#the way it’s focused on in their s3 fight

[bylertruth3r]

Bychance does Not make Sense to me :( i can also explain this If you want :) but the Most Important Thing Is: they don't have time to Develope a new Character,and they don't need ANOTHER Love Triangle for Mike to realise and Accept His Feelings for Will.

ok first thing i'll say is i'm not a Bychance warrior, but from what i've read on tumblr s5 Will is based on s1 Nancy and that Nancy was dating a jock who was also a bully (Chance is like that too), plus i agree that making Will date someone else before Mike would give him more agency and more experience in his relationship with Mike, plus it would give Mike a wake up call that he could lose Will to another man if he doesn't hurry up and confess to him, (i could see them making Mike walk in on Bychance kissing and them giving us the same shot they gave us in s4 in the desert but with Mike in the middle this time and him getting jealous and confronting Will about his unhealthy relationship and Will snapping at him and saying that Mike was also in an unhealty relationship, and Will possibly slipping and saying "i deserve someone who could actually love me in the way i want him to" and Mike trying to kiss him and Will saying "you're too late" (he's not, Will is in denial) i could see the Duffers making Bychance happen to show how unhealthy mlvn and stancy were, with the difference that since Chance is a guy Will could possibly be attracted to him, especially if Chance flirts with him (there's a s5 leak that says that a guy is gonna hit on Will, which is how Bychance was born) first, i think that would influence Will because no other guy has ever openly flirted with him like that before and he thought that would never happen to him (as he implied in s3) so i think Will would take that opportunity to finally be with someone (even though he could never get over Mike), plus s5 is really long so they do have some time for another love triangle, i think they're gonna do that only for vol 1 tho which will end with a Bychance break up (because this relationship was just a plot device for Byler and to show the GA that Mike is upset over it) and with Byler finally kissing, vol 2 will only be focused on Byler and their blooming relationship

hope this helped :))

update: forgot to mention that they made Chance have Will's bday (22) on his jersey in s4

update: i also see them only making Byler kiss in episode 6 aka the episode Shawn Levy is directing (and i think there will be a rain fight about the painting before the kiss), i don't think Bychance would be a healthy and good relationship, obviously they have nothing in common (like mlvn) and i think they would only kiss and not talk, an unhealthy relationship, it would show the GA how bad mlvn was

[chirpsythismorning]

Say it’s likely there will be a Brokeback Mountain reference in s5 and nobody bats an eye.

Say it’s likely that the final byler fight will be inspired by this scene and society goes wild.

[ghostieblr]

ok so i kind of want a canon divergent fic where Stiles & Derek know each other from their childhood (Derek is like 3-4 years older than him and used to pick up Cora from the same daycare maybe?)

the plot doesn't change till s3's finale, minus some of the character's deaths. Boyd, Erica, Allison — they all live. except, see, except stiles knows derek.

and derek knows stiles.

so post nogitsune arc where everyone can finally breathe, there is no other danger that is incoming, stiles pesters derek to call a "pack night" and derek begrudgingly texts so in the group named "awooo plus others." everyone's first thought is that derek has been possessed, or something, but then stiles records a video of derek saying it too and sends it via derek's phone. nobody questions who took the video, and they all come together for the pack night.

on the day of, everyone trickles in slowly, except stiles who was literally the first to arrive. he had derek go with him to buy snacks and groceries, and then they both come back to the loft to make food for everyone else. they have a mini food fight, and stiles' white shirt is littered with all sorts of condiments and food, so derek lends him one of his henley's.

"Dude, doesn't this hurt your werewolf sensibility?" Stiles asks, the henley in his hands. Derek rolls his eyes.

"Shut up, Stiles."

(he'll not admit it for a long while, but derek loves stiles' scent clinging to his own).

and then once everyone is there, derek and stiles realize simultaneously that there's not enough room for everyone to sit around, even if some people sit down on the floor. there's only one big couch, one armchair, and the rest is carpet around the sitting area, which isn't too big. which means that lydia, allison, scott, and jackson have taken the couch; peter has taken the armchair; isaac, boyd, erica, kira, and cora have taken the space on the floor in a way that there is literally only one person's space left, and that too is a squeeze. it's clear that scott was gonna ask stiles to squeeze on the couch with them, and that the floor space, beside cora, is meant for derek.

what happens is derek picks up the tv remote and stiles hands everyone their snacks and puts the rest on the coffee table, and then derek sits down on the floor, and stiles, without a single thought and without a single glance at scott, who is trying to motion for stiles to come sit on the couch, sits in the v of derek's legs. derek, of course, puts his arm around stiles' waist and pulls him closer, so that stiles is sitting on his lap, and they have one (1) bowl of popcorn between them that is half salt, half tomato. derek gives the remote to stiles and takes the bowl.

stiles is muttering about choosing a film. he insists, "since i called this pack meeting, i'll choose the film," to which erica says:

"batman, you called the meeting?"

derek scoffs when stiles puts on star wars. neither of them is paying any attention to the others, and cora and peter are enjoying the not-so-silent freak out from the others.

derek says, "not again, stiles."

"inflection, derbear, inflection! it is the soul—"

"—soul of language. yes, i know, stiles. but i fight—"

"—against the periods and commas because it's entertaining to see you squirm. i mean me. it's funny to you to see me squirm, you asshole!"

derek just smirks, and snatches the remote to fast-forward the beginning credits, to which stiles sings holy murder and snatches it back and rewinds to the beginning.

"great, now we have to watch it again. why do you never learn, derek?" cora gripes, and peter is just watching in amazement as lydia's eyes go big with the new information. she's getting it.

the movie starts, but nobody but derek and stiles are actually watching it. cora is sort of into it, but she's not into rewatching, so she's on her phone. peter is into watching and betting who will break first. the others are entirely focused on how derek and stiles are interacting, like stiles isn't fucking afraid of derek (at this point derek is still the angry, will break your hand in training if you piss me off alpha; at least to them), and that derek isn't fucking annoyed by stiles.

stiles and derek are just. chilling. throughout the movie, stiles settles into derek, and derek wraps his arms around stiles, and they're cuddling.

derek feeds stiles once every five minutes, because stiles just turns his head and says softly, "der." after the first 2 times, stiles doesn't even have to turn. once their popcorn is over, stiles reaches over and takes the hot dogs — nobody says anything about him taking four of it (one by one, not all at once) because duh — and eats one bite, then leans back to feed it to derek, and then just stays there while alternating the bites.

stiles is super engrossed in watching so he's 1000% oblivious to his surroundings, but derek isn't, and he's just fucking proud of providing for stiles and having him in his arms, showing stiles off as his.

he just doesn't give a shit to answer the other's questions.

so just. yeah. this. where derek and stiles are childhood friends, true mates, and nobody knows how close they are until they do, and they're like "wtf???" while derek is just super duper possessive and proud and stiles is oblivious until comments from the pack members makes him rethink things and he like stops doing the things he normal does with derek (scenting, cuddling, touching derek every chance he gets, spending all of his free time with derek... yeah). day 1 has stiles antsy. day 2 has derek angry at his pack because of course they're behind his stiles-starvation. day 3 has stiles having an epiphany and derek whining outside stiles' window until stiles lets him in and says, "how long have i been stupid?"

"this is the 3rd day."

"not — no. i mean like... how long have we been dating without dating?"

derek's eyes widen. heartbeat is going crazy. "you don't mind?"

"you have literally been treating out interactions as if we are mated, dude. i don't think that question has any merit now."

"don't call me dude."

"can i call you mine, then?"

and he goes to kiss derek when derek just smiles, this bashful little small smile, but derek backs off.

stiles sighs. "we are engaged to be mated, huh?"

"engaged to be engaged to be mated, actually."

"you mean to say you've basically pre-ordered me?!"

derek is horrified. "no! what the hell, stiles?"

"NOW you use inflection? wow."

they go back to cuddling like crazy, except now derek kisses stiles on the head, forehead, and knuckles, and stiles combusts every time because that is so sweet.

the pack never do get over this development. they get over stiles having magic in a week, tops, but derek and stiles? as alpha and future alpha mate? yeah no. impossible. still unbelievable. every pack night they watch these two instead of the movies, because it is one of the few times derek actually lets his guard down and acts non-asshole-ish to them.

[marcysmaltedcrayon]

Yellow jackets s3 spoilers

Thinking abt how Melissa kinda looks like Jackie and how their both kind ppl. The way Mel is attracted to Shauna’s outcasted, brooding persona and wants to comfort her. The way Jackie was kind to Misty (an outcast) and always tried to comfort the girls and bring them together (eg, when they had a fight at the party before the crash). The way both Jackie and Melissa try to be kind and comforting but Jackie does so from a position of leadership while Melissa does it in a more submissive way, focusing mainly on comforting Shauna rather than the group as a whole. The way Mel is everything Shauna loved about Jackie (kindness, warmth but with a slightly edgy sense of humor) but also everything Shauna wanted Jackie to be. Melissa is Shauna’s sidekick, not the other way around. She’s the one pining after Shauna, Shauna doesn’t have to fight Mel for attention from others and she doesn’t have to fight for Melissa’s attention either.

From Shauna’s perspective (probably unconsciously) Melissa is the idealised Jackie and that is probably the only reason why Shauna loves her.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for the @corrodedcoffinfest Where the Wild Things Are pop-up event.

Not In His Nature

Where the Wild Things Are Pop-Up | Word Count: 3000 | Rating: T | CW: Language, Recovering From Injuries | POV: Eddie | Relationship(s): Steddie, Eddie & Corroded Coffin, Steve & Dustin | Tags: Bigfoot Eddie, Steve "I've Got Latent Monsterfucker Tendencies" Harrington, Mix and Match and Made Up Lore, Hawkins is Fucking Weird, We All Know That, Canon Divergence, Set Between S3 & S4

Also on ao3.

Note: Hopper didn't end up in Russia at the end of S3. Is this important to the story? Absolutely not. But I wrote him into this and then thought, well, shit. He shouldn't even be in Hawkins. So, canon divergence it is, lol.

Eddie hurts. It feels like he's been hit by a Mack Truck. He tries to focus, open his eyes, because he thinks he's in the road, yellow lines under his face. Goddamn. He was hit by a truck. He tries to take stock of how hurt he is. 

It's pretty bad, he thinks. He feels heavy. Too heavy to move.

He can't get up. Instead, he focuses on whatever's going on around him. He can hear voices, and he tries to hone in on them. He's pretty sure it's Steve Harrington fighting with Dustin Henderson, getting more shrill by the minute. Harrington shouldn't be picking on one of his new sheepies.

Eddie tries to say something, but it comes out in a warbled yowl.

Shit. Fuck.

He's changed. Turned. This isn't good. This isn't good at all.

Harrington and Henderson turn their attention towards him, Dustin shouting, "See! I told you it wasn't dead!"

"How was I supposed to know? It looked dead. It looked like a dead bear!" Harrington screams, clearly annoyed. Eddie blinks, and Steve leans down, meeting his eye.

"Have you ever seen a bear? That's not a bear!" 

"Excuse me, I'm not the one that thought a fucking demogorgon was a tadpole!"

"Just keep bringing that up, why don't you? And Dart was a demodog. Not a demogorgon. Do you even know the difference?"

