#the positioning of her in the second one is extremely intentional. you understand

[verysmallcyborg]

big bike for a big butch

(it's what fornax deserves)

[mswyrr]

Qimir consistently aches to see the pain the dark side causes Osha and I believe this will lead him to resist Plagueis' plans in s2.

His first moment of regret and resistance is, in fact, at the very completion of his seduction! He gets Osha to put the helmet on - and it hurts her. It's causing her pain, so he fights to rescue her from that. Even though, presumably, this was (with Plagueis, whether knowingly or unknowingly) the goal.

Let's backtrack a second and reflect on the seduction itself. The show creator/lead writer, Leslye Headland, has said that it wasn't manipulation on Qimir's part, that he meant everything he said. Two relevant quotes from the same interview with her on this point:

"So, in my opinion, Osha is extremely in denial about her own anger at the Jedi and at her father, i.e. Sol. She's in extreme denial about that because she feels like she's not allowed to be angry, and she's in an enormous amount of pain over her sister and their history, and she also feels like she's not allowed to feel that. So, someone coming in and saying, “Actually, feeling all those things is not only okay but actually could restore your spiritual foundation,” is almost too much. I don't think that's manipulation. I think he's telling her the truth."

"[T]he relationship between Lo and Jen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was an influence in the writer's room. We referenced that relationship over and over again. The intentional parallel is that they are equals and their relationship is earned through mutual vulnerability, not intimidation or manipulation."

However, someone can be themselves misled and so mislead you too, from a place of sincerity! That is, perhaps, the most heartbreaking way of all to mislead someone. Qimir is lost - the Jedi path damaged him and he (like so many Jedi before him) snapped to the Sith path. It's not working for him, it's causing him pain likely, but he believes it and shares from that place. But the moment Qimir sees this path is causing Osha pain, he feels compelled to do something to help her.

Once he gets the helmet off Osha, Qimir seems relieved when he learns the vision Osha *thinks* she saw, of Mae "killing a Jedi without a weapon." (Which Qimir somehow knows is the goal here - to get Mae or Osha to fall - presumably because Plagueis either gave him the vision or told him directly to try to get that to happen?)

He's content with the idea that Mae will be the one to do it, fulfilling the vision/directive, and actively seeks to make it happen from this point on. He tries to talk her up into doing it at the pivotal moment, but that's not what she's about, her feelings about Sol are not so out of balance for her to "fall" as the Jedi and Sith understand it. She feels anger but also wants justice most, not revenge.

I read disappointment in how Manny plays his reaction to Mae's "No" - disappointment at "failing" sure but also I think it's related to the fact that he wanted it to be Mae, not Osha.

This was cemented for me by the way he played Qimir's reaction to Osha's fall. He's not celebratory, though he's just accomplished what he had been trying to since he began teaching Mae! He seems stricken, actually. There's no pleasure or satisfaction in his "success"! Witnessing Osha's pain only makes him feel compassion and bow his head in sorrow. This "success" is ashes in his mouth.

As a mutual on Twitter pointed out to me (♥️_LokiDokie!), Leslye's commentary in this interview supports this reading of Qimir as grief-stricken by what he's seen:

"Then it's like this passing through, stepping over the threshold, that actually will bring them closer together, which is so interesting. But the motivation I gave to Manny in that moment — in theater, we would call it dramaturgically — for, “Why is he stepping over to do that,” because it said it in the script, was, “You have been in this position. If you have a red lightsaber, you have felt this level of despair, rage, and dejection. So go over there and let her know that you have had that experience.” And he just did that beautiful thing. I was like, “Jesus Christ.”"

His reaction is a stark contrast to Mae, who never fell to the dark side, and doesn't understand what she's seeing - she mistakes this for Osha being liberated from Jedi mindwashing. THIS is what Qimir's face would look like if he thought this was a good thing and was happy about it:

The contrast is quite stark.

Qimir's sorrow for Osha continues as he attempts to comfort her and then sees she's bled the saber.

Intriguingly, Qimir has the helmet on and is "hiding" emotionally when he wipes Mae's memory. We don't get to see how that pain effects him. But the pattern throughout the episode is that when Osha hurts he aches too.

In the final scene, Qimir approaches Osha, again, without triumph at any of this. He's gotten everything he thought he wanted, but he looks at her and I read concern, sorrow, wariness.

He steps closer to her and takes her hand supportively, continuing his pattern (3 times in this episode!) of physically coming close to help/comfort her when she's hurting.

Then he raises his chin with resolve, but no happiness. They are facing the future, but they are "doomed" on the Sith path. Romantic love cannot live there anymore than it can thrive on the arid, repressed Jedi path. I think he suspects that - whether or not he's knowingly in league with Plagueis. Whatever is coming, the Sith path can only cause Osha more and more pain...

He cannot help but ache with her when he sees Osha in pain and want to help her. I cannot imagine an s2 where they continue down the Sith path without him breaking under the strain of watching the pain it causes her - he could endure it himself but seeing her do it? He'll snap. And that romantic love--something BOTH the Jedi and Sith reject and denigrate--that will help them escape imo. Here's a quote from Leslye I interpret as supportive of this reading. She references how the Sith path is inimical to romantic love and then alludes to the tantalizing possibility of escape:

HEADLAND: Oh, yeah! Again, they’re Sith. It's a different vibe. To me, it's gonna hit different because of their allegiance and who they are. So, yes, it is framed as romantic, but I do think, again, it's not gonna turn out great. I think if he's training her, “One to hold the power, one to crave it.” So they're starting off as equals, but what's gonna happen? Like in Romeo and Juliet, it's amazing because right at the beginning they're like, “Okay, these two die. Let's start the play.” As you're watching this incredible love story unfold, and it's one of the most beautifully iconic plays ever written, in the back of your mind, you're like, “This is not going to turn out well.” I want to clarify: They are not necessarily doomed or destined to fail as a team. But the Sith rule of two denotes a power imbalance. Which clearly, due to the final shot, is not their relationship. Also, Plagueis complicates their journey as Sith, because we know his apprentice is eventually Palpatine. They will not defeat him.

I feel pretty confident that the love he feels for her is pivotal to their journey away from the Sith path and what Plagueis wants for Osha - both because Leslye knows this is not a good path and because of the deep sense of care and connection Qimir already feels for Osha.

Combine this with Leslye's comments and imo it being unlikely that they'll repeat the same pattern with Qimir & Vernestra that they did with Sol & Osha and just the overall "sameness" that would come of hammering the endless cycle in more and I just don't buy that as the direction we're headed.

It is possible to tell it as a relentless tragedy and keep hammering the endless, inescapable cycles but, while tragedies are valid (I enjoy hotd!), even they have a narrative form more varied than that usually. And this IS a "coming of age" psychological/mythic Star Wars story at the end of the day. And one Leslye (happily gay married with a child!) drew on her own experiences (with religious trauma) to write... she didn't end up trapped in darkness why would a young protagonist like Osha have to?

Here's the full Leslye quote about religious trauma, since I believe it's vital to understanding where she and the writing team are going to take Osha, Mae, and Qimir:

You have a play, Cult of Love, coming to Broadway this fall. It’s about a Christian family gathering for the holidays. It’s inspired by your own experiences with your family. You were working on it at the same time as The Acolyte, from what I can tell. Did they influence each other? Our director, Trip Cullman, and I were talking about how it’s called Cult of Love because all cults have a dream, and the dream is really beautiful. Even Jim Jones started out trying to desegregate Indianapolis. This family in the play has this dream that they follow to the logical conclusion, which is that they never achieve it. I was raised Christian. Christianity is the ultimate dream. It’s a beautiful concept that God becomes human in order to love you more. Then you look at what Christianity has done to the world: colonization, genocide. It was a beautiful dream that doesn’t justify the human action that comes along. The Jedi also live in a dream, a dream they believe everybody has. In The Acolyte, the pilot ends with the line “An acolyte kills the dream.” The drama is to wake up to the fact that the dream doesn’t exist.

I think the point is for Osha and Qimir to wake up to the fact that both the Jedi and Sith "dreams" do not exist. They are toxic mirrors of each other - and Osha and Mae were born into a culture (the culture of the Coven and their mothers) that didn't see the force in the binary way the Jedi&Sith both do. Mae, who remembered and kept to the pov of the Coven, never fell to the dark side in a Sith way --she felt anger but balanced with a desire for justice, even when she killed-- it was only her sister, taught repression and self-denial by the Jedi, who did. Qimir and Osha have a conceptual/spiritual escape route open to them if they wish to use it.

Finally, Leslye has said that she's written Qimir as her "shadow" (in the Jungian sense) and that she feels close to him - and what does he want? "I want freedom." I don't think someone driven by that desire is going to just surrender himself AND the woman he loves to Plagueis the Creeper.

My wife was like, “What do you want to say?” I was like, “I wanna say that people don't want me to exist as a gay woman, as a woman in this particular space, working in this wild sandbox.” There was a whole crew of people who believed in me, but deep down, I felt like, “I am unaccepted for who I am because of what I believe in and wanting to wield my power the way I'd like without having to answer to the legion of people that just exist out there.” By the way, I think everybody feels this way. I think that's why it resonates when you're honest about yourself, and you get personal about it. When he says, “I want freedom,” that's what I want. I just want freedom. I want to be able to just be out there and be myself and be the type of artist I want to be without having to answer to anybody. That's why I feel so close to him.

[b14augrana]

Lacy

Fridolina is perfect in your eyes. Too perfect, actually, and it drives you crazy

Fridolina Rolfö x reader

masterlist

Warnings: jealousy and reader lowkey has issues

A/N: i’m the biggest frido fan on this planet so this sucked to write ily frido 🙁. i wrote this at 12:30 am so it’s not very good + not proofread and i’m very sorry in advance

You grew up loving Spanish football.

The technicality of it was your favourite thing and later on, you tried to incorporate it into your own play style. It set you apart from your teammates and made you stand out… until she came along.

The Swedish talent, incredible defender, the attacking fullback of everyone’s dreams. Fridolina Rolfö. You had played against her a handful of times and she was nothing short of talented; she was probably the first fullback you had seen that dribbled so high up the wing with so much confidence and actually managed to make something out of it.

