#i don’t even like max that much as a character but that is Very endearing

[mylittleredgirl]

i know some of you have been pressing your faces to the glass waiting for me to see this one in particular SO i saw "the nurses" the other night and am still thinking about it!!

i love love love it when characters get pushed to a point where you can almost see their childhood selves pop out, like are they even talking about what's happening right now? or are their 12-year-old hearts just screaming?? i love that margaret's outburst is both irrational (the hostile work environment is coming from inside the house; i was yelling at my tv "baby it's your fault!!!") and so so honest.

[this turned into a bit of a character thesis, so not only is there a readmore, there will also be a reblog soon with the rest of the post because i maxed out the image limit] [edit: part ii now in the reblogs!]

this whole time, margaret has treated her subordinates with a heavy hand because she thinks it's the right and fair thing to do. the rules say this is how it works!

she maintains a high standard of excellence in brutal circumstances, but she's also reactive, moody, and unforgiving. she's often shown on the edge of losing control and authority, she inflames situations by overreacting, and the thing she punishes most egregiously is disrespect (toward frank, toward the army, toward herself). she intentionally underlines the distance between herself and the other nurses at every turn.

from season 3 "there's nothing like a nurse": [all IDs in alt]

really, everything she thinks and does comes from a place of "they're not supposed to like me," but the childish part of her that is completely unable to see her own behavior is confused and hurt because "i'm just doing my job so why don’t they like me???"

it's her job to maintain discipline, but especially here in 4077-land, she doesn't have to lead with the whip. henry was beloved because he was an overly permissive clown, which will never be her speed, but colonel potter has all the same training as she does. he's loved and respected as the Good Regular Army Guy because he leads with discernment and mutual respect.

it's easier for him. he's more experienced, he's respected and supported from above and below, and he has a calm temperament — which isn't nothing.

from season 4 "the interview":

whether she's aware of this as a problem or not, we at home can see how margaret's inability to control her emotional reactivity causes her as much grief as her inability to control other people.

if she were capable of laughing off small slights, hawkeye and trapper wouldn't have used her as a chew toy so much, and henry might have taken her real concerns more seriously if they weren't lost in the noise of daily fits, you know? she rarely started it, so i'm not blaming her for the hostile chaos circus of seasons 1-3, but i am saying she would have had a better time if she knew how to take a few deep breaths.

this description from the script, after the near-brawl in the nurses' tent in act one, is basically her character thesis statement:

and here, when she's reacting fully emotionally, the truth comes out! the reason that she won't be flexible and show compassion to the nurses isn't because of the rules, but because they're mean to her!!

that's obviously a very bad place to lead from. she has enormous institutional power over them, including controlling their freedom of movement, but she feels like all the other girls in school are hanging out together and they hate her. because they are! and they do! the fight in act one boils over when they make fun of her hair, and that sent all of them back to middle school.

and in many ways, that's where margaret's emotional maturity is stuck (which is, i think, why i find her so endearing). she can't see herself. she knows they don't like her, trust her, or want her around, but she doesn't understand how she dug this hole herself, or how to get out of it.

to add insult to jealous injury, one of the nurses (mary jo, who gets between margaret and baker to stop the fight and takes care of the others in different ways) is margaret's age, and the others look to her as their chosen leader and personal support.

and i'm sure margaret had NO IDEA this was the messy truth until she heard it come out of her mouth.

and her emotionally breaking on the "one lousy cup of coffee" in particular…

i wonder, how often does some version of that first tent scene happen? does she deliver their assignments every night? she walks in already defensive, they immediately stop laughing, and then... she either finds a reason to scold them or they ice her out until she leaves. (and they probably start laughing again as soon as she does!)

from her perspective, when she arrived for the dreaded sleepover and they turned out the lights the minute she walked in, it's like they cancelled the nightly coffee klatch just to avoid spending one social minute with her.

i also think the nurses are right when they assumed that she wouldn't have accepted an invitation to hang out with them (and might even have snapped at them for being inappropriate for asking). she doesn't cross that emotional line, even when she should — she didn't know gaynor was spiraling after losing so many patients in a row, and didn't respond compassionately when she learned.

has she ever invited them for coffee or a friendly chat? no.

...... but her circumstances have recently changed.

[reblog with the rest of it is here!]

[moonlightjam]

haikyu boys when you fall asleep on them

characters included: kageyama, atsumu, hinata,

(established relationship!)

kageyama tobio:

ok he’d definitely be sosososo obsessed with making sure you get a good sleep

see you play a sport (if you don’t, pretend you do cause it’s cute), and you got tired after training

he came to find you at the gymnasium cause he wanted to go for dinner together

but you were practising late

and he found your commitment and passion to your sport endearing (cause he relates ya know??)

so he decided to join you in practice

even if that sport isn’t volleyball, i’m 100% sure he would learn the rules and about the sport in general just so he can talk about it with you

so he helps you in practice

(if it’s not volleyball) it’s cute even if he sucks ass at it cause you’re laughing together

but if it is volleyball you just find it hot how good he is

anyway i digress

so y’all are panting and done with training, ready to go for a fulfilling meal

and you do! you eat your fill.

then get lazy to walk home and get a taxi to drop you at one of your places (the other stays over!)

andddd in the taxi, you yawn a few times, then rest your head on his shoulder

he puts his arm around your waist and rests his head on your head

tobio knows you’re tired cause of your training that day, so he doesn’t disturb you and let’s you rest

and a while later, the taxi arrives at the destination

he’s tired from HIS training too, so as he sees the taxi coming to the end of the last stretch of road, he sighs out in relief, “finally, we can bathe and sleep.”

only to be met with silence

he turns to you, only to see your eyelids closed, chest rising and falling steadily

a slight smile tugs at the corners of his lips

yeah, he loves you a lot

BUT there’s now a difficulty

how was he going to wake you up to get out of the taxi…

like, you’re so tired and he doesn’t wanna disturb you cause he loves you so much but like you’re kinda at your house and you kinda needa get out of the taxi??

just as he’s pondering, the driver pulls over and stops the meter, telling tobio the price of the ride

like the sweetheart he is, he pulls out his wallet and pays for y’all, with no thoughts to ask you to pay half the bill

as he hands the cash to the driver, careful not to move his shoulder too much, he glances at your restful figure

and he makes a split second decision

so, he swings both yours and his bag over one shoulder each

and then he has one arm under your knee, the other supporting your back

he then shimmies his way out of the taxi, standing up with minimal jerking of his body to make sure you don’t wake up

he opens the house door with great difficulty, but he manages

your gym bags get chucked to one side, and he forgets about the shower he was gonna have

he sits on the couch, resting your head on a pillow on his lap

the rationale for this, because i’m pretty sure he’s thought of it:

he doesn’t wanna let you sleep on the bed while in your dirty clothes, because ew??

but like he can’t shower you while you sleep because 1. that’s weird 2. you’ll wake up

so he opts for this

and it’s not too bad because he has a great view of your face that he loves so much

and you two may very well spend the night like that

when you wake up, you both stink, but you’re just touched that he slept sitting up on the couch making sure not to move his legs just so you could get a good rest

ps he secretly loves having you sleep on him i GUARANTEE it because he’s such a physical touch kinda guy hehehhahahha

miya atsumu:

alright we already know he has a shit ton of fan girls right

imagine how jealous they all are when they see you sleeping on him LOL

you’re both waiting for your respective practice to start

you’re just scrolling through your phones, enjoying each others company

it’s been a long day, classes are tiring

and who doesn’t wanna have max energy for practice?

so, you begin to doze off while sitting on miya atsumu’s solid ass thighs….

he notices you’re asleep when you don’t respond to him when he shows you a tiktok he found funny

and his fan girls who are there to watch his training just to obsess over him see you on his lap

and they freak out (out of jealousy ofc)

“miya-san, why’s she sleeping on you?” “cause she’s my girlfriend, ya pig.”

“miya-san, shouldn’t you be going to practice? why have her on your lap?” “practice ain’t for another ten minutes. and why cant i have her on my lap?”

“all of ya go away. your squealin’ and badggerin’ ‘s gonna wake my girlfriend up.”

and when he manages to shoo them away, kita comes and says that practice is gonna start soon

“few more minutes”, atsumu says

the rest of the team starts streaming in, and when it’s right on the dot starting time of practice, he goes, “i love volleyball and all, but look at her. don’t wanna wake her up.”

osamu smacks him, telling him he has to do tough things sometimes

and then comes voice of reason, captain kita

“anyway, isn’t her practice gonna start now too?”

atsumu’s eyes go wide, remembering you had a friendly match today and it’s probably time for warm ups to be in session

so there’s no easy way to do it. he shakes you awake, and in the most urgent tone he could muster in the comical moment, he tells you it’s training time

when you realise, you kiss his cheek, and scramble off his lap, sprinting to your gymnasium

osamu smacks his brother the moment he’s up off the floor

“never thought my brother would be one lovesick sucker, eh ‘tsumu?”

and his brother is right, so for once, atsumu is left without a retort

the team is laughing at him, and suna is ofc recording this moment

hinata shoyo:

OKAY picture this

it’s class time, class is boring.

you’re tired, you’re dating him, your seat mate

so you lay your head on his shoulder

the original plan wasn’t to sleep, it just happened since his shoulder wasn’t too high for your head to reach (sorry lol but #shortking)

with the droning of your teacher as white noise, it actually made for quite a decent sleeping environment

hinata soon realised you had been on his shoulder for quite a while, and when he notices your steady breathing (the kinda breathing that people only do when they’re asleep yk what i mean??), he realises you’re asleep

and instead of what some studious guys would do, he goes, “sleeping in class what a great idea”

but before he does the same, he notices a few goosebumps had appeared on your arms

so he takes his jacket off, putting it over you and tucking it over your shoulders

and then rests his head on yours, both of you dozing right off

neither of you so much as batted an eyelid when the school bell rang at the end of lessons

just two kids in adjacent seats in front of an empty worksheet that should have been filled

an end only came to that moment when it was time for practice

it was like he had a sixth sense for when it was time for practice

like he just woke up, checked the clock, realised he had to go, but panicked when he realised he didn’t want you to lose your comfortable head rest

he gently poked your head, and said, “hey, i needa go for practice. keep my jacket, but wake up and go for your practice too! i know it starts in half an hour so rest here first!”

then, he sets an alarm on your phone to make sure you wake up on time

one last kiss on the temple and he’s off

he texts you telling you you fell asleep on him in class and you can keep his jacket first and that he set the alarm for you just in case you’re too disoriented to make sense of why you’re slumped over in your chair sleeping while hugging his jacket when you wake up

he’s just very sweet to you

like he wants to make sure you can wake up on time but wants you to be comfy while you can rest…. yk

[fabbyf1]

I think it’s inevitable with RPF that characterizations are going to be similar. We all rely on the same basic facts and we build what we consider to be canon together, so I’d honestly be worried if characterizations were vastly different—it’s still fanfic, we’re not building brand new characters each time. People get into RPF by reading RPF, so while there’s some variation we all share a vaguely similar idea of what these characters are like and we form those ideas together whether we know it or not, and that in turn gives us a sandbox we can all kind of mess around in together. Obviously lifting whole bits of dialogue or common phrases is very different, though. I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific. Again sorry, literally stumbled in off the street and am only distantly aware of what’s happening—I hope this doesn’t come off as rude

Hello, anon.

