#im going off my first impressions of eddie when he showed up in season 4

[lilpomelito]

i need a fic or something where steve tells eddie "hey you were a dick in high school too. jumping on tables and screaming at people who just want to eat their lunch about their conformism to the man or whatever was annoying as fuck. also why did lucas have to choose between a sport and your nerd game that's normal. people are multidimensional. I'm not alone in this, who wasn't a total dick at 16. where is your redemption arc mister."

[fireladybuckley]

Hi, Im not Val. Call me Jim. But I read the post and I kinda Agree with him. This "Giver" Buck and "Taker" Eddie has been around the fandom and has been bugging me. I am not trying to convince you that the way they are is that. But to me that they are a toxic pair, At least for the most part. If not toxic then a Co-dependent pair. I did this with one of the blog I follow post and I think I hurt her feelings and tried to apologize for it. I just wanted for my voice be heard in this matter. Part 1

Hi, Jim.

I received and read all 14 of your asks.  I would answer this privately, but am unable to when you’re on anon, so public it is.

I appreciate that you feel strongly on the topic but I found your arguments a bit circular and confusing.  I do not have the time or energy to respond to all of your points, so my apologies for this being not as direct as you maybe would like.

I got two main impressions while reading your asks:  

First, is that you seem to view relationships (or at least Buck and Eddie’s relationship) as a series of transactions, a series of favours given that must be repaid, rather than simply two people who care about each other helping each other out when needed.  You spent a lot of time on the scene from 2x03 when Buck brings Eddie to the hospital;  I guarantee you any of the others would also have driven Eddie there; Buck probably just offered first. 

Eddie dropping Chris off to Buck before/after the tsunami was not just because he needed a babysitter.  It was Eddie’s way of pulling Buck out of his depression and self-destructive thought patterns, a way of showing him he mattered and that the world wasn’t going to end because he couldn’t be a firefighter.  Buck absolutely adores Chris and clearly enjoys spending time with him, it’s not like Eddie dumped Chris off as a chore for Buck.  There is a lot of nuance to those scenes and I feel like maybe you missed them a bit.  Buck is a person who gets deep inside his own head and needs to be pulled out of his funk sometimes;  in getting him to spend the day(s) with Chris, Eddie is showing Buck not only that he trusts him with the most precious thing in the world to him, but also that Buck is loved and has a life beyond his job.

Second, you seem to be under the impression that people are solely products of their upbringing.  In one ask, you say that Eddie grew into a good father because he wanted to give Chris things he didn’t have as a kid, and then in the very same paragraph, turn around and said that that’s not possible because the stuff from his childhood “sticks” with him.  

Both Buck and Eddie had crappy upbringings, yeah, we see that in the show and in the ways both characters begin their stories.  But we have also watched them grow and change for 4 seasons (3 for Eddie) and they are already much different than when they started.  Buck was an arrogant little jerk when he first started at the 118 and now he is far more thoughtful, more apt to trust people, (sometimes) more likely to think about things before he acts.   We’ve watched Eddie go from being very private and somewhat prickly at times to being far more warm and open, especially with Buck.  He’s learning to talk about his problems and how to sympathize with others (look at how he’s been in Season 4 with Buck - he’s been there the whole time, gently supporting him, letting him know that his feelings are valid, that he matters even when he feels like he doesn’t.)

This is the only part I’m going to address directly, because it’s very frustrating to me:

“ I just have this take on Eddie that most of the fandom doesn't see. Him being a "taker" as his personality. We see this with Lena and Eddie also and Shannon and Ana. He is only with this with Buck because Buck helps, as he said. As you said also he is aware of his fault. hence, him with Buck.”

Yes, we saw that behaviour with Lena.  As you may recall, she called him out on it and once again, he realized his behaviour was wrong and he was obviously sorry for it.  This is yet another instance of character growth.  And yes, obviously we saw this behaviour with Shannon (though again, he was still at least paying the bills and didn’t just disappear out of their lives entirely... I know its not the same as helping her raise Chris, but at least it’s not 100% bad).  But as before... that is part of his character arc.  He grew past that.  He regretted it, and he has done everything he possibly can since then to make up for it.

