Tumgik
#yeah this season was... something... when it comes to the stories idek
guardian-angle22 · 1 year
Note
So just to do a quick round up. We had:
1. A white supremacist storyline
2. A serial killer storyline
3. A deranged abusive boyfriend hunting and killing anyone in his path storyline
4. A human organ trafficking ring storyline
5. A drug cartel/Rangers undercover/something storyline
All in one season. Those are definitely choices made.
Well, damn. When you list it all out like that...
Tumblr media
the writers really said, "we're gonna make the darkest season yet... and also traumatize as many characters as possible" 😬😬
(but also if you use this list as a tally of all the ways this season was full of crime investigations, you can also include owen's girlfriend's husband's death investigation... and if it's just a list of dark ass plot points, you can add the assisted suicide as the way to cap off the entire season along with the 'son getting paralyzed')
8 notes · View notes
hinderr · 1 year
Text
Okay, here's the thing about the finale (and s3 as a whole)
First of all I wanna say, 'good' and 'fun' dont necessarily have to come together. Something objectively 'bad' can still be fun! I know I had fun a bunch of times this season, so if you enjoyed it and you had fun, I'm happy for you, and I'm not tryna say that you're 'wrong' for it, I am genuinely happy for you
But here's the thing, I didnt have fun during the finale. It felt rushed and stupid and careless, like they just wanted it done and over with, dust their hands off
- they allowed din to escape capture IMMEDIATELY, before we got a chance to see what Gideon was going to do to him or WHY he had taken extra care to capture him. They had Grogu, instead, a child apparently break away from the group of 'Foundlings are the Future' Mandalorians to save his dad alone. What?
- Gideon sees Din and Grogu moving around in the command centre and puts his helmet on going 'I'll deal with them myself'. Gideon proceeds to NOT do anything until after they destroy his precious clones, in which he waits in the room AFTER to monologue. He's a villain, yeah, but he's not stupid like that
- there were SO many things they built up only to just immediately forgo. Din's interrogation. The Armourer (and her sickly passengers) being intercepted before reaching the fleet. And then solutions to the plot appear suddenly - R5 is there now, oh he's gone. It'd be fine if it was clever, but they werent
- bo-katan is mand'alor for like. The fifth time idek. NOTHING about her previous behaviour btw especially abt her behaviour to clones. Ive been giving her the benefit of doubt thinking she'd apologise or sumn before s3 ends but. Nothing. She's just nice now or whatever
- Gideon's death was STUPID and not at all gratifying. For a villain as complex as he was, who made din and grogu's life SO hard by hunting them down, to have him die the way he did feels weak
- Paz Vizsla. Nobody cares about Paz Vizsla apparently
- the whole thing with IG-11 and IG-12 was weird and wonky. Im glad 11 is back, but that era where Grogu was pupeteering what was essentially his corpse very much rubbed wrong
- the plant thing was stupid. 'They just need room to grow' and when people were living in domes there WASNT any?? Goddamn
- WHERE IS PERSHING??
The whole thing felt...uncared for, you know? Like they didnt care for the story they wrote, they just wanted cameo after cameo, 'ooh jack black ooh gideons wearing mando armour ooh ig-11 is a mech suit now' and then didnt even bother tying a ribbon, they just chucked the box on your doorstep. The characters felt ooc, namely Bo-Katan BUT ALSO Din Djarin himself. Thats not what Mando would do, became such a common sentiment while watching. And its so disappointing because they had all the potential!! It couldve been SO GOOD
I just. Sigh. I wish they cared, yknow?
73 notes · View notes
ashes-writing · 2 years
Text
twilight zone | ahs 1984 ; x. plympton
Tumblr media
TAG LIST BABES || RULES + FANDOMS || GOT A QUESTION/HC REQUEST? || MASTERLIST POST
CHAPTERS ; 
AUTHORS NOTES;
I feel like I never told anybody how much I loved the season 1984 from American Horror Story. Or Xavier. This whole yen to write for him rose earlier - around July tbh, and Idk, this might be a thing and it might not be a thing. We shall see. I do know I at least wanna attempt to squeeze some filth out of this before I call it quits but who knows where this one is going bc spoiler alert, it's not me. I do not know. This just came a while back and I found it in my drafts, thought I'd share.
I guess, what i'm saying here, if you wanna see more, you know what to do? Or not? Idek, man. Legit do not know how to feel about this one. On the one hand I love it, on the other hand me is scaredt.. Me is scaredt that this could turn real fuckin dark, real fuckin quick.
-Ashes
SUMMARY;
-- trapped at a haunted camp (portal to hell) to help rebuild it is not how you were planning to spend your Fourth of July week. But here you are. Might as well make the most of it, right?
aka, this is the one where you're helping prep to reopen Camp Redwood. But that's not gonna go horribly wrong... Right?
PAIRING;
Xavier Plympton x Fem!Reader of vaguest descriptors if any.
WARNINGS;
not gonna lie or sugarcoat it. Sex, drugs, alcohol, a very toxic relationship with the ex who happens to also be present. possibly murder, idk yet.. for now, we'll just go with sex, dr*gs (we*d), alcohol and being trapped away from civilization with a very toxic ex. And Xavier. Xavier is his own warning, golden retriever murder boy he may be.
TAGLIST;
There is nobody on this one. If you'd like a tag, please click the link at the top of the post. I will be writing for 84 as well as other seasons.
OTHER STUFF;
Uh... This might get a little bit dark? If I keep going that is. If I keep going it could get dark. Read with caution. I'll be more descriptive in any future warnings for posts of this. I plan to write one more part, we'll see.Also, also.. setting is now, the year of our lord 2022.
Tumblr media
“Tell me they’re not… No, no. They better not be reopening this hellhole.” Montana’s mumbled words draw Xavier’s attention away from where you stand, leaned against the side of a lifted SUV that was driven by some asshole in a muscle shirt with a backwards facing baseball cap. You’re upset and he’s not sure how he knows, he just knows. The asshole in the muscle shirt says something about you being in a bitchy mood and he yells out loud, making his way over to a similar lifted vehicle.
Xavier knew it was coming, that fucking real estate agent blew through the week before and there was lots of whispering and talk about rewriting the narrative, making Camp Redwood a happy place and when he’d heard it, he wanted to laugh until he cried because the fucking place is evil. Tainted.
“Are you even listening to me, Plympton?” Montana asks, nudging him in the side. But then she spots him staring in the distance and her gaze settles where his is fixed so intently. “You know what’ll happen, you fucking idiot.”
Xavier finally pulls his gaze off you and drags a hand over the back of his neck. “I wasn’t even thinking about it, okay? I’m not fucking stupid.”
Montana scoffs because somehow, she doesn’t believe him one bit. Of everyone trapped and doomed to spend their afterlife in Camp Redwood, Xavier has struggled the hardest.
She places a hand against his bicep. “Come on, doofus. Lets just get you away from temptation, yeah? Before you wind up mopey and heartbroken and shit.”
But then, just as he’s walking away, you catch sight of him. And you rub your eyes as if you’re seeing things. And you shake your head. Before Xavier can come to you, Montana’s grabbed hold of him and blipped him up into the cabin farthest up in the grounds. Away from the cabins below.
Lavinia Richter knits her brows in concern. “Oh dear. What’s wrong, sweet boy?”
Her son looks up at Xavier and shakes his head. “I heard ‘em too. Stay the hell out of sight, kid. I mean it. It’s for your own good and their safety. We’ll work harder t’ make sure that bastard Ramirez stays trapped and can’t roam as much as usual.”
“It’s only a week.” Ray speaks up from the doorway and Chet nods solemnly. “Lot can happen in a week, man. Didn’t take this shit we’re stuck in more than a day or two, remember?”
“Yeah, well.”
Down below, you’re wandering around. Trying to find the guy you thought you saw earlier. Trying to blow off steam because once again, Seth is being a complete prick. You spot the dock and the sunlight glinting off the water and it’s so hot that you can’t resist taking a dip.
You make your way down and shed your cutoffs and the tank top you’d been wearing and you dive into the cool water of the lake. When you resurface, you happen to catch sight of a rundown cabin off in the distance on a high slope. And you’re almost certain you’ve seen someone standing in the window. A woman with bright platinum hair.
From the dock, Seth yells out to you and you ignore him because you’re just not ready to deal with him yet, continuing to splash around in the lake instead. Seth strips down and dives in with you, popping up while your back is turned and you scream when he covers your eyes.
You’ve heard all the stories about this place. You’re not sure why you agreed to come out and rebuild it after hearing everything that went down. But here you are.
“Jesus Christ, Seth.”
He laughs and teases you. “Such a little baby.”
“Asshole.”
“Aw c’mon. Don’t tell me you believe that haunted camp bullshit like Colin and Phoebe.”
You don’t answer because you’re too busy scanning the shore because you’re almost positive you’ve seen the same guy you saw minutes after your arrival and you’re almost sure you saw him sitting on the shore. Staring at you intently. Like he’s watching you.
Seth is starting to get handsy, his usual trick of sex to make you forget whatever shitty thing he’s gone and done and you swat his hands away, giving him an irritated look. “Stop it, Seth. No.”
“Aw, c’mon, darlin. Nobody will ever know,” he mumbles as his finger trails over your panties just below the dark surface of the water and you try to squirm away, “All I have to do is pull your bottoms to the side.” he’s trying to kiss your neck and you finally shove him off.
“You didn’t just forget a date this time, asshole. You fucked our roommate. In our bed. Fuck off, Seth. We’re done.”
He throws up his hands and calls out calmly, “You say that until Captain Morgan gets involved, babe. You’ll be back. I’m the best you’ll ever have. You even said it yourself.”
“Fucking six seconds lasting motherfucker, I hate you.” you grumble under your breath as you hurry to re-dress and get as far away from Seth as you can manage.
In your annoyed huff you find yourself body to body with him.
The guy you’ve been catching glimpses of all day long. And he’s all sweet smiles and baby blues dancing over your body. Biting his lip.
“Can I help you, sir?” you ask, stepping away a little because he’s migrated closer to you.
Xavier sighs. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Yeah, kind of figured that one out for myself. Now I’m stuck and when I do leave, if I can’t get an Uber, I’m spending four hours trapped in that piece of shit over there,” you point to the jacked up SUV and continue as you rub your forehead, “With that piece of shit out in the water.”
Xavier shakes his head and it’s almost sad in a way because he’s just got a really, really weird feeling about the group of you showing up here. Now.
“None of you should be here.”
Your brow raises. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You can’t tell me you don’t know what the fuck you’ve walked into, kitten.” Xavier responds. Seth has caught sight of you both and he’s angry, heading straight for you.
“The fuck is this shit, huh?”
You grumble. You’re also clinging a little closer to his body and Xavier can’t help the way it overwhelms him. He’s been so long without some kind of physical touch. It’s driving him fucking insane. And you seem scared of the guy barrelling towards you both. Maybe more angry than afraid, but that fear is there and it’s got your eyes a little wild, a little bigger. 
Xavier slips his arm around you and plasters on his best smirk.
“Gonna stop you now, meathead.” he speaks up, voice smooth and calm as silk and you can’t help but notice that somehow, it’s got you both a little wet and slightly afraid at the same time. Because there’s something dangerous in that voice and the way he’s smirking. “I’m taking your girl.”
Seth chuckles. “Mhm, right. You’re not even her type.”
You speak up before you can stop yourself. One wrong word and the asshole will abandon you out here in the middle of fuckin nowhere and you know it. He’s done it before.
And in that moment, you realize that you’re pathetic. You keep letting Seth sweet talk you and love bomb you until you’re back to the same vicious cycle and it’s been this way since at least junior year of high school. But you’re finally ready to call it quits. For good. Because he might’ve been an asshole up to this point but up to this point he hadn’t cheated on you. And then been callous enough that he didn’t bother hiding it after the fact.
And you weren’t going to take anymore of it.
“Actually, dipshit..” you speak up and Seth’s gaze settles on you. “Go on then, have your fun. Fuck this out of your system, get even with me.”
“We’re over this time, Seth. I’m being serious.” you respond. And it’s so calm that Seth looks just a little panicked. After he walks away to sulk, you take a few ragged breaths and collapse onto the bank. A hand thrown over your forehead. On the one hand, it feels as if you’ve lost his exact body weight in bullshit and baggage. On the other hand, you’ve managed to fuck yourself out of a way home at the end of the week.
