#incompitent writers

[barleyalive101]

Honestly the main reason I hate Canon CaitVi is the fact that

I blame it for Vi’s character erasure and her inconsistent character

Honestly whenever Vi does something out of character, it’s always done for the sake of the ship to the point I wish it wasn’t this prioritised.

Like I hate Amanda so much for being so desperate to make them canon she couldn’t give less of a fuck to make them well written.

How can you sit there and claim being a CaitVi fan when you yourself wrote them in such a horrible and toxic way.

[chirpsythismorning]

Realistically do you still think Milvn will breakup in the first couple of episodes? I feel like the fabdom is focusing on fanon so much at this point that they are missing canon and actual narrative on the show. It seems very unlikely to me for Mvln's breakup taking place in first couple of episodes. But the fandom are still stuk in their previous thoughts and cannot seem to think differently at all and never even consider the possibility of mlvn breakup happening way later on in the next season. Most of the Byler's analyses about El's character has turned out to be wrong. El doesnt seem to be done with the relationship. She still loves Mike (or thinks she does) and she drew strength from his monologue. A mildvn breakup right into S5 does not make any sense canon narrative wise. We can argue that the show was different that the script, while i agree with it to an extent i reaaaly think people are trying way too hard to discredit the writers intention and the script here. El was not angry at Mike. She was sad about Max and Hawkins' situation. 🤷‍♀️

What i am saying is that i feel like most Bylers are misinterpetating what is happening with the narrative here and it leads to unrealistic and baseless expectations for the characters and S5 regarding how Mlvn vs Byler will take place. And i am greatly sorry but i dont think Mike lied in his monologue, like at all. And the situation reads like "Mike loved el romantically but they wont be together bc of incompitability". El is not even still over Mike. And people expect her to be like "i breakup with you bye" right into S5. Mike still has underlining feelings for El. Like... all i am saying is people shouldnt base their expectations on headcanons and fanon misinterpretations.

Lastly, while i really would like a more detailed gay coming of age and sexuality storyline for Mike, realistically going by canon i dont think its happening. Sorry. They will mostly focus on Will's sexuality and coming of age it seems like and Mike will mostly have a "realization" arc where he realizes El and him are not fit for each other and then he decides to be with Will.

Based on the show’s trend of doing break-ups (or at least implied break-ups) early in the season, yes I do think it’s likely that the audience will at least have the impression that Mike and El are broken up early in s5.

That’s based on a technique they have done repeatedly, whereas the assumption that they will break-up midseason is based on what exactly? The Duffers saying that s5 is jumping right back into the action?

I mean, if anything shouldn’t that be an indication that the arcs heavily built up in s4, that were left deliberately unresolved, are going to be dealt with in a timely manner, as opposed to being put on pause and then squished into mid s5, when we’re arguably going to have even more stuff the characters are dealing with? Like, them literally fighting for their lives?

When it comes to Mike’s monologue giving El strength according to the script, this is actually really easy to explain and so I will! 

For starters, they did not disclose El's feelings about the monologue in the Piggyback script, bc they released it knowing it would go public, at least two years before s5 is set to actually come out. They would not just throw in a huge spoiler like that, seeing as it was intentionally left unaddressed in s4, with the intention to be addressed in early s5. That’s the whole thing about s4 kind of leaving things so shaky and uncertain, with s5 jumping us right back into that, bc there was just so much set up for all of those dominos to inevitably fall.

To understand Mike’s monologue and its impact on El better, it might help to recall the memory of El’s birth and how her mother’s love is what gave her the strength to defeat Henry the first time in 79’.

I mean look at the lighting of that scene, it’s probably the brightest fucking lighting we’ve ever seen in the entire series (you know what light means... pure, genuine, true love…). And it’s because strength from love is much more powerful than strength from anger. That’s something she is literally throwing back in Henry’s face that day of the massacre, going against what he told her to do and instead using the memory of her mother’s love to beat him. 

During Mike’s monologue, we see El using anger to give her strength to finally break free and stop Vecna, all orchestrated by events that Henry has had a role in impacting, meaning he was actively going up against her this second time, all while knowing that in order to actually beat her, she needed to be vulnerable and unable to use love as strength, with her only option being anger. And so what we see is anger about Mike still woefully misunderstanding what she had tried to explain to him earlier in the season, along with watching her best friend be murdered in front of her. And look at the lighting of that scene, she's literally seeing red. The atmosphere is eerily uncertain at best.

This monologue was SOOO necessary for the narrative in order to keep the public away from considering Byler. Because they already don’t want to consider it as it is, and that monologue gives them an excuse not to. You saw how they reacted to the piggyback script? Like it was this huge sigh of relief for them? Meaning that they were having doubts…

The thing is, I have considered the possibility of a mid-season Milkvan break-up. I’ve talked about how waiting until mid-season, something that would be unprecedented bc they’ve never done it before, would be odd considering we will be dealing with vastly different concerns and conflicts by that point. 

For them to hold off settling a break-up, that was built up all of s4 (arguably since s3), until mid-s5, would fall flat. If anything jumping right into the action means all the major stuff built-up, but left unaddressed in s4, is what we’re jumping back into.

They need to address those things so that they can move on to the aftermath of all of that and then beyond that. 5 episodes of ignoring that, and then 4 episodes of it happening and processing all of it AND dealing with endgame right as the finale is coming to a close, would be hard to juggle and make satisfying.

