#virtual season 5

[eirian-houpe]

Chain of Command - Act 1

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Teyla Emmagan/Michael Kenmore Characters: Richard Woolsey, John Sheppard, Jennifer Keller, Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, Original Stargate Character(s), Original Stargate Wraith Character(s), Michael Kenmore Additional Tags: Angst, Traditions, Drama, Canon Typical Violence, Politics, Bureaucracy, Conflict Series: Part 2 of SGA Virtual Season Five Summary:

When the IOA replaces Carter as the head of the Atlantis Expedition, and the first thing that happens is the alienation of long standing allies, in spite of Sheppard's best efforts, trouble can't be far behind. Woolsey's command is given a baptism of fire when the Alpha team is ambushed off world, and hampered by a lack of intel they truly are on their own.

Chain of Command - Act 1

Refocus.  Prioritize.  Defend.

"The I.O.A. is initiating a new policy: immediate recall of all base personnel. From now on, we'll be focusing entirely on the defense of this city.  Furthermore, Doctor, your department is going to be scaled back. Without the Gate Bridge, and with the need to keep at least one ship in orbit at all times for defensive purposes, re-supply is going to be difficult. We need to prioritise."

"I don't understand this. I'm already under-staffed as it is."

"Only because you've over-extended yourself with all these humanitarian efforts and your continued attempts to find an antidote for the Hoffan drug. Once you have refocused your attention back to the medical needs of this base and its personnel, I don't think you'll have a problem."

Woolsey and Keller – The Last Man

Act 1

  Ronon shifted uncomfortably as he looked around the briefing room at each of his friends.  It had been less than twenty four hours since their desperate attempts to find Teyla, and the subsequent deadly battles with the Wraith after being rescued from the ruins of Michael's facility.  Their injuries, at least the physical ones, had barely begun to heal, but at least they had had some time to bond and to begin to assimilate what had happened.

Of course, then came the inevitable – the inquisition.  Carter had delayed as long as she could in sending the report to Stargate Command.  She must have known it would not be a favorable response, not with the outcome as it was.

He sighed as he turned his head to the seat usually occupied by Teyla.  He missed her.  He missed her intelligent opinions, framed within the culture and experiences of the Pegasus galaxy.  He missed the gentleness and concern she showed for everyone that suffused her words and, even when she was critical of plans and ideas, made people feel that their voice had been heard.

Her place was occupied by Halling.  As a representative of their Athosian allies, and having been held captive for so long by Michael, he was able to provide them with invaluable insight and information.  Ronon knew that without the Athosians' knowledge, to augment his own, the Atlantis Expedition would be perilously uninformed.

"We were not the only ones," Halling said in answer to a question that had just been asked of him, "but we were kept apart from the others."

"Why?" Sheppard asked.

"Which of us can truly claim to know that one's mind?" Halling asked in response, speaking of Michael.

"Well you must be able to make some kind of guess," Sheppard said, and Ronon could hear the irritation mounting in his friend's voice.  He knew Halling was doing his best and was unused to these kinds of situations and wanted to try and help the man out, but he couldn't find the words.  He couldn't even think of what Teyla might have said.

In the end it was McKay that spoke.  "Sheppard, I know you're worried, we all are, but grilling Halling about something he can't tell you is counter productive," he said, "I lay for hours watching Michael working and—"

Ronon glared at him, cutting off whatever had been about to come out of his mouth.  He knew Rodney McKay well enough to know that, more often that not, the man's mouth ran away with him, and if he was talking about Michael's work then the chances were that he would let slip about Lorne's condition.

It was the one thing that Sam had, quite deliberately, left out of her report to Stargate Command.  She'd called them all together after she'd sent the data-burst that had contained the report and had explained to them that she felt it would be against their, and certainly Lorne's, best interest to tell them until they were sure they had no other choice.  Every single one of them had agreed to mention it to no one outside of their small select group.  Not even other base personnel.  Jennifer was to have sole responsibility for Lorne's care so that not even her medical staff would be involved and risk compromising their silence.

"And what, Doctor McKay?" All eyes, including Ronon's own, turned to face the new Commander of the Atlantis Expedition. 

"Well," to give McKay his due, he almost sounded convincing, "I was just going to say that I couldn't even begin to guess at Michael's motives for anything – even having been so close to him.  The Athosians, I'm sure, didn't get to see much of Michael himself.  Right, Halling?"

"It is as you say, Doctor," Halling answered, "It was usually his soldiers that came to do his bidding."

"Indeed, Michael's soldiers…" Woolsey's voice held a good deal of suspicion and his posture was threatening as he leaned toward McKay.  Ronon couldn't help but glance at Doctor Keller, wondering why she had been called to the meeting, and a very uncomfortable feeling began to stir, snakelike, in the pit of his belly.

**

    The night was uncomfortably cold. The frost crept along the ground and condensed the air around their feet, some kind of arcane breath that came as a precursor to the arrival of the Haradian Hag… and arrive she would, for the Red Star had appeared in the heavens several hours before.

Miran walked through his people, watching the way each of them huddled together with their families, perhaps for warmth, but mostly out of fear.  He had no family, and neither did he feel fear, only anger; anger at their continued subjugation by the Haradian people and frustration at his own people's apathy, their unwillingness to fight back.

Once again the Red Star had appeared, and once more they had all gathered, lambs to the slaughter, awaiting the coming of the one who would sniff among their young womenfolk, and select the one that would be expected, willingly, to make the sacrifice for all of them, and go with the Hag to the Haradian city, to suffer the ancestors-only-knew what kind of torment and torture.

He stopped walking and pulled his jacket closer around him against the cold.  His eyes still moved among the crowds of people, seeking out the one for whom his anger, his need for action, burned most brightly.  She looked up and met his eyes in the same moment.  She was huddled with her mother and father; with her brother, who also met Miran's gaze. Not tonight… please not this time, his expression said.

Lisstha stood resolute.  Afraid, yes, he could see it in her eyes, but he knew she would not falter or fail to do her duty by her people if The Choice should fall on her.  None of the young women would.  None of them dared, and for most of them it had become so ingrained, so expected, that not a single one among them would even consider marriage until they had passed through three such nights as these without being chosen.

It had become their tradition, a way of life for them, as had accepting those others that the Haradia,'s brought to their settlement, expecting to be cared for, to be subsumed into their community as wives and foster sisters, husbands and foster brothers, but it was wrong… and sooner or later the others would see it – when the last of the elders passed as smoke beyond the Ancestral Ring – and would finally hear Miran's words, and stand with him against their Haradian masters.

The low hum that shook through their bellies filled the air for a moment and in the distance a flash of light split the darkness.

"She is coming."

"The Hag is coming."

"It is time."

The many frightened whispers began to pass among the villagers, as much a part of the ritual as was their gathering out in the cold to await their tormentors.

"And we will stand ready," the young women answered together.

As he watched Lisstha's lips move to shape the words, Miran's fists clenched at his sides and his eyes filled with angry tears.

"No," he cried and began to push his way through the crowd of people, who had started to draw together as the time approached.  "This is wrong.  Can't you see that?"  He broke through to the front of the crowd and turned to face them, spreading his arms wide.  "How many more of our young women must we let them take?  How many more lives must they destroy before you—?"

"Peace, young Miran," Dannad, the eldest of the leading council stepped forward into the space alongside him.  He held out his hand toward him.  Miran knew it was meant to be a calming gesture, but it only enflamed his anger still further.

"Don't patronise me, Dannad," he virtually spat the words in the elder's direction.

"No one is patronising anyone," Dannad answered softly, genuine in his concern, "but we all know how much you feel for young Lisstha and that it is understandable, given that, why you would speak this way."

Lisstha stepped away from her mother's arms, coming forward to appeal to him.  "I know you want to protect me.  I'm not afraid."

"You should be." he told her, reaching out, first to her and then to all of them.  "You should, all of you, be afraid – and angry too.  There's no need for this.  We shouldn't have to—"

"Miran, please…" Lisstha's light touch against his chest cut him off.  He automatically covered her hand with his to hold it there, to feel its warmth against where his heart beat wildly inside of him.  "Do not speak this way.  She is coming and could hear you, and then you know what will happen if she does."

"But Lisstha—"

She reached up then, to cup her hand around the back of his neck and draw him down to meet her waiting, but suddenly fierce, kiss.  All resistance in him melted away and he wound his arms tightly around her, deepening the kiss, shameless before the entire village in the way his frightened, needful hunger possessed her, made her his.

When the kiss broke, she leaned her head against his, breathing hard and whispered, "It will be all right."

He did not have the time to reply.  From the edge of the village came the sounds of footsteps, slow and labored, and the rustling of the deep grasses that grew there.  He spun around to face the direction of their coming, holding Lisstha close against him as he peered into the darkness along with the others.

The Hag came, as she always did, supported by two men.  Both carried weapons strapped against their thighs, though they never had to use them.  The fear of the Hag, and what defying her would mean for the village, kept the villagers away from them, away from the old Haradian woman.

He felt the old woman's eyes on him as though a physical touch.  Against every instinct he turned his head, raised his eyes to look on her.  Of themselves his arms tightened protectively around Lisstha and he shivered in near revulsion.

The crone was quite simply the most ancient creature he had ever seen.  Her bones were bent and twisted with the effort of supporting her withered flesh for so many years.  Her hair, what little she still possessed, was as grey as the frosty air that oozed along the ground ahead of her.  However, where her eyes should have been filmed and milky with age, they remained piercing and sharp, pale and faded certainly, but possessed of a fire that burned from somewhere within the old witch.

"Let the women… stand forward," she said and her voice, little more than a whisper, poured ice over every nerve he possessed.

**

    "So what exactly are you saying, Doctor McKay?" Woolsey asked, his voice precise in the way he schooled the inflection.

"I'm saying that I haven't yet had the time to talk to Zelenka about what they saw, about the sensor data, about anything that happened aboard Daedalus, so I can't help you."

