#but it really highlights the weird relationship the three of them had

[javelinbk]

But by far the greatest Christmas gift John ever gave to Yoko—as well as to me—wasn’t anything he’d purchased at a store or recorded onto a cassette tape. It was an event, an enchanted twinkling of pure distilled joy, that he orchestrated just for the three of us during the waning hours of December 31, 1979.

A few days earlier, John had laid out his plans to me. He wanted to turn the newly acquired apartment 71 into a private club. John was not a huge fan of nightlife—crowds were problematic for obvious reasons—but he enjoyed the concept of an exclusive, intimate space, something like an old English men’s establishment... So, shortly after Christmas, he and I went shopping on New York’s Lower East Side, where there were dozens of secondhand shops, and proceeded to purchase enough cheap furniture and other decorations—overstuffed sofas, martini shakers, pink flamingo cardboard cutouts—to turn 71 into what John had by now begun referring to as Club Dakota.

After furniture shopping, we spent a few hours combing through vintage record shops, looking for old 78s to fill that antique bubble-top jukebox Yoko had given John. (We found Dooley Wilson singing “As Time Goes By,” Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover,” Bing Crosby’s “Please,” Gracie Fields’s “Sally,” and scores more.) Then we headed to Canal Street and picked up moldy old black-tie tails and white gloves to wear on Club Dakota’s opening night, which John had decided would be on New Year’s Eve. Technically, John and I were to be the club’s only charter members, but he instructed me to write out a formal invitation to Yoko, which I would later hand deliver to her on a silver platter. Yoko was made merely an “honorary” member because, as John joked to me, otherwise she would immediately try to sexually integrate the club.

I have thought often about that night, about how best to describe it to those who weren’t lucky enough to be there (which, of course, would be the whole rest of the world). And the best I can come up with is that it was like spending a blissful interlude suspended in a magical snow globe. In my memory, we all seem to move in slow motion, as if gliding through glycerin-laced air. The three of us—Yoko in an elegant black evening gown, John and I in ridiculous old penguin suits (he paired his with a white T-shirt and his old Liverpool school tie)—danced and laughed (and smoked) together without a care in the world, the jukebox filling the living room with glorious old tunes from the ’40s and ’50s. I took dozens of Polaroid photos of them that night, but for some reason none of them capture the magic of the moment.

And then, at midnight, our reveries were interrupted by the pop and crackle of fireworks. We all stood by the windows and watched the skyline over Central Park light up with flaming balls and sparkling whirly fountains and a slew of other aerial bursts and barrages. I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my life. And I’d never seen John and Yoko looking more content and in love.

It was that rarest, most precious thing in life—a perfect moment.

It would also, as fate would have it, be John’s last New Year’s Eve.

Excerpt From, ‘We All Shine On’, Elliot Mintz

[morlock-holmes]

Okay, guys, after reading a post by @centrally-unplanned I just took that ACX "AI Turing Test" that Scott Alexander did, and I am screaming, as the kids used to say.

You guys are way, way overthinking this.

I thought I would do better than average, and I guess I did; excluding three pictures I had seen before, I got 31/46 correct.

Not great if you're taking the SAT, but I feel like if I could call a roulette spin correctly 2 times out of 3 I could clean up in Vegas.

So, what is the secret of my amazing, D+ performance?

You have to look at the use of color and composition as tools to draw the eye to points of interest.

AI is really bad at this, when left to its own devices.

For example, here:

Part of the reason to suspect that this is AI is the "AI house style" and the bad hands that I literally only noticed right this exact second as I was typing this sentence. Even if the hands were rendered correctly, I would still clock this as AI.

The focal point of this piece ought to be the face of the woman and the little dragon she is looking at (Just noticed the dragon's wings don't match up either), but take off your glasses or squint at this for a second:

Your eye is being drawn by the bright gold sparkles on the lower right side of the piece. That particular bright gold is only in that spot on the image, but there's no reason to look there, it's just an upper arm and an elbow. The bright light source highlighting the woman's horn separates it out as a point of interest.

Meanwhile, the weird aurora streaming out of the woman's face on the left side means that it is blending in with the background.

In other words, the way the image is composed, and the subject matter suggest that your eye should be drawn here:

But the use of color suggests that you should look here:

That's a senseless place to draw the eye towards! It would be a really weird mistake for a human to make! In fact, I think there's a strong argument that the really close cropped picture of the face of the character is a strong improvement. It's still not a particularly good composition, but at least the color contrast now draws the eye to the proper points.

In fact, I would say that a good reason for my performance not being even better was this alarming statement at the start of the test:

I've tried to crop some pictures of both types into unusual shapes, so it won't be as easy as "everything that's in DALL-E's default aspect ratio is AI".

Uh...

So how about this one:

This is a lot better anatomically and in terms of the use of color and light to draw the eye towards sensible parts of the painting. The lighting makes pretty good sense in terms of coming from a particular direction and it also draws the eye to effectively to the face and the outstretched hand of the figure.

It's also a really flat and meaningless composition and subject matter that no renaissance artist would have chosen. What is this angel doing, exactly? Our eye is drawn to the face and hand, and the figure is looking off towards the left side, at, uh, what exactly?

But then I thought, "Well, maybe Scott chopped out a giant chunk of the picture, and this is just a detail from, like, the lower right eighth of some giant painting with three other figures that makes total sense"

This makes sense as a piece of a larger human made artwork, but if you tell me, "Nope, that's the whole thing and this is the original, un-cropped picture" I'd go, "Oh, AI, obviously.

All of the ones I had trouble with were AI art with good composition and use of color, and human ones with bad composition and use of color. For example, this one:

This has three solid points of interest arranged in an interesting relationship with different colors to block them out. I'd say the biggest tells are that the astronauts' feet are out of frame, which is a weird choice, and looking closely now, the landscape and smoke immediately to the right of the ship don't really make sense.

But again; I had to think, "Maybe Scott just cropped it weird and they had feet in the original picture."

Here's another problem:

StableDiffusion being bad at composition is such a known problem that there are a variety of tools which a person can use to manually block out the composition. In fact, let me try something.

I popped open Krita (Which now has a StableDiffusion plugin) and after literally dozens of generations and a couple of different models I landed on ZavyChromaXL with the following prompt:

concept art of two astronauts walking towards a spaceship on an alien planet, with a giant moon in th background, artstation, classic scifi, book cover

And this was the best I could do:

Not great, but Krita has a tool that lets you break an image into regions which each have different prompts, so I quickly blocked something out:

Each of those color blobs has a different part of the prompt, so the green region has "futuristic astronauts" the blue is the spaceship, the orange is the moon, grey is the ground and pink is the sky, which gives us:

Still way too much, so we can use Krita's adaptive patch tool and AI object removal to get:

I'm not saying it's high art, or even any good, but it's better than the stuff I was getting from a pure prompt, because a human did the composition.

But it's still so dominated by AI processes that it's fair to call it "AI Art".

Which makes me wonder how many of the AI pictures I called out as human made because one of the traits I was looking for, good composition, was in fact, actually made by a human.

[picturejasper20]

The missed potential of Vlad Plasmius

Danny Phantom is an animated series that is known for having good elements and ideas that a lot of times they don't feel properly executed and explored as they should have been. One of best examples of this is Vlad Masters/Plasmius as main villain of the show.

For those who have been following for a while you know that i have been critical about the way Vlad as character was written in the show. It is something i have discussed with other people about, how different aspects of him that could have explored better and rewritten in other ways.

What i want to do in this post is explain more in depth why Vlad, while having some really good things, fails to be written as a villain and character in a way that satisfying and how this is something that hurts the show in general.

Something i want to highlight is that this is going to be more than the problems his character has in Season 3 and it is more in the series as a whole.

What are priorities? Can i eat them?

One of the main problems i see in Vlad through the show is that the writers didn't seem what they wanted to do with him as character. There didn't seem to be a real goal with they had planned for his character and the more you analyse it the worse it gets.

A good example of this is his relationship with Valerie Gray: In spite of being one of the main relationships in the series and Vlad being the person who gave Valerie the equipment to become a ghosthunter, there are only two episodes that explore the relationship between the two- Reign Storm and D-Stabilized.

Near the end of Shadows of Gray it was revealed that Vlad was the one that had been sending Valerie all the packages with ghost hunter equipment for her to use it yet it wasn't until around fourteen episodes later that Valerie got to learn about this in Reign Storm.

Then the series doesn't explore this relationship again until Season 3 episode D-Stabilized, which is the last episode before the series finale, leaving all the things this episode explores answered.

Another problem is that the show doesn't seem to know what Vlad's main goals are and he is constanly chaging them for some inexplicable reason.

A lot of this comes down to Valerie not appearing more episodes because of some weird network restriction but stil, it is weird how Vlad's dynamic with Valerie wasn't properly explored.

If you think about it, it had a lot of potential in showing how manipulative Vlad could be and maybe him even growing a bit of a mentor-pupil bond with Valerie over time. It could have brought a lot of tension to Valerie and Danny's relationship with Danny trying to make Valerie see that Vlad is using her and Valerie denying this. This could have helped with Valerie getting a lot of more of development than she got too.

In Season 1 his goals remain quite consistent with him trying to get rid of Jack Fenton and make Danny and Maddie become his ¨family¨. This gets explored in his three main appearances from that season and even when he is goal is different like in ¨A Million Dollar Ghost¨, it still manages to be tied to getting back at Jack.

However, in Season 2, the writers seemed to forget about Vlad trying to get his revenge on Jack and instead constanly change his goals or just drop them when they get introduced.

The most clear case of this is that Reign Storm has Vlad getting the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire from the Ghost King. These items were treated as something that was part of a huge plan for Vlad later on- only to never get addressed again the rest of the show. We never got to see why Vlad was looking for these artifacts and what he was planning on doing with them. It doesn't help they don't get any mention in later episodes too.

In ¨Secret Weapons¨ and ¨Kindred Spirits¨ he returns more to his original goal of having this twisted idea of ¨perfect family¨ that he has but it is jarring that the ring and crown from ¨Reign Storm¨ don't get any mention.

Vlad trying to get revenge on Jack isn't brought up in these episodes neither. I think it would be easy to assume he just gave up but if this was the case, it could have easily been addressed in a scene from these episodes.

And in Season 3 it just becomes a whole mess in terms of directions with his character with almost not having a consistent plan at all aside from what it looks like it is to be becoming more powerful and giving up on the idea of trying to make Danny join him.

...Except it doesn't because D-Stabilized explores again this idea of how he still wants to have Danny as son by cloning him. Something that had been hinted it wasn't the case anymore from previous episodes.

Lack of backstory

All this is tied to the problem of how the writers and, mainly Butch Hartman, lost focus of what they really wanted to do with Vlad and what type of villain they wanted him to be.

Which goes to...

Another major problem that can be easily picked up when it comes to Vlad is his lack of proper backstory in the series.

Vlad Plasmius is a character that at his core is defined by being obsessed about his past and the ¨what could have been¨. He believes that Jack stole the life that he thinks should have been his if the protol portal accidental hadn't had happened.

And yet we barely know anything about his past and his relationship with the Fentons. It is something that barely gets explored when it should be given more importance since it is the main reason most of the main plot of the series is happening in first place. The series leaves a clear correlation between the proto-portal accident and Vlad becoming a villain... so why we don't get to see more about his backstory aside from a short flashback?

The fact we know so little leaves the whole situation between Jack and Vlad uncertain because it never gets explained what really went down between the two and what happened to them after the college incident. This on itself is frustrating since we don't know if Vlad pushed Jack and Maddie away, if Jack and Maddie didn't try reaching out or something in between.

