#STEVEN WAS JUST LOSING IT IN SOME OF THOSE SEASONS

[hermesthedestoryer]

No because have we forgotten the chaos that poor Steven put onto Ricky during too many spirits??? Top 10 watcher moments right there I was SHOCKED 😭😭😭 I will show the video because OML

glad this too many spirits episode is reminding people that steven is just as, if not more, insane as shane and ryan.

[hugthesquids]

Garnet's biggest flaw

So I’ve seen many people in the fandom state that Garnet has no flaws or virtually no flaws outside her co-dependence in the form of Ruby and Sapphire. But that’s not true.

No character is perfect and Garnet is no exception as she carries with her some fundamental flaws that I find interesting exploring. In fact, her flaws are in a way very ironic to her character.

Btw she’s an excellent character and this is by no means to discredit her or anything. If anything, I think it’s good that characters have flaws and aren’t perfect as it gives depth to them, and SU is all about not putting anyone on a pedestal.

(There is a TLDR at the end)

Garnet is bad at communicating

Despite often preaching about the importance of communication in any relationship, Garnet has major trouble in this department.

Even after Garnet opens up later on in the seasons, she still struggles in this aspect.

There are many times where Garnet doesn’t explain a thing to others like Steven, and because of this lack of communication, he ends in trouble. In fact, Garnet often resorts to letting her actions speak for her.

And with Steven in particular, someone who needs guidance, it becomes a tough point for him. And it often lands him in trouble.

In a way, Garnet acts like the subversion of the old troupe of “learning your lesson the hard way”. She follows this line of reasoning, and yet she fails to consider that this isn’t a healthy way for Steven to learn. SU likes to subvert classic cartoon troupes, deconstructing them like how all the cartoony heroic adventures were actually traumatising for Steven and hindered his development in a healthy way.

So letting Steven “learn his lesson” with stuff like the proposal in SUF, it actually became the turning point in him spiralling so badly.

It hurt him so much (already dealing with a loss on what to do in life, losing trust in those nearest to him, losing his support system, lots of unresolved trauma bubbling through as Steven freshly processes how screwed up his life was and why he’s struggling so much now), and it essentially started the huge domino effect to what later happens in SUF.

(I’m not excusing Steven’s own actions, though as we’ve seen, he has things that contributed to the path that was taken. For this post, I’m focusing on Garnet’s stake in all this.)

The proposal, a point of neglect

I think the proposal especially highlights this weakness from Garnet in several ways. First a little background from Steven’s PoV.

He reached out to a guardian that he trusted and admitted he didn’t know what to do with his life, who only turned back and said he should’ve known better and he was dumb for listening to Ruby and Sapphire.

This is when we’ve just learned that Steven was scared at opening up to people because he’s afraid that it’ll push them away but Steven anyway worked up the courage to ask Garnet, who only told him she didn’t have time for him and let Ruby and Sapphire take charge.

This is also just after learning that Steven wasn’t socialised properly and doesn’t understand human conventions too (so he didn’t know it was weird to propose as 16 either. Most of his knowledge comes from cartoons and other media, where Steven himself loved reading books about adventures falling in love like The Unfamiliar Familiar, so this stuff was normal to him. Still not okay, but he was neglected socially.)

(Btw this also adds to Steven’s frustration with his dad later on, as the proposal stuff hurt so much and he didn’t know it was a bad thing to do as Steven was unfamiliar with human stuff and what to even do with his life and his dad didn’t provide that guidance and neither did the gems.)

Steven isn’t the one that brings up the proposal, that is a very important fact.

Steven opens up to Garnet, who dismisses him and lets him talk to Ruby and Sapphire, who are the ones that tell him to propose. Ruby eggs him on even as he goes “really?” and even then he doesn’t immediately do it but double checks by going to Sapphire, the one that Steven trusts to be the logical one of the pair. Ruby and Sapphire are still his guardians, and Steven has made it very clear that he struggles with knowing what to do with himself.

So imagine the betrayal that Steven feels, when his guardians, the ones he trusted and had trouble opening up to but decided anyway, just brushes his feelings off and makes it all his fault for trusting his family, essentially calling him dumb and makes it all about being a hard lesson for he himself not realising it was a foolish idea.

We as the audience know he didn’t have the tools to know, neglected socially and traumatised, and that he was in a very bad headspace.

And even the gems have seen Steven has not been in a great headspace for a while prior to this.

Robbed of agency

But because Garnet just accepts the future she “sees”, expects it to come and sees it as inevitable, she forgets to take responsibility.

She didn’t help him afterwards even if she could. She didn’t tell the other gems and left him all night and day after to be alone in his slump even though Garnet knew he was miserable and in a sensitive spot and wanted to reach out for support (like calling Greg). Instead he was left to spiral in those bad thoughts and feelings with no sympathy or aftercare.

Garnet let her role as Steven’s guardian slip.

She essentially robs both Steven’s agency with the proposal by saying it was inevitable, but also robs herself of her own agency to act. All because she believes her visions are certain and there is no reason to act otherwise.

But we know this is false, her visions aren’t certain!

Future vision

Garnet’s “visions” are merely calculations. She doesn’t see the future but calculates likely outcomes. Garnet herself has admitted that several times, but continues to contradict it as she still falls back to her habit.

Sapphire’s future vision coupled with Ruby's influence that lets her see multiple outcomes, gives Garnet the notion that she knows what will happen.

Steven's complaint that Garnet thinks that she "knows better" is an interesting one, because in a way, he’s right.

Garnet inadvertently robs other people of their agency by over-relying on her visions. In her eyes she knows they won't change, that they will always do this.

And that also inadvertently robs herself of her own agency.

It’s kind of ironic too, because if she truly could see the future in all certainty, she should’ve known that Steven would spiral badly after the proposal and needed support. But that’s the thing, Garnet doesn’t know better, she doesn’t see everything or every outcome.

The biggest irony of this is that despite Garnet being a fusion, has a whole spiel about how conversation is important in any relationship, how her own existence was due to Ruby defying what Sapphire “saw”, Garnet herself is often a hypocrite to her own ideals.

The episode "Future Pool" is proof that her vision is flawed, as it isn't really future vision, but a probability calculator based on the facts she knows (which is also why Garnet never predicted Rose being Pink Diamond or all other numerous surprising things). Even Sapphire in SUF shows it’s all a probability calculation that she’s running.

Even Garnet didn’t predict Bluebird to turn on Steven and all and try to kill him. If she even “saw” that possibility, she didn’t even warn Steven and she egged him on to give her a chance.

But ironically, Garnet didn’t really “learn her lesson” in these episodes, did she? Not the crux of it at least. Her future vision was getting more and more inaccurate in “Future Pool” as she couldn’t get a read on how Steven had grown as a person and wasn’t behaving as expected.

But instead of stepping back and assessing whether she should reconsider her relationship with the ability, as Steven tires to nudge her to think for herself instead of over-relying on visions that aren’t set in stone, Garnet goes back to the same as usual as she learns Steven had matured and factors that in to get back her more accurate future calculations.

Pink’s palanquin

Another example of Garnet robbing people of their agency and being bad at communicating is when Greg was kidnapped by Blue Diamond.

Instead of communicating to Steven that Blue Diamond was in Korea and that she would kidnap Greg if they went there, she just told him to not go.

Steven was at this point super frustrated at the gems not telling him anything and not communicating, while his rising frustration (and trauma) with the gem stuff was rising and he didn’t want to be constantly dismissed and denying knowing about this gem past that was affecting him so much now.

But again, Garnet is bad at communicating.

And when Steven goes to Korea, she robs Steven of his agency by saying this would've happened regardless.

Realistically speaking, if Garnet sat down and talked with Steven, acknowledging his feelings instead of dismissing them and how he felt about his heritage and Rose, (which has been a huge contributor in going into Korea in the first place, being denied his feelings) and Garnet actually explained Blue was there and the consequences going there, Steven would've likely not gone.

But in this twist of irony, Garnet denies her own agency with her flawed view on her vision, doesn't make an effort in communicating with Steven, it ends up fulfilling her vision.

Denying responsibility

It's very interesting that being the leader of the team, the one everyone looks up to, she sometimes struggles acknowledging fault or responsibility.

