#the interviewer barely gets to speak lmao

[glassofpumpkinjuice]

giggling about guitars 😊

[the-physicality]

so i did watch jocks in jills as per my usual monday routine

[gaystardykeco]

today my therapist that has never given me a single coping skill ever told me to "just try to be more mindful" after i told her once again that i can barely function due to anxiety. may have to go to my health insurances office and beg on my hands and knees that they cover literally anyone else

[beansprean]

My Familiar’s Ghost part 83

Can you tell I wrote this one while job hunting lmao

Masterpost Masterpost 2

See the latest pages on Patreon!

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1. Shoulders up of vampire Guillermo on the library couch, looking down at his clipboard and lifting up the top page, which is covered in red marks. He mutters, 'Ok, who's next?' Offscreen, Nandor replies 'That was the last one.' Guillermo whips his head up toward Nandor in surprise and says 'Really?! I guess we'll have to keep looking...' 2. High angle view of them sitting on the couch together, Guillermo primly upright with his knees together and clipboard held on his lap, Nandor slouching with one arm on the back of the couch and the other waving his clipboard in the air. He scowls at Guillermo and says, 'What?? We just interviewed like 50 people and you did not like any of them?' Guillermo responds tightly, eyes closed, 'I'll know the right familiar when I see them.' 3. Front shot, waist up, of both on the couch. Nandor looks over at Guillermo and asks, 'Why not Sky? They speak in tongues just like you do.' Guillermo sighs tiredly, scribbling something on his clipboard, and replies, 'Ugh, too eager. She'd always be underfoot.' 4. Repeat. Nandor grins and teases, 'As I said, just like you.' Guillermo scrunches up his face and glares at him from the corner of his eye. 5. Close up of their clipboards side by side. Guillermo's has every name crossed out in red pen. Nandor's has some crossed out and some circled in blue pen, but most of the blank space is filled with little doodles of swirls, cool S, horses, swords, and dicks. Nandor asks, 'What about Marshall? He had an impressive resume. Guillermo counters, 'Too impressive. Clearly he's not interested in long-term placement.' Nandor tries again, 'Then, Sarah-' Guillermo emphatically says 'No.' 6. Shoulders up, Nandor slightly in the foreground. He appears to be getting frustrated as he sighs and furrows his brow at his clipboard, slumping forward. He says, 'Devin Simmons was pretty charming...' Guillermo rolls his eyes up to the ceiling and throws his hands palm up, snapping, 'That was Simon the Devious!' 7. Repeat, Nandor popping out of frame. Guillermo returns his attention to scribbling on his clipboard and says, 'No, we're just going to have to start from scratch...' Nandor turns toward him and rolls his eyes, baring his fangs as he snaps 'Guillermo, you are being ridiculous!' /end ID

[ivynajspyder]

I have been meaning to translate the voice actor interviews that came with the Kirby blu-rays, but real life is killing me.

In the meantime, some tidbits

The vibe overall was super fun and chill. Everyone recorded in one room together, and would go out to eat after and even go on trips together. Everyone has a lot of fond memories of working on the show!

Kenichi Ogata (Dedede) calls Naoki Tatsuta (Escargon), "Tacchan". Naoki calls him Kenichi-senpai

Kenichi adores the character of Dedede and how he can be villainous but also cute. He and Naoki would often ad lib silly things as their characters just as stress relief because Naoki jokes he could barely keep up.

Kisaichi Atsushi (Meta Knight) says he was often nervous, and once when he was having trouble keeping up the "cool voice" for longer scenes, the voice director told him "try harder" lmao

He also can't get over MK being round. So round. "Sharp, but round. Cool, but round"

Makiko Ohmoto (Kirby) says Kirby isn't really speaking aloud when he transforms and says attack names, but it's more "the voice of his heart". She wanted to give that voice more of a teenager feel.

When singing as Kirby, she goes "three octaves higher" to make it even more ear piercing lol, and really enjoyed being Devil Kirby.

[serqphites]

VICTORIA NEUMAN X ASSISTANT!READER

format: blurb

warnings: nsfw content at the end

word count: 700+

not proofread! y/n used!

- the second you came in for your interview she pretty much decided she was hiring you LMAO

- now i’m not saying she only hired you because of her crush, because your resume genuinely caught her eye, but i’m also not saying it had nothing to do with it 🤷‍♀️

- she definitely asks you to do things she could easily do just as an excuse to see you

- “y/n! can you come here please?”

- “can you pick up this pen i dropped please? i’ve got suchhh a bad back” she’s so dramatic i love her

- you honestly think she’s just being a bitch and she’s messing with you

- that is until one day she comes to you in the morning, saying today she only has one task for you

- “will you eat lunch with me?” and she has the dorkiest smile of all time on her face

- lunch together becomes a regular thing, going from talking about your favourite tv shows to her telling you about her daughter zoe

- she’s so sad when you eventually tell her you thought she was just like every person you’ve ever worked for, just messing with you for the fun of it

- “no no never! i could never do that, especially not to you” OOOOOO it’s blush city for you both

- things are going great! you love your job. that is until something changes, and victoria randomly stops asking you to do things for her

- i mean you’re her assistant, shouldn’t you be getting her coffee? shouldn’t you be organising her files? shouldn’t you be having lunch with her and not hughie?

- to say this has you down is an understatement, you can’t seem to understand why she has randomly shut you out

- it’s not like she’s not speaking to you, she’s still asking you to do things but they’re all tasks that require you to be away from her. you haven’t even been in her office for nearly two weeks now

- after your hurt builds and builds, you can’t hold it in anymore. you storm into her office demanding to know why she’s avoiding you

- she plays it dumb at first but she knows what she’s been doing so she fesses up

- “fuck… i’m sorry, so sorry. it’s not you i promise, it’s me. i- i like you, okay? like a lot and i know it sounds stupid and i know it’s sooo inappropriate because you’re my assist-“ SILENCED BY A KISS WOOOO

- you’re discrete about it at first, sneaking around and making out in the bathroom stalls like you’re high schoolers

- her bringing you lunch everyday<3

- she so leaves post-it notes on her desk with cute lil messages whenever she has to leave for meetings because it’s where she tells you to just relax

- you don’t bother asking why you’re not allowed to meetings that involve voughts CEO, it’s probably just a confidentiality thing right?

- a bit random but whenever you’re standing talking to somebody i feel like she’d just squeeze your butt?

- canon she’s a butt squeezer

- you don’t fight much but oh boy is your schedule full when you do

- she gives you the stupidest tasks she can think of LMAO

- “can you walk someone’s dog please?” “someone’s dog?” “yeah, just go around asking who has a dog that needs walking” “are you being serious, vic?” “yes i most definitely am, it would help me soooo much you have no idea!”

- I LOVE HER SO MUCHHH

- dating your boss can be annoying at times, but you wouldn’t trade it for the world <3

NSFW TIMEEEE

- officesex!officesex!officesex!

- this honestly deserves its own blurb if i'm being honest

- i feel like she's already dominant in bed anyways but because she’s your boss it’s elevated TO THE MAX.

