#- really get many benefits doesn’t mean it was wrong for her to take him in the first place. that’s the resource she had easy access to.

[fowlblue]

Potentially controversial AF thought but… where did the idea that Angeline is one of those ‘crystal moms’ come from?

Like… she lives in a world where she has regular (if usually indirect) contact with actual magic and more likely than not would not want that stuff anywhere near her home, given how little control she has over the actual magical creatures and procedures her family often goes through.

Also… didn’t she later go and pursue higher education specifically in regards to mental health (I think)? So she could better help herself and others?

[chasingwhitebunnies]

I feel a bit silly writing this because I’m sure other people must have but I’ve not seen anything about it

(SPOILERS - I’ll also tag)

I really love how we see Coriolanus’s character descent into who he becomes through each of his kills

His first kill is Bobbin. It was self-defence, kill-or-be-killed. If he hadn’t done it, he probably would have been killed himself, but this sticks with him. Coriolanus is horrified when he realises he took someone’s life. He thinks about it for a long time.

His next kill is Mayfair Lipp, the mayor’s daughter. It’s not self-defence, but he sees it that way. In a way, he’s got a point. She would have reported him, and he would have been hanged. So would Lucy Gray, so he shot her. This time, however, he had a choice. Maybe not much choice, but it was there. He chose to shoot her, but it doesn’t affect him anywhere near as much as Bobbin’s death

The third is the hardest. He doesn’t pull the trigger or tie the noose, but he might as well have. He betrays Sejanus. Sejanus who loves him like a brother. Sejanus who he has known since they were children. He made the decision in a moment and he questions himself afterwards, but he still made that choice. He reasons to himself internally that it was necessary and Sejanus was bound to get himself in trouble, anyway, right? Right? So it’s okay. But it’s not okay. The blood is on his hands and he keeps thinking of the moments they spent together before the betrayal. He benefits from his death and is rewarded for his loyalty. How ironic

Next is Lucy Gray. Possibly. For argument’s sake, let’s say he did kill her. He calls out for her, his gun slung over his shoulder. He realises how she might be scared, the gun sending the wrong message… but he doesn’t put it back. He brings it with him, not to use it, he tells himself. He would never use it, definitely not. He just… wants to talk some sense into her. As soon as the snake bites him, he abandons all pretence. Even though he admitted moments ago he understood why she would be scared, now she’s the enemy. Now she has to pay. How dare she. Not even an hour ago, he had plans to run away with her. He claimed he loved her. They were going to be together. Now, he’s chasing her through the trees with a gun in his hands and he’s screaming for her to show herself. He shoots a lot. When he thinks he finally got her, he’s pleased. It was her own fault, he tells himself, for the snake trick. Even afterwards, when he finds out that the snake wasn’t venomous - which Lucy Gray definitely would have known and therefore was only intended to slow him down - he doesn’t have a single moment of regret. The only thing he regrets is falling for her in the first place and he swears he’ll never do it again. His heart is stone. Frozen like snow.

Finally, his last kill (before the ones that take place once this book ends) is Dean Highbottom. This is the first kill that is not made in a split-second. This is premeditated. He carefully adds just enough rat poison to the morphling, sure to wear gloves, and sets his plan in motion. He has every opportunity to change his mind, to not resort to violent means. Not only does he not regret it, he feels proud. Excited, even. He hopes Dean Highbottom will know it was him that killed him

By the epilogue, Snow has gotten over (or buried deep enough) what guilt he had over Sejanus enough to use the Plinths’ grief to his advantage without any conflicting feelings. He’s convinced himself Lucy Gray was the villain who played him, when she was just a sixteen-year-old girl who was forced into a terrible situation. As we know, he goes on to directly and indirectly kill thousands between TBOSAS and THG, too many. I doubt he remembers most of them, just nameless, faceless children. He doesn’t care anymore, not like he did the first time

The whole world is his Arena. Snow lands on top until it melts

[grey342]

Bathroom

Phil Wenneck x reader

synopsis - Reader has been avoiding Phil so he pulls her aside at a party to talk..

warnings - MDNI 18+ content, semi-public sex, Phil being kinda dominant, fingering, use of names (slut), edging (kinda) and unprotected sex.

authors note - *insert 'Bathroom' by Montell Fish* This was the winner from the poll, I really hope you guys like it. Thank you for being so patient, you have no idea how much it means to me! I'm going to attempt to get one fic out per week but no promises. So sorry for the wait but I hope you love it <3

please do not steal my work - belongs to @grey342

He's been eyeing you up all night.

You’re celebrating Stu's promotion. He’s been waiting five months for this and you’re so happy that he finally got it.

You and the guys decided to do a surprise party for him with his friends, co-workers and family. You’ve been trying to distract yourself all night and keep your distance from him but, the tension hanging in the air doesn’t go unnoticed.

A couple of months ago you and Phil made a mistake. An amazing one but still, a mistake.

The group went out for their weekly hangout this time, in a bar. You had just broke up with your fifth boyfriend of the year and to say you were feeling depressed was an understatement. Phil was recently divorced and couldn’t be fucking happier. And what better way to celebrate than getting shitfaced with his best friends.

You were wearing a short green dress that showed off your cleavage and it was taking everything in Phil to not tear it off you right there and then. He was wearing his classic black button-up shirt, not done up all the way, and a pair of slacks with a bulging print in them. You had to keep your legs tightly pressed together whenever you looked at him. At one point you swore you drooled a little.

Neither of you would ever admit the sexual tension that hid in the cracks of your friendship. But it was there and it had been since high school. Moving on, a few too many drinks were had and the next morning you woke up not in your bed and not alone. Flashbacks of the night before ran rampant through your mind, you didn't want to face it so you got up and left.

You didn't speak for a couple weeks after that incident. Eventually, it came up when you had a moment alone at Doug and Tracy's:

You wait until you're one hundred percent sure everyone else is out of earshot.

"We need to talk." You say direct.

"Yeah, we do," he inhales, "i'm gonna be straight with ya' that was the best sex i've ever had." You open your mouth and close it, like a goldfish. Out of the list of things you had expected him to say, that didn't even make top 50.

"I-uh, come again?"

"No I haven't since then unfortunately." He smirks.

"Phil," You sigh disappointedly.

"C'mon, you're telling me that wasn't the best sex of your life? Hm?" He stares into your eyes. You would never admit it to him, but it really was the best night of your life. You remember the way he used his hands and mouth. How he made you scream with only two fingers. You were awakened from your daydreaming by his chuckling.

"That's what I thought."

"Phil I have no idea-"

"Yeah sure you don't now listen, I had a good time, you had a good time. Both of us just got out of a relationship so we're not looking for anything too serious. So I propose a friends with benefits agreement."

"What?" You say, almost too loudly.

"Lower your voice, I mean I don't see the big deal. All it would be is meaningless sex, anytime we want. NO strings attached. And we could break it off at any point. What do you say?" He puts out his hand.

"Really? We're gonna shake on it?," his expression doesn't falter, "fine. But we have to agree to not catch feelings and if we do we must break off the agreement immediatley."

"Sweetheart, don't take this the wrong way but that's not gonna happen." He nodded towards his hand and you shook it, not realising what the hell you just got yourself into.

Back to the present moment, you were talking with some of Stu's work colleagues when you felt a presence behind you:

"Sorry guys do you mind if I steal her for one second?" A voice you would recognise in a crowd of screaming people says. All the men nodded as you felt a strong hand grip your arm and drag you away.

He pulled you into the bathroom, shoved you against the door and locked it. You try to avoid his gaze but he grabs your chin forcing you to look at him.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He grunts.

"Avoiding you? I'm not avoiding you."

"Don't lie to me." He hardens his grip, squishing your cheeks together. You thighs clamp together.

"I'm not lying to-" Your cut of by your own moan as his hands reach under your dress and rub over your clit through your panties.

"What was that? Hm?" He prompts but your mind is too fogged with the pleasure he's currently giving you.

He moves his other hand from your face down to your breasts and begins fondling them, playing with your nipples through the fabric. Your head is spinning.

"What, you like that?," he scoffs, "of course you do." Your eyes are screwed shut but you know he has a cocky grin on his face.

He stops his actions completley and before you can protest, he pulls down your panties and shoves his two fingers inside you, curling them also. You let out a loud moan, aware that anyone passing by would've heard it.

He must've seen the slight panic on your face because he says: "Don't be shy baby, let them hear how much of a slut you are for me." You moan in response.

You hear his belt being undone as well as his fly, you look down seeing his bulging dick through his pants. You move your hand, pull him out and begin to slowly pump your hand up and down. He moans loudly as you start to kiss his neck. He moves his fingers faster, bringing you to the brink of an orgasm. Your pace quickens as you look up at him he places his mouth on yours, sharing breaths.

"Shit, i'm close." You squeak out. Hearing this he stops his movements. You open your mouth to curse at him when he silences you by thrusting into you, you wrap your legs around his hips and claim his mouth.

The pair of you fight for dominance in a clash of teeth and tongues. He ultimately wins, thrusting up into you at a pace that has you moving up and down the wall. You break away to catch your breath, he bites your bottom lip and pull on it lightly. You let out a whimper and claw at his back.

"You like that? You dirty little slut, this is what you get for avoiding me.." He speaks deeply. You can feel yourself getting close.

"Phil.." You warn, tears forming in your eyes.

"Scream my name baby, let everybody know who's fucking you this good." His hand moves down to rub harsh circles on your clit.

"Oh shit.."

"That's it let it all out, cum for me baby.." He groans, he leans down, kissing and sucking your neck. You moan in unison, he finds your sweet spot and bites down.

"Fuck!" You scream out the pleasure exploding over you, your legs begin to shake.

"Oh shit, oh shit!" Phil whimpers, shooting his load inside of you. Once you calm down and your legs stop shaking, he places you on the ground. You look at yourself in the mirror and fix your appearance as an attempt to look presentable. After he pulls his pants up, he grabs your panties and puts them on for you. Raising to your level he says:

"Now your gonna go back to that party with my cum still inside you," he kisses you, "meet me outside at 9. We're not done yet." He gives you one last kiss, a slap on the ass and opens the door for you.

You walk out the door with a huge grin on your face and Phil's cum trickling down down your legs.

[cerise-on-top]

Hi, it's me again.

Valeria, Laswell, Price and Farah.

Thank you very much! I'll wait anxiously, and I'm sorry for getting so excited. <3

Hey! It's alright, but please remember my rules for the future! Also, I've never watched Arcane, I don't know Jinx in the slightest, I only really had your explanation to go off of, so sorry if it's not very good ^^;

Price, Valeria, Farah and Laswell with a Reader like Jinx (Arcane)

Price: He can read people fairly well, so you trying to hide something from him, regardless of what it could be, doesn’t evade him. He won’t force you to tell him whatever it is you’re hiding from him, but he likes to think of himself as a trustworthy person, telling you that you can just say whatever it is you wanna say. Even so, if you end up not telling him anything, then that’s alright as well, he won’t pry. As long as it doesn’t include anything that could change the course of a mission, of an important one, he’ll leave you be, for the most part. However, you liking to blow things up would concern him. Although you may not be the first person he’s met like this, with Soap being another person with an affinity for explosives, he would have his concerns. However, as long as you only hurt the enemy, he’s quite alright with you blowing things up, sometimes. There’s a fine line between an enemy KIA, and unnecessarily destroying your surroundings. Will give you an earful if you burn too many buildings, blow too many of them up. While he may be able to appreciate your abilities with technology, knowing fully well that some ingenuity is needed in that field, he hopes you won’t use your intelligence against him and his men. You’re more than welcome to use your contraptions against enemies, as long as they don’t harm your allies. You may be a very pretty person with your long, blue hair, but that doesn’t mean Price won’t be concerned with it. After all, it could get stuck somewhere and would need to be cut off. Don’t get me wrong, you’re gorgeous, but there’s a reason why people in the military tend to have shorter hair.

Valeria: She takes a liking to you immediately. You’re a threat, that much is obvious, with your interesting personality. It doesn’t particularly matter to her what you did in the past, as long as you take back your future and make the present count. Won’t bother you too much with questions regarding where you’ve been and what happened to you, she has other things to worry about. Your contraptions are of interest to her: Small things that can either walk to where they’re needed or stick to something. As long as you get out of their range of effectiveness soon enough, she’s willing to give you more materials to work with, as long as you work for her. Funds your shenanigans in general, as long as it benefits her and her cartel you’ll never run out of anything to work with. She’s not exactly a morally correct person, so you could commit literal war crimes under her watch and she wouldn’t mind. You wanna use dangerous gas to kill the enemy? Sure, go right ahead, it doesn’t matter to her since she doesn’t plan on being caught. You’ll likely get some special privileges over time as well. More quickly than other people, at the very least. While you may not look like how one would imagine someone working for the cartel would look, she certainly doesn’t mind, thinking you to be fairly pretty as well. If you need some nail polish, she can give you the best ones out there, no hesitation. Again, she’s taken a real liking to you and wants this work relationship to go well. However, you’re just about the only exception with that, Valeria doesn’t care too much about everyone else. But you stand out, so there’s that.

