#Jim has no idea how to cope

[avirxy]

So, I have like an..idea okay. I’m not usually one to touch upon the garbage fire, but just this once.

Jim goes back in time, he’s impulsive and rash and his decision was not thought out at all, he was acting purely on the rush of emotional weight that was brought forth by his best friend dying.

The amulet calls for Toby.

That’s something he wasn’t expecting, Jim doesn’t understand why it didn’t call to him, did he do something wrong? Had his failure to save his best friend deemed him unworthy?

He tries to focus his attention elsewhere, working under the guise of unknowing, he can fix this. He even has time to work on the play, despite Claire’s oddly silent indifference toward him, like she knows something, but if she’s suspicious she never voices such.

It’s..weird.

The battle at the museum doesn’t happen because Jim manages to sway Strickler to their side, even if he’s a tad standoffish, everything is great, Draal has two arms, no ones died that hasn’t absolutely had too. Jim can do this, he can keep everyone safe.

He’s not folding under the pressure, he’s Atlas, he can hold the world up and still make time to finish his Spanish homework.

But something’s following them, someone, he should say. Toby’s the one who brings it up, after training one day in the forge, he blunders and bumbles through his explanation but gets his point across fairly clear.

There’s some shady figure in armor, and it’s not the Daylight armor, Toby has the amulet, no this looks, futuristic in a sense, a mixed combination of outer worldly tech and wizardry.

Jim doesn’t understand at first, he could have forgotten some minuet details but he absolutely does not recall a figure in armor stalking his best friend, let alone him this early into the timeline.

Unless Angor rot has been awoken but Strickler wouldn’t do that, would he? Angor rot doesn’t wear armor.

Weeks fly by with no answer.

Jim hopelessly continues through the motions, he mourns the fact his surrogate father no longer recognizes him, doesn’t see him as a son. Everything feels the same but different at the same time. He just wants to make things right.

Then, he sees them, this mysterious watcher, as he’s walking his bike home from Trollmarket, contemplating his next step.

Standing at the end of the street, motionless, the lamplight illuminating their dark armor. Appearing like an omen of death.

They have Excalibur, held loosely, too loosely for someone that should know how to wield a sword. His first constricting, paralyzing thought is the Green Knight, but no, this is someone else, they have his amulet, the one Douxie and Krel built.

Sitting in place over their heart. It ticks, time endlessly stretching out.

Excalibur is lifted up, pointed straight at his chest. And their voice comes loathing, enraged and betrayed through the helmet they wear.

“No more running, you coward.”

Someone followed Jim back in time, after he abandoned everyone and everything he’s ever known, and they want revenge.

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

‘Our Flag Means Death’: How Blackbeard & Stede’s Fantastical Underwater Reunion Came Together

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Our Flag Means Death, Season 2, Episodes 1-3.]

It doesn’t take more than a single second to recognize Kate Bush‘s haunting and heartbreaking tune “This Woman’s Work,” as Blackbeard, a.k.a. Ed (Taika Waititi), is pushed from a clifftop to plunge into the ocean’s depths below in Our Flag Means Death‘s Season 2 installment, “The Innkeeper.” But how did the pirate heartbroken over Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) wind up in this position? It’s a delicate and winding path that starts with the infamous pirate’s unraveling over the course of the latest season’s first two episodes.

Believing Stede intentionally abandoned him after planning to run away together at the end of Season 1, Blackbeard embraces the version of himself so many have conjured up in their minds as he leads the Revenge’s “new” crew to pillage and plunder on the high seas. His unhinged behavior eventually forces Jim (Vico Ortiz), Izzy (Con O’Neill), Frenchie (Joel Fry), Archie (Madeleine Sami), and Fang (David Fane) to violently take control of the ship and neutralize Blackbeard — or so they think — after he steers them directly into a storm.

When Zheng Yi Sao’s (Ruibo Qian) Red Flag happens across an eerie-looking Revenge on the ocean, Stede dives overboard in his excitement over the possibility of seeing Ed, only to be told various excuses for his absence by the crew aboard. When Stede directly addresses Izzy regarding Blackbeard’s lack of presence, the now peg-legged pirate claims the Revenge crew dropped Ed on a beach.

This seems to ring true as we see Blackbeard wash ashore and cared for by his own former captain Hornigold (Mark Mitchinson). While together, Blackbeard and Hornigold discuss the mutiny that took place and Blackbeard’s hopes for the future. When a role-playing scenario testing Blackbeard’s ability to be an Innkeeper, a profession he’s interested in, goes awry, he attacks Hornigold, killing the tarp-clad pirate. But when Hornigold rises again, Blackbeard realizes something is off.

Aboard the Revenge, Ed’s body is uncovered below deck. Believing him dead, Zheng Yi Sao is forced to consider killing the Revenge crew for mutiny after initially welcoming them aboard the Red Flag. And Stede has to cope with the idea that his love may be gone forever.

After hatching an escape plan for the Revenge team, Stede and pals return to their former ship, leaving Zheng stranded without a wheel. Going to sit with Ed’s body, Stede wonders why he had to go and get himself killed. Meanwhile, Blackbeard begins to realize he’s stuck somewhere between life and death, a place this Hornigold manifestation calls a “gravy basket.”

As the two men banter about the pros and cons of choosing life over death, Hornigold ties a boulder around Ed’s waist and throws it from the cliff they’re standing on, pushing Blackbeard into the ocean. Just as it seems as though he’ll succumb to the waves, Blackbeard proves Bush’s song right: Perhaps there’s a little life in him yet. When Stede lifts the cloth from his face on the Revenge, underwater Ed reacts to the change. Peering into the water, he sees a light from which a fantastical mermaid version of Stede emerges.

In the real world, Stede reacts to Blackbeard’s twitching hand, taking it in his and pleading for him to live as a montage of their moments together rolls alongside Bush’s still-playing song. The final seconds of the episode see Ed’s eyes open, giving Stede hope.

So, how did this moving turn of events come to pass? A team full of creatives was responsible for bringing the captivating and satisfying reunion.

Stede’s Mermaid Tail

“It’s a huge process,” putting together Stede’s practical mermaid look, according to costume designer Gypsy Taylor. She says “it started with me begging everybody” to avoid visual FX and make a tail for the sequence. The orange and glittering look could have followed several different styles, but ultimately, Taylor notes, “I thought if Stede is going to turn into a mermaid, and it’s in Blackbeard’s dream, it’s sort of his vision of a mermaid.”

Considering this, in Taylor’s mind, Blackbeard wouldn’t envision some epic fantastical creature; instead, Stede would “just be like a goldfish. He’d just be like a sweet harmless goldfish.” In putting sketches together of the ensemble, Taylor acknowledges the symbolism of the goldfish motif: “There’s a huge Chinese element that we have coming through, and goldfish in Chinese culture is considered lucky.” As this vision of Stede was responsible for helping bring Ed back to life, that luck was certainly there.

“I thought that was a pretty beautiful thing, that they meet each other under the ocean and then they find each other,” Taylor gushes. “And so I went a little deep on that, but really he’s just a goldfish.” In order to achieve the goldfish mermaid look, Taylor teamed up with props master Hayley Egan, who’s based out of Australia. “She happens to excel at making mermaid tails,” Taylor shares.

After securing Egan’s involvement, Taylor says, “We fit Rhys in a jumbo stretch long skirt and made sure it was really tight so he could still sort of do this dolphin [swimming] action. And then we bought these mono fins, which you can purchase online and put your feet in.” Safety was key, though. “He had to swim really deep and for a really far distance, and he’d never done anything like that before,” Taylor explains. “So it had to be really safe and doable.”

Once that was figured out, Taylor says Egan “cast something like 3,000 hand-sculpted silicon scales. There’s something like five kilograms of glitter in the whole thing. And then we hand-dyed pleated chiffon for all the fins, so that when he was swimming through the water, it would have this magic feel.”

While the scene may play as emotional and romantic, the story behind getting Stede’s mermaid look from Australia to New Zealand was actually quite comical. “[Egan] sliced two suitcases in half, filled [them with the mermaid tail], and then when it went through customs, the customs guy said to her, ‘Are you bringing fish into this country?’ And she’s like, ‘Yes, yes I am.'”

In total, there were four tails, including “a practice tail, a stunt tail, because Rhys had to do quite a few lessons before we got the real one on. And the real one was super precious, and chlorine’s very strong, it eats fabrics away, so we wanted to save the hero one for the hero shot,” Taylor reveals. When it came time to film, “We put him in [the tail], and it was just amazing.” In order to get Darby into the pool, Taylor says a ramp had to be built and the actor was placed in a wheelchair while costumed “and pushed in.” As unglamorous as it sounds, she adds, “it was like Rhys’s dream come true.”

How Kate Bush Entered the Music Mix

It’s safe to say Kate Bush has been having a moment on TV since last year’s “Running Up That Hill” needle drop on Stranger Things, but music supervisor Maggie Phillips says, “This Woman’s Work” was selected before Netflix‘s hit made headlines with their use of the aforementioned song. “When we were placing [the song in the season lineup],” Phillips says, “it was maybe weeks after Stranger Things, and I was worried that we would look like copycats.”

Phillips maintains that the song was in the mix before, but it ultimately “doesn’t matter because really what matters is that Kate Bush is a queen and more and more people need to know her music.”

She says, “From what I heard from David [Jenkins], it was a song that Taika was attached to.” At first, Phillips was reluctant to go with the song due to its prior uses, but “David told me not to worry about [that], that people have short-term memory when it comes to music.”

