#YOURE ESSENTIALLY CO-WRITER FOR HIM NOW YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?

[herebecritters]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHAT YOU SEE ABOVE IS A BONAFIDE CRONOPIO DENTIACUTUS!

Guess who's normal about Geshtu. me, guys, I'm normal

Geshtu belongs to @herebecritters

[slippery-domjot-balls]

DS9 S4 E11 Homefront & E12 Paradise Lost, slippery thoughts

Wow....let me catch my breath. That was a wild and tense ride. Nice scenery too. Obviously these are just my opinions, but I wanted to share them because Star Trek makes me happy and passionate. I want you to be happy and passionate too!

Given the intensity of these two episodes I completely forgot it started off with Jadzia pulling off the most specific pranks on Odo.

Jadzia: I sneak into my coworker's private quarters and move his furniture by 3 cm every couple of days.

Quark: That's weird. They would not even notice that change.

Jadzia: Oh, no no no. He sees it every time and it drives him insane.

Audience: Oh you silly worm!

And I loved that we got to see these two besties playing pretend. We need more Miles and Julian aviation adventures. Super cute pals.

R.I.P. Clive

Playtime is over now because the changelings have basically infiltrated Earth and are ruining everything all the time and it isn't fun anymore....or are they? They are, but are they? Possibly. Probably. Perhaps.

To me this kind of episode is the pinnacle of what Star Trek writing has always been about. We see a complex evaluation of choices in conflict. It is not about an obvious "right" or "wrong", but one decision versus another. This is a battle between perspective and reason. All sides contain some merit. This episode also shows good intentions taken too far and taken beyond the ethical reasoning that initially inspired the action.

If this episode were to have a villain it would be fear and paranoia itself and not any particular character.

Vice Admiral Leyton was an amazing character. It was brilliant to establish that he had a close professional history with Sisko early in the episode because it immediately made me trust him. You sneaky writers!! But that was the whole point. The story that was unfolding to the audience purposefully made us feel betrayed with Sisko. We co-experienced in real time the feeling seeing a close friend commit treason.

Enter the most powerful man on Earth. He can move the most stubborn hearts, calm the most irrational mind, and fill up the most starved stomach. Replicated foods beware of Grandpa Sisko. I see where Jake gets his style too! It was so believable that these three were family. You could see how cadences, mannerism, and behaviors in Granddad Sisko were passed to Ben and then passed down to Jake, but in their own naturally developing ways in each generation.

*Spoiler Alert* Grandpa Sisko also saves the day.

Just when I thought this episode had all the ingredients for perfection Nog the keeper of all things pure and innocent shows up. Look at that smug Ferengi. He knows that he is the best thing at the Academy and so do we.

A great thing about these two episodes is that every character acts as an essential part of the story. Nog will lead Ben on the chase with his talk of the Red Squad. A+ Nog!

This ain't your normal seagull. This one loves Bajoran women.

Around this point we have all the main details of the episode. Admiral Leyton and Captain Sisko are working together to protect Earth from a suspected Dominion infiltration and invasion. The President of the Federation is against the proposed worldwide security changes but reluctantly allows their implementation.

With security personnel, blood tests of all crucial Starfleet staff and family members, and martial law practically in effect everywhere we are ready to repel any Dominion attacks. After all, the wormhole was winking at DS9 a lot so perhaps a cloaked invasion fleet is on Earth's doorstep.

HERE WE GO! Papa Sisko challenges Daddy Sisko's paranoia. Ben is seeing changelings in his sleep and not the Odo kind either.

So we start to see the episode present one of it's many challenges:

How far should we trade individual autonomy for protection?

And THIS is why I love Star Trek. Grandfather Sisko is absolutely correct!! And yet, Ben Sisko is also correct. Both want to protect what they love, life ad they know and perceive it.

We search for the highest good in each situation. Ben wants to secure and save everything he loves on Earth. He wants to protect his family, his home, and everything therein. Grandpa Sisko wants the EXACT same thing. The methods to achieve their shared goal is in conflict.

DS9 writers have a candy bar on me. Well done!!! (engage smooching sounds)

This very moment is crucial for Ben. His paranoia is pushing him toward the type of dictatorial control that Admiral Leyton is calling for, but Ben has found that not only is something odd happening in the background but this entire movement smell stinky.

Nog is such a good cadet. I love him with all my little heart. He provided critical information about Starfleet Academy's unofficial super special secret mean girls club Red Squad. This little snack of information sets Ben Sisko on the trail of breadcrumbs leading to the smorgasbord of treason committed by Leyton.

Smug Shapeshifting O'Brien is a gift. Enjoy every second of this hilarious goop boy. Colm really did a great job. We do see that there is a Dominion changeling on earth (saw it earlier in Homefront as well). We understand how real the threat of their activity can be. We especially see how terrifying a changeling can be when Dominion version O'Brien has a little chat with Ben. It might only take one hostile changeling to completely destabilize an entire world.

I do wish we figured out how the fake changeling blood was created to trap Sisko. Clever girl, Admiral.

I felt bad for Leyton. He is someone caught in a difficult position of authority and personal fears. His own paranoia drove him to the utmost extreme. I imagined that maybe he has a cute little family with a kid back home. I imagined what it might be like in his shoes. It would be hard to live thinking that your lack of effort led to the death of your child or friend or family member or significant other. It would be hard to go to bed knowing that the person you once shared it with prematurely died because of that you thought you failed to do. Even in much of the two episodes his facial expressions show a man full of internal strife and conflict. It is as if he kept questioning his actions as he made them.

What if his fear of failing his community drove him to radical dictatorship? He wanted to keep all that he loved safe, but he betrayed everyone he loved. He demanded that all his loyal friends trust him. Trust is a two way exchange though. He abandoned trusting his friends and confidants. That was the beginning of his downfall.

Leyton wanted to protect society at the cost of society itself. He could not see beyond his fear of losing society to war and enemies abroad to the point of blindness. He became an enemy of all he cherished, and I honestly think that he knew that too. He was just so scared that he desperately dug in to the one aspect of his life that he thought he could control, which is so relatable. We all can act irrationally under stress and pressure. This is not justification or approval. This is accepting that life may not have as many villains in it as we are told to believe. People are just trying to be people, meet their obligations and responsibilities while preserving what little bit of life exists to enjoy.

We are all prone to brash behaviors in order to protect what we love, but sometimes it is healthy to set down the admiralty bars and accept that you can't do it all, especially alone.

Remember that everyone in this episode wanted the same thing. Leyton wanted to protect life. Sisko wanted to protect life. Grandpa Sisko wanted to protect life. Everyone held the same belief and motivation.

I appreciated how solemnly Leyton gave in and how respectfully he surrendered. It actually felt less like defeat and more like he was relieved of a burden that he was too overwhelmed to carry alone. He didn't need to carry it alone but chose to go alone. In a symbolic way by removing the admiral bars he set down his fear and moved on.

The amount of time taken for these shots impressed upon me the symbolic significance of it. Sisko also lets go and moves on with Leyton. By setting the phaser down he too lets go and agrees it is time to move forward from this conflict. He is still betrayed and disappointed, but he is not stuck or trapped in the past. He sets down his weapon and joins Leyton in facing a reality outside the oppression of their own paranoia.

I loved that Paradise Lost ends with the restaurant opening up again. It is the resolution these episodes needed. It was closure showing that being open to others and not letting the world cloud you of the humanity in others is fundamental to life.

Despite the many differences in all these characters, regardless of where they were in the progress of their own lives, no matter the goal or intention, we all essentially desire the same things.

Star Trek is the future I hope for!

If you made it to the end of this post and are reading this then 10,000 sweet kisses to your forehead. If you didn't make it then I am still giving your forehead tender kisses, you are just not aware of it.

[umbracirrus]

WIP Wednesday! 💛

And hoo boy, it is a long one. I'm talking over 3,100 words here. Making a new character in Skyrim has somewhat broken me out of the writers block I've been stuck with for the past few weeks. I'll get back to writing stuff for Elyse eventually, but for now, Thorne is in the spotlight! Plus, I'm having Elyse and Thorne co-exist because I can as Thorne isn't Dragonborn. Will need to take some liberties with the Thieves Guild backstory for Thorne though as a result as Elyse has done some stuff related to Honningbrew Meadery...

I'm relatively happy with it as it currently stands, though whether I make any further edits such as try to add a bit more padding around the dialogue or editing out my million and one mentions of people inhaling/exhaling or post it on AO3 any time soon I'm not so certain about. Thorne needs a hug. And honestly, at the end of this, Brynjolf needs one too.

Tagged by @hircines-hunter and @thequeenofthewinter! Not tagging anyone today but feel free to say that I tagged if you wish 💛

There is implied sexual content near to the end, it's essentially a fade to black situation, so please bear that in mind. I've marked as mature just in case, but it's only implied and nothing actually happens in text.

----------

"Boss. Talk to me – what's the matter? You've got an awfully long face." Thorne's brow scrunched up as she watched Delvin slip onto the seat opposite her in the Ragged Flagon. "Is it Maven? Is she breathing down your neck about something again?" She watched as Delvin leaned closer, attempting to read her expression. "Guild finances in trouble?" A quiet groan escaped her, before her eyes darted to the side at the first sign of movement. That action on its own made Delvin begin to chuckle. "Ah… Brynjolf. Trouble in paradise, hm?"

Thorne's eyes widened at that remark, before she scowled once more and silently stood up. "It's none of your business what the matter is, Delvin."