Farah: Although she may know that everything is fair in war, she will actively discourage you from using some of your contraptions. If it’s illegal, if it will make you and her look like war criminals, then she will not let you use it. Her country may be at war, but she’s got principles and still needs to show the world that Urzikstan is not a dangerous place. So yeah, you might not wanna use the worst of the worst when it comes to fighting around her. Other than that, she can appreciate your work, though, and what you have been doing for her. A well placed bomb can make all the difference, after all, especially when someone, who knows what they’re doing, is using it. As long as it isn’t too bad, you have her support. Don’t make yourself known, though, the wrong people might find out who you are and might have a field day with that. However, she might scold you for using unethical means of killing someone. Farah is very connected with her people, and thus knows a lot about each and every single one of them. She won’t pry either when it comes to your past, but she will gently ask about it occasionally when something seems to be bothering you. Again, she won’t force anything out of you, but will show that she does care a great deal about you. In her eyes, too, you are absolutely gorgeous. She’s not as strict with long hair as Price, for example. There are no regulations for that sort of thing in her liberation force. If you let her, and if you’re especially close, she might braid your hair as well. As mentioned previously, she does care about her people, and it’s with those small things that she shows she’s there for them.

Laswell: Oh, she would not like you very much at first. Her work is usually comprised of not being found out, you do the opposite with your trademark bombs. You’ll butt heads a lot at first, especially since Laswell tries to keep it quiet whenever she can. It would take a while for you to get along, largely since you both know what you want. However, you’re good with technology, she gives you that much. You can be used for all sorts of things regarding that. Make a small contraption that allows you to get inside a room without the need for a keycard, she can appreciate that and will congratulate you on making something useful that is quiet. It would take something like that for the both of you to slowly be getting along. Laswell doesn’t mind you having a sad past too much. If you really feel like it, and once you’ve grown close, you can talk about it. Get it off your chest if you really need it. Might either listen to you or give you some advice, it entirely depends on what you ask of her, or what it seems like you might need at the moment. Though, another reason why you might clash at first would be your appearance. You’re pretty, don’t get me wrong, but long blue hair isn’t exactly subtle, you’ll be found out fairly quickly, you’ll be recognised wherever you go. She won’t force you to dye your hair, but you likely won’t be going out in the field too much when a disguise is needed, something like that will be left to Laswell. You, however, can plant whatever it is that is needed nearby, make a distraction by blowing something up, for example.

[namorthesubmariner]

Namor & Talokan

So these are my thoughts upon watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever twice now.

I loved Namor. I truly feel they captured the characterization so well in so many ways and it’s amazing how good of a job they did in this movie, how Tenoch owns that role, how perfect everything is. This is what it means to adapt a character, changing things but keeping the essence of the character and tbh the changes were such a great choice because in the end it served to enhance the character and bring him to new audiences and fans to enjoy and he is still NAMOR. So many people complaining about how bad it is they stripped Namor of everything obviously think that Namor begins and ends with Atlantis and know nothing of his character.

The overarching theme of Mothers, and their children, Namor & Fen, Shuri & Ramonda, play a central role amidst all the grief of the past/losing someone. Colonization is the enemy, not Namor who was just Wakanda’s antagonist. 

Talokan mirrors Wakanda but asks the question: What if Colonization had won, what happens to the survivors who escaped? Wakanda never had to deal with the Invasion of their homeland, while Talokan did.

In the comics Namor is often the “Voice of Reason” when placed within a group dynamic, such as the Illuminati, it’s Namor who points out their plans are stupid or finds the most straightforward path to his goals, he is a very honest character and doesn’t hold back his words/thoughts. So it makes sense that just as Coogler holds up Talokan to mirror Wakanda so he would hold Namor up as a mirror to Shuri and gives her the option that others in Wakanda could not, to take on the world and give into those feelings of Rage. Ramonda (and by extension Wakanda) wants Shuri to grieve properly in a healthy and begin to move on with her life, which Shuri cannot do because in part she blames herself for not being able to save T’Challa. Survivors guilt is strong within her even though she really couldn’t do anything but that’s how guilt works. Which plays off really well because Coogler wasn’t afraid to let Namor be exactly like his comic counterpart and follow through on his word/promises even if that meant he was going to do things no Morally White/Good aka Hero character would do, since Namor is a Morally Grey character he has the space to make and follow through on choices he finds benefits himself and his people.

Spoilers beneath the cut, so this is your warning.

While Namor is much older and had time to rule over his people and deal with the grief of losing his mother for hundreds of years he chose Rage & Vengeance as his crutch to get through losing her. He focuses his anger on the world. He isn’t wrong, the Spanish Colonizers are the root cause for all the evil done to him and his people and by extension the surface world. Namor is a Hero to his people and he is their Protector. Which means he will be viewed as an enemy of the surface world. Namor was superhero comics first anti-hero and Tenoch!Namor is the same.

As a general overview before I get into details, Namor’s arc is very complete. His goal was an alliance with Wakanda, he makes it clear the first time he comes to ask them for help because Namor does not ask for help, not in the comics, not unless he trusts that person or is willing to trust that person. Namor + Trust is a very important trait. Listen if you think Namor couldn’t find the scientist and kill Riri where she stood on his own than you don’t know how capable Namor is. He and his people are not primitive/lacking of skills or smarts, he doesn’t need Wakanda’s help but he recognizes it would be smarter in the long run to have an ally that would empathize with him and his people. He chooses Wakanda because its the Nation his mother told him about, and he recognizes that they and Talokan are both very similar. Namora and Attuma were literally using a hunting trick for Riri, have someone else draw her out into the open before taking them down. Why else would they have been waiting close enough to take Riri if Namor had asked the Wakandans to bring her to him? If Namor had truly trusted them to find AND bring Riri to him he would have waited instead he had a back up plan which were Attuma and Namora. Namor’s trust of the surface, even Wakanda only goes so far. 

Let me get into details. You don’t know how much it’s killing me to not have pics to go along with my text but I will have to wait till the movie is out on dvd to be able to gif/screencap everything.

I’m starting off with character design first:

Wings.

His wings are AMAZING. There was no easy Superman gliding and swooping here! His air walking was astounding, at times it felt like he had to really push himself to get up to a certain height level like a bird putting more effort into its wings getting off the ground vs catching a air current. He was so agile and FAST, turning on a whim and aware of his surroundings, honestly some parts felt like he was just swimming or dancing through the air, the way he twists his body/hips to change positions. I am so happy they included the wings because it’s so important to his character.

His wings flap rapidly like a hummingbird, and it’s always been one of my personal headcanons that’s how Namor’s wings move and it was really cool to see! There’s a sound you hear when his wings move, like a rattlesnake/buzzing, I think its because he is called K’uk’ulkan, Feather Serpent God, so that rattlesnake buzzing is a nod to the serpent aspect of that.

Edit: AresisKander on Twitter added this comment after reading this post and I am including their comment:

About the sound of the wings or when he flies, I think the reference is to the ayoyotes or chachayotes many people in Mexico still use to do/reenact traditional dancing

A photo of Ayoyotes.

/End Edit.

I did some searching online today to try and figure out what bird/feather pattern they modeled Namor’s wings off of because in the movie it’s not pure white wings and had some light patterns of grey/light brown with the white. I think its modeled after the Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus).

The parts I’ve highlight here are what stood out to me the most in the movie, the tops of his wings had the same white feathery look and his lower feathers had that pattern. The bird makes sense for Namor as the Osprey is found near rivers/bodies of water and is a fish eating bird of prey, with excellent eyesight to see underwater to hunt their fish. They are excellent divers too.

Tenoch’s ears were so cute, and while Namor has pointed ears, the rest of his people do not, so some people like Namora, use jewelry to give themselves the pointed ears like Namor, others use jewelry on the outside of their ear to mimic the pointed ear shape.

GILLS.

THE TALOKANIL (or is it Talokaneil?) HAVE GILLS. I AM SO HAPPY THEY KEPT THAT FROM THE COMICS!!! The Gills have always set Marvel’s Atlanteans apart from DC, and even Namor has gills in the comics even though artists forget to draw it but it was an important plot point in a couple of comics. Seeing their water masks covered not just their mouth/nose but also the gills on their necks was so cool. I can’t wait until high res stills come out so I can show you all how cool their costumes were! the gill masks were soooo pretty!!! There is just so much detail on their look/costumes/mayan influences that I can’t do it justice with words but it was beautiful, Namora had a few outfit changes through the movie which I loved.

Speaking of Namora, she was not at all like her comic counterpart and like I guessed before she is basically a mix of Namora and Andromeda. It makes sense why they wouldn’t use the character Andormeda since she is Attuma’s daughter in the comics so they wouldn’t have time to explain why his daughter is the same age as him etc. since comic atlanteans are long lived and look the same ageish. Andromeda operates as Namor’s right hand woman, the captain of his guards/army, a highly respected close friend and long time ally who would always fight beside Namor and offer advice.

Namora is smart, loyal, and such a badass in the movie. Mabel played her beautifully and I adored her. Anyways I loved this interpretation of Namora and I hope we get to see more of her and Attuma. Attuma’s character does not get alot of lines, we have no clue to his motivations and if he hates Namor or not like in the comics, in the comics they were enemies, but the recent King in Black: Namor tells the story of Attuma’s origin and friendship with Namor before it all went bad.

Namora, Attuma, and Namor all wear different outfits throughout the movie. The character designs were brilliant, and the costumes were gorgeous, so I really hope they win an award for that again.

It also feels like they each have an “Avatar” of sorts. Namor is the Feathered Serpent, Attuma is a Shark, and Namora is a Lion Fish, remember the Lion Fish is a deadly venomous creature so those spines Namora wears are a warning threat to her enemies.

The Plot

I will be focused on the Namor/Talokan plot mainly.

The first scene we get with Namor is literally ripped from the pages of Marvel Comics (1939) #1. In the comic, two divers go exploring a ship and Namor darts by too fast for them. Later Namor cuts the lines of one diver killing him, then goes after the second diver.

In the movie the divers are sent to check on a drill in the ocean, it had struck vibranium, which the Americans were after since they had a Vibranium detection machine. Namor swims by too fast for them to see, they are too focused on their find, however one diver’s life support signal stops, when the scientist lady on the ship asks the second diver to turn around to check on her partner and see if he was ok, she turns only to find cut life support lines. Namor comes for her next. I want to say very quickly that while Vibranium was included in the backstory/plot of the movie it also has it’s roots in the comics but only since the 90s:

Golden age - two divers on an exploratory mission - Marvel Comics (1939) #1 Silver age - expanded: two divers were sent there because the captain of the ship was Captain Leonard McKenzie on his return to the Antarctic waters after decades to search for Fen. The Sub-Mariner (1968) #44 Modern Age - The original cause of two ships coming to Antarctica is because the first one (The Endurance) was on a mission to find Vibranium, while the second one {The Oracle, Namor’s father’s ship) was on a mission to find The Endurance. Namor, the Sub-Mariner (1990) #52

So as you can see they just cut off the Leonard part since Fen’s origins have changed as well, and they kept the scene from the first comic and their motivation is Vibranium. There was a very Depths!Namor vibe to the character which I adored because Sub-Mariner: The Depths is such a good comic.

Meanwhile above there is a siren song luring the crew to their deaths in the sea. I loved the Sirens, they are a highlight of the Talokanil. The ship is now under attack by the Talokanil, and the scientist lady escapes into a helicopter. Attuma and Namora arrivals are great! The Talokanil are efficient at their tasks.

Namora watches as the helicopter goes higher into the sky but doesn’t do anything because she knows Namor will stop them. The first scene showing Namor’s full strength is amazing, it cannot be understated how Namor is a Power in the comics, he is literally called a one man navy. Namor is the guy the other characters call in when they need the Big Guns. He wrecks that helicopter and the scene ends with a visual of Namor hover over the sea in the dark, it really reminds me of this visual.

Marvel Fanfare (1982) #16

So as you see Namor has been called Devil, Sea Devil, Sea Demon in the comics which makes the Spanish Priest’s words to a young Namor really hit home because humans have always viewed him as something not human, evil, and otherworldly even though they themselves are not good people.

