#season 3 resolve plot and happy ending or some kind of ending

[feijoaaas]

i bet they’ll reboot fr!ends any day now (dear apollo plz don’t find this post)

[quantifiableconnections]

I just finished watching Skam (Norway) today and let’s just say I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the BEST shows I’ve ever watched. I did take a lot of time to watch all the seasons (spanning over one year) but I enjoyed each and every moment of it. Well, some a little less than others. Hence, I have some thoughts and please forgive my yapping.

Okay so Season 1. I actually liked it quite a lot. The acting was good, and it gave a nice start to the whole story.

The getting together of the girls was the highlight obviously, but I really liked the portrayal of Eva in this, as a kind of lost teenager who doesn’t have a lot of direction in her life and is mostly dependent on her boyfriend.

I did think the Isak plot line in this was a little badly done, but I guess it was necessary for the big reveal in the end.

I think the fact that Eva was able to resolve things with Ingrid was very unrealistic, considering they had literally been besties and she basically stole her man. But really idk.

Talking about Jonas, he was majorly gaslighting Eva during the season so I think their relationship was a little immature. Classic right person wrong time.

Penetrator Chris is SO HOT. Especially in that mf smoky eye makeup istg. But he’s a giant asshole and we do not support him.

Season 2. Okay. First let’s start with the showstealer. Eskild my man. I don’t think Eskild is appreciated enough in the whole series but I absolutely love him!! He is so mature, and is such a good friend. I love the dynamic between him and Noora and even him and Linn.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room because why not? I did not like Noorhelm all that much. William never had much of a character development and we never get to see him expressing a lot of emotions. I forever stand by the opinion that Noora was too good for him. Many people talk about William’s support of Noora’s decision to not have sex, but really, that’s like settling for the bare minimum that can be expected from a decent person.

I think the dickhead of a brother had more personality than William. So in conclusion, season 2 did not really impress me but I’d watch it again for Eskild.

Eva hooking up with Chris?? The guy she cheated on her ex with? Can’t say I like this.

Season 3 is SO well done. There’s no question about it. I love Isak’s slow acceptance of his sexuality. From being a closeted gay guy who made homophobic comments to fit in, to a happy and out gay guy in a relationship.

Absolutely adore the boys. Jonas, Mahdi, Magnus. I especially loved Magnus and his take on the whole situation.

Eskild coming in and stealing the show yet again?!!

Emma and Sonja are VICTIMS. As much as I love Evak, they fucked their girlfriends over pretty bad and I hate them for it. Also, Emma is soooooooooo pretty.

The story of Even. His whole character portrayal. The picturisation of his mental issues. Chef’s kiss.

Minute by minute??? Are you trying to kill me here??? It is SO wholesome and they both have matured so much, especially Isak, dealing with his sexuality plus his boyfriend’s mental issues so delicately.

Their chemistry. Their chemistry. Their chemistry.

Sonja should NOT have apologised.

Overall, this season is tied with the fourth as my favourite.

Season 4. Sana is my favourite character hands down. She is portrayed so well, we see all her insecurities, beliefs so beautifully.

Yousana is my favourite couple. Evak is a close second.

The understanding between them, the intellectual conversations, the level of maturity. Just wondrous.

I did think the whole situation with the russ bus was overdone. I never really understood why Sana was so involved with it in the first place. This could easily have been summed up in one episode leaving time for more Yousana development.

Yousef is such a green flag omg. He’s literally the cutest out of all skam boys( my opinion). I just wish he had more screen time.

Elias and Sana??? Whatever bits and pieces we got to see of their relationship were GOLD.

I. Love. My. Girls. So. Much. I just wish Sana was shown interacting more with all of them, not just Noora. Also Yousef and Noora working together to thaw Sana??

I canNOT stress this enough. Yousef and Sana are the best couple ( besides Evak obviously). The chemistry, the flirting, everything was done so right that it got me blushing furiously through the screen. And they managed to do all this without showing any kind of physical contact. Just lovely. The way they counter each other’s opinions with such delicacy and respect makes me believe that they are definitely going to last.

The situation with Even and Mikael and all the balloon squad boys should have been given more screen time.

The way Sana’s faith and her relationship with her family were handled are commendable. We see the dilemma, the cogs of her brain working, and how she accepts her fate and doesn’t sway from her beliefs. I strongly believe that her and Yousef will handle their differences maturely and still come out to be a strong couple.

I SWEAR SHE AND I ARE SOULMATES?????? Cutest shit I’ve ever seen.

Sana and Isak’s friendship means so much to me. In Season 3, we see her rising above her opinions and respecting homosexuality. Here we see Isak figuring Sana out and helping her see beyond her strong opinions. And wdym Sana??? You are best buds.

Okay. The last episode. I absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best season finales I’ve ever watched. We go into the lives of all the girls and some of the guys too. I literally teared up at the Eskild and Linn part!!( idk why they still address Chris as penetrator Chris when his face is literally on the screen like people we know it’s not our girl?? Idk I find it extremely funny). I wish they had shown more of Vilde and Chris’ friendship in the past and not just the final episode. The Even part was absolutely incredible. His insecurities, his fears, and we see him pacifying Isak and not the other way around. Yousef texting Sana from Turkey?? And saying he’ll take her there?? My heart melted.

I literally don’t think Noorhelm is going to last long even though they have reconciled. Something just seems off. Joneva is back??? Didn’t really like the buildup but I guess they could be a good couple as they are more mature than the last time.

Okay. So that sums it up more or less. My favourite was season 4, closely followed by season 3. My favourite characters were Sana and Eskild, they were just so amazing. I related to Sana fiercely all through the show.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk. Feel free to give your own opinions please!!!!

[cross-my-heartt]

Nitpicking episode four (affectionately so)

I know this may be controversial but sometimes we nitpick things out of love and that is very much the case for me here.

I love so much about episode four and much of it has already been talked about but I would still tweak some things to make it perfect because I'm an incorrigible Crosshair girlie and I'll both dissect and cherish every moment he's in the limelight while it still lasts.

Anyway without further ado

1.) Crosshair's recklessness. I love me a trigger happy sniper but my man would never come so close to decking that imperial officer.

By all means that should have been Omega. Crosshair's motto has always been playing it safe (the thematic manifestation of dispatching danger from a safe distance). The point of him staying with the Empire is that despite the drawbacks and the Empire's moral corruption, they would have been 'safer' there.

Crosshair is willing to tolerate a lot if it's in the name of safety and the only times he's downright reckless is when he's pushed to the brink (killing Nolan, escaping Tantiss). Omega on the other hand has already shown that she has a lower tolerance for injustice. Her standing up to Hemlock earlier in the season was a reminder of that and it would have been more consistent to make her the one nearly provoked into a confrontation here.

So I would have had him holding her back here seeing as assessing danger and realizing the benefit of laying low is something Crosshair should be better at between the two of them.

2.) Huge missed opportunity to make Crosshair and Omega cooperate during the gambling scene. It was fun to see them bump heads but I would have loved to see more of them cooperating in creative ways, like Crosshair using reflections to see the officer's hand and helping Omega cheat the game.

Otherwise I would have made it a game of Dejarik. Because we have context for her being good at that while we haven't seen her play much sabacc so far. It's kind of like saying that if you're good at chess you're automatically good at poker.

3.) This could just be me but that moment where it seemed like Crosshair was about to let Omega go after Batcher alone felt off for his character. Crosshair lives to fight for a cause and I'm pretty sure it's been established that Omega is that cause now.

The best explanation I can think of is that he was bluffing and I can completely see him doing that in an attempt to change her mind. If it were me I would have made it look more like a dropped bluff and less like a 'this could have gone either way situation'.

