#but I think it could’ve been a genuine episode

[theshadowrealmitself]

Someone jokingly throwing Phantom’s hat into the ring during the next election and now he’s seriously competing against Vlad Masters to be Amity’s mayor

[a-menaceinpink]

rewatched star wars ep 1 recently (i have many Many things to say but that’ll come in another post) and i’ve concluded that part of the reason (there are many, mostly relating to pacing, world building and general quality) the new live action properties suck is that there’s a significant loss in the weight to their fight choreography. and i don’t mean that in like an plot relevant sense (altho that is also true) i mean the choreography LITERALLY looks less weighty, like it kinda seems like everyone is just a step too slow in everything and taking a couple too many breaths. the blade crossings don’t have as much of an impact. while that is to be expected w Sabine as a padawan it is very much NOT what i would expect from Shin OR the other guy Ahsoka kills OR Ahsoka herself, esp when compared to like Anakin in episodes 2/3 or Obi-Win thru out

the change really stuck out to me in episode 4 and it just makes the whole thing feel less like star wars and less weighty and it does the cast itself an injustice. i actually think the casting is really well done (natasha liu bordizzo <3) but the literal Everything Else ab Ahsoka in particular is disappointing

[branchiopod]

can’t sleep. keep making myself mad about shit

[uniquepeanutcreatorfire]

Narrative: Handling Complicated Situations

I saw this Twitter thread about this particular scene from Spooky Month 6 and I really enjoy seeing people engaged in the discussion understand the grey areas and complexities in this scene and that no one’s truly right or wrong. No one is going “He was so mean to her”.

Despite Father Gregor’s harsh words and his strict ideals, we as the audience know he comes from a good place. He’s shown to genuinely want to help people and cares about the boys. We also know Lila loves her son and wants to protect him but the show isn’t afraid to call her out on her faults. We see the consequences of the boys’ actions with the demon. Even then, we see their personal issues that we can sympathize with.

This also had me thinking about the Hellaverse (particularly HB) and how it often fails at presenting nuanced situations like Stolitz, Stolas and Stella, or Blitz and his sister, Barbie. Usually, they only show one character’s perspective, expect you to sympathize with them, and frame the other character as one-dimensional so far. The only situation I can think of that was given some nuance was Stolas and Octavia’s relationship in Looloo Land. However, after that episode the show stopped exploring Octavia as a character and wanted to give Stolas more sympathy.

Father Gregor could’ve easily been made into a one-note character, given his brief appearance in the last Spooky Month, but the show decided not to do that. They put effort into giving depth to almost all the characters. Don’t mean to sound cliche but if Father Gregor was written by Vivziepop or in HH/HB, he would be this one-dimensional, judgmental, self righteous character you’re meant to hate (pretty much Lute). He would’ve called Lila a bad mother instead of irresponsible so the audience can easily side with Lila.

Both of these are indie cartoons. The difference is one allows characters to be flawed/human while the other is more concerned with the audience liking certain characters.

[comradekatara]

I just read your rant about zukka and it made me think what if zuko’s obsession with sokka has to do with the fact that sokka in some ways encompasses some of the traits that have been forced on Zuko since he was young like the whole killing without mercy or remorse and the need for control and the strategic thinking. But Sokka uses these skills no to try and rule the world but to help aang stop Ozai. I haven’t watched atla in a while but your analyses help me realize a lot of details that I missed about it was he characters

yeah i’ve talked before about how sokka and azula being so similar must be kind of a mindfuck for zuko because sokka has “a killer instinct that’s just so fire nation” but also he’s literally friends with the bald baby pacifist monk avatar who says shit like “do you think we could’ve been friends too?” and so zuko clearly has no idea what to think. like he and azula were both indoctrinated into this world that valued certain traits and dogmas over others (ie, sokka’s over aang’s) and so azula sees sokka as more of a threat.

it’s funny because obviously sokka and zuko’s first encounter is sokka getting his ass handed to him by a guy who doesn’t even care that he’s in his way, but also that scheme is pretty immediately disrupted by sokka’s boomerang. and then the next time they meet, sokka has actually spent time training under someone (instead of fumbling around in the dark by himself) and can now hold his own far better. and every single encounter after that sees sokka not only rising to zuko’s level, but surpassing him, fighting him, foiling his plans, advocating to leave him for dead, ignoring him, dismissing him.

even at the western air temple, sokka is the liaison who welcomes him into the group (the designated “leadership” role comes with more responsibilities than simply assassinating assassins), but he also makes it pretty clear that he doesn’t care for or trust zuko throughout “the firebending masters,” even if his manner of bullying is far less overtly malicious than katara’s. and yet, zuko cannot discount him. zuko saw him kill combustion man. zuko understands his value to the group. zuko recognizes that quality he and azula share. zuko may have had an advantage over him the first time they met, but it sure didn’t last long. if azula and zuko have anything in common, it’s a mutual respect for sokka.

like, sokka is the only member of the gaang’s name azula actually says (aang is “the avatar,” katara is “peasant,” toph is [insert blind joke here], and suki is “my favorite prisoner”) and on the day of black sun, she elects to distract sokka first and foremost knowing that he’s their “leader.” and she does clearly respect him more than most people do because she can see herself in him (at least to some extent, i don’t think either of them are actually insightful enough to realize how deep that connection truly goes) and thus can recognize his worth as someone who is in a similar position, albeit on the opposite side.

zuko does say and aang and katara’s names (and appa’s), but sokka’s name is the first he says, and it’s really the only name he uses as a mode of address. and the matter of naming is clearly important to royal heirs, who are defined by their names and titles. we see that especially when zuko confuses ursa’s “remember who you are” with “remember your ancestry,” declaring who he is not as internal identity, but as title. to afford someone the respect of addressing them by name is to implicitly demonstrate respect for them.

this is further demonstrated by the fact that unlike “you just had to pick up the glowing egg” zuko of just an episode prior, zuko really does follow sokka’s leadership and places his complete faith in his abilities. there’s no complaining or backseat driving or undermining of his intentions, which is genuinely anomalous for zuko, who generally refuses to listen to anyone about anything (unless he’s being actively scared into submission, and even then he’s stood up to ozai multiple times). he’s not outspoken in these episodes, however. he is downright docile. and it’s because he genuinely believes sokka to be his superior. which isn’t to say that sokka isn’t better than he is, but like. aang is too and he doesn’t take his knowledge into account! because aang doesn’t represent the values that zuko strove to embody his entire life.

what’s more, i would imagine there’s something kind of satisfying, if not downright intriguing, about knowing someone who basically is what you aspire to be, who you were told you must be your entire life, and seeing that he is just. absolutely fucking miserable. like azula is also miserable, but zuko doesn’t know that (yet), because she hides it better. but sokka is genuinely suicidal (especially in these episodes). meeting this idealized standard of perfection you have always failed to reach and realizing that whatever standards you once (recently) held yourself to are actually deeply unfulfilling. that sokka isn’t “perfect,” that he actually considers himself a failure. and the fact that when he does fail, he considers it the end of the world because he never built up the resilience one gets from being a normal person who doesn’t always succeed on their first try. and zuko’s like “finally, something i have that he doesn’t: intimate knowledge of what it’s like to constantly fail and underperform and disappoint people!”

