#but actually I’ve been meaning to talk about how the difference between season 1 and 4 bloom is what so many fandoms do to women in general

[starlooove]

Never gonna forgive season 1-3 bloom haters

[crowleysgirl56]

Something that I’ve been thinking about for a good 6 months now, ever since Good Omens season 3 was green lit, and that was the three sentence description of the plot that Neil gave in his official announcement interview:

The plans for Armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren’t talking.

It really makes me think about the book sequel he and Terry had discussed and what was going to be included in that story.

Season 2 was thought to be that story. But then Neil confirmed after the season aired that it was in fact a bridging season that he wrote deliberately in order to get us to season 3, which would be based on the story that he and Terry plotted together in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Neil also famously never gives anything about his stories away, always excited to tell us to ‘wait and see’. The fact we get this much of a description is quite exciting.

At first glance it doesn’t seem like anything we didn’t already know:

The plot involves Armageddon: Metatron told us as much when he mentioned the second coming at the end of season 2.

Crowley and Aziraphale need to work together: they have always done so before, so this time shouldn’t be any different.

Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t talking: very evident from where we left off.

But did you notice something else? Something hiding in plain sight? The plans are going wrong. And they hope to put it right. So what are these plans? Why are they going wrong? Who made them go wrong? What exactly does going wrong mean? What does putting them right mean? Also, notice how Neil doesn’t say Crowley and Aziraphale need to work together to stop it. Interesting choice of words right?

Now let’s think about the book sequel for a second. For a moment, let’s pretend that the TV series doesn’t exist (*shakes everyone by the shoulders* HEY, STOP SCREAMING! CALM DOWN! The show STILL exists! Just go with me for a second here, and you can go back to remembering the show in a moment! It’s OKAY! *pats everyone until the screaming subsides*). The Good Omens novel is structured with flashback sequences of Aziraphale and Crowley together over time as the story of the Anti-Christ and the Non-Ageddon unfolds. What if the three sentence description of season 3 that Neil gave was the actual tagline of the book sequel? Like, this is literally what he and Terry came up with? Something happened between Aziraphale and Crowley between the end of book 1 and the beginning of book 2, and the second book is telling us the story of the second coming, whilst at the same time providing us flashback scenes of exactly what happened between A&C? That part of the book is the mystery of why these ineffable husbands who spent the last 6000 years together were suddenly no longer talking.

Can you imagine reading that blurb and thinking “WWWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT?”

Whether the intended sequel involved the story of a memory wiped Gabriel is up for debate. But I understand why Neil devoted an entire season to telling this story, because I don’t think there would have been room to do the second coming storyline and devote enough time to exploring the relationship breakdown at the same time in just 6 episodes.

And if my theories are correct, this is why I don’t think we will get any further flashback sequences in season 3. If we’re really lucky, maybe we’ll get a 1941 part 3 flashback, and a “what happened when they went back to Crowley’s apartment and body swapped” flashback (I’ve drafted some wildest dream posts on these, so look out for them coming in the near future). But unless they’re relevant for the plot, I think we’re out of flashbacks. This next season is likely going to be focusing specifically on the second coming, the consequences, and answering the question what does putting it right mean?!

This is obviously all opinion and conjecture and I could be completely wrong. I just like putting my thoughts down and sharing with others. So if you want to discuss comment or reblog! Let me know your theories! (And as always, please don’t tag Neil)

[audiblehush]

Listen, I’m on the “I’ll believe it when I see it” train with all these inconsistent S3 rumors because 1) LOL the fucking Sun, people, really?! and 2) “Well, the friend of my friend said… and they’re really reliable! Trust me!” 🙄

But even if it all ends up being true: I’ve already seen a handful of great posts talking about no, it’s NOT actually harming Colin’s character, thanks, and would make a lot of sense from what we know about where he’s at mentally so far - I’ll try not to rehash stuff they’ve already argued really well… and probably fail once i get going 😬

But I would also like to throw out that canonically… Book!Colin ALSO had experience prior to his relationship with Penelope?? Not to rakeish levels, but yeah, he had sexual encounters with women… That he then specifically mentions as meaning NOTHING once he compares it to what he has with Penelope because with her there is actual LOVE built over YEARS of INTIMACY.

And since Show!Colin is markedly younger than his book counterpart, it would make sense that this is something he is exploring, whether the initial choice is through coercion from his brother(s), or because he is curious, or… whatever he reason is?? It doesn’t matter??

He’s YOUNG. Being young means being curious about sex! It often means learning over time the difference between mere physicality vs intimacy. Learning about sex can be messy, confusing, wonderful, terrible, mediocre, not what you thought it’d be, etc etc etc.

Regardless of if we’re taking about Penelope OR Colin: Context is everything and WE. DON’T. HAVE. ANY. YET.

Penelope has her own coping mechanism for what she’s dealing with on her own throughout the show with LW; why is Colin any different, whether that’s drinking, tea, sex, etc? He’s clearly exploring different aspects of himself and finding what appeals or doesn’t appeal to him. And that’s normal!!

The IRONY of people claiming they’re furious at Colin treating women like sex toys… when that’s exactly how some people view Colin for Penelope. He is more than a prop for her! Their whole story is that they choose each other after years of self discovery and recognition of each others true selves… ALL of their past experiences included.

Even if the rumored second instance is true… 1) it would clearly be used as a way to prove that he’s miserable and NEEDS love and Pen and intimacy and 2) characters make mistakes... often ones they learn from. Pen has made her fair share of poor choices, too. Colin has and WILL make mistakes because that is what interesting, developing characters do, yet y’all act like he is unforgivable for being given his own plot scenes. He is NOT just there to have sex with Penelope!! He is a character outside of his romance with his own struggles to grapple with!

Also, please be real - this was SO NORMAL for men during this era, especially at his age! Why are MODERN DAY AUDIENCES acting so fucking scandalized?? One or two instances doesn’t even make him a real rake, ESPECIALLY if it’s being framed as him realizing it isn’t what he ultimately wants! Why are you even watching this show if something like this is so offensive to you?!

If all this ends up being accurate (which again, I doubt), I will admit I’ll probably be picky about how it’s handled… but I’ve always felt that way about this pairing in the short time I’ve been in the fandom.

But I NEED people to chill the fuck out until the season actually airs. You’re lambasting something you HAVEN’T EVEN SEEN YET.

[twig-tea]

TsukuTabe S2 Is Perfection

I’ve been waffling about what to write about Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna s2, which completed last week (and which we have access to at all thanks to the hard work of @furritsubs). I have had to just give up on getting across how much this show means to me; there's no way I'll be able to communicate these feelings with words. Season 1 was excellent but Season 2 was everything I wanted and more that I didn't know I needed. This is going to be more disjointed than usual because I don't know how to be coherent about this show (and because tumblr ate my first two attempts).

At its core, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabtetai Onna asks what if we were all just a little bit more conscientious and kind to one another? What if women were given space to be themselves and to make the choices that were best for them? This is the world of TsukuTabe, and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to inhabit it over these last four weeks. 

I have so much love for the way Nomoto and Kasuga develop their relationship in conjunction with their relationships with the other women in their lives. Nagumo, Sayama, and Yako are integral to the success of Nomoto and Kasuga’s relationship, and they're also important relationships for the happiness of Nomoto and Kasuga in their own right. The found family vibes are immaculate. 

The conflict between Kasuga and Nomoto this season was so perfectly them; the way they struggled with the transition from friends to lovers and being two people who are kind and giving in a relationship together and how that requires honesty and trust were both familiar conflicts that hit me hard in the feels. 

Kasuga's conflict with her family also hit me really hard. I once did the wrong thing and showed up to support my family in caring for someone who abused me, and it was a horrible experience that was ruinous to my mental health and took years to get over (and in the end they had to find a different solution anyway, which they could have done in the first place). Watching Kasuga refuse to make a similar decision, standing strong in the face of the social pressures of her parents and her aunt was so healing for me. And then to have her decision affirmed by someone of her parent's age? I sobbed in those scenes. 

I also loved the way this season handled Nagumo’s anxiety issues and how she was given space to decide to get professional help on her own time and terms. The way her parents tried to help was also very familiar to me and realistic, and it was just a little heartbreaking how they tried and didn't understand how their attempts at helping added pressure in a way that wasn't helpful. 

The way this show covers this important beats in a person's life through these small, everyday moments, and in such a gentle way, is what I love so much about it. The show itself makes a safe space so that these subjects can come up and not feel overwhelming. 

And it's also really important to me that all of the characters get to have these moments. Sakae not only reflects on her insensitivity and the unfairness of Japan not having marriage equality, but she also reflects on the pressures on her to marry and whether she actually wants that for herself. Fujita not only helps Kasuga gain proxy acceptance for her choices but gets the same back for herself around her decision to divorce. All of these women live in ways that invoke social stigma, and the way this show gives explicit permission to these women to live their best lives is both cathartic and critical.

I can't end this disjointed ramble without talking about the character I most identified with this season, Yako. Yako is an older, self-actualized asexual lesbian who makes friends with Nomoto on the Internet, recommends lesbian films to her, and mostly listens and affirms as Nomoto goes through her own process of discovering herself. I ran a GSA and have been on the Internet a long time, I've been in Yako’s position a lot (though I can only aspire to be as kind and wise). She is so patient and so genuinely happy for Nomoto when she and Kasuga get together, and she seems so quietly thrilled to have more wonderful people in her life willing to indulge her random party ideas. Her sharing a connection to a LGBTQ+-friendly real estate agency while being angry on their behalf that she even has to was perfection. 

It's so important that these characters say the things they say aloud. I want to inscribe every sentence of this show into everyone's brains. This show is perfect, and lovely, and a warm bath, and a hug, and a cup of your favourite warm beverage perfectly fixed to your liking all in one. If you haven't done yourself the favour of watching yet, I highly recommend that you do so immediately. 

[not an ID: Real footage of the entire audience's satisfaction and catharsis after watching TsukuTabe S2. Actual ID in alt text].