Your usual position was in the midfield, but when your starting right back got injured, you found yourself shoved into a completely new position. You loved carrying the ball up the field and creating plays or dictating the game, but from the back, you could hardly do that. Due to the lack of real opportunities to let yourself shine, Fridolina got all the attention. The more goals she scored, the more assists she got, the more headlines she made in German sporting media.

The worst part? She was genuinely nice, so you had no proper reason to hate her besides being extremely jealous. She was kind and always complimented you during training and encouraged you during every match.

Your transfer to Barcelona couldn’t have happened at a more convenient time. Just as you were nearing your breaking point with her perfectness, your contract expired and you signed with the Spanish club. You had no intention of renewing with Wolfsburg, not while she was there. You wanted that fresh start, you wanted to thrive in a completely new place and finally learn the Spanish way of football first-hand.

The first season was amazing. You were breaking personal records and putting up performances for your new club, solidifying yourself as a starting player. You made friends and learned many things both on and off the pitch, and on top of that, you won your first couple trophies outside of Germany. You were at the peak of your happiness.

Of course it had to be ruined by a certain Swede arriving at the club only a season later. “(Y/N), it’s such a coincidence! I loved playing with you, so I could never turn down the contract they offered me,” she happily said to you on her first day. You smiled back at her despite wanting to bash your head against a wall, because you couldn’t find it in yourself to be mean.

She stuck with you during her first couple weeks at the club until she got familiar with everyone else; to you, those were the worst weeks of your life as you were forced to confront the reality that she was perfect as ever and you were sickeningly envious of her.

Over the course of the next season, it became harder to understand how she had almost no room for imperfection. Her only flaw was something stupid like not being able to bake which was something you couldn’t do either, so that didn’t make you feel any better.

Everyone in your team loved her. She was a good player, an excellent one even. She was soft spoken and respectful, and a team player who fit right in almost immediately.

She loved cafés and coffee, like Ingrid. She enjoyed kayaking and swimming, like Lucy and Ona. She loved dogs, like Alexia. She liked to travel, like Aitana.

She was everything you wished you could be, and it made you curse her name in the dark emptiness of your bedroom after hours. It made you watch her for a second longer during training, even while you’re on the other side of the pitch. It made you smile at her in the changing room and ask her how she is.

She didn’t even have to try to be adored, whereas it felt like you had been trying to catch anyone’s eye since the beginning of time. She breathed and the media was all over her.

As the season progressed, the envious feeling became a regular thing when you were around Fridolina, so you had gotten used to it. You felt bad for feeling such a way but your heart overpowered your brain and the feelings persisted.

You were having the best season of your career so far, between qualifying for a Champions League semifinal and becoming a league champion once again on top of winning the Copa de La Reina and Supercopa.

During the second leg of the semifinal against Chelsea, you were taken out inside the box, granting your team a penalty. You stepped up to take it with the chance to put you and your team ahead, but before you could even walk up to the spot, blonde hair swished past you and before you could process anything, the ball hit the back of the net and you saw Fridolina running away to celebrate it. You couldn’t even afford to be angry on the surface, because then everyone would know something was wrong and you’d have to come clean and hurt Fridolina and say something that would surely upset her so.. you celebrated with your team. Like anyone in your position would.

That was your breaking point though — her being under the spotlight once again, proving that she’s so magnificent and better than you and perfect.

Perfect, once again.

The worst part was, even as you sat in the changing rooms on your own, fighting back tears, you knew you couldn’t entirely loathe her out of any amount of jealousy. You couldn’t loathe her more than you loathed your own mind, which betrayed you by worshipping her like some sort of idol.

The rude awakening that you worshipped her settled in as you tried to ignore the fact she was the type of person you prayed to be like, to a god you barely believed in.

Fucking perfect angel Fridolina. Damn you.

[homielander]

i am still extremely frustrated that "supporting rhaenyra = feminism" is the depth of the hotd writers' understanding on the subject. rhaenyra has not done a thing for other women apart from useless posturing ("when i am queen i will create a new order" and then denying baela driftmark at first opportunity) whereas alicent has actively stuck her neck out for other women -- by defending rhaenyra's claim to her father, other nobles, and even a doubtful viserys, all at the detriment of her own position; by convincing viserys that rhaenyra should be able to marry whomever she chooses; and by offering rhaenys and her granddaughters driftmark. i'm not delusional enough to label alicent a feminist but i would argue she comes much closer to being one than rhaenyra and rhaenys, who have done nothing but wallow in self-pity (actually rhaenys has done far worse) despite having a much greater capacity to enact change.

my question is, why should alicent support rhaenyra? before the time jump, alicent marrying viserys left the two estranged for years, and when they were on the verge of reconciliation, rhaenyra convinced alicent of a lie that got otto (her only remaining family member) sent away, leaving alicent alone at court without even the courtesy of a heads-up from her husband or former friend. after the time jump, rhaenyra only broached the idea of a marriage alliance as a last resort. she suggested torturing alicent's freshly-mutilated son and actively tried to implicate alicent in high treason. i can almost certainly say rhaenyra never said sorry for anything over the 10-year and 6-year time jumps considering alicent folded in like 30 seconds at the dinner when rhaenyra finally apologized and deigned to acknowledge that alicent was singlehandedly managing both the realm and viserys while she was off in dragonstone doing whatever.

(also, alicent's offences towards rhaenyra don't compare in my opinion -- the show made it pretty clear that alicent talking about the dubious parentage of rhaenyra's first three children was confined to closed doors, alicent never asked criston (and seriously, the courtyard incident is very much on harwin too) or larys to do what they did, and rhaenyra was the one to lend the bastard allegations credence by admitting them aloud in a room full of nobles at driftmark. alicent wasn't the source of those rumours by any means. "everyone knows. just look at them." of course there's the vaemond hearing but that comes after everything above ^)

all that being said, i honestly don't see why the contrived prophecy nonsense was necessary. i think alicent very well could have had an arc of personal empowerment where she decided after viserys's death to finally put her family and herself first, even if that came at the expense of rhaenyra and her claim. "have you ever imagined yourself on the iron throne" is a neat line and all, but it ignores that the only way a woman like alicent feasibly could have seized power is by putting her son (an actual claimant) forward as the successor. (after all, both f&b and hotd make it pretty clear that if not for the war, aegon would have been king in name only with alicent and otto ruling in his stead.) and we can't ignore that rhaenyra has never actually done anything to help secure other women's succession, so alicent wouldn't be making these moves to diminish women in general -- just rhaenyra.

of course you can have a conversation about how alicent working against the first female heir is a negative for women as a whole, but the point is it wouldn't be alicent's intention to work against women, just as it isn't rhaenyra's intention to work for them. i think there was a lot of potential for an interesting story here -- two women securing power only for themselves, but one operates within the system and one operates entirely outside of it -- but that obviously requires more nuance than the hotd writers were willing to allow either side. instead we get margaret thatcher effectively utilizing girlpower and the perpetual victim who's shown being sexually assaulted twice on screen as a punishment for not being able to bust out of her own prison with the dragon she doesn't have.

[maybe-abbi]

hi!! can i request a rz!michael x reader where the reader has been held captive by michael in her home to the point where they’re reverting back to their normal routine with michael there and he starts to like them? i think it would be cute if he didn’t know how to react to his own emotions so he’d get randomly angry when they do something cute and they’d be confused bc the anger seemed to be because of them but never directed at them, if that makes sense? like if he sees them doing something like cooking and she just happened to make enough for both of them without asking he’d suddenly get up in a huff and storm off and the readers just like ???

tysm, i love ur writing so far!! <3

Back to normal

Rz! Micheal Myers x GN! Reader

Micheal doesn’t realize how comfortable he’s gotten around Y/n until they start to get comfortable as well.

It had been a few months since Micheal had began holding y/n captive. Y/n had, of course, been terrified of him at first, they refused to eat, drink, or even speak to him for the first few weeks. Micheal had expected that kind of reaction from them, who wouldn’t be scared of The Shape? He had even gotten used to their silence, he even enjoyed it, especially after hearing the screams of his victims all day.

Sometimes he would just sit next to them and look at them from the corner of his eye. He had admired them for a long time, which is why he decided to take them. It took Y/n weeks to allow themselves to relax in his presences, but the change was noticed and appreciated by Micheal.

When Y/n finally spoke to Micheal for the first time, it left him shell shocked. He had just returned home after dealing with an especially troublesome victim. They had cracked one of his masks and left him pretty bloody. Y/n ended up walking him to the bathroom and cleaning his wounds. Micheal watched them with intent, even smiling to himself, when y/n finished cleaning the wound they stared at the ground for a few seconds, then looked him is the eyes.

“Please, be careful.” They said in a whisper. Micheal felt light-headed at the sound of their voice. It wasn’t like they said anything particularly poetic or beautiful, but for Micheal it was a miracle.

Since then y/n had been much more open to Micheal. They talked about how their day went while he was out, they showed him the movies that they liked, and even asked him to bring back certain things for them when he went out. Y/n was started to settle into their new life, the only problem was that it seemed like the more comfortable that Y/n got with Micheal, the less comfortable he got with them.

For Micheal, strong positive feelings about a person are relatively new, but having those feeling reciprocated is a completely foreign concept, leaving him confused about how to react.

This all came to a head one day when Micheal had left for about eight hours, y/n was used to him leaving for a few hours every now and again, but eight hours seemed a little excessive to them. However they new he was a strange person, so they went about their business. When Micheal did finally get home y/n was cooking dinner, he walked in to see what they were making and realized that they had two plates set out, and they were making enough for the both of them. Micheal couldn’t understand why he felt so happy about that, or why he thought that the looked so nice while they were focused on cooking. Y/n eventually took notice of him, considering he was just standing it the middle of the kitchen, staring at them.

“Micheal… what are you doing?” They asked, slightly concerned. Micheal panicked, not expecting them to ask. He had no idea what to do, so he let out a huff and stomped out of the kitchen and into his bedroom. Y/n was left extremely confused, they thought that they may have offended him somehow. They just turned back around to finish cooking, not knowing what else to do.