"Of course I know the difference! I'm the one that's fought off both to save you little shitheads. In case you've forgotten. You're welcome, by the way. I never get any credit for—"

Eddie groans again.

"—shut up, Steve! You're pissing it off!"

Eddie isn't pissed off, but they aren't making sense. He's definitely brain damaged from getting hit by that stupid BMW. He groans, opens an eye, and finds Steve looking back at him.

"It's a monster. Look at it! This is not a goddamn bear," Steve snaps, and they're holding eye contact. Steve's looking right at him.

"I never said it was a bear — you did!"

"It's looking at me like it understands what I'm saying. Hello? Do you know what I'm saying?!" Steve asks, voice getting louder.

"It doesn't know what you're saying, Steve," Henderson snarks, "It's a wild animal, not a monster from the Upside Down. Do you see a face full of teeth? I don't see that, do you, Steve? But whatever it is, you should get away from it. It looks like it might try to kill you, and I've seen you fight."

"Should we shoot it? Call Nancy? Have her shoot it? Put it out of its misery?" Steve questions, and he has a nail-studded bat in his hand. Eddie doesn't want to get shot or beaten to death by Steve Harrington wielding a baseball bat. He tries to get up, tries to run away. But he can't move.

Steve reaches out and touches his face, and Eddie leans into it.

Then, the spell is broken. Eddie hears the car before he sees it, tires squealing as it stops, not far from him, doors creaking open, and then slamming shut.

Steve stands, leaving him.

"Hey! Asshole! Back off!"

Gareth. Jesus H. Christ, thank you. 

Eddie sees his furious hand reach out, all temper, and no concern that Steve Harrington is bigger and older, as he wacks the bat out of Steve's hand, sending it clattering to the asphalt.

"Leave it alone!"

"What the hell, Gareth?" Henderson asks. "What is that thing?"

"A bear," Goodie answers, close to Eddie's face. He's trying to lift him off the pavement with Jeff's assistance, but they aren't making much progress. Eddie tries to sit up, but he's not much help.

"Our pet bear," Jeff says.

Gareth says, "We're raising it to sell to a circus…"

Just as Goodie says, "...it's our 4-H project."

Both of them seem hellbent on digging this hole deeper and deeper, one stupid lie at a time. Eddie groans. Selling him to a circus? 4-H? Bear? Why don't they just tell them it's him, if they're gonna be so goddamn obvious.

"That's not a bear," Harrington argues, "it's a…Bigfoot. It's a Bigfoot! Right?!" he shouts, sounding more confident the further he gets into his thought. 

"It's not a Bigfoot," Jeff answers. Calm. Cool. Collected. The only one that isn't acting crazy and making the situation worse.

"Whatever it is, it fucked up my car!" Steve Harrington yells, waving towards the front end, which is definitely dented in. Eddie can't feel too bad about it, it was him that got hit by these two nitwits.

"Well, fucking help us and we'll get out of your hair!" Gareth snaps.

Between the five of them, they get him loaded into the back of the El Camino, and Eddie feels it groan and sink lower under his weight.

Jeff climbs in the back, Gareth and Goodie getting back up front, pulling away.

Gareth steps on it, and Jeff thumps the glass, "Slow down!"

He does, and they ease along the highway, the wind ruffling his fur.

"How hurt are you?" Jeff asks, hand on his shoulder.

Hurt, but not dying he doesn't think. He has no way to answer, but he grunts and shifts, laying his head in Jeff's lap. He strokes Eddie's forehead, "It's okay. You're alright. You just can't run off like that."

Eddie knows. He does.

It takes a while, but they make it out to Reefer Rick's, and they pull right up to the boathouse. Eddie supposes this is a good enough place to hideout until he shifts back, hopefully by morning.

When Eddie wakes up, he's sore, and naked on the filthy floor of the boathouse. But he's himself again.

"You alive?" Gareth asks, and Eddie nods. At least he thinks he is.

"Sore," Eddie croaks, throat dry. 

Jeff hands over a canteen of water, and Eddie drains it.

"Can you get up?" Jeff asks, and Eddie isn't sure.

He steadies his hand on Goodie's shoulder, and steps into his boxers, then his jeans. He can't lift his arms high enough to put on a t-shirt, so Gareth sheds his outer plaid shirt, and Eddie is buttoned into it. 

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Jeff asks.

Bits and pieces, maybe. He shakes his head.

"You escaped like an asshole. Got hit by a car," Goodie snarks.

Henderson. Steve Harrington. He remembers.

"Steve Harrington hit me with his car," Eddie says, and Jeff's nodding. 

"Do you think you have internal bleeding? We can take you to the hospital now that you're not all hairy. We couldn't last night, unless you wanted to go to the vet. And I don't think Doc Walden would know what to do with Sasquatch," Gareth rambles, and Eddie shakes his head. "Neuter you, maybe."

He laughs. He's okay. He thinks.

The drama room is being used for the school play, and that means Hellfire needs to be moved. Ending up on Cornwallis street, at Dustin Henderson's house wasn't what Eddie had planned for the night. 

And he really didn't expect Steve Harrington to answer the door, and look him up and down, suspiciously.

"What the hell happened to you, Munson?" Steve asks, arms pulled tight across his chest.

"Fight," Eddie lies.

"You can barely walk," Steve argues, watching him struggle to step into the house, "that's a helluva a fight. And I've been beaten the fuck up."

Eddie doesn't know what to say: You hit me with your car, asshole?

He's sure that'd go over well.

So, he just shrugs and settles into the seat at the head of the Henderson's dining room table. His head is throbbing, they should have postponed this. But that's not in his nature. The show must go on.

He tries to get comfortable, shifting in the wooden chair, and tries to be entertaining. Tries to keep them invested in his new campaign, The Cult of Vecna, as it's just getting underway. He worked hard on this one, but he can't concentrate tonight. 

Especially not with Steve Harrington hovering in the doorway, looking judgmental. Or concerned. Constipated? Something unpleasant, that's for sure.

The nausea hits him, hard and fast, and he pushes back from the table, no time to even make excuses.

Getting down on the floor to throw up hurts like fucking hell, and he's not exactly sure how he'll get back up again. Eventually one of them will come looking for him, he supposes.

He's pretty positive he'd dozed off, draped over the toilet, head resting on his arm on the seat, when the bathroom door opens and closes. Maybe they should have taken him to the hospital.

He expects it to be Gareth. Jeff. Goodie. Hell, even Henderson.

But it's Steve Harrington.

He squats down, and pushes Eddie's hair out of his face, "I hit you with my car, didn't I?"

Eddie nods. He's too sick to argue.

"Shit. Shit, sorry. I'm sorry."

"You didn't mean to, I was the one in the road," Eddie says, closing his eyes. If he'd just stayed put in Gareth's basement like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened. "You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

"No," Steve says, "I hit a deer."

Eddie reaches out and squeezes Steve's arm in thanks.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Eddie answers, "I'm always sick, after. I'm just sore on top of it tonight."

"Have you always been…this way?" Steve asks.

"Have I always been a freak?" Eddie asks, but smiles slightly, "Yeah. Just not this kind of freak. I think I got cursed."

Eddie expects Steve to argue, to not believe him, but he's nodding.

"It started happening last summer. After the Fourth of July. We played with a Ouija board, just messing around. And the mall burned down, and I ended up like this. It's not funny now."

"This town is so fucked," Steve says, and Eddie can't argue. "You didn't burn down the mall. Trust me. In fact, I'd bet that what happened out there that night somehow caused this, in some way."

That makes no sense.

"Why do I think you know more than you're letting on?" Eddie asks.

"I don't know anything. Not about your thing. But this town? It's got problems. Deep, dark problems. Trust me."

Eddie has a thousand questions he wants to ask, but Steve doesn't seem willing to give them right now.

He confirms that when he changes the subject, stating, "Take as long as you need, and then I'll get you out of here."

It takes twenty more minutes of sitting there, Steve Harrington just hanging out next to him, before he can be pulled to his feet.

Passing through the dining room, Steve stops, just briefly.

"I'm taking Eddie home, he has the flu," Steve announces, like that's a normal thing for him to say or do. Everybody sitting at the table is just staring, unblinking.

Steve doesn't take him home, at least not to Eddie's home, but to Steve's own. Steve had insisted a warm bath with Epsom salt would make him less sore. Eddie doesn't exactly think it'll help, but he's willing to try anything.

"Why are you doing this?" Eddie asks, leaning back against the tub, head resting against the tile. 

"I hit you with my car," Steve says, then looks Eddie's way, "and because when I was hurt like this, I wish someone would have taken care of me, would have made sure I was okay. I wasn't okay," he admits, low and almost too soft to hear.

"Thanks, Harrington," Eddie says, and maybe he's been wrong about King Steve. Maybe he's a good dude with a bad rep. Eddie knows a little bit about that himself.

"And I kind of feel responsible. The mall thing? I was there for that."

Eddie nods, not fully understanding, but getting it all the same.

The next month, his friends are dragging him up to the front of Harrington's house, like he's some unruly pet dog that's about to pee on the carpet. He can't help that he's gonna turn, if he had a choice, he wouldn't do it.

"Can we put him in one of your seventeen garages? Before he changes?" Gareth asks. 

Steve rolls his eyes, but opens the double doors, as if they're getting the grand welcome. 

They lock themselves in, barricade the exits, the windows, and Eddie sits on the ground to wait.

It's happened, but he never remembers changing. Which is probably good, surely it's not pretty.

Tonight, Steve Harrington is peering down at him as he sits on the ground. Eddie looks up at him and smiles wide. 

Steve laughs, and reaches out and pats Eddie on the head. 

"What now?" Steve asks the room, as Eddie's friends just sit there.

"We wait? He's gonna be like this for about twenty-four hours," Jeff answers. 

Eddie nudges his big fist into Steve's thigh, getting him to turn and look at him again. He does, and Eddie gives him another toothy grin.

"Stop flirting with Steve Harrington," Goodie says, and Eddie turns and gives him a dirty look, "I don't think your ugly ass is his type."

Steve laughs, and touches Eddie on the forehead, "Don't listen to him," Steve says, leaning close, "you're very cute."

Eddie makes a happy noise, and settles back against the wall. He doesn't even feel the urge to run away tonight. Not with Steve right here.

Another month gone, and the group of people who know about him has grown. Eddie just hopes letting them in on his secret will help him fix it for good. It took them all month to scheme up a plan, but now here they are, standing out behind the church at the witching hour, Nancy Wheeler holding a flashlight.

Changing doesn't happen during a full moon, he's not a werewolf. No, he turns every month on the same day they'd messed around with that damn thing in the first place.

"Okay. Now. Seven pieces," Nancy instructs and Eddie cuts the board while Steve holds it. How can something made by Hasbro actually hold any powers? It makes no sense. 

Once they have their pieces, Robin holds out a vial of holy water. This all seems like a little much, but he does it, and then digs a deep hole in the consecrated ground, burying the pieces.

He hopes this works.

"Is this gonna work?" Wayne asks, as if he's reading Eddie's mind. When the trailer hadn't been enough to hold him, Gareth's basement had become the place. Which was hard, Mama Jones is cool, but Eddie wasn't sure she was Bigfoot in the basement cool.