Xavier stands there, arms folded. Gazing down at you.
“Are you okay, darlin?” he sinks down to sit beside you.
“I will be.. I think. I mean as soon as I fucking hitchhike four hours home at the end of the week.”
,, If you live til then.” Xavier thinks to himself solemnly.
You prop on your elbow and turn to the side, raising up to look at him. “Are you with Habitat?”
Xavier wants to tell you the truth but he knows that’ll do him no good just yet. Maybe in a day or two. After the usual weird shit happens and you all notice it and begin to panic and react accordingly. Then maybe you’ll at least listen to reason if he gets a little closer.
And he can tell himself this is his only plan, to keep you safe, but deep down, he knows it’s because he wants you. Not forever.
For now.
So when you repeat your question and he’s finally not distracted enough by your pillowy lips to answer, he flashes you his best charmers smirk. “Yeah.” he laughs. “I uh.. Signed up for it late.”
You smile and nod. “Awesome.” but in the back of your mind something feels off. Between the cryptic statement he made earlier and the dangerous vibe you're kind of picking up from him, something just feels off.
“My name is Xavier, by the way, darlin.” he introduces himself, chuckling because he’s been out of humanity for so long it’s as if he’s forgotten all the manners beaten into him at a young age. He stands and holds out a hand to help you up and warily, you take it.
Something about his name sounds familiar but you don’t say anything.
Because right now, you’re just grateful he got rid of Seth for you. And he seems like a nice guy, even though you can feel the danger as it radiates off of him.
But you’re on defensive right now.
Maybe you’re just being paranoid.. Right?
110 notes · View notes
laufire · 1 year
Note
yeah I hated sansa’s season 5 plotline, but the reaction, ie. that it was bad not because it happened but because it happened to sansa specifically, that it would have been fine if it had happened to jeyne was…terrible. and honestly I found the book plot with jeyne just as awful and gratuitous as the show plot. i’m obviously not defending the sansa/Ramsey plot because it was gross as fuck, but there was a huge contrast in how the audience reacted to Sansa’s rape vs rape and sexual violence against dany, cersei, and the other women on game of thrones. in fact i literally saw a sansa stan say something like “y’all are mad the show killed of your white savior fave but you said nothing when sansa was raped” and I was thinking like what? Daenerys was literally raped in the first episode, why are you implying she was immune to the show’s misogyny. (also people are allowed to be mad about dany being murdered through intimate partner violence, holy shit)
I think "I love this character, specifically, more than I love other characters, therefore I don't want them to have a poorly done or hurtful storyline" is a more than reasonable stance. "It bothers me when a character I have strong affection for is the target of sexual violence" is, also, perfectly reasonable! Trust me, I understand! I have a terrible track record when it comes to this (Caroline Forbes, Black Sails' Max, Buffy Summers, Mellie Grant, Bela Talbot, Castiel, Priya and Tony in Dollhouse, the characters in Reign... I Get It).
I can even understand "I was less uncomfortable when it happened to secondary characters and I could brush it off". I think a statement like that deserves some deep self-reflection, and that if anything, it makes giving such a story to a lead character all the more poignant -in a show that at least pretends it wants to start a conversation about sexual violence, it'd be an easy cop-out to only limit that storyline to unnamed women or prop characters with little incidence on the narrative when the audience has proven perfectly capable of ignoring it while patting themselves in the back for, idek. Recognising it happened or not reacting in the worst possible way.
(sidenote: "authors should never write about rape" is never going to be a statement I can agree with. There are many reasons for this, but probably the most important one is a similar sentiment of some posts I reblogged semi-recently and now can't find in typical tumblr fashion, about how naïve, myopic and privileged is to want children's books to never include any of the dark realities of life, as if there aren't real, living children experiencing such in this very moment. Maybe, just maybe, not every story's existence has to revolve around. Maybe, just maybe, some people need different things from fiction than you do. It's everyone's prerogative to refuse to engage with such storylines! But their existence itself is a different matter.)
In shows like Game of Thrones or Reign, especially, there's something insidious in how people will use the "not for a lead!" argument (even putting aside how ridiculous it is in GOT, where the two other lead women were already rape victims). Namely, that the leads are high-born, and the secondary characters they argue should be the ones suffering those storylines are seen as "beneath" them in the social hierarchy.
It's impossible to deny this influenced audience's reactions, because there were people straight up arguing that Ramsay shouldn't have felt entitled to do that to Sansa, and not Jeyne, because she was highborn (???). Or that objected to Mary's rape in Reign because she was a ~queen. Look, of course certain privileges can help you avoid violence. Social class can be a shield, in particular. But it can become useless when you come face to face with a predator and he decides you're his next target. By that point, the title of lady means absolutely nothing.
Like you, I have no desire to defend the Sansa-Ramsey storyline (among other reasons, I never watched it and I tried not to pronounce definite judgements in storylines I don't have direct experience with). For what I know, D&D were practically eager to jump at the chance to put the actress on such scenes once she was old enough. And, to put it bluntly, I just don't give male creators writing about misogyny and violence against women the benefit of the doubt, not anymore. They have to prove themselves beyond doubt first.
But frankly? I don't give that benefit of the doubt to audiences either. I can't think of a single time that, at the moment a rape storyline occurred, didn't react in appalling, offensive ways. In a lot of fandoms that can evolve with time, or at least in recent years it seems people have grown more prudent about how they come across. But when it came to present-time reactions? Fans have an awful track record, IMO.
“y’all are mad the show killed of your white savior fave but you said nothing when sansa was raped”
This is fucking vile for the exact reasons you listed, jfc.
9 notes · View notes
forbiddenship · 3 years
Text
Tumblr media
ahhhh my portwell tweet has almost a thousand likes!! idek how that happened bc this post is literally just me freaking out about getting them back on my screen but hey 🤷‍♀️
just a reminder that the toxic r*nas on twitter are nothing but a small, (very) vocal minority that goes out of their way to shit on portwell. almost every fandom has that one set of shippers or subsection of the fandom whose full-time job is being miserable and making the people around them miserable. literally. i’ve seen it time and time again. tv shows, movies, books, everything.
at this point, i’ve learned to stay in my lane, let them live in their bubble of delusion, and just use the block button whenever i have to. and yeah, it does suck that there’s always gonna be people who wanna come into your lane and block your line of vision. in our case, we keep seeing r*nas post about how portwell isn’t gonna last, they’re gonna break up over the summer, r*na endgame, yada yada yada.
and look. i get it. everything is really uncertain right now. none of us fully trust tim after some of the switcheroo’s he’s pulled on the characters and just the fact that show runners are hard to trust in general.
but we’ve already got plenty of people rooting against us and trying to bring us down. we don’t need to do that to ourselves. i know it’s hard not to get in your own head about literally every single thing that could go wrong in season 3. i’m well aware that portwell has some cards stacked against them.
and yet, i’ve still got nothing but hope and an open mindset going into this next season. like, i’ve been waiting in agony for so long to get this announcement and i was literally screaming in public when the confirmation dropped. my heart was overflowing with joy just thinking about all the canon!portwell content we’re about to enjoy. like come on - portwell hugging, kissing, holding hands, cuddling, a forehead kiss, a dance, a whole lotta flirting - it’s honestly a lot more than i would’ve dared hope for.
it’s so so important to learn to see the good things in life. we’ve been given so many blessings. there are people who complain about the writing/music of season 2 (which i might be in the minority here but i genuinely loved all of the development we got this season and the soundtrack is way better imo), but just the fact that they put out a full season to entertain us in the middle of a pandemic is something that we take for granted.
and to be honest, i sometimes take for granted portwell itself too. like how much thought the writers put into crafting the relationship, all the parallels and the tropes and the way their relationship in s2 mirrors and complements their individual character trajectories in s1. all of the little details and the hints they gave us. and ofc the s2 finale. like yeah i was disappointed that we didn’t see the kiss, but the ending was honestly so them. the characters got the happy ending they needed and the audience got the reassurance we needed, but it didn’t overstep where ej/gina were in their relationship at that point in time and didn’t try to overdramatize it too soon. it left something more to be explored in season 3, a lot more, which is precisely why we’ve all been so anxiously awaiting this announcement.
so why all of a sudden do we think that that exploration isn’t gonna happen? that we’re gonna be let down? is it what the r*nas are saying? because remember they also said portwell would stay besties (proven false), portwell was one-sided (proven false), portwell’s age gap meant the writers would never go there (proven false), portwell was a plot device (proven false), and that portwell was like siblings (proven very false by literally the fucking script itself).
the haters can say what they want, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that everything they say is shrouded in delusion - trying to comfort themselves as they come to the realization that their ship is not only pretty much bones, but it’s also overshadowed by an unexpected pairing that is now possibly the best love story on the show.
so what we’re not gonna do is let r*na or anything else (including our own fears and anxieties) ruin this for us. we’re gonna be fine.
i’m sorry if this sounded harsh at all, i just thought it was important to say. stay positive y’all!! and portwell will stay winning :)
53 notes · View notes
akuma-homura · 3 years
Text
higurashi sotsu
okay it’s night time and i’m anxious about some stomach sensations but
While I am content with the ending episode, and it did make me feel happy, accepting it at face value, it’s time for the Gripes Post
I also do acknowledge, and feel, that. Yeah it’s...what the hell?
Satoko pretty much got a slap on the wrist for what she had done.Barely even that. Maybe I can take that with witches/loopers morality in regards to that sort of stuff is skewed or something but... it just... feels..... weird???? Idek, I just wish it was actually addressed some. But I guess she is living in a world without Rika, technically, for those 3 years she’s off to St. Lucia, so...
Shrugs a lot
Also. I’m... conflicted about what happened with Eua? Like, oh, so this... is when she chipped her device? Hanyuu did it? ....Why baby??? Hanyuu’s chipped horn being a red herring in that regard? They did say the two were the same/Hanyuu a piece of her, but... ...eh?????
And also, I just... can’t brush past how poor the writing decisions were for the rest of the season, only for it to end up like this. I personally don’t think Rika and Satoko were like... TOTALLY out of character, but also I see where that comes from because the writing decisions are ??????
like... how to say. The beats to the story I guess seem in place, but how it actually gets written out is off. I still think it isn’t OOC for Satoko to end up as she did-- but the way it was written was just. Bad. The pacing of it was just bad. Enough for her to look like some one-note villain or something. I did enjoy her more maniacal moments, like before she shot Mion, for example! But it’s just... the rest of everything. I STILL feel like if they wanted to do the Witch vs Human conflict, they should of built it up NOT ONLY in Tatariakashi. They should of built it up through the other arcs, but no, they just had her look mwahaha evil.
ALSO, THE GOD DAMN STUDYING THING. THEY REALLY JUST BOILED IT DOWN TO THAT. I still believe and reiterate, I feel like theorists and fans would write a better fanfic with more nuance than how this ended up.
I also feel bad for Satoshi as a character, being pushed out until the literal very end--- but also, Shion???? So I guess Satoko holding her ribbon in that one poster was..... for no reason at all, huh? and Rena had the opportunity to be relevant too, but wasn’t used at all in such a way...
I also still.... don’t like Teppei being ‘redeemed’. I get that Ryu07 considered it a failing to not do so for him in the OG series, but... ...fuck, man.
Gou/Sotsu probably gets a 4/10 for me overall, Gou by itself is higher but combined with Sotsu is just.... eugh.
Literally would not recommend it to anyone. If they wanna see Higurashi(specifically see), I’d just point them to the OG anime.
At least the music’s good, and we got  new version of You
15 notes · View notes
yukheistics · 4 years
Text
liar, mark lee.
Tumblr media
pairing mark lee x reader
word count 2.5k
genre angst, slight fluff
warning(s) implication of cheating
note i’m experimenting with writing styles, so bear with me on this one hehe! this concept is inspired by the ways we lie by stephanie ericsson. i finished this at 2am so idek (⊙‿⊙✿)
summary he knows how to lie. he knows how it works. he knows you.
Tumblr media
There are many things Mark Lee is good at. 
He knows how to rap, sing, and dance until his lungs are on fire. He knows how to plaster a smile on his face when his company offers another tiring position for him to be in. He knows how to pretend that everything is alright for him to handle. He knows how to lie.
