#not willing to fully commit to jessie yet

[pluralthey]

Concept art for stupid asshole who thinks she's better than you. Honey badger with some tasmanian devil

[bonefall]

GOD THE ERIN'S THING WITH BIO PARENTS I'm rereading the series and I just got to Hollyleaf's death in The Last Hope and it makes me so mad how Leafpool is the only one who comforts her. Jayfeather only gets to shake and Squirrelflight is just fucking vibing in the background in a battle patrol. Fallen Leaves is more upset than her. SO mad so mad so mad

MAN LIKE... Please understand that I'm saying this with Leafpool love in my Leafpool heart. But it frustrates me immensely that the books went in the direction they did with the parentage of the three. There's SO much wrong here

The plot seems to believe, just post-reveal, that Squilf has to pretend like she doesn't love them so that Ashfur won't kill them (the fuck??)

As if Firestar would just ALLOW an attempted fucking murderer to hang out in his Clan???

Like, go back and read it, she says, "Go ahead Ashfur, kill them, you won't hurt me if you do. They are not my kits." LIKE??

Ashfur: "Wow I totally believe you! I just tried to murder 3 people including a medcat in cold fucking blood and all of you are witnesses now, but rats! I've been foiled! Fire scene cancelled!"

I remember reading this as a kid and being like "This scene sucks. Ashfur would never. Squilf loves her children. 1000000000 lionblazes kill this man now" and little Bones was SO correct

Brambleclaw ABANDONING HIS CHILDREN is just never properly addressed. He was willing to cover up murder earlier in the book for Holly but the minute he finds out they didn't come out of Squilf he's like "nevermind"

He throws a tantrum for all of OotS and then, only at the end, when Squilf calls out that he's throwing his whole family away because he's mad at her, does he reconsider any of his actions.

I think he's entitled to being upset and having his negative emotions, but NOT in how he ended up treating all these people who have been nothing but adoring and apologetic towards him. But nope, no deeper reckoning with that, Squilf does a Cosgrove ass "Hey! Cut it out!" and that's it.

And Leafpool gets put through this too. Leafpool is now completely and fully considered their mom, comforting them as their parent post-reveal. She didn't raise them and yet it's just considered normal that she's the one with a bunch of emotionally soothing scenes with her biokits

Like... I love the idea of her finally being able to acknowledge something she's hidden for so long. But, these cats never saw her as a mother. She was their aunt and their whole life has been rearranged, the emotions they're facing towards this reveal are nothing but negative. Their "father" has also disowned them, treating their mother like shit, and Squilf is keeping her distance believing this is all her own fault.

The feelings here should be SUPER complicated, and that's really JUICY!! We were ROBBED of something waaaay more emotional because of this bizarre commitment to treating bioparents as always better than adopted ones.

OotS kills meee mannn

OH and don't even get me started on how they needed to make Squilf pregnant with Bramblestar's kits in the end because they don't believe adopted kids are equal to bio ones, but also couldn't commit to making their precious Bramble into a bad person who remained adamant about cutting off all his old "family." Alder and Spark should have been Jessy kits and I'll die on this hill

(and also jessy should have cat divorced him after. and also commit to bramble being a toxic parent.)

[justjessame]

The Deal Chapter 38

I had a flicker of fear, as Negan took me back upstairs, that he’d make me stay with his harem. If he still thought I was a risk to myself, then would he make me sit with them and play nice? A laugh threatened to erupt from me at the thought of his dolls being my babysitters.

Luckily, for my sanity and his women, he took me to his apartment. Inside the room where I’d spent the majority of the time I’d been at the Sanctuary, Negan closed the door behind us and gave a long sigh. I turned to him, where he was leaning against the door, eyes closed, Lucille propped beside him. He looked far more tired than I’d ever seen him. And we just woke up. As though he could feel me staring, his eyes opened and locked on mine.

“Jessica,” he breathed my name, pushing off the door and rushing forward. Like he could finally see ME. The one he's been working so damn hard to uncover. And then, before either of us could make another sound, process another thought, his hands were cradling my face and his lips met mine.

