#but it’s not integral like I don’t need to have them to post the damn things and consider it done

[sodacowboy]

jesus christ

[celestialtarot11]

What do people underestimate about you when they meet you? 👀💐 PAC reading ☀️

Hi friends 💐☀️ it’s been a minute since I have made a post on here, but I am back! What do people underestimate about you when they meet you? Let me know below if it resonates with you, feel free to comment like and reblog ⬇️☺️

Pile 1: Hi there pile 1’s!☀️🧘‍♀️💐 I feel like people underestimate your intelligence when they meet you. I feel you are the kind of person who observes a lot and doesn’t say much, until its necessary. A lot of people hate on the quiet kids but they’re the most dangerous because they know everything 😂 thats the vibe I’m getting. You’re quick witted, you’re quick with your comebacks and people don’t expect that. People expect you to be quiet, small minded and naive. But then they have a deep conversation with you and all of a sudden its like, “i was wrong to assume that of my pile 1, damn” and it hits them! What you say resonates because its like you get to the root of the matter and pull it out. Like weeds. You pull the truth out and say it. You guys have a powerful throat chakra and it’s something to be proud of! You don’t like illusions, lies and dishonesty. You prefer honesty, openness, and integrity! And lots of people aren’t able to match that so they end up feeling attacked, which was never your intention. Thank you pile 1’s for coming by 💗 I hope this resonated with you!

Pile 2: Hi there pile 2’s! Welcome to your reading 💐🧘‍♀️😻 People underestimate your resilience and bravery. I feel that some people see you as someone who is incapable of fighting, standing up or defending yourself. But you are the opposite! And people don’t expect that. They underestimate your ability to take on a challenge. Especially if you’ve been through a lot in your childhood, I’m feeling like family members perceived you as weak, gullible and naive. But you got up and healed and it took a lot of time, and you are still healing, but here you are setting boundaries and putting your foot down. This is something people do not expect. But then again im hearing “what did you expect? Did you expect me to really sit and take your bullshit?” On point!! You guys are quick, to the point, and do not hesitate in saying no or setting boundaries. For a long time you struggled with speaking up and it still may be a thing, which is understandable, and now you are healing enough to say no. People also may not expect you to be financially well off is something I’m getting. Your efficiency at saving money is something people don’t expect, or your savvy mindset when it comes to making 💰! People underestimate your resilience and your ability to take on a challenge. A true phenix from the ashes 💗 thank you pile 2’s for coming by! I hope this resonated. Please like comment and reblog for the support 💐☀️

Pile 3: Hi there pile 3! 💃🏻 This ones gonna be interesting 😂 in the best way possible! I feel that people underestimate your ability to leave. To say goodbye. To end situations and walk away. And move to a better place than you were before. People think you’ll stay in the mud, but you are the kind of person where if it gets uncomfortable you have no problem taking yourself out the pot. If the situation isn’t working, remove yourself from the equation is what im understanding 😂 love it! You guys don’t hesitate in moving to where you need to be and where your soul calls you, and right away you’ll know if someone is meant for you, or situation. People underestimate your ability to create abundance and move into prosperous places, but you manifest fast-and you move on to where you need to be with little to no issue. I feel like you guys know how to pack it up and make your decision, and the other person is shocked you thought about this without them. And your response is something of “I wasn’t aware I needed you in the first place to make this choice” 😂💗 I love it! You guys really know how you make an entrance and say goodbye 😻 thats the vibe im getting. People underestimate your presence in their life. The absence is felt when you’re really gone. Thank you pile 3’s! Please feel free to like comment and reblog to help this blog grow ☀️💐💃🏻

Thank ya’ll so much for reading 💐💗 it meant a lot to me! Your support is greatly appreciated. Enjoy the Aries full moon 🧘‍♀️

Paid Readings ⬇️💅🏻

[angel-in-your-basement]

hey I hope this isn't too personal but your blog kinda made me realize I'm a sadist and (possibly?) a domme? having lots of feelings about this revelation so I kinda have an odd question as like: how does one get over like cognitive dissonance with regards to self conception? sorry if that's worded weird but like, I'm a huge massive softy with like, hyperempathy type brain nonsense so its kinda hard to imagine myself actually like *as* that kinda person. I'm aware soft-domme type stuff exists but idk like how to put it together in my head? sorry if this is a lil incoherent I just woke up lol. thank you for your kink education stuff and I hope your weekend goes well ^w^

(also any general starting out safety tips are greatly appreciated cuz ngl I'm very in over my head and wanna nip any hazards in the bud before I try experimenting)

Hi there! Not too personal at all, I’m happy to talk about stuff like this. I meant to answer this sooner but I’ve just been too damn busy irl, so here I am now!

When we are presented with new information and our beliefs are not making sense anymore, it’s time to sit down and reevaluate those beliefs. If you haven’t already, I would go look at this post, which goes into more depth about shame and questioning ideas about kinks. Since that post covered shame, I won’t go into depth on here, but we are going to talk about beliefs.

Why does this happen?

What is generally happening in cases like you’re talking about, is that we have formed ideas about ourselves (ex. “I am a big softy + hyperempathetic person”) and about the world (ex. “Sadists are tough/mean/scary/whatever”), and then we create logical conclusions based on those ideas (ex. “I couldn’t be a sadist, because I am soft and not tough/mean/scary”). Which works fine until we get new information that contradicts our conclusions.

What do we do?

When that happens, and we want to resolve it, we gotta find some flexibility in those beliefs! In your case, this might look something like this:

What is “that kinda person”, and exactly what parts don’t fit for you? What parts do fit?

Where did the “that kinda person” idea come from?

Is this always the case? Are sadists 100% like that?

What might someone look like who was very empathetic and ALSO a sadist? How do you feel about the idea?

Why might it actually make sense that someone empathetic would be a sadist?

The whole point here is get a good idea of where the conflict is, why it’s a conflict and then looking for areas of flexibility.

I can’t answer those questions for you, but here is a couple things from my experience that may be useful. I have known a lot of sadists, and just like every other group of people, they vary widely, but my favourite sadists have always been the people who are big, empathetic teddy bears who want to take care of me and coddle me just as much as they want to hurt me. I, myself, am like you, where I am very empathetic but I also very much enjoy psychological sadism.

Part of it, too, is that it just takes time to warm up to these new ideas, and you don’t need to go straight into the hardcore stuff. You can integrate sadism with basically any other kink, and sadism can look a ton of different ways. If it’s more that you like the idea of seeing someone struggling or being afraid, then even stuff like giving someone pleasure or taking care of them can be sadistic. And if you’re more into the actual act of inflicting pain, then you can do it in ways where people are enthusiastically encouraging you the whole time, if that’s what you need. You can also be a sadistic sub! Honestly, I think that’s the wonderful thing about kink - there’s a million ways to mix and match, and cater your experiences to exactly what you like.

Re: starting out safety tips, I think there’s already lots of good resources on this, so look into things like negotiation, safewords, SSC/RACK, red flags, etc. This post is already getting long so I’ll just say one thing that I don’t see talked about enough.

When you’re exploring new stuff and especially new relationships/dynamics, it’s very easy to get swept up by the emotions of it, particularly if you’re a people pleasing type person. All of the bad experiences I have had have stemmed from this - from being too excited and not being able to look at the situation rationally. So imo, it’s important to have clear boundaries for yourself (i.e. I will not do any sex stuff with someone until we have talked about xyz), and to have a plan to keep yourself safe that works under the assumption that you will likely be too enamoured to want to pull yourself away from the dynamic. Having platonic kinky friends really helps with this stuff! What all that actually looks like is a whole other discussion, so I’ll save that for another day.