Later that night Micheal heard a knock on his bedroom door, when he opened it he expected to see y/n, but instead he saw a plate of food sitting on the floor.

I’m so so sorry about the wait, I’ve been super busy, but I hope you like it anyway. This was super fun to write, I LOVE writing for slashers.

Please request if you have ideas, I love getting requests❤️❤️

[theflyindutchwoman]

Why do you think Tim kept his breakup with Ashely a “secret” from Lucy? Like why didn’t he want to tell her?

My guess is that, at first, he probably didn't want to talk about it. At all. Tim is already not the type of person to easily open up on the best of days, and this wasn't a good day. So I can see why he would not want to have this conversation, especially while he was at the hospital. There was no way to escape which put him in an extremely vulnerable position. Besides, he most likely needed time to process the break-up too. He was just waking up from a major surgery, still feeling the effects of the anesthesia, when Ashley decided to call it quits, and Lucy showed up a few hours later. It was too fresh. He needed some time for himself, to lick his wounds so to speak. On top of that, he was also having a moment with Lucy : it was the closest they got to normal since Vegas. I can understand the instinct to stay on safer topics and the desire to linger in that moment. Talking about the break-up could have made things awkward again, forced them to acknowledge the elephant in the room and honestly, I doubt he was ready for that.

As for later, once he was back at work… Well, the fact that they were at the station couldn't have helped… it's hardly the most private place. It's one thing to talk about personal matters in the shop : there's still a sense of privacy - despite the cameras. But at the station : decidedly not. Which brings us to the other issue : the first time he saw Lucy at work, she was laughing with Chris. Judging from the way he greeted them, it's clear that he shut down. This encounter just brought back so many things to the surface that he didn't want to deal with. Hence the extra grumpiness. There was a moment later in the episode, when he confronted Lucy in the bullpen : it looked like she was getting through to him. But he chickened out. And we come to the crux of the matter. Telling Lucy meant coming to terms with his feelings for her. He could no longer hide behind his "I'm with Ashley so I can't have feelings for Lucy" any longer. He was pining and was trying to hold on to his denial as long as possible. And there might have been a bit of fear in the mix. Because what if he tells her and that changes everything? Or what if he tells her and it doesn't change anything?

It is extremely telling that in the end, he did fess up, but only once Lucy admitted feeling like she had overstepped his boundaries. The scavenger hunt was her way of trying to reach out and cheer him up, despite not knowing why he was upset, and I think that a part of him actually enjoyed this little game between them. As the senior officer, he could have just ordered her to give him back his radio otherwise. But the second she became unsure, he told her about the break-up and promptly reassured her that she didn't overstep anything, that he was touched by her attention - and intention… And that's the irony : all this time, he didn't want to talk about it, only for him to practically treat it as an afterthought. In that moment, he was more focused on making sure Lucy knew how much he appreciated her gesture. I'll always be curious as to what he was going to say before Chris' interruption by the way. But in any case, his defeated posture when he saw Lucy leave with her boyfriend makes me believe that this was precisely why he was keeping it a secret.

And lastly, in terms of storytelling, it was a way to showcase how Tim and Lucy's dynamic was still a bit off-balance. They were tiptoeing around the other, and while they had made headway at the hospital, things were still awkward between them. At least, that's how I interpreted it :)

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 43 - The Dream Mixer

Instead of opening windows, these guys open the front door.

Man, I sure hope this leads to nothing bad happening during the Wakfu OVA.

Joris has multiple of the same card. Probably not worth reading into, and just a way to not have to do too much work for some intern. I wonder what he was playing, though...

I do want to read into this, though, this doesn't really look like a playing card we've seen before in the series, — instead, looking more like tarot, especially with the way, in the second screenshot, it seems to have some writings on the top and the bottom, — its number and its name?

I want to preface this next section by saying it is very likely not the intention, for this to be Deep, or anything. It's just some cards that look the same. Unlike most times when I am reading into things with at least a bit of a solid proof that things are meant to be read into, here I am reading into things just for the fun of it:

This personally looks to me the most like The Tower tarot, and basically, here's what the internet has to say on the matter:

When The Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos. It may be a divorce, death of a loved one, financial failure, health problems, natural disaster, job loss or any event that shakes you to your core, affecting you spiritually, mentally and physically. There’s no escaping it. Change is here to tear things up, create chaos and destroy everything in its path (but trust me, it’s for your Highest Good). Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light. Your world may come crashing down before you, in ways you could never have imagined as you realize that you have been building your life on unstable foundations – false assumptions, mistruths, illusions, blatant lies, and so on. Everything you thought to be true has turned on its head. You are now questioning what is real and what is not; what you can rely upon and what you cannot trust. This can be very confusing and disorienting, especially when your core belief systems are challenged. But over time, you will come to see that your original beliefs were built on a false understanding, and your new belief systems are more representative of reality. [...] After a Tower experience, you will grow stronger, wiser and more resilient as you develop a new perspective on life you did not even know existed. These moments are necessary for your spiritual growth and enlightenment, and truth and honesty will bring about a positive change, even if you experience pain and anxiety throughout the process.

Jesus fucking Christ. even while I'm spitballing, the things I am saying still make some amount of sense. Anyway, even though it is an accidental visual, I sure hope Joris being surrounded by The Tower looking ass cards isn't like, an omen of doom to come in like two years.

Haha.

This line is pretty interesting when you remember that one of Kerubim's whole insecurities was being too poor for her, but what follows is more interesting: in his dream, there is always an audience, made up of other Ecaflips.

Watching from the same fourth wall we do.

We had already discussed on this blog that Kerubim has always viewed his life as a performance to some invisible audience, due to his extremely low self-esteem: a performance of being a hero, a masculine man, a successful rich person, and more, — but now we can really confirm this, and see it for ourselves, instead of just making assumptions based on his behaviour.

I do wonder if the audience being ecaflips is just asset reusage, — or if it is him feeling especially judged by his own race?

Perhaps it is the need to live up to its standards. Or maybe, it is a memory of his isolation in the childhood, and the way everyone always watched him and laughed at his class clown antics, and how despite that, he didn't have any friends.

This episode is the other reason, — besides his reactions whenever she kisses his cheek, — why I think Kerubim has a bit of a crush on Simone. (One that he'll never act on or acknowledge, obviously. He's not Like That anymore.)

But he used to be like that. Just unabashedly and openly cheating on Lou.

This imaginary audience laughs at his jokes, laughs at his accidents, and laughs even at his most awful flirting.

Yes, he really was always playing an exaggerated version of himself, and imagining the world laughing at him, as if he were in a sitcom. That's... actually very sad.

Not even cheering him on? Just laughing?

Considering what I had already previously said about Joris, and just how anxious he is portrayed as being, — especially of something happening to Kerubim, — it's interesting that his whole dream is an endless race to prevent some catastrophe that is never explained, but one he is convinced will happen.

Yes, it is just a fun dream that's him being a hero, but there is something to be said about the cyclical, triumphless nature of it.

This entire shore is covered in items from the store, and might be either Kerubim's addition to the shared dreamscape, or a representation of the shared experiences of the three dreamers.

The storm reflects the fact that none of them can find what they're seeking, and the growing anxiety that comes with it.

Despite him flirting with other women, Lou's scorn, Lou's accusation that he'll never be good enough because he can't become a good person, is a big fear for him.

I think that Lou is both a memory, and a representation of Kerubim's thoughts on the way he used to be, — or at least that is the image that the positioning of old Kerubim behind Lou invokes in me.

He hates himself, or at least who he used to be. These words are both something he thinks about himself, and something he thinks Lou would say.

Keke... Can you find this sadidette again, and check her sources?

Because all the sites I check say lily represents growth of beautiful from bad conditions, and also reincarnation. Which totally doesn't remind me of another weird fucking green-white thing in this show.

I want to know more about its sex symbolism instead, cat man!

Anyway, French-speaking readers, — I implore your help in the next post I make: this episode has some reversed audio, during the reversed boat scene, and I'll post it for you to analyse. I had wondered what it said for ages.

This line suggests that consciousness is fluid within the dream, — which answers the question of "which Kerubim is real and which one is a dream construct" that I've had with a very likely "both are real, and represent his different qualities of his character."

This also suggests, that my assumption, that the dream Joris is having is based on his high levels of anxiety he has, is probably correct, — and seemingly affecting Simone's and Kerubim's mental states too.

Joris seems so much like his adult self in this scene, — or so it seems to me. Very pretty.

Also pretty poetic, considering most of his actions as an adult are still fueled by the desire to be Awesome, and his definition of Awesome hasn't changed since he was 7.

THE best flash frames of the whole series.

Screenshots alone don't do this scene justice, so here it is.

There is a lot to unpack here. This is the closest we get to insight into Kerubim's real feelings in the current time, instead of his memories of the past, bad or good.

The thing he loves the most about her is her hair. Which brings to mind the happiest time of young Kerubim's life and their relationship, after he left kitty psych ward.

The line of "I will never have the time to caress them all" can have many different meanings. But the most glaring one to me, is...

She will die before him, and he had, likely, always known that. It was something he could ignore when they were young, but as an old man, who knows what will happen after he dies (not true death, that's for sure, he is not like her), and as someone who has likely seen other people his age die, — the possibility that she might not even be alive due to how many years had passed, is haunting.

And the possibility that he wasted all these years he could have spent with her, the possibility that he might be wasting them even now, if she is alive, is just as bad.

And the saddest thing is that he can't even see the old woman she became. He can only remember her as she was back then.

Would he even recognize her on the street?

This scene begins with the same sad melody as the scene of him missing Lou, but descends into discordant horrific sounds, despite how... comedic it seems. The same way Kerubim's other stupid antics are.

Because consciousness is fluid in this dream, and because Simone was playing the role of Kerubim's audience, — I think Simone and Kerubim are both mad here, with Kerubim's feelings influencing Simone's words, the same way Joris's influenced her in the previous scenes.

Joris doesn't look very happy about this dream anymore. Yet another proof for my hypothesis of this being an anxiety dream, even if by the time he wakes up, he thinks it's a cool one.

