#WHERE IS HIS ARC; THOMAS

[iindigoeyed]

A detail I noticed about Feast

Feast (S3E15) is a very important episode for many reasons: it gives us Fu's backstory and origins of the miracle box, it hammers home the element of emotions when creating sentibeings, it restores the Tibetan temple and causes a chain reaction that is relevant later in the series (namely with Su Han), Mayura is there... but I rewatched it recently and I noticed a detail near the end that I believe to be foreshadowing.

At the end of Feast, our heroes defeat the sentimonster by entering it and cataclysm-ing Fu's staff with the amuk in it. Once Ladybug casts her Miraculous Ladybug and returns the world to normal, the Guardian Temple reappears and we can see the news reporting on it:

As the news is reporting on the temple, a few people can be seen watching (or listening). Those would be Gabriel and Nathalie, Tomoe, Alya, and Audrey Bourgeois.

Gabriel and Nathalie makes sense. They are Hawkmoth and Mayura, after all-- and Gabriel used the peacock with Emilie to create Adrien. Tomoe again is understandable, as she is a close ally to Hawkmoth and possibly used the peacock miraculous to create Kagami (which is all but confirmed in canon at this point.) And Alya herself is the catalyst for this episode's events: she brings Marinette to the Louvre where the dormant sentimonster is, shows Marinette her findings about the guardian symbol, and publishes those findings on her Ladyblog which HM & Mayura then discover. She's also a Miraculous holder too.

Now, why is Audrey watching the news? From a meta standpoint there's no need to show her in this scene since she isn't of the same importance that the others are. Hell, Audrey wasn't even in this episode before then. Even if her daughter is a Miraculous holder, Audrey has no reason to be interested in the Temple...

...unless, of course, she has some connection to the Miraculous.

As an aside... I'm not sure exactly what this means. If Audrey used the peacock to create Chloe like many believe, surely Audrey or Andre would've fallen ill like predecessors Emilie and Colt did. You could argue that she used the peacock miraculous to create Zoe as we've never seen Zoe's dad and aren't sure he's even alive, but considering this was in season 3 before Zoe was even introduced to us I have my doubts to believe this was the intent. Or maybe there's some unseen third option that I don't know about.

Regardless, this seems like pretty obvious foreshadowing to me. Even if this ends up going nowhere it's interesting to recontextualize it knowing everything that we know now. I don't think we've seen the last of Chloe or of her family quite yet (even if the writers want us to think we have.)

#as always sorry if someone's pointed this out before. but i didn't see anyone talking about it! #granted it's a really fucking old episode and i'm New In Town #miraculous #chloe bourgeois #indiposts #inditheories #Though to be honest it wouldn't surprise me if they've given up on the whole sentibeing-chloe thing. #TBH i dont think they know what theyre doing with chloe or any of the bourgeouis-es... #it seems like they tossed zoe in there to make up for how unlikeable chloe is #and so they dont have to properly give chloe an arc #because if they did give chloe an arc ppl who dont like her would be mad #and if they DIDNT then ppl who DO like her would be mad. #it's a lose-lose scenario especially since thomas himself hates her. #So things might have changed since feast was released #and chances are this background detail is going no where. #but i thought it was a fun observation to throw out in case they end up using it. #Some other notes: I hesitate to think that there are MORE sentibeings that we dont know about. #I dont think Gabriel seems like the type to toss out his miraculous all willy-nilly. #Him lending it to Colt seemed like a one-off thing #and him lending it to Tomoe seems like an even bigger stretch but not totally implausible esp considering the circumstances #The fact that they found the peacock exactly where it was left (that is to say exactly where Fu left it) #makes me think they are the only ppl who know about it #So while i've seen other ppl say that everyone at the Diamond Dance couldve been a sentibeing #I just don't see it happening. Sorry! #And that's why I don't even really know about Zoe. #But what I find interesting is the age gap between Zoe and Chloe. #Surely they must be close in age since they're in the same grade right? #And if that's the case... how did Audrey get pregnant so close together? #Might be another reason to believe one of them is a sentibeing... or adopted LOL. #Anyway i'm done! Lmk if you remember anything important! ciao

[vincent-frankenstein]

who was that. that was not Janus who was that

#watched the new asides! hahahahahahaha i have thoughts #mostly positive which is not what i was expecting! i thought they felt in character for the most part #i enjoyed it #but that. was not Janus #youre telling me the master of deception the literal EMBODIMENT of deceit #would get SO drunk around people he quite frankly should not trust yet his arc has not gone that far #that he is saying everything on his mind and being extremely loose lipped #no. absolutely not #i feel like thomas was aiming a gun labeled /reduce character to alcoholism joke/ at logan and last second swiveled and shot janus #point fuckin blank #and the rest of the episode was actually good!!! it was fun!!!!!!! except for the weird drunk cardboard cutout they had standing #where janus should be #for a character like janus alcohol - if its gonna be used at all - should be used as like . a sign of character growth #a signifier of trust . he trusts the others enough to drop those walls . but that is NOT a point we should have hit now #he had a breakthrough with patton but roman hates him virgil hates him #that is not a situation where the embodiment of self preservation js gonna go welp! time to get blackout drunk! #im so . i just . come ON man #roman would get drunk as shit . at thjs point in his arc that even makes sense!!! #taking a bit of liquid confidence when maybe hes not feeling much of his own #though where roman stands in his arc after four entire years of waiting is . fuckin debatable i guess #anyway in conclusion that was not janus . thank you for coming to my ted talk #ts crit #ts critical #ts spoilers

[pathsofoak]

Newt recognizing Thomas is in a place comparable to where he has been with his mental health and keeping him close with the very kind of hope Thomas gave him first so he can't sink further my beloved

