#I am so committed to them being endgame but not yet

[gxlden-angels]

the only person who was actually right about the world and human nature was Max striner everyone else is a fucking moron

Striner? I hardly know 'er!

Anyways, I'm not a philosophy expert. I'm just some guy. I like the egoist belief that there isn't a universal moral truth. I like the absurdist belief that, because nothing matters, we should be radically sincere. I like the christian belief in a place without suffering after this life. I like the Universal Random Number Generator idea my therapist and I talk about

All of them have their flaws though. Egoism gets used to condemn social movements and civil rights advocacy. Absurdism and the RNG can create a sense of existential dread and a loss of motivation. Christianity encourages the loss of identity and free will

I'm just some psych student with a weird ass therapist that understands my weird ass brain. He encouraged me to look into absurdism since I took a class on absurdist literature my freshman year of college and he said I might enjoy looking into the actual philosophy. And I do! At least a lot of it! I like the idea of a chaotic universe and us humans trying our best to control it. I like the idea of letting that go and living authentically instead of with a direct purpose. There's chaos and mayhem and entropy and I'm just here to react to it. And I can react in ways that makes others happier if I wanted just because I can

Egoism/egotism feels too disconnected from the human need to connect to me. It traps me into that feeling that doing something good for someone is selfish if you're doing it to feel good. I'm actively working to get out of that spiral Christianity put me in now

I don't know, though, anon. I'm just some college student with an ex-christian tumblr blog and a lot of trauma. I like to believe there's some Universe-sized Abstract Computer with a random number generator that causes the chaos we call home. I skim wiki pages and reddit posts and decided if I want to engage any further/look for textbooks. I could possibly be looking at the wrong page about the wrong philosophy. I'm honestly just on this earthly plane for the bit

[tragedy-machine]

no but, how am I to believe that Edwin and Charles are not gonna be endgame??

Charles's character in the doom patrol was heavily, heavily implied to also have feelings for Edwin too

the rejection was literally like "I'm not in love, but you're more important to me than anyone else, we'll figure out what that means later"

the actors both said they "wouldn't call it Edwin being friendzoned, bcs their arc has not yet been fully resolved"

we got to see Charles jealous of Edwin's time with Monty and the Cat King, and do nooot even joke that that wasn't jealously, like what else, what else bro? why would they go so overboard to make it seem like Charles was peeved af in those moments

there's already so much love between them

usually shows that do the "gay bestie in love with his straight bestie" use it briefly as a more of a backstory for a character, to then introduce a new love interest for the gay, so the previous crush can be an obstacle in their love arc (like in shadowhunters with alec, jace and magnus)

why would you hurt my buddy Edwin like that

the ship of Charles and Crystal never really took off in my opinion, they liked each other and kissed, but then Crystal ended it, but even if they continued dating in s2 any human x ghost ship is doomed to fail from the beginning, they've sadly got like maybe max 5/6 years until it's gonna be very visible that Crystal is no longer a teen and older than Charles soo unless she dies, they can't really be endgame (and this is not to shit on this ship!!! I've got nothing against it, just think they would have had to really committed to it and milk the aging drama for the angst to make me invested in it)

[charcubed]

I have thoughts on Benedict Bridgerton's future.

Spoilers for Bridgerton season 3 below.

Have I read the Bridgerton books? No. Have I seen the show? No. Can I mind my own business? Also no! And I’ve been on queer Benedict watch since day one because I am who I am as a person and my sister looped me into this because she knows how I am!

So with that in mind… fuck it. Here’s my half theory, half pitch for what I’d love to see them do with Benedict now that he’s gloriously explicitly pansexual (and THANK GOD FOR THAT) based on what I know of his story. [Side note: this post originally called him bi but I've edited it to reflect that he's confirmed to be pan]

-I’m aware his love / endgame in the books is Sophie. Considering what they’re now doing with Francesca and Michaela (FUCKING LOOOOOVE THAT!! THANK GOD FOR THAT TOO!!!!!), I strongly doubt they’d gender-bend Sophie for Benedict.

-I’m also vaguely aware of Sophie’s story being like a Cinderella redux and her being an illegitimate child.

-With that (very) baseline knowledge in mind, + how the show has so far handled Benedict… I have a vision.

-Let Benedict and Sophie fall in love and be committed to one another.

-Let them also both be pan or bi.

-And let them be polyamorous.

-HEAR ME OUT!

-There are 2 big reasons I say this:

-The first is that they’ve had Benedict describe his newfound pansexuality and queer joy as feeling “free” (love that so much), and crucially he also told Tilley he didn’t want to close the door on that feeling of freedom quite yet through any commitment to one person. So… I think it would be incredibly reductive if they still did that with him later, and there would be unavoidable optics that would allow shitty people to say “okay, Benedict had his fun and his whore era; now it’s time for him to get serious and suddenly fall madly in love with a woman he commits to forever.” When a character is pan or bi, it’s very hard to pull that off successfully. Is that enough reason to not do it? Not quite. Would it make Benedict less pan? Of course not, because pan men who are in relationships with women are still pan. Nonetheless, the framing of it would be very precarious here mostly because Benedict’s pansexuality thus far is sort of tied to him having fun and feeling purposeless and waffling about in (if you will) the eyes of society. Getting him to settle down is a slippery slope to – in the eyes of idiots with no media literacy – getting him to no longer be pan. Additionally, they JUST pulled that “okay no more whore era, it’s time to get serious” shit with Colin too. Are they gonna more or less repeat that with Benedict? Why would they? It would be boring and basic as fuck, if you ask me.

-The second and even stronger reason I say let him be married and poly is that it would fit his personality far better than the “time to get serious” approach. The baseline is already in what he’s been doing and saying this whole time, and it’s not very subtle in my opinion. Benedict is an artist (who is currently almost repressing his artistry but that’s a tangential yet different topic). He commiserated with Eloise (who may also be queer) about wanting something more or a different life beyond society’s expectations. Rule breakers or people who stand out as boldly contrarian in a crowd win Benedict’s notice, and that was his whole thing (and queer subtext) even back in season one with Henry Granville, who essentially outright dared him to think on the courage it takes to live “outside the traditional expectations of society.” Benedict’s gotten a taste of that now that he knows he’s queer himself, but it should be taken further. And it’s further emphasized in how he speaks in season 3: another recent time he mentioned the concept of being “free,” it’s in reference to couples who are married and are given more leeway by society to then do as they like as a unit; Henry Granville and his wife were also an original example of that with their arrangement that allowed them to explore their queerness with other people. Add onto that how Benedict speaks of love in season 3 more than once conceptually – how it’s not finite, and how he has an abundance of it to give. He even briefly fantasizes about how he, Tilley, and Paul would explain themselves in public. That goes beyond the simplicity of a man who just wants to have fun or doesn’t want to be serious. Why should all of that disappear because… what, he suddenly meets a woman who rewrites his brain chemistry? Let him truly "be bold"! Let him commit to someone he loves more than anyone else, and then let him have the passion and room in his heart to enjoy an abundance of love and fun and freedom with others too!