[hareofhrair]

However important you think Biden winning the election is, you must surely realise that jerking off into a sock might just do more to make that happen than being annoying about it on tumblr.

Thanks for having the integrity to send this off anon, man. And I more or less agree frankly. My original post was primarily venting and mostly just intended for the people in my immediate circle as, at most, an explanation for why I was unfollowing them and breaking mutuals. I didn’t even tag it as anything but “us politics” for people who don’t want to see that shit. It wouldn’t have gone much further than that, but a sci fi author I follow and respect deeply reblogged it, and they’re pretty popular so here we are. The shit i have got in my inbox the last week you would not believe, dude.

The thing is being annoying about voting for Biden on tumblr is pretty damn ineffective for sure. Unfortunately, doomposting about how he’s no better than trump and it doesn’t make a difference who wins so we should all just give up- does work. Reblogging a million posts about how Biden is a genocidal monster and voting for him means you’re a murderous racist (and exactly zero posts about Trump’s political plans or anything hopeful or which recommends actual action beyond just *not voting*) is incredibly effective at suppressing votes here. The tumblr community is very susceptible to apathy, because we’re all depressed and broke and miserable.

Russia literally used that to their advantage in 2016- this is established, proven fact- in order to get Trump elected the first time by convincing leftist youth that the democratic candidates were just as bad so there was no point in voting (and in fact voting makes you a bad person because you’re endorsing those monsters!) So I’d prefer if people around me did not uncritically reblog that shit. It pisses me off to see it and it does no one any good.

Biden is dogshit man, I know. I’m not a democrat, I just vote that way because, generally speaking, they are the only available candidates who don’t want to make my life actively worse. That doesn’t mean I like it.

But as far as I can tell, the revolution isn’t happening any time soon. I’m doing as much as I can where I am, but generally speaking the American people are uniquely complacent and apathetic and systematically depowered. Most of us are fighting just to stay housed and fed and don’t have the energy to also throw ourselves on the gears of capitalism. Those of us that do have the capacity face the incredible impersonal violence of the police state and a justice system with both political and financial incentive to strip their personhood and sell them into forced labor. Either things have to get a *lot* worse to convince people they have nothing to lose (which as someone else pointed out is a risky gamble that doesn’t always work and results in a lot of suffering regardless) or things need to get *marginally* better, enough that the people who already want change have the stability and resources to fight for it. And when you want incredibly, frustratingly marginal improvements, look no further than the democratic party!

Look, when it comes down to it, you don’t need to agree with me. But at least admit that even if it makes no difference at all, voting doesn’t hurt anything. It’s free, it takes very little effort, and it maybe gives us a slightly better chance of avoiding our country becoming a christofacist dictatorship.

If voting, at worst, makes no difference why not do it?

If voting, at worst, does nothing- why are so many people so invested in convincing you that you shouldn’t do it?

[khepiari]

Hey new one piece fan I got into it this year bc of my cousin and the live action (I’m not a long series person so it was intimidating so it was digestible and convinced me) I love fandom and the op fandom seems super cool and nice and full of talented people I just wanted w no spoilers plzzzz on why you like LawLu I see it a lot :3 (I’m on like chpt 200 only manga rn bc it’s easier to digest)

Hello

Welcome to the madness. I totally understand 1100+ episodes and chapters can be daunting.

Well, if you ask me why I love LawLu I can write a whole PhD thesis about them.

But I will try to be spoiler free as possible, to explain why I am obsessed with them: Opposites attract!

Grumpy cat x Sunshine golden retriever

Innocent x Experienced

Dumb x Dumber

Introvert x Extrovert

Dom x Sub

Hyperactive x Passive Aggressive

Jealous possessive x Friendly selfless

Touch starved x Touch crazy

Older x Younger

Freak x Freak

Intelligent x Idiot

Proud x Damn care

Planner x Impulsive Plan less

PhD holder x School dropout

Doctor x Patient

Sugar Daddy x Sugar Baby

Can switch!

Can be extremely ooc yet still be in character mode

Star crossed lovers

They simply fit every trope that exists in shipping culture. If there is a trope, be assured there is a LawLu fic somewhere.

But I think I mainly love them because Law is the perfect foil to measure Luffy’s journey. Luffy is a young person, so his recklessness can be perfectly balanced out by someone mature like Law. Mind it, their chemistry is not there just because they are opposites in personality per se, but because their storylines are also like an inversion of each other’s. They are parallel people whose storylines are running on opposites, like this ⬆️⬇️. As well as, narrative-wise, they act as if they are a mirror reflecting on each other’s lives and actions. But as the story progresses, you will also see how they are similar as well, in their goals and thought processes. I love the healthy rivalry they have because a dumbass Luffy needs to see smartass Law be an idiot and a smartass Law needs to see a dumbass Luffy be responsibly active! Two sides of the same coin, eh?

And they have an insane filler arc that single-handedly fuelled us deranged Fujos a decade ago!

Yes, OP fandom is generally cool, but do keep your tags active and mute and block things/accounts/topics you want to avoid or dislike.

My LawLu memes and rant posts are pretty spoilery because it has already been over a decade Law has been integral to the potline, so I don’t bother putting spoiler tags on them, but if you run into them, they might spoil your fun. So watch out for things from my account.

Hope that answered your query!

[thecomfywriter]

👾 writing humour 101 👾

Heyyo! It’s your girl, @thecomfywriter, back with another post. Alrighty, lowkey this one is going to be a bit informal since, as I have previously mentioned, I am in the process of moving. But anyway, today’s post is going to be how to approach the incredibly subjective and horrifically difficult task of adding humour to a story. I’m not going to ramble too much, so without further ado, let’s get straight into it.

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙

1.0 The fundamentals of humour:

What is humour? Literary speaking, humour is the ability or quality to perform comedy. To be humorous is to be amusing to others. Note, that definition does not automatically equate to “a person who tells good jokes”. To be humorous is to be amusing.

By that extension, to have a humorous character, they must possess the quality of being able to amuse others. Whether it is through a charismatic presence, an ability to make other’s laugh, or an appeal to their company— a comedic character is one that is able to lighten a mood and add an element of fun to the dynamic.

2.0 How to go about humour:

There are 2 integral factors to executing a joke. 1) Knowing your audience. 2) Getting the timing right.

I could have a killer joke lined up and ready to use that is a mix of witty and sarcastic and is bound to make anyone who hears it need a moment to process just how funny it was. But if I’m telling that joke to a group of toddlers…?

Whoosh! 💨

It doesn’t work. Humour is subjective, which is why you have to make sure the subject is targeted. I wouldn’t tell boomer jokes to a teenage, neither would I make puns with someone who hates puns.

Context is integral when writing humour. A part of that context is time, place, and audience.

Is your character telling a joke at a funeral. Oof. Lowkey though… depending on who is around them, some people genuinely might laugh. As a cooing mechanism. Out of shock. Or because they too are so appalled at the gall that it’s kinda funny.

“Here we put to rest, Uncle Steve… The-“

“-Lazy bastard died on shift. Could’ve just said you wanted the day off, buddy.”

Like bruh.

It’s so inappropriate, and it is generally tacky, but if Uncle Steve was the type of person who would crack jokes like that as well, that sentiment would not only be comforting, but also funny to them. Otherwise… yeah maybe don’t crack jokes at the funeral in the middle of the grieving family’s speech.