It is something i simply can't understand why the writers didn't bother exploring it. I mean, after all there are secondary villain characters that do get their backstory explored, yet not Vlad, who is supposed to be the main antagonist.

Then around Season 2 the episode Masters of All Time appears and tries to give the idea that ¨Vlad was always evil¨ by showing an alternative timeline where he didn't got hit by the portal but he is still as terrible if not worse than his version from the main timeline.

This writing decision is just so weird because Vlad's introduction episode established that he turned evil after he got blasted in the face by ectoplasmatic energy and was left hospilatilized for years, losing some years of his life trying to recover. As i stated, his main motivations are him trying to get back Jack since he blames him for what happened at college, there aren't exactly any indications that ¨Vlad was always evil¨ before Masters of All Time episode.

Some have pointed out that this idea has its implications as well, as it feels like it is trying to potray as Vlad more evil than necessary to lessen the damage that Jack caused by accidentally leaving his best friend in the hospital for years, probably even trying to justify such terrible thing under the logic of ¨he was always evil anyways, he probably deserved it¨

It feels that the writers were trying to made excuses for what Jack did and didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Jack did something bad and Vlad actually has a reason to angry at him. They didn't want to explore the complexities of said situation and instead choose it to turn it more black and white.

While we know that King Andrias's backstory doesn't excuse the terrible things he did, it does give a lot more depth to his character and explains his psychology well, putting him a bit in the role of a ¨tragic villain¨ in the story. It also gives us the idea that he wasn't always like this, something that had been hinted and build up in previous episodes to this one.

For contrast, in the animated series Amphibia one of the main antagonists, King Andrias, does get his backstory explored in an episode from Season 3 called ¨The Core and The King¨.

In this episode it explored how he used to be part of a trio of friends until one of them betrayed him and how that event completely changed him as a person. From that point on King Andrias became someone bitter, manipulative and cruel, obsessed with chasing a past that never happened just like Vlad did.

Much like Andrias from Amphibia, Vlad Masters could have had an episode exploring how his life was like before and after the proto-portal accident; how was his relationship with Jack and Maddie, how his actual family was or if he had one. We could have seen what other events lead him to become a villain too.

At the same time this could have been a great way of using the established parallels he has with Danny Fenton, as he was created to be a foil for him. Vlad's relationship with Jack and Maddie could have been a good contrast to Danny's with Tucker and Sam. For example how Vlad's fell apart after the ghost portal accident while Danny's friendships didn't.

There are a lot of interesting things that could have been done with Vlad's backstory and it is very frustrating that the series didn't do anything with it.

What type of villain is Vlad supposed to be really?

The lack of priorities for Vlad's character and the super weird handling of his backstory in the show made me question: what type of villain was Vlad intended to be for the series?

Because on one hand it seems they wanted for him to be this Lex Luthor like character who was superior to the main protagonist in every way and did what he wanted because he could. He is just supposed to be read as a bastard, nothing much else in between.

This doesn't mean the character can't have backstory or some postive traits, but at the end of the day he does what he does because it is just the way he is.

However, this doesn't fully work because a lot of Vlad's characterization feels quite contradictory to that since he has more of a tragic backstory and he is motivated by desire of getting revenge and to be loved and have a ¨family¨, something he becomes more and more desperate to accomplish as the series progresses.

If he was intended to be just someone who does evil for the sake of lols, then it fails in doing that because he doesn't see himself as a villain and feels justified in doing what he does due to his own past.

On top of that the writers wants to make us believe that ¨Vlad was always evil¨, so that kinda cancels out the idea of how he is supposed to be a ¨tragic villain¨ because he was bad from the start. This means that this idea fails in execution as well.

And if he is supposed to be a ¨tragic villain¨, then the series also messed up with that since it refused to explore and elaborate on his backstory and psychology further, not showing how he became the person that he is today and making it this take feel shallow as result.

The series wants us to believe that Vlad is lonely and miserable but it doesn't do much of an effort of showing us that and instead we are told by the characters that how is we are supposed to see Vlad.

We don't get any scenes of showing if he avoids making any other friendships or how empty his own mansion feels. I think the closest to this would be the scene at the start of Infinity Realms. Outside of that there isn't much else.

In the end it is unclear what type of villain Vlad was intended to be, leaving a character that suffers from some bizarre identity crisis that the writers didn't seems to know what to do with him, specially in Season 3. We don't know what Vlad is supposed to be due to the show lacking priorities and a proper plan for his character.

In conclusion

As someone who really likes Vlad as character, it quite hurts me to see how messy his writing as villain and character can be. A lot of times it is contradictory and other things feel like they were done in poor taste.

There are secondary villain characters that feel more consistent than him like Spectra and Technus. It just baffles me how bizarre his direction in the series is since he is the main antagonist of the show. He should be better planned but for some reason he wasn't.

If this series have had better direction and continuity then maybe Vlad would have been a lot more consistently written and a lot of the aspects i mentioned would have been explored properly.

Vlad Masters is a villain character that has a lot of potential that deserved some better direction and someone that had a clear idea of what they wanted to do with him.

[arizonaaaaaa]

GLEE LGBTQIA+ HEADCANONS- HAPPY PRIDE MONTH PART 1

1- Rachel Berry- Bisexual

-Had more chemistry with the women she sang than most men she dated

-Shes annoying and obnoxious but surprisingly cute while in relationships, notice how she’s only annoying and hates everyone when she’s single

-Faberry, Pezberry and Jonesberry 🔛🔝

2- Finn Hudson- Bisexual and Demisexual

-Def slept with Puck on the same bed as kids when they had sleepovers

-also slept together with Sam on the couch while playing video games, Kurt covered them with a comfy blanket

-idk his interactions with Kurt on 1x04 are just so cuteeeeeeeeeeeeee

-the demi part, just remember that when he had sex with Santana, it meant nothing to him because she wasn’t important to him

3- Kurt Hummel- Gay

-Canon

-really wanted to see more relationships with him, we only had Klaine, him and Adam and that’s it, the rest were all crushes, and kisses, and friendships that we pretended were real or sm

-nothing more to add

4- Mercedes Jones- Pansexual

-idk it’s just the vibes

-kind of like Shang from Mulan, falling for the person they are, not how they present themselves

-anyway she gives the best hugs ever and she loves having conversations and everyone loves her for that (as they should)

5- Tina Cohen-Chang- Bisexual and Non-Binary

-so you are a 2000s asian character with purple hair and a goth/puck style but your not bi? The blasphemy

-notice how the three highlights she wore on season 1 were purple, blue and pink

-I feel like she questioned her gender several times after she started dating Mike, when she came out he was so supportive😭

6- Artie Abrams- Bisexual

-say what you want but he totally admired Finn and Puck

-def wanted to date both Tina and Mike

-funny how any relationship with a man would be way better than any relationship he ever had💀

7- Quinn Fabray- Lesbian

-we already know girly is at least bi, you know, fucking with Santana twice

-didn’t have a single successful relationship with a guy, cheated on most of them

-girl just wanted to lesbian and no one got her😭

8- Santana Lopez- Lesbian

-canon

-same with Kurt, we deserved other relationships aside from Brittana and Danitana?

9- Brittany Pierce- Bisexual

-canon

-bad representation in my opinion but it’s not my place to talk

-deserved a coming out scene, Kurt had, Santana had one (but it was deleted) but she didn’t, feels like the writers saying that bisexuals don’t need to come out

10- Noah Puckerman- Pansexual

-took a long time to figure out his feelings

-he’s not romantic attracted by everyone like he is sexually, so it took longer to noticed he also likes guys

-prob had a awakening while watching porn or something

-tho him being canonically pansexual would be kind of weird like imagine him hitting on mr Schue or something

[mdhwrites]

Not sure if this ask got lost but, do you find it weird how Sasha and Marcy never interact much one on one without Anne? Especially with how they don't address Sasha was also a bad friend to Marcy. We only really see them address Sasha being a bad friend to Anne, but never addressing how she also didn't treat Marcy any better. Plus not getting a sense of what Sasha and Marcy's friendship is like without Anne.

This is the story of Anne and of Amphibia so no, it's not strange to ignore Marcy and Sasha like this.

I'm sorry but that really is the long and short of it. Sasha and Marcy are used to reflect, contrast and challenge Anne far more than they actually exist to have their own stories. Sasha's arc contrasts Anne's arc and challenges her and Marcy dedicates almost literally all of her screentime to narrative purposes besides herself, including her first two episode segments being entirely for Anne to talk about her feelings about Marcy and how they play into herself. Mind you... This is not a bad thing. There is not much to get out of showing Sasha and Marcy's relationship in Anne's story and the elements of a narrative should play into telling that narrative, rather than feel useless or like they're meandering and going nowhere. This is also why we get such a thorough exploration of Wartwood because its society, and how it will contrast with Earth, are deeply important to the themes and overall story of the show. Far more than Marcy or Sasha.

What makes good writing good though is how well you can cover up what is narrative utility. How natural your story feels as it goes from beat to beat. Everything in a story is a narrative device after all. A great example of this? The sleepover with Marcy isn't about Anne and Marcy. It's actually much more about both the negative and positive impacts that Sasha has had on Anne as a person. Emulating Sasha causes her to break the rules and do things she shouldn't but also gives her confidence in the face of danger and bravery she wouldn't have otherwise but that she needs to internalize as her own. It's not super apparent though because it comes across as just two friends having to make due with the loss of the leader of their group. It's natural but it's serving a point.

Now yes, Amphibia was willing to expand on characters like Marcy with how she gets two episode segments in Wartwood expanding her (though one is really much more about Maddie) and feature little Anne but A: one actually does give us a lot of insight as to Anne's impact on her community and what her being the 'Heart' means to these people and B: it's still allowing a new supporting character to interact with the rest of Anne's supporting cast, which is good and fun and allows us new angles on the potential changes going on.

But Marcy interacting with Anne's primary antagonist? There's not as much useful there. We get all we need by the three of them being together but there's just never a good time for it. Part of this is because there's not really a dynamic between Marcy and Anne either. I've said it before but Anne and Sasha have such an incredible, perfect dynamic that it makes Marcy feel vestigial and the show itself acknowledges this. For a character who neither Anne or Sasha have actually a strong bond with... What's the point of really stressing that? That's part of why Anne spends a lot of the S1 finale with Sasha but then Anne's focus is almost always elsewhere than Marcy during her episodes with her, either because she's too in her own head or focused elsewhere. The closest we ever get is her first appearance and even then, it's much more to show that Anne doesn't know Marcy, especially not this Marcy which just kind of highlights the weakness of their relationship.

So no, I don't find it weird, especially since I will continue to state that Sasha and Marcy are not main characters. Amphibia itself, the Plantars and Anne are. What point does showing just Sasha and Marcy's relationship do for the story then? For me, I don't think enough to make it so it shouldn't just be relegated to fanfiction.

There's a reason Marcy never showed up until almost halfway through the show after all and I think people need to learn to understand that. See you next tale.

======+++++======

Before anyone even tries btw: No, the time with the Plantars isn't wasted time. Each one connects to essentially a different portion of what is being decided about Amphibia in general from its past, present and future and not always as cut and dry as one would think, such as Polly reflecting Amphibia's warlike past, or Hop Pop's dreams being important to the question of what a transcendent Amphibia in the future looks like. They are also the primary ones to challenge Anne and help her grow as a person and expand her worldview. They are critically important and I could an entire blog about that though really, it shouldn't be surprising. The show is called Amphibia, not St. James.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[fandomestuff]

I've seen many people shit on the live action atla ((as we should this is such a bad adaptation and honestly a mid show in itself)) but I haven't really seen people talk stuff about Sokka and Suki

And I want to point out a couple of things that I absolutely hated about what they did to them in live action.