- “i have one really special task for you today, so listen closely”

- you can barely stay stood up with how weak your knees go (real)

- “i need you to be a good girl for me, how does that sound? you think you can do that for me?” in her husky voice im DECEASED

- one time she cleared her desk by pushing everything on the floor, she immediately regretted it when she realised she had broken almost everything

- “i always see people do it in movies and this doesn’t happen” she’s so upset while she’s picking up a broken picture of you both on the beach

- she’s so silly

- she definitely buys you lingerie to wear underneath your work clothes 🤭

- the amount of flirty texts she sends you during the day just to watch you blush uncontrollably is concerning (when is it my turn)

a/n: requests are always open, hope you enjoyed :)

[genericpuff]

Lore Olympus will be officially ending in 2024.

While this is vague both in Rachel's responses (as always) and the actual specific timeline, considering this is the final 'arc' and most of Rachel's arcs rarely go any longer than 12-15 episodes, I have the sneaking suspicion she's going to try to wrap this up by March/April. That's just a prediction, mind you, it could just as well go on throughout the entire year of 2024.

That said, it's wild to see it finally confirmed, like a weight has finally been lifted of our shoulders. Many of us have been speculating on it for a while now that LO would undoubtedly get dragged out as it's Webtoon's golden goose and clearly Rachel's lifeline to the industry.

Lore Olympus has been a part of my life since 2019, and an even larger part of it in the last year and a half when I joined the critical community. It's going to be weird to live in a world where LO just doesn't update.

Of course, as mentioned in the article, there's still the matter of the physical books which are still FAR behind the webtoon version, and the TV show which they swear is still happening (but we all know it's not happening lmao).

So I don't think this will be the end of WT milking it for all its worth, but I am interested to see what happens to WT when they don't have their golden goose on a leash and chain anymore. They've sunk so much money and priority ad space into LO that even other Originals creators can't stand the comic due to how much its undercut their own opportunities. I'm hoping this will be a wake-up call to WT to give more attention to their series that are struggling and deserve to be seen, rather than focus all of their attention into one series that's barely got a pulse to speak of.

Of course, I'm sure people are wondering, "What about the fandom communities? What about antiLO/ULO?"

Listen, this isn't the first fandom I've taken part in, though it's certainly the one I've been the most directly active in with the essays I write and the stuff I do through Rekindled.

But if being in fandoms has taught me anything, it's that it doesn't matter how long a series has been gone. If there are people who still love it - or love to hate it - taking part in discussion, that discussion will continue to thrive. A series existing in hindsight is just as much a reason for participation as an active series existing in the present day. If anything, a series falling into the realm of 'hindsight' can give us the room we need to sit and reflect on what the series actually did, and what we were left with in the end. It's never stopped the folks who still talk about long-ago-completed series like The Office, House M.D., and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

So if you're new to the LO critical community, or asking yourself if it's still going to be "worth it" to take part in the fandom after LO is done - it's as worth it as you make it. There will always be something worth discussing in this fandom if we're wanting to discuss it.

As for me, well... I'm just getting started.

[virginburial]

hi! could i request something with ethan x fem!reader (or gn, whichever makes you the most comfortable :)) where reader is this really like, wealthy kid at blackmore who’s part of the core four (but since she’s in it… maybe fab five? idk 😭 i suck at this) and she’s dating ethan and just loves to spoil him? i’m assuming he’s like a broke college student, and the whole group kinda jokes that’s she’s his sugar mommy lmao. if you’re not up for it, feel free to ignore this request! i love your work <3 can’t wait to read more of your writing, thank you so so much for sharing it with us!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I so clearly saw Gossip Girl in my head I'm dead x-x but let me break down why this would absolutely work on Ethan

Ethan Landry CD mix!       .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

especially since I'm getting an old money-great Gatsby feel out of it, your family probably owns a company that's been around for generations, one of those Rockefeller/Vanderbilt types. the kind of family HBO writes hit dramas about. You weren't snobby about it but still carried yourself differently than all your peers (you knew you were hot shit). So when regular-schmegular middle-class suburban boy next door Ethan catches your eye, it is a shock to everyone, especially him.

Ethan barely had a job and was living off of loans, like everyone else. you noticed this when he nervously asked you out to Olive Garden and ate nothing but the free breadsticks and some soda. you felt bad; you could tell he wanted to impress you.

so you started bringing him coffee every time you walk to class together; "I can't hold your books and the coffee y/n-" "-just take the fucking latte, Ethan!" he was too humble to take your offerings, but soon, as your romantic relationship with him evolved, so did his acceptingness and gratitude. You two would go to the mall and whatever Ethan stared at for more than five seconds would be coming home with you. other times, you'd door-dash him food whenever he studied for hours on end, because you knew Ethan had the habit of focusing too much on his studies and forgetting to eat.

"dude! she's totally your sugar mommy." Chad would tease, or Mindy and Anika would comment about asking you for permission before he does anything; "Don't you need your momma's blessing before you do that?" It's a little annoying, but Ethan knows the truth; you loved to spoil him, and he loved being spoiled by you. you loved seeing how excited he gets over a pair of sneakers or some dinner, and he loved knowing that the person he loves thinks about him and what he liked. you're abundant, and you felt it was important to share that abundance with the ones you loved. speaking of, your relationship with Ethan reached a point where he was offered an internship within your family's business; which lead to the both of you heading back to the mall, helping Ethan pick which suit he should wear to the interview.

and, of course, Ethan is on his knees, eating you out in the dressing room because he is just so grateful. getting stains all over his button-up as your juices drip down his chin and run down his neck. whatever, you were going to buy it for him anyways.

       .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

buy me a coffee ૮⸝⸝> ̫ >⸝ ა

[giuseppe-yuki]

I feel like Ollie did have something to do with it (he bribed the F1 drivers to come watch Princess Paul)

Speaking of Zac! He's such a smiley and fast guy, I feel like his s/o would be something like a capybara...

Oh, and someone (looking at u Jack Doohan) probably has a gf who's a tasmanian devil...

AND AND let's talk about Franco! He probably has an Argentinean bird, like a toucan. Bonus points if she's a Pokemon fan and preens because she considers herself Toucanon 🤣

I feel like the F2 shapeshifting wags are more open to each other? Like they're all friends with each other, and they go on girl dates and stuff!

