals in various active poses.

“Did you draw these?” he asked, his eyes running over the colourful lines.

Sabine’s face brightened. “Yep! What do you think?”

“They’re gorgeous,” he said honestly.

She beamed. “Thanks! I’m trying to get some of my work shown in a local gallery.”

Kanan passed her the sheet he was holding. “I don’t know much about art, but they’d be crazy not to take it.”

Sabine shrugged as she slipped the drawings into a folder. “I’ve heard the gallery owner is pretty discerning in his tastes.”

“Are there other galleries in Lothal?”

“Nope, just the Mitth,” she said with a shake of her head. “Your form’s ready, by the way – you just need to get the candidate’s parents to sign it, and hand it in before the date of the final exam.”

“No problem.” Kanan stood but paused at the door, freshly-printed form in hand. “Good luck with the art gallery.”

Sabine gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

[biotek]

anonymous asked:    care to go into how mr. alenko felt about the whole cerberus thing at length?

of course and thanks for the question!  i think it’s absolutely an interesting topic,  considering how both virmire survivors essentially alienated themselves from a large portion of the fandom back when me2 dropped.  i’m not sure how many of y’all remember but people were out for blood.  me3 cooled some of those more incendiary opinions,  in kaidan’s case especially given how apologetic he was towards shepard,  but that dynamic makes for a really interesting meta!  even more so if you romance kaidan in me1.

there are two parts towards this question that i’d like to answer.  the first is kaidan’s feelings on cerberus,  which is a much shorter and more straightforward answer.  the second is how shepard fits into all of this.  i’ll place a readmore here just because i know how long-winded i can get.

1.  kaidan’s feelings on cerberus.

cerberus,  in short,  represents a culmination of all of the warnings kaidan gives shepard in their debriefings throughout me1.  kaidan is driven by rule of law.  he believes regulations exist for a reason.  this is due partially from his military upbringing,  of course,  his father serving and instilling that sense of justice ins his son.

however,  a great deal of his own caution comes from brain camp.  the entire establishment is sketchy at best,  kaidan questioning even how a second generation of biotics could have cropped up for experimentation.  with how they went about it,  training human biotics under the table with mercenaries in order to protect humanity’s ego,  it leaves a ton of room for error.  those errors compounded,  culminating in a crucible that literally broke children,  sending them home scarred for life,  if they made it out.  that includes kaidan who absolutely was not the same after what he went through there,  after killing vyrnnus.  

thinking about it in rather black-and-white terms,  children were sacrificed to create human biotics,  children were sacrificed to train human biotics,  children were sacrificed to protect humanity’s budding place in an unknown galaxy.

it’s just really sick.  kaidan undoubtedly believes that so much of this could have been avoided if humanity with through the correct channels.  i mean,  the asari have literally trained biotics for millennia.  if they went through the council,  while it’s too difficult to imagine what galactic relations would like if humanity focused less on individualism,  kaidan believes that lives could have been saved and that in general,  human biotics would live better lives if they humanity engaged with them in the right way.

moving on,  kaidan’s views on extremism are touched upon numerous times as well.  while he understands the trauma biotics,  especially l2s,  suffer from first-hand experience,  he admonishes the terrorists which kidnap and pillage in search of restitution.  again,  this goes back to the idea that the ends do not justify the means.  cerberus is just another back alley method for human dominance in the galaxy.  kaidan,  as a man of law and as a victim of humanity cutting corners,  doesn’t like the idea of it happening again.  the experimentations cerberus engages in throughout me1 could have been the biotics at jump zero,  in some alternate universe.

2.  kaidan’s feelings regarding shepard with cerberus.

to begin with,  let’s talk about kaidan’s relationship with shepard.  kaidan is someone who has given his entire life to the alliance.  he had nothing when he joined and dedicated everything he had,  mind and body,  towards his duty.  he’s been with the alliance for over a decade and has received numerous commendations for his service.

with that in mind,  it’s no small feat that he is willing to throw that away when the commander goes rogue chasing saren,  taking the mu relay to ilos.  he gives up his career,  his life,  possibly his relationship with his alliance marine father,  all on the hunch that shepard’s dreams are right.  of course,  kaidan’s had his own thoughts on the matter,  “the writing is on the wall but no one is reading it” sort of thing,  but it’s shepard who makes the call.  at this point,  he’s the only alliance member in shepard’s main crew of five.  meaning,  it’s he who will be tried to the highest extent alongside shepard.  and he goes anyway.