It’s not that she doesn’t ever not admit fault to something, she has admitted plenty of times. But there are times where she’s steadfast in not having any responsibility or that she had a part in too.

And this stands as an interesting contrast to her companions in the cast, Amethyst and Pearl, who are often confronted with their issues and are expected to change their mind or admit fault.

But there are many times where Garnet simply denies her doing anything wrong. And being the de facto leader, it gets accepted.

Garnet was still very responsible for the proposal thing. And even if Ruby and Sapphire were the ones telling Steven to propose, Garnet could’ve unfused, let the two of them take responsibility and apologise to Steven.

She just brushes it off as them being lovebirds so it’s okay for them to almost ruin Steven’s closest relationship and pins it as his fault for trusting them, despite them being his guardians who he opened up to with a sensitive issue. She denies Ruby and Sapphire their agency and even justifies their bad behaviour because love (but at the same time faults Steven to act on his emotions, despite being actually considerate enough to ask his guardians whether this was a good idea).

Garnet is still responsible for Ruby and Sapphire, because even if Garnet is technically her own person, Ruby and Sapphire are still a part of her and the two of them can choose to become her at any time just as Garnet can choose to become Ruby and Sapphire any time.

Fusion

And that’s another flaw Garnet has. She thinks she “knows better” about fusion, just because she’s a permafusion for thousands of years.

And while she does have a lot of sage and good advice about fusion

She still has her flaws about it. And often lets fusion become a scapegoat for her own responsibility or other people’s.

Like when Sugilite runs rampage.

They don’t even apologise to either Steven or Pearl for all the hurt Sugilite had caused (heck, she almost seemed fine with killing Pearl or at least being fine with all the destruction she caused. Steven even had his bones cracked when a huge boulder hit his face due to Sugilite).

Even if Sugilite wouldn’t be able to apologise, Garnet and Amethyst still could as it was their decision to fuse in the first place even with Pearl’s warnings that they tend to lose control. In fact, Garnet was the one to bring up fusing with Amethyst in the first place.

The only comment Garnet makes afterwards is how Sugilite overworked their bodies and that’s why they’re tired at the end of unfusing. No apology for the hurt they caused.

It’s an interesting contrast to how other fusions act.

Smoky is still apologising on Steven’s behalf with the havoc caused in “Guidance”. Steven apologises to Mega Pearl for Pearl and Pink Pearl, since the trip to the Reef didn’t turn out well. Even Stevonnie is treated as both their fusion and Steven and Connie, and Stevonnie treats themself as that too.

Meanwhile Garnet flip flops between being the result of Ruby and Sapphire’s actions to having no responsibility for Ruby and Sapphire.

Garnet even excuses Bluebird, saying Steven can’t judge her just because she’s a fusion of two of Steven’s enemies that wanna murder him. Which first of all, that was his house and he has every right to not want some strangers invited in there, let alone the fusion of his previous murderers.

Second of all, he absolutely can judge people based on their components. In fact, Garnet is yet again a hypocrite as she really likes Stevonnie, Smoky and all the other fusions because they’re the fusions of their friends. She doesn’t treat them as just their own people, the components matter too with the relationship she has to them. Garnet likes Fluorite, sure, but she isn’t family. But Smoky Quartz is family even at first sight, just because they’re a fusion of Amethyst and Steven.

Reflection

Garnet is by no means perfect, and that’s what makes her a good character. She has flaws like everyone else, just as she has strengths like everyone else.

She doesn’t mean ill with any of this. A lot of it is her being well-meaning too, and she tries a lot to be a leader for the team which is a tough spot.

In fact, being thrust in a leader position is probably why Garnet started over-relying on her future vision. She had to fill the spot Rose left for them, be the mature one as everyone processed their grief and keeping the team together, especially how prone to conflict Pearl and Amethyst were with each other earlier on before Steven stepped up to be the heart of the team.

So it just becomes this interesting if a little tragic and ironic thing that the very things Garnet preaches about and is a symbol of that others look up to, are the very things Garnet is really bad at.

TLDR

While Garnet is often seen as flawless or nearly perfect aside from her fusion with Ruby and Sapphire sometimes showing co-dependence, she does have significant flaws. Her biggest flaw is poor communication, which contradicts her emphasis on its importance in relationships. This flaw becomes especially apparent in her interactions with Steven, where her lack of guidance contributes to his struggles, such as in the proposal situation and the Korea thing.

Garnet’s over-reliance on her future vision also leads her to undermine others’ agency, assuming outcomes are inevitable rather than communicating and acting on them. This creates a paradox, as Garnet’s vision isn’t always accurate, she knows it isn't, she knows it isn't really future vision but a probability calculator and she often has blind spots and she herself is a result of that blind spot.

But Garnet still falls back to treating her visions as inevitable and misses opportunities to protect or support others, including Steven, by denying their and her own agency. Additionally, she sometimes avoids taking responsibility, particularly when it comes to the consequences of her lack of communication, and also using her future vision and fusion as an excuse in certain aspects.

Despite these flaws, it makes Garnet a more complex and compelling character, as dealing with her leadership role she was forced into after Rose's absence. Acknowledging her flaws gives depth to her character and emphasizes the show’s theme that no one is perfect.

[anthurak]

I’ve been thinking recently about how a key aspect of Steven Universe is that Steven is placed in the narrative position of what might normally be filled by a standard fantasy-hero-shounen-protagonist-guy, while EVERYTHING about Steven as a character is all about going in basically the exact OPPOSITE direction of that archetype. To the point where the one time he actually TRIES acting like some typical shounen-protag to solve his problems in Future, it’s presented as this gross, twisted perversion of his character that goes horribly, HORRIBLY wrong. Basically, the show makes it clear that Steven trying to act like your standard ‘cool, badass anime hero guy’ is very much a BAD and WRONG thing. Like in anime terms, Steven is essentially a Magical Girl placed in a position that was meant for a Shounen Hero. Or in a more specific reference building off of the show’s numerous references to Dragon Ball Z, Steven essentially represents a take on Gohan who’s kindness and pacifism are ultimately allowed to be presented and emphasized as a strength rather than a weakness.

Yet the flipside of all this is that even in their few appearances, has anyone else noticed that Stevonnie shows quite a few of these ‘cool, badass anime hero guy’ traits? They have a cool sword, they race cars, they fight space battles in a starfighter, they get badass fight scenes like getting to 1v1 Jasper and get to say cool one-liners. And the funny thing is, NONE of these are ever presented as somehow ‘wrong’ for the character. Heck, going off of the same references to Dragon Ball Z, Stevonnie has a bunch of design similarities to Future Trunks of all characters, one of THE iconic ‘cool, badass anime hero guys’.

And I think that’s really interesting.

Like in-universe, it says some interesting things about how Fusion works. That Steven himself trying to act like a cool, badass anime hero guy is a BAD thing because it leads him to start rejecting many of the core aspects of who he is as a person, namely his kindness and empathy.

Whereas Stevonnie is their OWN person, distinct from Steven and can exhibit these traits just fine because they clearly got them from Connie. They clearly haven’t abandoned or rejected any of the core aspects of Steven such as his kindness and empathy, they just ALSO have all this other stuff from Connie as well and can exhibit these traits without actually losing anything. They are after all, everything from Steven and Connie and more.

And narratively, I think it makes for a fun inversion. Steven represents this big subversive take on the typical fantasy hero archetype by being this young BOY with a big, heroic destiny who is defined by his kindness, empathy, emotions, a general disdain for solving problems through fighting and generally rejecting the typical ‘cool, badass, anime hero guy’ traits.

So it’s actually rather fitting that it is the non-binary, intersex, very-much-NOT-cisgender-male, fusion Stevonnie who ends up getting to do more traditional ‘cool, badass, anime hero guy’ stuff. Who in turn got much of those traits NOT from Steven, but from his best-friend/partner/girlfriend Connie.

And I just think that’s pretty cool, you know? Particularly when imagining a permafused Stevonnie. Like I think its fun to imagine an alternate take on the later seasons of the show, or just post-series, with a permafused Stevonnie doing more traditional anime-protagonist stuff that would otherwise feel out of place with Steven, but doesn’t feel out of place with them.