[lucystark12]

how will, mike, and vecna's arcs chase eachother around the show

to begin

byler: the early ages (predating the show and season 1)

our very first real interaction between mike and will speaks directly to my theory of the genius of the friends to lovers trope. the very first time we see them talk it's will confessing something to mike that neither of their other two friends wanted to. it's different. there is immediately something different about will's relationship with mike compared to the other kids. call this will's honesty, but the one thing us bylers have going for us is that will is very much canonically in love with mike. this is them showing us clearly that SOMETHING. IS. DIFFERENT. i would not go so far as to say that will is in love with mike or vice versa this far back because they're literally twelve, however, that 'something different' that's seemingly been there for a very long time is important and needs to be noted. we don't know what's different, they don't know what's different, but they don't feel the same way towards each other as they do towards their other friends. this much is obvious

(flickergate mentioned!! 🔥🗣🗣🔥🔥)

now we've got our search for will. mike is totally champoining it. of course dustin and lucas are incredibly invested, but mike is our leader here. once again, this could just speak to his personality, but i think not! mike's level of investment in finding will safely causes him to act against the caring and nurturing nature of his personality which we see in the way he lashes out at el when the body is found.

to be totally real with you, i don't remember nearly as much about the first season as i do the other three and also believe that since will is missing for most of it there isn't quite as much to go off of. so now i'm going to move on to season two.

byler: season 2

once again in season two we see mike being the one who's most protective and most conscious of will and his wellbeing. i will reiterate- for both of them at this point i think this still feels like they are just two people with a deep connection. as they are literally thirteen, i don't think either of them understand the depths of what love really means.

but uh oh... here comes the paradigm shift for will...

we ALL know what i'm talking about here.

in this scene, mike is able to break will out of the weird trance thing with his monolouge, which for anybody who has forgotten, reads as such:

"Do you remember the first day that we met? It was…It was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends and… I just felt so alone and so scared, but… I saw you on the swings and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I just walked up to you and… I asked. I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I’ve ever done."

initially, i thought this monologue was just super sweet, but the implications actually run a lot deeper than this scene just being some kind of masked love confession. what are those implications?

vecna has will in a trance during this scene. vecna is the same monster who you only have a chance of surviving if something is tying you to the real world.

we see this with max and music, with el and the mike monologue.

the difference is, neither of those work because neither thing is strong enough.

what is strong enough to break will out of a vecna trance though is mike's honest, hearfelt words.

vecna is a monster who feeds on people who fundamentally don't have enough love in their life. this is why he chooses will in the first place. henry creel was a deeply troubled child who didn't have any kind of love in his life, leaving him susceptible to become vecna when taken to the upside down. will on the other hand comes from an abusive home and is bullied in school. this seems like the perfect target for somebody feeding off people lacking that kind of support in their lives. only vecna gets it wrong, because will does have that unwavering, devoted, love in his life. that is mike.

mike who refuses to give up on him even after his body is found. mike who waits with him in the hospital for days. mike who was always the first to make sure he's okay.

the hospital scene opens will's eyes to this, which is why i'm calling this the unitalized "oh" in your "oh... oh" moment. this is will realizing there's something deeper. this is his first inclination.

byler: season 3

throughout the course of early season 3 or during the gap between seasons is when i like to believe will was starting to realize what that "something deeper" for mike was. although i think objectively season four is the most important byler season to date, i think season three is when it really solidifies itself into the brains of our characters that they are in fact in love with each other.

the first scene i want to focus on when discussing season three is the infamous rain fight, in which i believe will has already realized his feelings for mike.

in my eyes, mike wasn't actively trying to be like "it's not my fault that you're gay"- i do think that he meant to say "it's not my fault you don't like girls yet" but that with the erasure of that word, the initial meaning and what mike meant to say left with it. they both know how his words sound and the implication of what they must mean.

i mean, look at will's face. this isn't even the best screenshot of it, and you can still tell how the words struck a deeper meaning in him.

his initial reaction after the fight to go and tear down castle byers also helps us a lot with the narrative and even relates back to vecna.

jonothan and will build castle byers as a save haven to escape from lonnie and his abuse. lonnie's abuse is what directly relates will to henry and his cause. by tearing down castle byers, will is actively destroying his safe haven as a way to cope with the person who showed him the vecna-defeating love not loving him the same way anymore. even though mike apologizes, they don't have a real concrete conclusion that solidifies for will that mike cares about him in the same way that he once did. they do have something though-

the moving scene. mike's paradigm shift.

when mike and el talk in this scene their conversation begins with el confronting mike with the thing that scares him- the falsehood of his love for her. mike spends the beginning of this scene playing coy, trying his hardest not to play into what she's saying until she has to be upfront about it. when they kiss, mike thinks- something is off. i can't reciprocate her feelings.

you can see it when his eyes are open, you can hear it when he pretends not to know what shes talking about. mike is uncomfortable with the notion of being in a relationship with el because he knows it's not something he will ever realistically be able to have. not really.

then in his conversation with will, we get more resolution to their fight from earlier, a real and honest conversation. i can't remember which happens first, but both make sense.

if the el conversation happens first:

mike talking to will shows his comfort level with will over el and how inevitably he will always be able to be himself with him.

if the conversation with el happens first, this goofy little face is his "oh...oh" moment in a "this feels different in a good way sense.

if the will conversation with el happens first:

mike's hostility towards el shows how negatively he sees her after being with somebody that he truly does love

if the conversation with will happens first, this is the "oh... oh" moment.

either way, this is when mike realizes that he has feelings for will that are entirely different than the platonic ones he feels for el. this is him realizing that there's a difference between strong platonic adoration and real romantic love.

to further back myself up on this being the moment™️ for him, this is him immediately after.

this is the face of a boy who has just had his entire world rattled, the face of somebody who has just realized that he is in fact gay and in love with his best friend, and that he will never feel the same way for el (or any other girl) that he does for will.

boom, mike drop (haha)

byler: between season 3 and 4

since vecna is watching at all times, he's starting to pick up on this and realize that the all encompassing love that will needs to break free from vecna's grasps is becoming more imminent by the second. so naturally he starts to fuck with things.

first and foremost, mike not being able to call, therefore severing ties between him and will, was orchestrated by vecna. vecna can manipulate time, making it entirely feasible that will never got mike's calls to begin with.

now i bring u... lettergate!!

even though churchgate is my favorite gate, i fully believe that lettergate is real. it is absolutely canon to me. it makes perfect sense. the only other way for the two of them to communicate is via letters, and since will has been waiting for mike to reach out to him, the power is in mike's hands. however, like the writer he is, mike is really shitty at writing letters, so one never gets sent, leading to further miscommunication and cause for vecna to make will believe that he isn't loved.

byler: season 4

the first byler scene we talk about from season four is almost an extension of the in between season stuff. this scene is the airport scene, where mike's fully fledged feelings for will prevent him from hugging him back out of fear of it making things awkward, leading will to believe, once again, that mike doesn't care about him.

similarly to how mike and will make up and then get interfered with by vecna at the end of season four and the gap before season four, the two fight and then make up the next morning, making for relatively smooth sailing between the two for the rest of the roadtrip. until mike decides to confide in will, that is.

mike's intention in that scene was to get out that he thinks his charade is failing without actually outright stating that he thinks his beard isn't convincing enough. he remarks about how he doesn't think el will need him anymore just like how he needs el to cover up who he truly is.

so then will shows him the painting. confesses his love for him behind a mask, leading mike to believe that there is still a way his relationship with el could work out. he doesn't want it to, he needs it to. we know this already.

but here vecna comes, this time inadvertently. in order to thwart vecna's plans, mike is forced to give this false love confession to el (which, by the way, doesn't work). making vecna at fault for will's newfound feelings of less love from mike. will is convinced that mike is far gone, which is why vecna is able to slip into will's head once again.

vecna is back and is ready to use will for his grander purpose of making him into a mini vecna after orchestrating the greatest use of the miscommunication trope of all time. he has successfully convinced will that mike doesn't love him, which will make him an easy pawn.

so where does this leave us?

with the end all be all answer to what will happen come season five. will will need to be broken out of vecna's possession to save the world from power too strong for el to dream of taking on- double vecnas. we've seen it with will before, and we will see it again, mike's love for him will be the only thing capable of breaking him free from vecna. mike's character arc of self loathing and insecurity will culminate with him realizing how he feels about will, will's character arc of exploited insecurity will end with him getting the one thing he wants, and vecna, in his last moments, will be made to believe in the central theme of the show, that love triumphs hate.

[qu33nb3337]

Eloise and Cressida, my thoughts.

I’ve seen quite a few posts about these two but nothing that really reflected my perspective, so here goes.

Cressida

I’m actually excited to dig into her character more, to this point she has been a two dimensional villain which I understand. As the audience we aren’t meant to like Cressida. In the books, the Bridgertons and Penelope dislike her due to her cutting remarks and slimy nature. She is a straight forward villain with no complexities to her character. However the show delves into the shades of grey around the characters and presents them all as flawed complicated beings which means this book narrative of Cressida doesn’t really fit within that. I’m excited to find out what lies beneath.

I also think this friendship will begin to introduce Benedict’s Sophie’s storyline as I think Sophie’s stepfamily will be the Cowpers. It will provide a link between the Bridgerton’s and Sophie and the show loves a link.

Eloise

I think Eloise has been behaving like a typical girl her age, she’s a teenager and as such she thinks the world revolves around her. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Eloise’s character, she has some cracking lines and Claudia Jessie plays her brilliantly. However Eloise is very caught up in herself.

When it comes to her friendship with Penelope she assumes that Penelope wants what she wants, thinks what she thinks and doesn’t ever really consider that might not be true. Eloise is blind to their very differing social standing, very different family situations and dynamics and how that affects them. As we saw in season 1, Eloise didn’t believe Penelope would be interested in marriage because she herself is not interested in it. Eloise has a supportive family, who despite their bickering want happiness for each other. Penelope has a family that constantly mocks, belittles and dismisses her. Eloise can depend on her family, Penelope can not. The Bridgertons are able to weather a certain amount of scandal whereas the Featheringtons cannot. Which would mean, regardless of whether Penelope wanted an epic love story or not Eloise should have been aware enough of her friends situation to know that she likely would need to marry for economic reasons if nothing else.

I am not convinced that Eloise is aware of Penelope’s crush. The line from the trailer from Eloise to Colin about since when did he care about Penelope suggests that she may not. When I look back at the last two seasons there’s no evidence to suggest that she is aware. She wouldn’t have seen them dancing in either season. The first season she wasn’t at the balls because she wasn’t out yet and the second season, we only saw Colin and Pan dance once at the Featherington ball and Eloise would have been ransacking Pen’s room at the time. Whenever Colin and Pen are talking in season 2 Eloise would show up and whisk Pen away which could be indicative of how she views their conversations as trivial and unimportant. I don’t think she is aware that they have formed their own relationship separate to her. I think she will have assumed they converse because of her, she is the link and without her what would they have to talk about.

However Eloise questioning Colin in the trailer about whether Penelope is trying to make him her husband could be because she is aware of the crush but has chosen to ignore it? I don’t know. I am interested to see how they play it.

I think what I am getting at is that Eloise doesn’t really know Pen like Pen knows her. Their friendship isn’t equal, Pen is desperate to please Eloise as we saw in season 2 when she writes a whistledown article that reflects Eloise’s thoughts about womanhood. I think their falling out will have a big impact on Eloise and their journey to reconciliation will be key to her her developing into from a teenager to an adult. To Eloise realising that others thoughts and opinions are different to her own but just as valid, that not everyone is as they appear to be, that her life whether she likes it or not is changing. I think her relationships with her siblings will develop, she will hopefully begin to see that they are all carrying a burden and are all a little lost.

I am hopeful that her friendship with Cressida will start some of these things in motion. It must lead her to question what she thinks of people if she befriends a person she believed to be awful. I don’t think she has befriended her to spite Penelope. I think they bond over something and I think Eloise will see the complexities of Cressida’s character and really learn that friendship is just as complex which will lead her to reflect on what happened with Penelope.

That’s my two cents. I could be wrong. I often am. What do you think?

[absintheandtextbooks]

Ok so I haven’t posted like a proper potentially controversial deep dive here but I need to say some things about this season of Bridgerton. Before I do here are some qualifiers

1. I am not plus size but I am on the chubby end and wear typically a size large.

2. I come from a long line of people who are plus size

3. I think every comment about Nicola’s weight besides the ones she chose to make without pressure to make them are just simply not our business and pretty shitty

4. I want this to be a discussion this is not a hill I need to die on but I think peoples opinions can change and two things can be true.

Ok here we go buckle up

I was incredibly excited when I saw that the new season of Bridgerton was going to have Polin. It actually is what got me to start watching it in the first place, however I noticed a couple things with “the discourse” happening around the show.

Firstly, people were really excited to see a larger actress as a romantic lead which I agree is fantastic! The second is that these same people were very vocal about the height difference between the two of them. In fact how “tiny” she was in comparison was brought up a lot. I’m sure if this post has stumbled across your page a bunch of those did too.

Like some of the comment pieces on the above Forbes article mention, the media seems to have an allergy to “mixed weight” relationships when the woman is heavier-set or bigger in general than the man. What we talk about less is that height is also a factor. Society doesn’t just want women to be thin, it wasn’t them to be small.