- 🐺

no matter how much paul accuses ollie, the latter would always act innocent (he definitely did bribe them)

my thoughts under the cut (i don't want to clog the feed lmao)

LMAO i don’t know why the first zac i thought of was zac brown and i was like oh-! um…. then i realized you meant zac o’sullivan haha

anyways i feel like a capybara would be a complete opposite of zak yk? in all those capybara vids they’re always so nonchalant and dare i say- demure. total opposite of zac’s outgoing and smiley personality. but like they say, opposites attract 🤷🏻‍♀️ you can find zac energetically walking around the paddock with his capybara held like a baby in his arms. one place you’ll never find her though- anywhere near the ice baths. if you even suggest getting near one she’ll be sure to pummel you, because we all know capybaras love their hot spring baths.

tasmanian devil? sure thing. she's not afraid to get aggressive if she sees someone bothering her bf. better watch out when she starts baring her teeth and hissing, because she will not be holding back on that bone-crushing bite. only jack sees her soft and cuddly side where she noses his arms when she is feel particularly clingy and looking for some love.

mhm, a toucan would be interesting! other animals that are native to argentina would be possible too, like chinchillas and boobies (the bird). from the interviews i've seen with franco being super charismatic, i feel like his girlfriend would get jealous easily and maybe give him a peck or nibble when she's feeling a little envious of where his attention is going. (i also see your toucanon reference but i'm not super familiar with pokemon, sorry 😭)

yes! the f2 wags are definitely well-acquainted with each other, due to their common attendance at their boyfriends' races. some of the girls have known each other for years, due to their boyfriends' connection throughout karting to the formula series. new wags are welcomed too- they never exclude anyone! sleepovers and double dates at coffee shops are commonly seen :)

[ilguna]

lmao finnick and number 29 please 🎉 -🪐

☼ exhaustion (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; Finnick tells you to stay home after realizing just how tired you are.

warnings; swearing, death mention.

wc; 1.1

prompt: 29. “You're not up to this, you can barely stand!”

–

If there’s one thing you could go for right now, it would be the best sleep of your life. You think that you’d drain everything you’ve saved up since you won, just so you can sleep for twelve hours straight, and wake up in a warm bed that you don’t want to leave. Preferably, Finnick would be in that same bed, holding onto you.

You can't, though, between the past two and a half days, you’ve only slept for about five hours, total, and that might be an overestimation. You’re not entirely sure, because you’re not keeping track. You don’t have time to.

It’s partially your own fault, you could make a harder effort to get some sleep. You’re afraid of the consequences that will follow. Each time you lay down for thirty minutes, close your eyes, get comfortable—some tragedy inside of the arena happens. It’s not your tributes every time, but that doesn’t matter. 

Whatever they’ve done to the arena this year, they’ve rigged it too well. The mentors can’t sleep, the tributes can’t sleep. You’re not entirely sure how anyone is supposed to go on with a peace of mind, knowing full well that their tributes could die at any moment without notice.

It’s a chain reaction that they’ve set up. One tribute will step into a trap, trigger an animal, make a wrong decision, and everyone else inside of the arena will suffer that exact same pain. 

They’ve started fires that have lit the forest on fire, which caused a stampede of the largest animals, which drove all the food away. That caused the predators left over to turn around and begin hunting tributes instead. Mentors panicked, now there’s too many weapons inside of the arena.

At least one tribute has died every day since the bloodbath, which was five days ago. You think this year they’ve made history, because you’re already down to the final eight, causing another round of interviews by the press. You were hoping that you’d have a few more days before having to appear on screen in front of Panem, praising your tributes for surviving this far.

You’ve seen yourself in the mirror, and it’s horrible. 

This wouldn’t be so hard if you had Finnick with you. And technically you do, he’s here somewhere in the Capitol. Only, he’s been Snow’s errand boy from the second you two stepped onto the train station. You were able to speak to him briefly two days ago between his next client and you coming back to power nap. Apparently, everyone has decided that he’s the hottest victor, yet again, and his schedule is so packed that he barely has time to pee. Much less, come and help you in the betting room.

You’ve tried to feel bad for him, but it takes more effort than you’re willing to give right now. You’re juggling fucking everything, a task that’s hard for even two amazing mentors on a good day. You’ve got your eyes on both tributes, the sponsors, the stylists, the escort, the media, and yourself. You don’t have time for Finnick, which is a first for you.

You close your eyes, letting the warm water rain onto your skin. You can already feel yourself growing drowsy, and even though you tell yourself repeatedly to change the water to cold, you sit there, basking it in. It would be so easy to fall asleep in here and ‘accidentally’ forgetting to go do the public statement.

It’s important for one reason: for the collage video in the chance that they win. They’ll insert the clip of you talking about you on the edge of your seat, rallying sponsors, cheering them on. Depending on the act they’ve decided to put on for the Capitol, your reaction to their survival changes.

You’re not entirely sure how you’re supposed to do this half-asleep, but you’ll figure it out.

A knock sounds at the bathroom door, your eyes open, suddenly awake as you turn to watch the door open. You see Finnick’s reflection in the mirror and relax, sitting against the wall again.

“Hey, I thought you were busy tonight.” You murmur, yawning.

“Last minute cancellation because of the statements being made, Snow let me have the night off.” He closes the door, leaning up against the bathroom counter while watching you. “Are you doing that tonight or do you want me to do it?”

“No, I got it.” You blink, eyelids heavy. You force your eyes open and to focus on Finnick’s face, which is laced with worry, you think. You can’t really tell, neither do you care at this point. “You go and rest.”

“You know that you have to be there in an hour, right?” He asks.

You shoot upright, “Fuck, how long have I been in here for?”

Your hand slams against the button on the wall that shuts the water off. You get to your feet, almost slipping in the process. Finnick jerks forward, prepared to catch you, but you push his hands aside.

“I don’t know, I just got here.” 

You throw a towel on the floor to dry your feet while you towel down your body. When you move to grab your clothes from off the counter, you slip. Finnick grabs under your arms, steadying you.

He eyes your face, eyebrows drawn in, “Are those bags under your eyes?” He reaches to touch the purple bruising, you move your face away.

“Yes, and I’m fine.” You move to pull on your underwear. 

“When’s the last time you slept?” He asks.

You let out a nervous laugh, knowing that you’re about to get a lecture from him if you answer that question. Finnick deadpans, because he’s heard that exact tone before when you’ve admitted to unhealthy behaviors in the past.

“(Y/n).”

“I don’t have time to sleep, babe.” You tell him, “I barely have time to shower, let alone go do an interview that won’t matter. Sleeping for more than an hour at a time is like winning the Games twice.”

“You should stay here, I don’t mind going.”

You give him a look, “That is not happening.”

When you begin to pull on your black slacks, one leg at a time, you throw yourself off-balance, hopping on one foot. Once again, Finnick reaches for you, and catches you before you hit the floor. 

You sigh.

“You’re not up to this, you can barely stand.” He tells you, moving your hair out of your face, “So you’re going to stay here and get some sleep. I’ve got the interview covered.”

“Are you sure?” You ask, shoulders dropping.

“I am, darling.”

[youkaiyume]

So, Rise of the Beasts!!

I saw it twice of the weekend, and I want to put down my honest thoughts.

Overall, I had a great time and I definitely think it's worth watching. Ignore the critic reviews for some reason they are offended that a Transformers movie exists to sell toys. You know, their sole purpose since the very beginning of inception. But OF COURSE I have THOUGHTS so...

Spoilers under the cut!

I liked the human characters for the most part. Noah's sudden onboard motives for going with the autobots to Peru was not as convincing but adventure needs to happen so I gave it a pass.

Mirage is like, DTF with Noah. Like he is SO ready for that tiny bf bff. It's obvious that Bee spoke so much about Charlie (cuz it seemed he was the only one who did talk positively about humans in their group) that Mirage was just. HIS BODY WAS READY.