"You know, if Bryn ain't treating you right… Vex and I could always have a word with him, tell him to-"

"It is nothing to do with Brynjolf!" Her hands slammed down onto the table. It was very much an open secret that she and Brynjolf were together, but that wasn't the problem. It wasn't the problem in the slightest. If anything, Brynjolf was the only reason as to why she remained in Riften, remained the guildmaster of the Thieves Guild following the demise of Mercer Frey many months ago. But how could she tell the guild any of that? That she just… didn't want to be there? "I just… I just need some space to think. Clearly, the Ragged Flagon is not the place for it."

As she began to walk out of the Flagon, everyone's attention now clearly on her, Delvin attempted to follow. "H-Hey! Boss, you don't have to-"

She didn't look back when she heard Brynjolf's voice quietly addressing Delvin, though she did have to blink away the tears in the corner of her eyes as the door to the Flagon slammed shut behind her as she made her way into the Ratways. She hated that she felt this way. She couldn't live like this forever, wallowing in despair, wanting something better for herself… Even if her talents perfectly gave themselves to the line of work of a thief. It was why Brynjolf had took notice of her in the crowds of Riften that day, in spite of her having not long staggered into the city after being attacked and left for dead on the road after all.

Riften was eerily quiet as she stepped out from the Ratways, the smell of fish and salt hanging heavy in the air as the planks of the walkway beneath her creaked with every step. Rain, misty and light yet cold enough to chill her to the bone, fell to the ground around her. The clouds above the city were a dull grey for as far as the eye could see, and honestly… it felt very fitting for the melancholy she was feeling.

Her pace was slow as she made her way up to the upper levels of the city, before reaching the Bee and Barb, with her lethargic attempt at opening the door almost failing to catch Keerava by surprise if not for the sound of her reaching a table and scraping a seat across the floor in order to sit on it. She wasn't paying too much attention as Talen-Jei then tried asking if she wanted her usual drink, though she did give her thanks when a bottle of Black-Briar Mead was placed in front of her, both verbally and through coin.

For a while, she simply sat there, holding onto her drink whilst taking the occasional sip and holding her head in her other hand. It was so much quieter there than in the Ragged Flagon, it gave her a chance to get lost in her thoughts without much distraction. On the other hand, perhaps being left to her thoughts was not the best of situations for her to be in given how negative her mindset had been as of late.

At some point, the doors to the inn opened once more, somebody new coming in – no doubt a regular. She didn't care to look at who it was. Nor did she really care that, of anywhere, they chose to approach her table and put their own drink down on it.

"Lass… You okay? You left the Flagon quite suddenly." Thorne's head shot up at the sound of Brynjolf's voice, before taking a deep breath and nodding, not really paying much attention to the question which she had been asked. He frowned, then slipped into the seat beside hers and reached out for the hand which wasn't firmly wrapped around the bottle of mead. "Talk to me. Something is the matter, and I'm worried about you. I can tell these things, remember? It's all about-"

"Sizing up your mark…" She let out a quiet laugh. "I remember you saying that when we first met." After a moment, she brought her drink up to her lips, before sighing. "What made you decide to join me?"

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow at her question. "I think it's quite obvious, Thorne." Her pulse quickened at his use of her name rather than 'lass' – it was very rare that he would use it, but when he did… She knew that he was being serious. "You're not happy. You've got these little furrows in your brow that never used to be there, dark circles under your eyes, and it's not often you smile anymore." His hand gently squeezed hers. "As I said, I'm worried about you."

Hesitation made her body freeze after she opened her mouth just slightly, though tears were once more pricking at the corners of her eyes as she felt him looking at her. She was like an open book to him, she always had been, but hearing what he had to say… hearing that last sentence… she felt as though time was running out on keeping her innermost thoughts concealed. But she didn't want to hurt anyone-

"… You're not happy in the guild, are you?"

Her mouth fell dry. "N-No, it's not that-"

"Thorne…" His tone insinuated that he knew that she was lying.

"At times, the guild is like the family I never had," she whispered, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Not to mention that I love you, but-"

A warm hand came to rest on her cheek, and she felt Brynjolf's thumb wipe away the tears which were slipping down her face. "Don't force it… Take your time, lass."

"But I'm… I don't know if this life is for me, Brynjolf. Being… Being guildmaster, all the cloak and dagger, being under the constant scrutiny of the law and just hoping that I'm not recognised as a thief by any guard we haven't been able to get into our pockets-" She inhaled sharply. "Two years, Brynjolf… I've been here for two years, and I… still feel like I don't fit in. Except for when I'm with you." Carefully, his chair shuffled closer to hers and slowly her head fell into his shoulders as she stifled her tears. "I'm just… I'm not happy. I thought if I gave it time, then I would feel better but…"

"I understand. You don't need to say anything more."

Remaining leaned against him, she brought her drink to her lips once more and downed as much as she could without choking. One of his arms wrapped around her, and they fell into a comfortable silence.

When he finished his own drink was when the silence was broken, and it was with a question she wasn't quite expecting. "Lass… Do you want to take a step back from the guild? "

She stared at him in a dumbfounded silence for a moment, her back straightening out as she sat up and processed the question. "What…?" She then bit at her bottom lip. "I don't want to inconvenience-"

"Don't think about what is best for the guild, lass. This is about what you want."

But… what did she want, exactly? She was so tempted to simply leave, but she didn't want that on her conscious…

"It was selfish of me to have made you take up the position of Guildmaster, I will admit that… But you have done incredibly lass, even if you cannot see it yourself. I've never seen the guild so prosperous, never seen the rest of the guild so happy. If I knew that it came at the cost of your happiness…" He sighed quietly, before taking hold of her cheek and leaning in. "I never would have proposed it. It should have been me taking that role in the first place."

"Bryn…" She was having to choke back her tears yet again. "I don't know. I- I just… I like to think that I'm good at what we do, but… I don't think that it's for me." Thorne tilted her head back, and inhaled deeply. "I… might have to. Pass on my role to somebody else. Somebody who is happy with what they do, and do it well. Somebody like you."

He quietly whispered her name as he acknowledged what she had said, though allowed her to take a few moments to dwell on it. It came as a shock to him, though it was just as much one to her – she had finally said what had been on her mind for months, from the moment that she was taken to the centre of the Cistern, and the members of the guild unanimously named her their new guildmaster.

A throat being cleared beside the table drew their attention after a few long moments, and they saw Keerava staring at them both. "Did either of you hear me? I suppose not… If you are not ordering any more drinks, then please leave. I need to clean up before the evening crowds come in."

They exchanged a brief look, before Brynjolf rose to his feet, and took hold of her hand. "Come on, lass. We can finish this conversation in Honeyside."

A warmth flooded her face as he mentioned his home. With the money which the guild had been making over recent months, she had thought it fair to split some of the excess wealth between members and associates of the guild. Somehow, Brynjolf had managed to persuade Jarl Laila to grant him the deed to a house with his cut. It was like their own private sanctuary away from the Cistern or the Ragged Flagon, and the only place where nobody dared to disturb them.

The rain hadn't let up as the doors to the Bee and Barb opened, and had in fact grew heavier during their time indoors. Fortunately, their destination was not far, so they wouldn't be looking like drowned rats once back indoors once more.

"Lass… what do you say to making your stepping down from the position of guildmaster something to remember?" Brynjolf asked once they had stepped out onto the streets, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Go out on a high which nobody else could ever live up to. Leave a bigger mark on guild history than you already have."

Thorne raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips together. "What high-profile heist did Delvin try to rope you into this time?"

Brynjolf let out a hearty chuckle at her response as he put his arm over her shoulders. "I always forget you can read me just as I can read you. Just before he started talking to you earlier, he was telling me about some reliable information that there are going to be some very notable targets passing through little old Helgen in a few days' time. I'm talking Jarls. High-ranking soldiers. People who have both expendable money and expensive little trinkets that can easily be replaced if they were to… misplace them, so to speak."

She rolled her eyes and let out a quiet laugh of her own. "And you weren't too keen on doing that, were you?"

"Well, Delvin felt that given our… abilities which Nocturnal granted us, it would be a safe job in the hands of one of us two. And I feel that you have a safer pair of hands than I do."

For a few moments, she thought the proposal over, the sound of both rain and their feet landing in puddles being the only noise which broke the silence. Eventually, she exhaled quietly, then nodded. "Okay. I'll do it. My last job. Go out on a high, as you said."

The rest of their short journey was quiet, in part driven by the fact that she was thinking about what sorts of targets would be in Helgen, and what possibly could have happened to bring together numerous figureheads of Skyrim to such a small mountain town.

When they arrived, he opened the door, and allowed her in first. As soon as the door to Honeyside fell shut behind him though, she turned on her heel and exhaled quietly, before pressing a brief kiss to his lips. "When I return from Helgen… I don't think I will stay once I've fenced everything to Tonilia. I'll pass the torch on to you. I will obviously return to Riften on occasion, but… Knowing that my last job will be one that will go down in guild history, I can at least say I accomplished something in my time here."

"You've done a lot to be proud of, Thorne… Don't put yourself down like that." He then exhaled quietly, and took her cheeks into his hands. "But I assume that this means that… between us is…"

The topic she had been dancing around all night, the thought which had been lingering in the back of her head from the moment he had asked if she wanted to take a step away from everything. It was possible that she could continue her relationship with Brynjolf… but a future in Riften was not on the cards for her, and Riften was his home. The guild's home. She couldn't tear him away from that. "A clean break may be what I need to figure out what I want to do with myself. But…" Her breath trembled as she inhaled. "I won't say that it doesn't hurt suggesting that we break up."

He nodded silently, though she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a smile.

"We still have time before that comes to pass though. And before you get all mopey over mead as you did when Mercer tricked you into thinking I was dead, remember that it isn't because of you. This is because of me, okay? You've been the light in my darkness, and I cannot thank you enough for it."

