#the show seemed to have been written by fans who didn't quite get the characters at all

[perseidlion]

So I am a certified Catwin shipper. I have written a series that currently sits at 90k words that is casefic but also them getting together. But I am also a multishipper and have written some Payneland stories as well.

So I was understandably quite happy to hear we would've gotten Catwin in S2 because I love the dynamic and I love Lukas Gage and his performance.

But it has made me very sad to see how some people are genuinely upset by this news. I don't think it's justified, frankly. People are doing a lot of filling in the blanks, guessing, and supposition. Just because Catwin would have happened doesn't mean Payneland wouldn't have. Also, we have no idea the context in which all of this would have gone down.

It's important to remember that The Cat King also went on a journey and changed as a person throughout season 1 (as did all the characters.) He is not the same person who slapped the bracelet on Edwin when they first met and not just because he died and was resurrected.

He's matured, settled and grown. It's very possible this arc would have continued. Even if you hated TCK in S1, you may have come to love him in S2, or at least hate him less. Redemption arcs are great fodder for stories and I have no doubt the writers and Lukas would have done that kind of arc justice.

Or maybe Edwin would have had his hot girl summer and TCK was the same old lothario. In which case, he'd definitely be no threat to Payneland endgame. This scenario would make me sad for TCK because he does seem to have genuine feelings for Edwin beyond the sexual, but that was certainly a way they could have gone with it.

My point is, we're missing a lot of context. If you were to take plot points of S1 out of context as well, it would be very hard to envision the final product.

I mean:

Niko gets infested with dandelion sprites that nearly kill her. These sprites manifest with cartoon sparkles around her head and they feed on attention. When they get out of her brain, they're tiny snarky humans she keeps in a terrarium.

Jenny gets set up by Niko with a quiet librarian who turns out to be psycho killer stalker.

People jump off a lighthouse and get swallowed up by a giant angler fish who is siren-ing them to their death. Their ghosts linger, and this annoys the ghost who mans the lighthouse so he hires the boys. Charles yeets the Night Nurse into the fish, and inside she has a talk with an oddly calm and optimistic man. Oh, also the fish is called Angie and she didn't do any of this maliciously.

My point is, this show is camp. That's part of the charm of it. Camp plotlines sound absolutely wild when you distill them to one-liners. When you add in inciting incidents, context and character interactions, these turn from wacky scenarios into full, entertaining stories.

Please don't catastrophize based on crumbs! Whether we get a S2 or not, it's really not worth getting that worked up over. We can't draw conclusions based on what we've been given. It's all guesses, and it could have changed a million times before the episodes were finished.

Also please don't get upset at Catwin shippers for being happy about this. We just wanted to see more of Lukas and George interacting. Most of us are Payneland fans, too and understand that would be the most likely endgame.

[diableasura]

Netflix removing the sexism from sokkas character because they though it was an issue of the show instead of a mindset that sokka eventually grew out of and from which his character arc started proves that these live action Netflix adaptations do not prioritise actual characterisation and instead only work towards producing easily consumable and bland adaptations that will give them the biggest revenue.

Yes this includes the one piece live action show as well.

[lilatara]

imagine if the BtVS writers had just...let us ever be mad at Riley.

For writers who so clearly understood an audience's desire to root for an underdog, they never seemed to understand that they needed to give us an outlet for our frustration with Riley in order to "forgive" him.

Of all the worst problems with how Riley is written as a character, these are two moments in As You Were that always boil it down for me.

After having a year to reflect on everything that DIDN'T work in Into the Woods, apparently the writers' takeaway was that BUFFY needed to apologize. Chasing a helicopter wasn't QUITE humbling enough, I guess. She needs to say sorry to the guy who left her and got married within a year...because clearly SHE was the only one not fully committed to their relationship. Sure.

He, otoh? Has nothing to apologize for.

Now, bear in mind, at this point, we in the audience have watched Buffy lose her mom, sacrifice her own life, struggle through a legit resurrection, but the writers still want us to care that it hurt Riley's feelings that Buffy cried more over Angel than him.

AYW should've been Riley's redemption. He should've shown up apologetic, sheepish, and frankly, if we were meant to get on his side, a little loser-ish. But the writers seemed incapable of getting that you can't make us like a character by just repeatedly telling us he's faultless. They already let him leave once, with Xander lecturing Buffy and us that we had failed to appreciate the best guy we were ever going to have a shot with. But no one was buying. So how to drive it home this time? Have him show up literally "intense, fit, and more handsome than ever", now with new scar! Just like that other guy we know you're into!

Buffy won't just run after him this time. She'll swoon, she'll pine, she'll be filled with jealousy. She'll be a loser in a bad outfit. She'll smell. She'll be less effective and knowledgeable than the super couple. She'll be caught in a humiliating, intimate situation. And how shocking that this somehow still did not make Riley a fan favorite. Who ever could've predicted? Other than everyone who had already seen it not work in ITW, that is.

[loulovingho]

Well, I was waiting for the more recent ep of 911 to come out to see how it was handled, but I've finally submitted my criticsm to abc. I think I covered all the bases:

I have been a fan of 911 since the show first aired and I was happy when the abc picked up the show after it looked like the show might be cancelled after season 6. However I must say, I have been steadily getting more and more disappointed with the show in that time. While the big disasters are certainly fun and flashy, the personal stories for the all main characters seem to be recycled from previous seasons and their characters don't seem to be experiencing any growth. The only story line I have been interested in since the start of season 7 is that of Buck. His bisexuality arc, while it did at first come as a surprise to me, soon made me realise that this had been telegraphed as part of his character for a while, and I was excited to see where this might lead for him. His relationship with Tommy as well, had me excited as to Buck's growth, as it looked like he was finally maturing as a character and I was looking forward to finally witnessing a new relationship within the show as well as a new character, both of which had the potential of finally bringing some fresh stories to the table.

While I was highly disappointed in the dissolving of the relationship because I was a fan of the pairing, and the waste of the potential stories the show could have brought us, it was the handling of the breakup that was most upsetting.

For starters, it really highlighted the lack of story cohesion. It showed either the writers couldn't be bothered or just didn't care to research their characters or the show's timelines to make sure the story make sense. Episode 8x06 was just a mess of storytelling, and the characters we saw didn't even match the ones we saw in just the episode prior. It felt very much like it was written for shock value with very little thought put into it other than they just wanted Buck single again.

I also understand that there are many people in the queer community who have been very disappointed in the handling of this story line, and while I am not queer, I understand where they are coming from because I feel it too. The show's inability to outright declare that Buck is bisexual, and even after the most recent episode, the constant insinuation that someone who is bisexual needs to "explore" in order to know themselves is a stereotype that is quite frankly, disgusting and outdated. (I was personally insulted at the mindset that someone's "first can't be their last" as I felt it was a slap in the face to the many couples, both straight and queer, who's first *is* their last.)

But what has been even more disappointing is the care - or lack of - that the show seems to have towards their actors - specifically the guest actors who play Buck and Eddie's love interests. There are a small group of fans who believe that Buck and Eddie will end up together, and for years they have been harassing 911 fans who don't agree with them, the show's writers and any actor who plays a love interest they feel "gets in the way of their ship". Lou Ferrigno Jr especially appears to have copped far worse than any so far, even having death threats sent to both him and his family from these people, yet there has never been a single mention from any of the showrunners asking these "fans" to stop. Despite the writers implying in interviews that Buck and Eddie ("buddie") will never happen (and Ryan Guzman (Eddie) saying that his character is straight), I feel the writers need to directly state they have no plans to take the characters in this direction, or at the very least, call out these people and state that in no uncertain terms that this behaviour is unacceptable in order to try and put a stop to the harassment that, in particular, these actors are recieving for simply doing their job. However the fact that neither of these things have happened gives me reason to believe that the showrunners are perfectly happy stringing along these fans because keeping these few viewers to maintain ratings is more important than protecting their supporting cast. And as I am someone who takes mental health seriously, especially within the workplace, I feel I can no longer in good conscience support the show. Which is a shame, as like I have said I have been watching from the very beginning, but as long as the show refuses to let the characters evolve, keeps reinforcing harmful stereotypes and won't do anything to protect their staff from bullying (because as history has shown, if they try to bring in someone else as a new love interest for either Buck or Eddie, those poor actors will receive the same vile harassment from the "fans" that Lou received) I am not inspired to watch.

Please do better.

So glad you wrote in!! Thank you 💕💕💕

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hey have you broken down Marinette's crush on Adrien and the ways in which it

A) misrepresents how teen girls get crushes on people they actually know and

B) sets Marinette up to seem really weird in a way the show literally cannot address because the universe thinks it's fine?

I know you can't prevent people from misinterpreting your show, but i think at the point where a significant portion of your audience and people with secondhand knowledge think of your main character as a stalker, that's a breakdown of communication on the writers part.

I've mentioned it offhand a few times, but I can go into it in more depth because it is a pretty massive writing flaw for reasons we're about to get into.

Marinette is not written like a teenager with a crush on her friend. She's not even written like a stalker. She's written like a teenager with a celebrity crush or a crush on a fictional character. In fact, if you go read fics from when the show first started airing, then you'll find that a lot of people assumed that Marinette's crush came from before she met Adrien or that it was rooted in a love of his professional work. That she was a fan who suddenly got to meet her idol and didn't know how to handle that.

I completely understand why that read was so popular. It's the only thing that makes sense! I assumed that was the case, too, until we got to Origins and her crush suddenly went from "obvious celebrity crush" to "crush with actual depth that's just been badly written."

While I'm ace, most of my friends are not, so I am very familiar with the experience of teenage girls getting crushes. I'm also deeply familiar with the experience of teenage girls getting crushes on celebrities and fictional characters. I, unfortunately, also know quite a bit about stalking. The three experiences are wildly different. For now, let's focus on the first two.

