#desperately need it - which is totally not a decision people have to make

[marzipanilla]

chewing on the corner of the fandom particle board table like a dog w anxiety. there's something up there. I know there's something up there. there are so many people at this table there must be something Up There

lol who knows, but prolly not. I generally have to be at least a little mad at a piece of media in order to want to write fic for it, and I pretty much liked SU/F xD Though that might be a bad habit to have and I could try and break it ??? lol

When Steven finally does have a shitty moment w her bc being travel buddies CAN be straining and she's just like MUAHAHAH FINALLY and Steven just being all what was the point of leaving if you're still here !! what happened to the cave, loner Jasper ?? huh ?? What happened to the damn cave that was supposed to solve all your problems ?? idk how, but he'd have to hit a nerve eventually...

idk how you feel about that one film in particular, but Michael Keaton as the Vulture vibes for sure at that family dinner xD Bowls accidentally sticking to Peter's hands as he tries to help pass things around the table. Him desperate to get his damn web slingers... Nolan just like Why Am I At This Event, bored af. Mark just like Mooo-om you don't have to arrange playdates for me anymore, I'm not five. Peter and I can hang out on our own! Aunt May just all it's lovely to have company : )

lol Nolan like yes my human-sona is doing excellently in the friend department. success. Cecil wondering why the hell a guy known for wanting to unmask a kid vigilante is suddenly hanging out w a top tier hero... on a boat on a lake. what is going on there. JJ and Art just snarking at each other the whole time would be so hilarious. esp since Art would know they're chillin w Omni-Man and JJ doesn't.

You got web on me one(1) time and now I want you dead is a pretty hilarious thing. Debbie just having to be like ??? you don't even talk about villains this much! wtf is going on ! Nolan refusing to admit he basically had toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his foot one day. it is also just enough of an excuse for him to justify putting things off again, 'cause you know that man was desperate to stall for time xD Can't take over the planet until this one guy is on lock down ! clearly! totally rational ! it just fuels his obsession bc if he does succeed it means he has to carry on w Everything Else and that's a whole ass can of worms he refuses to think about. he actually has a truly disturbing number of images that show Peter IS Spidey but refuses to use them because he just wants to fuck W spider-man. the plan was to fuck w spiderman. he cant deviate from a plan. clearly. once he wraps up here he'll move on with everything else. promise.

Character decisions affecting the plot rather than external forces my beloved. where did you go. where.

I always figured an 'evil' AU of Debbie (that keeps her human) would be that she's like, a tv personality real estate mogul (making Mark not only a hero nepo baby but a genuine rich boy brat, and Nolan doesn't even bother w a job just hangs out as her kept husband when not acting as Omni-Man lol) - and like, branching off of that just her actually using her career to fund/manage a group of.. individuals.. would be awesome. Bc real estate capital CAN be used for so much ! her 'fighting crime' w real estate is actually something I have come up rather as a side note in two fic (tho one hasn't actually gotten to that point yet) and it's like ! she doesn't need powers to be useful! you can influence the world in many ways ! Which is Amber's whole fucking deal ! it's what Eve decided to do when she quit the main stream hero game ! let more normies in on that shit ! show the importance of the ground level ! No you don't save the damn planet Paul, but you're the reason the planet is interesting and doesn't suck ass !!

like have people point out Powerplex wasn't after justice, he was after retribution! if there aren't any laws in place for when heroes do shit like this, why NOT form a group who gets a stink worked up about that and makes it so there are? How opposed would Cecil be to not being the main authority on who gets punished for what? pretty pissed I think ! or does he twist it to his use? How nervous would heroes be to operate when they are suddenly faced with repercussions for collateral? does Cecil fight against it bc of shit like that, or does he say if you join my List of Approved People I will make you immune to that and end up consolidating a lot of power over a lot of people? How is any of it enforced? Give us a Civil War esque divide that's actually interesting ! Okay Mark, you're obsessed w people who fuck up going to prison- now the people have decided you need to go to prison. what you going to do? (tho I would like to tell mr prison is for criminals that you stole Shapesmith from his peoples' laws against his crime, tho it was a death sentence but that DOES raise another factor- what happens when his magical non-lethal solution gets turned into a lethal one by a court?) how do you justify the cost of keeping a being made of pure energy contained if it takes a cities worth of power to fuel one cell ?? give us fucked up shit like that !!

if it's the GoG on Cecil's pre-appoved list taking you in bc they're immune for staying in line? Your brother sure as shit isn't going to listen to anything these people say. Eve wouldn't want to kill people, but you know she'd be pissed ! How does new yet-to-be-renamed TT fit into all of it ?? If Debbie has resources at her disposal what is she doing about all of this ?? if shes doesn't is she just going for appeals in the court case?? having lawyers and media pick apart her fucking life in order to try and get her son out of this mess? pictures of Mark in the hospital bed after Nolan kicked the shit out of him plastered all over the internet as news stories run w it ??? what if Mark gets released bc yeah, you were trying to help, but his mom gets sentenced for aiding and abetting a terrorist? You figured out what he did and didn't alert anyone ! again what are the spouse testifying against spouse laws like in superhero world... do people pull the fucked up shit like 'he wasn't human and the law as written defines marriage as...' shit ?? do they call his false identity tax fraud and throw those charges at her too?? what are the immigration laws for space aliens in this universe...

alright back to the other point xD

Art being a big contributor and Debbie's connection to him resulting in a lot of ppl stepping in line bc of how important he is would be great! New player but w Old money. she knows a lot about the internal workings of the GDA due to what Nolan told her over the years and what she's seen herself ! she has important information on shit that has been confiscated from assorted villains over the years. She knows who the GDA prioritizes and who they don't! she recognizes their agents on sight !! forget the cameras in her house the last few years, they've apparently been stalking her since she met Nolan if her annoyance w the nanny plants was anything to go by. Was it a game they played while dating ? spot the GDA tail?

Titan being like this is MY city block and Debbie being like hmm : ) but is now MY city and Mark's incredible annoyance that their turf war seems to be about who can clean up the streets the most- who can support their civilians while collecting up the goons to go hit the GDA- promising stability and security for families while just fucking the government approved heroes in the process. Or Debbie trying to start a larger war like that but Titan holding on to loyalty to people who dont WANT to escalate. who is pushed out, who is pushed around- give me the fucked up bits and the beneficial to all the dynamics ! give me 'villains' like the ones we saw robbing the bank getting hired on as defenders / private security to new public works in an area. fuck your criminal record ! we don't care ! give us people who are terrified of the regime change ! who dont like heroes at all and want a non-powered person in charge and get pissed when they find out Debbie employs them ! maybe she doesn't ! maybe it boils into a fucked up divide about that outside her intention !! god have SoS have been an anti-hero group like many people speculated. Have Debbie have MET Scott ! have known him ! have been someone she chatted at meetings w ! have the betrayal come not in one episode while at a bar w a guy who instantly finds out who her husband was, but to someone she's been hanging out w ! whose kid and wife she knows ! who tried to get Debbie to help him build his court case against invincible but she pulled out, and then he finds out she's his mom??? GOD that would have been beautiful.

gah. the wider world politics on Invincible is just so threadbare. you're either one person in a storm whose life has barely any meaning while someone punches someone, or you're a psychotic dictator and there's no inbetween. there's a lot of inbetweens !! I don't think there's any leadership that isn't some form of totalitarianism?? Cecil expects utter loyalty (and is NEVER shown answering to anybody despite arguably being a branch of US government), Titan expects utter loyalty (he just helps swap out dictators for the Order in order to get a favor to be left alone lol), there really isn't enough info on the Coalition but one guy seems to be in charge of all of them at the end of the day, the viltrumites definitely !! the thraxans apparently demand Nolan do that to them !! I just !! there's more than one form of government. Even the hero teams runs off of 'one guy says stuff and we all have to adhere or else' and like !! can we see literally any other dynamic between people ??? show us the pros and cons of both !! no system is unfallable !! no collection of people is without friction !! 'the power has been returned to the people' the robots intone. ELABORATE ON THAT ??

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[the-nettle-knight]

I recently found out that I am eligible for council housing; in my current situation (due to my specific lifestyle) and because of the crisis of council housing in this country, I will not be applying.

Now I'm wondering, how many people are there like me, who are eligible for all sorts of benefits/help who don't even apply for various reasons. Like, the right go on and on about benefit scroungers (which isn't really a thing), but I suspect there's a much larger number of people who for whatever reason don't apply. It would be interesting to look at the statistics for this

[zzencat]

Your Future Spouse As A Mythical Creature + Qualities - ⏳

Welcome to the spooky season folks!! Thought this would be a pretty lightweight and goofy type of reading as we settle in. What are your FS’s qualities? Toxic habits?

Choose wisely. Applicable to future lover or spouse.

Warnings: super long read, suggestive comments (bordering NSFW), some exaggerated details for the fun of it (but the theme and characteristics are still consistent otherwise), toxic tendencies

🥀 THE RITUAL: Clear your mind. Time is now patient and still. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, fill your chest up to the fullest, feel the soft air brush up against the ridges of your nose. Breathe out.

———————————————————————

Pile 1 | The Werewolf

Perfectionistic as hell, likely a planner

The horniness comes and stays fellas…

Extremely careful before decision making, yet impatient (more mentally)

Hides what they really feel. Has a hard time expressing their emotions through words, so your person (well, half-person) shows you instead

Might be wealthy or does very well w/ business or business partners

ALWAYS thinks before they act

very PRIMAL tendencies; will bust major nuts when persuading you to be bred…literally. the need to breed you can become suffocating as it seeps into small actions of daily life. will never stop bugging you about it. eventually, these efforts will increase and become more desperate (but hey, if you like that, go for it 😳)

^^the thought of having a family with you gets them down real bad

EXTREMELY overprotective and possessive over how revealing your clothes might be. don’t be surprised if they finally let you out of the house after you choose to wear a hazmat suit

• will do anything for you!!!! provide food, shelter, money… as long as you depend on them, they feel at their highest.

