#Meta baseball bat

[mainsminds]

Meta baseball bat

#Meta baseball bat pro#

#Meta baseball bat series#

#Meta baseball bat pro#

Premium LS Pro Comfort Grip™ for the perfect mix of tack and cushion.The Meta will be the three-piece and all-composite offering from Louisville Slugger and it features Slugger’s high quality and impressive EKO Composite. Louisville Slugger Meta BBCOR Baseball Bat: WBL2522010 Slugger is here with their 4th rendition of the Meta BBCOR bat and it is poised to hit rockets across high school and college baseball fields, just like its predecessors Bat Benefits This bat is built in Louisville Slugger's 3-piece design that incorporates (1) a composite barrel (2) a composite handle and (3) a connector piece. Balanced swing for the ultimate combination of speed and power. Back for its second go-around in the USSSA baseball ranks is the Louisville Slugger Meta And Slugger has built it with the trusted combination of materials that they know will launch baseballs.The one-piece build of Meta One delivers a stiffer feel and elite energy transfer on contact along with Meta’s signature balanced swing. Some people are still paying 700+ for the 2019 Meta Prime, so we wanted to bri. Built for young players in search of a lightweight feel, the 2022 Meta One (-12) USSSA Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger introduces Meta’s EKO Composite barrel in an ultralight one-piece construction. Premium GT1™ enc cap maximizes barrel length and swing speed. The Bat Bros bring out the 3 generations of the META from Louisville Slugger. Built with the optimum synergy between power and speed, the 2022 USSSA Meta (-8) Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger delivers an ultra-balanced swing for.Three-piece design featuring VCX2™ Vibration Control Connection System, a patented elastomeric connection that allows independent movement between the barrel and the handle to control vibration and provide unmatched feel on contact. The bat that has transformed the BBCOR game now joins the Louisville Slugger Senior League lineup for the first time.EKO™ Composite Barrel – engineered to the pinnacle of performance light swinging, large barrel profile and optimized sweet spot.Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytical Review of.

#Meta baseball bat series#

The Subway Series has renewed once again on Monday night as the Yankees and Mets met for some Monday night baseball. Faux steering wheels used to drive racing cars, golf clubs, baseball bats. The GT1™ end cap maximizes barrel length and swing speed to put the finishing touch on a best-in-class bat. Mets Bats Quieted In 4-2 Loss to Yankees. Canha flips bat in spectacular fashion after putting Mets up in 9th. The three-piece construction of Meta SL features our patented VCX2™ Connection System to control vibration and pair the handle with our enormous barrel. Visit ESPN to view the latest New York Mets news, scores, stats, standings, rumors. A year after making its USSSA debut, Meta returns with the light swinging EKO™ composite barrel to offer unmatched sound along with the perfect balance of performance and feel. Product Features: -3 Length to Weight Ratio. Much like Louisville Slugger bats such as the Meta Prime and Meta PWR, the 2020 Meta BBCOR lives up to its sturdy reputation. The 2021 Louisville Slugger Meta has a -3 length to weight ratio, 2 5/8 inch barrel diameter, balanced swing weighting, and is approved in BBCOR Sanctioned Leagues and Tournaments. The composite construction affords durability. A year after making its USSSA debut, Meta returns with the light swinging EKO composite barrel to offer unmatched sound along with the perfect balance of performance and feel. My preferred spec on this bat is a Stage 1 shave and roll with polymer. Step up to the plate with the Louisville Slugger Adults Meta SL 2022 Senior League Baseball Bat (-8). We maximized the barrel length with the Premium GT1™ End Cap, putting the finishing touches on one of our highest-performing bats ever.Built with the optimum synergy between power and speed, the 2022 USSSA Meta (-8) Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger delivers an ultra-balanced swing for travel ball players transitioning between (-10) and (-5). Built with the optimum synergy between power and speed, the 2022 USSSA Meta (-10) Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger delivers a light, balanced swing for young travel ball players. The three-piece construction is centered around our patented 3FX™ Connection System that gives you a stiff feel on contact that pairs perfectly with this bat’s monstrous sweet spot. The game-changing EKO™ composite barrel delivers a sound unlike anything in the game, delivering the perfect balance of performance and feel. The 2022 Louisville Slugger Meta BBCOR baseball bat is a two-piece bat so it is a great fit for all hitters but especially for hitters that do it all at the. Built for power, the 2022 Meta (-3) BBCOR Bat from Louisville Slugger is back for more.

[artist-ellen]

Housekeeping Updates!

So just in case you don't know Meta has made the decision to start scraping everything anyone posts to their new AI. There isn't really a way to opt out either. In some countries you can lodge a formal complaint, but even that doesn't mean your photos or art won't be used despite your wishes.

In a twist no one could have seen coming (sarcasm)... people are leaving or deleting their work. Many artists are going to Cara, an app that is still in Beta mode. I opened an account there as well but am unsure yet if I will post regularly to. I will most likely post my 'official portfolio' there but I don't know if there will be people who aren't artists on the site. So as an art venture it would be great... but on the hopes of connecting with my existing audience? To be seen or shared to people who might commission me? The odds aren't so good.

Lots of decisions to make I'm afraid. At the moment I will be posting my regular content here on Tumblr and to my Patreon (I've had it for years but wasn't using it actively, shout out to the two people who stayed following me over there, you're the coolest). But I won't be posting regularly to Instagram like I was. In fact I've decided to actively delete most of my art from Instagram. And since I can't count on Tumblr to house and categorize and find all that work from over the past four years I've decided to effectively use Patreon as my Archive.

All day I've been copying over my old posts to Patreon, and setting them up in a schedule so they will post once a day for... a very long time. I've barely moved a 100 redesign posts over and I'm into February next year... it's a slow and slightly monotonous process but I think it will be worth it! So if you want to relive my original redesigns on a daily basis they are over at my Patreon. I've set nearly all of them to "all members" so you don't have to be on the paid tier to see them. Only some the oldest/first draft redesigns and some behind the scene screenshots will be for my 'Support System' <3

I am looking into glazing and what not but they have to reply to a DM? or something odd like that so I'm looking at various options while I figure things out. Will this crush my tiny art business? Maybe. Will I do this in protest anyway? Yeah. F Meta. (Holds in tirade about the state of megacorporations owning our data)

TLDR: Meta wants everybody to feed their ai for free, I'm removing posts from IG and archiving them onto my Patreon for all members. I'm still going to be posting on tumblr.

xoxoxo

[other-peoples-coats]

ok so we all agree that jedi sports are just like, ludicrously insane, right?

like jedi baseball is really only technically sort of like baseball, if you squint very hard and are also very drunk. the ball is a stunner shot, the bat is your lightsaber, and it's less 'catching to throw out' and more 'deflecting it directly at the runner'.

Jedi soccer has a special pitch with re-inforced walls and ceiling because the last time a ball escaped the pitch it went through three buildings.

the less said about jedi track and field events, the better.