The next time we see Namor he is rising out of the water in Wakanda to speak with Ramonda and Shuri, he carries with him a shell, a conch shell, which in can be symbolic of a declaration of war or something else depending on the context as written here and here by Aztec Empire on twitter. The soundtrack to Namor’s arrival is freaking awesome, and Namor’s first show of pure astonishment/wonder at Wakanda is so endearing. Alot of people complained about this online saying he wouldn’t do that, but the truth is Namor does know how to smile, he loves the wonder and beauty of Nature, he isn’t a scowling angry fish man all the time. Tenoch’s micro expressions are amazing, he goes from wonder to being a Threat in the space of seconds. What I really like is how he captured Namor’s humor which is not an easy thing to do since in the comics Namor has a very dry gallows humor that makes people around him think its very serious but he’s actually telling the joke more to himself than for the benefit of others. Namor says “- I took care of it” meaning he totally killed all those people but he’s acting like it was nothing more than a small chore or something. lol. Also there is something else I wanted to point out about the beginning of this scene, Ramonda and Shuri are alerted by elephants who sensed Namor and ran, in the comics when Namor is running amok in New York for the first time he releases several wild creature from the zoo, which also had elephants. Now I don’t know if that was in reference to that scene in Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #8 but it did remind me of it.

And as stated earlier, Namor was willing to extend his trust but still Attuma and Namora followed Shuri and Okoye in the later scenes.

MCU!Attuma is strong and a capable warrior, I greatly enjoyed him baiting Okoye on the bridge into a fight. The way he looks at Riri (whom Namora told him to kill) and decides she isn’t going anywhere so he might as well have a fight for fun with Okoye was Peak Character for him. Namora is annoyed and snaps at him to stop playing around. I love their dynamic with Attuma playing the Strong Muscle character and Namora though tiny was clearly in charge. Both of them have consistent characterizations, both are very loyal to Talokan and they get stuff done. Attuma is 100% ready to kill Riri and so is Namora. They are looking out for the future of their people. BUT when Shuri asks them to take them to Talokan alive they confer with each other, they treat Shuri like the royalty she is and they take her wish seriously since they also know Namor wants an alliance with Wakanda. If Namor had ordered them to kill the scientist at all costs, I don’t doubt they would have been done there on the bridge.

When Shuri and Riri are in Talokan, Shuri is treated as according to her social status, a Princess, with all the respect given to her from one Nation to another which really stood out to me. They give her traditional clothing, and they aren’t unknind, they care for Riri and give her food while Shuri goes to speak with Namor. I’m just pointing out that Coogler isn’t depicting the Talokanil as some hostile people who are unreasonable in wanting to kill Riri, they are only hostile when the safety of their people is in question.

The biggest change I would say character wise in regards of the transition from the Atlanteans to the Talokanil is that the Atlanteans actively hated and looked down on Namor for being half human/atlantean, its a major source of isolation for Namor. Namor’s character is rooted in his biracialness, is rooted in being a man of two worlds without fitting into either world and struggling with his two people. Changes seem to have taken away that biracial aspect in the form of two different races of human/atlantean since it seems Namor is a full Mayan/Talokan now however it doesn’t mean it’s lost, Namor is never a part of the Talokanil proper, he is respect and revered yes but also set apart in isolation because of his slowed aging meaning he would outlive all of his people, and that he is seen as their deity. When Shuri meets Namor he is open and honest with her. He RESPECTS her in a way the Elders of her people didn’t, because they saw her as a child. He respects her because she is a Princess and because Namor respects women. I know there is alot of bad Fanon out there regarding Namor’s treatment of women in the comics but as a person who has read all of his comics, so much of it comes down to out of context weird fanon and also some moments of really bad writing however Comic!Namor was raised by his single mother Fen and has great respect for women, so of course Namor would respect Shuri and treat her in accordance with her social stature.

I’ve already begun to see NamorShuri shipping discourse so let be preface this by saying I literally do not care. I don’t care what people ship. However this meta is my, a comic fan’s, thoughts on Namor’s character and the rest of the movie, and I would appreciate it if people don’t use my words out of context nor they drag me into any shipping wars. Once one of my other metas was used out of context to promote racism and I don’t appreciate that. Also I personally believe that shipping is not the end of all things. I believe shipping is a fun addition to the source BUT it’s NOT the end all reason behind character’s actions. So people saying Namor was totally hitting on Shuri, or flirting with her, or whatever, that’s fun fanon for you but I personally do not see it that way.

Namor is charismatic in the comics and Tenoch!Namor captures Namor’s charisma, anger, sorrow, and light heartedness but most of all he captures Namor’s loneliness. When Namor opens up to Shuri and tells her the story of his people, of his mother, he is trying to find a connection, some empathy, a friend.

Princess Fen and her people.

They don’t say Fen is royalty or some high ranking woman in their Nation, however they don’t not say that either. Until we get more information about her then I will only speak on what I saw. Fen and her people are suffering from smallpox brought over by the Spanish Invaders, her people are dying, and she is pregnant. We see Fen place a stone, a funeral rite, into the mouth of a dead man who was placed in a dug grave, he had already passed. The unnamed man died of smallpox, and I personally believe this could have been Namor’s father but also it simply could have been a person who was her family/friend/she had some connection to since we aren’t exactly sure who he was. In the comics Fen is the most beautiful Atlantean ever, and I love the actress they chose for Fen, Maria’s beauty takes my breath away to be honest. In the comics Fen meets Namor’s father after she was sent to spy on the Americans and she falls in love with him. She is strong, smart, and fierce princess of her people. I have very strong feelings about Fen as she is one of my favorite characters.

The Shaman creates the potion/serum they drink to turn into water breathers/Talokanil, however Fen hesitates because her concern is her child. The Shaman promises her that this will save her child and her and then swears that her son will be their new king since he will be the first born of their new people. This new backstory for Namor fits the tone of the movie. I loved both Fen and the Shaman, their actors were so good.

Fen being a central character in Namor’s life is so important and I’m really glad that the movie didn’t skip over that. Fen is a guiding force, the reason why Namor is the way he is in the comics, her love and protection, even her naming him “Namor” which in the comics/atlantean it means “Avenging Son” all shaped Namor into the character he is. Fen and Namor are so important to me.

Namor speaks about how he grew up slowly and his mother aged normally, and how for her death she wanted to be buried in her homeland on the surface. Namor carries out his mother’s wishes. Fen in the comics is also buried in her homeland in the antarctic waters of her youth.

Now. This scene. The Child without Love. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I have not been able to stop thinking about this since.

Namor is the AVENGING SON, he gets his identity from his mother. When I learned she wouldn’t be naming him that I was honestly very upset because its so central to who Namor is, but then I saw the adapted scene and I feel it works in this context. In the comics his name is a warning to the surface world/white people who hurt his people in the original comics. In the movie the name was bestowed upon him by a Spanish Priest who calls him a devil after Namor saw their evil and punished them for it. Namor wears his name as a promise to his people and a threat to his enemies,“My enemies call me Namor”.

Honestly the burial of Fen was so sad, Namor even places a stone in her mouth as well. She missed her home and wanted to be returned there. This really speaks to me about immigration and displacement, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my own family members, the older ones, who don’t live in the homeland anymore talk about how they must be buried there. I think its something that only people who leave their homeland (not out of choice but a need for a place that will be better for lives because their home isn’t safe or they have better opportunities in foreign land) can really understand that no matter how far away they are, the need to return there, be buried there for the rest of time is a such a human need. The themes of immigration/displacement/colonization is prevalent throughout their story.

In the comics Namor’s first motivation is to wage war against the surface (white) people who hurt his people and he does cause a ruckus but then he faces the true Evil of Humanity when he finds out about the Nazis, he fights alongside the humans to stop them in WWll because he knew that they would come after his people next. 

In the movie, the Evil of Humanity is the Spanish Colonizers. There is no romanticized version of this, there is no Spanish colonizer myth of them being benevolent people bringing advancement to the Natives. They are shown in their full evil glory as colonizers who hurt, killed, and destroyed Nations of Native people. This is the first time Namor sees humans, and its the worst they have to show.

When Nakia is searching for Namor/a way to find Shuri and Riri, she speaks to an old woman who tells her where Namor was sighted, and how he returns, and those who go after him with ill in their hearts do not return. So it means Namor is standing on a beach, returning over the years, because there is only one thing that would bring him to the surface world, his mother’s grave. Namor was visiting Fen’s grave in her ancestral lands.

The Sub-Mariner (1968) #17

Namor’s core character is that he is a hero to his people, and their protector, which the movie displayed so accurately. After the story of his people’s origins, Namor takes Shuri on a tour of his capital city. Another time one of his jokes comes into play, he is telling her all the ways her body would die under the deep water, and then goes “We have suits!” he neglects to mention its the SAME suits that he had taken from the scientists he had killed in the beginning of the movie! lmao. I love him. I really love this character even more now even though I’ve been such a huge fan of Namor for years.

Talokan’s Capital City is so pretty. I can’t wait to zoom in on all the details.

I honestly wish I could get my hands on that 400 page Talokan design book of it’s history/lore. I wish I had better pictures of the stone ring in which Namor does the Rising Sun hand gesture to activate the water currents that take them from the cave to the capital city. It’s clear the Talokans have advanced science/machines which they use all the time, and how they harrassed the power of undersea vibrainum like the Wakandans. Namor even says “I brought my people the sun”. I know there is like 30 minutes of cut footage so I will be waiting for that to come out in an extra dvd feature soon I hope.

¡Líik’ik Talokan!

The term means “Rise Talokan” or “Talokan Rises” the Mesoamerican symbol is the hand symbol connected to the sun (source & source) Namor and the Talokanil use it in greeting to each other.

The Mesoamerican worldbuilding of Talokan is more than I ever hoped for. One of my main ongoing complaints of Namor’s world in the comics is that Marvel is more interesting in destroying it than building it up so it’s just really great to see that Coogler and team had Mesoamerican experts and a language teacher (who played the Shaman) to make sure everything is the best it can be. I know this is a fantasy take of Mesoamerica but I feel they really respected the source material, and Namor’s transformation from Prince/King of Atlantis to  K’uk’ulkan is a wonderful way to bring about the comic fantasy coding of native (atlantean) people to actual native mesoamerican people representation.

After their tour Namor gives Shuri his mother’s bracelet. The bracelet is made with fibers of the blue vibranium plant that the Shaman gave to Fen and her people. I know people are saying “it’s romantic, he gave her his mom’s bracelet” but like, if y’all could just take off those shipping glasses for one second to understand not everything has a romantic intention behind it. Imo Namor gives it to her as a gift, a sign of trust, everything he’s done so far has been to extend his hand in trust to what he hopes will be allies to his people. That has been his motivation, that’s what compels him to go to Wakanda, he is seeking an ally, and why not the Princess who has a chip on her shoulder, who wants to burn the world as he does?

While Namor is gone, answering Queen Ramonda’s summons/falling for her distraction tactic, Shuri and Riri escape with Nakia and in the process one of Namor’s people, a young woman, is killed. Namor and Ramonda’s confrontation is tense, and again he carries the shell, remember it’s significance of a object that represents war or other intentions.

Until now Namor had been trying to reach Shuri and get her to see things from his POV about why the scientist should die, but he makes it clear to Ramonda that he will kill Shuri along with Riri if it ensures his people will be safe. That is a character who all throughout the movie has made his goals very clear and then the rest of his character follows through on his threats/promises.

When Namor comes back to Talokan he finds that the entire ruse had been a betrayal, a trick, to get him to leave and in the process it costs him the life of one of his people. If there was one thing in the comics that was always sure to set Namor off was one of his people dying, and it’s no different in the movie. He gathers his people to make a speech about how his hopes was for naught.

The attack on Wakanda was Namor’s retaliation for the murder of one of his people.

In the comics the first time Namor attacks Wakanda, he was possessed by the Phoenix Force and not in control of his mind/actions. However there is a Namor and Shuri plot where Shuri sends her warriors to slaughter Atlanteans because of the Phoenix Namor attack, and then he sends the Black Order to Wakanda. Shuri in the comics does have innocent Atlanteans killed and Namor retaliates. Again they adapted stuff for the movie, and it plays out differently but I just thought to share that to showcase how different things were done. You can read Namor and Shuri’s interactions (they don’t have alot in the comics) in my Black Panther (T’Challa) & The Sub-Mariner thread here.

Edit:

I forgot to add another scene that was Comic to Movie:

Black Panther (2009) #1 - there is a scene in the movie that is exactly like this, where they fly above and comment on how fast Namor is in the water.

/End Edit

The action scenes, every time Namor is flying around fighting and breaking stuff. Once again they show that Namor is A THREAT, and he will follow through on it. And again, the Sirens are so pretty, I love them. One thing I really found interesting is how we see Namor’s moral code even in battle, even after Ramonda, he knows he could crush them but instead he gives them time to grieve. Some people might go “why did he give them a week, etc.” but like, it makes sense for his character, he isn’t a murderer because he likes killing, everything he does is in accordance to his moral code and no one elses, honor is a huge thing with Namor in the comics too. Not to mention Namor’s over all goal throughout the movie, he wants Wakanda on his side, he will do what he can to get that. He points at Shuri and says “You are queen now.” He puts the heavy burden of caring for an entire nation on her shoulders, now she will finally be forced to either step up or let it crush her. Namor is pressure that presses Shuri’s character into change, either she will crack or become a diamond.