4.) Would have loved to see them resolve the escape situation a bit more creatively too. I'm not a fan of the all the creature moments (don't love them in the new Vader run either) and a cute little team up between these two, combining their shooting abilities and using stealth and the terrain in their favor would have been cool to see. And just imagine Crosshair caving in at the very end, agreeing to let the animals go anyway after Omega has puppy eyed him into doing it.

Ten out of ten would have lived for that.

5.) The tremor. Where is it?? Why aren't we seeing more of it??? This really should be a bigger deal, I really need it to be a bigger deal. Yes, we see him miss a lot of shots but I need more.

6.) Reunion. This is the hardest for me to criticize because it does make for some great drama and a great cliffhanger but I'm more for putting character before entertainment.

The only way I see them making dagger eyes at someone they were ride or die determined to rescue not too long ago is if they still suspect Crosshair of setting up some kind of trap. Which is a bit of a reach this far into the plot.

Character wise it just isn't a logical decision for me.

But yeah, I suppose it all depends on where they take this scene from here. Let me know what you think.

[anthurak]

So with the episode Full Moon apparently close at hand, I thought I’d talk about a topic I’m very interested to see going into the rest of Helluva Boss’s second season and beyond:

I am very curious as to whether the looming breakup between Blitzo and Stolas that we’re seeing more and more indications of in the trailers is actually going to STICK. As in, is the backhalf of Season 2 going to be a situation wherein we get the Stolas breakup in Full Moon, followed by a few episodes of moping, angsting, soul-searching and character-development which leads to a big reconciliation/make-up/getting-back-together moment in the season finale? OR, again, is the Stolitz breakup actually going to stick going into Season 3 with Stolas and Blitzo still broken up?

Like I think we can guess that the big ‘trial’ the other Goetia put Stolas on that we see in the trailer is from the penultimate finale episode Mastermind, which if Season 1 is any indication is likely to be the season finale-proper in terms of plot and character development.

Which I have to imagine will also include the shots of Andrealphus fighting and this shot of Blitzo protecting Stolas (note all of the ice around them)

So I think it’s a safe bet that the ‘trial’ is part of Andrealphus’s (and Stella’s) plot against Stolas, with Blitzo trying to help which ends up leading to the fight with Andrealphus and the shot of Blitzo trying to protect Stolas.

Now in most shows, it’s easy to imagine this chain of events leading to Blitzo and Stolas having a big, dramatic make-up/reconciliation/getting-back-together moment and ending the season as a couple.

However, given the show’s track record, I can’t help but think that Vivzie and the other writers AREN’T going to give the Stolitz drama and breakup such a quick, simple and easy solution.

Perhaps the events of Mastermind DO lead to Stolas and Blitzo getting a reconciliation and resolution to the big breakup they had. But NOT in a way that leads to them getting back together, but instead has them both recognizing and accepting that what they had together wasn’t working and COULDN’T work, and leads to them being able to part on (semi)good terms. Maybe this is where we get Stolas’s “Thank you Blitzo…” line from the trailer?

Now, to be clear: I still think that Stolitz is PROBABLY ultimately endgame for Helluva Boss. I also think it would be interesting if the show took it’s time getting there. Like I wouldn’t be surprised if Blitzo and Stolas actually getting together for real is (at least close to) an end of series development. With Stolas and Blitzo needing to work through and resolve their own personal issues and baggage before they are able to make any kind of real relationship work. This feels especially the case with Blitzo, who it now feels like is set for a series-long arc of dealing with his personal trauma and baggage and ultimately learning and accepting that he can be happy and loved by others.

And in the meantime, perhaps we might also see both Stolas and Blitzo explore relationships with other people?

For example, I have become very curious as to whether Vassago really will be a viable love-interest for Stolas as some people have started theorizing. Like going back to the theorizing about Mastermind, what if Blitzo isn’t actually able to help/save Stolas from Andrealphus, and instead it’s actually Vassago who ends up saving him?

Say, what if this shot of Stolas and Blitzo about to be crushed by what is almost certainly Andrealphus’s giant ice-claw leads to VASSAGO having a big, heroic moment to save them both? And therefore getting the 'rescue romance' moment with Stolas.

Which in turn, leads to the end of Season 2 going into Season 3 having Stolas hooking up (if ultimately temporarily) if Vassago while Blitzo has his own accepting, if bittersweet, resolution. Maybe he actually does get a poly-thing going with Moxxie and Millie?

Again, I do think we are eventually going to see Blitzo and Stolas together. I just have a feeling it’s not going to be a quick and easy path to get there. And personally I think that’s way more interesting XD

[intrepidacious]

✩ upcoming wips

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i haven't been posting a lot lately because i'm a slow writer and life has been kicking my butt but i've wanted to let you take a peek at what i've been cooking up in the background!!

what little attention i have at the moment has been going into time after time but there's a lot of ideas constantly swirling around in my head and i've wanted a place to put some of them. shockingly, these aren't even all of my wips. yeah, i know.

this is just a snapshot of the most prominent fic ideas i've been working on at the moment which means that plots and especially titles might still get changed. also i'm not committing to any sort of schedule with these so keep that in mind :')

please feel free to ask questions about any and all of these and i'll do my best to answer <3

✩ one shots

a smile that cold - ransom drysdale x f!reader - au inspired by daphne du maurier's rebecca - (well, mostly by its musical adaptation, which is great) - i'm going full gothic/seasonally spooky vibes in this one - tropes: widower remarries, mystery, dark-ish (well, there's murder), perhaps a hint of spice - status: mostly done, but still missing a chunk in the middle

to home afar - bucky barnes x freader - the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society au - (oh yes we're going there) - i love this book and this au so much but i just haven't had the time to focus on it - tropes: 40s!bucky, dad!bucky, writer!reader, one (1) broken engagement, fitzsimmons appearance, hints of epistolary storytelling, pen pals to friends to lovers - status: about halfway done, still missing some connective tissue

all that's been (and all that won't) - bucky barnes x f!reader - buffy the vampire slayer au - tropes: slayer!reader, vampire hunter!bucky, friends to lovers, inspired by me rereading all the vampire knight manga so if you know those you'll see the twist coming, canon-typical violence - status: conception phase, some scenes written

stay here forever - 40s!bucky barnes x f!reader - a continuation of first date, last night - this was a plan ever since i posted that story and yet - tropes: friends to lovers, mutual pining resolved, tfa!bucky, kinda angsty, will probably get another part … - status: mostly written, missing connective tissue

just for spite - bucky barnes x witch!reader - originally inspired by a moodboard by @treatbuckywkisses - this has been sitting in my drafts for an embarrassingly long time - might end up being a collection of loosely connected one shots - tropes: post tfatws!bucky, practical magic vibes, there's a cat, slow burn? maybe? - status: first part done, some more scenes written

death becomes him - steve rogers x grim reaper!reader - inspired by a mix of meet joe black, elisabeth (the musical, not the movie), the fairy tale godfather death, and the show dead like me - this is such a weird idea and i need to write it so bad - tropes: canon-compliant-ish, slow burn, artist!steve, will probably include time jumps, dark-ish for obvious reasons - status: random scenes written

tomorrow - steve rogers x reader - inspired by the river song storyline in doctor who - (yes you read that right) - i love using my most random au ideas for steve, i think this works so well and i'm so excited about it - tropes: opposing timelines, kind of slow burn kind of established relationship, goes through steve's entire mcu timeline - status: scenes written, writing time shenanigans is tiring if that's all you do though :')

ghost light - lighthouse keeper!steve rogers x reader - (yeah) - this one is so random but i cannot stop thinking about it - tropes: retired!steve, maybe a little angsty but it's fine really, either writer!reader or barista!reader - status: vibes and like two paragraphs

mirror's image - endings, beginnings!frank x reader - fic based on "why'd you only call me when you're high" by the arctic monkeys - tropes: fwb, drug consumption, angst and spice, idk if this will have a happy ending or not - status: about one third done

