#idk how she would fit with the main storyline yet

[beanghostprincess]

Not sure if you've done a post already but curious to think how Usopp would react/what role he would play if he was at Whole Cake Island and how SanUso would change and grow as a couple after?

I was planning on doing a post like this tbh but I think I've already said a couple of times that I wanted Usopp on WCI. And it's not even because of my insane obsession with Sanuso (that too, tho) but because I think his personality would have fit the story perfectly. Also, I think that Sanji being crucial to Usopp's character back in Water 7 would have helped here too, with Usopp being present in one of Sanji's most vulnerable moments.

I think that following canon he would've been a part of the Chopper/Carrot storyline because of how fitting it would have been for his personality. We would have had so many funny moments with him there and back in the forest with Nami. However, I think that Usopp, being also part of the East Blue Crew and having a close friendship with Sanji (we don't see much of that post-timeskip, sadly, but they used to have so many interactions aaaa), he would have been there for the Luffy vs Sanji fight. I'm not sure if he would've stepped in, having more of an active reaction towards everything and trying to stop Sanji (because, well, at the end of the day, it is a Lusan scene and we can't take away their moment), but he for sure would have been there with Nami crying over everything. Idk. I think Usopp, being the first one who tried to leave the crew and having fought Luffy before, would understand Sanji. He would not be angry at his behavior like Nami, perhaps just frustrated and angry at himself and Sanji's family, mostly. It's hard to know what part of the story he would have been a part of because he already has his focus moment in Dressrosa and this is kind of to make Chopper/Carrot/Nami/Brook shine too bc they weren't there, but yeah, at the end of the day the story would have ended up being the same because the focus is Luffy and Sanji's relationship.

However, like I said, I think Usopp would understand Sanji's behavior somehow (even if the reason why Usopp tried to leave the crew wasn't the same one). We would've probably gotten a scene like the one he has with Nami after coming back to them ("coming back" meaning accepting that he wants to go back with them. That scene where she's mad and tells him and they'll never let him go again etcetc). But instead of what Nami does, I think Usopp would be just happy to have him back, and yet Sanji would feel guilty for what he had done to them. A lil scene of acknowledgment and understanding where Sanji asks why Usopp isn't angry and Usopp lets him know that he doesn't understand but understands to an extent (not feeling like he fits in and ending up in self-destructive behavior like trying to leave the crew) and they would inevitably grow closer after that.

Their dynamic within the OP world would change, of course, but when it comes to the main plot and their interactions they would pretty much stay the same because they talk like fucking twice in all of Wano and I am having a very hard moment watching this without them having scenes together- Please, being a Sanuso shipper is so hard-

But yeah, all of this is me trying to be realistic. From a more fanon perspective, I think Usopp should have just dressed up as Sogeking and saved Sanji like the superhero he is with the power of love and friendship and they would have gotten married. The end.

[autumnoficarus]

i'm devastated but like in a good way, and I have a lot of lokius thoughts I need to jot down before i pull a timely and become spaghetti

spoilers for season 2's finale below !!

so in this house, lokius is alive and thriving - because listen:

Firstly, i've seen a lot of people upset with the finale and while that's super valid, here's some positive thoughts on why I kinda sorta dig what was given to us.

the recap never included that one ship while catching up on the main plot points of everything that has happened since the show's beginning. I think that should be pointed out idk.

from a fic writer standpoint the fact that Loki spent CENTURIES??? (+however long fighting sylvie and having repeating conversations with HWR) Like literally a huge chunk of time we don't see trying to fix things has so much potential. I'm giddy abt that ngl

That when Loki needed advice most, he time-slipped to Mobius to ask him his opinion. Not only that, he time-slipped to when they don't know each other yet, because he wants a Mobius who is unbiased. He's aware that were he to go to a place in the timeline where they're now close, Mobius would try and talk him out of abandoning all hope.

He knows, much like with Mobius' story, he's been hesitating to look past himself - to see the bigger picture, instead of what he wants. That hesitation has led to years and years of consequences, Loki failing each and every time, similar to how the officer of Mobius' story delaying the prune of a variant led to an eruption of consequences that resulted in the harm of their comrades too.

What Loki wants is save his friends, ultimately. At first, he wants to save his friends and be able to experience life amongst the timeline branches with them. He tells Sylvie he doesn't know where he would belong without them. What Loki realizes in the end is that to give them the choice he believes they deserve, he has to make a choice of his own. In the end, he finds belonging (at least for now, because I refuse to believe this is the end of TVA Loki's storyline) in putting those he loves before himself and what he wants, something Loki has done only a handful of times throughout the entire Marvel series. He needs that growth character-wise because, as we know, he will be involved in the next big phase.

I think that Loki time-slipping to ask Mobius for advice parallels last episode's 'it's about WHO' again. Who has given him the chance to be a better version of himself the entire show? Who helped him overcome his deep distrust in others, learning to care for them instead - so much so that he sacrificed himself to protect them? And again, Mobius is who Loki went to when he was lost and his words are what guided Loki to the decision he made.

A Sylvie and Mobius scene where Sylvie is seen caring for Mobius in the aftermath??? Mobius wasn't offering comfort to Sylvie, he was depicted as more distraught than she was. In fact, I'd say they really wanted to get across how 'alone' he felt with Loki's absence, standing watching a life he never knew from afar.

(there's a whole unpacking i want to do here about how we previously saw Loki looking longingly across the street watching Don's life too, before whisking Don away from his mundane family life for a greater purpose; something about Mobius looking at that life and recognizing there's a missing piece to it, and it's back in a place he no longer feels he fits because the TVA is missing something too; something about Loki 'supposedly' finding where he belongs, but not Mobius. those are thoughts for another post though lmaoooo)

I think they left Mobius' arc open-ended because he still hasn't achieved that greater purpose. That's (hopefully) because it's meant to be fleshed out in either a later season or next movies to come. And (hopefully x2), that purpose becomes Mobius helping to somehow save Loki from his current fate.

The final moments?? Hello??? Mobius' voice echoing as we pan in on Loki holding the branches together, teary-eyed with a soft, melancholic smile??? Seeming to be listening in on Mobius amongst the branches??? Mobius' 'let time pass' because he doesn't know how to move on from losing Loki?? Come onnnn, the tragic angst in just those shots were CHEF KISS

Overall, I know it's a let down not to have an actual canon status but I mean - were we really expecting the mouse to come through for us??? At least, we didn't get a 'no homo' moment so I count that as a win against rickey the rat. Lokius survived the finale, and that's what really mattered for me tbh.

Like idk, I could also be biased because I kinda, really dig tragedy and slow burn angst. And that's what this finale gave us, along with so many possibilities !! Them being separated leaves so much that can happen !! Like, like - Mobius has the opportunity to have an arc about saving his bae from holding time together indefinitely - from Loki's greatest fear, being left alone. Mobius getting into marvel shenanigans in an attempt to reunite with Loki somehow is beautifully romantic to me ya'll idk. I am delusional and I fully embrace that fact.

Okay honestly this isn't even ALL MY THOUGGHTS I HAVE MORE but this is getting long so I'm stopping here (currently: sending morse code signals out to help pull me back from the brink of insanity)

[will80sbyers]

thinking about the monologue... like obviously Mike is lying in a way, because he doesn't love her in a romantic way and when she asked him to say that it was in a romantic way... but imo he is not consciously lying... he is saying all of that because he thinks all of that... but it's not romantic love, it's platonic love!

He just doesn't get that yet, exactly... because he's like... 14? and feelings are confusing for him (and a lot of other people too irl lmao)

I highly doubt that the Duffers would make Mike consciously lie in a BIG way to El because not many people would forgive him for lying that much to a character that was presented as the main character of the show for years and is so deeply loved by the GA... and also that would create a very ugly moment in the relationship between El and Mike... idk I think they need the story to be satisfying for everybody, not only for us... and the GA already hates Mike kinda...

