#(he's telling ethan he’s out of his depth lol)

[zarstarss]

cute things are so fun to make

[drewharrisonwriter]

I just watched Strange Way of Life

I think I get it now, when people who've seen it says that it's lacking, the acting weren't that good, and that it's too quick.

Well, not that my opinion matters, and I am CLEARLY NOT A FILM CRITIQUE nor am I trying to be lol but I just need to get this out lol

It IS too quick, considering it's only a SHORT FILM. Though it was never said it was a full length anyway.

But I'd have to argue that it didn't feel 'lacking', or that the acting was either exaggerated or the opposite. To be honest, it was easy for me to catch on to the depth of the background of each characters with what the film has provided. From snippets, you can tell so much about why they did the things they did.

There is so much we can see through context. It's art. It's not required to spoon feed us, and most certainly not tailored to suit our tastes the exact same way.

Jake alone poses this archaic (for the lack of a better term atm) ways of dealing with his emotions towards Silva and his principles. Also, can we talk about how well Ethan Hawke presented this character? I have always been in awe of him since I've first seen Before Sunrise 20smthng yrs ago. I thought he expresses his lines as naturally as possible, and he does it so well with Jake. Even the injured part was convincing and all the exasperation his character seem to have by default. And you see him trying to loosen up but quickly putting his guards back up. It's so well played.

What's not convincing is the way Silva cleaned him up but then again, we're not really pointing out medical errors here. LOL

Going back... (sorry, my ADHD brain is catching on)

In Silva, we see a duality in the man, and they happen in split seconds, too. Which Pedro is too good at, again, in my own opinion. You blink and you miss it, but Silva really grappled with his true agenda and his true feelings for Jake, and you seem him slipping between the two.

To me, this film is a perfect glimpse of how people in this particular timeline views same sex relationships. And boy, did Silva really played his cards with all the blackmailing.

Goes to show how well aware both men were of the consequences of their love affair, but one really knows how to use it well to their advantage.

(Sidetrack: Tell me it's not just me thinking that this is Joel Miller???)

Also, Silva's son is a dick. What more can I say?

OVERALL...

I liked it. Did I like it because Pedro starred in it? Sure. But, truly, even if Silva was played by someone else, I'd still like it. (Believe me, I've brain-stormed other possible Silva's with my bff)

It's a good film, all in all. The cinematography in particular is really good, with the wide angles and natural lightings and all. I'd also like to point out the carefully curated set and the artworks that hung on the walls, even the clutters and fabric textures. They add so much more depth and color into the lives of the characters.

The plot, at least in my opinion, is not hard to decipher nor is it too shallow. In fact, (again, it's just me lol) I believe that the lack of more flashbacks or more detailed context was alright. What was presented gave me enough understanding as to why these characters spoke and moved the way they did.

Well....(sighs) aaanywaaay...

I enjoyed it and just wanted to come on here to talk about it even if it doesn't make so much sense. LOL

[ethanhuntfemmefatale]

okay so this is something I haven't built a solid headcanon around yet but I am Always thinking about it and I wonder if you have thoughts: what do you think Benji (or Luther, or Claire, or any of your preferred IMF girlies) were being charged with when they were given The Choice?

Ok ok ok this ask….I love it. I am not sure I am equipped to answer it in depth due to my (woefully) inadequate knowledge of crimes but I have Thoughts. Luther I think is pretty clear cut—he’s still committing crimes in the IMF lol—he’s a hacker and he’s really fucking good at it and the law doesn’t mean shit to him. Ethan is also straightforward, he’s a thief, the movie makes it clear. He’s also really fucking good at it. Benji…is an interesting case. When we meet him in MI3 he seems really straight laced! I can see that as a reactionary sort of thing, the Choice acting as a realization that he needs to get his act together or he won’t be able to have a Life. I am also interested in how Benji could have gotten a green card with an extensive background in crime, I think the IMF must have pulled a lot of strings to make that happen. Benji seems strongly lower middle class to me—specifically his preoccupation with fancy dress, which I adore and relate to a ton—he might have struggled financially, and Oxford was probably a real stretch. I could see him doing some…minor unlawful things…to make it possible financially to attend. And from there? I think Benji has a really strong sense of justice buried under the self preservation instincts, and a massive rebellious streak, which is part of why he and Ethan get along so well. And having done some fudging of legality to get himself situated in a good school, I could see him doing it to help others, and I could see that spiraling into something way bigger than he initially anticipated. Messing with school records, maybe even some nice fun identity fraud, stuff of that sort. We know he went to Oxford, but we don’t know he graduated! So in my mind after he got kicked out (managing to worm his way out of worse consequences by the skin of his teeth) he found he’d attracted the notice of some very interesting people. Probably literally very fascinating, and talented, and passionate, and VERY criminal. Lol. So that’s my entire theory for Benji as far as I can tell.

Claire….claire phelps she haunts me. I had the sudden thought like a lightning bolt that she was the origin of The Choice, and I think that’s my favorite thought so far. I think she could have been involved in any number of things, I honestly wouldn’t put anything past her, but I think she must have been associated with some kind of bigger criminal organization. Almost definitely killed people. When Jim found her he gave her The Choice, and she said yes, and I think Jim held that over her every day for the rest of their lives. I think The Choice came from her because I really love the idea of that direct line of transformation, from abuse to kindness/unconditional protection and affection and love.

[vampywampycampypodcast]

how do you think Benny got magic powers because before the movie events even take place he doesn’t know those kind of abilities exist until his grandma literally tells him about it

sal: I like to think they're genetic!! I think we mentioned something on the podcast about it. Like,,, magical abilities could skip a generation so evelyn got them, but bennys parents didnt get them, but then he did (or maybe that was for ethan,,,,,, idk it still applies to benny in my brain).

shay: I think its genetic too! Like a magic gene that'll run through families n such,, its pretty obvious that grandma weir was gonna eventually tell Benny abt the powers. But I think she ended up having to do it sooner bc they had already started to encounter the supernatural.

steff: I've always liked the idea that they're genetic as well, along with the concept of non magicical people being able to do very simple spells, but that Benny will learn to do a lot more with his magical powers as the show goes on. I always wondered how his grandma was able to explain away all the magic stuff in their house, but I can see Benny just assuming it was just some creative decorating lol.

If you wanna hear us go more in depth about the magic system in MBAV, make sure to check out the vwcpp episode coming out soon!

[hamliet]

Loved all of your britin answers. I don't have a proper question. Can you talk about Justin's love for Brian?

Haha well, I love talking about QaF, so any and all asks are welcome about it. Good writing, y'all: it gives me life.

I've talked at length about why I think the text indicates Justin fell for Brian here, and what falling for Justin did for Brian in terms of healing here and here.

I'll say a little more on the latter, which is that Brian believing love didn't exist was actually a protective mechanism. If love doesn't exist, then it doesn't matter that his parents never loved him or wanted him. But it becomes a maladaptive coping mechanism when he grows up, because instead of enabling him to survive like it did as a kid, it cripples him into refusing to take responsibility for whether or not he can love and in terms of him never really going after what he wants (because he does, in fact, want love).

But along comes Justin, who loves him no matter what. Even when he knows Brian doesn't want him. Even when Brian behaves like his worst self. Even when Brian's broke and poor. Even when Brian sells out by helping Stockwell at first. Even when Brian's physically sick and loses a ball. Even when Brian can't "perform." Even when Brian's stupid and pushes himself to complete a race his doctor definitely didn't sign off on as a matter of pride.

Even when he knows Brian doesn't want him at first is kind of key here, too. Therein Justin directly subverts the horrific, nightmarish reality of Brian's childhood, in which Brian's parents didn't want him. By loving Brian anyways, Justin shows Brian that just because he wasn't loved by people, it doesn't mean Brian's incapable of love. It also means Brian can be wrong, and still deserve love. It gives Brian the humanity his parents (and society) deny to him.

Love is as much a choice as it is a feeling, maybe more so. And even if Brian can't voice it until almost the very end, he shows Justin he loves him, as Justin calls out in season 3:

What you gave me was worth ... A million times more than anything he had to offer. You would've told me that you loved me. That you would go on loving me, even after I was gone.

Notably, after this moment Justin never directly questions whether or not Brian loves him ever again. Because he knew, as he'd known for years at that point, that Brian did, even if Brian never said it. (Fortunately, he did. Eventually.)

Loving Justin helped Brian love Justin at his worst self (like when he leaves Brian for Ethan), too. Brian not only experiences unconditional love, he gives it. That type of agape love that is so unconditional is life-giving, it's powerful, it's God (to quote Ted, who is quoting the Bible lol). It's the best of humanity and transcends the weaknesses of human mortality and time. It's somewhat of a metaphysical idea that QaF actually explores, which someday I will write about more. Someday.

Also, you know what might symbolize their love in the show? Colors.

