#this episode has been so intense what the heck

[yumeka-sxf]

I try to stay away from negative topics, but after hearing talk on social media yesterday and seeing this post from @such-a-downer, I just had to give my two cents about the complaints regarding yesterday's chapter being "another short mission" and that Endo is somehow being "lazy" or whatever.

I honestly don't understand this mentality of criticizing manga-ka, or any artists really, because they aren't delivering by whatever standards you personally think are appropriate. To me, it just seems like entitlement because Endo has no obligation to cater to any specific fan's wants. This is his story to tell the way he wants, and his characters to develop at the pace he deems fit. This isn't a business contract where we're paying him to deliver content we want every two weeks without fail. If I'm consuming the fruits of someone's creative labor for free, I certainly feel no right to complain if sometimes their content isn't what I wanted or expected. I'm fine with that because 1) I know it's what they (the creator) wanted/needed at the time, and 2) even if a particular chapter wasn't my cup of tea, I know other fellow fans out there somewhere are enjoying the heck out of it, and that's cool!

We also have to remember that SxF is basically a one-man show. If Endo is busy or sick or whatever, it's not like he can have someone fill in for him to write and draw the series. That's what a hiatus is for, that's what making a short chapter instead of a longer one is for...that's how artists should be treated so they don't get burned out and stressed. Plus, art shouldn't be rushed. Any artist knows that there are times when you have trouble coming up with ideas and maybe need a little extra time to develop a more complex section of the story. To immediately jump to conclusions that he's lazy or doesn't know what he's doing is ridiculous. Maybe he didn't feel good for a few days, maybe he's been busy with other SxF events, maybe he just needed more time to get a particular future arc developed, or maybe he just has basic IRL obligations to take care of like we all do...you don't know what's going on in his life, so don't make assumptions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it's literally impossible to please every fan. One of the comments I read for example, someone was ready to drop the series because we haven't seen much of Yor in "a while." All I could think of was "didn't she just have a pretty big role only four chapters ago when they went to the ski resort?" Plus she was the star of chapter 91, which was less than ten chapters ago. So according to this person's standards, four chapters without seeing a particular character is "too long"? What if it was only three chapters, would that be acceptable? It's not right to push our own personal standards of a series' pacing as the "correct" way: some people want to see more of character X while someone else wants to see more of subplot Y, so should both complain that the manga-ka isn't doing right whenever they focus on something else? I'm not saying you shouldn't make criticisms of a manga-ka's work, but the criticisms should come from within the narrative itself, not superficial things like chapters focusing on subplots/characters you don't want to see or not having enough "plot-advancing" content when it's not a plot-focused series.

People who have read SxF up to this point should know the general flow of the chapters: mostly slice-of-life episodic, with more plot-heavy, intense arcs once in a while, like the cruise arc and bus arc. It's an ensemble series that spends most of its chapters focused on at least one of the Forgers, but occasionally other characters here and there. That's how the series has been for years and will likely continue to be. So if you keep complaining because you only like the dramatic story arcs and not the "nothing happens" episodic chapters, then maybe the series just isn't for you. It's totally fine if that's the case, but don't act like Endo is doing something wrong because he's not providing the particular thing you want in his story.

To summarize, Endo has no obligation to cater to particular fans' standards, just as we have no obligation to keep reading his work if we don't like it. But being a fan to me means respecting the creator's pace and vision even if it's not always what I personally want. I can find something to enjoy in every chapter because I'm a fan of SxF, not a fan of one particular aspect of it. But I also will not complain every time my tastes aren't being catered to and will simply occupy myself with other things while I wait. What's the big hurry, after all? I'm in no rush for SxF to wrap up its plot and I'm glad Endo isn't rushing either.

And that's all I'm gonna say about this topic, lol. On a happier note, I'm going to finally see Code White on Thursday! 😁 More to come later~

#spy x family #sxf #spy family #spyxfamily #sxf manga #sxf manga spoilers #sxf spoilers

[iintervallum]

Sometimes I think about how the dndads cast should be on tumblr, with them having a subreddit(you know how they can be) and dndadstwt being like 10 people, tumblr would be the perfect place for them to see more of the fandom, if they wish to that is. Since quite a lot of people on here are way less honed in on negativity than reddit and twitter.

My edit of this is getting long lol so I'm putting it under a cut

Especially reddit, the people on there honestly I think just get too attached to a specific format or way of doing things, its a common pattern in any long running show fandoms i've been in where its reddit that constantly complains about the "good ol' days" and hate any new changes made. I would sometimes drop in and just see a lot of Scary hate at times, or people getting very irritated with the rule breaking, or just complaining that they're "forcing" the humor. I saw a post like that when i just started s2 and that couldnt have been more incorrect (yeah the piss jokes got a bit much but every other part was golden!...pun not intended)

There were absolutely points where I felt my interest wanning, but I think people would get pretty vicious about it and make a lot of mean spirited accusations. Like if anything the things I really enjoyed about this season was how different it was to s1, the contrast was really nice and i liked a lot of the story choices made, i still think about the apollo four teens and the fucking goof realm episodes, they were amazing. Which is why I remember thinking it was odd that they suddenly started involving the dads from s1 more, but knowing now that Anthony was struggling with people not liking this season as much it makes perfect sense.

Idk if it were just me, but i liked the earlier parts of the season for how the teens were still kind of discovering more about themselves and through gathering each anchor, learning more that their parents are people too, with their own fuck ups revealed and the teens have to clean up after them, so having it shift to be about Willy again was a little odd if i'm being honest(I didnt hate it but a repeat villian is hard to do, and for what its worth i think Willy did get the end he deserved and i loved the finale).

Funnily, in its own way it fits the theme of being a teenager and having to live up to your parents expectations. In a meta sense this being the successor to the first season and it being awkward at points and having issues with its identity is very fitting and just like how teenhood actually is.

I've gotten off topic but my point is fandom is just fandom, and letting it influence the way creators can view their own work is an interesting side effect of the internet and the way we navigate with the media we enjoy or hate. And spaces like reddit are grown in a way to encourage more brutally critical ways of analysing media which has very little consideration for the creator. By no means am I saying that the creators of things should be coddled, heck I literally airing my own annoyances with the podcast in space where i'm uplifting the positivity of tumblr over those spaces lol. I just mean that seeing the more genuine side of the fanbase would be more of a better time for them.

EDIT: (I just phrased things better, fixed the spelling and grammer errors and added more thoughts) The more I ruminate on this the more I think that it would honestly be a good idea. Like I do get the base worry of being too close to the more intense side of the fandom, as people on here are unafraid to gush about the show in ways that can be a little much and theres parasociality and all that jazz.

But it would be really good at least to see some actual genuine positivity, so many people provide their thoughtful meta and theories that even if widely off base are just interesting to read through because of how various different people see themselves in the characters they play. And even the critiques people give are not unkind, they come from a place of wanting to understand the choices made better.

I mentioned this in the old version of this post but having a blacklisted tag that only the people who don't wish their post to be seen by the cast use, something along the lines like how the magnus archives fandom has "do not archive", would be a very useful tool to create a barrier in the fanbase. I know i'm someone who feels very nervous about creators seeing the posts I make. Something like "not safe for dads" could work well or any other joke or pun about it being hidden. I doubt it would be filled with discourse or whatever it would mainly be people hornyposting since i know fandom well enough lol.

#aster.txt #dndads #dungeons and daddies #i think people understandably may not want the creators of things here because it's very fandomy #and that sort of known idea that the creator could be seeing what you post can make people be less honest #at least i never feel comfortable with the creators seeing my posts about things i get shy over it #like idk it's embarrassing lol: they know now how much i enjoy the thing they make #I've edited the post! #Please reblog this version instead its more comphrehensive to my actual thoughts #that arent just a half assed post i put randomly in the main tag #dungeons and daddies podcast #fandom commentary

[littledigits]

thoughts on the cut episodes and ppls reactions 'n stuff

Since it was confirmed that a few more episodes of Hilda were written but cut, I do think the reaction of people finding this out is really interesting and not just because its fairly common in the industry and isint a sign of anything bad necessarily. I mean heck, in a weird way being behind the scenes and then seeing how people interpret things, what they take as important, what they think is a thread…all of that is interesting. When your job is basically trying to get people to pick up what you're putting down storywise its kind of a neat topic, because everyone communicates in their own way.

BTW before I keep going this is not a post to say dont crit/vent/complain/whatever about whatever the heck you want in hilda or any media, you do you. I think peoples honest takes are fascinating (said in victoria van gale voice) and even just people speaking their mind shows that they are interested and they care so that matters. Also not one singular post triggered this, its just been on my mind as I surface level read things so no stressies.

When It comes to the cut episodes, I'm seeing some people assume that whatever was cut would have fixed some of the crits they may have had about the season..and who knows, maybe yes? But I'd say ultimately probably not. Not because they dont include things that people want to see, or may have some topics people want expanded on ..but because thats just impossible in the grand scheme of things.

I mean this applies to shows in general, not just hilda. Every person who watches a show has their own idea of what the show represents to them. For some of its more of the surface events or characters where as others connect it with a deeper emotion. A lot of people respond to different tones of the episodes, which there are many. Some people prefer the one off adventures that stand alone as their own stories and others want to see more of a stronger through line. Some may see a new character and expect a new arc and thread, while others wonder why we couldn't've used a previously introduced character. Some may read between the lines more and others may take what is presented as very straight forward and literal …and no one is WRONG, because our big wrinkly brain meats all have their own tastes and ways of imputing information.