Remember what I said during episodes 33 (Noffoub's Fountain) and 35 (the gobbal set) about Joris's anxiety and dislike of change?

Being forced to go to bed is anxiety inducing for Joris, — he knows that it just means that the adults want him out of the way, that they don't want to spend time with him, — and he hates it when the routine changes, because it makes everything unpredictable, with is horrible to his little single-child-with-an-elderly-parent-who-keeps-saying-he'll-die-soon brain.

Haha. Yeah... Anyway.

Like in english, the french word rêve might mean both the dreams one sees at night, and one's hopes and aspirations.

...I don't think he is talking about the first kind here.

[glasskey]

Justice THT Style - Part 4 - Tuello

Today I’m going to be discussing Tuello and all his various forms of justice. Tuello’s had quite a journey lately and as his allegiance to June grows, so too his sense of Justice must also change.

In season 4, when Fred was at the top of everyone’s shit list, we were finally given a proper introduction to Mark Tuello (YAY). As a character he seems to have an almost Teflon like quality, he’s likeable to the point of being cuddly, and even when he does fuck up he seems to redeem himself without so much as a scratch. I love Tuello, he’s extremely layered and I’m always on board for the onions in any cast of characters. Tuello is, for all intents and purposes, the Nick Blaine of Canada. They both occupy positions of power and judgement and like Blaine, Tuello acts like a light in the dark whenever June needs to find safe harbour.

As a diplomat it’s expected that Tuello’s sense of justice is strictly procedural and in season 4 he bargains with Fred to acquire him as an asset. But he’s a complicated guy, Tuello feels Junes rage and frustration, he knows Fred is a POS who doesn’t deserve immunity and a quiet house in the suburbs. He knows full well that by handing over Fred to Gilead he’ll be sentencing him to death, but regardless he marches him with firm righteousness across the border and does just that.

The similarities between this and Blaine's walk with Fred through the woods seemed to foretell the partnership between these two men in delivering justice that was at last cemented in season 5. With both men Fred stops mid walk to rage indignantly at them, only to be brutally rebuffed each time. I am not joking when I say the very SECOND I saw Blaine jump out of that truck and flash those suspenders (sweet mother of Mary) I knew their partnership would come to pass.

Like Blaine he’s not really one to revel in retributive justice, but in this case he was happy to partake and in season 5 he stopped by Junes’ house to give her an unexpected pat on the back for her murderous endeavours. Tuello also seemed to have an intimate knowledge of what this would ultimately cost June personally…..the figurative second grave.

Tuello may be truly benevolent, but every move he makes is a precise and purposeful attempt at the restoration of democracy to a broken country. Tuello likes Blaine, he honestly believes he is an “honourable man” and he’s truly awed by Nicks love for June. He’s a romantic and he simply can’t understand why Serena would go back to Fred or why Nick didn’t run away with June. He’s visibly heart broken when Blaine professes that he feels worthless and I was utterly convinced in that moment that Tuello would need to light the way, if Nick was ever to hope to make it back to June.

As romantic as he may be, he’s no fool, he makes Nick sign a contract and he intends to hold him to it. Nick Blaine is a HUGE asset to Tuello, ultimately taking the place that Fred would have occupied as a source of information about the inner workings of Gilead, this may mean that Nick is in for a long haul as a double agent. Tuello is ultimately a real messenger of peace; his kindness towards Blaine, his repeated attempts to help Serena, his attempt to rescue Hannah and his warnings about New Bethlehem, all testify to this. Everything about Tuello is designed to command respect, but in his case its done with a kind word and a contract instead of a noose. Tuello has been constructed to be almost father figure like in nature. There’s something wonderfully comforting about his presence; he has a voice that could read you off into a blissful slumber and he’s rarely seen dressed in anything but a well tailored suit.

Tuello is remarkably cool headed in most situations, even those that should send him into a tail spin. I’ve only seen him get slightly flustered once or twice, the most notable being when June neglected to make an appointment and surprised him jogging. To be fair, no one looks their best clammy and gasping for breath, and lets face it their last encounter didn’t really end on a high note.

While I’m thrilled to have Tuello along as an ally, I’m acutely aware that everything about him screams (in a warm caramel voice) the virtues of restorative justice, and I’m wondering how well our lovely diplomat will fair once he’s seen some actual corpses swing. Tuello, like Blaine, may want to stick to the rule of moral and law, but I fear that as Gilead seeps across the border, he may quickly come to realise that stronger methods will be required in order to restore peace. Next time I’ll be discussing the use of Tokens in THT. What are they and what do they mean? See you then.

[gaoau]

Bristle — Please, Work on Receiving

A Mother's Instinct warnings — none. word count — 916

prev. — next.

When first accepting to become Nekoma's Volleyball Club's manager, [Name] had little to no clue what she was agreeing to. Lovely Kai in her class had overheard her chatting with her friends during their first year, saying how she didn't have any interest in any clubs. He later mentioned this information to his fellow teammates and they went feral. Next thing [Name] knew, two other first-years she'd never seen before were dragging her to the gymnasium to meet extremely tall upperclassmen.

How could high-schoolers get so fucking huge? She had no idea, and she wasn't too sure she wanted to find out either way. Her accepting the role of manager was solely out of utter fear those kids would stomp on her and toss her out like trash. In the end, she became Nekoma's one and only manager.

Two problems arose after welcoming [Name] to the team. One, she knew absolutely nothing at all about volleyball—or any other sport, for that matter. The boys moved way too fast for her to try and understand what was going on, and before she could blink, one set was already gone and everyone was cheering Nice kill! The confusion in [Name]'s face as to why they suddenly switched to English was hilarious. Overtime, though, she managed to memorize the rules, positions, and plays, and did a great job at managing by the end of the school year.

The second problem, however, remained even after three years of intently watching practice matches and attending one-week Summer training camps. [Name] never had a good relationship with the concept of time or keeping a schedule. Practice could have been going for an hour already, and their precious manager was nowhere to be seen. She called it fashionably late the first couple times, but after a while it became simply late and she had learned to accept it.

So [Name] was late to afternoon practice yet again. Yaku glanced towards the gym doors every now and again, hoping to see his best friend step inside with that apologetic smile of hers. It was fine; [Name] and time didn't get along one bit and Yaku knew that. He made sure to keep his eyes only on Lev as he tried to drill the art of receiving into his thick skull.

Another aggravated sigh fell from his lips, watching how Fukunaga's spike bumped Lev's forearms clumsily and shot to the side. Yaku was ready to commit a crime. Pinching the bridge of his nose, brows furrowed, he started barking at his underclassman once again, "Up, Lev, you have to get it up!"

"I'm trying, Yaku-san! I really am! But it just bumps right off!"

"Because you're doing it wrong! Oh, my God!"

Kenma watched his teammates bicker—more like Lev cower under Yaku's berating—and winced at their loud volume. He also glanced desperately at the gym doors, hoping and praying [Name] would show up and kindly ask Yaku to calm down. As Lev struggled to understand how to position his body correctly, Yaku asked for another spike. Yamamoto cracked his knuckles and waited for Kenma's toss to float in the air.

While scrutinizing Lev's terrible stance, the hairs on the back of his neck bristled. His eyes enlarged in sheer panic. Yaku whipped his head towards the opening gym doors and needn't see who was behind them to cry out, "[Name], watch out!"

"Sorry I'm late, guys, the teacher deci—" The gym fell quiet in an instant upon hearing the slap of a volleyball against skin. [Name] stumbled back, her palms shooting up to hold her burning face. Her knees hit the floor as her body shook—whether it was her attempt at holding in her laughter or her sobs, nobody could tell.

Yaku blinked repeatedly, brows arched in shock. Then he inhaled enough air to scream his lungs out. "Lev, you were supposed to receive that! What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry! You startled me yelling like that all of a sudden, Yaku-san!"

But Lev's apology fell on deaf ears, since Yaku was already half-way across the gym to reach [Name] kneeling on the stairs. Yamamoto followed suit in the blink of an eye, brimming with threatening tears. He dropped to the floor in front of his manager and touched his forehead against the linoleum—something about defiling her beauty or whatever. Lev joined in not a second later.

It was an obnoxious chorus of I'm so sorry, [Name]-san. Please, forgive me! while Yaku tugged on [Name]'s wrists to uncover her face.

[Name] sniffed as she swatted her hair away from her eyes and lifted her head. "It's fine, I'm fine." Her voice shook and Yaku still couldn't tell if it was laughter as a coping mechanism or she really was ready to cry. Although judging by the lack of stirring in his stomach, she was laughing her ass off. "Karma for being late, don't worry. But I suggest you work on receiving, Lev. Please."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Oh, fuck, [Name], you're bleeding." Yaku rushed to pinch her nose, forcing her to keep her head down. Yamamoto cried out in agony, his tears finally pouring. Kuroo's hyena-like cackles echoed in the background.

[belit0]

bottom! masochist! Madara × top! sadist! reader. I'm not interested in mdom (and i'm so whore for bottom! Madara)

Hey ansa!! I'm so sorry for the wait 😭🙏

It took me extremely long because I never wrote Fdom (I think only once?) and I wanted to do some research before typing anything. Anyway, I don't know how good this is, nor how close to reality because my knowledge is limited, so I hope it's at least acceptable.

Let me know what you think please!❣️💫

"Oh my little pet, you know if you want anything from me you're going to have to speak up." (Y/N) rolls the words on her tongue with pure seduction, and she can see the body reflex generated between Madara's legs every time she uses that tone of voice.

Sitting on his face, not even having removed her underwear yet, she laughs at the pathetic image of the man beneath her, straining for breath. She lifts her ass only to give him room to say what he wished, "Please let me eat you my goddess" and sits back down once she hears his words.

Her clever slave knows he cannot finish until she herself has achieved the pleasure she deems necessary at least a few times, and Madara can no longer stand stimulation without reward.

She can see how his hands, bound by a strip of satin and clasped together on his chest, move frantically, knowing he must not touch her but desperate to get some air. His member, naked and exposed to the air, seems to cry out to be played with, getting more and more erect and glistening with the oil she poured on it a few seconds ago.