✩ series / AUs

dear heart, it's me - anthology based on the amazing devil's album "the horror and the wild" - listen for vibes 😌 - will probably posted for a milestone celebration - pairings include: stucky, bucky barnes x reader, natasha romanoff x reader, wanda maximoff x reader, jefferson x reader, steve harrington x reader (more tbd) - status: one fic stuck in revision, three more started, real excited for one additional one atm

nothing else will do - continuation/expansion of my rewritten drabble - think medieval-ish fantasy vibes, once upon a time with some princess bride thrown in there - pairings include: outlaw/pirate!steve rogers x reader, knight!bucky barnes x reader - status: lots of daydreaming and some random scenes put onto paper

occupy my brain - continuing these two drabbles - ransom drysdale x reader - there will be at least two more chapters but i am aiming to keep this one short and sweet - status: it’s more or less planned out, if only someone would finish writing it down that’d be great

come fly with me - introducing my pilot!bucky au!! - i’m not sure where it came from either but i’m having fun and it grew out of my control fast - series of connected one shots within the same universe - (i also have plans for sam and steve with this one!!) - status: not a priority rn, but i have a couple of ideas floating around my brain

read you like a book - library au!! - you’ve already been introduced to this universe’s bucky and steve and i love them dearly - status: again, not a priority at the moment but they’re coming

something bout you - beloved - ngl returning to this one is probably gonna hurt but i still want it to exist - college au steve rogers x reader - this is my childhood friends fake dating au that i made up for ren - status: hopefully i will return to this one day after tat is done

i feel awkward tagging people in this but do feel free to reblog this and do tell me about your favourites lmao okay have a nice weekend 🫶🏼

[scarlet-witchery]

i was tagged by the lovely @callivich for some fandom asks, let's fuckin goooo

What’s a fic you’ve read more than once? Cold Feet by aeli_kindara; In a Haze of Smoke & Fire by IanRightsOnly; please don't say I'm going alone and broad-shouldered beasts by biblionerd07; Cooperative Gameplay and Bright by grayola; to think that we could stay the same by teatrolley; love, let your hands be tender by sadwhales; to stop our hearts from drowning by enbytim; Redheaded Stepchildren by ZebraWallpaper (there's a lot, I know)

What’s a gifset you always have to reblog? anything with 5x10 i'm a slut for love and violence interplay

What’s a headcanon you can’t stop thinking about? honestly when/if ian and mickey do eventually end up with a kid (it would happen completely by accident, of course) they're the biggest girl dads ever.

What’s a fanart you love looking at? this one is g o r g e o u s

What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration? well, i'm currently working on a soulmates au fic that's canon-adjacent of seasons 1-5, so that's been fun! (featuring romantic and platonic soulmates because i refuse to write only the romantic kind :p) i'm also fond of writing character study fics when the mood strikes. i haven't been motivated to write fic and post it in nearly ten years, but i'm very happy that shameless and gallavich have helped me knock some of the rust off the old writing skills.

What’s an underrated trope or concept you’d like to see more of? SHOTGUNNING. where are all the shotgunning fics. also nurse!mickey (I read a fic with this once and it's a crying shame there's no emt!ian/nurse!mickey fic--at least none that i've ever seen...)

What’s your favourite season? And has this changed after multiple rewatches of the show? i've only watched the show through once but honestly s4/5 are my favorites, but i have a special place in my heart for s1 and s10.

What’s a plot hole you wish had been answered or resolved? I mean the fact that they managed to convict mickey of attempted murder and debbie of statutory rape is insane. (the age of consent is 17 in illinois! and it's literally sammi's word against mickey's AND debbie's! but it's fine, just fine, everything's fine...)

What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship? these two are the most siken-coded ship since dean/cas. in particular: little beast, saying your names, you are jeff, and wishbone. I even named my gallavich playlist on spotify after a siken poem, and half the chapter titles in my long fic will end up being from his works as well....

What do you think is next for Ian and Mickey post-finale? i think things are gonna go okay for them! i think that they may make their way back to the south side, but in a house of their own not too far from the other gallaghers. i like the idea of them ending up with a little girl of their own but i can also see them just being cat dads and being the best uncles to ian's siblings' kids. i would love for them to reunite with svet and yev later down the road, as well. there's endless possibilities <3

[hhawque]

Ahhh boy! I’m usually not a text post girlie but this Doctor Who special has grabbed me and forcibly yanked me out of seclusion lmao

I have some thoughts about bi-generation. I’ve enjoyed reading other people’s takes, so here’s mine. Fair warning: it’s a bit critical, so if you enjoy the plot point and don’t want to read criticism, keep scrolling! I’m genuinely glad you’re happy :)

Thoughts below the cut:

So, first things first: I totally understand why they did this. Since the Disney deal, it’s no secret that the executives want to revamp the show and bring it to a wider audience. They’re even calling what would be season 14 “season one,” marking a reboot similar to 2005. But “character with millennia of trauma and extreme repression” isn’t exactly a Disney-friendly mascot for this new era.

Basically, I think the writers backed themselves into a corner. Starting off with the Time War, the Doctor’s traumas and repression have increasingly become a key part of their character in the NuWho era. But that doesn’t fit with the new vision. They had to fix this somehow.

Hence, bi-generation: one Doctor processes the trauma, while the next one goes off to continue the adventure.

From a new branding perspective, this makes perfect sense. But from a writing perspective, it feels unearned.

And here’s the thing – I know Doctor Who isn’t supposed to be some deep show, or some masterclass in emotional writing. It’s supposed to be about whimsical adventures in time and space, and I love that! It’s goofy and offbeat in its bones, and I do enjoy that we seem to be returning to those roots.

But what I didn’t really enjoy is that the new Doctor’s progress feels shallow. It’s just like, bam! Trauma healed! Everything’s good now!

I dislike this for the reason I dislike the “insta-love” trope – you get all of the results without any of the work. You don’t get to feel the impact of it, since it all happens offscreen.

The truth is that there was probably no satisfying way to resolve this issue. Healing takes time, and time, ironically, is what this show does not have. The reboot/rebranding is happening now, not in a season or two. So in that sense, I do appreciate that the Doctor, in some way or another, got time to heal at all. I could easily see them pulling some kind of “he healed through mindful regeneration!” thing, which would’ve pissed me off to no end.

Some other more minor things: I wish there was a concrete reason the bi-generation happened. Spontaneous plot points like that bother me for the same reason “insta-love” does – all the results with none of the buildup. It also feels kind of stale because we’ve seen something like this before with Tentoo.

However! There were also a lot of things I liked about the episode: Here are some:

1) The Doctor and Donna’s relationship. I’m so, so thrilled that a platonic relationship was finally represented as a deep, powerful and healing force. In popular media, those kinds of relationships are usually romantic or construed to be romantic, but the canon leaves no room for that, which I deeply appreciate.

2) Neil Patrick Harris was great as the Toymaker. I especially loved the Spice Girls song and dance routine. It felt so whimsical, yet so menacing.

3) I kind of said this already, but I am glad the Doctor got to actually heal in some form. That last scene of him with Donna’s family, now his family, made me sob lmao

I am excited for the future of the show! Ncuti looks fucking awesome, and I think he’s going to bring a fresh vibe we haven’t seen before. Doctor Who is a comfort show for me, and overall I am happy with the direction it seems to be going in.

