#chips character development makes me go crazy

[artandbrimstone]

oh the subtle shift in chips behaviour after trading away his memory of killing someone for price

because he's more careless than he was before, less opposed to jay and gillions random "let's just kill this guy" suggestions its so subtle but its still there

anyways bizly when i get you bizly

[lornaka]

My five cents on Tech’s fate in TBB

It’s been over three weeks since the show ended and I’ve been writing this in my head ever since, mostly to have it summed up in one post for posterity lol. I considered letting it go at this point but I know it’ll drive me crazy if I don’t get it out of my system so might as well.

So here we go, some of my rambly post-finale thoughts on Tech’s death (and a few other issues) under the cut!

Disclaimer: while this post is in critical spirit (because that’s how my brain works), I want to make clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone who’s worked on the show. My criticisms are of the final story as a whole as I interpret it (art is art, everything is subjective, you know the drill), but one never knows what goes into the process of making it behind the scenes, so I’m not holding anything against the creative team. I love this show dearly and am in awe of how good it is at its best, despite certain things I wish they did differently.

To begin, if I had to sum up the biggest problem that TBB writing suffers from, it would be lack of closure, and too many red herrings. Not just for Tech, but many things. Major plot threads as well as little character moments are cultivated or thrown in just to never culminate in anything or to be immediately discarded after serving the plot, some of them incredibly misleading. Some of the top examples:

- Crosshair’s chip. We never get an exploration of how the trauma of his chip activating and being left behind not only affected his motivation and choice to stay with the Empire, but his relationship with his brothers. While it was made fairly obvious, if subtly, that Crosshair became free of the chip’s influence after getting hit by the ion engine on Bracca, the narrative treated this change as if it didn’t matter at that point, while it obviously mattered a lot within the context of Crosshair’s character. Add to that all these little details with him clutching his head in s1 finale, Omega expressing her disappointment in him, and Tech’s comment on how “it is just his nature” (as if it matters!!! See what I mean about the narrative treating Cross’s chip as if it didn’t play the key part in his trajectory? They throw in this line, like we are supposed to take away that it’s simply Crosshair being Crosshair and not like, the results of brainwashing and abandonment), Wrecker blaming Crosshair for not going back to them, all while we as the audience have been shown and told repeatedly how these chips work (and so were the Batch), we ended up with an incredibly confusing situation with lots of mixed signals from the writers. And once Crosshair makes his choice to stay with the Empire in s1 finale, his chip and the confusion it brought to his relationship with his brothers is never brought up again, because the plot simply moves on.

- Cid’s betrayal. After her being a major character for two seasons with a continuous relationship build-up with Omega in particular, she is discarded as soon as her betrayal serves the plot, with all that character development getting thrown out of the window. You can be mad at Cid all you want, but to me it’s incredibly weird and wasteful to end two seasons worth of build up on that note without it having any closure for the characters, especially Omega whose whole theme is trusting people and bringing out the best in them. It’s fine if they decided to make Cid exactly what she appeared on the surface (untrustworthy and self-serving) after playing around with her potentially growing through her fondness of Omega, but then at the very least the betrayal should’ve had an impact on the characters, Omega most of all. Even just one casual line from Omega in s3 about how Cid’s betrayal impacted her emotionally, however minimally, would have solved that problem. And no, CX-2 mentioning how he extracted info on Phee from her off screen absolutely doesn’t count as closure, because I’m talking about emotional closure for the main pov characters as well as the audience. Cid had a presence for two seasons, then as soon as she executed her role as a traitor to further the plot, she was discarded like she was a random extra.

- Emerie’s relationship with Hemlock. We are led to believe that he basically raised her, instilling in her the idea that she had no chance without him and owed her purpose and “safety” to him. You can’t tell me that this didn’t deeply affect her struggle and eventual decision to break away from all that and choose to help the kids, basically betraying Hemlock. I get that the show only had so much screen time and Emerie is a supporting character in season 3 at best, but common, she has more tension with Dr. Scalder than Hemlock while the potential for this rich deep conflict between them is right there.

I can probably list more smaller examples but this is getting long and I don’t want to go on any more tangents, so, finally, the biggest example of lack of closure and tendency of TBB writing to display foreshadowing that leads nowhere:

Tech’s death.

First of all, I’ll die on the hill that it wasn’t denial or delusion that led to such a big portion of the audience to believe that Tech didn’t really die in s2. If we look at the facts:

- there was no body

- it’s the finale of season 2 out of 3, pretty early for one of the main titular characters to get killed off

- the only/last character to allegedly see Tech after his fall is a villainous scientist who is known to experiment on clones specifically

- not a fact but: the whole scene with Hemlock presenting Tech’s goggles to Hunter was incredibly suspicious. In hindsight, I think the whole purpose of it was so that the Batch got Tech’s goggles back in their possession as a memento (and to show how evil Hemlock is to rub it into Hunter’s face like that) but it was executed in a way that read as something much more. It read as if Hemlock was going out of his way to convince us/Hunter of Tech’s death, but with us knowing who Hemlock is, his background in experimenting on clones, everything screams at us to not trust a word he says. Is it really so surprising that so many of the viewers immediately jumped at the conclusion that something more was going on there?

- Hunter’s (lack of) reaction/immediate narrative fall-out. More on that later as I address lack of emotional impact of Tech’s death in s3.

- it’s Star Wars. And there was no body.

So yeah, to me, it is completely justified that so many people read that whole thing as open to speculation at the very least, foreshadowing Tech’s survival at most.

Personally, I was 70% sure Tech was truly dead prior to s3, but not because the text told me so, but because at that point I was used to the show’s writing regularly sending out mixed signals, and a part of me was resigned to Tech’s death becoming another example of the writer’s intent clashing with their accidental empty foreshadowing.

As season 3 aired and the whole CX-2 plot was unfolding alongside continued lack of closure for Tech’s fate, my hope for Tech Lives reveal grew and grew, but in the end my initial doubt was proven right, unfortunately.

Oh, CX-2.. what a mess. You can’t tell me the creators went over all of these scenes, all of these lines, looked at the whole picture and *didn’t* see how it was incredibly easy to interpret CX-2 as potentially being Tech with all these little potential parallels. “Domicile” alone.

If they didn’t want us to entertain the idea that it could be Tech, they could’ve done it differently, but for some reason, they chose to leave that space for speculation. My question is, why?

If they truly wanted us to believe Plan 99 was it, Tech’s Noble End that we were supposed to take as this dramatic super emotional ultimate sacrifice and all that, then why would they not make it clear that CX-2 couldn’t be Tech? Why breed confusion? And breed confusion they did. It’s hard for me to believe they didn’t foresee the “ohh is it Tech?” speculation.

When so many members of the audience immediately and individually jump at a theory or have the same take away from the story they are being told, yet the authors say it wasn’t meant to be taken that way, something went seriously wrong with the writing.

I don’t like to speculate on such things because we will probably never know for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had at some point considered CX-2 being Tech or at least something more for the whole CX plot thread, but changed and reshuffled things at the last minute for whatever reasons.

Which is fine and understandable. But it brings me to the heart of my biggest issue with how Tech’s fate was handled:

lack of impact and closure.

Let’s disregard all the Tech Lives theories for a moment and focus on what we did get: Tech, one of the main characters, getting killed off at the end of s2 out of 3, for stakes and consequences and NOTHING else. When I say nothing, I mean nothing.

Imagine, for a moment, he survived and stayed with the Batch. Nothing would have changed, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing. We wouldn’t have had a few obligatory “Tech mention, everyone feel sad now” throwaway lines/goggle shots and whatnot, sure, but that’s it.

Tech dying didn’t change the trajectory of the plot in any way, nor did it affect any of the other characters in a way that changed their trajectory. And anything less is simply not enough to justify killing one of your main characters. Stakes and consequences ain’t it.

Consider Mayday, for example: a supporting character, but his death in s2 affected Crosshair in such a way it completely redirected his journey, AND in s3 we got an episode that cemented the impact Mayday had on Crosshair and provided emotional closure for them. That’s a narratively meaningful death.

Tech’s death was not meaningful to the narrative beyond removing him from it. That’s why so many Tech fans insist he deserved better treatment: not only was he not present in one third of the show physically, but he lacked any sort of presence even in death. His absence was never processed or grieved by any of the main characters and so by extension by the audience.

And before anyone starts with the whole ‘they are soldiers/they had no time to grieve/etc’ arguments, it is the responsibility of the writers to provide the space for all of that emotional impact. It they don’t, there is no impact.

A few reactions here and there, moments of missing Tech as a person and a brother, not an asset, anything would have made this whole thing easier to accept.

The lines that we did get, from Omega mentioning the stuff Tech taught her to Echo commenting on how decryption would be easier if Tech was with them to “Clone Force 99 died with Tech” from Crosshair - each and every single one of those lines linked to Tech’s functions as part of the squad, his usefulness, but we didn’t get a single line in remembrance of him as a person of his own, no one missed or remembered him for himself or his personal impact on them.

Just one line from Omega about how he taught her about change being a constant part of life or whatever, or Wrecker making a comment on how Tech used to info dump about stuff, anything would have instantly provided that much needed sense of “he was here, he was a person and is still a part of us”. Instead, Tech was killed off to show that messing with the Empire is dangerous and risks are real, I guess, and immediately lost any and all presence within the story.

We never even got to see Crosshair’s or Phee’s reactions to losing him.

Speaking of Crosshair, that’s a whole other example of complete lack of closure: they never closed the loop on the family being reunited again after initially leaving Crosshair behind, and with Tech dead, it’ll forever stay broken.

They could’ve given this a bittersweet yet meaningful spin if they developed the angle of Tech dying on a mission to bring Crosshair home, making a sacrifice so Crosshair had a chance.

Instead, the moment Tech dies, we get Hunter (and through him, the narrative) immediately abandon the idea/plot thread of going to rescue Cross all while saying “let’s not waste Tech’s sacrifice”. Sacrifice for what? Clearly Hunter doesn’t see it as a sacrifice for Crosshair’s sake, so, what, to make sure the rest of them makes it from the mission? The mission to save Crosshair. That mission. Right.

I see people talking about Tech’s noble sacrifice that ensured his family got to live and eventually have their happy ending, but all I can think about is how the creators chose to have him die on a mission that was immediately abandoned and the only take away from that whole sub plot was Tech’s own demise.

And after Crosshair is back with the Batch, his reaction to Tech’s death is never explored at all.

So yes, to me Tech deserved so much better. If you are going to kill off a major character, it must be necessary to be compelling. The way I see it, Tech’s death was not necessary at all because it didn’t change anything. And if it was meant to, the creators failed to communicate that by choosing not to explore the emotional impact of it and not structuring certain story beats in a more precise manner.

To wrap this up, if the way Tech’s death was handled was satisfying for you, that’s valid and I’m glad for you. For me, unfortunately, it’s completely the opposite and will forever remain the biggest and most unfortunate low point in the story.

And while I welcome anyone to share their own perspective if they wish, please don’t take this post as an invitation for debate, since there is no one right or wrong way to interpret or be affected by art.