You know how in Season 3 episode 8--that episode--Justin tells Brian "orange is the new blue?" Did you notice that the colors associated with probably about 3/4 of their scenes together are orange or blue or both? From the moment they meet in the very first episode (Justin under a yellow-orange streetlight, dressed in blue)..

to the outfit Justin's wearing when Brian shows up at Debbie's house for him...

to the orange light of the office when they get back together...

to how Brian changes his bed light from blue to orange after Justin says this (as noticed by @sophsun1).

It's literally a motif throughout the entire show. According to basic color symbolism theory :

Blue... is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence.

Orange, the blend of red and yellow, is a mixture of the energy associated with red and the happiness associated with yellow. Orange is associated with meanings of joy, warmth, heat, sunshine, enthusiasm, creativity, success, encouragement, change, determination, health, stimulation, happiness, fun, enjoyment, balance, sexuality, freedom, expression, and fascination.

To an extent color theory can be vague and mean a lot of things you want it to, but clearly the color scheme was deliberate, presumably for a reason. These basic associations are pretty broad and widely understood, too, so seems like a pretty good match for what their love is like: trusting, sincere, heavenly, free, inspiring, sunshine, sexual, success, etc.

[txemrn]

Do you think Ethan’s feelings for Tatum would’ve still come back to him if he was with Casey? (assuming, like in canon he and his relationship with her are a mess lol)? I mean, no disrespect to any Ethan x MC fans out there, but here in our little and beloved “Ethan’s true love is Tatum” bubble, how would have impacted him having her back in his life?

Hey, Anon!

Thank you so much for this Ask! *hugs*

I wish you could see my heart eyes right now as I read, "here in our little and beloved 'Ethan's true love is Tatum' bubble..." Eep! Thank you so much for loving my babies, and for believing in them! It makes me all giddy and gooshy inside! 🥰

And these are very interesting questions, and as you know, I will tell you exactly what I think. 😂🤣😂

A lot of Ethan and Tatum's love story is about redemption, about them individually learning their own ability and capacity to love another person (remember: love was kind foreign thing to them, until they met, and they learned what it was through each other), and then learning the depth of their love for each other. To explore that further: Ethan loves Tatum, but is he able to love her enough to forgive her? To love her regardless of that painful memory? To love her and never, ever bring it up again? To trust her fully again?

Some people can't do that. Some people believe in, "Cheat on me once, you're done" (and I get it! I am not shaming people who believe that with Tathan's story). But there are others who believe it's a lot more complicated than that, and both Ethan and Tatum learn that they are the latter of the two.

So, why am I telling you all this? Chance are if you're in their "bubble", you already know all of this stuff. lol

Ethan and Tatum are also good people, and have become good people through their heartache. As much as it pains me to say this, if Ethan was already with Casey, I believe he would fully be with Casey (even though it's so messy). I think he would still have that spark with Tatum when he saw her (I think their souls cry for each other, but what can you do? Unfortunately the "right" thing hurts...), but it would be easier for him to deny himself and remind himself not to entertain possibilities with Tatum because he has Casey. I think he would have an easier time keeping things professional, and avoiding alone time with her simply being in a relationship.

And then Tatum isn't a homewrecker. She would probably actively avoid Ethan because it still stings that she is the reason they are no longer together, that she didn't get her happy ending. Because of that, she would be able to keep things strictly professional (but still... if AND when they argue at work? It probably still look like fireworks...).

Now, if Ethan and Casey broke up... *shrugs* Who's to say either of them wouldn't jump at the chance to finally be together?

Very thoughtful ask! Thank you so, so much for sending it my way!

💜

[zalrb]

Thank you! I was going crazy with the telling and not showing dicotomy of Gen V. It's like they refuse to have depth.

Starting at the biginning with everyone telling Andre "I know you care about being a hero, I know you want to help people" and I was like "WHY do you know that? Did he show it to you by slicing that girl throat and leaving her for dead?" The only thing I can tell about Andre is that he maybe really loved Luke, but now that we know he wasn't all that conflicted about sleeping with his girlfriend behind his back, even that is on thin ice.

Obviously Andre is not the only problem, just the more glaring one, because he has literally nothing going on. At least the others have some '''''''''''trauma''''''''''' to hang on.

LOL Luke! WHY did I think his name was Ethan? That came out of nowhere. And exactly, out of all of the dynamics on the show, Andre and Luke's was the one I believed the most and it's not because it was well-written (nothing really was written) but like I said before, they're the ones who feel the most comfortable with each other and the most reciprocal so I was like if there was ever going to be a cheating sl, him and Luke cheating on Cate would've made more sense. But his intensity over Luke now seems to be overcompensation for sleeping with Cate and that's just so ... boring to me? Especially because there is NO REASON for them to love each other. "She makes you love her" HOW? BY DOING WHAT?

Obviously Andre is not the only problem, just the more glaring one, because he has literally nothing going on. At least the others have some '''''''''''trauma''''''''''' to hang on.

LMAO it's true. For me, Marie's the most glaring problem because every time I see her, I'm like do you actually have any trauma regarding killing your parents because I don't actually see it, I also don't believe that you carry your sister with you, you're kind of just ... doing shit. And it's because I haven't been given enough time to know who you are. Like, even the whole I'm-coming-to-this-school-and-only-looking-out-for-myself persona crumbles within the first two episodes. What is the POINT of Marie?

But really what's the point of any of them.

[genevievemd]

1 for love confessions is giving off OH2 chapter 11 vibes 😢

Whispers

Book: Open Heart: Second Year (post ch 12) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Genevieve McClure) Word Count: 650 Rating: G Category: fluff Trope(s): and there was a confession, and they realize they’re in love

Summary: Gen is staying with Ethan after the attack, and it causes him to realize the true depth of his feelings for her. 

Warnings: none

A/N: I know you said 2.11, but I went with 2.12 instead. Hope that’s okay. 

From Love Confessiolns Prompt List. Prompt in bold - Also all prompts from this list will have the same banner, like below, with the prompt on it but different fic titles. It’s like a mini series lol 

The rain hasn’t let up since the funeral four days ago, the skies only offering a few respites before another storm appears and the rain begins to drown the city once more. 

Ethan watches the newest squall from the large windows in his living room, silently wishing that the weather could wash away the pain that the woman in his bed currently feels. 

Genevieve has been with him, hiding out in his apartment, since that night in his car; when his offer to drive her home turned into something more. He was more than happy to offer her shelter, and truth be told, it’s helping him, too. The thought of having to part with her that night, have her be out of his sight, was agonizing. Crippling. No matter how many times he told himself she was safe, he could never quite believe it. The nightmares of the attack lingering for far longer than Ethan thought they would. But, that comes with the territory of having someone you care a great deal for in danger. 

Although, this fear, goes much deeper than the terror Ethan had felt with Naveen. And it was because Genevieve mattered far more than Ethan was willing to accept. 

He takes a deep breath, tearing his troubled gaze away from the windows and heading towards his bedroom. Gen is still sound asleep, wrapped in his sheets like a caterpillar in a cocoon. 

She looks as though she’s always belonged there, just as she has in every other corner of his home. Like his dark and empty space was waiting for her natural radiance to brighten the corners and mend the cracks. 

Like she did with his heart. Somehow healing his wounds without him even noticing. Only realizing it when faced with the possibility of losing her forever. 

The only true comfort of that day, and the days since, was learning Genevieve feels the same intense longing that he’s felt for her. Even if Ethan wasn’t completely honest with her. 

He watches her breath for a few more seconds before settling back into the bed. Placing a gentle kiss to her head, smiling like a fool when he realizes she’d used his shampoo and body wash in the shower in the shower instead of her own. 

“Gen?” He whispers into the dark, counting to ten to see if she awakens before continuing. 

“I keep thinking about that night, when we were discussing our regrets. I told you that I care for you, but that isn’t the whole truth, Rookie. I gave you the half truth, because I’m a damn coward when it comes to you, but…” 

He takes a deep breath, cataloging every detail of her face. Remind himself, once again, that she won’t suddenly disappear on him. 

“My feelings for you, G, they go so far past care. And they have for a long time. The truth is that… I’m falling in love with you and that both terrifies and thrills me. I’ve reached the point where it’s nearly impossible to picture my life without you in it, and when I do it’s… it’s not something I ever want to become reality.” 

The pounding of his heart is the only thing he can hear, swallowing back every thought he has of running. Because he no longer wants to go back, only forward. 

“I couldn’t live with myself, if I didn’t tell you. I just hope that someday, soon, I can tell you while you’re not asleep.” 

She stirs at that, and for a few panicked seconds Ethan freezes, but all Genevieve does is turn around, burrow into his chest with a sleepy, yet content, sigh. 

The action makes his heart beat even faster, the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Ethan smiles softly, kissing her head and wrapping her in his arms. Knowing he’ll dream of her, and the future he’s finally ready to have with her.