I couldn’t think, not of a reason to stop him, or of a reason that I was leaning into him. My hands slid up and were holding his head in place, keeping his lips in place. I knew, a quiet nagging voice was trying to remind me in the back of my mind, that this wasn’t something I should want. That he wasn’t someone I should want or touch. Or need. But I did. I needed him. I needed Negan because he’d been the ONLY person I’d met that saw straight through me, forced me to face the world that I couldn’t stand to live in, and make me open up.

When my mouth opened under his, I felt him sigh into my mouth, and then his tongue flicked mine and I moaned. I felt the loss of his mouth so deep inside that it shook me. His forehead was pressed against mine and when my eyes opened, he was waiting.

“Shit, Jessi,” his breath fanning my wet lips. “Who wouldn’t I kill to finish this right now?” He pulled back and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose. Taking a fortifying deep breath, he stood up, but kept my face in his hands. “I WILL be back, Jessi, and we WILL finish this.” His fingers traced my face, and then with a small grin, he left.

My stomach was clenching in desire. And even when I could think clearly, once his heat and scent were gone, it didn’t go away. Not even a small bit.

When Negan returned, I couldn’t guage his mood. He seemed lost in thought, and so, I didn’t push. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know what Sasha had chosen. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what Negan had learned.

Eventually, after eating, he pulled me from my chair and onto his lap. A new, but not unwelcome development. He nuzzled his face into my neck and shoulder, and I realized, with a bit of surprise, that he wasn’t being cocky or as egotistical. He was taking his time to let me adjust to this new situation between us.

When he spoke, it wasn’t about what he’d promised before he left me earlier. And what he said was more shocking than him slowing everything between us down.

“Sasha?” I turned to look into his face as he leaned back into the sofa. “Is she true to her word?”

I considered what he was asking me. Sasha had been with Tyrese’s group. The group that Dad had scared off at the prison. The group that had ended up with the Governor, but who hadn’t fought against us in his war. She’d lost Bob, then Ty, and then she lost Abraham. Since he was asking if she could be trusted, then I had to assume she’d chosen Negan’s side. Yet, would she?

When Tyrese and Sasha had rejoined us at the prison, she hadn’t gone through what she’d survived through until now. And I was sitting on the lap of the man who personally inflicted the final loss. I heard what she’d called Dad. I knew she felt that Dad had failed and given in to Negan, which she found inexcusable, would she side with NEGAN the man who she felt caused all of it?

“I think, from the look on your face, Jessi, I have my answer.” He sighed, and leaned forward again, to press his face against the skin of my neck. “Fuck. I really hate this.” I waited, clearly Negan felt like sharing more than pleasure. “I want to get lost in you, Jessica Grimes. I want to take you over there to that fucking bed that I’ve laid with you in for over a fucking week, without touching you, and finally get lost in you.” Guess he hadn’t slept as soundly as he’d pretended. “Instead, I have to go down and call a meeting to make backup plans.”

I turned to face him again when he pulled back. I let my fingers trace his face, as he had so often done to mine. Who was he? Negan? Really? My fingers traced his lips, and I found myself leaning in, brushing his with my own. His hands, which had been resting on my hips, found the back of my head and held me to his mouth. Building the need I’d felt with our first kiss, and this time I took a more active role. My tongue tempted his, my teeth grazed his bottom lip, and I pulled away first.

His eyes, the ever changing colors, were nearly blown black with lust. I heard him groan, and I stood up. He had work to do, but I wanted him to understand, we were waiting to finish it, but I was fully committed to it. To him. To whatever we were heading toward. Because, since I stood in front of him, willing to let him kill me, to take away my misery and let my people live, I knew that I could trust him. Negan had the power to truly destroy me. To take my life, literally, in hand and squeeze it from me. Yet, he’d done the opposite. He brought me back. And while I wasn’t completely sure I was happy to be back, I knew that he’d done it. And I owed him, not a debt, but I owed him for being the one person who saw and helped. Without, actually in spite of, me not asking.

[aion-rsa]

How Bridgerton Season 2 Can Improve On Season 1

https://ift.tt/37GFCOp

This Bridgerton article contains major spoilers for Season 1, as well as concealed references to the books.

