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punchdrunkdoc · 4 months

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Part 3, Chapter 6

Summary: After the events of S3, Matt Murdock is trying to once again balance life as a lawyer and a vigilante. But he’s been scarred by loss and betrayal - will a mysterious new neighbour help him heal? Or will her secrets drag him back into the darkness?

Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 3 (maybe 4??) parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action/violence and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

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PART 3

Chapter 6

Matt paused, his hand frozen in the act of turning the key to open his mailbox, as a deep, gruff voice filled the lobby.

“You see this woman?”

The words were heavily accented in Russian, and the tone was far from friendly. Matt stretched out his senses, and received the impression of a large man, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. He was standing in front of Mrs. Schneider’s apartment, holding up a photograph.

Matt could easily guess who’s picture was on it:

Calina.

Mrs Schneider peeked out from behind her heavy door and shook her head.

“You sure?” the man barked.

“Est tut mir leid,” came the hesitant, confused reply.

Matt pocketed his keys and turned around. “She doesn’t speak English.”

The Russian man glanced at him over his shoulder. He took in the tinted glasses and the white cane and dismissed Matt without a second look. He just moved on to the next apartment and rapped on the door with his meaty fist.

Matt approached him from behind. The scent of gun oil and sweat filled his nose, along with a subtler, damp musty odor that reminded Matt of old, wet carpet. “Who are you looking for?” Matt asked.

The man looked at him again, the sneer on his face obvious even to Matt. “My sister,” he spat out. “Her name Calina Balashova. She live here. Now she missing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Matt replied. He fidgeted with the stick in his hands, trying to tamp down the impulse to beat the other man so severely that he’d forget all about Calina and the other Widows. Instead, he plastered a sympathetic smile on his face as he offered his help. “If you leave the photo with me, I’ll make sure to pass it around to the other residents. We have a message board for these types of things.”

Matt held out his hand. The man glared at him in response, and Matt could hear him grind his teeth in annoyance. But Matt held his ground. He wanted this intruder out of the building. The less he could discover about Calina and her activities while she lived here - and the people she socialised with - the better.

The man looked at the door in front of him, still closed after no one responded to his aggressive knocking. He tilted his head to look up the stairs to the several floors above, and Matt could almost see the calculation in his eyes: try more apartments, or give in for now?

He gave in. He shoved the photograph at Matt and stomped passed him.

“How should I contact you if I hear anything?” Matt called out.

The man slowed, but didn’t turn around. “I’ll be back,” he replied, the words sounding like a threat. Then he headed out of the building.

“Not so fast, you Terminator-wannabe,” Matt muttered under his breath. He turned and ran for the stairs, ignoring Mrs. Schneider’s startled gasp. He folded his cane and shoved it into his jacket pocket while he shot up the steps. Within minutes he’d reached the rooftop access door. He slammed through it and raced to the edge of the building, scanning the air for traces of gun oil and mildew.

There.

Matt zeroed in on the scent trail. The Russian was still on the street, heading east. Matt backed up, then took a running jump to reach the next building over. He followed his prey from the rooftops, curious to find out where he was based.

And eager to find someway to help Calina.

He was getting sick of sitting on his hands while she was out there in danger.

It was time to act.

———

Calina was lost in a day dream.

It was another new experience.

She’d never had the luxury of indulging in fantasy before. There’d never been time to get lost in thought back in the Red Room - every moment of her life was spent either training or out on mission.

And her thoughts had never really been her own back then anyway.

Even once she’d been liberated from the serum - and had all the time in the world - her imagination had taken a while to catch up. The rigid way of thinking imposed on her during childhood was a difficult framework to escape - the concept of creative thought and idle make-believe so alien to her.

But reading had helped. All the months spent exploring other lives and other worlds in countless novels had sparked something within Calina. It had awoken in her a playful, imaginative side that she’d never expected.

And right now, that imaginative side had captured Calina’s attention. It had painted a picture of a perfect future, once where she was truly free of her past.

And one where she was in Matt’s arms, the two of them together and blissfully happy.

They were on a deserted beach, in some nameless exotic location. The sun was a warming glow on their skin as they bathed on the sand. Her head rested on Matt’s chest and her arm was draped across his bare, muscled stomach. The only motion was the gentle lap of the tide and the glide of Matt’s fingers up and down her sunscreen-slicked back.

They were at peace. Still. With nothing and no one to disturb them. No battles to fight. No worries or cares.

It was wonderful.

Dream-Calina felt a rumble beneath her cheek. She raised her head to look at Matt. His red glasses had been replaced by dark frames, and a light tan touched his skin. “Did you say something?” she asked.

He turned to her and smiled. “I said-”

“Earth to Calina!”

Real life-Calina was yanked out of paradise by Yelena’s shout. She jerked her head around to see the other Widow in the door of the training room, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

“I’ve been calling you and calling you,” Yelena complained. “What have you been doing in here?”

Calina rubbed her forehead and orientated herself back to reality. She was on the exercise bike, her legs working the pedals in slow, lazy revolutions as she stared out the widow to the blue sky beyond.

“Sorry,” she said, as she clambered off the machine. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” Yelena spluttered. “What’s up is that your boyfriend is about to blow our whole operation!”

———

Matt crouched down behind the overgrown shrubbery of an abandoned delivery depot, and checked out the warehouse across the street. The warehouse his Russian suspect had entered a few minutes ago. The warehouse that was the source of the old carpet and mildew smell that he’d used to track the man through Hell’s Kitchen, across the Hudson and into Jersey.

Several times along the way he’d cursed the fact that he was still wearing his suit from the office and not his Daredevil gear - and he was regretting that even more now. He felt exposed out here as ‘Matt Murdock’. It would be more than a little awkward to try to explain what a blind lawyer in a shirt and tie was doing in this run down industrial estate.

And his options going forward were severely limited by his lack of disguise. He could wait until after dark and try to sneak in to the factory, if he could find something to fashion a mask out of, or he could just-

“Matt!”

The hissed whisper came from his left.

While he’d been fixated on the factory across the street, Calina had somehow managed to sneak up on him. “What are you doing here?” he whispered back as she came over to crouch beside him.

“Me? What are you doing here?”

“I followed someone - he must be part of Volkov’s team. He was asking questions about you back at the apartment.”

Calina frowned and stared across at the building opposite. “Volkov must be getting frustrated that he can’t find us.”

“Is he in there?” Matt asked.

“Not yet. But as soon as he shows his face we’ll be ready for him.”

“So that’s the trap you mentioned.”

“Yeah. We have a base nearby and we’re monitoring this site 24/7. That’s how we knew you were skulking about.”

“I don’t skulk.”

“Fine. That’s how we knew you were stealthily and incredibly skilfully scoping out enemy terrain.”

He smiled at her, glad her earlier annoyance seemed to have dissipated. He took her hand and squeezed it, and she used their clasped hands to guide him away from the warehouse.

As they crept through the labyrinth of crumbling buildings and dilapidated streets, Matt thought through the Widow’s strategy for capturing Volkov.

And how he could help.

When they reached a safe distance, he pulled Calina to a stop. “I went to Columbia with one of the assistant DAs for this county.”

She cocked her head, confused by the non-sequitur. “Okay…,” she said slowly. “And?”

“And I can talk to him. Bring him up to speed.”

“What do you mean?”

“For when you hand Volkov over to the authorities.”

Calina took a step back, breaking his hold on her hand. “Matt…we’re not handing him over to anyone. We’re…” She bit her lip and looked away.

The truth hit Matt like a gut punch. “You’re going to kill him.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, not in a defiant way, but as if to shield herself. “We have to, Matt. We have to put an end to him, and his entire operation. Its the only way to be safe. Please understand.”

Matt shook his head. “You can’t buy your safety with someone else’s death, Calina.”

Now her pose, and her tone, became defensive. “Why not?”

“Because its not right!”

Calina grabbed his arm. “Be quiet! Volkov’s men patrol nearby at this time of day.”

“We need to talk about this, Calina.”

She sighed. “I know. But not here. I’ll come by your place tonight.”

“No. Not while there are people running around asking about you. Come to Fogwell’s. Midnight.”

———

Calina picked at the polish on her nails as she watched the clock in the corner of the room tick by. She tugged at the ends of her hair. She kicked her feet, banging her heels against the side of the boxing ring.

She never used to be a fidgeter. And she wasn’t in most circumstances - years of Red Room training had eliminated those types of bad habits before they could form - but sitting here, in this dusty old gym waiting for Matt to arrive had sent her nerves into overdrive. Any poise she’d once possessed, any composure or calmness under pressure, had evaporated in the last few hours.

Because she knew this was the make or break moment for them.

She’d known it the moment she’d told Matt about the plan for Volkov. In truth…she’d known the moment she’d lied to him about the body in her apartment all those months ago, that it would come back to haunt her. She’d known all along that this confrontation was coming. Why else had she harboured so many doubts and fears about their relationship? They were just too…different.

Matt was principled. He held himself to a high standard, and it was one that didn’t involve taking another person’s life.

Calina didn’t enjoy killing - far from it - but she was a pragmatist. There was no room in her world for idealism. For taking the high road. That wasn’t the way she was trained. She’d lived a brutal, cold life and it had shaped the person she now was.

And the choices she was willing to make.

I’m a good person; I’m worth of love.

The mantra had never felt so hollow. Because as much as she was learning to accept the darkness in herself and forgive herself for the things she’d had to do to survive, she knew that Matt would be a much harsher critic.

She glanced at the clock again: 11:54pm.

She’d arrived to Fogwell’s early. Really early. She hadn’t had much choice after being kicked out of the Widow’s base. She’d all evening pacing the floor of their base in anxious anticipation of this meeting, and it had driven her sisters mad.

So she’d hopped on her bike and drove straight here. Picked the lock on the old, rusted door and sat down to wait.

She glanced around the room. It looked so different from the last time she’d been here - when Matt had brought her here to spar. When she’d tried to kiss him in this ring. Back then, the setting sun had suffused the room with a golden glow. Now wintery darkness pervaded the place, turning it gloomy and cold.

It felt fitting for the conversation to come.

Calina took a deep breath, then froze at the sound of the door opening.

He was here.

She released the breath, the air escaping in a juddering exhale as he stepped into the room. He was dressed as Daredevil, having obviously just finished his patrol of the city.

As it always did, the red suit emphasised his muscled frame and added inches to his height. The menacing mask obscured his face, hiding his expression from her. And for the first time since discovering his secret, the sight of the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante caused a brief pang of fear.

This wasn’t her boyfriend in front of her - her kind, sweet, gentle Matt - this was the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

And he was here to pass judgement on her.

Calina gripped the edge of the ring as that fear blossomed inside of her.

But then he took off the mask and he was Matt again. With his tired-looking eyes, and his rumpled, sweaty hair. And her fear dissipated.

She was getting really sick of this emotional rollercoaster ride.

“Hey,” he said.

She wet her lips. “Hi.”

He came over to sit beside her at the edge of the ring. He was so close, she could feel the heat of him through his suit, and she wanted to crawl into his lap and burrow against his warmth and pretend none of this was happening.

But she stayed still. And so did he.

For several long moments, they sat there in silence.

“Why does this feel so awkward?” he asked eventually.

She smiled sadly. “I gather most couples don’t schedule a time and place for their arguments.”

“Are we going to argue?”

Calina sighed. “Not if you accept our plan.”

“To kill Volkov.”

“Yes.” She jumped to her feet - too nervous to stay still - and faced him. “We can’t let him live, Matt.”

Matt looked up at her and shrugged. “You can. Its simple really - you just don’t murder him.”

She crossed her arms. “So we hand him over to law enforcement instead.”

“Yes.”

“For what crime?”

Matt paused. Faltered. And Calina jumped on the flaw in his plan. “There’s no proof of his involvement in the Red Room - which all happened in Russia, not in the US. And most of it was government-sanctioned, so extraditing him won’t stop him.”

“So we find something he’s done while on American soil.”

“The only thing he’s done that we know of is send a team of mercenaries to attack us in South Carolina. But we were holding him hostage at the time, so we could end up in just as much legal trouble if we go after him for that. In fact, anything we do to try to punish him legally will just expose the Widows. We either end up at the mercy of the Sokovia Accords, in prison…or worse.”

“Worse?”

“Your government doesn’t have a great track record with this kind of thing.”

Matt frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Does Operation Paperclip ring a bell?”

Matt nodded, somewhat reluctantly. “It was the codename given to the programme for the…rehabilitation…of Nazi scientists in the 40s and 50s.”

“‘Rehabilitation’ is a stretch.”

Matt threw up his hands. “Fine. The government gave them all jobs, and allowed them to continue their research. None of them faced trial for their crimes during the war.”

“We learned all about it in the Red Room - a prime example of ruthless American hypocrisy.”

“What’s your point, Calina?” Matt gritted out.

“My point is that Volkov knows the secret to creating an army of mind-controlled soldiers and assassins. If your Government found that out, they wouldn’t hesitate to make a deal with him. They may even start using us for their own purposes.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Its too important to leave to chance! We need to keep ourselves safe, we need to be free, and we need the serum to stay a secret. All of that means that Volkov needs to die.”

It was Matt’s turned to get to his feet. He started pacing in front of her, running one hand through his already mussed hair. “No, there must be another way.”

Calina laughed. “I knew you were idealistic, but I didn’t think you were this naive.”

“Its not naive to value human life.”

“He doesn’t deserve a life! He deserves to die!”

Matt grabbed one of her hands with both of his. “No. I felt that way once, Calina. I came so close to killing someone because I thought it was the only way to stop him - the only way to stop an evil that was infecting my city and hurting the people I cared about. But it would have been wrong. Every life has meaning. Every person on earth has at least one has tiny spark of goodness that shouldn’t be snuffed out if there’s a chance they can redeem themselves.”

She yanked her hand out of his grip and stepped back. “Redemption?” she spat. “Is that what you’re banking on? There’s no redemption for men like Volkov or Dreykov! They tear little girls away from their families and torture them. They steal their futures and make them into monsters!”

“You’re not a monster, Callie.”

“Aren’t I? Isn’t that why were having this conversation?”

“No!” He grabbed her shoulders this time. Then slid his hands up to cradle her face. “You are not a monster,” he repeated, enunciating each word. “I know you’ve struggled with the things you were forced to do in your past, but you have the chance to make a different choice now. One that doesn’t involve taking another person’s life. Only God should hold that power.”

Calina shook her head. “I don’t believe in your God, Matt, so I don’t fear his judgement. Or yours.”

It was a lie. She very much cared how Matt saw her. And she was terrified of him growing to hate her. But she couldn’t show that kind of weakness to him - not now. It felt vital that she win this argument. That she convince him that this was the only path.

It was the only way she could envisage them having a future together.

“I’m not judging you,” Matt protested.

She pulled away from him again, scoffing at his obvious lie. “Yes, you are! You’re judging me against your standard, but we were raised in two very different worlds, Matt, and your values don’t belong in mine. They don’t belong in war - you wouldn’t judge a soldier for killing an enemy in battle.”

“You’re not at war.”

“Yes I am!”

“So it’s kill or be killed - is that what you’re saying? Is that how it works in ‘your world’?”

Calina shook her head sharply. “No. There are worse things than being killed. Like being stolen from your family. Having your personality erased before it had time to form. Being beaten and abused for years. Having your innocence and your autonomy stripped from you, and your womb cut from your body to prove that you have no future on this earth beyond being a mindless slave!”

