#and yet being better humans than most human beings
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so it's been two months since I've wrote anything and thought this might be a good way to get back into it heheh
may: 1 to 4 prompts: rose, dread, illusion, hopeless words: 731 @rosekillermicrofic
There were a lot of things Barty had been expecting to feel: happiness, excitement, anticipation, love. What he hadn’t predicted was the dread.
The anxiety that was taking over his entire body made him twitchy enough that the flight attendant asked if he was alright. He told her he was fine and asked for another glass of whiskey. In truth, Barty felt like he might throw up at any moment from the prospect of seeing Evan again after a year.
They had parted ways amicably and agreed to remain friends while they were unable to see each other, neither of them knew the amount of time Barty would need to stay away to solve the matters of his inheritance and to whom his father’s company would belong. He tried to do everything as fast as he could to be able to come back home. To Evan.
Nonetheless, it took Barty way longer than he would’ve desired to stay apart from him. Enough time for him to see Evan had gone on a date with someone else. Someone who kept popping up on his social media from time to time, more regularly than Barty liked. Hell, if it was up to him there wouldn't be someone else at all. It made him want to break his phone in half.
Sure, they had agreed they could go out with other people, but it didn’t mean Evan should have wanted to, even though Barty had been the one to suggest it. It had been more out of the idea that he couldn’t keep himself from fucking everything up due to not being able to have sex with other people.
Not because he wanted them, but because it was how Barty dealt with the hard things. It always was whiskey and sex for him. Sometimes coke too, but if he needed to work on serious business he couldn’t be going to the company after snorting. Well, he could. But considering the amount of times he had fucked up due to it while his father was still alive, Barty thought it would be for the best to keep it only on the weekends.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t fucked anyone else all year. He was only human. But he also knew it was different for Evan, he couldn’t have sex with people he didn’t have feelings for. So for him to take that step it meant something completely different than it did for Barty.
To be hurt by it might’ve been hypocrisy on his part, but he had never cared to be a good person. All that had ever mattered to him was to have Evan by his side. Barty had failed utterly like he did with most things in his life, or so his father used to claim.
Barty’s first vision of him looked like a dream, he couldn’t help but wonder if Evan was a figment of his imagination, an illusion that he’d been seeing ever since they had parted. Except that this version in front of him looked nothing like the one he’d been imagining. That version looked exactly like how Evan looked the last time they’d seen each other at the airport, his white dreadlocks pulled out of his face on a high ponytail that made his features even sharper.
Now his hair was shaved but still discoloured, Barty had never thought he could look better and yet, once again, Evan managed. It was only when he was standing in front of him that Barty noticed Evan had been holding something in his hand.
A white rose.
“My rose,” were the first words out of Barty’s mouth.
“I missed you,” Evan didn’t look nearly as unsure as Barty had felt when he extended his hand and offered him the flower.
Barty took it, allowing their hands to brush together, he felt it nicking his skin and blood pooling out of it as soon as he held it. There were remains of dried blood on Evan’s hand too, Barty wondered how long Evan had been standing there waiting for him holding the beautiful rose close to his chest while it tore his hands apart.
Evan hadn’t bothered taking the thorns out of it. He never did. Barty didn’t bother stopping the too-wide smile that wanted to tear its way out of his face.
Perhaps they weren’t as hopeless as he once had thought.
#might do a part 2#who knows#rosekiller microfic#rosekiller#marauders#evan rosier#ao3#fanfic#barty crouch jr#slytherin skittles#slytherin#rosekiller fanfiction#rosekiller fic#barty crouch jr x evan rosier#barty x evan#evan rosier x barty crouch jr#marauders fic#hp marauders#marauders era
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I'm always watching you Pt. 1
Here is where we've got our borrower being the oblivious one, and our obsessive giant just can't get enough of her~
TWs: stalking, invasion of privacy, and lowkey (highkey?) yandere
~~~~~~~~~
It'd been a couple of months now since Leela had moved into this new home, her last (being the one to the right of this one) having become uninhabitable after the humans had all moved out for good, leaving nothing for her to scavenge.
She was thankful for the final spur to change her own place of residency, though. Her new home and its singular inhabitant were much better - it wasn't even a fair comparison! He always had food laying around to take crumbs from, he was a bit of a klutz with losing small things and forgetting about them (much to Leela's continued joy), he lived alone and didn't entertain guests, and he was perfectly, blissfully oblivious to her existence, not suspicious at all.
It was nothing like her last place, with a whole family of humans to worry about spotting her and more than one of them being meticulous cleaners to the point it had become quite the task for her to scavenge enough food for a single full night's meal.
Really, the only small, insignificant issue she had here was this... feeling that she'd been getting. It'd started only a day or two after she moved in, and from then on, it'd become a near constant thing.
Honestly, at this point, she'd grown quite used to it, brushing it off as a quirk of moving homes again for the first time in so long.
But every now and then, it'd catch up to her, that feeling, the creeping, prickling sensation that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and sweat bead along her spine. If she had to equate the feeling to anything, it was like the one time she'd been prowled on by a cat, barely managing to escape with her life.
It was the feeling of being watched - watched by a predator.
Now, she shook her head, firmly pushing aside the notion. It was obviously untrue, and it wouldn't do her any good to feed into her paranoia.
No, she wasn't in any more danger than usual for a borrower, and she most certainly wasn't being watched.
Huffing softly to herself with a wry little smile, she hoisted her sack over her shoulder and set out towards the entrance to her nest, ready for another day of successful borrowing to further stock up her stores.
The only actual problem she had with living here was that the giant tenant was something of a shut-in, seeming to work from home, and he rarely ever left. In fact, even his groceries seemed to be delivered straight to his doorstep!
But that was okay. Really, it was!
Her new giant was rather... lacking, in terms of self-awareness.
She muffled a giggle to herself, pressing her palm to her lips to smother her grin as she recalled the few (or, well, more than a few now that she thought about it) times where the human had walked right into the room she was in and never even came close to noticing her, even when she was practically in plain sight!
She finally allowed herself a little smile at the recollection, fondly shaking her head.
It was almost endearing - for a giant.
And it meant that she felt perfectly safe to go out to do some foraging now, even in the broad daylight with the oh-so-tall giant sitting right at home.
-
Silas bit his lip and shivered in pleasure as he watched his sweet little guest scamper between the shadows along the floor, her hair tied up with a plastic little clip - the pastel blue one this time. It was his favorite one of her collection, and he briefly allowed himself to entertain the fantasy that she'd worn it just for him. His eyelids lowered to half mast at the notion, and he released a low, enraptured hum, a hazed breath gusting over his lower lip.
A moment later, he swallowed languidly, and he nudged aside his idle daydreams with efficiency of many long hours of practice.
She wasn't wearing it for him, he knew. Not yet.
For now, his let his gaze seem to stay unerringly on his computer in front of him as it always did. His peripheral vision was better than most, and it was a trait he'd been making liberal use of in the past few months since his heart-stealing, precious little doll had come into his life - into his home.
He had to bite his lip again to hold back a croon as he watched her climb as nimble as a fairy onto the kitchen counter to his left, with him sitting directly in her line of sight (and him conversely in hers) from where he'd taken up residence at his dining room table.
She only spared him a brief glance, dismissing his presence as easy as anything. If Silas hadn't know any better, he would've thought she was teasing him.
But he did know better, unfortunately. After all, it was his own hard work that had gotten the both of them to this point. His sweet fairy had been so heart-breakingly skittish at first, jumping at the slightest sound and flinching at the mere sight of him.
It had hurt, truthfully, but he'd never dared let it show. It wasn't her own fault after all, that she didn't understand him yet.
Instead, he'd been meticulous in changing her reactions to him. He slowly but surely convinced his precious little creature that he was just a harmless, oblivious human being, nothing like whatever made her so upsettingly wary of his presence.
Why would she have to fear him if he never seemed to notice anything around him to even come close to being able to cause her any harm?
Oh, it had been difficult, and at times he had wanted to cave into his desires and turn to drink in her presence directly (to reach over and catch her with his bare hands and hold her close and-), but he never did. He was rather prideful of this fact. And there was a saying, wasn't there? That slow and steady wins the race?
Silas felt a curl of warmth low in his gut as he watched his adorable guest putter around on his countertop, gathering the fresh crumbs he'd purposefully left on the surface despite his distaste for being so untidy.
Yes, for now, this was plenty. For now, he would sate himself through these less direct means.
It was true that the miniature cameras he'd procured and hidden in her nest never did her justice, but at least they were enough for now as the only way he could content himself with watching her all safe and warm and tuckered out in her adorable little burrow beneath the wooden slats of the closet of the spare bedroom. It had been rather easy to find her precious nest (she almost always headed in the direction of the guest bedroom after she finished her foraging, after all), but it had still been quite the exhilarating discovery for him to pull up a loose board and find what could only be said nest, empty at the time and fluffed with downy feathers and old cotton socks. It was far less than she deserved, of course, and he had had to fight back the immediate, intense urge to find her and scoop her up and away from the hovel. The only reason he hadn't done so was his self-awareness of the misunderstanding such an abrupt turn in his behavior could cause.
And he could admit that her little self-made home within his own was heart-throbbingly enchanting in its entitlement - as if she was staking a claim upon him like he dreamed of doing to her. So he let her be, for now.
One day (one day soon), though, he would watch her sleep before him, curled up and warm and safe in the palm of his hand, his to hold and keep and love forever.
-
Hhehhehehuuhuhuhuh yandere giant, here we come!!~~ :33333
Ya'll I haven't given this a read through yet so hopefully any mistakes are minimal!!! Hope you enjoyed tho!~
#g/t#g/t community#giant/tiny#gt writing#giant tiny#tw stalking#kind of#yandere#g/t writing#borrowers#size difference
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Not the usual ...
Hate'll paralyze your mind
Gotta see the other side
It costs you nothing to be kind
Not so different you and I
Looking for love in a different light
Until we find that equal sign
~~ j-hope
I am not sure how to start or if I can even touch on everything that's going on in my mind and what follows will probably be disjointed, messy and all over the place.
When the concept of "fandom implosion" was set in front of me, I was skeptical (my middle name), "no, that most likely won't happen."
Me: "Army are pretty cohesive, we are mostly smart, critical thinking humans who can spot the bullshit a mile away and we are resilient enough to carry on."
