#they're a good treat for like an end of quarter report when i can time it out so they will sort of get here on time for the reward

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

the only bad thing about being the person in this corner of the spaghetti western fandom who reads all the novelizations and tells you if they're worth it or not, is that they can be very difficult to find and like twenty to twenty-five dollars a pop for sixties-seventies mass market paperbacks that were never intended to be read more than once

[adrianasunderworld]

Part 2

Idea: A girl Yuu/Mc, hears from Leona about his homeland. About how culturally its very respectful of women and how the ladies back home are much stronger and dominating than the men, and Mc is all for it. “I want to see this place, that sounds awesome.” So with spring break on the horizon, Leona goes “Screw it, you can come.” And off they go to the Sunset Savannah. 

The trip is great! The palace is beautiful, Mc is of course given the royal treatment as Leonas guest, Cheka is so happy to see her. But most importantly, Mc hits its off with Leonas sister in law, the queen. She had heard about Mc from Cheka, and then from Leona after grilling him for more info, but she never thought he would actually bring her home, platonically or not. So the queen takes it upon herself to make sure all of Mcs needs are met while in her home. Taking her shopping, bringing her along to social events, teaching her about their country's culture since Mc was so fascinated with it. All the while learning about the situation at NRC, because even though Leona doesn't pay it much mind, the queen finds the whole story interesting. (Maybe even trying to learn what Mc thinks of Leona if you want to go that way.) Mc, of course, loves all this positive attention from her. The queen treats her almost like a little sister and she has quickly gotten attached and looks up to the woman.

 Mc does not go into to detail about all the Overblots, Crowley would never let her hear the end of it if that scandal got out. Throwing him under the bus for everything else, however, is fair game. So when Mc lets slip about how Crowley left her during winter break, it does not take much prying from the queen for the dam to break, and vents to her about everything. About how Crowley has yet to find her a way home, not answering his phone for emergencies, whining about her food expenses in order to get her to do stuff that should be his job to deal with. The queen is furious and horrified. After a few more days, spring break is about to end and Leona and Mc are prepping to leave. The night before, the queen pulls her aside and offers to sponsor her through school. ”After all, if the expenses of caring for you are oh so great that the Headmage can’t focus on anything else, this should ease that burden. He won’t have an excuse now.” Mc is so incredibly grateful for this. Though obviously this is not without stipulations. They are to be in regular correspondence, with updates about her grades and must maintain a certain average. The queen will be mailed her report card every quarter to make sure she isn't slacking. Mc agrees to all this and even hugs the queen, she’s so happy. 

After returning, Leona never hears the end of it from his sister in law. Whenever he has calls from home, she always asks how Mc is doing, if they're getting along, that he better look out for that girl or she will have his head. Even when he gets care packages from his family, half the stuff is things for Mc. But even so, Mc is so happy every time. She seems to walk with more pep in her step since coming back. Leona comments on it one day, and Mc confides in him that she’s gotten so used to taking care of everyone else, that it’s nice to know someone is finally looking out for her. Leona may resent and be annoyed by his family, but he has to give his sister in law credit for the all good she’s done for Mc.

[spectres-fulcrum]

I wrote out a really long Vahnto idea that I kinda want to share but I know no one cares and I feel like I need to read the Ascendancy books before I write it to get a good grasp of Chiss culture/politics/etc but also I want to share it.

But long story short the whole Eli doesn't want to ask Vah'nya out due to not knowing Chiss rules on crew members dating and not wanting to find out the hard way is horrible foreshadowing, not because it's members of the Steadfast dating. But because she is classified as a Navigator and by law, it's a capital crime to engage in anything romantic or sexual with navigators. It comes from a very dark history.

Which worked because before Vah'nya, no navigator had ever reached the Chiss age of majority. But she's 24 when Eli, 37 years old, asks her out. They've been friends/ignoring their feelings for 3 years at this point. Un'hee calls her Ticsen'i(Mama) and him a Basic word-Dad. They spent so many early, dark nights together, helping her through nightmares in his quarters, falling asleep on either side of her only when her small body falls peaceful. They have friends-she has friends. They trust each other when they feel weak, because they know the judgement will never come from the other. After every battle, neither will relax until they know the other is safe.