The reason they like this approach so much, is because it allows the audience to root for the other option in the love triangle. And with Will getting home-wrecker allegations as it is, a milkvan break-up is extremely necessary this time around as well, especially with byler being endgame and them really wanting us to root for them finally. 

How can we do that if the Duffer’s break their own trend of early break-ups and in turn make it difficult for us to root for byler, all while leading on milkvan’s unnecessarily even longer (with no intention of going that route), making it even more unlikely for viewers to accept Byler endgame?

They’ve been building up to this inevitable break-up since s3, with s4 ending in a way that made it sort of obvious El is not happy with Mike and with Mike clearly struggling with something.

Are we just going ignore the implications of the inevitable painting reveal or the fact that Mike called El ‘his’ superhero (the most insulting thing he could do honestly, least of all during a love confession) at the end of s4, and have that confrontation be stretched out? For what? El hasn’t even responded to it or told us her side at all? She told Mike she missed him and that’s it… That’s all we’ve got. Like, let her speak and actually say how she feels about their fight in her room and the events at Surfer Boy and everything leading up to this inevitable moment for them.

While Mike and El didn’t outright break up in s4, there was heavy implications of it, and that was for a reason. They wanted us to watch those Will and Mike scenes throughout the season and see something more. Even though it didn’t end with a kiss between them, nor them officially getting together, they still did it because they wanted us to interpret those scenes as romantic comfortably. That's also why they kept Mike and El seperate at the end of s4, because they wanted us to look at Mike and Will in a way that made us go 🫣🫣🫣 at the very least.

Now, if s5 is leading to Byler endgame, just imagine how much more important it is to make it really clear that Mike and El aren’t happening?

Another even more important reason to have break-ups early in a season in general, is to allow the overall season to have a vibe that is cohesive as it’s own entity. Major stuff happens at the beginning and major stuff happens at the end, with the middle making up the overall vibe and feeling they want us to subscribe to the whole time, with certain pairings being constant that time more than the end/beginning. It makes more sense for us to root for byler most of the season, the whole middle, and for the first time at the end now as well, while letting go of El and Mike early on, even if it’s ambiguous like it was in the previous season. Personally I think the prospects of a dump your ass parallel are high… (can we do something interesting and fun like speculate how the break up would go down? Will it be angsty? Will it be lighthearted? Like I want to see all of those hot takes bc that's actually something that is more fun to think about than the 'when').

I know some people are here because they love romances or love queer romances and just enjoy shipping in general, but I’m genuinely here bc Byler makes sense based on all that stuff you would probably consider to be reaching. That stuff is the best part to me. So, if you don’t like others doing that, then consider muting those that you deem as people ‘misinterpreting the narrative’, again, according to you. 

At the end of the day you can believe whatever you want to believe. 

This idea that it’s okay to tell other people they are wrong and have baseless claims, all while ignoring the actual evidence they are presenting… Like I mean this just comes off like Milkvan’s telling Bylers they’re delusional for considering Mike and Will as being a possibility at all. If you have to constantly use, it’s not that deep as your core argument after being presented with evidence, while only yourself giving maybe one or two reasons at most for why your interpretation makes the most sense, then you’re probably not actually open to considering things based on evidence. You want to believe what you want to believe and you're projecting onto others for not following along with it.

Especially when it comes to the whole Mike having a coming of age story or whatever, where some fans have tried to make the argument that there is nothing to support that, when that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Bylers have provided heaps of evidence. If all of that is not enough for you, that’s something that you have to contend with at this time. Just like us believing what we believe based on evidence we’ve gathered is our concern and something we have to deal with, not you. No need to apologize! Just try to worry about your own interpretation of things and feeling confident in that, but without having to tear down others' because they don’t subscribe to yours interpretation of things.

Because I feel like it would honestly be a lot more humiliating to insist other peoples theories are wrong and they’re only going to embarrass themselves in the end, only for that person saying that to end up being wrong… Everyone is making theories and everyone is bound to be wrong about some or even most. That's okay. That's natural. That's sort of an unwritten part in the agreement we all agree to by participating in this theorizing in fandom experience.

When it comes to Mike again and his arc, I always say this, but it really comes down to this more than anything.

Finn is 2nd top billed among the kids. He used to be THE top billed among the kids for s1-3, but then he got bumped down behind Millie in s4. There is a major possibility, that Noah is going to be ranked up, with him going from being paired up with Sadie, under Gaten and Caleb, to be bumped up under Finn with them sharing a title card. Though it’s unlikely they would rank Finn down under Noah, who was not even in the opening credits of s1, while he was the first name that season and the following two, meaning Finn's character Mike needs to live up to that top billed spot right behind Millie. He needs to have an arc on his own that is equally as substantial as Will and El's arcs, and separate from them just like theirs will have aspects that are separate from Mike as well.

Because Mike was the protagonist of the first season, he HAS to be important again in a similar vein in the end for the show to work as an overall five part story. When people go back to rewatch after s5, they are going to be met with Mike front and center. That will only be satisfying if we get genuine insight into his character in the final season, beyond the surface level.

Quite honestly, ALL of the kids deserve something deeper than what you are implying for Mike, and so applying that to him, the og protagonist, is just so absurd to me. If anyone is going to come out with a surprising arc we’re not expecting, it’s Mike. The audience is already not expecting Will to actually get the boy, that's the aspect that they aren't prepared for for Will, and so what about Mike's unexpected reveal?