•^^ this can also indicate an incessant need for control and control over you as well

• typically chooses the safe route; sticks to routes they’re already familiar with and practicality

•^^polite with people or at least acts like a civil person, but is easily misjudged regardless

• kind of old school and can be boring; follows reserved traditions very well

• actually is a beast in the sheets, but prob only does vanilla positions

• is very, very hesitant about letting you go out at night and will bust balls to get you to stay inside

• can get overly paranoid over small things that can potentially harm you

slow, sensual, deep lovemaking sometimes—rough and wild, sloppy and fast at others—just totally unable to control themselves. this is bc they exercise so much control during the day that nights leading up to the full moon, or on the night of, are relentless. Also likes doin’ the dirty in the kitchen (i also see boiling soup and an apron if those have any significance)

grumpy in the morning hahaha. grumpy when you order them to do anything for you, but they’ll do it anyway

When they love, they LOVE. Extremely big hearts and easily empathetic, but never/rarely shows it

for some reason, your fs has a solution or piece of advice for every problem in existence

strong or bold looking, big and broad, intimidating, or a very tall person. might have a resting bitch face

a very good listener

• full moons are equivalent to menstrual cycles where their senses are heightened by tenfold, sensitive to everything in their surroundings (ex: ears perk up to sounds as unnoticeable as leaves rustling…), more emotionally reactive, a ceaseless desire for sex everyday—which gets worse as the full moon approaches 🙈—hastier movements, increased moodiness and appetite, goes out hunting more often. 50/50 have a messier diet or a more strict one

• structured or routined day to day

• has probably talked/will probably talk about raising a family with you at least once, becoming more adamant about it over time

• can seem very insensitive or come off as an asshole at times

• EXTREMELY observant; almost nothing gets past their eyes. It’s almost like an intense OCD thing. Pretty sure a lot of FS in this pile are control freaks or have very specific triggers

• can smell when you’re aroused. if you deal with periods, they know exactly what phase you’re in and keep track of monthly cycles. this is also how they can keep an eye on your fertility and “breedability” levels. likely to show clinginess during these times and try to make moves on you. (it’s a manipulation tactic, don’t fall for it!! 😳)

•^^when you get aroused, they get aroused. they’ll decide to make a move depending on the circumstances

• they have good control and discipline over themselves in general. But they’re still prone to control issues, esp over other people, or obsessiveness

Definitely an overthinker. They don’t like to be vulnerable emotionally. It’s very hard to get close to this person, and even harder to open up

doesn’t care about your “flaws” and doesn’t notice until you point them out; will be genuinely surprised to hear you have insecurities, bc to your fs, there’s no such thing. they don’t understand how you could feel that way about yourself or certain things about yourself

In some kind of leadership role (in work, relationship, or the home) or in a high enough position to give and support. Dominant in the sheets—stubbornly prefers to be

Loves to travel or would travel more if they could

Extremely adaptable and an all rounder; does well under pressure and in uncomfortable situations/environments

Likes bantering and stirring things up on purpose sometimes. Sometimes they’re feelin kinda bratty and will instigate. They fight just to fight. They’re usually quiet, reserved, or introverted

• deep down they know this and they’d even admit it to you if you asked, but they’d be totally onboard with you never going outside again and just staying in the house (it’s a possessive wolf thing maybe)

• you might not know at first, and they might not show it evidently, but they love sad karaoke songs or sad songs overall

Primary love language: Acts of service, physical touch, quality time, and gift giving

• *sniffs you with suspicion* “…that’s not my scent…”

• standing watch over you when you use a knife to cut vegetables — says, “are you sure you don’t need my help?” at least 5x in 2 mins, and still doesn’t leave after that

• stare wars with birds on a pole bc they felt offended by the birds staring first

• randomly, abrupt howling on some nights

“You take what I give you”

Acts as your personal bodyguard- will actually fight anyone for you

• loves to smell around your neck area- that shit kinda tickles tho

• (if your werewolf is male): “change out. that’s too revealing. you know men are dogs.” (lmfaooo? says who, the werewolf??)

• scolds you like a damn parent because you went outside at night for a few minutes to get some fresh air

• massages your thighs and feet

• physical contact is a must for them when watching movies with you

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Pile 2 | The Vampire

• “I ‘vant tu zuck yur blud.”

• a bit of a vanity monster (as most vampires are.) they like the way they look, and also care about how they present themselves to other people and most importantly, looking hot as hell in front of you, maybe too much at times. but from your pov, they really don’t have to try. they’re just naturally…wow. Breathtaking. HOWEVER!!! They use it to their advantage.

• Actual sass-squashes. They’re sassy and for no reason, but you can’t take them seriously when they are 😂😂

• intentionally AND unintentionally funny. like those characters on Disney channel shows that are like “oh yeah? try me” and then some bigger, buffer person comes in and they flinch a little. if you squint, you’ll catch a gulp in there too. it’s funny. endearing even. but they gotta own up to their mistakes and tone down on overcompensating. If there’s one thing they do, it’s to make up for what they don’t have.

• L-O-Y-A-L….by the time they get with you, at least. they might’ve had an…interesting reputation in the past. they might seem selfish bc of it—which is partially true. they can charm people to get what they want. They might/might have had a history of partying, hella socializing, hanging out w/ friends whenever they could (haha get it? hanging out? yk…vampire stuff…)

A total charmer and a flirt. They like to bicker and tease you; playful,, sometimes it’s cute…others, kinda annoying

• if you talk to this person seriously and in a calm and diplomatic manner, they’ll get a little defensive, yes, but A LOT less so than if you were yelling and screaming at them outright. if you both just sit down on the edge of the bed, tilt your head to a 45 degree angle and show your concerns, they’ll reflect and maybe deflect here and there, but they’ll think about it throughout the day.

• I think this person goes through varying phases of heat. (Prob not even the right word here but-) By that I mean, sometimes they wanna get down and dirty for 30 hours straight or just session after session after session nonstop—OR they take what they need and leave for a couple hours, come back again, take, and leave. This is odd at first, but it just comes with the moodiness they inherently have, possibly sticking to them from the past life. They might have suffered with commitment issues, and I don’t mean them per se, but the people around them that didn’t know how to love: family, friends, anyone that was close and left abruptly or never showed love. (Made me a lil sad there...)

• Love is complicated. They didn’t believe in it before and was confident they wouldn’t ever. But when you ask them “What do vampires think about love? Are you allowed to love?”, they turn their heads, take a moment to skim over your face in silence. Love…is what I’m feeling with you. They want to admit this, but vampires can’t feel. Would you even believe them? They don’t even know what love is. They don’t even feel heartbeats anymore, but for some reason, when you look into their eyes like that, there’s a different kind of pulsing. A surge of desire that courses through them, screaming at them to keep you forever. They can’t ever let you go now.

•^ This leads us to possessiveness. They are…*phew* VERY possessive and very dramatic/petty/easily sulky about it. You’ll lose your mind over it. If you do something as simple as shopping, they will follow. Too insistent and stubborn not to. What if you encounter another vampire living among the humans during the day, and suddenly, said vampire wants you too? Sure, they get burnt with a bit of sun, so what? They’d evolved enough to wear a million layers of sunscreen and a million layers of clothing over that, all dressed up like a moving heap of clothes. They care about how others might see them like this, of course, but in moments like these, they don’t care when you’re on the line.

• they’ve never really had their emotions looked at carefully or taken care of. It’s always just been brushed off, not only by themselves but by others as well. I personally wouldn’t doubt if they claimed to never have had real friends or friends that cared about the inside substance rather than the outer. Your fs just seems like they’re trying to fit in, be accepted and validated. You wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance, but as you gradually get to know them, you’ll find that their heart is barely being held together by makeshift glue.

Very in tune with their inner divine feminine energy,, not afraid to tap into it and explore that side more

Not that emotionally developed but has major potential to with the right teacher

Nurturing and caring, but might be materialistic or putting too much importance on the material/physical pleasures. Truly lives for the fun of it

Works hard, plays hard—and will shamelessly chase you

Knows exactly what to say and do that will rile you up. Knows all of your weak spots physically

Down to try anything and everything with you, no complaints

Sensual and passionate personality and in the sheets

Super open minded and curious, easygoing and has no expectations. Makes a lot of jokes too.

Daring, optimistic, brave and believes in no limits (but bc of this, they can be seen as naive or have an innocent nature inside.) Gets in half-fights/arguments w/ people for fun

A total switch in bed; can and literally will do/try anything

Now, dare I say…the FS for this pile have the best rizz and sex game

Some fs in here can get too naggy

They have a great fashion sense or an overwhelming appreciation for fashion, beauty, or aesthetics, and is more than willing to be involved in your fashion styles

Red flag moment: solves problems in your relationship w/ sex so that yall will just forget it and move on

In hindsight, this FS is so flamboyant or charming that you could get lost in what they’re trying to express. They’ve got very fiery energy (betting rn that they have extremely prominent fire sign placements).

P.S. yeah after writing this out and reviewing the format, seeing all the back and forth…pile 2 FS def has a perfection mask thing going on. They wanna make themselves appealing in one way or another, or the consequences will just break them into pieces. The last thing that they want is to be alone.

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Pile 3 | The Fairy

Alas, we’ve gotten to arguably the most healthy future spouse here out of the 3 😅 (and the most intuitive)

Introspective as hell and wise. Helps you with really anything

They’re ok w/ being alone; most introverted of the piles

Positive, hopeful, and optimistic when it comes to others. More pessimistic when it comes to themselves.