mind you,  he’s talked shepard’s ear off about cutting corners,  about doing things the right way,  consulting the council before making any galaxy-affecting decisions,  etc.  shepard’s never done anything to make him question following them.  might act rashly at times but it’s for the greater good,  all things considered.  this changes in mass effect 2 when rumors start flying all over space about a dead spectre working with terrorists.

on one hand,  i can understand how he’d see it as a betrayal.  after fighting against rogue council agents,  watching innocents be murdered by cerberus for no good reason,  shepard’s now gone rogue joining that murderous org.  speaking plainly,  shepard is cutting corners to stop the reapers,  as they’ve previously risked everything to stop them.  instead of consulting the alliance,  the council,  shepard is just following the intel from a terrorist org.  i think that’s part of it too,  that once they were free,  shepard made no attempt to rejoin the alliance.  they remained in the terminus systems,  making no effort to contact kaidan despite it,  and kaidan only found out on horizon.

horizon is a touchy subject too.  when you think about it,  shepard failed to an extent.  in kaidan’s mind,  shepard is working with these terrorists,  excusing all the harm they’ve done,  doing nothing to stop any further harm they’re causing,  all to lose just another colony.  once again,  the ends clearly do not justify the means,  but there was no ideal end even met regarding horizon.  

he has his own issues with cerberus as an organization but i mean,  regarding his personal ideals and duties,  we’ve seen him abandon those for shepard if he knows they’re doing it for the right reason.  i think if shepard reached out to kaidan immediately after,  if they went through the alliance somehow,  kaidan would have even joined up again.  it’s like...  he opened his heart to shepard,  the first commander to see him as a person,  and he talked about all of his past trauma.  it’s now all being spit on for some intergalactic space boogeymen.  of course he’ll take that personally.

so yeah by the time they are working together,  he just...  has to slowly allow himself to trust shepard again.  they weren’t just on opposite sides of some invisible ideal,  kaidan felt personally betrayed by shepard who,  knowing everything he’s been through at the hands of some shady org,  would join up with an even worse org to fight some menace.  that’s why i think kaidan is so willing to apologize,  because a lot of his anger was adrenaline and just?  an explosion of stress and betrayal in that moment.  so yeah,  sorry this is so long lol

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 1: 3x06 Spectre of the Gun

Okay so, it might be a little early to declare myself a S3 apologist, since there are still a lot of eps I’ve never seen, but I feel like I’m pretty close..

This ep was so good!! Honestly I think it’s one of my faves. And perfect to usher in Spooky Season.

Honestly, this show really is my happy place. Just all the characters together on the bridge, on some kinda adventure, looking at weird space buoys and investigating stuff.

Again, this buoy looks like a Windows 98 screensaver.

Kirk keeps referring to Spock as “Science Officer.” Is he mad at him? Full of some particularly intense longing that requires him to put extra distance between them?

Excuse me, you address US as aliens? YOU’RE the aliens.

Hmmm, so it seems they’re not friendly.

It’s addressing them in different languages!!! I love it. Love the reminder that Uhura’s first language is not English,also.

“True telepaths are dangerous.” As opposed to fake telepaths like Vulcans lol?

The Melkotians withdrew immediately. They invented space travel, they saw space, and they said “not for us” and they turned around and left. McCoy would like them; they’d have a lot to gripe about together.

The welcome mat is NOT out.

“Unlike Mr. Scott’s transporter, this unit is not functioning.”

It legit looked like Spock put his hand on Kirk’s back there. Like he clearly raises it, but not far enough to be seen above Kirk, so like.. what was the point? Where did it go?

LEE CRONIN--oh no, flashbacks lol.

“We come in peace”--immediately pulls out gun.

I should have watched this when writing my Western fic.

Just bits and pieces of a Western town... and a completely red sky...

The guns are “crude but dangerous.” If only Sulu were here; he’d love this.

An announcement with a specific time and place on it--that’s a very precise detail to just pull from their minds. Must have come from Kirk’s, that nerd. Maybe Spock. But probably Kirk.

“Because my ancestors pioneered the American frontier.” I mean did they really get to the frontier? Or just... the Midwest?

Maybe it’s actually because he’s a cowboy at heart?

Aliens using his own ancestral sins as the pattern for his own death for breaking their law IS a great (possibly partially unintended) idea. Oh also, if they think that Kirk and co. are here to ‘tame’ or colonize them, then the Western setting makes even more sense--you’re no different from your ancestors, you came somewhere new and brought lawlessness and violence and death, but not this time!

Can you believe Kirk knows all of these details about the OK Corral? NERD.

Spock is so proud of himself for knowing the phrase “had it out.” Look, I used slang correctly!

These are some creative aliens.

“We know death is real here.” Or is it? They’re literally telepaths guys.