I honestly don’t know what else to say on this.  Eddie has changed a great deal since 2x01 and since the flashbacks that took place in time before he joined the 118.  I think he’s possibly had the most growth of any character in the firefam, really.  He is proof that you can change the way you live your life after growing up in bad circumstances.  He is actively and constantly trying to do what’s best for his child and for the people he cares about, namely Buck.

He is not friends with Buck because Buck helps him.  Buck helps him because that’s just what Buck does, he helps everyone he cares about because he loves them.  Eddie helps him too.   That doesn’t make them co-dependent.  Co-dependence is when a couple ONLY relies on each other in unhealthy ways;  both Eddie and Buck have support outside of each other:  Buck has the firefam, Maddie, and now Taylor (regardless of whether you view her as a friend or a girlfriend), Eddie has the firefam, Carla, Abuela, Ana, etc.

I want to acknowledge that you said you had a bad experience with something like this.  I appreciate that, I do, and I’m sorry you had that experience; however,  I think because of that you’re looking past the nuance and details of Buck and Eddie’s friendship and potential relationship and are looking for alarm bells.  

Thank you for saying you like my blog and that my opinions matter to you.  I hope you don’t find what I’ve written to be too harsh, but I just don’t agree with your take on them being a toxic and/or codependent relationship.

[dreadsful]

tagged by @roecompany love you boo

rules:  answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people

tagging: @fuckyeahspirk and @weneedwhiskey

THE LAST

1. drink: pepsi 2. phone call: deadass corsettis 3. text message: a skype to heidi  4. song you listened to: shot in the dark - within temptation  5. time you cried: uh like last night full blown sobbing because im w e a k 6. dated someone twice: no because ive been dating heidi since fifth grade 7. kissed someone and regretted it: no 8. been cheated on: idk brighten pissed me off for a little while 9. lost someone special: yes my kitty ♥ 10. been depressed: probably yes 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: i did drink two two liters of pepsi in one night and threw up 

3 FAVOURITE COLOURS 12. blue 13. orange 14. dark red

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU 15. made new friends: purposefully i have not  16. fallen out of love: maybe with a fandom or two  17. laughed until you cried: “we made her eat a combination of all the expired foods in my fridge. she was still awake and turned over with her ipod light. punched in the back of the head, that one girl last year who slammed into my forehead, “why is that ross from friends”, “ - adding on, the reaper that definitely got possessed mid-game, the people on video chat that recognized eren, the message i got from the porn bot on ps4, every time we almost got separated, ‘you cat pushed down on my vagina’ 18. found out someone was talking about you: uh yes? but mostly from people i’d expect it to be from lol 19. met someone who changed you: literally me and heidi suck each other into fandoms so much it wouldn’t be fair to say anyone else changed me.  20. found out who your friends are: ive happily been in a single committed friendship for like 7 years so i know  21. kissed someone on your facebook list: no thank god 

GENERAL 22. how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: p sure all of them besides some african kid that sent me a friend request 23. do you have any pets: yes, id like to have more tbh another puppy  24. do you want to change your name: yes my name is way too common 25. what did you do for your last birthday: just like- ate cake 26. what time did you wake up: usually around 6:50 if im being honest 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: im not even lying i was deadass crying  28. name something you can’t wait for: friday  29. when was the last time you saw your mom: just now  31. what are you listening to right now: my dog’s ridiculously long nails on the floor 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: i don’t think so  33. something that is getting on your nerves: the fact that i always have so much shit to do but do none of it instead 34. most visited website: tumblr, youtube, character wiki pages 35. hair colour: naturally brown but i’ve colored it so sometimes its like- more brown/blond or brown/red  36. long or short hair: fairly long  37. do you have a crush on someone: no 38. what do you like about yourself: i honestly- am so good as procrastinating but still getting everything done it’s impressive  39. want any piercings: i would like to have my ears pierced but they always get infected when i do  40. blood type: i think ab something but im not sure 41. nickname: people always call me ‘em’ and it drives me insane i hate it, but i dunno if that really counts as a nickname  42. relationship status: single (thank god) 43. zodiac: gemini 44. pronouns: she/her 45. favourite tv show: bates motel, ahs but really just the freakshow and asylum seasons, used to be game of thrones before they killed off my boy, (tokyo ghoul and snk if animes count), star trek the original series, btas, gotham sometimes i have a love hate relationship with it 46. tattoos: heidi and i should get matching tattoos but i want a small one for my birthday  47. right or left handed: right handed 48. surgery: no, but i did have stitches on my chin & have fucked up my ankle and foot a bunch  49. piercing: none  50. sport: i say horse back riding out of habit but honestly i cry off 30 pounds a day  51. vacation: im supposed to go to florida to see my dad but he also didn’t evacuate for irma so is he even alive idk  52. pair of trainers: are those sneakers? 