For example, Steven never went through any kind of big ‘training arc’ like so many anime heroes because that just doesn’t fit who he is. Steven is not a ‘fighter’, he always tries to talk things out before things turn to combat. So it makes sense that he wouldn’t directly pursue training to become a better fighter on his own.

But Connie DID. And of course that wasn’t presented in and of itself a bad thing. Which as an aside, is interesting for Steven as his joining was more to support Connie rather being presented as something he needed to do himself.

And speaking of fighting, this is another place where the differences between Steven and Connie make Stevonnie in turn all the more INTERESTING. Because whereas Steven isn’t a fighter, Connie very much IS. The symbolic sword to Steven’s shield.

Now where this gets interesting is that in practice, Connie generally follows Steven’s lead. We see a number of instances wherein Connie likely wants to or even is full-on about to launch into a fight, but backs down because Steven wants to talk things out. Connie may be a fighter, but she also generally defers to Steven.

But what happens when these two aspects are coexisting in the same person? What happens when Connie’s preference towards fighting isn’t deferring to Steven’s preference towards non-violence, but is rather exhibited right alongside it? And because of that is seen by Stevonnie as a much more valid option?

What does Stevonnie’s response to conflict look like when they’re much more of a fighter like Connie, while still retaining Steven’s intrinsic kindness and empathy?

Personally, I imagine Stevonnie actually being a fair bit like Ruby Rose, ie; someone who often tries to talk things out, while also not hesitating to jump into a fight if people aren’t willing to negotiate. Perhaps even reading the situation/people enough to get a preemptive strike off.

And all that is just one aspect of what I think makes Stevonnie so compelling as a character.

[juyeonszn]

AND THEN THERE IS YOU

PAIRING ju haknyeon x f!reader (gn technically since there are no gendered terms)

WORD COUNT 1.17k

GENRES fluff ﹒very slight angst like blink and u miss it

WARNINGS another fic of mine that doesn’t require an 18+ warning… fawn in her tamed era 🙏, ur heart will ache from how </3 this is, mentions of divorce, reader had kind of a shitty childhood, reader also has some intimacy issues, hak is the most patient and kind person ever, throws up everywhere bc me when </3

SUMMARY he was content loving you until you were ready to love him.

MORE ANDDDDD my insanity strikes again!!!!1!1!1! aka in my dr. seuss william shakespeare edgar allan poe steven king arc 😍 my inspiration has been crazy lately, so enjoy this before juyeonszn goes into a drought deeper into the semester 😭 ANYWAYS MAE (@maessseongs) HERE U GO!! i kept it fluffier and kinda short bc it just felt right, i hope that’s okay with u! this is the last request from my 100 followers event so far ✨ prompts used are: 2, 7 >:)

PERM TAGLIST @winterchimez @maessseongs

Relationships were a weird concept to you. Growing up, you’d never really been shown affection. Your parents weren’t the type to pack your lunch for school in the morning and send you off with a peck on the cheek followed by an ‘I Love You’.

In fact, they never told you that they loved you very often. Maybe a handful of times in your whole life did you hear those three words uttered from them. And even less did you hear that they were proud of you. It was worse when you took a step back and watched their own crumbling marriage.

As long as they’d been together, you never heard them tell the other how much they were appreciated. They fought more than they got along. You usually fell asleep to the sound of doors slamming and loud arguing in the hallway. When they finally decided to get a divorce, you almost cried out of joy. They were draining more out of you than each other.

So, perhaps that had to do with your fucked up view of relationships as you became an adult. You could never fully comprehend what love was since you didn’t exactly have stellar role models. Boyfriends came and went, losing interest as soon as they realized how disconnected you were. Your heart was never truly in it.

And then, you met Haknyeon.

Sweet sweet Haknyeon, who only cared about your happiness and your well being. Haknyeon, who didn’t ask you for more than you could give. Who didn’t push you for answers when you shut him out. Who patiently waited on the sidelines while you rebooted yourself.

If there were a higher being out in the universe, they’d done an excellent job at putting all the best qualities into Ju Haknyeon. By some miracle or a stroke of luck, he found his way to you. You’ll always think that he deserves better than you, but you’ll also always be eternally grateful that you have him.

As summer takes its last breath and the air begins to chill, leaves wilting to the streets and crunching below the feet of passersby, your motivation to get up in the mornings has started its tumultuous decline. You don’t know what it is about the change in seasons that continues to put a damper in your mood as the years go on, but it’s become almost too much to bear. It was no longer a dull pressure in the pit of your stomach and the back of your mind. Now it was a heaviness that settled in your heart and weighed you down.

It was a Thursday evening and you were tucked into bed already, despite a peek of the sun still visible over the horizon. Your head was pounding despite the room being silent. You curl into yourself further just as your bedroom door creaks open. Haknyeon whispers an apology, going to exit the room when he sees the state you’re in.

It was standard for him to leave you alone until you were ready to talk. He knew you had a hard time opening up, considering what you’d grown up with, and he didn’t want to be the person who pestered you to tell him what was wrong. He wanted you to feel comfortable coming to him first. Haknyeon couldn’t handle being the reason you were pushed to your breaking point.

But for some reason, this time is different. You don’t want to be left alone. You want to be held. You want him to kiss your forehead and tell you he loves you, unlike what you had when you were younger.

“Hak, wait,” you call, voice slightly hoarse. “Stay. Please.”

He’s taken aback by your request, but doesn’t hesitate to follow through. He climbs into the bed behind you, wrapping his arms around your center. In spite of the fact that this wasn’t a usual occurrence, that cuddling was something you’ve only done a couple other times, he embraces you as if this was second nature for him. As if holding you in his arms was his very life source.

“Are you sure?” He asks softly, words spoken gently into your hair.

“Mhm, I want this,” you nod, nuzzling into his arm. “I have never felt this safe with anyone before.”

Haknyeon’s breathing stutters. You’ve never admitted this to him before, you’ve never ever said ‘I Love You’, but he’s always been willing to wait. He understood that this was a new territory for you. He was content loving you until you were ready to love him, even if it took months— even if it took years. That’s how much he cared for you. In his eyes, you were the reason there were stars in the sky. You were the reason why the sun rose in the morning and why the moon shone at night.

He kisses your temple. “I’ll be here to protect you.”

You turn in his arms to get a good look at his face. Because it was so rare that you were this close, you wanted to memorize his features from this distance. You trace his cheekbones and jawline with your thumb, eyes flickering down to his lips.

You lean forward, minimizing the gap between you to press your lips into a sweet kiss, almost as sweet as him. Haknyeon gasps out of surprise, but quickly reciprocates your affection, bringing up a hand to cup your face. He allows you to set the pace, to move at a speed you were comfortable with in case this was all you wanted.

When you pull back to catch your breath, he smiles, taking in how pretty you were. He could never get enough of you. He thinks that was his biggest flaw, being so greedy when it came to you. He couldn’t help but indulge himself every time you let him, though if it were a sin, he’d gladly commit it over and over again.

“However many years we have left, I wanna spend them all with you.”

You feel the tears dripping down your cheeks before you register that you’re crying. You couldn’t possibly fathom how Haknyeon came to find love in the form of you; the hollow shell of a person who’s never felt the warmth of another human in their life. You didn’t think you deserved someone like him. The only logical explanation was that you were a saint in a past life, and the higher being you mentioned earlier was rewarding you for it.

But even so, he loved you. Enough that he wasn’t afraid to spend the rest of his life with you waking up on the other side of the bed.

He swipes away some stray tears with the pad of his thumb and kisses your nose. You let out a small laugh, connecting your lips once more. It conveys all you want to say, but you know saying it out loud will make it concrete. It’ll solidify what you’ve been building up the courage to finally tell him.

“I wanna spend them all with you, too.”

© juyeonszn. do not steal, claim, or repost.

[mooropitant399]

@bxrningdragxn and I made some headcanons about Steven’s family possibly celebrating lunar new year bc of course ‘Tis the season after all!!

Steven definitely adheres to the tradition of new clothes every new year :)) he probably doesn’t wear the traditional prosperous colours but definitely leans towards shades of dark blue/forest green for his suit (no grey/black bc bad luck!!) but he does wear a nice red tie/cravat! On a year that he’s feeling extra festive, he wears patterns!