Balanced and a good mentor; suuuper patient (a lot of times to a fault)

Learns from their losses and mistakes and becomes a better person, improving almost immediately

Mediator type of person, but will defend you against others in argument—which they’ll win btw

They don’t like seeking help from others—if anything, your FS is usually the helper—even when they can ask for help right in front of them- even if it’s recommended to get help, they still won’t do it

Hella infj vibes tho (if you’re into mbti)

Every show of love is their love language. Bonus points if they wear matching clothes or secretly write poems to you that they’ll never tell you about

This future spouse group has the cheesiest and the sweetest person

Your person can lead a life more flexible financially than the other 2 piles

Also an all rounder! But thinks that they aren’t perfect when they literally are; struggles with their own low self-esteem so they try to build other people up

Putting others before themselves is second nature- they ALWAYS prioritize you or others; extremely selfless

^^Now, each fairy got a different role and purpose. The reasoning for your fs being overly selfless and self-sacrificial varies. The easy answer? Insecurity. Second? Obligation or a sense of duty. The list goes on…

They’ve got that Triple A Threat: Amazing Ass Adaptability. Your person has been thru quite a bit, hell and back. Sometimes, life just likes to mess with them for no apparent reason 🤷🏻‍♀️)

They’re always ready to face challenges; Incredibly strong person. They’ll be with you thru thick and thin!!

Strong sense of justice and equality. OH- and also they like traveling or would like to travel more!

A literal inspiration and hope (yes, with sparkles on top.) Not only do they inspire others, but your person—no matter how rock bottom you get—will never leave you.

gets jealous and easily possessive but doesn't wanna show it (shit's still pretty obvious tho)

The type that babbles their heart out when they get comfy with you. They don’t get like this with just anyone

Likely likes museums and art. Things that the media typically deems boring, weird, or unconventional your FS will prob find interesting. They like to look into deeper meanings and interpretations.

In bed, they’re pretty vanilla and soft. But are open to exploring things that aren’t too wild (like our vampire up above)

(Take this bit very lightly: I see that this person has grown up or has been around “broken” people their entire life, so they feel they need to take responsibility on behalf of those people. They might be some kind of counselor, mentor, or therapist. They’re prone to blaming themselves if situations take a bad turn or go unplanned. I’m also hinting here that some of your FS might have a savior complex, and not on purpose. They might always take some kind of leadership role or something directly beneficial to people- nurses, camp leaders, etc…)

They will take all of the burden so that you don’t have to

If your FS had any weirdo or pervy habits, it’d probably be compulsively stealing your panties or building a shrine with locks of your hair on it 😵‍💫 (which hopefully I hope doesn’t happen. I heard in some fairy folklore, they steal babies, like flying away with the newborn-in-a-basket typa thing- and for no reason too! Don’t let them steal yo babies now!!)

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**Ending Teddy note:

As always, thank you so very much for tuning in with us! I hope you have a spooktacular Scorpio season as we are soon heading into it (depending on when you’re reading this), but really you can read this at any time. Rmr to take everything with a grain of salt! Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t. Stay safe out there and rock on people 🤩🤩 Feedback is very much appreciated in any form as it’d help me grow as a reader :)

*This is for entertainment purposes*

[eddiestightywhities]

100% in the Buddie Team Switch tent over here btw bc these bastards are honestly just far too complex to ever be anything else imo. like Buck with his praise kink, all somebody please tell me i did good as i wasn't told this growing up by the people who were supposed to say it to me and it changed my brain chemistry by denying me of positive affirmations and molded me into a pliable thing that cannot help but take any shape others want me to so i just need need need you to please please tell me that i did good and that i am good and please will you help me to believe that i am as good as you're telling me i am by holding me down and forcing me to take all of you into all of me until I'm fucking convulsing with just how good it feels and how good i am at it, and bc i now know for sure how much you love it too as you're saying it out loud to me, over and over and over again... and Eddie, with absolutely everything in his life (outside of work) feeling so very out of his control and needing to gain some of it back by crushing Buck with his body weight and telling Buck exactly what it is he should be doing and precisely how to do it and have Buck whining and keening with how desperate he is to comply bc Buck has complete trust in Eddie, in Eddie's ability to make the right decision for whatever it is Buck needs, for what they both need, and having that allows Eddie to have the courage in his convictions that he often struggles to have outside of the(ir) bedroom when it comes to his emotions and that just feels so good to Eddie, to be doing it right, to be the one making Buck feel good, so good, and to actually be taking—for once in his life—what it is that he wants and allowing himself to have the things he desires, to have Buck, all for himself, because that is what feels good to him... but then there are those other times in Eddie's life that he has had to and has to be a sure and steady hand, a reliable go-to, be totally unshakeable and unbreakable and in charge of making decisions that affect countless people's lives—victims of war, those he tries his best to serve and save on calls, colleagues, friends, the people he cares for and those he loves the most in his life—and it's, well. it's A Lot. so much, actually, that Eddie sometimes needs to turn it off and just let it all go and allow somebody else take over and tell him what to do and when to do it bc he just needs to not think about it anymore, to not think at all, needs to just be a vessel for somebody else's decisions and desires and put his trust wholly in somebody else, in Buck, bc he doesn't always trust himself but Buck knows Eddie so well and so completely and understands what Eddie needs to get out of his own head and just have somebody tell him (outside of his job) that he did good for once, that he can get matters of the heart right instead of always wrong wrong wrong and have Buck tell him that yes, of course he's good for something, good for this, good for splaying himself wide open and taking everything he is given by Buck... and then there's the whole Buck (outside of work) having zero fucking clue of what he's doing and even tho he is trying his very best all of the time he's getting it wrong A Lot of the time, bc his best isn't always good enough so he has to try harder but then he's trying too hard, too much, which means he still isn't getting it right. and so to be able to be the one in charge of things and have his will and instruction be absolutely the right thing? the very thing that Eddie needs? that's such a heady experience, such a rush, and when he makes Eddie beg and cry with it and Eddie loves loves loves Buck for it—loves Buck for telling him how it should be and for Buck insisting on what he's giving being what Eddie deserves—that is Buck living and thriving and loving loving loving Eddie right back, with all the plundering depth that he has in him and can give and is... and that, all of that, is just. how it is. every facet of it; every logistic; every angle; every way and any way you look at it; every (s)which way.

[ameliawarnerr]

Pov: Lilly needs dating advice + jealous Jake as bonus

Lilly: Do you think I should say yes to him?

MC: YES!

Cleo: What? No! He didn't even ask you. He straight out told you to come at whatever restaurant. You deserve better.

MC: No but his exact words were and I quote, “Lilly, if there's any chance that you are going say no, then it's not a question. You are coming on a date with me.”

Jessy: I’m sorry MC, but I agree with Cleo on this one. He should give a choice you know.

MC: Well, she can still say no, right? So it's still a choice. Why are you guys totally missing out the point that he is SO desperate for her!

Dan: Uhm, is this a "girls talk" or are we guys allowed to say anything?

Cleo: No, you are not. Shutup.

Lilly: Guys, I'm dying here. I don't know what to doooo

MC: See, guys. I never wanted to rub it in your faces but I'm the only girl with a relationship in this gc so Lilly, you know who you must listen to.

Jessy: Really, MC? That's how Jake asked YOU out?

Jake: Jessica, I’d like if you don't drag me into this.

Jessy: I didn't drag you, Jake. MC did.

MC: I'm just helping Lilly make the right decision. You guys are being too hard on this guy. My man is so desperate he might be dying rn

Jake: My man?

MC: Figure of speech, Jake, don't distract me. I'm trying to win an argument here.

Cleo: Guys, we are wasting the time. Lilly is supposed give him an answer.

Lilly: Okay, everyone. Shut up. We’ll put this up for a vote. Guys can vote too. Yes or no

Cleo: No

Jessy: No

MC: Yes

Lilly: Dan?

MC: Yes, Dan, what you say?

Dan: Uhm....yes?

MC: Yep. Right answer.

MC: Thomas? Is it a YES or a no?

Thomas: Yes, ig.

Cleo: MC is scaring the guys!

MC: Oh come on, they are grown ass men

Lilly: I don't have time for this. Jake? If you say yes, it's a clear majority. But if you say no, then we’d have to ask one more person

Jake: I think no matter how desperate he is, he should have still asked. Rather than tell you.

MC: JAKE?!

Cleo: hahahahhaha

Jessy: wjjwkjjw hahahah omg

MC: Alright, children. We need a deciding vote. And who could be better than a man who owns a bar and have known more women than anybody here?

Dan: Please don't say Phil

MC: Phil MF Hawkins, who else.

MC added Phil to the groupchat

Phil: Hi?

MC: Hey, sweetheart. We have a situation and you need to vote either yes or no. The situation: In desperation, a guy told lilly to go out with him rather than asking her, which clearly isn't a big deal. Should she go or not?

Phil: I mean, if a girl did that to me, I’d say yes

MC: YES!

Phil: That’s what you wanted me to say? :)

MC: You are so much more insightful than most people in this gc, Phil.

Jake kicked out Phil

Dan: Thank you!

Jake to MC

Jake: We need to talk.

MC: I’m sorry. Are you TELLING me that we need to talk rather than ASKING me if I want to talk?

MC: I’m afraid I’d have to say no

(oneshot in continuation to this particular conversation coming soon 😏😏)

[cupidkenji]

Hi!