Television animation is rife with factors that actually futz with the quality and ability of the team to make a beautiful, amazing product like EVERY DAY. The script process and what goes into production is just one. The team is made up of many creatives all with their own varied experiences and voices just like the audience. In order for people to have their own voices and say, you are going to end up with some things that hit better then others, especially if the team is allowed to grow and experiment and play a little. Hilda has always been a show where we've been able to have a lot of creative say, and i think that sincerity comes through ! but with the sincerity and that humanity, it also means that there are going to be things that arnt going to make sense in the grand scheme of things lol. Even the writers and creators and producers have differing opinions on what to explore and dive into, probably more so then fandoms haha. Having more episodes may scratch some itches but not all, HECK, those episodes being cut could have re-allocated resources to other areas that helped elevate your fav ep of the season ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ who knows! Schrodinger's episodes! (also ngl I was having cold sweats over the scope of some of them as cool as they were. The season may have been shorter but it was intense..it takes a long time to do stuff that looks that clean and crisp)

Imperfect art is very human! Do the best you can at the time with the factors you have. I was given so much trust and freedom on my episodes, and I was just happy to do something fun that allowed me and my team to grow and learn. I was fucking STOKED to get a one off story because it was way less pressure for me to take my next step directing cuz just doing the thing is a feat. Any sincerity you feel cant come through if that means we're afraid that we cant make mistakes, or do a story choice ppl wont vibe with. All you can do is do the best you can, see if people are picking up what you're putting down, and grow from it for next time.

Anyway, just a thought ramble. Its not to say do or dont do this or think this way blah blah. I just love that storytelling is messy and complex and everyones gonna take it a lil differently, especially if you have a team where you allow lots of voices to have input. It is all just a big experiment to see if people leave with a particular experience by putting your resources into the things you have that matter, and try you best to distract from burnt edges or patched up holes that happened throughout the process of making the dang thing lol.

#me as marge simpson holding up a potato of communication #I just think they're NEAT #it is cool to see who vibes with what episodes and why #lil rambley bits #I personally strive for a good 7/10 #maybe a 7.5 if im feeling spicy #everything else is luck

[dramavixen]

watch this! – provoke

In times like these, when so many high production-value dramas vie over the spotlight with their intense plots and flashy names, you occasionally need a low-budget show that's just vibing in the corner—a bit of a wallflower and rough around the edges, but it's doing its own thing, doing it quite well, and will provide respite for your overwhelmed brain.

What is Provoke?

A romance-revenge webdrama set in the Republican era. A woman marries the geezer responsible for her parents' death, plotting to ruin him and restore her family's sullied name. Said geezer's son becomes suspicious of her and decides that creating the greatest amount of sexual tension possible with her is the best course of action. Also, he clearly has plans of his own since he's not the guy's real son.

This show is as cheesy and melodramatic as it gets and none of it can be considered logical. It's awesome.

Why watch?

--

We be trendsetters

You got your friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers stories. As timeless as those tropes may be, might I suggest "stepmom-to-lover" as the new trend? (Or how about all three at once?) It's fresh! It's forbidden! It's so ludicrous that the mere existence of the premise is spicy!

In my personal opinion, the execution should have been much spicier. I only very gently clutched my pearls when what I wanted was to feel scandalized through every blood vessel of this tiny body of mine. But alas, I can't bring myself to dislike the love story we did receive. I graciously accept all over-the-top romances.

Ahem. What I meant to say was, ew, gross. What kind of weirdo thought that such an offensive idea could make for good television? Someone classy like me would never.

--

That romance story you wrote as a twelve-year-old after watching an episode of a soap opera...this is that

Rain pours down against the window. A pretty young woman sits in front of her vanity, brushing on a thick layer of makeup even though it's time to go to bed.

Lightning sets the skies aflame, outlining a silhouette that appears in the doorway. It's him, the dashing young master of the household. His dark eyes glint as he leans awkwardly against the wall in an attempt to come off as intimidating. He's soaked from being outside the rain and drops of water fall from the tips of his hair. He kind of looks like an infuriated feline.

She stands when she sees him. He crosses the room.

"What are you—" she stammers, her words catching in her throat as he corners her against the vanity and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her body against his. He grabs her wrist with his other hand and pins it to the table, knocking over an open container of rouge. Its contents burst into a firework of glimmering powder.

His face is close enough that she can feel his breath on her cheek. She tries to lean away from him, but he's too strong. He is a lion, and she a gazelle.

"Have you forgotten?" she says as she struggles against him. "I'm your father's concubine."

"And have you forgotten?" His voice is deep; some might even consider it sultry. "I'm the one who brought you into this family."

They stare at one another. Then he brings his lips crashing down on hers, or whatever the standard cliché for "kissing" is nowadays.

Such goes the first few minutes of the first episode, which also happens to be what's pictured in our provocative poster. Wait until you see the whole scene.

My fanfiction past feels so seen right now.

--

There is exactly one brain cell present

You think that because this is a revenge drama, you're going to get a super intricate plot? Heck no. We don't have the time or brainpower for that, remember? We're here for the fun of it.

Everything about this show is smooth sailing because all of the characters are of mediocre intelligence and ability. Your brain does not need to be in operation at any point. Our female lead? She's probably the smartest one, but it's not like that's impressive when her husband is oddly easy to seduce. His actual wife tries so, so hard to be mean to the new girl in the house but fails with flying colors. Meanwhile, the male lead spends most of his time making heart-eyes at his dad's new concubine. It's like watching a bunch of wild geese chase each other and somehow accomplish things along the way.

--

[insert pun about chemistry and chemistry class here]

These two lead actors could perform all the tropes in the world and I would love it. They bulldoze through a lot in this show and every moment has me grinning like a total creep. That's what low-budget dramas bless us with: shameless clichés. They don't need to make up excuses for why a bridal carry or eye contact that lasts ten minutes exists. After all, we know what we're here for: to satiate our cravings for unrestrained, cheesy-as-heck romance.

The level of acting is higher than you should ask for from a production of this scale. The tension between the two is palpable at every moment, and they truly bring their characters to life. It helps that they're very easy on the eyes. I mean, just look at this pair of bloodthirsty impostors:

When they start falling for one another...oh boy. My weak heart.

--

Cinematography 101

I would include screenshots of how stunning this drama is, but I'm not sure how many would do it justice. The set isn't particularly breathtaking and there aren't many flashy assets otherwise, but the director makes smart decisions with what he has to produce fantastic results. A lot of it is based on motion, which is why still screenshots can't really suffice in displaying his techniques.

Nifty camera angles or tricks aren't what caught my attention, but the combination of basic props, movement, and lighting did. A lot can be accomplished through simplicity to craft a specific atmosphere, which is exactly what makes this drama feel like a large-scale production. You really have to see it in motion to believe it.

--

I'm going to be humming the theme song to myself for the next week as I get this drama out of my system. It grabbed me by the throat and dragged me from the depths of my drama slump. Maybe I need to relive my tacky romance phase.

#provoke #招惹 #recs* #scribbles* #yeah i think i'm just sick of using my head when i watch tv #give me all the brainless content #did i change the format of this just bc i wanted to write that fanfiction-esque segment #maybe #and i had a fantastic time doing it

[lotus-duckies]

the queerness of 2012 is really weird because it straddles the line of plausible deniability so well and the fact it's so obviously edgy teenage boy coded, so when something kinda queer happens you're like "wait was that intentional or" as opposed to Rise, where the queer coding is blatant, especially with its usage of gender nonconformity and literally putting a rainbow flag into the show

so anyway here's an essay about leo's bisexuality. yes this will be covering his crush on karai in a romantic context even though everyone hates it and wants to rephrase it as gender envy, i'm sorry but someone has to do it

The first question we must ask, does Leo have some kind of indication of having attraction to more than one gender?

There was a tumblr post recounting canon tmnt facts, one of which says the art book states that Leo has a 'man crush' on Captain Ryan.

Which, I am wheezing at the idea that the thing that makes Leo imperfect is the fact he has a man crush on Captain Ryan. Nothing else, just the man crush.

I did google the definition of a man crush because even though I am clearly just so manly what the heck is that.

-an intense and typically non-sexual liking or admiration felt by one man for another. -a man who is the object of another's intense liking or admiration.

Yeah that's approximately Leo's relationship with Captain Ryan, an intense admiration for a fictional man. Obviously, having a man crush doesn't automatically mean you're attracted to men, but given Leo's general behaviors in the show, I'm more inclined to believe he does have Some Kind of attraction to men.

Karai

The thing about Leo's crush on Karai is that it was executed in a distinctly different way than any of his brothers' love affairs.

With his brothers, they're very open about the fact they're into whatever girl the narrative has assigned them. Donnie's crush has been known by everyone since episode 1 and he and Mikey are not subtle about their admiration. Raph was talking about how cool he thinks Mona is and if turtles and newts can go on dates even though she was introduced as an antagonist before becoming an ally.

Karai was also introduced as an antagonist who Leo has some kind of attraction to, but he hid it. He refused to tell his family about it, only telling April who then chastised him about it. His family only found out by accident, and even then he either didn't tell them he liked her, shrouded in excuses of "We both like the fine craftsmenship of swords" and "I can see the good in her, I can save her", or begrudginly added "I guess I sort of liked her" at the end.

