[pinkspaceranger]

for @kingdonmicrofic day 3: gala | 485 words | ao3 | cw: infidelity, brief mention of drug addiction/benzos

"Can't you try and look happy?"

"It just feels stupid when this is all a facade."

"We're still married, my last name is still Langdon, and we still live together with our two beautiful kids. What part of that is a facade?" Abby had an uncanny way of twisting things to make them fit her narrative. "Look, all I'm asking is for you to pretend we're still in love for one night. We're already here. It's a few hours then you can run back to your little girlfriend."

"Mel. You know her name is Mel," Frank interjected sharply.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know her name is Mel, Frank. It's not like you were subtle with 'Mel this' and 'Mel that', talking about her like she hung the moon. I'm pretty sure you even moaned her name the last time we had sex so yeah, I know her fucking name," she spat out.

It was his fault for starting this up again. He should've been better at hiding his disinterest.

He and Abby had come to an agreement, she wanted to stay married for her reputation—the leeches she called friends would pounce if they knew she was in marital trouble—but they were both well aware their marriage was over. She never protested when he spent time with Mel and didn't come home or objected to him bringing her around the kids; he was damn lucky for that. When she told him to clear his calendar for the annual gala her company hosted every year, he had done so without complaint.

He had put her through hell the past few years with the benzos and then with Mel. Abby was bitter—she had every right to be—but she'd been very good to him. Would he like to officially be divorced so he could publicly date Mel? Sweep her off her feet at the end of a long shift? Yeah, he would. But Abby had stayed and supported him through rehab and all she'd asked for in return when his and Mel's affair had been revealed was that they stay married for a little bit longer. He doubted Abby's life plans included staying in a loveless marriage forever so he'd given that to her easily; Mel had understood. The collapse of their marriage wasn't solely on him but he did owe her for his part in it.

"I'm sorry, Abby. You're right. Let's not fight." He picked up her left hand with its gleaming diamond wedding band and gave it a kiss, playing his part of the dutiful husband. Her hand felt foreign in his, despite the fact they've been married for almost six years. It wasn't the hand he was used to anymore.

Again, she rolled her eyes but the previous fury in her was gone. They weren't perfect by any means but they were figuring it out as best they could.

[pinkspaceranger]

for @kingdonmicrofic day 2: champagne | 495 words | ao3

"Can I get a glass of champagne?" Someone asked from over her shoulder. A man with brown hair wearing a navy suit sidled up to her. He turned to see her eyes already on him and gave her a small grin, one that accentuated the dimple at the bottom of his chin. "You come here often?"

Mel furrowed her brow in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

Immediately, the man beside her turned bashful. "Sorry, that was supposed to be a joke. Since we're at a wedding…" He shook his head. "It was stupid."

Mel's face lit up in recognition, thankful to this stranger for explaining what he'd meant instead of making her feel dumb for not catching on. "Oh! No, it was a good joke," she moved to reassure him.

The bartender set the man's drink down in front of them but he made no move to grab it.

"Gotta hand it to them, for something as tacky as a backyard wedding, it looks nice," The man said while watching the flurry of activity. When he turned back, he grimaced at her expression. "Sorry, I did a fellowship in cynicism. It was a beautiful wedding."

She might've been deterred if it were anyone else but she didn't feel put off by his comment. His demeanor was open and warm, putting her at ease.

"I'd love a backyard like this," Mel admitted. "I used to garden with my mom when I was young. Well, I'd sit beside her while she did it. Does that count? I mean, people can learn by observing so while it's not the same as physically doing it, I think that still counts for something. Right?"

"Sure, it does. I'd trust you with my garden any day," he declared, so nonchalantly that Mel brushed off the fleeting idea he was flirting as quick as it had come.

She beamed up at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

He nodded, the strands of hair hanging over his forehead flopped in place. "For sure." He held her gaze with his intense blue eyes. "You seem like a very trustworthy person." Mel's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she broke eye contact, growing shy. She wasn't used to people spouting off compliments like they were nothing, especially in regards to her.

"Frank! Did you get my champagne, babe?" A woman's voice called and broke them out of whatever moment they had been having.

Frank grabbed the glass with a sheepish grin like he'd been caught doing something wrong. "Hopefully I'll see you around," he said before slipping away into the crowd.

She finished off her lemonade, more glum than ever because in the brief span of their conversation, she'd gotten her hopes up about not spending the rest of the night alone. Mel made an effort not to turn around, to see who Frank went back to, and because of that, she never saw the way Frank's eyes remained on her even after he returned to his date.

[pinkspaceranger]

for @kingdonmicrofic day 1: confetti | 499 words | ao3

He and Mel were sharing an apple in the break room when his phone buzzed. Frank reached for it, thinking it might be from Abby about the kids but found a message that contained only a single confetti emoji instead. It was sent into their day shift group chat by Princess. They weren't supposed to send non-work related things in the chat, as specified by Dana when it was made, but that rule had been broken too many times to count.

