#i genuinely hope part 8 doesn't take another year

[emilybahu]

What I want to see with Eddie/Buddie Going into Season 8

I'm really excited to see what they do with Eddie this coming season after how season 7 ended for him.

I feel like it may take a few episodes of us watching Eddie pull away from everyone as his mental state over this whole situation he got himself in just keeps getting worse until someone finally knocks some sense into him and tells him he needs to get help. Maybe the firefam even stages an intervention of sorts, telling him that they're all worried about him and that he needs to get help. I could see Buck trying his absolute best to help Eddie, to no avail. Then Hen just shows up at his house one day and straight up tells him if he doesn't work on himself, then how could he expect to repair his relationship with Chris.

I want to see a whole episode, maybe two, dedicated to Eddie's healing. I want to see him going to therapy. I need to see him learning to love himself and how to live for himself, not only for Chris. I need to see Eddie uncover the parts of himself that he's unconsciously buried through the years and rediscover things he used to enjoy. I need to see Eddie opening up to everyone and them all being proud of him and happy to see him genuinely smile. I want to see Eddie having an adult conversation with Chris about what happened and how nothing like it would ever happen again. And I want to see Eddie and Chris working on repairing their relationship and Buck hanging out with both of them.

And who knows, maybe Eddie will have a sexuality crisis, maybe he won't, maybe Buddie will happen, maybe it won't. All I know is what both Oliver and Ryan have said, which is that it has to feel right for the characters and their respective stories. Buck and Eddie have such a beautiful friendship as is, so furthering their relationship has to be done carefully. Now, I know that for a lot of us, it feels like we've been waiting long enough for this to happen, but we also have to think about the fact that the characters don't see their relationship like that. Like in a lot of the fanfics, they might both realize that they have romantic feelings for each other and be too afraid of ruining their cherished friendship to share them with one another. Or maybe they haven't realized those feelings yet, and even when they do, they'll need time to process them.

On Eddie's side, it will likely take him a while to come to terms with not being straight, and I'd like to see him putting the pieces together in his brain and talking to his therapist about self-acceptance. Apart from that, I'd like to see his dynamics with another partner (perhaps another man) before Buddie happens, if Buddie happens. I also think that Eddie figuring out he's not straight will be how he realizes the love he feels for Buck is more than one would usually feel for a friend. Maybe he'll try to give his all to whatever relationship he's in at the time, but he'll quickly realize that although he was genuinely happy with the other person, his heart just isn't in it anymore.

On Buck's side of the coin, I really hope that Tommy sticks around long enough for us to get to know his character more. I know a lot of people don't want to hear that, but as long as Buck is happy with Tommy, I'm happy with Tommy. And if they break up, I want them to still be friends. Anyway, back to the Buddie of it all...

I think Eddie will come out to the 118, and of course, everyone will be supportive as he explains that it took him months to finally be comfortable enough to tell them. And whether or not he tells them all at the same time or comes out to Buck first, I KNOW that Buck won't even hesitate to give Eddie the biggest hug! Buck starts realizing his deeper feelings when he sees Eddie with another man for the first time. Also, whether or not they're both single, mutual pining will most definitely ensue.

To me, there are only a couple ways that would feel right for a Buck and Eddie's feelings reveal (of course, in both situations, they're both single, no more cheating!):

The first one is high drama, of course, something I think a lot of people want after hearing that when Eddie got shot back at the end of season 4, there was supposed to be a feelings reveal. Hence, Eddie puts Buck in his will as Christoper's caretaker if he were to die. (Speaking of that, I really hope that we also get a serious conversation about the will in season 8). Anyways, I think it would be more interesting if, rather than only one of them getting into another near-death or serious injury situation, it was both of them together. Like they get trapped together in a burning building, one or both of them get hurt, and all they can do is wait for the team to come find them. They're holding each other, scared that they won't make it out, and they confess their feelings for one another. They hold each other even tighter after that, maybe even share a kiss.

Another scenario that I wouldn't mind seeing is a lot less dramatic. It would be sweet and soft and full of nervous energy. I think that I'd almost want it to mirror when Buck came out to Eddie, but this time, they're at Eddie's house. Chris isn't there. Buck and Eddie are just hanging out together. They just ate, and they're either sitting at the table or leaning against the counter, standing so close that their shoulders are brushing. It's a quiet moment, a lull in whatever conversation they are having, and they just look at each other fondly. Eddie quietly confesses his feelings, telling Buck that it's ok if he doesn't feel the same and that, regardless, he still needs Buck in his life. Buck is shocked, but doesn't let himself freeze, telling Eddie that he feels the same, and the scene ends with Buck and Eddie sharing a sweet kiss.

And now I'm going to make these scenarios into fanfics...

God, as much as I want Buck and Tommy to be happy as long as possible, I just NEED Buddie to happen! I love these guys't wait to see what happens in their relationship next. If nothing romantic happens between them in season 8, they need to at least have something happen that deepens and solidifies their friendship even further. Something that reminds Buck and Eddie of the place they have in each other's lives and how important they are to each other.

Thank you for reading my rant! I really do hope that people read this all the way through. Took a good amount of time to get all my thoughts out, so I hope people enjoy what I had to say! 😁

[hughjidiot]

Thoughts on Episodes 7 and 8 of TDI Season 2

Well I got to see the two newest episodes, and I have quite a few thoughts on them. As always spoilers below the cut.

Well it looks like Axel and Ripper are our double eliminations. And in a... really stupid way if I'm being honest. Axel gets voted off, Ripper freaks and grabs on as the Drone of Despair flies away with her and Chris just calls them both eliminated? Kind of an ass pull, won't lie. Oh well, that's Total Drama - you gotta take the good with the bad.

At least Axel lasted longer this time and we got some more depth to her, like that she has an artistic side being into painting and poetry and is somewhat of a romantic. And as I mentioned previously I found Ripper's character to be greatly improved over how he was last season, I found him way more likeable.

Also out is Zee. Not sure how exactly he knew everyone's secrets like that, it felt kind of out of nowhere. I'm gonna miss how hilarious he was, but at least he set up some drama before he left...

Caleb and Priya's subplot has taken a sharp turn: Caleb finally acknowledges he actually likes Priya as more than an alliance partner, they had their first kiss... and Zee goes and spills Caleb's original plan of only being nice to make an alliance. I can understand how some fans aren't happy that Priya is part of another major subplot after she was already one of the main characters of season one, but again this isn't a new thing for Total Drama. All I can say is I am interested in seeing where this goes, but it's not the subplot I'm most interested in.

Wayne and Raj didn't do a whole lot these episodes so I don't have too much to say. I like them well enough but still hope one gets eliminated so we can get some solo development for whoever remains. My guess is that Wayne will be going home at some point, and him getting separated from Raj in episode 8 was foreshadowing of that.

Damien has already found the immunity idol! Will be very interesting to see how that comes into play, especially with how Julia sent anonymous letters about the idol making Damien paranoid.

And speaking of which, Julia continues to increase her villain cred by messing with Damien's head and wearing down Zee until he spilled those secrets. She even messed with MK during episode 7; something MK wasn't surprised by and doesn't seem to be too upset about, but we'll see what comes of that.

And speaking of MK, holy fucking shit the start of episode 7? MK flat out teasing Julia for "liking her"?? And the way Julia awkwardly tries to deny it??? At this point I'll be genuinely surprised if Mkulia doesn't become canon.

Oh yeah, and Owen was the special guest star of episode 7! And apparently he has some great genes since it looks like he hasn't aged in 15 years. And he's now canonically the winner of season one. I always preferred to think of Gwen as the real winner (she was one of my faves in Island) but oh well.

And that's everything. Wasn't crazy about a couple of things in these episodes, but overall I still really like this season. Somewhat interested in what happens next with Priya and Caleb, and very interested to see what will go down with MK and Julia.

[that-birdy-chick]

Part 2 of me rambling about s8 of hawaii five 0

Live commentary

ep 6

- did-did Danny really just organize an intervention for Steve? To make him take better care of himself?? I don't know how to feel about this

- Lou really just said "Steve listen to your husband, he loves you" spoken like a true married man

- kinda gotta agree with Dog, not your finest move Danny

- so can we all agree that Danny losing his mind a little over Steve's radiation poisoning is kinda like the whole Steve losing his mind over Danny retiring thing but in reverse?

- I think Steve has never looked more stressed than with this stress counseler person asking him about his sexlife right in front of danny

- awwww now the end of this episode is in my top 3 favorite heart to hearts these two dorks have ever had

- Danny being honest about being scared that Steve isn't taking his radiation poisoning seriously to the point it keeps him awake at night and steve replying that he's scared too but that he doesn't want Danny to change because he loves him the way he is and that he does take things seriously URHGH

THE GROWTH! The genuinely healthy communication! I'm so proud of them 🥹

ep 7

- no no no what is going on between adam and kono? My breakup senses are tingling and I don't like it

- I swear the way Adam and Steve's conversation in the car went is so "let's talk about our respective marriages" coded

Like honestly it's so blatantly obvious - they are literally paralleling mcdanno to kono and adam ffs

- hey and come on adam you too? Why does everyone need to shit on the restaurant thing

- haha Steve is mad people he cares about just walk into a dangerous situation without backup - I love how this season confronts Steve with his own behavior

-hmm l don't know how to feel about Lou literally deleting evidence to protect tani, really most of their shady "police work" really didn't age well

- damn Steve killed a cop, that's definitely gonna fuck with him

- love how Lou is looking out for everyone, he just is the team grandpa

- sooo adam is gonna join five 0 right? This is what all this is about isn't it?

- I swear I am trying to care about junior and tani and what's going on with them but Idk so far I haven't really warmed up to them

ep 8

- eyyy Danny is back and calls Steve babe within 1 min into the episode? This can only be a good one

- nvm I swear to God Steve if you crash land yet another plane-

Seriously dude? Haven't you learned your lesson from the last time?