(Y/N) flicks his cock with two fingers, the same gesture one would use to keep an ant away from food, and watches it bounce back and forth. Below her, she hears the man's moans, and how he desperately fights for breath.

She lifts her ass again, allowing him oxygen and room for reduced words again, "What do you want my dirty slut?" she purrs with power, enjoying every second of domination, excitement burning in her chest at the sight of a man as imposing as Madara surrendered under her desires, devoted to her intentions.

"I w-aant… to-o cum!" He manages to utter between heaving breaths and moans, consumed by the sensation of pain and arousal threatening to explode inside him. "Not before me, no. You are an object to be used for my own pleasure, the reason for your existence is to make me finish, and until you complete your task there will be no chance."

There is a candle positioned over his abdomen taking its fair share of time to consume, and every abrupt movement his body makes in reaction to (Y/N)'s actions, causes hot wax to spill over his skin, making him twitch even more because of the pain.

"You can handle more than this, Madara, show me what my little sucker is made of."

Her hand closes over his length, squeezing hard and using the pressure she knows he loves. Ready to give him a helping edge, she pulls her own underwear to the side, allowing him to eat her the way she likes it. The man needs no instructions, attending to the task quickly and efficiently, touching all those spots that make her curl her toes.

Today, (Y/N) intends to test how many of her words and statements he understands in a state of absolute mental destruction. She has no intention of finishing, but to play with the limits she herself gave him, and see if he understands not to end before her.

(Y/N) strokes him between her own moans, squeezing from the top down with more force than necessary, bordering on the pain she knows he enjoys. When identifying the signs he is about to cum, she abruptly stops and lifts her ass again. "I don't hear you begging for it."

"Ple-ease...p-please!"

"Little whores who don't appreciate what one does for them deserve absolutely nothing." She dismounts from his face, moving the candle in the process so as not to burn herself, and after resting it on the bedside table, turns to sit on Madara's waist, looking him in the eyes.

The image is lovely, to say the least, his hair tousled and his face full of her fluids, eyes wild and skin red from lack of oxygen. (Y/N) holds his cheeks between one hand, squeezing to get his attention, and when she finally gains it, slaps him with the other.

"Who's the dumbest pet of them all? Hm? Silly boys who don't understand what they're meant to do never get any of what they want." She slaps him again, and feels his cock twitch beneath her, as he seeks friction on whatever he can to finish.

(Y/N) holds his bound hands with one of hers, as she slaps him repeatedly with the other, "You know what I want to hear, start singing or we'll be here until you decide to behave." Far from being a capricious couple, Madara always follows the rules, pleased by the compliments behaving like a good boy gifts him.

"Tha-ank yo-ou!... for le-etting… this du-umb pe-et eat you who-ole!" he utters breathlessly, still recovering from the prolonged lapses where he couldn't breathe. "Go ahead, keep going." (Y/N) looks at him intently, expectant and determined to slap him again if he doesn't give her what she wants.

"Tha-ank you… my-y la-ady!... for de-eigning to-o-o touch! an u-utter idiot like-e me!" There are tears from overstimulation in his eyes, and the desperation his body feels from the inability to finish is apparent. The Uchiha surrenders all that is asked of him in the hope his good demeanor will bring him to ecstasy, and convince her enough to allow him release.

"Oh my, what a dirty pet. Does me punishing you really get you off that much that you want to touch yourself? So desperate for attention anything will get you off, huh." (Y/N) exclaims freeing his hands, untying the satin that imprisoned them together and allowing him to touch himself. She rises from on top, giving him space, lying down next to him and watching his every move, whispering in his ear, "But I'm going to direct how you do it, and if you don't comply with my instructions, tomorrow will be worse."

Part of her hopes he remembers the rule she gave him at the beginning, that he will evoke in his memory how he can't finish before her and demonstrate his magnificent obedience, but on the other hand, she hopes he is mistaken, forgets, and gives her reason to punish him even worse.

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 9

It's time to get the knight ring from Naesala!

I love Ike's attitude here. That being said, I did make the decision to have Janaff talk to Naesala, because there's no way that I'm going to fight Naesala. I like to imagine that Janaff did it of his own volition.

This map took me waaaay too many tries, because I was determined not to kill any crows. The crows did not make this easy for me. Additionally, drawing Naesala out without him destroying any of my units proved to be... a bit of a challenge. Finally, I just used Tanith's recruitment skill to summon some nameless NPC's to do that job for me. Sorry, random pegasus knight! Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

A man with a killer axe attempted to attack Nephenee, but I gave her vantage, and she decided to one-shot him with a crit of her own. Oh, Nephenee, you absolute bloodthirsty menace you.

Time for the big reveal! I forgot this happened so soon.

Gosh, such a powerful visual. Poor Elena and Greil. They both deserved so much better.

Some people typecast Titania as the team mom, and I have no objections against it, but I think her sass is terribly underappreciated. I love how often she beefs with Soren, who at this point in the story looks like a literal child.

Two points here:

First, I (ironically) love how Mist's medallion is stolen the morning following Ike and Volke's conversation. If only Nasir had stolen it a little earlier, Ike would have had a very different reaction. Like, yes, family heirloom, it sucks that it's gone, but it's not the end of the world.

Second, I (sincerely) love how Ike is allowed to be a bit of an asshole sometimes. Like, when he gets stressed out, he lashes out at people. He gets cranky and irritable, like in that conversation with Jeorge about battle tactics. And it makes sense. He has a lot to shoulder during PoR, and he never asked to be put into any position of leadership in the first place. He's allowed to be angry and bitter about it.

I always forget that, on top of their prejudice against laguz, Daein is also anti-immigrant. Really, the toxic patriotism of Daein feels so painfully familiar at times. I feel like someone could write an entire essay on this subject. Additionally, I wonder if Jill has experienced anything like this, or is it different because she was born in Daein?

Man, I both do and don't feel for Shiharam. Like, okay, he's a good man. But he's also a man who allowed his daughter to participate in laguz hunts. I know it was all for the purpose of gaining the king's trust, but still. He kind of made this bed for himself. I don't know. It's such a complicated matter, and I like that he's a complicated character. My feelings about him just keep flip-flopping all over the place.

Gotta love Soren's pragmatism! I love how he deeply understands how society functions, while also being critical of the systems in place. I feel like you usually see this sort of pragmatism from characters who are rich and full of themselves, blaming the underclass for their own misfortune. Soren knows why things are the way that they are, knows that, because the people rely on nobility for protection, there is a huge power imbalance between nobility and the common folk. As he says earlier in Begnion: "From the moment of our birth to our final dying gasp, we commoners know we are not allowed to defy the upper classes."

So while Soren's lecture here is extremely brutal, I don't think it comes from a place of bad intentions. In his eyes, Elincia is naive and inexperienced, and has thus far been ignorant of the true horrors that the average Crimean has had to endure. He is angry because he cares. He is angry because he's worried about the future of Crimea.

I'm just... I love Soren. As Ike says, deep down he's a big softie.

And I finally got Mist to second tier! With this, I have officially gotten all of my main units to class up.

The Talrega map was a walk in the park compared to the previous one. I basically had a small group (which included Jill, Ilyana, Rolf, and Astrid) squat by the houses in the upper left section of the map, and their only job was to destroy as many wyvern riders as possible.

Everybody else just rushed towards the boss at top speed.

Next time: time to lay siege to Daein Keep!

[griffin-girl-r]

Chapter 3

Word count: 1,433

Warnings: None

Chapter 2 , Chapter 4

—

Time seemed to pass in slow motion as both Natasha and Maria were waiting.

Natasha, was waiting for Maria to fulfill her promise.

Maria, was waiting for Fury to fulfill his promise.

—

It was on the third day that Fury fulfilled his promise like he said he would.

It was 2 a.m. and both Maria and Natasha were fast asleep.

Maria was the first one to hear the knock on the door.

She got out of bed after sparing a quick glance at her girlfriend to make sure she was still asleep.

Maria knew Natasha was exhausted. Tonight was another night she cried herself to sleep. The bear and the pillow not missing from her arms.

At that moment Maria thought Natasha was so fragile, so defenseless, and in need of comfort.

Opening the door, the brunette found Fury standing there with a file in his hand.

"Agent Hill." Fury nodded as a way of greeting his right-hand person

"Sir." Maria nodded back

"I'm sorry for this late hour but I have news that could not suffer a delay and that needed to reach you and Agent Romanoff immediately." Fury stated

Maria's heart tightened in her chest as her stomach suddenly made a flip.

Fury's late visit could mean only one thing.

He found Natasha's child.

"As I promised. Here it is." Fury handed Maria the file in his hand "Here is every information you will need. Every man I have it's under your command and will listen to every single one of your orders till the mission is completed. But I want this mission to be successful. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir! I do, Sir!" Maria responded as her eyes filled up with tears "Thank you so much, Nick. This..." She held up the file "Means everything for me. And I know that for Natasha too."

Fury allowed himself to smile a little for once in his life "Natasha deserves this more than anybody in the world. Make this worth and make both of them happy. Romanoff and her child."

"I will, Sir." Maria tried to hide the wide smile that was making its way onto her face

Fury nodded and without any parting words, he left.

—

Maria looked at the cover of the file for a few moments, not being able to control her happiness.

For a split second, she reached out to open the file but quickly stopped herself from doing so.

It's not her that should be opening the file first. It's Natasha. She deserves it. It is her right.

Maria walked back to bed and gently shook her girlfriend awake.

"Love, can you please wake up? There's something important you need to see." Maria whispered as she moved Natasha's hair out of her eyes

Natasha turned on her back and opening her eyes, she looked at Maria with a mix of worry and confusion.

"Mia? What happened?" Natasha asked as she looked at the clock on her nightstand "It's 2:25 a.m."

"Can you please sit up for me?" Maria kept her voice soft

Natasha nodded and sat up crossed legs as she rubbed her eyes to help her wake up fully. The teddy bear never once fell from her arms.

Maria mirrored her girlfriend's sitting position and sat down in front of Natasha cross-legged.

Maria put on the bed the file she kept hidden behind her back and intently watched Natasha's reaction.

