#because we never see it again? like he can be a little snippy with ted (see the man city match in 2x08) but

[coachbeards]

whenever i think about beard blowing up at ted in 1x09 i just have to go. how long was that building up.

[kidknux]

Do you have any headcanons for Blurrbee ship? It's a really rare pairing so it's always nice to hear about it :3

yes..... i love them so much

I wasn't sure if you meant tfa Blurrbee or tfrq Blurrbee also, so I put a copy of the ask on both blogs, and we'll make an answer there too for the tfrq version

god this got super long and rambly and stuff too tho so i’m gonna. put this under a readmore so u can bail when it gets too dumb. i’m very sorry anyone on mobile you’ll have to Deal

@captainofthestars​ and i talk about them so much w/ our tfa au or tfrq or just. in general, whenever. we love them, we started shipping them after tfa because they had such a fun dynamic? Basically right after Blurr’s first few appearances, whoops

Bee thanking Blurr when he’s still just the “mysterious racer” is super good... Bee does a name shout when Blurr gets pulled into the space bridge! And he immediately wants to prioritize They Have To Get Him Back, i’m JUST SAYING, so like we got super attached rly fast bc of their general back-and-forth and little things like that.

Bee during the series is sorta competitive outside of cute moments like that? Which we tend to write as just... he’s kind of like that when he’s not sure what to do w/ his feelings, Blurr is super fast and kind of cool and he kind of saved Bee before and Other Emotions so instead of dealing with how he feels abt that its time to Fight. Blurr (who quint writes more often) also likes Bee pretty fast but he’s not great with people and doesn’t really realize it until later when he actually stops to think about it, post-series (which is getting into au territory but that’s just the hill we’re gonna die on)

It’s after the show that they manage to find Blurr, and his time in the hospital is... a process. Bee runs into him here again and learning about the state he’s in and what happened to him is pretty upsetting, especially since he already has a lot of problems/guilt around Shockwave and what he did. Blurr is stuck in the hospital for a pretty long time, since they need to be careful unfolding him and replacing parts of his body as needed, and no one else is really there much so Bee starts visiting him pretty often.

At first Blurr can’t really talk, but he can make some noises, and they start figuring out how to talk that way in some basic codes. Blurr is bored and lonely between surgeries, and Bee is one of the people who gets permission to take him out around Cybertron sometimes when he’s stable but not being worked on. Or, y’know, just sneak him out without permission. It doesn’t really seem right to try and be rude, or start fights, so instead they just... talk, and hang out, and under everything it turns out they really do get along and really like each other?

And it’s while Blurr is in the hospital slowly being repaired that he has lots of time to think, and think and think because he’s bedridden without supervision and that’s about all he gets to do most of the time. So he stops to think about it, finally, and realizes that he might like Bumblebee- and of course, he’s been so nice to him. It could be entirely pity, of course, that would be unfortunate, but it could be that he likes him too- he should ask. I’m just. Gonna copypaste part of the discord convo on it

CaptainNessbot 09/19/2017Eventually, I want Blurr to bluntly ask if Bee likes him romanticallyAre they in a relationship now??kidotix 09/19/2017GoodProbably after a while of them going on dates trips and hanging out in generalBee is somehow still caught off guard, what?CaptainNessbot 09/19/2017Blurr's beeping kicks up a notch so he can say everything he's thinkingYou've been really nice to him for no apparent reason, so it's either pity about his current condition or romantic attraction, in which case it is reciprocated. And when two people have an equal amount of attraction they are in a relationship, right?kidotix 09/19/2017Bee will get progressively blue from blushing as his processor decodes it, it might take a little while longer than normal bc it's more complicated than most of what Blurr saysUh, w-well he definitely doesn't pity you, yeah it sucks but he was.. He was doing it 'cause you're a friend, more or lessNot that he's saying no! He does like you, just not like that at first and he doesn't want you to think he was expectin' something from you in exchange or anything- but if you really want to then yes! SureBee is flustered and this must look ridiculous to any potential onlookersCaptainNessbot 09/19/2017He's cutekidotix 09/19/2017Beyond one or two incidents of flirting at space ports, he's going in blindCaptainNessbot 09/19/2017Blurr makes a squeaky surprised noise, his spark starts beating fasterAh, well. Good!kidotix 09/19/2017Bee grins, yeah! Great!Um, but they should- it's probably way too soon for them to. YknowHe's never done this before, you don't have to bond right away right?? He's not sure he's ready for anything like thatBlurr: can we dateBee: yesBee: ...oh no does this mean we need to get marriedHe doesn't know how fast this is supposed to goCaptainNessbot 09/19/2017They can take it slow, ironically

And Then They Date and it’s fucking cute bc they’re dumb and in love. Blurr is maybe not totally ready to jump back to active intel duty on Cybertron, so he goes back to earth with Bee instead. Omega Supreme’s presence basically doubles the size of their base on earth, which is good because with the new members they’ve got- mainly Wreck-Gar, and now Blurr- they need the room. Especially since the one now-empty room is one that no one is super willing to clear out.

