#i've said it before but i think the first major conflict in their relationship is going to be

[vivemonroi]

Can we talk about Hallelujah and how it represents Solavellan? We've long considered Hallelujah as the hymn for Solavellan, but I never fully realized how deeply it might reflect their love.

I combined lyrics from Leonard Cohen’s version and Rufus Wainwright’s rendition to get a "full picture."

Content spoilers!

I imagine that it’s Lavellan singing to Solas, sharing how she sees him and his story.

Now I′ve heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor falls, the major lifts The baffled king composing Hallelujah

The "baffled king" could represent Solas and his god-like status during the Evanuris era. Even with his power and knowledge, Solas could be seen as someone vulnerable, struggling with the burdens of his choices. This reflects his grandeur and his inner conflict, showing that despite his god-like status, he was still susceptible to doubt, regret, and even love.

Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

Now that we know more about Solas and Mythal’s relationship, I think that the "her" mentioned is actually Mythal, and Solas was willing to do anything for her. This includes obtaining a physical body and standing by her side no matter what.

She tied you to a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

But eventually, Mythal leaves Solas, who remains attached to her. She "broke his throne," meaning she pushed him to rebel; she made him cut his hair… and now the guy is bald. Clearly, this represents his betrayal.

The Hallelujah signifies the deepest, most sacred love — he still loved her, even then. But their relationship was ultimately toxic for both of them.

Maybe I've been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Now Lavellan is singing about herself and her life before Solas. She was alone, especially after the Conclave and becoming the Herald of Andraste. The Dalish rejected her, and humans weren’t her people — much like Solas himself, upon awakening to a world that was no longer his.

With him, she discovers a love deeper than any she has known, she realizes that loving someone is not a "victory march." Her love for him is filled with pain and bittersweetness. It's hard to love him, yet she love him still.

There was a time you'd let me know What's real and going on below But now you never show it to me do you?

This is about the time they shared during the events of the Inquisition. He taught her about the Fade and the ancient gods, but after Trespasser, he vanished, concealing his true self beneath the mask of Fen’Harel.

And then there’s the line, “you’d let me know what’s real.” Remember what Solas said after they defeated Corypheus, just before he walked away forever?

“I want you to know that what we had was real.”

And remember when I moved in you? The holy dark was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Both could represent the time they shared or her attempts to reach him after Trespasser. The "holy dark"— maybe the Blight?

You say I took the name in vain I don′t even know the name But if I did, well, really, what's it to you?

She didn’t know his true title, the Dread Wolf, a part of his very nature and ancient past. Yet she wonders: if she had known, would it have changed anything?

Now there's a different versions for Lavellan who want to save Solas and Lavellan who want to stop him.

The redeemed and happy version.

There's a blaze of light in every word It doesn′t matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah

At first glance, it may seem like the holy love, the holy Hallelujah, represents his love for Mythal, and the broken one for Lavellan. But I think it's the opposite: Mythal is a god, yet their love is broken; Lavellan is mortal, but her love for him is divine. Both of them have the power to redeem him, in different ways — one through letting go, and the other through allowing him to be loved.

I did my best, it wasn′t much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I′ve told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

The words point directly to Solas, she tries to convince him, that their love can find a way to endure. She isn't like Mythal, she accepts him, his nature. But he's afraid, he's not allowing himself to move forward.

And even though it all went wrong I′ll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Even in the end, Lavellan still holds onto her love for Solas, with nothing on her tongue but their sacred love.

She is his future.

Now to the grim and sad version

Maybe there's a God above And all I ever learned from love Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

He deceives her, and all that love has taught her is sorrow. Mythal' and Solas' history confirms that.

She remains steadfast, standing in his path, even if it means his end, because her love and his history taught her "to shoot at someone who outdrew you."

And it′s not a cry you can hear at night It's not somebody who′s seen the light It's a cold and it′s a broken Hallelujah

In this version, their love is doomed to be cold and broken. There is no light. She has given up on him, yet the suffering remains, deep and unrelenting. Still, it is a Hallelujah.

He is all alone, facing his most terrible fear. Yet he believes he deserves it and it's the only thing that can redeem him.

Thank you for reading this! I know I’m being delusional, but it helps me sleep at night.

[xclowniex]

Ok I have a lot to say and no way to say it so first off hi, anyways I would like to say a few things. Firstly, I’m a Palestinian, currently in Lebanon but raised my whole life in Jordan. over 60% of Jordanians are Palestinian but Israel is at peace with Jordan. I mean I think Jordan and Israel’s relationship is a kind of window into what I think a Palestinian and Israeli relationship could look like if both governments were torn down. Now I ideally my wet dream is for the land to just be called the holy land and everyone to have equal rights and be treated equally. But I know that’s a delusional way of thinking. Secondly, I wanna say that as Muslims, as in the religion, we respect Jews and their religion. You are known as اهل الكتاب (people of the book) because Judaism is an abrahamic religion. This means that we must extend respect to you. It’s not always done (frankly it’s never done) but it’s the way things should be done and I am personally trying to improve myself because I grew up in a very secular and religious and intolerant household. And I think that if I am able to do it with the family I grew up with, a lot of people should be able to too especially non-Arabs, non-Muslims who have genuinely no connection to this conflict. It is still a work in progress because I do still feel like I have hate programmed into me but that’s why I like to start random conversations with people. I hope I’m not in anyway intruding or making you uncomfortable with this and honestly if I am you can just block me. But I do genuinely love having convos with people and it’s my own way of proving that even if we don’t agree on certain points peace can still be found and respect can still stand.Anyways I’m rambling at this point, have a good day.

Hi! Sorry this has been sitting in my inbox for a day or two. I've wanted to properly answer this but have been tired from work.

You are not bothering me at all!

We need more jewish/Palestinian solidarity.

I'm in a similar thought track to you. My ideal is a land for all, where there is one land where jews and Palestinians coexist and both have self determination. However realistically a two state solution needs to happen first and likely won't move to a land for all solution at least within my lifetime.

I too grew up in an intolerant household. The shit my father as said, is very bad. I usually don't talk about his internalized anti arab comments much as A) I would get blasted with asks about why I call myself an arab jew (not directed at you, but anyone else reading his and is curious, I have answered this question before, you can use the search function on my blog), B) antisemites use it as an excuse to say that all jews hate arabs, which yes, some do and it's bad that some do, but it's not like the majority of jews hate arabs, and vice versa. And lastly C) it's a lot to unpack as a lot of his internalized anti arab sentiment is due to being radicalized by antisemites. When he first moved to NZ, he was very left wing, then he was betrayed by the left here and ended up going far right, to finally settling on centre right.

Shit now I'm rambling lol

[myargalargan]

A musical Polinalysis part 2

So I spent hours yesterday writing an analysis on the music we hear when Colin and Penelope first kiss, only to realize a couple hours later that...the kiss isn't the first time we hear that theme!! So of course I had to keep writing about it, because I just think this is so cool...

Alright, check this out... The very first time we hear the theme is the very first time Penelope sees Colin at the beginning of the season. We've just seen Colin flirting with that gaggle of ladies; he approaches his family, and as soon as Pen catches sight of him, we hear this:

But wait. I'm going to back up a sec, because in my last post, I said this was Polin's theme:

Pretty different, huh? So what's going on here?

Well, in the first transcription above, I have us in G Major, starting our theme with the familiar intervals of the fifth note of the key going up to the tonic, or first, note of the key, and then up to the second note (in this case, from D to G to A) and so on for the next few notes. Everything sounds normal here except that we're in a different key (G Major for the first sound clip, D-flat Major for the second one).

But then what happens halfway through with all those # marks? These accidentals are called sharps, and they indicate chromaticisms in the key, or notes that don't naturally occur in the key that we're in. Another way to write this so that the notes do naturally occur in the key (it sounds the same as the first transcription above, it's just expressed with a different key signature) is this...

The part I've circled in red indicates a key change. At the beginning, we're in G Major. Halfway through, we move into g minor. These keys are related in that their scales start on the same note—the tonic of both keys is the note G. However, the scales themselves do not sound the same—these keys do not contain the same notes. Here is a G Major scale:

And here is a g minor scale:

Notice that the g minor scale sounds a little darker, spookier, maybe more intense. This is the typical quality of minor scales in general—they tend to have a sadder sound.

So, okay, that was a lot of music theory, but what does this all mean for our Polin theme? I think it's so compelling that the first time we hear this theme, we have a key change halfway through from major to minor—from a relatively bright, happy sound to a more intense, morose sound. This is the first time we see Colin and Penelope occupying the same space this season, the first time Penelope sees Colin after his return (and it's honestly unclear to me whether Colin sees Penelope, as well...he looks in her direction but doesn't seem to recognize that she's there?). And the first statement we get of the music that is going to represent them throughout the next few episodes has a dramatic twist halfway through! Much like their relationship? Much like season 3 itself?? I think this speaks of conflict and intrigue to come—for these first four episodes and the season overall.

But that's not all! At the end of this episode, we have Colin and Penelope making their arrangement for Colin to help Penelope find a husband. And as they shake hands and share meaningful looks, just before Lady Whistledown's narration starts the close-out of the episode, this is what plays in the background:

Unlike the very first statement of the theme, this one does not start in a major key and then modulate to a minor key—it is fully minor from the beginning (the key of f-sharp minor is my guess).

