#the character work in this show is stupidly nuanced

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  MuseumGiftShopEraser! They have 9 works on AO3 in the Stranger Things Fandom, and 6 of those are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @museumgiftshoperaser:

Paint the Devil on the Wall

Conversations About Love

Now I'm A Stranger

An Exercise In Denial

Baby, You Were Meant To Follow Me

Her fics are BEAUTIFUL. When I first read Paint the Devil on the Wall I was so obsessed I immediately recced the fic to everyone I knew who would be vaguely interested in a steddie fic. -- anonymous

Below the cut, @museumgiftshoperaser answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I stumbled into it immediately after season 4 came out. I’ve felt very attached to Steve as a character from the beginning of the show and I think I was subconsciously waiting for someone to pair him up with. I think they’re both such great characters to explore themes of dealing with expectation (either by conforming, or fighting against it) and that’s something I always love to write about.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Absolute sucker for fake dating. Can’t get enough of it.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Enemies to lovers! Though now that I’m looking through my AO3 I haven’t actually written that much of it. It doesn’t have to be very intense enemies, though. I just like it when characters don’t immediately get along.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

My brain has been forever rewired by took you for a working boy by pukner. It’s such a gentle, nuanced queer story. It feels vulnerable to me in a way that really only fanfiction can be. Can I sneak in another one?? Because everyone should also absolutely read the shame is on the other side by scoops_ahoy. It taps into this very specific kind of queer compartmentalizing, that I’ve never seen written this well. It broke my heart and patched it right back up.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’ve been stupidly busy with my masters lately so there’s probably not a lot of writing on my horizon. I do have a wip called Doll that I’m slowly chipping away at. It’s a little darker than stuff I’ve written before. I know ‘dark’ isn’t really a trope, but I’m excited to see if I can push these characters a little further. 

What is your writing process like?

Absolute chaos. I write non-chronologically, without an outline, all in the same document. I keep writing snippets and scenes until the whole thing slowly comes together. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

Italicizing words for emphasis. I love it so much, you can rip it from my cold dead hands. It accidentally makes its way into my academic writing for my degree sometimes which is a little embarrassing, but I just love the flair of it. 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I don’t really do schedules, it doesn’t work for me at all. I try to make sure I have a decent amount of the story written before I start posting to give me a bit of a head start, but forcing myself to finish something by a certain date is a surefire way to kill my motivation.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Probably Paint the Devil on the Wall. It was the first time I’d written the entire story before I started posting so it went through way more rounds of editing than normal. I think you can really tell. It’s also the longest story I’ve ever written (in general, even outside of fanfic). The whole project gave me a lot of confidence as a writer.

How did you get the idea for Paint the Devil on the Wall?

I knew I wanted to participate in the Bigbang and the deadline was coming up, but I still didn’t have an idea. I decided to work backwards and try to think of something that would be fun for the artist(s) to draw. I had a vision of Eddie wearing dungarees without a shirt, absolutely covered in paint and I knew I had to write something to make it happen. I set the story in 80s New York because neo expressionism is really the only kind of art I could see Eddie making. I think it suits him very well. I do actually have a background in art, though! I’m currently getting my MFA, but I’ve worked full time as an artist for several years before that. I had a lot of fun working my passion for art (and all those art history classes I had to take) into the fic.

When writing Paint the Devil on the Wall, what was something you didn’t expect?

All of Steve’s character, to be honest. The fic is written from Eddie’s POV and for a large part of it he has a very hard time figuring out what Steve’s deal is. Right alongside him, I also had an incredibly hard time figuring out his character. It wasn’t until I was working on the final chapter that he finally clicked for me. I realized very late, just like Eddie, that Steve liked him from the very beginning. Most of the enemies to lovers premise was all in Eddie’s head.

What inspired Now I'm a Stranger?

Oh boy, that was forever ago! I remember I started writing it while I was camping with friends because I liked having something to do after everyone went to bed at night. I think I had the idea for that very first scene where Steve doesn’t remember Eddie and it all sort of spiraled from there.

What was your favorite part to write from An Exercise in Denial?

That was the very first fic I wrote, right after season 4 came out! I’ve never written something that fast, I think the whole thing took me less than a week. My favorite part was probably Robin being completely exasperated with both of them. They’re such complete idiots in that fic.

How do/did you feel writing Baby, You Were Meant To Follow Me?

Ahhh… I never got around to finishing that one. I probably never will, to be honest. I wrote the first two parts quite quickly and then the idea I had for the plot spiraled out of control and I realized I didn’t actually feel like writing the rest of it. There were going to be a lot of misunderstandings and I learned that I find that an incredibly frustrating trope to write (when done for drama at least. For comedy, I’m a sucker for misunderstandings.) So I guess I felt a little in over my head.

What was the most difficult part of writing Conversations About Love?

The ending! That fic is so incredibly personal to me and I knew from the beginning that I wanted it to have a very sappy, happy ending. It was important to me to write an aromantic character getting everything they wanted, but I realized as I was writing it that I don’t actually fully know what that means. So it took a bit more soul searching than fics typically do, but it was very much worth it. 

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I still think the short little prologue for Paint the Devil on the Wall is the best thing I’ve written. “You don’t draw on things that aren’t yours, baby” is probably the best summary I have for that story.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Not really!

Thank you to our author, @museumgiftshoperaser, and our anonymous nominator! See more of @museumgiftshoperaser works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

#writer's wednesday #steddie #steddie fic recs #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #stranger things #ao3 writer #steddie writers

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

Do you read milex fanfics? If so what's your favorite ones?

DO I (yes, i do)

there are SO many incredible ones out there, most of which i've probably not even read yet because my to-read list is so long rn! here are a few of my all-time favourites though (plus a handful at the end of current wips i am loving too!)

LONGER FICS

Joie de Vivre by @gasdancer

summary: "Two young men decamp to rural France to make an album together. It ~is like love."

tags: angst, fluff, smut, bed-sharing, first time, friends to lovers

notes: THIS FUCKING FIC OH LORD. i just finished reading it recently and i had to sit down and reevaluate my whole existence for like a day afterwards. it PERFECTLY captures the dynamic of taotu milex - the playfulness, the intensity, the heart-wrenching love they have for each other that underlines everything. it's beautifully written with some *very* hot smut scenes and honestly it's amazing and if you haven't read it already then what are you waiting for?? (there are also two sequels, the first of which i am currently halfway through and it is just as incredible oh my god)

Been Away Too Long To Be Afraid by @stereobone

summary: Miles goes to visit Alex in Los Angeles to get his mind off his recent breakup. It works far better than expected.

tags: friends to lovers, miscommunication, pining, first time

notes: THIS FIC oh my goodness. it is in no small way responsible for how deep into this fandom i have sunk, as it was one of the first milex fics i ever remember reading and it's just so stupidly good. their characterisation is ON POINT and it's just the perfect balance of yearning/miscommunication/slow build. oh, any absolutely beautiful writing style too. my only complaint is that it went by WAY too fast when i was reading it lol.

Shy Of A Spark by @elorianna

summary: The Arctic Monkeys are about to play Glastonbury, their biggest gig yet, and Alex is struggling with stage fright. Fortunately for him, he has Miles to help him feel braver, and with his best friend by his side, surely nothing can go wrong.

Except that now it's the day of the show, Miles is acting strange, and the gig is no longer the only thing giving Alex stage fright. With the hours racing past, will he get his head in the game in time for their headline performance? And will he find a way to be brave, in more ways than one?

tags: friends to lovers, pining, first time, bed sharing

notes: this fic has such a special place in my heart, and i've lost count of how many times i've re-read it. it totally captures the fear of falling for someone who already means so much to you, and is just BEAUTIFULLY written with gorgeous characterisation and layers of theme and subtext on bravery and performance throughout. i literally cannot recommend it enough!! i am such a massive fan of all of elorianna's works, but i'm limiting myself to reccing one long and one short one here so this list doesn't become endless lol.

Terra Incognita by @yellowloid

summary: His fear of thunderstorms is something Alex has managed to keep a secret for most of his life. Nobody knows except his parents, and he’s determined to keep it that way. Except now he’s stuck in his apartment with Miles, the world outside is being shaken by a raging downpour, and maybe his fear isn’t the only thing that’s becoming difficult to hide. Or: they comfort each other in unconventional ways.

tags: hurt/comfort, pining, handjobs, friends to lovers

notes: i love the whole theme of unexplored lands that runs through this fic, it's gorgeously written and it feels like it touches on something so fitting for miles and alex's dynamic (also alex's thoughts about words in it feel SO in character). also i am such a sucker for a good hurt/comfort, and this ABSOLUTELY delivers the goods. god, the build up? the smut? the everything??? it's amazing, and full of so many stunning little details and nuances.

The Galaxy's Edge by @richiebrook

summary: Alex hasn’t been feeling like himself. He's used to it – tour life usually makes him feel a bit out of it, as if he were drifting in space - but it does put a strain on his relationship with the rest of the band and his girlfriend Taylor. Miles, his best friend turned lover, calls him up twice a week to make sure he doesn't drift too far. Their biweekly ritual helps Alex. The same can't be said for Taylor, who is perfectly aware of what Miles really is to her boyfriend. And so the Monkeys tour continues, Alex drifts and Miles anchors. But is it really drifting if you know exactly where you need to be?

tags: angst, long distance relationship, cheating, hurt/comfort

notes: okay, so there are a whole bunch of tags for this fic that would usually make it not my thing, BUT the writing is just so incredibly skilled and the characterisation of alex is so multi-layered and interesting that it i found myself getting completely sucked in. i have to say, it definitely is quite angst heavy so it's not a fic for if you're in a mood for some feelgood fluff - but it's beautifully written and a super thought-provoking and nuanced character study.