[moongothic]

Realistically speaking. The most likely way Oda would probably do the Dragodile Divorce would be by having Dragon be like, a respectful ally who is just unfortunately straight and can't see himself dating a man. The way Oda has been treating Dragon so far in the story it's hard to imagine him going off a transphobic deep end to cause a divorce. Like I can't imagine Oda doing that, with Dragon specifically.

But I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'd find the more horrific way for that divorce to go down to be a far more interesting story option.

Because, weirdly, I think that would actually humanize Dragon a little more and simultaneously make Crocodile more a sympathetic character by extension.

Like, right now, while we haven't seen That Much of Dragon, the little we have seen has been building him up as A Great Man in the narrative. Someone who wants to help people, someone with strong ideals and willpower, someone who wants to lead the world to a better direction. A great leader with a big heart, who cares for his friends and for justice, Luffy inheriting a lot of these wonderful traits directly from his father. Oda has been hyping Dragon up for years within the story. And in my mind, all of this is making Dragon feel less human. Like, we know of The Man, The Myth, The Legend, but he doesn't feel "real". That image of Dragon Oda has built in my mind seems too perfect. And I think that does come down to the fact that we don't know that much about Dragon, more specifically, we don't know about any flaws he might have as a human being.

And I'm not saying making Dragon transphobic would make him a better character. My actual argument would be that if Dragon fucked up hardcore even just once in his life and did something horrible, that would counterbalance the overwhealming amount of positive traits he already has going for him.

Like Dragon did bring up the concept of "living without regrets" (when telling Kuma he could leave the RA to stay with his daughter); yes, this is a callback to how Ace and Luffy had made a promise to each another after they learned Sabo had died, but I do feel like in some ways, having Dragon mention that concept is also meant to show another similarity between Dragon and Luffy. Another thing Luffy inherited from his father, an ideal, a will. And I think it would be so much more meaningful if Dragon made that a goal in his life after gaining things he regretted. After making a mistake he could never take back.

And I dunno man, reacting piss poorly to finding out your wife is now your husband and breaking his heart in the process would be one easy way to end up with some Regrets™.

Yes, there is the counter argument to be made that Dragon surely could never be transphobic considdering he's specifically allied with Iva-chan and the Kamabakka Queendom. It is also worth noting how often people claim to be Okay With The Queers but only as long as The Queers are Over There, only to do a complete 180 and lash out the second someone in their own family comes out. Mind you, again, I'm not arguing for Dragon to be fully transphobic (although that would also be an option). Like maybe he had just a horrible kneejerk reaction or a slip of the tongue, one that he regretted immidiately after he realized what he had fucking done. (Hell, if Crocodile transitioned without warning and Dragon couldn't recognize him when reuniting, depending on the situation he could've even tried attacking Croc.) But it'd be too late, there'd be no fixing what he had broken. He'd be just stuck living with the consequences of the worst mistake of his life. (Also it's been almost 20 years in-universe. Even if Dragon had been fully transphobic, there's been plenty of time for him to do some soul searching and grow as a person, especially when surrounded by Iva-chan and co.)

Another thing is that... Look. If the Cis Heterosexual Dragon was Morally Pure and Never Did Anything Wrong In His Life, while the Gay Transgender Man Crocodile was ~evil~ and he was the one who had commited countless war crimes against people etc etc. Like. You get how that'd look. Especially when all the "good queers" in OP so far have been pre-transition, while Crocodile would be the first named character who has fully transitioned. 'Cause like. The mere act of transition is so often seen as morally deprived and corrupt, and yeah Crocodile is a cartoon villian. Just... having this one thing, one fucking time, where we can say for 100% sure that Crocodile wasn't the one in the wrong, and that it was the other party that did something horrible, would be kind of nice.

Also like. We don't know how the Dragodile Divorce went down and how Luffy ended up in Dragon's hands, like did Crocodile trans his gender before handing over the baby to Dragon or after. Almost regardless, but especially if he did transition before handing over the baby... Like... Crocodile is not stupid. He should have understood that Dragon fell in love with a woman, and thus his choise to transition could end their relationship. Yes, a younger Crocodile may have been a bit more naïve and trusting, but to me, it'd feel absurd if Crocodile didn't considder it at least a possibility. This man thinks everything through with utmost care, he comes up with backup plans for his backup plans. Surely he would have expected it.

So to me like

Croc thinks nothing will change -> Dragon politely breaks up -> Crocodile goes off to commit warcrimes

Would be like, the worst way things could go down. I would hate that chain of events, not gonna lie

Croc thinks nothing will change -> Dragon goes off the deepend -> Warcrimes

Croc assumes/knows things will change -> Dragon politely breaks up -> Warcrimes

Croc assumes/knows things will change -> Dragon goes off the deepend -> Warcrimes

^Would be all much more preferable options, for me at least, because the end result of the warcrimes won't seem like a result of Crocodile transitioning, it's not caused by him being a morally corrupt queer. At fucking most, in the first of those three scenarios you could blame Dragon for the warcrimes because he's the one who arguably broke Crocodile's psyche. But the other two? IDK it'd feel less like the warcrimes were a result of him throwing a fit over someone not wanting to date a trans person. Like the warcrimes came to be for completely separate reasons and have nothing to do with Dragon and getting rejected for being trans.

I dunno I'm probably not even making any sense at this point

The point is. If Crocodad Real and if there was indeed a Dragodile Divorce (only assuming because of Croc's ringfinger status) (Same for Dragon now that I think about it)

I think Dragon fucking up would make him more interesting as a character and Crocodile more symphathetic than if Dragon did everything perfectly.

That's it, that's the post, oyasumimir

[sitelenco]

[edit]

I FORGOT TO ADD TEXT I JUST REALIZED AAAAA

Meta Knight just wantec to see how he's looking today gahdamn >:[

[waitineedaname]

what is hlvrai and please tell me more about this svsss crossover?

hlvrai is Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware and it is a series that made me absolutely bonkers for a solid two years, which is not something most hyperfixations of mine can claim

basically the premise is that a streamer got a special copy of Half-Life VR where the NPCs are self-aware! in reality, it was a streamer and his friend role-playing in gmod and it spiralled rapidly out of control, but oh my god I cannot emphasize enough how funny this series is. there are lines in this series that I still quote because they have wormed their way into my permanent speech pattern. the characters that they managed to come up with basically on the fly are so good, and the ending is absolutely insane

I'm still deciding which direction the crossover should go. I think maybe I should put svsss characters into hlvrai because I do not think hlvrai!gordon would not do well if put in shen qingqiu's shoes. he's so highstrung, I do not think he could pull off the wise master role sqq finds himself in. he would get killed so quickly

shen yuan, however, would be perfect as a streamer slowly being driven insane by his NPC companions. the other characters are trickier to figure out, but I think if I just change which ones of them are aware they're in a video game, it would work. binghe being benrey is too good to pass up, but I think shang qinghua could be tommy, if tommy figured out they were in a game but just chose not to tell anyone. I kinda wanna make mobei-jun into forzen simply because that's funny to me. coomer and bubby.... uh...... get back to me on that. liu qingge could be bubby maybe, and yue qingyuan could be coomer. idk. instead of talking to the system, shen yuan is bitching at his chat, and binghe is like Who Are You Talking To 👁👁 and shen yuan has a heart attack

[fluidfox123]

Izzy Hands is a complex, dynamic, and well-rounded character. The fandom's depiction of making him a flat, simple, all-villain and all-hero character–when it isn't silly-haha and having fun (obviously because me too, girlie, me too)–but as a genuine, serious perspective of his character and his place in the show is something that I would like to point out. 