1. The kiss

I hate that they made them kiss at the end of the episode. I hate it so much. Like yes, in the original they both clearly had feelings for each other (especially that later Suki talks about losing sb very important to her, who we know was Sokka), but they weren't rushed like that.

In the original they both grow so much between their meetings. Sokka finally gets together with a girl (not the first girl he meets that's his age, like Suki), kisses sb for the first time, travels the world, meets new people and in general matures.

We don't know much about what Suki is doing during that time, but we know she finally does sth that helps people during war, sth that she said was important to her. She can finally put her skills in leadership to greater use and she feels great about it. She also matures during that time and we know that she still thinks about Sokka and misses him.

Them kissing immediately makes their relationship so much more bland and just... flat.

2. If they make all three seasons, we will probably not get the most iconic line of the show...

Because now Sokka's first girlfriend is technically Suki...

3. The whole scene with Suki teaching Sokka

I cannot empathise enough how important Sokka's sexism is in their relationship. It's something that Suki fixes in him, something she manages to show him... by absolutely kicking his ass. In live action... the fight scene next to those melons was a joke not a fight scene if I can be honest. Idk if it's the writing or the choreography or the actors but it looks so fake and just so bad 💀 And she attacked him while he was still "stretching"??? Suki would never.

What is this 💀💀

But the most important scene, and the one I hate the most in live action, is the one where Suki teaches him a very sacred and traditional and important to Suki and to her culture way of fighting.

In the original, Suki highlights that no man should learn their art and only after Sokka begs Suki to teach him does she agree.

But not without a very important piece that was fully missing from live action which baffles me so much.

The entire armor, the dress and make up.

Not only is it incredibly important to upholding the traditions and keeping the cultural aspect important, but the beautiful, might I add, outfit gives us the depth of Kyoshi Warriors that is just missing from the live action.

"The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart."

It's beautiful. It's meaningful for both of them. It's important. And it's also a way for Suki to mess with Sokka which we love and stan.

I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SUKI TOOK OFF HER MAKE UP FOR THE ALMOST KISS AND THE KISS. It's not like being a Kyoshi Warrior is sth that's bothering her. NO. She's incredibly proud of it!! So. why. take. an. important. part. of. it. away. for. some. stupid. kiss.

WHY NOT GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION?? Instead of her taking off her make up for the romantic scene why not just... put make up on Sokka... honestly what's more romantic than putting make up on your crush.

They could have made such a beautiful and intimate scene between these two.

Them sitting in front of each other. Suki putting on Sokka's make up, while either talking about herself or about how important this whole set up is for her and her culture. I wouldn't mind it then because it would give their relationship some depth instead of "omg he's so pretty" "omg she's so pretty." *kiss*

But no. Instead they kissed right next to a group of people (including Suki's mother which just makes is so much more weird) after Suki said sth about Sokka showing her a bit of the world.

And I hate it so much.

It takes away the part where Suki teaches Sokka something very important, something that changes his personality, helps with his arc to Sokka "showing her a bit of the world". How?? With what?? It's not like he took her away from the Island itself or introduced her to his culture. No. He just... showed up and kissed her.

Great writing.

And don't get me starter on the "I'm not just a warrior. I'm a Kyoshi Warrior" line. It's a good line. It really is. But it would be better if the producers actually focused on Suki being a Kyoshi Warrior and not just a girl that has a crush on Sokka.

And while it's compared to "I'm a warrior. But I'm a girl too"... gods I... ughhhhhhh

So yeah. I hated it. I hated the show. All I have to say is:

They ruined my favourite couple. They ruined many great characters. They completely missed the point of the original story.

[captainsarahscratches]

Assistance Pt. 2

.......

part 2, requested, reader and Kenny have started to develop a fwb relationship, but things get complicated as the two are put into a complicated storyline.

......

TW: Lil’ bit angsty, jealousy, fwb relationship, explicit sexual content, SMUT, also this is very long

......

Three months had gone by since that night. It was now a regular occurance for you and Kenny to sleep together every few days or so. It started out as a secret, something the two of you found fun, a more... interactive, way to decompress from life and work. You both knew it was only a carnal attraction and that neither one of you have ever mentioned the potential of actually having a relationship together. Although, you couldn’t help your mind from wandering into the world where you and Kenny were public and in a real relationship. You wanted more. Hell, you wanted more that night in the hotel, but you knew he didn’t. You decided early on to accept the nature of the two of you, and hope it wouldn’t end for a long time.

Meanwhile, you started to gain a bit of momentum with AEW fans, which you were ecstatic about. Kenny, he was more proud than anyone, not that he would ever admit it, but he was. He had offered multiple times to train you and give pointers, but you denied him each time. You were certain that it would only further complicate the nature of your relationship. So, you went to a few old friends for advice instead. Before AEW, you had a few spots on WWE but were mainly shoved in the back behind the typical highlighted female wrestlers. However, you always kept your friendships close.

Jon and Claudio were like big brothers to you. The report between you and them was always jovial but supportive. When you asked the two of them to help with some pointers in the ring, they were more than happy to help. You of course were friends with Rene as well. She always asked you if you would go and propose a storyline to Tony and guys. "What about Kenny?" she asked

"What about him?" you felt yourself get a little flustered and afraid that she knew about you and him. "I bet you, he would listen and get you a new story line, better than just a run in or a mixed tag with Jon." "Maybe, but I don't want to ask him for anything like that. Just feels weird." "Why? He's literally always saying to feel comfortable to come to him or the Bucks about that kind of thing. That's kinda his job, here come with me."

She grabbed you by the wrist and took you towards Tony's office, knowing they were about to get done with a preshow meeting. "Kenny! Hey, y/n here won't ask, so I am going to do it. She's been busting her ass and getting more and more over with the fans. I think she needs a full storyline, put her with Jon or something."

Kenny has a smirk on his face, looking down at you and before he could speak Tony comes from behind him. "Well, perfect! We just were talking about new lines, and we wanted to put you with the Elite, but we can do BCC. Hell, we can even do a build up. Fans are already pushing for you to get with Kenny or Yuta, so thats perfect."

You and Kenny both look at him, "What??" Your face is red, and Kenny starts to say thats not what they talked about. "I know, I know, but look we put you with the BCC, play up the part that you and Jon and Claudio have known each other forever. Then you and Yuta get together later on. Gives it like a badass couple thing."

Kenny looks at you, and back at Tony, "So what do you think? I know that's kinda loose, but i like it better than my original idea. I was just going to have you be with the Elite, but I like this better."

"I love it, thank you!" You say excitedly and Looking over to Kenny, "You're okay with being in a romance line with Yuta??" he asks. "I mean. yeah. I dont really have a problem with that.' "Oh really?"

Renee and Tony look on awkwardly, you don't even understand that Kenny's a little hurt by the way you saw no problem with the story line. You look at him confused and he holds back the urge to say something. But he swallows his pride and glances at Tony, "Cool, thats fine with me too. Just don't fall for Yuta." Another awkward silence falls upon the room.

"Heh, okay... Will do my best" you awkwardly laugh off. Kenny looks at his phone and quickly makes an excuse to leave. You start to walk away with Renee, "Well that was weird, but Yay!! You've got some screen time now. And I'll make sure that Jon doesn't take the spotlight, you know he loves to talk." she laughs. "Yeah it will be fun, I just need to get with Wheeler and see how we want to play this out."

"And Kenny," Renee interjects

"What? you reply

"You need to meet with Kenny too, to see how they want to do the whole cat and mouse thing. Tony said they're planning the whole love triangle thing out right? So you need to meet with Ken too." "Oh Yeah, thats true"

"soo... are we just not going to address how Kenny seemed upset that you chose a story line with Wheeler over him?" blushing you say "oh please he's not hurt. He has a big enough ego to keep him safe from falling off a mountain." you laugh

"Oh do I? Well if my ego isn't too big for you, maybe you can make some time and talk about how we're supposed like I would actually want something to do with you in the first place." he said irritated, "Ken, hey, that's not cool" Renee came to your defense. You couldn't think of anything to say as you were holding back tears from his comment. "I- Im just going to go back to the room. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"you dont have to be a dick to her to get her to like her, You're not twelve" Renee told kenny as you walked away. "You don't know what you're talking about" "I think I do, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this. Jist go tell that poor girl that you Like Like her and maybe she'll eat lunch with you tomorrow in the cafeteria." He looked at her in silence, "You're a grown man, just ask her out. And as for the Yuta line, its our job and you know that. Dont make her give up a great opportunity just because you cant step to plate. This is why I -"

"What if I've already messed it up?" she looked confused, "What if I've already given her the idea that I don't want anything to do with her?" He looked at Renee, angry but at himself and looking for real advice. "Then I'd go talk to her, without being a dick, and tell her what you actually want. Oh, and stop with the whole Friends with Benefits bullshit, neither one of you are the type anyway." Kenny had a shocked look on his face, "Dude, its glaringly obvious... We all stay in the same hotels, and you're not as sneaky as you think. Especially y/n, I love her but she cant lie worth shit. I ran into her once and she said she was going for a walk... It was almost one in the morning and we were in Downtown Detroit... Look just go and hope that she still even wants your ass after that stunt."

Kenny quickly left and git his things to meet you at the hotel. You had separate rooms but they were adjoining this time. It made things easier, though apparently it didn't make it more secretive. Kenny checked into his room, and looked in the mirror to make sure he looked okay. He had stopped by drug store on the way to the hotel to buy you flowers, they were beat up but he thought they were still nice. As he was getting up the nerve to knock at your door he could hear the muffled sound of you crying.

You were on the phone, explaining to the other line that you were stupid to think that there was even a chance. He could hear the words, 'I hate. I even let myself get this close to him.' The sentence crushed him, he never wanted to make you feel this way. He never honestly thought that you wanted any more either. In the moment, he wanted to walk away, but his hand continued to knock on the door. He immediately regretted the action as he heard ypu abruptly end the call.

"Ken?" He heard you timidly say towards the door. He stood silent. "Kenny? ... Tyson?" He could hear your steps towards the door and befor he could back away you were face to face. "Uh, hi" He said. You stood silent.

"Look, I'm really sorry Y/N. I was an ass, a huge fucking dick. I- I just I dont like the idea of you being with someone else..." The air felt thick around and the silence was deafening. "I got you these, I know it doesn't make it better. I just, I'm sorry. You're beautiful and smart and funny and kind and I just dont like the idea of sharing you even if its just a story line, you're mine and i Just dont-"

"I'm yours?" You questioned quietly, tears still in your eyes. He looked up sheepishly, and stammered "Not minelike I own you or something, Like you're my girl. Well, not like my girlfriend because i knoe you just want a casual thing...Which is fine, but i Dont know just maybe like I think about being.."

"Ken-"

"... that maybe we could. its stupid forget it sorry."

"Tys-"

" My point is to do the Yuta line and I'll stop being a dick, and I'm sorry."

A moment passes,

"I never said I wanted casual, i thought you did."

"Well, I thought I did at first but the more I think about I dont want anyone else but you. And when Tony said that he was going to put you with Wheeler, the thought of you in his arms pissed me off and I apparently just decided to show my ass. Im sorry"

"It's just the job though,"

"And I know that, and I have done enough of this shit that shoulf be able to separate it from reality, but it just hit me wrong."

"What if we weren't casual?"

He smirked slightly to himself, "Would you being willing to have me after tonight?"

"Oh you definitely have been an ass tonight, and your dumbass made me cry. Which I'm never forgiving by the way, but I like your dumbass. Its one of my favorite parts of you. I lo- I really care about you Kenny. but you cant stunt my career because we have something together."