SHORTER FICS

On the Cusp by @elorianna

summary: On a hot summer day during their EYCTE Puppets tour, Miles and Alex find themselves stuck on a tour bus without any air conditioning. As they try to find ways to distract themselves from the heat, the boys end up struggling to maintain their cool in more ways than one…

tags: friends to lovers, first time

notes: i mean... this fic is just... *fans self* so hot. the way elorianna writes the build up of sexual tension is MASTERFUL.

Christmas Eve Will Find Me Where The Love Light Gleams by literevie

summary: Alex caught covid just before he was about to head home for Christmas. Now he's stuck alone in London, pretending to be brave about it all. But Miles finds out and decides to visit him to drop by some of his mums' famous christmas cooking to help him feel less lonely. Plot twists occur of course.

tags: friends to lovers, pining, sickfic, slow burn, first kiss

notes: this is such a special fic... i've rarely read one that feels like it has such a profound understanding of the dynamic between miles and alex, and it deals with the joy and the complexity of all that entails with just so much skill and poignancy. it's in the shorter fics category, but the PACE of this whole fic is just perfect and unrushed. it also features one of the best ever love confession scenes i've read. honestly it's just magic. the whole fic is.

The 36 Questions that Lead to Love by @fiireside

summary: To fall in love with anyone, answer these questions.

tags: fluff, pining

notes: THIS FIC IS SO ADORABLE omg. if you're ever having a bad day or feeling disillusioned with the world, just read this and i swear it will restore you.

Amsterdam by @richiebrook

summary: This one is set during the first night of Miles’ European tour, after Miles overhears a group of people in the audience singing “Where the fuck is Alex Turner?” as soon as he leaves the stage. Needless to say, it’s not the big opening night Miles had hoped for. Feeling like he's lost control of his own tour, he calls Alex up, fully intending to blame him for everything. Luckily, Alex knows just how to prove to him that he's still very much in control after all.

tags: angst, phone sex

notes: god, this is so beautifully written. the characterisation and the dynamic between them is just MASTERFUL. it honestly took my breath away the first time i read it for how real the way they interact feels. so many layers to this despite it being such a short fic (and the smut is really hot too).

Magic From Your Fingers Tingles Down My Spine by @alexturne

summary: "Wanna make out?" Alex coughed out a cloud of thick smoke. He blinked and looked at Miles next to him. Miles was making quite the sight, sprawled out across Alex's sheets with a dirty smirk plastered on his face. He looked nice, spread out like that. All relaxed and comfortable, as if he'd always been destined to end up right there in Alex's bed.Or: Whilst writing their first album together, Alex and Miles get high, and Miles has a great idea about how they could be spending their time.

tags: fluff and smut, friends to lovers

notes: this was one of the first milex fics i ever read and ahhhhhh. i still reread it often bc i just adore it! the tension and the tenderness in it is just 10/10 and i love how much they were both totally, helplessly into each other throughout it. wonderful writing.

the italian job by @stereobone

summary: Miles buys a house in Italy. Alex moves in.

tags: developing relationship, fluff, smut, feelgood

notes: this fic is just ART. god. the writing is absolutely stunning and it's full of beautiful subtext and metaphor but is also just so grounded in their relationship. i actually had to close my laptop for a few moments after finishing it because it just filled my heart up so much i didn't even know what to do with myself. the conversation between alex and miles in it is so insanely in character and ugh i just love everything about it okay??

WIPS/FICS I'M READING

Inhaler by @perfectly-clear-from-here

summary: A fast forming friendship between Alex and Miles takes a turn after a range of sleepless nights, shared cigarettes, loud music and a bar fight.

tags: friends to lovers, pre-taotu, slow burn, angst, fluff

notes: god, this fic just has it all for me. the characterisation of miles and alex's dynamic is just SPOT ON and right from the beginning has this wonderful sense of innate connection in a way that feels so authentic. i can already tell that the slow burn is going to destroy me (in the best possible way). it's also BEAUTIFULLY written with evocative descriptions that draw you straight into the story, super relatable themes, and wonderful snort-out-loud-at-your-computer-screen arctic monkeys boys banter.

Switchblades and Motorbikes by @thranduil-aran-edhil

summary: London. 1950’s. The Arctic Monkeys and the Diamond Dogs have never seen eye to eye. The two gangs are notoriously at odds with each other, constantly getting in fights around town. Alex Turner, leader of the Monkeys, is a sly thief and bike enthusiast that refuses to humble himself just because he’s sorta new in town. Miles Kane, leader of the Dogs, is a rebel with a cause and nothing will stop him defending his community and values. Not even a pretentious bastard like Turner. But a common adversary threatens to change this status quo. Will they find a way to team up? Or will both gangs fall under this much more powerful foe?

tags: 1950s au, violence, enemies to lovers, fluff and angst

notes: oooooh the ANIMOSITY and the tension between miles and alex sets up such an addictive dynamic in this, and the au vibes are just IMMACULATE. i have to admit, i'm only one chapter in but i'm already so hooked i couldn't not add it to the list. the dialogue in it is beautifully done and so full of character, and the whole thing just feels like watching a really cool movie play out onscreen.

I'll Pretend (Or Not) by @28-destiel-505

summary: Everyone knew Miles Kane and Alex Turner hated each other. But when it goes too far, their teams force them to do a collab to save their public images. Nobody understands when their relationship seems to have changed, not the fans, not their friends and not even themselves. Telling people it's just for the public might work for a little while but at some point, their friends question it. Maybe it's because of the time spending together or maybe it's because of the things happening when they're on stage but people start wondering what is really going on between the two.

tags: slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, secret relationship

notes: okay i'm also in the early stages of this fic, but it's been on my to read list FOREVER and i am so excited to get further into it because i am a sucker for enemies to friends to lovers and i enjoyed the first two chapters so much!

under these lights you look beautiful by @alexturne

summary: Miles got completely lost in his voice. There was a faraway quality to it, like he belonged somewhere else entirely, but somehow had decided to grace them with his presence and Miles felt blessed to be near him if even for a short while. The subtle elegance hidden in his slender figure, the mannerisms of his fingers wrapped around the corners of his notebook. His words were spoken softly, quietly, but without any hesitation or faltering. Alex is an elusive poet, who has a way with words and Miles is a bartender, who is completely mesmerized.

tags: bartender au, slow burn, falling in love

notes: i've literally only read the first chapter of this but it already has me HOOKED - it's so cosy and atmospheric and i can already tell it's going to tug on my heartstrings so much in the best way. and omg poet alex with humbug hair?? i am in love as miles is oh lord.

that's it for now! if anyone has any fic recs (your own you want to promote or anyone else's that you've read and loved!), please feel free to send them my way - i feel like i'm probably missing some major ones from this list and am always looking for more good milex fics!

#sorry it took me a while to answer this one! #and thank you for the ask <3 #milex #milex fic recs #milex fanfiction #tlsp #the last shadow puppets #alex turner #miles kane #lulu posts

[justmenoworries]

Okay, let me pre-face this by saying: I love Transformers: Earthspark.

I love that it tries out new things with the franchise. I love that it brings in new characters instead of relying on legacy characters we’ve seen a thousand times before. And I love that it attempts to bring some much needed nuance to the Decepticon-Autobot conflict.

But! There’s one thing that bothered me throughout the first ten episodes I watched.

Major spoilers for Transformers: Earthspark episodes 1-10 under the cut!

Yeeah, the nuance I mentioned as one of the show’s highlights?

Said nuance seems to begin and end with Megatron. Megatron is the only Decepticon helping the Autobots and G.H.O.S.T. He’s the only ‘Con to respect and be friendly to humans, even if it doesn’t give him some form of advantage. He’s the only Decepticon actively advocating for peace between the factions and to recognize the war is only hurting everyone involved in it and was pointless overall.

Every other Decepticon that appeared in the show so far though? Very much still one-note villains/antagonists.

Swindle and Hardtop? Petty thieves, liars and incredibly racist and violent towards humans. Granted there is an attempt to make them a tad sympathetic with their unconditional sibling-love for each other. But “House Rules” has Swindle portrayed as the prime example of a “bad influence”-character. Someone who tempts Thrash and Mo away from things that are “good” (rules, their family, the Autobots) and pushes them toward things that are “bad” (rule-breaking, vandalism, the Decepticons). Him telling Thrash he could be a good ‘Con with his abilities is treated very much like a bad thing. And even the sympathetic angle built up by having him claim he just wants to free Hardtop is torpedoed pretty much instantly with the reveal Hardtop was not in the G.H.O.S.T. -truck Swindle wanted Mo to open. Even before that, it’s all but spelled out to the viewer that Swindle is lying his aft off about Hardtop and who they were before the war.  Granted, the line “Decepticons are only bad if they choose to be,” said by Dot after the whole affair is resolved, is good. I like the acknowledgement that being a Decepticon doesn’t automatically mean you’re a villain and nothing else. Still, it rings a bit hollow in an episode all about Thrash and Mo being sympathetic towards a Decepticon and ending up getting both a metaphorical and literal kick in the teeth for it.