A/N: Short and sweet. And I will never get off the hill that G stayed with Ethan after the attack. I’ll die on this hill. 

(Tagging separately) 

[vicsdeangelis]

Here are few random little thoughts about Ethan I've been having (and trying to write in depth about but keep getting distracted by a different thought about Ethan lol)

I love your idea of saying 'I love you' to Ethan for the first time when he takes you out to see the stars at night. I can one hundred percent see him proposing to you in that same setting.

Also I'm not really into couples tattoos BUT I think getting one of his labyrinth's tattooed would be cute.

I want bf!Ethan to help me dye the back of my hair when I impulsively dye it pink. And I wanna ask him if he likes the shirt he's wearing and when he answers yes I wanna tell him that he should probably take it off then unless he wants hair dye all over it. And I want him to be like "You just wanna see me strip😏😌" and be like "You're absolutely right and you should probably take off your pants while you're at it. You know, better to be safe than sorry😇" and so now he's helping you dye the back sections of your hair in only his Twerky Christmas underwear or smth skndkdndjs (also gotta add in that he would have his hair pulled back in a low bun seeing as he wasn't wanting to dye his own hair pink)

Something about that porn channel w/ Ethan.... Had a thought about making this one video where you peg him but he's still the one in control, telling you exactly how to fuck him. "Harder. There you fucking go baby, just like that." "Faster, bambina. Good girl" "Maybe if you fuck me good enough, I'll let you cum tonight." "Are you wet, bambina? I bet if I stuck my hand between your legs right now, you'd be fucking dripping" The perfect time to leave hickeys all over him btw. I can fully imagine him with his hand around your throat just in case you ever feel too powerful.

— 🪐

so much happening here oh my god. okay let's go!!!!

omg that proposal would be so emotional. he would be choosing his words so carefully to make you really understand how deeply he loves you and he brings up the fact that that's the place you told him you loved him for the first time, while he was ranting about something he is so passionate about, and that was probably the moment he realized he wanted to be with you forever. you're both crying by the time he finishes, so he doesn't even get the question out, but you know and you're nodding and crying and shaking and when he slips the engagement ring on your finger you practically tackle him and you both end up on the ground, laughing and crying and the same time.

i kid you not, I KID YOU NOT, i have been thinking about the concept of getting one of his mazes tattooed. imagine getting the one he drew/showed you on your first date! like that beautiful man took you to his place and you were expecting some sexy times (i mean, it definitely happened too), but he's like "wanna see something cool" and draws one right then and there and you realize he is actually so lame and it makes you feel so much more comfortable because you were a nerve wreck just thinking about trying to impress him. you're genuinely impressed by his drawing but the whole thing is a bit ridiculous so you can't stop smiling when you kiss him. it ends up being the most fun sex you've ever had until that point

as someone who just retouched her hair, i feel personally attacked by this one. the casual flirting, god!!!!! and he would end up with pink dye on his chest and you're both laughing and it's one of those moments you want to remember forever. the cheeky bastard also says that since he got dirty he should probably shower with you. he helps you rinse the dye more than anything, but he does sneak some neck kisses here and there. he doesn't even mind if his face ends up like half pink because of it, kissing you anywhere is always worth anything

PEGGING ETHAN RIGHTS! i'm so into the idea of him still being totally in control while getting fucked jesus christ. imagine him riding your strap. i mean, we all saw that gif of him bouncing on his seat, is all i'm saying 👀 and his dirty talk would be out of this fucking world!!!!

[nancydfan]

Kinda continuing after that one ask about Ethan calcifying after he kills Miranda, I thought similarly because when Chris and his team are starting to destroy the mold you see her eyes start to drip black goo and I think she says something about her powers fading or something.

And this is why I assumed Ethan’s body was failing, because he’s been fine this whole time but as soon as the mold gets attacked he begins to fall apart, especially after his battle since the mold itself is being attacked it’s having a hard time keeping up with the repairs in Ethan’s body.

However if the mold is the source of every infected person’s power, and without it people lose their abilities, how come Rose still has hers? I think there’s 2 explanations for this

1.) (most likely) giant plot hole that Capcom didn’t consider, I mean look they literally said “oh yeah Ethan is dead and actually mold anyway bye bestie” and killed him without any explanation. I mean, they even cut out Mia’s most likely in depth analysis on Ethan’s condition which I would have loved to see?? AHH anyway I think they were so focused on Tragic Ending TM that they didn’t think all the details through

2.) maybe since the mold took so well to Ethan (literally there is no one like him, no one has been infected with this mold and still been able to stay who they truly are), maybe it separated itself in a physical manner from the original source (while still retaining the spiritual/mental properties with the mind connectiveness thing which is why he could still see and hear Eveline), and of course he might have passed this onto Rose, which then the mold took to her even more and gave her abilities and again is separate from the original mold hence why she still has her powers even after the original mold is gone

Honestly idk what the truth is and Capcom has a LOT of explaining to do either in a dlc or in RE9 or I’m calling the police lmao

Hi nonnie! I’ve been thinking about this all afternoon and every time I feel like I’m closer another question pops up. My head hurts 😆

If my memory serves me (If often doesn’t but lol here I go anyway) I thought Miranda’s eyes only start to drip that black ooze once Rose emerges. Which Capcom does zero to explain except indicate that rose may have been taking some of Miranda’s powers. Which ???? CAPCOM???? I assume we’ll get more info in re9 but hey I thought we were going to learn more about Mia in re8 and who’s the clown?

But also if I missed it, I wouldn’t be shocked as I was crying lol

My guess is Capcom is telling us that one can survive without the whole collective. Or whatever you want to call it. Because it’s hardwired into who you are. But also is easier to say because we know nothing about Roses powers except she’s very much powerful. I do think Ethan crumbles because his body is just officially done in this form (but maybe not all forms?) or that he needed more time to heal cause Jack lost his entire upper body. And because like you said they dropped this on us then dipped out five seconds later like GOOD LUCK!!!! we don’t know exactly what Ethans mold form looked like and the extent to his abilities, etc. anyway thanks Capcom. Preciate you

So while I do think Roses abilities are separate from the original site, it wouldn’t surprise me if more exists. Cause who knows. The one nice thing about knowing nothing is Capcom has room to play with it lol

[princeescaluswords]

Lol please. If Scott really wanted to kill himself, he would have done it instead of making a grand show about it and making that gross “we were no one” speech. Boyd and Ethan are the only ones who actually tried to kill themselves in Motel California. Scott only made a self important speech calling his best friend a “no one” and crept on his ex girlfriend in the shower like the obsessed creep that he canonically is. He should have killed himself for slashing Derek’s tendons and making him fall

You know when people say that you might benefit from some distance from this obnoxious hobby of yours, this is what they’re talking about.  

I understand what you’re trying to do behind your shield of anonymity.  You know how much I despise Stiles’s speech in Lies of Omission (5x09) and haven’t concealed the way it infuriates me.  So you’re trying to reflect that emotional argument back at me.  It’s rather jejune, but I understand you have to work with what you’ve got.

But the comparison isn’t accurate, for the context and content of those monologues are not the same.   Let’s look at the text of Scott’s speech in Motel California, the one that you think is gross..

Scott: All of it started that night. The night I was bitten. Remember what it was like before that? You and me? We were nothing. We weren’t popular. We weren’t good at lacrosse. We weren’t important. We were no one. (softly) Maybe I should be no one again. No one at all.

He doesn’t call Stiles ‘no one.’  He says ‘We were no one.’  He’s expressing his longing for those times, when it was just him and Stiles.  It also has a benefit of being true.  They weren’t popular.  Stiles admitted that in Wolf Moon (1x01) when he tells Scott he’s been dragged down to his nerd depths.  We saw that when Lydia Martin didn’t know either of their names.  That’s changed.   They weren’t good at Lacrosse.  Scott was an asthmatic bench rider who had yet to become a werewolf.  Stiles had yet to be the MVP of the State Championship with everyone congratulating him.  That’s changed.  They weren’t important -- Scott and Stiles hadn’t been dragged into the Hale Revenge Bender, hadn’t been dragged into the Hale-Argent War, and hadn’t been dragged into Deucalion’s Hale-focused Recruitment Drive.  (See a recurring theme there?  It’s almost as if the Hales ruined these boys’ lives.  Scott didn’t know about his potential yet when he made this speech.)  

In the end, though, when Scott comes up with an answer, it isn’t ‘we should be no one’, it’s “I should be no one.’   Scott’s solution, while a horrifying one, is about what he sees as his responsibility and what he’s going to do about it.

Let’s compare that to the other speech, the one about which I get so mad.

Stiles:  Yeah, because you’re Scott McCall! You’re the True Alpha!  Guess what? All of us can’t be True Alphas. Some of us have to make mistakes!  Some of us have to get out hands a little bloody sometimes! Some of us are human!

