#this is just a canon scene between them from her storyline. this is just something they canonically share. starry eyed idiots.

[starflungwaddledee]

Oooo starstruck dee has little stars at the bottom of her feet! Are they just aesthetic or would they make imprints into the ground? (like pawprints)

exactly like that! though she's not the only one...

edit: might need to add some additional dialogue to this to make it more clear, but a clarification in the interim; he knows about his own footprints. he's just surprised to see something similar already there when he knows he's only just landed. he lifts his own shoe to confirm that they're not identical (and also to reveal this to the viewer). seems his stoicism beat off the clarity in this one, sorry 😭

[markantonys]

i've got to put out an attempt to spread the good word of wheel of time to some of my new rings of power followers!

are you hankering for a new fantasy show to fill the void of ROP? look no further than wheel of time! it's also on amazon prime and is something of a sister-show to ROP. there are 2 seasons out currently, and season 3 is in post-production and slated to release sometime in 2025.

here's what WOT is about:

in a world that has reincarnation, rosamund pike's character who has been described as lesbian gandalf learns that an apocalyptic figure called "the dragon" who broke the world 3000 years ago has been reborn as a new person. accompanied by her platonic work-husband to whom she's psychically bonded, she narrows her search down to 5 potential candidates, a group of 20-somethings from the same little village. the group embarks on a quest to figure out which one of them is the dragon reborn, but even the ones who are not the dragon have nevertheless been chosen out by fate to have their own remarkable powers and key roles in deciding the fate of the world.

here's what makes WOT similar to ROP:

multiple-storyline ensemble show with a variety of personalities among the main characters, so you'll be sure to find Your Blorbo in somebody (and there's a pretty big variety among the fandom of who everyone's faves are, which goes to show how good ALL the characters are!)

epic fantasy that earnestly and wholeheartedly embraces its genre and the inherent whimsy and fantasticalness therein, without acting like it's embarrassed about having fantasy elements or like it considers itself too good and too prestige for the genre

it has some truly dark and harrowing stuff, but it never feels like it's gratuitous/just for shock value and never descends into cynical grimdark territory. it centers on the importance of hope and togetherness to fight against evil (tolkien was a primary inspiration for the WOT books' author robert jordan, so some of the vibes and themes are similar)

incredibly in-depth worldbuilding and world history

gorgeous costumes, sets, scenery, soundtrack, and production value. i could wax poetic about the soundtrack all day but will restrain myself and just say that it's a similar approach as ROP of specific character themes rearranged ad infinitum to suit the tone of different scenes and that it has a very unique soundscape that stands out from traditional orchestral fantasy. the costumes, especially in the second season, are some of the most unique and distinctive i've ever seen in a fantasy show, using lots of sharp/modern silhouettes to evoke a different feel from your standard medieval-inspired fantasy costumes. and vibrant colors!!!

absolutely Perfect casting across the board, with every actor from the most seasoned veterans to the newest-comers delivering wonderful performances, embodying their characters perfectly, and clearly having the time of their life making this show.

major character recast between s1 and s2 haha but like with adar, both mat actors are wonderful and it's impossible to wish one was the other while watching their respective performances.

Wholesome Boy Besties, and overall a lack of toxic masculinity and a total comfort with letting men be tender and kind and emotional (in fact, i'd say WOT does even better at this than ROP)

mesmerizing villains who run the gamut from tragic to Sexy Fun Evil to straight-up bonechilling (oftentimes multiple categories all rolled into the same villain). what if sauron was a sexy sexy lady whose top hobbies were serving cunt and gaslighting her boytoy? watch wheel of time to find out.

on that note, what would you get if you took the toxic hero/villain/villain polyeroticism of galadriel/sauron/adar, dialed it up to 11, and made it borderline canon that they used to be in a throuple that ended badly? one of the major dynamics of WOT s2, that's what.

a slower, establishing first season followed by a bombastic second season that raises the stakes, lets the villains out to play big time, and generally knocks it out of the park. so if you're on the fence while watching s1, keep going to get to the glowup!

and here's what makes WOT better than ROP:

while they both improve in their second season, imo the first season of WOT is quite a bit better than the first season of ROP (anecdotal evidence: i started both shows as a complete show-only with no prior familiarity with the source material (bar having watched the LOTR movies), and WOT had me hooked by the end of 1x01 whereas ROP i watched 2 episodes and abandoned it for 2 years before coming back for another try and successfully getting hooked)

i'd say the main reason for this is that the story of WOT s1 is fairly simple and small scale and laser-focused on just our 7 main characters who all share a single storyline together (breaking up into 3 sub-storylines for the middle portion of the season, then coming back together again), and it holds off on expanding the scale of the world & story until s2. this was much more effective at getting a newcomer like me assimilated in the world, hooked on the story, and invested in the characters than ROP starting out with a massive sprawling cast and story right off the bat and kind of overwhelming me with too much going on. WOT s1 was also very clear in establishing Here Are The Stakes And Here's Why You Should Care immediately in the pilot episode, whereas i struggled for a while with seeing what the Point of ROP was or why i should care about these characters (because there are too many of them and not enough time spent on any).

WOT is better at character depth and development, in large part because its main cast is about half the size of ROP's so there's just a lot more breathing room. like with ROP, some characters/storylines are naturally more important than others in a given season and thus everyone's prominence ebbs and flows, but unlike ROP, the characters who are in their "off-season" still get proper season-long arcs and never feel like they're getting neglected. no primary WOT character has ever been wholly absent for more than 1 episode per season (except for mat absent from 2 eps in s1 for recasting-related reasons).

following off of that, i'd say WOT is better at handling multiple storylines, because of the above point of fewer characters and also the earlier point that all the characters start together, then separate. this ensures that all the different storylines feel connected to each other, unlike ROP where there are some groups of characters that have never even met anyone else. the Found Family and Power Of Friendship themes are extremely strong in WOT, and the bonds between the core characters are unbreakable! and this makes all the storylines feel connected and cohesive even when they're taking place across the continent.

another similar point: WOT strikes a better balance between epic scale and narrative intimacy. i can't describe this any better or think of specific examples, it's just a Vibe i feel that ROP sometimes gets lost in its own scale whereas WOT always keeps us very firmly anchored in the characters and the personal stakes no matter how vast the world or conflict becomes. i might exemplify this by saying that if you enjoyed the sauron-celebrimbor scenes in s2, you'll love WOT because it is a huge proponent of "2 characters in a room talking to each other" scenes that further the larger plot while also keeping things intimate and personal and fleshing out the characters.

oh also, focal episodes! every season, WOT does 1 or 2 episodes that focus in deeply on one particular main character (different one every time) at a key point in their journey and deliver some amazing in-depth characterwork (while still furthering the story and allotting time to the other characters & storylines too). characters truly are one of the strongest aspects of WOT, both books and show, and i love that the show takes the time to give us episodes like this. it is so so good at balancing character & plot, and understanding that we won't care about the plot unless we care about the characters.

there is a HUGE cast of female characters, and a very varied cast too. the main cast is 50/50 men and women, and the supporting cast is at least 50/50 too if not majority women. in both the source material and the adaptation, women are integral to the story and so many of them are huge players that drive the narrative, rather than feeling like afterthoughts the 2020s adaptation is fruitlessly trying to cram into source material that was not designed for them as is often the case with ROP imo.

branching off of that: one of the major institutions in WOTworld is an all-woman wizard faction, complete with a lady wizard pope. this gives us things like battle scenes and political scheming that's mostly or exclusively between women. it's awesome!

edited to add: might be obvious from the point about there being a lot of women, but WOT also has lots of female friendships! and female mentorships and rivalries and romances too. just so many relationships between women, quite a contrast to nori and poppy struggling to singlehandedly make ROP pass the bechdel test.

