#do we need things to be historically correct in this show?
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Meta: Jemily Queerbaiting
With the huge influx of posts saying 'Jemily is gonna be canon', I really appreciated seeing this post because OP was completely correct. I didn't want to write an entire dissertation as a reply, so I'm making my own post with my personal opinion on this. (All sources are noted in footnotes)
Before I began this rant, for anyone who thinks this is anti-Jemily. It is not. I have shipped Jemily for 18 friggin years and that's never going to change. This post is specifically my thoughts about queer baiting.
First off, I need to note that the showrunners (and the cast members who use social media) KNOW what a huge queer following this show has and that's why we got pansexual Tara Lewis in S16 [1]. Which, in itself, was SOOOOOOO important!!! Our first canonically queer main in SIXTEEN seasons was a middle-aged Black woman!!! That's phenomenal. (The fact it was horrible rep, because they instantly ruined her relationships once her queerness served it's plot point is a whole other post entirely)
In my opinion, the 'big Jemily moment' Paget posted about on Twitter [2] (and AJ hinted at during a recent IG live) is simply queerbaiting to get people to watch S17. I know a lot of you are newer to the fandom and I love your enthusiasm, I really do, ship and let ship, but listen, let's be real, Jemily is not going to be made canon. The showrunners aren't going to suddenly say (after 17 seasons) 'Surprise, Jemily is endgame'. This show has never cared about queer rep and now that CBS/Paramount have already ticked their queer rep box with Tara, they won't be in any rush to add any other characters to it.
Please buckle in, I've got a lot of thoughts on this matter --
What is Queerbaiting?
If you aren't aware of what queerbaiting is, here's a good definition:
Historically, queerbaiting has carried two meanings: the first is an act of aggressive heterosexuality to shut down queer subtext on screen while still teasing and catering to the queer audience in advertising, public relations, and fan engagement strategies; the second is an existing homoerotic tension between two characters played up on screen while met with derision by the professionals behind the scenes. [3]
The Medium article quoted here is from 2017, a time when parasocial relationships were really starting to take over social media. In 2024, actors are now only a mention or tag away online, they have direct conversations with fans, and this process has allowed for an even deeper form of queerbaiting.
Oftentimes online, actors are asked directly about certain ships and while some ignore these questions (usually to avoid breaking their contracts or other repercussions), others (looking at you, Paget) choose to instead tease fans about queer ships. She's done this for years upon years and if I've learned anything in the past twenty-years of existing in fandom spaces it's this -- don't hold your breath. In it's original meaning, for something to be deemed as queerbaiting there had to be malicious, or at least, purposeful intent to string queer fans along by teasing them with suggestive content about the ship in question, while knowing this ship will never come to fruition in canon.
The thing to remember is, Paget and AJ aren't the only ones who know about Jemily shippers -- the network and showrunners are well aware of this ship too. When networks/showrunners figure out they have a strong sapphic fanbase, they love to use that to their advantage to get more viewers and higher ratings. Queerbaiting is a goldmine to keep fans watching long running shows, look at Rizzoli and Isles, Supergirl, and OUAT for examples of this.
Jemily and Queerbaiting:
Ever since Emily joined the BAU in S2 (2006), there have always been fans who ship JJ/Emily (shoutout to the old LJ forums!). Way before celebs were just a tweet away from fans, back when all our fics began with disclaimers so we wouldn't get sued by networks, we went to great lengths to keep our fanworks far removed from actors/showrunners attention.
As far as Jemily goes, this reply from Paget in a 2009 interview with TVGuide.com [4] (which has now been deleted from their site unfortunately, but there are quotes on Tumblr still [4.a]) confirmed some fans' worst fear -- the actors had found our fanworks online.
TVGuide.com: Of course, a band of fans want her to hook up with Hotch.
Brewster: I know! I didn't realize that fans make these videos on YouTube? A.J. Cook sent me a hilarious one that made it look like Prentiss and J.J. were having a secret lesbian affair. You know, when Hotch was blown up in the SUV, we shot this scene where he's in the hospital and I'm standing next to him, looking at his bleeding ear. Our director came in and said, "Paget, you're looking at Hotch like you're in love with him. It looks really weird." So now, every day, Thomas [Gibson] and I flutter our eyelids at each other.
This was the first time I recall anyone acknowledging Jemily shippers publicly and at the time (Jan 2009), the show was still in Season Four (just before CBS fired both AJ and Paget [5]). Paget genuinely said it's 'hilarious' that fans shipped JJ/Emily. Even now, I'll see people say 'We know Paget and AJ have seen Jemily fanvids, so they obviously ship it too' -- but those same people rarely acknowledge the full context of the original answer. Paget not only thought JJ/Emily were 'hilarious', but then she doubled down and turned her reply back to how she and Thomas liked to play up the chemistry between Emily/Hotch.
While no one can say for sure which video it was that AJ sent Paget, just knowing they were watching JJ/Emily fanvids sent a bit of a shockwave through the femslash side of the fandom. To some it felt like an invasion of privacy, fanworks are by fans for fans -- knowing the cast were poking around in fandom spaces added an extra layer of worry around what we fans were posting online. Fifteen years ago, it used to be quite taboo for actors to outwardly discuss shipping or other fanon for whatever show they were in, and we fans were usually comfortably removed from the actors altogether.
Of course, now it's the norm for fans and actors/showrunners to co-exist online and interact with one another. This connection has opened new ways for shows to queerbait their fans. Pretty much every show has some form of social media account now and there is no doubt that the people running those accounts keep up with the most popular ships and hashtags. Not to mention that actors are constantly barraged with questions about whether they ship their character with x,y,z, or whether they think a ship should be made canon, etc. These interactions only serve to benefit the shows themselves, because whether the conversation is for or against a certain ship, it's all just free publicity (Why do you think CM now has a TikTok account?)
Every time AJ or Paget say anything about Jemily, the queer side of the fandom loses their minds. But this has been going on for YEARS now and every single time, it turns out to be nothing but social media hype and queerbaiting. Remember this AJ post? [6] Or what about the notorious reply by Paget to a fan, where she talks about how she and AJ held hands under the table 'for the shippers' [7] I've seen this cycle over and over again, so perhaps I am cynical, but I'm not getting my hopes up that Jemily will ever seriously be canon.
It's widely known now, after both Kirsten [8] and Paget [9] have talked about it, that there was an early idea where Prentiss was supposed to be queer, but that was ultimately scraped before it ever made it on screen. For context, please remember, this show has been airing for nearly twenty years. It began in 2005, during the highly conservative Bush administration. Queer people didn't have rights in the US, we couldn't get married, we were rarely protected under discrimination laws, and we could even be fired for simply being queer (in some states). Diverse queer representation on screen was extremely limited to things like 'The L Word' and 'Queer as Folk' (both aired on Showtime, so they were behind a paywall. And as far as tLw goes, that show was extremely male-gaze focused and is horrible in nearly all regards if you try to rewatch it now). As far as prime time shows went, queer rep was even more rare. Which is why Emily wasn't queer from the get-go.
Yes, things have changed since 2006 in terms of queer rep on TV. We have a myriad of queer identities represented in TV and film nowadays, which is why I think it's so easy for newer fans to say 'lf she was supposed to be gay anyway, they should just make Emily queer in canon!' I know this is what fuels most fans' demands for Emily being confirmed queer, and I get it, I DO. I would be all for it! However, I do not, in one hundred years, actually believe that is going to happen after they already canonically queer confirmed Tara in S16. The fact we even got ONE queer character is ground-breaking for this show.
It's also worth noting, that in the time between Paget's departure in 2012 and her return in 2016, she became very active on Twitter. This was when more and more fans began asking her about Jemily and after Kirsten's AfterEllen interview, fans also pushed for Paget to address the possibility of Emily being gay. 'Pushed' is actually an understatement for some of the outright harassment she would receive. (AJ received some of this harassment too, but less so because she doesn't use social media ass often) Back then, neither of them replied to these things directly. Yet, no matter what either woman posted, the replies were full of Jemily stans begging for her acknowledgement. (Did you know 'stan' is literally a term coined for stalker fans?) I remember one time AJ's friend was missing and she posted info on her IG about it, you know what the replies were? People asking her about Jemily. It was genuinely sickening.
Within this context, it was no surprise to fans when Emily came back in S12 , she and JJ's friendship was seemingly erased. The two women were rarely on screen together in the late seasons, plus the writers saw fit to even give Emily not only one (Mark in London, but two, on-screen boyfriends for the first time in the entire series. I personally do not think these changes to Emily's character were coincidence, I saw the hellscape of what people would say to AJ and Paget online and I fully believe that upon Paget's return to the show, the showrunners purposely tried to distance JJ and Emily to dissuade the more abusive side of the fanbase.
Can I prove that, no. But it is the only reason I can think of as to why Emily S12+ seemingly didn't care about JJ anymore, despite their deep and meaningful friendship. I mean, they both CROSSED THE WORLD to go rescue each other in prior canon -- but when Emily comes back, they acted like they barely knew each other. This was even more prevalent in S16, when JJ's main storylines all revolved around Will, and Emily barely looked at JJ in the entirety of ten episodes. (Remember how Prentiss didn't even hug JJ after bomb, but she did go hug Luke?)
So, do Paget and AJ earnestly ship Jemily, or are they continuing the long tradition of queerbaiting us? Who fucking knows, not me. But based on the history of this fandom, I think I can make a safe bet. (Interestingly, if you search all of Paget's twitter for the word 'Jemily' [10] she only has 3 direct tweets mentioning the ship. I don't think it's a coincidence that two are within the past few months since they started filming S17 (the other one was a RT of Kirsten (who tagged something Jemily)
This is all to say --
Just because Paget and AJ have publicly talked about Jemily,, this doesn't mean it's ever going to happen on screen. And you know what, THAT'S OKAY!! There has been this constant outcry (after Tara became queer confirmed) of 'Do Emily next' or 'Why wasn't it Emily with a girlfriend!?' and 'Jemily needs to be canon in S17!' -- as if people believe their ships aren't worth anything unless they are canon.
That couldn't be further from the truth! Fandom is built on headcanons and fan interpretations and rare pairs and all types of shippers. Your ship does NOT need to be canon for you to enjoy it. I will ship Jemily forever, no matter what. I don't think there will be some magical queer plot in S17, at best, we might actually get to see Emily/JJ on screen together again and after the train wreck that was S16 -- I'll take whatever I can get.
And hey -- if I am completely wrong, if Erica Messer pulls a Korrasami out of her hat, I will be ecstatic. I will be happy to be proved wrong, but at the same time, I'm not going to lose sleep over it and I'm DEFINITELY not going to go hound the actors about it on social media.