He's not dangerous, he's never tried to hurt anybody, at least. But he's fucking mischievous, and the last time he went out roaming he got hit by Steve's car. He prefers not to repeat that process if he can help it.

So, they need to cage him tonight. To see if it worked.

The bad news: Steve's parents are home. So, this time he's willingly stepping into a solitary confinement cell at the jail, Jim Hopper holding the keys. Hopper said the less people that knew about him, the better, and Eddie knows that's true. He can't go around getting hit by cars. The next one might not be Harrington and Henderson, who incidentally, already had some deep experience with weird shit.

"I'll stay with him," Steve says, following Eddie through the door.

"Harrington," Hopper says, a warning.

"Eddie won't hurt him," Jeff says.

"Definitely not," Wayne agrees, "he's not violent. It's not in his nature."

"He didn't hurt me last time," Steve reassures.

Hopper shakes his head, but hands Steve a deck of cards, "If you get bored. If he tries to eat you, holler."

"Gee, thanks," Steve says, but takes the cards and sits on the plastic mattress on the ground in the corner.

When the door clangs shut, there are no bars, only a bean hole in the door for passing trays of food. 

"How long until we know?" Steve asks.

"By morning," Eddie answers, "that first time, Wayne nearly took my head off with his shotgun. But he said he could tell it was me, by my eyes.

"I get that," Steve says, and Eddie feels the blush crawling up his neck, making him feel warm.

Steve looks at his watch, "The sun has to be up. It worked," he tells Eddie.

Eddie thinks it did, too. 

Steve frowns.

"Well, don't look so sad about it," Eddie laughs, and Steve smiles over at him. 

"I was just thinking, you were awfully cute and flirty. As a Bigfoot."

Eddie laughs, the sound echoing off the bare walls, "If you want me to flirt with you, Harrington, all you gotta do is ask."

Steve scoots closer, hoisting himself up onto his knees, hovering over Eddie. It feels familiar, but different, and Eddie grins up at him. Steve pats his head, just like he did when Eddie was much larger, and much hairier. 

Then he leans down, and kisses Eddie. 

Holy shit. 

Eddie won the goddamn lottery. He'd get hit by Steve Harrington's car any day of the week if this is the end result.

They kiss, and kiss, until they hear the heavy key turning the lock.

Hopper swings the door open, looks at Steve, then Eddie, shaking his head, turning on heel, stomping away. Eddie can see what Steve looks like with his swollen, red lips and assumes he looks the same. 

"Should we be scared?" Eddie asks, looking at the open door, then back at Steve.

"Of Hop? Nope. No way," he says, climbing to his feet, and then leaning down to pull Eddie up, too. "All bark, no bite, just like you."

Eddie looks at him, and then presses their lips together one more time, before grinning, up close and in Steve's face.

"Sorry I'm no longer a monster. You seemed into that," Eddie teases.

Steve laughs, head thrown back, "I imagine I'll survive. Somehow."

And if you want to write your own, or see more entries in this pop-up, check out @corrodedcoffinfest to see other entries for the Where the Wild Things Are prompt!

Notes: I was editing my other fic for this challenge, and got to where I'd made a Harry and the Hendersons reference and thought, ha, Dustin is a Henderson...what if? Of course, it didn't fully go in that direction once I started writing. But that was the the reason this got written, for sure.

If you haven't seen it, the Bigfoot in the header is indeed Harry from that film. It was my childhood. Made you laugh, made you cry, and it's a relic from back when kids still cussed in PG films, haha. They all walked so Dustin Henderson could (goddamn) run.

Thanks for reading this silliness. 🤣

[roxannepolice]

Figured I might try rambling about how wonderful the DW s3 finale trilogy is, all with some screencaps that get it best

All screencaps from QuiteUnlikely.net

I've rambled about this before, but this shot is some ancient philosopher with his twink boytoy arrangement (think Socrates with Alchibiades or Aristotle with Alexander). Just. Obsessed with the Doctor being in supplicant/trainee position here.

Much binary code has been spilled about how Martha and Jack should be absolutely pissed about the Doctor wanting to "care for" the Master, and rightly so, but the moment Martha realises professor Yana might be a Time Lord is freaking everything. Just look at her. She's forcefully keeping herself from exploding with joy at the idea the Doctor might not be alone anymore, keeping in mind how she actually sat there and listened to him waxing about Gallifrey. It's the same energy she gives when she finds out the Doctor found Rose. I understand the pleasures of vindicativeness but my girl Martha Jones has the emotional capacity of the Pacific. Same goes for Jack. That guy went through everything the Master put him through over the YTNW and still decided his dying words should be letting the Doctor know his husband is out there. Struggling through radiation poisoning to get him a date was the least the Doctor could do in return.

Just sir Derek Jacobi acting porn.

There is a repeating choice in camerawork where the Master is shot from below and the camera turns around him, especially when he's surrounded by the Toclafane. Gives the viewer an excellent sense of vertigo that makes you feel you're inside his crazy pretty head.

I am absolutely obsessed with visual choices in the TenSimm phonesex scene. Just, the sudden sense of intimacy between them, underlined by the Master taking out his private phone? The Doctor stepping away from Martha and Jack for the talk? The way he conspiratorialy lowers his head for asking the Master out for a date talking about how they might just be together in whatever way, fighting across the galaxies if that's what he wants? Amazing.

This moment is amazing and not discussed enough probably because the fandom is too busy finding hidden meanings of winning and losing in thoschei context to appreciate what's explicitly laid out before them. Like, you can just tell the Master knows the Doctor's there but still waiting for the proper order of moves in this fucked up game of chess they are playing (and also actually focused on his plan in which the Doctor is just one element and not the focus). Meanwhile, the Doctor's all oozing determination right before he states his claim in the game: I'm not here to kill him. I'm here to save him. That's it. He knows how difficult it will be, but he will win the game by "saving" the Master. Both from others and himself. In this very simple, very explicitly laid out context, the Master dying rather than getting "saved" by the Doctor is... well, let's call it a draw.

Just an apprecitation of David Tennant's acting here. You can see this does not come easy to the Doctor. You can see he feels the weight of forgiving the Master. You can tell he really did suffer for himself and others like the Christ figure he is over the year. At the same time, the arrangement of his hands on the Master's body is so overwhelmingly protective. He knows what he's about to say is horrible.

Ok, this scene was backward engineered. RTD just really wanted thoschei to hold hands under his run. There's a reason this moment keeps being giffed as them actually reconciling and that's the author wanting it to feel like this. At the same time, the little alone moment the Doctor and the Master get on the ground is wonderfully crafted. The Master going into grandiose Paul Atreides' He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it mindset while the Doctor just calmly calls his bluff and talks him down because he really does know him. A contrast to the chaos going on oboard the Valiant. Followed by what would be mistaken for aggressive sex in the wild if you got just a teensy bit drunk.

Just appreciation of Jack holding the Master by his collar like a naughty cat that won't let his nails get trimmed :3

Look at him. Look at the impossible warmth in the Doctor's eyes. This bitch is so freaking hopeful. His mind in already in the space of cuddling with freaking enormous Flemish giant rabbits on Teletubby planet he and the Master are going to engage in.

OK, this moment. This moment. Lucy seriously doesn't get due appreciation as a character. Judging from the comments on my "Lucy adopted the Master because he reminded her of her cat" staute more eternal than bronze post, a lot of people don't like the idea she was just hypnotised into working with the Master and quite right too. No, this is a woman who enjoys power, who gets all ears when she's called "the power behind the throne". This is also someone who has witnessed the last remnants of humanity cannibalising themselves into murderballs, abandoning all hope for better future. End of the day, it's all going to end and the end will not be pretty. It's also someone who suffered a year of abuse from someone she actually loved and does not have the 900 years of witnessing all sorts of horrors the Doctor has. But just look at the calmness with which she gives the gun to Jack. She just did what needed to be done. When the Doctor says the Master "corrupted" Lucy, it's... well it's not exactly that he's wrong, but it's not the case of "oh, just an innocent dainty girl who met a bad man", it's more the case of "If you take a life do you know what you'll give? Odds are you won't like what it is". Contrary to what some writers would have it, DW's stance on violence isn't "guns are baaad, m'kay", but it is "once you've ended a life, it changes you as a person", hence aside from "nooo that's mah husband :(" the Doctor stopping Francine killing the Master, while the latter goads her to it, come on, you have it in you, just as I did the first time around way. The Master gave Lucy an opportunity to kill. Now she's just going along with it. Killed by the monster of your own making, if that ain't the story of the Master's life.

Ok, ok, ok, the pieta. Because this is the freaking pieta, with the Christ figure holding up the Satan figure. How much more blasphemous can you get? How much deeper into the essence of mercy can you get?

There can never be enough said about the Doctor's reaction to the Master saying he'd rather die than be imprisoned by him. Yes, there's the level at which he has a backup plan AND THAT CANNOT BE EMPHASISED ENOUGH, but from the Doctor's perspective? That's the Master denying everything he is, rather than just granting him the experience of another Time Lord - especially this Time Lord - by his side. That here, thank you mr Tennnat, is pure devastation. It's the one possibility the Doctor never took into account. The one rule of the game he never considered valid.

But on the other hand, this here? This here is the Master genuinely surprised and almost sympathetic of the Doctor, on the account of focusing on all the good times they had together, all the times they together achieved things they never could seperately I mean leaving aside the Axon incident being one of the meanest things the Doctor ever did to the Master, tee hee. He seriously never expected the Doctor to hold these memories fondly, to actually think of him fondly. That's the juxtaposition to him enumerating all the times the Doctor's beaten him earlier in the episode. For him, it's always only about the objective winning. For the Doctor, it's been at least partially about the relation. The way his eyes venture of the Doctor's face? That's surprise and sympathy. But of course, not strong enough to change your mind when you do have a plan B.

The Master's so playful. So playful when he says the "I win!" line. He knows the Doctor. He knows his stake in the game was to "save him". Dying is the only way left for him to at least not loose. But for the Doctor it became so much more, and he didn't even realise when.

This is the face of the man who wants it to still be a game and still denying just how much real the things are getting. Look at him, he's ready to mirror the Master's playfulness the moment he gets a chance.

Bless you, mr Simm, for just how bloody peaceful you look here. For looking like you've just had the first peaceful sleep in centuries. You look like a freaking doll.

Oh yes, we will appreciate the burying your face in the other's hair here. To quote the brilliant line from a tensimm fic by @theprodigalpragmatist y'all need to read, A mourning wail. A mammal unburdened with consciousness prodding the limp form of its mate and finding no response, crying out to gods it couldn’t conceive of. A defeat.

And of course, the downturned lips of mr Tennant mourning and dutifully accepting the Doctor's deepest defeat to date. This man's still thinking of the fun he'd have pressing Flemish gaints' fur to mr Simm's round face.

The choice to include the wink to the audience that the Master is in fact just fine right at the moment when Martha leaves and the Doctor is alone in the TARDIS is briiliant. Oh yes, just gimme that God descends to the bottom of hell's frozen lake and finds Satan to pick them up feel.