MORE GENERAL 53. eating: soup 54. drinking: pepsi  55. i’m about to: sit here until i go to the movies  56. waiting for: also to go see IT like damn i liked the original but the remake is more my speed + eddie’s & richie’s jokes are the best  57. want: to get back into fucking platinum in overwatch  58. get married: i sometimes think i want to but then i remember how much i sincerely hate people 59. career: crime scene investigator but im also lazy af 

WHICH IS BETTER 60. hugs or kisses: personally i don’t like either but when it comes to characters i have a weakness for the hugs 

61. lips or eyes: pfft eyes  62. shorter or taller: tall people are scary tbh  63. older or younger: i hate old people  64. nice arms or nice stomach: both  65. hook up or relationship: uh- for me i don’t even,,, care, but for them otps you know relationships  66. troublemaker or hesitant: there’s such a thing as in between 

HAVE YOU EVER 67. kissed a stranger:  no 68. drank hard liquor: no 69. lost glasses/contact lenses: i don’t have those lol  70. turned someone down: not technically but when people feel the need to remind me that they’re straight i do stop talking to the, 71. sex on the first date: no 72. broken someone’s heart: uh no  73. had your heart broken: when any favorite character dies  74. been arrested: i should have been  75. cried when someone died: literally any character ever  76. fallen for a friend: 😏😏😏

DO YOU BELIEVE IN 77. yourself: ha 78. miracles: nope 79. love at first sight: not realistically no  80. santa claus: no ? who does anymore? 81. kiss on the first date: its just a kiss 82. angels: heidi is one 

OTHER 83. current best friend’s name: heidi ofc  84. eye colour: blue 85. favorite movie: IT is really good, the star trek movies are all good even if some of them are like romantic comedies. avengers, psycho, the dark knight and wonder woman (though i hate the dceu with a burning passion tbh), batman animated movies are literally the best, fucking brother bear and open season my childhood favorites, mad max fury road, honestly so much more i just can’t remember

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS AND CLAPS DOES PROGRESS

Hello everyone and welcome to the story of Show 66 of the #100showyear which took me on a monster 4 hour journey via Leeds to Progress Wrestling in jolly old Camden Town for their last show before the big one of the year at Ally Pally. So this was a case of putting the final pieces into the jigsaw before the hype train leaves the station, lets see what went down.

One thing to point out using Virgin East Coast trains is the big difference from its West Coast rivals is that they have put plug sockets next to each set of seats, which for anyone knows who dont have a table seat can be an arse to charge your phone which is soon dwindling down to 5%. Also posher seats with more padding for my ever expanding arse - all this travelling and sitting down does nothing for my svelt figure - Hey Fatty Bum Bum!!