Sources:
[1] 2022 Digital Spy article about the importance of Tara's coming out
[2] 04/18/24 Paget Tweet
[3] 2017 Queerbaiting article from medium.com
[4] 2009 Broken TVGuide link
[4.a] Tumblr quote from the above TVGuide Interview
[5] 2010 Kirsten interview screenrant.com
[6] 2019 AJ Instagram Post
[7] 2020 Paget video on Twitter (via @karasluthqr)
[8] 2015 Kirsten interview AfterEllen.com
[9] 2016 Paget Interview CriminalMindsFans.com
[10] @PagetPaget search 'Jemily'
#criminal minds#emily prentiss#jennifer jareau#paget brewster#aj cook#cm commentary#queerbaiting#cm meta#criminal minds evolution#cm evolution#my writing
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Yesterday I learned that popcorn actually dates back thousands of years.
So it would be historically correct if in season 2, whenever Ed and Stede have A Moment, the camera would zoom out to reveal the rest of the crew watching them like this:
#our flag means death#ofmd#do we need things to be historically correct in this show?#absolutely not#but it's somehow funnier#lizluz
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You know what would be funny?
If the downfall of the GIW and other anti-Ecto acts and organizations? Came about because of some long dead scholars pathological need to Be Right.
How? Would this work, you may ask? Oh, easily!
WIKIPEDIA.
Somebody is WRONG about FACTS. And that can not stand! You see, they were told... well, more OVERHEARD then anything else (during their annual and ongoing debate about EVERYTHING) from that...? Techmus? Fellow? Whomever he was.
They HEARD, there has been a MARVELOUS advancement in the realm of the Living! A collective knowledge repository! Imagine the possibilities! They must see it at ONCE!
So they harrass Danny about it. Obviously.
He finally caves. And, to prevent them going Wrath Of The Old Academic or something, shows them JUST technical papers sites and Wikipedia etc. That should fix things, right? They should be HAPPY, now, RIGHT?
WRONG.
These so called "Facts" are INCORRECT! I was THERE! We did not do THAT! Slander! Outrage! I shall BURN THEIR HOUSE DOW-!
Ooooookay, hold up! OR? We could EDIT the page? See that button? Push that.
They blink. Push up their spectacles. Squint at the screens more closely. Ah. So there IS! Their mistake! How silly, quite embarrassing. Now then... *furiously begins typing*
And? You obviously can just? Make random edits. Even if you seem to be correct. ESPECIALLY with out any sources. And no one will accept "I was There" as a source. We are discussing Pompeii. And a spcertain historically significant volcanic incident. NO YOU WERE NOT.
Yet? No matter HOW had the moderators try? They for some reason can not BLOCK this deluge of edits. It's unending. And not even a united front. As they edit each other's edits.
AND on top of THAT? Random papers are showing up in official journals. Ones that were NOT put there by the journal's staff. About alchemy or frogs or rebuttals to people no one has even HEARD off.
Obviously, it's? Kind of a Big Thing in the scientific and academic community. Everyone is talking about it and confused. Every Hero with a scientific job. Oracle, with her job at a LIBRARY. Anyone connected to them they ask to look into this. It keeps spreading.
Especially when the hackers FAIL to stop it.
Imagine Danny's horror. Just... IMAGINE it. He goes to bed. The old fogies content to quietly argue and merrily type away, certain he's distracted them. Harmless he thinks. Contained, he believes.
They blow up the internet. Bring the JUSTICE LEAGUE to his city.
He has to explain himself to BATMAN.
He's gonna cry. Stop laughing Tucker, this is absolutely a threat. He is GOING to cry on you. (T^T )
@ailithnight @the-witchhunter @hdgnj @nerdpoe
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Ok! I've finally decided to put together a (somewhat) comprehensive tutorial on my latest art~
Please enjoy this little step-by-step 💁♀️
First things first--references!
Now I'm not saying you have to go overboard, but I always find that this is a crucial starting point in any art piece I intend on making. Especially if you're a detail freak like me and want to make it as realistic as possible 🙃
As such, your web browser should look like this at any given point:
Since this is a historical piece, it means hours upon hours of meaningless research just to see what color the socks are, but...again. that isn't, strictly, necessary 😅
Once I've compiled all my lovely ref pics, I usually dump them into a big-ass collage ⬇️
(I will end up not using half of these, alas :'D)
Another reference search for background material, and getting to showcase our models of choice for this occasion~
When picking a reference for an actor or model, the main thing I keep in mind (besides prettiness 🤭) is lighting and orientation. Because I already kinda know what pose I'm gonna go with for this piece, I can look for specific angles that might fit the criteria. I should mention that I am a reference hound, and my current COD actor ref folder looks like this:
Also keep in mind, if you're using a ref that you need to flip, make sure you adjust accordingly. This especially applies to clothing, as certain things like pants zippers and belt buckles can be quite specific ☝️
Now that we've spent countless hours googling, it's time to start with a rough sketch:
It doesn't have to be pretty, folks, just a basic guideline of where you want the figures to be.
The next step is to define it more, and I know this looks like that 'how to draw an owl' meme, but I promise--getting from the loose sketch above to below is not that difficult.
Things to keep in mind are--don't go too in-depth with the details, because things are still subject to change at this point. In terms of making a suitable anatomically-correct sketch, I would suggest lots of studying. This doesn't even have to be things like figure drawing, I genuinely look at people around me for inspiration all the time. Familiarize yourself with the human form, and things like weight, proportions, posing will seem a little more feasible.
It's also important at this stage to consider your composition. Remember to flip the canvas frequently to make sure you're not leaning to one side too often. I'm sure something can be said for the spiral fibonacci stuff, which I don't really try to do on purpose, but I think keeping things like symmetry and balance in mind is a good start ✌️
Next step is just blocking in the figures. Standard. No fuss 👍
Now onto the background!
It's frankly hilarious how many people thought I was *hand-drawing* these maps and stuff 😂😂 I cannot even begin to comprehend how insanely difficult that would be. So yeah, we're just taking the lazy copy and paste way out 🤙
I almost always prepare my backgrounds first, and this is mostly to get a general color scheme off the bat. For collage work, it's really just a matter of trial and error, sticking this here, slapping this there, etc. I like to futz around with different overlay options until I've found a nice arrangement. Advice for this is just--go nuts 🤷♀️
Next, I add a few color adjustments. I tend to make at least 2 colors pop in an art piece, and low and behold, they usually tend to be red and blue ❤️💙There's something about warm/cool vibes, idk man..
Now we move on to coloring the figures. This is just a basic block and fill, not really defining any of the details yet.
Next, we add some cursory values. Sloppy airbrush works fine, it'll look better soon I promise 🙏
And now--rendering!
I know a lot of beginner artists are intimidated by rendering, and I can totally understand why. It's just one of those things you have to commit to 💪
I've decided to show a brief process of rendering our dear Johnny's face here:
Starting off, I usually rely on the trusty airbrush just to get some color values going. Note--I've kept my sketch layer on top, but feel free to turn it on and off as you work, so as to not be too bound to the sketch. For now, it's just a guideline.
This next stage may look like a huge jump, but it's really just adding more to the foundation. I try to think of it like putting on make-up in a way~ Adding contours, accentuating highlights. This is also where I start adding in more saturation, especially around areas such as ears, nose and lips. Still a bit fuzzy at this point, but that's why we keep adding to it 💪
A boy has appeared! See--now I've removed most of the line layer, and it holds up on its own. I'll admit that in order to achieve this realistic style, you'll need lots and lots of practice and skill, which shouldn't be discouraging! Just motivate yourself with the prospect of getting to look at pretty men for countless hours 🙆♀️
I'll probably do a more in-depth explanation about rendering at some point, but let's keep this rolling~
Moving forward is just a process of adding to the figures bit by bit. I do lean towards filling in each section from top to bottom, but you can feel free to pop around to certain parts that appeal to you more. I almost always do the faces first though, because if they end up sucking, I feel less guilty about scrapping it 😂 But no--I think he's pretty enough to proceed 😚
They're coming together now 🙆♀️ Another helpful tip--make sure you reuse color. By that, I mean--try to incorporate various colors throughout your piece, using the eyedropper tool to keep a consistent palette. I try to put in bits of red and blue where I can
Here they are fully rendered! Notice I've made a few subtle changes from the sketch, like adjusting the belt buckles because I made a mistake 😬 Hence why you shouldn't put too much stock in your initial sketch~
The next step is more of a stylistic choice, but I usually go over everything with an outline, typically in a bright color like green. Occasionally, I can just use my initial line layer, but for this, I've made a brand new, cleaner line 👍
And the final step is adjusting the color and adding some text:
Tada!! It's done!
All in all, this took me the better part of a week, but I have a lot of free time, so yeah ✌️
I hope you appreciated that little walkthrough~ I know people have been asking me how I do my art, but the truth is--I usually have no clue how to explain myself 😅 So have this half-assed tutorial~
As a bonus, here is a cute (cursed) image of Johnny without his mustache:
A baby, a literal infant child !!! who put this wee bairn on the front lines ??! 😭
Anyway! peace out ✌️
#tutorial#my art#art tutorial#since people have been asking#I remembered to save my process from this latest work~#enjoy 🙆♀️
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The Bullet Catch and the Final 15
DO NOT ASK NEIL ABOUT FAN THEORY
Okay, this started as a completely different post. I was writing something else and I had to abandon it because I realized I needed to be writing this instead. It was like a lightbulb moment, or rather, a headlight moment (see what I did there?)
"Banana, Fish, Gorilla, Shoelace, with a dash of Nutmeg." Clearly adversarial forces are capable of seeing what Crowley and Aziraphale are talking about within the bookshop from across the street. It's confirmed the zombies have gotten The Marvellous Mr. Fell's strange magic words correct at the end of the 1941 minisode. Is this foreshadowing the clear observation of the final conversation Aziraphale and Crowley share directly in front of the bookshop window, by the Metatron?
"Aim for my mouth, shoot past my ear". Well if this isn't that damn kiss I don't know what is. And the bullet, the bullet hiding in his mouth. Magicians historically have had keys passed to them through their mouths via a kiss. Crowley sure did aim for that mouth...
"You have formed a de-facto partnership with the demon Crowley." It's a threat, plain and simple. It's the same thing as Furfur showing up in the dressing room with a photograph of the two of them. And what does Aziraphale do both times? He pulls the same fearful face, is terrified for Crowley, and immediately figures out something to quash the threat. Aziraphale is so smart and so fearful for Crowley's safety, he will do whatever it takes, above his own interests to keep him safe.
"Trust me". The bullet catch. God, the stress of this trick, this insane show of trust and love. "You said trust me", "and you did". I have watched season two an unknowable number of times now, and this is still difficult to see on screen, but it's there. Aziraphale mouths, "trust me" and Crowley catches it, and more importantly, trusts him.