I love Doctor, Doctor, please listen! The way you wrote about the differences between the two that were apparent at first and then how they were actually similar! 🫠

Would you be interested in doing a follow up for the same reader who still refuses to carry a gun, but then she and Spencer are in danger and an unsub is about to kill Spencer, so she breaks her rule and uses Spencer’s gun to shoot the unsub? She doesn’t have to shoot to kill, but just to protect Spencer.

Like maybe she got injured first and didn’t defend herself but the moment it’s about to happen to “her Doctor”, she knows what she has to do.

(If youre not interested, totally get it!!!) thank you for reading!

ANON YOU'RE A GENIUS OH MY GOD Pairing: Spencer Reid x Chubby!Fem!reader Cw; Guns, mention of violence towards a kid, reader gets stabbed (again), death mention, mention of reader getting a leg amputated WC: 909 This is a little spin-off of my first fic which you can read here but it can be read as a standalone as well

Things had escalated fast. The team had profiled a calm, rational unsub. She was acting more out of desperation than anything, nobody thought an attack was plausible. You had ruled out a partner early into the investigation, the kills were too mundane for that of two people. Even now, with said partner having killed the unsub, you still wondered how the companion could have possibly hid herself so well. The partner was armed, clearly the dominant of the two, it became an obvious case of master/servant. 

It was just you and Spencer here, Hotch was following close behind but his ETA was around 6 minutes. You didn’t have 6 minutes. She had gotten you good, coming out angry and ready to take out as many as possible. Your leg paid the price as she dove at you. You aimed for the floor, just needing to get out of her way, but you’re about 60% sure she sliced right through your Achilles. It would take all the energy you had to get back up, leaving you stationary and practically useless on the floor. 

The woman was clearly struggling with paranoia. She ditched the knife she struck you with in favor of waving her pistol around. She was incredibly animated as she spoke, throwing her hands in tune with her words as she argued with the air around her. Soon, as though a decision had been made, she set her sights on Spencer. Up until this point, he’d been helping you stop the blood pouring from your leg. You saw her make up her mind, and knew you had to act quick. She was coming for him. 

“Spencer, give me your gun.” You said it quickly and near silently, thanking the heavens he was so close to you. You discreetly laid your hand on the ground, and he placed it on your open palm. His back was towards her, it was up to you to protect him now. 

“You people think the whole world is up for you to dictate, you know that? You can never just let people be.” She was panting, hauling Spencer up from the floor and walking him against the wall at gunpoint. “We were fine! Nobody was ever even meant to get hurt, but you all can never just let people make mistakes.”

You were hiding the gun with your arm, if she saw it she could snap. “We understand mistakes, ma’am. But sometimes people get hurt. Don’t you think it’s fair the people you wronged get some justice?” You tried, but in your professional opinion this woman was already too far gone. 

“No! Don’t say it like that! We didn’t mean to hurt that kid, ok? We just got carried away.” She was rising, there was no talking her down. “You could have let us go, we would have left the country.” It was horrific, she was crying - remorseful. “But now - now I have to kill you and I don’t even want to.”

“Put down the gun, ma’am. Please.” One last bargain. “It doesn’t have to end this way.”

She only cocked the gun as a response, raising her hand to aim the pistol at Spencer’s temple. 

“I’ll make it quick, I promise.”

You didn’t have a choice at this point. This was the first time in your entire career you’d been forced to hurt an unsub. You’d never been anywhere without a team to back you up. This time it was your finger on the trigger. The angle you were aiming from - crooked, while lying on the floor - made it incredibly difficult to predict where the bullet would end up. You aimed low, crossing your fingers it would shock her away from Spencer. She can’t hurt him. It was the only thought left in your head. Please don’t hurt him.

–

You found yourself in the back of an ambulance. Again. The wound was more severe this time, Spencer glued to your side for the trip to the ER. You were going to need surgery to repair the nerve damage she caused.

“I hate hospitals.” Dread pooled in your gut at the thought of going under the knife. Spencer looked at you appalled. He couldn’t believe you were complaining about the service that was going to save you from an amputated leg. Or in other words, he was panicking. 

“Are you kidding me? You’ve lost enough blood to fill half a milk carton, Y/n! The fact they think you’re going to keep your leg means you got luckier than 67.2% of patients with similar stab wounds. Have a little gratuity.” His face was flushed, the hand gestures that usually accompanied his words were otherwise forgotten about. 

“Spencer, I’m gonna be ok.” You looked in his eyes from where you laid on the stretcher. Sounding out each word a little more purposefully in order to calm him down. 

“You shot someone. You’ve never even had to detain someone. I know how much you prioritize peace, Y/n.” Ah, so that’s why he was worked up. 

“Spence.” You laughed a bit - endearingly - at how worried he was about you breaking a vow. “She was going to hurt you. I would have killed her if I had to.” He looked so fragile in the vehicle’s stark lighting.

“Really? You mean that?” The kinder way of saying would you have done that for the others? 

You smiled at his words. “Only for you, Doc.”

[scoobydoodean]

Your thoughts on Amy are really interesting to me because when I was watching I'll admit I saw it as another tragic scenario that's often presented in the show. Like, she found a way to live her life with her son that wouldn't have her kill people (being a mortician) but when her son was sick she turned to desperate measures to save him. It's a sort of situation we see time and time again on the show. I'll admit I didn't quite pick up on the classist rhetoric going on in the episode and while I'm not entirely sure that was intentional by the writers it's definitely had me looking at this plot point in a new light. Dean killing Amy and its consequences has always been a really interesting narrative beat because while I ultimately don't fully agree with Dean's decision there, I totally see why he did it and understand his reasonings for it. Idk how many other fans feel the Amy conflict and the arc it has the brothers go through but I do think that at least at it's core it was an interesting one to explore even if it's execution of it left something to be desired for me

Sorry to ramble in your ask box but I seriously love your metas even when I don't always agree with your opinions 💜

If you don't mind a little rambling as well: I don't know that I'd say we see this same situation time and again. We have "Monsters Who Manage". For example, Lenore and her nest (2.03, 6.19). Benny. Garth and Bess. Sometimes those "monsters" feed again despite their best efforts (ex: Lenore in 6.19).

Amy isn't like any of them though. Sam seems to want to present Amy as an addict who relapsed (like Lenore), but that isn't what happened. She didn't feed on the brains of the people she killed. That was never her goal. She just had an opportunity to do something immoral to save her kid and she did it. In the end, her being a kitsune has almost nothing to do with her actions. A human parent could have done something very similar to save their own child. Imagine if your child needed a new heart and there was a long waiting list, so you went out and killed someone else and had their heart transplanted. That's more like what Amy did. Her kid got a food borne illness or infection. Normal human children get listeria and other dangerous food borne infections/illnesses. The only way in which Amy being a kitsune really impacts the situation is that it presented a unique solution to her child being sick that wouldn't be available to other parents (fresh pituitary glands). Her choosing to act on that opportunity just kind of shows that on some level, she does think of humans (at least "lower class" humans) as food.

At the same time, I do think Dean's actions go further than a moral difference with Sam. Dean is spiraling after the events of season 6. Cas lied and then died, and when it all went to shit, Death blamed Dean for everything and Dean crumpled under the weight of those expectations (we jump further into this in the following episode). It leaves Dean hyper-focused on not making a "mistake" again (for example, trusting someone he shouldn't have). At the same time, Dean's deeply depressed and suicidal (7.02), and his outlook on life and his own family is incredibly cynical when "The Girl Next Door" takes place. He says "the other shoe will drop" in regards to Sam because he doesn't have hope that anything could ever turn out right for their family. He repeats it in regards to Amy because people never change. Everyone is doomed to repeat their mistakes for all time (Dean's despair often looks like falling into the spiral of causality instead of remembering he can leap out of its flow). He also says "People are what they are", and I do think he's thinking about Cas at that point.

Amy mingled with humans and was a part of their world, but her actions showed she saw them as food on some level... and I think that Dean looks back at Cas and worries that he was a fool to ever think Cas was (for lack of a better word) human (or at least an ally to humanity who truly respected them as equals). In 6.22, Cas tells Dean they were never a family, and in 7.01, he follows that up by telling Dean he only ever saw him as a pet. He reinforced the traditional hierarchy where humans are lower creatures to monsters—food. And what has Dean been fighting all his life? Powerful creatures who believe their physical dominance gives them license exploit humans as food. When Dean tells Amy "people are who they are"... I do think he's thinking about Cas and the trust he had in that relationship that was deeply crushed. He's scared to trust anyone again because he trusted Cas so very much and now his world has been ripped apart. He doesn't trust Sam's judgement on Amy because he trusted Cas and that backfired spectacularly. He doesn't trust Amy not to do this again. Tbh I think he's right not to trust her because she has absolutely zero remorse of any kind at all whatsoever at any point. To me, that makes it quite apparent she'd be more than happy to do the same thing again if her kid was ever sick again. Hell—maybe even if she got sick. But it does go deeper than a moral clash for Dean. He's full of despair. At the same time, his actions also aren't as simple as dropping into the doom of "Monsters bad" because he doesn't kill Amy's son. Something Sam's never really grasped is that monsterhood has never been about physical characteristics to Dean. It's always been about actions. For Sam on the other hand, monsterhood has historically been more about physical characteristics (post here). I think this also plays a role in their feelings about Amy.

[fae-renjun]

OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CAMERA — h.sh

ep. 2 — audition day! [𖦹 wc: 730+]

previous | masterlist | next

— leehan coughed lightly to get your attention, “huh? oh. sorry, i’m just zoned out.”

“yeah i could tell,” he replied with a laugh

you smiled and looked back down at the scripts on the desk in front of you, overwhelmed by the fact that it was finally happening, you were finally making a film. the idea of watching people act out the scenes you wrote was daunting.

“i think a couple of people are already here, should i let them in?” you looked at the digital clock above the door, the red lights on it flashed 11:49. 