#I am in love with this arc #like Thomas gave Newt hope to keep going and now Newt gets to help him (and Frypan) with the skills he learned from them both #Next with the arc where Brenda and Teresa get 'I'll wash your hair for you while you're too sick to do it by yourself' #and 'I'll hold you while you recall the second-most terrifying experience in your life and gently rock you back to sleep' kinda close #(first one is Teresa helping Brenda the second is Brenda helping Teresa) #oh and I mustn't forget about Chuck's coping mechanism arc because he 'grows up' while at WCKD but he follows Minho Gally and the #guards's leads #so he just ends up becoming very angry all the time because he is under the impression that Minho and Gally have an easier time #ignoring all of it when really they're just both repressive #he also ends up lashing out at Newt Fry and Brenda because they aren't which is when Gally sits him down #by the end of part four he'll have a healthy cry he hasn't had one of those yet #and hugs they all get lots of hugs #I'm on holiday so I can't write which is why I'm spamming Tumblr #by the way that arc with Newt and Thomas reaches a turning point when the only adult person Thomas trusts in WCKD turns out #to be a dick (they think) and Thomas enters a spiral #Newt sits next to him in bed and holds him while he tries to get him to cry it out #(Thomas actively wants to feel miserable so WCKD can't get in his head again but crying makes him feel better so he doesn't) #when Thomas won't cry he simply begins to scratch the back of Thomas's head while Thomas lies against his chest #Thomas has to try really hard to keep it together until Newt tocks him to sleep #Once they're in the Safe Haven Newt watches over Rhomas when he refuses to open his eyes and accept that WCKD is over #he doesn't push him to wake up at all he just describes the beauty of the place #which Thomas can't see when he DOES open his eyes because he only sees danger everywhere #but Newt takes him under his wing and has him help out in the gardens #(as much as he trusts the Right Arm he wants to keep a close eye on Thomas himself for as long as Thomas is unstable) #where he goes by everything one by one to show him (covertly) that it's all safe and nice and he doesn't have to do anything to deserve it #and slowly Thomas mental map of safe spaces (which starts with his hammock and his hammock only then expands to the entire beach camp etc) #grows and he has less and less flashbacks and panic attacks especially when he lets Vince introduce him to the equivalent of a therapist #and starts to learn who he is outside his blood #because WCKD always defined his identity with it #even him becoming a Runner was in part WCKD's game

[timespenttogethercomic]

does anyone have a fun coming out story?

an exclusive look behind the scenes!

#original comic #ask #this ask interacts in a fun way with the end of the previous arc so i saved it for now #often hinted at never confirmed until now: jack is kind of new at all this #i mentioned previously that if the ask doesn't specify who it's for i just give it to the person with the funniest answer #the other stories are: josh came out to celina when she came out to him #and later did the thing with his grandfather where they both casually mention being cool with gay people every so often #and they left it at that #ennie ghosted everyone who knew him before he moved to the city and then just presented as he does now #thomas doesn't identify as anything specific and therefore doesn't feel the need to come out as anything #[edit] i totally forgot to add a song. but that's remedied now

[glaxelilly]

Genshin Men - Cockwarming

— Al Haitham, Zhongli, Kazuha, Wanderer, Ayato

Warnings: nsfw, fem!reader, dirty talk, the tall ones are kinda Dom

Al Haitham // While he’s reading

You’ll cockwarm Al Haitham anywhere and at anytime he has a book in his hand. It’s gotten to the point where the man can’t read without a pair of your lips wrapped around him, keeping him snug inside of you right where he belongs. “Darling I have this book I’ve meaning to read, so please get over here. I want you on your knees today, thank you my love.”

Zhongli // Enjoying his evening tea

You’ll cockwarm Zhongli after he gets home from work. The high energy funeral director is a lot for him to handle, so you make him a pot of his favorite tea and sit on the balcony with him. He’ll drink the tea, listen to the bustling of the harbor, and relax at the feeling of your warm mouth wrapped around his cock. “Thank you, dear, you did so perfect for me. Here, have a cup of tea for your sore throat.”

Kazuha // Writing Poetry

You’ll cockwarm Kazuha when he’s stuck with his writing. He claims it helps clear his mind, so the two of you will find a secluded spot where he can feel nothing but the wind on his skin and your warmth on his cock. Once he breaks out of his slump, he’ll get so caught up in his writing that he’ll forget you’re there, and you’ll have to whine around him to remind him. “Oh my dear autumn breeze, I’m so sorry. Here, why don’t I make you feel good, huh my love?”

Wanderer // When he’s bratty

You’ll cockwarm Wanderer when he’s being a nuisance. After spending the whole day being a little shit to anything that breaths, you’ve had enough. Once you’re home, you immediately have him on his back on your shared bed, and in a flash he’s tied to the headboard and your sitting on his cock not moving an inch. At first he just laughs at you, saying this is nothing compared to what he’s been through, but pretty soon he’s a mess underneath you. “P-please, fuck don’t make me say it just move! Shit please just- oh my arc- please please please just OKAY IM SORRY! I’m sorry I’ll be good! Please just move please!”

Ayato // Doing paperwork

You’ll cockwarm Ayato when he decides to actually get caught up on his work. He’ll neglect doing it for awhile, which stresses Thoma out, but it’s because he knows what you’ll do for him when you see the giant stack of papers. You’ll instantly feel bad for him, and suggest sliding underneath his desk to make it easier. “How could I ever say no to you, dear? You always make me feel so good.”