"I know that, and I never intended to do so. And I- fuck it, Y/N I dont want this, us, to be a casual thing anymore. I want you, I want to be with you. I want to go to bed with you, wake you to you and be with you every day. I don't want to sneak around anymore. I just, I love you damnit and I don't want anyone else thinking they can have you. Y/N will you go ou-"

You reach up and kissed him passionately, your arms around his neck. Deepening the kiss.

Your passion was quickly reciprocated as Kenny cupped your face, kissing you harder and leading you further into the room.

In seconds, the back of your knees hit the bed. Without hesitation, Kenny sweeps you up from under you and lays you on the center of the bed without ever breaking away from your lips. You feel his hands sliding up your thighs and under your shirt. He quickly finds your bare breast and kneeds the soft mound briefly before removing your shirt entirely. Hes quick to connect his mouth to your chest, sucking and nibbling on your sensitive nipples, making sure to leave a mark. You hiss at the pain but he breaks away to look you in the eye, "I know, but I need to make sure everyone knows your mine"

Your legs wrapped around his body as he towers over you giving him the prime opportunity to slip his hands downward and strip you of your shorts.

"God i love when you dont wear panties" He starts to space words apart with kisses on your body, leading to your core. "almost. As Much. As I Love. This. Perfect. Little. Pussy. Right. Here."

You instantly moan, as you feel hes his tongue swipe and circle over your clit. He moans against you causing the an soft vibration where you need it most. "Fuck Ken- God, Right there" You entangle your hands in his hair, pressing him deeper into you. "Fuckkk, Tyson..." You feel his fingers plunge into your pussy, instantly hooking them to hit the deep spot inside you. It never mattered what the situation was, he always knew exactly what and where you needed it most. He could feel you already starting to grip his fingers, when he looks up at you, his blue eyes darkened with lust, his beard scratching along your skin. "Cum for me baby, let me hear you. I want to taste how good I make you feel."

With that you cam undone, moan loudly, screaming his name, you hands clutching the sheets, legs writhing under his weight. But he didn't stop, Kenny kept going until you were babling nonsense before he even took his cock out. Muttering to yourself, trying to catch your breath, he stands, face dripping with your cum and a proud smirk across his face. He rids himself of his pants, his cock springing fre only to immediately be caught by his hand, stoking himself feverishly.

"Fuck y/n look at you. You're fucking perfect, so beautiful when you're cock drunk, and I haven't even fucked you yet. Leaning over you to look you in the eyes, tiling your chin in his direction. He gruffly says, "You're absolutely perfect, and you're mine. No one else gets to have you like I do, and no one can satisfy me like you do. So, I'm going to show you why no one can ever satisfy you like I can."

[d8nielaa]

for a fic idea could you maybe do something to highlight the whole…ace x soda x twobit thing? like how ace is with soda during grease got a hold (“ain’t that right ace?” “you wish.”) and also how twobit is with soda within the same song (“keeping the prettiest one on your arm” *pulls twobit over while twobit dances on him*) and not to mention twobit and ace at the drive-in together, dancing throughout Friday at the drive in and also ending the song under the bleachers together??? it’s driving me crazy and I can’t find anything abt the three of them😭

Authors Note: yea anon!! Yay guys first character x character x character fic!! and it’s my golden trio

Ain’t that right, Ace?

Two-Bit x Ace x Sodapop

Ace didn’t know what she was doing.

She had two guys pinning after her, both extremely good looking. Especially for being greasers in Tulsa.

Sodapop, the middle Curtis brother and relatively the most handsomest.

Two-Bit or Keith, who was supposed to be like Ace's brother.

Ace knew to some extent, that there was some kind of connection between them three.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a regular Thursday, well not really because they were making Ponyboy and official greaser.

Ace sat and watched as the boy tried to tell Ponyboy what being a greaser was really about-and what you're supposed to do.

"Yeah-you gotta have irresistible charm. You have to reel em' in and keep the prettiest one on your arm. " Soda said smugly as he pulled Two-Bit over with a rag and let him shake his hips.

Two-Bit looked up at Soda, his eyes filled with something Ace couldn't quite place except for admiration-or a glint of love.

She couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"E is for effortless swagger, one that the ladies can never deny. A is for affective but not too Selective-and E...well is is for catching her eye. Ain't that right, Ace?"

'What a load of bull' Ace thought, rolling her eyes as she stood up.

"You wish!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the drive in, everyone's favorite place to be after a long and tiring week.

Ace was dancing around Two-Bit, something she couldn't help to do.

Recently, her view on the two boys has evolved into something...different.

And Ace didn't know if she liked that.

At some point in the night, the two greasers managed to rest under a bench together.

Two-Bit laid on the ground, Ace on top of him in between his legs.

With their lips locked together.

It was weird, almost to the point that it was strange.

They were just supposed to be friends-like brother and sister. It was all a blur and Ace didn't know what to do.

It was all so unreal, but at that moment couldn't help but just let herself go and relax a little.

With Two-Bit, that is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, the three of them were at the lot, Ace squished in between the two boys as it fell silent.

The silence was unnatural. Because these three were the chattiest of the gang.

Then out of pure boldness, Ace grabbed Soda's hand, and squeezed it gently, before doing the same to Two-Bit with her other hand.

And she knew this wouldn't work. The three of them can't be in a relationship together..right?

It just wouldn't make sense. And someone would get hurt.

So it was probably best to push their feelings aside.

Ace glanced at Soda, before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His eyes widened in surprise, yet he smiled when she pulled away.

Then, Ace turned to Two-Bit and did the same thing. She placed her lips on his, kissing him softly.

His hand snaked around to the small of her back, pulling her a little closer as Sodapop pressed his chest against her back, kissing her neck softly.

Well, maybe one night wouldn't hurt.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors Note: hey guysss!! so sorry I was busy with finals but over the course of these weeks ive been working on a script for a short film so if you guys would like to see it please let me know!

[ariiiiih]

About <辜(Gu/Guilty)> (a TGCF AD song)

The last two versions of 辜 are really great, so I wanna share some thoughts and provide some supplementary materials.

The first one in episode 17 is a ballad version. As Xintong (新桐, TGCF AD’s music monitor) said in her webio, “[it’s] to unfold and highlight He Xuan’s mood from his perspective.”

This version is sorrowful but soft, and the lalala childish humming at the end, which sounds like a nursery rhyme, gives this song a sense of purity and innocence. In the blackwater arc, which consists of horror, anger, hatred, and despair, this feeling never appeared. Then, why use this song, this feeling to express HX?

The song was like out of the story, just like the feelings that HX never directly expressed. Actually, the warmest and touching scene in this story, from the RoEW to the end of revenge, was told in the first extra of TGCF----HX’s family, who gave XL a bowl of Yuanxiao and wished he would reunite with his family:

“Do you not have the money?” the owner asked. Still stricken, Xie Lian couldn’t reply, but the owner simply said, “Forget it. I’ll give it to you for free, considering how tragic you look. I'll be packing up once you’re done, so hurry home. Today is Yuanxiao, the day for family reunions!” …

The little girl was biting on her spoon with her head tilted. “When is gege coming home? I wanna wait until he’s back before digging in.” “He’s so late,” the owner chimed in. “Coming home so late on Yuanxiao; how outrageous!” “He’s working hard. He’Il be home soon,” the old woman chided. “Don’t scold him when he comes back. Miao-er! Miao-er, stop working. I feel awful always needing you to help out. Come here, and let’s eat together.” “Not at all!” the young woman replied. She cleaned the last table before sitting down with them to share yuanxiao. They seemed to be waiting for another member of the family to join them, and the four of them chatted and laughed all the while.

And the tragedy of this family in TGCF AD, when HX’s sister said “Gege, let's be brother and sister in the next life” and when his father told him “Son, father’s going with your mother,” was heartbreaking.

So, this ballad version of 辜, from He Xuan’s perspective, was like He Xuan remembering his family, his life, and all the happiness and suffers in it; it was like He Xuan looking back to the path that he had walked so far over hundreds of years and the three lifetimes of man, god, and ghost; and lamenting the people who had been involved in this fate-switching incident, the lives of those who had died innocently and tragically. Humming is a primitive expression of feelings, compassionate and pure like a god, while the mourning for those low-level, insignificant mortals shows the idea that gods should not love only abstract humans, but real people.

As an avenger, it's easy to think of HX's anger and hatred. But when they are stripped away, we can find that deep in his heart, the feeling and reason of his revenge that we easily overlook, is the pure love between him and his family, the warmest and the most joyful past. This love may seem ordinary, less splendor than other ghost kings’ beliefs or the relationship with Shi brothers, but it is this love that supported him to resolutely carry out an extremely long and lonely revenge that no one has ever done. Even though he would never rest and would suffer forever and he knew it, some people were worth doing that for.

That’s why I like this version. It reminded me of “true voyage is return”. The character of He Xuan is very complex but easily flattened and stereotyped because his inner self and his inward exploration are hidden, and this song shows the neglected side of He Xuan, a more human and even divine side.

The last version in episode 18 is an omniscient perspective (I haven’t seen the translation yet, so I tried to do it by myself, sorry if it sounds weird in English).

运数又何为 命中误

What fate has done,

A mistake in life.

似这般无妄劫 怎可渡

Like this undeserved trial,

How can it be passed?

一个是琳琅材 一个是凡间骨

One is a precious jade,

The other an ordinary bone.

偏谁得奇缘 放醉入仙府

Yet, who is destined

To stumble into the immortal realm.

做仙的眼无珠 做鬼的有恨难诉

The god has eyes but blind,

The ghost harbors hatred but hard to tell.

骨肉终消散 尝尽悲与苦

Flesh and blood dissipated,

Sorrow and Pain tasted.

这欠命的已还命 赎命的却无人赎

The one who owed a life has paid,

The one who atoned remains unredeemed.

问去去来来谁赢输

Ask who wins and who loses.

叹尘归尘来土归土

Sign, as ashes return to ashes,

And dust to dust.

This song has the style of Dream of the Red Chamber (the greatest classical novel in Chinese literature). Here are the songs in this novel, where you could find some similarities.

Vain Longing: One is an immortal flower of fairyland, The other fair flawless jade, And were it not predestined, Why should they meet again in this existence? Yet, if predestined, Why does their love come to nothing? One sighs to no purpose, The other yearns in vain, One is the moon reflected in the water, The other but a flower in the mirror. How many tears can well from her eyes? Can they flow on from autumn till winter, From spring till summer?

The Birds into the Wood have Flown: The office jack’s career is blighted, The rich man’s fortune now all vanished, The kind with life have been requited, The cruel exemplarily punished; The one who owed a life is dead, The tears one owed have all been shed. Wrongs suffered have the wrongs done expiated; The couplings and the sundering were fated. Untimely death sin in some past life shows, But only luck a blest old age bestows. The disillusioned to their convents fly, The still deluded miserably die. Like birds who, having fed, to the woods repair, They leave the landscape desolate and bare.

Also, in the Bloody Fire Social of AD, the first time we heard Scholar He (*in ancient China we called a scholar ‘Sheng’, that’s where He Sheng came, not He Xuan’s another name), the verse that artist sang also shared a similarity with a song from Dream of the Red Chamber.

(Bloody Fire Social):

世人皆说贺生好

All men long to be He Sheng

功名利禄少不了

With riches and rank that all aspire;

如今贺家在何方？

The kind family of He, where are they now?

荒冢一堆草没了

Their graves are a mass of briars.

All Good Things Must End (first part): All men long to be immortals Yet to riches and rank each aspires; The great ones of old, where are they now? Their graves are a mass of briars.