Slowly and delicately, he leaned over and pressed a feather-light kiss to her lips, a smirk once more across his face. "Then if this is to be one of our last nights together… Shall we make the most of it?"

...

When Thorne woke up, it was to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight breaking through Honeyside's windows. Brynjolf appeared to still be in a deep sleep beside her, one of his arms draped over her torso as he quietly snored. Slowly, she eased herself out from beneath his arm and the bedsheets, and went around the room, gathering together her clothes from the night before just to throw them into a nearby basket. She then went over to the drawers which she had hastily thrown some spare clothes into one of the last times she had spent the night there to get some of them, and pulled them on as quickly and quietly as she could.

Once dressed, she ran a hand through her hair quickly, just enough to make it not look as though she had just gotten out of bed, then walked over to the kitchen and grabbed one of the pastries which were there. It was somewhat stale, possibly from a day or two ago, but she didn't really care.

The quiet sound of Brynjolf stirring caught her attention as she wiped the crumbs from her face, and she silently gulped. She had wanted to make parting as painless as she could, without the need for goodbyes – even though she knew that she would be back, to return with what she could get away with stealing from Helgen. She wanted to make things easy for him by slipping out before he woke up.

"Lass…?"

She was frozen to the spot as he walked into the kitchen, and by Nocturnal he hadn't even bothered with getting dressed.

"Are you leaving? Already? It's barely sunrise…" He was rubbing at his eyes as he glanced between her and the window. "You were at least gonna say bye to me before you left, right?"

He walked over to her as her lips parted only slightly, uncertain as to whether she was going to tell him the truth of what she had wanted to do. She quickly settled on not doing so as he took hold of her shoulders and squeezed them as best as he could given his half-asleep state.

"… Promise me you will keep in contact, lass," he murmured, pulling her close to him in a quick embrace. "Even if we're not together, we are still a family. I want to know if you ever find the happiness which you are after... Promise me, yeah?"

She was silent for a moment, before nodding quietly. "I promise." She then stepped back, and took a deep breath. "I'm… going to go over to the Cistern to grab some stuff. Give Vex my vault key. Then make my way to Helgen. I don't suppose that whilst I'm gone… you could put some pants on and let everyone know that I'm stepping down as guildmaster?"

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow, now seeming much more alert than he previously had been upon hearing her plans. "I will. But remember that you're coming back after the Helgen job. You can tell everyone when you return…"

"… I know. But I just thought… hearing the news from you will soften the blow a bit. They all know and trust you. I still feel like a stranger to some people. I mean, they go to you to handle their problems more than they do me, so I don't feel that it will make much of a change to the guild dynamic…"

His hands gently cupped her face. "You'd be surprised, lass. Losing you will leave a bigger gap than you could possibly anticipate…" He then took a deep breath. "We will miss you. I will miss you. And if you ever want to come back, or if things don't work out as you venture out into the world, the doors to the Cistern will always be open for you."

Her eyes fell to the floor, before she took a step back. "… I'll… bear that in mind. Thank you, Bryn."

She needed to leave before she changed her mind.

[horseforeplay]

hi! what do you make of ai art? im conflicted cause i see how its great for disabled people in many ways, but then i look back at the work people put into becoming artists and mastering the craft and feel many things lol i wish i could look at it similarly like i look at producers for example, where you have a vision and tools and you know how to use it well so you dont need the musical training background to be creative, but i cant help but feel like its more complicated with visual art? that theres a whole other side besides having a vision and good understanding of a shortcut tool. im very very torn and also sorry for all that on your succession blog but knowing youre a fantastic artist whos recently been dealing with this sort of impossibility to make art i wonder if you have some insight in this area.

sending love!

i appreciate u wanting to know my opinion on a Hot Topic such as this! i dunno man i have an aversion to any definition of art of any kind that requires effort or skill as essential features that make the art “real”. i think a lot of what is happening with AI discourse is that people are appropriately appalled by the way capitalism mangles creative output and even what kind of relationships artists can have with their work and with the rest of the world. i do not have a problem with a machine that digests and reconfigures information — a machine is just a machine. if one copied the way i make texture with colored pencil and produced an approximation of a new original work by me, i would be fascinated by what reactions i might have to it. would i feel threatened by it? would i be flattered? what might it open up for me, to see my work broken into a particular machine’s data? this is just a dream, though. i see many artists understandably frightened by what the exploiter class may choose to do with their new toys (and what they are already doing to us with them). it just sucks to see that very plain class antagonism passed over with arguments about the “purity” of human-made art, how it is somehow apparent to any observer when a work is truly endowed with a “soul” (if these arguments sound eerily like fascist aesthetic principles, it’s because they are fascistic).

and then to see people cheering for their own doom with this thing of mr. game of thrones & co suing chatGPT, complete with condescending explanations of how it’s not going to hurt fanfic writers because the problem these multimillionaires have is actually with people monetizing their work, and the true humble Fan would ne’er ask a but penny. do people really not see how this is making the divide between the “artist” and the “common person” greater? it is so goddamn expensive to survive right now, and the wealthy are using fear of technology as a tool to prevent you from making money, and yes, making art at all. only those with enough capital to protect their intellectual property with the force of the law are allowed to express themselves through art. yes, i think it should be well within your rights to bind and sell (for money, yes, money) your game of thrones fanfiction. so many of us are living in poverty right now, bombarded by entertainment but prevented from ever chewing it up or spitting it out. ed roth’s rat fink character had it right. fuck mickey mouse. like, we’re actually back to saying “fuck mickey mouse” being really cool. put him in a blender full of data, have it put him into a beach scene with BBW anime versions of lara croft and princess peach. intellectual property is a historically recent phenomenon. it is a tool to make the rich richer and get you well and squarely fucked. theoretically, yeah, it sounds good to have your work and livelihood honored and protected, but just like they’re trying to replace artists and actors and writers with AI, every single tool becomes a weapon in the hands of the rich. the hell people are worried they need more punishing copyright law to fix is already here. the woman who designed care bears & strawberry shortcake never saw a penny from it. AI art is only a threat in the hands of the corporations that happily do these things in the first place.

anyways. lol. i’m not very technologically minded in my own art practice — i’m not naturally drawn to new technology as a part of my work, and find many of the results i’ve seen from current AI art tech to be kind of aesthetically unpleasant. artwork contains unpleasantness, though. i’m not really interested in arguments over what artwork “should” contain, only what it does. i think the best AI art i’ve seen (ie: the stuff i’ve enjoyed the most) has been from alan resnick:

it is so terrifically disquieting. it leans into what makes AI-generated BBW lara croft kind of difficult to actually jack off to. the overlapping lines of bodies, the nonsense text. but then, if this work has merit, is that because alan resnick is uniquely special, thus proving the point that the technology is only valid in the hands of a “real artist”? can mr. resnick be said to be the “artist” of these images at all, because he trained a program to his own style and input interesting ides? does he deserve lots of money for his work creating iconic adult swim shorts like this house has people in it? well sure

or would this art only have value if somebody put a tremendous amount of labor into it? you know. my mother used to tell me, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work”. she said she should nail the phrase to my forehead, like martin luther at the church doors. having very recently become disabled & chronically ill, i don’t believe it anymore. i believe we should be able to use technology to make ourselves more free. we should not be so financially insecure that we are threatened by anyone expressing themselves with something we made. the ultra-wealthy are threatened by infringement because they need everybody else to stay poor, and the poor are threatened because they do not want to be poor any longer. it’s got nothing to do with strange scrambled pictures. if i could take pictures of every work of art i’ve ever loved and put it into a machine that mixes it up and turns it into a monster, i would do it just for a bittersweet laugh at it.

[seizerofdarkness]

Following up on this post, here's a takeaway of the writers' commentary on the season 5 finale.

(click read more for extra stuff I noticed playing in the background)

Plan "Perfect Alliance" was planned ever since "Animaestro", with the papers Gabriel and Tomoe needed signed.

Nightormentor's existence functions essentially as capitalism, people in power dishing out poison to sell the antidote, creating useless tools and causing mental illnesses to render people addicted to said tools. Hence Adrien using it being described by Plagg as "succumbing to the Alliance ring".

Frédéric/que Lenoir is called the "Queen of Cheese" for coming up with Plagg's cheese puns (their coworker Mélanie meanwhile, like Tikki, loves extra sugar in everything).

Plagg shaking his rear to the camera allowed to break the tension and recall that the show is targeted towards a younger audience that needs a laugh once in a while.

"The damaged Peacock Miraculous will eventually kill you by where you've sinned." - Astruc in the most dramatic voice ever.

To write Miraculous, they had to write the story of Gabriel, Emilie, Audrey, André and Nathalie.

Ivan is more stressed than he appears. We'll learn more about why later down the line.

Emilie's coffin is quickly called a sarcophagus (Pharaoh parallels?)

Marinette hiding under the sink was a Jurassic Park reference.

Luka and co. were fighting in Rio, in the beach of Copacabana.

From the moment Bug Noire grabs her glue Lucky Charm and knows what to do with it, it delves into the writing of season 6 since they know how the battle ends from there on out.

According to the writers, it's not Ladybug/Bug Noire who wins, it's Marinette. Violence or powers aren't the resolution as she talks to Gabriel, it's the people who talk to one another, delivering their emotions and rather than be the toy of their emotions, master them and try to understand them. By understanding your emotions, you can think in more reasonable ways and take the right decisions.

Gabriel's scene crying is very emotional to the writers because it's the one scene where he's this moved, where the struggle between his wish to bring Emilie back and his love for his son comes to play. He believes love is above good and evil, and to solve this emotional crisis, Marinette takes a huge gamble by detransforming to try and confront him by the feelings, rather than the fists as stated before.