#genshin x reader #genshin impact #al haitham #al haitham x reader #alhaitham #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham smut #al haitham smut #zhongli x reader #zhongli #zhongli smut #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kazuha #kaedehara kazuha #kaedehara kazuha smut #kazuha smut #scaramouche x reader #wanderer x reader #wanderer smut #scaramouche #scaramouche smut #genshin impact wanderer #genshin scaramouche #kamisato ayato x reader #kamisato ayato #kamisato ayato smut #genshin impact smut #genshin impact x reader

[rambling-prince-thoughts]

rewatching selfishness vs selflessness for the 100th time in a row and there’s this one detail that i always notice. it hurts like a bitch every time i see it too.

in the scene where janus is questioning logan, he obviously takes advantage of the fact that logan had been forgotten by thomas and the rest of the sides when they all entered the courtroom scenario in the first place. logan was (rightfully and obviously) shocked to notice that they were enacting the scenario without him, logic, the person who would undoubtedly be the most excited to do so and would have the most knowledge about courtroom procedures.

but there is the moment where he says that there’s “always room for him” and janus responds with, “i know, that’s what i said! but patton insisted we leave you alone” and that moment sticks with me whenever i watch this episode.

logan immediately turns to look at patton with a surprised, hurt look on his face because he can’t believe that patton would say something like that about him. it’s true that him and patton don’t usually see eye to eye on things, but patton does value his input and they resolved most of their issues during the earlier stages of the sanders sides videos (although not completely).

i find that interesting because whenever janus targets logan, he always makes it a point to draw attention to the fact that logan isn’t very well liked, mostly because he embodies logic and claims not to feel anything, unlike the rest of the sides (who as thomas once put it, are too zany or relatable). he even calls out logan for this during the events of svs.

his “oh, of course you don’t” is dripping with sarcasm and janus is the lord of the lies, he would know when someone is lying. keeping that aside, it was obvious that a few minutes ago, janus’ lie about patton disregarding logan’s usefulness during the courtroom scenario hurt logan, so much so that it was visible on his face. roman’s comment of “did you see the look on his face?” was a nod to that.

so logan, in saying that he doesn’t feel anything, is lying about his own feelings.

additionally, it’s not the first time janus has used patton specifically to counteract logan and lie to him. the whole episode of “can LYING be good?” featured janus, disguised as patton, playing to logan’s likings via patton’s charm. it was evident from the first minute that logan appeared onscreen.

after that, he simply had patton reference famous philosophers, and logan clearly admired that because he seemed to be quite happy about it, even though virgil immediately became suspicious.

janus picked up on the fact that logan didn’t believe that patton would ever try to hurt him on purpose, and at least patton wouldn’t exclude him from things. that patton would listen to him. which makes it all the more sad that in svs redux, when logan said that philosophers would not agree with patton (after patton asked for his input), patton took the easy way out and pulled logan out of the situation.

it’s also why logan ignored patton when he tried to offer comfort after logan reappeared and said “i’m just here to deliver one last fact, then i will do you all a favour and spare you my company.” in fact, he ended up yelling over patton so he could get his point across and actually be heard.

i love logan and patton’s duo, and i really hope they resolve this during logan’s arc. in the meantime, sending love to our logical boy because he needs it.

(an unofficial part two to this post is now up, delving a little more into logan and patton’s relationship. i’ve hyperfixated on the glasses gays at this point /hj)

#sanders sides #rambling prince thoughts #logicality #logan angst #logan sanders #patton sanders #janus sanders #selfishness vs selflessness #logan really needs a break #someone please give him a hug too while you’re at it #the nerd is trying his best and we love him for it

[darkesttiimelines]

Throughout history, women have left an undeniable impact on society with their hard work, creativity, and dedication to progress. Unfortunately, their accomplishments have often gone unnoticed, been undervalued, or even stolen. Despite these challenges, brave women of today continue to push boundaries, break barriers, and pave the way for a more fair and equal world. It's our duty to keep going, so that future generations of women can inherit a kinder, more just, and supportive world. By following in the footsteps of the incredible women who came before us, we can create a world where every woman can flourish and succeed, and where their contributions are recognized and celebrated.

Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen.

Rani Lakshmibai was the Maharani consort of the princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853. She was one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 became a symbol of resistance to the British rule in India for Indian nationalists. When the Maharaja died in 1853, the British East India Company under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognize the claim of his adpoted heir and annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. She rode into battle with her infant son strapped to her back, and died in June 1858 after being mortally wounded during the British counterattack at Gwalior.

Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was instrumental in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Her contributions were largely overlooked by her male colleagues, James Watson and Francis Crick, who used her data without her permission or acknowledgement. This theft of her intellectual property and erasure of her contributions is a prime example of the systemic sexism that has historically plagued the scientific community.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology during World War II that was used to guide torpedoes. However, her contributions were largely ignored and dismissed by male engineers and the military at the time. It was only later in life that she received recognition for her scientific achievements.

Emma Weyant is an American competitive swimmer. She was the US national champion at the individual medley. She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 400m individual medley and won the silver medal in this event. Weyant finished second in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. She was beaten by William (Lia) Thomas, a fetishist, who when competing as a member of the Penn men's team, which was 2018-19, ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle. Weyant is the fastest swimmer in the 500-yard freestyle and had her position stolen by a man.

Maryna Viazovska is a Ukrainian mathematician who made a breakthrough in sphere packing, solving the centuries-old mathematical problem known as the densest packing of spheres in dimensions 8 and 24. She was awarded the Fields Medal in July 2022, making her the second woman (after Maryam Mirzakhani), the second person born in the Ukrainian SSR and the first with a degree from a Ukrainian university to ever receive it.