Knowing what we know about minor keys having a sadder, more intense sound, this statement of the theme is clearly meant to convey conflict. There are two big conflicts being set up in this moment between Colin and Penelope: 1) the arc for the first half of the season, of Colin trying to help Penelope find a husband and oops falling in love with her instead, and 2) the arc that we'll be seeing in the second half of the season, of Penelope's secret identity and what that means for her and Colin's relationship. The music is telling us, as Colin and Penelope grasp hands, that we need to be wary.

There is one more iteration of this theme that I want to talk about, and it occurs during the scene when Penelope meets Colin at Bridgerton house for one of their lessons (the scene that is infamous for Colin putting his hand on Pen's back Colin what are you doiiiiiing we are so scandalized!! *gasp*).

The moment Colin greets Penelope in the entryway, we hear this very softly in the background:

This abbreviated theme repeats several time throughout the above scene, and it builds as it's repeated. First there's a couple measures of the theme, then a couple measures without, then the theme is stated again, followed by another couple measures without, and then we get three statements of the theme one right after another in different instruments, until Colin and Penelope make it to the drawing room.

In sharp contrast to the intense, doomsday-foretelling version of the theme we got at the end of ep1, this version is light and playful. We're back in a major key—and in fact, we seem to be in A Major, which is the relative major of f-sharp minor (the key we were in at the end of ep1). That is to say, f-sharp minor and A Major share a key signature—they contain the same notes—but since the A Major scale starts on an A rather than an F-sharp, it has a brighter, cheerier sound.

So here's what I think is happening with all this musical storytelling. In the beginning of the first episode, we get our first statement of Polin's theme, starting in a pleasant major key sound and turning sharply into a darker minor key sound halfway through. This foreshadows Polin's narrative arc, and the idea of more drama to come in the second half of the season, just as Colin and Penelope think they've found their happiness.

Then at the end of the first episode, we get a statement of Polin's theme entirely in a minor key—a callback to the second half of the first instance of their theme at the beginning of the episode, and another moment of foreshadowing which sets us up for the main conflicts we will see this season and in Polin's relationship. Episode one is all about setting the stage for the rest of what's to come.

Then at the beginning of ep2, when we hear the theme again, it's like we're being oriented back towards the first half of the iteration that we heard at the beginning of ep1. It's saying, "Okay, the music in ep1 told you to expect both joy and danger, and now here we are at the joy part." We're having fun right now. The romantic tension is still fairly breezy at this point. We haven't yet gotten into the gut-wrenching angst of watching the best friend we accidentally fell in love with about to get engaged to another man.

At the same time, the build-up of the theme the way we hear it in the scene at Bridgerton house—the way we get multiple statements of only the first couple measures—also creates some tension. The theme keeps getting cut off partway through, so naturally we want to hear more; we want to hear it keep going all the way to resolution. Keep in mind, up to this point, we have not yet (I don't think, anyway...) heard the theme all the way to resolution in a major key. So far, we've heard the theme: 1) start in a major key and end in a minor key, 2) start and end in a minor key, and 3) start in a major key but not end at all. And when do we finally, finally get to hear the theme all the way through in a major key, without all the twists and interruptions that we've experienced previously?

Polin's first kiss.

And it's beautiful, and soaring, and feels something like catharsis...

But of course, even hearing their theme all the way through leaves us wanting more, because at that moment, their arc is still just beginning.

analysis part 1 | analysis part 3

[gayofthefae]

Season 1 is Mike and El's love story because season 1 serves as a prologue:

Part of the thing with Mike and his romance with El is that he doesn't overtly seem to have a storyline outside of it. And that means that his primary character arc must be tied to and his demonstration in the final season of said character arc, which is confirmed for him is not complete yet, would be in his relationship with her.

But they got together in season 1. In the situation where he is straight and his character arc focus is to do with being with her...they started him with 0 need to grow in season. one.

If Mike were straight, the focus of his arc would be something he achieved in episode 8. of 42.

There isn't focus on them the way there is because they're the "main couple". There's focus on them because there's been nothing left for them to do as a couple since episode 8 of currently 34. (Their conflict serves a different purpose now).

In season 1, Mike would have needed to allow himself to see himself as deserving of El and be vulnerable enough to make a move. In episode 3, he worries she would judge him because of the bullying, but he overcomes that and does make a move.

If that's his arc....that's it. If that's his arc, then everything after that just repeated an already solved issue in order to solve it again. And I understand why people who think that hate it.

But when every other arc is written for 4-5 seasons...doesn't anyone find it odd that what they think Mike's was only written for 1? The others prove that they clearly planned for being renewed so....what gives?

I'll tell you what gives. Someone having an arc that completes itself that quickly with so much left is not an arc, it's a set up. It isn't an arc. Season 1 of 5? That's still just exposition in the grand scheme of things. They didn't finish a story then fall off. They simple established a fact: Mike and El are together and they got together in this way. All important information to have for later. They were not telling a love story. They were establishing a fact.

And then what they did with that fact was tell a story: a boy in a straight relationship behaves in a way that he shouldn't and didn't before being with her. - to know that we need to see him before he's with her.

Season 1 is simple: meet Mike before El. They're dating now btw.

That isn't a love story. It's just information you'll need for later. Season 1 is just "information you'll need for later when we tell you a story based on it".

That's what it is for literally everybody in the show, actually! Think Lucas Sinclair. Season 1 serves to show him before he met Max, much more tense and easily stressed a person. In season 2 his story really STARTS. Season 1 is his "before". The same is true of establishing Nancy and Steve and the way they are still together in the end of season 1. Will is also not in season 1 at all but he is a MAJOR part of the story and lore.

So if season 1 is just their "before"...what does that mean for the love story fully contained to season 1 with no further romance, payoff, or get-together outside of it?

I've said before: literally all they had to do was interrupt them two seconds earlier and save the first kiss for the Snow Ball. But season 2 is part of the story, not the prologue, and them kissing was just to have them start dating as soon as possible so by the time we hit the story, we knew it to be true.

But I understand. If all of us were given prologues thinking they were stories, our perceptions of the book would be much different. It makes complete sense why the perception from people who watched in 2016 and people who binge it now are so different. 2024 bingers perceive it as a prologue. They know the happy ending isn't left there because the drop down menu has three more numbers in it. They understand that this is just information to work off of. They expect more of those two's love story but when they aren't given it they go "huh, guess that was just in the prologue".

Mike and El's relationship isn't a story. It's lore. It's backstory. There's just no way to convey that when releasing it chronologically (and calling it a prologue would be assuming/seeming to depend on a renewal and would not have gotten picked up).

The STORY is his behavioral change.

[twig-tea]

Cooking Crush ep 10: This Show Has My Whole Heart

I wrote about some of the things Cooking Crush is doing so well in my response to a recent ask, and so I'm particularly glad that episode 10 came through with a strong flourish to get us set up the last two episodes.

I wanted to call out a few specific things this episode did that are contributing to why it's working so well for me.

First, I want to mention that the reciprocity continues! Previously, we had Prem comforting Ten during a panic attack post adrenaline crash. In this episode, Ten comforts and supports Prem during his worries about Samsee and the competition.

Picking up on something else I've talked about before, this show is committed to its character's arcs. Fire is struggling with his sexuality and his desire to keep their relationship secret last episode led to the conflict between Samsee and Dynamite this episode. Fire showing up to support Dy in public, giving him affection, and using the petname Dy insisted on having is all evidence of Fy's increasing comfort with it. He's already said before he intends to tell his mother, and Dy has been clear he's not rushing him. The way Dy is so careful with Fire but also so receptive to and appreciative of what Fire is able to give warms my heart (pun intended). And Samsee and Prem seeing it and reacting supportively too, because they know what this means to their friend!

[The gifsearch is not cooperating but please enjoy this gifest by @gunsatthaphan.]

I also want to talk about how this conflict with Samsee hits Dynamite hard, and in the context of knowing he's lost relationships with his parents because of his sexuality, to think his relationship with Fire could have lost him a close friend must be bringing back up his feelings about being cut out of the lives of people he loves. However, it speaks to the strength of his bond with Samsee that even though Samsee is furious and not speaking with him, he does not kick Dy out of his apartment. Dy mentions that he didn't see Samsee the night before the competition because Samsee didn't come home (we find out later why, but I loved this subtle nod to the fact that unlike Dy's own parents, Samsee didn't abandon Dy when he made choices that hurt him. I AM IN MY QUEER FOUND FAMILY FEELINGS, FRIENDS).

Along these lines, Ten going to confess to Prem, noticing that these friends are having a moment, and quietly stepping away to give them space is such a good character moment for him, since previously he's been begging to be let in to their shared space even when Prem mentions he's concerned about its impact on his friends and their relationship. Ten's realizing he can't be everything for Prem, and it's better for both of them if he isn't.

That scene of reconciliation, the three friends re-establishing how important they are to one another, that got to me. And that the show prioritized it over the romance! I cannot tell you how much I love that this was an explicit decision the show made, to say 'no, this is not the time for a confession, this friendship reconciliation is more important right now'. And I love that the show gives us a solid, character-grounded reason for why Samsee reacted so strongly to being left out in the first place. We've been told Samsee has changed school majors 3 times, and it's been played as a joke as well as an explanation for why he's an older student. I love that we've now had the consequences of those changes on Samsee's friendships added to his story. Even a "joke" backstory has ramifications for the characters in this show, I am obsessed.

I also want to mention that I am loving what the show is doing with Samsee and Metha, two characters who are the "fuck-ups" of their friend groups, but who are also the most loyal and most supportive of them all. They conflict with one another around what that support looks like, even while they enable one another to continue to be the best friends to their respective besties.

