#and I do think she grows in this way across s6

[twojamie-o-clock]

Zoe being selfish about Jamie and two will never not be insanely good writing . btw . she has never had proper friendship/connection and just in general never been treated as a human so of course when 2 people come along disrupting everything she knows (and subconsciously hates) and start treating her as an equal/human she attaches to them. like. ridiculously so. and of course when they pay attention to other people she gets so unreasonably jealous. Go forth my unwillingly dependent darling. she totally resents them for it at first (it being that she needs them in the first place) and that’s why she like. doesn’t make sense sometimes. because she can’t practically think about situations that are just. rooted in emotion. and when she tries to approach it logically it Makes No Sense so she just gets frustrated and rejects it. like she doesn’t want to need them but she does and when they are without her for any period of time of course she gets upset & then refuses to acknowledge that she’s upset & then gets more upset aka totaling to her being more upset than normal when they leave her to do other things. Like she understands the need for them to split up, obviously, she just hates how she feels about it.

I’m reading the wheel of ice rn (cue big sigh. I hate this book. I love it. If Baxter set it in early s6 it would be so much better. whatever.) and Zoe and the Doctor have to go a separate way than Jamie (investigating while he works with the side characters) and I cannot describe how this sounds so I’m just going to quote it:

Jamie had become a kind of ambassador to the estranged younger generation. Good for Jamie! But he wasn’t at Zoe’s side where he belonged, she thought resentfully.

like this scenario is more her fear than anything (she quotes wanting Jamie’s “sturdy strength” and “loyalty” which is. okay Baxter.) but it really is amazing to think about how much she attaches to two and jamie without ever realizing it/wanting to admit it.

aaaaand cut to the war games, making this separation so much worse for her.

[fluentmoviequoter]

All The Reasons We Can't

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!reader (Lucy's roommate)

Summary: When you move in with Lucy Chen, you don't expect to fall for her ex-boyfriend.

Warnings: unspecified age gap (r is younger than Lucy), angst, fluff, spoilers for s6! (it's canon-divergent but still has spoilers)

Word Count: 2.6k+ words

A/N: If you are looking for a happy ending for Lucy and Tim, this is not the fic for you lol.😆

Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

“Lucy!” you call, waving from your seat in the back of the restaurant.

She rushes to you and pulls you into a tight hug. “Thank you so much for coming,” she whispers into your embrace. “I needed this.”

“You’re my best friend, Lucy, I’ll always be here for you.”

Lucy nods as she releases you. You take the seat beside her rather than across from her. She’s dealing with a lot, and you know that she needs a friend right now.

“So, how long are you staying in town this time?” Lucy asks as she picks up the menu.

“Uh, about that,��� you begin slowly. “I was thinking I’d just stay this time. You’re here, a lot of other things I love are here, and I just- I think it’s time to stay in LA for good.”

“You’re moving?” Lucy exclaims. “Please don’t be kidding, I can’t take that right now, girl.”

“I’m serious,” you promise her. “I’ve been looking for a new job and a place. Lucy, I want to be close to you; I need you in my life all the time, too.”

“It’s been too long,” Lucy agrees as she takes your hand. “I do have an idea though.”

You hum, inviting her to share, and her smile grows.

“Why don’t you move in with me? Tamara moved out, so I have the room. Even if it’s just temporary until you find your own space, I’d love to be roommates.”

“Are you sure? That’s a lot of change, Luce, and I don’t want to get in the way of you processing everything.”

“I’m really sure.”

“Then, yeah, I’d love that, Lucy.”

Lucy squeals, drawing the attention of an older couple sitting across from you. You wave awkwardly before they look away, then laugh with Lucy. Moving in with her sounds perfect and being right there for each other is part of why you decided to move.

“Hello,” you greet when Lucy returns from work. “Dinner is in the oven.”

“You’re the best friend ever,” Lucy sighs. “Where have you been all my life?”

“Wasting time until we met online mostly,” you answer. “How was today?”

“It was- uh, it was better. Tim and I still have a lot of work to do, mostly on ourselves. We’re going to try to be friends, though, because there’s no way either of us could ever just go back.”

“I get that. Being friends will be good for you, Lucy, even if it’s hard. Especially since you have to see him every day.”

“Yeah, it’s just still hard. Really hard sometimes, to wake up and remember he’s not there.”

You pull Lucy into a hug, which she gladly accepts. The oven timer dings, and you release her with a smile and an apology to finish preparing dinner.

“What would make it better?” you ask. “I know you’ve been thinking about it.”

“Honestly, I know I’m not ready to get out there yet, but I think seeing Tim with someone else – even just platonically – could help. He deserves it, too. For everything that he did and didn’t do, he’s a great guy, and he needs a friend or two that he can be himself with. Or does that sound selfish, like I’m trying to push him away to forget?”

“It doesn’t sound selfish at all, Lucy. You want the best for him, and if he’s trying to be friends, it seems like he wants that for you, too.”

“Yeah.” Lucy taps her fingers on the counter.

“I’ll get you a sign for the door,” you joke, trying to make her smile. “Lucy Chen, Platonic Matchmaker.”

It works, and Lucy smiles as you slide two plates onto the counter. She’s your best friend, and if she thinks Tim Bradford needs a friend (even after breaking her heart), then you trust she’s right.

“Hi,” Tim greets softly when the elevator opens.

Lucy nods once in greeting as she steps inside. “Good morning.”

Tim presses his lips together in the awkward silence. He knows he made the right choice by letting her go to get the better things she deserves, but it doesn’t make this part easier. “Big plans this weekend?”

“Not really,” Lucy replies. “My roommate is making me dinner tomorrow night and we’re just going to hang out, I think. Tamara and some other friends are coming over this weekend.”

“That’s good. You got a new roommate already?”

“I did. A friend I met a few years ago moved here, so…”

“Nice.”

“Yeah.” The door opens and Lucy steps forward. “Plus, she knows every little thing there is to know about me and you.”

Tim’s eyes widen and Lucy laughs as the elevator door closes behind her. Shaking his head, Tim smiles because Lucy looks happy again. His phone buzzes with another reminder about her cop-iversary, a term she coined to celebrate the anniversary of when she graduated to short sleeves. It’s the first year he hasn’t celebrated with her, but he’s still celebrating for her.

On the day of Lucy’s cop-iversary, you wake up early to surprise her with her favorite breakfast. When you have the food done and decorated for her big day, you realize that she should be awake by now. You walk to her bedroom door and knock lightly.

“It’s open,” Lucy calls from inside.

Gently pushing the door open, you see her finishing her hair. With the last clip in place, she sighs and looks at you. Her eyes are bloodshot, she looks tired, and there’s no sign of excitement for her big day.

“What happened?” you inquire.

“Yesterday was awful. A cop got shot, and I got roped into an undercover thing that almost blew up in my face… I’m just stressed and tired, I think. Everything’s piling on, you know?”

You extend your arms toward her, and Lucy hugs you tightly.

“Thank you,” she whispers. “What is that amazing smell?”

“That’s your cop-iversary breakfast. Go eat, I’ll tidy up in here for you.”

“I love you,” Lucy sighs. “You’re the best person, friend, roommate, human, ever.”

“Back at ya,” you reply happily. “Now go before you run out of time.”

Lucy presses her hands together in another silent thanks as she walks backward out of her room. If she hadn’t told you about the rough day yesterday, her room would have. There are some clothes spread around on the bed and floor, her desk is disorganized, and there’s an overflowing backpack shoved in the corner. Her go bag, you realize. You pick a place at the back of the room and begin gathering the loose items; it’s the least you can do for your best friend.

In the kitchen, Lucy takes a bite of food and closes her eyes in appreciation. Before she can continue eating, someone knocks on the door. As she stands, she grabs a piece of food from the edge of her plate and pops it in her mouth on the short walk to the door.

“Kojo!” she squeals.

She drops to her knees without greeting Tim, opting to welcome Kojo into the apartment rather than the man who brought him over. Lucy takes the leash from Tim and leads Kojo to the couch.

“Can I come in?” Tim asks from the hall.

“Yeah,” Lucy answers, not looking away from Kojo. “What are you two doing here?”

“Heard about yesterday,” Tim says as he closes the door. “Thought you might want some Kojo comfort.”

“Kojo comfort is my favorite.”

“Happy cop-iversary.”

You survey Lucy’s room once you’re finished. With a satisfied nod, you turn toward her door. As you open it, you realize that Lucy has company.

“Sorry,” you say softly as the man looks toward you.

You recognize Tim Bradford from Lucy’s description of him and the pictures she refuses to delete. Now that they’re friends, it’s fine, but you didn’t approve of the folder while she was lying awake every night.

“I’m just gonna…” you trail off and walk toward your room.

“No, you can stay,” Lucy says. “You live here, too. This is Tim. Kojo and I will be right back.”

Lucy stands, and Kojo follows quickly behind her. She gathers her plate from the counter before she and Kojo disappear into her room and the door closes behind them.

“Hi,” you tell Tim. You remember that Lucy never actually said your name and offer it.

“Nice to meet you. And glad to see Lucy got a good roommate,” Tim replies.

You nod and look toward her door before you drop your voice to say, “Thank you. Lucy told me how you’re trying to do everything right after the breakup. Friends and all that. Plus, she needed to see Kojo today.”

“It is quite literally the least I can do,” Tim replies.

“I disagree. You seem like a great guy, Tim, and the fact that you’re trying at all means a lot. To me, at least.”

Tim isn’t sure how to respond to that. He blames himself for so much of what has happened recently, yet as he stands here with you, that guilt and the memories fade. He just wants to know about you.

“So, you and Lucy have been friends for a while?” he asks.

“Long-distance friends. We met online and then ran into each other in person a while back. Everything just kind of fit between us.”

You’re taking up every thought in Tim’s head, he realizes. Even as you’re talking, he wants to know more, to know you. But then a small voice in him points out that you’re young. Whatever it is he’s feeling doesn’t matter; you’re younger than him, younger than Lucy, and there’s no way you’d be interested in him. The realization fails to silence the other voice that whispers about how he feels alive, like himself again.