Gimmi is compared to a Swedish 70's album cover image.

What marks Marinette's victory is not what Gabriel says, but what he does, removing the Bee ring to free Marinette from Venom (in a way, I think it works well as a villain move as well, as if he was still evil, freeing her from his trap would be the first step towards his usual undoing, hypothetically in a less final situation).

And now the big one...

NO, GABRIEL DID NOT REVIVE EMILIE. HE FINALLY EMBRACED HIS GRIEF AS HIS SON DID. BUT, as his love for her is too much, he decides to join her instead by remaking reality.

But then again, when seeing Emilie/Amélie, they beg the question which one it is, say they don't know and that we'll figure it out. WRITERS, WHY

Additional words that Gabriel realized that with all the power he has, he still can't make his son happy. There's more to his wish.

The next seasons will have a different flavor compared to what we have.

They consider the final kiss between Marinette and Adrien to be their first real kiss.

The Miraculouses' original forms and their ring forms are an analog to industrial and traditionally handmade crafts. Marinette reconfiguring them changes them back from chain products to more individual, personalized items with their own identities for everyone rather than owned by one.

The season 6 school will be the kind of school system "that should be" (with Thomas sending an indirect remark to his art teacher).

And that's about it.

In the background while writers are talking, Marinette and Parisians can be seen dancing on a screen testing unfinished models and animations with captions at the bottom, singing about how lovely Paris is. Seems like another music special's on the way, or we'll just have a song in season 6. Marinette is musing about her dreams and someone, seemingly Adrien, says "those are beautiful" before taking her as she resumes singing and hopping around.

Marinette's still in her s1-5 getup, so it's possible it's for a sequel to the movie (there's a still 2D image of Marinette looking embarrassed like the first movie when she's walking in the halls).

[coldflasher]

for the wip ask game. 7 and 11 and 17 x

7. do you outline before writing? if so, what’s your outlining process like?

i have honestly got out of the habit of outlining which is very bad, this is why i keep struggling and getting stuck because i am someone who NEEDS an outline, but instead i've been just coming up with random scenes on the fly which works fine until i run out and then i end up sitting there like the fish in bags from finding nemo like 'now what, genius'

but my outlining process is basically just 'sit down and brainstorm, stare at various different beat sheets and story methods and try not to go insane'

also i have to outline by hand, that is very important. don't know why but it all has to be hand written.

11. are there some wips that you just don’t think you’ll ever finish? 

much as i hate to admit it, and prefer to live in denial land where i'm convinced that every wip will one day get the ending it deserves, there are plenty of them that will more than likely never see the light of day 😭 the most notable one that comes to mind is that at one point i was planning to do another sequel to aftermath, that giant 500k s1 rewrite i did where barry and len were dating from before barry even became the flash. i have maybe 20-30k of a direct sequel to that that's basically a mashup of s5 and s6, where barry vanishes in crisis and then in a moment of desperation and poor decision making, len sends their adopted son back to try and prevent crisis from ever happening, only for them to discover that him travelling back is what causes crisis in the first place.

i genuinely LOVE that fic and what i wrote for it, but i feel like i've kind of moved on from those versions of the characters and grown so much as a writer and there are just so many things i don't like about the original fic that spawned it that i just. don't see myself ever finishing it, unfortunately. i feel like aftermath is a very stark contrast in my writing journey bc it was basically the last thing i wrote before doing my writing degree so there's such a huge difference in how i wrote and the whole vibe of it. i'll always be fond of aftermath but also im moderately embarrassed by it as well, so yeah. but maybe i will post snippets one day or something, because i genuinely LOVED the dynamic i wrote between michael and len, it was so fucking fun.

also i once wrote a fic where coldflash get whammied by a meta and, under the effects of what is essentially a metahuman love spell, decide to literally run off to vegas and get married and team flash have to hunt them down and try to stop it. this one feels like a crime because i have like 90% of it written so i would just have to finish and then edit it BUT i wrote it so long ago (we're talking like 2017) that to get it to a state i'd be happy with, i'd probably have to rewrite it in its entirety, so. never say never though cos now i'm thinking about it...

17. what do you do to motivate yourself to write? 

i honestly have been struggling with this forever BUT im doing camp nanowrimo right now and it's actually been so motivating. i'm fighting for my life here bc i lost the last three nano events i did, capping out at like 35k each, after a previously unbroken streak of almost a decade, but this time i was like COME HELL OR HIGH WATER I REFUSE TO FAIL THIS TIME. i'm like 3k behind, but it's fine, probably... rocks back and forth in a dark room

thank youu!

[s10127470]

My Upcoming Fics and Feedback Requests

Hey there folks!

As I'm sure any of you who has visited by blog page know that I'm a writer on Archive of Our Own.

And so far, I've shared two of my works here.

Those being Disney Mirrorverse: The Series and X-Men: The Next Mutation.

Well I'm here today to announce three upcoming fanfics I have in the works right now.

Not sure if anyone has ever done something like this on Tumblr, but hey, there's a first for everything.

First we have "Maximum Marvel"!

Based off DeputyRustArt's AU of the same name, this series will serve as a commemoration of the 85th anniversary of Marvel Comics.

Heavily inspired by media such as Justice League Action and even Marvel's very own Adventures series, the series itself focuses on the adventures on the various heroes of the Marvel Universe.

And like those two pieces of media I just mentioned, it's more light-hearted and comedic than most Marvel entries, but still has a lot of action!

The series will be sort of a back-to-basics.

Bring many of the Marvel characters back to familiar roles they haven't been in for a long time.

Another major draw of this series will be that'll it essentially MAX out the Marvel characters.

(it's in the name)

And that'll be by either giving them some kind of new power, ability or equipment, or shedding light on skills they canonically have but rarely ever showcase.

The series will be premiering next Friday (August 31st).

Next we have The Nicksquad.

Set in a universe where the Nicktoons co-exist with each other in one big world (and specifically in a huge city known as Nicktropolis), the series focuses on the misadventures of The Nicksquad.

The Nicksquad itself consists of the main stars from the following Nicktoons:

-SpongeBob SquarePants

-The Loud House

-The Fairly OddParents

-All Grown Up!

-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

-Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

-Invader Zim

-Hey Arnold!

-Danny Phantom

-My Life as a Teenage Robot

-El Tigre

-The Mighty B!

-As Told by Ginger

-ChalkZone

-The Wild Thornberrys

-Sanjay and Craig

-Tak and the Power of Juju

The best way I can describe this series the feel of this series that it's a mix between MTV's Downtown, Mission Hill, The Powerpuff Girls, Regular Show, Static Shock, Jellystone and The Boondocks.

The series will be premiering sometime this fall.

And finally, we have Spider-Man: Family Values.

In the universe of this series, our family neighborhood Spider-Man is finally in an area that we've been wanting to see him in for nearly 20 years now....

BEING A FAMILY MAN!

Yep! Peter is HAPPILY MARRIED to Mary Jane and is the father to 5-year old Mayday Parker!

The series focuses on Peter and Mayday's adventures across the much bigger Marvel Universe alongside the rest of the Spider-Family.

Which consists of Shadow Spider (Miles Morales), Venom, Agent Anti-Venom, Black Cat and Silk.

Essentially this series will be like a mix between Goof Troop and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

If you couldn't tell be now, this series will have a prominent theme about family.

The series will premiere sometime in November.

Yeah, I wanted to have it premiere alongside Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, similar to how Next Mutation premiered alongside X-Men '97.

Also, the November premiere fits perfectly with the theme of family.

Ya know, Thanksgiving and all that.

Well, those are my three upcoming projects for you to keep a lookout for!

But before I go, I wanted to share the main reason I made this post.

I know may of the people who know about me have checked out the two fanfics I have out.

Since I did make posts that shared the links to each one.

And after nearly six months, I figured it was time to ask for some feedback.

I'd really love to hear your thoughts about the fics.

Answer any questions you may have about them.

And most of all, for you guys to express some hopes for the fics and even share some ideas you have for it.

In regards to both the current two and the three coming later this year.

Anyway, that's all I have for now.

A short post, I know.

But something to get my thoughts and hopes across.

[mihawking]

I never thought about collaborative work before but the way you describe it sounds very interesting. I’ve always enjoyed reading your docs (I loved Touching Base sm 😭) and now it makes sense why Zoro and Sanji feel so different! I would love to collaborate myself. Do you enjoy only being in charge of one or do you miss writing Sanji? Do you help each other with the assigned characters at all? What about side characters? Sorry for the questions! I’m a writer so it really interests me. 💙💛

hi!

collabing is fun. i'm not sure i know how to write anymore without it lol which is a testament to how great of a co-writer aevv is! we really prove that entire "two heads are better than one" thing.

Touching Base is a blast from the past. i'm sorry that it was deleted unfinished. if you ever want the pdf copy, let me know and i can send it to you.

i appreciate you saying zoro and sanji feel "different" when reading our collab work. that's the vibe we are always going for when we write zosan -- we want them to feel different. the true secret of that is giving up your ego and letting the other character be fully controlled by someone else.

i enjoy only having to be in charge of zoro. i love sanji (obsessively in love with him tbh) but i don't like having to juggle his rich inner workings. his brain doesn't work like my own and anytime i personally try to write his POV, it feels flat for me. so i am happy to give that up and get a great sanji in return from aevv.

we help each other brainstorm and we bounce ideas off each other. i think aevv helps me tremendously just by being an ear to listen to my plot ramblings or to help me confirm if an idea i have is in character or makes sense given the story, etc. so we do help each other in these ways.

side characters we just share responsibility. we both have side characters we prefer (for example, I like Law, she likes Ace) but for the most part, it's essentially up to whoever has the best line or joke or set-up for that character in the moment. sometimes if there's a heavy conversation between let's say Sanji and Nami, i'll handle Nami purely so aevv has someone to write against and can focus on her Sanji stuff.

hope you found this interesting. it is by no means the "right" way to do this shit -- it's just what works for us.

