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criticallyacclaimedstranger · 2 years

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Fic: Where the Crossroads Meet, Part I

Read on AO3

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Fandom: The Great Wall

Ships: Pero Tovar x you/reader (cishet female)

Tags/warnings (chapter specific): Fear of assault (lonely woman, strange man)

Words: 1,630

Summary: You lead a quiet life on the outskirts of society, tending to the needs of your garden and animals. One spring evening, a fearsome stranger with a scar over his left eye comes knocking on your door in search of food and shelter.

It is the time of sowing, when the dark, rich earth has finally warmed up enough for the least fragile of seeds. You have spent the day carting dung from the cowshed and turning it into the soil of your vegetable garden. Your young body jubilant in the repetitive motions of swinging the hoe, your mind relishes the physical labour and excitement as well as anxiety about the coming season. Will you be granted the summer you sorely need to make your garden flourish, so that you can feed yourself during the winter months? You whisper a blessing to each seed you drop into the little hole in the ground before lovingly covering it with soil. You sing as you water the tidy rows, already imagining the vulnerable sprouts that soon, gods willing, will burst through the hard shell of their seeds and push up towards the light.

As the air turn blue with the evening settling in, you milk your three cows whose winter-lean frames are already looking fuller as their diet is enriched with fresh grass. You feed the chickens and bar the door to the shed before taking what little milk you have received back to your cottage. Putting a couple of logs on the fire before preparing your humble dinner, you smile against the last light of the evening. Every day, the sun sets a little later, the evenings get a little warmer, a little longer. The darkness seems less compact. You feel energy buzzing inside you, despite the hour and the long day of physical labour. Spring has that effect on you.

When your meal has been taken and you’re clearing the table, you suddenly hear the snorting of a horse. Shortly after, there is a heavy knock on the door. You’re instantly on edge. You don’t get a lot of visitors, and even less so in the evenings. This is most certainly not anyone from the village, and travellers are potentially dangerous.

You grab a knife and hold it steadily in your hand as you go to the door and first peek out through the small hatch in it. In the gathering dark outside is a man, weatherworn and dressed in leather armour. There is something feral about him that makes you certain that you should not under any circumstances open the door for him.

“There is nothing of value here,” you tell him, trying to keep your voice from betraying your wildly beating heart. “And I don’t have room for guests.”

“I have dried meat to share,” he grunts, “and my horse needs rest. We’ll both be happy in the barn.”

Barn, that’s a big word for the shed that shelters your animals. They might accept a horse in there with them, but certainly not a man.

“There’s no room,” you state again.

“I won’t touch you,” he says brusquely. “I just need a roof over my head for the night. I’ll be gone by dawn.”

You don’t know why, but you close the hatch, unbolt the door, and open it. The man fills up the entire doorframe, blocking out the evening light, and for a heartbeat, you fear that you’ve made a terrible mistake. He’s dirty, scowling, and has a scar over his left eye, and there are dark stains on his leather armour that you’re certain is blood.

“Thank you,” he mutters. “Can I have some water to wash myself with?”

You nod mutely as you let him in. He smells of the road; leather, dust, horse. So different from what you are used to: soil, flowers, cows. He wears a sword strapped to his back and you can feel the hum of the cold steel. When he turns around and gestures towards his horse, you see that there are, in fact, two blades in the same scabbard. One hilt points up towards his right shoulder, the other down at his left hip.

“Can my horse fit in with your livestock?”

“I’ll take care of that,” you tell him immediately. “The cows don’t like strangers.”

You slink past him, careful not to get too close, and grab the horse’s reins.

“There’s hot water in the cauldron over the fire,” you inform the man before you lead his horse to the cowshed. The cows are anxious about the strange animal but as soon as you have taken off the saddle and bridle, and brushed the horse down, they relax. You give the horse some hay to eat and check on your animals one last time, avoiding the inevitable return to your cottage. You are uncomfortable to say the least, regretting your decision to let the man stay. Gods alone knew what he would do come nightfall.

When you eventually leave the cowshed, you see the man outside your front door. He has carried out your washbasin, put it on the bench beside the door, and is washing his naked upper body with a washcloth.

You stop and stare at his scarred skin stretching taut over hard muscles. It is not your first time seeing a man with no shirt on, but you have never seen a man quite like this before. This is a warrior, and a lethal one at that. Carefully, you come closer. He looks up at you, something wary in his eyes, like he is always ready to be attacked.

“Do you need to treat any wounds?” you ask him, averting your eyes from his naked chest. He shakes his head no, and you incline yours in what could be interpreted as a nod, before hurrying past him and into the cottage. Heart pounding, you take out what food you can share, lay the table for him, then busy yourself by the fire as he comes in. He quickly pulls his dirty shirt back on.

“Left the water in the basin,” he mutters. “In case you have to reuse water.”

That is unexpected. You gesture at the table, inviting him to sit down.

“I don’t have much,” you remind him as he grabs his pack and pulls out dried meat, wrapped in leather.

“It’s fine.”

You go out to empty the basin into the barrel where you collect rainwater for your crops. If the summer is warm and dry, you sometimes need to preserve water, but so far you have not had to do it yet this season. You are a little surprised that the stranger thought of it.

Dusk has settled over your garden, and you go back in, wondering about the sleeping arrangements. Your cottage consists of the kitchen and a small bedroom. There is nowhere else to sleep but the bed, and that’s the last place you want him.

He eats greedily and without speaking, his dark stare fixed on the plate in front of him. When it’s empty, he burps behind his hand, and turns his divided gaze to you. You shrink under his scrutiny, and your hand goes to the knife in your skirt pocket.

“Thank you,” he grunts. “Is it okay if I sleep indoors?”

You meet his gaze, trying to gauge it, determine if he is a threat or not.

“I don’t have anywhere – “

“This is fine,” he cuts you off, making a gesture towards the chair he’s sitting on, and the table. “It’s warm here. I’ll be comfortable enough.”

You nod mutely as you clear the table and clean the dishes, your back turned to him. The silence between the two of you is thick and you wish once again that you hadn’t invited him.

When you’re done, he insists you take the last piece of dried meat. Not wanting to contradict him, you accept it and put it into your pantry.

Finally, you can no longer pretend that your long day hasn’t taken its toll on you. It’s dark outside, the fire is dying down, and you have no more chores.

“I have to sleep,” you say unsurely, not wanting to use the word bed in case it would give the stranger ideas. He merely nods, and crosses his arms in front of his chest, leaning back in his chair. His eyes close, and you take the opportunity to disappear into your bedchamber. You don’t undress but curl up in the far corner of your bed, the knife in your hand, the covers pulled up tightly as you fix your eyes on the closed door.

Your heart almost stops when you hear the chair legs scrape against the floor, then heavy boot steps move across the floor. Shortly after, the roar of the fire tells you it has been fed more wood. The steps move back to the table. Another scrape of wood against wood, and a while later: deep snores.

Slowly, you relax, and sleep takes you as well.

Warming rays of morning sun fall on your face. You blink your eyes open and stretch, frowning when your legs are constrained by your skirt.

The stranger.

You sit up despite your body being stiff from the uncomfortable position and listen intently for sounds. All you can hear is the call of your cows for their morning milking. You get out of bed and tiptoe to the door, carefully opening it.

The kitchen is empty with no trace of the visitor, except for a couple of coins on the table. You walk up to it and look at the currency, chewing your lower lip. It’s not a large sum, but larger than he would have had to leave for a little bread and a hard chair to sleep on. You collect the coins and put them away, grateful nonetheless. After having a drink of water, you open the front door and step out to a new spring day. Your chores soon wash away all thought of the stranger.

#my fic #the great wall fanfic #pero tovar #pero tovar x reader #pero tovar x you

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fraudulent-cheese · 5 months

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So i watched the first half of ROTI! i don't have many thoughts honestly?

I don't care for Staci, i'll be honest. Her gimmick is repetitive and im glad she got booted first if this was the only thing the writters were gonna do with her. It would be funny if there was a grain of truth to her claims tho.

Dakota's pretty fun and i like the added focus on the interns this season, because let's be honest outside of one "haha the interns keep dying" joke in both TDI and TDWT there isn't much i belive? So yeah

also samkota's cute, idk what to say? God i wish the writters explored Dakota's character before the whole mutation thing.

Honestly all the ROTI girls are great, wish they got more than arcs about which boy they wanted to kiss because MAN ANNE MARIA AND JO ARE GREAT, Jo especially, she's currently my fav of the season. I wish they did more with both of them man!!! I don't like the jabs made about her appearence but i find them fine from Anne Maria specifically? Like yeah she would do that! I wish the girls were fighting for longer!

Dawn's one of the better characters but i wish her conflict with Scott lasted longer than one episode. Same with her friendship with B! What is it with Total Drama and throwing away interesting rivalries the episode they start at?!

B's fine i'll be real. I like how they don't actually make him speak! Other contestants do make jabs about it but like, they're teenagers, and one of them is from Scott and he's kinda shitty so it works lol

SPEAKING OF! Scott's pretty fun! He's not the best antagonist ever but he's fun to watch and that's enough for me rn. He's pathetic and shitty it's great

Team man is also fun, i like Brick especially. Don't like the frequency of the pissing himself jokes tho. Like, i get it! he's a military boy who likes fashion and pisses himself! Do something else!

I don't care for Cameron i'll be real. Neither for Zoey, i wish her flaws were explored more because dang she's judgy in episode 5!

I guess i'll talk about Mike here too? I think he's ok, but man i wish his alters were treated more like people. I don't mean the other contestants, i mean by the show. Svetlana's great for the small amount she's on screen for, and I like Chester and Vito more than i thought i would! Please show explore them a little more! (and, well, to state the obvious, don't call it mpd why did it call it mpd it wasn't even the actual term for it when the show was being written)

My least favorite part is the love triangle tho. It's suffering from a critical case of "Warrior's miscommunication": a miscommunication plotline that could be solved in a single conversation, but the characters involved don't tell anyone because we need to stretch this book to 300 pages! or in this case, the plotline to last the whole season!

I get Mike not wanting to tell Zoey because his whole thing is not wanting to tell people, and Vito not telling Anne Maria because he's fucking dumb and considering his relationship with Anne Maria wasn't in a position where he needed to disclose it, but LIKE!!! COME ON MAN!!! this could be solved so easily and they just,,, didn't. Also why can't Vito still date Anne Maria at the end he's his own person!

i'll be real i think i like the idea that Anne Maria and Vito are still friends they just make-out too, mostly because that's all they really do in the show (and also i like Jomaria more)

OK ENOUGH ABOUT THE SYSTEM MORE ABOUT THE LAST CONTESTANT

I don't care for Lightning oops. He's funny sometimes. The "Jo is a guy" jokes get old quick tho.

THAT'S IT ON CONTESTANT THOUGHTS SO FAR!

The challenges are fine? I think a couple are pretty good (the treasure hunt for instance) but a couple are less good? (the Obstacle Course is eh, i don't really care about the mine one) but honestly i wish they just executed a couple better. Like the Embarrasing questions, climbing the mountain, hell even the relay-race could've honestly been wayyy better than they actually were! At least they're camp related!

But yeah so far ROTI's pretty good, 6/10 with 8/10 characters.

#cheese posting #roti #total drama #total drama revenge of the island #long post #“i don't have many thoughts!” makes a bunch of paragraphs #string cheesing

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joshsheart · 1 year

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realized that if i have a lot of thoughts on something and no one will listen to them i can put them on here!

So today I was thinking about animation. You know how people don’t respect animation as a form of entertainment or media? I wish I knew why because I feel like, if anything, animation takes a lot more effort than live action movies or TV does. Of course, that might not be true in all cases but in some it definitely is.

I assume that some of the reason animation is not respected as much is because it is often associated with children entertainment. But this is stupid because yes, children entertainment often is animated but it’s also live action! And! wait till you here this! There are animated adult shows! Family Guy?? Family guy has a bunch of awards and is a respected show. It’s stupid but adults respect it and watch it. But the moment there’s something that’s animated (that’s not some dumb show like Family Guy (no hate to Family Guy)) these people won’t even bother watching it.

Well then I started thinking about Super Hero movies. God. Marvel, DC, whatever, I’m so sick of it. I understand that fans of these franchises are sick of hearing this and it also doesn’t necessarily apply to every single super hero movie ever, but this genre is so played out! If you look at Marvel specifically, you have some movies that are good and fun but then you get to a point where every single movie is the same idea with big battle, we’re almost dying!, how are we going to win?, we have to use this weird ancient/alien technology to save the world! It’s boring now!

And then you have the hero repetition. Like The Batman. Sure you can say they made that Batman movie because there was a different villain or something like that but it’s boring! I don’t mean that the movie itself is bad or boring, I saw it in theaters myself, it’s just a boring concept (same with the Marvel movies, they’re not necessarily bad, just overdone and are boring concepts at this point). Further with this, why are there three Spidermans? And do not get this twisted. I love Spiderman, Andrew Garfield’s being my favorite, but why are there three? Maybe there’s a real reason but to me it just seems like an excuse to keep profiting on the popularity of Spiderman by bringing him back several times.

Further, I’m already finding the current era of hero movies to be (Mostly) insufferable but imagine what they will look like in the future! Years down the line what will they do? Keep making new Spiderman and Batman films (and don’t forget about the tv programs)? When will the next Superman come out? I can’t imagine.

I also want to make a point that I understand that DC and Marvel movies are based on comic books. My knowledge of how accurate the films are to the comics or how many of them are actually based on the comics is very limited. I mean was Infinity War in the comics? What about Suicide Squad? I genuinely have no idea. If they are, it really doesn’t change my argument at all. It’s still boring to have all these heroes with their stories get pushed down to be a constant retelling. Also, I’m not saying that a movie like Avengers is boring. That’s probably when it was good! But then the shit kept going! Like... That’s the repetition. It never concludes. It’s like when a show should’ve ended at like season 5 but kept going for 15. And I’m bored of it. Another point to make is that certain some new hero movies say, Black Panther, I wouldn’t necessarily fall into this category but, put the Black Panther cast into a movie with Iron Man (RIP I know), Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Tom Holland Spiderman, Dr. Strange, and any of those other bitches in a big battle to save the universe...