[urloversdreamgrl]

The Bear S3 and the Choices We Make

Ok. After a second watch of S3, I'm feeling a little bit more optimistic about the future. Trust - it's a sad ending. It's my worst nightmare for Sydney. But there's still hope, and that all lies in what Carmen and Syd decide to do next. Season 3 Spoilers - read at your own risk :)

In S3 E10 Forever, we see our two mains go through a breakthrough. Starting with Carmen, he finally confronts his former boss (who has a name, i think, but fuck him, I ain't using it). It's the first (and only time) that we see Carmen proactively voice his resentment. He avoids his mom (rightfully so imo). He never got the chance with Mikey. But he approaches him, expects the man to have repent (maybe), or at the very least, have a little remorse.

He doesn't. He regrets nothing. In fact, he takes credit for Carmen's success: his hard work, his skills, and his talent. He tells Carmen that he should be thanking him, and that's not even the worst of it. No, for me, it is when he says

Carmen: My life stopped. Chef: That's the point, right? [...] You wanted to be great. You wanted to be excellent. So you got rid of all the bullshit, and you concentrated, and you got focused, and you got great. You got excellent. It worked. You're here. Look at all this

Sound familiar? It should. It's the same sentiment that Carmen said in the Season 2 finale. Remember, he said,

I wasn't here. Right? What the fuck was I thinking? Like I was going to be in a relationship? I'm a fuckin' pyscho. That's why I'm good at what I do. That's how I operate. I am the best because I didn't have any of this fuckin' bullshit, right? I could focus, and I could concentrate.

Carmen's thoughts about himself aren't even his own. They were drilled into him by a man who wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. He was emulating the abusive behaviors and patterns that crushed him, that gave him "uclers, panic attacks, and nightmares" on the people that he cares about. On his sister, on Richie, on Tina and Marcus. and especially on Sydney, who is the only one who knows exactly how bad it can get. He's hurt those closest to him. He hurts them daily. And for what? And for why? For his own ego.

And this realization leads us to Carmen's first cry.

For three whole seasons, we see this man lose his idolized brother to suicide, witness his alcoholic mother physically, emotionally, and mentally abuse him, and experience mental degradation to the point where it affects his physical health. Not once did he shed a tear. This is the first time Carmen Berzatto lets himself cry. And I think this is the best thing for him. If he chooses to acknowledge the err of his ways, turn back course, and begin again, I think The Bear could be what he wanted it to be. He needs to decide to stop running, stop fighting himself and everybody around him. He needs to let go. Let it rip, right?

However, if this is what he decides to do, the cards ultimately fall into Sydney's hands.

If anybody's been through hell and back, it's Ms. Sydney Adamu. All season she's been forced to work in a volatile environment, putting herself between Carmen and whoever's the victim of his anger. She has her ideas shut down, her skills demeaned, and her credit is outright non-existent. Staff keeps quitting; they're not making any money; and Cicero and Co. is doing some shady background shit.

She's trapped, but not really. Not until she signs that Partnership Agreement. But like she told her dad in S2 E9 Omelette, she doesn't think she has another one in her. She can't have The Bear fail like Sheridan Road. She doesn't want to make the same mistakes she did last time. She wants to grow and learn and make her mark on the industry - prove she's not a failure.

She's waiting for Carmen to make good on his promises from The Table Scene, but he's not.

"You deserve my full focus." But his focus is not on her. Remember the Carmen that noticed when something was off with her? Remember the "say more?" or the "what's up with you?" Remember when they worked together, when the menu was truly theirs? Where was Sydney's "margin" moment? What did Carmen do this scene that signaled to Sydney that he was there and present.

"I couldn't do this without you." He does everything without her. Don't even get me started. From the menu to the list of nonnegotiables. Syd gets to make no decisions after being forced to make ALL the decisions. What is she there for? To be Carm's wrangler, his doormat? What has he does to convince her that she is invaluable?

He's egotistical. He's verbally abusive. He's the exact person that she warned him not to be. That he assured her that he wouldn't be in S1 E3 Brigade. She said,

You know I think this place could be so different from all the other places we've been at. But, in order for that to be true, we need to run things different. [...] But you just didn't really listen, and if this is going to work the way I think we both want it to work, I think we should probably try to listen to each other. The reason why I'm here, and not somewhere else or for someone else, is because I think I can stand out here. I can make a difference here. We could share ideas. I could implement things that make this place better. And I don’t wanna be wasting my time, working on another line or tweezing herbs on a dish that I don’t care about.

He didn't follow through the first time, so she left. But now, it's different. She's put her blood, sweat, and tears into this place. She's made a place (a home even) at The Bear. Leaving is not as simple anymore.

S1 Syd would've taken that CDC offer in a heartbeat. But building something and it failing (like The Bear. like Sheridan Road.) is terrifying. Slowly but surely, Carmen has been chipping away at her confidence and her fire. So much so that good things, like The Offer or the review of her risotto from The Beef, don't feel like good things.

Sydney's Panic Attack is HUGE for her character. We see Sydney at her lowest: her most frightening and vulnerable. She's uncertain. She's in a constant state of panic. And the person that she trusted with her fears and insecurities facilitated this, drove her to this point. It's heartbreaking. I cried when I saw it. No one would blame her for jumping ship. At this point, I encourage it (but she has to talk about it, acknowledge it. no running).

Now, if Carmen decides to change his ways, he'd have apologized to Sydney twice without changed actions. She'd have to believe him after many, many broken promises. At this time, she doesn't trust him, can't rely on him. But when having to decide between staying or going, will she try to trust him again?

Will she? Should she?

That's where I'm at so far. I have more thoughts, but I'll write those out when I get back from my weekend trip.

[zeroslashsix]

Following my Gambit post, I love love love the way Rogue's powers are handled in X-Men Evolution. Like Gambit, Rogue tends to have a certain set of 'roles' when she's in a show/movie: she's focused on inner torment about her powers, on being a Spicy Southern Belle, or her romantic connections. Which is to say, her stories are usually about emotions and relationships, which is fine, I love those parts of her as much the rest. But if she's not fighting, her powers are only really viewed through a lens of how she feels about them, and how they impact her ability to connect with others.

And here's X-Men Evolution, fully leaning into the fact that Rogue’s power is one of the most dangerous in the entire show. I love the s3 ep "Self-Possessed" so much because it takes the brakes off her, and really commits to the idea that stacking powers is catastrophic when you consider she can wield multiple omega-level powersets at the same time. Her main limitation is that she doesn't want other personalities in her head, she limits her power usage because she just doesn't like it, and yeah, totally fair, but Rogue could absolutely wake up one day, go through the mansion and decide to be an omega squared. X-Men Evolution is about teenagers who are still figuring out their abilities, even at the end of the series when they're a year (two years?) older. By the finale, they have more control and training, but they are absolutely still growing into adulthood and have not reached full potential.

Which is why I think "Self-Possessed" is such a fascinating look at Rogue's powers. Every iteration of Rogue imposes a time limit on her absorption, meaning that any powers she absorbs will only stay with her for a short time. But in that episode, when she's succumbing to all those personalities in her head, her time limit stops existing. She can access powers for months, maybe even years after the initial absorption. Mystique's powers couldn't have given Rogue that ability; the only way Rogue could do such a thing is if that potential already exists inside of her. This implies that when she absorbs a power, that power stays inside her as long as the personality does, and her "time limit" is just a matter of control, or lack thereof.

This seems to be backed up by the s3 finale, where Mesmero and Mystique mind control Rogue to gather powers, and Rogue proceeds to SWEEP the X-Men, Brotherhood, Acolytes, and Magneto in less than 24 hours. By the end of it, she seems fully capable of using any and all their powers at will, ignoring any sort of time limit. Mesmero can mind control others, but he can't enhance them. He cannot give someone powers they don't already possess. The only reason Rogue could do all that is because she was already capable of it, and the fact Mesmero could mind control this out of her seems to imply that Rogue's limitations are entirely self-imposed, mostly mental/emotional, or maybe a lack of experience. (Similar to the season four finale where Rogue seems to use Leech’s power better than he does, probably just because he’s a little kid and she’s an adolescent so has a better grasp on powers in general)

Like, no wonder Mystique and Destiny wanted her powers. No wonder Magneto was so thrilled to have her in the ranks in the first season. No wonder so many people in the world want to use her; she is the all-mutant, the living multi tool that can gather multitudes of power in one place and then combine them. The only reason she isn't considered omega-level is pure technicality; in terms of destruction she could actually lay down, Rogue is absolutely as dangerous as plenty of omegas. The requirements for an omega are 1) infinite power, and 2) limitless power. Rogue has the first one; she can stack an infinite number of powers. But she lacks the second; all her powers must come from the outside, and she cannot generate them herself. But if she has access to multiple omega powersets like she does in Self-Possessed, that technicality kind of stops mattering once the punches actually start flying.

Which all leads into Rogue's main emotional journey through X-Men Evolution, which is perhaps my favorite she's ever had: being used. That's why she was adopted. That's why she was raised being unable to touch, being lied to by both her moms. That's why she was taken into the Brotherhood, and it's why Mystique will never leave her alone. Extra fascinating because after the reveal in season one that Mystique is Kurt's mother, Mystique leaves Kurt completely alone for the rest of the series, while simultaneously stalking and manipulating Rogue. Why the difference? Because Kurt is not a useful tool. Not compared to Rogue. And I think Rogue sees that difference, which makes for such a juicy dynamic when Kurt is so interested in actually loving Mystique, for insisting that Rogue should forgive their mother and 'let hatred go,' because he genuinely thinks that anyone can be saved with enough love. Whereas Rogue, who has seen Mystique's 'love' up close for her whole life, is desperately trying to get away from that, with good reason.

One of the reasons I wish we’d had more seasons, or at least more episodes in the last season, is how seamlessly Rogue’s feelings about her powers flowed into her feelings around being used, her feelings around family, and being dehumanized to the point of mind-wipe by her own mother. Yes she’s sad about the no-touching thing, but that’s nothing compared to being seen as a literal object in the eyes of others, because her powers are utterly perfect—for someone else to use. Which flows into questions of bodily autonomy, of who her powers “belong to” vs. who they “should belong to.” Especially considering that Rogue is only at full power when she loses control/is under someone else’s control, which could lead someone to conclude, “Well of course Rogue should be under someone’s control, preferably mine. She’s so powerful when someone else is controlling her, and so weak when she controls herself. It’s honestly such a waste for Rogue to be her own person when she could be so much more. She needs to be used to reach her full potential.”

In a perfect world, we’d have way more X-Men Evo than we got. More seasons, more episodes, more time to explore whatever the hell Rogue had going on. And if I was allowed to pick, I would have loved to see Rogue with a character arc of self-ownership. In particular, it would be so cool to see her powers develop to the point she can have a “Self-Possessed” crisis and control it, fully aware of herself and all the powers she holds. I’d love to see her use those powers for her own benefit, on purpose, independent of both her mother and the X-Men. I’d love to see a self-serving Rogue in the XMenEvo. Not necessarily evil (though it would be a fascinating villain arc) but a Rogue who chooses selfishness as an act of rebellion. Who can use all those powers simultaneously, consciously, and disobediently. Vengeance, maybe? Or something that heightens humans’ fear of mutants? I’d love to see Rogue become inconvenient to the X-Men, at the very least, either physically or philosophically. Certainly nothing so dire as the Phoenix saga, but something that uses her powers to their fullest extent. (Damn could you imagine Rogue as the Horseman of Death if this went in the opposite direction. How fucking overpowered would Death!Rogue be, how the hell would the X-Men deal with that)

Anyways. Fanfiction is the folklore of the now or whatever. And XMenEvo was already a crazy high school AU anyway.