This angel knows he's being watched, the love of his life has been threatened, he knows he has no options and he needs to perform a massive trick to save Crowley. Good thing, he always gets it right the time it matters.
Honorable mention: I am an "Aziraphale was trying to signal for a time stop/help to Crowley" truther, here, when it looks like maybe he mimes 'timeout' and "help". I think either Crowley was too blinded by his newfound plan to confess his undying love for Aziraphale to pick up on his "something's wrong voice" or clear non-verbal communication, which we've established this season they are very good at (see Aziraphale asking Crowley to freeze Dalrymple in Edinburgh). OR he did catch the signals and he is LISTENING.
If you haven't read this post by @noneorother about the parallels between The Tales of Hoffmann and GO season 2, you need to. But to snag a small quote of theirs to highlight this one specific point:
"Stella [Aziraphale] arrives in the tavern looking for Hoffmann [Crowley], ready to run away, but now accompanied by Lindoff [Metatron] (dressed as an angelic figure) who followed her. She looks to Hoffmann to save her, but he's too blinded by the fact that he doesn't think she loves him back to pick up on the signal. He gives up, and she goes back up the stairs guided by Lindoff." - @noneorother
Okay but seriously make sure you go read that whole post.
If that isn't what happens in the final 15, what is?
Then we have the end of 1941 pt.2, wine in the backroom, and the reveal of the photograph. Crowley realizes Aziraphale saved him, he realizes how much he can trust him, and if my observed light bulb headlight moment is anything, it happened after the final 15 too. He knows. It's still devastating, it's still heartbreaking, and it doesn't invalidate all the feelings and love they couldn't quite come out and communicate right then. They are living under an Orwellian regime, this isn't really a job they can quit or even run away from. They were angels created for a purpose. Sure gabriel and Beelzebub left, but how long until someone tries to hunt them down? Plus, what's the point if Crowley and Aziraphale abandon Earth and just let armageddon part two happen? That's a pretty shit thing of them to do. They want to live on Earth, they want to protect the humans, and they want to do it together.
They didn't eat the apple, the humans did. Maybe at the end of season 3, they'll get their chance.
#good omens#crowley#aziraphale#crowley x aziraphale#good omens meta#michael sheen#david tennant#good omens 2#good omens clues#good omens theories#good omens theory#good omens 1941#good omens bullet catch
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Life in Miniature (One)
Part of: Steve Deserves Good Parents, Actually
Debbie and Fester Addams
One | Two | Three
Rick and Evelyn O'Connell
One | Two
Harley Quinn
One
10th Doctor and Rose
One | Two (on the way!)
Scooby Gang (there are plans for this one lmao, so plz be patient with me orz)
Jedediah and Octavius (from Night at the Museum)
One (you're here!)
There will be more Jedtavius in the next parts I promise, I just thought this would be a funner introduction to the AU lmao
I just love those little guy dudes from the museum so much hfjdks and now we get two pairs of them
Also, fun fact, I took Steve's Roman name from, like, an actual king of Rome. The actual sixth king. He seemed like a chill dude.
Anyway, there's a meme at the end and as always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)
---------
When Robin took this job as a night guard, she didn't think the previous guard's words about history coming to life at night was, you know, real. She thought it was a joke, a predictable and corny joke, but a joke nonetheless.
But now, after being chased by a T-Rex, getting saved by Theodore Roosevelt, and almost being taken captive by fucking Attila the Hun, Robin thinks this job definitely isn't worth $16.50 an hour. Then again, this is the best paying job she's had in a while, and she was living a nocturnal life anyway.
Robin groans, leaning against a wall in the diorama exhibit, and slides down to the floor. She lets her head fall back against the wall, her eyes slipping shut as she slides. "This is crazy. This is insane. I need to find a fucking weapon or something," she mutters.
"Pardon me," comes a voice close to her head, "but might you be the goddess Diana?"
As pick-up lines go, it's not the worst one she's heard. And, based on what she knows of Greek and Roman deities, it wouldn't be too far off. Still, she does not want to be hit on by whatever weird historical thing is trying to flirt with her.
Robin takes a deep breath, opens her eyes, and says, "Do I look like a goddess to you?"
She looks to her left where the voice came from, blinking when her gaze falls on a figurine that would barely reach her ankle. He's dressed in a toga with a chest plate, wrist guards, a sword on his waist, and a deep purple cape over his shoulders. His hair is, honestly, the most impressive thing Robin has ever seen, made only more impressive by the golden laurels resting perfectly against his temples.
He's looking at her with wide eyes, more awed than anything else. "Yes," he says. "I have heard the gods are larger than life."
Okay. Fair.
"Why Diana, man?" Robin asks.
He tilts his head, studying her for a moment, looking her up and down. "You give me the same feeling as statues of Noble Diana with her Huntresses," he explains, pausing for a moment before adding, "A feeling of kinship, perhaps?"
Oh. This...this is like ancient Roman gaydar, right? Robin snorts and turns, resting her elbow on her knee. "I'm definitely not Diana. My name is Robin. I'm the new night guard."
His eyes brighten some, his smile growing wider and certainly charming enough to make the hearts of a few girls and guys flutter. "I am Servius Tullius, Sixth King of Rome, son of Vulcan, weapons master of the gods, and adopted son of Jedediah, Cowboy King of the Wild West, and Octavius, general of the Roman army."
Robin nods, letting all of the those words process in her head before saying, "Mind if I call you Steve? You look like a Steve."
The Sixth King of Rome blinks, looking slightly confused before his eyes light up with understanding. "Ah! A nickname! Yes, I am familiar with this concept. You may call me Steve, Lady Robin, as a show of our newfound friendship."
"Yeah, don't call me Lady Robin. Just Robin is fine," she says, hesitating before offering her hand to Steve.
"As you wish, Just Robin," he says, stepping carefully onto her hand and remaining steady as she raises him higher.
Robin blinks, frowning slightly and about to correct him again when she sees his smile and realizes it's a joke. "Okay, very funny, dingus," she says, carefully poking his side.
"Is dingus another nickname? It sounds like an insult."
"It usually is, but it's affectionate when I say it."
"Oh! Yes, like when Ockie calls Jed a philistine."
"Uh, sure," Robin says, nodding once as she lets Steve move to stand on her shoulder. He quickly sits, holding onto the collar of her jacket as she carefully stands up. "Hey, you know what I'm supposed to do about the dinosaur bones?"
"Rexy? Yes, he enjoys a game of fetch."
"Fetch. Of course."
----------
"What's going on in that head of yours, little man?"
Steve blinks, looks over at Jedediah, and raises an eyebrow at him. "I'm taller than you," he says, gesturing to the good inch he has on Jedediah.
"As long as you're my son, you're a little man."
Doing his best to not laugh, Steve nods once and points to the new diorama set up in the middle of the room. It's a circular diorama, centered on an equally circular stage divided into sections. A cacophony of noise echoes from it, clashing as each slice of the stage fights for dominance. "I'm trying to figure out what in Jupiter's name they're doing over there," he says.
"Well, most of it sounds like music," Jedediah says, "I think."
"It's not any music I've heard before," Octavius says, coming to a stop next to Jedediah and frowning at the diorama. "I would have assumed it the unholy shrieking of the damned."
"Perhaps it would be nicer if they weren't all playing at once," Steve suggests, hands on his hips as he tilts his head.
"Oh, boy, there it is," Jedediah says, his grin audible in his tone. "He's got the King Face."
"What are your intentions, my boy?" Octavius asks.
Before Steve can answer, Robin strolls into the room, grinning when she sees the raving diorama in the middle. She walks over to Steve, Jedediah, and Octavius, crouches down, and says, "Hey, guys. I see you're checking out the History of Rock display."
"History of Rock?" Steve asks.
"What in the sweet hell do rocks have to do with that mess?" Jedediah asks, gesturing to the noisy stage.
Robin rolls her eyes. "No, like, rock music. It's a genre. Anyway, it was sponsored by some musician, so it's a permanent display now."
"And they will be...playing every night?" Octavius asks.
"Probably."
Steve frowns a little more and nods, rolling his shoulders back. "If they are a permanent fixture in our hallowed hall, they must be welcomed. As Sixth King of Rome, this duty falls upon my shoulders. Fathers, I shall return shortly."
"Woah, woah, hold your horses there, little man," Jedediah says, moving to stand in front of Steve. "You're not going anywhere near that snake pit without some back up."
"A few centurions, at least," Octavius agrees.
"I will have Robin. What better protection is there?"
Jedediah and Octavius glance at each other before looking at Robin. She grins and offers them a two finger salute. "I'll guard him with my life," she says, "It's literally my job."
With that reassurance, Jedediah and Octavius move out of the way. Steve steps onto Robin's hand and settles on her shoulder with practiced ease, ignoring the nervous flutter in his stomach at greeting the new museum residents. He hopes they'll get along, but he also knows the might of his Roman army and the railroad workers can crush any who stand in their way.
Robin stops next to the diorama, tilting her head as she studies it. This close, Steve can see the bands playing on each slice of stage, the instruments and fashion shifting as his gaze travels around it. "Uh, excuse me," Robin says, raising her voice.
The raucous noise from the diorama screeches to a halt, the feedback making Robin and Steve grimace slightly. "Uh, hi. We're the official welcome crew for the Hall of Miniatures here. So, I'll need someone to represent your, like, whole display," Robin says, glancing over the bands until she finds one she recognizes. "Okay, I know you guys, so I'll be designating you the spokesband. Now, could the lead singer step forward?"
Steve watches as someone on the "Corroded Coffin" (what an odd name for a band) slice of the stage steps forward. Robin offers her hand to them, carefully lifting it away once they step on. "Great, uh, carry on, I guess. But, like, maybe play some of your quieter stuff for a bit," she says, her words barely out before the music starts up and the crowds start screaming once more.
She sighs and just walks over to the bench, letting off the person on her hand before letting Steve slide down her arm in a move they spent nearly three weeks practicing if only because they knew it would look cool.
When he hops onto the bench, Steve walks up to the other miniature, a man his age with long hair and odd clothes with tears that Robin once said were fashionable. His instrument is still slung over his shoulders, resting casually against his hips much like Steve's sword. Steve suddenly finds himself thinking that the man looks a little like a warrior. An odd one, to be sure, but a handsome one nonetheless.
He flashes his most charming smile, lets his shoulders relax, and says, "My friend here is Robin, Guardian of Brooklyn. I am Servius Tullius, Sixth King of Rome, son of Vulcan, weapons master of the gods, and adopted son of Jedediah, Cowboy King of the Wild West, and Octavius, general of the Roman army. You, however, may call me Steve."