Sheppard frowned again at the combative way that Woolsey was proceeding with the debriefing.  He was almost acting as though he was trying to make everyone angry and insecure.

"But every indication is that the Wraith now possess some kind of super-weapon capable of destroying a ship with a single shot," Woolsey said.

"No," Rodney countered, holding up a hand, finger raised. "That could have been a lucky shot.  Michael's ship could have suffered an overload.  There are any number of things that—"

"The report from the officer aboard Daedalus says that the beam was reflected back by Mi—" Woolsey began to argue.

"He also reported," Rodney snapped, "that the sensors on the Daedalus were down.  So you're talking about human perceptions.  People often misinterpret—"

"We all saw it, Rodney," Sheppard sighed at having to contradict Rodney, but he had to stop McKay from playing into Woolsey's hands and making a total fool of himself.

"All right!" The exasperation in the scientist's voice rang out across the room.  "Even if, and I still think it's a pretty big if, the Wraith have developed some kind of new technology, fine!  They're using it against each other and against Michael.  We don't know of its effectiveness against non-wraith technology.  So, great, they're blowing each other out of existence.  Let them!"  He threw up his hands.

"My point, Doctor McKay," Woolsey went on, apparently unruffled, "Is that while you have been busy with whatever it is you have been doing these last – how long is it, three years, four? – the Wraith have continued to grow in both number and military effectiveness and—"

"All right, that's enough!" Sheppard couldn't hold off any longer.  Not with Woolsey getting so personal.  "If you're about to suggest that the members of my team have been sitting around on their asses while the Wraith have been running freely around the galaxy you just better be prepared for the indigestion you'll get when I shove your words so far down your bureaucratic throa—"

"Are you threatening me, Colonel Sheppard?" Woolsey snapped indignantly, "because if you are—"

"You know my reputation, Mister Woolsey," Sheppard emphasized the civilian title just a little.  He hadn't meant to be quite so graphic in his rebuttal of the man's insinuations, but truth be told, Woolsey had always irritated him, and was getting completely under his skin now.  "Even if I were, when I last looked, strategy and ordnance research came under military jurisdiction and I'm still the ranking military officer in command of this expedition so—"

"For how much longer is the question though, isn't it, Colonel?" Woolsey said.

"I don't think so," Sheppard said, refusing to allow himself to be baited on that particular subject.  "No one wants the job, Richard.  Why do you think they sent you?"

There was silence in the room for several seconds and Sheppard sat back with an almost satisfied smile on his face.

Eventually Woolsey said, "Well, Doctor McKay, when you do get a chance to look over the data from the Daedalus concerning the new Wraith weapon, I'd appreciate your insights and your opinion of how we might best be able to defend against them."

"Of course," Rodney said, and he glanced over at Sheppard in silent gratitude.

"While we're on the subject of the Wraith," Woolsey shrugged further back into the fabric of his uniform, "perhaps you'd care to enlighten me on the one you've consulted with on several occasions."

"Todd?" Sheppard frowned, "Nothing to tell."

"That's not my understanding of the situation," Woolsey argued, "In fact, during the recent months, Colonel Carter's reports have indicated that you've collaborated—"

"Collaborated?"  Ronon snapped in question.

Sheppard cringed and quickly put in, "I'd hardly call it that," he shifted a little in his seat, "we merely suggested that if he were to share any Intel he might have on Michael's whereabouts then we might be able to—"

"Colonel Sheppard, you gave him our research on the Hoffan drug." Woolsey leaned forward.  "Isn't that right, Doctor Keller?"

"Some…" the doctor began stammering out her answer, clearly caught off guard, "I mean… that is… it wasn't all of it, just—"

"We determined what would be the safest part of the information to give to him and that was all we did," Sheppard said, his irritation leveled at Woolsey's continued efforts to undermine their actions, particularly with so much at stake and so little time remaining quickly rising to an almost unbearable level.

As much as Woolsey had obviously read the mission and field reports, he did not at all seem bothered by the time constraints they were facing according to the information Sheppard brought back from his visit to their future.

Woolsey continued his inquisition, shuffling another set of files to the top of his stack and asked, "And what of the attempts to find a cure for Doctor Beckett?"

"Well," Keller started to answer as Woolsey turned a baleful eye in her direction.  "With everything else that's been happening, I haven't really had the chance to engage in further research, I—"

"You see," Woolsey sat back, his hands resting on either side of the stack of files in front of him, "this is exactly the kind of thing that proves my point."

"And your point is?" Sheppard folded his arms in lazy defiance.

"Colonel Sheppard, the activities pursued by this expedition have, to date, been entirely too reactive.  We need to refocus our attention on the current needs of base; prioritize our efforts by those that will most effectively alleviate our needs and, above all, defend the personnel and technology of Atlantis against hostile—"

"It isn't just about Atlantis any more," Sheppard argued, glancing toward Halling.  "Take a look around you."

"That's as may be," Woolsey began, but Halling interrupted when he paused for breath.

"It is true, Mister Woolsey, that when the people of your expedition woke the Wraith; once more when you helped the people of Hoff refine their virus to be employed against them, and then again when you tampered with the programming of the machines you call the Replicators, your people subsumed everyone into your troubles."  He held up his hand to prevent Woolsey from interrupting.  "While neither I, nor my Athosian brothers and sisters hold you to blame for these things, I do believe you now have a responsibility to help defend all the people of this galaxy against the threats they now face."

Woolsey's face darkened as he seemed to be gathering words in defense against what Sheppard knew to be the truth.

"Halling's right," Sheppard said, irritably, trying to bring the argument to an end.  "Look, we don't have time for this.  Daedalus' sensors confirm Rodney's information – that Michael launched several ships before his cruiser blew.  He was on one of them, I'm telling you, and he woulda had Teyla with him.  Our priority now is finding out where those ships went so that we can finish what we started and get out there to rescue Teyla.  She's counting on—"

“I'm sorry, Colonel Sheppard, but I can't authorize another rescue mission," Woolsey said, quietly, but firmly authoritative. "The loss of life has been too great already, and we can't waste any more time—"

"Waste!"  Halling's chair flew across the room as the usually quiet and placid Athosian jumped to his feet.  "Waste?  How dare you!"  He started to come around the table toward Woolsey in a manner that was anything but placid.  Sheppard had to confess to being more than a little disappointed when Ronon quickly put himself between the two men.

"Take it easy, Halling, he didn't mean it like that," Ronon said in a soft growl, and with a look at Woolsey that was equally as, if not more, threatening than Halling's demonstration.

Halling angrily pushed Ronon's hand away from his chest.  "He meant it exactly that way," he said, and then looking past Ronon to address Woolsey once more, added, "Teyla Emmagan is the leader of my people.  We have shown nothing but friendship and loyalty to the people of your expedition, Teyla more than any other, Mister Woolsey.  If our assistance, if our friendship truly means so little to you that you would leave her to the mercy of one such as Michael, then in her place I shall make sure that you must suffer our presence no more!"

Trembling visibly, as though the outburst had left him drained, Halling said not another word, but turned and left the briefing room.  The automatic doors were nothing but a sigh behind him and Sheppard was certain that Halling would have been more satisfied if he could have slammed the door behind him.

**

    Miran boiled with impotent rage, held immobile by the press of villagers who, not wanting to let go of their daughters and sisters until they had no choice otherwise, had surged to form a tight semi circle behind the line of women who stood forward for The Choice.

He could barely see where Lisstha stood with her arms wrapped around herself.  She stood between a younger woman to one side and another, like herself, to the other.

Flanked by protective guards, the Hag walked slowly down the line of women. Every now and then she would reach out to squeeze a pinch of a woman's arm, or to turn her head from one side to another, much as would a farmer checking cattle or beasts of burden.  When she did, the women did their best not to cringe, but each of them did none the less.  Mostly, however, the Hag waved a small, flattish box in front of each one and paused before moving on.

Miran held his breath when she reached Lisstha.  As if she felt the lack of breath in his lungs, Lisstha turned her head to peer in his direction and recoiled only slightly when the ages-old hands reached out to test her young flesh.

He knew it was deliberately meant as a taunt; that the old witch had seen him with Lisstha when she stepped into the clearing.  Following hard on that realization his rage sparked and once more caught aflame as he understood that, given what she must have witnessed, the crone would more than likely settle her choice on Lisstha, right or wrong.  The inertia that held him snapped and he pushed his way forward.

"No!" he cried even as the old Haradian woman announced her choice.

"This one," she said.

"You can't, she—"

"Will stand as the one chosen from your village," one of the bodyguards snapped.

"Please, Miran," Lisstha wept as she spoke, "I'll go, I—"

"It was your last time, Lisstha," he pleaded, with her, with the villagers, even with the Hag herself, "her last time!"

"Her fate," the crone whispered, already retreating with one of her guards.

"Ensure that she is brought to the stone at the proper time," the remaining guard ordered, as he too withdrew.

**

    The senior staff meeting had degenerated into chaos after Halling's angry departure.  Both McKay and Sheppard had followed him, whilst Ronon had only been discouraged from taking out his gun and shooting Woolsey when Jennifer had physically put herself between the big Satedan and the new base commander.

"Leave it, Ronon," she said softly, pressing one of her hands against his chest, much as he had done Halling.  The other she pressed against his hand that had already closed around the grip of his weapon.  "He isn't worth it."

Ronon shook off her contact and stormed from the room, hardly placated by her words.  For several moments afterwards there was near silence in the room.  She quickly gathered her papers, nervous and wanting to leave.

Before she could, Woolsey said, "Thank you, Doctor Keller."

"Believe me, Mister Woolsey," she answered with a good deal of hostility in her own voice, "I didn't do it for you, and if I were you, after a thoughtless comment like that, you'd be better to just stay out of everyone's way."

"Much as I appreciate the advice, Doctor," Woolsey answered with a calm irritation that reminded her uncomfortably of her father, "I'm not here to be liked."