Celebrity crushes and crushes on fictional characters are experiences rooted in fantasy. You can be as over the top as you want because you know that nothing will come of this. You can go to a concert and scream the cute boy's name or have his posters all over your walls or publicly squeal about him with your friends without caring if people overhear because you don't expect him to ever care or even learn about your behavior. You know that you will never actually date him. He's a dream. A fantasy. A thing that will never be. That's the fun of this kind of crush. There's freedom in it. (This isn't unique to hetero crushes, btw, this was just an example based on my lived experience.)

I have strong memories of my best friend acting like Marinette, but only when it came to fictional men. When she was crushing on guys that she actually knew? The experience was wildly different because it was real. This could actually be a thing. She's not the only woman that I can say that about, either. I had many friends who had a celebrity or fictional crush and none of them ever carried that behavior over to their "real world" crushes. The stakes with the "real world" crushes were far too high for that sort of freedom.

Writing Marinette like someone with a celebrity crush is a terrible call on multiple levels. The most obvious issue is that it makes her look unhinged and creepy. While I don't agree with this take, I'm not surprised that people label her a stalker because celebrity crush behavior feels really creepy when it's applied to a person that you actually know. Whenever stories do the thing where someone meets their celebrity crush and actually gets to know them, there's normally a noticeable shift in their behavior as the character mentally goes, "Oh shit, you're real now." They lose the freedom that came with this being a mere fantasy.

The other issue with this writing choice is that it makes Marinette's crush feel superficial. The show spends hours letting her fantasize and obsess over Adrien, but rarely lets her actually spend time with the poor guy! It's incredibly awkward writing. You could have Adrien be a celebrity that Marinette never met and a lot of the episodes wouldn't change. That's not a great choice if your goal is to write an actual romance. Romances generally let the romantic leads interact.

As creepy and awkward as Marinette's writing can be, I will stand by my statement that she's not a stalker. She's nowhere near that unhinged. She's not stealing Adrien's things or following him home every day or breaking into his private spaces because she knows that they have a "special connection". We're never once made to feel like she's making him uncomfortable or harassed. Those are the kinds of things that stalkers do. They're delusional and divorced from reality. Do any of you really believe that Marinette would keep pursuing Adrien if he told her to back off? Hopefully the answer is "no" and, if so, then she's really not written like a "true" stalker because true stalkers just get dangerous when you say "no." They don't respect things like firm boundaries or restraining orders.

Watching Adrien's public appearances isn't violating his privacy and that's mostly what Marinette does. The rare occasions where she follows him somewhere private mostly revolve around someone else doing something questionable first, making Marinette's actions less "I want to see Adrien" and more "I'm worried for Adrien's safety and I'm doing something questionable because of that". The first is the behavior of a stalker, the second is... well, I'm not going to call it good behavior, but it's certainly not straight up bad behavior because the show isn't treating these moments as wrong so it's less Marinette being wrong and more the writers making really questionable writing choice. I mean, one of her break-ins was literally forced on her and orchestrated by her friend group! (See: Gabriel Agreste)

In fact, most of Marinette's creepiest behaviors fall under the "questionable writing choice" category as they're often just very obvious jokes of questionable quality. For example, I've seen people freak out about her having Adrien's schedule and it's like, guys, you do realize that was literally impossible, right? She claimed it was his schedule for the next three years! Nathalie doesn't even have that! You don't schedule things that far in advance unless it's a major event. It's impossible to take this claim seriously if you think about it for five seconds.

If you wanted to treat this schedule claim seriously and have it match the show's tone, then you'd have to tone Marinette's claim down, too. It would go from having his schedule for the next three years to just being aware of what he does on a weekly basis because they're friends and in the same class and you just sort of learn this stuff if you pay attention. How does Marinette know that Adrien has fencing on Wednesday? Because he has fencing every Wednesday. That's how this stuff tends to work.

I don't blame anyone for disliking the way that Marinette's crush was written. I don't like it either! It leaves a lot to be desired! The show would have been much better if they scrapped using Marinette's crush as the main source of comedy, but then they would have had to let Marinette and Adrien become close and we can't have that because it breaks the formula. The simple truth of the matter is that Marinette is written the way she is as a stalling tactic, which the episode Simpleman straight up admits:

Marinette: What am I doing, honestly? The truth is, I'm scared that Adrien will reject me if I tell him how I feel about him. That's why I over complicate everything, so that moment never comes.

In this scene, Marinette is claiming that this is a her thing, but it's really more of a writing thing. Miraculous is a formula show. Part of the formula is the akuma/sentimonster of the week and part of the formula is Marinette trying and failing to confess her crush. The show makes this pretty obvious, but if you want a more official source that this is what's going on, then here you go:

[The writing director] sold the Miraculous series to broadcasters as a formula show.... [This is why] Marinette tries to confess her love for Adrien in every episode, but is unable to do so.

They made Marinette's failure to confess part of the weekly formula which means that there can never be any romantic progress, thus Marinette being written like a fan obsessed with her idol instead of a teenage girl with very real feelings for her kind sweet friend. The first makes for an easy formula, the second won't work in that model. It requires there to be progress and a planned endgame. I'm not against formula shows, but this is a terrible element to make part of the formula!

The same issue plagues Adrien, too. It's the main reason why Chat Noir can come across as overly pushy. He's not allowed to move on just like Marinette isn't allowed to confess her feelings because they're the endgame couple. But we keep pushing back the endgame by adding seasons and so it's all become a total mess with terrible pacing and awkward, unhealthy relationships dynamics that really aren't suited to the genres or audience that Miraculous is clearly aiming for.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

David and Michael interview with Caitlin Tyrrell for Screenrant, 10.7.2023

Screen Rant: I love the show and this season is incredible! And you both are just fantastic in it!

David Tennant: Oh, thank you. Michael Sheen: On, let's end there. David Tennant: That's fine. Michael Sheen: Let's quit whilst we're ahead. Davie Tennant: You've said it. We're done.

Screen Rant: What was it like collaborating with Neil Gaiman on a new original story this season versus last season's adaptation?

Michael Sheen: Well, we'd always known from the beginning of season one, that there was more story that Neil and Terry Pratchett had worked out. They just hadn't written it down, but they had sort of developed the storylines and the possibilities for the characters quite far. In fact, some of that got put into season one. So for instance, the angel Gabriel isn't in the book. So that and the angels were added to it. So we were always aware that there was more story to come, but we just thought that it was going to be the episodes of series one, and that will be it. So the idea of going further, was always a possibility because we knew that there was more, but the reality of doing another season sort of developed really. Didn't it? It sort of crept up on us. David Tennant: Yeah. But working with Neil is a joy because he's genuinely collaborative. The story is his and the scripts are his, but he enjoys kind of discussing ideas and he gets a thrill out of what everybody else brings to it in terms of design and costume and makeup. He is a sort of natural collaborator and it's such a pleasure to have him around as a resource. And also just as a fan, because he's so sort of enthusiastic about the whole experience. Michael Sheen: So I guess within the parameters of what he and Terry had already discussed and thought about, I think he very much enjoyed watching how this relationship and these characters sort of developed through series one. And was able to then marry what what he and Terry had worked out with what we were sort of bringing to the characters, I guess. So it felt very collaborative, even though it's Neal who wrote it.

Screen Rant: It's fantastic. And then how was your understanding of Crowley and Aziraphale evolved from when you first read the script, or even the book to now?

David Tennant: Well I suppose it keeps developing, doesn't it? This series gives us lots of new insights into how their relationship came to be what it is, and how they have sort of coaxed and teased each other along the millennia. So I suppose it keeps developing, but there are things that happen at the end of this season, which definitely change their relationship. And if we ever get to revisit it, again, it will be in a different place. And there will be all sorts of reckonings to be dealt with. So it's an evolving process. Michael Sheen: It's definitely deepened, I think. Thinking back to when I first read the book, when I was I think about 20 or something in the early 90s, I guess. My understanding of the book then was based on how old I was, and my understanding of life, and that has obviously changed as time has gone on. But I think as we've played the characters more and as it's gone on into the series two the complexity of what's going on with them and between them, just seems to grow and grow in a way that I find really exciting and interesting to explore and to play. And so, I hope that, that can continue, because who knows where it'll go? I think there's so much possibility with these characters.

Screen Rant: I agree. I really hope we get to season 3, because I just want so much more.

David Tennant: Thank you.

Screen Rant: And then David, you're returning to another very beloved character of yours soon. What was it like jumping back into Doctor Who after all this time?

David Tennant: It'd been a while. 15 years or so. Yeah, but I just wanted to make sure I could still run as fast, and I seem to have got away with it.

[deckofcookiez]

The Alex Kister Situation

Alright; I've been more of a lurker on here for awhile, but for months now--almost a year--I've been a massive fan of the Mandela Catalogue, and this fandom has been a major form of escapism and safety for me. So, I feel the need to say something about the current situation.

To start, I'm putting a link to the document with all of the information about what happened, as it's important to read it and learn about this whole situation in depth:

With that out of the way, I just wanted to share my own personal opinion; personally, Mandela Catalogue has legitimately become my special interest. I have pretty much obsessed over it ever since I first found it, and everything I've written or drawn since then has been to do with it. It's been very important to me, especially due to the community here on tumblr, as this fandom is probably the most supportive and open places on the internet I've found. I feel a lot more connected because of it, and it made me feel comfortable and safe.

I was in a bad mental space today, and when I found out about this, I had a pretty bad breakdown--some might call it an overreaction, but you don't know just how dependent my mental health had become on this series and fandom. (I will be working on avoiding this habit in the future, as it isn't healthy to depend so heavily on one interest)

After reading through the document, and just seeing so many opinions and contributions from others, I am almost certain that these allegations are true. But I always, always listen to all perspectives before making judgement, so I will not be going full "I hate Alex, he's a despicable person!!" before Alex gives his own point of view.

That being said, I do believe Alex has serious issues that he needs to get handled. I am hesitant to call this pedophilia, as from what I've gathered, he didn't seem to have active malicious intent towards minors(correct me if I missed something that said otherwise)--rather, I get the impression that Alex simply doesn't understand boundaries, and genuinely saw his fans as mutuals. He seems to be a person who's manipulative--whether intentionally or not--and his personal relationships, platonic, romantic, or sexual, turn very toxic because of this. So, trying to have personal relationships with fans, people who look up to him and see him in a very different light, results in inevitable toxicity as well.