So, obviously, some of this fandom has strong ass opinions about Izzy Hands, and I have seen so many takes on him, especially with the release of the first season 2 episodes. Now, for those of you who don't know (for any new fans), Izzy Hands is the first mate to Blackbeard's crew and frequently, in season 1, was uptight, persuading Edward Teach to do things he didn't really want to do (Kill Stede Bonnet, act a certain way around the crew, not show weakness, act on another side to him that was present on the Revenge, etc.) 

This has caused a lot of fandom splitting on opinions about him, especially his toxicity to vulnerability when Ed was heartbroken over Stede leaving, Ed and Izzy having more than a captain and first mate relationship, his actions towards the crew, and so on other unpleasant things he's done. This has caused fandom to view him as homophobic (at times internalized), masochistic, an abuser, and villainized. Other parts of the fandom see him as a victim of societal symbolism, a scorned lover (going through a divorce), a one-sided lover, and an actual hero for not only the progression of the story but Ed and Stede's relationship.

A lot of the fandom is insanely split on this, so split I've seen entire arguments about it and people pulling some unbelievable shit over some lil guy in a comedy-emotionally-symbolic pirate show, so I am here to say, very loudly and clearly: Izzy Hands ain't no villain or hero, no abuser or victim. I am here to say he is fucking BOTH simultaneously and that he isn't more of one or the fucking other. He has two hands, and both hold the complex nature of humanity as the beautifully well-rounded character he is. 

To get the ugliest explanation out of the way, the idea of an abuser being a victim and a victim being an abuser is something that, I believe, is something that has to be considered when speaking of Izzy Hands, especially concerning Edward Teach. Like, practically ESSENTIAL, if you want to dive into the meat of their relationship. And I don't just mean that as in, like, "Izzy Hands fucked over Edward emotionally to the point of mentally breaking him and then got physically abused in return by the man he mentally broke with his idiocy," BUT ALSO through the lens of "Edward AND Izzy have spent long years in a hell they can't escape in the line of work they have been forced to stay in, even by those who are supposed to be by their side/society, and in turn twisted the dagger into the stomach of those who placed it on them." 

Now, to clarify, in similar terms, Izzy Hands–someone who is affected by the view of what piracy is supposed to be by literally everyone outside of the Revenge and Blackbeard's ship, as shown in season 1–has abused Edward emotionally, brought upon him ideas that harm him and tear that man apart to the point of feeding into his suicide ideations that have been present from the very beginning. At the same time, Edward has internalized those views and reflected them upon the one who hurt him and others. Izzy Hands and Edward Teach are victims of an idea of what is "right" for them to do, be, and believe, and CONTINUE that cycle by feeding it into the other.

Now, this show isn't the real world, no matter how much you want it to be, so pointing out who is more or not problematic is like looking at a lineup of Hannibal Lecter from multiple types of media and trying to decide who did cannibalism and murder the nicest. They're PIRATES; they KILL people. The fact is that this show uses death and fighting as something that is not serious, goofy even, and injury to the main characters as EMOTIONAL, SYMBOLIC storytelling. Edward getting verbally abused by Izzy Hands daily and Edward choking the man out and taking away his toes and then his fucking leg is on the same level as the storytelling and NOT about one being evil and one being a poor baby. It is simple: they are fucked up guys who hurt one another despite caring for one another. You can find REFLECTIONS of real life in OFMD, but that does not make it real life and should not be treated as such. 

To the "But people don't deserve abuse! You're being an abuser apologist by saying Izzy deserved it!" "Izzy hands brought this on himself and deserves all the physical, emotional, and mental pain, and I hope he dies." I bring you: Izzy is an abuser; the consequences of that abuse broke a man who, in turn, broke him with abuse. It is a cycle, an unhealthy relationship on both sides. No one deserved it, but it happened (is happening even), and what matters is how the show decides to address it. And liking and supporting the prevalence of it on screen to dive into this kind of relationship is not fucking evil. It does not make someone good or bad to explore harsh topics, see them on screen, and enjoy and want MORE of them. 

They are pirates who have been around captains who force-fed crew mates live crabs that ripped through a stomach, watched people burn alive without a second glance, killed their fathers, and threatened each other with guns and weapons on a daily fuckin' basis. This isn't that far-fetched that this would have happened. It doesn't matter who is redeemable; it's about criminals who are fucked up in falling in love and working through issues. And the mere fucked up but REALISTIC SYMBOLISM AND STORYTELLING of Ed and Izzy's relationship brings so much to not only season 1 but their characters and what this means for them in the past and future. In my opinion, it is masterful to see such characters like this on-screen who DO care for each other but can never love each other like they want. Because that's another thing: they truly love each other, and if you want to get deeper into that part of it, I recommend this post I made. 

In summary, this man is the abuser and the abused, and those who refuse to see this are missing the entire part of his character and Ed and Izzy's relationship.

To get to the other point, Izzy is, yes, an abuser and a victim, but at the same time is a fictional being deserving and capable of change, just like every character in the show who is part of the main cast (he is not Big Jack Horner from Puss in Boots, now THAT is an irredeemable character in media done RIGHT). 

People look at Izzy Hands being an asshole and make him a flat-ass villain who is homophobic JUST because he treats the queers on The Revenge like shit and is not deserving of getting the arc he is getting because he wasn't the most pleasant guy in the room is the equivalent of people who took one look at all Izzy's done and thinks Izzy has never done anything wrong in his entire life, everything Izzy has done is justified because he's changed in season 2. And just like I said before, this doesn't apply to the fandom inside jokes. No, when I state these things, it's about people who take it SERIOUSLY. Look at Izzy and GENUINELY THINK IN A VERY REAL, VERY "I WILL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH" OPINION ABOUT HIM BEING A VILLIAN OR HERO. Which isn't at all right. He is not at all one or the other; he is just a little guy who plays both roles in-story and out-of-story ways.

He is more than capable of changing, and this is shown in season 1 when he apologized for snapping at Blackbeard over his stress of trying to make sure they survive day to day; he knew he was hurting Edward but was, in fact, doing it to ensure Edward's safety despite how misconstrued it was and still is in season 2 (based on his conversation with Stede in the Captain's Quarters). He is not only protected by the trauma crew on the Revenge but protects them IN RETURN from things that happened off-screen, and those who do not think the end of season 1 Izzy and the beginning of season 2 Izzy match up or are not the same character have missed much context from his past appearances before season 2. And that applies to people who ignore either part of his character, the good or bad.