zuko is really perfectly equipped to support sokka in this situation, because he idolizes him enough to provide him with the unconditional support sokka feels fundamentally undeserving of, and also understands sokka’s misery enough to give him actually meaningful advice when it matters. what’s interesting about how zuko feels about sokka is that it’s not just about uncritically putting him on a pedestal for being Nice Azula or whatever, it’s also about zuko’s genuine desire to help sokka and protect him.

yue inhabits the martyr role that sokka has always envisioned himself in, suki establishes herself as someone who is equally capable of protecting him and he can her, and zuko risks his life to support sokka on his crazy suicide mission, when sokka was so intent on going it alone because he wasn’t thinking clearly didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. sokka doesn’t need someone who treats him like an irreproachable god. in fact, i think sokka would hate nothing more than having a sycophant. he needs someone who understands that he is fallible and vulnerable and needs help like any human being does, and respects and trusts and admires him anyway.

zuko doesn’t have the capacity to recognize azula’s insecurities and shortcomings, or the desire to help her, but he does for sokka. because he never felt like he was in a position where he had to compete for something against him. he’s not trying to usurp sokka’s role as “leader” (except for whatever was going on in “sozin’s comet,” but that’s for another post) and is happy to simply follow him, in a way that is genuinely uncharacteristic for him.

and you can say that it’s because zuko is gay and stupid (which wouldn’t be wrong, per se), but it’s also because sokka embodies everything zuko ever thought he had to be. and it’s because sokka doesn’t even care. it’s the recognition that one person’s idealized model of behavior is another’s burden. that if zuko had been “perfect” like sokka, he never would’ve gained the wisdom to accept defeat and not let it deter him. perfect like azula, who, like sokka, shatters in the face of failure.

zuko says as much in “the siege of the north,” and again in “the western air temple.” the fact that he isn’t a prodigy, the fact that he “had to struggle and fight” to achieve what little he has, is “what made me who i am.” so he’ll respect sokka, of course, because sokka is who he wished for so long that he could be. but he’ll also support sokka, because he has just enough distance from the situation to recognize that he’s not an island (even if sokka himself is convinced that he must be). so it’s not obsession, per se, nor is it simply uncritical admiration that confuses excellence for infallibility. it’s unconditional support born of understanding, a sort of empathy. it’s devotion.

[five-flavor-soup]

This is technically in response/as an addition to a post on the supposed ‘double standard’ in the fandom between Zuko and Jet as Katara’s love interests, but it’s been so long since it was posted and I figured the OP would be entirely uninterested in my word vomit, especially after like one and half years—so, separate post. I added a link for those interested. There's a cut because this got quite long lmao.

In short, the post supposes the argument that though Jet would’ve made Katara kill people (something Zuko very much Did Not Do, no matter what you think about The Southern Raiders), he cleaned up his act after this. Zuko, on the other hand, did lots of Really Bad Things to Katara & Co. with far more frequency than Jet did and got redeemed after a multitude of episodes doing Various Things Moste Evile. To then slap Jet with The Toxic Ex-label and see Zuko as the ‘healthier’ and ‘better’ option creates a Double Standard(™) within the fandom, which is supposedly bad and not an arguably incorrect reading. 

But the differences in fandom perception between Jet and Zuko as Love Interests for Katara (one of which canonically, and the other potentially and apparently talked about in the writer’s room) are easily explained, as can the Supposed Double Standard—just by thinking about it from Katara’s viewpoint, or even the audience’s. Because, well, the worst things Jet ‘almost’ ended up doing didn’t happen because of outside interference only. 

That’s the important bit here. He 100% would’ve drowned an entire village just to get rid of a handful of Fire Nation soldiers, had Sokka not managed to evacuate everybody. He 100% would’ve grievously injured two people who, as far as Jet and everybody else were aware, were refugees who might not even be firebenders — considering nobody else saw Iroh heat up his tea, he could’ve been wrong — in an attempt to prove his own hunch. Had the guards not been there, had Zuko not been able to fight back with swords, Jet would’ve genuinely attempted to wound them for as much as a puff of smoke. And Jet consistently involves bystanders (innocent or not) in his desperate quest to harm and defeat the Fire Nation: the Gaang (and particularly Katara, through explicitly manipulative means) and the villagers in Jet; Zuko, Iroh, and the people in the teashop in City of Walls and Secrets. Additionally, we don’t see more violence from him because he’s not a main character like Zuko is—though it’s implied that Jet beats up villagers who are supposedly in cahoots with the Fire Nation often, only agreeing to turn over a new leaf when he, Smellerbee, and Longshot decide to move to Ba Sing Se. 

Zuko explicitly and frequently doesn’t harm people: that, or it isn’t important to the plot. He doesn’t burn down the village on Kyoshi, he literally only manages to lightly singe it. He threatens people with violence frequently but never actually goes in for the kill. I’d argue that the most explicitly violent thing he does in Book 1 is breaking Aang out of the Pouhai Stronghold—for his own ends obviously, but if it’s spelled like treason and sounds like treason, it’s probably treason. When he thinks of robbing the pregnant couple while he’s on the run, he stops himself of his own volition; when he considers using Appa to catch Aang (this was a point made against Zuko in the post), he’s unaware of what Appa’s been through prior to that point and sees him as no more than an animal used for travel, much like the ostrich horse he stole earlier in the season. 

Zuko’s schtick throughout Book 1 and 2 is that he doesn’t want to think of the consequences of his actions. His plans are never fully complete. He doesn’t think of how he’s going to get a chained, notoriously slippery little eel of an Avatar to the Fire Nation, and he doesn’t think about what would happen to twelve-year-old Aang after they got there—which is horrible of him, but it also shows an odd, ignorant kind of innocence that you’d associate with a kid who’s got a hard time telling right from wrong. Like, I love Zuko dearly, adore him even, but kiddo doesn’t think ahead until the Book 2 finale and even that’s debatable. He’ll eventually start thinking ahead a little bit but for the most part, he doesn’t. Not saying that takes away responsibility, because it absolutely doesn’t, but it is telling of Zuko’s character: he’s an ‘act first, think later’-kind of guy, all ‘fuck around; find out; maybe success’. His sole goal throughout Book 1 and 2 is going home, without even thinking on how to get there beyond like, Avatar in my custody => back in Fire Nation with Avatar => dad loves me again. And he says that his only intention is to go home too, in Ep 2 of Book 1:

Aang: If I go with you, [He holds his staff in front of him as an offer, making sure Zuko understands that he does not wish to continue fighting.] will you promise to leave everyone alone? [The camera cuts to a side-view of the area, Zuko's men still surrounding him, spears poised. After a brief moment of hesitation, Zuko erects himself and nods in agreement. Aang is apprehended by Zuko's men, who take his staff . . . ] Zuko: [Boarding the ship up the walkway. Determined.] Head a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home.