- naww Danny is so proud of Steves character development, sure hope he isn't gonna do something dumb and risky and ruin it again

- okay so tani and junior huh? They're definitely gonna be a thing soon aren't they

- the dude was killed because he was hiding from a drug cartel that he snitched on and fled with the drug lords daughter, I swear all these people always have the most dramatic backstories

- aaaand steve is doing the dumb reckless thing, Danny my guy I feel you're pain, he is so done with his shit he doesn't even yell at him anymore

- Danny is such a fucking saint, Steve almost went and got himself killed AGAIN and all he cares about is being last and danny husband of the fucking year just goes "yeah yeah you did well let's get a beer maverick"

- okay tani and her brother are kinda cute in their peek sibling behavior, I feel bad now for calling her a kono replacement, girl is much more than that

ep 9

- damn love Jerry's new haircut

- I will never get tiered of Danny and steve bickering about the restaurant, I know they are setting it up to fail but I genuinely think this could have been a good thing to eventually end the show on, like a retirement thing, but oh well

- aww I love Danny trying to comfort neolani with something Steve told him, only to have it backfire and make him anxious again

- pfffff and tani and junior sit in the far back like literal children

- oh great we're doing the biological warfare stuff again, this should be fun

- so they only have 8 hours to live? sounds like a prime love confession set up to me

- love our respective couples comforting each other, have to say tani and junior are doing a way better job tho like seriously Steve "try not to die while I take this call okay?" that's the best you can do, seriously?

- and of course Danny's all time stress response is to bitch about or at Steve, stellar coping skills all around

- omg danny did not just say-and steve didn't - OMG is it actually-

-nvm of course it's a fake out, damn it after 7 season why do I still keep falling for this shit

-the little restaurant talk Danny started to distract Steve and himself with was pretty sweet tho

- hey, wait why is Danny the only one definitely close to death? The others all seem relatively fine

- and of course Steve has to go and needlessly risk himself, so junior has to safe both their ass's instead of him just doing it on his own in the first place

- excuse me people why are there not more fanfics about the crew stuck in quarantine together?? this shit is hilarious and has so much potential for angst!

Please if anyone has some great fic recommendations send them my way please!

-no come on Danny, Steve didn't wanna upset you! That's honestly a pretty mature thing given the situation you were in, and now their arguing

- poor tani and junior they be stuck with these two idiots for a long time

- I could really see tani, just snapping at them after two days to either kill each other or fuck it out already, because their whole shebang is just exhausting for everyone

ep 10

-AHHHHH they finally opened the restaurant!? Progress!

- why does the screen look weird? Please don't let this be a dream type thing

- "Right now grandma Williams is smiling down at you" awww Steve, that is so sweet🥹

- nooo it's a dream thing 😭

- love how everyone makes fun of Steves near mental breakdown haircut, really dude it looks terrible, why does no one stop him?

- wow you really gonna give em kids the judgemental stares for flirting? Steve Danny as if you're any better

- and of course they're getting jumped in freaking quarantine

- really the dude went through all that trouble, just to kill Danny? And didn't even try aiming for the head? amateur

- aww Danny imagining grace wedding, my heart <3

- Danny is hurt, Steve is freaking loosing it, I'm so here for this

- Lou really said "sir, you better have a plan soon because if you don't Steve will come up with one, and only God can help us if that happens" I love you so much Lou

- huh so Danny thinks Charlie will be a cop? That's interesting

- awww and of course Steve is there, sitting next to him like a good husband, and the rest of the ohana

- nooo Danny being there for kono and adams first kid, that is so wholesome 😭

- Steve is straight up having a terrible time, while Danny has some idealistic feverdream about the future, this is so fun

- excuse me Steve you fingering your husband does absolutely not make you even for the liver thing, you nut

- so there gonna blow up a bomb right next to another bomb? Sure that seems reasonable

- yes Lou! Get the sledge hammer!

- poor Eric, don't worry hun we still have 2 seasons left to go Danny will be fine

- no NO you cannot- you did not just show me that while Danny's dying the last thing he hallucinates about is having grown old with Steve 🥺

- "and if I could do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing" I'm done, this is it, that line just killed me 😭❤️

- excuse me, Danny is dying and you people are choosing NOW to tease Steve about his stupid haircut? Seriously??!

- yes everyone copes differently I guess, but when Steve's life was on the line no one was joking around is all I'm saying

- yes Danny Steve saved your life by fingering you, deal with it XD poor Eric is scarred for life

- love Danny genuinely getting some love for once, this was a good episode

[meraki-yao]

The taylor zakhar perez hashtag just full of praise for Nicholas acting and twitter full of anonymous messages asking for his recast because he's not as good as Nick. That shit hurts and I can't even enjoy the new content I'm tired of the hate that man has been getting for a year and a half (it's not about Nicholas I love him so much)

First and foremost this is awful and Taylor doesn't deserve any of this unfair critism that are frankly insults, it's fucking sick

I will say this about the acting (and I'm typing this while listening to the podcast where Matthew talks about how well suited the boys are for the roles)

Both of them nailed their roles. But because of how the roles are written, certain things show easily than others.

Henry is more emotional sensitive and "broken", and because that's kind of an unhealthy mentality which isn't the normal state of human being, it's easier to pick up, which is why even with a surface glance audience can pick up on Nick's intensity and level of performing. For example, Henry spiraling on the lake. It's a crescendo of negative emotions, and you can see it go from opposite of the previous emotion (happy and content) to increasing panic and heartache.

Alex is the healthier one, in the movie he doesn't have much baggage as Henry does, but he does have baggage. At first Alex might seem like a sunshine puppy or something but if you paid attention to the details which Taylor does, you can read so much more. His fingers fidgeting whenever he's nervous like when Henry's taking off his clothes or Zahra barging in looking out. Like him clenching his jaw and watching every second of Henry's face when he goes in. Like how you can feel the aggressiveness in him die down as Henry shouts his thoughts during the Kensington confrontation. Like how fucking in love he looks all conveyed in his eyes.

So TL DR and this is my understanding of the performance: the tricky part for Nick is not to go overboard so that it's too dramatic to the point of being unrealistic, while the tricky part for Taylor is too not under perform it that Alex becomes one dimensional. AND BOTH BOYS NAIL IT PERFECTLY.

But for people who watch it passively, or watch it with negative assessment already in mind, it's easier to miss Taylor's details than Nick's details.

I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH THE SHIT TAYLOR'S GETTING I DON'T AGREE WITH ANY OF THIS AND TAYLOR JUST IS ALEX TO ME

But this is a speculation from the acting perspective as to part of the reason why Taylor's getting so much shit

Also Twitter people are just another fucking type of crowd who mostly should use their life to do something better (I'm not on Twitter and never will be) and I'm convinced that there's still racism involved in these commentary even if it's internalized or latent

Anyone who says Taylor should be recast or is not as good as Nick either didn't actually pay attention to the movie or don't understand Alex. Taylor read the book 8 times. Matthew and Nick, the two most important people in regards to his performance, have nothing but praise for him.

Taylor is Alex, just as Nick is Henry.

Hopefully after a while these stupid "opinions" die down and only intelligent/genuine/constructive comments will be left and things will get better. And I truly hope Taylor can see more support than insults. He doesn't deserve any of this.

I'm sorry that this has affect you, and I understand it. Honestly this is why I don't directly look at tags, especially the actors' tag, block whoever I don't wanna see or deal with, and don't go on Twitter.

Just from my experience on dealing with shit like this, I would say give yourself some distance from RWRB and social media for a bit, even if it's a day or two, and come back when it hurts less. Take a bit of a break. And avoid places you know you will see shit like this as much as you can.

Both of the boys did amazing, and imo perfectly in the movie and in these roles, and they deserve all the love and support. Both of them.

[crucifiedfaerie]

hi!! just wanted to say thank for your service on behalf of the star wars community🫡 your writing is so good! i saw your requests were open and honestly anymore modern/delinquent!kylo content of any kind would be appreciated lol <3 anyways hope you’re having a good day :)

omgggg hi thank you sm <3 lucky for you i am currently working on a part two for nicotine stains !!! im shooting for it to be out by thursday at the latest but knowing me if i have an idea i cant stop until its done so it will most likely be earlier lmao. if you wanna be added to the taglist you can pm me or send another ask that isn't anonymous and i won't post it!

however as a little treat while you wait here are a few more modern/delinquent!kylo hcs my beloved @enviedear and i have come up with:

delinquent!kylo who is constantly taking cute pictures of you. literally doesn't matter what you're doing he just likes looking at you. he keeps a polaroid of you on his dashboard too. he also keeps pictures/love notes/ticket stubs from your dates in the sunglasses compartment and one time you opened it and they all fell out and he was rlly embarrassed about it.

"you weren't supposed to see that."

delinquent!kylo who when you get into fights he cries in his charger to nothing else matters by metallica, i was all over her by salvia palth, my body is a cage by arcade fire, and vindicated by dashboard confessional. he shows up at your window at 3am to apologize. his apologies are always terrible and he never actually says the word sorry, but he means what he says... he's just bad with getting the right words out.

delinquent!kylo whose favorite place to be is his 1969 charger with you in the passenger seat, driving around aimlessly with his hand on your thigh. he likes to play road trippin' by red hot chili peppers because it reminds him of you. he'll softly sing along to the lyrics while stealing glances at you at stoplights.

"'blue you sit so pretty west of the one

sparkes light with yellow icing,

just a mirror for the sun

these smiling eyes are just a mirror for.'"

delinquent!kylo thats childhood best friends with your brother so you all grew up together. your mother has pictures of an 8 yr old kylo helping 5 yr old you reach the kitchen sink and pictures of 12 year old kylo and finn making christmas cookies together. he's had a crush on you since he could remember and he made you a valentines day card when he was in 5th grade but got too nervous to give it to you. he kept it just in case though. he's a devotional lover even if the person he loves isn't aware of it.

delinquent!kylo who looks for you in every girl he dates before the two of you finally got together. one time your parents were out of town so finn threw a basement party. kylo brought his new girl-of-the-week but as she talks to him, he isn't listening. he's watching you across the room dancing with some random guy, wishing that was him.

delinquent!kylo who, when at a different house party, sees you way too drunk and guys getting too handsy so he gets you the hell out of there as fast as possible. he knows you're too drunk to take home to your parents so he takes you to his house. he lets you sleep in his bed and he sleeps on the couch. he doesn't care that he's showing genuine care for you and that you'll pick up on that in the morning. he only cares that you're safe.

delinquent!kylo <3

[staceymcgillicuddy]

annual writing self-evaluation

Thanks to @astorytotellyourfriends for the tag - I didn't do this last year!

1. List of works published this year (in the order that they were posted):

If She Lived in Space, Man, I'd Build A Plane crimson & clover pulling overtime model citizen; zero discipline what you give just serves me right two jack trippers and a chrissy perception check all my kinktober fills a hollow tree

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Gosh, that's hard. I'm proud of all of them for different reasons, and I have issues with all of them for different reasons. I guess I would say "what you give just serves me right" makes me happy, and was something I had to push myself to do, but I was pleased with how it turned out in the end.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I hate that I have two fics out that I haven't updated in ages! I am not proud of that! And there are a few things in all of them that I'd tweak.