I appreciate your non-biased and objective opinion on this matter. Really, I do. You make a lot of great points that I wholeheartedly agree with. RPF is a beast. Every story is going to have "similar" characteristics if we're following canon timelines and making our characters as realistic as possible.

I also agree that, as a fandom, we tend to... make up a lot of common personality traits and use them over and over again until it’s hard to remember that they aren’t necessarily real. And they’re not based on facts. But we all continue to use them in our fics, and it helps them to be cohesive and easy to follow along from fic to fic. It helps us writers not have to character build as much as we would in an original fiction. 

A quick example of this is Max referring to Charles as "schatje". I think that's a very commonly used nickname in F1 RPF, even though Max himself has never publicly called anybody that. We have just decided, as a fandom, that that’s the dutch endearment he would use. It’s also easy to take commonly repeated phrases from Max The Person and shove them into our dialogue to make it easier for our characters to have a voice. For example, the phrase “of course” is used a lot in Max's dialogue because Max Verstappen (the person) says it a lot. 

But I think it's important for this instance, for the plagiarism that I'm speaking about, that you know the full context and don't just "stumble in off the street". You openly admitted that you're not fully aware of the situation, and that's totally okay. It's actually kind of refreshing to know not everyone is as concerned about this and that not everyone sees the copycat works as much as often as I do. 

If you’re a casual reader of F1 RPF, you probably don’t know it’s happening. 

But it’s not just me it’s happening to. Lots of other prolific authors are being taken advantage of and having their works stolen from them on an every day basis, and it really needs to stop. We all create this content for free, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have ownership over it. And the only logical reason I can see for people to steal our work is that they are attention-seeking and looking for clout. They want to be known as one of the great RPF authors. They want love and admiration. 

And it’s fine to want that. 

But you shouldn’t want it so badly that you’re willing to steal other people’s work to get it. 

That’s... disgusting. 

This is not the first time I’ve had my work stolen, and it won’t be the last. It’s not the first time somebody has been too heavily inspired by my work, and it won’t be the last. I know that is the risk I take with every fic I publish. It’s just a shame that it’s gotten so out of hand. 

I would like to correct you on one thing, though.  

You said: “I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific.” but that’s not what I said. If you’ll go back and read my original post, my direct quote was, “but maybe that was [insert characters]'s dick talking," which is a very different phrase. If you’ve ever read my work, you will see that my characters often go on and on (and on) for a paragraph or two, lusting after the other character, sometimes spiraling further and further until it no longer makes sense and will end with “... but maybe that was [their] dick talking.” 

Again, I will say that I do not own that phrase, but I wouldn’t say that was a commonly used phrase in Formula 1 RPF until I started using it. 

I would know because I’ve been reading F1 RPF since it first started getting posted on AO3. 

I have read a good majority of the (completed) F1 fics posted to AO3. 

I know what existed before I started writing and what has appeared afterward. 

And again, let me clearly say I am not claiming to own that phrase or any other combination of words. But when that phrase, along with other commonly used phrases from my fic, all appear one after another in someone’s work? It’s too much of a coincidence to say it wasn’t intentional. 

But I do not expect you to know that since, as you said, you stumbled in off the street. 

I hope that makes sense. 

I hope we can all stop stealing from each other, or this fandom will be over before you know it. 

[cakesandsnouts]

hello yes can you pls tell us more abt jared in the homecoming. pls be as specific as possible and thank 🤲

Oh my goodness ok wow uhm, not sure if you’re happy with spoilers so will will try to avoid them if you haven’t read or seen the play and want to…

So it goes without saying that he was obviously absolutely terrific. (All the actors were) but Jared in particular as the nasty misogynistic yet crumbling force of an overbearing father of a family of men was just *chef kiss* to watch. I don’t know how much you know about The Homecoming or Pinter’s work in general (i hadn’t read the play before seeing it, and decided not to so as to go in blind, but have been reading/watching a lot of Pinter lately so am very familiar with his work) but it’s about an East End family of males, who are severely lacking female presence and influence. Shortly into the play - the eldest brother comes home from America with his wife none of them knew he had. Cue a lot of Pinter-esque chaos (i.e extreme sexual repression, very subtle dialogue alluding to abuse, social dynamics, emotional turmoil etc etc…all the good stuff that Jared is perfect at playing)

So yes, Jared plays Max, the father of the family. I think there were a few people who felt he seemed too young to play him, but I didn’t think so at all. He played the part of a working class East London bloke, so had a very strong East End accent, which was weird to hear at first, but after about two or three lines you just went with it (because he’s so fab) - kinda how you forget he’s being Irish as Francis. It was their opening night in previews so I was expecting some snags, but there were none. He was flawless. The thing about his character is that you kind of hate him yet he’s so endearing and a pleasure to watch. That’s the magic of Pinters characters in general but Jared also does that extremely well.

I was in the second row, and The Young Vic is a fairly low level stage, so the view was perfect and I got a lot of lovely lovely sight lines. He seems a bit shorter in real life (I still can’t really believe he’s 6 foot, I think Google is lying) but all the other actors who played his sons were quite tall so maybe it was just an illusion. He also had a stick in the play so was crouching a lot and not standing straight- so maybe that also added to him seeming a bit more stocky. They played a lot of the more intense action upstage so unfortunately…even though I was hoping for it… I didn’t get spat on by him 😂 There were a lot of lovely moments of him smoking, and because I was so close I got some of the nice cigar aromas when he was smoking downstage (maybe that could count as being spat on!?).

All in all, he was incredible to watch, and I hope he does more stuff on stage in the future. He is truly mesmerising. I think the whole experience was elevated due to the fact that I adored the play and the story, it was directed very well and they kept true to the essence of Pinter, i.e keeping it set in the time period, and holding those pauses and stillness that’s so effective in his text. Jared looked kinda knackered by the end of it (and seemed a bit somber in his bow), but with the ending as it was…it’s not surprising. That kind of action takes a lot out of an actor!

I really hope they film it for people who won’t get a chance to see it on stage, but if you are in London and you get a chance to…I would highly recommend it! Even if you aren’t die hard Jared stans like us 😉

[myxomat0s1s]

Schoolhouse Rankings: Part 2

The 11 Where It Starts To Get Good

Symbol key: ⭐"big one" most popular song of the season 🟩highest ranking song of the season 🟥lowest ranking song of the season ⚡seizure warning! prevalent flashing lights 👍i have an interesting fact to share ✖multiplication rock 🇺🇲america 🖥computer💲money 🖋grammar 🧪science

38. 🇺🇲I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College👍

The 30th anniversary special of Schoolhouse Rock! And it's... alright. Like, I'm not a huge fan, and I can honestly see why it's so commonly put in people's bottom fives. It's a bit tough to pinpoint why it's so middle-of-the-road, but when I think about it, that's because everything's off. The instrumental is good, but the rest is shaky. Jack Sheldon's delivery is stilted and at times offbeat, and you can tell in his voice he's aging. I forgot to mention it in Presidential Minute, and it was especially bad in that song. The animation is also pretty stiff sometimes. The biggest flaw in this song, though, is there's too much going on. There's so many sound effects and prominent characters and random shit going on that it's really muddled. I hear that complaint all the time with Busy Prepositions(more on that later), but I think it's worse here because no one and nothing is really introduced, everything sort of just meanders in a well-meaning but clumsy way. That's not to say this short is devoid of good qualities, though; I find Boothy endearing as fuck. Like, besides Scooter and Mr. Chips, he's the first leading guy I actually really vibe with. I would get him confused with Bill all the time when I was little, which is weird because they're very dissimilar in a lot of aspects, but I knew what was going on as a kid because I liked him then too. He also has a couple of really smoothly animated moments, such as when he pulls the screen back like a curtain with his little hook. I will say, it really does drum up hype for the 30th anniversary, becaue it's big and overwhelming and bloated. Grandiose and indulgent, maybe a little too much so, but still. My last comment is that this song was the only one of the entire series that taught me literally nothing as a kid. It's not like I straight up didn't remember it like Tax Man Max, but I watched it several times and had no damn idea what the electoral college was afterwards. I don't know if that's just because it's a tough concept to explain to children, or if it really did fail to educate, or if I was just a stupid child, but even nowadays I think how they explain it is a little confusing. It really get swept up in the clutteredness of the rest of the song. A whirlwind, for sure.

-Fun fact! This is the only song in Schoolhouse Rock to consistently go over the three minute limit. All Scooter Computer episodes are three minutes minus their intros, and Three Is A Magic Number and My Hero, Zero, while initially being more than three minutes, were cut down due to false information and time constraints respectively. Since this episode wasn't aired on TV, it was able to go over three minutes.

37. 🖋Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs🟥

Very quaint setting, and I enjoy the premise. The adverbs store makes for some elaborate visuals despite the limited color palette. I also enjoy the little interludes between verses where the owners film their TV commercials, very cute. A classic in these aspects, but oh god the chipmunk vocals… I initially didn’t find them too annoying, but they wear horribly quickly. Don’t even care how packed and fun the lyrics are because I just dislike the vocals so damn much. The characters also aren’t too compelling, which holds it back further because I honestly don’t care much for the Lolly family. Finally, I’ve heard lots of people praise the instrumental, but I don’t quite get it, as it’s sort of just the standard Schoolh

-Lowest placement in Grammar Rock

36. 🖋A Noun Is a Person, Place, or Thing

I heard someone describe this song as "harmless" once, and yeah, that's a good way of summing it up. It's definitely one of the most generic Schoolhouse Rock songs. It does not instill much emotion, but it's definitely not bad! In fact, I think this is where the songs start truly getting good. It's pretty breezy and blows by quick. There's some cool instruments used, like when you can hear kazoo in the Mrs. Jones verse, or a flute in the ferry verse. It's dynamic enough to be praised, but not so dymanic that it's truly standout. Animation is simple, but not great or bad. The characters are okay. Those are both middle of the road. I will say, this is one of Lynn Ahren's best deliveries. I'm not a big fan of most of her songs, or at least most of her deliveries, but I like this more relaxed one from her. She's not pushing herself too hard, and that's good for a song like this. That's really it, it's good, but not great enough to stand out from the crowd.

35. 🧪A Victim of Gravity 🟥👍

This song would probably be higher up if I was a fan of the doo-wop style it goes for. It really does sound nice, don't get me wrong, but this is probably the only song very heavily skewed based on preference. Your mileage may vary. It's a pretty fun animation though! Like, really, I don't have much on this song besides that the greaser guy is fun and the rest is not for me.