This reads as a very queer narrative, closeted kids discovering themselves and only their friends know out of fear of getting rejected by their families.

And this is also why I do think Leo has an Actual Crush on Captain Ryan. Trying to explain it as having an admiration for Captain Ryan and wanting to be a hero is much the same as trying to explain why he was hanging out with Karai, wanting to help her or admire swords.

His personality as a Very Good Boy who follows the rules and cares if they accidentally hurt people exemplifies the changes he went through from Karai's influence.

(also like. if space heroes is supposed to be a parody of star trek. girl star trek is so horny. and Leo says that space heroes has a ton of fans currently, implying he's seen the fanbase, and the very strong possibility that the fanbase is mostly populated by gay fanfiction

and yknow. Leo's the embodiment of 2010's tumblr fangirl, which has a lil queer autistic in it)

Karai is very visibly a lesbian, an edgy punk butch lesbian, and she and Shinigami lowkey embody a butch femme dynamic and the fact Karai is depicted as the more formidable, domineering force with a sword and Shinigami as a bit more pathetic with a cat is reminiscent of the japanese lesbian dynamics from this post. It's all very gay.

And she's an antagonist lesbian to Leo's closeted and internalized biphobia.

She represents the desire to give up and be swallowed by selfishness, forgoing responsibility and cleanliness in favor of having fun.

Leo is resistant to giving in. His attempts to do so immediately get shut down, and he's rejected by his family, even for a moment, for wanting to go do Bad Things. He tries to fix Karai, make her good and acceptable. But he slips further, eventually falling into Karai's circle to be gay and commit crimes against the Foot Clan empire.

In this way his sexuality is explored through self expression, the moral ambiguity, and transition from an absolute rule follower caring deeply about the affects his actions has on others to burning a building full of money. It's very classic "good girl getting corrupted" story telling, but at the same time it isn't, because Leo maintains an overall good moral compass, he just grew up. Sometimes killing people is a necessity, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes people get hurt.

Being queer stops being this huge shameful, evil thing and it starts just being part of you.

#i'm writing so many words and i don't know if any of them make sense #leonardo hamato #karai hamato #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2012 #bisexual #analysis

[ecargmura]

Paradox Live The Animation Episode 11 Review - Illusions

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON??? HOLY HECK???? My mind is blown right now. This was an intense episode of Paradox Live. I can’t believe all that happened. Hold on, I need time to process everything.

Okay, so I’ve been theorizing who Shura and the Ramen Guy where since they look like the same person. I had theorized Shura, the one on stage was an illusion and Mr. Ramen dude was the real deal and I got it right. It turns out that Yasha is also an illusion; Buraikan, in general, look how they did ten years ago. I do wonder what their purpose is. Having Buraikan show up as how they did ten years ago was definitely a set up for the four current groups to compete with each other. What is their goal? To destroy everyone? To harvest their phantometals and create illusions out of them? Is the villain’s plan to make illusions out of everyone equivalent of cloning?

Mr. Ramen Guy is alone and the real Yasha is nowhere to be seen. I’m assuming he’s trying to instill revenge onto Alter Trigger by messing with the Paradox Live finale? Judging from the opening narration intro, the real Yasha died ten years ago due to phantometal overusage—and it happened on stage too. Is the real Shura going to be the surprise hero of this bad scenario right now?

Regarding cozmez, I did theorize a lot of things about Nayuta back in episode 7. One of them was speculating Nayuta being a phantometal illusion Kanata created after witnessing and knowing he had died. Guess what happened in this episode? That theory came true. Damn, so Kanata basically rapped with an imaginary version of his brother all this time. No wonder he seemed so robotic and out of it at times. It also makes sense why the current Nayuta didn’t recognize Shiki because he was an illusion; Kanata didn’t know about Shiki, so the Nayuta that was wandering about was formed from what he believed to be his brother.

Poor Kanata. Poor, poor Kanata. He needs a hug, badly. His trap reaction is remembering his brother’s death which is so traumatic that it’s causing him to go berserk with the corrosion. Stop being mean to Kanata! The boy already went through a lot; stop adding more trauma on to his resume. It hurts when your favorite character is going through trauma. Though, I do feel as if Buraikan was targeting Kanata specifically, or was it just coincidence since he won the extra stage by default?

What is up with Ryu, though? He looks possessed, muttering about how Buraikan and Nayuta were ghosts and such. He does have this weird split personality that occurs occasionally. Maybe that is the reason why he’s acting weird. Given he’s the only one who cannot experience trap reactions, I do wonder if he will play a factor into solving this situation—if he’s willing to, that is.

The BAE scenes were nice. Seeing Hajun cheering up Allen was so sweet. I really liked Hajun’s reaction too; he was all like “Your music kills people? Yeah, it’s true. It happened to me once.” His bluntness is charming in a way. I have a huge soft spot for scenes where someone shields someone from the rain with an umbrella. The scene where Allen was singing in English felt super romantic too. Oh, speaking of which, I was always amazed with Allen’s English pronunciation and I recently learned that his voice actor Gakuto Kajiwara had lived in Singapore in the past, hence his surprisingly good English skills; here’s a video I found on Twitter that has him speaking English. Since Allen wanted Hajun to open up before, Hajun was returning the favor and he did it two times better. Given that BAE was at Razzle Dazzle and not Paradox Live, I do feel as if they will be the key to saving the day. I hope they team up with Mr. Ramen Guy.

Since next episode is the finale, what will happen? I expect the biggest, super special awesome rap showdown between the fake Buraikan and BAE. This is a rapping show, after all; rapping is always the solution here. I’m so nervous about what’s going to happen to Kanata. Let him be happy, please. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#paradox live the animation #paradox live #kanata yatonokami #nayuta yatonokami #cozmez #buraikan #yasha #shura #allen sugasano #BAE #Ryu Natsume #the cat's whiskers #akan yatsura #review #anime #anime review #arum journal #ecargmura #leave Kanata alone

[turtleboyz]

Character Analysis: 2012 Season 5: Mikey

Literally Mikey

Ok but seriously, as a person with ADHD, watching Mikey in this series is hard. Like wow! Ableism and stereotypes! Fun!/sar. In the first 2 seasons Mikey was a interesting character! He was fun and make pranks but he wasn’t reduced to a annoying character. He was empathetic and help take care of Leatherhead. While he was a bit of a “ditz” he’s also very smart. He has a night emotional intelligence, and can do chemistry. Heck, he was trapped in the Dimension X and became a survivalist. That would have been so cool to see a bit of what Mikey had to go through, or some of his adventures.

As the seasons progresses, Mikey was placed in the background. And he became less and less important to the show. He became more “immature”, and more of a jokester. The shiw even says that Mikey has the maturity of a 6 year old. Which, if you didn’t know, is ableist.

The whole family going into Mikey mind, is could have been a way to explore Mikey’s character. Because while Mikey is the joker and was place in the background, there was elements of him growing. Him having anger issues, which his anger being the biggest persona he has. Him being the best at mooning without thinking, him taming a crocodile! His negative traits could have been a way to explore his character. His eating habit, can be seen as both an eating disorder and a symptom of his ADHD. (Since people with ADHD have a higher change of binge eating disorder). His prankster and jokers can be seen as a way to him cope with the stress and his family problems. Heck, that was an actual episode!

For Mikey, he is a mix of a scrapgoat; a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency and The Mascot. A Mascot’s role in the dysfunctional family is to distract from problematic behavior, usually through humor or social skill.

Mikey also is implied to have Maladaptive Daydreaming. Or some type of Dissociation disorder since he “goes into his mind when things get rough” or something along those lines. Maladaptive Daydreaming symptoms are

Intense, vivid daydreams that present as a story, with characters, settings, and plotlines

Daydreams that are triggered by real-world events or sensory stimuli

Unconscious facial expressions, repetitive body movements, or talking or whispering that accompany daydreams

Daydreams that last for several minutes to hours

A strong or addictive desire to keep daydreaming

Trouble focusing and completing daily tasks due to daydreams

Trouble sleeping

Maladaptive daydreaming may develop as a coping strategy in response to trauma. The inner world may feel safer than the experience happening outside. For example, people with maladaptive daydreaming found themselves engaging in the behavior more frequently.

Dissociation is a mental process of disconnecting from one’s thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity.

Some symptoms are;

Feeling disconnected from yourself

Problems with handling intense emotions

Sudden and unexpected shifts in mood – for example, feeling very sad for no reason

Depression or anxiety problems, or both

Feeling as though the world is distorted or not real (called ‘derealisation’)

Like Raph, Leo, and Donnie. Mikey also died. His was murder was well. He was killed by Newtralizer ( season 5 episode 5 + 6) and came back and gain temporarily Electrokinesis. Personality I think he should have keep it, and have his powers act like a heart monitor. (Since Bishop didn’t want him to overuse his powers or it might kill him.)

As for his family, Mikey seem closer to Leo and sometimes Donnie. With Leo he and Mikey have a more sweet older brother and little brother dynamics and the two talk about cartoons. With Donnie, Mikey try’s to hype up when the two are on mission. And he try’s do chemistry with him. With Raph, while Mikey does get verbally and physically abused by him, Mikey is the one that jokes or picks on Raph.

With Splinter, there wasn’t any one on one scene they had. But the way Splinter talks about Mikey, while mostly positive, it seems like splinter doesn’t know how to dealt with Mikey’s ADHD and sees Mikey in a negative way some times.

