#just because max had the motivation then it was justifiable to put him through all that

[vroom-vrooms]

Max speaking on how he wouldn’t push his child to be a driver broke my heart a little bit

I know he loves racing, and I’m glad he does, but hearing him be so thoughtful of his future child’s choices and knowing how much Jos put him through makes it all so bittersweet

[protectmylifelibertyproperty]

Okay so I have this whole head cannon about Alya accidently finding out that Marinette is secret best friends with Chat Noir. Let me explain:

So, after Lila has messed with Marinette’s stuff one to many times (whether that be stealing her sketchbook, slipping stuff in/out of her backpack, etc.) Marinette decides to get rid of her physical diary. There’s probably a lot of paranoia that leads to this decision, since it’s not like Marinette was planning on taking her diary out of her room any way, but also, Marinette knows that Lila is a slippery snake so it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

  But, especially after becoming Ladybug, writing in her diary each day is an important and necessary habit for Marinette to keep. As someone with a lot of anxiety, way too many things going on, and a lot of critical thinking skills, it’s nice to have a way to work through her thoughts. Otherwise she’d probably find herself getting stuck in her head, thoughts running in circles, trying to relax. Plus, it’s a nice for her to have a place to write down all of the fears and worries that come with being Ladybug. Tikki is nice to talk to, but she doesn’t understand humans fully. This leads to Marinette needing something else to confide in about being a teen superhero and since she can’t do that with an actual person, the diary works. 

While it might seem out of character for her to write down her biggest and most dangerous secret somewhere someone could fine, Marinette is shown to have a very trusting relationship with her parents, so she probably wouldn’t assume they would read her diary. Also, she is a fourteen-year-old girl and sometimes, especially at that age, we do things that are irrational just because we feel we have to (being angsty is an unavoidable problem that comes with puberty). Anyway, that is all to say that even if Marinette does get rid of her diary, she would still need a place to put her thoughts down. It helps her stay sane enough to avoid akumas. 

She decides to start making a video diary and enlists Max to help her hide it. She doesn’t tell him what it’s for, just that she needs to know how to hide things on her computer. (okay and I know nothing about technology), but he’d help her learn how to encrypt it or lock it or something, so it’s hidden from anyone who’s actively trying to find it. That way anyone *cough*Lila*cough* looking for it would not only have to have the knowledge it exists but also enough computer skills to get through password protection and into the file. Either that or steal her whole computer. 

Now that is a whole long introduction for the idea that a lot of these video entries have Chat popping up in the background asking to watch a movie, play a game, stumbling over to take a nap in her bed, etc. And maybe Marinette sometimes forgets to turn off the camera so there’s hours of footage of them playing Jenga or scratching behind his ears while he describes a cool bird he saw or any other friendship goals BS they get up to.

(For this head cannon to work we are also going to ignore how much space recordings take up on a computer BUT, because I’m nothing if not practical, even when thinking about teenage superheroes, I do actually have a solution to that too.

Maybe chat finds out and instead of telling her to delete he gives her a fancy smancy hard drive (with his rich boy money) to keep her recordings on since: 1. He sees how much it helps his friend and wants to support her 2. Marinette is the first friend he feels like he really shows himself to and he really likes the idea he can go back and watch their more mundane times together (Nino is his friend but even he doesn’t get to see the full Chat side of him, which Adrien probably feels is more who he is since it’s not something his dad can control. Also, especially when he starts getting closer to Mari and they start talking more about their emotions and he lets her see his softer side, she gets to see sassy chat and sweet Adrien mixed together.)

When he gives her the hard drive he tells her this and she’s super touched, and she doesn’t want to tell him that having a hard drive like this is against the whole point of getting rid of her physical diary in the first place. So, she starts putting the files on it and works with Tikki to find good places to hide it. She sees so much death and destruction as Ladybug, so she understands wanting to hold onto things like this. It’s a lot better than having to cut out the hours and hours long video of Chat helping her to make a maid outfit that he then refused to take off for the rest of the night.)

One day, Marinette is probably super stressed and has not been sleeping a lot, maybe has a lot of assignments due the next day. So, when she gets home from school she decides to just start her afternoon with a video entry to help calm herself before getting started on all of her work. Then, as a surprise, Alya just bursts in to hang out, they probably haven’t been seeing as much of each other since Lila is trying to drive a wedge in their friendship. Marinette would quickly turn off her monitor and overall look sketchy but would tell Alya she was just working on a project and not to worry about it. Alya would be super curious and would probably push Marinette on it but she’d stay resolute. Then, Marinette’s Mom would call that she needed her help really quick, Marinette would steal a glance at the computer but still go down to help.

Alya’s a good friend but she’s a journalist at heart, she would really want to know what was on the computer. Additionally, she would feel that Marinette has recently been pulling away from her and changing as a person, maybe looking at the computer would help her learn what has gotten into Marinette? She would turn the computer back on and the files wouldn’t be labeled with anything but maybe the date, so she’d click on one to see what these videos were for. It would quickly become obvious what they were and Alya would know she should turn them off, but Lila told her the other day that Marinette had been saying some nasty stuff behind people’s backs. Watching her diary could help Alya to understand Marinette’s motivations a bit more. It was a crappy thing to do as a friend, but she knew Marinette was a good person at heart and she was so sick of being confused by her new, troubling personality. 

Alya would click on a random one and—due to some fantastic Ladybug luck—it wouldn’t have anything incriminating on the Ladybug front. It would instead just be Marinette discussing all of the projects she had coming up for school, her designing goals for the week, and her upcoming plans with friends. Overall it would be pretty mundane and would lack anything that would justify Alya invading her friend’s privacy. Alya would be starting to feel pretty bad and would be just about to close out of the video when there would be a muffled thump from off screen. Video!Marinette didn’t react but Alya wanted know what it was. Her confusion would be eased moments late when Chat busted through the trapdoor in the ceiling, already talking, “Mari! You have to teach me how to paint! I stayed up watching Bob Ross videos until 4 last night and I bet I could do that too!” 

Alya would then watch as Marinette casually (looking happier than she had since Lila returned) respond to her “kitty” about how painting was a lot harder than it looked. The video would cut off soon after, showing a still frame of Chat hugging Marinette from behind, rubbing his head against hers and begging her to teach him. The computer would stay on that image until Marinette returned to find her shells hocked best friend. “YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH CHAT AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME????”

[juleswritesthis]

Roswell NM 3x11 Thoughts (I have a lot of thoughts!!!)

Contrary to popular opinion I really liked this episode. Yes, the science was so made up it was funny, yes certain character choices are hilariously silly, yes there was a lot of scenes filled with exposition dump, yes characters disappearing for episodes not to be mentioned as if they don’t exist is jarring & annoying, and omg yes, the Wyatt arc (if you can call it that) fell flat and was a complete waste of valuable screen time. So yes, I agree with most everyone’s assessment. That said still a very enjoyable and entertaining episode setting up the final concluding 2 hours of the season. Let’s get into it.

Jones is highly entertaining, overly good looking, and sometimes hilarious villain. Nathan shines bringing charm and depth to the role. Its important to note that Jones hasn’t caused any lasting damage to the group. Sure, he has tried to kill various members, he’s responsible for putting Maria in a coma & has kidnapped half the cast basically, kept our heroes busy all season. But when it comes to killing or destruction it’s really been focused on the dregs or racist folks of the town, the poor scientist in Santa Fe (I think it was Santa Fe) & the lady at the university last week. No one of any real consequence to our heroes. Now I have no idea if Maria’s vision arc has concluded because it hasn’t been mentioned in forever, but I’m assuming that there will be a major death by season end. Noah killed Rosa and the 2 other girls, abused Isobel for 10 years and destroyed the lives of all the mains. For Jones to be a real big bad there’s got to be some long-lasting consequences to one or more of our mains. Though I’m going into the final 2 episodes with excitement there is some concern. I don’t think any of the mains will perish but I do worry about Sanders and even Heath. (I’m really worried about Sanders y’all especially after that promo!!!)

Jones negotiation with Liz was bizarre. Why negotiate at all? Wouldn’t he just threaten to kill or maim people…what the heck is Liz’s bargaining chip against an all-powerful, evil dictator? If she doesn’t do what he wants he can just start killing folks she loves. It really is that easy. I get the whole creativity inspiration thing but fear for those you love is a great motivator. I was so amused that after hours of discussion Liz pulls out the big guns… free the sheriff. Was that her wild card? Really Liz? She may be a kick-ass scientist with a boatload of courage and sass, but I wouldn’t have her negotiating any of my needs anytime soon.

Isobel and Rosa scenes continue to delight. I think it’s clear Rosa won’t be in Season 4 much. As much as I will miss her, I’m glad that she will find some peace and joy at art school, she deserves it. Unlike Wyatt who does not deserve any tranquility because his redemption (if you can call it that) was not earned. Instead, his memories were wiped along with it any true feelings of guilt and remorse. How can we believe he has truly changed? What happens if his memories return? So silly and completely wasteful screen time (no offense to the actor who is quite good and likable).

The Dallas and Max scenes were wonderful. Don’t get me wrong I prefer the show not tell method. And Dallas conveniently having the entire Oasis history in a memory from his father then regurgitating those memories to Max (and the audience) was not the best way to convey the story. However, the actor who plays Dallas is ridiculously charismatic and I could listen to him recite the phone book (do those still exist?) and be entertained. Plus, for one moment I truly believe that Dallas had gotten through to the constantly self-sacrificing, martyr that is Max Evans. But as the promo for finale proves with Max asking Michael (why Michael?) to kill him, the words didn’t stick. Oh Max…

Speaking of, I truly feel so bad for Max. He’s had it rough. In a span of couple weeks, he’s been told he is a clone of an evil dictator, he isn’t the Savior but in fact a weapon to bring down the real Savior who also isn’t really a savior but a genocidal maniac (Michael’s words not mine) who slaughtered half his planet. Not to mention the “there has to be 3” doesn’t include him, as he isn’t part of the triad. And that because he is a clone, he doesn’t actually have biological parents or siblings or anything, well Michael, by DNA sort of, maybe? Oh, and he is the only thing tethering the evil, psycho dictator to life. I mean…

My hope for Season 4 is that Max gets to process everything he has learned about his existence. He hasn’t expressed how he feels the entire season and he deserves to. I hope the writers don’t have him get over it by season’s end with one scene or worse just sweep it under the rug. Like being a clone of an evil psycho, to be used as a weapon, without any real connection to Isobel and Michael? That’s got to have some lasting effects…please writers let me see it on my screen.

Speaking of show not telling, Michael’s new powers. I not a fan of Michael telling us a story of how he used his mind control powers accidently when he was 18. Can we please see these scenes so we can feel the true emotional impact?

As for these powers, strap in, this is a doozy (and might be controversial). I, like Michael, feel that taking someone’s free will, no matter who they are is not a good power to have; it’s not fun, it’s not cool. Michael is right that’s some dark shit and a power that needs to be used very sparingly and with a ton of responsibility.

I loved the scene between Sanders and Michael, but I have a couple issues with some of the dialogue. Sanders is the only living person (other than Jones) that knew and loved Nora. Thus, he can speak about her with authority. He is also the only person who is any kind of real parent figure in Michael’s. Thus, him saying Michael has no darkness can be believed. He knows Michael and he knows Nora. However, Sanders doesn’t know what its like to have powers, especially an immense power such as mind control. Though I appreciate Sanders’ perspective (and agree with him about the purity of Michael’s soul) I wasn’t a big fan of him brushing away Michael’s fears about having mind control powers and not wanting to use them. Yes, it’s important for Michael to recognize just because he has Jones’ power doesn’t mean he is or will ever become Jones. It’s not the powers that make a person. But the line about Nora not fearing her powers was not helpful. Nora’s powers were telekinesis, engineering (if genius is a power) and possibly miraculous crop growth. None of these powers take away a person’s ability to control their actions (well telekinesis to a certain point but in nowhere near actual mind control). So of course, Nora didn’t fear her powers.

I wish someone had validated Michael’s fears instead of brushing them away with a few words of you have no darkness or in Isobel’s case you aren’t like Jones/Noah. A person does not have to be evil or bad to misuse a power like mind control & for that misuse to have dire consequences. Can you imagine being able to make people do what you want them to do at any time? Even if your intent is to do good, it doesn’t mean it’s something that should be done or won’t have major consequences. Sort of like the ends justify means conversation between Jones and Liz. What is the line, do you recognize it and what’s to stop a person from inches towards the line and what happens if you cross it?