People who are not redeemable do not apologize for their actions. They do not verbalize and tell people they know they're doing things wrong. These are all signs of a character capable of being self-aware if they choose to. We have seen Izzy Hands choose it between seasons. Just because it wasn't on screen with a neon sign pointing to it doesn't mean it isn't happening and DIDN'T happen. Izzy's reaction to Fang asking what happened to his toe in the library scene isn't how we first interpreted it; it matches the beginning of an abusive cycle we see later. It is a nervous laugh, the settling of something, joy, delight, and fear. Because Izzy was PUT in his place from an idea that Izzy placed in Ed's head. But we know Edward has never been this far gone, so when he continued to be punished, it was no longer a sign of his Blackbeard; that delight vanished and turned to horror and regret and him owning up to his actions. 

Izzy states he and the rest of the crew are WORRIED about him. He cares, and because he doesn't care healthily and cutely doesn't mean he doesn't care because care isn't always pretty and good; it doesn't have to be righteous and morally right. (This applies to Edward and people hating him for his treatment of the crew and Izzy. Everything I have said applies to him as well, just as much. Despite everything, the crew cares about him, but that doesn't mean everything is good and dandy either; it is COMPLEX.) 

Izzy Hands quite LITERALLY has only followed Pirate Protocol this entire time that Edward has followed for years alongside him, and to call him evil and irredeemable is to call Edward the same thing, and to call them both monsters is to miss the entire fuckin point of this show and it's story-telling. 

This is not about what is right and wrong in the lens of real life for every little detail; it is about the right and wrong of love, relationships, and societal expectations upon outsiders and people who don't follow what is expected of them. It is about how each person interprets it and has fun with it, and to make it a battleground is so fuckin sad. I am so sorry you think you must do that and make everything censored and pure when we finally get a show that doesn't queerbait, demonize individuals who usually are, is anti-racist/colonist and doesn't shit on neurodivergent folks.

And last but not least, allow Izzy to be interpreted by fandom as fandom wishes. It's about having fun, so have fun with him while RESPECTING his character and your fellow fans! See him as a masochist? Don't equalize his abuse and victim moments as masochism because abuse does not equal masochism in any form. See him as an antagonist? Hell, yeah, give the bad sides of him some love! See him as a protagonist? Awesome, feed into those positive points! But in no fuckin world is there a reason to attack one another over this little fictional man who is literally nothing like his real counterpart. In summary, everyone's opinion is valid, and if you don't like something, don't interact, and not everything that makes you uncomfortable is evil. 

[cleromancy]

thinking about countdown again. thinking about how the only dead Titan whose statue jason smashed was donna's, because she was someone he knew and liked when he was alive, and now she's dead. thinking about jason saying he failed. thinking about how jason canonically goes to funerals of titans he never met.

thinking about jason comforting donna at barts funeral and this being the first hug hes had since his resurrection. thinking about kyle saying jason needles guys on purpose until they fight him. thinking about rose restraining jason from the fight with dick and tim and the expression on his face when donna vouched for him. thinking about her checking in on him after a fight and him realizing "you do care." thinking about the betrayal donna felt when jason faked her death to lose their trail without giving her any warning--and then not apologizing. thinking about him closing back off.

thinking about him on multiple other earths wondering if he should just stay there.

thinking about earth-51. thinking about him denouncing the whole cape-and-cowl crowd and throwing his red robin costume in a dumpster.

thinking about jason going inexorably back to gotham.

[quanblovk]

Reopening asks but only for miscellaneous asks, the DMK rating game will no longer accept any more characters!

[keikakudori]

But also I'm going to be shoving this whole YOU CAN WEAR A GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING OUKEN INTO MY MOUTH AND EATING THIS VICARIOUSLY AND HAVING EVEN MORE BRAIN JUICE HYPER ZOOMY MOMENTS BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK YOU CAN WEAR A FUCKING OUKEN WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS LORE---

[thekitsunesiren]

Dc x DP #50: Accidentally Kidnapping a (ex) Crime Lord

(I've seen that reverse trope list, so I just had to do it. I might do more in the future. But for now, here's accidentally kidnapping a mafia boss in dc x dp format) Jason awoke with a low groan, slowly lifting his head as his eyes blinked to take in his location.

It had happened so quick. So quick that he couldn't even blink.

There was word going around Crime Alley of a new stray making their way around. Which wasn't new given that it's Crime Alley and Gotham altogether, but there was definitely something wrong with the kid.

Apparently everyone who met him got some odd vibe. Like there was something wrong with him. Many said that he was a meta on the run, but there were others that didn't believe that.

And when Jason found out he was in Crime Alley, it was like something cold walked through him. Like someone was walking over his grave. Figuratively and literally. Something bigger than him was in his territory. Something dangerous. And every bit of him said that it was the new kid.

So Jason set out to look for him. He wasn't going to let the others find out about this, not when it was on his turg. And perhaps if he could figure out what he was, perhaps ask why he calmed the pits in such a way.

He looked into the kid, a Daniel "Danny" Nightingale from the looks of it, and that he was only sixteen. No talk about any parents, but there was word of an older sister, Jasmine Nightingale, that was going to Gotham University to study psychology. But other than that? Nothing. Zilch. As if the two appeared out of nowhere. LIke ghosts.

So, Jason took to tracking him physically. Trying to figure out where he went and if he met with anyone in particular that might raise suspicion. Whether it be some other thugs or a some gang of some sort. But he had no such luck. Not because he wasn't meeting anyone, it was he always lost him. Every corner he turned, he was always gone when Jason walked around to follow him. It was like the kid was a ghost. Did he know that he was being followed?

It was late one night when Jason caught sight of Danny on his own, walking down the street with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Thinking that he was either going to meet someone or head home, he decided to trail him and see if he could finally fill another piece of this puzzle that was Nightingale.

Jason was right on his heels as he turned the corner leading to another street, ready to confront him. But once again, Nightingale was gone.

And before he could even curse or question as to where he could've gone so quickly, a heavy thunk was heard as something heavy hit the back of Jason's head. The last thing he saw before losing unconsciousness was a pair of worn sneakers as as the attacker approached him.

Which lead him to here: tied up in a worn down apartment. Nightingale standing across from him in what he supposed was a threatening manner. A baseball bat with a faded glowing green sticker on its base. Jason could make out the word 'Fenton' on it and made sure to look up that name later once he was out of this mess. But for now, he had to deal with NIghtingale.

Jason turned his attention to him, but with his helmet on he doubted Nightingale could tell whether his gaze shifted to his chosen weapon or not. But the slightest movement was enough to tell Nightingale that Jason was indeed awake from his unconscious state.

But before Jason could speak or make any comment about the situation, Nightingale beat him to it.

"What do you want with me?" He asked bluntly. It was one question that Jason wasn't expecting, so he stared at Nightingale confused.

"What?" Came the robotic reply of his voice filter. Apparently that wasn't the right answer as Nightingale let out a frustrated huff and waved his bat towards him.