Literally most of the audience doesn’t even think there is the slightest possibility Mike could be queer. You don’t think that warrants some addressing and unpacking…? You know… because he never really unpacked…?

I feel like people hear me say Mike is going to be important in s5 and go oh so you don’t think Will is the main character?? And it’s like?? Honestly my answer is yes and no. I think Will is literally the spine, the heart, or whatever you want to call it. In Finn's own words, he is the reason that everything happens and he is the most important character arguably, because of how important he is in terms of all of these events taking place throughout the series.

However, Mike is at the forefront from the very beginning and we arguably see everything from his eyes in s1 and 2 more than anyone else. But that goes away in s3-4. And that felt extremely intentional based on what is about to go down (byler endgame). You can tell that by doing this, they are trying to lead up to a reveal that brings him back to his original place in the story for the audience to see him as his most authentic self again, and with answers for why we lost that insight in between.

I could count up at least 20 Easter eggs hinting at Mike being in danger/targeted, which goes all the way back to the first episode of the series. 

This isn't even considering, that another trend they’re likely to bring back in s5, bc if they don’t they’d be breaking a series long trend, is Mike being late. He starts every season late. And so, what is Mike going to be late for this time? Could it have something to do with all of the unknowns about him that are yet to be addressed?

I think that sometimes we say that something isn’t going to happen because we don’t want it to. A lot of this stuff I’m saying happening isn’t based on feelings, it’s based on actual evidence.

If you don’t want certain things to happen because of x, y, z, you can just say that is the case instead of making arguments that there is nothing supporting it, when that’s not actually true?

Like nothing? Nothing at all? Baseless? Like, be serious rn.

ST5 is very likely going to give off s1-2 vibes. While Mike is going to be less in the background compared to s3-4, Will AND El are still going to have equal, if not more attention than him, bc I do believe that their bond is what is going to also be a part of saving Hawkins.

The ending is going to be surprising bc those primary color-coded bitches are the answer to it all. If me saying that upsets anyone because it goes against their interpretation of things, I'm sorry too I guess!

[lupon]

I agree that Mike still hasn't had a realization moment, the moment he realizes will be the moment when the audience realizes at the same time imho, and tbh Mike's situation seems to be a parallel to Nancy's situation in the love triangle. Ofc the difference here is that Mike and Will have a mlm storyline, but the love triangle positioning is the same. Nancy thought he liked Steve and while she has some sort of an attraction towards him, she came to realize in S2 that she liked Jonathan instead. They are conditioned to be more compatible in terms of being in a relationship. And most 'Mike already knows he is gay/bi' readings stem from the S3 finale scene, but that moment seemed to be more about Mike being stunned and it inserting a *doubt* to the scene like you said, it's not about him realizing his sexuality or his feelings for Will. I feel like the way the writers are approaching this situation is making Mike and El's romance as a past thing (like Steve and Nancy's thing) and them portraying Mike and Will as a likelier and more compatible option (like Jonathan and Nancy). It seems like they're gonna give Mike a realization moment after El breaks up with him, and he'll have a moment similar to Nancy's in S2. And my controversial opinion here is that I think Mike will be easier to accept his sexuality and will be the one to act on his feelings easier, and that the writers won't portray him as secretly gay since I seriously do not think they're planning on completely discarding Mike and El's romantic relationship, but they're rather planning to make them incompitable and a past romance.

THISSSS 10000% agree. I don't think the "big bad" of Mike's story is internalized homophobia, I think it's change. I used to be a hard-core gay Mike truther, but now that just doesn't make sense to me anymore. Mike and El did love each other, but they just don't make a compatible couple. Their relationship problems aren't caused by Mike's awareness that he isn't in love with her, it's that they're just different people with different interests who want different things out of a relationship.

Same with S2 Nancy and Steve. Steve didn't realize that he was unintentionally hurting Nancy by trying to pretend they were normal or saying they shouldn't try and speak out about what the lab did to Barb. And Nancy thought she was in love with Steve, until she started hanging out Jonathan, who actually listened to her concerns, was able to understand how she felt, and aided her in getting the justice Barb deserved. I definitely think Byler is going to be a lot more like that.

I can totally see where people got the idea Mike's self-aware. But the more I'm looking at the scene, the more I think it's actually pointed a lot more toward showing how he's stuck in denial out of fear of things being different from what he's used to. "I've been stuck in one place" "If I'm being really honest, that's what scares me. I don't want thing to change" "That's why I came in here, to try and maybe stop that change" "Turn back the clock, make things go back to how they were" Him not being saying ily to El or kissing her back was a sign of him starting to doubt his feelings. Hopper's letter was honing in on the fact that he doesn't like the change he's feeling. He wants things to be normal. He's scared of what could happen to himself and his relationships if he accepts change.

I'm glad I'm finally finding some like-minded people out of this.

[dontkillhimyouclown]

Will I ever be able to write anything more than a couple of seconds of interesting dialogue or one (1) cool description of scenery?? Stay tuned to find out

[wheelercurse]

Mike doesnt have a low self esteem in general. He has a low self esteem and he sees himself as some random nerd because of his relationship with El. Because they are incompitable. His insecurity is specifically tied to his relationship with El. He doesnt see being a nerd as a powerless or worthless thing in general. The writers specifically tied this insecurity to Mike's relationship with El. When they break up, Mike wont feel that way anymore because he isnt in a relationship with El anymore.