TLDR: I don’t like bi-generation because it doesn’t feel emotionally earned, but the next Doctor looks amazing and I’m excited for this new era :)

[transmutationisms]

caden. my love. i feel like u might not be one for predictions so don’t answer this if u don’t want. BUT how do u think they’ll end the show? cause personally i feel like there has to be SMTHN that is a clear endpoint just so the audience feels resolved in some way - obviously that doesn’t mean it would be a happy ending (obv not 😭) or that it it won’t be an open ending (bc ofc it will). just that it would be a clear ending of some sort. i.e. i feel like there has to be SOMETHING that makes this next episode feel like the last episode and i want to know if u have any thoughts as to what that could be (i also might be completely naive about endings on tv/narratives idk. it could totally be that. but there’s gotta be an endpoint right? jesse went in knowing it was the last season so it’s not like he was writing to set up for a further season).

hiiii sursh <3 honestly, the only major endpoint i can see is that i really do think kendall will beat his siblings in some way. like, he gets the board to screw them, or he finesses with mencken and matsson, or something. i don't think there's going to be a timeskip, so none of this will be resolved definitively, but it'll be implied that kendall has positioned himself such that he gets the power he always wanted, but is basically emotionally wrecked and everyone hates him lol. i'm less sure about shiv and roman, but like, for roman the emotional betrayal would hit hard, and shiv would be really truly miserable if her options were to sacrifice familial power entirely or become kendall's subordinate. also i think there will not be a tomshiv split-up and they will end in a deeply dysfunctional place making each other miserable and ruining this baby's life <3

apart from that..... idk i mean, maybe the board convenes? i think the writers might want to say goodbye to some of those characters? and i would love it if we actually got caroline's family retreat thing lmao, especially if it was kind of an inversion of the s2 finale where at the last minute kendall succeeded in screwing his siblings. i'm not banking on that though because sometimes plot suggestions on this show just don't come back in the next episode lol. oh and sadly i do think there's a decent chance we don't see connor at all in the finale. mencken and matsson will obviously be players in some way but might not have much/any screentime, because at this point it really has to come back to the siblings. literally i could be wildly wrong about all of this though :P

[calamity-aims]

20 questions!

thanks for the tags @gaeasun @saltsanford @purgetrooperfox <3 love you guys

How many works do you have on AO3?

75

What’s your total AO3 word count?

238,592 (ooh I'mma celebrate when I hit a quarter million)

What fandoms do you write for?

mostly Star Wars! I wrote fic for some other fandoms early on but we don't talk about those

What are your top five fics by kudos?

your heartbeat's a countdown - crack fic in which the Jedi know the clones are a trap and try to avoid them at all costs

Necessary - a whumpy Voltron Klance fic I wrote after the first season (before the show went to hell)

their days are darker - in which Wolffe doesn't know how to drop anything and Fox is having the worst two days of his life

the broken-hearted rang their steeple bells - tropey Witcher kinkmeme fill that for some baffling reason has tons of kudos

exploitation, hesitation - short oneshot in which Fox assumes General Kenobi is just like his natborn superior officers and reacts accordingly

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I used to reply to every single one (unless it was just emojis) but then I fell off and now I feel bad :( I read them all though! and they are so treasured! one day I will make it through the backlog

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ooh see despite writing a lot of angst, I almost always write happy endings, so maybe I'll take no gold, I'll take no silver (please read the tags on that one). maybe spit some blood at the camera is pretty sad too, actually

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

all of them!! yayyyy! even if it's not spelled out, I usually resolve things because that's the world I want to live in! every fic is a fix-it fic

Do you get hate on fics?

not really, mostly just people asking when I'm going to finish, although I have seen people complaining that my version of Fox/Corries is banal and overdone which like yeah. I agree. but my brain won't let me move on.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

hell yeah I do! I don't know what "what kind" means - I write characters fucking, never x reader and rarely OCs; and it's usually somewhat kinky because I just can't not

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've written a few fusions/AUs - elysium is as far as to is a Gladiator AU, everyone wants a double feature is a Pacific Rim AU, and more human than human is a Bladerunner AU. but I've never done a straight-up crossover, although there are a few bouncing around in my brain (namely, the GAR joins the Decepticons and another where Boromir meets Rex and falls in love)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

yeah I've had real problems with people plagiarizing fics, from lifting whole sections of dialogue to copying really specific scenes

Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope, but one got a podfic

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

yeah I cowrote hold me like a grudge and sometimes a parrot talks (unfinished) with the fabulous @postapocalyptic-cryptic!

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

oh man. I love Quinlan/Fox to death. but I will admit that I was Stucky trash from the very beginning.

What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

ooh there's a lot. Mace/Fox fic, sometimes a parrot talks, deaged Corries, chroma...

What are your writing strengths?

hm. I don't know. I think I'm good at characterization and dialogue?

What are your writing weaknesses?

fukcin plot beyond "there is hurt and then there is comfort". and also explaining more about people's emotions, like, I know what they're feeling but I need to tell other people

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I just use google translate, I'm sorry

First fandom you wrote for?

oh boy oh fuck. The first fandom I ever wrote for was Phantom of the Opera when I was in eighth grade. go ahead and laugh

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

uhhh. aaa? um. probably unexplain the unforgivable, but I also really liked how a once and future sun turned out

no pressure tags for @postapocalyptic-cryptic @meerlichtz @milfmisspiggy @catboydogma @jaigeye

[cogentranting]

My two biggest gripes about Lost season 6:

I would have let Jin and Sun live. I go back and forth because there are some ways that I think their deaths really contribute to the ending that's important. But also they got put through the ringer so badly, and they were separated for years and JIn never even got to meet their daughter. The flash sideways softens the death a lot because they do still get a happy ending and you know that pretty much right away. But I still wouldn't have done that.

I get what they were going for with Sayid's arc but it needed to be done differently. In some ways I think it works because a lot of Sayid's character throughout the show is struggling with whether he's a good person or not. And we see him go back and forth a lot-- he'll be very heroic and kind, but then he'll end up doing terrible things. So that needed to be resolved in the final season and they chose to do that by saying ok, he's backslid before so he can't just do the right thing in the final season, we have to see him really pushed to overcome something. And they did that by having him overcome the Man in Black's influence. I think that works. Except that it is never very clear what exactly that influence is and how it works. And after the destruction of the Temple, Sayid is kind of relegated to the C plot so the important moments with him (namely: sparing Desmond, siding with Jack et al, and sacrificing himself) get overshadowed a little bit keeping the arc from being as effective as it could have been.

(also two minor things: 3. I would have explicitly brought in the idea of Sawyer going back and being a father to his daughter, as a new motivator after the death of Juliet. 4. I would have given more significance to Jack and Claire being siblings.)

[eggbertith]

Season 4 wasn't great. I've LOVED every other season but for this one the characters were off, the jokes fell flat (if I hear one more fart joke I stg) and the huge time skip wasn't great either.

The whole season feels like they could have condensed it down to 2 episodes but they decided to add a million characters and plot lines that didn't matter.

Idk. It looks like they overworked the batter and the fluffy pancake we were promised is now flatter than a witch's tit.

I mean, still technically a pancake. So I'm not mad, just disappointed.

disclaimer: i LOVE the dragon prince, i loved seasons 1-3 and i enjoyed season 4. here's the deal, season 4 is a fun season and i enjoyed watching it. i do think, however, that the writing got a mediocre a little too often for it to be worth the 3-year wait. if you disagree with me, i am more than open to hear thoughts and counterarguments. seriously. i think discussion is healthy and it's something i actually really enjoy because i like talking. also, i'm way too tired to have people yelling at me/to yell at other people with a different opinion than me...i am a college student and i am already dying so please, be respectful. i am not trying to actively insult anyone who liked season 4 and i am also not vehemently hating on the show [criticisim != hate] i'm more than happy for the people who enjoyed the season and i really do like to hear thoughts. with that out of the way, hello anon, here's a wall of unorganized text that attempts to convey my feelings overall

since i am an actual child, i laughed at the jokes but that's beside the point. i get where people are coming from when they say they were poorly timed and/or didn't land well

but on the topic of jokes, season 4 had me laughing at a lot of things i....shouldn't have been laughing at. and honestly, it makes me feel like an asshole lol but i'm sorry some of the more emotional or intense scenes are just really goofy with the way they were executed and yes, if someone wants me to, i can go in depth with this, but for the purpose of this ask (especially since it wasn't focused on the humor in the first place) i won't give my thoughts here

i'm going to be very blunt: tdp has kind of backed itself into a corner if there isn't a twist or some sort of major consequence for rayla leaving. if rayla leaves for 2 years and nothing comes from it other than relationship drama, that's a bit yikes. i'm not saying that everything should have been resolved this season, but the show doesn't even try to tell the audience that something bigger may be happening. if there IS a bigger consequence, the show doesn't properly hint at it/set it up, and THATS where the issue is. when it gives us nearly nothing to speculate off of, we have no idea where her character or the story is going. <- this is not a catalyst for mystery, it's frustrating because everyone (especially rayla) feels out of character and for what

also, this is a nitpick, but callum letting rayla go after viren in episode 9 was not earned.