I think that would feel like a betrayal for a lot of people if Mike consciously lied to her like that and wasn't even shown to feel guilt on screen clearly for that after?

I think it's improbable that they would write it like that... it's possible obviously, but I think it's improbable...

I personally think it's much more probable that they just will show how Mike was confused but meant what he said, even if it wasn't in a romantic way exactly... or it will be a bit like the Jo and Laurie situation in Little women where Laurie is convinced that he loves Jo and all... but it's not the right love that he later feels for Amy and he says that the love that he feels for Amy "is different" because in reality what Laurie felt for Jo was not real romantic love, it was a mix of platonic fondness and idealization of Jo... and Jo didn't love him either even when she talks about how she's thinking about it because she wants to be loved and her mother tells her that's not the same as loving... and it's like El, she wants to be loved but what El really wanted from the start was familial love and she is going to get it in the end, she has already found her family...

Also the monologue can be read platonically and it does make perfect sense even more than romantically imo because: he is terrified of losing her, he did love her since he saw her because he felt the need to take care of her and even if he was clearly not "in love" with her since the start, he cared for her... taking care of her and being introduced to the world of the upside down and of superpowers... and being able to save his best friend DID change his life and he could feel like his life really started when he met her because of that...from that day he was special too by association with her basically and that's all that Mike wishes to be!!!

Also he does believe in her, he thinks she's strong and can do anything, and she's a superhero, he doesn't think she's a monster and was not avoiding saying the I love you because he was scared of her but because he was scared of losing her one day, saying the ily means getting closer in some ways and that means that if she leaves him it will definitely hurt more in his mind...

plus all the things he COULDN'T SAY (because being queer is not normal in the 80s and Will was right behind him lol...) like that he was not sure before hearing Will's speech in the van or that he thought he had feelings for Will (we’re friends...we’re friends) and was feeling confused about that too and was feeling weird (this past year has been weird) all the past months because of how much he missed Will (I feel like I lost you ) etc etc

like to me that is a linear way to continue the storyline and makes all the little pieces of the puzzle fit

[pinkpinkmermayyy]

Persona 4 (ish) atsv AU. Dw, I don't spoil any plot for either p4 or p5.

We don't use the murder mystery plot, but we keep the whole shadow thing.

First photo is an explanation of shadow selves as a whole and then 2nd is their use in p4.

I haven't quite cooked it through yet but imagine Miguel having to fight his inner demons in a big ass boss battle. There's always a lot of symbolism in it, and I think Miguel's would have a cage aspect like Yukiko did due to isolation being his main go-to for self harm.

Side note I'm sorry about Teddie's dialogue. If it provides any relief, the fandom bullies him constantly.

Alternatively, Persona 5 ATSV.

Miles - Ren Amamiya/Joker (Rejected by the society around them AND constantly defies expectations)

No idea!! - Ann Takamaki/Panther

Lyla - Morgana/Mona (Not rooted in story ties to the respective characters) (Alternatively, Peter Porker by just how goofy both are)

Idk lol - Makoto Nijima (Makoto best romance 🔥🔥🔥)

Gwen - Kasumi Yoshizawa (do NOT Google this character it will spoil Persona 5 Royal IMMEDIATELY. I will include a photo of this character at the end so that you can see her.)

Pavitr - Haru Okumura/Noir (Little bit naive but wants to do good in the world)

Hobie - Ryuji Sakamoto/Skull (Not a lot of connection but both rebel against social norms.)

Margo - Futaba Sakura/Oracle (DUUUUUUUDE THIS FITS IN BOTH FAMILIAL ISSUES AND TECH SMARTS) (alternatively, Peni works as well and she has the Dead Mom trauma too.) (I am not normal about Futaba I get genuinely angry about her storyline.)

Miguel - SOJIRO SAKURA!!! Mature, quiet, a hard-ass but genuinely very kind and loving beneath it all.

Spot - I fuckinG WISH I COULD SAY WHICH CHARACTER BUT IT SPOILS >:( just know he has a very clear character in this.

Ben Reilly - Yusuke Kitagawa (Dramatic af /pos) (Alternatively, Peter B. due to the brokeness of both.)

Aunt May - Munehisa Iwai or Tae Takemi (both help the protagonist in supplies)

As promised, here's Kasumi. She is a gymnast with deep seated family and identity issues that don't get explored until what is technically the "post game". She is worth the wait.

I’ve heard of persona but I’ve never played it or seen any gameplay (until now with the link u sent lolol) and honestly this fits so well!! There was a whole part in spiderman 2 about miles confronting mister negative and fighting him to try and escape kraven, and mister negative sends him to this alternate dimension and sends these shadows to fight him which represent his inner demons while his loved ones (or what sounds like them) call him not good enough and a mistake, and Miles’s biggest fear is for his loved ones to hate him and for him to disappoint them. This fits in extremely well for him especially now with that in mind. Also Miguel having to fight his inner demons is a huge boss battle is something I WANNA SEE!!!

[lastlight-inn]

Hi hi!! 🩷🤍🤎

I answered 🩷 and 🤍 here already but I gotchu with 🤎.

🤎 Brown: How did you decide to write (or why are you writing) a certain fanfic? (Asker, feel free to choose a specific story you're curious about. You can also let the answerer choose the story.)

As I only have one real long fic I've been writing, I will address You're At the Top of My Lungs.

Poppy is a very very old OC and she is frequently subjected to my hot boy of the month. But as a result of her being so old, I have a canon history with her. She "lives" in our timeline. I know her birthday. I know what she was doing in 2012. A lot of her background that I've shared in YATTOML is "canon" as it were lmao. I didn't have to develop it for my bg3 story with her, it's been sitting with me for years.

She dumped her last partner in 2018 when she found out they were cheating and all her other attempts at dating afterward fizzled out. So she's sort of been celibate by choice for a few years. This can be helpful because it gives me "room" to have her meet someone...whenever in that timeline (though COVID does throw a wrench into those things.) Given all of that, It was very easy to slip Gale into her story.

I sort of did the reverse that people have been doing with Gale x Tav. I pulled Gale into our world with Poppy instead of inserting her into BG3. It was already "canon" that Poppy's mother was born in England and moved to America for the boy she met at University. I had started thinking that Poppy would visit England in her summers as a child ages before I started playing BG3. It was easy to make Morena her mom's childhood and university friend, for their children to be close in age and to befriend each other.

In one version of this universe, Gale does NOT miss her mother's funeral but something else happens that breaks the relationship, but in a much more forgiving way. So when Poppy decides to move to England for Reasons in the fall of 2023 and happens to run into Gale, it's easier for her to forgive him in a low-stakes scenario such as that.

That being said, and to get back to the original question, I spent months thinking about Gale and Poppy in Our world before I sort of hit a wall (like...what does their future look like? idk what Poppy's future looks like because I haven't lived it yet )That's where the actual game comes in.

I play a self-insert Lore bard version of Poppy in my main bg3 playthrough. That is not canon. Instead, I started trying to figure out how I could actually fit Poppy into the story given what I already know about her background, character, etc. It's copied over fairly seamlessly. Having the friendship breaking moment be that Gale misses her mom's funeral is Insane (I am very aware, I apologize to anyone that's been turned off by my fic because of that lmao) but I couldn't use the "real" reason because...Mystra is a goddess and the reason isn't really possible in my mind because of that fact. Eventually the Gale brainrot turned into full-on PoppyxGale brainrot to the point where I needed to write it all down.

I have never written Poppy before for two reasons.

Her story in "current day" is nebulous and I want to keep it that way.