I don’t mean to write about this in a “the tall girl movie from Netflix cringe way” but I think there is a nuanced discussion to be had about how we want women to take up less space and how femininity is tied to being small and delicate.

To me, a 5’ 6” ish queer person I’ve been taller than a lot of girls I’m friends with and a bunch of the men and enby or trans people I know. That, personally, has always made me feel bigger and ganglier and less feminine than the other femme presenting people I’m around. I get automatically stuck in a different category. Gaining weight, however, intensified this feeling. It feels as if I am perceived differently because of the combination of these two factors not just each on their own. Everything around us says it’s ok to be tall if you’re super thin and it’s ok (but less ok than being tall and thin) to be bigger if you’re short and dainty. It feels very conciliatory and condescending like a woman can’t take up space if she wants to be loved.

In Bridgerton, the conversations circling Nicola’s weight and height like vultures prey on this idea. It’s not acceptable just because she’s not sample size and that should be normal but because she’s little next to him even when she’s bigger. She can be a romantic lead because the man they show her to be in a relationship with is still bigger and stronger in different ways.

This also puts pressure on masc presenting people too. They need to be taller and often bigger to be accepted as “masculine or manly” which is its own problem I don’t feel as qualified to write about.

I’m sure this has its own complications for people who are non-binary or trans but I just needed to get this out there because it’s been BUGGING me.

Cheers,

Absinthe

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

ALRIGHTY’S I KNOW ITS BEEN A HOT SEC I’VE BEEN GONE CAMPING AMONGST THE TREES AND THEN OPENED COMMISSIONS BUT NOW IT IS FINALLY TIME TO SIT DOWN FOR ANOTHER KNOX REACTS. WHATS UP ON THE MENU TONIGHT?

MONKIE KID SEASON 5 EPISODE 3

(spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen it)

Yeah alright, lets see what we got here title be TEMPLE OF THE GODDESS. Sounds cool sounds neat, is this gonna be Nuwa’s first appearance then? or like… i assumed she’d show up later ngl if at all, sets have a habit of adding characters that never show up sometimes— AHEM

.

ACTUALLY THIS FEELS A BIT SURREAL LIKE RIGHT THERE’S MONKIE KID EPS OUT THAT’S CRAZY HELPGLKMAF;LKSDF

Let’s see how I do after two weeks of semi-fresh slightly smokey tree air—

theme song my beloved, oh yes okay the three weeks did something i’m almost used to the animation difference i think it’s settled we’re good i can react primarily to the story now WHEEZELKGJASL;KDF

OHH OHH OKAY IT MIGHT JUST BE THE TWO WEEKS BUT SANDY SOUNDS A LOT MORE SANDY NOW, hang on lemme pull up ep 2 i’m curious

ah hm and nope nvm relistened again, its like… y’know if you’ve ever gone on like a sound music app thingie like garage band or something and you up the tenor and get rid of some of the base, Sandy’s voice sounds kinda off that way, he’s more nasally and not as rumbly? HEY I’M ABLE TO ARTICULATE NOW LETS GOOOOOO

Anyway tho back to react lesgolesgolesgo

Mk, my lad, you are indeed moving from one apocalypse to the next but if it’s all leading up to destiny then i’m sure it’ll be like PSYCH IT’S BEEN THIS ONE GUY PULLING THE STRINGS ALL ALONG— or something like that that’d be funny

Hm, I wonder if the five coloured stones have a name like the Samadhi fire does.

W O O F (ouch) yeah some of the movements still make me feel like i’m sitting in front of my grandparents TV watching treehouse or something :[ It’s kinda like… it’s not bad its just very much used for a specific type of show usually and monkie kid isn’t that type of show to me so it’s claaaashing so bad AHA I AM ABLE TO ARTICULATE! Whaddayaknow the three week break did wonders for me actually we’re loving this YEAAAAAA

Wukong rubbing his head where the circlet is while he talks is MMHM <3 Wowza!!

HM! Tang sounds muffled! Once again i gotta go back and reply to understand what’s being said THIS IS TRAGIC THIS IS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME USUALLY MONKIE KID IS SO CRYSTAL CLEAR I HEAR WHAT’S BEING SAID RIGHT OFF THE BAT (only mis-hearing once in a blue moon) I do like how Pigsy is shaped in this frame <3

Sniffs. I was gonna say they are indeed reusing the samadhi rings plot line again of like, wow we gotta find this thing! but hey this time they don’t have a map! It’s different [winks at camera] LOL no tho fr it’s kinda interesting to see them using the same theme in different fonts. Like the goal is different, Samadhi fire was beat the lady bone demon and the stones is seal he heavens but it is a very similar plot to have so close to the other season. I mean there was a 1 season break in-between tho so PFF that’s probably good enough MOVING ON

Okay hmhm, Pigsy’s “what about the thing where” is super like muffled to me? And quiet, like they turned down the volume on his audio and then cranked it up immediately at the “WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THESE STONES ARE.” on second listen now that i know what’s gonna be said it’s not so bad, but it also just seems very kinda slurred together almost?? It feels like it was done in two separate takes and pasted together almost. I had to pause and be like huh!!! weird!! usually there’s a bit of a pause between Pigsy’s quiet and then loud bit to my memory, he’s done this kind of thing before but the audio volume is just so wildly different—might just be my version of the show tho!

Oof yeah, the music and audio of mk talking after it are wildly different volumes, and these are my good headphones WOUGH THIS IS BRUTAL

still chilling in the good vibes tho, fresh air does a load of good

Actually, fantastic plan mk, ask someone who knows, mind blowing for these guys, when have they ever— //j/jj

Is that how you say her name? NuWAH? I do it more of like a… NAHwah? maybe? ??? NeWAH HGLKJSDF

Mk and Mei getting hyped bless <3333

….tang bro you guys have walked through lava so many times by now I don’t see why you’re loosing your mind— GHL;AKSDJFSADF

they’ve cracked the code, if you want to distract Tang from doom spiraling just ask him to info dump and you’re good!! Still whatever with the visuals of that gag ngl but i do appreciate the verbal comedy

Okay, who do those highly stylish eyebrows belong too? Actually hello?? this might be my favourite frame in the show so far it looks so nice?? I LIKE A FRAME IN SEASON 5 LESGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“There’s always a temple”

“Mhm, yeah, mhm”

Yeah its like all the voices lost their bass, their growl, their RUMBLE. Nah the Pigsy Mei moment was cute tho bless

Tang. You have. Been around the Samadhi fire. Yeah okay trauma fire, without getting literal ab—TANG YOU LITERALLY SAMADHI FIRE??? THAT’S LITERAL FIRE PLS HGLK;SFJA;OWIEFM AND FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN REGULAR FIRE??? MY GOOD SIR??? Priorities—

AHAHAHA Darn right, I know Ashe likes their “LEGOOOO”’s, fantastic that is becoming part of my speech un-ironically thanks to them HGLASJDF You know what yeah this feels like Ashe’s writing “Sounds like Tang’s on board!” yeah hGLK;SJDFSD

SANDY’S VOICE ALMOST SOUNDED RIGHT THERE

GODS WE’RE SO CLOSE [clenches fist]

That little transition noise had a good base—

Wow speediy AHAHAHAHAHA STAIRS

YESSSSSSSSS

Okay, Okay mk’s little NNOOOooooooooo…. was pretty funny hGL;KJSFD;LJSADF Bro just yeah, nods nods that’s how stairs feel fr :pensive_emoji:

The music kinda drowns out what Sandy says for a second RAAAAA

ALPINE SANDYGNL;DKFMSADF

nice

Why do you need a hook the stairs are right there—

Oh pls make Tang climb don’t carry him pls make him climb plsplsplsplsplsplspls PLEASE MAKE HIM AND HIS WEAK ANKLES CLIMB I’M BEGGING YOU—

Oh

Oh yeah okay good call actually I take it back teleportation is actually a good ideaHGKL;ASJDFSDF

AS FUNNY AS TANG CLIMBING WOULD BE

.

I feel like tang’s old man back would snap under mei—

DID HE JUST UYEET THATLGKMD;LFKSD

oh he can slip it back

CHEATINGLKSDMFASLD;MF

Cant’ use magic or tracking

….. AND THEN USES HIS CLOUD GLKMDFA;OMFIWEF

CHOKINGL;KSDFMASDF

ONLY TAKES MK

I’m telling ya man Sun Wukong’s one and only priority is that kid

…. is mk and wukong ditching the rest of the crew gonna be a theme this season— HGLKJASD;FKASD

TANG N O

TANG

NO

LEAVE THE PIG MAN ALOOOOOONE

DARN RIGHT YOU AIN’T CARRYING HIM TANG HE’S HALF YOUR SIZE— (not to say that I don’t believe Pigsy is stronk and buff ask heck but STILL)

The way Wukong keeps touching the circlet is a neat detail ngl I’m STILL salty about how it went on but its FIINNEEEEE

MK

W H A T

BROTHER HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU CHEATED AT STUFF, TAKE ME BACK TO THE SKELETON KEY WHEN HE BYPASSED LEVELS IN VIDEO GAMES AND STOLE THINGS AND WENT ON A WILD CRAZY RUN WITH MEI?? I mean you could say character development BUT PLS WDYMMMMMMMM

Okay “LOOPHOLES BABY” is absolutely delightful and I will be quoting that for the rest of my life for no reason i just think he’s delightful

they almost made him squishy good effort wild brain ;-;7 i salute you

Ashe, I love your sense of humour—

“THIS PROVES NOTHING—“

Oh so the eyebrows are a BIRD ;-; ok i was like owaa new design? cool character? no :pensive_emoji: its a bird :pensive_emoji: that’s okay i’m sure the bird is lovely too ;-; TBF the bird probably would ave appeared anyways

Why is the bird growling HLGKJA;WOEFJSDF

Ooo fire blasts!

Isn’t shielding the fire using magic—?

….bro

CRACKS KNUCKLES

COOL YEAH IMPLICATIONS SINCE THAT WASN’T MAGIC EVEN IF IT HAD THE MAGIC SOUND EFFECT ITS JUST SWK USING HIS BODY TO SHEILD MK AND NOTHING ELSE YEAH I’M NORMAL AND FINE DON’T TOUCH ME

oooooo touchy wall, get pulled in, MK YOU’RE HOOOMEE <3 probably, I don’t know I assume Nuwa would be like wassup brrooo <333 since she’s the one who made him maybe its unclear still but we’ll worry about that when we get to it

Tilting my head. eh, no particular feelings over mk mimicking wukong ngl shrugs

Oooo Nuwa’s place looking a little worse for wear

Bro she’s legit a snake—

Just casually smashing things

Ooo OI TILTED ANGLE COUNTER GOING UP

Sniffs.

She made monkeys! :D Oh yeah and humans ig—

Oh come on don’t show me flying bark PLEAAASE I’M BEGGING YOU ON MY KNEES EVEN IF ITS TRACED DON’T SHOW IT TO MEEEEEE

Bro having flashes once again and going iTS NOTHIINNN DW ABOUT IIIIT

Okay big ol prophecy painting with the face scratched out that’s silly

HELPGKLMASFSAD

CLASSIC FINAL BOSS AESTHETIC HGL;KSDFMASDF

…..