They love each other, falling in love is the natural next step. She doesn't hesitate when he asks if they can rent a private dining room the next week-just the two of them, as a date. Because it was always coming. And the kiss after the second dinner date. So many star systems and light years have seen them daydream of that moment.

Ar'alani is so happy for them-but as admiral, she has to report them. It could result in Eli's death either way, but this way she can add a petition for an exception to be made for them. Vah'nya is clearly no child-she has served the Steadfast for 18 years. She is an adult and more than deserves to control her personal life. Surprisingly, Eli doesn't recieve an instant death penalty. They agree to debate an exception as Vah'nya is well over the age of majority.

It's a hard 10 months of following guidelines and sneaking into places so they can be together properly. Of the stuffy Aristoca arguing over their lives as if they aren't in the room when they're at Csilla. Some politicians has Vah'nya assessed for trauma signs on the Steadfast and she nearly loses it-she will put up with it on Csilla, but not in their home(ship). They both nearly propose grabbing Un'hee and their bags and Faro(Yes, Faro ends up deserting the Empire for the Ascendency. With Thrawn gone and a rebel fight, it doesn't feel right) and leaving it all behind multiple times. But this is a fight worth fighting. Even when he feels helpless as she sobs in his arms because she's sick of them talking about her life like it's theirs and how all of her friends can date and sleep around and she's bound by children's laws. Faro and Ar'alani gets so much of his anger-seeing them treat her with disrespect, all the non-chiss hatred they show him in the court rooms, having to play docile, not knowing if or when his life will be ended for simply loving his best friend.

They're all kind of shocked when the exception is granted. Vah'nya kisses Eli in front of everyone-and all the stuffy rulers realize they've been secretly sneaking around together all along- and Ar'alani assigns them shared quarters and grants them two weeks leave in them that day. Eli proposes six months later. They live happily ever after... Or as much as realistically possible with Gysks looming, Thrawn missing, and god knows what else.

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 2x08 Get Carter!

This is actually one of my favourite episodes of the season, partly because I really enjoy relationship angst, but mostly because we get multiple characters dealing with their trauma/grief. If we can't get these guys and gals into therapy, at least we get to see them talk (and hug) it out.

Also the best episode title they're had for a while - I have no doubt one of the writers is a fan, and Carter is so named only because they wanted to make this reference. The assassin seeking revenge for a dead brother is wholesale lifted from the plot of the film, and Joseph Kennedy almost has a passing resemblance to Michael Caine's look in that role.

"Get Carter - before Carter gets you!"

Carter is one of the only guest stars they actually will bring back later, and for good reason.

"Why don't you ever kiss my ring?" Vaisey, always making things creepy.

Marian is simmering with unrestrained anger, eager to get into the fight, while Robin is the one advocating for the watch and see approach, and it’s quite the role reversal.

The gang's reaction to her charging off is quite funny though, she knocks John over completely and Djaq throws her hands in the air.

Robin’s now getting a taste of what the rest of the gang have to put up with dealing with his recklessness.

Tying Marian up in the middle of a melee, however, is disgusting behaviour - while Marian was hot-headed throwing herself into the fight (nothing Robin hasn't done before himself), he knows that she can hold her own with a sword and doesn't need protecting. Tying her hands is the absolute worst thing he could have done, because how is she meant to defend herself? I can somewhat understand where Robin is coming from in this episode (even if he goes about it badly), but this is unjustifiable.

Clearly she gave that guard she clanked on the head amnesia, because he never reports back that Marian was fighting with the gang.

“I owe you my life”/“I won’t take it just yet.” Nice.

Scimitar is still missing in action.

Robin doesn’t want Marian to be seen in case she needs to return to the castle, when he’s spent the whole season urging for her to join the gang. I think he realises he made a mistake asking her to flee last episode without giving her time to deal with her grief, and wants to leave her options open. But telling her that she’s not ready to make the decision (about whatever she wants to go back), however correct, is patronising.