(Added emphasis for my point)

Zuko is not the Big Bad. He’s not The Largest Threat. He never is. In Book 1 it’s Zhao, in Book 2 it’s Azula, and in Book 3 it’s Ozai. Zuko is a consistent threat, yes, but not a particularly large one no matter how good of a fighter he is. Because he’s presented to us as a disastrously hurt and traumatised little brat who we, the audience, are supposed to feel sorry for, and slowly grow fond of. Because we learn in The Storm that the notion of “caring for others is weak” has literally been branded into him. Because he keeps getting back up to fight, but consistently holds back. We are shown that he knows, on some level, that what he’s doing is wrong: the text suggests that Zuko is actively suppressing his morals. And by the time Zuko hires an assassin to ensure the Avatar is dead, we know that Zuko is incredibly unhappy with his choice(s) and is desperate to be safe; that he’s uncomfortable but wants to be comfortable; that he’s incorrect about the source of his fear while he’s back in the palace. The audience is shown this explicitly. 

By contrast, we’re shown that Jet is fully aware that those villagers will die. He’s fully aware that, if he manages to prove the two refugees are firebenders, they’ll be arrested and probably mutilated (if the hand-crushing is any indication). I love Jet and his character, but he’s supposed to be the example of poisoning yourself with your hatred, anger, and hurt. He’s revenge that goes too far, because he doesn’t allow himself closure. He knows the consequences and isn’t shown to care for them, as long as his goal is furthered.

And there is the small, but significant, difference between the two characters: Zuko initially just wants to capture the Avatar, is purposefully remaining unaware of what will happen when he does so, and is clearly shown to change, while Jet just wants to punish firebenders and is very aware of what will be necessary for him to do so, with a handful of lines of how he ‘stopped being like that’. And honestly, Jet is far more mature than Zuko is for quite some time, regarding the violence of war—basically as mature as Zuko eventually becomes at the tail-end of his redemption arc. But Zuko’s maturity is at that point healthier, because he doesn’t want to genuinely do harm. 

In regards to their separate relationships with Katara, there’s these fantastic points that @sokkastyles made in reply to the post:

The fact that Zuko actually did change and Katara actually forgave him makes ALL the difference. [ . . . ] The thing about Jet is how manipulative he was with Katara. He not only almost made her kill innocents, but he lied to her about the man he attacked having a knife when he was called out, so that Katara would see her as righteous. Someone who is willing to lie in order to make themselves seem good and someone who says they are going to change but then does the same things doesn’t have a good track record, and that’s a more troubling relationship dynamic than someone who acts as an upfront enemy but then sincerely changes.

And: 

I do think it makes sense to focus on manipulation being worse than being a cartoon villain when we're talking about personal relationships. I think many people can relate to having someone like Jet in their lives who seems nice but who lies and manipulates to justify their own bad behavior despite repeatedly claiming that they will change. Not that many people will experience being tied to a tree by someone who wants you to tell them where the Avatar is, and it is completely reasonable for people to be more forgivable of things Zuko did as a villain than things Jet did to Katara when he claimed to be a friend.

I actually don’t have anything to add to this, lol. It’s succinct and well-worded.

Lastly, in addition the relatability and the relationships being different (the manipulative, emotionally hurt, and self-proclaimed anti-hero versus the initially childish, explicitly confused and desperate cartoon villain, plus the girl they hurt horribly), there’s also the problem of Jet not being a main character. Jet is a relatively well-written side character, whilst Zuko is very quickly established as a main-ish character with his own POV (as the writers decided during the conceptualisation that he’d be joining Team Avatar eventually). Zuko’s troubling, self-destructive nature that has been forced upon him and his Tragic Childhood is shown in high definition. The audience is supposed to eventually be okay with Zuko and hopefully like him, slowly adding puzzle pieces to complete the picture of a horrific earlier youth and treatment by nearly everybody he knows except Iroh. Something like this isn’t necessary with Jet, not just because he was already incredibly likeable and understandable from his introduction and onwards, but also because he’s neither a villain nor a main character. 

There’s multiple reasons as to why Zuko is often seen as the ‘better’ option, just like there are multiple reasons why Jet and Zuko are compared so frequently—they’re both traumatised teenage boys who ‘rebel’ to get some semblance of control back, but we see Zuko change into a kid anyone would be a little bit proud and fond of and that doesn’t happen with Jet. Double standard or not, Zuko and Jet are different characters who the writers also treated very differently, on purpose. It makes sense to me that the audience would think Zutara is the ‘less bad’ or far better option. We know far more about Zuko than we know about Jet; and Jet’s redemption arc, if we can even call it that, halts permanently when Zuko’s is reaching the height it for him to go into a freefall, ultimately culminating in a genuine redemption. We, the audience, know this. So does Katara.

[moonlessdusk]

I’m over analyzing this scene to spread mkulia propaganda

But also I would like to show everyone that believes that MK and Julia don’t actually care for each other and would coldly betray each other The Scene from Episode 8.

The premise for this conversation is that in the last challenge, Chris broke the campers down into teams of three, two of which had a sabotage option and MK had an ultimately unhelpful advantage that a teammate chose. After being set back by the third team, Julia opted to use her sabotage on MK, who had a huge lead. Julia and her team ultimately won the challenge and immunity in part because of the sabotage.

The editing here is strange because Julia had an unrelated confessional, followed by a scene from Zee and confessional from him but the scene opens presumingly right after her confessional. It’s early morning and MK is right outside the confessional, claiming to have been looking for Julia all morning. From what we know of MK, she would not care to expend the energy looking for anything unless she thought it would give her an advantage. But no, she says she was looking for Julia specifically because she was anxious that Julia was avoiding her. Look at her face, she’s genuinely concerned when she says this; MK usually has some kind of sarcastic/snide remark when she’s not being serious.

Julia tries at first to laugh off the notion as if it’s no big deal, but she’s doing an unusually bad job at doing it. This is unusual for Julia because we know she knows how to act and play people, that’s all she did for the first half of the last season. But consider thematically that MK is the *reason* Julia got to be her authentic self after being ousted as a fraud and how Julia said it felt right to just be herself. It has to feel particularly wrong to lie to MK when the premise of their relationship is appreciating each other for their real selves.

Look at how quick Julia’s facade drops and MK’s face knowing it’s a lie:

MK, who again, has a tendency to make sarcastic remarks, just says “So, yes,” when Julia tries to deny avoiding her. Then she glances away like this before trying to reassure Julia that she’s not mad:

She actually looks uncomfortable, like she’s not used to having to reassure people like this and she’s generally awkward trying to get the words out. If MK didn’t care, if she was lying about actively looking for Julia, she easily could’ve scripted this out and throw in her signature snarking humor. We know from her audition tape that she’s also good at being sneaky and we know from past episodes that she enjoys seeing people squirm, but there’s no indication she’s enjoying this conversation.

What her assurance essentially breaks down to is saying she’s not mad at Julia for using her sabotage on her. After she says this she pauses because she spots Zee shenanigans behind Julia but tries to refocus but we see Julia give MK this look:

It’s a very subtle detail but Julia slightly lifts her head and raises her eyebrows. She looks like she can’t believe someone is actually forgiving her despite doing what any other person on the island would perceive as a backstabbing. Considering the ruthless way she played last season and her strategy to just keep winning immediately, it could be argued that she was just worried she burned a bridge and would have to do it again. But if that was the case, she wouldn’t just be silently listening to what MK had to say, she’d just go back to being The Mean Girl.