Anyway, straying from the new, boring hero movies (Black Adam, Shazam, etc.), I started thinking about newer (kind of) hero movies that I thought were good and realized all three were animated. The three I came up with were Megamind, Lego Batman, and Into the Spiderverse. HEAR ME OUT! First of all, I’m not saying that Lego Batman is the best superhero movie ever made or that Megamind is better than the entire MCU or anything like that. Just listen to my thoughts here.

So first, Megamind. Megamind will never be taken seriously by everyone and I’ve already accepted that but it is a magnificent movie. It plays with the tropes of hero and villain so well. The entire concept of a villain beating the hero, getting bored in his victory and take over, creating a new hero so that he has someone he can have someone to defeat again, and in the end defeating him as a hero is insane! Completely flipping the idea of hero and villain like that is such a refreshing and entertaining thing to see. I’m so bored of seeing the repetition of some guy is a hero and has to face this big villain, whether the villain is human or not, and has to save the world or some shit. Seeing the villain become the hero is just so much more interesting! And it’s not like a Loki or Crowley (Supernatural) situation where viewers question whether they’re truly villains or not or see them as a good guy either way; Megamind was a villain but had a real change where he realized that he had to go in another direction.

Lego Batman is one that I will need to strongly defend here I’m guessing. I know I talked about the repetition of Spiderman and Batman yet two of my good hero movies are Batman and Spiderman? Well if we compare Lego Batman to the 2022 Batman with Robert Pattinson, I would argue that one of them is a lot more interesting. The Batman was a good movie, but it’s been done before. Even if it was a slightly different storyline or had some different main characters or something, we’ve all seen the basic Batman story. So why is Lego Batman different? Lego Batman sort of plays on the overplayed Batman tropes. So Batman is his usual foreboding, dark self, but at the same time it’s kind of weird in a way that sort of pokes fun at that part of Batman. They do the same with the other characters, like Robin and the Joker. It’s still Robin and Joker but they play with their characters, making fun of their relationship with Batman. I understand it’s for comedy, but the change of classic Batman characters and tropes make it a more interesting and entertaining Batman movie. Now I’m not necessarily saying that Lego Batman is better that any other Batman movie; I’m saying that, in this era, instead of making a basic, overdone Batman movie, Lego Batman provides a new interesting take on the Batman story.

And Into the Spiderverse. For starters it is different than the other Spidermans because it is not about Peter Parker, it’s Miles Morales. The whole concept of Into the Spiderverse makes it different than the other Spiderman movies. Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland all have great Spiderman movies (like great movies, I love them) but isn’t doing something new with Spiderman and different Spider..people? crossing universes and coming together better than if they had just made a new Spiderman movie with Donald Glover or something? And that was not a dig on Donald Glover, I am an advocate for him in a Spiderman movie, Spiderverse sequel maybe??

And I know you’ve been thinking it. What about Spiderman: No Way Home? It was a great movie!! In the same way Spiderverse was but in a more nostalgic and cool way. Bringing the old Spidermen together with Tom Holland was a great idea and I’m glad they did it. 10/10 much more interesting than Infinity War.

So is this argument for animation or against hero movies? I guess I don’t know. I was just thinking about all these things and thought I’d write them down. Some closing thoughts: I am not saying that any hero movie is bad. I’m sure there are some bad ones but I am not saying that. I just think that the entire concepts and main plots of a lot of these movies are overdone and becoming boring. I’m also not saying that Megamind and Lego Batman are thee best hero movies. They’re some of my favorites but I wouldn’t say that they are undeniable better than most or anything like that. I guess my main point might be why is animation not taken seriously when some of the more interesting hero movies, which has become a draining genre, are animated? Of course that’s heavily based on my opinion but I was just thinking about it.

#my thoughts #please no one get mad #animation #movie #superhero #dare i tag marvel #marvel #megamind #i love you megamind #batman

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years

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If Bridgerton shows A&K in doggy it would def be at a moment when they’re being non-communicative, disconnected, avoiding feelings, or otherwise tense. Which…eye roll. I agree with you though, I’d be pleased if they, without fanfare, just spliced it in during a sex montage. Where they’re just having fun and being happy — it’s very standard! I know they’d never have an extended scene in that position, but damn just briefly show Kate face down to let us know Anthony actually earned his rep as a rake (like that’s the bare minimum lmao).

How was Simon also this storied rake in S1 but apparently only did missionary? And he looked so blown away when Daphne got on top? I wonder tbh, did their uninspired sex have more to do with Daphne being so young and delicate looking and the show being wary to show a WW doing anything more ~adventurous~ with a black man?

Doing it doggy style IS the bare minimum of being a rake, lol. I hate so many rake books where the hero is supposed to be THE MOST RAKISH OF RAKES and is just like oh let me make tender love to you on a bed of roses my darling. Like. Do that. Sure. And I get that obviously most of these heroines are virgins and need to be... introduced to things. But lol, on a slightly different but consistent subject, I hated that trend of the heroine being like "oh what is this, is this your dick, should I kiss it tenderly" and the rake being like "OH GOD DON'T DO THAT NOW I'M GONNA COME RIGHT NOW IF YOU DO". Like. I get being overwhelmed by her. I love that. But let her work on it a little, dude.

I kinda disliked that they amped up Simon's rake-ness in the show--because Anthony is the real rake, for one thing, but also because it's kinda repetitive? I feel like you can have a hero be sexually experienced and good at sex without being a rake. A rake is the type of guy who will take a girl out back, finger her to orgasm, and then shake her dad's hand with a smile. (A great example of, imo, the classic romance novel rake is Ralston from Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake.). Simon... isn't that. He's good in bed, he's experienced, but he's not that. Daphne may have provoked him to a Garden Moment, sure, but I think that was less rakishness and more specific attraction to Daphne.

There are so many subsets of romance heroes, and I think Simon was more of the Chilly Duke Who Must Learn To Love than the Rake. But anyway, I think the writers (and the character by extension) definitely toned the shenanigans down for the sake of emphasizing Daphne's virginity. Like, the degree of virgin that Daphne was in such a sexual setting is common in romance novels, but it was kind of new-ish for TV, and it was built up as this big part of s1's identity. Even though I really don't think you have to be having sex for long to start trying out more than missionary lol, I think they want to just hammer into everyone's heads how inexperienced she was. I don't even think Daphne knew the basic shape of a dick until she saw one on her wedding night. And yeah, I do think there could have been fetishism involved to an extent, with some ~tender white woman~ shit. Which is why they need to of course be very careful with how Kate's sexuality is portrayed this season. But I think you can portray Kate as more confident and more... interesting, in that sense, than Daphne--without it being fetishistic. It's a tightrope to walk, for sure, but I think it can be done.

#bridgerton

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pair-annoyed · 4 years

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Anime I Watched This Summer

Summer 2020 has officially come to a close. It’s fall in Animal Crossing and the trees are beginning to turn. Much like quarantine, I spent a lot of my free time watching anime when I wasn’t stressing over starting college. Now that the school year has begun, I thought it would be nice to reflect on everything I’ve watched!

These Anime were seen between 6/14 - 8/31 (my Birthday!) and are listed in chronological order.

They will be rated on a 1-10 scale; 1 meaning complete garbage, 10 meaning masterpiece. I will offer my thoughts on what I did/didn't like about each show!

1. Bakemono no Ko - 8/10

This was such a great way to start out the summer! I love the dynamic between Kumatetsu and Ren. Overall its a little cliche, but it’s also very wholesome. It’s by the same studio that made Wolf Children (which I loved!). so I knew it was going to be good. My favorite aspect of this movie was its backgrounds and world building!

2. Wan Sheng Jie - 9/10

Oh my gosh! I know that this is technically a donghua, but its on MAL, so it counts. This show quickly became my favorite slice of life of all time. I adore the art style and all of the characters. The comedy, plot, and design blends so well together. Everything in Wan Sheng Jie feels warm and comfy. It’s also confirmed for a second season! After seeing its cliff hanger ending, I’m so anxious for what comes next!

3. Dororo - 7/10

I’ll be honest, I’m a sucker for studio MAPPA. I really liked the historical aspects of Dororo. From the outfits to the ways characters behave, its grounded in the constraints of feudal Japan. I would have given this show a higher score if it was a little more grounded in science. I feel like more time should’ve been given to the demons and antagonists of the show. Our MC was so over powered, which made the final fights of the series more lack-luster. I think its less of the anime’s fault and more because the original source material is from the 60s. That being said, I loved this show! It was cute and action packed. Though it isn’t perfect, it holds its own.

4. Bungou Stray Dogs - 5/10

The concepts and action are misconstrued in Bungou Stary Dogs. This is one of those shows that I chose to watch because it was all over Tumblr. The powers themselves are cool, but I can’t understand why this series is so praised. At it’s core its predictable and basic. The fights seemed low stakes and low energy. None of the humor really felt like it belonged. It tried too hard to be something it isn’t. I don’t think I’ll watch beyond this first season.

5. Kami no Tou - 4.5/10

First off, fuck Rachel, me and my homies hate Rachel. I really really had high hopes for Tower of God. It paves the way for Webtoon adaptations in the future. Its such a shame that this adaptation SUCKED. I have not read the source material, I’m going solely based on the anime. It wasn’t good? It was horrible. I hate Bam, I hate Rachel. I think all the characters expect Rak were awful. Please don’t make a season 2. Please. If you’re interesting in Tower of God, just read the webtoon.

6. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - 7/10

Shoujo anime is my guilty pleasure. I especially liked the way Gekkan Shoujo tackled Sakura and Nozaki’s relationship. Besides just the main characters, even the side characters were enjoyable! It was a fun and creative show. My only complaint is how dense Nozaki is, but I also absolutely love that part of him.

7. Jojo no Kimyou no Bouken (Parts 1-2) - 6.5/10

Jojo is not the saving grace of shounen anime. It isn’t something super revolutionary and it certainly will never be a 10/10. Part 1 was so slow and boring. Jonathan was just mediocre at best. I definitely liked Joseph a LOT more than Jonathan. Part 2 overall was much easier to watch than part 1. The fights are good, but there’s just something about Jojo that I can’t get behind. Although I’m completely bashing this series, I’m going to keep watching it. At this point, I wanna know what a stand is.

8. Clannad - 5.5/10

I was expecting Clannad to be sad, but instead I got a cute, slice of life, romance. It wasn’t unenjoyable, but it was also a pretty slow-burning show. I loved watching Nagisa and Okazaki slowly fall in love with each other. It was funny at times and sad at other points. I am currently watching Clannad: After Story (which I’ve heard is heartbreaking), so I’m hoping to get some catharsis out of that.

9. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai... - 6/10

This show is only 12 episodes, and yet it still has filler episodes for some reason? I’m a person who doesn’t typically watch isekai because the genre is so over done. However, when it’s done in a very specific way it’s really fun to watch! This show was definitely a lot of fun, it’s also cute and has so many interesting character-character interactions. The ending is painfully cliche, but I think it adds to this shows charm.

10. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen - 8/10

I loved Love is War so much! I love their weird romantic dynamic. I love the characters, and I love the animation. It’s over the top and executes it humor masterfully. The entire show fills you with anticipation for the two main characters. Kaguya is my favorite character. Although I haven’t seen season two yet, I most certainly will! I’m so upset I hadn’t seen this show sooner.

11. Great Pretender - 8.5/10

This show is so colorful and bubbly. The animation is so smooth and they are able to tackle so many different kinds of things given its plot. The whole show itself just feels like summertime. It came out not to long ago, so some people may not be familiar with it. On top of the show itself, the music is great, with a Jazzy OP and and ED that features Freddie Mercury

12. Steins;Gate 0 - 8/10

I loved the original Stein;Gate so much! So it’s no surprise how much I liked the second season. It builds significantly off the first season in a sort of “off shot” OVA kind of way. The events of Steins;Gate 0 don’t actually happen, but that doesn’t stop it from being meaningful. The big “twist” was predictable and a bit of a let down, but I still enjoyed this. Granted, I’m bias.

13. Seishun Buta Yarou wa Yumemiru Shoujo no Yume wo Minai - 9.5/10

I sobbed. So much. This movie was phenomenal, it was such a trip. Having watched the original series, this tore my heart apart. It gets a high score for being able to take the characters I love and creating a wonderfully emotional experience. If you haven’t seen Bunny Girl Senpai, please watch it, and then watch this movie. You won’t regret it!

14. Hotaru no Haka - 6/10

Grave of the Fireflies made me stop watching anime for a while. Studio Ghibli created something grim, something that leaves the viewers feeling hollow. Its a movie about WWII from Japan’s perspective. As an American, all I could feel while watching this was immense guilt. I will say though, that some of the movies main plot could have easily been prevented if the main character had swallowed his pride. His younger sister was also my least favorite character. I get that she’s a kid and that kids are fussy, but you would think that during wartime, she’d be more understanding and at least try to eat the things she dislikes.

15. Yagate Kimi ni Naru - 9/10

This was a great way to end the summer. This is more that just GL romance, its a love story. Its about growing up and learning to understand your feelings. I related to Yuu so much, which made this more emotional than I expected. It’s really unlike another romance anime I’ve seen. I hope it gets confirmed for a second season. If not, I’ll be reading the manga.

Seasonal Shows: (Things that are still airing as of 9/5/2020)

1. The God of High School 7.5/10

Another thing done by studio MAPPA. Are you surprised? I absolutely love the action in GoH. The plot however, is all over the place. The story seems fragmented and hard to follow. Like Tower of God, it was poorly adapted. I’m giving it such a high score, because it’s SO much more enjoyable then Tower of God.

2. Enen no Shouboutai: Ni no Shou - 4/10

My thoughts on season 2 are about the same as my thoughts on season 1. The only difference is that this season has more Jojo references. I’ve rated it lower because its so repetitive. I’m so sick of watching it, but I’ve got to see it through the bitter end.

3. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season - 8.5/10

All I’m going to say about Re:Zero is that I love it. I can’t give an accurate review of it because I’ve been hyping this season since it was announced. If you’re into non-typical isekai, watch Re:Zero, its so enjoyable!

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outrunningthedark · 3 years

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I seriously don't get people who are like oh, buddie will never happen lmao I mean. Eddie's arc right now? Is so clearly leading towards him realizing he's into guys? I mean, if they just wanted to break him up with Ana bc the fans didn't like her or bc the actress got busy, then - there were a hundred other was to do that? After the shooting, they could have just given her Ali's reason. But the way they did that, they totally ruined Eddie for any other girlfriends in the future?