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

Oh golly. Alright, from a hollow tree, which was my Halloween fic featuring Lilith!succubus!Chrissy:

Fog slips into the van when he opens the door. A mist so thick it’s disorienting as he drops to the ground, and the shape of a girl forms itself out of the gloom.

5. Share or describe a favorite comment you received:

Almost every single regular commenter on Soul makes my heart sing and my panties drop, and I'm so sorry my brain is being stupid right now.

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Right goddamn now. It's like squeezing blood from a fucking stone, and I have no idea why, but everything comes out strained and blechy and I hate it, and I refuse to inflict it on anyone else so I'll just sit like a lump, churning out crap and never showing it to anyone.

7. A scene or character that you wrote that surprised you:

Genuinely did not think that I would get so into the Hopper/Chrissy/Eddie dynamic as I did when I wrote it as a crackship as part of kinktober. But, like, I could get DOWN with that shit.

Also, Hellcheerington surprised me. Oh, and writing Eddie's dad for Soul was weirdly cathartic? I was determined to make him a person and not a collection of cliches, which was easier said than done. I think I got there, in the end. Hope so, anyway!

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I didn't, I fucking regressed. Or, no, not really. I pushed myself a bit, tried to get sharper and cleaner with some prose. Read some theory books, worked on my rhetorical devices, forced myself to kill a couple darlings along the way (but not all the darlings, god damn it).

I also published a book, so yay?

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

I'd like to get back to writing original fiction. I've been in a slump with that, too, because it doesn't have the instantaneous feedback that fanfic does. I want to split my time between fic and pro writing stuff, and I want to be very realistic about how much mental energy my real job takes up. When I used to write like a madwoman, I didn't have the role I currently do, which is a senior project manager leading a team, working mostly with executive-level staff. Don't get me wrong, my job pisses me off a lot, and stresses me out, too, but it pays well and we live in a shithole of a society where money matters in the grand scheme of things.

So, like, I guess I hope to grow as a writer in writing even when my brain doesn't want me to, or it doesn't feel great to do so.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Freaking Shirley Jackson, man. That bitch can write.

11. Anything in your real life show up in your writing this year:

I'm always putting kinky shit I see or experience at the bdsm club into my fic. I am as God made me.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Everything is made up and the points don't matter. Stop comparing yourself to other authors. Turn off stats on your AO3. Write what you fucking want and quit worrying if other people are going to like it.

13. Any new projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I'm going to be so, so glad when Soul is done because I love it so much but it is also the millstone around my neck.

14. Tag three writers/artists whose answers you’d like to read:

@binickandros, @pipergirl17 and @phoenixwrites please!

[gunsli-01]

for milgram oc ask game ages 11 and 16 and questions 4, 8, 10, 11

Oh, yay!

4. Do they view their murder(s) and justifiable?

Jester is a pretty simple and straightforward person. He tends to view anything as justifiable. He takes things from every angle and isn't the quickest to anger. In a Milgram AU he'd be a bit of a frightening case because he simply could justify anything and feel nothing about doing it. In his regular canon this is beneficial.

Yet it'd make him the worse sort of person in Milgram. His whole stance would be similar to Yuno's.

"The fact I'm here and this is happening is proof enough that what I did needed to occur. You seriously think I'd get myself into this much trouble for what- Fun? If I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't have and the fact that I needed to is justification enough. There's really no need to talk about it any further than that."

Would be his only mindset about it and he would view someone else judging his behavior as a waste of his time. He's a pretty chill kid for the most part but incredibly picky about who he talks to and the opinions he allows to hold weight to him.

So, he'd probably be a standoffish prisoner if he were amongst a bunch of strangers. Not because they're murderers. Simply put he just has no interest in forming connections he doesn't want to and being forced to be around a bunch of people is the best way to make him not want to.

8. What do the voices of the outside world tell them?

"You're a really selfish person." "How could someone like you have the audacity to call yourself anyone's friend let alone theirs'." "A terrible person." "I'd feel sorry for you, but I know what happened to the last person who did that." "It must be hard..." "You seem to miss them deeply." "It gets better." "You did what you had to." "The situation was just all wrong." "I hope you feel better."

10. What is their image color?

Amaranth Purple- Amaranth would also be the flower most prominent in his birthday art.

It can represent immortality and means

"Unfading Affection" or "Everlasting Love" when given as gifts. Here's some facts about it.

X X X

11. What reoccurring themes present themselves throughout their music videos?

A lot of allusions to travel, small almost suffocatingly so rooms in large houses, superficial acts of communication that lead to increased loneliness, and a disdain for the genuine.

(I'm so fucking sorry i misread sixteen as twenty-six and I have no real explaination as to how outside of it's late and I was tired. So, now you get three ocs. I'm just adding this here to avoid confusion.)

Ah this next one may be a bit of a copout of an answer given that they are the age you asked for in real time but in their canon they're only nineteen. Hope that isn't a bother. Especially since I don't get to talk about them often. Despite them being one of my personal favorite characters to write.

His actual story is under reconstruction, and I haven't gotten to touch his character in a while as a result. technically it's being merged with another story.

Though if he did wind up in Milgram, he definitely would not be his age in canon which is why I went with his age by the current year when it comes to a Milgram au. Jester on the other hand would fuck up that young.

4. Do they view their murder(s) and justifiable?

"I didn't mean it, I didn't- mean it. This isn't the solution I wanted."

No. He does not. However, the problem was successfully solved. No one was satisfied though.

8. What do the voices of the outside world tell them?

"Your life is fucked up." "That's scary." "You deserve to stay in there." "This is just sad." "That's not how family is supposed to behave." "I don't know how to feel about this." "I want to forgive you but I also think it's safer if you stay in Milgram as long as they're not killing people at the end of this." "I'd say get therapy but that was part of the problem in this case." "Yes king dissociate harder. Reality is flawed." "In a unique twist of fate everyone here was so wrong that we've gone straight to a neutral outcome." "Those people kind of deserved it." "After a point a solution becomes a problem somehow you reached that point at birth." "Everything that could have gone wrong here went wrong. Good job team. Pack it up we can stop having things occur for this man now."

10. What is their image color?

Because I brought up a flower for Jester, I feel bad not bringing up one for Leyton.

His flower would be Azaleas.

Azaleas tend to mean Temperence and are used to remind people to take it easy.

"While azaleas represent passion, they also symbolize temperance. In other words, the plant reminds us of our ability to practice moderation — even when it comes to those things and people we love the most. You can still live a life full of love, romance, beauty, passion, and abundance while remaining level-headed and avoiding overindulgence. Self-control is a must-have in order to achieve stability and groundedness in your life. All things in moderation." X

They've also been related to family.

X

Something that generally makes them fit Leyton nicely.

11. What reoccurring themes present themselves throughout their music videos?

Persistence, distortion, power imbalances, responsibility, existentialism (primarily focusing on the right one has to exist and repaying those who made it possible for them to exist without question when asked), familial duty, housing, fiscal stability. Depending on his current mindset sibling relationships.

I'd love to hear your opinion on them. I love all my ocs dearly. Even though they're all a bit fucked up.

Goes up to reread ask to see if I answered correctly-

Oh, fuck you said sixteen! Damn it how did I read twenty-six. I'm sorry it's late and I'm still sick. So, I guess you're getting three ocs because it would be a waste to erase all that.

So, say hello to one of the specialist of girls,

4. Do they view their murder(s) and justifiable?

"Ha-ha, what a funny question. Do things people do need a reason or to be justifiable? It's such a immature way of looking at things... Guard, are you sure you're up for this sort of job? Not everything needs or has a justification you know. Besides even if I did have one that wouldn't make my actions any less objectively bad. Sorry, I'll stop teasing. Since I got what I wanted I'd say it was justified."

Yes, but no, but yes. If the ends justify the means then yeah she guesses what she did was justifiable but she also really has zero inclination to justify it. She's just an outcome based person.

8. What do the voices of the outside world tell them?

"You're not sorry at all!" "Your hair is super cute!" "How can you still be having a good time after doing all that." "Do you even feel empathy?" "You had way too much free time." "Well being raised like that what should we expect." "It's not bad to focus on one's own needs but..." "How exactly did you get what you wanted here this is a terrible outcome? It's a surpise you still have friends. I couldn't imagine speaking to anyone who did this ever again." "You plan to just go back and what pretend you didn't do all that?!" "YOU STILL HAVE AN ACTING CAREER BITCH! HOW?! I LOSE JOBS FOR JUST BREATHING WRONG AND YOU'RE STILL EMPLOYED!" "This is gonna be bad to say but I'm ultimately just impressed at the level of thought put into this at this point. I mean instead of being normal you truly went fuck it I'll escalate this further. Really went we can be insane together." "How the fuck is he not here- oh wait... Yeah, he's the victim." "I know voting innocent isn't going to make her better but she had me at 'Dead and gone- Oh she's crazy my love's eternal but you'll fade quickly'. I'm not fixing this I want her to get worse actually." "She's soooo normal." "This is what he would've wanted." "Toxic heteronormativity sweep!" "What you and your victim had was special. You both made each other so much worse and I have no doubt there's a universe in which he's here instead of you."

(Side note there is. If being worse was a contact sport James and Luna would be the worlds best team even though they're actually shown to be quite reasonable in their respective canons. They're both really susceptible to living in extremes. The only thing that leveled these two out was putting them in a polyamorous relationship with the nearest individual with a moral compass. However in a Milgram au one of them must be dead for the other to be here and they never spoke to that third person.)

10. What is their image color?

Her flower is Orchid the white variety mainly.

X

11. What reoccurring themes present themselves throughout their music videos?

The sun (in it's many forms but mainly sunlight), lack of presence, authenticity, boredom, extreme thrill seeking behavior, the feeling that there's only one opinion that matters and it's not the audience's or hers, contentment, memories.