As Calina recited each act of cruelty inflicted on her by the Red Room she stepped closer and closer to Matt, until she was standing right in front of him, panting with rage, fists clenched at her sides and hot, angry tears filling her eyes.

Matt staggered back. “Y- your what?” he whispered, shaking his head.

“That was our graduation present, for finishing our training. They strapped us down and ripped out our reproductive organs. Because we were just things to them. To men like Volkov, we were nothing. He didn’t see our humanity, so why should I give a fuck about his?”

Matt was silent.

All she could hear was the sound of her own fast breathing and the heartbeat pounding in her ears.

She’d always planned to tell Matt about her infertility. Eventually. During some far-off discussion about their plans for the future…she’d just never expected to blurt it out in a fit of rage. To expose her deepest vulnerability and her most hidden, buried grief in this callous way.

But it was done now.

And Matt still wasn’t saying a word.

Calina turned away from him to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. Then all of a sudden she was engulfed in his strong arms as he held her from behind. She struggled briefly against his embrace, but he was too strong.

And the lure of his embrace was stronger still.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered into her ear. “I’m so sorry they did that to you.”

He tightened his arms across her chest as he continued. “But I’m so proud of you for coming through that. For being the kind and sweet and wonderful person that you are, despite everything they took from you. Don’t you see that that’s the way to beat these men? Be better than them. Be better than your training. You didn’t have a choice before - you were brainwashed and controlled and forced to kill. But you have a choice now. You have a choice to be better than that.”

Calina dropped her head forward and closed her eyes, fighting off more tears. She could feel her heart crack as she realised it was time. Time to tell him everything.

The whole, ugly truth.

The vague hints she’d dropped over the past few months about the darkness within her just hadn’t penetrated. He still had her up on a pedestal.

The way he saw her…it was beautiful. But it was a lie.

Calina slipped out of his arms and turned to face him. “Matt, you need to understand something. I’m not this…perfect victim…that you’ve built up in your head. I’m not innocent. I’ve been faced with this choice before, and I- I didn’t choose the option you’d approve of.”

He frowned at her, and it was his turn to back away. “You’ve killed someone,” he guessed. “Since being freed from the Red Room.”

“Yes.”

“More than one?”

She swallowed, as all her secrets were laid bare. “Yes.”

“Who? When?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes!”

“Why? So you can judge my sins? I thought only your God was allowed to do that.” The sarcasm slashed like a knife.

But Matt showed no sign of taking a hit. He just rested his fists on his hips and demanded answers. “Dammit, Calina, just tell me.”

Calina raked her fingers through her hair and started pacing. “Fine! Before I came to New York, I killed a man during a mission. We were hunting down who we thought were the last dregs of the Red Room personnel and I…I took one of them out.”

“And the others?” All hints of Matt were gone. This was Daredevil in front of her.

Interrogating her.

Judging her.

Just as she’d feared.

But she didn’t regret her choices. She didn’t revel in them, and she hated that they made her doubt her worth as a person…but every act of violence could be justified in her eyes. So she stood up straight and told him the truth. “I lied to you about what happened the night you found out about me. The man who administered the serum did it in person. I woke up tied to my bed with him standing over me, stealing my mind. So I fought him, and killed him.”

Matt staggered back. “Jesus.” He lifted his head towards the ceiling - as if praying for guidance - then shook it and faced her again. “Jesus, Calina, I knew there was something off about your story, but there was a dead body across the hall that whole time?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “But what options did I have, Matt? Tell me! If I’d wasted time trying to subdue him, I would have been dragged under by the serum. I never would have had a chance to come to you for help. And I would have gone out and assassinated Governor Benson - and whoever else they programmed me to kill. Would that have been better?” She didn’t give him time to respond, her anger taking her over. “What about the two highly-trained and fully-armed mercenaries that invaded my home in South Carolina to try and take me back under Volkov’s control? Should I have left them alive to try another day?”

Matt shook his head, more in disbelief than disagreement. He seemed shocked by her confessions. But like the masochist he was, he couldn’t stop asking for more details. “Have there been any since we- since we were…together?”

Calina shook her head, glad that she could give him some positive news. “No.”

“How can I trust that?” he asked, shaking his head. “How can I believe you, when you lie well enough to fool your own heartbeat!?”

It was Calina’s turn to take the hit. She felt Matt’s mistrust and suspicion tear at her already bleeding heart, the pain of it a physical ache. She rubbed her hand over her chest, suddenly feeling…tired.

All her self-righteous anger was gone. All her hopes of salvaging their relationship…gone.

It was over.

“I’m not lying, Matt,” she said sadly, all strength and passion gone from her voice. “Everything I’ve said tonight was the truth. I’m sorry for lying to you before. I really am. But…could you blame me? You had me up on a pedestal almost from the moment we met. And I knew if I burst that illusion, you would want nothing to do with me. And I couldn’t bear that.”

Her wounded heart finally wrenched in two. But she choked back the sob gathering within her, and lifted her chin, determined that he wouldn’t see her fall apart.

She still had some pride.

I’m a good person; I’m worthy of love.

She grabbed her coat and shoved her arms in the sleeves, then faced him one last time. “Volkov has to die, Matt. And I know what that means for us. I know you’ll never understand, and you’ll never forgive me. You don’t have to. Just don’t stand in my way.”

With that final warning, Calina strode past the man she loved and left.

————–

I'M SORRY - both for making you wait for this chapter, and for all the angst in this chapter. But that fight has been months in the making. And I loved writing it (I must be a sadist)!

Chapter 7

Tag list: @hollandorks @chezagnes @stilldreaming666 @yanna-banana @tearoseart-blog @acharliecoxedfan @freckledbabyyy

If you’d like to be added - let me know!

#daredevil #daredevil fic #tabula rasa #daredevil fanfic #daredevil fanfiction #daredevil x original female character #matt murdock #marvel's daredevil #matt murdock fanfic #matt murdock x oc

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wonderpommey · 1 year

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So here are my predictions that no one asked for about the end for Roman! Locked up in a cage, forever unable to confront anyone, let alone himself? Symbolic death in a murder suicide of doom or standing up for someone he loves?

Every season so far has pitted Logan v. Gerri/Sibs for dominance over his heart, it was crazy to imagine that this season, despite Logan’s death, would be any different, it just magnified both sides.

Roman’s arc this season is his desire, born out of misplaced guilt, to be everything he thought Logan wanted him to be in 4x02, but arguably since forever (See my S3 posts); a ruthless alpha toxic fuck who ‘kills’ women, starting with the one he loves.

But that’s just Roman’s paranoid interpretation of Logan’s wishes. It’s what you do when you can only project what you think dad wants and you think it’s most certainly the worst-case scenario, the one that hurts you the most. Logan as God directing Abraham to kill his beloved son Isaac. But preventing it at the last moment, because if God lets you kill that which you love, he’s just another monster. In lieu of an angel, Logan sends Tom (How many times has Roman asked if they should kill Tom this season btw), asking if it’s done already.

Is that what Logan truly wanted? Logan is disgusted by the idea that his son wants an older woman, respecting her competence above his nepo birth right, but he doesn’t really want Roman to fire Gerri to prove something to him. What he wants is for Roman to be able to turn away from ‘love’ and loyalty, if the business requires it. In fact, the pure distraught manic emotion Roman is unleashing, trying to be something he’s not, is the opposite of what Logan wanted.

What I hadn’t necassarily anticipated was that in doing so, Roman doesn’t just deny his true longings, he creates actual hurt and pain for the people he loves and the wider world. As Gerri turns away (and puts her shoes back on, covering the Achilles heel he was for her) as his sibs strike out on their own, his hurt - which he can’t acknowledge as his needs and wants are what he’s always been punished for, they can’t be expressed - grow and create anger. Which he misdirects at everyone but the one person who deserves it, Logan. Roman has only allowed himself one outburst of anger at Logan and has lived to regret it ever since.

The show has always been a blistering indictment of patriarchy and capitalism as it pertains to the essential human need for love (RIP reddit bros who thought this was fictional apprentice). The poison drips through… Repressed longing for love, connection, affection, trust & loyalty creates hurt, which creates anger, which creates evil. And men become so hurt by women’s rejection of them (which they do for their own survival!), that they start hating them.

And symbolically, we’ve had Roman as this murderous messenger to Gerri, but he actually ended up killing his dad, then murdering Gerri again only to pull out the blade because he’s him and he couldn’t actually do that. Then she grabbed his bloody hand and sank the knife back into her heart and brought her red painted nails to his throat (see this is how it’s done Roman, that’s how you kill. Here’s your last chance to learn and survive). As he loses what he intrinsically wants, he discovers that nothing matters and he sets the actual world on fire. If he wants to die now because the cognitive dissonance is too great, there’s no way he won’t want to die by Gerri’s hand, no way he won’t want her eyes on him as his humanity, his last hope for love, leaves his body…

Can Roman break the cycle of anger, serve Gerri’s (or even another woman’s) interest, identify and say something he feels, leave Waystar? I doubt the show will want to say anything so hopeful and will instead focus on Shiv’s pregnancy; minuscule hope, and very likely doomed repetition of the cycle.

And just your friendly reminder that Kieran and Jesse and Mark walked away for 20mn as Kieran had totally misread the meaning behind Roman’s last scene and that Kieran spins his own fanfic about how Roman ends up… so good luck!

#succession hbo #roman roy #gerrikellman #gerri x roman #my predictions #watch Jesse pulling out the rug and having him ask her out on a date #or her giving him a hug #lol #it could literally save the world #I can't with people saying the writers are mysoginists #this is the most feminist piece of work out there!

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momentomori24 · 7 months

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Sonic Prime | First Look | DROP 01 | Netflix After School

youtube

SONIC PRIME S3 TRAILER IS FINALLY OUT--no I'm definitely not two days late-- FOR ANYONE HASN'T SEEN IT

Real talk tho, I'm super hype for this one. S2 already ended on an extremely depressing and tense note with harsh revelations that I really hope will bleed into the writing for this season.

We may have lost Chaos too soon but it seems Nine created some substitutes for him. The fact that he didn't just model them after his own version of these characters, but from other Shatterverses as well is so cool (like the giant Flicky and Amy's hammer). They look great (although their colour palette reminds me of something else...hhhmmmm). It funny how he accidentally helped create Chaos in an effort to help Sonic and is now building more of them fully on purpose to try and hurt him.

THEM THEM THEM THEM THEM THEM THEM Whether you ship them, platonically ship them or are not that into their relationship in general, you cannot say their dynamic in this show doesn't freaking slap. Not only is their relationship so hilarious, it's also the best representation of the constant tug of war between trust and distrust in their semi-friendly rivalry I think we've had for quite a while. They bounce off each other so well it actually makes me super giddy to see more of them XD I'm already in love with how Shadow is written here (it's probably my favourite Shadow yet) and also love Sonic here (he's perfectly written for this story fight me), so I hope their writing only gets better from here.

Long story short, I'm hyped. Please live up to the hype.

#sonic prime #momento rambles #no proof read

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avatarskywalker78 · 1 year

Note

16, 29, 37, &/or 38 - 40 questions meme

`16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Seg/Adam from Krypton.

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

My Friendly Monster by Mia Vaan, a Lucifer fic written in 2016 where Trixie finds out the truth about Lucifer after he saves her from a criminal, and so does everyone else over the next few chapters. It was a nice complete story, but I'd like to write a sequel because it was such a good story.

37. Talk about your current wips.

Well, there's the next 2 parts of Cobalt Blue and The Flash. I haven't decided the order they'll be in yet, but one of them is going to explore Henry and Malcolm's relationship over the years as it develops from 'son's best friend' to 'I guess he's my son now' (to Malcolm's surprise, given that he's never really had any examples of a good parental figure before). The other will be the direct sequel to Part 1, set a week or so afterwards - originally it was going to be just from Eddie's POV, but now it'll be split between him and Malcolm, as the latter explores his powers and wonders how to tackle his brother's guilt, something Eddie's still struggling with because of the last few years, and because he feels he should've been there for Malcolm when he needed him (they talk things out eventually).

Then there's (possibly) Part 7 of my Mike Barnes series bad boy (no more), which is going to be Tory-centric because in this one...she's going to be his niece (and Brandon his nephew)!! This was inspired by seeing old posts of speculating that Tory was his daughter - something that probably won't happen in canon and definitely won't happen in my fics because Mike wouldn't cheat on his wife!!! But with my headcanon of him being estranged from most of his family, him no knowing he's an uncle (or at least not anything about them) is perfectly plausible.

He finds out a few weeks after 2x10 - this time Elaine wasn't there to break up the fight, and though she didn't see Miguel fall the whole experience still shook her up enough that Mike took her and Alex out of West Valley High, so his mind's been on other things. Then he sees footage of the fight featuring Tory and sees the resemblance not just in looks but also the ferocity with which she fights - it reminds him of himself, and when he and Leah go digging for information they find out that yes, she and Brandon are his younger brother's children, but his brother up and left and the family changed surnames, and Mike and Leah realise that Tory needs serious help that she probably won't get unless someone steps in.

I've only written some of it, but it's looking likely it'll focus more on the women - Tory doesn't trust anyone at first, but slowly opens up to Leah and Elaine, and eventually she'll open up to the rest of the Barnes clan (Alex and Brandon get along well too), and it'll end up being an S3 AU because a Tory with a support system is a Tory who really won't rejoin Cobra Kai, and Mike and Leah have words to say when Kreese tries to bring her back into the fold. There'd also be a genuine apology from Tory to Sam - not full reconcilation, but a start, and possibly even one between Mike and Daniel, but that part I'm not sure about yet.

I'm also working on a fic set in the world of The Protectors. For those not in the know, The Protectors was a 1972 action series from Gerry Anderson - creator of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, among numerous other shows - which was one of his live-action ones and the only one not to feature any kind of sci-fi or fantasy slant. Instead it focused on the titular internation crime-fighting group, led by Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn), Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree Dawn-Porter) and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt).

My fic is set a few years after the end of the show, and features an OC, Layla Williams, an ex-thief turned security tester, who befriends Paul while on holiday in Paris, and who ends up getting kidnapped as leverage against him and Harry. This ends up backfiring on the kidnappers as she uses her skills to escape her bindings and kick several people's asses on the way out, reuniting with her friends - though various circumstances means she doesn't meet Paul again for six months. At the moment there isn't really much of a plot - it's more a self-indulgent fic as Layla eventually ends up with Paul (who is my favourite character), but she'll definitely be getting more chances to showcase her skillset, along with her other friends in her team.

I'd answer question 38, but the problem is nearly every comment I get makes my day, so it's impossible to choose just one to talk about.

40 questions for fic writers!

#Answering my asks #Thanks for asking!#Fanfic ask game

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plotbunniesattack · 2 years

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AO3 WIP SPOILERS:

** Friendly reminder that fanfic is FREE content & in addition to writing I have an IRL 24/7 day job**

Love + Stage Crew - Published 08/16/19

CH20 - The Winchester’s celebrate Thanksgiving with Castiel & Naomi makes an unexpected appearance. Castiel briefly considers suicide but then forces himself to vomit up what he’d ingested instead of going through with overdosing again.

CH21 - Dean knows something is up with Castiel, just not what. Meanwhile Castiel’s suicide attempt pushes him a major depressive episode.

