#Point is it's a difficult balance

[astro-b-o-y-d]

It's a difficult balance to figure out whether or not Bill would actually think before he does something, because on the one hand he IS a trillion years old and is known for being a master manipulator, so I highly doubt he ALWAYS jumps into things before thinking. He has to possess SOME level of intelligence and patience if he was willing to try and make a plan work for, what? Millions of years at this point? When was Weirdmageddon prophesized? ...Okay a BILLION years ago. So I truly don't think that he just jumps headfirst into EVERYTHING without thinking about it first.

On the other hand, he's a fucking idiot with a hair-trigger temper and throws tantrums like he's still five years old so maybe he just has all the luck in the Multiverse that somehow allows him to just get through his immortal life by the seat of his pants. Also 'Looks like Mr. Brainiac finally got smart!'. Dude.

[bunnieswithknives]

Do you have any plans on drawing twice-cursed Lyle in your "things that crawl? au? If he does indeed get twice-cursed?

Nnnot entirely sure if this is the final design I'll stick with but heres something

[odetojupiter]

uhhh so the number four is associated with death in certain cultures, including japanese, which is fitting for the butcher’s son, yes but just remember neil was supposed to be number three and jean was supposed to be number four ,and in every draft but one jean dies. he is symbolically saved from that fate by dodging the number four (being given, instead, the number three which represents REBIRTH of all things - i made a whole post about that if ur curious) because it means he was never marked for death. so in this draft, where he’s number three, but was supposed to be number four, he comes so close to death - to the point where renee doesn’t know how he’s still alive - because he was supposed to die, doomed by the narrative, but that number three saves him. that number three represents resurrection, and so he doesn’t die like he was supposed to. because he’s not number four, he’s number three. he comes back. he transforms, he heals. he becomes number 29 (i will eventually make a post about jean and the 29)

neil, though, was marked for death. he had the number four tattooed on him, and he goes through his own narrative believing he will die by the end of it. his survival, however, is foreshadowed in the very moment neil thinks he’s about to die - when he is kidnapped. lola burns the number four - the signifier of death - off his face, leaving him scarred, yes, but not marked for death anymore. and so he lives. and guess what: the number 10 represents the start of a new chapter, that one cycle is coming to an end and a new life is starting, one that you’ve worked hard for. so for the number four to be burned off of neil, that tells us neil is going to live. and when neil becomes neil legally, he settles into the number 10 properly. and his new life begins.

[heyclickadee]

I really appreciate that Tech needed to go talk and apologize Omega after snapping at her in “The Crossing.”

Because there’s another few ways “The Crossing” could have gone. One way would have been Hunter or Wrecker going and talking to Omega on Tech’s behalf. “You’ve got to give him some slack, he’s just upset about Echo, too,” and so on, without Tech ever having to make the effort to patch things over. Or, alternatively, it could have gone the route of Tech just being a jackass who only learns to give a shit because Omega teaches him how.

But what it actually does is neither of these. It walks a far more complicated line. Omega and Tech butt heads because they’re both grieving and dealing with it in complete opposite ways. Omega’s frustrated because she needs them to talk about the elephant in the room (Echo leaving), but none of her brothers are actually helping and they aren’t talking it out with her. Tech is frustrated because he isn’t being given any space to deal with it and things just. Keep. Going. Wrong. She starts breaking down because everything is falling apart. He snaps and yells at her because he reached the end of his tether a while ago.

But she’s a child, and he’s one of the adults responsible for her; and what I like is that while the episode is sympathetic to why Tech is frustrated in that moment, it doesn’t let him off the hook for taking it out on her and, to be fair to him, he doesn’t exactly let himself off the hook for it either. The only excuse he has for not going and talking to Omega when he’s called out is that she said she wanted to be alone, and once Hunter and Wrecker explain that that was…eh, not exactly a lie, but something like a lie, he goes to try and talk things out.

Anyway, the reason I like this, besides the fact that Tech’s and Omega’s relationship means the world to me, is twofold. One, there are a lot of fictional characters (mostly men) whose characterization vaguely—very vaguely—resembles Tech’s. Part of a running theme with all the rest is that they tend to be deliberately insulting, harsh, mean, and so on to everyone and anyone they can be, and they get away with it because they’re clever, funny, hiding secret insecurity, or the writer’s barely disguised superiority complex. Tech is blunt and direct; there’s a few times he’ll say something a little insensitive and catch himself too late (for example: he seems to realize how the, “more machine than man,” line sounds versus how he meant it a second after he says it and clumsily softens it with, “Percentage-wise, at least,” to explain that he’s not saying Echo is less of a person, just trying to explain why the chip programming didn’t work; the lack of follow up to, “It ate the crew,” might be another example), or be sarcastic on purpose. But the one time he really crosses a line he is called out for it and does his best to make it right. Which means his characterization takes on a very different track than a lot of other versions of the type.