I get the sense that Alex simply is a young person, struggling with mental health and gender dysphoria, who was thrust into extreme popularity very suddenly, and doesn't have the maturity level to handle it properly. Overall, I do not support him, if he continues to act like this--if he makes genuine, real efforts to deal with his mental health and his unhealthy behaviours, I would respect him for that. I wouldn't look at him quite the same, but as long as someone makes genuine efforts to better themself after doing something wrong, I appreciate and respect that, and may eventually give forgiveness. But, if he doesn't make those efforts, if he continues his patterns and refuses to try and get better, then that is on him and at that point I have lost any and all respect for him. At that point, you are not a good or reasonable person, in my eyes.

Regardless of how things go with Alex himself, though, I want to say...

You do not have to support a creator to enjoy their work!!

I am a huge fan of Danny Phantom, and that show's creator is a genuine piece of shit. Like, a truly despicable human being. That fandom successfully has, just... completely ripped the show and characters from their creator. They have cut him out entirely, nothing he says holds any impact or meaning to them and it hasn't for years. He's seriously fallen off. And it's still a fun, active fandom! The people in there are super neat!!

And, hell, look at the whole mess with J. K. Rowling!! She is an absolutely disgusting person. But so many people grew up with Harry Potter, and still like her stories, without actively supporting her--lots of creators turn out to be really awful people, but that doesn't mean that what they made is automatically awful as well. They still have some kind of creative ability, that happened to produce something that garnered a significant amount of attention.

We don't need Alex to still enjoy the concept, characters, and overall story he's created. We can still make fanworks, still appreciate what it is that drew us to the series in the first place.

Honestly, out of everything that the fallout of this would bring, I was most terrified of the fandom itself dying, as that is what truly matters the most to me. This place, these people are so important to me, and I am so scared of this community falling apart. I've already seen plenty of people stating that they will no longer be associating with TMC, and are just completely distancing themselves from it. It feels like things are already dying and disappearing and it really, really fucking hurts.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that... if that is your choice, if you truly do not want to associate with TMC anymore whatsoever, then I don't blame you for it. I understand if you can't look at the series the same way after this, and I respect that choice.

But you don't have to, if it still means anything to you. Fandoms are more than just their creators--they're the community that has been built around the work, and this community is possibly the best one I've ever been in. I don't want to see it die. So, just know, that you can still love this fandom, this story, these characters, without supporting Alex. You can still draw the characters, make OCs, write fanfiction, etc. He won't get money from that--only from directly watching his content or buying his merch.

Finally, I'd like to say to go support the victims. They didn't deserve this--no matter what Alex's intentions were. Please support them, and regardless of how this turns out, do not continue actively supporting Alex Kister. I am sure that, whatever his intentions were, he did still harm people and that is not okay.

Also, this is all just my own opinion, based on what I know; I was not in the discord, I don't have Twitter, I don't personally know anyone involved and I have not seen everything regarding the situation as a whole. I simply felt I should state my current opinion, as I'm seeing a lot of people freaking out and spiraling and just leaving the fandom entirely. I wanted to remind people that it's okay to still enjoy this fandom and be a part of it, without Alex. My opinion may change some with new information I find, but overall, I am of the opinion that Alex should not be supported, while the Mandela Catalogue itself can be separated from him and still be enjoyed and appreciated.

And, whatever happens... Adam Murray, Jonah Marshall and Thatcher Davis are officially honorary characters in my stash of little guys. If he's not fit to keep them then they will become my creative outlet instead (and others who love them, obviously). They're very special characters to me, I can't express just how many things I have written and drawn to do with them, and I refuse to give them up.

(another addition, regarding the apparent 'alter egos' Alex apparently had: Possibly consider DID? I know a lot of people with DID will often mistake it for other things, including simply being gender non-conforming, when in actuality they really have alters that just identify differently. Not diagnosing, I don't know enough about him to make any real claims--it was just a thought.)

[thequeenwechoose]

Daemon has been having a delightful time in Harrenhal with his horrible visions all season. The one that he has in this episode has to do a lot of work in order to bring Daemon willingly back into Rhaenyra's fold. How did you want to stage that, and how did you work with Matt Smith on the scene?

I couldn't sleep over that stuff, because I read the script, and at the time the vision is written as you've got all these images that are striking and interesting. And that vision — very much through the visuals of it and the way it's cut together and the way it emotes, because it's wordless — that vision has to shift Daemon off of this track he's been on for a long time, and get him to bend the knee to Rhaenyra.

And so I felt quite a bit of healthy pressure making sure that we delivered what Ryan wanted for that, and what Sarah wanted for that. I spoke with them at length, and understood that Daemon needed to be convinced through the vision that Rhaenyra was meant to be on the throne. It didn't have to be crystal clear by the end of the vision, but it needed to be clear, and make sense, and earned by the time he got on his knees.

I think one of the most important things about this show, and a lot of shows I've worked on, is point of view. There's people talking about people experiencing things, but there's always a choice of whose point of view you're in. And with Daemon, knowing that he had to bend the knee later, we had to really walk with him in this episode. We had to be in his point of view, because when he bent that knee, we had to feel what he was feeling in order to believe it.

Related stories

When we had the bending of the knee, Matt and I spent many conversations thinking about how Daemon is a powerful character, powerful person, and he shouldn't feel weak in that scene. And so one of the things that I thought he did so beautifully was taking charge as her mentor in the hero's journey. Not mentor as in, "I'm a man, you're a woman," but mentor in the classic sense that, "I am a wise soul. I have seen something. I know what's coming, and I believe in you, Rhaenyra. So stand up straight, put your shoulders back. You don't have to pretend. You are who you need to be."

And that's what we talked about, because the big fear I think we both had in that scene is just something that can happen in a scene like that: that Daemon just seems like, "Okay, you're in charge of me. I'm not the Daemon you knew, I'm not the Daemon the fans knew." I think the writing really is brave.

Buisness Insider Interview with geeta vasant patel

Summary: The writers kinda forgot that Daemon has already bent the knee to Rhaenyra last Season. They also kinda forgot he is also her unclehusband and the father of her kids.

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

I saw your post about book!Aegon and I kinda find it funny how the show didn't actually write aegon ii based on how he is in the book, but they instead took many charactaztions from Aerys the mad and Aegon the unworthy and mix it in one character in the show and called it a day. I am not even a fan of the greens in general but show!Aegon ii is colser to Aegon iv and Aerys ii than to book!Aegon ii

I'm sorry it took me so long to answer this anon!

There's a lot I could say about show!Aegon II and I struggle with this one because there's certainly some disconnect between the character as described by the writers and Tom Glynn-Carney, and how the majority of the viewers perceived him. I don't think the writers are intentionally borrowing from Aegon IV and Aerys II, but I do think that if they didn't intend for him to be a sadist or an irredeemable sack of shit, which is what they claim, the writers have been kind of careless as to how they go about that.

What's interesting is that I remember watching when the show first aired, and the reactions to young Aegon were quite positive going into episode eight. Young show!Aegon is quite entertaining (window wanking aside), friendly enough with the Strong boys (fans had not latched onto the whole "Aemond was a victim of lifelong bullying" narrative quite yet at that point), expresses quite clearly that he doesn't want to challenge Rhaenyra, is manhandled, yelled at, kicked, and slapped around by adults in almost every scene he appears in, is developing an alcohol problem at the ripe old age of thirteen, is betrothed much too young to his sister when he clearly doesn't want to marry her, and finally sees his brother lose his eye and gets thrown under the bus for it. Like, on a base level the show had built a lot of audience sympathy and goodwill towards him, and then they burned that goodwill in an instant with the Dyana scene, and then burned it further with the child fighting pit scenes (and boy they really missed the mark there because a good portion of the audience seemed to think Aegon runs the child fighting pits, or that he "forces" his bastards to fight there), which is such a bizarre choice. The time jump doesn't help. It's our first introduction to Tom Glynn-Carney's Aegon and his portrayal is just oozing with pathos (and really, hats off to him for that, he is the sole reason grown up show!Aegon is even mildly sympathetic) but there's so little screentime with him that it's hard to connect that kid asking his mother "do you love me" and crying at his own coronation (who is very much the kid who said he wouldn't challenge Rhaenyra and who said, "just look at them, everyone knows") with the same guy who supposedly watches child fights and rapes the maids.

That said, when you recall that the showrunners have reiterated the idea that the real conflict in the show is between Alicent and Rhaenyra and they want the show to center around them, it makes more sense in that those moments in episode eight are not really about Aegon at all, they're about Alicent. Alicent pays off Dyana, Alicent is angry with Aegon and says "you're no son of mine," and that leads directly to Alicent's attempted reconciliation with Rhaenyra-- she's fed up with this man child of hers and maybe the realm should just have a queen! Aegon is just a tool to get Alicent's character to a certain point that she never got to in the first place in the source material, a position Alicent almost immediately reverses because the source plot demands it. And this I think is one of the problems with HotD's inconsistent characterization overall, is that they're trying to fit characters into a narrative space that they weren't originally written to occupy.

And I understand that they were never going to make Aegon a protagonist, and that the showrunners are likely not likely gutsy enough to do a Succession style narrative where there is no protagonist but where Aegon and Rhaenyra are both equally flawed people, doomed from the start, but sympathetic enough that we can't help but hope against hope that they might escape that doom somehow. However, the Dance is a lot more tragic and compelling on a base level if Aegon is not a total villain but this very troubled guy who never really wanted the throne, feels backed into a corner because he doesn't want his family to die, takes the throne, and with each loss becomes increasingly convinced that he has to win. And they could still do this, but right now the vast majority of this audience just sees him as the rapist asshole brother (who is not even the good brother, that is Aemond who has studied the blade) stealing poor Rhaenyra's birthright for no reason except that he was manipulated by his lying evil mother and her lying evil father, and they see it as very very wrong and unfair since she is obviously a better person and would make a better ruler, just like Dany. To me, the latter is just not a compelling narrative, and I cannot imagine that the writers believe it's a compelling narrative either, so hopefully they get their characterization under control for season 2.