“How are you?” you ask. “Not just like how are you, I mean. Uhm… How are you doing with everything?”

The whispering voice rises to a yell. Tim’s heart knows exactly what it wants. Back to life in his chest, Tim acknowledges its cry that he needs you. Tim Bradford has feelings for Lucy’s younger roommate.

“I’m sorry if that’s overstepping your boundaries,” you add when Tim doesn’t answer. “It’s just that Lucy had me, Tamara, plenty of people to talk to after the breakup. From what she’s told me, you may not have had that same community to help you.”

“I don’t,” Tim agrees. His heart hammers in his chest as he wishes he could come home to you and your arms, where nothing else would matter.

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs half-heartedly and offers a small smile. You see right through them to the sadness and guilt beneath. Living with Lucy has accustomed you to touch and physical affection, and you don’t think twice before you hug him.

Your arms wrap over his shoulders, and the brief moment where you think he will pull away ends when his strong arms tighten around your waist. He drops his face to your shoulder and holds you tighter as he clings to you. You feel it, and Tim does too, as he melts in your arms and releases the baggage he’s been carrying for far too long.

“You have people now,” you whisper.

Tim nods against you and raises one arm toward your shoulder to deepen the hug before he pulls away.

“Do you have your phone?” you ask, your hand still on his arm. “I can give you my number so you can call or text any time you want.”

Tim passes you his phone and watches your eyes as you type your contact information. As you place it back in his hand, you repeat your invitation.

“Anything you need, just to talk or listen, I’m here, Tim.”

“Thank you,” Tim replies. He holds your eyes for a moment then asks, “Is Lucy going to give Kojo back?”

You tilt your head back and laugh, and Tim smiles at the sight and the melodious noise. “Nope,” you answer.

“Maybe I should take her roommate to get even,” Tim jokes.

You smile at him as you shake your head. “Take a seat, she’ll be a while. There’s plenty of food, too, so help yourself.”

Tim happily takes a seat, more than willing to pass the time with you while Lucy gets comforted by Kojo. The minutes pass quickly as you and Tim get to know each other. When Lucy’s door opens again, Kojo trots to Tim’s side and Lucy calls that she’s just getting her stuff and she’ll be ready.

“Great, I’m a chauffeur now,” Tim grumbles.

“Tim, you should come over more often,” you suggest. “Only if you’re comfortable with that, of course. I think it would be good for all of us, though.”

You pat Kojo’s head as Tim promises, “I will. And if you ever want to come to my place or meet somewhere, you have my number.”

Lucy emerges before you can answer Tim, and she hugs you tightly to thank you for the cop-iversary present. She tells Tim he’s free to go, to which he rolls his eyes but leaves anyway. You know that you’ll be texting him soon.

“You hugged Tim,” Lucy accuses after he leaves.

“What?” you ask, turning back toward her after watching Tim leave.

“I’m not mad. You’re really good for him.”

“Lucy, I promise it was not my intention to-“

“I know,” she assures, reaching for your hand. “But Tim and I are friends, he clearly likes you… If you want to try, I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks.”

She picks up her bag and steps toward the door. “You didn’t ask how I knew you hugged him.”

“Cologne?” you guess.

“Happiness. I saw it on him too, and it’s been a very long time since it was that obvious.”

After she leaves, you unlock your phone and see that Tim has already sent you a text. With his comments and Lucy’s approval, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t pursue whatever it is that’s blooming between you.

“Thanks for the hug and the talk,” you read. You smile as you type a reply: Meet at my favorite restaurant on Friday for more?

The message says ‘delivered’ then ‘read,’ but there’s no reply. A minute passes and you lock your phone. Maybe you misread everything, and he really did just need a hug, and now he’s done. You try to shake it out of your head and begin to clean the kitchen. You’re nearly done when your phone rings.

“Hello?” you answer as you dry your hands.

“Why?” Tim asks.

“Hmm?”

“I’m older than you,” Tim points out. “And I dated your roommate and then dumped your roommate. I kept secrets and lied and nearly lost my job. There are more reasons than I can count that this wouldn’t work.”

“I know you’re older than me. And I don’t care. Tim, for all of the reasons you just told me that this- that we wouldn’t work, did you think of any reasons we would?”

Tim exhales before he admits, “No.”

“Then I’ll see you Friday, because both of our hearts already know, and for every reason that your brain tells you no, my heart is telling me yes. If yours isn’t, tell me now and we walk away.”

“Mine is too,” Tim whispers.

“Good.” You smile as you say, “Hey, can you get the early bird special, so our first date is cheaper?”

“What do you care? You’re not paying,” Tim replies, an addictive, teasing lilt in his voice.

“I’m glad you came over today, Tim. I needed that hug, too.”

“See you on Friday for more.”

[housemdork]

6x22 okay so i have more criticisms than usual BUT i want to make the note that i still rly enjoyed this season, this is probably my very favorite show, etc. etc.

i truly have no qualms about huddy and i think they could absolutely work. i've been waiting for it to work until the start of s6, and not just because of lucas. i think we could all see from miles away that lucas was a phase and that cuddy needs/deserves more for herself and her family. so i'm glad that he's out of the picture lol.

can house be that for her? not yet, at least. but i think the finale wants me to believe that he can be without putting in the narrative work to earn that trust from me.

the s5 finale was truly something else. that was the deepest, darkest glimpse we've gotten into house's psyche, and cuddy was extremely hurt by that entire debacle - understandably! his hallucinations were almost as cataclysmic as amber's death and the collateral was everywhere. so why did s6 just...shove that under the rug?

i know cuddy and wilson are forever guilty of coming back to house after saying they won't - that's a crucial part of their dynamic/the show's dynamic - but they usually reflect on what led to their intermittent separations before reopening things. think about house and wilson in 5x04 - wilson had to begrudgingly admit, after 4 months away, that he was ready to come back to pph.

i think cuddy deserved that conversation with house. house has done very little to show her, specifically, that he can grow from the same pain in the ass he's been to her all this time. i fully believe that they love each other, which is why i see so much potential, but the show didn't deliver! apparently she can move from the fact that he announced to her entire workplace that they were having sex, called her a horrible mother, tried for months to ruin her ongoing relationship, etc., without any long-lasting worries. 5x24 posed house's stunt as the straw that broke the camel's back, and s6 forgot about it totally.

also, i'm kinda bummed that this absolutely beautiful and traumatizing experience between house and hanna was reduced to bait/progression for him and cuddy to end up together. hanna was speaking to so much more than just house and cuddy's relationship - when hanna says to house that she's "sorry" for needing him, that implicates basically everyone house has ever known. his need of other people is always debilitating and the source of sm of his own guilt. and their crushing talk about doing good things and getting nothing but rotten shit in return? that was his entire experience this season. it just doesn't make sense to me to make the culmination of hanna's arc is geared ONLY toward cuddy and house finally admitting their feelings sincerely at the end.

i really hope this doesn't come across as hate. there were so many ways that this could have been executed better with the same result imo. i'm not against their relationship at all, just how we got to this point...and i believe that cuddy deserves way more than house but i think the show will agree with me on that point eventually...

[hysteriaww]

would kai have saved bonnie if damon left her ?

The simple answer imo is yes - the complicated answer would be his *reasons* for saving her.

I feel like if Kai saved Bonnie in 6x22, it would be VERY different from when he saved her in 6x13 on her bday. In 6x13, saving Bonnie was a huge sacrifice Kai made bc of his newfound guilt and other growing feelings about her. But if Kai saved her in 6x22, that man would do it out of SPITE lmfao. Like sure, maybe a *tiny* fragment of leftover post-merge Kai would save her bc he believed she deserved better, but at the mental state that he was in by 6x22, i think a larger part of him would actually be looking to save her out of this petty urge to make bonnie suffer, bc dying would be too easy for her according to his thought process 💀

In canon, remember how Kai got annoyed by damon seemingly deciding to let bonnie die and choosing elena over her super quickly? He complains, saying smthg like "This decision was supposed to torture him," bc he wanted damon to agonize over the bonnie vs elena choice for a long time. Similarly, i think bonnie dying just like that would eliminate a lot of the angst, pain and tension of the situation, so Kai would save her life *just* so bonnie and damon would be forced to live with the uncomfortable reality of damon choosing elena over her and deal with the emotional fallout of that instead of pretending they have the world's best friendship, as they'd been doing for all of S6 (bc Kai would enjoy watching that mess).

Ofc, that would probably result in Bonnie aiming a lot of her resentment towards Kai for forcing her to face those hard truths, but maybe, after an initial explosion (and a lil nudging from Kai), she might realize that targeting kai is just shooting the messenger rather than addressing the root problem (her toxic friends). If it hadn't been kai, then somebody else would've made bonnie see the truth but either way, that's something she needed to see.

Realistically, even after this realization, i don't think bonnie would've suddenly warmed up to kai, but i think it might've pushed her to ditch damon instead of sticking around Mystic Falls to help him all the time (which would've consequently made Kai suddenly lose interest in Mystic Falls too xD). If Damon then chose to seek her out to beg her (read: force her) to defeat the town's new villains-of-the-week, or if he found her w his humanity off and tried to kill her to get elena back, i think kai might've surprised them all by appearing out of nowhere to get damon off bonnie's case (bc kai being kai was prob keeping tabs on bonnie's whereabouts as soon as she skipped town).

And maybe Kai's sudden appearance would've led to a bonkai confrontation with Kai realizing he may have saved her out of spite in 6x22, but there is no explanation for why he saved her from damon this time besides.. *wanting* bonnie to get her life away from her friends. And maybe that would've also led him to unsubtly point out that an elena-free existence had actually made bonnie's life better, thanks to kai.