Bridgerton, the first TV series from Netflix’s collaboration with Shonda Rhimes’ production company, debuted on Christmas Day to viewers hungry for a romantic distraction from the ongoing pandemic. The recent announcement of renewal for a Season 2 comes as no surprise as rumors were already swirling. Although showrunner Chris Van Dusen has received praise from critics and fans alike for diversified casting and a storyline filled with drama, some noticed a few glaring issues that detracted from the enjoyment of the story. Here’s some of the areas where improvement could result in more viewers and even may win back viewers who weren’t able to finish the series initially. 

Moving Towards Color-Conscious Casting & Avoiding Colorism

Many Black viewers noticed that the major speaking roles during the season went to actors with lighter skin tones and darker-skinned actors had either minor roles or non-speaking background roles in crowd scenes or as servants. While Bridgerton did not need to provide an explanation for why people of color rose to prominence in their world, one was offered anyway. Many viewers also could not ignore the implications of Simon’s father as a darker skinned man being portrayed as evil. Past Netflix series/movies such as BlackAF, Dear White People, and Self Made have also been criticized for colorist casting. Complicating matters is that the UK industry has a more severe blindspot when it comes to colorism and there are even fewer opportunities for darker-skinned people, especially women to breakthrough in the industry. As Netflix is aiming for a global audience, these issues can’t be ignored by US or UK creatives. 

Colorblind casting also comes with the responsibility to ensure that skin tone stereotypes are avoided. Many viewers who did not read the books criticized Marina (Ruby Barker ) for being an example of the “tragic mulatto” trope, even though this was not the original intention of the novels. Her plot is a reflection of a real situation during and after the Napoleonic Wars, where soldiers died and women waiting for their boyfriend to return home for marriage had to raise children by themselves. It’s worth ignoring the objections of book purists to avoid repeating colorist media tropes. Fans should be able to fully separate events that are due to the way of life in Regency-era fiction from events that are designed to hurt Black/POC characters because of conscious or unconscious bias. 

There’s some hope for fans in regards to characters who were not introduced yet. An easy way to improve on Season 1 is to cast the main love interest and their family from the second book in the series The Viscount Who Loves Me as darker-skinned Black as well and to take that same consideration in auditions for the other main characters not introduced yet. These new characters can expand representation in a way that still rings true to what has been set up already. Marina’s plot could also be fixed to avoid tropes if a new character was introduced into later events.

Along with increasing color-conscious casting, increasing diversity in the writers room will also help resolve these issues. Black and POC screenwriters can bring their real-life experiences to the table and can review plot lines after casting is complete to avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes white writers would not catch.

Before Season 1 was released on Netflix, I wrote an article about how the show could avoid the Simon and Daphne controversy from The Duke and I. Although Sarah Dollard’s script from Episode 6 did remove the worst parts of the original marital rape scene from the book, the script was still constrained by the book plot glossing over the fact Simon (Regé-Jean Page) was indeed a rape survivor who was motivated by protecting his mental health after past child abuse. In addition, Simon not being able to revoke consent when he wanted to has additional negative connotations given the history of Black men being fetishized, dehumanized, and raped during and after slavery. The rest of the season did incredibly well in making sure that Simon’s plot was grounded in class and gender issues unique to the time but leaving this scene in alienated fans no matter if they read the books or were first-timers.

Quite a few fans on social media expressed disappointment or even went as far as to stop watching to avoid the scene in question. As future books are being adapted, there must be a conscious effort to do more than remove obstacles to consent such as alcohol consumption or communication issues. These plots must show that not only are both characters fully consenting to sex, but that consent can also cease for any reason without resistance or any aggression. Just because past romance fiction has relied on dubious consent related tropes it does not mean that the genre should be continuing to perpetuate these issues in light of the Me Too movement. 

Read more

TV

From Bridgerton to Hamilton: A History of Color-Conscious Casting in Period Drama

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

TV

How Bridgerton Can Avoid Outlander’s Mistakes

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

Commit To Radically Reformatting the Novel Timeline to Avoid Queerbaiting

Benedict (Luke Thompson) has used his second son status this season to pursue relationships with men as well as strike up friendships with artists outside the Ton. Quite a few fans believed that the season finale hinted that Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) were heading towards a queer relationship. Books 3, 4, and 5 blow giant plot holes into both of these situations as heterosexual love interests are introduced for all three characters. Since Bridgerton’s world is racially inclusive yet homophobic, crafting a happily ever after will be one of the challenges the writers will have to tackle next season. Fans are hoping the series will avoid what previous period dramas have done and ignored LGBTQ representation. 