For me, Mikey is my second favorite turtle in this series. While I don’t like that he was shoved to the side in the later season, and he did get on my nerves from time to time. I do think he’s a good character, i just want more characterization from him.

#2012 tmnt #Sebastian reviews 2012 #picture #character analysis #mikey hamato #michelangelo hamato #Mikey analysis #long post

[thesernotthedroidsurlooking4]

Final Ahsoka thoughts

I… okay. That was okay. But it was kind of just okay. I… hoo boy this might be unpopular. But.

… Live action Ahsoka never started being Ahsoka to me. She just isn’t it. The low voice, the stony delivery. While perhaps it wasn’t a total miss—sometimes a mannerism hit, like a smirk, or a flicker of body language—those glimpses of true Ahsoka only made me realize how excited/invested I would be if that was her consistent, constant portrayal. And, thus, how disengaged I really feel without seeing Ahsoka through the screen. It’s like a split-second glimpse of color in a black-and-white world—it only makes you thirst more for that world of color you can’t have. And I long for animated Ahsoka and Ashley Eckstein so, so, badly it hurts. I tried to get into Rosario Dawson, I really did. I just… can’t do it. The spark is missing. And without that spark of excitement, the show just couldn’t hit for me.

I don’t think it’s even just the actor’s portrayal, though—this might be controversial, but I don’t see where the arc or development is. Sure, there was an attempt at one, that I can vaguely pick out: Ahsoka is angsty and sad over Anakin. She’s chasing Thrawn. Ahsoka tries to take on her own padawan and finds it difficult, digging up her own fraught feelings over her apprenticeship. Ahsoka goes through a Force vision, reckons with her past, gains peace, and ends up, according to her, where she needs to be.

Except… all of this falls apart upon further probing. It’s all so vague, so blurry, and lacking proper framing. Unless you’ve really done your Star Wars homework and are willing to do the analytic heavy lifting through the force of your own sheer nerd-dom… is the audience really shown her motivations? Her deeper feelings?

Why is Ahsoka shown that intense Force vision at that moment, in episode 5? What induced it? She didn’t seem to stumble across a powerful Force artifact that caused it, did she? Then the only answer is for her to be at such an intense crossroads, such a deep internal conflict, that she had to work it out via the Force. Except… what crisis, what turning point? All we’ve seen at that point is some general my-master-went-darkside angst, and a momentary defeat (but considering the sheer amount of fights Ahsoka has been in, that isn’t special.) So why? Why then? What was the driving need or purpose of the Force vision sequence?

…why, to introduce the casual fans to her backstory and Skywalker connection, and to appeal to nostalgia for the Clone Wars fans. That’s it. For all the meta we can write about the light side/dark side struggle, about her relationship to Anakin, to the order, to the war, et cetera—it’s nothing new. It’s all been done before, and when Ahsoka comes out in the white cloak Gandalf/style, as if she’s been enlightened… I couldn’t buy it, because what enlightenment? Where was the epiphany? What did she truly face that she hasn’t already? What meaning did she really make out of all that jumble? Heck, we aren’t even shown if that vision’s Anakin had anything of real, Force Ghost Anakin in him or not, and it seems like we’ll never know. It’s all so vague. And sure, maybe vague and light-handed is the more delicate way to handle some stories, but there needs to be more framing in order to make the subtlety work. I just didn’t see it.

And why, exactly, does barely-Force-sensitive Sabine want to be a Jedi? We aren’t told. Why did Ahsoka agree to train her in the first place? Since when is Sabine Force-sensitive to any degree at all? Or did she develop the sensitivity through rigorous training? What is Ahsoka’s interest in training such a non-traditional Jedi? This could be fascinating to explore, if we were shown it. A lot of us could get excited about an Ashoka-style non-traditional Jedi order, about her pioneering a different way of how to go about using the Force. But all we can do is extrapolate. Forcing Sabine, the Mandalorian square peg into a Jedi-shaped round hole, just ended up as it started: a dubiously plausible retcon meant only for some cheap Master-Apprentice parallels.

The ending, too… why is that galaxy where Ahsoka needs to be? What does she mean by telling Sabine to let it go (implying she’s letting go, too)? Is she letting go from fighting, because she’s used violence for too long? Some of that theme was there, sure—but to what end? How are the two of them supposed to do anything on that planet? Why is Ezra supposed to have just left them behind?

anyways, less eloquently, because I’m getting tired of typing: Ezra is the best, I love him, best damn part of this show by a kriffing mile, and Sabine was great when she wasn’t being forced to be a Jedi. I loved seeing Anakin soooo much, but honestly, it’s probably just the nostalgia talking. that’s it that’s what I got out of this show

#ashoka spoilers #ahsoka series #ahsoka #ahsoka tano #ahsoka meta #long post #listen this isn’t the most quality rant ever but I have some feelings so I will subject the hellsite to them #what am I here for if not to shout into the void

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Baby Can I Hold You (20x04)

It was lovely to see Arizona, but I kind of feel like her guest starring here was a bit of a waste, in some ways!

Cons:

This show is usually so good at fanservice, to the point where I find myself rolling my eyes sometimes at it... but damn it all to hell, I can't believe we got Arizona on our screens and nobody mentioned Callie or Sofia?? What the heck is that about! Not even a passing mention to give people hope that they ended up back together, even if they didn't want to confirm it?

This show has been playing chicken with the idea of Richard retiring for such a long time now that it really does get tiresome. We see that he gets frazzled in the OR and has to step out, but Teddy promises to have his back and tell him if he doesn't belong there anymore. I don't know, man, let the dude retire! I don't want to watch him dealing with his sobriety and his age and his career for the bajillionth time, actually.

Lucas feeling bummed out and being a slop and annoying Amelia is just... dude, you are all the thinnest of thin ice with me right now. I was totally with you about Simone being a jerk, but that doesn't give you the license to be a permanent jackass forever.

Pros:

I do like a feel-good success story, and the big fetal brain surgery thing was pretty cool. It's always nice when a show like this lets everybody get a clean win, to offset all the tragedy inherent in the show's DNA. It was nice to see Bailey drink in the magic of the surgical miracle, even if she is still exasperated with the interns for failing to appreciate it and stay in the moment.

But speaking of the interns, I really enjoyed everything with Kwan, Jules, and Yasuda this week.

To start with, I just want to say: Yasuda didn't do anything wrong, and she doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the other four fuck-ups! I'm glad at least Jules acknowledged that this week, and I hope Bailey will ease up a little. She even manages to finish her procedure logs, just in time to be told that she can't get back in the OR until all of them complete theirs. Tough break! I do like that we have this character who comes off a little scatter-brained and intense, and yet we see that she's actually pretty kick-ass at what she's doing.

Meanwhile, Blue freaks out when trying to place a chest tube and Schmitt has to step in and do it. This leads to a great conversation where Schmitt tells him he'll probably always see Maxine in his head when he's stressed or uncertain at work, but that maybe this isn't the worst thing. I love seeing Levi get to be a mentor in this moment, and I continue to love the development of Kwan as he deals with his insecurities and aspirations for his career.

And then Jules: she's the intern character I feel like I understand the least so far, but this was a good episode for her. We meet her brother, who calls himself a doctor but who is actually just a "wellness influencer." I love that she has to spend the episode dealing with his bullshit and then is rewarded with Owen coming in and tearing him down while giving Jules a compliment. She really needed that! And a rare W from Owen Hunt, too, I love it when he does stuff that doesn't annoy the hell out of me.

I hope that Arizona is in another episode this season, because I feel like I didn't get nearly enough time with her! In some ways this episode was a bit of a disappointment, but I still enjoyed several of the pieces and how things are coming together.

7/10

#review #grey's anatomy #grey's anatomy review #greys anatomy #greys anatomy review #grey's abc #greys abc

[gingersnapwolves]

Kouri watches Love Like the Galaxy, episode 19

Okay I’m doing my best but there’s so many dudes in this show. We’ll see someone and I’m like “who the heck is that?” and it’s either a new person or some guy we’ve already seen fifteen times

“If you don’t show up I’ll take that as your consent to marry me” LBY what kinda nonsense

Ambitious little STEM girl

And now: CGI leaves!

The hats with the beads are so pretty but it’s so visually distracting

Okay it’s definitely a terrible precedent to say ‘because this man died in battle, his daughter can now marry someone who’s engaged to someone else!’ but also I can see the Emperor being like ‘oh so here’s how LBY can get the girl!’

Why do they keep saying the entire family of General He died in battle while he still has a living daughter and son???

*crying over how worried NN is for LY*

Someone needs to drop a brick on the main branch of the Lou family

Go Lou Yao, stand up for yourself, fuck yeah!

When will people learn to only confess to crimes they have been directly accused of?!

I can’t wait to watch this show a second time so I’ll know what the fuck LBY is talking about in this very intense scene

#liveblog #love like the galaxy #kouri watches love like the galaxy

[intothewickedwood]

Ruby or Mulan, Maleficent or Cruella, Dragon Queen or Outlaw Queen, Shadow Queen or Regina x Kathryn?

Gaaah! Thank you for the questions! These are challenging, for sure!

Ruby. But it's close! The werewolf thing wins it for me, and also because she was in Season One. I have a lot of Season 1 feelings. And also her friendship with Snow! And "Red-Handed" being one of my favorite episodes. She's a great and tragic character who does her best to help others no matter what she's going through herself.