[madcapberry]

i would love to know ur dickhelena thoughts that might be controversial actually… i recently finished a bunch of huntress reading so she’s been on my mind a lot

Idk maybe the most controversial thing is how much I care about the two of them as a pair. I think their friendship is more compelling than Dick and Babs as a relationship or Helena and Babs (whatever tf you’d call what they have going on). And I just wish that we’d gotten more of Dick and Helena together, I feel like their dynamic had so much meat to it. There was so much to dig into that was never full explored. And I think leaning into it would have been good for the development of BOTH of them as characters.

I’m not saying I think they should be a couple, but it makes me sad that nobody seems to care about them as a pair. There are so many Dick Grayson fans and I feel like a large portion of them barely know who Helena is. And Helena fans generally don’t seem to give a fuck about Dick (correct me if I’m wrong, that’s just based on my observations… also fair enough). But they make such interesting foils and you could do so many different stories with the two of them and their opposing viewpoints. And it’s always more interesting than pairing Helena up with Batman because Dick and Helena actually seem to care about each other on a human level and they have this unnamable tension between them that I think works so so so well.

The dynamic I’m talking about is pretty contained to the 90s through to 2011. Dick and Helena’s dynamic in Grayson is fun but it also feels like both of them (but especially Helena) are completely different characters there. And to be completely honest I don’t know a lot about what their relationship looks like since Rebirth.

What I wanted from them was for their relationship/friendship/working partnership to get the breathing room to stretch and grow. I wanted it to be painful and sweet and difficult. I wanted their chemistry, their similarities, and their camaraderie to MEAN SOMETHING!! And it was pushed aside by people like Chuck Dixon who were very very keen on pushing Dick and Barbara as a power couple (Nothing against Babs, I absolutely adore her. Really don’t like DickBabs tho) I also think a lot of writers at the time disliked Helena so they did their best to make it seem like she meant nothing to their precious Nightwing.

I think they work better as friends than as a couple. They’re both quite uncompromising characters with core values that don’t line up. It could be interesting to explore a romantic relationship between them, but anytime that’s been done it just feels… off to me. I don’t mind the sometimes sexual aspect of their relationship, it works for me sometimes, but at other times I do think it feels a little bit forced (Devin Grayson why is Helena randomly shoving her tongue down his throat). Anyway.

Dick can’t love certain parts of her, (her willingness to kill bad people). Helena can’t love certain parts of him (his rigidity, to put it lightly). And I think what they both need is a kind of freedom they’ll never be able to find in each other. It’s crazy because both of these characters have a sort of wild and free personality at times but neither of them are free. Helena is bound by the memory of the slaughter of her family, her old mob ties, her guilt, her compassion and hatred in equal measures, her religion, Batman and Gotham. Dick is bound by his love for Bruce, the shoes he has to fill, the version of himself he needs to live up to, the version of himself Bruce imagines is real, the weight of all the people who rely on him etc.

There’s this dedication and commitment and fervor at the core of both of them and they’re both orphans and they’ve both experienced so much violence and they both have a chip on their shoulder about Batman and yet they have so much to argue over it’s GREAT!!!!

Anyways love them a lot ok byeee!

[sixthsensewulf]

Alright so. .I will do, eventually my favourite STFH couples (canon or not) but not know. . Today is the turn of the kids or young adults.

This will be a LONG ONE.

Ah, the joys of the Shoot from the Hip children storylines. All of them will fucking BREAK YOUR HEART. Make them fucking happy or have no trauma..

So oddly, looking at the collection of the children that they have done. .

- Tom plays the children/young adults with the most trauma it seems. .and he is soo good at it. Also the one that is most often the young character.

- AJ plays also sad children. . Kinda noticed most of the time, his characters are missing a parent or both of them. . Possibly the only outlier there is Kelsey from My First Bra. .

- Sam = just pure chaos, rare tho. It's not often we see a child played by Sam. I could be wrong, haven't gone through all the patreon's 'live on stage' shows yet.

- Luke = some sad young characters but again mostly rare in the longforms.

So here is the list. .

- Andrew (Luke) [All Eyes on Nigel] my poor boy.. he didn't deserve the crazy shit that happened. My headcannon of the ending is that Andrew did go back with his uncle Sam (played by Sam unsurprisingly), but ended leaving the Manchester Police Force.

- Chip (Sam/AJ) [The Cardboard Stegosaurus] - yep somehow AJ played Chip because Sam would have been pulling double duty for the entirety of the ending of the play. Honestly probably the healthiest child on this list. . But this is a wholesome story from the group, I'm not kidding. They do grief soo well. .

- Alexa (Tom) [Ballet on the Battlefield]. . PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS.

- Hugh (AJ) [Marigolds, Bluebells and Hugh], one of my all time plays by the group. Hugh needs to be protected and I'm glad he can be now. .

- Priscilla (AJ) [Priscilla's Final Petal]. .Priscilla my beloved. Protect the sweet child at all costs. Honestly I can't exactly describe the final moments of the play, apart from pure noisy chaos.

- Peter (Tom) [The Milkman]. Protect this poor boy. At least he knows the truth now, but still protect the boy.

- Benjamin (Sam) [Strange Noises from the Hole in the Wall] ah yes.. the child that started out as Timothy, then got called Timmy and finally Benjamin. But honestly Sam's acting as Benjamin, broke me soo many times, especially the ending moments.

- Jasper aka The Boy Witch (Sam) [Moist & Magical] - Name got canonised in a Patreon live stream. Jasper, my Scottish lad. In all truth, wholesome as fuck play. Badass women, Tom being unhinged and Jasper being the perfect grandson.

- Jimmy (Tom) [Toby's Secret Pocket] PROTECT JIMMY AT ALL COSTS. I don't think I had seen their audience latch onto a character that quickly. Jimmy was perfect in every way.. in all honesty I have no idea how the 4 of them ended up with character development, and a wrapped up ending after being pure carnage for 3/4 of the play... The amount of bullying and throwing each other under the bus. . Forcing Luke and Tom to play two characters in different scenes.

- Kelsey (AJ) [My First Bra] - PATREON ONLY. . Honestly this play is chaotic as fuck. . You wouldn't expect where it goes. . It starts Wholesome then gets weird. .

- Jackie (Tom) [Drama at Till 4) - PATREON ONLY. Honestly a wholesome play, I'm not kidding.

- Timothy (Luke) + Tina (Sam) [Tango at the Rugby Club] - Bill Murray Live Stream play (1st of September).. combining these two child characters together, since these two are very sweet.

[rabid-reads]

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (book 1 spoilers)

Right away, so many terrible things are happening. One after the other, the horrors are persisting, and I’m thinking…. Didn’t Pacat say whatever happened between Sarcean and Anaharion was worse than Damen and Laurent?  💀

Because how? How does a situation get worse than this?

It took me a while to read because there were so many parts where I had to put the book down and take a break. The story is great, but there were some super heavy themes.

Damen is so precious for not being able to understand how evil the people around him can be. Even when his brother betrayed him, he wanted to understand why because it was hard for him to accept. He’s so precious he’s not catching on to the very obvious hints of what The Regent has done to Laurent (his own nephew). Because Damen would have trouble understanding such a horrifying concept—it hasn’t even crossed his mind yet. Damen, who wanted to make sure the Akielos slaves were treated well would never understand the actions of The Regent. It’s crazy too, The Regent going around on his campaign to smear Laurent and promote his own flavor of moral superiority and virtue signaling. I hate The Regent so much.  

Speaking of which, it’s amazing how Pacat has used Nicaise’s character to develop Laurent’s character. Because Nicaise is living through the horrors Laurent did as a child, and it makes sense that despite everything Laurent has a soft spot for Nicaise. The amount of empathy for Nicaise outweighs any of his behavior, because someone as vulnerable as Nicaise would want to hold on to any amount of power he can get. Especially while navigating life through this pit full of monsters.

I can’t even imagine how healing it was for Laurent when Damen refused Nicaise. There must have been a shift in his entire world view to take in the concept everyone isn’t a monster. And Damen’s constant chipping away at Laurent’s defenses by showing him not everyone is trash. When Damen consistently shows up for Laurent and defends him out of just Damen’s inherit goodness. It makes me want to sob. And I know Damen’s not a saint, but that’s the point. Damen is generally decent and even decency isn’t available to Laurent in his current situation.

It’s going to be rough watching Damen have to learn how to navigate these types of horrors, but at least it will be heartwarming to hopefully see Laurent change for the better because Damen helped show him a slightly improved world view. Hopefully.

Overall, I like the writing itself (the line work) in the Dark Rise series better, but I am more invested in the characters for this series. I also feel like every time a side character is explored in Captive Prince, it’s more interesting than it is in the Dark Rise series.  And I like the narrative in Captive Prince better too; I’m not a fan of how many POVs the Dark Rise series has going.

But yeah. Quick mentions, Ancel sucks (pun intended), but Erasmus is adorable.

Time for Prince's Gambit! :D

[riddle-me-ri]

A/N: No real explanation for this, it’s just a super, super self-indulgent piece for me to do a character deep dive into Jervis Tetch. Don’t mind me! Lol. I was stuck between doing this with either Arkhamverse or BTAS Jervis(pls request btas jervis i only have one idea for him and its meh to me rip), but decided to just do a general overall version of him. I bring up a lot of familiar character beats and woes so this can really fit most Jervi anyway. There’s a hint of smut but nothing crazy, cause it’s not entirely what it’s about. 

and I guess a wee late b-day gift for @mischievous-marchie they’re mostly to blame for this anyway given the few deep discussions we’ve had in general lmao. 

Trigger Warnings: depressive and anxious thoughts, venting, explicit sexual content (handjobs all about Jervis here sorry not sorry), mentions of violence and criminal acts, and strong language

Word Count: 3.4 k

General Mad Hatter x Reader - Love and Suds

One of the most dangerous places for anyone to go is the deep recesses of their own brain. 

People often spend many years trying to repress their horrid anxious inducing memories of their shortcomings. 

Jervis found himself lamenting his very life, in the cold solitude of his tiny living room in his tiny apartment. 

On his lucid days, he's aware…he's there in reality, painfully aware of everything; past and present.  

Jervis sees what he's done, and it shudders his whole body in shame. He doesn't mean to hurt anyone. He doesn't mean to take away their free will…well most of them anyhow. 

It's just how else can he be noticed? Be respected and be shown an iota of love? That's all anyone really needs right? That's all everyone wants. 

Suffice it to say, people want things from Jervis…they want them all the time. But never the man himself.

Fellow rogues and evil masterminds constantly come to steal or bargain for a smidgen of his technology. 

He hates to admit the times he agreed to such dealings, whether it was for the money or just a shot at actually developing some kind of alliance.

Only for it all to be spit back in his face. Nobody wanted Jervis the person…just the genius and what he could provide. 

No, Jervis was always too freakish, too awkward, too…creepy to some. 

Jervis could feel the walls slowly caving in on himself. 

All his atrocities from his raging escapades to find companionship only to find someone wasn't the one or only to be taken for a fool and used all this time. 