canon queer characters and relationships. and queerness is not only present in WOTworld, it's normalized!

and finally, you'll have to wait til s2 to get her, but WOT is better because it has elayne trakand and thus is better than every show that does not have elayne trakand (can you tell who my blorbo is)

[kentopedia]

Can you drop some long series recs (any fandom!)?! I haven't had any come across my dash >.< Would love to read some!

omg of course!! I HAVE SO SO MANY RECS! a lot of the ones i've seen recently are ongoing, but i hope you give them a go & keep watching for updates <3 i have read quite a variety, so hopefully there's something for you tehe. some of them i haven't read yet, but have been on my list bc i enjoy their other works :) so i recommend them to since i know the writers are amazing!!

to have and to hold by @fedyenkas (chuuya, ongoing) - i just started this one today & it's so so amazing so far !! chuuyas characterization in it is sooo yummy. i haven't read a hybrid series before, so it's super unique to see how that fits into the bsd universe.

noble blood by @forest-hashira (satoru & suguru, ongoing) - i haven't read this one yet, but both of fallon's entries for my collab were incredible, so i can only imagine this is too! plus, the premise is SO insane, it's about dragon riders, and there's an entire sheet with all lore that they've created !! i can see how much love and care was put into this one, so i can't wait to check it out !!

oh, baby! by @tetsuskei (kuroo, ongoing) - i have yet to read the first part (everyone throw tomatoes at me) but risu posted some parts on her old blog & i read it there! it's so so sweet!! i looove all her writing, and dad!kuroo is just the cutest thing EVER.

waterloo by @fyorina (dazai, ongoing) - i haven't read this one yet either but i am SO SO incredibly excited to get to it. this one is going to be long, so it might be what you're looking for !! the first two parts are out already, and there's a posting schedule if you want to know when they're coming out :)

bulletproof love by @staryukis (gojo, ongoing) - i've really enjoyed this one so far and logan's writing is so captivating <3 it feels just like missing scenes from in between the canon jjk storyline. logan also has a mini zombie apocalypse series i've been excited to read after reading the other series !! it's dying (for your love).

regrets by @/kingkonoha (levi, complete) is so good !! i still need to finish it, but the concept is super cool & the reader is the antagonist so it's a really interesting spin on levi's actions in the canon universe.

tidal temptations by @fyodorloveclub (fyodor, ongoing) - i have also yet to read this one (cries myself to sleep my tbr is never ending), but everything flora writes is incredible, so i have no doubt this one is too. it's a merman fyodor fic, which is such a cool concept i'm so excited to see where it goes !!!

hell within reach by @/ddarker-dreams (chrollo, complete) - omg. ok i read this one like 2 years ago LOL, but it's finished and its about 80k long, and it's so good <3 i used to be an insane chrollo girlie & this is one of my favorite fics about him.

lover's delight by @lovelyluc (diluc, ongoing) - i don't even play genshin or know anything about it HSHFSDFH but this one is so sweet <3 you can really see how much awea loves diluc in this series, which is my favorite thing about reading fics, and it has so many of my favorite tropes !!

geheinisse by @honeybleed (jean & reiner, ongoing) - only the first part of this is out but it's SO INCREDIBLE. there's so much drama already, and nara does such a great job of setting the scene while getting you hooked immediately. nara also has a two part reiner fic (the first part is decades) that's completed and over 10k words that i'll never forget! her characterization of reiner is so yummy.

if it wasn't for him (would you have me) by @gojoath (yuuta, ongoing) - cella's the ceo of yandere yuuta, so if you're into him, i can't think of anyone else to recommend !!! cella wrote another yuuta series that i think is completed, so there are lots of amazing things to read on her blog <3

@osaemu has a streamer!gojo series that are all in the same universe & connect! they're so funny & everything sabs writes is amazing, so i encourage you to check out her work if you haven't

the lakehouse by @tetzoro (kuroo, ongoing) - rahhh i'm the worst bc i still haven't read this but aims is one of my favorite writers on here, so trust me it's amazing. this was written for october, so if you're missing autumn rn def read this one! aims also has another kuroo series coming soon <3

i know i left some people out, so if you're ever in need of any other recs, pls lmk tehe. and if you're a mootie of mine but have a series i didn't include, send it my way <3 but hopefully all these amazing ones will get you started!

[buddiebeginz]

Guys don’t let spoilers for new eps rattle you. We’re closer to Buddie now than we have ever been. Just have to let the story play out.

Remember these things:

They’re not really pushing B/T in the press they’re doing for the show. Like sure they’ve talked about them but go read all the articles and watch the interviews T*mmy is being talked about more as a mentor figure for Buck and not a long term love interest.

The show has very deliberately connected Buck’s bi awakening including B/T to Eddie and compared T*mmy to Eddie.

They’ve literally with dialogue pointed out Buck wanted Eddie’s attention twice (once when Buck was talking to Maddie after the game and once when T*mmy says “my attention” a clear indication he knew Buck wanted Eddie’s attention).

They’ve full on paralleled B/T scenes and Buddie scenes (call Eddie/call T*mmy)

Buck was talking about how great Eddie is moments before T*mmy kissed him.

Eddie was the character they chose to have crash Buck’s first date with a guy. They chose to have it be where Eddie announces that Marisol is moving in and after the date was over and ended badly the main thing Buck focused on wasn’t T*mmy it was the fact he lied to Eddie.

They’ve made it a point to say in interviews that Buck isn’t going to be having any more one on one coming out scenes this season. Yet they had both of Buck’s important coming out scenes involve Eddie. Buck ends up coming out to Maddie because he’s talking about the date and how he’s upset he lied to Eddie. They also had some very deliberate dialogue when Maddie said “I just think maybe you’re not sure of your own feelings yet. And if there’s something you need to tell Eddie you will. In your own time.”

They devoted a whole intense scene to Buck coming out to Eddie including with a hug.

They keep promoting Buddie in interviews and the press and almost all of the promo videos and pics this season have included them. They’ve also had Ryan and Oliver front and center during the press early on and both seem excited about Buddie’s storyline together this season.

They’ve even made Maddie and Chim’s wedding about Buddie to a large degree. All the promos for it are 98% Buddie. They’re also wearing a couples costume, partying with drag queens, and being more physically close than we’ve ever seen them be. Remember this is also happening at an event we saw Buck invite T*mmy to and we know Eddie has a gf who should presumably be his +1.

Marisol has barely been in this season. We don’t really know her as a person or even her last name. We don’t even know how a relationship between her and Eddie functions because we’ve barely seen them together. The one ep Marisol was heavily featured in the show treated her more like a punchline than a fully fleshed out character and certainly not like a long term love interest to a main character.

They’ve already had Eddie talking about how he’s a nester this season. But they also had a very emotional scene where Chris talks about Shannon and how everyone leaves. Eddie having Marisol move in with him so quick (even if she did move back out) just proves he’s repeating old patterns. He’s looking to replace Shannon in his life and for Chris. Instead of looking at what he has and what he wants.

Also remember that Ryan was included with all the other cast members who play queer characters on that episode of Family Feud that’s likely to air during pride month.

I know a lot of people are nervous about what the show is going to do with Buddie but remember there is more incentive for them to make Buddie canon now than ever before. They’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback especially in the press from Buck’s bi storyline. Tim and Ryan and Oliver and the rest know how much people want to see Buddie happen and how much attention they will garner the show when it does. They’re in the perfect position to finally move these characters in that direction and I think they are slowly and steadily. We just have to be patient. We’re likely to have parts of the story suck as we get closer to Buddie but it will be worth it in the end.

[r--kt]

Tenzo is a replacement for Obito.