(hi, sorry for answering this too late, but I have many thoughts and feelings about Mike)

I have to disagree with you.

Mike has been bullied all his life. Of course, that would make him feel alienated. The Duffers described his character as one with crippling insecurities, and he escapes them playing d&d (same as Will). So this problem definitely came before he started his relationship with El. That doesn't mean I don't believe this relationship isn't helping.

Also, Mike wants to feel useful, so he wants people to need him. He wants to be able to protect them, and when he can't do it, he feels like he has failed them or there's no use for him. Why would people want to keep him in their lives if he can't do anything? That's his mindset; that's why he said at least Lois Lane was an ace reporter.

To me, Mike's arc is about him learning to accept himself the way he is. He had a hard time accepting his nerdy side in s3. We see how he tried to leave his interests behind because he thought that was childish and that he should date girls like mature boys did. Contrary to popular belief, I don't think he was trying to change himself to appeal to El. He is just trying to fit in and act how society expects of him (leaving childish games behind and dating a girl)

I haven't talked in depth about it, but this is a clear example of how Stranger Things intertwined growing up and queerness. Mike has a hard time dealing with puberty; he's growing up and believes he should leave d&d behind. He is repressing that part of himself because he's conforming. We know that thanks to his fight with Will and this line specifically:

“What did you think really? We were never gonna get girlfriends. We were gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?”

"Play games" is used as an allegory to express Mike's wants. Yes, he wants to keep playing games, but also he wants to spend his life with Will. He had a hard time accepting these two truths about himself. And one is because that meant he likes boys (too).

But yes, his relationship with El increases his insecurities because Mike puts her on a pedestal; he sees her as his superhero. And next to her, he's just an average guy. And he knows she doesn't need protection, so she doesn't need him like that.

And Will was the one who reassured him when he was feeling bad because of his insecurities. He told him he was the heart, the leader, the one who inspires. He's the one who can see him how he really is and love him because of it.

Mike has to learn to accept himself, but Will's love is gonna help him, just as Mike's love makes Will feel better about himself.

[will80sbyers]

I think El and Mike dnot understanding each other on a fundamental level is done purposefully to show that they are incompitable. Mike ofc does not see El as a monster, he instead puts her on a pedestal and sees her as a 'superhero', that just isn't great either. That sort of relationship cannot exactly continue to work. It almost reminds me of Steve's affection with Nancy, albeit not exactly the same, still seems to be representing a sort of narrative.

absolutely!

I agree, it is done on purpose to show how they are not the right person for each other romantically, they trigger so many insecurities in each other that even if they were really in love I don't think they should stay together...

I think the writers should use the time jump to make Mike slowly detach from the codependent relationship he had with her and grow up on his own and then after that they can really give us byler endgame, I can imagine Mike finding out that Will never once thought about leaving him even if he thought he could never have his feeling be reciprocated and just be completely speechless for the intensity of the love Will has for him and how it doesn't feel real that someone could love him like that and make him feel that safe and secure and make him open up and be vulnerable even without trying... and at the same time his relationship with El would become a familial one because I believe their bond can never be broken either, their relationship will always be important ♥️

[byler-4-life]

I tend to agree with that as well, I think in order to make Byler plausible, the writers would not create a drama after a breakup, but would rather choose to come up with a clear resolution. I also think they will make explicitly clear that El has moved on from Mike romantically completely... and she will be the one to break up with Mike because no one would like it if Mike were to break up with her instead.

This is also why I think they did not make Mike lie during his monologue as well, I think they're just gonna go for ''Mike was oblivious / confused'' route to make things appear more plausible to the audience, and they will not completely disregard Mlvn's relationship but they'll portray it as a childhood love that was not meant to last because they're incompitable (that's partly why I think they're going for a bi!Mike or unlabelled/queer Mike route as well).

Because let's be real, yeah this is the Duffers story and they can do whatever they want, but they'd want the story and Byler to appear as a likeable couple to the audience, that's why they would make the narratives choices I've counted. That's why they also made Will be selfless on purpose so ppl would not call him a homewrecker. And that is why Will won't be the one to act on his feelings, it will come from Mike after El breaks up with him. Bc tbh, that seems like the plausible and preferable option in how they might approach this situation.

.

[akajustmerry]

i actually do think jodie whittaker is culpable for 13′s era being so disappointing and lifeless. not as culpable as chris chibnall, but people who wanna pretend that she cared about this role beyond it being something nifty for her CV are willfully ignoring how often she admitted doing next to no preperation for this role. i am haunted by the episode of david tennant’s podcast where she confidently admits to never having seen a single episode of the show she is literally playing the main character of. she admitted that, to david tennant of all people, and justified it by saying that the Doctor would just come out in the script as she plodded along. i have so much respect for 13 stans who actively headcanon that 13′s relative lack of depth is repression or anxiety when it’s so obvious 13′s flatness comes from jodie having no interpretation or basic knowledge of this character to fall back on (see: her empty quips with jack, awkwardness with the master, etc). the worst part is?? people will blame this era on 13 being a woman, on the companions being diverse, rather than the deadly combination of a writer and actor who aren’t skilled enough to bring this character to life. and if you want proof that chibnall and whittaker’s combined incompitance set this show back by a decade, the bbc literally brought in the ex-showrunner whose most famous doctor who plotline was a “love story” between the Doctor and a teenage girl, to fix the show. chris chibnall and jodie whittaker better pray they never cross paths with me. i’ll never forgive them for this. 