CHARLIE WAS MENTIONED!!! AHHHHH!!! That was the one tiny smidgeon of a crumb that I wanted and they gave it to me. Granted it was implied when Optimus says "I know one was good to you, Bee" But I was told that the Latin America dub had him say Charlie's actual name. There was a SCENE that was cut out according to the Hollywood Reporter--that Bumblebee had also pulled out a polaroid pic that Charlie took of them together from the first movie here to show OP. HE'S BEEN CARRYING AROUND HER PICTURE ALL THESE YEARS I DIE WHY DID YOU CUT THIS OUT!!!

Mirage's abilities seem very arbitrary. And I do not like this. He can turn into several alt modes which seems to be only a thing that he can do... he can mass shift--which I know mass shifting is a thing but when he turns into a truck to sneak past the museum security I was like??? I was always under the impression that the bots could turn into a vehicle relative to their own actual size so this just confuses me. There is supposedly an earlier cut of the film where it was more clear that the trailer was another illusion. which I wish they kept in. Also when he becomes Noah's symbiote suit at the end?? Like, as a shipper and rule of cool I am into it, but as a person who wants rules to ground my science fiction I don't like how Mirage is just a swiss army knife for the writer's convenience. It feels lazy instead of taking the time to actually worldbuild. Nobody else can do these things.

The arbitrary mass shifting of him being as big or as small as he wants (like when he becomes Noah's exosuit) really falls apart when they keep insisting that they need the humans because only they can fit into small spaces. Well, clearly not cuz you can just do it yourself. AGAIN, PLEASE BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR RULES.

Airazor x Elena. Anyone else????

speaking of which, I am very upset about what happens to Airazor. And we never even got to see her transform. tragic.

Optimus sure was a negative nancy which--I understand why but I hope they ease up on edgy "i will rip everyone's faces off" Optimus because it feels disingenuous to his character to keep it going for too long. Like I get it, they killed your fave child so I will forgive you but also I want more of "Be strong enough to be gentle" Optimus. Not the edgelord Bayverse Optimus that they are clearly going for cuz the know certain :ahem: fans like that.

Beeeee. They put him out of commission which again, according to interviews they did just so they could make sure he doesn't steal the spotlight and give a chance for the other characters to shine lmao. He is too powerful. But also because we shots of him in the trailers, I was not too worried about Bee staying out of commission. But goddamn when if I still wasn't hyped as hell when he made his comeback. 10/10 he proves he's still the GOAT.

I hate Pablo/Wheeljack. No, after seeing the movie my opinion of him did not improve in fact it got so much worse. His design was the LEAST of his problems. Every moment he was on screen was deeply cringe. And he barely did anything!! He could have not been in the movie at all and it wouldn't have made a difference and I genuinely believe it would have been a better film. All this hullaballoo over Pablo and this is what we got. Wheeljack fans lost hard after all that defense I'm sorry this ain't it.

Hey speaking of bots that barely got any lines or screentime, wtf was up with Rhinox and Cheetor? My boys got shafted :(

There was a moment where OP is asking the bots if they detected the terrorcons and Arcee WHO IS SITTING in the pablo van was like "lol nope" and I was like GURL how could you, you're in a van. And it made no sense because don't you also have an altmode??? Shouldn't you be scouting outside to cover more ground???

I firmly believe the only had Arcee sitting in there like a dumb duck because they wanted Wheeljack to make a dumb joke in the original cut about how it was a long time since she was inside him. UGHUGHUGH.

Did I mention how glad I am that they cut the majority of Wheeljack's screentime since it was so awful especially his and Arcee's implied romance? Especially since they killed off the other femmes so the only one we got now has to have a mandatory romance. No thanks. Glad that nonsense is gone.

The Maximals' robot modes were very minimal. and they went by so fast I never got a good look at their designs.

I loved how the Maximals were harmoniously living with the native tribe--and speaking their language!

Scourge's face reveal seemed to be treated like it was a big deal but when we saw him it was just... guy without his wig on. Literally the surprise is that he is bald.

Noah x Mirage is very strong good. I have no doubt the fandom will be all over it since they seem to eat up BL romance much more readily and I am all for it. They also have all the great ingredients for it--flirting, drift compatibility, self sacrifice for the other. Another human x transformer ship for the books.

I'm sure there are some ppl who like the ending. but I.... did not. I do not want to see G.I.Joes in my transformers I'm sorry. I don't want the return of military propaganda or more introductions to several human characters that take away from the transformers. I don't want to see them exploited or used for our own human affairs--even if it's a fictional cult-- when they could be literally fighting Decepticons or Unicron or whatever. People might have wanted them in Bayverse cuz it was heavily skewed Military in those films but I don't want to see it again. It was a terrible, dark time. the Joes might be presented as good guys but I don't trust the military in general and I don't see their motives as altruistic--especially if their goal is to use them for their own purposes. Why would they help them get home? They wouldn't, if just to keep their best weapons--and Noah is bait. He is bait and he will fall for it hook line and sinker because they are bribing him with his brother's healthcare and the fact that he is struggling to find work elsewhere.I hope if they are to be involved at all it will be relegated to characters here and there but they stay in their own movies if they have to ride on Transformers coattails to revive an irrelevant struggling franchise.

There was minimal human injuries/death and I appreciate that. They did the DBZ thing where they took their fight to remote locations. This probably won't keep up if they introduce the Joes :/

Overall, 8/10. I had a fun time. I didn't love it as much as Bumblebee but it was definitely miles better than Bayverse (a low bar I know). The action was clear, the characters likable, the CGI mostly stellar. I have hope that they will bring back Charlie maybe. But hey, I took my parents to it the second time around and my Mom liked Mirage and my Dad did not fall asleep so I will consider that a stamp of approval.

[the-force-awakens]

with it officially being disability pride month, I wanna talk about my favorite disabled headcanon, which is for the one and only, my most beloved Poe Dameron. Buckle up, because this is a long post.

I actually have a few different disability headcanons, most of which hold up to canon/are extrapolated from canon, so we'll keep that in mind as we go through. I expect this to have about...four parts total. Let's go!

Hard of Hearing

I think a good case can be made that Poe is hard of hearing, with a few instances that could point to this fact, primarily the very beginning of the Rise of Skywalker. Even though Chewie is sitting right beside Poe, Poe does not understand what Chewie has said, because his head is turned (at no other point does Poe have any problem understanding Chewbacca, so we know it is not a linguistics issue)

It's only when he turns towards Chewie and Chewie repeats what he said that Poe understands what was said. There's also the frankly adorable moment in The Last Jedi that's extremely easy to miss, because it's a far away shot and we just barely catch what Poe says:

BB-8 is beeping so fast trying to catch Poe up that Poe has to request that he slow down so Poe can understand him. Other possible evidence of him being HoH (beyond the comical amount of explosions he's constantly caught in) is that there are several shots where we see Poe carefully watching the lips of the person he's speaking to as they're talking, as if that might help him keep up.

And (I don't have a gif of this lmao I'm not giffing him getting hurt) when Poe gets shot in tros, @/dameronalone pointed out it could be evidence he didn't hear the approaching stormtroopers when he turned to look the other way. @/hermitmoss has also pointed to his line at the start of tfa while being snarky at Kylo as further possible evidence, about how it's hard to understand Ren with the voice modulator.