He has a thing or two for semantics and can construct a deception for one to believe in. He maintains his composure, sticks to his story, and walks around the truth more often than he can think. He claims to dislike lying, but the person he often does it to is you. He likes to think of it as a way of protecting you as unpleasant as it really sounds. 
“Have you told her yet?” Donghyuck asks him after dance practice when it was just the two of them alone. He looks concerned for him. “The sooner you tell her, the better. You know that.”
Mark simply shrugs his shoulders and leans his back on the mirror. “’Hyuck, just—I’ll handle it, okay? I just don’t know how to tell her.”
“Simple,” the younger male starts to wipe his sweat off with his shirt and sits next to him. “Tell her about the contract. It’ll ease her mind knowing that her boyfriend isn’t actually cheating on her.”
“Right.”
“She already put a lot on the line for you. The least you can do is tell her the truth.”
He recalls an essay he has read in his junior year of high school: The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson. It made him aware of the underlying cancer that grows within our mind that society accepts the fact that everyone lies. It’s a trait that has been embedded in the human mind for so long that it is almost impossible to get rid of.
There are ten ways listed, but all he remembers are four prominent ones: white lies, facades, omissions, and delusions. (He utilizes it all.)
“Baby, I’m fine.”
Mark reassures you. He never lies to you—not even a white lie, but he doesn’t want to worry you with his issues. It is his problem, anyways. He couldn’t find the right flow to the rap verse they assigned him to, no matter how many times he does it. Something is missing. He’s way off, he thinks. 
“Okay, fine,” you pout through the video call and cross your arms. “But if there is something wrong, you have to tell me. Even if you know I am sleeping because of our shitty time zones, you still have to call me just to tell me. I don’t care!”
He laughs wholeheartedly and grins at you. “Of course.”
“You better, Mark Lee,” you shake your head in a taunting manner. “Or else, I will go to South Korea myself and force the answer out of you. Wait, that’s too aggressive, but you get what I’m saying, right?”
“I’m still surprised I understand you in general,” he jokes and stands up to get a glass of water. “But baby, I’m fine. You know how comeback season works, it’s like, a routine at this point.”
“I know,” you address. “Just make sure to get lots of rest and know your limits. I don’t want my baby boy getting sick while I’m in another country studying law.”
He blushes at the nickname and rubs the back of his neck. “Of course. I always know my limits.”
“Take a break.”
Mark looks up from the lyric sheet and sees Taeyong staring right at him. He clenches his jaw and pushes the headset down to his shoulders before opening the door of the recording studio. “I’m fine. I just need more time. I keep messing up a verse.”
“The producer said your voice was already good during your eighth recording. You are at your twelfth right now,” the leader pauses and pats his shoulder. “I understand where this is coming from, but you never acted this way over a recording. Is everything okay?”
He looks down at his shoes. “Yeah, you know me. I have a tendency to try and perfect it the least. It’s the least I can do to our fans.”
“Just don’t push yourself. It’s already midnight. Make sure to get some rest,” Taeyong purses his lips and playfully hits his shoulder. “Plus, what would ____ think if she knows you’re not taking care of yourself, huh?”
Mark almost crumples the contract in his hands. “She’d be pretty concerned—and mad.” He pushes the chair back and runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, why did I agree to this?”
At this point, he wears a facade for you. He keeps saying things again and again and hopes to God that you haven’t caught on to his act. It’s a one man play. And you’re the only one watching. He looks at his best friend, who pushes a mug of green tea towards him—as if it will solve all of his problems. It won’t. 
“Why did you?” Donghyuck repeats and looks at him with concern. He has known Mark for the past ten years, but he can never understand the impulsive decisions he makes. It’s one to be dedicated to a job, but it’s another to be impulsive. “Mark, you’re gonna break her if you don’t tell her.”
Mark laughs. He glances down at the hot steam coming from the mug before looking at his best friend. “You think I don’t know that, ‘Hyuck?”
“Tell her,” the other boy urges on. “Tell her how you signed a contract that states you agreed to be in a relationship for the time being for the new group’s sake. Technically, it is the truth.”
“It’ll make her more stressed. She’s already stressed with law. I don’t need this to be a part of her concern.”
“Then, tell me,” Donghyuck finally sighs. “Tell me what you’re gonna tell her when you’re on the headlines for being in a secret relationship with a trainee?”
Mark clearly knows his faults and weaknesses. He is partaking in another version of lies: omissions. He tells you the truth by excluding one or more key components of it. You don’t need to know everything, is what his mind says when he sees you through the camera exhausted, but still excited to see him. You ask questions and he answers with the important parts being left out. He asks questions and you answer with utter honesty because he knows you too well. 
(You don’t need to know.)
“Yujin,” Mark enunciates and looks at her with a tilt of his head. “Do you think this is right by any means?”
She hums. “Well,” she takes a sip from her drink. “It’s what the company wants right? It’s their word against ours—and you should know how this industry functions at this point. It’s a bunch of manipulation and shit that is geared towards perfection, which is only utilized to please the public eye.”
“Well, I know that,” he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “I mean about this—our relationship.”
She giggles. “We’re getting paid anyways. What’s so bad about kissing in front of the camera at events to please fans?”
“Right,” he replies with a strained laugh. “I just find the idea nerve-wracking.”
She frowns at him. “Mark, are you okay?”
Here is what he learned from the entertainment industry: people don’t really want to know how you feel. The truth, they never want that. When they ask how are you, they don’t wanna know. They just ask because they feel like they have to. They don’t want you to elaborate on how you really are. It’s something that they do to make them seem like a good person. They do it for their part and not his. 
No. The two letter word burns on his tongue, but just like a mechanized script, the words that leave his mouth is a lie that he has told multiple times that leave people with a nonchalant smile on their lips: “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He sees you for the fifth time this week, dressed in sweats as you cradle a bowl of cereal in your hands with a goofy smile on your face. “What?” you curiously ask with the spoon in your mouth. “Am I that pretty, Mark?”
“You’re always pretty,” he responds immediately with a slight smirk on his lips, which in turn causes you to blush. “I miss you.”
You smile. “I miss you more.”
He sees your tired smile once more and sighs. He wants to tell you, really, but he doesn’t want to see that smile slip from your features knowing that it is his fault. But he knows that he will be the reason you will be crying in the following week. It’s for you, he repeats in his head, it’s for you. 
I need to let you go.
“Imagine if I just became an idol, hm?” you suddenly say. “I’d probably see you more and not stress about stupid bar exams for the time being.”
Don’t. Please don’t. He urges to say, but he just shakes his head and sheepishly grins at you. “Well, if you did become one, you’d probably be a singer. I still remember when you were drunk and sang to me—”
“You said you wouldn’t bring that up!” Despite the virtual connection, he can still clearly see your flushed cheeks. Again. (He really loves you.) “That was so fucking embarrassing.”
“It was adorable.”
“Right,” you close your eyes and lean your face closer to the camera. “I love you, Mark Lee.”
“I love you too,” he responds immediately. “One day,” he rubs his eyes. “One day, I’ll finish my contract and I can be with you. We can be together. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?”
To think, he has already planned out his life with you in his mind, but he knows it’s impossible. But not only does he aim to deceive you, but to deceive himself too. It’s a delusion as Ericsson would describe it to be. It’s funny how he cannot remember a preponderance of things, yet he always remembers how delusion was described: filters out information that contradicts what we want to believe. He is building a perception of a perfect world with you, where he wouldn’t have to think about his image for a second. It’s too good to be true. It’s not real.
“It does. It really does,” you say, but the tone of your voice says otherwise. “Just promise me one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mark Lee.”
The blinding lights of the studio almost make him want to throw up. Mark watches how the staff are preparing the set and how his management are talking over the script with the interviewer. He looks at himself through the mirror one more time before facing Yujin, who is busy fixing her eyelash extensions. 
“So, the interview is gonna be live,” Yujin drawls out, puckering her lips and tilting her head at him. “Mark, be honest with me,” she taps his shoulder. “Do you hate me?”
He widens his eyes and shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I swear!”
“You sure? Because every time we talk, you look glum. You tend to zone out.”
“It’s really not because of you,” he utters. “Let’s just say, I didn’t expect the company to agree to this for publicity.”
She nods in acknowledgement. “Is that all?”
Mark thinks of Yujin as a catalyst. She’ll be the one to speed up the duration of his relationship with you and destroy whatever he has built for you. Not that any of this was hers to control. He wishes he can hate her, but all she has ever done was sign her name on a contract the same as he did. If anything, Yujin is a spawn in a much bigger scheme that acts as the catalyst. 
“Yeah, that’s all.”
Mark feels dizzy. His eyes are overwhelmed by the numerous flashes from cameras and the questioning voices of reporters. He pulls down his cap as if it’ll do him any justice and wraps his arm around Yujin—as told by the company. “I didn’t know the reporters were gonna be this much.”
“Well, since our management wants our relationship to blow up, it’d make sense in a way,” she exhaustedly replies when he opens the car door for her. “Just smile and pose, Markie,” she says and leans in for a kiss on his cheek when she catches a camera aimed their way.
He freezes. 
“Show business is show business,” she whispers in his ear and gets in the car. “It’s a cruel world we live in, isn’t it?”
Mark calls you, but he understands why you haven’t picked up in the past week. He already can see your tear-stained cheeks and hear your stifled sobs. He wishes he can tell you the truth, but he’d rather let you go with a lie. He’s good at that. He’s good at lying. He’s lied before to you. It should be easy.
“It’s been going on for the past months,” he tells you. “I-I didn’t know how to bring it up, so I just—”
“Decided to let me see it for myself?” you cut him off, chuckling nervously. “God, Mark, this whole damn time I have thought to be with you, you’ve been off fucking a trainee?”
Mark almost grimaces. But he maintains the composure he has left for himself and nods slowly. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie until it feels right. “It just happened. One day, we were practicing and we clicked. At first, I thought it was a one-time thing to distract myself. I just needed a friend at the time,” he pauses. “One thing led to another and we slept with each other, okay? And I just lost feelings for you. I only continued our relationship because I felt obligated to.”
It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s a lie.
He loves you. He has always loved you, regardless of the distance between you. The only reason you had to move was because of his debut; the company did not want any news spreading about him being in a relationship, yet they were the ones pulling the strings as of right now. They explained how their new girl group was not selling well, and the infamous Mark Lee was a way to solve the problem. Mark, do this, Mark, do that. Mark, pretend. Just smile and pose. Smile. Smile beneath the lie. 
He can’t keep doing this to you.
“You did so much for me, so I kept calling you as a means to return the favor.”
He sees it. He sees the tears building up in your eyes as you force on a smile and laugh again. “What am I? A charity case?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I hate you.” 
He knows you too well. He knows that you’re putting a front—don’t we all? He thinks of the white lie you’re uttering, the facade you’re wearing, the omission you’re doing, and the delusion you’re forcing yourself into. He knows how to lie. He knows how it works. He knows you. 
“I know.” I know that’s a lie.
1K notes · View notes
((Sometimes I hate how slow my mind can process things- ahh autism problems lmao))
((Also I’m a little slow on some asks because I’m drawing a few of them, esp the story heavy ones.
And today I wanna get through them and then probably take another break. Cuz a personal thing came up and I’m not feeling my emotional best atm.
And yeah, I know. If I feel this way I don’t have to work on it, well, the asks I wanted to draw for have been sitting in my drafts for almost a week and I want them done and out of the way. Esp since I love doing those~. Tho I overwhelm myself too much when I’m hyper focusing on something else entirely with the bois lol
that’s hard af. lol why must my special interests do this to me when I have seasonal depression coming, esp with that personal thing I mentioned to top it off?? 👏🏻👏🏻 lol idek but yeah~
sorry if I’m so slow with them, I’m just kinda struggling answering questions rn esp if they’re coming more and more without me expecting it. I’m used to not getting this much asks. If I ever got any at all lmao.
I’m just grateful you’re all understanding and patient and sometimes I feel I don’t deserve you guys lol.
But yeah, I will get to the ones I wanted to work on and then make another post about taking a break after they’re done. Just to let ya know, y’know~?
love you guys, fr~ 🥺💙❤))
5 notes · View notes
katie-writes24 · 3 years
Text
Big Heart, Little Things
Pairing: Hercules Mulligan x reader
Warnings: Fluff and the holiday season and probably bad writing
Request: Could you write something with reader and Herc celebrating Christmas together 🥺🎄- Anonymous
Man I’m so sorry. I don’t think I wrote this how I wanted to, but it’s been a stressful week and I know Christmas is over, but we still got like half an hour here so 🤷‍♀️. Anyways, I hope you all had a great holiday, it’s always been a weird time for me idek why but Christmas is full of emotions and that’s not for me. So enjoy, sorry it’s late, sorry it’s short, but yeah!