Hannie Schaft was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II who played a crucial role in the resistance movement against Nazi occupation. Schaft was a former university student who dropped out because she refused to sign a pledge of loyalty to Germany. Nazis arrested and killed her in 1945, just three weeks before the war ended in Europe. According to lore, Schaft’s last words were, “I’m a better shot,” after initially only being wounded by her executioner.

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mathematician and mental calculator who was known as the "Human Computer" for her exceptional ability to perform complex mathematical calculations in her head. Her extraordinary abilities earned her a place in the 1982 Guinness Book of Records. Her lesser known achievement is that in 1977 she wrote what is considered to be the first book in India on homosexuality titled “The World of Homosexuals.”  

J. K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. Known for her philanthropy, she was doxxed and harassed after coming out with support for women's and gay rights in 2020. Rowling secretly donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to save 100 female lawyers and their families facing murder in Afghanistan. In 2022, she funded a women's only rape shelter in Edinburgh.

#this post was inspired by me being absolutely sick of trans activists claiming that joan of arc/rani lakshmibai/insert literally any other #strong woman #is actually a trans man #they were no man at all #women have been brave and strong and amazing throughout history #and they still are #if only you'd get your head out of your ass to take a look #radical feminism #radblr #terf #trans #misogny #i am no man

[tailschannel]

IDW Sonic at SDCC 2023: Everything you need to know

IDW Sonic had a panel in this year's San Diego Comic Con and many new issues, one-shots, and collections were announced.

Major announcements included new covers for Issue 67, preview pages for the 900th Adventure, and a tease of an upcoming one-shot issue for Fang the Sniper and Knuckles the Echidna.

This year's panelists included Evan Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Min Ho Kim, Caleb Goellner, Michael Cisneros, and David Mariotte.

The upcoming arcs

Misadventures

Issues 63 to 66.

Features Sonic, the Diamond Cuttersm Silvers, Blaze, Knuckles, the Chaotix, Cream, Gemerl, the Babylon Rogues, and more in a two story per issue format.

Between August, September, and October 2023.

Second Chances

Issue 67.

Surge and Kit makes a return to supposedly join the Restoration.

Out November 2023.

The Protector

Issue 68.

Sonic and Tails explore a mysterious cavern.

Out December 2023.

Upcoming one-shots

The 900th Adventure

A special issue that celebrates 30 years of Sonic comics that span over 900 releases.

A Sonic adventure where Sonic and friends goes against some of his foes to get rid of the Warp Topaz.

Out August 2023.

Attribution for the 900th Adventure one-shot are as follows:

Story One: written by Ian Flynn, illustrated by Adam Bryce Thomas, coloured by Valentino Pinto

Story Two: written and illustrated by Evan Stanley, coloured by Gigi Dutreix.

Story Three: written by Nigel Kitching, illustrated by Mauro Fonseca, inked by Rik Mack, coloured by Reggie Graham.

Story Four: written by Daniel Barnes, artwork by Min Ho Kim.

Story Five: written and illustrated by Aaron Hammerstrom, inked by Matt Froese, coloured by Nathalie Fourdraine.

Story Six: written by Caleb Goellner, illustrated by Abby Bulmer, coloured by Heather Breckel.

Endless Summer One-Shot

Sonic, Tangle, Whisper, and Jewel just want to have a relaxing day at the beach... but won't if the Babylon Rogues have anything to say about it.

Out August 2023.

IDW Sonic Halloween Special

A new adventure featuring the Chaotix where they have to face a candy-stealing monster alongside Sonic & Tails, releasing on October 2023.

Featuring Mark Bouchard, Jack Lawrence, and Gigi Duterix.

Amy 30th Anniversary Special

Amy embarks on an adventure to save the small animals and her friends from Metal Sonic.

Out September 2023.

Knuckles & Fang One-Shot

Newly teased 30th Anniversary one-shot issue for Knuckles the Echidna and Fang the Sniper

Out in 2024.

Upcoming collected editions

Scrapnik Island Collection

Sonic and Tails are on an island of spooky forgotten badniks.

Out August 2023.

Seasons of Chaos Collection

Classic Sonic adventures.

Out October 2023.

IDW Sonic Artbook

A special gallery collection containing some of the art of the IDW Sonic series, including art from Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Evan Stanley, and Jack Lawrence.

Out October 2023.

Knuckles' Greatest Hits

A collection featuring Knuckle's greatest hits throughout the IDW Sonic series.

Includes issues 3, 10, 11, the 2022 Free Comic Book Day special, and the "Guardian" mini-issue from the 2022 Annual.

Out October 2022.

(Story contributed by Spectre from the Tails' Channel Newsfeed, images from Floof for Tails' Channel, with files via IDWSonicNews for Tails' Channel)

#idw sonic the hedgehog #idw sonic #sonic idw #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #sonic sdcc 2023 #sdcc 2023 #san diego comic con #comic con #sega #gaming #sonic news #idw sonic spoilers

[jbaileyfansite]

Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer's Interview with The Hollywood Reporter (2023)

“Johnny B! Johnny B!” Matt Bomer exclaims as he logs in to Zoom to join his Fellow Travelers co-star, Jonathan Bailey, to do press for their critically acclaimed Showtime limited series.

“Hey, Matty Mo,” Bailey replies. 

The actors spent about six months filming the eight-episode series — so, of course, they’ve established a playful bond. On this particular day, they’ve even given each other nicknames.  

“I don’t think I’ve ever called Matt ‘Matty Mo’ in my life,” a smiling Bailey says.

“I love Matty Mo,” Bomer replies. “Listen, I love Matty Mo. I appreciate it.”

Bomer and Bailey built a brotherhood and onscreen chemistry for the historical romantic drama about two male political staffers who fall in love at the height of the Lavender Scare, a time when homosexuals were banned from holding positions in the federal government. The series — based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel of the same name — follows their intense affair into the ’80s, also visiting Vietnam War protests and the AIDS crisis.