Remarks such as: "you don't need to announce your departure from the fandom, just go!" accompanied by "the fandom needs a cleansing" and "slough off the ones who are not here to support BTS" and each time, we move on believing we are stronger, better and will persevere.
Yet, every week that goes by since that concept entered my BTS mind, it seems that there is something else that furthers the process of this *now obvious* fandom implosion that is occurring before our eyes.
This stuff going on today in Korea, the wreaths in front of the Hybe building, the trucks, the relentless negativity supposedly FROM K-ARMY is downright disappointing and disheartening. They said for I-Army to let them handle it.
But this is not it y'all.
You have played right into MHJ's hands in sowing negativity in the general public and korean news media. Most concerning to me now: my trust in K-Army has faltered. I know K-Army is not a monolith, just as no faction of the fandom holds more weight than any other, but damn, these people have the attention of their general news media and now they have to deal with the consequences.
Hybe put out a statement about the status of legal proceedings and the statement included an apology to Army. THEY APOLOGIZED TO US, THE FANDOM!
But obviously, that wasn't enough.
I am Army and know all the details of what has happened and is happening and I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF RELENTLESSLY BEATING UP HYBE, I am confused as to what's happening. What makes anyone think the general public and news media will dive deep enough to understand all the details and nuances?????
Can this also be the work of the organized, paid antis? Yes, it could, but some of my trusted K-Army accounts on X are also supporting this mess. WHAT THE FUCK ARE Y'ALL THINKING???
Maybe I'm too American to understand the logic behind what's happening over there. Or maybe its just my nature to always think beyond the action happening to what the aftermath might look like.
But tell me, exactly WHO and exactly WHAT company are we to have faith in for BTS if not Hybe and BigHit? Tell me who? Just cut the group loose and then what? Let them get eaten alive by the media, the general public, every other fandom and hater? Force them to focus on rebuilding their own careers? Force them to have to rebuild another company? How does that support them? How does that protect them? Do you think another company will instantly materialize to pick up the pieces? If you do, you are truly living on another planet.
They should be focusing on their art, not on any of this.
It is usually easy for me to reassure myself that "this is only happening on X/social media," and mostly removed from the real world. But not this time.
The most heartbreaking thing about it all is NONE OF THE MEMBERS can refute, debunk, rebut or speak on this on their own behalf. They are being raked over and over again and there is nothing they can do except carry on. RM doing his best at promoting. Jimin and Jungkook just serving their country the best they can. Jin coming back not into loving arms of his fandom but the ashes of what we once were. Yoongi... my god... I can imagine the cyphers pouring out of him this very second... but he must be silent now.
I am here to support BTS, all seven members. As soon as Namjoon's single was available again on the BTS store website, I bought it. I will buy the song on Apple Music and Amazon. I plan to march over to Target on the day of the album's release to buy it. I can't wait for shipping, I must have it immediately. I have done this with every member's release.
I want to wake up and this be a bad dream. I am certain all the members do too.
My apologies for this very negative post but damn, I had to get it out of my head. Individually, we each have a limit. I am going to recharge my BTS batteries so I can fight another day in what's left of this crazy fandom.
No truer words spoken: Being a fan of BTS, being ARMY, is not for the faint of heart.
#i am never leaving#apobangpo#bts x army forever#jin will be back next month#i'm not a kumbaya person but maybe we need to join hands#even the dan cult refuted the claim that bts was part of them#cocodive just hoping we still spend money with them#they are more trustworthy than some k-army#make it make sense?#k-army is not a monolith#i am 100% confident not all k-army support what is happening#they said to trust them and that's what i am going to do#if you don't agree you know where the block feature is
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Watched a bunch of stuff last night, including the Alita OVA from 1993! I thought it was a lot of fun, the thoughts:
--- It did the "obvious" thing of adapting the romance arc with Yugo of Volume 2 as the core, while blending in the events of Volume 1 as sort of backstory and setup as opposed to their own story. This arc is Alita at her most humanized in the early parts of the manga, and its the plot that centers Zalem as the untouchable overlord city most effectively. Any short adaptation is gonna choose this - part of why James Cameron (lol) did the same thing!
--- Speaking of, the manga does not actually have any particular focus on Alita's eyes, but the anime definitely has more than one shot where it establishes them as thematically special. Given that the James Cameron film is famous for going full CGI on Alita's eyes, and he knows about the property from Guillermo del Toro passing him the OVA as opposed to the manga, I think I can see the chain of events that lead to that (ill-fated?) decision.
Her eyes are pretty amazing in the OVA, so I get it! As my previous reblogs showed lol.
--- I think I can break apart the manga into three "concepts": the setting as cyberpunk dystopia, Alita as a character dealing with identity issues as an amnesiatic combat robot, and shounen fighting & levelling arcs. The OVA heavily focuses on the first part, ditching almost all the shounen stuff - its fight scenes are quick and focus on violence & bodily destruction over strength or "fighting techniques", etc. This is great for me, obviously! But it also, almost accidentally, ditches most of her identity issues? Because its less than an hour long, and needs to do a ton of worldbuilding - including even adding in a new character from Zalem to help with that - and is doing Yugo's entire arc, you really don't have time left for Alita's struggles. Yugo actually gets more "inner depth" than she does! She commits to being a bounty hunter, then after that she is pretty much just In Love while Yugo goes through his detailing of his past and collapse.
I'm not saying it doesn't work, it does as a story. Just interesting for something that is known as very "protagonist associated" to have an OVA where she is barely the protagonist.
--- While no Urotsukidoji or anything, this is another one of those OVAs where its reputation, particularly in the west, is as a hyper-violent, gory OVA? And like so many it really isn't. People get decapitated, don't get me wrong, buts its never lingers on those moments. Instead they serve as tone setters for the crapsack world or just are part of the action sequences.
I think in general the OVA era rarely made horror/gore films the way some other mediums/industries did? There are exceptions of course but in the end anime is trying to do too many other things; beautiful animation, focus on character designs, often being adaptations and so doing the plot of those more complex stories, erotic content for audiences that aren't *that* fetishistic on average, and more. All of these priorities compete for space in comparison to having endless jumpscares and blood splatters. So far my track record for watching the famous "gorefest" or "~crazy~" anime is that every one of them is tamer than the rep suggests, and I believe this medium/genre mismatch is why.
--- The biggest question I have around Alita in general is why there was never any more anime? Its weird, right? Its a famous property from a beloved genre, it had a hollywood film for some crazy reason, things like Ghost in the Shell got multi-season anime after all. Why no feature film remake in the 2000's? Why no 13-cour in the 2010's? I don't have an answer to that yet.
Why the initial OVA was so minimal is at least partly answered by Kishiro here:
MNS: Many fans have wondered, why were only 2 anime OAV episodes produced in 1993?
YK: It was based on the plan proposed by the animation production company. It might have been better to turn down the plan and wait for a better adaptation proposal to come up, but back then, I couldn't afford to review the plan coolly. At that time, I was still serializing the work and was so busy that I wasn't ambitious to make it into animation.
Essentially he took the "deal on hand", not offering much, because he didn't have the time, money, or business savvy to work the industry for a better proposal. 100% understandable. I don't think the OVA did too well? I can't find a lot of sales figures, but the comments I see are in the "respectable" range, and it didn't get quick or expansive rereleases over time.
More broadly, and again speculative, I think maybe Alita overall isn't that successful? Like sure Kishiro is still out here releasing more sequel manga to this day somehow, but when I look at the "media mix" its just really sparse. No big video game adaptations - it has a PlayStation game in the 90's - it has like a drama CD and a novelization? No big merch waves or tie-ins. I am betting the big anime production committees just don't think its a hot enough property to sell that great. Wouldn't be a bad idea or anything, but not one you have to do like idk Chainsaw Man.
In the western fandom spaces its quite well known because of the idiosyncrasies of licensing history, the weird James Cameron factor, and I think a general fascination with anime cyberpunk; the west eats up any of the older cyberpunk properties for its aesthetic in a way that can blind people to the reality of that just being a subgenre in Japan at the time. Alita might just be niche enough that it not getting any wider anime adaptations is no grand mystery.
(But I hope to dig into this question more)
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Isn't it SO fun to be harassed and bullied at school? /sarc
People call me a "FUCKING WEIRDO!" (Yes, that's word for word.)
They make faces at me like I'm sort of disgusting slob. (And they SHOW it and they WANT me to know they think that!)
Along with that, one kid pretended to gag and throw up at the sight of me, and used solar eclipse glasses to not look at me.
One kid called me ugly today! (YAY! /sarc)
They poke and prod at me like I'm a science experiment.
They fear the fact I smile all the time, that I tend to keep an emotionless expression in my eyes. (I'm only following Alastor's advice!)
They love to annoy me... But it's getting tiring.
Only a select few enjoy my presence, they keep me in and go along with my antics. My friend group likes having me around. And other kids I don't know much and we're neutral with each other.
I know I'm "weird" by their standards. But what's the fun in the world without differences?
I know I took on the persona of "weirdo" in my class. I want to go up to a teacher and cry. Because I didn't deserve to be treated like this?
I didn't deserve to be told "You know you should kill yourself" when I'm already suicidal. Did I?
Get told I'm retarded like 10 times already? Maybe more? (I'm not even exaggerating...)
And considering I might have mental illnesses such as possible autism, that's even meaner. At this point I'm not living, I'm surviving.
There's a reason why I've given up. My best friends are on the internet. I don't think without them I would be able to live today. Why do the people who care about me, share my interests, accept me for who I am, respect me, and TREAT me like I'm a human being, so far away?
I know I may be Xenogender, but that's no excuse for treating me no better than some sort of inferior species.
I see no one else getting treated like this, I'm the subject, no, the OBJECT of their bullying.
What the fuck am I supposed to do??? What do you fucking EXPECT me to do??? "Be yourself"??? I AM being myself, and you're fucking BULLYING me!? AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT ON SOME SORT OF MASK? I AM SMILING, MOTHERFUCKER, YET YOU STILL BULLY ME WHEN I DO HAVE A MASK!? /not you, to them
Like, please. Let me rest. Let me have a normal day where I don't have to face discrimination. Where I get treated with love.
I get treated so awfully so much, that I don't even know who I am anymore.
I lost myself.
My catchphrase has to be "I'm so done-" because I said that more than I needed to.
I feel like the next time someone does anything to me, I'm just going to burst out crying.
🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂
I hope you're doing alright right now, first things first, i need to let you know that you do matter, and you certainly don't deserve to be treated as subhuman as they treat you, I only wish the worst upon them <3
They are bitches who are a waste of oxegyn, they need to put you down to feel something or feel like they matter, and for that they are the weakest most disgusting subhuman people, genuinely hope they get more fucked up than they ever made you feel 🧡
It's pretty obvious that they're trying to make you feel shit, and i wish i was there to fight them off or comfort you when it happened, i said it before and i'll say it again, you don't deserve any of this. You deserve to be happy, and to feel like you are loved and cared for, the way they treat you is uncalled for and it's disgusting [them, not you, your cool]
And agreed, your gender or your neurodivergence shouldn't be the reason you get bullied, they aren't things you can control, or things you have to change, they are litterally a part of your being/existence, I can't believe all of the shitty things they're doing, you don't deserve it.
Have you tried to tell anyone? [although that doesn't work often, it's worth a try]. It seems like it's really affecting you, whether you admit it or not /nbr /npa
I'd reccomend telling a teacher/principle [the meaner the teacher the better], if that doesn't work fight back, physically i wouldnt reccomend but if you have to, do it. Theres not much we can do about bullying, which is fucking shitty, but please hang in there at least and take care of yourself, i care about you and love you /p
I hope it gets better and they stop, they're pieces of shit who shouldn't be making you feel like this, they're insensitive cunts who should have their face cut up, hope they get bullied those fucking assholes
#ask#daydreamtoropova#FRIEND!!!#🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂#tw vent#i wish i was at your school#i would stand up for you at least#or comfort you#or tell someone#[all of the above]#its not fair
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Crowley S2 Hair Post #24
(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)
Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 1, The Clue, quite sure
...
Hairstyle Notes
The hair is long and will vary in fluff dependent on the camera angle. It gets most decidedly and noticeably more fluffy right before Crowley sets the place on fire. I think the headband changes too.
With the presence of an angel, no humans yet, and having his sunglasses off, the space gives Crowley the longer hair that better matches a supernatural reading.
Once the humans arrive, the fluff in the hair decreases on the camera angles most likely representing the POV of the children.
With supernatural power being all the more active when the fire is about to start, the hair gets all the more fluffy.
...
Earthly Objects
(For reference: Earthly Objects)
Crowley walks on a rug earlier in the scene. Aziraphale has a self-touch with his hands.
Keziah has a self-touch with folding her arms before the fire starts. Enon touches Aziraphale's clothing and touches his younger sister, Jemimah.
Jemimah has the main earthly object of the scene with her pot. This object is not a piece of clothing or body part, nor is it generated through a supernatural power. It's an earthly object of Earth, touched and made by a human.
The ox that will be eaten later is prominently visible throughout the scene.
Crowley's fire probably still counts as an earthly object touch since fire burns things on Earth.
There are various questions and names. Each child's name is said at least once. Questions include, "Are you a demon?" and "Can't you save us?"
A Rule of Three is found with there being 3 children.
Paying attention to the pockets...
Aziraphale's hand lines up in notably particular ways with Crowley when he says, "I have no wine, child." Later, his left thumb CMC joint lines up in place of where the Tied Hands would be when he says, "Tonight!"
Jemimah is pocketed between her siblings, Keziah and Enon.
...
Story Commentary
We receive the second of the three lines by Crowley associating a demon with lying as Crowley says, "I'm a demon. I lied." These lines call back to season 1. When Crowley says, "Would I lie to you?" Aziraphale says, "Well, obviously. You're a demon. That's what you do." Such lines could be a clue to Aziraphale's POV within the story.
Otherwise, they add up to showing that yeah, Crowley lies but that doesn't mean he lies because he is a demon, despite the literal words. Crowley lies because he uses deception as a strategy, in more ways than one.
The two older children, Enon and Keziah, are shown to be arrogant with the expectation that angels should just do what they want or their father wants. They have no regard for their own selves being in danger even though they are.
Crowley borderline gets defensive on Satan himself, his own boss, in response.
Jemimah endears herself to Crowley by noticing the eyes and asking the question of him being a demon. Even during the fire, she looks generally awed more than scared compared to her older siblings.
Crowley himself smiles, impressed that somebody noticed, and gives her a compliment, "Oh, she's good".
The fire reminds us of Crowley's association with the element as a demon, something to keep in mind with that ominous matchbox still in Heaven that will make at least one more appearance during season 2.
Otherwise, it's all very dramatic, drawing Crowley and Aziraphale to each other again. Crowley challenges Aziraphale's trust in him, and Aziraphale meets that challenge. Yes, after everything he saw with the goats and knows of Crowley up to that point—in a place engulfed in fire, he is quite sure the children are perfectly safe. He understands the lie this time.
Crowley makes his next move to drop them all into the cellar together and away from the burning fire.
I think this moment is one of the better ones throughout all of the minisodes because of that challenge in trust that they have and work through, together.
...
That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.
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Main post:
The Sideburns Scheme
#crowley#good omens 2#good omens#good omens s2#david tennant#good omens season 2#good omens meta#good omens analysis#good omens crowley#crowley good omens#good omens theories#good omens theory#crowley s2 hair project
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The Boat in the Water: A Beauty and the Beast Story (Loki x Stella Ransome, An MCU/The Essex Serpent Crossover Multi-Part) Chapter Four
Summary: Having lost her health and her husband's fidelity and love, Stella has nothing more to lose than her life. Then...she is swept away to another realm, to an enchanted castle. A castle whose master is a god...a god with a striking resemblance to her husband.
Chapter Word Count: 5K
Chapter Warnings: Pregnancy, childbirth, loss of a child, cheating (I play the Will/Cora affair in a negative light, and if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, this isn't the fic for you), a bit of violence. If I miss something, please alert me so I can add onto it. A cliffhanger bc I choose violence. Some thirst, but no actual smut
Chapter Word Count: 7K (get water and snacks)
A/N: If someone knows or has immediate access or recalls if the Essex Serpent canonically mentions how the two children of Stella and Will died and I got it wrong, please let me know. I just had to guess. Thank you!
A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad
Taglist: @anukulee @asgards-princess-of-mischief @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @twhxhck @lokisgoodgirl @lovelysizzlingbluebird @raqnarokr @holymultiplefandomsbatman @michelleleewise @wolfsmom1 @cheekyscamp @mochie85 @fandxmslxt69 @skittslackoffilter @mischief2sarawr @jijilaufeyson
They continued to sit on the floor. The fire crackled and Stella found her sandwich was delicious. It was a relief. Some of the dinners could get particularly heavy and would make her stomach hurt if she was not careful. Especially since with the consumption healing, her appetite was returning. This one had the right balance of bread and tomato. Not mushy and with the right crunch of the texture.
Loki looked relaxed. His dark curls had fallen down, they looked as soft as the feathers of a bird’s wings. Or an angel. He tore off the crust and ate it delicately bit by bit. He looked most handsome when he was at peace.
“All of this is hidden with your magic?” she asked him.
“It is the reverse. It is only certain magical elements that reveal it. I managed to control it. It took some practice, but I can open and close the Jotun form. And you think it not frightening? These beings that have done horrible things.”
“Humans have done horrible things too,” she said.
He hated he was right. Hated she was right about everything she said. It made him silently angry. And yet silently awed. He just wanted more. To hear her speak. To know how she came up with this, and what made her conclude this.
“What other kind of spells can you do?” she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. She set down her sandwich, her eyes dipping down. The nice sky blue ballgown she had on. The skirt was wide enough to balloon around her as they were sitting down.
“Let me see…”
She began to count on her fingers.
“You can make duplicates, control shadows, change your form...”
Loki wiped off the crumbs from his leathers.
“I can travel across worlds. Create illusions. Bend things to my will. I can read the memories of people, on special occasions,” he listed.
“Memories?” she repeated.
“Yes.”
“Have you already read mine?” she asked nervously.
“Oh, no- I only watched in my various forms what was happening. It was how I knew about the boat.”
She felt her face burn, but not from the fire. What was it- shame, perhaps?
“I know you must…must pity me. Think me a weak, silly woman,” she added.
“Yet something happened that woman was left to think that was the only action she could take…” he replied.
She looked up. Her plate was already left empty. She didn’t know how she could express it all. Say a word of what occurred in Aldwinter. There were so many words she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how to say it in the right way. Or in a way that her weaknesses would get a better hold of her and cloud her judgment. Or say something unfairly ill of someone. But a memory- that would be a better, more unbiased way. To have him see everything that happened.
“What is it like? I am only curious… and I feel…you would…would understand everything more in-depth than me telling you,” she prodded.
She thought she saw his lips curl up just slightly.
“Oh, you would like me to read your memories, little star?” he asked.
“Yes, yes I would, please. I won’t mind it. But will it hurt?” she asked.
“No, not at all. All I need do is touch your forehead,” he instructed.
“Alright. You may read my memories Loki.” she permitted.
He set down his place. He nudged closer to her.
“Just one? Or any of them?” he asked.
“Whatever you can find. It won’t bother me.”
“And what if… I see you and your Lusty Vicar in a moment that was…intimate, shall we say?” he teased, a little laugh in his voice.
“Then please don’t dwell on it and move on!” she insisted. Her face was a little red.
He laughed.
“Oh, how I love watching you squirm! Alright…let me try…”
With his long fingers, as lightly as if she were the most valuable porcelain in the palace, he touched her forehead.
Taking a deep inhale, he began to search through. He found not just one memory, but a lot of them.
He saw Stella was a young woman. A rosebud amongst the clergypeople at church one Sunday morning. He felt her heart racing as she noticed the handsome young curate with curly hair and hints of a beard, and could feel the warmth in her cheeks whenever for a split second their eyes met. She would return down demurely. But when they went back up, he was still staring at her. As if she was the only one in the cold, grey church.
Then another. He bent his head as he stepped into the house. In his vest rather than his black and white. He had a bunch of flowers in his hand, which he offered to her. It was his second visit. And he brought flowers then too. All throughout tea, he still had that gaze at her.Like she that he was a predator and she was prey. She would blush and pretend she didn’t notice.
He then saw the heartbeat out of its cage as he confessed his feelings. “I love you, Stella.” He went on, though she was too astonished to speak. Praising her beauty, kindness, and virtue. She was crying happy tears. He asked to marry her to follow God’s path for them together and how eagerly she said yes.
He then saw an evening in her room. Her mother was behind her on the bed, combing her hair and rebranding it. And talking.
