#HOW HAVE I MISSED SO MANY IMPORTANT PARTS

[tanadrin]

I think this is a really good example of a consistent cycle of human civilization, where people experience a kind of suffering, metabolize it socially by ascribing meaning to that suffering, and pointing out some fringe benefits of having to overcome that suffering, and then declare that because of the imputed meaning of that suffering and the fringe benefits that they personally experienced, that specific form of suffering is of primary importance, and it would be wrong to abolish it completely.

To break this down in a more focused way:

One: First of all, people in the replies to my original post seem to be ascribing what IMO are exaggerated effects to GLP-1 agonists. The early indication isn't that these are magic personality-altering drugs that can, e.g., obliterate the concept of Ambition from your soul. The indication seems to be that these are drugs that can blunt certain physiological feedback mechanisms people experience as an immediate craving for something, a sensation which is frequently at odds with longer-term or higher-level goals. I think most people can point to an experience of having, like, a compulsive urge toward something that is superficial in its orientation (yielding to it satisfies nothing other than the craving itself) yet unpleasant to resist.

Two: There's a sense, yes, in which we are made of meat and thus any alteration to our meat is an alteration to our "self," but there are parts of our self that are more surface level and more deeply-seated; my hair is a part of my meat and thus my self, but it's not a big part of my identity and I don't care how it's styled. For a lot of physiological experiences like these superficial cravings, they are in fact ego-dystonic, and so blunting or removing them is strictly a net gain. There are psychiatric drugs that can act on our meat in more fundamental ways, producing much more profound effects on the mind and thus on our conception of self, but AFAICT these concerns are wildly overblown when it comes to GLP-1 agonists.

Three: Self-control is a good and useful virtue. GLP-1 agonists are not a magical substitute for self-control. Different human experiences of being physically embodied are, well, different, and some people experience physiological cravings much more intensely than others. I found it easy to quit smoking in my 20s; I experienced nicotine cravings, but not overwhelming ones, and mostly missed smoking in certain situational contexts, like having a cigarette with a cup of coffee. This is an atypical experience, I gather--for many people, nicotine is so overwhelmingly addictive that quitting smoking can be a lifelong battle. The whole point of my philosophy is that here I showed no special virtue. I had no special capacity for self-control. Actually, I probably have below-average self-control! But by virtue of being physiologically lucky--experiencing weak nicotine cravings after deciding to quit smoking--I was able to do something comparatively easily, with a minimum of personal angst, that other people struggle with for years and experience profound shame over.

To say to the person who quit smoking easily, "you are virtuous" (even though they are manifestly not), and to say to the person who struggles "we will deny you a thing we know will be very helpful, in order that you might learn a virtue you are sorely lacking" isn't just callous, it's actively, deliberately cruel. And it's the kind of cruelty that's born of conflating the occasional secondary benefits of suffering (see above) with the question of whether it is good that that suffering exists in the first place. Human societies fall into the trap of justifying the status quo on such grounds all the time--people have defended everything from hitting their children to mandatory military service on this kind of "I had to suffer, and it was good for me, so you should have to suffer to" basis, and I think it stinks.

Yes, this opens up the possibility that the suffering we experience in life was ultimately not necessary and might have been, in the grand scheme of things, meaningless. That's a scary thought. But our fear that our suffering does not make us special is not a reasonable justification to demand that other people experience similar suffering, or a reasonable basis to withhold the remediation of that suffering. I feel very strongly about this!

Four:

Because guess what, just throwing meds at a psychological problem might help by pressing the reset button on someone´s habits and moods but it sure won´t change their circumstances or personality.

I'm sorry, but this reeks of "how dare drug addicts take the easy way out instead of suffering like they should"! I have no sympathy for this take. Opiates and nicotine and alcohol are not addictive primarily because of people's personal flaws, they're addictive because they subvert powerful pre-existing physiological reward mechanisms in the brain and (in the case of opiates and alcohol) physiological dependency so profound that withdrawal can kill you. Addiction is a complex social phenomenon in which social context and personal inclinations may play a role, but this is the profound central truth of addiction to these drugs: the human body did not evolve to negotiate with heroin!

Now, GLP-1 agonists are probably not a cure-all--the reporting I've seen indicates that these medications often blunt, but do not usually totally remove, the kinds of ego-dystonic craving we're discussing here. So it's good to continue to provide addicts with other supportive services. But this kind of pharmacological Calvinism, where the question of medical intervention is treated as totally irrelevant to whether a person is intrinsically depraved or is one of the redeemable Good Ones, who will demonstrate their membership in the elect and thus their deserving our pity, is repellent. It's not a sober consideration of tradeoffs, it's just a desire to see the evil addict does not escape his condition without the right amount of suffering.

Five:

Take the antidepression comparison for instance. One could argue, and I will, that failing to adress issues such as alienation, poverty, abuse, systemic oppression, and on and on, in favor of just giving people a pill has not had the desired effect. Do we see less people with depression nowadays? No. Do all of the people with depression get help from antidepressants? No. Some do (like me) and that's great. Many end up taking antidepressants their whole lives, with steadily diminishing effects.

This is where I hit full-on "go fuck yourself" territory. You seem to identify staying on antidepressants lifelong as some kind of moral failing, again because you are a pharmacological Calvinist who has imputed to all medication the aura of something morally suspect, and this is, to put it mildly, really stupid. On that basis, you cannot believe depression might arise an intrinsic disorder of the brain (far more severe conditions do!), because you have internalized the belief that, on some level, depressed people are faking it, or have been bullied by society into faking it. I have taken antidepressants for a long time, and will probably take them until I die; this is a good thing, because they enable me to keep living, and I like being alive quite a lot. This is no different from trans people taking HRT all their lives, or organ donation recipients taking anti-rejection drugs their whole lives, or nearsighted people wearing glasses their whole lives, and so on and so forth. In no other realm of human existence do we accept the need for ongoing lifelong medical intervention as evidence for a failure of medical intervention--instead, the fact that we have the option at all of relieving the suffering that arises is celebrated as a success!

Except, of course, when it comes to drug addicts. And the reason is clear: millions of people secretly or not-so-secretly believe that despite all the sympathetic noises they are socially obligated to make, drug addiction is fundamentally a failure of character, and drug addicts deserve to suffer and to die.

Last week's WITH was about the pursuit of treatments that might do for addiction what GLP-1 agonists do for cravings for food, and the guest had an interesting point about how you can have phenomena with very complex causes (the main examples here being opiate addiction and the general rise in obesity) that do not require you to untangle or address those causes in order to procure solutions. Like, is addiction a disease, a social ill, a product of trauma, a failure of willpower, or all of these things?

It doesn't necessarily matter! It turns out that "craving stuff" is a pretty basic neurological feedback loop and it may be tractable to pharmaceutical intervention. Heck, GLP-1 agonists may be that intervention: people have reported (and clinical trials are being conducted to study) that these drugs, among their many effects, simply blunt cravings, to the point where people have as a side effect of taking them for diabetes or weight loss also found they helped cut down on drinking, or gambling, or using other drugs.

So even if GLP-1 agonists don't have all the miraculous effects reported (there are some reports they may be effective as an Alzheimer's treatment!), it would be crazy if we have discovered a drug that allows us to better marshal our faculties to decide which cravings to give in to, a drug that simply imbues us with self-control. And I think that's really interesting, because it's an outright clash between two ways of seeing the world: a moralistic one in which virtues are the product of individual decisions, and in which taking a drug to achieve some outcome that "ought" to be a product of virtue might be seen as cheating, and one that reminds us that, for better or worse, we are meat, and all our complex behaviors arise as the result of the state of the meat that we are--and from which view, refusing to acknowledge the mutability of your meat in aid of achieving your goals, or even broader social benefit (addiction is really bad and there very few good options to treat it), is simply goofy.

But a lot of people's reaction to the existence of GLP-1 agonists--or for that matter any medical intervention for things which are moralized as willpower problems--includes contempt founded on being wedded to that moralizing framework. I think a lot of moralism develops as a response to conditions of existence being imposed on us that are objectively pretty miserable, and that when we discover the occasional intervention that liberates us from that pretty restrictive framework, our attitude should be one of jubilation: hear, O ye people, that what was long believed to be an implacable trade-off of human existence is no more. But I think a lot of people's reaction is to double down: I had to suffer, or someone I know had to suffer, therefore you ought to suffer as well, or else our suffering has no meaning.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Contained Monster Family (5)

Rules | Kofi | Masterlist

“Darling good to see you!!”

The vampire who was snarling at you just a week ago was reaching out to you with open arms 

Of course, it’d be a death sentence for him if you returned the gesture 

So you settled with a wave and read out the same warning that came with every check up

“Now as we begin your examination, you cannot cut, snap, outwardly threaten, vocalize aggressively to the guards present. The same actions towards me will result in a 40 hours subject to forceful neutralization. So do you agree to the terms?”

“I do!”

Letting the scientists and taser-wielding guards enter his enclosure you stood in the usual place to keep his attention

“So did you watch our video?”

Remembering the conversation you had with his werewolf husband you figured there was something important they wanted to say

“Unfortunately I haven’t. Work’s been hectic lately with so many new arrivals.”