Way to change the topic wukong

OH i kinda almost like how mk looks in that frame the “answers ain’t in this room” one its so close ;-;

Ig they both know who its supposed to be :T

Ahem okay so this is gonna be a prophesy destiny season alrighty cool cool cool

Sniffs. I feel like the coming down in a beam of light to people reaching up to him is probably misleading given the whole harbinger of chaos thing so maybe Mk’s like, how’s you say this… bam bam boom whack wowza rip the world ig :pensive_emoji:

WHO KNOWS

ANYWAY

Oh mk says “fair point” when monkey king says the final boss thing that’s funny OUGH I WISH I COULD HEAR AND PROCESS THIS IS KILLING ME A BIT

aw lets focus up ;-; i like him

STOMPY STOMPY

Bro those are traps—

MONKEY KINGS FACE GLKASMFSD

yeah

Mk’s steamrolling huh

BBQ’d 2.0

Indiana Jones’ing it MONKEY KING TAKING THE BR

SHUT UP HE LOOKS LIKE BURNT MARSHMALLOW WUKONG EVERYBODY SHUT UP TAHT’S MY DESIGN THAT’S MY BOY

bet you didn’t expect me to fixate on bbq’d wukong huh—

He’s just

on his cloud

MANYMANY DADS

HE SAID IT

HELPGLKMASFASDF

I’m hoping its dads and i’m not mishearing deaths hG;LKJSADF

MONKEY KING WITH STUFF STICKING OUT OF HIMGLMFLKSDF

Lava or axe’s nice

NOOO MK’S MCGUFFIN;SLDKFMA;OEFWN;AWENF;OAWG;KMFLASDMFS MCGUFFINS I’M CRYINGLKSDFMASDFS I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE ASHE YOU’RE FUNNY OKAYGLKMSFSD

Aw that’s cute

“three times actually” smug look at the camera

“first time was just the city don’t get cocky”

I’m liking a lot of the dialogue in this ep a lot more than the first two ngl feels more monkie kid but HEY ITS ASHE SO THAT MAKES SENSEG;LKSMDFSD

I love Wukong telling Mk this ngl

“look i don’t know how many times you gotta learn this—“

A lot monkey king

a lot more times— HGL;KASJDF

Seems like Mk’s getting worn down by the whole destiny thing and its probably gonna end up being something he doesn’t like or something

Monkey king: USE YOUR ABLITY TO MAKE CHOICES

Mk: :(

oUGH

OUGH

NAILING IT

ON MY HANDS AND KNEES THANK YOU ASHE FOR WRITING THE CHARACTERS I LOVE, THAT WAS PLAYING DUMB TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD DONE WELL WAILS

MAAAN

Sniffs okay okay

oooo STARS

FANCY

“I can sense it”

“What fr???”

that’s funny and also ominous

a lot of “i can feel it”’s going around here hLKG;JASDF

Bro fr i thought it’d be another map—

They’re goofy

Ohhhh OHH I get it, the bird is the

stone

yeah

that makes sense

stone bird

so all the stones are those creatures at the start

and merged together they’re that giant chimera freaky creature plus whatever snake guy lego set dude merged together

.

maybe

so stones together in fact busts stuff up fr?

AYO? WHY’S THE BIRD DOING A LADY BONE DEMON THING

OH THEY HOVERING NOW

Hi Nuwa

I’m sorry i never got to see flying bark animate you ;-;

OKAAAY I gotta process all that

So it’s definitely gonna be like a keep the universe from getting destroyed thing, but also probably a fake out of he’s meant to destroy it or something because PSYCH YOU THOGUHT WE WERE GONNA BE STRAIGHTFORWARD—or something like that final answer (its not my final answer i’ll come up with something better later maybe)

The phoenix sounds like somebody trying to sound Chinese

….

jurys still out on whether they succeeded or not

coughs

Mk sacrifice his existence?

Okay i do like the um… difference in responses from mk and wukong “—to save the world?” and Mk’s like D: and wukong’s like >:[ more like. feels like he’s going AHA YEHA NOT GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN BRO— conviction nuh-uh kinda vibe maybe

SIGHS

mEI STILL SOUNDS OFF TO ME I DON’T WANT HER TOO BUT RAAAAAAAAA Save me guys take me back to when i wouldn’t notice this ;-; make me into one of those people who everyone sounds the same to or something (pls don’t i like being able to decipher voices) MAAAN good voice acting still tho, good yell, well done

Circlet used to keep monkey king down so he can’t save mk real?

Dang they really spoiling the end of the season here—well if it actually goes like this, mk never got engulfed in fire like the lady bone demon claimed he would so this might not even happen lol

“Your hearts have been measured”

Swk: OKAY FIGHT TIME BECAUSE AIN’T NO WAY I PASSED THAT—

Swk do you need to sit down and talk about it buddy? :( ?

And poof gone==oh those are pretty big

HA

Trial after all

True true mentor stuff still stands

hmhm no thoughts!

WHY IS HIS MONKEY FORM ALL EVIL SMILEY

PIGSY YOU DID NOT CARRY HIM

PIGSY

P I G S Y

Mk: [another crisis]

Okay no fr respectfully someone needs to throw tang down the stairs GET OFF MY MAAAAN

Swk felt very silly goofy in this episode

It does kinda feel like he’s helping Mk avoid what he doesn’t want to think about now, which, is interesting!

DID TANG JUST TELL DADSY TO MUSH

TANG W H Y

I GET ITS FOR THE RUNNING GAG BUT W H YYYYYYY

This is p interesting tho, this episode definitely felt more like monkie kid to me, it’s still just MAN is it missing the heart and soul flying bark brought and I’m still having a lot of trouble processing the audio to an almost ridiculous degree of the amount of times i have to go back and replay and not to enjoy a line but to actually hear it regardless of how much i have my sound turned up so there’s still some OOF stuff but all in all the gags on this one were good and my three weeks away have helped me put enough distance between the animation and me that i can actually kinda watch it now!! LEGOOOO

Next reaction ep hopefully coming sometime this week so until then KNOX OUT BABYYYYY

[itskindamagical]

Criminal Minds: the moment they realized they are in love with you

AN: this will be multiple posts, each part with a different character and different plot line. I plan on writing the reader as gender neutral. I’ve seen this fanfic trope from multiple different fandoms, so I thought I might give it a try. Please remember I’ve only seen the first few seasons of Criminal Minds.

AN edit: sorry this took so long and that the story is so long. I got carried away writing this one <3

Part 1: Spencer Reid

You and Spencer were at a quaint, small, family owned restaurant. It was nice and semi-formal. Spencer felt bad for cancelling your last two dinners together, so he took you here, a place from his childhood. He claimed to have a handful of good memories from this place, which made you happy. There’s nothing you liked more than to see Reid happy. When you walked in, you took in your surroundings: small tables, all cleaned and organized to a “T”, some booths with what you believed to be genuine leather, and the small glow of lights and candles. You could tell why Spencer liked it here.

“This place is really beautiful, Spencer,” you looked up at him and caught the small smile he threw at you, satisfied you liked his childhood favorite restaurant.

You both sat down at a small table in the back next to the windows. Outside, the sun had set, the sky turning dark purple. You started to scan over the menu, noticing that Spencer hadn’t even glanced in the direction of his. You smiled softly. He already knew what he was going to eat.

“Did you want to-um- get an appetizer?” He asked, his voice less confident than usual. You noticed his usual stims were more animated. He seemed like he didn’t know what to do with his hands-cracking his knuckles and flexing his fingers-or how to look at you-his eyes would gaze at you and quickly retreat away.

“No, I’m alright.” You didn’t want to tack on additional prices to the bill, which Reid basically demanded he payed fully. It made sense to you why Reid said he didn’t come here too often, given the expensive entrees and fancy drink selection.

“Are you sure? Like I said, I’m covering the bill, so feel free to.. indulge,” the way his cheeks flushed made you wonder what meaning he was hiding behind that statement. Spencer wasn’t the insinuating type, so maybe he didn’t mean anything by it. He did seem a little off tonight, and it made you a little flustered.

“Uh- actually, could you help me pick between these two entrees?” You pointed to your possible selections on the menu. You were going to comment on how silly his insisting on paying the bill was, but you wanted to calm him down and not add to the awkwardness. It was bizarre. You and Spencer were close and had been for a while. When you two would share a meal or go out, you both felt comfortable. Reid talked your ear off, something he tried not to do with most people. It was sweet, and you were honored that he was so at ease around you. All of this tension made this experience- which was supposed to be enjoyable- a little less pleasant.

Reid pointed to the second option you showed him, “I really think you’d like this. It’s what I’m getting.” You both smiled at the serendipitous way you happened to have similar taste.

“I’ll take your word for it. It sounds great.” That seemed to settle things a little. The waiter came over, asking about what they could get you both to drink, boasting about the extensive list of wine and cocktails. Spencer requested just water. He was the DD, and even though a single glass of wine wouldn’t get him drunk, he wanted to keep you at ease knowing you would both get home safe. You hmmed a little, showing your appreciation. Spencer was always extra courteous, one of the many things you loved about him. The waiter took your drink order and asked about appetizers, which you declined.

“We are ready to order,” Spencer remarked. He told the waiter what he wanted and you echoed this, telling the waiter you would have the same.

“Great choice. That will be out of a little bit for you both. Enjoy the rest of your night together.” The waiters comment made you pause for a moment. “Your night together?”

Oh. Oh. The waiter thought you and Spencer were on a date. You and Spencer dressed in formal attire. faces flushed. Awkwardly talking. Ordering the same meal. You and Spencer were on a date. You and Spencer were on a date. Now Spencers demeanor made a lot more sense. You could feel your face turning hot. Oh my god. He was trying to be romantic with you? God. Your heart started to flutter. You secretly wanted badly for the waiter to be right. Was Reid nervous because it looked like you were on a date, or because you were on a date?

“Y/N?” Spencer rose his brows in confusion. You immediately snapped out of your little trance- face hot, mind nervous. It almost relieved you to see he didn’t notice your flustered realization. Now your head was swimming with thoughts, arguing over and over on whether this whole romantic dinner really was romantic or just a friendly bonding experience.

“S-sorry,” you paused, grasping to change the subject. “H-how was your last case? Serial arsonist in Miami right?” You watched as Spencers demeanor completely shifted. His face wiped clean of any other emotion but focus. He spoke with clarity. His pupils dilated a little bit, which you always found funny, as it indicated that he was happy. A serial arson case, making Spencer happy. You know it wasn’t the case itself. Spencer loved sharing knowledge and info dumping about his job and interests. You always prompted him to do so. It frustrated you when he’d get shot down- something people did far too often. You loved listening just as much as Spencer loved sharing. Everything he said was interesting and insightful. You found you always had a lot to learn from Spencer. You nodded your head to his explanations, responding and prompting him with questions.

You and Spencer had found a nice rhythm when making and avoiding eye contact. When you first met, making and breaking eye contact was very awkward, but Spencers anxiety and trouble with social norms lessened after you both grew as friends. It delighted you that Spencers walls melted away with you. That was a two way street as you found yourself sharing parts of yourself you hadn’t with other people, even those you considered close. Spencer had started reciting the profile, most likely word for word what had been said at the real briefing, then he began relating it to an old arson case- one you had heard about multiple times before. Spencer did a good job at putting things in perspective for you, and you didn’t mind him recalling old information, he always found a way to make it relevant and interesting again. He was always so easy to listen to.

You were listening, but the sound of the door opening and a pair of particularly loud heels clacking pulled your attention away for a moment, and maybe you were looking for an excuse to not stare into Spencers completely captivating eyes for they made you extra anxious. You watched oddly as a fancy couple was lead to a table near by where you were dining. Almost immediately your server sped over to them, asking about drinks and throwing recommendations out. Was that group of people on a date as well? Was this place a popular romantic spot? The idea of this being a date absolutely flooded your mind. It was anxiety inducing but also filled you with energy and joy. You had be harboring your real feelings for Spencer for a while.