[moccahobi]

If Only (Yoongi x Reader)

arnings: Bad angst, mentions of verbal abuse

Prompt by @youarejesting​:

Min Yoongi: Pack

You were sick of him ignoring you. A relationship is a two way street but lately it was just you putting in the effort. Yoongi would spend his time hold up in his studio and when he did come out he was grumpy, not adorable grumpy no he swore and said things you knew he didn’t really mean. 

That didn’t mean you didn’t have self respect, your doctor had just called congratulating you on your pregnancy. When you knocked on Yoongi’s door you received a string of curses he told you in some choice words to ‘fuck off’. 

So that’s what you were doing, you began packing everything. Tears streaming down your face it wasn’t a pretty sight in the slightest. Finally packed you were leaving a note.

Word Count: 997 words

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Author’s Note: I was feeling a tad low on creativity so I decided to try a prompt from a wonderful friend and fellow writer here (Jester)! I used one of the latest rounds... my birthday isn’t until later in the year so I used the time that I finished school as my date! The prompt rly helped a ton and was fun! There are tons more awesome prompts on Jester’s blog too so check them out!

The tears burned as they trekked down your face, marring your skin. Your heart painfully throbbed rhythmically. It was currently the only steady thing in your life, the rest of your carefully curated world was falling away as you struggled to write the last bits of your note. This wasn’t how you had wanted things to end but if Yoongi couldn’t be there for you during one of the best moments of your life, you couldn’t stay with him any more. He had been horrible to you up to this point.

Supposedly it was all because of his work but after almost a month of you bending over backwards to help him and acting like every passive aggressive thing he told you didn’t hurt, you’d had enough. You didn’t want to stay in a situation where he was lashing out at you. Your love for him couldn’t prevent his harsh words from hurting and you didn’t want to bring a child up in a dysfunctional relationship. It might have been different if you weren’t pregnant, but you were and you now had another person’s life to think about. “Y/n baby? Where are you going with all that stuff?” The shake in Yoongi’s voice broke you down even more and you felt new tears bloom in your eyes. You couldn’t cry now though. This was the limit. You were done. “I am leaving, Yoongi. We are done. I can’t do this anymore.” You hated how your voice wavered as you broke the news to him but after three years of dating, you were bound to feel sad. He looked lost at what you said. His own eyes glossing over and starting to tear up as he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly to try to come up with something to say. A part of you was begging for you to leave now before Yoongi could try anything to make you stay, but you were rooted in place. There was a pain so much more raw and painful than your own grief that you felt from seeing Yoongi cry for the second time in the five years you’d known him. It shattered a part of you that you didn’t know you had left. “I… Baby,” He stopped and shook his head mournfully, “Why, Y/n? Why are you… why are you breaking up with me so suddenly? I thought we were doing great?” Yoongi took a step forward, his arms out as if to signal for a hug and you took a step back in response. You had to stay strong for your kid. Subconsciously you put your hand on your stomach, “You thought we were ok?” You laughed quietly at that and shook your head, anger boiling in your stomach at that thought, “I have been a verbal punching bag for weeks now Yoongi! Weeks! I get that you are stressed and all but how much can you love me if after work you get to our apartment and yell at me! “I just got back from meeting my obstetrician but I doubt you even realized I left. Every time I try to talk to you, you push me away. I have been feeling like utter shit because of YOU! It isn’t ok!” “Babe… why did you visit your obstetrician?” Yoongi asked, an unrecognizable look on his face. You scoffed and skook your head. Of course Yoongi was so dense that he wouldn’t realize why. You’d been vomiting… you even got pregnancy tests (one of which came out positive and one that came out negative which was why you went to your obstetrician). How could he not notice? “I am pregnant, Yoongi! I am pregnant with your child and all you have been doing to me is yell! It’s ‘get out of my face’ this! And ‘you incompitent’ that! I am sick and tired of it but more importantly, I can’t raise a child in an environment where their father is going to be an ass!” You had no doubt that your neighbors could hear you from how loudly you were yelling but you didn’t care anymore. You were livid. “You’re pregnant?” Yoongi’s voice wavered as he asked and his eyes were glossy. His lower lip trembled before a small smile grew. “I am going to be a father?” “You will not have anything to do with my baby unless you work on your anger issues! And don’t you dare start acting all sappy now mister! I am pissed… Hell! I am livid! I have been an emotional punching bag.” You weren’t shouting now, more pain filling you as you watched Yoongi’s face morph from joy to grief once again. Your phone vibrated from a message telling you that Yoonjin finally arrived outside your apartment building. This was your time to leave and leave for good. You grabbed your suitcase and turned around but before you could take more than a step, Yoongi’s voice stopped you, “So you’re saying there is still a chance that I can be a part of ou-your baby’s life if I work on my anger issues? That I could still possibly be part of your life if I work on myself?” Another tear fell down your face as Yoongi talked. You just wanted him to change that was it. You had just hoped time and time again that he would realize just how shitty he was being. “If you do, yes. Until then… We are taking a break.” You left before he could say something else, quickly going to the elevator and pressing the button. “Well then! Just you wait, Y/n! I am going to become the best man ever! Just you wait!” Yoongi shouted from the entrance of… of his apartment, determination saturating every word he shouted. You shook your head and suppressed the small smile the bloomed at the thought. If he bettered himself, you would give him a second chance. For a life with you and the baby.