But she doesn’t and MK begins to elaborate that she thinks they make a great team and she begins to say “All I want is for—” before total drama does what it does and undercuts the moment with Zee’s shenanigans. It being these two though, I can’t imagine MK saying something too sentimental though and it’s clearly water under the bridge as they immediately agree to mess with Zee and are back to doing confessionals together.

I could go on and on about different scenes that reinforced this one. I just totally refute the idea that they aren’t genuine with each other because they have what feels like the most planned out dynamic of the new generation. It’s not out of character for these two to have gotten along so quickly or for them to care about each other like this.

We’re just watching a yuritastic slow burn.

[alicent-archive]

I’m sure what I’m about to say has been reiterated many times before, but the fact that there is not one interaction between Rhaenyra (Heir to the Iron Throne, the Kings firstborn, and head of Team Black) and Aegon (the Kings firstborn son, the other legitimate claimant to the throne, and the head of Team Green) is genuinely INSANE to me, and from a writing and narrative perspective…just plain BAFFLING.

Like, what do you MEAN that the two main figures of the ENTIRE Dance (Aegon being the literal reason there’s an inter-house war in the first place) don’t even interact BEFORE it begins?

What do you MEAN they’ve been in close proximity for YEARS and somehow not a SINGLE conversation has occurred for the viewer to listen too and say to themselves:

“oh so those two characters are going to be the MAIN figureheads for the fast approaching civil war that tears apart the realm and begins the demise of an entire house. gotcha.”

But what is worse is that there are literal episodes, literal SCENES, where this could have be done easily and without seeming like an afterthought or a weird insertion.

In episode 6, both teams are in the Red Keep the entire time, and yet, Rhaenyra and Aegon do not meet even once; Rhaenyra could have encountered him as she was making her way to Laenor, for example.

In episode 7, literally the entire family is at Laena’s funeral, Rhaenyra and Aegon could’ve, at any point, crossed paths. She could’ve said something about him being “in his cups” and he could say something about “needing a few more to get through this utterly depressing funeral” or something.

(+ bonus points if Rhaenyra gets upset because that’s her friend who just died “you drunk imbecile”).

In episode 8, the crème de la crème of episodes concerning crazy Targ+Hightower relations, how EASY would it be for hungover Aegon to say something petty and/or derogatory to Rhaenyra just before both families entered the throne room:

“Sister, what a surprise to see you here!”

“It shouldn’t be a surprise as it is a matter concerning my son inheritance-”

“I did not think you concerned yourself with any matters at all, but I’m glad you’ve returned, court has been lacking without its ‘delight’ to brighten up these gloomy halls.“

AND THE DINNER?! DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE LACK OF INTERACTION, THEY WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TABLE AND NOT EVEN A SINGLE WORD WAS EXCHANGED?!

LIKE WHY!

[watchingyoufromthestars]

No because I’m thinking again about how little care the cast has had for the NPCs this season. It’s even worse when it comes to the parents because the entire basis of the show is that it’s about family. I’m glad hypfix hasn’t blinded me to being critical of this show because when I really think about it, s2 could’ve been handled a lot better.

I’ll talk specifically about Rebecca and how even one of the players said she was the best choice to die. And I agree, but only for the reason that she’s the only spouse who’s actually *done* anything. We’ve maybe had a scene with Veronica once (and over the PHONE), Cassandra was shoved into a plotline to make Willy have an upper hand, and the one time they were with Marco was when someone got killed in his house. And Attack on Titanic does not count to me, sorry. Rebecca didn’t do much either, but she was there all throughout ep31-32 so that’s *something*. We got to actually interact with her. She had some kind of impact on the story. So to me she was the best choice to die in that it would be pointless to kill Terry again, killing another kiddad this late in the game would feel cheap, and killing one of the other kiddad spouses would be nothing. And if Scary’s bio dad had been the one to die that would feel even cheaper. Genuinely why the hell is he even here. I'm worried about what will possibly happen with him next episode, I really would've rather us never meet him at all.

I could also write pages on the disrespect that’s been given to Hermie but it’s all stuff that’s been said before. The constant “is this the new Paeden?” “I think we found our new Paeden” about anyone but Hermie when Hermie’s done worlds more than Paeden ever did.

I’ll stop myself from ranting here but yeah. I really hope they treat the NPCs with more care next season. That being said I'm excited for the finale, but only so they can let these characters go and move on.

[pagannatural]

1.05

-Bloody Mary!

-Jessica’s voice yelling Sam’s name in his trauma nightmare blends into Dean’s voice yelling his name in the car, his fingers on Sam’s neck and collarbone, to wake him. Sam’s head is tilted really far back on the seat so that his throat is exposed. He could have been curled up with his head in his arms, Dean could’ve shaken his shoulder. But no. Fingers on exposed neck, with only his neck and Dean’s fingertips sunlit. The sexual subtext is subtexting.

Sam is frequently depicted as tempting and in need of rescue like this.

-Sam always stands with his whole body facing Dean fig 4

-“what are you guys doing” Dean: “we had to go to the bathroom” ???

-this shot has Sam spotlit like the light of Dean’s life

-Dean is miffed that Sam won’t tell him about his dreams and didn’t laugh at his joke. He so consistently wants to take care of Sam.

-when the girl of the week begins telling her secret, “I had this boyfriend. I loved him. But he kind of scared me, you know?” Dean’s eyes flick to Sam’s, and Sam stares at Dean for a long moment. He swallows and looks down and his nostrils flare before he looks back at her. He’s probably thinking about Jessica, whose death he feels responsible for. But he’s looking at Dean.

The most innocent interpretation is that he’s looking to Dean for support because he’s feeling guilty. And spn is nothing if not full of wholesome family innocence. Who else could he be thinking about that he loves in a way that scares him sometimes and it’s a secret?

-Dean asks Sam to blame him rather than himself for Jessica’s death. I wonder if he feels bad that he couldn’t stop it and prevent his little brother all this pain. Sam is so sincere that he doesn’t blame Dean.

-When he says “I haven’t told you everything” Dean is affronted. Like, he’s not used to that, this conflict is new to them. Sam must’ve told him everything at other times in their lives.

-WHY DIDN’T THEY LET US WATCH DEAN BRUSH HIS THUMB ACROSS SAM’S FACE.

This is genuinely the most romantic thing I have ever seen. Dean is kneeling over Sam, tenderly cradling his bloodtearstained face, brushing his thumb across his cheek, Sam’s mouth open as he slumps into his brother’s hands, gazing up at him under heavy eyelids. But Sam won’t let Dean call him Sammy again yet. That would be too familiar. I’m going to throw up.

-Sam is brave but Dean is the one who saves him, first by shattering the mirror and then holding it up to Mary.

-Sam tells Dean “you’re my brother, and I’d die for you, but there are some things I need to keep to myself.” He’s clinging to some of the distance that he put between them by living his own life at Stanford.