While she debated with the team over cutting it, “[David] has the visuals in his mind. I don’t. I’m just hearing it with a script and I had no clue how it was going to work until I saw the first cut, and it was beautiful and they picked a part of the song that worked really well with the visuals, so they sort of made it their own,” Phillips explains. “They added a different context to the song that I wouldn’t have been able to imagine myself. So they proved me wrong for sure.”

It’s hard to imagine the scene without Bush’s song. “It changes the way you listen to the song,” Phillips notes. “I got chills watching it and I know that song so well and haven’t gotten chills like that in a long time.” With all of the buildup, “You’re waiting for them to have their romantic moment. You’re waiting for three episodes for that to happen. And so it’s so cathartic when that song comes on, and you see them come together in this fantasy world under the sea. It’s just perfect.” This led her to email Jenkins. “I was like, ‘You were right. I was wrong. But this was beautiful, and thank you so much.'”

Blackbeard’s Wet Wig Woes

Anyone watching the scene unfold would have to notice Blackbeard’s silver tresses weaving through the water, a feat much more difficult behind the scenes than the seemingly simple sequence onscreen. “We filmed that quite late in the season, and so we were really planning and thinking about that all the way through [filming]. I was a bit nervous,” hair and makeup designer Nancy Hennah admits. “I knew that he was going to have to be under the water with his wig on for quite a long time.”

Even with high-quality wig glue, Hennah says, “You can do everything you can to make that wig stay on, but there’s a limited amount of time that the glue will last. So we had to use different products than we would normally use to get the wig down.” Because the product Hennah normally uses to keep hair back in a wig is water soluble, “it melts, and the hair starts coming out from the lace, and it can ruin the whole look of the wig.” She had to come up with a creative fix.

“I glued his own hair back, and then we glued the lace on top of that, and wildly, it lasted right until the very last shot when they were dragging him through the water by the ankles,” Hennah reveals. “The wig just came off completely after they’d finished shooting. And so he came up out of the water, and the wig was off to the side, [and he goes], ‘I think my wig came off.'” She calls the success of the wig “incredible” and “just a fluke really.”

When it came to capturing Darby’s underwater look, it was all about blending the mermaid tail with his skin. “With Stede, Gypsy had a beautiful mermaid tail made, and we did a whole lot of practice with different types of silicon and things that we had to blend that piece between his skin and the tail. We made these pieces of silicon with glitter and things in them that we individually stuck over the top of the mermaid tail,” Hennah details.

Again, there were concerns about getting “things to stick underwater,” but watching the scene come together from behind the camera eased those. “[When] we were standing there on the set that day and watching the monitor, it just was so beautiful that we were all blown away by it, and that tank that they were filming in was a couple of stories deep, and to be out there in that water, it was challenging, and they both did so well. It just went off without a hitch. It was one of those great days where it just worked for everybody.”

Don’t miss what else is in store for the season. Stay tuned for additional interviews and content as the second season of Our Flag Means Death unfolds.

Our Flag Means Death, New Episodes, Thursdays, Max

Source: TV Insider

[queermediaanysis]

So a lot is bothering me about the narrative structure of season two. If I didn’t have my own novel to work on and didn’t have several more edits commissioned, I’d write a fix-it fic for all of season two to fix the narrative stuff and to really delve into character arcs that felt off. Maybe I will anyway. Idk. If someone who actually has time wants to take any or all of this and write a fic, go for it. Can’t wait to read it. Anyway, this is a very rough outline that’s subject to change if I do write the fic, but from a developmental editing perspective, here’s my two cents nobody asked for on season 2:

Thematic elements: Atonement and coping with trauma, the crew leaving (especially in regards to Stede’s emotional wound where he’s worried about people being better off without him) and identity (especially in regards to Ed/Stede/Izzy). These are present in the show as-is, but they don’t play out well just yet. I’m focusing on these to make things cohesive.

Episodes 1-3: mostly perfect. Loved these and the pacing felt correct for the most part. I would keep the tone from these episodes through the season. Ricky would be introduced here. Zheng is fantastic and all of her stuff stays here.

What I’d change: Ned Low would be the primary antagonist for this season. Ricky would be set up through this season to be the primary antagonist next season. Ned Low’s record is Ed’s original suicide by proxy plan, and that needs to be introduced here. There needs to be a scene showing how Ned tortures people in these episodes. Izzy needs to bring it up as a concern to Ed. Ed doesn’t care about the crew’s safety, obviously, someone (Izzy) needs to mention Ned’s record and possible repercussions here. I’d also NOT play Lucius’s trauma reveal with Stede like a comedy beat. (Like seriously, I HATE that the show played SA as a comedy beat.) Black Pete would be shown crying of Lucius so it’s not just told randomly after the fact. Olu would be shown missing Jim.

Episode 4: The unicorn thing with Izzy was beautiful and I’d keep that. Stede and Ed going to Mary and Anne’s is fine. Buttons can APPEAR to turn into a seagull.

What I’d change: The Kraken Crew and Lucius need to stay paranoid longer. They need to tally things up and realize that Low’s record has been broken (I think Ed was too checked out from reality/high on rhino horn to even realize he’d broken it; Izzy has bigger things going on and likely also lost track) but that record being broken was NEVER shown in the original, just told after the fact. In order to NOT switch to a speculative genre randomly for a convenient metaphor, Buttons appears to turn into a seagull but he doesn’t literally. Revealed to the audience but not to Ed/Stede (more on this later). Stede doesn’t put it to a vote that Ed can come back. He’s the captain and decides that that’s how it’s gonna be. The crew is also gonna look to former first-mate Frenchie (whose trauma is in a box) for direction when Izzy is struggling. It’s Frenchie’s idea about the leg. Izzy is still struggling a little more after his new leg, and I think he should be shown happy at the end but with a bottle of something not far from him (but more in that later).

Episode 5: Ed’s influencer non-apology clearly written by Stede works. Ed and Stede need time apart. The cursed suit can stay for the levity of it. Ed and Fang can go fishing. The moonlight kiss scene works for the most part.

What I’d change: Izzy can be sassy with Lucius, and a bit of a mentor to Stede, but he’s going to be drinking in this episode. Not plastered drunk like ep 4, but it’s gonna clearly be a struggle and everyone is just Not Talking About It. Lucius might start to parallel that a bit and I’d like to see more interaction with them there. I’d also like to see the Kraken Crew (all the crew really) treating Izzy as their captain. Stede says he doesn’t feel like the captain and there should be a reason for that. If he forced them to let Ed back on the boat in ep 4, that can be addressed here. Izzy is following Stede so he can eventually persuade everyone they have to as well, though Izzy’s earned more trust than anyone at this point. I’d delve into him doing for Stede what he did for Ed pre-season one (“massaged the crew” when Ed’s moods seemed off to keep things running (I can’t remember the exact quote past that, but that’s essentially the idea). The Kraken Crew needs to be wary of Ed longer. They do not believe Buttons is a seagull. They all think Ed killed him and Stede says he didn’t see Buttons turn into a seagull, but he takes Ed’s side and doesn’t think Ed killed him. That starts a rift and an “us or Ed” thing that’ll play out later. Ed can try to interact with the crew and get the cold shoulder. He’s done nothing to restore his reputation. As far as the cursed suit goes, I would have them receive some sort of warning from Ned Low when they go to pawn the suit off on the other ship. Stede or/or Izzy would keep it quiet from the crew, who are only just now starting to follow Stede as the captain. Ricky needs to be shown here wanting to end piracy, and interacting with Zheng. After the moonlight kiss, I’d have them holding hands as they walk off. I think maybe Lucius would want to leave the ship here. The Swede and Buttons are gone already, and it makes sense for Lucius to want to leave but Black Pete to want to stay. They’ll both still be on board here though.

Episode 6: Calypso’s Birthday will be the plot for 7/8.

What I’d change: let me preface this by saying I haven’t worked Zheng’s plot fixes out fully. But. If we’re moving this to the next two episodes, something has to happen here. I’d keep the bit with the guilt room and with Ed giving away treasure to the urchins saying don’t be pirates, but have him say more in front of Stede about how piracy is bad for specific reasons that Stede just doesn’t clock as Ed wanting to stop. I think the plot will be along the lines of Stede engaging in more piracy. Ed will quietly be struggling with the fact that Stede is becoming a more and more proficient pirate in his own way, Ed himself not wanting to pirate anymore, and his tentative new relationship with the captain of a ship he is definitely not wanted on by anyone other than Stede. Zheng needs to interact with Ricky here about him wanting to end piracy. Izzy is a good first mate here but he’s still drinking. Lucius may start to parallel that here. Former first mate Frenchie picks up the slack and falls into a leadership role when Izzy is struggling too much, and this is eventually gonna cause him to have to deal with his trauma that’s bottled up, when he has to talk to Izzy about clearly not handling his own. Eventually, things will come to a head with the crew not wanting Ed on board. It becomes an “us vs him” thing with the crew threatening to leave if Es doesn’t. Stede will try to smooth things over but Ed will interrupt and say don’t bother, he’s leaving. He doesn’t know who he is but at least fisherman would be better than pirate. Episode ends with Stede heartbroken and Ed going off to fish in something that isn’t his leathers, so he wouldn’t be recognizable from a distance. Low pinpoints Stede’s ship but doesn’t see Ed on it, and plans to bait him out by boarding and torturing the crew.

Episodes 7-8: Nope. I’d keep almost none of this.