Essential Hand Tremor

Another fact pointed out to me by @/hermitmoss (thanks Braigwen) is that when Poe goes to cover Leia's hand with his own in the Last Jedi, we see that his hand is shaking:

I later noticed that this isn't the only time that we see Poe do this, we see it again in the Rise of Skywalker, where he cannot keep his blaster steady as Rey approaches the serpent at all.

These are the only two circumstances I can find of his hands trembling in the movies, though, and we know from plenty of other scenes that Poe ordinarily can keep a blaster extremely steady:

Autism & ADHD

Okay this one I don't consider to be a headcanon, lmfao. I genuinely believe that Poe was intentionally coded as autistic/ADHD by Oscar Isaac.

Oscar playing/coding Poe as something that is never explicitly confirmed by Disney is far from new: Poe is coded as a bisexual (or pansexual) man, because that's how Oscar Isaac saw Poe and chose to play him, and even if we weren't gifted with it being made explicit, it's still there in his performance.

If you happen to be a fan of Oscar Isaac, or just a Marvel and Star Wars fan both, you'll know he starred in the Disney+ series Moon Knight last year as the Moon Knight system (Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and Jake Lockley).

Shortly after the first episode premiered, Oscar Isaac revealed in an interview that while trying to figure out who Steven was as a person, he came up with the idea that the system be on the Autism Spectrum, and approached Marvel to see if he could include it into his performances, and it was green-lit.

The Lunar system is the best intentional autistic representation I've ever seen, there are so many things they do that are so minor that I doubt most people would ever consider to include, but they are things that me and my friends do.

And there's an overlap in how Oscar plays the various autistic habits and traits of the Lunar system in how he portrays Poe. Most notably, Poe and Marc have extremely similar meltdowns:

There's plenty more overlap (Poe does the same anxious stim Steven does, of rubbing the inside of his index finger with his thumb) but there's so much there I'm not sure where all to begin. I have gone more in depth on the various autistic traits Poe shows throughout the films in this gifset here, though.

I'll go ahead and include some of the moments we see him stimming, that I have evidence of:

(he also does this same hand thing when he starts to leave BB-8 and promises to come back.)

We also see him fidgeting anxiously with his hands during the briefing in the last jedi:

Poe also has a habit of running his tongue along his bottom lip while he's stressed or thinking something through. Here's three examples from across the trilogy (there are plenty more):

We're leaning a little closer into ADHD territory now. I don't really know how to explain why I think Poe is ADHD, to be quite honest, besides the fact that he just radiates ADHD energy to me and I heavily relate. This is a man who cannot stay still, and frequently talks with his hands:

But there's also the fact that Poe oftentimes has a tendency to not be able to fully see the potential of negative outcomes to his decisions - he sees point a to point b, and sometimes becomes laser focused on that. It's something I understand perfectly, because it's hard for me to pull away from something I've already fully committed to doing, and it's even more difficult sometimes for me to truly understand what (and what kind of) consequences my actions will have.

Other evidence of him being extremely autistic (and adhd) is just....that he makes autistic expressions?

Like this...is an autistic expression, I've seen my best friend make this exact fucking face before, I don't know how else to explain it.

Misc Thoughts

Aside from the above, it's pretty much canon that Poe has anxiety and depression — at the very least, Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura certainly does not shy away from the suggestion, and is one of the most implicit portrayals we have of it outside the films — it is a series of catastrophizing his circumstances that leads Poe to joining Zorii for a little while as a teenager, following a joyride that ended in a crash that Poe explicitly wishes he had not survived.

The movies themselves also points to Poe having PTSD, partially through the writing but mostly due to the nuanced and thoughtful performance Oscar Isaac gives as Poe (that goes....woefully underappreciated, seriously he adds so much depth to every single scene as Poe, including the thread of anxiety in Poe's voice when Rey mentions Ren's ship is over Kijimi, or constantly looking out to make sure they're not being followed in tros).

(Good expanded material follows through on this, such as Poe's reluctance to discuss anything about what happened aboard the Finalizer in the Poe Dameron: Flight Log, and becoming irate at the thought of having to. He's an extremely traumatized man, and he certainly doesn't deserve to be thrown out of an airlock jfc and he isn't as arrogant as the fascist regime he is fighting, tbh he's not arrogant at all).

Conclusion

I believe that sums up the majority of my Poe is disabled thoughts, or at least the ones that I think holds up very well within the canon framework. He's extremely disabled and - in the case of being neurodivergent - this is critical to understanding him as a character, especially considering his arc ends up being focused on interdependence.

I wish all fellow disabled folk a happy pride month, and I wish all very ableds a very "please do not be ableist on this post". You will be blocked otherwise.

[f0rlorn]

motivation → coral

coral!tbosas x reader

notes → in which coral always finds a way to leave you wanting more. i’m not even joking right now, coral was the reason i started questioning if i liked girls and muna were the ones who confirmed it for me. all this in the past few months LMAO. ALSO i’m so sorry for these bad quality pictures, i can’t find any good ones. female reader

warnings → not edited & uploaded via iphone

     you had watched from afar as your brother, festus creed, tried interacting with his tribute. the scene was laughable, both parties having no desire to be there. but alas, festus was a sycophant who wanted to score points with dr. gaul, whereas coral was reaped and taken to the capitol against her will. you could almost feel him roll his eyes in surrender despite facing the other way and decided that this was your time to try and help him. besides, you would need the practice. if the mentor gig was successful, you would likely get chosen to be one next year, nepotism and all.

     “look, i don’t want to be here any more than you do, so why don’t you just take the food-“ his voice gradually got more forceful, growing louder before you decided to intervene.

     “may i?” you popped up next to festus, causing him to almost jump out of his skin. coral laughed and you turned to face her. “hi there, coral. y/n creed, his little sister. the superior sibling, might i add.” you joked, sticking your hand out to her, not quite through the bars of the enclosure, but close enough for her to accept. she eyed you up and down, her arms crossed, but nevertheless she took your hand, giving it a firm shake. her hand was dirt ridden and covered in callouses, and the feeling of her hand engulfing yours send a jolt through your body. “i really think you should eat. going into the arena without food isn’t the best idea. and look, i know festus is incredibly annoying-“

      “hey!” festus objected, crossing his arms. you side eyed him, then continued.

     “but you should listen to him. he knows what he’s doing, for the most part, at least. we’re here to help you win, coral. and, if i may, the odds might just be in your favor here. if we didn’t think you could win, we wouldn’t be here trying to coerce you into taking our food.” while it was somewhat a stretch, she seemed convinced.

     “well what’d you bring me, sweet thing?” you couldn’t contain the expression of delightful shock that spread throughout your face as you heard her speak for the first time, as well as use a rather flirtatious nickname. you stuttered for a moment but quickly shook out of it as you heard her amused chuckle.