You turned your head back to Spencer, hearing him clear his throat to get your attention. He was trying to hide his frown. A pit opened in your stomach. Guilt. He went through all this to impress you, be with you.

“Oh, Spencer, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stop listening, I was-,”

“No. It’s alright..” he paused. “I shouldn’t have bored you with that old case. You’ve probably heard it a million times by now anyways.” He avoided eye contact with you.

“Bored?” You were heavily suprised, then realized you probably did seem disinterested. “Spencer, I’m not bored, you could never bore me,” he looked up at you and you made a point to gaze directly to his eyes which you had been dodging. “I love hearing you talk, I love listening to you. I love watching you recite facts, and share about your work.” You paused, and felt like you should keep your next comment to yourself, but said it anyways. “It’s cute.” This made Spencers eyes widen. Cute? He couldn’t really understand how his rambling could be cute, so you elaborated. “The way your pupils widen and you start to talk with your hands- sort of motioning and emoting with them,” you were in deep now, so you kept describing him, this time in way that would suggest you were looking at him with a sort of fondness not just a friend would use, “you start to grin and you don’t even notice. You tuck your hair back behind your ears. Your eyes practically glimmer.” He’s blushing and you can tell by his wandering eyes that he’s now hyper aware of his reactions and expressions. He was shocked. He was the profiler, but you could read him like a book. He never noticed how much you payed attention, how much you really cared.

“And it’s not even just they way you are when you talk, it’s how you talk and what you talk about. I think sometimes you forget that you are a genius. You speak in a way that encapsulates your knowledge and foresight. I always feel like I have something to learn, some room to grow when I’m with you. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old or new case, you bring forth new knowledge or a new perspective. The way you view the world is so fascinating to me, so of course I love it when you talk. I look forward to it. Its silly the way it excites me. I think about it a lot, how much I’ve learned from you. I practically count down the days until we get to see each other again,” at this point you were the one rambling a bit. “So please never think you are boring me, because you are probably the most exciting part of my life, and I truly enjoy listening to you talk. Even if I didn’t like the particular subject you were talking about- which doesn’t happen but if it did- I would still listen. What you say is important and you deserve to be heard. I’m sorry if anyone has made you feel otherwise and if I made you feel like your words were insignificant. Spencer, I’m your friend, and I’m here to listen.” You smiled up at him, not noticing your face being all hot and the way your heart was beating.

On the contrary, Spencer was all too focused on the way his pulse paced and how his face was as red as a cherry. Holy fuck. The awe he was in was simply indescribable. You basically confessed your love to him, just without the literal words themselves. At least, he saw it that way. He came all this way hoping he would have the guts to confess his romantic feelings for you. It took Spencer so so long to come to terms with his “crush” on you, and every time you spoke, his emotions grew in intensity. The way his heart was pounding. His soul practically shaking in his body. The adrenaline and the absolute adoration he felt when he looked at you, talked to you, thought about you. Spencer was often confused by his feelings, but now it made sense. He loved you, and wanted you more than anything. Fueled by his feelings and not really thinking, he abruptly stood up from his chair, leaned over the table, and kissed you. Your eyes widened and you stiffened in surprise, but soon understood what was happening. You stood up from your chair and reached out to cup his face with your hands, but Spencer pulled away, shocked.

“Sorry,” he looked broken with a frown of heartache. “I didn’t mean to-,” you reached out and grabbed his hands. Pulling him closer, you kissed him again, firmly but lovingly. You let go of his hands and cupped his face. Spencer quickly realized and kissed you back, placing his hands on your hips and slightly deepening your kiss. Your lips were soft and so were his. He tasted like mint chapstick, which made you smile into the kiss as you knew he would, almost obsessively, use chapstick to deal with his dry lips. You both pulled away after a tender moment.

“Don’t be sorry,” you gazed at him sweetly. You could see the glisten in his eyes, filled with deep emotion. He stared back at you, absorbed by his feelings for you. You moved your head in, going for another kiss, but saw a food runner walking towards your table with your meals. You tapped Spencers hand and motioned with your head to the seat, hoping he would understand to sit back down. No. He frowned in confusion.

“Spencer, the food,” oh. He sat down right as the runner came to the table. The runner placed your dinner in front of you both and told you to enjoy your meals. Wow. It really did look and smell delicious. You smiled sheepishly at Spencer, and felt just a little bit awkward, having just passionately kissed him in a restaurant. He softly grinned back and, after a moment, glanced at your plate. He motioned for you to try your food. You grabbed your fork and tried to craft the perfect first bite. You looked at Spencer again and finally decided to eat. The food was full of flavor and had a nice texture to it. You absentmindedly licked your lips, which Spencer found adorable.

“It’s really good!” This made Spencer smile wide and he shook his head at your cuteness.

“I knew you’d like it.”

[rockinlibrarian]

Post-Umbrella Academy S4 Reaction Part One: Reacting More to the Fandom than the Show (only vaguely spoilery)

I would like to state for the record that I enjoyed The Umbrella Academy Season Four. I had plenty of issues— things that weren’t to my taste, abandoned or neglected plot or character threads, plot contrivances and wasted opportunities— and I wasn’t satisfied with the ending AT ALL (it COULD have worked if done…completely differently?)—but I enjoyed myself, minus the downer at the very end (and I mean VERY end, I was hoping for more post-credit redemption than we got, and that could’ve fixed it for me). It’s like that post I reblogged this morning goes— there’s enjoyment, there’s in-universe sense, and there’s art-of-storytelling sense, and they can all stand separately.

I’d love to chew over the stupid bits and gush over the brilliant bits, but it’s kind of hard right now, because so much of the reactions online are not, well, objectively balanced discussions? People’s issues erased any of the enjoyment, and now the whole thing is trash and I think we all agree this never happened.

I’m not writing this post to call anyone out for that. All our reactions are valid. It just feels like the angry voices drown out the other voices, and it’s made me uncomfortable, and that is ALSO a valid reaction to have, so I just want to put my voice out there, too.

The weird thing about me and The Umbrella Academy is that this is the first fandom where I’ve ever been more invested in fanworks of it than in the original show (and in the comics, not at all. Though I still want to see Viktor and Diego start a punk band). So I think that’s why I’m not Ragey. I wouldn’t say I COMPLETELY didn’t care what happened in the show, but I know that there’s a thousand other AUs of it out there ALREADY. So I honestly went into it almost as if reading a fic of it. In fics there are inevitably interpretations I don’t agree with, ships I don’t care for, things I would have done differently, but the writer loves the same characters as me so let’s see where they go.

And then I leave a comment about all the positives. “Oh, I love what you’ve done with Viktor!” (I won’t MENTION that I think you should have let him get back into music and spend a LOT more time with Five, because it’s not my story, and hey, you have done some LOVELY, thoughtful things with one of the characters that is dearest to me so let me tell you that in this comment!) “I’m REALLY enjoying your Allison-and-Klaus partnership, we don’t see enough of that but it’s so obvious in retrospect that they should be friends. They probably bonded over fashion as children when Viktor was like ‘Sorry Allison you know I REALLY DO want to be friends with you but I JUST DON’T GET IT’.” (I am thinking about how you never really resolved the huge emotional thread between Allison and Viktor in your last chapter, but that’s not what we’re talking about here). “This is admittedly not my ship, but you’ve successfully captured my own beliefs about HOW this character would behave in this situation” (shouting out to @stephsageek for that one, who did it, and did it well, before canon even thought to attempt to. ;) ) I could write lots more in my theoretical Comment on “Season Four of the Umbrella Academy” on AO3, but I don’t want to be too spoilery in this post and I’m just being metaphorical.

Honestly, I’m more upset now after a day of discourse than I was about the ending, and I think it’s because I’m afraid of people rage-abandoning the fandom. Because Legion, the show that started me on Seriously Writing Fanfic, was a mess after season 1. I personally didn’t enjoy MOST of season 2, but I DID enjoy season 3 even though so much of it made no sense, and I can rant about it (Legion did a variation on the same terrible ending as TUA, actually! I have to say that the emotional beats were handled better, but the plot itself was way way stupider). But I didn’t start writing fic until after the dreaded (but not without redeeming qualities) season 2, when quite a lot of people had given up on the show. I’ve written fix-its, mostly ones that embellish on the canon of the later seasons, fixing it without actually throwing it away. I’ve been playing in the whole sandbox for six years now, and “Magic Man of Oz” uses like every grain of sand in it, and it’s my favorite fic I’ve ever written, and I am genuinely sad about all the people who rage-quit that show so will never read it. I am mostly sad that the person who got me on AO3 to begin with abandoned the Legion fandom the moment they finished their epic How Season Two Should Have Ended fic (or before— pretty sure the last few chapters were written with gritted teeth determination to just be Done with the whole thing) and so THEY never read “Magic Man of Oz.” And they were my biggest cheerleader when I started posting fanfic! Honestly, is this whole paragraph just me freaking out about TUA fandom just because not enough people read a fic of mine from a different fandom that was fairly cult to begin with? It might be. Sorry. I apparently have issues?

(That first sentence is really the thesis statement of this post now. The moment I wrote it, I reread it and said, "Oh. THAT'S what's happening with me, isn't it?" My 11th grade research writing teacher is yelling at me in my head to move the dang thesis statement to earlier in this essay, but too bad, this is Tumblr).

I can’t help comparing Legion and TUA, not least because the latter only got bumped up my watch list by someone describing it as “Legion-Lite”— and it really is, in so many ways! But they’re also my top two most-written-for fandoms, and I’ve been toying with a crossover or two— which I feel even more compelled to write now, because it’s post-canon for both shows (even though both shows claim there IS no post-canon— I have found the way!) And it honestly helped ME emotionally to accept the end of TUA when I could immediately say, “OH, well actually, that flows right INTO how I was already going to start working-title A Legion of Umbrellas!” I originally started this paragraph in parenthesis because it seemed like an aside, but it’s really not, because all I’m saying is fanfic flows eternal! and so forth.

So, hi, out there. Just letting out my feelings and hoping someone out there feels the same way (maybe not about Legion— I keep TRYING, but can’t find any takers), and I may still write a more detailed and spoilery reaction post to the show ITSELF, but I had to get this off my chest first.

[jaskierx]

After being subjected to the canyons utter dismissal of anything Izzy did in s1 I honestly started to feel like I’d been misinterpreting the show. The confrontation between Izzy and Ed in s1ep10 is boiled down to Izzy just “saying some mean things”. Izzy’s controlling and shitty behavior is just him being protective and in love with Ed and it’s actually so tragic that Ed would dismiss Iz like that, guys. Take after take, I began to wonder if maybe I’d blown things out of proportion. Maybe he wasn’t that bad.

But then the gears in the logical part of my brain start turning and I remember why framing Izzy in that light is so frustratingly shitty. Like, okay. We all get that Ed isn’t an evil monster for killing his dad. It was a direct response to feeling threatened after suffering and witnessing his fathers abuse. We can all agree on that. So why is it different when Ed has a similar reaction to Izzy threatening him? Why is it okay for Izzy to berate and mock and tell Ed he was better off dead? Izzy displayed controlling and honestly abusive behavior in season 1. Ed was fighting back against his abuser when he killed Father Teach, and we got that. But suddenly that isn’t the case when he fights back against Izzy? I’m so tired of people acting like mental abuse isn’t as valid as physical. That it was only mean words, and that Izzy did everything out of love.

