#this does not seem like an ending on good terms. decade+ relationship and your most important driver leaving like this

[blorbocedes]

there is something rotten going on in brackley

[all-pacas]

I love how House is a much better parental figure for Chase than his actual parents,even tho he's a disaster. The bar is so low...

The bar is subterranean. And I think the funny thing is, I don’t think either of them would label their relationship as such: Chase kind of does this with every authority figure he runs into (sucks up to them and tries to get them to like him); House resists every relationship that isn’t on precisely his own terms.

I was thinking just the other day about Human Error vs the Nobody’s Fault/Chase duo. A bit running theme of House is that he hates change. He lives in the same apartment, drives the same car, plays the same guitar. What relationships he has are grandfathered in: he’s known Cuddy on and off since med school, Wilson for a decade at the series start. He had One Relationship with Stacy. He does not generally seek new friends or romantic partners.

And House when called on this gets pretty contrary, of course. He buys a motorcycle. He buys a new guitar. He… fires Chase. And that’s an interesting decision to me, because it really is out of nowhere. House is told he’s struggling to let Foreman go, to let things change, so he proves he’s fine with change by… firing Chase. It’s not because he actually hates Chase; I’m not arguing they’re bffs or have a reciprocal father-son thing at this point. But he’s had Chase the longest.

And the point comes up again in Nobody’s Fault. Cofield practically starts his conversation with Chase with: you’ve worked with him longer than anyone. He brings the point up again with House: 

COFIELD: He's your friend, and he's not well. HOUSE: He's a coworker. COFIELD: Coworker whom you've known for almost ten years who nearly died and who's still scared he may not walk.

(earlier: 

COFIELD: So your testimony is that Dr. House's complete lack of concern is evidence of his deep concern?

)

And yes, sure, knowing someone ten years is enough in itself. But again and again for House, that’s a big deal. That’s… Wilson in S1. Chase has been part of House’s life for a decade. House fired him and he came back. I’ve talked before about how, to Chase, House is the one constant in his life, the one person who approves of what he does and takes him back and wants him around. But it really does go both ways. No, Chase isn’t the only person House has, or the most important person in House’s life. But Chase got fired, and he came back. House punched Chase and immediately regretted it, and Chase didn’t press charges or hold a grudge.

The thing is, House really doesn’t treat Chase like a peer or an equal, and Chase doesn’t try (unlike Foreman and Cameron) to be treated as an equal. I think that’s why their relationship has such father-son vibes; they’re both seemingly pretty happy with the weird employer/mentor/approval seeker relationship they ended up with. But on other levels, they’re very close. Chase gets House, and while in some ways he does seem to idealize him (Chase consistently — and very interestingly given his own history — ignores and enables House’s addictions), he neither idealizes House into a polish or into a monster: he is very good at reading House. They’re both very observant, they both hate opening up, they have deeply parallel histories that the show eventually leans into. Chase was not the first fellow House ever had, but he is the first one that stuck. The first one that stayed.

House can’t admit that means something, but Chase doesn’t need him to, because Chase knows how House thinks. Chase is lonely, S8 drives home he’s lonely and stuck and wants change (and will never get it): House, in his way, always makes it known he notices and cares. They’ve been in one another’s lives for ten years.

[randomfanner]

Halsin + Thaniel and Oliver Headcanons

There will be non-relationship head canons and relationship head canons, all fluffy or Angst content because this is getting really long. I was going to do smut, and I will do smut eventually, but this post is not the post.

TW: Loss of a child, loss in general, lot a of sadness in that. Also in general there is going to be expected backstory trigger warnings. Like the fact he was kept chained to a bed for 3 year. Also on a lighter note, drug use is talked about, it's pot.

Halsin will adopt everything and everyone if you let him. He considers Oliver and Thaniel his kids, he considers Arabella and Yvenna his kids. He considers most of the tiefling kids his kids to an extent. Nieces and nephews perhaps. He loves Scratch and the Cub and Tara(Gale has complained that Tara sometimes goes to Halsin's lap rather than his). If you leave this man alone in the forest and he finds and injuries baby animal or an animal, he will bring it home and nurse it back to health and it will come to visit or just live with you.

We get very little from Thaniel in terms of screen time, and also Oliver after he comes to camp so I am putting head canons.

Thaniel is a good kid. He is pretty quiet, calm and respectful of adults and people in general. He is good with animals, good with plants. Most of the time at the very least. He is... rather reserved. Halsin and Thaniel became friends not because Thaniel let himself be seen, it was a 5 in human year old Halsin chasing this fey child through the woods. He is shy, and doesn't really talk much to people.

Now, he does actually does seem to like talking to you. Halsin has spoken highly of you, Halsin cares about you deeply and you did very much saved Thaniel's life. You killed the man that tormented him for several decades. He does feel he can talk to you.

Now, with that in mind, Thaniel is a fey child. A well behaved and well meaning fey child but he is a fey child none the less. He does have a mischievous. I promise you he has tried to steal your name, and you fell for it Halsin has to talk Thaniel into giving your name back.

Thaniel and Oliver share an end goal with you and Halsin and that is to parent trap your ass. They like you, the fey don't like losing what they like.

Oliver is a little shit. He can be a very sweet little shit and he does like you and Halsin a lot, but he also can torment you in many ways. Mostly because this child has been alone in the wilderness and doesn't have any socialization. Halsin realizes this and is very good at being patient with the traumatized child.

He pulls pranks all of the time when he was around camp, and he does like to trick travelers when they begin coming through. However he does like you and he does like Halsin. So he can be rather nice, he may even let you have his true name... if you promise you will be his mama and papa.

He wants a family. Please let him have a family.

Loss of a Child, Loss, Acceptance of Loss, A traumatized Child

So, man has considered Thaniel his kid for awhile now, he would never say it because once he called himself Thaniel's 'big brother' and Thaniel reminded him, rather quickly, that Thaniel was in fact older then him This was when they were younger Halsin could not guess Thaniel's reaction if he called him son. So when Thaniel was lost Halsin was crushed beyond measure. He did grieve for years and was still admitting grieving until you came along and helped him find his son again. And make sure he would have a friend after Halsin was gone with the earth again. Halsin knows how to accept death, but he also knows it doesn't stop the grieving and that is OK. He may set time aside to be alone and just... grieve if he feels the need to. He grieves but he also remembers. He tries to make good time matter and last for as long as he can. He does... restrain himself during bad times. But when he has those small moments and any chance he gets, he is rather passionate. Even with the smallest things like a kiss or being able to hold hands.

About Thaniel because this kid has some serious trauma. So does Oliver but we get more screen time and information about Oliver so:

Thaniel is a very respectful and mature kid mostly because he is an immortal 8 year old. He is very traumatized. He gets friends and then his friends get older then him and then they die. And he forever young and in the forest. It can take awhile of course, elves live for hundreds of years but... lives for hundreds of years is different then living forever. And he hates being reminded of it so that is why he refuses to let himself call Halsin dad or acknowledge that. He can acknowledge Halsin is older but not that he is going to lose another father and another friend.

Halsin has tried to help him with this as much as he can. He reminds Thaniel that he will still be there for him in the earth, in the dirt and in the spirit. And Thaniel believes it, but it still hurts.

On a bit of a lighter note, reincarnation is I am sure canon in DND, like, there is a spell for that so I assume it is a process they will happen eventually. Druid just speed it up. so Halsin has probably been Thaniel's dad multiple times... (and with you a few times perhaps, if nature has willed you to come together through lifetimes)

So Oliver is like, the best thing that has ever happened to this child. Having a younger brother who will always be a friend is the best thing for this sad forest child. He has a friend who will not get older than him and die.

Small note with Oliver

So, Haslin likes to whittle and just. One day Oliver asks for figure of Mommy and Daddy and his Dog and Halsin does make them for him, of course, and Oliver just sort of puts it on display and man, Halsin has never felt sorry for killing a shadow once in his life and now here he is, mourning with his son because ya.

I have my own traumatized immortal natural spirit child so I really like Thaniel and Oliver. Can you tell?

We done with the angst mostly, be warned pot still remains and so does general Halsin Trauma.

So anyway, I am not crying, and Halsin is a walking snack machine I swear. We are using all DND spells and he has create food and water at all times and uses it a lot. Ever short rest you all get food, water, and he even has bowls and cups prepared at all times that he whittles himself so you have something to enjoy your snack in. He does also offer food and water to all of the refugees when you get to Baldur's Gate.

His snacks consist of berries, nuts and different seeds, when it is a longer rest he can summon meat and vegetables. You know he helps with this sort of stuff all of the time. He likes to cook and I believe he is probably a pretty good cook.