Natasha's brain didn't fully realize what Maria put in front of her till she stared at it for a few good seconds.

For a spy, Natasha was quite confused when she woke up after a nap and Maria found this extremely funny.

When the redhead finally figured out what was sitting in front of her, Natasha's eyes filled with tears.

"Is this..." Natasha's voice waved

Maria smiled softly "This is the file that contains information about your child. Yes."

Natasha's hands uncontrollably shook as she reached out and took the file in her hands.

She hesitated to open it while taking a deep breath in a failed attempt to keep her tears back as they started to wet her cheeks and compose herself.

Maria placed her hand on Natasha's tight to reassure her love that she was there for her and that she wasn't going anywhere.

With the remainder that her girlfriend was by her side, Natasha opened the file that contained the most precious information she could ever learn.

—

It was written in black bold letters and Natasha took her time to take in every single one of those letters.

~~

Name: Subject 9

Date of birth: Y/D/B

Gender: Female

Eye color: Green

Hair color: Red

Identifying mark: Birthmark

Abilities: Fast reflexes and intelligence above the normal limit

Experiment: Successful

Parents:

*Mother:

–Widow: Natasha Romanoff

*Father:

–Soldier: Unnamed

First language: Russian

Main used language: English

Age for starting training: 5

Physical health: Good condition

Health issues: Unknown heart problem

Cause of health issues: Congenital defect inherited from the mother

Current location: Unknown base

~~

Even though Natasha had a few things she wanted to discuss with Maria, the spy flipped the page and there were various photos of a little girl from baby to toddler and almost young child.

The girl was clearly small for her age and Natasha could bet it was due to malnutrition, physical abuse, and lack of care.

But Natasha couldn't help but let out a tearful chuckle when she noticed that the little girl in the pictures looked exactly like the little girl in her dream.

"It's you, baby." Natasha cried but a wide smile was present on her face "You're my baby girl. I knew it must have been you. My heart already knew." She took one of the photos and kissed it as more tears spilled from her eyes "I dreamed of you. I did, sweetheart. I had felt you even without seeing your beautiful face or even knowing you were existing. Something inside me was missing and I didn't know what till I found out you are existing and living somewhere out there waiting for me to bring you home."

Maria leaned forward and pulled Natasha in a tight hug as Natasha desperately clung to her partner "We found her, Nat. All we need to do now it's bring her home. And I promise I'll bring our daughter home even if it's the last thing I do."

"I love you so much, Mia!" Natasha happily cried "Thank you so much for everything you ever did and are still doing for me."

"Shhh..." Maria rubbed Natasha's back "Don't even mention it. I love you more than you could ever know. I'd give my life for you in a heartbeat without hesitation. You're everything I ever wanted and even more. You're the girl of my dreams."

Natasha pulled back from the hug and lovingly stared into Maria's clear ocean-blue eyes "You took the broken pieces that were left of me, put them together, and gave them a meaning. A reason to keep living. I was broken into a million pieces when I met you and still, you were patient enough to gently take every single one of those pieces and glue them back together. I owe you everything." Natasha laughed "I guess that now you're not my number one girl anymore."

Maria laughed "I'm not jealous. You're not my favorite girl anymore too."

Natasha laughed even harder at Maria's words, although she had a feeling that Maria wasn't just joking.

Maria gently pulled Natasha into a soft and long kiss that was carrying all of the love the brunette had for the redhead.

Natasha was eager to show her love in the same way Maria did.

Taking the file in one hand and sliding her other arm around Natasha's shoulders, she laid down in bed so she could take a better look at the file too.

Natasha put her head on her lover's chest and excitedly looked again at the file Maria had opened for them to take a better look at it and talk about certain things.

This is what the love between Natasha and Maria was like.

It wasn't an animalistic love driven by natural urges or a violent love that passes fast.

No.

Their love was fueled by respect, understanding, and most importantly, a soft love that was undying.

And now they will have proof of their undying love right in their arms very soon.

A little girl that already filled their hearts and their relationship by only existing.

The family will be complete very soon.

Both women were hopeful about it.

[yorinobu-a]

TVTROPES + YORINOBU.

an introspection into his personality, thoughts, and goals.

bolded text indicates important information into understanding the way i write him.

Alas, Poor Villain: In The Devil ending, which is also the only ending where he dies or even meets V face-to-face. While he's nominally been the main antagonist of the game, he reveals to V that his motivation for everything he did was to destroy Arasaka from the inside by forcing the world to wage war against it. The last time you see him, it's clear he's lost all hope and just rests his head in the lap of his beloved younger sister, admitting he's tired. Later, you find out Saburo Arasaka's digital construct has taken over Yorinobu's body to continue running his corporation from beyond the grave, literally turning Yorinobu into the very thing he sought to destroy.

Ambiguously Evil: It's actually questionable how evil Yorinobu is. The only reason he's an antagonist is because V and Jackie happened to be extremely convenient for pinning the blame of his father's murder. There's also the fact that V had also become allies with Goro, a man who hates him for reasons of personal loyalty.  It's later revealed that he is actively trying to destroy Arasaka by actively making everyone on the planet hate them and killing all of it's board members, further making his actual evilness debatable.

Animal Motif: Hawks. The shard "Arasaka and Ornithology: Three Japanese Words to Know" states that the faction of Arasaka he's the leader of is called "taka", which means hawk in Japanese. Hawks are birds of prey, with some species' primary source of food being other birds, which shows off his more aggressive approach to how Arasaka should be reformed. It contrasts him with Hanako and Michiko, who are compared to a pheasant and a dove, respectively, two species which are much more docile and non-threatning, just like their ideas that focus on upholding the status quo or peaceful, internal reforms. Some species of hawks happily hunt reptiles like snakes, showing off Yorinobu's hatred towards Arasaka (which has a snake motif) and how much he wants to tear it down.

The Bad Guy Wins: In every ending besides The Devil he wins completely. Not only is Arasaka crippled due to the loss of Mikoshi but both Hanako and Takemura, the greatest threats to his takeover, are killed by Alt Cunningham (Hanako) or during Hanako's rescue/by committing seppuku (Takemura). Of course how 'bad' he actually is could be debated considering his motives.

Bad Liar: His explanation for Saburo's death being due to poisoning is extremely paper thin and it's clear that Takemura doesn't believe him for a second. Hanako reveals later that no one who actually cared bought it at all and they either follow along either due to being cowed by fear or because of the benefits they gain.

Berserk Button: Implied. While he already hates his father what really drives him over the edge to outright murder was Saburo bringing up Yorinobu's mom and about how disappointed she'd be in him.

Big Bad: The closest thing the game has to one, as his murder of his father kicks off the main conflict of the game, and his efforts to bury the truth behind it and maintain control of Arasaka hamper V's journey every now and again. Becomes a Well-Intentioned Extremist when his plans involve waging bloody war on the entire world to focus its hatred on destroying Arasaka.

Cain and Abel: A brother-sister variant. The risks he takes with his younger sister Hanako's safety make it seem like he's putting her in deliberate danger to solidify his position in Arasaka. After Yorinobu's men attack the hideout where Takemura is keeping Hanako prisoner, Hanako comes to believe the intent of his men was to kill, not to rescue her. She takes this as proof he no longer cares about family and motivates her to act against him. However, in The Devil ending, Yorinobu claims he never intended to kill her and was trying to keep her safe. In the end, Hanako is the one who ends up killing him by uploading their father's engram into Yorinobu's body.

Composite Character: Yorinobu bears a much greater resemblance to his older brother Kei's depictions in the 2020 version of the tabletop game, but still has his established dislike of his father's schemes and Arasaka in general. The game mentions that Kei's death was one of the things that pushed Yorinobu back into the fold, though, as we see, it didn't quite take.

Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Whether or not he's "evil" is debatable, since his terrible actions are in pursuit of a greater good, but his love for his family is completely genuinely. He goes into a murderous rage after being told his mother would be disappointed in him, seems to feel remorse over murdering his father even if he did hate him, and despite appearances to the contrary, he never intended to hurt his sister Hanako, whom he truly loves.

Evil vs. Evil: Depending on how one views him. While he's definitely against Saburo and Arasaka in general his methods of stopping them include kickstarting another corporate war and making Arasaka so hated that the rest of the world unites in annihilating them. Regardless of his goals, however, the loss of life if another war were to ignite would be catastrophic and it's implied he'll continue with his plans even if Mikoshi is destroyed.

Face Death with Dignity: In The Devil ending, Yorinobu tells Hanako that he knows he'll be killed for his actions and he isn't afraid. He just feels tired.

Face–Heel Turn: Yorinobu is traditionally quite a noble and heroic character in the 2020 TTRPG, where he is essentially Johnny Silverhand's counterpart in Tokyo. After learning the true nature of the Arasaka Corporation, Yorinobu was so disgusted that he broke away from his family entirely and became a founding member of gangs like the Iron Lotus and Steel Dragons which were devoted to exposing Arasaka's corruption. However, by the time of the 2077 video game, Yorinobu's personality has changed and he is the closest thing the game has to a Big Bad. Justified somewhat by the fact that his goals and motivations haven't changed at all, he's just now old enough to have seen his youthful rebellion repeatedly fail, forcing him to change tactics and reintegrate into Arasaka to try to fight his father's control from the inside.

Foil: To Johnny Silverhand. While they both hate Arasaka with a burning passion and rallied the populace to rebel against them Johnny died young being remembered as a terrorist while Yorinobu eventually returned to the fold and worked to disable Arasaka from within.

Former Teen Rebel: In 2020's Yorinobu was the leader of a bosozoku gang, the Steel Dragons, riding high and rebelling against his father's wishes. 50 years later, he's become more of a corpo, ditching his biker outfit for a business suit, but the rebellious streak still remains within him. Notably, he still keeps his old coat around, and can be looted from his room.

Hand Cannon: His personal sidearm is a custom Liberty named Kongou, powerful enough to perform bullet ricochets without a dedicated upgrade.

Hero Antagonist: Somewhat of an Anti-Hero Antagonist, but his takeover of Arasaka was meant to stop Saburo's plans to finish the "Secure Your Soul" project, and save the world from being controlled by Saburo Arasaka, as revealed during his defeat in the "Devil" ending.