[youryurigoddess]

Books and crumbs

Probably most speculative post in this little series, but nonetheless marked as spoiler. As always when talking about S3 locations and related content, appropriate level of discretion is advisable — due to the obvious sensitivity of this material, please tag it accordingly and share only with the fans consenting to know potential spoilers.

By now most of you probably have seen this post published on the Till’s social media on Friday. Super cute gesture and a lovely way to let the fans know that even the staff is shipping Aziraphale and Crowley (told you they have Muriel vibes!).

Technically the bookshop wasn’t the only off-set location, since we already know of some others, including the parallel film shoot happening on the same day, but still! Do you think that this display could be a Clue? Are we going to see a sword-fighting angel again? Let’s see if the books here (neither is currently listed on their website and wasn’t there at the time of the filming) might feed us some information crumbs.

The first thing I can notice about this display is an open copy of The Pilgrim’s Progress (already noticed on Aziraphale’s desk in the Good Omens: Lockdown special) open on yet another illustration by Harold Copping, this time titled ominously “In the Valley of the Shadow of Death” with a quote: “So he cried in my bearing, o Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul”.

This fragment of the actual book could be potentially relevant to the plot:

“At the day of doom we shall not be doomed to death or life, according to the hectoring spirits of the world, but according to the wisdom and law of the Highest. Therefore, thought I, what God says is best, is best, though all the men in the world are against it”‬.

The book behind The Pilgrim’s Progress can’t be identified at the moment, but reminds me of the illustration of the War in Heaven for Milton’s Paradise Lost by Gustave Doré:

What can be easily identified here is a leather-bound copy of Angel Pavement, a 1930 novel by J. B. Priestley depicting the struggles of shopkeepers and traders of an imaginary London street in the wake of the Great Depression, additionally stirred up by a mysterious and charming newcomer.

Priestley’s social panorama of London depicts many perspectives, but focuses on the employees of the firm Twigg & Dersingham, suppliers of veneers and inlays to the cabinet-making trade, under No. 8, Angel Pavement (a small cul-de-sac in the heart of London’s commercial district). Interestingly, both BBC adaptations of the novel — a 1957 and a 1967 TV series — are considered completely lost.

The red spine is the only one I recognised from my visits to the bookshop in question — a leather bound copy of Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens. The 1848 novel tells a story of a wealthy shipping firm owner coming to terms with the death of the son he dreamt of continuing his business with and eventually embracing his daughter’s love when it seemed lost as well after years and years of neglect.

His boy had faded into dust, his proud wife had sunk into a polluted creature, his flatterer and friend had been transformed into the worst of villains, his riches had melted away, the very walls that sheltered him looked on him as a stranger; she alone had turned the same mild gentle look upon him always. Yes, to the latest and the last. She had never changed to him – nor had he ever changed to her – and she was lost.

The daughter eventually returns to reunite with her father after starting a family of her own, and years later the changed and aged merchant dotes on his granddaughter as if to make up for what he’s done to her mother by abandoning her due to patriarchal values.

Father figures and their sons or, in particular, daughters seem already pretty significant in the S2 context, as described in e.g., On Love and Sacrifices and Dysfunctional Family Dynamics, but they hit particularly close to the potential S3 themes in relation to both Aziraphale’s changing position in Heaven (and in Metatron’s eyes) and Jesus and his role in the Second Coming and the Last Judgement.

The big open book at the bottom is a first edition of Heroes of Folk Tale and Legend by Vladimir Hulpach (1970). Illustration by Miroslav Troup represents the monster Grendel, known from the Old English epic poem Beowulf in which he was slayed by the titular hero.

Grendel’s sudden appearance at the royal banqueting hall described on this spread is similar to the demonic attack on Aziraphale’s bookshop at the end of S2, but can also be seen as a foreshadowing of yet another danger to come and/or the beast from Revelations, the Antichrist.

He even looks similar to the engraving Anathema had hanged on her murder board, don’t you think?

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

I watched Squid Game season 2. From what I’ve seen, it’s interesting to see how the angle of the story has shifted. What I mean is that Season 1 was about how capitalism as a system destroys people. It’s a system that is inherently unfair and in order to be successful in it, you have to climb over everyone else.

Season 2, while obviously still focused on capitalism, feels like it’s more about human nature. S1 was “the system is cruel and unfair”. S2 is “while the system is cruel and unfair, people will nevertheless take part in it and even embrace it”.

We kinda saw that in S1 with Sang-woo and Deok-su. But in S2, it’s a lot more focused in the story. Thanos the rapper got screwed over by the crypto guy, but it was his fault since no one forced him to invest in the coin. Despite being screwed over, Thanos had no problem screwing other people over in order to get the money. The people keep voting to continue the games despite all the deaths. Tribes were formed based on who wanted to keep playing and who wanted to live. The old fucker (forgot his name) saying he has no problem letting everyone else die in order to win the money. And, of course, In-ho taking part in the games to ruin Gi-hun’s plans.

I feel that In-ho’s role in the story is what defines S2. Despite having lived through the horror of the games, he clearly believes in the games and what they represent. He’s the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” phrase personified. He was in debt, he won his own game, and now he’s got power and wealth. That’s what makes his rivalry with Gi-hun so interesting, it’s the capitalist versus the socialist. And I do think the socialist description fits Gi-hun since his character canonically was fighting for workers rights and his main focus is taking the system down.

I’m curious to see where they’ll go with S3. I can see it going two ways. We could get the happy, Hollywood ending where Gi-hun wins and the entire game gets shut down. I can also see a darker, more realistic ending where Gi-hun might succeed in taking down In-ho and the VIPs but the games somehow continuing. Because ultimately, you can’t destroy greed, selfishness and people’s capacity to be cruel to each other. That’s what season 2 established.

[quitealotofsodapop]

The fact that some of Macaque's "clones" are so weirdly affectionate of Wukong and MK only serves to confuse them more. Like, it gets to the point that every time Macaque appears in S1-S3, the two little shadows can and will tackle either Wukong or MK for cuddles. In the scene where Macaque attacks them while in Sandy's airship and is focusing entirely on MK because he now knows Wukong is pregnant, the cubs have the job of keeping Wukong occupied and they do so by, what else, pinning himnto the ground like Baba-Macaque wants and full on nuzzling and purring as they don't get to see 'Wukong-Mama" a lot because Baba is so mad/sad whenever Wukong comes into conversation altho it doesn't stop him and them from spying on Wukong-Mama from a the shadows. MK and Mei are fighting for their lives in the episode where they get separated, and Rumble and Savage are hanging around Pigsy, Tang, and Wukong and enjoying seeing him acting so silly with Amnesia. It's only during the Lantern City Talent Show that Wukogn realizes they aren't just weirdly affectionate clones.

Prev post.

these clones do seem to pin/tackle Wukong a lot.

I imagine in the SlowBoiled au - the tackling is a little more gentle given what Macaque knows by then. Wukong def notices that the two clones are still very affectionate to him and MK - and has his suspicions all the way back during S1.

In S3 when the gang gets separated; Macaque instructs the "clones" (even he's figured out that not true) to stay with Wukong while he chases MK. The Twins are delighted! Papa is giving them time to spend with Wukong-Mama! Clearly, their plans to repair the troop is working.

Pigsy, Tang, and Mo quickly notice the two stowaways and at first react with fear/anger at their presence - only for the two Macaque-shaped shadows to cock their heads with confusion, chirping like baby monkeys as they shrink to the size of cats. Wukong had already been in astral meditation at this point, so he's not able to recognise the twins' presence, even as they curl on his crossed legs and pick through his fur. The twins hoot sadly, thinking that their new "Mama" is ignoring them.

As Pigsy and Tang try to wrap their heads around the situation, the twins accidentally wake Wukong from his meditation, trying to get his attention. Tang is ofc kidnapped by Scorpion Queen in the confusion. Wukong awakens, memory fractured, and sees what he thinks is part of his Pilgrim troop, and a pair of unfamiliar baby monkeys.

Amnesiac!Wukong: "Oh! When did you two get here? You smell awfully familiar." (*sniff sniff*) "Macaque! You smell like him! Did he send you ahead to make peace?" Rumble & Savage: (*delighted chattering!*) Amnesiac!Wukong, with a wistful/worried tone: "Oh plums... do you... have a mama? Or another parent?" Rumble & Savage: (*look between each other, confused. Both shake their heads and leap into Wukong's arms, chattering a short explanation*) Amnesiac!Wukong, shocked: "Ehh?! He brought you into this world himself?! Then he managed what I've been trying to do! No wonder he sent you to find me! Oh I'm so happy!" Rumble & Savage: (*chirp a cautious question*) Amnesiac!Wukong, smiling: "Of course! I'd be delighted to be your Mama! I can't wait for Macaque to arrive so we can all be together as a family! The Stalwarts will be so glad!" (*Wukong cuddles the twins tight, all three monkeys purring*) Pigsy: "Err... Monkey? "Master" is still missing." Wukong, sighs: "Okay... c'mon cubs, I need to save Master Tripitaka. He's like the head of our troop. I can introduce you to everyone properly once we get him back." Rumble & Savage: (*cling to Wukong's front and back, chirping with excitement!*)

The rest of the Amnesia Rules episode becomes more focused on Wukong's interactions with the Pilgrims, and how he's at his core a gentle, motherly monkey. Pigsy sees a side of Wukong he never knew existed.

Once Wukong's memory returns, he is very confused by the baby shadow monkeys clinging to him, calling him "Mama". He sniffs and looks them over in Gold-Vision (the twins giggling the whole time), and with a shocked expression declares;

Wukong: "Macaque brought these two back from Diyu!" Tang: "What?! Is that even possible?!" Wukong, thinking hard: "It shouldn't be. Unless... they were hanging around the Underworld, unable to reincarnate because..." (*suddenly gets really sad/guilty look on his face*) Pigsy: "Because how?" Wukong: "If they weren't registered in the Book of the Dead... or if someone accidentally erased their names as he was going through the list of monkey demons..." Tang: (*covers gasp as he realises*) Rumble & Savage: (*confused chirps?*) Wukong: "I'm so sorry babies. I don't know why Macaque brought you back with him, but I'm glad he did. He's always had a soft spot for cubs. I hope in a... weird way, that this is a sign that he wants to repair things." Rumble & Savage: (*delighted chirping & hugging Wukong as they chatter about their "Papa"*) Wukong, chuckling smugly: "Oh really? He's been saying that about me? I just knew he couldn't get me out of his head." Rumble & Savage, both mimicking Mac's voice: "Peaches!" Wukong, slight blush forming: "He still calls me that?" Pigsy, Tang, & Mo: (*shared looks of confusion*)

Once the gang reunites after catching up with the Demon Bull family, MK sees the twins and splutters out;

MK: "Monkey King! They're-!" Wukong, twins clinging to him: "It's ok MK. They're just little demon monkeys. Macaque picked himself up some strays while he was in the Underworld. And super cute ones, might I add!" (*blows raspberries on the twins' faces*) Rumble & Savage: (*delighted giggling/shrieking*) MK, Mei, & Sandy: (*look to the others for an explanation*) Pigsy, shrugs: "He's good with kids."