"What do you want with me? You've been following me for some time and it's getting annoying? What are you? A thug? A goon? Or are you another rogue trying to make it big. Gotta say; not a good start just by stalking someone if you were."

His words had shocked Jason to his core for various reasons. One: he didn't know who Jason was. Two: apparently he was skilled in knowing when he was followed and Jason couldn't tell. And three: HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO JASON WAS!

Jason let out a dry laugh as he realized that he was serious about his questions. Nightingale has been here for months at least. So how did he not know about the notorious Red Hood? His reputation usually brought fear to those. It was strange for someone in Gotham not to know about him.

"Do you seriously not know who I am?" Jason asked, his eyebrow raised in a question even though his hood covered it, he was sure that Nightingale understood his confusion. His blue eyes shining in confusion as he tilted his head.

"No? Are you a rogue already? Ancients, they keep popping up every week." He groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. And while Jason could agree to the sentiment, he needed to get to the bottom of Nightingale and what he was doing here. And whether or not he was a threat to Gotham, or at least Crime Alley.

"I wouldn't call myself a rogue. Not anymore at least. The name's Red Hood, kid." Jason answered gruffly, eyes still focused on Nightingale as he waited for his reaction.

Nightingale titled his head at the name. Recognition flashing his eyes as he heard it.

"Red Hood? But isn't that guy that runs crime alley? Why would that-"

His eyes widened in dawning horror, his already pale skin seeming to get paler as he came to a realization as he stared at Jason. More specifically, his hood.

Jason expected some panic. That perhaps Nightingale might even try to knock him out again or hightail it out of his apartment. But instead he just continued to stare at Jason in ever growing horror as he whispered,

"Oh Ancients, I just kidnapped a crime lord." Now, there was a lot that Jason wanted to unpack from this interaction, but for some reason the first thing that came out his mouth was-

"It's ex crime lord."

[chemevan]

happy bday to both patrick stump and kirby! have this older art since i think it fits.

[Image ID: 2 digital drawings. first one (left) is patrick stump from fall out boy, specifically pre hiatus era, and kirby. patrick is wearing a baseball cap with a star on it and a denim jacket. there are some stars and sparkles in the background. patrick looks surprised at kirby, who looks very jolly. second drawing (right) is pete wentz from fall out boy, also prehiatus era, with meta night from the same franchise as kirby. pete is wearing a hoodie with the clandestine industries logo on it, which looks like a mix between a bat and a heart, which is called a "bartskull", while meta knight has his bat wings out, he's wearing his metal mask and has his sword on his hand. pete is happy and happily posing with a peace sign, while meta knight is looking at him with not much expression. there is a glittery bartskull in the background./.End ID]

[waitmyturtles]

OMFG. In the World Cup of Cherry Magic, Thailand vs. Japan, WHEW, YESTERDAY'S EPISODE, AN EPISODE 11 (!!!!!), Thailand went deep into double overtime territory to pull out this GOAL, BABY:

If I may continue with the sports metaphors, this was like the sickest bat flip out of Korean baseball that anyone's ever seen, Karan just hammering Achi's magical power over the metaphorical Green Monster:

I have so much more to say about this episode, including thoughts on the beach scene from earlier in this episode -- I have a whole list of CMT meta that I've been dying to write. But I just need to applaud:

1) X Nuttapong and the CMT writers for continuing to allow Achi and Karan to be so direct in their communication, and,

2) Tay Tawan. This was Tay Tawan's best episode by far. He's been playing Karan perfectly, a deeply simped-out dude for his man Achi, but especially on the beach, I felt like we saw the kind of depth of connection, wonderment, honesty, and emotional connection that Tay demonstrated as Shin in 3 Will Be Free, and even during many moments of emotional confusion as his Pete in Dark Blue Kiss.

I had been wondering to myself, during this series, if this series had allowed Tay to demonstrate his best acting: because Karan is so locked into simp mode, that mindset that Tay would have to click into seemed almost a touch one-dimensional for his talents (not that that's a bad thing, I think he's clocked into it wonderfully).

It was a different set-up, obviously, in Cherry Magic Japan, particularly when Kurosawa sat in Adachi's apartment after Adachi’s hospital scare. Kurosawa was scared shitless — he and Adachi both were concerned for Kurosawa’s stability in that moment.

My drama friends and I have commended CMT for a different kind of equity in communication and emotional connection between Karan and Achi vs. Kurosawa and Adachi. I don't fault CMJ at all -- both Adachi and Kurosawa are drawn more internally into themselves as opposed to Karan's and Achi's outward and empathic presentations, and that's just by way of different interpretations of these couples and the Cherry Magic framework among nations.

Karan’s tack of both remaining utterly calm at Achi's bedside after his fainting spell, and his physical demonstrativeness towards Achi on the beach and in the bedroom -- these are moments where we see a lot more nuance from Karan, as opposed to Kurosawa, in Karan's controlling and then letting go of his desire, and I'm just a little obsessed right now that GMMTV had Tay Tawan be able to act all of this out, and Tay is just eating it.

I have SOOOOOO MUCH MORE to say and think on regarding comparisons to Karanachi and Kurodachi, all good stuff, nuanced stuff that I'm just OBSESSING OVER between Thailand and Japan, but for now, I am giving Tay all my flowers and Korean baseball fan dances, because this episode 11 was just FUCKING AMAZING.

[cosmicallylyss]

Blue Lock Baseball AU

Hello everyone I am a baseball/softball enjoyer and would like to share my thoughts about what positions I think the Blue Lock boys would play! This will be multipart as ideas will come to me sporadically, with analysis under the cut.

Characters included in this part are: Egoist 4, Raichi, Barou, Aryu, & Aiku

Isagi Yoichi:

Left fielder. Now you might be saying "lyss why are you putting the protagonist in the outfield??" and to that I say 1) this is baseball not soccer 2) if you don't think this position is important you don't know the sport. If a ball is headed for the outfield it's most likely headed somewhere between LF/CF and those players will need good communication in order to coordinate who's going for what. Despite Isagi being a beast on the field to his rivals, we know he can do teamwork exceptionally well. Left field also requires great knowledge of the game, and his meta-vision being able to predict what the runners will do will be able to help him by making the perfect throws to the infield for a given situation. He's got a great view of the entire field and although he probably won't be making any outs aside from outfield catches (which he can make a lot of!!!) he is indispensable when it comes to holding off the runners from advancing.

Bachira Meguru:

I want to put him at second base. The middle infield has him bouncing around a lot, as he'll have to cover both second and first base depending on which way the ball is hit, and I am solid in my belief that Bachira can handle that. As a technical player, I really like putting him in this position as I imagine him getting a lot of contact with the ball and being a playmaker for the team. Tagging runners, getting a cut from the outfield, and just generally getting a read of the field by being in the middle of it has me solid that he'll be able to make great plays from this position. I imagine that Bachira's monster/instinct has him making a lot of double plays. He'll be able to get someone out at second and then make a great, yet unexpected throw to first or home for another out.