Her backstory (i.e. who she's friends with "IRL") is a little too self-indulgent for me to feel comfortable sharing. I feel pre-emptive embarrassment even considering writing that idk her bandmate used to be the drummer for My Chemical Romance (I'm going to go throw up now please don't look at me).

But the BG3 storyline is so Contained and far, far away from #2 that I was like...wait....I KNOW exactly what happens. This is a static storyline I'm creating...and I want to remember it. And share it.

Idk if I'll ever write what I consider Gale x Poppy's canon story in our timeline (I consider BG3 an AU as it were lol). Sharing that maladaptive daydream feels too personal.

tldr; brain got Too Full and I needed to write it down lmao

As for the Modern College AU I have in the works that I talk about in the linked ask/answer, I wanted to write that one because a) the lack of Modern AUs esp with a younger Gale and b) my love of college radio. I was a part of my university's college radio station for all 4 years and it was so important to me, my growth, and my life at that time. I want to write something that's sort of an ode to that and I feel like would be a bit different! I want to use the radio as a sort of Greek Chorus for the fic and that one idea has been singlehandedly fueling my writing and brainworm for that particular project. Now all I need is to figure out how Gale and Poppy actually get together in that universe 😭.

WELL THAT WAS LONG but ty for your ask 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[wacky-nameless-inventor-24]

ALRIGHT A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE NOTICED MY TREASURE ISLAND DT AU SO IT'S TIME TO GO FULL UNHINGED.

I waaaaaas gonna do character ref drawings and explain it all like that HOWEVER!! most of them (everyone who isn't just a pirate, basically) just look exactly like they do in canon so unless I think of anything to add to their already existing outfits there isn't much to do there. SO INSTEAD you just get a mile-long ranting textpost about who each character is and how they fit into the storyline. <3 You're welcome <3 I can draw other scenes later though!! If you've read it lmk if there's a scene you wanna see with the DT characters and maybe I can draw it. 👀

I'm assuming most people out there aren't as obsessed with this story as I am so I'll explain the plot as I go along with each of the characters. Also!! Technically just a Treasure Island story set in the DT universe, so starting off we've got Scrooge and co. living at the mansion (with Della!) all together. I'm not sure how much of the plot has actually happened though (other than that Della is there somehow) because for this story to work they have to have not encountered most of the villains in the series. SO. IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE (which also means appearance for the most part) HERE'S THE CHARACTER LIST AND AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY THEY ARE THAT CHARACTER-

Huey Duck as Jim Hawkins-

Y'know. Main character. The one who always does the craziest things with the worst ideas that end up being the best ideas in the end. Lives at the mansion with his family and such.

Flintheart Glomgold as Billy Bones-

He's a ranting raving pirate who shows up at the mansion someday, saying he heard Scrooge could help him out with something. He's reluctant to say what however, and they let him stay at the mansion because he has money and can basically pay rent for staying. He spends a lot of his time down at the docks looking for something in a disguise he calls 'Duke Baloney', and eventually asks and pays Huey to keep an eye open for a certain pirate with a missing limb. I think it would be funny though if he ended up not dying (and idk how much of the alcohol we're putting in this, I don't think it would work to have him die of a stroke after drinking too much 👀), there's just some other random thing that somehow boots him out of the story for the rest of the time. In a very Flintheart Glomgold manner. I don't think I have a character for Black Dog yet, so that leads us into our next person-

Magica de Spell as Pew-

She's this scary-ass pirate who shows up at the mansion one day looking for Glomgold, gives him the Black Spot and tells him he has until 10 before the other pirates are going to break in and steal the map he secretly has. After Glomgold dies (or doesn't, depending on what I do with him XD) and she does break into the mansion with the other pirates (only Huey and Della were at the mansion at the time and after going through all of Glomgold's stuff- and finding the map- they decide to stay hidden when the pirates show up 'cause they know they can't get rid of all of them), and ends up being defeated somehow (not sure if she should actually be killed or not) when Scrooge gets home and the rest of the pirates flee.

Scrooge McDuck as Squire Trelawney-

You know Scrooge, the second he sees the treasure map Della and Huey got from Glomgold he's already making plans to find it. He sets everything up and funds it all, hires all the crew and has his family come along.

Gyro Gearloose as Dr. Livesey-

His ass is not a medical doctor!!! He still goes along to help out with stuff. I think the only reason it matters what kind of doctor he is because that one time when he gets into the arrangement that he's the doctor for the pirates... technically that could work as Beakley but she's Captain Smollett and she's injured at that time. So who knows. Livesey is supposed to be the more levelheaded of all of them, he's the one who's reasonable and stops Trelawney from being impulsive. HOWEVER with Gyro's actual personality I guess we have to switch that here. XD

Mrs. Beakley as Captain Smollett-

Scrooge is technically funding/leading the voyage but doesn't properly know how to lead a crew, so he asks Beakley to do that for him. She is entirely against going on a treasure hunt, knowing what's at stake with all of the crazy pirates (who aren't afraid to kill people to get what they want) that want this treasure as well, but ends up going along because she wants to make sure everyone stays out of trouble. She does end up being the one who is badly injured during the fight with the pirates however.

Fethry Duck as Ben Gunn-

Ooohh so this is one of those characters who just lines up so perfectly. He was marooned on the treasure island (wink wonk) for two years, and ends up being kind of crazy because of it. He runs into Huey when he's running from the pirates, and tells Huey he's insanely rich and that Scrooge (ik in the book he said Livesey but Scrooge makes more sense in this setting) can come find him if he ever needs to talk about stuff. Huey later ends up taking his boat to get back onto their ship.

Negaduck/Jim Starling as Captain J. Flint-

He's the guy who started this all. It's his treasure that's buried on the island, he's the one who gave Glomgold the map right before Negaduck died. It's most of his old crew who ends up going along on Scrooge's adventure so they can get the treasure for themselves after Flint buried it an didn't tell anyone where.

Gandra Dee as Abraham Grey-

She was one of the crewmates who was initially inducted into the pirate's scheme before she switched sides at the last second to help Scrooge. Ik Grey doesn't really have a big role in the story other than that thing that I literally summed up in one sentence, but maybe Gandra could be given a more important place later on?? I'm not sure.

Black Heron as Israel Hands-

She's a pirate who doesn't play a huge role in this other than when Huey gets back to the ship to take it back from the pirates she's at a low point so she agrees to help him sail it to the north inlet. Once they get the ship beached she tries to kill him, but Huey ends up getting rid of her out of self-defense instead (IDK ABOUT ACTUALLY KILLING HER but y'know if we go by the book it means Huey actually gets to shoot Black Heron 👀). I have to admit she's mostly cast as Hands because there's that one time when Hands climbs up the ropes with a knife in his teeth chasing Huey and if THAT ISN'T THE MOST HERON THING EVER IDK WHAT IS

Mark Beaks as Mr. Arrow-

Yeah he's not an important character, I just think it's funny to have Beaks be the guy who is literally labeled as useless by Beakley the moment she meets him and who also dies by falling overboard before they're even halfway to the island. Like the dude didn't even make it to the first fight.