Pigsy ofc starts to recognise some similarities to how the twin monkeys act, and how MK was when he was little. But that can of worms can be opened later. Now they've got Rings to gather and a bone demon to defeat.

Lantern City doesn't go as smooth as planned for Macaque. LBD has figured out that his two "persistent clones" aren't actual clones, and threatens them as collateral to get Macaque to comply.

The twin baby monkeys shriek when they glimpse at the Samadhi Fire. Almost as if they've seen it before...

[izxz-is-deranged]

Baptism by Fire | Matt Murdock x BAU!Reader

Summary: You love your position at the BAU, but your life is uprooted when Hotch sends you on a temporary assignment to the FBI field office in New York. Apparently, someone had the bright idea to make a deal with a crime boss named Wilson Fisk, and now it's your job to build a profile to determine if the information he gives can be trusted. As you realize quickly things aren't as they seem, you must find a way to protect yourself- If protecting yourself has something to do with a masked vigilante... That's no fault of yours.

multiple crossovers | slow burn

A/N: Starts about ep3 of S3 of Daredevil! Reader uses a fake name, and can be seen as an original character if desired. Future storylines may involve Reader's past coming back to haunt her (Supernatural) and the trials and tribulations of her day job (Criminal Minds)

< ao3 link > <Masterlist>

2: Into the Flame

No amount of file reading or debriefing could’ve prepared you for the fact that the “secure location” was a penthouse in downtown New York City.

For a convict, a dangerous, unstable, convict, to be removed from a cell and placed into a spacious top-floor number with picture windows overlooking the skyline… A vile feeling sinks in your gut, coupled by the rhythmic and muffled chanting of protesters as your driver pulls you into the early morning scene. Your department would never make a deal like this with an unsub. You take a deep breathe- You just had to trust they knew what they were doing.

You step out of the car, boots colliding with the sidewalk and waving off the driver. You are smartly dressed, dark button down, slacks, with a large overcoat to protect from the biting cold. Nobody pays you any attention as you step into the scene, analytical eyes scanning. 

Cops mill, corralling and circling the protesters like herding dogs. The protesters themselves are not violent, but merely loud as they repeat their slogans and mantras. Statistically, protests were always more violent because of police presence and escalation, so you eye the officers warily. Agents dotted the outskirts, some managing entrances, or directing press as well as the unfortunate patrons of the hotel.

Only one person catches your eye.

He’s unremarkable, hidden off to the side of the entrance. He is not shouting along with the protest or wearing any badge… Just an oversized jacket, hat, round sunglasses, and a white cane nestled in his grip as he focuses his attention on the scene. He’s not dressed nice enough to be a guest here. It’s not lost on you that he’s out of place, and your instincts to find an outlier all rest on his shoulders.

You move closer, head cocked. Now, you see he’s talking to him self.

“Are you alright?” Your question is simple enough. Innocuous.

The man turns his head in surprise. You see his face clearly now (Well, as clear as you can under the hat and glasses.) He’s scruffy, with dark stubble and curled lips. The more alarming part was the split in those lips, the dried blood trickling from the cut on his head. He furrowed his brow, as if determining your motive.

“Yes. Fine.” His words are curt. They slice right into your chest. 

The thing about behavioral analysis is that sometimes you realize things you’d rather be ignorant of, like the bruises and blood on his knuckles as they curl around his cane. Eyes darting back and forth between the wounds on his face and his hands, if you didn’t know any better, you’d say this man had been in a fist fight- A decently violent one at that. But of course your brain is caught on the cane and dark glasses, this man was blind. What was a blind man doing throwing hands? Perhaps he just liked punching walls, but walls don’t exactly hit back.

“Excuse me,” he says politely, turning to leave.

You let him go, eyebrows knitting. As the enigma leaves, you return your focus back to your assignment. You had to find an Agent Ray Nadeem.

When you do, he’s waving off a blonde woman, who all but storms away from him. He’s tall, with dark eyes, large nose, and stress lining his face. Floppy black hair and a bandage fall over his forehead. You approach, breaking his persona down. He seemed nervous, on edge, which was normal considering the events last night. He was apparently the agent that got Fisk talking in the first place, and was now in charge of the investigation. The pressure was probably already intense- and only doubling down after a body count was added.

He waves you off as you approach. “I’m done with press for today, Ma’am.”

“Well, lucky for you, I’m Agent Wren Singer from the BAU. You must be Agent Nadeem.”

He inhales sharply, embarrassed. He reaches his hand out to shake yours. “Sorry. It’s been a long… Just- Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure if my superiors took my request seriously.”

“Of course. Sorry for your loss.” You smile gently.

“Yeah… Let’s just hope this bastard makes it worth it.”

~

Nadeem takes you through the building, keeping all talk very down to business. It seemed the FBI had agents monitoring almost every inch of this place. The building, this “Presidential Hotel” was nothing short of luxurious, with high ceilings and ornate molding covering every inch. Pristine tile glistens as you walk towards elevators, heart thumping. 

The ride up is the longest elevator ride you’ve ever had the pleasure of having. 

“I’m going to take you up to introduce you to the other Agents and…” He nods his head back and forth, not needing to say his name. “...Will that help with profiling him? I’m not a psychologist. I’m not  exactly sure how it works.” He sucks in a breath.

“Yes,” you assure. “Speaking with him will help me get a sense of what’s going on in his head. I already have access to as much of his criminal history as possible, so that should fill in any gaps I don’t catch.”

“How long will it take for you to get a profile down?”

You smile. “Tomorrow morning at the latest.”

He nods again. It seems less in response to you and more for himself. A nervous habit, you note, as if he has to reassure internally that he’s doing the right thing.

The elevator door dings open into an equally nice area as the lobby, You swallow, following Nadeem into the space. He brings you around, showing the area where they’ve set up a monitoring system, introducing you to the Agents there. Apparently, Fisks lawyers were in with him, so you are only delayed by a few minutes.

When they’ve finished, Nadeem takes you towards the doors. He opens them, holding one open for you to step in. Instead of the warm tones that cloak the other areas of the hotel, all manner of color had been drained from this unit, leaving a stark modern grey and white color scheme. It feels colder in here. And like a boulder facing the window, Wilson Fisk stands with his hands clasped around his back. His jumpsuit was a deep soot grey, not allowing contrast between him and his environment. He was huge, and cast a shadow across the floor from where he stood.

“Fisk. This is-”

“I’m Agent Wren Singer from the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. How are you this morning?”

He doesn’t respond to your question, instead turning slowly while churning his hands. 

Nadeem speaks up, “She’s just here to speak with you. You may request your lawyers if desired but the cameras stay on.”

“No, no… That’s fine,” Fisk responds, voice like gravel and thunder.

Nadeem turns to you, dropping his voice into a low whisper, “Would you like me to stay?”

You shake your head, wishing him silent goodbyes as he steps out of the room. You walk further in and can feel Fisk’s eyes follow your every movement.

“Wren, was it?”

You feel a sensation like ice water down your back as he repeats your name. Even if it wasn’t your real, given name, it felt intimate in a way you didn’t appreciate. This was most likely a tactic to put you on the back foot, referring to you so casually instead of “Agent Singer”. You hold your head high. Two could be cunning.

“They were my mother’s favorite bird,” you explain, offering a truth of yourself as a way to bridge trust between you two.

He hums. It’s sound that emanates from his chest and reverberates like stone hitting stone. “ ‘The world is grown so bad, That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.’ ”

“Shakespeare.”

“You recognize it?”

“The humanities are not lost on me, Mr. Fisk,” you tilt your head, “Though that’s not what we’re here to discuss.”

He straightens. “You’re here to profile me, Mrs. Singer. Tell me, what does that entail? Assumption made by yourself against me, based on my actions? Who are you to judge my character?”

“I’m not here to judge. I’m here to understand.”

“Understand,” Fisk repeats, “And what do you aim to understand about me?”

“Motive. Mentality. To consult on whether or not we should trust the information you give us.” There’s not a reason to lie about what it is you’re doing, not yet. You’re voice is deceptively calm, using every bone of training in your body to keep yourself professional and collected.

Fisk wanders over, closer to you. He’s almost double your size, and while you’d been up against some scary unsubs before in your career, never a man so physically imposing. Something about the way he carried himself, the twitching hands, the darting eyes, if you didn’t know better, you’d assume a spectrum diagnosis.

“The BAU… They work with serial killers, correct?”

“Yes,” you affirm, squaring your shoulders and leveling your voice, “But we consult on a whole manner of cases.”

“Do you think I’m a killer?”

“Are you?”

The closest thing to a laugh escapes his mouth. 

“I thought you were supposed to know everything about me from your first glance, Mrs. Singer.”

Defensive. Any crimes he’s committed he feels fully justified in. “Well, it doesn’t hurt to ask,” you retort, “I find it’s more polite.”

Fisk was an incredibly smart man. It was an obvious conclusion from his choice of words, and from the way he guides the conversation to his own end. Which you allow him to do. You could feel the profile nearly writing itself in your head in response. After a few more minutes of respectful talking, you form a frame work for your goals here. Right as you’re about to leave, Fisk speaks back up.

“It was a pleasure, Mrs. Singer. A surprise, of course, but not an unwelcome one.”

~

When you leave the room, you release a breath you weren’t even aware you were holding. 

Nadeem is waiting for you, along with a no-nonsense type woman and a decently battered man. They stand, the woman talking furiously under her breath until you approach, where she turns quickly, head leveling.

“Agent Singer- This is Agent Hattley, my superior,” Nadeem introduces, gesturing to the brunette woman, “And this is Agent Poindexter. I was just filling them in.”

“Pleasure,” you smile, eyes flicking between the two.

Hattley tilts her head, eyeing you carefully. You can’t figure out why, all you can guess is that she’s confused as to why the BAU sent their youngest member. You hated the way people assumed you weren’t capable because of your age. Just cause you weren’t in your 40s didn’t mean you didn’t have a handle on your job.

All Hattley does is smile in response, then say goodbye and take off. You furrow your brow in her direction, following her as she walks out. What’s her deal?

“Don’t mind her- She’s not much of a talker,” Nadeem offers as consolation. “Dex here is much better company anyways. He’s the reason we survived the attack on the motorcade.”

“Ma’am,” ‘Dex’ greets. He had sharp features and a wide smile, that didn’t fully reach his eyes. A lot of combat agents had that look though, and by the squaring of his shoulders, you assume he’s also ex-military. He talks again, nodding towards Fisk’s doors, “You seemed to be gettin’ real chummy in there.”

“Unfortunately, it’s part of my job, getting into a monsters head,” you comment, his implications a little too clear. “I might be good at it but I don’t enjoy it.”

“Then why do it at all?” He shrugs, smiling innocently.

You couldn’t tell what he was doing, but a resentment was bleeding through his words that you didn’t appreciate. You squint, looking over him again. There was something you were missing, but you couldn’t put your finger on it yet.

“We’re lucky to have her help,” Nadeem adds, interrupting your thought process. “You figure out what you needed to in there?”