Hmmm, this building doesn’t need a roof I think. - The aliens probably

Can’t believe Scotty thinks his usual is his actual usual lol. You’re going to drink bourbon and like it!

Kirk and Spock look so good together.

They’re obviously Chekov’s disapproving parents.

“The day is still young, Ensign.” I don’t remember the exact context of this but Spock is SO judgmental.

What is Kirk doing? This guy is a hallucination; he won’t be convinced by touching some cloth. There’s nothing to convince! He’s only a Concept.

“Have you seen clothes like this?” / “Yes.” / “Where?” / “On the Claytons!” Comedy gold.

Kirk really thinks he can charm his way out of anything. Hmmm, maybe if I just talk nicely to the Earps, they won’t kill us.

“In small amounts, it [bourbon] was considered medicinal.” Lol.

Scotty is becoming a bourbon guy!

“Mr. Chekov is inVOLVed” lol. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

“A lot of people and things have tried to kill me.” No need to brag.

THAT’S how you make a city limits sign. Put a dead animal skull on top. I live quite close to a city limits sign and I think it could use a cow skull.

Western Cossacks!!

Poisonous snakes and cactus plants. That really distills the Aesthetic down to its core.

This is a good Kirk episode. He’s really being a good Captain: coming up with different ideas, being creative, pushing his crew to brainstorm.

Bones and his tranqs again.

Bones meets his old nemesis: Old Timey Medicine.

Why was Doc Holiday just...chilling in his own dentist chair? (My mom suggested: power nap. Let’s go with that. Power nap + ability for optimally dramatic entrance.)

Also I can’t believe McCoy just goes into this guy’s practice and starts helping himself to all the serious drugs.

Chekov definitely isn’t the marrying kind.

RIP Chekov.

Bones does not sound very sympathetic here. Jim, get over it, he just died, whatever.

And then two seconds later he turns around and tells Spock he’s not sad enough! You can’t win.

“We all knew the risk when we joined the service.”

“My feelings are not a subject for discussion.” !!!!!!! This line!!

“You worked closely with him.” Yes! Chekov is his protege!

“Bones, Scotty, stop bullying Spock.” <-- not an actual quote but it might as well be.

If this were AOS, Spock would already be choking Bones out.

Whoops, no one told Chekov he wasn’t supposed to die!

“Let’s organize! Let’s form an anti-Earp union!”

“I can’t kill them!” he says in a mad rage.

I mean, it is important, though. That’s not what he does.

Kirk is /disgusted/ by lawlessness and frontier justice. What a Rebel TM.

I feel like Bones was waiting for the gotcha moment when Spock compliments him. “Saying nice things about me? That’s not how this relationship works!”

“Nothing can go wrong.” / “Up to now, everything has gone wrong.” He has a point.

That pause before Spock admitted it hasn’t been tested lol--they don’t want to admit it.

“[The bourbon’s] for the pain.” / “But this is painless.” / “You should have told me that before.” The unexpected comedy stylings of Scotty and Spock.

It doesn’t work--guess Spock’s got to take back that compliment now.

“Captain, you don’t understand--they’ve been telepaths the whole time which we already knew!”

“We’re not going to move from the spot.” * is immediately in a different spot * Well I mean at least he’s trying. He’s doing his best!

Love the OK Corral sign also. Weirdly creepy. With its accompanying horse.

Spock doesn’t have any hips for the holster to rest on.

“What did Chekov die of?” / “A piece of lead in his body.” That would do it.

If the tranquilizer should have been effective, does that mean Scotty is actually passed out right now?

Honestly, this is all so spooky. TRUE Western Horror Ghost Vibes.

Also very trippy. If you don’t believe it... it’s not real... some kinda weird chicken and the egg argument regarding our belief in the truth of physical laws idk but it sounds good. Spock brings it home.

Even with the wind whipping around him, Kirk is SO in love. His absolutely adoring expression... So soft...

“Very well, Sir, I’ll meld with you again. Not that I particularly want to. It will be a sacrifice. But I’ll manage. Even though you’re such a dynamic individual haha ha I’m fine I’m cool.”

I feel like Scotty is NOT into the mind meld. He looks terrified. Maybe he should have saved the bourbon for this occasion.

I know the mind meld is supposed to be a replacement for on screen hypnotism...but is this not hypnotism? Like even more than past uses? In this case, Spock is leaving them with suggestions that he wants to continue AFTER the meld, as opposed to, like, efficiently sharing information or giving immediate suggestions. And the scenes themselves are very creepy and...hypnotic.

Kirk’s patented move: WHOLE BODY ATTACK.