Okay. Ik what you're thinking at this point. I'm missing a character!! The character who is probably the most important one!! The person who organized the mutiny of the pirates in the first place!! The one who should've been listed right up there next to Huey!! And, I assure you, I'm not. I'm just saving the best for last. 😉

Bradford Buzzard/The Mad Ducktor as Long John Silver-

Yes, yes, I know it makes more sense to just have Bradford as Silver, we don't really need Mads in there. HOWEVER. Silver has been one of my favorite antagonists since I was 7, and Mads is one of my favorite characters of all time now. SO. I'm making this AU even more self-indulgent by throwing him in there as Silver as well. Because I love both of them and I can. AND! BECAUSE!! Silver has a very diverse personality, depending on the situation he's in he can change in an instant to fit whatever works best. So. (that was the tldr, the rest is just further explanation for that) (Oh yeah, they are separate characters still tho they just act as the same character in the au) Bradford is the more cunning side of Silver. He's the one who sets up the mutiny, the one who keeps switching sides to save his skin, the one who is the mastermind behind all of this. The one who comes up with the idea to sneak away with one of the bags of gold in the end, never to be seen again. Mads is the friendlier side of Silver. He's the one who was the nice old innkeeper who was besties with all of his customers, the one who was also best friends with Huey right off the bat, the one who had EVERYONE fooled that there was DEFINITELY NOTHING SUSPICIOUS GOING ON because HOW ON EARTH could someone so friendly be a part of Negaduck's old crew??? He's the one who said he was excited for Huey to get on the island, so he could run through the trees and just feel the life around him. The one who ended up saving Huey from the pirates when they were about to kill him, and the one who even Beakley said she trusted at the beginning. On the other hand, that means he's also the scarier side. The one who threw his crutch at someone so hard it broke his back before immediately leaping on the guy and stabbing him until he died. The one who tied Huey up and angrily yanked him along as they were looking for the treasure. The one who said the rest of the pirates could do whatever they wanted with the good guys when the mutiny happened, as long as Mads got to personally strangle Scrooge (that lines up so perfectly tho 'cause in the book Silver actually says that he wants to wring Trelawney's neck and SCROOGE IS TRELAWNEY AAA). The one who even Captain Flint was terrified of, even though Flint in this story is pretty much the Ultimate Bad Guy who is the reason for all of this happening. IT ALSO WORKS to have Mads as Silver if we're going by my '17 design, who is missing his left hand (instead of his leg like Silver is). He's the pirate who Glomgold told Huey to look out for for him, a chicken with one hand. Because they are the same character they are together a lot, Bradford's the one in charge of everything and Mads essentially works as his enforcer. Which means he's also pretty much Bradford's right-hand man as well. Every time Bradford switches sides to save himself, Mads goes along as well, and because he's the nicer part of Silver he's also the one to smooth-talk everyone into going along with all of Bradford's plans. Soooo yeah, that's it!!! Most of the other characters are just there as themselves, Della and Donald act as Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins with the exception of Donald doesn't die at the beginning and both of them go on the journey as well. Dewey, Louie and Webby are all there too, part of the good guys of course. They could possibly act as Tom Redruth and John Hunter, who were servants of Trelawney's who both ended up dying (THOUGH!! THEY DON'T DIE!! XD). I'm sure there are a few other minor pirates that some other villains line up as. Honestly we could throw in whoever else we wanted as background characters on the journey. Fenton, Duckworth, Gladstone, Lena, Violet, whoever. OH one last thing- I'm thinking of a way to work in Mads' own Lil' Bulb (who I named Blacklight) as Silver's parrot, also named Captain Flint (or Negaduck).

[deluweil]

Despite the promo and the lack of photo evidence of Ryan on set (and idk maybe I'm missing other clues around why some people are thinking coma!Eddie?), the one thing that keeps pulling me back from that theory is the last KR interview where she: 1. acknowledged Eddie had just been through the wringer last season, and

2. talked about him having an upcoming story line where he explores dating again.

Now, the first point doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't do something tragic to a character again, but it does seem unlikely given how right on-the-heels this would be after his shooting NDE and a season that focused on his trauma exploration and his forward path to healing. With the second point... I just don't see how an arc around getting back into the dating pool would fit with another major NDE for Eddie. Like, if the injury we're suspecting is as serious as we think it will be... recovering from that followed by a story line on his dating aspirations feels odd to me?

Hi there,

As for your first point, I completely agree. After the well and the shooting and the hostage situation, and lest we forget the fact that dispatch caught on fire. Just because it was mostly about May and Bobby doesn't mean that it wasn't about Eddie too.

He was the one who discovered the fire and finally realized that being a firefighter is his calling. (God has spoken)

So yeah, doubtful we get a coma!Eddie, also I have to say that since Buck and Tk(LS) are practically on the same scale as far as the writers are concerned it's likely that the coma sequence arch will be Buck's.

Plus, Eddie is pretty much resolved (not completely, but he faced his trauma and came out better on the other side.)

Buck has yet to face his trauma. He's been repressing and avoiding everything, even from before the shooting.

And with the sperm donor storyline that is just an opening for more heartache (donor, not dad) it's more likely that the next major storyline will belong to Buck, it's also been indicated since the beginning of s6a.

Now, as for your second point, it is true, it's unlikely that Eddie will wake up from a coma and say, "You know what I need? To go back into the dating pool."

And to be honest, right on the heels of Buck nearly dying, it doesn't sit well with me, anymore than it sat with me when Taylor kissed Buck in 4x14 while Eddie was still unconscious in the hospital.

But it seems that the writers are too keen on those damn parallels and instead of breaking the pattern, it seems Eddie will look for support somewhere else, while supporting Buck (like Buck in 4x14 and s5).

Now, unless Eddie starts dating men, I see no point in him going into another pointless, chemistry-less relationship with another bland woman. Imo, it feels like a waste of precious minutes. When we could see actual, interesting stories (about our main characters) being told.

So here's to hoping that we get real character development instead of a repeat of last season's pointless LIs storytelling.

Manifest Eddie deciding to date Buck with me 🙏😌✨️✨️✨️✨️

[teamoon7]

In your au, Kim will get a miraculous? Considering all the shit that he done.

Actually, I'm not keeping (most part of) what happened in Derision in the AU!

Thing is: I find potential in the "Chloe will develop as a better person" concept, and I don't think her being such a TERRIBLE person helps her being "redeemed" (or at least becaming someone better) hahah- and I'd rather just not redeem her than redeem her without addressing or writing those storylines properly. I also don't like the original episode, for multiple reasons

So yeah, not keeping what Kim did in there. But that said, I'm not sure who I'm giving the miraculous to besides the main five + Kagami, Luka and probably zoe. I honestly think that "spamming" miraculous holders without giving them a proper storyline that makes each of them unique and that doesn't feels "repetitive" is actually something that kinda "ruins" the magic", you know? If everyone has powers, there is no fun in having powers anymore. The concept of gaining cool powers needs to be something unique for me- like, if a new holder simply transforms without finding it amazing (or maybe TRULY frightening) and without having any difficulties, seeming almost as "trained" as the MAIN holders, than despite the fanservice, what's really the fun in watching this?

So, if I were to choose characters to use miraculous temporarily, I need to follow 3 criteria: 1-Giving them a miraculous that will, somehow, REALLY help them develop something important in their own character arc, and not only be "fanservice"

2-Having a situation in which giving a miraculous to an inexperienced person is, somehow, more worth it than Ladybug or Chat noir simply using them themselves

3-Only giving them to people REALLY not only trustworthy, but also capable of keeping secrets, to avoid the risk of them being endangered in the future

4-Keeping both the enthusiasm of receiving a magical jewel and the inexperience in their actions. They will find what they're going through amazing. They won't really know how to do ANYTHING without help. They won't have experience in battle, unless their civilian forms do train some type of fighting (like Kagami or Félix).

Considering all that, although I have some things already being thought of, it's VERY hard to find reasons to give inexperienced people miraculous. Even when idk, Alya used the fox, what would prevent ladybug for giving her another miraculous when the fox isn't needed? After all, she would have gained some experience. So I would need to find a reason in EVERY new hero appearance as to why were THEY the chosen ones? What would make THEM the best options, between so many others? Depending on the reason you find for that to happen (like idk, maybe "all the other people are unreachable now"), it would just be repetitive. So, in summary: I have to think of some other mechanics for "many holders" being something possible, so I don't have the answer to that question. Maybe he- as well as the whole miracuclass- will be holders, maybe (almost) none of them will.