Zoom, it turns out, is where the actors first met, reading lines together to see if there was magic. And there was.

Since debuting in late October, Fellow Travelers has had an overwhelming response from viewers — some connecting directly with Bomer’s Hawkins Fuller, a veteran and State Department official who carefully hides his homosexuality, or with Bailey’s Tim Laughlin, an eager and naive congressional staffer who falls hard for Hawk. Others have identified with some of the supporting cast, including Allison Williams in the role of Hawk’s wife, Lucy Smith, and breakout stars Jelani Alladin as reporter Marcus Hooks and Noah J. Ricketts as drag performer Frankie Hines, whose gay Black love story is one of the show’s many highlights. 

“It’s so nice to be able to have discourse with people who are responding to the show. That’s been really refreshing and enlightening,” says Bomer, who is also an executive producer on the series.

Bailey, best known for Bridgerton and his theater work, says he was drawn to the show because “it felt new and it hadn’t been done in this way — in an elevated, eight-hour, rich aesthetic with gay actors.

“The queer experience is so different for so many people,” he adds, “but the one thing that unites the queer experience is these moments in history.”

In an interview with THR, Bomer and Bailey talk about prepping for their roles and being gay while playing gay, while also breaking down those milk and toe-sucking scenes.

What has it been like to have people connect emotionally to the series?

MATT BOMER: I won’t name names or anything, but I’ve known people over the years who’ve made similar choices that Hawk made in order to survive. Not governmentally — I mean in a society that certainly didn’t want to see them succeed. But for me, the most refreshing thing has been the young people who are really engaged in the show and knew nothing about the Lavender Scare, and are speaking to the show and the characters, but also, aspects of our history that they were unaware of that the show has — I don’t want to say taught them about, because it’s not a teaching tool — but they’ve learned about through the show.

JONATHAN BAILEY: When people respond in that way and you hear their personal stories, it’s amazing that people feel that they want to share that. It’s the most grounding thing to tell a story and investigate a time or a period or a movement, that hopefully leaves an imprint on people, and/or catalyzes them to tell people and talk about their own stuff. That’s the dream, really.

Jonathan, it’s so heartbreaking to watch Tim hurting in various scenes. What were you pulling from to give such a strong emotional performance? 

BAILEY: Thirty-five years on this earth. (Laughs.) Drawing it from the ground. Naturally, it’s totally parts of me and parts of people that I know, experiences that you think of. Tim’s character arc is so huge, and [I wanted] to capture his youth in those early moments and then expand into what breaks such a pure, optimistic, passionate soul and all the different ways in which that could show itself. There were moments on set that you couldn’t help but be incredibly moved by. 

We found ourselves filming by coincidence on World Aids Day. It is really not hard to feel the importance, but also just the grief is palpable in the stories. And there is a lineage — you inherit this in your community. It just felt like an opportunity to learn as much as I possibly could, generally, about the queer experience. We are surrounded by amazing gay men, as well. And then, of course, I’ve lived my life trying to understand the gay experience, so it wasn’t a shallow pool to [pull from].There’s a well there.

Matt, your character is so cutthroat, but obviously there’s sympathy for him, as well. What was it like playing Hawk?

BOMER: Hawk does what he has to do to survive. He has his empathy and his allegiances, but anything that calls his survival into question, there are immediate and severe boundaries. But then enters Tim, who is so guileless and so full of love and all the things that Hawk wishes he could be at his core, or maybe once was before certain aspects of his life changed that or his point of view about that. You’re always looking for a shadow in your character, and it was so refreshing — he obviously has a public persona, a veneer that he presents to the world in order to maneuver in it, but he really leads with a lot of the more shadowy aspects of a typical character. It’s the love and the more open and vulnerable aspects that are his shadow in many ways. That was an interesting flip for me to get to sink my teeth into. 

It’s profound to have two gay actors playing two gay characters on a TV show. Did you ever think something like this could exist?

BOMER: Honestly, no. My mind has been blown so many times over the past 20 years. I’m just so grateful that the gatekeepers gave us this opportunity. I was doubtful, almost up to the 25th hour on this, that they were really going to put the money and the opportunity into this series that they did. And I’m just so grateful that people who are in the position of calling the shots gave us the chance to tell the story — and the way we needed to.

BAILEY: It’s the Tims of the industry, who are searching for more, who are deconstructing, who are questioning. Because they’re all a similar peer group — [series creator] Ron [Nyswaner] knows Dante [Di Loreto, executive producer of Glee and P-Valley], who’s at Fremantle [which produced the show], and they’ve worked together for years. This isn’t something that just got commissioned overnight, because there’s a wave of progress. The people who are really doing it, as well as the actors, are the people in positions of power who have worked their way up with these questions.

And it’s funny, the one thing I have thought over the years is — I’ve just looked at gay characters, they’re such rich, brilliant, oppressed, complicated, joyous characters to play, so of course people want to play them. And this is a brilliant example of: What better way to do a character study of two polar-opposite gay characters than have gay people play them? But that’s what I felt growing up. I just thought, “Of course people want to play those parts,” which is great. It’s just, what happens if, just for a moment, gay people play them?

And I do think that everyone can play everything, and that’s what we should be headed toward. But I do think there’s a balance that needs, and needed, addressing. And there are a lot of people whose questioning and hard work have created a world in which this can fly.

BOMER: I agree with you wholeheartedly. And it is the Tims of the industry or maybe some Hawks, too, hoping for retribution.

BAILEY: That’s true. We stand on the shoulders of all the Hawks, as well. 

BOMER: (Laughs.)