[esther-dot]

One of my concerns about the Snow sequel in addition to the stuff that you and others have mentioned is whether the writers try to lean into the "Jon is the real hidden heir to the IT and he supported his brother Bran as a king instead because he's such a Great Guy (tm)" because there is literally no way that he would be in line to the IT because he is not legitimate and this leads me to one of the most egregious plot points from the show - R annulling his marriage to E. There is literally no way in the medieval feudal universe GRRM has set up that an annulment of a royal marriage which was consummated and produced two trueborn children can be a thing (D&D truly deserve to be tarred and feathered for the absolute disrespect to E and her children for this plot point). I see others agree that the annulment (and subsequent marriage to L would never be valid) and then say "but there is a precedent for taking multiple wives so maybe that's what will happen in the books" but is there? The only "precedent" was Aegon the Conqueror from 300 years before R's time and Meagor the universally hated king which was the catalyst for outlawing poly-marriages in the first place lmao. Do I think in R's pea sized brain he thought he was above the law and could have a poly-marriage? Maybe. Sure. But if the main players all survived (R, E, and L) literally no one in Westeros would see any potential annulment or poly marriage as valid and Jon would be a bastard. Not a Stark bastard, but a Targ bastard. Also, Dorne would have initiated an actual rebellion for breaking an arranged royal marriage and for the complete disrespect toward a Princess of Dorne. The ONLY way Jon could have been legitimate is if R took L as a mistress and then the King legitimized whatever children their affair produced - that obviously never happened. I REALLY hope GRRM doesn't lean into some poly-marriage or worse some BS "annulment" because it would be just so disgusting to do to E and her children on top of it not making sense based on the Westerosi rules of society.

Oh, and additionally to my very long (lol) ask about the legitimacy of Jon. D&D giving Show!Jon Aegon's name, part of his identity, his legitimacy as the actual heir, and parts of his storyline was also disgusting. I absolutely hate when people refer to Jon as Aegon because it's so degrading toward E and her trueborn son. D&D truly deserve the worst for how much they disrespected the Dornish characters on the show.

Based on the fact that HBO kinda...ignored how the long night went/how GoT ended so that they could celebrate Targ specialness via the prophecy in HOTD, and seeing how Kit recently mentioned he thought Jon should have been king (he used to name other Starks), your fears are kinda warranted? Usually an actor's opinion doesn't indicate much about where a show might go, but the sequel is Kit's baby, he is the one who is making it happen, his people are working on it, so...I think his feelings are more relevant than normal. And, we really don’t know how much of his thinking on the characters/the world has been shaped by D&D’s version or if he’s gonna depart from that for another version, and if that version would be one closer to Martin’s vision or further afield. We really don’t know, and since I’m someone who genuinely thought, “oh shit, they are raising Dany from the dead and making a worse version of s7-8” upon hearing about the sequel, I’m not gonna alleviate any fears!

I agree that Rhaegar is a disgusting, that an annulment would be horrible and unlikely. Unfortunately, I can see a lot of reasons why Martin would have Rhaegar “marry” Lyanna. As you said,

Do I think in R's pea sized brain he thought he was above the law and could have a poly-marriage? Maybe. Sure.

I don’t know that it matters that his plan was horrible, we already know his actions are insufferably offensive and idiotic. I mean, knowing his father wasn’t fit to rule and not focusing on that as the pressing problem and instead pursuing a teenager? Crowning Lyanna in front of everyone? Running away with or kidnapping her? Imprisoning her in Dorne? Going to war even after his father brutally murdered the father/brother of the girl he abducted/ran off with? This guy’s foresight/moral compass/problem solving mechanisms were nonexistent. Something being a stupid idea, guaranteed to end horribly does not mean he didn’t do it, or that he would be deterred from a course of action by seeing the fallout, unfortunately.

I think there are a number of things that happened in GoT that were a variation on what Martin told D&D, since then he’s said he’s diverging more than he expected, so perhaps we worry for nothing, but I am not convinced Martin wont have Rhaegar do as you suggest, not annulment, but take a second wife. Stumpy’s reread has been tracking evidence for true born vs Targ bastard for Jon, and I think either version is still on the table. My personal feeling is that the first story we got about Rhaegar is not ultimately going to be the truth, simply because Martin’s whole shades of grey thing. Obviously, my feelings about Rhaegar aren’t gonna change no matter what is revealed in TWOW, but Martin seems to want everything to be complex, lots of layers, nothing too one-note. We now know the prophecy which undermines R/L strictly as some star crossed lovers story which was the other extreme people went to, and that to me indicates we are getting a mix of motivations/ a complex truth.

I assumed Jon was trueborn because a lot of what many have pointed to as R+L=J clues that center on the word “king”

"Likely they were too shy to come out," Ned jested. He could feel the chill coming up the stairs, a cold breath from deep within the earth. "Kings are a rare sight in the north."         

Robert snorted. "More likely they were hiding under the snow. Snow, Ned!" The king put one hand on the wall to steady himself as they descended.  

(AGOT, Eddard I)       

Obviously, now knowing that Robb and Bran become kings, this is a really fun line, but to me, it is undoubtedly a R+L=J hint. We might argue that it is KitN foreshadowing for Jon, not about his parentage, it is the name however that makes me think this is about being Rhaegar’s son, “hiding under the snow. Snow--” Ned claimed Jon as his bastard --snow-- to protect him, so while we can read it about our Stark boys becoming kings, I think Martin wrote it thinking of Jon as a Targaryen heir. Maybe that changed? He keeps up with the king stuff throughout the series and a lot of that is more easily seen as KitN hints, so maybe? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I also like to think about what Martin would want to write, he loves grief and inner turmoil, so I would think that he would like the idea of writing Jon struggling with the option of becoming a legitimized Stark and then the temptation of being a legitimized Targ simply because while parentage reveal alone is a bombshell, being an heir/potential king plays forward story/plot wise and offers that whole heart in conflict with itself. Whether it’s something the rest of Westeros would acknowledge or not, I’m not sure that’s the purpose? To me, the idea of Jon finding out he is not a bastard, only to choose it, to choose to be known as one, for the greater good is meaningful, to not be forced to bear undeserved shame but choose it for love of the Starks, that could be written in a beautiful way.

On the other hand, the fact that D&D gave Jon the name Aegon def makes it seem like they potentially took book Aegon’s heir status/the people loving him more than Dany and assigned it to show Jon, that would explain why Jon had no importance in the political endgame in the show, maybe R+L=J wont impact the politics in the books. I’ve read great meta arguing for and against, but I could just as easily see them being so consumed with Dany saying “wtf do we have two nephews/two heirs for?” and conflating them for that reason, without thinking much more about it. But, it seems to me that Martin might want to use the three Targs to create those nuances that D&D steamrolled. As in, Dany embraces her Targ identity/fire & blood, Aegon embraces Targ identity but will reject fire & blood, Jon will reject both the identity and fire&blood. To me, part of the benefit of introducing Aegon is to allow some middle ground with the Targs? It might allow for a more interesting discussion on what must be done with a legacy such as theirs? It’s a conversation that doesn’t really happen with only Jon and Dany (extremes) or only Dany and Aegon. I would also think a lot depends on the ending Martin has in store for Jon. If he is trueborn, I’d think that points at an Aemon-like ending. Being a Targ bastard would allow for a much happier ending for him imo.

I’ve said before that I have an (irrational?) hatred for Rhaegar, so I am on your side with all the concerns, but I’m just...well, I’m not convinced that any of what happens with the Targs is gonna be as clear-cut as we might want. I’m bracing myself for messy, not nice.

[crows-murder]

20 questions for writers

thanks for the tag @they-reap-what-we-sow!! <33 💜💜

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

92! my goal for the end of the year is to get to 100!

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

545,947 which is an insane number ajskdsl

3. what fandoms do you write for?

i've written for a lot of fandoms, but my current active ones are MacGyver (2016), ROTTMNT, and the batfam

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

buried hope - tim spends another birthday alone and makes bad decisions, lots of angst and some jason being (reluctantly) protective, my favorite thing. krow made me a cover for this fic and i absolutely ADORE IT.

Familial Bonds - crack-ish fic where the fam finds out tim has been minus a spleen for months and didn't tell anyone. i have an angstier version of this fic lmfao.

Late Night Encounters - a classic! it is so very dear to me. jason meets tim late one night after patrol and doesn't realize he's looking at tim drake, the robin he's sort of trying to murk, and ends up really caring for this tiny little kid.

My House of Stone, Your Ivy Grows - jason rescues tim as a civilian and his attempt at getting revenge is thwarted by big brother protective instincts. a CLASSIC TROPE.

Fever Dream - tim has a nightmare the night jason as red hood shows up at titan tower and thinks he's straight up hallucinating jason lmao.

5. do you respond to comments?

i try my best but i am a very anxious person and i tend to bluescreen anytime i receive praise and all i think i could manage to say in reply is just keyboard smash. sometimes if i'm asked a question or if it's a close friend, i'll reply.

usually it takes me a long time to do so, but i'm trying to be better at replying to comments 💪

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh i've got a few hurt/no comfort fics but i think i'd have to say my one and only MCD fic. it's part of my urban fantasy series that is very dear to me <3 i DID cry writing it, yes.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i have a handful of fluff fics with no or minimal angst, but i think my favorite one is this extremely silly one i wrote for my urban fantasy AU, Summer Memories, with dick and jason

8. do you get hate on fics?

rarely, which i'm so thankful for. i don't even bother wasting my time with those, i just immediately delete them.

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i don't lol.

10. do you write crossovers?

not really. i have exactly one (1) crossover fic and it's actually the very first fic i posted on ao3!

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

as far as i'm aware, nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, not yet!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! there's a round robin fic i wrote with my friends in our batfam server!! it was genuinely so much fun i'd absolutely love to do another round robin fic.

i also have a 911 series with @dottie-wan-kenobi and @they-reap-what-we-sow that originated as a discord thread where we gave buck a daughter pre him joining the 118 (that i have yet to post something for. one day, i promise). it's one of my favorite AUs we came up with, and boy did we come up with a lot of those lmao.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

honestly? probably several, but i'm currently rewatching narnia with my sisters and susan pevensie and prince caspian had SUCH an impact on 7 year old me.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

oh boy. i don't talk about this fic for several reasons (one of them being that it was written when i was very new to the batfam fandom and the way i wrote most characters was influenced by fanon, which i've definitely grown past now) but Born to Run is a fic i'm... unfortunately not sure i'll ever finish. maybe one day i'll rewrite it because i still really like the concept, but i'm focused on other projects and it's not actually very high up on my list of WIPs.