And even if they do, I'm also probably changing some choices. Although I'll keep the main 7 with their original jewels, many people in the miracuclass might have a kwami swap, if I find it more fitting to the narrative. Maybe I'll even give some miraculous to people who actually aren't in the class and weren't original holders, since I'm adding the special characters (Fei, Jess, etc) in the main storyline, and will probably give focus to some of them (specially fei).

I also don't know if ALL the miraculous (besides the butterfly and the peacock) will be in the main box. Since I'm adding new villains (probably the hardest part in the AU if I'm being honest hahah) and have yet to figure it out how their storylines will go, I'll likely give them some miraculous (or at least one)

So yeah hahaha, in summary, Kim won't be the same almost-unforgivable-asshole he is in Canon, but he also might or might not get a miraculous. Only time will tell

[jeonqkooks]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really wanna hear jks point of view so bad to understand😭😭 but I feel like this all happened bc of overthinking and miscommunication obviously but I’m tryna be on jks side bc I know he’s holding back 😭😭

Jimin is so real for saying what he said bc in all honesty how did jk think everyone else would react to what happened?! I know not everyone knows the details, but if it was someone else instead of him, he would surely see how weird it looks trying to “pursue” yn again

I also read thru all ur drabbles and i remember reading the one abt them talking abt kids and jks inner thoughts abt how he can see how yn is not sad persay, but he could see she’s been hurt in the past and it’s affected her growing up, will that be talked abt in the main storyline?? More of yn’s inner psyche? (Sorry idk how to explain well)

And it’s cool seeing how jk is actually like yeonsu and yn is more like ung. I thought it would be the other way around

Ur writing is so good tho I love it😝😝

Off topic but ‘anywhere but home’ by seulgi feels like it could fit in OBS idk why but just the essence of the song reminds me of the story

i don’t have a lot written yet for the jk centric chapter but is anybody interested in another snippet of it 😬

jimin is so real!! good for him 😌 yeah nobody is siding with jk and he expected it, he knows he deserves all the things that people are telling him, but having shut everyone out for years when it comes to this particular thing, he’s kind of taken aback to have everybody come at him like that all at once lol

i try to sprinkle in at least a paragraph or two in every chapter about oc’s backstory or inner thought process to explain why she’s the way she is and give some insight into the character! seulgi’s ‘anywhere but home’ is def a very obs!oc song! 😬 thank you so much for reading and for being invested in obs hehehehe love u <3

[1d1195]

WHY IS HE LIKE THAT OMG THAT IS TORTURE😭 A girl can only have so much patience! Yes! That line about the Faks was everything! So subtle yet so perfect! Truly did not expect them to go to the hospital like that but it’s so them lol

Men are whiny! But yeah essentially i know what you mean lol 

I'm SO glad meeting up with your high school friend went well! And I hope the one you met up with Monday night went just as well!! Of course I will be sending the best vibes for you bestie when you're with your family because we all know family stuff is so 😭 BUT YES GET THOSE DEALS!! And I think Target has a 20% thing for teachers and students for this week! Is there any book(s) you're excited to read?

We saw the movie “I USed To Be Funny” and “Sam” was the main character so she wasn’t 100% perfect BUT it really makes sense for the plot! It’s not an easy watch since it deals with sensitive topics but it’s not horrible lol Overall she wasn’t a horrible character lol I can only imagine having such shit representation of Sam/Samantha’s! It must be so tiring lol I cannot lie I have disliked Sam/Samanth’s in shows before and irl lol Like I love trash reality tv so Jersey Shore is one of my faves and there's a girl named Sam on there and ngl Im a hater lol

Anyways!! MOST PART TWO OMG SAM 😭 I was so hoping( me being delusional) that they would make up before they started college but alas I was wrong lol But once again I LOVE it for the plot! Idk where to start bestie because it was so good! I loved how long it was and it truly did NOT feel like it was too much! Loved getting to know some backstory for both of their characters! Knowing how both of them were so SAD and hollow without each other was just so hard to read only because it’s just so heartbreaking to see two soul mates being apart 😭 Especially that part with the two little kids like you were breaking ME! But them both saying that they are TAKEN?!😭 hello?!? Now that is so heartbreaking but kinda heartwarming at the same since they truly own each other's hearts😭 also loved that the MC has Addie! She truly needed her! And Carter is so sweet omg! But now…. dare I say I was so annoyed that yet again Lauren was even remotely near harry! And my man is seriously going out his way to see her?! Like i know he’s reaching because he wants to somewhat be close with the MC BUT IF HE ONLY KNEW THAT LAUREN PLANTED THAT EVIL SEED😭I truly wonder if he ever will find out lol BUT OMG I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHY IS HE BACK IN TOWN??? HOW DOES SHE FEEL SEEING HARRY AGAIN??! Many questions lol but you did so amazing Sam! It was so perfect! 

Sending all the love Sam! Hope the week is going so smoothly! Love you lots!-💜

Okay side note i forgot to mention that piece jump… bestie your mind is just amazing! Truly like that alone could is already so GOOD literal chills!!

----

I saw a post that said having a bf is like having a dumb son 💀 I'm just going to leave that there to resonate with everyone 😭 WE FINISHED THE SEASON THOUGH 🎉 I'm def not a S3 fan but I get what they were trying to do. It was a cool season but I feel like overall the pieces didn't perfectly fit together like in a overarching storyline. My bf and I discussed how many seasons we think it's going to be. I'm very much a proponent of don't ruin a show by doing more just because so I'm hoping that tbh it should only be 4. I think that would wrap up things nicely. But he thinks it'll be 5 (which I COULD let slide) or even 6 (which honestly I'll riot). I can't watch Carmy be a dumbass for three more seasons. So intriguing either way though. Very curious to see where it leads!

I had a great time with my friend on Monday as well! Still lowkey dreading the family stuff but trying to be positive. Gotta pack for a long weekend to stay with them. i feel like i bring my whole wardrobe when I visit in the summer because the weather is so unpredictable and I sweat through 20 outfits a day.

YES Target Circle is there for teachers between now and Aug 24. So I have to fill up my cart strategically and figure out what I need. Which means I need to go to my classroom and set stuff up so I can see what I need.

BOOKS. Lord, like all 20 I keep buying. I just got Kate Quinn's new novel. I'm fairly certain I've mentioned her 1000 times on here so I'm VERY excited to dive in on that. I also have The Lioness of Boston and tbh no idea what it's about but I'm a big fan of Boston. I was actually just thinking I have to update the book rec list I have because I thought of like three more books that I LOVED so much but I've let others borrowed them and I haven't gotten them back to look at on my shelf so I FORGOT completely. But I'm also looking to read this never ending pile I've accumulated. Even though I'm doing much better than I was at the beginning of the month I can't really get my brain to read still. But I'm supplementing by binging TV and writing hehehe

Hmm! I will probs give it a watch when it comes out on a streaming service hehehe. In def piqued my interest! Sammi on the Jersey Shore was throughout the first couple years of when I was in high school so it wasn't enjoyable 😭

Sad and hollow is a great way to describe them! I might steal that! Very glad it didn't feel too long! Like it wasn't dragging. I feel like sometimes i just add stuff that pops into my head and I never know if it's really going to enhance what I'm getting at (my bf reminded me of that for chapters in the personal writing workshop he's been giving me that there is no such thing as filler chapters 🙄) But anyway! You know I love to write about little kids and thought it would be a fun little analogy hehehe She did need Addie! And Carter! I almost didn't give her anybody and was just going to make her alone AF. But I changed my mind, I wanted her to have somebody. Harry's got a whole team with their friend group so she needed someone! Everyone who's been reading HATES Lauren so you're not alone. I just like to be dramatic. I hope he figures out she's a bitch 😅👀 Very glad you liked the Jump part too! I was a bit nervous about it being extra or whatever so I'm glad it was nice 😅😅

I think part 3 will answer all your questions! 💕😉 thank you so much for reading as always 💕 Hope you have a great rest of your week and a fun weekend planned!

xoxo

[numericalbridge]

TOH rewatch semi-liveblog. Season 1 part 2

episodes 6-10

Episode 6

- Why is the opening theme such an earworm.