2/2 Like I'm not saying straight men can't be in Eddie's shoes in real life, but - this is a TV show. It's supposed to be entertaining. And having him go through the same warming up process he went through with Ana, all over again, that's not entertaining lmao it's repetitive and boring I don't even think we have to point to the break up as proof that the show "ruined Eddie for any other girlfriends in the future". The very moment Eddie admitted that Buck is who he wants to look after Christopher if he ever dies is when it became absolutely clear that there will never be anybody else for him. He's not going to take away that privilege from Buck, and it would be a tough pill for his girlfriend to digest. Add to that his LITERAL panic at the idea of marrying a woman who checked all the boxes, a woman he should have felt more for, and one can't help but conclude that there's a specific reason why Eddie struggled to commit. He wanted a mother for Christopher. He found one. The "perfect" one. But it never felt right, did it? Something's still missing. Someone. If people say "Buddie is never gonna happen", you can probably assume at least one of two things about them: o1. they're homophobic o2. they have negative opinions about Ryan/Eddie And if these same people claim to have been "burned by a show" before...check their sources. I was a Sterek shipper from DAY ONE and you know when I had my "this is never gonna fucking happen" epiphany? Season three. Here comes Braeden. Here comes Malia. Okay, Jeff. You've made your point. God bless all of you who stuck around hoping for a miracle, but I had to get the hell out while my sanity was intact. (Wise decision by me considering how much the relationship between the cast/crew and fan base deteriorated as time went on...) Sometimes you haven't been "burned by a show". Sometimes you want to believe in something so badly that you ignore all signs pointing to the exact opposite outcome.

#anonymous #911 discourse #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1 #buddie

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tandemunicycle · 3 years

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Farming Sims: an exercise in futility, and the one that got it right

tl/dr: The only good farming game is Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and I will die on this hill.

Before I begin I would just like to say; I have not done extensive research into the actual logistics of these games or the opinions of goals of their creators, this is based purely on my own experience and opinions.

So first off, some loose education for those who are not indoctrinated, a farming sim is short for a farming simulator, basically a game that, well, simulates farming. The levels of scrutiny in the simulation vary, with some having aspects of fantasy while others delving into the specifics of crop growth and animal management. In many of these farming sims, however, the farming itself is not so much the focus of the game as is the life of a farmer, especially one living in a small town. Growing relationships, fixing up the town, getting married, getting a better farm, all of these common gameplay features of popular farming games such as Stardew Valley and Rune Factory.

There comes a time, however, that many players of these kinds of games become quickly familiar with. It can come early, or later in gameplay as your farm and daily chores become more and more automated, and the daily habit of farm chores become chores to the player as well. I'll just refer to it as the slump, as I don’t know if other gamers actually have a phrase for this.

You see, in these types of games it's all about A. resource management and B. upgrades to living conditions. You chop lots of wood to get a bigger house so you can cook better food and better food lets you farm longer and better tools let you farm even longer than that. These are not inherently slump-inducing, but you soon come to realize as you progress that there is no end. No goal. Sure you may make your farm the biggest or the richest or improve your town to the max but… then what? The years go by and nothing changes. You do chores to what, get a better fishing rod? Romance all the people you can in town just to see what they say? You’re an immortal god in a sandbox full of turnips and although there is no end, most likely you’ll just start over again, because the game wasn’t about the town or the people or you, but about all the shit you could collect and do.

Farming sims induce a strange sort of depression in me. A monotonous day to day that only changes on the surface. Kind of dramatic, but I think it’s true.

Now let me tell you about Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life.

This game is not beautiful. It’s 2003 GameCube graphics with low polygons, the music is often repetitive and lulling, the writing and translations are choppy at best and confusing at worst, some aspects of the game like any farming sim are painfully repetitive and slow, and I think to have fun sometimes you need to plug in a podcast and play mindlessly. But this game does something no other game of its breed had the bravery to do. And it starts quick.

After the first year you have to marry one of the Bachelorettes (or bachelors if you’re playing the Another Wonderful Life version, which I may mention some details from, but generally follows the same formula), and the next chapter (Chapters start with being a year long, then time between them increases, except in Another Wonderful Life where they remain one year long. It is implied that several years had passed in between chapters) you live in a larger home with your wife and toddler son. What has changed other than the size of your home and family? Well, Nina, a kindly old woman who lived with her husband Galan, has died. Galan, now sullen and nearly speechless, has moved to the hill where Nina's grave is, while a new family has moved into the home they once had together.

This immediately breaks the standard set by its predecessors and its successors. Change in farming sims usually only happens when the player initiates it, acting as a sandbox for farming and ranching and dating random hicks, but as you play Harvest Moon you start to realize this isn’t just a farming sim, this is a life sim.

The changes with time don’t stop there. As the years go by the player character and all of the people around them grow and change. Galan after a while (and helped if the player befriends him and keeps him company) comes back out of his shell as a friendly townsfolk again, only to die a chapter later. The player character, as well as other adult characters around you, slowly grow grey hairs and wrinkles. Some faster than others. Your son grows up, and in what I think is a stroke of video game genius, your son's future career path is affected not only by you and what toys you give him, but by who you befriend, what you do, and how you run your farm.

And in the final chapter, chapter 6, when you are old and grey and your son a surly teenager and all the people around you different, some new, some there since the beginning. How does this final chapter end?

You die. And that's the end.

This is the genius of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. Change doesn’t just happen because of you, it happens to you. People grow old and die and move away and move in and change and stay the same and when you’re old, you know what? You die too. That is so beautiful. Sure the writing can be flat and sure the characters aren’t as deep as some games, but it also has that unique feel that you can only have in Japanese games that everything going on isn’t said. Some things are just left for you to feel.

For a long time I didn’t understand why other farming games just felt off. Bland and flat and soulless, and I realized after thinking about Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, that games before and after it had a completely different philosophy to them. They were collector and builder games, about getting the best farm and chopping wood and completing the town museum and fishing all the fish and making the town and land cute and cool and efficient. Those kinds of things aren't bad, but I felt so incomplete with them. They felt hollow.

So I kept looking, for a long time, for something that could compare. Stardew Valley is a great game, but I came into the realization that I would just be doing this, forever with the same people no matter if I played for 3 in game years or a hundred. Other Harvest Moon games, or Story of Seasons games as they’re called in the future, are just painful to play. I got the most recent to come out, Pioneers of Olive Town, and it nearly made me cry in frustration at the pretty graphics and freedom of customization at the sacrifice of everything that gives a game soul.

Repetitive chores and boring characters are kind of a given for the farming sim genre, but I don’t think any other game of its breed will ever live up to Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life until the people who make these games are brave enough to give the story a satisfying conclusion and make them more than just sandboxes to play in.

So, if you have some time, and some patience, and want to try something a little different, get *COUGH*emulate*COUGH**COUGH* Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (or the special edition version since it shortens the chapter time because DEAR GOD THOSE GET LONG AND DULL), and tell me what you think, because while I talked about some of the gameplay aspects, I have not even mentioned the half of it and its characters.

#talkies #long post #harvest moon #harvest moon: a wonderful life #hm awl #harvest moon: another wonderful life #story of seasons #stardew valley

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ssaltbending · 3 years

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Ok, guys, hear me out: Zuko is a Capricorn, Katara is a Cancer —and here’s why (it would be so poetic).

Part 1: Zuko

TW: explicit mentions of child abuse.

I know this statement might seem weird and out of place, but in the last couple weeks I’ve been digging a lot into astrology and, in order not to forget my roots, I thoroughly felt the need to combine both of my most recent obsessions in one post, given that this headcanon hasn’t been able to leave my mind ever since I came up with it: if we applied astrology to the Avatar world, I’m sure Cancer and Capricorn would be Katara and Zuko’s signs, respectively. And I don’t say this in a superficial way, just by looking at zodiac memes and associating Katara with the crybabies Cancers are portrayed as or saying Zuko is a Capricorn buzzkill as people who know astrology on a surface level would assume they are —those are some of the most common stereotypes about the signs. No, I’m saying that they embody those signs on an archetypal leve: in the way their stories, especially Zuko’s, resemble the myths that originate the zodiac signs and their respective traits.

Therefore, without further ado, let me explain.

The Capricorn archetype: the sins of the father...

As any casual astrology enthusiast may probably know, the sign of Capricorn is connected to qualities such as perseverance, integrity, resilience and ambition, typically treated as the CEO or boss of the zodiac. However, the sign itself has a richer and much more complex story as we look at the deities it is associated with as well as the planet that rules it: Saturn, linked to the Roman god of the same name and the greek gods Cronus, Zeus, Hestia and Pan. Some astrologers choose Cronus as Capricorn’s patron god and others prefer his children, but that can be explained very easily.

The myth goes like this: Cronus, a giant and father of what we would know as some of the main greek gods (Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus), was actually the son of Uranos, who he subverted thanks to the advice of his mother Gaia to use an agricultural tool to kill him. But as time went by and Cronus had started having children with his partner, Rhea, the fear of his descendants becoming stronger than him and doing the same thing he had done to his father took over him, which led to his decision of swallowing them all whole. He started with Hestia all the way back to Zeus, whom he couldn’t swallow right after he was born, unlike his other children, because this time Rhea had hid him in the island of Crete to protect him from his father. To deceive him, Rhea then covered a rock in cloth to make it resemble a baby for Cronus to eat it, thinking that it was a newborn Zeus.

Time passed and Zeus grew stronger until he was ready to confront his father and save his siblings from his womb, and when he finally did it, he managed to force Cronus into disgorge them one by one, in the reverse order they had been swallowed —which left Hestia as the last sibling to be disgorged.

After that, Zeus was left with a prophecy, where he would also be possibly overthrown by a son of his. And after Métis, the woman he was told would bear said child, gave birth he swallowed the newborn whole just like Cronus had done with his brothers and sisters. The child in question, however, started giving him headaches as it grew older and bigger inside of him and would become the goddess we know as Athena. What Zeus did with her was the repetition of a cycle perpetuated by his forefathers, a cycle of abuse and trauma that seems inescapable. What this part of the duality of the Capricorn archetype shows one of the ways in which those ideas of tradition and legacy can be carried on (a very negative one, to be honest), but that’s not the only way they can manifest, which gives the archetype this… almost cinematic quality, in my opinion. (And if we take this into account, I might headcanon Azula as a Capricorn rising due not only to the archetypal coincidences but the overall mastermind outlook she has and how much of a natural, domineering and calculating leader she is, but that’s besides the point.)

Now, let’s talk about the other side of the archetype, which gives it this incredible dual quality: Hestia’s path. Unlike her brother Zeus, Hestia was the one who not only had been devoured by her father, but she had spent the most time inside him as well. This is often associated with the emotional isolation many Capricorns experience in their youth, the lack of warmth and love by one of their parents, along with the desire not to become the abusive parent they were exposed to. Hestia is the other side of the story, the unspoken leader of the Olympians, the one who broke the toxic cycle running in her family for generations, vowing to become an eternal virgin and protector of the earth. Besides, Hestia means “hearth”: the inner fire, the one that is never allowed to go out.

(art by @elisebrave)

That is the soul of the Capricorn archetype: the crossroads of destiny, the moment when the child decides whether to become like their parents, or forge their own path like Hestia did. Do you guys see what I see now? Are the similarities clear enough?

As my dear friend @persephobeee points out in her Capricorn essay (a crucial source for this one): “The Capricorn archetype is a cycle of stuck parents putting stress on their children at such a young age so then their kid ends up making money in retaliation, but then treat their kids the same as well due to the lack of warmth and freedom they had in their own childhood. The intense pressure put onto them as a child [then] leads to isolation and depression. It’s a cycle. ‘I don’t want to be my parent, but also… how they have ruined me’. The chain can continue with Zeus (projecting sorrows and nightmares onto their own children) or it could break with Hestia (the path of love, light and protection).”

This is why Capricorn’s planetary ruler, Saturn, is also associated with ideas found in this myth: restriction, limitation, order, boundaries, leadership, responsibility… pretty much dad vibes, to be honest. Do you guys see what I see or do I have to dig deeper?

“But isn’t zuko a firebender?? Why would he be an earth sign??”, you may ask.

The way that I might be making headcanons about the Gaang’s western zodiac signs isn’t gonna be based on which element they bend, because that would be quite reductive and restrictive for me as an astrology junkie, but their similarities to each sign’s archetype and overall characteristics. And yes, I do see Zuko as an earth sun, but that wouldn’t be his only sign, there is also the moon and the rising sign, which also have an important impact on the individual. In my opinion, Zuko’s personality embodies the qualities of fire signs as well: competitiveness, drive, passion, impulsiveness and loyalty. But to me those qualities are better shown in his character through his moon sign: an Aries moon, to be specific. See those anger outbursts? The “I don’t need any [fucking] calming tea!!”? The “you never think these things through”? Aries moon behavior, right there. But I’m not going to focus on moon signs right now. Let’s get back to the behavior I am the most well-versed at: Capricorn behavior.

So, the sign of Capricorn is also a cardinal sign, a leader, since they are the ones that begin each season. In the Northern Hemisphere, Capricorn season starts right on the winter solstice, and the opposite happens in the South. However, since all the astrology lore comes from the North thanks to the Greeks, Babylonians and more, the seasonal connections are related to the seasons there. As a consequence, Capricorn is the cardinal sign that brings the coldest, darkest season of the year: winter. And incorporating that into Zuko’s character would be incredibly fitting, in my opinion, because of some stuff I’ve read here on Tumblr saying that making him being born during the coldest time of the year would make it a terrible omen for a firebender, worse in this case due to him being born into the royal family, symbols of the power and “supremacy” of the Fire Nation. The fact that he would be born in winter, if we follow this reasoning, would have made him seem as a disappointment to his father ever since birth.

… or maybe I’m just cruel, guys.

Moreover, I think Zuko embodies many of the Capricorn qualities in the way he carries himself (because no, not all Capricorns are confident managers with the world in our hands) and how hard he has to work to earn everything he gets. A key part of what this sign represents is “the path of hardships the goat has to overcome in order to reach the top of the mountain”, which along with the myth I have described before, could easily be applied to Zuko. It describes values of endurance, hard work, discipline and drive in order to achieve your goals, something that can be seen in Zuko all throughout the series, but changes its focus as the seasons go by. Besides, uhm… have you guys seen “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2”? That is literally the positive outcome of the Capricorn myth made into animation: the confrontation between an abusive father figure and his abused child who has decided to part ways with him in order to become a better person.