BAILEY: [The Hawks] did all the work at MGM, yes. (Laughs.)

Jonathan, your character drinking milk in the series got a lot of attention. 

BAILEY: It was a brilliant way of showing such naiveté, and immediately you know that this is a character who’s completely outside the world Hawk inhabits, and he sees the world completely differently. He’s so open. It’s so interesting, isn’t it? Because, it’s funny that Tim leads with his heart and his openness and his childlike wonder, and his shadows are his compulsive nature of constantly needing something that he can’t fill. There’s a moment in episode six — they’re in Frankie’s flat, and I was like, “He’s got to be drinking milk.”

BOMER: There was a power shift in episode eight, too.

BAILEY: Exactly. The milk was on the call sheet. It’s a character in its own right. And also the milk’s character arc is more dramatic than everyone else. Give it a spinoff, I say. (Laughs.)

There was also that toe-sucking scene. Jonathan, did you get the script and it said “suck toe”? 

BOMER: Just “suck toe.” (Laughs.)

BAILEY: It was very, very precisely written down — it was as precise as it needed to be. I saw that as an incredible way to dissect power. I got it when I read it, and I wasn’t intimidated by it. I was just like, “If in the first episode that’s what we are doing, it’s going to be worth five months moving to Toronto, and it’s going to be a series that I would want to watch.” Because not only is it incredibly complicated, not only is it really hot, it’s also something that masks as being provocative, but actually it’s really psychologically impactful and the people who get it get it.

BOMER: I think all those scenes were a really external representation of what was going on with these characters internally, emotionally. And for me, it was really refreshing to see the gay love scenes brought to light in a really unflinching way.

BAILEY: The shock and overwhelm and the tantalizing chemical combustion that happens seeing it — it’s a greater sensory experience because that’s exactly what it meant for Tim in that moment. It captures exactly what’s going on for Hawk and Tim, hopefully, allowing the viewer to experience a bodily reaction to it in the same way, whatever that may be. 

Source

#fellow travelers #jonathan bailey #matt bomer #interviews #interviews:2023 #the hollywood reporter interview #NEW!

[gffa]

Dick sneaks out to chase down a case about missing girls that Batman and Robin have been working on, ending up solving the case and freeing the girls by himself, while Alfred frets with worry about how Dick's putting himself in danger and throwing away his youth on this crusade and how he puts so much on his young shoulders. And now I'm thinking about just how many times I've seen Alfred step in and steer Bruce towards a gentler demeanor when dealing with Dick's determination to go down this path's crusade. How often we talk about Bruce could not have stopped him from it, that Robin was a leash on the kid, rather than putting Dick in harm's way for his own need to fight criminals--but the same is true of Alfred. He watches that kid, he worries about him, he's afraid that Dick is throwing away the years of his youth on this fight and if he'll regret, he never relaxes because he knows Dick's two seconds away from sneaking out to go fight people grown adults who are legitimately trying to kill him. But Alfred also sees the same thing Bruce does--that they're not going to stop someone that determined. And Alfred sees even further than Bruce does sometimes, in that Dick's desperate to prove to Bruce that he can be trusted to do this job, to justify the trust Bruce has placed in him, and that Bruce needs to gentle himself with the kid, even when he's terrified that Dick could have gotten himself hurt. Yeah, Dick put himself in danger without Batman there to watch over him, but he did it for the same reason that Bruce started this path, too. That Bruce didn't put that spark of angry need for justice in that kid, Dick came by that all on his own, the night his parents were murdered, and neither Bruce nor Alfred were pulling him into something that he didn't want, they were instead giving him shape and form to channel that need. Alfred has never liked this choice of theirs, to dress up in costumes and go punch criminals in the face, but he doesn't stand by out of passivity, but instead because he recognizes that Dick was going to do something and this was the best he could do to help shape the kid into something that would survive it. Including stepping in to help him behind Bruce's back or straight up saying, "Yeah, I helped him and you are going to be gentle with him, because that kid is desperately trying to prove himself to you and you're the only stability he has and you of all people should know what he's feeling about needing to help people." Alfred can't force either of them into a life that he would prefer for them, he can only help provide guard rails on the roads they've chosen, but what a difference that has made for them both. I love Bruce and Dick's relationship, I love it because the question of, "Where do you take a character who fights crime because of the trauma of his lost parents?" has a fascinating answer in, "You have him--step by painful step--grow into being a parent himself, learning to open himself up to being gentle with people he loves and fears losing, to learn to trust those he loves even though they might die." and, when Dick's own losses are mirrored in Bruce's, driving the parallels home even further, it's so important for Bruce to learn to be a father to this kid, as his own father figure nudges him back onto the right path. Alfred is such an important part of that character arc for both of these characters, he is part of the thematic bridge of parents and children that runs through the Batman family of stories, and his role of guiding Bruce into being a better father--to heal from the loss of Thomas and Martha Wayne who should have been there to guide him--by telling him, in the most British gentleman way possible, to look the fuck around and see what's going through that kid.

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #robin year one #long post

[natjennie]

the beauty of gone gone cannot be overstated. the brilliant suddenness and mundanity of mary's loss. the delicate balance between joviality and sorrow. the different aspects of grief represented by the different characters. the way thomas makes things all about himself instinctively but eventually acknowledges that his draw towards words in the face of loss wasn't what would've suited mary best, and instead asks alison to gather physical objects as an ode to mary's practicality. the way alison deliberately tells the captain she understands his instinct towards keeping himself too busy to feel his emotions and how that fits into the grander arc of their familial relationship. robin's understanding of grief being a completely different beast entirely because of his millennia of perspective, but also how the human experience remains the same. people live and they die and they are remembered and they are remembered and they are remembered. that's where we go. back to the stars.

