#can also be interpreted as leaving the door open for potential romantic developments in some future eventuality

[galacticlamps]

I don't want to get too caught up on semantics but I have to say I really feel like it's an unfair reading of the situation to call what Charles does in the Staircase Scene a "rejection."

I've already talked about how I think that scene's strength lies in the act of telling itself and Edwin's confession as the conclusion of his self-discovery arc. And I understand how the fact that that arc involved things like sexuality & attraction left it open to being viewed under a sort of romance-plot-specific lens, but evaluating the whole thing on that criteria still feels like a misrepresentation.

I don't think Edwin is saying "Love me" in that scene. Maybe he would've been asking for that, if this had all happened under different circumstances - and sure, generally, he'd presumably like that to happen - but it'd still be a kind of insane request for him to make right as he's being literally rescued from hell. (Especially since, even though the audience & Charles can both see the rescue as so in-character we might take it for granted, Edwin clearly didn't, if his consistently surprised confused & appalled reactions to Charles being there are anything to go by). I think he's feeling very loved already at that point, and I have a hard time believing desperation to simply have that reiterated is what drove him to speak up at such an inopportune moment.

I think what he's really saying there is "Hear me" - and as a listener and a confidant, Charles does anything but reject him. Maybe it's splitting hairs a bit, but if the distinction between "please don't turn me down" and "please understand the person in front of you" matters anywhere, it's in relation to Charles' response because he is so accepting of the confession as a confession. Not only does he take what Edwin tells him well, despite it being the sort of thing that might rock the foundation of the most important relationship in his existence, he also accepts the fact that Edwin is in such a vulnerable and worked up state that he has to do it right now despite it endangering them both. Charles would, truthfully, be totally justified in mostly ignoring it or passing over it quickly and inconclusively, insisting that this wasn't the time or place - but instead everything he says and does in that scene is geared toward giving Edwin's announcement the attention & understanding he needs so badly - and that includes responding with honesty about his own feelings, even if they might not otherwise be exactly what you'd want to hear after declaring your love for someone. Charles takes his time (perhaps foolishly, but certainly necessarily) and gives Edwin a response that is warm and familiar, while also being kind, affectionate, open, serious, and above all correspondingly worthy of the weight of the thing Edwin has just entrusted him with. That seems an awful lot to pass over simply because he doesn't also happen to be in love with him too.

Edwin's confession is so not a come-on that whether or not Charles reciprocates the romantic element is, at best, secondary to his overall reaction, and using that piece of it to call the whole thing a rejection feels like a very inaccurate shorthand to get in the habit of using as a summary of his role in the scene.

[wordsnstuff]

Guide To Writing Found Family

This is also available on wordsnstuffblog.com!

– Found family is a very popular trope that I don’t often see explored in technical writing resources, and as a person who is currently in the middle of developing one for my own series, I decided to make a resource for those who were also confused when approaching this character dynamic. If you have anything to add to the topic, feel free to comment down below for the other writers out there. Hopefully this is helpful to those who need a place to start. Happy writing!

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Avoiding Romantic Subtext

This is one of the hardest obstacles to sidestep when writing an unusual dynamic, and for certain genres it can be ten times worse. For example, in fiction written specifically for young adults, there’s a baseline expectation for a hefty amount of romantic tension, and readers will often insert it no matter what the text and subtext suggests. In order to prevent this automatic insertion of romance in the reader’s interpretation, it’s wise to establish a clear and reasonable explanation for why the relationships are platonic and will never develop into something more. 

It’s not a good idea to go for the “person a nor person b has ever considered this relationship blossoming romantically” because that’s often the basis for romantic stories, and will leave that wiggle room for the reader to run with. Show in the way they interact and perhaps in the narration/first person that each party has thought of that scenario and ultimately come to the conclusion that there’s just no romantic potential.

Showing Familial Relationships

Families rely on each other and in diverse ways. The way these individuals interact and build a familial bond is determined (often) by the way in which they form a dependence on the other, and this is more often than not in found family stories, a healthy dependence. It shows the other person’s reliability, care, and compassion, and the way this develops is different for family than it is for friends. 

Certain family members also have specific types of humor when it comes to each other. A father and a daughter will have a different sense of humor or understanding with each other than maybe the daughter and her brother do, and this all adds to form a vivid dynamic in your reader’s head that will alter the way they perceive relationships. Found family will be exactly the same, but they’ll have different backstories and different reasons why that sense of humor or understanding has developed that way.

Friendship vs. Family

Found family is unique in the way that readers can very easily perceive a relationship as close friendship rather than a familial one. However, friendship lacks a certain vulnerability and dependence that found family can use to its advantage, because family sees each other at their highs and lows and conflict usually carries different implications. 

Family also implies a different attitude and motivation behind the relationship. Conflicts between family members are less severe in the long-run because there’s a ground-level understanding that no matter what happens, arguments will end in forgiveness and closure, whereas that is not necessarily guaranteed with friendships or romances. The motivation, also, is different in the sense that found family is more often meant to last a lifetime, and therefore is less fragile and opens the door for more open communication and vulnerability.

Converting Tension to Intimacy

When you’re tasked with turning a tense, unfriendly relationship into a close and familial one, it’s daunting to even begin thinking about how to go about it.  First, it’s important to understand the function of this stage of their relationship as a starting point for growth in both of the characters rather than merely a device to create drama for the reader to munch on. Intimacy of any kind develops out of mutual growth, vulnerability, and understanding, and in order to convey these things to the reader, you need to take your time letting this stage simmer. If you extinguish the tension too fast, it will read as shallow and futile, and it will throw a wrench in the natural pacing.

Now, the transition from tension to intimacy is a several step process and does not happen in one chapter. Mindsets, perceptions, and attitudes change over time as both the reader and the characters learn more information and experience more genuine interaction. The relationship, as I mentioned earlier, will change as the characters see each other in increasingly vulnerable situations and in periods of growth, and as they witness this their understanding of the other and ultimate acceptance will change the way they treat each other and their mutual perceptions of one another’s place in their lives. This usually happens in the subtextual area of the story, excluding events that are formulated specifically to depict this evolution.

Different Sizes of Families

The size of the invented family very much impacts the way that the group relationship develops. For example, two or three people who develop a family-like connection will be much more intimate and dependent than a created family that includes ten. Larger groups imply more diverse, but also more shallow representations of what relationships between family members can be, but they often leave more room for relatability and comedy. Smaller families work well for more serious struggles, and make more sense with characters that deal with serious issues that a real person wouldn’t be comfortable giving all the details about to ten other people. 

There’s definitely a spectrum and it fluctuates wildly for different types of stories, genres, character archetypes, and themes. Deciding how large to make this found family really depends on the fine details and requires some time and thought.

Common Struggles

~ Bringing people together when there’s an age gap… Age gaps can serve really well in the area of establishing a familial relationship without suggesting romance because most readers will assume that a close relationship between a younger woman and an older (say, 65 year old) man is more of a father-daughter relationship than a romantic one. The way you an bring together two people with an age gap and establishing a familial relationship is by playing on the aspect of guidance and support that a parent or typically older figure would provide to a younger, more naive person. This can come off trope-y but, like any other aspect of a story, putting an original twist on it can make it more original and interesting to the reader. 

~ Starting with tension… This is very common in the case of a sibling-type relationship or a guardianship situation. Usually, there’s some resistance from the party that does not hold the upper hand, and this can create tension in both of them. I suggest that if you’re going to develop a tense relationship into a close one that resembles family, then avoid tropes. There are so many ways that you can twist these ideas and situations based on your world and characters’ traits, so don’t go straight for the “I hate you because you’re trying to control me even though you’re not my real dad” thing.

Other Resources

Useful Writing Resources

Useful Writing Resources II

Resources For Describing Characters

Resources For Describing Emotions

Resources For Creating Characters

Resources For World Building

Resources For Plot Development

Resources For Writing Science Fiction

Resources For Writing Dystopian/Apocalypse

Resources For Fantasy & Mythology Writers

Giving Characters Bad Traits

Writing Children

Having Trouble Connecting To Your Characters?