CH22 - A well meaning Sam asks Castiel not to “distract” Dean while he’s studying for the PSATs. Unable to cope, Castiel spirals back into recreational drug use to manage his anxiety.

CH23 - After taking the PSATs Dean goes all out planning for his and Castiel’s first anniversary. Unfortunately Castiel forgets all about it, shows up late and is noticeably high.

CH24 - Castiel meets with his new therapist, social worker!Jody who suggests him living in a group home/going to rehab because he’s clearly unhappy and on drugs. Missouri confirms Dean’s suspicions about his boyfriend's extracurricular activities which causes them to fight. This triggers Castiel into dissociating, which results in him banging his head against the wall repeatedly and freaking Dean the fuck out.

CH25 - Castiel ditches school to get high with Andy & Ava then accidentally overdoses. Dean worries this was another suicide attempt & feels responsible.

CH26 - Dean breaks down completely in front of Castiel, afterward they have a good talk and gain a better understanding of each other and their relationship.

CH27 - Dean & Castiel talk with Dr. Milton about drug use & antidepressants. Later they meet with Jody to reevaluate Castiel’s living situation.

CH28 - Castiel’s medication leads to more unexpected weight gain and some disordered eating. He confides in Dean and explains why he wants to stop taking his meds. Together the boys come up with a better plan, Castiel starts jogging with Sam.

CH29 - Gabe visits the Winchester’s for Christmas break. Shenanigans & Fluff, Castiel is authentically enjoying life again now that his meds are finally working.

CH30 - Castiel’s New Year’s resolution is to “just be okay” or whatever that means for him. He also wants to learn how to support Dean the way he’s been supported. Story ends with fluff and optimism.

SPN X Stand By Me - Published 06/18/21

CH5 - The Train Dodge - Gabe and Cas outrun a freight train and nearly get squashed.

CH6 - The Campfire - Cas tells his friends a story about a family of monster hunters. Later he comforts a very tipsy Dean who tries to explain why the world doesn't want him in it.

CH7 - The Leeches - Puberty is scary enough without adding blood sucking aquatic monsters.

CH8 - The Body - The boys find Adam’s body and face off with Lucifer’s gang.

CH9 - The Epilogue - Dean isn't dead at all and has been dating Castiel the whole time.

The Road Too Far - Series Published 09/3/22

“Dad’s on a Hunting Trip”- S1 rewrite where Dean is already an alcoholic and John had been enabling this prior to disappearing. Also implies John spent most of the first season unknowingly possessed by different demons.

“Watch Out, For Sammy” - S2 rewrite where Dean isn't handling John’s death at all and is seriously reexamining all the things he could've done with his life instead. Emotionally switching places with his little brother, Dean begins to understand why Sam left hunting.

“Got A Year to Live”- S3 rewrite where Dean comes to terms with his own impending death and for the first time in forever decides that he might actually want to live instead.

SPN Headcanon Gospel - Series Published 01/14/20

“Failure”- Dean tries really hard on his freshman year finals but fails them anyway. Alone with Sam for the Summer, he spirals into substance abuse, sexual misadventures, and clinical depression.

“Promises”/“Flagstaff”- Kid!Sam misunderstands Dean’s childhood plans for them, later he uses his promise to Dean as an excuse to run away from hunting. / Sam’s adventures come to a screeching halt when John Winchester tracks him down in Flagstaff, AZ. Bones the dog turns out to be a Zanna sent by Sully to watch over him.

“Dropout”- Dean officially gives up civilian life for hunting, and although he knows it's what dad’s been hinting at for years- when all is said and done John still seems as disappointed in him as ever.

“Road Trip”- At 19 Dean’s more depressed than ever and it's leading to increased recklessness on the job. John notices and sends him on a “Five states in five days” road trip hoping he’ll sow some oats and figure himself out. Lisa Braedon seems to be going through something hard herself. In addition to all the sex turns they have, Lisa turns out to be the kind of person Dean could actually fall in love with. Now if only he were allowed to do such things.

Visitations of the Heart - *REWRITE* Published 04/12/19

Originally I wrote this based on a personal experience and while I have no regrets IRL, Cas and Dean deserve better.

I want to change Cas’s reasoning for kicking Dean out from ultimatum to an attempt at setting healthy boundaries for himself - which I feel is even more valid than original content.

I want to explore more background into Dean’s issues with alcohol and Cas. How he unintentionally used alcohol to cope with stress/ fell back into once normalized patterns of addiction.

#spn fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #works in progress #spoilers #destiel #deancas #dean winchester #castiel #pre series #rewrites #alt universe #angst with a hopeful ending #tw: implied/ referenced suicidal thoughts & actions #tw: implied/ referenced alcohol abuse/ alcoholism #If you comment on my work do it nicely or not at all

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

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What's in a name? (Analysing all the names in stranger things)

*I'll be repeating some names more than once as I break down categories .

Show , book, and tv easterggs

Alot of character names may have deeper meaning but some are also refs to stories they liked. The stranger writers twitter posted a list of movies said to inspire s4 (which I’ll be referencing).

Dart- dustin names him this after d'artagenean (a 3 musketeers book character) and one of Dustin's fav candies (3 muskateers). Similarly his pet turtle yurtle is implied to be named after the dr Seuss’ story 'yertle the turtle'.

Brenner- main character from 'the birds', which was on the st s4 list.

Byers- john byers from x files. The duffers mentioned x files was an inspo for the show. Although John byers (from x files) resembles Murray as an unhinged conspiracy theorist. The documentary paradise lost was also cited as inspo for st- john byers and his son, terry, Michael, and Steve were names in said film

Jim Hopper- in Predator (another st inspo) he was a soldier who was flayed to death in the woods. Another character in the film with a similar fate was “Hawkins”.

Detective Wheeler and elle Holloway- from silent Hill franchise. Another ref mentioned by the Duffers. Holloway was the surname of st's Heather. Elle (is el) and Wheeler is Mike's surname. Wheeler was also on the ep of twiglight zone (another cited ref by the duffers) . In the ep 'mute' sheriff wheeler takes in a mute psychic girl as his foster daughter. So some hints at hopper too . Hopper even mentions el-anor (gilipse) in s1. The surname of a main character in the silent hill series.Lt. Colonel Sullivan (s4) could be a eastergg of silent hill 4 which had a Sullivan character.

Henderson- st twitter mentioned how all the bond films were on the s4 inspiration list . So Dustin's surname being the same as one of the bond characters is a nod. Duffers also mentioned ‘freaks & geeks’ as inspo- and 1 character’s surname was also Henderson (another nod).

Mrs Driscoll (from s3) - a nod to invasion of the body snatchers which was mentioned as inspo by the Duffers. And clear inspo for s3.

Powell (cop and partner of hopper ) - diehard films also on s4 list. He's named after the cop powell.

Callahan (cop and partner of Hopper) - father Callahan ref. He shows up in many of Stephen King novels. The Duffers have cited over 10 novels and books from him as inspo for st

Nancy- she's called ‘Nancy drew’ (from the novels). And the duffers have mentioned they are fans of elmstreet - who's main character was Nancy. Nancy also references 'Oliver twist" ,and that book has a character named Nancy in it. Nancy was also a first Lady in the 80s similar to her friend Barbara- who was also a first Lady in the 80s.Nancy's name might also be inspired by "Nancy Wheeler", a secondary character in the 1970 book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret written by Judy Blume.

Fred (s4)- apparently a high-school journalist who may be friend or foe. This one is a stretch but given nancy maybe being an elmstreet ref- and her enemy being fred-die kreuger. Fred may have animosity to Nancy and that's why his name is Fred. I mean ... they even cast a new s4 character with Freddie kreuger's original actor.so...

Jason (s4) - is in the 1986 Nancy drew novel (when s4 takes place). He is similar to the duffers description. In the novel he's a rich, popular, arrogant jock and blackmailing students at the high-school . S3 even named one of its episodes after a nancy drew novel- so wouldn't surprise me.

Christie carpenter (s4/reffed in s1 by hopper)- christie is the main character in the hellraiser series (which is on the s4 st list). Carpenter is the surname of the director of 'the thing' name dropped in s3. (The flesh monster in s3 also resembles the thing) , and in s1 mr clarke watches it ,and mike has the thing movie poster in his basement.

Argyle (s4) - die hard 1-2 were on the s4 st list. And is a name of a diehard character.

Max- her name is 'mad max' like the 80s film. But since the Duffers like videogames. Her name may be a ref to max caufield from the ‘life is strange’ game as well. She has a 'never Maxine rule' similar to max in st. But the game character is similar to jonathan as she is a teen photographer and says similar words to jonathan in s1 saying she would rather watch people through a camera than interact with them.

Eddie munson (s4)- not going to lie. I have no proof of this but I immediately thought of the TV character Eddie Munster (the friendly monster ).

Possible comic book easteggs

The duffers are no stranger to comic book references. The duffers have already directly reffed xmen, wonderwoman, and green lantern. Kali's place also has a comic book ref to 'the invisibles' on the wall. While the s4 movie list mentions thor ragnock , age of ultron, and 2 batman films. Some of these refs will go over your head if you haven't read my DID theory. But a lot of this analysis will still be enjoyable. :)

Jane st ives (jane ives aka el). marvel. (jane st ives sees her dad k*ll her mom and vows revenge against him.Sort of similar to what brenner did to terry).

Stephanie harrington (Steve harrington)- 80s marvel comic. DP.7. Will DID ref. Antibody, is a medical resident who can project from his body a dark figure of himself (also called an "antibody", a word play on the medical term) that flies, can become intangible, and transfer its memories to another person by physical contact (mindflayer). He later merges with the antibody. like how susie refs ‘wizard of earthsea’ -the novel where the young wizard Ged releases a shadow monster (said to be an ancient evil) but it turns out to be the dark aspects of his personality and the only way for the chaos to stop is to accept his darkness and merge as 1.

Barry bauman (Murray bauman) . marvel comics - Will did easteregg.Bauman lived in never ending darkness. He felt, that there was a realm outside the darkness and started to explore the entire content of his brain thus using now more than the usual 10 % .Also had telekinesis.He turned his attention to the stars in order to exact revenge on the human race which spends billions of dollars to kill each other, but wouldn't spend the mere million or so it would have cost to cure him. For his vengeance he transported the suns near our galaxy into his omnipotent brain. As the people of Earth would learn of the disappearing of the suns they would panic and feel Bauman's loneliness before he would destroy Earth.Despite the death of his physical body, Bauman's consciousness somehow survived and began hopping from body to body throughout the galaxy, his powers growing until the Star Thief was recognized as a major threat to galactic society.

Sinclair- last name of xmen rhaine. Will Did ref. storyline Rahne Sinclair is mentally bonded to Havok against her will(Will/mf).She is subsequently manipulated by the Shadow King. Her bond with Havok causes her to act irrationally, sometimes threatening teammates, sometimes by flirting with them. She undergoes more than one attempt to undo the bonding, with varying results. Her instability also manifests in many odd dreams, in which her identity is merged into pop culture figures. What’s funny is charlie heaton (jonathan byers) was just in an xmen movie with this Rhaine character.

Victor creel (s4)-sounds like mutant victor creed of the xmen comic. x men Mutant with ab*sive dad and poor socioeconomic background. He had a "birthday tradition" of ab*sing his young relatives on their birthdays. Which reminds me of Lonnie making jonathan cry for a week (because he forced him to k*ll a rabbit on his b-day). Not to mention Lonnie is prob coming back for Will’s b day in s4... so... the name is prob a ref to that ‘birthday tradition’. Could also be a stephen king reference -since Duffers love him. The Creel family was in sk’s book “pet cemetary’-which fun fact (the actress who plays El’s aunt is in the recent remake)!

Yuri (s4)-Yuri Topolov (Russian: Юрий Тополов) was a Soviet scientist and the first foe of the Hulk.

Dimitri (s4)-Dmitri Bukharin was born in Kuibyshev, Russia (some sources say Moscow). First appeared in Iron man.

Peter ballard ( s4 character) may just be a hellfire ref . since I guy with last name ballard was a double agent for the hellfire club (name of st s4 ep 1). And ballard means bald which the actor is certainly not lol. I don't think he's literally associated with hellfire but its just a ref. And because its implied in his st character summary despite working for the mental hospital-where brenner is most likely at- he's horrified by the treatment of the psych patients. So that may be where the double agent aspect would come into play.

Ian Hargrove (billy hargrove)- batman comics. had a history of mental health problems dating back to childhood, which his parents were unable to afford treatment for. His brother John hargrove tried to keep him out of trouble but Ian developed an uncanny talent for explosives (will the wise fire powers). He ends up at Archam asylum. Cough billy is Will's alter. Why he has the name billy (a nickname for William) . Jonathan in s2 mentions how he likes the writer vonnegut- who wrote slaughter house 5- the main character was Billy. Already mentioned how it connects to my did theory .

Jason carver (s4)- carver is the last name of the comic hero thunderbolt (in the flash)-the first name of thunderbolt is Will and his brother is named Lonnie. There was also a John carver in the comic.

Holland (barb's last name) last name of Swamp thing. I think its plot has quite a few s4/5 spoilers but Im not diving into it right now.

Names associated with religions or mythology

(if you’ve read my DID theory- some themes will appear relevant in relation WIll’s alters or to WIll’s past/tr*uma).

-‘Kali prasad".Kali is the name of a Hindu goddess . Kali’s iconography and mythology commonly associate her with death, violence, s*xuality, but also paradoxically -motherly love. In myths ‘she only k*lls demons’ and is described as ‘overflowing with incomprehensible love for her children’ - (aka ST’s Kali k*lling people from hawkins lab for hurting kids). Her third eye stands for wisdom (like Will the wise).Kali is called at times ‘ the bright fire of truth’ (will the wise/fire powers).The devotee makes her image in his heart and under her influence burns away all limitations and ignorance in the cremation fires. This inner cremation fire in the heart is the gyanagni (fire of knowledge), which kali bestows (cough Will the wise-fire powers). The goddess also could create a darkcloud of lightning (similar to the mf). The phrase “brilliant as a dark cloud” is a snippet of one such prayer dedicated to Kali.The name Kali is derived from the Hindu word that means “time”. Kali receives her name because she devours ‘kala’ (Time)- like clocks ticking when El sees demogorgan/clock being wonky when Will see mf/clocks in s4 promos.’ After devouring time she resumes her own dark formlessness. “This transformative effect can be metaphorically illustrated in the West as a black hole in space” (cough mf cough hopper blackhole/time refs). Kali’s s2 butterfly-“Kali is the Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy. ... The cocoon, butterfly and the karmic golden wheel reflect Her deep connection with life.”And Prasād (her last name) is a material substance that is a religious offering to gods in Hinduism .

-While, EL is the name of a Cannanite (male) god associated with “salt water “ (pool filled with salt in s1) who “dwelled in a tent” (in s1 Mike’s blanket fort) .And his gray-beard was described as " "full of wisdom.” él’ in Spanish means ‘he’- which could be a nod at her ( androgynous) presentation in s1. El can also be translated to "God" or 'god'. The el character has various mythologies depending on which culture/ religion is using the term 'el'. In the post-biblical period, "el" became a regular element in the names of angels such as "Gabri·el," "Micha·el," and "Azri·el," to denote their status as divine beings.And Jane translates to " Yahweh (god) is gracious/merciful". The cannanite god El was also dubbed “Compassionate God of Mercy.” Earlier, a ninth century B.C.E. inscription identifies Ēl- the name of the Babylonian water god Ea, lord of the watery subterranean abyss (cough watery dark void in st). Terry (el’s mom-aka Teressa) was originally used in the Middle Ages for a “child baptized in holy water” (El in the sensory water tank/Terry used it too,according to Becky in s1). Eleanor (called this in s1)- can mean "sun ray" (possible the opposite of the ‘shadow monster’ or Kali who can represent a “black hole”).