So, my wish for next season is for Michael like Max is given time to process what he has learned about himself and his powers. My wish is for Michael is to continue to struggle with when, how and if he should use the mind control power. That way even when faced with a racist sheriff that is holding a gun to his friends, he is careful, asks for consent and never takes advantage of this tremendous power. In addition, I do think it would be very interesting to continue to explore these powers and how they maybe could change a person? Take Max’s power to give and take away life force. He killed Noah and used that life force (and his own) to bring Rosa to back to life. Seems like a good exchange but ethically and morally having a person decide who lives or dies? And how would this all fit into religion with Dallas being a priest? These could make for some great conversations and strong character development. Fingers crossed we see some of it and not just get told in passing.

The music in the episode was amazing. The beginning with Nothing Else Matters and Jones is a tux… I mean… Also, the ending with the fight sequence, building the suspense, only for the reveal to be that Jones had wanted them all to come so he could trap Liz, Dallas, and Max along with Isobel and Michael (for extra leverage) in his mind. I’m confused about why everyone was sitting but Michael was standing? Is he able to move or is he able to resist his father’s mind control? I’m really looking forward to next week and for Team Human to come to the rescue (maybe).

Favorite lines of the episode:

Sanders to Michael: “You are just a pair of sad puppy dog eyes and a cowboy hat”

Jones to Team Alien & Liz: “Well, everyone seems a little tense” (LOL I love Jones!)

Dallas (or Isobel) writing on the wall to Jones: “KNOCK, KNOCK”

[jabbubab]

i needed to have a rant about this because i've seen it one too many times. i can only apologise that your inbox is the one this humongous essay has landed in

as much as i don't like max and the people who surround him, he does have a point about drive to survive

the portrayal of his relationship with daniel in dts was weird, and overtly made him the villain to daniel's heroic protagonist when in reality they were just highly strung teammates who were, and still are, close friends

you could kind of see the same pattern when they did esteban and checo, and how they painted checo as the villain that got all the limelight and kept his seat. or drumming up carlos and lando's 2020 rivalry to the nth degree when it... wasn't really there

the way they dramatised romain's crash to seem like it went on for 182838 hours, or completely transplanting irrelevant and misleading radio messages in different situations (seb's brazil '19 mein gott radio being used in austria '20, or lando's "he's pushed me aside? what's he doing?" directed at checo being repurposed to make it seem as if carlos was disobeying reasonable team orders), or splicing in footage from completely different races for seemingly no good reason

apparently this season they've managed to forge a rivalry between yuki and esteban (????!?!???) which is perhaps one of the strangest narratives they could've come up with

drive to survive is an awesome tool to draw new people into the sport, and to get a little bit of that unfiltered behind the scenes that we wouldn't normally; but as someone who watched dts to reignite their love of the sport, it props up a helluva a lot of inaccuracies and misleading storylines, and misses out huge "plot points" of the season (see hulkenberg's '20 subs, george in sakhir, etc...; apparently the entirety of baku and brazil have been missed this year too)

i mean, look no further than how they nearly completely brushed lewis' fight for blm and racial equality under the rug in season 3. it was a huge motivator for him through the season and we hardly got any of it

then there's the whole mazepin debacle, where they've not addressed his despicable behaviour and have now proceeded to seemingly give him a redemption arc where there wasn't one. either on track or off

like as much as i hate to say it, if you're going to criticise max, do so in something that he is actually wrong in

not where he has one of those moments where he is unfortunately correct

Oh no that's fine I totally agree that drive to survive has some SERIOUS issues with how it portrays certain drivers and makes up rivalries. I enjoyed the first couple of series of it but I doubt I'll watch S4 because it'll just be worse than ever for that sort of thing.

My issue is more that Red Bull - including Max - basically had a season long smear campaign against Lewis saying whatever they could think up to try and put him down. So for him to now take what he thinks is the moral high ground and say he won't get involved in that side of things is kinda hypocritical more than anything. Plus all the reviews I've read say that basically Horner is telling his story and makes Max and the team seem even more like the bad guys.

I totally support drivers who don't want to share everything. I support people like Seb and Fernando (who apparently barely appear in the series), even Lewis during season 1 who understood that getting involved in it might not be the wisest thing. I just think the way they acted all season, it would've been nice to see them try and justify it to the potential new fans DTS can bring.

Hope that makes some sort of sense? I'm not saying Max is totally in the wrong and it is more the people around him, but yeah it's just a bit iffy to me.

[hottokatratzi]

MY THOUGHTS ON REBECCA:

First of all, the book can be interpreted many ways so I don't think there's a right or wrong way to look at this movie. Second, it's a book adaptation NOT a remake of Hitchcock. Third, all three versions stand alone in their own right - one adaptation can't invalidate another or its source material!

Now that that's out of the way... books are products of their time. And we know Rebecca has some stuff that isn't PC, so I was interested in how it'd all be handled. However, Rebecca 2020 just updated the aesthetic a bit without attempting to modernize or justify or explain any of the character's motives.

So, if there was a beat I felt this movie missed, it was villanizing Rebecca herself. Yes, Rebecca is "loose" and yes, she is queer. But she was also a very mean, cruel person who liked to abuse animals and hurt people.

Pause: that in and of itself can be off-putting to modern audiences, the vilanization of a queer person. Rebecca either needed to be humanized and Maxim villanized OR the movie needed to emphasize Rebecca's badness outside of her sexuality OR they could let it be. And they just let it be. I felt torn between sympathizing with Maxim and with Danvers. But not in a good way, more like in a "this movie can't commit" way.

In the end, none of the characters are heroes or villians. In does a relatively fair shake to everyone. I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not. Everyone was just a little redeemed, but not entirely.

However, I thought where the movie succeeded was telling the Narrator's story. The beauty and oddity of Rebecca the novel is that it has a sad ending that isn't a sad ending for the main character. The Narrator is happy and that's what matters! She loves Maxim and she is content to be with him! She didn't want Manderly, she wanted Maxim. The thing is, Danvers thinks she "won" by burning down Manderly but the Narrator thinks she "won" because she got Max.

I have always been a proponent that the ending of Rebecca the novel is happy. So then although I appreciated the end of Rebecca 2020, I also questioned if it was TOO happy. But then I rewatched the last ten minutes and saw it differently. Maybe it's not all happy but we're seeing it from our heroine's point of view. Her victory is what matters. Danvers tells her she won't be happy, but the Narrator said she will. Then she is. And THAT right THERE is the spirit of the end of the novel! If the film had put them in a drab hotel, with the Narrator pouring Max coffee, would we, 2020 audiences, have interpreted it as a good ending? Maybe not, but it still stands it's a good ending for the Narrator. So I think if they'd done the book ending clean, the spirit of the book wouldn't have come through.

Lily James did an incredible job showing that our hero wasn't happy or comfortable in Monte Carlo or at Manderly. She was only happy with Maxim. She wasn't some gold digger, she never saw his wealth as a benefit. Her acting of the little anxieties really sold the character and helped solidify the end. Her maturity didn't come from running a great house. It came from being a devoted wife. That twist is very meaningful when we look at it from a 1938 perspective.

So that's what I think the film did wrong and what it did most right.

The movie's tone shifted often, but that's true to the book. Maxim was too young, but again - I think it was a unique way of telling the Narrator's truth instead of the objective truth. It wasn't as "gothic" but honestly the book isn't that gothic either. It's a small gothic novel in between a romance novel and a crime novel. So I can't fault the film there.

I really, truly enjoyed it. Not perfect but a great attempt at a absolutely fascinating and unique novel.

[jamlocked]

Tagged by: @raeofalbion, thank you!

Last Song: Wolf Alice - The Last Man on Earth. Augh, this song. It's so beautiful and I can't make up my mind whether to put it on my Mormor or Sheriarty playlists. It's not the words so much as the general vibe...idk. Maybe I'll just enjoy it as it is, though is a song really a song if you can't utilise it for fandom purposes? (ofc it is but you know what I mean.)

Currently Reading: We'll include 'listening to' on this as well because I've always got an audiobook on the go. I just started 'Fire from Heaven' by Mary Renault. It's the first in a triology about Alexander the Great, and I heard about them because they were raved about in two other fictional works I've recently read. So far, so good.

As for physical books/ebooks, I just finished a few but I'm about to start 'Dune' (probably should have read that already), and am about of a third of the way into 'Lanny' by Max Porter, which omg, is so so so good. If you haven't read Lanny, do it. But read 'Grief is the Thing with Feathers' first, because that might be the best thing I read last year. So original in style, and gorgeous. And 'Lanny' is not a follow up but might be even better, idk yet. Strong recommend.

Currently Watching: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, which I am very behind on. But GO SCARLET, just because she's super hot both in and out of drag. I also obviously devoured The Pursuit of Love - not as great as the book but still loved it, and Lord Merlin could murder me with a pineapple and I'd just say 'thank you'. Other than that I have been mostly watching football, though the season's over now so I'll probably find something to dig into soon enough.

Last Movie: Uuummmm. Hmm. Can't remember? It's not like cinemas have been open and I struggle with the attention span to sit through a film at home these days. Oh wait though...it was the first X-Files movie a month or two ago. Kidlet and I are doing a full X-Files watch/rewatch (obvs she has not seen it before; obvs I had seen the first four or five seasons, I forget, but OH MY GOD I was not prepared to reignite my crush on Mulder as;ldfkj my teenage lust for him was entirely justified, well done self for having excellent taste, yes sir). So yes, it was that movie. The next movie will probably be the second X Files one when we get that far.

Craving: Motivation to stop eating junk food and get back into the gym. I was doing so well a month ago. For term to be over so I can get time to write again. The attention span to be able to write. A job that excites and fulfills me. My friends. A holiday. All the usual stuff.

Tagging literally everyone. Yes, this includes you. Let me see what awesome things you are devouring at the moment so I may devour them too.

[abbybubbls]

A Character Study of Actor Mark (and others)

This is something I’ve had in my mind for quite a while. Since everybody’s going on a late Actor Mark craze lately, I’ve noticed that some people have been forgetting that Actor Mark is... well... an asshole. I won’t name any names, just know that I have no ill will towards people who view him differently, they can do whatever they want with their favorite characters, I just wanna go on a bit of a tangent, so... here we go.

Also, you’re gonna have to create a “flaw” counter because I use the word a LOT here.

Let’s get this out of the way; Actor Mark is flawed. Seriously flawed. He’s egotistical, he’s selfish, he only cares about notoriety, he’s a megalomaniac at best. And some people would assume that the Actor has been innocent before the Mansion messed him up after Celine left him, but... not really.

The Mansion pointed out the Actor’s flaws for a long time, and made those flaws more apparent when he was at his highest and lowest points in his life, making him more of an asshole within these moments. It wasn’t towards JUST the Actor though. It’d be towards William (eccentric, being too much of a hopeless romantic), Celine (using people, overprotective, short temper) and yes, even our innocent angel baby Damien himself (confusion, mostly). Almost every character in this series has flaws, but of course, the Actor is most apparent, even when we don’t see him that much.

Then again, the Actor is that kind of character you can guess what he’s like RIGHT when you look at him at first glance. Rich, has a big ego, arrogant, keeps secrets, etc.

I mean... the Actor was ALWAYS like this, it’s just that it’s more pointed out and apparent when there are defining moments in his life. He’s an asshole!

I’m not saying that the Actor is an asshole ALL the time, though. I’m pretty sure he’s had his moments of doing good, but... not a whole lot has been seen of him doing any good at all. We only hear that he’s helped Damien become a mayor, he gave up everything (maybe a bit too much) for Celine when they were married, “reaching out” to William while hiding his spite... and that’s really it. I mean... he gave Abe a job, too... I guess... 4 good deeds the Actor has done! Yaaaayyy...?

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that Mark (not Actor Mark, our boy the man of the hour Mark Fischbach himself) said that he doesn’t believe in 100% good flawless people. Almost every character he’s played and created have things wrong with them.

Let’s use our boy Wilford Warfstache as an example.

Wilford is playful, colorful, excited, curious, and is in constant need of looking for adventure and fun. But he is also very trigger-happy, easily distracted, violent, VERY forgetful, he selfishly runs away from his responsibilities (hence him blowing “BUBBLES!” in the GIF above), and he’s so traumatized and out of touch with reality that he just makes his own as he goes with no worries whatsoever.