Villar pouted, crossing his arms 

Of course the guards and the scientists all reacted as though he’d swiped at them 

Holding your hand out to tell them to continue you worked to make sure he kept busy talking to you

Wouldn’t want your only vampire to die because the team was jumpy

“Don’t be upset it was on my list of things to do today.”

Villar huffed, “Good. It would have been better to tell you in person but we’ll make do with what we have.”

“Is it anything you can give me a hint to now?”

A smile spread across his face 

“I think it’s best you see the video first then I think you’ll be rushing to talk to me.”

You left shortly after his ominous hint, promising you’d look at the video

There were quite a few other monsters you had to speak to and appease before you were finally able to make it to the records room

Pulling up the date of their scheduled meeting it was easy to use your ID card to declassify the video

“There you two are....so what exactly did you want to show me?”

The video started normally an operator warning them of the consequences before the gate pulled up no longer separating their cages

Faster than the cameras could clearly decipher they were on each other 

Kisses and hugs shared between the two as they whispered something to one another

Keeping the volume up, you watched them recount their experiences and how terribly they missed one another

Sounding like desperate star-crossed lovers in a soap opera

It wasn’t until they stopped their movements to look up at the camera 

Almost staring into your soul

Red and white eyes stare into the camera and you feel your heart began to beat faster

Did you overexert yourself today?

Take too many anti-depressants?

Why was it doing this?

It couldn’t be that those eyes made those fuzzy memories a tad clearer

Or that the sight of them sided by side reminded you of something you were sure you’d forgotten

“We have something to tell you!” “We actually are-”

But then the video cuts

A warning from the company plays 

“BEWARE THE REST OF THE VIDEO HAS BEEN FLAGGED FOR SEXUAL INTERCOURSE BETWEEN EXPERIMENT SUBJECTS UNLESS YOU ARE PART OF THE RELATIONS COMMITTEE THAN PROCEED WITH CAUTION–”

That was all you needed to hear before cutting the video 

“I guess they just wanted me to know just how…deeply in love they are…Good for them.”

Did this lower your opinion of the two?”

No Yes

Even humans who are in captivity for too long act a certain way perhaps this is just a side effect

You weren’t sure why they’d want you to see but in the end that’s not your problem

So the next time you see Rod who’s unusually more active when he sees you 

You do your best to muster a normal smile

“So you saw the video? What did you think? How do you feel?”

“Well, I’ll let you know, that when you two get together it’s worth a whole censor warning from this facility and we’ve recorded slimes ‘having fun’ with our employees. And the thing where you looked in the camera right before was very meta. If you two ever get out here I’m sure there’s a market for that kind of thing.”

“What…?”

Unfortunately, Rod eventually gathers what you think you saw and not what they originally said

He sadly goes back to his spot in the corner as he sulks 

For a minute he really thought they’d beaten him 

Well with this new road block they might never get the chance to convince you otherwise

If that’s the case no one needs to hold back anymore

[chrisstvrns]

𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐦𝐞: 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 | 𝐜.𝐬.

warnings: fluff of chris telling reader hes moving back to boston, and hes gonna be there for her and madi!!

word count: 1,111

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

you were sat in the living room of chris’ parents house, the same place where he broke up with you nearly 7 months ago. he had texted you the night prior, telling you to come by his place with madison, saying he apparently had something important to tell you. 

you were sitting on the couch, feeding madi as she softly cooed in your arms, clinging to your necklace. 

“wheres my baby?” you hear chris gently shout from the kitchen, making his way to the living room 

you bite back a soft smile, glancing down at madi as her father enters the room, crouching down infront of you. “come ‘ere, baby girl” he softly whispers, his eyes full of love as he reaches for the baby. you gently hand her to him, your heart full of love and adoration. 

“i, uh, i need to tell you something..” he mutters, looking up at you as he sits on the floor with madi

you hum, looking into his eyes. 

“im moving back to boston.. me and nick and matt. we all are..” he quickly says, like hes been waiting to say it for ages. 

“what.. what do you mean?” your voice is soft, nearly hesitant as you look at him

“i know were not technically together again.. yet.. but, madi needs me. i missed so much, the whole pregnancy, the birth, the first two weeks of her life, im her dad. and she needs me. and nick and matt, theyre her uncles. i already talked to them, were moving back home. LA doesnt need us. you do. madi does. we’ll keep the house in LA as like, a vacation house, or something, but were coming home.” 

your face softens at his words, staring into his eyes. of course you still loved him, how couldnt you? but this just proved it even more. he was willing to do whatever it took to get you back, no matter how hard you resisted. 

“chris, you cant.. you guys moved to LA for a reason, i.. your lives are there now. you have all your friends, and nicks only spacecamp office is there, the fresh love office is there, you.. i cant make you do that.” you whisper, your voice cracking. 

“you are not making me do anything. i want to. i need to. madi’s my daughter. and you.. god, youre the love of my life. your the mother of my child, and i will always love you. im not asking you to get back together. not yet, at least. im telling you that im stepping up, and im gonna be a father to madi.” 

tears threatened to spill down your cheeks, and you quickly blinked them away, trying to maintain your composure. madi let out a soft babble, completely unaware of the emotional weight filling the room. chris gently bounced her in his arms, his expression unwavering as he waited for you to process what he’d just said.  

“you really mean this,” you whispered, more a statement than a question.  

“with everything in me,” he assured, his voice steady and sure. “i’m done being halfway there for the people who matter most. madi deserves better, and so do you.”  

the sincerity in his eyes made it impossible to doubt him. you’d spent so many months trying to rebuild yourself, trying to learn how to live without him. but hearing this—seeing him fight to be present, not just for madi but for you too—tugged at every guarded part of your heart.  

“what if things don’t work out?” you asked quietly, voicing the fear you’d carried since he first walked away.  

he exhaled softly, shifting madi so he could better meet your gaze. “then i’ll still be here. no matter what. not as your boyfriend, maybe not even as someone you love again. but always as her dad.”  

his conviction broke something inside you, cracking the walls you'd built so carefully.  

“and nick and matt are really okay with this?” you asked skeptically, needing to hear it one more time.  

chris chuckled softly, a genuine sound that eased some of the tension in your chest. “more than okay. nick said madi already has his heart, she had it as soon as he found out you were pregnant. and matt? you know he pretends to be the tough guy, but you should’ve seen him when i asked him if we could all move back. practically packed his bags that night.”  

you laughed despite yourself, a soft, breathless sound that mingled with the warmth building in your chest.  

“you’re crazy, you know that?”  

“crazy about you,” he said without hesitation, his lips quirking into a small, familiar smile.  

the weight of everything lingered between you — the past mistakes, the heartbreak, and now, the tentative hope blooming in its place. maybe things weren’t fixed yet. maybe they never would be entirely. but this moment? it felt like a step toward something better.  

“you better not screw this up again,” you whispered, half teasing, half serious.  

“i won’t,” he promised, his voice low and resolute. “i swear, i won’t.”  

and for the first time in what felt like forever, you believed him.  

“you said youre keeping the LA house?” 

he nods, looking up at him witha genuine look in his eyes. 

“maybe.. if were all okay, and if me and you, if we ever get back together.. maybe we can move back out there? you know i loved that house, and you, nick, and matt, if youre keeping it, just as a vacation house for now, maybe when madis a bit older, we can move back out there?” 

his eyes nearly fill with tears at that, youre small confession of maybe wanting to get back together with him nearly killing him. he instantly nods, shifting madi into one arm, reaching to hold your hand with his free hand. 

“yes. please, yes. in two, three, four, hell, even five years, come back out to LA. all of my friends there miss you. and when they find out, and finally get to meet madi, theyll go crazy. please.” you peppers the back of your hand in kisses, looking into your eyes

your eyes well with tears, looking down at him with a genuine look as you whisper “i love you.” 

“i love you too.” 

“always have.”

“and i always will.”

and you knew that was it. that promise, the small saying, that to anyone else it would probably confuse, but that saying you and chris made up when you were fifteen. that promise to stick together forever, no matter what happens. 

you loved him. and he loved you. you always had. and you always will.

────────────୨ৎ────────────

a/n: IM WORKING ON PART SIX I PROMISE.

- aurora ᯓ✮⋆˙

find other parts of this series here

likes and reblogs are always greatly appreciated! ੈ✩‧₊˚

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[yes-no-maybe-soo]

I have a theory that Infold because it knows how much Sylus boosted their game they hold on his content as much a possible so when finally they release the final love interest, they have something new to keep people to wait in their game.

Like making people anticipate for whatever next will involve Sylus. I know poor greed, but i believe these types of companies do it.

I think this is a very plausible theory, and one I personally subscribe to. Ofc it's difficult to confirm anything regarding Paperfold's future plans for Sylus since they still refuse to give us a roadmap or any info at all as to if/when we might expect to finally receive his missing content. But their strategy is as clear as day imo: to deliberately withhold Sylus' standard cards etc. and thus back his mains into a corner, essentially forcing us to participate in all of his banners and buy his outfits, extra mats etc. b/c if we don't we simply have no chance of progressing in the game or to raise his affinity. Doing that with 17 standard cards is impossible and they know this.