See the difference?   I could go into it in greater depth but I already did that here. Suffice it to say, that speech is everything the first one is not.  Accusatory.  Blame-shifting.  Filled with false statements.   Designed to make Scott responsible for Stiles’s actions and forcing him to do what Stiles wants.

Now, about your accusation that Scott is only pretending to commit suicide.  You know how cruel and deranged that sounds, right? You’re saying that not only did Scott know that Stiles, Allison, and Lydia would find him in the parking lot, soaked in gasoline and holding a lit flare but he times it perfectly so no one else would discover him.  If that was even possible, it would be a level of dramatic and manipulative fuckery that we’ve seen only from Peter Hale.  It would also serve to invalidate most of fandom’s other arguments: Stiles would not be always right, as Stiles is fully convinced Scott tried to commit suicide.  It would require tremendous skill at planning, and parts of fandom believe Scott is stupid.  It would also seem out of character for a self-righteous paragon who judges everyone not to make his fake suicide about how people have failed him.  You’re having a bit of trouble staying consistent here.

But you don’t actually believe that MTV and the production staff of Teen Wolf would have a character do this and get away with it.  You don’t actually believe that Scott wasn’t in danger of committing suicide.  You’ve gone beyond exaggerating.  You’re lying.

You should stick to exaggeration.  It’s what you’re best at.  Such as your observation about Scott and Allison in the shower.  Yes, he did creep on her, but he stopped himself.  He’s a werewolf and while she’s a hunter, she’s naked in the shower with no weapons.  But that’s not what’s Scott is like.  You know how I know?  Because the audience, just like the characters, are supposed to realize something is wrong. He’s not acting like himself.

Lydia:  See? It’s the motel. We either need to get out of here right now... or someone needs to learn how to do an exorcism ASAP before all the werewolves go crazy and kill us.

But I know you don’t like context very much.  It gets in the way of your hate.  And I also realize that you also haven’t watched the show recently.  You  might benefit from doing a rewatch, because then you would realize that Scott didn’t cut Derek’s tendons, you ignoramus, he cut Ennis’s tendons to help Derek while Derek was fighting Ennis, as that picture above shows.

I guess anonymity is good for something after all.

[faedawayyy]

TELL ME YOUR CHARACTER AND WHO THEY WANNA BE FRIENDS WITH, I’LL DM YOU. (i’m only including positive friendships ) 

BRETT

roman - old friend 

flynn - new friend 

haley - ex’s sister and good friend 

NEED: a more outgoing friend there for him after his break up

THEA

ally - partying friend 

NEED: old friend from high school, they go way back (shes like 26) 

NEED: an old friend she got sick of but lowkey feels bad 

NEED: new friend from west ivys she’s closer with ^ bit of tension?

JUDAH

aurora - childhood friend 

NEED: some st judes friends who are artsy and chill

NEED: a fwb friend, preferably a guy 

PETER

addy - high school friend

jay - high school friend 

ethan - high school friend 

peter - high school friend 

nicolai - high school friend 

youi - high school friend 

NEED: new liberty friends LOL talk about peaked in hs

ETHAN

youi - high school and liberty friend 

jay - high school, liberty and cousin 

addy - ex...kind of friends 

nicolai - high school friend 

NEED: friends as douchey as him LOL 99% of the time he’s kidding but people get mad :’) 

AIDEN

luna - new friend and sometimes a coworker

NEED: friends who accidentally befriended him and are kind stuck with him 

NEED: friends who genuinely don’t think he’s too bad

NEED: one or two people who pretend to be his friend bc its funny lmao

ROWAN

aurora - childhood friend

whitney - childhood friend 

NEW: gold coast friends who know him for who he is now rather than how bad he was in hs, i feel like they’d have to be into drinking and partying lmaooo

JAMES

NEED: a few friends using him for his money

NEED: a best friend 

NEED: a friend who was or is in a polyamorous relationship w him

COREY

amy - a friend he knows through madison x tate

NEED: a friend who knew him when he lived w his mum and gets how unfit she was to parent 

NEED: his first friend he made in VS 

HUDSON

honestly cant imagine him not being friends w anyone unless they piss him off

NEED: someone who gets into mischief with him. a lot. and usually ends up spending the night at the police station :’) 

NEED: friends in general who are kinda reckless/outgoing like him 

NEED: an old friend who knew him when marcus was around and is kind of like another older sibling to him

BEN

NEED: a best friend since childhood, they’re always 100% honest with each other 

NEED: famous friends? especially now he’s been linked to lottie, i feel like he’d be more in touch with that side of academy life and feel out of his depth 

NEED: west ivys friends who are more like his chosen family 

MAVERICK

avery - liberty friend 

nicolai - friend met through events

NEED: a friend who is more like a brother/sister and he’s v protective over 

SABRINA

NEED: outgoing, partying friends who like to be out (preferably from burgundy) 

NEED: a long distance bestie? like her number 1 person when they’re all together

JOSIE

lottie - a new friend who makes her feel more included/knows about her financial problems and helps where she can 

NEED: maybe an old friend she drifted from and its awkward

NEED: possibly a friend w a little crush n her 

NEED: friends she fights with a lot bc she never goes out and they dont realise her situation

FLEUR

NEED: atm just like an ultimate bestie. i’m going to be picky though. nobody in dixie’s little circle and not a cousin but they still need the right vibe? we can discuss!

YASMINE

lottie - best friend 

salem - best friend 

violet - best friend 

adriana - a new friend 

jean - ex boyfriend and kind of friends 

NEED: maybe an old friend from high school, kind of a little jealous or left out bc she’s moved on? i dont think yasmine would realise how much she hates them

[the-astro-ace]

Alrighty, for @spiritofcamelot who asked for snippets from my giant list of WIPs lmao

SO HERE WE GO

9 - Dragonlord Gwaine

So, uh, funny story

The first chapter of this one is up on AO3 X’D

Basic premise: Gwaine is a Dragonlord, but he doesn’t know it until he happens to run across Balinor in a tavern one day

Ummm, yyyyyyyyyyyyyyeah.  I’m stuck on this one X’D.  I had Plans, but then the further I got in the Plans, the less I liked the Plans, and now I don’t know what to do this one laskdjfklasdf

I would love to give a snippet from Chapter 2, but as it stands right now I have no idea how much of my current WIP of chapter 2 is actually going to make it in/get released

So

Yeah

I hope to finish this one, but I have no idea how soon that’ll be ;-;

~~~

19 - Spymaster Merlin

Basically: Arthur realizes Merlin knows what he’s talking about when it comes to enemies, and decides to make it official by appointing Merlin as spymaster

Merlin then turned back to Arthur.

Arthur was watching him, his brow furled in thought.

Merlin glanced behind himself - was that where Arthur was looking? - but when it revealed nothing, he turned back, utterly confused.  “Arthur?  Is something wrong?”

Arthur stared at him for a moment longer, before sighing and leaning back in his chair.  He gestured to the empty one across the desk from him.   “Have a seat, Merlin.”

Merlin was taken aback.  He gestured to the clothes that still needed putting away.  “But I -”

“Now, if you please.”

Merlin blinked, but he nodded and set out the half-folded shirt on Arthur’s bed, before making his way to the desk and taking a seat.

Arthur was silent for several moments, staring at Merlin with that expression of consideration.

Merlin’s stomach began to twist.  Did… did Arthur find out somehow?

Merlin shifted.  “Arthur?”

Finally, Arthur spoke, “Merlin… you knew about Valiant.  You tried to warn me of him before he attacked.  You were investigating the men who impersonated Sirs Ethan and Oswald long before anyone was suspicious of their true identities.  You knew Lady Catrina was a troll before anyone else -”

Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “Arthur -”

Arthur held up a hand, and Merlin shut his mouth with an audible click. 

Arthur paused, then he let out a breath.  “What I’m trying to say is that… you have good instincts, good reflexes, and time and time again you have proven your loyalty to me and to Camelot.  You have a way of figuring things out before anyone does, and you are able to make connections with people that I am incapable of.  You take things into your own hands, and if there’s a threat, you’re one of the first people who know about it.”

Arthur clasped his hands on the table, and met Merlin’s eyes with an intensity Merlin wasn’t sure he liked.

“I have a proposition for you, Merlin.”

~~~

37 - Gwaine Emrys

I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED ABOUT THIS ONE BECAUSE I LOVE THE PREMISE SO MUCH

This is another attempt of mine for a comedic fic, and, here, I’ll just paste the first bit and hope it is self-explanatory 😆

There were a lot of things that led to the situation Gwaine was in now.

First and foremost, he supposed, was that several years before, he had jumped into a fight in a tavern to help save a handsome, raven-haired young man and his companion from surely being killed.

That, of course, led to him waking up in an unfamiliar castle and an unfamiliar bed. And that led to many more moments with the raven-haired young man in question, bringing Gwaine to a life that he never thought he could have had, but would never give up for the rest of the world.

Now, several years after that initial day in the tavern, Gwaine’s life was looking very different.