From Obito's point of view.

contents | introduction · the essence · similar story: Jinx and Caitlin

[ I mention the similarity with Arcane here, but if you haven't watched it, you can just not read this part, the essence won't change much. ]

here's the thing: It's a headcanon, and it is simple in formulation, but a bit complex in explanation of the certain image. below I discuss the reasons for some of Obito's reactions during the war, and his perception in general.

if Kakashi and Obito had somehow happened to be in the same place once during the ANBU period, or if Obito had known about the members of Kakashi's team, he would be jealous of Kakashi for Tenzo.

not romantically jealous (it's up to you though), rather painfully possessive, with resentment and anger. and not in a vivid way. it's more of a gnashing feeling inside, clogged enough not to recognize it, but not weak enough that it doesn't affect anything at all. why would that even be? their kekkei-genkai, appearance and bond with Kakashi.

CH 317 on the left; CH 605 on the right.

Tenzo's mokuton is smooth, malleable, these are neat bars of wood, and Tenzo has no difficulty making large houses or complex thin figures out of them, such as keys or eyes (ANBU arc in anime) or cute figures (almost any scene where Yamato uses kekkei-genkai).

Obito's mokuton is broken and sharp, it's branches with thorns, which rather embody his frustration, instability and anguish. such wood is easy to use to injure, kill, block the way, isolate yourself from others, but not to build anything out of it. this can not protect gently (to make a shelter or a useful object), this mokuton can only attack. the detail parallels very well with the personalities of both characters and their connection with Kakashi, with how Obito perceives it.

no matter what Obito says, he's a good liar. the old bonds he had in his "past" life remain important to him. his anger at Kakashi in the war, among other practical reasons, is due to the fact that Kakashi dared to acquire new connections that are more important to him than that bond with Obito. at least that's why, among other things, Kakashi doesn't go over to his side (while Obito hoped he would, I'll make a post about it one day). and the connections Kakashi has, subconsciously or not, are perceived by Obito as annoying, as a disregard for everything they've been through together, for everything Obito went through. this is a resentment that provokes anger, the root of which is as follows: "you should not have new connections, you should suffer, because I am lonely and I suffer for you" (for others in general, but this one is the agenda).

his anger is sometimes about "I did so much for you, I gave you the most valuable things I had (life, strength, the ability to care for others), and you ruined everything, well, maybe not you, but I thought it was you at first... and now you, bastard, are trying to stop me?" but not about that today.

and that's why not only Tenzo would annoy Obito, but anyone else who's close to Kakashi. the man consistently selected the people most similar to his past experience, and here they are all around him. then Minato appears in the war. so why am I talking specifically about Tenzo, whom Obito may never have seen?

Tenzo's kekkei-genkai makes everything more confusing. This becomes something personal, which Obito perceives in the way described above. That's just an interesting parallel between these two.

And that's not to mention Tenzo's appearance. He is in some ways still looks like Obito, at least because of the silhouette, hairstyle, etc.

And what this can be compared to? Jinx and Caitlin from Arcane.

Arcane EP 7, "the boy saviour"

Of Course Jinx experiences it much vividly, it's her canon event. for her this storyline is more important than something like this for Obito, but the essence is the same. It is a feeling of betrayal from a person dear to you, who showed with all his appearance that he/she would be on your side until the very end. And it feels like you've been replaced by someone who's really more comfortable, or better at something, or more socially approved. And you're just a lonely sick weirdo.

It is not surprising that both Jinx and Obito treat Vi's/Kakashi's kind words or regrets as something annoying - subconsciously, among other things, they can see it as a mockery. They just don't really believe it.

so here it is. just the way I see all of this.

what is the role of this hc? to show the subconscious in Obito, which is constantly manifested in war through his action or inaction, through his words, through the way he manipulates, through illusions that he shows or sees himself. I like that about him. I like his big vulnerable uchiha heart.

[ I should have written some other post about Obito first, otherwise you will now decide that this is the only way I see him... ]

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 43: Court - Chuck

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

After Max stepped down from the witness stand, Mr. Dunby rose and addressed the judge. "Your Honor, I'd like to call Chuck McAllistar to the stand."

Chuck stood up, adjusted his shirt, and made his way to the witness stand. After being sworn in, he settled into the chair, his posture solid and composed.

Mr. Dunby approached him with a calm demeanor. "Mr. McAllistar, could you please state your occupation for the court?"

Chuck nodded. "I’m the ranch hand for Dr. Seresin."

Dunby continued, "And how long have you been working for Dr. Seresin?"

"Going on five years now."

"And during that time, did you have any interaction with Dr. Stryker?"

Chuck's jaw tightened. "Yes, I did."

Dunby leaned forward slightly. "Could you explain the nature of that interaction?"

Chuck took a deep breath before replying. "When I first met Dr. Seresin, it was when she was working on the grant in Wyoming. We met at the sale of my two horses and she had offered me a job. That evening we had decided to go to the fair. It was there I saw Dr. Stryker attempt to kiss Dr. Seresin."

"Dr. Stryker attempted to kiss Dr. Seresin? Can you describe what happened?"

Chuck nodded. "Yeah. We were at the fair, just enjoying the evening. Dr. Stryker showed up and asked Dr. Seresin to dance. A slow song came on, and I noticed him pulling her closer. Her eyes were closed, but I had a feeling she wasn’t thinking about Dr. Stryker. After the dance, Dr. Seresin looked up at him, and that’s when he leaned in to kiss her. I knew something wasn’t right, so I called out her name. She must’ve realized it too because she quickly hurried over to me."

Dunby gave Chuck an encouraging nod before asking, "And what was Dr. Seresin's reaction after that? Did she say anything to you about what happened?"

Chuck shifted slightly in his seat, thinking back. "She looked shaken up, like she hadn’t expected it. When she came over to me, she just said she didn’t want to make a scene and that she’d handle it professionally. But I could tell she was uncomfortable."

Dunby took a moment, then asked, "And after that night, did Dr. Stryker continue to pursue her?"

Chuck shook his head. "Not really, but we were packing up to leave a few days later."

Dunby nodded, absorbing Chuck’s response. "So, after that incident at the fair, you and Dr. Seresin decided to leave Wyoming?"

"Yeah," Chuck confirmed. "She had finished up the work she needed to do, and we were ready to head back. It was clear she didn’t want to stick around any longer than necessary."

Dunby paused, then asked, "Did Dr. Stryker attempt to contact Dr. Seresin again after you left Wyoming?"

Chuck’s face tightened. "Not that I'm aware. I do know Dr. Seresin made a few trips to Texas to work on the book, but I'm not sure what happened while there."

Dunby nodded, processing Chuck's response before continuing. "So, you weren’t involved in any of the interactions between Dr. Seresin and Dr. Stryker during her trips to Texas for the book?"

"No," Chuck replied. "I stayed behind on the ranch during those trips. Dr. Seresin didn't mention anything specific about what happened while she was there, just that it was related to the project they were working on."

Dunby took a breath and then asked, "Did Dr. Seresin ever express any concerns about Dr. Stryker during those trips?"

Chuck shook his head. "She didn’t talk much about him, other than the work. But I got the sense she was focused on finishing the book and moving on."

Dunby glanced at the judge before turning to the jury. "No further questions, Your Honor."

As Dunby sat down, Mr. Rowe stood up and slowly approached Chuck, a contemplative look on his face.

Mr. Rowe approached Chuck with measured steps, giving him a calculating look before speaking. "Mr. McAllistar, you said Dr. Seresin didn’t express any concerns about Dr. Stryker during her trips to Texas?"

Chuck nodded. "That's right."