Homophobic parents can be controlling and abusive “out of love”. They think they’re protecting you. That doesn’t absolve them of their shitty behavior. That doesn’t change the fact that their actions are harmful. The same should be said for Izzy. Ed was mentally tormented by that man‼️ For people to dismiss that and act like abuse can only ever be physical is so disheartening. I’ve suffered both. One is not necessarily worse than the other. It feels so invalidating…I want to engage with fans and talk about this because I feel like it’s important, but if I had anyone argue with me about it I think I’d explode into a pile of silly string. It sucks that this is the state of the fandom 😭

yep people will absolutely bend over backwards to view all of izzy's actions in the best possible light. they give him the benefit of the doubt, they full on make shit up that 'must have' happened offscreen, they rationalise his abuse of ed in a hundred different ways. 'it was for ed's own good' 'he was trying to protect the crew' 'ed was going to get everybody killed' etc

(and often when they post about this it's really telling about their attitudes to stede being femme/gnc - i've seen too many posts along the lines of 'izzy needed to stage an intervention for ed, the talent show was the last in a long line of batshit things he'd been doing because he was obsessed with some ponce')

as many people in this fandom have already pointed out, it's like the canyon thinks that a white guy can say whatever the fuck he wants regardless of how threatening or abusive it is, but the moment the brown guy he's saying it to dares to retaliate to protect himself, he's an abuser and he's completely unjustified and etc etc

i resent being called an abuse apologist by the same people on this website who will unironically post takes like 'izzy wasn't abusive to ed because he wasn't trying to hurt him, he was acting in ed's best interests, ed forced his hand' (sound familiar?) or 'if izzy is so abusive then how come he tried to get ed out before the navy got there' (idk bestie maybe he could've tried not selling the crew out at all? maybe if he really did care about ed he wouldn't try to get his partner killed?)

[mistoffeleesisawitch]

what is your opinion on the Alicent & Rhaenyra meet-up from the latest episode?

lol I know it’s really unpopular for a lot of people but I enjoyed it! Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship has always been the core for me and I think the meet up was good!

I know Alicent’s turn seemed surprising to a lot of people, but honestly I think it had been pretty set up. She’s never been particularly devoted to the Green cause and went back and forth on it quite a bit last season so her still being unsure and unreliable makes sense to me.

And like, I didn’t mention this point often because I worried I’d get jumped for it. But I’ve always been a big believer that Alicent strongly resents her kids and sees them as a prison. I believe she loves them, but that love has always been bogged by hatred and fear and anger and resentment. She’s sacrificed so much for them and kind of hates them for it. And I think to a certain extent, she always viewed them as extensions of herself. Any anger she felt on their behalf was mostly just anger in her own behalf. When it feels like their goals align then it’s easy for her to get along with them. But once they prove to be their own people and work against her wishes, she’s quick to grow cold.

Once Aegon proved unreliable to her council and Aemond proved to be actively dangerous to everyone around him, it’s not surprising Alicent would pull away. Alicent probably isn’t even sure Aegon will survive. And with Lucerys’ death, Aegon’s “accident”, Aemond becoming regent and immediately firing her, AND Aemond trying to force Helaena into a situation that could get her killed or even more traumatized, it’s clear Alicent has lost any faith or affection for Aemond. She crowned Aegon to protect her children and now all that’s being proven to her is that crowning them has simply brought about their deaths a different way.

Alicent doesn’t know who she is. She been her father’s shadow and Viserys’ childbride and her children’s unwilling mother since she was so young that she’s never gotten to truly discover who she is. In season 1, she was always acting for the benefit of others. Acting how Viserys wanted her to in their early marriage, acting how her father would want her to in ep 6-7, and then acting how she thought the Seven would want her to in the last few episodes. And season 2 was about her figuring out how she wants to act. And struggling with what being herself even actually means for someone who has never been allowed to be her own person.

Rhaenyra is, to Alicent, the one person besides maybe Criston that she’s felt she’s ever truly been herself around. And last she saw Rhaenyra, Rhaenyra literally snuck into King’s Landing just to appeal to her. And if she’d gone to Rhaenyra before the dragonseed situation, it’s very possible Rhaenyra would have been even more receptive. So Alicent isn’t acting on baseless information for the idea that Rhaenyra could still be talked with.

Her sacrificing Aegon is horrible, and it’s meant to be. That she’s forced to choose between her daughter and her son, and is choosing Helaena. It’s Helaena she’s clung to all season, as she is alienated from everyone else she used to rely on. She doesn’t want to sacrifice Aegon. But she made the choice to put him on the line the second she put the crown on his head. She doesn’t think she can save Aegon or Aemond, but maybe she can save Helaena. And maybe she can finally save herself. It’s selfish and awful and I like that.

And like, I get why people have problems with it or disagree with where her character is going, but I strongly disagree that it’s ooc or “ruined” her. There’s a clear through line to her character in both seasons. I understand disliking the choices, but I get it and I enjoy it.

Sorry this is very rambly 😅 just trying to give my thoughts as best I can. I hope it made some sense. Also apologies for typos cause I’m not rereading all of that lol.

[jbuffyangel]

So Many Girlfriends: Arrow 1x17 Review (The Huntress Returns)

We were a little light on Oliver and Felicity content last episode, but “The Huntress Returns” makes up for it. A good deal of the episode is focused on how Oliver feels about Helena and McKenna, but ultimately shines a bright spotlight on how he feels about Felicity.

Let’s dig in...

Olicity, Helena and McKenna

Will Oliver Queen’s real girlfriend please stand up?

Just kidding. I think too much is made of how many women Oliver dated in Season 1. Technically it was only two… well three but we’ll talk about the third later in the season. This is not an exorbitant about of dating for a single man. That said, we’re juggling three out of the four in “The Huntress Returns” so things feel a bit crowded.

This episode primarily focuses on how Oliver feels about Helena. She’s back after discovering her father cut a deal and will be placed in witness protection for offering evidence against the east coast families. Helena will not allow her father to have any kind of life because for her there is no life after Danny.

Helena can’t go up against the Starling City Police Department alone and wants Oliver to help kill her father. We get sucked into another “revenge versus justice” argument between the two of them and honestly I am trying hang with my boy here. Oliver believes what he is doing is justice and not revenge, but he is splitting the thinnest of moral hairs.

I’ve done the mental gymnastics to follow his point in previous reviews, and I won’t repeat myself too much, but every time they argue about this I find myself agreeing with Helena. Oliver is dangerously close to the hypocrite line, but ok sir. You only kill when necessary (although I don’t remember every person crossed off the list being killed in self defense) and only when it serves justice (but Oliver has anointed himself judge, jury and executioner so it’s HIS kind of justice – that doesn’t actually make it justice.)

Moving on. Helen extorts Oliver into participating by threatening Tommy.

First, Tommy finds out Oliver is a superhero and then he gets beat up by a girl. This has been an emasculating couple weeks.

It’s Diggle that asks the all important and completely obvious question.

Diggle: Oliver if you didn’t still have feelings for this girl you would have thought of a different solution than letting her extort you into killing someone.

Oliver: What do you want me to do? You want me to kill her?

Diggle: I think you would have a long time ago if she looked more like me than the T-Mobile girl.

Diggle is never wrong. Exhibit A: the T-Mobile Girl

Normally John advises Oliver to stay his hand, but he’s worried Helena will drop a dime on both of them. A concern Oliver shares, which is why he hasn’t handed her over to the police.

Oliver does finally admit to his FEELINGS. He’s still holding on to whatever idea of Helena he has in his head. He believes this idealized version is the true version. This is a mistake Oliver makes a lot with women – Moira, Thea, and L*urel. Each of them have faults, some more glaring than others, but he stubbornly ignores them and believes in the Snow White version instead. It’s patronizing and keeps Oliver from seeing the women he loves as human beings – with imperfections just like him.

Oliver keeps telling Helena, “This isn’t you,” when it very clearly is her. Oliver’s hero complex means he believes everyone can be saved, but when a person refuses to change and chooses the darker road again and again, then you must believe them. Saving someone is an illusion. No one can be saved unless they want to be saved. We must all make that choice for ourselves. We must choose our salvation.

Helena’s return shines a glaring spotlight on how little we know about McKenna after several episodes. Oliver and McKenna haven’t progressed much past a few dates and some lukewarm kisses.

Arrow ramps up the heat with a love scene, but it feels very perfunctory - like they must have sex to count as a relationship. Something to check off the list before McKenna is shipped off to The Land of Forgotten Characters.

This is exactly what happens when McKenna gets caught between Oliver and Helena's show down. Helena shoots McKenna, which fractures her femur. She is moving to Ocean City to live with her sister and rehab for a year.

Oliver makes a valiant offer to visit and do the long distance thing. He cares for McKenna, but I couldn’t help but feel this offer came from a hefty dose of guilty. Of course, Oliver is going to blame McKenna’s injury on himself.  He even says he’s responsible for her – not that he loves her. McKenna can see that Oliver’s feelings are not long distance level and she dumps him.

And every heartbreak was a yellow brick road Pointing me straight, just taking me home I was never lost I was just passing through I was on my way to you

"On My Way" by Jennifer Lopez

Arrow does not let these failed relationships go to waste. They are pointing us to Oliver’s real destination point. “Return of The Huntress” has a couple of dialogue gems that Olicity vidders have used again and again. More often than not, the writers are not talking about the relationship Oliver is currently in. They are talking about the relationship he is headed towards.

McKenna: The first thing you do is you find yourself someone you never have to apologize to.

It’s interesting that McKenna says this to Oliver right before they make love, but by the end of the episode he is wracked with guilt over her. He actually has to steel himself before going into McKenna’s hospital room because he cannot show what he’s truly feeling. The offer to come to Coast City is one big apology.

This is Arrow’s version of “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” which personally I think is a load of crap.

If you love someone and you hurt them then acknowledging their pain and apologizing for it is a very important part of forgiveness. You do not get a successful relationship without forgiveness.

I think the sentiment Arrow is trying to communicate is that Oliver needs to find someone who understands who he is and all the various pressures in his life. Someone he doesn’t have to lie to (McKenna/L*urel), but won’t ask him to murder people (Helena). The only woman in Oliver’s life that fits in these categories is Felicity.

As I said before, this show has the subtly of a jackhammer. Felicity calls as Oliver and McKenna fall into bed together. The camera panning to Felicity’s face on Oliver’s phone while he is having sex with another woman is not accidental. They are very clearly saying which woman Oliver SHOULD be having sex with.

Oliver leaves McKenna’s bed the minute he finds out Helena has attacked Felicity. This is in my Top Ten if not Top 5 of Oliver rescuing Felicity scenes.

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

Helena forced Felicity to hack the FBI database for her father’s safe house location.

Oliver arrives in a panic and calls out for Felicity. He finds her bound and on the floor. It is not often we see the Hood’s feathers ruffled, but they certainly are in this scene.

Oliver’s voice drops to that soft tone with an “I’m here” and “Hey” as he gently touches Felicity’s face to reassure himself she is okay.

There are limited circumstances where Oliver allows himself to touch Felicity. He sticks to shoulders for a looooong time, but allows himself something more intimate when Felicity is in danger.

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

The real tell here is Oliver’s RAGE. He goes absolutely feral when he hears someone entering the office and almost throws a knife at Diggle.

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

Helena has killed innocent people to get to her father. She knows Oliver’s secret which makes her a dangerous threat to Team Arrow. She subtly threatened Oliver’s family by showing up at the mansion and directly threatened Tommy by almost ripping his arm from the socket. NONE of these actions convince Oliver to kill Helena – until she threatens Felicity. Oliver’s carefully crafted façade which hides the anger simmering underneath is tossed aside immediately. He wants to rip Helena in half with his bare hands.