Blurr ends up being part of the “Bee Team” that Bee puts together eventually to try and relocate Wasp. Which involves a lot of dimension-hopping shenanigans. It’s the first big mission Blurr’s been on since recovery, too, which is fun. Wreck-Gar and the Dinobots come along too, which is important bc after they do find Wasp- and a lot of other troubles to eventually rehabilitate the poor guy- Blurr, Wasp, Wreck-Gar, and an oc end up as a b-team to the main earth autobots (along with a few other occasional members)

at this point it ends up in sorta nebulous The Adventure Continues areas, eventually they do end up sharing a room and stuff which i’ve written into one of the once-in-a blue-moon fics, I’ll jst drop some more scattered hcs that were located looking for the confession hc

CaptainNessbot 04/15/2018Sentinel hates working with Blurr in any capacitykidotix 04/15/2018Sentinel plsCaptainNessbot 04/15/2018Sentinel does not have the patience necessary to understand Blurrand Blurr hates repeating himself and also thinks Sentinel is kind of an idiot 

CaptainNessbot 03/19/2018Has [overclocking] had effects on how he perceives time? YesDoes he care? NoIs it bad I can see a lotta racers disliking himCompared to what I'd expect the usual charismatic, showboating race star to be (like IDW Blurr), he's kind of....Snippy, awkward, and distant?

um also idk how to wrap this up so. they’re one of several ships that i have a playlist for. i’m always kinda tweaking it tho since it’s jst smthn i keep around for me and friends yknow

thanks for coming to my ted talk

[youngerdaniel]

Traditions in Turbulence: 2020′s Year at the Movies

If there’s one thing I think we can all agree on, it’s that movies have saved a lot of sanity this year. Well, maybe they’ve just preserved what little is left. Who knows anymore? To be honest, addressing the spiky red elephant in the room feels untenable. My drafts folder is mountainous with aborted previous attempts. There are tirades, there’s introspection, there’s a lot of anger... And, well, none of it seems like it’s productive or what I want to contribute to the zeitgeist what with a new solar cycle beginning and all that. “But wait!” you may be thinking. “A writer must summon a take, must have something to say, must make sense of the madness!”

Here’s my take:

Making sense of madness is like herding cats with a disco ball.

All I can really say -- with any authority, at least -- is that 2020 showed us the tremendous value of story. As a means of delivering information; as a portal to escape said information when it gets too hard to digest; as a means of connecting when we’re all on proverbial house arrest.

I’ve spent the past year digging into old favorites, rooting out forgotten sensibilities and shaping up a few stories of my own--the unchanging beat in my story. It’s been a flagrant fuckwad of a year, but not without some exciting variations on my usual plate spinning, word-slinging antics. 

I’ve also gotten to see some pretty great movies and shows, and as is tradition, here's 10 of ‘em:

The Mandalorian: Season 2

By now, you’ve no doubt sampled the wonderful pairing of badass bounty hunter and adorable Force-wielding friend. Season 2 of Mando dug deeper into character, and doubled down on everything that made the first season work. The world building expanded in a way that rarely undermined the season’s focus. Was it a fan-service sandwich? Right up until the final moments -- then it kicks you in the gut and laughs at you with dramatic victory. You’ve seen the memes. You know it’s good. 

The Invisible Man

The thing a lot of contemporary horror “remakes” fail to do is justify their own existence. Modernizations really only work as well as their thematic intentions -- and in a world teeming with films bereft of such a concept, it’s refreshing when a filmmaker comes along and finds a way to make what’s more or less a bogeyman story turn into something deeply psychological. The Invisible Man is less about the titular character than it is about toxic relationships and domestic abuse. It’s a hard film to swallow, but it also strikes a great balance between heavy themes and riveting action. It’s a technical marvel of a film, and is Leigh Wannell’s best. Check it out if you dare.