Prem has struggled this entire show to use his words, and in particular he's visibly wrestled with how he can gracefully reject Chef Changma without putting his own career at risk. In this episode he manages to say 'I don't think that [a hug] would be a good idea', and he's ignored. Ten immediately steps in, but I wanted to highlight how big a deal it is for Prem to have said no to this Chef--who he's idolized, who is his mentor, and who is a judge of the competition he's in--in this moment.

When we do get to the confession, Prem continues to lead with action, and Ten continues to push him to use his words. I love so much that Ten never lets him get away with copping out of saying the words, since it's something we know Prem struggles so much with. This speaks to @lurkingshan's earlier post about how Cooking Crush shows us its leads are better thanks to their relationship (in the same way that Fire self-actualizing and being more free to be himself and express affection also speaks to this point).

Beyond character arcs, there's one other thing I am very excited for heading into episode 11 next week, and that's the conflicts in this show converging so brilliantly. So far, the show has set up a few conflicts: Ten's relationship with his father, the cooking competition, the bullies, Fire's relationship with his mother, and Chef Changma's interest in Prem. All of these have now been queued up to expertly converge as a single conflict in ep 11, based on the preview. With Changma's advance and subsequent punch being recorded and distributed (I'm placing bets that this was recorded by one of the bullies, btw), Ten's father once again steps in the way of this relationship that he sees as a detriment to his son. Prem also previously stated that he wanted to enter the competition in order to prove to Ten's dad that he has potential, so these threads were already starting to come together weeks ago. Even if I'm wrong about the bullies having been the ones to record that video, they're sitll in the competition as competitors. And of course Fire has promised Dy he'd come out after the competition, tying the last thread of these conflicts all together around this single event.

And this is what I mean when I say the writing on this show is so good. Because the characters are coherent and consistent and have clear arcs, and the conflicts are grounded in the characters, even though there are several threads, they come together easily and in a way that makes perfect sense and that work with the character arcs rather than against them.

The last thing I'll mention, because it's something I actually brought up as a negative to this show previously, is the use of non-linear storytelling. Cooking Crush has used non-linear storytelling several times, showing us a scene and then flashing back to what happened before that scene in order to fill in the gaps. This can be an effective storytelling tool, but it has to accomplish something in the narrative. The difference between unnecessary and excellently-deployed non-linear storytelling is whether or not there's a good answer to this question: What is the purpose of delaying this information to the audience, and how does that delay affect the audience understanding of what they're seeing? In previous instances, for example the kiss and then flashback to the full date, knowing that Ten and Prem kissed at the end of their date didn't add anything to the viewing experience of watching their date, and having seen their date didn't change my experience of the kiss. This is why I consider it an ineffective use of that technique.

In episode 10, however, we get the cold open that shows Ten joining Prem and Samsee in the competition, and then we flash back. Knowing Ten will be joining Prem and Dynamite in the competition helps to colour what we see about Prem and Dy trying to get Samsee to reconcile with them, as well as Samsee's absence. When we get to Ten stepping in, we have learned it was as much a surprise (and disappointment) to Prem and Dy as it was to us. Ten stepping in doesn't actually work, but it does give Prem the courage to ask if they can compete as a duo, rather than just letting themselves be disqualified without a fight. And we later find out that Samsee was so touched by the letter that he went to his hometown to dig for prawns and that's why he was late for the competition. [I also wanted to mention this because based on @respectthepetty's roundup post it sounds like the cold open was cut for the youtube version]

I lied, I have one more actual last thing, this one is obvious but I can't not say it: THANK YOU to this show for consistently queueing up the typical miscommunication fumbles that get so annoying in every BL (in most romance plots of any sexuality) and then saying NOT TODAY SATAN and having the characters choose vulnerability and honesty and bravery, and talking it out. Every time the show does this (and it's at least 2x per episode, no exaggeration) I feel a little more faith in romance writing restored.

ANWAY, TL;DR Cooking Crush continues making me so happy every week!

[imthepunchlord]

Awww I just realized after the last few anons and rereading what you’ve previously said about Lucee helping to give Gina wings and inspiring her to travel freely (minus the time she had Tom) that Lucee and Marianne would’ve been the first and second line of defense as Gina’s support group while she was going through what is most likely the worst patch of her entire life. Given the time period, she probably wouldn’t have been ABLE to leave Roland and get full custody of Tom while he was still a minor, so I totally get why she stayed with him both in the Bugettes AU and in canon, but that doesn’t make it suck any less to live through. I bet Lucee stayed with Gina for a long time afterwards when she first began her travels to make sure she properly healed before going separate ways and wishing each other well. I didn’t know that Gina went by her maiden name in-show before that anon brought it up; it was revealed in Miraculous Paris in Sabine’s contact list to be Bianchi (a plural of bianco which is "white" in Italian), neat! In this AU, I can totally see her wearing her prism design t-shirt (with the white light entering on side of a sphere and a ray of colors coming out of another side) as homage to the Miraculous fairies and how Lucee especially helped her out. Speaking of Lucee, I can also totally see her having Cursed Roland without his knowledge right after both Tom and Gina had left him like “Oh no, you don’t get to make MY chosen’s and HER son’s lives miserable for two decades, not even have the base decency to feel guilty or remorseful, and get off with no further comeuppance. May You Forever Live in the Shadow Cast by Tom Dupain’s Light.” And by the start of the Bugettes AU’s main plot, this has of course manifested as Roland’s bakery fading into obscurity once Tom and Sabine opened theirs and became vastly popular, them being happily married for 20 years while Gina hasn’t once reached out to him since their divorce, them having a beautiful, sweet and talented daughter who he never got to meet much less have a relationship with, etc.

I've actually come to a different speculation on the Dupain family dynamic, with it being more complicated than Rolland's the outright villain.

I'm under the belief that Gina and Rolland had a one night stand, she wound up pregnant, and traditionalist Rolland wanted them married to raise the kid together, and Gina agreed cause this is a kid she's about to bring into their world.

Only it's not exactly a great union between them given Gina's a free spirit while Rolland is a strict traditionalist. It's a major conflict of just who they are.

And based on what's given in canon, Tom probably was much closer with his father than his mother, given he doesn't seem happy to see Gina when she comes to visits. And based on what we see, she means well and does love her family, but there's also a disconnect and she has a hard time keeping up with them and what's going on. So my guess is that Gina was a more absent parent while Rolland was actually there for Tom. It could also add to Tom becoming a baker, created through that closeness with his father.

Only Tom married Sabine (and changed how he made bread) and there was a very bad fall out between the two with Rolland disapproving (and the messy set up of Rolland either implied to be racist or he stopped talking to his son over bread).

And then there's Sabine, who lost her parents, would want to see family together as she knows that ache of losing family. So she connects well with Gina, and this whole dynamic is probably why Sabine became an angel and Tom became coal in Befana.

And Sabine knows how close Tom and Rolland were, which is why she wishes they could reconnect.

Instead of Rolland being the villain of it all, I think it's just messy people being messy. Rolland does look the worst out of all Dupains (as he either was a racist or he just straight up stopped talking to his son over a bread recipe), but from what I hear, he also really steps up to change and improve. I have some ML buddiese who have watched more of the show and do like him.

I also will say I haven't thought about Gina's history all that much. Most I have is potentially the possibility that her family fled from Italy to France but got caught up in the invasion of Paris. And Gina met Lucee with a goal to reignite Gina's inner flame, and inspire others, to be a guiding light, to inspire hope.

Though at this time, I can't say how long Lucee would've stayed with Gina, same goes for Pollen and Marianne.

[bigblueoctoling]

I Hate Octavio With All Of My Heart

I'm genuinely so pissed about Octavio being at the grand fest at all. Like it's genuinely a serious hampering on what is otherwise a really nice event. It's even worse that cuttlefish is there. This genuinely severely lowers my opinion of the Splatoon writers.

So like. On its face, I despise the general angle of going easy on Octavio. It's not headcanon that he's objectively a pretty terrible person for a lot of reasons- like, it feels very intentional that one is meant to read it like Octavio is an old war vet who's artificially keeping the "us vs them" mentality of the great turf war. It feels intentional that one is meant to read him as a very vain and controlling person who actively spreads propaganda (see Splatoon 1). It feels intentional that, at the *VERY* least, what Octavio did to Callie in Splatoon 2 was Bad, if not Morally Reprehensible. It feels like, with the way Octarian society is described in Octo Expansion and Side Order, we're textually meant to read the hyper-militarization of their society as a bad thing.

I feel like, if Splatoon was ultimately intending to present Octavio as a morally grey antihero type of character, they have completely and utterly failed to do so. Merely having him be the leader of Octarians doesn't implicitly make him a good guy just because Octarians are oppressed- Octavio is obviously, on some level, a figure with political power in Octarian society. Octo Expansion largely served to show that the surface world has progressed past the conflict of the Great War- so if Octarians are still facing oppression, that only really falls into the hands of the Octarian elite. If the intent was EVER to imply that that doesn't define Octavio, they made literally no effort to show it.

All of this being said, you could still argue that Octavio's help in Splatoon 3's ending is meant to represent him turning a new leaf- It's an argument that I'd still fervently disagree with, but you could hypothetically make that argument.

Except Splatoon also doesn't make that argument. Literally one line Marie says in the post-game has her posit that Octavio might have turned a new leaf- A line I've always hated, but it feels as though the game has just sort of ignored the busywork of actually showing that any change has been made to the primary antagonist of the franchise and has just leapt to the conclusion because Octavio has done one vaguely morally good action ever- an action done to save the planet, which obviously is also in his own personal best interest.