3.0 The icks and yucks of writing humour:

Have you ever read a book where the author is very clearly trying to write “the designated comedian friend” character, so they make all the characters react disproportionately to their jokes? Do you remember how artificial it felt as a reader to witness those scenes and feel awkward because, dude it’s not that funny why are you peeing yourself?

Obviously, like I’ve reiterated multiple times throughout this post— humour is subjective. And sometimes, jokes are stupid, but because you’re with specific company, it’s hilarious. Like the times you and your friend glance at each other and feel the urge to laugh. But in those cases, that is more telling of the bond and dynamic between the characters, rather than the comedic quality of the character themselves. Inside jokes are when stupid quips really make sense. And inside jokes are descriptors of relationships, not comedy itself.

If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: when writing humour, try to make the reader laugh, not the characters. What I mean by this is rather than have your characters react to prove that the humour works, let the humour speak for itself by cracking a smile from the reader itself. Your reader formulating their own impression that, 'Hey! This character is pretty funny!' has a farrr stronger effect than your characters saying, 'Damn man, you're funny.'

4.0 Types of humour:

Let's review some different types of humour you can use in your writing, both narratively, and through character actions/speech:

Slapstick humour: theatrical humour involving body comedy (exaggeration, theatrical movements, corny situations)

Wit: can range from puns to cleverly using puns and innuendos. Layered humour with multiple dimensions to it

Sarcasm and irony: ironic situations (something happening opposite to what was expected), or sarcasm (say the opposite of what you mean); sassiness also applies to this type of humour

Self-deprecation: putting oneself down or making fun of yourself ; making yourself the butt of the joke

Dark humour: comedy around morbid or taboo topics (i.e. death, trauma, controversial opinions, etc) -> careful with this one lol

Sitcom: very cartoony, tv show-esque, nonsensical situations

5.0 So how do I make a funny character then?

I'm doing dot jots y'all, i'm sorry LOL

Behaviours: use behaviours and mannerisms to convey the type of humour and charm they have in their personality

Observation: people watch and observe how comedic people in real life act; how do they set up their jokes, how do they build up anticipation for their punchline, how do their storytelling skills look?

Dialogue: this is the real kicker; you want to make it natural and banterous. humour works best when its quick. think of punchy lines in a conversation that bounces off each other. its also how you develop chemistry between characters-- through their ability to banter and build off each other's convo easily

Relationships: yall... i'm not funny around some people, but around others? the jokes fire out real quick. and sometimes, inside jokes just have us laughing. the type and level of comedic genius might vary depending on time, situation, and audience.

6.0 Things to avoid:

explaining the joke

too much humour

inappropriate timing/reactions

too far/insensitive dark humour (not an excuse to be a bigot y'all...)

cliches (you can technically do this, but it really only works if you execute it right, which is often difficult. but hey! go for it if you think you can. sometimes, cliches are phenomenal)

Alrighty! That's it! Good luck!

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙

Before I sign off, I just want to do a mini #thecomfywriter ramblings for a second about my WIP and things i'm about to post on this account.

So, fun fact... I'm leaning more towards publishing as an indie author. So, as a result, I've been very preoccupied with: 1) moving, 2) work, and 3) copy editing ToV. But as I'm reading through my book, I've been finding a lot of scenes that I enjoyed, and lowkey falling in love with the book again.

So, if in the coming weeks, I post more ToV / WIP related content than writing toolbox posts like this, apologies in advance. I do hope you enjoy the ToV content. And if you would like to see more content specifically relating to my book, you can check out my pinned post here, which has a navigation guide of where to find everything on my blog, as well as join the TCW tag list here.

Alright! Now I'm really done LOL

Go Buckwild! Go Crazy! Happy Writing!

[secret77778888]

Lukolaland, a theory part 3

L may have explained that he needed time to sort of things, or something else. Then comes Brazil and you can see it on her face, her gaze and body language heavily changed. She was ready to risk it.all. They were both deep into it; the stars aligned. The warmth was freaking. HOT. What really happened in Brazil stayed there. Maybe they didn’t go too far, but before she was looking at him like a snack and after he was a whole damn meal. This is where they “professionally” started to cosplay honeymooners. Meanwhile, A wasn’t going anywhere, he was her hungry boy, and it was going to stay that way, L knew he f* up, at least on some level and started to mend things by liking her posts etc. what was said? I don’t know. Maybe lying to himself and consequently to others that it was strictly professional, my guess is that he tried to play both sides by downplaying what was really happening with N while buying time to see how things will go and to end things with A. But the plot thickens, while he was living the dream, this worldwide romance with N, she was starting to trust that they could be together, my man L was stressed and unable to break things up with A. He was committed to the gig and somewhat unsure of what to do next. L apparently doesn’t know how to break up and this time it was even more complicated as A has integrated herself so well within his life. And maybe things were about to move fast with, which he may have fantasized about but was not ready for and still unsure if it was really happening. Maybe in his head it was not that bad to lead N on as he may have thought that she did the same to him before. Maybe he needed more time, maybe he wanted to fully experience the moment. What followed was Ireland galore, they were reshooting the carriage scene on live tv, my guy was elated, her simple touch sent him through the stratosphere, my girl was blushing giggling like a schoolgirl. N was so proud and emotional; they were so happy to be there together. It meant a lot for N, and it was glorious and deeply moving. N was still unsure but very hopeful, certainly comforted by her mother’s love and approval. Things were ending but it was a new beginning for them. This is where L really messed up in my opinion, he went a little too far for what was coming next.

[cowpokeomens]

Ayfuckingo, who’s stealing work👀👀👀 (Who thinks stealing someone’s hard ass work is fun? Wtf)

Yknow I thought abt deleting this ask and my post but I’m feeling feisty and fed up today, actually! This is not directly specifically at you anon 🫶 anyways read at your own risk lol

I’m not dropping names because I’m not a gossip blog, but I think the tendency of certain celebrated “authors” to dip into other people’s creative endeavors for their own work is gross and completely diminishes the whole point of fandoms. Like, this is supposed to be a community. Instead it’s turned into a competition that literally no one wants to be a part of where people say “oh yay, another _____ AU!” Instead of “wow, that’s awfully hyper specific and pretty flagrantly rips off of soemthing I’ve seen before?”

I think we, as members of fandom, have become soooooo wrapped up in the culture of needing to “consume content” that we disregard artistic integrity. We don’t care that the idea is stolen because we love the idea so much. I’m not talking about tropes (ie; enemies to lovers, grumpy!character x sunshine!character, fake dating) I’m talking about the actual creative thought that goes into making a fic. I understand loving someone’s creativity; I’m an artist, and I am constantly absorbing and thinking about art from other people. It’s inevitable that some ideas will trickle into your own work. But there comes a point where there is a clear difference between “inspired” and stolen.

I’m not trying to say this as some kind of writing authority - there are SO MANY talented and hardworking writers on this platform who make beautiful work leagues better than my stupid horny rambles. And like I said, I’m not naming names- the plagiarizers are fully aware of what they’re doing. But the way in which y’all treat fic is really disappointing sometimes. It’s not all about the next update, y’all. This is someone’s art. It’s not just a “good idea” in public domain for you to pluck and use in your own work as you please. It is someone’s art.

I just can’t help but feel like it circles back to a deeply ingrained need to devalue artists. If there was any respect for author’s and their work, this wouldn’t even need to be a conversation. Don’t fucking steal from people. Why do you value the work of an author so little that you feel it’s okay to take something they’ve worked incredibly hard on? Obviously you like it enough to try and pass it off as your own, so why steal at all? There’s a reblog button, you can add comments to let them know how much you love it. What are you gaining?