Mr. Rowe tilted his head slightly. "And yet, despite not having witnessed anything inappropriate directly, you seem to hold a strong opinion about Dr. Stryker. Why is that?"

Chuck's jaw tightened slightly, his tone calm but firm. "I don't need to see something firsthand to know when something’s off. I saw how Dr. Seresin reacted to him that night at the fair. I don’t trust him, and after hearing what happened since, it seems I had good reason."

Mr. Rowe raised an eyebrow. "But as you mentioned, Dr. Seresin kept working with Dr. Stryker on the book, didn't she? Despite your 'concerns,' she continued her professional relationship with him."

Chuck gave a short nod. "Yeah, she did, but that doesn’t mean she trusted him. Sometimes you finish what you start because it's important to you, not because you trust the people you’re working with."

Rowe took a step back, considering Chuck's words. "So, in your opinion, Dr. Seresin wasn’t comfortable with Dr. Stryker, but she chose to continue working with him anyway?"

"That’s what it seemed like to me," Chuck replied simply.

"And the last trip to Wyoming?"

"Dr. Seresin again kept if professional. She was offered a different grant by the university and she took that instead of working with Dr. Stryker again. She was only asked to go back because the university noticed something wasn't right with Dr. Styker's work."

Rowe paused, studying Chuck for a moment. "So, Dr. Seresin made a conscious decision to distance herself from Dr. Stryker professionally by accepting a different grant. Yet, she was asked to return to Wyoming due to concerns with Dr. Stryker's work?"

Chuck nodded firmly. "Exactly. The university had suspicions about his work, and they wanted Dr. Seresin to help sort things out. She wasn’t there because she wanted to be, but because the situation called for it."

Rowe raised an eyebrow. "And during that time, was there any indication that Dr. Seresin was in danger or uncomfortable in his presence?"

Chuck's expression hardened. "She didn’t say anything specific to me, but I trust my gut."

"And while Dr. Seresin and her husband weren't talking, did she show any interest in anyone else?"

Chuck shook his head. "No. Doc isn't like that. She loved and still loves her husband. She concentrated on her work, but I know she still thought of her husband."

Rowe's eyebrows lifted slightly, but he kept his tone neutral. "So, despite their lack of communication, you're saying Dr. Seresin remained faithful to her husband?"

Chuck nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Even when they weren't talking, she never showed interest in anyone else. She was always thinking about the Lieutenant. Her work kept her busy, but her heart was still with him."

Rowe paused for a moment, then asked, "And you're confident in that assessment? You saw no signs that she might have wanted something different?"

Chuck met Rowe's gaze without wavering. "I’m confident. She loved and still loves the Lieutenant, and she was committed to him. That never changed."

"And she, during that time, would never sign a piece of paper stating that she wanted a divorce?"

Chuck shook his head emphatically. "No, absolutely not. Dr. Seresin would never have signed anything like that. She might have been hurt and feeling distant, but she always believed in their marriage. A divorce was never something she would have considered."

Rowe glanced at the jury, then continued, "So, to clarify, during the entire time that Dr. Seresin and her husband were not communicating, you’re saying that she remained loyal and devoted to him?"

"Yes," Chuck affirmed. "She was devoted to the Lieutenant. Even when things were tough, her heart was still with him."

"And this last time in Wyoming?"

"They had repaired their relationship and were working on preparing for their child."

"You mean Dr. Styker's child."

Chuck's expression hardened as he met Rowe's gaze. "No, I mean Dr. Seresin's child with Lieutenant Seresin. Dr. Stryker has no claim to that child. It was made clear that Y/N and Jake were working on their relationship and had plans for their future together."

Rowe raised an eyebrow, pushing further. "So you're saying that Dr. Seresin was actively planning a future with her husband despite everything that had happened?"

Chuck's voice rose slightly with conviction. "Of course she was! Y/N never stopped loving the Lieutenant. They were working on mending their relationship, and the thought of having their child brought them even closer. Dr. Stryker was just a bump in the road—Y/N always had her heart set on the Lieutenant."

Rowe tried to regain control of the narrative. "But during their time apart, wouldn’t you agree that she might have been influenced by other relationships?"

Chuck shook his head vehemently. "No, not at all. Y/N was focused on her work and coping with her loss. She never expressed any interest in anyone else, and it was clear that her loyalty remained with the Lieutenant."

Rowe sighed, seemingly frustrated. "So you're saying that despite the emotional turmoil, Dr. Seresin never wavered in her commitment to her husband?"

"That’s exactly what I’m saying," Chuck replied, his tone resolute. "She loved him, and that love didn’t fade just because they had difficulties. They were committed to each other, and they were working through their issues together."

Rowe looked at Chuck, searching for any sign of doubt, but finding none. "Thank you. No further questions, Your Honor."

As Chuck stepped down, you felt a surge of pride for him standing up for you and Jake. You knew the truth of your relationship, and it was comforting to see others recognize that too.

Just then, you heard Mr. Dunby’s cell phone buzz, and he glanced at it before addressing the judge. "Your Honor, if we could take a few minutes at your request, I’m able to connect with Lieutenant Jake Seresin via a conference call."

The judge rapped his gavel. "Let's take a fifteen-minute break so we can set that up."

Tags: @buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @tgmreader @callsign-barbell @86laura11 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891 @smoothdogsgirl @devil-angel-winchester

[scarlet--wiccan]

Where is the recent infinity comic with William & Thomas (?) or Billy & Tommy (?) supposed to fit into canon? Like is it an au or something? Bc I’ve only seen one panel of it but it doesn’t seem to actually fit anywhere into canon since Billy & Tommy didn’t know that eachother existed at that age and William & Thomas were William & Thomas not Billy & Tommy, Thomas didn’t have white hair and they were both toddlers when they died??

So, the comic you're asking about is this week's issue of Marvel Voices: Avengers Academy on Marvel Unlimited. The issue ends with a scene of a very young Billy and Tommy fleeing from Mephisto and hiding out in a spooky chapel on Academy grounds. There is an editor's note in the issue which explains this, but these versions of Billy and Tommy first appeared in the Young Avengers run of the Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic back in 2022. Both comics are written by Anthony Oliveira, who's previously several one-shot and event tie-ins with Billy, Teddy, and sometimes Tommy.

And yes, this is taking place in present day, Earth-616 continuity.

In the Young Avengers series, Iron Lad is fighting an evil future version of Kristoff Vernard-- you know, Doctor Doom's son?-- over a shard of the M'Kraan crystal. The crystal flies off and passes through a series of time- and space-rifts, visiting each of the Young Avengers before arriving at its final destination.

Like I said, there's a lot of time-warping going on. Teddy is reunitied with a past version of his mom, and America encounters these weird little-kid versions of Billy and Tommy. These are, apparently, the souls of Wanda's sons, from after they were taken by Mephisto in Avengers West Coast. They escaped from his Hell when the crystal passed through, opening a rift which leads them to America in the present day. America defends them from Mephisto, and the kids flee through another rift with the crystal in tow, but they don't show up again for the rest of the series.

In Avengers Academy, the school campus is built in a pocket-dimension that was created using the same M'kraan crystal shard. Presumably, the rift that Billy and Tommy escaped through led them there.

My assumption is that this storyline is meant to bridge the gap between the twins' death and reincarnation. I've always felt that the retcon in Children's Crusade explained it just fine-- Wanda attempted to resurrect them using Earth's Life Force, and it worked, just not how she expected. There is room to build on top of that, though, and here, we're seeing how their souls escaped from Mephisto in order to make that reincarnation possible. The fact that time travel is explicitly involved also accounts for the timeline discrepancies around their reincarnation, although, again, that was easy enough to justify with Wanda’s heightened reality-warping.