He knows how to cook with a wide range of ingredient. He can cook a dish anywhere you place him. He knows forests, plains, coasts, caves, and even the under dark. He is also very aware of general signs of what is edible and what is not that, so he can always find safe food.

Food is very much a love language for him as well. He cooks for you all the time and also makes you different kinds of sweets. He can bake, he can cook, and he can probably grill and cook on a camp fire. He is amazing at it. Unless you put him in an actual kitchen. Than the poor man because confused and clueless (Poor bear man doesn't understand how a stove works).

Halsin will take care of you no matter what happens. If you get injured he is nursing the wound and cooing that it will be OK because he is here and he has you. He kissing the wound and cure wounds it and will make and will make sure you are all better. He knows you can do with out it, and if you would prefer he can save or wait on the extra bits and simply take care of the wound, however he is taking care of the wound do not mistake him.

He is so doting when you get sick or are pregnant or on your period or if you get poisoned. Man will get you the bed of the finest furs and feed you the best soup to make you feel better. After of course, you down his awful tasting medicine that does cure you pretty quickly because he is a man who knows a thing or two about medicine. He is a healer. He knows how to make you feel better.

Man likes doing hair. It is an elf thing and we can see he believes it on his character look at his hair, he has so many little braids in his hair and he wants to do yours. Please let him do yours. He will explains why he really wants to do it so, you understands how much this means to him. He also wants you to do his, of course. But he just likes, adding flowers to your hair and little bits of nature. No matter what gender or how long your hair is.

Man is also always giving you small gifts. Something he whittled himself, flowers and snacks, pretty rocks, basically anything and everything. He is a bird trying to woo his mate by bringing them shiny things. And it probably works, let's be honest.

Halsin is REALLY good at whittling. It is a little bit more than just a side hobby and he makes toys for kids with his whittling. He will make bears, people, animals, plants, monster, a kid asks for a toy of it, he will carve it. Thaniel and Oliver do have a whole set of bear figurines that keep them safe at night and scare away any beasts that mean them harm.

However he does also use his whittling skills. He can make tools, bowls, utensils, and things for another day. Halsin does not normally need gold however when he is Baldur's gate he is very good at making it on the fly because he can simply whittle something and people will buy it.

Man learns about charity art shows and finds one that does it for nature and makes a number of things to be sold there and by gods is there a bidding war for it. He normally wouldn't be interested but you know, man wants to help nature.

As stated above he does whittle for you all the time, and he also really like to incorporate imagery that reminds him of you and the things you have done and the relationship you have. Sometimes he will care you elegantly into a cup, other times he will show your family through symbols, other times it is just nature. It is really cute.

Cuddler and PDA all the way man, he loves to hold your hand, give you kisses on the cheek, have a hand on your waist, anything to be close to you. He will stop if you ask of course but do expect big bear eyes from him before he does so. He does not mean to do it but he cannot help it. (In a Astarion x Halsin setting, gets hit with those eyes and just breaks and holds his hand).

He will turn into a bear and let you do all the extremely dangerous things to do to a real bear but we all want to do. Touch the soft and fluffy ears, squish the toe beans, don't deny it, we all do. It is quite sweet and has a wonderful time.

Halsin tends to go into a deeper trance than most elves. Sometimes he needs to be shaken out of his trance rather than spoken out of it. He blames it on the bear.

Also Halsin most certainly smokes pot. He probably experiments with natures creations like mushrooms and other things you can smoke. He knows all about the effects, what it will do and often uses it to meditate... or sometimes have a good time.

He would happily invite you to join him if you would be interesting. I think a high Halsin would be extremely entertaining to watch even if you do not smoke pot with him. All formalities drops and he gets so cuddly. He is already cuddly but he is falling asleep on you cuddly.

OK, so, this is a lot, there will probably be a part two or at the very least a NSFW head canon, probably.

[zahri-melitor]

hate to constantly bring it up, but it's very annoying how the bar for a "good" tim is cheating on his partners lol its such a definitive point to a lot of people (twt cough cough) even though there are so many other ways writers could create messy relationship work which I think would be good for tim/bernard, but his cheating always felt so juvenile given his young age, but I would care more about it if weren't for the fact that his cheating was always used to signify that his life as Robin could have consequences and yeah its annoying for everything and everyone to be so happy happy about it and it is bad (the comic in question) don't get me wrong but you always see these people complain about the state of DC and are so angry everytime even though they should already be prepared given their own opinions idk I think people who read the comics can be meh in their own interpretations too sorry for such a long vomit of words

If I’m reading this correctly, you’re annoyed when people who think Tim/Bernard is boring and could use more conflict in the relationship want Tim to cheat, to be that conflict? And who justify it as ‘oh Tim’s canonically a cheater?’

In terms of when Tim was young; yeah he had some messy relationships. This is unsurprising in someone being written as a relatable 14 year old. There is nothing more normal than 14 year olds in messy relationships: your average young teenager’s brain is hormonal soup.

However, the actual most common tension point in Tim’s relationships was about his identity: whether he was hiding Robin from civilians or hiding Tim Drake from Spoiler. There have been other tensions over the years (Tim and Steph have had a LOT of things to argue about over) but the default problem has been ‘Robin means Tim has to hide things’.

Narratives need conflict and drama for storytelling purposes. It gives relationships dimension and character. The fact that TD:R essentially had Bernard skip finding out on page and just hinted he knew and was fine with it eliminated a major storyline that could have been used to add depth to Bernard’s character and explore his feelings.

I agree that if we are going to have stories that feature Bernard we could use a bit more depth to the character and the chance to find out the edges of Tim and Bernard’s relationships. What do they quarrel about? What really drives the other up the wall? What are Tim’s feelings about Bernard knowing and Bernard’s feelings about the fact he’s dating a vigilante?

And that lack combined with a lot of characters having shorter runs these days means there’s less space for characters to argue or not always get along. Characters are less likely just to beat each other up before realising they’re on the same side, for instance.

That said: there still is a fair amount of drama in stories if you’re reading DC comics. Just pick your comics! Zdarsky’s Batman run has been Bruce blowing up his family connections via ZEA and having to repair them. Janet-from-HR in Poison Ivy has been the most interesting thing to happen to Harley and Ivy’s relationship in literal decades. Shazam has been full of sibling arguments coming out of jealousy over powers, the adoptions and Billy’s mother blocking things.

And yes, the complaining from people who seem eternally disappointed with any thing DC does gets exhausting. It’s not fun listening to people dunk on every single thing and treat it like the end of the world.

[izzysillyhandsy]

Ed and Izzy: Cleaning up the mess

As of the end of Ep7, Ed has left Stede and his whole life behind because "he doesn't even know who he is". And I'd like to suggest in this rambling essay that Ed's journey to self-knowledge and self-love can't properly begin before he's come to terms with what happened with Izzy.

Although Ed has steadily been trying to make amends, at the start of Ep6 he's still feeling unsettled and guilty as hell about the terrible things he did (was capable of!): killing his dad, condemning his whole crew to certain death, Izzy's toe, shooting Izzy, being "killed" by Jim and the crew with Izzy looking on...

There's a surprising amount of Izzy in Ed's flashback (I was honestly surprised the toe cutting made it in - somehow the whole discussion around "Izzy deserving it" made me think Ed thought so as well? But of course he doesn't think that. Izzy does.)

And while Ed's central conflict is his underlying self-hatred and self-doubt, there still is a daily reminder of all of his worst tendencies and (still very recent) acts right under his nose.

I think I got all the poison out of my system...

...or not. The indestructible fucker's still here.

Izzy is Ed’s walking and talking guilt room and no amount of deflecting, story-telling or sugarcoating can turn that poison into positivity.

Stede, I love you for your sometimes naive, sweet outlook on life (and Ed does too), but Ed and Izzy, that’s years and years of love and devotion, resentment and hate, building each other up and tearing each other down. They’ve just come out of the absolute worst breakup in history, with so many things unsaid and unknown they’d need the whole of S3 to talk it through.

Stede applying his motivational poster line to Izzy of all people is a little bit tone deaf, especially because it happens right while Izzy’s singing a bittersweet love song about/to Ed.

Which he continues, in French, while Ed and Stede are having sex for the first time so that's definitely not helping. I wonder how good Ed's French is, but it is honestly almost comical to imagine Ed cheating on Iz making love to his new boyfriend while his ex is singing his heart out about „It's only him for me, and me for him, for life - he told me, he swore to me, for life“.

So Izzy's still here. Izzy is still visibly hurting, physically (your fault!!) and mentally (your fault as well in so many ways). And you're already over it and having fun with your new boyfriend? Of course not.