[void-tiger]

Writer Nonnie and I was thinking of Ben 10, specifically Omniverse because I like Rook but his entire character as far as I remember was "Ben please follow the rules" and "I am ignorant of Earth customs". Also his weapon does a lot of things and his vehicle is not safe from all the antics that go on in the show. And while I only want a VLD crossover specifically so Team Voltron can marvel at Rook's weapon/car that would mean the resident space cops AREN'T DOING AGAINST THE GALRA.

To be fair, the Galra are kinda a 10k old problem that could snuff anyone out (until the rebels finally got some leverage, anyway) and, well. Authorities often ignore problems they either find “too troublesome” or “too powerful”.

Which, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any of omniverse, so I dunno what the space cops’ (plumbers? Or different group) dynamic is. OG and whatever the teenage series was called is always out of order and/or “abridged” if I ever find any of the episodes...or run into the weird-looking “reboot”... [sigh]

So, you could make them actually attempt to do something...or have them be incompitent and/or corrupt.

[lazaroschamberger20]

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Audiobook

[Book] Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Audiobook by Steven Pressfield

Gates of Fire puts you at the side of valiant Spartan warriors in 480 BC for the bloody, climactic battle at Thermopylae. There, a few hundred of Sparta's finest sacrificed their lives to hold back the invading Persian millions. The time they bought enabled the Greeks to rally-saving, according to ancient historian Herodotus, 'Western democracy and freedom from perishing in the cradle.' How did the Spartans accomplish this superhuman feat? This is what the King of Persia hopes to learn from the sole Spartan survivor. The squire's story indeed reveals the incredible rigors of Spartan training-and more importantly, how the whole culture fostered the mindset of fearlessness. Steven Pressfield has skillfully combined scholarship and storytelling to bring the whole world of ancient Sparta brilliantly to life. George Guidall's dramatic delivery enhances the richness and feeling of this inspired recreation.

Free Download Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Audiobook by (Steven Pressfield)

Duration: 14 hours, 57 minutes

Writer: Steven Pressfield

Publisher: Recorded Books

Narrators: George Guidall

Genres: George Guidall

Rating: 4.53

Narrator Rating: 4.67

Publication: Wednesday, 01 February 2012

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Audiobook Reviews

David T.

An amazing story about the courage, brotherhood and passion that made those men (and their wives) so tough and fearless.

Rating: 5

Lisa C.

Excellent book. Thought the narrator did a great job too.

Rating: 5

Robert H.

excellent. excellent. excellent. Steven pressfield is a marvel.

Rating: 5

John O.

I can't stand the reading. He sounds like an out of breath Englishman. Everything he reads is overly dramatic and I feel annoyed listening to it. The content is excellent.

Rating: 5

Timothy S

Obviously Zackary Cross is insane or high. This book and the narrator are top notch. I've read and listened to Gates of Fire at least a dozen times and I never get tired of the story. Epic is the best word to describe the book, and the narrator doesn't disappoint (as he doesn't in the Mitch Rapp novels either).

Rating: 5

zackery cross

i would love to listen to this book but some how you are incompitant and i cannot listen to more than 3 minutes online. thank you for wasting my time.

Rating: 1

Bryan Elliott

Love This Book! Great Take on a Historical Battle, and the Narration is Top Notch..! "Wake Up To This!!!"

Rating: 5

Armando Torres

Excellent book and narration. The book goes in details of the era, the training of the time and makes you feel like you are there. The narrator does a great job with voice inflection.

Rating: 5

Daniel Hieronymus

The book has some slow moments but overall was interesting and enjoyable. George Guidall is an excellent narrator.

Rating: 4

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[thetirisfaltheatretroupe]

The Tirisfal Theatre Troupe Is Proud to Present...HELLTHREEQUEL: The Third One! [Playing August 19th!]

The End of An Era Has Arrived At Last...

Nearly four years ago, crowds gathered in the rebellion held town of Razor Hill, on the eve before our troops proudly marched upon the besieged gates of Orgrimmar. On the eve before the end of Garrosh Hellscream’s reign, a play brought laughter and morale to the wounded, widowed, and war-hungry. This play, a satire to belittle the enemy that day, was called “Hellsqueal; the True Warchief’s Tale”! Now, after all this time, and one gut-busting sequel held entirely in a courtroom, Hellsqueal returns for the third and final installment of the story of a fallen warchief, made out to look like a total buffoon. Join Garrosh Hellscream, as he journeys to a strange new and yet old world of confusing origins and otherworldly...accents? As Kairozdormu’s plot to create an unstoppable army of orcs to combat the Burning Legion comes to a head, will Garrosh be able to get an old war-band back together, and bring bloodshed once more to Azeroth? Or will he find that when you rub too few brain cells together, you get white noise and time travel shenanigans? On August 19th: One idiot shall fall. Seven shall rise.