"tell them to wait a bit longer, i need to um-"

"it’s ok if you’re nervous. just because it’s a college short film doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to you."

“thanks. and thanks for helping out again, i know the other three are busy for another hour but sungchan said him and his friends should be coming to help.”

“it’s no problem y/n, we’re all doing this together.” “honestly i don’t know what i would do without you guys.”

“you’d probably suffer,” he said, trying to alleviate your stress before going out to tell the people auditioning to wait longer. 

you took a deep breath. you can do this y/n. it’s just auditions. 

leehan walked back into the studio with sungchan, wonbin, eunseok and anton in tow. you greeted each other, and you thanked them for taking the time to help. “i just want to watch seunghan embarrass himself honestly,” said anton, which was met with eunseok hitting his chest so he followed up with, “-and to help. obviously.”

you laughed, “it’s ok, there’s not that much for you to do anyway, just take these scripts,” you picked up the stack from the desk and walked over to them, “and pass them around when the auditionees come in.”

before you knew it, 10 minutes had passed by, so when the clock showed 11:59, you got the boys to call the auditionees in. it was only about 10 people, some you recognised, some you didn’t. you’d made a lot of time for auditions, knowing there were people that had classes and could only show up later. what you didn’t expect was how many people would show up.

in total, 34 people auditioned for the 4 available roles. you were in for a lot of difficult decision making that night. your frontrunners for the female lead were ahn yujin from your year and kim minjeong, a senior. you definitely knew minjeong better, having hung out with her before since her and karina went to high school together. but while both played the part better than anyone in that room, yujin brought such a realistic edge to the character, it was fascinating to watch her audition because you could really feel your character come to life. 

the male lead front runners were sung hanbin and hong seunghan. you knew seunghan from a few classes you’d taken together in the past, and because he was friends with sungchan, a highschool classmate of yours. he was on the basketball team, and you’d seen a couple of games of his. you knew he was good at basketball, but you’d never expected him to be so good at acting. in many ways he felt like your character had been lifted off the page and become a real person. you were trying desperately to ignore the tiny bias in your head towards him, courtesy of the crush you’d had last semester. 

hanbin on the other hand, was vice-captain of the dance team, and was expected to take over once shotaro (the current captain) graduated. he had a natural talent for performance of all kinds, as was evident from his audition. 

needless to say, you were exhausted once the auditions were done, letting out a huge breath once everyone but your friends had left. 

“god that was fucking tiring,” said yizhuo. taesan nodded, “too many good options, but at least the bad ones were fun to watch.” you all hummed in agreement, and packed up your things in silence. 

“so, back to the apartment for decisions? i wanna get it done by tomorrow afternoon,” you said when everyone looked ready to go. “can we pick up snacks on the way?” asked leehan. you nodded in response and the 5 of you set off to you, yizhuo and karina’s shared apartment.

a/n: sorry for the delay, the main reason this chapter took so long was me procrastinating the written section lols. also! lmk if you guys want a teaser for my next smau (a wonbin one) set in the same universe 👀

tags: @billiondollarworth @nujeskz @secretiny @soobsthings @talk420 @renjuneoo @flaminghotyourmom @academiq @luffysgfforevaa1 @hwadejectedyoung @starwonb1n @onebnis @calumsfringe

© 2024 FAE-RENJUN. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or steal any of my posts.

[cherrystales]

My take on Dutch in Red Dead Redemption 2 (part 1)

Am I the only one that feels like Dutch isn’t a total monster in Red Dead Redemption 2?

Like I understand he made poor decisions. Constantly. But this is him post-Blackwater. Micah talked him up into a job that went wrong. They lost people, two dead (Jenny and Davey) and two unknown (Mack who ends up being dead, and Sean who they find and rescue later). Dutch screwed up. He lost four people in one day. That’s a LOT of people (understatement). Dutch clearly cares about everyone and takes the loss hard, but can’t really show it because if he were to show weakness (aka grieve) that might put doubt into people’s minds, more than they might already have.

Then the O’Driscolls show up. I think Dutch was even convincing himself that doing that train job wasn’t for revenge in some way. And it ends up biting him in the ass later because the Pinkertons are notified of someone matching Dutch’s description robbing that train, which helps them find the gang. Another screwup, just compounds his stress. The more mistakes, the more flustered he gets, even if he won’t admit it to himself. Makes him vulnerable to more rash decisions. Dutch wants to feel in control. Which is why in Rhodes, he chooses to play both the Braithwaite family and the Gray family. He doesn’t like southerners, he thinks they’re just a bunch of hicks who he can manipulate and get double the money for it. But in his haste to regain some semblance of confidence and control, Dutch makes the mistake of underestimating what these families are capable of. Turns out that no, they aren’t stupid at all. The Braithwaites take Jack, and the Grays get Sean (though Bill was the one taking point on dealing with the Grays it seems so one could argue it’s his fault. But imo Dutch should’ve been asking more questions about what Bill was doing).

Then there’s Saint Denis and getting Jack back. Once again, Dutch’s pride and overconfidence are his downfall. Brontë is a freaking mastermind just like Dutch, but Dutch thinks he successfully got what he wanted. He forced his way into Brontë’s home and demanded Jack back. He thought it was the show of force that made Brontë back down in that conversation, and it sort of was, but it was really Brontë thinking it wasn’t worth it to get shot in the short run and playing the long game instead. Brontë charms Dutch the same way Dutch would charm anyone else. Invites him to the mayor’s party, gives him a tip on a job… Turns out it’s a setup, and somehow Dutch didn’t see that coming even though Brontë had every reason to harbor ill will towards him. Dutch, in his haste to want to feel in control again, walks right into it. The failure at Blackwater, the train job leading to the law on their tail AGAIN, the trouble in Rhodes leading to another loss (two of you count Jack), all compounding into poor decision making as Dutch feels less and less in control and his desperation to regain it. His desperation to regain his freedom, his family’s freedom, to move as they please and do as they please without the threat of the gallows hanging over them. He’s emotionally vulnerable, and it’s starting to show.

And things only get worse after the trolley job goes wrong. Dutch hits his head hard, and almost certainly sustains some kind of brain injury considering how fast his decline is after that. Selfish actions, such as having Arthur get in the water with that gator. Acting in outright revenge with Brontë.

And then there’s the bank job. Losing two, no, THREE more people if you count John being arrested. One of which being Hosea. Dutch’s rock, the one that tries to keep him from making rash decisions and succeeds some of the time. With what happened, and the loss of Hosea, he’s angry, he’s even more rash than before, and even more vulnerable to Micah’s manipulation. Go big or go home.

Money, money, money. Dutch’s thoughts have gone almost fully from protecting his family to the money and “noise” they supposedly need to get away.

I think the “noise” ends up being Dutch’s internal need, if the government is gonna get him anyway, to flip off the government, Cornwall, and everyone.

The only thing that I absolutely cannot excuse from Dutch is what happened at the oil refinery, when he walks away from Arthur and just LEAVES HIM. Like what the actual hell.

However, there is one interesting point where Dutch tells Arthur that he does not, in fact, have a plan. That he’s working on it, but that he doesn’t have one yet. I think it’s after Guarma? He admits to Arthur he does not have a final plan. He can’t even finish the sentence, “I ain’t got a…I just need time. Time, and no traitors.” Dutch admitting to Arthur that he doesn’t actually have a final plan, means EVERYTHING. And ffs, Arthur is already doubting, VOCALLY, and yet Dutch still admits to him he does not have a plan. That’s admitting weakness, something Dutch is loath to do. It’s taking a risk, and shows that Dutch still has some sort of care for Arthur, and trust, despite his increasing paranoia.

I think the success in Guarma also increased Dutch’s confidence a bit. For ONCE, he got a win. Javier was saved, they got out (even if it was mostly Arthur). Dutch’s actions in Guarma definitely reflect his mental decline, such as him shooting that woman.

But then that’s all gone to hell almost as soon as they get back because of Bill’s poor choices in figuring out where the rest of the gang went, which led the Pinkertons right to them. Luckily Dutch had a place for them to go, but…that couldn’t have helped, a full assault on their ground, not even enough time for him to figure out that final plan yet.

More listening to Micah, losing people by the day as they flee the gang. And then there’s Molly. Poor Molly… she just loved him, wanted to be seen by him. Another death, and a perceived outright betrayal. That only makes things WORSE with the paranoia.

And then of course there’s Arthur and Sadie deciding to take matters into their own hands and breaking John out of prison; which is also a betrayal since he went behind Dutch’s back.

However, I will say one thing about Dutch that is a genuinely good point he makes to John at Beaver Hollow: “You want to be the general?! You don’t have the grit!” Dutch is breaking under the pressure.

Dutch makes really really bad decisions, but that doesn’t mean he was a bad person to begin with. When people judge him, from what I’ve seen, they don’t put themselves in his shoes. He has to move people, plan jobs, try not to get caught, take risks, all while things are quickly spiraling out of his control, while silently grieving the people that he’s losing because of his own decisions. Maybe not in all cases does he fully blame himself, but Dutch is a showman. He doesn’t always speak his mind, he speaks what will get people to stand by him. Admitting he’s at fault admits weakness, and that brings doubt he cannot have if he’s trying to keep the family together.

So to recap: Dutch is a good leader. The game story starts on the tail of seemingly the biggest failure he’s ever had to endure, which started out as the best job they were ever going to have, losing four people in a day, the law on their tail, a desperate need to regain control and protect his family leading to even more risks being taken and them not paying off, leading to him being more stressed and making worse decisions, getting a brain injury and still having to lead, having his compromised reasoning and emotional state taken advantage of by a money-hungry yes-man.