Two, I think it’s important for the target audience to see a caretaker apologize and act like a young girl’s feelings matter.

[gayofthefae]

Redemption is about remorse: Steve Harrington vs Martin Brenner

Steve Harrington is a famous example of a very successfully redeemed character. Martin Brenner is commonly misinterpreted as the writers attempting to even slightly redeem a character and failing - I categorically disagree with this idea as a nuanceless interpretation of what is actually the writers communicating "no attempt by the character to redeem himself is enough to make up for his actions".

But what is the actual difference between this attempt at redemption towards other characters and the audience vs an attempt at redemption towards other characters but not the audience?

Remorse.

Steve-

My favorite scene of Steve's redemption is when he comes to Jonathan's house to apologize, the moment, of course, but specifically one detail: He was surprised to see Nancy there.

As writers, they made sure to erase any possible doubt as to his motives. That surprise was a clarifier saying: this was not for her in any way shape or form. His story to him was as follows:

He was cheated on by his first love. He then ran into her with the guy she cheated on him with, who he insulted a bit out of anger. He also, however, insulted his mother's mental illness, his brother's death, and even brought queerness into it. But after sitting with it, he felt bad for his comments, and he went to The Byers' house with the intention to see solely Jonathan to apologize for what he said because though he was rightfully angry over being cheated on, insulting his family let alone a recent death in his family was majorly crossing a line and Jonathan was owed an apology for that. He went to Jonathan's house believing that Nancy had cheated on him with Jonathan, that she would not be there, and that she would have no reason to ever find out he even apologized in the first place.

My point is no room was left up to interpretation that he had ulterior motive to get her back. There is no version of that story because of his surprise in which he was going over there to say 'look how nice and cool I am Nancy - apologizing to Jonathan'. The same is true of him cleaning the sign. She would have no means of knowing he did that and he didn't seem to intend on telling. He didn't do it to show off, he did it so the sign would be gone faster. He didn't apologize to seek absolution from his guilt, he apologized to minimize the pain he had caused. The key is that in both cases, specifically relative to Nancy - the only person who could give him any sort of reward he valued for this effort - he was fully willing and intending to repay his actions completely anonymously.

His remorse was genuine as it was motivated by a desire to repair what he had broken, not a desire to rid himself of the burden of guilt or to seek reward for his growth.

Brenner-

Brenner does not display remorse like this. The way they balance this representation is by showing him displaying occasional objectively moral acts like sacrificing one's life, but not only having him lack remorse or apology, but immediately following by re-emphasizing his beliefs about himself.

Where Steve was redeemed via remorse, Brenner feigned redemption by defending his actions aka lacking all remorse. Steve was redeemable because he communicated 'what I did was wrong and I will stop doing it'. Brenner believed himself redeemable but we were never supposed to because they purposefully emphasized, just like they specified Steve's surprise, that as Brenner died, his final words were to defend his actions.

Steve's final act in season 1 was to alter his behavior and apologize without ulterior motive. Brenner's final act was to tell El that he had actually always been in the right and never done anything wrong. In the statement he made, he never even acknowledged responsibility for the harm he caused - whether he might have felt it or not. He only verbalized sentiments about how he tried his best and was well intentioned.

The way to redeem a character is not for them to believe they are in the right. It is for them to acknowledge that they are in the wrong. This polar opposite also proves that Brenner was not intended to be redeemed here and failed, as the writers used the opposite tactic to their known successful one.

Brenner and Steve both seemed to experience guilt, but guilt does not absolve, it is how you react to it that's important. Both also pursued some sort of apology to their victims, but the key difference here is motive. Steve's apologies had the intention of rescinding his words and minimizing damage caused. Brenner's apology had the sole intention of receiving forgiveness.

Steve apologized to heal pain he caused. Brenner apologized to find peace in death.

Brenner's apology was SELFISH. THAT is why it doesn't work and why it is SO important that she did not provide him with that forgiveness. His sole intention was to free himself of guilt, not free her of pain. A good apology like Steve's is something you provide someone. Brenner's is so overtly selfish that by the end he even repeatedly demands something from her.