Soundwave and the Cassettes? Chaotic evil jerks who cause destruction and trouble for its own sake and hate Megatron, because they see him working with the Autobots as an unforgivable betrayal. Because we know pretty much zilch about the war, we don’t know how or why the Decepticons formed and what exactly their philosophy or end-goal is. So we get no chance to maybe see why Cons like Soundwave, Laserbeak, Frenzy and Ravage carry so much hatred and resentment toward Autobots, aside from the stereotypcial “They hate Autobots because Decepticons hate Autobots”. For almost the entirety of “Decoy”, Megatron trying to show them compassion and refusing to mode-lock them with Restraining Bolts is treated as misguided at best, stupidly trusting at worst. Not once do either Soundwave or his cassettes show any hesitance in attacking their former leader or interest in solving things peacefully. Also, this is just pettiness on my part, but does anyone else here hate the implication the episode makes that Soundwave is absuive toward the Cassettes and that they only work with him out of fear? (Frenzy’s “We’re free now! You don’t have to follow him anymore!” to Ravage as he leaves to reunite with Soundwave in prison seems to imply that they worked with him only under duress and that he was basically imprisoning them.) I don’t know, it’s just bitter to see that, considering Soundwave’s genuine bond with his cassettes, especially Laserbeak, is one of those things that have been carried over multiple continuities and could have helped Earthspark bring in some of the nuance it is trying to show.

Starscream? Admittedly we don’t have much for now. But he’s literally introduced laughing evilly and emerging from the shadows, so I doubt we’ll get anything close to nuance there. (Also YESSSS, HE IS IN EARTHSPARK! MY BOY IS BACK AND HE’S VOICED BY STEVE BLUM AGAIN, I AM SO HYPED!)

Nova Storm and Skywarp? Appear in “Age of Evolution” basically to be terrorists destroying much of the goodwill Megatron and Optimus managed to build. Also, they’re Mandroid’s henchwomen. You know, the Big Bad trying to wipe out all Cybertronians? And they seemingly have no problem working for him either, judging by how deferential they act toward him. Yes, it’s implied they only work for him out of fear he’ll dismember them. But honestly, what exactly is stopping them from flying somewhere far away and going into hiding like most other Decepticons?

So far, we have a ratio of 1:10 when it comes to Decepticons and Autobots we can root for. There’s still about ten episodes left though, so I’m remaining cautiously optimistic, but I’ll be honest: So far, I’m kinda disappointed.

While Earthspark does ask some hard-hitting questions concerning Cons and Bots that haven’t really been asked in mainstream Transformers before, it still presents the topic in a very black and white manner. Autobots are still the default good guys, Decepticons are still default bad guys, except for Megatron, he’s one of the good ones. The only good one, in fact.

I guess it wouldn’t bother me so much if everything I’ve pointed out wasn’t so easily fixable with just a few tweaks to the episodes.

Imagine if, instead of lying to Mo and Thrash, Swindle actually did want to rescue his brother. Imagine if the bond Swindle formed with the two Malto-siblings actually was genuine, even with Mo, whom he grows to care for in spite of her being human? You could still keep the conflict grey by having Hardtop be the one who wants to get rid of Thrash and Mo once he’s freed. Swindle then tries to stop him, telling Hardtop what a big help Mo and Thrash were to him and how he never would have managed to get Hardtop back without them. Hardtop, however, still bitter about how him and his brother were trapped between a rock and a hard place for years, having to scavenge for food or go to prison without a trial, attacks them anyway. And that’s when Bumblebee and Dot arrive at the scene and come to the siblings’ rescue. Hardtop, realizing him and Swindle stand no chance, races off and calls for Swindle to follow him. Swindle hesitates, looking to Mo and Thrash, but ultimately chooses his brother and also drives off. Bam! Nuanced conflict that doesn’t paint either side as a card-carrying villain!

Imagine if Soundwave and the Cassettes still had an earnest, symbiotic bond and protected and fought for each other willingly, not because one side was threatening the other. Imagine if we were actually given reasons for why they’re so against making peace with either humanity or the Autobots. Maybe they’ve heard about Decepticons disappearing and think (not unreasonably) that G.H.O.S.T. has something to do with it. Mandroid mentions in “Age of Evolution” that the Autobots used friendly fire during the war, leading to a lot of destruction and injury. Yet Autobots are still treated as purely heroes. We certainly don’t see any Autobots being dragged off to prison based purely on the fact that they’re Autobots. Have Soundwave or Fenzy actually point out this discrepancy in how the factions’ survivors are treated and accuse Megatron of basically being a bootlicker, selling out his people to live a cozy life with no imprisonment. And finally: Have the Cassettes choose to stay with Soundwave because they actually care for him, not because they’re scared what he’ll do if they leave him. You can still have the ominous ending of the original “Decoy”, but now there’s a fair bit more grey here than there was before and, again: No side is portrayed as a moustache-twirling villain who is clearly in the wrong.

Imagine if Nova Storm and Skywarp were explicitly stated to hate working for Mandroid and only doing it because, the way they see it, they literally have nowhere else to go. Out there, the Autobots are waiting with handcuffs and restraining bolts. With Mandroid they’re at least free to go where they want most of the time. But have them doubt if this kind of freedom is worth it when so much as a single failure puts them at risk of being ripped apart by their employer. They don’t have to do a full heel-face turn, but maybe there could be hints that they’re leaving Mandroid behind. For example, when Nova Storm and Skywarp are arrested and before being taken away, they willingly give Optimus, Bumblebee and the Maltos the location of Mandroid’s hide-out, as a way to get back at him for how much he mistreated them. Making them a heck-ton more sympathetic and nuanced than they were in the original episode. They’re not good guys, certainly not, but they’re not evil for evil’s sake either and they have a somewhat understandable reason to side with Mandroid.

And last, but not least: Have an episode where an Autobot is the antagonist.

Let’s be honest: it cannot be only Decepticons for whom the war isn’t over. It cannot be only Decepticons who have disdain for humans. There have to be at least some Autobots who chafed at Megatron being given the deal he was. Some Autobots who have no love for humans and actually hate staying on Earth.

If the point is supposed to be that both sides have their jerks and good guys and nothing is ever as clean-cut as “this side is good, noble and heroic, this side only wants to kick puppies, spit on orphans and burn down flower fields” then show me that.

#transformers: earthspark #transformers earthspark #earthspark spoilers

[novelconcepts]

Paper girls was one of the most honest genuine portrayals of being a 12 year old girl I've ever seen. Even apart for them fact all this shit is happening around them they are still 12 year olds with 12 year old problems.

The period scene in particular was one of the best, truest scenes I've ever seen. It was beautiful, funny, awkward. It was perfect. 

It is so fucking authentic. Everyone rightly leans on how powerful the performances are, but you also get such a range in the writing. The period scene, the sleepover scene, the gentle bickering, the in-your-face meltdowns, the gremlin run up the stairs--it's all so perfectly tuned to what kids are like. And it never talks down to them; the rare time an adult tries to imply a situation is over their heads, they're instantly shot down. Because kids around that age are smart. They're learning who they are, how the world works, what their individual moral compass looks like, and it means they don't get things right every time, but they're capable. They can in one moment be reassuring and kind, and the next snappish and closed-off. This show allows room for that without ever feeling like a deviation from character, which is...frankly really impressive.

It always strikes me--in the best way possible--that these girls are all allowed to be mean. They're allowed to be catty, to be vulgar, to say the wrong thing with good intentions (Tiff pointing out KJ's missed her puppy's whole life), or the barbed thing because they're just being a dick (Mac's "you don't have to talk all the time" followed by KJ snickering). They aren't forced into stereotypical boxes, true, but they also aren't forced to be Sweet and Pretty and Kind. They can be those things, sure; when Erin's falling apart, everyone's there to catch her, and when Tiff's walkies are stolen, Mac's got her back, and when Mac is facing mortality, KJ won't let her do it alone or give up on herself. But they're also not always gentle with one another. A lot of the time, they butt heads. Sometimes they punch each other in the face. Sometimes they have to apologize and mean it for the friendship to continue, and it strengthens their bond every time. Sometimes they're stupidly reckless, lobbing the single brain cell from one girl to the next: Tiff running after the backpack, Mac going off on her own in the middle of the night, KJ stealing the motorbike, Erin getting drunk at a party. And sometimes they're so level-headed in the face of panic. They are all allowed to be incredibly nuanced, so full of life and hope and fear and anger. They're never dumbed down, even when they act like dipshits. I cannot remember the last show that not only took into account what historical periods were actually like, but what young girls are actually like to this degree. I will be gutted if we don't get a pickup, because, Jesus, imagine the growth in coming seasons.

#ask #paper girls #paper girls spoilers #i am literally interested only in thinking about this show and my grief for it is enormous #the arcs! the depth and weight every character is given without ever feeling forced! #the plot is not without its flaws it's true--there are holes and some confusing elements #but i am so confident further seasons would smooth a lot of that out #the first run was about establishing this world and in the world of paper girls everything is so fucking bonkers #that what REALLY matters is these four kids #if we're not on board with them nothing else will ever stick #so the first season did the right thing. the smart thing. in fleshing out these flawed wonderful characters and making them so human #that even from their first scenes you have a sense of what you're working with--but you still only know enough to be hooked #and the rest of the season is about 'looking a little deeper' and seeing how many layers each of them possess #it's a slow burn without ever feeling slow and it doesn't talk down to them at all and i! am! furious! at the idea that it got cut short #i am absolutely praying legendary knows what they're doing #i mean. they've spent money retaining the rights right out the gate and announcing it's in need of a new home. that gives me some hope #i just really really want them to prove me right on that count #because these girls have so much further to fly and GOD this cast is perfect. i would be heartbroken to lose them after all they've given

[paperstorm]

Continuity anon again, and I agree with everything you said. Which is probably why I get stupidly excited when shows do pick up little details. For example with Lone Star, I love that Owen's fear of clowns was mentioned during game night in early season 2 and then became relevant to the plot and was explained a little in season 3. Given their track record, it was probably continuity by accident, but I'll take it. 😆

Yeah exactly which is why this is so frustrating! 😂 because generally I think the writers of this show are quite good, especially when it comes to character work. I have almost never seen a character do or say something that felt out of character, their ability to write consistent, nuanced, dynamic characters is much better than most of these types of shows. So it’s a little mind boggling they can do that, but then not keep track of a simple timeline. Maybe they’re too much the creative types. They need to hire a left-brained person to keep track of the granular stuff.