As a player who joined during the Kitty Banner, the only reason I managed to pass Sylus' orbits at all is b/c I whaled during his myth, R3ing his cards. I missed out on 5 of his limited memories, the absence of which I felt keenly during his orbits. I managed just fine with the OG3 b/c they have so much base content that I had no need for their limited ones to make progress, nor to get a proper insight on their relationship with MC. Which is another thing that affects Sylus and his mains: his missing bond, anecdotes, and 4 stars mean that we also miss out on crucial lore, as well as important stepping stones in SylusMCs relationship. Most of the important info we get about either the lore or the relationship comes from limited memories. So if you miss out on those? Well, then you also miss out on a lot of crucial stuff regarding your LI. Which, again, is a strategy by Paperfold. They know we are desperate for any crumbs we can get atp. Just look at the insane numbers his myth and the recent quad banners made.

So yeah, it's a very scummy & scammy strategy by Paperfold here. It'd be one thing if they had made it clear from the get go that Sylus, or Caleb for that matter, would be premium characters. That they would be in a different category compared the OG3, that their mains would have different "game rules" to play by so to speak. But they didn't. They never marketed either of them as P2P characters (which is basically what they are). This is why many of us rightfully feel scammed, and to my understanding is a large part of the reason/basis for why the CN Sylus girlies filed a consumer fraud complaint against the company on Black Cat.

It's a frustrating and also quite frankly unnecessary situation we've all been put in, Paperfold included. All it would take to put this whole mess to rest is a word from Paperfold. Communication. A roadmap. That's literally it. None of us are asking them to drop the missing content today or tomorrow. But we are asking for an official statement as to what we as consumers can expect. Will we be given equal treatment, or no?

One would think this is asking for the bare minimum, but apparently not :/

Thank you for dropping by my inbox, and apologies for the lengthy reply (ᵕ—ᴗ—) I'm very passionate about this subject, as you can probably tell dhdjfj

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 22: The Flowers . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Ah yes, I can finally start analysing one of my favourite scenes heehehehe (the airport)

I have decided to split this analysis up into two sections lmaooo, um you can read under the cut down below the first part of the analysis if you want something that is very speculatory, and isn't necessarily evidence, more like something interesting.

First of all, the act of getting your girlfriend flowers is a classic, 'I know how to be a good boyfriend!' act, while still showing that there are problems underneath the surface. In this scene, the point of the flowers is to be a symbol. Otherwise, what would it be? Something to further show that Milkvan is cute and endearing? That doesn't line up with the rest of the airport scene which conveys their problems (all the lies and pretending).

The flowers are in this scene to be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship.

At first this seems like it sheds some positive light on Milkvan because it's obviously a nice gift, and she would appreciate it because they are her favourite colours. However, the things that Mike says in relation to the flowers seem extremely out of place and specific. Now, saying that he 'hand picked' them for her in Hawkins is a nice gesture that a lot of shippers really appreciate, but it is really important to the overall symbolism that he is the one who makes the choice about the colours. (more on that later)

He says some really 'random' stuff:

"I know you also like purple so I got some purples as well so I kind of did a 70/30 split kind of thing"

The 70/30 comment is so specific. The writers really like to put subtle foreshadowing into their dialogue, and being that this scene is at the beginning of the show, i believe it must be talking about how much he puts into the relationship versus how much he's getting out of it. An inequitable relationship is unsatisfying (x, xx), which may show that it's probably either Mike or El putting in the effort while getting nothing less out of it. (Mike puts in the effort to seem normal and functioning while not getting true happiness out of it, El puts in the effort of lying and doing romantic things while not getting an expression of love out of it, which is what she thinks she needs.)

As for him handpicking them in Hawkins.... well....

The same flowers that El, EL, picks up and inspects are the ones that Mike picked out himself in the same town. By the end of the season, their relationship is extremely different than it was at the start, the 70/30 split is no longer a split, it's simply a 0, because the flowers are dead.

So these are 2 instances so far of the characters calling upon flowers for symbolism and.... there is a third one, which is right at the beginning of S4.

See this is why I truly believe that these must be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship. Mike picked spring flowers for El, which are a symbol of their relationship being inequitable, and later on, they are used to symbolise their relationship literally dying (damn). But this here is what shows that El will be fine on her own. Time and time again, Millie and the writers have said/written that El needs to find herself and who she is without the men in her life.

So: "At first I missed [my relationship with Mike], but now I [can find happiness]."

Flowers = Mil*ven. And it's also interesting that yellow flowers symbolise friendship and purple flowers symbolise admiration, and as we know, admiration for her powers is one of the main things that Mike ends up referencing when he admits his 'love' to her.

Now, the yellow flowers being in the bouquet is interesting because, as stated very importantly by Mike himself, he was the one who picked them. Meaning, he would have made the decision, however subconscious, to put 'too many' yellow flowers into the bouquet. And another thing we also know is that yellow is Will's colour.

This colour symbolism is emphasised during the season, when Will wears the colour yellow for the majority of it, and is placed under the yellow light in this scene^

Another funny thing that I noticed is that Mike says:

"I know you like the colour yellow, but now I'm realising that it's too much yellow."

Rewatching this scene makes me think it's kind of odd for him to say that he's just now realising that it's too much yellow. As if he accidentally put too much in, and kind of realises it in that moment like he's saying sorry to her about it?? But then he just takes that realisation and turns it into a 'romantic' thing, acting like he'd intended that the whole time with the '70/30' split.

That means he didn't actually mean to. The writers are trying to convey through symbolism that Mike has been thinking of Will subconsciously the past few months, which is then confirmed by the Rink o Mania scene and the Cool Cool scene. He only regrets the fact that he did it in retrospect. Aka as soon as he sees El.

SO: The flowers are a symbol for Mike and El's relationship, showing that they put in a lot of work into the relationship, but do not get an equal amount out of it, which is unsatisfying. The flowers also are shown to be dead by the end of the season. El says that at first she missed the flowers, but in the end, she's fine without them.

NOW TIME FOR THE STRANGE STUFF

So this is at the end of S1, and if we assume that there are no, throwaway lines in Stranger things, we should be able to also assume that this is meant to foreshadow something. In my opinion, this has to foreshadow S4 and S5.

In this scene, it's clear that the kids (symbolising the audience of stranger things) are talking about something that Mike (symbolising the writers of stranger things) has left out or not explained. This is what happens in S4.

What about the lost knight? -- This refers to Mike, whose DND character is obviously a paladin, but Will draws him and paints him as a knight in shining armour. He is clearly 'lost' because he does not know what to do about his relationships with Will and El at the end of S4. He has just said he loved El, but he still wants to help Will and doesn't really know his feelings until the painting is revealed. Therefore he is lost.

And the proud princess? -- It doesn't take much deducing to know that this has to refer to El, whose arc in S4 is to realise that she is not a monster for having her powers, making her proud of who she is. The audience are worried about her and her fate, because she seems at a crossroads.

And the weird flowers in the cave? -- Obviously, I've already talked about the flowers being a symbol for Mike and El's relationship. The 'weird' part about them is that they are so inconsistent and out of place on a show like ST, because of how conformist it seems in comparison to their nonconformist message. 'In the cave' refers to the fact that the flowers are dead, and now part of the UD, which is the 'cave'.

In This LAST SCENE:

El is stood in front of the others, now with her powers that she is proud of.

Mike is stood with Will, lost in relation to his feelings towards both El and Will, not truly understanding them.

The flowers are rotting. In the 'cave' (UD)

Just something to think about <3

[livingdreams97]

Tate McRae -- "Great Coincidence"

Tate McRae x Male reader/oc

Summary: Two people from two different worlds, one from the world of sports and the other from the world of entertainment. Two people who meet by fate and realize they have something in common.

Words: 3.264

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Masterlist

POV You

Being part of the team that won the Stanley Cup this year has been my biggest dream. Ever since I can remember, my biggest dream was to be a professional hockey player and win the Stanley Cup at least once.

What I didn't expect was for that dream to come true in my first season in the NHL, much less right after graduating from college.

But all I can think about as my team raises the big cup in the air, as confetti falls onto the court and the fans celebrate at the top of their lungs , is that I have achieved my dream.

I barely had time to take off my helmet and mouth guard before they put a champions cap with the team logo on my head and the celebration began.

From the moment Aleksander the captain, or Sasha as he is called in the team, raises the cup and the celebration begins until I am at home everything is a blur.

I guess it's because of the excitement and adrenaline of winning. What I do remember is the interviews and shows that came after winning.

With the win and the interviews, my followers on social media increased exponentially in just one day. This overwhelmed me a lot, as I didn't expect so many people to start following me on social media.

But that wasn't the most surprising thing.

The most surprising thing has been the calls my representative has been making me for the last two months, telling me about all the clothing and product brands that want to work with me.

But the best thing of all, without a doubt, is that I have been able to celebrate and share this important moment in my life with my family. Above all with my niece Lucy, who has not wanted to take off her team jersey since I won and every person she meets on the street tells her that her uncle has won the cup.

Which is incredibly sweet to me , but very annoying to my older sister who is the one who has to figure out how to take off her sweater to wash it and the one who tries to shut her up when they are out and about.

Speaking of my sister, I'm on a call with her and from the voice she's using, I know she wants to ask me something.

--Call Emma--

- What can I say, you are her favorite uncle and she idolizes you sooo much. - she exaggerates with an overly sweet voice.

- I'm her only uncle.- I remind her with obviousness. - Your husband is an only child and you have me and Mia. So I'm the only uncle Lucy has.- I laugh amused.

- And what does that have to do with you being her only uncle, with you being her favorite and the one she idolizes the most? - she asks me with a certain angry tone of voice.