-Fun fact! This is the only Schoolhouse Rock song to be primarily sung by a preexisting band- Performed by The Tokens -Lowest placement in Science Rock

34. 💲Walkin' On Wall Street

Another entry from newcomer Money Rock, Walkin’ On Wall Street has a few attributes that are nice, but don’t do too much to set it apart from the crowd. The most obvious thing is the artstyle; I love how experimental they got with the SHR art style in this season, and this is one of the more radical changes that goes over pretty darn well. I like Lester and Leroy, they’rw a fun duo, and the newsboy is fun although mor as iconic as Fireworks’ newsboy. The instrumental is nice and jazzy, and that’s about the end of my praise. Dave Frishburg has a distinct voice when he wants to. In his other song, $7.50 Once a Week, he’s got a nice Bostonian accent that makes the way he stretches his words more interesting, but he supresses not just that, but also a lot of his range. He doesn’t have much of one in his other appearances, but $7.50 had a lot more variety in his tones. Same with instrumentals. Not to compare too much, but it never changes a lot and it’s a little boring when lots of other songs from Money Rock have better style. The style points from the animation are big helps, but it falls a little short sonically, and since that’s what I’m mostly basing this on, this song places lower.

-Lowest placement for Dave Frishburg

33. 🇺🇲The Shot Heard Round the World

I have a love-hate relationship with this song, as in I both love and hate everything it does. Bob Dorough's voice is stern and aggressive at points, which is great for the feel it's going for and the subject, but it makes for some really bland deliveries. The animation is a fun twist on the Schoolhouse Rock style, and I like how the people look, but a lot of really stiff, stilted moments. The instrumental is consistently strong, but there's not enough fluctuation. I'm really hot and cold on this song. On a good day you could see this around the mid twenties, and on a bad day this could be in the bottom ten. I dunno, ask me tomorrow and my ranking will probably change.

32. 🧪The Greatest Show on Earth/The Weather Show ⚡👍

The episode that was almost lost... A.K.A. essentially the precursor for Tax Man Max. It's definitely a more developed version of that Broadway feel, not in style, but actually format. It's divided into a three-act structure, which is a pretty endearing way to structure it. I'm a fan. As for sound, though, it's nothing special really. Instrumental is alright, but I'm not a big fan of Bob Kaliban's voice. Not that it's bad, it's just not great like Dorough's or Sheldon's, or even interesting like Patrick Donovan's or Dave Frishburg's beyond the I'm gonna assume British accent he's got. But the character he's attached to??? So fun. I love the little broadway guy, he's so bouncy and goofy and great... I often see Greatest Show on Earth ranked way down with Tax Man Max, usually right next to it, and a common reason between the two is that no one likes the Weather Show guy or Max. That's one of the only aspects I find consistently stellar between the two. Weather Show guy is so awesome. The ladies he performs with kind of look like fish, though. Not a fan of how they're stylized, but the singers attached to them are serviceable. There's specific sections I really like about this song- the opening and closing segments sandwiching the acts come to mind, but the rest is just okay. Coloring is also pretty good here! It keeps up the respectable trait of Science Rock that is a lack of plain white backgrounds, which I'm glad for. Comparing the various aspects of this song is like a rollercoaster: Lots of highs and lows, but unlike a rollercoaster it's not super exciting.

-Fun fact! This song was pulled from airing during a copyright dispute with the Ringling Bros. over the phrase "The Greatest Show on Earth," a term trademarked for their circus. The episode remained unaired from then until it was changed to remove any mention of the phrase, including the title, which was changed to merely "The Weather Show." I personally listened to the original version for this ranking, though there isn't much difference.

31. 🖋Unpack Your Adjectives

This is a far more chipper tune than Figure Eight, which initially may seem like a negative when you read the feedback I had on Blossom Dearie's ghostly, creepy doll-esque delivery, but she works just as well as a cheery little girl on her way back from a camping trip. Yeah, the premise here is pretty cute, big fan of Molly the camper and her little turtle guy. Love their little camping adventure and how it ties into the way they label everything with adjective signs. I think adjectives, despite them literally being describing words, thus conveying things such as physical traits that'd make the animation easier, are one of the hardest parts of speech to make an entire song around. You can make it, but making it compelling is the thing. Giving a little bite-sized story along with the facts. And this definitely held 4-year-old me's attention. The flute really shines in the instrumental, which is really cool because this song has a strong lightweight feel that goes very well with everything else. And the animation is colored in the watercolor style Elbow Room had, but taken up a notch further; It looks like whiteboard markers at some point. The simple, airy colors finish off this very consistent, overall good song. Cute, but as much praise as I've given it, it's not great, and definitely not my favorite. Dearie's deliveries still aren't as great as they are in Figure Eight, and a few sections such as the section on comparisons fall a little short of the podium. I also would have liked a little more color, as the white patches make the coloring look half-finished.

-Highest placement for Blossom Dearie

30. 🧪Do the Circulation

Great song, don’t get me wrong, but you have to be in the mood for it. This is another touchy one for me, because everything ties into the premise super well. Which is great! I love that it truly embraces the creativity! It's going for a dance craze type thing, hence the title, and it's exactly what you think when you hear it. I'm shocked that the women singing, Joshie Armstead, Mary Sue Berry, and Maeretha Stewart, weren't already performing together before this, because they have great synergy. There's a few times where they harmonize and it doesn't sound great, but for the most part they're pretty great. The song keeps its pace very well, like by the halfway point it barely feels like a minute has passed. Characters are mostly cool too! Though overall the animation is a little plain. It's sort of like A Victim of Gravity, where I'm overall just not the world's biggest fan of this sort of style. There's days where it'll hit hard and I'll listen a couple times, and days where I don't wanna be anywhere near it, so I think near the middle of the list is where I'd average it.

29. 💲Where the Money Goes

The artstyle of this short falls somewhere in the middle of the more faithful Money Rocks and the experimental ones, where it definitely keeps the spirit of old Schoolhouse Rock, but it features a choppier framerate with thinner lineart and chunky shadows/highlights. I'm a fan of it, and I love the dad and his little tuba kid, Red(as confirmed in a design sheet shown off on the DVD!). They're such a fun duo, and the ending where Red can't even fit into the bus with the tuba did get me to chuckle. Since this is about family finances, it takes place in a more domestic setting, but it doesn't utilize that in a particularly outstanding way like, for example, The Tale of Mr. Morton. Rather than focus on details, the backgrounds are simple gradients, which is a little disappointing since this came out after that short. They don't really run away with the subject either, which totally makes sense and isn't really their fault as it's a pretty grounded concept, but it's not very replayable because of that. A good showing from Money rock, but there's better coming up.

28. 🧪Electricity, Electricity ⚡👍

Holy crap is this song a bombshell. This is top 15, possibly top 10 sonically. Zachary Sanders has a hell of a voice, and he doesn’t flex it too much here, but there’s a few little vocal flairs here and there that are so endearing. The delivery of “Turn that generator by any means” still has me closing my eyes and humming contentedly. The recurring utterance of “Electricity, eeee-lec-tri-city!” every ten or so seconds never gets boring no matter how repetitive it is, and it’s such an earworm that no matter how little I used to think about the show, something as simple as flicking on a lightswitch would make the melody buzz around in my head for a bit. It’s sticky in a really stellar way. The instrumental is bouncy and really helps carry things along, and it’s not my fave but a few stray guitar strums keep my ears open. The music does a bangup job of carrying this thing, which is good, because the animation really brings it down… It isn’t too special at first. The main overalls guy and the sheep are cute and kinda funny sometimes, but they aren’t my fave characters. The fatal flaw of this short, however, is the rapid flashing of “ELECTRICITY” onscreen every time the word is said. It isn’t small like in Telegraph Line, or short like Tax Man Max or The Check’s In the Mail, but it takes up the entire screen and can last upwards of four seconds at a time. If you aren’t epileptic, you’ll probably have a headache by the end of it. I know I get one sometimes. I was scared of this short as a kid because of the flashing lights. The fact that maybe a third of this animation is just “ELECTRICITY” in yellow and black flashing at my sensetive little blue eyes is not sliding. Killer short with a killer flaw.

-Fun fact! This song is why I have the epilepsy/eyestrain warning symbol. It was sort of just a booby prize for this song, as the flashing lights were so common and large, the Disney+ version slows down the lights. This happens in most others with the lightning bolt emoji next to them, but those are lesser instances; The slowed lights make the Disney+ version of this song actively worse, as parts are slowed in a way that leaves some animation sequences incomplete. -Lowest placement for Zachary Sanders

[1mpulsee]

// have a rant on Bart having a “parent” figure and also just his relationship with Max M.ercury in general . disclaimer some of this is headcanon and also I haven’t read all of their appearances together + my memory is bad so if some stuff is inaccurate my bad but this is the interp im going with regardless bc it feels right to me lols

// when he leaves the 31st century, Bart never really fully acquires a “parent” . like yes, he has Max M.ercury . and don’t get me wrong, Bart loves him like family and looks up to him in more than a mentorship way . Max was one of the few people in the flash family who willingly took him in at any point, and he always treated Bart like his own family . even though they had their moments (some of which I ignore because sometimes comic writers make Max way too fucking mean to Bart for no reason) he arguably has treated him the best out of any of them, believing in him and defending him from other speedsters (cough Wally cough who said that) who don’t always have faith in Bart . they get along really well despite their vast differences, and they’ve come to genuinely respect each other .

// HOWEVER (as far as I know) Bart never really calls Max his father . he’s said multiple times that Max is ‘more than a mentor’, and it’s obvious that they have a close familial bond . pretty much any time Max shows up, Bart immediately and enthusiastically gravitates towards him . in the recent runs, Bart very brashly goes to Timepoint to find Max because he’s missing, even against Wally’s advice . every single time something bad has happened to Max, it has effected Bart deeply . he either goes into a frenzy trying to save him, or when there’s nothing he can do, he’s inconsolably depressed .

// but even with their extremely close familiar bond, I don’t think their relationship is necessarily parental (or at least not exclusively parental). it’s honestly rly complicated to me writing Bart and I think the characters themselves as well . multiple characters have told Max that Bart is “like his son” and Max is “like his father”, but even then neither of these characters seem to refer to each other as such . it might just be because of the age difference and deecee thinks it would be weird for Bart to basically have an elderly adoptive father ?? but calling Max Bart’s “grandfather” or “uncle” don’t exactly feel right either . (the former being kind of loaded, and the latter the term they use for their civilian cover. in their civilian personas, Max is Bart’s biological uncle which is not true obviously)

// while I don’t think Bart (at least in my interpretation) really has a close attachment to the idea of ‘mother’ and ‘father’, or even Meloni / Don in general (just because he’s barely known anything about them and never really interacted with them at all) I think Max is definitely the person he’d consider closest to a parent, even if I don’t think their bond is just that of a parent and child . I don’t think he’s against coming to see someone as his parent, but for Max, it just isn’t as simple as “he’s my father” . Max has always just been ‘Max’ to Bart, and the only consistent term of endearment we really see Max call Bart is ‘my boy’ which definitely seems pretty parental but at the same time he also doesn’t say anything like ‘son’ . Max does have a canon biological daughter - (which was a whole thing in the impulse comics that I don’t wanna get into here this post is long enough lol) and he uses language with her that’s way more straight up parental, so … yeah, Max and Bart’s bond is hard to pinpoint if you ask me and honestly that lines up with these characters lol .