There are also some very touching moments with Billy and America, who's really struggling in this story after finding out that everything she believed about the Utopian Parallel is a lie. There is potential here to fix some of the damage that was done to her character by threading their storylines back together Billy appears to be inspired to someday create the Parallel himself, and comments that he and Tommy might do it together, which is is interesting. Turning Billy's Demiurge destiny into a shared role makes a lot more sense after Scarlet Witch (2024) did something similar with Wanda and Pietro.

Overall, I like this storyline, but I will say that there are a number of small continuity errors, and Oliveira makes it seem as if Wanda abandoned her sons and doesn't have a good relationship with them in the present, neither of which is true. It left a bad taste in my mouth, so I am intrigued, but nervous.

The twins' ages feel very arbitrary-- they were barely toddlers when they died-- but this isn't the first time they've been retroactively aged up. Vision (2016) made them appear older in flashbacks. Tommy's hair color doesn't really bother me, because the twins weren't originally intended to have Wanda and Pietro's powers/coloring. Applying it retroactively is fine, especially since, again, this is a slightly older version, and Pietro's always canonically had white hair from a young age.

[saurongorthaur9]

So something logistical occurred to me that makes the "Galadriel goes dark" theory even more likely, in my view. I realized that come season 3, Sauron is going to be lacking characters to be his main scene partner. Celebrimbor will be gone. Based on footage we've seen, I think Adar is a dead man walking too. And it's too early to go to Numenor to mess with Pharazon. Sauron's to-do list includes anything from distributing the nine rings, making the One Ring, making himself King of Men, and waging war on the elves. I feel like I can see a lack of opportunities for some other character to come in and interact with him one on one heavily during this period besides orcs and/or random new human lords (OCs no doubt)... The creators seem to like the idea of Sauron having a main scene partner also and idk I feel like Galadriel remains the best option and they probably think the same. She could be that without going dark side of course - maybe if he captures her and she's his prisoner for a while. But her being there by *choice* makes for such interesting potential conversations between them as the story evolves, as we we see her potentially struggling with coming back to the light.

That's a very good point. Charlie is a great actor, but he (and Sauron) are definitely at his peak when he's got a scene partner and I think the showrunners know that. I do think the canon focus of S3 will be the creation of the One and the seducing of the Nazgul, which will be great in any scenario, but it would definitely make S3 juicier to somehow put him and Galadriel back together as scene partners.

A reasonable alternative that I could see them going with though is bringing in the Witch King as a main new character next season and focusing on his relationship with Sauron and his rise to Sauron's new second-in-command. I wouldn't be opposed to that at all.

But I also keep thinking, if Galadriel is 100% successful in resisting Sauron's Temptation 2.0 at the end of S2, where does that leave her character development to go for the next three seasons? She will have won back the trust of the elves, she will have successfully resisted Sauron, and she'll be well on her way to being the wiser Galadriel of LOTR without many obstacles left in her way.

On the other hand, if they do go with a corruption arc, I could very well see it going like this:

S2 Finale: Galadriel succumbs to Sauron's temptation and agrees to work with him to some extent.

S3: Galadriel struggles with her corruption arc, seeing how her joining Sauron is corrupting both her and everything she loves. S3 finale: Celeborn returns and plays a critical role in helping her find her way back to the light.

S4: Galadriel struggles with the trauma of anything she might have done or helped Sauron do in S3, and she reconnects with Celeborn and finds peace and hope with him and is able to contrast that to how she felt at Sauron's side.

S5: Galadriel and Celeborn found Lothlorien and Galadriel completes her arc into the wiser but grief-filled elven queen that we know in LOTR.

In my opinion, that would be such a compelling arc. It would also allow Galadriel to continue having a dynamic arc in S4, which is probably going to be the Fall of Numenor, where otherwise she could kind of fade into the background and not have much of a story for that season.

Obviously, this is all just my speculation and I know what a huge risk such a story would be for the showrunners, so I'm really trying with all my might not to get my hopes up. But gosh, if they went there, I would eat up that storyline like dessert.

[thursdayinspace]

Y'know what? I was sitting in a funk, thinking thoughts, and I thought: y'know what'll get me outta this? Listening to a mutual talk about their passions, passionately.

So, tell me: top 3 Revival moments that aren't MSRy. I wanna know layers. I wanna know intrigue. I wanna be GRIPPED by your love for that series. >:DDDDDD

thank you for this dream assignment. okay. *cracks knuckles* let's begin. i don't know if these are my *top* 3, but they're the ones that come to mind immediately.

1.

I'll start with one that you may argue is still msr, but this very specific bit is not, so hear me out. I'm talking about Scully in "Plus One" coming to Mulder's room asking him to hold her. This is all about Scully and the lessons she has had to learn the hard way about using her words, and about taking that big risk of showing vulnerability. For me, we can go all the way back here to season 2, "Irresistible," where she is shaken up to the point of going for a counseling session where she talks about herself in the second person, and then admits she doesn't want Mulder to know how much the case is getting to her. That's not about Mulder specifically. That's about Scully wanting to prove herself to her brothers as a kid. That's about being a woman in a male-dominated field - both in science and the FBI. She knows her weakness can be used against her. So putting up a facade has become second nature to her. It is also important to note that she *does not* open up to Mulder at the end of "Irresistible." She has reached a breaking point. She still doesn't talk.

In "Plus One," she asks for help. Once again she is shaken up by a case to the point where she has trouble handling it. But she is able this time to admit it. And I'm sure that is a hard-earned skill. Yes, she can open up here and ask for help because it's Mulder. But that she's admitting *at all* that she is struggling, and not even that but *asking for support*? That's big. And that has something to do with their relationship, but also not. That's Scully having learned that being scared is okay. That's Scully being more settled in her own skin, more confident, knowing her own strength and therefore being able to drop her defenses occasionally.

2.

In "Ghouli," the scene where William is on that autopsy table and Scully, thinking he's dead, explains to him all about his adoption and how affected she was by it. It's an important moment because I always felt like they completely dropped the ball on that in season 9. She gave up her kid, after it had been her biggest wish to be a mom for so long, and then the next time we hear about it is when she talks about it with Mulder in his jail cell for one minute. In between, she seems completely unaffected by it. It comes up again in IWTB, which I really liked, but I always felt like they owed Scully a real *moment*. A real moment to live in that pain and acknowledge how that changed her life and how really fucking difficult it was. As heartbreaking as that moment is and as much as I tend to simply ignore the William storyline, I think it was important.

3.

This is not a moment per se, but you know I have to mention the sushi episode. "Rm9sbG93ZXJz." There, I even looked up the proper title. It's a lot of moments in that episode that make up the whole of it. I love the creepiness of it that's created through the complete absence of other people. It's isolation dialed up to maximum. That's obviously a social commentary, but to me it's also an X Files commentary, if you will. The whole show, it's been them against the world. Very little backup. Just the two crazies from the basement. And here, they're not just isolated from the rest of the world, but for all intents and purposes, the world seems actually *empty*. Even though this episode stands somehow outside of canon to an extent, to me it's a ~vibes~ summary of the entire og myth arc. They have no one. They can't trust anyone. Everything is against them and yet they keep fighting against an enemy that seems omnipresent and undefeatable. I will talk about this episode for days if I don't stop now, so I'll leave it at that.

oh man this was fun. thank you for the question!