-----
As far as Eddie was concerned, nothing mattered so long as Corroded Coffin got to keep rocking in an endless concert. The energy never waned, the set list never grew boring, and the music never stopped. He was ready to inform this welcoming crew of just that and promise Hell on Earth if they tried to disrupt the music (angry concert goers are a force of nature), when the words just died in his throat.
Because the most gorgeous man he's ever seen slides down that giant lady's arm, easily and smoothly landing on the bench. Somehow, his hair is perfectly windswept, the golden laurels glinting in the lights above them. His purple cape flutters softly as he walks closer, his toned thighs on full display with the toga hem that falls to the middle of them. There's a sword on the guy's hip, a chest plate that Eddie wants to pull off, a smile he wants to taste, and a pair of freckles right next to each other on the guy's cheek he wants to drag his tongue across.
He misses most of the introduction because he's too busy staring. He gets the important bits, though: Robin, a king, son of a god, adopted son of two dads. Eddie licks his lips nervously, a grin of his own tugging at his lips as he steps forward and playfully bows. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," he says.
It's supposed to come out joking, a little poke at the guy's authority to see if he can be riled up. It actually comes out way too genuine, and Eddie has a sudden realization that he meant it. He absolutely will accept this guy as his king, actually. He'll fall to his knees before him right now if asked, and not just because it might give him a little peek under the dude's toga.
"Please, just call me Steve. There's no need to be so formal."
Eddie bites the inside of his cheek, hoping Steve doesn't realize that the things Eddie is thinking about (the things he wants to do to and with Steve) are just about the least formal things on this earth. "Good to know," he says, relieved his voice sounds normal as he stands up straight and offers his hand. "Name's Eddie Munson, uh, lead singer of Corroded Coffin."
Steve blinks, and his smile becomes a bit more genuine as he steps closer and clasps Eddie's forearm. "A fellow leader," he says, squeezing Eddie's arm. "Welcome to our museum."
"Y-yeah," Eddie says, his arm still tingling when Steve lets go. He clears his throat, idly tugging on a few strands of hair. "So, uh, what's the deal around here? I mean, giant women...Roman kings...cowboys, it looks like."
"Our noble museum is home to Pharoah Ahkmenrah and his tablet, which brings the exhibits to life each night," Steve explains.
"There's a few rules, though," Robin says, sitting down on the bench behind Steve. "One, no getting into fights. Two, be back in your display by sunrise. Three, no leaving the museum at night."
"What? Why not?"
"We have lost good exhibits to Sol Invictus's morning rays," Steve says, frowning slightly. "So, be careful."
Eddie stares at Steve with wide eyes as he nods, amazed at the fact that Steve seems to talk like that so genuinely. And the fact that Eddie is...kinda into it. Holy shit, that's not helping with Eddie's whole "fall to his knees" thing. He wouldn't mind some good old-fashioned worship if Steve would just smile at him again.
Maybe his prayers are heard, because Steve smiles at him again. "Wonderful," he says. "Now, Eddie, could I interest you in a tour of the museum tonight?"
"Oh, you could interest me in a lot of things, sweetheart," Eddie blurts out, his mouth running faster than his brain.
He snaps his jaw shut, relieved and horrified at Steve's slightly confused expression and Robin's "I know what you are" thousand-yard stare from over his shoulder. Before he can try to backtrack, Steve snaps, understanding in his eyes. "Ah! Sweetheart is a nickname, yes? I accept your offer of friendship."
Eddie clenches his jaw, stopping himself from saying that it's more than friendships he's offering, and smiles. "Yeah. A nickname. That's all. I'm just...a nickname kinda guy. I'll probably think of more, too, Stevie. Like that."
Steve practically beams, and Eddie feels his knees go weak. "I look forward to it," he says, turning on his heel to look at Robin, who thankfully schools her expression. "Robin, this is where we leave you for the night. You have my word that Eddie will be back in place before sunrise."
"Well, you two kids have fun," she says, grinning in a way that immediately puts Eddie on edge. "I'd better not hear about any funny business, though. Absolutely no bases should be reached tonight, and you'd better not do any conquering or pillaging."
She definitely looks at Eddie when she says that last bit. Eddie stiffens, doing his best to hold back a blush when Steve glances over at his, the confusion clear on his face. "Conquering requires more planning than this, Robin. I've told you before."
"Don't worry about it, dingus. Just have fun. Here, I'll even call a ride for you," she says, winking at them before turning, holding her fingers to her mouth, and whistling sharply.
Steve walks over to Eddie right as the ground starts to shake, easily catching him around the waist before he can lose his balance. "The shaking does take some getting used to," he says, his tone full of sympathy and obliviousness to the crisis Eddie is experiencing.
When his brain finally catches up enough to ask what he's talking about, a dinosaur skeleton slides into the room, its body wiggling excitedly as it growls. Eddie jerks back, the arm around his waist tightening some. "What the fuck?!" he shouts.
"Worry not," Steve says, leaning closer. His voice is a little softer now, his breath fanning over Eddie's ear. "This is Rexy, our steed for the evening. He's very friendly."
"Friendly," Eddie mumbles, letting himself be dragged over to Rexy and placed on the dinosaur's head by Robin. "The dinosaur is friendly."
"Many of the exhibits are," Steve tells him, grinning brightly as Rexy begins moving after a pet on the snout from Robin.
Eddie looks at him, feeling blinded by Steve's smile once more, and completely forgets about the living dinosaur skeleton.
--------
Lemme know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!
(Also I know there are like one or two upcoming parent AUs that people have asked to be tagged in and I tried to see if this was one of them but couldn't find anyone for the life of me hfjdks so I'm sorry if you asked on another post and I missed you orz)
And, finally, a meme for you
#steddie#steddie fic#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#Mini Steddie#the tag for this series#steve deserves good parents actually#night at the museum#natm crossover#natm jedediah#natm octavius#jedtavius#the worship kink was a surprise to me too actually#and then i realized it was v on brand#have fun guys#there ought to be shenanigans aplenty
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mouth to mouth
steve rogers x plus size!reader
summary: steve's technically a new recruit at shield and that means he needs to take the mandatory cpr class. based off of this list of things that steve rogers would historically be unfamiliar with. thanks @itistimeforusalltodecidewhoweare for encouraging the silliness 💗
cw: none, just steve thinking about smooching a little too much
>600 w, divider by @/saradika
"Okay, so after the chest compressions you're going to give two breaths."
Steve watches intently as you pinch the mannequin's nose shut and tilt its head back. The chest inflates as you press your lips to plastic and breathe once, twice. Steve tries not to stare at your lips, pretty and plump. He must have head trauma from being in the ice. Pull yourself together, soldier.
"Remember, thirty compressions, two breaths."
"Right, got it."
You wipe the dummy clean with cleansing wipe. It's protocol but something in Steve's gut wishes you hadn't. Steve squashes that thought as quickly as he can. It's not appropriate. You're doing your job, teaching him how to possibly save someone's life someday. It's important and he shouldn't be thinking about how sweet you'd taste, how soft your skin would feel if he held your cheek in his hand.
"Oh, wait," you stop Steve after his first breath. He freezes when he feels you move in close, your hands on his over the dummy. "The chest didn't inflate. You have to tilt the head back a little more," your hands guide Steve into the correct position and Steve swallows down the whimper in his throat. He feels like a lost little boy all over again. The strong hand of an experienced, pretty woman guiding him, showing him what to do with his clumsy hands.
"Sorry," Steve chuckles. He hopes you can't hear how his heart is racing in his chest.
"It's fine, you're doing great," you smile at Steve and encourage him to try again. He does even better the second time and soon he's finished the short CPR certification course everyone new at SHIELD is required to take.
"You did great, Steve! Hopefully you'll never need to use it," you wink and Steve swears his heart stops. "But it's good that you know the correct technique."
Steve beams at your praise, ducking his head to hide the way his cheeks and how red the apples of his cheek turn.
"It helps that you were a great teacher."
He busies himself with helping you pack up the dummies so he doesn't have to see the way you smile at him. He might just kiss that smile off your face. Would it be inappropriate to ask you on a date? What did people do on dates anymore anyway?
Before he can muster up the courage to ask and screw it all up, you're heading towards the door.
"It was nice to meet you, Steve," you say, lingering a bit at the doorway. The strap of your bag falls and Steve's eyes fall to your pretty fingers, pulling it back up. Images of more inappropriate straps sliding off your shoulders flash behind Steve's eyes and he clears his throat. You're pathetic, Rogers.
"Where 'ya headed next? I can walk you."
"Oh just to the canteen, it's time for lunch. You don't have to, Steve." Your hands fidgety awkwardly, thumbing in the direction of the cafeteria, but your small smile makes Steve brave.
"I don't mind. Maybe we could eat together? Being the new kid at school is tough, no one to sit with at lunch."
You laugh and nod your head. Steve follows you down the hall, doing his best to not sound too excited as he makes small talk with you.
His new phone buzzes in his pocket and he fumbles with it for a second before reading the text from Natasha.
"She's cute ;)"
The two short words make his head whip around until he locates her, laughing at the other end of the hall. Steve's phone pings again but Steve ignores it to answer a question you asked.
"Have fun practicing mouth to mouth, lifesaver."
#steve rogers x reader#steve rogers x plus size!reader#steve rogers x you#steve rogers fanfic#steve rogers drabble#steve rogers fluff#steve rogers one shot#steve rogers fanfiction#my fics
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Why is nuance dieing?
The younger generation seems to be so much more obsessed with moral puritanism in fiction and irdk why. Could it be because kids these days don't interact with real people and are just chronically online so they repeat what they see on the internet?
Actually saw someone saying people who like fictional bad boys are the reason why men get away with sa & rape irl and countries are criminalizing abortion...
It's just so depressing to see that. This line of thinking is scary actually.
I don't remember people going this mad over morals when shows and movies like Vampire Diaries and Twilight saga were huge. It's like people have regressed.
The media we consume is becoming more and more didactic as we enter an age where it seems like every piece of popular media is obsessed with delivering their messages and themes like an after school PSAs. Media is becoming increasingly more sanitized and “family friendly” to appeal to the broadest possible audience to create more and more profits for corporations. This obsession with sanitized fiction has become commonplace with many younger people who parrot what they see online and on the media they consume and proceed to deliver underdeveloped takes on subjects they don’t fully understand yet.
It becomes even more interesting when people point to fictional narratives as the cause for societal problems when there are already larger institutions that have historically been responsible for what they claim fiction causes. They displace the blame for societal ills like SA, abuse, patriarchal violence and misogynistic legislation onto fiction, fan fiction and media that explores taboo subject matter. While I don’t deny that fiction has power, 90% of the time these people have no idea of the ways literary works influence our culture and default to a 1:1 “monkey see, monkey do” explanation for why people must consume the “correct media”.