// all this to say while I think Max & Bart do somewhat consider themselves to have a parent & child bond I definitely don’t think that’s exclusively what their relationship is like . if I had to try and describe it I’d say it’s a mix between Parent & Child, Grandfather & Grandchild, and Mentor & Mentee . Bart in the 31st century doesn’t really consider anybody his parent, and honestly isn’t too bothered by that fact most of the time . he’s happy with what he’s got, but sometimes he does feel a sense of longing for a ‘real’ parental relationship .

// tldr neither me nor these two characters fully know or understand what Max & Bart’s relationship is supposed to be but they don’t really care because they love each other like family and would die for each other . I think just saying “yeah Max is his father” would kinda diminish how these two are so different from everyone else around them and just how complicated the two are and their history with each other is . so it will stay somewhat undefined for me & them .

[scrumptiousstuffs]

Dangerous Romance Episode 3

In which Kanghan and Sailom are basically dating without the labelling ✌️🫣

We see the boys getting close together with Kanghan agreeing to be tutored by Sailom. For someone who hemmm…until recently despise Sailom, he spends a lot of his free time with the latter - not only daily tutoring but sending him home with rides on his bike, eating dinner in expensive restaurant, and Kanghan even casually buying food for Sailom to share with his brother (now that was sleekly done Kanghan! 😏)

Even on his birthday, and I’m surprised but also sad Kanghan didn’t think much of his birthday, just shrugging it off when his 2 besties asked what his plan for the day is, saying he needs to check in with Sailom whether they have tutoring or not. You can tell he has fun with Sailom during their tutoring sessions, even if Sailom got them to do really questionable things - what’s with the bar scene? (I’m sorry, I snorted and laughed 😂 with the whole scene of them pretending to be Korean tourists speaking English, and Kanghan straight up just asking for people IG 🫣 as a bad pick up line to “practice English.”)

But obviously, there is the sinister undertone I kind of expect with this series - we see Pepper’s character (Name) saw the 2 boys drinking beers and chatting up with the foreigners, and he seems to clock on Sailom. Similarly, when Sailom was innocently waiting for Kanghan to finish his business in the loo, he got approached by said foreigner who believes Sailom is a willing rent boy (and when Sailom firmly decline, the foreigner didn’t like the answer and almost start sexually harassing him until Kanghan intercepted (hot-headedly, if I may add).

Sailom definitely starts to notice how Kanghan is more than just a bully in this episode. I think for someone who has always been self-reliant and independent due to his financial constraints, having Kanghan casually giving him rides on his bike, feeding him dinner etc is such a novelty for Sailom. And Sailom has enough self awareness of his own attraction to Kanghan but knows the latter is still oblivious to it (plus other barriers including the obvious one of their different social class). (Really, Kanghan can be such a lame dork 😅, but he can be endearing too - otherwise I don’t think Pimfah, Max and Nawa would have stick around that long as his friends).

This episode also highlight and give us a bit more in-depth look at Kanghan and his father’s relationship. On the outside, he is the perfect doting dad who spoils his only son with all the material wealth Kanghan ever need. But I find it weird his dad never has any expectations on him (and I will again reiterate this is so unusual for Asian parents!!! Kanghan mentioned something about his dad has been like this ever since his mom passed away? So I wonder if there is a connection? Mom passing away from illness maybe and Kanghan may have similar illness? So dad don’t want to put any expectations on him? I’m just speculating now…)

Nevertheless you can see this has shaped him, where he feels anchorless. No matter what he does (good or bad), it doesn’t seem to matter with his dad. And even when he tried his hardest to finally set expectations to himself (and by default also his dad) by promising to pass the midterm to get the motorbike he wanted, his dad undermined him - by getting him said bike 🏍️ without him needing to do anything. You can see his frustration (Perth is very good with micro expression and the way his eyes tensed, jaw locked while he smile to cover up his disappointment when he accepted the bike from his dad 😔)

We end up with Kanghan and Sailom having a mini celebration of the former’s bday by the pool and with Sailom giving a pep talk to Kanghan to start thinking about making himself AND Sailom proud (and again the micro expression in both boys - Kanghan stunned that someone does belief in him, and Sailom fiercely protective already)

But what’s this? a childhood connection - Sailom has met Kanghan and his mom before where they gave a ride home to Sailom? And Kanghan giving one of his paired umbrella ☔️ to Sailom? But Kanghan can’t remember he gave it??? (WHYYYYY? Did he get into an accident and has amnesia? and that’s why his mom passed away? Or maybe I’m way off and he just has a bad memory 😅)

01/09/2023

*not much from our side characters today but I still love 💕 Sailom’s friendship group and Kanghan’s cronies are growing on me - it’s clear they have genuine friendship between the 3 (despite their flaws) of them plus Pimfah!!!! - the way they celebrate his birthday with a surprise cake and presents, I thought the scene was sweet ☺️

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Action Comics #1059 - I knew it! I knew it was the Empire of Shadows! God I’m actually excited for Batman to show up in Action, I can’t believe it. Then again this is a very different kind of Batman, and it’s an evil Batman who is being used in service to (hopefully) make Superman look good. What a refreshing concept as opposed to the all too often reverse. Otho being the one Stone targets makes sense, like “Norah” points out, she’s a killer and the youngest daughter of the family. They have some things in common. God I love all the crazy tech that Steel has built over the run. It’s been great to have him be so involved and I’m going to be really disappointed if he gets dropped again with the “Superstars” next year. Shame Sandoval can’t finish this arc but I do enjoy Barrows. Nice little bit of Metropolis history with the street name, PKJ didn’t get to do as much of that as I was hoping for, but anything that plays up Metropolis as a “city of immigrants” suits me. Looks like Constantine and Etrigan will be showing up to help Superman delve into the Dark Multiverse to find Otho. Probably will learn the backstory of this Batman next issue, maybe even learn what happened to that Earth’s Superman too. Can’t wait! The Kenan story came to a satisfying conclusion as well, Yang did a good job within the limited pages he had. Justified why Kenan joined the Superfamily and why he isn’t interacting much with the JLC anymore. Last line paired with that panel shot was a gut punch. Yang set Kenan up for some great drama if anyone bothers to follow up on it which they probably won’t. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Yang will be the fourth writer for the Superstars next year after Aaron, Williamson, and Waid.

Steelworks #6 - Thought it was a solid freshman showing from Dorn. Ending was a bit rushed but there were some nice character moments across this whole mini, even if it’s definitely not an essential read for the line. Walker made for an entertaining bad guy by being so unrepentantly evil, it's nice to have a few of those guys around amidst all the sympathetic bad guys these days. When are we going to actually see JHI and Lana tie the knot? Maybe in Action? Would like to see that actually occur, it's been good for both characters imo.

Detective Comics #1078 - I have not read the Knightfall trilogy so I’ve never been a huge Azrael guy, but damn I actually am becoming a fan. Seeing gleefully charge a werewolf head on does a lot to endear him to me.

The Flash #3 - Love what Deodato is doing with the panels, really helps to sell the disorientation that Wally and Max are going through. Cool revamp of the Folded Man, my Flash knowledge has a bunch of holes in it so I don’t know what his deal has historically been. Good use of him here that makes me want to learn more. Bit nervous about the implication that Speed Force users are screwing up reality every time they use their powers, it reminds me too much of that Venditti plot point from New 52 GL about the Emotional Spectrum “running out”. Obviously they’re not going to stop making Flash stories so either they have to “fix” that if it’s actually the issue, or it’s a misdirect.

City Boy #6 - Good ending. Pak’s got a nuanced character in Kim, he’s so human and fallible that he could easily have ended up a villain as a hero. Seeing him rise above that at the end is inspiring in the way superhero fiction aims to be but usually falls short of. I don’t know if he’ll avoid falling into Limbo, he’s not a natural fit for any team, but I’d like to see both City Boy and Pak get more play at DC.

The Penguin #4 - After this week’s issue of Tec I wasn’t sure how King’s heist story would stack up against V’s - good thing that was a feint! Penguin’s taking a lot of risks here, that whole stunt could easily have ended with him being dead, but at least King showed that Cobblepot was actually nervous and unsure of how things would play out. This could easily be a Penguingod book but it avoids that pitfall.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Dani, dani, dani.

you already KNOW we’re gonna have to break down this new chapter. hopefully this ask isn’t too long, but i’ve got so many things to mention:

“And neither time did David do anything wrong but love a little too much.” and this will be the very sad beginning of a litany of great lines in the chapter

“You can keep thinking of him for eternity. I just want it to hurt every time you do.” as cruel as the line is, i really think it’s one of the clearest ways for the reader to understand mallory’s values

david manipulating mallory into feeding the kids, this man can be dangerously smart when he wants to be

logan 🥴🤢🤮

“I’m sorry,” David said. “Did he marry you?” I KNOW THATS RIGHT

max don’t stop calling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nooooo not the “they’re my kids” scene 😣

“You don’t have that. You don’t have what it takes to love him.” I 👏 KNOW 👏 THATS 👏RIGHT 👏

“He ruined Max and Max let him do it” dani why must you play with my sanity like this?

the flashback feels like the last piece of the puzzle. we already have a pretty clear picture of what happened, this scene just fills in any gaps and we can move on from the past and talk about mavids future

“how can i make it better?” max >>>>>>

if it wasn’t put in the show, what did david put in the show for when mallory visited him? we know there’s a torture scene, but do people just assume mallory did it soley out of jealousy?

“when did you stop trusting me with your pain” your honor, i would like to sue for the intentional affliction of emotional distress

“Because I promised to support your writing, David,” Max sighed. “And I do support it. Even now.” MAX >>>>>>>>>>>

mavid jaden slander 🥰

“Because I couldn’t help myself,” David smiled. “Because it’s you.” i think you mentioned that david’s fundamental reason for dating jaden would be pretty simple, and it really is.