-Will-the s4 st movie lists (‘red dragon’, gods of monsters, & ‘blade runner’ ) mention the artist and writer William Blake (specifically his painting of the angel michael fighting a dragon in revelations - reffed in st s1). He was one of many painters part of the exhibition of “ The World Turned Upside Down: Apocalyptic Imagery.”The World Turned Upside Down explores the myriad ways that artists in England visualized the apocalypse in a period fraught with political, religious, economic, and cultural change.

During this period Blake was commissioned to create over a hundred paintings intended to illustrate books of the Bible along with revelations . He also drew illustrations for the novel Dante’s inferno. Blake’s brutally satirizes oppressive authority in church and state.He said those who proclaim restrictive moral rules and oppressive laws as “goodness” are in themselves evil. Hence to counteract this repression, Blake announces that he is of the “Devil’s Party” (cough hellfire club ref-and dissing the satanic panic of the hellfire club and other marginilised groups) . He also says “men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast.” So Instead of looking for God on remote altars, Blake warns, man should look within.He produced a diverse and symbolically rich œuvre, which embraced the “imagination as “the body of God.” He wrote his own stories based on biblical writings- one includes the fire wielding character of Los (will the wise) who represented jesus. Los (like jesus does in revelations) causes the destruction of the world and the second judgment unfolds. The poem ends with Los’s unfallen state rising up and shepherding in science and removing the dark religions. I also talked about how this story ‘book of los’ hints at the DID theory-but this is getting long-so you can just read the explanation here if interested. Also, hellooo Both names are William B(yers/lake). Billy (a alter of Will-sharing the name William) in s3 he even wore “lady of pillar” medallion- i.e about jesus/mary.

JOHN (supposedly Jesus’ blood relative- who wrote ‘revelations’.) In scripture John was called “the disciple whom Jesus loved as a brother” .Fire is the most typical element associated with the Saint John's Eve celebration (Jonathan did light the demogorgan on fire). Many scholars consider John & Jesus ("apocalyptic prophets"). Jonathan itself translates to " yahweh (god ) has given" in Hebrew.

Michael- Similar to kali, he’s a religious figure known for killing demons. He’s the arch-angel from the book of revelations (Apocalypse). A evil Beast (with seven heads usually translated to ‘satan’ or ‘dragon’) appears .“it was a 7″ causes Will to be attacked by the demogorgan ( which in d&d is a demon with multiple heads). The Archangel MICHAEL fought and defeated this 7 headed beast/satan. Corresponding with Mike at the end of s1 writing a fictional d&d story for Will (based off defeating the demogorgan) which was about helping kill a 7 HEADED MONSTER! Michael is also the archangel who oversees on Earth the natural element of fire (Mike telling Will the wise to use ‘fireball’ to defeat this same 7 headed monster in the game, at the end of s1)! Ironically though Jesus /Christian god is also associated with 7s a lot (he has 7 angels and during the apocalypse causes 7 plagues , he has 7 candles etc .)cause the number seven, represented ‘perfection’ according to ancient numerology . Will’s b day is March 22- (3) +2+2 =7 (“it was a 7”). Will’s bday even falls in what christians call “the holy week”( the week immediately preceding Easter.) At the end of s1 they even defeat this 7 headed monster because Will rolls a 14 (which can be broken down into two 7s). Michael & William also have 7 letters in each of their names respectively- equating to this 14. This dragon biblical story (of Michael) is also William blake’s most popular painting. Also, random fact in revelations god has a rainbow throne (with thunder /lightning -will the wise powers- coming from the throne, and seven lit torches next to it ) . He also wears a rainbow halo. Lol. Michael also roughly translates to ( 'Who like el?' The answer being roughly translated to ' no one like el' ... which i mean literally is saying there is no one similar to her. But I still think its a linguistic pun/ burn that Mike is not actually into El romantically).

Jim (James) hopper- According to the s3 script Hopper’s real name is James. JAMES (JIM) was an apostle to jesus- brother of john. And in the bible was called a ’son of thunder ’. Will’s powers/ hopper being an alter of Will's so technically brother of jonathan and thunder powers. Not to mention David on Instagram saying hopper has " he has risen. like bread" is a Jesus ref to 'he has risen"... even the bread ref could be a catholic ref to the last supper.

Martin Brenner/marsha holland- have their first name reference the roman god Mars who was originally a ‘thunder or storm deity’ (will the wise/mf powers). EL (in cannanite mythology) also allowed Baal the storm god to rule the entire earth.

ROBIN- was the God of Thunder’s- Thor’s- favorite bird. And Dustin also means ‘Thor’s stone.’The red belly robin is also an important bird in Christianity. Legend has it that the robin got its red belly from a fire in which it was trying to protect Jesus. Robin also name drops the greek god prometheus- the god of fire (will the wise) who brought human beings life and knowledge. And Steve looks at Robin and says "let there be light" a biblical passage. The robin represents selflessness for a higher truth.

Barb- Saint BARBara- dad kept her locked away from the outside world (like el/brenner) . He tried to k*ll her when he learned she didn’t believe in his religion- so the dad was punished by “god” who electrocuted him with lightning/lit him on fire. (Will the wise powers).

Nancy- is derived from a medieval diminutive of Annis, an English form of Agnes. There’s the christian saint Agnes- who was beautiful and from a wealthy family. She was the Christian saint of girls and v*rginity . And the duffers subverted this along with the problematic horror movie trope of the ' v*rgin female heroine surviving while her more se*ually liberated female friends are punished by the villain' ( by having her survive specifically because she decided to have s*x).Agnes was also led out and bound to a stake, but (allegedly) the bundle of wood would not burn, or the flames parted away from her (will the wise fire powers). Also people claimed that any man who tried to r*pe her was struck blind.

Hopper's wife’s name -Dianne- is also the roman goddess of ,nature, hunting and wild animals( and greek equivalent to Artemis) .Becky means ‘snare’ -for hunting animals .Teressa (Terry) means ' huntress'. The name was originally used in the Middle Ages for a child baptized in holy water . Name of 2 saints-Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux. Lonnie’s gf (Cynthia) was originally an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, as well.

Power couple Angela & jake (s4) - Angela means 'messenger of God". And Jake (also means ”supplanter”) is derived from jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca in genesis. El’s aunt,Becky (Rebecca) is wife of isaac.Other theories claim that Jacob is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".The name jacob is also where the names James/jim is derived from.

couple Steve spies on in s3- Anna Jacobi & Mark Lewinsky. Anna ( name of the mother of the Virgin Mary) Jacobi ("he who supplants"-aka same meaning as jim since both names are derived from jacob). Mark (”the god mars”-same meaning as martin brenner) .Lewinsky (lion-same name meaning as Lonnie). Also derived from the Hebrew root לוי‎ (leví, “priest”)

Joyce means "lord". Could also be a ref to the ('unofficial') saint Joyce who gave up wealth to live in poverty.

Ted-is the short form of the names Theodore and Edward. Theodore is a Greek name meaning "gift of God", Edward has an English origin and means "wealthy guard." Eddie (from s4) also means ‘wealthy guard”

Holly (nancy and Mike's sis)- Holly meanings are 'One who is pious' or 'sacred'

Karen- can be short for Katherine-one of the first christian saints.”Saint Katherine of the Wheel “(er). A 4th century martyr who suffered t*rture on a spiked wheel. Wheeler does mean ‘occupational name for a maker of wheels’ after all.

Gospel of LUKE (lucas?) , or simply Luke, tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Sinclair- Catholic saint of computers and TV screens (i mean... he is in the av club).

MAXimilian was deemed a saint in the 1980s- saint of journalists and radios. (Both aspects of s3)

Saint stephen/steven ( STEVE)-an early disciple and deacon . Considered one of the first m*rtyrs of the church.Stephen is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food (lol icecream) .According to Orthodox belief, he was the eldest and is therefore called “archdeacon”.

Sara- Her name is a feminine form of sar (Hebrew: שַׂר‎), meaning “chieftain” or “prince." She was the wife and sister of Abraham (ew -given her being an alter of Will though, such a name doesn’t surprise me). Similar to st Barabara’s dad - Abraham tried to k*ll his son isaac in the name of god. Becky (El's aunt) - is derived from Rebecca - wife of Isaac.

Claudia (Dustin's mom)- Christian woman of Rome greeted by Paul in his second letter to Timothy (in the bible).

Sam mayfield (max's dad) - Short for Samuel or Samantha, from the Biblical name Shemu'el, which means "God has heard", from the Hebrew shama, meaning "heard" and el, meaning "God". Samuel is rumored to be argyle first name.

Marsha Kelly (s4)- Kelly means "frequents churches" or " bright headed". Given she's a counselor the bright headed pun makes sense. But maybe she's not to be trusted if she frequents churches during a satanic panic arc which was fueled by Christian religious extremism . Or she's someone who contrasts the rest of the religious people in town since she's not originally from hawkins...who knows. x files’ main character was catholic but in one ep she criticized a small town for the satanic panic occurring-and says how accusing these kids who listen to rock as satanic or being k*llers is ludicrous.

Peter ballard (s4) - Peter was also the name of an apostle.

Tina (side character s2)- like christy (s4) it’s short for Christina which translates to "follower of christ" or 'stream'. Tina was the gal who hosted the t halloween party and also the name of one of Erica’s friends in s3.

Samantha (goth girl jonathan talks to in s2 party) translates to "told by god".

Tommy (s1-2) "God's gift" or "twin".Thomas is the Greek variation of the Aramaic name Ta’oma’. It came about because there were too many apostles named Judas; Jesus renamed one Thomas—meaning "twin"—to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and the Judas also known as Thaddeus.

carol (tommy’s gf)- Carol is the short form of Caroline and the meaning is derived from the English vocabulary word for “song” or “hymn". A hymn being a religious song or poem.

Benny ( who helped El at his dinner) - originally derived from latin bennedictus which means "blessed"

Stacey (s2-3 ) rejected dustin at dance. Stacey- "resurrection "

Grigori (the guy following and tracking hopper, Joyce, and alexi)- The name was adopted by early Christians heedful of the Biblical passage located in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful."grigory now means 'watchful and vigalent'

Alexi- prob based on the russian folklore story of alexy. A clever priest's son who tricks a dragon.

Harrington- similar to Robin's religious animal iconography. Harrington means 'he goat'.The most popular image of the Satanic goat dates back to the ever-mysterious Knights of Templar, who were accused of worshipping an idol known as Baphomet (a 1/2 human 1/2 goat man). Roman Catholic society decried it as a demon that demanded human sacrifice — but it would take a few more centuries before the goat became a truly occult symbol.Anton Lavey adopted Baphomet as the sigil of the Church of Satan in 1966, and it has appeared on countless metal album covers. But, Baphomet isn't the lone source of inspiration for our goat-like depictions of Satan.it's also believed that early Christians, seeking to demonize preexisting Pagan traditions, drew comparisons between the Devil and the Greek god Pan (god of nature), who happened to resemble a goat.Some cited how in revelations- during the apocalypse- Jesus separates the 'lambs from the goats'. ( supposedly Good vs bad)

Given the fact s3 alluded to the satanic panic. A Christian movement in the 80s that demonized and said d&d ,rock music, homosexuality, other religions, stephen King,horror films, wearing black,and non conservative ideology were 'satanic.' I wouldn't be surprised by this possible ref. Heck even William Blake criticized similar religious movements in his own time period. Several movies from the s4 list allude to this. The most obvious being the documentary paradise lost (named after the fictional retelling of satan/adam and eve story) - the documentary directly focuses on a witch hunt of rock loving teens (wrongfully accused of m*rders) in a small town during the satanic panic. Not to mention ironically s4 is hinted to be around easter. So Using such symbolism to address religious fundamentalism and the bigotry/hysteria it can cause isn't surprising. No i’m not lumping all religious people into this negative category- obviously.

Other Names with similar definitions

*Hunting /forests woods, nature, animals

Hunters and people in forrests

name meaning : becky - snare (a trap for catching birds or animals). Teressa-huntress. Dianne/Cynthia (Hopper’s ex wife/Lonnie’s gf) - is a roman/greek goddess of hunting and wild animals. Rhadaghast- Will's password for cb is a lothr wizard who protects forests/wildlife.martin/marsha- previously god of agriculture/plants.As an agricultural guardian, he was believed to directed his energies toward creating conditions that allow crops to grow, which may include warding off hostile forces of nature (pumpkins rotting in s2). El in phoenician culture was called Elus and its Greek equivalent Cronus (god of agriculture) steve- he goat- associated with pan- god of fields, groves, wooded glens . brenner- ‘someone who cleared forests by burning’. the blond women, Brenner worked with, Fraizer- “of the forrest men”

* FUN FACT: Kali’s name originally was going to be ‘Roman’ (which is derived from Romulus-the son of Mars... aka Martin Brenner) .

Trees

Ives and owens- ives means 'yew wood' while Owen means 'yew tree. ' bauman- nickname for someone who lived near a tree.comes from the German word "baum," or "boum" in Middle High and Old German, meaning "tree’. Jennifer hayes- Jennifer derived from Old English words "jenefer", "genefer" and "jinifer", all of which were variants of Juniper used to describe the juniper tree.Lonnie means "oak tree; or lion". Lion plushie in cb and the lion el has along with the tree establishes a connection between all 3 maybe? Oak groves were especially sacred to the goddess dianna too. Buckley (it has many different translations) - Old English "boch ley" (with boch meaning beech tree and ley meaning wood, glade or clearing).

Nature

buckley if translated from "bok lee," means meadow, or field. mayfield- open country (field) where madder (mæddre) grows. Holland- wood land, Bruce (who was also possessed) - means WILLow lands . Keith (s2-3) : woods or forrest.Hargrove- meadow filled with rabbits (Jonathan’s hunting story).Holloway is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, or type of tree. Tina means 'river' . Burness (guy who claimed he jumped into quarry)-stream. Neil- cloud. Lowe (Bruce's last name)-This surname is derived from a geographical locality 'at the low,' i.e. the hill. Hayes means "hedged area'.

Flowers

Flo (hopper's secretary)- means flower. Suzie- lily flower. Susan (Max’s mom)- means lily, lotus flower or rose. Karen (in Japanese can mean)- flower, lotus, or water lily. Heather is also a variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers which commonly grow in rocky areas. Erica is a type of "heather" plant. martin/marsha: in the legend of Mars,his mother become pregnant with him using a magic flower- which was given to her by the goddess flora.

Bright (aka intelligent)

Bob- nickname of Robert . Both Bob and Robert mean 'bright, shinning or fame'. Aka smart -he's called ' Bob the brain ' for a reason.

Robin- is also diminutive of Robert . And we all know robin is smart too. Being multilingual/ cracking the code.Robin (like Robert) also means 'bright, shining , or fame.'