“Almost everything.”

If you need anything else, you’ll come back later. The only thing that circled through your head like a record on repeat was the ‘why’. From all you could tell, Fisk was a narcissist with sociopathic tendencies and autistic traits. The thing that ate at you though was that Fisk was manipulative. He was self-serving. He used people for his own gain, so why was it that he was willing to sacrifice his criminal standing to work with the FBI for his wife, Vanessa Marianna? To put everything on the line for another person goes against the profile that was being built in your head, so what were you missing?

That was the almost, and you had a feeling that the reason lay somewhere in his past. Something that wasn’t part of the files, which meant on thing.

You had to go digging.

A/n: If you want to be added to the tag list- Drop an ask!

[purpleheartskies]

I don't know what to think about all this and if the SA or anything else in Robby's story will be addressed.

Take Billy's interview. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Johnny and Miguel. In canon, Robby is framed as wrong and at fault for how Johnny treats him and for having trauma, even though Johnny is the parent and his behavior is immensely traumatic for Robby. Johnny has done nothing to make things right with/for Robby, while Robby is the one who was abused by Johnny while he prioritized his new family and Robby had to put all of his trauma aside to be a part of Johnny's new family, that narratively Robby's still not treated as completely part of.

Take the SA ig reel. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Tory and Zara. In canon, Robby is framed as the cheating boyfriend who got drunk and "made a mistake" because he "got played", although he was drunk and can't remember what happened while Zara intentionally targeted him, can remember, and doesn't care that he can't. Robby should be focused on as the one who can't catch a break, but he's not.

Take the apartment fight marketing posts calling it a "therapy session". They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. In canon, they only show Miguel's flashbacks and have Robby take all fault too. The marketing was for Miguel's side of the story. (Tanner wasn't there for interviews for s5, but still no one brought up Robby's side.) They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Miguel only, although the school fight was traumatic for Robby too. Robby does admit this in canon, but it was still in service of the apology to Miguel. Not to mention, the apartment fight itself was plain abuse on Robby by Johnny to force him to be friends with Miguel. This was abuse, not therapy.

Even the school fight was framed as if Miguel didn't do anything wrong, his "I'm sorry" instantly made him innocent, and Robby's the one at fault for it all because of the kick and accidental injury. Miguel had done so much to Robby in that fight, but Robby's side is inconsequential. It's all about Miguel. Robby was and is still scapegoated, that is still shown and hinted at (like in the college essay) but it remains unaddressed. I don't have any of the post s2 or post s3 marketing on hand, but no doubt the marketing would not have shown Robby's side of the story.

There's more to address in Robby's story, but you see...

In a way, how they handled the SA isn't isolated because they literally handle Robby's whole story this way. I mean, child abandonment and replacement are even more recognizable as traumas for the child, but people still are taking the parent's side and are happy he replaced his son, and the show has marketing material promoting it.

[butterflydm]

WoT trailer thoughts

Okay, I gotta run off to work soon, but I wanted to poke at the trailer some more first.

After consultations with @markantonys, who is better at recognizing people who Change Their Hair And Clothes (how dare they!), I now know that it is Josha in the river scene and Alanna in the orchard scene with Perrin and Not Elayne (and thus Morgase) in the Lion Throne scene.

So, thoughts on the season ahead of us...

Though I want more than one episode with everyone together, if Rand & co are going to the Waste on foot, they might want two 'travel' episodes to let time pass in the other plotlines, so it might be both Rand's group (via land) and Perrin's group (via the Ways) who leave at the end of the first episode. I'm currently leaning this way because it doesn't look like Egwene is in the scene where Galad fights Gawyn (and which is likely to lead into the Mat vs the princes fight) and the only reason I feel like she wouldn't be there is if she is already on the way to the Waste.

Hopefully Rand & co will leave in the middle of ep2 and we get some more time with everyone together! And Egwene & Gawyn could at least meet each other, lol.

The implication from some of the marketing is that Rand is going to try to tempt Lanfear to the Light while she's trying to tempt him to the Shadow. They've really set up "Rand only lives if I die" with Moiraine in the marketing and the trailers, so I also lean towards us getting the Moiraine & Lanfear confrontation at the end of this season. And Rand seeing past!Lanfear in the glass columns could lead him down the path of believing I Can Fix Her, while she is continuing to try to weave her manipulation around him.

So in the first episode, we're going to get Liandrin & co busting out from the White Tower, Egwene's Accepted Test, a bit of the new group all bonding together, and Egwene meeting Amys Bair in TAR. Ihvon is probably dying in ep1. I do think that the show probably originally planned on killing off Maksim but when they had to recast Ihvon for s3, it made more sense to keep the actor that the audience will know than the brand-new one. We see Maksim in shots of the Battle of the Two Rivers, so we know he lives (at least that long).

I think long-haired Rand in the river is probably from Egwene's Accepted Test, because his coat makes me think of Rand-as-Dragon type clothes. He basically has book!Rand hair. I'm guessing this is paired with the Wondergirls in their fancy clothes on horses.

I think we'll get the bubble(s) of evil in the first episode and it might be what makes Rand realize he needs to get moving and not stay in Tar Valon.

And then ep2 might focus on the White Tower and meeting the Caemlyn Crew, with subplots in other places -- so we'd get Mat fighting the princes, us seeing Elayne with her family. Maybe a flashback to Elaida becoming Morgase's adviser and showing us her 'talent' at Foretelling (her saying that the Andoran royal line is key to winning the Last Battle only a couple of episodes before we learn that Rand is of the previous Andoran royal line).

Ep3 could focus on Perrin in the Two Rivers -- finding out his family is dead and/or visiting Laila's grave. Maybe meeting Faile and Luc. Alanna and Perrin talking about grief, since she would have recently lost one of her Warders, and this might be the moment where we see Perrin let Laila go.

Ep4 then focuses on the Waste plotlines -- Rand in the columns, Moiraine in the rings, Egwene learning TAR.

Ep5 could focus on Tanchico and Moghedien (interrogation scene, etc). And, if my speculation (along with @markantonys) is correct, also the introduction of Tuon. It just seems like a good season for introducing end-game love interests to each other! And one of my big arguments re: Tuon is that she needed to be on the board so much sooner than Jordan put her there, so that she would have time to get a character arc.

And I think I might place Ep6 as the White Tower Coup, because in the new trailer, we have both Moiraine and Egwene bringing up points about the Tower being divided being bad and how Rand will need the White Tower for the Last Battle. Feels like set-up for the coup happening this season.

Ep7 as the Battle of the Two Rivers and wrapping up Perrin for the season. I think that Tanchico might be saved for Ep8, especially if we do get a little doorway action for Mat as well and Moiraine, and he potentially ends up in Rhuidean (I will only let this speculation go when it is proven untrue lol).

Mat is wearing a cord in the new poster, so I feel like that implies we're getting snakes and/or foxes this season, so that he can get the medallion (or he gets the medallion in the Tanchico museum, but our hints about having a special character in the final episodes who was a collab between practical effects department and make-up makes me lean towards the 'Finn).

Ep8 is then left for Rand announcing himself at Alcair Dal, Couladin getting in the way, and the Moiraine & Lanfear confrontation, plus the Nynaeve & Moghedien confrontation in Tanchico.

Then it leaves Elayne & Nynaeve in a position at the end of s4 where they can either merge up with Rand's storyline or they can go to Salidar first, depending on how many seasons Rafe feels like we're going to get (this idea first floated by @markantonys! it makes so much sense).

[menaceoffandoms]

LMK analysis rant: Mei

I said I was gonna do this and I'm keeping to my word! The only thing that may stop me is my procrastinating... and the fic I'm slowly writing but uhhhhh-

ANYWAY- We're here to talk about Mei, our favourite white horse dragon pepper girl!

Mei stands out as the most different from her inspiration, something the writers perfectly portray in the yellow-robed demon episode of s4, which is likely to do with how little they had to go off of. Despite being one of the pilgrims in jttw, Ao Lie dose very little in the novel. His most notable chapters being when he's introduced and when the group faces the yellow-robed demon, which is why we met him in that memory in the scroll. Combined with my belief that Mei isn't a reincarnation of Ao Lie -- just his descendent -- means that Mei is one of the most unique characters in the entire show.

There's just less source material for her to draw from, it let's the writers have more fun and do more things. It's not that they don't make the others characters unique -- they like to play very fast and loose with things over all -- but Mei feel like her own complete and original character. She's inspired by Ao Lie in the same way Mk is inspired by Monkie King basically and she all the better for it.

Being the female lead (isn't it interesting how most of the female characters in this show are villans?), Mei is a refreshingly strong, confident girl who begins the show as the most powerful cast member. Being a descendent of the great dragon gives her amazing powers that no other cast members have, a birth right that leads to her being the most protective of her friends and the first to help out in any fight.

What she has in power, however, she lacks in experience. Mei has no mentor -- other than her parents, but I believe its safe to assume they weren't very focused on teaching her combat -- which leads her to trust her gut more, rush into things and learn through observation, like when she mimics what her great x1000 uncle did in s3.

Overall Mei is an excitable, energetic and loving person with a "You only live once" kinda attitude, for lack of a better explanation. Even still, she has her own insecurities and flaws which make her all the more interesting. Due to the shows run time, Mei and many of the other main characters don't really get explored as much as Mk, however what we do see of these struggles and fears is incredibly interesting even on a surface level.

Her tendency to rush head first into danger without first examining the situation or creating a plan, truthfully, tends to work out for her, but it can't always. It's something shown perfectly in s4, when Mei is the only member of the group to not get a star from Master Subohdi, however what a lot of people seem to miss is how Mei actually did earn that star eventually.

When they leave the temple and head to the celestial realm to try and stop Azure, Mei leads them there with no plan at all. As such, they fail and need to be saved by Mk. Faced with proof of Subohdi's criticism, Mei makes the more important amendment to Mk's plan in the s4 special. I don't think we've even seen Mei make a serious plan until this point, which feeds back in to another one of her flaws: being unable to take things seriously.

This isn't something I see said about Mei often, but when watching her character I think it's externally obvious. Don't get me wrong, Mei can be serious, but usually only in moments of vulnerability or high stress. For example: when talking with her pearents, after she gained the Samahdi fire and whilst imprisoned by the Yellow-robed demon.

I think this flaw is Mei's own version of Mk playing dumb. They both behave this way to lessen the emotional impact of serious things, to protect themselves and help those around them deal with trauma or difficult topics. Mei and Mk really are two sides of the same coin and I'd love for them to do more with that in the show.

Going back to Mei's parents, one of her biggest struggles is reconciling who she is with who she's meant to be. She is a noble dragon, a descendent of the great dragon of the West Sea and practically the successor to Ao Lie. It's a lot to live up to and -- evident in episode 3 of season 1; Welcome home -- she doesn't believe she dose.

Mei is confident in her abilities, she's sure of her strength and quick to help those around her, but in the face of her legacy she stands uncertain. It's another thing her and Mk have in common, though in vastly different flavours, and it's interesting how this legacy colours Mei as a character.