(This is getting really long so I think I’ll make a part 2 to this going more over Dutch’s actions in camp and with Micah, Molly, etc. And explain how I think Micah got in Dutch’s ear and why I think Dutch refused to listen to other’s opinions)

[thebreakfastgenie]

If you don't mind sharing, I would love to know what you think people get wrong about Toby and Josh! (this is not a trap, I have no strong feelings and am genuinely just interested)

Yeah totally!! So I will say I think within The West Wing fandom on tumblr people get these characters more right than the general audience.

Toby is just an incredibly complex character. I go even farther than most (including, like, Richard Schiff) because I don't think Toby is cynical at all. Maybe by the end of the show, but certainly not when we meet him and not throughout the first four seasons. Cynicism isn't really allowed to exist in the Sorkin West Wing. Toby is the most idealistic character on the show and he is the way he is because he is constantly disappointed and frustrated. The world never lives up to his expectations but he never adjusts his expectations. It goes beyond hope, he really does expect better because he genuinely believes the world or in some cases a person, e.g. Jed Bartlet, has a potential it's not living up to. That's why we meet Toby as a professional political operative who has never won an election, who puts his job on the line and alienates all his coworkers because he's so committed to what he believes is right. Toby is an uncompromising idealist, which is an exhausting way to exist, and it makes him depressed, which is why Andi can't live with him even though I believe she still loves him. I hate that in season 7 Bartlet claims Toby thinks of himself as morally superior and that he always knew this would become a problem, because the dynamic we're given in season 1 is that Bartlet thinks of Toby as morally superior and relies on him for that perspective.

Josh is a wildly popular character and one of the more consistently written characters in the show so just about everybody gets the broad strokes of him right, but I think he's prone to flanderization and the complexities of him are frequently missed. Josh isn't someone who loves dirty politics. He isn't really someone who will do whatever it takes to win; he's willing to do a lot, but there are certain lines he only tries to cross when he's really desperate and each time it's framed as an unusual choice for him and he tends to reflect on it with some discomfort afterwards. Josh is the pragmatist who knows someone has to get their hands dirty, and he does it not because he wants to but to keep the president and Leo and anyone else he's working for clean. He's motivated primarily by loyalty, but that in and of itself is idealistic. He defends Hoynes because he does see a good side to Hoynes, a side the audience gets to see glimpses of later. Josh does leave Hoynes for Bartlet because he's tired of Hoynes not living up to the potential he sees in him and he's infected by Bartlet's idealism, but it's a decision he feels guilty about for years afterward. I think people have a tendency to exaggerate Josh's ego, too. He beats his chest (literally) in private but he doesn't want public credit; the reason he doesn't want to be "the guy" is he doesn't have the ego for it. Josh is not self-centered at all and I think that's a big thing people miss about him. And his tendency to screw up or shoot off at the mouth is real but also exaggerated and when it does happen it's just as much an expression of frustrated idealism as Toby's choices.

I think the really crucial part that's often missed is the dynamic between Toby and Josh and their respective roles in the Bartlet administration. The reason Bartlet for America and later Jed Bartlet's presidency is successful is a balance between Josh's pragmatism and Toby's uncompromising idealism. The campaign needs both and Bartlet needs both perspectives. Leo recognizes that and brings him both and Josh and Toby, for all they butt heads, recognize it too. That's why everyone on the show has such an underlying respect for each other. CJ and Sam are crucial to the team too of course they just don't have neat narrative foils the way Josh and Toby do in each other.

[krissielee]

Red, White, and Royal Advent!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, folks!

So this month, I did a little something for myself. A Red, White & Royal Blue themed advent calendar! My year sucked. Like, a lot. And there's no guarantee it'll stop sucking anytime soon. So this was a way to get a little serotonin every day.

I’ve posted it over on FB, but a few people over here might be interested, too, @mylucayathoughts, for one--love you, fam!

I got gifts enough for 25 days, mostly from Amazon with a few outliers 'cause I'm stupid poor, and randomly tagged them with names of characters, then used a spinner to pick what I got to open each day. So yeah, I bought them all, but the order was all randomized. Me and @machtaholic and @omgbarbiegurl had the big idea to make fandom advents to sell, but this year was just a nightmare for me, and we couldn’t get it going.

And this was … not cheap. Ha. I don’t know if anyone would spend this much on one. Bad Financial Decisions, what? 😅

Whatever. I enjoyed my calendar.

… wanna see what all I got? Of course you do!

Buckle up, fam. This is a long one. Too long for one post!

Anyway, here's part 1.

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

Day 1, Amy gave me a few books that Henry had recommended to her:

Day 2, Pez thought I deserved to smell nice. Alex Bearmont-Diaz certainly appreciates smelling nice. :D

Day 3, Spencer got me something even June can eat!

Day 4, Bea gave me a punny gift. See, I already have a Cornbread plushie, so I don’t need any more turkeys hanging around, but cornbread the food? Yeah, we can work with that. And Dolly, of course. ❤

Day 5 was Mr, Wobbles’ time to shine—literally—with a quartz crystal:

Day 6 was Ellen’s chance to make me smile. Almost a year to the day after I lost my first pup, she gave me a little David!

I really miss my boys—bonus image of my two little nerds because everyone needs to see the sweet little fuzzies I lost. Pepper (the little black one) was last December. Totally blind and he had no teeth. Lucas (the terrier that looks like an old German Shepherd puppy) was completely deaf. They were 15, and I want them back desperately. Everybody tell me my boys were the goodest.

Day 7, Nora gave me one of Henry’s favorite snacks. Now, I’m American, right? Jaffa Cakes aren’t a “thing” here—which is a travesty; I love chocolate and orange and vanilla. But Target got us the hook up with the Marks and Spencer Jaffa Cakes!

Side note: I learned this year that they’re called Jaffa Cakes because of the type of orange in them! So that’s kinda cool. I didn’t even know that was a type of orange lol—I just eat what the store has and I don’t know if they ever have names.

Day 8 was when Leo gave me a little insight into young Alex’s interests:

Aaaaaand ... that's all the pictures I'm allowed to put in one post, lol. Part 2 starts with Day 9!

[sambhavami]

So, I'm going to rant a bit about Krishna and Arjun now.

**Just a note: this is based on my personal interpretations of MB/SB/HV, none of which I have access to right now, so I might misremember some facts. Thank you!

So, in my understanding, Krishna and Arjun were both very lonely people. Both of them were stripped from their childhood homes and families, and forced to grow up amidst hostility and constant conflict, when they met after Draupadi's swayamvar, they instantly latch on to each other. I mean, yes, both Krishna and Arjun had brothers who went through the same kind of issues, but at some point, you encounter a boundary with your immediate family, such that you can't really tell them everything that you're feeling. A friend peering in from outside is a much 'safer' choice. I'd imagine it's roughly the same kind of thought process that makes people talk about their personal struggles anonymously on social media instead of with their families.

In this process, they both also become extremely possessive of each other. For Arjun, we see this when he sheds all his inhibitions at Kurukshetra not when he hears the Geeta, but rather when Krishna gets wounded the first time. That's when the Kaurava side finds out exactly how dangerous Arjuna can be. And that's when Krishna is barely scratched by an arrow, and thankfully we never find out what Arjun would have done if Krishna actually got hurt. Arjun was fighting only half-heartedly in the beginning, but once Krishna is targeted he becomes fiercer, now actually concentrating on the battle, and then finally when Krishna almost murders Bheeshma, that's when Arjun becomes fully activated, so to speak. Also, he would've totally murdered Shishupal during the rajasuya (to hell with the 100 offences), if not for Krishna stopping him...this is a rare kind of aggression for Arjun which he doesn't show even in the dice hall!

Krishna, on the other hand, shows his devotion in a slightly different way. So, for most of MB we see that he is partial to Arjuna, and he never really hides it. He gets Subhadra married to Arjuna, takes him on picnics on Kailash and shows him Vaikuntha just for fun. Moreover, he technically didn't need to participate in Kurukshetra. With Subhadra married to Arjun and Lakshamana married to Shamba, he could've easily cited an algebraic cancellation and got out of the whole mess like most of the other Yadavas. But he chooses to go to Matsya, and moreover offers to part himself from his beloved, personally trained army! I mean it was kind of genius to bait Duryodhan into thinking he won that bargain (if Shakuni mama was there, he would've definitely chosen Krishna, and immediately have him thrown in a dungeon and use him as a hostage to force the Pandavas into surrendering)!

Krishna is not just partial to Arjuna, but he is downright desperate to protect him from anything and everything. From personally waiting on Arjuna in Dwarka during happier times, to breaking every moral code he's ever stood for during the war, Krishna's love for Arjuna outshines every other horrible thing that happens. 

Krishna is quite open about his decision to get Arjuna out of the dharma-yudhha mess alive. In fact, he makes it clear to Draupadi herself that if it came down to choosing between Draupadi and Arjun, Krishna would choose Arjun always, without a second thought. We see this in action when he offers to have Draupadi marry Karna in exchange for his support to Pandavas, thereby averting the whole war. We see how Krishna doesn't care how many people he has to sacrifice (Abhimanyu, Ghatotkach, upa-Pandavas, his Narayani sena, Parikshit, and borderline forcing Shikhandi to detransition, although the source/validity of this I can't quite remember right now), how many times he has to endure the Vaishnavastra, how many times he has to make Yudhishthir lie, how many times he has to forget his vows, how many times he has to make literal celestial bodies bow to his will, all of it is taken in stride just so Arjun lives to see another sunrise. At one point, I do feel he stops caring about preserving Arjun's feelings through this (point: sacrificing his kids) and just making sure he's alive, no matter how broken or hopeless. It's almost as if Krishna's just on auto-pilot the whole time.