Lucas- means "bright" or "shinning" aka he's also a smart cookie. His firework plan saving the day.

Lonnie and Larry (the mayor) can both be nicknames for Lawrence which also means ' bright one' or 'shinning one'. Well... both are cunning I'll give them that. Lonnie is unfortunately ...smart. I think this detail had other foreshadowing. Joyce to Will about Will the wise ' if he's so wise why does he need the fireballs? can't he just outsmart the bad guys? " Will: " yeah. Usually. BUT sometimes the bad guys are smart too." I never understood why on earth Joyce would be with someone as awful as Lonnie in the first place- than be with his literal opposite Bob- but maybe she just found intelligence attractive?

Names associated with thunder/lightning/fire (Like Will/mf/Will the wise)

Byers-reprsents Greek Zeus (god of thunder/lightning). Martin - references the roman god Mars who was originally a ‘thunder or storm deity’ .ROBIN- was the German God of Thunder’s- Thor’s- favorite bird. And Dustin also means ‘Thor’s stone.’Jim- “son of thunder”. Christian god- has throne (surrounded by thunder /lightning). Kali- could summon thunder storms.Nancy/Barb-both saints associated with fire. Kali-is called at times ‘ the bright fire of truth’ /and bestows the fire of knowledge. Robin also name drops the greek god prometheus- the god of fire. Mars -the keeper of Rome's perpetual flame . The Robin bird in a Christian story myth protects Jesus from hell's fire. William Blake- wrote about a fire wielding character of Los who represented jesus. Jesus during end times wields fire. Michael is the archangel who oversees on Earth the natural element of fire. Fire is the most typical element associated with the Saint John's Eve celebration (Saint John- called Jesus’s brother).

Animals (and their symbolism)

Byers- means ‘ cattle shed’.The Greeks considered the bull animal totem to be a symbol of Zeus (god of thunder and lighting - will the wise powers). He is the head of the gods and the almighty ruler of Olympus. I”n hinduism, Shiva is known as Gorakhnath, means the lord of the cows. And is also known as, Pasupathinath, the lord of all animals (similar to Rhadaghast). According to some scholars, Shiva’s association with cows and bulls might date back to the Indus Valley period. Cows have a special significance in Hinduism, as aspects of Mother Goddess and as symbols of selfless service. Mahatma Gandhi declared the protection of cows a central feature of Hinduism.Hindus worship cows as the Mother Goddess and symbol of motherhood, kindness and forbearance.”

Tigers: (Sarah’s plushie/ Hawkin’s macott/ Will & Mike have tiger posters in their rooms): The goddess Kali & God Shiva wore a tiger skin (this fact was actually mentioned by Kali in the prequel novel ‘suspicious minds’ ).”In many tribal traditions of India, the tiger (or lion) is worshipped as a god. In some Hindu hymns the domestic fires are compared to the tigers that guard the house.Tigers also figure prominently in many Indian folk-tales, Jataka-stories, and the Panchatantra.”

Lions:(Lonnie means ‘lion’ and el and Will have matching lion plushies)- In the Bible, the lion has two opposite meanings: it is compared to the Devil (1 Pet 5:8) and to Christ (Rev 5:5). Aka: Lonnie is the devil. The kids are the opposite. Nancy also compares the demogorgan to a lion. “In many tribal traditions of India, the lion is worshipped as a god.One of the ten incarnations of Vishnu is Narasimha, who has the head and shoulders of a lion, but the torso of a human.Goddess Durga, a fierce form of Parvathi or Shakti, has a golden lion as her vehicle, while Rahu, a planetary guard, rides upon a black lion as his vehicle.Lions form an important part of Hindu religious art. The face of the lion (simha-mukha) is used in images and sculpture in many Hindu temples to decorate the doors, walls, arches, and windows.The memorial pillar at Saranath contains four beautifully carved standing lions at the top on a round abacus representing the imperial power. They now constitute the official emblem of the government of India.”

El almost k*lling a cat- “Some superstitious beliefs are also associated with cats in Hinduism. For example, killing a cat is considered a grave sin, for which one may have to offer prayers and give in charity at least seven golden images of the killed cat. “

Harrington- he goat. Buckley- has various translations. Anglo-Saxon: ‘bucc and leah’ meaning goat and wood respectively. And obviously there’s the robin-bird. And I've already discussed their symbolism. Goat= baphomet/pan.

Robin- thor's fav bird/ helped Jesus from hell's fire.

Buckley- can also translate to " field filled with deer" (like the deer attacked by the demogrogan or the bambi film jon reffed in relation to the hunting story about lonnie).And Karen ( when from it’s Hebrew origins) can mean- antler or horn. Also the caananite God el was usually depicted with animal horns on his head.Diana in Roman art usually is accompanied by a hound (demo dog) or deer. Because of the story of her turning an attempted r*pist-hunter into a deer/ and then causing dogs to attack him. Deer is also one of the symbolic animals accepted since early Christianity as an allegory of Jesus Christ and the Christian Disciple. And when associated with Shiva (kali's husband) in Hindu iconography, the deer omen denotes sovereignty over nature and symbolizes the lord of all animals, humans, and the King of the Forest. In many visual and written illustrations, human beings and deer appear as close companions and in some cases, humans adopt the face or antlers of a deer, in images more common in stories of human strife. Deer also have a supernatural significance and appear as apparitions of divinity and in legends of spiritual awakening.

Hargrove- meadow filled with rabbits (like the rabbit lonnie made jonathan k*ll.) Hopper sounds like thumper the rabbit- which jonathan mentions in relation to bunnies . And ... idk... Hopper did make that pun in s3 about bunnies to Larry (lawerence) ? We also have rabbit refs elsewhere like with- el in Benny's. They play the song 'white rabbit' a song referencing Alice in wonderland and in el's room at Terry's house is the white rabbit from that story. Also paralleling to jonathan- el was almost made to k*ll a cat by her father (Cheshire cat aka Alice in wonderland ref + cats are associated with magic powers/witch craft).In Celtic folklore, the rabbit is seen as a supernatural being from the Otherworld.The rabbit symbolism in Christianity has found its way through the Germanic deity Eostre from which the name Easter came to be (s4 will most likely have the Easter holliday).One tale describes the rabbit as the pet of Jesus Christ. And rabbits were often inserted into art of jesus' mother .

Creel- basket or container of fish.fish is taken as symbolizing Christ’s faith, charity, and abundance. A biblical story goes how Christ fed his disciples with 2 fishes and called them “fishers of men.” The Christians made an acrostic from the Greek word for fish, “ichthys” as early as the first century and it is, “Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter”, meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

Names hinting at character traits (which are very literal)

Mr clarke (science teacher)- clarke means 'scholar'

Dottie (in kali's gang)- she was in an insane asylum . And ‘Dotty’ is a very old British slang term for 'crazy'

War (usually relates to ‘villains’)

Troy- means ' foot soldier'. Martin brenner: Martin means 'war like'. Lonnie is diminutive of Alonzo or Lawrence. Alonzo means 'ready for battle'.

In contrast to Lonnie, Will can mean "desiring peace. " Axel who is part of Kali’s crew (who i think Will created along with others ) even means "father is peace."

Twin

Tom (Heather's dad) and Tommy mean ‘twin’. Robin's crush Tammy ('twin') Thompson ( 'son of tom’).

* Besides similar/identical name meanings.There’s also a lot of other repeated names that go into this whole twin/mirror imagery which i find strange... makes me wonder about @strangertheory ‘s version of the did theory. If not...maybe it’s just a allusion to the whole Will vs Will the wise arc (possibly) coming up?

Jennifer hayes (popular girl) & Jen (Mr clarke’s gf). Tina (highschool gal) & Tina- erica’s friend- Tina & christy are also nicknames of christina (s4 character). Susie (dustin’s gf) & susan (max’s mom). Sam (max’s dad) and Samantha (girl at party)/ samuel (possibly argyle). Billy Hargrove, Bill (dianne’s new huband), and Will-all being nicknames for William. Robin & Bob-nicknames for Robert. Lonnie & Larry-nicknames for Lawerence. Ted & Eddie being nicknames for Edward.James (Will’s bully), Jim Hopper (real name James), jacobi, and jason- all 4 are derived from jacob . Marsha Holland (barb’s mom) and marsha kelly (therapist s4)/martin relate to mars. Tom (reporter), tommy (highschooler), thompson (other highschooler).

it’s definitely peculiar to repeat names like this in a story. Unless it means ...something... I talked about how David was mentioning alot of doppelganger/twin imagery recently-here. So the name mirroring could just be an allusion to the Will/WW arc coming up ...possibly?

#will byers #mike wheeler #el hopper #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #jim hopper #steve harrington #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #murray bauman #robin buckley #byler #kali prasad #martin brenner #lonnie byers #stranger things #stranger things theory #billy hargrove

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likehandlingroses · 3 years

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“Realistic” Tom/Thomas Relationship Timeline

The S3/S4 Tom/Thomas affair is a theory that has been making its way around lately, and it is centered around the contrast in the interactions between Thomas and Tom during the Season 3 Christmas Special and their interactions in the Season 4 Christmas Special.

This means that usually the start of the relationship is viewed as coinciding with the immediate aftermath of Matthew’s death, which occurs in the Christmas Special of Season 3 (September 1921). Due to the interactions between Tom and Thomas in the Christmas Special of Season 4, the relationship can almost certainly be considered over by that time (May-ish of 1923). But what happened in between, and how long were they actually together? There’s one view that the affair occurs in between Seasons 3 and 4, which means that at the very longest they lasted just under six months (generally I think this view cuts it even shorter than that)...but this leaves some unanswered questions and some peculiarities, so I took another look at the canon to determine when, in fact, Thomas and Tom broke up.

(Note: I definitely know that Julian Fellowes did not intend for them to be having an affair, but also Julian if I’m right just DM me)

Let’s start with what we know about September 1921 and May 1923—the definite before and after points—for reference:

Christmas Special Season 3—September, 1921

In this Christmas special, we see Tom left behind while the rest of the family goes to Duneagle, and we see Thomas still dealing with the Jimmy situation a year after its apparent resolution. On its face, this episode features Tom being challenged in his new role in the house—and being encouraged to step up and face that role—and Thomas finding a way to resolve things with Jimmy.

Except there’s a whole lot of other stuff going on in the periphery of those stories: Tom knows that Jimmy is bothering Thomas and appears to want to intervene at the fair, but he is stopped by Edna, who at one point uses Thomas’s injuries as an excuse to visit Tom and assure him that Thomas is “feeling much better.” And—of course—there’s the fact that Tom and Thomas hug at the fair (and lest you think this was a RJC/Allen Leech moment not caught by editing, it was in multiple takes! Someone—multiple someones actually—included it on purpose). They are friendly, aware of each other, and to be honest it isn’t impossible to argue that maybe the relationship predates Matthew’s death! I’m going to argue otherwise, however, based on how Tom breaks down when Edna kisses him—I think Edna is the first time he’s even really thought of himself in romantic terms for a long time! But Thomas is right there in the wings, and he just finally made some progress on the emotional problem that’s been plaguing him for over a year!

It’s a big difference from what we see in the next Christmas special, big enough to start the theory of the affair in the first place...

Season 4 Christmas Special—Summer 1923

Once again, Tom is left alone at Downton while the rest of the family goes to London...and the difference in how Thomas responds is striking. He’s furious at having to wait on Tom, for reasons both we and the characters cannot quite understand. The excuses don’t add up—at this point, Tom has been living at Downton for three YEARS, and this has never been a problem before. Now all of a sudden Thomas is slamming trays and clenching his fists and provoking Tom into admitting that he sees himself as Above sitting next to him...what?

Then there’s Sarah Bunting, a Miss Sarah Bunting...whose presence infuriates Thomas while also making him eager to use her as a way to embarrass Tom. And Tom knows it, immediately. He’s embarrassed, he’s uncomfortable, but still he’s quick to pull rank with Thomas when challenged. Something has fundamentally altered the way they interact with and perceive each other while sharing the same space.

All of this speaks to a breakup, and a messy one at that...so with the knowledge we have, WHAT exactly happened between September of 1921 and May of 1923? Let’s look at what Season 4 has to say:

4.1/4.2–February, 1922

“That’s right: it’s Valentine’s Day.”

This is an important piece of the puzzle, because Thomas—Nanny West drama aside—is in a pretty good mood for the Valentine’s Day episode! He engages with Daisy and Jimmy’s Valentine’s card drama with good humor and even some genuine interest...something I do not believe he’d do if he’d only recently been broken up with, and by someone who lived in the house! The big one here, though, is the dialogue Thomas has with Nanny West in which she calls him “Thomas” and he says, “that’s Mr. Barrow to you...”

Now, where did Nanny West hear him referred to as Thomas? The episode makes a point of the fact that nannies do not as a rule spend much time with the downstairs staff—and even if they did, not many of the downstairs crew call Thomas “Thomas” on a regular basis. Nor do the upstairs folks...with one notable exception. Tom, who has to be reminded by Thomas in 4.3 to address him as “Barrow” (more on that later), routinely messes up names and titles.

To me, this suggests that Tom and Thomas are still talking, and it’s pretty clear from Thomas’s attentions to Sybbie in the episode that it would have been easy for Nanny West to overhear it in that context. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re still seeing each romantically, but the “Mr. Barrow TO YOU” element implies that the correction was NOT made to whoever Nanny West heard using the name (we presume it’s Tom)...and the distinction is that Nanny West does not *get* to call him that! It definitely seems like whoever she grabbed the name from has been granted permission to do that, and she Has Not. And if it’s Tom...well.

So does that mean that Thomas and Tom were done by 4.3, when Thomas DOES correct Tom on his title? Not exactly...

4.3/4.4–The House Party (pre July 1922)

(tw on this section for discussions involving sexual assault)

The party features Edna’s schemes and assault on Tom in order to extract a promise of marriage from him. It also features a Tom who is incredibly vulnerable and entirely out of his element with the introduction of the Crawley’s friends. This is somewhat of a contrast from the Tom of the first two episodes, who stands up to Robert several times to intervene on Mary’s behalf, and even ropes Carson into the mission. It feels, for a moment, that despite Matthew’s death Tom has taken up the challenge presented to him at the end of Season 3 and begun seeing himself as a valuable, contributing member of the household and family.

But here, Tom speaks of himself as a fool, as walking a tightrope, and of not being understood. He relies on alcohol to get through the event, which Edna takes advantage of—and which gives us a Tom/Thomas interaction that speaks to, in my opinion, a continuing relationship (although perhaps an altering one):

Now, if I had to guess, I would say that Tom might be less *keen* than usual, given his overall demeanor and the new scrutiny placed on him by Edna coming back to the house (not to mention the house party itself). It’s very possible there’s been a lull between the two of them as of late. I do not believe, however, that there is evidence of a clear break between Tom and Thomas as of the house party.

For one, Tom doesn’t just say the wrong thing when addressing Thomas in the drawing room—he says, “Thomas, would you get me a drink for God’s sake?” That is Not how he talks to him in the Christmas Special, where he is stilted and uncomfortable and concerned about how the words will be taken. He isn’t worried about any of that, and while Thomas corrects him, he doesn’t seem all that bothered by it. Tom’s look of irritation at the correction isn’t overdone either.