Hellthreequel: The Third One

Starring the talent of the Tirisfal Theatre Troupe, including Joseph Murdrich as Hellscream himself! (Full Cast List to come soon)

What:

“Hellthreequel: The Third One”, a play by the Tirisfal Theatre Troupe

When:

August 19th, at 8:20 PM (Wyrmrest Accord Server)

Where:

Ruins of Lordaeron

Why:

Because We Love You!

That’s right, folks! After years of setbacks in production, the Tirisfal Theatre Troupe is finally putting on the long awaited finale to the Hellsqueal trilogy! First announced at the end of Hellsequel last year, this play centers around the misadventures of Garrosh Hellscream as he tries to unique the orc clans of Draenor in his usually portrayed incompitent ways! In a world created solely through rumors the writer heard from word of mouth, however, quite a few things may be different about the Draenor you see in this play! For example, why do Blackrock orcs have such strange accents? Why is Durotan such a wuss? And why is Kil’rogg always drinking? The mysteries of inter-dimensional time and space manipulation are unraveled one crass, orc-centric joke at a time in this comedic masterpiece (hey, our agents call it that at least) that concludes the story of Garrosh Hellscream as we know it! So come join us at the Ruins of Lordaeron on August 19th, and bring your friends! Bring your friends friends, hell, bring your family!

[FAQ]

“Why the ruins again? Sharding was just announced to be fixed, wasn’t it?” While the sharding issues were announced to be fixed, Blizzard has a bit of a spotty history with keeping to what they say, and I don’t exactly trust that the issue has been resolved entirely. Bear in mind last time we were supposed to hold our play in the Jade Forest. I was assured by a GM it should be fine. Wasn’t the case, and it upset quite a number of people who tried to show up to our event. Whether or not we choose to branch out to other areas in the future will largely depend on Blizzard’s success with this recently announced fix to phasing. Cross your fingers and hope they stick to it, and you might see some more exotic locations from us in the future.

“How long is this event?” We’ve not completed a dry run of the play just yet, but we estimate this to be one of our longer performances, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 hours at the most, not counting intermissions. This is a full night’s event, and while it does run late for a lot of people, we hope that it will be engaging enough that the time doesn’t even become an issue.

“Are your roles for the play all filled? How can I join the troupe for this?”

At this time, we’ve had all roles for the play accounted for, and we’re working things out for our upcoming rehearsal sessions. That said, we’re good on bodies for the time being, but after this event we will begin our Autumn event schedules, which does include casting. Keep an eye out if you have a desire to work with us! “Where’s the new ‘this month in the troupe’ video? Wouldn’t it be better to announce this event in one of those?”

While I was working on the one for July, my program ran into an issue I could not resolve that was corrupting every file. While I was eager to make it a reliable monthly thing, there won’t be a new video until I get this issue resolved. Sorry about that.

NOTE: The above questions were asked prior to this posting, but if you have any questions about the play or the troupe in general, please message them to me! I’ve been very busy lately organizing things and with IRL stuff, but I will answer them as soon as I am able to! We hope to see you all at this play, and please, spread the word! Reblog, repost, etc.! Let’s get a big crowd in!

[will80sbyers]

I think people most of the time confuse ''incompatibility'' with ''toxicity of some sort'' because I still do not think Mlvn is meant to be a toxic relationship, it rather comes from incompatibility. And like, people throwing ''toxic'' or ''abusive'' words around to describe a ship kinda kills the point IMHO because like there is a meaning to words....

Like idk, I think even in S3 Mlvn was just your average teenager romance. So when ppl say it was toxic in S3, I think they are kinda being over the top. I think the writers only started to portray them as incompitable in S4, but even that cannot be really called toxic.

again I think it's about personal definitions, but I agree with you that I don't think we should define them as toxic to be honest and I don't want to do that anymore... but I also understand the other side of the argument because they do show behaviors that are not good for each other and the relationship is making them act bad to each other so even if they are not toxic I think some people are seeing the relationship as being that, of course it's not a high level of toxicity and you are right that there are better definitions imo

they are definitely not healthy for each other in s4 because of the argument and the whole storyline the writers decided for them like...

Mike avoids saying the I love you to her and communicating his feelings, El doesn't ask explanations to him before months

They both don't communicate openly with each other about their feelings until they have that awful fight

El was lying to Mike about most of her life for months

El minimized Mike's experience about bullying

Mike made that comment at dinner because he was angry and she reacted by leaving instead of taking him with her to talk and explain everything and apologize for lying to him

Mike started to act defensive during their fight, called her ridiculous for expressing a problem they had in the relationship, blamed other people even if it was his insecurity about being not enough for her that made him act this way

they just don't understand the other one and were placing each other's on a pedestal from which they both fell at some point during s4... I would not define them as toxic personally but I can't do much about other people's idea of them I guess 🤔

[will80sbyers]

Do not feel 'sad' or 'nervous' if people act like we are going against the majority. Because it is actually nice to have different takes when it is about something non-confirmed. Mike can be both bi, gay, or unlabelled/just queer without a necessary label. I personally am on the 'the writers will never confirm or label Mike's sexuality' opinion, I think he is written to be as 'queer' without any specific label.

I also want to say that I am actually on the most unpopular side of the fandom in this case, because my readings are more unpopular than your readings even. I do not think Mike is realizing anything, I think he is specifically written to be oblivious as being the center of the love triangle in this. Even in S4, I do not think he was realizing his feelings for Will or was confused.