Whatever they were/are to each other specifically, Ed and Izzy were as good as married. They spent almost every day together for decades. Izzy let himself be maimed and hurt over and over again out of love and loyalty. And Ed feels very, very guilty about it. Even if this guilt is not the first thing constantly on Ed's mind, it's certainly there in the background, simmering.

On the other hand, Izzy is the one who kept Ed stationary - they had a good, secure (for pirates anyway) life together, why risk change? I don't think Izzy had noticed (or wanted to notice) how bad it'd gotten for Ed for a long time. So there's also a lot of resentment there from Ed's side, all tied up with Izzy.

It's a very complicated mess and I think that all this is at least part of the reason for Ed's confusion and need to... just go.

But that's not all, by far.

History repeating itself...

...maybe this seems a bit familiar?

We don't know a lot of Ed&Izzy's backstory (apart from: it's a long one!), but I think it's (almost) canon that it is Izzy's job to make sure Ed is content and safe and, most importantly, to kill for Ed.

And even though their relationship (whatever it was) probably didn't start out as tender and sweet as Ed/Stede, I think they started out much more carefree and happy, possibly excited and adventurous. Until their lifestyle took a toll on both of them - Izzy as Ed's killer and constant protector and Ed as Blackbeard, who Ed started to resent more and more. In the end, all that was left were two broken people in a codependent relationship.

Now it seems like gentle, sweet Stede is slowly turning into Izzy 2.0 - swearing (as far as I remember, Stede almost never said fuck in S1), becoming a "real pirate", and worst of all, killing for Ed even though Ed almost begged him not to (seems familiar?).

Plus, this is happening when Ed, still freshly traumatized from his stint as pirate extreme wants nothing to do with violence in general and piracy specifically. Least of all he wants Stede damaged (or izzyfied).

Stede seemed like a way out of pirating, a chance for a loving, fulfilling relationship. Maybe even a way out of his relationship with Izzy, who I think Ed (subconsciously?) blames for the destructive path his life had taken.

Now he isn't so sure anymore if Stede actually wants this.

Talk it through...

...eventually, maybe. Hopefully.

Of course, not every obstacle Ed has to face, every step on the road to self-love and happiness is about Izzy. Vice versa, Izzy is much more than his relationship with Ed, and he has his own problems independent from him.

But this "marriage" with Izzy was Ed’s longest and most important relationship, and also the last relationship before Stede. The way their relationship became restrictive, damaging and unescapable in the end was both their faults. It'd be quite natural if Ed was a bit cautious with that kind of history. Am I a person who always ends up like this? How did we fuck up this badly? Is there a way out?

Most importantly though, a lot of Ed’s guilt and self-doubt is wrapped up in Izzy - if you're capable of doing that (and that, and that) to the person you love - what else are you capable of?

In conclusion, Ed and Izzy need real closure, one way or the other. Before that happens, Ed won't be happy on any way he chooses, and certainly not in his relationship with Stede.

At the moment, they're not talking, really. It's incredibly sweet though, the way they make these little concessions towards the other (Izzy doing much more than Ed, as per usual). They're almost shy, asking for advice, giving reassurance and understanding, and sharing bottles, smiles and looks.

Will they get a long heart-to-heart in the finale? Of course not, there's not enough time. I think we might get a symbolic moment though.

Ed already knows Izzy loves him. Izzy really doesn't know (on top of everything else, poor kid). The only thing he got from Ed was the "Sorry 'bout your leg", even the latch got a bit more.

Izzy needs to hear that too. "It's not your fault you're broken. You didn't break you. Just trying to do your job, weren't you?"

(btw, I love that Ed is softly blowing onto the latch here, while Izzy is doing the same to his little shark <3)

It's also possible Izzy will get his "I loved you, best I could" in person. Hopefully not exactly in those words. But, for both of them, this will be a start to open proper communication (which might happen offscreen between seasons).

And when we get S3, Ed will be (more) prepared to embark on his journey to happiness, with or without Izzy by his side.

[greenerteacups]

I’ve just completed your most recent chapter and what a delight it was from start to finish. The slow burn continues to be delicious, and you’re doing an amazing job of gradually adding bits of kindling to the flames to keep DHr’s relationship progressing (and to feed us readers). This most recent chapter was a textbook definition of fic that gets me giggling and kicking my feet.

I’m always amused by our sweet Victorian child Draco’s reaction to sex, and the reference again to sheets and friction sent me. I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time Draco has been nearly undone by his bedding, and it got me thinking about Pureblood culture’s views of sex and intimacy.

I know oftentimes in fanon, we tend to get Slytherin sex god/goddesses who are having their first sexual experiences pretty early, though occasionally we get a more prudish/Puritanical Draco. We know in Lionheart’s universe, Narcissa alludes to a certain level of hanky panky with Lucius in the RoR, and it certainly seems like Draco had imagined any number of acts with Hermione, even if he hasn’t acted on them in public or perhaps even privately.

If it’s not spoilery, I’d love to know more about how Pureblood culture in Lionheart generally views sex/intimacy, especially inside/outside of courtship and marriage.

It's a mixed bag! I think the Slytherin sex gods thing is a kind of wish-fulfillment (loving compliment) because, put bluntly, the number of 15-17 year-olds who are even kind of charitably good at sex is a mathematical rounding error. Also, Hogwarts has group dorms. Sexiling one person in college is hard enough; imagine you have to sexile (i.e., declare publicly your intent to fuck) 3-5 people every time you want to mess around. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it absolutely does — it's a coed boarding school, you can't fight the wind — but I will say it's probably more at the realistic level of high schoolers fumbling through the excruciating ordeal of learning intimacy, and not "the plot of Euphoria is happening in the dungeons at all times."

Anyway. I interpret the wealthier pureblood set as a kind of wizarding aristocracy, so while in general they're expected to perform to certain expectations and social mores when they're in social/public settings, the fact of the matter is it's the twentieth century and sexual mores are changing a LOT from decade to decade. Narcissa's upbringing would have been radically different from Draco's in terms of how much sex and intimacy would have been open subject — in no small part because Narcissa's generation kind of blew the ceiling off that particular conversation. She was born in 1955 and lived through the Sexual Revolution, meaning that her childhood, adolesence, and young adulthood took place in practically three different geological eras of social life. Meanwhile, women like Walburga and Druella were members of the Greatest Generation (maybe Silent Gen on the younger side), and would've been incredibly traditionalist.

Of course, no matter what the social rules are, teenagers will find a way around them. For the purposes of Lionheart, in 1995, it's understood by most pureblood parents that kids are gonna do what kids are gonna do, but there are specific standards about who you can be seen with and make certain kinds of promises to. Narcissa kind of references this at the end of book 3; she goes on this insulting little spiel about how generations of Blacks and Malfoys had secret muggle-born pets that they kept on the side, they just didn't bring them to dinner parties. Basically, what you do in the privacy of your bedroom is your own business; just don't get caught and don't try to push boundaries, and your social set will be understanding, up to a point. But it would be absolutely improper for "dating" or "courting" to take place between a muggle-born and a pureblood, because that expresses the intent to associate with them in Society, which is a discrete sphere with its own set of rules — one of which is that you have to enforce the caste system.

With respect to specific mores and rules, there's a few references to "etiquette." That stuff's inspired by real etiquette manuals from Victorian and Edwardian England, though I've occasionally thrown in my own twist when it suits me. Dance with the one that brought you; you should have an escort to balls, theoretically but not necessarily someone you're interested in; women run the household, men run the estate. There are certain standards of chivalry and respect on the men's part, but there are also standards of ladylike conduct and decorum on the girls'. Daphne is shocked when Katie wears a suit to the Ball— to the point where she's like "?? ARE you a girl?" — because the rules of dress and poise have been so drilled into her. The level of slut-shaming we get from the Slytherin girls (despite several Slytherin girls being sexually active) also indicates how female sexuality is policed in a way male sexuality isn't; the rumors about Draco and Daphne hurt Daphne, not Draco. This double-edged hypocrisy runs hand in hand with the idea that women are training to be wives, and shouldn't be sleeping with people (if anyone) who they're not seriously pursuing for marriage. Relatedly, courting/engaged couples are usually seen together, a la Crabbe and Millicent, because the idea is you're supposed to be preparing for your marriage; now that you're socially connected, you've begun your tenure as a Unit, and you're expected to act like it. It would be strange for Vince or Millie to go to a ball with someone else unless that partner was a relative or (possibly) a close family friend. It would... imply something.