Bon would probably kick his ass halfway across the world after a comment like that but i think it would stick with her, making its way under her skin as it sinks in that the horrific thing Kai did really did end up working out for her in the long run. Bc as we know, even at his lowest, there was always some part of Kai that begrudgingly wanted bonnie's attention and validation and rly resented her friends getting that from her while walking all over her. It would take a long time, but slowly and surely, i think Bonnie's intuition would eventually pick up on that tiny part of Kai that saved her life to show her that she deserved better. It would be very uncomfortable for her to realize that Big Bad Kai could no longer be an easy scapegoat for all her problems, but that might be just what she needs to finally see Kai as a person, rather than a monster. And from there? Well, looots of opportunities and potential would open up from there 😏

[all-pacas]

Had Dibala not happened, how would the inevitable camchase breakup go down? Would they have imploded or slowly died? Would it have taken another one-in-a-million event to break them apart?

probably imploded.

camchase have something huge going for them: they both really want to be married. i don't even mean to one another, in the true love conquers all sense. i mean that they're both lonely and desperate and fucked up, and they want a family and partner and to be loved. you can coast a long time on that. they were also planning on having kids, and i think inertia would have carried them pretty far tbh: they stay together for their kids (chase doesn't want to ruin his kids's life with a bitter divorce), they want to be in a happy marriage, etc. neither of them is at all likely to have an affair or do anything on purpose to fuck things up.

the problem is, they both have very similar and very contradictory trauma responses. cameron runs and has an escape route at all times, she panics and avoids the situation rather than confront or deal with it. we see this in s1 when she quits over house; we see this in s5 when she admits she moved across the country after her husband died (and again after her divorce); we see this in saviors, where she panics and ghosts chase with the intention of "i just need more time" and the end result of "him dumping her." she illustrates it pretty well in the s6 divorce arc: something bad happened, we need to get away from it.

chase also kind of runs/avoids responsibility -- he's self serving, he looks out for himself -- but he also has insane abandonment issues. he convinces himself cameron never loved him (despite their divorce being about the murder he did and his refusal to leave down with her). he is insecure as hell. he has shades, at least in saviors and teamwork, of i need to dump cameron before she can dump me: get ahead of what he sees as an inevitability, protect himself rather than be blindsided. he gives up, he doesn't fight.

this means they are always going to be a ticking time bomb: the first crisis they face, whether it be genocidal world leader or trouble conceiving, they're both going to freak out, decide the relationship is over and the other one hates them, and give up. we see that chase is able to get over himself and talk to cameron about the small stuff, but (as a mark of the show's writing/pov issues) we never see cameron do the same for him -- not that i think she wouldn't, but. if they grow distant, the way you do sometimes with the people you love, chase is going to see it as a rejection and pull away. if they face stress, cameron is going to want to run and process it on her own and trigger these abandonment issues. they're gonna get stuck in a loop of rejection/abandonment/running/rejection. if they have kids, they probably at least try to stick it out, but that just delays the inevitable. they're both fucked up people afraid they are fundamentally unlovable. they need therapy.

[iknowshocker]

you’re querying a bonkai inspired book? AHHH i hope it finds an agent and gets published because ive been looking for their dynamic in trad pubbed work + other media. hmm basic question but what was it about the ship that made you want to write original work inspired by it?

hii!! yes, it's called The Forgotten Legacy (or maybe The Unwanted Heir, that's TBD lol). I'm pitching it as a Witch-coded Bridgerton inspired 8 book series (Witcherton, if you will), and I'm so unbelievably obsessed. I've had such a fun time injecting it with true to life witch lore and specifics on covens/pantheons/and practices across the globe.

Each book will focus on one of the Attwood siblings - starting with a childhood friends to rivals to lovers new adult story.

I run a yt channel where I recap fantasy media and the stars aligned for me creatively this time when I reached tvd s6. I had just finished a project and was ready for something new, and Kai is like the closest thing I have to a muse. He sneaks his way into all the MMC's I write, but this time I just went all in.

I've always been drawn to the secrets of the gemini coven/the flashbacks from their childhood we don't get to see. So I decided to build my own magical family/world where I could figure all of those things out, add to them, and do what I wanted with the all the intersecting arcs.

The biggest thing I changed is that only the dad is cruel, so my MMC grows up with a mom/siblings/and specifically a twin that truly love him. The family is still majorly screwed up, don't get me wrong, but they have this drive to take care of each other that makes my heart ache. I liiiiive for sibling angst, so figuring out the individual dynamics between the siblings has been ridiculously fun. Close sibling friendships might be my true weakness ?? so it was really important to me to develop that relationship between my MMC/his twin sister and explore what it looks like for them to go into my version of the merge loving each other the entire time.

imo if you boil Kai down to one core emotion its Desperate with an underscore of Rage, and my MMC is Desperate with an underscore of Sorrow. He's living with the knowledge that he could single handedly destroy his entire family, or save everyone with his death at his sister's hands. He gives up basically everything to be a good big brother and protect them, sacrificing his own happiness in the process. (don't worry tho he still has the inherent darkness, sarcasm/the wit we all know and love - he's an emotional mess and i adore him!!)

As for why I find Bonkai inspiring, again I think it's all the possibilities of the ship itself. I was so excited for Bonnie to have someone who was 100% obsessed with her, and I think if given the chance she would have been that person for Kai, too. He's never had someone love him/protect him, and if they'd been a couple I think Bonnie 100% would have stood between him and the rest of the geminis.

I wanted to finally see a badass (mostly healthy) witch couple, and bonkai would have just ?? decimated everyone else on the board. So with my writing I explored the dynamics of them being willing to do anything to keep each other safe/plus the complexities of their individual power/what it would be like if they could work together.

I focused a lot on the opposing personalities/undeniable understanding that bonkai has. So they still fight but there's that element of ...uh, do you guys need a room or ?? They remind me of magnets - you can never tell if they're going to make out or try to kill each other or both.

I added the elements of a childhood friendship between my FMC and the twins, so there's some fun friendship dynamics there, too.

thank you so much for asking, anon! I hope I answered this okay, lol. I have so many thoughts bouncing around about the series as a whole it's hard to condense them.

xx

[buddieisgoingcanon25]

Hello 🚩🚩🚩 anon here.

The comments from the anon who said...

[Direct quote]: "your anons shouldn’t have to insult other couples to show support for buddie. hen and karen are important queer representation as two black lesbian woman in a happy relationship and maddie and chimney are an interracial couple who have found love after trauma. And they are important to a lot of people so honestly it’s very insulting and demeaning to say they’re boring.

And if maybe Maddie’s role was reduced take that up with the writers that didn’t give her the screentime she deserves instead of bashing madney?" [End quote]

...are lopsided and unfounded. Anon, please understand a person can make comments about how "boring" a ship/couple on 9-1-1 or any TV show for that matter is if they believe it to be true. Also, a difference of opinion with you doesn't mean the person is insulting or demeaning "Henren" or "Madney".

Let's be clear and real here for a minute, the storylines they've been given is what makes them boring. So, don't fault the other anon for stating facts when your comments are the ones that are lopsided.

Here are a few facts and reasons why the ships on the show have become BORING.

Madney - Initially, they had a wonderful friendship that turned into a romantic relationship but the creators and the showrunner turned them into a boring couple when they didn't give them any good storylines and when they diminished their relationship to the point where Maddie completely overshadows Chimney and he's sidelined and treated like a recurring character even though he's been on the show since the beginning. All of his storylines are attached to hers and let's be real, her storylines haven't been good since before JLH went on maternity leave at the beginning of S5. The way they had Chimney chasing her across the U.S. was just BAD! It would have been a lot better if they would've let her tell Chimney she was struggling (***check notes***) like she did at the end of season 4 but instead of doing that, what did 9-1-1 do? They let her leave with a video and left him there to watch it at the firehouse. Everyone knows Chimney has abandonment issues because his own father left him to fend for himself in the U.S. when he was 15 years old after his mother died. Also, prior to his relationship with Maddie, he was afraid Tatiana was going to leave him. The FACT is Maddie did leave and he was afraid but THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE HIS BEHAVIOR WHEN HE PUNCHED BUCK IN THE FACE.

It's really unbelievable the show didn't let Maddie say anything about Chimney punching her brother and giving him a black eye especially since she's a DV survivor. Buck is her brother and she was the one who took care of him while he was growing up so she should have been the first person to say something to Chimney about his bad behavior. Now don't get it twisted, I like Chimney but the way that storyline played out was not a good look for him, her or Buck and it shouldn't have made it past the smell test. ALL OF THEM WERE OUT OF CHARACTER and there's no excuse for it other than the showrunner didn't know what to do with Chimney without Maddie being there. 🙄

Henren - Has the longest relationship on the show. They've been together for years but the creators and the showrunner have NO IDEA of what to do with them and IMHO it has to do with the showrunner not allowing them to have any good storylines. That foolery they included in S6 for them with Denny's bio dad was even WORSE than the Madney storyline from S5. Instead of letting Denny run off to meet some dude he'd never met before, the showrunner should have watched S2 and verified the agreement Nathaniel made with Hen and Karen. That storyline shouldn't have played out like it did because he was supposed to follow their lead.

Also, their storyline in the finale was BAD because they just stuck some unknown foster kids with them and completely blindsided the audience with it because they hadn't fostered a child since Nia left in S4. Also, IIRC, they weren't allowed to foster a lot of kids at once but they had like five or six in the finale. At first, I thought they were some of Denny's friends but when I realized they were a lot younger than him, I had no idea where they came from.

Hen's medical school storyline ended like a wet match when they could have done a lot more with it. It was like they gave up or something and didn't put any effort into it.

Bathena - They've become boring too and IMHO, the show is using the shock value of a cruise ship sinking like the Titanic to get people to watch but that is so played out and Bobby and Athena deserve better. Is the cruise ship emergency needed, YES! Why? Because S6 was worse than S5 so hopefully it'll be exciting enough to hold people's attention but let's be real, a CGI generated cruise ship will NOT hold a match to the Tsunami, the Earthquake or the Shooting!