[hologramcowboy]

Okay, well, Jensen finally showed up on television again. This time, playing Russell Shaw on Tracker. I'm curious if you watched and what you think of his performance.

Personally, it felt like Dean Winchester never left. It didn't help that there were numerous (and obvious) SPN easter eggs in the episode. I'm curious if that's happened before when guest stars come on. Do the writer's play up that actor's previous roles as much as they did Jensen's?

I'm also curious about a few tweets I saw from people who attended the FBBC event. Apparently, Jensen talked about his role on Tracker.

https://twitter.com/kunerksterphoto/status/1789808856576487771 and https://twitter.com/kunerksterphoto/status/1789808858505888136

I know we get dude in #Tracker tonight, so a little story. I wore my “I Miss Dean” shirt to the brewery event last weekend and as soon as dude saw it he was like “you know that episode of Tracker I did? I asked how they saw me playing it and they told me to do what I know best. So if you miss Dean, you’re going to get quite a bit of Dean on Tracker because he’s what I do best.” So it was a conscious choice and I am so excited by this.

https://twitter.com/kgauck/status/1789821196839637236

He told me I'd probably see a lot of Dean in his role on Tracker. I joked that he was dressed a lot like Dean in the promo pics, and then he made a joke about being typecast.

It sounds like Jensen's basically thrown in the towel on improving his craft since he apparently doesn't mind playing Dean in all his roles, or being typecast.

I read things like this and I can't imagine that he'll ever get another lead role. It's all going to be guest spots for characters that are similar to Dean Winchester. It's disappointing because he's definitely had the time post-SPN to take classes and improve between Covid and the strike. I suppose if he's happy doing guest spots and conventions, good for him, but as a sort-of fan/nearly former fan, I'm just sad to see his career come to this.

He's becoming a sad cliché. He is confusing a character for his main type and that is why he will never be A list and definitely never be Batman.

Thank you for this lovely post, anon.

I did tune in for the episode and, quite frankly, I was disappointed. Casting him seems to have been a gimmick, right down to the beer mentions.

First off, his acting initially seemed to be improved, right up until he started using that fake voice again then it all became cringe after cringe. I am so saddened that Jensen can't see past Dean and that he can't be himself. I know now that he'll never make it, an actor that stagnates can't ever reach A list.

Justin, in comparison, acts naturally, he has a natural instinct and this really just made Jensen look even faker. For the for the first time, Jensen played a completely meh character. He's turning into one of those dudes that star in various shows that no one even remembers because they are just there to advance the lead's plot. Right down to his superficial, mediocre, unnatural choices and I am sorry but in no way did he have the layers of someone who served in the army. That was a key characteristic of his character and he completely missed the plot on that and that's because the mention of it was a Soldier Boy easter egg. Jensen gets so caught up in flaunting his celebrity persona he forgets to embody his characters realistically.

I've read comments from AAs who claim Russell is different compared to Dean and I just want to say: gimmick casting, the whole script was written to callback to Dean, easter eggs included. Stop lying to yourselves and admit that Jensen has thrown in the towel. He is a one trick pony and that one trick will soon expire because, you know what? It's not an interesting character, it's not someone to root for, it's not someone fighting for something. It's a bored, self centered man faking a rougher inner and outer state and mimicking (yes, that's right, mimicking not acting) an idea of his old character. Mimicking poorly. As someone who loved Dean Winchester( when he was well written), I really need Jensen to stop because he is ruining the memory and disrespecting the legacy.

Thank you, anon, for sending me this ask and for asking my opinion, it pains me to say but I agree with you, lead roles aren't feasible.

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

Hello. I am wondering why you start liking Takeomi. He is the most hated character by the fandom and your choice of wet soggy cat is very unique. I want to listen your ramblings.

Oh anon, if only I knew

I'll try to remember how it happened, that much I think I got it.

So, when I first got into TR, my mind mostly focused on Mitsuya and the Shiba (mostly Taiju), so much so that I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I ever will on Taiju and explaining where his behavior comes from

Because it seems like a lot of people missed some important information. And by doing that I was able to show them details they had missed (prove that I was right in previous posts where I didn't justified myself and basically got called a liar by someone in the notes which incredibly pissed me off-) and, although that doesn't excuse what Taiju did, it does explain it and makes him more.. real? Maybe not relatable, but his domestic abuse didn't pop up out of nowhere and a lot of people know what intergenerational trauma can do so while still hating Taiju they could understand him better.

Then, having finished my Taiju analysis which also opened my eyes since I found more than what I initially thought about; I myself was able to understand him better and so I thought-

Why not do that with every hated characters in the fandom?

I don't quite recall if my (at the time, very slight) interest in Takeomi happened a bit before or at that time, but the reason why I focused on him before the others (which, uh, aren't a lot anyway) was because I saw stuffs written about him which I didn't really agree with? Like, yeah, he was flawed and raised his siblings badly - especially when next to Shinichiro who was (at least depicted as)(and try to be) good at it - but they were kinda amplifying things

I know that a lot of people relate to Sanzu, or just, love him, and since they saw things I haven't seen, I told myself 'well, let's investigate, then' and then I wrote about 17k words on Takeomi's psychology.

I literally walked myself into the Takeomi rabbit-hole (what a FUCKING mistake /positive)

Takeomi did neglect his siblings, and passive-aggressively verbally, or even emotionally, abused Sanzu and for most of the fandom, is not attractive (and, let's not lie, beauty is a redeeming quality for a lot of characters regardless of fandom. How many characters, no matter their faults, get forgiven by fans just because they're hot, uh?). So he sucks, yeah

You know what he did do? acknowledged his mistakes, apologized for them and would have started his redemption arc if Wakui had had the time for that when warping up the story

He made mistakes, he's flawed, he's human, he wasn't even supposed to be here because he only entered the delinquent world to keep following Shinichiro, his ego which was back then very weak and non-existent got inflated for either survival or because he received so many compliments he didn't know what to do with it if not both because he was a k i d.

Most of the characters in TR are kids or young adults when they commit things they shouldn't have done. And yes, you can hold them accountable for it but they didn't know better - they didn't have the tools to

Now, why do I like Takeomi.

First of all - the amount of flaws he has. Don't think I need to make the list, I think everyone's got it (although make sure to remember he's got an inferiority complex and it's most likely that he also has an imposter syndrome so he's just like me fr-). But even with that, he's never an antagonist. He does things wrong but he's on our side (he's just very deaf to anyone's opinion that doesn't fit his). He sucked at raising his siblings as a kid himself (before his superiority complex developed and during it too - albeit in different ways) but that's just.. realistic? Not that it takes away the seriousness of it and the consequences, but how else could it have been? The impact on Sanzu were disastrous (not that they were the only reason why Sanzu lost it), I understand that, I don't erase that nor deny it BUT THERE'S A REASON WHY TAKEOMI IS LIKE THIS, TOO. And if people blame Takeomi for his actions (which, again, fair.) then blame Sanzu for his!! he was willing to mass murder hundreds of people!!! including his sister!!! he killed a few people!! argh. But Sanzu got his tragic-backstory/childhood shown and has a design that appeals to most, so I guess it's harder to hold him accountable for the seriousness of his actions (I like Sanzu, don't get me wrong. But sometimes the hypocrisy of some fans makes me a tiny bit angry 🙃)

Anyway, reason 84123286 of why I need Takeomi's backstory. Bc, honestly, from what we know of him as a kid+his coping mechanisms as a teen/adult, it would make sense to me if one of the reason he was so hostile to Sanzu was because he saw himself in him and Didn't Like ItTM (for different reasons) (!!! Which would add nicely to Shinichiro seeing himself in Mikey!!! more sano-akashi parallels, lets goooooooo) Talking about the parallels between the two, the fact he's Shinichiro's narrative foil compels me lots. Takeomi is quite literally Shinichiro with a negative filter on. And how can he survived that? How can he cope with the fact that no matter how much he wants and tries to be Shinichiro he'd never succeed? He'd always be the pale copy, the wood statue covered with golden leaves that are peeling away with time next to the pure gold statue. The Teru Teru Bozu that fails to chase the rain away and is going to be decapitated for his ineptitude. He'd always be himself and that's what he hates the most. He'd always be compared to Shinichiro and there's nothing he can do about it. And he can't even be angry at Shinichiro. That's his best friend. He loves him. He has been the first to love him. He has been there before anyone else. He can't lose Shinichiro, Shinichiro gave him everything. Everything he cares about, he sees value of, at least. Immaculate.

I'll also die on the hill that he is competent. He himself has no idea on what but he is (he mixes everything. For him it'd go like this: he gets praised but he's done nothing, Shinichiro has done everything which means they praised him for what Shinichiro has done. Which means what Shinichiro do, he does too. Which means Shinichiro's achievements are his as well! right? He didn't do anything by himself, there's no need to praise him for something else.)(he's fully blind that strategically-speaking and in other brainy-brain domains he's competent af. Bc since it comes 'easily' to him - since he doesn't struggle much with it, or in contrary he struggles so much he cannot possibly be good at it, then there's nothing to praise. And like, for him what Shinichiro does deserve to be praised. What he himself does is just.. things he does so compliments feel shallow)(+Bonten strives as much as Bad Toman and Manila if not more, yet there's no Kisaki. Ofc there's still Koko so that helps, but Takeomi is new to the team and got recruited (at least that what Senju said) in Brahman for his ~wisdom~)

He's also the only character who was around before Shinichiro 1) became a big brother 2) became a delinquent and that has to mean something. They're the only ones left to remember how the other was before their life went to shit

In the final timeline, he looks so healthy. He made peace with himself, his relationship with his siblings is good, he made amends. He healed, they healed. His relationship with Shinichiro, Benkei and Wakasa is good too everything's great. He learnt to understand what he is competent in and focus on it; he's not Shinichiro, he'll never be and that's okay. He's him and what he is complete Shinichiro just as Shinichiro complete him – they take care of one another's flaws but can also know live independently from each other. Perhaps, perhaps Takeomi stopped being so dependent of him

Appearance-wise, I love dark hair+green eyes combo in general so it wasn't that hard (plus there are some godly fanarts out there)

And of course: despite his complexity, at the end of the day - he's really just a pathetic wet poor excuse of a man who can't do anything right and isn't that endearing

I'm slowly getting out of the denial-phase to enter my acceptance-phase when it comes to loving Takeomi. Liking things most people hate or are neutral about is smth I hate for Reasons but it also seems to always happen lolololol. Will try to talk more about Takeomi when it comes to my mind, in case ppl who also love him but don't want to make it known because of his bad reputation in the fandom saw my posts and feel a bit more okay and comfortable with loving him

[melonteee]

Hello!!! I love your videos, and I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a question, but I’m really interested in what you think about this.