On Making Scenes/Characters Unpredictable

Keeping Characters From Sounding Identical

Writing About Uncomfortable Topics

How To Foreshadow

Commentary On Social Issues In Writing

Tackling Subplots

How To Make A Scene More Heartfelt

How To Develop A Distinct Voice In Your Writing

How To Perfect The Tone In A Piece Of Writing

A Guide To Tension & Suspense In Your Writing

Writing Arguments Between Characters

Ways To Fit Character Development Into your Story

Tips On Writing Intense Scenes

Showing vs. Telling

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[jonthethinker]

Expositor Beauregard And The Mighty Nein

Others have said it before, but because I think it should be screamed from the mountaintops everyday, Beau’s growth is so fucking good!

I think back to the runaway monk we met at the beginning of this campaign, all sharp edges and curt words and no roots, committed to convincing the world she doesn’t care about anything and she’s fine on her own (but the loneliness already showing as she asks Jester and Fjord whether they’re going to leave town without her.)

Then we have Beau now, who has deep friendships with every member of the Mighty Nein sans possibly Caduceus and Yasha (who still fall under the domain of her protective instinct, and who she still very much considers her people.) It could be argued that Beau is the sturdy foundation of the Nein, offering each other member of the Nein some sturdy ground to stand on to grow themselves:

Travis has mentioned Beau’s commitment as first mate as a comfort for Fjord, and when he was deliberating whether to reveal his accent to the group, He never doubted that Beau would continue to support him if he told the group the truth. Their easy relationship is among my favorites on the show, and when the action starts they’re never out of sync.It is safe to assume that to the half-orc orphan who very much attended the school of hard knocks and has every reason to distrust others, having a friendship in which the only thing that is asked is a willingness to call Beau on her bullshit and an openness to Beau calling him on his, is an immeasurably important feature in Fjord’s current life and one he wouldn’t trade away for anything.

Beau is undoubtedly fiercely protective and supportive of Jester, and made it clear to her that she will support Jester being more honest about negative feelings she has, while also standing up to Jester when she thought she was making a reckless decision in how to confront her father if it meant keeping Jester safe and the door open for a healthy relationship with said parent. Jester has in Beau someone who will continually encourage and support her through thick and thin, and have a good time along the way. I want to say a hell of a lot more about their friendship and the parallels of their lives, because their friendship is the most precious thing to me in all of critical role, but that’s not what this meta is about, so I’ll save it for another time.

Her sisterly relationship with Nott is something that is easy to forget about, but I imagine it means more to Nott than is let on; Nott was a bit of an outsider even as a halfling. Since the Iron Shepards (And arguably before, in Hupperdook,) Nott has had an easy relationship in Beau, with Beau being about as judgement free as Nott has ever experienced. The two are playful with each other in a way I imagine Nott wishes she could have been with her brothers, and Beau’s willingness to forgive Nott for any harmful decision she has made (a certain bullet in the ass comes to mind) can’t be underscored in its importance towards the goal of keeping Nott’s beaten-up heart healthy.

While I disagree with some in the fandom who think that Beau’s friendship with Caleb is the single most important relationship in his life right now (which to me has been unquestionably, from the beginning, Nott, and is nowhere near changing to anyone else in my humble opinion,) to say their friendship has not been a critical step in his growth as a character is absurd. Caleb perhaps had not planned on one of the keys to his success in his wizardly pursuits as well as the reclamation of his humanity being a rough-and-tumble friendship with a blunt, somewhat aggressive monk with a knack for getting him to admit to things he never wanted to admit to, but life doesn’t often go according to plan. Despite a rocky beginning, their friendship has evolved into something beautiful, with Beau always there to keep Caleb grounded, whether he risks letting his thirst for knowledge drag him into trouble, or his past begins to eat him alive. And it’s certainly nice to have someone around who can help him find that book he’s looking for.

Beau’s relationship with Yasha has been interesting from the get-go, what with Beau immediately seizing on the opportunity to flirt with the giant, introverted barbarian. While shipping discourse tends to dominate the discussion of their interactions, we shouldn’t ignore the chance to take a crack at what these moments mean to the characters as individuals.

With hindsight and insights Marisha has given on Talks, I’ve gathered that to Beau these moments were driven by this weird relationship in Beau’s mind between sex and power. She uses these casual, almost doomed to fail, encounters with women as a band-aid to avoid confronting her actual problems with developing intimate, meaningful romantic or platonic relationships with women she’s physically attracted to. She sort of game-ifies the encounters into a power struggle between her and her potential conquest; the end goal not being the sex or denial thereof, but of the buzz of the conflict itself. On the outside it looks like a pure expression of ego, and some of it may be, but I interpret it mostly as a deflection from Beau’s clear struggles with self-loathing and her fear of abandonment; I speculate that to Beau, after how things ended with Tori, has not allowed herself to feel the same about anyone else (With the recently revealed exception of Jester, who is all too conveniently deemed inaccessible; “She has a thing for Fjord, and so it’s not a possibility,”) for fear of utterly letting down yet another women she loved.

With Yasha I take these moments as a sort of siren’s song. Here she is, having lost the most precious person in all her life, a love she knew was forbidden but pursued anyway, and clearly blames herself and her desire for Zuala as the very reason she died. To Yasha, the lesson she learned from all of this is not that her tribe was wrong, but that her desires are wrong, that she can’t trust herself to want anything, and can’t trust herself to love without getting someone hurt (A feeling only exacerbated by the death of Molly trying to save her from the Iron Shepards.)

So she feels all this and then there’s this monk who relentlessly flirts with her. Their first interaction indicates to me that Yasha has had some experience handling this sort of thing since joining the circus, and with arms like those, how could she not? But Beau just keeps going and going the more time they spend around one another, and Yasha has eyes, and Beau does indeed have those abs, and is incredibly persistent and almost admirably self-assured about herself, and okay maybe eventually even the tough Barbarian might be flustered and stutter a little bit.

And that would be that, if that’s all their relationship was. But Yasha being the quiet one who looms to the back in social interactions and group planning watches the others, Beau included, and maybe begins to see another side to the monk. The side that clearly cares a great deal about this group. Who looks out for the others and will gladly put her body on the line to protect them. Beau isn’t as sturdy as Yasha, can’t take as many hits and depends on avoiding being hit in the first place, but still there she is, tanking a Hydra, rushing to the front lines and protecting her friends. There she is, reassuring party members in a well-meaning if a little rough around the edges sort of way. There she is, comforting Yasha after she reveals her past to the group, seeking a way to relate to her even when it’s clear Beau doesn’t share personal details often.

So to Yasha, Beau is a few things. She’s someone who she can rely on to keep this lovely found family alive no matter the personal cost. She’s someone who can be leaned on and relied on not to judge. And she’s someone who makes her feel like a person, not just a tool or a wall of muscle, or a burden to be dealt with, but a person. I think Beau will be second only to Jester in the importance she will play in Yasha’s recovery and victory over her grief and guilt, which, let’s face it, is a long road yet to be traveled, but a road made all the easier due to Yasha’s friends of the blue persuasion.

Caduceus sees in Beau potential. Where he may get frustrated or confused by many in the Nein, I think in Beau he finds a reliable and easy to understand set of motivations. Beau wants to keep the Mighty Nein happy, healthy, and most importantly alive, and maybe make a positive difference in the world along the way. While her gruff demeanor can sometimes grate him the wrong way, I feel her actions have spoken for her in Caduceus’ mind. I take that he feels that while he may be the only adult in the room, Beau is definitely the rather mature teenager that can often be trusted to make decisions in his absence. Condescending? Of course. But a delightfully Caduceus-like thing to think.

This long diatribe is not me saying that Beau is the be all end all of the Nein, but just my way of illustrating the impact of her and her growth on her friends, and the role she plays within the Nein. The other members have had just as much of an impact on her. From Fjord’s trust and charm training, to Jester’s love and support and faith in strangers, to Nott’s open ear and sisterly banter, to Caleb’s ability to establish goals and remind her of both the forest and the trees, to Yasha’s fierce protectiveness and soft treatment of their friends, to Caduceus’ encouragement to tell the truth and be open and the successes that attitude has led to.

And to Molly, who arguably, made this growth possible, or at least as quickly progressive as it has been. Without him pushing her towards making the world better than she found it, it’s hard to imagine the road she would have had to travel to get to where she is now, fighting to save the world, standing up to and earning the respect of her Cobalt Soul mentors, sharing her feelings with the group, and allowing herself to love.