There's a fundamental conflict that Marian wants to be treated like a member of the gang, but doesn't want to cede to Robin's authority like the rest of the gang - in turn Robin expects her to follow his orders like the others, but isn't treating her like he would the others either - he would never tie them up to keep them out of a fight, and Marian has every right to pissed at him about it.

Djaq and Much having a little tête-à-tête about Carter - I just really enjoy that they’re often paired together in these gang scenes, they balance/play off each other so well. Just this pure platonic frazzled vs calm vibe.

Much just has this really great memory for faces - he was able to recognise fake Richard last season just from his profile despite wearing a helmet, and now he knows he remembers Carter's face from somewhere (or as it will turn out, Carter's brother).

Much really just does not let up, and I love that about him. "You'll be disappointed though, with uh, today's wound. I mean if you're planning to go back to the Holy Land and, uh, kill him." That not so subtle probing for information and Sam Troughton's delivery is always perfect.

"Wasn't me, was it?" Oh Much, so close.

“The crusty one” - lol

It's not explicit, but implied that Vaisey and Guy believe Edward was the one passing information to Robin, and Marian is cleared of any suspicion (paving the way for her return). Guess Guy never showed the Sheriff that hair dagger after all.

Vaisey is actually giving Guy some really good advice here, albeit laced with his usual cruelty and getting all up in Guy's personal space.

"Grow up Gisborne" - now I don't think it's deliberate on Vaisey's part to invoke a Marian parlance, seeing as she really only says this to Robin (and once to Much), but it's a nice little callback, however unintentional.

Marian asks for an apology (and deserves one), but Robin doubles down and doesn't come out of this exchange well.

Because his delivery is terrible, but he's otherwise quite correct - as skilled as Marian is, she’s used to relying on (and having to worry about) only herself and not work in a team, and look to a single point of command. But both of them have their backs up - they're two strong personalities and neither is going to give ground, reverting to the ideological clashes of season 1, except now in much closer quarters.

Robin's also not used to being challenged in this particular way, and in his frustration is reacting like a captain disciplining a soldier, not a lover helping their partner through their grief. I do wonder if the conversation would have gone differently if they'd been alone.

lol at the gang awkwardly standing around listening to Robin and Marian fight. Djaq trying to busy herself with her mortar and pestle as Robin and Marian argue around her.

A really great scene between Marian and John aka the camp dad. Marian really just needs someone to listen to her and appreciate what she's going through - Robin is too fixated on the dangerous way she's channeling her grief and not even trying to address the root cause. He trying to tell her what to do, not listen to what she actually needs.

On the other hand it's probably better coming from John, a neutral party without the emotional baggage she has with Robin.

Because Robin and Marian are really being driven by completely different motives - Marian by grief and therefore loss, and Robin by trauma and therefore fear. In her sorrow, Marian has lost all her fear of being discovered, in fact she wants to make it know she's with the gang, to finally be free to say which side she's on and fight openly, to make her father's death worthwhile, and can't understand why Robin is trying to stifle that.

"I thought you used to have your own men Little John?" So someone remembers Forrest and Hanton!

After Carter takes down the gang one by one, Robin takes down Carter in three seconds (including catching the long dagger Carter throws at him, and flinging it back) and it's lights out. Can you believe it's the first concussion of the season? (Notwithstanding the multiple head injuries Allan sustained last episode).

While Marian has been known to be punch-happy, the "he'll tell us more if he knows we're willing to hurt him" is just so (intentionally) out of character - it is however somewhat reminiscent of Robin in 1x08, wanting to get his punch and torture on with Guy. However rather than understanding where Marian is coming from, he pushes her away with the "go and cook something" jibe. This almost feels like he was going for familiar banter and miscued, but is also an asshole thing to say. When their positions were reversed in 1x08 Marian at least tried to reason with him - Robin is seems to be ill-equipped to do the same.

Allan just having a little snooze against the castle wall. He really seems defeated and depressed after last episode.