#im so...... #i cant watch ghosts high guys i cant do it #bbc ghosts

[dccomicsbracket]

Motivations:

Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) & Jason Todd (Red Hood)

their moral codes directly oppose each other and are formed by extremely traumatic situations they were put in when they were children. jason sees himself in every victim and cass sees herself in every killer and i think they should beat each other up about it. cass's refusal to let anyone kill and her insistence that everyone can change if she can convince them has been explored multiple times but I think bruce's closeness with jason would add another interesting layer to her thought process. all that being said, I don't trust dc to actually pull it off

Duke Thomas (The Signal)

he's been in 2 anthology comics & alt universe him was in outsiders i believe in him this can be his year!! he's got lots of story potential if dc would let him have even just one full-length arc!!! I know, another Bat book, but listen this doesn't even need to be a particularly long running solo, in fact I'd say it should be 24 issues (without crossovers), no annuals max. Duke as a character has been around for over a decade at this point and still feels incoherent. With each new appearance there seems to be some kind of retooling involved: he has been a meta with a secret cosmic backstory and ambiguous immortal heritage (infinite blood???); he has been Gotham's Robin, but not Batman's (as he would prefer it, given his healthy mistrust for adults who position themselves as helpful and then don't do anything); he's been Gotham's day time hero (with no reference to how it would affect his full time education), and he's been an Outsider (in a book that somehow managed to focus on everything except the team at its core). Every new appearance has seemed to throw something new onto him, often contradicting what has come before, but the foundations are shaky. It seems he is perpetually being set up for his next great arc without ever receiving any payoff. His most consistent appearance has been in Wayne Family Adventures where his character has been simplified down to New Guy with occasional flashes of, insecure and also The Normal One™. I maintain that a single contiguous run with a stable creative team, could be his Giffen & Rogers Blue Beetle. One run to clearly lay out who he is and provide a road map to his comfortable future as occasional backup in Tec. This run would: reassemble the We Are Robins crew (themselves an interesting and diverse set of characters who have been poorly utilised in everything afterrwards); focus largely on street level crime, distinguishing itself from other current Bat books; allow time to build out Duke's relationships with the other Bats (particularly Cass, Bruce, Damian, Stephanie, and Harper), and provide a coherent resolution to the matter of Duke's parents (including Gnomon) and of his powers.

#dc comics #poll #next of dc poll #batgirl #cassandra cain #red hood #jason todd #duke thomas #the signal

[pathsofoak]

I was writing Thomas and Dijken's last interaction before the rescue in TEH and thoughts hit me and now I'm emotional, gah

I'm obsessed with Dijken continuously telling Thomas: alles komt goed after he's joined forces with the Right Arm. For context, it means "everything will be fine/all right." However, Thomas doesn't speak any Dutch. He might have picked up a curse word or two, but he doesn't know any full sentences and he doesn't have access to anything that could teach him the meaning of this sentence either.

Dijken can't outright tell Thomas everything will be fine. If Thomas knows there is a full and detailed plan, the plan won't work. In order for the plan to work, Dijken has to betray Thomas, or rather: Thomas has to believe Dijken betrayed him. That Dijken would kill to keep Thomas and his friends in WCKD's hands, that he would lie about the cure, etcetera etcetera.

Dijken has to have said it, though. To remind himself that he is doing it all for Thomas. That all the pain he's causing him, he's helping WCKD cause him, is a means to an end and that end is for him to spend the rest of his life free to recover in safety. These kids loathe him so much, they are genuinely afraid of him.

Dijken's position at WCKD comes into danger after Thomas learns the 'truth' because Janson no longer has any use for him, and never liked him in the first place. So Dijken has to play along to WCKD's games in order to be able to let the Right Arm in when the time comes. But this means he has to follow Janson's orders. Even when those orders frighten Thomas. He aims and fires a Launcher at Thomas, for Thomas's freedom. But he can never tell Thomas he missed on purpose until he has that freedom but all his damage has been done.

It will take a lot of time before Thomas will dare to be near him, let alone to be near him alone. Dijken knows that's how it's going to end for him. But he cares so much for Thomas's freedom he's willing to give up any chance of being able to show how much he cares about him (he took time off earlier to help the Right Arm and used family matters as an excuse to WCKD. His nephew needed his help. He considers Thomas family).

Part of him can't, though. He has this intrinsic need to comfort people, to make them feel safe even when they're not, to do anything for them not to see the danger of the world and the beauty instead. He can't ever comfort Thomas like that in a way Thomas would know about, but even the tiny bit of hope that eventually Thomas's subconscious might pick up on the gentle assurance of that sentence is enough for him to try anyway.

So he tells Thomas over and over, alles komt goed, because it is the only genuine, full truth he can tell him. Because things will be okay. There is no crack in the Right Arm's plan. It WILL work. He wishes for Thomas to have some hope so badly but in the only person who can ever understand those words is him.

#until at the Safe Haven #when they've reconciled and Thomas has made some big steps and feels comfortable in his own skin #he tells Dijken he DOES know what they mean #he does and he doesn't #so then Dijken asks him what he thinks they mean #and at this point Thomas knows the story and Dijken's role in it #and he's been able to make some peace #and though they're not yet at the point in the story where Thomas trusts him like he did before #he tells him: #''it means you're looking after me'' #which roughly makes that line mean #''everything will be okay because I'll make it so'' #because in the end Dijken WAS the most crucial player in that game #without him #specifically him. the Right Arm couldn't have done it. not without losing some kids and leaving WCKD to rise from its ashes again #Dijken has only ever seen himself as a source of Thomas's pain up til that point but then this line flips it around and says #''you've done what you could to make it all right in the end'' #and Dijken's arc is so in the background because it's like my little signature to the piece #but there is this immediate shift in how he interacts from that point on #he doesn't hide anymore out of fear of scaring the kids (because he was WCKD) but instead reaches out to help them process #he answers their questions and he can soothe their fears of WCKD coming back #he hangs out with Thomas in other places than his own home and gets to know the other Gladers over time #like by the end of the fic he's part of their little family as the somewhat reserved but caring uncle #gjgjgjf Dijken and that sentence just started out as me going #y'know what let's put some Dutch stuff in there for fun #and now I'm having feels bye

[distort-opia]

This might sound silly and i know bruce is bisexual and all but from a queer standpoint, the scene where he proposes to selina feels a lot like compulsory heterosexuality. "I love you. I HAVE to love you."