An interesting coincidence is that “All Good Things Must End” is the opening verse of Dream of the Red Chamber, while “The Birds into the Wood have Flown” is the closing verse of Dream of the Red Chamber. And the two similar songs in the blackwater arc are told from He Sheng's life to the end of He Xuan's revenge, which I personally like as a literary homage.

[cyberr-v0id]

I should probably make a proper introduction post so here goes

Hi hey hello wassup sup howdy hola hooray

My name is Leo but I also go by *lists a ton of names because I am genderfluid as hell, can’t choose just one, have a complicated relationship with my irl name, and eventually toss aside every name I go by* here’s the link to my full name post: https://www.tumblr.com/cyberr-v0id/731097944976228352/ok-so-as-i-apparently-use-a-lot-of-names-here-are

My main blog is @cyberr-v0id but I have a ton of side blogs, because who’s gonna stop me, the side blog police? I run a ton of gimmick blogs. You might know them. You might not.

I use he/she/they/fae and occasionally it sets of pronouns, and I am a genderfluid, afab, asexual, lesbian oriented demiromantic. Deal with it or leave :)

I currently have a crush on one of my awesome friends because I only develop crushes on people I have a strong bond with and/or have know for a while . Aka: my friends. It can be low-key awkward but we roll

I am Romani but don’t travel because reasons and I am kinda detached from my culture, but heck if I won’t defend it till my last breath

Now onto what I am interested in ehhehehehe

I AM SO GOSHDARN TOTALLY BRAIN IN THE SAND EYES GOUGED OUT INSANELY OBSESSED WITH ODYSSEUS RN. ITS A PROBLEM. IT KEEPS COMING BACK. IS THIS A HYPER FIXATION??? IS THIS A SPECIAL INTEREST? I HAVENT BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH (oh wait I should probably put that down as information then come back to my interests)

Ok so, I have never been diagnosed with anything ✨brain wise✨ however pretty much every autistic person I have ever met has said that they think I might be as well, without me even bringing it up, including my AuDHD brother. My mother has said repeatedly throughout my lifetime comments such as ‘are you sure you’re not autistic’ and ‘that is very autistic or you maybe we should get you diagnosed’ but then she denies it if i bring it up

My dad thinks I am adhd, my mum thinks I would be add rather than adhd because I am, to quote, ‘not hyperactive like [brothers name] is’. He is a twelve year old boy. I am a fifteen year old girl. I also take apart all my pens in lessons if I don’t have something less destructible to fidget with. Take that how you will

I personally have done a lot of of research into the both, and feel that I could be either, but slightly more likely adhd

I have a weird issue with my feet where the bones are too close together in places, which means I have really clicky ankle joints, am much more likely to have my ankles roll, twist, or give way, and often my legs hurt pretty bad, and my feet as well, while walking or standing for a long time. But hey! They’re getting better finally :D

OK SO NOW MY INTERESTS

I AM LITERALLY SO OBSESSED WITH ODYSSEUS HE IS ALL I HACE BEEN ABLE TO THINK ABOUT FOR LIKE THREE WEEKS NOW, I HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING HIS NAME EVERY TIME I SEE IT IN THE ILIAD, I HAVE LISTENED TO THE EPIC MUSICAL EVERY NIGHT FOR OVER A WEEK, AND THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THAT MY OBSESSION HAS APPEARED. AND IT GETS WORSE BY THE DAY.

I HAVE LITERALLY SAT AND RESEARCHED HIM AT BREAKFAST, I HAVE RANTED ABOUT HIM YO EVERY MEMBER OF MY FRIEND GROUP AND MY CRUSH SO MANY TIMES, MY ENGLISH TEACHER HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO TWO ODYSSEUS RANTS THIS WEEK AND I HAD TO RESTRAIN MYSELF FROM INFODUMPING ON ONE OF MY MUSICAL THEATRE TEACHERS.

THE ONLY THING STOPPING ME FROM CREATING ODYSSEUS FAN ART IS MY ART SKILLS

Ahem

Onto other interests:

• mythology in general but the one I know the most about and am obsessed with the most is Greek mythology

• the owl house

• Percy Jackson, obviously

• amphibia

• the inheritance cycle

• the dragon prince

• miss peregrines home for peculiar children

•avatar the last air bender

•dragon age absolution

• how to train your dragon (books, films, series)

•the wizards of once

•dragons themself as a thing

•folklore and faeries

• nimona

•Dracula

•redwall

•and a heck ton more that I cannot think of. I’ll rant about it eventually if I love it that much

The main sports I do rn are archery, paddle boarding, and skateboarding, as well as dance through my musical theatre group. Also lightsaber fighting in my street

I do art and writing and reading and acting and lots more I do a lot and then I abandon my hobbies for a while, and jewelry making and sewing and

I’ll link some more posts here that may be useful to y’all:

And remember, this blog is ran by an Odysseus obsessed teen above all else

[reiderwriter]

Hello!!If you were part of the writers on criminal minds,what would you have done differently when it came to the romantic relationships of it all and whats your opinion on some of the ships?Which would you erase and which are your favorites?I'm willing to read as much details and analysis you are willing to give on this lmao😂I loved the analysis on Reids sexual evolution season by season and am really curious on what you think on the ships like Reid and JJ,Reid Lila,Reid and Maeve,Reid and Elle😂Personally I would have created a diffrent character as a love interest for him all together.

This is practically an essay so I'm just going to apologise in advance of this. I'm not going to say I'd change much because the end product we got is my favorite show for a reason but yes, here is me talking about all the romantic relationships I can think of in CM and my opinions on them!

(Spoilers for season 1-15 of CM, CME, and season 8 of NCIS - yeah that's how long this post is).

Reid Ships

I think Reid ships are the ones most people have issues with in Criminal Minds so I'm going to start here with personal headcanons and my personal highlights. It's going to become clear that my biggest pet peeve in CM is when the writers want to give the characters a love interest and then just gender-bend their personalities, so let's start with Maeve and Spencer.

I've already talked at length in other posts about how I think the Maeve/ Zugzwang plotline wasn't my favorite. It was some amazing acting from MGG and Beth Reisgraf, but personally, I think it suffered from "serialized cop drama" plot line status. This show airs week after week with another case to solve in 45 minutes and they don't have the time or the format to pause through moments that in a standard drama would be very impactful.

To go on a slight tangent, that is partially why the relationships between the main cast are usually the only ones developed very well over extended arcs (I'll return to this when I talk about Jeid).

So, when you're trying to have an emotionally resonant moment, and you only have a handful of cold opens and one full episode to do it, you're going to have to make the characters motivations, personalities and back stories mesh in a way that makes you think: "holy shit they're perfect together."

Maeve and Spencer aren't that. I hate to use this term, but Maeve is like a manic pixie dream girl for Spencer? She's written as if she's too good to be true, which is why we're supposed to feel so sad when she dies. But they also tried to make her a complex character and didn't have the time to really do it, which is why we're given a back story that makes no fucking sense (as Spencer's DOCTOR no less) and some hints that she probably doesn't feel the same way as Spencer does for her (fiancé she never told him about etc.)

When Spencer's character starts evolving in later seasons to being more than just a genius, but a genius with trauma, they pull a similar stunt with Cat Adams/ Max

The show runner Erica Messer did mention that the Maeve plotline was always designed to be a three act plot: she's introduced, Spencer is in love with her, she dies. But, in my opinion, we didn't get enough of an introduction to her for me to feel really all that bad about it? They banked a lot on the audiences attachment to Reid, so when you feel bad about Maeve's death it's all about Reid - why do bad things keep happening to HIM, I wonder how HE will get through it - when she is the one who was just murdered. Those kind of dynamics always kind of throw me in romantic relationships.

I'm going to be clear, I do not ship Cat Adams and Reid either and I have pretty much no opinion on Max other than that if she were real I'd probably avoid her (teachers who hate teaching and blame the kids are weird! And I'm a teacher so I can say that I think lol).

Cat Adams is girl-Reid if he had a villain arc. She's 100% again there to push Reid's character development, and she's used as an action rather than a character. Max is the same. In season 15, with the entire team at a crossroads, they have to allow Reid two outs: one villain arc where he gives into his lust for Cat Adams, and one happy ending where he gets to start something with someone who is totally normal and a way out of the BAU the way Savannah was for Morgan. But it can't be as easy for Reid, and that's why we're left with the Cat/Max dilemma because he is really attracted to Cat, despite the fact that she was threatening to end the lives of members of Max's family.

By the end of the show, Reid had been actively on the team the most out of all the cast members (bar Penelope, but she wasn't out on cases first hand, so there's not as much emotional baggage there for her). He can't have an easy exit, so I kind of view this "love triangle" bullshit as a metaphor for Spencer choosing a normal life vs a continuation with the BAU.

Which is why I think that if CME continues, I think we're unlikely to see or hear from Max, because that means he's picked the BAU.

Okay now, not to sound like a broken record but, Jeid:

Before Truth or Dare, there is one single suggestion of Jeid being a possibility and it's a suggestion, from Gideon of all people, in season 1. It is CRAZY to me that after thirteen seasons they just decided to develop that one plotline again because jesus CHRIST.

My main problem with Jeid is that, actually, I think it had a lot of potential. Like I said, serialized dramas only have time to develop relationships between their main cast members, which is why we end up with a pseudo-found-family vibe no matter who happens to be on the team at any given point. A lot of similar dramas go down the route of coworker/ team mate relationships (think Ziva and DiNozzo in NCIS or Mulder and Scully in The X Files).

There was absolutely the potential for an opposites attract relationship with Jeid, but I think the minute they abandoned that after that small dialogue we got something WAY FUCKING BETTER. Their friendship is entirely underrated, Spencer regularly babysits her kid, she comforts him after Emily "dies," enough for them to have arguments about it after the fact. Your honor they are SIBLINGS. That is UNCLE SPENCER. Not your future step-dad.

When they decided to commit to JJ and Will, they should've stuck to it, and as a big fan of the Season 7 finale + Hit and Run it is very shitty seeing them trying to retcon both of these characters amazing developments and growth over 14 seasons and have them regress to shit tier versions of their Season 1 selves.

"But Kacie, there must be some Spencer relationships you like," I hear you ask. And there ARE:

Lila Archer is a great foil for Spencer. She has a happy, glamorous life until their paths cross, and then we can assume from dialogue in season 6 that she continues having a pretty fucking glamorous life after everything goes down. I don't think Spencer works best with characters that are traumatised or overly smart the way he is, because he needs something to return to after the cases that switch off that part of him, to help him forget the horrifying shit he sees on the job.

So Lila Archer was kind of a great love interest.

Another one that I'm so annoyed they didn't explore more is Austin. She's the bartender in the Season 4 Episode "52 Pickup" that is charmed by Spencer's card tricks. She is never mentioned again, but they had a great chemistry, she was quick on her feet and managed to spot the unsub first, and she was a really great foil for Spencer as well; it was a street smarts/ book smarts kind of dynamic. If they'd carried that character forward and had her reappear a few times, it could've been a great romantic plot.

I will just quickly note that the reason we most likely didn't see many romantic plots for Reid was because Matthew Gray Gubler didn't like the idea of giving him a romantic plotline, stating that there were so many more interesting things to do with the character - and he's right!

I'm a fanfiction writer, and the allure of characters like Spencer Reid is they are mostly romantic clean slates - you can write whatever you want for them within reason without having to disregard canon relationships. This is why similarly, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Venom, and young "Marauders" fanfictions are pretty popular here imo too - canon compliance isn't disregarded, the reader is just written in. So I don't think I'd change a thing for Spencer to be honest (apart from maybe not kill Maeve off and give her the actual villain arc, but I say that so regularly I'm beginning to sound like a broken record).