Beau is my favorite character on Critical Role. She has been for a very long time, but my love for her has only aged like a fine wine. From barely being able to meditate at all, to mentally transporting herself to a beach in Nicodranas in order to escape Obann’s thrall. From telling Jester she didn’t worry too much about her well-being, to telling her on several occasions that she loves and cares about her. From being incredibly antagonizing towards Molly, to getting a tattoo in his honor very visibly on the back of her neck. Her Journey to become the Expositor she is today has been an absolute delight, and her journey towards forging the ties she has with this beautiful found family have been heartwarming and some of the best storytelling I’ve ever seen. And she has so much potential for growth and I just can’t wait to see more.

[doctorgerth]

May I ask for relationship hc's (sfw and nsfw) for X Drake ?Please

Absolutely!!!! X Drake is a little harder to work with since we’ve seen so little of him, so this is strictly just my own interpretation of him. I hope you find it sufficient!! Enjoy, my dear. x

PSA: I am gonna start tagging nsfw content as #sinful or #lemon from now on. That way I won’t experience any more flags! 

Now, on to the sinning! 

X Drake SFW+NSFW Relationship HCs

SFW:

- being a rather serious man, I feel as if he is more inclined to fall for someone fun; not necessarily obnoxious, but someone who can keep him on his toes and keep his life interesting!

- he finds playful attitudes in a partner very endearing; bonus points if they’re mature and sophisticated in front of others, but isn’t afraid to show off their silly side when it’s just them; he enjoys the feeling of being able to “let loose” around his partner after being so serious all day

- he also finds intelligence in a partner very attractive as he enjoys having meaningful, thought-provoking, and informational conversations

- of course he wouldn’t admit it, but he likes someone who can break the scowl on his face; he’s had a sad life, so he’s not opposed to his partner being his little sunshine (definitely a nickname he uses on occasion in private)

- it takes a mighty long time for Drake to fall for someone, much preferring if he’s either known them for a while or if he can develop some sort of trusting bond beforehand; he’s not one to just dive into dating/courting, he needs to know he can trust them before he even thinks about getting involved romantically

- and once he is finally involved he takes his relationship very seriously; very loyal and always willing to protect/care for his partner, and though he might express it in subtle ways, he always offers them his utmost love and affection

- definitely the marriage type as he never dates just to date, he forms relationships with people because he sees a potential future with them; he wants to settle down one day with someone he loves, maybe even raise a family

- not into PDA in the least bit, he finds it super embarrassing (he gets all flustered when they act touchy!), so his partner has to respect his boundaries and the reputation he has to maintain; if his partner desires physical contact, he always makes up for it during their alone time behind closed doors

- he can be a bit awkward as he’s always wanted to express affection for another, but he’s never really known how to, given his past; therefore, he usually lets his partner take control of the cuddling sessions, he’ll just kinda leave his arms open for them to ravish him with hugs and kisses that he graciously accepts

- his kisses are a bit hesitant, always worrying that he’s doing something wrong, so his lover usually takes control in this case as well until he finds a steady groove; his lips are really soft!

- prefers to place his hands delicately on their hips or at the small of their back (if height allows) and take his time with some intimate kissing; if his lover can wrap their arms around his neck/run their fingers through his hair, he’ll be smiling and melting into the kiss!

- loves to touch his lover’s face (preferably without gloves); whether he’s rubbing their cheeks, grazing his thumb over their lips, or caressing their face lovingly, he just cherishes how soft they are and how they always look up at him so adoringly

- he honestly gets overwhelmed sometimes by just how lucky he is to have someone be so unconditionally in love with him; he was raised in an abusive environment, causing him to feel as if he’s unworthy of love and affection, so he needs a partner who isn’t ever afraid to show their love for him as he can be a bit insecure

- his partner must be prepared when he holds on a little too tight, tears welling in his eyes during even the most simple cuddle times; he’s just basking in the love, hoping they can feel just how much he loves them in return!

- not very argumentative, prefers to talk things out; he feels comfortable to openly express his feelings to his partner, so he expects the same from them; he gets really upset if they give him the silent treatment/walk away from him

- besides “sunshine”, he also likes to call his partner “darling”, “dear”, or “love”; sometimes he slips these endearing nicknames in public and he gets super embarrassed, instantly becoming snarky at anyone who makes fun of him for it

- the only time he’s truly okay with his s/o riding his back in dino form is when they’re escaping dangerous situations; but…he has let his s/o ride on his back just for funsies once or twice before, each time swearing it’ll never happen again, but he knows he can’t deny his lover that satisfaction forever

- is not scared to get a little bloodthirsty if someone threatens or harms his lover; nothing as precious as them should ever be attacked; hops into angry dino mode real fast

- speaking of protection, Drake much prefers his s/o stay on his ship or somewhere safe away from the trouble he faces, especially if they are unable to protect themselves; he’s confident in his protection skills but he just can’t take the risk as his biggest fear is losing them and he doesn’t exactly hide it

- though he is a stoic man with a professional reputation to maintain, he always makes sure his lover never ever doubts his love for them through his own unique ways! a very selfless partner who will go the distance to make his lover truly happy in life

(( NSFW UNDER THE CUT ))

NSFW:

- okay first things first, as we all know our Dino Daddy is absolutely weak for women’s naked bodies, but this can apply to a male partner as well!

- he gets super flustered seeing them naked, no matter how many times they’ve had sex by then; his face gets all heated and he just feels like a little teenage boy all over again!

- he’s so eager to touch them but he’s always chivalrous, tending to ask for permission to touch them (even if it’s nonverbal) though his hands have explored every inch of their body time and time again previously

- if his partner comes at him in some lingerie, whew boy he has to fight the impending nosebleed; but he likes to take a minute to enjoy them in the lingerie first, running his hands along the fabric while he mentally takes a snapshot of the beautiful sight, then he gets to his favorite part: undressing them~

- definitely a titty man, he’s a sucker for burying his face in his lover’s tits, they’re just warm and squishy; small tits, huge tits, he loves and appreciates them all!

- very proud of his toned chest and thighs, so he loves when his partner praises him/gives these areas special attention; including raking their nails against the skin, trailing kisses, riding his thigh, etc.

- Drake is not really into inflicting or receiving excessive pain during sex, the most he is comfortable with is scratching, hair-pulling, light biting, and light spanking every now and then; his sharp fangs have unleashed at times, but he never bites hard enough to draw blood

- sex with Drake can definitely be primal, especially in times after battle or reuniting after lengthy time apart, but his choice of love-making is more passionate and tender; he loves to take his time with his partner, relishing in the love they are professing to one another

- Drake is extra handsy during sex, they’re never off his partner! whether they’re on their chest, their back, their legs, their ass, etc. his hands are constantly holding onto his partner as he craves the physical connection, holding them close is just never close enough!

- some of his go-to positions include thigh master, the double-decker, and face-off; since he’s not much of a kinky guy, he typically makes up for it by trying unique positions as long as they are comfortable

- loves a woman on top as he can hold her (and bury his face in her boobs) while she controls the pace, he finds the feminine power beyond sexy; also never against being a bottom with a male partner, Drake is definitely a switch

- one of his favorite places to have sex? the bath tub; it’s so intimate yet so thrilling! this is his favorite place to have his woman ride him as he just relaxes in the water; watching her soaked, lathered body bouncing up and down on his cock makes for some really relaxing sex; with a male partner he prefers to lean back into their chest while lazily grinding on them, allowing his partner’s hands to roam along his body freely

- he’s decent at dirty talk, more comfortable with saying sensual and romantic words than “filthy”, and he prefers to keep things simple, loving to praise his partner; he blushes heavily at a partner who praises him/has a dirty mouth, he won’t always respond verbally, mostly with a low grunt of approval; he curses the most when he’s cumming

- “Mmm, you feel so good, darling.” // “I want to ravish you.” // “Can I touch you here?” // “Does that feel good, love?” // “Oh, you ride me so beautifully.” // “You look absolutely divine begging for me.”