“C’mon, it’s so cute!” Y/N smiled and looked up at Hercules with wide eyes.
“It’s kind of small don’t you think?” Hercules grabbed the stem poking out at the top of the tree. It was about three inches smaller than him, a short skirt of branches and leaves outlining the entire tree.
“We don’t need a big tree, it’s just going to be the two of us. C’mon, I know just where it’ll go and we can decorate it and it’ll look so good?” She intertwined their fingers and gave him a hopeful look. They didn’t need a giant tree that would cramp up their apartment, even though Hercules needed everything to be big and grand.
“You know what, i don’t think I even have a say in it anyways.” 
“You’re right, we’re getting it!”
Turns out, it looked best in the corner of the living room, just close enough that they could lounge on the couch with the fireplace going and see the neighbors lights from the window. 
Hercules had a small box of ornaments, all from his past and all meaningful. Y/N couldn’t help but compare her boxed set of plain, red ornaments that’s only meaning was that it was on sale. He laughed, but didn’t judge. He knew that her past was complicated, small things like ornaments weren’t going to stick this far around.
But Y/N liked hearing his stories behind it, like his poorly painted gingerbread; Hercules had an obsession with making gingerbread houses when he was a kid, and he insisted on becoming a professional when he was older. It was something that Y/N would never let him live down.
There was also one with a picture of his family, and even one in a shape of a football trophy. Hearing all the stories made her wish she had some kind of meaningful ornament, wishes she had some kind of tradition when she was a kid.
Knowing her so well, Hercules didn’t let her think too much into it, kissing her head softly and keeping her busy with wrapping garland around the tree.
~~~
“No, no, don’t come in!” Y/N rolled her eyes.
“I’m leaving!”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming out,” There was some shuffling and then Hercules slid out the doorway, quickly shutting it behind him and giving her an innocent smile.
“What are you hiding?” They promised each other that they wouldn’t do anything grand this year. Y/N just hoped whatever Hercules was hiding in his office wasn’t something too big.
“C’mon, I can’t tell you, it’s a surprise,” Hercules wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “Surely you know how Christmas works, princess?”
She shoved him and pulled out of his grip, “I gotta go. I’ll call you when I get out, I still need to go get the Schuyler’s presents.”
“Yeah, no worries.”
“Alright...and Herc, please promise that you’re not going over the top?”
“Relax, stop stressing. I’m sure the thin watch you got me will be just as amazing as the giant house I am building for you.”
Y/N pursed her lips, but couldn’t help let out a snort. “I hate you.”
“Well, I love you,” Pulling her wrist, he hovered above her, tilting her chin up. Their lips connected and stayed that way for a moment. When she pulled back, Hercules only cupped her cheeks and went in for a deeper kiss, making her whimper before giggling.
“I gotta go, I’m gonna be late!” With one last kiss, she pulled back and waved him off.
~~~
The warmth blanketed her shoulders as soon as they walked in. The lit up tree casted a soft light against the couch and it made her smile.
“Why are you smiling? It’s extremely cold and I think my nuts are frozen together.” Hercules shook off his coat and rubbed his hands together.
“Go start the fire,” He was always one to be a bit dramatic about the cold, always complaining that it should be impossible to be this big and still feel it in my bones. “And what? It’s a crime to smile?”
Hercules smirked at her form his crouched position by the fireplace. “Have a nice night?”
“It was fun, seeing everyone again? I haven’t felt so...at home before.” The Schuyler’s invited them all over for Christmas Eve dinner, full of expensive food and wine and John getting drunk and gag gifts being passed around. It felt like what Christmas was uploaded to feel like, it felt like something she lacked as a kid.
“I’m glad you had fun,” It was a memorable night, there were lots of pictures on his phone that he knew were probably embarrassing to his friends, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “But what you’re saying is, you don’t feel at home with me?”
“Well, I’m glad you figure it out. And while we’re on the subject, I’m in love with Alexander.” Now Y/N was the one to smirk as Hercules chased her around the couch, finally catching her and wrapping his arms around her back in an embrace.
“Not funny,” She could feel his small smile against her skin.
“You know that you’re my home,” Y/N held him tight and shut her eyes. After a year and a half of living together, she was still in shock of the small home that they built together. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
~~~
“I can’t believe you made all this,” Piles of clothing laid across the couch, all ranging from sweaters to skirts, and a short dress. Y/N caressed the fabric and smiled in awe. “You really out did yourself this time.”
“You deserve it, babe. It really was nothing.” Hercules held the blanket close to him, watching his girlfriend with soft eyes. She looked so happy, it was what she deserved on this special day.
“I can’t thank you enough,” She threw her arm around his shoulders and burrowed her face into his neck. “You really made this Christmas special.”
“I love you, Y/N,” Hercules kissed her forehead and leaned against her. The snow was starting to fall outside their window, and you could see the sky start to close. Wrapping paper covered the floor and small gifts sat in bags. Soft music played in the background as the fire heated the room. It looked like a cliche Hallmark movie.
But Y/N wouldn’t want Christmas any other way, not when she finally figured out this was what it was supposed to feel like.
32 notes · View notes
catargott · 3 years
Text
when you speedrun evermore looking for taylor swift lyrics that reminds you of supercorp :)
this is in no particular order btw because speedrunning means idek how many songs there are and i have definitely not looked at the tracklist
oh and i know there are some people who don’t particularly like her music and that’s okay! you can just ignore this haha (or read about her lyricism, either way works for me <3)
happiness
there'll be happiness after you but there was happiness because of you both of these things can be true there is happiness
starting out angsty as i always do :)
but basically for this one i really see both of them kind of thinking it over and wanting to move on but also not wanting to move on and it’s really just so s5 i can’t think of it any other way
haunted by the look in my eyes that would've loved you for a lifetime leave it all behind and there is happiness
i would say this is lena talking because kara probably could tell and it probably really set in after lena left so once again s5 vibes from this and “it was never meant to be” aesthetic
tell me, when did your winning smile begin to look like a smirk? when did all our lessons start to look like weapons pointed at my deepest hurt? i hope she'll be your beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you no, i didn't mean that sorry, i can't see facts through all of my fury you haven't met the new me yet
so i took this as both a little bit of lena and lex at the beginning but also a little bit of season 5 lena at the end especially because it seems her anger was kind of blinding her to everything else
after giving you the best i had tell me what to give after that all you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness you haven't met the new me yet and i think she'll give you that
this is also lena but closer to the end of season 5, when she realizes and begins to forgive kara
cowboy like me
you're a bandit like me eyes full of stars hustling for the good life never thought i'd meet you here it could be love we could be the way forward and i know i'll pay for it
so in the previous verse, it references the rich people paying for it literally, but i don’t think that’s all it means in this verse, and it kind of reminded me of lena and kara because they really did pay for loving each other
now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon with your boots beneath my bed forever is the sweetest con
honestly this isn’t even for a specific reason, i just felt it screaming supercorp at me haha. i mean that last line is so in character and cynical and it really echoes the idea of them wanting forever together but knowing they can’t have it
and i'm never gonna love again i'm never gonna love again i'm never gonna love again
this is mostly self-explanatory and applies to both of them because we all know they would never be able to move on if one or the other left in any way and we also know that the one left behind would stop at nothing to get them back (as we’ve seen in season 5)
‘tis the damn season
it's the kind of cold, fogs up windshield glass but i felt it when i passed you there's an ache in you, put there by the ache in me but if it's all the same to you it's the same to me
this makes me think of both of them. it makes me think of lena after she apologized and kara was still cold to her but it also makes me think of kara after the big reveal and then the fortress scene and how she would see lena afterwards and realize just how much she’d hurt her. anyway here’s me overthinking and adding angst lol
tolerate it
okay so i don’t have any specific verses for this but something about it really just echoes the sadness in both of them during season 5 so i highly recommend going to listen to it and then you can see what you think of it (i recommend listening to all of them because wow the album is phenomenal but yeah this one for sure because it’s got /something/ about it)
dorothea
it's never too late to come back to my side the stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo and if you're ever tired of bеing known for who you know you know, you'll always know me, Dorothea
this really makes me think of kara talking to lena or just kara at lena during season 5. the first line and then basically this entire verse is just all kara at lena during s5
gold rush
everybody wants you everybody wonders what it would be like to love you walk past, quick brush i don't like slow motion, double vision in rose blush i don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush everybody wants you but i don't like a gold rush
this really makes me think of either of them kind of falling for each other but either ignoring it or remaining in denial because it would be difficult and it would never work and the reasons go on and on and on
i can't dare to dream about you anymore at dinner parties i won't call you out on your contrarian shit and the coastal town we never found will never see a love as pure as it 'cause it fades into the gray of my day-old tea 'cause it will never be once again the idea of it never being possible is present and then there’s an added side of denial at the beginning, too. i wouldn’t say this is entirely canon but i can’t really say it isn’t either
ivy
oh, goddamn my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand taking mine, but it's been promised to another oh, i can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland my house of stone, your ivy grows and now i'm covered in you
this really makes me think of them and i can’t tell who it is because it really blurs and it could really be both of them. they definitely both are very deeply entangled and season 5 caused some things to rip out and just the covered in you bit is so supercorp-esque because they really can’t separate without leaving scars. and their separation always causes a wave that crashes on all the people around them.
and the pain thing is also so supercorp-esque because lena is always cold (this might just be a headcanon i can’t tell the difference at this point haha) and so it could be kara talking but it could also be alluding to when kara was trapped in the fortress and the fortress is literally made of ice so it could also be lena talking.
anyway yeah ivy is basically just entirely supercorp and you should also really go listen to it.
long story short
'cause i fell from the pedestal right down the rabbit hole long story short, it was a bad time pushed from the precipice clung to the nearest lips long story short, it was the wrong guy now i'm all about you
...
climbed right back up the cliff long story short, i survived now i'm all about you
(same verse but different ending)
this really makes me think of either of them tbh. it’s all about falling from where they were, falling apart after the separation, and they went to the wrong people (or at least lena did) and then she apologized at the end of s5.
no more tug of war now i just know there's more (know there's more) no more keepin' score now i just keep you warm (keep you warm) and my waves meet your shore ever and evermore
this is also how they come back together because they stop trying to get even and it’s about healing and coming back together again.
past me i wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things your nemeses will defeat themselves before you get the chance to swing and he's passing by rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky and he feels like home if the shoe fits, walk in it everywhere you go
this could also fit for both of them, but it really fits for lena in my opinion. there’s the thing about the shoe fitting and it makes me think of katie not liking heels haha. but more important there’s the past me, don’t get lost in the petty things, probably referring to her want to get revenge, to get even. and then, i might be overthinking/over-analyzing a bit, but the comet in the sky thing makes me think of how kara crashed to earth and how she really is just as rare, if not more, as a comet.
anyway yeah that’s all the analysis i had basically so this is just out there now haha but yeah i kinda felt the need to do this since i didn’t really with folklore and that album was absolutely loaded with sc lyrics and songs so here i am for evermore :)
16 notes · View notes
Note
If you could change ten things about Teen Wolf what would you change??
OMG BUCKLE DOWN BECAUSE IT’S GONNA BE A LONG ONE! Do asks have a word limit? Guess we gonna find out! (Sometimes I wish I could speak these replies, they sound much funnier when I am speaking out loud to myself and then they are just weird and flat typed up but I DIGRESS! I do that a lot, have you noticed? Doesn’t matter.)
(Also, I did put a “Keep Reading” but for some reason it’s not working. Or it’s not showing as working on my end. But it’s right under this paragraph I swear so if it’s not working, that isn’t on me....)