Chigiri Hyoma:

He's so centerfielder to me. With how well he's performing in Manshine right now it makes sense to me to give him a sort of "leadership role" in the outfield. He'd definitely be the player in the outfield who has to move around the most and I think his speed would be best utilized here. Whether its for making amazing running/diving catches or running in to pick up a ground ball that manages to slip past second and short, I think putting Chigiri in centerfield gives him the opportunity to use a lot of his potential. Of course pinch runner Chigiri would be fun to see as well, maybe he's not in the batting lineup but when the pitcher or catcher gets on base he subs in for them to run the bases. Honestly thinking about CF Chigiri was what got me wanting to write this whole thing, he means so so much to me.

Kunigami Rensuke:

Third baseman. Yes I'm foaming at the mouth about this thought. Sue me. Not only does Kunigami's strength make him a great person to put here because of his ability to make great throws to both first and home, I think it's best to have your more physically dominant players toward the last bases. As the opponent progresses along the bases, it becomes more and more vital to get them out before they can make it home (duh). I think Kunigami, especially post-wildcard would be really aggressive on the base (occasionally to his detriment), enjoying tagging out players rather than going with an easier route of just stepping on the bag. He's probably also a clean-up hitter or at least close to the top of the lineup. I want to imagine he's also a lefty batter, maybe he's a slap hitter and it annoys everyone else. But yeah I really want to see him dominating third base and the whole foul line honestly.

Raichi Jingo:

He would be such a great shortstop okay just listen to me. The nature of middle infield is running around a lot (covering third, covering second, backing up second) and although it's not a lot of distance to cover, you're alternating between these positions a lot and Raichi definitely has the stamina to keep up with the demands of middle infield. We've seen it. I also think his tenacity is great for making him an awesome shortstop. He'll fully throw himself in front of a line drive to catch it (this works most of the time), ignoring the sting in his hand. I also imagine if a runner is about to steal third and Raichi is in possession of the ball, he'll charge at the runner to fully scare them back into staying at second before getting the ball back to the pitcher.

Barou Shouei:

The most egotistical pitcher you will ever meet dear god. His whole king shtick with the whole field revolving around his playstyle??? You literally can not put him in any other position. He's a menace on the field, trash talk both to his team and his opponent, but his money is where his mouth is. His great physicality would lend itself to fast, accurate pitches, but I imagine pre-development his short temper would lead to a lot of outbursts that affect his accuracy. He will get angry every time he doesn't pitch a no-hitter. Every time he's reminded that he has a whole team behind him to back him up if the batters hit, he'll bark that it's just him versus the batters and he will strike them out. Barou is the guy you don't wanna hit against, because he's good and he's annoying about it.

Aryu Jyubei:

This is a first baseman. Hear me out. First base gets quite a bit of action so Aryu's got the opportunity to be flashy and get a lot of notice, but that's like 10% of why I'm putting him here. Functionally, we see him dominate in air battles and with his long limbs it makes the most sense to put him on such a pivotal base. He's gonna get thrown to a lot, and it's undeniable that some shitty throws will be sent his way. His height/limbs will allow him to still catch virtually any ball sent his way even if it's far from the bag/overthrown while still keeping a foot on the bag to hopefully get an out. He's got the bag on lockdown but also a good few-foot radius around it.

Aiku Oliver:

Alright everybody act surprised when I say catcher. I know it's the obvious choice but that's because it makes so much sense. Obviously whenever your team isn't at bat you're on defense, but catcher is definitely the most defensive position one can think of, and that's where Aiku excels. I think his strength will be an asset behind the plate, as it'll be easy for him to throw to any base necessary, and he could also be a pretty formidable player to run toward for any opponent trying to steal home. I think his leadership that shines as captain of the U-20 team would also allow him to sync nicely with whatever pitcher he's teamed up with, and I also think his game sense will allow him to make quick decisions on where to throw the ball if he doesn't try to throw out someone stealing and just send the ball back to the pitcher.

[francesderwent]

speaking as someone who hated Steve in season one, shipped Jonathan and Nancy in season one and two, and now full-heartedly ships Steve and Nancy, I always hated how Nancy and Jonathan get together in season two. I (obviously) hate the Murray of it all, because no story which viewers have been led to care about deserves to have its decisive climactic moment hijacked by a balding conspiracy theorist who (wrongly) considers himself an expert in human behavior. but even setting aside Murray (as much as it's possible to do so when he's inextricable to how everything plays out), I thought the scene did such a disservice to the Jonathan/Nancy relationship as it was set up. even once I didn't ship them anymore, that scene just seemed like bad, out-of-character writing. but I think I found a way to fit the scene into the larger story.

Jonathan Byers & Restraint

this isn't groundbreaking (I'm probably subconsciously stealing from a thousand Maria metas), but what made Jonathan and Nancy stand out in season one is romantic restraint. while Steve is climbing in Nancy's bedroom window and trying to unbutton her shirt and sleeping with her all by the end of the second episode, Jonathan and Nancy talk to one another, awkwardly, stiltedly. if I remember right, they don't touch, at all. Nancy is trying to connect with him, and Jonathan isn't opposed, but they're both very cautious, and the connection is difficult and uncomfortable. Jonathan's bizarre choice to take her photo while she's half naked and he's hiding in the woods is symptomatic of how he feels about her at this point: he sees her only at a distance, and sees that she's beautiful at the same time as he sees that she's not for him. in the photograph, he tries to capture what little of her he can have for himself. this stupid, grasping choice ends up hurting both of them.

so as we start episode three and really start to move into the center of the story, both Steve and Jonathan have crossed a boundary. Nancy and Steve aren't able to admit (yet) that what they did poses a problem. they're still close, but their closeness is actually an obstacle to their communication. Steve can't see what's going on with Nancy because he's caught up in his starry-eyed triumph that he doesn't have to pretend not to care anymore because he finally won her and she's finally his! and Nancy can't connect with Steve because in order to be honest with him she would have to admit that he hurt her, and she doesn't want him to know that. their closeness is a lie which prevents any other truth from being told, and as season one moves forward, the lie becomes more and more obviously a lie. Nancy lashes out at Steve for worrying about his father when Barb is missing. she kisses him when he comes to check on her, but lies about the baseball bat and what her plan is. Steve's supposed love for her can't survive seeing her with Jonathan, and he stands by while his friends ruin her reputation. he doesn't trust her enough to believe her when she tells him nothing happened. I'm just hammering the same point here, but they are literally too close to see clearly.