Good characters are not stationary, good characters grow and change.

The final three scenes I want to talk about:

The big Wakanda vs Atlantis fight takes place on the Sea Leopard, now this could just be a fun name they gave the ship but it could also be a deep dive reference into a Namor comic character, a villain called Sea Leopard. 

Okoye vs Attuma fight again and I loved it. Namora was such a badass!!!! I didn’t mention the water bombs the Talokanil use but its so freaking cool, they use it all throughout the movie and they also use Whales to launch their people out of the water with their tails, or the people ride them. I just love all the worldbuilding of Talokan. I know I haven’t talked about other parts of the movie so far, but my favorite characters are M’Baku, Okoye, and Nakia. I enjoyed every moment M’Baku was on screen!!!

Namor vs Shuri, the big fight, Shuri has finally taken the mantle of the Black Panther, and this action scene was so freaking good. Shuri’s plan to use Namor’s weaknesses against him gains her the upper hand and to be honest all those whiney fanbois crying “but SHE is a girl and SHE can’t fight and beat Namor!!!!” need to shut up because they are WRONG. They aren’t jobbing Namor, they aren’t writing him out of character, these weaknesses are the same weaknesses Namor has in the comics!

Namor’s main weaknesses are: Pollution/Poisons, Being dried out/overheated, his wings being hurt, and some forms of mind control/amnesia.

The fight was more than fair imo and Namor isn’t flawless, he has weakness that were used against him. Honestly I would have been mad if he somehow was unaffected. ALSO I LITERALLY FREAKED OUT WHEN I SAW “IMPERIUS REX” ON SCREEN. lol, my arms were flailing for real.

Shuri weapon is against Namor’s throat and she has the power to avenge her mother, to kill Namor, to take that step further into violence and vengance, to burn the world and move further away from healing and dealing with her greif.

“When my mother died, the last person who truely knew me died with her” Shuri’s loss drove her to become the Black Panther.

Namor’s mother dies, and the last person who truely loved/knew him for him, for being him, not a protector, not a leader, that love dies too.

Ramonda’s words “Show Him Who You Are!” is echoed to Shuri, it’s the same words Ramonda yells at T’Challa in Black Panther, when he fights M’Baku at Warrior’s fall. This is Shuri’s defining moment, her path forks and she has to choose mercy and moving on, dealing with her grief or accepting vengence to forever take a place in her heart. Shuri demands Namor yields, and  Namor yields, he got what he wanted, Wakanda’s alliance.

When Namora confronts Namor about him yielding, he even says as much, that what he hoped to achieve he got, and now Wakanda would turn to them when it was time (for them to face the surface world/colonizers)

The action scenes in the movie are amazing, I could watch it a hundred times, the final confrontation between them ends in peace between their peoples.

As I’ve said, this post was mainly focused on Namor & the Talokanil, and I didn’t go into depth with the other plots/characters because I’ve been a Namor fan for years so all my interest is hyperfocused on him and his people.

My complaint: Everett Ross’s entire plot was not needed in this movie, it literally could have been a phone call with the first scene and we could have gotten more scenes with Namor & the Talokanil.

Personally my one biggest gripe is that in the end Wakanda & Talokan should have gone after the main people who were a threat to their nations which was the american government, it was a earlier plot point with Queen Ramonda at the United Nations that was just dropped as the focus shifted over to Namor. I do wish they had keep that plot thread going and both Wakanda and Talokan had teamed up to fight the Government/Surface World etc. but this is a MCU Marvel/Disney movie and Disney/Marvel is never going to do anything so controversial as calling out the American or other governments in present day for their colonizing ways, which is why I feel keeping Colonization as something that happened in the distant past isn’t true. I know the realities of the studios politics and the message the movie was sending and tbh it really followed through on alot of things and my complaints are minor and doesn’t take away the sheer enjoyment and happiness I felt watching Namor and the Talokanil on screen. Also I’m so glad we got to see Namor’s artistic side, which he has in the comics as well.

Once again I am so glad that Namor is shown as a Man of Color and his people are Native Mesoamerican. I’ve always personally felt the coding in his comics meant that we would lose the impact of his story if they stripped him of his biracial poc coding and cast a generic white man. It was always my biggest worry when it came to thoughts of Live Action Namor.

I love how multifaceted Tenoch’s acting was with Namor. Tenoch Huerta is MY Namor, he is the perfect choice for Namor and I’ve stood by his casting since it was first announced.

Created in 1939 by Bill Everett, Namor is imo one of the best characters ever created in comics, and the mcu version is one that is equally as wonderful and complex. I love both versions very much.

[archaeren]

just an informal list of reasons to love Tanakamigi Chui

this is not my full essay but it's a quick list of reasons off the top of my head from someone who asked me on reddit

canonically the most “honest and straightforward” character in the game (Neji’s words, and they do hold true) I can’t stand being lied to, even about small things, and I don’t want Kisa to be lied to either. Chui does never and will never lie to her. He’ll straight up tell Kisa things that he’s definitely supposed to be keeping secret. He’s so honest, it’s actively uncomfortable for other people. He’s not trying to be mean, he’s not trying to be ‘brutally honest’, he’s just awkwardly honest and it’s cute and good and I love him for it. Man who doesn’t lie? So hot.

this is a man who will admit when he’s wrong. UNPROMPTED. do you all realize how rare this actually is? Nobody is expecting him to do this. It doesn't benefit him to do it. He just does it because he thinks it's the right thing to do. I feel like everybody expects him to be such a huge egotistical douche (especially after his little speech about how he feels nothing from Quartz's performances--and then it turns out that wasn't him being a dick, he apparently just sincerely feels that way) and then he will repeatedly UNPROMPTED come up to the members of Quartz to be like, “hey so I was wrong about x thing and I really learned a lot from watching you guys” and honestly this is so rare and not a thing guys tend to do in real life that this alone was enough to capture my heart. Seriously, first time I saw his reaction after the fall performance, I was like, "oh no it's over for me" A man who admits when he’s wrong!! Oh my god, he and Kisa would have such a healthy relationship between that and the not-lying thing. No mind games from this guy. Fuckin love to see it.

comes out swinging when it comes to defending Kisa There aren’t many scenes in the game where we have the opportunity to see how he reacts when he feels like Kisa is being insulted because it just doesn’t happen in front of him that often, but WHEN IT DOES oh man, he employs a few well-chosen words of COMPLETE AND UTTER OBLITERATION. You ain’t gonna insult the transparent vessel like that in front of Tanakamigi Chui, hell no! Even when it’s only that he feels like Amber’s win against Quartz wasn’t justified (try getting second place in the fall performance sometime lol, it's EXTREMELY worth it imo), he completely eviscerates his underclassmen over it. That's how you know he really cares about making sure the record is kept straight, because apparently there are only two things that matter to Tanakamigi Chui: Art, and Truth.

drinks his respect Kisa juice (post-winter play spoilers) it’s a consistent behavior for him across routes that he pursues Kisa pretty doggedly and seems like he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer—until you realize that he’ll only take Kisa’s ‘no’ for an answer. Anyone else tells him to back off, he’ll be like, “mmm nah, you don’t know what you’re talking about” but the moment Kisa tells him no or that he sees evidence that she’s not interested, he immediately backs off. He also continues to show respect for her after this, as a performer and rival, his respect is not conditional on her potential as a stage partner. (He also knows her secret after a certain point, but instead of using it against her to strong-arm her into getting his way like you might expect an antagonist to do, he’s basically like, “wow you really risked it all for the stage, that’s SO FUCKING BADASS and exactly what I’m looking for in a stage partner, please team up with me”) It’s really telling that his way of asking her to be his partner is always to offer her his hand, which is a recurring theme with them.

Chui and Kisa are straight-up soulmate-coded (Kisa route spoilers) this might be unintentional, but for some reason the game REALLY goes out of its way to drive home the point that they’re the only true equals for each other, that they’re the only ones who can fully bring out each other’s talent, that they’re so talent-compatible that it’s a little spooky, that Chui is desperately lonely without Kisa, that they can sense each other’s presence, that they’re both willing to give everything for the stage, and that they’re both hiding who they really are. (Chui is, in fact, the only one at Univeil who could actually personally understand Kisa's dilemma of hiding her identity to prevent expulsion--he's in a similar position for political reasons.) How else are we supposed to interpret all of that except that they’re meant to be together? (So why CAN’T they be??)

Chui would do more for Kisa than Chuza will (Kisa route spoilers) This is getting very much into Kisa route spoiler territory but Chui directly states that he doesn’t give a damn about Kisa’s gender, he just wants to perform with her. We can extrapolate from his behavior in Fumi’s route that he’s willing to go pretty far to ensure that can happen. In the power struggle between Chui and Chuza, I think it’s safe to assume that Chui would actually be WAY more ready to embrace relaxing the boys-only rule than Chuza is, just because all Chui actually cares about is getting the best talent, not in traditions or playing power games. Honestly I haven't the fainest idea why the game thinks we should support Chuza over Chui, and that's not even my Chui bias talking--in my experience, that's a pretty common sentiment in the fandom. XD

lbr, he’s damn fine that VOICE. those HANDS. his huge pretty eyes and long eyelashes. he’s so TALL and BENDY and AWKWARD and a DORK and I love it. he’s so GREY and his haircut is so STUPID and I just want to allow him to snuggle a soft pink creature (aka Kisa)

ahem. anyway.

[julescarstairs]

An Ash Morgenstern Ramble: Brought To You By Me.

As of late I’ve been really pondering Ash Morgenstern’s character and why it is that his character seems so unpredictable. Don’t get me wrong, I love how complex his character seems — and, inevitably, how complex his character is going to be — but I kept thinking, surely there has to be a method to his madness, right? No, he isn’t just jumping ships Willy-nilly for the hell of it.

My theory is, and it’s going to sound really obvious, but hear me out: Ash Morgenstern does what will best benefit him, and him alone.

He is a strategist at heart, having learnt from some of the most malevolent, dagger-sharp minds of his family. Whilst it doesn’t look like it at first, Ash has ulterior motives for everything he does. Why did he kill Thule!Sebastian to save Emma from imminent danger? Because he had spent enough time in Thule to know it was a dying land. We can see in many scenes in QOAAD that he has a clear disdain for both his father and his ways of life, so naturally he would want out asap — if that means killing his Father to hitch a ride home, then so be it.

Another example is Ash’s bizarre relationship with Janus. We know that J-man is quite possibly the most significant father figure Ash has had in his life, but we also know that Ash is tired of being a bird in a cage, so to speak. Janus is keeping him in this cage as per the Queen’s orders. So, whilst Ash seems to be fully onboard with Janus’s intent to, you know, destroy the nephilim race as we know it — and continually denies any emotional attachment to Dru in the process (which nobody actually believes, by the way) — I’m frankly not sure that this is something Ash, himself, wants. I mean, his desire to see the fall of the nephilim in the normal world directly contrasts with his obvious disdain and boredom in Thule.

I think Ash is agreeing with his plans purely to please him. To build trust, even. If Ash can convince Janus that he is loyal and trustworthy enough, Janus might give him what he wants: freedom. He wants to see the world beyond Faerie. He wants to see the mortal realms. He wants to be where the people are (okay, Ariel.) He wants to see Drusilla again. Playing into Janus’s hand will give him that, though it may take a long time.

And honestly, I think Ash doing what will best benefit him at this point in time makes complete sense, because really, who has ever looked out for him? Who has ever considered what he wanted? The Seelie Queen probably only wanted him back because she was his to keep. Both the Unseelie King and Thule!Sebastian wanted to make him into a Weapon in two different ways — and, well, whilst Janus only wants to protect him, he obviously wants him to have a hand in bringing harm to the nephilim, which requires him to have him locked away from everyone. The only people who ever wanted to look out for Ash and what he wanted were compelled to do so by the enchantments put upon him.

Ash has to look after himself, because otherwise no one will — and when Dru comes into his life, protecting her will become a part of protecting him.

[foggyfanfic]

Mirabel's Super Secret Adventure

Chapter Preview: When Mirabel walked over, she realized the big hole was the same one from the walls, and Camilo was gesturing at the ladder he’d watched her carry through the house.

“Well, uh aren’t you glad you won’t be taking the blame for this?” she asked him sheepishly.

Prologue Prev Next Masterlist

13. A New Foundation

After Mirabel and Abuela emerged from the river, they rested on the rocks to allow their shoes and skirts to dry. Mirabel found herself dozing against the rock, yet another cat nap to get her through the next couple hours. When she woke she thought longingly of her bed, then remembered it was gone.