"Good," she started, gathering up the rest of her paperwork.  "Teyla is a good friend to the people of this base, so making comments like that is going to make certain that you won't be."

"It wasn't just a comment, I assure you," he countered, "It's a standing order."

"Well," she began to head to the door, "I'm sure you'll realize sooner or later that you'll have to… to… un-order it."

"Look, Doctor Keller," Woolsey moved a little in front of her to stop her departure.  "Teyla has been with Michael for weeks now.  There's no telling what he's done, or will do, or even if she's still alive."

"You heard what Colonel Sheppard said," she argued, even though she knew she should just walk around the man and leave, as the others had done.  "He will have taken Teyla with him and—"

"You don't know that," Woolsey said, "He was perfectly happy to leave others behind."

"—and he didn't hurt the others."

"Didn't he?" Woolsey said.  As she watched his eyes narrow in suspicion, Jennifer felt her stomach tightening in worry.  Was he fishing, or did he already know?

"No," she lied, "he didn't do anything to either of them, in fact, he healed Doctor McKay's wounded arm quite expertly and from what Rodney said, had tried to help Major Lorne too."

"My point is—"

"No, my point, Mister Woolsey, is that I have patients to attend to and don't have time to stand around and argue with you about things that may or may not have happened."

Without waiting for him to answer and make her tell yet more lies, Jennifer pushed past him and slipped between the opening doors.

"There's something you're hiding, Doctor," Woolsey's voice followed her through the doorway, "And rest assured, when I find out—"

Too angry to be intimidated she spun around and slapped her hands against the sides of the closing doors, halting their progress.

"You'll what, Mister Woolsey?" she snapped, "Fire me?"

"Well—"

"Everybody needs a doctor, and on this base, I'm it.  And as far as medical decisions go, they're mine as well."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Woolsey asked sounding as puzzled as he was irritated.

"Just…" she turned away quickly as she felt her face starting to flush with color, in guilt, "Just stay out of my infirmary," she snapped and then stormed away.

**

    The meeting hall was awash with villagers as it always was after the visit from the Haradian Hag.  Families huddled together in happy relief and elders served chunks of bread and hot tea from massive cauldrons hung over the central fire.

It seemed to Lisstha, who stood with her family apart from the others, that they always forgot that such times left one family facing a loss.  Today that fell to her and along with the fear of what was to happen to her she felt crushed by the weight of guilt for all the times that she and her family had behaved as the others were now.

A brief scuffle by the doorway of the hall drew Lisstha from her dark thoughts.  Her heart sank still further however when she saw Miran.  He was standing at the front of a small group of men, all of them trying to push their way into the hall.

"Turn back, Miran."  One of the villagers stepped forward again to block Miran's path.  "Your kind is not welcome here.

"My kind?" Miran spread his arms and turned full circle before the villagers, who were gathering now to make an audience for his foolishness.  "When last I looked, Agrig, I was still of the village; still just like you."

"Not since you've been preaching rebellion," Agrig answered looking around at the villagers for support.  A brief murmur answered his searching, but Lisstha found it hard to tell if it was one of assent or disagreement.

"Rebellion?" Miran spat the word in disbelief, then added in a voice of appeal, "What I advocate is for us to defend ourselves."  He walked forward then, pushing past Agrig to take the center of the hall as his own.  "Far too long we have let the Haradians rule us with fear; take our young women; make us take in—"

"Have a care, Miran," another of the villagers stepped up to face him.  Lisstha recalled the man clearly.  He was Ynek, and before this last year she would have expected he would have been one of those men standing behind Miran.  Early in the last year, however, he had taken to wife one of the others the Haradians brought, from time to time, to their village, and now Ynek and his wife had an infant daughter.

"It is not the outsiders I blame, Ynek," Miran answered earnestly, "your wife and others like her have been an asset to our village."

Lisstha considered Miran's words on many levels.  What he said was true and, whilst his words soothed and appeased Ynek's growing temper, knowing Miran as she did she was sure that he did not mean them in quite the positive way that Ynek had heard them.

With the Haradians taking many of their young women, and the others rejecting love and marriage in the wake of the fear which had crushed even her own strong spirit, births had begun to decline.  The village had started to die.  If it were not for the outsiders that were brought, it would probably already be gone.  Lisstha began to wonder just why the Haradians needed the women of her village quite so much as to go to so much trouble.

"We cannot hear your words, Miran," Ynek told him, "You know what will happen if we try to defy the Haradians.  We all know."

"It is a threat, Ynek, and a threat alone that has kept us subjugated for generations," Miran said.  The frustration was clear in his voice.

"You don't know that.  You can't." One of the older men stepped forwards, still cradling his grown daughter at his side.  "There are histories of what happened before, when our grandfathers defied the Hag and brought destruction on the village.

"Tales," Miran said and turned to face the man.  "And with no more certainty of truth than the threat of the demons the Haradians say they will bring."

"It is not the demons we need fear," one of the elders spoke up, "the Haradians themselves are more than capable of destroying us, and demons can be banished.  No, it is the attacks that will come from the Haradians that would undo our lives if we stand against tradition now."

"It is not tradition," Miran said angrily.  "It is slavery."

"No, Miran.  We cannot take the risk.  The tradition this year will stand and I am sorry for your loss." The elder glanced at Lisstha.  She looked away, trying to banish tears from her eyes.  Had she then hoped that Miran would persuade them to defend her right to stay with her people?

"Wait," Miran tried once more, "there is more."  He turned to face all of the villagers now, his expression fervent.  "I have been visited."

"Visited?" One of the women frowned in puzzled concern, and looked over at her husband to add his voice to the question.

"What do you mean, 'visited'?" the man asked.

"An angel," Miran said, "He came to me and offered us a way to bring help to the village if the Haradians come.  Don't you see…?  A sequence of sacred drawings on the altar beside the Ring of the Ancestors that will summon help to our cause.  With help we do not need to submit to the Haradians any more."

"How can you be so sure he is not one of the demons the Haradians can bring if we do not do as they command?" another of the villagers asked fearfully.  "You should beware of speaking with creatures beyond our ken."

"He was no demon, Marton," Miran said confidently, "He has offered us freedom and asks nothing in return.  He recognizes it is wrong to be slaves to any others.  He gave me a device," he held up a small black box.  It did not look like anything of use to Lisstha.  "He said that once the Ancestors' Ring shows the blue of the light, we should hold the nub and speak into this to summon the others that will help us."

Lisstha sighed.  Now he was speaking madness.  His grief at the thought of losing her had scrambled his mind.

"Miran, please stop," she stepped away from her mother's arms and came to him then.  "Can you not hear the madness in your words?  How much do you think this hurts me?  That you cannot see past your own sadness to the safety my leaving will bring to the village.  I do not want this memory to take with me, Miran.  I have loved you, and will always, no matter what befalls me when I leave, but I do not want to remember you insane with your grief."

"Lisstha speaks sense, Miran."  The elder stepped away from a quiet conference he had been having with a number of the village husbands.  "We all of us understand your grief, but for your own safety, my friend, I fear we have no choice but to secure you until you can find your right mind again… find your balance."

"Grieve for me, please," Lisstha said softly, "But do not insult what I do with talk of things that cannot be."

**

    He watched from the shadows between two buildings as they led Miran away.  Perhaps he had been wrong in his choice of whom he would use to bring about that which was desired.  Perhaps he had not seen the rashness in the man – only the way he was driven in his love for the girl.  If Miran could not persuade his fellow villagers to act, then he would have to try a more direct intervention, as he could not afford to fail in his own mission.

[lucilassie]

Her era has just begun. 🌎

[phoenixtakaramono]

There are only two episodes left in The Boys S4, but having seen the leaks and with what we got, I have some opinions.

My conspiracy theory is that they got too many cooks in the kitchen (writers in the writer’s room)—plus the writer’s strike and pandemic happening during this time—and it’s starting to make sense how they dropped the ball with this season.

[playitagainmyjohnny]

[saintemarvel]

"We are creeping toward the edge… and there will be a reckoning."

[formulatrash]

occasionally I find articles I've clearly written but I have no idea where for or whether they were ever published. but this is a nice Formula E one so -

“It’s a bit of a saviour for us.” - Formula E remakes racing - and drivers

Formula E is often talked about as revolutionising motorsport, as challenging the traditional narratives in the field. Which it does - it’s a taboo-busting, tech-bending series in which some of the most forbidden subjects in automotive fields, like climate change, are held up as priorities. 

But no sport is a single story - within Formula E, teams and manufacturers and drivers are living out their own narratives. Despite a lot of jibes early on about being a Formula One retirement or rejection home, Formula E has a list of continent-spanning manufacturers any other series would be just as eager to boast about, more teams trying to get in than it has entries and a driver field that anyone who knows their stuff - and especially any other drivers with any sense - knows is incomparable. 

When the series first began, it was considered a surefire failure by a lot of people. And the drivers entering were considered idiots, greedy or desperate - depending on their previous racing record, their pay check or the recency of them getting publicly insulted by Helmut Marko. 

I asked one of the third category, now two-time race winner and BMW factory driver Antonio Felix da Costa, what he thought of the series then: “When I touched a Formula E car for the first time I wasn’t convinced. But I was going through a really hard time in my life - I’d just lost out on my Toro Rosso seat, which had felt like a sure thing at the time so I was a bit frustrated. I had a test in a Formula E car and I just thought ‘****, I’m only going downhill from now.’”

He stayed in the series, completing his fiftieth race in Monaco last weekend but plenty of people might have called him an idiot for doing it at the time; fellow stalwart Sam Bird - one of four drivers to have contested every round of Formula E - told me the prognosis for Formula E was bleak from the beginning: “It was getting touted as maybe the next Superleague Formula or A1GP, which it obviously, clearly isn’t but those were the kind of things people were saying, that it might die after a year.”