[lemonhemlock]

so, after having a little break and seeing the last two episodes in pretty quick succession of each other, i will have to say that overall i thought they were fair to middling, sometimes decent, sometimes with abysmal plot choices, alternating with nuggets of greatness (welcome back, alyssa targaryen).

i don't think they are going to solve my fundamental problem with this adaptation, in that, with my specific narrative preferences, i just find myself uninspired when presented with a heroic framing vs a villain-adjacent one. this dynamic remains too simplistic for me to be super enjoying the writing. i just find myself weighing out these interactions and coming off dissatisfied.

i'm turning into a broken record, but it's disappointing to see how they just always seem to lean towards showing the greens as supremely disconnected, cynical and cold to each other, disassociated from any kind of positive emotion or bond, except for a couple of very brief, very rare moments (eg. aegon/jaehaerys). i am a little surprised at the reviews suggesting that the blacks stagnate in their boring ways, because, to me, the writing for tb has improved massively since last season. if the children were borderline NPCs in season 1, i thought they did a pretty decent job in fleshing them out this time, making effective use of limited screen time.

jace, baela and rhaena get to be frustrated with their family, confused, struggling, but also get scenes of genuine connection, they seem to like each other, they look like an actual team. people who could fight for each other and who have kinship even if they don't have perfect relationships.

that being said, i was appalled at how they completely reversed the corlys-baela dynamic (that man did everything in his power to prevent baela from inheriting) and had baela say with her own mouth that she wasn't suited to be the heir to driftmark. i maintain that baela & rhaena should have developed resentment for being cheated by rhaenyra (and corlys!) out of their inheritance and will probably die on this hill. they tried doing this a little with rhaenys by highlighting this point of conflict with her husband, but to have baela outright refuse driftmark is nuts. a targaryen dragonrider can't hold a keep of her own? on what grounds? is dragonstone not also an island surrounded by salt water and boats and sailors? rhaena has this storyline of feeling useless and sidelined by her family because she doesn't have a dragon, yet being overlooked for driftmark doesn't make her feel any kind of way?

imo that remains a huge weak point in how they're writing the girls, but at the very least i can appreciate that they are trying to forge a sense of connection between these people, because they still have to explain how they didn't betray each other and go on their merry way. human relationships can be complicated and sometimes the ones you love the most hurt you and disappoint you the most, so there maybe even is a believable story here.

a story that could very well also be applied to the greens, but they are just almost invariably made to act so frigid with one another. it would be something else if it were just one or two characters, but all of them? all the time? while the other side get to be friendly and affectionate? even rhaenyra and mysaria get scenes of sincere camaraderie. whereas whatever the greens get, it's always in this somber negative light. the non-canon additions overwhelmingly carry this nefarious vibe: aemond tries to kill aegon (not canon), aegon is too dumb to speak high valyrian (not canon), killing the ratcatchers is suddenly so upsetting it can damage the war effort (not canon),* the smallfolk are eager to rebel in king's landing (not canon), alicent actively opposes and is distressed at aemond becoming regent (not canon), the smallfolk think slaying meleys (who killed a lot of innocent people during her escape) is an ill-omen (what the hell?), even the not-canon alicole can't just be sexy, it has to be frostily tinged somehow with the guilt of child murder. compare that with the non-canon addition of rhaenyra and jace working together to organize the dragonseeds or the messianic speech she gives him about how he has to pass on aegon's prophecy.

*they even have AEMOND, who, by then, has committed kinslaying twice and has one attempted regicide under his belt, comment on how, yes, the ratcatchers should be absolutely taken down because it is bad form.🤦‍♀️

it would be something else entirely if the greens were in a stand-alone story and this was the characterisation given to them. we would be having a completely different conversation about dysfunctional family relationships. but they are presented IN COMPARISON to another side and thus you cannot analyse them in a vacuum and it is impossible to escape this comparative approach or pretend that it doesn't directly invite the viewer to a pre-determined conclusion.

(even cersei & tyrion or tyrion & tywin had moments when they were just chilling and not at each other's throats)

likewise, they make every decision taken by the greens range from bad to catastrophic. name one thing that otto, alicent, criston, aemond or aegon get to do that the writers chose to paint in a positive light. one success. it's alicent wanting peace because she feels sorry for rhaenyra. meanwhile, tb has ONE character that acts out and on whom everything unsavory can be pinned: daemon. everything unappealing about rhaenyra's war effort can be traced back to daemon. everyone else in her camp is just so earnestly engaged in harm-reduction.

i'm not even getting into how AEGON of all people is the least developed dragonrider in the show, he who was supposed to have the best and purest bond with his dragon🤦‍♀️meanwhile we've seen how many shots of caraxes and syrax by now? even MOONDANCER. i'm sorry, guys, but baela rode her ass just THEE ONE TIME. for fuck's sake. even rhaena is going to have more flying time than aegon by the end of this show.

the way i can explain my dissatisfaction better is like. imagine succession (yes, it always comes back to this, doesn't it). only that, alongside the dysfunctional roys and their hot mess of a family and questionable (atrocious) morals, you would simultaneously be presented with, say, the old-money pierces. only THEY get to be a quirky bunch of honest-to-god people just tryna do their gosh darn best in this wacky late stage capitalism. unironically. maybe they have a couple of flaws, maybe they even fight sometimes and say things they regret, maybe they have an old crazy un-woke uncle that they try to keep under wraps (hey! nobody's perfect!). but with little to no commentary on their misdeeds and heroic framing compared to the roys. also completely ignoring that they, too, have a corruptible media empire of their own. it would be much worse as a show, no?

[gayelderstourney]

OLD WOMAN YURI BRACKET ROUND 1

Propaganda:

Gertrude Robinson/Agnes Montague:

They are canonically soulmates thanks to a ritual Gertrude preformed to stop Agnes from causing the apocalypse. They both love arson (chaos granny’s for the win) . There’s this scene where someone points out Gertrude’s arsonistic tendencies and she unprompted just goes “remind me to tell you about Agnes sometime” in the most fondest tone EVER. And Agnes calls Gertrude her anchor. They’re very important to me

According to canon, they only physically met once. The canon is dumb and wrong They're bound together by a literal string of fate. One that prevents Agnes from fullfilling her destiny as the literal antichrist. She's probably grateful for it, she never asked to be born as the chosen one of the Cult of Lightless Flame. She can never have a normal life or touch another person without hurting her. Gertrude is a mortal human being and stubbornly remains so, even though she's so deeply tangled in the affairs of all the different eldritch fear entities. Yet she was able to save Agnes from her destiny by binding their fates together. I think they're both deeply lonely people, and there's so many narrative parallels between them. They orbit each other like twin stars. You can't tell me there's not something poetically homoerotic about them. This is yuri

Buddy Aurinko/Vespa Ilkay:

They are WIVES! They are part of a criminal family and they mean so much to eachother

They're like the Thelma and Louise of space crime. There's amnesia, there's prison, there's slavery, there's scifi decay of their bodies. But they find each other again. And they love each other.

i support women's right but most importantly i support women's wrongs. they met when they were young and did grand heists together as lovers, as a master thief and a master assassin. then something went wrong during a job and they both thought the other was dead. oops. but during the podcast's storyline they meet again, have a bit of a moment, save each other's lives, fix their relationship and fall in love again <3 no technically canon age but they are presumed to be in their 50s at least. also they're married and retired now

They have the most tragic story.. They’ve been thief partners for five years before a confrontation with the authorities, during which Vespa falls off a skyscraper and is presumed dead (by everyone except Buddy). Buddy was arrested and spent eight years in prison, and after being released she went to their agreed meeting place and waited for Vespa for years, almost dying from radiation poisoning (!). Vespa actually survived and was captured into slavery, during which she also suffered from radiation sickness. Eventually they are reunited, having not seen each other for fifteen years, and renew their relationship. Now they are married and retired together :)

[thestupidhelmet]

T9S, Part 3, Episode 8 and Part 3 Overview

Commentary and spoilers:

Kitty picked up smoking again? Just ... the T7S fan in me is shouting objections.

But! Now that I've seen this episode, I can talk about it and Part 3 as a whole.