“It’s Barrow now,” also has flexible meanings. Of course it literally is what Tom is supposed to call him now...but “now” seems like a weird word to use when it’s been what Thomas is meant to be called for several years. It could be a post-breakup smackdown, but we’ve seen what those look like in the Christmas Special, and this doesn’t feel like that! I believe, rather, that Thomas is making reference to the fact that it is incorrect at that moment, something Tom should know and has been discussed!!!

The house party has both of them overworked and tense (this is also the time where Thomas has to fill in for Jimmy because Jimmy hurt his hand...which is SO ridiculous if you think about it for more than two seconds), but Edna’s transgression still draws Thomas’s attention

And that’s important! Thomas had been friends with Edna until this point, largely for convenience it seems—she is a new lady’s maid, and she can feed him information. Thomas even worked with her to mess with Anna, who had earlier made a comment to Edna about his intentions in befriending her. There’s a bond forming there, and while I don’t believe Thomas would genuinely support the literal details of Edna’s plot, I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he would be Opposed to Edna taking advantage of what she would frame as an indiscretion on Tom’s part. Not if he disliked Tom or was predisposed to believe Tom was at fault (ie: someone who expects to be “waited on Hand and Foot while he decides what Might Please Him Next”).

But right away, Thomas is suspicious the morning after. We see Thomas spying on Edna as she corners Tom, and he specifically brings it up to her later to catch her out. Already his tone is soured where she’s concerned. He’s sensed she’s up to something and he can probably guess the vague idea if not the particulars...and it turns him against her almost instinctively.

So what’s that about? Could it just be jealousy? The thing is, we know what Thomas would do if he believed that Edna and Tom were simply having an affair—we see what happens in the S4 Christmas Special with Sarah Bunting. This isn’t like that at all.

Thomas immediately blames Edna for what’s happened, calling her a manipulative little witch and declaring that he’s delighted her plans didn’t work. There’s no question of Thomas’s loyalties, even though Edna assumes he’ll want to “keep in with” her. Not for one second does he appear to consider this, and that seems to distinguish this incident from later ones.

4.5/4.6–What Are These Episodes (pre-July 1922)

There isn’t a lot to remember about these episodes for Tom or Thomas, and so what people may not remember is that these are the episodes Tom starts floating the idea of leaving for America—a full season before he tries starting that conversation again, and over two years before he actually DOES temporarily move to Boston. Now, that kind of decision takes time, but it’s kind of...strange that he begins making it here in the spring of 1922 and will not seriously consider it again until well into 1924!

Whether this has anything at all to do with Thomas can’t be determined, but I do enjoy hearing Tom say it will be impossible for him to marry anyone at Downton because an upper class woman won’t have him, and would an “nice Irish working class girl” make everyone “comfy?”...and Thomas is standing Right There! What does it mean...

Thomas is also getting more paranoid, he’s got Baxter in the house feeding him information...and he’s generally giving off a different vibe than he has all season.

Here is where I think the connection is starting to see some serious cracks—Tom is realizing he doesn’t belong and is making moves to change that. Meanwhile, Thomas is making moves to ensure Nothing Ever changes without him knowing about it ahead of time! Tension abounds, though we don’t see any evidence of it being directed at each other just yet...

4.7/4.8–Interesting and Modern (July 1922)

Thomas goes to America and Tom meets Miss Bunting...weird how that just happened like that!

Thomas is excited to go to New York, and it seems...pretty clear he fucked while he was there. I think if you’re gay and you go to New York in the 1920s and you come back and all you can tell your coworkers is that it was “interesting and modern” you definitely were not doing anything you can actually talk about

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he and Tom are Done (they may not have ever been exclusive on paper), but the overall feeling from Tom is a dejected man in limbo...he can’t even say he’s a Socialist anymore. It’s not going well. So my inclination is to say that Tom hit pause (maybe not for the first time), and Thomas is dealing with it by getting some in New York (great!) and bullying his coworkers (bad!) So why do I think they weren’t totally done at that time? Because these episodes happen in the summer of 1922...the Christmas Special for S4 takes place in May of 1923. That’s a long time to have passed! A long time for Tom to keep Miss Bunting at arm’s length, a long time for Thomas to be fuming over something...I believe that in the Christmas Special what we are seeing is the last stand of two people who are grappling with finally cutting a fraying thread.

Another Look At The S4 Christmas Special

These scenes are truly some of the most incomprehensible things Downton Abbey ever presented to us with virtually no explanation. So let’s take another look at what’s happening here.

First of all, we have the scene with Tom and Thomas entering the house after sending Edith off and leaving Tom offically on his own--they don’t appear openly hostile, though there’s some tense looking when the other person isn’t and looking back down again when they are energy...but nothing egregious.

Not until we see Thomas slam down a tray, that is. In fact, this whole thing seems to be coming from Thomas’s anger, while Tom appears eager to just smooth it over by not causing trouble and following the rules set forth by the household norms. This seems in line with Tom’s general dispositon--with both Edna and Miss Bunting he tries to ease out rather than break things off.

But Thomas interprets this as dismissive, and while he says to Ivy it’s about their positions in the house...as discussed above this really doesn’t logically check out. I do think it irritates him that Tom is essentially avoiding Thomas because it’s what “pleases him,” but it runs deeper than “he used to be the chauffeur.” Because that was always the case.

And then Tom brings Miss Bunting back without telling anyone, and he takes her upstairs. And this makes Thomas INSANE, and Tom knows IMMEDIATELY that it will! And Tom is eager to assure “Mr. Barrow” that nothing happened (actually, what he’s really eager to do is have Thomas not stand there while he eats, but Thomas is not budging).

Thomas is furious. He’s said to Ivy that he is SICK of this man, he’s tired of dealing with him...and then he tries to get Tom to sit next to him the car?

Thomas stole a dog one time, and I still think this might be his wildest attempt at controlling a situation we see on the show. What is going on? If Tom HAD let him sit in the back, would Thomas have still gone to Lord Grantham about Miss Bunting? If Thomas hadn’t been such a jerk about Miss Bunting, would Tom have LET him? What is poor Ivy even processing this as? Am I the only one hearing Taylor Swift’s Better Than Revenge playing?

Thomas acts immediately on coming to London, dropping the line of “Mr. Branson is stil a young man, and he can’t be expected to stay single forever”...he’s Angry Angry!! If they were on a break before, I don’t think it had fully set in for Thomas that it might be Permanent until now. And I think Tom’s newly avoidant personality we see in other scenarios gave him the wrong impression in this respect.

In Summary

I think that the relationship was relatively “on” from the period of September 1921 through whenever the house party took place. The house party caused some huge issues, mostly for Tom (understandably)—he may have unfairly blamed himself for what happened and drew wrongful parallels to what’s happening with Thomas. I think that after that it was very “off,” but I believe that neither Thomas nor Tom really committed to ending it either...and when we see them in 1923 they are in the peak stages of finally facing the end of things.

So what caused the final shift? Perhaps Thomas came back from New York with expectations, expectations Tom found himself intimidated by. Perhaps Thomas’s increasing paranoia and Tom’s growing agnosticism towards his own beliefs and identity are related and fed off of each other until they both just did not like the person they were seeing! Maybe it’s just that Downton Abbey is a really bad place for both of them, and even though they started off trying to protect each other from that, they got sucked in and turned on each other!

In any case, by Season 5 the romantic relationship appears over for good, though there is some evidence in later episodes that Tom and Thomas settled down a bit over time (Thomas defending Tom in S5 at Brancaster, and Tom saying he hates goodbyes in reference to Thomas).

We will just have to see what happens when they realize they both are dating someone new, and they work together too :)

#this is way too long to actually be Fun but to be clear I did it for Fun #anything to avoid actually writing #thomas barrow #tom branson

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fureliselost · 2 years

Text

vld rewatch s2e8

- BOM dam let's go, I can't speed up the ep because my sister is using netflix and I have to use the netflix app, rip me

- the formula for the garrison trio's interactions so far is:

pidge: science science

Hunk: food

Lance: girls, and eventual smart observation that is dismissed

huh

- klance shots yay

- dam, chill keef

- keith is just, pretending shiro's request never happened, and i'm living for it -- we literally have an entire expression decicated to this in brasil

- keith: shiro, you know me, I promise you I didn't steal it | shiro: *remembering how keith stole his car within 30 secs of knowing him*

- *whispers* hot head

- did't antok die later?

- YES LANCE WASN'T BORN YESTER-QUINTANT

- dam, the animation is so good

- ok, what hologram shiro is saying is true tho -- by choosing to obsess over answers, keith isolated himself, not only now, but after shiro was captured by the galra, he chooses to be alone all the time -- which is why having lance as a second in command in s3 is so important to his character arc, because keith would always isolate himself and, in the end, shiro had to reach out, but in s3 he was the one who had to reach out.

- omg, this was so sad, he way he looked back and told his dad goodbye and THAT WAS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN

- this... this was basically the bird scene from victorious but with actual fighting

ep 9

- hunk is always the butt of the joke, I no likey

- Lance is so excitedddddddddd he's so presh

- Lance kinda deserved being kissed by the rat

- why is he shocked that keith made a joke, he's made jookes before

- friendly reminder that the paladin suits can withstand acid

- no klance shots i'm sad

ep 10

- lance is the sharpshooter

- man, lance is so hyper all the time, i love him, he doesn't deserve to be ignored

- the yupper

- i love slavvvvvvvvv

- awwwww no, lance, mi amor, no, stop, you're the sharpshooter, that's your thing, leave it at that

- i love shiro blowing up, like, he can keep his calm around a bunch of teenagers but all it takes is a super supersticious dude and that takes him out

- slav the scarf

- i like that slav doesn't berate lance or anything, he just goes "ok, i see what the confusion was for you" because it was a totally justified mistake

- YES SLAV

- sharpshooter!

ep 11

- that annoying robeast

- not, thace,t he chip

- C A L L L A N C E S H A R P S H O O T E R , P I D G E

- thace no

- i love i love slav

- man, red must be super pissed, like "ugh, the half-human keeps going into danger so i have to save him"

- finally, a k+lance interaction

- wow, subtle, allura

- btw, my cat (maahes) just said hi to y'all

- HUNK HAS A POINT LET HIM THINK OF CALZONES

#vld rewatch #vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #eli rants

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macgyvertape · 3 years

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Castlevania kinda had a pacing problem

spoilers for all of Netflix’s Castlevania. I haven’t seen much analysis for the show on tumblr, im honestly curious if discussions I had with irl friends mirror what fandom talks about

tldr: Castlevania seems inconsistently paced from season to season, and within season as well, leads to a lot of characters motivations feeling unclear so characters repeatedly explain why they are doing something while they’re doing it

overview of the seasons:

S1 I know somewhat of a test for Netflix but it has good main trio character establishment and sets the scale of the conflict

s2: pretty complete emotional arc for most characters and resolves the plot of killing Dracula while setting up additional characters to continue the story. Isaac, Hector, Carmilla all established with the audience as characters whose story would continue

honestly I would bet this is the most popular season

S3: s2 did a bit of worldbuilding, but this season really fleshed out the world with both a wide range of locations and exploring the question of “what now, Dracula is dead but vampires and night creatures remain”.

There were basically 4 plot threads: 1) Sypha/Trevor investigating the cult & Saint Germain; 2) Hector & Carmilla (also introducing Lenore, Striga, Morana); 3) Isaac’s journey of revenge & self discovery; 4) Alucard sits around the castle and is betrayed.

overall characters roughly feel like they are in the same place if not worse. A big criticism I saw at the time, which hold up after rewatching this before s4 is nothing felt resolved for the main characters

I would say this season is where the pacing issues start to become apparent, juggling 4 plot threads that lack a central theme or even mutual character connection. If there was a central theme it would be “humans are awful to each other”. The Judge doing Hot Fuzz style murders, The Wizard in the tower, Sumi & Taka

S4: it starts with the same 4 plot threads, though upfront it is made clear that the plot theme is “people are trying to resurrect Dracula”, and the progression of the plot works to resolve unrelated plot threads until the main trio reunites for the boss fights. To me and my friends watching it was obvious that the show would reunite the main trio, the question was how and how far into the run time.

Season 4 is why I’m writing this essay, for the past 2 days I’ve been like, yeah that character sure explained their motives repeatedly maybe with some philosophical discussion, but it’s just such a weird place considering where they were in s3

Alucard’s arc:

Where he was left in season 3, it was after killing people he had trusted in self defense and impaling their corpses. It was clearly meant to parallel Dracula’s dislike of humanity. However overall his character lacked a proactive motivating force.

Honestly the most interesting thing I found in s3 was Alucard clearly misses Sypha and Trevor, however they don’t miss him or refer to him

One reason Sumi & Taka betray Alucard is for the secrets and power of Castlevania. After inviting the village including St Germain who Alucard was warned of into the Castle, Alucard makes 0 effort to secure anything, not even his personal childhood room. Guess he really learned nothing

Discussing St Germain, I think it’s funny that they had a several minute flashback sequence for his lost girlfriend (who doesn’t have a name or a voice actor), to remind the viewer of who he is, and to justify how he’s suddenly back and down for murder.

In s4 there is the call to help the village, and the walk back to the castle is a montage of Alucard opening up to Greta and becoming friendly literally overnight. He laughs off the impaling, and basically all of the darker things he went through in season 3, which has me asking what was the point of his season 3 arc then?

Honestly writing this I realize the biggest parallel he has with Dracula is the call to action from a bold woman with a dramatic entrance speech which then leads to a romance

Isaac’s arc:

in s3, with all the other themes of “humanity sucks” I was always unsure if the townspeople were meant to appear irrational while attacking a larger force instead of letting him pass through an leave, or him not caring about how he’s provoking them is meant to show his insanity

ive seen the discussion elsewhere, curious about the Discourse here

is s4 Isaac has the whole monologue about how he now has agency but him gaining that agency was his s3 arc. In s4 he’s already at the point of accepting it. By the end of s4 he’s one of those who comes the furthest from his first character appearance to his last.

s4e5 where of Isaac attacking Carmilla in Isaac’s 2nd appearance had him resolving like 4 plot threads at once (Carmilla, Striga& Morana, Hector, and Isaac himself).

but i do wonder if Trevor, Sypha, or Alucard even know any of these people exist. I think not

I was honestly confused if I missed a scene from his dialogue about building something and what is inherent nature, to “My plan has evolved, my plan is now conquest” because he only conquests the one castle and the rest is left unclear

Upon rewatch the connection there is “killing [the wizard] felt just ... I liked that feeling”, so the show says that Isaac in the end attacked Carmilla for the sake of justice and not revenge.

Isaac in his last conversation expresses the theme of s4 “build something new on these old bones, where people can live for the future”

however, his arc honestly feel scenes were cut, and then dialogue was written around it. He’s the only living character who doesn’t show up in the epilogue and the sentient night creature “what if I could empty hell” dialogue was some of the most interesting worldbuilding. Night creatures with sentience and possibility of regaining memories!!!!