-DO YOU SEE THE PICTURE I’M PAINTING?

-Toss onto that the rough idea that Sophie’s very existence and their relationship will be “rule-breaking” on principle already, right? She’s an illegitimate child, she may or may not have a role as maid a la Cinderella, she’s (from what little I understand) not a traditional or “fit” match and all that other bullshit. It lends itself to the idea that Sophie won’t think much of rules herself either and will possibly inspire further bold courage in Benedict. And if they’ll eventually already be breaking rules by being together, why not add on some more? Or, counterpoint: if this version of Benedict wouldn’t find much pause in the breaking of those basic sorts of rules, what other breaking of rules could maybe require courage or introduce conflict / angst / miscommunication in their relationship? Yeah, there’s gonna be the whole “I must find this person who bewitched me at a masquerade ball! Who can she be!” element in the plot I’m sure but… we’ve all seen that before. Let’s branch out a little bit here, people. Let’s dream bigger. Let’s spice it up with some down-the-line “I feel immense guilt because I’m in love with you but I still find other people hot and I crave a freedom I don’t know how to articulate, and it’s definitely not a temptation to cheat but it’s a feeling within me nonetheless, and it’s clearly not something my tunnel-vision wife-guy brothers experience” or whatever.

-Anyway. Here’s the last thought I’ve got (for now). Concept: don’t ask me how, but within the Cinderella-esque / hidden identities plots, let Sophie cross dress as a boy at some point. Let Benedict not know it’s her. Let Benedict still be attracted to her anyway. PULL A MULAN IN THIS BITCH.

-Okay. That’s it.

-Who knows? Maybe this show will give Benedict just his straightforward romance with Sophie and then they’ll explore polyamory for the 2 of them later as a side plot in another season. But eh, I don’t think it would do it justice. I do think they could pull it off in a season centric to him while keeping both romance and queerness front and center. I do think it’s possible!

-Remember… This is part pitch and part prophecy.

-I have a vision. I’ve foreseen it. Benedict and Sophie, pan/bi polyamorous couple who are deeply in love and also like to invite a third into their bed together on occasion. (Or maybe they like to even have their own individual trysts that they then get to go home and tell each other about while having sex with each other.)

-I genuinely think it makes the most sense. They put all that shit in the show that I referenced above, not me. I may be insane, but this really isn’t a shitpost, alright? I argued my case.

-Thank you for your time.

-PS Yes, I am indeed aware that I'm under-qualified to have an opinion here. Don't tear me to shreds. This is how I have fun.

[utilitycaster]

as someone who hasn't quite gotten into naddpod yet (i've listened to the first 4 episodes but it hasn't quite caught my interest plot/character-wise), what are your favorite naddpod moments (spoilers are fine, for me at leas i'm looking forward to experiencing those moments if/when i get to them)

I assume you mean the first campaign - it's been a minute (I'm not a big re-listener due to time commitment, and while wiki/fandom stuff plus a searchable transcript base means I am always refreshing my CR memory I can't say the same about other shows) but just as a heads up it does take them a bit to hit their stride. The Galaderon arc is when it really pops off. Basically enjoy it for being goofy and light for the first 12-ish episodes and expect it to start really hitting.

I'm trying to not be too spoiler-y still but

Meeting Ol' Cobb (Galaderon)

Rise of Thiala (end of Galaderon arc)

Pulling from the Deck of Many Things and getting Balnor (on the way to the Crick)

All of the Crick but especially going into the Elemental Chaos

The mystery elements of Frostwind are top notch; the way everyone is kind of an asshole is frustrating but it does give us "fuck you, I love you, eat a rat" so all is not lost. This is also when the party starts making jokes about Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness which tickled me especially for some reason.

Entire Feywild arc is good but meeting Alanis is extremely fun and the Queen Ezra fight is one of my favorite D&D fights of all time.

DEADEYE, PLAYED BY BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN. (Shadowfell weird west is PEAK.)

Jvliin ft dubious Kiwi accent

Literally once you're in the Feywild it's all killer no filler from there actually and you probably don't need more encouragement, but meeting Mavrus, meeting Ren and by extension Murph's Snob Voice, meeting Lucanas, and STARSPAWN are the highlights

Pendergreens shows up in the Shadowfell but his stuff in the Hell arc is truly the best shit in the endgame.

Beverly and Erlin

Final combat again one of my favorite D&D fights of all time

[crescentpaws]

OK CAR RIDE QUESTIONS 4 U (you don’t have to answer all of them im just also bored rn)

do you like to listen to music/podcasts on a car journey?

if so any recs?

favourite gas station snack?

hmmm…. what do you think fintan would do on a road trip… he seems like a doritos guy 2 me…

GETTING OFF TOPIC. what’s the best fast food place/place for road trip lunch?

worst road trip Event that makes you wanna commit arson

(like him… IM GETTING OFF TOPIC !)

ok man i give up i canf think of anything else roadtrip related. do you have a favourite fintan line/moment?

do you think he qualifies as doomed by the narrative?

whats your ideal shannon-be-damned fintan endgame (purposely vague— death/redemption/yaoi/all at once/secret fifth thing whatever you desire)

whats the funniest theory you have for unravelled? personally ithink keefes gonna meet alvar at the pride parade

when you rotate fintan in your head is it like a smooth 3d animation or the pear wiggler or a washing machine or?

1. yes i am an avid music enjoyer

2. idk man i just listen to set it off

3. can’t go wrong with candy & potato chips

4. i dunno about snacks but. he would be the guy in the passenger seat that props his feet up on the dash…. but in an annoying & distracting way. if he had the back seat all to himself he would sprawl out dramatically. & if he was the one driving he would definitely do random swerves & sudden accelerations/breaks just to annoy other drivers/the other people in the car. he is an asshole.

also i think any elf on a road trip would be complaining “are we there yet” because they’re too used to light leaping and don’t know how to wait more than a few minutes to travel somewhere.

but fintan would definitely prefer car drives over plane flights…. specifically because he would find it agonizing to be that high up in the atmosphere (therefore closer to the sun & everblaze) without being able to use his ability. he would squeeze himself into the tiny plane bathroom and have a breakdown.

5. augh i don’t know….. i’m a picky eater so there’s not many places i’ll go tbh….