-and look…If Sam were consciously and agonizingly in love with Dean, and trying his best to grapple with that, this episode would remain exactly the same. A lot of the text supports this reading.

-Jessica appears to Sam looking beautiful out the car window, then disappears. To me, this is a way of concluding his grief storyline. Of course his grief isn’t over, but from here out it’s not an immediate problem. Grief is a special kind of vicious when it’s fresh and it’s not fresh any more. It also seems like Sam wants to keep his life with Jessica specifically separate from Dean.

-episode theme is facing the truth about yourself that you want to hide from.

[nixthelapin]

A Jekyll&Hyde type akuma whose power is to bring out a hidden or repressed part of your personality (but like, making two of you instead of switching in one body), and when Chat gets hit suddenly there’s both “normal” Chat (I’ll get to that in a sec) and Cat Walker/Patte de Velours at the same time.

(Cue Ladybug freaking out upon learning they’re the same person)

“Normal” Chat looks the same, but is just a bit more intense (since this is Adrien’s way of “letting loose” to not be how he is as a civilian, he’s not too different, but because of the split he does lose some usual traits). I.e. *heavily* flirting with LB, going at it with the puns, more agressive and impulsive with the akuma, doesnt like following orders (especially with the remaining feelings of anger towards the partnership being put further into question as LB prefers CW), heart on his sleeve

Cat Walker is also not super different to the episode he was in, but is also more intense thanks to the akuma: all business- no nonsense, doesn’t laugh at jokes (even in a “I’ll laugh if you want” way, like in Kuroneko), cordial to LB, follows LB’s orders to a T (to the point of not making his own decisions in battle), calm and collected (almost emotionless, even with that plastered smile)

CN starts to hate CW as the fight goes on, because LB seems to prefer him (and she’s understandably getting annoyed with CN’s impulsivity). CN gets territorial, saying that he’s LB’s partner. CW: “then why did she replace you with me?” (Man, look at all the self hatred in Adrien’s psyche!)

So CN runs off and leaves them alone to fight the akuma. This ticks LB off even more, but she has an akuma to deal with- and she has CW- so she lets him go.

As the fight goes on, some of the same issues from Kuroneko occur, so she also gets frustrated with CW too.

Since he’s acting more extreme than normal (more like someone awaiting orders than a partner due to the Jekyll&Hyde thing), it causes more problems (like him waiting for her decisions leaving openings where he could’ve done something proactive)

She actually blows up at him, asking why he didn’t do anything (“I was waiting for you to tell me the plan!”), and she says he should be able to think on his own, he doesn’t need her to tell him everything, but- “I thought I was just being what you wanted.”

(He’s shocked and genuinely hurt- though it’s still pretty quiet emotion, subdued and apologetic)

And that’s when it clicks for her what becoming CW was back in Kuroneko. He was molding himself for her. And this version of CW is even more of that. She realizes just how much CN suppresses, not just for her, but for everyone- why else would this be a major aspect of his personality?

(Also, Patte de Velours? Velvet Paw? That’s basically saying he’s been declawed. Yikes.)

She makes CN get his butt back to the fight (or she finds him- he may have been doing something while away like talking with someone, maybe Alya or Nino, or Luka). CN and CW argue more, with insults. Then she goes on a whole rant/lecture to them about how important they both are, both to her and to each other, how they are one person, and their traits are both important, but each extreme is not great. Ex: instinct/impulse and service/obedience (the key is self control, so that your emotions aren’t controlling you, but neither is another person). He is allowed to be both! Neither personality is bad, and hating one is just hating himself- he can’t just reject a fundamental part of himself.

She makes them agree to work together to defeat the akuma. It’s awkward at first, but they get a rhythm by seeing where each one is needed in the plan (LB does still do that, but how they follow is more fluid now). Two cataclysms now! Yay! (Maybe they used their powers already and have to de transform, and they see themselves as Adrien- the same one, not different, and it gets through their skulls. Idk I’m spitballing).

They have a quick talk between the two about accepting each other, it won’t be easy, I’m nervous, we’ll be okay (“yeah, I think we will :)”), etc.

Ends with them combining back with the ladybug cure. Surprise! His outfit is combined too! (Honestly, I just want the ponytail with the fluffy hair)

LB and CN have a talk after recharging about everything. CN apologizes for lying about CW and explains why and how he did it. LB didn’t realize how much he hid. She never meant for him to change or hate parts of himself. He thought she didn’t like the CN parts of him, but LB promises that isn’t true. She admits she did get… annoyed, but never hate! She loves both sides of him. Besides, CW didn’t work out that first time, remember? (Though she very much leaves out her intense crushing being the deciding factor there)

CN admits he feels more, well, not whole, exactly, he’s actually still pretty uncertain about what all this means for “who he is,” but… he can at least say he feels less like he has to perform all the time. He loves being Chat Noir, but he is exaggerating a bit when he transforms, in part to be not like his civilian life. He tells her he’s not like that as a civilian, but he’s also not like Cat Walker. But he’s not really sure who “he” is yet. (What I’m getting at is Oblivio!Adrien- dorky, but not over the top, in love, trusts his lady to make the plan, but is still proactive, etc.)

LB says that’s okay, he doesn’t have to figure it out right away. But she’ll be there to help him figure it out.

END

[tsams-confessions]

Monty is the worst character in the Security Breach Show world, or at the very least between SAMS, LAES, and MGAFS. And I mean that: I have never hated a character in ANY media more than I hate Monty.

Monty is rude, aggressive, greedy, and doesn’t give a fuck about the people around him. From the very beginning, when he was shown in SAMS, he was an asshole: they destroyed Sun and Moon’s mini daycare area after Sun hired them to take care of it, scammed Sun with their space business thing, and exploited Moon for his money. And you would think that during the Eclipse arc(s) that she would improve because people she interacts with are getting hurt, and their world could potentially get destroyed, and yes, she did do some good things and had been a big help for the celestial family, BUT none of those “acts of kindness” were truly long-term.

When Earth was introduced as a character — who, by the way, is the only damn reason I want Monty to stay alive and well because I know that Earth will be upset should something like that happen — Monty immediately pined on her, but in the worse way he could’ve: he set himself and Earth on dates when Earth had absolutely NO CLUE that the dates they were going on were romantic and deliberately lied about his past to keep Earth from finding out the terrible things he’d done. Actually, I hate Monty x Earth as a whole because Earth is much too good for someone like them. Monty is an absolute simp for her, and usually that can be cute and stuff, but he’s ONLY nice to her.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Monty quite literally BEAT OLD FOXY SO HARD that his memories hit reset, to which he rebuilt him and essentially made current Foxy his best friend. But the minute Earth came into the picture and they started officially dating, Foxy was abandoned and is still consistently treated like garbage by the person who was deemed his greatest friend. I mean, in the episode where Monty gets her more feminine body, she goes to Foxy’s house to APOLOGIZE for being a shitty person to him, and what does he do the VERY NEXT EPISODE he’s with Foxy in? HE KNOCKS FOXY UNCONSCIOUS AND TURNS HIM INTO A FOX PLUSH TO GET BACK AT HIM FOR SOMETHING THAT WASN’T EVEN HIS FAULT.