Very different indeed.

For starters, he was now a knight for that raven-haired young man’s companion.  One noble, albeit very prattish at times, King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot.

And that raven-haired young man in question, one quite handsome Merlin Emrys, was Gwaine’s husband.

His name wasn’t Merlin Emrys when they met, no, for Merlin had had no surname to speak of then.  

But when magic had been finally, finally returned to Camelot and Merlin had been given the role of Court Sorcerer, Arthur had asked Merlin to pick one.  To appear more regal in the eyes of the council and of the neighboring kingdoms, he explained.

Merlin could have chosen the last name of his father – and that of the Dragonlord Clan Ambrosius – but as people knew him by his other name, Emrys, already, Merlin went for convenience and simply opted to make his second name his surname.

And when, about a year later, he proposed to Gwaine and asked for them to be married, Gwaine was faced with a decision himself.

He had never told Arthur – or anyone other than Merlin, really – his true surname, wishing to keep that part of his past buried and forgotten.

He was Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot and nothing more.

But when it came time to sign the marriage papers, Gwaine found himself adding on a new part to his name – one that made him completely and utterly Merlin’s.

Gwaine Emrys.  Not too shabby sounding if you asked him.

However, thinking back to that moment when Gwaine chose his new name, he never could have predicted what would transpire because of that choice. Most everyone in Camelot knew Merlin, and most knew Gwaine was his husband and a knight.  A mundane, magic-less knight.

But, there were still people who did not know Merlin on sight, especially in the outer villages.

In hindsight, Gwaine supposed they should have realized mix-ups like this would occur.

“Everyone! He’s here!  The great and powerful Emrys!”

The faces of the villagers lit up, and they all turned to Gwaine with broad smiles – cheering and clapping with the belief that the great sorcerer was among them, and all their problems would soon be solved.

Oh dear.  

This would take some explaining to do.

~~~

65 - Selkie Gwaine

I remembered this one having more - whoops

Okay so this file has a grand WHOPPING total of 43 words, so I shall just use a description I already wrote lol

OKAY SO I'm uh, not sure how this is going to start

But I think the basic set up to start will be that Merlin+Gwaine+the others are all living in a seaside village.  Merlin and Gwaine are good friends, and often hang out

Somehow I'll establish that Gwaine never talks about his past - he's referenced a couple things, but he never goes in depth, and Merlin's never heard him mention going to visit his family.  His dad's dead, but other than that Merlin doesn't know what happened to them (So actually not too different than canon alksdjfasd)

I think just...one night a storm's coming in.  And Gwaine's just...sad.  Maybe it's an anniversary, or maybe it's his mother's birthday, but point is Gwaine's just being all melancholic That night the storm comes in, and as Merlin's on the beach doing, uh, Something, he spots a figure sitting in the shallow waves

And Merlin, upon closer look, finds it's Gwaine

Merlin is of course ASLKDJFLKAJSDFLKJASDF "GWAINE WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

Gwaine doesn't move (I'm trying to decide if he's inebriated at this point too but idk), and Merlin approaches him, to get him out of the water before he drowns, gets struck by lightning, or gets hypothermia, ya know? And I just have this idea of Gwaine, when Merlin gets close, is all "Can't you hear it singing?"

Merlin's all ???

Gwaine: "The ocean.  Can't you hear it?"

But point is Merlin grabs his arm and is all "Come on we need to go" and at that Gwaine gets up and follows

So Merlin gets Gwaine back to his house - Gwaine just seems out of it this whole time so he's probably inebriated oof - before Merlin gets him out of his wet clothes, gets a fire going And of course he's a bit 😳 at the idea of cuddling for warmth with Gwaine (because this is me lol) but point is he's certain Gwaine's going to get hypothermia if he doesn't

So they get all comfy and go to sleep aslkdjfjlaksfjklasdf

The next morning they wake up and Merlin's just "Do you want to tell me what that was all about??"

And Gwaine just sighs

"I'm not human, Merlin

"I'm a selkie"

~~~

77 - BODY SWAP

Merwaine Body Swap AU.  Pretty self explanatory I think

Merlin looked into the mirror.

He expected to find two Merlin’s staring back at him: himself, and the figure with his face next to him.  But instead, he found one Merlin standing to his right side -

And Gwaine, taking the place where he should have been.

“W-what?” Merlin breathed, before reaching a hand up to his face.

The Gwaine in the mirror did the same.

Merlin’s breathing grew ragged, and he ran his hand over his face - feeling his cheeks, his nose, the scruff covering his jaw.  While there had been mornings he’d desperately needed to shave before, there had never been anything like this.

The most damning thing, however, was when he moved his hands to the sides, and found long hair there - brown and curled, and definitely far longer than Merlin had ever let it grow.

And it finally began to sink in what all this meant.

If - if he was in Gwaine’s body, and the figure with Merlin’s face thought Merlin had stolen his -

Merlin turned to the person next to him.   

The figure with Merlin’s face was doing the same thing Merlin had been, running his hands over his face with a shocked expression, as if unable to believe what he saw in the mirror.

Then he slowly turned to look at Merlin, that shocked expression still there.

“Merlin?” the figure asked.

“Gwaine?” Merlin responded, stomach sinking at this confirmation of who it was that was truly standing next to him.

They stared at each other for a moment longer.

Then they screamed.

[joonietonin]

Ethan Ramsey- Sugar & Ice (Analysis #2)

Hi! I’m back with another in-depth analysis about Chapter 5 and well, I am very very late! Sorry, it took me so long to write this up, I had been sick these past few days. Anyway, something that I am always in awe of, is how well-written a character, Ethan Ramsey is? I do not think there is another character/LI who has even come close to the amount of depth and progression that Ethan has had over the last few chapters and of course, throughout Book 1. So here I am analyzing Ethan all over again because, damn, this man has had the best character development in the Choices universe. Hold on tight because this is gonna be a longgggggg ride. (Literally, it's the longest post I have ever written so far!)

Note: This is an analysis based on my thoughts and interpretation of a character owned by Pixelberry Studios. My MC is female, pronouns: she/her. I will be writing this post from her perspective. If your MC is male or non-binary, I request you to change the pronouns accordingly. I will be working towards bettering my writing skills using they/them pronouns. English is not my primary language, kindly pardon my mistakes.

Taglist: @choicesyouplayandmore @freeasafishinthesea @openheart12 @junehiratas @lion-ess24 @junggoku @silverlitskies @paulfwesley @mrsdr-ethan-ramsey @reaverisabitch @binny1985 @binny1985 @desmaranj @lilyvalentine @soft-for-drake @mangoruby @mrsmatsuo

Let's start off how interesting it is that the first time I wrote about this man, it took me 13 chapters to really assess his depth and development and now in Book 2, it barely took 2 Chapters to provide a in-depth analysis. Yes, character development is key but the time span within which one grows is equally important.

• Ethan, then and now: Ethan, with his hardass, no bullshit and stoic persona is a man with strong opinions. And rightfully so, a person who is around 8-9 years your senior is bound to have more experience- be it in their professional field or their general life experiences. Ethan has always had this strong set of beliefs that were impossible to change, unless you were MC of course. Before Ethan even knew what was happening, MC had already started to infiltrate his steel walls going right towards his heart. MC may be a dumbass but she’s not illogical. I believe that her straightforwardness has always been the reason for Ethan to be drawn towards her. Throughout his whole career, he has only seen these insipid, incompetent people sucking up to him expecting that they would step up in their career. Then came MC, who was never afraid to go against the rules if it meant the well-being of her patients. She proved to him that she was indeed the “someone who could be great, truly” as Ethan had told her in Chapter 5 of Book 1. Ethan supported her at all instances because he had so much of faith in her, even if he did not show it outright.

• MC, a silver lining: For MC, Edenbrook was never entirely about money. So when Ethan tells her about the government deciding to cut down costs of Edenbrook, depending upon your interaction, the last thing MC is worried about is money. Since then she has done everything in her power to prevent that from happening. When that didn’t work, she discovered another path that could potentially save the hospital.

• To be or not to be, morality edition: And even though she anticipated what Ethan would think about the idea, she still took her chances to let Ethan know about this opportunity that could probably put Edenbrook back in the top ranks. And obviously, the hardass Ethan refused. But what’s interesting here is how calmly Ethan reacted. He did not shout, he did not jeer at her. He responded calmly with a simple no. Even when a furious MC charged him for the reason to refute her idea, he simply said that it would ruin the actual purpose of the diagnostics team- which was never meant to cater the rich, rather help those who were truly in need. And even though his intentions were morally correct and heartfelt, MC knew that this wasn’t the time to play with a moral compass.