The Queen’s Gambit

The more I think about this show, the more perplexed I am. First of all, it’s insanely awesome. Performances and character arcs are just electric. It’s interesting, because fundamentally, there’s not much new in the notion of a tortured maverick whose bad behavior threatens to destroy their lives. Execution really is everything -- and from production design to the cinematic expressions of thought, this show is damn well-executed. 

Bill & Ted Face the Music

If you know, you know. Bill and Ted is not for the intellectually stuffy, nor is it something that will appease the arthouse snobs... But what it is, is fun. There’s that trademark sentimentalism hiding behind the guise of time-traveling stupidity that made originals great. There are delightful callbacks and interesting developments, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Alex Winter give such a killer performance. With themes of succession, unexpected surprises, and all the ridiculous antics you’d expect, this one’s bound to make you scream “STATION” and air-guitar your way into the new year.

Unless you’re a joyless sack. In which case...

1917

I hate war movies. There, I said it. But every now and then one comes along that elects to do something different than glorify the violence and paint the conflicting forces with cartoonish contrast. Obviously, 1917 is first and foremost a technical marvel of a movie. One take movies are rarely so clear-headed, and certainly struggle to sustain their tension... But 1917 is a fucking masterpiece in terms of writing as well. Want to see how to handle an entire movie’s exposition in 9 minutes? This one. Want to see a midpoint reversal that completely changes the direction of the story and deepens the emotional stakes? This one. Want to see a movie that shows just how hellish war is? This one. It’s great. It’s moving. It’s exciting. It’s a dang good picture. 

The Vast of Night

One of the great things about movies going directly to streamers is you get to see indie gems that might otherwise never make it to a screen in your city. The Vast of Night is full of style and interesting characters. There’s a firm bedrock of nostalgia driving this one, and there’s so much to like conceptually. So if you’re feeling like taking a trip to 1950s, but you want something in the flavor of Contact... This one’s for you. 

Mank

Every now and again, Fincher will really surprise you. This was one of those times. Following the troubled screenwriter of Citizen Kane as he struggles to turn in a draft and keep himself from falling apart, this movie’s a love letter to the Hollywood of old. When I think of why this one has stayed with me, it really all comes down to the characters. Gary Oldman is at his best, and the film never idealizes or sugarcoats its depiction of  Herman J. Mankiewicz. It’s a weird narrative, with multiple timelines and occasional moments of cinematic delirium -- but it’s only fitting given the subject matter. 

Palm Springs

Palm Springs is another one of those movies that on the surface seems fairly derivative, but through execution makes something that feels fresh. Maybe it’s watching Andy Sandberg give a muted, mopey performance that’s so opposite his usual choices. Maybe it’s just as simple as any genre convention that’s used to tell a story about real feelings works. Much like the mechanics of time travel, I don’t care to take this one apart. What I will say is, it was charming, it had heart, and it was weird. Watch it.

The Trial of the Chicago Seven

[Insert obligatory gushing about Aaron Sorkin’s writing.] You want snippy dialogue, important issues, and some of the most compelling courtroom drama you can find this side of the Social Network? Look no future. Literally everything about this movie blew me away. The performances were stellar. The dialogue was on fire. As a director, Sorkin left me underwhelmed with Molly’s Game (although it improves with every viewing), but the Chicago Seven was much more my speed. I guess despite the tongue-in-cheek gag that opened this section, I’m gushing about Sorkin. But I’ve got more gushing to do about another movie. So just go see this one if you haven’t.

Soul

This one ticks every single box that makes me happy. Musically inclined protagonist? Check. Hidden worlds? Check. This movie is basically three movies in one -- an afterlife musing, a body swap movie, and a follow your dreams narrative that comes to such a heartwarming conclusion. This is top Pixar. The animation is captivating, creative, and full of imagination. The story is full of heart, sentiment, and in a world dominated by hustle culture, its conclusions on how following one’s dream is more important than achieving it is profound -- maybe even a little too grown up for its target audience... And that’s exactly why it works. It’s a treat. So while 2021 won’t magically douse the world in hand sanitizer, and our problems are far from behind us, some traditions can be carried out from any distance. Maybe the year to come will yield more from me here; maybe somewhere else entirely. 

What I’ve learned to say in such uncertain times is this: We’ll see what happens. 

Stay safe. Stay sane. Hug your cat. Water your cactus. Grieve your grief. Do what you need to do if it keeps you going.

And keep hanging on -- we don’t feel it all the time, but this rock we’re on spins pretty fast.