“I don’t need a reason to love you.” 🥺

max only has two moods: fuck you david 🖕 or fuck you david 👀😼 and i respect that

“So, every time you move away from me, and it breaks my heart, I want to remember you are hurting even worse.” max is doing his best to be mature about it despite the shock he must be facing

mavid going back to using terms of endearment will give me the energy i need to get through next week

dark eyes appreciation‼️ as someone with dark eyes myself, seeing so many authors describe main characters with blue eyes made me a little insecure about my own eyes :( but i’ve grown to embrace that dark eyes are sexy and cool and awesome. thank you for the appreciation :) romanticize dark eyes agenda 🙌

the whole david exploring max scene was so cautious and soft, it feels like when you come home after a long time of being away and just feeling that immediate sense of comfort

“Max wanted to help and when he realized his way of helping didn’t help, he got frustrated.” honestly i’m on david’s side with this one. as mature as max has become, it’s hard to accept that his way of helping david won’t work any longer. david needs to be in complete control of his healing, he has had his autonomy taken away too much for anything else. luckily for us, max is very much a “tell me what you need and i’ll do it”

arthur got the role 🫶

jackson jaden slander 🥰 and just jackson being on maxs side too

the entire tattoo scene was a glimpse of heaven dani

“It’s the kind of energy I’ve manifested in my room” to be fair, confessing their undying love, being honest, and having a good hug was pretty close to what happened. so imma say arthur’s manifestations were successful 

david finally writing again! and writing about other max!! 

talking about games throughout the this chapter and even in the white house party scene was just so neat to me. for me, it kinda represents david purposefully lying to himself, or feeling like he needs to lie to himself, so he can heal. in some ways, he was playing the game for the entire 13 years he was divorced and making max hate him. but he doesn’t need to play any game anymore. know he just needs to be david.

oh the character development of these two 🥰 i really feel like a mom watching my kids grow into the best versions of theirselves.

you’re amazing, you’re amazing, you’re amazing.

ps: will the flashback scene of the next chapter be mavids first date 👀

pps: i just found out i got accepted into two more of the colleges i applied to! so i’m currently 3 for 3!!! two more to go 🤞

Please I love this list so much it was the fave thing I read today 🥺

And yes, next chapter is the first meeting and first date and first kiss it's gonna be so fucking fluffy i promise :))

PS - YOU ARE FUCKING COOL WOW CONGRATULATIONS AND LET'S KEEP GOING BABYGIRL.

[jinkicake]

Michael is hilarious if he thinks I would EVER choose him over any of my boys lmao like ngl might have to test drive👀 but just to know how much I don’t need him😇 however I am not above being a menace and I will lay All over him to get the brother jealous. He’s like younger brother by 5 seconds to Lucifer so my HC for him is that he’s very petty but will seem nice on the outside like imagine Lucifer energy but diavolo vibes. Like he seems like a strict Headass but he’s so anti Lucifer league energy on the inside 😂 like he can so clearly tell what’s going on. He def won’t stop me from getting too close to his face under the guise of “oh wow you have really pretty eyes!” Or “wow you have really nice hands” or my wandering hands trying to feel him up (god dresses those angels up like sluts it’s not MY FAULT😡). Doing that anime thing where it’s like oh I’m giving you a hug but his face is in my chest AGSHDHD. He enjoys watching the brothers trying to set him on fire with their minds and also it’s been a while since he’s had a human👀 ik when Lilith was down there other angels had to be too lmao Michael is like a worse version of Lucifer but he’s the boss now so he has to pretend to be a saint. Has some brat tamer in him with a voyeurism streak with a sprinkle of exhibitionist🥰 so he will ruin you in his cute little corner of heaven that the brothers know where he would be hiding. DEFINITELY wants Lucifer to hear you beg for his cock, definitely the “younger sibling didn’t get enough attention” energy. Probably has some freaky angel power where he knows what’s on your heart or something so he’s gunna secretly fulfill your every desire so your brain is absolutely broken by the end of it. Little less control than Lucifer and that’s saying a lot since you just have to give Lucifer the eyes and he’s hard asf already😭 so Michael is on the brink of having his cum gushing out of you by you screaming his name for more. Gets off on you begging for him to ruin you and eyes rolling to the back of your head. Accidentally forget humans have sensory systems for a REASON and will fuck up tour body for like 14 hours like Lucifer will make it hard to walk for a week Michael will have you shuddering like a ghost is touching your shoulder bc when you walk your body is reminded of being overstimulated for so long😭 mans wants to absolutely rewrite your body chemistry and honestly,,, I would let him🤭 bc when I go home w my demons and angels they’re going ti nurse me back to heath but be pissed the whole time; however they need you to be at full max health to absolutely destroy you permanently💀💀 maybe even diavolo will rip apart reality to make some kind of Bruno zipper universe where time isn’t real so ti feels like they’ve been fucking you for a full year but in the devil some it’s been 4 hours😂 and barbatos will also pull a giorno and reset your body until your begging to be free and unfortunately apologizing doesn’t help in the slightest 😔 they’re going to fuck you until you pass out and wake you up by fucking you again

Michael is a damn fool! He couldn't PAY me to pick his old ass over Luci or any of the other demons smhhh

also, isn't it canon that he acts 'childishly' like.... i could see how that is endearing i suppose! and if it were to make luci jealous then I would def toy w him!! #anythingforlucifer!! so you're so right LMAO fine i see the appeal, you got me!

i cant imagine how he would be in bed because like he's an angel-a high up one!!, i feel like he would be a PRUDE BUT then again when I think about my love simeon... HES NOT VANILLA so like what is the truth?! eek but the thought of doing shit up there in heaven teehee where all the other angels are... wait a min- maybe i was too harsh on michael!!!

it's just so hard to think straight with Luci possessing my every thought! sigh

i feel like biggest threat in the game literally is getting dicked down by the other characters... like we dont have to worry about getting taken out by another random demon but we DO have to worry about barbatos and his endurance!!!

... is- michael going to be in the new game?? is- is he?!

[lonelier-version-of-you]

It’s taken me long enough to write up my thoughts on the latest two Casualty episodes, but I’m finally doing it now, and hey, late is better than never.

S37E34 “Separation”:

This was an excellent episode!! Probably one of my favourites from this series so far - and I liked it all the better, of course, for not having any scenes with Faith. (It was very good in its own right, though, even putting aside the relief of getting a break from Faith.)

Oh, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. I wish I could give him a hug. :( His storyline is being brilliantly done, but it’s nonetheless very sad to see him struggling so much. Especially with how he’s avoiding therapy and others’ support. I tend to relate a lot to characters who are traumatised but don’t want help because they don’t think they deserve it, so... yeah.

Charles Venn’s performances have been absolutely wonderful throughout this entire storyline, but I thought he was especially outstanding in this episode. In particular, the moment between Jacob and Billie where she wanted him to kiss her, and Jacob hesitated - as though he clearly didn’t want to (well, I suppose more like he did want to but wasn’t quite ready, but hopefully you know what I mean anyway), but he made himself kiss her anyway. Some beautifully subtle acting there. And again, it shows very well how Tina has affected Jacob mentally - I’m sure Billie would have been fine if Jacob had said no, but he felt like he had to. That it was what he “should” do. (I think one could parallel/contrast this, as well, to the scene in Ethan’s last ep where Jacob went on the date with - May, I think her name was? And he panicked and left.)

I could write whole essays about this storyline and everything Jacob’s going through at the moment, and I think I probably will, but I’ll wait until after the next ep.

The plot device of Jacob running into Billie on a shout felt like something that could’ve easily seemed forced into the episode, but it worked out very very well! Billie seems really nice in general, but sadly, I have a feeling their relationship won’t go well. Jacob’s not emotionally ready for a relationship right now IMO - well, I think he could make a go of it, but he needs support and therapy too, not just another romance, that by itself isn’t going to help him - and I think on some level or another he knows that. Which is part of what makes this all so sad. :(

The Max and Jodie storyline is still very interesting to me, and I’m really enjoying their scenes together! Maybe part of why I like it so much is that it, and Max in general to some extent, makes me think of Henrik - a consultant doctor who walked out on his daughter/son respectively, and now their dynamic is strained because of it. Although I like to think things will turn out happier for Max and Jodie.

The patient storylines were very good. I particularly liked the storyline about the two sisters.

The Dylan and Donna scenes were great - well, when aren’t they?! I don’t have a lot to say about those, but yeah, I’m still very pleased Donna came over to Casualty and that they’ve made her friends with Dylan. :)

And it turns out Ryan - or Harry Tressler 2.0 as I’ve been jokingly calling him in my mind - is bi! Good for him, and it’s nice to have representation. Ryan’s my least favourite of this nurse quartet for his personality (I mean, him spreading rumours about Jodie hasn’t been exactly endearing him to me!), but I am glad to have some more queer rep anyway. And maybe I’m taking things a bit far by thinking of him as “Harry Tressler 2.0″, because Ryan’s had moments where I quite like him (like the one in this ep, when he’s basically like “oh, I like men, I just don’t like you”), and I don’t think there’s been any moments where I’ve liked Harry Tressler (unless I’m forgetting some).

S37E35 “Deliverance”:

I like that this one happens to have the same title as one of my favourite CHVRCHES songs! And it was a pretty good episode in general, too, though I liked it less than “Separation” because this one did have Faith in it. :/

The Jacob comedy stuff was alright, but it feels a bit odd because most of his storyline recently has been so serious. Having said that, I loved the little moment of him dancing! That was adorable.

Di Botcher was great in this episode. I just wanted to acknowledge that - she’s a brilliant actress. I hope Jan and Ffion reunite eventually, though!

The Max and Jodie stuff is still good, but I feel like Jodie’s maybe having too much drama too quickly. I’d like to see Cam and Rida get some dramatic storylines, so that Jodie’s scenes can focus just on the storyline with Max for a while, rather than having these other big stories as well. Having said that, Jodie reminds me somewhat of Gemma Wilde, who had some big dramatic storylines soon after she arrived too and got a lot of great scenes out of it (S15 E20 “Unravelled” is one of my favourite episodes about dealing with trauma that Holby ever did). So idk.

Speaking of Cam, the whole thing with him having a crush on Jodie makes me think of Arthur’s crush on Chantelle in Holby. Has anyone else been thinking that too? It is a bit different though, as Arthur and Chantelle never lived together, as far as I can remember!! But yeah, I keep kind of expecting Cam to make a mixtape for Jodie like Arthur did, lol.

A Ryan/Jodie romance could be interesting. I have no idea where their storyline will go, so I’m very intrigued to see what comes of it.