I’m coming from the position of an artist, not just a fic writer. This has nothing to do with my writing personally (as far as I’m aware, no one is trying to pass off my ideas as their own.) But as an artist, I cannot put into words how saddening and downright violating it is to have someone look at a thing you made, something you put your experiences and thoughts and emotions into, and think “it’s completely fine for me to take this idea and run with it.” That is insurmountably shitty.

Y’all are too damn smart to not notice. I think too highly of y’all as readers and creators to chalk it up to misunderstanding. You probably already had a fic in mind as you were reading this! I think we, as a community, really need to work on our intentionality and integrity with regards to art making. Stealing ideas is not conducive to making art or maintaining any semblance of community in fandom. Anyways this was long, I apologize for nothing, byeeeeeeeeee

[emblazons]

I think the thing that makes me sometimes "doubt" Byler endgame is how the writers seem to treat Will in the narrative by either making him nonexistent, sidelined and unimportant overall with often minimum screentime. Idk. A lot of ppl tried to explain why it was necessary for him to be sidelined but that resulted in the audience thinking that Byler has no chance of becoming canon and that Will is just a useless background character. Add the monologue moment in S4 and Mike constantly talking about all in S4, how do you explain the duffers will make the narrative fit in what they have showed so far in the show? Most ppl will think Byler came out of nowhere and if Will gets a huge moment regarding fixing/saving the world ppl will think it came out of blue and there was no buildup. It takes really pains to prove Will's importance and Mike's love for Will. And not sure if the writers will manage that.

—so I’ve answered some version of this kind of doubt several times on this blog before, so I’m going to direct you to those posts, so as not to reinvent the wheel:

Will's Taking a Backseat in S3 + Dustin companion piece

The Duffers, Show v Tell, and people missing subtext

The Duffers Aren't Writing "Casual TV"...they're writing for themselves and people like them

Why people assume ST is written poorly (like other shows)

General Audiences, Media Literary, and "Catching" Byler

Why I Don't Understand "Duffer Doubt"

On: "Objective" Byler (and ST) Commentary

The Duffers, the "GA," and how your value system affects how you go about interpreting (or missing things in) media

Mike & Will's 3 season arc (and how it fits in the wider narrative)

On: M&R being "2 Straight White Guys" writing a queer story

+ a cut for more thoughts about how Will really wasn't all that sidelined lmao

That said: if I’m honest, I fundamentally disagree with the premise that the duffers somehow need to “make the narrative of Will fit into s5,” as though he hasn’t been integral to the Hawkins connection to the UD since literally day one.

That, combined with the fact that he was barely even in season one outside of flashbacks (and yet still managed to carry all of S2) + hasn’t really been sidelined at all if you know how to read emotional beats and not just “action” ones? Like, sure, him not being front and center was true in S3, but given that he is the center of all of Mike’s emotional decisions across all of S4 and is now quite literally holding the “main relationship” (which it’s not, but we’ll let that go) together…saying he’s not central to what’s to come given his active connection to El, Mike, every single Byers, the rest of the Party and now Henry/Vecna as we file back into Hawkins is insane.

IMO, the real problem (and at the risk of sounding like every byler critic on the internet) is that the show is made of an ensemble cast who have all had their rounds in the spotlight over the seasons…which means that Will is not going to always be at the fore front of the action, because this is not The Will Show and not every season is written with his story as its primary narrative core. That said, if you are paying attention to the emotional and even supernatural beats of the show, you can clearly see where they’ve set Will up to hold an important and even critical role in the final season—

—especially given that characters like Henry and Vecna didn’t even technically exist 2 seasons ago, and yet now hold primary weight in the story and in the minds of this “general audience” people love acting like matter most to the Duffers (even tho they have repeatedly said they don’t lmao).

I personally do not give a damn about what “the GA” thinks is possible given that half of them were mad when Will was central to the story in S2 (the 'S2 was my least favorite season / the season I don't watch much of people) and half of them couldn’t even tell he was gay, despite being plain as day to anyone who doesn’t need every single beat of the story spelled out for them….and that the duffers literally and repeatedly make fun of people for doing I throughout the show.

All that said...I respect your right to doubt, but…of all the things I could doubt The Duffers being able to pull off in the minds of this nebulous “GA” everyone thinks is so stupid they haven't picked up on any subtext or plain narrative (which I could make a strong case they aren't...which is why they pitch such a bitch lmao), making Will central to the 5th season after all the pains they’ve taken to flesh out both his connection to the UD and his romantic feelings/sexuality is not one of them.

It's not as nearly "blindsiding" as people seem to think it is—because the second you stop thinking everyone is heteronormative, you realize a lot of people who just aren't as loud as the naysayers on the internet see it plain as day.

[ceo-of-kimona]

What to do with Scott…

A question that many many Kimona enjoyers face in our time is thus: “where the hell do we put Scott Pilgrim?”

The guy is a weird case. He’s the main character, the damn series was named after him, he’s integral to the life and stories of both of these women. Although; he is also a massive cockblock (or vag block?? Idk) and must be obliterated in order for the two to be happy. So, to prevent Kimona fic writers (also known as the greatest and most noble heroes of our time) from needing to contend with this great query again, I shall compile a list of potential things you could do with Scott to get him the hell out of the way. In no particular order.

1. Break Scott and Ramona up

Probably the most direct and simple answer, especially if you’re going for a more cannon compliant, post cannon universe. Though it does kinda invalidate all of the shit they got through to get together if they just split up like that. So I suggest that if you do break them up, make it on good terms. Make it so that it’s mutual and mutually beneficial and mature. Less of a “I hate you and I never want to see you again” and more of a “it was fun, you helped me a lot, but now we gotta go our separate ways in life.” Their development shouldn’t be rendered moot by the breakup, instead make the breakup part of their development.

2. Create an AU where Scott does not exist

A fairly easy one, if Scott doesn’t exist, you can just go along your merry way with your shipping. Fics where Kim finds Ramona before Scott or fics where Scott doesn’t ever fall in love with Ramona for whatever reason also fall under this category. These are good, but a bit bland. There isn’t a great lot you can tell here cause Scott’s douchery kinda holds together the plot pretty much. It is only by him being a rat-ass fuckboy that anyone ever meets anyone in the comics. Also, without having her relationship with Scott, Ramona just doesn’t have her vital character arc that the relationship brings. She’s always gonna be the same ol Flowers when she comes to Kim.

So unless you plan on retelling the entire story of the… everything with Kim instead of Scott, you’ve gotta very flighty and traumatized Ramona Flowers on your hands for the entire fic. Now, this is perfect for angst fics, as using pre-arc flaws to create a tragedy has been a a tool for angst fics since god damn Shakespeare. Also fluff doesn’t really need the “primest character development” in order to be good, so if you’re planning to either make angst or simple fluff then AU is your best bet. If you wanna make something more cannon compliant or lighthearted yet complicated, you’re out of luck.

3. Polycule

Self explanatory. Why not have both? Keep Scott and Ramona’s cute dynamic; and just bring Kim into the mix. While this can be very fun (I’m actually writing a fic where this happens at the moment) it isn’t great for every fic. Cause let’s face it: if you’re here and queer for Kimona, so maybe you do not want to write for the feelings of the dude who got here first so he’s also tagging along. Some people just don’t wanna write Scott, which is perfectly valid. Also, polycules are messy and complicated, both in real life and in fic writing. While complications can create some good drama, it’s also a lot of moving parts to manage. You aren’t getting a Kimona + Pilgrim fic down to 2k words without sacrificing a lot. This one is not built for oneshots or general Pilgrim-haters.