• Ethan, the "professional": So MC did what she always does: go beyond the rules. She did what Ethan had once told her- “to stand up for what’s right”. So she went behind Ethan’s back and contacted the Instagram celeb Gwyneth Paltrow Monroe and Ethan was obviously furious when he found the whole camera set up in the hospital. And what seems like forever, Ethan regards her as 'Rookie' but this time it is not endearing. MC tries to justify her actions but Ethan, in his classic Dr. Ramsey style, shuts her out and tells her that they had more pressing matters in their hands aka the patient. But, but.. he does not shut her out completely, he says “We’ll talk about this later.” Now if this were the old Ethan Ramsey he wouldn’t have bothered even once to hear anybody’s justification for a matter of fact. But now, Ethan wants to listen to her. He wants to work out their differences. He does not want to leave this matter hanging. He does not want to cut her off due to professional disagreements. Even though Ethan claims that there is nothing but professionalism between them but his actions contradict his words. His actions show that he is truly trying to make things work between them. Ethan might say it's purely professional but I do not believe him one bit (lol).

• Ethan Ramsey is really a softie huh: Even though Ethan is super annoyed at the entire situation, somewhere down the line, he does believe that MC can handle this. He tells her to lead the case. And of course, his snarky remarks are back but this time it's for poor Gwyneth. In an earlier analysis I had stated how Ethan's snarky remarks towards MC had lessened significantly and it still holds true. Instead of berating MC for going behind his back, he handles it with a certain amount of softness. Well, at least when we compare it to how he deals with others in the same situation. So what I really want to say is: Ethan Ramsey is a softie, but only for MC.

• Diligence- 1 Annoyance-0: He is very annoyed and is willing to solve this case as immediately as possible but that does not make him indifferent towards the case. His annoyance does not make him lack diligence. He still gives his 100% towards this case. This shows how diligent Ethan is. No wonder, he's the best diagnostician in the country. He treats all his patients with the same reverence even if some (read: most) get on his nerves. Ethan seems like a cold person with no emotions but the truth is that he cares so much about certain people. The biggest reason Ethan was so annoyed by this high profile case was because the diagnostics team lost a chance to cure a underprivileged patient who needed the help much more than Gwyneth. Despite being a filthy rich person himself, he is not a snob. He has so much concern for the people who cannot afford good healthcare. He cares deeply about the regular people of his community. Yet, that does not make his shy away from his duties towards his current patient.

• Just millennial things: Going back to my previous point, Ethan is really diligent towards his work even if it means doing things he absolutely loathes... like social media. I mean, yes he hasn't seen IT. Yes, he hates texting. Yes, he is technologically impaired. Yes, he does not know how to sign up for Instagram despite being one of the best doctors in the entire world who could cure almost anything. So who does he turn to? MC, obviously. Do we really think he'd ask anybody else in this entire world to help him out with social media. Oh hell no. (Yes, I'm trying to say that MC is special) And cue: the playful banter is back. Something I always relish about Ethan × MC scenes is that their playful banter never stops no matter how tense things are between them. It's some married couple shit right there. From "I'll have you know, I'm only 37. I'm technically a millennial" to "To be clear, we're doing this under one condition. You never speak of it to anyone", let's just say Ethan Ramsey does not share that comfort level with anybody else in this entire world than MC. MC is truly 'the one' for him.

• Ethan and the internet: So here's a two part horror story, the Ethan Ramsey edition- Ethan is terrified of the internet. He does not understand how there are shirtless pictures of him on the internet. Yet, it is really wholesome how we get to know the backstory of most of those pictures. Be it wearing a suit to the A.M.A where he was awarded or when he went shirtless for his first triathlon. It's very very cute that he willingly share these little details about his life. He wants MC to know little things about him. He wants her to be a part of his life even if he claims that there is nothing but professionalism between them (yeah, right) He opened up about how much he loved living in Providence and how he would never have liked any other place for growing up. He revealed his vulnerabilities to MC about how people did not take him seriously and how adults and teachers who undermine him. He trusts MC enough to confide in her and letting her know all these small details which, perhaps, nobody knows except her. Not even Naveen, I presume. Also, please note how a major part of all the information we know about Ethan is because of his Dad. But Ethan willingly sharing details about him to MC? chef's kiss

• Music, Motorcycles and Marriage: Initially Ethan does not understand the point of social media and why so many people would use this "junk". But when MC explains to him how social media helps people connect or how fun it could be for so many people, Ethan does not retort her. He takes and minute to think about her perspective and then accepts with her view. While choosing his interests, we get to know very fond and personal details about Ethan no matter which option we chose.

While talking about Music, Ethan mentions his childhood memories of playing the cello and how his neighbour hated it and broke his cello and also gives a hint towards his mischievous side and the incredible revenge he got on his neighbour.

The Motorcycle was absolutely beautiful. Ethan let's MC know that the first time he took a bike ride was in Brazil (Amazon Rainforest) where he had gone to... well, in layman's terms- get over MC. As eloquent as he is, he describes all the emotions he felt as he rode across his bike along the Amazon River. It's a rare occurrence to see Ethan talk about his feelings therefore it is really wholesome that he would share those intricate details with MC. But the best part of this option had to be when MC demands Ethan to take her on a bike ride in the Amazons some day. Now, for a man who claims that him and MC are "reset" and are "nothing but professionals", it's quite hilarious but very cute that he replied with, "I look forward to it" This statement of his is almost like a foreshadowing of his and MC's future. Even though they're in a tough spot right now, they could always look forward to the future where things might (read: will) change for them.

The option Marriage led to a low-key romantic moment between him and MC. Ethan "love is just neurochemical responses to heightened stress and frequent exposure to each other" Ramsey obviously tells her that he understands marriage as a partnership rather than a meaningful institution. He also states that he does not believe in the concept of soulmates because there is no biological basis to support that. MC simply explains to him that, "It's love, Ethan. It doesn't have to make sense." And Ethan, in his classic 'everything has a scientific explanation' way grins and states, "I'm sorry, no, everything has to make sense." He straight up asks MC the age old question: "How are you supposed to know that you've met the right person?" And almost immediately his smug mouth is shut when MC simply replies with a "I guess, you just feel it. Isn't that biology?" He gazes deeply into her eyes and forgets himself for a moment thinking about how relevant her words are to whatever he feels for her.Deep inside, Ethan knows that he has met the right person, rather THE person.What I'm trying to say is- Yes, Ethan knows that they are soulmates and even though he won’t accept it now but man, he is whipped.

• Ethan's first, last and only: It's adorable that Ethan let's MC make his first post on behalf of him. MC might be the only person in this entire world who has so much hold over Ethan. It is funny because Ethan is MC's boss in the streets but MC in Ethan's boss in the sheets when it comes to personal moments. I think the highlight of the scene was definitely when Ethan follows MC on Instagram. She jokes about it claiming,"Wow, what an honour, I'm humbled." but Ethan deadass let's her know,"You should be. My first, last and only Instagram friend." Again, I think it's a subtle foreshadowing of their future. In real life, technically MC truly one of Ethan's best friends besides being a LI. But I think this statement will hold much more meaning in the future, given the fact that somewhere deep inside Ethan does know that him and MC are soulmates, no matter how much he denies it.

• True feelings and acceptance: We all know Ethan is not the one to back down on his opinions. But often more than not, he really does give a thought about MC's actions and always tries to understand her perspective of it. Yes, it does take him some time to come around but he always comes back to her. When MC tries to justify her actions this second time, Ethan cuts her off- not because he does not want to hear it, but because he has finally understood her point of view.

Another very important detail in this scene, personally my favourite detail, is how this time around he addresses MC by her name. At the start of the chapter he addressed MC as 'Rookie' which symbolised his disappointment over what he feels is a mistake on MC's part. He establishes his seniority over her letting her know that him and MC are not equals. This second time around, he addresses her by name because he has finally come around to understand that MC is really not a 'rookie' anymore. She isn't a resident either. Ethan now saw her as a colleague, someone who was his equal.. his peer.

Ethan rarely accepts his mistakes, because let's be real, this man was practically emotionally inept before MC came around. The whole concept of apology and acceptance is complicated for him. But he is not worried to own up to his mistakes in front of MC. Ethan let's her know that they are bound to disagree over things because they were peers. Knowing her thoughts, even if they contradicted his, helped Ethan see MC in a truer light. When MC worries whether that light is a bad one, he is quick to reassure her that it is a 'complicated' one. This mirrors his feelings about their relationship too, how he can never be entirely professional with her neither could he ever give her the love and warmth he wants to. He tells MC that her perspective does help him to see situations as they really are instead of what he perceives them to be. He ends this declaration of his feelings with, "I want to know you, as you are." My heart goes warm thinking about how much he cares for her and how he'd rather have disagreements with her than force her to be something that she is not. He wants her be just the way she is. He wants to know the real MC, the one who does not shy away from doing what's right rather than doing what's moral and ethical.