"Tell me you understand. Please tell me you understand."

Steve sought to act and leave, apologize and leave. He saw apologies as a gift - something you give and receive nothing back for, and that does not need to be accepted by the person you give it to. Brenner saw them as transactions. He provided Eleven with the currency of apology with the sole intention of receiving back the service of absolution. We know this because was Steve cleaned the sign, he left immediately and anonymously without receiving reward. When Brenner did not receive his reward, he desperately requested it repeatedly.

It was not an attempt to redeem him, in fact, it was purposefully written as one of the most dislikable qualities: a combination of believing one can do no wrong and expectancy of reward for any moral actions.

Gift, Anonymity vs Excuse, Demand

"I just wanted to apologize- Nancy? What are you doing here?"

"I only ever wanted what was best for you. Please tell me you understand."

[stupidlittlespirit]

I promise I'm going to answer my asks soon, this fucking chapter is just killing me rn. There's so much work to do on it (I have 28 tabs of research open alone) and it's turned out to be very complex and much more in depth than I had planned for it to be. On top of the scientific research, there's pacing and structure and everything else, so it's taking a lot of my time up.

I am still alive, I'm just slow!

[artbyblastweave]

🔥 New Vegas: Old World Blues

I do not think they gave appropriate weight to the racial implications of the Little Yangtzee internment camp and the use of its inmates as test subjects- particularly since, unlike similar sites in the franchise where the atrocity is long past, the specific perpetrators and overseers are still alive and are meant to come across as, if not sympathetic, at least massively charismatic

[undead-moth]

I know I've been on about this for a while now and I'm being a hater but you're telling me SydCarmy was "always meant to be platonic" even though there are two seasons of writing making use of tried-and-true explicitly romantic tropes, themes and writing signals, and SydLuca is going to be romantic because...he was nice to her on screen for a few minutes?

I don't even care if people ship SydLuca, or if they just prefer it, but you can't honestly tell me that you believe Carmy was always meant to be a friend but Luca is an obvious love interest.

Just because Syd and Carmy haven't kissed or confessed their love to each other doesn't mean that isn't very obviously the direction this show is going. The Bear has already shown you who is endgame. It has shown you every episode of the show so far.

Honestly I really don't think The Bear fanbase understands this show or cares about these characters or the story being told here, which is unfortunate because this show is shockingly well-written in comparison to most shows right now, and we should be so grateful for it but all we're doing is complaining that the writers led us on by not making a ship canon fast enough. It's just. Sad.

[lovevalley45]

it’s a common known issue with zari 1.0’s post s5 appearances that her plotlines seem to revolve around nate and like. i can def say in terms of z1 storylines i would kinda take her interactions with the tarazi siblings over steelhacker plotlines

but it’s also worth mentioning that most of the other characters who she was really close to were like… gone? aside from sara, like s3 she was really close with amaya n ray, then s4 was a lot of her with charlie and mona outside of romantic plots with nate

so like. i kinda get why they’re stuck in a hole with her where they can’t do much outside of nate regarding the other legends

[sp-growingpains]

I got a little more done today!! I'm so excited for more of Joel! Been thinking about him!

I take such a long time building new OCs. Building his playlist definitely helps. How do you guys usually go about making characters?

[hearttodevour]

the puppet is lying in a heap when the marionettist takes hold of its control.

the wires straighten as she pulls, running up to pulleys in the ceiling and back down. with fluid, almost human movements, the puppet stands up, hands clasped in front of it, facing its mistress.

"hello, pretty thing," she purrs. the puppet curtsies as the marionettist's deft fingers play its strings. it is a pretty thing, painted and lacquered wood in a short, frilly dress. its flawless face is fixed into the image of a serene expression.

"I'm feeling lonely. wouldn't you keep me company?" she steps closer to the puppet, and lifts up its chin with her free hand. she places a kiss on its cool lips.

the question is a jest, the answer predetermined. the puppet is hers, wholly and utterly and it would do just as she wished.

the puppet follows the marionettist in a few waltzing spins across the cluttered room, ending with her on the edge of the bed. the puppet kneels, impassive eyes watching its mistress strip one-handed. she spreads her legs to it, running her hand up her thigh.

the puppet leans in, hands on her inner thighs, and runs its segmented tongue between the marionettist's lips, flicking at the clit in rhythm to the minute twitches of the control. her deep, lingering breaths sound out in the quiet room.