6. any bathroom inconveniences…. i will kill someone

8. fav fintan line has got to be “sorry i’m late. the security here is murder” bc he had no right to say that wtf 😭😭😭 actually worst person ever he sucks so much. other fav peace summit lines are “there’s no need to be offended. being superior isn’t all it’s cracked up to be” and “how predictable of you” because i love it when he is an arrogant sarcastic bitch.

top 3 fintan scenes are the peace summit, his memory break, and his healing i think (not in any particular order). but also i love his “surprise” when he reveals that he’s still alive in book 4 becahse WHY IS HE SUCH A SMUG LITTLE FUCKER. hate that bitch (i love him so much)

9. i think it depends on how you look at it. young baby councillor fintan is definitely doomed i think. but evil bitch neverseen fintan has deliberately chosen all his actions and therefore i think is more doomed by himself than the narrative if anything. obviously though the series hasn’t ended yet so. we’ll have to see.

10. ALL AT ONCE‼️💥💥 in all seriousness though i have conflicting opinions…. i wouldn’t like a redemption arc because i know all that would mean would be him helping out the main characters from within his prison…. and i am not content with him rotting in prison for all of eternity. but i KNOW if he breaks out the series will have to end with him dying… which i also don’t want…. but i’d be more ok with his death if it was actually intense and emotional and dramatic unlike literally all the other neverseen deaths so far……. i think bronte should kill him homoerotically i think that would be neat.

11. keefe gets rabies 🔥🔥 maybe he somehow gets a british accent also…. idk. also if i’m forced to read a whole keefe book he better mention fintan at least once… just for me…….. (i need him to recap his time in the neverseen pls that would actually make me excited to read the book)

12. low quality image of him spinning around like he’s on a spinny chair (but there is no chair & he is just floating)

[redge]

This has been on my draft since September, wayback when I did not know how Oshi no Ko's story will progress. So the setting of this story is after chapter 159.

While other OnK readers absolutely believe that Aqua likes Kana or that them ending up together is endgame, I am one who won't believe anything unless the character says it himself or until the story is concluded. It's just that, I've seen this built-up chemistry for so many times, a short-haired-not-main-character girl falling for the main character, but never ending up together. I don't write stories, but if my favourite OnK character will end up in an "unrequited" love, here's my prompt. It's somehow inspired by them.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Scenario: Ruby successfully had a solo tour concluded at Tokyo Dome. A congratulatory party is being held and former members of B-Komachi were invited, Kana included. Amidst the busy party, Kana finds herself at the balcony, Aqua approaches.

Kana: Isn't this familiar?

Aqua: What is?

Kana: When we were preparing for JIF, we were also at the balcony. Only difference is you're here as you are and not disguising as Pieyon.

Aqua: You're right.

Kana: I briefly remember you telling me all sort of things I haven't said to anyone about and that you were my fan. Were you, Aqua?

Aqua: I am still a fan.

Kana: That feels nice, finally hearing it without a mask.

Aqua: ...

*Kana drops her keys*

*Aqua kneels down and picks it up*

Kana: Haha! This also looks familiar! Remember how you knelt down at the playground and persuaded me to become an idol?

*Aqua stands up, keys still in his hand*

Aqua: That sure feels like ages ago.

Kana: My logic was telling me back then that "no" was the only possible answer to that offer but I saw potential on Ruby right there and then. Come to think of it, I even thought of her having similarities with Ai-san, even without knowing yet that she's your mother.

*Kana gazes at Ruby as she is being surrounded by influential people from the industry congratulating her on the success of her solo tour*

Kana: Ruby is really meant to be an idol.

Aqua: It was her dream, and Ai's dream for her.

Kana: What about your dream? How is medical school going?

Aqua: I'm now a resident in the nearby hospital.

Kana: Really?! Good for you, Aqua! Never once doubted you! I was sure you'll be able to fulfill your dream of being a doctor.

Aqua: ... By the way, I saw your latest movie.

Kana: You did? I was good right?

Aqua: You've always been good at acting.

*Kana laughs proudly*

Aqua: ... In the end, I was not able to watch your graduation concert last time. I'm sorry.

Kana: I noticed. But don't worry about it. There were so many things that happened that time. It can't be helped. I'm just glad we were able to conclude that tour without trouble.

Aqua: But if I did, I would have...

*Aqua gets cut by a guy who approached Kana*

Kana: Is it time already?

*the guy nods*

Kana: I'm sorry, Aqua. We have to go.

*Aqua lost in his own thoughts*

Kana: Hey, would you mind handing me my keys?

*Aqua forgot that he's still holding the keys. When he opened his hand, he noticed the keychains were a glove catching a ball, and the word "dream"*

And in a split second, everything flashed in his mind. That first catch ball with Kana. The second time where they talked about their future plans and dreams.

Kana: Aqua?

Aqua: I'm sorry. Here you go.

Kana: Thank you. It was nice catching up with you.

*Kana walks a way, her hand being held by the guy*

Memcho passed by as Kana was leaving. Kana said her goodbye as they had other commitment to attend to. Memcho approached Aqua at the balcony.

Memcho: Kana left already.

Aqua: "Ah-kun". It's funny. I never cared for it too much, but it's a bittersweet feeling to hear Arima call me as Aqua. Just Aqua.

Memcho remembered how happy Kana was when she started calling Aqua "Ah-kun". It was something that belonged to Kana and Aqua, and now it's gone.

Memcho places her arm in Aqua's shoulder, leaning her head towards Aqua and silently comforting him. Kana and Aqua are two dear friends she watched closely. Memcho knows that Kana likes Aqua from the time they went home after JIF. And she knows that Aqua cares a lot for Kana which is why he distanced himself from Kana in order to protect her. So many things could have been said but it's too late.

The party ended and they went home. Aqua headed to his room. He sat on his bed, sitting idly, staring at the corner of his room. He then noticed the luggage that he and Kana bought. He pulled out the luggage, opened it, and brought out what's inside, one by one.

The script to "I'll Go With Sweet Today" where in he got to act with Kana again. A stack of books with trivial contents, the same books Kana likes to read. The umbrella that Kana placed over him when he was drenched in the rain, after accidentally hurting Kana. The hat that Kana left on the street as she was running away from the reporter. Kana's white glowstick. He picks up the glowstick and thought of that concert that he missed. He would have waved this glowstick for Kana. Her dream was for him to look at her not knowing that her dream already came true. But it's too late now. That time is gone and he already lost the opportunity to say anything. He returns everything inside the luggage, slowly closing it down and kept it again in the corner of his room, just as how he kept his feelings in the corner of his heart.

***

Kana: That was nostalgic.

The guy: Are you still...towards Aqua...