Meanwhile, Tío Bruno and Abuela had been having a hushed conversation, Mirabel only got snips and pieces of it but from what she heard they were talking about their relationship.

“Has it really been so long since I told you I was proud of you?”

“N-not since my and Leandra’s wedding.”

“Ah, well. I am very proud of you for marrying her, that’s true. D-don’t get me wrong, I liked Alberto but-.”

“You knew about Alberto?!”

“Brunito, queirida, I am your mother,” Abuela huffed, “of course I knew. I also noticed when the relationship stopped making you happy.”

“Ay, sí. He uh, he thought that if I could just be, I don’t know, a little more normal, the villagers would see me the way he did,” Tío Bruno snorted, “and us being in our twenties, he uh, didn’t communicate that well.”

“Ay, sí, I should have figured,” Abuela chuckled, “well, you and Leandra have certainly benefited from the extra couple of years you had before you started dating. I liked Alberto, but I like how happy you are with Leandra more.”

“Not to mention the fact that me marrying Leandra means you get more grandkids,” he said wryly.

“Bruno, you and Alberto could have adopted just as easily as you and Leandra have.”

There was a pause, then Bruno said, “Huh, for some reason I never considered that.”

“Would it have made a difference if you had?”

“I… don’t think so?” Without opening her eyes she knew he was shrugging, “T-Technically, Alberto was the one who ended it. Uh, turns out, towards the end there, I was the only person willing to let him treat me the way he was. He, he apologized and tried telling me none of it was my fault.”

“And you didn’t believe him?”

Tío Bruno didn’t give a verbal response, but he must have shaken his head or shrugged again.

“Ay, mijo. I am so sorry I’ve let you bear the blame for so much for all these years,” Abuela sighed, voice cracking, “you-, it is as I said, you remind me so much of your father. Under all of your nervous ticks, there is a brave, kind man, one who is stronger than many realize. It has always felt-, I have always felt-. At some point I forgot that just because you can bear so many burdens doesn’t mean I should allow you to.”

There was a long pause, Tío Bruno’s breaths were as shaky as they were loud. Mirabel had dozed back off before he’d marshaled his thoughts into words.

When next she woke her skirt was dry and the sun was noticeably lower in the sky, she yawned and stretched. Tío Bruno saw her with her eyes open and gave her a gentle smile, before tapping Abuela on the shoulder.

“Looks like she’s awake, we should get headed back,” he said, voice hushed.

Abuela sighed, nodding faintly but not making any move to leave the riverside. She was staring back out at the river, no doubt thinking once more of Abuelo.

“I should have come here sooner,” she whispered, when she finally turned away, “I should have talked about him more.”

“Mama, you were in pain,” Tío Bruno said, gently taking her arm, “y-you’ve been through something terrible, I don’t think ‘should’ enters into the equation. N-not to mention the mountains around Encanto were pr-pretty tall.”

“I would agree with you if I hadn’t allowed my grief to spill over to the rest of the family,” she argued, but allowed herself to be pulled from the river.

“Myeh, you’re not the only responsible adult in the house,” Tío Bruno shrugged, “we should have said something. E-especially Leandra and I, we uh, we’ve been sorta aware of the cracks for a long time.”

“So I gathered,” Abuela muttered, giving him a look, “I take it lying about the vision isn’t the only thing you have done in order to…”

She trailed off, as Tío Bruno held out a hand to help Mirabel to her feet. The silent part of that sentence, the part she was trying not to say was “in order to protect the family from me”, and Mirabel was happy to let it stay silent.

“Um, well, no. B-but we can talk about all that later.”

Abuela sighed, but agreed.

The walk back to Encanto was quiet, and a little awkward. Mirabel spent it wondering what would happen now. Obviously, they needed to build a new house, but what about after. The miracle was gone, what would happen to the Madrigals without it?

Money probably wouldn’t be a big issue, her Papa could still act as a town accountant/treasurer, Camilo and Gabriel could still help the town with childcare, Tío Félix still owned a partial stake in the mill, Tía Leandra still made soap, and Mirabel's Mama was still the best cook in town. The best cook, who happened to have enough medical knowledge to assist the town doctor or act as a spare midwife whenever needed.

Not to mention, Octavia still knew loads about architecture, Isabela was apparently an expert on plants, and Luisa might not have supernatural strength, but she was still a strong and able worker. Mirabel herself had already started planning how much she could sell her embroidery for.

So, they still had skills they could trade. They’d be fine in that regard, at least.

Once they made a new house.

Mirabel watched the crack between the mountains pass around them and tried to imagine this new life. She was used to Abuela spearheading the family, but when she looked over at her Abuela now, somehow she thought things might have to change going forward. So how would they keep everything organized without-.

Mirabel looked again at her Abuela. Had she been miserable this entire time? Or happy but living in constant fear of losing that happiness? Had she felt alone, all these years?

The thought made her want to cry again. So, she turned her mind's eye back to the invisible to-do list in her head.

They would need to come up with a new way to stay organized, something that didn’t involve Abuela being the primary, and sometimes sole, decision maker. And they needed to start taking better care of each other. No more letting Luisa overwork herself, no more indulging Gabriel’s overprotective habits without thinking about what they meant, no more ignoring the cracks.

Mirabel took a deep breath, they needed to change almost everything, and it seemed such a daunting task.

But when she got home and her mother ran over to scoop her into her arms, she felt a little bit better about it all. They had already started, hadn’t they? It was more a matter of keeping the progress going more than anything else.

Things seemed even more manageable when Mirabel looked over and found Dolores hand in hand with Mariano, talking to Octavia and the town architect.

“Juli, Pepa,” Abuela all but whispered, “may I speak with you? Over here, with your brother?”

Questioning glances were exchanged, but her Má and Tía Pepa followed Abuela and Tío Bruno over to a shady clump of trees where some rubble formed a convenient bench. Mirabel watched them for a few seconds, then realized she should give them privacy and turned to the remains of Casita.

Most of her family were milling about, picking through the rubble for anything they could recover. She made eye contact with Camilo, who was standing over a big hole in the ground. He gestured at something in the hole, and raised an eyebrow at her.

When Mirabel walked over, she realized the big hole was the same one from the walls, and he was gesturing at the ladder he’d watched her carry through the house.

“Well, uh aren’t you glad you won’t be taking the blame for this?” she asked him sheepishly.

He snorted, “I’d be even gladder if we still had a house.”

Mirabel winced, “Yeah. This is… this is exactly what I was trying to prevent.”

“Right, you promised you would explain everything to me once it wasn’t possible for me to take the blame,” he gestured at her, “so talk.”

With a sigh, Mirabel launched into the abridged version of the story, “I overheard Tío Bruno and Tía Leandra talking about the cracks, and asked Casita to show me where they were, turns out there was a secret passage in our walls so I-.”

“Time out,” he made a T with his hands, “there was a what now in our walls?”

“Secret passage, like a hallway.”

“What?” his face screwed up in confusion, “Why was there a secret-. How?! How did it get there? How long has it been there?”

“I don’t know, didn’t really seem important at the time.”

“Seriously?! You found an entire secret hallway and you didn’t think to ask why it was there?”

“Camilo, do you want to know what happened or do you want to keep talking about the secret hallway?”

“Well, I kinda wanna keep talking about the secret hallway,” he said honestly, “but since you apparently can’t tell me anything about that, go ahead and tell me about our house falling apart.”

Mirabel rolled her eyes, “Ok, so there was an entire secret passage in our walls, and like three quarters of the way through it there was this giant hole. Which is where the ladder comes in.”

“So you could get into the giant hole?”

“Sí, once I crossed-.”

“Where’d the giant hole come from?”

“I don’t know, it’s probably a sinkhole.”

“Is that why our house collapsed?”

“Honestly, that was what I thought was happening at first,” Mirabel admitted, “but by the time I got past the hole I’d already seen some of the cracks appear then close up by themselves, so I knew it was probably magic.”

“Ok, so, you climb into the hole. Then what?”

“Then I climbed out the other side and kept going, until I saw the cracks Tío Bruno had been talking about. By the way, Tío Bruno is really good at spackling things, which is good because, uh yeah,” Mirabel tacked on, then said, “So! Once I saw the cracks I started investigating, thank you for distracting Gabe by the way.”

“You’re welcome,” he shrugged it off.

“First I tried Luisa, watched cracks appear and disappear depending on how stressed she was-.”

“So, Luisa broke our house?”

“No, hold on, I’ll get there. Then I talked to Dolores because I figured she had to know something, right? But she was being all cryptic about it and told me not to worry about it.”

“She told you not to worry about our house being riddled with magic cracks?”

“Well, she actually said to let Tío Bruno worry about it for as long as I could. But sí.”

“Weird.”

“Right?! Then I went looking for Isabela, because I’d seen the cracks appear around her too.”

“So, Isabela and Luisa broke our house?”

“No! Sort of. But it’s more complicated than that. I found out Isabela didn’t want to marry Mariano and tried convincing her to not throw her life away. She was being totally stupid though, so it didn’t work. I ran into Amada, and she told me to go to the kitchen, so I went to the kitchen and talked to your Má and realized how not good for her it is that she constantly has to control her emotions.”

“Did my Má break our house?” he sounded genuinely worried by the possibility.

“We all broke the house Camilo, that’s where this story is going, it was all of us. Ok?”

“Hold on, I didn’t break the house-.”

“The cracks happened whenever one of us was in pain, so I mean, unless you’ve never felt a negative emotion in your life…”

“Oh please, I was having a great day until this happened,” he said, then, with a shit eating grin, “sorry you guys all got issues, but I’m different.”

Mirabel rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and giving him a flat expression. 

He grinned wider, “So, you figured out the cracks were a manifestation of your many, many issues, then what?”

“You were pretty much there for the rest of the big stuff,” she shrugged, “all the drama with Dolores and Isabela came to a head at dinner. Tío Bruno told me he was just guessing about why I didn’t get a gift, we started checking on-.”

“Mirabel?!” he gaped at her, gesturing emphatically, then putting a hand on his forehead and voice full of dismay, said, “You are a horrible story teller!”

“What? Hey, I think I’m doing-.”

He gripped her shoulders, “Tío Bruno was just guessing?”

“Oh, that, yeah. The actual vision was pretty vague, so he and Tía Leandra went with the theory they thought would protect me the most.”

“What? Are you okay?!”

Mirabel looked around at the rubble of their now deceased sentient house, turned back to Camilo and said, “Been better.”

Camilo also glanced around, “Point taken.”

She couldn’t help but crack a small smile, “Thank you though.”

“Heh, yeah, whatever,” he tried to shrug it off, pulling his hands back.

Mirabel let him, “So yeah, um, that happened. Then we checked on everybody and eventually the only person left to check on was Abuela. S-so I did, or well, I tried to. It uh, it didn’t go well.”

“Did… Abuela break our house?”

She sighed, “It’s a little more complicated than that, but uh, yeah, sort of. Turns out… she’s spent years-. We’ve all been-. Sort of, yeah. I uh, I helped.”

He frowned, but didn’t say anything, which was good, because Mirabel needed time to work through what she was going to say next.

“The entire foundation of our miracle was the most painful moment of her life,” she eventually got out, “it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.”

Camilo slowly nodded, then asked, “What now?”

“We rebuild our house,” Mirabel gestured over at Octavia and the architect, “and try to take better care of each other, including Abuela.”

He nodded, sighing, “I was sort of hoping you would say we all hold hands and pray real hard and then a new house will just, you know, poof.”

“Um, no, I’m pretty sure we’re actually going to have to build one,” she gave him a smile that was meant to be comforting, but felt more sheepish than anything else.

“Will the new house have a secret hallway, too?”

“Ay, forget about the secret hallway, will you?!”

“No. Seriously, had it been there the entire time?”

“I don’t know Camilo, I do not know.”

“Unfortunate,” he said with a huff, then something caught his eye and he was back to grinning, “Hey Gabe! Did you hear? Your issues broke our house?”

“Camilo,” Mirabel hissed, swatting his arm, then turned to yell to Gabriel, “It was all of our issues. Not just yours.”

She grimaced while Camilo snickered, that didn’t come out quite as reassuring as she had wanted it to.

Gabriel frowned at them and walked over so he could speak to them without yelling, “What are you talking about?”

Mirabel opened her mouth to tell the story again, then realized that their yelling had attracted the rest of the familia’s attention. She gulped, and glanced over at Abuela, who was returning with the triplets in tow. Abuela gave her a tight smile and a single nod, so Mirabel stood up a little straighter and explained everything from the beginning.

When she was done, she concluded the tale by saying, “We need a new foundation, we need to get better at talking to each other, and listening to each other. This didn’t happen because of a lack of love, it happened because we all kept our pain buried. We were so focused on trying to be what we thought the family needed, we forgot to be a family.”