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

i like imaging max richman singing along to africa by toto especially because it’s canon that he does so

[jonathanssweatercollection]

stranger things s4 volume 2 thoughts. profanity warning lol

* i’m sick to fuckin death of yuri. when is he dying

* steve talking about having a big family is like. obviously fan service but i love it and also i’ll be using it for stoncy fuel bc fuck you

* i need nancy to break jason’s nose

* i also need el to brutally eviscerate brenner in ever horrific way she can manage

* argyle nolastname is my best fucking friend. like what IF nina was a small woman. let’s hear him out

* why the fuck wasn’t jonathan included in the byers-hopper sibs hug. i’m mad. i’m gonna fucking bite someone

* why the fuck are the duffers so against jonathan being hugged by his family. i’m gonna kill

* MAN I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA RUN BRENNER OVER. MISSED OPPORTUNITY (though at least the cunt is dead)

* robin didn’t have to go out of her way to get that fruity little beret but i’m so glad that she did

* i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again. max mayfield i would kill for you

* “take your hands off me, potatohead” okay i still want him dead but that was funny as fuck of yuri

* I THOUGHT THAT I SAW HOPPER’S ASS. POINTED AT THE SCREEN AND YELLED “BUM”

* TWAS HIS FUCKING ARMPIT

* yay hopper kiss <3 good for them :)

* robin helping nancy up the rope <33 that’s so cute

* omg omg theyre playing the score from previous seasons

* god i feel so fucking unwell. i’m so anxious and jittery what the fuck

* EL’S LITTLE DRAWING OF MAX ON THE VAN WINDOW 😭 I’M GONNA COMBUST THAT’S SO FUCKING CUTE 😭 THE LITTLE CURLS AND THE LITTLE SMILE

* argyle voice: my dude is a gender neutral term of endearment

* JONATHAN SAID MY DUDE. HE’S BRIBING PEOPLE WITH WEED. HE’S HOLDING A BLUNT IN A WAY THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SMOKED WEED HAS EVER HELD A BLUNT. THIS IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

* robin rly runs like a weirdo i love her

* st@ncybaitgate: *happening ig* // my mother: “don’t” // me: “don’t” // my mother: “don’t” // me: “don’t do do it” my mother: “don’t” // me: “don’t i’m begging you” like a fucking greek chorus

* ugh my family are so fucking mean about the characters’ looks. it’s even worse when theyre making fun of the kids’ appearances

* lumax are making me so emotional i’m gonna throw up

* el being a pineapple on pizza truther. makes so much sense

* her and argyle teaming up to feed mike pizza nd chanting “try before you deny” <33

* BYERS BROS BYERS BROS BYERS BROS BYERS BROS

* MY BOYS. MY BOYS ARE SO GOOD

* i love el’s socks

* oh man she’s gonna have wet jeans. has she not had a bad enough day already

* max praying for bad things to happen to b*lly and him dying. so true same bestie like me too exactly

* max and el being foils particularly in regards to the abuse theyve suffered and in turn the deaths of their abusers. so fucking true

* sadie is giving an award worthy performance to a light. she is one of the greatest young actresses of our generation i mean this wholeheartedly

* ELMAX RIGHT ELMAX RIGHTS LET’S FUCKING GO ELMAX RIGHTS HELL YEAH

* omg are we finally gonna learn why max had to move to hawkins. pls i wanna know

* FUCKING HELL THAT PIECE OF SHIT IN JASON’S GANG FUCKING TACKLED ERICA. THAT’S AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD YOU CUNT. SHE BETTER SUE HIS ASS

* omg the snowball my beloved <3

* i can’t tell if theyre doing an aliens homage. if so fuck yea

* steve’s little dancing jumps 🥹 hopscotch king

* ROBIN HOLDING NANCY’S HAND BC SHE’S NERVOUS AWW

* “a memory inside a memory” my guy argyle is gonna fucking love inception

* “i’m not having another funeral” yes this is a kinda funny line on surface level but also my fucking god that’s such a tragic thing to say. joyce byers you deserve the world

* the hawkins group spent like at LEAST over a hundred dollars on all of their ammo and shit and dustin nd eddie are fighting for their lives with sticks, little bitch knives and bin lids

* steve handing nancy her gun. yes bitchman that is true malewife behaviour <3

* i’m surprised by the restrained amount of swearing this season. like this is all very s2 in the way that nobody has said fuck but everybody has said asshole at least thrice

* basically i want max to call vecna a cunt

* i fucking knew eddie was gonna sacrifice himself. this fucking himbo

* oh fuck the sound design is so moody and cool i love it

* SINCLAIR SIBLINGS BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF PPL IN QUICK CUTS. YES

* MAX VOICE: MY GIRLFRIEND’S BACK AND YOURE GONNA GET IN TROUBLE HEY YAAAAA HEY YAAAAAAAA MY GIRLFRIEND’S BACK

* the steve and lucas parallel of getting their heads smashed with cutlery. kings

* “I PIGGYBACKED FROM A PIZZA DOUGH FREEZER” “what” POTENTIALLY A CONTENDER FOR THE BEST EXCHANGE OF THE SEASON

* “IF YOU TOUCH HER AGAIN I WILL KILL YOU. AGAIN” EL I WILL FUCKING DIE FOR YOU SHE’S SUCH A GOOD GF

* ELMAX AS FOILS IN REGARDS TO THE ABUSIVE BROTHER FIGURES AND DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR PROTECTION IN THE PPL THEY LOVE BUT RUNNING AWAY AND CLOSING THEMSELVES OFF BC THEYRE AFRAID OF FEELING VULNERABLE AND GETTING HURT AGAIN

* YES this mindflayer shit is lovecraftian. this greatly appeals to the horror fanatic in me

* mike’s proclamation of love literally sounds like wedding vows this is so fuckign precious i love them so much

* MAX’S ARMS

* NO NO NO NO THEURE NOT DOING THISGHEYRE NOT

* THANK FUCKING GOD MAX IS ALIVE

* murray saving hopper parallels steve saving jancy in 1x08. bc i say so

* everything is about polyamory. fuck you

* why the FUCK is there a sword. so conveniently placed next to hopper. like i know why but. i’m???

* i mean i’m not complaining bc it’s cool tbh

* YES RUNNING UP THAT HILL SYNTHWAVE STRANGER THINGS REMIX LETS GO

* nancy shooting the living fuck out of vecna is the hottest thing i’ve ever seen. i’m proposing

* the jopper hug im so fucking emotional

* omg is vecna michael myers-ing them

* “I THINK ITS MY YEAR HENDERSON. FINALLY MY YEAR. I LOVE YOU” FUCKING GOD ARE YOU KIDDING ME

* THE RETURN OF THE MOBY SONG

* MAX BETTER BE OKAY

* I’LL KILL KUSELF OLEASE FONT DONT DIE PLEASE MAC PLEASE LELADE MAX LLADEAD PLEASE MAC OLEASE PLEASE I’lL LILL MUSELF PLEASE I’M GONNA FUCKING FIR PLEASE PLEASE I’m GONNA DIE PLEASE MAX NO PLEASE PLEASE GOD FUCKING DAMN IT

* the gate opening up through jason made me fucking laugh tho

* OH FUCK THIS IS EPIC

* fucking elmax rights yet again

* BRING HER BACK BRING HER BACK OKEASE BRING HER BACK

* TWO DAYS FUCKING LATER ???????????

* omg the leaving hawkins sign my beloved

* none of the cali gang have changed their clothes in like a week. that van will reek

* “quaint town of hawkins” bitch how many murders have happened here over the past four years

* THE FUCKING LIBRARY NO. THAT’S MY HOUSE

* NANCY’S MR RABBIT. I LOVE WHEN SHE HAS STUFFED ANIMALS

* IT PARALLELS JONATHAN BEIBG FORCED TO HUNT A RABBIT WHEN HE WAS A CHILD BY HIS DAD. BC RABBITS ARE CLEARLY A SIGNIFICANT PART OF HOW THEY REMEMBER THEIR CHILDHOODS. FUCK I HAVE TO MAKE A GIFSET

* STONCY STINCY STINCY OLEAEE I STONCY STIBCY OLEASE STONCY STONCY PEASE STIVFY stONCY OLEPASE

* FUCKING YES MAX ISALIVE

* YES HE’S READING HER STEPHEN KING FUCK UEAH FUCK YEAH

* el’s little ET hoodie bless

* love all the little parallels of calling things miracles this season

* let’s give a hoot and a hurray for neurotic lesbian representation

* EDDIE’S UNCLE IS GONNA MAKE ME CRY. WHAT THE FUCK

* they need don’t mess around with jim playing the background of them cleaning up the cabin

* jonathan still looks at nancy with these shy lovestruck puppy eyes after all these years. someone kill me

* “OTHERWISE WHO WOULD BE IN CHATGE??? STEVE??” STONATHAN CRUMBS LETS GO

* okay fuck its the coca cola bottle el and max played with in s3. im sad

* max better fucking be okay. i’m so fucking worried for her even now

* JESUS GOD THE EL AND HOPPER REUNION IS MAKING ME FUCKING CRY

* “what do you think?” // “bitchin” I’M GONNA KERPLODE

* YES YES HUGS ALL AROUND FOR EVERYONE YES EVERYONE HUG

* argyle is still hunting for mushrooms while dimensions are colliding isn’t he

* can dustin please have a cane. please my poor guy just give him a cane to help him out please

* the fucking score RULES

* my mother after watching this episode “so the upside down is in the downside up”

* hell FUCKING yea siouxsie and the banshees to close up the season this rules

* seeing the monkey massacre logo always fills me with joy. god fucking bless and goodnight

[fumifooms]

Byclair take, + prompts

Hear me out hear me out... Will x Lucas.

Ok so? Chemistry? Decent potential there. Healthy, interesting dynamic? Def there. Can u have an arc about internalised homophobia, like byler? Def, on both sides. Can Lucas deserve Will & be an unwavering good friend worst case scenario? Ya

Okok now let’s go into the specifics

Ok because Will’s character/whole arc is about healing through trauma & accepting change/letting go, and self-discovery too ig, while Lucas’ is like, accepting himself and strenghtening his identity and convictions and stuff... Lucas can be Will’s constant and support while Will is Lucas’ moral compass and his anchor, his reminder that being different isn’t something to repress, but most of all, a reminder of who he used to be as a kid when he allowed himself to just be.

I’m a elmax shipper so Max isn’t an obstacle to me, and if she is that can be good angst/character arc material there. Like! Ya want parallels? I’ll dish ya parallels of Will letting his love for Mike go & Lucas accepting that him and Max aren’t good for each other romantically

Dynamic? Ok they actually mesh soooo well, like think about it. [Skip the whole paragraph if u don’t want my take on other Will ships, no bashing i just find them boring srry, idk i like comparing ships when explaining my like of one in particular, it just clicks to me. I’m aware this paragraph might turn ppl away but I just wanna share thoughts :( ] Will shipped with any of the other kids is kinda milktoast. Mike? Cute/emotional symbolism and narrative but tbh not much substance /chemistry in practice (imo, no bashing intended), Will likes Mike’s kindness and idealism but them dating would kinda just be Will being cute about liking Mike and them holding hands and doing things together ig but,,, talking? Idk how one would write byler dialogue tbh it feels like kinda just prose, mostly bc that’s what it’s meant to be in canon i think- like, a narrative instead of a ship. ANYWAYS I GOT SIDETRACKED. Will with Dustin? Twilight Sparkle x Pinkie Pie energy which is cute, but again if u dig deeper there’s not much to exploit besides aesthetics. They could banter and Dustin would crash Will’s dnd games and they could have cute wild & free spirit x prissy rigid thinking soft artist imagery & interactions but like,, they wouldn’t really bring anything to the relationship, esp not something that their friendship doesn’t already give. Will with Eleven? Well, sibling dynamic now, but they’d always kinda just have been the 2 misfits having an understated soft romance n being sidelined lowkey. They could hurt/comfort but bot much else, and again this is smth that a friendship does already, and better i think. Will with Max? This one is actually kinda interesting to consider, esp if u think about them both having upside down personal haunting trauma, but that’s mostly bc Max & Lucas are similar in personality/character anyways, which is one of the reasons the lumax ship kinda fails at being interesting and endearing (to me).