She wields the dragon blade, proving herself as a worthy part of her family and gaining the approval of her parents, however the stark difference between her and the rest of her clan is more blatant than ever. We see this perfectly in season 3 when they visit the great Dragon of the East Sea, Mei being put into fancy clothes she instantly ruins in order to have a place to hold her sword. She fights against her uncle, fights against her family, because she knows they'll never understand her. But even still, she knows she's still one of them and she's so proud to be.

Becoming the vessel of the Samahdi fire is only more proof of Mei's legacy and connection to her family. It gives her a moment of pure vulnerability where she vents her frustrations and fears before rushing away, wanting nothing more than to protect the people she cares about.

When Red Son finds her she's still serious, but even with just a basic understanding of the fire within her Mei falls back to her normal nature; a silly excitable girl not taking things seriously. We see this after Red Son attacks her with the spears and when she's eating later on, but even if her attitude doesn't show it, she's still listening and taking the training seriously. She just needs to be silly so she won't freak out again.

Since we're on the topic of the Samahdi fire, I think most people can agree that the way it was handled post s3 was very poor. With only one mention of it in s4, by Master Subohdi no less, I assumed that the fire had been resealed, this time correctly. Something that dangerous should be locked up, even if a capable wielder is around. It would also prevent power creep and stop the show from having another Wukong predicament, by which I mean a character so powerful they need to find a way to prevent them from trivialising whatever threat they have to face in the plot. Wukong will get his own post soon don't you worry...

Instead, we learn in s5 that Mei still has the fire, she just kinda forgot? She learned to fully master it when breaking out of LBDs mech, so since the fire was no longer a raging uncontrollable inferno she just didn't realise it was still there... for an entire season. Yeah it feels lazy and honestly is probably the worse written choice the show has even made. Even still, it dose lead to a very interesting and in character moment for Mei.

When attempting to seal the willow wisp with Red Son, Mei loses her confidence, believing that she lost the Samahdi fire and thinking she's lacking. Mk getting Monkie Kings powers was one thing, but the rest of her friends now having cool weapons and magic? If their all so strong and only getting stronger, then what's the point in Mei? She was the strongest but now she might be the weakest, and that terrifies her cause if she's weak she can't protect people. How can she act when she's powerless to do so?

This dilemma is quickly resolved by Red Son telling her she's had the fire the whole time, amending it's use to Mei's lightning motif she's had since s1 -- I know fire benders in ATLA use lighting but come on -- and basically saying she's been using the fire the whole time. It takes away from Mei's whole struggle to be honest, but I do think there's potential for her to relearn this now tamed Samahdi fire so she can better use it. Just depends if the show wants to do that...

Moving on from my thinly veiled complaints about season 5 (I like it I swear but it is the weakest seasons to me so far), let's talk about Mei's role in the group a bit. Aside from being the token girl, she's also Mk's best friend and the only other character his age and acts around the same age as the shows target audience. Mk's the main character and leader, Tang is the lazy historian smart guy, Sandy the loveable giant, Pigsy the cynical brute and Mei's youthful and silly power house.

I would love to go into some narrative tropes, specifically the 5 man band since jttw is one of the primary bases of the trope, but I've realised I have far too many thoughts about that to fit here. This is the 21sh paragraph and I'm sure at least some of this is a mess, but I hope I'm getting my point across! Overall, Mei is an extremely compelling character how often gets side-lined due to run time and other stuff, but is honestly one of my favourite characters in the show.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#13: I Love You (S8E14)

Ahhhh probably one of the most anticipated exchanges between Rick and Michonne, and of course, it was sensational. This scene powerfully reiterated that these soulmates truly mean the world to each other. And after seasons of communicating those special three words through every look, touch, kiss, and conversation, we finally got to hear Rick and Michonne directly say what's always been true - they love each other 🥰 Wholly, Deeply, and Forever...

This ily moment, adorably spoiled by our lovely captains 😋, is so tender and heartfelt while also being so natural and clear that these two have been verbally expressing I Love You’s for a while. 

(Side note: I know there’s often debate on Rick’s hottest season lookswise, and really you could make a great case for any season, but lemme just place my vote here for season 8 right quick. 😊 Something about Season 8 Rick was extra fine. I feel bad cuz he was in pain all season, which I truly hate to see...but Rick was looking real right even while everything was going wrong ijs. even tho I think Rick Grimes' TOWL era is about to take the cake 🤭)

Something I so love about Rick and Michonne's relationship is that whenever they go through hardship they ultimately step closer rather than apart. They always eventually close the distance, which was evident in this lovely 'I love you' scene.

And I feel grateful that after experiencing such a devastating loss of their son, Carl, (why, TWD, why? 😭) and having to go on their journeys of grief, Rick and Michonne find their way back to each other truly in this moment. It doesn’t always go that way when a couple loses a kid as we’ve seen from other characters in this very series. But for Rick and Michonne, what they have is so unbreakable that, even in the hardest storm, their love still shines through, rises above, guides, and centers them.

So reflecting on Richonne's I Love You scene will forever have me like...

There’s also a beautiful and heart-rending honorable mention scene in this ep where Rick wipes Michonne's tears and Michonne opens up with Rick (and even makes reference to her son Andre 😭) while trying to help him heal at Hilltop instead of running out and about to get away from his grief.

But Rick still has a bit of savage Rick to get out of his system, so he and Morgan go hunt down some saviors first.

(Side note: while we're talking season 8, this 100th ep kiss in the season 8 premiere also deserves a big honorable mention because...🥵🔥🔥)

When Rick returns to Hilltop after wildin out with Morgan, he’s finally gained clarity on what he needs to start focusing on and who he needs to be healing with. Which leads to him saying those three very special words to the very special woman in his life. 🤗

So the scene starts with Rick returning to his room in a clean fresh tee, showing a clean fresh start to me. (Also Rick + a white tee has been a great combo since season 1, y'all) And he finally knows it’s time to let his wife and son guide him and read Carl's letter.

Michonne enters sorta hesitant I think because when Rick and Morgan returned they def looked like they had dabbled in the dark side out in those woods, and so she might be wondering what headspace Rick's in after whatever he just did.

But the thing about magnets is they always find their way back to each other and so Rick's not grown more distant but rather more aware of how he needs to navigate this season with her.

She finds him holding the letter, and Rick first says, "Thank you." Again, I love that Rick always thanks Michonne. Like as early as when they were strangers in s3, Rick has always vocally expressed gratitude for Michonne. And, in this moment, he knows how much Michonne has been his rock during this unbearable time as well as still fighting for their son Carl and his wishes, and so Rick thanks her for it. Her presence in his life is invaluable and he knows it.

Also, I adore the shared breath they both take when he says this. #TheyAreOne. And Michonne's so relieved that Rick has arrived at this point in his grieving journey.

Then Rick says he’s sorry which is also great cuz he knows going out and handling all this alone is not how magnets do. And Michonne is so understanding when she says, "You don't have to be."

It's just more proof that she is the exact kind of loving presence Rick needs in his life because she’s so good at both accountability and empathy. (Also in 4.09, Rick tells Carl sorry, and Carl also responds with, "You don't have to be." 😭)

And then Rick, knowing how blessed he is to have Michonne love him and stand with him through it all, turns to her and so tenderly says, "I love you." Beautiful x10. 🥹✨

I love how melodic it's said. 🥰 It’s this lovely quiet moment and Rick says it truly like it is a reassuring reminder of something he has expressed to her often and feels deeply.

I love that he turns to really look her in the eyes and has this little nod and subtlest smile when he says 'I love you.' And you just know he genuinely means this. It’s so great, and I could replay it 1000 times idc. 

And Michonne really does complete the perfection when she so movingly says, "I love you too." 🥹✨

Again, you can feel how much she means this. The emotion on Rick's face, when he hears his wife say she loves him too shows that he also can feel how much they both mean this, especially as a small tear can be seen. They are everything to each other. 🥲

(Side note: One of the many reasons why I was so elated to hear Rick call Michonne his wife in that TOWL trailer (which I'm still there btw - haven't left since I first heard it 😋) is because we who love their love story of course already knew he views her as his wife (since 2016) and that he'd refer to her as that in the spinoff series, but by saying it in the trailer it showed that this isn't some big reveal they have to wait to say in the new show. Michonne has been his wife for the longest. Rick has viewed her as his wife for seasons. Their marriage is not a new TOWL development, it is an element of TWD. And scenes like this ily scene in season 8 make that crystal clear. (also I cannot wait to hear Rick call Michonne his "wife" even more and to hopefully hear Michonne call Rick her husband 😊)

I adore that we had so many moments of Rick and Michonne communicating 'I love you' to each other in different ways leading up to this point, and then this scene gifted us with the actual direct ILY exchange between them, and of course it was perfect and proof that...

I really feel confident this wasn't intended to be R&M's first time ever saying "I love you" directly either. In this scene, both of them seemed to communicate it in a way that said this is something they've said before and often. (like it feels like they don't show Michonne's facial expression upon hearing Rick say 'I love you' because this isn't a first. She's heard that man tell her this several times before 😋)

I like to think that why these season 8 'I love you's carry so much weight right here and now is because it might be the first time they've said it to each other post-losing Carl. 😭

How heartwarming is it to know that even in a sea of pain, Rick and Michonne still want each other to know that while their whole world has been changed, the one thing that hasn't changed is their love for each other. 🥹

Their love story is just heavenly. To go from staring at each other through a prison fence and thinking they’d patch her up and then she’d be gone to now declaring their love. Perfection. 🙌🏾

And ILY’s do not seem like a phrase either Rick or Michonne take lightly or would just say to anybody. For them to express this and fall in love with someone, the connection was going to have to be deep and special. And what they found with each other is the deepest love so of course they can tell each other these 3 words with ease.

And because Richonne is the gift that keeps on giving the scene doesn’t stop there. Michonne then approaches Rick and lovingly takes his face in her hands as they share a sweet kiss. 🥹

And only Richonne can make their movement after the kiss feel as passionate and intimate as the kiss itself. Cuz after finally connecting like they’ve been longing to do, Rick and Michonne stay in the moment, looking deep into each other's eyes before leaning their heads against each other with that blessed mirror giving us all the angles. 😍

I love that mirror, y'all. 😋 I'm deeming that mirror and the set designer who placed it there some Richonners cuz, baby, they knew what we needed to see...

The way Rick and Michonne touch each other is always electric, and I love that they seriously feel like one as she rests her hand on his heart and he gently moves his hand up her side. These actors are so gifted at not wasting a single moment or action because they communicate Richonne's love in every second of a scene.

(and when richonne inevitably does that signature forehead touch in TOWL, after years apart...y'all I just might ascend to the heavens right then and there 😇)

It’s also sweet the way Michonne looks at Rick before leaving for him to have this time alone to connect with his son and read the letter.

Having the scene end with Rick reading his son's letter in a whole mirror as opposed to the shattered mirror he saw himself in earlier in the ep, is lovely. And it speaks to the power of Richonne that Rick could arrive at this point, ready to slowly but surely start healing. 

“I love you” really is communicated in every Richonne scene. And while season 8 was a weak one overall, one thing it did well was illustrate the stunning strength of Rick and Michonne’s exquisite and powerful love.

And I love knowing that, thanks to TOWL, we're sure to have some more Richonne "I Love You" moments in store. #GiftThatKeepsOnGivingAndGiving 😌