Also I'll just quickly mention Elle because you mentioned her - outside of fanfiction there are literally zero hints (imo) of a thing between Elle and Reid lmao there's more of a case to be made for Elle and Morgan, but for some reason, writers and fans alike don't like committing to giving Morgan more than simply platonic connections. THEY SHOULD!! THE MAN IS SEXY AS HELL!!!!!!! GIVE ME A MORGAN WHO IS REGULARLY FUCKING!

Hotchner Ships

Speaking of characters that have a long time where they are single! Aaron Hotchner is another fandom favorite to write self-insert fanfiction for, because of the gap between Haley Hotchner's death in 100, and the introduction of Beth in season 7.

In general, I like the way Hotch's relationships play out on screen. Let's start with Haley:

You can tell that the writers really enjoyed the dynamic between work Hotch and home Hotch, because they played on it so much across the four first seasons. The very first time he is introduced he's in his bedroom picking out baby names with his childhood sweetheart, so any further scenes of him being more stern or serious are always in contrast with that introduction. It's a cold open to his character that immediately let's you know that there is more going on in his world than just the BAU, and he is the only member of the season one team that has that.

Then, they really LOVE taking that shit away from him. I'm not going to go into detail here about how fucking wack the time line is for Criminal Minds, but it is stupid and that's important here because:

I think Haley's reasons for divorcing Hotch are stupid.

She says that she married a man who was a prosecutor, not a man that was an FBI Profiler but realistically by the time of their divorce, he'd been in the BAU like 10 years. They rely more on the audiences sense of time (we're two years in, so they've all been on the team two years etc) to push this character motivation off. And for a while it makes sense that they were separated, until the events of 100. But also: in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, you literally signed up for whatever the FUCK happened, that's what a marriage vow IS.

Now I'm a sucker for the angst of 100,but would it not have felt 10x more emotionally disgusting if Hotch and Haley were talking about reuniting? If they had never celebrated in the first place, and had just finished working through their marital issues when Foyet comes back into their lives and Haley has to be whisked away again? Yes. Yes it would.

There's an episode in season 9 that really pisses me off, and it's the one that Hotch passes out from an old tear in his Foyet stab wounds and he goes into surgery and talks with Haley and Foyet in heaven while watching the rest of his life after the events of 100 on a cinema screen. It's cliché and also has no pay-off because it doesn't change the way he views his relationships after that, and it's not like he's at a crossroads at that point, so it means nothing to the audience except as a remembrance of an issue and an episode so far in the past that it feels like flogging a dead horse. They do this twice, btw, and this is the more successful use of this plot (the first time they do it to Elle in Season 1/2 during the events of The Wicker King - she talks to the father we didn't even know was dead, who died decades ago in an unrelated time. Not to keep bringing NCIS up, but I think the only time I've seen it done well is whenever Gibbs kept seeing Mike Franks in the diner scenes). They do not out enough effort into these plots to achieve the emotional resonance they are aiming for in my personal opinion.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think this could've been the beginning of the era where Gibson was having a lot of issues with the cast, because it just felt like they didn't want to use him in the on-location shoots for a while lmao. Anyway, all that to say, Haley should've stayed dead, and not come back as a stupid phantom.

After the dust has settled on Haley and Hotchner though, we get Hotchner and Beth:

This is going to be a short note, because I actually really like the relationship between these two characters. They have the very slow cold-open build up that Maeve and Spencer get, but there's a lot more and a lot less to Beth's character that makes the dynamic between them really enjoyable to watch.

We're once again treated to the out-of-work Hotchner that had been missing since Season 4 (his in between scenes with Jack are cute but there's always the tragedy hanging over them). Beth is running a marathon in honor of her dad, Hotch is doing something similar for the FBI Triathalon, they train together the tension builds, they start dating. Now obviously it wasn't the purpose or aim of this character introduction to build to tragedy, and I think they just genuinely wanted to show a happy Hotchner again, but its still a valid criticism of the weird voyeuristic Maeve build-up that they literally succeeded a more sympathetic and audience engaging late minor-recurring-character EARLIER THAN THE MAEVE ARC.

I'll shut up now, but yeah, I like Hotch and Beth.

Penelope Ships

This post is getting ridiculously long, so much so that I'm even contemplating adding a fucking word count, but let's continue and dive in to my next issue.

Penelope's romantic life is used as a punch-line for the first 11 seasons and I HATE it.

There is no easy short to say this, but I despise Kevin. He is stupid, and a joke, and I hate him and I am SO HAPPY that she dumped him. They made her really pathetic about him for a few episodes, and then he kept fucking coming back too which was even worse.

Kevin is literally male Garcia but with all the worst attributes. He's clingy, and needy, and he may be smart but in a very "incel" way. In my opinion, Kevin is less a fully fledged character and more a joke line/ convenient plot point for when they need more tech analyst work. The best moment in the Kevin/Penelope arc is during the The Gathering, where she really lays into him and tells him off for being jealous of her ukelele instructor AFTER THEY'D BROKEN UP.

Penelope deserved so much better than what they gave her romantically in these seasons. First, her date tried to kill her, her boyfriend was a joke, etc. She never gets the serious romantic plotline that her other teammates do (Hotch/Haley, Spencer/Maeve, Derek/Savannah, JJ/Will, Emily/being a big old lesbian etc). Penelope is really great levity for the rest of the cast because she is happy and she is positive and she is unapologetic in her positivity. It's annoying that they don't let her be more than that in the romantic relationships they give he during these seasons.

Then Luke Alvez is introduced and there is some hope! Galvez truther's please, rise they are so adorable.

Anyone involved in the writing of CME - what the hell was that? Now I haven't seen it myself, to be completely fair, but I know enough to ask the question - really what the HELL was that?

Tl;dr Penelope's sexuality and romantic relationships should not be used as punchlines.

The Aversion to Homosexuality

This is just a general note, but the writers originally did plan to have Emily Prentiss be gay - amazing, great, it's a completely different time now, please let her have a gay awakening soon. It was obviously scrapped early in, but there's a lot of subtext that can be interpreted in that way.

They did commit with Tara, and she gets a gf in CME, so I want to see some Temily in the future if we do get more CM seasons.

So just so you know, everytime I mention Emily flirting with someone in my fic, assume it's a woman if you aren't already, lmao.

(They did also talk about making Reid bisexual as well, which would've also been great, but again, I don't think we're ever getting any more romantic plotlines from Reid).

Other Characters

Here's just a rating and short mention for all the other character couples I can think of in Criminal Minds, because this is already thesis length lmao:

Morgan + Savannah - 8.5/10, no notes, really just the gender bent love interest but done right.

Alex Blake + Husband - 7/10, solid couple, very much enjoyed when they started bringing in the people in established relationships again lmao.

Kate Callahan + Husband - 5/10, same as above but I wasn't as attached to her character rip.

Matt + Kirsty - 10/10 really no notes, I too would be called a breeder if I managed to lock that man down, damn.

Rossi + His 3 Ex-Wives - Make total sense for his character, very enjoyable to me, love that he has a nice moment with most of them again throughout the series, not going to rate it lol.

Rossi + Strauss - 3.5/10 - Last ditch attempt to make Strauss a sympathetic character, but I felt more attached to her growth after being called out by Derek rather than the effect that her death had on Rossi.

Gideon + the friend of his who is murdered by that Frank guy at the end of season 2 - stupid, worst way to go out, made no sense for the character, but I know Mandy Patinkin wanted OUT and honestly, anything for you Inigo Montoya.

Why I think Criminal Minds is Better Without Romance

Generally, I really do agree with Matthew Gray Gubler when he said that there were more interesting things to explore with these characters than their romantic attachments. It does frustrate me to no end that they focused on some of them more than others, and that post Henry, most of JJ's big moments are tied to motherhood and being a mother/ wife, but that change in her character is still amazing and leads her to a lot of growth (not mentioning Truth or Dare again, sorry it doesn't exist at this point in the post)(also I didn't have much time to mention Will and JJ, but I do love them).

Their best moments are the ones we get of them together as a team, saving people and putting away murderers for life, it's a perfect Found Family!!!

Also, no more romance = Spencer Reid can be mine. In conclusion, I am delusional. Thank you for reading this far.

[whattraintracks]

I wasn't really looking forward to anything going into High Potential 1.05 "Croaked" because, honestly, HPI 1.04 "Phyllobates Terribilis" is an episode I'm kind of meh about. After re/watching both and writing this, I appreciate them more, though.

Thoughts and comparisons below.

Things unique to "Croaked" that I liked:

Karadec to Morgan: "I am not listening to you for the rest of the day" (later) "I am still not talking to you"

"I know it kinda doesn't seem like it right now, but I do feel really bad about shooting you" Morgan says hardly bothering to conceal her laughter

Oz using the nickname Daph (as Karadec did in 1.04) highlights how familiar these three are with each other

I don't remember Daphné having any particular desire to emulate Karadec in HPI. I'm interested to see what they do with that here

Karadec, referring to the number of dates he goes on: "I cast nets"

Karadec, after Morgan swipes his phone: "You have exactly one second before I arrest you for theft" (and the look he gives her, my guy, please chill out) ((but also don't this is so funny))

I'm happy we got to see Fernanda reunited with Rodney!!

Morgan and Ava's conflict was a sweet demonstration of their relationship and the effects of Morgan getting emotionally invested in a case or, more accurately, in the lives of those involved. This time, it helped her, but I hope we continue to see the effects/toll this takes on her

Things "Croaked" did differently that I liked:

this is the first remade episode with a name change that I really like. It's both clever and easier to remember lol

clearly showing Morgan walk past and notice the dart gun on the wall and that the tank has one frog in it but nametags for two

Karadec turning to stare at Morgan in shock and betrayal just before he collapses

GIVING OZ THE COMIC BOOK PHOTOFIT SCENE T^T THAT'S SO CUTE

establishing Céline is a mom is something I wish HPI had done earlier, so I'm glad it's been brought up between Selena and Morgan a couple of times now

Daphne and Oz having a more visible contribution throughout the episode, even if it's weird (not bad, just different) seeing Daphne in the field

the 'we investigated different clues but ended up in the same place at the same time' trope is one of my favorites, and I like that all four ended up together again

Morgan bursting into the salon, declaring, "Bethany, you lied to us!"

Karadec's face is so cool to watch once Oz shows Nathan the book. The way you can tell he can tell something is up with the sudden confession

in HPI, Karadec is the one who wants to keep working on the case that night, is baffled Morgane leaves, and actually remains at the station after everyone. In this version, well, allow me to sum it up:

Karadec, trying to go home: Yeah, well, like I said, let's just dive back in on Monday Morgan, her eyes enormous: you tell morgan to WAIT? you tell her look with fresh eyes MONDAY? oh! oh! jail for karadec! jail for karadec for One Thousand Years!!!!

from the date: Karadec not seeming too bothered by the interruption, Ava asking before stealing his food, Morgan's "I thought we agreed that we were only gonna splurge on hookers as a couple?", the partners/not partners banter, and how quickly he and his date get into Morgan's revelations

the flip flops during the robbery detail and the ear dimples, since those are more likely to be genetic than the way one folds their thumbs

the grandma getting to meet her grandson!

something I didn't love so much was Oz saying "Or I'm so good, I got an innocent man to confess" like

Things I'm glad they kept from "Phyllobates Terribilis":

Morgan/e putting the very-out-of-it Karadec in timeout at the salon while she interviews the friend

Oz/Gilles' love of treats and snacks, plus his overall silliness and kindness

Daphne/é's tech-savvy and tendency to condescend a little

Karadec and Morgan/e feeling sure the case isn't over but for different reasons (the confession v. the karate photo)

Karadec continuing to manage Morgan/e's expectations (as seen in his original "welcome to my job" and new "hate to tell you, but it's like that a lot" in response to her frustration about the case's ending. I love this aspect of their early partnership. Karadec who's learned to shield himself emotionally v. Morgan/e getting invested in everyone they encounter in a case. She calls him heartless. He calls her ridiculous, but still tries to warn and shield her <3)

Things not included from "Phyllobates Terribilis" that I miss:

Dr. Bonnemain! Though I don't miss Morgane flirting with him

Karadec's allergies and the equally hilarious bit where Gilles lists all of them

Morgane shooting Karadec without warning (and in the butt)

Gilles pulling his gun on Morgane after this (could've had Daphne do it to emphasise her respect for Karadec? 🤔)

Morgane promising to take Karadec home safely; cut to her driving his car like a maniac, sirens running, and music way too loud

still in timeout, Karadec very seriously asking about the nail polish color (which would've been a BRILLIANT callback to 1.02!!)