[dreamofthe-wild]

20 Questions for Writers

Tagged by @faelynny (nerd) 1. How many works do you have on AO3? 33 as of this post. 2. What's your total AO3 word count? 35,905, it seems low for the amount of works i've posted, but I have some old 100-300 word drabble challenges posted and a few crack fics.

3. What fandoms do you write for? I used to write for Linked Universe (LOZ), but I don't anymore. Right now I am writing actively for Genshin Impact and I have some unposted Fire Emblem Three Houses fics in the works.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? - some things can't be solved by being cut with a sword (376) - you probably couldn't see for the lights but you were staring straight at me (234) - if i had a boy (207) - mighty pumpkin soup for the soul (194) - pouring out a cold one for your homie (170) (all are Linked Universe)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I try to when I can, if I can come up with an answer then 9 times out of ten I will respond. Sometimes I even just comment to thank them for reading. I won't be holding conversation threads much though.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? There are definitely angstier ones that haven't been posted, but I'd say probably you mean nothing to me, it has an ending where essentially one of the characters sacrifices himself to bring back the rest of his team from the dead and wishes he had never met them to spare him the heartache, it ends with him dying alone and with regrets.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? It's not posted yet, but my Genshin Fic "Our Converging Paths", after a tense battle, the characters end up bonding on their way back home.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I have before, but no one can hate my fics as much as I do /hj/jk I just kinda delete the comments and block, because if my fic is causing them that much distress that they need to comment that, then maybe it's for the best that they can't interact with it anymore. /lh

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do not, but the closest I've gotten is writing a crack fic about how a character's ass jiggles.

10. Do you write crossovers? I may have one or two in the works but they aren't my favorite, I generally like to write things that could be plausible in canon, where canon has left things unfortunately empty.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes but it was way before my ao3 account, on wattpad someone was stealing my fic and I ended up just deleting my account lol.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but I wouldn't say no.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, but none have ever been finished or posted.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? I don't ship things very often, and can probably count my ships across all fandoms on just my two hands, but right now my all-time favorite ship would have to be Dimitri/Claude (fire emblem)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I was working on a fic about the First Link and Hylia and it turned into a cool medieval political drama with heavy fantasy elements, but I don't think it will ever get done.

16. What are your writing strengths? I have been told I'm really good at dialogue and banter.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Finishing fics lol/hj I'd say seriously that being descriptive of the environment is very hard, I can describe a wound or a situation fairly decently, but trying to make the world exist and not make it feel like this is happening in some dark void is difficult.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I never have, because I only know English, but if it is done well and not just some random google translated phrases thrown into a fic at random, I think it can add a lot to a story.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Technically my first fanfiction was about Hetalia. But, I've basically wiped my old fanfics' existence from history, so now I suppose I could say Linked Universe.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? It is still in progress, I have a story about Dimitri that will come out eventually, but I haven't been able to work on it recently, I don't know who to tag lol I don't use tumblr really that often.

[desertgremlin]

In the books, Mal is basically a fuckboy at the beginning. He literally has sex with any girl interested and Alina is like quietly pining over him. Like there is something about him that attarcts people and everyone always talks about how good looking he is. Dont wanna spoil it, but there is a reason why. Its like Jason from True Blood 😂😂😂. At least, that's how I interpreted it. So when he says, "I see you now," it's because he was fucking other people while she just looked on and had to accept the boy she loved was overlooking her. So I get why people don't like him (theres other cringy stuff too lol), but he definitely changes. By the end, he is a bit more like the Mal in the show. So I'm glad they just made him like that right off the bat. I liked that they made him loyal and that he was hurt when he thought Alina forgot about him and was with the Darkling. Like he didn't realize he loved Alina like that and that caused the tension versus it being that he just literally ignored her and did not care lol.

I would say Sturmhond is similar to the show version. Comes across as charming, handsome, adventurous, etc. I personally just don't vibe with people like that, I'm very suspicious of them so when he showed up I was like 🤨🤨🤨🤨. What I did like was his story arc. Like the shit he goes through is so wild and traumatic. I have yet to read King of Scars, but I'm sure it goes into it more since the story is focused on him.

I know that Matthias changes and his story is...not the best. Like I get he was indoctrinated and lived in a culture that was racist, misogynistic, etc. And also literally went to a life or death jail. But it takes him a long ass time to come around and even start respecting Nina and by the time it happens, it's too late. I want to have sympathy for him but he makes it really hard for me. Maybe when I watch the show I will open up to him more.

I will say the Six of Crows duology was written much better than the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It's much more thorough and complex and just overall improved writing.

Like when they talk about Kaz's back story and his phobia and trauma. So wild. And Inej! God. Love her, but the shit she went through was disgusting. I also loved learning about Jesper and I think his character really shines in the show. Like people liked him already, but the actor made him even better, which is great.

I hope they eventually get to the Crow's story and the heist from the books because it was really well written and fun. It's a bit more mature and high stakes and I think would make for great writing. And I would loved to see the rest of the characters l!

Ohhh yep I definitely wouldn't have vibed with Mal in the books if he was like that at the start hahah. I love loyal Mal. I'm definitely gonna check the books out or at least like.. skim through it just to get more of that kind of context.

I totally get being suss of people like that, especially when they're overly charming, putting it on a bit much. I guess cos I skipped over SaB I didn't get that who tf is this guy moment 😂 I found King of Scars really interesting! You definitely get to know him more as a character. I also liked getting into Zoya's character, too. Another badass girlie.

I wonder if the show will make you open up to Matthias more or if it'll solidify your opinion. Seeing his prejudice portrayed on screen makes me vibe more with your current opinion of him, which is why I want to see how the show writers turn it around. I didn't dwell too much on those bits when I read the books probably just to give him the benefit of the doubt and see where his arc went but you can't really ignore it on screen.

Oh the trio <3 I am so fond of them. Their dynamic is just soo good. And I agree, Kit Young brings Jesper alive and I love it. Also Wylan <3 Beloved. I think they also cast him well! Essentially, this is just a well-cast show in my books, haha.

YES I want to see the heist 👏 so 👏 bad. I was hooked reading Six of Crows, I really hope we see it play out.

[emptymanuscript]

A fairly quite long time ago now, I took a writing workshop from Orson Scott Card. And I am often surprised and delighted by how much the writing wisdom he gave back then still ends up paying me dividends.

One of his bits was about horror - as an event in a story, not the genre.

You always have to have enough detail so the audience knows what happened but after that how much you put in is optional. Differing amounts of those optional details have as much effect as the details themselves. Because, after the essentials, putting in details is controlling what in a scene comes out of the writer’s imagination and what comes out of the reader’s imagination.

Put in lots of details and that is making the moment come out of your mind. Skimp on the details and you are making the reader fill in those gaps with what’s in their head.

You’re always co-authoring, you’re always the senior creator. Detail is one of the primary ways you assign work load to the reader as co-author.

For intense emotional labor, you want to assign more work to the reader than yourself because the reader will always feel their own emotions more strongly than your emotions. So the more you provoke instead of provide emotions, the more the audience will feel instead of think.

That’s really just show vs & tell with the numbers filed off. But for horror it means that if you really want to trigger the audience’s emotions and get them all riled up and disturbed by their deepest fears playing out in the most gruesome way possible, instead of pouring on the details of gore and violence and danger and angst and all that jazzy ornamentation, you dial it back to the minimum so they fill it in.

His example was the shower fight in Ender’s Game. It was the scene he got the most letters about. People would just endlessly write to him in objection to how violent and just horrific it was. They would talk about just how over the top some particular instance of it had been. But he hadn’t written any of that. It’s actually an intensely spare scene. All the violence and horror and gore is what they made up themselves which was worse for them than anything he could have come up with.

Ok. Flash forward 22 years.

I’m “working” on an experimental piece (read: I have barely any idea what I’m doing) which I’m trying to balance between being horrific and angsty but not TOO horrific and angsty. I want it to be a dark read, not too dark to read.

So the last bit I wrote, NOT thinking of Card’s advice, I thought: you know, I gave a fair amount of gruesomeness last time, I think I should really dial this back. Just a few details.

I read it in one of my writing groups last night and, where everyone had been fairly calm and collected about the same stuff last time it came up, I ended up clearly triggering about half the group. Nearly everyone mentioned how disturbing this bit, that I had dialed back was, when last one, where I lingered on it, they reassured me it wasn’t too much.

And I’m just listening and being blown away as Card’s whole lecture is coming back to me and realizing I had done it by accident but wow, did it pan out as right.

And I am just always delighted to grasp some of the clockwork of story. Even when it’s clockwork I have been shown before. I love that there is this sort of Alchemicalness to such an integral part of all our lives. We’re exposed to story all the time every day. It’s as normal as talking.

And nobody knows anything. It’s all magic and guesswork driven by intuition and bs. ART!

AND

There clearly is some kind of science there, too. Something obscenely complex but graspable and learnable. In the same way that physics is utterly arcane but deeply solid underneath even if it’s so weird it breaks our minds a little. It’s learnable. Reproducible.

I love that.

I love that it’s both.

That feeling of seeing it tick in both ways energizes and delights me. Honestly, it makes me feel more like a wizard than fiddling around with metaphysics. Or even actually writing, sometimes XD!