anyways, the season had to reintroduce us to the characters that we haven't seen for 3 years, and it has to inform everyone about the 2-year time skip. the time skip, in my opinion, was not done well. time skips are used to grow up the characters and introduce new characters, environments, and potential plot points for the rest of the story that is being told. the dragon prince does not do this very well. yes, there are new characters, but they aren't even necessarily relevant for the rest of the story, so it feels like wasted time. the candle woman and the n'than dude show up and then drop off of the face of the earth never to be seen again. terry is fine, but i do think it's a bit odd to give claudia, someone who has gone off the deep end, a really goofy and lighthearted boyfriend (he's just there to keep her morality in check a little bit, i.e. giving rayla the coins). i think overall, a lot of things happen in season 4, but it feels like a very small portion of said things actually set up for the future.

i've been avoiding bringing this up, mostly because i'm lazy and i don't want to find exact quotes from the show, but i'll bite. the writing for seasons 1-3 felt authentic and natural. the writing in season 4 felt so on-the-nose, shallow, and almost preachy.

"i was impressed with your vision for using the dragon queen's visit as a catalyst for growing trust and peace across the continent"

"they might be at first. but it will change when they meet her"

^ ezran says this and yup, that's enough on that topic, no need to explore it further. i think the writing overall was just so lackluster and forced compared to previous seasons. again, i could elaborate on this but i've gone on for long enough in this post so if someone wants me to just ask...might take a really long time for me to respond though getting my thoughts in order takes forever.

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 229

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 31 - “Milky Rose’s New Power!” Date watched: 3 November 2022 Original air date: 14 September 2008 Screenshots Precure Metamorphose Gallery | Sky Rose Translate Gallery Project info and master list of posts

I am once again asking you to buy our toys

Nuts is down in the dumps, and that’s when Anacondy decides to make her move and attack directly. When push comes to shove, what kind of power will the quiet king bestow on the girls? Let’s dig in!

The Plot

Coco and Milk call the Palmier Kingdom on the Milky Note. Everyone is happy to see them, but Nuts tries to stay off camera.

After the intro, the girls remark on how Nuts is being sad and keeping the store closed. Kurumi calls Palmier again and tries to get Nuts to talk with everyone, really laying onto him, but he snaps at her and then leaves.

Anacondy remembers her last interactions with the Director and Shibiretta. After she’s unable to locate any of the generals, she storms out to steal the Rose Pact herself.

Coco talks to Nuts and recognizes he's upset that the Milky Note didn't work without help, and he feels unworthy of being a king. Coco tries to reassure him, but Nuts brushes him off. Anacondy secretly watches their conversation.

Everyone talks about how Nuts has aided them with their problems and helped with his insight. Nozomi uses the bad weather as an excuse to find Nuts. Anacondy finds them first, with a beat up Nuts in hand.

The girls transform and Anacondy uses lightning to make a dragon Hoshiina. It's impervious to their attacks. Meanwhile Anacondy goes after Milky Rose directly.

Rose stands fast, saying it's her duty to protect the kings. Anacondy deflects her Milky Rose Blizzard, and the Hoshiina keeps the Cures from interfering. Ultimately it captures them in lightning.

Coco, Nuts, and Syrup try to protect Rose but are overpowered and drop the Rose Pact. Rose tries to protect it with her everything. Nuts tries to talk the villain down. Meanwhile, Rose reminds Nuts how much he means to the peoople of Palmier, so she has to protect the both of them.

Nuts says he doesn't care about becoming king, he wants everyone to be smiling and protect that, and stand up to any threat to that happiness. The crown appears. Nuts uses the Milky Note to turn the Milky Pallet into the Milky Mirror and Milky Rose performs Milky Rose Metal Blizzard. 

Anacondy dodges the attack, but the Hoshiina is defeated.

Nuts says his power is thanks to everyone.

Later, Kurumi has a mountain of letters for Syrup to send to Palmier. He objects, since she can use the Milky Note to contact everyone, but she retorts that sending letters is still an important symbol, and they also serve as reference material for future historians. 

The other girls and Coco and Nuts say they'll write letters as well, and the episode ends.

The Analysis

What I Liked

This completes Nuts’s character arc that we’ve been exploring the last few episodes. He’s finally found his sense of worth as a leader: he is inspirational to people through his insight and willingness to help.

Following from Kurumi’s internal conflict last episode, Nuts finds his own resolve in this, and the two of them together accepting their roles is what allows the new power to blossom.

Nuts gets to use the Crown of Palmier just like Coco did makes me happy, because it means neither fairy gets preferential treatment. They are both worthy of the crown and both worthy of being kings for different reasons. This was mostly resolved last season, but the introduction of the crown did raise some questions.

Anaconda striking out on her own is a terrifying sight we don’t get enough of. It plays a little into her reveal from last episode, as she’s spurred on by Shibiretta’s taunting that her feelings will never be reciprocated.

Nuts feeling down on himself because of his personal failure, despite everyone around him telling him that they appreciate his contributions, is a good portrayal of depression.

Milk’s excuse at the end for still writing letters, which is that they’re important historical materials, is funny but it is honestly sound reasoning.

What I Didn’t Like

Milky Rose Metal Blizzard is visually pretty much the same as Milky Rose Blizzard. The rose petals are now shiny metal and so is the rose but otherwise, the Milky Mirror has simply replaced the Milky Palette in the animation. The individual attacks from last season with and without the Symphony Set provide an example of how you can upgrade an attack and make it similar but still visually different.

Metal Blizzard (above) and Blizzard (below)

The Milky Mirror accessory, which is summoned by the Milky Note, is not even a mirror. It’s another wand.

Some of the art is a bit questionable. Kawano Hiroyuki (Y5GG 7 and 15) is our Animation Director again, so you get a couple instances of vacant expressions and large, spaced apart eyes. He’s not terrible, but it merits mention.

As I said last time, I wish these two episodes were more closely connected to each other. It would have served Milk better to have an extra episode of development, and I think more clearly demonstrating Nuts’s conundrum across the episodes would have helped.

Miscellaneous

Syrup gets excited for unknown reasons when the Milky Note can connect directly to Palmier. It’s pretty clear that he thinks he’ll no longer have to be a courier but they don’t confirm this until the end.

Milk does not appear in her fairy form in this episode.

The Milky Mirror is, of course, a toy. Its summoning involves the Milky Note opening, the two central slides pushing together, and then a blue rose bursts out of the screen. The rose combines with the Milky Palette and transforms it into the Milky Mirror in highly detailed CGI. Visually it’s an elaborate wand, with an hourglass-shaped center support that has a window, and a blue rose on top. There is a large disc in the middle that acts as the face of the mirror with eight rose emblems in it: one for each of the Precure’s primary colors, one that is white, and two on opposite ends that are purple. The topmost emblem is visible through the window in the frame holding the disc. To use it, Rose spins the dial and then the blue rose presses down, locking one of the roses in the frame. From there, other than a minor change to the incantation, the sequence is the same as Milky Rose Blizzard, as mentioned above.

On the toy, the blue rose at the top of the Mirror is detachable and compatible with the Cure Fleurets, and likewise the individual rose plugs on those are compatible here. You can see a demonstration of the Milky Mirror toy here.