Arriving in London, it was straight to the usual Premier Inn at Euston at a cost of £82 for the night, you know what you are getting with a Premier Inn - if its good enough for Lenny Henry its good enough for me. One downfall though was the lack of bedding on the sofa bed, which meant our Geoff was to take up his usual 3/4s of the bed and me clinging on for dear life staring into the abyss of the carpeted floor. As stated by a few wrestlers on twitter - Why do hotels never stick plug sockets on your bedside table to charge your mobile? Never got it myself why this is the case 😕

All checked in, it was straight to the ballroom as the first bout of the afternoon was at 330pm. Getting in i have noticed that Progress have stopped putting wristbands on the seats, not sure why but im sure someone will know? It felt a quieter crowd than usual due to the transport issues getting into the capital but soon filled up once the action began.

Pre show action began with Never Say Die vs The debuting Aussie Open in a really good opener and could have easily been on the main card. The Aussies who have become instant favourites since arriving to the UK took most of the action on NSD, impressing with flying cutters, piledrivers and other high octane offence - sadly no Awful Waffle from Mark Davies to finish the match as they were soon overhauled by NSD who picked the win up in around 10 minutes. Good stuff and would like to see Aussie Open again in Progress as they could be a great addition to a growing division.

First main match was Strangler Davis fresh from disposing of long time partner - Rob Lynch vs Connor Mills in an ok opener mainly to get over the noose wielding Strangler as a force to be reckoned with. Davis is very much submission based showing off shades of 1980s World of Sport arm whips and headscissors, Mills tried his best but succoumbed to the strangle for the tapout in about 7 minutes. 1-2 NOOSE!!!! Your Winner James Davis 👍 🖒.

Interview time with Flash Morgan Webster and Progress Odd Couple - Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins with added Townsend The Tree bought by Progress Management for Flash (Daylight Shrubbery if you ask me). Very funny segment this which set up a tag match at the end of the night with Travis Banks and Resident Scowler - Pete Dunne interjecting themselves. So it was made Haskins & Havoc vs Dunne & Banks in a Dysfunctional Tag Team Match HOLLA HOLLA MY FRIENDS!

Womens No.1 Contendership match up next with Jinny vs Dahlia Black for the right to face Toni Storm at Ally Pally. Very physical match here with Jinny taking the early advantage on her slightly taller opponent but as time wore on Dahlia gained the advantage and picked up the win on Jinny to face Toni Storm in a New Zealand vs Australia battle, but as we shall see later on Dahlia picked up an injury suffered at the hands of Pete Dunne in the main event. This writer likes both Storm and Black, but ive been a long time Toni Storm fan so would like to see her come out as champion at Ally Pally.

Next 2 matches were to decide the stipulations for the tag title match at Ally Pally between CCK and British Strong Style. 1st up was Kid Lykos vs Tyler Bate in a very good match more playing up to the junior heavyweight style of wrestling - a cry of “Small Lads Wrestling” was heard from the Progress which riled a visibly pissed off Tyler. I know Tyler is supposed to be apart of the main heel faction in Progress but i cant help but feel he looks very reluctant to be as dastardly as his bearded cohort Trent Seven and Pete Dunne, i smell Tyler going out on his own sometime here 😤.

Finish of the match came when Trent Seven came to interfere using the old distraction finish to put Lykos off his game enough for Tyler Bate to pick up the win. Stipulation time and after much humour about a possible Punjabi Prison Match and a trip for Jim, Jon and Glen to the nearest B & Q, it was settled on a normal tag match as BSS’s stipulation to piss off the Progress throng to a chorus of boos my mate Shauna would be proud of.

Chris Brookes vs Trent Seven then took place to decide the next stipulation in another good match but with Trent getting a taste of his own medicine with Lykos this time helping his mate Brookes to perform a Sick Fucking Tag Move to get the win and the choice of stipulation was you ask - A Ladder Match which should be a fantastic spectacle to see, but hopefully better ladders have been hired unlike the last time during SDS Vs The Riots.

Break done it was time for FSU vs The Grizzled Young Vets (sounds like a 6 part drama on ITV Sunday Night at 8pm, think Heartbeat but with a Scouser and a Wet Dog), that said Drake and Gibson are a welcome addition to the tag leagues and provide a great threat to the face teams out there (if CCK win at Ally Pally i can see a match up between the 2 teams) FSU are in a state of flux where they are not diminished if they lose as they are popular enough to overcome it, plus as well Eddie Dennis and Mark Andrews are accomplished singles wrestlers in their own right.