- 'dangerous nomads' ugh

- curious about the special moon powers and how they fit with the rest of the lore.

- Willow is yet again so good!

- Wh... what? Here is Eda, carelessly saying how she would never trust Luz again if Luz messes up and causing Luz stress, even after what happened in episode 2?

And then Eda even 'threatens' Luz - who even closes her eyes in the end - and Willow and Gus have to intervene, but it turns out Eda just wanted them to clean up the house? But, sure, Darius is the evil/stupid/irresponsible one.

And I am sure everyone in the fandom was obsessed with making Eda disproportionally guilty over this behaviour and twisted her whole character to be about it... right? Like, everyone was screaming how Camila would find out about Eda's behavior and hate her? And everyone was writing out their 'funny' fantasies about slapping and beating Eda up? What, no? Everyone declared Eda the best mom and thought she was better than Camila? And jokes about her irresponcibility and mistakes were good-natured and sympathetic? Weird...

(Sorry, i don't want to rag on Eda too much, but the racist double standarts are so, so obvious. Both in how Darius is treated vs Eda, but also how Luz is treated vs Hunter)

Episode 7

- The Bat Queen is the richest demon on the isles? Another thing i've forgotten completely. I kinda assumed she was a weird half-legendary hermit.

- Yeah, to be honest i don't care about Amity's siblings. Actually i think the Blight family should've been just Amity and one of her parents.

- I do dislike the switch in regards of Amity from previous episodes to this one. My problem is not that we see a different side of her or that Luz wants to befriend her after the Convention, but that Willow just doesn't seem to factor in any of this episode's events, and the episode is pushing this 'Amity just doesn't know how to interact with others without being cold because she can't show weakness' - which might be true in general and in regards of Luz, but doesn't work with how she treated Willow in previous episodes especially from Luz's point of view.

And so the switch between Luz calling Amity out in the previous episodes to simply declaring Amity her rival in this one, as if that's the only problem with Amity's behavior, is odd. If any of that was actually intentional and was adressed and there was an equal focus on Luz and Willow's relationship, then this could've been interesting to explore, but if not then they should've changed that first interaction between Amity and Willow. Or, idk, just put some mentions of Amity and Luz's relationships with Willow in the episode.

Because no, i don't think the audience has to be spoonfed and Amity being multifaceted is not the problem, but the show is not that subtle most of the times and this shift seems more unfocused than deliberate; and Luz wanting to make Willow and Amity friends again is also not a problem and makes sense for her character (more about it in Understanding Willow liveblog), but the pacing of the character arcs seem weird and inconsistent/unfocused, and Luz constantly ends up having less meaningful interactions with Willow and Gus compared to the white characters.

-Oh, but you might ask, why do you, numericalbridge, say you excuse Eda and Darius, but not Amity's writing? Well, first i don't think you can ignore the racial dynamics here. Second, Eda is one of the main characters, and we see her in various situations and so we can conclude that, for example, the moment from episode 4 where she 'threatens' King is more of unthoughtful writing choice than anything meant to be revealing about her character. And with Darius it's the opposite - he is not a main character, so his and Hunter's development happening off-screen is much more acceptable, and if you ignore the things that the fandom straight up invents about Darius the storyline is actually pretty streamlined. But Amity and Willow end up somewhere in between, where they are supposed to be core characters, and yet the storyline is neither here nor there, neither simple nor fully developed, and Willow is the one who gets the short end of the stick.

- And the thing is Amity has so much more focus in the first season but then gets less and less and then her arc ends up completed by the end of season 2 earlier than arcs of other main characters (except Gus who just barely has anything😠), and in season 3 Amity doesn't have much to do, but if her and Willow's relationship and the rekindling of their friendship got more even development from early on, then Amity could've been more deeply connected to Willow's arc in season 3 and it would've benefitted them both.

- And the easiest solution to my problem with Amity's arc would be to make the expulsion episode in season 2 about all of the hexsquad rather than only about lumity, and have Amity call out her parents - or just Alador if she isn't ready to call out Odalia - in regards of their treatment of Willow.

- Amity calling Luz a bully is sure a thing

- The rabbit thing serving as a parallel to Amity would've been great if the show was better about Willow and more consistent about Amity.

- I think it might've been better if Understanding Willow was an earlier episode and then this episode happened after, with prior glimpses of Amity trying to befriend Willow and Gus and being awkward about it.

- I think this is the moment where the show starts to drag, and introduces more unfortunate designs as well.

Episode 8

- This episode is so stupid, but the hints at Eda and Lilith's relationship and backstory are good.

- Luz is again very inventive with the idea to light the sign up! She just doesn't think through the more pragmatic parts because she is an excitable teenager.

- Eda is so silly with the body swap idea and the decision is also soooo abrupt, it's almost like something out of season 2b when they were running out of time. I still wouldn't call it the worst episode.

Episode 9

- The first Gus episode! Luz and Gus are so funny together, and it's such a shame how they are barely allowed to interact with each other afterwards. Because Gus is the one with the experience of feeling tricked! He probably was traumatized by what he saw in Belos's mind too! Ahhh😠

- Again, love that Eda is allowed to be angry about school.

- Matt is so manipulative and funny, lol.

- Interesting that Willow is the responsible one in this episode, but overall at this point in the show she doesn't tend to assume the group leader position yet.

- "No one gets left behind" - except all the other students in the detention pit?

Episode 10

-Missed opportunity to have some deeper interactions between Luz, Willow and Gus.

- The Bat Queen's plot would've been so good if not the design choice. Can't believe Hunter's fandom manages to demonize even her in the AUs

- "Yeah, results of Eda's great parental skill" says my note, but i can't remember what this refers too.

----

Conclusion:

This is where the show kinda starts to drag down, and the inability to balance the cast and character arcs becomes obvious. Shame, because Eda and Lilith, Luz and King, and Luz and Willow and Gus - when they are not just there for comedic scenes - are all excellent character dynamics.

[jentlemahae]

For me, the MV was incredibly short. Like INSANELY short to where I went “That’s it?”

Flower was pretty “meh” for me, but All Eyes On Me? That shit fucking slaps. That should’ve been the title track.

I will say that the song really had a different sound to it that I was pleasantly surprised.

However, there were two things that stuck out to me that I didn’t like, or that I think they should’ve avoided with Jisoo.

First one is that her song has an empty chorus. This isn’t bad in itself per se, but it’s just that during an empty chorus, the audience focuses more on the choreography. And her dancing kinda felt stiff during the empty chorus.

The second is the MV itself. Like you said, it’s not very thought-out but it also looks cheap. If I had to make an MV for Jisoo, I’d try to make one with a semblance of a plot, like where she’s the main actress. Instead, they added so many “K-pop in the streets” moments for no reason. On top of that, the teasers made it seem like the video would be set in a traditional Korean background, which would’ve fit Jisoo’s beauty so well and the rhythm of the song and her sining style would’ve reflected that type of atmosphere. Instead, they picked a Western setting with luxurious makeup and clothes. I understand that maybe it’s part of the sponsorships, but come on, I can’t believe that the MV with the self-proclaimed “expensive budget yet” could come out with this.