Not the ideal scenario for any driver going through something at the time - and a lot of them were. From Bird being on the brink of quitting racing altogether to Jean-Eric Vergne’s very public fall from grace in Formula One. 

JEV told me he was “a bit in shock” when he first arrived, knowing nothing about the series and having been sent to far-flung Punta del Este at almost no notice and stepping into a difficult-to-drive, utterly alien car, in a series very little like any other, even then - car swaps are hardly standard driver practice. 

Even so, he described his first race as being a relief: “Like a bird that’s had his wings clipped - I felt like I found my wings again.”

Antonio went even further, saying about drivers like himself, JEV and Sam, “It’s a bit of a saviour for us.” He had to be persuaded, BMW convincing him to keep their own foothold in a championship no one was totally sure of committing to yet. 

“That was a massive extra incentive for me and looking at it now, it’s probably the best decision I could possibly have taken in my whole career, to stay in Formula E”, Antonio said. 

Sam himself said the same thing: “When I look back on my career, this will probably be the defining series. I would probably say that about a lot of the drivers in this paddock.” 

But what is it about the series that’s so redemptive? An ultra-competitive field goes a long way, giving drivers the chance to rebuild confidence, if they can take opportunities where they can but with Lucas di Grassi describing it as the most stressful racing series he’s ever been in, it’s definitely not because it’s all hugs and puppies. 

The Season 3 champion was enthusiastically on-board with Formula E from the very start but told me last month that it’s a huge test of driver skill and endurance, even more than Le Mans - “Because of this level of difficulty; every track is different, weather conditions are different and you have very little time to adapt. If you are on top of it every time it’s very difficult for other drivers to match you there. Even if you win two or three races but then you’re nowhere, you can easily be overtaken by someone who’s always there roughly at the front - so consistency is very difficult in Formula E.”

Even coming in mentally at the top of your game is tricky - as we’ve seen in subsequent seasons as highly-rated drivers flounder under the pressure. But something also makes it somewhere drivers can thrive even at what JEV described to me as “the lowest” following F1 rejection, saying at the time he arrived in Formula E – “I needed to pick myself back up if I wanted to have a career at all.”

And Formula E isn’t easy - Antonio had a win in the first season, then nothing until the first race of Season 5, for instance. 

Formula E is close - but some teams are much, much closer than others, as we can see from the struggles of Dragon and NIO this year. Antonio said he was glad to see the back of his own tricky seasons: “Last year, when New York was done I was just happy not to have to sit in that car again. It was never a doubt about the team, the people because I knew what was coming but it was just hard. When I know I’m able to fight all of these guys and you just don’t have the tools - I was even lapped in New York. It was the end of the season, my powertrain was so tired, my car was not efficient at all, I was begging to retire - that was a low point. As soon as I got out of New York, though, we went testing for Season 5 and when I sat in this car I thought “Here we go, finally” - like the break of my life was coming.”

Maybe that’s what it is, even if you’re coming from somewhere genuinely dark. As Sam put it to me, “it is very close and on anybody’s day they can be up there” – despite having what he called “a frankly, **** three races” and no luck turnaround in Monaco, he’s still only a couple of good weekends off regaining the championship lead – and there’s four races to go. 

JEV, the true turnaround king of the championship, knows that only too well. It took him nearly three entire seasons to finally win a Formula E race - his first victory since Formula Renault in 2011. I was there, on my very first proper flyaway Formula E race as a journalist (having stuck to Europe and North Africa before) and was as keen as anyone to see a heroic narrative play out, to get that redemption story that’s part of what makes sport so inspiring and involving in the first place.

Formula E seems to give back for the faith you put into it. From taking what Sam called “a big leap into the unknown” in the first place, by entering, to knuckling down and committing to it rather than seeing it as a stepping stone to – or back to – somewhere else. 

JEV told me that first win in Montreal was “where [he] gained everything,” going on to a summer of building up Techeetah. It was key for him to find his position in the series and be able to compete without getting lost in his own performance. 

“I was more confident and more experienced. It was a difficult turnaround and I’m ok. I don’t make the same mistake as before, that when you achieve something good you lose focus and think you’re the king of the world; I won last year but the day after, I was thinking about this season.”

Formula E’s appeal for drivers is a lot in that they make a difference – with cars so close together, they’re fighting for the best performance they can put in, not the best the team could hope for. In a championship where half the grid is within mathematical distance of the title, there isn’t any true midfield let alone back markers. Even after a difficult period spanning over half of the season so far, Sam said, “it’s not like the lead of the championship is far away.”

Even with the weight of nine manufacturers, a paddock that has at times this year turned outright paranoid and some contractual shenanigans in one team that would be the envy of any caffeine magnate, Formula E remains competitive. Every series puts drivers under incredible pressure, but not all of them give them the tools to deliver. 

Talent gets a redemption arc in Formula E because it’s possible to showcase it. As JEV put it to me, the attitude is “let’s have fun and go race.”

[nattyngale]

My piece for the @akeshuakeauzine!

The Danganronpa V3 AU that's been silently brewing in my head for a long while already. A bit of info on the AU (and Akiren's design) under the cut.

Spoilers for NDRV3!

Akiren is the Ultimate Leader who is trying his best to unite the group together, while Akechi poses as the Ultimate Detective but gets quickly revealed as the Ultimate Assassin.

The storyline starts with Kasumi as the main character, so the first trial ends with her execution and the subsequent shift to Sumire as the main character. Akiren quickly befriends her and most of the cast in general, running himself ragged with trying to provide support and stop others from making fatal mistakes. Fails, obviously.

Akechi is cordial at first, but during the first trial turns out to be much more ruthless than he appeared. After being exposed for lying about his talent he drops most of his pretending and keeps to himself, pushing away Akiren and Sumire's attempts at trying to understand him. He is quick to realise the killing game they're trapped in is a TV show, but due to his lack of trust in anyone he follows the same path as Ouma in the original game. He becomes antagonistic and arranges a murder to try and crush the killing game later.

Akechi and Akiren's story ends the same way Ouma and Momota's does in Chapter 5: with them unexpectedly uniting in secret to defy the Game, Akechi sacrificing himself to keep Akiren alive, and Akiren pretending to be him during the trial, but refusing to let his friends die at the very end, dying himself instead.

And they wake up because it was a Virtual Reality. Bc I'm too soft-hearted. I can't deal with it. Sorry <3

But it's also important to the backstory on how Akechi joined the show: Akechi was a new TV idol under Shido's company, completely manufactured to eventually promote Danganronpa by joining a new season. He agrees on condition that he will play the role of the mastermind, so that he could retain his original memories and use it to expose and ruin the series and the entire studio with it. Shido agrees, but when the time comes Akechi's memories get wiped and he finds himself as just one of the many participants. The real mastermind is Mishima. Bc I think it's very amusing and ironic, and he fits the role of a fanboy perfectly. + Whatever is going on between Mishima and Akechi in this AU bc of that is hilarious to me.

Oh, and here is Akiren's full height design bc I like it a lot:

Anw this AU is my baby and secretly an oumota propaganda.

[thethiefandtheairbender]

as a lifelong ATLA fan who narrowly had ATLA dethroned as my top show by The Dragon Prince steadily over the past 5 years, the similarities between the two have very little to do with the surface level parallels that get regularly drawn between them.

Like ATLA, TDP has Books for seasons and chapters for episodes, but unlike ATLA, which only touched on storytelling sparingly as a theme, TDP is obsessed with interrogating storytelling and history and the presence of unreliable, biased narrators throughout many of its episodes (most notably 2x05, 2x06, 3x06, 4x04, and 4x07 among them). Half of what you learn in the 1x01 intro ends up being a lie once you reach S3, with more being steadily deciphered.

Yes, TDP has different magics with people living under those umbrella terms... for the elves. Humans are coming culturally at things from a completely different angle, and the elves' connection to their primal sources are discussed philosophically in detail, informing their practices and their culture first hand, including the way they chafe against humans, who are arcanum-less. Many animals in the world are also connected to magic, which influences both their design and which ones get hunted for humans' more 'clever' solution in dark magic, including each other.

The core issue of the Puppetmaster, down to being a coercive magic formed by someone deeply resentful of their imprisonment? Said puppetmaster is the main endgame antagonist of the entire show with all of S4 onwards being exploring the ethics of controlling people against their will in various methods, and the entire show itself being a thematic battleground of fate (imprisonment) vs free will for virtually every single character.

Where ATLA mostly concerns itself timeline wise with ending the war, very little thought is shown by any of the characters as to what they'll do after the war. This isn't a problem (as it reflects the sheer domineering scope of the conflict) but even Zuko being firelord is only ever really addressed with 2.5 episodes left till the finale. TDP, meanwhile, ends its 'war' in s3 and s4 opens up with dealing with the old wounds festering between people with centuries of history, the struggles that come when people aren't able to let go and believe they're safe or mourn in a healthy manner, and the religious/cultural clashes that may occur when trying to integrate different groups of people.

TDP also has an evil father with a devoted daughter and a brother who eventually defects, but it explores the reality of an abusive parent who loves/will sacrifice for you and your right to leave regardless, even if that means leaving the sibling you truly deeply love and who loves you in turn. Which means that when you and your sibling are on opposite sides of a deep ideological conflict, it actually really fucking hurts bc we've seen first hand just how much they love each other and also how and why everything fell apart not in spite of that love necessarily, but also because of it.

Is this to say that TDP is a 1:1 with ATLA or that it's better? No, not at all, and the latter is subjective. I prefer TDP, but I think they're about on equal ground when you look at each show currently as a whole (although TDP has two seasons left to go).

But TDP takes a lot of what ATLA was doing thematically with some of its most interesting beats and then builds or expands upon them further. It talks further and more consistently about the cycles of violence; in many ways, Jack De Sena's character, Callum, begins the series largely where Sokka had ended (and he's not the most like Sokka anyway; very much his own thing); we get Faustian bargains and centuries' long grief and fucked up people who are trying both succeeding and failing at not doing fucked up things. There are antagonists, but it is very hard to actually label anyone at this point a straight up villain. Moral greyness is where the show starts, and it just continues from there.