On another note, I think it is important to highlight how the Capricorn in Zuko could be seen based on how the rest of the Gaang treats him as well when he changes sides and he’s accepted into the group. How?, you may be wondering: as a father figure, but in a positive way. In many scenes it can be noticed how he naturally takes a position of leadership within the group as well as he takes care of the younger members such as Aang and Toph but, especially in Aang’s case, tries to ground them and teach them. As examples, take the following: Zuko reminding Aang that soon he will have to face the fact that he might have to kill Ozai, him trying to get everyone to train when the comet is about to arrive; how when Aang gets lost, it is him the one people look to in order to lead the group, etc.

Another thing that is well-known in Capricorns is our resilience and perseverance and, honestly: do I even need to explain that? When it comes to the guy who would get his ass beaten again and again and again for one season straight in order to get what he wanted which would also give him the approval of his father, what he craved most? It screams earth sign behavior to me, but with a heavy saturnian influence due to Zuko’s background which, to me, can be quite an interesting reflection of the Saturn/Cronus myth with his children. Said tenacity could also be exacerbated by the willpower and energy brought by the possibility of him having a fire moon, I don’t know, think about it. I stick to that headcanon.

That perseverance can also be seen when it comes to Zuko’s firebending, given how much he’s always trying to improve his skills. Although it could be argued that in reality he’s doing so due to the expectations put on him to be a proficient bender just like his sister in order to be accepted by his father, and his constant training to the point of exhaustion is just a manifestation of that toxic behavior. I am sorry to tell you, but that’s textbook Capricorn behavior, associated with the symbolism of the hardworking goat in general: working the hardest in order to get what you want is always on-brand when it comes to important Capricorn placements, and in my opinion Zuko is no exception.

Final thoughts.

Anyway, what I think would be most relevant is what I mentioned before about the Capricorn archetype and how it could tie in nicely to Zuko’s character arc with him as a representation of Hestia, who could grow out of the abuse she experienced and got a chance not to make her father’s mistakes and break that horrendous cycle she had been a victim of. I would go into this more deeply, but I think it has been enough for now. However, I’ll be back soon with a part two, talking about my water queen Katara. What do you think about this headcanon? Do you agree? If not, why?

Thanks for coming to my weird-ass TedTalk at 1am. I needed to vent and I haven’t been able to put the computer down since 9pm, I literally only stopped to eat, lol.

See you soon,

a Capricorn sun.

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letsperaltiago · 3 years

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supercut, i’ll be your favorite scene

Here it is: THE KITCHEN COUNTER FIC™️

Hope you guys like this pile of filth and feel free to share your 😌thoughts😌 in the tags or in my indbox/ask! I’d really love to hear them!! For context: takes place during Season 6, Episode 6: The Crime Scene!

Also do I need to make a disclaimer saying that I know Jake would never intentionally neglect Amy yada yada...? You know the drill.

Enjoy!

READ ON AO3 HERE (RATING E)

It had been going on for weeks now and by then it was safe to say that Amy was getting fed up with the situation. Ever since this mysterious, seemingly unsolvable case had started consuming Jake’s every thought, move and decision, Amy had felt somewhat neglected. Her husband was of course still, as always, sweet and caring but lately the case had completely overtaken his life and Jake spent more hours twisting and turning every clue than he spent being paying attention to Amy – or anything that wasn’t case files or clues, for that matter. It’s not that Amy needed attention, like some child screaming for affection, but she was worried for her husband’s health and, even if it felt silly to say, their intimate life.

Sure, they’d kiss good morning, goodbye and hello but especially the past few weeks Jake had more often than not fallen asleep atop of the case files at the dining table rather than in bed with her. Naturally Amy felt many things: impressed by her husband’s dedication and hard work but also worried and frustrated… in more than one way.

One night, another one of those spent alone in bed with Jake sitting at the dimly lit dining table, Amy was done being cool and reasonable; fact was that she missed her husband and she was shamelessly horny. It didn’t take long for her to make a decision: tonight, four drink-Amy, minus the drinks, was going to make an appearance.

“Hey, babe,” she spoke softly with a sweet, curious air, keeping her ulterior motives hidden, as she wandered into the living/dining-room in her pajamas and pink nightrobe. Her steps brought her up behind him and when he finally came within her reach, she made sure to slide her hands onto his shoulders with extra grace and tenderness, softly squeezing them to hopefully give him a taste of the tender touch he surely had a craving for though he currently was too stressed to act on “What are you doing?”

A beat of silence.

“Just working the case,” he mumbled tiredly sounding unaffected by her presence.

It was going to take more work than what she’d originally intended to put into it, but Amy was more than willing to put in the extra work; she did love a good challenge.

“I see that,” she added bending over to wrap her arms around his torso and rest her head on his shoulder as to get a closer look at his work… amongst other things. He was only wearing his flannel and boxers, perfect, she couldn’t help but think.

“You’re working so hard, babe,” she stated sweetly making sure it went straight into his ear. “Don’t you want to relax a bit?”

Her hands stroked his chest smoothly sliding over to play with the top buttons of his flannel, the same flannel he’d worn yesterday, she couldn’t help but notice. Alas this wasn’t the right moment to mention this.

“I can’t,” he flipped over a page to scribble down whatever information crossed his mind. “Not right now.”

“But that’s what you’ve been saying every day for the past few weeks now. Working yourself too hard won’t do you any good, you know… It can affect your way of thinking.”

A peck to his neck was basically Amy begging for his attention, for some kind of reaction to both her words and actions, but it never came.

“I’m fine, Amy. I just need to get this done.”

Scribbling and flipping of pages continued even so, as if she was air, and Amy, more than ever, was now growing awfully frustrated about the situation. Never before, at least while they’d been together, had Jake been blunt and cold towards her like this. Of course, she knew it wasn’t personal, and that it was all tied to the case and the promise he’d made to the victim’s mother, but still she couldn’t help but feel rejected. Rather than letting it get her down, it did the exact opposite and fueled her inner flame.

This problem was only not solved because it was demanding new, more bold, methods.

“But…” she swiftly as ever popped open a few buttons of his flannel “… don’t you think you would be able to think clearer…” she slid a hand down his now revealed chest before continuing to lure him in with sultry words and notes “…if you just let me help you feel good for a bit.”

Gosh, his skin felt so soft and so good, even after all these years, and oh how she just wanted to bite into it, scratch it red and raw with her fingers till both their hearts exploded.

“Amy, please. I love you but I need to keep working on this.”

Ouch. Her hand froze just above his belly button before removing itself. At least he said something kinda nice, she thought referring to the I love you, but this wasn’t enough. I love you wouldn’t have her writhing and screaming till climax.

First attempt was a lost cause but luckily, in a twisted way, Amy was furious and desperate. Vanishing back to their bedroom without another word, boiling with both lust and frustration, the woman proceeded to plan B; and plan she hadn’t really planned but quickly came up with. Said plan was hiding in a paper bag in the back of her closet and she’d actually planned on revealing it to him on Valentine’s day but enough was enough: now would have to be the right time.

Said plan started ten minutes later when she waltzed down the hall and back into the dining/living room wearing the same night robe as before. Only this time she was wearing something else underneath: something fiery red and shamelessly lacey.

“If you’re going to stay up all night drilling this…” Smooth, Amy. She planted a few candles on the table before him before lighting them, making sure to bend over just enough for the dip in her robe to reveal what was hiding underneath, “…then lets at least make it nice and cozy for you.”

“Thanks, babe, but no need to. Just go back to bed and I’ll join you there later.”

He didn’t look up, not as much as a quick glance and Amy could feel her blood beginning to simmer in her veins from wanting her husband’s attention and touch so badly. He couldn’t be serious? He couldn’t not notice how she was basically begging for him, could he?

With a firm grip, in one smooth motion, she pulled out the chair besides him and sat down before slowly untying the knot of her robe as her eyes watched him, attentive, hoping see his reaction when he saw the surprise she was presenting him.

Slowly, oh so slowly, she peeled apart the robe and let it slide off of her like ice cream melting on a sunny day. The fabric fell to the floor without a sound and there she sat, half-naked and more inviting than ever before in her life.

Not that she’d tried to be discreet before, but she was now so very obvious about her intention that he couldn’t possibly let it slide. And if she wasn’t obvious enough then the way the red silky fabric enhanced her skin’s warm undertones while the black, soft lace complimented the curves of her breasts and thighs certainly were. All things she’d considered upon picking out the set. The gleam from the candles danced in the reflection of the silky fabric and Amy Santiago was more than impossible to overlook.

“Why don’t you join me in bed… now?” She bit her lip smiling while her fingers played with a lock of her dark hair.

“Babe, I’m really trying to work here. Please.”

He almost sounded annoyed with her as he scrolled through his phone, looking for whatever could be more interesting than her.

Anti-climatic was not the word; this was way worse, Amy was sure of it.

How could he do this to her? There she sat, exposing herself, metaphorically and literally, and all he could think of was work! Maybe she should try to be reasonable, consider how he felt in his situation with this specific case, but enough was enough! She pushed herself out of the chair and stomped off to the kitchen. At first she didn’t know exactly why she headed to the kitchen… Perhaps she just wanted to get away from him but then again, she could’ve just gone to the bedroom. The doubt faded the minute she saw some unpacked groceries, more specific carrots, on the counter. Standing there in the kitchen in her very lingerie at 1 AM feeling like a sad, rejected porn star, she found her Plan C and felt that there was no other way. Amy Santiago did what she had to do: grabbed a bunch of carrots, picked out the tiniest, crummiest knife she could find, a cutting board and started chopping.

Noisily. Over and over again. Repetitive and loud.

“Ames, what are you doing?”

A reaction – good. She looked up, just barely, through her eyelashes only to be met by the sight of her husband still not caring enough to look at her properly.

“Felt like getting a snack, that’s all…”

She kept chopping, faster, harder and most importantly: louder. Carrot after carrot, way too many, but she figured they’d just eat it some other time. For now it was all about pestering him, getting on his nerves as he on hers. Ten seconds went by… Twenty… Thirty…

Chop. Chop. Chop.

“Amy-“

Another loud cut interrupted him. Amy didn’t even bother to cut into proper shapes or sizes. It was all about the sound.

Forty… Fifty…

“Amy, could you please stop!”

Finally.

She smiled to herself at the sound of his snarl, hearing the specific shade of Jake Peralta she’d waited for all night long. Her eyes were still glued to the carrots on the cutting board before her and, she knew, if she looked up, she’d see her husband stare right at her. God, she loved their open kitchen-dining room.

“Why don’t you come over here and make me?” She challenged hoping to make it the tipping point.

Then she looked up and as predicted, her husband was staring at her with a newly arrived squint and dark look in his eyes. It seemed as if his frustration had finally opened his eyes to what was really going on: his wife was in their kitchen almost completely naked, wearing only the skimpiest lingerie, and he’d been stupid enough to look past it. Their eyes met: his angry and storm full, hers playful and hungry, begging.

Right then and there a pin could’ve dropped to the ground and it would’ve made the ground shake and sound like an explosion. The tension was thicker than quicksand and it was only a matter of seconds, an unbearable staring contest, before the sound of Jake pushing back his chair cut through it like a knife.

He slowly walked, as if he was planning his every step, around the counter dividing the dining area and kitchen area, and Amy could feel herself beam with excitement at the muffled sound of his steps.

“What did you just say?” Jake’s voice was low, a few tones deeper than usual, something he only did when he was angry or during sexy timez. “Think twice before answering me.”

His hands slowly slid onto her almost naked hips feeling the arousing sensation of the lace beneath his fingers. She was trapped between him and the counter before her, on purpose, she could tell and God, she loved him like this. After years of being together it was no secret to either of them that Amy, as much as she enjoyed being dominant and in charge, loved playing the play of the submissive one, the one getting told what to do. Something, if put in the right mindset, her husband handled very well. Key word: handled. Tonight, she needed to be handled. By him… With care? No, they were way beyond stage. Amy was buzzing with impatience. This needed to be properly balanced with the nature of the moment; a tempered Jake who would not put up with being told what to do. Not tonight.

“I didn’t say-“ her breath hitched interrupting herself when she felt him lean his body against her from behind, leaving no room behind him and her, and her and the counter, before letting his right hand slide along the top hem of her panties. “I didn’t say anything. I was just c-cutting-“

His index finger tugged on the elastic hem.

“Cutting carrots,” she breathed out nervousl and he picked up on it.

“Is this cool? Safe word?” he quickly added.

“It’s perfect and ‘Manhattan’ as usual.”

“Okay good,” he pecked the shell of her ear as a sign of approval before picking up where they left off.

“Hmm,” he hummed removing his finger knowing it’d disappoint her. “I don’t think that’s entirely true.”

“Oh,” she whimpered in reaction to his words being breathed against her sensitive neck. While being distracted by his breathy taunts Amy had completely failed to notice the hand sliding down the right leg of her panty. Here, when down low enough, his index finger had crooked itself around the center section of the garment to pull it to the side and reveal her forlorn womanhood.

Tonight wasn’t going to be a long night of slow fucking, they both knew, but Amy was still surprised when she almost right away felt two fingers part her folds, automatically coaxing her into submission.

“I have barely touched you…” he spoke with a voice so soft and in no way is a match to the sinful activity happening further down her body, “…and you’re already this wet.”

No words, only sounds of strain and pleasure, were to come from Amy. Jake was in charge now and he would make the calls tonight. All she could do was wait and obey.

“You’ve been such an annoying little pest all night and I thought it was just because you were bored, when in reality- “

“Jake,” escaped her in the form of a breathy declaration, in a moment of weakness in reaction to his finger’s Godsent work, interrupting him and this usually wasn’t well received, not in a scene like the one they found themselves caught up in, but Jake was too pleased with the display of his effectiveness to reprimand her. Instead, he just smiled to himself and made sure to stroke the exact same spot over and over again feeling her get weak in her knees.

“When in reality you just, so desperately, need to be fucked.”

To prove his point, he leaned a bit more of his weight onto her forcing her midriff up against the counter. His fingers still had room to work thus moving with more and more ferocity.

“Am I right, Amy?”