Isn't Octavio, like, a threat? Like, he literally has a criminal record and is a military leader, why is he allowed at this venue?

Moreover, why are Octavio and Cuttlefish suddenly chummy?

The fact that Octavio is sat with Cuttlefish makes this feel like a cheap, hollow gesture to appeal to the fandom- like, yeah, people like to ship cuttlefish and octavio, but that's not, like... basis to decide what the canon is? Like, you need to actually establish their relationship in the canon first, you need to show them interacting together LITERALLY A SINGLE TIME BEFORE JUST ACTING LIKE THEY'RE BEST FRIENDS WHEN EVERY SINGLE PREVIOUS INTERACTION BETWEEN THEM WAS DIRECTLY ANTAGONISTIC.

And, just to reiterate: I DESPISE the idea of shipping the two of them. Not for any moral reasons, I just personally find both characters wretched people. But like, if you wanted to do this, you should actually do it? Instead of just plopping a literal war criminal in the middle of a venue as if it's totally fine. Like I genuinely despise that he's here. It's so fucking lame.

I think if you actually give a shit about Octavio's character, you should be pissed too. Like... They're just acting like they've totally redeemed Octavio and he's gone through a whole redemption arc when he's done literally ONE GOOD THING EVER, and it was still something exclusively for his personal gain (the planet not being destroyed). This is pretty major character development they're just not actually bothering to do or explain they're just sort of shoving him and cuttlefish together as if that instantly makes them best friends. It's so fucking lame and pandering, it feels like the end of a cheap kids movie where they have a funny dance party and the main antagonist is also there for no reason.

Like, I genuinely gotta wonder, is it my fault? Am I the one who doesn't see the textual evidence of Octavio being a good guy, somehow? Have I somehow missed something? Because it genuinely feels like a complete rejection of how they've characterized him up to this point, to just suddenly act like Octavio has been redeemed and there's totally nothing wrong with being his best friend. Like I feel like I've been playing a different Splatoon Franchise than anyone who'd think that's normal.

[irregularcollapse]

before you say cut is my absolute comfort fic i've read it too many times to count

very happy to hear there's gonna be sandra in the sequel bc you write the mota women so so well <3

oh my goodness <3 thanks so much, anon! i really appreciate people coming out of the woodwork to say nice things about this fic! i'm still really pleased with how it turned out, and i feel like it hits the things i was trying to do with it (which is nicely confirmed when people like you say things like this weeeeeeeeee)

WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for loving my love of women <3 i just truly think that even if i'm writing primarily about men, there's no reason not to pay some respect to the canon women. i'm really excited to write more Sandra (Westie!!!!!!!) because i really enjoyed doing her in the little tennis b-side that i did. some actor Sandra lore is that she has a weird little will they/won't they UST game with Marge, however given that Marge is an agent (not Sandra's agent, but an agent nonetheless) it would very much be a professional conflict of interest for them to do anything about it. not particularly ethical!!

and this is also the reason why Marge and Gale have never gotten together in this universe, because while their relationship is primarily professional, Gale is still very attracted to her and also she's one of his favourite people. it is a thing he struggles with a little, regarding his own sense of self-worth: as he says in this b-side, it's a bit sad that his best friend is his agent.

anywayyyyy yay women! i also have a bit of Helen in an unfinished one shot that i'd really like to return to at some point but can make no promises about:

Kissing girls with lipstick on has always felt a bit extra dirty to Bucky, like he was taking something painted and perfect and poised, and leaving his mark. He liked the smooth slide of a lipstick mouth against his own; he liked the way it’d smear, over his lips and the girl’s, leaving her all messy and making her look wanted; he liked, when she was nice enough to get on her knees for him, the smudges he’d find on his cock when he washed up after.

“That’s your color,” Helen had said to him while the other girls were righting themselves and tidying up their little impromptu party, wiping the bar and figuring out where to toss the now-empty bottle.

“What’s that?” But Bucky had already known, and was wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand; something else gotten from the bottle, not just the liquor.

“The first one we’ll call a freebie,” she’d rolled on like he hadn’t said anything, conversational and conspiratorial, and Bucky would wager she had a few brothers. “But if you want an assortment, enough to share around, it’ll cost you.”

“Yeah? What’s the going rate on blank love notes these days?”

“One of your field Lucky Strike four-packs, and the same number of your pros.”

Bucky had whistled, eyebrow raising and grin straining against his attempts at being aloof. “Quite the hefty price tag. Now what would a nice young lady like you be wantin’ with that many helmets?”

“Loose lips sink ships, Major. If you’ve got them, leave them on the rear right wheel of the kiosk.”

also Tatty!! i have some background/past Tatty/Bucky sitting in yet another unfinished one shot lmfaoooo i just think! they would have had a fun little time together!

you didn't ask for any of this :)) i guess i'm feeling chatty and: WOMEN.

also the first time i tried to reply to this ask i got this error:

which feels a bit on the nose considering the erasure of women in fandom spaces lmfaoooooo

[itsmiyamore]

Because users @/cosmorom and @kagehiner brought Given to the front of my mind, I wanna talk about how a lot of the time we talk about Mafuyu and Ueno being the Hinata/Kageyama of Given respectively. Full disclaimer, I have not read either series in a while (though I've reread Given a couple times) and all of the stuff I'm saying could be absolute bs, so please take this with a grain of salt lol. Spoilers ahead!

It was recently brought to my attention (ty @/cosmorom!) that the creator of Given used to make kagehina doujinshi and she took inspiration from kagehina when creating Ueno and Mafuyu. It's pretty easy to tell, there's a lot of parallels between them, and even before knowing this bit of lore, I knew people often called Ueno and Mafuyu the Kageyama and Hinata of Given respectively. Let's face it, a lot of this specific comparison (Ueno/Kageyama and Mafuyu/Hinata) has to do with the fact that they're physically similar and we think of them as the sunshine x grumpy trope, but if we really dig deeper into their motivations, I don't think this is a completely fair or accurate comparison.

First let's talk about Mafuyu. The biggest parallel between Mafuyu and Hinata is that he was the one that reinvigorated Ueno's love for music (like Hinata did for Kageyama with volleyball). But then it's also accompanied by an obvious LACK of a parallel between Hinata's hunger to be better at volleyball and Mafuyu's desire to continue with music. Now, I'm not saying Mafuyu doesn't enjoy music or wouldn't want to keep going (he literally said he wants to keep writing songs), but one of the big conflicts when posed with the question "Does this band want to go pro" is that Mafuyu isn't sure. He's not like Hinata, who's been hungry to be better since before Kageyama, he's more like Kageyama, who needed Hinata to spark his hunger (I'm a firm believer that without Hinata, Kageyama likely would've dropped volleyball pretty early on in high school). Hinata is greedy to go further, but Mafuyu is scared. So right off the bat, that's one huge difference between Mafuyu and Hinata.

Now, Kageyama is also equally ambitious and hungry to get to the top as Hinata, that's their whole thing, but whereas Hinata was unabashed about it (crashing into Asahi at the training camp), Kageyama was a bit more fearful about it at the start (goody-two shoes). In Haikyuu!!, we see Kageyama struggling to balance his desire to be better and his fear of pushing his teammates away. He still carries that trauma of what happened in middle school and he's so scared it'll happen again. In the end, we get Hinata's recrowning of the King, reassuring him that everything will be fine. In Given, it's Uenoyama who's pretty explicit about his desire to go further with music, whereas Mafuyu feels is afraid that if their band progresses with music, he'll end up losing Ueno. He carries a lot of trauma from Yuki, but even before his death, Mafuyu felt he was losing Yuki because of Yuki's desire to get better at music. Both Kageyama and Mafuyu's fears revolve around what they stand to lose at the risk of getting better. And who calms this fear for Mafuyu? Uenoyama.

Obviously we can't talk about Mafuyu/Kageyama parallels without bringing up the shared Death of Someone Close to Them Trauma™. This event caused both character to close themselves off and was also the catalyst for their eventual relationship with Uenoyama/Hinata.

Their personalities are also quite similar; I'd like to pose the argument that Mafuyu is not really a sunshine character, and if anything is often gloomier and more closed off than Ueno. He's literally dealing with some major trauma, for god's sake. We're explicitly given multiple occasions in which Uenoyama has to tell/beg Mafuyu to tell him how he's feeling. Literally the whole first season of the anime revolves around Mafuyu struggling to voice his grief over Yuki's death and how he's finally able to get it out through his song. Obviously Hinata isn't all sunshine either (that boy is terrifying at times), but between him and Kageyama, it's Kageyama who has a more difficult time expressing himself in words (like after the All Japan Youth Training Camp, when he came back all bothered by what Atsumu said but he couldn't get it out of his system and he ended up lashing out).

Now let's talk about Ueno because I love my darling boy sm. A lot about Ueno's character is reminiscent of Kageyama: both are prodigies in their respective fields, both are kind of angrier characters, both are at a point in their lives that what they are good at isn't enjoyable for them anymore. Another fun little parallel is that Hiiragi and Uenoyama's relationship is a lot like that of Oikawa and Kgeyama lol

But Ueno has his own parallels with Hinata. At the end of high school, Hinata goes off to the other side of the world in order to get better at volleyball. In the Given manga, we see Uenoyama taking up gigs with another band. Neither of them is afraid to take those risks in order to gain experience. Both Hinata and Ueno are certain about going pro in their respective fields. And although this one might be a stretch, you could also say they parallel each other in the way that they're both self taught and practiced every chance they could.