The Council of Sisters & Hector’s arc:

oh I’ve already seen s4 discourse about Lenore/Hector while searching for character analysis, a chunk of it seems to be rationalizing the absolute difference between how s3 ended with these characters and s4. It was extremely confusing for me and my friends; wondering if 1) was Hector showing more emotional intelligence than before and putting on a facade to cover up hatred? Nope 2) did more time pass than 6 weeks for there to be some kind stockholm syndrome? No, Hector seems fine to let Lenore kill herself

The slave control ring: played up in the climax of s3 and easily solved s4. s3 Lenore says if he tries to harm them, flee, or take it off it would cause crippling pain, in s4 Hector just easily cuts off his own finger.

for a control ring that they take time to show a version being on the Rebus, it doesn’t do much controlling of Hector

also guess the definition of “do harm” just refers to direct action

Lenore in s4: has no purpose in conquest, has that useless remarked on by multiple characters, is imprisoned, then kills herself after a genre aware philosophical discussion. This essay is long enough, but what the fuck happened to this character who ended s3 clearly physically and sexually abusive? Seriously this was one of the biggest writing changes to the point where she was treating Hector as an equal. Compare her last words in s3 “shh the real people [vampires] are talking”. The change in the relationship is actually something I would have taken being shown, or atleast told of what exactly caused this change other than the vague “you adopted him”

Striga&Morana get the best arc of the Council. 3 scenes: the tent argument, Daybreak armor fight & argument resolution, declaration of feelings and turning away. You could argue Castlevania is plot to be connective tissue between fight scenes, but for all the dialogue about human resistance in different seasons it was nice to see it. Overall the scenes were short but had a lot of showing what their relationship is not just telling,

unlike Carmilla. For as much hyping up as they did with her, and as much power as she had, she only appeared in 2 episodes and no other group except Isaac knew about her military conquest.

the map scene where she states her motive for conquest of wanting to take things from old men is the key example of how characterization became tell not show. How interesting was that monologue compared to the past seasons flashback to her murmuring the old vampire lord, or all her repeated insults of men/man-children that shows how she judges people??

That monologue had to carry the weight of justifying the Sisterhood bonds falling apart as well as why her motivation changed from building a human pen from Styria to Braila to world conquest. I think it did so poorly

Sypha & Trevor

really Sypha & Trevor have the main plot in the show. I checked and post season 1 the only episode they don’t appear in is s4e6, which is entirely devoted to the Isaac, Hector, and Council of Sisterhood arc. Their partnership and adventures are the main plot of the show.

Its easy to see what Trevor’s arc was over the show: coming to peace with the deaths of his family, taking up the mantle of being a Belmont, and starting a new family with Sypha.

With Sypha I actually had to scroll through tv tropes for what is her character arc, and I guess hers is disillusionment from adventure and life outside the speakers? My friends joke that Sypha’s magic is what the plot demands to look cool in a fight, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Tangent: the ending of their arc was easy to guess: as soon as Trevor went to fight the final boss alone I literally said “oh i bet Sypha’s pregnant, Trevor’s doing a heroic sacrifice, theyll use the unexplained magical dagger mcguffin, and 60/40 odds that he goes through an infinite corridor to outright come back vs just the implication he might come back”

I guess my final thought of the show, was overall the SUPER Final Boss got my by surprise. It was a good twist I enjoyed. Not that Death appeared, I had guessed that from the heavy foreshadowing, but I was surprised by who it was, because I had thought I thought the characters involved feeling shoehorned into the plot was just more bad writing. The Alchemist who put St Germain on the path or murder for no discernible motive for helping? Sure gotta move the plot along. New Dracula court member Varney who has a whole introduction with almost every character he meets and banter about his smell? Sure thats basically how all characters talk with a snarky and acerbic voice.

#Castlevania #castlevania spoilers #castlevania meta #castlevania season four #overall i enjoyed the show #id love to find some discussion of the show #this wound up being more of a recap than a persuasive essay #but i think my tldr thesis statement stands

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agusvedder · 4 years

Text

Holiday cheer, deceptively friendly grandparent figures and taking the time to celebrate with family: a description that applies to two different episodes of supernatural. The first is obvious: 15x14, “Last Holiday”. The other aired a long, long time ago -- 3x08, “A Very Supernatural Christmas”.

Two episodes connected by the good and the bad, and the growth of our boys and our show.

One of the main things that tied up both episodes visually was seeing Mrs. Butters rip off Sammy’s fingernails, same thing the pagan god did to him in 3x08. Not a very usual method of torture in this show, at least not in a context of cheesiness and joy as both episodes have. These types of visual callbacks are very important in this show and I’m … 90% sure they did this on purpose for our minds to connect the dots.

The callbacks. The fucking callbacks man.

The first thing one can notice is both episodes being about Holidays. This last one wasn’t specifically about christmas, it was about ALL the holidays one can celebrate through the year. But, which was first one Mrs. Butters “gently forces” our guys to celebrate? That 's right. Christmas. And anyone who’s a little savvy in the Supernatural universe knows how our guys “are not really holiday people”, but they celebrated it then, and they did it now. The question is not about why they did it, but why are we forced to see them celebrating it, and why we know this is their “LAST HOLIDAY”.

The concept of domesticity in both episodes is something we can appreciate in very different ways.

→ Dean and Sam in season 3 were alone, their only family were each other. They didn’t have a home, the closest thing to a home was Baby, not an actual place. They had to celebrate Christmas in a shitty motel down the road, after being tortured by pagan gods, drinking shitty eggnog with rum. Now they have the bunker, a place they’ve called home since season 8.

→ This episode, that domesticity felt very different. The motherly/caretaker figure that suddenly appeared in their lives to remind them how important it is to have those little moments for themselves, is a contrast to two pagan gods from the woods who killed humans to eat them as a sacrifice for themselves. The contrast is evident. How Mrs. Butters was willing to kill, to selflessly protect the people in her care, her family, and how those Gods killed people only for their own benefit, to pay a tribute to themselves, selfish and inherently evil.

Also how their feeling of helplessness and loneliness was replaced by a warm sense of found family. Cas, Jack, and all those they’ve lost along the way. Bobby, Charlie (which we will see again this season), Benny, Garth, Donna, Jody. They’re not only driven by the inertia of keep moving until everything ends, but they’ve literally found a way to work through all the shit, find solutions and also stay together.

Maybe if our Sam and Dean would’ve been the same as they were in season 3, they would never let Mrs. Butters walk away, they would’ve killed her instead. But they’re growing, evolving, the same way the show did. The domesticity that Mrs. Butters was willing to offer our boys wasn’t threatening, the real threat was the trauma and the inability of moving on from the past.

Now, all these things mentioned up there are tied to something very important too: Dean’s fate.

In season 3, he was reluctant of enjoying a last holiday with his brother ‘cause he knew it will be the last, and he wasn’t really ready to go, but this season we can see a Dean who’s learning and improving his feelings and his methods of coping in ways we haven’t seen before (bless you, season 15). Our first and most important example was with Cas, how he was willing to forgive and acknowledge how important Cas is in his life, cause he doesn't wanna lose him. And everything worked well after that (they even have whiskey together making heart eyes to each other). We had an example of that evolution in this last episode in the talk he had with Jack. He’s not quite there with the forgiveness, he’s still a little hurt and upset with Jack with what he did, but he’s willing to work it out… he even baked him a birthday cake!!! Dean has come so far in this last season, I’m proud.

Makes me wonder if this Holiday callback is not just another way these writers have to let us know that Dean is ready to move on. Ready to die.

As you can see in this meta thing I wrote the other day (Also a callback to s3), I’m suspecting the writers of this show are bringing very old themes to tie them to the present and give us hints of the future that’s waiting for our boys. Hints wrapped in valuable parallels, visual callbacks, the importance of family and the joy of the small things -- to take time to celebrate...

… and to take a break before tragedy and separation hit them all over again.

#Supernatural meta #Last Holiday #SPN 15X14 #SPN 3X08 #A very supernatural christmas #Sam Winchester #Dean Winchester #Jack Kline #Castiel #mirrors #callbacks #meta #Destiel

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inevitably-johnlocked · 4 years

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Hi Steph! How you’re doing? First of all, I wanna say that I love your lists. So, I was wondering, do you have some long Johnlock fics? Like, with a bunch of chapters and all that. Thank you!

Hey Nonny!!

I absolutely do! And you know what?? I’m gonna be selfish: No one has ever EVER asked me for my shorter long fics, so I’m going to take this opportunity to finally release this list, because it’s been sitting in my drafts for YEARS lol. BUT you can check the list below for the links to all my longer-fics lists! Happy reading!!

NOVELLA LENGTH FICS: 20-25K

See also:

Novella Length Fics: 25 to 50K (Aug. 2019)

Novel Length Fics: 50 to 100K (Nov. 2018)

Novel Length Fics: 50 to 100K Pt 2 (May 2020)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. (May 2019)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. Pt 2 (Aug 2020)

Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b (E, 20,004 w., 6 Ch. || Retirement, Home Improvement, First Time, Romance) – Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing. They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you're living to find the life you want. Part 1 of Through The Clouds

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w., 1 Ch. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John, Past Abuse, Insecure John, Reassuring / Caring Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Understanding Sherlock) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

The White Lotuses by SilentAuror (E, 20,340 w., 1 Ch. || Slow Burn, Domestic, Romance) – One day John realises that he just isn't where he belongs, which is back at Baker Street with Sherlock. So he goes back and Sherlock, in his own way, courts him. Romance.

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

You're On the Air by prettysailorsoldier (M, 20,616 w., 1 Ch. || Unilock, Matchmaking, Radio, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Sherlock POV, Pining Sherlock, Flirting, Bisexual John) – The Consulting Detective and The Woman dominate the airwaves of their university radio station, doling out advice on everything from meeting the parents to sexual positions. When their ratings start to dip before the holidays, however, manager Mike thinks it's time for some fresh blood, and who better to fill in the gaps than rugby captain--and notorious flirt--John Watson? Part 1 of 25 Days of Johnlock

whiskies neat by Ellipsical (E, 20,660 w., 15 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, POV Second Person Sherlock, Slow Burn, One Night Stand, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Anal, Soldier John, Crying, Emotional Lovemaking, Switchlock) – Home and hearth and whiskies neat, or, alternatively, Sherlock Holmes falls in love.

Achieving the Together-Coloured Instant by teahigh (E, 20,776 w., 1 Ch. || Est. Rel, PTSD, Codependency, Fluff & Angst, H/C, Smut, Demisexual Sherlock, Experiments) – John wonders if this is how it’s going to be: A life speaking in code, because they’re both too stupid to figure out how to say, “I love you.”

Winter's Delights by Kate_Lear (E, 21,173 w., 1 Ch. || Holmes Family, Christmas, Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Bed Sharing, Domestics) – Sherlock takes John home for Christmas to meet the extended Holmes family. Part 1 of Winter's Delights

Once More, With Feeling by cellard00rs (T, 21,178 w., 7 Ch. || John’s Family, Fake Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Humour) – To put off his meddlesome, matchmaking mother, John convinces Sherlock to play the role of his significant other. Unparalleled awkwardness ensues.

Love Is by SilentAuror (E, 21,508 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, UST / URT, Post HLV, Romance) – At Mrs Hudson's urging, Sherlock finally decides to tell John how he feels about him. Part 1 of Love Is

echoes through time by chellefic (E, 21,619 w. || First Time, Romance, ACD & BBC, Epistolary) – Mummy sends a trunk from the Holmes cottage in Sussex to 221B. Its contents alter the way John and Sherlock see themselves and one another.

The Real Meaning of Idioms by feverishsea (T, 21,691 w., 1 Ch. || Texting, Humour, Post S2) - After two weeks away, John finally texts Sherlock. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to respond. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to keep texting him. And he really doesn’t expect things to spiral out of control so rapidly.

5 Times John Got the Girl (and lost her) and 1 Time John Got the Guy (and kept him) by LiviKate (M, 21,695 w., 6 Ch. || 5 and Ones, Kissing, Oblivious / Awkward Sherlock, BAMF / Sexy / Stud John, Embarassed John, John’s Scar, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Sherlock) – John has always had good luck with the ladies. He's charming, friendly and funny, not to mention great in bed. However, his usual skill with the opposite sex is constantly being thwarted by Sherlock and his outbursts. How will John ever get a leg over when Sherlock is always cockblocking him?

Brief Conversations with the Woman by May_Shepard (E, 21,906 w., 20 Ch. || Pining, Love Fairy Irene, Filler Fic, UST/URT, Drug Use, Clueless Sherlock, Relationship Advice, Angst w/ Happy Ending) – Sherlock has a puzzle to solve, and his name is John Watson.

When to Let Go by KendylGirl (M, 22,109 w., 8 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, Reverse Reichenbach, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, Angst, Love, Implied Drug Use) – What if it were John who had to die to thwart Moriarty's plans? John's supposed death shatters Sherlock, and when he returns, it will challenge the pair to forge a path of forgiveness, to peace, and to find a way back to each other. Part 1 of When to Let Go

A Shipless Ocean by myswordfishmind (M, 22,135 w. 4 Ch. || Post-TRF, John has a Kid) – Ten years after the fall Sherlock goes back to London to find that John no longer lives there. Instead, he resides in a seaside town, a widower, and the father of a seven year old son. Now, Sherlock must struggle with the fact that there may no longer be a place for him in this new world.

Ghost Stories by SwissMiss (M, 22,256 w., 1 Ch. || Pining, Holmes Family, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, First Time) – Sherlock's parents think he and John are a couple. They might be onto something.

The One With the Proposal by kim47 (E, 22,375 w., 3 Ch. || Fluff, Romance, Marriage Proposal) – Proposing shouldn't be this difficult.

Sonatina in G Minor by SilentAuror (E, 22,574 w., 1 Ch. || Case Fic, POV Sherlock, Angst, UST, Sherlock’s Violin, Post-S3, Romance) – John has come back to Baker Street, but Sherlock doesn't understand the strange tension between them, even after he begins teaching John to play the violin at John's request.

Dear John by wendymarlowe (E, 23,031 w., 64 Ch. || Post-TRF, Online Dating, Pining, Epistolary, Cybersex, Long Distance Romance) – With Sherlock dead, John eventually (under duress) makes a profile on an online dating site. And falls into a long-distance relationship with an enigmatic partner who reminds him of Sherlock in all the right ways. (Hint: it turns out to be Sherlock.) Part 1 of Dear John

Knotted by naughtyspirit (E, 23,166 w., 4 Ch. || UST/URT, Cuddling, Sharing Body Heat, Confessions, Kissing, Mastrubation, Frustration, BAMF!John) – John has to cancel a date because of Sherlock's case, which leads them to be tied up in a basement from which they have to escape. They get wet, get tied up close and John has to step up and save them. Because he's pretty. And hot. And just a little bit of a BAMF.

You Can Imagine the Christmas Dinners by ardenteurophile (T, 23,584 w., 9 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Drama, Fluff & Angst, Humour, Romance) – Sherlock takes John along for Christmas dinner with Mycroft and Mummy (And "Anthea", too). Over the course of the evening, John realises that everyone in the room - apart from him - seems to think that he and Sherlock are a couple. Part 2 of Xmas Dinners Verse

Once Upon a Beast Becoming by antietamfalls (T, 24,042 w., 6 Ch. || Beauty and the Beast AU || Magical Realism, Folklore, Celtic Mythology) – An act of pride, a druid’s curse, an enchanted leaf; Sherlock’s torment has lasted an age. Hope arrives in the form of one John Watson, a man uniquely suited to break the spell. But with a single night to win his affections, Sherlock finds his carefully laid plans disrupted by a monstrous killer whose sights are set on the only thing he has left to lose: John.