Eyes closed, mouth agape and head bent back to rest against his shoulder, it was safe to say that Amy was in another world. Yes, she heard the loud rumbling that was the sound of his voice, but his fingers were louder than anything else happening at that moment. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had her trapped she would’ve been grinding for more, used her body to get a better feel of his touch. Alas she’d have to earn it some other way.

“Amy,” he scolded bringing her attention back to his demands. “Tell me. Am I right?”

His hand not stroking her heat slowly started playing with the upper edges of her panties, pushing them down her curves in the process.

“Y-yes,” came out in a voice so breathy that the word was barely audible, and Jake could only just hear it because he stood as close to her as he did.

“Thought so,” he bluntly approved her answer and removed his fingers from her heat to allow himself to push the panties down entirely, letting them to fall off of her and onto the cold kitchen floor. Amy could feel the bulge in his boxers pressed against her now bare ass and it killed her to not be able to grind against it, to feel it properly.

“So…” he used his now wet fingers, glistening with her juices, making sure to trail them across her skin, to slowly push her hair to the side and leave him room to kiss the back of her neck. “Now that you’ve so selfishly interrupted me and the important work I was doing, just because you just can’t behave and wait to get fucked…”

Amy’s voice hitched, loudly even, in reaction to his words. Dirty talk had definitely moved up a few spots on her favorites list when her and Jake got together; he was so good at it and it made her want to play along.

“… there are two ways things can go now: either you pull yourself together like a good girl, let me get back to work and wait in bed…”

Amy did not like the sound of that. Nonetheless she bit her tongue and instead of fighting him she focused on the soft feeling of her husband’s breath dancing against her sensitive skin as his hands stroked her stomach, slowly inching themselves upwards towards her breasts.

“… or I give you what you need. Right here, right now.”

There was a moment of silence where Amy considered whether she should actually answer or let him make a choice for her. Did he want her to speak up or was it a trap?

“Tell me, Amy,” he scowled at the exact same moment as his hands reached her chest and latched themselves onto her still lace-clad breasts. “Tell me what you need. I’m not gonna ask again.”

“N-now, p-please” her stutters were weak, but they were there and she could only hope it was enough. They held so much desperation and honesty.

Meanwhile Jake feverously caressed her breasts, pinching her nipples through the thin, lacy material. Then, quickly running out of patience, he basically ripped the straps and cups down as to finally gain full access to this part of her he loved so much.

“Okay,” he pecked the back of her neck. “Can’t believe you’re so desperate that I get to fuck you right here on the counter.”

Jake definitely sounded smug, pleased with the situation, and Amy would’ve been be lying if she’d said she didn’t feel the same way… even though she couldn’t say it. They’d had sexcapades in the kitchen before but never like this and Amy was filled to the brim with excitement.

“God, I wanna see you on your knees with your lips stretched around me so bad but you’re just so ready for me, Ames… It’s too good to put off for much longer. Can you feel how ready I am for you?”

In case she hadn’t already noticed his hard on pressed against her bare ass Jake grinded into her and Amy very quicky came to hate his boxers even more, wishing she could just rip them off of him, and definitely let out a whimper at the needed touch. The full control he had over her was both everything she wanted and everything she dreaded; all she could do was hope that he’d fulfill her wishes for her.

Finally, as if a shooting had crossed the sky and heard her wishes, she felt one of his hands move away from her breast and relocate to push down the cursed material that kept her from being able to feel him properly. An outline trapped behind fabric was always promising but nothing could ever beat the feeling of Jake’s freed length.

“So ready…” he mumbled under his breath as he, impressively so, used one hand to fiddle open the clasp of her bra while the other was busy stroking his length. Given their current position there were things he had to take care of himself – many things, apparently. With both of his hands being busy paying attention to something that wasn’t her, Amy honestly wasn’t too pleased with the situation even though she knew it would pay off; she could already imagine, almost feel, the cool surface of their marbled countertop pressed against her torso causing goosebumps to rise across her entire body.

Thud. Finally, the strain around her chest disappeared as her bra joined the rest of their (limited) garments on the kitchen floor, soon to be forgotten by both Jake and Amy. Jake did still have his flannel on, barely hanging on by one closed button, but the parts of them that mattered were free and ready for tonight’s purpose.

She felt him take a tiny step back, away from her, and she was just about to let out a whine when suddenly her entire body quaked in response to his right hand giving her ass a firm squeeze before allowing it to run all the way up her spine, slowly and with great intentions in mind.

“Bend over.”

If only Amy could tell herself from ten years ago that she would end up marrying a man whose words could make her body and world tremble… The perfect two words, said so bluntly, demanding, had her convinced the second they fell from his lips.

She obeyed, with his hand on her back guiding her forwards, and soon she found herself looking out at their living/dining room from her new position: bent over their kitchen counter.

Jake’s hand continued its journey up her back, all the way up to her shoulder where he gave it a tiny affectionate squeeze before leaning down and pecking the back of her neck.

“Okay, babe?”

“Y-yes, perfect,” she whimpered, impatient, struggling to retain her recklessness.

“You look so good.”

The unequivocal sound of his palm patting her full ass cheek echoed in the kitchen. Even when trying to convey the need to ask for more into grabbing onto the counter, to a point where her knuckles turned white, holding back a whimper was out of her hands.

“Soon, babe. I just can’t get over how fucking good you look bent over like this...”

Another pat, a strike more appropriately so, to her other ass cheek let Amy know that he was definitely testing her patience and willingness to stay silent. He loved the frustration he knew she was battling with inside; mainly because he knew she’d never break because Amy Santiago’s desire to please and obey was stronger than the feeling of despair and need.

“… Bent over and desperate for me to touch you.”

Jake’s low, rumbling voice, the way an almost animalistic side of him shone through his words, was enough to keep Amy going. Although she did quickly take a preference upon feeling a sudden overwhelming burst of warmth and stimulus shoot through her when his fingers switched their attention from her ass to her folds, slowly running two fingers back and forth through them as to assemble as much moisture as possible.

Pleased with himself at the sound of a high-pitched and dragged out Oh there was no stopping him. Slowly torturing them both, mostly her, he kept working her open with his fingers as small moans and squeals dropped from her lips. His other hand kept a firm hold of her hip. Amy was off in another world, trembling at the feeling of his fingers finally doing to her what she’d been craving for for so long now. Her hands slowly turned sore from holding on so tightly to the counter under her, but she didn’t care. Everything felt so good and she’d die if it were to stop if she disobeyed or accidentally disregarded Jake’s wishes and plans.

All of the sudden, ready to whine at the loss of his fingers but quickly interrupted, Amy felt a strong hold of her hips from both of his hands and then, even better, herself being stretched around her husband’s cock. To hell with the consequences, Amy let out the loudest “quiet” moan she dared. The sensation washing over her was too much, too good, to keep quiet about however it helped that she expressed herself cheek pressed down into the cool kitchen counter.

“Yes,” Jake hissed pushing himself all the way in. “Fuck, you’re the best thing, babe.”

She felt a hand, once again, run up the length of her back as he shuffled on the spot to adjust himself inside of her. The stretch ceased for a brief second but immediately came back, this time for good, repeating itself in a steady pattern that had the entire front of Amy’s body, from her knees hitting the lower kitchen cupboards to the face rubbing up against the cool marble, following the given rhythm. The sound of their bodies slapping together, Amy’s skin drumming against their counter to the beat of his repetitive thrusting as well, came together like an obscene symphony. Only one thing was missing, and he knew why: she was waiting for permission like the good girl she was.

Bending over her so far that his chest ran parallel with her back, almost skin against skin, Jake made a makeshift ponytail with his wife’s soft, dark hair and, keeping in mind to stay careful, forced Amy’s head off the counter and back. Amy hissed, the pain and pleasure coming together, and she was finally in the perfect position for him to whisper into her ear.

“I know for a fact that you can be a hell of a lot louder than that.”

The observation, rather the implicit demand, went straight to her already extensive drive and with her head held up by his hand in her hair, Amy allowed her sounds of pleasure to fall freely from her lips and accompany the repetitive sound their body’s coming together, over and over, skin to skin, skin to wood, skin to stone.

“Oh- oh- ohmygod yes,” came tumbling out of her like the world was collapsing inside of her and having straightened back up, still with a hold of Amy’s hair, Jake could only admire the scene before him as he felt the stressful case and immense pressure melting away. After this he would definitely have to apologize for being so absent lately but for now, they probably needed this more than anything else.

“Y-yes, baby. Feel so good around me.”

Every word, every sound, every move was punctuated by a thrust, one after the othert, speed and force slowly increasing as a momentum built and both parties fell into and drowned in an endless pool of longing and passion.

“Was this what you wanted when you decided you were going to act like a fucking brat?”

A tug on the makeshift ponytail demanded that Amy listen even though she knew he might not necessarily want an answer from her - at least not a vocal one.

“Was is worth it? Tell me.”

Another tug on her hair, definitely demanding an answer, and his fingers digging into her fleshy hips earned him a small cry of submission that almost had him coming right there on the spot. Alas he stayed focused and steady. He wasn’t ready to let go yet, and neither was she. Just the way he wanted it and the way she loved it.

“Y-yes,” she just barely managed to stutter between thrusts, too far gone to make out a longer sentence, even though she was dying to tell him just how good he made her feel and how she’d missed him inside of her.

“Can’t believe all it takes to shut you up is a good fuck,” he accused her, but she could tell he was not so secretly loving it, simply saying it, making it sound filthy, because he had needed it just as badly as her. “So desperate you’ll take it anywhere…”

He trailed off, out of breath from snapping his hips back and forth into her with hefty momentum that had both his and her legs shaking. Although, he knew, he wasn’t quite done with her yet. There might’ve been beads of sweat running down her arched back, red marks on her arms from the rubbing of the counter and beginning knots where he held onto her hair, but it couldn’t be over yet.

Using the last surge of energy, he had left in him, Jake decided to let go of his wife’s hair and used the now freed hand to give her ass one last spank, one whose loud snap and following whine bounced off the kitchen walls. Besides that, nothing was said and Jake was pleased.

“No complaining, huh? You just know that you always look so much better when I mark you up.”

It was hard to tell since her entire body jerked every time he reentered her however Jake was sure: she nodded. He stroked the fresh redness of her ass before hunching over her still very much bent over figure. The new curve of his body to ran along hers, his chest to his back, and gave him the opportunity to take a hold of her hands where they were still clinging onto the kitchen counter’s edge for dear life. Now he could help his thrusts by pulling into her.

“I’m so close, Ames. So fucking close.”

He readjusted as to be able to whisper directly into her ear.

“You look so good bent over like this… All for me…”

“O-only for you,” she managed to stutter.

“But I want to be able to see your face when you cum.. So hard like never before,” he marked his point by gathering some extra force to thrust just a bit deeper and the small scream it derived was worth it. Although he had already (kind of) warned her Amy felt like dying the second he so brutally pulled out of her completely. It was all soon forgotten though; the second he pulled her back up straight, spun her around and lifted her, almost entirely by himself, up to sit on the counter. Before Amy could fully comprehend what was happening, he had her face cupped in his hand and their eyes locked.

Amy could’ve sworn what he did and said next was the sexiest thing he’d ever done to her: without letting go of her face, neither her eyes, he used his free hand to push her thighs apart and around him.

“Now don’t you dare look away.”

Without further explanation he grabbed his cock and guided it back into her, once more appeasing her with the feeling of being filled to the brim by him. It was far from as easy or smooth as their previous position, but they fell back into a enjoyable pattern of movements. Before they knew it Amy was back to whimpering at every thrust, her magic spot struck over and over again. She was shrieking her pleas as he kept their eyes locked and there was no escaping it. The hand holding her face snuck a thumb across her dry lips, furthermore, causing them to part and welcome his finger past the edge and into the mouth he was dying to kiss.

“Do you have any idea how fucking hot you look like this?” he praised enjoying the wet sensation around his thumb and the muffled effect on her whimpers it had before removing his hand, to her disappointment, only to then please when he put it to better use down between her legs. “And you’re going to look even hotter when you fall apart around me, understood?”

“Y-yes,” she croaked with eyes slowly beginning to flutter closed. “I- I’m so close, baby.”

“Me too,” he breathed heavily as he saw her eyes shut as his fingers played with her clit, wishing and yearning to take her where they both wanted to be. “Now look at me,” he demanded using his free hand to once again grab her jaw and reposition her face as to be sure she was looking directly into his eyes as he felt himself come closer to his climax.

He picked up the pace, the slaps of their skin becoming louder, and Amy immediately reacted by grinding harder onto both his cock and fingers meanwhile her mouth let every deep, sinful emotion pour out of her as a messy ode to her own climax.

“R-right there, ugh- yes! Faster, harder-“

“I’m gonna cum, babe. Right now,” he exclaimed.

“Y- yes, inside of me. Keep going,” she begged afraid that his climax would interrupt God’s work he was doing on her.

“Ye-“ he was cut off by his own climax which caused his head to shoot back and a groan from the deep of his gut. Although Amy had nothing to fear: even through his climax Jake kept up his pace, mostly with his fingers, and not too long after he had Amy writhing and gasping for on the counter.

“Come for me, babe. All over me.”

He was slowly coming down from his own climax and passionately coaxed his unravelling wife through their shared euphoria, listening and staring into her eyes as she crumbled around him.

After a few moments of aftershock in the shape of shuttering, gasping and whimpering, the room fell silent and time seemed to stand still. By then Amy had slumped forward, completely drained, leaning her head onto his shoulder meanwhile the cool night temperature of the room started to get to her. Small goosebumps danced all over her body.

For a bit they just let it be, let the moment stand on its own, giving Jake the time to run his hands all over his wife’s shaky, beautiful body that he loved oh so much.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so absent lately. I hope you know that it has nothing to do with you.”

Although it was a statement and a fact rather than a question, Jake definitely wanted and needed to know if she knew that it was so.

“I know.”

He could feel and hear her smile because that’s how stupid well he knew her.

“Good. Still want to say I’m sorry though,” he smiled into the top of her head before pecking it and getting a small taste of the sweat they’d both built up. “…And I promise that I won’t let work control me like this again.”

Silence. A beat.

“I really appreciate you saying that. Thank you…”

She turned her head so that she could kiss his lips and, just an hour ago, Amy might’ve thought he was the most annoying, stubborn human on earth and maybe he was… But now she was also once again sure of the fact that no one could or ever would love her like her husband does.