That's not to say the show is nothing but dark and depressing - like ATLA, there's a steady thread of hope and humour even as the show gets steadily closer and closer to its 11th hour point - but the show is usually emotionally heavier. There's more blood and potentially disturbing imagery with body horror and on screen death. There's so much foreshadowing you basically can't go more than 5 minutes into any episode without having something that's going to come back around or be referenced again like 3-5 seasons later.

Just to be clear - TDP is like ATLA, but it's like ATLA in interesting ways beyond the more shallow surface level that usually gets attributed to it, while still very much being its own show and its own thing. And that is why I tend to recommend it to people who like ATLA.

Thank you and goodnight

(Also, the fandom doesn't have any ship wars, and the show is queer as fuck)

[raceweek]

hello. alexalblondo's rude anon coming here to humbly and politely beg for galex primer because i dont understand their history. george said he lived at alex's family's house at one point? how - weren't they already racing? sorry thank you humble thank you 🙏🙏

hello!!! thanks chris for the referral FKFJDKD

i have overwhelmed my alex and george tags so much that i fear i could never capture all of it but my galex key moment anthology is under the cut!!

karting/early single seaters

Alex thinks they met in 2011 but the footage in georges flip phone says he knew alex back in 2009.

Their first actual interaction (so far as they've told the world) was when alex was world champion with the intrepid karting team and bc he was their reference driver he was asked to help pick the drivers who were quick to replace him when he moved up and he picked george (and charles) so they were then part of that same intrepid driver programme for a while. Interestingly, alex was always at least one year above him bc of their ages and george says the fact they didn't really race directly against each other before 2016 was probably why they became such good friends.

They did a deep dive of their camera rolls from this time on twitch a couple years back and talked about the oldest pictures they have of each other in their camera rolls (1:25:36) which was cute.

2017

2017 is the year george basically lived with alex. They were also sharing a trainer whilst alex was competing in gp2 and george was in gp3. George was doing mercedes sim work at their factory so rented a flat in milton keynes near where alex lived but according to alex that rent was wasted money bc george had more meals at alexs' house than he did that year. Also as detailed in those links, the Great Mountain Biking Incident of 2017 occurred at this time so we have the fun mental image of george literally wheeling alex into a&e on a wheelchair bc that is an actual event that happened.

2018

George and alex both in f2 fighting for the title year wooooo!! They never really fought on track but we did get fun tidbits like when alex pipped george to the win at silverstone bc george had a slow pit stop and giggled about it in parc ferme (5:42) & these post session interviews.

also some incredible photoshoots.

2019

Promotion to f1!!! We started the year at winter testing and this nugget that they have both accepted that they are actually tied together by the strings of fate. They're doing fun media stuff like karting and bullying each other over percentage of apexs hit at the skypad (video). 2019 also the start of the umbrella sharing. They were just together a lot… more skypad analysis!!!

2019 also has MY personal favourite galex moment which was hockenheim 2019 and the 45 minute phone call galex had on the way home after george missed out on scoring what would have been his first point in f1 and only point of the season.

There was also the summer break and enjoying a training camp together, exchanging infections etc. Alex also took george to meet lily for the first time, bc that’s a normal thing to do.

There was also the rookie of the year vid, and the rookie season review vid at the end of the year. Much was happening.

2020

The year started with f1 trying to race during a global pandemic. Fun! On the singular media day before everyone realised just how stupid that was they were being annoying. The lockdowns did give us the twitch streams. George was initially so bad at virtual racing he had to secretly consult alex's brother for help behind alexs back. George was also actively seeking alex out like a missile at any given opportunity and at one point felt necessary to declare that he wasn't alexs boyfriend when someone asked if alex was going to be streaming that day. Anyway my lockdown twitchscapades tag has a post with a playlist of all the streams that haven't been lost or deleted if you want to feel joy and have a spare million hours.

Racing resumed in July with the covid team bubbles and within two races and one qualifying session george was defending alexs honour to sky sports and the world in a truly remarkable fashion.

At the end of the year alex was unemployed....even more tragic than this loss was that alexs career difficulties were so extreme he started ghosting george, which devastated him to the extent he needed to publicly drag him for it.

There was also george asking lily to post alexs n*des on instagram and lily responding with if anyone has them it would be you which was perhaps the last time george had access to his own social media password.

Despite george not liking it they celebrated alexs first podium by going golfing! and reverse! George was also gifted an alex albon signed autograph card for christmas and said that he'll put it somewhere special x

2021

The beginning of 2021 was during lockdown and there was more fun virtual gps except the only two drivers doing it were george and alex so they were just bitching and gossiping and threatening to steal strategies and abu dhabi 2016 each other. Particular shoutout to the time they had a virtual race on valentines day and alex put a suit on for it and george was baffled. Immediately after valentines day was georges birthday which lily used to thank george for letting her borrow his boyfriend from time to time.

Then the season started with george enduring the season alexless and not letting anyone forget about it. Alex was turning up to races after being locked in the simulator until the early hours posting stuff like this on instagram and otherwise stumbling over his words after getting whipped on the ass.

Perhaps the defining moment of the galex 2021 season was george pushing the williams board to sign alex so heavily that they had to actively shut him out of proceedings. Also at this time there was this cute congrats from alexs family and one from alex to georgie about the mercedes seat.

anyway here's some more random 2021 nuggets:

i've seen him topless a few times

george getting alex a good deal on a merc x

yet More golf

the handover

georges driver room

2022

They truly lost every inch of personal space in 2022 like. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. The back signing Hello.

2022 had alex having his appendix out, nearly dying and alexs family updating george whilst alex was in the icu and then when alex returned for the next race in signapore a couple weeks later (insane behaviour) george was like mmm audacious of him to be here.

Elsewhere alex discovered georges photoshoot and was making screensavers about it. Alex also discovered hair dye and george was making instagram stories about it.

other random 2022 nuggets:

george is alexs fave f1 driver excluding himself

this skit williams did of lily finding a huge picture of george in alexs driver room

whatever this image is of lily george and alex

private plane carpool

double date

2023

@onadarklingplain covers the whole year for you much MUCH better than i ever could here!!!!!

and that brings us to present where they're just as weird and freaky with each other as ever!!!

[psychicreadsgirl]

Pick A Coffee Reading: How will you meet your next S/O?

Pick the coffee that draws you most. Remember if you are drawn to 2, then you can feel free to look at both readings. Take what resonates and leave what doesn't behind. This is a general reading so not everything will apply to you!

#1

You will likely meet your next S/O at some event or party. You will probably be introduced by someone or know each other from a mutual friend. You will likely meet in a more crowded/public area, so unlikely somewhere that's at home or familiar to you. This will feel more like an unexpected event as you probably had no plans to meet someone new that day.

#2

You will probably meet on a colder day, perhaps not the winter but perhaps on a day that's oddly cold for the season. It could be windy as well, but it's definitely not the typical day for that month/season. The weather could also be rather bad like rainy or storm or thunder or tornado or hurricane. It's probably not the most ideal setting/time for the meeting.

You'll likely look not your best on that day. Perhaps you also had a bad day too. This will likely be one of those random encounters, possibly at a school event/field trip/work related event like a conference. It could also be like even at a grocery store/convenience store where you're just running errands. It seems to be a "typical" day but then the meeting is rather atypical.

It's possible that after the meeting you won't even get connected to them properly until later on. You might even forget about this meeting and think they are annoying. It seems like this meeting's first impression is not so good.

#3

You will likely meet virtually/online. You will probably get connected through some interest or some activity online like they DM you on IG or you DM them on Twitter or something. You're also likely to befriend each other due to some common interest/goal like you might be wanting to study English or some other language so you become pen pals with them. You might be gaming and meet a fellow gamer friend who later becomes your S/O. You could also be introduced from a mutual online friend.

It's more likely that you will be friends with them first. The romance may also be slow burn, so even if you were to meet them online at first you might not even feel attracted to them at first. However after being friends for a while, you'll realize that they would be a good s/o.

#4

You're likely to meet them while travelling abroad or going out somewhere in the city. You're likely to meet them while having fun abroad so it could be a club or maybe a restaurant or a mall even. You could even meet them at a hotel/hostel/cruise. It seems like you're on some adventure when you meet them.

This may feel like a whirlwind romance as you feel instantly drawn to them. They may even show you around their hometown or place or they could be travelling abroad too so you guys explore the area together.

This romance could perhaps end as quickly as it starts though. However, for some it may even lead to marriage and your love story would be quite interesting to others. You might even start an IG/Youtube or something that features your romance abroad.

#5

You're likely to meet them at some place you often frequent. It could be a library where you often study or some coffee shop you often go to. The setting will be rather familiar to you.

The meeting could be either from an older person introducing you to them or from some mutual colleague/friend. It might even be like a blind date set up by your friends/family/parents. There seems to be some sort of "forced" situation here, and you likely already know you'd be meeting someone that day. There's some reluctance on your part to go this meeting and you will be pushed to go. You might even already have heard stories about this person and already made judgments about them before meeting them in person. It's sort of a situation where you already know the person's name but you don't know them personally.

This meeting will feel rather awkward at first. You will also probably be with someone else during this meeting so like a friend/family member will be there. It doesn't seem like a one-on-one meeting. It's unlikely that sparks will fly during this first meeting but I would say to give this person a chance and don't disregard them completely. While for some it is possible that this may not even turn into romance in the end, this person will be very beneficial to you somehow like could help you open doors for careers/give you a lot of advice/help you in some way/be very close to you.