4. Send him off to be with Wallace

Probably one of my favorite options to use. It’s kinda an extension of the “breakup” idea, but it gives a happier ending for Scott, as it lets the breakup make sense. Scott falls in love with Wallace and can’t bear the pining so he communicates with Ramona about it, and they mutually agree that it’s for the better for them to split so he can be with Wells. It also will keep the Scollace shippers at bay, may their apocalyptic wrath be kept at bay /s.

If you don’t really have much stuff outside of Kimona in your fic and don’t know how to get Scott out of the picture, try this one. Just throw in a sentence about Scott being with Wallace and everything will make sense and be chill. Truly an option for us lazy bitches out there who just want yuri. It can also potentially set up some Scollace content later down in the fic if it comes to be of a larger scale, but if you just want your yuri you can throw out a “Scott is with Wallace” line and not need to elaborate further, we get it. All around a flexible, powerful, potent, and fun option. Though if you have any Wallace pairings already set up in your fic and you can’t fit Scollace in, this option obviously won’t be that useful to you.

So…

That’s all of the “bye bye Scott pilgrim” tropes for Kimona fics that I could think of. Now for which one is the best… prepare yourself, the answer is disappointing.

None of them!

No one of these is always gonna work for everything. These tropes are all just tools in your toolbox at the end of the day, and which one you use is up to what you’re writing and how you’re feeling. So don’t be afraid to try multiple of these for your fics, throw shit against the wall like spaghetti. Maybe you’ll find something new that you’ll like.

But that’s enough yapping from me. Now go forth and WRITE!

[jackie-shitposts]

re: your headcanon as to what ivy and zack do when we don't see them, i love your ideas!! it makes a lot of sense and works very well with what we've seen them do in the eps (zack picking up carmen in paris, ivy with her evergiven, it seems she was initially supposed to find them food while waiting for carmen in paris, them looking for the doubloon in ep4...). also i love the great team red scenarios this conjure, like all the nice moments spent together after a successful caper. i love them your honor

YES YES EXACTLY. THEYRE A TEAM AND A FAMILY!!! I'm gonna go into more specifics since you have given me the loveliest opportunity to do so!

Original Post (with my tags below it)

I definitely think that Zack and Ivy do a lot of the caper preparations and keeping them alive. Ivy and Zack, when they seemingly aren't apart of capers, are doing caper prep things like:

Exploring the city; they figure out routes of travel and find hotels, food places, and escape routes.

Paperwork: The two check into hotels, arrange car rentals, order plane tickets, and pick up supplies they need

Ivy does a lot of mechanical work outside of capers. She's working on Carmen's glider, grappling hook, red drone, ect.

Zack does things like cooking, packing, and laundry. hes a housewife love him for it

I know most people think that Player does a lot of those things, but I don’t think he does it all. Between constantly being in Carmen’s ear, hacking the hard drive, hacking into things during capers, and being a homeschooled kid (which takes SO MUCH DAMN TIME), I find it unbelievable that he does ALL of it. Though I do think he does some, especially the last minute changes to travel and wiring funds from VILE to different charities.

I also think Zack and Ivy play an integral role in getting the team to RELAX. Zack especially knows the importance of work and play, so they make sure the team has chill time

They!!! Find!!! Food places!!! Local bars (with karaoke ofc) for the team to get food and drinks. They also pick up food to go for the team

They find some fun things to do! i like to think they do paintball a lot

zack makes carmen, ivy, and shadowsan (when he can) go to spas with him. SOMEONE needs to make this team relax jfc

video games! they all play video games together, and zack is often looking for an arcade. player hacks the arcade games for him <3

They all work together to fight VILE. Carmen and Player dont do all the heavy lifting! Zack and Ivy are the balance to Carmen, Player, and Shadowsan. they remind the team to take breaks and have fun- theyre on carmen sandiego’s never-ending tour, theyve got to enjoy it!

[my-mt-heart]

Caryl, and Carylers, Are Stuck In Limbo

Putting a warning right up top because some of the things I get into later might be triggering to those who have struggled with mental/emotional health. Please don’t feel obligated to read that part or any of this if it’s too difficult. 

I could easily turn this into a “positivity” post, focusing on all of the romantic implications of Daryl’s and Carol’s scenes in the finale. Like Daryl’s eyes being glued to Carol when she says what a beautiful day it is, how Judith’s final words of advice to Daryl imply that his happiness is with Carol, how Daryl’s “I love you” marks a new milestone not just for their relationship, but for a “man of few words” like Daryl Dixon, how Carol’s “I love you” intentionally tries to remove the gravity of those three words in order to lessen the agony of their goodbye, and how the open-endedness of it leaves room for more stories for them in the future. 

I would love nothing more than to focus on all of that, it’s what I’m most comfortable doing, but that would mean overlooking a massive issue that impacts these characters’ alleged future and impacts the fanbase and that feels like a great disservice. If it makes me a negative nancy or whatever we’re calling that subset of Caryl fans, then that’s that. For the record, I hate that we’ve fostered this culture where our thoughts have to exist in a binary. Why can’t my thoughts be nuanced? Why can’t I give credit where credit is due and think critically about other things? Does it mean I don’t really love the show or its characters? It feels like someone associated with the show might be perpetuating that way of thinking, but I’ll get into that soon. 

Like I already mentioned, my biggest gripe with the finale is the lack of emotional realism for the characters in terms of the paths they’re taking. There have been no clues, none whatsoever, that Daryl’s “ready to move on” or that Carol had any desire to take over for Hornsby. It retcons years of some of the most beautiful character development I’ve ever seen, and fuck, it even retcons the retcons from just this season alone. How do you justify Daryl deciding to leave Judith after he’s become a “daddy” to her? How do you justify Daryl deciding to leave Carol after he tried so hard to stop her from running away? I see no effort whatsoever to make it even remotely believable. They were just forced to take several steps backward, getting trapped in narrative limbo, doomed to repeat the same storylines we saw in S9/S10C where Carol has to play pretend for the good of everyone else around her and Daryl has to be on his own, struggling to find where he belongs. After 11 seasons, the characters and the audience have earned some relief, and what we’re all stuck with is just more heartbreak and anxiety. Why? Because AMC needs to service a spinoff that has never and still does not make any narrative sense. That’s all it is, character integrity be damned. 

I’m not trying to rob anyone of the hope they might have for more Caryl stories down the line. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with hoping, and we do deserve those stories, but we don’t have anything official. Vague promises from actors and EPs don’t carry much weight because at the end of the day, their goal is to try to get us hooked on what they’re selling, and if they can’t do that with good storytelling, the only thing that really matters, they’ll resort to marketing ploys. So, I think it’s important to be skeptical and to use our wallets to remind AMC that we’re skeptical. Otherwise, we’re only giving them permission to keep stringing us along indefinitely, to deny us the stories we really want because they expect us to settle for less than what’s been earned.  