I'd also like to bring up the fact that Ueno's relationship with Akihiko and Haruki is similar to Hinata's relationship with his team. It's Hinata who fires up Karasuno, we see it explicitly and also told to us by different characters (both teammates, opponents, and other side characters). It's not shown in such a scale in Given, but we do see it in small instances, such as when Ueno first brought Mafuyu to hear his band. Both Akihiko and Haruki noticed he was playing more intensely than usual and had the mutual thought of "we can't let him surpass us."

I just went on a whole tirade, but I guess my main point is that Mafuyu and Uenoyama are more like if Natsuki Kizu glued half of Hinata to half of Kageyama, then did the same with the remaining halves, rather than the "Hinata/Kageyama of the Given universe" description I often see. Obviously, she can't just rip off characters from another series, I'm mainly talking about the stereotype lol

That being said, Hiiragi and Shizusumi are literally just iwaoi LMFAOOOOO

[zuppizup]

Hi Zuppi! Sorry if this is a bother, but I was really curious how you (and fic authors in general) plan longfics?

I've been working on a couple really steadily (by some ADHD miracle) and I've hit the point where I really need to start planning them out, but I genuinely don't know how.

Do you do it chapter by chapter, or is it more just a vauge idea? How do you know how long something's going to be, or how much time to spend on it?

Thank you so much 😊

Both your asks made it through, but I’ll stick them in one so as to not clog up your notifs. 😊 And no bother at all! It’s always fun to get asks!

I have been asked this before, but it was some time ago and, oof, Tumblr search. I managed to track down those replies, where I go a little more in depth in to my, cough, “process”. They’re here and here.

I guess, first of, you need to get a feel for whether you’re a planner or a panster. There’s pros and cons to each and I don’t think anyone’s really truly one or the other, but most of the writers I talk to do lean one way or another. There’s really nothing wrong with writing and seeing where the story takes you. You don’t have to plan out a story and I’ve certainly written fics where I just started with a vibe and then ran with it. In fact, one of the fics I enjoyed writing the most (Rumour has it…) was pretty much written based on a couple of ideas I thought would be dumb, along with a vague “Rayllum ending”. The rest of the fic, the characters sort of wrote themselves.

Having said that, I am generally a planner and I do generally have pretty detailed plans. 😅

If you also prefer to plan, again, there’s no right way or wrong way to do it. You could have an ending in mind and need to find a way to get there. Or perhaps there’s an inciting incident you want to write but you don’t know how to resolve it. In that case, what are all the things that could happen? What are they things they definitely wouldn’t? Why? Honestly, some of the most enjoyable things I’ve written were stories where I took what was most likely to happen and then threw that idea out the window.

Personally, once I have a rough beginning, middle and end, I break those down into more manageable chunks. I’ll note plot points I want hit or character arcs I have planned and then where they occur. As I said in the links above, I tend to do this in a spreadsheet at this stage, because I find it easy visualise connected plot elements that way and I can quickly rearrange them. A lot of my fics also involve actual dates or action that has to occur around particular moon phases, and I personally find that easier to visualise and manage in a spreadsheet.

So, a basic first pass might be something like this (from Husk)

Generally before I even get here, I know the beginning, middle and end, as well as a few major plot points along the way, but once I start writing this sort of thing out, more ideas flow and it’s easier to add to them.

Beginning - Rayla cursed by Claudia

Callum finds Rayla cursed

Struggles to accept it’s fatal

Glimpse of improvement only to hear terrible news

Middle - Callum attempting to find a cure

Distraction - Rayla’s parents and Runaan decoined

Strained relationships

Ezran arrives for help and support

End - Possible cure found

Things not as they seem.

Temptation and resolve

Conclusion

Usually from here ideas start to flow and I’ll begin to organise by “chapters” though they invariably change a lot in the planning process. Once I’ve got to this point though, I’ll usually have a pretty feel for the whole fic and ideas flow on from each other. Some nitty gritty stuff I honestly ignore in the planning stage. If it’s, say some spell I need or a conflict that I know “will” happen, I’ll add a place holder (e.g. [research spell] [Rayllum disagreement]) and then move on, because I don’t want to get distracted by things I can work out later. Durning my brainstorming time, I really trying to get the idea written down before it drifts on into the ether. Certain details can and usually are changed when it comes time to refine the whole thing.

How do I know how long a fic is going to be? Oh dear, I can already tell a number of people laughed at that question. I am utterly woeful at predicting how long my fics are going to be. Woeful. I thought I could wrap up Zoom-mates in three chapters. It’ll be over 250k by the time I finish posting. Someone asked me if I thought Purgatory would get to 70k and I thought “jeez, 70k?! Imagine!” Likely to be closer to 170k, all in. Even Rumour has it… went twice as long as I had planned.

So in that aspect, I very much cannot help you. 😆

I try! I bunch together plot points and group them into chapters, but invariably I go over, it’s just a matter of by how much. I want to say I’m getting better at predicting, but I think it’s more I’ve conceded defeat and acknowledged I am not in charge of that aspect of my fics.

So after all that talk of planning (which again, is just how I write, but there are many, many pansters among the Rayllum writers and they write gold), onto what I think is really the most important aspect of planning…

Once you have a plan (however detailed), I honestly think the most important thing is to ensure you don’t rigidly stick to it. I don’t mean throw the plan out, but if you find you’re forcing writing or the story doesn’t feel right, the plan might need adapting. Maybe a subplot went places you didn’t initial envisage or character’s motivations were changed by the events that led you to where you are. Don’t be afraid to change the plan, even if you initially thought it was perfect or you’re afraid of “wasting” ideas. I don’t delete anything. If something just isn’t working, then I “scrap” it, banishing it to a seperate document so that it doesn’t distract me from my current project. I’ve recycled plenty of stuff by doing this, and even if I abandon some of it, I think any time spent writing is time spent learning and improving, so it’s worth it all the same.

If while writing you finding yourself caught up writing dialogue or introspection, go with it. You might not use it, but if you’re really in the zone, if the characters or setting are really speaking to you, I think it’s best to run with that and decided if you’re going to use it after. Even if it doesn’t get published in the fic, it likely is telling you something about your story.

I hope this ramble is helpful. I can only talk to my process and experience. I’ve no training in writing, I merely like quiet hobbies and get very obsessed with things.

I’m sure others have some helpful tips to add to, so please feel free to reblog/comment with what you find useful!

[alevolpe]

So I just read your HCs, and I love how you characterized Ami as having autism. She was always my favorite character-- we even share a birthday-- and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sees her as being on the autism spectrum.

I'm also not ashamed to admit that I teared up a little reading what happened to Luna. I love the relationship Ami and Luna have, both in the actual show and in your headcanon.

Thank you so much!!

I love that more people are open to the autistic Ami hc now. It was always a bit of a no brainer to me, but I understand why some people pushed the idea away.

That said I love her. I've mentioned before that even back a year ago Ami was prob my 4th or 5th fav, but getting to draw her and write her more and more (and a bit of Makoami magic lol) she has srly grown on me. She's still not my fav, Mako my beloved, but she has a serious soft spot in my heart, I go back to her a lot for comfort.

So I'm always so super happy when people tell me they like my characterization of Ami.💙

Her and Luna's relationship is something I srly wanna explore more.

I see Ami as an outcast, but not really cause her peers actively dislike her, but cause Ami has chosen to distance herself from them, deciding to focus on her studies and academics instead.

This lack of interaction with people her own age has made it difficult for her to relate with them, being actually much easier to interact with people older than her (since that level of informality is never broken and that's where Ami is at her most comfortable).

I see Luna as a middle-aged woman at least and for her, connecting with Ami was easy since the beginning, even if it took her a bit for Ami to warm up to the idea of this 'new reality'. Ami does not want to do this. She said it to Luna since the beginning, initially refusing to aid her and turning her back on Luna's offer to become a senshi.

Though Luna stuck around, not only cause this is her mission, but also because she saw a loneliness within Ami (despite Luna's mission being JUST to reawaken the senshi, she couldn't overcome her maternal instincts). Ami is initially perplexed by this, but slowly starts to warm up to Luna, enjoying her company, her talks, her advice, her compliments, affirmations..

I can see a conflict within Luna at this point, coming to care about this girl, but feeling extremely guilty about her behavior, being very easy to be read as, well, grooming, for a lack of a better term. Tho Luna genuinely cares.

I think multiple factors influenced Ami to finally try being a senshi a go. Seeing someone being attacked by monster (which had Ami initially just simply ran away from it, Ami's but a simple human, powers or not, she's scared), an odd sense of responsibility put on her (Ami being an extreme people pleaser, if an authority entaskes her with something, she feels a sense of duty and drive to make the person proud), but ultimately I think the major factor was Luna.

Luna is the primary reason Ami became a senshi (refresher to the join order of the girls in my AU: Ami awakens first with Luna, then Rei joins, then Usagi). It's not easy, in fact it puts a severe strain on her, both physically and mentally, but Ami pushes through, for Luna. Eventually made easier (and harder in some ways) by the avdent of Rei joining the team.

Loosing Luna is something that will keep resonating withAmi throughout the series. It's like loosing a second mother, especially since Saeko has been fairly absent through her life (though Saeko will be more present, suspecting something is up with her daughter and she will genuinely try to "mother", Saeko is a disaster, in many ways more than Ami herself).

She will start asking herself why she is even doing this anymore, since Luna's not here, who is she even fighting for anymore? It's a very selfish question, she's aware, but I think it's a form of coping from her part.