I’m writing a series of fantasy novels which has been in the works for about five years, so it’s a pretty significant project for me and kind of has my heart in a constant choke-hold.

Initially, I really struggled to understand my protagonist. She was like a complete stranger, chipped off from a bit of myself as all characters are. I knew she was bold, joyful, stubborn and would do anything for her friends, but she always seemed to be missing something fundamental.

Anyway, then I kind of figured out that I want her to be like Luffy. But Luffy is, as you know, far from a simple character, and honestly I don’t quite know how to base my protagonist off him without accidentally writing a female Luffy or missing out key aspects of Luffy’s character that would give my protagonist that ‘Luffyness’ that is just so incredible.

So really my question is: What is key to Luffy’s character, but more specifically, what are some traits that can be replicated to make a character feel Luffy-like without just being Luffy?

I really hope if you decide to answer this one you find it interesting to think about! I think we need more characters like Luffy and I want to be part of that.

Thank you!!

Boundless optimism is one trait Luffy has, but that's not just Luffy, it's a very shonen trait. But I've found Luffy differs because his boundless optimism comes from the fact he doesn't like thinking about anything, and he will actively not think to stop bad thoughts from swarming him.

His smile is the main one! No matter what, and no matter why, Luffy has a smile on his face! The only time he drops his smile is when he is enraged, such as the Drum Island scene where he's holding Dr Hiriluk's flag. Luffy's anger feels powerful because we know, without a doubt, Luffy is ANGRY. But these moments are used sparingly, otherwise the effect is gone.

Luffy's selfishness is a big one, he will do anything he wants no matter what anyone says. If you want a character to be like Luffy, they essentially have to work on automatic instinct of "I want this, I will get this." The reason this works for Luffy is because he finds a way out of the trouble he causes, ie getting imprisoned in Wano only led to him meeting new friends and growing further - even though that wasn't part of the plan. Luffy can make the most of any situation.

A major one is Luffy wearing is heart on his sleeve, to the point it's so difficult to have any sort of miscommunication with Luffy. He's honest and earnest, he physically cannot lie to save his life, and he will tell you what he thinks of you straight up. But, Luffy's view of a person can and will change, and he'll tell you when THAT happens too. He doesn't look down on nor up at anyone, and this stops Luffy from seeming conceited or annoying.

Luffy's strengths are also his flaws, hence why he collapses upon Ace's death, because his optimism and 'everything will work out' attitude didn't work. The second a bad thing happens, he cracks, and he cannot help but lose control of himself due to unbearable grief that he keeps bottled up. The same thing happened when Kuma vanished all the Strawhats in Sabaody and Luffy entirely broke down.

Good luck on your novels! But I will say, another difference is that Luffy is a man - of course. While there's no difference in genders or sexes as human beings, and while I wish everyone could be written on the same level, there's still a difference in how one is perceived depending on societal pressures and restraints. For example, Nami was told by Bellemere that "girls need to be strong too," showing us that Nami goes against the status quo of One Piece's world by not being a passive woman. These are reasons why I connect to Nami personally, and why many female fans love Nami and her character.

My advice is think about the societal structures of your world, who's on top and who's on the bottom, and if that will effect your main character in terms of struggles she may face or trials she must go through!

[meaningofaeons]

First request ive sent for hsr bcz I DO NOT SEE ENOUGH AU CONTENT ON THIS SITE?? I would like to request Gepard x reader musician au where gepard plays an instrument or maybe hes some kind of idol… idk im insane and ill take anything 😭

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ (tone) deaf

⊹ character(s) - gepard landau ⊹ word count - 705 ⊹ notes - gn!reader, musician/music au, modern au, gepard is still kinda a bad singer like in canon but not as bad (serval vocal coach yahoo!), reader is implied to be semi-famous but still knows the landaus, serval's band is implied to be semi-famous too (SERVAL WINGWOMAN IS BACK!!!), idol!gepard

hi anon!!! I REALLY LIKE THIS REQUEST!!!! I love guys who can't sing (cough tanjiro demon slayer cough) and it's always so cute writing about them. the idea of idol!gepard made me swoon so I went that route! I did hcs I hope that's okay! and I hope the modern au is okay, I didn't know if you wanted to stick to the original belobog/hsr setting or no. thanks for requesting!!! (=^･ｪ･^=))ﾉ彡☆ (I didnt rlly know how to end this one so if you want a p2 lemme know <3)

Gepard isn't necessarily a bad singer. He's just unpracticed.

Serval remembers fondly the times her brother would try to sing in his room, completely unaware of how he sounded to anyone with half an ear for tone.

He'd always wanted to be in a band of some sort like his older sister, but he didn't really have a knack for it. And instruments? Forget it. He could barely strum a single chord on a guitar!

Brawn was always Gepard's bigger strong suit over brains, and music certainly required quite a bit of the latter.

So, Serval, noticing her brother's plight (but also his desire for improvement) approached him on getting vocal lessons. From her, of course.

Over the course of a few years, he improved by leaps and bounds. In all that time, it never occurred to his sister to ask why he was so desperate for musical ability.

That is, until she went with him to one of your shows on her rare time off from her own band.

You were a longtime friend of the Landaus, and Serval felt that all three of you got along quite well. Like a house on fire, one would say.

But she never quite expected her brother to be so taken with your sound.

"Y/N has really bettered her playing!" Gepard ranted to Serval as soon as they were out of the small live house venue, waving his arms around. "I mean, she's always been good, but wow!"

"Is that why you wanted to get into music?" the girl teased, and her sibling immediately shut up.

"...N-Not exactly, but Y/N is inspiring."

"Your crush is written all over your face, baby bro—"

Serval was promptly shushed when you bounded up to the two of them.

"Hey, guys! How'd you like the show? Pretty cool, right?"

Gepard would spend hours ranting to you about songwriting, tone, anything he could possibly think of to occupy your conversation. Serval, meanwhile, would slink away to give you two your space.

It didn't take long for the newly-improved singer Gepard to find his place in a male idol unit.

His looks certainly helped, but it was no shocker that his leaps-and-bounds better singing was the kicker that got him his spot.

You continued your own musical gigs, but you were always willing to lend the blonde a helping hand (and ear!) for his new songs. Though idol groups usually got composers to write for them, Gepard was a sucker for coming up with his own songs.

As a very handsome guy, his talents were naturally geared towards a 'heartthrob' persona to his fans, which they lapped up like a cat to milk.

You soon became no exception—though you were obviously closer to him than any fan could get.

You would help him with writing songs, and all of his love-centric ones were written with you in mind (not that he would ever admit such a thing)

Still, you seemed ever-oblivious to his hints, even when his songs started to get borderline personal. His manager had to outright stop him from performing a song on the fly during one of his shows that specifically described you.

And Gepard was silently thankful that his moment of lovestruck delirium hadn't been broadcasted live to millions.

You couldn't exactly deny your own feelings for the man, but considering both of your levels of fame and his rise to success as a shoe-in for the whole nation's celebrity crush, you figured not to say a word.

Even though the work got busier by the day, though, Gepard always made time for you, and you for him.

When he couldn't make it to a show of yours or he had to miss out on a meeting due to a scheduling conflict, he'd always send a bouquet of your favorite flowers straight to your doorstep.

And though you couldn't always be there for his live performances, you always made sure to send something to eat from his favorite restaurant that he could indulge in after the show.

Fame could be tiring, trifling, and outright frustrating at times, but with the two of you to support one another, it wasn't too bad a hurdle to cross.

[lordkingsmith]

Zack Taylor known canon children and au children

Man I love Zack. When I was a kid I loved that Zack was a dancer, and was so cool. I loved how NICE he was. He’s a friggin sweetie. In comics I like how this is really focused on; he’s sweet, he’s popular, he’s a nice guy who’s doing his best. He’s not perfect but he’s trying. He can be serious, but he’s never straight up mean unless he has to be, and you can tell he hates it. Should have said so with Trini XD she’s the same way. I just ship her and Richie and got carried away, apologies.

If I’ve forgotten anyone you want to see or I think of them as I go, I’ll add 😁😁

Zack Taylor’s Canon Children;

I do like he didn’t end up with any of his high school sweethearts. Cute as the trope is, doesn’t work for everyone and that’s not a bad thing. Zack's a very fun character, and very charming, but it's cool it wasn't a sweetheart, and I do like thinking he and Billy are together. And I love the chemistry of Zack and Billy in once and always. There's something so sweet about those two bonding when in the first season, Zack had to keep asking Trini for help understanding Billy.

Minh Kwan. He is a great dad to Minh lol. I love how you can see the dawning ���oh grid this is what ‘teenager with attitude’ means. I was just like this and this is not good”. Darling I see your pain but you’re doing a good job! She loves you very much! You and Billy are her dads!

My OC’s for Zack Taylor’s Non Canon Children;

Angela (last name unknown);

-props face in hand- seems she was another "had a larger plot relevance that got rewritten and thus wrote the character out of the show" character. That makes three I've run across. Sharkie, Richie, Angela. You could almost make an entire team of their own with these written out of the show characters. I won't say anything more about that, it is what it is. I will say while I wasn't the biggest fan of Angela's episodes, she seemed okay, and Zack was smitten. Which was definitely cute to watch, he was adorable in love with her. But I do have ideas for their kids, and I am quite taken with these two if I do say so myself.