Kana: Oh no, not anymore! Though I won't deny the fact that a huge part of my youth was seriously in love with him.

Kana picks up her keys from her purse, and caught a glimpse of her keychains- a glove catching a ball, and the word "dream".

Kana: Ah-kun was my dream. But some dreams were just not meant to be realized.

☆ ☆ ☆ end ☆ ☆ ☆

[seriouslysam8]

I have a little mini challenge for you and you can’t veto it!

Stick the following Brumous couples with someone else other than who they’re paired with (you can’t use someone who is dead):

Harry x Ginny

Ron x Demelza (I know it’s endgame)

Sirius x Tegan AND Sirius x Marlene (you can put Sirius with any of them)

Remus x Tonks

Arthur x Molly

Andy x Ted

You made this unnecessarily hard by banning dead people. I am in my right mind to ignore this rule. 🤣🤣🤣

First up, the easy ones.

Harry/Ron: There is at least one universe in which these two are together. You cannot change my mind.

Ginny/Demelza: Again, there is one universe these two are together. There has to be a universe where you are just getting it on with your bestie. You can't change my mind.

Tonks/Sutton: She is so sunshiny that she needs a slightly grumpy man. While Sutton isn't self-deprecating like Remus, he's not happy-go-lucky either. Plus, he's older than her and she digs older men.

Andy/Hugh Slughorn: Andy and Ted are soul mates, right? So, the only way she's not with Ted is if she followed in the Black family footsteps and was a good little pureblood girl like Narcissa. Who better than a pureblood from the Sacred 28 who isn't a raging blood purist but wildly successful? IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW. If you don't, well, then you haven't read all my stories. 😂😂😂😂

Arthur/Random Muggle Girl: I could totally see Arthur meeting some Muggle girl and falling head over heels in love with her. He'd be FASCINATED by everything. She'd find him endearing.

Now, onto the hard ones.

Sirius: He's hard in my mind. My first thought was, of course, James, because if any of them dated in that group it would be James/Sirius and NOT Sirius/Remus. But you said no one dead. I could see him getting with some random Muggle girl to stick it in his parents' faces.

Tegan: She's hard as well because her entire schtick in Brumous is that she can't move on from David and she's just a serial dater. I can't see her dating any Auror because it would remind her too much of David. Being an Auror, I could see her becoming close to some lawyers. So, I'll pair her with Magnus Shacklebolt who is only a year younger than her.

Marlene: I want to just say Charlie because if you know you know, but that seems like such a cop-out answer and we all know about hot girl Christmas on here. I could see her dating an Auror because of her family connection to Aurors. She'd know a lot of them thanks to her dad and brother. I could see her dating someone like Axel Lowe who is charismatic and friendly.

Remus: I know you said no one but seriously... no one. Remus is a major commitment-phobe. The only reason he even had a relationship with Tonks was because she was fucking in-love and wouldn't give up. She wasn't about ready to let him wallow either. So, I'm breaking the rules and saying I legit cannot see Remus with anyone except for Tonks. He'd die alone.

Molly: I think Molly would have married a pureblood, not because she's a purist or anything but just because the Prewett family is a part of the Sacred 28 and it seems like something Aunt Muriel would advocate for. I don't think it'd be any DE line, but perhaps an Abbott or Longbottom or a Macmillan.

Ted: He obviously likes the mysterious girls. I think Andromeda probably had an air of mysteriousness about her. Proper and gorgeous and tall. Yet, there was a soft side to her and she laughed in a way he never expected. So, it couldn't be anyone in Hufflepuff or even Ravenclaw. I could see him either getting with another Slytherin girl from a prominent family but not a blood purist because he reeks forbidden love or I could see him being with a Gryffindor who was fierce and fiery.

[livlepretre]

okay, i have caught up with all the new chapters in FE, and i am thoroughly and deeply obsessed with this universe again. UGH. you're killing me!!!!!

ok first of all the way that klaus just fully walks in on rebekah and elena going at it... INSANE. omg. your mind. i screamed.

then the way that klaus respects elena's wish to not be a vampire is so sweet, but also so heartbreaking when you realize it's not just that he respects her wishes, he is insanely jealous that elena would ever acquiesce to turning to be with rebekah specifically when she didn't want to turn to be with him. HEARTBREAKING. and this line... "My sister may warm your bed, but you belong to me. Your life, your death, and every moment before, after, and in between. All of them are mine. Are we clear?" you have destroyed me. i can't believe elena doesn't realize he's still in love with her after that line. LOL. poor girl is so delusional but i love her

elena being a fan girl with kol is hilarious and amazing i love itttt. i also love how you've captured how fun but also genuinely terrifying kol is. it never fails to amaze me how perfectly in-character you're able to write all of the originals such that they come to life in my head sounding exactly like the actors. AND THE KOLVINA HINTS??? not gonna lie i really hope we get to see that for ourselves at some point in this fic that would be SO fun

ok now i'm going to draw some tmi parallels to my personal life because i can't help it, especially after reading these newest chapters that i had never read before. so i had an on-again/off-again relationship with a very toxic and emotionally abusive ex for like six years and when i was first reading this fic i felt like there were a lot of parallels i could draw between him and klaus (yikes!). but i finally, FINALLY moved on from that man at the beginning of this year and fell in love with someone new, and for a little while that relationship was so sweet and easy and wonderful - just like elena and rebekah! and it really helped me heal in so many ways from my previous traumatic ex.

but then things fell apart because he needed a green card and he asked me to marry him and i just wasn't ready for that kind of permanent commitment yet, even though i did (do) really love him. so you see the parallels with rebekah wanting elena to turn to be with her forever but elena isn't ready for that commitment?? yeah. crazy! i literally saved this snippet in my notes app because i was just like DAMN. if that doesn't perfectly sum up my relationship and how it then fell apart.