High Potential missed the opportunity to name Bethany Beatrice or something, so it would fit with bees like Camille fits with Camellias

Karadec's little "Ha. Ha. Ha." when Céline finds him on the stairs and asks about his butt

also his insistence that Morgane didn't save his life

a ton of development on Romain's case! Actually, if they cut those scenes to take a different course or at least take their time with this plot, I won't be upset

Eliott, Albert, and Théa helping Morgane find the bad reviews

Karadec not taking Morgane to check out the second apartment because he wants to be discreet

then he says it feels good to work in peac—HONK it's Morgane! She's already here! Staking out! Would you like to join her in the very red car she just drew attention to? She brought beers!

Morgane noticing the realtor's pen at the vet clinic and the second apartment

Morgane picking up lunch for her and Karadec, switching the phone to speaker every time he changes it back, her soda exploding, him putting the call on speaker after all, her little HAH! when he does, and her stealing his laptop. They're work spouses

from the date: Ranir's, the kids sneaking Karadec's food, his exasperated "Alvaro" x3 then very exasperated "Morgane," his date staring at him to nonverbally commiserate but he's not even paying attention to her anymore bc he's sucked back into the case

Karadec's interrogation of Camille: his barely concealed anger that she's letting her husband take the fall, "there's no such thing as the perfect husband, but that man loves you" (which could've tied into the scene where Nathan explains to Oz why he falsely confessed)

the soundtrack! Rewatching this episode reminded me how much I love the motifs and character themes

[mocha-writes]

Tagged by @rlainarin to do this tag game

Three Ships:

Strahd von Zarovich/Patrina Velikovna (Ravenloft/Curse of Strahd): I admit they’re both close to—if not already at—the point of being original characters with the departures I’ve taken from canon when constructing my own lore for a potential CoS campaign, but I have been thinking about them for years (the guy who tagged me in this can confirm it). Every day I grow closer to the rewrite where the love story at the center of Ravenloft’s formation was theirs instead and they’re co-Darklords of Barovia.

Lestat de Lioncourt/Nicolas de Lenfent (The Vampire Chronicles): I just love how deep, meaningful, and ultimately terrible their relationship seemed in The Vampire Lestat. It’s such an inversion of the tropes I usually see associated with romance between childhood friends. The contrasts between them and their equally fierce emotions compel me, even though I know their story ends suddenly and tragically. (It also adds interesting layers to Lestat’s eventual relationship with Louis)

Orpheus/Eurydice (Hadestown): It feels a bit weird highlighting the musical rather than the myth it’s based on but anyway, I really love Hadestown Orpheus and Eurydice because of their contrasts and how they share each other’s worldviews (though in different ways) by the end, and how despite everything—despite reconciling Hades and Persephone and giving the world back its seasons—everything still ends bittersweetly.

First Ship: I’m pretty sure it was Erik/Christine from The Phantom of the Opera musical. I hadn’t even seen the 2004 movie or the stage version as a kid, but I squeezed everything I could out of (I think) Wikipedia and DeviantArt lists (the kind where one drew responses to prompts) about the film version and made things up in my own head. The memory that’s coming to mind is of gender-flipping them and trying to write my own play with that premise. Now, I personally prefer Raoul/Christine, but they still have a place in my heart, particularly the 1989 movie’s versions of them.

Last Movie: Hairspray (2007)

Last Song: “The New Girl in Town” (stuck in my head thanks to the aforementioned movie)

Currently Reading: The Vampire Lestat. It’s been slow-going with this one because Life but I have around 200 pages left. It’s made me appreciate Lestat even more, though I don’t necessarily believe everything he says.

Currently Watching: Not engaged with any TV series at the moment

Currently Eating: I had popcorn for a snack a while ago

Currently Craving: Stability, that setting up my new PC will go well, that I can play video games again and introduce my fictional people to my friends and their fictional people… I miss having the drive for OC asks and writing prompts. I’d like to get back into those somehow

This was originally titled something like “tag 9 people you want to get to know better,” but I struggle with thinking of people for these things… Tagging @perkeleen-lavellan , @hurl-a-can , @whenyoulosesmallmind and @darkspawntaxcollectors . There’s no obligation, as always, this was just fun and I thought I’d share. If you want to do this but weren’t tagged, do it anyway; let me enable you.

[philtstone]

#7, 13, and 22 for the Psych ask game?

7. Favorite Gus moment?

ooooh this one is so hard! burton guster my forevergirl ... he has so many iconic and Big Ticket moments that stand on their own and aren't related to other characters, but the biggest hallmark of gus's character to me will always be how good of a friend he is -- and so all of the scenes that popped into my head are a bit more subtle. it's a tie between the scene in the thornburg virus episode where gus bursts into the hospital room to make sure shawn doesn't confess his feelings to juliet for the wrong reasons, and the scene in "one, maybe two ways out" when gus immediately calls shawn out for being unfair when shawn says its bothering him that juliet is with declan. something about those two scenes really exemplifies why i appreciate gus so much; he's not here to be nice, he's here to be a good and honest friend who values the people he cares about three dimensionally, and sometimes that means not giving them the easy way out. that's not an easy thing to do. for all that gus runs away when the murder and chaos gets too much, he's incredibly brave and forthright when it comes to his personal relationships, more so than any other character on the show. he's the kind of friend i always try to be, and so those moments always stick out to me the most.

an honourable mention to the entire cold open of "office space", though. also the line "goldilocks was a crazy blonde shorty shawn", which makes me fall to pieces laughing every time

13. Favorite secondary character?

who counts as a secondary character??? can i say henry?? can i please say henry??? henrys secondary enough right??? my henry apologia knows no bounds. favorite disaster father in the history of television, no question

22. How did you get into the show?

good question!!! its a very convoluted story lol so i;ll try to speedrun it. also sorry because this is going to get a little bit sentimental and possibly too sincere

i very much subscribe to the "sometimes you encounter a story when you Need It Most" theory and i think my relationship w psych really exemplifies that idea. so once upon a time, years ago, i tried starting it when i was still into brooklyn nine nine -- this was like, 2017 i want to say? and i was kind of immediately put off and never got past episode 1. because i was expecting b99, which psych is absolutely not. its characters are a lot more morally gray and the show's narrative structure isn't a sitcom -- it's a parody of a crime procedural, which i wasn't used to. lucky enough for me, the beloved people in my life made me sit and watch the highlight episodes a few years later, and of course i was charmed, because psych is nothing if not charming and i grew up reading sherlock holmes mysteries as a kid. holmes and watson are kind of inherently a hit. but i think i never really saw it as it was meant to be watched: gradually, and with the breathing room to really understand the characters in the subtle way the show reveals them to you. i also don't think -- and this may sound weird -- i was old enough to appreciate the Point of the show

when i saw it for the first time, the main characters were still Adults to me -- a nebulous concept for sure, because i was just 22 and they technically weren't that much older than me, but it didn't feel that way at all. they looked like grown ups, especially because i was mainly watching later seasons. i was also stuck at home, with my whole family surrounding me, and hadn't really faced the question of "well what the fuck am i supposed to do with my life now?" yet

this last year, i moved really far from home, permanently, for the first time. i am very close with my brother, and for the last 2 years had been lucky enough to be roommates with one of my best friends, who in turn had basically become like a sister to me. in the first few months after moving, i did live with family, but because i was working remotely from a house in the suburbs without a car, i was alone in the house all day. i started putting psych on as background noise because i remembered enjoying it, and it was something the two people i missed most loved ... and i very quickly realized that shawn and gus were 1) basically the same age as me, and 2) one of the few dynamics i'd ever seen on tv that accurately reflected what it felt like for your Person in life to be a sibling.

it was so comforting to have on in the background. it felt like my own siblings were in the room with me, trying their best and making me laugh! and the more i watched, the more i realized that psych, at its core, is a coming of age show .... about what to do when you hit your late twenties, look up, and realize you have no idea what you're supposed to do next. and it takes your hand, and says gently, "well, it's ok. you have time. you don't have to leave what's familiar behind, but you also need to be brave enough to go after something new. it'll be hard, but you'll figure it out with the people you already love, and meet new people you'll love on the way, too."

that oversimplifies it for sure -- but something about that just hit home so unexpectedly. its been so strange moving into this new phase in my life and feeling terrified that i'll be forced to leave the people most important to me behind because Thats Just What Happens When You Grow Up. to encounter this story that was so fun and clever and sincere that showed again and again the opposite of that sentiment was such a balm to my homesickness and truly made moving away a lot easier than i ever expected.

and its just good -- well written and funny and extremely creative, and while it has its imperfections, it sticks the landing at the end, which has always been the most important thing to me, really. so anyway. now im here 5 months later and i think ive dragged like 6 people down with me in the last month, lol. theres probably more to say here but suffice it to say that because of all that, there will always be something very special about this show to me

[bsd-fan]

Dazai Osamu

I really think that Dazai’s main problem with humanity comes from a distorted perspective of himself and that this distortion comes from the alienation and isolation that the character experiments. Let’s start going deeper with this.

Dazai is brilliant, he is a genius, he is incredibly good at reading situations and people and even better at predicting and controlling them, but this also leads him to lose interest easily. It’s also important to aknowlege Dazai’s deep distrust to the people, his natural apathy and how good he is at manipulating people, put all of this together and you will get a strong disconnection between him and the rest of the world. This also explains why Dazai often sees people as chess pieces to use and discard instead of actual individuals. This is not exclussive to Dazai though, most of the most intelligent characters also have this problem to a certain extent. Ranpo also deals with the feeling of being an stranger thanks to his intelligence, and Fyodor also deals with this alienation but I want to say that nobody suffers it like Dazai does because thanks to external and internal factors Dazai is in a worse position than those two.

Now before going on, I think it’s important to highlight that Dazai seems to make an important association between “humanity” and “reason for living” and be for his intelligence, personality or environment (maybe because of all three) Dazai has an almost pathological need to be in control all the time. He needs logic, he needs logical answers, when he can’t find them he gets frustrated. Dazai can’t find sense to the world but most importantly he doesn’t find sense in life, so he ends in a existencial depression and falling into a frank nihilism. All of these are factors that increase the feeling of alienation and isolation because no one can see as much as him, and no one can understand him. This feeling goes both ways because Dazai also can’t understand why the rest of the people go on with their lives when there’s no reason for that. This ends up in a deep loneliness and increases the emotional distance that he already has with people. To summarize: Dazai feels like an outcast compared with the rest of the people which translates into a prevalent feeling of inhumanity.