Which caused him to lash out in the most violent ways…

All the times he was used, chewed on and spit back out, no longer of use to them or anyone really. 

His fingers raked through his hair. Nails scratching at his scalp, fingertips pulling at his hair strands. 

He just wanted to make his Wonderland a reality. He wanted to find happiness in reality but it just wasn't possible so he had to resort to desperate…horrible…measures. 

"Didn't want to…I didn't want to…wanted company, wanted to feel loved, respected…h-h-heard…" 

Heard…heard..what's that noise?

Someone was knocking at his door.

Jervis blinked rapidly. Trying to come back into the external after spiraling into his internal conflicts. 

Who could it be? He debated just staying quiet and staying put and continuing his downward spiral. 

Yet, much like Alice of old, he was curious. 

Jervis slowly, almost reluctantly approached the door. He looked through the peephole. 

Oh, it was you. What're you doing here?

"Jervis? Are you there? I haven't heard from you…" 

Guilt welled up in his gut like bile in his throat he wanted to puke. In all his damning thoughts, you were completely void of them. Probably because you're one of the only few people in the whole world that seemed genuine. 

You…actually seemed to like him for him. Something so rare there were many days Jervis found it hard to believe you existed. 

Yet, he knew he didn't have any chips on you. Jervis has looked you over a time or two to ensure he didn’t plant one on your during any of his stupors. 

There you were though. You were a free roaming person…that willingly came to see him. 

Jervis slowly unlocked the door and was greeted by your bright relieved smile. 

"Oh my god, Jervis you're okay! I-I haven't heard from you. You haven't invited me over in awhile…umm, can I come in?" 

Back in Jervis' days before his Mad Hatter escapades, you were the only one that showed him any friendly camaraderie. 

You, of course, being the only one wasn't enough to prevent Jervis from succumbing to his last resort for more connections and more semblance of respect he lacked. 

Many times, Batman and the psychiatrists at Arkham called upon you to help him, but it was like talking to a bunch of brick walls when they asked for your opinion. 

Jervis nodded and stepped to the side and let you in. 

You looked around at the clear disarray of his living room. Blankets and comforters were scattered on the couch and floor. Lamp shades torn off. Cups and saucers littered and stacked on the table and floor. 

You hung your bag up by the door and took off your shoes, before looking back over to Jervis. 

He had definitely seen better days as well. 

His hair was coated in grease, his face sweaty and paler than usual. He looked like he had been wearing the same forest green bathrobe for days if not weeks. 

Jervis was rocking on the heels of his feet as he let you take in the outer representation of his inner turmoil and depression. 

"I…um…" Jervis tried to speak up. His heart cracked as you waited on him to continue with sincere ears. 

"Wasn't planning on having company…" He scratched behind his ear, nervously. 

"It's okay, I did pop in unannounced but…I was worried–" You began to explain your motive but was cut off. 

"Why? W-why bother…" 

You quirk your eyebrow at him for a moment. "Because I care about you…I know I haven't been around much and I feel guilty for it but I just wanted-"

"Don't waste your time or breath on me…I'm far from forgiveness and beyond help…"

You walked over and attempted to grab his hands in yours. "Jervis, that's not true, who told you that?" 

Jervis looked down at his feet, as his hands rested in yours but didn't return your endearing grip. 

You had a tight smile as Jervis decided to stop responding to you. He tended to shut down when words became too much, swirling in his head between the rhymes, his thoughts, and what he wishes to say. 

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry it took me so long to come back." 

You started running some water into the bathtub. Occasionally putting your hand through the water until it was warm enough to start filling the tub.

Jervis was still in the living room. Too exhausted to really argue with you to leave him be. Plus deep down he supposes he was glad to see you, before things got too dark again. 

"Hey, Jervy!" 

His heart skipped a beat, you hadn't called him that in…years. 

He turned his head down the corridor and saw your head sticking out of the bathroom. 

"I ran you a warm bath, you don't have to wash or anything, just relax, yeah? I'll pick up a little in the living room in the meantime…" You offered. 

You, you did what? You're going to do that? 

Panic softly set in, he knows this feeling. 

Something he's always felt for you, but reserved it. Pushed it down. Not wanting to hurt you after so long…or worse, like he did to most…

He hopped off the couch and made his way to the bathroom. Your smile almost made him smile back in return. 

"Just take it easy, I'll be back in a bit with a change of clothes. Just yell for me if you need anything." You pat him on the shoulder, before closing the door and you start cleaning up the living room. 

Jervis had to admit, it did feel nice being in here. The water felt like an engulfing warm hug, slowly rinsing off the grime, sweat, and dirt off his skin. The warm water caused his skin to redden a soft pink. 

His swarming thoughts from before still lingered but they were much fuzzier. Hidden behind some weird mental fog. 

The weight remained however as he fought on how to conduct himself with you. He could hear you moving around just outside the door. The clinking of dishes, the roaring of a vacuum. 

A knocking sound broke him once again from his reverie. 

"Are you doing okay, Jervy?" 

No response. Jervis tried to move his mouth and conduct words but nothing came out. 

"I'm coming in, okay? So…hide yourself." You chuckled softly. 

You entered the bathroom and were happy to see he at least got into the tub. You wanted to ask how he was, but felt it would fall on deaf ears. You set his change of clothes by the bathroom door. 

"Here, you don't need to do anything, but…" You walked over to the side of the tub, making Jervis slightly jump. 

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, but, we gotta do something with this hair, okay? Will you let me wash it?" 

Jervis hated to admit it but that sounded splendid right now. He was sick of his hair sticking to his face and being everywhere. He nodded. 

You smiled brightly, excited for the positive response. "Thank you, I promise I'll be gentle."

"N-no…uh…thank you…" Jervis mumbled. 

"Don't mention it. I just wish I got here sooner. Looks like you had tea parties without me." You joked, giggling softly. 

He softly mustered an amused scoff in return. You were always one to entertain his Wonderland fixation. You didn't question it or ridicule it. You understood and encouraged it. Even made a claim to being The March Hare (or The Dormouse on days when you were particularly sleepy and longed for a nap.)

You got behind Jervis' head with the bottle of shampoo and conditioner by your side and a couple of rags. You put a generous amount of shampoo in your hand and began scrubbing his strands. 

The contact was really nice and felt amazing. Better than all the beatings from Batman or the Arkham Asylum wards he was used too. 

He almost whined when you stopped. "Jervis…I'm gonna need you to breathe for me, okay?"

Jervis didn't even realize he was holding in his breath as you scrubbed his scalp. After a moment he slowly exhaled and began breathing in and out. You continued washing and rinsing his hair before repeating the process with conditioner. 

You two sat in comfortable silence with the occasional sloshing of water whenever you had to rinse Jervis' hair. 

The swelling panic deep in Jervis' gut was throbbing at this point…along with something else. 

You weren't under his mind control. 

You were still your own being. How were you so nice? You know better than anyone what he's capable of, but you choose to come anyway and you chose to stay. No matter how much distance he tried to keep from you so he didn't result in his usual…antics. 

There was no denying his feelings for you anymore, in this vulnerable and intimate state. He loves and adores you. His only friend, his March Hare…he just didn't know how to respond or react…how they say…appropriately. 

"Y-you don't have to stay here any longer. You're free to leave." Jervis came back up from rinsing the rest of the conditioner out of his hair. 

"Jervis…if you want me to go. I can, but I don't want to. I've missed you and I wanna help you." Your hands were still on either side of him in the water. 

"Why? Why do you wanna stay? Knowing very well what I can do…what I do to…what I've done." 

You took your hand out of the water and cupped his chin in the palm of your hand so he could look at you.

"Jervis, I've known you for a decade…and you've never not once offered or tricked me with any mind control whatsoever. And you want to know why?" 

Jervis nodded, but you still answered anyway. 

"Because you don't need to. You know you don't need to. And you never will need too. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain that to that dark dingus." You rolled your eyes at the mention of Batman. 

You could count on both hands and then some the nights that Batman was literally breaking and entering into your home to ask about Jervis and what made you special. 

It's because you were fucking kind to him. You liked Jervis. He's quirky, intelligent, and can be kind but you could only be so kind anymore after the world kicked you down so many times. 

You wondered just how small Batman's so-called "rogues gallery" would be if people were kinder to others and didn't seek to take advantage of other human beings. 

It saddened you immensely to see him go down the path he did when there was no way for you to interfere but you couldn't say it surprised you either. 

You looked back into his eyes, your hands moving from his chin to his cheek. "I'm aware of your past…transgressions. Your m/o but I'm not scared or worried. I do mean it, and you can quote that it's actually me…" 

You turned and rotated your head around to show the lack of headgear, microchips, and any other cranium influences. 

"...I care…no…I do love you Jervis Tetch. I'm not going anywhere…not anytime soon." 

There was a beat of silence as Jervis took in what you said.

You saw his lower lip start quivering as they fought to speak or keep in the growing pressure in his eyes and throat to cry. 

You smiled softly, and with zero care for getting wet; you wrapped your arms around him and embraced him. 

It took a minute but he slowly returned the gesture. You could feel him press his fingers down into your lower back and his arms tighten around you. 

"T-thank you…" He whispered softly in between sniffles. 

"Don't mention it." You let him go and sink back into the tub only to realize you're just as soaked as well.

You couldn't help but laugh as Jervis looked at you nervously when he realized he had gotten you wet. 

"It's okay. It'll dry, I figured it was a good idea to pack an overnight bag." You chuckled. 

Jervis felt guilty now, not for any reasons before, but for the way he kept stealing glances at your skin that was see through the wet white shirt. 

"Do you think you can clean yourself while I go change?" 

He could, he absolutely could. He wasn't a child. But damn it if he wasn't just the tiniest bit selfish for your touch and attention now. He didn't want you to get away. 

As if you possessed mind powers of your own, you jokingly rolled your eyes. "Okay, okay, I'll just finish what I started and then change, how is that?" 

You laughed in disbelief as for the first time that night Jervis actually gave you one of his signature giddy grins and an encouraging nod. 

You got back down on your knees beside the tub and grabbed one of the rags and lathered it with soap. 

Before you began washing his body, you playfully plopped the rag onto his face, causing you both to laugh. You did take the chance to clean his face and head but being mindful of his eyes. 

You were relieved to see Jervis start feeling better but it was even more satisfying to feel the tension in his neck and shoulders finally disappear. He was actually relaxed and loose. 

When you got lower under the water however, something stood at attention that you didn't think about and Jervis forgot to mention. 

Jervis gasped as you got closer to his groin and grabbed your wrist. "I-I can take it from here-I…I'm sorry." He ruined it. His one chance of true companionship was dashed because of stupid primal responses and desires.

"It's fine, Jervy, really." It really was fine, you didn't mind one bit. You were kind of flattered more than anything. 

"Y-You mean you don't mind?" 

You shook your head, "not at all, in fact if you allow me too…" 

Jervis gulped. He would love it if you did, actually. You caused it after all. 

"Y-yes, please." 

You leaned in and kissed his temple as your hands dove back into the water. You let your hand trail up his leg, occasionally groping his thigh as you got closer to his cock. 