Now, Wilford has been my most favorite Ego for a LONG time, and as much as I love portraying him as a cute soft playful idiot, I never forget that he does have a lot of things wrong with him, so I don’t make him too innocent and naive. He’s too far gone to even try and turn back to the way he was, and I absolutely LOVE that concept, and I think it fits very well with somebody like Wilford. His backstory and his problems and are what make me love him so much because he’s such a fun but complex character.

There is a degree as to how many problems that the character has and to see if that character really is a good person or not. There is always this middle ground between the black and white, there’s the morally gray area. You can create a grid of white, gray, and black, and list every Ego with ALL of the flaws that each of them have, and you can put them in whatever area depending on which one has the most problems. And of course, Actor Mark has a lot of them.

The Actor does have every right to be upset that Celine left him for William, but never to the point where he wants revenge on them. The Actor is too prideful and so up his own ass that the Mansion made his flaws more apparent than ever for YEARS, and he’s so spiteful and CONVINCED that he deserves to be more happy than anybody else that (justifiably?) did him wrong.

This is when some people assume that the Actor is the victim, and I don’t agree with them at all, but I can see where they’re coming from. The Actor became depressed that Celine left him, he was all by himself in the Mansion losing his mind, and he can be a very sympathetic character. And yes, when you look through his perspective, you can see why he’s so upset to the point of taking revenge on William for “stealing” Celine away from him, when really Celine probably had every right to leave the Actor for William anyway. She did say that she was never comfortable in the Mansion, and she was probably used by the Actor just for attention.

I’m not saying that it was a great decision for Celine to leave without saying anything. I mean, she could have just said she wanted a divorce because she felt uncomfortable with her surroundings and liked William much more, and if the Actor wouldn’t be so spiteful, he’d let her go. But of course, that doesn’t happen, so all my hopes and dreams for a nicer ending are crushed (I’m just kidding, I ADORE the ending we’ve gotten).

Where was I? Oh yeah, people thinking that the Actor is the victim... The more that I think about it... he’s really not. He brought it upon himself to be spiteful and brought misery to his friends instead of trying to move on from it. Sure, he doesn’t have to forgive them, but he should have at least tried to move on.

There is this VERY important statement that Mark has mentioned during his DAMIEN Explanation stream that most people seem to forget: The Actor never apologized for his actions once.

Let’s go back to our boy Warfy for a sec.

In Wilford ‘MOTHERLOVING’ Warfstache, even though Wilford may not remember a whole lot of Abe, he knows that he might have done something wrong to him, and apologizes wholeheartedly (with a squeak hug and everything)! He admits that he’s done some bad things even though he doesn’t remember them, or even know that he’s done them at all. He apologizes and is willing to move on from his previous mistakes, though of course he might know he’ll make more down the road.

In DAMIEN, the Actor is so far up his own ass that he doesn’t think all the horrible things he’s done to Damien, Celine, and Will are even that horrible. He’s thinking that his actions are somehow justifiable because of his tragic backstory, thinking he’s the hero. “My humble upbringing, my tragic backstory... There’s no other role for me to play!”

The Actor SAYS he’s come to Damien to apologize, but he doesn’t say sorry once. He never says “I’m sorry for what you had to go through” or “Yeah I might have gone a bit too far with you” or anything that would even remotely count as an apology. He only says “Things weren’t according to plan, some mistakes were made, it was supposed to go like this but then I found another way around it”.

He’s more focused on his own plan more than what happened to his friends DURING the plan. The Actor is SO convinced that he is the hero of his story that he NEVER admits that he is in the wrong of what he’s done to Damien and Celine, but he says he’s willing to move on from the past... when he’s really not.

He loses his temper very quickly whenever he mentions the past and he keeps snapping at Damien. When he “casts” Damien as the main villain of his story (even though Damien has done absolutely NOTHING against him besides not agreeing that he was good enough for Celine), Damien refuses and wants to live in peace, and then the Actor gets pissed off more, practically forcing Damien into the role of a villain.

You know who admitted that they’re wrong?

A LOT of people have had mixed feelings about Celine ever since her debut. Even I wasn’t so sure if I liked her when I first saw her. Nothing like some decent writing and character development can’t fix!

Mark has stated that in Who Killed Markiplier?, Celine had no real clear motivation than just “controlling people” and “doing seer things”, so he wanted to do more with her in DAMIEN.

Here’s some stuff we now know more about Celine;

1. She is overprotective towards Damien, and wants him to be safe within the body they both are forced to share.

2. She is Damien’s twin sister (ten minutes older)!

3. She REALLY wants the Actor dead after what he’s done to her and Damien.

4. She is a badass queen and has GREAT aim with her ax.

5. Her survival skills are to the max.

6. Her kickassery cannot be contained.

7. She has used people to protect herself and her brother... and admits it.

I am not saying that manipulation is a good thing, I myself am very gullible and I don’t like being used just to feel idiotic in the end. But of course, when you look into Celine’s perspective, you can see that she has controlled people for a very good reason, even though Damien is literally the same age as her and can take care of himself... but she wants to keep him safe anyway. Celine admits this in her lowest point, Damien lets her sleep after all that she’s done for him.

Here is the way I see it; If you don’t honestly and truly admit that you are in the wrong and don’t take responsibility for your actions, then you are not ready to move on from your past mistakes.

Just like everybody, we all make mistakes, and it’s our responsibility to make sure we can evolve from these mistakes instead of ignoring them or focusing too much on them at the same time.

Wilford is ignoring his mistakes entirely, but he still apologizes anyway without taking full responsibility for his actions and lets somebody else do it for him.

Celine does a good mix of both ignoring and focusing a lot on her mistakes, admitting that she is wrong and tries to take responsibility for it by letting Damien take the wheel.

Actor Mark, as well as Wilford, is ignoring his mistakes like mad, but doesn’t apologize at all.

And this is why I love the Actor as a character. I know, right? I’ve talked in SO MUCH detail about how and why the Actor is a horrible person and I just said I love him as a character! Well, much like Wilford, I have a strong adoration for characters that are ridiculously flawed, and we go deep into their pasts to find out why they’re the way they are.

Actor Mark really is the embodiment of a vengeful tragedy, and his entire character is so complex and interesting to look into...

and now people are treating him like an uwu soft angel boy, but this trend is gonna end soon, I’m sure. Not the love of the Actor, but the uwu soft angel boy part of the trend because... he’s not that at all.

Anyway, Actor Mark is not the hero, he’s an irredeemable douche bag, and I love him anyway. Let me know if there’s any more details about him that I’ve missed!

Buh-bye~

- Abby

[ilikelookingatthings]

Miraculous ladybug and the love square part 1

there are alot of thoughts about the love square.

I’ve got some mixed feelings about Marinette and everyone in the show pushing for it. especially in the movie.

On one hand I love mari to bits. she’s stubborn, has a temper and can be a little petty and can have ulterior motives that aren’t always the most pure(usually involving adrien). can sometimes be a bit insensitive and not completely think through how others might feel in response to her actions, but thats usually when she is understandable distracted thinking about justice or her own emotions or over whelmed or distracted by something. and when she does realize maybe somethings gone wrong she always tries to fix it.

her feelings for adrien comes from the right place. being impressed that he was wiling to be vulnerable to someone who shouted and accused him and refused to listen to him even though he was actually trying to help. that he was willing to talk to mari and be vulnerable and admit he was new to everything. and then offer a umbrella to mari, who had judged him because of his friend, and risked getting wet himself. and he understood that her judging him due to chloe was justified with her history with chloe.

she wants him to be happy. she is very emotionally invested and observant and cares about his feelings. even helping him with another girl despite her own crush. she went up against his dad and convinced Gabe to let Adrien come. and even if most of her gifts she doesn't actually give to him she does make him gifts and macaroons. and she’s gotten better at not acting on her jealous and trying to separate Adrien from other girls now.

and mari always helps her friends and gos above and beyond. and mari is super talented in gaming, designing, dancing, baking, fencing reflexes, being a leader ect.

but on the other side while she means well and feels deeply...she doesn't exactly handle her crush on Adrien in a healthy way. Like alot of teenagers she laments the friendzone not realizing that friendship is the base of heathy relationships. she struggles to have normal conversations with adrien or staying near him for long periods of time enjoying his company without something else to focus on. We know she means well but some of the stuff she does can be a bit creepy. 

like when she broke into his room to deliver a gift and sniffed his pillow. or wanting to keep a hair. the schedule that she memorized is a bit weird but useful since he does have a full time table they need to know when they can hang out. and she is class rep. its not completely unreasonable that she could have it. but her forging a no parking sign with the plan to separate adrien from his driver. knowing adrien keeps his phone in the car so he couldn’t call to check on the gorilla and wanting to concidentally go on a date without asking him out. or that she has followed him on multiple occasion. that time she ditche the girls to try to sneak into the boys only party(which was rude of them to hold without the girls when they were suppoused to work...but the girls have their girls only meetings as well). breakig into his locker to steal his phone to delete the message instead of just asking adrien to not listen to the message and to delete it. she as ladybug has seperated adrien from girls before. like kagami and chloe and even lila(though lila we found out was a double red flag so kudos trying to drive lila away). 

she almost doomed paris and herself by trying to give up her miraculous for a illusion of adrien instead of looking for a different way to save him. she attacked a innocentsanta that adrien told her wasn’t a akuma which caused a akuma when she got ahead of herself. and she lets adrien influence her too much. Sometimes that can be good. Mari can be a quick to judge bean sometimes and adrien and chat has helped her realize there can be other routes and that people even like chloe aren’t pure evil. 

but he can have too much influence on her. he thinks Mari is honest with him and would tell him if she disagreed with him because she doesn’t hesitate in any other aspect whensaying her opinion. but WE know she wants him to like her. so she fully commited to being class president after adrien said he though she’d make a good one to put the finish touchon alya encouraging class pres marinette. Mari joined the gaming tournament not because she wanted to join the tournament but because she wanted to trian with adrien in the same room to the point mari over looked alya pointing out that max was actually invested in the tournament and had rained for months so of course he’s be hurt and would be more invested. Mari changed her stance on chloe even when she probably coul have gotten adrien to understand her and the clases perspective since chloe sucked around them. but instead mari leaned into adrien was right.

She joined the fencing because of adrien as well. went to chlloe’s I’m trying to be nice party even though she had been determinded not to go because adrien would be there. and even though adrien toldmari to talk to him if lila was still a issue, mari instead focused on adrien telling mari they should try to give lila a chance and never told him about lila threatened her or about lila stealings his book. stuff to show lila wasnt just someone looking for attention.

Mari focused on following adrien’s advice instead of telling him more of her view about lila. or consdering adrin’s asvice was more about mari’s jump on every lie tactic was making lila stronger.

 and mari didn’t like kagami for a while due to adrien and kagami hanging out together often. and mari even used adrien being stolen by kagami to japan as a excuse to tam up with chloe to mess with kagami. 

and mari has even put down others like the class to raise adrien up like when she said out of the class adrien is the least likly to steal a braclet...accidentally implying everyone else was more likly than adrien. how how sometimes she puts chat down a little to bring adrin up at times in the show.

and mari even helped adrien with kagami even though she did not want to because adrien asked. adrien would hate to make her do something she is uncomfortable with but mari went along with it. and while it was cute with the scarf situation to want adrien to be happy even if you don’t take credit. mari puts herself down when she compares herself to adrien.

Adrien praises her all the time and boosts her up and helps when he can and has expressed how important mari is to him(even if its not romantically like she wants). but mari who is normally pretty confident in herself in the show in her designs and plans and talents that she can standup to people tends to put herself down when it comes to adrien. and tends to put her feelings beneath what she things adrien wants even though we know adrien would want her to be happy to and wouldn’t want to unknowingly hurt her. like in the wax museum situation.

like mari pushed kagami and adrien together with the icecream even though it was clearly not nessacary. Kagami told her she didn’t believe in the romance fate of the icecream for one and both Adrien and kagami just waned to hang out all three of them for a little longer. its why they wanted mari to choose the icecream flavors as thanks. MARI decided to make it a romance moment instead of a friendship moment. and decided to put adrien and kagami together out of her own insecurity that if mari compete’d honestly with kagami and was honest about her feelings...that mari would be rejected.

even though Kagami told Mari that while Kagami didn’t want to give up on Adrien just because Mari liked him, that Kagami also didn’t expect Mari to give up because Kagami liked him. Kagami saw both of their feelings valuable and valid and that its better to be honest and try with no regrets ad still be friends. Kagami eve encouraged Mari to not hesitate and we know Adrien does have a strong soft spot for Mari.

and mari has used adrie to worry about designs that won a contest and that she had been confident in. or that Adrien might hate her over something silly.