Hero of Another Story: How Yorinobu managed to get the Relic, along with how he came back into the fold of Arasaka Corp. would be an interesting story on its own. However, we only see the consequences from V's perspective.

Interrupted Suicide: By the time V corners him, Yorinobu's plans have been dashed and a gun with a single bullet is by his side. He assures V it's not meant for them.

Karma Houdini: Gets away completely scott free in every ending except The Devil and even uses his sister's death for sympathy. However, since he's arguably the least evil of the Arasakas (and actually hates everything his family stands for) and opposes their plans to finish the “Secure Your Soul” project how much karma he is due outside of killing Saburo at the wrong time is debatable. It is discussed even earlier. When you meet at the rooftop market, Takemura points out that Saburo could have crushed Yorinobu and the Steel Dragons at any time and place of his choosing, but chose to let his son continue to kill and destroy Arasaka assets because he was loath to kill his own son. And when Yorinobu came back to the fold, Saburo wanted to see Yorinobu punished, but Hanako convinced him to stay his hand. All this boils down to that Yorinobu has been shielded from the consequences of his two major life decisions.

Non-Action Big Bad: He's the closest thing the game has to a main antagonist but, aside from murdering his father, he never personally gets his hands dirty, relying on his money and resources instead. He never even meets V unless the player picks The Devil ending, where he makes no attempt to fight back when cornered.

Rebel Prince: Notably toned down from his tabletop counterpart; here he's working against his father with the possible help of Arasaka insiders instead of trying to build a full-blown anti-Arasaka movement.

A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: His murder of Saburo was a spur of the moment decision. His behavior immediately afterwards indicates he realizes how badly he just screwed things up. He might not have been able to cover it up without V and Jackie to take the fall.

Token Good Teammate: While he was this in the tabletop game, he now appears to have become just another power-hungry Corpo...  which is actually his plan, as he is now the only member of the Arasaka family to actively oppose the company, and to do so means he needs to do so in secrecy.

The Unfought: Not only does V never fight him, but in every ending other than The Devil, they never even meet Yorinobu face-to-face. This is because Yorinobu's goal to destroy Arasaka from within is completely independent from V's mission to find a cure for themselves unless they seek help from Yorinobu's sister. Even the gun that V finds him with was one that he was going to use to kill himself.

Villain of Another Story: Yorinobu's master plan to destroy Arasaka from within by triggering a war is completely independent from V's quest to stop the Biochip in their head from killing them. In fact, V will never even find out about Yorinobu's plans unless the player sides with Hanako and triggers The Devil ending.

Well-Intentioned Extremist: Intends to save the world through mass-murder. Specifically, by intentionally waging war on the entire world with Arasaka's forces, slaughtering most of the Board of Directors, and generally causing as much of a mess as he can, all so Arasaka will self-destruct. Whether this is better or worse than allowing the corp's despotic, murderous rulership of its (considerable) territory to persist ad infinitum is left up to the player - on the one hand, they'll finally be going after people who can fight back, but on the other hand, they'll finally be going after people who can fight back.

Zero-Approval Gambit: What is implied to be his ultimate goal as CEO of Arasaka Corp. His first order of business as CEO immediately puts strain on the already tenuous relationship the corporation has with Militech, and he appears to desire to make Arasaka such an aggressive despotic force that the whole world would unite to destroy it once and for all. And he no doubt knows this will end with him being remembered as the very thing he sought to destroy, another tyrant at the helm of Arasaka. But at least he would be the last.

[officialjeffprobst]

Survivor 45 Week 10 Winner Rankings

Dee - At this point I find it hard to believe anyone else will win. The Reba 4 have been solid since the beginning and seem to have no intention of breaking. Dee seems the least likely of all of them to break away. Julie and Austin have said they are unwilling to vote out Dee, and likely want to sit at the end with her (dumb on their part, very good for Dee). She’s shown to be controlling the game and she’s great in challenges. Dee has also had a great edit, including an emotional personal backstory and some funny moments. Her path to the end is very clear and I don’t see anyone (except one person) who could beat her.

Emily - There is a gap between Dee and the next few on this list. I find that Emily’s path to the Final 3 is difficult and narrow. She would have to put in some serious work to crack Reba wide open and turn them against each other, which at this point seems like a tough ask. I have Emily at number 2 because I think if she does manage to get to the end, she will 100% win. She is the only person in my mind that can beat Dee. She has a great social game, with pretty much everyone really liking her. Her story of overcoming Lulu and her fantastic character development make it hard for me to see her not getting votes in the end. Plus, if she does make it to the end, that means she pulled off some impressive shit.

Austin - Austin is definitely playing the best game outside of Dee. Despite being a big strong guy archetype and holding an idol, he seems to be flying under the radar. If people are targeting him, the show isn’t telling us. He’s extremely likable, has a strong alliance, and holds that idol that will probably send him to finale night. I hesitate to feel confident in an Austin win because he has had no personal content on the show. We’ve seen a lot of strategy talk from him, but it would be odd if we got personal stories from everyone else but not our winner. Still, he’s in a great position. Seems like the type to send to fire. 

Jake - We are now getting into the territory of castaways I don’t think have much of a shot at winning. Jake would have to pull some stunts to get to the end. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but I have a hard time seeing him get votes next to anyone else here. As much as I appreciate his desire to play hard and get out big targets, his reads on the game have been terrible and he’s been the backup vote for a while. He would be a goat to bring to the end, and he would only win if the Reba 4 really soured the jury and Jake had a fantastic final speech.

Katurah - She was one of my episode 1 faves and she failed me so quickly. Her entire story and game was all about Bruce. If she could have used her brain for one second and put her hatred for Bruce aside, she could have had a good shot. First of all, nobody likes Bruce, so that’s the kind of person you keep to bring to the end. Second of all, they had a chance to take out a Reba with Bruce’s idol and she just completely threw it away. It could have, and would have, happened if it weren’t for Katurah’s thoughtless gameplay. She seems to not understand that the Reba 4 are just using her and she has no game of her own to speak of.

Julie - Everyone in the game is acting like Julie is some big jury threat. Katurah telling Emily that she’s a “mama” so people will vote for her…when has that ever happened in Survivor? Season 2 with Tina? Julie is Dee’s sidekick. Even if she says she’s playing her own game, she does what Dee says. She wants Dee to sit at the end with her, foolishly. She is good in challenges, which is a plus, but that’s not enough. I think it’s highly likely she sits at the end and doesn’t get any votes because she’s sitting next to better players. Also, her backstory was cut from the show, so that all but guarantees she isn’t winning.

Drew - He thinks a lot higher of his game than I do. He has been shown time and time again in the episodes to fumble social game and relationships. He is definitely Austin’s sidekick–he has the trust of Austin and his alliance but he isn’t the one actually doing the strategic heavy lifting. I see his relationships with people outside of Austin and Emily as pretty weak. And, like Julie, his backstory was cut from the show. I don’t see him getting votes in the end, if he gets there.

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Does this make any sense?

He sat across from her like it was nothing unusual, positioning his dinner tray in front of him with practiced ease.  Beatrice noticed numbly that every item on said tray was meat: the same roast chicken that she had, along with marinated beef tips and a bowl of what appeared to be cooked rabbit livers.  She couldn’t tell exactly what was in his drink cup, but by the smell she guessed that it was dairy-based and likely alcoholic.

There was nothing remotely plant-based anywhere near him.  The tray was plastic, his utensils were stainless steel, and his clothes were entirely made of polyester.  The table was metal, painted over with a layer of matte white paint, and it was placed far away from the food lines themselves, so that his anomalous influence couldn’t affect them.

Beatrice looked down at her own tray, watching as her green beans quietly deteriorated in their bowl, turning first to amorphous green mush and then into a pile of damp, clumpy ash.  He followed her line of sight and gave her a small, sheepish grin.

“My apologies,” he said.  “I didn’t notice those on your tray, else I would have waited to approach you until you had eaten them.  If you tell the canteen staff, I know they will be happy to replace them.”

Beatrice stared at him.  He speared a beef tip on his fork and started to chew on it.  His wrist moved the same as a human’s, and his teeth and jawbone seemed to be organic, but this only served to exacerbate the animal anxiety stirring in her chest.  The “uncanny valley” was a term so overused in modern contexts as to be rendered meaningless, but it was the only one she had to adequately describe this situation.  This “man”, this cyborg, was just human enough to call attention to his differences, and those differences were all the more extreme for how little he seemed to acknowledge them.  He continued to eat without a care, picking up one of the livers with no fear for how the butter might grease his fingers or slip into the fulcrums of his joints.  He simply licked them clean with evident enjoyment before reaching for another.

She wasn’t sure how long they sat in silence, him eating and her watching, but eventually he paused to acknowledge her dumbfounded expression.

“Am I making you uncomfortable, Doctor?” He asked, frowning.  “That was not my intention.  I can sit elsewhere, if you would prefer.”  Though his voice was monotone, it still managed to convey concern, enough to help her find her tongue again.

“No,” she denied quietly.  “It’s quite alright.”  She inhaled slowly and took five seconds to get ahold of herself.  So she was having dinner with an SCP.  Was that so unexpected?  This was site 17, after all.  Her orientation instructor had highlighted the fact that some of the residents were allowed the privilege of eating with site personnel.  Ava wasn’t allowed, but several others were, including the one sitting across from her.  Clearly, that meant the Foundation found his presence among their staff acceptable.  He was polite and considerate.  She could surely be the same.  “I apologize, you just caught me by surprise.”

“An understandable reaction,” he conceded.  “I know that my appearance can cause confusion and alarm.”  He grinned wryly.  “I learned to accept that a very long time ago, but I still appreciate those who look past my… peculiarities.  I assure you I can be charming company if you let me.”