(i think you can tell i was really new to the fandom with that fic, and to fic writing in general (prior to this fic i'd only written like, 3 others?) my writing has improved a LOT since then and i cringe just thinking about my old writing)

16. What are your writing strengths?

oh boy lmao. i suck at answering questions like that because i tend to fixate much more on my weaknesses lol.

but i think i'm good at describing settings and feelings. i've been told in comments before that i'm very good at immersing my readers in the story i'm telling, which is the compliment EVER actually.

i also like to think i write good, human dialogue because i act it out a LOT with myself and probably look insane to anyone looking at me asjdskdfld

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

unless i can have a native speaker to check the grammar of the sentence for me, i don't usually write dialogue in another language. i don't trust google translate. anyway i do prefer writing the dialogue in english and in the dialogue tags add "she said in [x language]"

19. First fandom you wrote for?

oh boy. fucking voltron back in 2018.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

oh. i'm very critical of my own writing but i DO have several favorite fics!! it's hard to pick just one but. shamelessly putting the steph-centric fic i posted back in february bc i love it very much <3

no pressure tags @witchofthemoss @goldenraeofsun @cuephrase @a-canceled-stamp @silverandsunflowers @fleur-de-violette and anyone else who wants to do this! <3

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

I've just finished chapter 9 of Open Heart Second Year and wanted to share my thoughts at the halfway point (ch 10-11 are another world entirely). It's a long post and probably repeats all the arguments that have been made since the original release...but I'm gonna post anyway.

When Second Year started, I couldn't decide which romance route to take. I genuinely restarted the first chapter several times, but EVENTUALLY I settled on Ethan. And...I got bored. He was there all the time and I just didn't feel anything like I did in book 1 (the opera scene had me in a chokehold for a while). Meanwhile, Raf had apparently broken up with MC and had a new partner which was leaving me intrigued on how it would go (sweet naivety before I saw the ch 10 draft). So during the first hiatus, between ch 8-9, I replayed the whole lot for Rafael.

The difference is stark. For two people who aren't allowed to be together, MC and Ethan sure ended up spending a lot of time alone together. They sure held hands a lot. MC sure had a lot of extra flirty dialogue. Yet Rafael appears briefly every couple of chapters to talk about how he would risk his life for another (I should have seen the signs sooner) then disappears back to his new partner that we still know nothing about. Most of the pining for Rafael was in my imagination and personal interpretation of the scenes.

Players were willing to justify this with 'Ethan is our boss' and 'we work on the same team so obviously they will spend time together'. Bryce and Jackie are our best friends or partners, Jackie is our freaking ROOMMATE and we don't see them at all?

Furthermore, we have two brand new characters in June and Baz and barely spent any time with them because Ethan had to be front and centre. I would have happily spent diamonds to get to know either of them one-on-one. But no...

An idea: instead of Ethan having a professional diamond scene every chapter (patient's house visit, visiting the art gallery, making a pictagram account), this is where June or Baz come in. Especially if Ethan also had a personal diamond scene in the chapter. Open Heart was popular because of its diverse cast after all (including Ethan, yes, but there was someone for everyone in book 1).

FURTHER furthermore, one of the 'plots' of this book was MC teaching their own intern, Esme Ortega. And we had a diamond scene to take her with us on Diagnostic work, a diamond scene to mentor her around six chapters later, and...a few quick scenes of MC giving her some work to do. That's it. Because even though being a mentor is part of MCs job, it's not nearly as important as Ethan's screen time.

I've played all four romance routes, and obviously Ethan's had the most content (his romance route v platonic route is night and day!!). Raf's route was completely empty to the point where it made sense to me that MC was in the hospital with Ethan all the time because they didn't want to spend their free time sitting at home nursing a broken heart. But Bryce and Jackie's routes had no reason for that. There's almost no reason to play the chapters without them and it's no surprise their fans started dropping away. All the signs pointed to one LI being killed off, but the other two didn't have anything to hope for either so why stick around?

Chapter 8 is the baseball game and we get to spend time with Bryce and Keiki, AND practice baseball with some friends. Probably the most friend group content we saw since the chapter 5 music festival. I enjoyed being rude to Landry (again, my MC is too stressed and upset at this point to spend energy being nice to him) but I didn't like how my response to him determined how the two sides interacted. Just because I'm rude to Landry doesn't mean I don't want to meet Sienna's med school friends at Kenmore. We then get to go back with Ethan for dinner or go home alone. I don't suppose it would have killed PB to put some kind of friend group scene in as an alternative? They did in book 1...

Chapter 9 is where the emotions really pick up as we have Kyra's cancer getting worse. Man, I love well-written angst. When MC is overwhelmed and has to calm down in a supply closet they are discovered by...June. Who at this point is becoming the villain (despite the fact this plot line would have only made sense if you were romancing 1/4 LIs).

Another idea: we get to choose which LI discovers us, just like in book 1! We could have a rare moment of softness with Jackie because it kills her that she can't help the situation. It could have been the catalyst for Bryce to look into radical gore-tex surgeries as a last resort. Or we could have had a painful heart-to-heart with Rafael, maybe MC being standoffish because he's their ex or open and desperately wishing Raf could comfort them as before. The possibilities are endless, but we can't waste time (or money) on those guys.

Speaking of Rafael, this is the infamous chapter ending:

Like a punch in the heart. But possibly what hurt more was the fact that chapter 10 opened with - of all things - a time jump to a few days later with the Senator coming to Edenbrook!! Because that's the Diagnostic team which is the only thing that matters! In fact, Rafael isn't mentioned until around two thirds of the way through when the narration - of all things - casually mentions that he is in fact moving to BRAZIL. More fool me, I thought he was just moving to another state, but no. Another freaking country. There is no way that would have been an easy conversation, especially on his romance route, but it's yet another conversation that happens OFF-SCREEN for the reader to be hastily informed later.

Book 2 began with a recap that omitted Rafael completely, despite the fact his superhero complex was going to be 'plot point' of book 2. Luckily he does appear in the next recap but this scene has been retconned with him saying 'I'm moving to Brazil' (if I remember to get a screenshot of that later, I'll post it).

PB tried to justify all this with 'Open Heart is a mature story...exploring themes of heartbreak and loss' (and some players will still believe that), but it never was. If it was, we would have seen the break-up between MC and Rafael, we would have been able to talk with Raf about his suspension in detail and how it was affecting him, and we would have SEEN THIS VERY CONVERSATION. But all the resources went into Ethan and his parents, Ethan and his morals, Ethan cooking a chicken.

I get it, he was a big moneymaker. I myself contributed once upon a time. But that doesn't justify throwing out the rest of your characters. (My school sold out my year group to get some money, and in doing so lost all credibility with a generation of girls). Like I said before, Open Heart was good because of ALL it's characters that we had grown to love and PB now wanted to chuck those out. Unless a LI had absolutely 0% interest, you write for them or you don't put them in the story (and we all know where that leads us: single LI books). Why alienate Bryce, Raf and Jackie romancers when, for all you know, they might be Sam Dalton's biggest fans? (The biggest book I can think of that was releasing at the same time as Open Heart). This whole thing was a stupid, stupid decision by PB and it has nothing to do with Rafael.

I hope there were people on the OH team who knew this was a bad idea from the start. I hope the higher-ups started sweating at the reactions to Sora and the ending to chapter 9, and I hope the smart ones on the team felt unbelievably smug about being right.

[thedragonagelesbian]

Know, Mentor, and First :)

oc asks: relationship edition

i was so hoping someone would send know, thank you <33

(also love that there's no specification of which oc i should be answering this for. we all know.)

Know: How well does your OC know themself—their wants, their goals, their motivations? Do they engage in any sort of self-reflection? Is there anything about themself they willfully ignore?

Cyrus only knows himself in relation to others. Strip away his sense of service, duty, obligation, oath, take him off of the battlefield and peel off all the armor and clean away all the blood he gave so no one else would have to, and his grasp of self becomes tenuous at best.

What's so fascinating to me about him is that that exterior selfhood isn't like... a mask or a performance, per se, because I think those terms imply a level of deception or intention, and it's not that for Cyrus. He genuinely, earnestly believes that the whole of himself is defined by what he can give to others. But there's also something artificial about that belief insofar as he's never stopped to question it or evaluate it. He's just always accepted it on faith alone. It Is him but it's also just slightly outside of him, if that makes any sense at all??

Which also ties into his lack of self-reflection. My boy has 8 wisdom introspection is very much NOT his strong suit, and a lot of the time, when he's ignoring some part of himself (his grief, his anger, his overprotectiveness), it's not a conscious choice but something that grows out of that lack of self-awareness.

Even when it comes to physical pain, his instinct to minimize it is just that: it's reflexive, involuntary, it doesn't even register to him as enduring a suffering that he doesn't have to. Much to the profound consternation of the healers who keep falling in love with him.

Mentor: Does your OC have a mentor? Have they ever reached out to anyone for guidance or teaching, or been taken under someone's wing? How does your OC get along with their mentor?

I think of Cyrus as self-taught in most regards, and that inability (largely imagined in DA2, actual in BG3) to rely on any adult or mentor figure is a huge part of why he's Like This.

In DA2, the closest thing he had to a mentor was the elder/hahren of the Amaranthine alienage, where he grew up. Elder Ischia was a wonderful community leader, someone Cyrus grew up wanting to emulate. When he and his family had to flee the city, she gave him a bone-hilt dagger--his first weapon--as a means of feeling like he had some agency and control in the midst of so much helplessness. He carries that dagger with him for the rest of his life, and many of his most important kills are carried out with it (including Anders :) ).

Also, across any timeline, Cyrus idolizes the crap out of his father as exactly the kind of man he wants to be. The paragon of masculinity that Cyrus, as a trans man, is trying to live up to. Sometimes, wearing Malcolm's memory is a gift. Sometimes, it feels like another miserable expectation.

First: Has your OC ever been the one to leave first? Why did they go, and who did they leave behind? Do they regret it?

Cyrus is so bad at leaving and letting go, but two instances across his two games come to mind:

In DA2, he leaves Bethany behind when he goes on the Deep Roads expedition. This decision was 1000% born out of him thinking it would be too dangerous for his sister. Bethany was outraged by it, and Cyrus came to regret it terribly when he returned home to find her being taken to the Gallows. For years, he maintained the belief that he had failed and abandoned Bethany by not trying harder to break her out of the Circle-- despite being told again and again that it wouldn't work, not least because Bethany didn't want to live her life on the run anymore. He eventually gets it through his thick skull, but there's a reason Bethany decides to stay with Isabela and Fenris instead of him at the end of everything.