Again, I watch T9S with two mindsets: 1) as the T7S fan who recognizes how far, and in what ways, the T9S universe diverges from T7S canon and 2) the T9S fan that thinks about the internal cohesion of the T9S universe, regardless that the show's canon conflicts with the canon of the T7S universe.

The final episode of Part 3 explores the conflict between Donna's parenting and Kitty's grandparenting. In an interesting reversal, Donna is the (re)strict(ive) one who worries about Leia having similar teen years to her own while Kitty believes Leia should have more freedom (in part to spite Donna).

Hyde's absence is strongly felt by me here. He would be the one to give Donna perspective, that they all turned out fine -- not despite their teen years but because of what they learned from them. He'd remind Donna that Leia needs the freedom to make mistakes and screw up while trusting that she has supportive family (which includes Uncle/Godfather Hyde) that will keep Leia from disaster.

I'm happy that Nikki and Nate reconciled and why (in this particular episode; could have lived without that succubus who took Betsy's name). Nate has some Kelso seasoning on his character, but he's also got some of Hyde's (the self-sacrificing to make the girl he loves happy). Ultimately, though, he's become more his own character as the series went on.

The writers made what seems to be a conscious decision to dissuade Leia/Gwen shippers and wrote Part 2 and Part 3 with this goal in mind. In Part 2 episode 1, Jay sings Leia a song using Jay/Leia and Gwen/Leia's fandom ship names, saying, "It's Jeia, not Geia," or something similar to that effect. This screams purposeful intent by the writers.

Combined with the fact Leia and Gwen barely have any development, storylines, or scenes of their own in Parts 2 and 3 -- just enough so the audience doesn't forget they're best friends -- the T9S writers sent a clear message to the show's viewers. Compare Leia and Gwen's minimal interactions to Jay and Nate's significant interactions and storylines in Parts 2 and 3.

Both Jay and Nate deal with romantic relationships, but their friendship is never neglected. On the contrary, their friendship has a major arc and continues to develop. Leia and Gwen's friendship is barely seen and somewhat heard.

In fact, Gwen is paired with Nikki more often in scenes, and their friendship gets more development. Not unwelcome, but Leia's attachment to Point Place and newfound happiness began with Gwen in Part 1. The writers killed their chemistry in Parts 2 and 3 by keeping them separate. And when they do have scenes together, with rare exception, they're about other people -- like Gwen's almost-boyfriend / boyfriend.

Ozzie becomes an actual character in Parts 2 and 3, not just a snarky commentator. The connection established between him and Jay and Nate in Part 2 is carried through to Part 3. But by Ozzie's own admission to Nikki, he's a selfish person. I don't think he's selfish, though. I think he's still too separated from the other characters. His life isn't enmeshed with theirs. He has circles with them and goes to some of the same places, and he tells Leia to give Jay a break in Part 2 -- but he continues to be on the outer edge of the group.

Fez in T7S, for comparison, has a strong bond with Hyde from the start of the series and gets involved with Jackie and Kelso's lives during season 1. His friendships with Eric and Donna are less developed, but Fez is enmeshed with the group as a whole from the start and becomes more so as the show continues.

I enjoyed Red and Kitty's relationship and their storylines in Part 3. The relationship itself felt organic. That being said, Kitty's character in Part 3 was not written or depicted enough as Kitty. DJR does a great job with what she's given script-wise. Her comedic timing is on point, but I felt like I was watching a fanfic version of Kitty where the writer doesn't quite understand the character or views her through a bizarre lens.

Mitch depicted and treated as a buffoon was definitely satisfying. Instead of him bullying Fez and Kelso, manipulating Donna, and temporarily convincing Eric's girlfriend, friends, and parents how wonderful he is while effing with Eric (and as a way to eff with him to try to take his place with his loved ones), everyone important sees through him now. He was always pathetic, but he doesn't get away with it on T9S.

Earl's guest appearance and interaction with Red was also a treat

The way the show deals with Tanya Roberts's passing is touching and funny and, I think, a worthy tribute.

Overall, I experienced a drop in writing quality from Part 2 to Part 3, despite that they were produced at the same time. Other people might have a different experience than mine, of course.

I do hope the series gets renewed. I'm very curious to see how the characters' journeys continue. I'm glad we got more insight about Gwen and Nikki's families. I'm sure the cliffhanger at the end will be resolved relatively swiftly, although Leia and Jay's particular conflict will take longer to resolve.

[awesome-opossum-after-hours]

with the canon sexualities out for the helluva boss characters, there's a new plot line that I REALLY want.

and to preface, I'm all for sexualities being casually mentioned and not needing some dramatic coming out story. but I think this one would make sense.

I need an episode exploring Via realizing she's asexual and getting confirmation that this is valid.

Stolas and Stella were married off around 18 years old. and based off of what we know of the Goetian customs, the other royals might likely expect Via to be in an arranged marriage soon too by her age. judging by Stolas's character (and the fact that he has more power than Stella), chances are he wouldn't do this to his daughter and instead allow her to find her own life partner.

I'd still see there being pressure from the royal family for Via to get married so she, too, can produce an heir. and I can see this pressure really scaring Via, but she has trouble figuring out exactly why. she's not able to feel this sort of attraction to anyone and starts to worry that there's something "wrong" with her.

I can see this leading to a really great father-daughter scene that's about something other than the divorce. Via would confess to Stolas that she doesn't want this at all, but is worried that she's letting him down. to which Stolas would comfort her and explain that this is very much okay, and that he'll be proud of her and love her regardless of where life takes her.

as someone who has bounced between the Ace/Demi spectrum, I feel like representation of the true process of coming to terms with this is pretty lacking in media. it's just as important as stories of other sexualities, just far less known. additionally, ace characters tend to be either INCREDIBLY open about disgust or disinterest (which allows the fandom to clock them without the term being mentioned), or infantilized, or psychopaths and villains (looking at you, Alastor). it would be really meaningful to have a storyline where a character realizes this about themselves and is taught that this is valid.

[buddiebeginz]

WHY DID THEY SHOW EDDIE WATCHING BUCK REPEL DOWN THE CLIFF?! Choices and so early on too 😩

I'm assuming you're talking about this gifset I reblogged. Honestly I think that Eddie was supposed to be queer from the beginning. I know people think Buck was but I'm not sure if that was necessarily the writers intention. It might have been Oliver's intention to play him that way, I can't remember what he said word for word but I think it was something about how he's always seen Buck as bi. But I think in scenes like the season 1 tapeworm episode where Buck seems to bond with the gay couple it's supposed to come off more like Buck is just being his himbo self more than anything else. I mean I do think when we're looking back on the show there are definitely signs of his bisexuality (the tapeworm scene being one) but I don't know that the writers wrote him at the time with that intention.

But I think there's a good possibility that they brought Eddie in always wanting to have him be a character that comes out eventually. I mean look at how we're introduced to Eddie. Then look at how everything with Shannon was handled. They easily could have kept her around longer and turned their relationship into a will they/won't they. They could have made it so we saw how in love with her Eddie has always been but that's not what happened. They let us know right away that the main draw to that relationship for Eddie was familiarity and the fact that Shannon is Chris' mother. These factors have continued to come into play in Eddie's other relationships too. Like with Ana there was a familiarity in that she was Chris' teacher and Eddie was mostly looking for someone to fill the mother figure role for Chris.

While I think that Eddie was always intended to be queer I don't think they wanted him to come out immediately like they did with a character like Michael. I think the plan was to tell his story slowly and have him come out later. The Ana storyline I think was supposed to be the lead in to having Eddie come out. The main reason I believe this (apart from just look at how that storyline was handled) is the person on twitter with inside info to the show said as much.