Marriage between a man and woman would be expected, not because purebloods on the whole are traditionalist — which, to be clear, they are — but because the emphasis on bloodlines means children are a priority. Pansy gives us the best précis on this in Book 2. Blaise, being gay, is in an interesting place vis-a-vis the marriage question because his position doesn't come from being heir to an old estate, it's from his mother's money; in that respect, he's not bound by usual expectations of hereditary legacies, which is possibly why he's comfortable being out. (Although there's a blink-and-you-miss-it remark about some tension with his mom in "Miseducation.")

[jjs-brainrot]

And I've finally started all of the anime I was planning to pick up for Winter 2025, so it's time to do my first impressions for the season!

Just as a reminder: This will be my ranking of these shows based purely on how I felt about the first 1-3 episodes. Continuations and anime that I've already read the source material for will be put into a separate rank after the rest.

The gulf in quality from this season is already looking… Pretty vast. My list ended up pretty lopsided this season as (most of) the shows that did interest me enough to check out ended up having pretty solid starts and most of the rest… didn't even seem worth giving a second glance.

A-Tier (sold on it in 1 episode)

I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time

This is a power fantasy anime for anyone who has ever worked a customer service job. Alina for protag of the season. She's out there doing what we've all wanted to do: fighting overtime by beating a dragon to death with a big fuck off hammer and threatening to kill an uppity customer before giving them a piece of her god damn mind.

I Have a Crush At Work

Preestablished workplace relationship where the protags are trying to keep it under wraps from their coworkers. Both protags already have excellent chemistry and equal investment in their relationship while acting extremely cute together so I definitely want more.

Sorairo Utility

"We have Birdie Wing at home" but it's still just as gay… It does lack the golf mafia tho…

B-Tier (strong start but I need a few more episodes to lock it in)

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

Tokusatsu protag gets isekaied but doesn't stop applying his now very out of place special effects based powers to his new setting. The series could go either way in terms of quality but the first episode was incredibly hilarious.

C-Tier (rough start but has some promise)

Nothing

D-Tier (I'll stick it out but they're on thin ice)

Sakamoto Days

Not the most disappointed I've been with a big name shounen series but… Yeah no that was a pretty mid showing for its first couple of episodes…

F-Tier (lol, no.)

Nothing.

(S)pecial-Tier (I've already read the source material or it's a continuation)

From Bureaucrat to Villainess

"What if the ojou-sama was the best father figure you've ever had in your life?". Been eagerly waiting for the anime to this ever since I picked up the manga last year. the animation was way higher quality then I was expecting so it's looking like this will be a fantastic adaptation.

Shangri-La Frontier S2

One the best action series in years continues to be absolutely peak. It genuinely baffles me that this series isn't getting as wide of appeal for how hype it is. Also god damn, Frontiers by Awich is already earning a real strong contender spot for best OP of the year.

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2

It's been like… Half a decade since the first season? So my memory of this series is definitely a bit foggy going in but it's nice to have it back. The art style is still just as cute and we got some very unexpected yuri from the first episode so I'm already pretty happy with its return.

DNF (Could be good, could be bad, but my brainworms stopped me from finishing episode 1)

Nothing

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Idiot compassion

What a concept! I encourage you to do the research on it.

I have.

That’s all that these two idiots have to offer.

Reinforcing unhealthy behavior just bc they’re too idiotic to recognize how unhealthy and hinged it was for Carmy to sustain that relationship, and how damaging it was for him, even after it ended, no matter how short-lived it was.

My firm belief is that regardless of how well-intentioned you might be, if you surround yourself with idiots, you are gonna end up either following their footsteps or enabling their behaviors, which is almost worse, because it’s also the cowardly thing to do, not just idiotic. One way or the other, they are gonna end up modeling your own behavior and choices, that’s for sure. They can’t sink our ship, but can definitely stir the wheel enough for us to lose ourselves if we let them, and sometimes we let them bc it doesn’t occur to us that certain ppl are not a lighthouse, they are actually the storm. They tend to be in disguise, because if they showed their true controlling, transactional, selfish, insecure, broken, shitty colors up front, we would never let them operate and they can’t have that bc ultimately they feed off of us. They need us, not the other way around.

Wise compassion

The opposite is also true, and that is why having a strong and reliable support network is sooooo important in life, it’s literally life-changing. No matter how hard life gets, a solid support network can help us cope through the roughest of times, and even foster positive changes that enable us to save ourselves, because no one saves anybody else; we all save ourselves. However, a healthy and wise environment we can rely on and that can be there for us in an honest and selfless way, can definitely help us save ourselves when the time comes, if it ever does. And it typically does. We need them, not the other way around; we need them to keep ourselves honest and centered when everything seems to go wrong and we can’t find footing or don’t even want to. They are our ride or die, but never coming from a place of lip service or from an imaginary pedestal of “I’m doing this for you, it’s for your own good, I know better than you” (which are nothing but fancy ways of annuling and invalidating our judgment). They are just there for us; they are our sounding board, our cornerstone sometimes, our enemies behind closed doors, and our unconditional friends out there, where our real enemies plot against us even when they call themselves our friends. I call it “smart compassion”, for lack of a better term, but it´s actually called "wise compassion". Whatever.

Carmy lacks the latter. He’s surrounded by the former. Hence: S3 (and his entire life).

Wise up!

This must chance in S4 though, bc he started growing a pair:

And people that is more like a lighthouse than a storm, started to come back into his life (surround him).

People with whom he could be the best version of himself, even in rough times. That is a real/healthy support system. The rest is BS.

The trick

But the trick is to know how to tell them apart, and only allow in our close circle the smart/wise compassion team, not the others, and by keeping the others at arm´s length or even cutting them off completely, I mean making that choice with our hearts, not with our minds. Because the mind will find reasons to enable the enablers, but the heart knows better because it can´t be tricked into loving something that just doesn´t feel right and never has:

The constructive criticism

I think Carmy failed in that "discerment" department for most of his life, first because of his idol, Michael, and then because after decades of being under his shadow he became a push-over who over compensated by acting masking like "the most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the United States of America", best chef in the world, according to Eat Magazine, JB award winner, etc. But deep down, he was only a kid who wanted to belong, so whoever gave him that "approval", that sense of acceptance, aka: The Faks, C, his staff, was good enough for him, he tricked himself for years into thinking (here´s the mind again, told ya so!) that it was good enough and that he didn´t need anything or anyone else, which was nothing but a toxic coping mechanism.

The prognosis

He´s entering his healthy era in S4, tho, so there will be no more place in his life for toxic coping mechanisms moving forward, although that may look like baby steps at first. And that´s OK.

The truth

I´m rooting for him because Syd deserves his best version, not the one the idiots bring up in him.

[rickybaby]

I agree with you that I do think daniel will be out of the public eye for a good while - but I don’t think, if he does want to be involved in f1 again, he necessarily “needs” somewhere to go on the paddock. Correct me if I’m wrong, but when Seb shows up he’s not really doing it tied to a certain team?

And I think, given the last few years we’ve had to go through as Daniel’s fans, we do sometimes lose sight of his wider perception. We’re so close to it, that we see all the little petty minusha of Res Bull’s malicious smeer - but the average f1 watcher? They don’t give a shit about some bias articles from Thomas Maher or Matt Coch. I think the prevailing narrative with Daniel has already rapidly pivoted from “oh so sad, but he was past his prime 🤷🏼‍♀️” to “we miss Daniel and want to see him back in f1”.

He was and still is one of the most beloved and recognizable f1 drivers in the last few decades, and that reputation will only strengthen as time goes on. Career revisionism goes both ways. I don’t think he’ll race again - but if he wanted a more general ambassadorial role with f1 (as a whole) or a media/pundit role, he could walk back into the paddock tomorrow and take DC or Jensen Button’s job.

Obviously, I’m not trying to negate your last ask - but just trying to give a more positive outlook: the door isn’t as close for Daniel as it seems. I do think, like Guenther said, people weren’t given enough time to miss daniel in 2022. And I think him staying away and out of public eye for even another full year and showing up again in 2026/27 (if that’s what he wants) is actually advantageous. And it also gives Daniel time to sort his head out and really come to terms with everything that happened. It’s why the whole “get a job! Quick!” crowd really bum me out, Daniel went through the absolute ringer last year and I think him taking his time to weigh his next steps is actually the least we could expect.

I agree with a lot that you’ve said. Daniel has a reputation built over more than a decade-long career, and when and if he feels ready to have a relationship with f1, the opportunities will be there for him. It’s just that a lot of the things that Daniel probably imagined himself doing in retirement don’t really stand anymore because he never imagined he would have to retire the way he did. It’s difficult to imagine him taking up a punditry role, whether now or years down the line, because of the things people like villeneuve or Danica have said about him. Can’t imagine him wanting to have anything to do with them.