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

It’s starting to add up this episode! Helena has been searching for the right pressure point and boy did she find it. Felicity is not just comedic relief. She is not just Oliver’s Girl Friday.  The writers are clearly writing their interactions with romantic undertones and this episode shines a very bright light on where Felicity ranks in Oliver’s life, how much he cares for her, and what he’s willing to do to protect her. Ok sure, Oliver has a lot of “girlfriends,” but there’s only one who truly matters.

Prepare yourselves. I don’t disagree with this statement.

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

Happy is not Oliver’s goal right now and I don’t believe he’s anywhere near the vicinity of happiness. If Oliver somehow achieved whatever his current definition of happiness is (which is also in flux) he wouldn’t know what to do with it. Not unlike a dog chasing a car.

Oliver is trapped in a self fulling prophecy attempting a normal life while living his vigilante life. He laments that marrying the two is impossible because it continually blows up in his face when he tries to merge his love life with his crime fighting.

He couldn’t be honest with McKenna because she’d arrest him. Oliver was honest with Helena, but she desperately needs to be arrested (and requires a good dose of therapy). Whenever the puzzle pieces don’t fit, Oliver throws his hands up in exasperation and says, “SEE? I CAN NEVER BE HAPPY!”

There is a problem with his math. As Diggle said, it’s about finding the right person. McKenna, Helena, *cough*L*urel*cough* are not the right person, so of course it doesn’t work out. Oliver never really addresses the massive issues with each of these women on an individual level. He sort of just chucks them all into the same love is impossible category.

We know the answer. Hell, I think even Diggle knows the answer at this point. It’s a 5 foot 5 inch blonde ponytail swishing Oliver right in the face. Felicity knows the truth. Not only does she NOT want him arrested, she has joined his criminal enterprise. She is wildly intelligent, beautiful, empathetic, witty and just the right amount of sass and toughness to keep a pain in the ass like Oliver Queen in line. This is the girl you bring home to meet your mother, Oliver.

Just hold her hand my dude!!

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

But Oliver refuses to allow himself to look at Felicity in that capacity for now, which brings us to the second issue with his math. Oliver doesn’t feel he can be happy. He doesn’t believe he’s worthy of love. He might be chasing after it, feigning some attempt at a normal life, but these relationships blowing up in his face is not completely unwelcomed.

There’s a sense of relief sinking back into the darkness of the bunker. He tried, it failed, and now Oliver can wash his hands of the whole “happiness” thing, which is fine because he doesn’t deserve it anyway.

So, no I don’t believe Oliver’s priority should be happiness right now. He’s nowhere near ready for that. Oliver needs to do an enormous amount of work mentally and emotionally before he is even in the realm of readiness for Felicity Smoak. What he needs desperately right now is a friend who understands him. Of course, Felicity will be the friend Oliver needs because he will never find a life with Felicity without her help.

But bring on all the shoulder touches in the meantime!

L*urel and Tommy

Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

Soooo Tommy is having some issues with Oliver’s identity.  I always giggle inappropriately when Oliver is so offended by Tommy calling him a murderer. He looks like he wants to say, “Am not! It doesn’t count if they were bad people!”

Tommy is not interested in a morality debate with Oliver because he doesn’t trust him anymore - a consequence from all the lying. We’re already on Team Oliver. We know his reasons for doing this. We watched Robert Queen kill himself. We understand our vigilante’s pain, so it’s natural to get a little defensive of him when Tommy is this unforgiving. 

But Tommy has a right to his anger. Oliver has lied. A LOT. He is a killer. This is a disquieting revelation about the kid you grew up playing t-ball with. Not everyone is as cool with murder as Diggle and Felicity. (Tommy does soften on Oliver a little by the end of the episode.)

It’s not all moral high ground either. Tommy doesn’t say it, but Oliver being the sexy and dangerous vigilante L*urel is obsessed with is not scoring him any best friend points.

Tommy is going through all the feelings this week, which means he’s not the most attentive boyfriend and doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth for the latest Lance drama. L*urel’s mother, the OG Dinah, is in town because she believes Sara is alive. Dun dun duuuunnnn!!

SPOILERS!!!!!!

This storyline just annoys the crap out of me. I hate that they introduce this in Season 1. I don’t know if it’s meant to be a red herring, dangle a hook or just to drive us crazy, but it lessens the emotional impact of Season 2.

The first thing Oliver did when he came back was state definitively that Sara was dead. Dinah's picture of someone who looks like Sara is pretty flimsy evidence to contradict the man who watched her die. It feels like the writers are trying to give L*urel and Detective Lance something to do and bring all the divorce drama with Dinah into the fold. Eh. Keep it.

What annoys me even further is L*urel immediately jumps up Tommy’s ass for being distracted and not fully invested in the dead-sister-is-possibly-but-probably-not-alive drama. Good grief woman. Can the guy have an off week? Calm down.

I’m 50/50 on whether Tommy really wants to tell L*urel  that Oliver is the vigilante. Yes, he wants to tell her because that tea is PIPING HOT and he has to be dying to tell SOMEONE. No, he doesn’t want to tell her because of the previously mentioned sexy leather pants problem. It’s really a toss up at this point.

The problem is Tommy is actually a really decent dude who is terrible at lying and L*urel knows he’s keeping something from her. Thanks a lot Ollie. She throws a hissy about Tommy being “a million miles away” and storms off. The seeds of distrust and disappointment are sewn and we shall wait for the impending jealousy implosion to come.

Stray Thoughts

Oliver and Slade are negotiating a flight off the island. Wake me if it’s not a foregone conclusion this plan fails. The dude was stuck there for five years.

Thea wants to get Roy a job. Nothing says love like gainful employment.

Is date number six significant? What happens on date six? I am old and have not dated for awhile.

Oliver ordering Felicity out of the room was HOT. He doesn’t want her within fifty feet of Helena. I like it when he’s growly and bossy. Source: https://gifyu.com/paigeota

Roy gets stabbed saving Thea. She kisses him because he’s scared of needles. First kiss cute factor is off the charts.

 “Why can’t you just admit that you still have feelings for me too?” Does anyone else feel like Oliver had sex with McKenna to prove he doesn’t have feelings for Helena? It felt oddly timed.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 1x17!!!

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me.

[7iktor]

oh would also love to hear any specific childhood sibling dynamics headcanons if you have any :3

here’s a little something for all of his siblings:

LUTHER:    i wrote this a long time ago from luther’s perspective,   but i think about it all the time and i’m applying it to viktor because.   i can. <3    luther sought out viktor after ben’s funeral.  he’s quick to defend him when diego’s mean to him,  and he’s their leader,   often trying to smooth things over between their father + his siblings,   so he goes to viktor to make sure he’s okay.   doesn’t mean he really knows what to say to him,  obviously,  but —  luther and viktor both share guilt for what happened to ben.   it obviously was neither of their faults,  reginald was going to force ben to go no matter what,  but viktor wanted to take his place,  and luther forced him to go,   and they both feel responsible.   and i think luther would understand that viktor feels that guilt too,  and perhaps that they’re the only two who really get it with each other.   most of this talk is just luther sitting silently with viktor,   but it’s something that viktor never forgot.  he hated not being part of the team that day,  and diego made him feel even worse when he reminded him,  so luther checking in on him was so crucial to viktor.   it also,  even though luther wouldn’t have realized it,  pushed viktor into the direction of finally leaving home soon.

also,  this is another one of my luther headcanons that i’m repurposing for viktor because i can<3  they shared a love of music.   a lot of luther’s music collection includes the violin and it’s hardly even something he sought out intentionally,   it was just natural for him to enjoy that kind of music,  and he and viktor exchanged many different artists and records and were constantly learning from each other.   that’s kind of the only personal thing they bonded over as kids,   but it was always really special to viktor to have something like that with him.

DIEGO:   there’s a lot about diego that viktor was envious of— and  a lot of this is probably coming from my trans diego since season 1 agenda,  but i think about it all the time when they’re interacting,   how he is exactly the kind of teenage boy that viktor wanted to be.   and maybe he has a skewed perception of who diego really is,  considering he’s often on the outside of everything,  but i just think there’s a lot that viktor wanted to model himself after.   maybe just as simple as his body language,   or his haircuts,  or his quick remarks,  or his black clothing once he got the chance to actually have his own clothing.   obviously viktor doesn’t really act like diego,  because he wouldn’t have been confident enough back then to try,  but there are certain ticks of diego’s that viktor did pick up.  

ALLISON:   viktor really admired allison for her confidence,  something viktor never excepted himself to have.  similar to what i’ve said about diego,  there was a point in time when viktor thought he needed to be more like allison,  but he quickly realized that was never for him.  when viktor read books,  the popular girls reminded him of allison,  and that’s kind of what he envisioned allison would’ve been if growing up in normal circumstances—  popular,  head cheerleader,  the girl all the guys wanted,  etc  ( part of this is just coming from reading tua: young blood, but still true. )  

KLAUS:   this is from an old thread i did many years ago with my friend who isn’t writing anymore,  but it’s so special to me so i’m just making it a general headcanon.   viktor approached klaus to cut his hair once when they were teenagers.  klaus did a really sloppy job,   but it didn’t even matter to viktor,   because when he looked in the mirror,  he felt a sense of relief that he never understood back then.   he didn't care that it was jagged and that he probably looked silly;   he liked the short hair on him.    and since klaus liked stealing their skirts,   viktor took that as an opportunity,   offering to trade his skirts for klaus’s pants.   again,  something he wasn’t really processing back then,  only thinking of it as something that was helping klaus and hardly realizing that it was so much more comfortable for himself,  too.  (  allison later fixed his haircut.   thank you allison.  )  

FIVE:    after five disappeared,  viktor would often sneak into five’s room and sleep there.  never in his bed,  but curled up in the corner of his room with a blanket and a pillow.   he thought that if five were ever to return,  then he’d find the snack viktor left for him,  along with the light on,  and then he’d come up to his bedroom,  and viktor would be the first person to greet him.   viktor was so anxious about him coming back that he needed to know he was safe immediately once he had the chance.   this didn’t last long,  though.   reginald eventually forced viktor back into his own room and warned him not to do it again.  it didn’t stop viktor from leaving a note in five’s room anyway,   a small plea to come find him as soon as he got back.   i don’t necessarily think that viktor fully believed five would return someday—  he just needed to do something to act like he would,   because that’s what kept him going. 

BEN:    the flashback in season 4 shows viktor was just hanging out in ben’s room while ben read,   and i don’t think that’s something viktor would’ve done with just any of them.   he had to have been comfortable enough with ben to know that he could just be around him.   ben made him feel safe,  and comfortable,  and like he had space for him.  he made him feel less lonely.  i don’t think that was the first time he’d ever tried on ben’s mask—  it’s something he did often,   because ben was likely the only one willing to let him borrow it.  and he was aware that ben didn’t like going on missions,  and that was something they connected over despite having differing opinions about it.   viktor thought that eventually,  they’d let ben stay home,  and viktor could take his place,   and he’d finally be seen as worthy while also helping ben out.   obviously, that was never going to happen.  also this is just a canon thing, really, even though it’s never said outright:   viktor wears a leather jacket after transitioning because it reminds him of ben.   all his life,  he was envious of his brothers and trying to take influence from them anyway he could,   so of course it comes out so prominently after he’s finally really discovered who he is. 

[skidzobrainia]

You know, I’ve heard a lot of conversation about how Turbo fast has a lot of interesting plot lines that never went anywhere, and mysteries that could be really interesting that are seemingly ignored in favor of adding more comedic episodes, but… (press read more, this is a long one!)

there seemed to be a sort of change in direction when it comes to what the show was supposed to be about, really. Or that it wasn’t really supposed to be a show about facing villains and uncovering those mysteries entirely, and the show simply wasn’t given enough time to get ready and solve those problems they vaguely hinted to in some of the more “action packed” episodes.