Buddie - I won't even comment on the recycled storylines they keep giving Eddie and Buck to delay the inevitable because if do, this post wouldn't end. But just like all the other ships, they deserve so much better than some one-dimensional LIs who will be around for like 2 minutes unless they drag out those storylines like they did the ones with AF and TK. If they do then God help us all because those were BAD on so many levels.

The point of this anonymous ask is to point out the fact that the anon who posted the quote above needs to redirect their frustrations to the show instead of to the people who comment on how boring the ships are. Let's be real, a lot of the GA feels the same way.

People need to stop thinking that if a person has a different viewpoint than theirs', it's incorrect because it's not true.

Thanks anon for this lovely ask/answer. I agree with all your comments on the couples and almost couples (see what I did there). The show runner[s] need to see and hear what the fans want. It would do them some good if they did. Dare I say they would have in their hands a m/m couple that defied odds and got together in their 30s that also had 1000% chemistry.

[uncloseted]

hey! rory gilmore anon here. i really appreciate you reading all my thoughts and after reading yours, i definitely agree with you. it would have been interesting to see her privileges be taken away from her, as we could have witnessed rory being forced to grow as a character... it makes me think of how paris in s6(?) loses all her family's wealth and was still able to be paris and stay driven to succeed. where rory, maybe not so much. but you're right, we never get to see anything like that.

i think i'm also partly in denial about the revival. i understand to a point that amy sherman palladino didn't write season 7 and thus used the revival to write what she originally wanted to happen her way (why else would luke and lorelai wait that long to get married? and apparently not have given it a single thought until the revival?), and that there were budget cuts, but i'm really confused why she made rory's character so stagnant and still making the same mistakes. the last episode of the revival sets her up to finally being in a place to make different choices (at least i hope), but then we don't get to see any of it. it's just... bleh.

weirdly, the ending felt like a setup for more episodes, even though it was a struggle as is to make the revival work (from what i've read about the rushed production). i've seen some fans theorize that amy sherman palladino doesn't even like rory that much and that's why her character seems to continuously fail so much without something being made of it. and now that you've pointed out how not great that it is from a watcher's standpoint, i remember another creator mentioning that as well when talking about how amy doesn't let us see rory succeed/change for long. which is perplexing to me, but oh well. as i get farther and farther away from how young i was when i first watched the show, the more my opinion on the show and its characters evolves.

from an audience standpoint i wish the show had made more out of her mistakes. if they absolutely had to show rory being the same person in her 30s, i wish it had made more sense than simply coming across as if all the characters had been frozen in time. i badly want to root for all the characters (excluding chris) and rory, damn it lol

Yes! Exactly. And I feel like I should say- I do really like Rory. I always have. I think she's very relatable and I just want to see her be her best self. But I think that's what's so frustrating about the show for viewers- a lot of them love her and just want to see her grow and learn and mature, but she never gets to even though the other characters do. For example, I think Lorelai gets a lot of character development. At the beginning of the show, she's someone who doesn't really know how to trust other people. She runs away from her feelings and she runs away from situations the minute they get difficult. She's scared of commitment and of what her family represents. But by the end of the show, she does trust people. She stays even when things are getting hard, and she's made a huge commitment (getting married to Luke). She's on much better terms with her family. It feels like we got some payoff with everything she went through. And that's much more satisfying as a viewer.

[thewollfgang]

S6e8

This might be my favorite episode so far.

Ella. She definitely has some good points about being kept in the dark, but so too do those that kept the truth from her. As much as they wanted to tell her, literally no one has reacted well to learning about the celestial. I think Charlotte probably had the easiest transition and she literally was recovering from Hell. But I digress. I loved Ella and Lucifer's moments and also Dan speaking to her through Maze, as well as Carol's quiet but unwavering support. So much emotion in this episode.

Poor Maze, pulled from her honeymoon to read a book about her ex. 😅 I was really delighted by what we did see of her this episode and her demonic way of helping Dan. I wonder just what it is about his death he's harboring guilt over.

Poor Linda. To watch your friends tear your work apart, to watch them be hurt by it when your job is to help people. I really felt her struggle. Especially, when none of it was her idea in the first place. But for Lucifer to have that moment with her in the end, about how much she helped him grow, helped him to love and be loved, to be a better man. What a heartfelt and crowning achievement. (also, her falling asleep against lucifer was super cute)

Chloe reading through the book and seeing all the times Lucifer abandoned her instead of all the times he sacrificed or returned breaks my heart for her. At the end of the day, Chloe has always been the one left behind. Her dad, Dan, Lucifer. Those insecurities crept back up on her, seeing the double life Lucifer led in those early seasons, keeping her in the dark. I am so glad she overcame those feelings and saw those actions as Lucifer really meant them to be. I cried big ol buckets of tears.

I cheered when Lucifer realized he didn't actually want to be God. That impulsive decision never sat right with me in S5b and so much of s6 has made me feel more positively about its predecessor. Lucifer isn't a big picture guy, he's a one person at a time guy. One case. (also, side note: he looked really good in this ep.)

Rory seeing how much Lucifer loves her mom and loves her made me cry so hard you guys. For so long she's had only her mother and stories of her Dad. Stories that grew into resentment and bitterness after years of his absence. To see him now, as he is, hopelessly in love with Chloe to the point where she comes across as clever and beautiful in every session he's had with Linda right in front of Rory's eyes...wonderful acting. Lucifer's triumph in becoming invulnerable so Rory's bullet lands was hilarious but also sweet. Shooting Lucifer is a decker family tradition, after all.

The flashbacks of all the best moments of this show hit so hard. We really are saying goodbye to them, aren't we? These incredible characters we spent years with, watched fall in love, and now it's ending. I don't know how I'm going to get through the next two episodes.

[canonicallyanxious]

taking a moment to think about how good i think druck new gen has been so far at maintaining character continuity across seasons... i think with a format where the main character changes every season it’s quite difficult to keep characterizations/arcs consistent across seasons as all the characters change the roles that they occupy in the story but so far i’ve been really impressed with the growth/development of the cashqueens and how much was established in s5 that is now being explored and deconstructed in s6!

Just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head:

1. In s5 it was well-established that Fatou avoids conflict as much as she can and will avoid engaging with difficult situations rather than explicitly expressing anger or frustration. we could see this in the way that she was very often the first to give Nora the benefit of the doubt, as well as the way she fully withdrew - going so far as to not go to school - after Nora hurt her at the end of ep 8. in this season this is a major part of her character arc. we see her many times throughout the season say/do what she thinks other people want to hear or need from her, which has already resulted in her taking on too much multiple times and subsequently neglect her emotional needs and internalize the idea that she should be able to stay the chill friend who doesn’t need help or support with anything. in this clip the line “i just want to do right by everyone” really stands out to me bc that’s been her main motivation basically the whole time we’ve known her. she just wants to do right by everyone, but in the process no one knows just how much she’s dealing with which means she has no support in the times she can’t do everything that is being asked of her.

[worth noting, i think, that the times we’ve seen Fatou get properly upset this season are often in response to Kieu My. “crazy that I couldn’t see how fake you are” and “you’re just too much of a coward to tell me i’m not good enough for you” are what come to mind for me. i find that really interesting because i think it shows the way her story arc with Kieu My has already helped her grow this season. in the former scene, that’s an important step in her laying down the line and saying “i deserve better than how you’re treating me”; in the latter scene it’s one of the few times the whole season she’s really put her own insecurities into words. also crucial to note how Kieu My responds to Fatou every time - with understanding, compassion, the implicit acknowledgement that she does need to do better and the consistent follow-up with her attempts to do so. so fatou has the space to express her negative feelings, but also work through them and process them in a healthy way. imo it’s a compelling way of developing their romance and giving it nuance and depth!]

2. back in s5 it was clear from social media and Mailin’s actions in the show that she is very passionate about doing the right thing [her main motivation for stealing the money from the instas was that it wasn’t right for them to waste the class’s money, for example]. she has a strong moral compass that’s quite admirable for someone of her age! but we also saw in s5 that she could be impulsive and a little careless with how her actions impact others [e.g when she broke into the campground], and also prioritize her activism over the feelings of her friends [e.g in the discussion of Thanksgiving, bringing up the fact that Thanksgiving is emblematic of genocide and oppression of American indigenous peoples when Ava mostly just wanted to recognize that she enjoys the holiday for the feeling of communion and such]. 

so to see them build on that thread here into a fleshed-out storyline properly addressing her performative activism and the way it can impact her marginalized friends is imo a really important story to tell. i feel like often when racism is tackled in mainstream media it often runs the risk of either being overly exaggerated/caricaturized or just completely glossed over, so there is a balance to be struck here with holding Mailin accountable for her actions while giving her space to grow and learn from her mistakes - she’s not some cartoon villain, she’s a teenager who’s still trying to learn how to navigate the world - and [hopefully] providing a roadmap of learning how to be a better ally. so far though it seems clear that druck is making a concerted effort to navigate that line with how carefully they’ve put in the pieces from s5 and earlier in this season.

3. for Ava, we saw pretty early on in s5 that she deeply values friendship, loyalty, honesty, and trust. this was established through the way she stood up for Fatou in s5 ep 9, as well as how she was more open to Nora as soon as Nora was more open with her. this continues in this season as well with the conflict b/w ava and fatou. the conversation bw them at the beginning of s6 ep 5 remains one of my favorite clips of the season bc i feel like it captures Ava’s character and their friendship very well - "friends always come first”, and the way that she opened up with Fatou when she intuited that Fatou was genuinely opening up to her as well. this aspect of her character is highlighted in today’s clip with lines like “have you even asked me how i’m doing?” and how she doesn’t always want to be the mature and responsible one. we’ve seen ava multiple times in this season try to put aside her own feelings for the sake of friendship, to be the “mature” one for the sake of keeping the peace, but she’s reached a point where she just can’t do that anymore. Reciprocity in friendship is very important to her in that she wants [and deserves!] the same support and energy from her relationships that she gives to them, but when characters like fatou and nora aren’t able to provide that reciprocity [for reasons that are of course extremely understandable from their point of view] that can cause a lot of hurt for Ava precisely because of the things that have already been established to be very important to her.