[late-to-the-fandom]

Seven Snippets, Seven People

Thank you @talesofsorrowandofruin for the tag and the reminder that my toxic writing trait is writing as few characters as possible in any given WIP 😂 this tag brought to light the fact that Shadow UNIverse includes exactly seven characters, so I’ve included my favourite bits about them here

Tagging: @shipping-through-eternity @mousterian-writes @sam-glade @vcaudley @sarahlizziewrites @tananaphone @cljordan-imperium

Rules: post seven snippets high lighting seven characters from your WIP (all the same WIP? Different WIPs? IDC I’m not your mom)

AU Renathal - Teaching Assistant of Revendreth & AU Maw Walker - dubious foreign exchange student at the Shadowlands University

"You might consider paying a bit more attention to the professor," Renathal chided smugly. "Assuming, of course, it is your intention to pass this class."

She looked irritably from the massacred quiz to its murderer.

"And what makes you think I’m not paying attention to the professor?"

It was the first time Renathal had heard the Maw Walker speak. He noted her pronounced accent and felt abruptly abashed.

"Of course," he said less acerbically, busying himself with his cufflinks,"if you are having any trouble ... understanding the lessons..." He kept his gaze on the miniature gold bat, ensuring its fangs faced the proper direction. "You are always welcome to drop by during office hours for assistance."

This time the Maw Walker appraised Renathal exactly as she had the paper; gaze spanning the length of his person, from his tidy loose hair to his wingtip shoes, in a way that made his heart beat faster for some inexplicable reason. Her eyes were unusually pale for her complexion, but before he could decide on their exact shade, she blinked and looked away.

"I'll be just fine, thank you," she said, settling back in her chair, once more supremely unconcerned with anything so clearly inconsequential as Denathrius' class.

Incensed at the dismissal, Renathal turned on his heel. 

Fine. Let her fail then. That was entirely her affair. She could fail the whole bloody course if she liked. Which would hardly be considered a "positive Revendreth experience", which would mean Renathal had disappointed Denathrius, which would certainly not encourage his mentor to prioritize his dissertation. Frustration burned in Renathal's eyes, turning their unique amber-hazel into something distinctly fiery. He was halfway down the aisle when the Maw Walker called after him:

"Is this your handwriting?"

He turned. She was examining the crimson miniscule in the margins of her paper.

“Yes, it is," said Renathal defensively. "Is there a problem?"

“Not at all. I like it. It's lovely."

These words took a moment to register. No one had ever complimented the elegant and entirely legible script which Renathal had spent long hours practicing and of which he was extremely proud. It was several seconds before he realised he was still standing awkwardly in the middle of the aisle.

"Thank you," he managed, and - uncharacteristically lost for anything else to say - resumed his walk to the lectern, the glow in his eyes now one of ebullient pride.

AU Denathrius - Professor and Department Head of Revendreth

But, “A maw walker? How interesting..." was all Denathrius said when his TA handed him the paper with the highlighted name a short time later. 

Renathal hesitated, straightening his cuff links, waiting. But when the professor made no attempt at the name, he said, "Apparently," disgruntled at this wrench in his plan. “She is new to the university, I gather," he continued. "An exchange student. Probably, she signed up for this class without anyone warning her how demanding your coursework would be."

"Perhaps."

Renathal frowned.

"You think otherwise?"

"Well…” Denathrius adjusted the rakish angle of his collar (no matter how well-tailored, his shirts never seemed to fit properly across his broad chest). “What with all those unfortunate accusations of late, the main office has been asking questions.”

The Revendreth department had fallen into mal odeur recently after a few ex-students started posting social media exposés. Something about Denathrius’ and Inerva's unethical research practices, but Renathal didn’t know the details; he refused to pay attention to such rumours. His mentor could be strict, and admittedly hands-off in his style of teaching, and perhaps he did prioritise his own private work over his duties in the department; but, it was for the greater good, Denathrius assured them, and Renathal trusted his mentor completely.

AU Accuser (Harriet the Crimson Shade) - Revendreth Dean of Admissions

"Are you accusing me of something?" asked Harriet - Revendreth's dean of admissions - when he swung by her office to ask about this later.

Renathal stood stiffly in the doorway, unwilling to venture into the dean's small domain, every inch of which was decorated in the most violent, eye-gouging red (earning her the irreverent department nickname, "The Crimson Shade").

"Of course not," he demurred, eyeing the red stapler clutched in Harriet's hand. "But it is obvious this student is not prepared for this advanced level of coursework."

"Well, I don't know what to say." She forced the stapler through a ream of papers and filed them primly in a red folder, refusing to meet his eyes. "She had all the necessary prerequisites from her former institution."

"May I see her transcript?" 

"No, Renathal," said Harriet, pronouncing his name like it soured her crimson lips. "You are a teaching assistant. That information is outside your purview. If Denathrius has concerns, he may register them with me himself."

Each stared at the other with identical looks of dislike. Harriet was much older, but Renathal had department seniority; a fact she had never taken to and frequently ignored. Renathal considered invoking Denathrius, but she would undoubtedly call his bluff. The department head relied on Renathal to handle internal staff squabbles, and the last thing Renathal needed at the moment was for Denathrius to lose confidence in him. And, although they rarely saw eye to eye on anything (including interior design), he could not deny Harriet's code of ethics had always been unimpeachable. He conceded her victory with a gracious nod and departed with a last wince at her bloodbath of an office.

AU Theotar - Revendreth Department Tea Service

“Oh, you must mean our resident Maw Walker!" exclaimed Theotar at Renathal's description when he came round in the afternoon to bring the staff tea.

The short, jovial man enjoyed a reputation that outshone his stature: for knowing everything about everyone in the department, and for his unparalleled brew.

Renathal raised an eyebrow.

”A Maw Walker?”

It was the less-than-affectionate nickname given to students banished to the old campus housing. The tall, decrepit buildings loomed out of the concrete like jagged teeth around the desolate, natureless chasm lurking in the middle that was the old quad. The Maw, they called it.

The new campus had warm tunnels and brightly lit covered walkways to ferry students to all the important school buildings without having to brave the elements. But those relegated to the older campus were forced to walk across the unprotected, ever-shadowed Maw to get anywhere they needed to go. It was the housing given to students and staff who couldn't afford anything else, and precious few of either came through Denathrius' department.

"How did she get stuck in the Maw?"

"Well, she is new, and presumably not well off," explained Theotar as he prepared Renathal's cuppa. "An exchange student from one of those foreign places.” He gestured vaguely in no particular direction. "On a student visa, you know, so the only work she can get is with the school and I believe they put her up there at a reduced fee. She has helped in the kitchens several times, and I confess, I've grown most fond of her. She’s quite the tea aficionado, we can chat about it for ages, and she does bamboozle with that sense of humour!”

Renathal wondered if they were talking about the same person after all.

“And how do you say her name?"

“Oh, no one knows that,” Theotar tittered, tapping the spoon against the side of the cup with three delicate clinks. “She tried once to explain how to pronounce it, but … I’m afraid no one could quite grasp all its subtle nuances. So, the Maw Walker moniker stuck!”

AU Vrednic - Renathal’s dog

This is Vrednic."

A quarter hour later, Renathal made the requisite introductions, relieved - in spite of the Maw Walker's many reassurances on the car ride - that neither party seemed unhappy with the other's unfamiliar presence. His enormous beast wound hazardous circles around the Maw Walker's legs, panting approvingly, and she in turn was more openly enthusiastic than Renathal had yet seen her about anything.

"Oh, what a good boy, yes you are," she crowed, petting whatever bit of grey-black fur met her hand as Vrednic coiled round and round her, and Renathal felt as full of heady pride as if she were complimenting himself. She let her talking-to-dogs voice drop as she asked, "What sort of dog is he?"

"I have no idea," Renathal admitted, taking her coat solicitously and hanging it beside his on the rack by his flat's front door. "An amalgamation of different breeds. An absolute gargoyle of a dog," he added affectionately, scratching the spot under Vrednic's chin that made his stump of a tail beat the overdyed rug.

AU Goblin & Blood Elf team that follows the Maw Walker around in every universe apparently for reasons

It's fine," she mumbled, though it came out, "iss funb," thanks to her wrecked throat and, he assumed from the IV drip, some generous sedation. She continued to slur between coughs, "It's not ... as bad as it looks."

“It’s pretty much exactly as bad as it looks,” another voice argued cheerfully.

Renathal glanced around, then down, at the person in the white coat hidden behind the bed’s high plastic side.

"We got one leg and one arm broken.” The doctor (Renathal assumed) ticked the injuries off on long fingers. “A few fractured ribs, a bruised larynx, and that crack on the head was no joke, either.”

The Maw Walker dismissed the whole list with a wave that made her IV stand wobble.

"I'll recover," she slurred in a ghost of her typical supreme unconcern; and it was such a belligerent, ridiculous, Maw Walker thing to say, Renathal could not help but laugh. Hardly a sound appropriate for a sickbed, he realized belatedly, and tried to conceal it behind a cough of his own. But far from looking offended, the Maw Walker managed a shaky smile. Even the doctor chuckled appreciatively, so Renathal almost missed the irritated tongue click from behind.

"But how does one go about sustaining such extensive injuries in the first place?"

Renathal twisted in his seat. A few seconds of facial gymnastics ensued as he fought to keep shock from his features at the sight of the second person he had not noticed lounging against the farthest wall. Another doctor, he supposed, though this one’s gelled blond hair and purple silk shirt would have looked more at home in a television program than an actual ER.

"I fell," said the Maw Walker flatly.

It was the stranger's turn to laugh.

"That must have been one hell of a fall!"

She glowered at him, teeth gritted in frustration or pain.

“I was climbing the fire escape,” she enunciated carefully. “It was dark. I lost my footing."

"Lost your footing?" the blond man repeated. "You?"

Renathal's eyes followed this terse verbal tennis, flicking between the blond man's sarcastic skepticism and the Maw Walker's open dislike. He frowned. They knew each other. Although, by all appearances (and to the great relief of Renathal's jealousy), the relationship was unfriendly at best.

"That story checks from a medical standpoint,” said the shorter doctor with what Renathal considered unwonted glee. “All the major injuries, the broken bones and bruises and what not, are on the same side. Consistent with a fall."

"Or a push?" 

The blond man's suggestion was as sleek as his hair, sliding like a key into the greased lock that was Renathal's sleep deprived brain.