So yeah, last night’s minimal detail making people more horrified than more detail previously given is my last delight.

Hope it entertained you or helped you pass out for some needed rest ;) either or ;) Hope you feel better. And I will shut up now.

so so so so so tired today and could use some happy things, so: reblog and tell me the most recent thing that delighted you?

[salfishersimp2]

Okay hold up this could actually fix something ive been thinking about (i got excited and wrote too much and only 1/4 of it relates to the original post so there's a little TL;DR thing at the end if u wanna jump to that)

Yk the relationship chart with the ATLA team where each member has a relationship with each other? (I cant find it right now) It basically shows how they all had one-on-one time with the others, ending up where they have some sort of relationship with the other members, these being romantic (Aang-Katara), familial (Katara-Sokka) or friendship (Zuko's and Toph's with all members, and Aang with Sokka). So if two members are alone with each other at some point their interactions wont be awkward, since they already have a nicely established dynamic

Anyway, where i'm trying to get is, i was rewatching some episodes in the first season, and i realized that while there are a lot of meaningful relationships, the voltron team (Shiro, Lance, Keith, Hunk, Pidge and Allura) (sorry Coran) would benefit from building individual relationships, since i feel that when you're saving the universe and all its essential to actually be friends with the people living next to you 24/7. The thing is, i tried to think of their one-on-one dynamics and it was really hard to see some of them working together, like if they were all hanging out after dinner or something and at some point only two were still in the living room very few would be able to keep a converstation going without it becoming an awkward silence in little to no time; or if two of them ran into each other in the kitchen it would mostly be a "say hi get what you came for and go do your thing" kind of situation

Very vague examples i know but let me show you what I'm getting at

I've watched voltron maybe 3 times and how i remember their dynamics is kind of like this:

Shiro-Keith: mentor-mentee relationship, imo they're almost like brothers, or friends who care deeply about each other (i know some of you ship them, i don't see it that way but i completely understand it, my point still stands, even if the kind of relationship changes depending on who you ask)

Shiro-Allura: i don't remember seeing them interact much, but since they're both co-leaders of the team (allura with the castle and shiro being the black paladin) i imagine they spend a lot of time together planning stuff, still i feel thats not enough to build a meaningful friendship, like one of them goes missing the other would probably be mostly tactical about it (it goes both ways, not to say they don't care about each other but yk)

Shiro-Lance: while i think lance looks up to him as a hero sometimes, besides the whole leader thing there's not much to talk on how much shiro cares about lance to talk to him outside of their job or the group

Maybe my memory is foggy but i think we've never seen shiro with hunk or pidge that much? Probably bc of how little the writers focused on pidge and hunk during the later seasons (we honestly needed more than just family-balmera-cooking and family-olkari-science, it kinda sucked how they left the characters' life and development after that)

Keith-Allura: they had that whole thing of going away together in a pod to see if zarkon was tracking the castle bc of them, and that almost-romance they hinted at, i guess that counts as a relationship?

Keith-Pidge: i honestly don't remember seeing them talk to each other in any important way that could tell us about their relationship

Keith-Hunk: as i said i was rewatching the first episodes of season 1, we see them laughing and talking to each other at the party in episode 5 i think? I found that very cute and it makes sense for them to have that dynamic, i believe they kept that relationship through the years fighting with voltron. Keith's obliviousness (which sometimes even looks like apathy) to people's feelings and hunk's easy-going honesty are very nice when paired together

Keith-Lance: rivals to friends with friendly banter (i am obviously restraining myself to not talk about the bonding moment but their relationship (whichever kind u want, canon or not) is so obvious it barely needs words to describe it, which should be the case with all of them, sadly it aint)

Lance-Allura: the flirting from lance since first season really shaped their relationship, their romantic relationship at the end was really good, i have my complaints and it definitely needed more development but this isnt about that

Lance-Hunk: THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS. Literally goals. Srsly tho we see how they're friends even in the garrison, after fighting constantly side by side and sharing years of their lives together their friendship only got stronger, i'm sure

Lance-Pidge: They were also already friends in the garrison, even if lance was a bit nosy and was much more interested in parties than pidge they were good friends, being part of the same team both then and when they were in voltron was a big part of it, but they're still really good friends (almost if not to the same level as lance-hunk) outside of it and i think thats so very important, their bond got stronger after the garrison too, imo best friends rn

Pidge-Hunk: they're also besties your honor, they really work so well when together. Plotting, gossiping, sharing interests, having fun, helping one another? Also goals

Anyway, lance-pidge-hunk bestfriend trio

I dont even know how pidge and hunk interact with allura tbh

Okay i think i covered everything, now FINALLY getting to talk about what op said

Them bonding over their family experiences?? Absolutely perfect. It would make their individual relationships so much better considering all the dynamics that could come from it

If they had done that in the show i'm sure the way they talk and act around each other would make it all so much more meaningful than just having them work as a leader and the ones they lead, which goes pretty much with everything allura, shiro and keith are focused on most of the time

Plus the comfort they would have after bonding over that? The families of all the members are important pieces of their lives, if used the right way in story-telling it can become the most important trait of the entire group as one. And the trust that would come with it from sharing that part of themselves with the whole team at some level is incredible

TL;DR the whole team would benefit from bettering their individual relationships with each other and bonding over their families is possibly the best way to fix that, barely leaving any place for superficial interactions and feelings on the importance of everybody there

ok ik i've been dead (im on vacation now yay!!) BUT!!!! listen. allura and pidge and their sort of found family dynamic yeah (bc pidge lost their family and allura lost hers as well and they sort of bond over not having that sort of comfort together and find that in each other....) u can add keith into the mix bc he never really had a family or atleast hasnt for a long time and BAM found family dynamic OOOGH they make me sick.

i just love pidge having familial dynamics w the paladins and keith and lance and hunk being like brothers to them but also allura being like the sister they never had .... UGH

[lit-in-thy-heart]

and the next instalment of the merlin gif analysis saga is...

gwaine realising he's in love with merlin

because i want to make myself cry

Glossing over the fact that the first gif actually makes something in my chest clench, this seems to be the episode where Gwaine realises that he might be a lot little in love with Merlin.

Elyan definitely seems to believe that Gwaine is in love with someone in 5×06 (thanks @sneakyboymerlin for reminding me of that) and you could argue that Gwaine's lack of interaction with Merlin in 5×05 proves that it's not Merlin he's in love with, but think about it.

Gwaine rarely reveals his true feelings when he's around other people, but Merlin seems to be the exception. He's put himself out on the line before (yes I'm thinking about the 'Not Arthur' scene, I'm always thinking about that scene) because he can't seem to help but lay himself bare in front of Merlin. So if he's realised that he cares for Merlin a bit more than he should, he is going to be terrified of revealing that fact, and avoids Merlin because that's the only way he is going to be able to process his feelings.

Because Gwaine has it bad.

He loves Merlin subtly, powerfully. In the first gif, he casts a glance over his shoulder to make sure that Percival is still behind him and has still got hold of Merlin (honestly I don't know what they'd do without Percival, he's essentially the assigned transportation knight) and what's really interesting is what Gwaine is doing with his hand. It's not quite gripped on his sword, but hovering above it, with the fingers splayed. And perhaps I'm projecting but that is a movement I usually associate with trying to calm yourself down when panicked. As if he's telling himself to take a breath and everything will be fine. And the way Gwaine takes Merlin from Percival is so painfully gentle. He lets Merlin's body fall into his arms, rather than actively manipulating his form with his hands. Gwaine seems very reluctant to disturb Merlin in any way at all, choosing to kneel behind his head and slow down the process of setting Merlin down, despite the situation being quite dire. He handles Merlin like he's a glass ornament, as if he's afraid of him shattering at any moment.

Merlin is relatively well-supported by the makeshift bed they've got going on, yet Gwaine chooses to leave his hand resting on Merlin's shoulder. In fact, it doesn't look just like it's resting, but he's moulded his whole hand to fit around Merlin's shoulder. His hand doesn't need to be there. Gwaine doesn't even need to be there. He could easily be stood with the other knights, yet his instinct is to be as close to Merlin as he can. The only way he could be closer is by having Merlin in his lap, but that would probably make it more difficult for Gaius to examine him.

Gwaine has never really been one to shy away from physical contact. In the season 3 episodes he consistently provides Merlin with hugs (mostly when Arthur has rejected him but we'll get onto that whole thing in a bit) despite not knowing each other for that long. Even later on in this episode, he drops all the firewood to give Merlin a hug when he recovers. There seems to be an instinctive urge to be close to Merlin. And the fact that Merlin's head is resting on Gwaine's forearm is making me want to curl up in a ball and scream. And maybe Gwaine has never questioned this eagerness for physical contact before. But by the second gif, I think he knows what his initial refusal to be away from an unconscious Merlin means.

And a key part to this analysis is something I never thought I'd be looking at in depth, as glorious as it is: Gwaine's hair.

The first image directly follows the first gif, and the second image precedes the second gif. You can see that Gwaine's hair in the first image is much flatter than it is in the second. By the time Arthur and Co have left and Merlin is still unconscious, Gwaine seems to have been running his hands consistently through his hair. It's significantly messier and, whilst it could be argued that the wind plays a part, Gaius's hair remains largely unaltered. And one way to try and deal with stress or panic is to run your fingers through your hair again and again. It's not difficult to believe that Gwaine has been pacing up and down doing exactly that because Merlin is still not waking up.

If he was panicked before, then he's feeling tormented now. His hair, pushed out of his face in the first gif and image, is falling unchecked into his face and Gwaine, who usually keeps his hair in a relatively immaculate condition, is doing nothing about it. Because Merlin is lying right in front of him, potentially dying, and he has no clue how to deal with that.