Mari does alot for adrien like helped him with parazzi in her pajamas and helped him with a date as well as convincing his dad to let hi come to newyork. and we know about the scarf, the hat on christmas, all those birthday gifts she hasn’t given him and fresh macaroons she hasn’t given him. And we know adrien does have a sweet spot for her so I want them to just be together already. but Mari doesn’t really acknowledge Adrien isn’t perfect. she’s gotten to know him better and they are good friends now. but we also know Adrien considered them good friends even in season one when she could barely talk to him. But she doesn’t really get to see Adrien negative sides. like him being angry, or lashing out or how he can be petty at times or his reckless sides. She even tried to get him to be Aspik and more importantly play guitar when it was clear adrien was a piano guy and luka was the better choice. adrien had to tell her that.

I want mari to be happy but girl can’t really relax around adrien all that much which can be frustrating at times. Mari deserves good things.

[idkwhoiamanymorebutwtf]

Imagine Sasha and Max being friends tho.

(i’ll be real this whole thing took multiple hours to type please somebody actually read this or I might die tbh-)

Like I know they had one episode together but think about them a c t u a l l y being friends.

(below are a ton of headcanons for a friendship between them)

- Obviously they have a bit of respect for one another because of their alliance of convenience, but their friendship would probably be forged on laughing at someone else. Whether it's their friends fucking up or Pikeman's general incompetence or whatever else. I can imagine now their camps are competing or something but the stakes don't matter to them, so Sasha and Max just end up shit talking everyone else and watching the show.

- Since their friendship was forged on calling people out they'd kinda just start hanging out specifically to rant and gossip about the shit that goes down around camp. Like Max'll get fed up with how idiotic the campbell campers are and come to vent to Sasha and she'll be here for it, because of course she is or Sasha ends up getting ditched by Tabii and Erin again and just kinda goes to Max to talk about how annoyed she is.

-  Sasha keeps pointing out things like the circled under Max's eyes and other facial discrepancies and eventually he'll just be like "well how do you look perfect all the time?!?" because it's not fair. Sasha gasps super loud and immediately goes full makeover mode. She immediately shoves a ton of makeup onto him and prescribes him a skincare routine and Max isn't sure about it but he's actually kinda self-conscious and Sasha's like "do you wanna end up looking like Pikeman?" so Max follows her instructions to the letter and he looks amazing.

  - After that they kinda just end up doing each other's makeup all the time and stuff like that. Max usually just uses like concealer and stuff because he doesn't want it to look like he's trying, but occasionally Max'll give Sasha permission to put some eyeliner on him or something and he'll never admit it but he l o v e s the way it looks. They start hanging out even more of course because it's not like Max can go to anyone else about the whole skincare/makeup thing and honestly Sasha loves her other friends but it's relieving to hang out with someone more willing to gossip with her (even if she's slightly salty that Max doesn't have enough hair for her to mess with like Erin and Tabii do)

-  Sasha forces Max to watch a ton of shitty highschool movies and Max doesn't really like most of them but he'll put up with it because he (although he'll never admit it) cares about Sasha (and is a little intimidated by her when she's upset). He doesn't like them but occasionally Max can also coerce her into watching a horror movie with him so they're even in his books (even if the poor thing has to watch way more of her movies than he makes her watch)

- They actually end up being r e a l l y protective of each other. Like most of the time, they'll let people fuck with their friends (so long as no real harm is done), yknow? But if anyone says a word about Max and it gets back to Sasha they'll literally end up the laughing stock of Lake Lilac by the end of the day because Sasha's a bitch who can spread a rumor like wildfire. Alternatively, Max'll sick Nikki and Neil on anyone who fucks with Sasha (which won't end up pretty). And that's if they're lucky because that kid could do so much worse if he's got the right motivation. They try to hide the fact that they're acting in defense of one another and justify why they're screwing over whoever it is they're screwing over, but it's honestly just vengeance for their friend.

- All the gossiping makes the two more unstoppable than they were before tbh. Like Max always had other Camp Campbell camper's secrets tucked away for blackmail purposes and Sasha needs to know everything going on in her turf so of course she's got dirt on all the Flower Scouts. And it's not exactly hard to figure out the Woodscout's. So with their swapping info constantly both of them end up knowing everything about everyone and being able to screw them over in a heartbeat. Basically, hanging out together makes those two terrifying.

- They're also more confident as a duo than most other times. Like don't get me wrong, they're both pretty sure of their capabilities, and they trust their individual friend groups to have their back, but they know that the other person is competent in manipulation and incredibly cunning and they value each other's skillsets because they're super similar. When you're confident in yourself, having somebody who's like you around only makes you doubly confident. They feel super badass whenever they team up in something and it's great.

- Most of their arguments are probably petty tbh. Max calls one of Sasha's favorite movies dumb (she bases her life around highschool stereotypes and dumb cliche movies, of course, she gets pissed when he insults them) or Sasha makes one too many comments about Max's physical appearance (the girl is obsessed with looking good and as much as Max is willing to listen to her advice, it gets to him when she comments on his weight or how he needs to sleep more because the circles under his eyes are getting harder to cover up. Like, he has depression, do you not realize that weight changes and bad sleeping habits are a symptom of that?!?). A common source of disagreement is how used to being in charge they each are. Like yeah, they know they don't always have to take the lead, but it's so ingrained into them that they struggle with it. Max watches Sasha's dumb movies all the time and took her advice on skincare and stuff so she occasionally forgets that she's not his boss like she's in charge of her other friend's and of course he's willing to compromise on some things but he doesn't take well to being treated like a lackey and she's too stubborn to admit she's wrong half the time.

- Their fights get bad. Despite normally being over small things and the person who's in the wrong normally realizing they're the one who's wrong, both Max and Sasha are very stubborn people and they will die on this hill no matter how petty the whole thing is honestly. They'll scream and throw things and once or twice they've even wound up physically fighting. Usually, if it comes to an actual physical altercation they'll stop there because actually injuring your friend is super fucked up. Once Max threw a book at Sasha without thinking and it gave her a black eye. Another time Sasha literally slapped him and it left a bruise for like a week. They both felt like shit after. When Sasha gave Max a bruise she literally cried and he forgave her on the condition that she help him cover the bruise with makeup (He said he'd dealt with worse and something about the way he said it made her uneasy. She can't place why). The time that Max hit Sasha with a book he froze up completely and refused to even look at her for like an hour. Partially because he felt guilty and couldn't verbalize his regret but it was honestly more than that. You don't shut down and practically disassociate for an hour because you don't know what to say. There was absolutely something wrong with the way he shut down after the whole thing but she didn't push for answers and he apologized and they just decided to forget it ever happened. They never aim to actually hurt one another, they just don't have many ways to actually get out their frustrations. They never once actually physically hurt the other more than once each. It's just not something either of them wants to go through again, honestly. If their arguments don't end with one of them going too far and the two felt like shit and making up within seconds one of them will eventually storm off and they'll both get super petty. Making sarcastic remarks at one another whenever they see each other, pointedly ignoring the other, the occasional mean prank. Usually, they forget all about it within a week, though, because as stubborn as they are something dumb happens to one of them and they'll need to vent. None of their fights are ever serious, as nasty as they are, so it's easy to get over and never gets mentioned again.

- They had one serious fight that actually put their friendship in danger. Tabii had ended up crying to Sasha because she was devastated over being rejected by Neil. Like, she was super broken up about how he doesn't love her and it's probably because she's ugly even though Erin told her she wasn't. Sasha wasn't happy about it. At all. Like, she normally just rolls her eyes and brushes it off whenever she sees Tabii going after him, but she watched so many stupid cliche high school movies where the girl got the guy if he was good and anyone who rejects the protagonist is an asshole. So Sasha, going by movie logic, was pretty sure that Neil was insulting Tabii by rejecting her and was a terrible person. She also failed to realize that Tabii's whole attitude towards pursuing Neil was kinda creepy and stalkerish to begin with and she already had a low opinion of him since he's a nerd who called her a cunt and hangs out with Nikki, who she also hates. She did not like seeing one of her best friends in the world (who's basically like a sister to her tbh) cry. So Sasha, with a burning rage towards Neil, wound up spilling the whole thing to Max. And he wasn't happy with her for insulting his friend either. Max basically cussed Sasha out because Tabii's behavior was creepy and it was making Neil super uncomfortable, which he was not cool with. He told her she was a moron if she saw nothing wrong with how Tabii acted but thought that Neil was out of line for rejecting her. Sasha didn't take well to being called a moron or to her friend being accused of being creepy, and she said something along the lines of "It's not my fault you hang out with a retarded nerd and a girl who can't even be a girl properly". Max basically called her an ignorant bitch and told her to go fuck herself, then he left. Normally their arguments are long and wordy and even violent but this time he just cut it short and stormed out. Sasha still thought she was right, of course, because that boy who Max was friends with had made Tabii cry and he was a moron for not liking her! And yeah maybe the insults to Nikki weren't exactly called for but every word was true, right?  She just kinda expected Max to get over it eventually but a few weeks passed and he never really did. The fact that Max had called her ignorant kinda stuck out to her more than anything. That's the same thing Neil had called her, isn't it? Why would they both use the same insult? It's not like that was a go-to thing to call somebody. The whole thing drove her crazy and eventually when she confronted him about it she got a long lecture about how romantic relationships work, the fact that bullying a girl over dressing or acting slightly differently from her is a shitty thing to do, and that calling Neil 'retarded' is offensive because he's actually mentally ill and even if he weren't, the word's still terrible. She didn't quite understand all of it but she got enough to feel guilty and she apologized. Sasha still doesn't really like Nikki and Neil much and it's not like she's stopped shit-talking them, but she's eased up a bit because she doesn't want Max that angry at her again, and in a way she can see how she maybe...was a tiny bit wrong.

- They don't normally get super sad or deep on each other. Neither really likes to be emotional or open up so they wouldn't exactly initiate any sort of depressing dialogue. However, they are both observant people so they notice things anyway. Max notices how Sasha talks a little too much about her weight and thinks anything over one hundred pounds is horrifically obese to the point where she diets incessantly. He notices that she cares too much about looking young and pretty too. Damned highschool movies. Sasha, on the other hand, notices that Max doesn't trust adults at all and that he flinches when she gets too loud (even if he tries to cover it up) and that he either doesn't sleep at all or sleeps way too often...amoung other things of course. They don't talk about these things out loud but they've both deduced that the other isn't healthy.

- Max practically forces Sasha to eat every time they see each other and refuses to watch a single movie with her that even mentions dieting in a positive light because she is ten years old and shouldn't be counting calories and refusing absolutely all fat. He'll insist on doing her makeup and will make sure to do it lighter and lighter every time because as much as he himself appreciates makeup and uses it to cover parts of his skin he doesn't like, she needs to be more confident and he can't in good conscience let her go on the way she's been going on. Sasha, on the other hand, if she ever notices he's having a bad day and isn't functioning well, will let him hide out with her all day even if she has other things to do and he should be at camp. Occasionally she'll even let Nikki or Neil in her room if she or they feel Max really needs their support (he can't just stay at his own camp, he'd never be allowed out of activities all day). She doesn't exactly understand why he's sad and tired and angry and has a hard time with sleep but she won't ask. Sasha has some theories on why he doesn't trust any adult and flinches when she yells but she doesn't like thinking on that one too long (his comment when she slapped him 'i've had worse' comes to mind). They're not always great at it and they don't always understand but they try to help each other even if they have an unspoken rule not to ask questions.

- While they normally spend their hang-out time watching movies or doing each other's makeup/hair/nails or talking crap about other's behind their backs, they've occasionally had adventures of their own. They typically leave Lake Lilac for these, honestly. Sasha couldn't care less about anything going on at Camp Campbell and Max isn't about to get involved in Flower Scout politics so if they're ever inclined to go on an adventure it's in town or even the big city. And usually involves crime one way or another tbh. Once they accidentally managed to get Max elected mayor of the whole town and Sasha as treasurer. Money was embezzled, fires were set, and they're now banned from muffin tops for life. That's the kind of adventure those two have whenever they're compelled to do anything at all. Go big or go home, basically.