4. tbqh i don’t have as much to say about Nora as i do about the others but i will say that i think the way she reacts in this clip is understandable in the context of her character too, actually! we know from s5 that she’s another character who’s prone to glossing over her real feelings in an effort to keep the illusion that everything is okay. we also know that this is really the first time she’s been able to establish some independence for herself from her mother while also having a lot to deal with in terms of her mental illness and navigating a relationship with someone while coping with those things, which is probably a lot to adjust to and puts into context why she’s not been committing as much time to the cashqueens recently. like the other characters she has a lot to balance and reasons not to be totally open about what she’s going through, which complements the themes of her season and fatou’s season quite well.

mostly i just find it impressive how much work has been put into developing these characters’ arcs and making all their perspectives understandable to us in a clip like this. because their characterizations have been well-established and incorporated into their respective arcs, we are able to more deeply understand their feelings and why they’re reacting the way they do to a situation like this. it’s part of what makes conflict between them so difficult to watch, i think, but it’s also part of what makes their conflict feel so real, and i just think it’s really cool to see the writers of this show making a concerted effort to afford their characters compassion and empathy even in difficult times so that we can extend compassion and empathy to them as well.

[typinggently]

I have never watched that show. How much background info I should look up to enjoy your Sam x Dean fiction?

Dearest, that’s so sweet ahhh 🥺🥺 Honestly, I’m so honoured that you’re willing to dive into unknown waters for me 🌹🌹🌹 I wrote up a short introduction! ✨

The basics are as follows: Sam and Dean are the sons of John and Mary Winchester, with Dean being 4 years older. After Mary’s supernatural death when Dean is 5, John sweeps his children into his car and leaves the burning corpse of their normal life behind, with a sweltering pain inside of him. Driven by fear for his sons and the burning need for revenge, John raises his sons as hunters and in motel rooms. There is, and that is crucial, no resemblance of a normal life for any of them after Mary’s death.

If we’re speaking in very basic terms, Dean is the daredevil womanising Marlboro Man, complete with muscle car and leather jacket, and Sam is the more soft-spoken smart one who eats salad and has glossy-soft hair. (However, of course, Dean is fiercely family-oriented, protective, good with children. Sam started out with a rebellious streak and is still capable of great violence when he doesn’t keep himself in check. Also Dean’s the type to gaze dreamily into his girl’s eyes and hold her hand as she rides him and Sam’s one night stands are mostly of the ‘rip off your shirt and hit it from behind’ kind.)

~🖤~

Considering there are 15 seasons to choose from, people have (naturally) picked up certain elements that they find most enjoyable. There’s a good deal of people who watch it as a (romantic) comedy.

I personally enjoy the American gothic horror, the way those two are entangled beyond comprehension and, at times, indistinguishable from the monsters they hunt. Even if my fics have different topics or are lighthearted and honey-dripping, the base note is always this: their relationship, due to nature and nurture, is incredibly obsessive. Their world has been reduced to the two of them in the confines of the car or the ever-changing motel rooms, ever since they were little. Dean’s purpose in life was to protect and care for Sam, Sam’s purpose in life was to let that happen. There’s some resentment in that, sometimes you can feel them rebelling against this tangled, claustrophobic mess, but even if they fight and snarl and break up, they always return to one another and heal those cuts in their bond, which, in essence, only means that they settle back into their entangled, Janus-like double soul.

~🖤~

I’ll give you a brief summary of the first five seasons (the core of the show, at least to me), just to illustrate my point. Despite all else that happens, I think that is the foundation of the show, and thus, probably all you need to know to understand what I have in mind while I write.

🔥.1.🔥

The story begins with Sam at college, trying to establish a life away from the road and, in essence, Dean. That attempt of normality burns on the ceiling in the person of his girlfriend Jessica, repeat performance of when his mother’s body lit up his room 21 years ago. Dean picks him up and he goes back to the car, to the life he tried to leave behind, and, essentially, to Dean. They follow a trail of breadcrumbs and coordinates John leaves them to eventually get back to him. They find John, find the demon that killed Mary, and, as the turn of a new chapter is right at their fingertips, get bulldozed by a truck.

🪦.2.🪦

Season two has Dean dying. John can’t let that happen, so he finds the demon responsible for taking everything (his wife, his life, his son) from him to trade his own soul and the only thing that could kill said demon for Dean. John dies, Dean lives, and has to live with that guilt. Just like John, he turns to hunt down the demon responsible for taking everything (his mother, his life, his father). Sam starts having visions, a power grows inside of him that he can’t begin to understand and is incredibly frightened by. The demon sweeps in to steal him away, and Dean comes just in time to catch Sam, powerful and dying, in his arms. Just like John, Dean goes to trade his life. He’s promised one year on Earth, eternity in hell after. Reunited, revived, they find the demon responsible for taking everything and with the help of their father’s soul, kill him. John goes to heaven, Sam goes on living, Dean knows he’s going to hell.

⏳.3.⏳

In season three, Sam lives and has to live with what Dean did. He desperately tries to find a cure, a solution, anything. He finds Ruby, instead, a demon who promises him all three. It doesn’t work, the overly-powerful demon Lilith who was promised Dean after one year, comes and gets him. Sam watches helplessly as Dean is torn apart, then holds him, warm but cooling, in his arms.

🩸.4.🩸

Season four finds Dean finding himself breathing underground. He digs himself out of his own grave and finds Sam and has to find out that Ruby found him first. It’s now that we learn who found Dean and raised him out of hell: Castiel, unkillable, unfathomable, unbelievable. Dean, who never believed in God, now has to learn that there’s a biblical plan laid out for Sam and him. Meanwhile, Castiel, who always believed and is starting to doubt, tries to find God, who’s responsible for it all, but vanished. Meanwhile, Sam is drawn closer and closer to Ruby, by Ruby. While Castiel raised Dean out of hell, Ruby found Sam on Earth and wrapped herself around him, offering a shoulder to cry on and a wrist to drink from. Sam, who wasn’t strong enough to save Dean, quickly gets addicted to demon blood, which makes him stronger than humanely possible — and, in Dean’s eyes, less human. He falls for Ruby and falls for her scheme, which leads to him breaking the seal that kept Lucifer contained, starting what will lead to the end of everything. Ruby’s life ends with Sam’s arms wrapped around her, holding her still as Dean sinks her own knife into her.

⌛️.5.⌛️

Season five leads to the end of the world, with Heaven and Hell trying to convince Sam and Dean to follow the plan written for them: Sam is destined to be Lucifer’s vessel, give over his body to him, while Dean is meant to do the same for Michael. They are meant to fight and kill each other, and thus decide the fate of everything, heaven, hell and earth. They refuse. Dean refuses to let Michael enter and use him, forcing heaven to manipulate their half-brother Adam to step into his big brother’s shoes. Sam invites Lucifer in, but refuses to do as he’s told and breaks the Devil’s hold over him to sacrifice himself and Adam and save everything. It ends with Sam, Adam, Michael and Lucifer trapped for eternity in the cage Sam broke the seal of, and Dean, on Earth. Alone.

(Not quite, of course. Following Sam’s wish, he finds a life for himself, a woman and a child that isn’t his but close enough that Dean can pretend. Outside, in the dark, Sam watches.)

~🖤~

Voilà, that’s it. Sam and Dean kill and die for each other, sell their souls and humanity to save one another or repent for the fact that they couldn’t. There are many, many other stories interwoven there, for example the story of the amulet Sam was meant to gift their father when he was little, for protection. When John doesn’t show up to receive the gift, he gives it to Dean. For decades, the amulet is kept right against his heart, until it stops beating and Sam takes it off, to keep it warm and safe against his own chest. When Dean returns from hell, Sam, who was never able to believe that Dean was really gone, gives it back. Its journey ends where it began, in a motel room with Sam and Dean, when Dean, who finds his faith and hope to save them and the Earth crushed, takes it off and throws it away.

(And a quick look at s6: Dean has the orange juice for breakfast, scent of freshly cut grass life Sam wanted for him for one year, until Sam comes to collect him again. After spending an eternity in the cage with Lucifer (and Adam and Michael, who presumably sat in their corner and made out while Sam was being skinned like Marsyas), Sam was lifted out (by Castiel), but lost his soul and the memories of his torment in the process. What does it mean for one to lose one’s soul, what happens to that person? Sam stops sleeping, he stops caring what other people think, he stops caring for other people in general. He’s an incredibly efficient hunter and spends most of his (limitless, sleepless) time hunting, exercising, or having sex. Despite this empty, cold shell his brother has been reduced to, Dean drops his life of dinner at eight and slow morning sex to join Sam, and gets broken up with over the phone for being too attached to Sam.)

~🖤~

This got quite long after all, but I hope this got the idea across! Those two are very fascinating characters and I love them dearly. Twisted little clowns.

[akkpipitphattana]

No, like I said no Lola hate. Seriously I’m not trying to come into your inbox and start shit. I’m mostly just confused by the writing choices as usual for the characters. Like I said I didn’t like Lola in the beginning and I did originally see growth but the writing of the characters is confusing to me. I’m autistic so sometimes character motivations confuse me and this was a genuine question. I apologize if it seemed rude or anything. Was very much not my intention. I guess I don’t understand why, after breaking up with Maya, which was understandable, I felt like the “I don’t love you” came out of nowhere from Lola. That’s why I said I don’t really want them to be together right now. And if they were real people, I think they both should take time to grow on their own and work on some of their individual issues before resuming their relationship. I actually fully understand why Lola broke it off and was proud of her for communicating and setting boundaries with her partner. I just feel like the writers are erasing a lot of the Lola growth since S6 for the sake of drama. Again, I’m very sorry if I upset you as it was not my intention. I reread what I wrote and realized I should pick my words better next time. It’s difficult for me to get my thoughts into words sometimes.