In a best-case scenario, Benedict’s love interest in Book 3 is deleted or reformatted to accept a relationship with a bisexual man. Books 4 and 5 are much harder to reformat to result in a  Penelope and Eloise endgame as some characters already introduced this season have parts to play in those plots and others were not introduced yet. If the screenwriters are willing to put in this work, they can reverse the damage previous dramas such as Sherlock have done as far as setting queer romance fans up then dashing their hopes.

Where Was Francesca?

This is a more minor concern compared to some of the other things mentioned earlier, but it is interesting to note that Francesca (Ruby Stokes) returned to London in Episode 7 but managed to miss Daphne’s wedding. The distance between Bath and London is 106 miles which even by Regency travel standards was a realistic distance to cover. Did she not get enough advance notice when Simon and Daphne (Phoebe Dyvenor) received the special license? Was she delayed by weather conditions or did someone detain her in Bath? Her story may not get much focus in next season as events in Book 6 are considerably further down the line but this is a question fans will want an answer to eventually.  

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There’s nothing wrong with seeing ways in which an already great program has room for improvement and as a result win more viewers. This article is inspired by an informal collection of many social media posts from fans and critics of series alike after watching Bridgerton. Check out some choice examples below…

Okay, but seriously, I am going to bed. Black people should be in more period dramas. Give us all the gowns and cravats.

— Brandon (@blgtylr) December 30, 2020

Well, I've reached the climax of the season #Bridgerton We could've made it here without the unfortunate incident. It was deeply unnecessary. Issa yikes from me. Also the Whistleho reveal. Rofl. Like??? True tomfoolery. Not as bad as Dan being Gossip Girl but similar energy.

— Niq Fury (@queerspecimen) December 30, 2020

#Bridgerton isn’t flawless, and we should talk about it’s botched handling of race and consent. But it’s also the first mainstream adaptation of a wildly popular romance series in ages. You cannot divorce the show from its roots in the romance novel genre.

— ella dawson (@brosandprose) January 2, 2021

The post How Bridgerton Season 2 Can Improve On Season 1 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[toinfinityandbeyondrc]

Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear’s Heroic Abilities

My first post on Buzz Lightyear focused primarily on analyzing a few of the specific ways in which Buzz Lightyear’s actions presented him to be a heroic male, notably in the first Toy Story movie that released in 1995. Although it is clear that Buzz Lightyear made a few poor choices in this movie, we also saw ways in which he took the initiative to move forward and assist characters who happened to be in harms way. For example, there were multiple times in which he made efforts to rescued Woody.

 In the second Toy Story movie, Buzz Lightyear can also be analyzed in a way that he yet again shows heroic like qualities. It may be quite obvious to some that Buzz Lightyear happened to show more heroic like qualities in the second Toy Story, compared to the first. While analyzing both of the movies, we are able to see how Buzz Lightyear gradually matures based on the comparison of his personality in the first Toy Story to that of the second. As Buzz Lightyear matures, he not only sets an example for the other toys but also for the children who watch Toy Story. As children transition from childhood to their adult years, they share similarities with Buzz as they also mature and learn from the mistakes, just as Buzz Ligthtyear does. As a result of Buzz Lightyear’s heroic actions and his maturity, we will discuss ways in which Buzz Light-year represents a role model who inspires others to be heroic and make the right choices in their lives.

 In Toy Story 2, Andy and the other toys realize that a yard sale is going to occur on Andy’s lawn, which interrupts the functioning of their normal operations in Andy’s room. They become aware that Andy’s mother would soon be walking up into Andy’s room to gather any toys that she felt were no longer valuable to him. Fortunately for the toys, she only takes a slightly broken squeaky penguin toy that happens to be siting in a dusty corner on one of Any’s bookshelves. Woody immediately acts by going out to rescue the penguin, who is named Wheezy. While on his rescue, Woody has to suddenly play dead outside when he notices humans walking in close proximity. Although Wheezy makes it back into Andy’s room as a result of Woody’s efforts, Woody is left behind and must play dead. He is discovered and picked up by a man named Al, who is quite obsessed and willing to pay any amount for him. Andy’s mother informs him that Woody is not for sale and is not quite sure how he became misplaced. Although Woody’s mother tells Al that Woody is not for sale, Al causes her to become distracted and takes Woody, driving away. When Buzz Lightyear see’s this, he immediately responds by going to rescue Woody, however cannot keep up with Al, who drives away.