I’m obligated to point out that the Milky Mirror would be very impractical as an actual mirror. The surface may be reflective but it’s highly textured and the bar running down the center will get in the way of your view.

When Nuts is at the bookstore, the shelf is lined with books with books about monarchs and kingdoms. The titles of the books are in Japanese but romanized using the Kunrei-Shiki style rather than the more familiar to westerners Hepburn style. (more on that here) The titles are: The Free Land and the King (Jiyuu no Kuni to Ousama), Power and Symbol III (Kenryoku to Shouchou III. I might be wrong about this one), Modern Kingdom: 104 Cases (Gendai no Oukoku: ~104 no Jirei~), What is the Symbol of Power (Chikara no Shouchou to wa), The King’s Secret (Ousama no Himitsu), The Emperor is Great (Koutei wa Eraizo yo), and Is a King Necessary? (Kokuou wa Hitsuyouka). Please take these translations with a LOT of salt, there’s a lot of room for error in this process.

Conclusion

It’s an alright episode. Nuts’s arc throughout the last several episodes was well-portrayed and it’s good to pay that off. Similarly, Anaconda and her rage was building since the last episode as well, and I appreciated both these two story elements continuing and also playing against each other. It would have benefitted from being longer/tying into the last episode more, but it’s a decent New Toy episode for Milky Rose nonetheless.

Next time, on Precure Daily, the girls shrink! Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 2 Kettei!

[unnursvanablog]

The Great, season 3 / tv show review

This is just my opinions on the third season of The Great. Spoilers below!

It's usually around the third series that American shows start to lose a bit of steam and charm because in order to make the story bigger and grander it has a hard time keeping up with what made it good to begin with. It is this delicate balance between all these different elements, expanding and furthering the story and doing what works, and that tends to get lost under America's need for everything to be bigger and bolder.

I personally found this third season of The Great to be a bit directionless for a while, not only when it came to plot but also kind of with the characters and their development. There almost isn't enough of it. With some seemingly random death at the start and some of the tension between some of the characters being resolved around the end of the last season, I felt that the third series struggled to get going and find its own two feet amongst it all.

The funny moments where there, the expected character moments, Peter and Catherine, but what was the point of the plot.

No one has as much fun in these roles as Fanning and Hoult do, and they work so well together as this insufferable fool who's really trying to turn himself into a loving husband, and the very idealistic, but self-centered empress with a slightly too high opinion of herself who has too many ideas and doesn't know how to implement them. That dynamic works very well and is still very much the most charming part of the series. But it also came a bit more obvious that it was the charm of the show.

So the decision to have Peter leave the story and die in the middle of the season was rather risky - but stories like this have to take risks so I wasn't mad at it. It's more the leadup to it all. But the charm and dynamic that kept me glued to the screen disappeared a little with that, because the story hasn't done enough to build up to another charming point. Peter is such a big character and there is nothing to fill the hole he left, even though Fanning is a great actress and seeing Catherine deal with this death was captivating and gave us great moments 

This season felt longer than usual for me, for some reason, and I actually felt that the story was a bit directionless and going in circles for a while. Apart from Peter and Catherine's desire to try to keep their marriage going and happy no matter their differences, the rest of the characters seemed rather stagnant and nothing new was learned or developed further throughout the story. Saying similar jokes as before, similar solutions to similar problems, all of them just feel like the same characters from the start of the season until the very end. Certain deaths do kick things into gear for some, but by then it's a little too late for me.

It all works so well on the surface, but everything is a bit stuck in the same perspective still. Story elements don't have too much influence on their behavior. They just function for the plot and are just there for color and fun. And these characters should be allowed to grow or take more risks and be allowed to have more impact on the story, not just Peter and Catherine.

Like a character can die in the first episode and it has no effect on anything within the story, when that death could have been a good secondary theme within the story.

For the most part, I had a great time with this season of The Great. It's a romp, a laugh, a very entertaining show. But this frustrations still lingered at the back of my mind all the time. And this felt like a certain ending to this series, which is kind of nice if this is supposed to be the end. Because it's always good to know when to end things, and the series still has enough charm to end on a high note. But there is always hope for a sequel and I would definitely give season four a chance though, if it ever comes.

[outoftheirdifferences]

...you know what? Putting out there the final ramble that I’ve had saved in my drafts for a while, too!

This has been sitting around since my girlfriend and I finished our watch of the Tan.gled series season 3 last year. I, um... sure had some thoughts about its ending, but that’s for another time. Rather, what I’d like to ramble about this time is a frustration that is, naturally, related to my favourite two characters.

Yep, that’s right: Angry and Red.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad to see them again, and I’m happy that they got more screentime - I do prefer their younger designs, but their older looks grew on me too, after a while. But that then leads me on to my greatest frustration regarding them, and that’s this:

WHY did they have more screentime... if they weren’t going to be used to contribute to the plot in any meaningful way?

I really don’t... get it? They kind of get to tag along with the main cast in several episodes, but in a grand total of none of them do they aid in resolving the conflict of the episode or helping in any way whatsoever. Beyond the werewolf episode (which I have... very mixed feelings about), they don’t even have any moments of bonding with the other characters.

They’re just there.

At first, I thought it was setting them up for a significant role later in the season. I mean, the two girls have never actually met Cassandra - she was in bed with a broken foot the whole time they were around the castle in Big Brothers of Co.rona, Rapunzel and Eugene were away from the party in Vigor the Visionary, and of course Cass had done her thing by the time they showed up again in season 3. So I figured they had a more neutral perspective on her to provide than anyone else in the cast.

Add to that, the way Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf seemed to be setting up for something like that? Opinions on that episode aside, I spent most of the season expecting that Red was ultimately going to be the one to get through to Cassandra; what she has to learn in that episode, the “it’s okay to be angry, but this is not an okay way to deal with it” moral, felt like it could VERY easily apply to Cass in her situation. It would have not only been an interesting parallel to play with, but would have shown how Red had grown in accepting her own emotions since that episode, and give Angry a chance to support her sister.

And yet... not only did that not happen, the girls presence in the finale feels like it had no effect on the outcome. It feels... I dunno, frustrating? Wasteful? That they have these two great characters and failed to utilise them?

I dunno. I’m just disappointed that they didn’t get to add anything to the story at all in the end, you know?

[littlemisspascal]

Mailroom Crush Part 5

Pairing: Javier Peña x Female Reader

Word Count: 2700+

Summary: A story about Reader who works in the mailroom of the embassy and her encounters with a handsome, brown-eyed DEA agent.

Warnings: Language, fluff, angst, a lot of tropes, Spanish translation at the end, inaccurate depiction of how an embassy mailroom works, this is only loosely based on canon of Season 3 so the timeline does not 100% match the show’s

Author Note: Thank you everybody for your amazing support and encouragement! Some of you might not like how quick the drama is resolved here, but I’m a sucker for happy relationships and there’s still a lot of the angst of Season 3 plot left to deal with so I’m just being self-indulgent 😊 Hope y’all enjoy it!

Part 4 / Part 6

Gif credit: @bestintheparsec​​

In the days that follow you receiving the photographs of Javier and the mysterious blonde, you try to tell yourself not much has changed.

Javier Peña is still unfairly beautiful. He still has brown eyes that seek out yours in a crowded room. He still wears a black paisley-patterned tie, still struggles with smoking as a coping mechanism, and still makes your heartbeat stumble whenever you’re in the same room as him.

But you’ve never been good at lying to yourself.

The truth is: everything has changed.

You look at him, and where before you felt an eagerness to be around him, to make him smile and to kiss him, now all you see is him smiling at her. And it hurts. It’s the kind of pain that isn’t a temporary bruise to recover from, but the kind that scars, leaves a nasty reminder to keep you from making the same mistake twice. To keep you from trusting your heart to a man like Javier Peña ever again.