I do love Mulan a lot, though. I may be in love with both Red and Mulan. Oops! I just wish we'd gotten more of Mulan. I loved her dynamics with every character she interacted with. She's such a badass. Mulan x Aurora x Phillip is one of my favorite ships in the show, and I also wouldn't have said no to Mulan and Ruby ending up together. Mulan deserved better.

Cruella. I agree with you about having a lot of room to explore with Maleficent, as she could have done with a bit more development in the show. I'd have at least loved to have seen more of her relationship with Lily. She was an adorable mom in the one episode we got to see them interact. But Cruella makes me laugh out loud. She has some of the best lines. "Sympathy for the De Vil" is one of my favorite, most unique episodes. She just wants to murder people! Let her have her happy ending, Isaac! xD. I don't know, she's just so fun, but I do still really enjoy Maleficent. I wish they'd explained what the heck happened with her and Aurora's parents. I like to believe she was in love with Briar Rose, and it went terribly wrong.

Definitely Dragon Queen. I've just been having a discussion on a different website about how Robin Hood was possibly evil the whole time. Looking at the evidence, his words don't match up with his actions. If he wants to steal from the rich, why date Regina? His code says he can't divorce his wife, but he'll… let her die instead? In the book, there is a page which shows that when he met Marian, he planned to kidnap her for ransom, yet he tells Will that he tried to steal her horse, didn't because she was poor, and from that day forward, he chose to steal only from the rich and give to the poor. Yet, in "Heart of Gold," we see that he only decides to steal from the rich and give to the poor long after he and Marian are a couple. Not to mention he shot at Regina without hesitation when looking for the Wicked Witch and, knowing at the time that the Wicked Witch had bright red hair, hid in the bushes and aimed his arrow at the back of a clearly dark-haired Regina's head for a good while before making his presence known. It's just a theory, but I do wonder if he had a plot for revenge against her all along, at least at first. I think that would have made him a much more interesting character. Otherwise, I struggle to make sense of why Regina, post formation of the Evil Queen, would want to be with someone like him. She kinda had to change her personality during their interactions just to make it make a little sense. It's just not for me. But power to those who like it, and I may adopt the revenge plot theory as headcanon, which might make me more invested in them.

Dragon Queen, on the other hand, has to be canon, right? I mean, the intensity of the moments when their noses almost touch. I think they should have kissed. There is so much blatant subtext there, and it's so wonderfully gay. Okay, so Regina rode home on a dragon. Okay, girl, I see you. "Are you a bad girl, Regina?" "The worst." I mean, come on! Everything that comes out of their mouths when they interact just screams "we are exes who can't stop flirting with each other." I love it! I wish it was more explicit!

Okay, this last one is really freaking hard. I do love both almost equally, but I've been thinking a lot about Regina x Kathryn lately and their potential, and I just wanna go back to season 1 and make them fall in love. I want the angst post-season 1. I need it! I honestly would have been ecstatic if Regina had ended up with either of them. And it's totally cool that she ended up single at the end. That was a nice way to demonstrate that happy endings/beginnings don't have to involve romantic love. But goddamn, I wish Facilier didn't die. I know love triangles aren't popular, but heck, if they'd brought Facilier in earlier and had a Kathryn/Regina/Facilier love triangle, I would have been very happy. Idk, I love both pairings, but the Kathryn x Regina friends-to-lovers gets me. And we could have gotten so much more Kathryn. *Cries forever*.

#ask #asks #darkpoisonouslove

[mochidreambubble]

Desire to Take a Bite out of You

Something about a Beauty taming a Beast… You could call it a cliché but it happens time and time again for a reason, no?

[didn't post it here originally but here, my self indulgent Reese fic cause when the newest update released I had lost my mind. AO3 version here.

Spoilers up to Episode 4 of Scarlet Hollow Episode 4 has me in a chokehold. Also probably OOC for Reese because I’m trying to hold back on purple prose but that is asking a lot from me. Almost all dialogue is lifted directly from in-game text (This was torture for I had to keep referencing in game dialogue lmao)]

With the doc fussing a great deal in the clinic above, Reese just stares into the ceiling as music blasts through his speakers. His phone that rests next to his head, sharing the lumpy space, has lit up with activity a great deal the past several hours. It’s from Stella. He should be keen on reading what she has to say, being the only friend for a long while that keeps in touch with him at all but

he’s 

just so

tired, down to his very bones

and those bones are yelling at him, screaming to move and to stretch but into what he doesn’t know and he just wants to keep laying there but he needs to get up he’s just stuck here

Reese relents, at last, to read the wall of text Stella’s messages had accumulated to. Calls were one thing, but Stella tended to text more intensely - message after message if she could, in terms of her updates. 

Almost all of it, in between what could almost be strung coherently like a B-grade horror flick plot, was about the only other Scarlet apart from Tabitha to currently walk the Earth. He actually can’t tell if she’s just excited to make a new friend or if there are some hints of a developing crush because she does seem taken with the guy.

Stella did have a history for dating Scarlets, even if the only one prior was Tabitha - that and she didn't tell Kaneeka or him. But he didn't think they were hiding it that well. Though comparing him to his cousin, from what she’s been explaining, he pegs the new guy in town as a lot less sour - heck, even friendly. There’s this odd sense that she’s skirting around talking about what this guy looks like for whatever reason. He tries to paint a picture in his mind of haunted eyes amidst a friendly face, but every Scarlet he got the chance to meet or see past pictures off were all so dreary. Maybe, despite being from out of town, or maybe because they were a Scarlet born out of Scarlet Hollow, that they morphed into looks so unearthly that no words could describe them. And Stella was just too nice to speak of it?

It would be interesting, Reese concludes, something worth getting up to see if he had the chance to. Stella talks quite extensively of him but has yet to offer up a picture of any kind after all. 

He sleeps, dreams of finally leaving this prison of a house.

* * *

He gets his flippant wish, and part of him wishes to turn back time if only to make one with more serious thought

a key for his cage maybe

but he’s ecstatic - even if he can only express it in the mildest way possible - to see Stella and Kaneeka again; to finally have company aside from just his mom and the silence of the ever-changing guests at the morgue. His mom had told him that they were dropping by for dinner with said Scarlet stranger. He tells her his name is Ashe and gives the most noncommitted sound of acknowledgement she can. He supposes maybe she doesn’t think it’s worth remembering for long, since he was only here till the funeral before he likely dips for good, never to return to this sorry state of a town. 

He tries not to be glued to the entrance, the doc fussing how he’s going to wear himself out and that the outside warmth would swelter him and the dozen over effects of why and how and everything. But he’s close enough to hear when they arrive.

“..What if Doctor Kelly yells at us?”

And he stifles a laugh. He hears Stella good-naturedly reply to Keneeka, even giving his own mom the benefit of the doubt that it was all fine and dandy that they were here a little early because they were there to hang with him after all. Makes him feel a little guilty them for delaying looking at her messages and updates. She really was a good friend. 

He opens the door just as Kaneeka interjects, and he holds back the already rising laugh - he’s actually not sure the doc would react well if it devolves into a coughing fit. It would end the night early and he would hate that after he finally gets the chance to see other people again. 

“Hey!” 

He makes sure to take in the sight of both his childhood friends, holy hell it feels like it’s been too long, and…

Oh.

Oh fuck.

He takes the few insane milliseconds that quickly tick by that his friends used to greet him back to go through an inner state of panic cause what the fuck Stella how hard is it to tell him the new guy was a siren on land, a work of art a little warning would have been nice actually fuck he should say something

“You must be Ashe, right?” He offers a small smile and Ashe immediately retaliates with a bright one. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Stella’s been relentless about making sure I got all the Ashe updates.”

Gretchen starts getting huffy in Stella’s arms, her owner gently trying to calm her nerves. The poor pup never really liked coming here, and he’s a little surprised Stella still brought her along. His mom never lets pets in the house - near him especially. 

“Hope she’s been saying good things,” Ashe gives a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Reese gets the feeling Stella would nudge him if she wasn’t trying to calm the restless Gretchen in her arms. “Please, I’ve just been thorough on our misadventures, and if those include unsavoury details about you, that’s on you, dude.”

She throws a wink his way and Ashe laughs with a little more vigour. Kaneeka rolls her eyes and gives Reese a pointed look, doing her best to 

His mom rushes to the door at last, clearly in a worried and displeased huff that they were early. 

Several minutes of tense small talk between his friends, the stranger and his mom, the visiting trio found themselves in his basement room. He tries not to just focus on the newcomer; his friends whom he hasn't seen face to face in forever were visiting after all. Who knows when the next time this would happen would even be. But he still peaks at Ashe from the corner of his eye, the teen who dressed in sleek monochrome studying his work so intently. It makes his heart dance and tremble. Perhaps he should have laid out his best work…

Stella pulls him back, she and Kaneeka spending minutes in conversation with him. You told them to make themselves comfortable while the newcomer continues to study Reese’s works. He's happy that his friends are here of course. Of course he is, but there's this great impatience there too. He can only be disappointed in himself but

hunger just a bite. you deserve it you want to sink your teeth into his pale neck and to lick the wound close and have him curl against you to rely on you wouldn't that be nice to be all he needs

“Your art…”

The three of them turn to Ashe who was meeting their gaze, his eyes in some form of contemplation as he gently brushes his fingers against the frames of the canvas. “I feel the emotion you put into these… They’re writing, just behind the paint, radiating pain and anguish.”