- foreplay is his specialty as he loves taking his time to warm up his partner for the main event; fingering, eating out, sucking dick, he’s always really really good at it; he’s usually a little hesitant going down on his partner (scared of his teeth unleashing) nevertheless he always goes wild when his partner runs their fingers through his hair while he’s down there, encouraging him on

- he’s not very loud in bed and he doesn’t like a super loud partner as he can’t have his ship hearing their business!; if his partner is loud he is inclined to cover their mouth while they have sex, but it works for him as he honestly gets a little turned on by their muffled moans of pleasure

- to counter that, Drake is loud as fuck when he cums, he’ll grit his teeth and grab onto his partner tightly as a growl escapes his throat, a few blaring curses laced among his partner’s name as he releases; he prefers to cum inside his partner, but if they are uncomfortable he will usually release onto their tits (the second best place), their stomach, or in his hand

-  he is wonderful about the cleanup process, quick to grab a spare towel or wet rag to help clean his partner and himself off, he’s always willing to change the sheets and remake the bed together; sometimes they will escape off into the bath where round two typically happens

- cuddle time with Drake is always extra cuddly after sex, he holds his partner close, reassuring that the session was good and that his partner is happy; he doesn’t last long for pillow talk before he snoozes off as he always falls asleep fast with his partner in his arms!

[thebluelemontree]

Hey Bluelemons. As a fellow Mya/Lothor shipper, what do you think will happen between them in Winds? And could help from Sansa be the straw that will make Lothor turn over to Sansa's service instead of LF's?

Oh, I am so rooting for them!  I am always happy to talk a Mya/Lothor thing.  There’s definitely potential there for something to happen between them and Sansa is positioned to be the catalyst.  She totally ships it because reasons.      

The connection between Sansa and Mya was set up way back in AGOT when we met the latter through Catelyn’s POV.  Mya tells her about her love Mychel Redfort and that he’s promised they will marry after he is knighted.  Right away, Catelyn relates her to Sansa in personality but sees how this dream will be inevitably crushed by reality:

“Mychel’s my love,” Mya explained. “Mychel Redfort. He’s squire to Ser Lyn Corbray. We’re to wed as soon as he becomes a knight, next year or the year after.”

She sounded so like Sansa, so happy and innocent with her dreams. Catelyn smiled, but the smile was tinged with sadness. The Redforts were an old name in the Vale, she knew, with the blood of the First Men in their veins. His love she might be, but no Redfort would ever wed a bastard. His family would arrange a more suitable match for him, to a Corbray or a Waynwood or a Royce, or perhaps a daughter of some greater house outside the Vale. If Mychel Redfort laid with this girl at all, it would be on the wrong side of the sheet.

And we know he did.  What’s interesting is that Mya is near 20 years old, but her innocence and optimism is exactly like that of Sansa’s at 11.  Coupled with her age, it’s not hard to guess that she’s probably not a virgin.  It’s because Mya is so in love and implicitly trusting that Mychel would never abandon her that she consented to a sexual relationship with him.  Mychel really had no right to make such a promise being raised with the knowledge that his father would make that decision for him.  Mya is the one who assumes all the social risks and has the most to lose.  Myranda points out this was a cruel thing for Mychel to do and I agree.  When we see her again in Alayne II, she’s become closed off and bitter in her heartbreak after learning Mychel was wed to Ysilla Royce.  The fact that she’s had pre-marital sex is a source of salacious gossip.  This was a girl who had sex with one partner who she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with.  Now she’s slut-shamed with the bastard stereotype of being morally loose.  It’s so unfair.   

This is the second time in her life Mya has been profoundly affected by an irresponsible, careless man.  Sansa and Mya are connected in a generational way to their fathers that cemented their friendship when they were fostered by Jon Arryn.  Mya remembers being loved briefly by her father before he abruptly exited her life, not even bothering to give her the advantages of official acknowledgment.  Again, she loved him, trusted he would be there and he left.  So it’s no wonder why Mya has enormous trust issues now regarding relationships with men.

“Men come and go. They lie, or die, or leave you. A mountain is not a man, though, and a stone is a mountain’s daughter. I trust my father, and I trust my mules. I won’t fall.“ She put her hand on a jagged spur of rock, and got to her feet. “Best finish. We have a long way yet to go, and I can smell a storm." 

Myranda says her father tried to make another match for Mya, but she refused to hear of it.  She’s now leaning toward cynicism and becoming hard as a stone to protect herself from being hurt again.  This passage is very much like Sandor placing his trust in his sword and posturing about never having to fear any man.  There are also parallels to another passage, and they have some other significant character traits in common, but that’s a bit beyond the scope of the question.  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) The point is Sansa has direct experience dealing with the essence of Mya’s hurts, both in her own shattered innocence and dreams as well as Sandor’s.  And she was able to put dents in his cynicism.  I don’t see why she couldn’t do the same with Mya.

As of TWOW, we can see that the old wound has reopened with the return of Mychel Redfort at the tourney:

“She was reading her little lord a tale of the Winged Knight when Mya Stone came knocking on the door of his bedchamber, clad in boots and riding leathers and smelling strongly of the stable. Mya had straw in her hair and a scowl on her face. That scowl comes of having Mychel Redfort near, Alayne knew.”

Here’s my interpretation of the details given.  Unless Mya jumped into a pile of hay right before entering the room for some reason, the straw in the hair and stable smell is probably referencing the old cliche of “rolling in the hay.”  Stables are often used as a choice place for a tryst.  I get why Mya is scowling from personal experience.  Sometimes in heartbreak, we become emotionally compromised and against our better judgment reconnect intimately with people that hurt us.  We just want so badly to feel close to that person again that sometimes selfish assholes seeking an easy lay will take advantage of that.  Mychel was obviously Mya’s first in many ways, and she was left reeling.  In the end, she feels worse for being with him (hence the scowl) because it doesn’t change the fact that he’s married to Ysilla, she’s now relegated to a tawdry cliche and reminded again that a bastard girl shouldn’t have expected more.  This looks bad for Mya being open to another relationship possibility, but it might just be the reason she finally closes the door on Mychel.  At least we know, Mya actually isn’t as hard as stone as she claimed before.  She still has a soft, vulnerable heart underneath.  

I don’t know if GRRM will go this route, but where there is sex, there is a possibility of a pregnancy subplot.  I would imagine that Mya does have access to moon tea through Myranda, but there’s no telling if she uses it or not.  Just a thought...   

As for Lothor, Sansa senses that he is quite fond of Mya.  Not that he ever said so directly, but:

“She’s half mule herself, that one. I think she’d leave us all to starve before she’d put those animals at risk.” He smiled when he said it. He always smiles when he speaks of Mya Stone.”  

^^^ I love that.  Alayne II is such a pivotal chapter for Sansa developing a more mature understanding of love and relationships.  She’s still somewhat caught up in her old way of thinking.  At first, Sansa does the social class arithmetic to see if they would pair well on that level, but she also wonders how Mya would feel personally about Lothor.  What would she think about his plain looks and him being a bit older?  And what is it about her that attracts him most?  She’s shipping it, but she’s still focused on the superficial.

"Do you think Ser Lothor likes her as she is, in mail and leather?” she asked the older girl, who seemed so worldly-wise. “Or does he dream of her draped in silks and velvets?”

“He’s a man. He dreams of her naked.”  

Sansa is thinking about this the wrong way.  It’s not Mya’s aesthetic that attracts Lothor.  He’s into her as a person and that makes him desire her.  Is that not Sansa’s expressed wish, to be loved for herself?  This is true about most relationships in ASOIAF.  People just want who they want.  It’s irrelevant if they are conventionally attractive or unattractive, or if they defy or typify gender roles.  That insight is another reason for Sansa to take action because it’s meaningful to her and helps her to understand her own desires.  Lothor likes Mya’s stubborn feistiness.  He likes that she loves her animals more than most people.  I’m sure he’s heard the gossip too, but it doesn’t seem like her not being a virgin bothers him one bit.  She’s got grit and courage similar to his own.  The reason he probably hasn’t made a move is that she’s been giving off a strong vibe of not wanting any suitors and he may believe she wouldn’t want him.  He’s older and not the gallant pretty boy that Mychel is.  But tourneys are bristling with that romantic and sexual energy.  If Sansa is going to play matchmaker, the timing is perfect.   