What I’d change: This part is also still rough and I need to flesh it out a bit more, BUT: Calypso’s birthday would be episode 7. The crew would wanna party but also wanna cheer up their sulking captain. They’re glad Ed is gone. Izzy is a good first mate here but still drinking. He encourages the party to Stede who agrees. They’re spending Ed’s treasure that he’s left, turning the poison into positivity by getting rid of the bad memories the Kraken Crew has of obtaining it. Stede and Izzy bond a lot here. Ned Low does interrupt the party (I think maybe he’s also “working” with Ricky but not really, he has his own agenda) planning to bait Ed back. The scene in Stede’s quarters would be Izzy and Stede, not Ed and Stede. Once again the crew are suffering for Ed’s actions, and THAT is how Ed can atone for it. He can save them, probably with the help of Zheng who he’ll have met when he goes off to be a fisherman. So there’s some camaraderie going there. Also, with help from Lucius and Black Pete, who will have to trust him in order to save the crew/themselves. Stede will be the one to kill Ned Low, and he and Ed will still impulsively sleep together as a coping mechanism at the end of episode 8. Izzy is still alive and well (though still drinking a lot; and I think this could be a key to Frenchie having to confront trauma instead of locking it in the box), and things aren’t smoothed out with Ed and Izzy yet, that’s for next season, Ed has ACTUALLY done something to earn the crew’s trust back, and it appears to be a happy enough ending for Ed and Stede. Also, IF Ed says “I love you”, Stede is GONNA say “I love you too” because WTAF was that in the show?! But I’d end the season with La Vie en Rose and fireworks, Izzy happy and celebrating with the crew, a happy moment for Ed/Stede, the antagonist defeated, and Ed actually having atoned for his previous actions.

All of this is rough, but it’s my original thoughts. If anyone wants to use the base of this to write a fix-it fic, go for it. I may do it myself if I can find the time between work writing responsibilities.

[scoobydoodean]

Do you think John ever used to hit Sam and Dean? If so do you think he hit one of specifically or do you think he hit the both of them?

I don't think there's any solid evidence that John hit Sam and Dean. Some people do believe he did at least a few times (maybe when he was drinking—see: 7.03). I can't think of anything that I believe would 100% confirm John hit either of them.

I can think of three episodes that might imply Dean was occasionally physically abused by John:

1.14 "Nightmare": Dean's "All things considered". Haunting little set of screencaps.

5.16 "Dark Side of the Moon": This one is mainly down to jacting joices. When the brothers enter Sam's memory of running away to Flagstaff, Dean gets upset as Sam's lack of memory of the ramifications. Dean says "Well, you don’t remember, do you? You ran away on my watch. I looked everywhere for you. I thought you were dead. And when Dad came home…" The look Dean gives on that last line tends to stick with people.

9.07 "Bad Boys": In the scene where Dean and Sonny first meet, Dean has finger-shaped bruises all over his wrists. Sonny first asks if the deputy harmed Dean, then asks if it was John. Dean says it was a werewolf, but that story doesn't necessarily make sense either.

Another suggestive hint comes from young Sam in 7.03 "Girl Next Door":

YOUNG AMY Yeah, well, she [my mom] has a temper. Sometimes. It's... no big deal. YOUNG SAM My dad does, too. You don't want to see him when he's drinking.

Sam doesn't necessarily understand the implication of physical abuse in this scene, but he later finds out that Amy's mother is physically abusive toward Amy. We also knew that John had a drinking problem long prior to 7.03. Sam in particular resents this to the point of making several references to John's excessive drinking in 1.01 inside his apartment building. He says John's probably just "Working overtime on a Miller Time shift", then tells Jess that John's probably somewhere with "Jim, Jack, and Jose” (these are all brands of alcohol for anyone unfamiliar).

While 7.03 seems potentially damning, Sam explicitly denies that John physically abused him in 1.14 "Nightmare". When confronted with Max's extensive physical abuse, he ends the episode being thankful that they had John instead of some other dad who might not have coped as well:

Well, it coulda gone a whole other way after Mom. A little more tequila and a little less demon hunting and we woulda had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out ok. Thanks to him.

One might also consider how Sam responds to hearing about abusive relationships in 1.14 and 2.17 with Max and Madison respectively. He asks Max why he didn't just leave when the abuse continued into his adulthood, and suggests that he doesn't see Madison as the type to be caught up in an abusive relationship (questions that do make one wince, yeah...)

My own thinking is the following: I don't think there's anything wrong with exploring the idea that physical abuse did occur. I think John's well-documented neglect is enough child abuse for me personally. I think 1.14 probably rules out John hitting Sam (but one could argue otherwise). I think some incidents can be used to suit the narrative that John hit Dean, but I don't find any of the hints we're given are concrete proof of physical abuse.

1.14's "All things considered" line might be interpreted as a convincing suggestion that Dean suffered physical abuse, but it also might just represent Dean slowly trading places with Sam over the season as the John Defender, as he becomes more and more angry with their father (especially considering 1.14 comes after both of Dean's pleas for help went unanswered in 1.09 and 1.12, and 1.11 where he says he wishes he could stand up to John).

5.16 comes down to a look that, at the end of the day, could be interpreted a multitude of ways (and if I think about it... it seems to me that words would haunt Dean more at that point in his life than fists).

It seems to me that 9.07 might actually rule out John being responsible for Dean's injuries. John had been gone on a hunt when Dean got caught for stealing, leaving Sam and Dean behind at a motel. John had been gone long enough for Dean to risk gambling to try and get more cash. This suggests John had been gone for a while, meaning Dean and John probably hadn't been in the same room for a while. This also means I'm not sure if I buy Dean's story about a werewolf though (John was on a Rugaru hunt. Dean wasn't with him).

[spockandstars]

I think that a lot of people take issue with the way the Spock/Chapel/T'Pring love triangle is presented in Strange New Worlds, but that sometimes this is dismissed as fans just being bitter spirk shippers. So here are a few reasons why I believe people are iffy on this plotline. (Disregarding the fact that we're disappointed that the showrunners didn't, and most likely won't, take the chance to do something really cool with Spock's legacy as a queer coded character...)

Firstly, it takes time away from other characters to address an element of Spock's story that has already been explored beautifully. (I will get into how this treats Chapel and T'Pring later...) Spock's struggle with his humanity and his anguish over the depth of his feelings for others (particularly Jim) is a focus in TOS and the movies, and if you're going to keep on talking about it, at least do it in a more creative way? This isn't to say that it shouldn't be acknowledged at all, seeing that it is a lifelong struggle for him, but by making it such a focus of the series they're not giving other interesting characters as much of a chance to develop.

Additionally, it has traditionally been understood that Spock coped with his inner turmoil by repressing his feelings. Over the course of his lifetime, he learns to embrace his human side more to become a more balanced and healthy person. SNW takes the approach of "young Spock was more human and horny!" which isn't necessarily bad, but they better be giving us an explanation for how he transforms so dramatically to the extremely repressed character he is in TOS. Maybe this is reaching too far, but this whole approach of young Spock just feels like an excuse to get hot ladies into his bed and to fulfill the fantasies of nerdy men who project onto him. This is the same Spock who scoffed at the idea of going to see dancers at a bar, who was immune to the charms of the sexy ladies in Mudd's Women, who only entertained women when drugged or when he needed to do so for a mission...

Furthermore, I believe it's a disservice to Chapel. On one hand, it does make her love for Spock seem more grounded in reality, which I appreciate. In TOS, it's pretty clear that Spock doesn't share her feelings and her crush is only really ever used as a means of ridiculing her. There goes silly Chapel again, trying to win over her unrequited love! It's not cool. But on the same token, making Spock the focus of her character yet again only further reduces her to nothing but that. Why can't we let the girl breathe and do other stuff? Sure, she does get some of the AOS Uhura treatment where she gets to be a generic cool badass lady, but this is in a way that is lacking in any real depth. Chapel deserves better.

I also don't love the way it treats T'Pring. Was it really necessary for her to be Spock's eye candy wife that he gets to bang and cheat on? In Amok Time, it's heavily implied that this was an arranged thing and that they hadn't seen each other since they were seven. If they really felt the need to include this relationship, it would have been so much cooler if they had explored it from that angle, with neither of them truly wanting to be together but being forced into it by societal expectation. Which of course, results in T'Pring using her intelligence to gain her freedom in Amok Time.

So yeah. Those are my main gripes with this whole thing. Overall, I think it's lazy writing that allows the writers to benefit from the nostalgia of legacy characters without developing them in actually meaningful or revolutionary ways.

[defectivegembrain]

It's actually fascinating to watch Abed's learning process through documentary making. Like in Introduction to Film, obviously Six Candles is very clunky and simple, but it gets the point across. It couldn't not, Abed very rigidly pushes to get that specific story, even if he has to cobble it together from clip art and manufactured conflict. The message is all that matters, because it's the first time he's had the tools to communicate it. It's not even really a documentary, since he can't get more than a little clip of his dad, and nothing of his mom.

And then he's making movies of actors playing his friends. They are shocked by how well he knows them, but I think the process of making the movies is actually his way of studying their behaviour. He is fixated on knowing them as well as he can, because he cares so deeply about them. But they don't get that.

Then Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking, his first real documentary. He assumes the format will be easy, but he learns to have a more balanced view of it. There are points where being a filmmaker clashes with being a friend, and he treats the narrative as more important than people's feelings. But overall, he's obviously not the villain here, and isn't the main target of anyone's anger. Pierce by virtue of having a big ego and no idea how to mess with Abed, accidentally gave him a very useful opportunity.