- Nothing, I was just pointing it out.- I answer with disinterest.

- Back to the main topic.- she says in a more cheerful voice. -When are you coming to see your niece? She adores you and misses you terribly, because she hasn't seen you since we went to see the cup final in June.- she asks curiously.

- I'm not sure, I'm kind of busy right now with interviews and sponsorships.- I answer, letting out a tired sigh.

- I don't think that going away for a weekend will do anything to you. - she comments with disinterest.

- Emma, what do you want? - I ask directly, knowing my sister very well and knowing that she wants something from me.

- Why do I have to want something to talk to my little brother ? - she asks offended.

- Because we know each other and I know when you want to ask me something and when you don't.- I answer her sincerely. - I'm not that innocent 7-year-old boy anymore that you used as your servant when you were 16.- I remind her with some annoyance.

- Don't exaggerate either, you were not my servant and you are very bad at playing the victim.- she defends herself immediately.

- I remember all the times you asked me to bring you something from the kitchen to your room, or from your room to wherever you were at home. Or when I would carry your backpack to your room when you got home? - I ask her, remembering some of the things she made me do.

- Okay, okay, maybe I took advantage of you a little when you were little.- she admits with a sigh. - But that has nothing to do with the situation now.- she assures me calmly.

- So you're not going to ask me for anything ? - I asked her ironically.

-No.- she answers immediately. -Well yes, but it's not for me.- she retracts immediately causing me to laugh.

- What do you need from me? - I asked with a smile at my older sister's attitude.

- I need you to come to Chicago this weekend.- she asks me and I open my eyes in surprise, thinking that the favor would be to send Lucy a new sweater or something like that.

- I can't do that on such short notice.- I immediately tell my sister.

- I know it's very sudden, but believe me, if you weren't my only option I wouldn't be asking you.- she assures me with some stress in her voice.

- But why do you need me to go to Chicago this weekend? - I asked her, confused by the request.

- Because they told me today that my shift at the Hospital has changed.- she begins to tell me. -But I already had plans for this Saturday afternoon with Lucy and Mia to go to a concert, but with my new shift I can't take them.- she sighs with some guilt.

- Wait a minute, is Mia in Chicago? - I ask confuse, since two days ago I was at my parents house and my little sister was there.

- No, Mia is coming on Friday and is returning to Florida on Sunday, since she was only coming to see the concert with us. - she explains to me and even though she can't see me, she sits down.

- And you want me to take the two of them to the concert? - I assure her, knowing where this is going.

- Yes.- she answers simply. -You would save my life, honestly, and then I wouldn't have to tell Lucy, who has been excited about the concert for months, that we can't go and that she won't be able to go to her first concert.- she explains with some sadness and guilt in her voice.

- You do realize that Lucy is only 7 years old and that she probably forgets that she didn't go to the concert, right? - I ask my sister.

- Have you forgotten when dad took you to see your first hockey game? - she asks me sarcastically.

- No.- I growl in response, knowing that she is right and that game was the one that made me want to be a professional hockey player.

- So you'll come and take them to the concert? - she asks me hopefully.

- Yes, I'll talk to Mia to find out what plane she's going on and I'll try to get a ticket at the same time so we can go together. - I agree, knowing that she's right and that if I can prevent my niece from being sad, I'll do what I can.

- Thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved my life. - she thanks me very happily. - You'll see how happy Lucy will be that you're going with her to the concert. - she assure me energetically.

- Well now when I talk to Mia and buy the plane ticket I'll send you a message with the details.- I told her getting up from the couch and walking to my room.

-Perfect, if you have anything just write to me.- she says and we say goodbye.

-- End Call--

Once in my room, I text my little sister and ask her what time her flight to Chicago is.

While I wait for her response, I sit at the desk in front of my bedroom window and turn on my laptop.

My little sister's response didn't take long to arrive and she not only told me the time, but also sent me a screenshot of her tickets.

Thanks to the screenshot, I can see the plane number and the airline she will be traveling with. So with all the information I have, I go to the airline's website and start looking for the flight Mia will be on.

I do a little celebratory dance when I see that there are only 2 seats left on the outbound flight and 12 seats on the return flight. Which means I won't have to catch a plane at a different time.

I quickly buy the tickets and send them to my cell phone. Once the tickets are purchased, I start packing my suitcase for the three days and two nights I will be in Chicago, taking into account the weather in that city.

Once I have everything ready, all I have to do is pack the last things I need on the last day and get on the plane.

Tate POV

After finishing the European part of the tour, it was time for the United States part and it was being exhausting.

I wrote and hearing thousands of fans singing them at the top of their lungs next to me is indescribable. But that doesn't mean it's not completely exhausting and I fall asleep every night as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Today was Minneapolis' turn, where the energy of the crowd was incredible and I left without a shred of energy.

Maycee: I can't move an inch.- complains one of my two amazing dancers lying on the couch in the locker room.

Amari: Are you telling me or are you telling me? - another of the dancers asks sarcastically while lying on the floor.

Stevie: I feel sticky.- complains my other dancer drinking water.

Tate: And then what about me? - I ask them amused, trying to catch my breath. - I'm the only one who sings and dances at the same time, and you're the ones complaining. - I comment, seeing how everyone looks at me badly.

Findlay: That's because you're an amazing artist and we're just mere humans.- she replies with an innocent smile.

Alex: Besides the fact that you are you and the others are not.- he laughs sitting on the floor next to Amari.

Matt: Guys, shower and get comfortable, the bus leaves for Chicago in 40 minutes.- the tour manager tells us.

We all nodded and parted ways to shower and change into comfortable clothes for the night on the US tour bus.

Because unlike the tour in Europe, where we traveled by plane and bus because the distances between places were longer. So travelling by bus alone to get from one place to another in one or two days was impossible.

But on the US leg of the tour, the distances are shorter and we may only travel by bus. Which means movie nights and karaoke until we realize it's too late.

But I think I'll just go straight to bed and rest today. Because tomorrow we'll have all day to explore Chicago while they finish setting up the stage and getting everything ready.

So the next day we will only have to do a soundcheck in the morning and give the concert in the afternoon. Plus, a whole day in Chicago where we've already looked for plans and things to see takes energy.

So as soon as we get on the bus, I go straight to my bunk and as soon as I lay my head on the pillow I fall asleep.

But just before I fall asleep, I feel my stomach churning with nerves, just like it does right before I go on stage. It's like my body is anxiously awaiting something I'm not yet aware of.

POV Your

I roll my eyes at my sister's insistence and her repetitive speech about what I should or shouldn't do in any case. The reason is that she is making up impossible or 1 in a million situations.

Emma: So what do you do if a stranger asks you about your blood type? - she asks me again for the second time.

Y/n: You do realize we're just going to a concert, right? - I ask, tired of her questions. -We're not going to a black market for organs.- I assure her, throwing my head back on the couch and closing my eyes.

Emma: I'm sorry for worrying about the safety of my daughter and siblings. - she defends herself with a certain amount of sarcasm.

Y/n: It's one thing to worry, but you're been obsessive.- I say, relaxing completely against the couch.

Emma: Whatever you say, but make sure Lucy wears her watch at all times and doesn't take it off or lose it at any time.- she points her finger at me seriously.

Y/n: Don't tell me it's one of those watches with GPS.- I look at my sister amused.

Emma: Of course it is.- she answers me with obviousness. -It makes me feel safe if she is wearing it and even more so in situations like a concert, where there are thousands of people.- she explains doing something with her phone. -I just sent you the application and the username with the password.- she alerts me when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.

Y/n: If that makes you feel safer, I'll do it right now.- I assure her, taking my phone out of my pocket and entering our chat.

I start downloading the watch app on my phone when my little sister and niece walk into the room.

Mia: Are we leaving or what? - she asks excitedly, practically jumping in place.

Y/n: Yes, please.- I ask, quickly getting up from the sofa and approaching the girls.

Emma: Wait until I give you the tickets, you idiot.- she says, passing behind me and slapping me on the back of the neck.

Y/n: Ouch.- I complain rubbing the back of my neck and watching my sister and niece laugh. -And what are you laughing at? - I ask them approaching them raising an eyebrow.

Lucy: We are not laughing, uncle.- She shakes her head vigorously, holding back her laughter.

I quickly approach her and pick her up, tickling her. My niece squirms in my arms, trying to escape the tickling and get back to the ground.

Emma: Here are the VIP passes for the meet and greet and the concert.- says my sister returning to the room.

Mia: Give me, give me, give me.- she asks, running towards our sister and stretching out her hands to receive the pass.

Emma: If you lose it, you'll be left without a concert and without anything. - she reminds her, giving her the pass.

Mia: Not even my worst dreams I'm going to lose this wonder. - she says, taking the pass in her hands and giving it a kiss before hanging it around her neck.

I shake my head, amused by my little sister's attitude, as I approach the eldest of the three and receive the other two tickets from her.

With the tickets hanging around my neck, we walk to the apartment door and Mia is already walking out.

Emma: Remember everything I've told you and be very careful with Lucy, she's been a bit of an escape artist lately. - she reminds me, holding the door when we're already outside.

Y/n: Don't worry, go to work calmly and trust your brother.- I tell her with a smile.

Emma: That makes me worry more.- she assures me, looking at me badly.