“Myself especially,” Abuela jumped in, when Mirabel was done, “I owe each of you an apology, there is so much I haven’t said, so much fear that I passed onto you, so much I tried to bury that I should have shared. I wanted to protect you from the pain I have felt, and instead I hurt our family. For that I am sorry.”

“Ay, Mamá,” Julieta murmured, pulling her mother into a hug. It became the first of many, as soon as Julieta had released Abuela, she had wrapped Mirabel in a tight embrace, “and mija, I’m so proud of you.”

“Gracias Mamá,” she said, even as her cheeks burned.

Over her mother’s shoulder she could see the rest of the family exchanging quiet words, and a few hugs. She couldn’t hear most of what was said, but she did catch Dolores telling Isabela, “I should have told you, but I thought you were happy. I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“I should have told you,” Isabela countered.

Eventually, the quiet wave of conversation passed. For a long time, nobody said anything, they just stood in contemplative silence; then her Má asked Tía Leandra and Tío Félix to help her get dinner started.

The Madrigals gathered around the fire pit somebody had dug, each too tired or too caught up in their thoughts for any more conversation, but sticking together nonetheless.

AN: I know Mirabel was busy, but I feel like she was a little too chill about discovering all that stuff in the walls. Like, girl? You're not at least a little curious about how long that room has been there? Or the big ass hole? One of my favorite genres of Encanto fic is the rest of the family reacting to the discovery that Bruno has been living in the walls this entire time, so of course I had to ask myself how that sort of fic would change if he was using the secret passages but not living in them. The answer is it becomes kind of hilarious.

[imagine-that-100]

CSD is such a masterpiece!! I love it sm, would you and @alovesreading be able to give us a sneak peak for the next part? Totally okay if you can’t! <3

Awwhhhh! So so so glad you're enjoying Chicken Shop Date! We are honestly having such a good time writing it, we are obsessed with Baby and Matty. Of course you can have a sneak peak of Part 7! We're giving you a longer sneak peak because we need to take a bit more time to write part 8 (We always wanna be one chapter ahead and we only just finished part 7) Buttttt you can't be too upset at us because Part 7 is 36k long and it's got smuttttt lollllll. Soooo, heres your 1.7k of a sneak peak into Chapter 7. We hope you enjoyyyyyy x

“Hey Y/N/N.”

You hum at first but it turns into a, “Yeah?” and you open your eyes slowly with a blissed look on your face as you turn to look at her. 

At first you’re thankful she woke you again because it’s only early still, you definitely needed to not fall asleep just yet. But when you see your best friend turn to face you too, tucking her hand under her cheek to get comfortable over the plush pillows on her bed, you realise she wants to chat. 

Amelia sighs softly and her face gets serious, and if that wasn’t enough to scare you a bit, it’s the way her tone changes as she starts saying, “I know you don’t want to hear it and I don’t mean it in the way it’s going to sound but if I don’t say it and you get hurt, I won’t forgive myself.”

Instantly, all the joy in your system disappears, dread seeping in for whatever it is she’s about to say. There’s nothing you’re actually expecting but the weight at the pit of your stomach is getting heavier the more time she takes to continue, “What is it Ames?”

“I know you’re having a lot of fun with Matty and I'm really happy for you.” You almost tune out at the mention of his name, but seeing how serious she is you know it’s another one of those times you need to listen to her, “I truly, honestly am.” She reassures with a slight raise of her eyebrows and a nod as if to emphasise her point.

Yet you’re left waiting for the inevitable but, and sure enough, it comes after a fair few seconds, “But I just want you to be careful… I don’t want you to get feelings, or more feelings, when it could just end up being a friends with benefits thing.”

You’re truly at a loss for words as the wheel inside your brain starts to spin and the more seconds pass, the faster it spins. 

Amelia has been your best friend for years and whilst she’s had your back unconditionally for what seems like forever now, she’s also always been honest with you. Whether it was you making a stupid mistake that you were too stubborn to admit fault to, an outfit that just didn’t look good, pushing you to say sorry when you had to or you pining over someone who didn’t deserve you at all. She’s always been the one to say it like it was and kindly enough to have you snap out of so many trances. 

Never have you ever gotten angry at her, because you’ve learned that she always wants the best for you and even when the truth hurts, at the end of the day you realised she was right and she was watching out for you. 

So the first thing you feel deep in your chest isn’t anger, it’s just that pinch of hurt when you know someone says what you don’t want to hear but it’s not something that’s necessarily wrong. But that doesn’t make it any less painful to hear.

“I'm not saying stop,” She continues in slight panic at the change in your facial expression, “I can see how happy he makes you and how happy you seem to make him. And I don’t think he would have had you around for a full week if he was just going to fuck and dump you, but maybe when you go back you could get some clarity on it? Ask him about it maybe? Because the last thing I want is for him to hurt you.” 

Her suggestions are thrown in the air as a way to alleviate the growing tension around you now, hanging over you like a dark cloud that tells you it’s about to storm. But even seeing her soft awkward grin as she finishes her thoughts, you can’t seem to properly muster any logical sentences. 

Your words get tangled on the tip of your tongue and you stutter for a few seconds before you let out a loud sigh and chuckle meekly, slightly shaking your head in disbelief, “Thanks Ames.”

Amelia winces at your response and the words leave her before you can continue saying anything else, “I don’t want you to hate me for saying it, Y/N/N.”

You know she doesn’t mean it like that so you quickly reassure her that your reaction doesn’t mean that you hate her for saying it, “I don’t. I-,” 

Inhaling deeply through your nose before you can give her a deeper insight into what’s been going on between the singer and you. “He’s told me things that I don’t think you’d tell a fuck buddy. Things about his past that he got upset about. I don’t think you cry to your fuck buddies Ames.” 

It’s not that you mind her being worried about you, but it wasn’t as if Matty is all you’ve been going on about today. It wasn’t like your world has just stopped and it now solely focuses on him, because it really doesn’t. You’ve maybe mentioned the singer a handful of times today, most of the time telling her that he said hello to her or that he hoped that the both of you were having a nice time. 

Nodding slowly, she takes in what you're saying but she recoils into herself a bit when you continue to say, “And I'm not stupid, I'm not getting my hopes up for anything more just yet, I just want to enjoy what it is for now.”

Because Amelia of all people knows that you haven't had anything like this in a long time. You’ve been on your own for probably too long and you feel like some of the joy from the past week has just been invalidated when you weren’t even trying to make it into something it wasn’t. 

“I understand. But it’s worth having the conversation.” Amelia explains herself again and you nod taking in every word she says, “I don’t want you to be a placeholder for him. I don’t want you to be someone who’s willing to fuck him and then he fucks you off after the London dates on his tour.”

That has you sighing again, that last half feeling like a gut punch. But you somehow manage to nod, “I know, and I do mean the thank you I said, but I don’t wanna be thinking about that whilst we’re out here okay?” 

You were just having such a lovely moment of peace and appreciation for everything turning out better than you could’ve ever expected and now all you can taste is bitterness coating the back of your throat. “It’s not really something you can ask over the phone. And I want this to be a good experience. I don’t wanna be worrying about Matty whilst I’m out here.”

You mean that and even though you have been texting him here and there throughout the day, you’ve made sure to be mindful and enjoy every second you can with your best friend in this amazing opportunity you’ve got.

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t really know when to talk to you about it.” Her eyes show you just how much she didn’t mean to upset you, and they soften when she looks at you still sporting a blank face.

And despite knowing that, it unfortunately doesn’t make that sinking feeling in your chest go away. You feel like the mere mention of it has cracked open a can of worms that can’t be sealed again. The seeds of doubt that you’ve been ignoring to spare yourself the worry are now fixed and prominent. It all feels a little too much when you just wanted to have some fun with a man you’ve always found horrendously attractive. 

“I’m only a week into it all Ames.” You remind her and then you also refresh her memories of her and a certain rapper by saying, “I at least gave you a good few weeks with Harry before I told you to watch out.”

She nods remembering then how that had gone, “And whilst I love you for that, I know that you’ve liked Matty for a lot longer than I liked him. A year to a decade… I just don’t want him to hurt you or ruin his music for you.” 

She’s so serious it half makes you want to laugh, your best friend regarding the value of the band’s music as much as your heart being mistreated is the tiniest bit amusing to you.

“It won’t. Nothing could ruin his music for me. Not even him.” You promise, staring right into her eyes and then you plead, “I understand but for now I just want it out of my mind please. I appreciate you but please don’t bring this back up whilst we’re here. I want your support back.”

Reaching out for her hand, she meets you in the middle intertwining your fingers and then giving you a firm squeeze. A silent love you, one that you reciprocate by squeezing her hand back.

“Okay. You’ve got it. I am really really happy you’re happy, you know?” Her lips curl up in a cute shy smile, seeing as the matter is still a bit tender but trying to help you relax again.

Not that you can find it in yourself to do it after that but you try to match her smile, failing apparently because you see Amelia’s face falling as she watches you say, “I know.”

So Amelia is soon shuffling closer to you, cradling your head with her hand so you can cuddle against her chest. She leaves a kiss atop of your head and you hum softly as a thank you, which you truly mean - she’s the one person you know you wouldn’t be able to live without and her opinions are not ones you wave off or take lightly. 

However, it feels like the night just turned sour, because 5 minutes ago if your best friend cuddled you like she is doing now, you would be entirely content with it. But now, all you want to do is disappear off into your own room and release the sob that’s causing the ball in your throat.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: To the person who wanted angst, this chapter is for you xoxox

[hoffmannwrites]

On My List

1  - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 + 1 Masterlist

Author’s Note: Hello, little gay people in my phone!! This is probably my favorite part so far just because it's like so very on brand for them and also we get a little bit of Steve being eye candy and Eddie being a sexy mechanic and I just love them!

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson

Description: 5 Times Steve and Eddie kiss as friends, and one time they don't.

Warnings/Tags: Everyone lives, Nobody dies, 5+1, Kissing, Fluff, Idiots to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, some pretty brief mentions for drinking, smoking, uhhh they're gay your honor, no beta we die like Barb, very vague sexy talk (like pg-13 mention of pulling the padge), call him Daddy but in a friendly way ya know, let me know if I missed anything?

Drive

Wayne had a saying while Eddie was growing up. Well, actually, Wayne had a lot of sayings. But one of Eddie’s favorites was “first time is an accident, second time is a coincidence, and third time is a hobby”. For weeks, Eddie ponders what a fourth time is. Because him and Steve have had their mouths on each other four times now and he had no goddamn idea what that meant. Obviously, Steve wasn’t, like, homophobic. He was Robin’s biggest support and he’s never freaked out after any of the times he and Eddie…But the metal head can’t help but wonder what that means. He’s never actually come out or said anything even remotely close to liking a boy. Straight until proven guilty, Eddie liked to believe. Had his heart toyed with by experimenting and down-low boys too many times to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. So Eddie doesn’t say anything- convinces himself that this is just Harrington being comfortable in his masculinity and sexuality. Self-assured enough to know that kissing his guy friend every once in a while isn’t gay, it’s just dudes being bros.

And they were bros! So much so that when Steve’s BMW breaks down around the corner from his own home, that Eddie is the person he calls to help. Steve jogs the block and a half back home and calls two people in quick succession. First is Robin, to let her know that he can’t make it in because something is wrong with his car (“Did you get a flat? Why don’t you know how to fix a flat?” “No, Robs. It’s not that. Yes, I’m sure. No really, I can’t just drive it anyway because it’s fucking smoking.”) Robin agrees to cover for him, but makes the vague threat of him owing her big time. They both know it’s unnecessary because he would do anything for her in a heartbeat regardless.

Second, he calls Eddie. Because Eddie knows about cars. If he can hot-wire a trailer, he can take a look at a smoking BMW. So Eddie drives over and meets Steve around the corner, where he’s sitting on the curb enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. He’s practically sunbathing in his stupid tight acid wash jeans and white tee with the sleeves cuffed and sun glasses on, smoking a cigarette. He looks like an 80’s James Dean but with somehow better hair, Eddie thinks. He rolls down the window of the van and shouts out “Hey! I’m looking for a damsel in distress? About yea high, prettiest hazel eyes you’ve ever seen, and no clue how cars work?”

“Ha-Ha, you’re hilarious, Munson,” Steve replies dryly, as Eddie parks the van right in front of the BMW on the side of the road. He gets out and walks over to the beemer to pop the hood. "So you really think I have pretty eyes?" Steve asks while Eddie sets up the hood strut. But Eddie just clears his throat and hopes the blush on his cheeks isn't noticeable. “So you said it was smoking?” He inquires.

“Yeah it just started to smoke, so I panicked and pulled over immediately,” Harrington explains. “Ah,” Eddie nods in acknowledgement. “Good thing too. I’ve got good news and bad news. Bad news is, this” he says dramatically while pulling out a thin black belt from under the hood into the air, complete with frayed ends, “is not supposed to look like that.” Steve’s eyes go wide, automatically freaking out a little because that looks really bad. But before he can completely shit himself, Eddie continues. “Good news is, I can fix it and it’ll only take me about an hour once we get the part.”