In the second gif, Gwaine partially turns away and looks up, seeming to take a quick breath. He's deliberately not looking at either Merlin or Gaius, and this reaction comes after Gaius implies that Merlin could have internal injuries. And if there's internal damage and Gaius doesn't know how to deal with it, then Merlin doesn't stand a chance. And it's quite possible that Gwaine is looking up like that to try and blink away tears or just to ground himself. Merlin has been seriously injured before (think of the writers using him as a bit of a punching bag in season 4) but that damage was always external and Merlin was healed rather quickly. If it's internal, then nothing can be done by Gwaine. And it is when Gwaine is faced with the thought of being without Merlin that he realises just how much he needs him.

And when there's the slimmest chance that Gwaine might be able to help, he launches himself into it. When Gaius tells him to get firewood, he starts off in a manner that is almost a sprint, before seeming to realise that being in that much of a rush would expose his feelings, and he hesitates before electing for a fast walk instead. Because the only way he can keep himself from falling apart is to focus on helping Merlin and the possibility that he might be alright after all.

Look at his face here. He is stunned, then ecstatic, then confused. And the way that he moves towards Merlin makes it clear that he is not going to give him the trademark one-armed hug, but a full-on embrace. And Merlin brushes Gwaine off, because he doesn't have the time because Arthur is in danger and Gwaine probably should be paying more attention to what Merlin is saying but he's not. He's giving Gaius a tender smile as if to thank him for helping Merlin.

Gwaine hasn't made any mention of Arthur or the knights, even though it is a dangerous mission with or without knowing it's a trap, and his preoccupation with Merlin shows just how deeply he cares for him. The fact that his first instinct is once again to make physical contact with him, even though there was the prospect of internal damage and hugging Merlin might not have been the best thing to do, just says that Gwaine has got it tremendously bad for Merlin.

It took the thought of Merlin dying for Gwaine to realise that he was in love with him, and Gwaine spends the rest of the series struggling to deal with that.

He distances himself from Merlin for two episodes, not engaging in any conversations with just the two of them, until--

THE SUBTEXT.

Merlin's glance down in the first gif, demonstrating that he'd also do anything to protect his mother, is one thing, but Gwaine's reaction? The subtle sag of his body, the eyes darting down away from Merlin, the gentle swallow. In that moment, he's thinking how he would do anything to protect Merlin. Gwaine's gaze lingers on Merlin for a moment before he looks away, realising that Merlin has no idea how he feels about him. There's so much tenderness in that one look, especially after the slight annoyance that there seemed to be when Merlin kept talking about Arthur.

Gwaine was Merlin's friend before he was a knight. But Merlin only seems to see him as a knight these days, and Gwaine seems to decide that the only way he can indicate any of the love he has for Merlin is by being what Merlin wants him to be: a soldier to protect Arthur.

You have my word on it, Merlin.

You have my word that I will protect the one you care about the most. You have my word that I will keep him safe for you, so you don't have to feel the same pain I did. You have my word that I will put my life on the line for him, because he means more to you than I ever will.

Because this is when Gwaine realises that though he may love Merlin, Merlin will not love him back.

The way Gwaine falls back in his chair is incredibly interesting. There seems to be a bit of an impact with his shoulders, suggesting that he's hitting it with some force, but his limbs seem pretty tense. He's not slumping back in it from fatigue, he seems to be subtly throwing himself back in it. Because when Merlin was injured, Gwaine was thinking only about him and worrying about his welfare. But when Gwaine himself is injured (or has faced a threat of injury), Merlin spends the whole time talking about Arthur. And Gwaine can never measure up to Arthur. Gwaine only received hugs from Merlin when he'd been rejected by Arthur; a part of him believes that he's second best to Arthur in Merlin's eyes. And Gwaine is resigned to that, to never being able to measure up to Arthur, but is not happy about it. But he clings on to Merlin in whatever ways he can. By protecting Arthur. By greeting him when he's released from the cells and being one of the first faces he sees.

And just before their final interaction in the finale, Gwaine doesn't give Merlin a hug after Merlin has faced injury, but a touch on the arm. A touch that is incredibly similar to the one Arthur has given Merlin many times.

Because maybe, just maybe, if Gwaine can prove that he's similar to Arthur, then Merlin might look at him in the same way he looks at Arthur. Might prioritise Gwaine for once. Might even return a fraction of the love that Gwaine hasn't known what to do with for most of the season.

Gwaine would do anything for Merlin, but, by the final season, Merlin only sees him as a shield for Arthur.

[feather-dancer]

Tagged by @babblish

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Scrambles around the AO3 account trying to make sure it’s not all Douxie OR the extreme AU oneshots that make zero sense out of context.

Fic One: Ghosts he left behind - Tales of Arcadia

What: The bathtub scene happened after the episode A House Divided, Jim never returned home afterwards.

Why: Originally the idea hit me after getting the song Broken Crown stuck in my head one New Years Day and just wanting to explore how different things would be if Jim was without that all essential support network. It was an accident of course, never meant to happen and yet it did. Merlin experiences melted cheese, Toby has banger one liners, Claire is trying to keep a brave face as war nips at their heels and it’s just generally ~fun~

This has been on hold for over a year now due to it deals with the themes of loss without answers using previous experiences, last February I lost a best friend and to this day have no idea what happened. It’s just been a bit too close to home for me to handle. I hope I’ll be up to it again soon.

Fic Two - As long as there are stars in the sky - Tales of Arcadia

What: It shouldn’t have happened yet the Amulet of Daylight decided to pay Douxie a visit after Kanjigar fell and given it won’t leave him alone it seems Merlin has decided he should have it. He is not thrilled by this development.

Why: I love writing Douxie. Here I can it, Zouxie, have absolute fucking chaos of them being the Trollhunter & Co. such as when he spritzed Draal in the face with water, Blinky rubbing everyone the wrong way and how existing knowledge really kilters things differently than a couple teens going in blind. Also I keep getting to spend ages making coherent Trollish which is fun.

Fic Three - Along came a word - A writing meme collection

What: A whole collection of prompted “drabbles” mostly around Nomura, Douxie, Otto or the Gumm-Gumm General Gnasha I kidnapped but sometimes other characters too.

Why: It’s probably a bit more adding these particularly when I owe five fake fanfic titles at the moment but I love the erratic nature of these? Sometimes it’s a troll dad date, sometimes it’s ensuring historical accuracy for what language is used at the time, it might be the funniest time for Jolene to pop up. Who knows! A Zadra and Izita one made someone very happy and that was worth it alone.

Fic Four - I know it now, beyond the sky - Tales of Arcadia

What: A Hammerhunter giftshot set in the Ghost!AU verse of supporting your bestie when you’re both about to start high school.

Why: This is ridiculously fluffy Toby wanting to have a game plan in place to limit the chance of people realising Jim is Trans and if things do go pearshaped having a backup.

Fic Five - The sun has set on Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug

What: Chat Blanc was de-akumatised but the timeline didn’t collapse after the other Ladybug left and now everyone is left to pick up the pieces. The problem is surviving civilians aren’t the only ones who remember...

Why: I get an active OT3 ship off the bat, a slightly nerfed Blanc in his old colours who is largely in hiding, Hawkmoth is beaten but there’s still three miraculous missing and a world is trying to recover from a tragedy that was (Technically) wiped clean. Only one chapter is up with the next half started but the chaos is great particularly the relationship between Luka, Chat and Marinette/Ladybug who was one of the first to die originally. Just don’t call him Adrien, he doesn’t seem to be available right now.

~

Tagging: @fragileizywriting and anyone else who wants to!

[canyousonicme]

“Certain actors have a reputation for being difficult. I don’t want to be one of those people”. - Alex Kingston


INTERVIEW: The Sunday Post


It comes as no surprise to Alex Kingston that her daughter has decided to follow in her footsteps, despite her best efforts to temper her acting ambitions.

The actress fell pregnant with Salome, now 19, when she was playing surgeon Elizabeth Corday on the long-running US medical drama ER in the ’90s.

Alex’s pregnancy was written into the script and Salome, whose father is German writer Florian Haertel, was just weeks old when she joined the cast as Elizabeth and Dr Mark Greene’s baby girl.

Now, two decades on, mother and daughter are working together again, this time in a Doctor Who spin-off audio drama, The Diary Of River Song. Now in its eighth series, it focuses on the Time Lord’s brilliant wife, the poetically named River Song, whom Alex has played on the TV show since 2008. Salome, meanwhile, plays the part of her synthetic humanoid companion, Rachel.

Alex said: “My daughter was in my belly on ER then played the role of our baby girl Ella Greene. She’s secretly always had the desire to act, but I was always adamant that she finished her education first.

“Salome plays a character who River Song meets up with occasionally and they have adventures together. Working with my daughter has been terrific fun. I am super-impressed with her. She is incredibly professional.”

© Big Finish

Alex with daughter Salome

For the past year Alex and Salome have been isolating together at her London home, alongside Alex’s third husband, television producer Jonathan Stamp. The pair married in an intimate Italian ceremony in 2015, and Salome was a bridesmaid.

They are joined by Alex’s German-born mother, Margarethe, who sadly suffers from dementia. It sounds like a potentially stressful set-up but Alex has cherished the unexpected extra family time lockdown gifted her.

Alex, who celebrated her 57th birthday a few days after the first lockdown was announced last March, said: “My daughter had arrived from New York and decided she wanted to live with us. Then my mother, who has dementia, suffered two strokes early on in lockdown and she moved in as well. So I was her carer.