Zack had a long love affair with Angela and they had two kids once he completely retired from being a ranger. She’s a senator’s wife, and they’re a senator’s kids. This has the predictable outcome of the two, Neveah, aged 21 and Bernard Taylor, aged 19, being a bit rebellious.

Neveah is a wild child, though not malicious in the slightest. Trickster type, very mischievous, she's definitely the class clown type. Prefers lightening the mood or getting back at people in the most prankster chaos way possible. She's aware of the rangers, and helps as a senator's child with all the perks that comes with it. She's going into business with the interest of owning a coffeeshop and gallery, so that the community can come and display and possibly sell art, and have a safe place to talk and decompress. Her brother included. They're not especially close, but she does want him to have a place to just be a person. Neveah is also not super close to her dad or mom, though it's more over their work than anything.

Bernard Taylor has absolutely no idea what he wants to do with his life, and works as a preschool dance teacher at the library. He also volunteers for arts and crafts classes. A huge lover of kids, and little kids adore his cheeky personality and his creative problem solving solutions. distraction and dancing, mostly. He's been dating Selena Bulkmeier-Skullovitch for two years, only recently found out Selena was Rita and Zedd's daughter. Upset she didn't tell him sooner, though can't argue he probably would not have taken this revelation well, and it's not like it matters. She was raised by Bulk and Skull, right? He's a bit corny in his romance, and is hoping if she is secretly evil, every time he makes her laugh it's another way to convince her not to follow in her biological parents' footsteps

Melissa (last name unknown);

Zack and Kim were the two who encouraged Melissa to join a disability inclusive dance class, and while it didn't click at first, Zack was the most delighted when she got the hang of the dancing. She told Zack she knew he was the black ranger, and managed to stick close enough by in school and in general people thought they were dating. It was easy to play along, and she was able to act as a great lookout. They have one daughter, Lila Taylor. Aged sixteen.

Lila is not deaf, and she's blunt and strong willed. People tend to underestimate her, and she's fairly quick to correct them. Some people think she's too strong willed, she thinks she's as loud as she needs to be. Lila is a dance teacher and volunteers at the library. She wants to go into library sciences, and is considering perhaps working at the Library of Congress. It's very difficult to get the position, but Lila is willing. She loves music, she loves dancing, and she loves knowledge. Everyone deserves it. not associated with a Color.

Violet Arias;

Zack and Violet are a lot like the sun and moon or moon and sea; there's an equal push and pull with them that can't be ignored. High school sweethearts in the greatest sense, though things hit a rocky patch when she figured out he was a power ranger-not that he'd made it particularly hard. They got engaged when he wrote her a poem cipher asking her to marry him. With help from Billy, of course. The two run a music shop together, with Violet running the area that has the retro music devices and Zack in charge of the CD's and vinyls. Violet and Zack have twins, Elodie and Mona, aged 16.

Elodie is very mellow, and smart. She's curious about a lot of things, and enjoys music based philosophy. Wants to be a song writer, wants to write music for bands from the other side of the galaxy. Just because it'd be a fun, cool challenge. Relatively popular, very forgiving, but not stupid. She's got her limits. Has opinions on a variety of subjects but it's extremely weird what things she's got an enyclopedic knowledge of and what she doesn't. She's often hyped and made brave by her sister, who is the opposite of her in every way. not associated with a color

Mona is going to be a music based power ranger, she is going to be a green ranger. And she is everything her parents and Elodie are not. Brash, loud, vengeful, crass, wild, but her sister keeps her calm and she in turn boosts her sister and gets her able to do things. Mona's somehow managed to be the most popular girl at school, but more than a few people are hoping for the day when this hot headed queen bee gets her comeuppance and gets knocked down a couple pegs.

Trini Kwan;

They started dating in space, and it was nice. When Trini became red, it got more serious, and being with each other was always so safe, emotionally. They don’t spent a lot of time on earth, but they do have two kids. The two don’t see their kids much, Jethro, age 16 and Avery, age 15 are on earth and do school on earth. They see their parents on holidays when they can, but mostly live with Kim. They have very distant relationships with their parents, even if they wish their parents would retire. They partially retired until both of them were in Junior High, which makes it extra tough. It feels a little like an abandonment, even if it isn’t.

Jethro is not really open to his parents, and has a better relationship with Kim. He wants to be a DJ, and does DJ’ing stuff for school dances and parties. Annoyed by his parents, has a ton of friends, prefers his friends. He likes Kim just fine, and everyone else. He just thinks his parents are using their duties as an excuse to get out of raising their kids. Jethro tries to avoid talking about his parents and what they do. He’s got his own things to do, they have theirs.

Avery loves her parents. She misses them dearly and wants them to come home. She’s become a bit of a people pleaser, swallowing down anxiety or unhappiness so nobody worries. She worries about them, a lot, and wishes they’d just stay home with their kids, who love them. While she doesn’t get why her parents are always in space, she knows they are doing important work saving people, and thus, tries to be understanding and patient and not worry anyone. Not associated with a color.

Kimberly Hart;

Tommy had a lot going on, and Kim realized she couldn't keep spending all her energy on him if he wasn't going to notice she cared. They went into a close friendship, and Kim and Zack stumbled very gradually from close friends to dating to married. Kim's a famous singer now, and Zack helps her make her music. Their dynamic duo for creativity continues evolving their music. They also employ animators for all their music videos. They have one son, aged sixteen. Joshua Taylor-Hart

Joshua's tone deaf, but loves playing violin. He has great technical skill, though struggles with the frustration that with being tone deaf, the six sounds most people can hear that would allow him to elevate his music are deeply absent. He likes his music, he loves music. It's hard not to be jealous of his parents, though, sometimes. Dancing's easier, so's cross country running. He's a hard worker, he's smart, and he's used to looking at things outside the box. Is not associated with a color.

Matthew Cook;

During everything Zack and Matt were friends with benefits, though Matt tended to use Zack as an emotional scapegoat as well. Zack finally had enough after a bit, and told Matt either he got his head out of his ass or they weren’t continuing. He was serious, too, and Matt got left in the lurch for a little while before actually looking at himself long and hard and deciding whether or not his grudge was worth losing Zack again. It wasn’t. His parents loved Zack, Kira loved Zack, and most importantly he loved Zack. He came out to his parents and family, and then put in the effort to get over himself to get Zack back. One daughter by surrogate parent, and Matt owes Kim big time. She’s made it clear though. This was for Zack. He gets this, and accepts he and Kim are probably never even going to be friends. His and Zack’s daughter is Layla Cook-Taylor. Layla is sixteen, tiny firecracker of positivity. She has her low moments, but she’s never down for long. She likes swimming and playing guitar. She dances with Zack in dance classes and Matt adores her so so much. She’s frank and earnest and tries her best. She doesn’t give up easily if ever. White ranger. Saba loves her, too. Yes Matt has gotten in arguments with the uppity dagger why do you ask?

Jason Lee Scott;

There really wasn't anyone else, honestly. They got each other. Blue and red is fine, and red and pink, but red and black? when it works it works and honestly they work. For obvious reasons, while they started dating in space, they didn't make it public when they came back to earth until Jason's dad died. At that point, there was nothing holding them back, and Zack understood the reason Jason waited. There was never going to be a relationship with his dad if he came out, and he was the sole caretaker. He had a responsibility. Zack respected that.

They have two kids, by surrogate. Kristen of the dark rangers, actually, offered. They didn't talk to the five much, but knew them well enough, after everything. When she offered it was actually a surprise, but they were willing if she was. When they decided they wanted a second kid, she was still willing. They're half siblings. Cleo, aged 24, is Jason and Kristen's daughter. Valeria, aged 18, is Kristen and Zack's daughter. Through this they became better friends with Kristen as well and that was really nice, especially for Kristen.

Cleo's more dramatic and adventurous than her younger sister. She will try anything once, do anything once. The whole world's a stage and she's one of the leads. Not afraid to take life by the horns and ride for all it's worth. A little bit of a mean girl, especially to anyone who dares hurt her sister or sister's friends. Was a queen bee in high school. She designs outfits for athletes. Sportswear is a passion of hers. How to make it fashionable and nice to work out in. Everyone deserves to look their best. She, herself, has an almost boho goth mix as a style. it was a mistake to let her watch incredibles; Edna Mode is her hero and role model. is not associated with a color. However, she'd be Fuchsia if she did. Unusual, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Valeria is 18 and in awe of her family and their legacies. She feels like she won't be able to be able to match any of them, but is trying not to let that bother her. She's captain of a breakdancing team, and mixes it with hard shoe Irish step-dance, which she's been taking classes for since she was four. It's something new, something fun, something her, and while she doesn't see the value in it, Zack and Jason do. Cleo's first experimental skort (skirt/short combo) was for Valeria to better be able to mix both dance styles. It's sometimes difficult for the sisters to talk to each other or show affection, but when they do its usually through things made for the other for their hobbies. Valeria also likes doing basic build type things, such as building sewing machines or computers. She only does this for family, but Cleo loves the custom machine she got. So does uncle Adam.

Currently working at a pizzeria, the tips are good and she likes being able to think while in high stress situations. It's where she thrives. Valeria is not associated with a color. however if she was, it'd be coral or black.

Tommy Oliver;

Tommy is an airhead, and very hard to convince he’s being flirted with. Kimberly, for months, tried to flirt with her new teammate, and eventually moved on because it just didn’t connect in Tommy’s head. He misunderstood Zack trying to explain it to him as Zack flirting, which made a little bit of a mess, but once it was sorted out Kimberly was dating someone else, and Tommy and Zack realized they did like each other. So they started dating, although there was some hurt feelings between themselves and Kim for a long while. Unfortunately, shortly after they successfully adopted a four year old, Tommy disappeared.