#911 lone star #anon asks

[sparklecinnamonbunny]

My Personal MTL OC Week 2023 Retrospective

*waves* Hey y’all, I thought I’d link to all the works I created this past week and provide a little commentary of my experience with them to cap things off. This is secretly more for me to look back on than for anyone to enjoy, but I might as well share it and see if I can’t start a trend. @pan-flute-skeleton talked shop with me a bit and inspired this idea, but I’d also love to hear other’s thoughts/experiences with this fandom event!

Day 1: OC X OC (X OC) — The Naked Dismissal I came out of the gate swinging by tackling a crossover piece by pairing Sunday with two characters that weren’t mine! I knew I wanted to write Sunday salivating after Caj, but the whole scenario didn’t come together until I was clowning around in Discord and curiouslyhigh and chordsykat egged me on to write Caj/Sunday/Teja since timelines don’t matter. This was a blast to write and I’m looking forward to going back and writing the Pornographer’s Cut. Thanks again to both of them for loaning me their fandom bicycles! Also, if you haven’t seen it already, Chordsy hit me with a gorgeous piece of retaliation art of the unlikely trio! Day 2: Best Friends or Rivals — A Matter of Perspective Ch. 1  “First Impressions”: I felt like I had this absurd momentum pretty much all week, and A Matter of Perspective showcases it. Spellbound begins in medias res, so I had a ton of room to explore things before Sunday meets Nathan. I intended to play up Sunday and Dick’s friendship with this one, while starting Ava off as competition, but then I thought of a cohesive theme for the whole piece and put Knubbler on the backburner.

This one also netted me a new OC, Envy, who we haven’t seen in the Spellbound ‘verse yet, but who I do get to show in the 80s kickin’ it with Azure Blue and SnB Pickles. Day 3: Style Swap — A Matter of Perspective Ch. 2  “Big Easy Barbie and the Price of Leather”: It’s a tie between this one and the canonically impossible threesome for my favorite work of the week. Ava Sunbeam was originally written to fill a stereotypical music show judge role I needed in Spellbound (and to parody a couple pop artists), but she’s grown a lot of nuance and her own arc. 

In addition to saccharine themes of understanding and kindness, it shines a light on some of Sunday and Ava’s red flags. Sunday’s POV forgives a lot of sins on her part. I had fun making them very obvious. There’s also some secret Ava lore that adds to the overall vibe of both parts.

Day 4: Canon X OC — Six Ways to Sunday I started this piece in April, intending to use it for MTL Rare Pair Month’s “What Could’ve Been” and “Canon X OC” prompts and got stuck a little over halfway through. I brought it back out for this thinking ‘Oh, I’ve just got to write the sex scene and edit, this should be easy,’ but I still struggled. I don’t like it and I don’t have a reason other than ‘this was stupidly hard to write’. 

Day 5: OC Fusion Canon X OC again — Spellbound Ch. 9, “Ultimatumklok” After the struggle I had with Six Ways to Sunday, I was kind to myself and finished up a chapter of Spellbound for Friday instead of learning a fusion dance. I’ve been super excited about this chapter (and the next couple to follow) for a while. This chapter manages to set things up and provide some warm n fuzzy payoff at the same time, all while sneaking in some sweet sweet lore dumps.  Day 6: Dethkids — What Goes Around Comes Around I intended this to be a punchline to the end of the SkwisDay smut. It got away from me so quick. Between Sunday and Skwisgaar’s feud and CEO and CFO having real talk, my plan of ‘goof-fueled crackfic’ went sideways. We did get back to madness at the end, though. I’ve added a couple one-shot ideas to further this AU to my WIP pile. Final Thoughts — I’m so thankful that I had the time and energy to participate! I put out over 18,000 words of Metalocalypse fanfic this week. I haven’t written this much in such a short time since my last NaNoWriMo! I’m especially proud of the fact that I put out five coherent stories (Sunday & Ava’s two go together, but can stand alone). I’ve always struggled with finishing WIPs once I start them. This shows me that I can finish what I start if I put my mind to it. :)

#MTLOCWeek2023 #cake thoughts #metalocalypse fanfic #spellbound

[expelliarmus-percabeth]

nhie season 3 thoughts

aneesa has screamed bi vibes since her appearance but im so glad they actually made it canon! I wasn't expecting that. I'm glad they decided to scrap her and fabiola though, it was turning out to be kind of a meh ship and it felt like anessa just latched onto the nearest person for emotional support after her terrible rs with ben. also fab didn't seem to be into anessa as much as she was into her :( PLEASE GIVE ANESSA A LOVING GF IN SEASON 4!!!! my girl deserves sm better :( though i will say that it's kind of annoying they had all that "omg who's going to make the first move" tension that eventually led to nothing... it felt so half-hearted

eleanor and trent actually work together stupidly well. I love them your honour <333

fabiola's romantic storyline with eve has never interested me much i felt like it was the blandest thing i have ever watched.... glad they broke up and never mentioned eve again 💀💀💀 i really hope they don't redo that whole storyline with addison i think fab deserves more layers and nuance to her romantic relationships. also the fact that we got to see devi and eleanor lose their virginity on screen (at least the start of the scene) but fab's was just an offhand remark like "oh yeah we just did it offscreen"??? cmon.

rhyah is a terrible but unfortunately realistic character. perfect representation of people who will smile to your face and secretly thank god that they're not suffering your misfortunes. shoutout to the actress for doing such a great job I actually wanted to punch her in the face

paxton continues to steal my heart. I just wish they gave him a more concrete goal or desire other than him being a "kind and nice" person. (and tbh based on all the ghosting of the girls he had sex with wasn't even like. an EXCEPTIONALLY nice and kind person. so.)

I think the daxton breakup was handled the way it should be - the problem with the relationship was there from the start, it's that devi only sees paxton as this unattainable dream that signifies her ascending into popularity or whatever and doesn't like him as an actual person other than for his looks.

also i think it's hilarious how haley appears for like one episode to become best friends with paxton again to make devi jealous then completely disappears for the rest of the show

I don't understand why rhyah introduced des as someone who was bullied a lot and sad and lonely when it's clearly established later on that he's in the popular clique and does have friends??? There doesn't seem to be any logical reason other than for the writers to pull that "he's actually hot" twist on us... and man did not mention sea slugs ONCE

i seriously love nalini so so much.... I have a special spot in my heart for characters who act all tough but are actually soft inside. The scene where devi tells her shes not ready to leave her mom yet she just wants one more year and you know her mom was thinking the exact same thing about her daughter.... i started tearing up fr

every line out of nirmala's mouth is iconic and comedy gold. "I'm a regina" so true bestie

I really hope we get to see more of ben having more male friends in the next season bc the paxton and ben scenes were genuinely sweet. stop fighting over devi!!! just be bros

speaking of ben i go back and forth on him a lot because he's honestly really douchey at times and the way he treated anessa while they were together was just.... not it. but honestly the last scene where devi gave ben the one free boink card is going to live in my head forever. the way they didn't need to say a single word??? the way it should have been cringe but wasn't??? the way they smile at each other and slipped in???? WOW.

also the irony/character development of ben calling devi an "unfuckable nerd" in s1 to him quite possibly being her first in s3 is not lost on me

#never have i ever #nhie #nhie netflix #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #fabiola torres #eleanor wong #paxton hall-yoshida #nalini vishwakumar #nirmala vishwakumar #benvi #daxton #never have i ever netflix #aneesa qureshi #trent nhie #kamala nhie

[parachutingkitten]

Thoughts on the love square because I need to figure out why the flip isn't working for me:

So... we flipped. Which is cool and fun and all, but also I think that it happened in a way that misses the point, or at the very least some interesting potential.

The premise of this show is so good- and it has a clear resolution state. Each character thinks their in love with this idealized perfect version of their classmate, all while unknowingly rejecting that person's other identity. In order for these characters to get together, they first need to learn to love their other halves. And seemingly, that's what the square flip has done, but... idk. It's not playing for me. And maybe I know why? Idk.

My first assumption was that Chat and Mari were the more sincere versions of both these characters, where they have all their flaws and impulses on display, and so flipping the square would essentially prove that they'd fallen in love with all of each other. And while that might have been true at the beginning of the show, the relationships between these characters have deepened and complicated a lot, there’s not such a harsh split between the two personalities, and that statement just doesn't hold true anymore. So, no, it's not marrichat that'll solve the love square. As we've seen, it didn't really work out well, and I for one was very surprised at the dynamic it took on.

Idk, for me elation wasn't marichat, it was just a quick role reversal episode. It missed the whole appeal of marichat, at least for me. And I guess that's because the relationship I've always imagined marichat as, is like... healthy? Accidental? Real? The whole appeal was that they didn't have a crush on each other, so them falling in love that way was like, ironic. It requires that Mari and chat have a relationship that is established first and then developed into a romantic thing, not that they happen to have a crush on each other at the same time. And with that not being what we ended up with, it has recontextualized the problem for me.

The problem isn't that these different identities are getting in the way of their love like i previously assumed, it's that they don't actually love each other. Marinette likes Adrien in a celebrity high school crush capacity. Chat likes Ladybug in a hot girl at work capacity. These are not a solid basis for actual long term relationships. That's why marichat is appealing, because it's the only relationship between the two that's a blank slate, untouched by these obsessive crushes. But that's kinda a bust now. So... I'm not sure which side of the square I'm on. And the stragest part about this move is that it doesn't even really change much.