- They're actually super honest with each other. The general light-hearted nature of their friendship and the fact that they gossip and chatter about pretty much everything that pops into their heads means they don't exactly stress about getting judged or anything like that as long as they aren't confessing to horrific sins or anything.

- They love to fuck with Pikeman. Like they normally just sit around at the Flower Scout's camp or out in town or the city or something like that but occasionally they'll screw him over because they both can agree he's an incompetent asshole who deserves it.

- Sasha flipped her shit when she realized that Max knows how to bake, cook, sew, and knit (he definitely can knit and sew we’ve seen him do it in the show and I headcanon he’d have to learn to cook and stuff cause his parents don’t feel like doing it for him) She nearly died and made him sew/knit her a bunch of stuff for her and decided they had to bake together and she was just super happy about it. Once upon a time, she would've judged him for it because of gender roles and stuff and she wasn't used to guys doing any of those things, but after the whole incident where he called her an ignorant bitch she wasn't gonna push it and besides, she was happy to have her gossip and makeup buddy also be able to do those other things with her. Like she can do those things with Tabii and Erin too but Max kinda gets her and she needs a break from the two sometimes.

- Most people don't actually know they're friends. Nikki and Neil are vaguely aware they hang out but they don't see much besides the occasional banter when the Flower Scouts and Camp Campbell interact as a group. Max doesn't talk about Sasha much around them since he knows they don't exactly like her. Sasha doesn't dare mention their friendship around Tabii and Erin because they'd freak out completely and probably assume they're dating since those two don't realize guys and girls can actually have platonic friendships. She doesn't want that drama. Their friendship is kinda a secret, which is surprising since they may not talk about it but they visit each other and chat enough when they cross paths that you'd think people would realize. But they're kinda glad. Lake Lilac is a chaotic place and when they're hanging out it's one of the only times they even have the option of just relaxing.

(imma be real I literally came up with the idea of those two being really close friends because I watched the episode where Nikki hung out with Dolph and Nerris and I thought 'Max have other friend too? :0')

Literally, ANY input is welcome. I spent multiple hours on this so if you have anything to say you know I'm down for a conversation about it

[arlakos]

Why Lila could have been one of  the best characters in Miraculous

Yeah what I'm about to write will be controversial to everyone who hates Lila Rossi - That is to say, anyone. But I’ve been working on it for a while, so at least have a small read of it first.

If you’re one of those people that will send me angry comments about why I'm wrong and why I should leave this website, then you should probably skip over this.

Lila Rossi Is one of those characters that are really hated by the Miraculous Fandom at large. After appearing in one episode in season 1, she was generally ignored until season 2 when they realized she existed in the finale, then quickly became the official most hated character after booting Chloe off the pedestal (who was already shaky on it due to the Queen Bee Trilogy making her a hero and the season 2 finale). People have written blog posts about why they hate her, writing threads on Reddit about why they hate Lila and have written so many fix-it fics on ao3 to ‘fix’ the horror that was Chameleon (which doesn't actually fix any part of the story whatsoever and instead unceremoniously gun her down along with the class in some of the fics). The fandom hates her. You hate her. Period.

So why am I writing a post on why I think Lila could have been one of the best characters ever written and is generally opposing the entire fandoms viewpoint?

It’s simple really. I’m not

Just like everyone else here I hate the canon version of Lila Rossi. I hate how in season 3 she just lies so blatantly and stupidly as well, not because she is a liar per se, but because of the fact that when she is present the characters in the story become so moronic to make the story work. I hate the fact that she is evil for literally no reason other than just because, much like how I hated Chloe in season 1. I hated the fact that they were building her up all season and with such bad writing only for her to be tossed aside just so that Astruc could make sure that Chloe was unredeemable in the finale! I hate it and I hated her. I wanted her gone.

But regardless, I still think she had the potential to become one of the best-written characters in the show. ‘Could have’ being the keyword in this regard.

So I'm asking you all to take a trip back in time to before the nightmare that was season 3 and the boring monotony that was season 2 for the most part. Let's go back to the last episode of the season (officially): Volpina

When Volpina actually came out, I actually liked the episode. It was the first time that a character that was introduced that wasn’t a goody-two-shoes like the others (Chloe not counting of course) and seemed to have her own goals and motives. Yeah she was still a liar back then and yeah characters in the show were written as idiots for it to work, but it seemed at the time it more that she was a new girl trying to impress the class, sure in an underhanded way, but still, something that felt normal in a school life. To me, it felt like just a regular cartoon involving a school life, and I was fine with that.

Marinette as well was a blast in the first half, but not because she was being heroic, but because of how obvious it was that she was jealous as hell of Lila being with Adrien. Yeah, Ass-truc says on his twitter its because Marinette hates Liars and she's totally being heroic by ‘heroically’ stalking Adrien and Lila’s Library session, but considering she herself Lies in order to maintain her secret identity, Ass-truc is spitting some bs right there.

Also, that scene where Ladybug ousts Lila as a Liar was in no way heroic at all and could have easily been done in a more quiet and not-as-embarrassing manner. In fact, if you ignore Ass-trucs ridiculous claims that Marinette ONLY went after Lila because she hates Liars, then you have a story about a girl being jealous of another girl for going after the same boy, and then using an underhanded trick (being an freaking superhero!) to essentially prevent the rival from getting close to the boy, all the while justifying it under some ridiculous claim that it was because “she was evil!”. Marinette was an actual prick in this episode and in no way heroic in the first half. She was despicable, and I loved every bit of it.

And that bit where Lila pretty much says ‘fuck you’ to Ladybug was perfect. Yeah, after being made a fool in public than being given an apology for the BS Ladybug caused, even I would act in that way. It didn’t matter that Lila was Lying, she acted like a real person and I loved it.

Yeah, the episode overall wasn’t perfect. The superhero bits were rushed like hell and should have been a two-parter, and the bits about Lila lying were a bit too outlandish for me to take seriously, but I loved the episode overall.

So why did I basically do a recap of an episode?

Because of the contrast in comparison to season 3.

Season 1 Lila was a new girl who Lied just to impress the class and impress a cute supermodel boy, while Lila in season 3 lies for the sake of being manipulative and getting in the way of people’s lives.

But enough about Canon Lila, let's talk about what she could have been... 

Assuming Lila would remain through the entirety of season 2, her entire character, instead of simply being focused in writing as just ‘a liar who lies’ as Ass-truc has so ‘generously’ written her she could have instead been written as a foil for Marinette, but also someone who is a darker mirror of her as well. Because to be fair, it would be a much more interesting story compared to the season 3 we have now, and when you think about it they have a lot of similarities when you take all the bias out:

-Marinette and Lila regularly have lied to people for the sake of their goals

-Both Marinette and Lila at their worst have been somewhat creepy. Marinette had a planner to constantly follow Adrien around and sniffed him thinking he was a statue. Lila has also been rather intrusive on Adrien's personal space. Yeah it isn't a 1:1 comparison but the point still stands

-Both have carried unusually petty grudges against people. Marinette hates Lila because she lies (even though the latter had no impact on her as a whole and didn't do anything to her) while Lila hates Marinette because the former called her out once. Both have gone out of their way to get rid of the other simply because both are so petty. Marinette even more so if you believe she goes after Lila because of Adrien.

-Both have had superpowers (at one point or another)

-Both have a dislike for Chloe (Kinda simple I know)

Now that I have shown how similar the two are, lets set up the story for the two.

For Lila, to give her some depth, could have a reason given for her lying beyond the plain and boring idea of being popular. For example: 

‘Being the daughter of a mom constantly moving countries for the sake of her job, Lila never stays too long at a school for her to become familiar with people and make new friends. As she observes people, she feels most of them are fake, only putting on masks of kindness, and that no one in the world truly cares about others, least of all her. So to make herself feel better, she creates stories about herself to amaze her classmates. She learns their likes and dislikes and appeals to their desires to that people will like her. To Lila, it doesn't matter, because its all that she knows, and if it makes them happy, who cares if she is lying. And once she goes, she disappears. And no one will remember her...’

It doesn't make her immediately sympathetic, but it doesn’t make her a one-dimensional villain like in canon. To put it simply, in this new canon Lila lies not out of pure villainy, but because it's for her own sake, for her to make friends and feel wanted. Lila in this version is rather nice provided you don't snoop around her secrets and try to out her, she just acts normal. I do imagine her having a hidden personality behind that mask of kindness, but nothing actually rude or villainous behind it.

Also for this revised version, I don’t actually think she would love Adrien (at least at first). I would imagine her trying to woo him simply because it would make her fit in more with everyone else

 To Lila, protecting her secret is most important to her, so of course, she would get defensive and protective of it when she encounters...

Marinette, also known as the hero Ladybug

I know that a lot of people on this website find Marinette so precious, but I legitimately cannot stand her. In canon, she has stalked a boy, making a planner to track him down at all times and has abused her powers to interfere with his love life, regardless of what he thinks. She constantly does things without caring for others such as ruining Max’s attempts to get into a gaming tournament just so she can spend time with Adrien, and rather than having to face the consequences of her actions, she fixes the stuff as a hero, apologizes and is immediately rewarded for her piss poor actions. Not to mention the Malediktator episodes where she insults Chloe in the first half, only to have her be nice to Chloe just so she can have backup for the Akuma fight. I hate it.

So how would I fix it? By making Marinette almost as bad as she is. Not so much by being a villain, but by having Marinette be as hypocritical as Lila when it comes to her behavior.

For example, in the Volpina episode, have Marinette be jealous of Lila for being close to Adrien, and then when Lila does the thing regarding the fake Miraculous, Marinette would transform into Ladybug and use her secret identity to humiliate Lila in front of Adrien and keep her away from him. Only for Master Fu and Tikki to IMMEDIATELY CALL HER OUT ON IT!

And this is what the relationship between the two would focus on: Lila and Marinette’s pointless battle for dominance, and as a bonus have a story focus on Marinette’s hypocrisy and her coming to terms with it and overcoming it. Have a moment where Marinette calls her a liar, only for Lila to call her out on it, saying she lies to get away from her friends for whatever reasons shes got (ofc Lila doesn't know Mari is Ladybug). These example moments could be used to develop Marinette as an actual person, without having to pretend she is this innocent person who does nothing wrong and everything right (as Ass-truc so smugly claims). It doesn't mean she can’t hate Liars, but it would make her as human as anyone else in the show.

To make it clear, this wouldn’t make Lila the innocent one in this story. In order to balance the story, Lila would resort to some of her own underhand tactics to either scare Marinette away or force her to back off, such as threatening the friendship between Alya and Marinette or sabotaging peoples trust in Mari.

Basically it would make the rivalry between the two to come off as pointless, which makes sense given their characters at the time and would help with the conclusion of the arc.

If you wanted to add even more drama to it, have Adrien attempt to help Lila to become a better person and not be a compulsive Liar. That way Lila actually realizes that people can actually be kind (instead of being fake like she imagines everyone) and ends up falling in love (for real) with the lovable dork being so kind to her, making the story into an actual love triangle and making the conflict with Marinette and Lila even tenser.

So the question is: how would you end this tale?

With Marinette now being shown to be somewhat hypocritical in her actions and in many ways similar to Lila, the fight between her and Lila is showed to be pointless, there are two ways the tale could end:

-If we wanted to have a tale where both characters are redeemed, the story could be that Marinette and Lila both realize the error of their ways and bury the hatchet after their conflict affects not only themselves but the people around them, including Adrien. For the sake of others and themselves, they stop and eventually forgive each other for their actions.

-Alternatively, if you wanted to have Lila be a villain, the story could be written to involve both of them escalating their actions, but only at the point of no return does Marinette realize what she has become. She renounces her bad actions and promises to be a better person, not only for herself but for the people around her, such as Tikki, her family, and friends. Lila in contrast, cannot turn back due to being alone, and everything falls around her. She ruins herself and ends up moving to a new school.

That would be a good way to end the conflict. Not only would it give Marinette some good character development, but it also helps turn Lila from a generic villain into a moral adversary for the former that challenges Marinette to learn what it means to actually be a nice person and not just nice when preferred.

It is through this type of writing that Lila could have been a better character than the canonical version that we have gotten, whether as a villain or as a complex neutral character. 