Marian's corset has a pouch to hold a dagger - or at least I hope there is because otherwise it's ouch time.

Leaving Marian at the camp is again a mistake on Robin's part - it excludes and isolates her from the gang, rather than trying to involve her so she can bond with them, engaging in their outreach to the peasants - who she helped as the Nightwatchman, but never really had the opportunity to come to know. It would remind her that they are not just fighting against the Sheriff but for the people, which in her frenzied grief she has perhaps lost sight of.

Instead, Robin's focus is on Carter, who he rather identifies with and so finds it easier to address his motives, and try and change them.

Carter is in many ways Robin’s dark mirror, what he could have become in the Holy Land if he chose a different path. It’s important that this happens right when Robin is backsliding - he’s trying to save his own soul as much as Carter’s.

Okay, let's talk about Marian’s forest gear - fashioned from the outfit she wore when she fled the castle the previous episode - but dear me it's awful. The grey culottes, rather than becoming trousers have now been turned into that corset, and her vest/skirt overlay have now become those trousers. Just baffling.

“I’m good with nuns” followed by Allan straight up knocking the Mother Superior over and stealing her ring is iconic.

Much gives Robin a sword to use going after Carter - still no scimitar.

I really love the confrontation/fight scene between Robin and Carter - it's very well choreographed and written, but we also see the best of Robin's character (after seeing some of the worst earlier).

Carter's brother is called Thomas - Allan's brother was called Tom. Lots of dead brothers in this show (including Djaq's).

The story of Carter's brother Thomas dying because he "stopped listening" and led a raid against orders is a little on the nose, but gives context to Robin’s fear for Marian’s safety in part triggered by his war trauma - someone charging in against orders and then dying in his arms.

But it shows Robin as a man who, even when Thomas' recklessness had cost not only his own life but others of Robin's men, was still moved to instruct the stretcher-bearers to make Thomas the hero, and himself the negligent captain, in order to comfort his family.

The fight is fairly even, and although Robin gets the upper hand in the end, it's only partly his skill - rather his true strength is in reaching the man inside the assassin, and then surrender and allow Carter to take his revenge if that's what he wants, and despite his fear, trust that there is good still in him, and that he can leave behind the life as a killer as Robin has done (tried to do).

This scene is the core of why I really love Robin as a character. He's riddled with PTSD and a reckless bravado, he's at time emotionally stunted with those he loves, makes terrible mistakes and often says the wrong thing, but he also has this great heart and compassion that allows him to reach people, to understand and help them, even at the risk of his own life. He's trying.

"He was a hero - just not on that day" is quite a poignant line.

Much and Djaq together again, just saying.

Robin finally finds out that Roger of Stoke was intercepted. I had assumed he'd figured that out once he knew Allan was a traitor but okay.

Poor Much crying out for Robin's attention - he's got his own trauma from the war and wants to talk about it, to commiserate with Robin about what they went though, but Robin can only cope by not talking about it, not even thinking about it.

Much makes a good point that Robin should have listened to him about recognising Carter, but it comes across as jealously over Marian and Robin misses just how deeply Much carries his hurt.

One of Robin's biggest flaws is that he's overwhelming in his affection, compassion, and understanding for strangers, but takes those he loves for granted - Carter's response to grief was the same as Marian's, but Robin listened to Carter, consoled and comforted him, while keeping Marian at arm's length. Perhaps because strangers don't ask for anything beyond that - it is the granting of kindness, but not the sharing of self. It's the latter Robin truly fears, but what Much and Marian deserve (although tbf Marian has problems with this as well).

“Either I’m part of your gang or I’m not” is a valid point, and Robin's still not happy even when she agrees to stay behind!

But she disobeys him, and saves his life. It's a rite of passage - almost all of the members of the gang have this.

Allan looking rather distressed as Guy is about the chop off Robin's head, and he makes a small movement just before the swing (as does Much).

Guy again pushing Marian past the point of discomfort - she left, wrote him a letter asking him to leave her alone, straight up told him to his face to leave her alone, and still he persists.