So you steer clear of the DEA agent, doing your best to be everywhere he isn’t. You change as many parts of your daily routine as you can: entering the embassy through the side door; begging another mail clerk who owes you a favor to switch night shifts with you; going out to eat during your lunch break instead of staying in the mailroom. 

And for the most part, your plan works. You hardly see him for almost two weeks.

Except for the few times you do.

Once, Javier cornered you when you stepped out of the mailroom to deliver an important folder to one of the consular officers, his expression pinched with concern and eyes shining with another emotion you couldn’t look at long enough to identify. Your gaze flicked around the room for something, anything to rescue you from the awkward encounter, and by some miracle you happened to see Riley struggling with a box twice her size. You practically leaped around Javier, rushing to offer her help and to get away before he opened his mouth.

Another time he caught you in the parking lot one late afternoon while you were leaving to buy supplies and he was returning from God knows where, dressed in aviators and that damn leather jacket of his that made his shoulders look extra broad. You nearly dropped your keys when your eyes locked with his, panic turning your blood to ice. Javier said your name—your real name—and you hadn’t expected that. Maybe you weren’t a treasure to him anymore. Maybe you weren’t anything to him at all anymore. That thought hurt far worse than anything else.

And so you’d jumped in your car and drove to the store before he could say anything else. You parked and stayed in your car until the tears stopped dripping down your cheeks, until your breathing wasn’t interrupted by sobs. Until all you felt was numbness.

~~

It’s quiet as you walk down the embassy hallways, except for the occasional murmur of the cleaning crew you catch glimpses of in your peripheral. It used to be peaceful, being here at night amongst the empty rooms and shifting shadows. Now you find it depressing, being all alone with only the packages to converse with. 

The door to the mailroom is open when you approach, spilling bright light out into the dim hall.

You know it’s Javier before you see him.

Bracing a shoulder against the doorframe, you watch him pace the length of the room back and forth. He’s dressed in a black button-up shirt and dark jeans so tight they look painted on his long legs. You wonder how he knew your shift was tonight, if he’d just taken a guess and hoped you’d show up or if he asked one of your coworkers because he wants to yell at you for avoiding him. Or, a little voice in the back of your mind pipes up, because he misses you as much as you miss him. 

“Tesoro.”

You freeze, heart stuck in your throat, and Javier’s barreling towards you. There is a split second you consider fleeing again, but it’s too late, he’s already grabbing ahold of your wrist to pull you inside before you can even form a coherent thought. 

The locking of the mailroom door is the jolt your brain needs to start operating again. Your eyes flick between the lock and Javier, did he...did he really just trap you in here with him? 

“We need to talk,” Javier grits out through clenched teeth, determination burning like a wildfire within his brown eyes.

Oh shit.

“What happened between us?” he asks, and his voice is a knife, impossible to dodge, slicing through any bullshit excuse your mind could have fabricated. 

You wince and take a few steps backwards, fingers nervously reaching for your sleeve, but Javier doesn’t let you go far, matching every step you take until you’re stumbling into your desk and there’s nowhere else to go, nowhere else to look but him. 

“I don’t get it, tesoro. I thought...I thought things were good,” Javier says, running a shaky hand through his hair. You don’t want to think he could be nervous, because to be nervous is to be scared and you really don’t want to think someone as brave and strong as Javier could be scared. “And if they weren’t, I thought you’d at least talk to me about it. Tell me what I did wrong instead of avoid me like the fucking plague.”

There’s a beat of silence after that. 

“I’m sorry, Javi,” you murmur, voice strained. The air is thick with tension, near stifling, and you know an apology isn’t what Javier wants. But the words are out now, floating between you and him, waiting for acceptance or rejection.

Javier, not one to easily tolerate having his decisions restricted, chooses a third option you hadn’t considered: he completely ignores the apology.

“Talk to me,” he says, near pleading. His gaze searches your face, anger extinguished and replaced with confusion, an unspoken question only you can answer. What did I do to ruin this?

You bite your lip. There is an answer to that question—a dozen answers, in fact, stuffed inside the junk drawer of your desk. But the photographs aren’t the only cause for the sudden and rampant increase in your insecurities which encouraged you to avoid Javier.

“Did you sleep with Katie?”

Javier blinks, recoiling like you’ve struck him. “What?”

“Sex, Javier,” you say pointedly, finding a surprising amount of pleasure in turning the tables on him. “I’m asking if you and Katie had sex.”

The silence stretches on long enough your hopes foolishly start to rise that maybe the answer is no, that maybe Stechner had been lying because he thrived off the misery of others, but then Javier nods his head. He doesn’t look happy admitting it, but regardless he confirms it, saying, “We did. It was a one night stand. I swear it didn’t mean anything.”

“Right.” You sit heavily on the edge of your desk, feeling like a puppet whose strings have just been cut. Stechner had been telling the truth. And if he’d been right about Katie, then…

The infinitesimal fragment of hope you’d been protecting all this time, thinking maybe, just maybe the photos were fake, is crushed into dust.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he murmurs, cupping your face with his warm hands, forcing you to look at him. “I promise you, tesoro, what happened with Katie happened weeks before I met you. I haven’t thought about her since. I can’t. There’s not any space in my head for anyone but you now. You’re the only woman in the world I want to be with.”

You laugh, an ugly, harsh sound that has him instantly frowning, hurt rippling across his face.

“Did you say the same thing to the pretty blonde at the bar?” you ask, turning on him with a volatile mixture of anger and hurt. Yanking his hands off your face, you stand up on unsteady legs, glaring at him. “I saw the way you were looking at her, Javier. The way you were smiling at her. Don’t you dare tell me I’m the only one you think about because I sure as hell was not on your mind when you were eye-fucking her.”

“Stop,” Javier says, shaking his head. “Stop. You’ve got it all wrong, tesoro.”

“Really?” You  shoulder your way past him, catching him off guard with your sudden display of force, and pull open your desk drawer. Grabbing the stack of photographs held together by a rubber band, you stomp back around to face him again, shoving them against his chest. “Then explain these.”

He takes them from you, brow furrowing when he looks down and sees the top photo. You watch him flip through them, noticing how he looks increasingly ticked off and in real danger of shattering a tooth with how tightly he’s clenching his jaw.

“I—” Javier cuts himself off with a heavy exhale, shoulders slumping. When he looks back up at you, you’re startled by the raw emotion on his face, resembling an open wound. “Her name is Christina Jurado. She’s the wife of a banker I’ve connected to the Cali Cartel. I flirted with her only to get her to tell me his location.” 

You blink, unsure how you feel about that. With how deeply involved Javier is in arresting the members of the Cali Cartel, you probably should have suspected from the start the woman was connected to it. 

“It didn’t work,” he continues, letting out a humorless chuckle. “It didn’t work because she wasn’t you. I fucked up so badly I ended up telling her who I really was and then she ran like a bat out of hell.” He tosses the pictures down on your desk with a frustrated snarl. “Not that these damn photos show any of that.”

He’s right. The photos don’t support his story at all. 

But that doesn’t stop you from believing him and it certainly doesn’t stop the tears from welling up in your eyes. You thought you’d been avoiding him to protect yourself from heartbreak, but the truth is you were avoiding him because you’re a coward. You spent all this time in pain because you were afraid of your worst fears being confirmed, that Javier was stringing you along and never cared about you at all.

But he does care. He cares far more than you ever gave him credit for.

You launch yourself at him, bursting into tears. You squeeze your arms around his shoulders and bury your face into his collarbone, staining the black fabric of his shirt with snot. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” you choke out the litany of apologies in-between heaving sobs, the words barely understandable.

Javier holds you just as tightly, one arm around your waist and the other hand at the back of your head. In some distant part of your brain that isn’t drowning in a pool of emotions, you’re aware of the soft shushing sounds he’s making and how he’s pressing kisses against your head. 