• MC x Ethan, the unstoppable force: Lastly, can we all agree that MC and Ethan make a hell of a great team? Even if we put their love life aside, they just absolutely smash it out of the park when it comes to them solving cases together. As they sit together researching about their patient, we see how well coordinated they are. It's almost like, each one knows exactly what the other person is thinking. They are like medical Jedis. Ethan always worries about how if they were to pursue a real relationship, it would be hard for him to push her to do her best.. but the truth is right in front of us. Despite their playful banters, stolen glances, innocent touches and plans about their future, Ethan always pushes MC to evaluate the information and reveal the diagnosis. It would take Ethan 2 minutes to do it himself but as her mentor he constantly helps her get better at providing fast diagnosis. Also, Ethan never ever shies away from giving MC her due credit and appreciation. Getting praise from Ethan Ramsey is very very rare but for MC it's like a usual occurrence, not because they have feelings for each other rather because Ethan truly sees the amount of potential MC has and it reassures him that he was right when he chose MC for Edenbrook knowing that she had the potential to be someone great. While revealing the diagnosis with June and Baz, he proudly let's them know,"MC pieced it together last night. Excellent work." He is honestly like a proud husband showing off how amazing his wife is (lol)

____________________________________________

FINAL THOUGHTS: Sooooo.. let's re-evaluate:

✓ Ethan and MC are very very close on a personal level no matter how much Ethan tries to deny it.

✓ MC is literally Ethan's closest friend. He shares little details about him to her, only her.

✓ Ethan does not shut MC out like he did in Book 1. He tries to understand her and thinks about her point of view.

✓ Ethan and MC have continuous playful banter which makes them look like a whole ass married couple but whatever.

✓ Ethan considers MC to be his equal rather than a subordinate. That is HUGE coming from Mr. Broody Ramsey. He has a lot of respect for MC.

✓ Ethan pushes MC to do her very best despite of them being personal and contradicting their original deal of being professional.

✓ Ethan proudly let's others know about how amazing MC is at what she does.

So, what I am trying to say is: If they are equals, and they work together like two peas in a pod, and the have the cutest most playful relationship, and they respect each other so much, and they are fulfilling every aspect of their mentor/mentee relationship— SO WHEN THE FUCK ARE THEY GONNA REALIZE THAT THEY CAN STILL DO ALL OF THIS WHILE PURSUING A RELATIONSHIP. @ Ethan sweetie, you're one of the smartest men on the planet but you're really so dense when love is involved. I live for the angst but I just want to see my babies being officially domestic and have passionate sex like they did in Chapter 15 (no shit that was THE BEST, read x) yeah that's all, maybe even save the hospital and punch Declan again while they're at it. Ethan and MC are really have the most realistic depiction when it comes to work relationships. Whether Ethan believes it or not— I, for one, am certain that Ethan and MC are truly soulmates and are meant to be. Professionally AND Personally.

Why did I title this as Sugar and Ice?

Because just like ice Ethan is cold,harsh and stoic when it comes to dealing with regular people. But when it comes to people he really cares about and loves (read: MC) he is like sugar- warm, gentle and open.

____________________________________________

Not to be a cheesy romantic, I'm still a cynic but Ethan is an exception. Andddddd we're done. If you have reached up till here then wow, I cannot believe that you would actually take the time to read my thoughts about a character. You don't know how much that means to me. It makes me feel like I am creating some worthwhile. Thank you for all the constant love and support y'all have given me. I am truly so grateful to each one of you.❤️

Also, yes I know Chapter 6 is out and this is an analysis of Chapter 5 but believe me, I you've read this you'll figure out that nothing that happened in today's chapter contradicts my thoughts about Ethan in the previous chapter. I will start working on an analysis for Chapter 6 tonight itself. Just need some time to process all of it. Thank you for always being so patient. I appreciate it so much.❤️

This was a very long post and believe me I tried to cut it short as much as possible. Let's just say I really cannot write short pieces lmao. So yes, thank you for taking out your valuable time to read this. Sending my gratitude and love.❤️

[If you want to be added to my taglist, just let me know as I will be writing some more stuff in the days to come. All my works are sorted in my MASTERLIST. The link is in my bio.]

[bigskydreaming]

So, for Lightning Crashes, can I ask why you went with the choices you went with? Why Ethan & Aiden? (I was under the impression you didn't like them) Why the whole thing with Kali? What happened in Beacon Hills to get everyone together without Scott by the time the story starts. Why the Chimeras as Scott's primary pack? I just reread all five chapters and I'm insanely curious as to what your thought process was because its insanely addiciting.

LOL I’ll have to tackle this in parts so as it not to get too long, but shorter answers first:

1) Why Ethan and Aiden - this one’s pretty simple actually, as its due to what I often say about rarely disliking CHARACTERS so much as just specific ways characters are written. There’s almost no character I can think of offhand that’s just literally someone I can’t think of ways to write them that I’d find likable, interesting or compelling....pretty much all of my frustrations with characters stem only from them so often being written contrary to that, or even more often than not, like....my frustration or dislike of them is just carry-over from being so fed up with other people justifying, glorifying or clinging to the very things I despise about how they’re written.

*Shrugs* The funny-not-really-funny-so-much-as-just-obnoxious thing about Ethan and Aiden is they always had the ingredients to be potentially interesting and even sympathetic characters. Literally the only thing the show had to do differently in order to make me like them instead of dislike them is....not make them complicit in Boyd’s death, let alone then have that complicity largely dismissed or ignored afterwards.

And since I, like an intellectual, simply choose not to have fanfic ideas where Boyd is dead (with the literal exception being Carnival of Souls, since that one is basically entirely about the various character deaths Scott himself felt a degree of guilt towards as of the time he died in S5, with the point being ‘hey what if these characters got to flat out say, oh no, its totally fucked that we’re dead and there are people who absolutely should feel guilty about that but you are pretty much the only one who SHOULDN’T, so make like you’re Lazarus, get up and go give everyone else hell about this instead of settling for staying in a hell of your own making cuz you think you deserve it)’......

Like, that’s really all it takes. I write a version of the show where Boyd is alive and the twins didn’t do a damn thing to him or the others around for 3A, and I have no problem writing a version of those characters that I like instead. Its basically like making every fic a fix-it fic where one of the fixes being tackled is “how do you keep certain characters from being disliked or hated for antiblackness,” and the plot twist is “don’t write them being antiblack.”

Course, I still have trouble coming up with premises or angles from which to write them in any canon-based story that DOES take 3A into account, because like, it doesn’t matter HOW I write them at that point, the characters I’m writing still contain in their core premise of ‘this is who the character is as of the start of this story’ the fact that they were already complicit in Boyd’s death, and thus there’s no getting around the fact that like, any kind of positive approach to their characterizations at that point in MY mind still carries at least some degree of like....me ‘forgiving’ them for their part in Boyd’s death or deciding that ‘they’ve suffered/tried to make up for it enough’ by that point, and like...that’s just not something I’m remotely interested in writing, because frankly, I don’t think its my place to decide that or that my take on what that looks like matters worth a damn.

But AU Ethan and Aiden who never even met Boyd until Chapter 4 of my own story....they’re more or less just Ethan and Aiden shaped characters with similar dialogue patterns, as far as I view them while writing. 

(Also, it literally was in large part just a logistical thing as well. Like I actually started writing LC back in S4, and part of the whole premise was I wanted Scott to have his own other pack formed from actual characters who I could pull from elsewhere without taking away from the pack that might conceivably have formed in his absence. I made up Diego because having a Calaveras present is literally a plot point to address problems I had with S4 and its (lack of) aftermath, but I wanted everyone else to at least come from the actual show, and there were only so many characters that were actual options at that point. So its more like logistics is WHY I used Ethan and Aiden, but the above reasoning is why I was able to despite my dislike of them on the show, and without the latter - I think at least - influencing how I wrote these particular versions of them.

The thing about the chimera members of Scott’s pack is I actually went back and REWROTE everything as of Chapter 2 and edited the new versions in to replace what I’d had, in order to include them, because like.....you know me and my fixation on smaller/less utilized characters and their untapped potential. I liked all the chimeras from day one because there was so much that could be done with them and once it was apparent the show really wasn’t going to do much with them period, I decided well instead of writing a whole separate fic in order to explore their characters more, I could just integrate them into Lightning Crashes and tackle a whole bunch of werebirds with one stone, y’know? And then I decided ‘oh no, but I love them’ and I realized too late that adding eight additional characters to a story like LC would almost inevitably add another 100K of plot and sideplots, because what is brainpower even, other than a myth or a Tall Tale, y’know?)

The whole thing with Kali is just a mix of plot and personal issues and projection-upon-the-main-character, and its not the first time I’ve written that particular premise nor is it the last. I’ve done it with Dick Grayson fanfic as well of course. Its kinda just a thing with me. That trope I often come back to for non-trope reasons. There’s a lot of complicated reasons for that, some that are of course pretty obvious but others that are less so, and its a bit much to get into in depth. By which I mean, of course I will, I have no filter and that’s been too well and too long established to bother with one now plus the thing about being so casual about when I’m writing my own issues into fanfic means its not like people aren’t going to draw their own conclusions anyway even if I don’t elaborate so there’s not really any real point not to, lolol. Other than time spent doing so, which means I’ll do that later. 