Documentary Filmmaking: Redux is really interesting, because what Abed is doing is transparently unkind to begin with. He is so caught up in the story that he is willing to watch his friends descend into chaos for it, even ignoring Troy being clearly upset with him. But he ultimately learns that he can't be completely detached, and he chooses to be kind and help the Dean out.

Advanced Documentary Filmmaking has him trying very seriously to investigate something from all angles, and he seems to have more of a grip on recording the truth without being clumsy or insensitive about it. You could argue that there's a moral dilemma in knowing Jeff's true intentions, but I'm pretty sure Abed always saw through Chang's bullshit.

Then Wedding Videography is kind of the polar opposite of Six Candles, in that he's just filming whatever happens, in a situation that holds little personal significance to him. The only thing he insists on is no Jimming the camera. It feels like he is basically using the camera as a barrier for a social situation he doesn't really want to be part of. And not to sound like a stuck record, but he wouldn't be like that if Troy was there. He's gone from using documentaries as a tool to understand and communicate with people, to using it to detach himself. Which I'm not saying is bad in itself. It's a reasonable coping mechanism, it's just sad that he needs it. It's sad that none of his other friends has developed a consistent way to be quite as grounding and make him feel like a participant, not just an observer.

[albentelisa]

Hi! So this ask is angsty but you can make it better for Jim if you want.

What if Jim was living with James Sr due to his mom supposedly abandoning him at a young age?

To make matters worse for him, this version of James Sr was physically abusive towards Jim and Barabra before the separation.

Nancy and Toby are aware of James being abusive towards his son, but they can't prove anything. The most they can do is offer Jim sanctuary if James gets really bad.

Needless to say, when the Trolls figure out their Trollhunter is being abused, they aren't happy. Neither is Strickler or Claire.

Oh, some great angst potential here O.O

So, the backstory is that James is extremely controlling when it comes to his relationships, and Barbara tried her best to fight it. Jim was used as a tool for blackmail too many times and Barbara genuinely wished she could take her son and escape. Unfortunately for her, James orchastrated it the way that everyone around them thought that Barbara was a horrible mother and no one was willing to help her. When Jim was 5, James took him and secretly moved to Arcadia. He also kept telling Jim (and everyone else he met afterward) that Barbara abandoned her son. Jim, however, starts to question it when he's older (it's one of his ways to cope with his horrible situation at home).

James is pretty much controlling with Jim too, making every single decision for him, including who he can communicate with or what he can or cannot wear. But James is really cunning abuser as most of his neighbors and acquaintances have no idea about the abuse. Nana and Toby are rare exceptions, but James makes everyone believe that Nana is just a senile old lady, so her word means nothing.

Jim is used to the situation where most people don't believe his words, so it takes a lot of time before he fully opens to anyone about his situation at home.

The thing that causes even more abuse is that James believes in supernatural, while Jim doesn't (and sometimes lets out sarcastic comments about that). However, from Jim's point of view, if the supernatural creatures existed, they would be good ones (simply because his father is convinced they are bad).

Everything changes when Jim finds the amulet and at some point he even considers to ask Blinky if he can live at the Trollmarket, but gives up on the idea as he's unsure if trolls will be that understanding and doesn't want to create more trouble for Nana (as James will accuse her first). Blinky, however, realizes that something is off with Jim's family and investigates a bit. He consults Toby later (as he isn't sure what is 'normal' for human families and realizes how messed is Jim's situation).

Strickler learns about Jim's situation at home around that time, and it makes him conflicted as Jim is Trollhunter. Though, he makes a mental compromise of 'saving Jim to earn his trust and then get the amulet'. Besides, he stumbles upon Barbara who has been searching for her son for years and now has no idea how to approach Jim and reconnect with him. Strickler helps her to get a job as a school nurse, so she can be at school without causing any suspicions. She gets an opportunity to talk to Jim several times but is reluctant to tell him the truth at first (as she is scared of rejection).

Claire is the one who accidentally learns that Barbara is Jim's mom (she overhears her conversation with Strickler). She encounters Barbara about it and discovers that James is abusive (she had a hunch that something was wrong with Jim's family, seeing how much he tensed when his dad was mentioned). Even though Claire isn't that close to Jim at this point (they are just partners at the school play), she decides to step in and tells Toby about Barbara.

From now on, there are multiple people (and trolls) on Jim's side with different ideas how to help him. Claire actually asks her mother for advice, wondering if there are legal measures. Strickler, on the other hand, decides to involve his connections, some of which are borderline illegal. And several parties consider feeding James to Bular (Toby is the first one to propose it, but Draal, Blinky and Strickler also think about it at some point).

Nevertheless, none of those plans are needed as James search for the supernatural results in his demise by goblins' hands and Jim has no idea what to do now. The official version is that James ran away and abandoned his son (and Strickler does everything so that the abuse fact becomes well-known and Barbara can be back as Jim's parent). Jim moves to Barbara's house, even though it's awkward to both of them (and he's slightly upset that she didn't tell him about their connection before). From now on, they try to catch up on everything they missed through the years, even if the road is bumpy. Jim doesn't tell Barbara about his trollhunting (because, well, while James is gone, Jim's distrust remains).

As for Strickler, he soon finds himself in a relationship with Barbara, which adds a bit to awkwardness factor (though, Jim doesn't mind as he considers Strickler one of the rare people he more or less trusts).

The trollhunting job continues smoothly, and the team slays Bular. Strickler isn't exposed in this AU, but NotEnrique still gets into Claire's family and that's how she learns about trolls.

Meanwhile, Strickler (who has gotten closer to both Barbara and Jim), realizes that without Bular around, there's no need to free Gunmar and he can easily continue with the Janus Order's secret takeover of the world. After all, he wasn't exposed in this AU, so basically no one suspects him. Strickler also thinks that the Killahead is save as it's at the Trollmarket and no one there has a reason to open it.

He never considered several things. First - NotEnrique busts himself, meaning that Jim now has the reason to open the gate to the Darklands. Second - a part of the Janus Order remains loyal to Gunmar. They liberate Angor Rot too.

One thing leads to another and Strickler ends exposed by both Jim and Barbara (who also learns about the whole trollhunting deal). Jim is even more devastated than in canon as Strickler was one of the people who he trusted and who seemingly tried to help, and Barbara is close to giving up on relationships altogether, seeing how her choice of men keep making everything worse.

Strickler gets a chance to redeem himself a bit as he saves Barbara from Angor Rot, but he still temporarily leaves like in the canon.

[cynfuldelights]

what do you mean merlin made catholicism

Again staying awake at night, haunted by the implications of The Original Merlin helping to establish the Catholic Church. And on one hand I feel it's really easy to let this line slip by like a lot of other one-liners talking about long-term history. But this one takes the cake in terms of the sheer magnitude of implication. Like, Jim Butcher probably just thought it was a neat idea to throw in that he would never really expand upon further. BUT I DO. EVERY DAY. BECAUSE I FEEL IT'S SUCH A WASTE TO JUST BE A THROWAWAY LINE.

(Spoilers for Dresden obvs)

Like, if the Original Merlin helped establish the Catholic Church then that means they've been aligned with the White Council since practically its inception and vice versa. We're not sure when exactly this iteration of the White Council was created but regardless if it was created first or second this just cements the weird White/Christian ethnocentrism that exists in the White Council (a title that gets more accurate the more you think about it).

Like here's an obvious question: Were there wizards in The Crusades?

Probably, right? Like, sure, The White Council maybe has actually clung to their doctrine of non-involvement in human politics for thousands of years. But, like, that's kind of rich when OG Merlin was out there helping to create the Catholic Church, an organization that would be used to justify the monarchies of soooo many countries. You're telling me they remained apolitical, a THOUAND years ago when our conceptions of what counted as "political" are completely different? To say nothing of, wow I wonder if the Scottish magic practitioners were cool with the Anglo Christian wizards setting up shop in their ancient magical grounds. Do you think Britain/The Britons stole that too? Or are we to believe they just "handed it over willingly"? Or are we to believe that the Scottish mages got along with their invaders because of "apolitics"?

Another obvious question: Hey why aren't there any other wizard councils?

In some kind of United Nations-y situation, it feels like The White Council is supposed to be a conglomeration of cultures and practices across the world with a unifying board of diverse members who make major decisions. And that's really cool! I really appreciate the idea that there can be a global community for people who don't fit in to connect and learn from one another.

But uhhh. Why does it feel so hegemonic and imperialist?

Like, the Senior Council is diverse, that's true. Some of the members are POC, between Rashid, Listens-With-Winds, Martha Liberty, and Ancient Mai. But as you go through the list you kind of again wonder how any of these different people from different practices and backgrounds were able to cope with Western Euro Imperialism. Like, the most obvious example is Listens-With-Winds, a character who in his lifetime, witnessed genocide after genocide of not only his people but of all of the tribes across the United States. Rashid in his lifetime, likely watched the US turn the Middle East into a oil profit machine backed by US militarism and CIA support. Martha Liberty in her lifetime, watched Black people fight and claw for their basic human rights in a country that was built off the backs of their exploited labor. Ancient Mai, in her likely very long lifetime if the name is any indication, likely watched the exploitation of China and Asia by the Dutch, France, and the other European powers.

Again, are we to expect the White Council is WHOLLY APOLITICAL IN EVERY ONE OF THESE CONFLICTS?