     “right, um- let’s see here…” you began. festus swung the bag over his shoulder, unzipping it and allowing coral to look over the items once more. he was extremely agitated that coral would listen to you but refused to give him the time of day. festus, being the bum that he was, packed rather lightly. the food he made was distasteful, including a not-so-grilled cheese, an old banana, and the leftover omelette the academy had served for breakfast. “jeez… alright, festus. a little hard to work with.” he rolled his eyes once again. “well, um. sorry about that, coral. don’t worry, i’ll make sure you get something digestible tomorrow.” at this point, your dear brother was glaring daggers at you.

     by the time you left the zoo, your brother in tow, you had left a lasting impression on coral. she was amused by your wit and entranced by your good looks, as well as your charm.

     the next time you interacted with coral was the day after arachne’s funeral. festus had told you all about how the interview went with coral, how he barely filled out half of the page because she refused to talk to him. the extent of his knowledge about coral was her name, her age, and her job. you decided to check up on your girl again, giving her a visit at the zoo.

     “your brother’s an idiot, y’know.” she remarked, letting you know how the interview went.

     “i can’t believe you just realized that!” you laughed in agreement with her.

     “so what inspired you to pay me a visit, princess?” coral queried, leaning against the bars that separated the two of you.

     “grilled grouper sandwiches. thought the fish might remind you of home. handmade!” you replied, as if you were advertising the food to her. she nodded, smiling.

     “well thank you for thinking of me, sweetheart.” you smiled back, handing her the food. she accepted, of course, but not without making sure she grazed your hand first. immediately, your breath hitched. gosh, you were putty in the hands of a district girl. your family would freak if they even saw you this close to her. but you couldn’t get her out of your head. you looked up at her, and she was staring down at you, completely unashamed about her method of flirtation. she held a rather smug look on her face regarding the effect her touch had on you. 

     “you holding up okay in here?” you asked her, moving the focus away from your embarrassing reaction.

     “better than ever.” she replied, sarcastically joyful. mentally, you pinched yourself for the dumb question. she was locked in a cage about to fight for her life, of course she wasn’t okay. but coral took the question lightly, bidding you goodnight as she strode away calmly.

     it was now the last time you would see coral before the games. you had snuck into the zoo late at night, hoping to see her before she was taken away to the arena. “night before the games… how’re you feeling?” you fidgeted anxiously with the hem of your skirt as you posed the question.

     “confident.” was her short, vague reply. 

     “that much?” your face contorted in  concern at her answer. she reached her hand through the bars, grabbing yours and holding it firmly. it was the first time that contact between the two of you lasted more than a few seconds.

     “don’t psych me out, princess. you were the one who said you thought i could win anyway.” coral laughed. “but yea, i got this in the bag. don’t you worry your pretty little head about me, darling. in a few days, you’re all mine, i’ll make sure of it.” coral left you with a wink, squeezing your hand before promptly walking away to her claimed rock, mizzen already dozing off on top of it. you sighed, leaving the zoo while the girl consumed your thoughts. she always had you on edge, leaving wanting more. and hopefully, you’d get more.

[golden-buddle]

Hey mutual, figure the third Omegaverse thing was startin to get long again lol. So I thought I'd respond here instead >:3 (Also have links to the previous ones for easy access lmao) 1_ 2_ 3_

You know what would be kind of adorable? If it was Tim who got all angry at the gossip magazines. Everyone else is used to it and finds it kind of funny after all, since as you said, people outside of Gotham don't know the nuances of Gothamite body language. But Tim has been slowly coaxed into acting like a pup, been reassured that him acting like that is okay and is perfectly natural. So seeing people trying to claim Bruce isn't a good caretaker in a way that straight up targets that behavior? Oh baby boi is going to throw a fit.

Also love the idea of even other Gothamites going, yeah, the bats are more than a little feral, even for us lol. They've seen it all from the gleeful murder-baby first Robin to the trying-to-bite-your-ears-off second Robin to gonna-jump-off-this-bridge-and-take-you-with-me Batgirl. To the big bat himself who will see what could account as a straight up mob worth of people and go yeah I can fight that, and actually does, and wins.

Like that's just utterly hilarious to me lol.

Actually, before I forget, I feel like Damian's and Tim's relationship would be better in this. Seeing as Damian is younger and both Tim and Dick are very familiar with being unfamiliar with pup behavior or being forced to try and stop doing it. Which thankfully it wasn't to the extent of Tim, but still. He's the itty bitty baby of the pack who doesn't want to let anyone go the moment he realizes they won't betray him. Similar to how Tim is once he finally realizes the Waynes won't leave him and actually want him to stay.

Also remind me to sketch out the different fangs when my hands aren't shaking lol

Oh Tim DEFINITELY rips into the gossip mags.

He may be a lil pup and semi-recently got placed with the Wayne Pack, but by GOD is he going to send some angry emails.

Honestly I can see him reaching out to the daily planet as ‘Bruce’ and setting up an interview to clear it all up.

But until that happens, Tim gets scruffed and brought into the nest SO often to calm him down.

Like. Calm down pup! You are TOO angy!

Speaking of Tim and Damian’s relationship- they have the best relationship by far in the Pack. Tim can and will throw down for his new little brother. And the brotherly instincts he never had before (and thusly never had to stifle before) doesn’t help either.

Dami is more or less constantly following either his Mum, Jason, or Tim.

If he has to, he’ll tag along with Dick and Alfred, but in order of his favorite pack members Tim is definitely up there with Jason and Bruce.

He can and will use the fact that he’s just an itty bitty pup and whine and whine to get carried around. He may be an independent pup, and he DOES like to wander around on his own, but he absolutely loves being engulfed by his packmate’s scents.

It’s so very different to when he first left the cloning pod and all he could smell was blood and sterile alcohols.

And finally for how Gotham views the Feral Bats??

It’s DEFINITELY like that. Gotham is in awe over their guardians (and I can’t help but see them putting the Batfamily up as embodiments of the city, Gothamites definitely definitely made shrines for the Batfamily that dot about the city)

The Agent, the one who walked the streets long before the Bat flew for the first time, who holds ears in the highest of places and knows far too much that he rarely shares with others. The one who was only connected to the bats far, far down the line.

The Motherly-Protective Bat who has claws like in the old days, who bares his fangs and rips into flesh with no hesitation to protect his city-pups and actual pups. Who dragged the first of the costumed rogues back to Arkham by sheer force and detective skills.

The First Robin who was gleefully blood thirsty, somehow the most animalistic of the pack as he chirped and trilled and danced in the air. Flying like his namesake as he bares his puppy fangs in a barely constrained aggressive smirk.

The Batgirl (Cuckoo) who nearly flew as well as the First Robin, the one who chirped and warbled and forced herself into the Bat’s nest and first showed the City what happened to those who hurts those the Bat holds dear and who showed what happened to who the Bat deems as unwelcome to his territory.

The Nightingale, the first of the robins to grow up, the one with fangs he never hid and a voice as sweet as his feathers. The one who talks as much as he growls, the one who shreds his enemies with enough cheer and electricity to drown a clown.

The Second Robin, (Cardinal, clad in blood reds and spiked feathers, somehow still in the familiar designs of the First Robin) the one taken far too soon who didn’t quite fly as he did glide. The one who hid in his mother’s cape, only leaving to fight and protect-protect-protect just like his mother. The one who showed what happened to those who ignore that they were chased out of the Bat’s territory.