Sansa’s experience with Lothor is that he’s a quiet, reserved man.  But he’s strong, honest, steadfast, and loyal.   He has no apparent vices or skeletons in the closet.  How could you not love him for seeing Harry’s rudeness and dubbing him “Harry the Arse?”  He and Sansa have developed a warm, affectionate friendship that I think speaks well of his character.  He confided in her once that he sought out his knightly kin in Brownhollow, but was rejected by them.  He seems to be a man adrift, without home or family.  Everything he has, he’s earned himself the hard way.  His knighthood came from acts of valor during the BotBW, not from tourney performance.  That seems to be an important distinction GRRM is making between true knights and “knights of summer.”  Lothor’s service to Littlefinger is more a matter of trying to earn a living and lack of better opportunities.  There’s no sense that Lothor is any more loyal to LF than what’s expected of an employee to their employer.  There’s some reason to be concerned as Lothor does know some of LF’s treasonous crimes and secrets.  There’s probably going to be risk and danger in Lothor switching sides; however, Sansa has a sense that what Lothor really wants is a home and family.  He’s mature and wanting to settle down.  He’s not an irresponsible boy playing at manhood.  I don’t know how much better he could be set up to be the balm for Mya’s broken heart and trust issues.  The author is shipping this so hard!

So how could Sansa influence Mya to consider Lothor and in the process win his loyalty?  Well, it is a tourney, and I would expect he will be competing in the joust.  I’m 99% sure that LF has fixed the lists to ensure Harry is among the winners and Lothor is probably part of ensuring that happens.  One possibility I thought of is if Sansa has a heart to heart with Mya about there still being good and loyal men in the world.  There’s one that is standing on the sidelines and worthy of giving a chance.  As much as it’s tempting to be cynical about love and relationships considering her own situation with Harry, at her core, I think Sansa is still that romantic and optimistic.  I don’t see why she wouldn’t seize on this opportunity to see it happen when the reasons are so personally meaningful to her.  Perhaps she could persuade Mya to give him her favor, and that could result in upsetting some of the expected outcomes.  As Jorah told Dany, sometimes a lady’s favor drives a man to want to best all the competition.  It changes the way he feels about himself and he wants to win for her.  I, and I think Mya too, would be very satisfied to see Mychel Redfort unhorsed by him.  Please, George, make it happen!         

[pho---to---graph]

Henry Fox Talbot – The Haystack

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Steve Middlehurst In April 1844 William Henry Fox Talbot set up a camera loaded with light sensitive paper and photographed (i) a haystack on his country estate at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire. The haystack had presumably been constructed in the summer of 1843 but as we have no clue to its original size we cannot tell if it has been used to feed livestock all winter or only recently opened. A ladder leans against the stack, blocks are obviously being cut starting from the top down and we can see that the hay knife has been left high in the stack to the left of the ladder (ii). We can see how the stack has been designed with an undercut to minimise rising damp and painstakingly thatched to protect the valuable crop from the rain. Another thatched roof can be seen behind the stack but this looks more likely to be a barn. I partly chose this image because I lived in rural Italy for a number of years and stacks not dissimilar to this still exist in the mountains of Abruzzo, I found an ancient hay knife in the outbuildings of the house we lived in. This, of course provides a punctum (1) in this photograph that is quite personal to me.

Overall the composition has a strong geometry with the bright ladder and its dark shadow  providing contrast to the mid-tones of the hay. The Haystack is a study of light, tone and texture with the shadows of the ladder, the eaves of the thatch and the undercut all playing important roles in defining the significant and detailed forms in the scene. The dark leaves overhead provide a contrasting backdrop to the stack.

Such a stack would have been common place in rural England in the 1840s, unremarkable, probably identical to many other stacks in the Lacock area if not on the estate itself. This leads me to wonder why Fox Talbot photographed this particular stack, what did he want to communicate to his audience and who did he perceive that audience to be? Because this is a well know photograph, one of a series that Fox Talbot published in The Pencil of Nature in 1844 (2) (iii), it has been analysed, considered, critiqued and interpreted for over 175 years.

In fact it was whilst quite casually turning the pages of Ian Jeffrey’s How to Read a Photograph (3) that I paused to read his interpretation of The Haystack and began to think about the variety of ways in which we can read this calotype and how those readings have probably changed over time. It is interesting to consider such an old image in this way because, whilst we feel compelled to label it, there were no strongly established photographic genres in 1844 and no history of this type of image to speak of so Fox-Talbot only saw his work in the context of his drawing, his scientific research (iv) and as a commercial opportunity. He did refer to his calotypes as Art saying in his introduction to The Pencil of Nature that the book is a “first attempt to exhibit an Art of so great a singularity”  and refers to the process as “Photogenic Drawing” (v) but I cannot shake off the feeling that the practical process or the commercial potential was more interesting to him than the end result.

Fox Talbot, like many educated men of his time, maintained regular correspondence with contacts all over Europe and from the letters held in the De Montford University archive (5) it is possible to find many references to his photographic work but the ones I found (vii) were predominantly practical, or scientific in nature; and perhaps not surprisingly he was very interested in arguing the advantages of his Calotype process over the Daguerreotype. The discussions he was engaged in rarely touched upon the aesthetics of his or other photographer’s work and one letter from Fox Talbot to William Jerdan, the Editor of the Literary Gazette (vi), is particularly revealing; he wrote “The Complexity of the Art requires a division of labour; one person should invent new processes while another puts in execution those already ascertained, but hitherto I have been the chief operator myself in the different branches of the invention.”

We do know that Pencil of Nature is as much a catalogue as a photo book. Fox talbot selected subjects that showed the potential uses of photography; a photograph of his china collection is accompanied by a text explaining how this would help recover them if they were stolen, the leaf of a plant is contact printed as a botanical specimen, and the haystack is included to show how well photography could record “a multitude of minute details which add to the truth and reality of the representation, but which no artist would take the trouble to copy faithfully from nature.” He also places some photographs into the context of schools of painting, his famous Open Door is referenced to the “Dutch school of art”. All of which supports Gerry Badger’s description of the book as “an advertisement, a calling card, an experiment, a history, an aesthetic achievement and a manifesto” (6).

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Ian Jeffrey looking at The Haystack with a post modern eye suggests that the ladder has been placed here to provide human scale, “it serves as an attribute, making practical sense of the haystack”. He goes on to say that the sparse composition leaves the audience focusing on the items that are there so the ladder becomes suggestive of Jacob’s ladder which reached from earth to heaven. All valid points from a highly respected critic; I don’t see the ladder as being “placed” by the photographer, it is logical to me that it has been left here from the last time they cut into the hay which also explains why the hay knife has been left so high on the stack. I didn’t find the ladder suggestive of anything other than a practical way of accessing the hay.

When Fox Talbot photographed The Haystack, his intent appears to have been to show how his new process could capture the infinite detail in a large and recognisable object. He created a pleasing composition and may or may not have had one of his farm labourers bring a ladder and hay knife into the scene to add human scale or human interest. His message was primarily concerned with the functionality of the Calotype; his audience was probably a mixture of the scientific establishment, the British artists he hoped would “assist the enterprise” and the middle-class buyers who, not being able to afford a Constable, might buy a Fox Talbot instead.

Jeffrey sees the photograph as an example of the conceptual game “in which one step forward delivers things and words and one step back discloses the scene itself in all its natural complexity” (3). One the one hand I see it as a romantic view of rural life that has personal links to my life and on the other hand as a photograph taken by someone more interested in process and technology than the picture, rather like those internet conversations about pixels that appear to reduce photography to a technological arms-race. But, my interpretation is no more right than Jeffrey’s nor has this eminent art historian and critic has in any way missed the point, far from it.

The haystack is a prefect example of the practical application of Roland Barthes concept of “The Death of the Author” (7) and the idea of “Creative Attention” as proposed by Ainslie Ellis and Jonathan Bayer (8). (These ideas have been discussed in previous essays – see note viii below)

The post modernist view which is strongly based on Barthes’ essay The Death of the Author argues that whilst “the sway of the author remains powerful” the viewer is the primary controller of Art’s meaning. Barthes argues that reducing the influence of the author “utterly transforms” a piece of art and The Haystack is a perfect example of this process. Its power as a photograph is built upon a complex combination of its original context including the history of Fox Talbot and his competition with Daguerre, the mysteries and ambiguities that exist inside the frame and its aesthetic appeal but this is only relevant as a springboard for the ideas the viewer creates by engaging in a dialogue with the image. Harking back to Bayer’s idea, The Haystack releases its meanings slowly and has been doing so for over 175 years.

(I have also looked at this photograph in the context of semiotics here.)