And if they are, is that really being apolitical if it ends up working out in their favor anyways? Again, look at Edinburgh. Look at all the stuff Britain stole.

---

Ultimately I think this is a lesson in setting consideration for urban fantasy writers. Lindsay Ellis' video on Bright talks about this excellently, but to poorly paraphrase, you can't just import the real world without importing all of the baggage and strife that exists within it. You can't flippantly say, "Merlin helped found Catholicism." Without pedants like me going, "Uh. What the fuck do you mean?"

But also totally do that so I can harp on it endlessly this is the shit I love for.

I've got more like this brewing in my head I might put up, im also interested in what other implications people can think of

[markcampbells]

In honor of International Asexuality Day today (April 6th), I wanted to put together a masterpost of all the fanfics I've written so far featuring my asexual headcanons! Hi, I'm Trai, a thirtysomething panromantic ace creator who writes for Star Trek AOS, Final Fantasy VII, and Trigun.

Star Trek AOS

I only have one official ace fic in this fandom so far, as I started writing my fics for it before I had figured out my place on the ace spectrum and utilizing it in my writing, but it will definitely play a part in future fics for my 'verse.

your hands can heal, your hands can bruise - The foundational fic for the 'verse, a developing friendship, emotional hurt/comfort fic following Jim and Bones getting to know each other (and Bones coming to accept his romantic feelings for Jim) in the academy era. Featuring pansexual Jim and biromantic demisexual Bones.

(at least out loud) i won't say i'm in love - An angsty feelings realization fic of sorts where Bones tries to cope with the inconvenient truth of physical attraction to Jim in addition to his romantic feelings.

Final Fantasy VII

a bit less broken - A Cloud & Tifa friendship fic where Tifa comforts and guides Cloud through his realization he's somewhere on the ace spectrum. This was my first official ace fic and is still very special to me!

so hold on stronger to me - A queer platonic, ace Cloud & trans Barret fic written for Romancing Barret Week, where Barret gives Cloud advice about how to fix his relationship with Tifa post-Advent Children. In the future I will be writing further fics following on from this one featuring established Cloud/Tifa and Barret as their queer platonic partner, as they raise Marlene and Denzel in Edge and have a quiet life together. 💜

and we are just breakable girls and boys - While not a super overt presence in this fic, it was written from the standpoint of established Cloud/Tifa with Cloud's asexuality being a known factor between them and something Tifa is completely okay with. Post-Advent Children, Cloud and Tifa have a heated discussion that forces Cloud to confront his anxieties about losing Tifa.

Trigun

you recognize love after the fact - A Trigun Maximum-compliant fic set during Volume 11, featuring emotional hurt/comfort between queer platonic Vash and Meryl (both of them ace!).

your pride like water in your lungs (drowns all the words it stole) - Non-sexual intimacy hurt/comfort between Vash and Wolfwood, as Vash suffers through an attack of phantom limb pain and Wolfwood offers to help him out. Written from the perspective of ace for ace Vashwood.

cooking is love made visible - A pre-canon, developing friendship Meryl & Milly fic, centered on the idea of food as a love language. Featuring asexual Meryl and Milly beginning to realize she might be an ace lesbian. This fic is going to become a multichapter in the near future!

i used to live alone before i knew you - A getting together fic featuring T4T and ace for ace Vashwood, centered on the idea of casual nudity. Wolfwood chooses to air dry after a shower; Vash has an existential crisis in asexual.

I hope everyone enjoys these fics if they give them a read! Comments and kudos are always welcome, and I have plenty more ace fics lined up for the future. 💜

[starlithumanity]

So Our Flag Means Death often functions as a metaphor where piracy represents the film industry. Ed is the burnt-out superstar actor/director, Stede is the wealthy but fumbling newcomer full of creative ideas, and Izzy is the power-hungry manager who fails to find success on his own. The crew represents the various support people in filmmaking, while the colonial powers represent the capitalistic system that does so much damage in so many parts of the modern world.

The traumatic nature of fame is explored in-depth throughout the show, including commentary on how people coming into places like Hollywood have often been inspired by family-related trauma, are running from more "typical" lives that they couldn't have survived, and continue reliving their past traumas in their current situations. There's a strong indication that Ed has had to mask his true self to fit the image expected of him as a celebrity. The inclusion of queerness/neurodivergence, I think, both reflects how many "atypical" people work in the arts and indicates how Stede's methods are more welcoming.

What I find interesting is how this topic is addressed with a further layer of metaphor through the curse of the red suit in season two episode five. The suit represents fame and the trauma that surrounds it, specifically following Ed's violent breakdown. The crew has seen the repurcussions of working in this industry too long firsthand now, and they are having A Response to it.

(GIF Source: skulandcrossbones)

Stede still wants to be the celebrity. He's waltzing around in that suit with massive queer flamboyance, and he's loving it. He doesn't think the trauma is going to be a problem for him. Izzy doesn't seem to believe the trauma should put people off of working to become successful/famous in this industry, but he also recognizes that things need to change for the crew to keep functioning.

Jim was the character who seemed the most clearsighted about what was happening during Ed's breakdown, probably because they've had similar experiences with trauma and masking and its mental health impacts thanks to Nana pushing them to "succeed", and they are also the first one to hear about and react to the cursed suit. Archie and Oluwande side with Jim. Frenchie, Roach, and Wee John take longer to recognize the problem, but they do get there.

Meanwhile, Fang, Ed, Lucius, and Pete are having more direct reckonings with fame-triggered trauma. Fang and Ed discuss Fang's choice to move on from both their actions, and Lucius has already expressed that "some people are just broken," which I think may be a reference to himself now too. They cope through sitting quietly with their feelings, connecting and celebrating with loved ones, making different kinds of art, and seeking a bit of retributive justice. (Though that last one is somewhat satisfying, it doesn't fix the trauma or the relationships.)

Stede finally comes around to the idea that he needs to let go of the suit for the crew's sake, which is foreshadowing for this season! He does keep a more muted version of the outfit, though: his delightful red-and-black ruffly shirt. Ed later compliments that shirt (he thinks Stede wears his own work/fame-seeking well 🥺), leading to their romantic moment on deck. So maybe the culture Stede is building for his metaphorical filmmaking work is okay, since it differs from the trauma-steeped fame full of abuse that Ed has been through as Blackbeard.

Now, I know the show does generally present the curse of the suit as a silly concept--except. Except magical things do happen on this show, like with Buttons. Except the Spaniards who first had the suit did look like they'd been through hell. Except demonic, haunting whispers do accompany the suit on its first and last appearances. I think the writers thus indicate that the curse (Hollywood fame being traumatic in our modern culture) is real--maybe only for people who aren't Stede, or maybe for everyone. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Who can say? Stede didn't stick with the typical way of doing things long enough to find out.

[slashingdisneypasta]

After seeing my wife in the wild and am now currently watching Bride of Chucky, I am here to send a LONG overdue ask of Tiffany Valentine thoughts ^^

I think you said you haven't seen the actual movie yet? If so, I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

First thing that popped into my head; Tiffany's S/O reacting to her pet tarantula. She expected them to be scared, as that's the norm with spiders. But if her S/O did still try to engage with Charlotte, or even hold her, Tiff will be pleasantly surprised and so happy that to have someone who sees the beauty in spiders ^^

Simialry, imagine seeing her with her doll collection. Tiffany has to have been collecting doll parts before Chucky. She has a soft spot for vintage items and is also into restoration. Imagine sitting next to her, watching her sew up a dolls torn dress or matching the proper limbs to a toy... Imagine seeing the longing look in her eyes when she finds a baby doll and hearing her confess how she's always wanted to be a mother 🥺🥺🥺

Being right there alongside Tiffany while she's collecting newspaper clippings of Chucky; his death, the literal paper trail leading her to Andy, and eventually finding Chucky. If you didn't know about her past with him, this is probably the time that Tiff tells you the truth. You're her best friend/crush, and she wants to trust you. But if you do know, then... You're probably against the idea. Chuck is an asshole 😅 but you want your best friend to be happy too. Even if it means having to watch the woman you love fall back into a bastards arms.

We have plenty of reader pining after Tiffany while she's still in love with Chucky. How about the other way around? Imagine talking to Tiffany about this cute guy you met, failing to notice how distracted she looks. Imagine you introducing your boyfriend to her, and this time you can tell there's something wrong in the way she almost ignores him. Imagine that, years later, she's right there with you shopping for a wedding dress (assuming she didn't kill the loser-), and by now she's trying to accept the fact that you're in love with this guy. As a romantic herself, she gets it... But she wishes that she hadn't been so hung up on Chucky for so long that she lost you.

Kinda related, but... Imagine that, with her experience with love, you go to Tiffany for boy advice. How to get the right guy to look your way. How to cope with heartbreak... How to properly kiss?

Imagine Tiffany introducing you to her mother! (Let's say she's still alive XD) And she's basically like Jim's mum when she meets his S/O; tell Tiffany that she needs to marry you before Chucky scares you away.

Imagine having a similar situation with Doll!Tiffany that Chicky does with some of his victims; somehow you come into possession of this strange doll, and mysterious things start occurring. Granted, Tiffany won't really kill someone like Chucky (unless she has a reason to), but odd things do still happen around your house. It feels like your new doll is alive somehow, and you can't help but treat her as such; confiding in her your troubles, taking extra special care of her, etc. And Tiffany with her bleeding heart can't help but get attached to you.