1) SO! Trauma. People be dealing with their traumas. That’d be a thing I’d like, thank you. Like, I’m sorry, but there is a fuckton of trauma in this show and everyone like, goes to bed at night and wakes up cured. Like MAGIC! I mean, yes, I get that magic is a thing in the show (is it? I mean kind of? Idk, I never saw past season 4, they alluded to magic and then SNATCHED THAT AWAY so, side-note, that’s coming up later!) But yes, I would’ve very much liked for people to, you know, deal with their traumas in a realistic fashion. Let’s get some therapy going, or like, idk, some actual negative reactions to thing! They kind of had that with Stiles every now and then, but he seemed to be up and down episode to episode so like, it’d be like they wrote an episode where he reacts to what happened to him and then four episodes have gone by where he’s fine and the writers were like “OH YEAH SHIT HE JUST MURDERED LIKE A WHOLE HOSPITAL, make him have a panic attack randomly over dropping milk, that balances out, excellent, we’re so smart.” So yes. DEAL. WITH. THE. TRAUMA! Thanks.
2) LESS CHARACTERS, MORE DEVELOPMENT! I mentioned this in another recent ask about relationships but like, they just kept shoving characters in there. Like one of those clown cars. So we got like, 30% character development on the core group and then the rest was like “wait, who are you again?” Like, legit, I have a bad memory, you put too many people in front of me, I ain’t gonna remember them unless they have a good personality or a reason to be there. And like, develop their relationships! Not even romantically, but like, Scott’s mom loves Scott, that is sweet and lovely, but like, we never really… see… that… developed? Idk man, like again, I have a bad memory, but when you really develop relationships WELL (ex: Brooklyn-nine-nine), that shit sticks with you and you CARE about people. The friendships are important, and the familial relationships are important and just developing all the dynamics is important! They spent more time showcasing how much everyone hated each other and lied to each other and stuff and that just got really tiring. Yes, you’re allowed to get mad at your friends, but if you’re a Werewolf, and your human friend is calling you when there is a fucking monster running around killing people, can you maybe stop making out with your girlfriend and answer your phone so your friend isn’t treading water with a 200+ pound Werewolf for 2 hours? Like, JUST SAYING! (Spoiler alert: Me and Scott would not be close friends. Like, I think we’d be friends, but not so much that I’d trust him with my life. If I wanted to grab pizza and a movie, maybe play some video games, he sounds like a treat, but if my life was in danger, thanks I be callin’ someone who answers their phone).
3) Actual consequences for their actions! Okay like, I am also guilty of this in fanfic, but at the same time, my writing is free, I don’t get paid for it, and I write what I want because that’s how it works, so I can do whatever I please (If I wanna make the Hales royalty for the millionth time, ain’t nobody gonna stop me!). But like, when you are a legit paid screenwriter who is writing a show? Consequences! Just because it’s a show about Werewolves doesn’t mean there can’t be any consequences! Like, the best scene, and I feel like we can agree, because fuck it like, hurt my soul and my heart and I was just so like ;~; was when the sheriff got fired (fired? suspended? TEMPORARILY UNEMPLOYED!) because Stiles stole a police van when they locked Jackson up in it. Like, that shit was REAL LIFE CONSEQUENCES for actions, and that shit was intense and it HURT and omg I loved it! Give me more of that! Like, I’m sorry, but you gonna tell me Nogistune!Stiles walked through the hospital murdering a bazillion people and not one camera was working the whole time? Not one? Nobody saw that? Nobody went “hey, isn’t that the sheriff’s kid?” Like, CAN. YOU. IMAGINE?! That would’ve been so amazing, a bunch of episodes of the pack scrambling to keep the Supernatural a secret while also trying to stop Stiles from GETTING ARRESTED because saying “Sorry ma’am, I was possessed by a demon fox who likes chaos and thought murdering a bunch of people would be fun” ain’t gonna fly in court and the FBI sure isn’t gonna believe that but like, UGH! Again, bad memory, but was the fact that Dark!Stiles wandered through the hospital killing people EVER brought up again???? CONSEQUENCES. Woulda really liked that.
4) STOP with unnecessary romances. Like, yeah, I get it, the allos like their romances, but shockingly, you can still have a good show without focussing on the romance. Like, it can be there, I’m not saying don’t put it in, I’m saying DON’T MAKE IT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! Like, the entirety of season one was Scott chasing Allison and Stiles chasing Lydia. This… this does not make an interesting show? Like, is that just me? And then as the season progressed, EVERYONE had to be in a relationship? WHY? Again, haven’t seen past season four, but I mean, I know Scott and Kira were a thing, and then Stiles and Malia, and Liam and some… person? Idk. And Ethan and Danny (congrats Jeff, you get to tick your “I had representation in my show!” box, well done, gold star, or whatever). And Isaac and Allison, and Melissa and Chris (apparently?). And then Stydia was alluded as being canon, and Scott ended up with Malia somehow?? And Derek slept with half the town and all of Mexico, idek. Like, stop it. Stop. Shows work without everything being about everyone banging each other. (See again: Brooklyn-nine-nine, or Avatar the Last Airbender, or The Good Place, or even fucking Supernatural!) You can have a good, interesting story without everyone banging each other. It ain’t necessary.
5) More actual storytelling (again, this woulda worked better without the unnecessary romances taking up 49 of the 50 minutes of air-time). Like, yes, I get it, pilot’s gotta have some pizzaz! Gotta be spicy and sparkly to make people interested (and like, fucking hell, all I can remember of the pilot is sobbing Allison soaking wet–LIKE, WAS THAT NECESSARY???–about the dog she hit and oh noes is it dead well thank God the lead character works for a vet! And somehow has keys and access to the whole clinic like nbd at all hours? Whatever. I wasn’t even allowed inside my blockbuster as a shift lead if it was off-hours but apparently a high school student doing paperwork at a vet clinic is different, I’m not a vet so what do I know? I HAD A BAD DAY OKAY, I GOT FEELINGS ABOUT THIS RN!) I went off-topic, what was I saying? Oh yes, storytelling. You know what woulda been nice? Werewolves! It happens, we find out about Laura, we find out about Werewolves, Scott gets bitten, all that jazz. And then like… ease in the Hunters? Like, why was there Laura/Derek, Peter, AND the Hunters all crammed into the pilot? Yes, I get it, you need the SUSPENSE and the DRAMA, but you can do that without the Hunters right off the bat. Just, how CONVENIENT~ that the same day Derek and Laura come back, Hunters move to town? That’s just lazy, and again, I can be guilty of laziness, I admit to it, but I literally get paid in—like, do hearts count? I get paid in hearts and pats on the back for my fics, I can write whatever I want. If you’re getting paid to write something, try a bit harder, yes? Yes???
What number am I on? Oh good Lord, I got things to say, okay.
6) MAGIC! Can you like—I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Stiles did the whole mountain ash thing in season one, and it was SO PROMISING, and then that just died. It died like Maes Hughes getting shot in a phonebooth (spoiler, but really, you haven’t seen that yet, that’s a you problem). Why even bother introducing magic if you weren’t gonna use it? Like, was it because people like Stiles more than Scott and the showrunner was like “nonono. If we make him magic, he’s TOO cool, and then Scott is unimportant.” I mean, you coulda worked that in your favour, but no. You just murdered the fuck out of it, like straight up took it out back and shot it. Like, yeah, Derek went kiddo again and Jennifer was apparently all magic beauty spell or whatever, but like?? That’s it??? You had a show about Werewolves and you didn’t even try to make it more interesting by making some of the characters magic? Lydia’s basically the closest and they didn’t even explain her powers that well. Magic would’ve been dope and they totally shoved that to the side. That was dumb. Shoulda done something with that.
7) Explain things more? Don’t mention them once and then do nothing? Like, we got some brief stuff about anchors, and emissaries (which are super duper secret according to Deaton but then like, EVERYONE KNOWS HE IS EMISSARY SO WHICH IS IT DEATON? YOU TELL ME!) Like, they had so much opportunity to talk about so many things and again, maybe that comes out more in the later seasons, idk, but they likely coulda done with more explanations and they didn’t and this angers me GREATLY. They mention something once and then it never comes up again. That’s some Lost bullshit right there. Don’t start something if you’re not gonna commit. You tell me the beginning of the story, I wanna fucking know the end, don’t forget halfway through and wander away, that ain’t right, I NEED ANSWERS JEFF! And like, as above, never really got Lydia’s powers. I know what a Banshee is, but her powers did NOT make sense to me. Idk, could just be that I’m dumb, but similarly, don’t write something so convoluted that it confuses people, that is also dumb. As dumb as I am so like, well done there. And also do we get more on Parrish? I know he’s a Hellhound, but how does one get born a Hellhound and not know until you are conveniently lit on fire by someone trying to kill you for money? (Also, you bean, you absolute treasure, “I’m worth five dollars?” You’re so cute. Silly child.) I feel like being a Hellhound is something that woulda come up before getting barbecued in his cruiser. Like, he works a stressful job, you gonna tell me not ONCE while getting shot at he didn’t have a massive heart attack over a close call and like, burst into flames? No? Is that just a me thing? I feel like the slightest annoyance and I’d be fully on fire, not gonna lie. (I’d be on fire a LOT… CLEARLY I AM AN ANGRY PERSON! No, that’s not true. No yes it is, I am angry, but more angry lately because I’m sleep-deprived and work is dumb ANYWAY back to this)
8) EMBRACE THE SIDE CHARACTERS! Okay, so MAYBE Scott is meant to be the golden child. The Dick Grayson of the show, if you will. The original Robin, the creme de la creme. That’s all fine and dandy if he is, no judgement (little judgement), but you know what you don’t do when your side characters are getting a lot of attention and love? What you DO NOT do is give them less screen time. Because then you’re being petty and, shockingly, you get more positive results when you give the fans what they want. I’m not talking about pairings, because everyone is different, and you can’t cater to everyone, but like, the more people moved away from liking Scott, the harder the showrunners pushed him into our faces. And like, that isn’t how this works. If I like side character 87 a lot, and the lead’s getting annoying, you know what’s gonna make me NOT watch the show? Cutting out side character 87 (hey, for shits and gigs, let’s call him DANNY, just, not coincidentally at all) and then just shoving the lead into my face. That is what makes someone go “Well, four seasons is enough, I can happily live knowing I didn’t waste my life watching two more of them.” Like??? I’m not saying cut out Scott, because the show is ABOUT Scott, but the more everyone tried to showcase how amazing and wonderful and pure and perfect he was, the more annoying it got? Like, Scott has flaws. THEY ALL HAVE FLAWS! If you don’t admit that they all have flaws, it gets boring, and you hate the characters. I know that Scott turned into a douche later (apparently, again, haven’t seen it), but even in the early seasons by trying to make him this pure True Alpha golden angel child who spreads love and hope and trusts everyone, it just got boring. He was vanilla, and also a bad friend, because he was too “perfect” to be around someone “imperfect” like Stiles, and even like, the rest of the pack overall. He was always put on a pedestal and it made the show really… irksome? Idk, I just feel like yes, SCOTT is the Teen Wolf, but you added all these damn side characters, maybe use them a bit more? At least Stiles was interesting, and Lydia was fucking badass, and fucking hell, if you’d done right by Boyd and Erica, the actors wouldn’t have left for better shows so like, come on man, you coulda done better. We coulda had such a dope show, why you gotta crush my dreams like that Jeff? What did I ever do to you?
I know this is only eight, but this is long enough, if I go two more, this is gonna be IN.SANE. And also it’s late and I haven’t finished my fic for the day (I mean, I’m almost done, but I’m not done yet!) So like, I’ma stop here. But yes, hopefully this answered your question. Sorry I got REALLY PASSIONATE about it but it’s been a day.
Also, I feel this needs to be said, but obviously these are my own personal opinions, and as opinions, you are not obligated to agree with them. But you are also not allowed to tell me my opinion is wrong. You can disagree with it, but this is an opinion, not a law, so there is no right and wrong. Don’t @ me, my day’s been bad enough kthx!
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, BE BACK IN LIKE TWENTY(?) MINUTES!