Not to mention, Monty had straight up THREATENED both Solar and Ruin all because of her own rage against Stitchwraith. I understand she was going through a hard time, but NEVER has she taken responsibility for those outbursts nor has she even APOLOGIZED. In addition, she MURDERED a helpless version of Stitchwraith from another universe all because he was a Stitchwraith, and she didn’t get the information she wanted out of him EVEN THOUGH PUPPET EXPLICITLY TOLD HER NOT TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE.

The way he ignores people’s advice, well-beings, etc. for his own selfish reasons make me genuinely hate Monty as a person and as a character, especially because he’s supposed to be a “good guy” that has “improved” since the beginning of SAMS. I could honestly rant forever about how terrible Monty is, but then this would be far too long. I honestly hope to god that Earth eventually puts her foot down and corrects Monty about their behavior because that seems like it’ll be the only feasible way that Monty can truly improve since Earth’s the only one they listen to in some capacity

.

[campbell-rose]

Helluva Rewrite: Millie

Okay, i dropped my phone in water and was so scared i'd ruined it, but thank the gods it was fine. Though it's fucked so i'm going to post all the IMP redesigns in short order before it dies and i lose them forever. Onto Millie!

I wanted Millie to read as a country girl. I remember being like ‘oh, that’s her voice?’ when I watched the first episode, because for some reason it just didn’t match her design for me. I considered giving her back the white splotch in her hair, but decided to change imps and give fem imps white horns. I’ve got two guesses for why it was removed: 1) she was originally trans and it was changed 2) the dimorphism of imps was thought of after the pilot. Either way, I like it. I suppose the explanation for this version since her horns are fem is she might have been born intersex?

I wanted her and Moxxie to contrast in their designs, as such she’s wearing less while he’s fully covered, she’s tall he’s short, etc... Now, as a Wrath imp, she has a darker skin tone and has spikes on her body.

Now, as a character, i'll build off of what the show has given us.

Supposedly Millie is secretly very insecure? From leaks she’s like willing to die because she thinks she’s holding Moxxie back and in Unhappy Campers she had that whole breakdown. Now, I think this actually could’ve been built up a bit.  

In the rewrite, Millie is the youngest of her five siblings and the second girl. Now, from the bat lets make her a bit of a drain on the family. They hadn’t planned for her birth, and it was another child her parents had to take care of with limited money. She picked up on this when she was little, realizing that her parents often cut corners and struggle, and she perceives this as her fault. This ties into how she mentions her family going to Loo Loo Land, except in this it was once and was specifically for her birthday. She knows her parents had saved up for months to afford the trip and feels innate guilt for it. Boom insecurity explained. 

Now, in this Millie meets Blitzo first. They bump into one another once Millie moves away from the Wrath Ring to Pride to try and alleviate her parents’ stress. During this time Millie has been working as an assassin for a couple months and ends up bumping into Blitzo who was hired by a different person to kill the same target. This would be during Blitzo’s attempt to start his business in hell killing demons. They fight for a bit, then realize ‘oh wait... let’s work together!’ so Millie was the first to join IMP. 

Millie trains endlessly. When she isn’t doing her job, she’s at the gym. She is constantly striving to be the best because her parents pitted her and her siblings against one another (unknowingly, with things like the harvest festival). As a person she is very observant and emotionally intelligent. She is very kind and loves conversation. She also is very tight with money, and very appreciative of any gifts she receives because she grew up with little. She treasures things genuinely and is just all around a very genuine girl. 

Now, other than fighting, she is fairly mediocre at anything else, due to the culture of Wrath mainly being kill or be killed and you have to be tough. One hobby and talent she does have and is working on is singing, something she shares with Moxxie and works as something they can do together. Millie loves to play guitar and sing and is constantly striving to improve. On the topic of Moxxie, Millie loves him deeply and wants only the best for him and some part of her feels like she isn’t enough. 

All around I want this Millie to come off as a very confident and genuine person, trying her best to push down the deep feeling within her that she is a drain on everyone around her. So when people start showing her with praise rather than screaming in agony she is enthralled. She loves the cheers of crowds, as it was often Sallie Mae getting cheered on during the Harvest Moon Festival while Millie was always second best. She wants that kind of adoration and acknowledgement. 

That’s it. Gotta work on finishing Blitzo and Moxxie rn

[lilies-n-slander]

Hazbin Hotel would be so much more interesting if charlie’s naïveté and surface-level kindness were treated as the actual flaws they are and didn’t work. Heads up, this kinda just turned into a text wall of charlie neg and ranting so don’t read if you don’t want to see that.

How she currently is, she just doesn’t make that much sense in the setting. I’ve seen ppl say that charlie is a fresh take and contrasts the edginess, but I just don’t see how she is possible. You’re telling me she’s been in hell for 200 yrs but still has this childish and naive personality, is still disgusted by the sinners being cannibalistic, violent, and even just horny, and is so detached from those she calls “her people”? She was born in hell, shouldn’t that make her more used to the sinners’ depravity and not less? She doesn’t seem to have a good grasp on what the sinners want or how they behave. It would make more sense if the show leaned into the toxic positivity white savior nepo baby angle (or rather, actually portrayed it as a *bad* thing) and rather than naïveté, her ignorance was out of self-centeredness and/or lack of true empathy for the other sinners. She would be more interesting as a character too imo.

She looks down on the other sinners (and honestly so does the show?? When she’s showing lucifer around and introduces him to her friends, they’re framed as unappealing as a joke… these are the characters the audience is also supposed to care about.. and many of the bg chars, such as the cannibal town residents, are portrayed as simple-minded brutes), there’s a lot of condescending “….ooookay” type of lines and she constantly has to think of nice ways to frame the clearly negative things she thinks about others. So why does she want to save them so much? The more reasonable explanation is a sense of white savior-ness than actually caring about them.

She’s eager to excuse whatever sir pentious did (which I’m assuming she doesn’t know?) and let him in, despite how he makes the other residents (including her own gf!) uncomfortable. And yes I say excuse, because she never inquires about his past sins or discussed him repenting. It seems to start with sorry, but also end with sorry too. This could’ve been made interesting if she simultaneously looked down on but also excused all sorts of heinous acts. Like val is the most openly manipulative and scummy character, he licks her arm, and yet she’s still apologetic about ruining things (Side note, if she’s genuinely apologetic, then she’s actually an idiot because why is she talking to the boom-mic employee *while they’re filming???*).

She doesn’t know what she’s doing and has no concrete plan but gets incredulous at ppl who don’t blindly trust her. Angel has to leave in ep 4 and she gets SO frustrated over it, like you seriously expect everyone to drop all of their other commitments for you? She has her webster definition notecards for the meeting with heaven and has to improvise and rely on angel being good at the club but she gets mad that lucifer isn’t 100% behind her plan?

Also, trust falls? Really? Then she goes “why isn’t this working? We’ve tried everything!” But on that note, the actual episode portrayal is kinda exactly what I’m going for. Not only do the trust falls not work, charlie says, “I love all of you so much,” pulls her puppy eyes, and only vaggie catches her. It’s surface level and shallow, and does not win anyone else over.