Y/n: That's your problem now.- I shrug my shoulders. -Lucy, tell mommy goodbye.- I say to the little girl I still have in my arms.

Lucy: Bye Mommy! - she exclaims excitedly with a big smile.

Emma: Bye honey.- she says goodbye leaving a kiss on her cheek. -And behave well with Uncle Y/n.- she asks her daughter who immediately nods energetically. -Have a good time! - she exclaims as we begin to walk away down the hallway.

Mia: I will if we manage to get there on time.- she answers with a certain attitude.

I just shake my head in amusement at my little sister's teenage attitude. Once in the elevator to the garage, I notice my sister who can't stop looking at herself in the mirror on the wall and adjusting her clothes.

It is at this point that I notice she is wearing a black hockey jersey with grey and white details , with a T8 on the front and a MCRAE 20 on the back. I look over at my niece and see that she is wearing the same jersey.

Y/n: And those jerseys? - I ask, confused by the clothes.

Mia: It's the Tate concert merch.- she answers taking a photo in the mirror.

Y/n: From whoms merch? - I ask confused, exiting the elevator when the doors opened and receiving another blow to the back of the neck, but this time from my little sister.

Mia: Whose is it? - she asks me offended, walking beside me. -How dare you not know who Tate McRae is.- she accuses me, looking at me badly.

Y/n: Do you know who Wayne Gretzky is? - I ask with a raised eyebrow.

Mia: No.- she answers with obviousness. -But now we are talking about the incredible Tate McRae, who is a singer and an incredible dancer.- she assures me, climbing into the passenger seat when we reach the car I have rented.

Y/n: I'm glad you admire someone, but that doesn't mean I and the rest of the world have to too.- I assure her amused, tying my niece in her high chair and making sure she's secure.

Mia: Anyway, who doesn't know the name of the artist at the concert they're going to? - she asks me as I sit in the driver's seat.

Y/n: Considering that I found out about the concert just a few days ago, I think it's understandable.- I answer while driving towards the stadium where the concert will be. - Besides the fact that I'm only here to accompany you girls, the ones who are going to enjoy and have a good time with an artist that you like.- I remind her with a smile.

Mia: I assure you that you will also enjoy it, Tate is an incredible artist and her actions are very catchy.- my sister assures me while touching the car screen. -And so that you don't go without knowing a single song, for the next 20 minutes you will listen to her most listened to songs and thus you will be able to know some songs.- she says and immediately some upbeat music starts playing. -Because you are not going to embarrass me for not knowing a single song.- she assures me and starts singing when the artist does too.

I just laugh in amusement at my sister and her incredible eloquence. Although I have to admit that I have not stopped bobbing my head to the rhythm of each song and I agree with my sister that the songs are catchy.

But that's something I'm not going to admit to my sister and agree with her that the songs are catchy, because all she needs is to be more conceited at 16 years old.

I just hope that both my sister and my niece enjoy this concert and that they have a good memory of today. Because for me, the happiness of my family is the most important thing in my life.

I want to know what is your guys favorite Tate McRae song?

[starskytohutch]

Hollywood's Hidden Queer Genre (The Buddy Genre) and How Starsky & Hutch did a queer-coded episode in America's Homophobic 1970s. - An Essay from my NTU College Course Fantastic in Western Vis Arts!

So, what is the Buddy Genre? It is a story typically between two characters, but it can sometimes be a group of friends who work together towards a similar goal. Their friendship will provide the drama and resolution of the movie's plot. Typically, these characters are not identical in personality and often have differing or opposing personalities. Okay, it is a Hollywood genre about friends; what is so gay about that? This genre is about friendship and platonic relationships, is it not? However, nuance quickly makes this genre bleed into the romance genre as it uses dialogue, blocking, and mise-en-scene to create queer romantic subtext. It is argued that many buddy films have heterosexual b-plot romances. However, these are implemented to remind the viewer that these romantic relationships do not undermine the most prominent relationship of our two same-gendered buddy protagonists. In every buddy film, their relationship always trumps as the most important, or else the movie is not a buddy film. It is a romance.

A b-plot is a side plot to progress the main storyline. Our main storyline is that of two same- gendered protagonists. This is why a same-sex relationship can get blurry in the buddy genre. Suppose a romantic relationship trumps a platonic one. In that case, it is a love story. Still, when two people of the same gender reflect the same emotions in a possibly arising romantic relationship, it suddenly becomes a powerful friendship. Only recently have same-sex romance stories been allowed to flourish, obviously and honestly! That is precisely why the buddy genre is so unique; it takes analysis to decide whether the relationship is a robust platonic friendship or a clever take on queer characters and relationships! I find it even better when media unintentionally queer codes these characters, but due to their traits or situations, the queer agenda blossoms and takes form. 'Queer-coded' refers to the subtle or indirect portrayal of queer characters or relationships in media. That is where Starsky & Hutch, A Coffin for Starsky, comes in.

Starsky & Hutch is a formulaic cop show from the 1970s based in Los Angeles, California. The series ran for four seasons, each with 25 episodes, each about 40-50 minutes. Starsky & Hutch ruled prime-time television during the 70's, and they were even referred to as French Kissing Prime Time Homos in a blooper reel. Starsky & Hutch is part of the buddy genre and the subgenre Buddy Cop. "The "buddy" aspect of the genre implies a professional partnership that often evolves into a personal friendship throughout the film.". Before this essay can go any further, I will refer to a social media blog post that best describes the 20th-century buddy formula in Hollywood.

"We've got two best friends, and the show NEVER really feels right if one of them is missing unless the focus of the story is how A & B operate without each other while trying to find the other one. They stick with and rescue each other unfailingly in scenarios that might destroy a regular friendship- Between the inherent closeness of being narrative foils. The regularly scheduled life or death drama creating sometimes remarkably romantic (in the narrative if not a literal sense) drama between the two. The revolving door of weekly women they never seem to get attached to enough to leave one another. The non-serialized nature resulting in sparse personal information/history about the protagonists as a result." (Excerpt: Why Do Old-School TV Duos Have SUCH MLM Vibes?!)

A Coffin for Starsky begins with Dave Starsky being drugged in his bed by an intruder. He is left with 24 hours to live if he and Hutch do not manage to find the culprit and the drug injected into his bloodstream. Starsky and Hutch race against the clock for a chance at the antidote while Dave's health slowly dwindles throughout the day as time passes. As formulaic TV goes, Hutch finds the culprit and gets an antidote for Starsky, saving his life so the show doesn't end after the episode aired.

Let us dissect! Before Starsky can go completely unconscious, he calls Hutch. Unpack that, a veteran detective cop with seven years on the force and direct connection to the police decides to call his partner instead of the cops. He puts his life in the hands of Hutch. When he makes this call, all Starsky manages to grumble out before passing out is Hutch's name and the word help. It is fascinating that all Starsky must do is say his name in a specific tone, and Hutch knows something is wrong. We cut to the

two riding in an ambulance, which, to ride in an ambulance with someone, you typically must be a relative of some sort, but we will pass it off as the two may be getting some special privileges being cops. We arrive at the hospital, and paramedics rush in Starsky. When Starsky wakes up, the first thing he sees besides doctors is Hutch inside the room. Hutch and the Doctor leave Starsky to be for a minute and step out. A crucial piece of dialogue appears. The doctor asks to speak to Hutch alone-

Doctor: I understand you and Detective Starsky have been partners for some time now. Hutch: That's right, Doctor: Yes, he said you were his best friend. Ken Hutchinson: what are you trying to tell me? (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky & Hutch)

This dialogue is brave, considering the mise-en-scene. Hutch could have easily corrected this partner's misunderstanding by agreeing with the doctor after he brought up the afterthought of "best friends." Instead, Hutch waves it off to suggest to the doctor that the whole partner thing is the correct answer and he doesn’t need to pry. The implications of Starsky and Hutch begin teetering towards more than work partners and best friends when we hear this dialogue. The doctor sees through their façade. Asking him the same question twice, he subtly tries to confirm with Hutch that he is the closest person to Starsky and is a type of family. The solitude of Starsky and Hutch riding to the hospital and Hutch being the person with Starsky in the hospital room is the confirmation. Hutch senses the doctors' implications of something more than a friend, and he cannot sincerely disagree without being dishonest. The doctor furthers this idea when he tells Hutch,

Doctor: His relatives and any other close friends should be notified. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky

& Hutch) The doctor's advice to Hutch is specific and telling. He suggests that Starsky's 'close friends and relatives' should be notified, clearly indicating his understanding of the nature of Starsky and Hutch's relationship. Hutch gets hot and argues until he realizes that Starsky specifically asked the doctor to tell him something.

Doctor: He asked me to tell you. Said he hates soapy scenes. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky &

Hutch) This seemingly casual statement holds a deeper meaning. It implies that Starsky is aware of the potential romantic interpretation of their relationship and wants to avoid it, possibly to protect their professional image or because he is not ready to confront his feelings. When a patient hears their dying in a day, you have the most crucial person in your life there to listen to the news; in this case, it is Hutch. The two decide that with their brains combined, they can help the doctors find a cure by catching the culprit. After the decision, the two argue like an old married couple because Hutch didn't do the domestic task of bringing Starsky's spare clothes.