Notes on Text

(i) Fox talbot patented the calotype in 1843. Light sensitive paper was exposed in a camera, developed and fixed to create a negative. A print was made by exposing another sheet of light sensitive paper placed in contact with the negative. (1) I was intrigued to find a letter in the de Montford archive where he uses the term “photograph” as a generic term “Several photographic processes being now known, which are materially different from each other, I consider it to be absolutely necessary to distinguish them by different names, in the same way that we distinguish different styles of painting or engraving. Photographs executed on a silver plate have received, and will no doubt retain, the name of Daguerréotype. The new kind of photographs, which are the subject of this letter, I propose to distinguish by the name of Calotype; a term which, I hope, when the become known, will not be found to have been misapplied.” (

(ii) Since the advent of silage hay is is used far less for animal feeding and when it is used it is bailed and stacked as opposed to just stacked. The art of making a haystack has nearly disappeared in England but in many parts of Southern and Eastern Europe both the stack and the the unique triangular knives that are used to carve out the hay are still common.

(iii) Fox Talbot’s great contribution to the process of photography was the concept of printing multiple copies of the same picture from a single negative. The Pencil of Nature was the first ever photo book and ran to to six separate volumes that in total contained twenty four calotypes.

(iv) By all accounts Fox-Talbot was a brilliant man, as a gentleman scientist he explored many fields and was awarded a honorary Doctors of Laws degree by Edinburgh University not for his contribution to the arts or even his political career (he served in Palmerston’s government when the MP for Chippenham) but for his many contributions to science. In mathematics there is the “Talbot’s Curve”, in physics “Talbot’s Law” and the “Talbot” is a unit of luminous energy; there are two species names after him in the filed of botany and for good measure there is a Talbot crater on the moon. (4)

(v) He also points out that “you just can’t get the staff” saying that the chief difficulty he faces is the “paucity” of “skilful manual assistance”.

(vi) The full text reads: “I intend sending you a Copy of my new work the Pencil of Nature which I expect will be published tomorrow. I have met with difficulties innumerable in this first attempt at Photographic publication, & therefore I hope all imperfections will be candidly allowed for, and excused – I have every reason to hope the work will improve greatly as it proceeds, & that British Talent will come forward and assist the enterprise The Complexity of the Art requires a division of labour; one person should invent new processes while another puts in execution those already ascertained, but hitherto I have been the chief operator myself in the different branches of the invention.” (Document number 5013 in The Correspondence of William Henry Fox Talbot held by the De Montford University (5))

(vii) It is important to recognise that Larry J Schaaf has recorded approximately 10,000 letters to and from Fox Talbot so it would be quite wrong to give the impression that I have done anymore than skimmed the surface of this resource. I concentrated on reading the letters written between early 1843 and late 1844 which covered the period of The Haystack photograph and the publication of The Pencil of Nature.

(viii) The Death of the Author is discussed in two essays about post modernism here and here and the ideas of Ainslie Ellis and Jonathan Bayer are looked at here and here)

Sources

Books

(1) Barthes, Roland. (1980) Camera Lucida. London: Vintage Books

(3) Jeffrey, Ian ( 2008) How to Read a Photograph: Understanding, Interpreting and Enjoying the Great Photographers. London: Thames and Hudson.

(6) Badger, Gerry (2007) The Genius of Photography: How Photography has Changed our Lives. London: Quadrille.

(7) Barthes, Roland (1968) The Death of the Author. (Included within Image, music, Text, translated by Stephen Heath (1977)) London: Fontana Press

(8) Bayer, Jonathan (1977) Reading Photographs: Understanding the Aesthetics of Photography. The Photographers’ Gallery. New York: Pantheon

Internet

(2) Fox Talbot, William Henry (1844) The Pencil of Nature (accessed at PCCA 6.7.15) – http://www.photocriticism.com/members/archivetexts/photohistory/talbot/talbotpencila.html

(4) Schaaf, Larry J. The Correspondence of William Henry Fox Talbot (accessed at the de Montford University Fox Talbot archive 6.7.15) – http://foxtalbot.dmu.ac.uk/talbot/biography.html

(5) Schaaf, Larry J. The Correspondence of William Henry Fox Talbot (accessed at the de Montford University Fox Talbot archive 6.7.15) – http://foxtalbot.dmu.ac.uk

[missusgordo]

I've seen arguments that Angel in End of Days-Chosen was forced/OCC. He was acting all smiley and flirty with Buffy after he just gave up Connor, lost Cordelia to a coma, and made a deal with Wolfram & Hart--and also even that made no sense because of the 2 seasons of Cangel. I've seen people take this further by saying Angel was actually just putting on a front and going through the motions with Buffy right down to the Spike jealousy. Thoughts?

Yes I have heard this argument many times before. I disagree with that assessment. I think it really comes down to how you identify with Angel, where he is in his journey in Season 4 and how you read that final scene in Home. From my perspective, Angel’s actions in EoD/Chosen are not forced or out of character.

Let’s start with the Cordy element. To begin with, we can talk in circles regarding Angel’s feelings for Cordelia during the “2 seasons of Cangel” (really more like 1.5 and really more like 1ish when taking into account that post Spin the Bottle it wasn’t Cordy) but in fact there was never really a Cangel relationship. There were feelings developed, possessed and dream induced kisses, and lost chances but nothing solid ever developed outside of their friendship. It was just a story of “what could have been.”  In Spin the Bottle he seems more interested in renewing their friendship. “All I know is that you are my dearest friend. And I hope that—I just— I want that back. That much, at least.” And the chance of any potential relationship is further nixed when she tells him that she loves him but after seeing the things he did as Angelus she can’t be with him. (Throw in watching her have sex with Connor and well…you know…)

Furthermore, I think that Angel began to grieve Cordelia’s loss as soon as he found out that the person that returned wasn’t Cordelia at all. In Inside Out he comes to the conclusion that the only way to stop Jasmine is to kill Cordelia and he sets out to do so. After the mess with Jasmine, I think he holds on to some hope that she will come out of a magical coma but he seems to understand that this thing that has used her has left her at death’s door. So when Angel goes to Buffy in Chosen, he has already grieved his good friend’s condition but he isn’t in a relationship with her or even dealing with the end of a relationship - because there never was a relationship there. Although I’m sure that Cordy is and will always be in his heart. 

Lets back up and talk about the Connor situation because I think this one is actually very closely connected to his actions towards Buffy in Chosen. Angel has just made a decision that will give Connor the opportunity to have a normal life. Angel, indisputably, loves Connor above any one in his un-life. When he has the opportunity to give him a better life, one he feels confident he could never give him he seizes that because that is how Angel has always expressed his love. When he sees Connor with his new family at the end of Home, he smiles. He is happy. This is all he has ever wanted for his son. All that he feels he could never be able to give him. 

This sacrifice to give Connor a life that Angel could never give him, is the same thing that Angel did for Buffy. He loved her so much he felt he had to set her free so she could try her hand at a normal life. Except with Buffy his plan started off pretty great (see College/Riley) and then quickly fizzled out due to the circumstances in her life. Where Connor has a chance at a normal life, he has seen Buffy lose family, die, dealing with resurrection, and now he heads over to her as she faces yet another apocalyptic battle. Maybe Connor can have a better life with out him (as he sees from the picture window of his new family’s home), but as he drives over to Buffy who faces yet another battle to save the world I think it finally clicks that she might not. And for the first time, I think he allows himself the opportunity to consider that maybe being in her life isn’t as damaging as he thought. 

Taking all of this into consideration, the scene itself between Buffy and Angel in EoD/Chosen is not out of character for either of them if you look at it the lens of their previous interactions. Every time Buffy and Angel have come together since their split in s3 it has been “intense” and has often times lead to kissing, or nearly kissing etc. In IWRY, in the first go round they talk about how difficult it is to be around each other because they still have feelings for each other and nearly kiss after fighting the demon in the office and in the sewers/then actually kissing when Angel is humanized. In Sanctuary/Yoko Effect - they are both clearly extremely jealous of the prospect of either of them being with other people. In Forever, they kiss - and this is when Angel just went through a tumultuous dust up of his relationship with Darla. We don’t know what happens in the s6 meet up but we know it was “intense” so - we’ll leave that open to interpretation. Despite what is going on in their respective lives, they continue to have a connection to each other. And Chosen is just an extension of this. 