Despite asking such a question constantly, she never makes to leave, she would never, she knows she can't, cause she cares too much about her friends. She knows she's now fighting for them too, but this would be the first time such thought would be a conscious reflection in her mind, having had Luna be such a central staple on her mind for so long.

Unknowingly, Luna had eased her among loving peers. It was never all easy, they had fights and they will have more, but Ami finally belongs. It's a bitter sweet feeling for her.

Ami loves her team.

At this point, she cares so much about Usagi, being the first to show her how to "friend". Starting as just an odd aloof girl that joined her team, to seeing her as a girl who always strives to make others happy. Bringing cheerfulness into team since the very first day, something that Ami became so accustomed to, she would never realize how much she would miss it til having to go back to an empty apartment, color seeming to drain along the walls in the lack of her presence. A simple genuine smile, something that seems so simple, yet so rare, Ami cherishes it so dearly.

And Rei.. Rei's complicated, she likes to make herself as such. Ever since the beginning, Rei seemed cold, refusing Luna's offer like Ami had done prior. Though this time, Luna just seemed to run in a wall every time she went to the temple. Talks, explanations, pleads, bargains, nothing seemed to work.

"I can talk to her if you'd like"

She really didn't want to, but for Luna, she will. The talk went as well as you expected it, an incredibly frustrated Rei trying to deal with recent accusations of her temple attracting mysterious attacks on students. Despite that, Rei didn't try to physically ward off Ami like she did with Luna many times (Luna is still pretty scared of that broom).

"Did that dumb cat send you? Listen, I have a job to do here, so you either get to the point or you get out of my way."

...

"So?"

"My name is Ami, Ami Mizuno" offering her hand to Rei to shake.

...

*Sigh*, Rei unashamedly pinching her nose in frustration. "If I shake your hand will you tell that dumb cat to-"

"Luna"

"What?"

"Her name is Luna"

"Yes! I know her name! She's been harrassing me in my own house for the last 2 weeks! Alright, listen. I don't know what kind of program you guys are a part of and I have no interest to know, but let me put this into clear terms so that maybe an actual 'person' might understand this better than a stupid cat. NO! Now scram, I'm busy!"

.. "..." "ok" bowing and turning to leave.

That night, something akin to guilt seemed to boil within a restless Rei Hino. She knew it wasn't due to how she confronted the girl, she had all rights to be angry! Tho a seemingly related vision of the girl with blue hair, lying perfectly still in a pool of what seemed to be her own blood stuck with her.

Rei will tell herself that she joined the team to get Luna to stop harrassing her and that the team NEEDS her. Like, come on, how is such a team meant to go on without the grandiose Rei Hino leading them to victory?! Earth would have no shot. HA!

Rei would never admit part of the reason she did join, was Ami, seeing the girl get hurt, or possibly killed, haunted her. She blamed Luna for this. Ami should've never been a part of this. Ami's weaker, almost fragile combat figure seemed like a cruel joke to Rei. Seeing the girl even shivering from her powers (Ami's not immune to her own powers), the small girl curled up into a ball in a desperate attempt to keep herself warm in a relatively cool night. With a loud sigh and exaggerated movements, Mars made to cup Mercury's hands.

Ami, being obviously perplexed and put off by this, but almost too weak to pull back, finding comfort in her companion's warmth after having to endure numerous and stressful post-fight recory sessions with nothing but the comfort of helpless Luna offering her kind words of encouragement.

It would take a while for both Ami and Rei to fully come to terms to the idea that they were 'friends'. When the newly recruited Usagi asked, Ami had no answer ready, which is extremely unusual of her. 'Friends? Are me and Rei friends? We're companions, teammates, we never really hang out outside of missions or just studying silently at the temple', though Ami enjoyed her presence. Except when Rei was needlessly rude to Luna, Ami enjoyed being around her. It didn't feel quite as lonely, even if they never openly spoke about their lives, hobbies, families... 'I guess we're not friends'.

Ami hated being so logical at times, but she couldn't help it.

Throughout the season and into season 2, this relationship between the two grew stronger, especially due to the 'Usagi' phenomenon LOL. Making it so effortless to bridge the two into more intimate moments outside of uniform. A mission to check on an amusement park became a fond memory for Ami. A picture taken of the 3, looking so much like the pictures she'd see of her school piers sharing among each other of their 'hangouts'. Funny how that worked.

Rei and Ami's friendship would def have its highs and lows, mostly stemming from Luna and how differently each girl would see her. Ami being very capable of holding a grudge toward Rei's treatment of her. All of it reaching a terrible boiling point at the moment of Luna's death and discovering about Rei vision. Again, Ami was absolutely blinded by rage and grief. She loved Rei. Rei's no murderer, but she let her primal emotions take over and with the events of season 2 after that, the two never got a moment to grief or a moment to reconcile. Rei still holding a massive grudge toward Ami, refusing to even speak to her outside of sailor business, while Ami is eaten by grief and guilt.

Mako being her main source of comfort at this point (Usagi tries, but she also has her own demons to fight still). The previously mostly unknown, if nice, tall girl that joined her team late, seeming to take steps to take care of a broken Ami, offering support, food, and and a shoulder to cry on.

Luna's influence will be felt by the team and not forgotten. Ami especially will carry her momery forever.

Idek why I wrote ell this LOL. I feel inspired at times , srry 😅.

Thank you for the ask <3.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S04E12 - No Man Is An Island - Part A

This episode... This episode. It's too much and not enough at the same time.

Black letters in quotes: Actual show quotes.

Green letters in quotes: What I come up with my twisted brain.

me before the episode: Ah, boring filler cute sheep episode.

me after the episode:

No, I didn't google where that is. Also, I haven't forgotten where that is since then.

There's like ten people on the island and there's still crime.

"It's been two episodes since you gave me treats."

What are you doing here? Come back when you grow a stubble.

Translation: I don't want you here.

*subtly not looking*

And the camera very subtly pans to show us that he's trying to be affectionate and Sarah doesn't want that. Now, given the fact that next season Sarah is the one who doesn't want people to find out about her relationship with Charlie and even after that there's no PDA, we can assume that it's just that. Or that she's conflicted. In any case, Michael seems to want to move faster than what Sarah is comfortable with, because she's reluctant to even go on this getaway with him.

But he also should have been more considerate, and I'm not saying this because I don't like him (like, it's a mild annoyance at this point that he existed at all, and he's not bad to look at). Like, you see her coworkers, you see that they're all men, and yes they're these men, but it doesn't matter, you don't know them. Why would you want to cause trouble in her work?

And I'm also coming back to something that was said in S6 by Charlie, that sometimes female officers think that their male partners won't take care of them if they feel rejected or something along these lines. Given that Sarah was in the field a lot in S4, I wonder if she ever thought of it? Also, I don't know where Charlie came up with that because men don't really think like that on their own. There is no prompting for them to do so.

I wonder if this is like an inside joke.

I actually love the music on this one.

Speak for yourself, Charlie. Rex needs his favorite tv shows.

I would have gone BROKE if I had this dog. How do you say no to him?

Damn cell service.

Poor Charlie is trying to be cool about Sarah's new boyfriend but he's also going to try to kiss her in a few seconds. Also, dear subtitles, that was a question. Like, I can't hear it any other way when he says it like that.

There's also no manual for police work the way y'all are doing it.

"You gotta live on the edge, Doctor." Are you trying to kill her?

I'm used to the unnecessary touching by now. Okay, slightly unnecessary. She was still trying to steady herself.

As Leslie Knope very eloquently once said in a similar situation: "Uh-oh."

"My ship! My ship is reaching Canon Bay!"

I only took a few screenshots. You can see that Charlie is scared in the first one, then he's getting a bit bolder since Sarah is not pulling away, then the camera pans to Sarah who's totally enjoying his touch at first, then she's probably thinking like a million thoughts, like, I have a boyfriend, he's my friend and coworker, etc.

me: No fuck no, not like this! me after the interruption: Oh, thank fuck.

They should hang this at the Louvre.

"Next time fucking go for it! Why were you just standing there?"

me when I watched it the first time: There's no way we'll ever talk about this again.

Rex is considering a career change.

Charlie, you're staring again, buddy.

He's hopeless.

How does Nigel's accent sound like the most fake English accent I've ever heard and yet the guy is from Leicestershire?

I mean, this is ridiculous. First of all, you don't know Joe. Second, St. John's Major Crimes division hardly constitutes as an ivory tower.

To be continued in Part B.

[eisforeidolon]

Alrighty- Whaddya think of this?

I’ve been rewatching the show and am now at season 8. I shake my head at all the known moments in the show that hellers claim are canon ship bs, because you’d have to be stretch Armstrong to reach that far..

But something did nag me. There were times that Cas WAS the emotional support for Dean where I really thought it should have been Sam conversing with him. For the majority of the series we saw Dean be the caretaker, emotional support etc for Sam, and it never really came from anyone else- lest he was being manipulated by some evil person. However there were many times where that wasn’t reciprocated on screen. Cas would almost stand in for Sam when Dean needed someone, showed Dean a lot of compassion. (Please believe I’m being objective and not a stan in hiding). I think THAT dynamic confused people. Why didn’t they have Sam having those convos with Dean more? I mean, narratively I understand the need for Cas to move the plot forward with his specific role, but so many times it was an angsty Dean who I think NEEDED his BROTHER more than a convo with Cas. Now there are people who just wanted to sexualize Jensen/Dean and couldn’t possibly be linked the wincest as their puritan sensibilities just wouldn’t allow them. But OTHER fans seemed to have latched on to the dynamic of Dean and Cas because they saw Dean have emotional moments with him.