His dad’s side of the family is small, so it’s mostly his mum’s side that come to visit. His mum’s family is definitively less well off so reunion dinner is always held at the Stone mansion.

Steven’s cousin used to be pretty decent but grew up alongside the golden boy with the silver hair so has a chip on his shoulder, he’s always trying to one-up him by showing off his wife and his new glittery watch, or that his child’s in Oxford’s kindergarten programme, the rest of his cousins are just kinda /there/, most are just showing up as an obligation lol and waiting for those big red packets from daddy stone’s pocket

His aunties are no better are is always trying to be nosy like “when are you getting a partner, oh you haven’t taken over Devon yet hmmm, did you lose/gain weight this year” or are boasting abt their kids

Honestly Joseph and Steven hate it but to honour Mum’s memory (named Sharon in my hc) they still have them around every year

Steven’s favourite part is to play with his nieces and nephews because even though they remind him of his youth playing with his cousin before he got obsessed with being better than him

But but his relationship with his cousin improves when he finally gets an s/o because they give the cousin a firm talking to the first time they come round, cos cousin makes a snarky comment abt him and s/o straight up is like “why are you saying such mean things abt him? Are you jealous of him? Lny is about the family gathering again after a long year, he’s travelled a long way to see you and the rest of the family at his dad’s home and he always looks forward to catching up with you, please respect him as much as he respects you” and cousin is like damn… my bad

And yes they eat lots and lots and lots of lny snacks! also Steven matches outfit themes w his s/o once they come into his life :))

[knickynoo]

Hi there! Me again.

I’ve been rewatching Family Ties (thanks again for showing me where!) and noticed something about Alex’s character that i don’t care for/think you have touched upon.

What are your thoughts on his views of women?The advice he gave Jeff on his date with Mallory appalled me. Do you think it’s just a product of the time- how right leaning people were expected/did to treat women? Or is it something deeper? I don’t understand how he thinks this way after seeing how amazing Steven and Elyse are toward each other. (Even if the kids are disgusted every time they kiss lol)

I would love to hear your opinion!

Hello! Nice to hear from you again :)

Yeah, so, a lot of the words that come out of Alex's mouth regarding women are 😬😬😬

I can't recall the exact advice you're referring to, but I do know it's bonkers. Something about how women want a man to make all her decisions or something? Boss her around and take charge? It's honestly not only some of his worst advice, but I also think it's one of the more outrageous things he says in regards to women out of the whole series.

It's especially weird considering he's giving advice on how his sister should be treated by Jeff! And we know that, while Alex isn't always the nicest to Mallory, he loves her very much and wants to protect her. I mean, there's an entire first season episode centered around Alex losing his mind over Mallory going out with a guy who Alex doesn't like or trust. He's so worried about this guy taking advantage of Mallory and not treating her right, then he goes and gives bananas advice to Jeff. So...what's the deal?

Honestly, I don't know, lol. If I had to guess, there are probably several different factors at play that contribute to those moments Alex says Horrible Things.

1. He operates with a set of standards and values from way before his time. The thing is that Alex isn't even a product of his time—a lot of the opinions he holds would be considered outdated in the 80s by the majority of people, regardless of political leaning.

I can't for the life of me remember the episode or the exact quote, so I'm going to butcher it I'm sure, but there's a scene where Alex is lamenting how no one holds the same values he does, and he and Steven have an exchange like this:

Alex: "I should have been born in the 40s."

Steven: "Even then, you'd be a little conservative."

Alex: "The 1740s."

Steven: "....Even then, you'd be a little conservative."

It's something like that. If anyone knows what episode this is from or what the exact line is, lmk because it's one of my favorites.

2. Alex is an extreme black and white thinker. I think this is the number one trait of his that impacts him the most across the board. So many of his problems boil down to him just not seeing nuance. It's not that he's unwilling to. The guy just can't.

It makes Alex very rigid in his thoughts on things, and that absolutely spills over into situations like when he gives advice to Jeff or voices any other wild opinion. He's going to automatically go to the extremes because that's all he can wrap his head around. In a relationship, men should have all the control. They should make the decisions and say specific things and so on. It then leads him to make generalizations about women and their roles.

I think he also finds some security in these thoughts, honestly. Alex clings to facts and things that he feels are concrete and reliable. We also know that he has a very hard time processing and acknowledging his emotions. Putting people into two neat piles is comfortable for him, and anything that doesn't fit into either of those piles is too overwhelming. Alex's world needs rules for it to feel stable to him. Unfortunately, a lot of those rules are...not so great.

3. Shock-value: This is more about Alex the TV show character rather than the "real life" in-universe Alex Keaton, but still. A good deal of his character, especially in the earlier seasons, hinged on him saying or doing things that got a reaction from the audience. You can't have a show about ex-hippy, progressive parents without someone for them to knock heads against. The early episodes in particular seemed to really lean into this, and I feel like he gets toned down slightly as the series goes on? Don't get me wrong, it doesn't go away, but he does grow.

• The "Ladies Man" episode has him realizing that, while he may not support a particular movement, he absolutely respects the rights of the women in the movement. Him jumping up to defend the woman being heckled by a guy, and then his little speech to the women at the end are two of my favorite Alex moments.

• After a very difficult adjustment period when he gets a new job and learns his boss is a woman, Alex ends up really respecting her and becoming friends with her. (Wow, this ep is uncomfortable for the first half, though!)

• Ellen in particular has an impact on helping Alex to see those "in-between" areas, in my opinion. Some heart to hearts with Elyse help as well, and it's clear through the series that Alex loves and respects his mother a great deal.

Idk if this response was coherent, but there you go, haha. Alex is such a complicated character, and whenever I write about him, I feel like I'm trying to untangle a gigantic mess of yarn. But I do love him! Sometimes he is a menace, though!! He should, perhaps, simply keep his mouth shut a lot of the time.

(Also, Steven and Elyse don't discipline him ever, so it's partly their fault if we're being real here)

What? Who said that?

Thanks for the ask!

[broadwaydivastournament]

Bernadette and Christine: Hey, Old Friends

Yes, yes, once again, Good Fight costars, but Bernadette and Christine go way, way back to 1982 and a little off-Broadway play called Sally and Marsha, written by Sybille Pearson and directed by Lynne Meadow, who remains Artistic Director at MTC to this day.

Bernadette is Sally (no, not Follies Sally just yet), a 30-year-old waif and New York transplant who is your quintessential all-American housewife. Contrast against Christine as Marsha, the tall erudite wise-cracker, cynical and neurotic. Can we say 'typecast?' (Oh, my god, this is just Summer, 1976 with Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht, except set in New York.)

Anyone else getting a fruity vibe from this? You can't convince me they didn't explore each other's bodies during all those long tension-filled talks...

As you'd expect, Sally and Marsha butt heads over their innumerable differences, but eventually realize they're really not so dissimilar deep down as they discuss sex, marriage, children, and everything but the kitchen sink. (Or maybe that too, I don't know. I wasn't seeing shows in 1982. They're wearing aprons, so...)

Bernadette reportedly joined the production four days before rehearsals began after a frantic and unsuccessful search for a Sally to match Christine's Marsha. Christine had read with dozens of actresses who fit the bill, but no dice until Bernadette signed on, having loved the script. This marked Bernadette's return to the stage after an eight-year absence.

The play received mixed reviews for its writing, but general warmth for its actresses. By this point, Bernadette was a two-time Tony nominee, and Christine still a relative newcomer to the New York stage. Coincidentally, they'd both go on to receive Tony nominations in the same 1984 season, Bernadette for Sunday in the Park (Leading Musical), and Christine for The Real Thing (Featured Play). Bernadette would lose to Chita Rivera for The Rink, while Christine would win her first Tony.

And speaking of Sunday in the Park...

Fresh off the middling success of Sally and Marsha, both actresses would join forces with some composer named Steven Sondheim to do the Playwrights Horizons workshop of Sunday in the Park with George in the summer of 1983. The show did not perform the second act until the last three performances, and the entire show was still largely in development.