“The first time it happens, you will bleed. He might be large and it will hurt when he goes inside you, which he will want more than anything else to do. That or to have to pleasure him with your mouth. That’s what all men want.”
He could feel the gasp that couldn’t get out of her and how she felt so hot.
“I wish not to shock you, Stella. But for you to be ready to be his wife. Even if he is a priest, he is a man. It’s what men are. You cannot close him off. Much less on your wedding night. The one thing all wives must do- we must consider our husband’s happiness, not our own. It was what God designed us to do- to submit. You must think of that, and fulfill your duty to him once he is your husband. It is not for pleasure, but for duty” while combing her hair.
“What if I can’t…please him?” she asked.
“Then…the truth is, they will find someone else who can,” her mother informed her.
He saw a town hall decked with flowers. Saw flower petals being thrown all over. People dancing. A tuxedo and Stella being spun around, laughing and smiling. Will took her arms and spun her in her wedding gown in the hall, almost childishly. But the adoration and laughter on his face made her forget her anxieties about that night.
He saw the aftermath of the night. He was over her, on top of her. His curls over her face. His pants. And then kissing her, asking her if he hurt her. She said he didn’t. But all Stella could think about was how this was the closest she ever felt to being in heaven.
He saw a peaceful evening, Will sitting and reading as she sewed by the fire. It rained and it was very cozy.
He saw her first pregnancy. Their gasps of surprise. The baby forming in her belly. She felt a little sick, a little dizzy, but thrilled. But how it was excused as she had to go and vomit in a washbin.
He saw the first childbirth. The pain splitting her apart. Her tears, asking for her mother who was there, holding her hand. Then the endless joy as the baby was brought out to be held.
He saw the second pregnancy. She was cramping badly. Sighing as she made another cup of tea. Grateful her maternity corset had the laces on the side. There was going to be a meeting with the deacons soon and she would hear all about it. But what should she make for the women’s bible study? She couldn’t decide. She felt sick again- and the baby was still sobbing in the cradle, a red face and hair with chubby arms and legs.
She felt the cry stir her, but she rocked the child. She hoped the baby wouldn’t cry during church. Eyes would all go to the front row and she would have to excuse herself out to rock the baby as they all listened to her sermon. Whispering about her. Being a vicar’s wife was being a bug beneath a looking glass. Or the audience for a tightrope walker at a circus. Waiting for the moment she would slip and fall and be disgraced forever. Especially for a small, conservative town. One wrong move from her, or even from her children, and her husband’s ministry and position was done for.
The second childbirth. She was scared, there was pain. The cramps, but worse. Pushing, confused. The faces and voices. There was blood. Then a delivery. Relief flooding through her and happy tears poured down her face.
Then later- there were two little girls tucked into their bed from Mama and Papa. As they slept as sweetly as cherubs, Will would wrap her in an embrace.
“I live for you, for us, for what we have. You are my life, Stella. Before God, I have you.”
She would smile and kiss his cheek, his beard scratching her.’
“And I for you, my darling,” she replied.
The third pregnancy. It was at the church's Christmas Eve service. One where after his sermon, he went down to sit next to her as the choir sang. The baby began to kick for the first time. She put Will’s hand on it and they smiled.
The third childbirth. Pain and blood. It was a long labor. She wondered if she was going to die.
Only it wasn’t her who emerged dead. It was the baby.
Then, the next year, she entered the nursery one day.
The cloth draped over the little bed. The shape of a child’s body beneath it.
Stella nearly fell down. She felt a sound escape her mouth.
They were going to take Julianna Ransome away. Take away the child…only that wasn’t a child anymore. That was a body. The soul was with God. She had already held her…her last moment, the last thing she ever did, her last embrace and moment of earth was in her mother’s arms as she kissed her forehead.
Will would rush up, and put a hand on her shoulder.
She went up, wishing to kiss the forehead- tell Julianna that Mama loved her one last time, even if she wasn’t here to hear it.
But the men were coming to dress the body and prepare her for the funeral.
She felt one rough hand from a man push her away roughly. Will held her back as she sobbed. They already had a casket prepared. They lifted the little girl and put her in. Stella couldn’t speak. She couldn't go, clutch protectively over the child.
They carried the casket and left the room and the house.
The second her husband’s arms loosened, Stella felt herself crumple onto the floor. Sobbing violently. Sounds coming out of her that weren’t human. Will over her, a hand on her back and shoulder. He then held her as she sobbed for the daughter they had and lost.
The Fourth Pregnancy. She was craving things but fought them. She had to remain slender somehow. She was always tired. Her feet almost were too swollen for her shoes. She was always tired, trying so hard not to doze at church when Will wasn’t speaking.
The Fourth Childbirth. Blood and pain. It was a breech. The feet was coming out before the head was- and that would stifle her and Will’s child. They had to move it in her belly. Then delivery. The little boy was brought forth safely.
Jo was starting to walk. Will held her hands as she took her first steps. Stella opened her arms as she walked right to her mother. Then she rocked John in his cradle. A healthy, happy baby having his first laugh. She never thought a laugh would sound so beautiful to her.
Another night of coital bliss. Ecstasy spinning in Stella’s system as Will panted beside her in that bed. She was so glad that her mother was very, very wrong.
The fifth pregnancy. The baby was kicking like a horse. She was feeling sick all of the time. The doctor advised Will to be careful. She needed some rest after this one. It was taking a toll.
The fifth childbirth. Push, push, push. The baby’s head had retracted back in, so she had to push him out again. She was in pain, splitting her apart. This was ten times any cramp she had during her courses. There was so much blood. She thought this was her end.
But the baby arrived. He already had dark, curly hair and she loved him more than anything, holding and kissing him. Calling him the name she and Will decided on if it was a boy.
“Hello James, I’m your mama,” she cooed to the tiny face.
Years later. John and James were in the church playing leapfrog after one service.
Then he saw Jo collecting books and getting bigger. Claiming she was now a grown-up at the dinner table. Saying she wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer at dinner.
Then…the dead body was discovered on the beach- the second one. The horror of the town in their stillness and big eyes. People crossing themselves. Whispers of a Serpent. One that would even abduct children…perhaps one of their own, Stella feared. She could only hold her husband's hand. She remembered those words- “It’s God’s punishment, but we’ll get it through together.”
Then a dinner. She wore her nice pearl earrings and a nice dress for a guest.
“My husband will not judge you,” she assured the guest.
A woman with blonde hair, round cheeks, and squinty eyes, but slim and pretty. Who ate beside a young boy with dark brown hair. In the dim light of the dark house, one could see streaks of red in the woman’s astonishingly golden hair.
Her husband looking at the woman intensely. Hypnotized. Like he couldn’t tear his eyes off. Like she was art.
Once upon a time, he looked at Stella like that.
But she would not say anything. She cut up her meat in delicate, small bites and ate slowly. Listening to the woman discuss science.
Then another. Will in a tuxedo. He was dancing with that woman. She could only watch from the corner as everyone stared at them like they were a fairytale.
She didn’t matter anymore. And she would learn to accept she didn’t matter anymore.
Then a bed. Her bloody handkerchiefs. Nothing but a room full of blue crosses and her blue bed. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
He was done. There was no doubt where he was.
She could sense it and she would not stop it.
Will told her God wanted him to lie with Cora.
I’ve done my duty, God. I’ve done my duty, mother. My time is done. God is calling me and I must follow Him without question. She thought.
All as her heart still beat.
Loki let go. He had seen so much. He retracted his fingers and found himself in the present.
She was crying a little.
“- I-I’m so sorry…” he apologized. He conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her.
She shook her head, accepting it.
‘No, I’m glad you saw. So you would understand just a little.” she recalled.
“You saw it?” he asked.
“Yes…” she confirmed. She wiped a few tears, doing her best to gather herself.
“I do understand. Everything,” he said.
She took a deep breath. She had purged her memories, her past. Just a mere few of many. She then extended her hand.
“Lok….let us dance now in that ballroom. I’d like to dance a waltz with you, please…”
He cocked his head. His old mischief returned to him.
“A waltz? Well, Little Star, we haven’t waltzed before! A waltz is….it has an interesting history of being a little bit scandalous because it involves…”
“I would like to waltz with you, Loki.” she interrupted.
He led her to the ballroom. There were candles lit around the wide space to make it brighter, the pale, hard floors echoing beneath her steps.
He wrapped her in an embrace.
“Loki, I have one more request. Could you do it?” she asked.
‘Why, that depends on what the request is.”
“You’ve seen so much of me, but I have only seen so much of you. Loki…could I dance with you in your form?”
‘I am in it.’
“Your real form.”
“This is my real form. If you wish to dance-”
“Your Frost Giant Form, I mean.”
He transformed. He was blue and with red eyes His skin chilled her touch, sending shivers down her spine but keeping her awake and alert.
With a nod of his head, there were violins playing a song in three-quarter time. They began to move into a square. She kept her eyes down a little to watch her feet. She could feel a stiff silence in Loki- as if she was now afraid of his Frost Giant form. But keeping her eyes away, it made the words pour out of her mouth easier.
“He was my entire life and I didn’t satisfy him. I didn’t make him happy…so he looked elsewhere.… I failed my duty.” she mourned.
Loki tightened his hold on her and nearly swung her into the next step.
“Don’t say that! You never once failed in your duty, Stella!”
She perked up as he said her name. There was an added fierceness that the bright crimson of his eyes made apparent. Though the music was playing, Loki’s voice could easily be heard over it.
“I have seen your life. You are anything but a failure. You never failed the priest. He failed you as a husband, have you ever considered that?”
“No,” she replied.
“You love. Intensely. Fiercely. More than anyone knows. More than anyone I have met. I have nothing but hate inside me, but you have nothing but love inside you. But you shouldn’t let that love allow others to treat you like you’re their servant and not an equal to them…”
“It’s…it could be sinful,” she replied meekly.
“Your mortal ways and faith. Is saying no a sin? Is being angry that you were mistreated, taken advantage of a sin? Is it a sin to fight back? To protect yourself? I can tell you, here there is no such thing!”
“I don’t want to complain or be ungrateful.”
“You never did! But keeping it inside and letting them torment you will kill you, Stella, faster than that mortal illness ever could. Fight. Fight, Stella. Fight back. Be furious. Sob. Scream. But fight.” he insisted.
She stared up at him in wonder, though they continued to move.