140 notes · View notes
livlepretre · 3 years
Note
Do you think that Klaus sleeping with Hayley was ooc? I remember watching the episode for the first time and thinking “Why is Klaus chilling with Hayley and letting her dodge his questions about Katherine?” I was already confused about why Klaus didn’t kill her for helping unsire all his hybrids, so I knew some fuckery was afloat. At the time in the episode when they had sex, I was like “ummmm...okay I guess” but I wasn’t happy because I thought this meant Hayley was about to stick around, and her attitude drove me crazy. I really just don’t like female characters who have an “I’m cooler than you” attitude and Hayley was giving me those vibes in spades. I first watched TVD on Netflix with no prior knowledge of anything from behind the scenes, so I had no idea that the Originals spin-off was going to be a thing. 4 episodes later and I was like, “we’re doing a baby plot now? With Hayley as our choice for the mother?” Then I realized it was a back door pilot (cuz I’m an idiot) and was immediately disappointed. I’ll be the first to admit that I had a biased opinion on why the Originals was going to be bad. I loved the Originals as villains, but this show checked two of my negative boxes: children/pregnancy in the supernatural genre and political factions. I just prefer a more personal story surrounding a group of people (like the Mystic Falls Gang). I also don’t think that having the Mikaelsons as the main focus of a show was a good idea. All their enemies have a very legitimate reason for wanting them gone, and any serious emotional growth in the span of 5 years after 1,000 years of static behavior comes off as jarring to me. The original plot was going to take place in Chicago with more focus on Rebekah as the female lead, and I think that spin-off would have been cooler. The Originals already had pre-established ties to Chicago, and I personally think the New Orleans obsession came out of nowhere. It was never mentioned prior to season 4, and then for some reason Klaus was obsessed with being king there? Girl, idek where I’m going with this ask anymore. TLDR: Klaus/Hayley was weird, I can’t stand Hayley, and I wish we got the original spin-off plot line instead of anything we actually got. Thoughts or opinions? Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Man, I have so many thoughts. 
Let me try to break down the different parts of your question: 
1. Was Klaus sleeping with Hayley OOC? 
It’s not like I’ve seen the scene where Klaus and Hayley sleep together more than once or twice, but I overall come down on... no in terms of them sleeping together, but yeah, ooc in terms of what happens next? Like, it would have been out of character for Klaus to care about Hayley at all, and he clearly doesn’t, so that checks out. Plus, I think she fits the bill of whom he might randomly sleep with-- she’s beautiful and special enough to get his attention as a werewolf and also outspoken (even though I agree, the “cooler than you” vibes she gives off are like fingers on a chalkboard for me, and why I’ve never quite liked her, but especially why I didn’t like her on tvd) and she actually does get under his skin when she crits his paintings and thinks they’re mediocre-- and it’s so revealing that basically he sleeps with her because she finds him fundamentally lacking. So far, so good. (And by this point I remember thinking, well, they’d be wasting how hot he is if he doesn’t sleep with SOMEONE, and I was just so relieved it wasn’t Caroline that I was willing to go with it.) I DO find it ooc that he lets the whole plotting against him/Katherine questioning thing drop... like, I can imagine him sort of playing with her like a cat plays with its food, and sleeping with her, and then still turning around and wanting answers and maybe even killing her because he’s like that when people betray him, and I don’t think being one of Klaus’s lovers conveys any sort of protection against him. 
2. Does the premise of the Originals as main characters/protagonists work? 
Agreed that this mostly falls on its face. The Originals are really awful, in general, even the ones who see themselves as better. There was some pretty extreme cognitive dissonance going on for me when I started the show, because right away, I viewed Marcel as the protagonist, and couldn’t help but root for him against Klaus. Basically, same for every other person who comes up against them. (Is Esther even wrong that they’re a plague on the earth and should be wiped out? My gut tells me... no?) So, it requires weird mental gymnastics for us as an audience to repeatedly side with them and hope they come out on top. Like, Klaus is just the absolute worst, and I love him for that, but it’s asking just a lot for me to also side with him because I cannot help but pity and empathize with every single rando he encounters. And Elijah is a huge hypocrite, Kol is like that messy acquaintance who’s always shit-wrecked, and Rebekah really is a spoiled brat. 
And the idea that they can change after a thousand years of stagnation is another huge landmine that the show just sort of casually walks over and detonates on itself. Like, I know there are reasons for the change, but I also don’t entirely buy it. The only point in showing us flashbacks is to demonstrate something from a character’s past that is somehow still meaningful to who they are and how they are in the present, and the fact that vampire flashbacks span centuries always implies that they change very slowly, if at all. 
I don’t actually mind the political factions bit, or the supernatural pregnancy stuff, as a general rule, if I can be convinced well enough by the story.  
It is awfully weird that Klaus cares so much about Nola all of a sudden, but that leads me to... 
3. My thoughts on the New Orleans setting 
There’s more to unpack here than I honestly ever could. I don’t really like it because it treats the city like the tourist’s caricature of the city, without any real effort to understand the specific history or the culture of the city. Chicago would have made more sense. 
(On the other hand, this setting gives me an unparalleled opportunity to do my very favorite thing, which is write about Louisiana, and play with that in my fic.) 
8 notes · View notes
tonyglowheart · 4 years
Note
This entire thing is a rant, feel free to ignore it, but I saw your post about how destiel fans can’t win in this context, and yeah. So have some rambles.
I’ve been thinking about the fact we (current spn/destiel fans) can’t win all night... I’ve seen so many people talking about how homophobic it is - and while I would very much like to argue, as every point I’ve seen made by a non-spn fan has been wrong so far, if I did everyone inside the fandom would agree and everyone outside would either call me straight or pity me for believing it’s okay.
(Cas wasn’t even sent to hell lmao. He was sent to angel death (the empty), a place he has escaped in the past. Other points, like that meta about spn has been predicting exactly this for months, that Dean ended up sobbing on the floor because he was so upset, like that death means next to nothing on spn, like that there is two episodes left, etc etc. you feel me right? I just don’t want to post wank to other spn blogs atm, we’re getting enough frustration as it is, no need to add to it.
It’s also worth pointing out that the bar is very, very low. Spn is a prominent TV show - not a Netflix show, or indie, or whatever - and it just said “main character in gay love saved the world”. [insert gif of ghostfacers dude saying that gay love can pierce through the veil of death and save the day here]
I just saw someone saying that spn having Naomi try to brainwash Cas out of loving dean makes spn homophobic (it is a conversion therapy parallel). My first response to that is that Naomi was the villain lmao? I guess we can’t write villains doing anything homophobic because having villains do homophobic things makes, uh - checks notes - villains look homophobic, and clearly we can’t have that.
There certainly are legitimate things to criticise spn about, but this isn’t it lol.
Also now some people are unironically trying to cancel Jensen because “his acting was homophobic, and so he’s clearly homophobic”, nevermind that he’s an actor and his character struggles with understanding his emotions (which I think he played excellently, myself. That scene had a very Dean delayed emotional response), nevermind the support he’s given to us queers in the past. Like. Idek man.
We would have been laughed at if we got no destiel, too.
It would have been worse, had the writers pulled a dumbledore. At this point I also trust the writers not to pull a GoT - they have explicitly criticised that ending in spn’s canon.
Spn’s writers did that by making the main villain of this season, Chuck / God, say GoT had a good ending. To reiterate a previous point I had: villains do bad things because they’re bad. And the bad things they do make them bad. For the people out there not still following, if someone does something in a story and it makes them a villain, that is explicitly telling you the story (and probably the writers) thinks that thing is bad. In this case, Chuck likes to write things for him, and we the audience have been shown and told that is bad.
Apparently thinking a gay confession is good in 2020 makes me straight. Seems unlikely, but whatever. Sorry for the length, I guess I went overboard, I’ve been holding it in lol. Anyway, DESTIEL IS CANON 💚💙 hope you have a good night
Helloo supernatural anon I hope you are living your best life right now. Yeah I’m like..... skeptical and leery myself but having lived through some absolute garbage discourse that is general purity wank, as well as the C/QL greater fandom here and on Twitter I find myself... much more wanting to question the “general wisdom” of things esp in terms of negativity, bc a lot of the time I find.... it’s wrong? Like so wrong. Or at least presents such an incomplete picture of the whole situation and also presents it in such a removed context that words that have meaning and are operationalized in a certain way for a reason, no longer have meaningful usage.
Anyway I don’t... know too much about the specifics of Spn but someone I follow is into it and talks a lot about the Gnostic stuff and that all was very fascinating to me, and I also have been grappling a lot with cultural Christianity bc of cmedia and the way ppl just *clenches fist* unthinkingly or uncritically slap some Christian norms on it and call it a day 😩 help I’m Tired. My thing here being... I actually got tired of the uncritical “superhell”s at some pt bc I am, in fact, incredibly exhausted with cultural Christianity, and because it does seem like, even possibly(?) without the Gnostic stuff it’s different from a “hell” or other Protestant-derived afterlife concept, and also yeah that it wasn’t seeded out of nowhere, it was set up to happen, which then... lends credence to the idea that whatever the current era of Spn is doing, the current showrunners are doing it with purpose.
And idk I just... refuse to believe the concept that ALL of the fans of Spn - esp the ones who have been following it still, or got back into it and are following it currently, are acting under delusion or are fooling themselves into liking it or thinking it’s good or whatever. I personally find that kinda infantilizing and patronizing and playing into issues of dismissing things women and/or other marginalized identities like.
Plus I find the concept that (from what I think I’ve been seeing Spn fans say) that the current era of the show is quite actively grappling with itself, its past, its legacy. to be very interesting and compelling; it hearkens back to like an old lore kind of feeling, of a thing that has grown into a nigh undefeatable monster and realizing that, also realizing that the only way to defeat itself is through grappling with its own nature and transforming and transmuting itself into something else. I personally find that more plausible and compelling than “Supernatural has been actively and continuously queerbaiting for 15 homophobic homophobic years., so right now we’re all very sorry for you because this maybe is no longer queerbaiting but it’s still homophobic and it can never be anything different ever.” I’ve been sort of tangentially aware of Spn thru the years and didn’t we agree, around the time of that in-universe play about Spn and with the lil Destiel shoutout, that Spn has come a ways as far as coming to terms with its fandom and working to treat its fans better? Why the sudden regression into “oh no, Supernatural is and forever will be homophobic and a hate crime”? 🤔 
The rest under a cut bc the ask is already long and then my rambling will get longer-
But yeah I mean..... I get that the legacy of Supernatural has been certifiably Rough, but I think people also forget how different of a time 2005 was? Hell, how different of a time 2015 was, even, prior to, say, Obergefell v. Hodges. Now I’m not saying that to blanket-excuse Supernatural, but like, you look at mainstream shows from the era and... there’s a lot of shit lmao. The fact that Supernatural has existed this long seems to me like.... maybe we CAN look at how it’s developed through the years vs just insisting it is what it was 15, 10, hell, 5 years ago. Especially since, to my knowledge, there’s been showrunner changes? Which seems to me like it would... affect things? I mean honestly, I remember back when I got into Spn for a hot second because of Castiel, I remember watching panel, Q&A, etc vids thru the years, and like... I thought we agreed that... it was the fans who were going a bit far pushing the shipping question like literally ALL the time to the actors, who are not in control of the show and.... like at the time.... that could have had personal implications for them? And yes homophobia bad, and people can still be allies despite that, but again like.... I do feel like - from what I’ve seen - that these guys were NOT ready to deal with a lot of that but they’ve (okay Jensen I’m talking about Jensen here) genuinely grown and learned? Also how many years ago was the essay autograph thing that people keep trotting out, like what year was it in and what year of spn was it, and what were the prevailing opinions on LGBT issues and bisexuality then.
I’ve been seeing some murmurings of identity politicsing surrounding ppl who enjoy Supernatural, and I’m sorry that that’s happening to you, it really fucking sucks and it’s also the dumbest way to “make” or “win” an argument because it shouldn’t ever be a final determiner, just factors to consider when considering what life experiences might have informed someone else’s PoV and views as well as maybe how you can better communicate with them. Instead of it being a “weapon” or “tool” to either dismiss someone or de facto validate an argument.
Also yeah I get it that you don’t want to send discourse to spn blogs bc I imagine you guys ARE actively grappling with all the bs rn and it’s a lot. Even just from like, the stuff I see around, I’m like tired of it. I’m genuinely having more fun with ppl who are having a good time with Supernatural than the ppl who are hating on it, even in this sort of backhanded “oh we’re not clowning YOU we’re clowning the writers and showrunners who think you should be satisfied with this,” when... yeah? the people who HAVE been watching the show and therefore... know what’s up.. DO seem to be? And all this based on *fake gasp* context. And that’s where the backhandedness becomes kind of poisonous to me, because it implies that it IS bad, and that you SHOULDN’T be satisfied, but poor little you are but don’t worry, we’re not making fun of YOU for liking garbage, you’re just the hapless victim who is consuming the garbage bc... idk, whatever reasons ppl are coming up with ig.
idk man it’s 2020. Fandom isn’t activism, performative or otherwise, it’s okay to let people enjoy things even if you think they’re “objectively” bad, and like... I don’t know if people can call something bad when they’re not even working with the whole context and instead are dealing with rumor and reputation. 