Frank promptly muted the group chat—something he should've done ages ago—and pocketed his phone, not wanting to get involved with whatever conversation was about to happen.

"Are you still coming over tonight, Mel?" Frank asked, slipping another apple slice into his mouth.

Mel nodded enthusiastically. "I just have to go home and grab my bag. I was in such a rush this morning that I forgot it."

Frank rested his chin on his hand and mumbled, "You know… this wouldn't happen if you just moved in with me." He had been trying to get her in his bed permanently for months now.

"Frank…" Mel started before the sound of the door opening made her go quiet. It was Emma; they both gave her polite smiles but didn't say anything. They hadn't told anyone of their new relationship status, wanting it to stay between them for a while. Mel had been particularly nervous about people figuring it out but it'd been almost six months and no one had said a thing to them. They thought they were in the clear.

Emma had to have sensed how awkward she'd accidentally made it by walking in because she was scurrying out the door as soon as she'd refilled her water bottle.

"That was close," Frank remarked, sweeping his hair back. "Do you think she heard anything?"

Mel paused before shaking her head. "I don't think so but I should go check on my patient in North 7," she replied before leaning over to give him a quick peck. "See you later."

Frank pulled her down for another before reluctantly letting her go. It wasn't enough that they worked in the same place, he wouldn't be content unless there was a way to physically glue himself to Melissa King.

He fished his phone out to check the group chat because while he had muted them for a reason, he was still nosy. Most of the messages sent after Princess' initial one were a bunch of "NO"s and crying emojis. Princess sent the devil emoji back and Santos—because of course he would find out from Trinity Santos—had said: I WAS 2 WEEKS OFF. LANGDON THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. YOU OWE ME $50

He winced, not 100% sure what she was referring to but having been at PTMC for over six years and a witness to their department's endless betting pools, he had an inkling. And it did not mean anything good for him, Mel, or their secret.

[gleeks]

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[pinkspaceranger]

gleeks:

Tina Cohen-Chang - Tonight.

In my opinion I think she should have auditioned for the role of Maria, I love Mercedes and Rachel.. I just think Tina deserves it more.

[raangmanch]

Arya Stark believes that women are important, loves and admires her lady mother, gets frustated over her crooked needlework, respects lady Smallwood.

—Gonna add some more detail here—

[wassup-zdravey]

*THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG POST*

Arya and Women:

Arya loves her sister and mother. People often think she hates girly stuff, but that’s really just her frustration at not being good at it. Yes, she calls it stupid. Just like any other 9yr old would with something they’re not good at. They want to act like they don’t care about it, but Arya’s chapters prove it’s one of the things she cares most about.

More importantly, Arya does not look down on any sort of woman. She likes lowborn women, who she’s supposed to believe she’s inherently better than. She also likes sex workers, who are even lower than the other smallfolk, because all she cares about is if someone has a good heart. She respects highborn ladies, and wishes she could be more like them. That’s jealousy, not hate.

She also doesn’t look down on feminine skills. Yes, she prefers not to do them, because she’s not good at them and it’s funner to play. But she doesn’t balk at cleaning, cooking, or making dresses if she feels she needs to. She doesn’t think bad of the people who do it regularly.

*Also, reminder Arya is left-handed, and if that had been factored into her needlework education she would probably be perfectly fine at it*

Arya and Killing People:

First of all, Arya does NOT like killing people. There’s pages and pages of proof it haunts her, probably more than it would bother most people. She feels being a murderer, even with deaths she was not directly a part of, makes her not worth even the little she thought she was worth before. Arya feels extreme guilt over the deaths, but not regret. Why?

Because she kills for justice, NOT revenge. She believes that the rightful punishment for their crimes, be it robbery, rape, or murder, is death. She gets extremely mad about any injustice to good people. She doesn’t like that she took lives, but she knows she had to. And several of her kills have been about survival. Had she not killed them, terrible things would have happened to her.

Arya and the List:

The list is a coping mechanism. The definition for that is: an adaptation to environmental stress that is based on conscious or unconscious choice and that enhances control over behavior or gives psychological comfort.

What does that sound suspiciously like? ARYA’S LIST. It makes her feel better, like eventually all the wrongs that have occurred will be righted. And she will do it, because she will become strong and fierce and safe.

Arya and Assasin training:

To Arya, the Faceless Men is a last resort. When she says there was nothing left for her in Westeros, she’s saying she had no options. What could she do? Well, she had a silver coin from a man who had helped her in Harrenhall, who had promised her food, shelter, and an education in something she felt she needed to be good at.

And may I remind people, even while on the ship to Braavos, Arya still tries to get the sailors to take her to Eastwatch-By-The-Sea. “She chose assassin training over family”?? She literally tried every other possible option.