Since now, answering the part about how things worked out differently back in Beacon Hills to lead to the Hale pack forming the way it did while the LC McCall pack formed elsewhere, has inevitably lead to me pulling out the LC file and actually working on it, with the DG story in question as well being open in another window now, because hot tip, the real most effective way to get me to update or add more to literally any story ever is just to get me talking about it. Since it re-energizes me about whatever I was thinking about or wanting to write about that led me to start it in the first place, and also since I’m a perfectionist who ultimately turns to story-telling because I think whichever way I go about writing one IS the best way for me personally to say whatever it is I want to say with one, this inevitably gets me going hang on, there’s a better way to describe what I’m talking about here and its like, via writing the actual story, so hold my beer, gotta go do it right or what’s even the point of answering lololol. Ohhhhh, meeeeee. I’m so deep and inscrutable, honestly what the fuck.

[captainpikeachu]

SHORT TREKS TRAILER ANALYSIS!!!

hello fellow earthlings and aliens! i have returned from the depth to provide you with my frame by frame analysis of the Short Treks trailer because...well, what the hell was i suppose to do :D

so here it is!!!!!!

so we have Spock arriving on Enterprise, I assume this is his first time arrival

i think that’s the transporter pad

many close ups of Spock’s eyes, but hey, Ethan has beautiful eyes so i can’t complain ;)

Number One is greeting Spock as he arrives, so I assume that this is from the same Short Trek where they are stuck in the turbolift together

Now, Spock is clearly very excited as he practically shouts out, “Sir, Ensign Spock reporting for duty!”

Pretty sure this is a nod to Spock in The Cage where he was more animated, especially that whole “THE WOMEN!!” moment LOL

Number One wisely tells him, “No need to shout, Ensign Spock.”

LOOK AT THIS BOY

LOOK AT HOW HAPPY HE IS

HOW PLEASED HE IS

I WOULD DIE FOR BABY SPOCK

Then we go to a Pike voiceover that says “The Enterprise picked up a distress call from the USS Bowman.”

That voiceover plays through the next few images...

This Vulcan male is looking at something, and I’m pretty sure it’s the two girls in the next shot

We see two young girls in red, I’m not sure where they are, but they’re in the same room as the Vulcan guy, and we have the girls holding hands

I’m not sure if they are imprisoned? Or maybe this is a medical facility? I can suspect that they may be the center of either two of the named Short Treks, but I’ll save that speculation for the end

And here we go...our Captain Pike has somehow found himself in deep shit again, and you wonder why I don’t want him to go outside

My guess is he is on the USS Bowman maybe? Since he was heading there because they got the distress call?

Pike says, “I need you to let me out of here.”

Oh look, he’s blindfolded too, the good ole head in a bag tactic, SERIOUSLY?????

I’m not sure who this woman is, she could be a crew member from the USS Bowman or maybe this could be on the Enterprise? But she says, “You’re a prisoner, your orders carry no weight anymore.”

So my guess at this moment is either Pike went on the Bowman and either that ship is infected by some pathogen that made people turn on each other or some kind of mutiny happened on that ship? Or they’re on the Enterprise and whatever pathogen that might have affected the Bowman crew is affecting the Enterprise crew as well? Or Pike maybe is taken over by some alien entity? Honestly at this point I wouldn’t put it past him to get mind controlled by an alien entity, this man is the worst danger magnet >.<

Well, whatever is happening, Pike is not looking too pleased as he states, “When this is all done, you’ll never see the inside of a starship again.” before walking away from this person who looks to be wearing a red uniform?

Oh and did I mention he’s handcuffed? THIS MAN NEEDS TO STOP

This is clearly what happens when Number One and Spock are not around to stop him from getting into stupid shit

Meanwhile, One and Spock are clearly having some elevator fun :D

They’re still clearly trying to figure each other out

Number One says, “People don’t talk in elevators.”

Spock replies, “I have observed that, sir.”

Then they both say “Fascinating” at the same time

Is this immediate best friends energy I see?

Moment interrupted by rude turbolift that breaks down

Spock is playing a million questions, starting with “Which version of the OS are the ship’s computers running?”

Spock continues, “Do the food synthesizers use the Gupta or Katsman glucose matrix?”

Meanwhile One is already looking so done.

But that does nothing to stop Spock at all as he continues asking, “Have you ever considered that the Prime Directive is not only not ethical but also illogical?”

One just looks like she either wants to commit murder or just wants to die already...

And look at this boy’s face, he knows exactly what he is doing, he KNOWS this is annoying yet he pauses and considers his next move for a brief moment, and what does he do next? HMMMMM?

Spock: “Do you like eggplant?”

KILL HIM ONE, KILL HIM, THIS LITTLE SHIT

LOOK MY PRECIOUS TRIBBLE CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED!!!

Will you look at that! H. Jon Benjamin, the voice of Sterling Archer, is here as a science officer!!!!!!!!! And he says, “People call them Tribbles.”

And here is Rose Salazar, who recently was Alita in Alita: Battle Angel!!! She looks to be playing a Captain? Judging from the stripes on her sleeves, she looks like a Captain. I think this is on the Enterprise, or at least the room looks like it’s on the Enterprise with those monitors on the table. So maybe she is a visiting Captain? Anyways, her character says, “Pretty darn cute!”

Then one of the science officers goes, “Awwww!”

Now this character here, she is a Trill judging by the markings on her face, and she is informing H. Jon Benjamin’s character (who looks to be in off duty attire?) that “There’s been a lab breach.”

We see multiple characters, including Rose Salazar’s character, looking at, holding, or picking up tribbles.

Then H. Jon Benjamin’s character ecstatically shouting, “I made one of the most important discoveries of our time!” (I actually think there is a certain meaning to this comment which I will discuss it later)

More tribbles!

Uh oh Rose Salazar’s character doesn’t seem happy, my guess more tribbles coming at her?

And here is Christopher Pike coming in with such helpful information, “Don’t show any weakness, or they will eat you alive.” WOW, THANKS CHRISTOPHER! (in case anyone didn’t notice, that was sarcasm.)

Here it looks like someone in a blue uniform has been eaten alive by the tribbles, I will talk more about this in connection to a previous scene mentioned.

This is the list of all the episode titles for the Short Treks, and here is what I can surmise from what we have seen so far:

“Q&A” is the Number One and Spock short, where they are stuck together in the turbolift.

“The Trouble With Edward” is looking to possibly be the one with Tribbles, since we’ve had a Trek episode titled “The Trouble With Tribbles” and many of the scenes we see in this short with the Tribbles seems to call back to that TOS episode. This looks to be happening on the Enterprise when Rose Salazar’s character is visiting.

“The Girl Who Made The Stars” could be one of the animated Short Treks? Likely about the girl that Michael mentions at the beginning of Season 2 Episode 1 about the story she heard about the girl who dug her hand in the wood ash and threw it into the sky to create the Milky Way, as Michael referred to that girl specifically in her retelling as “The Girl Who Made The Stars” so this could be like one of those animated backstories much like Game of Thrones did with their Histories and Lore features.

“Children of Mars” could be the one about the two girls with the Vulcan guy that we saw earlier since the title suggests it is about children. This could also be the backstory teaser to Star Trek Picard?

“Ask Not” and “Ephaim and Dot” I’m not too sure, but one of them is an animated Short Treks episode and the other is the one where Pike is answering the distress call from the USS Bowman, and whichever is the animated one could also be the Short Treks episode that they said to be a backstory teaser to Star Trek Picard?

Then we see Pike is sending someone off, likely Rose Salazar’s Captain character, with a “Good luck out there, Captain.”

And we end with a little girl preparing to eat a tribble and going “Hmmmm! So furry! It tickles!”

Now remember I mentioned some scenes earlier that I would talk about later? Well, it is all linked to this scene here. This little girl is wearing a blue science uniform. She is someone of Asian descent. The woman from earlier we saw being “eaten” by the tribbles was also an Asian woman in a blue science uniform. I believe this little girl and the woman being “eaten” by the tribbles are the same person. I believe somehow the tribbles “eating” her turned her into a child, which links to H. Jon Benjamin’s character exclaiming earlier that he’s made one of the most important discoveries of our time. I think he is referring to the fact that he’s discovered that tribbles can somehow make people young again. This whole tribbles thing is either a hallucinating dream of a scientist played by H. Jon Benjamin, or he’s been experimenting on tribbles and somehow this happened.

So here we are! We got 6 Short Treks coming, two of them will be animated, and one of them will be some sort of backstory set up for Picard! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

And really great to see H. Jon Benjamin and Rose Salazar joining the Trek family!!!!!!!