“I’m sorry, too,” he murmurs against the shell of your ear, sounding just as guilty as you feel, and that makes you cry even more. “What I did was stupid. I never should have even gone to that bar. I’m sorry those fucking pictures—” 

You feel the sudden way he tenses, body going rigid in your hold, and before you can summon the control of your breathing to ask him what’s wrong he’s gently pushing at your shoulders, maneuvering you so he can get a clear look at your face. 

Sniffling, you look at him through blurred, watery vision. Javier starts wiping away the tears on your cheeks with his thumbs, and although his expression is soft, there is a calculating glint in his eyes you’ve only seen when he’s rifling through files in his office, piecing a puzzle together in his mind.

“Tesoro,” he begins calmly, but it sounds strained, like he’s barely keeping a leash on his temper, “where did you get those photos?”

“There was an envelope on my desk,” you answer, voice sounding breathless and trembling. “They were inside with a note.”

“A note from who?”

You hesitate, knowing the answer will spark Javier’s rage. You’ve heard the two men arguing in the hallways before. Their feud with each other, although mysterious in origins, is well-known throughout the embassy. Potentially, this could be what breaks what little self-control Javier has left.

Sensing your reluctance, he presses his lips against your forehead, reminiscent of the moment you both shared in the supply closet. “Please,” he says lowly. “The last thing I want is for you to be dragged into that part of my world again. With the lies, and the mind games, and the Cali fucking Cartel. I want to keep you safe, tesoro.” 

You can’t believe the words you’re hearing, unable to fathom being lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Javier’s devotion. It startles you a little, wondering if this is what love feels like. You haven’t known him long, so much of his life is still a mystery to you and full of blank spots, but...Yeah, you’re definitely heading in that direction. 

You are falling in love with Javier Peña.

Taking a deep breath, you finally admit, “Stechner gave me the photos. He’s also the one who told me about you and Katie. He wanted me to know you don’t do relationships.”

Javier’s nostrils flare. This close, you can see how his eyes darken with rage, brown verging on a nightmarish shade of black. He opens his mouth and closes it a few times, then turns his back on you, resuming his previous pacing around the room.

You remain at your desk, paralyzed with uncertainty. Do you talk to him? Leave him alone? 

“Lo voy a matar,” he snarls, startling you. You press a hand over your chest, the intensity of his anger causing your heartbeat to skyrocket. “Nunca más te volverá a mirar. Cuando tenga mis manos sobre él, lo destrozaré.”

He’s speaking too fast for your mind to keep up with the translation, but you notice his hands curling into fists, the anger in his expression shifting into something dangerously lethal, and know you need to calm him down before he commits murder on your behalf.

“Javier.” You hold out a hand, wanting him to take it. “Come here.”

His pacing stops, but he doesn’t approach, glaring down at the floor. He’s trembling, anger coursing through his veins, and your concern increases tenfold.

“Javi, come here.”

There’s a short pause before Javier obeys, returning back to you and taking hold of your hand like it’s a lifeline. 

“I’m sorry.” He lets out a deep, rattling breath. “I’m probably scaring you, I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just—I can’t—What he did—” Javier’s jaw clicks. “He hurt you. And he did it using my own fucking mistakes.”

“We’ve all made mistakes,” you say, a pang of guilt striking you in the chest. “I shouldn’t have avoided you. I shouldn’t have let my insecurities get the better of me.”

Javier squeezes your fingers. “I swear, tesoro, as long as we’re dating you never need to feel insecure about anything. You’re it for me.”

“Wh-What?” You gasp, eyes as wide as saucers. “We’re dating?”

Javier stares at you blankly for a long moment, then lets out a groan, head dropping towards his chest. “Fuck, I’m the worst boyfriend in the world. My girlfriend didn’t even know we were official.”

You can’t even speak, too stunned by how casually he calls you his girlfriend. A laugh escapes your throat, then another one, happy and bright, a wide smile stretching across your face.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend,” you say when he peeks up at you, cautiously hopeful. “But only if you’re serious about this. I...I don’t want something casual, Javi. I want something real.”

“Tesoro,” Javier’s looking at you like you’re someone worth looking at. Like you’ve never been looked at by anyone else before. “It’s been real with you since you told me those roses were for Eileen.”

And then he’s kissing you, hard and hungry, like he’s trying to make up for all the missed kisses these past two weeks. His closeness overwhelms your senses, all the places he touches you sparking heat even through the fabric of your shirt. 

I could get used to this, you think, melting against him. I could get used to falling for you.

Spanish: Lo voy a matar - I’m going to kill him

Nunca más te volverá a mirar. Cuando tenga mis manos sobre él, lo destrozaré: He will never look at you again. When I have my hands on him, I will tear him apart.

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[dr-drea]

Adding to that whole Finn characterization thing, the writers also broke with the Skam tradition of the typical narrative structure of the seasons, where at least in one episode, the love interest is in focus. I guess most of you are familiar with this anyways, but i'll try to shortly explain how a Skam season is (typically) structured.

Episodes 1 -3: establish our main and their character traits, the situation they find themselves currently in, their family background, their hobbies etc.; they also hint at potential struggles, which is why a lot of theory making by the fans is happening here; and, of course, they show us who is going to be the love interest.

Episodes 4 - 7: we can see our main struggling with the themes established before, but also some achievements and happy moments (usually the first kiss, or getting together with the LI); there are some up's and downs in the plot and at the end of this bumpy ride, we also have a pretty clear idea what the love interest is like, and we are guessing about their central struggle.

Episode 8, also known as hellweek: Now, our LIs struggle is clearly pointed out, leading to an accumulation of both the main's and the love interest's problems; this is leaving the main as desparate as never before. Gradually tho, they manage their way out of the mess so that...

in Episode 9, the love interest is in focus. In the case of newly established relationships, we see the main dealing and overcoming their own problems, and then fighting for the Love Interest, to get back together with them (the only exeption here is the Hannah/Eva season, which ends with a breakup, but we still learn a lot about Jonas' character and background story in the last two episodes).

Finally, Episode 10 is where all storylines come together, eventual side conflicts are resolved, everyone is happy.

Let's go back to the current season and how Finn is (not) in focus here.

The topics established in the first three episodes can still be considered the main topics of the season, though we all agree they were handled messy and weirdly. And I do think, up to episode three, the season was quite okay.

But episode 4 - 7 do not provide us with a coherent 'up and down' of the Failin relationship, but rather with a messy, incoherent construction of both characters and that love relationship, which also in later scenes seemed underdeveloped. That resulted in almost nobody rooting for them to get together.

Both episode 7 and 8 seemed like hellweek for Mailin (and Zoe), and while Mailin got really tangled up in her own problems, I don't see a central struggle for Finn.

That Mailin is avoiding him? That's HER problem, not his, anyone would have been annoyed by that.

Him feeling like a 'tryout boyfriend' is also not really his problem, but kind of the conclusion of how Mailin has treated him so far.

So again, a reactive characterization.

And now we are at the end of episode 9, and I don't see the drama ending?? And I also don't really see Mailin 'fighting' for Finn, or how the plot takes Finns feelings/struggles into consideration. It is all about Mailin.

And that might be one of the central mistakes that were made during this season. Having it solely revolve around a white, skinny, heterosexual, neurotypical girl, a character who we have seen over and over in the media landscape. Making her BY FAR the most privileged character in the series, by also giving her a high socio-economic status, and then barely reflecting her privileges. And that, while having an extremely diverse friend group around her, whose stories even centered around not having these privileges, being discriminated against and disadvantaged. And on top of that, having these characters doing nothing, but praising her.

With everything happening, the writers and creators of S8 are completely ignoring thoughtfully made casting choices and previously established storylines.

I'm so done with this season, and tired of criticizing it, but especially the last aspect I wanted to point out again, as it bothers me a lot.