Also, she’s an actress. There were many times in the MV where looked awkward a few times, especially where she was throwing her hands in the air in all directions. And her facial expressions were very monotone. So, whoever gave her direction for how she should act should be fired.

oh that’s funny bcs i honestly did not like aeom very much 😭 it’s fine, it’s just kind generic for me ? and a very poor choice for the bside imo bcs bsides in a 2-tracks ep should showcase all of the artist’s skills that didnt come off on the tt, and in this case it would have been her unique darker vocals :| and rnb ballad would’ve been a better choice if u ask me 🤷🏻‍♀️ agree on the empty chorus bit tho - i think empty choruses are good if it’s for a main dancer or someone with very strong dance skills, jisoo is far better at singing than performing so i don’t think that chorus style was the right fit for her

also agree on the mv - like we were saying earlier, not having an actual storyline to let her show her acting skills was such a waste. also agree on ur comments :] i think filming the mv in paris was great but imo they should have included lots of traditional korean details in it - it would have been a union of paris and sk, which are jisoo’s strongest markets atm. imo the mv just didn’t feel too much like her, like it felt like something someone else could have done idk

[atdamnbraina]

𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠   𝚊𝚗𝚍   𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚎   𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎

raven   is   a   mechanic   and   explosives   expert   residing   in   ketterdam,   not   asking   questions   for   the   services   she   trades   as   long  as   the   kruge   she   receives   keeps   her    surviving.    expect  she   has   a  gift  that   alongside   her   brain   that   makes   her   works   one   of   a   kind,   although  she   has   no   desire   to   join   the   second   army   which  is   why   she   keeps   that   identity   a   secret.

[widdlediddle2]

I love your art for the New Nine AU! Especially the pantsuit on Amanda, it fits her character SO much better than a skirt. Is there any sort of plot to it? I’d love to hear 👀

SECOND TRY CUZ THE FIRST TIME I TRIED ANSWERING TUMBLR CRASHED ON ME😒😒

OKAY for starters the new nine au is still in the works so there’s not a concrete storyline yet (so there might be some changes in the future) but there is one I’ve been developing!!^^

This au and my future au are connected Ive made the mistake of not putting their tags together but the future au doesn’t happen until Yknow,, the future anyways

The new nine au is basically just canon but they made the new nine witches an actual group (basically just witches that help/protect others)

Akkos the main leader of the group since she was the one that created it. (Shes not very good at being the leader at first so diana helps)

The new nine started getting uniforms and stuff when they were in their senior year so they are more known as a group.

It starts off with small jobs like helping the mayor with a magic related issue, helping with charity work or even just helping others with whatever they need

In this au I like to think that when akko released the grand triskellion and magic spread all over the world she released other magic beasts that were locked away with it.

The monsters appear randomly around the world so the witches go around using leylines to track the beasts

I’ll explain what each of the characters main role is:

Akko: (as I’ve stated before) the leader

Diana: kinda like the 2nd leader to the group, the problem solver

Amanda: basically the person you would want if you need to steal something/ go on a stealth mission with

Lotte: the peace keeper! And she can talk to spirits so that’s a big help when they need information about a certain monster

Sucy: mushroom specialist🙄💅/basically just like canon makes useful potions that will help the group

Jasminka: the muscle of the group!

Constantze: mechanic/ makes tech and machines that help the new nine

Chariot: the babysitter she plans the groups missions and makes sure they stay safe/ on occasion she goes on missions with them if they are dealing with something that can harm the girls badly

Croix: just like constanze she makes useful technology. Also the primary Researcher of the monsters so if the new nine need to know how to fight a beast she’s the one they go to/ also like chariot she goes on missions occasionally

Bonus?

Hannah and Barbara: since they aren’t part of the new nine in canon I really didn’t know what to do with them (sorry Hannah and Barbara enjoyers) but, I think they help at the sidelines tho! Informing the new nine if they find something or help if they need extra backup on a mission

———————————————————————

I really am no story teller so if I made a mistake or if something doesn’t seem right just tell me!^^ or just dm me idk

That’s all I have to share right now! This has gotta be one of my longest post about an au yet! I’m no good at explaining stories in words but if this does get enough attention I might write even more about this au in a later post!

But yeah! If you have any questions about this au or anything you wanna add (I’m taking suggestions on what I should do in this au) just submit something or just put an ask in my inbox!^^

[lovecolibri]

Things that did NOT Spark Joy-4x05

 Fam, I am struggling this season and I don’t know if it’s just because it’s the last season and I’m losing my patience, or if things are getting worse, but I am...SO confused, so much of the time. Which isn’t always a bad thing in shows! They can’t tell you everything in the first episode, you’re supposed to have questions, it’s what keeps people coming back to watch. But RNM has a habit of not giving us answers to the questions we have and after 3.5 seasons I’m losing hope I’ll ever get answers so it’s to the point that having so many questions is no longer fun. On top of that, a lot of the question I have are not about the plot so much (okay they ARE but those are more “why TF didn’t we do/learn this ages ago” or “why is this person involved instead of someone else”) as they are about the mechanics of how LITERALLY anything is supposed to work. The show keeps contradicting it’s own lore, or just, having things happen with no explanation, or we’re randomly TOLD things and not SHOWN them, or pacing issues giving time and place no meaning which affects the audience’s ability to orient themselves with the story. Watching this isn’t like enjoying a good mystery where every new clue gives you more questions (BRB gotta go watch OMITB), it’s like playing a game with a 5 year old who keeps changing the rules to fit their needs leaving the adults to flounder trying to adjust what they already knew to fit the new, contradictory information.

The issues with season 4 seem to be mostly the fault of multiple seasons of bad choices culminating in the mess we have right now. Part of the pacing issue is this needlessly complicated set up for the main group to find out these tidbits of info about Dallas and his history, and these alien pieces, meaning we need 6-8 new and recurring guest characters, and everyone spread out doing different things with the new characters instead of each other. They should have had all these alien prisms as things already in possession by the main group. Eduardo could have the stone tablet thing (instead of sending it to Mexico and us finding out all about his family casita but not why Tezca was even IN Mexico and necessitating that to be a whole storyline in the first place, when Clyde said they were all on the ship with Jones. But also somehow didn’t know about Michael being his son with Nora? ANYWAY), Alex and Kyle could have had the prisms found in stuff from their dads/dad’s bunkers and on the reservation (maybe Gregory had a piece and says mom was holding it for Alex or something last season), or one is something Kyle pulled from Caulfield while he was gathering things up before it was destroyed. 🚗 said she pitched the show with a 5 season arc, and IDK how much Chris deviated from the alien part of the plan but with “the alighting” and “Ophiuchus” being name-dropped every season I feel like we’re still pretty on track, and changes were mostly made around personal drama stuff. So it’s not a stretch, again since things from season 1 are still being mentioned now, to think that they could have been setting this up all along, AND it would be the PERFECT way to keep Kyle and Alex connected to the main story, even though it should never have been a struggle but the show apparently hates joy, and interesting, fan favorite characters. They could have NOT killed off Jones and done *something* to wake him up this season (MAYBE having 1 guest star) and let him do the faceoff with Max. Jones specifically said he was going to go after Alex to get Michael to cooperate and this would have fulfilled that narrative promise they set up on a massive tee and then just....failed to hit, at all. Apparently Liz needs yet another rando scientist or two to work with instead of letting her work with Kyle and Michael again like she did to fix Max’s heart in season 2 even though we NEVER got to see it. We don’t need all these extraneous characters and backstories about them!

All this to say, this is REALLY long, and I have some salty shit to say and I’m going to be bitching about a lot of things I don’t understand and I’m annoyed about so I’m going to put it under a cut. If you happen to have answers, because my brain is swiss cheese about some events in this show (especially when they info dump for a whole episode), let me know! Then I’ll at least have some answers!  If you’re only interested in the joy this show inspires, you can catch up on all that goodness here, otherwise lets dive in to the “clear as a muddy swamp” water. Who knows, maybe we’ll find a tunnel to whatever hole Alex has been kept in for the past month! (or you can go read my life reactions under my “roswell spoilers” tag since I’ll probably be reiterating a lot of it here, but those posts sometimes have memes attached!)