Jervis gasped when your hand finally gripped the base of his cock. You slowly began stroking and tugging at the base, just to start the pace slow. With every pump you went higher and higher up until you finally got to the head. 

Jervis was a flushed red panting mess as you continued your gentle but steady strokes, occasionally squeezing his head in a way that made him whimper louder. 

Above the water's surface, you continued to peck sweet, endearing kisses along his face. His forehead, temple, cheek, nose. Everywhere he was comfortable with for now. 

You were still somewhat shaky from your confession and Jervis' lack of reciprocating or response of one, but you knew he would say it when he’s ready in due time. The fact he’s letting you stay, treat him, and “help” him…that was enough. 

You began picking up the pace, with faster and tighter strokes from his base to the tip. You saw Jervis slightly convulsing and his breathing became more raggedy and heavy. You were so focused on getting him to the precipice of pleasure that you almost didn’t feel his hand come up to your cheek. 

“C-can I…can we…k-kiss?” He managed through his groans and whimpers. 

The elation you felt as you happily leaned in and pressed your lips gently with Jervis’. You felt the quick intake of air through his nostrils. Your lips vibrated slightly as he groaned into your lips, before sighing contently. When you pulled back and broke the kiss, you smiled at the look of pure bliss on his face. 

A complete opposite of the stern, tensed forlorn expression he had when you first walked into the door. 

You removed your hand from the tub and got up and began actually drying off your hands and arms.

Jervis was about to finally get out of the water that has already gone cold a long time ago, but was taken aback by your next actions.  

Without so much as a second thought you removed your top and bottoms right there in front of him and changed into the light blue puffy shirt that he was supposed to change into. 

You didn’t notice how you absolutely stunted the neuroscientist as you quickly made your way out of the bathroom. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back with a change of clothes for you!” 

When the door shut and you left. Jervis was left alone again, to really let it all sink in what just transpired. 

The way his heart was skipping beats but with love and elation more so than anxiety and guilt. The smile on his face wasn’t turned up, crooked and mad. It was natural and it felt nice for once. 

Jervis quickly got out before you could shock him again and began drying himself off. His back was towards the door as you opened it with a fresh shirt, pants, and underwear. You slowly crept behind him and put your hands over his eyes. 

Jervis gasped slightly from the shock, before chuckling at your playfulness. 

“Guess who?” You whispered sing-songy in his ear. 

“Hmm…oh is it the Cheshire Cat? The Carpenter? Or-or the Walrus?”

You laughed softly. “Nope, I’m actually invited to the Tea Party.” 

“Dormy?” 

You shrugged. “On my more sleepy days, absolutely.”

“Oh, I know.” Jervis reached up and grabbed your hands and removed them from his eyes. He turns around and smiles at you. “It’s my darling March Hare.”

“But of course.” You smiled as you pulled him into your arms. You gave him a kiss on his nose and reluctantly let him go. 

“I’ll let you get dressed, its not too late and I doubt you’ve eaten anything. I’ll make something quick and then we can head to bed, how does that sound?” You opened the door, about to head to the kitchen. 

Jervis smiled widely, beaming with happiness and love he hasn’t felt in such a long time. “That sounds splendid, my dear.” 

“Perfect! See you soon!” With that you left the bathroom again and began whipping some stuff up in the kitchen. 

As he changed, Jervis couldn’t help but smile in pure delight. All his memories and thoughts that were weighing on him and suffocating him finally dissipated like steam from a tea pot. He had someone that cared for him, not just for what he could do but for who he is. 

The notorious Mad Hatter of Rogue Gallery infamy. The lonely wretch that is Jervis Tetch. 

When he is with you. He felt he actually had a chance.

[skirwitte]

The Bear Season 3 thoughts

Contrary to popular opinion, I preferred season 2 to season 1 because of its focus on developing the characters, increasing our understanding as to why they act the way they act and how they can change for the better with the right input. This is why Honeydew, Forks and Fishes were by far the best episodes of the show. Season 3 at it’s best continues in this direction - Napkins and Ice Chips are standouts focusing on Tina and Natalie/Sugar. Both of them were also by far the most relatable for me personally, and grounded a season that was otherwise pretty abstract and cerebral, focusing on Carmy’s internal conflict.

Narratively, I get and why they chose to stagnate/regress the characters but I was quite disappointed, especially after showing how great they can write character development in season 2. No one calling out Carmy on being a fucking dickhead (other than Richie) was also realistic, as he has taken on the Boss role by being a “rising star” - the classic white male archetype of tortured genius. But I wish this aspect of his character changing for the worse was explored more, and not just from Carmy’s internal POV (and a couple of passing comments from his uncle) but also from exchanges between the secondary characters we’ve grown to know and love. The overall focus on the white characters (especially the infuriating Fak-ing around and Claire’s continued yawn of a character 🙄) instead of Marcus dealing with his mum’s death, Ibra struggling with the sandwich bodega, any of the back of house who are on screen for 2 seconds (& apparently got fucking FIRED ???? and then rehired ?) was also baffling. They’re so much more compelling than the Faks, and they were handled with so much care in previous seasons only to be tossed away like a toddler who is bored of an old toy. I couldn’t give less of a shit that they invited John Cena for a cameo, I wanna know how the characters we’ve spent the show with are doing!!!

I was waiting for Syd to finally sit Carmy down and make him realise that he’s acting like a psychopath, he is ignoring how integral she is to The Bear’s success (and taking all the credit), he isn’t involving her in any decisions when he promised multiple times to do so, he is beefing with Richie for no reason which is detrimental to communication within the restaurant. The way in which he conducted himself and The Bear this season is NOT how a restaurant should be run; it causes chaos and misery. If Richie and his staff can’t do their job properly, the guests aren’t going to have a fine dining experience that’s worth it. Michelin stars are not given only for the food, but for consistency and for the total experience. Changing the menu every day can be on the table once the routine is established. It’s like expecting someone to drive a race car after giving 5 driving lessons. Unrealistic and selfish. And the fact NO ONE has called him out on this is crazy. He really needs a fucking newspaper to tell him this? So much fucking filler in this season without actual impact, which is so strange when “every second counts” is like the show’s unofficial motto.

Also the score fucking sucked, especially in episode 1. Why did they think people would pay attention if they combine disorganised flashbacks with fucking spa music??? Directorial decisions have always verged on being excessively cheesy with the gen x songs and Chicago montages, but I think this episode crossed the line for me. Many MANY scenes of cooking in the restaurant would have been better with a more driving score (arguably the best scenes of season 1). I understand that they were aiming for a more introverted, subdued tone but the contradiction between Carmy screaming his head off and the spa music was oftentimes unintentionally comical. (On the other hand, the soundtrack itself fucking banged with some of my favourite artists such as Cocteau Twins, Radiohead, Adrianne Lenker, The Sundays, mk.gee - unfortunately to a distracting degree but that’s on me and my obsessiveness tbh).

Overall, I didn’t actually hate this season despite my gripes. I’m simply frustrated because I know that they could have done better - the skeleton was there but it really needed a bit more meat on its bones. Probably 6/10 overall, with Napkins being 8/10 and Ice Chips being 9/10.

[clairelsonao3]

Whump This or That

I had to jump on this open tag from @victimeyez because the options were just too delicious!

Instructions: Okay, time to choose one or the other! Bold the one in each pair you like best!

Chain bondage/Rope Bondage

There's just something about hard, unyielding metal. I'll choose it every time.

Knife/Razor

Impersonal Whumper/Intimate Whumper

This doesn't have to be a sexual or romantic intimacy, it just has to be enough that they know Whumpee's weaknesses and insecurities well enough to destroy them psychologically as well as physically.

Physically restrained/Held by threat

Collar/Jewelry

I like both, but jewelry is a bit more subtle.

Drugged/Restrained

I'm actually not a huge fan of deliberate drugging of whumpees to make them compliant or forgetful. I'd rather they feel and experience everything in a lucid state!

Restrained/Tracker Chipped

Chains, chains, and more chains! (Although obviously, I use both because the more the merrier).

Locked in trunk/Locked in cage

Metal bars my beloved.

Burning torture/Drowning torture

Freezing/Burning

Burning my beloved. Another one I'll choose every time.

Emotional leverage/Physical threat

Ideally, one should play off the other.

Cigarette burns/Tazer

Fantasy whump/Realistic whump

Fantasy's great, but it can be easy to magically heal or handwave away plot holes.

Sick whump/Injured whump

Blindfolded/Muzzled

I'm not a huge fan of opaque things that cover large parts of the face. But muzzles, absolutely, especially mesh ones that you can see Whumpee's pretty face through.

Isolated/Hidden in plain sight

Beaten/Whipped

Hand cuffs/Zip Ties

Metal. Always.

Branding/Scarrification

Affectionate whumpee/disgusted whumpee

I'm not crazy about hyper-conditioned whumpees and prefer them more defiant, so "disgusted" seems in line with that.

Affectionate whumper/Whumper who considers themselves way too far out of the whumpee’s league

Mob whumper/pirate whumper

I'm a sailor (although these days I mostly just play one on TV), so I gotta go the pirate route.

Historical setting/modern setting

Ooh, tough one. I mostly write modern these days, but they're both fantastic.

Slave whump/pet whump

Obviously, although at heart they're kinda the same thing, aren't they? I'll definitely read pet whump if it's well-written.

NSFW: Optional, of course

In my own writing, you'll often find a lot of NSFW, but I can take it or leave it in others.'

Forced Chastity/Forced intimacy or prostitution

This one's interesting. You see noncon in whump a lot, but forced chastity is far rarer and I'd like to see more of it.

Forced exhibition whump/Possesive+jealous whumper whump

Forced “relationship” whump/forced occupation whump

I'm just going to take "occupation" to mean forced manual labor, which those who know me know is pretty much my favorite trope ever, so, yeah, duh. 😂

Intimate torture/non intimate torture

All torture is good, but for maximum character development for both whumper AND whumpee, I tend to err on the side of intimate.

@echoingalaxies I think is kinda new so I'll gently tag them, and also OPEN TAG because this one has apparently been going around since last year, so I'll assume everyone's done it already. But if you haven't, please jump in!

[indyflanery]

1, 3 and 11 :)

As usual, it got lengthy when I was given a chance to explain Indy's background. But I welcome all questions even without prompts!

Also with Indy 5 coming out, I retain my dibs on RPing this version of the Indiana Jones character, as I haven't seen anyone else write it as long as I have on this hellsite. Lol

1. What made you pick up this character?

It was a no brainer. I've been watching Indiana Jones basically since it originally released. It's my go-to comfort movie series. I watched the TV show when it aired, or at least I have vague memories of watching it! Any archaeologist who says they didn't want to be Indiana Jones when they grew up is a liar, and I stand by that.

When I first picked up RP with then-friends as it developed from a side AU that started from The Boondock Saints, the Sean Patrick Flanery character for the group that I picked had to be Young Indy. Plus, I was still in grad school for archaeology at the time. It definitely wasn't a stretch and I have not regretted writing him.