And I know we’ve joked about Daniel’s inability to take a stand and thus being forever stuck on the fence, but I feel Daniel is also the kind of person who, when he makes up his mind about something, he sticks to it. It’s like his relationship with Michael Italiano — once it was done, it was completely done and he never spoke about it. So I feel like it could end up being the same about f1. That if he decides he doesn’t want anything to do with f1 or motorsport at all, it’ll be a decision he sticks by forever

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! Loved your season finale recap and I agree with most of what you said 🙂‍↕️

I’d like to offer my two cents regarding Devil’s Minion specifically! From what I have gathered not only from what the show has explicitly shown and told us, but also from cast/showrunners interviews etc., I can honestly say that when it comes right down to it, I just don’t think Rolin is that interested in exploring the relationship between Armand and Daniel in depth… yet. He might do so in the future or change his mind and actually do it in S3, but his current kinda blasé attitude towards them as a pairing makes me think so. He clearly has different priorities right now wrt Lestat, Akasha, TotBT stuff, etc., and he has been very honest when he says that the main reason they turned Daniel into a vampire this early in the game is because they wanted to end the season with a “shocking” twist/on a high note in case they didn’t get renewed, and because he wanted to give his buddy Eric the fangs he’d been longing for for literal decades (and good for him for getting them!). He’s like “don’t worry DM fans, they’ll get some scenes together and at the end of the day Armand turned Daniel so 👍 it’s ok 👍”, but seems to be a lot more focused on Daniel’s individual journey as a vampire, and what it means to be a vampire who was turned as a sick, old man and who now has nothing to lose and is making the most of his immortal life. And I’m personally looking forward to their take and I think Eric will kill it (no pun intended), but also I’m a little disappointed because if they do DM and actually go there in terms of their canon relationship…. It’s going to take a loooong time for them to get there imo, and waiting literal years is going to suck. Not saying I’m not going to do it because I actually might lol, I’m just trying to be as realistic as possible atm.

I think… I think Rolin is going to put the Body Thief arc in-between and that is why DM is going to be pushed back a bit. Which DOES make sense in the long run, but is unsatisfactory right now, I do understand.

But… I do think we’ll get our seasons, and they will do them justice. As I said in my post therefore moments I wished we were already on season 4^^

Butttttt … it is what it is. We‘ll have to enjoy the journey ^^

[destinyc1020]

Mayb Michael likes being alone, he dsnt know how to pick women who r compatible with him or its an issue with him (mamas boi, commitment issues, etc). Seems like Lori was the relationship he was talking bout, if so, thats kinda sad 😅 she was his longest relationship bt for her, just another bf lol

I havent heard Loris name in a minute and im kinda glad lol im going to assume she still dates bt is smart enough to keep it quiet. mayb its a flex to some bt being known as a nepo baby whose image revolves around who she dates is limiting and boring, Lori could teach some of her peers 👀. Ik she was in that fight night show, anybody seen that show/how was she in that?

Yea girl, maybe Michael just likes being alone. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, relationships are more headache than what they're really worth lol. I can't even imagine the craziness and nonsense he probably has to sift through being a famous man in this industry.

He doesn't really strike me as a momma's boy. I've never even seen his momma with him lol. No, that award goes to JDW lol. 😂 He even did a photoshoot where his mom is cradling his head rofl. 🤣😭

Honestly? You'd be surprised at just how bad some men are at picking the right women for them lol. Especially when they're good-looking. Women tend to come after THEM, so they're just essentially picking from the women who are coming their way (good OR bad), instead of sitting back and really observing women and seeing what they're all about before deciding to date one seriously. That could possibly be what's going on.

He could also be extremely picky. But usually those types tend to be single for decades and don't even bother getting into relationships if the woman isn't perfect or EXACTLY what they want.

Or, he might just not have that desire to be with anyone right now, and that's fine! He said in the interview that he's very work-focused right now. So, you may meet a great person, but if that person can't fit into your "flow of life" (as he put it), then it just might not work out. The timing might be all off. He seems to be all about timing in his life. And he mentioned in the interview, "how open I am to even...to that, you know?" So, maybe you're right? 🤔 Maybe he DOES have commitment issues. He might be guarded when it comes to that part of his life. When you're in a long-term relationship with someone, you have to let down your guard and be EXTREMELY vulnerable. Not everybody is ready to do that. It just seems kind of rare that a man who's pushing 40 real hard hasn't been in a relationship longer than a year. But I guess everyone's experience in love is different, and not everyone finds who they're meant to be with in their early years, or even finds long-term relationships in their earlier years. Some people find real love a lot later in life. Life is a journey. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Re: Lori Harvey

I actually thought she and Michael were really cute together! 🥰 I thought she was a bit young for him (just being honest), but it was really sweet seeing "boyfriend Micheal" for a change lol. Not to mention, they made a very striking couple. Based on what I saw on instagram and in photos, they LOOKED happy together. But ultimately, it seems they weren't on the same page, and so they broke up.

Didn't she end up dating Damson Idris for a while until they broke up? Idk, but I was rooting for them hard lol. They looked sooo cute together omg! Honestly? I think she can look good with ANY man lol....she's soooo pretty lol. 😍

Lori is a Nepobaby who's mainly known for who she's dating, but honestly, what else is there to talk about with her? What do most people know her for? I'm not trying to be mean, but she's a model and entrepreneur, but most people know her for being Steve's daughter, and for being an influencer/socialite. Maybe if she continues to branch out into acting and do more acting work, or builds some charities or something, then maybe she will be known for things other than who she's dating.

I haven't seen Fright Night! Maybe others can chime in lol. 😊

[mattsundaes]

i'm sitting at the airport terminal in the middle of the night and something wild just happened to me and my first thought was "is this miya twin coded?" so i popped over here because 1. you're one of my absolute favorites. 2. i was just re-reading your kita piece for all the glorious emotional smut. and 3. you also <3 the miyas. please excuse me as i process this.

in senior year high school i went to a weekend-long statewide competition and met these twins in the elevator. one of them definitely had more swagger, more teasing confidence (the kind that guys who are usually successful with ladies have) and the other one was a little quieter, seemed a bit more sincere even though he talked less. we hit it off in conversation and they asked me and my friend if we wanted to grab food with them. i wasn't entirely sure but i thought maybe they were flirting? i was pretty sheltered up until that point and didn't want to assume incorrectly. towards the end of the comp the quieter twin asked if he could come visit me in my city and i, confused, asked "why??" spoiler alert: i ended up dating him for ~2 years.

i found out early on in our relationship that after our "casual dinner" that night when they got back to their room, Swag twin wanted to try his luck and see if he could get with me, but Quiet twin said that he would FIGHT HIM because Quiet really liked me and genuinely wanted to ask me out and he said he wouldn't let his brother ruin that by trying to hook up. Swag was apparently used to usually getting his way, so he realized how serious Quiet was to threaten to beat his ass so i guess he backed off. I didn't find this out until after Quiet and i started seriously talking/dating.

I went out of state for college but we maintained the LDR until halfway through my sophomore year. classic breakup reasons: growing pains/long distance was taking its toll/i wanted to explore life. but we remained on good terms and consider each other friends! we rarely talk, but he still let me use his netflix login for the past 11 years. when he was moving into a corporate role a couple years ago i helped him with interview prep, and when i was looking for a new job he sent me reqs he thought were a good fit.

he's had at least a couple relationships in the near-decade since we broke up (we don't talk about dating but i had seen on social media at some point). i've dated and had a few situationships and am now in a 4 year relationship with my bf. however, he most definitely doesn't know this because we don't chat often, i'm rarely on socials these days and my bf is a very private person.

i'm so sorry for how long this has been. all of this context is to say...i am chilling in the airport on my way home and I GOT A CONFESSION FROM QUIET?? something about i'm the one that got away, he feels he'd won the lottery by meeting me and having me in his life, he referenced the fight he had with his brother all those years ago and said he'd fight the same fight TO THIS DAY. i am flummoxed. i think it is a sign from the great spaghetti monster in the sky that i need to log off tumblr because my very first thought was "what in the fanfiction trope is this?" does this shit actually happen irl? now i need to go deal with this.

anyways thank you for reading this if you got this far! idk if it's just because it's twins and their dynamic is vaguely similar to osamu and atsumu but i was like...have i been isekai'ed into a miya twin fanfic? the sleep deprivation may be catching up to me and i may be entirely unhinged idk

first of all, ily and i’m so flattered you thought of me and ran over here to share this story. i literally read this while brushing my teeth because i was running late for work this morning, but i was so invested i had to read the whole message before i left.

anyway, EXCUSE ME????? i actually can’t get over this. how does it feel to have lived in a real life miya twins fanfic? are you taking interviews at this time? HE SAID HE WOULD FIGHT!!!! HIM? THE ATSUMU/OSAMU DYNAMICS i cannot believe. somewhere an author is on their knees (it’s me, the author). AND NOW THE CONFESSION???? OVER A DECADE LATER? i almost choked on my toothpaste. (i feel like there’s also irony to be found in the inherently symbolic nature of getting that message in such a transitionary, liminal space like an airport in the middle of the night.)

nonnie, i hope you have safe travels home and can get some much-deserved rest after that absolute bombshell. if there ever happens to be a future update or footnote to this story………..you know where to find me.