#I CANT BELIEVE I WROTE THIS #who am i even...#anyways here we finally gooo #jake x amy #jake and amy #peraltiago #brooklyn nine-nine #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99 #smut #jake peralta #amy santiago #fic #fanfiction #fanfic #peraltiago smut #peralta #Santiago

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dreamylyfe-x · 3 years

Note

Woah boy here we go ok. I need to tell you about my feelings for Bound. Which I have been meaning to do for literal weeks, but I read it so quickly the first time I wanted to give myself a slower second read through in the hopes that it would help me form some manner of coherent thoughts to offer you about why it is so brilliant.

I regret however that that strategy does not seem to have worked. I started a little notes doc with thoughts for each chapter and it began with full sentences but then as I went on and got more pulled into just reading the story the sentences turned into mere collections of words and then single word exclamations. The last note I have is jaaaaamiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!! And after that I gave up the pretense of taking notes at all and just let myself devour.

I think it is perfect?? Perhaps it is a perfect piece of writing???

From the outset, the very beginning of the prologue it is so visceral. Your descriptions of feelings are so physical, that the whole time one of them is in pain, I also feel that I am in pain. And so I feel like I have spent quite a lot of the story in pain, but the phenomenon of that makes me feel that I am so closely connected to both Ian and Mickey and I love it. And likewise when they are feeling joy or desire or relief. God the relief! It starts in that first reunion they have at the Kash and Grab after the gun incident, every second of that is filled with this wonderful release of physical tension, and then it simply escalates from there. I can't begin to describe how effectively you manage to convey the experience of having an emotion as part of your physical body, and how that is heightened by the soul bond aspect of the whole thing. Incredible.

What else? The world building! Heavens. I have read not that many soulmate AUs, but in terms of creating and explaining the rules of this adjacent universe where soulmates exist and endowing it with history and prejudice and letting that all just bleed into and across the story, you have eclipsed every single one. I totally buy into this parallel history and the nuances of opinions and variety of bond experiences and antiquated terms for gay bonds, it's all a very rich tapestry and I think you've done an excellent job of weaving it.

I am so here for a story that follows the canon without exactly recreating it. There are so many moments where you can pick out specifics from the show that are reflected or echoed, but are in a different context or setting, and yet manage to create that same feeling. And it's great because it's like a little easter egg, a little hit of recognition, but also is original in its form and serves its own purpose within your story. It connects us to Shameless without binding us into it and it is very deft and I enjoy it immensely.

We also have to talk about characterisation. Which. I actually don't know if I can talk about at all eloquently but you have to know that I am enamored with it. Ian and Mickey, but equally MANDY my beloved, who is sharp and brutal but also caring and so willing to help. I really like Ryan, I feel like you totally have that guy's voice, even though we knew him for only a few short moments, and I like that you made him not at all a predator. These kids need some adult advice once in a while! Which leads me onto Veronica. Best Aunty I love her, she is perfect.

But mostly I am just in awe of how you have written these versions of Ian and Mickey who feel so true to who I know them to be. I appreciate so much this Mickey who is accepting of his feelings for and connection to Ian from so early on, but that you haven't transformed him into someone who is really very soft in expressing those things. He is still motivated by fear and that fear makes him hard-edged, even when his insides are goo. And I love your Ian, who is sunshine itself, but also so much more alone than he ever is in the early seasons of the show because he isn't able to be out even to Lip really. His relationship with Monica is so heartbreaking and his descent into his loneliness and into resentment and feeling like Mickey doesn't care, all of it feels like something I could have been watching on the show.

That thing that Shameless does where they give you a little moment of pure wonder, and then follow it up by socking you in the mouth, it's that. You've captured that.

I swear there is so much more I could say but I feel that would be maybe concerning and you might take out a restraining order. But honestly I have been thinking about how to write this more succinctly for days and I couldn't come up with a way that could accurately convey how excellent I think this fic is in less words than I have used.

In short though, I love your writing and this work specifically and am very invested in reading the next chapter and all of the chapters after that.

🖤 Howl x

Hello! I'm slow! I'm sorry about that!

I'm also blown away. This whole thing is amazing and makes me grin like an unhinged person. But I sometimes am like "should I reply privately or is that rude?" -- I think I landed on that it's rude (so apologies to people I've done that to) and I apologize for my neuroses.

So first of all: super glad you like Bound. Super glad you have feelings about it! Totally love that you tried to make notes -- it's truly amazing that you'd make that kind of effort over it. Much love. 💕

Bound started life as a one-shot so sometimes I’m momentarily surprised when people talk about how the story starts in season one. I’m glad you enjoy the relief because I feel like it’s the emotion I write with them the most and a lot of times I’m like “I hope this doesn’t feel repetitive…” (though. Not a problem in recent chapters I guess). But. A bond under threat has a euphoric quality when they get to be together.

Also, because it was a one shot I didn’t expect to have to do much world-building, but that’s maybe one of the things I have the most fun with. Like tonight I was doing the dishes and starting wondering about how, exactly, things work when you bond with a psychopath. These are the things that haunt me.

I like the idea of the socio-economic impact of soulmates, so I very much want the other characters to continue their canon journeys. It’s maybe a little pessimistic but I see enough situations where we decide something that occurs naturally is wrong and must be fixed for me to think that people would accept the actual rules that seem to exist around soulmates without wanting to shape them into something else.

So happy you like the characterization! I’d never written Mandy before the one-shot but I immediately loved her. And I love wiring so many of the characters. Iggy. Fiona. DEFINITELY V. So glad you enjoy Mickey and Ian, too. I don’t think absolute security in a relationship is entirely possible for Mickey — but also, even knowing that he’s bound and that Ian loves him, it can still be really uncomfortable for him to be open about everything that means to him. I also, since I will probably never write a 3x12-4x07 fill-in fic I really wanted to get into Ian and Monica. That relationship is so interesting to me.

I don’t know who these people are who look askance at people taking the time to tell them they really like their work ARE, but I assure you I am not among their number. Truly so grateful for this. Thank you for your time, your attention and your really kind and thoughtful words. It truly means so much to me.

#asks #bound #my fic #thank you so much for this!#truly made me smile

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whoslaurapalmer · 2 years

Text

mkay. lulu's super long doctor who notes return in a more manageable way as she tries out just doing it per episode; the eleventh hour edition ✨

-look first off i am going to try my very absolute level best in my eleven notes to be objective. about moffat. i swear to god, i really really am. i'm gonna try -I AM AWARE I HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN ALL THAT OBJECTIVE. but i am going to try.

-i'd rather watch the whole season or even eleven's whole run before saying anything so i don't miss anything important or forget to track something and i can get everything together in my head right BUT my nine and ten notes were so fucking long. so. so fucking long. so yes i am also going to try out just doing it one at a time and just hope i. don't completely overlook stuff -i was going to split season 5 into two parts but i was already saying what i felt was too much about just the eleventh hour so. maybe i'll group together other episodes it just depends on how much i have to say -so there's just A LOT HAPPENING, when eleven starts -everything is new!!! and it's a lot to adjust to!!!!! -new doctor!! new title sequence!! new stories!! new companions!! new tardis!!! new screwdriver!!!! -new writer!!!!!! big cinematography jump!!!! new tone!!!!! -eleven is thrown at amy and the audience, with no time to react, and you gotta go with it!!!!!! -and this is mildly stressful!! -ten was stressful too, but rose was there!!

-anyway. so i have a lot of thoughts about like.......the transition from ten to eleven and the character arc potential (what else do i EVER talk about) but i'm gonna save them for a while bc i want to see what's going on with eleven first -see i knew where ten was gonna wind up, but i don’t know where eleven’s going so there’s like three (ish?) different angles i’m thinking of how he could go after ten’s trauma hellscape, and i don’t know which one moffat winds up rolling with -so i’m holding out for more information

-lil amy giving eleven the apple with the face in it because "i used to hate apples, so my mum put faces on them" my actual whole entire heart though -lil amy is adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-was anyone else very concerned about the absolute giant bites matt smith takes of those fish fingers. that is just so much fish finger to chew -more power to you, matt smith

-i am so intrigued by that box of custard. is custard just, sold, like that. in a box. is it a mix -is it like a pudding mix -it’s really, really late, okay.

-i said before i'm not gonna give moffat shit for recycling some of his monster themes (weeping angels/vashta nerada) bc i do respect where he comes from with them specifically and rtd recycled a lot too re: bringing back the daleks in like the same fucking way every damn time the daleks showed up, there is a certain amount of just accepted recycling in doctor who, but also -amy is reinette. -like. cmon -the doctor accidentally runs into a small girl, promises her he'll come back, gets time REALLY, REALLY WRONG, comes back when she's an adult, she's now attracted to him even though she very much has another man in her life in some way, he promises her he'll come back, gets time REALLY, REALLY WRONG AGAIN, only this time not to the point where amy's dead, and actually does get to whisk her away on an adventure. (-i know moffat has this big obsession with the time traveler’s wife. isn’t he also doing a show of that, too. did i not read that in a recent tv guide) (-it is not terrible to hit the same kind of vibe in your work over and over again. it is not. but you do run the risk of repetition.)

-i don't think the doctor should even really be on amy's romantic interest radar???? -he meets her for a hot hour when she's a little kid and eats all her food and then shenanigans his way back twelve (.....fourteen...........) years later, he should be clocked at 'tall man who could really use a watch, maybe?' -like......i get being a kid and being entranced by this cool dude. and you think about him -but it’s also. not necessary. -it’s a lil creepy looking at it from this end. -especially bc like. also. amy’s not really vibing on the ‘being entranced by this cool dude’ thing!! all those drawings and those toys she made!!! insisting he was real!!!! she wanted to go on an adventure!!! she wanted a friend!!!!!!!!!!! -she should still want just that, a friend!!!!!!!!!!

-and everyone going 'oh amy this is him!!!!' is the funniest fucking thing aaaaaaaaa -i love the implications of amy being so insistent the doctor was real that everyone in this town can IMMEDIATELY recognize him, saying that she bit people who said he wasn't real, that she did and didn't hold onto that hope that he really really was real, like any kid would have -lil amy is so lonely and alone in her small world and wants a friend!!! and she gets a weird one for that one hot hour and then he disappears for twelve years!!!! (-and the doctor is VERY lonely and really needs a friend too!! clearly!!! i’ve discussed that many many times!!!) -i do think she should’ve been more angry with him, though.

-my 'watching in real time' doctor who notes are gonna be a lot of 'well. hope they address that in some way at, some, point' and i feel that big time about amy and eleven existing around each other -look what i am looking for are consequences. real actual addressed consequences. give me the consequences. i will be waiting for them

-we got a lot of family background stuff in rtd’s seasons so it’s. interesting that amy doesn’t have the same kind of family, because we’ve seen a LOT of how the doctor and his companions function around a companion’s family and what it does to all of them, and we can’t just see the same things over and over, but i do think it’s also, convenient that amy doesn’t have that family -like a not necessarily good convenient

-oh! -isn't amy everybody. or everybody who watched doctor who as a kid and wanted to be whisked away by the doctor and then you grow up a little

-yeah i said it i saw that sherlock-esque scan of the park, three months before sherlock would begin -don't think i didn't

-i know the only other new who post-regeneration episode we have to compare this one to at this point is the christmas invasion, and of course there's going to be some similarities, just by the nature of the episodes, but, yeah there are definitely christmas invasion beats in this -"who are you?" "i don't know yet. i'm still cooking." vs "i demand to know who you are!" "i don't know!" -eleven's big damn speech to ~the eye thing~ vs ten's speech to the sycorax -- "is this world protected? because you're not the first lot to come here. oh, there have been so many. and what you've got to ask is, what happened to them?" / "and when you go back to the stars and tell people of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. when you talk of the earth, then make sure that you tell them this -- it is defended." (-typing that was like "and what you've got to ask is do i feel lucky? well, do ya, punk?")

-ten taking his time being cute picking out his clothes (for rose)......vs eleven’s ~HOSPITAL CLOTHING THEFT~ -no i do think that’s hilarious though. good for eleven. that’s something to think about

-i have a lot of thoughts about "hello. i'm the doctor. basically, run." especially compared to ten's own big damn speech about being the doctor in voyage of the damned -that's the first time ten vocally names himself as the doctor, a time lord, from gallifrey, with the intent to make it mean something -- like over halfway through his run!! but eleven owns it immediately, confident in what it means and what the doctor is capable of and who he is, instead of the forceful insistence it becomes for ten in the face of his failures -this ties into where i think the doctor is character arc-wise after ten but i'm. still saving that. -but yes yes eleven vs ten and how eleven expresses that confidence in particular (and what that confidence means? and is it confidence?) is something i'm keeping an eye on

-like. something about the narrative importance and setup of “don’t you think she looks tired?” vs “basically, run” -that’s something i’m thinking about. but i’ll just have to see

-"silence will fall" oh will it? couldn't have possibly known from the two times it's blatantly said in this episode. -this is mean i'm being mean i'm sorry -pandorica as well, too -and the crack showing on the tardis scan!! -RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE moffat is setting up his background mysteries -you don’t have to smack it so hard, is what i’m saying. -even though i often think ‘a few more episodes than 13 a season would’ve been nice sometimes’ i’m also thinking ‘don’t hammer it home so hard.’

-hey rory does some truly, truly excellent nutshelling. like i don't mind it at all. like rory's just, out there to be like 'did [x] literally just happen why would you even do that' and good for him!!

-oh i do think the tardis looks nice. -very...........well there’s something sort of steampunky about it yeah? -all of a sudden i was thinking of both the pretty. odd. and vices and virtues albums and feeling 2011 tumblr but i think that one’s on me

-”oh, you sexy thing.” i don’t have any comments about this right now. but it too is something i am thinking about and will maybe come back to

-he. he leaves her again, again, for two accidental years -okay!! alright!!! alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sure!!!!!! fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -i don’t think that was necessary. of course it becomes necessary bc amy was gonna get married. which i also do not think is necessary bc again should not even be on the romantic radar BUT WHATEVER (-amy has like. some rose notes. rory has some mickey notes.)