“I was always so ashamed after I cried after I fell to anger…” she confessed.
The music continued. She heard a violin trill.
“I’d rather you feel the pain than not feel at all…do you feel any pain now?” he asked.
“No… I don’t…”
He gave her a smirk,
“Good,”
“Do you feel any pain, Loki?”
“No, because you are an excellent dancer…”
They walked for a few minutes in silence. It sounded like the song was going to end. She leaned closer. There was a last chord in major that resolved, the echoes of the strings melting away.
“Loki…the music is over, but…hold me. Please. Just for a little.”
He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back. He felt cold, yet she held on. She then heard a sound like a ruffle of feathers and from the corner of her eye, there was a green light. He changed to his form with pale skin. How…warm he felt compared to the ice. Soft and comforting. She rested her forehead on his chest. For a god, he felt so human, so real, so comforting. She felt his long arms wrap around her, envelop her as if they were wings. She nestled further. Enjoying the closeness, the tenderness of his touch.
She held on as long as she needed to. And then she let go.
“You just wanted an embrace.”
“Yes…”
“I’m glad you asked. Don’t be afraid to,” he said.
“I…I won’t, Loki,” she replied.
He escorted her to her room.
“Loki I….” the words came out of her. He tilted his head.
She restrained herself. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She’d be as bad as her husband.
“I hope you sleep well, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, my little star.”
She felt herself blush at “my” as she closed the door.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The next morning, Stella woke up. She felt oddly refreshed like a weight was lifted off of her.
She went down to the piece of paper on the vanity. She began to comb her hair. Looking a the bed, she admitted that last night…the temptation was there. She admitted it silently to herself. She was a few steps away from the precipice, asking Loki to stay with her in her room for the night. Just to hold her, talk to her, and…no, what if it progressed? What if he kissed her? What if he- she couldn’t even name what else her weakness would have let her do! Only glad her strength prevailed.
But…she did like that song from that one time. When the illness attacked her and he sang. If only she could understand the words!
She looked down at the paper.
“Hello there. I know it’s been a minute. But, what were the words of the song Loki sang to me? The night I got sick?”
The words were listed there.
“Which one was the part he sang lower at the beginning?” she asked.
It shortened to the lyrics. Though she liked the two words that read as “Star Mojen.” It sounded like “star maiden” which was a pretty image in her head.
Then…it struck her…the hand kiss. That was the very line he kissed her hand on…
“And what do they mean in English?”
The translation appeared.
““In stormy black mountains
I wander alone
Over the glacier I move forward”
She found this meaning in the line with the star maiden line.
“In the apple orchard stands the maiden, so beautiful.”
Warm tingles appeared all over her. That was the line he dedicated to her! He was making her the maiden in the song.
The rest of the translation of that bit appeared:
“And sings, ‘When will you come home?’”
She looked about the place. Once, she longed to be back in the white house on the marshes again. But now…the longer she stayed there, the more she was home. And the more being with Loki felt like being home.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
He only appeared at dinner that time. Wearing a grand cape with yellow on the inside. She noticed how long he had grown his hair. His dark curls were falling down to his shoulders.
“I wanted to thank you for last night,” she began once he sat down.
He conjured himself a glass of wine. “Oh, really I should be the one thanking you.”
“I wish I had your boldness, your confidence, Loki,” Stella replied. She got out her knife and fork and began to politely take small bites of her roast chicken.
“And I wish I had your heart. I don’t think at times I could ever forgive my father…” he said.
“Your father? What did he do?” she asked.
He took a sip as if for liquid courage.
“Well, he was the one who plucked me as an infant from Jotunheim. He brought me to live in Asgard in the palace. As the second-born son to the throne. The runner-up. Second best. But not the favorite, as my dear brother is,” he hissed bitterly.
She spoke no words of judgment. Only wiped her mouth with her napkin before placing it on her lap.
“Well, he was always letting Thor do whatever he wanted and letting him be his heir and me the unequal. Oh, and did I mention, he kept me being a Frost Giant as a secret until I found out by accident!” he vented.
“Oh, Loki, he shouldn’t have,” she commented.
“And do you know what he said? He said my birthright was to die! And that I should be grateful!” his face colored bright red and his eyebrows furrowed.
“A parent shouldn’t say that to a child…” she agreed.
“At times, I wish I could shove him off of the rainbow bridge, I would, and I-”
“Loki, how is containing all of this anger and rage going to make you any happier?” she asked.
He silently fumed. Two hands over his cup of wine.
“You have to talk to him. Tell him that you were hurt. If I hurt my John, I would rather him tell me than silently hate me.”
“All I can think of now is how I will get the throne to be my own-”
“Loki, did you know your brother came by and asked for you?”
He blinked.
“What?! That dolt of a brother arrived here?” he asked.
“Yes! He has been looking for you! He loves you and misses you! And your mother worries about you…Loki, tearing yourself away from people who care about you will only make things worse. If you let your hate for Odin consume you, eat you away…how will you see all the people who love you who are willing to help you?”
“Thor is arrogant and dangerous-”
“You can be jealous of someone and love them too. You can be angry at someone and love them. And sitting down stewing in fury and doing nothing isn’t going to solve a wit of your problems.”
He looked at her. She, who had been through so much, who was loved and thrown to the side like a child’s toy. Yet she still loved people, cared for them, and had hope, had kindness inside of her.
“It…it won’t solve anything…” he agreed.
“You can tell someone how they hurt you. And you can love someone the same, and treasure what love you have in your life…” she said.
“My Frost Giant form though…that is a sight some of them will have to get used to.”
“I think it’s beautiful,” she said.
He cocked an eyebrow. He then got up. He used magic to conjure his chair to be next to her.
“Oh! A Frost Giant- beautiful, you say?” he asked.
“You’re…well, beautiful in every form,” she admitted, with a shy glance down at her napkin.
He paused. He drank her in. Her ballgown. The soft blonde of her hair and sweet eyes.
He couldn’t help himself. He added in-
“As are you.”
Her eyes went big. Her hands clenched where they were laying on the table. She looked back down.
“Well, I have, I have marks on me from the pregnancies and I am not Mrs. Seaborne, but-”
He cut her off. He went to her, even closer. She felt her breath catch as he cupped her face, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“Stella are beautiful in your nightgown. You’re beautiful in your gowns. You were beautiful when you were swollen with child. You were beautiful when you brought each child out. You are beautiful with your hair free and undone. You’re beautiful when you braid it. You are beautiful when your hands and skirt are dirty from the garden. You’re beautiful when you sit and sew without a speck of dirt on you. I will never be worthy to even be seen standing next to you, and anyone who sees us will ask questions about what a great beauty like you is doing being seen next to me. Just because you are alive and here- that is what makes me think of nothing but you, because you are the very stars in your name. Internally and on your person.”
She was frozen for a minute. Processing it all. Her mouth lowered and could only release a little air. She could see the blue of his eyes, the soft elegance of his features.
Then, at last, she said, “I haven’t been called beautiful for months.”
Loki’s eyes turned shiny
“What…really? You should be called beautiful. Every day,” he said.
Her breath returned to her. She smiled.
“Loki, if you are a monster…how could you come up with that? You have more goodness in you than you think. I…I…thank you,” she continued.
They danced something other than a waltz. Loki was glad. He didn’t want to hold her in his arms again. Every time he touched her, he wanted more. And every time she got close, he didn’t want to let her go.
“She’s just a mortal. One of a million. Who am I to get involved with some lowly mortal woman? And that’s not to mention she isn’t free,” Loki thought, scolding himself.
Those thoughts dissipated as the music ended and they bowed and curtsied.
He only wished her goodnight. Still…part of him hoped she would weaken. Give into temptation. Ask for him at night. To lie with him, be with him…He felt something stirring in his groin at the image of her naked in that bed. He hated himself for it and increased his pace further from her room.
But he knew her better than that. Part of him wanted to curse and throw something. Her husband could roll about in the grass with a hundred women and swim nude in the sea and even touch himself in its waters whenever he wanted- but she couldn’t!
He said nothing but clenched his fists tight. He then stormed off to find another room to douse himself in cold water.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Stella sat Writing more letters to her family one afternoon. She set them on the chest in her room and it vanished to be delivered to them.
She missed….she thought she missed them, but she missed people. Having someone, anyone to talk to during the day. It then struck her how lonely she was. Loki had appeared only sometimes during the day. Would he appear before dinner like he sometimes did with the sheep episode? Then they’d eat and dance. Then he was gone. Did he even sleep here? Considering how big the castle was, he might have been in some secret room.
Her life was always busy, for there were three children, a dog, a church, a village, and a husband to keep up with. When it was declared she was sick, everything was so quiet. There was nothing to do but lie in bed and wait to die. She would spend whole days alone in that house, on that bed, with no energy except to sometimes ask for visitors to see them again and to stare out the window at the marshes. And pray for God to prepare her to enter heaven.
Now there was no longer a threat of death. She was due for a visit to the healers today to check on her. But as used as she was to being alone…she felt lonely. If only Loki could be there to conjure some trick or say something to make her laugh or blush. She…she missed him.
And why should she sit around waiting in an enchanted castle like she did every day here? Even cleaning and gardening was getting tiresome. As she looked around, she saw there was a shining golden city. And the carriage was going to take her to the healer's cottage for her appointment today. The city was just outside of it…but the city itself was only a ten-minute walk from their cottage.
What was Asgard like? And the people too…how different were they from Midgardians?
She waited for the carriage. It took her to the appointment in the healer's cottage. They declared she was improving after a few tests. As she stepped out, she looked at the nearby gates and the tops of the buildings peeking out.
Besides, she couldn’t help but be curious.
She went down to the cottage and sat in it. But instead of asking it to return, she knocked on it’s ceiling and asked aloud:
“I’d like to visit that city over there, please!”
It took her down, further to Asgard. A shining city full of people going about with long robes for clothes and elaborately braided hair. White birds flew about looking for crumbs that grandmothers tossed to them. Children ran about and played without any fear of a serpent lurking anywhere to eat them.
Stella stepped out. She felt a little embarrassed in her day dress of light blue still having puffed sleeves and petticoats compared to everyone else. She noticed a dress shop on one corner and walked to it.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
“You…you spoke with who again?! There are too many names, just how many friends did you make?” Loki cried.
She smiled. She sat proudly in her cerulian Asgardian dress she bought. Her shoulders were exposed and her hair in its side braid.