"There was a time—short and wonderful and perfect—when things were sweet and easy between them. Amazing how a simple not yet could wreck everything so fast."

anyway i really don't mean to tell you all this in a trauma-dumping way, i just thought it was so wild how much elena's relationships with klaus and rebekah lined up with my own love life and i wanted to share. 😭 but yeah the parallels end there because ultimately i am still rooting for klena in this fic and i personally never want to get back with my ex who reminds me of klaus, lol. cuz unhealthy relationships are fun to read about in fiction but NOT fun irl and i have learned that lesson finally, thank god. 😬 but knowing that klena is eventually endgame, i am very curious now to see how her relationship with rebekah gets resolved... after falling in love again but still having some lingering feelings for my toxic ex, i can really relate to elena and her ability to love multiple people at the same time. so as much as it sucks, my recent experiences have made this fic feel SO real and deeply personal to me.

which, of course, means i am ever more desperate for the next update. love ya and hope you're doing well!!! 💜

this comment gave me a lot of joy 💖

also I feel EXTREMELY VINDICATED because that entire chapter with Klaus walking in on Elena having sex and Elena getting off on him watching her I was S C R E A M I N G like honestly wtf was I thinking

flkajflkdajflkajf I KNOW Klaus is psychotic and dangerous and just AWFUL and yet also????? a romantic????? in a monstrous way????

consider kolvina canon in this fic 😉

I'm so happy that Kol's characterization works so well for you-- he always makes me nervous to write! I found myself having to rewatch a lot of youtube clips (no time to rewatch full episodes with a toddler in the house, lol) trying to better capture his voice... I think he's also a character whose characterization changes drastically as the shows progress-- honestly I like where he ended up on the originals even more than how he started on tvd (I also liked paranoid!Kol in season 4 though. I think that's extremely worth bringing under the microscope lens for this fic)

I am so sorry to hear about your abusive ex. I've been there too, and it's just nothing but pain and heartbreak. Surviving that takes tremendous strength 💙

TOTALLY agree though that while the toxicity is SO much fun in fic, it's something to avoid like hell IRL. Drama is fun to read about, not so fun to live!

[zoetekohana]

Thoughts on Sex Education S4E2:

* Oh no, Otis, you're proving my point yet again about you and Maeve not being a good romantic fit... Don't be jealous already.

* Maureen has become her own person and I am here for it; supporting her son, being such a positive influence for him, taking self-defense classes. This deserves a:

* I love the idea of Adam working at a farm as he's so great with dogs, animals.

* Aimee is just too adorable. Definitely one of my fav characters on this show. Good for her for being honest with Isaac about her blunt tendencies and wanting to start fresh.

* Rubes being cunning... Very interesting.

* Still curious about her previous connection to O in elementary.

* Don't these kids have, you know, actual classes at this school? O is being a fulltime therapist apparently, others do so much yoga and fitness. I know it's a "student-led" campus, but still.

* Wait? A Jackson and Otis interaction? A civil one as well? I am intrigued...

* Otis may suck at relationships himself but he is really amazing at giving advice.

"Even though you enjoyed yourself, these things should never come as a surprise. I would encourage you guys to practice enthusiastic consent, which is looking for the presence of a happy yes, rather than the absence of an unhappy no."

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

* Jackson is so handsome, I can't.

* "I have this habit of falling for people that can't commit, so." I FEEL YOU, JACKSON.

* Eric's eye game is always on point.

* I like Abbi's friendship with Eric, but I still don't fully trust her.

* I actually have tears in my eyes with Michael making an effort to be there for Adam.

* Maeve deserves better, seriously.

* No, no, no, don't give Jackson more stuff to be anxious over.

* Roman's accent is so awesome!

* Ruby was right, Otis. ;)

* I like Aisha so far.

* I need Otis and Jackson to interact more.

* Definitely love the writing classes involving Maeve.

* Two episodes of being in a not real relationship, and Maeve and Otis already broke up. I'm sorry to Motis shippers but I personally don't want them to be endgame.

* Oh no, O's campaign song was embarrassing.

* Can't wait to watch Ruby being Otis' campaign manager. She'll have a lot of work with that one.

[lesbian-in-leather]

I'll send more for the ships ask! How I met your mother, and Atla 🙃

aaah thank you dearest!!

How I Met Your Mother (which I still haven't finished but never mind)

OTP: Barney/Robin, my beloveds <3 They have excellent chemistry, actually get along, respect each other, and they way the writers tried to claim they didn't work the first time was bullshit. I know they won't end up together but they deserve to be happy

Favourite canon pairing: Barney! And! Robin!

Worst pairing ever: Robin/Ted. They don't work!! I respect them for trying, but they found out really quickly that their life goals don't align and they simply Do Not Work as a couple, which is fine!! But also. Stop pushing them together. Please. I'm begging

Guilty pleasure pairing: Honestly I think Robin/Lily would be a VERY fun dynamic to explore (and Lily clearly agrees with me)

A pairing you want to see more: I'm sure I'll have an answer for this when I've finished the show, but I've been judging this one based on the fandom which,,, I am not yet a part of

That pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”: Haven't spent any time in fandom yet (because I haven't finished the show) but from the writing I have to assume Marshall/Lily is popular and. I do not like it. I love Lily, and I think she deserves so much better than him (could go on a whole rant about that but we'll save that for another post)

Favourite non-romantic pair: Barney and Lily! When they were living together?? Absolute bestfriend vibes, I love it and I wish the writers gave us that dynamic more instead the other Barney and Lily dynamic where she hates him (serious) instead of she hates him (friendship bullying)

Avatar: The Last Airbender

(I am just focusing on AtLA, not including LoK because then I would have SUCH a hard time deciding)

OTP: oh absolutely Katara/Zuko. I think they had SUCH a fascinating dynamic and I would have loved to see the slow burn as they eventually begin to rebuild trust and friendship slowly turns into love. They had better chemistry and Katara and Aang worked better as friends I said what I said

Favourite canon pairing: Hmmmm probably Sokka/Suki, they're so cute and he's such a wifeguy even when they have literally only just started dating. Them <3

Worst pairing ever: Okay, so it's not the worst pairing ever but........ Katara/Aang. Personally, I just never felt like Katara actually reciprocated his feelings, and it really just came across like the writers just decided on them being endgame early on, and then backed themselves into the corner of We Have To Commit To It, No Matter What. I never really got a romantic vibe from her end, and just really would have much preferred it to not go in that direction

Guilty pleasure pairing: Ty-Lee/Azula. I am a sucker for sunshine/grumpy, especially if it involves the absolute betrayal of Ty-Lee siding with Mai??? I eat that shit UP

A pairing you want to see more: Okay this is absolutely just me being a lesbian but Katara/Azula could have made a BOMBASS power couple. Like,, imagine??? If Azula had gotten the redemption arc she deserved in the show, just imagine how unstoppable they would have been

That pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”: Okay okay don't come for me, I'm not like, violently opposed or anything but I just,,, personally don't see the romantic aspect to Zuko/Sokka. I love their dynamic and ship what you wanna ship!! But I like them better as friends

Favourite non-romantic pair: oooh gotta be Toph & Katara. They're my GIRLS and I love how they slowly develop a friendship despite being two very different people

Send me a fandom and I'll answer these questions!

[sburbian-sage]

Our Seer of Time claims I'm gonna be one of the exiles. To be explicitly clear, yes, I am a player, no, I'm not one of the carapace guys, this whole thing seems impossible but I don't know enough about how the game works to dispute it. Should I be worried? Rather, what should I be more worried about, my grim and sandy future or our Seer's unreliability?