Another factor is the way that people have become accustomed to moralizing their content consumption. They have convinced themselves that they need a concrete and righteous justification for their likes and dislikes and this has ruined the way fandom interacts with literature, film and other art forms. With this in mind, they can no longer dislike or even hate something without creating some moral justifications for why “hating this thing is actually progressive and righteous!” and in the process, conflate consumerism with activism.
The comparison to Puritanism is quite fitting in this case. After all, the principles of that religion were based in purity, obedience and censorious beliefs for self-indulgences and we can draw comparisons with the way people online discuss certain subjects. There’s a phenomenon where people will say something along the lines of: “It’s alright to like (insert problematic character here)! But you need to acknowledge that they are a bad person.” To them, it seems like a gesture at fairness and magnanimity when in reality, it is an attempt at exerting unearned moral authority over the tastes of others. It is a demand that a person proves their moral innocence to them in a performative manner that validates their need to feel superior. But it’s all performative purity because even if a person did explain/justify their fictional tastes, these people wouldn’t care and would continue to demand purity from others.
People can’t even discuss certain characters anymore without running into people accusing them of being terrible people who would approve of real-life violence and abuse. And I can’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t always like this, when did it change?
#fandom discourse#fandom musings#shadow and bone#reylo fandom#reylo discourse#reylo#darklina#s&b salt#s&b netflix#s&b critical#anti leigh bardugo#lb critical#zutara#shipping discourse#Puritanism
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Any chance you could talk about how you're teaching Fenris to retrieve? I am also struggling so hard with that. Will probably consult with a real life professional trainer about it in the near future because it is just. So. Frustrating. Lol, but I'd love to hear what worked for you.
Recent picture of my retrieval-hating doggo for tax, lol.
Well I don't know that I'm the best person to take advice from because retrieves are absolutely one of the hardest tasks for me to wrap my brain around, especially formal sport retrieves, and despite me trying to teach retrieves to *checks notes* EIGHT different dogs, Fenris is my first one to actually have some mild success.
I spoke at length to my friend Allie @molosseraptor about how much I suck at retrieves and she had some amazing advice for me. I cannot stress enough how good of a dog trainer she is. Any time I have asked her for advice, she not only has hit the nail directly on the head, but it has widened my understanding of whatever concept I'm struggling with that much more. Truly, if you want actual help, don't listen to me. Just go pay Allie to teach you!
Anyway. For Fenris specifically, retrieve is a behavior chain. In other words, I teach each piece of a retrieve separately, and then let it all come together at the end after he nails every piece the way I want him to. In other words, I taught a sit, a come to front, the concept of going to what I throw and picking it up, the concept of bringing it back, the concept of holding something in his mouth without chewing or dropping it, the concept of the hot/cold game, the concept of a clicker, the concept of working for treats, paw targets, and outs... before ever showing him a dumbbell.
From there it's a matter of string it together. Go get the thing > pick it up without chewing > bring it back > come to sit at front with it in your mouth > hold onto it until I tell you to out. The paw targets help show him where I want him to be. The hot/cold game tells him if I need him to tweak his positioning.
Historically I have been able to get a "go get the thing and bring it back to me and sit at front" however in nearly all of the dogs I have tried to teach this behavior chain, including Fenris, we get stuck in the sit at front portion because the dog spits the fucking dumbbell out and drops it on my toes as it sits down. Which is very not what I want and also these are weighted dumbbells ouch my poor feets.
I brought this up at Mondio last time we were there and the training director and the president both suggested instead of teaching him a chin rest (which I have never been able to do very successfully with the dog uprifht) to teach him to push slightly into me as he sits, lifting his head up to do so (and thus reducing temptation for him to drop the damn thing) and making that front nice and tight. He may bump me and we may lose a point, but I can tweak that part later. This was an almost instantaneous breakthrough and I am really glad those women are counted among my friends.
One last thing I want to mention is that, knowing he was going to be a mondio dog, I did not correct him at all for picking up various things around the house. In Mondio, the retrieve can be anything, not just a weighted dumbbell. So that means that because I didn't want him to be weird about picking stuff that Is Not Toys up, I never once told him off for picking things up. Usually he just wanders around with it in his mouth, and because he never associated this with a bad thing, he usually comes right up to me and spits it into my hand.
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New House Rules:
By interacting with me, you are signing a binding contract stating that you agree with these statements and they will be taken as a given in any conversation we have.
Every human being is a person and has inalienable human rights, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they believe or what they've done.
Everyone?
Yes.
Even that person?
YES
But what if they did X, Y, or Z?
Ḑ̸̳̺̝̔ì̷͎͙̮̲d̵̰̼͔̂̽͂ ̴̘̑͛̈I̶̺̮͕̋̒̈́͂ ̶͔̩͌ͅf̵̟̞̭̠͑̐̀̐͝ͅǘ̶͓̿c̴̨̦̙̠͎̊k̸̻͎̃͋̃͛͜ͅi̷̳̔n̸̛̹̙̍̔̈́̇ĝ̷͈͙̀ ̵͕͐ṥ̵̮̬̋͠t̴̯̝͋ư̸̹͔̥̩̏̏̄̕t̶͈̠̾́̅͝͝ț̴͒e̸̡̖̠͛ṙ̶̘̯͗̈́̋?̵̜̈́?̴̧̘̥̆
Ok, fine. People are people. Got it. What else?
Facts matter. History matters. Context matters. Truth matters. You cannot divorce political positions from truth without winding up on a very, very bad road. Mistakes are one thing. Intentional lies and vibes-based politics are another.
If you deny Jewish history, you are antisemitic, period.
If you deny the Holocaust or any other historically factual atrocities committed against Jews, you are antisemitic and also a bad person.
Holocaust inversion is a form of Holocaust denial.
Every serious allegation must be supported with serious evidence and analysis. The more serious the allegation, the higher the burden of proof. If you make the allegation, YOU have the burden of proof.
This means checking your sources.
This also means reconsidering your positions in light of new evidence.
This means correcting misinformation if you unintentionally spread it.
You must be willing to consider whether you are being antisemitic and listen to Jews if we tell you that you are being antisemitic.
We can disagree about ideas and options, but no productive conversation can happen if we disagree on the basic facts on the ground and/or if you don't see all of the people involved as human.
Some of you seem to be physically incapable of recognizing the systemic and brutal ongoing history of antisemitism, understanding how you fit into it, understanding why it is important in any serious discussion about Jews and Jewish safety, and just empathizing with Jews at the most basic level.
Anyone who grew up in a Christian or Muslim dominated society grew up on a steady diet of supercessionism. This 1000% colors your viewpoint on Jews and Judaism whether you are aware of it or not. Trust, though, that Jews are painfully aware of it every time you open your mouth, even if you are not.
If you have not been actively unlearning antisemitism and relearning who Jews actually are from a Jewish perspective, you have a lot of work to do and it shows.
Western goyische leftists in particular seem to think they are immune from antisemitism. They are wrong. In fact, some of the most dangerous antisemites right now are Western leftists. This has a long and storied history; read up on the history of Jews in the USSR to understand more.
If I say you need to read [X] thing before we continue the conversation, I am dead fucking serious. You don't have to do the homework, but then we are not going to continue the conversation.
This is an incomplete list and subject to modification at any time without notice.
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Ancient Egypt and Ostrich Feathers
Have a question for the Egyptologists and knowledgeable fans of Ancient Egypt about ostrich feathers.
(btw is there an Egyptologist Tumblr community? I follow @thatlittleegyptologist but don't know of any other accounts. HMU!)
When I was in Egypt last month I went to the Grand Egyptian Museum to take the very limited tour of the atrium they offer now. It... wasn't worth the money. Anywho, our tour guide did his best to make it seem valuable by talking a LOT about each thing he showed us.
Next to the colossal statue of Ramses II that dominates the atrium there's a table showing the emblems of royal iconography. The sun disk, the nemes headdress, cow horns, and a feather. He asks us if we know what that last one is and I or someone says it's the feather of Ma'at. Correct! Do we know what bird it comes from? The ostrich, someone else says. Why did they choose ostrich feathers for Ma'at and also certain crowns?
On this trip I had gone to the Nubian museum and thus had just seen several pieces of art from pre-historical peoples that utilized ostrich eggs, including a famous one that had three pyramids etched into it along with some animals. So I said something like: The ostrich has been an important animal even before the pharaohs. They relied on it for food and made art with the eggs. The tour guide (Mark) said: That's an awfully materialistic view. No, that's not why.
Now... I know I'm not an expert even though I know a lot about ancient Egypt. But "a materialistic view"? Like somehow it's not enough that ostriches provided food and probably were used in other, important ways? Why do you think Hathor is represented as a cow and there are cow horns incorporated in crowns? Because they look cool? wtf?
Mark then goes on to tell this story. Back in the dawn of civilization in Egypt the Egyptian man didn't have much to do during the day. (eyebrow raise) So he started collecting feathers from all the birds that flew above him in the sky. (...um... wait...) He would collect and then count the barbules and do you know what he discovered? Only the ostrich had the same number of them on both sides. That's why this is the feather of balance and justice.
Friends. I have never wanted to scream SHENANIGANS or at least CITE YOUR SOURCES so much in my life. Like... what?
Leaving aside the implication that ostriches were somehow flying above ancient Egyptians or that there was some point where men didn't have a dang thing to do all day but count the little hairs on feathers, I feel like this explanation is complete hooey. I mean, it could be that all or some of an ostrich's feathers have the same amount of barbules on either side of the middle bit. You might even be able to convince me that this isn't true for any other bird that someone from the Nile valley 6,000+ years ago had access to. But I'm going to need a ton of supporting evidence that this is the sole reason why the feather of Ma'at is an ostrich feather and not for the "materialistic" reasons I cited.
Also, I'm sorry, but I'm real sure predynastic Nile valley dwellers were far more concerned about food and shelter than coming up with complex reasons for using a certain kind of feather to represent a metaphysical thing.
However, I could be wrong! So I'm asking: is there evidence for Mark's version of events? Is this, you know, written somewhere in a papyrus or on a temple wall or another place? I would honestly love to read any papers on this subject, whatever the background on it.
As to the Grand Egyptian Museum, I really hope that whoever they hire to give tours when the whole thing opens are better at this than Mark. I wasn't impressed with his tour overall and eventually gave up listening to him once I saw that there was a gelato place open for business inside.