#6

You will likely meet them while you are attending a concert, theatre, movie, ballet, etc - some sort of arts-related event. You might also have a bad impression of them when you first meet like they cut in front of you or they talk really loudly during the performance or block your view. You're likely going to either be by yourself at this attendance or with a group of friends. If you're with a group of friends then you're likely to join their group of friends. If you're by yourself, you could confront them or someone in their group somehow. They, on the other hand, will likely attend this event with a group of friends.

It's even possible that you will have attended the same event but don't realize until much later.

You're unlikely to keep contact with them after this attendance or even realize they existed then, but then you will somehow bump into them later. It could be like days later, months later, or even a year to a couple of years later. Somehow they will be in your life later like they could become a new employee at the firm you work in or a new student at your school or your new boss or somehow work at a place you often frequent.

[shut-up-danny-kun]

I've read hundreds of Star Trek TOS fics by now and it never ceases to amuse me how many different ways there are to fuck up Spock's characterization...now hold on just a minute - this post has a more interesting point than “fanfic writers stupid”, I promise you.

Every time, it's a spin on the massacre wheel. It's kind of amazing. Will he be overly emotional to the point where he's not himself anymore? Will he be so cold it's unpleasant and kind of hard to understand how he's lived to this point? Will he be extremely horny for no good reason? Will he speak in a way that sounds complety wrong?

I chuckle and shake my head. Of course, I KNOW what Spock is like, and MY interpretation of him is the most perfect and correct one. Obviously. He's just a very nuanced character, formed by many people in an unconventional way, with traits that seem to contradict each other at first but ultimately form a rich and unique character that so many people fell in love with specifically because he's so complicated...

Or...is he?

Let's entertain the idea that there isn't one correct interpretation of Spock, that all of these messy bits of characterization are not part of a bigger picture, but...just what they are: a product of many people with starkly different visions, working on a show that refuses to properly develop its characters. What then? Well, then Spock is a Rorschach test. Each viewer connects the random dots in their own way, and ignores the ones they don't like.

Let's use an example: me! In my interpretation of Spock (the most correct one, of course) he is, first of all, gay and on the asexual spectrum, reserved, largely uninterested in casual flirting or sex. When he is interested in the aforementioned things, he tends to be quite ashamed of it.

Makes sense, right? I can show you plenty of evidence for why that could be true. However, in the beginning of the first bloody season, Uhura sings a song about how Spock is actually kind of a heartthrob who likes to drive women insane with how hot he is, and Spock smiles. He smiles at her, as if agreeing and being very amused by all this! This interaction goes against pretty much everything I think about Spock. So what do I do? I explain it away in the most bizzare fucking way possible. See, Uhura and Spock are friends (there is no evidence for this), and Uhura knows everything I've just told you about him (through telepathy I guess? Not like he'd ever tell her!) and she's just trolling him (why would she do that? That is NOTHING like Uhura!). I need to do some Olympics-level mental gymnastics here, the opposite of Occam's razor.

“But Danny,” I hear you say, “it's just the start of the show! They hadn't figured out his character yet!”

To which I say: you can say that about anything! You can blame it all on a bad writer for that episode, and ignore virtually any scene that doesn't jive with your headcanons. It's there, and I can't ignore it.

So...how am I different from the people that want Spock to be thar heartthrob Uhura is singing about? That evidence is as much a part of canon as my favorite lines. Well, I'm not any different, that's the thing. And all those writers I complained about also have a point.

It's kind of a nihilistic take, I know, but maybe the reason Spock is such a cultural icon is because he is...whatever you want him to be: just concrete enough to spur on your imagination, yet vague and contradictory enough to let your brain fill in the gaps.

Don't get me wrong: I absolutely do not believe in this. In my mind, it just so happens that I'm one of the, like, 5 people ever who truly understood Spock (and one of them is Jim Kirk himself). But I still think it's something worth thinking about next time you're mad at a fic.

[lucilassie]

Feel my veins, pumping gasoline. 🔥 🦈

Assistance: @mmmayro , @weirdfandomchick

[lttawnymadison]

TGCF Revised Version Afterword by MXTX

Since I kept seeing snippets of this, I wanted to read the whole thing for myself. I'd already bought the book on JJWXC and did an MTL for this. It's so wonderful that she's back and sharing new things and that the revised is finally done! - Tawny --------------------------------------------- The author has something to say:

Seeing the small red clay stove again.

———— Afterword of "Heaven Official's Blessing" 2022

■ Finally done!

Long time no see! It's another afterword starting with "finally." Without further ado, seasoned readers would know that I make substantial revisions. For instance, scenes like the Bai Feng Mountain Hunt and the ending recognition of Sizhui in the serial version of "Mo Dao Zu Shi" were not originally there.

The revisions in "Heaven Official's Blessing" are the most extensive of all my works. It was a huge project, as it is also the longest in terms of length, serialized over eight months. Due to poor health and other reasons, the revision process was interrupted for a long time before I picked it up again, and it sporadically took about five to six months over several years.

In the era of web novels, there are endless new entertainments, and honestly, not many people re-read a story. Plus, some problems in the serialized version are structural and can't be changed, but I still tried my best to address my regrets. After all, when I was serializing it, I was almost always in a feverish and sick state, barely pushing through. Additionally, I often enjoy comparing different versions of my favorite authors' works back and forth, finding pleasure in the process. So, for readers, discovering "Wow, this part has changed!" is like starting a new journey with Easter eggs in a second round.

■ The new revised version includes about 100,000 words of new content!

These 100k words are mainly concentrated in the latter half of Volume 1 and Volume 3, but there are plenty scattered throughout the text. For example, I fulfilled a promise to A-Hua, giving him several new outfits. Seeing A-Hua dressed beautifully in a new hairstyle to meet his gege made me happy.

In terms of the intensity of revisions, personally, I feel it goes like this:

Volume 1 and Volume 2 > Volume 3 > Volume 5 > Volume 4.

Additionally, the new version cuts some redundant words and plots that weren't very meaningful. However, I tried to keep all the original interactions between Hua Lian as complete as possible. If some minor interactions are missing, they weren't deleted but moved around.

■ One day, I suddenly dug out something.

An antique from 2017, a folder called "Heaven Official's Blessing Setting Collection."

Curiously, I opened it and read with interest.

● Comparing the original setting outline and the main text, the highest fidelity is in the main storyline between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian.

A-Hua, restored at a ratio of 1:100.

Hua's character setting is the most detailed, and virtually every point made it into the main text, including details like "ghosts don't like the sun, so Hua Cheng sometimes drapes a red cloth over his head"...

Points not used, listed a few:

As a child:

· After being saved from falling off a city wall, he foolishly followed a parade over and over again, grabbing people to ask, "Who is that? Who is that person?" People told him, "That's the royal son, the future Celestial God, the most outstanding Crown Prince of Xianle Nation ever!"

(This point couldn't be used because in the text A-Hua was held in the Crown Prince's arms after being saved)

· At home, he was often punished to stand or kneel, not given food, and wore old clothes, accused of stealing money. Whenever he argued with his family, he would stubbornly sleep in the Prince's temple overnight.

· Went to Mount Tai Cang to volunteer sweeping red leaves at Huangji Observatory, just to sneak peeks at his future wife happily swinging.

After becoming the ghost king:

· One of his hobbies is buying and building houses everywhere.

· Very protective of his leather boots, would (badly) polish them until they shone.

· To other devout followers of Xie Lian, he said: "You have good taste."

· Secretly prepared many betrothal gifts for his beloved god, wanting to marry him!

The character setting of Xie Lian as a teacher in the serialized version compared to the initial draft, the serialized text subtly differs. The initial draft was more... exquisite and elegant, very serious. The serialized text is more... humorous. I think perhaps because some plot points were tragic, Xie Lian thought he should be happier to make the readers more relaxed, so he drove me to adjust his mental state! But due to the spiritual oppression at that time, the character's depth was not enough, while in the new revised version, I hope he can show a more self-content state on the same core basis.

Excerpts from the unused original setting:

· Super easy-going. Easy-going means: if given fifty bucks, he would happily dress in drag and dance. Accepts haggling. Thirty bucks works. Twenty bucks too!

· The observatory is small, the house is broken, wants to grow flowers. Leaks during rain, so he uses a bucket to catch rainwater.

· Because he can't afford a caretaker, he cleans himself, and also feeds chickens. Chickens eat flowers. Keeps a cat.

· Completely engrossed in discussing serious matters, he unknowingly finished all the broken sweet dumplings!

● Water, Earth, Wind original setting:

The highest fidelity is the main line between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian, followed by the Water, Earth, Wind subplot.

The main conflict hasn't changed. Just... how could the original setting of Water, Earth, Wind be so dark and terrifying!

The character morals in the main text improved a lot, otherwise, the original Black Water would be sheer scheming + murderous! The ending for the Wind Master would have been more tragic.

The Venerable of Empty Words suddenly became an improvised character. It seemed like an ancient fable-like monster, making the main text more interesting than the original setting.

Overall, the formal version is a bit better written than the original draft.

● The unfortunate life of Lang Ying:

Lang Ying? Is there such a character? I don't remember!

Ah? It seems there was such a person, but I don't remember any of his plotlines.

This is most people's feeling towards the character of Lang Ying. It's not a delusion because he barely had any significant plot. In fact, any valuable scenes could have been replaced equivalently, so in the new revised version, I deleted this character.

But, in the 2017 setting collection, I suddenly found that I had actually opened a separate document for Lang Ying, and his role was defined as a "growing-type BOSS!"

I was silent.

And immediately opened the document, curious about my initial setting. A "growing-type BOSS," how did he become someone whose deletion went unnoticed...? (I even don't know how to address him!)

Who knows, perhaps out of excitement, I accidentally pressed the wrong shortcut, and somehow it became irreversible, leaving only an empty document for me to stare in disbelief. The once "growing-type BOSS" has now forever become a mystery!

This is the unfortunate life of the deleted Lang Ying.

· There was another document in the setting collection called "Swordsmith." I opened the document and read it with interest.