Thats all I got so far. I hope you enjoy these! ^^

Ooh, we are doing opposite vibes tonight XDD I just watched Cinderella 2015 and now I'm onto Beauty and The Beast 2017 XD

BUT I LOVE THESE SO MUCH!!!

Those first view Imagines with Tiff and her sweet S/O who loves Charlotte and the dolls males me think of a Princess-Like S/O!! Like, a really really lovely soft gentle pretty-in-pink, kind-to-a-fault S/O. Imagine Tiff with this person!! The clashing of the aesthetics!! Tiff doing her gentle powdery make-up and the adorable pink S/O doing her dramatic goth make-up. Tiff protecting this innocent person with bloody viciousness. Tiff kissing that girl with blood in her mouth and that girl winces but she kisses her back because she loves her!! Tiff and the sweet flowery S/O baking together and decorating cupcakes together! 🧁

And- Reader snarking at Chucky once Tiff's got him back VS Tiff snarking at reader's fiance. I need it XD 💜💜💜

Also imagine reader finally catching on to Tiffany's feelings for her Too-Late, once she's engaged!! Imagine them fighting!! 'Why couldn't you want me then?? Why did you have to do this to me n o w???' 'Baby doll I'm not gonna stop you! I just want you to be happy, ya know that!' 'This isn't fair!' 'Honey, life's not fair.'

Tiffany secretly comforting reader like a girlfriend when thats exactly what she cant be now vibes.

Omg XDD You know I immediately imagined Tiffany as yet another Bickerman XD (Bickerman Twins+Little Sister AU?? Sorry I have a problem XD ) Because I can TOTALLY IMAGINE Delores saying a lot of those things that Tiff says her mother told her XD

Omggggggg. Now I'm imaging buying this Tiff doll and suddenly you keep coming home to freshly baked cookies 🍪 or cupcakes 🧁 XDD

[telomeke]

MOONLIGHT CHICKEN – SOME PRELIMINARY RAMBLINGS ON POSSIBLE META

We're only two episodes in (soon to be three), but noting that Moonlight Chicken is an eight-parter – that means we're already a quarter of the way through. 👀

So (based on Director Aof's previous work, like Bad Buddy) I'm fully invested in believing that the first few episodes (at least the first two) are going to be reasonably heavy with planted elements that will reveal their true significance as the plot unfurls.

It's a bit of a guessing game at the moment what these elements are, but there are already some leading contenders. And how they'll be relevant to later plot developments remains to be seen, but we should be finding out pretty soon! 😍

Top of everyone's list so far has got to be the moon, of course. It's in the title of the series, in the theme song, it's the brand of Jim's favorite beer and it's the central element of the Mid-Autumn Festival (which is exactly when Jim meets Wen).

According to Chinese belief (remembering that Moonlight Chicken is set within a Thai-Chinese context), the moon is at its roundest and brightest on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon in Chinese culture and tradition is referenced in various ways, but its chief significance at the Mid-Autumn Festival is that it represents the concept of reunion, especially reunion of the family (paralleled by the belief of the moon returning to its fullest and most complete form at this specific time of the year). And I think this conception of the moon as a metaphor for idealized completeness (whether in home or family life, or even in your own heart) is especially relevant to Jim and Wen.

What we see in Episodes 1 and 2 is that their lives are still incomplete in some ways. Wen's home life is marked by emptiness, with his partner Alan most notable for his absence than anything else. The lack of even a household animal for companionship in the residence they share is made all the more stark when we see how naturally and immediately affectionate Wen is with Jim's pet cat at Ep.1 [2/4] 1.11. (Part of me wishes Jimbo was a rabbit though! Because in Thai and Chinese belief it's a rabbit that lives on the moon. 🐇🌙💖 You can see a bunny on Jim's beer can because of this.)

Jim, on the other hand, does have (found) family all around him – Saleng and Li Ming read like his surrogate children to me, and he's also somewhat of a patriarch to the neighborhood (everyone calls him Loong, meaning Elder Uncle). But Jim's is a one-parent family that is rambunctious, needy and sprawling, and in giving so much of himself he's finding it tough to cope alone (while at the same time mysteriously rebuffing all efforts to shift him away from his state of singlehood).

I think this point about the incompleteness of Jim's family life is also underscored right at the very start of Ep.1, when he steps out of his diner into the street at the end of the opening scene – in the forefront of the shot is a makeshift altar for Mid-Autumn offerings, which you can logically expect to be the focal point of a family's rituals during this season of reunion.

But Jim stands there alone, and contemplates the moon, the altar and the street with no one by his side. 😥

This moment of solitude is referenced yet again in the scene at Ep.1 [1I4] 11.58, when the kindly neighborhood auntie reminds Jim to pray at another moon festival altar, and then speaks of his (or his and Wen's? 🤔) future children – once again the idea of completing one's family is being evoked (with the subtext being that Jim's own family life has yet to achieve completeness).

I also think Auntie mistakes Jim and Wen for a couple, and Jim plays along by taking Wen's joss sticks from him to plant into the holder together (which is why Wen looks a little taken aback at his forwardness, but this moment nevertheless foreshadows their coming together later):

So far, so obvious. But for me the one element in Ep.1 that absolutely crackles with parallels and sparks of potential future significance was revealed at Ep.1 [2/4] 3.20, when Wen looks at Jim's DVD:

The subtitles are a bit of a mish-mash here, and do not match what Wen reads off the DVD cover.

The English title for this 1996 Hong Kong movie is Comrades: Almost a Love Story (and it's a much-loved classic of contemporary Chinese cinema). But its Thai name is very different: เถียน มี มี่ 3650 วันรักเธอคนเดียว, which translates to something like Tian Mi Mi 3650 Days of Love for You Alone. (The Thai title is what we hear Wen reading.)

The Tian Mi Mi part is actually a nod to the movie's Chinese title (甜蜜蜜, pronounced tián mì mì in Mandarin, and this means something like sweet as honey, i.e., very sweet). But it's not the literal meaning that's being referenced here – Tian Mi Mi is also the title of an iconic Mandarin pop song by the singer Teresa Teng, and indeed the extensive repertoire of the late Taiwanese chanteuse is heavily used in the movie Comrades: Almost a Love Story, not just as background music but also as a feature around which a lot of the plot revolves.

Significantly, Moonlight Chicken's own theme song is another of Teresa Teng's greatest hits – The Moon Represents My Heart (月亮代表我的心/yuè liang dài biǎo wǒ de xīn) and it's no coincidence that Moonlight Chicken's creators have chosen it.

Among all of Teresa Teng's recordings, The Moon Represents My Heart has also acquired an unexpected queer connection (see this explanation linked here). This surprising relevance to (Chinese) LGBTQ+ history and romance thus makes its use in this Thai-Chinese BL especially appropriate, in addition to the lunar reference. (Interestingly, the lyrics aren't so much about the reunion of loved ones, but more about the authenticity and unchanging nature of true love, with the moon here symbolic of that which is profound, constant and without guile.)

But the inclusion of The Moon Represents My Heart in this BL is also a nod to the songs used in Comrades: Almost a Love Story. I think they're making it clear that there will be other parallels between this movie and Moonlight Chicken, and so we should watch out for them too.

With that mandate in mind – Comrades: Almost a Love Story is about two very different individuals from mainland China (northerner Li Xiaojun and southerner Li Qiao) who move to vibrant 1985 Hong Kong in pursuit of their dreams for a better future. After a brief dalliance, their lives take them in different directions, and they only reunite, in New York City, after 10 years have passed. Their old feelings having remained true, and we are shown not just them getting back together, but also (in a flashback) that their pairing was always cosmically meant to be.

Moonlight Chicken's lunar symbolism at the Mid-Autumn festival (that of reunion) and its theme song are certainly called to mind by Xiaojun and Li Qiao's inevitable reunion at the end of the film. And the 10-year interval in their relationship explains why Comrades: Almost a Love Story's Thai title mentions 3650 days (approximately 10 years).

My Big-Brained Sweetheart (the other beloved BBS in my life) is watching along with me, and thinks that Wen's misreading of "3650 days" as "365 days" is signaling Moonlight Chicken's own trajectory for its two main protagonists – their proper coming together (or coming together again, if it is to be a reunion or reconciliation) may happen after a year, not ten. And I can't say I'm not intrigued by this idea.

So maybe they'll tie up Jim and Wen's story at the following year's Mid-Autumn Festival? With a resolution that calls to mind Li Qiao and Xiaojun's? The series' short run of only eight episodes means that this will precede 2023's actual festival by more than six months (taking Moonlight Chicken's timeline out from the past and into the future). Unless there's more of their story planned for broadcast when the Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around again in September 2023... 🤔

Anyway, that's not the only connection Jim's DVD movie has with Moonlight Chicken.

In Comrades: Almost a Love Story, the character of Li Xiaojun is played by the singer-actor Leon Lai (a superstar of the period). Leon Lai is better-known as Lai Ming (黎明) among Cantonese speakers (his surname is pronounced Lai in Cantonese, as it also is in his dad's Hakka dialect), but in Mandarin his name is pronounced Li Ming – and it's exactly the same name as that of Fourth's rebellious, restless character in Moonlight Chicken.

So Moonlight Chicken's Li Ming is named not after Li Xiaojun, but after the actor who plays him – I wasn't sure before, but now that the Mandarin subtitles are out I can confirm that this link is true. (There are many different Chinese characters that are phonetically rendered as li and ming – the only way to be absolutely sure of Li Ming's name is to see the actual characters themselves.)