The Lila Rossi that was given to us in the actual show was nothing short of a disappointment in season 3, and the character was barely utilized to her full potential back in season 1. But I still think that through a bit of good writing, she could have become a character that people would love to hate or hate to love through writing that both develops the show and its main cast. It pains me to see a show with so much potential being squandered for the sake of generic mustache-twirling villainy and one-dimensional character, but at least I can try to show what a show with better writing could possibly do.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Feel free to take a bag of salt on the way out.

[fuckyeahscootmcnairy]

Scoot McNairy On Lightening Up In HBO Max’s ‘Love Life’ And The Making Of A Great ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Scene

By Kimberly Ricci

The first few times I interviewed Scoot McNairy, I got a little aggressive with rampant questions about his righteous mustaches. In my defense, these discussions of facial hair often lightened the mood as we discussed his recent heavy roles on True Detective‘s third season and the most recent round of Narcos: Mexico. Scoot’s always a good sport about answering the most bizarre of inquiries, but for his latest project — an HBO Max dramedy, Love Life, starring Anna Kendrick — no such lightening was required.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that there isn’t a mustache present with this Scoot project. There is one, although it’s not as plentiful as those that he sported in the above two projects and Godless. So, the Halt and Catch Fire actor was off the hook (this time) for any facial hair talk. Fortunately, he’s still gracious enough to discuss this latest role (a wealthy entrepreneur and slightly older man who plays a key role in helping Kendrick’s character develop) with us, including how much of a relief it is to step into the shoes of a less-stressed-out character. I also wished to discuss the latest Narcos: Mexico season finale, which ended with a fantastic, fictionalized, and quiet confrontation between his DEA agent character, Walt Breslin, and the drug lord (portrayed by Diego Luna) that he put behind bars, and Scoot was game for that, too.

Love Life is a nice piece of an escapism. Would you characterize it as a romantic comedy or dramedy?

I haven’t seen the project as of yet, but after reading and talking with [showrunner] Sam Boyd, it feels like it’s more of a dramedy, and also a sort-of slice-of-life over the course of ten years, well, basically a decade.

Even though it’s not 100% cheery, this role’s definitely more lighthearted than anything you’ve done lately. Did that feel like taking a load off?

You know, it was a lot of fun. I started in this business twenty years ago, and for the first ten years, mostly what I did was comedy, and I haven’t been able to do that in eight or nine years. So, I was really looking to try and find something to do, comedic-wise, and Sam had this project that I really liked. So yeah, I really enjoy doing comedy or dark comedy, so this was really fun to step back into that — a lighter role.

Whenever I think about artists switching up genres and entering different phases, I think of an old Ethan Hawke interview, where he expressed his surprise at how shooting horror movies was a lot more silly and less terrifying than he expected. Was making a romantic comedy the same or different than you expected?

That’s a really great question, but you know, it just felt familiar. Comedy is something that I’m somewhat uncomfortable with but obviously very, very scared of and stuff, and it’s also about challenging yourself with something that you haven’t really done in a long time and something you really enjoy doing. And also just moving around, switching it up, and trying not to get pigeonholed into a sort-of genre, just to stretch your wings, I guess.

I don’t know if you’re aware, but one of the Love Life promo shots zeroes in on your character, Bradley, with a martini. You’re playing a character who drinks martinis!

Yeah! He’s a New Yorker, really into art and very motivated and ambitious. That being said, there’s also a lighter side to the character. I just hadn’t done comedy in so long, so I was really itching to do it. And Anna Kendrick is genius, and incredible at what she does, and I was really looking to work with her on something that was comedic and in her wheelhouse. She’s incredible in this, and it’s such an amazing project for her and role for her, so I was really excited to just be a part of that.

And the writing feels realistic and without too much reliance upon clichés.

Sam Boyd, the creator, he’s a really really smart guy. He was incredibly great to work with and collaborative and all that, but he wrote an incredible story. Really heartfelt and funny and sad at times, so I think it should be a really fun, wild ride.

Do you have a favorite romantic comedy?

Some of the older ones like When Harry Met Sally and Richard Linklater’s earlier stuff, including Before Sunrise. I loved those movies and the big, broad comedies like the Will Ferrell stuff.

Producer Paul Feig’s helming of Bridesmaids might bring a lot of curious eyes to this project. There are some similarities.

Yeah, definitely, I hope so. It’s really special and unique and also brings us back to movies like Reality Bites. It’s kind-of like a version of that for the newer generation.

That newer generation has been embracing romcoms on Netflix. Do you have any take on why those movies are doing so well there?

I don’t, to be honest, I didn’t know that. But as of right now, in the position where people are in quarantine, romcoms are movies that make you feel good, so maybe we’re seeing a lot of that just because of the times we’re going through.

Talking about your Love Life character any more would lead to spoilers, so do you mind if I ask you about the Narcos: Mexico season finale?

Nope. You mean the one we last finished?

Yes, and specifically, the conversation between Walt Breslin and Félix Gallardo. I’ve been comparing it to other great confrontations like Pacino and De Niro in Heat and FX’s Justified ending.

Wow.

Did you draw inspiration from any movies or TV shows, or was it solely about those two characters to you?

Oh, I was terrified to do that scene, to be honest to you. A lot of what you’re seeing is just terror, but I know that there’s always, in these sort-of male-driven shows, there’s always this reference back to Heat. You know, Carlo Bernard, one of the creators of the show, he worked with Michael Mann and actually worked on Heat, so we’re always throwing that around and stuff, so yeah, in so many ways, it’s going to resemble that scene. But I don’t speak Spanish, and that whole scene was in Spanish. It was a long one, so I am very glad to hear you say that it turned out so great because it was a very nervous one for me.

Aren’t you a Texas native? I grew up in Oklahoma, and Spanish wasn’t required but strongly encouraged. I can’t imagine going into that scene dry.

I learned a little bit in the time that I had, but even as a kid, I never picked up much Spanish living in Texas.

So when you think about Walt and Félix, do you sense any admiration there as well as contempt? Or was I reading too much into that?

Oh for sure! You develop, in law enforcement, when you’re going after a case for X amount of time, I’m sure you develop a relationship with that person, and you know so much about them that there is a sense of admiration and respect when you’ve kind-of got your guy. The very thing I think about that scene is that, like, there’s this idea that Walt got his guy, and he’s won. And throughout that scene, he [realizes] that’s he’s only created a worse problem. And I love the sort-of dynamics that shift in that scene. And him going through what is to come because of what [he’s] done. Like, [he] didn’t do anything but cause a worse problem.

And on a personal level, Walt didn’t even get the closure that he wanted.

Yeah, neither one of them. It feels like they both lost.

Have you heard anything about another season?

No, I would gladly be open to doing more. I had a wonderful time on the show and loved working with the crew down there and all the people on the show, executives and Netflix. It was a dream job, so I would happily jump back down there.

The first three episodes of ‘Love Life’ premiere on May 27 with the launch of HBO Max.

[x]

[ober-affen-geil]

You know, sometimes in fandom I'm sitting on something that I simply lack the inspiration to write and all of a sudden someone will make a comment or a point and I get smacked upside the head with motivation. That happened today with @soberqueerinthewild with this ask, specifically the point about echo.

Because honestly, I agree. The development of Max and Liz's relationship after the revelation of the truth of Rosa's murder was not really allowed to happen. Or, it did happen, but it took place off screen in the 6 week time gap. We went from a completely justified "I never want to see you again" at the end of 1x06 to "I ran out of reasons not to [kiss you]" at the end of 1x09. So yeah. Something happened there.

What I want to examine here is the foundational things we DID get that, while subtle, are this show's way of making that disconnect be less jarring.

First, let's look at why Liz is angry at Max.

Because she doesn't blame him for Rosa's death. She knows he didn't kill her, he didn't stand by and let “Isobel” kill her, and he tried to save her himself and couldn't. (I am operating on the assumption that everything we saw Max do in the flashback he relayed to Liz, even if we don't hear it in voice over.) So Liz doesn't blame him for Rosa's death. 

What she is angry about is not only did he cover it up (let Liz think her sister had caused her own death rather than being murdered), he did it in a way that smeared Rosa's name and caused her family grief and pain beyond what they already suffered by losing her. (You let the entire town think she killed Jasmine and Kate!/You made us a target.) And she angry about the recklessness of him allowing Isobel to walk free when they don’t know how or why she killed three people.

As I said, her initial reaction is completely justified. So how do we get from that to 1x09? For me, there’s two key things that happen.

The first is at the end of 1x07, when Max returns the the lab at the hospital after Isobel has checked herself into the psych ward. This is after the conversation they had earlier where Liz (rightfully) calls Max a hypocrite and he figures out that she’s working on something (using his blood) that has the potential to do serious damage to Isobel (and him and Michael).

Liz confesses that creating the serum has put her in a place where she’s using science to cause harm and she doesn’t want to be that person. She tries to give Max the sample, but and this is the crucial part, he refuses to take it. In fact he gives it back to her while admitting his blind spot toward his family. (The three of us are all alone together and I can’t give up on them, ever.)

“But if something happens, and I can’t protect you and Isobel at the same time, you should have a way to protect yourself.”

Earlier, Liz called the serum a “weapon”. Max is literally taking something that could be used to kill him and putting it in Liz’s hands while telling her to use it if she needs to. He admits that Isobel is dangerous and he admits his complicity in Rosa’s death. He takes the power to exact revenge, or justice, and gives back it to Liz willingly.

Technically it’s a protective action, but it comes at Isobel’s expense. Max has proven himself willing to give Liz all that he is, but this goes beyond just him this time. Considering he’s just told her how far he will go for his siblings, this is significant. This is also giving Liz the power to protect herself; allowing her to control the course of action.

Max gives Liz the ability and freedom to do whatever she feels the need to do to keep the town, and herself, safe.

The second thing is in 1x08, when Michael tells Liz that Isobel is the reason she left town so soon after Rosa’s death.

“He couldn’t watch you grieve. He was going to break, and he was going to tell you the truth and we couldn’t let him.”

Now, Max already told her this in 1x06 (I wanted to tell you, I came to find you a few days later), but Liz wasn’t exactly in the midset to be listening. So this is the moment it gets through to her that Max wasn’t going to let her suffer the thought of Rosa causing her own death. He was going to make sure she knew her sister had been killed, and he was planning on throwing himself (and Michael and Isobel) on her mercy.

The only reason he didn’t is because Michael and Isobel made the executive decision to remove Liz from his sphere of influence.

Those two key instances, in my opinion, are the points that address the core of why Liz was so angry with Max at the end of 1x06. Even though we don’t get the 6 weeks of reconciliation, I think a solid enough foundation was laid that, though jarring, the leap to 1x09 isn’t completely unbelievable.

[beybladeimagines]

How would the All Starz comfort an s/o who's feeling worthless from depression and being crushed from their too high self-expectations? (If you're wondering how I'm doing, I'm doing fine! I have support but sometimes it's easy to slip back into that way of thinking, you know? Keep up the good work!)

Mod Note: I’m so sorry I just now got to this, but thanks so much for your support and being an angel. I also appreciate you telling me that you’re okay, because I did low-key panic. But I love you and hope you continue to find happiness in the new year. 

MAX: Despite his cheerful exterior, Max knows the feeling of depression all too well. The feeling arrived the moment his mom left him and his stuck with him for years. It even seemed to escalate when he realized just how much he had to do to get his moms eyes back on him. Meeting expectations, especially hers, was pretty rough. Although much time has passed and he’s found ways to cope, it does arrive in waves and he’d never wish the feeling on anyone. So, when he realizes that his partner is experiencing the same thing, he can’t help but internally corrode. I just imagine him with his arms out, approaching his partner, and slowly bringing them to his chest. He gets it, so he finds himself holding the other tighter and tighter. He hopes that all of his love sinks right into their skin and finds a way into their heart. He isn’t exactly sure who made them feel that way, but he wants them to know just how unbelievably happy they’ve managed to make him. He knows that sometimes, we as people tend to prioritize others in our lives and their views of us hold a tremendous weight… But he also knows that validation from someone else can really reassure you that you’re doing the right thing. Upon holding his partner, I can see him kneeling before them, making sure that their eyes are on him as he speaks. If they’re crying, he’s there to wipe away those tears and smile while praising the fuck out of them. He’d bring up significant stories of their time together - all the moments in which his partner managed to change his perspective, or made him happy, or motivated him. He wants the other to know just how powerful they really are. He never even had expectations for them, but somehow they managed to make a profound impact on his life so effortlessly. Max would give it his all to remind his partner of their worth. It’d be a very memorable and emotionally intimate experience.