In BG3, I have... many. Many. Many. Unresolved and free-floating thoughts about breaking up with Astarion at the party, particularly in light of the Act 2 reveal about the circumstances under which Astarion initiates that relationship. It's a tricky period to talk about precisely because Astarion is being so withholding and performative and Cyrus very naively takes it at face value (again, 8 wisdom, coming in under astarion's otherwise utterly average 10 charisma). Cyrus thinks he's following Astarion's lead and expectations, but Astarion himself doesn't know what or how to want and is instead trying to mirror Cyrus' want back to him, but Cyrus is bad at wanting things for himself, so........................................

Idk. I think about the mirror scene a lot-- Cyrus opening with the sweeter answer, but then flipping to straightforward confirmation of Astarion's beauty when he snaps that the former isn't what he's looking for.

Cyrus ultimately approaches that conversation at the party thinking they have the same understanding of what their relationship is/was: something casual, purely physical, and devoid of sentimentality. He's not wrong, necessarily-- from Astarion's perspective, this was all a ploy anyway! A desperate survival technique, leaping immediately to a tried and true self-destructive tactic because if you can't keep the hero at arm's length, better to keep yourself in his good graces, right?

But... it's very easy to interpret Astarion's dialogue & Neil's performance during the breakup as evidence that he had started to develop the feelings that lead, in Act 2, to him wanting a genuine relationship.

Or, would have led to that, had Cyrus stayed.

[transjarlaxle]

same questions i did for kaine but for WHOEVER YOU WANT :D !! general > 1, 2, 3, 9. story specific > 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12. romance > 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11

wahahsjshh i am going to answer these for Etienne thank you so much <3

Etienne, tiefling ranger, worm-free brain but still with so many issues. god bless

from these <3

General

1.Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region? Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

etienne is found in the emerald grove, trying desperately to maintain the peace between the tieflings and the druids. he's been working as a guide for travelers in the region for a few years, and fell in with the tieflings a few weeks before. he started working with halsin alongside his illithid research when they made it to the grove, and honestly he's part of the reason the tieflings hadn't left yet - he's committed to the issue, and halsin's safe return. he's recruitable alongside halsin after he's rescued and the tieflings move on!

2. Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?

astarion likely has something to say about how reliable a ranger is going to be on their journey, especially one of his size - hells, his arms are the size of his head.

3. Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?

not necessarily, given how late he's recruited - he might mention that halsin speaks highly of jaheira, if she's recruited.

9. Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

stealing content from his ot4 sandbox situation - he doesn't take kindly to astarion feeding from the player, especially if he's romanced, and he will start shit over it, but he can be talked down eventually.

Story Specific

2. How do they advise the player character on Raphael?

"I'm sure you don't need reminding, but it bears repeating - never trust a devil. You'll never draw a winning hand with this one."

7. What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?

He's standing nearby Halsin, watching over the tieflings. He's a little attached.

8. Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with? 

He doesn't aside from a very genuine reminder to get some actual rest - they've a long journey ahead, and should remain focused.

10. How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?

"If you start feeling sick, don't come crying to me. Foolish."

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

"You can't possibly be serious. You are, aren't you? Unbelievable."

12. Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?

i think he wouldn't be a kidnapping victim :thinking: no matter which way i spin it it just doesn't make sense in my head, especially since halsin is an option.

Romance

1.Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

he is! he's less gated than halsin, the more sort of in-depth half of that particular situation

5. Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take?

etienne only exists as one side of the etienne/halsin coin in my head, so the different paths are really just in that sense - it's possible to romance etienne without also romancing halsin, and vice versa, but it's also possible to romance both, together.

6. How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?

"Oh - have I done something?...I see. Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed. But, you know, wherever the winds carry you."

if it's for someone else: "If you want to explore other relationships, you know I have no desire to keep you all to myself." if the player is adamant: "Fine, then. I hope they treasure you."

7. What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test? 

If Etienne were an animal what would he be? (A: a mountain lion)

How does Etienne want to be remembered? (A: for his ability to keep others safe)

What is Etienne's greatest desire? (A: to move on from his shadowed past)

9. How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor?  Haarlep?

He likely has no reaction to the emperor, since he's wormless, and wouldn't know unless the player told him, and he wouldn't mind. he disapproves of mizora and haarlep just by virtue of them being devils, and only wants to make sure the player is okay, and doesn't regret it.

10. Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no?

he surely will :) he's a little trepidatious, at first, but gets into it quickly, especially if halsin is there.

11. What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?

he will not propose, and he cannot be proposed to - he makes it clear that, no matter if he regains his memories or not, he is committed to what he sees as his duty - to act as a guide for those who need it, and he will not settle down in any sense of the word. he expresses a hope that the player will stay with him, at least for a time, but will understand if they choose not to.

[theassofwonder]

A Cord of Three Strands (Is Not Quickly Broken)

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six

Part Seven (ao3)

(so I ended up cutting part 7 off before the actual sex starts because it just got so damn long and it's already been a year since part 6. I'm working on part 8 as we speak, and crossing my fingers that it won't take another year to finish)

The cab ride home is quiet. The one they took to the club was quiet too, but that was a different kind of quiet. That was a quiet born out of anticipation, of bitten lips and clenched hands and muscles strung like violins. This is… this is a better quiet, Anya thinks, smiling to herself. Calm. Not at all like the tension that followed the three of them like a cloud. Part of it is because of the late hour, yes, but Anya likes to think they’re also more sure of where they stand now, with each other.

She’s curled into Zhenya for propriety’s sake, but she’s got one of Sidney’s ankles trapped between both of her own, and when the cab takes an especially sharp turn she’s pushed into Sidney’s side and one of her hands ends up splayed across the top of his thigh, her other hand tight around Zhenya’s bicep. The driver throws back an apology, and Anna rights herself, squeezing her husband’s arm and Sidney’s thigh as she does.

“Tease,” Sidney mutters in English, and Anna kisses the hinge of Zhenya’s jaw to hide her sharp grin.

They’re home shortly, the driver pulling up to the side entrance instead of the glittering wall of glass windows and doors of the main entrance. Anna follows Zhenya out of his side of the cab, murmuring a ‘thank you’ to the driver as they go. Sidney joins them moments later, staying a respectable distance away until the cab is out of sight and they’re through the doors.

Anya sees the way Sid is staring at Zhenya and pushes them into the stairwell just to the side of the door they came in through. “No cameras,” she says in English, and is thanked by Sidney with a quick but hard and heated kiss before he spins around and shoves Zhenya into the wall right before he shoves his tongue into Zhenya’s mouth. Zhenya’s resulting moan, muffled though it is by Sidney’s mouth, is still loud enough to echo through the stairwell.

“You need to be quiet,” Sidney mutters, tucking his face into the curve of Zhenya’s neck.

“You need to fuck me,” Zheny retorts. He meets Anya’s eyes over Sidney’s shoulder, and whatever he sees must be enough because he holds out his hand, silently asking her to join them.

(As if she could ever refuse him- either of them.)

She’s at their sides in an instant, reaching up to hook her hand around the back of Zhenya’s neck and pulls him down to meet her. It starts out soft and semi-sweet- the catch and pull of their dry lips turning slick and smooth as they go on- and gets rough as their teeth join the fray, bites to each other’s lips and jaws (somewhat) more vicious than they would be sober. Anya feels Sidney’s breath ghost up her neck and gasps when he bites the shell of her ear. Zhenya takes advantage of her open mouth and thrusts his tongue inside, one of his hands (his wonderful, big hands) tangling in her hair, holding her head in place. She moans, too close to being a whine, and the stairwell echoing it back shocks her to her senses. She dislodges her hand from around Zhenya’s neck and pats his chest. He frees her mouth, but stays close, kissing her cheek, grazing his teeth teasingly along the underside of her jaw.

Sidney’s stubble rasps against her neck as his lips glide up to meet Zhenya’s at her chin- and god in heaven, between the two of them, she’s going to be pink for days.

“Wait,” Anya murmurs, blinking her eyes open. “Upstairs.”

“Upstairs is so far,” Zhenya whines. He inhales sharply, his fingers pressing deliciously hard into Anya’s scalp, as Anya sees Sidney suck what is going to be a truly impressive hickey into the base of Zhenya’s neck.

Anya’s not afraid of pulling out the big guns. “But don’t you want him to fuck you,” she murmurs, sliding her hand up his chest. She smiles against Zhenya’s jaw when Sidney pauses in his ministrations to suck her fingers into the wet heat of his mouth, letting them go with gentle nips to her fingertips. “Don’t you want Sidney to fuck you in our bed?”

Zhenya goes perfectly still.

“You want that, don’t you,” Anya croons, a little meanly. “Will you let me watch, Zhenetchka? Let me watch him open you up with his fingers, maybe his mouth. Watch him fuck you on his cock?”

“Woman,” Zhenya gasps. “Jesus .”

Satisfied with the state of her husband, Anya sets her sights on Sidney, who was evidently very busy while Anya was talking. She’s very impressed by the constellations of hickeys he’s left up Zhenya’s neck, down his clavicle, and across the top of his shoulder. “Beautiful,” she murmurs against Sidney’s cheek. Anya licks a wet stripe from the base of his neck to his ear. “So good, our Sid.”

She relishes the moan he tries to hold in, how the vibrations feel against her lips. She wants to mark him up like he did Zhenya, leave bruises in the shape of her teeth and fingertips, raised red lines from her fingernails. He’s beautiful always, but he’d look especially stunning (breathtaking, Anya thinks, sucking a bruise into the skin behind his earlobe) with her marks on him.

“Weren’t you just telling me how much you want to watch him fuck me?” Zhenya kisses her hairline. “Did you change your mind?”

Anya smiles into Sidney’s neck. He angles his head down, nosing along the arch of her cheek, and brushes his lips against the corner of her mouth. He says something against her cheekbone, nonsense words in a nonsense language, and pulls back to look her in the eyes, almost expectantly, like he’s waiting for something, for an-

An answer. Because he must have asked Anya something in that nonsense language of his. A language that Anya has a fair grasp of at the best of times, of which this is obviously not.

Anya shakes her head, groaning, her forehead thunking against Sidney’s sternum. “No English,” she says, though whether she’s asking him not to speak English or just telling him she can’t understand, she isn’t sure. Maybe it’s both. She feels his chest jump erratically- he’s laughing at her, the menace- and she bites the thick muscle of his pectoral muscle in retaliation.