His whole life, Krishna asks Arjun for just one thing, which is to get the citizens of Dwarka out of the island/coastline alive before the tsunami hits. Even that, Arjuna is informed of only after Krishna is no longer on the earth. And Arjuna also is ironically one of the only people (except maybe Nand-Yashoda, Radha and gopas/gopis) to never ask Krishna for a favour! No matter how tough their life got, Arjun never asked Krishna for anything for himself. I can imagine how Krishna, the human god, would constantly be bombarded with prayers and requests literally wherever he went, so I can see why people like Arjuna would be somewhat of a relief. Even during Geeta, Arjun is like, "I can't do this!" and not "You can't make me do this!" And Krishna likewise is not like, "You have to do this!" He's just like, "You can do this, but only if you believe you can!" Krishna basically goes over all the pros and cons of the available choices but ultimately leaves the final decision to Arjun.

[markantonys]

@twicetolivetwicetodie @butterflydm continuing our seanchan discussion on this post over here because i had Many Thoughts and would have flooded the replies!

"And I know there's the argument that readers being appalled at their actions/our heroes doing horrific things is the point cause of war, etc." this is interesting bc yeah, it's something i see said a lot! but for me i think the biggest problem with the books' handling of it is that so many readers AREN'T appalled by the boys' behavior with the seanchan, because the narrative itself doesn't take their actions seriously. the "well it's meant to show how willing people are to turn a blind eye to fascism" interpretation doesn't work because the narrative itself also turns a blind eye starting in COT. butterflydm pointed out in her reread that the "the seanchan make the trains run on time" propaganda started early in the series and was believed by many people in-world, but rj always made sure to include stuff to show the reader that it isn't true (with the most obvious being egwene's suffering in captivity, but also smaller things like allusions to how violent and war-torn the seanchan continent is due to constant civil war and rebellion). but starting in COTish, he stopped doing the latter and so the pro-seanchan propaganda is left unchecked even by the narrative.

the other problem is, "deal with the devil out of desperation" arcs can totally work IF the character is sufficiently trapped out of any other options, but that didn't happen with the boys, so their capitulating to the seanchan felt like a spineless giving in rather than a desperate last resort. i don't LIKE rand sending damane back into seanchan territory or perrin selling 200 people into slavery, but i think both can definitely work as in-character story beats if treated with a bit more finesse than the books did (rand's actions fit his increasing desperation and "ends justify the means" attitude as the last battle gets closer; perrin's desperation to get faile back At Any Cost fits his character, and would fit especially well in show-verse with the laila guilt). in fact, it's an interesting contribution to the series theme of valuing individuals/small picture vs. valuing causes/big picture, where perrin & rand are on opposite ends of that spectrum yet both end up doing bad things, with perrin sacrificing many for the good of a few and rand sacrificing a few for the good of many.

perrin being besties with tylee and shrugging off his war crime & not getting any consequences (from his conscience, other characters, or the narrative) is what broke the arc for me. and i was with rand's arc even longer, all the way up until AMOL when he showed up to ebou dar with all the bargaining power yet completely folded to tuon's demands re: slavery for no reason. so for these two, i think their actions, while awful, could work in the show from both a character and a story perspective (aside from rand's sudden jello spine with tuon, which needs to be cut/changed altogether) as long as the show a) makes it believable that both boys are desperate enough to stoop to this level (perrin especially; making that agreement with tylee should feel to the viewer and to himself, and to his allies and later faile when she finds out, like he's sold his soul to the devil, not like he's having a grand old time with his new bestie Slaver Tylee), b) sticks the landing and doesn't shield either of them from the natural consequences of their actions (again, especially perrin who lacked this more in the books), and c) doesn't let the narrative (and by extent the viewer) buy into the idea that The Seanchan Aren't So Bad/The Seanchan Make Life Better For Everyone (Except Channelers) the way that some of the characters within the narrative do.

now, this is why i keep coming back to mat as the worst offender. i can see in-character reasons for rand and perrin to make some of the decisions they do re: the seanchan, even though i felt that the narrative didn't properly handle the weight of all of those decisions and that other decisions of theirs were jello-spine-induced nonsense. mat, though, ALL of his decisions re: the seanchan are jello-spine-induced nonsense. at the start of COT, mat has spent 9 books wanting to defy fate & make his own choices in life and also risking his life to free slaves, and tuon has been taken away from her power base and is surrounded by westlanders who should be hostile to her. there is NO reason why mat should suddenly be simpering over tuon and bending over backwards to appease her and trying to leash himself to the fate he wanted nothing to do with last week, not by any stretch of the imagination; it defies both his established characterization AND the entire setup of the situation. so mat's behavior re: the seanchan needs to be completely overhauled. torch the entirety of his COT-KOD arc and just start fresh with something completely different.

the problem does seem to be that between WH and COT, rj decided the seanchan stuff was simply too big to resolve in the main series with the last battle approaching (which is understandable, but like........you introduced the seanchan 7 books ago! you had time to deal with them and you squandered it!) and decided to punt it off to outriggers. so, very abruptly in COT, we get mat folding to tuon and the narrative now presenting "the seanchan have their merits actually" at face-value, which is continued in KOD with perrin's alliance with tylee. rj decided he wasn't going to deal with the seanchan in the main series after all, and so the narrative itself stopped taking them seriously as a force of evil and a threat to our heroes and their home.

at least in AMOL we do get egwene & elayne gritting their teeth about allying with the seanchan and hating every moment of it, even if they acknowledge objectively that it must be done for the sake of TLB, which is the attitude ALL our main characters should have (and rand does have it up until Jello Spine Day, which is why the majority of his seanchan arc doesn't bother me the same way perrin's and mat's do). and i think the show can do a MUCH better job on this front since they already know the full story, so they can introduce the seanchan in a way that's consistent with how they plan to ultimately deal with them by the end of the series. and given that what we have so far seems to indicate the show will be going pretty hard on how awful the seanchan are, i think it's safe to say that it does intend to conduct and wrap up their whole arc in a more satisfying way.

some readers often dismiss those of us who don't like the seanchan as The Moral Purity Police incapable of tolerating dark things in fiction, but for me, it's very little to do with morality and everything to do with narrative satisfaction. the story including an evil slaver empire is fine; the story promising in book TWO that this empire would face a huge reckoning and then failing to ever deliver on that promise is unsatisfying. i don't want the seanchan to be defeated by the end because i'm a naive simpleton who needs all my loose ends tied up with a bow and all my evils fully vanquished; i want it because rj literally promised us in book two that it would happen or at least be in motion (a handful of seanchan knowing sul'dam can channel doesn't count as "in motion"). i don't care that tuon is a bad person; i care that she's a flat, static character who undergoes 0 development despite being introduced with a lot of potential for it (what the FUCK is the point of making the heir to the seanchan throne capable of channeling if you're going to do absolutely nothing with it??). i can accept our heroes allying with the seanchan and doing bad things out of wartime desperation; i can't accept story logic and established characterization being violated to make that happen.

[taddymason]

What do you think about S6 Jay? I've always felt conflicted about his character due to this season, (but that comes from the fact that Skybound is a total mess). I didn't like how he used his wishes to impress Nya so she would date him. It annoyed me that he kept making decisions that wronged his friends because he couldn't let go of the idea she didn't want a relationship with him. I'm conscious this is the consequence of the messy love triangle from season 3, but it would've been nice to see Jay growing up from his relationship with Nya. (And if the writers were so desperate to make Jay and Nya endgame, at least they could've shown us Jay apologizing for everything he did during the season (lying to his friends, not accepting her refusal). They could've shown us Nya bring up the love triangle, and why she went for Cole when she was with Jay. You know, resolve the problems in their relationship and the things each of them did).

But no, they show us Jay making his final wish: "I wish you had taken my hand, and no one ever found that teapot in the first place". That decision feels like he hasn't progressed about his relationship with Nya from the start of the season. At the beginning of Skybound, she clarifies she doesn't want to be with him, so why would Jay wish she had taken his hand? Like, she's dying, and he's still thinking about that moment. What the hell? There were so many ways that scene could've gone, instead of Jay making her do something against her will. (Kind of? I think that depends on the interpretation of each person).

On the other hand, I didn't like how Nya's feelings were handled. One of the main problems her character had to face in season 6 was feeling she wasn't able to choose her destiny. She found out she was destined to be with Jay, and Nadakhan was forcing her to be with him. She literally said she felt that her whole life had been defined by other people, rather than by herself. However, at the end of the season, Jay wishes she had done what she didn't want to do at first.

I don't know, Skybound feels like an amount of missed opportunities for Nya's and Jay's character development.

Oh, skybound. skybound.

This season is a disaster for me and probably the season I feel the most conflicted about.

Overall I think most of the characters this season are pretty ooc. From Cole making sexist jokes for no reason, to Lloyd remaining strangely quiet throughout the EP5 conflict, to Jay throwing his own friends' security out the window to be with Nya. NOT EVEN S3 JAY (which was also a low point) WAS LIKE THIS. Even with all of his insecurities or rivalry with him, as soon as the situation demanded it or Cole was in danger (S3EP9) Jay could focus on what was at stake.

Instead, for some reason during the middle of the season Jay is EXTREMELY desperate to be with Nya to the point that he doesn't even care about his own team.

Look, I don't even mind that they make a season where Jay is an asshole and has to confront the consequences of his actions to learn to be more mature and aware of what he does (most of my fics are like that anyway). Do they want to do a season where Jay lies until his mistakes blow up in his face and where his selfishness is finally tested? I'm on board. If there is something that makes him such an interesting character, it's his flaws. Jay is selfish, he lies very often, he is opportunistic, and that makes his arcs so different from everyone else's.