“Oh thank Jesus,” Steve let’s out the breath he was holding.

“Not Jesus. Just little ol' me,” smiles Eddie. “However I have been told the resemblance is striking. I think it’s the hair.” He gestures to the van. “Hop in, let’s go get Daddy a new belt, huh?” He doesn’t miss the way Steve’s face heats up at the nickname, but chalks it up to regular embarrassment. Once they’re both in the car and Steve is sure he locked the beemer for the 4th time, they’re on their way to the nearest Northern Automotive. Eddie doesn’t even blast the radio too loud or anything. “Hey, do you need to me to drop you off? Like you were obviously going somewhere so, I can take you if you need and then just fix it on my own,” Eddie offers, realizing this is probably not how Steve wants to spend his day.

“Oh. No. I already called out of work and it’s a Wednesday, so it’s gonna be dead anyway. Honestly, I could use the break and it’s goddamn gorgeous out today, so I don’t mind. Thanks for asking, though. Are you sure you’re okay spending the day fixing my car?” Steve asks, suddenly aware that he never really asked Eddie to fix it, just take a look and the metal head just lept into action.

“Oh yeah, it’s fine. I was actually super busy smoking weed by myself, jerking off, and watching M.A.S.H. reruns, but it’s alright I guess I can reschedule those super important plans,” Eddie dramatically sighs. Steve smiles wide. “Good to know that you jerk off before watching M.A.S.H. I’d be totally concerned if that was what got you going.”

“Actually, Stevie, I’ll have you know that Alan Alda gets me all kinds of hot and bothered, thank you very much.” 

By the time they have arrived back at the car, the sun is hot in the middle of the sky. They got the new belt needed and some Burger King and a case of beer on their way back too, at Steve’s insistence. He tried to offer Eddie money for fixing the car, but the makeshift mechanic refused. “You literally saved my life. I can fix your car,” he had said, blankly, but Steve decided he could at least feed him. Eddie had scarfed down his Whopper on the way back, and got started on the car immediately.

Steve tried to be helpful, handing over a wrench or a beer every now and then. He even gave Eddie a hair tie to put up all those beautiful curls. Mostly though, Steve just watched. Watched Eddie’s arms flex around metal. Watched his tongue stuck between his teeth while he looked at his work in concentration. Watched as his hairline dripped a fine line of sweat down the side of his neck, and disappeared under the collar of his Pantera t-shirt. Watched his ass and that stupid black hanky in his left pocket. Steve just watched Eddie work and thought about how he could get used to seeing the older man sweaty and dirty, as long as he wasn’t bleeding out like that time Steve saw him so filthy. Sure, they talked too, but Steve could barely pay attention to the conversation because he was so focused on just how fucking pretty Eddie looked.

Eventually, the belt was fixed and Eddie slammed down the hood, startling Steve out of his very unholy reverie about all the other ways to make Eddie sweat. “Alright, Big Boy. Let’s give her a test, make sure she starts up for ya nice, and drive her around the block a few times.” Steve jumped up from his spot on the curb and hopped in the drivers seat, put the key in the ignition and turned.

“Beautiful!” Eddie practically shouted, jumping in the passengers side as the car sprang to life perfectly. “Now let’s drive her around a little, make sure she’s all set.” Steve did as he was told and took the car around the neighborhood in complete silence, as Eddie made sure everything sounded, looked, and even smelled correct (“If it sounded wrong, I’d know it. If it smelled wrong, I’d know it. And if it started smoking again, I’d definitely know it,” he insisted).

They pulled back over to where Eddie’s van was. “Man, you have no idea how much I appreciate this,” Steve said when they were parked. “Seriously, I could kiss you right now.”

“Alright, if you insist,” Eddie replied with a theatrical eye roll. He pursed his lips and shut his eyes comically, expecting Steve to laugh him off and shove him away. Instead he felt two soft hands grab the side of his face and an even softer pair of lips on his own. And for just a second, in the silence of Steve Harrington’s BMW, Eddie felt like he was melting way more than he had standing out in the sun. Steve pulled away, hands still on his friends face. “You wouldn’t let me pay you, so that’ll have to do.”

You’d think that after weeks of overthinking the last four times this had happened that Eddie would have had anything worth while to say, that he would have seized the moment and asked Harrington just what the fuck was going on in his head. But he was Eddie Munson. So of course, he made a joke out of it. “I’m not sure what the exchange rate is on that right now, but I think we’re even,” he said feigning confidence, shifting his eyes as far away from Steve’s as possible, and scrambling out of the car as quickly as he could all while trying to not look suspicious. He held the door open and bid Steve good bye, “I won’t tell Robin that you can totally go to work now, by the way. See ya around, sweets.” And with that, Eddie was in his van and speeding away, blasting the radio by the time he got to the end of the block.

Steve had intended on asking Eddie to come back to his house for a while and maybe, finally, get somewhere with the metal head, after dancing around each other for so long, thought he had sealed it with today’s kiss. But Eddie had left so abruptly, that Steve didn’t even get the chance. Obviously, Eddie was totally freaked out by Harrington’s forwardness. He sighed loudly and cursed to himself, driving to Family Video anyway because he needed to talk to Robin. 

A/N:

Steve's car is a 1983 BMW 733i in Burgendrot-Metallic.

Apparently, the thing that holds up a cars hood is called a few things, mainly a hood prop or hood strut. From what I could find, BMW uses the phrase hood strut.

Also apparently, only a BMW motorcycle is called a Beemer, while the cars are "bimmers". But as both a person who has never heard that before, and a German speaker, I have decided that is fucking stupid and I won't be calling it that.

Once again, I don’t know shit about fuck about cars. I only know this because one time my serpentine belt broke. It’s a pretty quick fix if you know what you’re doing (allegedly) and you can drive short distances with a broken belt, but it’s not recommended. I have no idea if Steve’s car would be as easy to fix as mine was. Hell, his model might not even have a serpentine belt. Don’t know, don’t really care. I’m a fanfiction writer, not a mechanic. 

Northern Automotive was the most popular auto parts store in 1988 according to a news article I found on Reddit. I have never heard of this store, have no idea if they were in Indiana at the time (I mean, they should have been. Indiana is pretty fuckin Northern if you ask me) , and it looks like they either went out of business or rebranded to North Auto Parts at some point. Who’s to say? 

M.A.S.H. went off air in 1983, after 11 seasons in as many years. It’s a Korean War drama/comedy and it is one of the most amazing and heartfelt shows ever made. Eddie grew up watching it with Wayne and now he watches the reruns whenever they're on. I strongly recommend you watch it. 

I asked my mom what food she ate in the 80s. She said BK (like enthusiastically, too). Here we are. 

[dogmetaph0r]

10, 13 (alfie - i mean i have to - plus one of your choice) and 14 for salty asks game 👉👈

OOOH HERE WE GOOO

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

I didn’t not like it narratively, but I didn’t particularly enjoy the whole arc of trying to get Linda and Arthur back together :/ I did appreciate it in a “fellas we are never breaking the cycle” way, but it kinda drove a wedge between me and my enjoyment of Arthur’s boyfailure arc at some points. Linda kinda reminds me of my adorable little WASP-y mom so seeing her threatened and upset because a man will do anything but go to therapy……eugh, hard watch.

13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

Alfie - this is gonna maybe be a bit controversial (or not? idk it took a while for me to wrap my noggin around the vibes) but……I don’t think Alf is all that religious? He is very very involved in his community and seems to be a well respected member of Jewish society in Camden Town, but idk how much he really practices in his day-to-day. I could be entirely wrong (would be happy for a Jewish PB fan to correct me if I am, and honestly I much prefer the headcanons that imply it matters a bit to him because as you’re about to see….I love cultural exchange) but Alfie’s irreverence and self-deification don’t really come across as terribly devout to me. If you consider the non-TV works to be canon, he definitely seems to be of the impression that nothing really matters beyond the carnal. He does seem to believe in a God, but that God’s existence isn’t really consequential to him. So I think his Jewish identity is more forged in community than shared reverence! I can relate, in a way; I never practiced Catholicism, but because my entire dad’s side did and I grew up in a highly Catholic neighborhood, it impacts how I interact with the world. So that’s how I kinda see it: it’s not the religion that he practices, but more the identity of someone raised with the religion.

I also wanna doooooo……..

Polly - she wasn’t always a wise, rational woman throughout the show. There were plenty of times she acted out of anger, fear, stubbornness… and while I do love that we kinda treat her as our voice of reason, she’s still as flawed as the rest of them. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of fics fall into the idea that Polly knows everything. It makes for a good story driver, but I feel like that unfortunately just doesn’t encompass who Polly is as a person. I don’t wanna ramble super long AGAIN but I think a lot of her interactions with/about Michael kinda demonstrate that. She’s easily blinded by her fear of loss in particular, and in a way it’s very similar to Tommy’s motivations. I think that’s part of why they butt heads sometimes. I’d like to explore that more myself!

14. Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

Oooh boy, this one is kinda tough to say. But I think we have a looooong way to go as a fandom in terms of cultural sensitivity. I know we’re working with source material that already has a pretty problematic and shallow way of going about Romani characters, but I think it’s our duty as fans to sorta….grapple with that a bit? Address it with nuance? Or at least listen to POC, particularly Romani, creators who take issue with the things done in the show and in fan content. There are SO many aspects of the show itself that play into racist stereotypes about Romani people, and I’ve seen a number of tropes and fic concepts that revolve around those stereotypes in particularly shocking ways (for example, maybe don’t have “sold to the Shelby family” or “magical g**** fortune teller” as a plot point??? Many levels of inappropriate to that). I do largely give people the benefit of the doubt because I know that not everyone knows what to look out for, especially if they themselves are not targeted personally by bigotry in their communities, and fewer people know where to go to figure that out…. but I feel like specifically Romanichal culture is a strong enough theme in the show to warrant SOME promotion of cultural research. Of course we all have work to do (I’m no exception, and I wholeheartedly welcome concrit if anything in the story seems off) but I feel like some people really lean into exoticism and stereotypes without any unpacking of why they’re doing it. And, when other people express discomfort, I’ve seen more than once the sort of response that sums up to “well so-and-so said it’s not a slur/bad trope/stereotype so I’m gonna keep using it”. Thankfully it’s less prevalent here on tumblr but it’s still a problem! Let’s rid ourselves of the idea that any one culture is a monolith! Cultural exchange and education are exciting! Decolonize your writing! Respect and an open mind go a long way!

BUT YEAH basically that’s it teehee :•)

[wingletblackbird]

The fact is that the writers of Merlin had to make Morgana over-the-top-evil, because if they didn’t Merlin would look bad and we’d be on her side.

A not cartoonishly evil Morgana would have gotten rid of Uther. She would have lifted the ban on magic. She could have used magic to benefit her subjects even. She’s doing something. She’s freeing her people. Sure, maybe she’s a bit self-cantered in parts, a bit too entitled, a bit to the ends justify the means perhaps, but, hey, she’s doing something!

Oh, no, you might say, Merlin’s way was still better because no potential civil war, no bloody coup, fewer innocents caught in the middle, no instability. Not to mention the children born around the Purge, like Arthur, now grown up, don’t know magic isn’t just a choice. They really think people choose to do something illegal and go evil as a result. They think magic is dangerous. They weren’t a part of the purge. They don’t know the truth. It’s wrong for them to have to die.

Yes, I agree up to a point, but when has Merlin ever done anything to change Arthur’s mind? Off the top of my head, once with Dragoon and once as the Dolma.

Did Merlin use his disguises to talk to Arthur meaningfully? To use magic and show how it can be good? To do anything to ensure a peaceful coup is even possible? To create a symbol, maybe the ball of light, when he uses magic to help? And if Arthur was never, in all those years together, someone Merlin felt he could trust…why is he supporting him?

Merlin’s barely done anything, and even then he keeps secrets, that have nothing to do with his magic, which Arthur ought to know and which his not knowing might harm his kingdom. Why?

By doing next to nothing, or worse things he just shouldn’t that make no sense, Merlin is simply complicit in propping up another oppressor of his people. Someone who might even banish and/or kill him at that! Why should we root for this again? Why should we care?

So the writers have to make Morgana kill innocent people in the square. They have to make her relish killing. They have to make her unbearably hard to side with or we would.

Just a few subtle changes could have kept the overall narrative of the show without making me lose my mind. For instance, Merlin should have helped Arthur realize the truth, but Morgana, understandably given she knows he’s raided Druid camps and doesn’t see his growing maturity with Merlin, leaves before this and fights against them. The writing could make it hard for us to pick whose side were on. Maybe Morgana should have tried talking to Arthur first, but maybe Merlin is also just taking too long and being too complicit.