Well, we wrapped that up right quick.

Did they... never actually leave the bridge? Or even navigate past the buoy? This actually brings up a lot of questions as to when the aliens started the hallucinations, what their bodies looked like to the rest of the crew, and how they woke up--since there’s obviously been a bit of a time skip, as Bones is already examining Chekov.

Lol at Chekov, saved by horniness. “Nothing but the girl was real to him.”

“A vast alliance of fellow creatures who all believe in the same thing...”

Kirk’s vision of the utopian future is so powerful, he’s effectively gotten the welcome mat put back out.

A personal question? Kirk is intrigued.

Ah, but it’s just another excuse for Spock to be a hypocrite--how did humans survive? How did VULCANS survive? And for the show to remind us of its utopian vision of the future... we will move past violence, we will prove ourselves attractive to and worth of new alien friends.

Then McCoy walks out so Kirk and Spock can have their Moment. He undoubtedly knows what’s up.

So this ep was shown one day before the anniversary of the shootout at the OK Corral AND on Halloween week. It is very much a spooky season episode. So surreal and strange. Ghostly.

I know using sets rather than on location shoots, and not even building whole sets, was a budgetary issue but tbqh I think it worked in the ep’s favor. It added to the alien feeling of it and was an accidentally creative way of showing that these images were pulled from Kirk’s mind.

This felt like a very Classic S1-ish ep to me. I think it’s because Kirk was foregrounded as the Captain/hero and we get to see not just his intelligence and creativity and leadership but also his compassion and his moral core. He IS the values of the series, personified, and that was clear here.

But we also got to see lots of him and Spock, casually working as a pair, and the use of the rest of the landing party crew was very deft also. I loved that there was time to mock Chekov’s horniness, to talk about Spock and Chekov’s professional relationship, to joke around with Scotty, to show more of the Spock and Bones dynamic.

Again, great sci fi concept. I think this would have been another possible inspo for my Pirate AU if I’d seen it in time (although I think I picked a good mission-concept ultimately). I’m fascinated by the Melkotians: who are they? What do they really look like? Do they communicate any other way but telepathically? Are they corporeal? What is their planet like? And most importantly, what experience lead them to be so isolationist? They specifically refer to the aliens as “disease” coming into their home. And it’s when Kirk shows himself to be fundamentally nonviolent even in the face of his own death, they let the Enterprise through.

Basically, I always enjoy hints of alien societies that bring up more questions for me than answers. I love speculating about it.

The next two eps I’ve seen and remember well and I know they’re classics. I’m really looking forward to them!

[purgatoriorpg-archive]

SUPERBIA.   ⟡   NAME.   ⟡   27,  F.

EMPYREAN, ICHOR-VEINED, YOU HAVE RELISHED IN INIMITABLE POWER ALL YOUR LIFE. Heiress of the world’s largest luxury hotel empire and only daughter of a Wall Street titan, you understood the value of supremacy before you even learned how to walk. Perfection was sovereignty and law, the influence you wielded to reign from the first moment you tasted dominion. The world made way for you the way it did for emperors, kings and conquerors, an endless sea parting at your feet, paving the way forwards for your ascent. You were revered and idolised, feared and worshipped in equal measure. The only thing that never bowed to your ambition was him—Julian. The final piece to play upon your chessboard, the keys to your kingdom. It was inevitable and glorious in its inevitability: the merging of two empires coalescing with your union. Until everything began to crumble and you could no longer conceal the devastation with gilded artifice and perfect simulacrum. So you did what women kings have done since the beginning of time: you planned his downfall and prepared to take your rightful place.

DYNAMICS.

AVARITIA   ⟡   THE SUN & THE MOON.

There’s something tender and profoundly beautiful about the love between two girls who couldn’t be any more different than you are. You could have been enemies if not for the very first time you met, when she pulled a satin pink ribbon out of her Baby Dior pocket to adorn the hair your teacher didn't know how to tame. She is the only one who has ever seen you without skin or armour, the softness you shield from the world in order to become who you are meant to be. You both know what it means to rule, to be adored and envied, to be coveted—the intensity of that love and fear and jealousy when turned upon each other turns to catastrophe. When you go to war, you are storm colliding with sea—utter calamity. The sun and moon aligned are always competing for each other’s light, always eclipsed partly by love, partly by terror, forever impossible to separate.

GULA.   ⟡   DARLING, DEAREST, DEAD.