But Leon Lai himself has acknowledged (in a Cantonese interview, cited on Wikipedia at this link here) that Xiaojun's story also parallels his own (they share the same surname 黎, and Leon was also uprooted from his Beijing birthplace in the north and moved to Hong Kong during his youth, when his Indonesian Hakka father shifted them there).

So Li Ming's story in Moonlight Chicken may well have parallels with Li Xiaojun's in Comrades: Almost a Love Story. I can certainly see how his yearning for a different life, possibly in the faraway west (when he was drawn to the Work/Travel scheme in Ep.2 [3I4]) could match how Comrades: Almost a Love Story's Xiaojun ends up in New York.

And there's still more. 👀

Li Ming's Chinese name (黎明) also plays off themes involving the moon, glinting with variously shaded meanings depending on how you illuminate it. This may have been why the writers chose to use Leon Lai's name instead of the character Li Xiaojun's – the layers of meaning are off the charts. 👍

The Li part of Li Ming (黎) on its own can mean muchness or plenitude, but it can also mean darkness or blackness. The Ming part (明) means brightness (and can mean both well-lit as well as intelligent, just like it does in English).

So one reading of his name is an abundance of brightness, but that's not the usual connotation. The words li ming together (黎明) actually mean dawn. Aside from signaling new beginnings, the dawn is logically (and poetically) also one time when the darkness of the night (li/黎) meets the brightness of day (ming/明). It is thus also a time when polar opposites (night and day, but also moon and sun) meet in a shared moment of reunion, echoing one of Moonlight Chicken's (possibly) central themes. 😍

This coming together of contrasts is also reflected in the Ming part of Li Ming's name. The character 明 (ming) that means brightness is itself made up of two characters that denote the two brightest elements in the sky – 日 (ri, that used to mean sun but is now more identified with day) and 月 (yue, that means month or moon – to refer to the moon formally it's usually combined with the character 亮/liang to form 月亮/yueliang, which is what we see in the Moonlight Chicken theme song title.)

So the Ming in Li Ming's name quite literally encompasses the conjoining of opposites (sun and moon) as well.

I've not fully decided who or what all this refers to yet, but a post by @respectthepetty (linked here) has more to say on the significance of the dawn in Moonlight Chicken and certainly helps point the way. 👍

For the moment though, the characters of Heart and Li Ming seem to me to be as much kindred as they are contrasting, despite their obvious differences in station. Both boys are trapped by circumstances in settings from which they long to break free – Heart within an oppressive, non-communicative family, and Li Ming in his uncle's world, where he feels he doesn't belong. In this, the plight of Li Xiaojun and Li Qiao as outsiders in Hong Kong and later New York also parallels Heart and Li Ming's fish-out-of-water situations.

And reading in tandem with parallels from Comrades: Almost a Love Story, Li Ming's name is undoubtedly signaling certain directions.

Both Heart and Li Ming are from different worlds (like Li Qiao's Guangzhou in the south and Xiaojun's Tianjin in the north, and also the dark night and bright day referenced in the dawn meaning of Li Ming's name).

But they are similar too, just as the sun and moon (that we can see in Li Ming's name) are both bright celestial bodies, and like how Li Qiao and Xiaojun are also bonded in their shared love for the songs of Teresa Teng. Like both sets of examples, (Li Qiao and Xiaojun, the sun and moon) it could be that Heart and Li Ming are destined to come together at some special point, in spite of their differences (as difficult or unlikely as this may be).

To escape the constraints of their vastly differing worlds, they'll need to find that secret third place (their own dawn) where their own union and new beginning can happen, and for their light to shine together. (I can see this perhaps applying to Jim and Wen too, so... nothing is confirmed! 😊)

Sorry to ramble, but they've given us a lot of food for thought. 🤔Now on to the rest of the show, and to see how much of this pans out (and how much will fall by the wayside). Episode 3 is taking us to Loi Krathong, so hopefully we'll get to see more of the Thai side of things as well. 🤩

[helluva-dump]

Hey guys… so I wanna take a break from critiquing Viv and just want to share some art for fun.

Though, I’m actually nervous to. Because part of it is mainly gonna be oc x canon stuff as well as ummm… writing dark headcanons of stories of certain characters….

So I had want to tackle the serious topic oc co*rcion similar to blitzo and Stolas, but it involves one of my ocs. But I also wanna talk about purity culture, it’s harm, and I’m basically wanting to do my take of Heaven and headcanons I have for it.

And ummm these dark headcanons I have involve Adam… yes admittly I thought the idea of Adam being the leader of the executioners was extremely stupid and the leaks I’ve seen were eh… But let’s just say he somehow warmed up to me and I found a way to make him slightly intimidating.

Actually my friend @samiliy4me has been doing headcanons and ideas of Adam and we’ve done a lot of roleplays and omg… the way she writes him is so sinister yet fun. We’ve done roleplays of him with our Angel ocs and it’s been giving me content to do things with my Angel oc

She also did amazing headcanons for Mammon and keeps him an asshole in our roleplays which also gives me content for my hellhound oc.

Now that being said with things concerning Adam, my main thing with him is to criticize toxic masculinity within Christianity and all the Republican Christins that use religion to harm others. While my Angel girl and others badly want to help restore heaven with the New Testament. I’ve been watching history of Christianity and how is slowly because something republicans used for evil (when it wasn’t always like that )

So yeah… I may touch on a sensitive topic with Adam and one of my ocs… but here’s the thing, I am NO WAY gonna romanticize this relationship. Some of this is based on personal experience to help me cope with trauma.

And I know how many antis in the critical blog tend to act like babies over things like this.🙄 Thing is I get it, Viv doesn’t know how to properly discuss this topic without separating her n*nc*n kink. Besides, he’s not even the oc I’m gonna have my Angel end up with.

But I’m also scared shitless of the fandom taking mine and a friend’s take on Adam super personal because me and her refuse to sugarcoat him or do draco in leatherpants. Like the idea of him fascinates us and I rather actually write him being A villain Same with Mammon since we refuse to woobify them.

Now don’t get angry fandom…. I actually may redesign Adam…. BECAUSE GOOD LORD HE IS A PAIN TO DRAW. THIS IS WHY FANS REDESIGN. ITS NOT ALWAYS IF MALICE ITS JUST HARD TO DRAW SOME DESIGNS. I’m gonna do the same for Lute since she also looks tedious.

I won’t change to much of his design but I may change his horns and give him some skull mask.

Also I’m gonna make Bee into a bug/canine hybrid and make her be a princess while her mom is the actual queen since I love that idea Lovearts made.

And possibly do shippy stuff with her, Tex, and Loona… I’m mainly an oc x canon and self shipped but idk I feel like this OT3 can help me develop Loona as a character.

Do you guys care to see these ideas I have? I really don’t want this fandom to get the wrong idea of me as well as the critical community.

I don’t always agree with critical takes and I try not to jump the gun with every allegation if the evidence is flimsy. BUT this doesn’t mean I like Viv as a creator and the spindlehorse as a company since I do believe there’s mistreatment and Viv is kind of toxic.

But hey, I love Ren and Stimpy and hate John K. Been a Catscratch and earthworm Jim fan and hate Doug TenNapel so separating art from the artist is not gonna he that hard for me.

I’m still a fan at the end of the idea and these roleplays and such I’ve done with friends gave me fun art ideas.

But yeah would you guys care if I share this stuff?

[primussavethesemechs]

Love the “Rise Raph still has anger issues he just has better coping mechanisms so he doesn’t take it out on his family” idea, I think his patience gets worn down quicker than anything by board games and card games (and Leo’s ego as an honorable mention but we all know that already).

Idk why but it just makes sense to me for scrabble/battleship/trouble to turn him into a ticking time bomb. He’s convinced everytime that he’ll be able to control himself but like half way through he’ll be grinding his teeth so loud everyone can hear it. It only makes things worse that Leo is the best at these and is also the only one dumb enough to take Raph up on his offer to play Every. Fucking. Time. despite knowing how it’s going to end. He still doesn’t take it out on them but goes on a mini rampage of knocking stuff over, yelling nonsense and storms off until he calms down and has to guiltily come back out and clean up.

They had a chess board at one point, key word being HAD. Leo beat Raph in 9 moves or less 5 times in a row and Raph got so angry he ate the fucking board. He has never once won a game of poker because he has a terrible poker face and also has a winning/losing hand stink that gives him away everytime, he still attempts to play every few months. Sorry is a game of complete chance, despite this fact Leo always manages to win and Raph had to throw himself into the sewer water to cool off because he gave himself a rage fever.

They have only ever played monopoly ONCE. They have never spoken about it since and the board has been incinerated by Donnie for the good of the family.

It all plays out exactly like that one adventure time episode with jakes obsession with wining card wars except Leo isnt concerned, if anything he fuels the flames by bragging.

Edit- On the VERY rare occasion he does win, he’s a sore winner- think the Jupiter Jim episode where he gets to be the sidekick. He almost out smugs Leo on occasion.

[andmyvape]

You know...

People talk about drugs like if you give someone who wants them whatever drug they're asking for in whatever amount they're asking for, they'll become hopelessly addicted and ruin their lives

Now I'm not arguing that addiction isn't fucking awful but I fervently believe those in the newer circles of rehabilitative care theory that are putting forward the idea that addiction, at its core, is self medication. Unregulated, self destructive self medication in too many cases, but it's not the drugs themselves in so many cases, huffing paint thinner and other examples not withstanding, but honestly I don't think people would do that if they had alternatives that ARE less damaging.