Eventually, of course, Camelot is attacked and Merlin will stop Morgana, but he knows she’s not really his enemy. He gets her motivations. He explains this to Arthur after the magic reveal: Change the laws and your sister doesn’t hate you, far fewer people will care about overthrowing you. Now we don’t have to choose sides, because we’re all on the same one.

Because unless Arthur is willing to wait for his father to die, causing many innocent lives to be lost, he’s going to need to stage a coup of his own. (Which we know he’s willing to do in Sins of the Father). Hence, he can ally with Morgana. This means things go about more peacefully, with more legitimacy and stability thereafter, far fewer lives get lost. We get a proper golden age this time, and The Diamond of the Day would have Morgana helping Arthur after his fatal wound, like in the legends.

The fact is you cannot use brute force to make people trust magic. Trust is earned so people need to see magic being used for good, and within certain bounds. Morgana can be so focussed on the goal, getting what she wants now, she can miss that. You do need to lay the groundwork. However, you also can’t just wait around for Uther to die, Merlin. An alliance would be the sweet spot.

I wouldn’t even necessarily call this a redemption arc for Morgana. Is the above a redemption or just a reconciliation? After all, Merlin, Morgana, and Arthur are all human beings doing their best in the above scenario. None of them have done anything evil per se. They’ve all just made mistakes or been misguided. Then, they reconciled and got rid of the real villain at the heart of it: Uther

As I see it, you need both Morgana and Merlin working together, preferably backing Arthur, to get true peace in Camelot, but instead we got the garbage we got.

You know, the one where Arthur never brings back magic like he was prophesied to do? Where he never becomes High King? His reign is certainly no Golden Age if there are magicians still being executed, I say.

What is the moral of this story? Because they frame it as a tragedy for the wrong reasons, I find. It’s tragic because not much was accomplished in the series that results in significant change that we get to see. Arthur was better than Uther, sure, but that’s a low bar. His death is sad for Merlin, but morally speaking, you could argue he reaped what he sowed. The fall of Camelot can only be tragic if something truly good was lost.

I sympathize with Mordred in the series-as-it-was-written, because I too want to give Arthur a chance. He seems stable; he seems to care; he seems to want to be good, but also he hasn’t changed the horrible laws. He won’t go all the way. How long are you going to wait around while people die? Oh, you’ve reached your breaking point? Guess I’m stuck with Morgana now. 🤷‍♀️

[jechristine]

I honestly don’t mean to offend you because I like your blog usually. But once in a while you get stuck on a point that is clearly not making sense and it’s almost as if you want to save face and not admit you were wrong, so you keep on going and making it even worse. You want to talk about celebrities feeding the parasocial, fine, it’s a reality, but picking a promotional post to make your point is weird and is giving I just have an agenda. Would it make you feel better if he said I watched it and it’s worth it? It would be pointless regardless, he’s just helping his brother out and being transparent about it. You are also comparing with celebrities that either have nothing in common with him (age, how they became famous, how they had to use social media) or you are giving passes because they had it harder (and they did, but does that make Z’s continued rs with her fanpages make it any less parasocial)? And all that about some comments he made on fame 1,5 years ago. Unless he has given interviews more recently…

I like your blog, I do, but you aren’t being astute on this, you just really want to make a point. It’s just weird that you feel this need.

Well I’ll agree that my point is getting clearer in my own head as I go around with different anons. I think of my blog as more of an ongoing discussion that shapes my own thinking, and less of a “I make a fully fleshed out argument that’s either right or wrong.” From my pov, developing a viewpoint in tandem with others is a common process is talking and writing especially in low-stakes space like tumblr. If my point is unclear it’s because I’m working on it as I go and trying to respond to different angles that anons bring up. I’m pretty open to being challenged, I’d say.

There’s also a central point I’m trying to make—that celebrities play a role in nurturing and activating parasocial relationships that they benefit professionally and financially from. Some anons seem to be feeling really defensive about that point as applied to Tom Holland, probably because of the parasocial relationship he’s successfully created with them! But I’m not going for good vs bad, criticize vs celebrate, as they seem to be expecting me to.

And there are ancillary points that have come up because anons who feel angry love to take conversations to whataboutism or other deflections. Those ancillary points: 1) other celebrities create less toxic (?) or potent versions of those parasocial relationships, maybe because they’re older and more mature? I’m 33 and I don’t see 26yo’s sm lives as that much different than mine idk. Or maybe because those other celebrities have simply never been committed to an idea of showing vulnerability the way Tom has? Or something else or some combination? 2) the immutable traits of a person’s identity play a role in how they are able to succeed in the entertainment industry and to what extent they need to connect to fans for that success. And 3) that some quasi political figures who are also celebrities like the BRF Harry & Meghan have additional or different incentives for putting themselves out there.

So to your point: I guess I agree that the Paddy post isnt the best example of Tom activating the parasocial relationships that he’s played a role in developing, but I do think it’s an instance of his doing so. I didn’t pick it exactly. The issue that I’ve talked about many times over the last year popped up yesterday again on @wetheoriginals blog, and I said the same kind of thing I always say about it.

I think about the point I’m trying to make as being spurred more by the desire to defend fans who are caught up in a market system that doesn’t really benefit them in any material way. Maybe it makes them feel good for a second.

Like I said, I think most celebrity-fan relationships include an element of the parasocial, and how much each contains and activates can be better assessed along a spectrum. It’s a part of celebrity culture, and I usually see very reductive or shallow assessments of it (I.e. “this stan needs to touch some grass”). I’d like to think more about it and how it works.

[badedramay]

also! i’m curious, what do you think of ahad’s acting personally? he’s one of the weird nepo kids for me where i don’t think he’s bad in any capacity but i also don’t think he’s all that enrapturing either. like he doesn’t have that it factor idk. i see nepo kids like osman and zara noor abbas (who, speaking of, should totally team up again considering they were one of the best parts of ehd-e-wafa) display so much range for emotion and theatrics in their work that you can’t look away but ahad to me is someone more famous for the scripts he ends up choosing than necessarily his own talent. like there are clearly areas where he’s way out of his depth (hum tum lol..) against his peers who otherwise acclimatize flawlessly to a multitude of genres. which isn’t to say he can’t grow. but he’s as of yet overhyped to me and i think it’ll take a long time for him to escape the legacy of sahad lol

Ahad is a classic nepo kid. his entire career in Pakistan is him benefitting from first the connections of his family and then being HumTV's favorite. nothing that wrong with it. the man has good screen presence and if he chose to stick around and do more projects, he'd have gotten better at the non-angsty characters onscreen (good lord Hum Tum was a mess of epic proportions. it was PAINFUL watching Ahad do a SAC hero because he just does not have that natural flair to make those characters work). But it's clear the man never really intended to stick around here for long. I said it in the previous ask I'll say it again - he just wanted to have a solid portfolio that he could pitch to producers in other countries. jab wahan kaam milna kam ya band hojaega tab yahan wapas ajaega. he has the means and the connections to start working here again like he was never gone.

ya know..I forget that Zara Noor Abbas is also a nepo kid because of how well she has established herself as an individual. I remember she had a solid screen presence right from Khamoshi itself and it just got better with time. I also believe since Zara's career has a mix of big and small roles, hit and flop shows..the accusation of nepotism doesn't stick on her. she's an example of a nepo kid who came in through the connections but ultimately made it on their own. Obi toh I wouldn't even call a nepo kid purely because I don't believe (seeing his career) that he benefited too much from his father's name. he had a strong, thriving theater background and one that he is still attached to. people knew him more as a "Humsafar Parody" guy than being his father's son when he got to doing dramas. his transition from theater to youtube to TV to mainstream films is very natural. and this is not even including his indie movie projects or writing credits.

it's interesting..this whole nepo kid discussions. the industry is FULL of people who came in through their connections or benefited from them. but only a few get talked about when this topic comes up. like...no one talks of Ali Abbas when talking about nepo kids while his father is Waseem Abbas. he's not an unknown or unsuccessful actor by any means considering how he has been a lead role in many dramas. but he just doesn't come up often in these discussions. fascinating.

[nickeverdeen]

Greetings, my friend. I would like to ask if you still do matchups? If you do, may i ask for one with the Harry Potter characters? I'm a female, straight, and my pronouns are She/Her. I enjoy writing, reading and listening to music. I often sit still and stare blankly, as my mind refuses to work normally and instead wanders through a bunch of fantasies, so you can either consider me a dreamer, or a sleep deprived.

I'm competitive, especially in academics, seeing as i was always a gifted child whp didn't need to put so much effort into studying. Now, though, as i meet more equally talented people, i become envious and seek to be placed first once again.

Most quizzes i took sorted me as a Ravenclaw, while a minority chose Slytherin instead. Surprisingly enough, i don't mind physical affection, and will gladly accept it as a love language. I will reciprocate with words, as i can be quite the sweet-talker sometimes. I believe relationships, or friendships for this matter, should hold mutual benefits for either sides; this philosophy made a number of my friends cut their bonds with me, but it doesn't matter, as it only prooves how far our intellects are from eachother. I think putting it here might hopefully reveal more of my way of thought, and help with the matchup.

I hope this isn't too long. Thank you for reading this all, those story interactions are my true coping mechanism. Please do not try to answer this request as fast as possible, and instead take your time. And don't mind my amateur english, it's not my native language.

Take care.

Your Harry Potter match is…

Harry Potter

He would sit with you and also stare into nothingness just thinking

I mean come on we saw it in many movies

You being “the gifted child” he might try to get competetive a bit

Harry would probably sometimes try to get better than you in some subjects, but not all the time

You got into Ravenclaw? Nice, he just hates the stairs to the tower and riddle solving when he wants to visit you in your dorm

You got into Slytherin? Cool, he doesn’t mind it, even though when you first met he was a bit weary about you - ‘cause Harry is Harry

His love languages are probably - physical touch and quality time

So he doesn’t mind giving you cuddles or holding your hand at all

Harry IS a show-off so if he’s really good at something he WILL flex in front of you

Such as quitich (sorry if I wrote it wrong)

He would take you on a date on the Astronomy tower at night or to The Three Broomsticks

Compliments? Definetly

He isn’t really sure what to do in your relationship when it first started to it’d be nice of you to help him a bit

He would catch on quickly then

Harry does his best to keep you safe from Voldemort and other dangerous things and people

Harry is very loyal so don’t worry, he would never in his life cheat on you

Arguments are rare as he doesn’t like to see you upset

Especially with him

————————————————————

[girl4music]

ANDY: “Captain doesn’t make the soup.”

MAYA: “I miss cooking.”

ANDY: “You were an excellent Captain today.”

MAYA: “You don’t have to say that.”

ANDY: “I know.”

MAYA: “Well, at least I’ll go out on a high.”

ANDY: “You can’t quit. If you fail we all fail. Every one of us. What, you think if you step down, Dixon’s gonna let another woman take your place?”

MAYA: “So now I’m responsible for the future of all female firefighters?”

ANYA: “Well, don’t act like that’s a surprise to you. It is what it is. You had a rough start, but look at my Dad. When he made Captain, his team called him so many racial slurs, he should have walked out of these doors on day one. But he didn’t. He stuck it out. He, he changed people’s minds, and he became legendary.”

MAYA: “Everyone hates me.”

ANDY: “Everyone’s fighting some kind of battle. This is yours. And for the record, when I make Captain, it’s not gonna be because my friend gave me her job. I’m too proud for that. And you’re too proud for it, too.”

MAYA: “I miss you. I’m sorry I broke us.”

ANDY: “I do blame you for the fact that I live with Jack now. I mean, he refuses to use Tupperware. He ju-he just puts a, a plate over the bowl and sticks it in the fridge.”

*they both laugh*

MAYA: “I’m so sorry.”

ANDY:

*sighs deeply and walks over to Maya*

“You’re my tribe, Maya. We’re not all the way through this, but we’ll get there. In the meantime, you go tell Sullivan you’re not quitting.”

MAYA: “You couldn’t have said all this to me before I made enemies with Dixon?”

Well, I’m glad the team is back together and are like a family again, especially Andy and Maya. But I don’t agree with Andy’s sentiment that Maya should stay as Captain no matter how true it may be. Maya just isn’t ready for leadership yet. If she’s going to remain Captain then Andy is going to have to give her some hands on training off the books or something because her decision-making is too questionable and risky. Without learning the skill of effective delegation and knowledge of the benefits of doing risk assessments, she really shouldn’t be continuing as Captain. I can’t see her getting through the job and leading her team successfully without Andy giving her her full support.

We’ll see how it goes but I am not convinced it’s a good idea to let her carry on as Captain. Not without the experience and knowledge she needs to be one. I could be wrong. I hope I’m wrong. But from what I’ve seen already, she’s honestly not a very good Captain.