In my understanding, Mike was scared that he lost Will as a friend and that is why he could not hug Will at the airport. I do not think it was about his secret romantic feelings. I think Hermione-Ron parallels do not hold in this case bc the situations are vastly different when it comes to these characters' emotional states. I believe Mike is 100% telling the truth in the things he said. Him not hugging Will was about him thinking he lost Will as a friend, he addresses this when he apologizes. Him not being able to say ily to El was because he was insecure and thought El would not need him anymore, and was scared of losing El if that day came. I believe he is 100% telling the truth in the van scene and during the monologue scene.

What I think is happening in this arc is that, Mike does not realize that he is not loving El as he is supposed to. He does not realize that he does not love El romantically. El is the one who realizes this, and she's the one who realizes that she does not love Mike romantically which is why I believe she will be the one to break up with Mike. He addresses that he does not see himself as nothing special, and El is a superhero in Mike's eyes. That makes them incompitable. Mike has a complex in wanting to be special . It makes their relationship incompitable. El has accepted herself as just a girl, not a monster or a superhero. The way Mike sees her as a superhero does go against El's emotional arc.

I think the moment El breaks up with him, El will say that she does not believe Mike loves him romantically, and this will push Mike to think what love does actually mean etc. (Btw I think the painting reveal will not trigger this, I think the painting reveal will be solved later on instead of it being the thing that triggers Mike's realization or something).

Anyways sorry for the long ask, I just like talking about this with someone who at least shares similar opinions to mine. So, let me what you think if you have time! And have a nice day.

I don't agree with this take that he's completely unaware because I can't explain some scenes and parallels if Mike doesn't already feel at least a bit different for Will, like the triple take in the desert for example or other stuff... But it's an interesting take, it could be!

personally I think he is beginning to understand his feelings for Will in season 4 but he's scared and wants to avoid avoid avoid and "keep the status quo" and keep being El's boyfriend

I definitely agree with some of the things you wrote, I do believe he's being very honest and saying the truth both to Will and El, I believe El is the one that realized she doesn't love Mike this season and will be the one breaking up with him... I also believe it's possible he will know his feelings for Will before knowing about the painting, I'm not sure on how they will handle that, they could do it in a lot of different ways!

and honestly what I care about is just that all the arcs make sense and that they end up together and happy

I'm good with Mike being unlabeled in the show, I don't know if they confirm that he's bi or not but I personally will keep thinking he's bisexual if they leave him unlabeled because I see his crush on El as genuine... unless they make him say he never was attracted to her I will still keep seeing the crush when I watch the show 🤔

[will80sbyers]

I think one of the misconceptions most of the fandom has is that mike feels he is not needed in general or that he is powerless. but from the way the show portrayed this situation, the writers made mike's insecurity tied to his relationship with el specifically. mike isnt feeling like a useless nerd in general. he is feeling that way because of his relationship with el, because they are not compitable.

if mike and el were to break up mike wouldnt feel that way in general because this specific insecurity is tied to his relationship with el. mike normally likes to be goofy and a nerd and he was and still is, when el isnt around. its not something he feels constantly but it is something he feels because of his relationship with el and because of their incompitability.

i am not saying this to bash el, dont get me wrong. i am saying this to point out it was an intentional writing choice done by the writers to tie mike being insecure to specifically his relationship to el to show that they are not compitable. so, when they break up, mike wont feel like some random nerd anymore because he and el wont be in a relationship where both of them feel insecure.

Yes! I think the main problem is his relationship with El, but I don't think the problem started because of his relationship, I think it's the bullying at school that made him start feeling that way about himself, and then he started to apply that feeling to his relationship with El... when he is with his other friends he feels more like himself, and he doesn't care much about what other people think now that he's grown up, (he still cares in general a bit because everybody does, but he is very insecure only with El...) he can get over it by being with the people like Eddie, Will etc that help him feel more secure... so I don't think that Mike has heavy depression, I don't think he's portrayed that way in the show, but I do think he has a lot of trauma and that he is really confused about feelings and most of all about how other people feel towards him... I think Mike started to feel like thanks to El he had a purpose, he could help her and save Will and be important, Mike always wished he was like the heroes in the stories he loved, so when he found El that did change his life, and the fact that El liked him back seemed almost impossible to him because she was so amazing and so special, and he felt like he was just a random kid, he didn't feel special, but he also is not heavily depressed about that, it's just a fact to him!

He was scared of losing El though, so he started to change himself in season 3 trying to let go of things that he thought El would consider childish, because he liked her and wanted her to keep liking him... but the thing is that you can't really be in love with someone, and they can't really be in love with you, if you are pretending to be someone else when you are together.

That's loving the idealized version of that person, not the person!

So this mask of heteronormativity that he put on where he plays the role of the boyfriend and El has the role of ''girlfriend'' is what is stopping them from really be in love... I also feel like the writers wrote this on purpose to show how Mike and El are not the right person for each other, even liking each other and having love for each other, they can't be themselves when they are in a relationship, that's their dynamic and that's why they have to break up.... and at that point they can become friends again and be themselves like they were in season 1 and Mike can start really seeing Will, understanding that loving Will is super easy because he could always be completely himself with him and Will makes him feel like he's special and important since the start! Byler endgame was always the solution!!!