Now during my rewatch it pissed me off, because I realized that the writers were making some conscious choices to have Sam NOT fill that role for Dean. Like it seemed like they went out of their way at times to make Sam seem more indifferent to Dean. This is why- wildly unpopular opinion here- I didn’t like Sera Gamble! I think she isolated Sam away from Dean and had Cas fill in for Sam. That codependent brother thing I LIVE FOR, was kinda washed out during her seasons (in my opinion), but more so from one side. I think she didn’t really like Dean, period, but whereas I know Sam fans LOVE Gamble, I think she mischaracterized Sam a lot.

In my mind, Sam is just as in love with Dean as Dean is with him (whether that be wincest or brotherly is up to your interpretation). You remember when Rowena started really having a relationship with Sam? And then Jack, too? That was really the first time we’ve seen Sam have that type of side character interaction depth. It’s why Sam fans love those two characters because they related to Sam! Well, isn’t that why Dean fans loved Cas, too?

I dunno I’m ranting and probably make no sense, but I was definitely annoyed with the writers in quite a bit if my rewatch during seasons 4-7 because it seemed such a purposeful choice to NOT show Sam being for Dean what they chose to show Cas being. I think knot blurred the lines and did such a disservice to Sam. Ironically, I think Carver rectified this a lot! Even with the angst and separation, Carver’s seasons demonstrably showed the codependency and intense brotherly love. I prefer seasons 1-3 and then all of Carver’s seasons!

I couldn't remember any instances of Dean leaning on Castiel when there wasn't some obvious reason it wasn't a conversation with Sam. So I went through season by season, and ultimately, I think you have to look at what the plot arc between the brothers is. As I've said before, the one thing that I actually like about Dabb as a showrunner is finally dropping the constant circling back to brother conflict drama that, to me at least, felt more and more artificial. Even if we're talking about seasons 4-7, we have to start at the beginning, because I think the first three seasons are pointedly bringing the brothers back together closer than ever in preparation for all the apocalypse shenanigans to attempt to tear them apart.

In terms of Dean opening up, specifically, consider what happens in those seasons between them from Dean's perspective.

In season four, he comes back from hell traumatized only to realize Sam has been lying to him about using his powers and working with Ruby. When he asks Sam to explain because he's scared of the powers, Sam refuses to talk about it and says he wouldn't understand (4x04). So how can it be a surprise that when he wants to talk in the next episode, it's Jamie the bartender he chooses instead? Is it really strange he basically mirrors what Sam said about Dean not being able to understand when Sam confronts him about what Uriel said regarding him remembering hell (4x08)? Castiel (4x07) and Anna (4x10) conversing with Dean are more about their own fears and insecurities more than Dean's. When Dean does finally open up and is ready to actually talk about what happened in hell, it is to Sam (4x11). Except, it's pretty soon after that (4x14) where Sam throws it back in his face under the influence of the siren, calling him a weak, whiny burden who is just holding Sam back. Can it really be a surprise then that, again, next time Dean opens up it's to Tessa (4x15)? And then, when the doubts are basically exactly what Sam said, i.e. that the apocalypse really is too big for him to deal with and he is scared, he says it to Castiel instead (4x16)? Which I think is only validated to Dean when Sam says the same kind of thing all over again without the siren's influence when they fight in 4x21. They're in conflict and being torn in opposite directions, which is kind of the point. Actually communicating – if they both weren't too stubborn to do it – would basically halt season 4's entire plot in its tracks.

Without making this post five miles long, those kinds of things happen again and again in 5-7, too. Sam is literally not there to talk to when he leaves at the beginning of the season, and they don't get back together because they've actually sorted out all the shit between them from the previous events, but because Sam has realized he can't get out and Dean doesn't trust that Sam will continue to say no to Lucifer if they're apart. So when Dean opens up, it's to his hallucination of a therapist instead of Sam. Blow after blow follows thereafter. What they see of Sam's heaven being an entire absence of Dean. Everyone leaving Dean to grieve at Lisa's for a year knowing Sam is back(ish) the whole time. Soulless!Sam's actions, which (as unfair as it might be) Dean clearly had trouble separating out from regular Sam's. Sam's sanity hanging on by a wall, then being plagued by Hallucifer. Similar big conflicts and obstacles to frank conversation continue on into seasons 8 and 9, too.

I think you can fairly go fifty layers deep into what's going on in both of their heads in any of those instances and see where they're coming from, but Dean isn't going to be doing that as the one living it. From his perspective? There are a lot of reasons to not open up to Sam because of what's going on in their lives and how they each feel about it. So sometimes he does open up to others – which includes Castiel.

I definitely remember way back when I was a multishipper that a lot of D/C shippers said they started shipping the ship because Castiel didn't have that fraught history with Dean that Sam does with all the conflicts and misunderstandings. That's fine (although IMO it hardly held true for very long). However, to me it seems like Dean is just as likely to turn to a stranger (or the hallucination of one) as he is to turn to Castiel instead of Sam, so I don't really see it as some huge thing in the canon that really justifies thinking the ship is anything but certain fans over-investing in what they particularly like. I also think that Sam was just less and less likely to open up to anyone at all as the series went on – but when he does, it was also often with Castiel or Jody or Charlie or Rowena instead of Dean. Because the season conflict didn't rely on them being unable to communicate effectively with those other characters and the judgement of those other characters couldn't do as much damage if it was negative.

None of that even gets into the whole other issue of the underlying dynamics carried over from their childhood which also plays into things. Where Dean still sees his primary purpose as protecting Sam as his little brother rather than always seeing him as a true partner. Where he has self-worth and abandonment issues that make him unable to understand why Sam would value him and not be able to just get over his death. Where Sam is not only all too aware that Dean doesn't value himself and gets frustrated with that? But has spent so long fighting against what everyone else wants from him that he still sometimes treats Dean as a substitute for authority instead of a partner and pushes back at any disagreement with his (not always as) brilliant (as he thinks) plans as “bossing him around”? Where he also gets very agitated whenever Dean is not okay because he needs Dean to be okay to the point he insistently tries to fix it by making Dean talk when Dean isn't ready to. In short, they both have huge underlying issues that skew how they see each other and they're both stubborn as hell.

Then when you add on top of that how the writers had such a tendency to revolve the action arcs around Sam and the emotional ones around Dean as the viewpoint character that Sam's emotions and thoughts often seem like a mysterious locked box through large parts of the series? I do get why some fans can read that as Sam being indifferent to Dean, but I don't think that's the underlying intention or the case. Because of that focus choice, to a large extent we only see how badly Sam needs Dean when there's a threat of Dean not being there or Dean is taken away – but I would argue that we do really see it then. From not caring about Marshall Hall to wanting to try Doc Benton's solution to trying to suicide by demon to initially allowing himself to be manipulated by Ruby to taking on his Cage memories to the Rowena and Oskar debacle to how his montage life was entirely blurry except for his son and his grief over Dean.

[darkfictionjude]

Etymology nonnie here!

Well, not a nonnie anymore. See, I've been debating this for a while now. But I don't see the point on remaining anonymous, at least, not for the majority of the asks I write. So, after posting the fanart I made of my WWC (Indiana) and Imre, I thought better to just use stop being on anon. I'm glad you liked my art, by the way. I'm not sure if I captured the classic art beauty Crowny is supposed to have, but I tried. The same with Imre, I'm unsure if I captured his irresistible yet dangerous charm.

In any case, I think I may still use the etymology nonnie greeting. Simply because it's easier for you to tag. And because it's fun. Even if it's inaccurate now.

Also, congratulations for the blog first anniversary!

Now, a question: In EC you said there are two routes. One is the Mafia boss route. And the other is FBI collaboration. And, honestly, I have many questions on the subject.

For one: I assume the collaboration happens due to Luce's relation with the Mafia. But, does it mean we are betraying the family? I doubt so, since Lazlo is not only an RO, but it would mean alienating all the family Luce has ever known, as well as putting their head on the line. Then, a similar things happens with the Grecos. The collaboration cannot involve telling info on them, right?

Then again, maybe it does. Depending on how willing the collaboration is with the FBI. Maybe a Luce who is forced just does it because they have no choice.

Yet, even if it wasn't about Luce's own family or the Grecos, and it was another family (even a rival one)... Luce does not seem the ideal informant. Not only they aren't that involved (if anything, they are openly excluded from the crime world by Antonio), but also are way too high on their family hierarchy to be a good spy.

So my conclusion would be that Luce's collaboration cannot be tied, strongly at least, to the Mafia. At least, not fully. But then, what's the motive of the collaboration?

I know you probably can't or won't say exactly what it involves. Yet, I do wonder how any alliance with the FBI will interact with the RO's. Like... Could they trust Luce if they're helping the FBI? How would they be able to tell that Luce won't betray them?

Then again, Antonio must be on the know. If not from Luce, then from Charlie, right? After all, Charlie is his employee. She must report to him. Which means that either Antonio is on board with whatever Luce is doing, or Antonio actively wants to happen. And if that's the case, then it must mean that Luce is not betraying the family. Or, if they are, Antonio is seeing how far is Luce willing to go. Of course, it could be that Charlie is keeping the secret, and that may be part of the conflict she is going trough: love (assuming Charlie also keeps the secret if not romanced, although it could be an interesting branch to have, I guess) or duty?