3. What’s the best thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

There's too many good things about the movies/series/character. It's hard to decide. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles really tried to go for that exciting, educational aspect for its audience, however outrageous of a time frame for all his adventures. Not to mention, Lucas developed a lot of Skywalker Sound's digital editing with this show.

I think the best thing is between the show and the supplemental novels, they tried to fill in the gaps that hadn't previously been fleshed out for Indy's life, like details on his mother, the shitty relationship with his father mentioned in Crusade, and the backstory of the search for the diamond shown at the start of Temple. Fuck, Harrison Ford was actually in an episode! Thankfully, they confirmed the show as canon in the fourth shan't be named movie (the Pancho Villa reference). Too bad they canceled it before young Indy could first meet Marion Ravenwood and Rene Belloq.

Problem being, however, is that a lot of people just getting into the Indiana Jones world don't know about the novels/TV show, so there's crazy ass postulations out there that makes me go, 'No, they answered that already!'

11. Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what?

Hmm...I mean the given answer is that he's a terrible archaeologist and so many people are like 'Concept: Indiana Jones but he returns things to museums!' You can't actually divorce the context of the time the movies and the TV show takes place in from the character's actions. Archaeology in the early 1900s was a horrible, unethical discipline and that's just who Indy was - at that time there was nothing wrong with his actions.

Otherwise, I think things that irked me a little were some episodes like the one that takes place during the 1916 Irish Rebellion with vague hints of depth to Indy's character that in today's world could have been explored in different ways (i.e., sexual tension with another male character because a few scenes came across as very loaded). He was also a bit overly naive and they probably could have chipped away harder at the naivety once he experienced the Somme.

Also, just the sheer amount of shit he did in his life - not just as a young adult, but also as an adult. He'd have no time to do anything else with the small gaps in between adventures.

[cadaverousdecay]

hiiii leaf hi helloooo !!!!!! (⁠灬⁠º⁠‿⁠º⁠灬⁠)⁠♡ this is a free space to tell me about your favorite fictional characters from any type of media and/or where you would like to live if you could live anywhere. im bored and you always have interesting things to say <3 (no pressure 2 answer this. its just in case you feel like talking to someone)

hiiiiii nico!!!!! jumping up and down like a kitty cat <33333

well i really like the character spike from buffy the vampire slayer. looooove characters who were meant to show up for a few episodes then die, but instead became a fan favorite and got put on the show as a regular and end up as the most beloved character to a good portion of the audience (see also castiel supernatural and barnabas collins dark shadows)

[spoilers for buffy ahead]

but yeah spike is great, he came onto the show as this badass punk vampire who loves his vampire wife with the most gothic devotion imaginable. cuz at heart what motivates spike and always will is his passionate love. he is self described as “love’s bitch”

anyway, when the fan response gets back as being crazy abt this evil vampire character the creator of the show gets pretty upset cuz he has this thing about good and evil and vampires are supposed to represent evil and be metaphors for problems you face and not supposed to be sexy they already had one sexy vampire and that was more than enough etc etc etc. but he didnt kill spike off. he decided to bring him back to the show

but if he was gonna bring him back and the audience was going to like him, he was gonna have to ‘humanize’ him more. and so he comes back and hes cringefail<3 hes shed his hard shell a little and just becomes this pathetic little guy <3 he even has his traumatic past revealed <3 hes still an antagonist, but then he gets a chip in his head that makes him unable to hurt a living person. and so we have the wonderful arc of “not actually reformed or anything but he’s kinda on our side sometimes i guess?”

and in that time where he cant be his bad old self and is working with (sorta) the main gang, he develops feelings (his biggest weakness) for his mortal enemy, the slayer, buffy. he tries to push them down, then just. deals with them in the most fucked up ways. hes just a fucked up little guy who doesnt know how to deal with his fucked up feelings, hes just like me for real,,,, if tumblr existed when the show took place he would be reblogging “the enormity of my desire disgusts me” and cannibalism-as-a-metaphor-for-desire shit probably. anyway

vampires in the buffyverse dont have souls (there are some exceptions) but spike, even without one, decides to better himself for buffy. and eventually not even to be with her, but just for her. he protects her when she doesnt know it and he doesnt get anything out of it. he protects people she loves because he knows it would hurt her if they got hurt.

he may not be human but his humanity is astounding. anyway, there are definitely slip ups, and writing choices i dont really like, but eventually he decides to make himself something buffy could really love, he decides to go through the excruciating process of getting a soul

and he comes back with his soul suffering bouts of guilt-ridden male hysteria. love to see it. (hes also being haunted kinda) he delivers this one monologue in a church about his soul and guilt and forgiveness which ends with him embracing a cross that seers his flesh. most iconic scene, i memorized it also. for funsies.

then theres this whole sleeper agent murder thing and he thinks hes beyond saving but buffy wont give up on him and her faith in him helps him make it through. in the end, they have moments of reconciliation and spike never believes that she actually loves him but her caring for him at all is good enough

anyway. hes just a really fun guy. theres a lot to him. his characterization can be comedic, passionate, heart wrenching. he contains multitudes. he contains soooo many issues too, i want to study him under a microscope <3 but yeah. i love this weird little vampire from my shows

[ncisfranchise-source]

If there is one thing NCIS: Origins knows how to get right, it’s an emotional journey filled with tears and fears. No character on the show is safe from development. We just hope the show picks up the pace a little.

One of the main concerns viewers have for the premiere season is that Special Agent Lala Dominguez needs to be developed and utilized correctly.

NCIS: Origins Season 1 has had some ups and downs, but the show has consistently delivered exciting episodes. However, some definitely shine above the rest.

Best Episode — “All’s Not Lost” — Season 01 Episode 04

There are emotional episodes, and then there is this gem sitting smack dab in the middle of the season. Viewers have likely not forgotten much of what happened in this episode, but let me give you a little refresher.

The episode opens with Gibbs getting the news that his family was murdered before the NIS takes on a case about a missing little girl, bringing to the surface everything that Gibbs has been avoiding.

If you read the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 4 Review, you know we had to give it up to the actress who played the little girl. Hattie Hoskins as Mildred Jones was absolutely incredible.

It was a tearful moment that Gibbs shared with Mary Jo, which led to Gibbs finally accepting Franks’ dinner invitation. Out of every other episode so far, this is the one that saw Gibbs make a change for the better.

Lastly, the one thing that stayed with me and still does is how high Mary Jo’s damn heels were in this episode. That woman can do no wrong looking as fabulous as she always does.

Worst Episode — “Bend, Don’t Break” — Season 1 Episode 3

This was the kind of episode Gibbs should look back on in embarrassment. Did he help solve the case? Absolutely. Did he do it completely unhinged? The man was nuttier than a squirrel up a tree.

Gibbs broke just about every protocol while trying to detain a suspect in an elevator. Sure, his instincts were right about the security guard, Prado, but Gibbs didn’t make any friends with his tactics.

From beginning to end, Gibbs manages to rub just about everyone the wrong way. From Franks to Gibbs Senior, everyone got a piece of the chip on Gibbs’s shoulder.

This episode made it hard to root for Gibbs after everything he went through. Thankfully, Mike managed to get Gibbs back on track.

Best Character — Mike Franks — Season 1 Episode 5

I’d say it’s unanimous that every viewer absolutely loves Kyle Schmid’s portrayal of a young Mike Franks. Schmid better get at least an Emmy nomination for this role.

The actor completely disappears into the character, and all that’s left is one surly Mike Franks.

In “Last Rites,” Mike practically goes to the end of the Earth trying to uncover the remains of a victim after promising the family they could lay their lost loved one to rest.

If you have seen that episode, you know that Christopher Redman (Chicago Fire), as Albert Hope, gave Mike Franks a run for his money.

Seriously, Mike seemed like he was ready to rip out what hair he had left. Hannibal Lecter would have been proud.

The bottom line is that this episode showed why we love Franks so much. He may be rough around the edges, but Mike genuinely cares for people to a level he would never admit.

Even those who aren’t Mike’s biggest fans have come around. Remember how Franks and Strickland bumped heads in “Last Rites” because she wanted Mike’s help to get her profiling program off the ground?

Worst Character — Lala Dominguez — Season 1 Episode 6

Listen, I don’t want this to become a witch hunt, but what is going on with Lala Dominguez? The agent has been in every episode but is by far the least developed.

Considering the first episode, that is a strange choice for the NCIS: Origins writers. If you recall, a present-day Gibbs narrates at the end of the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Premiere by saying, “This is the story of her.”

Like you, I have struggled to understand what makes that statement true. At first, Lala just came across as an intelligent and capable agent who doesn’t take crap from anyone.

The NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 6 Spoilers discussed how that episode could finally answer the question of how Lala fits into Gibbs’s story.

It could be me, but I don’t see any chemistry between Gibbs and Lala. The scene where Gibbs tried hard to get Lala to go out for a drink felt so forced.

Gibbs went from the brooding, always-serious agent to acting like a kid asking his crush to hang out. Hopefully, Lala’s inclusion will make sense when the show returns.

You didn’t think we’d have a whole article about NCIS: Origins without specifically talking about Mary Jo, did you? This phenomenal character is the beating heart of the show.

She gets some of the best lines, like when Gibbs asks Mary Jo how to get the enormous printer off his desk, and Mary Jo replies, “With your arms, baby.” I couldn’t stop cackling.

Later in the same episode, she comforted a teary-eyed Gibbs. And who could forget the “come to Jesus” talk she gave Mike in “Last Rites?”

The only words to describe Mary Jo are funny, fabulous, and fearless. Hopefully, we’ll get more of her back story as the show continues.

We should all keep an eye out for when Gibbs starts to put his plan together. You know the one I’m talking about. Possibly the reason he joined NIS in the first place.

If you remember, Gibbs Senior told Leroy he was not cut out for the NIS. There’s only one reason I can think he wanted to join: to find the man who murdered his family.

There were hints early on that the show was headed that way, but things have fallen curiously silent since then. Regardless, longtime fans of the franchise know the event is inevitable.

All I can say is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and CBS‘s NCIS: Origins could have something epically intense planned for the second half of the season.

We’ve got a good team here. Let’s just hope the team can make it to the finish line in one piece. Not everyone makes it to the original NCIS.

[37-children-of-the-dreams]

ABABHSHSHSV

THEY RELEASED A LOT OF BAKUGAN EPISODES

And this is link to one with backslash (there is two episodes in one video, the one with Backslash is second one)

https://youtu.be/2dPHUuDlxZA?feature=shared

And Backslash SHOULD be voiced by Keith Silverstein, same who voiced Dom, cause it would fit perfect with his voice lines, especcially one in the end of episode.

So I used Labor Day to watch all the videos and I have a few things to say:

1. Someone beat or brawl Chip so hard that he turns hypocritical and uses a Bakugan to save his pride. He is so annoying and he really can’t for the life of him understand that he’s gonna be destroyed in a few episodes.

2. It’s always good to have at least one or more child or young teen character act like an immature character because it shows that they aren’t broken by the world yet and have room to grow. That and really, do people think most kids just act mature from the get go? No, their brains aren’t done developing and so they’re still learning how to be mature.