I was shocked. Because I completely forgot I had conceived this story. Why didn't I write it?!

Darn.

I know why I didn't write it. This story... it had no ending!

——————— Thus, the magical glimpse into the "Heaven Official's Blessing Setting Collection" concludes!

■ I like men with stories!

Maybe because I watched an outstanding work as a child. It was a memoir, the protagonist in the biography was gentle and affable, and the protagonist in the memories was cold and ruthless. The story was scattered with the poignant fragrance of white plum blossoms amidst bloody and stormy circumstances.

This almost perfect work deeply influenced my aesthetics, leading me to be most interested in the memory parts of characters in various works. Although many viewers prefer the present scenes, often asking when the memories will end, I actually find these intense and painful memories to be the most fascinating!

A story is the history of a character, as well as the key to their personality. A person with a story stands before me like a puzzle. The way to solve this puzzle is to understand their story. Because the biography makes one curious to know more about a character they like, loving them more now because of their past. When serializing "Heaven Official," my greatest pain initially was telling myself, "This time I don't want to write a memory slaughter," deliberately trying to avoid a structure similar to previous works, yet I still hadn't found a better way to express it, resulting in my deep dissatisfaction with the later part of Volume 1. I was also hesitant to fully commit to the memory scenes in Volume 2, and with the heavy mental burden, this part was very painful to write. When revising, looking at Volume 2 was almost unbearable, because I'm the type of person who, as a child, would immediately switch channels when a TV show's protagonist was about to be wrongfully accused or embarrassed. I couldn't help but knock on a friend's door and ask:

Me: Was the author suffering some kind of mental trauma at the time? This negative energy is too horrifying, the protagonist is so pitiful, I really admire anyone who could read through Volume 2 completely.

Friend: Do you even have the right to say that?

But the memory slaughter in Volume 4 was much freer, written in one breath, so the revisions for this volume were also the least.

So, will you still write large segments of memory slaughter?

Um, well, we'll see, haha, hehe...

■ Closing Remarks:

Lastly, I'll address the question some asked me, "Will the new revised 'Heaven Official's Blessing' be more torturous?"

Me: You're talking nonsense. 'Heaven Official's Blessing' is a sweet pampering story, thank you!

Acknowledgments:

Shi Nai'an wrote in the preface to "Water Margin": "On snowy nights, about five or six people listen to my storytelling; on rainy days, about seven or eight; on bright and sunny days, about ten. I read, everyone listens, and we are all happy, with no other thoughts." When I read this as a young person, I was delighted. What divine days! Writing first to entertain oneself, then to entertain others. Self-expression and self-acceptance are certainly primary, but the affection of others is also a significant positive feedback. Thus, first, I thank the steadfast readers who have accompanied me all this time. I've thought about just walking away amidst the noisy disputes; abandoning the account amidst the tumultuous world! It seems not bad. But looking back, I can't bear to leave some truly sincere readers.

I've had authors I liked disappear from the internet, and I always feel like a part of my youth has vanished, a feeling quite distressing, reminiscent of overly grand and harsh things like the tears of the era or the torrent of history. So, I want to accompany my readers as long as possible, hoping that the day of parting comes later. Perhaps I'm not good enough now, but I will strive to be better in the future. Or perhaps you've never truly understood what kind of person I am, or even completely misunderstood me, but as long as you genuinely like my stories, we can sit down and chat.

And, I must mention my friends, who can be described as having the courage of a hero. Long time no see, Teacher Changyang's illustrations are still as beautiful as those of a celestial being, I hope Teacher CAS can go to bed earlier and worry less, and Teacher Kuohao, who despite a heavy workload, still fully honored our agreement. The "Heaven Official's Blessing" radio drama is really fantastic! It reminded me of the original intention of writing this story, and I was very moved. If it weren't for the silent companionship and efforts of these old friends, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu might have stopped writing back in 2016, disappearing from the world of martial arts, and thus, "Heaven Official's Blessing" would not have been born. I look forward to retracing the paths we once walked together when gathering ideas. And many friends who reached out to help and encourage me, thank you for accompanying me through the snowy nights.

[playitagainmyjohnny]

[cheriladycl01]

Monaco Mayhem - Charles Leclerc x Reader

Plot: Charles finally breaks the dreadful Monaco curse to bring a home race win!

In 2018 Charles was unlucky in Monaco, a virtual safety car came out on lap 73 when his left front brake disc failed just before the Nouvelle Chicane, causing him to crash into the back of Brendon Hartley.

In 2019 the ‘curse’ continued even though he was now in Ferrari, after a rough qualifying he began to fight through the field after starting in 15th place. You were so happy watching him having made it up to 12th by lap eight, but touched the inside wall at turn 17 during an overtake attempt on Nico Hülkenberg, which is always a risky move in Monaco. This contact caused a right-rear tyre puncture. Over the course of the next lap, you had watched, tears in your eyes for your boyfriend as he fell to last place as his tyre ripped apart and caused significant damage to the car's floor, causing him to be a while lap down by the time he came out of the pits.

In 2020, due to COVID restriction your boyfriend and the other 19 drivers weren’t racing on the historic circuit due to the strict regulations in place.

In 2021, first time in Monaco since COVID and the curse was still in place. After an incredible qualifying Charles was sitting in pole position. You both celebrated that night, so excited for the Sunday race. However whatever gods were watching over Monaco … or Charles or the ones who supported Max in getting his first world championship worked overtime that night, as Charles had a Did Not Start due to a driveshaft problem.

In 2022 it was the first year that you and Charles started having proper relationship issues. You’d just had a huge deal at work, which meant you weren’t able to come to as many races as you had been in previous years (where you basically went to all of them except a few that clashed with your schedule) and he was for the first time leading the drivers world championship, ahead of last year’s champion, Max. You were both stressed, and not around each other enough and it put a huge strain on your relationship.

However, you made sure to be at Monaco despite your huge argument at the last race in Spain.

He qualified on pole for the second year running and you were beaming for the hills. You were praying that nothing happened to the car overnight or in the race. However you clearly didn’t pray hard enough, with the shit show that came from team order.

Is it to pit or not too pit …

Well nobody fucking knew and you could hear over the radio how frustrating it was for Charles when he and Sainz ended up pitting at the same time due to miscommunication on the Ferrari pit wall.

This caused delays meaning both Verstappen and Perez got out ahead of them and left Charles not even on the podium.

In 2023, you and Charles had started communicating a lot better towards the end of the 2022 season and were a lot better off for it, meaning your relationship was never better despite Max’s (and Red Bulls) clear domination this season.

Monaco again was disappointing. But it was a hard race.

2023 despite being a uneventful year in Formula One, Charles had proposed to you, and you were set to get married after the Monaco Grand Prix of 2024, as there was a little bit of time before Canada to have the ceremony with some of Charles closest friends and family, who had tight and busy schedules.

So here you were waiting as Charlie, your fiancé … soon to be husband is sat in P1, Oscar … his son who you’d both famously adopted this weekend right next him.

You were nervous through the whole race despite how dull the race was. You were sat with Charles family, hugging Arthur from one side and Pascale from the other as you gasp at a tight corner that Charles got a little close for comfort over.

You were praying for your boyfriend to finally get his home race win and kiss the curse goodbye that had been held over his head for the last 5 years.

Tears are streaming down your eyes as you hear his race engineers comforting words in the last few laps where he’d made a pretty strong gap to the person behind him.

All of Ferrari was hyped for the man that had been with them for the last few years and had all developed strong bonds with the driver. They watched on as he completed his last laps, no errors to be seen. When he crosses the chequered flag, your launching yourself at anyone you can, not caring that you definitely resemble a watering can right now to the Sky Sports camera that you just know will be on you.

Your celebrating with the team who eventually drag you out to the park ferme area to go see him. And when you do, my god he looks ethereal. The sweat sheening around him, and how his hair still managed to look as though it had been styled by his mum this morning.

He was immaculate in your eyes. He celebrated with the team, hugging Carlos and Oscar, before settling his eyes on you.

“This one was for you, my love” he whispers in your ear lifting your up into a hug, a blush coating your face making you dive you head into his neck away from the faces and camera.

“I’m so so proud of you, you finally did it. I don’t even think you’ve just made every resident of Monaco happy but everyone watching was routing for you!” You smile before pulling him into a kiss.

“I love you so much, I - I can’t believe this feeling right now! I -“ he breathes struggling to find the words.

“Go get that P1 trophy … Mr Leclerc” you grin and he smiles back, a goofy expression on his face.

“And will Mrs Leclerc be watching …” he grins back and you can’t help but laugh.

“Still Miss Y/L/N until tomorrow honey” you smile and start to push him further away to where he’s being heckled over by Martin Brundle for his post race interview.

And you keep to your word, you watch with tears in your eyes as you hear the Monacan National anthem for the first time at an F1 race since 2022 and the way Charles looks in that podium is a real sight to see.

You know the photographers are rubbing their hands and licking their lips as they take the pictures right now knowing just how much cash they’ll get for these photos.

You watch on as he dedicates his trophy down to you, kissing it and then blowing you as kiss making you catch it and place it in your cheeks. (Once you just rolled your eyes at his childish antics … let’s just say you never ever missed an kiss again).

Later that night and you were celebrating his win with all of his and your friends. Lando, Pierre, Carlos and Max were all there with their partners who you were very close with, and later on you were joined by Oscar and Daniel and their girlfriends.

It was a full atmosphere with everyone coming up and congratulating him not only on the win, but wishing him luck and sending their congratulations for the wedding tomorrow. Two cakes were brought out … one for the win, one as a little preemptive wedding cake got tomorrow.

“Wait Y/N, Charles do you have separate parties before tomorrow?” Kika says shouting out over the loud music sounding around.

“What do you mean?” You ask her confused only for everyone to gasp.

“You mean to say you don’t have a bachelorette party, or Charles doesn’t have a stag due? I just thought i didn’t get an invite” Lando says a hand against his chest happy that he didn’t get left out.