An iconic, if not the most iconic, line from Starsky and Hutch is when Hutch asks whom they should trust, and Starsky replies, "Me and thee." In one of the very first episodes, this little one-liner between the two is them against the world. Starsky reprises it when the two cops leave the hospital to search for the culprit.

Starsky: As I see it, It's who do we trust time. This reprisal is significant. Often formulated shows do not use reprisals, even of lines, because it means you had to tune into a previous episode to get some clarity. This line is reprised to highlight the episode's theme of two partners being one. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky & Hutch)

Charlotte is a chemist at the police station, helping Starsky whenever he gets ill. Hutch interacts with Charlotte uniquely; Hutch is very platonic. He has all his focus on Starsky, and when he does something like holding Charlotte's hand or making her coffee, it has no weight. Compare this to Hutch at the hospital putting an arm on Starsky's shoulder; there is a weight and connection you can read from the action. It is comforting, loving, and reassuring. With charlotte? It is Hutch reassuring himself that someone's on duty to care for Starsky. Since the beginning of the show, the two are playboys of sorts; in the serialized pulp fiction, Hutch is described as "Even working out in gym attire, he looked like a Beverly Hills socialite." (Starsky & Hutch #5, pg.8). I will skip ahead of the episode to a pivotal moment where we meet one of the most important scenes of the episode.

Starsky's illness is progressing during a search for a prime suspect. He falls to the floor with stomach pain. Immediately, he latches onto Hutch as if this man were going somewhere unbeknownst to him. Hutch immediately cradles Starsky, letting him lean into his chest and lap to steady him. Starsky tries joking around while Hutch soothes him. There's a constant movement from both characters to grab onto each other; they know they do not have much time. Hutch feels like he is grieving in real-time, and Starsky feels like a dead man walking; all they have is each other. This scene contains this constant blocking and grasping for each other. Starsky frequently looks for Hutch to grab onto his hand, leg, shoulder, arm, and the inside of his coat. His body language and blocking tell us he is searching for every part of Hutch to ensure he is there, not going anywhere, and that Starsky is not alone in his desperation. These swift movements are intimate and honest and grasping for life. For a 70's show, a man showing this much vulnerability, let alone with another man, is incredibly taboo. Starsky starts to feel his life slipping away; Hutch is the lifeboat. Hutch's movements compliment Starsky's erratic and intense skinship. Hutch's hands are leading, grounding, and stable. A hand on Starsky's shoulder and chest is firm and steady. He lifts Starsky back up with both arms and moves with Starsky, never against him, supporting him. The movements, these actions, and this choreography are incredibly intimate, honest, and always towards each other. It is like connecting two magnets. They just don't want to separate unless forced to and are always attracted to each other.

Starsky is not looking to lie down and take a breather; he is looking for Hutch because that is his breather. Hutch does not look to lay Starsky down either or find a comfortable place to take a break; he knows he is that comfortable place for Starsky. Even in such challenging situations as this one, friends are not that intimate. Consider a Comparison. Max and Lucas from Stranger Things season 4, specifically the scene of Max dying. These are the same scenarios; the only difference is that Max and Lucas are a romantic couple. Lucas holds Max as she almost passes away, yet this scene between 'best friends' is more intimate.

When they are back at the police office to get medicine for Starsky, Starsky admits he is scared to die. Hutch responds by leaning close and cracking some jokes, reflecting how Starsky was comforting

Hutch earlier in this episode. They have flipped their usual dynamic, Hutch being worried and quick to emotions, while Starsky jokes and thinks quickly. It has become more severe than ever. As soon as Hutch sees some pain flare up in Starsky, he leans further into Starsky before asking for Starsky's medicine ASAP, going as far as to roll Starsky's sleeve up and then adjust it back when the pain killers have been admitted. Hutch keeps his hand on Starsky's arms. The painkillers for Starsky do not keep Hutch at bay; he starts getting angry, and his patient mask drops. He cannot grapple with the fact that no matter how hard Hutch tries or who he takes Starsky to, there is no cure, and time is against them. Starsky deescalates Hutch

Starsky: Softly, don't antagonize the people I need. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky & Hutch) His tone is gentle, sweet, and considerate, again, not towards Charlotte, but in a way to bring Hutch back

down to earth. Hutch can only calm down via Starsky, as is known from previous encounters throughout the episode with the Doctor and Charlotte.

As we are about to give up, we hear what is one of the most loaded pieces of dialogue and exposition on television (In my very biased opinion). Starsky delivers this glowing gem of a loaded metaphor, "If this were a cowboy movie, I'd give you my boots," in doing so, he stretches his arm out, opens his hand, and asks for Hutches. Hutch, in the public open setting of the police station, takes his hand and holds it. Their holding hands is no handshake, no quick reassurance; this is intentional, emotional, and romantic. The Western genre has often been queer-coded; Think Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other by Willie Nelson. So, to say to the most beloved companion in one lifetime that if this were not only a Western movie but a COWBOY movie and to tell Hutch as he knocks on death's door that he would give Hutch what a cowboy's most prized possession could be; Is to say, you are a part of me, and I am entrusting you with that. Starsky follows his metaphor up with, "

Starsky: You're my pal Hutch- but the two, in one of their most intimate moments, are cut off- by a witness who recognizes who

drugged Starsky. It becomes a big deal when they're caught holding hands. Starsky scatters to untangle

their hands and, in doing so, accidentally grabs a prop with rapid and embarrassed body language. He's trying to pretend he didn't pour a bit of his heart out in public while Hutch gets defensive.

"It's really incredible that they are, for a very long time, holding hands in the squad room. Hutch is so reluctant to break the hold that he practically slams Starsky's hand down on the desk when Mrs. Haberman comes forward with the photographs, exploding "Lady – !" and then, in frustration to another officer, anxious to get her away from him, he says, "Ted, will you ...?'" (Excerpt, MerlTheEarl, Episode 21: A Coffin for Starsky Review)

Eventually, she offers a piece of information critical to the case. The two scamper off to possibly find their culprit and cure, but we come across a standoff. Hutch and Bellamy (a suspect part of the larger crime) are on the rooftop as he shoots at Hutch. Starsky is barely staying alive, almost not making it up the stairs. He taunts Hutch and shouts, "What's the matter, Hutchinson? Did you lose your peace(piece)?". This homophone is carefully picked to entail that Hutch cannot be someone alone; he needs Starsky to be whole, his peace and or piece. It works both ways. Watching this unfold, Starsky decides, with what little strength is left in his body, to shoot Bellamy and save Hutch. Hutch does not want to shoot or injure Bellamy to ensure a cure for Starsky. Starsky gives up his life for Hutch as Hutch was willing to for Starsky. For just a split second, his vision and thinking are clear, and it is for the safety and livelihood of Hutch. Hutch realizes what has happened, and he also realizes this is the last of him and Starsky as soon as he drops the dead body of Bellamy. He walks over to Starsky, asking him why he did that, knowing full well why. Starsky knows that Hutch knows, too, and gives Hutch a small confirmation by telling him,

Starsky: Seemed like a good idea at the time. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky & Hutch)

He falls into Hutch's arms at a last grasp of life and looks longingly into his eyes before going down with Hutch holding him up and his head on top of Starsky's. Hutch loses that cop sensibility Starsky held him accountable for and finds the very last clues to get him a cure after admitting Starsky to the hospital. He first goes to shake down Vic Bellamy's girlfriend and then quickly puts together what a college professor is doing. Notice how Hutch is incredibly calm when he gets to the Professor, the real mastermind. When

Hutch finds the thread connected to the ball of yarn (Professor masterminding with Vic Bellamy to kill Starsky), Hutch remains calm and reasonable. He knew he was on a ticking clock, and without Starsky, Hutch knew that to save him, Hutch had to be reasonable and calm, as Starsky would have been if he wanted to reach him successfully.

Hutch: I'm asking you to save my partner's life. (A Coffin for Starsky, Starsky & Hutch) He is taking those cowboy boots Starsky would have given him, using that other half of himself (Starsky) to keep himself whole. Hutch makes it to the hospital with relief and love written on his face. It is such a sweet smile, and it comes with Hutch looking like he is also on the brink of tears. Again, Hutch and the doctors are the only ones in the room with Starsky. Of course, an episode so queer-coded in the middle of the American 70s could never air without just a bit of heterosexuality thrown in there as if to say, "Guys, they weren't gay. See, Starsky wants to go to a beach, and see ladies!".

The Buddy Genre is often queer and has been since it has begun. It sprouted from men needing to see close male friendships, which quickly started blending into something that could be gay. The genre holds blurred lines between friendship and romance of the same sex, often male friendships, to be specific. Starsky & Hutch tackles this. Although they frequently have one-off relationships with women, they always end up by each other's side, not a woman's. Until the show's end, if it was between the love of their life or each other. As we have seen repeatedly, they always choose each other, such as leaving a heterosexual romance or risking their own life or livelihood. Their detective cop jobs further these two's romantic fates for each other. Their heterosexual romantic relationships will fail every time since anguish, danger, and turmoil come with being a Detective Cop. Fortunately, these two and many other buddy movies or shows are in the same boat. In Hutch's own words,

Hutch: Would you consider that a man who spends seventy-five percent of his time with another man has got certain tendencies? We work, eat, and drink about twelve of those hours, right? That's sixty hours a week, seventy-five percent of the time we spend together, and you're not even a good kisser. (Death in a Different Place, Starsky & Hutch)

Take actor Paul Michael Glaser's word.