against this backdrop, Nancy's relationship with Jonathan appears starkly different. the revelation of Jonathan's transgression pushes him and Nancy further apart, forces them to take a hard look at themselves and a clearer look at each other. they see all the differences between them. they see the way the other person doesn't perfectly understand them. and they see all that because they can see clearly that Jonathan's crossing of that boundary was wrong. but because they share similar goals and want to work together, they have to stay conscious of all those boundaries, they have to be even more careful and respectful of them moving forward. if the defining moment of Steve and Nancy's relationship is falling into bed together without ever discussing what it means (and I think, for better or worse, it is), the defining moment of Jonathan and Nancy's relationship is him lying on the other side of the bed from her without crossing the line. and he is able to be a comfort to her because he doesn't cross that line! after the photograph almost ruins everything, the restraint is present in every interaction between them: the way Nancy holds ice on his face at the police station, the way she bandages his hand, the way he accepts her Christmas gift. I was really struck, this rewatch, by the image of them setting the bear trap together: they're moving in sync with each other, backing away slowly, carefully, because they know to move quickly or carelessly could be disastrous. that's their relationship in a nutshell. and that's what made their relationship so compelling.

now, both of these dynamics are still visible in the beginning of season two: Steve and Nancy are officially a couple, but they’re understanding one another less than ever: he doesn't understand why she feels they have to continue having dinner with Barb's parents, she doesn't understand how he could want to go to a Halloween party; she tells him everything about their carefully reconstructed lives is bullshit, he is absolutely shell-shocked because he thought it was real. Jonathan and Nancy are walking a thin tightrope: Jonathan takes her home from the party, puts her to bed and takes off her shoes, he tries to assure her that Steve still cares about her, they both quickly request separate beds at the hotel. but once Murray interferes, they fall off the tightrope and they fall off hard.

when the restraint breaks, all their careful intentional distance overwhelmed by exploding desire and tension, it's not just a kiss. it's a kiss that immediately becomes sex. they haven't said a word to each other about what this means or what they feel for each other. they've both been drinking. Nancy hasn't broken up with Steve. it's a betrayal of everything their relationship has been up until this point, and it's a letdown, because it doesn't feel like the Jonathan and Nancy we've been watching and rooting for for two seasons. it feels like the end to a different story, not this one.

and unlike the photograph which crossed a boundary and then had to be dealt with, for the rest of season two at least, there are no consequences. Nancy and Jonathan are just...together, after this. Steve gracefully bows out; he doesn't accuse Nancy, he doesn't even make her tell him what she did, he takes all the blame on himself. this makes Steve look really good, really mature and unselfish, but it's dishonest in a way that season one wasn't dishonest. season one was brutally honest about the fallout of Steve and Nancy having sex, and it was beautifully honest about what Jonathan and Nancy had to do to build a relationship on a different foundation. now Jonathan and Nancy kick off their romantic relationship on that exact same foundation as she and Steve did in season one episode two - we've had some sexual tension, we had sex, now we're a couple - and this time, for no reason, everything's fine.

if you assume that Jonathan and Nancy are endgame, it's a ridiculous squandering of one of the best-drawn relationships in the story. all their narrative potential is lost, wasted. in season three, Jonathan and Nancy bicker annoyingly and to little purpose; the majority of their arc is already behind them and the writers appear to be at loose ends, creating thin conflict for no reason.

where it starts to get really interesting is when you stop assuming that Jonathan and Nancy are endgame.

Nancy Wheeler & Illusions

so far I've been prioritizing Jonathan’s perspective: his making amends for the photograph and learning how to care about Nancy respectfully. it's through this lens that the sex scene in season two is out of place. but if you focus in on Nancy, the defining factor in the love triangle for the first two seasons isn't restraint. it's reality.

I've written about this before, but Nancy's arc in season one is about the shattering of all her illusions. she already had her doubts about her parents' marriage, but she was still playing the game, still trying to get good grades, still trying to seem like a good girl in front of her parents, still trying to seem cool in front of Steve and his popular friends. and one of the illusions that shatters most painfully for Nancy is her romantic illusions around sex. she bought into the lie that if she would just sleep with the cute guy she has a crush on, she would feel close to him and he'd love her. after episode two, she learns intimately that this isn't true. Steve tells her she’s beautiful, he doesn’t tell her he loves her. he falls asleep and she has to get dressed and walk home on her own, with no words of reassurance. she stands on the stair in Steve's sweatshirt and tells her mother coldly that Steve isn't her boyfriend and nothing happened, because at that point Steve isn't her boyfriend and she has to go to school the next day and act like nothing happened. he walks up to her locker and kisses her, but tells her only, “I had a good time.” we can see this tearing her apart before she ever starts to suspect anything has happened to Barb.

and so she starts to see through the falseness and thinness of what she used to think was important - because of Barb's death, because she discovers the upside down, and because of Jonathan. she tells him the story of her parents and their loveless decision to buy a house and start their nuclear family, and Jonathan answers, “screw that.” Jonathan is the one who gives her permission to reject everything she put her faith in. at last, someone is admitting out loud that trying to fit herself into these boxes is hurting her! at last, someone isn’t afraid to exist outside of the norms that are destroying her. it’s a relief, not having to pretend anymore.  

fast-forward to season two: Murray (ugh) says that Nancy doesn’t love Steve, that she’s afraid of who she really is, that she has chemistry, history, and shared trauma with Jonathan, and that therefore they should cut the bullshit and share the bed. notice: he doesn’t say Nancy loves Jonathan and should be with him. they’re just young and attractive and they have chemistry, so they should sleep together. there’s no pretty façade over it. and this is what Nancy has in common with Jonathan, that they don’t buy into the bullshit. and so here’s my hypothesis: Nancy walks out of her bedroom to find Jonathan because she can sleep with him without any illusions. maybe this time sex can mean whatever she wants it to. maybe this time she won’t have to twist herself into knots pretending like it brought the closeness she thought it would.

the reason this scene doesn’t feel like a satisfactory end to a romance arc is it isn’t the end to a romance arc. it’s the natural continuation of Nancy’s arc in season one, admitting, once and for all, that the pretty illusion doesn’t satisfy, that she doesn’t fit into that picture and she’s never going to. what she mutters to herself alone in her room, right before she goes to find Jonathan, is “I’m not afraid.” she doesn’t choose Jonathan because they love each other and they’re going to be together forever—because they don’t say they love each other, and they don’t talk about their future. she chooses Jonathan because he’s on the outside, just like she is, and she’s not afraid anymore to admit that she’s just like him.

through this lens, their fighting in season three isn’t the contrived conflict of a couple who got together too early and have to find something to do in the sequel. their fighting is exactly the same as Nancy and Steve’s fighting in season two. they’re too close to see each other clearly, and they can’t admit it. she wakes up in his bed, how can he not understand her? he lets her see him for who he is, how can she not recognize his pain? their lack of restraint does hurt them, just like it hurt Nancy and Steve, and knowing that the romantic magic of sex is an illusion doesn’t exempt them from that hurt. it doesn’t bring them into perfect closeness and unity, but it does bring them close enough to feel all their inequalities and disagreements without the objectivity of distance. their priorities are different; their plans don’t align. how could it be any other way, when they never talk about those things? at the end of the season, Jonathan moves to California, and when Nancy tells him she wants him to stay, he says only that everything will be okay because they have shared trauma—he doesn’t say that he’ll come back, he doesn’t say that she should join him, he doesn’t even make plans for Thanksgiving like Mike and El do. they have a bond that makes him moving away painful—but they can’t figure out what to do about it.

so Nancy and Jonathan sleeping together isn’t the end of their romantic storyline. it’s just a stepping stone in Nancy’s journey with disillusionment. Nancy tried using sex to get her happy ending with Steve, and it didn’t work. then she stopped believing in happy endings and clung to Jonathan who also didn’t believe in them, and that didn’t preserve her from disappointment either. what is all of this leading us toward?