You would have been married, if he had lived. Not in the girlhood fantasy of silk wedding dresses and twenty-four carat diamonds, but in the real sense. There were no two people more perfectly matched in birthright, pedigree and ambition. You've never hidden from the princess-cut truth: you were more in love with the idea of him than the flesh and blood beneath the veneer. Perhaps that's why it was so easy to surrender him. You were one of the last to agree, hesitating out of misplaced, enduring loyalty to his silhouette in your picturesque future. Now, his shadow haunts you still, looming across every facet and reflection of the live you could have built together. You got everything you wanted in the end—the merger, his family's acceptance and cooperation, your ascendance to your empire’s throne—without him. If living with his spectre is the price you have to pay, then so be it.

VANAGLORIA,  LUXURIA  &  ACEDIA   ⟡   THE RIOT CLUB.

Along with AVARITIA and GULA, the six of you spent your halcyon childhoods revolving in and out of each other’s lives. In between boarding school and summer holidays to private islands, Mediterranean villas and ski chalets in Aspen, friendship sprung from a string of reckless escapades and lavish exploits. You indulged each other’s worst habits, coaxing temptation from inhibition in your endless pursuit of pleasure. From your wild youth to the boundless hedonism of Verdamme, your history with them is the most enduring relationship in your life. The night that you finally yielded, agreed, that something had to be done about GULA, you couldn’t help but wonder if they would have done the same if it was you. After the funeral, you couldn’t stand the concept of playing the part of grieving widow in front of them, too. They all knew it was a lie; they had all signed their names in his blood. Now, you don’t know what to make of them, these ghosts with the faces of people you were once closer to than your own family.

OPEN.   ⟡   FC: ANOK YAI.

ALT. FCS: Duckie Thot, Ryan Destiny, Adut Akech.

[dragonflight203]

ME1 replay, finally exploring the galaxy. Knocked out Argos Rho:

-According to Hackett, the Citadel is trying to downplay Saren going rogue because it makes spectres look bad. I suppose when you've declared someone above the law and they slaughter a colony that is bad for your PR.

-Hackett is always supportive, but he does seem warmer if you choose the renegade responses. Hackett and Anderson have a dynamic similar to Ashely and Kaidan of one renegade, one paragon. And it's the renegade that leads the war effort in ME3.

-The Canrum description describes the forces that opposed the Krogan warlord Shaigur as "Turian peacekeeping forces". Interesting word choice, since the Hierarchy military is their government.

-Just why is the Attican Traverse full of League of One medallions? Salarian space and human space isn't that close, and the galaxy is huge. Why did the entire League go there? How has no one else found them the medallions in the last millenia?

-The Turian insignias are more understandable. Human and Turian space is close, so over a couple of millenia of course Turians would travel into the Traverse.

-I'll give Matriach Dilinaga's writings the benefit of the doubt. Asari live a long time and there are a lot of them; one Matriach wondering through the Traverse is easily believable.

-The Prothean data discs, I'm more skeptical of. It's been 50,000 years, they're rare and fragile, everyone wants Prothean artifacts, and Shepard just keeps tripping over them?

-ME1 desperately needs a completeness tracker. Noting down what systems I've completed in a text file is getting old.

Hydra:

-Thank goodness in the Legendary edition you get full xp for defeating enemies with the Mako. Although that makes combat so easy I feel like I'm cheating insanity.

-AI Hacking has issues. There are several time a hacked enemy still keeps attacking me.

-Why is an ancient Turian corpse on an incredibly hot planet so well preserved?

Phoenix:

-The descriptions of planets vary widely. You can get a detailed story about how a Turian ship crashed and caused the planet to rust, then go to the next and be informed that it has no distinguishing features.

With how many planets there are credit for as many interesting descriptions as there are.

-Javik never did explain what was up with Protheans and pyramids.

-I will assume the rest of my journey is noncanon, as after driving over said pyramid I am certain Liara killed me.

-Was it really necessary to put minerals on the very edge of the map?

-Entered the base and was immediately eliminated by a sniper. Yeah, insanity's harder.

-First time doing Wrex's family armor quest without getting it from him. Disapointing - I was hoping he'd provide the backstory once I returned the armor, but he did not.

-Looked up the scene on YouTube. Ah, looting another culture after winning a war and selling off their treasures for your own gain. Lovely.

I appreciate that Bioware was dedicated to making each race 3 Dimensional. They all have their good and bad points, their good people and their shitty people.

-Krogans weren't allowed armor or weapons after the war. Now a large chunk of them are mercenaries. I'd like to hear that story. Were the sanctions lifted because of good behavior? They couldn't be enforced? Powerful people wanted them as mercenaries and worked the system to make it happen?

-Wrex: Just because I like you doesn't mean I wouldn't kill you.

Respect.