"I think it's very real (the spark of gay tension between his character Dave Starsky and David Soul's Hutch); I think it's important to understand that yeah, there's homoerotic elements... You have to be able to recognize there is a part of all of us that is homoerotic." (Excerpt, Starsky & Hutch's Gay Secret Exposed!)

Works Cited

Baume, Matt. "Gay Bar Murder Mysteries, from Starsky & Hutch to Murder She Wrote." Youtube, YouTube, 9 Aug. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgAHn3SilhQ&lc=UgwHdXHBFY_hM6k- 86h4AaABAg.A8ENRpzWC9mA8G2VAcC9JD.

DeGuzman, Kyle. "Buddy Cop Movies - Genre Explained with the Best Examples." StudioBinder, StudioBinder, 6 November 2023, www.studiobinder.com/blog/buddy-cop-movies/.

Franklin, Max. "Chapter 2." Starsky & Hutch #5, Ballantine Books, New York, New York, 1977, pp. 8–8.

Lars. "Why Do Old-School TV Duos Have SUCH MLM Vibes?!" Tumblr, 3 May 2024, https://www.tumblr.com/ichayalovesyou/749465945358155776/why-do-old-school-tv-duos-have- such-mlm-vibes. Accessed 17 September 2024.

MerlTheEarl. "Episode 21: A Coffin for Starsky." Merltheearl, WordPress, 27 January 2010, https://merltheearl.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/episode-21-a-coffin-for-starsky/. Accessed 17 September 2024.

"Starsky & Hutch a Coffin For Starsky." McCowan, George, director. Starsky & Hutch, season 1, episode 21, ABC, 3 March 1976.

"Starsky & Hutch Death in a Different Place." Roley, Sutton, director. Starsky & Hutch, season 3, episode 6, ABC, 15 October 1977.

8. "Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 9 | Max's death" YouTube, uploaded by ItzBrody, 2 July 2022,

[whotfelsewantedtobelynnyx]

When I say this, I don't mean her usual hissing, snarling, happily-nodding-to-being-called-a-psycho self. I want our girl to be comfortable enough to be her authentically non-human self, AND to be curious enough to ask about the human culture things she's been missing out on (because let's be honest, people she's escorting to the afterlife rarely are feeling chatty). So let's pretend for a minute that the coven gets to move into a big house together and live happily ever after so we can have some cute headcanons <3

- Rio (surprisingly) enjoys being given chores to do around the house, as long as they're sort of outdoorsy. Billy reasons that for her, they're like little side quests in a video game- not particularly important to the plot, but satisfying to complete. - The coven surprised her with a greenhouse one solstice. It took some convincing (and a striptease) from Agatha to convince her that a greenhouse was for PLANTS to live in, not green witches. - Because Rio technically doesn't need to eat, her definition of 'edible' consists of anything that either smells intriguing or looks like it would feel good in her mouth. Things she's been caught biting/eating (she doesn't always CONSUME what she tastes) include:

- Candles - Multicolored yarn - Air freshener jellies - Hair dye - Jennifer - Glitter - VERY poisonous potions ingredients (they make her mouth feel fun and tingly) - Lotion - Fidget putty - Many, many cosmetics (she's banned from Jen's bathroom) - Agatha (repeatedly) - Billy now has an ongoing quest to find 'edible' versions of what she's nibbling on for her to snack on. Rio is politely confused by it, but still tastes everything he brings her (the jelly crystals he bought off TikTok are currently her favorite) - Rio is absolutely enraptured by body modifications. She's seen them before, of course, but hasn't had a real chance to ask about them. Now that she's spending more time around witches who have them, she's incredibly intrigued. Rio, curiously examining Alice's arm:

Alice: Um. Hello?

Rio: How does that...work? Alice: Huh? My tattoo? Rio: Yes. Is the longevity magical? Alice: Oh, you meant- no, that’s not what makes it permanent. You use a needle to sort of…poke the ink into the skin so it stays a part of it.

Rio, cocking her head: Like a scar, but with pigment?

Alice: …sure, I guess you could put it that way.

Rio, grabbing her arm so she can get a better look: Hmm. Interesting.

Alice: Uh- okay, then.

Rio: And your hair? Does a needle do that too? Seems impractical with the rate that hair grows, no?

Alice, who’s resigned herself to her fate by now: No. I put a chemical on it that sticks to the pigments in my hair and pulls them out. Then I put dye on it, just like you’d do for fabric.

Rio, tilting her head the other way: Hm…

*several minutes later*

Jen, walking by with Agatha: Um.

Alice, sitting patiently by while Rio pokes at her like a cat pawing at a toy: Hey.

Jen: …I have questions.

Agatha, poking her head in: Ditto.

Rio, not looking up: Her body is fascinating.

Alice, shrugging: My body is fascinating.

- Rio dumped a pile of supplies onto Alice’s bed like a week later and demanded she help her dye her hair. (They ended up putting some green and purple streaks throughout, which Rio was DELIGHTED with).

- When summer rolled around, Billy decided to teach Rio how to ride a bike (they tried driving lessons first, but quickly decided that was a bad plan). They had several SPECTACULAR crashes before she finally got the hang of it, which left them both banged up and Jen with a major headache. (Rio, for her part, was rather pleased by that- she’d never actually had a scraped knee before and was intrigued by the experience)

- Like eating, Rio mostly sleeps for recreation. Therefore, she has a habit of sleeping in incredibly awkward or inconvenient locations. The coven has gotten used to either working around her or calling Agatha/Alice to move her to a more reasonable spot (they usually just carry her, rather than trying to wake her up).

- Rio’s idea of an acceptable pet is very different from the rest of the household. She does not care. (Alice had to call in some favors from some old law enforcement friends after the local zoo was…raided.)

- Rio’s definition of socially appropriate personal space is also very different from the rest of the coven. As far as she’s considered, anyone who’s clothed and isn’t IMMEDIATELY shoving her away is fair game. Alice and Lilia are both much more tolerant of this than Jennifer.

- Although she doesn’t strictly NEED to (when she speaks to a soul, they naturally hear her in their native language), Rio speaks over a thousand languages. Out of all the people in their coven, Lilia appreciates this the most. They have a quiet morning tea together from time to time so Lilia can speak her mother tongue to someone else for awhile (Rio mostly just soaks up the company. It’s been a few centuries since she’s gotten to really spend time with people, and she’s missed it).

One of like 284237 reasons I want an 'Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies' AU for AAA: So that Rio can actually hang out with human beings for reasons that are neither death, sex, or some combination of the two for the first time in centuries and be the adorkable, weird-ass cryptid amongst humans she's meant to be

[dykedvonte]

I think the most baffling thing about the Tulpar as a vessel to me is the fact that the ship really did only have a one way communication system.

I know it was cheap but even the most basic of vessels regarding major transport would have some way, shape or form for outside communication. Not only that but there was absolutely no form of innate emergency signal to show they may have been offline or in trouble despite clearly having a system to dock credits if they went off course. It's another factor that really shows that bad situations are made to get worse by design. One person who is required to relay all information to the crew and make all the choices without feedback. No way to update or call for help in case of a dire situation. No way to inform of inner personal conflicts and acquire procedures accordingly.

It really is like they are all in some sort of fucked up solitary confinement. They have their own world with strict roles that are meaningless in the end, as long as the cargo makes it, it doesn't matter what happens on that ship to the company. They don't want to hear anything and will come to conclusions on what happened based on how much pay they can withhold from the workers. Even what they do send is short, sterile and corporate to the extent it was likely written and sent out with a command by some random unmanned computer in an office.

There's something to be said about how unfair it is to force absolute power and control onto one person when you as an entity could do so much more to offload it but I've said it many times before so I won't again.

[twinstxrs]

there’s probably something deeply wrong with me because every time i see someone react to the pok gukgak interrogation scene it’s like “oh no oh my god is riz’s dad a bad guy?” when the first time i saw that scene my only thought was “oh my god is riz’s dad HOT??”

[kismetconstellations]

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart) x.

[rickgrimesdoingrickthings]

As soon as the walkers started to come out from the building, Rick made sure to stab their head using the metal pipe, one by one. He seemed to be struggling a bit to keep his balance as he attacked, the pipe almost getting stuck in the last walker- and Rick was very glad she had taken the remaining ones out.

He felt his body ache. Rick could feel his wounds, feel his limits. Despite the brief worry and sadness in his eyes, they were still full of determination to keep moving forward.

"Yeah...guns attract walkers. And people. Honestly, I don't even know anymore what's worse."

Rick was glad they thought alike, specially in the most important topics. Stealth over conflict, being careful rather than impulsive. Yes, he had a good feeling about travelling with her- what before was an intution, now it was becoming a more concrete opinion.

He started searching the shop's contents. It was such a constrast to see that part of the store untouched because the walkers kept people away compared to the rest of the place that was completely empty. Even some shelves had been taken.

Sometimes, all that felt like a dream or a movie. But damn, it was so real. It FELT so real. Unlike apocalypse themed movies, there were so many details people definitely missed when thinking about how the end of the world would be like. All the dust that gathered, and the awful smell and how the importance of things changed. Even small things like sugar free mint chewing gum. Something so trivial Rick didn't even care about before the outbreak- but now he would get those every time he could carry- not being able to brush his teeth did cause him a discomfort which the fresh chewing gum solved- and it was crazy to him how it was rather easy to find scattered boxes of those. People totally didn't give it any importance when the chaos started and didn't bother to take- would they still have done the same if they knew brushing their teeth would become so difficult? Or maybe, people were just worried about surviving- maybe they didn't even know they would survive to worry about such a thing. Maybe they just...didn't think at all.