Marrinette is not only stupidly love struck around Chat now, but still clumsy around Adrien, and Adrien is a stupid soft boi around Mari still, he just blushes more. This isn't change or progression in their dynamic, it's just a shift of setting. The way these two develop crushes so quickly on new people is not healthy or nuanced. There's this deep sense of obsession that comes with them, and it's just not good. Not to mention it doesn't really makes sense. Adrien getting his mind out of 'she's just a friend' mode should take a little while. Marrinette's crush on chat should've been swamped with hesitancy for a long while before she comes to terms with it. These hyperfixating crushes are cute and all, but they're keeping our characters stuck at this surface level that prevents any real progression from happening.

It baffles me that Marinette rejecting her crush on Adrien doesn’t finally get us past her nervous train wreck energy when she's around him. Like maybe Adrien liking her would actually make sense if she was finally free of her crush, and so starting acting more natural and confident around him. Maybe it's now Adrien who is a scatter brained mess around her! That would actually be a fun dynamic reversal! It would be change! Progression! Reaction! How about have Adrien react to Mari having a crush on him for years? How about have ladybug react to chat finally having let go of his? How about have these characters feel like they actually know each other- because they do!

And hey, maybe that's the point the writers are going to make. These characters can't get together if they don't know each other's identities, because any way you slice it, they'd be dating half a person. Fine. But that doesn't mean them learning to like the different sides of this person separately shouldn't be framed as progress of some kind or another. The love should become more real the more sides of this person they learn to love, even in descreat parts, right?

This set up, by design, is a friends to lovers story. They think they're just friends, but it turns out they love each other. So why wouldn't you make it so that when they do fall in love, it progresses from friends to lovers- not that they happen to align their crushes with each other at the right moment, or maybe that their identities get revealed to each other, forcing them into it. Cuz really, those are the only options left at this point. Every set of romantic attractions has been explored, so we can't have their love evolve out of something that isn't an obsessive crush.

I just... I guess I was waiting for the relationship between these two to get more intimate in a platonic sense in order to allow for the actual romance to blossom. And I guess I'm still waiting...

#miraculous #mlb #miraculous ladybug #season 5 spoilers #elation spoilers #love square #parachuterants #I'm sure other people have said similar #but i had to get this out of my head #marichat

[arbitrarygreay]

Re:Creators through ep 10

Continues to be a really frustrating show, but more in that it's not to my taste than objectively bad writing. Or rather, I can't tell if it's bad writing, or the worlds' median IQ is actually a lot lower than I previously thought? The indubitably good: As a pure speculation exercise, looking at the practical and logistical ways things might shake out. The conversations between the working adults from our world (the artists, the government workers). Unfortunately everyone else (except Mahane) is holding various sizes of idiot ball. The core of the show is debates and fights, debates and fights, debates and fights. And they are entirely driven by stupidly willful mismatches and denials of information and knowledge. The show eventually got around to addressing many of the things I was uneasy about in my previous post (though not a key one, fictional characters having fiction in their own worlds). But it did so in an almost comically slow way, such that characters are literally getting killed because they haven't thought of objections that were blindingly obvious to me in the first four episodes (or in real time, less than two hours). Or worse (fuck you Souta you fucking useless piece of shit, secondarily FUCK YOU Alicetaria your head is EMPTY goddamn), they refuse to tell everyone, anyone the things that might prevented all of this. I almost can't believe the same writers responsible for writing the conversations between the adult artists, as well as Mahane's twisting turns of phrase, are also writing these terrible excuses for debates. I can also see that they're doing it because only fully immature characters could execute the violent plot turns that they want to happen. But this doesn't feel like Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, the inevitable end result of compelling characters' personalities and values clashing, it's ironically the whim of the author-god withholding nuanced interaction in order to hack those bloodsprays into existence. Maybe Alicetaria is only popular for her character design, and her canon characterization is horrible writing, and that's why she's so mentally deficient. No excuse for Souta, though. Oh, and they still didn't explain how/where they pulled that "here's how the world will end" theory from (the ether idk). Altair and Meteora somehow did it independently, at that!

#re:creators #sota: oh hey; alicetaria is fucking shit up hard on false information #sota: I have the opportunity to make a giant speech to her! I could clear up all of her misconceptions! #sota: AND THEN I DIDN'T (because that would mean admitting my own mistakes) #goddamn boy; you are the only one in this entire mess who actually needs to take some responsibility and you STILL won't!? #category: anime

[iheartbookbran]

I wouldn’t mind the dragons showing resistance but it felt like in hotd it came out of nowhere instead of showing small build ups to 'vhagar not listening' but at the same time it takes away from DOTD characters who MADE their choices like Aemond, it was a very fundamental moment in the dance, to have it made an accident like everything else in the show is stupid and what I dislike about it, it feels like everything continues to change completely in hotd, I understand fire and blood isn't an accurate telling but there is truth and hotd strays farther from what the books have given every episode and probably every season that is yet to come

Err, I wouldn’t say that it “came out of nowhere” because it isn’t as if the dragons aren’t living things with a will of their own. Like even in the main books we know from Dany’s POV that she struggles to control her dragons and, to be fair, she doesn’t have the kind of knowledge her ancestors did on How To Control Your Fire-Breathing Flying Lizard Friends, so she’s at a disadvantage there. Still, the narrative makes it a point to showcase that Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal have a mind of their own and are capable of making their own decisions separate from Dany’s even if they love their mother and want to protect her.

Like, in isolation that scene isn’t bad, but I guess the problem is that it’s part of a larger pattern in which the characters aren’t actually responsible for their own actions. Obviously it comes to mind how last episode Alicent’s whole “thing” is that she misunderstood Viserys’ dying wish and she was just a passive helpless observer as the men around her plotted to size the throne and kill Rhaenyra and her whole family, and maybe if I wasn’t already so annoyed by that I’d be more forgiving of this change. I get the need to make Aemond a more nuanced character instead of the cartoon villain he was in the book whose only personality traits were being stupidly evil, having a cool aesthetics and good taste in women lmfao, which in my opinion works well enough within the F&B format but it hardly makes for compelling tv.

I guess my main point here is that I don’t like how the show is so constantly whitewashing the characters (except Aegon and Daemon?? For some reason???) and absolving them of their actions because I simply wouldn’t care for a story that’s too afraid to let its characters have autonomy, if that makes sense.

#Anonymous #ask #ask pam #sorry i couldn’t answer this sooner #tbh maybe they’ll change things a little during season 2 and allow their characters to Make Decisions #we’ll just have to wait and see #hotd #fire and blood #house of the dragon

[zmediaoutlet]

could you perhaps elaborate on the oedipal vibes? what do you mean by that? (I love to hear your thoughts on all the SPN characters, and especially Dean)

anon, you flatter me. I had to go for a dig through my recent posts, and this must be in ref to this post, with these tags:

#this gives me unavoidable oedipal vibes tho #la ama de casa #and so on

So, what do I mean by that?

This gets some people very het up, but it’s hard to deny that the relationship of the Winchester men, post-Mary, was a pretty weird one. As I’ve talked about before, I don’t believe that John was 100% evil and abusive–that’s reductive to the point of being nonsensical–but he also clearly wasn’t 100% great at being a father, either. The reasons for that are many and varied, but the end results are the same: the relationships inside the Impala were not normal, and that does things to the people involved.

So, a few terms that are useful, especially when talking about the Winchesters. Covert incest, per Wikipedia, is “a style of parenting in which a parent looks to their child for the emotional support that would be normally provided by another adult.” It’s not sexual, but it does pervert the parent-child relationship. Another important thing to look at is parentification, which is closely related to covert incest, which Wikipedia describes here:

Two distinct modes of parentification have been identified technically: instrumental parentification and emotional parentification. Instrumental parentification involves the child completing physical tasks for the family, such as looking after a sick relative, paying bills, or providing assistance to younger siblings that would normally be provided by a parent. Emotional parentification occurs when a child or adolescent must take on the role of a confidant or mediator for (or between) parents or family members.

Who does that sound like. 

One of the things that makes the Winchesters interesting (and one of the things that makes John not a complete villain) is that, first, this wasn’t intentional, on John’s part. The deep need for revenge blinded him, and the importance of finding Mary’s killer superseded any other concerns. Okay, not a good father, but also not evil. There’s a level of nuance here. It’s also true that, most of the time, Dean and Sam interact like brothers, and John treats them both (as far as we can see) as his subordinates/sons. However, when John fails at that–when he lets Dean pick up the slack of running the household, and when he relies on Dean for emotional support (e.g.: I’d come home from a hunt, and after what I’d seen, I’d be, I’d be wrecked. […] You’d say, “It’s okay, Dad.”)–he is committing both of the sins above, and that, in turn, does something to Dean.

Very early in childhood, Dean starts to be in charge of feeding Sam (instrumental parentification, per the above), and he runs interference between Sam and their father and tries to make the household run smoothly (emotional parentification). John relies on him for support. Dean cleans the guns (the most important tools of their household), and cooks, and provides a listening ear, and takes care of the people around him. In many ways, he’s filling the role of the mother, and specifically of John’s wife, inside the family unit. Obviously he’s brother and son, too, but he’s straddling the line–when this amount of responsibility and care is placed on his shoulders, he can’t ever just be a kid, or just be an annoying big brother. Sam and John also both waver on how they treat him–Sam sometimes taking him for granted as the source of household comfort (something all mothers recognize, I’ll bet) even as they play pranks on each other; John letting him take the bulk of the spousal, household duties (the husband not doing his share, anyone?) even as he scolds and teaches fatherly lessons. 