Oh. Oh he understood.

behind the paint, they yearn to pull him in, drag him so he remains here, forever immortalised

He walks over to the lithe young man. “I know what you mean. I feel it, too.”

Part of him wants to slap himself. Of course he would know, these were his paintings after all. He continues, if only to quickly pretend he didn’t say that. “When I’m working on them it's like I’m channelling whatever’s plaguing me into the paint, and when they’re done I feel like I’ve been emptied out, and all the vile things inside of me have been sealed away in the canvas.”

Ashe turns to him now, investing, transfixed even by his words. Kaneeka and Stella seem to browse around his room, trying not to interfere. So Reese continues. “It’s why I make so many of them. Sometimes, when I return to a piece, it’s almost like I’m offering an invitation for those feelings to slither back under my skin…”

The newcomer looks slightly mournful as the words pour out from Reese. “There are some pieces I can’t even look at. I hide them until I forget they exist. I’d rather not let those particular feelings back in.”

Kaneeka chimes in, a reminder that it was not just the two of them in the room. “Sounds kind of like… Therapy? That seems… Healthy, probably…?”

“Yeah, art therapy!” Stella’s chipper voice joins in. “Sounds like it does you good. Being empty must be better than being full of bad thoughts, right?”

“I think so. It works for me, at least.”

There’s a glint in Ashe’s eyes, slightly playful and enticing inviting. “If you ever need a model, I’m here ‘til Monday.”

It was like his heart was suddenly caught in his throat. “Th-That would be amazing. Though I should warn you, I work odd hours… I don’t usually pick up a brush until late at night.”

He doesn’t seem deterred by Reese’s words, and he feels confident to ask, trying his best to sound… Flirtatious? Hopeful?

“But if that’s not a dealbreaker, it would be incredible to have such a…” He tries not to fluster or blush, it would be so obvious on his pale visage. “Captivating model. I look forward to the company, and I hope I can do your likeness justice.”

“Late hours don’t bother me,” Ashe smiles, and Reese can understand why foolish sailors were drawn to drown by mermaids or to follow enchanting but dangerous beauties into the woods. “I’m something of a late owl myself, so I don’t mind if it’s alright for me to be over so late.”

Whatever elation you feel is sharply shattered when Stella interjects. “Maybe we could all come! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Keneeka finally turns back at them from her corner, a little awkward as she reads the mood. “Uh…”

Ashe simply laughs good naturedly and the conversation lulls to other things. Reese tries to focus on the fact that things seem to be looking up for him. 

Of course, he just had to fall ill at dinner, and his friends and the newcomer had to be chased out of his home…

He readies himself to be despondent on not seeing Ashe before he had to leave on Monday…

* * *

…Except whatever that seemed to be looking out for him finally threw him a bone. Reese was staring into the darkness, the chill of the morgue drowning him. Then, the lights clicked on.

Ashe was just as surprised to see him. Well, slightly funny as Ashe was likely trespassing out of the blue. He’s not disappointed though. “Ashe? What are you doing in the morgue?”

Clearly caught off guard, Ashe actually seemed a little flustered. “Uh,” he cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. There’s an odd look to his face, as if he was not used to being so flustered. “H-Hi…”

It was an adorable contrast to the cool countenance from yesterday. 

and the hunger stirs deeply

“H-hey…” Of course, he shoots down any chance to be the cool one for a change. He scrambles to his feet to meet Ashe. “Sorry,  this must look kind of weird. I promise I’m not secretly dead already or something. Sometimes I just come down to… Practice. Rehearse.”

Ashe steps closer, that playful gleam returning like from yesterday. “If you are a living corpse,” he pauses as if to ponder, then adds jokingly. “That wouldn't be a dealbreaker.”  

“That’s good to know. I’m still not. But I’m glad I haven’t managed to scare you off, it’s not often I get to meet new people.”

Reese crosses his arms, trying to hide his nervousness, but unable to meet the eyes of the other, to fear his tells giving him away. “Especially new people I, um… Would like to get to know better.”

He sees the slight delight at those words, but Ashe was suddenly drawn to something else. The wall it seems. He didn’t mind. Not when it started a chain of exciting events. And well, it certainly helped that…

The retrieval of the axe gets slightly halted from the Doc’s quick return, and now Reese finds himself in the closet (Ha! Like a bad metaphor for the ages) with Ashe. He feels Ashe come closer to gaze out the small crack of the closet door, Ashe’s hand brushing against his. His reflex has him involuntarily twitching away, a quiet gasp escaping his lips. He tries to keep his voice steady in his whispers. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump you…”

“It’s okay,” His voice was so so gentle. How long was it that someone spoke to him this way, his own mother even. “I don’t mind.”

“Oh…” Reese relaxes slightly, though the whole affair made him anxious as he was excited. With a small smile back, Reese speaks up again, but he feels a blush colouring his cheeks. “Th-Then if you need to lean in, that’s okay. I don’t mind, either.”

He wonders if it was possible to feel regret and elation all at once in such intensity, especially since Ashe does lean in again. Reese does so too, trying to keep his eyes out into the office. He knows Ashe could likely hear the erratic beating of his heart and his shallow breaths, though Ashe himself makes no further comments on it. 

Once they were in the clear and free to explore the office once more - Reese trying to not look like he was hurrying out, Ashe does give a soft laugh and it was like music. “Aw… I was having fun in there.” 

He pauses in his search for the keys, heart once again caught in his mouth and a quick glance back to Ashe, cheeks dusted pink again. He could swear Ashe was all too pleased. It was like a hope, a swansong, this direct interest. He tries to search intently, unable to meet the other’s eyes. “...We could always… Spend more time together later. Once we’re done sneaking around.” 

Reese shifts to another cupboard, trying to look too preoccupied to return his focus to Ashe. “If the doc hasn’t kicked you out by then.”

Though just like a mocking force enjoying his suffering, whatever joy that built up was shattered by haunting revelations. He was only grateful that Ashe let me use the axe to ruin that drywall. And maybe he was… Slightly happy to carry Ashe once whatever that stone… slab thing knocked him out. The carvings were so intrinsic, if the doc wasn’t on a warpath and a sleeping beauty wasn’t literally sleeping in his arms, maybe it would be interesting to sketch down. 

Ashe certainly didn’t seem to mind when the revelation came up that Reese carried him down to his room and laid him on his bed. 

“Wish I’d been awake while you carried me…”

Maybe Reese should mark the calendar for today for the most occurrences that blood has rushed to his face. “I could always put on a repeat performance… If that’s the sort of thing you’d like.”

Ashe seemed more concerned about him and his current circumstances than wherever occurred upstairs. He even scored an invite to… To live with him. Well, him and a pet cat of sorts. One may think they were moving so fast but…

“It’s an exciting thought. Living… With you.”

Anywhere was better, so long as they were away from her, a place where he could keep Ashe safe

can you? so long as she lives, can you keep him safe?

They discuss plans and theories of that woman, but it eats at him, something itches beneath his skin.

Ashe offers the most enticing distraction before more anger could build. “You could always… Draw me.”

Reese tries not to think of the frenzied painting of Ashe he did last night. It was all wrong when he tried, unable to being forth the captivating features and the life in those eyes. He dreamt that the painting of Ashe came to life and…

It doesn’t matter. He ruined it somehow. Tore through the canvas.

This was a chance to redeem that. 

“If you’re sure you’re okay with sitting for a portrait… I’d love to draw you.”

He gets Ashe a chair, energised and excited at the prospect. He feels more alive than he has in years. Bolder even. After some rough lines, he decides to ask, “May I… Touch your face?”

His art model laughs, and every time Reese hears it, it’s always like a symphony that he wants to repeat. “You don’t even have to ask permission.”

He really is so… Calm about this attention. It shouldn’t be that surprising. People like Ashe… They are hardly the type to have a sparse dating history. He had mentioned offhandedly yesterday he wasn’t in a relationship now, but it just meant he had a history. There is that itch beneath his skin again, a gnawing feeling. He ignores it, pushes it down as Ashe gave him permission to touch him.

He feels the need to be gentle as he tilts Ashe’s head slightly to the side. He was so close he could smell the wisteria and jasmine on Ashe’s skin. Ashe was watching him from the corner of his eyes. Reese memorises the long lashes and gentle gaze.

“Perfect,” Reese says as he pulls away, missing the soft touch of the other’s skin on his fingertips as he pulls away. He doesn’t withdraw very far, eyes locking with Ashe who hasn't broken his own gaze from him. Ashe takes this chance to gently take his hand, bringing it to his cheek. 

“Maybe you could study my face… More closely.”

He is pulled closer, and a flurry of words come to panic because he could swear he was about to get a-

Ah. But what was that and the constant theme of things not going his way? It was only natural perhaps, that it all went to hell.

That voice. That man, creature, whatever that ghoul was. He just has to interfere, had to be a thorn at Ashe’s side. It didn’t matter. Him. The doc. They would all be dealt with now, wouldn’t they?

* * *

It was like a sudden breaking of a curse. The anger. The hunger. It all snapped and tore away. 

“She loves you Reese,” Ashe doesn’t recoil from him, a gentle hand on his face. “Leave now.”

He hears the plea, so torn, so heartbroken. For him.

“Before you do something you regret.”