“No?” You laugh, not seeing the big deal with it.

“Oh come on, it’s your last time to party single!” Rebecca laughs, shaking your shoulders a little.

“What?! I’m not single though, Charles is my fiancé. It would just be the last time to party when I’m not fully tied down, but … I mean it’s not like after we marry we’ll become an old couple that doesn’t come out with us” you offer and they all look at you.

“Do you see Sergio or K-Mag here? Or any of the married lot, even George and Alex bailed on tonight to be with their girls … you guys are next” Daniel argues and you and Charles look between each other in shock.

“Oh come on guys, we aren’t going to be like that” you whine.

After some more back and forth of arguing you guys all decide on some more drinks, but you Ane Charles have a wordless agreement that you wouldn’t become THAT couple after marriage.

You guys would still be fun right?

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[marley-manson]

Hawkeye and Frank are the two most diametrically opposed characters on Mash. They clash politically, ideologically, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically on more than one occasion. There is virtually nothing they agree on. But they do have one significant similarity: both Hawkeye and Frank are notably, pointedly effeminate.

Hawkeye is the central protagonist, so he's written to be likeable, even admirable, especially in the first five seasons of the show when satire dominated rather than character drama. He's the character who makes the correct political points and voices the show's ideology, and male audience members are encouraged to identify with him and aspire to be like him. He's witty, he's smart, he's charismatic, he dodges consequences a lot, he's highly skilled in his work, and he has a strong personality and natural leadership qualities.

Frank is the main antagonist up until the end of season five. He's written for audiences to hate him, mock him, and occasionally be horrified by him. He's dull-witted, incompetent, awkward, easily led and manipulated, and always gets his comeuppance. Few audience members are likely to aspire to be more like Frank Burns.

And yet, while most likeable protagonist/detestable antagonist duos in American popular media would also be differentiated in terms of gender performance as a matter of course - the effeminate villain being a standard stock character, always set against a ruggedly masculine hero - Mash takes a different approach.

From his core personality as a sniveling, weak-willed follower, to the way other characters, including Hawkeye, routinely make fun of him by comparing him to a woman or insinuating that he's gay, Frank Burns certainly fits the part of weak, emasculated villain. What's more interesting, and much less commonly seen in Hollywood media, is that Hawkeye is portrayed as just as unmanly, and just as, if not more prone to having it pointed out in the show.

Often Hawkeye's jokes at Frank's expense include the implication that Hawkeye is attracted to him himself, and not necessarily as "the man." He jokes, "Guess it's a marriage, Frank. I know I can do better, but at my age, can I wait?" in Hawkeye, Get Your Gun; he switches from calling Frank one of his vampire brides to taking the feminine part in post-coital pillow talk after siphoning his blood in Germ Warfare; he kisses or tells Frank to kiss him in Major Fred C. Dobbs, For the Good of the Outfit, and Bulletin Board, etc.

Other times, the jokes Hawkeye makes about himself are virtually identical to the jokes made at Frank's expense - their respective attractions to Margaret as a potentially dominant sexual partner, eg, with both Frank and Hawkeye portrayed as eagerly submissive. For instance, in 5 O'Clock Charlie Hawkeye jokes about tying Frank to Margaret's tent, then dismisses the thought with, "He'd probably love it. I know I would." And Hawkeye/Trapper and Frank/Margaret are sometimes paralleled as dual couples, Hawkeye and Frank usually being framed as the more feminine partner in each.

And of course, unconnected to Frank, there are many, many more examples of Hawkeye's effeminacy, both in jokes and in personality traits.

Hawkeye is a self-professed coward who is loud and proud about how terrified he is to be stuck in a war zone. He's emotionally open and highly empathetic, always willing to listen to others' problems and discuss (or scream about) his own. He abhors institutional violence and faces every enemy combatant with his hands firmly in the air. When authority is thrust upon him he strives to relinquish it, and uses it as little as possible.

More shallowly, he has little interest in sports and exercise, derides masculine hobby magazines like Field and Stream and Popular Mechanics, is incapable of performing mechanical tasks to the exasperation of others at least four times (Comrades in Arms which explicitly frames this emasculating, In Love and War, Patent 4077, and Hey, Look Me Over), mocks traditional masculinity in many ways, and enjoys musical theatre and Hollywood gossip. And he makes and takes literally hundreds of jokes about being unmanly and having sex with men himself, many more than he makes at Frank's expense.

But while the jokes are at Frank's expense and meant to belittle him, they're rarely made at Hawkeye's expense, especially in the first five seasons. Hawkeye doesn't make the jokes out of self-deprecation, he makes them out of pride and a desire to differentiate himself from the army men he's surrounded by. He's almost always in on the jokes others make about him, rather than offended - Potter telling him to file a paternity suit against his rival in Hepatitis makes him laugh delightedly, and Trapper's remarks on his effeminacy, such as Miz Hawkeye in Hot Lips and Empty Arms, are sometimes lightly teasing but always a regular aspect of their dynamic that Hawkeye enjoys playing up. Frank doesn't make any jokes directly mocking Hawkeye's masculinity that I can recall, beyond vague "pervert" and "degenerate" remarks, which, while often historically homophobic, in the show's context tend to be treated as a reference to his heterosexual endeavours.

Frank's effeminacy is a point of mockery and derision, but Hawkeye's is a point of pride, and not intended to make him any less likeable to an audience. Antagonists don't get to score points off of Hawkeye by mocking his feminine traits, but Hawkeye makes fun of Frank regularly by mocking his feminine traits.

This difference in framing can partially be explained by the nature of their respective gender performances.

While Hawkeye and Frank are both effeminate, they're effeminate in many opposite ways. Frank is weak-willed while Hawkeye is strong-willed. Frank is unappealing to most women, while Hawkeye is something of a lady's man. Frank cannot face his fears to rise to a challenge, but Hawkeye can. But on the flipside, Frank refuses to admit to fear while Hawkeye openly proclaims it. Frank strives to attain authority while Hawkeye refuses it or takes it on only begrudgingly. Frank is obsessed with guns to a freudian extent while one of Hawkeye's most famous monologues of the show is a speech about refusing to carry one. Frank worships the concept of traditional masculinity even while he can't perform it himself, while Hawkeye mocks the concept and would refuse to perform it even if he could.

The Sniper is an excellent case study of these contrasts. In this episode, Hawkeye is effeminate and at ease with it, while Frank is desperate to prove himself masculine. Frank and Margaret flirt with strong Freudian overtones while Frank shoots a gun while nearby Hawkeye flirts with with a nurse with a line about "tasting" her. Hawkeye connects with the nurse he's wooing by relating to how scared she is and huddling in fear with her, while Margaret demands that Frank prove his masculinity by going out and taking down the sniper himself. Frank carries a gun while trying to approach the sniper, while Hawkeye carries a white flag. Frank tries to make fun of Hawkeye for wanting to surrender, but he can't bring himself to approach the sniper while Hawkeye does.

This contrast of gender performance is a consistent aspect of Hawkeye and Frank's dynamic throughout the show, but The Sniper makes it a central theme so it's a useful example to show how their relationships to masculinity are a deliberate aspect of their dynamic.

And while Hawkeye makes fun of Frank's femininity, it's significant that he also regularly makes fun of Frank's masculinity - his love of guns (eg The Sniper), his sexual affairs (eg the exchange about Frank as a "fantastic performer" in Yankee Doodle Doctor), his numerous attempts to exert authority (eg Welcome to Korea), his desire for socially approved success (eg Hot Lips and Empty Arms), etc.

Both masculine and feminine sides of Frank are comprised of negative character traits, while Hawkeye embodies the best of both - emotional expression and healthy ways of coping by talking about his feelings; bravery but not machismo; intelligence and skill as a doctor rather than an officer; empathy and a willingness to listen; sexual prowess but largely through his love of foreplay rather than his dick game (which, in the context of the early 70s, is a somewhat feminine attribute that distinguishes him from a typical traditionally masculine man); etc.

Hawkeye demonstrates some of the most appealing and healthy qualities of both masculinity and femininity while Frank demonstrates, or strives to demonstrate, the more toxic qualities of both. Through including a few positive masculine traits in the mix, the narrative is able to depict Hawkeye as likeable, admirable, and desirable in his effeminacy while Frank is depicted as loathesome in his. Hawkeye gets one of many, many women in The Sniper by showing vulnerability, while Frank only appeals to Margaret, and Margaret is portrayed as borderline pathological in her sexual attraction to violent masculinity (the scene where Frank excites her with his gun, for example, also includes an electra complex joke, and there's a running rape kink gag in this episode as well).

Another aspect to consider when it comes to differentiating Hawkeye and Frank's respective femininities is hypocrisy. Similar to how Frank and Margaret's affair is mocked because they can't admit to it while Hawkeye and Trapper's affairs are glorified, part of what makes Frank's effeminacy so mock-worthy, while Hawkeye's feminine qualities are a source of pride and rebellion, is that Frank refuses to admit to them.

Frank desperately wants to be the ideal heroic army man and often play-acts the part, poorly. When Hawkeye mocks him by calling him a woman, for example, he's drawing attention to Frank's failure to live up to his own ideals. And when Hawkeye calls himself a woman, he's mocking those same ideals. The message is that Frank is pathetic not so much for failing to be traditionally masculine, but for wanting to be traditionally masculine at all.

Ultimately the ways Hawkeye and Frank perform masculinity and femininity are pointedly in opposition, from which masc and fem traits they embody, to how proudly they embody them. The show itself draws attention to these gendered similarities and differences between Frank and Hawkeye through a constant barrage of jokes, and even whole scenes and episodes. In this way the show portrays Frank as a hypocritical loser who wants to be masculine but fails to embody all but the worst traits, and Hawkeye as a cool, admirable guy who disdains the traditional pillars of masculinity and embraces his own effeminacy.