-so yes, going into nine and ten i knew the major beats for their season finales but i have actually VERY LITTLE cultural osmosis for what happens in eleven's, somehow???? like i do know some of what happens but not a lot and that will be interesting!! -a little stressful!! because again there’s SO MUCH possibility for where eleven can go after ten -just gonna have to wait and see what happens!!!

#lulu talks about doctor who #there's more i could fine tune in this it's just. 1:09 in the morning. i need to go to bed and i just wanted my notes out there

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iwaizooming · 4 years

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➵ lemon, mint, and cinnamon — i. hajime

✧ pairings: iwaizumi x gn! reader ✧ type: short fic ✧ genre: post-breakup; mostly fluff with angst in the end ✧ wc: 1k~

✧ synopsis: cleaning always brings back the memories; both good and bad. you and iwaizumi broke up in a mutual agreement, but then why does it all feel so wrong?

it’s spring cleaning season. you cleared out your schedule for the day, and god knows you need it. after all, it’s been a while since your apartment got a nice and thorough clean. you put on your earbuds to blast on your favorite spotify playlist and grabbed your heavy-duty cleaning gloves. you were humming along to brazil by declan mckenna and moving your head with the beat. it’s a nice day out, the skies are clear and there was a refreshing breeze, but you didn’t mind being home. after all, you find cleaning pretty therapeutic instead of tedious. the monotonous and repetitive actions clears your mind; ending up with a clean apartment is a nice bonus as well.

you started with the bathroom. it’s one of the easiest one to clean because you always keep it relatively spotless. all of your skincare products are stored behind the mirrored cabinets, away from the public eye. you’re no neat freak by any means, but somehow you managed to keep your bathroom super neat. you smile to yourself as you remember how you used to be years ago, before you moved out to a place of your own. your mom used to yell at you a lot for being a messy bum.

after wiping the mirrors and shower screen off with a microfibre cloth and a bottle of glass cleaner, you went ahead and continued with what’s inside the cabinets. be with me by boy pablo sang in your ears as you sorted through your seemingly endless skincare products.

after you’re done with the bottom and middle rows you stood on your tiptoes to reach for the plain cardboard box on the uppermost row of the cabinets. it was where you stored all your backup products, so you wanted to take a peek to see if you needed to grab anything from the drugstore.

your movements falter as your eyes fall on the small white boxes. dove bar soap. you know that those aren’t yours. you know full well who those belong to. your heart clenched as the soft scent of citrus invades your senses and before you could stop yourself, your mind started to wander.

every evening after uni, hajime would always go to your place to freshen up. he said that the californian weather was way too hot for his liking, but you always catch him smiling whenever the sun was shining bright and the skies were cloudless. he’d always smell like lemons after coming out of his short shower, the white towel you specifically set aside for him wrapped around his hips, dangerously low.

you loved teasing him when he’s in nothing but a towel because you loved how exposed he is in that moment. you loved seeing him blush and try to stutter out words while you pepper his bare neck and chest with open-mouthed kisses. you loved just how his skin smelled so fresh and citrusy, just like a bright summer's day. he’d always complain that he just got out of the shower, why couldn’t you have done this before? but he’d always give in after a few minutes.

every other week, you have to pick up his shampoo for him, because that boy always seems to forget to buy it for himself when he’s running low. you don’t mind at all though, you have to go grocery shopping anyway, so it’s convenient for you. no matter how many times you try to remind him, he can’t seem to remember. you’ll hear him grumble to himself on a sunday afternoon because he forgot to get the damn shampoo again, and he couldn’t wash his hair because of that. hajime’s choice of shampoo fits him perfectly, you think. peppermint. strong and sharp, but also fresh and soothing. you can’t help but wonder if he still forgets to buy his shampoo now.

your fingers always found their way into his damp hair, loving how soft they were despite the short length. you’d get him to make a twisty towel thing on his hair- it’s to get it to dry quicker, you insist. you’re not lying, but it doesn’t mean you’re not laughing while taking blurry pictures of him to set it as your lock screen. he’d pretend that he’s mad, but his hearty laughs and flushed cheeks tell you otherwise. it somehow always ends in a tickle war with both of you on the floor rolling around, laughing uncontrollably.

citrus and mint fits him so perfectly. sharp and bright and fresh and soothing all at the same time. you loved how he smells right after a nice cool shower. but your favourite is when he smells like cinnamon.

once the clock hits 00.01 on the first of september, it’s basically christmas time for the both of you. it’s so so silly, but it makes you so giddy when hajime starts bringing out your christmas decorations. you celebrate halloween, of course, but the pumpkins and spooky skull ornaments sit alongside the bright tinsel and white-painted pinecones. you loved baking with hajime- he’s surprisingly really good at it. it doesn’t matter if it’s snickerdoodle cookies or cinnamon rolls that day, once you’re done with your creations that day, he always smells heavenly. the sweet scent of cinnamon seems to linger a little longer than it’s supposed to.

no matter what scent he was sporting that day, he always smells like home. he was home.

no, you reminded yourself, finally successfully shaking yourself out of the nostalgic trance you were in for the past god knows how long. you don’t regret your decision, you try to remind yourself.

hajime was your right person, wrong time. both of you agreed that it’s not going to work out. with his dreams of permanently returning to japan as the olympics team’s athletic trainer and yours of moving to london to work for a big name fashion company, the two of you came to the conclusion that it would be best to let each other go. none of you are willing to let go of your own dreams, and none of you wanted the other to give their dreams up either.

so it was the right decision to make.

but as the tears in your eyes blur your vision and make it hard for you to clean your sink properly, you start to think that you’re just trying to convince yourself that you didn’t make a huge mistake. and failing. miserably.

other works

✎ a/n: hi hello i just wanted some domestic & fluffy iwa brainrot but i can’t stop myself from including angst lol

#[❥] iwaizooming fics #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi angst #iwaizumi headcanons #iwaizumi x y/n #haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #iwaizumi brainrot #haikyuu angst #iwaizumi hajime #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu headcanons #haiikyuu x reader #angst #iwaizumi fluff

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florrickandassociates · 3 years

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TGF Thoughts: 5x09-- And the end was violent...

It’s been a busy week, but I didn’t want to wait until after 5x10 aired to write this. This recap may be a bit rushed (read: I am going to make an effort to just skip over scenes I don’t care about; we’ll see how many of those there actually are). I didn’t love this episode overall, but I thought it was a huge improvement over 5x08’s parking ticket fiasco and wish it had immediately followed 5x07.

Bless these episodes for not being overly long

Oooh, the opening sequence is long and I have nothing to say about it! Thanks for making my life easier, writers!

The point of this opening is to show that there are lots of problems with the official court system—inefficiencies, inconveniences like broken elevators, overcrowding in prisons (though, uh, I don’t think the actual problem there is that there’s not room to incarcerate more people)-- that might make cops open to an alternative like Wackner’s court.

I know the cop thread kind of started with last week’s parking nonsense, but surely there was a way other than the parking nonsense to bridge the gap between 5x07’s prison system and 5x09’s focus on Wackner’s court suddenly being a replacement for criminal court, too.

(Y’all, I have SO MANY questions about how Wackner can POSSIBLY judge criminal cases, but they’re all just variations on... UH, GUYS, ISN’T THIS ILLEGAL? LIKE SUPER DUPER ILLEGAL?)

I see that there is a filming notice when the cops bring a dude into Wackner’s court, and that the notice says that by entering on the premises you consent to being on film. I do not think that this sign being displayed would hold up as evidence of anyone consenting to be sentenced to a private prison on criminal charges.

New question: How did Wackner Rules get on the air so fast? And are they just filming endless episodes in real time? They just film anyone who walks in?

I think there is supposed to be a subplot about Marissa liking fame and attention; it is almost a little too subtle to be meaningful. I see a through line from her sleeping with that editor dude last week to her smiling at the flowers in this scene to her scenes with Carmen later this episode. Unfortunately, I need a lot more for this to work.

I don’t need Marissa to be a hero who constantly does the right thing and calls out Wackner on crossing the line, but I’m really sad that this is what they’re using Marissa for when we were due for Marissa calling Wackner out (in a meaningful, lasting way) like two episodes ago. It’s felt odd to me that she just sticks around and assists Wackner and Del when they’re doing things like putting people in private prisons and comparing the show they’re making to The Apprentice. Any subtle shift in Wackner’s decisions that has signaled to me that he’s gone too far is something that I can say with certainty would signal the same to Marissa. Marissa’s outspoken and passionate, and we have seen enough reaction shots to know she knows things are going bad, fast. Am I really meant to believe that because she likes Wackner and she likes fame, she’s not going to do anything more substantial than look upset from time to time? Not only does that feel out of character, it’s also just boring.

And, it speaks to another problem I’m starting to have with the arc: they needed to get to the point faster. Once Wackner said “David Cord’s private prison,” this stopped being fun. It would’ve stopped being fun for Marissa and it stopped being fun for viewers (seriously though, the change in tone on Reddit between 5x07 and 5x08/5x09 is VERY noticeable). So why did we follow that up with some repetitive filler bullshit about parking spaces and then start getting back to the point in this episode? I’m sure they’re going somewhere big in 5x10, but you can’t follow an explosive reveal with more status quo.

(Also, lol, I think the parking space thing was meant to be a fun silly absurd little way of entering into themes about authority and Wackner trying to legitimize his court, but it was about an issue so relatable and illogical that I think it feels even harder to believe than the, like, whole concept of a secret court in a Copy Coop.)

Time for Marissa to look concerned again! She’s confused about if the case is real or not, and when Wackner says it’s real, she says it’s not for their court and it’s crossing a line. She is absolutely correct. Wackner’s like, let me know if you think I’m crossing a line after I rule, and then he makes a silly flailing gesture that Marissa can use as a signal.

I actually don’t hate that scene; it is a good scene. I am only snarking on it because it feels like familiar territory and it belonged in an earlier episode.

Am I correctly understanding that these cops wanted to be filmed bringing a man against his will to a fake court with a private prison? And that they wanted this to air on television? Okay.

I will say that I believe the motivations of everyone involved except Marissa. Wackner thinks he’s doing good for the world. Del is getting good TV (I mean, I still think that Wackner Rules title sequence is shit and the show Del seems to be making is terrible, but that’s besides the point). Cord has so much money he’s untouchable and this is fun for him. The cops just don’t want to deal with bureaucracy when it comes to someone who they basically caught in the act.

Court! Stuff! Happens!

Wackner sentences the guy to one year in “David Cord’s private prison.” Again, I know they have to say this for exposition/storytelling reasons, but I continue to find it hilarious that David Cord would want his name to be used in this way (because he like, absolutely would not want his name to be used this way).

The cops like Wackner’s verdict so they tell all their friends to also take their cases to Wackner. What could possibly go wrong!

Like, yeah, there are problems with the criminal justice system—and some of them are even the ones these cops are mad about—but this is ABSOLUTELY not the answer!!! You cannot just take people off the streets and place them in private prisons because they were forced to enter a filming zone for a TV show what the actual fuck

Love David Lee still having candy on his desk. Some things never change.

Allegra, who was welcomed by the partners of RL last week, is interviewing for a job with David Lee. I don’t understand. Doesn’t David Lee have to approve new partners at RL?

Please don’t mention real estate on Mars, Allegra. You’ve made me think of Jason and how bad season seven was.

Allegra is feeling a bit different from Elsbeth this episode, though she very much still has some Elsbeth energy. She is very strategic and blunt in a way Elsbeth isn’t, and she seems a little more focused and intense.

“I notice, in a partisan world, the person in the middle controls the agenda,” Allegra says of her alliances with both Liz and Diane. This is interesting. What are Allegra’s goals here? Just to have power? Does she have a vision for RL? Is it just a good paycheck?

(My guess is it’s about power and money for her. I don’t think she is going to be the ally Madeline wants. I don’t think anyone who voluntarily signs up to be a name partner at a firm owned by corporate overlords is a natural ally for Madeline though, tbh.)

(I really hoped this arc would explore that just a tiny bit more. The longer this conflict drags on the more convinced I become that the whole question of if it’s appropriate for Diane to lead a black firm is moot. It’s an interesting and complicated question, but with some distance from the plot, it becomes pretty clear that in this particular situation, RL isn’t a black firm. It’s a subsidiary of a large multinational corporation.)

(The show seems very aware of this and keeps having plot points like Diane using David Lee to keep her job and having Madeline call out all the awful clients they have... but it needs to go somewhere.)

(This also may be why I’m more down on the end of the season—in the middle of the season, nods at the things I’ve been thinking are appreciated references. At the end, they’re more like plotholes or reminders of the questions we should actually be spending time on.)

“Are you shitting me?” David Lee storms into the room as Liz and Diane are working. “David, we are shitting you about so many things, you’re gonna have to be more specific,” Liz responds. God, funny!Liz is maybe my favorite part of season 5?

Liz calls David out on his power, noting that he also reports to STR Laurie. So it seems like Liz and Diane can make decisions on their own, and STR Laurie can overrule them, but not stop them in advance?

This little ad about an ice cream chain is like, 15 seconds too long.

Carmen is back!!!! She’s helping Rivi sign a deal with an ice cream chain so that they’ll turn into a distributor of weed.

Why do we have to watch a SECOND commercial?

The farm wants Rivi to stop dealing other drugs if they’re going to enter into this deal.

Allegra, another character who seemingly has no qualms about representing drug kingpins, quickly impresses Rivi.

I understand why there is an interpreter for Rivi’s wife. I do not understand why the interpreter interprets conversations BETWEEN Rivi and his wife. And then he’s translating the sign language into Spanish? But also Rivi speaks fluent English in half of these scenes? WHAT is happening?

Allegra is also different from Elsbeth in that with clients, you’re NEVER going to underestimate her. You might not follow her at first, but she’ll get to the point clearly and concisely and without telling you how much she likes your lipstick.

But like at 13:44 Rivi signs something to his wife, and when she signs back the interpreter tells him what she’s saying. This is so so so clearly for the audience but I wish it had just been captions because it makes NO SENSE that the interpreter is in on this private conversation between two people who both know sign language!?

Rivi and Isabel now LOVE Allegra. Diane and Liz are like, okay!

Cop stuff happens.

Credits!!! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out indiewire’s piece on the making of the credits—it's fascinating.

Brooke directed 😀

Marissa the celebrity is signing autographs in Wackner’s court when the cops bring in some young men affiliated with Rivi.