“I’m not… a monster…”

The gunshot that came after that tore through him did not hurt as compared to the horror he saw flash in Ashe’s eyes. It hurt even more, the longing to be with him…

He flees.

#scarlet hollow #reese kelly #my writing #my fic #my self idulgent bullshit i am dying here #my oc: Ashelia #lots of copious in game text #anyways i am screaming to the hills until the next episode still

[crazykuroneko]

When he lost control of his new human body Lestat felt awful about what he did and he tried to make amends for it. The writers made up a violent scene that never happened in the books and that was completely glossed over in the next episode, so much so that it wasn't even the catalyst for the murder attempt. Louis took him back and Lestat became even more abusive than before, so what's the point? And it makes even less sense if in s2 it will be revelead that's not what happened, cause it's even more obvious that they just wanted a shortcut to what they believe makes for a compelling TV show.

This will be the last ask I will answer on this because this has been going on for months, and if you still don't see what I'm trying to say after you read this then you won't ever see it.

Yes, it has never happened in the book because in IWTV book, Louis has never ignored Lestat for years and again IWTVbook!Lestat has never felt nor he needed to fear Louis would ever leave him. The show decided they would go with higher stakes the moment they made Loustat practically married. In the book, Louis' turning is an attack. Lestat attacked him, let him dying, showed him how awful a vampire could be, but despite Louis said he still wanted to die, Lestat turned him. There's no level of consent whatsoever there. Louis was too weak (physically and mentally) so he let Lestat did what he did. In the show, you have them go through a courting phase for months. They fell in love with each other since the beginning. Yes, Louis was half intoxicated and suicidal when Lestat offered to turn him, but he's still the one who reached out to Lestat. He did feel Lestat saw the real him. The consent is shaky, but compared to the book, Louis knew he committed into something with Lestat there. Ep 6 just proves he did see this as a marriage. So, no, they didn't "make it up", it doesn't come out of nowhere show-wise, and that violent tendency has been there in the book. Just because Lestat has never been in that situation in the book, it doesn't mean he isn't capable of doing that. (I could even argue book!Lestat could make worse damage if he's in the same situation with the same power as show!Lestat) It's basically like a math, really. They amped up the positives (making Loustat has even deeper relationship), so they needed to amp up the negatives. Otherwise we wouldn't get IWTV, but Twilight. And, this is what some people tend to forget; yes, the show is doing the books. yes, they use the books as the base of where the show would go. but the show is ALSO its own thing. Because that's the nature of visual media, it demands the story to be more visual, to be clearer, to be more intense. It's not just for Lestat as well, show!Louis is more abusive towards Claudia (the way he tried to invalidate her anger for Lestat in Ep 6, the fact he touched her in Ep 7. I bet it will only get worse from that despite Dubai Louis trying to hide it)

The show doesn't "gloss over" the abuse. It's Louis in Dubai trying to gloss over it because he doesn't like being called a victim. (And victims of abuse don't like to be called a victim is a thing. VC vampires don't like to call themselves a victim either) The show though? Oh, they don't let us to forget it for a minute. Heck, they literally put all injuries Louis had suffered right in front of our eyes. They have Claudia reminding us "three years ago". They has Claudia again said "when he hurts you again, and he will". Yes, this is Louis' narrative, but the show also tries to show you some things through that narrative so you can't take it on face value.

"It wasn't the catalyst of the murder attempt". Perhaps, but it doesn't mean it didn't lead to Louis okayed the murder. Louis was literally there in cuts and bruises, reading a book about marriage because he started to lose the meaning of what he has with Lestat after that; he sat there with Claudia in the park, watching Lestat going back to his mistress despite his effort to patch things up, saying, "I could see us become like him in a century or two" (I can't recall the quote completely, but you get the gist). What do you mean he meant by "like him"? Definitely not about becoming a cheater, it's about becoming a monster who is capable to hurt (mentally and physically) the people they claimed to love. And Louis wouldn't have come to that if that abuse didn't happen. Lestat's action made Louis lost any hope to go on living as a vampire, and by dragging Claudia back, Lestat unknowingly gave Louis a purpose to live longer: to see Claudia free even though it means he had to kill his own husband (or at least put him in the dump for some time). It's a whole chain of reactions.

I don't see they will say it didn't happen in S2. they only said they will "revisit" it. They'll probably do it by introducing another perspective. Or perhaps they will do say the dragging and flying part didn't happen. (That's the only part that I found meh because they went too soft on Lestat's murder compared to that. Idk, perhaps they assumed the gore from the murder party before it balanced it out 🤔, but my man deserves more, really. I hope they go physically harder on him in S2) But no matter what it will be, Lestat still threw him across the room and beat him to a pulp. No matter what, it's still abuse.

Lastly, I want to go back with "BUT he felt awful and tried to make amends" Yeah, i know right, by giving her an expensive rosary, as if money could solve everything (he's so stupid *affectionately*). And now in his own body, he found her beautiful again and had the urge to kiss her, even though he just raped her. Sure. That whole thing doesn't mean he's not a monster or abuser though. Or proves he's not capable to do it again (he did capable though. see: David's turning). I mean, I love Lestat. I imprinted on him. I relate to him on a lot of things, especially show!Lestat, and I will always have a bias for him. I'll always sit here, seeing parts of the show and scream, "Look at him, he is hurting. And he did try in the beginning 😭" But loving him doesn't mean denying his atrocities. Instead, we should embrace that. Every time someone going "but he is an abuser", we should go "and what about it?". To me, every one has the rights to like/love/dislike/hate any fictional characters, as long as they don't make it into anyone's problem 🤷‍♀️ (and hating a writer for doing her job is making it into someone's problem)

#moi.txt #iwtv

[pokimoko]

@pizzee Thank you for the tagging me to join in on the TV show tag game! I have the exact opposite problem to you in that I watch way too many shows. There's so many I've watched in the last few months alone that I've absolutely loved (Andor, Severance, Poker Face, The Sandman, The Last of Us, Vox Machina, etc etc) but for this I think I'll stick with the ones that I've connected to and cherished the most of the years. It wasn't required or even asked for but all of you are getting Backstory™ for these whether you like it or not. Anyway, in no particular order, here they are:

Moon Knight: Wow, I like the show that is now my defining personality trait? Shocker. But, no, seriously, I don't think I've latched onto a show or group of characters so quickly in my life, or so intensely before. This show has (as of posting this) made me write almost 200k worth of fic about it. I got bloody Discord because of this show because the brainrot was so intense. I am part of a fandom community for really the first time in my life because of this show. It's no exaggeration to say that this show has had a huge impact on me; the dinosaurs got off easy in comparison.

Lucifer: I started watching this show when Season 2 premiered way back in 2016 and I was there watching it up until the end. It was silly and emotional and heartwarming and campy, and the characters were amazing (do I own shirts that Ella Lopez wore in the show? Yes, yes I do.) and the music was excellent. This show loved the heck out of metaphors, and I am not immune to that. Or Tom Ellis.

The Owl House: I used to be obsessed with owls when I was younger (the 'Owls of Ga'Hoole' movie was my jam, and—I'm sorry Zack Snyder directed that??? What the f—ahem, sorry, as I was saying:), and while that particular interest faded over the years, I do remember I was drawn to this show because of the name, and then the premise, and then the characters (Hunter gets a gold star for making me go "argh this guy is annoying" to "I would die for him" within a span of two appearances), and then so, so many things. I've loved a lot of cartoons, many of which deserve a spot on this list, but this one just hits so many of the right notes for me. I will die mad that Disney robbed us of a full season 3, but I will always cherish what we got.

Adventure Time: The first show I ever binged in full, and essentially what kickstarted my career as a Tumblrite (my logo was Marceline for many a year—if you find my *gag* Wattpad account it'll still be there). I still have doodles for this show from when I was 14 (many of which were Bubbline, which was also my first ship). I am the silly little Tumblr fool I am today because of this show.

Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes: I used to watch this show on TV as a kid, random episodes here and there, never enough to truly understand what was going on but enough to know the characters. It was how I first came to know Marvel, long before I even liked superheroes, and it was the reason I watched 'The Avengers', which in turn was the reason I went and saw 'Age of Ultron' (the first MCU movie I ever saw at the cinema) and then, well, the rest is history. But it all started here, with this show. (Also, let's be real, the theme song slaps.)

Doctor Who: specifically the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor's seasons, though I love Ten's as well (even if 'Midnight' and the following Library episodes—episodes I now adore—scared me off from the show for almost 7 years). I might have also been a little in love with Clara. This show has made me sob with true and utter grief (musical motifs that will make you cry without warning and other secrets your Doctor won't tell you!) and also made me feel like I'm taking acid. It's got the range darling.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: I've watched this whole thing three times. It's just…It's good. It's really good. The world, the characters, the animation/visuals, the god damn narrative. I'm still in awe of how masterful this anime was. I aspire to this level of multilayered, intelligent storytelling… and also the level of comedy. It too has the range. And god I love when shows can do that well.

Bee and Puppycat: I used to watch the YouTube series for this (along with 'Bravest Warriors' and a bunch of other Cartoon Hangover shorts) as a tween and it's just a very fond, cosy memory for me. And now there's the Netflix version and it's been wonderful to not only get more of what was already there, but more to the story in general. My childhood self is being tucked into bed and wrapped in a blanket, content in the knowledge that things left unfinished are not always over.