I am not surprised in the least that Buffy allows herself a moment of happiness at seeing Angel, that she smiles and kisses him. And Angel, as I have said above, who - yes has suffered the loss of a dear friend but has also just seen the sacrifice he has made pay off in seeing his son happy - is momentarily feeling the weight of his problems pushed to the side as he sees Buffy. That he offers to fight at her side and tells her “Shoulder to shoulder. I’m yours” is very much in keeping with this idea that he is has changed his perspective on whether they can be together. And when he realizes that she and Spike have are in each other’s lives romantically I think it is completely in character for this to be surprising and upsetting (again - both of them have shown jealousy before many many times - Angel with Xander, Scott Hope, Riley). The fact that it is Spike is just adding insult to injury and I understand Angel’s reaction. But ultimately he respects her decision to send him away and he leaves - with a hope and possibility of a potential for reuniting someday.

So all of their interactions are in keeping with their previous meetings and make sense with where Angel is at the end of Home. I don’t find it out of character for either of them. And regardless of the craziness in their worlds, just as Joss says, their relationship “transcends everything.”

Thanks for the ask! Sorry it was so long!

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2020 - Extra - The Stand (1994) - Episode 3 The Betrayal

Betraaaaayal! Betrayal! Betrayed me!

This thing has a real habit of immediately bringing you back down to earth at the start of each new episode, episode 3 opens with Redman performing some impromptu surgery on a straggler their group has picked up along the way, only for the guy to die on the table. I mean, Stu was a mechanic so that’s like a surgeon for a car, right? No licensed music this time though.

Stu is a busy man though as he is also making moves on Molly Ringwald’s Fran, much to her friendzoned buddy Harold’s chagrin. Absolutely massive nerd this guy, like if you were to Google the word nerd it would pretty much be him that comes up on the image search results; thick glasses, slicked hair, rampant acne. He tries to play it off like he’s not bothered by this sudden development between the two, even though Stu downplayed his own interest in Fran when they first met and Harold feared he was being cockblocked. Inside though Harold is stewing.

Molly Ringwald looks very different in this, she has this dark hair in a bob cut that really looks like a wig. I don’t know if that was just her general look at the time or a stylistic choice by the production team but it makes me think it’s a choice by her to almost reinvent herself. Apparently in the early 90’s she moved to Paris for a time so maybe if this was something of a reintroduction to American audiences for her, she was trying to shed that famous image of her with the red hair?

I feel like Harold tries too hard, when Stu and Fran break the news of their budding romance to him he pretty much cuts them off to congratulate them and act like he isn’t bothered in the slightest. In his image as well, they’re using motorcycles to travel on (I guess it helps to weave between all the abandoned cars) so he rocks up in this full leather getup. Like not just a jacket but the chaps and everything. It’s like he’s trying to project this more macho image for himself in light of this competition, not it’s doing him much good. Then he just mostly goes off on his own, pouting and brooding.

Much like Nick and Tom were the breakout pair of episode 2, the stars of the show here are Harold and Nadine. Nadine popped up in New York City along with the singer Larry, there was something very off about her that was underlined when it was revealed that she was having strong visions of Flagg and they seem to have this romantic link, only she’s not entirely into it? I dunno if it’s like a split personality thing or if part of her is trying to fight it, there are times when she tries to walk back toward the path of righteousness but she keeps being led astray. Her hair has massively turned grey as well in whatever span of time has passed between episodes, probably only days or weeks tops. Possibly some after effect of her visions with Flagg?

The acting from these two borders on comically over the top at times, like there’s a scene where a bunch of newcomers are introducing themselves to Mother Abigail and Nadine almost floats through the crown like she’s In a trance. She approaches Abbie with her back turned and this usually quiet, jovial old woman leaps up with finger outstretched bellowing “WHO IS THIS WOMAN THAT GOES THERE?!” and Nadine introduces herself with this smile and slight head tilt that gives off this massive degree of faux coyness and sweetness. Abigail is always so warm and welcoming to newcomers but she’s noticeably shaken by Nadine’s arrival, who in turn almost seems to be toying with Abigail. It’s like whoever was in charge of this scene wanted everyone to dial it up to 11 to really get the point across that Nadine is shifty but that seems pretty pointless considering we already know she is considering her relationship with Flagg. And it’s not asif it’s to plant the idea in Abigail’s mind or anyone else around as it never comes up again.

The best part though is Nadine being rejected by Larry, who has since moved on and found a new woman in his life, and is told by Flagg to go to Harold where she seeks to manipulate him and talk him into acting out against the people who have wronged him like Stu and Fran. I don’t know if they were playing this up for laughs or if it’s just a byproduct of the world it takes place in but there’s this whole seduction scene where Harold comes home to find his door ajar and a sexily dressed Nadine inside. She’s kinda like if you mixed Sindel from Mortal Kombat and Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled. This whole thing plays out against his backdrop of a post apocalyptic world so you’ve got Nadine seducing a man dressed in coveralls and smelling of God knows what considering he’s spent the entire day cleaning up dead bodies from the town. Luckily she prepared two jugs of wash water that she’s left on the back porch and after that she’s prepared a fancy meal of tinned beef. It’s all shot really weird as well, all dutch angles and she’s partially obscured in shadow, sunlight streaking across her face but broken up by the shadow of the blinds on the windows.

Then, now that Harold has finally gotten some action, it’s like it instills him with copious amounts of dickbag confidence as he keeps telling her to keep her yap shut and suddenly the power in this relationship has shifted entirely, now she acts like she’s some poor put upon little housewife who needs to have her man’s dinner on the table when he gets home or else she’ll be sorry. I suppose it worked out in the long run though considering he’s following through on his plan to blow up Stu, Fran and the other town committee members that he feels he was shunned from.

Not that they’re without fault, as pretty much the first thing they do is decide to recruit spies to send over to Las Vegas where Flagg and his followers are hanging out in order to work out what he’s plotting for them. Or, as Larry puts it, “We’ve been in charge less than a day and we’ve already re-invented the CIA”. Which makes perfect sense, even if they do acknowledge they may be sending people off to their deaths. Only, it comes across a lot worse when they chose Tom as one of the potential spies, or ‘scouts’ as they prefer to call them. I get why they’d pick him in the sense of him being mentally challenged so Flagg and his followers might not suspect him of any nefarious intentions. But to do this they hypnotise him which I don’t fully get, I guess it’s like they’re deeply imbedding it in his head so it’s instinctive for him. It gets pretty uncomfortable though when Stu tells him that if anyone tries to stop him, if it’s two or more people then he needs to run but if it’s just one person he needs to kill them. Bloody hell, I thought this was a peaceful new world utopia you guys were building here? And if anyone asks him why he’s here? Well, as Stu puts it, “They drove me out of the free zone because of my feeble mind. They were worried I might have a woman who would give birth to idiot children.’ Or as Tom repeats it back “You were worried I might have a woman and I might fill her belly with a retard like me.”. He has this sort of twitch when he’s receiving the instruction, almost as if it bothers him on some level. Maybe that’s what the hypnotism is for, maybe they were worried he might not understand that this excuse is just an act and take it seriously? If they get past the conscious mind that would see it that way and implant it in the subconscious, almost like a sleeper agent sort of thing? Or maybe it would strip away all the emotional language and only take in the direction intention of the plan. Fran actually asks him during the hypnosis if he’s the same Tom that Nick met, which he answers yes before hesitating and saying no, he’s God’s Tom, so maybe on that basic level he will act for what is good for his fellow man even if it’s detrimental to his own personal well being?

It comes across as a little cold given that Stu doesn’t try to qualify the questionable things like the murder or the feebled mind excuse. He doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with it himself though, hesitating at times or having noticeable changes in his facial expressions. Everyone else in the room seems more sympathetic to Tom in the moment though, asking Stu to finish up whilst Stu pushes on a question or two more. Between this and an earlier scene where the scout idea is first floated though, he seems to have settled on a very pragmatic approach, the ends justifying the means.

There is a moment with Tom that underlines one of my favourite little things involving Flagg which is that given that people are travelling to see Mother Abbie from all over the United States, each new character in each new location seems to have a different way of referring to Flagg. Tom mentions two names himself; ‘The Hard Case’ and ‘The Walking Dude’. It adds to the scope of the situation, people from totally different areas are having near enough the exact same dreams but without that shared initial way to discuss these dreams, they’ve all come up with their own names for the people within them. Kinda ties back to that idea of people interpreting the dreams differently as well.

With all the scouting stuff though, it never seems to occur to them that if they can think of this idea, what’s to say Flagg hasn’t already thought of it too? Which is why they never see Harold’s plan coming when he has Nadine leave a nice little shoe box full of dynamite in Stu’s house, ready to detonate the next time they have one of their big meetings. Regular Guy Fawkes this guy. Only, he actually gets to set his off, albeit he doesn’t get his main targets. Nick wasn’t so lucky…damn.