I totally get you! I’m sorry if I came across rude as well, Lola is just one of those characters I get really defensive over, and I just don’t think I fully got a lot of what you were saying, but this ask definitely cleared some things up! Putting this under a cut because it got long lol

I do honestly disagree that they’re erasing Lola’s growth with the last episode. She’s one of few characters that has been pretty consistently written (aside from forgiving Tiff… but I’ll let it slide.) and I feel like s9 hasn’t changed that either (at least not yet).

I’m gonna explain this from two different perspectives because there are two ways to look at Lola’s realization that she doesn’t love Maya.

The first way is that it’s as simple as that: she doesn’t love Maya. Which, I totally agree that it feels out of nowhere… and that’s because it is. If it’s true that she doesn’t love Maya, then her realization of it came at one of the worst times. And that sucks, but that’s also life. Feelings don’t always line up, they can fade fast, and despite Maya putting in the work, that isn’t gonna change the way Lola feels. And I think it really does show a lot of Lola’s growth that she did communicate that to Maya instead of just letting her think it could change. That she was honest with her even if it hurt.

Then there’s the second way, which is what I believe really happened: Lola misinterpreted her own lack of trust and fear of getting back together as her not loving Maya anymore. Which, from that perspective, I can see why you could think Lola’s growth is being erased. However, the thing about growth is that it’s not always linear. And while I don’t necessarily think that Lola is backsliding, I do think she is letting her past experiences dictate her current decisions.

Lola has been through a LOT. I know you said you didn’t like the way she was written in s6, but a lot of her personality and her issues comes from so much of the trauma that she has endured. Lola has never felt like she had a real family, she found out her dad wasn’t her dad when she was thirteen and immediately felt disconnected from him and her sister, leaving only her alcoholic mother to be a strong familial connection. She started hurting herself, was sent away, became addicted to substances, and then lost her mother, and well we know what happened from there. Lola has been hurt over and over again by people in her life, it’s no wonder she has difficulties trusting people.

Maya was someone that she did feel like she could trust, but then she started feeling like Maya didn’t really love her and wasn’t opening up to her, so that trust started to crack. And then she found out that Maya had been hiding this huge thing from her (her grandmother) and it was completely demolished. Maya dropping the “I love you” on her only further proved to her that Maya doesn’t get what the issue is really about as well, and as much as it was what she wanted to hear, it was just too late at that point for her to accept it as it was. Not to mention the fact that Lola has been in Maya’s position before, she’s been the one trying to work things out and has then ended up crashing herself. She knows that growth isn’t linear, so it’s impossible to feel like she can trust that Maya is really gonna keep growing. Especially since Maya did tell her she thought this would make Lola happy… she was doing it all for Lola, and so it’s so easy for Lola to see that and think “if we get back together, she’s gonna stop growing and we’ll go back to square one.”

And again, given how much Lola has been through, the easier option is to let go of any hope of Maya changing at all than to give her the benefit of the doubt and risk continuing to get hurt. I’m not saying it’s a fair thought process, but I’m saying it’s likely what Lola is going through, and that doesn’t mean her growth is completely gone. In some ways, it’s actually representative of it, since she’s looking out for herself rather than choosing to run the risk of getting hurt like she has in the past.

Of course, I do actually agree with you that if they were real people, they would need way more time than they’re likely going to get in order to figure their own stuff out and come back together. Unfortunately, Skam France seasons are only ten weeks long, so regardless it will have to be rushed in order for it to come to a good conclusion. And narratively wise, they do have to get back together for a good conclusion, since if they don’t, not only will a lot of the symbolic elements of the season be dropped, but it will also be pushing the idea that these two characters that are extremely broken and believe themselves to be undeserving of love… are right in thinking that. And that is an extremely horrible message for them to send.

[spikedru]

Hi! So first off, your blog is incredible (probs the best buffy blog I have come across so far?) & second, I have gathered you are a spike fan, super curious to hear your thoughts on the terrible episode in season 6 (?) where he tries to r*pe buffy. I feel like everyone tends to ignore the weirdness of season 6 but I really want to explore other folks opinions on it

lmao thank u for enjoying my bullshit <3

it got kinda long so im putting my thoughts under a read more. tw for discussion of sexual assault

to be frank i dont think ive actually sat down and watched seeing red since the first time i watched the show back when i was like. 14. a lot of shit goes down in that ep that is not fun to watch, nor was it supposed to be. in my personal opinion, i dont like most of season 6. it starts out fine, bargaining and after life are interesting, engaging episodes. the seeds of everyones explosive interpersonal dramas are about to fully bloom, and theres a lot of narrative tension in that regard. but as the characters unhealthy coping mechanisms start to catch up with them and bad decisions after bad decisions are being made, i no longer enjoyed watching characters i love begin to succumb to their downward spirals. the push/pull of negative character development works for some people, but it just wasnt enjoyable to me. i started this blog in march right around the time i was doing my first s6 rewatch in years and i eventually gave up right before riley shows back up because it wasnt fun for me to watch anymore (also because i think as you were is a dumb episode lol) :/ lmao i guess as a depressed 20 something i dont want to also watch a bunch of depressed 20 somethings struggle with real world problems. im still debating whether to just go back and watch the dark willow eps, bc that was fun to see, but other than that ... :/

back to seeing red, while i hate that it lead to an attempted sexual assault, i can understand the narrative path that got them to that point. spike is absolutely in the wrong, he's the one that took it too far, but regardless, from a character perspective i can see how he got to the bathroom. the buffy/spike sexual relationship is absolutely toxic the moment it begins. its built on misunderstandings, buffy using spike without regard for his feelings not understanding that despite being soulless he is his own person with his own emotions, and spike not understanding why buffy is turning to him, that her own self loathing and depression is what is driving her to him as a means of escape, not truly because of a purer emotion like love which is what he wants. their whole tryst is a stew of muddled yes/no mixed signals. and after buffy decides to break it off with spike for good, as a way for herself to begin healing from her depression, it makes sense that he wouldnt fully believe her. she had been turning her back on him and then crawling back so often, why would this time be different? again with the misunderstandings of the relationship between the both of them. they had reached a standstill where neither party knows how the other is interpreting their actions. i like this excerpt from Critically Touched's review of Seeing Red, because i feel like he is able to explain how they got to that bathroom scene in a very succinct way

"Something had to happen with these two. Spike had to just leave the show, die, or do something so bad to Buffy that he'd need to get a soul to even attempt to make things right with her, despite the fact that having a soul makes him a new individual in the process. So, despite obviously not "enjoying" the scene, I did find it shocking and I did find it valuable from a character perspective. Due to their twisted sexual relationship this season, I'm not convinced anything else other than this would result in Spike fighting for his soul to be not just a better man... but to be a man (which is poetically said in "Beneath You" [7x02])."

here is the link to the rest of the review -> [link] which i feel like, as with his other buffy reviews, is able to objectively analyze the episode in a really interesting and in depth way, and also help contextualize the episode not just within the season but the rest of the show. i recommend looking through the rest of his reviews, its an interesting perspective from someone who clearly loves this show a lot and is willing to take the time to analyze both the narrative threads as well as the character development, giving every single character their dues in his analysis.

i genuinely love both buffy and spike a lot as characters. they are both incredibly engaging and interesting, in how they grow and change throughout the course of the show, as well as how they play off each other and what they bring out in each other. seeing red is a difficult episode for a lot of people, and for good reason. while their relationship was toxic for both parties it was absolutely spike that took it too far, his attempted sexual assault is inexcusable, and he pays dearly for his transgression. i dont know if i will sit down and watch seeing red ever lol, its definitely up there with the body for episodes that i refuse to rewatch often (though for entirely different reasons lol).

i hope i explained that adequately. its a sensitive subject and i kno a lot of people understandably dont like spike because of his actions in s6. he had straddled the line between good and bad for so long that he had to reach some kind of tipping point to either go fully good or fully bad, and if he died or left the show it would have felt that his character arc had been cut short or left unfinished somehow. its unfortunate and terrible that the tipping point had to come at the cost of assault towards buffy, but as Critically Touched said given that the nature of their relationship was roughly sexual and full of misunderstandings, i can see how it ended up in that bathroom.

also just as a quick aside the way the scene is shot does an excellent job of evoking this sense of dread and wrong. you can tell immediately something awful is going to happen and it makes my skin crawl

[firelxdykatara]

hello!! i just wanted to ask- i wanna do an ouat rewatch bc CAPTAIN SWANN but its pretty long and i honestly dont care for the other characters/how badly the overall writing was handled.. which are your favourite captain swan eps? anything them centered and i think ill just skip around to rewatch their romance as they did invent romance 😭😭 ty in advance <3

they absolutely did invent romance, you are right about that and i love them so much

UHMMMM as far as my favorite CS eps, here’s a roadmap of what I personally consider key eps in their journey (some of this is from memory but I haven’t done a full rewatch in a while so i’m going through the episode list as a refresher)

2x06: Tallahassee--this is a must-watch ep for any CS fan, and I really think this is the episode that sparked the fire that CS would become as a fandom. It has everything--flirtatious banter, all kinds of tension, deliberate parallels drawn between Emma and Killian’s pasts, as well as their first meeting being intercut with her relationship with Neal (which serves, especially in hindsight, to highlight just how sketchy that relationship was, and why she couldn’t bring herself to trust Killian--because the last time she felt this way about anyone, it ended horribly)

2x08 and 2x09: Into the Deep and Queen of Hearts--these episodes cover the race to the portal between Emma&co and Hook/Cora and while they don’t do a ton for CS as a relationship since they’re still enemies at this point, it lays great foundation for their future relationship development. Plus, sexy swordfight, Hook going out of his way to save Aurora’s heart--he may be a pirate, but he has standards ok--and Emma realizing Cora can’t remove her heart without her permission? Poetic Cinema

2x11: The Outsider--more of a Killian-centric episode, it shows a lot of Killian at his worst but it’s necessary for his overall character arc and I genuinely love looking back and seeing just how far he managed to come, to the point of eventually even letting go of his (very understandable) grudge against Rumplestiltskin.