Think about the shortcuts taken in S11 and the regressions in the finale. If you think that can be chalked up to Kang’s and her writers’ “incompetence,” then I’d also encourage you to consider everything we’ve been told about le Daryl so far. Castles, and nightclubs, and endless epic-ness, oh my. But if Gimple has CRM brain, Zabel has never worked on a TWD show before, McDermott is focused on setting a different tone, and Norman needs Daryl to be the unattached, badass hero, then who’s monitoring the character arcs so that if Caryl fans were to watch, we feel welcome to the story, like we’re still with the character we’ve known and loved for 12 years even as he navigates new challenges? Who’s double checking that his relationship with Carol is still being respected? If Daryl’s in a similar headspace as 10C, does that mean we’re in for another Leah-esque arc? More ship baiting? 

I don’t agree with other fans that Norman bears *all* the responsibility for what happened to our promised Caryl spinoff, but it does upset me to see this disdainful attitude about Caryl fans, who are also his/Daryl’s fans, expressed over and over again as if 1) we need to be guilted or shamed into watching his show and 2) we don’t meet his criteria for what constitutes a fan. But for all the offense he seems to take that we don’t just accept this show without Carol or take him at his word that Caryl will meet down the road at some unknown point in time, we the Caryl fans, again that’s Carol AND Daryl fans, don’t feel listened to and we don’t feel reassured. 

My job teaches me to see the unglamorous side of television, but engaging in fandom has taught me something just as valuable, which is the human side. No, actors shouldn’t be bullied. I’ve been very adamant about that. What needs more emphasis though is how the fans are treated in return. They’re numbers to the network, but to me they’re real people who for one reason or another found something meaningful in following these two characters throughout their journey together, and they don’t deserve to be exploited for their viewership. They don’t deserve to have, what is for some, their only source of comfort in life ripped away so more privileged individuals can live out whatever dreams they have for themselves. I’m not singling out Norman, but he says he doesn’t like all of the “whining.” You know what I don’t like? *Putting out that trigger warning again.* I don’t like people in my DM’s sharing stories of severe anxiety, depression, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts because they lost something special to them, because they feel rejected by a show they love or an actor they admire. To many, it is not “just a TV show” and I think anyone who turns their passion for film/TV into a career should be able to empathize with that.  

Emotional and financial investment in Carol’s AND Daryl’s story is a completely valid reason for skepticism and “protests.” I’ve seen people argue that creators don’t owe their audience anything and it’s their story to tell, and while some shows certainly set a poor example, that’s actually not how things are supposed to work. If you’re making a TV show, you do so with your audience in mind. If you spend twelve years utilizing the amazing chemistry between two actors to build a meaningful relationship like no other, you honor that story and in doing so, you honor the millions of people who enable you to tell that story in the first place. Theoretically, the people who work on your favorite show should take satisfaction in giving you something you’ll love. I’m happy to say that’s been my experience so far as a writer in the industry. 

And as a woman in the industry, I can’t not take it personally if I have reason to suspect sexist/misogynistic practices are hindering some of the most talented and hard working among us, the ones who are needed both on and offscreen to create content that resonates with a diverse audience. It’s been encouraging to see so many others take it just as seriously, I imagine because so many others are also women and have had to battle sexism in their own lives. It’s not painting anyone as a victim or minimizing their agency. It’s just offering support. Women helping women.  

We’ve been called crazy, unhinged, conspiracy theorists, and feminists for raising these concerns and sure, we have blind spots. Yes, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. But overall, I don’t believe fans have anything to feel bad about. When all of this started,  AMC didn’t seem to think Carol matched Daryl in popularity, and we’ve been trying to push them to realize that isn’t true, that in fact, she is vital in her own right as well as to Daryl’s story. I don’t like to make assumptions about people I don’t know, but even if we got some things wrong, I can’t imagine Melissa would begrudge the overwhelming amount of love and appreciation she’s been shown, and I hope there isn’t a doubt in her mind how much her portrayal of Carol means to us. The whole point of rallying in her name was not to pressure her into something she didn’t want to do or invade her privacy. It was to make absolutely sure she has the power to choose what she wants for her character’s future. 

I will be beyond thrilled if I have to put my foot in my mouth like Norman said. I’ll put all the “foots” in my mouth because more than anything, I want Carol and Daryl to reunite and finish their story the way they should. But if it’s true my viewership is valued, show me, don’t tell me. In the meantime, I will not relax and I will not chill. I’m going to be upset about what I’ve been left with, which is the absolute last thing I wanted for both of my favorite characters. 

Like I said, my blog is still here. My inbox is open. 

[kidflashimpulse]

it's morbidly funny to me that Bart, Tara and Cass Cain are three of the youngest heroes in the show and have been through The Worst Shit of basically all the characters. Cass? abused into being a weapon her whole life. Tara? kidnapped, meta-gene forcibly activated, brainwashed and abused into being a tool for the Shadows, her parents got murdered, her brother did That Shit. Bart? grew up in a apocalypse, been through who knows what, lost MULTIPLE family members. and none of them are even 18 yet

gonna answer this now cause this is exactly what went through my mind yesterday whilst i was putting together their pictures 😭 i was like damn, this sure is a special edition collection of trauma lol and the fact that the whole point was that they’re among the younger generation of heroes? it’s kind of insane

it also really puts things into perspective regarding bart’s background, like it’s not like Court and Steph had a problem free life, but being able to group him with Cass and Tara in comparison so easily based on some trauma scale, like it’s rough lol

seeing tara in phantoms was great cause it’s rlly nice to see her enjoy her new found freedom and life with support, it’s cute. And Cass too in Targets wearing civvies clothes was also sweet, like these girls finally get some type of semblance of peace. It’s the same as Bart in outsiders, just enjoying his life with friends. Like sure trauma is always interesting plot wise/for story telling/character development, but it’s refreshing to see good things going on in these peoples lives.

It’s interesting to note that with Cass and Tara, the Team are somewhat very much involved in their “origin story” and getting them out of there. So they’re quite familiar with what would be needed for them to heal and get settled down into a more stable life (Tara with therapy and Cass being taught how to communicate with ASL/read and write (based on ask greg)). Whilst in both their stories it was about them being given the opportunity of agency and they themselves ultimately making the right choice, the team still was involved in setting it up. Ultimately, it’s a way superior approach to their origin story (at the very least for Tara who’s infamous for hers in comics and for Cass well the agency plays less of a role for her and more for Barbara as to why she became Oracle, i think originally Cass made the decision entirely herself). But ultimately their stories can also be both explained with “oh they’re young, they deserve to be given this opportunity” which is a premise that YJ as a whole is largely based on. Because it’s about the original generation of the Team using their experiences to make the world a better place for future ones.

Whereas with Bart that isn’t the case, it’s almost practically in reverse. Like sure, we know he was enslaved, had to scavenge and got desensitised to death, but that’s all stuff from practically a different world that only he himself really knows of/experienced and no one else, like even we as the audience don’t know much about it. His escape was facilitated with his own agency (with help from Nathaniel) and he practically established the terms in how others got to help by playing the role of a messenger from the future. That’s what makes it so believable that even though time has passed at this point of the series and he’s clearly nicely integrated in the present, there’s still some type of underlying darkness around him, because despite him being a literal refugee from a post-apocalyptic world (which in itself sounds crazy), his backstory is more nuanced which adds to the eery factor. His whole backstory is also worth considering in terms of how important things like the Outsiders and the MHYC might be to him specifically, it’s the same type of reasoning as to why the Team also helped people like Tara and Cass. It’s not only that he wants to play hero, he has personal stakes in the weight of everything because he understands what difference that type of help explicitly does. And it must be the same for Tara in the Outsiders and Cass now in the Team.