But Will with Lucas? It fits so well.

It’s the "we’ve been friends for years but we’ve kinda grown distant lately, but even now when we don’t hang out much and spirits of the past are haunting us, I can see your pain while no one else does". It’s "I understand how you’re hurting because you want to fit in, because I wish I could, too". It’s "we’re both kinda getting sidelined from our friend groups, aren’t we, and we’re both not fitting in with the others quite like we did before, and we don’t play d&d together much anymore, really, and we’re lonely and stuff but we see each other and idk, i find it easy to click with you, like I always have. Wanna go grab an ice cream?"

It’s the best of every world!! Fluff?? Very doable! Angst? Soo easy! Poetic hurt/comfort inner monologue, my beloved? Super tonally compelling. Platonic instead of romantic? Also such untapped potential, but the relationship being of a romantic nature does bring something to the table!

Logical yet bold Lucas. Soft yet driven Will. Lucas being there to comfort Will unconditionally, but also being able to confidently tell him, when he’s having self-doubts, that it’s all bs. Lucas reassuring him that heartache isn’t the end of the world when he notices his love for Mike, ever observant, then Will doing the same for him when he goes through his last breakup with Max, and a connection forming from there. Them just hanging out, alone the two of them for whatever reason, because everyone else has a lover, or they just feel like it, and they hang out and talk and chill. Will and Lucas having one on one d&d sessions!! Because the others aren’t available for Will’s schedule and wants, and Lucas misses it, and also he’s always loved the ingenious creativity of Will’s campaign ideas and the passion with which he roleplays. Lucas, the out of place jock, and Will, the bullied misfit. Gimme the AUs!! Gimme the slow burns!! Gimme the secret pining narratives!! Everything would be SO good

Ok hot take but not really, but I was lowkey pissed at how the season just, doesn’t talk about Lucas and sports at all? The show kinda implies that he joined the basketball team and everything just for the brownie points with the popular crowd, to be accepted and all, but does Lucas just not care about the sport?? Does he not like basketball?? Is he naturally gifted to have landed that winning score or did he spend many hours desperately training to have a chance of popular kids accepting him? We don’t know!! Why don’t we know when that’s like, such an obvious loose thread?! I always kinda just thought that he, y’know, wanted to do basketball on the basketball team but the way it’s all done and how Lucas says something like "I should never have joined the team bc they suck and i have u guys" in the last ep, I was like?? So was the basketball just an extra to making the team or? To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with that narrative, it’s actually really compelling. But the thing is that the show doesn’t address it at all, it kinda implies it but doesn’t state anything or does anything with it so it kinda just dies a no closure death and feels off and ruins the potential when all the cards right for it was laid out Actually that last criticism is a common flaw i’ve found throughout the season tbh. Putting all the crumbs necessary for a cool pay-off, then just doing nothing with it or worse, dismissing them and going back on them.

ANYWAYS where i was gonna go with that is, Lucas teaching Will how to play basketball and do scores and them playing ball together, even if Will is clumsy and shy/reluctant about trying sports <3 Lucas chilling on Will’s bed head on his laps, prob listening to music or audiobook or thinking about life as Will draws. And when Will wants to show Lucas his drawings, Lucas immediately shifts his focus on it and is genuinely invested in them and loves it, and it rekindles his love for fantasy and d&d that he thought he had lost. And maybe Will allows Lucas to be soft, after all. With Max, he wanted to be though and worthy, to prove he could be the best boyfriend, that he shouldn’t be dumped, that he was as cool as her and that her brother shouldn’t have seen him as someone she shouldn’t hang out with. With the rest of the gang, he has to be smart and bring something to the conversation, keep them safe, be useful, offer reasons for why he wants to do some new things instead of playing d&d with them, why he hangs out with them less lately because of inner turmoil he doesn’t wanna share, the insecurities of having to be more mature, more adult, more responsible and irreproachable, and of needing to conform to be accepted where you think it matters. To keep appearances up, to have it both ways and overlook shady behavior of your new pals until they threaten your real, old ones who you debate on ratting out or saving them at the cost of your safety and status. And now when you look at all of them, you can only hope they’re ready to forgive and forget the time you ditched them for assholes and had to be pushed to the brink to go back to their side fully, hope that you can one day forgive yourself. Hope that Max can love you, and that maybe this time you’ll feel whole when you convince her to get back together with you, because you dedicate all you have to her and if she doesn’t want that then maybe you can never be enough for anything. He has so much to prove.

But with Will? Ya, he can chill with Will. Doesn’t mean angst disappears, it just means that he feels less pressure and in a way, they’ve seen the worst lows of each other in a way that feels liberating, instead of putting standards and expectations on their shoulders. And maybe Lucas can let himself be a dork, if Will is there being the hugest dork of them all and is still so lovable and amazing and thriving. And as Will rambles about his new convoluted worldbuilding and campaign ideas to Lucas, Lucas entertains the visions of fantastic grandiosity and dragons and heroes saving the world with the power of goodness. And he loves what he sees, what he says, and he loves the voice, and he loves the way he rambles and talks about it all with such a spark, passion that Lucas himself had become to think was impossible to muster for anything anymore, and he loves him, and maybe that means he can bring himself to love himself, and love life. And they chill in Will’s room, and life is good and sweet and they’ve both found someone they can truly, fully enjoy being in love with.

I LOVE THEM I AM SOLD GUYS I HAVE SPOKEN MYSELF INTO SHIPPING THEM AND I SHALL MAKE TUMBLR ESSAYS

I never ever thought i would be galaxy braining about Lucas Sinclair out of anyone but. That just goes to show how everything can be passionating with the right fanon spice

Lucas is an interesting character, and Will is too, they’re both flawed but so lovely, and idk Lucas in canon just was never really given the right environment to shine and thrive as a character you will want to ship and write fics of and stan in my experience, but Will x Lucas? Reborn potential & i love it sm

Also like, idk, Lucas has such good Eleven step-brother vibes & potential? It’d be so fricking good and funny. Lucas is such a good straightman & sassy voice of reason i love him (which is more than I could say about my feelings about him like 2 hours ago lol. Canon why are u set on reducing him to the boring sidelines)

Okok, Fumi out, rarepair rant over. They came to me in a flash randomly during a work shift and I am so glad for that blessing

... Excuse me have I been writing about them nonstop for almost an hour

[shmaptainwrites]

mimi’s 1.5K writing challenge celebration

Holy smokes I can’t believe we’re actually here! I never thought when I started this blog less than a year ago that I’d get this far this fast and it’s all thanks to wonderful people like you who have supported me through this hobby of mine!

So this time around I wanted to celebrate the talent around me, of all the wonderful authors who follow me or even just want to participate in a writing challenge! This is for you to showcase your writing and your work!

Come Participate! - Note: I will be closing my ask box while I’m in class!!!

Dates:

The masterlist will be posted on: Tuesday November 2nd

Characters/Pairings:

Works can be x reader, x oc, or the ships listed

Aaron Hotchner

Derek Morgan

Emily Prentiss

Penelope Garcia

Morcia

Hotchgan

Gotch

Steve Rogers

Sam Wilson

Bobby Nash

Rules:

All entries must be SFW (14A type content max)

Word Count between 1000-10 000

Each work should have a title so I can easily label it for the masterlist

All entries should be tagged with mimis 1.5K writing challenge

All entries should tag my rec account @alexxblake so I don’t miss it!

Send me an ask with the prompt number and category you would like to write, what pairing you will be writing it for, and the url of the account you will be posting it under

Please reblog this post so that we can get as many people to participate as possible!

A follow is not required but it is much appreciated :)

Each prompt can be used by two different people

If you use more than one prompt you can either put them in the same fic or write multiple separate entries

Feel free to ask any and all questions through my ask box! It’s possible others will also be wondering the same thing

Prompts:

Fluff

1. “They’re not you,” [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @ssa-ki99 ]

2. “You cancelled plans… for me?” [ Aaron Hotchner x Reader @arsonhotchner ]

3. “I think I love you,”

4. “He/She/They have your eyes,”

5. “You’re very endearing when you’re half asleep,” [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @hotchnerz ]

6. Concept: [person a] needs to pull an all nighter so [person b] (who has done this many times) helps them stay awake

7. Concept: [person a] mentions a certain food/drink they love and the next day [person b] has bought a whole bunch of said food/drink for them [Steve Rogers x Reader @magicalxdaydream ] [Aaron Hotchner x black!Reader @/ssavanessa22]

8. Concept: [person a] gets very clingy when they’re drunk and [person b] seems to be the perfect outlet [Sam Wilson x Reader @fangirlovestuff ]

9. Concept: [person a] is usually closed off but tells [person b] they love them for the first time

10. Concept: [person a] loves to play with [person b]’s hair

Angst

1. “Do I even matter to you?” [Steve Rogers @nekoannie-chan ]

2. “Just stop talking. Stop,”

3. “I see how you look at them,”

4. “We both knew this was never going to have a happy ending,”

5. “We never got the right timing,”

6. Concept: [person a] has never noticed [person b] who has been in love with them for as long as they can remember

7. Concept: [person a] cradling [person b]’s unconscious body

8. Concept: [person a] dies and leaves [person b] with an unresolved conflict

9. Concept: [person a] and [person b] slowly fall out of love

10. Concept: [person a] breaks [person b]’s trust [Hotchgan @masterwords ]

Hurt Comfort

1. “Come here, let me see that,” [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @doctorstethoscope ]

2. “I don’t think you’re well enough to be doing that,” [Hotchgan @whump-town ]

3. “Sometimes we’re not okay, but that doesn’t mean people will love you any less,” [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @ssa-h0tchner ]

4. “I’m at the hospital,” [Hotchgan @masterwords ]

5. “Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that,” [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @ssahotchie ]

6. Concept: [person a] can’t sleep so they call [person b] [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @heliotropehotch ]

7. Concept: [person a] has been feeling down lately so [person b] thinks up of ways to cheer them up

8. Concept: [person a] is trying to hide the fact that they’re hurt but [person b] can see right through their facade [Aaron Hotchner x Reader @/ssa-h0tchner]

9. Concept: [person a] is sick and [person b] offers to take care of them

10. Concept: [person a] has a nightmare and wakes up screaming scaring [person b] [Emily Prentiss x OC @delilahjareau ]

AU/Tropes

1. Royalty!AU

2. Bakery!AU [Gotch @/hotchnerz]

3. Musician!AU

4. High School Teachers!AU [Aaron Hotchner x black!Reader @ssavanessa22 ]

5. Victorian!AU

6. Best Friends to Lovers

7. Enemies to Lovers

8. There’s Only One Bed [Derek Morgan x Reader @genevievedarcygranger ]

9. Fake Dating/Fake Marriage

10. Roommates to Lovers [ Aaron Hotchner x Reader @/arsonhotchner]

Songs

1. Slow Burn • Kacey Musgraves

2. I Will Wait • Mumford and Sons

3. I Found You • Andy Grammar

4. Cheek to Cheek • Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

5. Love & War in Your Twenties • Jordy Searcy

6. Don’t Hold Me • Dean Lewis

7. It’s Been a Long, Long Time • Harry James

8. Strange • Celeste

9. Electric Love • BØRNS

10. Do You Wanna Do Nothing With Me? • Lawrence

Tagging some mutuals for a signal boost and to thank them for all their support!!