5 notes · View notes
meta-shadowsong · 3 years
Text
Quick response to Mandalorian season finale
Behind a cut because, well.
Okay, yes, I am in this show for Dadalorian and Found Family etc. But I am at least as invested in the plotline this season about various factions of Mandalorians and their, for lack of a better word, sectarian disputes. Which frequently result in barfights. Because Mandalorians.
(AKA that scene where they picked up Bo and her minion was. A Delight.)
(Also, I love my girl Bo-Katan. Even if she’s very much a blunt instrument/not a politician going at this in all the wrong ways and was Very Rude to Boba but tbh I wasn’t 100% sure she was going to show up in this episode and I would’ve been Sad if we hadn’t gotten to see them meet. Either here or next season.)
(Still Sad at the lack of Sabine, though :( )
Leaving aside anything re: Gina Caranno (because that has been discussed by people much smarter and better-informed than myself), I’m kind of thrilled that the strike team was Almost Entirely Ladies.
(On that note. Uh. Does anyone else kinda. That little “Anyone else, we can take” smirk. And I just. Uh. Bo/Fennec, anyone??????)
(I kind of already ship Bo with Ventress tbh but a) multishipping ftw and b) threesome??????)
(Hi I’m shallow sometimes lol)
Anyway moving on.
Also the sound/almost-music when the Cylons Dark Troopers were activating was Excellent I approve.
And that Visual of the one trooper Din set on fire. ...honestly that whole hallway fight sequence was pretty Brilliant.
And the sort of...almost casual layer of the scene in the elevator. Even if these women haven’t worked together before, just that, “sure you don’t need any help with that?” “I got it. Excuse me.”
And that whole thing where Gideon was trying to Manipulate Din and he was like “...dude, I legit just care about the kid. I’ll fight for/with Bo-Katan because she’s pretty badass and I Might As Well plus she gets me what I want but I don’t...actually...Care about her Greater Cause?”
(Side note, I’ve spent a lot of time writing Bo-Katan/figuring out how her head works and literally all she cares about is Mandalore and its survival. It’s why she broke away from her sister in the first place, and has informed every single thing she’s done since. A lot of why she makes the specific choices she does goes back to the Mandalorian Civil War and her experiences there--especially since all the evidence indicates she was not with Satine and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The way that separation and their different experiences of that conflict probably contributed to the eventual destruction of what seems likely to have been a Very Close Relationship before that is fascinating to me. And the subject of a fic I’ve been working on off and on for a couple years now, lol.)
(...anyway, where I was going with this was--I mean, yes, Gideon knows everything in terms of facts, but he doesn’t always interpret them correctly. IMO, Bo-Katan’s desire to rule Mandalore is less about power (for herself) than it is about Mandalore. Especially given some of what she says to Sabine in Rebels--if there was someone else she genuinely trusted to take the throne and rule her world, she’d be willing to cede her claim and be one of their generals. Especially since she’s very much not a political animal. She’s an excellent war leader, but not so much in terms of actual Governance.)
(insert long ramble about the Parallels between her and Anakin, which I touched on in one of my fanfics, lol; and will probably do more with in my BB project which involves the two of them and Padme as the main characters)
(And, yeah, she does want to fight Din for the right, but if she thought Din would be a good Duke/King of Mandalore, I think she would seriously considering swearing allegiance to him? Again, witness how she handled things with Sabine. Also she would probs prefer to avoid a third (fourth?) civil war in her lifetime. But, I mean. I love Din but he is. He is not a Leader. Not like her people need.)
(And I think the way things played out with Sabine affects her decisions here, too--she did accept the Darksaber as a gift/tribute then, but proceeded to lose it. Maybe she does need to fight for it the way Maul and Viszla did (presumably; we don’t know how he got the Darksaber; it may be something he inherited/have been held by House Viszla for a while, even if they never used it to dethrone the Kryzes until now).)
(But, then again, I mean, this has been her life for at least a decade, so...well, maybe she wouldn’t quite step aside. Even if an Absolutely Perfect candidate came along. But WRT Din specifically--given who he is and what he’s capable of, while she absolutely wants him in her camp (and on a personal level isn’t super thrilled about having to fight him like this; she seems to genuinely like this kid), my guess is she doesn’t want him ruling. Not without some more actual leadership training/experience. Because, well, he’s been either a follower or a loner in everything we’ve seen him in, and given Bo’s opinion of (possibly experience with?) the Watch/the group who raised him, and the fact that he’s consistently shown himself to have super-narrow priorities and not really caring about much outside of them...yeah, she probs has some Concerns.)
(Plus, he clearly doesn’t want it. And you have to Want It on some level in order to be an effective ruler--that Wanting can be from genuine altruism/wanting to make the world better, like we see with Bail and Padme; it can be from single-minded determination to Make Things Right, like Satine and I would argue Bo-Katan (Leia falls into either the first or second category, depending on the point in her storyline); and it can come from a desire for personal power and advancement (as we see with Pre Viszla and, of course, Skeev Palpatine himself; to be fair, rulers in this third category tend to be bad in other ways lol). But someone who genuinely doesn’t want power generally kind of Sucks when they’re unexpectedly handed it. Which I could cite several IRL historical examples of. And, I mean, obviously, this isn’t the only factor in play for what makes a good ruler/leader (see above re: Palps and Pre Viszla), but it is a factor.)
(Also, to clarify: none of these are bad qualities/traits, necessarily? Like, traits are good or bad depending on whatever context a person/character finds themself in. And in Din’s current context, with his current life and mission--even in situations where he has to coordinate with other groups in the service of a larger goal--these are excellent traits to have. But for someone who’s responsible for an entire nation? Not so much.)
(One could argue that Bo has some Issues there, too, albeit different ones, which is why I think she might be willing to step aside and cede her claim to a Genuinely Good/Better Alternative, if she found one. She’s a war-leader, not a ruler, and the two jobs require overlapping but different skillsets.)
(..........honestly? I don’t think the show would go there, but I think the two of them as a team/partnership ruling Mandalore would actually be really effective? Either on an equal footing or with one as the Official Ruler and the other as a second-in-command/right-hand. She has the leadership expertise and the actual will and drive to pull this off, and he has the diplomatic skill, as we see with the Tusken Raiders, among others.)
(Not a romantic partnership, lol, that would be Weird, but a political and probably eventually platonically affectionate one. Especially with how Mandalore feels about family of choice/adoption, and the fact that they’re both kind of alone now (whatever happened to Korkie, anyway??) even if no formal adoption is likely in their case...)
(Anyway. Uh. Long tangent aside...)
(also if there’s anyone who didn’t see Gideon trying to decapitate Din when his back was turned...IDEK what you were expecting. Like. I am All About guys like Pellaeon in the Imperial ranks, and the fact that there might be a few people who would make that offer/deal and be on the level. To say nothing of my best beloved Alexsandr Kallus. But. Uh. Gideon is. Not one of them.)
(Also, I thought it was a Nice Touch when the spear started turning red--because, no, the Darksaber can’t cut pure beskar. But it does generate heat, as we’ve seen in, say, TPM. And beskar does melt.)
Also, called it on tossing the Cylons Dark Troopers out the airlock Not Working in the long term.
While it’s not Cool or Flashy like a bomb or slicing, the Cylons Dark Troopers pounding the doors down with their goddamn fists was Cool and Terrifying in all the best ways.
Side note--I think even if I hadn’t been spoiled (forgot to mute the spoiler channels on the SW Discords I’m on before going to bed, and checked on autopilot), X-wing + Grogu perking up would’ve probably clued me in and I would’ve been SHRIEKING. I was still vibrating super hard even though I knew who was coming, but it probably would’ve been slightly more XD
(and then a moment of HAHA GIDEON KNOWS WHAT’S COMING)
(and so does my girl Bo)
(and then the green ‘saber and the glove and other costume details and IF YA DIDN’T SCREAM BEFORE YOU SURE ARE NOW!!!!)
(Kind of cool that they waited until the last minute before showing his actual face though)
NO MY GIRL BO-KATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(IF YOU DIE WHO WILL GET DRUNK AND SWAP WAR STORIES AND MAYBE HAVE VICTORY SEX WITH FENNEC)
(shut up i’m shallow)
(also I love her she’s legit one of my favorite characters in this series I don’t want her to die DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:)
OH GOOD SHE GOT UP
(yeah that was my actual real-time reaction to her getting shot lol)
“Talent without training is nothing.” ::insert Obvious/Tired joke about Luke having all of three months’ training At Best::
(also, I mentioned this in my last quick reaction, as well as elsewhere, but I’m...still kind of uncomfortable with the continuing implication that the Jedi path is the only option other than Darkness. Not because it’s a bad one, either in the PT-era or with Luke’s reconstruction. But the idea that the only way to achieve the mindset/emotional stability/whatever needed to wield the Force without Falling is through adapting the Jedi philosophy sits wrong with me. especially the implication that you can only do so from an early age/in isolation from other influences or bonds; which is a word I’m using very specifically because there’s a difference between Attachment as defined by the Jedi and interpersonal bonds which they clearly have and I don’t want this to get derailed by that particular Discourse(tm) That doesn’t even super hold up on Earth, with a single species, let alone in a galaxy with trillions of beings of multiple different species. Basically, people and the galaxy--and by extension the Force, which is in part created/influenced by living beings--are way too complicated for there to be only one right answer.)
(Also, it...doesn’t really hold up with the core message of Star Wars, which is about Choice? If the only way you can be a Good Force Adept is by meeting this extremely narrow set of criteria, most of which are outside your possible control......but I should probably save this for a separate post, lol.)
(The point is, I mentioned earlier in the post how much I’m LOVING the throughline in this season about different factions/sects among Mandalorians, and I think it would be Great if we got more of that with Jedi/Light adepts.)
(Anyway. Uh. Back to the episode...)
That FACE MOMENT had me legit crying omg
ARTOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!@@21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
omg had they MET
I...don’t know what I was expecting from the credits but Welp. I wonder who the body double was...
(And before you ask, I didn’t really get the Uncanny Valley effect from Rogue One, not even Tarkin, so.....yeah, I guess I don’t always pick up on that, or it hits me from weird directions, lol. Because I sometimes get that from the Rebels animation, especially in stills/gifsets, because everyone’s faces are all so Smooth...)
.........Jabba’s palace, okay.
.......Bib Fortuna, Okay.
(those fingernails, however, are Not Okay)
YAY RESCUE THE GIRL.
Good on you, Boba, just shooting him in the face instead of letting him posture!
although why you want to rule Tatooine is...okay then.
LOL at Fennec perching on the arm of the chair, sipping her booze all casual-like.
Right! So that was an Experience! Overall, I liked it. Looking forward to how Din and Bo handle things moving forward, in particular! Because, like I said, I’m in this series for Dadalorian (so IDK how I’ll feel with it no longer being the Core Story since Grogu left with Luke) and in this season for the Mandalorian factions/sects and how they interact.
I’m also not sure how I feel about three interconnected series leading up to a Major Finale Event? Disney’s Star Wars has not had a super great track record with giving all the information needed to follow things in the core product (see: the ST worldbuilding lol, and also some of the cameos/appearances in this season, even), so I’m Skeptical of how well they’ll do explaining what is Necessary in each of the three series, in case someone only watches one or two.
What were your thoughts?
4 notes · View notes
Text
Stupid Ask List, feel free to answer these questions yourself
1. What’s one animal you wish you could have as a pet but can’t? Probably one of those huge Frisian horses? I can’t have them because I have no money and horses intimidate me.
2. Favorite thing to wear to sleep? When I’m cold I wear a long nightgown. I love long nightgowns
3. What song really gets you going? That is actually a song I came across on tumblr once: Mahishasura Mardini (Droplex Remix) - Shanti People https://open.spotify.com/track/3NWXBvMdXaoEvW8Tvw8qk3?si=XlTRbI01TPu1K11kiPRZbg
4. Where do you usually eat your meals? On the couch, in front of the tv
5. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Dinner!