Steve Harrington & the Love Confession

ahem.

Steve starts out as the epitome of everything that Jonathan and Nancy are growing beyond: popular, shallow, charming Steve Harrington who takes sweet Nancy Wheeler to bed. but in every season Steve proves himself again and again to be someone to rely upon—he comes back to fight the demogorgon after Nancy tells him to leave, he protects the kids from demodogs and evil brothers, he swoops in for the big rescue when Nancy’s about to die. and again and again, he receives no reward at all. he doesn’t get the girl (Nancy). he doesn’t get a different girl (Robin). he doesn’t even get an apology Christmas gift or to be Nancy’s friend, like Jonathan did. the only thing he walks away with, every time, is growth. he is a bigger person than when he set out, he’s more of a man.

in season two, he lets Nancy go with his insanely generous “it’s okay, Nance,” and submits to loving her without possessing her, watching her from his car outside the dance and then driving away. in other words, he learns restraint. in season three, he stops caring so much about his image: “Tommy H. would’ve made fun of me, or I wouldn’t be prom king. that’s stupid, Dustin’s right, it’s all bullshit.” he sees through the illusion and rejects what isn’t important. (and we know he’s learned restraint, how to love without grasping, because of the way he handles Robin’s rejection.) he’s a little slow—learning the lessons that Jonathan and Nancy do a season late and usually when no one is watching. but when he and Nancy are finally thrown together again, he’s different. he’s grown, and his love for her has grown, too. we know that, because when he jumps into the upside down and Nancy follows, and Eddie steps into Murray’s shoes and helpfully points out that something is afoot, Steve doesn’t react like Nancy and Jonathan did.

remember what Murray told Nancy and Jonathan: you have chemistry, history, and shared trauma, you should stop pretending and share the bed. what does Eddie tell Steve? that Nancy reacted to him being in danger by immediately, without a second thought, placing herself in danger next to him, to save him, and that it was “as unambiguous a sign of true love” as his cynical eyes had ever seen. already, there’s a huge difference. Eddie isn’t commenting on their sexual tension (of which there is plenty, Eddie had to stand and watch as Nancy ripped up her clothes to make bandages to tie around Steve’s midriff while they make eye contact). Eddie says he doesn’t know anything about their history. what he does know is what he just saw Nancy do. it’s not a connection, chemical or emotional. it’s love, love understood as an action, a choice. and he tells Steve: “if I were you, I would get her back.”

and Steve doesn’t wait until the first opportune moment to pull Nancy into his arms and give into his desires that he’s been so carefully holding in check for years. no, Steve does something very different. Steve tells Nancy exactly what he pictures his future as, and tells her that he wants her to be in it, that actually she is the most important part of his life. Steve makes a confession of love. and it stands out because when you think about it, there are actually very few love confessions in the show! no other couple says so clearly: “this is what you mean to me, this is what I feel for you, and this is what I want our life together to be.” Steve and Nancy and Jonathan and Nancy both sleep together and then slide into a relationship via the path of least resistance. Joyce and Hopper talk about a date, but don’t say “love” or talk about what this would mean for their families. Mike blurts to Max that he loves Eleven and Eleven happens to overhear it. Steve gives a wonderful confession to Robin about what he likes about her, but really doesn’t know her well enough to propose any kind of future. actually, the only character who comes close to Steve’s season four speech is Bob Newby, who tells Joyce that he loves her, loves her whole family that comes with her, and that he wants them to move to Maine together and be a normal family. but even Bob’s love confession is qualified by his not really knowing what’s going on with Joyce and her family, being kept slightly in the dark.

Steve is not in the dark when he confesses his love to Nancy—or rather, he’s in the midst of the darkest dark, standing in the depths of everything that terrifies Nancy and everything that made her stop believing in love, and he tells her anyway, because he knows all of that and he loves her anyway. they’re not too close to see each other clearly; he’s offering his love and his hopes to her so that she can look at them objectively and make her choice. and what he offers breaks open all the illusions that hurt her so badly. unlike the first time they got together, he’s all-in, telling her how he feels without asking anything of her physical first. unlike with her and Jonathan, he knows what he wants his future to be and is telling it to her clearly. unlike her parents, he’s offering her not security and normalcy, but a relationship motivated first and foremost by love.

the story isn’t just circling back to Steve because the will-they won’t-they with Jonathan has been played out. the story is circling back to Steve because he’s the only one who has all the pieces of the puzzle. he has the romantic restraint that Jonathan abandoned when Murray repackaged it as trust issues. he has the clear sight to see through the false images Nancy rejected. and when you put those things together—and put them together in a man who has been in love with the same woman for years—you get a love which wants to prioritize the good of the other, and is in touch with reality enough to protect the other effectively. and that’s where you get the love confession: it’s a way of stripping away all of the assumptions and illusions so all that’s left is the truth, but without using the truth to impose. Steve can offer Nancy absolutely everything, without crossing a line, without making it impossible for her to see what she wants. he can offer her everything—and if she says yes, he can give it to her.

[the-everqueen]

for the AMA: what compels you most in a fictional character!

rage as a trauma response.

it compels me when a character spits in the face of god. when the response isn't "why did you let all this happen" but "how dare you let this happen." something about the assertion of agency in the wake of un-meaning. something about "there was never a Purpose, the point is what you make of it." this is undoubtedly because i was raised evangelical and continue to struggle with what i believe vs what i want to be true. pero also i think i was denied anger for so long (and even now my reflex when i'm hurt is to divert/repress/hide/sublimate anger) that it's cathartic for SOMEONE to get to be mad at the powers that be.

misogyny means it's usually (white) male characters who get these narrative arcs. this is evident in my blorbos: astarion from bg3, the corinthian from sandman, will graham from hannibal. (my immediate first thought was actually emilio sandoz from the sparrow, very literal autistic brain serving me well here lmao, what does it mean to be god's whore.) but my favorite female and genderqueer characters have this, too. saga anderson from alan wake 2 (LITERALLY tells both the in-game narrative force and the meta "fuck off, i'm done with other people writing my story"). essun from the broken earth trilogy (everyone who says they can't connect to her...i need you to examine yourself for misogynoir). vic from nos4a2. eurydice from hadestown. erica slaughter from something is killing the children. jade from my heart is a chainsaw.

(horror is obviously a huge medium for this...the final girl is a figure of righteous anger, the avenging angel, the woman who mows down the ultimate horror with a baseball bat or a butcher knife and she's right, she's in the right, she's the monster slayer, fuck you fear me.)