Now, I hate that this is all solely because of his obsession with Nya. I've said it before but the worst thing about Jaya is when she becomes Jay's only motivation and interest to do everything he does. The season punishes Jay for resorting to wishes, not for continuing to believe that he has the right to be with Nya as if it were a necessity for him. The moral of the season shouldn't be "if you wish something enough, you'll find a way to make it happen" but; you don't need to be with someone else to be happy. Jay doesn't have to depend on Nya for his own happiness, and the season surprisingly never says otherwise.

From start to the ending, Nya remains Jay's final motivation. Literally her final wish is him imposing her will on her again (I know the wish supposedly didn't affect Nya but I think it's a mistake to make a character's wishes remain static from the beginning to the end of history).

so basically the season is a bunch of wasted potential that could have been a really good season to develop both characters. There are good things in S6, I'm not going to deny it. Jay from EP6 onwards has some pretty good moments, like him learning to be a leader, showing that he is a capable and intelligent member who ends up motivating others (Jay inspiring people is a rant for another day). And it's probably the most seriously the show takes his character.

I think the season would be better if it ended up addressing other things as well. There are many hints of Jay feeling worthless, Jay being insecure because he is poor/weak, believing he needs to be with Nya to be happy. And the season doesn't do much with this anyway. So, wouldn't it be better if the season wasn't Jay and Nya getting back together, but rather Jay realizing his own worth as a person? What if Jay resorts to wishes because he doesn't feel valuable as a member of the team? because he starts to believe that Nya is a better blue ninja than him? Or because his powers begin to fail and weaken as he is not maintaining his true potential by allowing himself to be consumed by his own insecurities? There are MANY ways to resolve this conflict without having Nya come back to him as some kind of prize.

...This is spoilers for my Skybound rewrite btw

but yeah, I agree with everything you say, Jay and Nya deserved better this season and I think what affected it the most was making the ending have to be these two getting back together with just ONE episode of them speaking sincerely

Sorry for the long post, Ty for the ask! ^^

[kingcunny]

re: alicent and the power she clearly has. I think it comes from more the fans than the showrunners even if they aren’t innocent in this.

many fans of alicent don’t like to see alicent being this complicated woman. aemond losing his eye and her largely being apart of that loss is completely invalid to them because she’s only trying to protect her children. alicent sentencing helaena to a life and motherhood worse than hers is not her fault, but the societies. alicent stans want alicent to be victimless and correct even when she’s not, and having power and being a player completely contradicts that.

she only did what her father wanted. what rhaenyra’s father wanted. she isn’t to blame for any of this and it’s crazy to blame her and not the men in her life even if she’s living a life most women in got would have jumped at and not done half of what Alicent did.

now the writers def have the same sentiments, but opposite. she def did those things and she def has power but she is being corrupted by the principles of this world to act like this. she did bad things but for the greater good, and then her conscience and guilt come in and suddenly she’s face to face with her hypocrisy and shame that makes her dig deeper into the, “i only did that your/my father wanted.”

the show calls out alicent’s hypocrisy more but it’s not as well written, while fans act like it’s not there at all and act like the show has completely destroyed her writing.

and sorry for this being long, I’ve just had these thoughts for awhile

dont apologize! this was a good take!

and youre right. i think my memory of the show is being colored by the fandom, who has absolutely no interest in actually engaging with alicent as a character.

people claim to be able to ‘see past her facade’ but her facade IS ‘im only doing what everyone else wants’ even though she frequently takes actions- under her own volition- that only support her and her children. or hurt her children. she does both. she claims to only be doing what viserys wants, even though we see throughout their marriage them constantly butting heads because alicent is fighting viserys over his decisions. alicent is a victim of misogyny and the patriarchy, yes, she also becomes its staunchest supporter and mouthpiece. shes uses her power to put other women down. because the patriarchy is were her power comes from and she wants to protect that. a woman taking power on her own is a threat to that.

i was reminded of the scene of aemond becoming regent and telling his mother to get back in the kitchen. i often see this scene being used as an example of alicent, once again, being a victim of misogyny. which is true! but aemond is only able to strip alicent of her power *if she had power to be stripped of*. no one seems to want to admit that she even has this power, for one, and two because viserys gave her nearly free reign. because then shes a player in this game, and responsible for her own actions.

it really does just all comes back to this show not being very well written or executed huh. it desperately needed more time with both the green and black kids. i think thats were you really see alicents hypocrisy and the consequences of her actions the most. alicent does to helaena what was done to her, but we never see helaenas reactions to it. how did helaena feel getting married at 13? being raped by her drunken brother? giving birth at 13/14? she was even younger than alicent.

and not done half of what Alicent did

i do want to just touch on this for a second. the whole ‘aegon is the first firstborn targ male to not be named his fathers heir’ is correct. getting married to the king and giving him his first boy is supposed to get her blood on the throne. realizing the king only married you to make spares in case something happens to his chosen favored child does suck! that is a totally reasonable reason to get upset. its why i brought up the orgin of the ‘evil stepmother’ trope. this is literally how you got ‘evil stepmothers’ in history. alicent did her duty, she deserves to be rewarded for it. would another woman have done what she did? mayhaps. depending on how many supporters she had. alicent did have a massive advantage of her father being the kings hand.

[bubbleonice]

Carlos Sainz / Rebecca Donaldson / Isa Hernaez

So let:s dive into this and see what is going on in this love triangle. and go further deeper into the connections, and whatever else the cards want to tell us.

Carlos:

Justice reversed:

 The general meaning of Justice reversed indicates that you are either not getting what you deserve or on the other extreme, are involved in some activities which are causing harm to others. The worst thing about the Justice tarot in reversed position is that you are not even ready to take accountability for your actions.

Justice cards show a certain kind of blame game going on between . The Justice reversed in love and relationship readings is a clear indication that it is because noone is ready to take accountability.

Ace of wands reversed:

indicates trials and tribulations that you will face in the near future. You might not have any direction, which leads to being uninspired or unmotivated. At this point of your life, you might not know what you really want to do. Maybe there has been a sudden and unexpected change and he might be struggling to adjust.

When the Ace of Wands Reverses, we now see a very definite ‘thumbs down’ signal. When the Reversed Ace of Wands appears, we might be looking at a missed opportunity or chance. There are definetely some sort of regret going on here. Time to work on releasing the old so that one can embrace the new. Both you and your life may need a total make-over. So yes, Carlos definetely is struggling with the new and still attached to the old, and needs to release the old in order to embrace the new in his life. He might or might not have convinced others but is it possible he hasn’t convinced himself? Is there a hesitation about the direction he say he want to head in and what he want to do? he might be conflicted and desperately frustrated.He knows he should be doing something, but what that something is he hasen’t got a clue. 

8 of pentacles reversed:

The Eight of Pentacles Reversed indicates a lack of commitment. The Eight of Pentacles Reversed can suggest that he is bored in his relationship?  Does it all feel like too much hard work?  Does he really love his partner (I sould think this apply to his current partner) or is he just with her for the rewards that may be gained? 

Isa:

Knight of Swords:

Swords is associated with thought, intellect, mental strength, and integrity. They can also represent conflict, hardship, and misfortune.

Swords is associated with thought, intellect, mental strength, and integrity. They can also represent conflict, hardship, and misfortune. Big moves, impulsive decisions and following your gut, all while keeping your bigger vision in mind, will be the key to success right now. 

8 of cups reversed:

Looks like she has some trouble moving on. Her life is afore her, and she`s made every attempt imaginable to stand still. In this denial of life and refusal to move on, she is creating an air of unhealthy habits and behavior around her. Sometimes this card can even highlight being in a state of denial. Plasticity will no longer cut it. Take the time to seek quiet. She needs to bravely turn her attention inward, to any place within her heart that feels empty, insecure or unfulfilled. Self-investment will fill this empty place, not the attainment of something “out there.”

Rebbeca:

9 of pentacles reversed:

gold-digger, marrying for money/ status, sex trafficking/exploitation/work, dishonesty, deceit, theft, property damage, con artist, scams, cheap, superficial, no style. Well, this doesn`t sound good.

This card will appear often for people who are in a relationship for the wrong reasons, for example those who marry for money and status rather than love. It can simply be an indication the relationship has become too focused on the material or superficial aspects of life.

Queen of pentacles:

the Queen of Pentacles represents high social status, prosperity, wealth, luxury, success and financial independence. Pentacles represent coins/money, so again we see a link to money in this connection .

So from reading the cards combined, seems like Carlos and Isa still have some issues. Carlos has his regrets and Isa is in denial. Rebecca on the other hand seems to see this opportunity as a personal financial gain for her. I`m going to pull a few oracle cards to clarify the connections a little bit more.

Carlos:

Time: Im afraid its too late to take action

Unappreciated: I felt like you didn`t care

Isa:

Space: I need more time to think

Hope: I haven`t given up on us yet

Rebecca:

Unsatisfied: I am not happy where things are going

Unworthy: You`re a better person than I am

I guess the cards are pretty self explanatory, but just to clarify my interpretation. Carlos and Isa faced a sudden and unexpected change, and neither one of them is ok with the changes. Carloz feels remorse while Isa is having a hard time moving on. However, they are both trying to do the best they can. She trying to find peace within herself, and him trying to make his new relationship work. Rebecca seems to not be too happy wih how things are progressing. She can feel Carlos slightly distancing himself. And I understand my cards correctly, she is more into this due to money and prestige, and not so much for the love.

I hope you enjoy this reading. And please keep in mind that this is done for entertainment purposes only. I use tarotcards and oracle cards actively in my readings, as well as my intuition. Energies come and go, what is relevant for today’s reading might change in a few weeks time. But some aspects will always remain constant and the same. Thank you.❤️