And considering the timeline, joker was HIDDEN INSIDE BRUCE'S BASEMENT my god the implications, the metaphor....

Yeah, the whole thing is... [clears throat] very interesting. These two panels, which happen relatively close in time, put it into perspective:

Batman (2016) #32 // Dark Days: The Casting

However, to be entirely honest, I don't think Bruce proposing to Selina, and that whole arc... can be boiled down to just compulsory heterosexuality. It's more complicated than that. Bruce is doing this after interacting with the Batman of Flashpoint, his own father, who begs him to try and be happy. And Bruce's idea of happiness, very much inspired by Thomas', is settling down with a woman and having a family. Gaining peace.

Tom King is the one who wrote the wedding arc, and the whole thing is permeated by this... typically masculine, American idealization of women as this isle of peace that a tortured man yearns for, but can never fully choose. I'm sure there's names for this trope or stereotype, but I'm too lazy to look this up. Think Michael Mann movies, think James Bond movies, think stories about criminals and agents and soldiers leading a dark violent life aspiring to put down arms, and the whole dream being entangled with a woman. A female character who usually isn't fleshed out beyond the representation of leaving a life of violence behind, having a nice wife and nice children in a nice house with a nice white picket fence. Tbh it's not surprising to me that King ended up writing Bruce and Selina with these undertones, because of King's infamous background with the CIA before he became a comic book writer.

And thing is, I don't think it's inaccurate to portray Bruce this way. Bruce has lead a long life of violence, and he wants to want to stop. He wishes it didn't define him as much as it does, he wishes there was another path for him-- and this wish drives his attempt to settle down with Selina. "I have to love you" is less about "you're a woman and I should marry a woman", it's more about "if I love you I am more of a human being, and I need that." Yes, it's compulsory heterosexuality too, in the sense that Bruce is drawing from the heteronormative idea that happiness can only be achieved through normality, and normality = wife and retirement. But it's also a sad, desperate attempt at salvaging himself through Selina, whom he does love... but the things he loves about her are less about her, and more about himself. In the end, his own subconscious acknowledges all of it, during the Knightmares arc:

Batman (2016) #69

[sigh] It's all quite sad. And I've said it in a different post, but this is partly why -- in a seemingly paradoxical way -- a relationship with Joker has the potential to work. "You can't love anyone but the Vow, but the Bat," Selina (a figment of his own mind) tells Bruce. And Joker is part of the Vow. In many ways, over the decades, Joker has become the endgame of the Vow, the incarnation of all the things the Bat is supposed to defeat. It's fucked up and makes me want to chew on glass, but the Bat could allow loving Joker, because loving Joker would be a part of the Mission.

Anyway, I went on a bit of an unncessary tangent, but yeah! I do agree, Anon. So many implications.

#asks #batman #bruce wayne #bruce wayne meta #batjokes #batcat

[ltwilliammowett]

Ivory Backstaff, by Thomas Tuttel, c. 1700

Backstaffs find altitude by measuring the angle between the horizon and the sun. Unlike previous instruments, however, navigators relied on the sun’s shadow rather than looking directly at it. Navigators could do this using the key parts of the instrument. The shadow vane on the small arc used to cast a shadow; the horizon vane on the larger arc was where you view the horizon; and the sighting vane was the slit the observer would look through. So how does it work?

To use the backstaff, the navigator with his back to the sun, holds the instrument in front of his and places it on his shoulder. To find the altitude, the navigator would move the vanes along the arcs, and view the horizon through a small slit. They would move the shadow vane on the smaller arc until the edge of the vane casts a shadow on the slit of the horizon vane. While doing this, the navigator would also look through a peephole in the vane on the larger arc and through a slit in the horizon vane to view the horizon. This allows the navigator to find the altitude of the sun by viewing the horizon and the sun’s shadow at the same time through the horizon vane.

#naval artifacts #naval navigation #backstaff #1700 #age of sail

[intrulogical]

remaining sasi fans i need to. holds on to u real quick. u have to listen to me, you need to learn how to consume media. you need to learn how to consume narratives. please for the love of god you cannot keep complaining about x character from sasi having "negative traits" because the point of the show is to give us a damn NARRATIVE.

narratives are LIKE THAT because you're supposed to THINK. thomas will not spoonfeed you everything about sasi's morals and arcs because you have. to have. critical thinking. you cannot view sasi as an ethical dilemma where you have to conclude which person is wrong— again, sasi is a damn NARRATIVE. treat it like a damn narrative

it's worse when sasi's literal PLOT and THEMES revolve around overcoming black and white thinking. it's about how a character's mental health is disenfranchised because of his upbringing teaching him how 2 not think for himself. please look at yourself before you consume this damn show, because i swear 2 god i cannot read any other stupid post about how "x character has no flaws" "insert stupid orange side theory" "x dark side is bad" like HEAR YOURSELVES. learn how to consume narratives!!!!

#rambles #sanders sides #fandom critical