3. Where are most of the cast’s parents? I’ve seen Dan’s mom and Mia’s parents, but everyone else looks like they don’t have parents. Also, Mia’s family life is about to get rocky since she saw her dad being part of a secret experiment group, and she’s also been lying to them. And don’t get me started on the rest of the characters’ families, they don’t even seem to exist!

4. From the few episodes of the clans: We really need to see more from the dragon clan because we don’t know what they are as a whole since it’s just Kage and Nillious. The Avian looks like a bunch of parachute enthusiasts who act all tough, but are afraid of the other clans. Dino clan looks like the toughest and could give you respect, but it’s hard to get it. The Aquatic clan is a bunch of surfing hipsters and stuck up uptown people. The Mammal clan really should’ve known that cats don’t like orders, but at least they can try to be nice. The Insect clan are crazy in the smart way and just in general. Oh, and the Misfit clan really is lives up to their name.

5. The fact the Misfit clan has a dog and a cat that can do security as good as the humans or Bakugan really shows that they know how to recruit. That and the Mammal deserved to get wrecked by their former cat because they didn’t know how cats work.

6. Bakugans really do act like family members and they’re just as supportive of their brawlers as much as a regular family member should. I hope the figure out the whole rampage thing becomes Bakugans shouldn’t be used as science experiments or be seen as mostly dangerous as they have been good to those they care about.

Now for Backslash:

Hargrave! Get your kid here! He is crazy and smart and sarcastic and can literally make you proud! Why’d you lose this kid? Someone get this kid back to his family.

[keep-calm-and-drink-caf]

Tag game: (Star Wars)

Tagged by the amazing @hugmekenobi <3

1. Ride or die ship (your otp): Kanera, hands down. Codywan is a close contender though

2. Most annoying ship: Reylo… it just seems so rushed and poorly planned out, like the movies tbh

3. Second favourite ship: Codywan!

4. Favourite platonic relationship: Ahsoka and Rex

5. Underrated ship: Cassian/Jyn. Bo-Katan/The Armourer are cute too

6. Overrated ship: Reylo again

7. One thing I would change in canon: FIVES! LIVES! And Palpatine gets “accidentally” killed by Anakin by an “accidental” Force push and oh look, the window’s broken. How tragic. Well, there goes the chancellor! Everything’s fine, Order 66 just never takes place, the chips are removed, Anakin and Padma get the life that they deserve, Ahsoka, Rex and Obi-wan have a niece and nephew 🥰

8. Something canon did right: Developing the relationships between Master/Apprentice, or at least the ones we saw (Obi Wan and Anakin, Anakin and Ahsoka, Kanan and Ezra, and probably a few others I can’t think of right now) and making Order 66 as heartbreaking as it is

9. A thing I’m proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: Mostly incorrect quotes! But I do have a fanfic coming up soon, I’m just procrastinating about it lol

10. A character who is perfect to me (wouldn’t change a thing): Aah this is tough! But Howzer and Captain Rex ❤️

11. The character I relate to the most and why: Ahsoka because she had to grow up pretty quickly to adapt to her environment. And also because despite being mostly thoughtful and calm later on, she’ll still throw all caution to the wind and do some crazy stuff to protect her loved ones lol

12. Character(-s) I hate the most and why:  Palpatine. Need i even explain? Without him the galaxy wouldn’t have gone to heck and everything would be alright and Fives and countless clones and Jedi would be alive. Also Hemlock, and even Saw Gererra because of that Season 2 finale

13. Something I’ve learned from the fandom: People have a lot of opinions and interpretations on the same thing, and some of them may make you scoff and think that it’s total nonsense, but everyone’s entitled to their own thoughts (even though there are a few such ‘opinions’ that are toxic and absolute bullshit, I’m sorry)

14. Three tags I seek out on ao3: I usually just look for tags of the character/ship and go from there. Fluff is always lovely though haha

15. A song I strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: For some reason I can’t quite explain I strongly associate ocean eyes by Billie Eilish with Ahsoka! Whenever it comes on I just think of her 😂

I’m very sorry but I don’t know a lot of people over here, I’m still pretty new haha. But here are a few people (these are only people I can remember off the top of my head, tumblr’s lagging pretty badly for me rn so sorry to everyone else I’ve forgotten, I really do appreciate all of you and the support!) who I’m so grateful to for all the support, whether it’s a like or a reblog or even a helpful comment

Tagging: @purgetrooper77 @littlemissmanga @mistress-of-the-empire

tag game: (star wars)

tagged by the wonderful @dragonflylady77 <33

1.ride or die ship (your otp): me/rex. i'm kidding it's codywan

2. most annoying ship: reylo

3. second favourite ship: dinluke

4. favourite platonic relationship: anakin and ahsoka

5. underrated ship: obirex

6. overrated ship: lmao reylo

7. one thing i would change in canon: the ending of the prequels. anakin killed palpatine and rasied the twins with padme. IT HAPPENED IN MY HEART OKAY?

8. something canon did right: how they showed order 66 in the s7 finale.

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: i pretty much just make incorrect quotes. but i do have two fics up.

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): captain rex.

11. the character i relate to the most and why: fox. also a coffee addict and done with everyones shit.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: palpatine. for fucking everyone over and breathing.

13. something i've learned from the fandom: that people are so small minded that have to hate on everything they don't even need an opinion on.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: I don't really look at tags other than character or pairing. So I'm gonna pass on this one. (on the og and i so agree)

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: if only by dave mathews band. for rex.

tagging: @starrrgazingbunny @ohsugarsnaps @thestarwarslesbian @501st-rexster @echos-girlfriend @derangeddroid @hugmekenobi @crosshairs-husband @crosshairs-wife

[nights-at-crystarium]

Rambling about Vivi and my relationship with the game

Okay the response to my previous post was bigger than I anticipated, you guys are making me feel supported and valid and thank you so much for that ;o; <3

I’m an anxious person and an overthinker. Should I just make art posts and occasional headcanons/analyses/observations? Should I be more personal? I made this blog with this specific purpose to be openly cringe about my new obsession, so I guess there’s no point in trying to moderate myself, worst case scenario people will just scroll past something that doesn’t interest them, right?

I’ve never really told you how I got into the fandom and how Vivi was born, although it’s a peculiar story. Maybe I’ll talk about my ✧content plan✧ too if there’s still post space left. So if you wanna know more about that, I invite you under the cut!

The background’s a bit depressing, a fair warning. I’ve been an mmo and oc nerd since 2012, my first game was Wakfu: quit in 2015-2016 but kept the ocs, about a dozen of them, still hoping to tell their stories one day, then GW2: another dozen characters that never really got the chance to grow into ocs. By the time I started poking around in ARR in 2021 I felt listless and fandom-homeless so to say. Both Wakfu and GW2 are pretty obscure to begin with, then the games themselves strayed too far from my standards and expectations, that on itself is worth a huge rant but this isn’t the place and time. Games do fail, fandoms do die down. I still play GW2 to this day since I find its mechanical aspect, a loud word fully deserved: perfect, it’s plain fun.

But in late 2021, when I still slogged through ARR on my own, I also watched WoodenPotatoes, my fav GW2 youtuber, play all the way up to 5.5. I share a lot of common traits with that guy, namely the cynicism :’D I was like, show me what you’ve got, convince me why you’re such a critically acclaimed game. GW2 and FFXIV are polar opposites in several ways, I won’t derail into comparisons either, just wanna say that I had my standards and a lot of criticism for the mechanical side of FFXIV (spoiler: I still do, but there are other empty niches that FFXIV fills for me!). I was in a full cynic mode, and even that didn’t stop me from being completely blown away, wiped from the surface of Earth when I saw the aforementioned guy play and comment on ShB.

Turns out there was one box unticked for me, I didn’t only feel unwelcome in my old games/fandoms, I also missed the safety and trust you have in FFXIV concerning the lore/story. Despite being an artist with a knack for oc development and interactions, I thought of myself as a mechanical mmo player. You know, raids, pvp, tryharding. I still find great joy in that, geez, I play GW1 (one) which regularly hands me my ass on a plate and I LOVE that, but yeah, I didn’t realize I also needed the comfort of knowing that I can emotionally invest in a game’s story and characters without worrying about the immediate future.

*claps hands together* Here comes the catboy!!!!

I’ll drop the highly specific and personal details for now since those are worth a full essay on their own, just gotta emphasize how much I needed this story and this character right then and there, at the end of 2021. The more I thought about him, the more at home I felt. That I could still survive into my thirties, go through everything in my life, feel nearly drained of will to live and create, and then meet a character that’d bring me back up to 100 within months, if not weeks.

My personal life’s still a mess too big to even mention it, so I won’t. I’m just aggressively burying my head in the sand and hyperfocusing on the new comfort zone. You can tell I’m being productive, each art on this blog is like, me actively trying to comfort myself, luckily it works every time.

So, new game, new passion, what about the character I experience that passion through? My WoL was a lala.

My WoL was a lala.

Look I didn’t even glam her properly..... I just loved the hilarity of the dragoon class flavor + pink potato, I farmed those sweet commendations because of that. I also had a catgirl on another account, I actively tried to find a character that’d click with me, that’d ground me in the game world.

I’d just watched WoodenPotatoes’ complete playthrough up to 5.5, my own progress was still at ARR, these two lovely lasses were.. Lovely, but I didn’t vibe with them. Bluntly speaking with the privilege of hindsight: my gay ass wasn’t at peace. I tend to gravitate towards male ocs.

Third time’s the charm, eh?

I was going into my own playthrough knowing that ShB isn’t only a storytelling masterpiece, but a vicious dating sim as well. My only braincell was already fixated on Raha and I needed a character for him.

That probably separates Vivi from many other WoLs. He was born for ShB, for Raha, with a specific purpose. Why elezen? Because, firstly, I’ve already been drawing elf people since 2012, it’s my comfort zone, secondly, by the time I dove into ShB I was acutely aware of the catboy WoL army, other races just never clicked with me, elezen however is the obscure cool kid among this bustling party of cat and bunny people. *shrugs* I just can’t help myself! I told you about Wakfu and GW2 specifically to point out that I’m drawn to obscurity, to niches, hell, hardly related but to prove the point: I’m also a rhythm game addict and I have an obscure anime rec blog. A vocaloid fan since 2008? Listening mostly to voca metal, alternative, all those nerdy niche things.

So I join a popular game, become obsessed with a popular character, and, being myself, choose an obscure race for my WoL \o/

Just to clarify, there’s no self-deprecation, only statements. I’m confident in my tastes and choices, whatever they may be, I’m only liking the good stuff >:D

Next part of the story you can already see if you scroll down to my first posts here. Knowing his destination, I started working on Vivi’s character, picking glams for him, slowly figuring out how to draw him (I’d say his visual development’s 80% complete by now). Fortunately for him, not only I’ve made 30+ ocs over the last 10 years, I also make adopts for a living. I’ve got the skills needed to develop a cool and happy character. Look, happy character =/= character without some kinda issues and angst, I mean happy as in relatable, believeable, alive.