It starred, as we know, Bernadette Peters as Dot/Marie, and featured Christine Baranski as Blair Daniels/Clarisse (later named Yvonne). Christine did not transfer with the company to Broadway the following year in 1984, having instead chosen to do Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing. Tony Award, so great decision on her part. This was also notably the play where she's Cynthia Nixon's mother, despite not being old enough to do that. Showbusiness, eh?

Oh, and one more thing. Bernadette and Christine were also both Cinderella's Stepmother in separate movie musicals. Bernadette in the 1997 Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney Houston (the superior Cinderella, the only one that matters, the one that made me a lesbian). Christine in the 2014 Into the Woods movie adaptation that we here at BroadwayDivasTournament do not talk about under any circumstances except to say how hot Christine was.

The obvious answer is both, but we here at BroadwayDivasTournament do not allow fence-sitters. Make a choice, dammit. Commit to something.

[ncisfranchise-source]

Brian Dietzen had a tall order when it came to the latest NCIS episode he cowrote with Scott Williams: the tribute to Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard and the actor who played him, the late David McCallum. But it’s one the two were more than ready to take on.

“When you lose someone very close, you can fall into just crying and mourning continually, and while we wanted to pay homage to him, we didn’t want that to be it,” Dietzen tells TV Insider ahead of the February 19 episode. “We wanted to celebrate the fun times as well, and we wanted to celebrate the amazing work that this great actor did on our show and also honor the character that he created. And I think both those people, the character and the actor, would love to see us continuing on and honoring him through continuing to do good work.”

The Season 21 premiere ended with Dietzen’s Dr. Jimmy Palmer calling Alden Parker (Gary Cole) to tell him of Ducky’s death. Now, the focus will turn to celebrating him—and solving the case he was working on before he died. Below, Dietzen talks about writing the episode and shares memories with McCallum, going back to their first scene together.

Talk about how you co-writing this episode came about because it is so fitting that you did so.

Brian Dietzen: We had the work stoppage this last year because of the [writers’ and actors] strikes, so we have a 10-episode order this season instead of our normal 22, sometimes 24 episodes. I’ve been cowriting with Scott Williams just about once a year, the last couple years, and so this year, I let my showrunners, David North and Steven Binder, know that I wasn’t going to request a script because we have a wonderful writing staff and I felt like, oh, there’s no need for me to step in there because we only have 10 episodes. Then David passed away, and I think that Scott really wanted to write his farewell episode and he thought it would be fitting if it would be a co-written with me. David and Steve said, that’s super appropriate. We all think that’s a really good thing, and you two obviously work well together, so go off and do your thing. I was really honored to be asked to do so, and I just wanted to make him proud.

What was your approach to this episode? Because you have to balance honoring David, honoring Ducky, but then also the case and the team’s grief.

Yeah, I think it’s really important that this remains an NCIS episode. It cannot just be some series of flashbacks to prior Ducky Mallard scenes. It was really important for us that we still have a case to solve. You’re living in a legacy of this person that you’ve lost, being Ducky, so we decided to craft a case where there would be something that would thematically link the case to the team’s loss, and those two don’t necessarily have to go hand in glove. They don’t have to be related. It’s not as though the case has to be related to Ducky in any way, but thematically speaking, it really should be.

Michael Yarish/CBS

What can you say about any characters returning or the acknowledgement of them and what Ducky meant to them?

What we tried to do with this episode was we tried honor the team that he worked with, and when I say the team, I mean the greater team, not just this team that we have right now that involves Parker, Torres [Wilmer Valderrama], Knight [Katrina Law], McGee [Sean Murray], Palmer, Kasie [Diona Reasonover], and Vance [Rocky Carroll]. The greater team is all of the different teams he’s worked with, many of which involved Gibbs [Mark Harmon], and then of course there’s Tony [Michael Weatherly] and Ziva [Cote de Pablo], and there’s Bishop [Emily Wickersham], Abby [Pauley Perrette], of course, and everyone in between.

And so when we wrote this thing, while it’s certainly not a show that’s just all about clips or anything like that, there are these remembrances of Ducky and we wanted to see him interacting with people that are on our current team and also people that are on our iterations of our team, too. I think we did a pretty good job with that, and I think that people like to see that they’re getting to see their Ducky many years past as well as the more recent.

What moments working with David came to mind while you were writing the episode then filming it?

Oh, about 6,000, if I’m being honest. I was going through, and I was looking up my first scene with him with a tape recorder at the end of Season 1. I was looking at “The Meat Puzzle” in Season 2. I was looking at “Detour,” a Steven Binder classic where we’re being chased through the woods directed by Mario Van Peebles. That was actually a really cool episode to look back on because David, if I look at it now, I thought, oh man, he was 80 years old, 81 years old when we shot that episode. And it’s Jimmy and Ducky running through a wooded forest at night in the snow, and obviously asking an 80-something-year old man to do that for continual night shoots, that’s not okay. So they ended up building a whole forest on our set and made it snow [and] we shot it during the day.

Monty Brinton/CBS

Some of those things hit me and memories hit me. And so as I’m watching all these old shows as we’re writing this new show, I can’t tell you how many just good times that we had together, and I don’t want to try to summarize it in just a couple of quotes here because it’s tough to summarize 20 years of friendship and 20 years of camaraderie and mentorship and great scenes together being shared. But what I will say is that the thing that I’ll always remember and that hit me so hard when I was watching all of these things is just what a terrific worker David McCallum was continually. He always showed up prepared. He knew his things. He did every scene with the absolute best of his ability. And that’s something that I watched him do for years and tried to adopt for myself as well. So yeah, it’s been an honor.

How do you remember Jimmy and Ducky’s relationship?

I see it as a partnership and somewhat of a mentorship. I remember there’s one point at which some writer on our staff years ago—I can’t remember who the person was exactly—started wanting to get into this, oh, he’s like a son to Ducky, this is like his father figure, and had some lines about that. And David said, “Oh, no, no, no, no, no. They’re partners, and they’re work colleagues. The second we start getting into a hierarchy of, he’s my son or I’m his father sort of thing, there’ll be a power dynamic that I don’t want to explore too much. I want it to be that Jimmy can speak his mind when he needs to and so can Ducky.” And that’s the way he treated it. It was really about, we’re in this thing together.

I think that was what was really, really great about those two characters is that they both lifted each other up. Jimmy had this reverence for Ducky that was so easy to see, and Ducky, the moment that he found out that Jimmy had passed his medical examiner’s license test, he was a doctor, the first thing he says is “Dr. Palmer” with all this pride in his voice. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say it made me teary to think about because David treated me that way as well in my personal life. He was very kind, very proud when I started to take over more of the load of the M.E. at NCIS. He’d call me and say, “I love the scene you did. I love this and that. I’m so proud you’re doing this in my stead.” And so yeah, art imitated life here and there.

What do you recall about your first and last scenes together?

Our first scene together, I remember I booked this episode. It was a one day guest star, and so I was just going to go and do one scene for NCIS, and it was a spinoff of JAG, and I think I’d seen one episode of it at the time, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know who David McCallum was, and I’d never seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. At the time, I’d never seen The Great Escape. So I was pretty uncultured. I walked in, and I did this scene with this really terrific actor. That’s all I knew. I just knew, well, he’s really good, he’s really fantastic. And so I went home and I looked up, who is this guy? What has he been in before? Only to find out that he was like one of film and TV’s Beatles from the 1960s. [Laughs] He was a living legend, and that was pretty great.

And what was wonderful is that we got along well and the producer at the time, Don Bellisario, saw, oh, those two work really well together. Let’s have Brian come back next week and then the next week and then the next week. It’s because the two of us worked well together and we worked well on our scenes that I got to keep working. So that was really, really wonderful.

I’ll say one of the last scenes that I remember doing with David in person—because over the last few years, David was shooting most of his scenes in New York and we would have him on a screen or an iPad or something like that—was Ducky and Jimmy at a diner just eating together. There was no case that we were talking about, there was no red herring or anything like that. It was just two guys sitting there talking about a girl that Jimmy likes, and it was a friend listening to another friend over a sandwich. I thought, looking back on it, that’s really wonderful. Because we did that so often within our autopsy scenes where the scene is about this body before us and all of the evidence that we have to deliver to the rest of the team, but the dialogue could be about just about anything. We could be joking about things. He could be going off on some diatribe about something that was seemingly unrelated but it really came through historically in this situation. And so yeah, it was a cool scene to go back and reflect on.