Maybe I just have to wait for more pieces of the puzzle to appear before making theories. Yet, I can't stop myself from wondering how an collaboration with the FBI will go and how it will affect the relationships with the RO's...

Like, especially as a Lazlo romancer... It seems that both branches may cause a big conflict with him specifically. After all, the Mafia boss branch also involves taking Lazlo place as heir (I assume). And it does sadden me, because Lazlo has already lost so much, and to be one who takes more from him? Even if Lazlo doesn't want to be the boss, is just... Complicated, let's say. But the FBI collaboration also creates conflict. Especially if Lazlo assumes the role of boss during the narrative.

Well, that's to say. I'm really waiting for chapter 1. If it wasn't obvious. I'm desperate for answers.

I have not forgotten OYHS, is just that I don't know what to ask about it yet. The Prologue didn't give much information, and I think I understand the RO's less than I do with EC or WWC to actually have anything to say. I'm still unsure if I want to romance Greer or Jack. While with EC I'm certain I'll go for Lazlo now. And with WWC I'm still devoted to Imre (and would play a Lorcan romance as a secondary option). But for OYHS? I don't think I can decide. I need to interact with them first. So I'm also waiting for that (patiently so, by the way, don't overexert yourself, and remember to drink water).

All I can say is that the fbi informant route is betrayal of the family, betrayal of the grecos, a betrayal of it all since any collaboration, however small goes against the mafias code of not being a snitch. The families fight between themselves all the time but to work with the fbi? That’s the ultimate sin. Antonio would rather face prison and death then have to know his child is working for the people who have actively tried to ruin everything he’s been fighting for

[turtlesocksv2]

Liveblogging DFF episode 9

last time we checked in, Non was having just the Worst Time Possible, everyone was trying to cover their asses and Phi was entering into Murder/Detective Mode.

i know i've said it before but god the opening credits are SO GOOD. i don't think we appreciate them enough.

We're back in the present day! it's been so long! Tan is fucking brave to fight Fluke for the gun.

IT'S WHITE WITH THE STEEL CHAIR TRIPOD! BAH GOD THAT MAN HAD A FAMILY! love you white you're doing amazing sweetie.

...there was just a water bottle there at the shrine? and it looked opened? are you actually going to drink that? at least you smelled it first??? Ahhhh but notice Phi doesn't drink it! he lets Jin drink it but doesn't do it himself! my sus king.

"Why are you being so nice to me" i mean, dude is at least nominally your friend and you dislocated your shoulder or whatever and there's a killer out there after you guys? i think that'd be cause enough for Phi to be nice lmao. I get it though, Jin, i get it.

Aha, so we've got some timeline stuff. PhiJin absolutely happened POST PhiNon, which i had seen some intriguing theories that maybe PhiJin was actually first but this is confirmation otherwise. also that Jin very much had feelings for Phi but Phi was the one pushing the friends agenda, which we mostly knew.

Jin on that "you like Tan!" shit again, no wonder Phi didn't want to be in a relationship with your insecure self lmao. Tan is just his Bestie who helps with his Plucky Girl Detectiving, no big deal.

Once again, Jin sees things that Phi doesn't. shortly after the water. Hallucinogen maybe? guilty conscience definitely.

well that's one way to snap him out of the panic

slight detour inspired by the blood splatter everywhere in this shrine is that if the Janta Cult isn't real/doesn't play a part in this somehow, I'm going to be so upset. why bring up perfectly good murder cults if you're not going to give us the payoff? BOC? Dr Sammon I just have questions! (that said, the theory that the mafia is using the cult rumors as a front for a body dumping ground is intriguing.)

Oh ho, Phi's gonna confess everything to Jin! but will it really be everything? 👀

poor Phi is so conflicted. he's hurt, but he loves Non but he doesn't want to see him but he doesn't want to end up like his divorced parents, he can't stop thinking about it, he regrets what he said, but he still so hurt.

Non's dad got transferred. interesting.

Ooooh Phi found the picture! and the real script!

Non's mom knows Phi. I wonder if she knew they were boyfriends of if she thought they were just friends. lmao at her Ring The Doorbell You Shady Shit, Were You Raised In A Barn?

New contacting Phi as the news breaks...the drama. i love it.

Tan is New confirmed!

OOOF. major oof. "aren't you sad i'm going to England?" "Whether you're here or not doesn't make a difference" just ouch.

He may have been a Not Great brother in your life, Non, but in your death New/Tan is going to Get Answers and Get Justice! giving up a scholarship in England, lying to his parents about it...Tan is going to Fuck Shit Up.

Jin, get your 'there's a cute boy around!!!!" face under control.

Tan just dives right in to asking questions and these bitches are so fucking sus from the word 'go'. yeah, they clearly have something to do with Non disappearing.

lmao Jin does not stand a fucking chance against Phi's seduction.

i am dying at Tan's "You didn't study, dumbass" on his ankle. Top's face is Too Funny.

Aww, White waiting for Tee after school and the group roasting them is really cute.

Phi how dare you take Jin to your and Non's spot! so rude! can't trust men at all, the second you disappear he's taking another man to the place you became boyfriends.😂 Jin awkwardly trying to figure out of this means Phi likes him back is cute.

Why Jin, how bold! asking Phi to stay the night!

oh damn this is full on full on, okay. Ta's ass just out there bare. "don't worry, i won't be too harsh i don't want to dislocate your shoulder" "who fucks so hard they dislocate a shoulder?" somewhere else in Bangkok VegasPete's ears are burning. Anyway, Phi was like 'don't test me, i'm being gentle for YOUR sake.' and that's the Minor Family Theerapanyakul in Ta. i was absolutely waiting for that astronaut dog figurine to fall lmao.

Tan going for the kill with that Did You Cheat On My Brother. Tan i'm sorry but not only is your brother most likely dead but Phi and Non are actually very broken upright now, no matter how much Phi wishes neither of those were true. Phi is in the clear here re: Cheating. He is not in the clear for manipulating Jin into sleeping with him, but like, Jin's into it so whatever for now.

"Fuck him however much you want but don't fall in love. He's with those assholes so he's also an asshole" i mean! He's not wrong! Jin is a good looking nice boy he could absolutely find other friends. the fact that he stays with these fuckheads......

poor Non's parents.

these teenage boys have better skincare routines than I do and I'm

Jin just pass Phi a note in class: Do U Like Me Check Yes Or No

Ah, Jin has such bad timing. Everything about this is brutal. but lol this makes the 2nd boy in a row that Jin likes that doesn't like him back.

Tan doing chemistry shit. he's gonna be drugging everyone i just know it. also, never ever have your cellphone out in a lab and never answer it with your gloves on! Lab Safety 101!!!!

damn, Tan, you could have at least made up a part time job in england or something so that your parents didn't have to sell their house. this entire family's been ripped apart by all this shit.

and now Tan is alone. all he has is his investigation into Non and Phi his sort of brother-in-law.

oh shit, was it Tan's cigarette smoke that was causing hallucinations???! or are they the antidote to whatever Tan drugged the others with or both?

confirmation that Tan was drugging everyone!

lol Tan's face at he very end as he takes in the chaos

[navree]

What do you think the relationship between Aegon and Aemond will be like next season? Some people think they'll be working together and getting closer, and some think Aemond will harm Aegon intentionally at Rooks rest and they'll be enemies

I don't know how close they'll be personally, but I do think they'll be working together. I can't see how Aemond would harm Aegon intentionally, since that causes a lot of problems for their faction, and as people pointed out when Aemond was talking about being king in ep 9, Aegon has (or is at least supposed to have) one son still alive even after Blood and Cheese, so Aemond wouldn't stand to inherent, at most he'd get what he gets anyway, the regency. Plus, having Aegon and Aemond at intense odds to the point of outright enmity would be a severe deviation from the source material, which I don't think the show is going to do because this is a prequel that does have reaching implications into the original series.

What I do expect is that their relationship is going to be turbulent. In the book, Aegon is the only one not upset at Aemond for what happened to Lucerys's boring ass, and given that in the show it's an accident that Aemond tried to prevent and is immediately remorseful about (and whose circumstances were nowhere near as calculated), I'd like to see Aegon put on his big brother hat. Try to find the bright side, and be a bit of a support for Aemond after Otto and Alicent get upset due to what Lucerys's boring death means. But then, as we all know, we've got Blood and Cheese, a really horrible event that happens as a direct result of Aemond's actions at Storm's End. It's possible that Aegon might blame Aemond, might lash out in his grief, and depending on how much Aemond might blame himself, it could cause some strife for them, though I do think there will be some level of rapprochement by the time of Rook's Rest, given that they fight together. And then after that, I don't think they're gonna get much time together, since Aegon's gonna be convalescing and Aemond's gonna be in the field.

I personally have long said I'd love them to get at high highs and low lows this season. I want Aegon to be Aemond's support after Rook's Rest, I want Aemond to try to be a comfort to Aegon in the aftermath of Blood and Cheese (wrote a whole fic about that actually), and I do want a moment at least where Aegon blames Aemond because he's grieving the loss of his child (and I want Aegon to at least punch Aemond without Aemond fighting back cuz he thinks he's earned it). I've also been very open about how I want Aegon's involvement in Rook's Rest to be a surprise to Aemond. Given how it's the first major conflict after Blood and Cheese, and how the book takes pains to point out that Meleys might have been able to win against Vhagar before Sunfyre got involved, I want Aemond to treat this as almost a kamikaze mission before big brother comes in to help save him (that quote where Tyrion talks about how he had to fight without his big brother in ASOS? yeah.....).