“It was an amazingly special time. And I cherish it. Particularly with my mother, because I wouldn’t have had that opportunity otherwise.”

Like the rest of us, Alex has relied heavily on streaming services to keep her entertained during the long days spent at home. She even broke her self-imposed rule of not watching her own stuff on screen.

She said: “We did all the usual things, massive clear-outs, and of course binge-watched TV. I loved Schitt’s Creek, Call My Agent, Bridgerton and Luther. I can’t bear to watch myself on the television. However, I started watching ER, because it was streaming on Channel 4. I look at myself and it’s like I am watching someone else. It’s such a good show, and it’s really held up!”

She added: “As much as everyone is saying this is the year that they want to forget, I actually feel it’s a year one can never forget. It certainly wasn’t an easy time. However, I have much stronger memories of the year, and of the patterns of the year than I have ever had pre-pandemic, when there was always so much rushing around.”

© Paul Drinkwater/Warner Bros Tv/Amblin TV

Alex in 1994 with fellow ER cast members (l-r) Anthony Edwards, Eriq La Salle, Goran Visnjic, Noah Wyle

Alex began her career at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she met her first husband, Skyfall actor Ralph Fiennes. They were together for 10 years before marrying in 1993. Two years later, Alex was left bereft when Fiennes left her after an alleged affair with a co-star. The London-born actress has barely stopped working since she first appeared on UK screens in 1980, as Jill Harcourt on the iconic children’s series Grange Hill. She continued to find success in UK dramas including Upstairs Downstairs, and The Fortunes And Misfortunes of Moll Flanders.

She first appeared in the fourth series of Doctor Who alongside David Tennant in 2008. Alex thought it was a one-off but has reprised the role in 15 episodes between 2008 and 2015.

It’s thanks to her Doctor Who appearances and, more recently, Sky’s hit supernatural drama, A Discovery Of Witches, that she has become known to a new generation of fans.

During her long and successful career, Alex has never been afraid to call out sexism in the industry. When she was dropped from ER aged 41, after seven seasons, she accused producers of ageism. saying “Apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting.”

Then, when she auditioned for the role of Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives which eventually went to Felicity Huffman, she says she was turned away for being too curvy.

Although vocal about the challenges that face women, she admits she has seen positive changes in attitudes towards female talent in recent years.

She says: “When I was working on ER, I thought that I wasn’t allowed to get pregnant, I didn’t want to offend the producers as that is not what they had intended. I thought that I would have to ask permission. It was Anthony Edwards, who played my on-screen husband, who said ‘Don’t be ridiculous, don’t wait for them to allow you, you are not that important. If you want to have a child, go and have a child, and they will find a way to work round you.’ So I took his advice.

“I grew up with this notion that one had to be polite and always ask for permission. Whereas this generation don’t. They just get up and do it. The lovely and talented Teresa Palmer, whom I work with on A Discovery of Witches, is constantly popping out babies. Production just work around her. And it’s great, I admire her very much for that.”

© Chris Haston/Warner Bros Tv/Amblin TV

Alex in ER

Alex puts her staying power down to being in the right place at the right time – and being nice to people, though she says theatre will provide her with a safety net should the TV work dry up one day.

She said: “Being as versatile as possible helps. I’m up for anything as long it is written well.

“I had a formal training. My first love is theatre. Having that as a backbone will always support me. In an industry that will favour youth more, theatre is always there. In order to succeed on the stage you have to have had good solid training and know how to handle your voice.

“Also, being a nice person counts for a lot. If you were difficult you would get a reputation. Of course there are actors who are extremely difficult and tiresome to work with, and there will come a point at which you think is it worth it? I don’t want to be one of those people.”

Despite her time-travelling credentials Alex has no idea what the future holds but still harbours a dream of being a Bond Girl (though obviously not one who falls for the smooth-talking spy).

She laughs: “I would love to be a villain in a James Bond movie, the real villain, the main one. Because they’ve never had a female villain. And I want to be a villain who does not find James Bond sexy at all. And doesn’t succumb to his charms, I want to be his real nemesis.”

Time for a return to Tardis?

© PA / BBC

Alex alongside Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who

From ER to the Tardis, Alex’s career to date has been distinguished by roles opposite fictional doctors, whether medical or time-travelling.

The smash-hit hospital drama which made her a star in the ’90s famously launched the Hollywood career of a certain George Clooney. Then in 2008, Alex won a new generation of fans as the wife of Doctor Who.

Because the Doctor transmutates over time Alex, as River Song, gets several leading men for the price of one. Alex said: “Essentially my character is the same, so there’s continuity there, and the fun is interacting with someone who is essentially the same man, but in a different skin and with a different energy.”

Perhaps the least lucky man in the role was Matt Smith.

Alex explained: “One of the most memorable parts of filming was when I flew through the universe, got caught in the Tardis and kneed Matt Smith, who was playing the Doctor at the time, in a sore place by mistake. There were a few tears of laughter from me and cries of pain from him.”

Speculation is rife among fans that Alex will return to the Whoniverse, if the incumbent Time Lord Jodie Whittaker steps down. All Alex will say is: “My Tardis door is always open…” [x]

[autisticcassandracain]

To answer the other anon, it's not even about subversion. The question is why? Why did Wolfman and Perez make Deathstroke's relationship with Tara a sexual one while at the same damned time trying to make him DC's version of the Punisher? Why did Wolfman later essentially throw up his hands and say "You know what? Here. You have to admit he's better than the Khmer Rouge." (Friendly PSA: "Better than genocide" does not a hero make, Marv.)

Should probably further explain about Deathstroke as the Punisher. Frank Castle first appeared as an antagonist hired to kill Spider-Man, but he's become a mostly antiheroic character with a lot of mental issues, both as a Vietnam veteran and having lost his family, but he also works as a mercenary. Deathstroke could've gone that way, except for Tara, Joey, etc. After Wolfman, he just becomes more monstrous.

No offense, but the other anon you're talking about clearly has a very firm stance in that what is wrong with Tara is the trope subversion. Like, they have explicitly said that they think the fundamental problem with Tara is the fact that she subverted a superhero trope to begin with. The 'sexual relationship' with Deathstroke was an add-on to the real problem to them. Now, I think that this stance is, as politely as possible, baffling, but they've been very firm about it and none of your arguments refute their point of view because you are not addressing it. Aside from that, I'd appreciate it if people didn't use my askbox to respond to other anons. Weighing in on a discussion is fine but I don't want to become a messenger boy for a debate by proxy.

Also, if you have a source on Wolfman creating Deathstroke as DC's answer to the Punisher, I'd love to see it, because that doesn't sound right to me? The characters have similarities in both being morally grey Vietnam vets, but from what I know about Frank Castle, he was always intended to have a vendetta against crime in a way Deathstroke just. Doesn't. Deathstroke's grey morality, at least as written by Wolfman, comes from his love for his family and a limited set of moral lines he won't cross. But fundamentally, Deathstroke is a mercenary with no ideals, which is what makes his morality grey rather than white to begin with. The Punisher, from everything I've ever heard about him, is the opposite, in that he has ideals, but very little limits on what he's willing to do to achieve them. That said, I don't read Marvel, so I could be totally off base there. If my impression is correct, then while I'm sure the Punisher inspired Deathstroke in the same way he did many other edgy morally grey comic book characters, it seems unlikely to me that he was created as the DC version of the Punisher.

Also, like. Once again I haven't read Marvel. But I think it's a bit rich to say Punisher is a better executed version of Deathstroke when Deathstroke's worst problem is that he just does a lot of awful shit the writers are unwilling to address, whereas the Punisher, from his conception, has been part of a war on crime agenda that is rotten to the core. His logo was co-opted by the Blue Lives Matter movement for a reason. I went to Wikipedia to make sure I wasn't getting basic facts about him wrong and apparently Conway based him on the main character of Don Pendleton's The Executioner, which. Explains a lot. I've never read the book, but I have a relatively decent set of knowledge about it, and if the Punisher is framed in any way similar to the main character. Well. Once again. It's not a surprise his logo got co-opted by Blue Lives Matter.

From what I know, Castle's character has mellowed out over the years, which I sure hope is true if they decided to make him more sympathetic, because frankly, for a character like him, no amount of mental health issues or trauma or whatever is going to cut it if you choose to frame him as an antihero rather than a villain. Mental health issues, in a character like him, simply play into the war on crime propaganda. If you want to make him an antihero rather than a villain, you're going to have to change his ideals and methods, because they are intrinsicly intertwined with propaganda.

At the end of the day, I don't read Marvel, and I'm not qualified to say whether the Punisher is a good character, whether he actually plays into the war on crime rhetoric or if this is a Lolita situation where everyone unanimously misread him, etc. But purely from what you've told me, I fail to see how he's a better executed version of Deathstroke. Deathstroke's biggest issue, under Wolfman, was his 'relationship' with Tara and the sympathetic treatment of his character in comparison to her, which implied some really shitty things about Wolfman's social views (and Perez's, since he was a co-writer of the Judas Contract). It makes it very hard to seperate this sexism and victim blaming from his character, especially since his second biggest issue under Wolfman was the way he played into Vietnam War propaganda. But as a fundamental character concept, 'mercenary with a heart' is significantly less loaded than 'guy who fights crime with extreme violence because he believes it's the only way to solve it'. It makes me really hesitant to let positive comparisons between Slade and Castle slide.

Once again, I don't read Marvel, maybe Frank Castle is an extremely well-written character that neatly sidesteps the war on crime rhetoric. But at the end of the day, between Deathstroke and the Punisher, one got co-opted by a hate movement, and it wasn't Deathstroke. You'll have to forgive me for being a little wary here.