[askhezureviews]

Who are your favorite characters from Helluva Boss, Steven Universe and TADC and why :]?

Helluva Boss: Season 1 Stolas because he's a powerful eldritch demon prince with a taste for dangerous thrill in his life- he fantasizes about being weak and needing a hero when its not true at all; he's a manipulative, conniving bastard who absolutely has a heart under all those feathers- he just fucks up and gets himself into trouble because he gets greedy or takes things too far- meaning he's gotta put in the work; get a major character arc if he wants things to turn around and go his way. Maybe learn some lessons, be less ignorant, actually learn how to maintain relationships, etc. He has so much potential to his character, the small amount of scenes we got with him to begin with already set up so much and tell us so much about him, it was great storytelling. Season 1 Striker is awesome. He's also a fantastic foil to Blitz. Introduced as a hired farm hand, only to turn out to be an agent gun for hire. He's dangerous, cunning, competent, competitive. He offers Blitz a place at his side- to actually overcome their status as half-imps, when HYPOCRITICALLY- HE'S SERVING A HIGH CLASS DEMON HIMSELF!!! That was a CRAZY reveal- it was aMAZING!!! especially when it shows that Stella isn't just a side character now, she's in the pool of villains- That was such a fantastic episode.

Steven Universe: Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond is my absolute favorite!! She's so complex. I love how she reverse parallels Steven. She's a bratty, needy, abused child who never felt like people could listen to her. She felt like people couldn't change, she made the decision to not fix people for her own sanity and safety and I respect that of her, but its also a double edged sword when it gives her major major communication issues. When she hurts her pearl, she shuts down and realizes she needs to change- and when she sees Earth- she becomes inspired and gains a heart of gold- but her trauma runs deep and her actions to protect others have only ended up hurting them more- yet her intentions are still often pure in nature. I wish we had more episodes of her, she was my absolute favorite.

Peridot was my second fav. She is like a sweeter, more complex Invader Zim. Her character arc was the most detailed, the one with the most care put into it. I preferred her when she was a bit more robotic and subdued with her limb enhancers, but she was my original favorite before Rose/Pink.

The Amazing Digital Circus: Cane because I'm biased I loved his VA as Spamton; but he's extremely cookey and unpredictable. He's trying to entertain people to keep them sane, but he's also at the same time ironically heartless to them too? The mystery surrounding his ai, how much control he really has over the game, him losing track of NPCs vs. actual humans- its all so mysterious and ambiguous and his design is just so fantastic- aaahh!!! I love every second he is on screen <3

Gummygoo because everyone loves him, he's the first NPC who has a relatable breakdown when he gets an existential crisis, seeing everyone and everything he knows has been written by design, that its not real. But he's fun and cute anD BRING HIM BACKKKKKKKKKKKK BRING MY EXPLODED BOY BACKKK!!!! Also shout out to Ragatha, probs my 3rd favorite. I like her optimism in the face of doom- keeping herself together through a shaky will but also holding on to her kindness. It's very sweet, as well as EXTREMELY funny to me that she keeps charming all these NPC women- it's so great, Ragatha gets all the btchs!!!!!!

[tomb-of-flora]

Introduction Post (V2)

I did an introduction post 7-8 months ago and it's really bad, so I wanted to do a new one.

Hello! I am relatively new to tumblr, but I've been here for over six months now, and it's the only social media I've been able to stick with for this long. It feels like I've officially put down roots with this blog, so I wanted to give myself a proper introduction.

A little about me: I'm a writer with a particular emphasis on poetry and fiction that angsts about identity. I'm a Dungeon Master who has been playing D&D (and occasionally other ttrpgs) since I was 12-13. I'm in my mid twenties (and am going to post accordingly so I don't want to see any minors interacting). I'm a lesbian, and ngl pretty much everything I say or do has an undertone of sapphic yearning. If i had to define my taste in general I love anything that is super feminine, pink, and princessy, and also anything that is gothic, rotted, and miserable. Anything that could combine the vibes of like Princess Peach/Sailor Moon and Edgar Allan Poe would be a dream come true for me. I also have a deep love on run down apocalyptic settings (especially if they include a theme park).

This blog will mainly be reblogs, fandom posts, and random things about myself and what I'm thinking. It's just kind of a personal haven to express myself and show my friends cool stuff I saw. I was originally going to make this a place where I posted about my writing/D&D, but all of that stuff kept getting buried, so I decided to delete those posts and make a couple dedicated sideblogs.

If you want to see my original posts i use the hashtag #entombedpost and for reblogs where I remembered to say something I use #entombedreblog

Follow @myovergrowngarden if you want to read/hear about my writing

Follow @yeehaw-in-magic-space if you want to hear about the adventures that take place in my space western/fantasy horror D&D campaign. I recap every session and drop random bits of lore on this account.

Some of my favorite books/short stories include: The Locked Tomb series, The Poet X, Clap When You Land, Family Lore, Any Other City, The Honey Month, This Is How You Lose the Time War, An Education in Malice, The Fall of the House of Usher, Mexican Gothic, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid In the Omelas Hole, Orientation, White Smoke, The Iliad/Odyssey.

Some of my favorite shows include: Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Midnight Mass, Black Sails, Game of Thrones (seasons 1-4), House of the Dragon, Breaking Bad, Chernobyl.

Some of my favorite cartoons/anime include: Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall, Arcane, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Cowboy Bebop, Delicious in Dungeon, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Noragami, Hunter X Hunter, Simoun, Chainsaw Man, the old DCAU (Batman TAS, Superman TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Static Shock, JLU), Teen Titans, Star Wars Rebels, High Guardian Spice, Gravity Falls, Amphibia.

Some of my favorite video games include: The Last of Us PT II, Get in the Car, Loser, Hades/Hades II, Darkest Dungeon, Fallout: New Vegas, Celeste, Ace Attorney, Dark Souls, Epic Mickey, We Know the Devil, Slay the Princess, Long Live the Queen, Monster Prom/Camp/Road Trip. I also love a lot of board games, but I think that would push us over the text limit so I'm just going to mention that briefly.

Some of my favorite movies include: I Saw the TV Glow, Star Wars (particularly VI, VIII, IV, V), Lord of the Rings, Whisper of the Heart, Kiki's Delivery Service, Birds of Prey, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snowpiercer, Annihilation, Sorry to Bother You, the Fear Street Trilogy, a bunch of the Saw movies, Us, Nosferatu (1922).

[marginaletchings]

Personally I feel like the rushed pace of Hazbin is more of an indictment of The Industry of making shows, especially animated ones, rather than of Vivzie and the crew.

There are also some issues I have with some interpretations and expectations people are having, like… Media also has its logistical limitations, especially “alternative” (subversive) media and media spearheaded by women. I personally would much rather they use their time wisely, even if payoff and key character moments aren’t always earned, than waste multiple episodes doing slice of life in an 8-episode season. (Looking at you, Steven Universe.)

I also don’t think y’all understand the limitations of the process of animating (in terms of time, manpower, budget, etc) —but also of how they may not have been able to get signed on with A24 and Amazon if they didn’t have big name actors going with it.

Y’all act like this is just Vivienne stomping around being a mean old Karen, when in reality, that is not how creative productions work. There is so much we don’t know but everyone is content to condemn the series largely based on emotional reactions, assumptions and too often, bad faith. It’s not even done airing yet.

Hazbin Hotel has its flaws—cram packed pacing being the main one—but as a huge fan of animated shows, who grew up in the 90s, to me it is a damn breath of fresh air. Do I wish they’d stop and just let us feel something more often? Sure! I’m sure Viv and the crew do too, if Helluva Boss is anything to go by.

Criticism of a creative work is valid, but only when it takes into account how that thing is actually made and most importantly, the context in which it exists. If you ignore those two things, your criticism is always going to ring hollow and come off as shallow and uninformed.

Shockingly, opinions aren’t always constructive criticism, and some folks seem to have missed that distinction.

EDIT: Would also kindly like to add that as a survivor of SA, abuse, depression, Husk and Angel’s song in ep 4 did not come across as victim blaming to me. Self pity and self hatred lie at the root of self destruction, and no matter how much you’ve earned the right to sit in that mire, admitting that you’re in a fucked up place is the first step toward acceptance and the path to healing. When you’ve been hurt, you grieve, and Angel was in a stage of denial and depression.