#Egyptology#Egyptologists#Calling for Egyptologists!#Egypt#Ancient Egypt#I need to know if Mark is right#okay kay what I really want to know is that mark is wrong
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What would you need from the fans of How To Dance In Ohio for a ProShot to be streamed somewhere like Broadway HD or similar? Would it need to be a Kickstarter or a social media campaign? Is there anyone we can write to? Part of my reason for asking is selfish, since I would love to see the show, but this show is also historic and groundbreaking in a lot of different ways and I also think your amazing performances need to be preserved as a part of Broadway history.
I know this is probably a really sad time for you and the rest of the Ohio cast/creative team and even if a ProShot never happens and nothing ever comes of it, just know that you, all of you, touched more lives and hearts than you could possibly know just by being who you are.
Thanks so much for asking. This is something we have been discussing with the producers, because obviously we'd all love it to happen too.
Warning: incoming info-dump, albeit a grossly oversimplified one:
It would cost about $3M to produce a pro-shot. Here's an incomplete list of where that money would go:
-The regular costs of the venue itself--which, when you include rent, utilities, and staff salaries (security, bartenders, ushers, custodians, all the people who are just in charge of maintaining the Belasco), comes out to about $1K a minute.
-The labor of obtaining necessary permits for filming onsite.
-The labor of the film crew, including load-in, setup, and breakdown of equipment, and coordinating with stage management to make sure their shooting doesn't get in the way of backstage choreography, and making any adjustments accordingly
-The collaboration between the film crew and the in-house sound crew to make sure the audio is captured and balanced properly
-The labor of post-production: editing, color correction, sound adjustment, etc.
-There are also different contracts (and higher pay) for the actors, stage managers, stage crew, sound crew, lighting crew, and wardrobe crew, in addition to our current contracts wherein we're just doing the show as usual. This can get particularly complicated with the actors and stage managers, since our Broadway contracts are through Actors' Equity Association (the union for stage actors and stage managers) but the contract for having our work filmed and distributed in theaters or on streaming platforms is under SAG-AFTRA (the union for film actors).
This is not a complete list, but to give you some context: that's about what it would cost just to make the thing. The costs and logistics of actually distributing it is a different story altogether, and a lot of that would depend on strategizing around future productions and making sure the availability of the pro-shot wouldn't compromise, say, a national tour. I'm not a producer and don't have the numbers and the research, but what I'd love to see happen is, the pro-shot gets a limited theatrical release to coincide with a national tour, and then gets released to streaming platforms when the tour is wrapped. (Of course, as an elder millennial who's genetically incapable of not being financially stressed, I don't care where or how it's released as long as I get those residual checks lol.)
As to your question of crowdfunding: as far as I understand it (and I'm not an entertainment lawyer so I likely have very incomplete information, so don't take my word at total face value): in order to crowdfund for a pro-shot, the producers would likely need to establish a new business entity and it would have to be a nonprofit entity so it could legally solicit donations from the public. Broadway shows are commercially produced, and each iteration of the commercially-produced production has its own business entity. When the show was in workshops and in Syracuse, the business entity was "Amigos in Ohio, LLC." The Broadway entity is "Amigos on Broadway, LLC." The only difference it makes on my end is the name that shows up on my bank statement when I get my direct deposit every week, but the difference it makes from a producer perspective is much more significant and it has a big effect on how productions are legally and ethically allowed to be funded, and again I'm not an entertainment lawyer so explaining what those differences are is beyond me.
I will say, however, Ken Davenport has been a real innovator when it comes to how shows can be produced--in 2010, he launched what eventually became the first crowdfunded Broadway musical with the Godspell revival. I know very little about how all of that actually works, but I do think something like that would be a boon to the industry in the year of our dark Majestic Theater 2024. And it would also give the fans a way to connect with the material and the business on a deeper and more personal level.
Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about how Broadway works from the producers' side, you should check out Sammy Lopez's Producing 101 course on The Business of Broadway. (I'm going to be in an upcoming class myself and it's all virtual, so maybe I'll see you there!)
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Chinese LOTM Fic Recs
(@ihavenobigbrain)
I was asked about this, so here we go! (rubs hands together =D)
A few things to know:
I'll only separate by site (either AO3 or Lofter) and whether it's gen or has a ship. None of these recs have smut as far as I remember, as I rarely if ever read it.
I am not Chinese and know nothing about the Chinese language. I've read these fics through the browser translator. Likely there are errors in the translated English titles provided, please feel free to correct them.
For Lofter fics, I'm using the blog url (x in "x.lofter.com") as the writer's name, though idk if that's how it should be done.
Also for Lofter fics, I've linked the first chapter for multi-chapter stories. The rest can be found by going to the user's archive, or (with a bit more difficulty) by clicking on one of the tags at the bottom and going through that.
Recs under the cut because this became a longer post than I expected. Hope you find something to enjoy from this!
Gen Fics:
->AO3
DEITY MAY CRY, by buerzi: The story of an atheist who becomes a believer of the Fool. (post-Book 1, one of my favourite fics)
【克中心】愚者教会调查实录 / [Ke Center] Investigative Records of the Church of the Fool, by liusheng_A: The state of the Church of the Fool, two hundred years after the apocalypse.
Sing come twilight, by Mirrir_Error: Melissa has a conversation with a mysterious lady and learns the truth about her brother. (post-Book 1)
Fifteen Minutes, by ianto0706: Fors accidentally summons Gehrman's historical projection. (post-Book 1)
在葬礼上 / At the funeral, by Mirrir_Error: During Benson's funeral, Melissa meets a familiar stranger.
【破繭組】為美好的真神獻上祝福 / [Broken Cocoon Group] Offer blessings to the beautiful true god, by Zye_404: The four transmigrators meet up in the Astral Realm and decide to descend to the real world. Klein helps Roselle meet his children, Amanises goes shopping and ASG hunts down Amon.
【诡秘】欢迎加入地球OL保障队 / [Secret] Welcome to the Earth OL Support Team, by abigail_000017: Klein Moretti introduces you to the Earth OL Support Team, the first and last line of defence for Earth, and its various members. Do keep track of what you should and shouldn't do. (alternate universe)
但它不断冒出 / but it keeps popping up, by undertoneaugust: (author's summary) "After being woken up by his little niece for the thousand and eighty-sixth time, Klein Moretti finally agreed to play with her."
隐瞒之事 / concealment, by undertoneaugust: Bernadette in the present, seeking her father, and the past she remembers.
【诡秘】我有一个朋友 / [Secret] I have a friend, by Kuffskein: I suggested going on a walk to Deacon Leonard Mitchell, and so we visited Tingen. (first-person perspective, post-Book 1)
修罗会 / Shura Society*, by ominoushunter: When Klein resurrects from his grave, Azik is there. This leads to several things, but mainly the Tarot Club's utter confusion on the shape of the love polygon between Mr. Death, his many students, Mr. World and Mr. Star. (all ships present are mainly in the minds of the Tarot Club :p)
(*according to this post, "Shura Field" is a phrase used to refer to an intense struggle on a battlefield but also for shows where multiple characters are in love with the same person)
->Lofter
【廷根师生组】新生-随机爆炸鱼干 / [Tingen Students and Teachers Group] Freshmen, by linyuansuyuan: (author's summary) "Klein has three homes in Tingen, for which he needs to pay a low rent every month, a few carefully completed homework and several times of unburdened laughter." (pre-canon, warning for Canonical Character Death, slight hint of Azik/Klein but only as a student's crush) (this is the fic that shaped OG Klein for me, and made me fall in love with the pre-canon possibilities)
［海上组］冰山浮出一角 / [Sea Group] The tip of the iceberg emerges, by wangyouwushang86832: After the journey in Groselle's Travels, Gehrman loses his memory, only retaining the beginning of his time in Tingen. Danitz, Anderson and the rest of the Golden Dream get to see another side of the crazy adventurer. (incomplete, ongoing)
【诡秘之主观影体】我于神明 / [The Lord of Mysteries] I am in the gods, by xiayanzhangxiangyi: Tianzun tries to use the transmigrators to take away Klein's anchors. In order not to lose, Klein is forced to reveal the truth of his life to several people close to him, as well as the transmigrators. (post-Book 1, viewing fic)
【观影体】如果神弃之地的 "游戏" 被围观 / [Movie Watching Body] If the "game" of the Forsaken Land of the Gods is watched, by muleyi62440: While Klein is in the Forsaken Land with Amon, the Tarot Club pray to him. But rather than not getting a response, they are pulled into the gray fog and get to watch the struggles he's going through. (viewing fic)
【唤醒沉睡愚者24h/8:30】天幕之下 / [Wake up the Sleeping Fool 24h/8:30] Under the Canopy, by rizerxx: In the year 1366, the Fool wakes up.
1-【论坛体】论坛新更新的游戏，有人玩了吗？/ 1- [Forum body] Has anyone played the newly updated game in the forum?, by mlikebc: Forum story (ie, it takes place in some kind of online forum). The Church of the Fools has released a gacha dress-up game called Miracle Meimei, about a person waking up without memories and rediscovering the past. As people play it, they too discover the truth about the angels of the Fool and the people connected to them... (post-Book 1, incomplete, ongoing, mentions of stuff from COI, currently a 21-part story)
Leonard/Klein:
->AO3
【克中心】我可能是假的天使 / [Ke Center] I might be a fake angel, by BB_Roin: Canon divergence- if the Evernight Goddess couldn't separate the curtain from Zhou during the transmigration. The focus isn't on the ship and it's pretty slowburn Leoklein. (incomplete, ongoing)
World/Fool:
->AO3
世愚｜倒计时十五分 / World Yu | 15 minute countdown, by suqiansheng: After the betrayal in Utopia, Klein goes to the Historical Void before the First Epoch and summons Gehrman's historical projection. A much-needed moment is had. (note: not romantic in any way imo but it's tagged World/Fool so I'm reccing it here)
世愚｜小团圆 / World Yu | A little reunion, by suqiansheng: Klein and Gehrman are separated brothers, having a reunion dinner... (Major Character Death of sorts? Also, same note as above, ie has no romantic elements)
【愚世】最优解 / [Foolishness] The best solution, by Indigo10: Post-Book 1, Klein crafts a marionette Gehrman and instills him with the humanity Adam once gave him. (Major Character Death, same note as above :p)
世愚｜数到三 / Shi Yu | Count to three, by suqiansheng: Post-Book 1, the avatar of Gehrman Sparrow makes a suggestion to Klein. He is not the first Gehrman Sparrow to do so. (sorta Major Character Death)
世愚 | 雨夜乌托邦 / Shi Yu | Rainy Night Utopia, by suqiansheng: The Fool Klein shares a meal with his Blessed in Utopia. (AU where Klein's identities are separate people)
访谈录【愚世】 / Interview Record [Foolish World], by Fei Yu: Gehrman Sparrow, a heretic, has been captured and awaits execution. Before that, a reporter seeks him out for an interview about his life.