I wasn't under the impression that you were a Carapacian, although now you've got me thinking that I don't talk to those guys enough. If you ever feel your skin hardening or all of your teeth turning sharp/blunt, do hit me up though.

In actuality though, I don't think you're going to be turning into a Carapacian literally. What this most likely means is that you'll be filling the role of an Exile, by sending messages to certain player, from the future of your destroyed home planet. The real question is wondering why or how this would be the case.

If your Seer is correct, there's two potential ways this happens. On accident, or on purpose. If on accident, then in the near future it's entirely possible you step into some weird device that sends you many nears in the future back to your homeworld. So be more cautious be less cautious because if this doesn't happen it creates a Doomed Timeline. After bumbling in here you'll most likely wander to a terminal and send a bunch of messages to some poor unfortunate coplayer. If on purpose, then you and/or the Seer will direct you to take the role of an Exile, potentially replacing one altogether, either because they maliciously sabotage the session or are dead and their lack of advice causes a travesty. In both cases, there are a few main concerns to look out for.

The first concern is the fact that Exiles have special powers that you may not have. I'm pretty sure it's innate to the Carapacian once they become an Exile and is not a property of the terminals they use, but basically they can essentially mind control the player under some circumstances. It's not malevolent, but there's two main instances in which they intervene. When the player has hit rock bottom, so a Knight decides they don't want to fight anymore, or a Seer isn't seeing something right in front of them. It's basically just a "don't give up yet" word of encouragement. I don't think you'll have any issues here. The second one is that Exiles can't self-terminate, and they prevent players from doing so either. So basically, if you're outright replacing an Exile for the long term, the player you're supervising won't have a safety net preventing them from committing suicide. The good news is that while I'm sure most players have depressive tendencies (being forced into this endless cycle does that to you), most of them don't act on it, especially if they tried already and their Exile yelled at them for it. The bad news is, if someone does want to neckrope, the only thing preventing them from doing so is you. So no pressure, you've got this.

The second concern is that you'll be an Exile forever, and the answer is "no way". If your Seer of Time isn't a shithead, then they'll use their powers to extract you from your role once you've completed it. And if the Seer can't do that for some reason, we have Appearifiers for that. You won't have to worry about aging or harsh conditions that much if you're God-Tiered, but you should probably bring some food with you (enough to share with the other Exiles). And your players definitely won't forget you, partially because you can use the terminal to talk to them, and partially because doing the endgame is a feat without a full party. I also don't remember whether or not the Door Beyond The End opens up without every currently alive player present. Either way, they should be able to rescue you and if they don't then there's a solid chance that this will lead to all of your collective dooms, so feel free to be smug as the Horrorterrors close in.

Of course, all of this hinges upon the assumption that the Seer of Time made a correct prediction. It's entirely possible that this isn't the case, and all of this wordcount was for nothing. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

[autumnrory]

i’ve seen people say they think riverdale is gonna use the multiverse to basically have all the pairings end up together and i kind of think they’re right and i think it is the stupidest thing i have ever heard

i would rather see a simple betty/jughead and veronica/archie endgame and HATE it than some stupid thing trying to make everybody happy like COMMIT to an ending oh my god

and like.......if that’s what you were gonna do we already knew we had a multiverse in our present day normal universe (that people are also saying we’ll never see again so like six seasons entirely undone for what???) so why couldn’t they do it there instead of being sent back to the 50s. if the whole comet thing is going to be significant again then at least okay they had to be sent back to the 50s but why couldn’t they stay adults? 

it’s just the closer we get to the end and the more random plotlines they do that serve zero purpose the more disappointed i feel. i know it’s riverdale, it’s not a show where you expect a lot of consistency from the writers or anything, but this season started out promising i thought and then it just got worse. and it sucks bc i think seasons 5 and 6 were pretty good bc they finally broke out of being all bughead/varchie all the time and allowed the characters to have other things in their lives and other relationships and all that postive growth and change has just been erased lol (and maybe i am just bitter bc we had barchie and jabitha and everything was glorious for a time)

like i’ve enjoyed seeing them playing around with all the different pairings, though they should’ve done it throughout the series, not at the very end lol, but that doesn’t mean i want to see all of them end up together sjkdkjfs it just seems like yet another show that’s fully fucking up in the end and it makes me sad after it’s brought me so much joy

[pinkhairdoesntdance]

I swear I lived

|| I hope this post finds any and all of you well.

My RP history on tumblr is kind of weird. It's one of those things that can be all-consuming and great but then sort of slip into a compartment of the brain that loses its connections with all other nodes of memory.

What I know about the science of the human brain from EdPsych tells me that we rarely forget anything completely. Rather, the things that are forgotten are those things that don't have complete connections to other memories.

Gamora and the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies and that era of the MCU held a great and special place for me at the time. I had just finished undergrad, and I was broke and kind of miserable, but it gave me a lot of goofy hope and joy. One of the first Peter Quill RPers I met just so happened to be someone who was basically from the same region I was! We never quite got to meet up in person, but I just thought it was crazy that someone within 30 miles of me was so touched by the same thing I was.

Over the past decade, the MCU has definitely had its ups and downs in my opinion, and for the most part my fandom interests have diverged and don't sit as soundly upon it as they used to. I know there's some great material coming out, but the end of Endgame and the fact that, as far as I know, GOTG3 didn't really "fix" it was part of a series of disappointments for me that just kind of made me finally let go. It wasn't a break-up with the fandom so much as letting it just fade away. Also, being an adult makes it really hard to have these kinds of hobbies outside the interactions with ones very closest friends.

That said, recently I saw Deadpool and Wolverine, and it was really cathartic. It pinged in my mind that this blog existed. I wanted to log in, if only to make sure it doesn't fall prey to one of tumblr's URL deletion schemes.

I saw on the dashboard that, incredibly, one or two of you are still active!

As alluded to above, I never actually saw GOTG3. I was initially excited, but then I just... didn't see it, because things I heard about it made me think it might be better for me to headcanon my own continuation and let it live in peace as it was.

Deadpool and Wolverine was very helpful to put my remaining love for the MCU into perspective. It was cynical but in a joyful and hopeful way. It acknowledged that it's very hard, sometimes, for some canon as behemoth as the MCU to continue on the way while being respectful to what was. I'm not old yet, but I'm in my 30s now, and as a Millennial it really hit home for me.

Logging in and seeing that some of you are still around made me smile, too.

Currently, I am not active in any part of the MCU fandom, but I might come back here and remedy that, if anyone is interested.