Sidney’s breath hitches- oh, the marks Any’s going to leave on this man- and he lifts her face up by her jaw, biting her bottom lip. A wrinkle forms between his eyebrows. “Bed,” he says, in clumsy Russian- better, but still endearingly bad- his voice lifting up at the end of the word like he’s uncertain it’s the right one.

(It is. It really is.)

“Bed,” Anya repeats. She feels herself smile, so wide her cheeks hurt, almost. “Yes,” she murmurs. “Let’s go to bed.”

It takes them all much too long to get back to the apartment; Zhenya insisted on taking the stairs- kissed her until she relented, that is- and despite it taking longer a simple elevator ride, Anya admits that the end result- the three of them slightly more clear-headed but no less eager, pink with stubble burn and fresh love-bites- was well worth the extra time.

Zhenya unlocks the door fairly quickly despite having to fight off Anya and Sid’s combined efforts to undress him right there in the hallway.

“Demons,” Zhenya growls, as the deadbolt clicks, and shoves Anya and Sid in front of him through the doorway. “You’re both demons .”

Anya giggles, laughs until she can’t breathe, interlaces her fingers with Sidney’s as he wraps his arms around her middle. “Oh,” she gasps, bursting into another peal of laughter as Sidney starts walking them backward out of the entryway. “Sidney!”

They don’t trip over anything other than their own- and each other’s- feet, although they had a near-miss with the living room rug. Sidney leans them against the wall next to hers and Zhenya’s room, but- no, that won’t do. She’s done waiting, now that she knows she can have. She peels herself out of Sidney’s arms, pinches the back of his hand when he whines and tries to stop her, kicking off her shoes and pulling out hairpins on her way to the bed.

Sidney follows close behind, taking off his own shoes, settling them and Anya’s neatly next to the dresser. She catches his eye and turns her back to him, pulling all of her hair over her right shoulder. Luckily, Anya hadn’t just made a fool of herself, and Sidney understood what she was indirectly asking of him- he undoes the top clasp of her dress, his lips a feather-light presence at the nape of her neck. His mouth trails down her spine as he unzips her, biting and licking and sucking what feels like every newly exposed centimeter of skin, until he’s kneeling behind her, his breath hot against the small of her back.

Anya lets the dress pull at her feet, kicking it away as she turns to face Sidney, his hands barely leaving her hips as she repositions. She looks down and her breath catches in her throat.

Sidney is beautiful on his knees.

She cups his cheek in her hand, greedily drinking up the sight of his eyes fluttering closed. He turns his head into her hand, kissing the heel of her palm right before he sucks her thumb into the wet heat of his mouth.

“Fucking Christ,” Zhenya swears from the doorway. “I’m dead,” he says weakly. “Or I’m dreaming.”

“Definitely not dreaming,” Anya murmurs, replacing her thumb in Sidney’s mouth with her first and middle fingers. Sidney makes a show of moaning around them and tips his head back, looking up at her from under his lashes, his pupils blown.

Zhenya drops to his knees next to Sidney, the fingers of his left hand carefully curling around Sidney’s shoulder and his right hand sliding up Sidney’s jaw. Anya removes her fingers from Sidney’s mouth so Zhenya can hold his face in his hands properly, and sits at the end of the bed with her legs folded under her.

The look on Zhenya’s face- Anya feels like something has her lungs in a tight grip. Hearing Zhenya say he loves Sid is one thing; talking about having a threesome is another. Seeing this though- the pure, unadulterated love in Zhenya’s eyes as he looks at Sid, as he presses the lightest of kisses across his cheeks. And to see it all reflected back all over Sidney’s face? Anya almost feels like she’s intruding.

Almost.

“My beautiful boys,” she says. Zhenya tries to duck his head but Sidney catches him, kisses him, slow and sweet.

“Look at the two of you,” Anya murmurs, backing up towards the headboard. “So gorgeous.” She kicks the duvet to the end of the bed and claps her hands twice. “Now come one, on with the fucking.”

Zhenya snorts and breaks into giggles against Sidney’s collarbones, Sidney himself smiling hesitantly, like he doesn’t quite get the joke but wants to be in on it anyway.

Anya wants to fuck him so bad it’s ridiculous.

Sidney pulls Zhenya up to standing and gets tackled to the bed in exchange, narrowly missing Anya’s legs as she pulls them up to her chest.

“Boys!” She shrieks, dissolving into giggles when Zhenya digs his fingers into the sole of her left foot. “You’re- acting- like- children!” Anya drags her nails up his shoulder blade in retaliation, crowing triumphantly when Zhenya releases her foot. Sidney, still pinned underneath Zhenya (the both of them still fully dressed, the fools), grins upside-down at Anya. He says something in English and nudges Zhenya, who sighs dramatically.

“He wants to know where you want him,” Zhenya smirks. “Should I tell him to just turn over? You were begging for his mouth just yesterday.”

Anya hums. She has been looking forward to seeing for herself if Sidney is as talented in bed as he is on the ice. But she looks at the two of them, how even though they’re both looking to her for direction, they’re still curled around each other, and she shakes her head. “Let me watch for now,” she murmurs, bending down to kiss Zhenya, then bending further to kiss Sidney, careful of their noses and chins. She pulls away and settles back against the headboard, smoothing her palms over the tops of her thighs.

Sidney twists as much as he can with Zhenya still clinging to him like a limpet, curling his fingers as best he can around Anya’s knee, his eyebrows pinching together. “You also,” he asks, in his adorably atrocious Russian. Anya’s heart is going to burst out of her chest with how much she loves this man. “Soon,” she promises, lifting his hand and kissing his palm. “You and Zhenya first, okay?” She repositions a pillow to sit between her lower back and the headboard and waves her hand. “What are you waiting for? Go on, get on with it.”

[zutaraplatter]

Avatar: The Last Airbender Critique

There are already a million of posts like this one, and I might be saying things that’ve already been said a million times but I’ve recently become reheated about the ATLA ending and wanted to let it out -_- No one asked, this is true, and this may or may not be a way to stall from this final project I still have to complete, but here’s 10 things I didn't like and/or would change about the show that likely shouldn’t need changing because they should have been done in the first place.

1. Katara should have apologized to Sokka after TSR

It should have happened and it didn't. In my canon-avoiding mind, Katara and Sokka have a heartfelt conversation where she apologizes for the awful things she said, Sokka says he forgives her and he's sorry if he wasn't as there for her as much as he should have been, which he follows up with "but I'm happy you listened to Aang and took his advice," leading into my next point

2. Katara should have said that not killing Yon Rha was her choice

And thats why it was the right one. Not because Aang already said it was wrong. No no. It was the right choice because that's what she chose. I love my mom to death and can't imagine losing her in any way, let alone the way Katara did. And I can't say for sure that if I was in her shoes that I know what I would have done f that yes I do I would have killed that motherfucker. But I also know that if Katara decided not to kill him, then that was one of two correct choices because they were Katara's choices to make. Not Aang's or anyone else's and this should have been clarified. I know it's a kids show but I said what I said. Next point.

3. Katara should have said more after telling Aang she was unsure at the Ember Island Players

Katara hasn't had any trouble saying how she feels, especially when it comes to helping others and making them feel better, whether she was right or wrong. But she holds back or overly softens blows and seems to even shrivel up at times when it comes to Aang. And me no likey. I had a boyfriend who I adored and admired and just genuinely looked up to. I'm also a shy and anxious person who hates confrontation, but because I loved him, I never refrained from telling him when he was wrong. I might have been a little shaky about it but I did it tho because when you want to be with someone you walk through the grass and stomp through the mud. And I personally feel like either in that moment or later on in an added scene that Katara should have voiced to Aang how unheard and disrespected she felt about his words before TSR and his actions on the balcony. I hate being uncomfortable and my secondhand embarrassment is toxic but I would love to see a scene of this. I always imagined Katara saying stuff like "But I'm not you Aang, and I'm not an Air Nomad," or "Zuko could understand why I needed to go, and I'd hoped you would too," or...I'm out of ideas but you get the idea. And you know what, I know I'm a hard Zutara shipper, but them having this conversation would honestly make me respect their relationship a whole lot more should it be believably written to end on a good note (I don't see how it could be but hey I'm an open minded person and I did think they were cute together once upon a time). Basically, all I'm saying is that Katara is no small voice and she should have been written that way when with Aang. Boyfriends can make you shy but should never make you weak. Period. Next point.

4. No rock! ONLY GROWTH!!!!!!!!!!!

I still squint my eyes whenever I remember that rock that unblocked Aang's chakra. What even was that? The laziest writing possible in my opinion. That's what. And Aang deserved better. What should have happened should have been that Aang started to lose to Ozai. And then as Ozai's about to deliver the finishing blow, Aang has flashbacks of everyone he's trying to save and honor, ending with a very prominent flashback of Katara with the guru's disembodied voice reminding Aang to let go of his attachments to become all he needs to be...then BOOM! Baby boy is back on his feet, chakra unblocked, he kicks Ozai's ass, I'm crying hysterically on the floor, as are the rest of us, and he wins. Then at the end of the series, instead of a kiss, he gives Katara an apology. She accepts, everyone else comes to join them on the balcony, cinematic group hug, camera pan into the sun. I don't know lol. Basically what I'm saying is that Aang did not deserve some deus ex machina. He deserved to grow and become his best self like everyone else got to.

5. Aang should have heard differently in The Storm

Katara is a very fate-minded person and this is when I saw potential for her to become a toxic character in regards to Aang. When he admits that he ran away from home 100 years ago, Katara tells him that that was basically a good thing because he was meant to be here and now. Like...no? What Aang did, though understandable for someone so young, was still wrong. Yes he would have maybe been killed but I'm like 10000000% sure they had a plan to protect and evacuate the literal avatar. And what was technically "meant to be" was a new avatar. But hey, what's done is done and kicking Aang while he's down is a no-no in this household. But that doesn't change the fact that Aang needed and deserved honesty. Maybe the fisherman could have said this, I don't know, but I feel like Aang should have been told by someone that although running away was wrong, it's a blessing he and Appa were able to survive and be able to help save the world now with his amazing friends found-family. Maybe this is too harsh, and maybe even outright wrong, but I felt like Aang deserved a truer answer here to support and comfort him.

6. MAILEE!!!!

Do I even need to go into detail?

7. Spiritual sigh*

Don't make me go into detail -_- I will say though that although Aang and Katara are both amazing individuals capable of earth shattering things, they were not a healthy fit for one another. This is evident in the original series and especially in their children from LOK. They both deserved the best but better than one another.