That really is the tip of the iceberg of all the shows I've loved over the years but we'd be here for a month of Sundays if I went on about all them, so I'll take my leave now and pass on the baton. I'm going to tag @yellowocaballero, @mockspector, @theophagism and @aster-o1d. Have fun! :3

#tag game #tv shows #my stuff #nothing makes you realise just how many tv shows you've consumed until you have to narrow it down to eight #i'm sure there are many i've forgotten that i'll probably remember tomorrow and go shit they deserved to be on the list but whatever #i like to consume stories i will not apologise #(i've literally watched three whole shows in the last two weeks alone all of which i've really enjoyed) #you guys should just be glad I didn't start listing my favourite episodes for each of these shows #the desire to be mysterious and vague versus the insatiable urge to talk about things i like with people who might also like the thing #guess which one keeps winning? #hint: you had to scroll to read this entire post #anyway none of these are particularly niche shows so i have no doubt some of you have watched these which hey! cool! i like your taste #and you probably really like found family huh? #yeah i see you

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S1 Ep 1

Note: I have just seen all 12 episodes of Season 1, and I’m watching the entire donghua in English. Now here we go!

-Is that a Jiao? (The red palanquin the servants are carrying the woman in)

-Welp, it sure got gorey fast, and the Jiao has been dropped.

-That Origami Crane has seen better days, and it doesn’t even have eyes!

-Don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… *Bride gets snatched* Okay, maybe you should’ve gone out there.

-An intense first start to a really interesting Donghua!

-Now I know not to skip the opening song this rewatch~!

-It’s an actual live Crane!

-It’s Laputa from Castle In the Sky (So need to actually finish that movie)

-It’s that town background from Genshin Impact (I literally know nothing about that game, and I’m not interested in playing it)

-It’s that bright light column from Legend of Korra (I haven’t seen the full series and I also don’t plan to watch it, Die Hard Last Airbender fan here)

-That was good animation, and the person running towards that light beam inspired a scene I’m writing my TGCF OCs Hong Hai and Qing Tao are running towards it to see who just ascended.

-Right after XL ascends, Hong Hai and Qing Tao then go, “Huh, Who is that?”  Then everybody yells at them, “PRINCE XIE LIAN!”

KOI FISH!

-Why didn’t they have the “Most likely to be cast out of Heaven reward” in my High School Yearbook, heck I could’ve gotten nominated that easy…

-I wasn’t kidding when I said Xie Lian’s English voice was like butter melting on warm fluffy flapjacks!

-Ling Wen is a savage!!!  She might the Chinese Equivalent of Athena or Themis.

-He has a fanclub?!?!?!  (I might be one of the members)

-The Official’s Okay!!! And a badass!

-So much property damage…

-Yeah it kind of is, (Hehehehehe Last airbender quote)

-They are using Yuan as currency right?

-Not like the Matrix movie right?

-That’s Lucien Dodge

-Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

-Really?  He got banished over a tea break?!

-Woah they’re all just harsh on his return to heaven

-Those translucent viewing cloths…

-Is ‘mana’ how they say ‘qi’ in the Dub?

-Magic Sleeves of Holding!  count: 1

-Aw he thanked her!

-He said his famous line people “And may all taboos be shattered…”

-It’s the Jasmine Dragon Tea shop from The Last Airbender

-And ‘Hear no Evil’ to complete the iconic Monkey Trio!

-Awww it didn’t land on his finger like in Book 1 (Oh yeah, I’m reading the first two books I purchased JSYK)

-She has him on Speed Dial (DCAU Justice League reference)

-I love how they both looked really pissed off at him, yeah XL it’s totally the latter option.

-And then she hangs up on him

-Green tea!  (I hope it’s Jasmine)

-Hahahahaha he spat out his tea! XD

-Fu Yao, *Is sarcastic and rolls his eyes* Basically me: He’s just like me fr!

-Oh and they’re staring daggers at each other!

-FIGHT!  FIGHT!  FIGHT!

-Xie Lian’s such a peacemaker!

-The fact they responded in sync

-That explains the intense cold opening

-That mission briefing took the whole afternoon?

-See what did I say?  Ghostbusters!

-Those people in the wedding procession do not look professional at all

-Hey I’m half Asian with freckles, and I think I look awesome so I’m taking full offense at your insult!

-I think it’s an unwritten rule that Alejandro Saab is typecast as a self serving asshole I’ve seen it in Nomad of Nowhere

-Wow brutal Fu Yao

-Well I honestly hope he dies

-He ripped her skirt, freaking bastard!

-How is he doing that without mana????

-Yeah beat his ass!

-Thanks Nan Feng!

-Yeah you better run

-No!  Not the Tea shop!

-Aand he got slapped W H E E Z E!

-An abacus!

-The tea shop got fixed!

-Well Fu Yao ain’t wrong

-Hehehehehehe Dick joke XD

-Fu Yao’s giggle!

-“Go sweep the floors!” “What was that?” OOOOOHHHH!

-Don’t give him Cinderella’s chores Nan Feng!

-OOOHHHHH!

-FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

-That poor poor altar!

-Not only is it dirty but you’d be disrespecting the god it was offered to SMH

-Wow diplomacy really does solve everything

-He’s got her on Speed Dial too

-The fact that they stared at him together! XD

-Sees Bride!XL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I’m Sorry XD!

-Honestly, Fu Yao, VALID.

-She fixed her skirt.

-Yeah right a few alterations, she totally fixed his make up calling it.

-Oh so now you’re smart enough to know Proverbs SMH again

-U said it Fu Yao,

-*Sees Bridesmaids NF and FY like* W H E E E Z E XD XD XD XD

-Is he smiling?  I can’t really tell in the animation.

-I can see why this episode literally came out on Halloween

-The Jiao got dropped again!

-So basically ancient Chinese zombies

-So that’s how he was able to last longer than the previous bride

-That Owl again

-There’s that butterfly

-Well there’s his groom (Not the Ghost groom obviously that’s for sure)

-Oooooohhhh! Backstory!

-Pass me the Aux cord!  You better not be playing mainstream garbage! *Turns on One Flower and One Sword and vibes like there’s no tomorrow*!

-My favorite song out of the Season 1 soundtrack!

-He’s out of the Jiao and in strong arms!

-Yep that’s totally gonna be important later

-Oh that’s how he was able to confront that bald jerk at the tea shop!

-That battle animation is so freaking fluid!  *Chef’s Kiss*

-There go the wolves

-That looks really bad, and it explains his bad reputation in heaven

-Aiaigasa!  AIAIGASA people!!!! *Fangirls like there’s no tomorrow!*

-It’s the same umbrella!

-I knew that kid was gonna be important, called it~

-I now pronounce you both husband and husband!  You may now kiss the gro- I mean, bride!  

-Don’t mind me, just gonna go jam to the rest of the ending!

#episode reaction #my reaction #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #tgcf #tgcf season 1 #Episode commentary #My reaction #episode 1 #english dub #Xie Lian #Ling Wen #Nan Yang #Xuan Zhen #Feng Xin #Mu Qing #Nan Feng #Fu Yao #Xianletrio #Hua Cheng #San Lang #hualian #xianle quartet #One flower one sword #Xianle #Tgcf oc #avatar the last airbender #atla #xianle trio

[ecargmura]

Solo Leveling Episode 6 Review - The Real Hunt

I really liked both the action scenes and the high stakes emergency quest that Jinwoo went through in this episode. It was amazing! I can see why this story is so popular now. It takes elements of the usual shounen manga tropes but uses them in a more mature, creative way.

A-1 is back to animating such quality action scenes. The entire sequence with Jinwoo fighting the giant spider was great. I don’t remember the last time I saw an action scene of that caliber; it’s been a while since I last saw one. The way he moved was so fluid. I especially loved the part where he did backflips and then climbed on one of its legs to move towards its head and stab it repeatedly. That was the best part of the Jinwoo vs Spider Boss segment.

Now, for the part with Jinwoo, Jinho and the traitors, it was an intense scene. They look down on both Jinwoo and Jinho and was even thinking of looting the latter before trying to convince him to be an accomplice. However, Jinho knows how strong Jinwoo is, so he takes his side. Jinwoo gets knocked out by the magic, but when he realizes that he has an emergency quest and that he has to kill them or he dies, he decides to choose to kill. The system is a cruel being, as it is using Jinwoo for unknown purposes; because of that Jinwoo decides that if it’s going to use him, he will do the same. I do like that while he didn’t hesitate to commit murder, he does feel conflicted towards the end. I can tell that unlike some shounen manga, Jinwoo behaves and acts like an adult here. Since he is an adult, I can see why he’d take to the extreme measures. Had he been a teenager, his decision to kill would’ve caused him to hesitate. I really liked the music played in the background. The OST is done by Hiroyuki Sawano, so you know it’s epic as heck. 

While Jinho was practically a bit useless in the whole segment, I do understand why he didn’t help out. He was still bewildered over Jinwoo fighting the Spider and seeing him murder six people in a matter of seconds would easily cause one to throw up. Despite all of the drama, I am glad that the traitors got karma handed to them. I do wonder about Dongseok’s brother, though. Will he play a part later on?

I did like seeing scenes of other characters as sort of a transition. I do wonder if they’ll play a bigger part in the future. I do wonder what will Jinwoo do going forth? What will he do now that he has soiled his hands with blood and murder? What did you think about this episode?

#solo leveling #sung jinwoo #yoo jinho #review #anime #anime review #arum journal #ecargmura