It felt odd how he was seeing the world differently now. Seeing it like a survivor, almost starting to forget what he used to worry about, what his problems used to be.

Days when you would be sad if they cancelled your TV show, or if your phone ran out of battery. Now such things seemed so distant.

Rick caught his thoughts wandering as he took the ammo, filling the bags, eyes vacant. There was plenty of room in his backpack and in the bags he took. Now that they had found what they needed, the second problem would begin- the load.

Soon if they were lucky, they would find more things they needed, and then...they would have to choose what to keep.

Using walkers to do stuff...like Michonne used them to carry things....- Rick didn't feel brave enough to do that. He would rather either avoid or kill walkers. Trying to disguise was...among the last options.

Rick looked at her, wondering if she would ever consider using walkers.

....

Damn, he knew almost nothing about her. And even though, he knew he was starting to get attached. He wanted her to approve him. He didn't fully understand why- he didn't want to feel, he had locked his heart so hard since he got separated from his family- they could be dead. They could be waiting for him somewhere in Washington. Maybe he was afraid of being alone.

@mehrere-musen

"Hey, you're not dead. I must be hallucinating. Hadn't seen a live human in weeks." [From Shelby]

Rick opened his eyes after hearing her voice.

Someone.

He was resting on a bed, inside a furniture shop. It was abandoned, silent and the interior was actually decent, the place was still preserved. Not being a grocery store or somewhere known for having food, people had been fast to leave the place when the apocalypse started.

"Mnggh...?"

Damn, he had been tired. So tired. The previous night Rick had reached his limit- decided to break into the place and sleep. And now there he was, spread on the bed still holding his backpack with a stranger looking at him.

He had fucked up. If she had ill intentions he already would have been killed- and his journey along the road hoping to find his group or a community to stay for a while...woud have ended pretty fast.

What the heck was he supposed to say?

She didn't look like a threat-

"...how did you get in?"

He thought he had closed all entrances to the store. Maybe...not all of them.

"....in...weeks? You've been wandering as well?"

The man sat, combing his hair back with his fingers. Did she know where she was going? Or was she just...lost...like he was, Just following the road?

"You're not hallucinating. I'm still alive."

Trying. He thought to himself.

[camellcat]

I feel fucking crazy!!!!!!!!!!

(thinking about the way he convinced her he was still himself. his smile when she said his name. the way he said hello. the way he simply looked at her. how he had to act like everything was normal because he was so scared she was gonna leave him. the hurt when she asked him to change back, just exacerbating that fear even more. him trying to play it off as if he's totally fine with sending her home even though it's absolutely and utterly the last thing he'd ever want to do. his pride at finally getting her to smile, only to be immediately dashed when she snapped at him. the way he made the worst impression after that and scared the life out of her.

oh, just everything, all of it.)

[sharkneto]

Obsessed with my friend I went to see Wicked (Part 1) with who had never seen the musical nor The Wizard of Oz

[daisyachain]

Restorative or Transformative?: Homoerotic Subtext, The Closet, and Ciphers in Pop Culture. The nature of commercial art is that it’s sometimes bad and inconsistent. Notably it’s also misogynistic. One way in which audiences try to reconcile massive plot holes or gaps in character motivation is by reading secrets or hidden information into a plot.

Commonly, male characters are interpreted as closeted gay or bisexual to reconcile the absence of women from commercial narratives with the generally stunted and poorly-written male characters that form the focus on said texts. This reading has become especially common among a non-heterosexual milieu. Rather than transforming the original text into some radically different new form, this closeted interpretation seeks to make the original text stand on its own as a story rather than a Swiss cheese of dumb writing decisions.

This interpretation only works for a specific type of pop, usually genre fiction. Any story in which tortured male leads eschew women in favour of male-male bonds (because female characters are constantly killed off, written sparsely, or written out, because the production team keeps casting their male buddies, because actors demand to keep having scenes with their bros, whatever) can become a sounder structure if you put one of them in a closet.

The gay interpretation is the natural consequence of shoddy misogynistic writing from ventures like Supernatural, Naruto, all the biggest hits. It’s also the natural consequence of more benignly misogynistic writing like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or The Lord of the Rings, where women aren’t necessarily rejected but are simply absent from the worlds of the protagonists. When the emotional crux of the story falls on male-male interactions, this reads as romantic because society at large priorities (definitively heterosexual) romance as the pinnacle of human connection. Two forces are in conflict, the primacy of heterosexuality (read as: romance) and the primacy of men.

Anyway. All that is to say that the typical gay or bisexual reading of male characters in pop fiction comes from a very real place. But, in some places, that’s the default interpretation. Angst, insecurity, secrets, double lives, fatigue, disappointment, restrained passion, stunted personal growth, anyone living in the closet can tell you that it impacts and defines your whole life to know that you live in a way fundamentally incompatible with The Proper Way that life is structured around down to tax law and superstore prices (which assume a heterosexual nuclear family unit). Characters in fiction also tend to have personal problems because that makes them interesting and tasty.

If you’ve grown up on stories with the specific type of misogyny that can be papered over with a closeted interpretation of the male leads, carrying this interpretation over to any male character will make sense more often than not. Even a bit of angst or insecurity? Well of course that makes sense if a character is closeted.

Except that’s hurt a normal part of fiction, and sometimes the closeted interpretation takes away from the point of a character. If a male character is on another axis of marginalization, the closeted interpretation imposed by the slash reading community downplays or trivializes the effects of that marginalization in the plot by overwriting it with another type of marginalization. Alternately, sometimes a character’s heterosexuality is a part of the story. There are some sorts of critiques or investigations of misogyny or masculinity that don’t work if the character has an ‘opt out’ of the cisheteropatriarchal perspective. Not that gay/bisexual men aren’t except from misogyny, but misogyny masculinity and heterosexuality are so tightly linked that it sort of defeats the point if you interpret that character outside of heterosexuality.

All that is to say—the closet interpretation is a quick and easy spice to apply to the weaker parts of action-adventure genre fiction to make it taste better. It draws from a large enough sample of art that it’s pretty widely applicable. Because of that, it’s part of some people’s [my] default interpretation package just because the semi-dull macho show at least gets less dull if you imagine there’s a reason for there to be no girls besides simple hatred. That then forms its own problem where the interpretation that works with your average genre work gets then blanket-applied to all genre works and obscures the places where the closet interpretation doesn’t fix the work, and actually makes it less interesting.

[gauntletgirlie]

That song is lovely for sure and I’m glad it exists…

But for me, personally, when I heard Second Age, it gave me more Silmarillion vibes. I know they don’t have the rights to that, but many of the stories are the same as found in the appendices. Until they brought them out, I didn’t think there would be hobbits in the show. Tolkien himself doesn’t focus on them until the Third Age.

Also, yes, hobbits are central to LOTR and I loved them in that. The idea that it is the small, often unnoticed people and acts that get the job done and are pivotal to accomplishing great deeds is wonderful. I vibe hard with Bilbo Baggins and The Hobbit is my favourite book ever (though Dracula is a close contender).

However, it was refreshing to focus on Tolkien’s world another way. We’ve seen a lot of hobbits and how they work, so I was really glad to delve deeper into Sauron’s character other than a whispering fiery eye and hulking armed figure bashing people. I’ve really enjoyed seeing Gil-galad, Elrond, and Galadriel explored more, both their characters and stories. I wanted to focus on greatness and big characters with epic storylines, probably because I love The Silmarillion so much and the vast majority of that book is big important people doing big important things.

Again, it might just be me, which is fine, but I really didn’t connect with the Harfoot storyline. It felt shoehorned in so that hobbits/proto-hobbits would be part of the story. “Look, we’ve got them! Oh and here’s Gandalf too!” As if the showrunners needed to include them to validate the show as part of the LOTR franchise.

So I would argue they’re unnecessary because Tolkien is not about one thing and having them in for the sake of having them in isn’t good enough and quite frankly doesn’t work that well.

The acting is great, the aesthetics are great, the storyline has been a bit meh in my opinion, I can’t see how they are important yet other than: Gandalf, so the necessity…?? I’m not seeing it yet. Other than that lovely song and a few nice moments, if you took that storyline out, I wouldn’t miss it. I appreciate shows can and maybe should have separate subplots, but at the moment this one isn’t doing it for me, personally.

That is why I’m hoping the showrunners prove me wrong and I can go “okay, sorry, yes it all makes sense now thank you, plz do forgive me for my lack of vision.” I want to care about their storyline, but what I’ve seen so far hasn’t made me yet.

#14 "I know I should care about the Harfoot storyline, but I just don’t. I don’t hate it or anything, there have even been some fun, thought provoking, and sweet moments, I just don’t see the necessity of it. Maybe I will by the end, maybe it’ll all tie in nicely together.

But it’s the Second Age. I want to see Sauron, Sauron, and more Sauron. That is why I was so excited the show was being made in the first place. Charlie Vickers delivering the performance of a lifetime is just *chef’s kiss*."