Alive, that he sure is. If thinking about Raha as a separate character brought me back to life, looking at him through Vivi’s eyes made me feel like I’m in love too. Another thing to make clear: Vivi isn’t me, both him and Raha are my kin to a degree but I’m trying my best to stay aware and away from projecting. It’s just inevitable that you as a creator become some kinda medium/proxy for your character’s thoughts and feelings, and it’s beautiful. Even if I find myself in pain and wailing sometimes on their behalf, ha.

I don’t have much good going on in my own life so I live through my characters. It’s hard to explain how exactly I know things about them, of course it doesn’t come all at once. Vivi’s been around for 5 months now. I started working on his story early on, however I’d say my vision of him and Raha only fleshed out in the past 2 month-ish.

Can’t believe a weeb game made me write fics again. I’ve published one over on AO3 already, a few more are slowly cooking still, mentioning them only because they actually complemented my creative process behind art and comics, helped me get that elusive “feel” for the characters, and generally, surprisingly, approaching writing on a serious level did good things to my mental state, previously disastrous. My head feels like a much more orderly place now. Well, it’s also brimming with the catboy and elf feels, which is ever welcome.

So, I’m going about my business, then something clicks, I get an idea, a scene, an interaction, and rush to write it down. There’s a 20k+ words main document for my comic, several side-documents for later chapters and random unordered stuff, fics that fit into the main storyline and should be published within context. Soon I’ll be ready to start telling their story.

This post’s already too huge and waffly and wow if you’re still here, wow. You’re just as crazy as myself, but sincerely thanks for sticking with me :’>

I promised to talk about the so-called content plan, well, I sort of already did, mentioning the comic. If you’re observant, you may have noticed the name Fragments and some numbers floating around my tags. Fragments is the cheeky name of the comic, there IS a deeper explanation but I’ll leave it for another post. Whatever bits and pieces I’ve published under that name so far are “canon” and DO belong to the main story, however, I haven’t officially introduced the comic yet, there’ll be a launch and all that. Someday. Sometime soon.

It’s big and promising and exciting, still it’s just my personal project that I wanna be thorough with. Sorry for possibly being too vague about it, I take the “ship it when it’s ready” approach, I don’t rush things because they’re first and foremost for my own enjoyment.

For now thanks for looking at the random pics and comics I’m posting, I treat them as character flavor samples, as promo illustrations so to speak, while I’m chipping away at the main comic in the background.

Okay I spoke my heart out just like yesterday, feels nice. Thanks for all your support once again ;/////; <3

[sometipsygnostalgic]

what do you think are the spop characters' love languages? physical touch, gift giving, affirmation, quality time, acts of service?

What a cute ask!

Let's roll through all the characters!

Adora: Works hard as nails to protect the people she loves with literal service, since being a soldier is what she's good at. When she's comfortable, is very playful and mischievous with them. Her and Catra playfight for affection. Adora doesn't mind physical touch, but is apprehensive to hug people for obvious reasons. She likes passively watching her friends, seeing them be happy interacting with one another, but is cautious about participating because she thinks she'll be rejected. Adora is most comfortable engaging with Catra, is more teasing of her, more physically affectionate - Adora and Catra sleep together, have physical contact, basically they're very intimate and comfortable in a way Adora never was with other people.

Catra: Like Adora, playfights for affection. Catra shows her fondness for others most clearly through physical body language, like the tail and ears, which is why Melog is here to amp this up to 11. Catra also shows people she cares about them by protecting them with violent control - she will intimidate her friends away from a possible dangerous path, or in Adora's case, be really possessive. It's how she tries protecting Entrapta and then Scorpia in the Horde from Hordak's wrath. She's mean to the Horde Trio as well because she's not sure how to healthily engage with them without making herself vulnerable. Scorpia correctly identifies this as Catra's broken love language, and accepts the mistreatment, which is fucked up. But when Catra starts enacting violence that is in no way protecting others, Scorpia is forced to acknowledge how bad things have gotten.

Late series healthier Catra uses acts of service and protection to show that she cares about people, when her general behaviour fails her. She spots things that other people don't, tries to protect Adora from her self sacrificing destiny where others fail. Her ultimate character development is being able to tell people with words that she cares about them.

Glimmer: She is an assertive koala bear. Glimmer uses the standard routes of physical affection, taking her friends fun places to hang out, and working hard to protect them, even if she has a go at them later for putting themselves in danger (not that she is alien to this). Glimmer will tell her friends as it is - she'll keep telling Adora that Shadow Weaver mistreated her, she'll tell her that Catra needs to be left alone. Glimmer's sass is also part of her love language as she will tease those she's fond of. She is upfront with her love, with a thin layer of sass and edge coated on top. Though admittedly she's not gentle with her friends - she's always a bit aggro, and some could take it the wrong way, like with Catra.

Bow: He's the protective smart friend, but unlike most Straight Man archetypes, he's also really loving. Bow shows his love by hugging his friends, protecting them, talking to them, socialising with them, creating gifts for them, being stern with them, and thanking them. He works hard to save Glimmer and tries to protect her even when he's too upset to actually be her friend. Of all the characters in the show his routes for showing people he cares are the most complete. Bow's ability to be friendly with people he barely knows saves his skin on multiple occasions - The pussy Dryl Bakers, Horde grunt Kyle, crazy dad Micah, signalled Entrapta, chipped Scorpia, and Wrong Hordak all change their minds because of him. Then of course there's his final speech! Most compelling to me is how he looks out for Adora in the episode "Launch" when she's overworked herself. He is able to sympathise with her desire to work hard and save Glimmer, but knows when it becomes too much, and calls her out, where other characters wouldn't understand at all.

Other princesses and villains under the cut!

Scorpia: Hugs. SO many hugs. Literal acts of service like Adora and Bow. Scorpia tries to connect with Catra in a huge number of ways - dates, food, games, art of them as friends, making up group names, words of how cool she thinks Catra is... all of the photos in her bedroom.... Scorpia is the most aggressively loving character in She-Ra, and tries to support Catra in every way possible, including being the strict friend when necessary (and possible), which is why she's so dejected that every one of her affections is pushed away. Like Adora, Scorpia learns to accept love later down the line. Her interactions with Emily show her that Catra's become cruel and that she needs to do better for herself, and that she's let Catra hurt their other friends. Then with the help of the Princesses, namely Glimmer and Perfuma, Scorpia ends the show able to face Catra again.

Entrapta: A great case study since season 5 draws attention to this - I am not sure if Entrapta's bad at expressing feelings because it's hard and she's uncomfortable with them (like Catra, Hordak, and Mermista), or because it just doesn't occur to her to tell people she cares (...relatable). She is hyper aggressive in other love languages to compensate, in particular acts of service/"gift giving" - making space suits for all of Best Friend Squad, creating the exosuit and "LUVD crystal" with Hordak, and helping whatever side she's on with her full abilities, no questions asked. Very attentive to other people's interests, wants to share her own (eager to nerd out with Bow from day 1), can be physically affectionate (Emily) and pulls friends closer when she wants to talk to them (unfortunately lacking boundaries), later on she tries to be emotionally supportive/expressive where it most counts even when it's hard (Wrong Hordak, Catra in "Don't Go"), she's very soft with Hordak and is far more gentle and comfortable with him than with others. Takes lots of photos of herself with her friends. Hyper flirty with AI... and has high value in what others think of her - taken aback by any amount of affection or praise. All in all, has a lot of love to give, as Stevenson said. Eager to share it! Just speaks it in a different language.

Mermista: I mentioned her just now as having a hard time expressing her feelings. Mermista spends the entire show dismissing Sea Hawk while he continues to serenade to her, she doesn't want people to know that she's got feelings for him. However I don't think that means she never expresses her love - she's just a bit tsundere.

Mermista expresses her affection through teasing and bullying, and occasional goofiness. In "Roll With It", she trolls Adora hardcore with the "Sea-Ra" story, and says Bow is going to make her a new trident. While this comes across as mean, she indicates her respect for Adora's power and Bow's tech skills and her desire to be their friend. She likes trolling Perfuma, too, who doesn't take it as well. Mermista low-key pays attention to all of her friends, as seen in the Mermysteries ep, and shares her goofy interest with them all there.

She calls Entrapta "geek princess", as simultaneously an insult and an affectionate name - like how Catra calls Glimmer "Sparkles". They hi-five in season 1. Calls her weird but conveys she has her back - Mermista trying her best to show friendship, lol.

She tells Sea Hawk she kind of lit a ship on fire out of curiosity.... and when he admits her love for her in front of everyone, it takes her so off guard! And then she just has to hug him openly, the cat's out of the bag.

I like Mermista a lot and I think her love language needed more explanation because she's misunderstood by the fans.

Perfuma: I wrote a good post on what Perfuma's deal is recently, I think you should defer to that, but when it comes specifically to love language, she's got a few methods.

She can be physically affectionate and hug people, she can support them and stand up for them like she does for Scorpia.

Most unique to her is the use of flowers, which Scorpia is able to recognise even when mind controlled. She does a lot of floral gift-giving.

Perfuma enjoys fighting alongside her friends. She will go all out to protect them! When she's comfortable with people she's bolder around them and her more adventurous side comes out.

I wish I could say more but Perfuma's got a lack of positive character relationships for me to work from.... and I probably haven't been paying enough attention to her.

I'll point out that she tries to support Catra in "Return to the Fright Zone" by offering a hug and all sorts of advice!

Frosta: Aaaargh! I never think about Frosta. She likes to play with people and imitate them when she really likes them. Think about her relationship to Glimmer! Frosta's a bit like Mermista - uncomfortable doing the whole affectionate friendship thing but WILL obsess over the people she wants to bond with and pull them into her games, less ironically than Mermista.

She is insecure about being seen as a kid, and is very competitive, but it means a lot to her for people to tell her she's a valued member of the team.

Frosta creates ice sculptures for the people she cares about! She's sooooo enthusiastic about it. God bless. She has awkward interactions with dumb older characters like Micah from time to time but eventually tells him she appreciates his attempts to bond with her.

Frosta can be surprisingly good with words as seen in "Fractures" when she's able to relate to and understand Scorpia.

Spinnerella and Netossa: These two are adorable to watch together. They are highly competitive, especially Spinerella, who--- oh for fuck sake, I finished writing this one and the browser glitched out.  What I wrote is that they are very competitive with each other, which has similarities to Adora and Catra’s playfighting. 

They have a complete love language in all the other ways too; physical affection, working alongside the rebellion even when the others gave up on it, helping Frosta feel better by letting her win...

Netossa’s Batman-style breakdown of her friends’ weaknesses is a sign to me that she’s paying attention to them and their struggles, even if she isn’t that close to any of them. 

Emily: She is a good girl! She rolls around and plays with the characters she loves. She LOVES hugs, just like Scorpia. I love how Entrapta specifically programmed a desire for affection into Emily, as if this is an important part of what makes something alive, more than a machine.

She’s very mischievous around Scorpia, rolling in Brightmoon’s flower beds and following her around the Fright Zone. She even offers emotional support to her, helping her process Catra’s betrayal. 