Arya and her future:

Arya’s future isn’t all that clear yet. Her role in the end still has so many options, and so many theories. But what we do know is that it will be something big. Something important.

In several books with multiple storylines and interwoven plots, Most of Arya’s chapters are decidedly uninvolved. After ASOS, Arya isn’t even in Westeros. And she isn’t with Dany, or some other character that has an obvious role in the future. We don’t get much plot movement (on the larger scale) or important information, though there tends to be interesting foreshadowing, if you can find it.

The only storyline that does get featured is Arya’s. Arya has the third most chapters of any character, and the most for a female one. Is that character really being given character background, development, and information for so long to end up a secondary character?

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST

[ladyspartacus]

[gendrie]

Just curious, do you have any postsor know of any posts that speculate on Arya's 'femininity'? I ask because I tend to see a whole bunch of S8 GOT fic that insist that Arya is only interested in being a knight and wearing trousers and I'm just curious if that really is her end goal (as opposed to her characterization in ASOIAF? If that makes sense?) Sorry if this question is confusing!

i have some posts that might be relevant. i’ll throw some links in. and i think i understand what you’re asking. you want to know how femininity could relate to arya’s endgame in the books? well i can assure you that fanfic is way off base lol. arya is not made or trained for combat. nor should she be reduced to an executioner or any of that other garbage we can thank the show for. i was just saying recently [x] that i think arya and arc + themes are intensely feminine to me in a wild way. so thats a fundamental part of her character. arya’s very associated with nature. its her character, faith and culture. the other side of femininity is the problem.

the show and fandom are unsurprisingly misguided about femininity in general imo. ive talked(/ranted) [x] [x] about that a bit. cliff notes: “traditional” femininity is a system that forces women to be pretty, quiet, small things for male amusement and consumption. whether women adhere to this or not they will be punished. thats it. we can argue about the virtues of traditionally feminine traits all day but society (westerosi and otherwise) uses the concept of being “ladylike” to harm women. so its misogynistic in nature not to mention abelist, racist, classist ect

arya isn’t pretty enough or quiet enough or small enough so she doesnt fit the “lady” mold. which is a source of great insecurity for her. arya doesnt feel like she belongs. women who oppose the rules will be ostracized by the patriarchy. but the solution isnt to force arya into the mold - its to break it. arya can redefine what it means to be a lady. i see no reason why arya should not rule a castle or run a household just the way she is. why can a woman only have power in westeros if she conforms to shallow beauty standards??? wtf is that?? (hint: its oppression) fortunately the books challenge this. arya is presented as a tomboy little girl who doesnt think she’s good enough but she is everything a leader should be - for many reasons. one of the first things we learn about arya is the she’s well suited to running a household because she has a good head for figures. she’s practical, bold, determined and adaptable. but most importantly arya genuinely cares about people. she cares about what they have to say. she cares about their lives and their names and their trades. she accepts responsibility for them. she’s lived among the smallfolk and knows their struggles first hand. she believes they have every right to justice and that (in daeneys targaryen’s words) is what kings are for. thats what arya wants. she doesnt want to be a knight/solider. she doesnt want to be a spy/assassin. she doesnt want to travel the world for the rest of her life. arya wants to be with her people: her friends, her family, her pack. she wants to protect and provide for them. that should be the ultimate goal of every leader. it shouldnt be a beauty competition. 

part of asoiaf’s endgame (as per grrm) is for the major characters who were outcasts and underdogs, like arya, to change the world. westeros isnt going to become a democracy overnight (shame tbh. arya for president) but they’re not going to uphold the status quo either. which is why i think arya should become the lady she was born to be - one who challenges the old order and takes a step (or several) in the direction of a better world where women aren’t forced to be smaller than they are.

[daughterofthornss-blog]

Knights are sworn to defend the weak, protect women, and fight for the right.

–Sansa, ACOK

That was what knights did; they kept you safe, especially women. 

–Arya, ACOK

not always so different after all

[sstarksandrecreation]

Parks and Recreation Correspondents'’ Lunch 

[misskamala]

maisie actually did the thing™

[meet-me-onthe-equinox]

[merelybeing]

Do you know what I want out of life? Yeah.

[lizziesolsen-deactivated2020051]

“She’s a ridiculous human being. She’s beautiful and funny and effortlessly cool. She’s the whole package. It was very easy to get lost in that.” - Aubrey Plaza

[kehlani]

[obriens]

[patton-gust-blog]

When Tom Thinks You Won’t Do It But You Ain’t No Bitch. 

[tribute-deactivated20171217]

god i hate scott mccall. he’s always taking the moral high ground and saving his friends and being good to women and talking through his moral dilemmas with his mom and forgiving people even when they’re douches. fuck that guy.

[iamnevertheone]

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