【世愚】妄念 / [Shi Yu] Delusion, by youlancangqiong: The Fool likes equivalent exchange, and asks Gehrman for his wish. (AU where these two are separate people, sorta Major Character Death?)
世愚｜值得 / [Shi Yu] Worthy, by suqiansheng: Before the apocalypse, Klein and Gehrman share a peaceful moment.
Azik/Klein:
->AO3
关于我那个总是陷入危险而不自知的同行 / About my colleague who's always in danger without knowing it, by ominoushunter: Canon divergence where Klein doesn't join the Nighthawks and instead becomes a history lecturer, but is still a Beyonder. Cue a comedy of misunderstandings between Klein and Azik, and their secret identities of "the World" and "the Death Consul".
【诡秘】死神即将回归……吗? [Secret] Reaper is about to return...?, by Kuffskein: Suarez, a descendant of the Eggers family, reports to Salinger about the changes in the present era. It's enough to make even enemies feel pity.
【诡秘】愚者教会内部论坛 / [Secret] Church of the Fool Internal Forum, by Kuffskein: Forum story. While discussing the past of the Angel of Death, people uncover a strange relationship between the Angel, Gehrman Sparrow, the Fool and an ordinary person named Klein.
苍白 / Pale, by ominoushunter: Rather than continuing his life as it is, Azik chooses to complete his soul in the mausoleum, and what follows from that.
【诡秘】谁才是执政官大人的真爱？/ [Secret] Who is the true love of the Consul?, by Kuffskein: For a festival of Bayam, tradition is that the Death Consul must travel the capital in a coffin alongside his partner. This would be all fine and good, if the high priest of Balam didn't have to decide who to invite between the Death Consul's six lovers.
->Lofter
【兹克24H：他的猫与锚-19:00】降灵之舞 / 【Zik 24H: His Cat and the Anchor-19:00】Spiritual Dance, by xiayanzhangxiangyi: After Azik wakes up, he goes to Bayam to introduce himself as the Angel of Death and learn more about the Church his student established.
【兹克520活动||17：20】艾格斯教授是gay还是邪教徒 / [Zik 520 Event||17:20] Is Professor Eggers gay or a cultist, by mosquitoyeah: During an expedition, a pair of brothers wonder about their guide Azik Eggers, and place a bet on whether he's a cultist or gay. (post-Book 1, two-part story)
Dunn/Daly:
->AO3
【索斯特➡戴莉】直至最后一朵玫瑰凋谢之时 / [Soest->Daly] Until the last rose fades, by GetSomeFries (NachtElf): Soest falls in love with Daly, but she keeps rebuffing him and he wonders why. (the arrow denotes one-sided feelings iirc)
邓恩史密斯查了五次水表 / Dunn Smith checked the water meter five times, by 6749: set within In Modern Day. This is the fifth time Dunn has visited Daly's house, citing reports that she's performing suspicious religious activities.
Amanises/Klein:
->AO3
今天世界不对劲 / Something is wrong with the World today, by Mirrir_Error: (author's summary) "Today is a special day, "—" wants to play an interesting game with the Fool."
Sharron/Maric:
->AO3
【沙琪玛】莎伦小姐心直口快 / [Sharron/Maric] Miss Sharron is outspoken, by huangnanjun: The story of how Sharron and Maric met, and how they escaped from the Rose School of Thought.
That's all from me for now!
For those who've read this far, I leave you with a wonderful Reddit post about how to browse for LOTM fics on Lofter.
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Writing Game 1.5: Festival
Prompt: Festival
Pairing: Thor/Clark Kent
"The sigrblót is an important part of our society." Thor explains softly. "It's a celebration of the arrival of summer - the victory of summer over winter."
"Does that have anything to do with historical events? Perhaps military victories against Jotunheim by Asgard?"
Thor gave a soft laugh. "To be quite honest, I do not know. The custom is ancient. And the blót even older than that. For many events, we have a ritual sacrifice - a gift in thanks for our survival. We believe the sacrifice allows us to connect to our lost ancestors and loved ones, so that we may all feast and revel as one."
Clark tilts his head. "From my research, it seems that the Norse of my world - of Midgard - followed similar traditions. Though I've come to realize that their myths aren't exactly a one-to-one account of your people - for example, they said Valhalla was the Hall of the Slain, where the honored dead would remain till Ragnarok. They believed Odin presided over it, whereas you here seem to believe the same thing, except Valhalla and Helheim and Folkvanger are above even you."
Thor thinks a little before he responds. "We believe in the recursive nature of stories, I suppose you might say. Magic, science, legend... they might all be dialects of the same language. Who's to say that we aren't all offshoots of your people's stories? Who's to say they are based on us, and not the other way around? You yourself may be a story. I like to think we share the names of the Midgardians' gods, but truly we are more like them than any of us tend to think."
Clark chuckles as he writes that down verbatim. "That might be a little bit heavy for a travel piece on Asgard for the Daily Planet, but then again, I am angling for another Pulitzer."
"Is the interview complete? May I finally take you to see the festival as a participant and not an observer?"
"A journalist." Clark corrects. "But yes, I have everything I need. I'm at your disposal."
Thor quickly stands from the couch he reclines upon to press a kiss to Clark's brow. "Good. We came to revel! Not simply to work."
Clark grins and lets Thor drag him onto the streets of Asgard, where vendors hawk their wares - though they tend to stop eyeing him as a potential mark when they see their Prince with a hand interlinked with his.
It's at this point that Clark recognizes how much Thor can relax when he feels he belongs somewhere. He smiles so easily as he eagerly pulls Clark towards a stall to try some festival food, so much more at ease than he is on Earth, giving an impression of regality and poise.
Clark doesn't know yet that it's not because of the difference between Earth and Asgard. It's his own growth, but also because Thor truly blossoms in the proximity of someone he loves. That he feels safe enough to show his truest self to Clark is a blessing, for them both.
Thor refuses to allow Clark to get any more work done, giving a playfully stormy glare at even the sight of his phone emerging from his back pocket to record, even a festival song that Thor joined in upon. Clark answers every glare with a kiss, and they are given several little festival tokens - amulets made of woven straw and bits of glass or metal, beautiful tiny woven tapestries, little sculptures - all of Asgard seeming to delight in the happiness of their prince with his beloved.
#writing game#clark kent x thor#thor x superman#marvel headcanons#dc headcanons#thor headcanons#superman headcanons#headcanons#who knew I'd have so much fun with this one?
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Amanda was sitting in the shuttle preparing to land on Vulcan. She could not believe that she was actually being granted this opportunity to study Vulcan culture. With access to records and interviews.
This is truly a historic occasion for human anthropology efforts. I absolutely can NOT mess this up. My professor is relying on me. The institute is relying on me. Looking out the window. She observed the orange tinted sky stretching as far as her eyes could see and the dusty red desert shimmering with heat.
Amanda did a quick check of all her belongings. Even though she had already checked five times before her departure. She just had to make absolutely sure that everything she needed was there. Even though she could always send for something that was left behind. Amanda has always preferred to be well organized. And never unprepared for the unexpected.
It gave her great anxiety to be in a situation where she could do absolutely nothing. So she swore a long time ago that she would think out exactly what she needed.
A thump alerted Amanda to the landing of the shuttle. Looking up quickly, she saw the pilot flicking his fingers across the control panel.
"We have landed. Prepare to unbuckle and step out." The pilot stated in an emotionless tone. Amanda began to gather her things up and looked out the shuttle window. The sand was a bright red. There was a clear shimmer of heat that rested above the desert floor. Looking more hot here than it did from above.
Amanda steps out onto the course sand. She raises her right hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the intense Vulcan sun. Her eyes adjusting to the brightness. Amanda sees a Vulcan male standing five feet in front of her.
"You are Amanda Grayson, the human linguistics professor from earth?" He states in a manner that is a question but is in actuality a statement of fact.
Amanda breaths in nervously. She had not expected the Vulcan ambassador to be so attractive. "Yes." She confirms. "You are ambassador Sarek correct?"
"Yes." He nods "Your living arrangements and office is this way. I shall show you to them." He moves to pick up her luggage. "You don't have to do that. I can handle it on my own." Amanda blushes fiercely.
"It is no burden." Sarek assures her. "Vulcan is much hotter than your Earth. Our gravity is much stronger also. It is only logical that I assist you in carrying your belongings to your accommodations."
“I suppose so.” Amanda replies embarrassed.
Sarek gives a slight nod. Then picks up her luggage and turns to walk in the direction of her apparent new home.
Amanda stands there and stares at him. Watching him walk away until he turns his head and looks back at her. Raising an eyebrow in question. 
With a jolt she realizes that she should be following him. Falling into step behind him. Amanda thinks to herself that this is going to be a very interesting mission.
#Sarek#Amanda Grayson#Sarek/Amanda#Star Trek#Star Trek The Original Series#TOS#Vulcan#Earth#Vulcan/Human relationship#Sarek Star Trek#Sarek Star Trek TOS
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Distant Memories -(John Shelby x Reader) Pt. 1
DISCLAIMER: I don’t not own any GIFs, picture or dividers that I use!
IMPORTANT: This is my first Peaky Blinders imagine, please be kind and provide feedback if you would like. I am from the US and the language may not be correct or historically accurate. If I make more parts the story will not be not be the same as the shows, changes will be made. Please let me know I what you think and if you want more parts. Thank you!
Link for Distant Memories Part Two
Taking a sip of coffee you look through the London paper as soft music plays in the background. You’ve become quite comfortable at your older half sister Evelyn’s home. You’ve been living here for about a year trying to make up for years of missed time. You smile at Evelyn and her husband Albert play fighting as they cook breakfast.
Your smile fades a bit as you think back to the time you spent with the Shelby’s in the kitchen. Well Aunt Pol and Ada, the boys were only there to taste test or steal food. Although, there were many times you and John would have long conversations late at night or while you cooked.
“Y/N are you sure about returning to Birmingham?” Evelyn asks breaking you from your thoughts.
“Yes I am.”
“But there is so much more opportunity here for you here in London.” Evelyn places a stack of pancakes and eggs in the middle of the table.
“I know there is, but I miss Birmingham.”
She smiles at you, “You mean you miss John Shelby.”
You roll your eyes, “I miss ALL the Shelby’s.”
Albert laughs at you two, “Well either way you know you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it, but I plan on leaving next week.”
Your 7 year old niece and 5 year old nephew come rushing downstairs, “We don’t want you to leave!”
Your nephew Lawrence takes a seat on your lap, “Aunt Y/N I’m going to miss you.”
Planting a kiss on his forehead you say, “I’m going to miss you guys too, but you can come visit me.
Abigail’s lights up and smiles, “That would be great!”
“Abby be a dear and got fetch the mail, before we eat.” Evelyn says.