[twopoppies]

Kanye West is crazy and I usually don't pay no mind to his blabbering but what he said recently about every famous person having a zionist in their contract I believe 100 percent. I'm kinda mad at Harry for not speaking up on this. I know he rarelly does talk about any social issues and I never minded that and would defend him in front of holier-than-thou stan twitter that wants to cancel him for breathing every 5 days but this is like, the only situation where the only thing you can do is post and the palestinians are actively asking you to do it because they can't. He said once in an interview that he's waiting to find one thing that's gonna be his thing to be passionate about. Idk isn't an ongoing genocide a good reason to start... And I'm saying I'm really not looking at Harry Styles for moral guidance or expecting him to be super informed or an activist. But decades from now we're gonna look at this the way we look at the holocaust and wonder how did this happen. Does he really want to stay neutral on this... And he has a lot of friends who are zionists (Winston) or that signed that stupid petition in defense of Israel (Corden, Irving, Olivia)... History won't treat him well if he stays silent as one of the most influental people in the world right now. And the thing is I love him to death and I know he doesn't have a single evil bone in his body. But he is extremely privileged, uninformed, surounded by zionist friends, with whom he is, from what I've observed, very naive. But he won't be given much grace for his silence. At the end of the day it's everyone's own responsibility to educate themselves. He's a 30 year old man with internet access. Because I think what Kanye said is true I'm kinda giving him the benefit of the doubt. But I'm not sure that history will. Or that he deserves it.

Kanye isn’t only crazy, he’s insanely anti-Semitic. Basically he’s blathering on about the old nonsense about “the evil Jews” controlling Hollywood. So he can just fuck off.

I agree with you that Harry is privileged and likely very uninformed on political issues like this one and yes, he’s in a rather complicated spot because he’s very closely affiliated with Irving Azoff who is clearly supporting Israel. I don’t know if Irving/Ben/James are the only ones he’s getting information from, though. I hope not.

I know his fans want him to speak out, and I know that to us it seems like a no-brainer. But, I don’t know if he will make any clear kind of pro-Palestinian statement. I don’t think that means that he supports Israel, but what it ultimately does is make him look like he does and makes it look as though his business relationships are his priority.

At the same time, I really do understand that he may be feeling caught between a rock and a hard place and that keeping out of it is the best option (as most celebrities do in terms of politics). And I understand how complicated it can be as a “brand” to take a stance when your business partners are on the other side of an issue. He’s far from the only celebrity who hasn’t said anything. And I understand that not everyone thinks public displays of activism are as valid as boots on the grounds/money where you mouth is activism. But I can see what a difference people speaking up has made in helping the general public see how awful things are (which, hopefully means there will be political pressure to help the people of Palestine).

Personally, I don’t think history is going to focus on what Harry Styles did or didn’t say, and I don’t like the idea of leveraging threats to one’s legacy. But I do understand what you’re saying and that you’d like to know he’s done something positive in this situation. I truly don’t have an answer for you. I feel very overwhelmed by the whole thing.

More here

[small-screen-superman]

I love My Adventures with Superman, but I decided to write some thoughts about the one thing about it that bugs me most. Spoilers for episodes 4-6! The best way to read it is my non-Tumblr blog, but I'll include the text below too.

About a month ago, it finally happened. My Adventures with Superman came out. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time; I wrote a blog post when it was first announced over 2 years ago. Based on what little was known about the show back then, it seemed like exactly what I wanted: a show focusing on Clark’s humanity and his life at the Daily Planet, and especially his friendship with fellow Planet employees Lois and Jimmy. That is indeed what the show is about. So do I like it? You bet I do! It’s charming, fun and exciting. It is indeed very focused on characters and relationships, but that does not mean it skimps out on the action. It’s also pretty humorous.

If any of this sounds like a good show to you, I recommend watching it. It’s available on Max (formerly HBO Max). At the time of this post’s writing, the show is up to its seventh episode. This post contains spoilers for episodes 4-6, so if you want a “fresh” experience of the show, you should stop reading. But if you do decide to finish this post instead of running off to watch the show, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch the show – I don’t think learning the information found in this post will ruin your experience at all.

At any rate, this is your last warning for spoilers.

When MAWS was newly announced, I thought its premise sounded so promising that it might end up being basically exactly what I’d want a new Superman cartoon to be. That might’ve been a little too optimistic. I didn’t fully realize how nontraditional MAWS was going to be. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, of course, but as a fan of the traditional Superman setup, I don’t necessarily consider it ideal either.

The first big change that’s obvious from the very first episode is that Lois reciprocates Clark’s interest in her from the start. Many villains are also massively re-imagined. But in this article, I want to focus on what I consider the most radical change and the one that I’m least on board with: by episode 6, both Lois and Jimmy know Clark is Superman. Or, in in-universe terms, they both learn Clark is Superman shortly after Superman first appears.

Wasted Potential

It took some effort for me to fully understand why this idea bothers me, so it will take a bit of time for me to convey it too. The first and most obvious issue is that it closes off a lot of potential stories that could be told. Of course, it also opens up possibilities for other stories to be told, so the real issue is that it means stories, plot points, and ideas that I personally want to see are closed off.

I’m sure after decades and decades of superhero media, a lot of people are tired of seeing superheroes constantly keeping their identities secret from even their close friends. But in all honesty, I just am not. I think this setup, tried-and-true as it may be, is full of potential.

Some of that potential is for humor. MAWS is pretty humorous, so it would fit right in. What’s a bigger deal is that I enjoy the irony and tragedy of this premise. In the 1950s Adventures of Superman live-action show, the friendship between Clark, Lois, and Jimmy is also important, but they don’t know that he’s Superman, and to me, there’s something about that which is just so interesting and sad in a way: having a strong, almost family-like bond with others, and yet not willing to let them know something so fundamental about yourself. It just seems poignant to me. I guess I always like for Superman to have at least a touch of sadness to his character.

Not being able to open up to others, even others we care about, is something that I think almost everyone has experienced at one point or another. There’s something strangely satisfying about seeing Superman represent such a basic human struggle in an extreme way. I guess technically, MAWS also depicts this struggle since Lois and Jimmy found out Clark was Superman, rather than being told by him…but it happening so fast means there’s no time to dwell on this struggle or really appreciate it.

MAWS could’ve still been fairly revolutionary by making Lois and Jimmy learning about Clark’s identity happen relatively early, but not within the first couple of episodes – at the end of the first season, for example. This way, they would’ve had time to actually use the potential of the “classic” setup.

However, as I thought more about my dissatisfaction with MAWS’ choice, I’ve come to realize there’s an even more fundamental reason why it bothers me.

I Want a Contrast Between Clark & Superman, and Now That’s Much Harder

There are a lot of foundational aspects of Superman that contribute to his appeal as a character. Which aspects are more appealing or important is highly variable from one person to another. As I’ve thought about why MAWS’ decision and its consequences don’t feel right to me, it’s brought to mind how important a certain aspect actually is to me. That aspect is simply the contrast between Clark and Superman.

Now, Clark and Superman’s apparent personalities have varied greatly over the years, both in general and in relation to each other. Sometimes, Clark and Superman act extremely differently – Clark acts cowardly, mild-mannered, and clumsy, while Superman is bold and headstrong – that sort of thing. I’m not necessarily talking about that. Some versions of Clark don’t seem to act much differently from Superman (especially in Adventures of Superman and many Post-Crisis depictions), and I actually like these versions better a lot of the time.

Even without a big personality change, there’s still a big contrast between Clark and Superman. Clark, as an identity and persona, is a human being with no powers who lives a human life and is in effect limited in many of the ways humans are, since he has to hide his powers and chooses to live the same kind of life humans live. And while we, the audience, know Clark is Superman, we still see him acting as a normal person and being treated as a normal person by most people he interacts with. This causes the idea of Clark the Human to be firm in our mind…and that, in my experience, makes it more powerful and compelling when we see Clark and Superman “meet”: when we’re reminded that they’re one and the same. It can lead us to contemplate how unusual it really is that a man who appears normal is actually, well…Superman.