But with that said they couldnt put away the GYV’s who picked up the win with the elevated lung blower in a really good tag match and a great way to start the second half.

Next up was a clash of technical styles which was maybe my only downpoint as it featured seasoned British star Doug Williams vs my beating stick - Timothy Thatcher. Now i know i get plenty of stick for my non love of Thatcher from close wrestling friends of mine, but it is an opinion i will stick with - that is even though he is a good technical wrestler, he can suck the atmosphere out of an audience just like that - ive seen him 5 times now live and even though i have given him a chance u just dont think i will see the fascination with him.

The match was ok but i saw a far superior Doug Williams match the other week vs PCWs Philip Michael in Blackpool. Thatcher picked up the submission win over a valiant Doug and moves onto the 3 way at Ally Pally vs Matt Riddle and Walter which should be as hard hitting as they come as long as they turn it into a slugfest it will be magical.

Main event time with Haskins and Havoc vs Banks and Dunne but was mainly played up as a 2 on 1 with Dunne refusing to co-operate with Travis Banks and instead taking a spot on the announcing booth proceeding to boot Progress Flag Waver - Callum Leslie in the balls. Haskins and Havoc took advantage of the numbers game early on and worked well as a unit and not showing much dissent but it would soon end as a mix up between the two cost them dearly and Travis Banks hit the Slice of Heaven but before he could go for the pin Dunne ran to the ring and smashed Banks to leave Haskins prone for the 1-2-3.

Whilst Banks was down injured, BSS took advantage and beat down Banks and the incoming CCK, Dunne also proceeded to drag Dahlia Black onto the stage and hit her with a Sledgehammer to a chorus of boooooooooosssss to make the heel squad look strong going into Ally Pally in 2 weeks.

Beer prices - £4.90 for Camden Pale as ever it was passable.

Graps done it was time to hit the bright lights of Camden, but first it was Maccy D’s for a £1.99 big mac and fries whilst witnessing some 5 ft 5 roidhead planning to smack a nerd (your typical night in London i guess). But if this was a one on one match, imagine being done over like my mate Ben who faced Five Guys and got shafted for £19.90 all for a Burger, Fries and a Shake - Tory Britain strikes again 😮.

Pubs visited included Brewdog Camden for a £2.75 half pint of Orange Ale which was alright but i wouldnt pay for a full pint of it.

The Black Heart for a pint of £5.80 Fruity Cream Ale from Weird Beard, a discussion about what 6 matches i would stick on a promotion if i ran one in Rochdale Town Hall came out with a decent card in our dreams. As long as their is a hot buffet and a raffle im sure punters will be happy enough 😍.

The Worlds End produced shouty shouty RAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH music and a £5.50 pint of Lowenbrau pffft. It was then off to more cheaper climbs of The Ice Wharf Wetherspoons which was packed to the rafters with people getting down to the sounds of despacito. A pint of IPA was had here and was very nice at a cost of around £4, i recommend the Peanut Butter Stout Can our Geoff had which was lovely and sweet for £2.99.

Last call was to The Prince Arthur pub for a £5 pint of cask ale (daylight robbery especially for Cask ale) - Decentish pub but very pricey for my Northern liking. A cheeky whisky and coke in the hotel bar for £4.10 was had to send me off to bed for a what was a great nights kip 😴😴😴😴😴😴.

Overall a good setup show for Ally Pally, nothing outstanding but nothing bad. Would i say it was worth the 4 hour trip and the cost of it - probably not but still good times were had. I am just hoping now at Ally Pally that Travis Banks and CCK win their respective matches as it is the natural finish to the storyline with them but we just have to wait and see.

Next review will be Lucha Forever from tomorrow night in Manchester, till then its a goodbye from me but make sure you spread the word of #grapsandclaps amongst the Twitter Universe. As i guess you all seem to enjoy these tales of British Wrestling Travelling.