2x12: In the Name of the Brother--am I including this purely for Emma&Hook banter in the hospital, and Killian saying ‘hey beautiful’ when he’s lying on the road because he just got hit by a fucking car? You bet I am. Also, go to youtube and look up ‘ouat season two deleted scene jello’, because it’s beautiful and there was a tremendous outcry in the fandom when we realized it had been cut from the episode lmao (It’s also the episode that made me start shipping Frankenwolf, which I’m still sad never went anywhere, but they had a lot of potential and great chemistry.)

2x22: And Straight On Till Morning--A few of the episodes in between have some fun minor interactions and flashbacks (and I always approve of episodes where Killian gets one up on Rumple, so 2x15 is fun for me if i ignore all the Neal bits) but the finale is where we finally get a glimpse of who Killian could be beyond his need for revenge. He didn’t have to come back, he didn’t have to bring back the bean and help the town--but he did.

Season 3a: there’s a lot of really good stuff here for Hook and Emma that is interwoven between the A plots of other episodes. I think, as far as half-season arcs go, it’s one of the best (and everything after 4a bombed hard, but I digress) But there are a few episodes that stand out if you don’t want to watch the whole season. (I recommend starting with the premier though, it was a really solid season starter overall.)

3x05: Good Form--this is the culmination of David’s poisoned-by-dreamshade arc, and is also Peak Captain Charming Bromance. Hook not only keeping David’s secret, but doing everything he can to help save him??? Poetic cinema. It also provides some crucial Killian backstory, showing how he lost his brother to the very same dreamshade. Plus, the character development--Pan offers Killian a chance to escape the island with Emma if he kills David, and instead, he saves him, refusing the deal and damn the consequences. Also also? The first CS kiss which drove the fandom WILD.

3X06: Ariel--not only to I love OUaT’s take on Ariel, but this episode has the infamous Echo Cave scene, which involves a lot of feelsy confessions and Killian being the one to tell everyone that Neal is alive and helping Emma save him despite his own growing feelings for her.....IT’S JUST A LOT AND I LOVE IT.

3x07: Dark Hallow--oh man, I’d forgotten about this episode, but it has Killian and Neal fighting over Emma, which may sound eye-roll worthy, but Emma is allowed to tear them a new one about it and it’s one of the few times she’s allowed to actually???? put her own feelings first so I have to include it here on spec

3x11 and 3x12: Going Home and New York City Serenade--these mark the end of 3a and start of 3b respectively, and it has some amazing shit like Killian vowing never to forget Emma and Emma smiling as she replies, “Good.” And then she and Henry are in New York with their memories completely altered, but Killian shows up because Storybrooke is back and in jeopardy, and he helps Emma get back to her family and her home and, much later, Emma finds out he sold the Jolly Roger to be able to do it and it’s just. It’s beautiful ok.

3x17: The Jolly Roger--there’s honestly not a whole lot in the back half of season 3 (until the CS movie) but of course anything named for Hook is a must-watch, and this is where we get the iconic line I swear on Emma Swan--which is Killian saying he’s in love with her before he even realizes it. We also find out just what he did to Ariel, and his attempts to make amends are what lead to Zelena being able to curse him, so it’s great from a character perspective as well.

The next four episodes round out the end of the season, and there’s a lot of great stuff in them--Hook refusing to get Emma to kiss him, but Emma feeling like she can’t trust him because he didn’t tell her about the curse to begin with, and then kissing him anyway to save his life regardless of the consequences.... but the only ones that are absolutely necessary are the final two episodes.

They are colloquially termed ‘The Captain Swan Movie’ for a reason, after all.

Killian and Emma essentially have an entire Time Travel adventure all to themselves, where they accidentally ruin her parents first meeting and have to fix it so that she’ll even be born, Emma finally getting into the storybook, the pair of them dancing at a ball, Killian rushing to save Emma only for her to get out of the cell herself, because “The only one who saves me is me.” Killian saying “I would go to the ends of the world for her... or time.” Finally fixing the timeline and making it back to Storybrooke and Killian feeling like he doesn’t deserve a place at the table so he doesn’t go inside, but Emma comes out to him anyway and finds out he gave up the Jolly Roger for her, the true start to their relationship...... IM CRYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT I’M SORRY.

I personally really enjoyed 4a, the Frozen arc was one of the last good half-season arcs of the show, but a lot of people disliked it so it’s really up to interpretation. I don’t have as many Intense Opinions on this season (except hating almost everything about 4b and the queens of darkness arc), but I will say the episodes with good Killian/CS moments are 4x02 (Emma nearly freezes to death, Killian is desperate to save her, Captain Charming teamwork, my heart hurts), 4x04 (Emma asks Killian out on a real date, he tries to get his real hand back from Gold, things go massively awry and he winds up back under Gold’s thumb), 4x08 (Killian tries to save Emma from Gold’s plans), 4x11 (the 4a finale is just great in general), and then..... it cannot be overstated how much I hate season 4b, but 4x15 is the Killian-centric ep where his past with Ursula is revealed and he makes amends to her in order to get her to leave the QoD alliance and it’s great character stuff for him, and then there’s the season 4 finale.

Both parts are worth watching, if only because Deckhand Coward Hook still being a braver, more heroic man than ‘Hero Rumplestiltskin’ warms the very cockles of my heart, and of course the second part of the finale has him helping Henry to save Emma and it’s beautiful and also Emma watches him die for her and it is angsty as FUCK but gods I love it. Here’s where it gets tricky, though--my recommendation is, turn the episode off right after Emma finds Killian back in the present day of Storybrooke and they reunite.

Just turn off the episode there and skip right ahead to the s6 musical episode (Emma and Killian’s wedding ep) and pretend they got married and none of seasons 5 or 6 ever happened. >.> (Although I will say certain parts of the Underworld arc were incredibly feelsy despite how much I overall hated the season: 5x11 (the 5a finale, Killian as the dark one STILL being a better man than rumple, we love to see it), 5x15 (I am not immune to Brothers Jones feelings ok), 5x20 (emma literally takes a True Love Test trying to find a way to save killian, you don’t get more romantic than that--also Killian telling Emma to promise she won’t put her armor back up just because she lost him again??? my HEART), 5x21 (Hook does what he can from the Underworld anyway and zeus sends him back to Emma, they really just said ‘today I will invent romance’ and then Did That)

And then, yeah, just skip to the wedding. It’s beautiful, I enjoyed the music, personally, though I know musical episodes are hit or miss with most people. And if you turn it off when the last musical number starts (after the wedding ceremony, I believe) you can pretend it was the end of the show! =DDD

.....Oh my god I just rambled for years. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS USEFUL, ANON. I 100% support a CS-centered rewatch, their episodes were consistently some of the best across the entire series, and they are truly one of my favorite romances of all time.

[strideofpride]

my dear S since I now know that you also love the classic film Monte Carlo (i'm gonna have to watch it tonight huh) I am gonna share a pet headcanon that I've been holding in my head for a while about Serena. And I have to break this into parts bc the tumblr character limit is OPPRESSIVE

So you know how the movie ends with Selena Gomez helping build this school in Romania? I can see Serena choosing to build a career around that kind of work. Like, she loves to travel, and was fucking always robbed of having a positive adult role model who took her seriously as a student, and I just think that something where she could a): be on the move & not tied down somewhere

b): do the on-the-ground work that gets her hands dirty–but in a like “I have gardened something and feel accomplished way” as opposed to a corporate espionage way, c): have her work with kids, and thus require some whimsy and kindness, d): get the satisfaction of really building something and watch it grow could be so fulfilling for her.

So maybe in the postcanon timeline (after the Final Derena Breakup, concurrent with the Dairis that follows that)–or, because s6 is fake, post-s5, Serena’s always traveling, always on the move because she is the runaway girl, but then even that becomes monotonous: same luxury everywhere she goes, all the places start to run together, and then she stumbles across the chance to do something like Selena Gomez does at the end of MC, and she finds out that she really loves it and BOOM. happy ending.

Omg yes! Okay, first of all I've been meaning to rewatch Monte Carlo for MONTHS, highly recommend everyone else. And liz!! This is soooo good, this is the perfect post-Serena headcanon! It just fits you know? She still gets that sense of adventure but she also gets to help people and feel like she's putting good into the world and get out of the world of luxury she hates...yeah I really really love this! <3

distract me from me

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

Pirate AU Masterpost

Different ships captained and crewed by different hermits, maybe some could be normal sailors too? Or maybe even some could be sirens? There could be a pirate ship, a pirate hunting ship/law-keeping ship, some random shipping vessels, some sirens or sea monsters, or whatever else! I envision Doc as a pirate captain and Xisuma as the law enforcement captain, but it's open to whatever changes! (@-shadeswiftdraws.)

Headcanons to start us off:

-Bdubs is a fruity sailor.

-Cub and Scar sell things to both pirates and the law enforcement. They only take the aide of profit.

-DocM threatened Bdubs into joining him. Whether it worked is up to the 'what gets popular' Gods. If not, he probably just holds Bdubs hostage or something.

-Hypnotizd's bandana has a skull and crossbones on it, as does Etho's headband.

-False is feared by Doc.

-Grian has a parrot that always sits on his shoulder. Doc keeps telling him to get rid of it but Grian refuses.

-Iskall wears an eyepatch.

-Hypnotizd has scurvy.

-iJevin makes maps and sells em to pirates to keep them off his back. Did he bury the treasure? I dunno.

-All of ZIT collectively own a boat. They like to pretend its a yacht and have fun. Sometimes they just use it to relax, sometimes they just go fishing. Sometimes they scare each other with stories of pirates and massive storms.

-Joe Hills is scared of the water because he nearly drowned as a child. But when he ends up accidentally stowing away on the ZIT boat, his worst fears happen.

-Keralis is Xisuma's second in command.