Emily tries to help Catra after a nightmare, but gets some claws to the face instead, and becomes scared of her.   

She’s protective of Entrapta, trying to keep her out of trouble, but also willing to get into trouble and beat up Shadow Weaver in her name, lol.   Emily is her own robot, and is able to disagree with/even turn against Entrapta, as seen in Launch, but theres something really sweet about their reunion after the space mission.  

Sea Hawk and Swift Wind: Self explanatory.

Wrong Hordak: He is generally loving and sweet to everyone, but he also likes to imitate those around him. The whole winking thing is a good example! He copies Bow, and cooks with Glimmer, and in Heart he sticks out his tongue like Entrapta, which makes her laugh. He’s a good boy. He’s also a communist revolutionary and should hook up with Swift Wind to take down Etheria’s princess hierarchy.    

Shadow Weaver: It may seem curious for me to include Shadow Weaver on this list, but even though her “love language” is abuse and manipulation, I think it needs to be included.  

Shadow Weaver gives soothing tones and strokes to the young minds she’s trying to worm into. She tells them that only she can understand them, or that she’s doing what was best for them, or in Catra’s case, that she reminds her of herself.  

This affectionate touching has such an effect on affection-starved Catra that she decides to cut off the hair floofs at the start of Season 4.  

Hordak: Hordak doesn’t get many opportunities to display affection around the show, but you can tell he definitely cares about some people, and the biggest early example is Imp - this little gremlin failed to serve his purpose, but gets to roam around Hordak’s lab and even irritate him, while still getting some affection.  

When Hordak begins to respect Entrapta, he puts aside his controlling nature, and starts letting her do whatever she wants - enter his lair, work on his portal, unknowingly letting her in behind his walls. You expect him to get annoyed, but he never snaps at her like he does with Catra or Shadow Weaver. Then the first major act of love is when he protects her from the exploding portal, even when it breaks his own armor.  

Hordak opening up about Prime, and accepting Entrapta’s demonstration of love with the suit and crystal, it’s all baby steps for him. And you see him making progress - the best example of his love language is when he does his silly villain appreciation speech. “You are not a failure. Any who look down on you are utter fools!”   

In season 5, he remembers this act of love, and finds a way to return the favour. I don’t think much screams “I care about you” more than going full Vader and turning against your God to protect someone. 

I must also note his attempts to bond with Catra - he tries to show her some respect, the same way he did to Entrapta, with toned down villain praise and accepting her into his sanctum. Hordak is genuinely grateful for Catra working to take over Etheria, at least for a little while, even though she was kicking his ass to the ground.... but that’s the love language Hordak understands, after all.    

I’d imagine that after the show Hordak holds on to his villain style affection and tries to get more comfortable with it and use it positively! I’d imagine he grows gradually happier with contact too. He rejected Entrapta’s public display of affection in “Moment of Truth”,  but embraced it in “Heart”, no longer trying to look strong and evil.  

Horde Prime: To finish off my list, let’s have the most messed up version of “love language” we can get.   Horde Prime physically strokes his clones and any other “brothers” or “sisters”. They’re even seen blushing him at one scene, which has messed up implications of them seeing his violation of their minds as his way of caring about them.   He shows Hordak and the others “mercy” by brainwashing them, “purifying” them of all the pain and colour of their lives, and telling them they should be grateful. Prime shows “mercy” to Hordak and to the Etherians who have something to offer him.  

Prime makes his subjects believe that when he infects their minds, this is what they want, and this is what makes them worthy. What’s worse is I think he believes in his own hype - he genuinely thinks he is helping them.   

Good thing She-Ra erased him from this earth.  

And that is everyone worht mentioning! I could probably go into other characters, like the Horde Trio, or Angella and Micah, or Huntara, but.... evidence is a bit circumstancial, or I’m not interested. 

Thank you for giving me an excuse to make this post! 

[bubblyhoney]

buncha kisses

warnings: mature language, Good music mention, slight suggestive content, lotta name calling!, basically just fluff

tags: sapnap x fem!reader (a continuation of [renamed from “a collection of moments at the beginning of your relationship”] win for me, basically, with college!au)

words: 1447

A/N: a very sweet anon requested a continuation of college!au with sappy and had some great ideas for me! i love when you guys interact and talk with me pls continue to do so! been receiving a lot of really encouraging attention from some of my favorite people (ahem, for example @strawberrymilkgeorge [among others] <3) so i just wanted to say thanks for that :)

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It’s a sticky day in May.

It’s that kind of hot that irritates under the skin and works its way through the hair on your arms. Makes you want to either rip your skin off or sink into a pool full of ice.

May is a month that Florida doesn’t take very well; it’s either raining like it’s the Great Flood, or hot as a mosquito’s ball sack.

And to make matters worse, it’s the due date of a huge calculus project. Like— weighted heavier than the final kind of huge.

You’d gotten up three hours before your final at 9 just to cram. Your desk was littered with folders, chapter notes, and highlighters dull with use. A half-eaten bagel was off to the side, staling by the second.

That was before your AC broke. Yup. Broke. Ka-put. Just full on died—it was almost audible. Your roommate had stumbled into your room, face creased with sleep, and cursed for thirty seconds straight.

Completely understandable, actually.

But you didn’t have time to fret about the damn temperature. You just took your shirt off, kicked the box fan near your bed into the highest gear, and breathed hot anger down into your notes.

The only relief you would find would be lunch with Sapnap after your final. His apartment had air conditioning, and he was surprisingly deft with a knife and cutting board. Dude didn’t know how to figure the mechanics for emailing his film class project to you that one time last semester but could whip up a Greek salad and broiled chicken like no other. Your own little Gordon Ramsey.

He was yours now, officially. As of last month he was yours. A month full of drive-in movies, failed study dates, and an absurd amount of McFlurry’s.

And that’s what is waiting for you in Sapnap’s cup holder when you swing your way into his car with an exasperated look on your face. You just melt, eyes flicking up to his gratefully and silently taking it.

“How was the final?” He lays a hand on the gear shifter and nudges the AC up one more tick. The door closes behind you and you shuffle your legs apart, leg hair tingling in this heat.

“It was fucking brutal. I think I developed an ulcer just looking at the reference page,” you huff and he just shakes his head, laugh hot on his lips. “Absolutely not worth the studying—think I got a good grade, though.”

“Well, that’s cool. I’m proud of you.” The engine chugs to life when he shifts into drive and starts for the side street.

“Thanks.” Your cheeks blush ever so lightly but you pass it off to the heat. A moment passes. “So.” The straw makes a choking noise as it nudges at the bottom of an empty cup. Jesus, you finished that fast. “What’s on the menu for today?” Brandy’s Sunny Day lilts softly into the blasting air as you settle into a comfortable conversation, schoolwork at the back of your mind.

“Thinking of making banana chocolate chip muffins and pigging on those. Thoughts?” Flicking on his left turn signal with his left hand, the right slides onto your knee.

It’s never too hot for that.

“Sounds perfect,” you reply, voice small in a sudden bout of shyness. He double-takes with a smile, squeezing once at your leg.

Pigging is a perfect term for what you two do the second those muffins are out of the oven; it is too easy to shove three of those in a matter of seconds. Bellies full and in a sugar coma, you two lay under the whirring of his living room’s fan and stare up at the ceiling.

“This feels so good,” he mumbles, eyes half-lidded. Reaching a hand out, he pats his way to your hand and takes it, immediately squeezing it. “Wish you were kissing me right now.”

“Oh, yeah?” You taunt and hike a leg up onto his hips, swinging onto his lap and leaning to get your lips near his.

And that’s that.

The night is perfect.

Sapnap ushered you into his car at midnight and within four minutes you were on a US freeway with your head out the window. Like a dog.

A lone bird flies past in the dark air and you watch it swing into a patch of trees. You just close your eyes and breathe.

The stress literally melts. Melts into a puddle and drips out of you, falling onto the black pavement whipping past at a moment’s notice. School is a bitch already, much less an American college education. Grades and tests and professors and GPA’s and all that.

You swear Logan Lerman’s character knew what he was talking about when he said “we were infinite” in The Perks of Being A Wallflower. That’s what this feels like: infinity. Going 70 in a car driven by your hunk of a boyfriend, feeling the wind in your hair and the taste of midnight in between your teeth.

The inside of the car feels sweet when you duck your head back in, smile wide and hair crazy and a content look in your eyes. Sapnap gives you a glance before looking back at the road nonchalantly and lifting to curl and twitch two fingers at you. You instinctively move forward, eyebrows drawn together in curiosity. Three fingers grip your jaw tight, and then his mouth is on yours as the chorus of The King swells through the speakers. You only get two seconds to hum in happiness and slide a hand up his chest before he’s pulling away and has those beautiful eyes back on the road.

“You’re mean to me,” you sigh, and settle back into your seat with a ‘hmph’. He just looks smug. Bastard.

The nights Sapnap plays video games with his friends are—hm. Definitely something. You like to let him have those nights with no distractions most of the time; and you’re categorized as a distraction by the amount of times he “lags” when giving you a kiss or getting you on his lap.

Tonight, he got off work early and on the drive home called and asked if you’d come over and sit with him while he Robloxes with his friends. (“It’s like you can’t go one day without your hands on me,” you’d teased, but he couldn’t say a thing in response. You were right, needless to say.) “You can bring your paints!” he’d even added, knowing you like to watercolor as a hobby. You weren’t necessarily Etsy-worthy but it was fun and a stress-reliever.

And so here you were. Legs crossed, sketch pad in your lap, watching your adult boyfriend yell so loud that his voice cracks and breaks with every change of tone. You really had to remember to apologize to his neighbors…

“Baby—,” Sapnap starts, swinging around in his chair to hit you with a look so pouty his lip was in danger of falling off. “My dear girlfriend. My lovely woman.” His question doesn’t even need to be asked— he wants you to go get him a drink.

“You’re a misogynist. I’m calling NOW on you.” But you’re already heaving yourself off of his mattress and heading into the hallway, faux-annoyed look on your face. It melts into a smile upon seeing that little canvas mounted on the wall next to the door to his bathroom. It was a haphazard portrait of his parent’s dog Bowser that you’d drawn the few days his step-mom forced him to bring you home over spring break.

When you return to his room a few minutes later with a Bang and a couple of snacks for yourself, Sapnap has his headphones off and is swinging his feet in his chair like a child waiting for their parents to pick them up from school. You approach him, apprehensive smile on your face, and hand his drink over.

“Thank you,” he drawls, mid-yawn, and sets it down on the desk. Snaking an arm around your waist, he drags you between his legs and stuffs his face into your shirt. He inhales deeply but pulls away after a pause, hands tight on your abdomen. You press a thumb into his cheek and rub fondly at his facial hair, watching the way his eyes close calmly and relax.

“You’re so cute it causes me physical pain,” is all you get out before leaning and pressing a kiss square on his pink lips. They move against yours like they were meant to, one hand sliding up the material of your shirt and onto your warm skin.

“You smell like Subway,” he murmurs, and then the moment’s over.

Typical.

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A/N: ask or send me some stuff!! requests, rants, anything. :D let me know what you think in the comments!