“Oh, Audur!, she’s delightful. She is a new mother and I was glad to give her some advice and help her with the baby- she had the sweetest little boy, he hardly cried and he’s so small! Oh, and there’s the shop Seigfriend owns- I felt odd going about in these clothes, but I find the Asgardian fashions fascinating. He managed to give me this one on sale. Oh, and I also saw a temple and was curious- your people do make offerings and they vanish! How fascinating! A priest named Tristan said he would explain more to me. I was invited to a little book club and sewing circle by Brunhilde and a few other ladies who sensed I was new and wanted to welcome me-Oh! And these!”
She reached into her pockets and pulled out the pebbles, pure dark blue with sparkles inside them.
“I found these just on the ground! They’re beautiful! Like gems! Isn’t it like the night sky?” she boasted.
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Why aren’t you amazed?” she asked.
“Little Star, They’re ordinary! They’re everywhere in Asgard!
“Oh, but you can find so much beauty and meaning in the most ordinary of things, Loki. You just have to look…conjure my box, please.”
He did as she requested. She opened the lid on the table, digging about. Then she brought out a seashell. A conch that curled into itself with a hole. She held it over to him. He felt the edges.
“It’s beautiful. Like a piece of art,” she said. “Do you see the little edges? And how smooth it is. And this was not made by man…nature made it. It did that naturally. Why is that not amazing?” she asked.
‘It is..” he admitted.
She then handed him the blue stone.
“And this one…we have the whole sky above our heads. But here, we can just hold it in our hands easily. Isn’t that beautiful in itself? I know you’re a god, Loki, but when I merely cup this, I feel like a goddess myself. I feel what it is like to have a whole thing, a whole existence just in your hand…”
He ran a thumb over it. And then he returned it to her hand. Their skin brushed against each other.
“Could I invite Brunhilde and a few others over to the palace?” she asked.
Loki grinned. A mischievous light in his eyes.
“I tell you what- we should throw a ball!”
“A ball?” she repeated.
“Would you like that? To invite your friends? You will be in charge of invitations! I don’t think you’ve ever been to a grand ball before, Stella. I’ll make sure everything looks up to par and that there’s enough food and your friends can all enjoy themselves?”
Stella’s eyes beamed. Then she released her hands from his. She set the pebbles in the box and closed the lid.
“I will on one condition…you be there. You go too, as a guest. You are the first I would like to invite.”
Loki put a hand to his chest in fake surprise.
“Why! I would be delighted! We should take a bit of time to plan, and then we can set a date. Until then, we better brush up on our dancing, don’t you agree, little star?”
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Will knelt down to pray that evening. He couldn’t sleep. He was still clothed, pacing about the bedroom. Everything suddenly felt empty- as if she was dead and buried already. His mind reeling.
He knelt next to that bed.
“Dear Lord…bring her back to me. Keep her safe.” he prayed.
Whoever this “Loki” was as he called himself, he was keeping her safe and had apparent access to a cure. He wasn’t sure if this was the man he saw. He wasn’t sure how he and Stella managed to vanish in the blink of an eye or how. Or even where this city called Asgard could be found…or if she would return. He could only pray and wait.
Then, he jumped. His jaw went slack, for there was something there he had never seen before.
A portal opened. The rim was green and had golden light glowing from it. He heard music and laughter. Inside, he thought he saw a ballroom and a crowd of people.
Crossing himself, he walked through.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Meticulously as they planned it, the ball began smoothly. Stella’s friends in Asgard invited their friends and then their friends. For they heard of an enchanted castle and wanted to see it, as well as hear and see the famous trickster god reappearing among them.
Stella wanted to somehow invite the royal family. But the guards would not let some puny mortal pass as much as a letter through their gates. Perhaps there would be another time.
The Aesir in their robes were all gasping at the sight of the palace. It had an older, even Midgardian style to the place. Audur went up and greeted Stella. Saying how glad she and her husband found a babysitter for the night. Brunhilde embraced her as if she had known her for years. Music was already playing, not that it stopped all the chatter.
The violins had settled. Loki appeared before her. His curls were washed and looked soft and beautiful. He dressed in his finer robes. He wore no cape, but his black and green had hints of golden armor. Stella herself was wearing a gown that was more Asgardian in its longness and simple sleeves, its exposed neck. It was a pastel blue as if she was the day sky melting into the night.
“You are radiance itself today,” he said.
“My, how gallant of you!” she replied at him.
There was a starting cord.
“I must tell you, I asked them to give us the first dance…shall we do it together? Or, would you rather the others partner up?” he asked.
He held out his hand.
“Oh, that is nothing I cannot take. We can dance, Loki,” she replied.
She touched her hand on his. With a grin, he led her onto the floor. There was a clearing and here they were in the center.
They got into position. He lifted her hand up in the air, their fingers intertwining.
Loki saw Will out of the corner of his eye. There in the crowd. Stella was clearly oblivious to him, for his plain vest blended amid the Asgardian colors.
Loki put his hand on the small of Stella’s back and pulled her in tighter.
Stella was starting to shiver again. She nearly forgot the steps. Something about Loki being close…and everyone watching, watching them embrace. She clutched onto his arm as if he were a raft keeping her above the water.
The music began and they waltzed.
He was smiling. And for once, a large, happy smile was on her face as well. She didn’t want to look away. He was so beautiful. So real. And there.
They covered more ground. Going a little faster. She kept up with his steps well. She felt like she was truly flying, her blue skirt swishing about.
She looked at him, and she broke into a smile so big, she bared her teeth. She felt a small laugh break out from her in her happiness.
Loki relaxed his posture and smiled softly at her too. That look on her face, the pure joy on it…
She was all that made sense. All that was real and true and good in the world. He could have held her and danced for eternity.
Stella went to Loki and locked eyes. It was a waltz. They did it before. But he held her tighter.
Will stood there, watching helplessly. People smiled as they watched. He could only see the look of adoration in Stella’s eyes to this man. Her eyes were so bright, her happiness beaming across the room like light. This was not a smile she would reserve for anyone.
It then hit him, His wife was dancing with a man she was in love with.
Loki couldn’t help but force a smirk at bay as he felt Will’s presence in the crowd. His portal worked as planned. And the vicar was there to seep in the rich, rich irony of it all of his own medicine being fed to him in a big, hearty dose.
As the music rose to a crescendo, Loki then grabbed his hands around her waist. Stella gasped. Then easily, he lifted her up and twirled her around, her skirt flying around her like a water painting. But she only laughed in delight. He then set her down as the final chord resolved.
The crowd applauded. There was going to be another dance in a few minutes. But Stella went away to talk to some friends. They led her off to the table to enjoy the delicacies that was served. Excitedly chatting away as they went over, blending into the crowd.
Loki was catching his breath when he heard a voice. A voice just like his own say-
‘Pardon me, sir!”
Will went forward to him. Loki felt his whole body tighten. Loki wasn’t sure to be excited, miserable, angry, thrilled all at once. Despite the similarity in their features, people hardly glanced at them. For one had dark hair and the other auburn-blonde-brown, no one would notice their similarities unless they looked closer and heard the voices.
“Sir- where is Mrs. Stella Ransome? Do you know where she went?” Will asked.
Loki frowned. He glared down at the man with as much intimidation as he could. He responded with the same voice.
“Then answer me this- why should I take you to her? Why should I let you in the same room she is in? Why let you look at her and hear her voice when you aren’t worthy to as much as kiss the ground she walks on? Why should I let you as much as lay your filthy hands on one hair on her head? Why should I give her to you?” the god demanded.
People were starting to turn heads. There was silence, for the music could not even play as people quieted to watch.
Stella turned around. Her eyes took in long, curly hair. A wisp of a goatee. A vest. High cheekbones and blue eyes.
She dropped her plate to where it dropped her salad onto the floor. She began to tremble. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak.
Will held his ground. He looked directly into the god’s eyes.
“Because she is my wife.”
There was a pause. Only a flicker of a second too long for anyone to intervene.
Loki got out his dagger and stabbed Will.
#loki#loki fic#loki fanficiton#loki imagine#stella ransome#tom hiddleston#clemence poesy#angst with a happy ending#tom hiddleston characters#fanfiction#tom my beloved#crossover#tw: suicide attempt#the essex serpent#the essex serpent fic#crossover fanfiction#crossover fic#loki angst#loki fluff#loki marvel#loki (marvel)#loki fandom#loki fanfic#loki god of mischief#loki god of stories#loki fanfiction#loki laufeyson#loki mcu#loki of asgard#loki tom hiddleston
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Just saw a comment on FB calling the 60's sitcom version of The Addams Family "the most functional tv family".
No freaking kidding! I mean, look at it: Gomez was treated as the head of the house. Morticia was supportive of Gomez, never put him down, respected his authority- and Gomez, at the same time, respected her boundaries ("Morticia, that's French!" "Gomez, later, we have an important matter here" "Ah, yes, later"). They supported each others ideas, goals, dreams, and rarely, if ever, called them silly.
Their kids were well-behaved, knew the rules, and followed them. Yeah, they did some really weird things, but they were not out of line with their family. They were taught to respect their parents, because their parents respected each other and their kids (this is a very important distinction, because respect is learned by watching, not by being lectured).
Anyone who came into their house was welcomed as family. Crazy old Uncle Fester, who arguably causes more trouble than any other single character in the show? Chide him a bit for threatening to shoot someone in the back, perhaps, but he still gets his own room. Grandmama needs someone to look after her in her old age? Set her up with a crystal ball and a gypsy tent in the living room so she can carry on her profession as a fortune-teller while still being surrounded by family. A detached hand that somehow managed to come to life has nowhere to go? Take him in and set him up with a system of tunnels under the house and boxes that open only from the inside so he has a private place to feel comfortable while still being a part of a family. Got a butler that looks a bit like Boris Karloff and is somewhat introverted and doesn't like to talk? Pay him well, give him decent servant's quarters, thank him for everything he does and let him know at every opportunity just how much he is appreciated, and give him as much time at the harpsichord as he wants (besides, he plays it beautifully and the whole family loves to dance). Heck, there were times that Lurch was treated like he was Gomez or Morticia's brother or something- I mean, there was a whole episode where Lurch's mother came to visit, and Gomez and Morticia pretended they were the servants- of their own house!!!