And so we’re finally reaching the big crescendo as Mother Abbie’s dying words are a new instruction laid down from on high; that four of our great leaders of the free zone are to head out into the wilderness alone in order to face off against Flagg. Bring it on!

[thumper-darling]

all the writer asks? and can you use your current story for the blank ones?

1. Favorite place to write.

My most productive nights writing were spent in hotel rooms with cheap black coffee and terrible lighting. It sets a very motivating vibe. 

2. Favorite part of writing.

Creating and developing characters. Character arcs?? are ?? my favorite??

3. Least favorite part of writing.

writing ™ 

4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?

Yeah, procrastinating for months. :’)

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.

Patrick Ness and Stephen Chbosky are pretty big idols of mine

6. Favorite character you ever created.

Cadence, she’s my hero 

7. Favorite author.

Rainbow Rowell or Patrick Ness

8. Favorite trope to write.

Coming of Age Angst ™ and realistic development for the main character

9. Least favorite trope to write.

Love triangles or over-dramatic and non-realistic romantic interests. 

10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

I’d love to work with Chbosky and write a spin-off of Perks of Being a Wallflower, or like a potential sequel? That would make my actual dreams come true. 

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

In the beginning, I print off a million character questionnaires and fill out every detail about my main characters. It’s funny, because my characters always come first, and the story soon follows. After I know my characters inside and out, I think in their mindset for days and write down notes about things I for sure want to include in my story whether it be a plot twist or just a small piece of dialogue. Once I find the character’s voice, I feel ready to start writing the story.

12. How do you deal with self-doubts?

I’m still not great with this, because I have a LOT of self-doubt, but I know that writing is what I want to pursue. I just remember that I have talent and I shouldn’t worry about the first draft because the first draft is almost always awful.

13. How do you deal with writers block?

I read. A lot. Reading helps spark ideas and un-stick my story.

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

OH MY GOD. I would look at maps and historic timelines. I filled nearly 4-5 pages of a journal just with a timeline of events and it was lit. 

15. Where does your inspiration come from?

Literally anything. That bench on the corner? INSPIRED. Pulling out of a driveway? INSPIRED. That sandwich looks tasty. INSPIRED. No, but in all seriousness I just observe my surroundings at all times and in an average day I can pull an idea out of something. 

16. Where do you take your motivation from?

I just think of my future and what impact/ message I’d like to leave behind to anybody who reads my writing. 

17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?

None. Writing isn’t something I can do everyday. Some days I’m more inspired and motivated than others. If I try writing when I don’t have the energy, it turns out forced and choppy. I let the motivation come to me.

18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

I typically like to wait a week or two before re-reading and editing, that way I can have space from my writing. I do it gradually through out the story so I can draw potential ideas from what I have so far. 

19. First line of a WIP you’re working on.

Version 1: “The shop had been empty for a little over an hour, and Charlotte was beginning to grow restless.”

Version 2: “Charlotte had a look of determination set in the furrow of her eyebrows and curiosity in the gleam of her eyes.”

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

“Whenever Jordyn spoke, it was reminiscent of watching an old southern film. Her slight, hidden drawl was nothing less than soothing. Charlotte sometimes liked to picture her with obnoxiously tight ringlet curls and big, poofy southern belle dresses with frilly ribbons and lace. The thought brought a subtle snort from Charlotte.”

21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s.

Version 1: “He just followed his feet, and they lead him to her.”

Version 2: “His only response was a smirk before he opened the door to the back alley.”

22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?

At least a million

23. Single or multi POV, and why?

Single, I feel like it leaves for more mystery. That way the reader can interpret different POV’s for themselves. 

24. Poetry or prose, and why?

Prose, rhyming isn’t my forte 

25. Linear or non-linear, and why?

Depends on the story I’m trying to tell. Sometimes one way has more impact than another. 

26. Standalone or series, and why?

Standalones are beautiful for some stories, but others simply must be more than just one book long. Some stories exceed one book.  

27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 

I share drafts with people I trust to edit or give me feedback. 

28. And who do you share them with?

My friends that love stories. 

29. Who do you write for?

Mainly for myself, but also for anybody that needs to hear the message my story can offer them. 

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.

“So, as a sign of letting go, I introduced my lips to his cheek and the sound of my skin meeting his was a melody playing a sweet goodbye.”

“Kissing him was like kissing air or water, it was so sweet and slow that it was a natural instinct to flow with it. However, kissing her was like fire because it was warm, inviting, and compelling, but had all the potential to burn him. Their love was like melting into each other, neither would make it out alive.”

31. Hardest character to write.

Side characters or the main character’s family. Because those characters are always important and meaningful, but I don’t want to write them only as a means of helping the main character. I hate flat characters and everybody deserves to have a story, you know?

32. Easiest character to write.

The sidekick ™ 

The one who always knows just what to say and how to say it. 

33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?

Only for specific scenes that music could really inspire me for. Like if I’m writing a sad scene and I’m not really in that head space, I listen to depressing ass music so I can understand the scene better. 

34. Handwritten notes or typed notes?

Both. Here, have some of my notes.

Just some random dialogue drabbles:

 “So, can I find you here often?” “Jamie…I work here.” “Oh, yeah, right. Of course.”

“There’s nothing beautiful nor poetic about being an asshole, Jenny. Calm down.”

“Listen, you’ll always be a jalapeno bagel and strawberry cream cheese to me, but I sort of feel like I should know your name by now.” 

“Emma, have you ever been in love?” “I might have been. Then again, girls are easy to love, I’m pretty sure Jamie is a different story. If you want my advice Charlotte, date a girl.” 

35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.

The main character is named Charlotte Caroline Tillman. She’s named after the city and state(ish) that her parents met in. She has an older brother named Chance and a calico cat named Sally Mae. Charlotte goes to an Arts Magnet High School and she has a troubled history with her father, and a lot of the story is about her accepting things she cannot change. Her best friend, Emma, is v gay and v hot. 

36. A spoiler for story _________.

Charlotte ends up leaving town and everyone she loves. All that’s left behind is a note and a phone number. She leaves her life behind. No closure and no goodbyes. She’s kind of a dick. 

37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Everybody has a story, and every one is worth being told.” 

38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it?

Lol no, my outline isn’t even finished homeboy

39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.

I usually base my side characters off of people I know or have met, even if only for a brief moment. For example, today at work I saw somebody and instantly knew that I needed her in my story. She is now the inspiration for my character Jenny. 

40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?

Both are equally fun and important. Fanfiction is an amazing starting point for beginners, and it helps them write. However, original fiction is so raw and new that it could inspire future writers. 

41. How many stories do you work on at one time?

Typically just one, but I always have other stories in the back of my head. I like to focus on one at a time though, that way I can keep characters and plot points straight. 

42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc.

Well, like I’ve said, my characters come first. So based on whatever kind of story I want to tell, my character has to portray that. So I pick and choose different tropes and arc ideas that could impact the story even further. 

43. Are you an avid reader?

I heckin’ try to be. Sadly, I don’t always get into stories easily. 

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I had an English teacher write a note on one of my writing pieces telling me that she knew I had talent and every teacher has one student where they think “That one…that one’s gonna be the one who makes it” I was that student for her. Oh, and my composition professor had my class read some of our writing pieces, and he told the next semester’s class about my writing. The next time I had him in class, he handed me a form for a writing contest. 

45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I honestly probably blocked it out. Idk, probably that I use too many commas? Or that one of my chapters was written in a passive voice. 

46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie? 

OH MAN! It would be great and I feel like a lot of the stories I write would be 100 times better on the big screen. 

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?

Characters. 

48. Favorite genre to write in.

Contemporary or science fiction

49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?

The middle

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

A coven of teenage witches that were randomly selected to be given magic. Some of them became corrupt with power, and the others found good use for them. 

51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words.

Self love, friendship, denial, heavy, heartbreaking 

52. How did writing change you?

It opened my mind to endless ideas and helped me grow. I often didn’t know what I was feeling until I wrote about it. 

53. What does writing mean to you?

It means creating a million versions of yourself and turning it into a lesson or inspiration for other. 

54. Any writing advice you want to share?

Don’t stop. There are so many things you have to tell the world, so tell them.