The Third Robin (Crow, Clad in blacks and shiny feathers but still the familiar Robin design) The one who is too smart for his own good- the one who ended the grip that the Bat’s bloodstained claws held on the city. He clings to his mother, only leaving to find more of his pack.

The Forth Robin, (Starling, purples and blacks and shimmering feathers that seem to mirror your face back at you) The blending of Batgirl and Robin, the one who was dragged into the Bat Pack when Crow wandered too far from his mother and needed her help finding his way back to the nest. All the gracefulness of the Bats and the Aggressiveness of the Robins twirled into one sparkling purple attack.

The Cardinal, the second of the robins to grow up, the one who took the name that was whispered in the alleys as his own. Who came into the scene with a splash of blood as bright and soaking as his initial departure. Who’s eyes glow with Unseen bloodlust and protection that followed his mother’s steps.

[istarveforplatonicptnstuff]

Commiting tax evasion with Bai yi as your ceo...

Girl... I don't even know how you got here but... You were very likely HIGHKEY scammed by miss gurl... 🦗🦗🦗 Yeah... Why did you apply in a shady company anyways...? But you probably was LOOKING 👀 for a job that can PAY the bills 💵💵💵 but spoilers, you were UNDERPAID, OVERWORKED, and most esp. Not even paid anyways... 🙄🙄🙄 So forget what I said about being paid little because girl you are not paid even once while you were working with this stink... 😑

You decided to apply for a job position as her assistant... In Syndicate. Pooks... This should've been your first red flag, but NOPE! You were DESPERATE. For what though? 🤨 And the flyer wasn't... That great like sis... Again, another red flag... Couldn't you just... 🏃‍♀️💨 away from the moment you saw the flyer? (/j I'm holding you in 😰🔫 point so, you didn't have a choice anyway 💅) But who even reads nowadays as long as, we get PAID 🤑🤑🤑 right? So, fast forward to you clutching your pearls and barely making it out alive to meet with the interviewer... Maam. Major red flag, the building looked run-down.

Pookie... 🤧 You didn't almost get stabbed, kidnapped, mugged, and possibly even get robbed for your kidney for this... 😭😭😭 Finally, your employer shows up in this DRIP 💧, what you doing???

Remember when I said that you have the option to say no? I didn't say anything 😇 The thing is, you can't. You just CANT. Look me in the eye and tell me that this girl wouldn't do SHIT to you rn... Be serious, because I don't even think you're gonna walk out of the interview scot free sis... Nah uh, not at all... Sis looks like she is about to beat the SHIT out of you, and will most likely sell your organs after that... 🥺🥺🥺 Luckily, she spoke up and had that mom vibe that you almost instantaneously calm down...

After hyperventilating and K.K giving you odd looks as well... Finally you were in the "company" Yay? 🧍‍♀️ You stood there staring at the dusty ass couch and a man who looked VERY sleep-deprived. You learned that Che was their name. But why is he dressed up like he about to go for a hike...? Sighs, i don't think you'll ever get the fashion of Syndicate... You and the two held a mini staring contest like you two were Communicating, that K.K was confused at the random moment she had to snap ya'll out of it and discuss the job details... The job being, you doing all the paperwork... For 50 discoins per hour. Stink, you're screwed 😃

Obviously, you were about to decline... Until finally, the CEO showed up. Sighs. You ask to yourself, was this really worth the trip and the STRUGGLE you went through? Stink cannot even bribe you with her face card because you still had to pay the billssssss 😞

Bai yi shows up, you hear the sound of sirens and cops speaking through the megaphone. 🤡 You really thought this was going to be the las time you'll be seeing daylight, like sis you were going to JAIL. ⛓⛓⛓ For existing. The three of them noticed and explains casually that this is their hideout, and no one's breached here before. You raised a brow at the statement, skeptical at how relaxed they were acting 🤨🤨🤨 Like who you fooling??? Though you can't speak for yourself when, you waltzed into Syndicate knowing DAMN well that this place was bad news... So you kept it to yourself 🥰

Of course, Bai yi bribes you to stay and become Whitestone Industries assistant with a sob story that can make you cry... Except you weren't gullible enough and walked out of the door, preferring to get arrested instead, lmao 🤭🤭🤭 Sis chased you down the stairs like it was a kdrama scene, grabbing your arm and acting like this was the last time ya'll seeing each other 💀 girl, you can never escape her because she's all over and like, she's a criminal, what else? 🤓 You ended up accepting in the end, because you wasted your time for this... Making K.K sigh in relief since she finally isn't alone with two idiots... Unless you add up to the equation then... 😶

Timeskip to a month, you and sis was WORKING. Helping them out with ✨Graphic design is my passion✨ motto since you wanted to get rid off the... Terrible... Designs that they come up with when they release an ad, flyer, or promotion post. You kinda got used to the usual, illegal work they do because why not? 😎 You already gave up in paying the bills, so why not commit tax evasion as well, right? You asked Bai yi tips on how to tax evade 🏃‍♀️ K.K was beyond mortified at the sudden camaraderie that came after the event, making you and Bai yi besties 🤝 Friendship ended with the government 💔 Tax evasion is my pookie now 🥰

You are being hunt down by the police as well, causing you to move to Syndicate, living with K.K, Che, and Bai yi currently. Life was good, until Bai yi kept bringing more problems than solutions everyday, causing you to become one of the MOTHER 👩‍🦰 alongside with K.K, making sure the other two stay out of trouble because they're a magnet for chaos, apparently. K.K's words, not mine 🤷‍♀️ More on that when I think of part two! An: My exam in a major subject FLOPPED. 👎📉 /j, I'm overthinking so I cope with writing unserious shit to think less of it, and hopefully make the redemption in finalsssss HISSSS 🐍 RAH❗❗❗ 🦅 But anyways, to more UNSERIOUS, and UNHINGED shit to come!!! But also some serious ptn stuff (Like the nursing intern one)

[ladysophiebeckett]

You made me want to rewatch ysblf and it made me realize that Armando is lowkey actually kind of insane? He goes from barely noticing Betty to getting real intense about her. He blurred the professional and personal lines way before the plan. Like why was he so upset to find out she had a boyfriend? He really expected her to confide in him with such a private matter. He was just his boss even if he treated in a special way like he states, but then again, why do that in the first place? I think you mentioned that there was no way this is how he treated his prev secretary which is honestly very interesting and speaks volumes about when his feelings for her started to deepen without even realizing it. Of course we know It wasn’t true that she was dating Nicolas, but even if she had had a bf for real, she still wouldn’t have told him. She was really reserved and constantly tried to keep her personal life private before their affair. And also they way he reacted after Charlie Zaa kissed her on the cheek and she got all excited? And to react like that with Marcela in close proximity?