And then Cousin Itt has his own miniature room for whenever he comes to visit, and the entire family, instead of insisting that he try to get over his speech impediment, just learned how to understand him. Gomez made arrangements for his mother-in-law, Granny Frump, to get pampered beauty treatments at a high-class health spa, and insisted that Granny Frump was a lovely woman (and if you haven't seen that episode, Granny Frump was played by the same actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West). Morticia's sister Ophelia had a terrible habit of body-slamming Gomez, for whatever reason, and while Gomez didn't seem terribly fond of her (understandable), he never turned her out of the house, and he never said a bad word about her, because she was his wife's sister, and he loved and respected Morticia too much to disrespect her family.
And anybody that came into their house was treated just as well as the rest of the family.
It's never been expressly stated just what the Addamses are. Witches? Vampires? Ghouls? Maybe just a conglomeration of supernatural creatures? Whatever they are, they're one of the best examples of a loving, respectful family I ever saw.
#good#the addams family#snap snap#my opinion#gomez addams#morticia addams#wednesday addams#pugsley addams#uncle fester#grandmama#lurch#cousin itt#granny frump#ophelia frump#thing#the irony of the addamses being almost certainly a bunch of supernatural monsters#and yet being better humans than most human beings#it reminds me of how Jesus would tell the Jews that even the Gentiles could follow the law better than the Pharisees#or paul telling the early church that even those outside the church were acting better than believers#sometimes the religious people really can take a lesson from the people that aren't often considered to be so
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your hc on the tiaras being the eyes of serenity makes me wonder if you have any hc about the planetary symbols on the foreheads aside from it being the natural state
Mmh, let’s see. Not particularly I guess, if anything I think I’d take away stuff from canon.
Like in canon is implied that the symbol appears when a senshi “needs help” or “is willing to help”, I don’t have that, cause that would imply the symbols inherently being tied to the team rather than to the individual, or it could mean that the senshis are inherently born to be tied in a connection where they would need this type of almost instinctual communication engrained into their being in the first place.
The ladder isn’t an inherently bad idea and I think you could go very interesting places with it, but I just haven’t gotten that far.
That really cuts to the question of: what is a senshi? Why do they exit and what is their purpose? And I know we have an answer in canon, but I don’t particularly love it, so I’m reworking the whole structure from the ground up.
In the general sense though, the symbols just stand as a way of identifying if one is a senshi or not. A weird analogy I have for it is like the red markings on a black widow, tho in the senshis’ case it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a threat and the symbols is a warning. The symbol just is, as far as we know, and it’s prob not as easy to understand as the red markings on a spider.
#ask me stuff#The existence of the senshi is a very interesting topic to think about#I don’t hate the canon answer about them#But I don’t like the implications of the senshis being an inherently good force#And chaos being the inherent evil#I think there’s a better way to do this that reflects our own universe#I like the idea of balance but nature and the universe don’t distinguish good and evil#Prey and predator are both equally vital to the ecosystem#Nothing but our own biased morals influence us to think that the prey is any less “evil” than the predator and yet#Most stories feature predators as villains or evil#Coming back to sm what canon does is telling me straight up that the predator is the evil one and that prey is good#When that just isn’t true#Chaos is a very abstract and sort of nonsensical idea of an evil force#Cause chaos itself isn’t an inherently bad thing#We just think it is cause of our own human morals and experiences#Hell without that we wouldn’t have even the idea of chaos#How can “the universe” even distinguish between what is “chaos” and what is “not chaos”#And if it does would that imply the existence a conscience inside of the empty abstract idea of “the universe”
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Everyone in Chainsaw Man is trans. Except for Angel Devil, who got a character/gender customization screen before he started life on earth as a fiend and is therefore cis in the least binary way possible.
#(this Angel Devil Ability TM is a result of fear/prejudice felt by religious ppl of/against queer ppl)#*’religious ppl’ in this case referring to followers of religions that incorporate angels into their doctrine/beliefs#Aki is repressed transfem because she’s repressed everything. gender isn’t even on her radar yet.#Denji’s gender incorporates Pochita. They’re separate and a whole. They’re a boy and his dog a dog and his boy.#Power is A Fiend. she demands all pronouns and is better than all of them.#Angel is Angel. he exists as himself.#I’m being silly again#(these are all my current personal fav interpretations but any and all trans hcs are so beautiful to me)#gender#trans#csm gender talk on the tl today hehe#I feel like most fiends/devils have pretty non (human) binary views of gender#babygirl Hell’s got genders you can’t even imagine. they’re shrimp colors to us.#csm#chainsaw man#my csm thoughts#meposting
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Me: Talks about the significance and intimacy (not automatically romantic, folks, but also there's an inherent romanticism) of hands, and touch and who you let into that space of comfort.
Pinterest: Did you say hands? Here, we've adjusted your home feed you so that you. cannot. possibly. escape. them. you're. welcome.
Me: I just wanted— what did I want, again?
... Did I end up rambling about anything but hands in my tags? Yes. Welcome to me, this is what you sign up for. Not my portrayal, not my writing, my tag rambles.
#[ ooc. ] don't try to make it logical or edit your soul according to the fashion. rather; follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.#[ i literally don't remember what i went on here for. ]#[ i thought it was an icon but it was not. ]#[ instead i'm now thinking of the importance of her gloves. ]#[ and how they're a barrier between her and humanity. or everything inherently human; more so. ]#[ they're an aesthetic. yes. of course-- but it's more than that. in characters made by hoyo? everything always has 5 more layers. ]#[ at the very least. ]#[ ugh. i wish i could organize my thoughts and talk about the 'versions' of rather-- layers of kafka herself. ]#[ without it being 24 paragraphs long. ]#[ it's just gotten so complicated because you see her presenting herself in such way for so long. ]#[ voice. attitude. indifference. playfulness. and all of those remain except they falter more when she's around two individuals. ]#[ i can't even include sw and elio in this yet. because while kafka seemed to lean a little towards her more normal voice... ]#[ in the pier point dialogue with sw; it was only sometimes. it was so inconsistent. ]#[ same with sam. granted there's only one exchange between them so far. ]#[ but i digress-- then i get her story quest and in it she softens not even a little. but decently enough. ]#[ is /that/ the pretense? no you don't fake that. you don't fake how she says '...you're not leaving?' that delivery is vocal perfection. ]#[ but /that/ plays so well into all these other very human elements that she has. ]#[ i swear-- part of me truly believes she's already /on/ the path of 'learning' to feel a semblance of what fear is. or better yet... ]#[ what it /stems/ from. ]#[ because we say 'she has no concept of fear' but what does that MEAN. does that mean across the board? ]#[ concern stems from fear. you need /care/ and investment to feel fear. she /shows/ concern actively. she risks a lot to-- ]#[ be concerned about blade. and yes; she lacks the fear of them getting caught. but she's concerned for him. ]#[ and she's also practical and analytical; she knows if they get caught-- blade worsens. ]#[ and while it also endangers the 'future' a bit; she harps on blade. she also confides in the MC about her concern. ]#[ i just. ]#[ this is so much more complicated than i thought it'd be. ]#[ and also this whole concept of what humans fall into when they lack fear. how they become metaphorical 'demons'... ]#[ that pursue pleasure and thrill. but she became a /hunter/ of them. and yet she shows a lesser shade of it herself. ]#[ i just. think she's so inherently and stupidly interesting. HI GUYS. HANDS. i totally went on a tangent. ]#[ ... not about hands. ]
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didn't expect to get this invested in The Next Generation so quickly but here I am now weeping over the end of "Skin of Evil". WHHYYYY.
#tasha... she deserved so much better.... whyyyyy....#idk if I mentioned this yet but actually she was one of my favs#she and data were like. my most personally-latched-onto characters thusfar#tho I also love Geordi a whole lot and I mean they're all great really#and I KNEW something was going to happen to her bc she wasn't around by the next season but.#that's Not really what I expected. and I'm so so sad now.#and the memorial!!!! and DATA#*cries*#the way she's struck by the creature and Dr. Crusher says she's dead and he's just there in the background looking so blankly shocked#the whole time it's all unfolding...#he can't feel grief but he can feel the sudden shock of loss and he can comprehend the absence of a presence he had come to expect#and maybe that's the same thing as grief really#I always think about that lemony snicket line about walking down the stairs in the dark and thinking there's a different number left than#there really is and missing one and feeling that shock and lurch. and that being what sudden loss of someone is like. and I think he can#comprehend that just as fully as any human. and my heart hurts now ugggghxjfghsgjhgjhsdjgjhgbd#gurt says stuff#st: the next gen
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.
#warning this is just dark depressing shit i have on my mind and i need to just scream it somewhere#i genuinely need help. i need someone professional to help unravel the shit that's running through my brain right now#it is not good that i keep imagining harming myself just to get into a fucking hospital to get things addressed#it isn't serious yet but it's getting more frequent and im really scared of what i will pick when it gets worse#im barely functioning as a human and i don't currently have the resources to help me develop better habits#i don't have a support system irl. when you drop the religion your family raised you in-#-and your friends all live 1000s of miles away it's real fucking lonely#the list of things to address with a doctor is so fucking long and i cannot afford that visit#i only work one part time job and im too stressed to do more than that how the fuck will i ever afford anything#things are so fucked rn im constantly in pain and i keep not eating enough and then my food goes bad and it's such a waste#trying to plan anything scares the shit out of me. genuinely don't know why i make plans anymore#i can't even create or keep promises about the things i said i would create and it feels so purposeless#it's like the only kind of happiness i can get is all just diving into fandom and acting like im so funny#like yeah im hilarious huh for enjoying this shit and being so loud on the on site i ever use#and then i fucking hide from the real world because i can't take an ounce of negativity or i will have a nervous breakdown#i want to be known and loved but god at what cost i do not have the sanity to open up like that#i want to be held and have someone check on ME for once. have someone be kind to me for once.#instead of swallowing everything because im so afraid of being hated instead#i shouldn't even be afraid of being hated but damn if my trauma didn't rear its ugly head#and remind me that the people who should have cared the most didn't give enough of a shit to try#and make me wanna die about it#i need to get out of this fucking room but god it's so hard to make my body move#when it's so easy to just lie here watch reruns of whatever proves im not worth a damn#my room is a mess and i was gonna do laundry and i was going to run errands today#but no apparently any time i have off work is dedicated to either distracting myself with blorbos#or wallowing in my miserable shit#and you bet it feels fucking pathetic. like i should know better. i should be better. im not.#im no good honestly. i can't even let myself scream or cry loud enough so that the roommate i don't talk to will be concerned.#why bug him when we've established being chill and knowing nothing whatsoever about each other#i can't be someone else's burden again. being a burden is what fucking kills me.