So, when I see stuff like this:

I see a worried big brother, sure. I also see Sam’s (effective) mother. Now, it should be clear that there’s a lot of nuance, here–the Winchesters wouldn’t be interesting, otherwise! But it’s specifically the way these lines are straddled, and fought against, and then the times the characters go so far over them it’s outrageous–that’s what is really fascinating, to me. In the Oedipus story, the son kills his father, and marries his mother. Clearly the Winchesters aren’t a 1:1–Sam holds back from shooting John, even if it’s only because Dean begs–but there’s certainly a nice parallel to be drawn, isn’t there? (And once the father is out of the way, Dean’s loyalty swings entirely toward Sam–and then, eight years later, they make a promise, in a church. Isn’t that… interesting. At least Sam hasn’t put his eyes out. [Though there are further parallels to be drawn there, re: his guilt and fear over the years, hm?])

With all of this said: I don’t think I can be blamed for my fascination with the Full House of Wincest. 

(For more about the el ama de casa* vibe, you can also see my fic la cocina es el centro de la casa, where I look at how a young Dean is still trying to navigate that fine line in his behavior–being a big brother and a son, but also being… something else.)

((**yeah, sorry to los hispanohablantes who follow me, the ‘la ama’ in the tag was an unconscionable typo.))

#spn #spn meta #john winchester #which is in fact tied to #the perennial problem of john winchester #and also to #the full house of wincest #i swear #the character work in this show is stupidly nuanced #considering the kind of show it is #and the network it's on #Anonymous

[danidoesathing]

🔥 Makoto

Oh boy. alright kiddos im not gonna be nice with this. This might be partially a rant but I dont care.

Makoto is an extremely poorly written character. Every aspect of her character has such great potential but ultimately it's undermined by terrible writing. She's meant to be a pushover good girl type that eventually snaps and starts to stand up for herself and realize the flaws of the system. But every interaction with her just....doesn't come across.

Like her introduction just makes her come across as judgmental, mean, and thoughtless. I get her not getting along with the PT at first, but her jabs at the PT are so personal (like when she tries to imply Ann's at fault for Shiho's suicide attempt. what the fuck). She doesn't bother to think about any nuance to any situation when it comes to any of the characters. They keep trying to make her come across as smart but her actions just....don't reflect that. Finding her way into the palace was smart, but thats the only example I can really think of. She comes off as plain ignorant (I won't even touch on the post interrogation room scene as I have so. so many things to say about that but her taking partial credit for the plan working angers me to no end). Her trauma with Sae, her father, and the principal is interesting but it's not enough for me to go "oh, she's just misunderstood" because there's not enough good will built up for me to just forgive all her actions.

And she doesn't grow. All the characters have flaws right? but they work past them and they have good qualities. Yusuke, for example, stayed silent while himself and others were being abused. But ultimately, he comes to realize Madarame isn't the great hero he thought he was and learns to stand for himself and others. He grows (his confidant has it's own issues, but thats a topic for another day), but Makoto doesn't learn or change like the other characters. She becomes more assertive, sure, but she doesn't really earn that multilayered development like other's do (and it honestly comes off as bossy). She still doesn't fully understand the flaws in the system, she still has full confidence that she's right all the time, she still doesn't see what the different nuances to each situation and only sees her perspective, and it's just....frustrating.

The worst example of this? In her confidant, she says she wants to be a cop like her father to Akira. She wants to change the system from the inside, and she choses to be....a cop. She knows how corrupt they are, and she really thinks that becoming one could just fix everything. That's not how it works. It's stupidly hopeful and straight up willingly naive. She could have chosen to become a judge, trying to fight against the 99% guilty verdict in Japan. A defense lawyer. A political activist. ANYTHING other than join the system of corruption they are fighting against. And she says this to Akira. Akira, her friend who has extensive trauma around cops and his arrest. Her friend with canon PTSD around his arrest and shows a general fear of cops. That's just....willingly ignorant to his trauma.

And you want to know the worst part? She could have been fucking amazing. Those glimpses of what could have been. Her awakening? fantastic. Her showtimes? amazing. Her dynamics with Ryuji and Haru? Awesome. There's so much potential to create a characters who's lived on a more privileged standard that has benefited from the system and who's family actively contributed to it (complicated feelings towards your loved ones could have been awesome) learning and going against the flaws in it despite what's its given her. Her bonding with the "delinquents" of the school and seeing that these people she's always turned her nose towards are actually good people, and growing because of it could have been....really, really good. But that's not what happened, and it sucks. I don't usually blame the characters for this stuff, because it's 99% due to bad writing. Maybe I still wouldn't have liked her if she was written well, but at least it would be me not liking a character, not "this character is fundamentally flawed and it pisses me off".

#sorry for the rant but she drives me insane #like I WANT to like her but every time she does something it just makes me mad #dani speaks #its just a shame how bad her character was written #ask #asks

[highsviolets]

INTERVIEW NO. 1: RACHEL @djarinsbeskar

hello hello! i am so happy to announce that rachel — aka the immense talent that is @djarinsbeskar — has agreed to be my first interviewee for this new series! thank you to rach and to each one of you for all of your support. to read more about the project, click here, and to submit an author, click here.

| why rachel? |

Rachel captured my imagination from the first time we interacted as mutuals-in-law. She’s bursting with energy and vivaciousness, with a current of kindness just underneath everything she does. Her work is no exception. Oftentimes gritty, raw, and exposing (in … ahem…more ways than one), Rachel challenges her readers to dig deeper into both the story and themselves. Her smut brings a particular fire as it’s laced with need, desire, and mutual trust that leads us deeper into the characters’ identities and how physical affection can mimic other forms of intimacy. She’s a tour de force in this fandom and an absolute joy.

| known for |

Engaging with and encouraging other authors, cultivating inspo posts, attention to world building & character development

| my favorites |

Stitches

Boxer!Din

Full Masterlist • Ko-Fi

| q & a |

When did you start writing? What was that project, and what was it like? Has that feeling or process ever changed over time? Why?

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t writing. I was an avid reader, as I think most writers are—and I remember, after picking up Lord of the Rings—that I could live so many lives, experience so many things, all from the pages of a book. I could make sense of the world through words and ink and paper. And it offered me a level of peace and clarity I wanted to share with others. So, I started writing.

My first project I remember to this day, was a short story about a dog. I had been so heartbroken when I learned that dogs were colourblind. I must have been about seven or eight at the time, and I was fixated on this idea that dogs couldn’t see the vibrant hues that made the world beautiful. It was something I wanted to change—and with all the righteous anger of a child not getting their own way, I sulked over the fact that I couldn’t. Until I wrote it down.

“How do dogs see colour?”

And much like my writing today, I answered myself.

“Dogs don’t need to see colour. Dogs smell colour.”

And so, I wrote a story, about a puppy being brought on different walks by its owner. And with every new street it walked down—colour bloomed with scent. Colours more beautiful and vibrant than we could ever hope to see with our eyes. And it gave me solace and helped me work through an emotion that – granted was immature and inconsequential – had affected me. To this day, I still smile seeing dogs sniffing at everything they pass on their walks. Smelling colour. It gave me the key to my favourite thing in life. I don’t think my process has changed much since then. Much of what I write is based on a skeleton plan, but I leave room for characters to speak and feel as they need to. I like to know the starting point and destination of a chapter—but how they get there, that still falls to instinct. I think I’ve found a happy medium of strict planning and winging it that suits me now—and hopefully it will continue to improve over time!

When did you start posting your writing, and on what platform? What gave you the push to do that?

I mean, fanfiction has always been part of my life. I think anyone who was growing up in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s found their way to fanfiction.net at some time or other. The wild west compared to what we have now! My first post was for the Lord of the Rings fandom on fanfiction.net. It was an anthology of the story told through the eyes of the steeds. Bill the Pony, Shadowfax—it was all very innocent. That was probably in 2010 when I was fifteen. I had been wanting to share writing for a long time but was worried about how it would be received. I didn’t really have a gauge on my level or my creativity and – one of the many flaws of someone with crippling perfectionism – I only ever wanted to provide perfection. That was a major inhibitor when I was younger. By wanting it to be perfect, I never posted anything. Until that stupidly cute LOTR fic. It was freeing to write something that no one but me had any interest in, because if I was writing for myself then there was no one to disappoint, right? And that was all it took. I had some pauses over the years between college and life and such, but I’ve never lost that mindset when it comes to posting.

What your favorite work of yours that you have ever written? Why is it your favorite? What is more important to you when considering your own stories for your own enjoyment — characters? fandom? spice? emotional development? the work you’ve put into it? Is that different than what you enjoy reading most in other people’s fics?

I don’t think it’ll come as much of a surprise when I say Stitches. While not original, I mean—it follows the plot of the Mandalorian quite diligently, it is the piece of work I really hold very close to my heart. Din Djarin as a character is what got me back into writing after what must have been five years? He inspired something. His manner, his personality—he resonated with me as a person in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. And gave me back a creative outlet I had been missing.

It’s funny to say out loud—but I wanted to give him something? I spent so long thinking about his character that half my brain felt like it belonged to him—how he reacted and responded to things etc. and of course, like every dreamy Pisces—I wanted to give him love and happiness. So, Stitches came along. Personally, when writing—it’s a combination of characters, emotional development and spice (I can’t help myself) and when we can follow that development. With Stitches, it’s definitely the spice that is the conduit for development—but I adore showing how the physical can help people who struggle to communicate emotions too complex for words.

I don’t usually read for Din, as most people know—but I do enjoy reading the type of work that Stitches is. Human, damaged—but still with an undercurrent of hope that makes me think of children’s books.

You said, “much like writing today, I answered myself.” Could you talk about that in relation to Stitches?