-TFC is a retired sailor that knows too much.

-VintageBeef and basically all of the NHO are with Doc.

-XbCrafted grew up by the beach and likes to collect shells. One time he found a fossil of a dinosaur. What will he do? I don't know. His childhood friend, Hypnotizd, left to be a pirate. Xb hasn't heard from him since (he promised he'd write letters,) and fears the worst.

-ZombieCleo is a dead zombie captain. Her and her crew (the gals, and maybe some co,) are out to get their revenge on Doc. Her second in command is Stress but her main muscle in False.

-Mumbo is usually the one who works maintenance on the ship. (He's with Xisuma.)

-Rendog got stuck on an island he's called 'Loser Island' and has been there for at least a year. He's found by Doc.

-Stressmonster makes people fear her through her name, but they usually laugh when they see her because she's really unintimidating.

-Welsknight hoardes cool swords.

-Everyone underestimates Stress when they see her but those who have faced her in battle have realized their mistake. She is slowly but surely gaining the reputation as one of the most feared pirates of the seven seas. She’s still very sweet if you get to know her tho - 🌙

-At some point while attempting to leave the ZIT crew's yacht, Joe somehow ends up with Cleo and the gals in the middle of the ocean, who take pity on him. Because they help him with his fear and take care of him on the way back to land, he decides to stick with them for good. The Navy and a lot of other pirates don't believe that Cleo can be the captain of such a feared vessel or that False can be that deadly and decide that Joe must be doing it all. He takes joy in deferring to Cleo whenever he can, and the whole crew gets a laugh out of his combat attempts. He mainly handles navigation and stuff, though he does record their adventures and anonymously submit them to newspapers and/or publish his accounts. (Don't want to skip the Joe+ZIT stuff, just love him and Cleo and need that dynamic :-) )

-Half siren/merman grian? - Frost Anon

-Different anon adding to the Merman Wels idea, he's a siren but instead of stealing your life he steals your swords and shinies. Some pirates may be on good terms with him and gives him swords occasionally and ask for directions or just hang out with him and be nice (I'd think Ren would sing with him and Jevin would hang out and steal shinies with him landing both their crews on good terms with him. He may even follow them around as it can be lonely in the ocean)

-Mumbo never meant to be a pirate. There was just a mutiny of the last captain he was under and everyone liked him enough to keep him around.

-Some loser thinks that joe is the muscle of the group and asks for a duel. cleo decides fuck it and just pushes joe into a fight with them because thats how she be sometimes. (False is on standby so joe doesn't get creamed)

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/619926302710956032/another-take-on-the-pirate-au-concept

- At some point, Cleo's ship begins picking up stray orphaned children. They are kept safe below deck during battle and are taught by the crew how to run a ship and fight, but Cleo also teaches them stuff like how to read and do math. The crew is very protective of the young'uns and the ship eventually becomes known for the fact that they take care of kids. Most other ships, upon learning this, respect that and don't attack them. If a ship does, they will find that the Rotten Corpse is viscous, and has many powerful friends who will back them up. If Doc or X come across Cleo's ship, they will give the kids gifts and stay close for a bit to provide protection. As the kids grow up some go back to shore and build legitimate/legal lives (including opening an orphanage) but a group of them go off and become their own pirate crew! Their ship's name? I don't know, I'm not clever.

-In a tavern someone's just like "im gonna sail to this island." Tfc, sitting nearby "you wont find anything" a little while later that ship goes missing. No one actually knows what tfc found in his sailing days. But my god does he know where to avoid

(All above in red are from our community's lovely Anons!)

-The ZIT boat is a bit of a disaster because each person always thinks it's the other people's turn to maintain it. Joe probably saw it on an evening beach walk and thought it was abandoned, decided to explore it, and accidentally fell asleep in the hold. He wakes up to the ZIT boys arguing about what to do with him.

-Xisuma has a reputation for being strict and disciplined and running a very tight ship, but if you're actually on his crew you'll know that's a front for intimidation purposes. In reality he is organised but extremely forgiving, and he will often sit down with crew who are new or going through something stressful and talk it out with them.

-Iskall is with Cleo's crew, he appears just as driven as the rest of them but he's mostly just there to make sure Cleo and co don't go too overboard with the revenge thing. He just doesn't want them to do something they'll regret....

-Wels can be a merman! He hoards cool swords as souvenirs of the surface world and dreams of two-legged adventurers and explorers.

-The "incident" that put Cleo on the path of undead revenge was partially accidental. Doc's goal was to raid the ship and get away with no casualties, but things escalated way too quickly. He is haunted by what happened, but Cleo doesn't know that and is determined to hunt him and his crew down.

-Pirate singalong nights! Doc's ship definitely has a singalong under the stars every night, where everyone can gather together and relax and let loose. It's fun to think about who would be good at it, and who would be bad at it but sing anyway ☺️

-Grian starts off on Doc's ship (with his parrot), but he gets washed overboard in a storm. Siren!Wels rescues him and gives him siren magic.

-I got tired of referring to "Xisuma's ship" and "Doc's ship", so: X's ship is called the Voidrunner, and Doc's vessel is the Black Goat. (Cleo's is The Rotting Corpse -Anon.)

-(I did a submission mentioning ConPost earlier, so look at that for context) The ConPost boys don't sail, but they're very knowledgable about sailing supplies and even ship repair. Cub does bookkeeping and negotiates big deals. Scar likes to wander the docks checking stock levels, with Jellie napping in piles of rope or following close behind.

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/619819577428279296/for-the-pirate-au-cub-and-scar-own-a-supply

-Xisuma is feared and respected by pirates because his ship is one of the first/only steam powered vessels at the time. Mumbo is his engineer; he maintains the mechanics and is constantly testing ways to make the ship faster and more efficient.

-If you ask Iskall why he wears an eye patch, you will get a wild tale of adventure and heroic battle that may take an hour to relate. However, the story is different every time. He actually lost his eye in a completely non-pirate related accident as a child. It just sounds cooler the way he tells it 😂

- About Joe moving from the ZIT crew to Cleo's ship: Joe really wants to be taken back to shore, and the ZIT lads understand his fear of water and try to take him back as soon as possible. However, they get caught in a storm, and the boat isn't in great shape to weather it. The boat is not quite wrecked, but badly damaged, and Joe is washed overboard. Cleo's crew finds him and pulls him aboard to save him (maybe siren!Wels helped bring him to her!)

-As a pirate Etho is known for his skill in boarding enemy ships. It doesn't matter how many ropes you cut, how many pirate grappling hooks you throw into the sea in an effort to keep them from your decks. Even if there's no possible way across, Etho will just sort of.. . End Up on your ship, and you will end up in Davy Jones' locker. (Based on the creepy teleport thing with Grian, and just Etho's general cryptid-ness)

-The sea spray and the general ocean humidity is horrible for Doc's arm. Ren helps him keep it as clean and rust-proof as possible, but it still probably squeaks a lot and stiffens up sometimes.

(-@shadeswiftdraws.)

-ZombieCleo's gal (& co.) crew includes Iskall. [More info pending for when I finally get around to watching s6 and see the infamous Iskall & Stress duo in action] (-@basaltdragon.)

-Inspired by shade: Cub is an ex-sailor, and Scar grew up in a family of fishers. Cub was really good at ship maintainence (he just got sick of the politics), and Scar loved keeping stock of the fishing nets and what sort of fish were caught, how much they might sell for, though he's not as good at repairs.

-For the Pirate AU, Mumbo telling Siren/MerGrian stories of the surface world and (secretly?) making a way for Grian to see it for himself. (-@shiniestumbreon.)

-Pirate au: one day there is a really bad storm that destroys all of the hermits boats except for one of them. So now all the hermits are all on one boat that’s really far away from land. (Angst part) some of them went over board (I’m thinking the captains maybe) so the remaining hermits are either grieving them or looking desperately hoping that their crew mates are still alive and clinging to wreckage. Who they find, if they do find any of them is up to the reader for now. (-@lookitsspacekween.)

- Mumbo, being the spoon he is always forgets where he buries his treasure. (-@xxpzmistxx.)

-Mumbo, as the Voidrunner's engineer, has so much to work on that Xisuma will sometimes take over the maintenance so poor Mumbo can get some sleep. This leads to the hunt for a secondary engineer and maybe that's how Mumbo and Iskal end up meeting. (-@my-cat-is-a-bastard.)

-A cat scratched out Iskall's eye as a kid, and he's too embarrassed to tell anyone. He's still a bit afraid of cats, so you'll always see him keeping a close eye on Jellie when he's at the dock. (-@12u3ie.)

- i dont really know much about pirates but ima try!! ok so, cleo is human, but she gets the nickname "zombie cleo" because she faked her own death. people thought she drowned, and her old crew along with her. most of them went to live normal lives under different names, but cleo missed the sea and eventually returned to being a pirate, eventually becoming the capitain of a new ship. (i hope this makes sense lol) (-@bakubakunyanyaa.)

-Pirate headcanons! As someone said before Ren and Wels are friends and like to sign together. I can imagine Wels telling the Black Goat that there is a treasure burried in Loser Island to get Ren rescued. Also! People think Ren is halve siren/has siren magic as he is really good at singing and the melodies he hums are similar to the ones sirens are said to sing, turns out just a bit of siren magic and Wels singing style rubbed on Ren during all the time they spent together singing.

-More pirate hc cause i have no self control and they are not a lot of them: Doc gives shiny stuff to Wels in exchange of him warning them when X’s crew is on a port. Iskall is also a great engineer and is working to make the Rotten Corpse Steam powered too. He insist Cleo to let him take a peek on the Voidrunner to see if he can copy Mumbo’s work, the gals agree this is the most dangerous idea Iskall has.

(-@ivi-prism.)

-Ship AU! Hypno originally joined the ship's crew with his friend, Jessassin. They became a swashbuckling duo, and still sometimes work together, despite Jessassin's inactivity from pirate duties. (-@calmshejaguar.)