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No paywall version here.
"Two and a half years ago, when I was asked to help write the most authoritative report on climate change in the United States, I hesitated...
In the end, I said yes, but reluctantly. Frankly, I was sick of admonishing people about how bad things could get. Scientists have raised the alarm over and over again, and still the temperature rises. Extreme events like heat waves, floods and droughts are becoming more severe and frequent, exactly as we predicted they would. We were proved right. It didn’t seem to matter.
Our report, which was released on Tuesday, contains more dire warnings. There are plenty of new reasons for despair. Thanks to recent scientific advances, we can now link climate change to specific extreme weather disasters, and we have a better understanding of how the feedback loops in the climate system can make warming even worse. We can also now more confidently forecast catastrophic outcomes if global emissions continue on their current trajectory.
But to me, the most surprising new finding in the Fifth National Climate Assessment is this: There has been genuine progress, too.
I’m used to mind-boggling numbers, and there are many of them in this report. Human beings have put about 1.6 trillion tons of carbon in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution — more than the weight of every living thing on Earth combined. But as we wrote the report, I learned other, even more mind-boggling numbers. In the last decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by 70 percent and solar has declined 90 percent. Renewables now make up 80 percent of new electricity generation capacity. Our country’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling, even as our G.D.P. and population grow.
In the report, we were tasked with projecting future climate change. We showed what the United States would look like if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius. It wasn’t a pretty picture: more heat waves, more uncomfortably hot nights, more downpours, more droughts. If greenhouse emissions continue to rise, we could reach that point in the next couple of decades. If they fall a little, maybe we can stave it off until the middle of the century. But our findings also offered a glimmer of hope: If emissions fall dramatically, as the report suggested they could, we may never reach 2 degrees Celsius at all.
For the first time in my career, I felt something strange: optimism.
And that simple realization was enough to convince me that releasing yet another climate report was worthwhile.
Something has changed in the United States, and not just the climate. State, local and tribal governments all around the country have begun to take action. Some politicians now actually campaign on climate change, instead of ignoring or lying about it. Congress passed federal climate legislation — something I’d long regarded as impossible — in 2022 as we turned in the first draft.
[Note: She's talking about the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act, which despite the names were the two biggest climate packages passed in US history. And their passage in mid 2022 was a big turning point: that's when, for the first time in decades, a lot of scientists started looking at the numbers - esp the ones that would come from the IRA's funding - and said "Wait, holy shit, we have an actual chance."]
And while the report stresses the urgency of limiting warming to prevent terrible risks, it has a new message, too: We can do this. We now know how to make the dramatic emissions cuts we’d need to limit warming, and it’s very possible to do this in a way that’s sustainable, healthy and fair.
The conversation has moved on, and the role of scientists has changed. We’re not just warning of danger anymore. We’re showing the way to safety.
I was wrong about those previous reports: They did matter, after all. While climate scientists were warning the world of disaster, a small army of scientists, engineers, policymakers and others were getting to work. These first responders have helped move us toward our climate goals. Our warnings did their job.
To limit global warming, we need many more people to get on board... We need to reach those who haven’t yet been moved by our warnings. I’m not talking about the fossil fuel industry here; nor do I particularly care about winning over the small but noisy group of committed climate deniers. But I believe we can reach the many people whose eyes glaze over when they hear yet another dire warning or see another report like the one we just published.
The reason is that now, we have a better story to tell. The evidence is clear: Responding to climate change will not only create a better world for our children and grandchildren, but it will also make the world better for us right now.
Eliminating the sources of greenhouse gas emissions will make our air and water cleaner, our economy stronger and our quality of life better. It could save hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives across the country through air quality benefits alone. Using land more wisely can both limit climate change and protect biodiversity. Climate change most strongly affects communities that get a raw deal in our society: people with low incomes, people of color, children and the elderly. And climate action can be an opportunity to redress legacies of racism, neglect and injustice.
I could still tell you scary stories about a future ravaged by climate change, and they’d be true, at least on the trajectory we’re currently on. But it’s also true that we have a once-in-human-history chance not only to prevent the worst effects but also to make the world better right now. It would be a shame to squander this opportunity. So I don’t just want to talk about the problems anymore. I want to talk about the solutions. Consider this your last warning from me."
-via New York Times. Opinion essay by leading climate scientist Kate Marvel. November 18, 2023.
#WE CAN DO THIS#I SO TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO THIS#WE CAN SAVE OURSELVES AND THE WORLD ALONG WITH US#climate crisis#united states#climate change#conservation#hope posting#sustainability#climate news#climate action#climate emergency#fossil fuels#global warming#environmentalism#climate hope#solarpunk#climate optimism#climate policy#earth#science#climate science#meteorology#extreme weather#renewable energy#solar power#wind power#renewables#carbon emissions#climate justice
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“employees are so lazy! people in america don’t want to work anymore!” actually we work our ass off, but your complaining and our unlivable wages make it insufferable.
#oh but we just need to work harder to do better for everyone#no. i am sick of it#every time i go to work? 95% of the time i am disrespected by customers.#4% is older men flirting with me#and that 1% are the customers WHO ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGE US AS HUMAN BEINGS AND TREAT US WITH COMMON FUCKING DECENCY#i got by someone ‘You should smile more!! everytime i’m here you always look so miserable’#buddy. do you wanna know *why* i look miserable all the time?#most of my coworkers and my manager noticed this but sometime during and after covid was when people stopped caring#people used to be so nice. what the fuck happened?#ALSO ANOTHER THING I NOTICED#ALWAYS FOR SOME GODDAMN REASON ITS *THE OLDER GENERATIONS*#i mean of course theres always those few people who are closer to my age. but#its always the older generation for some reason.#bc ive almost never had someone whose closer to my age treat me with that amount of disrespect#no bc why are you as a whole adult who is supposed to be a role model for the younger generations yelling at me for something#esp something not in my control#yall complain about how we dont have any respect and yet yall dont even respect me?#grown ass adults. GROWN ASS ADULTS#brother i am barely into my 20s. why are you yelling at someone whos at least 3 decades younger than you#okay thats enough of that#kazzy caws
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So I've seen a few too many people on twitter talking about The Kiss Scene from the new Scott Pilgrim anime. People saying it's fetishistic and indulgent, people calling it male gazey, etc. And while the kiss itself is certainly a bit exaggerated, I felt like writing a bit about why I disagree, and why context is important, like it always is. But it basically turned into an extended analysis on the metatextual treatment of Roxie Richter. So bear with me. It's a long post.
What really matters about this scene is not the kiss itself, but what precedes it. Not even just the fight scene just before it, but what precedes the whole anime series, really. And that's the Scott Pilgrim comic book, and the live action movie. Because in both, Roxie is a punchline.
She's a joke. Her character starts and ends with "one of the exes is actually a girl, I bet you didn't expect that." Jokes are made about Ramona's latent bisexuality, the movie especially treating it as funny and absurd, and her validity as a romantic interest is entirely written off by Ramona as being "just a phase." There's a fight scene, she's defeated by a man giving her an orgasm which implicitly calls her sexuality into question (come on), and the movie just moves on. It sucks. It really, really sucks.
The comic fares a little better. It never veers into outright homophobia like the movie does, and while the line about Ramona having gone through a phase remains, Roxie actually gets one over on Scott when Ramona briefly gets back with Roxie. But Roxie is still only barely a character. Like all the other evil exes, she's just a stepping stone towards the male protagonist's development. She barely even gets any screentime before she's defeated by Scott's "power of love." But Roxie stands out, since she's the only villain who is queer, or at least had been confirmed queer at that point (hi Todd). In a series that champions multiple gay men in the supporting cast, the single undeniable lesbian in the story is a villain. She's labeled as evil, made fun of, pushed aside in favor of the men, and then discarded. Her screentime was never about her, or her feelings for Ramona. It was about the straight, male protagonist needing to overcome her. And that was Roxie Richter. An unfortunate victim of the 2010s.
Fast forward to current year, and the new anime series is announced. Everybody sits down to watch the new series expecting another retelling of the same story, and.... hang on, that straight male protagonist I mentioned just died in the first episode. And now it's humanizing the villains from the original story. And there's Roxie, introduced alongside the other evil exes in the second episode, and she's being played entirely straight, without a punchline in sight. No jokes are made about her gender, no questions are made of her validity as one of Ramona's romantic interests. The narrative considers her important. In one episode, she already gets more respect than she did in either of the previous iterations of Scott Pilgrim. And this isn't even her focus episode yet... which happens to be the very next one.
The anime series goes to great lengths to flesh out the original story's villains and to have Ramona reconcile with them. And I don't think it's a coincidence that Roxie gets to go first. While Matthew Patel gets his development in episode 2, Roxie is the first to directly confront Ramona, now our main protagonist. This is notable too because it's the only time the exes are encountered out of order. Roxie is supposed to be number 4, but she's first in line, and later on you realize that she's the only one who's out of sequence. She's the one who sets the precedent for the villains being redeemed. She's the most important character for Ramona to reconcile with.
What follows is probably the most extensive, elaborate 1 on 1 fight scene in the whole show. Roxie fights like a wounded animal, her motions are desperate and pained. Ramona can only barely fight back against her onslaught. Different set-pieces fly by at breakneck speed as Roxie relentlessly lays her feelings at Ramona's feet through her attacks and her distraught shouts. And unlike the comic or the movie, Ramona acknowledges them, and sincerely apologizes. And the two end up just laying there, exhausted, reminiscing about when they were together.
Only after this, after all of this, does the kiss scene happen. Roxie has been vindicated, she has reconciled with the person who hurt her, the narrative has deemed that her anger is justified and has redeemed her character. And she gets her victory lap by making the nearest other hot girl question her heterosexuality, sharing a sloppy kiss with her as the music triumphantly crescendos.
It's... a little self-congratulatory, honestly. But it's good. It's redemption for a character who had been mistreated for over a decade. And she punctuates the moment by being very, very gay where everyone can see it, no men anywhere in sight. Because this is her moment. And then she leaves the plot, on her own accord this time, while humming the hampster dance. What a legend. How could anything be wrong with this.
#scott pilgrim#spto#scott pilgrim takes off#roxie richter#roxanne richter#scott pilgrim spoilers#spto spoilers
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