MICHAEL: His first instinct is to get angry, but never at his partner. Michael is truly a free spirit and seldom commits to anything or anyone (except for his team). So, when he’s finally found someone that he’s so completely addicted to and enamored by, he treats their pain as if it’s his own. His partner becomes his everything - I mean literally, he elevates them. At first, he wouldn’t understand the source of their suffering. It’s an innocent thought - he just thinks their so perfect, how could anyone possibly think otherwise? You’ll have to excuse his behavior, because he’s never had to think about anyone other than himself. The first thing he’d ask his partner is, “who do I have to annihilate?” He’d probably reach for his bat too, as if assuming that someone else was responsible for making his better half feel that way (and that violence is the only way to address it). Although his outrage might appear concerning, he’d never do anything without their permission, but he’d try to explain his actions. In the heat of the moment, he’d end up spewing out every single reason as to why he loved his partner. And how he just can’t wrap his mind around people who can’t see the exact same perfect person he does.

However, Michael can empathize with not being able to meet expectations as well. After all, he couldn’t meet Judy’s expectations and didn’t get a chance to play in the championships. Of course that was devastating and he had to rely on his own ego to keep from feeling like an absolute loser or failure. He knows how broken he was, and he’d want to make sure his partner never experienced the same low as him. He’d most likely use that opportunity to open up to his partner. Upon explaining his feelings, he’d most likely add how suddenly Judy’s expectations meant nothing when he found his significant other. He managed to reevaluate his definition of success. It no longer looked like being the All American Hero. Success ended up looking like a stable relationship with his partner and as far as he was concerned, he got that. So, he’d ask his partner to think about those expectations and reexamine them. 

RICK: He usually struggles to display his honest affection outside of aggression, annoyance, and the occasional narcissism. However, Rick is actually empathetic and the perfect person to serve as an ear for his significant other. At first, he’d listen in silence and pay attention to the subtle ways in which their voice cracks and quivers, their pauses, the words they use, and so on… Rick is trying so hard to understand and pick up on every little detail that others would otherwise neglect. He knows just how far someone can sink thanks to depression - he’s experienced it himself. Although he’s used those negative thoughts as fuel, he understands that it’s not always easy to do what he did (hell, he barely did it). As his partner is speaking, I just imagine him putting both of his hands on their shoulders mid sentence. He’d press his forehead against their own and breathe out softly through his nose. I can imagine him saying, “you’re too hard on yourself…” And that’s pretty powerful coming from someone who’s always hard on themselves as well. Although he can justify that behavior towards himself, he doesn’t think his partner should be doing it to themselves.

I can picture him listing off every thing he loves about his partner, all while offering kisses in between every statement. But all at once, he’d want to work through those thoughts with his partner. He’s not usually good with his words (unless it’s being sassy), but he sincerely wants to try for them. He’d listen to where there head’s at, but I see him always having a rebuttal to every piece of self-doubt and uncertainty that his partner extends. Rick isn’t the type to be encouraging - let’s be honest, he’s put a lot of people down. So to see him extending praise so effortlessly (like, literally, not even seconds after his partner spoke), just shows you how highly he thinks of his significant other and how much faith he has in them to meet all their goals. But, he’d also critique some of those goals and expectations if he found them harmful. Affirmation is great, but he calls bullshit on anything that has the potential to hurt them.

EMILY: If it were anyone else, she’d tell them to suck it up. Emily has tremendous trust issues and doesn’t like it when others are vulnerable around her. However, when it comes to her partner, she exerts all of her energy and attention on them. Again, Emily feels uncomfortable and intimidated by vulnerability. She knows that people take advantage of emotions, but she’d never be the type to do that to her partner. Her partner would be the first person to confront her with depression and although Emily is well-read on the topic, she’d struggle with truly understanding it. She takes this opportunity to really hear her partner out, to really familiarize herself with these emotions and the source of them. Honestly, Emily would ask some great questions and you can tell she’s trying to really empathize with her partner in order to avoid saying something unnecessary or stupid. She understands expectations. She has set many for herself and constantly curses at herself for not meeting them. But… If her partner doesn’t meet them, she doesn’t think they’re a failure. Rather, she thinks they’re so brave for trying so hard. 

Emily will begin to admit her admiration, but she’d be careful to avoid sounding as if she’s encouraging the kind of expectations being set. She’d tell her partner that some goals just aren’t meant to be reached. Although it’s a hard pill to swallow, especially for her, she is trying to transition into his idea that it’s so much better to focus on goals that are attainable, not self-deprecating, and not established thanks to the influence of others. Honestly, while speaking, Emily is also internalizing this advice for herself. She thrives from communication and wants to have a genuine and intimate conversation with her partner. Eventually, she’ll realize that she needs to shut up, so she’ll simply guide her partners head into her lip and start playing with their hair. She’ll allow her physical presence to serve as a distraction, but continues to encourage her partner to speak - regardless of what the topic is.

EDDY: Eddy would most likely attempt to distract his partner immediately. Sometimes, people don’t want to talk. Sometimes, it’s scary to actually vocalize the very things you wish weren’t weighing on you. Having to repeat expectations can be frightening and he doesn’t want his significant other to make those expectations seem as if they’re real and should be worthy of their emotional labor. So, he’d swoop in, quite literally (probably picking them up bridal style and swinging them around) before taking them out somewhere. It’s not that Eddy is avoiding the issue - rather, he’s also aware that it’s probably not best to manifest that negative energy in a space devoted to love and relaxation. He’d encourage them to speak when they felt comfortable while they were out walking, or while they were watching the stars, or while they were at an amusement park. He wants to be surrounded by things that can easily lift his partner when he sees that they are sinking. His mentality is very much “I have to get you out of here. I have to make you feel good. I don’t want you thinking about things that don’t make you happy. I want you to always be surrounded by the things that can put a smile on your face.” So, in other words, he wants to make every place a safe space, but also allow his partner to escape if they aren’t in the mood to confront their feelings.

STEVE: Steve has learned to be a bit more sympathetic, but continues to be straight forward. When he goes his injury, he realized he couldn’t meet a lot of the expectations he set for himself. He understands exactly what his partner is going through, but instead of making it about himself, he continues to stay silent and listens to them the entire time. He’d be the type to pull them into his chest and slowly rub their shoulder. He uses a lot of physical gestures to calm his partner down and to put them at ease. Through physical therapy, he’s learned how simple gestures can make profound impacts on the body, so he’s passing that knowledge down in order to make his partner as comfortable as possible. 

[chestnutroan]

Who is Ben? Have you talked about this character before?

Ben is my sole survivor, and my longest standing oc. I’ve posted a LOT of art of him but I’ve always put off talking about him at length but now I’m out of the rough when it comes to having the will to do anything, ill talk about him!

Frank (Benjamin) Romara was born in 2044 in Arkansas to African/Italian parents. When he was 13, he, his parents and his younger brother Gene were uprooted to Boston under absolutely no single good reason given at the time from his father. His dad died probably not a year later, and combined with the massive change of life Ben’s education went down the shitter, and he had to repeat freshman year. At the end of what should have been his sophomore year he got put in a program for “at risk youth”. 

[Detail about him, about Nick Valentine and Fallout Lore etc under the cut!]

The program was basically about increasing the amount of people entering government related jobs, because due to rising contempt less and less people were going down that path, and that’s bad for a whole lot of reasons, for the government at least. When it was first conceived of, it was more of a support scheme for kids not going onto greater things, but it expanded to where it was mandatory for any teen that met the requirements to be put through the system and spat out with more allegiance to their country. Ben checked off a lot of boxes, being poor, having bad grades etc. And at first Ben didn’t really mind all that much, given his lack of direction it was comforting to know that he’d be able to find a stable job to support his family, and that was exactly what seemed to be promised to him. He hadn’t yet gained a fervent desire to see the government crumble, the only part of it he hated being cops, who brushed his dads murder off like it didn’t matter. plus, the program offered extensive healthcare (a leftover enticement from when the program was optional), and it looked like the only way he’d be able to transition.

It wasn’t long, however, before it became increasingly apparent how insidious the program really was. For one thing, he was to be put into work (or training for whatever he will be assigned) at 18, meaning he’d have to leave high school with a sophomore level education. This was, of course, by design to keep the kids entering the workforce in that same workforce. When he was 17, he took a GOAT and got given two options: enter the police force or the US army. He didn't want to do absolutely either, but he picked the former, just because it seemed like his only shot to stay with his family. By the time he was 21, he’d become a detective, and before he could ever start to work on his own soil he was transferred to Chicago due to lack of workforce there.

And all over again, he’d been plucked out of what he knew and dunked somewhere else, and worse yet, he doesn’t even have anyone he knows to help him go through it. Most of the people at his station don’t really want anything to do with him, but he gets on with his job (his efficacy depending on whether or not he thinks hes doing the right thing), and quickly becomes the new hotshot ass hole there for his attention to detail, if not his actual ability to decipher motivations and piece things together. And this caught the attention of Nick Valentine.

Nick was the original hotshot ass  hole ofc, and it was owed to this that Ben, despite being to be shown the ropes, that he didn’t partner with the new guy despite being the only person there who could have helped him out. Nick was very, very good at his job, and due to his insecurities he wasn’t about to stop being the best and give people the chance to realise he doesn't get better than how effective he is at his work. I won’t get into the root of his insecurities, but he genuinely believes that he would lose all respect and that if he ever stopped being a try hard people would lose all reason to bother with him at all, and all he wants is for others reach out and be a friend to him. hes dealing with a lot of the same loneliness Ben is, but so long as he doesn't lose the facade of being a fully functional adult with a good job and a ‘loving’ wife he wont have to introspect and face who he thinks he is deep down (i.e. a man incapable of loving his wife romantically because of some personality fault he cant comprehend of how to fix as opposed to him just being gay and having a lot of internalised homophobia).

It takes Ben and Nick both reaching the point where they snap under the weight of the world they live in and the people who occupy it for them to come together. Nick ended up actually asking to take Ben on as a partner, and it took a lot of the load off of emotionally crippling work (serving a government neither of them believed in but being wholly incapable of escaping it, status quo being almost the only thing keeping them in place as opposed to trying to physically escape what they're doing together) but better yet, for nick, Ben helped bring out a side of him that wasn’t so afraid to be known by others, and he started opening up to other people at the same time as growing closer to him. (I think its important to like.not that nick doesn't wholly rely on Ben for all of his self esteem etc Ben is just a positive impact who gives him a space where nick can learn for himself that his worth doesn't depend on other peoples perception of him.) Nick realises that a lot of his negative perception/jealousy/etc of Ben when they first met was because he saw a lot of himself in him, Nick was in more or less him when he started some 5 or so years ago, and Nick helps Ben out in the way he wished someone had been there for him because he cares a hell of a lot about him and wants him to have the best chance at things.

And they grow into better people and just at the pique of things, where Nick is enjoying not being in an abusive relationship and staying with Ben while he gets back on his feet, Ben gets drafted and is trained at first to become a power armored foot soldier (standing at nearly 6′6″ he’d be a monument of fuck you to the enemy) but do to his deliberately bad aim with weapons, hes instead trained to pilot a vertibird, where hes then shipped off to anchorage. its there that he goes MIA after going against orders with his co pilot to provide medical assistance to a group of people stranded off from communication he spotted in flight earlier. Ben ended up glad later on that he and his co pilot were shot down, because for all 25 hours he was left dying in the snow, it meant that he didn't have to justify him going against orders by bringing back Chinese soldiers who’d end up a lot worse for wear than him. By the time his KIA status was revoked (they weren’t about to announce the miracle of his survival before they knew he’d survive lol) he’d already had a funeral, which Nick had attended, because I write like everything's a soap opera. but yeafksf him dying and attending his funeral left nick in a lot of grief, because he’d thought he’d have forever with Ben to go slow with him into being in a relationship and now Nick thought he’d never get that chance. and when they meet back up after it all when Ben returns it’s romantically charged to say the least.