NO, GOD NO, NOT THIS DEVIL’S ADVOCATE FUCKERY. The problem I have with the Devil’s Advocate, in addition to it being fucking annoying, is that it is also the exact opposite of what Wackner’s court is all about. Wackner is about facts and really hearing people out, and from what we’ve seen, Devil’s Advocate is about... stereotypes and pop sociology so bad it’s essentially just racism?

“These young men are the victims of a system that arbitrarily declares some drugs illegal, and others, like alcohol, not. They should be released. To hold them is to perpetuate an unfair system,” Devil’s Advocate says. Good lord, a 7th grader could write a more persuasive speech than this bullshit.

WHY IS DAVID CORD PROSECUTING THIS, WHY IS THE TRIAL ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT DRUGS HARM COMMUNITIES, WHY IS THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE SOUNDING LIKE A WHITE BOY IN AN INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY CLASS WITH HIS REFERENCES TO THE WIRE, WHY IS ANY OF THIS HAPPENING OMG MAKE IT STOP HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS BAD

Why is Marissa the court clerk being called upon to be defense, WHY IS THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE JUST SCREAMING “DEFUND THE POLICE” WHAT THE FUCK

I’m sorry, I am going to rant about this more, I truly cannot get over how fucking stupid the Devil’s Advocate is. He just starts screaming “defund the police”??? To what end?! Why does Wackner want this in his court?!

I revise what I said earlier. Devil’s Advocate isn’t just sounding a white boy in an intro to sociology class. He is sounding like a white boy who showed up to an intro to sociology class absolutely hammered.

Marissa, correctly, argues that the arrestees should be taken to Cook County. Then she hears that they work for Rivi and she knows this is bad.

Cord calling Marissa out for her firm representing Rivi: Another thing that would NEVER air on Wackner Rules.

David Lee seems surprised Liz and Diane did not get rid of Allegra. I don’t know why he is surprised, I think they made it very clear they don’t see him as an authority figure.

STR Laurie is now demanding (another) 10% in cuts to pay for Allegra. Liz says they’ll pay for her with the money that used to be for Adrian and Diane notes that Allegra has more stature than Adrian. Interesting.

David Lee then decides to be both sexist and racist for really no reason at all. Pleasant!

Showing Carmen as competent but not yet as strategic as Allegra is a really nice way to underline that Carmen is still a first year even if she is very very good.

Liz, Diane, and Allegra talk about cost cutting. Allegra is like, no, we need to spend more, which makes sense, both for the reasons she outlines and because when you bring on a powerful name partner, your need for lower level support does not DECREASE, it INCREASES.

I know this scene is meant to show Allegra thinking outside the box, but I am a bit surprised that (1) Neither Liz nor Diane push back on the 10% cut and (2) When Allegra suggests hiring back all the associates and then some, Diane seems to think Allegra doesn’t understand they’re talking about cuts? Like, obviously she knows the topic of conversation, Diane.

“We don’t run our own business. We work for a global conglomerate,” Liz notes. Yup. Right point, wrong context lol.

Diane and Liz are just too smart and strategic to have to be told ALL of this by Allegra... especially Diane, who is not only smart but also used to dealing with management.

And worse... Liz and Diane think they made a mistake with Allegra because of this? I mean, I guess if your goal is to permanently work for a big corporation that will slowly chip away at your budget because they can and to never make any waves because that might disrupt the status quo, sure, Allegra isn’t who you want! But do Diane and Liz REALLY want the status quo?

I hope they find a way out from under STR Laurie next year, as much as I hate the firm switching, because it’s just such a boring dead-end when Diane and Liz don’t actually have power or control.

OOOH I like Del asking Liz what SHE wants wrt the whole Diane situation. She says she wants to “stop fighting” and for Diane to “stop using her racist clients to keep her job” and for “the firm to be led in the right way by the right people.” So sounds like she wants to work with Diane, then? That last one is as vague as can be, but I think we can infer at this point that Liz is more concerned with stability and a work environment she likes than idealism.

God, Liz and Alicia would’ve gotten along so well as adults lmao.

Del tells Liz that “women at work always want to be thought of as nice. Women always want consensus. But you know what, baby, sometimes you just gotta say, ‘Fuck you, and you and you and you. Alright? This is my business and it’s my decision.’” I see where he’s coming from (even though this sounds like something my nemesis the Devil’s Advocate would say) but I am not sure I agree that’s Liz’s problem here.

Actually, maybe I do agree with Del. I think Del’s saying to say FU to Diane, but what Liz clearly actually wants to do is say FU to Madeline lol

Liz asks him to change the topic. Where ARE they? Is this a restaurant or an incredibly nice backyard?

Del changes the topic to how his boss wants him to come back to LA, but he wants to get Liz’s thoughts on their future. Liz asks him to start since men are better at saying what they mean (ha, love her giving him shit for that).

He basically tells her he wants to stay and she says he should stay. Aww.

Rivi’s house is... certainly something.

Isabel is concerned because three of their boys have disappeared. She, naturally, suspects they’re at police blacksites.

I’m sorry, did Marissa not elevate the Rivi case in Wackner’s court to the partners’ attention!? Rivi blames the dairy company, even though this does not... make that much sense?

This escalates into the murder of cows?? What... the fuck.

Now Marissa finds Carmen and loops her in! But only now that she knows Rivi’s looking for them and Rivi’s about to, like, kill Christian Borle’s character whose name I’ve forgotten.

Marissa’s position on this is that Wackner will just let the boys go so Rivi shouldn’t know about any of this. Rivi would just kill Wackner. And Carmen is like, Rivi will just kill Christian Borle if we don’t tell. Fair point.

Carmen, being an actual adult (sorry Marissa, I usually love you), is willing to admit when she’s in over her head, so she walks off to go get Liz for help. Yay!

Rivi is not impressed with Wackner’s court or Marissa. He and Isabel want either Carmen or Allegra. Liz says Carmen will do it, I think meaning Marissa will do it but Carmen will be client facing.

I love it when we get to see Liz just be super competent. It’s not a rare occurrence, but it’s just very, very clear in this scene how much better Liz is at handling this situation than Carmen or Marissa would’ve been and I like it when the show makes time to emphasize that even on a show full of hypercompetent people, some people are more skilled than others at handling some situations.

Liz, Diane, and David meet with STRL over Zoom. Allegra somehow pops up on the meeting but also joins as a cat because you know what the cat lawyer on Zoom needed? To be parodied on TGF. Ugh

OH MY GOD I DIDN’T PUT THIS TOGETHER SOONER BUT IT’S A CAT LAWYER YOU GUYS. This will mean NOTHING to any of you because it’s about an inside joke I have with the friend who got me into TGW, but indulge me in a little nostalgia here, ‘kay? So in like 2012, there was a trend on Tumblr where everyone would photoshop cat ears onto their favorite TV characters and my friend and I were like, why would I want to put cat ears on my favorite character, idgi. So then we started photoshopping cat ears on to the most unlikely characters and we landed on David Lee. We referred to David Lee as a cat for a really long time. Like, if we were to talk about David Lee today we would probably still call him Cat! David Lee.

Allegra starts trying to work her magic on STRL. Diane literally runs down the stairs to try to stop Allegra. I am not sure why Diane and Liz are so anti-Allegra during this conversation which is only happening so they can have the funds to keep her on board!

Allegra tries to share a burrito with Diane and Liz and says she stands by her strategy. Liz finally says she’s not sure this will work. Allegra is understanding.

I respect that. Allegra may as well go all out and see if she can make this workable.

(That said, this is pretty much the opposite of her whole staying neutral thing from earlier!)

No one is in the audience at Wackner’s court when Carmen shows up, yet the musician who I like only very slightly more than Devil’s Advocate is still on call. Just STOP.

Overall I’ve liked the Wackner arc and I’m excited to see it wrap up tomorrow, but lemme tell you: it had better wrap up tomorrow. I am NOT open to dealing with this for another season.

The musician takes orders from Cord? The cameras are rolling? Rivi is there? WHAT?

I know that NONE of this makes sense, but some things make exceptionally little sense and I just can’t.

Guys, remember the parking tickets?!

Oh, excuse me, the ice cream company is actually a yogurt company.

Rivi notes that there are three boys missing. Wackner only has two.

I am a little surprised Rivi has managed to be successful with that temper. Idk what skill set you need to be a top drug dealer, but he attacks people like three times an episode and that seems like a really good way to not build trust and to also get yourself killed?

Liz and Del talk about what happened in Wackner’s court. Liz asks how they deal with liability. I guess she isn’t Del’s lawyer, then. Del says they have releases and people want to be on TV. Liz says what I’ve been saying, which is that Rivi doesn’t want to be on TV. Del says there are ways around that and references the show Cops as though that’s enough to make this question go completely away.

Liz references The Apprentice, for those of us who didn’t catch the reference last week and/or for those of us (me!) who wanted to pretend that Wackner wasn’t somehow a commentary on Trump and star power. Ugh.

(I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad point, I just am not sure that I think it is the most interesting point about the Wackner plot.)

“Remember how we all watched and laughed and thought it was funny when they fired people?” Liz says. “We? No, no. Hmm, you... you never watched The Apprentice,” Del responds. She did not. Hahahahahaha I love this exchange. It feels very real.

Liz seems less concerned with Wackner and more concerned with Del’s eagerness to turn Wackner into a larger than life personality with a devoted following, which, yes, thank you, Liz, this is actually a much better and more interesting point!

“That came out of nowhere,” Del says. “No, it didn’t,” Liz responds, correctly.

Del talks about how Liz represents Wackner, along with murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and yet she wants to draw the line at reality show producer who makes people famous? He’s got a point, even if I’d argue that choosing a romantic partner is not the same as running a business.

“Would your firm turn down [the producer of The Apprentice] if he wanted to join the roster?” Del asks. “Good point,” Liz sighs, resigned. She’s not happy he’s right, but she knows he is.

Sigh. I already said some variation of this, but this season seems to have all the right ideas floating around, it’s just choosing the wrong ones to explore deeply and the wrong moments to mention other ones. Things like Liz worrying that someone she’s considering starting a serious relationship with might have some personality traits she doesn’t love can be done through throwaway lines that quickly come back to being about work/plot (that’s what happens in this scene, basically) and I love that. But the existence of STRL and the influence it has over whether or not RL is a black firm at some point can’t be dealt with through references. Wackner becoming increasingly off the rails can’t be turned down to a simmer after reaching boiling point. RL’s unsavory client’s can’t just come up in moments like this; they have to play into a central conflict.

Like, what good is it to constantly remind the audience that RL represents a ton of “bad guys” if you’re not going to go anywhere with that other than making Liz and Diane occasionally be like, “hmm, good point.” when called out on their client list? This could be a really, really good piece of a larger puzzle about the culture at RL, and instead it feels like it’s a card they play whenever they need some moral complexity. Just... go somewhere with it, please. Either stop pretending that RL are the good guys or have them seriously deal with their client list.

Anyway, then Liz and Del talk about his possible LA move. It’s kinda inconclusive; they talk about work just being work.

Outside of court, Carmen doesn’t believe that Wackner only has two of Rivi’s boys.

“I don’t know why you’ve been wasting so much time with this joke court, because it’s not gonna magically turn you into a real lawyer, Marissa,” Carmen lashes out. Oooo. Now this is interesting, can I have an extended version of this scene and also all the other Carmen/Marissa scenes that we should’ve gotten in the episodes Carmen was barely in?

I understand Carmen’s frustration, especially since I imagine she worked pretty damn hard to get into/get through law school. And, as fun and smart as Marissa can be, she does get bored easily, try to skip over the dull moments, and moves on and still always lands on her feet. I can see how that would rub Carmen the wrong way, especially during a stressful moment.

Carmen isn’t exactly a rule follower, but I’d say she is someone who is very conscious of the rules, and, I think someone who values structure more than she lets on (I especially see this in her decision to stay at RL instead of work independently/with Lester).

Marissa calls Jay for help!

Allegra talks to David Lee, with Liz and Diane in the background. Allegra makes her argument to David Lee again and it goes over well. I think the writers think there’s more suspense in this plot than there is; it’s pretty obvious from the start that Allegra is correct and Diane and Liz are only correct if the goal is to avoid all conflict.

What is David Lee’s role at STRL? Is there anything else in that office besides awful HR and RL? He talks like he is more RL than STRL and that doesn’t track with what we saw of STRL last year.

Marissa spots a flyer that leads her and Jay to where the missing boy is: another fake court. This was inevitable—I think one of the very first things I said was that Wackner himself seemed fine and decent, but what happens when someone else decides they, too, want to be a judge because they said so—and I’m glad to see the writers go this direction. I actually think this would’ve been an effective build after 5x07 and would’ve kept turning up the tension, so again, most of my issues with this arc lie in 5x08’s momentum killing bullshit. It’s hard to get back into this plot when they lost me last week.

Shocker: Wackner having a reality show inspired more copy cats who take cues from the show and think Marissa is a celebrity.

Vinetta, the judge of the second court, puts people in “time-out” (read: imprisons them in her basement) and... yeah, I don’t care how kind she is to them, this is not okay! The solution to the prison system is not for people to turn their basements into prisons!

I don’t know that the writers are TRYING to comment on this here, but there is definitely something to be said about communities that the legal system repeatedly fails finding alternative measures of justice.

Vinetta is nice and seems reasonable as a judge, but she also has a basement prison her judgments are influenced by her religious believes so, uh, yeah, not good!!!

Wackner, however, thinks Vinetta’s court is GREAT! He wants to go see it, because “it’s finally happening.” What’s happening? “Justice,” he says. Uhhhhhhh, no. This is just so dangerous, even if everyone involved so far seems to mean well.

I’m very curious to see how this little thought experiment wraps up (again: I say wraps up because I cannot deal with the thought of this being more than a one season arc).

One thing I love about the Wackner arc—my 5x08 issues aside—is its slow burn. The writers did a phenomenal job of getting me to take Wackner seriously at first, then slowly started to take all the things that seemed great and reasonable about Wackner’s court to their extremes (while still making his judgment on any individual topic* sound). It’s a very fun and entertaining thought experiment, and I think that’s why this arc has largely succeeded for me, even though it’s so far removed from reality.

* Exceptions to this include policing, prisons, cancel culture, and, of course, parking spaces.

#the good fight #tgf thoughts

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