i think all this is also a good way to show the weight and importance of agency itself, especially in the context of trauma and also explains why I HC Bart to be easily integrated in daily life without the need of therapy/much help from day 1. It’s not that he isn’t traumatised, but considering his constant exposure to it in growing up in such a world since birth for 13 years (Tara was royalty for most of her life, which must’ve made everything more shocking to her, Cass is more like Bart in that sense with the constant exposure, but had alot of her agency stripped away for so long, with Bart it’s unknown) as well as having control over his own choices in terms of his escape/planning, i think it makes a difference and also establishes why exactly he would have a high threshold of tolerating traumatic situations. This is basically all to explain desensitisation but yeah i wanted to get into the specifics of it lol

this all isn’t to compare traumas and all that, because that’s cheap lol, this is just to say that it’s crazy how all three characters can be considered “dark” using different approaches in both story telling and origins. I just think that’s really cool, because sometimes stories can get a bit repetitive with their development of jaded characters which ironically makes the story lose its edge. That’s why i really enjoy it and makes “reminder” moments like in Phantoms when he confronted the Legion all the more entertaining lol

so yeah, whoever took the time to read my word vomit, i hope u enjoyed it and would love to hear further thoughts on this if y’all have any :D

also thanks anon for sharing ur thoughts with us <3, i love these type of topics sm lol

[touloserlautrec]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Thanks for the tag, @ntzsche9! You can find their answers here — and there are some absolute bangers in there.

Gently, no pressure tagging: @camillenrose @pandoras-comment-box @scribe-of-stories @thatndginger @sunset-a-story

1. What motivates you to write?

I can’t not think about stories. If I didn’t write (or pressure @sunset-a-story into co-writing a given scene XD oopsies), I’d just go out of my mind with stories bursting from the seams. It’s how I mainline dopamine.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Probably this excerpt from Arc 1:

Mackenzie held her eyes for a moment amidst the table’s laughter. It seemed like nothing could ever make her flinch. “The reality is, there is no fairness,” she said. Her voice was rich and deep like velvet wrapped around a sharp knife. “No justice, no karma, no great equalizer. Not even death.” The table fell silent as she spoke. The woman knew how to command attention and respect. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my days, it’s that we’re not built to hold it in our fragile minds-- this reality that no amount of integrity, righteousness, or fortitude will overcome the affliction of human nature.” She looked at each of them, straight in the eyes. “But if there’s another thing I’ve learned, it’s that those same fragile minds are a weapon. We’re not built to hold that knowledge because that knowledge is useless to us.” Her voice hardened. “This is a war of attrition. Our fragile minds may shatter like glass at that knowledge but shattered glass can slice a man’s throat. Even the tiniest shards can cut up your insides and kill you if you’re made to swallow them. Death may not equalize the world, but it can damn well make a man piss himself. So we let our minds block out the parts that hold us back and we’ll force-feed them the undoing they’ve sown. There have been days when I’ve known everything there is to know, and I can’t hold it all forever, but the one thing that I can’t un-know is that things change. They mutate because of some small itch or tiny displacement. Just look at us. Knacks. Mutations. Impossible changes. Motherfucking pearls.” She picked up the bottle of scotch and started pouring again. “So, Fredericka. You were robbed. They will try to make you thank them for it. Don’t give that to them. Instead, keep your head held high and make them choke on it.”

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Oooh how do I choose from my babies???? I think Alex is probably the head of the pack— he’s just got so much growth and bravery, and it’s comforting that he lives inside me. On the other hand, Emmett is a very strong contender because he’s such an unhinged, confident person, who does absolutely nonsense things. I can’t help but cackle along with him, and I try to channel him when I need to be confident.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I think it’s probably gotta be characters. I think I am pretty good at coming up with interesting, well-rounded characters with unique voices, and writing their inner dialogue and inner workings to further flesh them out.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

The engagement and encouragement. It was starting to really get crushing to constantly post things to Facebook and Instagram and get pretty much no response, so having a place where people are actively encouraging and lifting each other up feels really good and motivating.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Hmm. Google docs has been a life saver in co-writing and organizing this behemoth of a story. The other thing, weird as it may seem, is drawing— drawing and seeing my characters helps me feel inspired to write/brainstorm more story, and vice versa.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

My favorite piece of world building is The Church. Their weird way station homes, the constant sense of grossness and pared down utilitarianism that comes with being nomadic and single-minded. Their unflagging faith and spirituality of all different sorts. The most welcoming, safest, unwavering hospitality. I love the weird combination of those things. It also lets me indulge my lil’ pagan heart (even with non-pagan characters tbh, because the way they interact with any God(ess)/Spirit/Being, no matter which religion, has so much conviction and deep knowing that it is True and Real and Manifest). Their lifestyle and mission is so compelling to me.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

We’re always taught to write with the audience in mind, and to an extent that’s true, but first and foremost, write what you want to read, write because it’s fun, and then read your own stuff over and over because you love it and it inspires you to keep going. Read other work too, don’t get me wrong, but just… let yourself enjoy it. Be your own fandom.

[phoeeling]

probably my least favourite argument for h*ntlow and other m/f ships that fall in a same category is the “Implied/confirmed to be bi/pan makes it progressive and woke and good and it’s biphobia if you don’t like the ship” (I’ve also seen ‘it’s racist if you don’t like this ship’ for all the ships I’m referring to)

like. it’s not m/f ship hate, it’s not biphobia and it’s not because it’s not ‘progressive’, it’s because it’s not well done and yes, kind of heteronormative. I don’t think it really helps that Willow ditched her shorter hair around the time she started being paired off or that Willow, who has a problem with people ‘protecting’ her because she can protect herself, is fine with a Big Strong Boy saving her for some reason.

People always act like you’re crazy, biphobic or racist for disliking ships like h*ntlow, or glimb*w or s*amista because ‘the characters are implied/confirmed to be bi’ and the way it’s implied isn’t even damning evidence, just a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment or ‘this ship has a/POC in it so you’re racist for disliking it’ and just ???

It’s not entirely the fault of the show, but H*ntlow is not, imo, written well as a romantic relationship, mainly because there’s absolutely no stakes. Willow doesn’t hold a grudge for Hunter kidnapping her like, at all, because there wasn’t time to devote to having to earn trust back. Their friendship isn’t really integrated into Hunter leaving the coven, and they’re not important to each other in a significant way.

When writing a romance, the characters need three essential things to make their dynamic compelling. A) chemistry/compatibility B) something keeping them apart, a reason not to be dating and C) it has to feel like character A considers character B ‘special’, and vice versa.

H*ntlow doesn’t really have that. They don’t feel like they’re more important to each other than anyone else is, and there isn’t anything to really stop them from dating, which is why they’re semi-confirmed. I could go on but I’m not going to because I am. Tired of writing this post.