“He is a man of few words. And his voice has the sound of severance that rejects mutual understanding from the very beginning. No one could understand him. No one ever will. And he himself knows that”- Odasaku about Dazai, The day I picked up Dazai Osamu (translated by popopretty)

This leads to some of the biggest paradoxes of his character:

1. He basically predicts every situation, that’s why he loses interest so easily and why he lives perpetually bored BUT at the same time, he can’t find a reason to keep existing in this world.

2. He feels detached from his humanity and he is convinced that the rest of the people notices how inhuman he is too (this is encouraged by the way people refer to him and how the act around him, a good example is “The demon prodigy” and how is shown that most people avoid him because they were scared of him) so we end in this weird situation in which Dazai craves his own humanity but at the same time it seems like he purposefully avoid it (this is important with his relationship with chuuya)

Now I feel is important to say that not all of this isolation comes from external factors. A lot of his problems are self inflicted.

“I always lose the things I don’t want to lose the most. That’s why I don’t feel anything anymore. The moment you get your hands on something worth going after, you lose it. That’s just how things are. There is nothing worth pursuing at the cost of prolonging a life of suffering”-Dazai Osamu, Dark era.

This is important, it seems like Dazai had a past experience that convinced him that is simply not worth it to stablish bonds with people because he will end up losing them anyway. This is far worse than just him having problems with relationships, he /purposefully/ avoids them. And when he comes close to something, he self sabotages himself. This aggravates the isolation and ends up in a bigger deshumanization.

This also leads to one of Dazai biggest problems, he doesn´t fucking make sense. He craves contact, he craves the relationships because to a certain extent he /knows/ they make him closer to his humanity but at the same time he rejects them, he keeps making barriers between others and himself because he actually can´t stand the idea of vulnerability. When Dazai feels exposed his first reaction is to put distance, with manipulation, cruel words, distractions, etc. because at the end what´s the point is he is going to lose them anyway but also because as much as he wants someone to understand him, he also hates the idea of being known. Dazai doesn´t only have problems with others, his biggest problem is with himself. He has zero self awareness, his real problem at this point isn´t his dificulty at understanding the world. His real problem is he doesn´t even understand himself, and he doesn´t want to. He refuses to see himself because he is scared of the emptiness there. So what does he do? He creates a rol to play, he convinces himself that his emotions are not real (even when they are), he loses the ability to distinguish between the real and fake emotions, and because he is so sure of his inhumanity he creates a personality that seems a little bit more human but at the end of the day this only represents another barrier and another way to avoid facing himself. He doesn´t even realize about his real problem and instead of trying to understand himself, he projects trying to understand life, but it´s futile because there are no logical answers for that, so he gets increasingly depressed and more and more frustrated. I´m not saying that Dazai doesn´t experiment some real anguish for the lack of logic in the world, but I don´t think that´s the root of his problem. He just centers around that. Dazai in a lot of ways is the prime example of a self destructive character and this extends far more than his suicidal attempts.

And I love dead apple because I do think that it shows the problem:

So, I´m not going deep because I don´t have the time to do a whole Dead apple analysis but the main point of DA is that the characters need to proof that they can perseverate against themselves. In a way, their abilities represents a "shadow" something they don´t want to recognize about themselves. But at the end they need to face it if they want their abilities back. For atsushi was the memory of killing shibusawa. People will complain about him crying but it´s so much deeper than that. What Atsushi did was the bravest thing in the world.

Lets contextualize: Atsushi experimented intense abuse when he was a kid but more than that he was conditioned to think that if he didn´t save people then he simply doesn´t deserve to exist. Atsushi´s hero complex doesn´t come from nowhere. He was taught that he needed to be a good person because if he wasn´t then he was less than nothing. That was ingrained in his brain. So, the idea of killing someone? even in self defense go against everything he was pushed to believe in. That´s why it was so difficult for him to accept it. For him to get his ability back, he needs to recognize the tiger as part of himself, he needed to face the memory, he needed to open the gate.

Dead apple in that way is full of simbolisms:

This three? They are above everything. Everyone else is fighting for their lives down there but they are high in the tower with white suits, analyzing everything for above. Have you ever wondered why none of them have to go against their abilities? I can´t completely answer that question but I think asagiri´s interview helps. He said that he wanted the characters to be associated with gates and the whole thing is that the alien trio can´t open or at the very least they are extremely hesitant about oppening their gates. There is a symbolism in it. This means that they probably can´t win against themselves. And I love this because it brings light to the fact that even though Fyodor is one of Dazai´s most important foils and his main antagonist. Dazai´s real enemy will always be himself. He still can´t win against his mind. He can´t see at the ugliest part of himself and face it. (Not talking about fyodor scene because it´s hella confusing and I have my own thousand word essay about that part, also not talking about chuuya being their main contrast because it will lead to incongruent fangirling)

So, as we have talked Dazai is specially good at avoiding things that are emotionally uncomfortable for him and this we can also see it in his coping mechanisms. Now, I’m not psychologist but I’m pretty sure Dazai has a strong tendency to intellectualization.

Intellectualization is a coping mechanism, this means a psychological automatical response that protects a person from internal or external stressors. Intellectualization is pretty interesting because the person keeps emotional distance with the stressor while still being conscious of it. So Dazai basically transforms emotions and feelings into thoughts because it’s easier to process that way, the problem here is that Dazai does it /all the time/. The problem with this is, Dazai has “impostor emotions” because he doesn’t experiment them, he rationalize them, it ends up with him thinking about them as fake emotions, even when they are not. Dazai also has a really poor ability of instrospection (you can’t correct what’s wrong if you don’t recognize your own emotions), and again it aggravates the isolation because in order to stablish bonds with people you need emotional vulnerability. I would also add that this explains Dazai’s anxiety, he centers around finding answers that doesn’t exist, he gets frustrated, keeps arguing with himself and ends up with cannibalizing thoughts and without a real answer because it’s a distraction of the real problem. Here some examples:

“Even if I try to argue with him, he has already prepared a counterargument to that counterargument. That is, again, a debate that is already discussed exhaustedly inside him. And the counterargument for that counterargument of a counterargument has already been prepared. Just like an infinite staircase. Descending to hell, Dazai’s dark reason has no bottom”- Oda about Daza, the day I picked up Dazai osamu.

This is not a direct view of Dazai’s brain, that’s the truth but this is /exactly/ the way he thinks. He /wants/ to find a reason for living but objectively speaking there is /none/ so he goes thinking about this all the time, from every angle, without finding a convincing answer because it doesn’t exist.

Another good example? Oda’s death

I’ve talked about it before, odasaku’s death is one of the few instances in which Dazai actually shows genuine emotion but even there to a certain extent he is intellectualizating (I think I just invented that word, ups) the situation. Why do I think so? Here:

“Dazai knew. He knew ougai’s calculations, his mentality and the rationale behind the plan. That was just the kind of organization the port mafia was. Logically speaking, Ougai was right and Dazai was wrong”

The first thing Dazai does is go to Mori and explain what he did. This is not a normal response, a normal reaction would’ve been panic, anger, and pure pain but when you read the novel is pretty clear that Dazai’s first instinct is find sense in the things that are happening and to find a reason for Mori’s acting. Even when he realized what Mori did, his brain still thinks in terms of rational and irrational. And thing is, that even though he loved odasaku with all his soul he still can’t but agree with Mori to a certain extent, even when he doesn’t want to because he still understands that what Mori did was /logical/. This is a way of deal with emotion. He can’t experiment pure anger and hurt because he still is trying his best to process the situation rationally. Before running to oda he stopped to wonder why he needed to go, yes at the end he decided that is because he was his friend and that was enough but even when his first instinct was to go, he didn’t, he needed to stop to think about it. And that’s Dazai, every single thing he says and does goes through an intense thought process. Because in that way he kind of protects himself but at the same time it ends up being a problem because it isolates him even more.

Now after talking about his personality, intelligence, and coping mechanisms we should be talking about the enviroment but we won´t because the mafia is as important for chuuya´s characterization as it is for Dazai. I have a whole analysis about soukoku and the mafia. But the only thing you need to know is: THE MAFIA IS THE WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD FOR SOUKOKU (and yes, I´m including chuuya in it)

Now, lets finally start talking about my favorite part of Dazai´s character: HIS EVOLUTION.

[discluded]

👀 did Srichand drop Mile?

omg I saw this and went to look and am going to reply REALLY quickly now because if I don't and someone else notices, I wouldn't be surprised if things escalate between the toxic solos

My consultant-type opinion (which is not a fact!) of this is: I think Mile's contract with Srichand ended.

The announcement about MileApo's ambassadorship was released circa August 28, 2022, which would imply, given some things, that it started in September 2022. The last post the Brand Twitter made featuring Mile was October 1, 2023. They retweeted some fan photos of people buying the sunscreen with Mile's picture attached, but that can be taken as engaging with people who liked their products. A 13 month contract is - to be fair - kind of weird, but this might also have to do with the uncertainty of the Man Suang release date. Since Man Suang would be released late August, it would make sense to extend the contract by a month to cover it.

I think three different contracts were signed: one with Apo, one with Mile, and one with BOC in collaboration with Man Suang (a historical Thai movie where Thai makeup would be featured). Bill, who is the Chief Marketing(?) Officer of Srichand still has the Man Suang promo slot on his header that includes Mile.

So you might be wondering, if Mile (and BOC) have a good relationship with Srichand, why might the contract end?

The other possibility turning in my head is that all of them had signed a contract that would cover until the end of 2023 BUT, drumroll, Mile got a significantly more lucrative offer.

And what offer would that be? What other makeup/beauty brand is he now a friend-of that could easily afford to buy out the rest of Mile's contract with another company, and probably Srichand wouldn't begrudge Mile for, since business is business?

Hopefully you guessed it.

From fan reports, the Guerlain store in Bangkok had sold out of the perfume scent Mile endorsed the most, and likely moved other product from fans who didn't like the scent but wanted to support him by buying another perfume. Mile endorsed the L'Art & La Matière, where 100mL is between $285-380 USD. These brands do not drop their prices for the Asian market*, and even conservatively estimating that he sold like 100 bottles of 100mL perfume and no other residuals like the Guerlain lip stick or the 200mL sizes, that's about ~$33k USD in product. Comparatively, for the first Srichand live they did, MA moved about $112k USD in product, which we can only attribute half the value of to Mile... $62k. Howevr, that took selling ~8000 units of makeup, (4000 attributed to Mile here, let's just say.)

If selling 200 units (~$66k USD) of product grosses more than selling 4000 units of product ($62k), I think both Guerlain and Srichand can see eye to eye on the value each would get from buying out the rest of Mile's contract. (Another way to add up to ~$65k+, 100 units of 100mL perfume at the $285-380 range, 150 units of perfume at the $110 range, 100 units of meteorites - Guerlain's best selling highlighter, 200 units of their $40 lipstick that Mile promoted - 550 units vs. 4000 units of product to make the same amount of money)

If anything, the weird 13 month length was likely negotiated to accommodate the release of Man Suang with MileApo marketing push to move product associated with their joint ambassadorship AND the release of the movie (their last Srichand live was Sept 19). It would be weird if Mile's face appeared on the movie makeup stuff but he wasn't appearing in the lives.

I think Mile still likely has a friendly relationship with Srichand as a company, it's just that business is business, and I'm sure whatever happened, if it was an extension or a contract buy-out Srichand likely got more than a sweet deal out of the relationship they had.

again, just my opinion. I could be wrong. But I doubt it was any sort of bad-blood reason that Mile got dropped for. The business case speaks for itself.

*luxury brands actually often have a luxury brand price increase in Asian markets. US brands are usually the most affordable in the US, and European brands most affordable in Europe due to import taxes the companies have to pay to ship product.

** also the other possibility is that they're focused on promoting the translucent powder now, which Apo is attached to but Mile is not...