In contrast, vaggie’s attempt at building trust, throwing everyone into a battle, *actually works* (despite vaggie only being in hell for 3 years and being heaven-born, she already knows how things work better than charlie!) and yet charlie talks about it as though it already failed. She says “we work best as a team,” with the underlying message being “I can’t trust you to do things on your own.”

If she was waiting so long to reconnect with lucifer, then why hasn’t she called him in years?? Altho I’m currently rotating lucifer in my brain so I might be a bit biased

“If angels can do whatever and stay in the sky” they can’t?? Your dad is RIGHT there. I. What

She has a power dynamic with every other character except lucifer since she has her demon powers, not to mention she’s giving them a place to stay. When vaggie says she appreciates that charlie doesn’t use her powers, charlie doesn’t say “it wouldn’t be right,” she says it would be too *mean.* But if someone pushes her buttons, who’s to say they wouldn’t slip out (see her flip on a dime after val hits angel. Obv it’s justified in this case, but it shows that she’s willing to use her powers on sinners)? Again, it would be interesting if the show actually leaned into this angle. Imagine if she put on a nice front, never swore, seemed genuinely touching and understanding, but the second someone annoys her she annihilates them and becomes threatening and violent. Then she turns around and is nice again. Too much like alastor? idk

Also, many characters refer to her by calling her lucifer’s daughter, so clearly ppl know that if they cross her they’ll face his wrath by proxy (this also fits in thematically with what lute tells her in the first episode, that she’s exempt from the exterminations bc nepotism privilege). So realistically, everyone else would be a bunch of sucking-up yes-men bc they’re afraid of her. Which they kind of are when push comes to shove?

At first, she doesn’t help at all during the war and lets everyone else fight for her. Doesn’t want to get her hands dirty ig, even though all of this was caused by her in the first place. She only starts fighting at vaggie’s urging.

Like husk points out, every meeting charlie has with the angels makes things worse for all the sinners. Despite lucifer’s warnings that the meeting with heaven won’t work, and against vaggie saying to calm down, charlie basically picks a fight with heaven at the risk of *everyone else EXCEPT HER.*

What were charlie and lilith doing to stop the exterminations before lilith took her 7 year leave? Hell, what was charlie doing during those 7 years? Why does she have 0 connections outside of vaggie, who she only met 3 yrs ago? Why does she have to introduce herself to rosie, rather than her already knowing her name?

Also in ep 7 she says to alastor “I can’t believe how you can do exactly what you told me you would do!” (standing by and watching everyone fail at redemption) almost like she wasn’t paying attention to him at all.

“Why would vaggie hide that she was an exterminator” -> Rosie asks “how did that make you feel?” “It made me mad and doubt if she loves me” like I get it, it was a betrayal, but IS she stupid

Ready For This is charlie manipulating a town of ppl to join the army. Her pitch includes “on the way to the hotel the scenery is nice and you can make friends :3” and “have you ever wanted to die for a cause? Notably I myself am spared from being killed but uh that’s your problem.” Alastor pipes in that you can eat the angels and that’s what actually moves the crowd, because he understands them.

Her perspective on violence and where she chooses to draw the line is really confusing. Why does she care about sinners being violent to each other if they’ll just respawn? She stops alastor from beating up sir pentious at an arbitrary point, but is fine with him eating and presumably killing the gangsters who come after mimzy. (Edit: forgot to point out yet another example, that she was fine with vaggie tossing sir pentious and angel off the balcony but stops her from tossing niffty as well for no reason.) Why is she so apologetic to the angels actively killing sinners but was distraught over vaggie having partaken? Why was she opposed to the CANNIBALS being eager to eat the angels and saying “idk, they seem kinda murder-y” WHAT. What? I’m struggling to even begin to describe how ignorant that is during a WAR. What did she think was going to happen, that she wouldn’t have to fight anyone herself? Why did she stop her dad from killing Adam but doesn’t react strongly to Niffty finishing the job? If it mattered so much to her, the lack of reaction seems strange to me.

Isn’t it just so poetic that her weapon in the war is a shield that she uses exclusively on herself, which she hardly even needs due to her contractual immunity?

Why doesn’t she think to use her powers to build and maintain the hotel? That doesn’t require any violence or domineering. Yet when lucifer comes over it’s run-down and falling apart. Or ask lucifer to help her build it? She was concerned that asking for the meeting with heaven was such a big ask—why not start with this small thing? Father-daughter bonding.

Why does the show end w lucifer + the sinners congratulating her, and in particular, rebuilding the hotel? Hell doesn’t know that sir pentious got redeemed, so from their pov charlie’s idea didn’t work at all.

Can you tell that I’m writing this while I’m rewatching the show?

Aaand that’s that. Her char has always come off to me as somewhat condescending/fake, but I keep finding more and more things to dislike about the way she’s been written. Unfortunate. Honestly tho I might enjoy watching her more if I read her through this lens. You could probably write a similar post for most/all other chars in the show, limited only by the amount of screentime they get lmao

[scrapyardwarlocks]

This is my Braime rant.

Oh, hello there. Yes, it's been a few years, and I'm still thinking about the GOT finale. When people talk about it, it's mostly to roast Bran getting the throne or Daenerys turning evil because of a bell tower (both extremely valid), BUT I am forever the most salty about the way Jaime and Brienne's story ended. Like...????????

First, I must acknowledge that there are the Tormund x Brienne shippers. I suppose their relationship could’ve gotten more emotionally complex if given the chance, but we only see Tormund horny boy howling because of Brienne's size and strength. In huge contrast, Jaime Lannister’s connection to Brienne goes much further than a surface-level attraction to a large, powerful woman.

They fundamentally changed each other for the better in HUGE ways:

Brienne's relationship with Jaime gave her a sense of agency she never had before. He gave her the opportunities and tools to fulfill exactly what she wanted to be. He developed an unwavering trust in her judgment and skills as a knight that she hadn’t really experienced before. A feminist king, if there ever was one (after a personal growth journey, of course).

Brienne allowed Jaime to see his potential as an honorable man. He opened up to her emotionally in a way he’s done with no one else (except maybe his brother Tyrion?) Although she wasn’t the only reason he decided to defy his sister and do what’s right, she certainly had a monumental impact on his self-worth and morality.

Even when they were firmly on opposite sides, they still advocated and protected each other. Jaime lost the hand he used for sword fighting, and he fought a BEAR for her, for God's sake.

And you can't argue that they didn't have a physical and emotional connection. The amount of unadulterated, obvious yearning is insane, y’all. Right in front of everyone's salad.

I mean, Brienne willingly gives him her virginity, something she’s been vehemently defending her whole life. She allowed him to see her at her most vulnerable. But then...

Jaime decides to go back to King's Landing to protect his sister at the last moment. Keep in mind, he had already fully betrayed Cersei just a few episodes beforehand. In the end, he dies in his emotionally abusive sister’s arms, and the show implies that she's the woman he truly loves... it's genuinely vile to me.