It almost makes me wish her supposed bf had been someone other than Nicolas bc since he was aware of everything and involved with Terramoda it was easy for Mario to become paranoid of his true intentions with Betty and pass this on to Armando, but with someone else in the picture that was not involved on their business in any way? His whole jealousy would have been very hard to disguise. Or would Mario still find a way to get paranoid and suspicious? Was she really not allowed to have a love life while Ecomoda was hers? This part is crazy to me. Love and business was mixed so well in the series. There’s this whole ambiguity regarding Armando’s feelings and about the reason of his reactions that adds so much to the story and makes him a very complex character. I had watched lfmb before and Lety’s revenge wasn’t enjoyable to me because the filler they added before she read the letter made it very obvious that Fernando was in love with her and already wanted to cancel his wedding to be with her instead, he flat out admits this out loud whereas Armando tried to deny his feelings for so long, put on a façade in front of Mario even when it was no longer believable that even he had to call him out on it, all of this made this whole arc very satisfying to watch as a viewer. End of this whole discourse lol sorry it took me so long and it’s all over the place but your comments are spot on always so I wanted to share my unsolicited thoughts with you. Thank you ☺️

You made me want to rewatch ysblf and it made me realize that Armando is lowkey actually kind of insane?

I know i say he's insane here (lmao) but I gotta defend him and say you know, perhaps he is just intense? (it's both). I've said before he's very emotional (and not very rational) and he has an ego (and he's insecure). You combine those these traits (plus a child of nepotism who has never been denied anything) and you get Armando.

He goes from barely noticing Betty to getting real intense about her. He blurred the professional and personal lines way before the plan. Like why was he so upset to find out she had a boyfriend? He really expected her to confide in him with such a private matter.

Betty impressed him from the interview when she said, 'I know I can learn a lot from you'. Fed his ego a little bit but also Betty's honesty brings out a tender look in Armando's eyes. Softens him. Also, despite what everyone says, he really did want a secretary that could do actual work. Aside from not wanting to hire Patricia bc he didn't want Marcela spying on him.

Armando, despite having everything one could dream of having in life, has never had someone in his corner without asking for anything in return. Let's backtrack real quick---His dad voted for Daniel to be president, despite the fact that its said that Daniel has never worked at Ecomoda. Armando got the extra vote he needed from Marcela, whom he discussed marriage with days before the vote. So all he knows is transactional relationships and how any kind of support is conditional. His animosity towards Daniel stems from competition that Roberto instilled. Armando has no idea what loyalty looks like or what it means to be unconditional to someone. Until he meets Betty.

If Armando is insane about Betty in one way, then so is Betty in her loyalty to him. She held onto his agenda like she was asked even tho it got her fired, she turned down a top dollar bribe even tho it could have helped her family (and felt terrible for contemplating it when she confessed it to him), she helped him cover his affairs with other models, she helped him commit financial fraud, she helped him set up a company so the banks wouldn't jump him. Who does that? An insane person (who's terribly in love with their boss).

Armando has never had someone in his life that he didn't have to share, who isn't related to anyone he hated, who he doesn't have to make backend deals with to get what he wants. For the first time he has someone who's on his side and no one else's.

And in the middle of all of that, she becomes his friend. His confidant. His co-schemer. He's instilled so much trust in her. Allowed her to know so much about him. Things that Marcela doesn't even know. In return, he's met her family (bc as a mutual said, they are always together), she later confesses to him that she lied to her dad about how she started off as his secretary (not assistant). He feels, up until the embargo happens, that he knows her.

But then he hears she has a boyfriend and suddenly he feels a sense of betrayal. Why didn't she confide this personal information with him when he probably gave her his social security number? (and also his company but he's not even thinking about the company when he hears the possibility that she has a boyfriend). Now suddenly he has to share her?? (Mi Betty tiene novio??) That all that loyalty, admiration, and devotion she's shown him up until that moment might not be his at all. On top of that, he realizes that he may not know her as well as he thought and that she may not want him to know her like she knows him. And I think that both offends and hurts him.

The lines from Armando's POV become blurred first because of all the above. The more he trusts her, the more he depends on her, (which scares Mario btw). ect. But it's different for Betty because she is very aware of the lines and when the affair portion starts, she begins to struggle with it.

Of course we know It wasn’t true that she was dating Nicolas, but even if she had had a bf for real, she still wouldn’t have told him. She was really reserved and constantly tried to keep her personal life private before their affair

She absolutely would not have told him and the only reason the cuartel thought she had a thing for Nicolas was bc Mariana read her the cards and the cards implied that there was a man in Betty's life and they teased her about it. She used Nicolas's name to cover up her growing feelings for Armando as a consequence of her attempting to keep her private life private. And the sad thing about that is once Armando gets word about Nicolas and the boyfriend rumors, Betty writes in her diary that she fears something bad will happen. And, u know, it does.

And also they way he reacted after Charlie Zaa kissed her on the cheek and she got all excited? And to react like that with Marcela in close proximity?

Jealous of the way she enjoyed Charlie Zaa's attention, straight up forgot Marcela was there. Also, the fact that for a nanosecond she admired another man that wasn't him.

...but with someone else in the picture that was not involved on their business in any way? His whole jealousy would have been very hard to disguise. Or would Mario still find a way to get paranoid and suspicious?

Mario would still find a way to be suspicious. If it was someone, say for example, some old co worker from the bank she worked at--We'll call him Bank Guy. If Bank Guy was Betty's BF, Mario would say 'Well how do we know we can really trust her when she didn't tell you that Nicolas was working for Terramoda? How do we know she won't also tell Bank Guy about the embargo? How do we know she won't also give a job to Bank Guy?' It would still bother Armando that she didn't tell him about hypothetical Bank Guy bc he thought they had a reciprocal friend\schemer\employee\boss relationship (you're right, he's insane).

Was she really not allowed to have a love life while Ecomoda was hers?

This requires an essay length response bc BOY do I have thoughts on this!!!! Short Answer: In Armando's eyes, NO. Because that's his Work Wife.

....I had watched lfmb before and Lety’s revenge wasn’t enjoyable to me because the filler they added before she read the letter made it very obvious that Fernando was in love with her and already wanted to cancel his wedding to be with her instead...

I watched LFMB when was like, 16, and have gone back a couple times to rewatch some scenes and no--Lety's gaslighting arc doesn't hit the same. Even tho I will always defend LFMB's 'before the letter filler arc' bc its cute, it makes the story lose its pacing. Betty has to read the letter right after the second night, right as Armando feelings are at a high point so that their roles are reversed. Lety and Fernando aren't as calculating, they're too emotional (crybabies), their romance reads like two infantile adults who grew up lonely. Betty and Armando are not like that at all. They're set up as soulmates, but their inner problems as people are not identical.

...whereas Armando tried to deny his feelings for so long, put on a façade in front of Mario even when it was no longer believable that even he had to call him out on it, all of this made this whole arc very satisfying to watch as a viewer.

LFMB really robs Fernando of this bc they didnt want him to be unlikable. Armando at the beginning of the story is not someone you wanna see get the girl, but that's part of his journey. And modern audiences dont understand that. Fernando not hiding his love for Lety doesn't hit the same as watching Armando fight with himself and making excuses for his feelings and then finally witnessing him say to an empty office 'Armando Mendoza you're in love for the first time in your life and it's with Beatriz Pinzon Solano'.

That is the build up audiences are waiting for with a character like Armando and when Fernando does it....It's doesn't hit and it's not as memorable.