[waters-and-the-wilde]

HEY @kyliebyelie I had a weird couplea weeks but I did say I would yell about Nureyev and Vespa some more so *launches enrichment pumpkins*

also OG post thread for anyone who wants context it was just getting a little unwieldy

First off! re: Nureyev still being willing to bet on the hope that Juno would still vouch for him – I’ve also been thinking about how he had to be willing to bet that it wouldn’t backfire on Juno. Like, ‘you have no idea how much I did to keep the Kanagawas off you’. The fact that tying Juno’s name to his own work could have very easily painted a target on him. Even if he couldn’t have known that Buddy and Jet were going to pull a ‘come with me if you want to live’, the fact that he put Juno on their radar suggests that he trusted Buddy to begin with. To not threaten Juno, or to use Juno to threaten Nureyev. Jet talks about how the criminal reputation informs a potential employer that their prospective is reliable, but it also must work in reverse – that a potential boss won’t screw you over.

re: Nureyev being a fan is something I think about A Normal Amount

You’ve absolutely nailed the whole vibe of their communication styles, the chain reaction of politeness/rudeness → perception of emotions and control → measurement of honesty → how that exacerbates the friction, like that is such a good breakdown goddamn.

to add to that since I am constantly frothing like the cappuccino about the concept of 'solid coping mechanisms that backfire in the wrong situations' so for your consideration: one of those pesky little first rules of thieving being 'don’t rise to the bait’. Oh it was intended for Being In Situations with weird rich people or standoffs with other criminals, but when it's his default setting for responding to things, it's just gonna just drive the wedge that much further every time Vespa questions his integrity and he doesn't show where he keeps his Give A Damn. (And it's probably even harder to untangle as a 'no that's for jobs not your personal life' thing when it still has its legitimate applications in his personal life, bc Juno’s own survival reflex MO is ‘how fast can I piss somebody off to find out what I need to know’ and that ability to stay focused and letting him know when that's uncalled for is probably extremely necessary for the both of them)

‘Vespa is terrifying’ – okay so funnily enough! i'd been telling @one-joe-spoopy (pssst hey come look I've got enrichment pumpkins!) about my headcanon of 'ranked order of members of the Carte Blanche crew by how much they scare him and why number one hands down goes to Rita,' which is a whole post in itself but long story short, I think out of everybody he gets the most sense of security around Vespa (though she probably still does terrify him, like, a normal amount and for the exact reasons you described, especially pre/during Man In Glass.)

Basically the concept I’ve been toying with (and I think moreso in a later, probably post-Cyberbots context given some time to settle in) is that her opinion of him is decided and earning her approval under the circumstances is What We Call A Non-Starter. When he's reflexively trying to manage everyone's expectations and invested in their approval, and realizes in no uncertain terms that he can't win Vespa over as long as the name thing is a going concern, the pressure’s off a bit there. Though not in the healthiest of ways, necessarily, if he’s just more comfortable with letting her believe what she wants about him because that’s how he usually deals with people.

And another aspect of this sense of security dovetails with your previous points about how Vespa and Juno are more reactive than performative, how they wear their principles on their sleeves and others recognize them as genuine. I bet Nureyev absolutely knows better than to make the comparison in her earshot, but I can see him just sorta unable to help liking her for the same reasons he’s drawn to Juno – he can brush off a little belligerence from someone whose integrity speaks for itself. Vespa abides by her own codes as well as visibly aligning herself with Buddy’s – she’s pissed about not knowing his name but won’t coerce it out of him even when the requisite leverage is right there – and like you said, she would be insulted by the idea of using underhanded means to get him fired. He knows where he stands and possibly figures that trying too hard to fix it is just going to piss her off further. And it's not like he's gonna stop being dramatic and making his gay little jokes and smooching Juno in the mess hall, he just needs to focus on comporting himself as a reliable crewmember and establishing himself the hard way with time and Buddy's family bonding activities (and yeag he wants to Get A Good Grade In Crewmate which is Normal To Want and Possible To Achieve).

oooh also I’m a little fucked up on the idea of him on bedrest with his broken leg and getting filled in on what he missed during Shadows, realizing that Vespa thinks he’s got it in for her right around the same time he’s having an epiphany that he trusts her to keep him alive and patched up even if she never likes him as a person and that the shapeshifting robot impostors don't stand a chance with her around. like not only is she not the thief she was twenty years ago, she's even tougher and smarter and cooler and doing it all with the brain horrors on top.

ALSO in light of Next Page I now think about ‘hey what if he’s Inherently Suspicious of Medical Personnel due to The Trauma and did he spend a bunch of his broken leg recovery time fretting that she was going to try to wring his name out of him while he was on painkillers only she never does??’ (god there’s this one fic where he and Juno get MacGuffined into kids and she’s like. ‘well shit. yeah I could find it out but goddamn. that’s a line I just can’t cross. Not Looking At It I Do Not See It’)

gah it's just. Nureyev's trust issues are so goddamn multifaceted, like. local baby boy too trusting, gets his only security ripped out from under him, tanks his shot at happiness bc the trauma gave him suspicion, becomes the suavest charlatan in the galaxy so he doesn't get taken advantage of again, craves genuine connection but hasn't actually had a chance in the last two decades to figure out what he's like around other people for any stretch of time, also still literally paying the price for the last time and can hardly bear the thought of confiding in his new connections because there's nowhere truly safe in the galaxy he's terrified of putting a target on them.

But I think about his little 'much more so than usual these days' to Juno's sarcastic 'happy now??' and that maybe he was a lot closer to an honest version of himself on the Carte Blanche. That he was getting places, that he was trusting them with as much as he could. something something 'Peter Ransom' wasn't intended for putting at least half the truth under their noses the whole time but he kinda let it turn into that the moment he let Buddy start calling him Pete.

Handful of miscellaneous thoughts on things they have in common:

- the debts thing. Vespa of all people is the most painfully, intimately aware of what it feels like to have a life that isn't one's own, so the way she approaches Nureyev being in massive scary debt with suspicion made me go huh. so I've been thinking about that one and tbh given how she internalizes shit and doesn't entirely trust herself (and god I have to imagine that she's really messed up about how close she came to killing Buddy in Time Gone By), I think seeing her situation in Nureyev's wouldn't engender sympathy because is that because she also knows exactly what she was prepared to do to get out from under it. and is just expected to tolerate the fact that they're taking their goddamn chances on him. there's this sense of 'even if he cares. even if he thinks this is real. even if he tells himself he wants to be a part of this. who's he gonna be when push comes to shove. probably not even Steel is safe.'

- They are both extremely functional under pressure and in more in their element in full on crisis mode, and are probably spending S3 figuring out what the hell to do now that they have access to things like reliable meals. privacy. affection. (pretty sure Juno is also experiencing a similar kind of 'things... getting better? after being. really bad all the time???' and having a lot of midmorning scuffles about it)

- Also they both have their shitty dads living in their brains rent-free!! and they are never ever going to talk about it but one (1) time Nureyev hears Vespa yell 'shut the hell up old man!' from another room and. sometimes thinks that very hard in her voice when Mag's advice is being unhelpful

re: feral kittens in towels - I want them to get into it that day after Heart of It All where Juno isn't getting out of bed and isn't there to get all protective, and for once she's in a half-decent place brainwise and he's riddled with eight kinds of guilt and half on the edge of a nervous breakdown and having all of his defenses shot is actually a good thing for him because she's not actually going to do anything with the upper hand except cuss him out a little bit. Like 'I was gonna cut your throat without hesitation yesterday and you're all fine and dandy about being in the wedding party? no shut up I'm not saying you can't. it's whatever. Bud thought it would be nice and I'm not against it. I am saying. the fuck is wrong with you.' hurt can sniff out hurt in-fucking-deed. I am dying inside like the fact that Nureyev himself would prevent any closure we might have gotten between him and the Lighthouse Crew after S4 is very him and also it hurts me and I need to pick it all apart with a seam ripper and see what spills out

likewise it’s hard to picture them ever reaching an actual rapport but I can’t even tell you how many times I pictured the prison break with all of them converging before Clean Break aired, where it’s like finally sunk in that he’s on their side and she goes ‘Ransom watch my goddamn back I need to kiss my wife’

also. does anybody want. some fic? I have some job interview/Man In Glass missing scenes where i am gnawing on this at all times