It's the pain and lack of support that drives so many people to alleviate their pain or stress which really is just pain too by numbing it with drugs. It helps, but they don't regulate, they don't find alternatives to cope with whatever they're medicating that lighten the need for the medication alone, their tolerance builds up, they don't know what they're medicating enough to know how to do that consciously and more safely...

It's a nightmare that is truly systemic, not some moral failing or some contagion inherent to the human spirit. I can't currently think of any example of an organism that wouldn't practice homeostasis when outside of whatever range of normal function they're supposed to be in. Not for some philosophical or spiritual reason, in this sense specifically it is purely biological, and I find it to be DEEPLY disturbing that so many people I encounter in my life INSIST that being in constant discomfort is somehow a state to aspire to and be proud of. Being able to safely handle exiting a space that would provide you homeostasis means being able to MAINTAIN that homeostasis when you go elsewhere or do other things. It's NOT about giving in to the idea that if you prefer to be comfortable that you are somehow weak or inferior. That is not a mark of strength, it's a mark of how damaged a person is.

Grandpa, stop ranting about my generation not wanting to be "triggered" you literally JUST threw a hissy fit because they didn't have your slim jims at the corner store and the cashier wouldn't give it to you for free. Your comfort is predicated on unfairly demanding behaviors from others that is not being reciprocated in a worthwhile way. I don't think that's more valid than my being upset that a man who claims to love me is more interested in mocking a caricature of a trans person that isn't actually me. But I digress

The point my adhd ass is making here is that I think I understand a bit more about what I've been arguing this entire time. Not that I didn't understand it at all before so much as that I've been given new depth. I have a pain condition, possibly multiple, have my entire life, and I have always been rather fixated on whatever would alleviate that pain. When Tylenol stopped working, I stopped using it. Eventually I found marijuana which has done me WONDERS but I've been dealing with worsening health issues due to various reasons and it's not quite doing enough. I had to be taken off all my meds because of a bad interaction and in the month before we start reintegrating meds that might help, my doctor gave me benadryl

Now, I've been taking benadryl on and off for years for anxiety and insomnia. I can't do it long, some toxicity issue I think? Or organ failure. Can't remember right now. The guideline is a two week limit, and I've found by the end of that two weeks it is very hard for me to get the effect I need without running into the 300mg daily cap. And the times I've taken it before it hasn't done much but make me sleep eventually and relax for a few hours

That has changed. Now when I take my benadryl, I can feel it kick in like God Herself just grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, total limpness, the anxiety isn't GONE but it's so much more manageable. The cessation of pain is so fucking nice, which I understand is a HUGE component of addiction outside of the direct chemical alterations over time becoming unpleasant or downright agonizing to reverse. Being so uncomfortable and having it relieved that quickly is amazing. It doesn't make the problem that is causing me the stress or pain go away, but it does give me clarity of mind that lets me take action to make my life better, for myself and my loved ones

Now here's the kicker for me. I HAVE taken benadryl before, but when I did, my conditions were so unmanaged that it just really did not do THIS much. And at that time, I very much required things that were stronger, for both pain and mental distress. I was given them after some hospitalizations, begrudgingly, and surprise of surprises it helped me. I started to improve. Pretty significantly. Years later, they started making me sick, thus the meds having to be changed now, and honestly I was TERRIFIED because I thought the benadryl wouldn't be enough, like it was before, and I'd spend a month in agony. I was so wrong yall

So here's what I think, in my amateurishly educated opinion: if they had just given me the medicine I was asking for instead of taking my agency away in denying my medication that could have helped but could also have consequences that they felt weren't worth the risk. Maybe they were, maybe there weren't, but... Shouldn't that have been my choice? And I did eventually get put on something stronger, which led to me having the strength and spoons and clarity I needed to make changes over time that have led to me being able to be helped by the benadryl now. They couldn't have just handed me a bottle of percocet at 14 and said "Good luck!" because YES that would have been it's own kind of damaging, but I have trouble with authority, and at least the damage would have been mine to cause. After all, it was my body

But... What they could have done, what research is proving again and again ACTUALLY works more than patriarchal denial of bodily autonomy on the basis of my supposed "inherently and deeply lacking ability to make choices for my own health," is just... Giving me the meds I asked for. Tell me the risks, help me manage the potential consequences, trust me to tell you when I feel sick instead of functional. To not just keep taking more and more of whatever drug that is helping me but you've decided I'm having FUN with, to the point that being denied the care I needed was damaging. If you had trusted me, I would have trusted you, and we could have made a plan that would have probably resulted in what's happened now, me finding that benadryl actually is enough now and crying in sheer joy that I've finally worked hard enough to get this far

But that would have implied that I have an ability and right to make decisions about how to take care of my own body, right?

This isn't a story that hasn't been experienced and shared so many times that it all paints a detailed and disturbing tapestry of how little bodily autonomy matters in this system. Too many demographics are judged as being "at risk for addiction" without the judgement being made by people who care that those demographics are at risk because of so fucking many social and systemic inequalities that leave so fucking many deprived of preventative, proactive care that would ultimately ease the burden of emergency care that has to be given once things get to a point considered "bad enough" and that's just... Not okay.

[melbatron5000]

How to write a query letter:

All right, here's some practical advice on finding an agent from an indie author. (I do love some irony.)

I decided to go indie after hearing several horror stories from trad-published authors. Zero editing of their book before being published; having an editor get super excited about their work and buy it only to have that editor leave and and the new one be really unexcited about their work; having a publisher be super excited about their work only for the publisher to go under before they can actually go to print and their rights to their book be part of the IP that gets swallowed up in the bankruptcy, etc.

But when I first started writing, trad publishing was the only viable way to go. So I busted my ass trying to get my books published. I came very close to breaking in, and then decided to back out and go indie when that became realistic.

Here's a version of the template I created to write up a good query letter. This is what got me notes back and requests to see more. I hope it helps someone.

Firstly, of course you're terrible at describing your own work. Doing that sucks and is hard! Every writer HATES it. You're not alone.

Describe your story in three bits, try to make them as short as possible:

1. Who is your main character, what do they do, what makes them cool? "Jeremiah is a party-loving bullfrog who believes in peace."

2. What happens to fuck their life up? "When his best friend drinks all his wine, what's a bullfrog to do?"

3. What's at stake/how will our hero cope? Avoid asking questions here, don't say things like "can love and joy prevail?" Obviously it will, or there's no story. Say something more factual, like, "Jeremiah wants to get mad, but his motto has always been joy to the world." Give more of an idea how the character approaches the problem and the conflict involved rather than asking if the problem will be resolved.

3. Continued. That's how you write a book description to hook a new reader, but editors aren't new readers. Give away the end in a query letter. "Through the power of joy to the world, Jeremiah will see his way to bringing joy to you and me." And DON'T GET CUTE and think "oh, if I give away the end, they won't be hooked!" This is NOT a reader, this is an EDITOR. Show them you know how to stick the landing. Tell them the end.

Secondly, a query should open with who you are, why you wanted to write this story, what the story is about, and thank them for their time. Close it. Done. One page. I cannot stress how important this is: ONE PAGE.

So to try and clarify how the whole thingy should look:

Paragraph one: Dear Mr./Mrs./Mme. Smith (FIND OUT THE CORRECT NAME. You can ABSOLUTELY phone the secretary and ask. DO IT!) Hello, I'm Sunny Jim, and I love bullfrogs and hippies. I've been writing since I was a wee lil chitlin telling yarns to amuse my grandmammy. (If you've been published before, or have a degree, mention it here. If not, don't say shit. Zip it!) Please find attached/enclosed the first three pages (or however many this particular publisher/agent wants FIND OUT HOW MANY PAGES THEY WANT!! Call those secretaries!! Don't trust the website, who updates that shit anyway?? Not the agent or editor, that's who!) of my novel, Joy to the World.

Paragraph two: I decided to write a story about bullfrogs when I had a wild acid trip and the frogs told me to love all mankind, even when they piss me off.

Paragraph three: Jeremiah is a party-loving bullfrog who believes in peace. When his best friend drinks all his wine, what's a bullfrog to do? Jeremiah wants to get mad, but his motto has always been joy to the world. With the help of the love from the fishes in the deep blue sea, he sees his way clear to bringing joy to you and me.

Thank them for their time: I do so deeply appreciate you taking a moment to gander at my tale, Joy to the World. I hope it scratches an itch you didn't know you had.

Close: I look forward to hearing from you! Regards, Sunny Jim the Weird Hippie.

Thirdly, be yourself, be a little funny, but DON'T GET CUTE. Editors read hundred of these per HOUR, and the last thing they want is something the author thinks is cute. Think of your day job, maybe you have customers or new employees who think they'll be funny and just wind up looking dumb. Yeah, don't do that.

Be relaxed, be confident you've got a good story, don't write anything you think will make you "stand out." You know what will make you stand out? Being courteous, professional, and personable. Use your words judiciously and appropriately. Talk to the editor like you would talk to a busy co-worker whose work you value and who you genuinely like. Short and friendly. If things go well, that's who this person will become to you.

Anyhow, I hope this helps, and it's been a loooong time since I queried an agent and got a positive response, so if I'm getting this wrong now and you know better, do let me know. I can't imagine any of this advice has gone out of fashion, though. Being smart with your words, keeping your email short, and being polite and friendly has not steered me wrong yet.

Good luck out there, folks.