“Yes mother.”
Abigail races out the door as you get up to help set the table. Everyone is at the dining table waiting to eat when Abigail returns. She waves a letter in front of your face, “ Aunt Y/N you got a letter.”
You look at the envelope to see that it’s from Tommy; which worries you because Aunt Pol and Ada are the only ones that write. Quickly opening the letter you feel your heart sink the more you read. A tear trickles down your face and Lawrence asks, “What’s wrong?”
You don’t answer him and Evelyn glances over at her husband. Albert says, “Children why don’t we eat outside in the garden.”
Neither child object and hastily take their plates to the garden. Evelyn takes a seat closer to you and gestures to the letter still in your hand. She takes the letter and she verbally gasps, “John is getting married? He can’t be getting married!”
You stay silent, frozen in complete shock trying to not burst into tears. She looks at you for a few seconds in disbelief that you haven’t said anything. She grabs your hand, “Are you okay?”
Silence.
“Will you say something!” She raises her voice.
You rapidly blink as if you were broken from a trance and stand up from the table. You say in a lower voice, “Well it looks like I’ll be leaving for Birmingham tonight.”
You swiftly walk upstairs and she follows asking, “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get the first train to Birmingham,” You grab your luggage sitting it on the bed, “I’ll have to stop at the shop for a wedding gift on the way.”
Evelyn grabs ahold of the blouse you’re about to pack, “Get a wedding gift?! You’re not actually going to just sit by and let this happen?”
You jerk the blouse from her hand and place it in your luggage, “I have no other choice, you read Tommy’s letter, this wedding needs to happen.”
“So Tommy’s word is law!” She yells at you.
“Evie you don’t understand, things are different in Birmingham than London! This marriage, this alliance needs to happen or it will be war!” You yell back.
All the sudden you see your niece and nephew in the doorway, you must’ve not heard their footsteps over the yelling. Abbigail asks scared, “Why are you guys yelling?”
Albert appears behind them, “Sorry they ran inside before I could stop them.”
You kneel down grabbing each of their hands, “It’s nothing sweethearts, your mother and I are just a little upset because it appears that I have to leave tonight for Birmingham.”
“No!” They say in unison as they hug you.
“It’s okay, like I said you can always come visit me” You give their hands a tiny squeeze, before beginning to pack once more.
Stepping off the train you’re overwhelmed with memories that come flooding back with familiar sights and smells of Birmingham. You start walking towards Watery Lane as your hands begin to burn from carrying your heavy luggage. Luckily you make it rather quickly to the Shelby home before your hands give out. You lightly knock and wait a few seconds, but there is no answer.
You slowly turn the doorknob to enter and be met with silence; which is odd for the Shelby home. Sitting your luggage down you slowly walk around the house and betting shop with a smile. You really have missed this place as crazy as it is you’re happy to back home. Quickly you realize that everyone is at the wedding and you’re going to be late.
As you suspected you missed the wedding ceremony, but a part of you was thankful for this. It would be too difficult for you to see John once again get married, it was hard enough the first time. Your hand tightly grasps your wedding gift bag as you swiftly walk onto the Lee’s family property. Your heart rate races as you hear the commotion of the wedding reception. The closer you get you see people singing, dancing, and drinking. You try to find the Shelby family and Polly is the first one to spot you.
Your heart soars as she smiles and brings you in for a huge embrace, “Oh there’s my lovely Y/N.”
You hug her tightly back, realizing how much you’ve missed her. You see her as a mother figure; she has raised you since you were six years old, “It’s so good to see you Aunt Pol.”
She pulls away keeping a grasp on your shoulders, “How are you?”
Forcing a weak excuse for a smile as you say reluctantly, “I’m fine.”
She raises her eyebrows seeing through your facade as she wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer to the party. “Will talk about it later sweetheart, I know the others will want to see you.”
You smile as you step closer and see Ada dancing in the crowd of people. Although you come to a halt as you feel your heart sinks, smile fades, and tears begin to form as you see John sitting at a table with his new wife, Esme. Polly gently squeezes your shoulder trying to provide comfort. She whispers, “Fix your smile honey.”
Quickly you smile once more and blink your eyes several times to keep from crying. You continue to look at John with a huge smile on his face; he hasn’t noticed you yet. You whisper, “Aunt Pol I can’t do this.”
She pulls you along towards a table with Arthur and Tommy, “Yes you can, be strong.”
Your attention is drawn from Polly once you hear Arthur’s deep booming voice, “Fucking hell, is that Y/N!”
Several people stop what they’re doing and look at Arthur, including John. He is so shocked to see you, especially today of all days that it brings him to his feet. Although, you don’t notice this due to your attention now being focused on his brother. Your smile becomes genuine as Arthur approaches, bringing you into an extremely tight hug, “When did you get here?”
You say through struggled breaths, “Just. Now.”
Tommy walks up behind him, “Arthur you’re squeezing the life out of her.”
You take a deep breath in as he lets go, but before you can take a second breath Ada hugs you. “It’s so good to see you Y/N.”
John makes his way over to you with Esme’s arm wrapped around his. You take a deep breath preparing yourself for an awkward encounter. John is the first to speak, “Hello Y/N.”
“Hello John.” Silence.
Esme nudges him, “Oh Y/N this is Esme…my wife, Esme this Y/N she is uh..a family friend.”
Esme says slurring her words, “I-i-I-it’s very n-n-nice to meet you.”
You force a smile back handing her the gift, “It nice two meet you too, congratulations.” You bite the side of you lip as everyone is quiet once more.
Tommy breaks the silence, “Well we have plenty of time to catch up, this is a party after all. ”
Ada’s smile grows larger as she grabs your hand swinging you towards the dance floor. For the majority of the night you were on the dance floor trying to focus on something else. You didn’t get a chance to relax much because every time you sat down someone would ask you to dance. At times you would look towards John to see him with his arms crossed and jaw clenched. You could tell that he was seething with jealousy every time a man would get too close to you.
Esme is unaware of the glances exchanged throughout the night due to continuing to drink and becoming intoxicated. By the end of the night, John had to carry a passed out Esme to the car. The more you thought about it the you became envious of Esme’s current state. It would have been a lot easier to get through the night drunk, but unfortunately you don’t drink.
You walk into the Shelby home followed by Polly, Tommy, and Arthur. Polly takes off her coat and hat, “Y/N you can take Ada’s old room.”
You take a seat on the living room couch, “Thanks Aunt Pol.”
Polly helps a wobbly Arthur up the stairs, as Tommy sits down in the chair across from you. “You know Y/N it is good to have you home.”
You slightly laugh, “Tommy we both know you were never fond of small talk, what is it really that you wanting to talk about?”
“I just want to make sure that you understood from my letter how important this alliance is to this family.”
His statement causes your brows to furrow, “Of course I do, for gods sakes Finn was almost killed. Why wouldn’t I understand?”
He leans towards you, “Well it’s no secret how you and John feel about each other. Now if there was another way-.”
“Feelings shouldn’t get in the way of matters such as this, you and John are just trying to protect your family I understand. We don’t have to talk about this.” You turn away from Tommy feeling tears start to form and a sniffle slip out.
You hear Tommy stand up and walk towards the stairs, “You’re apart of this family.”
You look at him with a smile as tears continue to fall, “Thanks Tommy.”
Tommy makes his way upstairs and you hear the front door open to see John walk in. You stand up to face away from him trying wipe your tears away the best you can. Although it’s no use because your eyes, nose and cheeks already have a pink hue to them. You say through sniffles, “What are you doing here John?”
His takes his hat and coat off, “I’ve come to talk to you.”
You turn and cross your arms trying to calm your nerves, “Shouldn’t you be with Esme, I mean……it’s your wedding night.” You feel a lump in your throat as you struggle to say the last part.
“Uh she drank a little too much and passed out as soon as I got her home.” He moves closer to you.
Both of you just look at each other for a few seconds, before he breaks the silence by turning on the phonograph. “You know I never did get a chance to dance with you at the party.”
He steps closer to you holding out his left hand. You bite the corner of your lip, “I don’t know if thats a good idea.”
He smiles, “Just one dance?”
You reluctantly take his hand and move closer to wrap your left hand around his neck. He puts his right hand on your side as he says, “I didn’t realize that you were going to be there today.
“For a second I didn’t think I would be.”
Your heart continues to race as you feel his thumb tracing circles on your side. He doesn’t brake eye contact with you, “How are you doing?”
You look down, “It doesn’t matter how I feel, what’s done is done.”
He tilts his head trying to regain eye contact with you, “It matters to me. I need you to know that I didn’t have a choice, I had to go through with the marriage.”
You lift your head up, and his face is inches away from yours. “I know John.”
You’re taken back by the closeness, but he doesn’t seem fazed. “I wish I could change this.”
You shake your head, “There no use in wishing for something that we can’t have.”
John and you dance in silence for about a minute, just enjoying each other’s company. He twirls you away from him and back as he says, “Do you remember when we would dance like this when we were kids?”
Your smile widens, “How could I forget? You always stepped on my toes.”
He laughs, “That didn’t keep you from always following me around though, it use to annoy the hell out of me. You and Ada would be close behind me wherever I went.”
“You would always yelled at us, but every time you would give in and bring us along. Eventually I got older and stopped.”
He leans his forehead against yours, “Yeah but then I started chasing after you.”
You stay silent as he lets out a deep sigh, “I’ve missed this……I’ve missed you.”
His nose brushes up against yours as his lips get closer and closer. You two stop dancing as he lets go of your hand to loop it around your waist as you lock yours around his neck. You close your eyes struggling to keep your breathe steady. His lips gently graze against yours making your heart ache to kiss him. “John don’t……don’t do this. You shouldn’t…..even be here.”
He lightly squeezes your side, “I want to be here, I know you want me here.”
You open your eyes as you slide your hands to his chest and move your head away from him, “Just because we want something doesn’t mean it will happen”
He takes a deep breath, his cheeks and eyes become light pink. You whisper, “John go home and be with your wife.”
He doesn’t budge and continues to stare at you intensely. You grab his hands and release yourself from his grasp. Closing your eyes you mutter, “Please just go.”
Your eyes stay closed to feel his lips press against your forehead. His lip lingers there as you fight the feeling of wanting to reciprocate his affection. “Goodnight Y/N.”
You refuse to open your eyes as he backs away, not wanting to see him walk out the door. You hear the door open and shut, but even then your eyes stay closed. A few seconds pass before you open your eyes to see your all alone.
#john shelby#peaky blinder fanfic#peaky blinders x reader#john shelby x reader#john shelby x y/n#peaky blinder imagine#john shelby imagine#peaky blinders#peaky blinders fanfiction#peaky fookin blinders
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