Sometimes, the only way to break through that powerful fog is for someone to tell you, yeah, shit is fucked up and you’re an absolute disaster, but you are not alone and I am here with you. I personally would rather have someone just be honest with me instead of spouting some saccharine nonsense. People always talk about how there’s a better place beyond what I’ve walked through, but I hated that, because it offered no honest assessment or comfort for me while I was still in the thick of it.

You can be so hurt that you’re lost in the pain and misery and you lose the perspective you need to hold onto any kind of hope. Husk offered him that hope, and without engaging in the Suffering Olympics. He was open and straightforward and genuine. No more bullshit.

And Angel doesn’t need bullshit, he needs honesty and people that care about him, who will be there through whatever comes next.

But that? That’s just my opinion.

[stilldancewithyou]

I'm Sorry, but why be team Conrad means that you can't have some grace for Jeremiah? Belly made a mess and it's okay to admit. She kissed Jere three times, asked him for going to the ball. They were hearing towards something. He found out his mom hás cancer and is probably dying the night before and he can have a moment? People act like he has no right to have feelings while excusing Conrad. Belly kissed two brothers in three days. Comparing with Cam's situation makes no sense. Cam mom's isn't dying and he doesn't have years of friendship and complicated feelings with Belly than Jere has. Also, in the begining of the Second book Jeremiah is rightfully mad at Belly, who supposed to be his best friend, for abandoning him while his mother was dying because she (as always) had drama with Contas. It's not about him not linking she was there for Conrad. Also, I hope Jenny drop the ridicolous "cheating" storyline because It was a cheap mechanism to get Belly and Conrad toghether without make them look bad because they had tears to sort out their relationship and Belly had a serious relationship with Conrad's brother. Also, If Jenny wanted keep the cheating storyline she shouldn't have made Jeremiah bisexual and perpetuate a disgusting steryotype. Conrad and Belly should be able to be toghether without destroy Jeremiah character, Jenny just need to be Brave and not take the easy, boring road.

I think you must be new here or you have only read a select few of my posts because I know I have said before that all of the characters deserve empathy and grace. All of the kids are messy and make dumb mistakes and hurt each other, but given what they are all going through, it's understandable. Losing Susannah was hard on all of them. For Jeremiah and Conrad because it's their mother, but also for Steven and Belly, since they also love Susannah and she is a bonus mom/an aunt to them. And it's also even harder to go through all of that at their age AND when it's the first death of someone you love you've ever had to deal with (which it is for all of them). I lost a very close family member (before I ever read the books) and when I tell you I felt all of their pain through all of the books...I feel for these kids, I really do.

It seems like we may be misunderstanding each other a little here...I assume you are responding to the most recent asks I answered and I think you are taking those responses out of context. I was talking specifically about the season 2 trailer and the sneak peek of Belly talking to Jeremiah about her and Conrad. And I will stand by what I said before- I don't think there is any excuse to talk to someone that way (and to yell at her that line about his mom dying. Belly already knew, was also hurting about it, and clearly felt like shit for what she was doing to him). In my personal opinion, you can explain someone's behavior, but nothing excuses it. In the end, we are all responsible for our own actions and the things we say. And yes, I will agree everything Jeremiah was going through at that moment was a lot and he was in pain, and Belly broke his heart on top of everything with Susannah. And that explains why he reacted that way, but it doesn't excuse his behavior. He knew it wasn't right to yell at her like that, but he wanted to make her feel like shit in that moment so he didn't care. Also, I was talking about a specific line She says in the trailer, "I was so focused on being there for Conrad, and I should've been there for you too" which is heard after Jere yells "We hooked up and then you hooked up with my brother!" and while I think his feelings are valid, Conrad also deserved to have Belly be there for him when he really, really needed her, and she shouldn't have to feel bad for that. I could be interpreting this wrong, but the way she said it made it sound like she was talking about when she and Conrad were dating and Susannah was sick, it wasn't that there was drama with him or they were fighting, she was just comforting her boyfriend Conrad and she put all of her energy into Conrad. It's an impossible situation to navigate, and no matter what she did someone would have been hurt. I think also in the 2nd book and season 2, she feels weird talking to Jeremiah after everything because he got all weird and upset and we know in the show he yelled at her that they're no longer friends. Yeah, Belly shouldn't have bounced between the brothers like that and she definitely hurt Jere, but Jere also made his own bed. In the books, she actually rejects Jeremiah in book 1 when he confesses his feelings and then he acts kinda weird and jealous at the end. There this little bit at the very end of book 1 after she kisses Conrad where Belly, Jere and Con are swimming in the pool together and Conrad flirts with Belly and touches her hair (or something along those lines) and Belly sees Jere looking at them all weird and jealous and it makes her feel weird and bad because she knows she's hurting him. It wasn't right that she stopped talking to Jere and didn't give him support when Susannah was dying, but I think she just didn't know if he even wanted to speak to her (it's not like he ever called her) and she felt like he was mad at her (which he is).

I think it's worth mentioning that when Belly chose Jeremiah for the deb ball, Conrad told her she made the right choice even though he was hurt and really wanted it to be him. He also never made her feel bad for choosing Jeremiah in book 2, never at any point said anything to her about her wanting to be with Jeremiah, he never even got angry at her for kissing Jeremiah or for ultimately choosing Jere (and I know people are going to say that was different bc Conrad told Jeremiah he could have her, but in the end it was up to Belly, and she could have picked Conrad, but she didn't) and in the 3rd book he didn't say anything rude or angry to her even when he found out about the engagement, he only got upset at the end when he found out that Jeremiah had cheated on her and she was okay with it (and btw, that's one big reason the cheating thing is important to begin with. it's the thing that makes Conrad admit his feelings). But Jeremiah makes her feel like shit for liking Conrad and wanting to be with him, and then he's a jerk to Conrad (his own brother!) and goes out of his way to rub the fact that Belly picked him in Conrad's face.

I don't think anything I say will change your mind so I won't waste much more energy on explaining this, but the cheating was important and it was basically the center of the book 3 storyline. I LOVED the 3rd book and from the time I first read it I could imagine how well it would play out on screen and the whole insane wedding thing would make such good material for a show. I truly do not understand how people are so against it. It's like a soap opera. And with these actors it will AMAZING. Also Conrad's POV is the best.

I don't understand why everyone is coming at me about the cheating thing. Idk what y'all want me to say or why you're all so mad about it, I literally do not get it. I'm sorry I want the show to follow the books I guess? I didn't think that was such a crazy outlandish thing to say. I also would strongly advise you to enjoy season 2 and then take all the time between s2 and when s3 comes out to prepare yourselves, because the show is already following the books so closely that I feel pretty confident saying s3 will follow the books as well, Jeremiah will probably "cheat" and then propose to Belly and we will get to see them planning the wedding all summer with help from Taylor and Belly's new college friends. Also please remember that I didn't write the book.