 Even though Buzz Lightyear doesn't save Woody in this scene, he can still be analyzed as a hero because he attempts to rescue woody and is worried for him. Although the other toys cannot find where Al drives away to, Buzz Lightyear uses a coding toy to find out what Al’s license plate number translates to in terms of words. He finds out that it loosely translates to “Al’s Toy Barn” and at that specific moment, all of the other toys know where Woody is headed. 

Another event where Buzz shows heroic-like qualities occurs towards the beginning, when Woody is clearly upset over the fact that he has lost hat and also over the fact that the stitching on his arm has become loose. During this time, Buzz Lightyear reassures Woody that everything will be okay and will work out for him in the future. Buzz tells Woody that he will still be able to go to cowboy camp with him despite the fact that he has lost hat.  

 In Toy Story 2, additional events occur, that ultimately show Buzz Lightyear’s heroic actions, such as the time that he defeats Zurg. In this scene, there are two Buzz Lightyear characters. The original and real Buzz Lightyear that we get accustomed to actually gets accused of impersonation by the Buzz Lightyear that we see on display at Al’s Toy Barn. The Buzz that we know, is accused of violating policies by not being in a box like all of the other Buzz Lightyears’s that are on the shelves. As a result, the fake Buzz Lightyear and the real Buzz fight and our real Buzz is thrown into a box and placed on a shelf. The fake Buzz lightyear pretends to be the real one and joins Andy’s other toys at Al’s Toy Barn when they are searching for Woody. Buzz lightyear does everything he can in order to get back to them and eventually both Buzz Lightyears have to work together to defeat Zurg.

 This scene acts as a flashback to the first Toy Story movie, where Buzz Lightyear see’s a commercial for Buzz lightyear action figures on TV and realizes that he is only a toy. This happens to be a very depressing time for him, however he eventually recovers and is able to go on knowing that he is a toy.

 Buzz Lightyear Defeats Zurg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb2cLA-GOxQ

 Buzz Lightyear Discovers He’s a Toy: (First Movie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seY8yHCxzV8&feature=youtu.be&t=0m29s

 When Buzz lightyear and all of the other toys make an effort to go rescue Woody when he is captured by Al, Woody is at first fully convinced that he should stay with the his roundup gang so that Jessie, Bullseye and the prospector do not go back into storage. In the time that he spent with them, they convinced him into believing that if he left them, they would not be sent to a museum in Japan and would have to go back into storage for the rest of their lives.

 While Woody is fully convinced that he is not going back to Andy’s home under any circumstances, the television turns on all of the sudden Woody sees a video of him singing “You’ve got a friend in me” along with Andy appearing on television picking Woody up and playing with him. These visuals cause Woody to become emotional and when he looks down at his shoe, seeing Andy written on it, he realizes his true purpose and that their friendship will never die. Woody decides to leave Al’s office and offers Jessie and Bullseye the option to go along with him. Prospector turns out to be the evil character and locks Woody in the room with Jessie and Bullseye so that they don't leave.

Buzz light-year and the other toys eventually come to the rescue and in the end, they all are able to return safely back to Andy’s home. If it weren’t for Buzz Lightyear and his heroic actions, it is likely that Woody may have ended up on display in a museum in Tokyo. Its quite interesting how one decision made by Woody to rescue Wheezy, resulted in him getting stolen and almost sent to Tokyo, where he would never be able to see Andy or the other toys again.

In conclusion, we see the endless efforts made by Buzz Lightyear and all of the rest of the toys to ensure the safety of Woody. Buzz can be best characterized as a heroic male in that he is focused in working to rescue others in danger and ensure that they are safe. In Toy Story 2, He does not give up until he knows that Woody is safe and back in Andy’s room. Throuhgout both Toy Story movies, we have ultimately seen Buzz’s true commitment and perseverance as he continues to present the qualities of an ideal heroic-male.