I might consider RPing Gamora again with selective partners. I would really like to have a Peter Quill to write with again.

I am also interested in a few other Marvel characters I could make sideblogs for.

Among them:

I would be interested in RPing Steve Rogers or Natasha Romanoff in a ship context with the right person.

I would be interested in RPing Skye | Daisy Johnson or Grant Ward in a ship context with the right person.

With either of the above, if I had the right partner(s) I would be interested in building a verse with gen interactions and overlap with anyone else who might be interested in writing with the characters.

I'm not sure how committed I am to this idea. It would take motivation. But, if you remember me or are interested or feel the same way, please reach out. You can send me an ask, or you can email me at somenewdisaster at gmail dot com. You can also message me on discord at prixprixprix or message me on my main tumblr account vampiremonday.

[centroverted]

wait, i am genuinely baffled. you consider karen a MAIN character of 911?! 😂😂 she exists mostly as the wife to hen as a reoccurring character, pls let's be real here, and the only reason she is a more fleshed-out character *now* is because the show used the past 6 seasons to develop her sksksks? karen was just as much of a one-dimensional stranger to us in season 1 like maddie or taylor or chris were in season 2. it can't be shocking news that developing minor characters takes time 😭

and many shows like 911 go on for over 10 seasons easily, so if they introduced endgame love interests in season 6, they could easily be developed over the next years if the show was committed to pair off buck or eddie or both. we don't know what they'll do yet ofc, but this double standard is so weird to me 😂 if karen has been good enough as a character to have the honor to be hen's (a beloved main character's) wife for you while being a minor character herself and thus having comparatively very little screen time, i do not understand why you think that buck and eddie can't just have simple but solid love stories outside of the firehouse as well. bathena met, had like one date on-screen (that we did not even get to see ourselves), and married unceremoniously. and they're still the big solid canon ship of the entire show 🤷 taylor was to buck what karen is to hen story-wise, and whether you liked her or not, you hopefully acknowledge that she was further developed and received her own backstory and her own ambitions and values while she was a reoccurring character on the show. i do not see why this is supposedly unsatisfactory writing when and only when it's about buck's and eddie's love lives. chris and abuela and pepa are all just minor characters too but i do not see anyone downplay their importance to eddie because of that, yk?? the type of relationship they share implies their importance even if 911 is not focusing on them. buck and eddie might be the token gays of this fandom but they are just two dudes of a bigger ensemble that all matter equally within the 911 story and for a big audience that exists outside of buddieblr.

This still entertains me ngl and I don't even remember what I posted that prompted it, nor how long ago it was

But overall yes? I still do consider Karen one of the main characters, in a sense. The same sense in which Chris is a main character. Not in the amount of screen time they have, no, but rather their importance to another main characters/s.

Maddie/Chris and others were minor characters in earlier seasons. And yet they've both grown as characters and storylines to where Maddie is a main character now and Chris is in every other episode. And yet Karen has been in only a few episodes, aside from that one terrible cheating storyline.

So while I don't remember the topic that started this, I'm guessing I said something about how little screen time Karen gets compared to other characters significant others.

And yes the show can go on for long but Karen has been in since season 1 if I'm right? And yet were several seasons in and look how (not) often she is in an episode or even gets mentioned.

Taylor is to Buck what Karen is to Hen?? Anyways I'm skipping over the rest of that cause it's pointless arguments to me.

[chevelleneech]

I agree with somethings for sure, but I also think a lot of the “worry” on both sides comes from people having such strong bias for their preferred pairing.

I would prefer Buddie, but I am also currently enjoying Buck and Tommy. However, I think the biggest reason people view BuckTommy as potential endgame, is because queer characters very rarely get to have multiple partners on screen unless they are written as promiscuous. But even within the 911 universe, none of the queer characters date around. Hen and Karen are married, Josh is perpetually single, while TK and Carlos, who were set since the Lone Star pilot, are now married. The only gay man to date, was Michael and I think he only had two maybe three boyfriends, only because I think they were looking for an actor who could commit to a contract. David was the third, and they’re now married. Hell, even in Station 19 the bisexual woman slept around until she found her wife (I think they got married), while the gay guy mourned his dead husband for a while only to now be a multi-cheater (from what I’ve seen).

As such, this is why I think Buck’s coming out feels odd to me. Because he is a budding serial monogamist who is now backed into a tired trope that does not allow him space to freely date. At the same time, we have already seen him sleeping around and attempting to find The One. Now, he’s with a man, and because on screen queer relationships after often treated as “Oh, my past partners didn’t work because I didn’t know I only wanted this partner!” it is unlikely we’ll see him have multiple male partners. Tommy has to be The One, because it’s what the trope dictates as well as it’s what a season seven love interest usually means anyway.

Not that a s7 Love Interest is a thing, but very rarely do shows add in love interests they don’t plan to have stick around so late in the game. I do think the show will get at least 10 seasons, but we won’t know that until we do. Which is why it makes sense in theory for Tommy to just be his final partner. However… Tommy and Marisol are essentially on the same playing field, people just don’t want to admit it.

Tommy has a last name, yes, but all we know about him is that he is a former army pilot who was a closeted and rude firefighter during his early to mid 20s, and now he’s an out search and rescue pilot. Which is fine. I have no issues with that level of backstory for where we’re at in their relationship. But I also do not have an issue with how little we know about Marisol right now. It’s less than we know about Tommy, but overall blank enough for Tim to build upon, because he didn't know what to do with her. She is a home renovator who attempted to be a nun, but left the convent behind.

Another thing I don’t think people are taking into consideration, is that both Tommy and Marisol are in s7, solely because Tim Minear didn’t want to start at zero again. He said himself he didn’t drop Marisol because he didn’t want Buck and Eddie to be single at the same time again as we started a new season. He also said he didn’t want to create a new character for the sole purpose of them being Buck’s bisexual awakening, and that he didn’t want to have it be a character disconnected from the core group, because as with Abby, it was too difficult to have them intersect.

So these aren’t storylines that have naturally progressed to where they currently are. Things have been forced, because they were easier to do for the show runner and writers. Which is also fine. Sometimes you have to make do with whatever is easiest, then build from there. The thing is, with both Buck and Eddie, the only thing either of them have yet to experience in a relationship is “endgame.” So Tim has to make the ultimate decision of either having both of their partners stay, both of them leave, or one goes while the other stays.

Either way, the writers have to craft an actual believable romance for Buck and Eddie. Because no matter what anyone says about Tommy being perfect for Buck, he hasn’t done anything to showcase that. Neither has Marisol. She’s showing as much grace and comfort to Eddie as Tommy has shown to Buck, but nothing about either pairing has been romantically charged. BuckTommy is equally as potentially endgame as EddieMarisol, simply because in my opinion, it’s the most realistic outcome based on the very real possibility the show ends at 10 seasons, tv history, and the things Tim said he doesn’t want to revisit.