[systastic]

Could we ask for a level 3 catgirl little? You were the first to come to mind for catgirls ^^ a picrew image would be lovely

YESYESYESYES!!!! another catfriend!!! aaahhh im so honored mew came to me nya!! if mew end up splitting her please please please feel free to let her come n talk to us!! imogen n i are both catgirls ~ and i love new friends meow - 🍥

name :: penny (short for penelope), sophie, bella, rosie, grace, alice, poppy, merry

age :: 9 to 12

pronouns :: predominantly she/her, will use purr/purrs, cloud/clouds, frog/frogs, fluff/fluffs, and yarn/yarns when she remembers they can be used to refer to herself (which isn’t often- it’s a bit much for her to get a hold of)

roles :: charge, little, innocence holder, ògregulator, catgirlxenorole

species :: catgirl!!

gender identity :: she doesn’t rly think about it a whole lot! so she is sticking to female until proven otherwise

orientation :: aroace (cus shes a kiddo — this may change if she ages!!)

source :: brainmade

aesthetic :: dopamine, kidcore, wholesome meme

appearance description :: sophie has shoulder length hair that’s been whipped back into a very sporadic ponytail… though most of the hair has fallen out or just doesn’t fit due to her placement. she often wears overalls paired with a sweater of some description (usually a bye one with clouds on it) that has pins all over the straps. mild scars scatter her face and legs from all the outdoor activists and occasional fight she gets into — but don’t you worry, cus rosie packs a MEAN punch when she wants to! those doofus boys never stood a chance!!

personality description :: sophie can and will get excited over the little things she sees during the day. no one is safe from her relentless optimism!! are you sad? boom, have a look at this cute cat gif. feeling down? then look at this shiny rock picked up just for you! grace hoards all of these tiny, seemingly useless objects to either cheer up her friends, dole out as gifts, or to add to her personal mini-hoard. even strangers can be victims to her unrelenting positivity: if someone looks down, merry will pepper them with questions and fun facts and maybe even some drawings until they feel better. that’s what she’s good at! even if the person has to fake it so they can back away… but don’t tell her that, you’d break her heart.

likes :: cool rocks, cool animals she found in the woods, bringing her favorite people cool things she found, coloring, self portraits, asking lots and LOTS of questions, talking to cool people, making new friends with anyone she meets, schoolyard games, flash dress up sites, cartoons like curious george, the owl house (early season!), bluey, the backyardigans, my little pony, craig of the creek, moon girl, amazing world of gumball (not the “gross” episodes), doc mcstuffins, fairly odd parents: the new wish, star vs the forces of evil, steven universe (NOT future), calico critters, dollhouses, clouds, yarn balls, funky sweaters, overalls, winning fights against the neighborhood boys, and running around outside

dislikes :: getting into scuffles with the local kids and losing, being picked on, being told she’s stupid, being told she’s “too young” for something, mean adults, mean people, things with too many “bad” (dark) colors, purposefully confusing phrases or sentences, not understanding something due to her age (this especially comes into play when she tries to learn knitting to make her own sweaters)

front triggers :: unexpected occurrences (positive ones), randomly finding something super cool or strange in a weird location, the toy aisle, anything with a lot of colors, drawing and coloring things in, seeing a random cat or frog, when people in front or externally feel sad (she wants to help!!)

signoff :: 🧶, ☁️, 🌼, or 🐈

picrew link here!

[slowly-unspooling]

Hi everyone! 

I've been a bit quiet here lately, but guess what? It's Pride Month, and that means I'm back to be a little obnoxious and make it everyone's business!

Our auditions for season 2 just wrapped up, and I'm thrilled to soon reach out to those who made the cut. But before that, let's talk about our podcast—it's all about queer horror vibes.

Nobody's straight in this show. None of our actors are cishet. Everyone involved is some flavor of queer!

Now, for the next few days, let's remeet our season 1 cast, starting with the protagonist:

Kai Stevens (they/them):

When season 2 begins, they are 30 years old.

Kai is acearo nonbinary and is just a person trying to exist in a world that doesn't want them to. Not because they're queer, just because the universe has it out for them. 

They used to be trusting, but recent events have peeled away their protective layers. Now they're struggling with trust, even in themselves.

Kai was a radio host and part-time podcaster until tapes of their voice led to losing both jobs. Now, they're living with their sister and her wife, along with their cat Smokey (voiced and modeled after my own cat).

Excited for what's next in store! Keep an eye out for updates.

[lampmanliveblogs]

Pictured: Things going horribly wrong. Right on cue!

So, uh, it sure does sound like King is suggesting they kill The Collector. Especially with how he’s looking at that drawing. And I mean, he IS Eda’s son, and this wouldn’t be the first time she’s killed an enemy. That’s right Eda, I remember what you did, I know what you’re capable off.

But for real, I don’t think King is actually suggesting that. Which begs the question, what is it he’s suggesting? If sealing The Collector away* isn’t permanent enough, then what would be?

(*and if the implication is that King’s Dad had to sacrifice his own life to seal The Collector… well, King’s a baby. There’s a very real chance it’d just not work)

I toyed with a few ideas of how to defeat The Collector in-between season two and three, though I don’t think I ever talked about them. Or maybe I did? Regardless, one idea I had was for King to set up the game of Owl House in such a way that The Collector would lose. And then King would be like ”Ah, sorry buddy, the rules say that if you lose at Owl House you have to leave the planet forever and never come back. Bummer.”

The problem with that is two-fold. For one thing, it’d be a very impermanent solution, because unless The Collector is one of those magical beings that see every verbal agreement as a binding contract that they can never go against, there would be nothing to stop them from just coming back. Or not leaving at all. The other problem is that it would mean The Collector could go on to terrorize some other poor planet.

Another possibility is that King’s plan is to use his close connection to The Collector to… genuinely become his friend. Think about it, The Collector has the power to undo everything and return things to normal. You know, he can fix it all with magic, the sticks, the stones, the tragic. Of course, that’d involve teaching The Collector that people are people too and that you can’t just go turning people into puppets every time they do something you don’t like.

The thought even crossed my mind earlier, that by taking The Collector through a version of Luz’ adventures, maybe he was trying to teach The Collector some lesson on becoming a good person or something.

Basically, King is Steven Universe and The Collector is White Diamond, if White Diamond was also Steven, and Spinel. That probably makes no sense, but I swear, the math checks out in my head.

I mean, c’mon, look at that face! Is that really the face of a space cherub that couldn’t be redeemed through the power of friendship? After all, there is nothing more anime than the power of friendship, and as we’ve already established, The Owl House operates on anime rules. It is literally an isekai. ”The Time I Was Supposed to Go to Summer Camp but Ended up in Another World Where I Learned to be a Witch,” is, I believe, the working title for the upcoming light novel adaptation.

And tonight on”If The Collector has listened for a few seconds longer…” he’d’ve found out what I was (more or less) just saying.

King recognizes that The Collector is just a child, albeit a very powerful one, but that he can be reasoned with.

King says he can relate to The Collector, and yeah, I can see it. Not just because they’re both essentially gods, but, well…

Back in season one, King was still under the impression that he was the King of Demons and he saw others as inferior to himself. He’d try at every opportunity to assert some form of dominance and control people around him. Like the time he tamed Eda in her Owlbeast form to act as his enforcer… so he could rule over the playground and ruin all the other kids’ fun.

However, characterization marches one, and as he started learning more about his past, he realized he was never the King of Demons, he cut it out, and grew as a person. Imagine season one King finding out he’s the last living Titan vs late season two King finding it out. Season one King would take it as confirmation of his divine right to rule, whereas season two King took it more as sign of his role as a protector of the people of the Isles.

And while they’re not entirely the same, King and The Collector do parallel each other in some ways. King used to see himself above others, just like The Collector currently does. So King has to find some way to impart his own character development and growth into the Lord of the Fireflies. While also dealing with Philip, who is possessing Raine. Honestly, that shouldn’t be too hard.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, Kikimora is nettled. Like super nettled. I think the only thing that would make her mood worse was if she got ambushed by some upstart triclops.

You know what’s really impressive? Aside from the enormous energy blast Kiki used to nearly disintegrate Luz & Camila? The fact that Kiki’s able to maneuver the abomatron as well as she is with only a pair of levers to work with. Even the techno trousers had more controls to work with!

Aw shoot…  things are about to get really emotional right about now, aren’t they?

Before that though, I feel the need to acknowledge some of the goofy stuff Camila’s apparently done. Road rage and joining pyramid schemes I can forgive, but scheduling your wisdom teeth surgery the day before you wedding!? You did not!

[escapismqueen]

um no keep those trashy boys (Steven and Conroach) away from them Taylor deserves way better Belly too Belly obviously belongs with Jeremiah idk Taylor has to be someone new that treats her right.

Frrrrrr!!! In all honestly, if Steven hadn’t of completely abandoned Jeremiah this season and been all up Conrad’s ass, he would have some potential because him and Taylor are actually cute and I feel like he has some sort of redemption this season (in terms of Taylor and belly- until he ruined it again 🙄) . But the way he treats Jere and doesn’t see anything wrong with Conrad is just a big red flag so he needs to get his act together or lose Taylor because Taylor deserves to be treated like the queen that she is.

Also, NOT watching his girlfriend play volleyball and instead going to play video games was gross. Jeremiah is literally the only man ever.