Obviously I haven’t been sticking entirely to lore with this but the lore presented in fallout 4 is fucking bullshit so. i hesitate to call this a fix but i need to put in this disclaimer before i start spouting off. hey how about instead of nicks fiance getting iced jenny lands was actually his partner once he transferred to Boston to be with his husband to be, and she was cruelly twisted against her own intentions to try and kill nick because Eddie winter put her family in jeopardy and Eddie doing this was a coordinated attack towards them both that hes not just powerful enough to get revenge he can do it in such a way that they cant even trust the people around them. And nick got his mind juices squeezed or brain scanned whatever because of the resulting trauma of being shot by his best friend jenny. and also ‘Shaun’ is Ben and Nicks kid Max and upon learning later as a gen 2 that his son is the leader of a great source of trauma for nick hes forced to introspect in ways that have more tangible effects because his ability to decide who he is as a man ties into immediate problems  And nick doesn't have to focus on revenge disguised as justice because he has a responsibility to live in the here and now.

Thank you for this ask!! I hope that was coherent enough to understand kjdsf if you have any more questions about him or anything else I talked about I’d be flattered to hear them!

[lizacstuff]

Liza - I really enjoyed the meta on your favorite echo scene and hope you do more. I’ll eagerly devour any that you’d care to share. If you need a prompt maybe favorite angsty scene?

It’s so hard for me to choose, because I love the final Echo scenes in ep 3, 4 and 5.  I’ve watched all of them many times; they brim with angst.  If I have to choose one, I’ll go with the confrontation at the drive-in in ep 3. A few things I loved about the scene:

The Awkward -  The initiation of this scene is so deliciously awkward. Max is in the car with Cam, trying (futilely) to move on from Liz, and then suddenly there’s his dream girl, pounding on the car. Honestly, I enjoyed the way Cam (understandably) tries to object and is just roundly dismissed. Liz just gives her a look like, “This is so much bigger than you, back off,” and it works. Admittedly, I also enjoy that Max and Cam both know that Max is going to get out of the car and follow her. Sorry Cam, you drew the short end of the stick here. (As an aside, this was the last time I felt sorry for Cam on the romantic front because this was the exact moment she should have cut her losses with Max. The writings on the wall, girl.) Once he does follow Liz, he’s so deliciously frustrated when he asks, “What is this about?“ I get the feeling that maybe he thinks it’s a jealousy thing. Think again, buddy. (It is a bit, but not about Cam)  So when watching I felt a surge of vindication on Liz’s behalf when she shoves that letter in his face. Yasss, she is completely justified interrupting his date.  

Trust & Faith - Even though Liz knows the murderer is an alien (limiting the suspects significantly) and then finds evidence that indicates that Max not only saw Rosa the night she died, but was having an affair with her, Liz still goes directly to him and confronts him BY HERSELF.  We know Kyle was trying to call her and presumably she ignored it. It never occurs to her that she might need backup or even that it might be a good idea to let Kyle know what she’s doing. She goes alone and allows herself to be in a vulnerable situation with someone she’s going to accuse of murder. Wow. And once she confronts him, she lets it rip. She comes at him verbal guns blazing, methodically leveling every charge she has at him. She hides nothing, she doesn’t back down for a second. However, at no point watching the scene do I sense any fear of him. At all. She’s angry at him, she’s suspicious of him, but she’s not scared. In her mind she may be confronting a murderer, but she just knows that she’s in no danger from him. She has faith he won’t hurt her, even if she fears he hurt her sister. It’s pretty extraordinary. 

Max’s Mortification - Nathan does such an outstanding job when Liz starts reading Max’s ye olde love letter out-loud.  With his body language and tone you can just feel that Max wants to physically climb into a hole and hide. 

(perfect gif by @thatonekimgirl reblog the whole set here)

(much more under the cut)

He would prefer almost anything in that moment than having his 17-year-old words being flung back at him by their muse. He begs her to put an end to his humiliation, “Please just stop, come on.”  I was holding my breath waiting for him to blurt out that the letter was for her. On rewatch I love his squirming, I want to bathe in a pool of his angsty teen discomfort, but the first time I watched it was excruciating. Well done.  

Liz’s Motivation - When Max finally confesses that the note was meant for her, her reaction is swift and angry. Of course the thought had occurred to her. She’s obviously read the letter carefully with that in mind because she was able to offer an immediate rebuttal to the idea: “This isn’t about us. You and I never kissed.” I think her drive to confront him immediately that night is being driven by jealousy. When Max shows her his memories in the pilot, he convinces her that she’s special to him. Liz believes it and I don’t think suspicion being shifted to him as she starts to investigate, changes that. We know it doesn’t because she attempts to manipulate him with it: “We can get to know each other.” In narration, Liz essentially tells us she has to put aside the feelings and investigate objectively. However, here she is, full of feelings, banging on cars, furiously confronting a would-be murderer with no clear plan, and I don’t think she would be that reckless or enraged unless she was truly hurt. The letter being for Rosa means not only is he probably a murderer, but it also means what she felt from him when they connected is also probably a lie, and that’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.  

Jeanine is amazing as realization dawns on Liz and she remembers that day in April of senior year, remembers the blackout. She’s stunned, flattered, disconcerted; you can feel her anger melt away, and something much softer take its place. However, Liz must feel that too, feel her guard go down, because it only lasts a beat before she regroups and gets back on task. However, now that the jealousy has evaporated, she’s much more methodical. She’s able to catalog the evidence against him clearly and concisely. Well… she’s able to do that until Max brings out the big gun.

The Declaration - The best part of this scene is, of course, Max verbalizing his feelings for Liz. While watching I was mentally yelling, “Tell her you couldn’t have done it because you love her!!!”  AND then he did exactly that. “I have loved you my entire life, including every single day you were gone in the last decade.” Damn, son.

At the time, neither Liz nor the audience knows what happened to Rosa, and it’s obvious that Max knows more than he’s saying. However, Liz, and the viewer, are left with no doubts that when Max says he loves her, he means it. It’s not a cover, it’s not an excuse or distraction. It’s deep and real to him. It’s astonishing, really, because this scene starts with him on a date with another woman, and we know he’s hiding something, but we still give ourselves over and believe in his feelings for her. Part of that is the writing, part is the lightening-rod chemistry between the actors, and part of it is the intensity and raw emotion Nathan brings to the declaration and the sense of heart-stopping awe Jeanie brings to Liz’s reaction. Liz believes so we believe.

  In Hindsight -  Within a few episodes we find out exactly what Max is hiding, which makes rewatching this scene so fascinating. When Liz asks if he murdered Rosa, Max is genuinely shocked and wounded that she could even think he is capable of something like that. 

(Fab gif by @wonderrbat  go here to reblog the full set)

Look at that face! He’s sincerely crushed by the accusation, which is a bit disingenuous since he thinks, you know, that his sister did it.  Still, I believe his emotional reaction.

On a similar note, this line stuck out to me at the time, but I had no idea how telling it would become: “After all we have been through, do you truly believe I’m capable of killing someone you love.”  It’s the “you love” part that got me.  Then it was notable because most people would stop before that: “Do you truly believe I am capable of killing someone?” Full stop. However, we find out later that Max is entirely capable of killing someone, has few qualms and is pretty damn stone cold about it. So it’s the “you love” part that’s significant. It’s sweet that he’s capable of murder, but he draws the line at murdering people she loves. (that’s a joke, but also kinda not)

When viewed holistically, what astonishes me about this scene is that our flawed alien boy manages to protect the secret, while still being about as emotionally open and honest as one human being can be with another. It’s rare, stunning and shockingly romantic.

[the1rei]

Little Moments: Reboot Chapter Seventeen: What You Leave Behind By  Ericobard and shadows59 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Fandom: Ben 10 Series Relationship: Ben Tennyson/Gwen Tennyson Some Additional Tags: Bullying, No proofreading, Family is Drama, Long burn

There has been so much tragedy in Max's life, so many mistakes he's tried to make up for, so much time lost.  He thought his time as a soldier was over, be he's a soldier still, and the war comes home to call.  He never forgets that a soldier fights to protect what they love.

Read my review below:

The whole beginning of this chapter is a good example of the drawn-out melodrama of the reboot that gets silly when Max sees Carl but doesn't recognize him because he's still supposed to be a boy. If that were happening, Max would be running a fever so hot he'd be in the hospital. Like with Gwen in the previous chapter, it's just a bad cliche.

The going on about Lili's parents in this chapter is exhausting as it was when the same was happening with Lili several chapters ago. It's like suddenly being made to read a completely different story. This story is supposed to be about Ben and Gwen, huge dumps of information about other characters that don't meaningfully impact them are a weight that makes the story drag.  This would be bad enough if we didn't have a much tighter written version of the story to compare the reboot to, but we do.  

"that walrus of a husband of hers just grabbed Ben the second he walked through the door and dragged him upstairs!" To do what? Show me in the text where he did anything but stand outside the door the whole time Gwen was changing. Because if that was the only thing that he did, it was a waste of words.

It can be assumed that in some future chapter, the reading with have to read about how Sandra's parents aren't really that bad and they were just trying to do the right thing, and we shouldn't demonize them either. Anyone who isn't eagerly anticipating that or who'll be disappointed at that outcome has no right to defend the rambling melodrama of Lili and her parents.

Ben sleeping feels out of place too while Gwen must be at home staring into the crib waiting for Kenny to reappear, again it makes them seem out of step with one another, which they weren't ever during the original. Worse yet, it seems he's only asleep to cover for the fact that otherwise, the pendant couldn't have gotten where it needed to be without Ben noticing it or him being alerted to it being dropped off.  

After dragging the chapter out with rambling melodrama about unimportant characters, Max doesn't even get to have the moment of levity of finding Ben and Gwen together in the nursery. Why change that? The reader doesn't even get to see them sleeping next to each other it's just vaguely described. Max doesn't even get to protect his son Frank from having to go into, what is for him, an incredibly painful room to be in.

So Ben and Gwen's parents put them in bed together, under the covers with cloths that are half falling off. In the original, when Ben's parents found them sleeping in the same bed, spooning as they are in this chapter, with Ben on the covers instead of under them, that was enough to tip them off that they were in a relationship. What Lili's hyper-conservative parents would say when one of them would inevitably find them in bed together like this, and why don't they? Why change this from putting them to bed separately in the clothes they were wearing? How does the story justify this making more sense? It seems like this was changed to replace the cute moment of Max finding them together in the nursery that was also changed for no apparent reason.

Why does Max know without even talking to Wes that he is going to have to leave? It's been said multiple times outside the text that this next part is Ben and Gwen learning to rely on each other. That was the story being told in 'Breaking Point', why is it being fast-forwarded to midway through this story which was about Ben and Gwen realizing their feeling for each other? It again seems like while Shadows59 incest-insisted on rewriting 'Little Moments', his mind is still stuck in the later story with those themes.

So here, when Jim shows Max the picture of Gwen using magic to summon her water snake at the fire, she is easily identifiable because of her school uniform; even Max laments she didn't change out of it. This seems to be the reason that the event was changed from night to day, and it is a poor one that ended up causing problems in that previous chapter when Shadows59 tried to lift and reuse lines from the original. A reason that did not need to be created as it was already apparent who Gwen was and that she was using magic.

"Still, a pink aura… Not even Nimue was..." Is Shadows59 suggesting that Gwen is an even more powerful magic user than the Lady in the Lake? He deduces this just from the color of her aura, which she gained through a power-up rather than via real effort of training and study. This is a total affront to Gwen's character.

-Erico I blame you for every terrible decision I have noted through every chapter of this story. I can only hope that the mess of writing this story has become is because of you, then maybe Shadows59 can one day salvage his former talent for storytelling.

You are overly focused on Max's lying, spreading it into something it never was. How would Max's life be any different if he was just as absent but had told them the truth? In the show Max's lying only spread as far as what his job was, he accepted the responsibility that his work put on him, and the lost of fame and respect he could have because it was more important to him to keep the world and his family safe. Max's burden was that of a hero, and instead of the credit and respect he deserves, you have smeared him as a deceptive person.

How can you justify claiming that Max was so hubristic that he didn't know what he had? Or what he had to lose? He's been running from the plumbers all summer, was that just a game of tag to him? If Max thought he had any other choice but to go, then why did he tell Frank he was leaving? And how is it that his lies brought him to that point? Which of Max's lies caused the High Breed and their DNAliens to kill everything else because they are dying? Unless that motive has been replaced with 'punish Max Tennyson for lying.'

Oh, forbid I read one story and enjoy it for what it is, no there has to be this elaborate web of them, because one overly long story full of rambling melodrama isn't enough.

(As always, please go leave Shadows59 a nice positive review he won’t delete.)