I also think that around s3 they started to really notice the chemistry between Buck and Eddie and how much people were shipping them because that's when we got scenes like "there's no one in this world I trust with my son more" and "you want to go for the title" and the grocery story fight which totally read like a lovers quarrel. Or how they had Eddie seeing images of Buck flash in his mind when he almost died in the well. Or having Buck scream for Eddie when he almost died in the well.

I think by the time they got to season 4 there were serious discussions about putting Buck and Eddie together. We know from Oliver that the plan was originally to have Buck come out in s4 and presumably Eddie in s5 along with Buddie going canon. But Fox put a stop to that. If you go by what the insider said and by how season 4 was handled especially the shooting (which is incredibly romance coded) there's no way that Buddie wasn't in the plans by this point.

Plus you had Tim leaving around this time likely at least in part because he was frustrated with how Fox was stifling his show. You can also see remnants of where the story was supposed to go in s5. All that stuff with Eddie and Ana and the panic attacks and Buck being worried about him that was definitely supposed to be a part of Eddie's coming out arc I'm positive on that. I also think that Taylor (when she came back in s4) was originally just supposed to be a friend who helped Buck figure things out but instead Fox pushed for her to be a love interest. This would explain Oliver's dislike of the relationship and complete lack of supporting it. Similar to how he's been with B/T.

Anyway sorry I went off on a ramble. I could talk about these guys all day. 😅

Oh and I leave you with this anon Eddie in s3 checking out a hot guy's ass. (and Chimney clocking him doing it😝)

[cambrioleur]

In the interest of making this blog a bit more intelligent and less of a collection of dumb memes, here's an actual "hot take" that I have...

Ben is likable but he's also jaw-droppingly underdeveloped in the official canon of the show. Basically he's what TV Tropes terms a Satellite Character, in that he's almost always shown in the context of his interactions with other characters, with these scenes being from their viewpoint and not his. He never gets a real arc or storyline of his own: Claire and Guédira are consistently the central POV figures of the assorted B and C plots, while Ben appears in the A plots but in an exclusively supporting role.

The show actually DOES have opportunities to expand on his character a bit more but for whatever reason it never takes advantage of them. You'd think that Ben getting sold out by Assane and tossed in prison would have been a perfect candidate for this, but he appears in like three scenes in the last few episodes of Part 3, with these once again being mainly from the perspectives of Guédira, Claire, and Assane (not to mention that the audience still doesn't know exactly how he sustained all those injuries).

An additional issue is that so far, Ben hasn't had any meaningful conflict in his relationship with Assane, which seems unrealistic given what an utter mess Assane is a lot of the time. Claire has the obvious conflict of desperately wanting her relationship with Assane to work but being let down by him over and over again, and also having to deal with how his antics are negatively affecting their son. Guédira is an Assane Diop stan while also being a police officer who's supposed to be trying to jail him, which is a comedic conflict but it's a conflict nonetheless. We never get any of that with Assane and Ben; their friendship is fun but it's weirdly smooth-sailing. We don't know if they can survive the kind of turmoil that arises between Assane and Claire on a regular basis, because up until Ben gets thrown to the wolves at the gala, he's never been on the receiving end of Assane's dishonesty and erratic behavior. (This is why I actually think that the betrayal was a good narrative choice.)

So Ben's characterization is that he's the technically-competent friend who's also a loyal, solid dude...and that's it. We don't really know who he is in the same way that we know who Assane, Claire, and Guédira are. And the result is that the fans can project pretty much whatever they want onto him. If they want to say he's in love with Assane, fine, because there's nothing canonical that obviously confirms or refutes it. (In contrast I think it's fair to say that any notion of Assane reciprocating these potential affections is 100% fanon; the showrunners clearly view him as someone who can charm anyone he wants to while also being completely heterosexual, although one could argue that they're attempting to have their cake and eat it too.) The same is true if they want to say that Ben is in love with Claire, which is a theory that I've seen crop up a few times. My own opinion is that he's probably aroace or something along those lines, but at the same time I find the interpretation that he loves Assane to be plausible enough, although I have absolutely no emotional investment in it.

Anyway, bottom line...Ben's character should be developed more. Also I personally think he should turn on Assane. But that's just me.

[thatchmanger]

I think Mizu/Taigen/Akemi is destined to be canon.

I know there is a lot of debate within the fandom about Mizu ending up with Taigen or Akemi, there is certainly strong evidence for both ships. But in all honesty I can't help but shake the feeling that the show might be setting us up for a polyamorous enemies to lover romance between the three leads.

Let me break this down.

Let's look at Mizu and Akemi first, obviously their first scene is super romantically coded, with Mizu's hard exterior slipping as they(I personally like using all he/she/they pronouns for Mizu) look upon Akemi's beauty first time, not to mention the slow lingering eye contact with romantic music in the background. Then there are their legendary brothel scenes that are just charged with erotic tension so thick you would need Mizu's sword to cut through it. with these and so many other moments you can definitely see the potential for an enemies to lovers romance. Over the course of their short time together they do come to care about each other, with Akemi feeling deepy hurt and betrayed when Mizu lets her get taken by her fathers soliders and Mizu coming to hate himself for that choice and coming in like a knight in shining armor to save her from Fowler(let's not forget how softly Mizu says Akemi's name in their last scene together)

I think Akemi is a woman that Mizu would easily fall for, as someone who struggled first hand with trying to be an independent but desirable woman in Edo Japanese society Mizu not doubt feels a strong connection to Akemi and her struggles. I think Akemi's strength and cleverness is a trait that mizu would find very attractive.

Next let's take a look at Mizu and Taigen's relationship where I think we honestly have some of the best evidence. Mizu and Taigen's story has all of the more blatant signs of an enemies to lovers storyline. with their story starting with Taigen as Mizu's childhood bully(something he clearly comes to regret once he gets to know them), then becoming her of greatest rivals when they are grown up. And yet despite all this hostility they are almost magnetically drawn to each other following their duel and soon come to form a mutual respect and admiration. From here they quickly come to care for each other with Taigen willing to endure torture at the hands of Fowler to protect Mizu who is likewise willing to put their quest for revenge on hold to try and rescue him and then save his life. They also have such great banter at times, which always a good sign in any kind of relationship.

And of course we can't forget about their famous wrestling scene where our boy Taigen gets a full boner from. This scene is great for their relationship cause it's the only time we ever see either of them just laughing and having fun despite everything they've gone through, a sweet little moment in a lifetime of hardship.

However my favorite moment from their relationship, and the best hint of evidence of a possible polyamorous romance, is when Madame Kaji is giving Mizu the hidden tour of the brothel. of all the pleasures that truly catches Mizu's eye the one she lingers on the most is a threesome between a woman and two men. It's in seeing the two men kiss that Mizu has an erotic flashback to her tussle with Taigen in the woods, possibly implying that they see themself and Taigen in that dynamic. This scene seems to be suggesting that Mizu is attracted to idea of having multiple partners and doesn't have a particular sexual preference(bi/pansexual Mizu canon?) The sight is so enrapturing that Mizu has to make a visible effort to focus herself and shut the peephole.

Of course we can't talk about a threeway relationship without looking into the dynamic between Akemi and Taigen. Even while Taigen is slowly starting fall for Mizu, Akemi is never far from Taigen's mind. He still cares for her and leaves Mizu as soon as he finds out she is in danger, showing that he still cares for her and wants to protect her. But even while trying to rescue Akemi it is cleat Mizu has left a clear mark Taigen's life, as we see when he is venting about them to Ringo in the way someone would about the person they care for deeply.

This might all be wishful thinking but I think the evidence is strong for these three to be an endgame throuple depending on where the writers take the story.