Eighteen years later, Landon Taylor works at Promethea as a systems programmer intern. It’s the closest to Tommy and Zack’s old work that Landon can get. Zack doesn’t want him any closer, and Billy, now CEO of Promethea, takes care of his old friends’ son. Landon admires Promethea and power rangers immensely. He wants to help them by any means he possibly can, and he does so to the best of his ability.

Nothing has come of years of searching for Tommy, and vice president Zack Taylor has proposed several amendments to help protect the teenagers that become rangers. He knows better than to make it illegal for teens and young adults to be rangers like some propose, but he also knows there needs to be suitable protective safety nets just in case. He’s proud of Landon, who’s helping program these safety nets, and he’s proud of the current rangers.

Billy Cranston;

They adopted Minh together basically. But in an alternate reality they got married and have two adopted kids, Harlow, aged 19, Selena, aged 17, and one kid by surrogate, Dylan, aged 9.

Harlow was adopted by Zack and Billy when he was seven, and is the first kid they adopted. He and the senator bonded over a shared love of music, and breakdancing. He bonded with Billy a little bit later over Billy mentioning that like Harlow, he used to have a fear of fish and water, and it was fine feeling irrational fear. Harlow tries really hard to make both his dads proud. He's got a lot of pressure he puts on himself. He's a perfectionist. Everything has to be perfect all the time. Billy's the first to try to get him to see the beauty in sometimes things just...not...being...perfect, and it's okay if he's not immediately good at things. Tommy Oliver is his favorite honorary uncle, and is a huge help with how he feels and living in a family. Is the blue ranger, alongside Selena, who is the orange ranger (there is no pink on their team).

Dylan was born a couple years before Selena was adopted. rambunctious kid. Gives his dads a heart attack all the time. His mom was Aisha, and his dad was Billy. There were long talks about it, but it was actually decided by a coin flip because Aisha could see they were psyching themselves out, and were going to talk themselves out of a choice they very much wanted. So she took charge for them. They love Dylan, and Dylan loves his dads, and his brother, and his sister. He likes music and playing pirates. He's one of the smartest kids in his grade school class, but Billy and Zack want him to make friends, so he's not allowed to jump a year. He does get supplemental lessons by both of them, though, so he doesn't stop being curious. Not associated with a color.

Selena has a lot of self doubt about being in this family, and doesn't get why Billy and Zack keep going to bat for her. They go to bat for her because they see in her a lot of themselves, and a lot of Tommy. She's a cheerleader at their school, and does baby sitting as a side job. She struggles to feel worthy of being the orange ranger, but she likes her new brothers, and she likes her dads, and she likes being able to show some of how grateful she feels back to them.

In a small variation, Minh would come live with all three of them as their sister and yellow ranger.

Farkas Bulkmeier;

Zack realized he was crushing on Bulk when Bulk explained his plan to be homecoming king. Zack loved his tenacity and how genuinely excited Bulk actually was over this. Overhearing Marleau’s threat and Bulk backing down, Zack backed him, and got the rest of the rangers and their dates to back him, because Marleau might think she rules the school but she really didn’t.

He completely fell in love with him seeing him crowned homecoming king. However nothing happened in school, and they fell out of touch for several years. Later, they met again when Zack went to a bar with friends, and found the bartender and owner was a familiar face. Farkas was happy to see him, and Zack was extremely happy to see him. He stayed over that night, and then never left. They work well together and have two kids via genetic splicing courtesy of Billy and Aquitar technology. Brianna, aged thirteen, and Devin, aged ten.

Brianna goes to dance classes twice a week, is as friendly and strong in her sense of Justice as her dad Zack was when he was a teenager. He is so proud of her. Her sense of Justice is perhaps a little too strong, and Zack is watching his thirteen year old like a hawk. Power rangering is fine, but he is not letting his baby girl do it before she’s sixteen. Out of personal experience. She often has a group of kids around her, as a sort of social butterfly nexus; and their house is apparently the “safe house”. Polite, energetic, friendly, everyone’s her friend and she’s everyone else’s friend. Bulk and Zack have had to tell her more than once she needs to know her limits. Not associated with a color; but she’ll be silver the second she’s old enough.

Devin wants to go to Mirinoi when he’s grown up and explore everything there. He likes being everywhere, and doing things with his dads. Happy learning how to bake and cook, is fascinated by sewing and Bulk’s hand sewn jackets. Interested in his sister’s dance recital outfits and often borrows them to study. Bulk’s happy to help him in all his interests. Not associated with a color, but he’d be pink if old enough and chosen.

Eugene Skullovitch;

Zack's always tried to give Bulk and Skull the benefit of the doubt and never felt any true antagonistic feelings to them. Annoyance sure, but he doesn't hate them. Eugene took a while to warm up to Zack though, because nice doesn't mean trustworthy, and the two eventually started dating when Eugene realized no, Zack really is just that sweet. They run an ice cream parlor together and have two adopted kids. Achibald "Archie" Taylor and Marigold "Mari" Taylor.

Archie was adopted in his teens, and while this means he doesn't get to have as much time growing up with Zack and Skull as his dads, he's got the rest of his life with them as his parents, and that's the best thing he's ever heard. He was adopted out of the foster care system at thirteen, and is nineteen. He loves botany and magic tricks. Being a stage magician or professional botanist would be really really cool. He doesn't play piano or dance but he loves watching Zack and loves listening to Eugene practice at night. Is unsure what he wants to do with his life, but inheriting the ice cream parlor would be nice, if the botany or the stage magician thing doesn't work out. is not associated with a color.

Mari was adopted last year. She's fourteen and getting used to living with her brother and her dads. They're kinda weird, but she likes them. It is weird going to a new school in a new town, with a new last name. She doesn't really know what she likes, she's still figuring it out, but she knows she likes it here and that's good enough. She does miss her old friends and home a little, but she is making new friends. Zack and Eugene give her space and understanding, and Archie's been great with advice and settling in. not associated with a color.

Richie (last name unknown);

Richie was Zack's best friend, and while Zack was at first really interested in Trini, and then in Tommy, he and Zack eventually fell into a natural relationship. It was as simple as anything for them. It is a source of curiosity for when they actually started dating, it was so gradual. Even they aren't really sure. Tommy was chosen to go to the peace convention instead of Zack, and this certainly helped the budding relationship, especially when Tommy gave Richie Saba. Richie was a great ranger, and it was nice for Zack having him with him in battle. They flowed so naturally. While they've never gotten married, everyone agrees they're basically as good as. They've adopted two kids, and have a magic baby Zedd made, a clone that through the bumbling of Goldar and Squatt, was a perfect mix of both of them. They managed to get this teenager reverted to a child, and were just glad this happened in their 20's and not their teens. Their kids are Keller, aged 29, Coda, aged 17, and Ethel, aged 15.

Keller, while intended to be Richie's evil clone, ended up being a child when the dna of Zack and Richie got mixed. How it happened they're not entirely sure, just that Squatt was involved. He's certainly an odd mix of the two, but with their more negative traits more prominent. However, despite this, he was given help and support and love to be able to have a chance at a normal life. Richie named Squatt as his godfather as a joke, but when Squatt heard he took the position extremely seriously and reformed for Keller. Squatt’s been almost more helpful with raising someone like Keller, and Richie and Zack were definitely grateful for the help. He's currently going to school to be a councilor, with monster and power ranger related trauma as his primary focus. There's certainly a lot of people who would benefit from a therapist like him. He's definitely the oldest sibling with the personality and self expectations that entails, and is used to picking the younger two up and out of bad situations at the drop of a hat. not associated with a color though if he was it'd likely be white or pink

Coda's working at the juice bar, mainly saving up for a proper car instead of borrowing the family car whenever he needs to be somewhere. He likes living with his dads and siblings, and thinks Keller's one of the more interesting people to come out of power ranger stuff. Coda wants to be a journalist, and is interested in interviewing Colors themselves. Though only Saba has ever talked to him, and when he did Coda didn't learn much. He wants to be a power ranger specifically to get an interview with his color. A strange motivation, but it will pay off. He will eventually be a silver ranger.

Ethel's not very outgoing, and is extremely shy. She is actually Billy's daughter, but Billy and his partner died when she was very small, and Zack of course adopted her without a second thought. He blames himself for Billy's death and does his best to make it up to Ethel every day. She's shy, quiet, and rather small for her age. Thankfully she's not the target of bullies and is on the school's robotics team. Richie and Zack do worry for her, but she seems to be doing ok. she will be on a team with Coda in a few years as the blue ranger.

Justin (last name unknown);

Justin was the red ranger leader of the Dark team, and Jason's more dark counterpart. Zack didn't really like Jason at first, but he did respect his devotion to his friends. They were dark mirrors for a reason, after all. Once they saved them, Justin and Zack had several classes together and just got close from revolving each other's orbit for so long. Justin got a job as a janitor, Zack as a gym teacher, and they had one kid via a surrogate. Patricia, aged 11.

Patricia is into the concept of vaulting, and likes sports. Serious, dramatic, a huge collector of beetleborgs, and a fan of action movies. She's got a lot of energy, has decided she doesn't like the taste of meat and gone vegan (which has if anything given her even more strength boost). She knows her own mind and her own heart. Her loyalty is rock solid and so is her stubborness. not associated with a color though if she was it'd be violet.

Tina (last name unknown);

Zack was a candidate for the Dragon Coin, and while it was close; he won. Essentially, he and Tommy swapped places. He became Rita's champion, and Tommy took on mighty morphin Black. The whole team tried, but couldn't break Rita's hold on Zack. However; Zack didn't have loyalty to Rita, and when Zedd showed up Zack swapped sides. When he kept losing to the good rangers and later to their sixth, the white ranger Richie, Zack convinced Zedd he needed a team to help him. So, Zedd created the Dark Rangers out of the new group of bullies that had just showed up at the school. Zack settling in nicely as their sixth. Before he'd gone bad he'd been close to Trini, and when he met Tina they hit it off quickly. Together the Dark Team forced the mighty morphin group underground. Zack and Tina have been off and on for several years at this point, and they have a daughter. Suki, aged eleven.