I’ll give a couple of TV examples of seeing Clark and Superman “meet” that gives me a certain sense of wonder. In the 5th episode of Lois & Clark (Requiem for a Superhero), while Clark and Lois are investigating, in order to hinder the people who are about to discover them, Clark creates a mini-earthquake, pretending it’s an actual earthquake. In a way, this gives me a sense of awe because Clark had been acting as a normal human around Lois, and in a sense it’s almost as if I had fallen for the illusion of Clark being human. To suddenly see such a display of his powers gives me a sense of amazement that such a powerful being would practically “be” a normal human. I don’t think I’d have had this sensation at all if Lois just…knew Clark was Superman. Of course, Lois does eventually learn Clark is Superman in this show, but there’s still plenty of time giving to establishing the illusion of Clark being human.

An “opposite” example (seeing the Clark-ness of Superman, rather than the Superman-ness of Clark) is in the 6th episode of Superman: The Animated Series (Feeding Time). Parasite finds out Superman’s secret identity (due to being able to gain knowledge from people whose energy and powers he’s absorbed) and kidnaps him. As Parasite explains his plan to keep Superman there indefinitely, Superman says that his co-workers will look for him when they realize he hasn’t come into work for a while. Seeing this be one of the first things Superman says makes me think that he doesn’t see himself that differently from how we see ourselves. To the viewer, there’s something a bit shocking about Superman suddenly having to rely on normal humans, but this doesn’t seem to be the case from his perspective. In a way, it makes me amazed to contemplate how Superman can be one of us despite being, well, Superman. A powerful contrast like this would be hard to create if Superman talking with someone who knows he’s Clark is something that happened extremely frequently.

Do you see what I’m getting at? I enjoy being amazed at the fact that Superman and Clark are one and the same. I enjoy seeing that contrast and then being reminded that it’s all an illusion. It really makes you think about who Clark/Superman is, and how his humanity and, well, “Supermanity” can coexist – how for him, it might be natural, but for us, it’s remarkable. I like finding it amazing that he’s both man and Superman – both human and “god”. If Clark is constantly interacting with people who know his secret identity, it’s very hard for something like that to ever happen.

I have a feeling this might have been a deliberate choice, but in MAWS, the two personas of Clark and Superman feel…a bit insignificant. After all, since he spends so much time interacting just with people who know his secret already, he’s free to openly use his powers even when he’s not in his Superman persona. Heck, in episode 6, Clark doesn’t change into his Superman outfit at all, and it barely seems to matter.

I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t matter. I like that Superman has 2 different identities that are perceived very differently. It’s a pretty important factor as to why I like the character. I love to see that contrast and to remember that it’s just an illusion. It makes me think about who Superman is in a deeper way – about how there are realities about himself that he keeps separate in the views of others via his two identities, and how that dual identity both conceals and reveals who he is, in a sense. It’s really interesting stuff that I feel like I can’t encapsulate in this article without going off on a tangent, but the point is, if you don’t really get to see Superman “doing” his dual identity that much, it’s hard to get much out of it.

An Aside: MAWS Could Still Make a Contrast Between Clark and Superman…But They Don’t

OK, this is somewhat tangential, but I think it needs to be addressed or this article will feel a little incomplete.

I established that there being a contrast between Clark and Superman is not dependent on Clark and Superman acting as though they have noticeably different personalities. Obviously, though, them having different personalities is still a big way for them to have a contrast between each other. If MAWS actually employed this method of having a contrast between them, perhaps it would bother me a little less that another huge method (him mostly interacting with people who think Clark is a normal human) wasn’t present. However, MAWS…definitely doesn’t do this.

The two most common ways to depict Superman and Clark is to have Superman be bold and for Clark to be “wimpy” in some way (with the “wimpiness” being a fake personality to fool people into thinking he’s not Superman), or for them to both be bold. MAWS takes a road less traveled and makes Clark being awkward and nervous (though not to an extreme degree) be his actual personality. It would then make perfect sense for Superman to have a fake personality of boldness, but they don’t really go in that direction, except maybe very subtly. I guess Superman isn’t that openly insecure, but he’s certainly not as confident as you’d expect him to be. It feels…very wrong. Heck, even if they didn’t make Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so fast, it would still probably bother me that Superman acts in such a nontraditional way. But the fact that they did makes it worse, because it makes seeing a contrast between Clark and Superman basically impossible.

An Additional Aside: It Might Not Hurt MAWS, But It Sets a Precedent

I do wonder if I’m overreacting about this. MAWS is still a great show and Lois and Jimmy knowing the secret from early on is a part of it, and the show wouldn’t be the same without it. So maybe it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like MAWS has to be the ultimate version of Superman that contains everything that makes the character appealing.

But a popular show making a big change could very easily influence future interpretations, so the very fact that MAWS is doing this could have ramifications for future versions of Superman. I’m not meaning to say adaptations should be afraid of changing things just because other people might copy them. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t be surprising if other media took cues from MAWS in this area, and I think that could be unfortunate.

Maybe this is paranoid, but I think it’s at least worth mentioning. It’s normal for adaptations to influence other adaptations and even the comics themselves, and this change traveling to other media is not a happy prospect for me. (Though I’m keeping in mind that this change can be used for interesting and quality stories, of course. But it becoming widespread and making its way to very important and/or high-profile media would be quite disappointing to me.)

So yeah – I think I did an okay job articulating why I’m unsatisfied with MAWS’ decision to have Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so early. I can’t say there’s anything inherently wrong with it from a storytelling perspective or in terms of what the writers want to accomplish. And it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the show – it doesn’t even mean I can’t enjoy the parts of the show that are direct consequences of this decision.

Essentially, all that it means is that MAWS will never feel anywhere close to a “definitive” version of Superman to me. It will always feel more like “Superman with a twist” or something like that. That’s not a horrible fate to be consigned to at all…it’s just not as good as what I was hoping for from MAWS.

[katherineholmes]

2, 10, 12, 16, 23 get controversial queen <3

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom.

Well, I don't think Klaus would ever bottom because he has severe control and trust issues. Any time someone goes against what he says, he considers it betrayal, not to mention the number of time he actually has been betrayed (not always undeserved) and I just can't see him trusting anyone enough to bottom. Maybe like....decades later in a long term relationship.

10. worst part of fanon

Oh dear god. The entire fandom and the way it reacts to the sire bond between Elena and Damon. Like, that shit was fucked up. It was dub-con at best and non-con at worst. Elena is like a doll in Damon's hands, he shapes her the way he wants to. The most disgusting thing is that she's grieving Jeremy's death so Damon makes her turn it off, and then she's 'annoying' so she should turn it back on. And not once have I seen this being taken seriously. People are so busy hating on Elena cause they simp for Damon and Stefan that they forget that this an eighteen year old girl whose entire family died in traumatic circumstances, that she witnessed some of those deaths and now she's stuck being Damon's personal doll. None of that matters as long as people can make another 'I hate Elena' video. I swear there's a part of this fandom that's drowning in internalised misogyny but if you point that out, they'll flay you alive.

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Vicki, I guess, which is such a weird answer, but like her dad was gone, we never know what actually happened to him. Her mom left her too, and she was poor. People like the Lockwoods didn't like her being around them, and if I recall correctly, she had a job. She was a teenager with trust and abandonment issues who was left to fend for herself and her brother, and got addicted along the way. It always feels like she's judged far too harshly for just for being a teen with massive issues. And I feel bad about the way her story ended, not to mention the way Damon toyed with her, and treated her like an object. (There also seems to be a lot of slut - shaming going on there, but I'm not sure it was explicit).

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

I'm scared of answering this, but where does this notion of Elijah being the perfect guy comes from? Like the man is a murderer, he had no qualms sacrificing a seventeen year old Elena or a sixteen year old Davina. The man is a manipulator, and I love him for it, but sometimes, the takes I see, and the things I read make me think that people don't realise that he isn't noble.

Not once in the show has Elijah called himself noble because he knows he isn't. Klaus calls him noble, but the bar for Klaus is in hell, and Elijah is definitely better than Klaus, but he's not a good person. He's a monster, he compels people, and he breaks his word all the time. That's what is so interesting about him, and yet, sometimes, I see that people make him toothless.

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

Klayley, I guess. Like I'm more of a Klena and Klamille fan, and I ship Hayley with happiness and sometimes Jackson, but damn do Klaus and Hayley have chemistry. They might be the best enemies to lovers done in the TVDU without the writers realising it cause they were a little dumb like that. But like, I remember this scene in s1 when Hayley is at risk, and Klaus wants to go there. He wants to help her and ensure that she's okay, and he even gets jealous of Elijah when Elijah helps Hayley instead. And when Hayley and Jackson are getting married, Klaus can't take his eyes off her, and then plans Jackson's murder five minutes after the wedding. Like....it's right there, and the chemistry is great. I personally believe Klaus loved both Cami and Hayley on TO.