6. Most embarrassing habit? I pick at scabs a lot. And I sniff my fingers.
7. Chocolate or fruity candy? Chocolate 1000%
8. Soft or hard tacos? Soft ones!
9. Worst way to break up a fight? Getting punched?
10. Best thing to say in an elevator of strangers? NOTHING.
11. What color/design are your bedsheets? Something IKEA. I believe it’s the purple one with a Baroque pattern.
12. Any hidden talents? Can sleep everywhere.
13. Favorite thing to drink out of (mug, glass, etc.)? Mugs for everything and I like to drink my tea out of small cups (like the Japanese type of cups)
14. Socks or bare feet around the house? Feetsies!
15. Favorite board game? Rummikub (I hate board games)
16. Do you sleep with the fan on or off? On, I am super bad at regulating my body temperature.
17. Heat on or keep it cold with lots of layers? Keep it cold, I get warm very easily.
18. Do you sing in the shower? Nope.
19. Favorite song to belt out at the top of your lungs when you’re alone? Love me Wrong by Allie X & Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
20. Last thing you cried about? I wrote a sad RP tag 
21. At what age did you first have alcohol? Sixteen, Fifteen? It was Baileys.
22. Relationship status? Single with cats
23. What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on a single item of clothing? Nike Air Max shoes for 250 Dutch guilders. 
24. What do you typically wear to formal events? Fancy dress
25. Favorite memory? My trip to China and Tibet in 2013.
26. Gum or breath mints? None.
27. Favorite shoes? I love my Dr. Martens boots. They’re high boots with embroidery on the side.
28. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My nose.
29. What is the natural state of your hair? Straight and uninteresting.
30. Have you ever had braces? I think in total for at least 10 years, yeah
31. Most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? Jumped from a boat into the sea
32. Most embarrassing thing your parents have caught you doing? Probably finding my collection of sex ads. I collected sex ads from the newspaper which were mostly texts like ‘my ____ are so big and your ___ is huge’
33. Last time you had an orgasm? A week ago? I don’t know, don’t keep up.
34. Celebrity crush(es)? Richard Madden
35. Windows or Mac? Mac!
36. How old were you when you learned to ride a bike? Six or seven.
37. Makeup or natural? Both.
38. What color do you wear the most? Yellow and black, but also blue.
39. Favorite season? Spring
40. Umbrella or rain coat? Umbrella
41. Have you ever fallen out of a tree? Nope
42. First car you ever owned? None.
43. What time do you usually go to bed? Midnight
44. Are you a competitive person? A little. 
45. Least favorite color? Bright fluorescent things
46. First pet you’ve ever owned? A bunch of fish
47. Sweet or salty? Salty
48. Favorite pasta dish? Chicken with pesto
49. Favorite kind of chips? Ringlings!
50. Talk about something you’re passionate about. I am deep into Fate hell recently, won’t recommend it. 0/10, won’t do ever again.
51. What are some of your hobbies? Drawing, embroidery, online roleplay, being a goddamn boring hermit
52. Caffeine? If so, what kind? Tea and sweet iced coffee (frappuchinos)
53. Favorite kind of pizza? The truffle pizza from New York Pizza. Also 4 cheeses.
54. Fast food or sit-down restaurant? Sit down 100%
55. Lots of acquaintances or a handful of close friends? Handful of friends
56. Something that ruins your appetite? Bugs.
57. Favorite labels about you? I don’t get this question. Define labels?
58. Are you a religious person? Oh no. Noooo.
59. Night out with a bunch of friends in public or night in with one friend having deep conversations? I’m too old to go out so deep conversations it is
60. What size shoe do you wear? European size 40
61. Favorite thing about yourself? I’m creative??
62. Have you ever told someone you loved them first? Nope. 
63. Have you ever had sex on the first date? I have had 2 dates in my entire life, come on. 
64. Heroes or villains? Villains
65. Favorite fruit? Banana and apple
66. Least favorite fruit? Not too wild about melon
67. Favorite vegetable? Spinach
68. Least favorite vegetable? Celery and cauliflower 
69. How many plates can you eat at a buffet? One well filled one
70. Favorite dessert? Ice
71. Do you play any sports? Not currently, no
72. Age you learned how to swim? The moment we got swimminglessons at school. I was 5 or 6
73. Tell a funny story. I was once in New York together with my friend. We were attending NYCC and who do we encounter? An old friend I haven’t seen in ages. Like this Dutch dude just being there after 8 years. That was funny.
74. What’s one interesting thing about your culture? Idek, really. 
75. What’s one annoying thing about your culture? Probably Black Pete
76. What job would you be terrible at? Anything with children. I don’t like kids. 
77. Would you rather watch a TV show or a movie? TV show
78. What’s your favorite compliment to give? Any compliment.
79. What’s your favorite compliment to receive? That my art is good.
80. Has your opinion changed on something recently? Yep.
81. Do you always order the same thing at a restaurant or order something different each time? I’m an adventurer
82. What’s something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet? Going to the gym. I really need to do something about my stamina.
83. If you could learn to do anything right now, what would it be? Probably proper digital coloring
84. Favorite physical feature about yourself? I have an hourglass figure?
85. Least favorite physical feature about yourself? I have a big butt and there’s this extra lump on it that makes me an L on the top and an XL on the bottom. My nose.
86. What’s one amazing thing you did that nobody was around to see? I scuba dived
87. If you could change your height, would you? Nope
88. What’s something you would rate 10/10? My ability to eat large amounts of food in a short time.
89. Heels or flats? Flats!
90. What’s something you wish you had more knowledge about? Programming
91. Would you want to be famous? Never! :D
92. What’s something you would get arrested for? I jaywalked.
93. What’s your spirit animal? A sloth
94. What’s the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to you? That the previous owner of my apartment accepted my offer instead of the other two.
95. Are you the type to have an organized mess, or no mess at all? Organized mess.
96. Do you tend to make decisions based on the past, present, or future? Future
97. Are you a planner or a more spontaneous person? Planner
98. Thoughts on the oxford comma? It’s a comma and it has to do with English grammar and I’m Dutch.
99. What do you hope never changes? I hope my family will be alive for a long time.
100. How would you celebrate your 100th birthday? Alone in a nursing home
3 notes · View notes
untaintedtea · 4 years
Text
I should have written this earlier when Witcher Netflix was more fresh in my mind (I haven't done a proper rewatch yet) but I still wanted to write a post about some thoughts I had (that I actually remember lol) and stuff I want in the next season. It's like 99% about Geralt/Yen/Ciri bc I have three brain cells and they're dedicated to them.
The spoiler-free stuff: I definitely loved it! There's some scenes in the book that I would have loved to have seen on screen that I'll mention later, but I really liked it for the most part. My main issue is the pacing, but I understand them trying to fit so much into only 8 episodes -- I hope next season will have at least 10 or even 12 eps to fully flesh out the storylines. There were times where I wondered how easy it was to follow if you didn't know the books, and it seems that it's kinda been mixed? But all-in-all people are loving it, there's lots of memes and new content, and I'm happy about that.
Yennefer's backstory and Anya Chalotra were the highlights for me, and I loved Tissaia as well. By "I haven't done a proper rewatch" I mean that I've only rewatched the first ep (Renfri ❤️) and the parts with Geralt/Yennefer lmao. I'll prob watch it all again later on. Now to the spoilery stuff (includes some refs to the books):
Some specific stuff I liked:
Geralt finally being able to sleep in the Last Wish episode and then him saying in the next ep that before he met Yen, "nights were restless" so she/the thought of her helps him sleep now? lol
Yen touching Geralt's face after he tells her she's important to him as if she can't believe she's important to someone right then and needs to make sure he's real or that she's not dreaming 😭
Téa and Véa and how they actually talked instead of not really communicating well themselves in the books
Yen's elven blood being emphasized and it being a thing that allows her to be naturally inclined towards magic…idek I'm just into that lmao
Geralt "hm"-ing all the time was excellent and is, unfortunately, v relatable
I wasn't gonna say this but since I posted about his casting on my blog previously…I'm still not a fan of Henry but I cannot deny his knowledge and dedication to Geralt and the Witcher lore, and I think he portrayed Geralt very well to the point where I don’t think I imagine anyone else playing the role now? I really mean this bc before I refused to reblog/tweet anything with him in it bc I’m petty LMAO
This is obvious but Toss a Coin to Your Witcher is the song of the year and Her Sweet Kiss is also good. @ netflix soundtrack WHEN
Some stuff I have issues with:
Istredd getting an expanded storyline is fine with me (and will probably set up better angst) but I wish he didn't do the thing Geralt does in Thanedd where he thinks about things Yen likes…I guess that's minor by itself, but Geralt thinking about the house in Thanedd is so important and I hope at least they keep that for the future. Also making the imaginary sorcerers Yennefer conjured up clap like in Thanedd is like…ok I'll allow it but Thanedd better be Extra Good bc I remember reading the part where they're in bed again when I wanted to make myself upset lmao
I wish we got the line when Geralt first called Yennefer "Yen" because "nobody's ever called me that. Say it again" is SO POWERFUL and I think that would have helped set up Geralt/Yen better in the series. Anya did describe the relationship as "animalistic and full of lust" and honestly that's fair but I also want people to understand why tf I'm smiling when we watch them fuck after the last wish instead of being like "ok but where did this come from" lmao. Yeah they’re horny af but pls!!!
Tbh I just want more Angst...like in the Bounds of Reason ep, the "you left" thing and Geralt asking for forgiveness was so short and would have been better if they just…expanded on it a little more…idek this is where I really wished they had an extra episode or two just to elaborate :/
The lack of baby dragon is so sad tbh. I liked that they did without Yen getting her titties exposed and threatened with rape obviously but the baby dragon running over to Yen tho!!
Ciri is my sweet child whom I love dearly and I understand her storyline but I wasn't super into her parts in a way? It makes sense since she's running and hiding and I felt her panic and loneliness and all that, but I think this could have only been fixed if they did Brokilon like in the books. I guess they'd have to cut down on Calanthe maybe?
As for the "Who is Yennefer?" ending:
I know many book readers weren't super satisfied with this, since ofc this is the famous "you're something more" scene, but I think it's fine within the context of the show because of the way Brokilon was handled (obviously I would have liked to see Geralt + Ciri interactions so we could have gotten “something more” though). It also sets up a connection between Yen + Ciri early on -- not really a strong one, but a connection nonetheless. And ofc it makes sense to people who don't know the books, and this is an adaptation after all.
I wish it wasn't as abrupt though? The fact that Ciri's first words to Geralt were about Yennefer is kind of a weird, but I guess that Ciri's vision was so vivid she couldn't help it maybe? And her mentioning Yennefer after Geralt talked about being linked by destiny enforces that it's all three of them linked.
I think this ending line allows for flashbacks via communication? Like if Geralt were to tell Ciri about Yen (and Yen telling Ciri about Geralt), they could elaborate on the relationship between Geralt/Yennefer that way and maybe have a flashback episode or at least a few scenes. I don’t really imagine Geralt saying too much about Yen but still?
So that takes us to things I want in the next season (not exhaustive; I need to do a BoE re-read):
The Dear Friend letter!!
And obviously before that, Triss staying at Kaer Morhen for a while…I wouldn't mind if they completely wrote out any attraction she had to Geralt ofc, but Ciri being sure that Triss is "not Geralt's woman" is also good
Imagine Ciri reading Yennefer's mind and accidentally seeing her thoughts about Geralt…not that she'd even need to though, as long as Yen tells Ciri that Geralt's hands are very gentle is enough lmao. But I'd love the "what is there between you and Geralt" line! In general, I really want Yen/Geralt to be like, the most obvious thing to the audience lol.
Yen telling Ciri that she's lucky bc Ciri knows that Geralt will come back for her and Yen isn't sure that Geralt would do the same for her 😭
Since they're doing the story with Nivellen, I'm hoping for other short stories to be adapted too. My favourite is A Shard of Ice, and I read that it's Henry's favourite too so I'm optimistic about it being included somehow. And since Istredd has a bigger role, it could work? ALSO WE NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNICORN. PLEASE
Flashbacks to Belleteyn (is having another orgy scene ok. pls say yes) and the Geralt seeing that the 14th name on the hill wasn't Yennefer. He wanted to die again ahhhhhhh
Yarpen asking Geralt "is [Ciri] yours?"
More Jaskier songs about Geralt/Yen…even just one pls
And more angst bc like. There's so much come on lmao hurt the audience
A lot of Yennefer + Ciri. Just a Lot of it.
17 notes · View notes