Her kissing Guy (to distract him from seeing Much and Will) is really the only time she sends mixed signals, but Guy's whole energy seems to be just to wear her down until she agrees to be with him and it's gross. It is however kind of amusing that he tries to be authoritative and forbid her from leaving, and she immediately walks away.

Robin and Marian are back in playful banter mode, although I wish there had been a deeper discussion (and that Robin had apologised in return). It doesn't quite feel like the conflict between them has been resolved, it really is just a "truce".

But I do like that it's Marian who reaches out to Robin at the end of this episode, because up until this point it's Robin who has been (somewhat) the one making overtures - asking her to join the gang, telling her he needs her, telling her he loves her, while Marian's been more reserved. This feels like her acknowledging that sometimes she needs to take the first step.

This was a long one - but as a I said, I really love this episode!

[imagines-never-die]

Reaper crushing on someone bc they treat him like a normal person. Like, most people probably avoid him/let him do whatever he wants bc they think he's scary. But they actually talk to him like he's normal. They call him out on his shit but they're still nice enough to offer a seat at their table in the mess hall and ask him how his day was.

(OOoooh, I got a good one for this. Kehehehe…)

Reaper did his jobs for Talon, and that was final. Once he finished, nobody asked anything extra from him. Sure, there were formalities other agents had to go through, but nobody dared asked The Reaper himself to sit down and busy himself with paperwork. It was an unspoken rule on base that Reaper was exempt from office work, much to Widow and Sombra’s annoyance.

But after Talon’s last office secretary mysteriously…disappeared, the new girl/guy came in. It was their first week on the job, and Reaper and Sombra had just returned from a mission. The new girl/guy handed Sombra a blank report form.

“Here you are, Agent Sombra,” they said politely, “Please have a report finished by the end of the week. Good work at Volskaya, by the way,”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Sombra droned boredly, less than enthusiastic to do her new “homework.”

Sombra took the paper and was on her way out of the meeting room when Reaper walked past the new girl/guy.

“Oh, Agent Reaper,” they called out, “Here is your report form as well. Please have it done by the end of the week, and good job at Volskaya.”

Sombra just scoffed and shook her head. The poor newbie didn’t know yet. Well, soon they’d know. Reaper was silent for a moment, stopped still in his tracks at the audacity of this measley secretary.

“First of all,” he growled, “It wasn’t a good job. We failed.”

Then he slowly turned towards them, “And I don’t do reports. That’s Sombra’s job.”

“From what I’ve learned, reports are all agents’ jobs. Each agent’s experience is different on a mission, and it’s crucial we gather as much data from those experiences that we can.”

“I don’t know who you think you are,” he advanced towards them, “But nobody orders me around,”

Despite his menacing steps toward them, they didn’t flinch or walk back like the others did. 

They held their ground and looked him head on, saying calmly, “It is not my order, Agent Reaper, it is a standard.”

Then they carefully handed the form over to him, waiting for him to take it. Sombra snickered, waiting for him to scratch their hand off or smack them across the face. Instead, Reaper slowly cocked his head to one side, humming peculiarly towards them. Gradually, he took the paper in his clawed gauntlets and looked it over.

Sombra’s jaw practically hit the floor. Gabe?! Doing busy work?! This newbie really had guts. But Reaper found it…refreshing. [Name] wasn’t cowering in their boots as they spoke to him, nor were they trying to one up him. They were just talking to him like a regular person. It reminded him of his old secretary in Blackwatch, complaining that he never turned in his mission reports on time.

“Very well,” he droned, then calmly left the room.

“Damn…” Sombra breathed as he left, glancing over at [Name], “You’re going to be a fun addition to the team,”

“I look forward to it, Agent,” they smiled cordially.

Meanwhile, Reaper walked through the base’s halls back to his quarters, looking over the report template in his hands. It was weird to do something so normal again. It was weird to be treated normally again. This new person was weird themselves! When he got back to his room, he threw the paper on his desk, thinking that he’d finish it later. As he took off his mask, he noticed his face was suddenly warm.

“God fuckin dammnit,” he hissed.

He was crushing on them.