[hbyrde36]

Updated 03/25/2025

Fuggi Regal Fantasima

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Two days after they failed to defeat Vecna, after Max died and came back, after Eddie died—and didn’t. Two days after they were forced to leave his body behind in the Upside Down because everything had gone to shit, a bright yellow pizza delivery van that looked like it’d been through its own apocalypse pulled into the Wheeler's driveway. Jonathan, Mike, Will, and El finally made it home to Hawkins with the help of a friend. On day three, Max woke up. She’d have a long road to recovery, but the doctors seemed fairly confident she’d walk again. Though, no one could be sure how much of her eyesight would return, if any. The same day, in a twist no one saw coming, Joyce showed up, fresh off a plane from Alaska after escaping Russia—yes, Russia—with a miraculously alive and mostly well Jim Hopper. And four days after the world both did and didn’t end, the ghost of Eddie Munson appeared in Steve’s living room.

Midsummer Nights

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This summer they were eighteen, part of the graduating class of 1999, on the brink of college, and finally old enough to be hired as full fledged counselors with paychecks and days off and everything. Not that it paid much, but Steve wasn’t in it for the money. He was in it for the love of the place. Sunset Lake Camp had become a second home to him over the last decade of his life, his real home, and the people there like family. Robin was mainly in it for Steve, excited at the prospect of getting to spend the entire Summer with him for once instead of the single session, two short weeks, she was used to—all her folks had been able to afford each year growing up. It was poised to be the best summer of Steve’s life. Then he met Eddie.

Caught in the Undertow

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Against all odds, Steve Harrington saved Eddie Munson from certain death. And Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive him for it.

Canon divergence - Eddie lives, suicidal ideation, sad with a happy ending, angst with happy ending, POV alternating, good uncle Wayne Munson

Your Dasher is Nearby

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When Steve got home from a long day of work to find his fridge looking as sad and empty as he felt, he decided to treat himself to some takeout for his birthday, getting so much more than he bargained for when his his long-haired, doe-eyed, hotter than hell DoorDash driver Eddie arrived with his order.

It's Only Forever

Tumblr | AO3 | Art by Penny00Dreadful

Labyrinth AU | 43K | Mature | Mild Sexual Content

Little did Steve know that uttering the ridiculous phrase, “I wish the goblins would come and take you away,” would turn his world upside down, and buy him a one way ticket to a nightmare maze.

Thirteen hours, one for every year of Dustin’s life, was all the time he had to solve the Labyrinth, make it to the castle beyond the Goblin City, and save his little brother from being trapped there with the Goblin King forever

…The extremely hot Goblin King, who was maybe not quite what he seemed, but still tried to thwart Steve at every turn.

Teaser & snippet

“Goblins” Promo

"Helping Hands" Promo

No Vacancy

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When Eddie Munson arrived at the Buckingham Beach Motel to spend the summer with his best friend Chrissy and her business partner Robin, the absolute last person he expected to see hanging around in the lobby was former King of Hawkins High and renowned jock asshole, Steve fucking Harrington. To make matters worse, Eddie found that Steve's presence was just the tip of the iceberg—long story short? Mistakes were made and it turned out the motel was a little overbooked...

Who even goes on blind dates anymore?

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After several failed long-term relationships with fuckboys that weren’t worth his time and heartache, who ran the second things got real, he joined the apps—quickly realizing that most of the guys he found on there were only looking for sex. Which was fun and all, but Eddie wanted more. He was looking for romance, a spark, someone he could see spending his life with, who was also looking for a partner. Someone who wasn’t allergic to commitment. So, he’d quit the apps. And when Chrissy told him she had a guy she wanted him to meet he figured, fuck it, he’d tried everything else.

Times Like These

Anniversary Post

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When Eddie finds himself back in his living room, staring down a very alive Chrissy Cunningham, after just having bled to death himself in the middle of a nightmare world, he was rightfully very, very fucking confused. -Or- What happens when the new guy, who only just got inducted into the fucked up world of monsters and mayhem, gets stuck in a time loop and finds himself responsible for saving everyone?

I Don't Think We're In Hawkins Anymore, Big Boy

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After being run off the road in a freak accident during a terrible storm, Steve and Eddie find that not only have they committed vehicular manslaughter, but they’ve also somehow been whisked away to a strange land. The journey is rough and they are being hunted for revenge, but through it all Steve and Eddie grow closer than ever as they try and find their way home with the help of some new friends with familiar faces. -Or- Steddie Wizard of Oz

Hellfire Ink

Tumblr | AO3 | Art by Glitterfang

Written for the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2023/2024

Not for the first time, Eddie was really regretting his decision to book a client on a Friday night, a new client at that. It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do, exactly. There were no dates on his calendar, and going out to random bars and clubs on the weekends to look for quick hook-ups had begun losing its appeal lately. But it’d been a long week, and he’d much rather be getting ready to plop down on the couch with Chrissy to split a bottle of red wine while they watched Drag Race, than preparing to do a cover up for some idiot who’d gotten their girlfriend’s name tattooed on his body, only to fall victim to—The Curse. Ask any tattoo artist and they’d be the first to tell you, there was no surer way to guarantee a breakup than to ink your significant other’s name on your body forever.

Life is a Game (and True Love is a Trophy)

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For years Eddie has been playing D&D with his cousin Dustin and his friends. It’s a crazy home brew campaign of his own design that plays fast and loose with the lore, weaving in heavily embellished events from their real lives. They play themselves, filling out a full cast of NPC’s with the likenesses of friends, family, and strangers. It’s been a wild ride. The game is set in Hawkins, but not quite their Hawkins. This manifestation of their hometown is full of dark secrets, including a shady government agency, evil scientists, and another dimension full of dangerous creatures hiding on the other side of reality. They’ve just wrapped their most recent session before spring break 1986. It was a bittersweet end to an epic part of the story. A blast to play through, but they didn’t beat the bad guy, and the party has been left in ruins. Eddie’s character is dead, one of their favorite NPC’s is in a coma, and the world has literally split apart at the seams. Honestly, Eddie’s not sure how they come back from this. - In 1983 Steve Harrington joined the search for a missing boy and found something he never bargained for. In 1984 Steve Harrington disappeared.

Honey, You're Familiar

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Written for the Stranger Things Writer's Guild Hozier Project, a collection of one-shots inspired by songs from Hozier's self titled album. The word count limit was 3,000 and I chose the song From Eden

🖤The Crawl

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Inspired by the VERY little information we have about the Stranger Things writer's plans for season 5 Time travel stories love to play with the idea that one small act can have an incredible impact on the future. What if, in a crazy twist of fate, Will Byers was rescued from the Upside Down a day early and with just a little knowledge of what was to come. Would it be enough to change everything?

POV Will Byers, POV Eddie Munson, POV Steve Harrington, time shenanigans, fix-it of sorts, angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, falling in love, confessions, first kiss, character death, HAPPY ENDING

Steve Harrington: Vampire Hunter

Tumblr | AO3 | Art Link (art by Penny00Dreadful 🖤)

Steve Harrington is an animator. It’s a job that involves raising the dead; sometimes as a service for mourning relatives looking for closure, often as a tool for the courts to settle disputes. He is also a licensed vampire hunter. Two years ago, vampirism became legal in the United States, granting its undead population citizenship. With this new legal status comes a complication for Steve, as he finds himself tasked with helping the very creatures he is accustomed to killing. Speaking of complications, Steve struggles in more ways than one when he finds himself working closely with none other than Eddie Munson, an undeniably sexy several-hundred-years old master vampire. Or, The Anita Blake/Steddie mashup that nobody asked for but I’m having far too much fun with.

Modern AU, Vampire AU (Anita Blake AU/mashup),  aged up characters, enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, dream sex, vampires, wereanimals, zombies, other supernatural things eventually

Shelter In Place

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Written for Lex’s Spicy Six Summer Challenge! My prompt was : Hurricane

When a major Hurricane is projected to hit Hawkins (technically it’s more like the remnants of a hurricane, but the residents of Hawkins don’t really know the difference or care), Dustin is worried about his new friend and DM, Eddie Munson, who lives in a trailer, a structure not known for its resilience against severe weather. He invites the older boy to ride the storm out with him and his mom at home, unaware that she has made arrangements for them to stay with family that live far away from the storm's trajectory. Dustin doesn’t want to leave his friend high and dry, enter everyone’s favorite babysitter: Steve Harrington.