Suki is a belligerant though intelligent child. If you tell her the sky is blue she'll say the sky is gold. Rita and Zedd made good with each other, and Selena is practically an older sister to Suki. They're basically villainous comedic duo, with the added problem of Suki and Selena being perfectly willing to pose as Trini's daughters for the sole purpose of drawing out the hidden mighty morphin. Thrax is actually on the ranger's side, here, a forgotten little brother of Selena and trying very hard to reign in his sister and the little girl who idolizes her. Suki wants to be just like her parents, and her parents are villains. But, she is eleven. Olivia, current mighty morphin black, is trying to gently convince Selena and Suki to go against their parents. It's been slow going. There's time, it's just frustrating.

Marleau Eskin;

Zack was the only one that ever managed to get through to Marleau, for any reason. He was nice, but nice has it's limits and sometimes the nicest thing you can do is just be a little mean. He made her question herself, got her tongue tied, self conscious, and suddenly she was chasing after him, in a completely different manner than she'd ever expressed interest in anyone before. They went to a dance school together, after high school, by complete coincidence. He for contemporary dance, her for classical. She avoided him for a year just because she didn't know what to do with how he made her feel. They finally got stuck in a class as partners for a project together and had a very long conversation about many things, past and present and beyond. Things progressed got serious, and she got pregnant. Her parents had hoped she'd marry someone better than a professional dance choreographer for hollywood musicals, and disinherited her when she eloped. She runs a dance studio and he works for mucical movies as a dance choreographer. They have one daughter, Priscilla, aged 14.

She has two left feet, which is a running joke in the family. Instead she's kind of a brilliant budding politician. When she's old enough she wants to run for class president. Very friendly, very good at problem solving and defusing situations, she's popular and open minded. She wants to be the youngest governor in their state, and she's got the temerity to actually make it happen.

[therese-lokidottir]

Btw why every single fan fiction I seeing (not all but many) is Tony stans? I meant they always put Tony in good light and 'oh poor baby' and worst of it they make other characters be worst and top of it is steve

Now, everyone have free will to writing what they want but come on, it's getting annoying. Specially it's so clear Tony is never good person, sure he have his good moments but the rest? He not nice to he so called close friends and lover

And Steve? Please just because he is a soldier didn't meant he is bad, I meant sure American soldiers and soldiers generally have bad reputation, but Steven prove it he more just a soldier, he is a man.

Also it's kind bothering me while this issue never been showing it but Steve is quite religius person and Tony is atheist. And now I am no want make some kind hateful comments but I feel little bit got insulted by it.

I meant if you have religion didn't make you good person but well they make Steve like that and hate him sound like imply something

I don't think Tony Stark is bad. I think he is a wonderfully complex character when written well when written within his film series. But then Civil War happened and then the MCU Spider-Man movies had to make the choices that they made.

In the original Iron Man film Tony is egotistical, he is selfish and he is a complete mess but he is still a man with a heart. He is genuinely remorseful for what his weapons have done and he wants to change and do good. Tony is a man who struggles with his ego and with being vulnerable. He has trouble letting down those walls even to his best friends who have stood by him through so much, he's still scared.

In the Iron Man films, those were flaws Tony needed to learn from. Tony needed to learn and grow and you do see that. But then CA: CW didn't quite get that. Tony does have compassion, he does have sympathy for people. But in CA: CW it's more about guilt than it is about responsibility and self-reflection. He gets called out but some mom, but was this not something Tony Stark was struggling with? Was he not already giving to the relief efforts?

People can argue that Steve was doing wrong things in CA: CW, he was breaking laws regardless of the accords, but Tony consciously does things that question if the accords have any legitimacy in the first place. He uses an untrained 15-year-old for backup without giving them full details of the situation and lying to their legal guardian. Tony's team initiates the fight and causes collateral damage because he's permitted to do so. Lastly, he ends up snapping and trying to murder someone and he never has to face repercussions for that, legal ones I mean. He's pushing for the accords while it's clear he doesn't have to abide by why they are supposed to be there.

Contrasting all that to Steve desperately trying to help his friend, consoles someone facing eminence guilt, and allows others to leave without judgment while giving them the full story, does make Steve seem a lot nicer and more human. Bucky was brainwashed, abused, and used by Hydra and the reason they could do that was because Howard Stark used Hydra members to build S.H.I.E.L.D. All because he thought it was acceptable to for the sake of protecting the world.

The problem with Tony's "mentorship" of Peter is he treats Peter more like a project than someone who is their own independent person he's meant to be guiding and pointing in the right direction. Of course, there is the metatextual problem of shifting from billionaires the bad guys to working-class bad guys in the franchise about the hero who is usually the working-class street-level hero.

The MCU really seemed to forget Tony was an ass he needed to be better. He ends up never learning and the MCU seemed to forget Tony's ego was both bad and annoying, and also kind of a coping mechanism and cover Tony was using to deal with his issues.

[evalevaeva]

manga | fuma

It wasn't strange to see good-looking customers from time to time at the book stord you worked at. They'd come in and you'd feel your breath be taken away like all the main characters in the shelves of mangas you arranged, then they'd come to the cashier and pay for their manga and you'd never see them again.

That was the usual storyline of your day to day life in that store at the corner, but somehow that day felt different. From waking up before the alarm rang to getting a free hotteok from the aunty at the corner store, everything was going well.

You placed your bag on the floor behind the register as you stretched your arms, cracking your shoulders as you got ready to tackle the overwhelming amount of books that were jumbled up due to the new stocks from the previous day.

You flipped the sign on the glass door at the front as you walked to the first wall of books. It wasn't a hard job, and it paid well, so you barely had any complaints, other than when teenagers would come in and make a bunch of noise before leaving without buying anything, that got on your nerves a little, especially if they began talking to you.

"Three sets of Ouran High School Host Club, nice," You couldn't help but talk to yourself as you chuckled silently, ticking off the title off the little piece of paper in your hand.

You turned to walk to the back area where all the manga were stored but was given the shock of your life as you saw a tall man sitting on the floor with a manga in his hand. His black hair seemed silky smooth and his blazer perfectly matched his youthful looks. He didn't look older than you but definitely wasn't younger than you.

"Hello! Would you like any help?" You asked as you nervously watched the ethereal being before you. The man looked up in surprise as his eyes widened. He stood up quickly and dusted off his pants as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Ah, no. I was just looking around and found this particular series quite interesting," The man said as he closed the manga and showed you the cover.

"Decelis Academy! That's a very popular series right now! Even I'm a big fan, who's your favourite character?" You asked as the both of you seemed to ease into the conversation.

"Heli, but I'm not really getting where this story is supposed to be heading, I mean... a burning house and suddenly it's Sooha's fault? And Isn't it obvious that Heli is a vampire?" The man responded as you couldn't help but agree with such enthusiasm that no one could argue against you.

"You get my point! Everyone in the story acts like they have no common sense and no sense of awareness!" You agreed as the man laughed as he placed the manga back on the shelf. He checked the silver watch on his wrist as he waved at you, "It's been really nice talking to you, I'll be back tomorrow so I hope you'll be working,".

For the first time in your career working there, you weren't mad that a customer didn't buy the product they were looking at.

The next day was so surprise to you as you saw the same man, at the same exact spot he was at the day before and soon it became a cycle. Every day, you'd see him there, and you would both talk about the different mangas that you've read and how the storylines and the characters are well written or deserve to be burnt.

You placed the last book on the shelf. The both of you hadn't spoken but the silence was comforting. The man was reading a new story as he suddenly lifted his head and his eyes were set on you, watching as you hummed to yourself, checking the list every once in a while as you slid the books on the right shelves.

"Who are the idiots that placed this stack up here? Do I look like I'm tall enough for this?," You grumbled to yourself as you saw a stack of books on the highest shelf, most probably the work of a bunch of teenagers that had come in simply to cause a nuisance.

You extended your arm, on your tippy toes, as you grabbed the closest book you could get, and before you knew it, the stack was about to come crashing down on you.

The man's eyes widened as you closed your eyes, bracing the impact of the hard covered books, but it never came. The man shielded you with his body as the books came crashing down on his back, hitting it as they dropped to the floor. The sound was deafening as you opened your eyes to see the man with his eyes closed shut, his long eyelashes standing out more at that moment.

"Are you... alright?" The man asked as you gasped.

"How could you be asking me that when you just got hit with almost twenty hard cover books?! Are you okay....?" You scolded him as a stupid realisation washed over you.

You never asked for his name, and neither did he.

"I know this sounds stupid but.." You started off as you looked at your shoes, trying to avoid his stare.

"Fuma. My name is Fuma," Fuma said as he couldn't help but smile at your sudden question.

"Oh, well my name is-" You were about to introduce yourself until he said your name faster than you could.

"How did you know my name?" You asked curiously as he pointed to your nametag on your uniform.

Oh right.

You smiled as Fuma took a step back, squatting down with you to pick up the mangas on the floor, holding them to his chest as you did the same. You were occupied with the mangas until you felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned to Fuma as he held up a particular manga from the romance section, and coincidentally, one of the mangas you and Fuma bonded over. (talking about ideal dates).

"What do you think if I took you up on that idea and we go out for a date?" Fuma asked, trying to act cool but feeling the heat climb up his neck as you burst out in laughter, watching as Fuma hid his face behind the small, brightly coloured book.

He peeped his head from the side of the book as he continued, "But I'm asking genuinely, would you?".

You didn't have to think.

"Yes?! Wow, so did you come here to flirt with me? Not to patronise our shop?! I knew you were a swindler..." You teased Fuma as he shook his hands in disagreement, genuinely trying to change your 'opinion' on him.

"Hey!Hey! I'm no swindler! Maybe I did have something for you and that's why I came by often, but I did patronise the shop! I bought a bunch of mangas and books! Don't get me wrong!" Fuma said as he looked as if he had a rain cloud above his head.

---

eva's notes: i didn't sleep but &team just came back so here's my man for y'all