So, I’m endlessly curious, it has to be said. Especially about why people are the way they are. Why people do A instead of B. Why X person’s immediate thought went to this place instead of that place. And I’m rarely satisfied with superficial explanations. One of the most exciting parts of writing and fanfiction especially, is making sense of that why. There can be countless explanations, some that are content with what is seen on the surface and some that go deep and some that go even deeper still.

Stitches is almost a – very long winded and much too long – answer to the questions I was so intrigued by about Din Djarin, about the Mandalorian and about the Star Wars universe as a whole. I often wondered what happened to people after the Rebellion, the normal people who fought—the people in the background. What did they do next? Did some of them suffer from PTSD? What was the galaxy like right after the Empire fell? That first season of the Mandalorian answered some of those questions, but I wanted to know more. So, I created a reader insert who was a combat medic—and through her, I let myself answer the questions of what happened next.

Regarding Din as a character, I wanted to know what a bounty hunter with a code of honour would do in certain situations—what made him tick, what made hm vulnerable. I wanted to explore the discovery of his identity. Din Djarin didn’t exist after he was taken from Aq Vetina. He became a cog in a very efficient machine of Mandalorians—and it was safe there. I wanted to see what – or who – might encourage him to step into his own. Grogu was that person in a familial sense, but what about romantically? What about individually? There’s so much to explore with this man! So many facets of personality and nuances of character that make him so gorgeous to write and think about.

Talk to me about the Din Djarin Athletic Universe. How does Din as all of these forms of athlete play off who you see him as in canon?

The Athletic Universe! How I adore my athletes. Despite being in a modern setting, I have kept the core of Din’s character in each of them (at least I hope I have!). I like to divide Din’s character into three phases when it comes to canon because he’s not as immovable as people seem to think he is. We discussed this before, how I see Din as a water element—adaptable, but strong enough that he can be as steadfast as rock. But I digress, the first phase is the character we see in the first episode. Basically, before Grogu. There’s an aggressive brutality to Din when we see him bounty hunting. He works on autopilot and isn’t swayed by sob stories or promises. He has the covert but is ultimately separate. Those soft feelings he comes to recognise when he has Grogu are dormant – not non-existent – but they haven’t been nurtured or encouraged. This is the point I extracted Boxer!Din’s personality and story from.

Cyclist!Din on the other hand—is already a father, a biological father to Grogu. And his personality, I took from that moment in the finale of Season two where I believe Din’s transformative arc of character solidified. He was always a father to Grogu, but I do believe that moment where he removes his helmet is the moment, he accepts that role fully in his heart and mind. And that is why I don’t believe for a second, that removing his helmet was him breaking his Creed. In fact, I believe it was the purest act he could do in devotion to his Creed—to his foundling, to his son. The Cyclist!AU is very much the character I see canon Din having should Grogu have stayed with him. This single dad who isn’t quite sure how he got to where he is now—but does anything and everything for his child without thought. It’s a natural instinct for him, and I like exploring those possibilities with Cyclist!Din.

You also said, “he has the covert but is ultimately separate.” What does it take for him — and you — to get to that point of being ‘not separate?’

I mentioned this above, but one of the biggest interests I have in Din as a character is his identity. He’s a Mandalorian, he’s a bounty hunter, he’s the child’s guardian but those are all what he is, not who. I think Din is separate while being part of the covert because he doesn’t know. I don’t think anyone can really be part of something if they don’t know who they are or, they struggle with their identity. It’s curious to me—how you can deceive even yourself to mimic the standard set for the many. In the boxer verse, he identifies himself in relation to his boxing—and every part of his outward personality exhibits those qualities. But when he’s given a softer touch—an outlet of affection, and comfort—we see the softer side of him surface. It’s very much the same with Stitches Din. Identity is like anything, emotions—relationships, bodies. It needs nurturing to thrive, an open door—a safe space. At least, that’s what goes through my mind when I think of him.

Who is your favorite character to read?

Frankie because there are so many ways his character can be interpreted and there are some stellar versions of him that I think of at least once a day. Javi because he reminds me of kintsugi-- golden recovery, broken pottery where the cracks are highlighted with gold. I also adore reading for Boba Fett, Paz Viszla and the clones!

Is there anything else you want your readers to know about you, your writing, or your creative process?

Hmm... only that I am quite literally a gremlin clown who is always here to chat Din, Star Wars, literature, book recs and anything else under the sun! I like to hear people's stories, their opinions etc. it helps me see things from alternative points of view and can truly help the writing process! Other than that, I think I can only thank readers for putting up with my ridiculously long chapters and rambling introspection. Thank you for indulging me always! ❤️

#pedro pascal #din djarin #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin x f!reader #the mandalorian x f!reader #the mandalorian x you #din djarin x you #djarinsbeskar #chat with cris #author interview series #tuserdaniela #userastrid #usernobie #userhai #pedrostories

[adelaidedrubman]

2,9,11,19,28,33 for the writer’s asks?

thank you amanda these were super fun ones!! sorry for the amount of times i bring up riverdale.

2. Anything that you’d like to write but feel like you’re unable to?

the concept i have for telling jenna and faith’s getting together story is something i feel unequipped to write, because i have the idea to do it as an epistolary work of sorts, told primarily through like, jenna’s research notes and possibly faith’s stray letters out to tracey or other folks. but it’s just such a different form of writing than i’m used to and the time it would take to orient myself to that method of storytelling is probably not worth it.

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers.

fine, as long as they aren’t used in a cheap, obviously there just to manufacture tension way. i’ve had plenty “find out next time on dragon ball z” moments myself. basically i think as long as you don’t make it like a riverdale episode you’re fine — if the build up feels like a natural progression of the tension and not just like you threw in a “and prom’s tomorrow!” as a cheap trick to make people hungry for more.

11. Three tropes that are fine but overrated.

soulmate aus soulmate aus soulmate aus. i’m sure there are some compelling, beautiful pieces out there but i’ll never find out. sorry i love divorce and i love love as a free, often stupidly made choice. (unless you count my mary may is the reincarnation of biblical cain and is cosmically linked to johnjess as eternal punishment as she wanders the earth through multiple lifetimes always to encounter them thing as a soulmate au.)

also i think like, “fix it fics” are fine in theory and i enjoy some but so often the effect is just completely draining canon of everything that made it compelling and emotionally engaging in the first place. like we don’t have to jettison everything into children’s cartoon story rules to have an overall happy ending if that’s what you want to change. a lot of what those fics are fixing ain’t actually broke imo. nothing wrong with it if that’s the stakes people want, but i like a little tragedy.

also, love triangles, if i don’t trust the author and know they’ll do something meaningful and fresh with it i’m just completely disinterested. too often they’re just an excuse to put down one character or just throw a lot of toxic jealousy and possessiveness out there for The Drama™ without exploring it as an interesting theme or character flaw.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

“No,” she scoffed in repetition. “No way in hell I’m ever coming back here willingly,” she spat. “This is your one get. And I’m not gonna change my clothes either, daddy,” she tacked on with a defiant upward shove of her chin, ensuring, of course, that not one request went without being spitefully disrespected. “I wore this shirt ‘cause I plan on going fishing as soon as I’m done here, in case you didn’t bother gettin’ your mind out of the gutter long enough to read and realize it’s a fishing shirt, and not everything’s about you and your stupid church club.”

“Oh, trust me I read it.”

“Pleasantly surprised to find you’re fucking literate after all. I’ll keep that in mind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m missin’ the service,” she finally sneered before shoving past him towards the door.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

if you’re stuck on a project, work on something low stakes or whatever happens to scratch your brain the right way to get remotivated, try something that gives writing a renewed novelty or fills the void of whatever you think is missing in your main work. (the johnjess 100k holding hands only marathon is sustained by frequent au smut oneshots.)

and watch riverdale that’s not a joke it legit helps me i will be like “ooooooh my pacing sucks so bad it’s so slow” and “waaah my characterization is so shitty i am a flop at character nuance” and “booooo showing and not telling is stupid i hate showing and not telling” and i will watch riverdale and remember why these things are important and that i’m not completely flopping at them. i cannot stress how important it is to watch riverdale.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

i think i’m really good at threading humor throughout! like, not just the snappy banter, but the subtle ridiculousness of the characters that seeps into everything they do. like the funniest wildfire moments to me are always tiny things you could blink and miss, like the image of jessie scarfing down a bag of communion wafers like chips as she yells about the fucking gas station.

#asks #writing stuff

[monkey-network]

Why 'Pizza Delivery' IS The Best

Many moons ago, I talked about Band Geeks, an episode of Spongebob often proclaimed as one of the best episode in the series. Then again, in the back of my mind, one other episode stood out as what could arguably be the true number one. One episode iconic in the character, the story, the comedy, the emotion it has for a mere 11 minutes, and I wanted to talk about all this myself. We're seeing how Pizza Delivery is considered The Best. Let's do this...

The Pairing

The episode's setup is honestly so simple, it's driven me stupid. Out of every episode, this magically gives us the Krusty Krab pizza, a platinum item of Mr. Krabs that's never been replicated since. Mr. Krabs has Spongebob join Squidward in the delivery when he didn't really need to. Squidward could very well have told Spongebob to go away, leaving it to him, but it makes sense that Spongebob would be so dedicated in his job enough to go. It especially helps that this is the first and earliest episode of Spongebob and Squidward working alone together, their clashing spirits being the focus throughout. It all adds to the greatest dynamic where Squidward puts up Spongebob's antics believing it to be a simple job, both ending up tastefully dumb in their own right. The episode would not have work if Squidward was more bitter about everything or if Spongebob acted too aloof. It has the perfect blend in character where the dichotomy between the two is so grounded. Which leads well into...