8. ZUTARAAAAAAA

This is a Zutara blog you KNEW this was coming, as it should. There's just too much. There's too damn much. I would give a real paragraph to this too, but, I mean, there's already so much proving that this was the pair. Fics, metas, rants, this site. Scroll through my blog or any of the ATLA related blogs I follow and...dude. These two were meant to be together and I'll mourn the narrative brilliance WASTED for no good reason every day for the rest of my life. No reason these two shouldn't be married with three kids. sob. I will take this part to say thank you to the amazing fic writers that gave Katara, Zuko, Mai, and Aang what they deserved that the writers didn't have the guts to give them themselves. Next point tho.

9. AANG AND ONJI

Good God almighty. Why not this? WHY NOT THIS? I'm putting on my bullet proof vest and I'm going to say this; Aanji is cuter than Zutara. Now before you scorn me or whatever, let me explain. Zutara for me is like steak. No. Chicken parmesan. I like chicken parmesan better. The point though is that Zutara is savory. You know? I don't see them as cute, I see them as Obviously. Aanji on the other hand is like a bag of my favorite candy. They are like a brownie. A cookie. Girl Scout Samoas!...I don't know what words are anymore. This post got way out of hand. I guess what I'm saying is that for Zutara, I scream, but for Aanji, I squeal. I hope that makes sense. But here's the main point I want to make. Onji never knew who Aang really was. And Aang was always, at his core, himself. She very obviously had a crush on Aang for his personality and that was crazy cute and frankly preferable to Katara's "I...guess he is." (you know exactly what I'm talking about) Anyway, I kept wanting more of them together. I wish all the time that we'd gotten to see her again, with a more fleshed out character and all. And in the way that I imagine the show should have gone, she could have been the perfect love interest for Aang, during this episode or way later, even in the comics! Another WASTED opportunity for greatness and I will, again, never recover T-T

10. Iroh get your ass back here

Maybe this is a misguided critique but I hated that Iroh just left Zuko alone in the fire nation at the end of the series. Baby was in trouble in every sense of the word and Iroh was just like "See ya! You got this nephew." I'm expected to believe that? I'm expected to accept that? No no no. He should have at least stayed for a few years to help Zuko stay upright and, you know, alive. And by "upright" I don't mean "good." I just mean been there to support him because Lord knows he needed it, at least in the beginning of his reign. It was cute that Iroh was able to settle down with his own teashop after all those years of violence and mourning and running and this and that. I was more than happy for him for being able to have that peace finally. But I still think it could have waited a little while longer so he could support Zuko.

That's it I guess. I know not everything I've said makes the most sense in one way or another, but I enjoyed putting it together all the same. Thank you for reading and have a great day. I'll go finish my final now.

(Edited for a typo)

[depvotee]

I know it’s a lot but if you like and it’s not too much of a bother would you please do all numbers for Jason from the Deputy questionnaire? 👀 I‘m curious about him

BUCKLE UP BUCKAROO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okey yknow what? lets make it a pt1 and pt2 bc this is gonna be HUGE if i dont.

1. What’s their name?

Jason Hale

2. How old are they?

37 years old by 2018.

3. What’s their style like? (Clothing style, hats, gloves, masks, etc.)

Jason is all about practicality and it shows throughout his outfits on all regions, he wears a tank top on John's, a bomber jacket on Faith's and a turtle neck on Jacob's, altho he always wears bulletproof vests ans gloves.

Even before the collapse, he wears denim and logo shirts, the wackier the logo on the thing and the more 'I came from a wack gift shop beside the road" is the more he likes it. Of course, he's also not against plain ole shirts.

4. What type of weapons do they prefer?

Living is such a rural place like Hope County it's basically a 'must know' the handling of guns. So, he prefers shotguns, especially his own, its called lemon pie, he has another shotgun but that's more in case of emergency thing since it was his mother's, it's hidden near his house. He also knows how to use handguns.

Jason doesn't like the smell of powder that it leaves on the hands, so he always procures to wear gloves.

5. What’s their outfit (transportation) like?

This big pick-up patrols but since he was suspended, he uses his old beat-up car, she old but she's been through thick and thin with the Hales. She lasted 20 years, so, she may last 20 many more.

6. Do they like what they do? (Deputy, Cultists, totally non-partial bystander just waiting for the chance to shoot someone, etc.)

Deputy, he basically helped train other younger deputies, he went out of town but since he's back, Jason asked for his job back... But he was recently suspended :)

7. What are their thoughts on the cult?

Wack jobs, he cannot understand why they'll go into it or why not go back home. Well, imagine this dude's face when his best friend forever and ever, used to do grown-up pajamas with was a key part. (and that doesn't even begin to cover it)

8. What’s their first thought when they took the first step in Joseph’s chapel? Alt: What’s their first thought when Joseph announced to go out for the reaping?  

Creeps. Nothing but the creeps.

9. How do they feel about the preppers?

The OTHER wackjobs in town. But well, they got the best shelters in case of anything right?

10. How about Dutch? Do they get along with?

Father figure. Jason is one of the last people Dutch considers that care about him, Dutch used to be a hunting partner with Jason's mom, so he basically saw him grow up. (I've got more story abt this that also involves Dutch wife but I wanna write that at more length later on.)

The thing is Jason goes to take a look at Dutch every now and then. Also might or might not take him out of trouble with the Sherrif's department.

11. First thoughts on the Seed family?

He wasn't so sure, he'd only ever met Jacob previously, it wasn't until Jacob asked him to come to church with him that he got the first taste of the Seeds. It wasn't pleasant but not something he quite could've put his finger on why. Jason just mark it as maybe not begin used to going to church or something. Needless to say, Jacob got the memo and hanged outside the church.

12. What’s the region they feel most connected to? 

Whitetails, he leaves near the place, it's quiet, he has been most of this life there riding dirt bikes with friends long gone out of state or stealing his mom's car to go into Falls End for a Midnight ride and his sister tagging along.

13. From the GFH/FGH which one they get along with the most?

Nick Rye and Grace. Nick is Jason's best friend begin the same age and also stuck on Hope's they quickly made it not only work but genuinely liked each other, they're were joined by the hip.

Grace is also a long-time friend of Jason, he's one of the few people she's able to open up fully. Jason says Grace is a great comedian but folk as yet to see her tell one.

14. From the Police department which one they get along with?

Whitehorse and Hudson. Whitehorse was in the same slot as Dutch, which he also saw Jason grow up, but Whitehorse takes a more "disciplinary" figure, he cares deeply about Jason and his future, he wanted him to be Sheriff since that basically settle him for life that until Jason left town, which in turn made him furious. He still ofc cares abt him.

As for Hudson, she was Jason's brightest you could say, she has teeth for the job and has a head on her shoulders. Jason respects her but also knows although very capable, she's doesn't have everything figured out.

15. From Fall’s End which person they get along with?

Mary-May, Jason used to be pals with her dad. Later became more friends with her, they used to play at arcades or look at old discs and trade some vinyls. Sometimes Jason will distract her while Nick messes with the jukebox

[duran-duran-less-official]

Thoughts:

I agree with the takes that say we likely won't see a return to 2005-era Russell T. Davies television. My point of reference would be something like, 2005-2008 Rusty is like a parallel to 2010-2013 Moffat, and 2023-onwards Rusty is more likely to parallel 2014-2017 Moffat. There's a clear split there where Moffat ditched some of his more egregious excesses as his showrunning matured (helped by dealing with cranky old professor Capaldi instead of... well still a nutty old professor, but trapped in the body of a 20-something Matt Smith) and I have a feeling Rusty will have developed in the same way.

Judging by what Russell has done since Doctor Who, I DO think the coming seasons will be gayer. How that will manifest, I'm not sure.

I've noticed a not-inconsequential number of people saying "ugh, not just another white man but THE SAME white man?? Truly shows the BBC's lack of creativity in this department". To which I say, you nincompoops. The success of the show hasn't been measured by the showrunners identity credentials, it's been measured by how much they love the show. A black woman might be a fantastic showrunner in general terms, but if she doesn't care deeply about the history and legacy of this show in particular, then it will never work. Not for Doctor Who. Steven Moffat didn't survive 8 years of the most vile hatred a showrunner has ever received (maybe apart from, fittingly, the Supernatural fanbase) because he was white. He survived it because he genuinely loved the show, and only now that we've seen the alternatives to his reign have people started missing what he brought to the show. Russel didn't return because the BBC will only hire white guys. He returned because he loved the show and he has the combination of work ethic and passion to make it succeed. The only truly alarming thing about this news is how few competent showrunners there are within the BBC network who care about Doctor Who.

It really is a tragedy how much of the public perception of the Doctor Who fandom is still tied up in Superwholock to this day. It has far, far too much legacy behind it, and likely a future ahead of it, to be lumped in with the other two. It deserves better.

I'm also seeing a lot of people calling out other people for saying that Doctor Who will no longer be "woke", and I think that speaks to a sharp divide in what those two groups mean by that one word. As I say, I fully expect RTD to embrace LGBT rep in the show in one way or another, but at the risk of No True Scotsmanning, I doubt most fans would think not to expect that. What they DO object to, I think - certainly what I object to - is the way that political content I could 100% have handled in the days of RTD and Moffat was executed under Chibnall. Rusty never had a character go "I'm gay by the way! Did I mention how gay I am? *dies immediately*". Moffat got preachier in later seasons but Capaldi's speeches were passionately delivered and relevant to the characters in the scene. Nobody ever turned directly to the camera to speak to the audience. Understanding Capaldi's speeches made you feel smart; Whitaker's made you feel smarter than the writer thought you were. Not one of the characters was ever so obviously a fictionalised version of a real political figure as The Donald Trump Character from Chibnall's tenure. Walking away from serious racist conflicts to hammer home the message that humans are the real monsters was never part of the Doctor's M.O. under Rusty. It's preachy, it condescends to the audience, it betrays things that the characters should stand for, and above all it's just not very intelligent or imaginative writing. That is what people object to. The hope is not that the Doctor will stop destroying Capitalism or Orwellian Regimes or Slave Labour ("Oxygen", "The Lie of the Land", "Planet of the Ood") to become 'un-woke', the hope is that RTD will actually be able to craft relevant political subjects into actually entertaining sci-fi stories again.

If even RTD can't make Doctor Who work for modern audiences (unlikely but possible), then we have some idea of who REALLY made post-2005 Doctor Who work, and that is Murray Gold.