The Kepler Problem by kinklock (E, 24,270 w., 1 Ch. || Sci-Fi AU, Alien Sherlock, Space Repairman John, Alien Biology, Horny John) – Working in uncharted space exploration was not as exciting as John had hoped, especially when it turned out to be mostly bot maintenance on uninhabited planets. However, the mystery of the repeated, unexplained malfunctions on planet BAK 2212 might turn out to be exactly the kind of adventure he'd been craving.

Maintaining A Personal Life by Gingerhermit (E, 24,284 w., 6 Ch. || Alternating POV’s, Bisexuality, BAMF!John, Jealous Sherlock, Romance / Drama, Sort-of Case Fic, Peril & Angst, Love Confessions, Toplock, Soft Idiots in Love, Post S3) – Sherlock and John discover some interesting revelations about each other’s sexuality, which lead them both to question the assumptions they've made about one another for years. In the midst of their mutual discoveries, a dangerous psychopath looms on the side-lines who threatens to destroy their new beginning.

The Sexual Awakening of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson by suitesamba (M, 24,579 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TRF, Case Fic, H/C, First Kiss/Time) – Sherlock owes Mycroft a favor. Mycroft calls in that favor by offering Sherlock's consulting services in a charity auction. Sherlock and John soon find themselves at the country manor of Mrs. Ives-Patton Smarmington III - not very coincidentally a long-time friend of Sherlock's mother - where they are reluctant participants in her Murder Mystery Weekend. It's a play within a play for Sherlock and John, and their roles for the weekend event bleed over into their real lives, waking the sleeping dragons within.

Tomorrow's Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w., 5 Ch. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining, Jealous Sherlock) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w., 4 Ch. || Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they're both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #20 to 25k #long fics #Anonymous

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kiss-my-freckle · 3 years

Text

8x16 Rewatch: Nicholas Obenrader

IRS storyline. Red’s friendly thief talks about someone going to Boston University. Another one going to college. Agnes will tie into their college storylines somehow. I love Red’s comment about Ressler. “Black shoes, cheap suit, flat stomach, regulation cut - don’t get me wrong, he’s bent, just not as bent as we’d like him to be.”

“Why must you always be early?” This ties in Ressler’s comment to Liz in Brothers. “Not on my watch.” Whatever happens, he’ll be early. Ressler informs the team. He knows a great deal about the Yakuza because of Mako Tanida.

Espinosa was building his golden parachute like The Director did. He takes a 10% cut from the 40% cut the crew is supposed to get. Red’s friend informs Neville. He’s boxing Espinosa just like he did Rudigger. Neville’s people have no reason to doubt Liz. He already knew she was an agent.

“She’s really good. But I think we’ll all be a lot better when this is done.” A nice hit to the note the woman from Paris left for Red. “You’re good. I’m better.” The worst has yet to come. “Liz’s mom abandoned her. She would never do the same to Agnes.” Aram has no clue why Katarina gave Liz up for adoption. She had no choice. Liz will realize this soon enough when her own child ends up in danger because Neville wants to kill her. Katarina didn’t make a mistake, Liz did.

The whole brother of Charles at the lake house reminds me of Liz’s comment about Ressler’s lake house when she spoke to Laurel Hitchin in 4x19.

Liz is so disrespectful. Anyway... Cooper sent Aram to Paris because he’s still unofficially working with Liz. Ressler last week, Aram this week. Cooper basically knew Aram would be meeting with Liz. I will blame the entire task force along with Liz for whatever happens to her and/or Agnes and/or Jennifer because they failed to arrest her and chose to work against Red instead. He’s their CI. Liz is not. Red put her on the blacklist for a reason. Panabaker put her on the wanted list for a reason.

“If I were you, I’d like the finish line.” Red’s comment is a nice kick back to his comment to Liz in Devlin’s episode, S5. “Our sprint to the finish. The bag is just out of reach now.”

I love Aram’s care for Agnes in this episode, but I laugh at Liz’s comment. “Where we live is quiet and peaceful.” A nice kickback to the scene cut in 7x13 for their War and Peace theme. Ressler's "But maybe this will help us." US being Keenler. A hearing aid that blocks out sound. Cut to Agnes' name on her passport meaning Peace. “Your daddy just always taught me to be ready for a rainy day.” This runs through The Freelancer in 8x5. “There's a number pre-programmed. You ask for Charlotte. You tell them you got caught in the rain and need to dry off.” It won’t be quiet and peaceful for long. Charlotte’s web is about to get tangled.

“I’ve done some awful things.” Liz kicking back to S3... again. “I have done... so many terrible things. I have hurt so many people."

“Whoever said crime doesn’t pay wasn’t very good at it.” When crime nearly costs Liz her daughter... she’ll understand what that truly means. It’s a dialogue that kicks back to The Ethicist in S6. “He did a cost-benefit analysis on these people, figured that the cost outweighed the benefits, and killed them because of it." Liz believes the benefit outweighs the cost. It doesn’t.

Finally, some Ressler action in a lake house.

Sikorsky’s official name is Ivan Stepanov. Red’s friend in the East. Officially, he’s SVR. Unofficially, he’s a high-ranking member of Zaslon. running black-ops around the globe. “Mobilize assets.”

Red doesn't expect Obenrader to reveal anything meaningful about Neville's organization. Obenrader knows the blowback it’ll have on his loved ones if he does. This is what Liz will have to worry about later. The blowback on her loved ones. More specifically, Jennifer and Agnes.

Whoever their inside man is, it’ll be a low-level agent like The Director’s friend in Zal Bin Hasaan’s episode. I’m expecting someone outside the task force, but close enough to tap the phone. They know Liz is using burners, so they had to tap Ressler’s. Yeah, another kickback to S3.

The task force can’t arrest Stepanov, so they’re letting Liz extract him. Because they chose to work with Liz and Ressler contacted her about Stepanov while having a tap on his phone, Neville’s own people got their hands on him first. Precisely the point. They just put Liz in the direct line of fire because Katarina was N-13 and she’s very much alive. I thought it’d be Paula who got into his line, but it was Neville’s people. Guarantee Stepanov can prove Katarina was N-13, and knows the identity of imposter Katarina. This knowing will be Liz’s downfall. He’s going to protect Red at all costs (tortured or not) because he and Red have been working on this project together for the past 30 years.

“Oh, my stars” is a common quote from Red. He used it in Lord Baltimore with Yaabari. "Let me guess, I stole something from you. A painting, jewelry.... your heart." Red’s new asset is gorgeous as hell. Priya Laghari.

“I want to be your angel.” - Red

Red pulls a fake shooting on Ressler and Park so as not to look like a CI in bed with the FBI. “Of course, a mystery is only as good as the story around it.” Red saying exactly what I’ve been saying about his real identity. It has to fit the story around it.

Alina Park is pretending to read Just Fly Away by Andrew McCarthy. “A powerful story about family secrets, first love, the limits of forgiveness, and finding your way in the world.”

“Like taking candy from a kid.” A hit to Rizal’s episode. This is where Agnes falls in, along with the dialogues about spoiling her rotten.

“You think you’re giving her a rope to hang herself. I fear you may be giving her a rope to hang all of us.” A nice hit back to 8x14. “I’m responsible for Mary Bremmer’s murder, Dembe’s torture, and I got nothing to show for it, except for another reminder that no matter how tight the noose, Reddington will always cheat the hangman." To be clear, Liz fully accepting responsibility for the murder of Mary Bremmer, so what comes to Jennifer will be on her. That whole washer necklace choking Mary through Liz’s Cyranoid. She didn’t specify that it brought her good luck, only that it brought her luck... because Tom Keen is bad luck.

A noose for Jennifer Reddington. Then Liz will have something to show for it.

Red is worried about Priya. He hired her to assassinate Neville.

He should be worried. This focal shot is a kickback to Roy Cain's episode in S7. His "knock on wood" will push back to Liz and her fate.

Purposeful stuff.

A kiss of death... like the woman from Paris kissing Red before injecting him. It also makes me think of The Apothecary, the Scotch. Just throw it in the bottle while he's gone and be done with it. While she may not kill Neville, I do think she’ll be the reason Red’s friend Ivan will survive. She’s a thief. "Items” include people. That's what Neville wants Priya to steal. She's gonna steal Ivan Stepanov. "Item" is how Red referred to Raymond’s bones in S5 and how they referred to Karakurt when he came in country in S2... items. Rakitin wasn’t worth the save.

The Stranger by Albert Gamus. The book Dembe was reading that Red starts to read. The novel is famous for its first lines: “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.”

"Katarina Rostova was N-13. And Katarina Rostova is dead." Ivan Stepanov speaks truth. Red is N-13 because he's Katarina. SHE has been dead for 30 years. Of all people, the person who created the archive can prove who stole it in 1990. Expect Neville to be pissed because he's been chasing the wrong woman for 30 years. Ivan can reveal it all without revealing Red's real identity.

Neville’s comment about her innocence. “But Katarina Rostova was framed. Which means I dedicated my life to the hatred of an innocent woman.” This pushes back to Red’s comment in 8x2. “Is that the story she told you? She's a victim? An innocent wrongly accused?" What Ivan will be revealing to Neville. The real Katarina Rostova was no innocent. He knows Red is Katarina and he knows he’s dead either way because he created the archive that took Neville’s family. "Do you know who I am? Because I know who you are. You're the one who created the archive that destroyed my family." He’s gonna put Liz on the chopping block. "And I asked you to fly here so I could look you in the eye and tell you: I agree... for now." Because he has no idea she’s Katarina’s daughter, which means he has no idea she’s Red’s daughter.

Full drive through the rest of the season. The first person Neville would kill... is Liz.

#Anti-Tom Keen #Anti-Keen2 #Rederina #rewatch

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talvenhenki · 3 years

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Portamis + 32. "Why are you doing this?" 👀

I’m kind of sorry, s3 apparently lives rent-free in my head so this’ll be tag to the Bonnaire episode where Athos threatened Aramis

***

Aramis was drunk. Not the fun kind of drunk, though; he was angry and drunk, and Porthos could feel the daggers Aramis stared at him. Porthos would almost have ignored the events of the day, but he couldn’t do that, not in good conscience. He knew that when Aramis got drunk to deal with his feelings and tried to appear angry, it was a defense mechanism.

Sighing, Porthos turned around to face Aramis. They were, once again, sharing a room at the garrison like in the good old times, except that at the moment, Porthos didn’t feel like it was a very good idea.

“What is it?” Porthos asked, sounding a little bit cold. “Spit it out.”

Aramis snorted and turned his face away, pointedly ignoring Porthos’ question.

Walking closer to Aramis, Porthos grabbed the lone chair of the room to sit on it. “Hey”, he said, softer than earlier, “why are you doing this?”

“‘Why’?” Aramis repeated, rolling his eyes. “Don’t pretend you don’t know, Porthos.”

Porthos sighed. “I really don’t. Why don’t you explain me?”

Aramis turned to face Porthos, glaring at him. “Pauline”, he spat out, “and the fact that none of you even bothered to stop Athos from pointing his pistol at me. That’s why!”

Porthos closed his eyes. The truth was that Porthos had left the room because he couldn’t bear the sight of Athos pointing his gun at Aramis. Because, in the end, Aramis did not deserve it. No matter how angry Porthos was at Aramis for leaving, Aramis did not deserve what Athos did.

“I should have stopped him”, Porthos mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

Aramis sprung up, swaying a little. “Yes, you bloody well should have!” he yelled. He was breathing faster than Porthos would like, but when Porthos tried to get closer to Aramis, Aramis swung his arm to keep Porthos away. “Don’t you dare to touch me”, he hissed, “don’t you dare. You have no idea what it meant to me. No idea!”

Porthos sat back on the chair. “You’re right”, he said, “tell me?”

Exhaling, Aramis collapsed back on his bed. “It was her chance to get away”, he whispered, “she could have gained so much better a status than the one she got at birth.”

Porthos tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“We grew up in a brothel.”

Porthos’ eyes widened. He had always imagined Aramis as the son of a farmer, wealthy enough to gain an education in reading and Latin. To find that Aramis had spent his childhood in a brothel, it reminded Porthos a little bit of his own past at the Court.

Aramis took a swig from the bottle he’d been holding. “My mother, she’d come to France for a better life, but no one wanted to give a Spanish woman a job, lest they’d be accused of being friendly to an enemy. Being beautiful, she found that she gained more money by whoring than by begging. That’s how she ended up in a brothel in Paris where she eventually met my father and I was born. Pauline was one of my best friends up until my father decided that he wanted a son, even though I was illegitimate.”

“I didn’t know”, Porthos breathed, “why did you never tell us any of this?”

Aramis’ sad eyes met Porthos’. “What difference would it have made? I got away, unlike Pauline and the others. I didn’t have to work there, unlike the others. I’m doing so damn much better than the rest of the kids and I couldn’t even help one of my own!”

“Now you’ve lost me.”

Aramis chuckled dryly. “After you took the ring, Pauline became so desperate to marry Saint-Pierre that she stabbed the man who had been blackmailing her. Saint-Pierre sent her to a nunnery after that, covering it up as a surge of madness.”

Porthos sighed. Suddenly things were making a lot more sense. Athos pointing his gun at Aramis, and Aramis losing his childhood friend in such a manner were making him miserable.

Porthos stood up. “Can I come sit by you?”

Aramis looked up, eyes wide. After a moment, he nodded. Porthos sat by his dearest friend and gently took the bottle of wine from his hand. Then, he pulled Aramis into a hug.

Aramis clung onto Porthos, confirming his suspicions. What Aramis had needed had been comfort, but after Athos’ stunt he’d felt like he couldn’t ask for it.

“I’ve got you”, Porthos murmured, “I’m here. I’ve got you. Do you want me to talk to Athos about this?”

Aramis shook his head. “No. Better for me to do it. Don’t want to appear any more despicable to him.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t think that”, Porthos said, “not if I explained it to him. Our brotherhood has gone through bigger things. Like finding out that Athos is a nobleman.”

Aramis chuckled wetly. “And finding out that you are a nobleman.”

Porthos laughed. “Exactly! I’m sure he won’t think any different of you if I explain it to him.”

Aramis stayed silent for a moment. “I guess it’s worth a try”, he decided eventually. “Maybe leave out the part where I got so drunk. I don’t want him thinking I’m taking up his old habits.”

“Sure thing.”

#enigma the mysterious #Orion replies #Aramis #Porthos #BBC Musketeers #Thanks for asking!!#Orion's writing #Mini fic

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

Text

September 1: 3x06 Spectre of the Gun

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

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

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

Again, this buoy looks like a Windows 98 screensaver.

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

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

Hmmm, so it seems they’re not friendly.

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

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

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

The welcome mat is NOT out.

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

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

LEE CRONIN--oh no, flashbacks lol.

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

I should have watched this when writing my Western fic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These are some creative aliens.

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

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

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

Kirk and Spock look so good together.

They’re obviously Chekov’s disapproving parents.

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

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

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

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

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

Scotty is becoming a bourbon guy!

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

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

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

Western Cossacks!!

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

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

Bones and his tranqs again.

Bones meets his old nemesis: Old Timey Medicine.

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

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

Chekov definitely isn’t the marrying kind.

RIP Chekov.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirk’s patented move: WHOLE BODY ATTACK.

Well, we wrapped that up right quick.

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

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

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

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

A personal question? Kirk is intrigued.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#the year 2021 #2021: fandom thoughts #2021: star trek #star trek tos

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