There’s a pretty cool interview with Chris P. that gives insight into the production of Turbo fast, where he says things about the mindset on creating the show that changed how I personally felt about it, even though I’d already watched it ~15 times in the past 11 years and felt the same each time…

The show had always been created with the goal of fleshing out the cast, particularly the rest of the crew that were left to the sidelines as purely comedy, or used as a means to develop Turbo and Chet’s story and the plot of the movie as a whole. However there was a slight change in pace during development,

I really think the best example of the change happens as early as the first episode, actually.

Crazy Fast has always been a spectacular episode of this show, that I’ve seen almost universal enjoyment of across fans whether or not they like the direction the show went in, or whether or not they even like turbo fast in the first and just prefer the movie…

It’s also one of the strangest episodes in the series when compared to tone of the rest of them.

CF could be described as a more action-comedy focused episode, but there are actually plenty of those in the series (Turbo Drift is a particularly well received example in this case, which I and others agree is an episode that reaches similar quality of CF, which is certainly helped by its similar 22 minute runtime as opposed to being a segmented 11 min double episode like the rest of the series.) Yet, not many actually keep the same “vibes” even so.

I believe the difference between even the more action focused episodes and ESPECIALLY the comedic focused episodes and how they changed fan’s enjoyment and the quality of the writing (especially for the characters) can be best observed through Turbo, who can be argued to be the main protagonist of the series, and franchise as a whole.

If you’ve read this far i’d be really hopefully that you’ve at least watched the movie Turbo, and at least seasons 1 and 2 of Turbo Fast. (I’d be really surprised if you haven’t actually. Why are you here?)

While this is a post about the show, It’s kind of impossible to talk about Turbo’s character without briefly explaining his personality in the movie and how it transferred, changed and evolved going into the show.

In the movie, Turbo is an incredibly stubborn yet optimistic sort of guy. Quite literally doing things that could most definitely end in his death (see: lawnmower scene) just because he holds the genuine belief and hope that he can do it.

He is also sarcastic, rude even the slightest bit egotistical at times, a notable example being him laughing at Whiplash and the rest of the crew (which, at that point he was not yet a part of) because he believes himself to be somewhat better than them because they’re slow… only to be immediately humbled lol.

During Crazy Fast (which, I’ll from now on refer to as CF) , he retains these traits, just shows them in different ways!

Ironically, he also gets pretty humbled in this episode, like, multiple times, as he learns that his way isn’t really always the best way. We see another example of how despite his optimism (and, in a negative sense, his stubbornness) being one of his defining traits, it isn’t always impenetrable. His belief that he can overcome everything becomes a negative thing as he accepts Hardcase’s challenge without really any other choice, which puts everyone in danger.

A new trait that I personally did not see very much, if at all in the movie is that Turbo is also incredibly naive in this show. partially due to his default mode of thinking everything is gonna go as planned, and brazen (sometimes egotistical) belief that He’s Got This, (he doesn’t got it, fyi) and the fact that he is incredibly inexperienced as a racer.

His naivety is a very good example of taking traits that Turbo already possessed and amplifying them both to flesh out his character by highlighting parts about him the movie didn’t introduce itself, and to create more opportunities for comedic situations!

However during later seasons, particularly late season 2 and all of season 3, the shift in focus on writing for the show drastically changed how turbo’s traits were expressed…

Sure, it was definitely funny. But even when I was the age of 7 years old watching this show instead of my pathetically elderly 17, I could notice that it wasn’t really the Turbo I loved seeing on the screen.

he seemed… kind of stupid!

His optimism was still there, but he became so optimistic and naive that he lacked skepticism even when faced with obvious opposition, things he consistently took as a trigger to shift his opinion or even get mad at, seem nonexistent for the sake of moving the plot along. It drastically changes him to create room for stories that yes, while funny, lose any comedic value they might have had because it shouldn’t even be happening to happen in the first place, or at least not in the way it’s played out, because he just wouldn’t respond to the situation that way.

That isn’t always a bad thing, however! Sometimes characters have to do things they wouldn’t normally do. That’s kind of the entire point of creating new scenarios and episodes. If none of those things happened then it would kind of be an incredibly boring show, not funny or good at all.

It’s the way that the characters react under these situations that sort of make or break it, whether you’re trying to make the audience laugh, or any other emotion you aim to convey through your episodes.

While still flawed, a well executed example of pushing Turbo’s traits in a situation he wouldn’t normally allow is Adopt-A-Toad, which is an episode in the middle of season 1.

An awfully executed example is The Snailman, which embodies a lot of Turbo being uncharacteristically stupid… There are a lot more cases similar to The Snailman in this show rather than Adopt-A-Toad, unfortunately.

I’ve asked around in a Turbo fandom discord server people’s opinions about the show and gained a few common opinions about these changes, especially in character personalities and general “flanderisation.”

For starters, most people (including me) don’t actually have a problem with the fact that the show isn’t always racing or story focused. The characters and their shenanigans they get up to are what people watch the show for, and that interest aligns pretty well with the goal of production and the creation of the show in general. The purpose has always been to flesh out the characters and world these little snails would live in.

What people do have a problem with is how the characters almost entirely change from how they were established both in the movie and in the beginnings of the show in ways that do not make sense in order to be “funny.” When oftentimes, it doesn’t really work too much in later episodes, as it’s so extreme.

Common complaints on that front are about Turbo, Skidmark, and Burn, who most people agree are the worst victims of flanderisation throughout the series. (An honorable mention is Whiplash, and I’d personally add on Chet and Hardcase as well, although Hardcase less so as he is the only one of these picks who originates from the show and not the movie.)

Some claim and have problems with the fact that, despite the show’s focused on fleshing out characters, they didn’t actually get fleshed out all too much?! Some were given backstories or information about themself that either never went anywhere or were very, very one off jokes. Most complain about Whiplash and his mysterious past mentor, Breakneck which we never learned too much about, and the fact that some members of the crew weren’t really given as much care as he was, and his was never resolved…

Personally I don’t actually have a problem with the whole Breakneck incident and never finding out what it is. To me, it seems like the purpose of it was to serve as a “hint,” a real thing that happened, while also being a joke. And it succeeded! Whiplash and Breakneck’s past and current dynamic is still treated seriously, and the joke probably would’ve been ruined had they actually said or shown what the incident was, but I can also agree with the fact that it would be pretty awesome to learn what happened.

One thing I undeniably agree with is that the rest of the crew, including Turbo and Chet who we know the most about, do have incredibly missed potential when it comes to their own stories. Like previously mentioned, many are relegated to jokes (I.e. Skidmark, whom of which has a few jokes referencing his family that range from really, really funny to nobody likes this episode and never comes back to rewatch it, so 99% of people don’t even remember that Skidmark said that, and also Why the hell does he hate his dad so much??)

Smoove is probably one of the best characters when it comes to “giving them things other than being in the crew,” what with his little brother and everything to do with that, which I won’t be getting too much into because I want to make a post about Buster EVENTUALLY…

People are also pretty sad about the fact that certain villains never really get to return, particularly F.A.J.I.T.A, who I am also incredibly bummed about never getting any more screen time despite them being so, so interesting… but I suspect that it has less to do with the way the show changed and more we just didn’t get enough runtime to actually go about them again.

Regardless of the direction F.A.S.T. went, and all its shortcomings, it’s still a show that really changed my life. I made this post because I cannot stfu about racing snails…. Maybe there’s an alternate universe out there where all of our problems were addressed…

Also. Yes, I am aware this show is for 14 year olds.. but like, I noticed all of this while watching when I was 9. If 9 year old me had the mind to I am sure he would also be making long ass tumblr posts about it.

Thanks 4 readinggg

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week In Review II

Sunday Week in Review II.

How we all doing?? Did we make it through the week? (I wrote this placeholder start on Monday, future B, I hope you made it through unscathed)

Narrator: In fact, she barely made it through the week unscathed. It was a weird limbo state of a week that she couldn’t quite understand was so quick but so fucking long at the same time…

So as a result, I really didn’t read much this week - you should see my tabs that I have open for my TBR list this week and I have a lot of mentions/reblogs I will be responding to the next couple of days.

Anyway, on with the week in review…

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Strings Part III (I feel like I hit publish on this six weeks ago, this is how long this week has felt)

Dipped by foot in the Catfish pond this week also...

Stood Up

Flings

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Six Sentence Sunday by @gnpwdrnwhiskey I love Sunny & Whiskey any day of the week, but throw in tiny long-eared adorable puppies? *dead*

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 1: Welcome to Torrey Hills by @rhoorl They're here... What an opening chapter! This one introduces us to the Delta boys and where they are post-Colombia and sets up for what I know is going to be a fantastic ride! I also heard that the residents of Mulefall Court (snort) have come to play today...

Working Title by @rhoorl Also started this fic this week by Jess too, only one chapter in but I'm very curious how this is all going to play out. Dieter Bravo and a slow burn? Has my name all over it!

The Layover | Chapter 10by @goodwithcheese I'm ignoring the fact that we're in the home stretch of this story - but it's one that just keeps on giving and this week's update was no different! Also, are you team Jules x Benny or team Jules x Santiago?

Sage by @softlyspector This is part three of the Honeyed series, and I don't know how to sum up in a couple of lines how much this series has touched me. Joel AU where he's a tattoo artist might sound on the surface a little ways out there, but trust me - the characterization stays true and the slow burn here is something else. I've yet to reblog it with my comments as I'm still taking it all in - trust me, there's not been a day this week I've not thought of this series.

First and 10 by @something-tofightfor This was actually a re-read and I was surprised to find I hadn't shared it already. We've had @ladamedusoif with SNL's Mr. Ben, now I introduce you to @something-tofightfor's SNL Wing Pit Daniel. He has lived rent-free in my head since I read it and this one shot, I've lost count of how many times I've gone back to read it.

Things I’m Looking Forward to Starting…

No list this week as I can't keep a lid on my TBR list as it exploded this week with my weird head space - which means a lot hopefully a long list of fanfics read next week! 💕✨

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

@jomiddlemarch’s TLOU x Ted Lasso master list put together by @tessa-quayle When I first read TLOU crossover with Ted Lasso a couple months back I was a little dubious about how the two would work. But I’m telling you - it works. I also adore the relationship between Joel and Grace, so much so that reading their back and forth it’s easy to forget she’s an OC. Everything @jomiddlemarch does with her OC is what I strive to achieve with my own - a flawless submission into an established world.

Dave York Hip Bounce Honestly? Do I really need to explain this one? 

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

@gnpwdrnwhiskey informing me that there is A HIPPO EMOJI!!! 🦛 <— look at it! 

Finding out You can “rewind” gifs (I refer you back to the Dave York hip bounce post)

Justified (TV Show) - even though I'm not entirely sure what is going on at any given time (I watch while I work), I'm now on season two and Raylan is still shooting an alarming amount of people and I'm shocked by the lack of presence of internal affairs. Also, resisting the urge to talk with a Southern accent, much like the week I spent singing everything I spoke in a cockney accent after watching Sweeny Todd…

This Week’s Song…

This song has eaten up and spat me out since I heard it a couple weeks ago. I’ve not gone a day without playing it on repeat and each time my little brain is blown like it’s the first time.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday and here's to a better week!

Feel free to share your weeks in review, detailed or not, and tag me in it if you do! 💕 xx

Other week in reviews I think you should check out...

@rhoorl's week in review