If Jaime had stayed in the same place he was in season one, the exact same thing would've happened to him in the end. So... WTF was the point? What was the point of all that inner conflict, emotional growth, meaningful connection? Jack squat, according to the writers and the footnote dedicated to him in the King's Landing records. 

What lesson are we supposed to learn from this, huh? No matter how hard you try to grow and change, what you were born into will always drag you back? You should stay in a toxic relationship, no matter how destructive, because you still feel like you love them? People who have made mistakes in the past don't deserve a second chance at life? That is what I got with the end to Jaime's story.

Thank you for your time, your honor.

[w1ldthoughts]

Whoremones

A/n: Smut warning

Disclaimer: this is a work of FICTION, the characters are fictionalized versions of real life situations and some real people. It’s all based on my imagination.

Masterlist

The first trimester was miserable. You were positive you’d spent half the time looking at the inside of the toilet bowl. The other half was spent eating saltine crackers and asking Justin not to touch you.

Now that you were in your second trimester all you could think about was him touching you. Here you were thinking that the increased libido thing was a myth…until you found yourself holding back from jumping his bones in the kitchen when he made you a smoothie for breakfast this morning. Something about his arm veins when he placed the cup on the counter made you squeeze your legs together.

But he wasn’t taking the hint. Any time it seemed like things were about to get a little more interesting, he’d pull away. The other day you could’ve sworn you heard him taking care of it himself in the shower and it not only annoyed you, but it hurt your feelings that he didn’t want you to do it.

The very least he could was let you watch.

Even with your sexual frustrations with your husband, he was still as doting as ever. Probably more than before. That’s why it was so hard to be mad that he’d been ignoring your silent cries to take things into the bedroom.

You sat on the couch in the living room together, forcing him to finish the Bridgerton season one rewatch you started a few days before. Somewhere between episodes five and six, your feet were in his lap and his thumb pressed into a spot at the top of your foot, forcing a sigh of relief out of you. Then your focus was back on the screen, but watching the Duke and Daphne have sex on their honeymoon just rubbed salt on an increasingly large wound. And Justin’s hands on you, rubbing out the ache in your feet was just too much.

Little did you know, your already fragile ego was about to take another hit. Your husband abruptly stopped the glorious foot massage and picked your legs up, setting them off to the side. “I uh—I need to take a break. Give me a few minutes and I can keep going?”

You had enough.

You heaved yourself off the couch and headed into the kitchen to find a snack. Of course Justin came in after you, sensing that the mood had shifted.

“Do you not want to watch the show anymore?”

“Not really.” You responded flatly, digging into the jar of peanut butter with a spoon. “I’m kind of tired, I'm probably just going to finish this and head upstairs.” There was a voice in your head screaming at you to be honest and just ask. And then another part of you just wanted to sweep it under the rug. Too bad that voice wasn’t louder than your raging hormones. “Are you still—do you…do you still want me? Like, sexually?”

“What?” He looks genuinely shocked. “Babe, why would you ask me that?”

“Because. Things are getting bigger and they’re gonna keep getting bigger and maybe it’s making you feel weird or—”

“Y/n,” he sighs, reaching out for you and taking your hand. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like I don’t want you anymore. That can’t be any further from the truth, believe me.”

The soothing circles he makes on your hand do nothing to dispel your concerns. “Well then why have you been blowing me off? I mean I’ve been trying to—let you know what I want but you haven’t seemed like you’re into it.”

“I genuinely did not realize what you were hinting at. You were so sick for so long, I didn’t want to push it. But babe, I’m so into you. You have no idea how badly I want you.”

The peanut butter had completely been forgotten.

You inch closer to him, your fingers still interlocked in his. “How badly?”

“When I was rubbing your feet a second ago, the sounds you were making reminded me a lot of… that’s why I had to take a break.”

“Giving me a foot massage made you hard?” He did stop really suddenly and move you away, maybe so you wouldn’t feel it.

“In my defense, you were making sex noises.” He deadpans. You took a second to think about it and you may or may not have felt your eyes rolling back in your head at one point.

He holds your face in his hands, “there hasn’t been a moment where I haven’t found you the most attractive person I’ve ever laid eyes on and knowing that you’re carrying our baby just makes it that much better. And clearly I haven’t been doing a very good job of letting you know that so if you’ll allow me, I can fix it.”

You nod slowly as he angles down and kisses your temple whispering, “should we head upstairs?”

As soon as you enter the room, he picks you up and settles you onto the bed. His lips are on yours immediately. The kiss was warm and gentle, his tongue gliding into your mouth with hunger as he wraps an arm around you, holding you close. This need to make you feel safe and cared for has always been there but with the addition of the bump, that special attention has increased tenfold.

It’s embarrassing how aroused you already are but then you feel your husband’s covered erection rubbing against your inner thigh. He still took the time to carefully take your clothes off, watching you gasp in pleasure when he slid a finger in to make sure you were wet enough.

After he withdrew his fingers, he grabbed another pillow to elevate your body and enhance your experience. He was letting you know that he’d done his research and was looking forward to this just as much as you were.

“Are you okay? Is this comfortable?”

When given the all clear, Justin slides in slowly, looking for any signs of distress but he was met with sounds that he would be replaying in his mind for a long time. The increasing wetness of your arousal makes for limited resistance as he thrusts in and out you. You arch your back slightly, “oh fuck. It feels so good, please don’t stop—please.”

He holds on to you even tighter and fucks into you deeper, his calloused yet delicate hands all over your body, allowing you to come undone underneath him.

“Babe…harder.” You beg, grabbing his arm as he leans down to kiss you while the sound of slapping skin increases in volume. He whispers sweet nothings in your ear, letting you know how much he loves you and how long he’s been thinking about this moment. The sound of his voice vibrates against your belly, reminding you of how you got here in the first place. You completely allow yourself to get lost, your toes curling into the sheets while he hits your g-spot. The orgasm sneaks up on you, leaving shocks down your spine and your legs tingling and you let go of the sheets that you hadn’t even realized you were holding.

His vision goes black as he comes inside you, letting out a trembling moan. He’d pictured something like this in the shower a few days ago to get himself off but this was so much better. And worth the wait.

Justin pulls out, trying to catch his breath. He lays down next to you and lets you rest your head on his chest, basking in the glow. “How are you feeling? Do you need water or anything?”

You shake your head and look up at him with a wide smile. “I think I have everything I need right here.”

“Good, because I was thinking we should take a shower together. You know, to save water if you’re up for that? I have to make up for lost time.” He looks at you with those pretty green eyes and if you weren’t already pregnant, it would be happening tonight. You sit up in bed, rubbing soothingly at your stomach without breaking eye contact. Justin looks between you and your lips a few times before you straddle him and plant a kiss on his lips. He kisses you all over, from your lips to your neck, planting feathery kisses all over your bump. Never before had he really thought about what it would feel like to have a pregnant wife, he only saw himself as a father. But he found himself in awe of the changes in your body, cherishing every second of watching you grow. And now that he had the green light, he couldn’t wait to shower you with all the love and care that you deserved…in the bedroom.

The way he’s looking at you with so much love and adoration has you trying your best not to cry when two seconds ago you wanted to jump his bones.

These damn hormones.