So if s10 is the last, trying to ignite one or two brand new love interests who feel fleshed out and cared for by viewers will take time away from further fleshing out and tying up storylines for established beloved main characters. Leaving the only other options being Buddie becomes canon or one or both of them end the series single.

And I say Buddie is one of the only other options, because while they have a beautiful platonic friendship, they are also fleshed out and established as individual characters, and don’t require extra writing to involve them in the core group. And one of them being single would at least show the other is capable of being written as happy and in love, despite what shippers want. Whereas both of them being single would leave too much room for people to question why they were the only two mains written as having never found The One.

That said, the reason I don’t see Buddie being endgame is because historically, it’s not a thing that happens. Two well established same sex characters don’t often end a series dating. It’s either given as a last hurrah (Korra), mentioned as a long-held want (Castiel), or said to have been what the creator wanted after the fact (Dumbledore). All of which is alright, you know? Everything has its own context, but I don’t see ABC bothering to push their boundary any further when Henren and BuckTommy are technically enough to do the heavy lifting of the current expectations from the newer eyes on the show.

Henren is established and in love and have been married for years, while Buck and Tommy have likely three more seasons (8, 9, and 10) to develop into an established and longterm couple. So why would the network have them split up? Unless it has already been decided with an absolute “Yes”, that Buck and Eddie will get together at some point in s8, and stay together for the remainder of the series. Or one of them (likely Eddie, because again, Buck can no longer be promiscuous) date around yet otherwise stay single for the remaining seasons.

Here's where I am with Buddie.

[CW: I am using the Buddie tag on this post, even though the gist of it is that I'm increasingly doubtful that it'll ever happen. This is NOT an anti-Buddie essay. If you'd rather not read about this topic, please keep scrolling. The bulk of the essay is behind the cut.]

-------

I've thought a lot about this over the weeks since 7x04 aired. It's not a secret that I'm wildly enthusiastic about the BuckTommy pairing (as are many fans) but what does that mean for my thoughts and opinions about Buddie, a pairing I still love and for which I am still writing fic (slowly but surely…)?

It's become increasingly difficult to reconcile hopes for Buddie with dread for a BuckTommy breakup, but if the show managed to pull off a breakup that did not destroy me, I would still be all in for a Buddie endgame.

But more and more, I don't think it's in the cards, and I'm increasingly okay with that.

First off, I know it's a common assumption that Buck and Tommy have an expiration date, and that it cannot last. That may very well be the case, but…the show is not acting like it, nor are they presenting this arc as if it's short-lived. Episodes 4-6, while also being about other things (especially the amazing Madney wedding plot in 6) were also a bit of a trilogy about Buck discovering his sexuality and taking tentative steps into a relationship with another man. It didn't go…particularly smoothly, but the events of 7x06 where they were concerned had a completely different tone. They had a much more settled vibe in the karaoke club scenes, from Tommy's very boyfriendly "check-in" look before he had to leave, to Buck's casual/distracted "Be safe" (as if he's said this before) and just how they spoke to each other and touched each other was much more comfortable than in the coffee meetup. Which makes me think it's been a few weeks and they've seen each other a few times in the interim.

And then that kiss. Putting aside that it was juxtaposed with a literal wedding kiss, there was nothing uncertain or hesitant about it. It felt like a very arc-capping kiss, coupled with the reveal to the rest of Buck's friends and family, and the clear message was "Okay, they're done 'getting together' now, they are together and will be together going forward, even if we don't see Tommy every episode (much as we don't see Karen every episode)." We know Tommy will be around through the end of S8, if not in every remaining episode. After that, we'll see.

A lot of fans have viewed one of the guys coming out as queer to be a first step towards a Buddie future, but I have to say I've never been super comfortable with that logic. I've always thought that if they were going to get together, or both be revealed to be queer, it would have to be at the same time, with each other, via them getting together. The minute they pulled the trigger on Bisexual Buck, I immediately thought that this made Buddie far less likely. Why?

Because it would mean that the writers/showrunners would be making BOTH their "hot younger firefighter" characters queer…separately. In separate storylines. Distinct from each other. And I just don't see that happening. I'm not saying it SHOULDN'T happen. I'd be over the moon. I'm saying I think that's unlikely.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Eddie will be written as straight and will continue to be written as straight. I don't disagree with the many examples of queer coding we've all seen - the problem is all of them can be just as easily interpreted as arising from a different trauma. Almost everything we've seen from him that could very legitimately be read as breadcrumbs for a queer identity for him could also be rooted in his trauma over Shannon's death, his family trauma, his PTSD, or his general anxiety over being enough for people. He can be read as having sexuality crises. But he can also be read as having other crises with the same results.

I'm not seeing a sexuality crisis for Eddie in the future. I just don't feel like that's where they're taking him. They're taking him somewhere -- he's got storylines coming up -- but I think they're going to have to do with his family, possibly his friendship with Buck, maybe his relationship (I think we can all agree Marisol isn't going to last, she's like the anti-Tommy in that she's been around way longer but has infinitely less of a presence), and Christopher. That's a lot to deal with just right there. If I'm wrong, I will be delighted to be wrong.

But.

I think the show will continue to prioritize and showcase Buck and Eddie's very deep and emotional friendship, which is revolutionary in its own quiet way. Another thing that makes me think they're setting Tommy up to be a long term love interest is that one of the first things they did with him was affirm that he will not come between Buck and Eddie, give him his own relationship with Eddie and Chris, and have him show that he understands and respects the depth of their bond. Not to mention they've integrated him with the firefam. No other of Buck's love interests have gotten this treatment (Taylor had the most contact with the firefam, but I don't think anyone would say she was integrated, LOL). And it shows how committed they are to maintaining Buck and Eddie's friendship as a key emotional element of the show. Tim has also said this, repeatedly.

People often say that there's no explanation for how Buck and Eddie are with each other if it's not romantic - I read a fantastic essay that pointed out that this statement is the reason their platonic friendship IS so important. Men should be able to be vulnerable and loving with each other without it being romantic, as women can be. If we're unable to see a loving friendship without interpreting it as romantic or sexual, what does that say about the kind of male friendships we see everywhere, that makes this one so different?

I know this is an old anti-Buddie argument and I'm not anti-Buddie nor do I mean it's wrong to see it as romantic. I still do. I'm saying if it's not, if it never is, what it is, is already valuable and special, especially when one of them is now openly queer and dating a man.

Anyway. That's where I am with it, and my interpretation of where the show is with it.