The Comedy

With the character dynamic comes the great, memorable comedic timing of Spongebob and Squidward bouncing off each with their conflicting outlooks. Squidward is very much defeatist, willing to give up at the drop of a hat and is in disbelief of anything working out while Spongebob's the opposite, keeping his chin in spite of everything looking not in his favor. I'd say this is amplified with how you can see it. The episode doesn't shame Spongebob and/or Squidward for how they perceive the adventure, them being an extension of the child and/or adult audience. They're both a couple of dudes in the same situation and they run with this this in the best way with every moment. There isn't a single joke in this episode that doesn't appear to work within the confines of their chemistry. Everything they do, everything they say is in line with who they are, and it never amps up their personality to get the considered best laughs. My favorite bit being...

The Pioneers

Everything with Spongebob's enthusiasm for the pioneers on their journey hits every time. It's fitting not only with the point of the episode, but Spongebob's character overall, a sponge never afraid to express the ways to get the job done. Fact that Squidward follows along until it backfires at him is all the better, leading to my favorite Spongebob joke where we finally get the best vehicle in the game. The Rock is the one off joke you can't help but be with Spongebob and find joy in something so stupidly simple. It's on par with the Paper episode, the fathomable length of imagination just makes a man smile every time I can think of this one joke. But with this riding high comes one of the most devastating scenes in Spongebob.

The Customer

There's a bit of a balance when it comes to when Spongebob finally delivers the pizza himself only to get rejected just because the customer didn't get a drink with it. The guy never comes off as tastelessly cruel despite being one of the most despicable characters in the show's history. He's a character you can enjoyably hate. It's remarkably unfair, but never feels out of place because there's a rarity that customers can genuinely be like that. For an episode so early in the series, it's one of the rawest moments to see Spongebob be punished for something he didn't see coming. It's hard to truly wrap the brain around the customer's sudden volatility, but it's nonetheless effective in breaking our pluckiest character.

This moment is really something. It's not the first time Spongebob is sad or breaks down, but it's the first time Spongebob gets emotionally beaten down by somebody else. While Plankton in an earlier episode makes him tear up, for a quick moment this one rando managed to kill Spongebob's spirit entirely and you feel it. Not even Squidward managed to do this regardless of how much he might've resented Spongebob, at least not yet in the series, so it's all the more fitting and impactful that he would see his coworker at his genuine lowest. It's definitely enough for Squidward to make his most memorable stand.

The Squidward

Squidward Q Tentacles rarely gets moments where he truly stands up for Spongebob, so it's great and natural that this is the first. Even after everything in this adventure, Squidward never really hates Spongebob's optimism. Heck with many great episodes centered around the two, Squidward never despises Spongebob's outlook but feels it's unfair that he can live hapless while Squid feels like he can't whenever he tries. At his best, his cynicism is realistic enough for those who grew up with the show to find him the most resonating character. Which is why when he sees Spongebob broken, in tears, he goes to set things right.

It's one of the most gratifying moments of Spongebob and I couldn't imagine it going any other way. It really brought the nuance of the two's relationship to a great direction, I say letting those who grew up with Spongebob ponder how Squidward saw his friend. Even when the episode immediately ends with Spongebob inadvertently soiling Squidward's moment with the Krusty Krab, it was nonetheless satisfying along with everything else that happened.

The Conclusion

Everything about Pizza Delivery feels perfect, around the same height of perfection as Band Geeks. While we aren't with many characters, the moments with Squid and Sponge are at their most realized. Spongebob overall is a character comedy and this episode is a testament to that where we see the two at their best and funniest. Not to say this was where the show peaked, god no, but this episode really paved the way for Spongebob to be as iconic as it is now. Both as a kid and adult,

it never ceases to be the Best

#Pizza Delivery #spongebob squarepants #spongebob #spongebon squarepants #Squidward #squidbob #nickelodeon #cartoons #analysis #awesome #long post #Good Stuff

[silentxxsoul]

Feelings on the 5B premier now that I’ve had some time to think

Stupidly long and rambly, but this ep had a lot to unpack.

TLDR: I both loved and hated this episode.

I loved how they framed Eddie’s montage and sped it up to show the quick spiral.

I loved the I interactions with Chris and the important conversation about leaving the 118. It was long over due and I was surprised to actually see it outside of fanfic. Also, any time the kid gets to roast one of his dads is a win in my book.

I loved the evolution of BadCook!Eddie into Eddie-Who-Experiments and takes tips from his coworkers.

I loved how fucking awkward that dinner was. It was hilarious, honestly, and probably the most on brand interaction they could have produced.

I loved seeing the technophobe’s job being to basically tweet all day. And fighting with the printer. I felt that in my soul.

I loved the way they set up the “I’ve moved on” talk to follow up the “I’m still a firefighter” and then move into Eddie seeing the team happy and laughing while feeling isolated and leaving the bar.

I love how it all sets up him nearing rock bottom. Him lashing out at Bobby is a direct parallel from S3 with Buck, and I’m interested in seeing if they follow up with some heart to heart with him. I mean, he really went from Bobby hugging him and helping him/being a mentor to that at the end of the episode. Eddie is seriously going through it and lashing out, and I wonder if Bobby doesn’t tip off Buck next week or brings it up to him and Hen after they briefly touched on it at the station with Bucks “I had dinner with him…”

I really wanted them to address Eddies trauma and so far it looks like they’re really putting effort into it. You can really see how they’re setting up his breakdown and I appreciate the work they’ve all put in to this.

Now—I hated the cheating story line. I love the idea of Buck self sabotaging and destructing, and he’s clearly in distress after everything’s been compounding all year, and I want them to address it. I want them to show the parallel of both Eddie and Buck dealing with their demons, but I just hate how they’re doing it. It’s a fine trope, but it’s over played and I seriously, seriously hate cheating arcs.

And it feels a little like character assassination for the sake of plot rather than character development (or character devolving I guess), because much like Buck chasing after Taylor in 5A it’s going against everything that they’ve built up. It would be different if I had any hope that the writers/show runners would actually address it, but I don’t. I’d love to be surprised and will absolutely admit I was wrong if they address all of it, but I mean, they never touched Bobby and Athena arguing before he was shot in S4 and that was kind of a big argument to have! Like I’m not hallucinating right, Bobby really called into question if they should even be married and they never circled back??

There are dozens of other ways to showcase his own downward spiral (seriously just go to Ao3) and most are a more nuanced or in-depth way to do it, I feel like. Or maybe I’m too biased because of how badly I hate the cheating arcs. I’m really trying to be objective here but I just can’t see how this was the way to go.

Not to mention having Hen go from “don’t tell her”, as if she didn’t learn from her own past, to “honesty is the best policy” left me with whiplash. Do they not consider past character actions before giving them dialog?? Honest question here.

I’m still interested in seeing Lucy’s character develop. I wanted them as a BROTP because I wanted someone for him to be able to relate too (reckless, impulsive, etc.) but also be able to confide in since there’s still a wall between him and Eddie, he’s missing his sister, Chim, and Jee, and he says he loves Taylor but he feels like he’s settling (not to mention he’s never really opened up to her on screen, at all). Or at the very least have her be an antagonist for him to deal with, maybe someone to challenge how he thinks and acts and makes him reevaluate his life perspective. 

I don’t know, I just—I really wanted there to be one instance where hot chick and hot dude don’t mouth fuck within the first half of the first episode that they meet. It was clear there was chemistry from the moment they met on the call and I had hoped it was more admiration for skill and the job, but I was wrong. It’s just frustrating because the default is always m/w with chemistry must cross the line of intimacy (yes it was a kiss, but the comments from Arielle’s interview about them being flirty this season makes me believe there’s more to come). But even if they were going to go the route of Buck and Lucy doing something together, did it seriously have to be within the first 10 minutes? I honestly wouldn’t have cared if they developed her into a LI because the chemistry was incredibly evident. I know that my hope for Buddie is likely a pipe dream because we can’t have nice things, so I will always root for Buck to be happy but this whole interaction has me so disappointed for now.

And I get it—Buck turns to physical intimacy when he feels out of his depth or unanchored. I do, I promise, but it’s just disappointing and frustrating from a fan standpoint to see it play out that way. Maybe they turn it around as the season goes on, but my expectations are on the floor with Fox. Which, don’t get me wrong I want them too—I just don’t expect it. I might be a little jaded.

(And have been since they fucked up Pitch)

So I guess I’m 80/20 on the ep, because I enjoyed a lot of it. I especially loved seeing Bobby and Athena back together in multiple scenes and I loved him interacting with May and Harry as brief as it was. Plus, Athena talking to him about filling those empty spots was *chefs kiss*, and everything Bobby needed to hear.

Even Hen coming to terms with Jonah replacing Chim for now was nice to see. I think their little talk was much needed and am glad they had it instead of multiple episodes of them with weird tension because they can’t trust each other.

I also need more of Eddie and Linda and May at the center.

Which, actually, reminds me of another part of the episode that really annoyed me. I get it that Eddie jumped in and stepped on some toes, but the fact that Josh didn’t have that same energy with Claudette—a habitual toe stepper with May—pissed me off to no end! Especially considering May came to him about her and he still did nothing!

Either way I’m still excited for where this goes, and I can’t wait to have my heart ripped out next week with Maddie and Chimneys storyline. I’ve missed them so much this season and can’t wait for them to be back.

#911 spoilers  #911 fox #the thought thesis no one asked for but I had to get out of my head anyway #feel free to ignore my rambling #and I’m not kidding there’s a lot of word dumping in this #but I’m tired and annoyed from the real world so my fingers slipped 😂 #anyway here’s to Madney next week 🥳