"slower," the marionettist breathes, and without delay the puppet slows, with long licks and gentle circles. it's a nimble thing, precise in its servitude. the marionettist leans her head back.

"my pretty little toy," she says, biting her lip, then twitches with a sharp moan. "there," she says, and the puppet's tongue replicates its motion, growing faster with each flick. Soon its mistress lacks the breath for orders, but strings yank it to right where it is needed, force its tongue deeper inside her. the pretense falters and the puppet is reduced to an instrument of her pleasure, her fingers blurring in furious motion.

she orgasms and the puppet shudders and twitches and writhes in an echo of its mistress's thrashing. finally it falls limp on the floor. the marionettist pants, exhausted and euphoric. after some long moments, she reaches for the control, swaying from the ceiling. the puppet rises and goes to lie down next to her.

she wraps her arms around it, pulls it against her, and strokes its hair, smiling all the while.

[real-reulbbr-band]

I headcanon Victoria to be a cat without claws, a trait that shaped her personality and interactions with others from a young age. Instead of feeling disadvantaged, compared to her peers, She felt an innate sense of apprehension whenever confronted with situations that hinted at potential physical conflict. 

Unlike other kittens who engaged in play fights, Victoria couldn't bring herself to participate. Instead, such scenarios only heightened her sense of caution, making her interactions more hesitant and reserved. Which led her more into hobbies like dance, and maintaining a peaceful demeanor, especially around kittens her age she encountered. Dancing didn’t require touch, at least when Victoria started, it was her escape, her expression, and she could Share it with others without touch. It wasn’t easy without the common stability of claws, but when she found her balance she achieved a grace like no one else. 

Her grace gave her an approachable aura, drawing others to her like a magnet, they were captivated by her sense of wonder and inherent softness. This same magnetic presence was evident when she crossed paths with the young Plato, who bore a harsh appearance, a stark contrast to her own gentleness. Despite his exterior, he often cast glances her way, though he remained silent, his curiosity was still palpable.

She had never seen anyone quite like him before. Jenny had brought him in, claiming she had discovered him lurking in a paper bag. Malnourished, wet, and frightened.

He had only been at the junkyard for a week, keeping mostly to himself, and finding solace in the company of the older cats rather than interacting much with those of his own age. When Victoria first noticed him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of compassion. Despite his withdrawn exterior, he appeared only slightly older than her, and his demeanor hinted at a past devoid of love, perhaps even lacking a home altogether. This was evident in his reluctance to forge connections with others, a hesitance Victoria couldn’t help but feel pitiful for. 

One afternoon, when Plato was waiting for Jennyanydots to return from patrol outside the car boot she approached him. For a moment, they just stared at one another, not exchanging a word, he didn’t seem all that bothered so Victoria moved closer. 

Despite her initial hesitation, Victoria extended her paw to Plato in a gesture of trust and understanding. It was a small act, but one that carried profound significance for both of them. Plato, unused to such displays of kindness, was initially confused but ultimately accepted Victoria's offer, gently holding her paw in his own, wrapping his claws around the area where her claws should be.

Though they came from different backgrounds, Victoria and Plato found solace in each other's company, as they grew up together, their paw-holding was like a secret touch between the two, Plato felt like the piece Victoria had been missing, her dance partner hiding in plain sight and she in turn brought a softness back to his soul that he believed was long gone. 

Thank you @seeking-chrysalism for beta reading <3

[adore-gregor]

i'm back on tumblr (again)

[silent-sentinels]

heho :)

[martyrbat]

hm hm hm i feel like this will be really interesting to read with the knowledge of korra and how that effected her instead.... because korra (from my limited knowledge so i could be talking out my ass here) knew she was the avatar at an early age and DID get that community. she had katara and her parents, she had her mentors, she was isolated from the real world during so and perfected the elements other than air (which i kinda recall her struggling with and how its the opposite element of earth so im excited to see if those kinda play out :3) and she was more eager to be the avatar and the excitement and significance it brought (which was a bit clouded by her being sheltered but also would have been expected more before the war impacted things)

i also remember matty saying kyoshi struggled with earth bending (which im super excited to get to and see/see her journey and how it will differ) but!!! i just think its really fun how theyre kinda off the bat setting up this expectation and new grounding for readers who have a past grasp of the avatar universe. even as someone who isnt super familiar with the lore, i know enough to recognize that oh! thats something new!! so just kudos to the writer(s?) for just setting this up to be something very different and in a natural way :3

[soupy-sez]