@sylvie-writes @roger-that-cap @arsonhotchner @ssahotchie @hotchnerz @hotchnerundercover @hotforhotchner11 @mrsh0tchner @heliotropehotch @ssa-ki99 @ssa-h0tchner @doctorstethoscope

[film-in-my-soul]

Review: Manner of Death (2020)

Region: Thailand

Aprox. Length: 09h:27m:20s

Viewing Source: Tencent Video

Summary: Dr. Bunnakit is a medical examiner based at a provincial hospital. One day, after carrying out an autopsy on the body of a woman who had seemingly hanged herself, Dr. Bunnakit rules out suicide, as his findings point to homicide. His conclusion suddenly makes him the target of someone very powerful. When an anonymous man breaks into his house and threatens him to change his report to suicide, Dr. Bunnakit doesn't take this threat seriously. But all that changes when one of his friends, a prosecutor, suddenly disappears. Dr. Bunnakit quietly conducts his own investigation in order to get at the truth. All clues lead to one suspect, a man named Tan, who denies any involvement. Tan convinces Dr. Bunnakit to team up together in order to find the real murderer.

Overall Opinion:  One of the strongest things about this show is the mystery element and the raw hate I feel for any and all antagonists. While the initial draw to this series for a lot of people will likely be Max and Tul (as it was for me) I think the story is what really keeps people hooked. You’re never sure who to trust, who to believe, or who might stab you in the back at the last minute, and full honesty I live for it. The BL romance aspect of Manner of Death also blends seamlessly into the overarching plot and anyone who has said that the show feels more like a mystery that just happens to have a MlM romance in it than a traditional Thai BL that just happens to be a murder mystery is completely correct. I think for me a lot of my appreciation stems from Manner of Death handling uncomfortable and ultimately adult situations in an interesting way as well as having a distinctive, almost dreary style that sets it apart from any other Thai BL I’ve watched before. My only suggestion for a potential watcher is to be mindful of any warnings you see at the start of an episode, while there is nothing graphic visually shown, to my memory, the topics and situations alluded to and talked about can get very heavy.

Technical Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Personal Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

(See under the cut for a deeper analysis of character/plot/technical aspects. Beware of possible spoilers.)

Main Characters:

Dr. Bun:

Bun is a character where things just seem to happen to him half of the time. But then the other half is him actively making the worst possible choices to throw himself headfirst into deadly situations. Regardless, he’s a character I enjoy a lot even if at times he can feel a bit clumsy and useless. It only serves to show us just how out of his depth he actually is though, so even when he makes the wrong choice I don’t necessarily feel it makes him a poorly written character. He also actively stands against what he believes is wrong and is written with a strong conviction you feel in the face of all the opposition against him as he’s desperately searching for the truth of what happened to Jane and just what’s going on in the province. In regards to his relationship with Tan I actually really enjoy the fact that the show could have easily just made him immediately fall for him even against his better judgment and instead, outside of his drunken kiss in the first episode, really took the time to bring Bun to his breaking point and finally give in to the chemistry between them and let it happen, all while still not completely trusting Tan. All in all, Bun is a fairly dynamic character who has a vicious streak and needs a bit more sense of self-preservation.

Tan:

Tan balances being suspicious as hell and pretty much Bun’s only lifeline very well. He’s threatening in some way, by nature of the mystery and plot, but as he’s getting to know Bun more and showing the Dr. different sides of himself Tan is a surprisingly endearing character. It’s clear that he cares about Bun and wants him safe but also needs to keep him in the dark. Tan has a duality I generally enjoy, while also giving off ‘dumber than a rock’ energy at times. (I’m looking at you final episode proposal via gang chase through the woods.) Ultimately one of the more compelling aspects of Tan’s character is the fact that he’s so secretive, and the audience, like Bun, are unsure if we can trust him. He, of course, makes all the wrong choices in order to keep those he cares about safe instead of just telling the truth, but he gets there in the end.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Side Characters:

Inspector M:

Inspector M is, based on the conversations I’ve had around this show while watching it, almost everyone's fan favorite, and seeing how he fills out that uniform? I can tell why. Jokes about how hot Great Sapol Assawamunkong is in uniform aside, Inspector M is actually a really fantastic character. He’s someone who starts on the "wrong side" but through Bun and Tan’s investigation and continuous pestering, he himself has to face the reality of the corruption in his province. I also love that even when Inspector M is officially on the “good side” he still has an obvious dislike for our leads even though it’s softened slightly. Because of the nature of Inspector M’s character you’re always left wondering until towards the end if he is also in on the corruption among the governing bodies and it’s Great’s performance as the character that really sells it to the audience.

Pued:

Ah Pued, the start to our more complicated side characters. A big part of Manner of Death is who we trust and how much of the truth that’s been uncovered by Tan and Bun is the truth. I think one thing that the show does fantastically is exploring these characters who can read as more sympathetic while still maintaining that they are bad people. Pued is one of those characters. I still hate him, he’s still a bad person, but you can’t help but understand where he’s coming from with the terrible choices he makes. It’s also nice that he faces terrible consequences even if we’re still left feeling maybe a little conflicted on whether he suffered too much or got off easy for where his actions turned the plot, especially when the motive behind how he's killed isn't exactly the one I personally wish it was.

Rungtiwa:

This bitch really had me in the first half and the revelation of her treachery is one of the best twists in the show even if it felt a little hard to follow leading up to the explanation. She’s such a background character for most of the show that while you don’t necessarily forget about her, she’s never completely on your radar until the show puts her right in your path. It’s effective for the narrative and while I was cursing her the whole time in the last few episodes I found the reveal highly effective.  

Dr. Oat:

Dr. Oat is, in my opinion, the unsung character of Manner of Death, he is comic relief, a potential red-harring, and an MVP when it comes to keeping our other characters alive. While he’s not as wildly used in the story as I think he could have been I really enjoy the levity he brings to the show as one of the softer characters who is also having to face the reality of the place he lives in and what that means for him as a doctor. I think I would have liked his character more if they’d implemented the same kind of suspicion they’d used for other characters with him. Overall he’s solid and serves his function in the story well. Also, love the cute moment between him and Inspector M in the last episode even though they had maybe a handful of scenes together. Though I suppose saving your life might inspire flirting with anyone.

That:

That, like Sorn, is a character that is meant to directly reflect another character. For That’s case, he is a mirror of Tan. He is, of course, his own character, but we are meant to draw the parallels between him and the lead and draw on the idea that That likely shows some of the same traits Tan had in his youth, thus filling us in on Tan’s character more. Outside of that, I have no big problems with That’s character. I like how at the start he’s appropriately stand-offish with Sorn and appears to desperately be seen as older and more capable than he is. He’s loyal and I appreciate the way that he can remain distinct within the story.

Sorawit / Sorn:

Sorn is a similar character to That in terms of what his purpose as a character is, but his counterpart is Dr. Bun. He’s gentle and naive, but wants the truth regarding his friend and will work to get it even at his own expense. Sorn and That’s story is meant to reflect the larger plot and poses a “what if” question to the audience that I thoroughly enjoy. He and That are used as a way to deepen the story while still maintaining their own individuals.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Story/Plot:

There are so many aspects of this story I really like. The mystery of how Jane died and how it connects back to the larger corruption and mystery of the province is so interesting. We are forced, as many of the characters are, to uncover terrible secret after terrible secret, wondering who we’re meant to trust. There’s also something very interesting about the dark depths the show is willing to go, from the illegal abortion clinic (a moral grey area for many in how it's utilized for the plot), to the sex trafficking, to the police and political corruption there’s no one aspect of vile behavior that doesn’t feed into another. Nothing we’re presented as the audience is there for shock value, it all circles around each other and only serves to further character motivation and a search for where the end of the poison in the province lies.

While Manner of Death isn’t without its tropes I find I don’t have as many problems with them popping up as I might in other shows. Miscommunication or simply not talking is an element the plot has to rely on and makes sense within the context of the story. Bun wouldn’t trust Tan if he knew he does work for the local gang and Tan needs Bun to trust him because Bun is the only one actively putting himself in the line of fire trying to get the truth about Jane. The plot feels very condensed to the cast, each revelation has a resounding effect on each of them. 

There were some moments, most choices that Tan makes, that made me want to pull out my hair, but ultimately it’s the frustration from those choices that keep you hooked. Locking Bun to the stair post? A terrible choice! Especially when you get almost murdered in the process and can’t actually go unlock him only to then unlock him and explain you both now need to fake your own deaths. It’s dramatic, highly unnecessary, but also, given everything we know about Bun, probably the only thing that would have worked to get him to stay put. Convincing your boyfriend that he’s being pursued by someone possibly acting in retaliation to you scooping the corruption out of your town only for you to end up at gunpoint and then because told “psych this is actually a marriage proposal,” Tan what the hell were you thinking?! In the fact of the rest story, it’s honestly the most baffling moment but god if it wasn’t entertaining.

Overall I really enjoy the story of Manner of Death and appreciate that it really feels like the main focus is on the mystery instead of the romance. It’s well balanced, has great twists, and satisfying villain reveals.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Technical/Visual Execution:

Technical/Visual Execution: One thing I really like about Manner of Death from a visual standpoint is that it is stylized, everything is muted colors, greys and greens, and dull rainy vibes. A lot of the time Thai BL are very flat in color or overly bright but Manner of Death chose a visual style that really reflects the dreary and seedy material it covers. Outside of that, I think it’s well produced in terms of editing and shooting. 

Rating: ★★★★☆

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