Link to previous episode posts: 4x01, 4x02, 4x03, 4x04

First bit of confusion right off the bat! Tezca saying the blue flame was a Power Jones had and she was able to access the power from Max even though it was dormant. HOWEVER, we never saw Jones use that power. We saw him quite often using regular fire. If we were going with some kind of blue fire, shouldn’t we have seen that at least once last season instead of retconning that it’s something Jones can do that we’ve never seen or heard about? Again they killed Jones too soon and without ever letting us learn as much as we should have from and about him.

Speaking of, NO JONES RESSURRECTION?! *throws phone*

So, Isobel found Cam, half naked in the desert and she was last seen with Max, who no one can find, and Isobel just....drops Cam off with Liz and fucks off to Mexico?! Without even trying to go look for her brother?! Season 1 told us Max could find Isobel even when she was in the middle of the desert and had no idea where she was, even though Max didn’t think he had the same mindscape powers as her, but she can’t rally the troops to go rescue her brother from the clutches of evil which, for all they know, could include Jones since they just found out his body went missing?! The show sidelining Isobel and Max’s relationship is one of their many, many crimes. 

Max says he’s just waiting for the handprint to fade and break the connection. Everyone been knew he was lying about something and apparently Liz is...just going to trust him even when she acknowledges he’s lying to her face which, okay, but Michael doesn’t say anything either? About both the lying which you know he clocked, OR the fact that the handprint fading didn’t stop Jones from accessing that old connection and trying to kill Liz with it so why is ANYONE assuming the print fading will do anything? Or is this just more lore changes we’re supposed to ignore like we had to do last season when suddenly the faded handprint could still come back and kill you?

Michael has once again left someone who was kidnapped to their own devices but at least Eduardo told him too and it was okay though I did think Michael had gotten him untied and he was on his way out into the desert. Clearly he was found by Bonnie and Clyde again, but at the time, no one knew that yet. He could have been back at Deep Sky taking a shower and having a nap for all anyone knew. And yet, after a few hours since he saw him last, Michael is saying they need to stage a rescue op, while no one has heard from Alex in DAYS, even after they called him about a friend’s mom he knew well DYING and no one seems to think it’s the slightest bit odd? Not one single worry about Alex not calling to tell Michael good night, or answering Michael’s texts when Michael asks if he’s still up?! After showing us last season that they call each other just to chit-chat and check in and when Alex didn’t answer Michael went over and when he didn’t find Alex he went to Secret Government Agency headquarters to get to Alex?! *screams into pillow*

WHAT was the deal with the woman in the pod needing surgery?! I couldn’t see any injuries that would necessitate surgery in an unsterile environment with an untrained tech and no medical equipment! Kyle would know better than that and wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t a life or death situation which we are given NO indication that it was! This isn’t even just telling and not showing, it’s not telling OR showing! WHY was that even needed when she’s up and looking just fine? Did Kyle smuggle medical tools and anesthetics (which, he’s a surgeon not an anesthetist) into Mexico? Did he perform supposedly emergency surgery with NO  anesthetics?! No monitoring equipment?! What kind of surgery was it?! Where did the find the silver goo to get her out of the pod?! WHY DID THIS NEED TO HAPPEN when all they needed her for was to tell them about the vault? We could have seen them pulling her out of the pod and her thanking them for rescuing her and doing the vault thing, and then showing them all the journals and stuff! It was SO unnecessary. And if they wanted Kyle and Isobel to do the investigating on their own, why pull her out of the pod at all? She could have been evil for all they knew! Why not leave her there until the figured out who she might be and then have the vault explanation? Also, how did the man who runs the distillery owned by Kyle’s family NOT tell him the casita was ALSO owned by his family?! Uuuuuuuugh!!!!!

The need for alien powers to open the vault was kind of cool but how did the not-alien Valenti’s do it? Did it require 3 of them to be in agreement to open the vault together? If so, why didn’t we hear about that?! Also, how did Tezca (who apparently named herself after an Aztec god even though she’s from outer space and wouldn’t know about them) even know it was in there? Can she sense alien things like Rosa even though this had no alien glass in it? It was smuggled down from Roswell fairly recently so was that something Jim took from Caulfield and gave to Eduardo? Instead of answering any of these questions, we had a whole thing about surgery. 🙄🙄🙄 But hey, at least one of the things the dark triad took was in Kyle's family! Which begs the question(s), why didn’t Kyle or Alex's family have the rest of the glass pieces? Oh right! Because otherwise m*ria would have nothing to do and no connection to the story so everyone else's story has to not make sense to squeeze her in 🙄 We should have been getting hints about this last season when we met Eduardo at LEAST. The main group should have found one or two of those glass pieces and been investigating them in the background (just a mention, some hints to build up to this) since at least last season as well, and they should have belonged to the Manes family/found in Jesse’s bunker, Eduardo/something else Jim left for Kyle, and maybe one on Alex's mom's side of the family from when Louisa lived on the reservation, instead of Patricia having all of them. Because when did Nora make the board? On Oasis? We didn’t see it with her when her and Louisa escaped! In Caulfield? How would Patricia have gotten it then? Why was it not a family legend passed down for m*ria's family if they were the guardians like the Valenti family? Mimi clearly thought Jesse and Jim just got mixed up in something and didn’t know what it was. It's just suuuuch a mess with no build up when it could have been teased from the start! Maybe Kyle found a piece in Caulfield while he was gathering stuff up before it exploded! 

As much fun as learning about Dallas has been, m*rai did nothing this episode but drag his scenes down. She basically served as a rubber duck for Dallas to bounce info off of for the audience. Too bad Lucky isn’t still around, that would have been just as useful but at least enjoyable to watch. The whole symbol conversation was ridiculous given how instantly recognizable it is. As they both point out, before acting like it’s brand new information literally a minute later so m*ria can have an idea about it 🙄  I’m surprised they didn’t end up going to every Christian church in the area (there are hundreds in Roswell actually) because that symbol is everywhere. Apparently everyone and their mother know about the abandoned “church” but somehow it’s still miraculously empty of people or kidnap victims when they show up (guess they didn’t poke around enough to see the chair with rope around it?), and somehow everyone knows about the building but NO ONE knows about the SHED with the big ass TREE in it that grows STRANGE FRUIT?! REALLY?!  And don’t even get me started on the Dallas backstory bit which, while sweet, makes zero sense with the other info we have about the time period and people involved. Did his dad put him in a pod and drive to a different town and put his pod in a lake before he was captured? Did someone else do it? If so, who? How was he out and freely living so long without reconnecting with his triad who were in the area? Clyde says he can feel Bonnie so clearly there is a triad connection! Why didn’t the military confiscate everything in that barn when they took him? Who knows! Not ever, ever us. Again, more questions that only arise because they contradict the stuff we already know.

Should have put in my Sparks Joy post that I would be delighted if m*ria and Dallas end up related? Because as much as I need them to stop using him as a reason to give m*ria screentime, I would absolutely cackle about that development. Everyone wanted her with Iz and they turned out related (but somehow still never addressed how close of relations that made her and Michael), so this would just tickle me to death. 

As much as it’s nice getting SOME pod siblings moments, especially Max and Michael not ending on a fight, Max is STILL using every opportunity to throw Michael’s relationship with Alex in Michael’s face and I haaaate it. Also, why did they not have this discussion at the house? Because they drove out to the middle of the desert to look for Eduardo, and Michael suddenly decided Max needs to be back with Liz. Where he just was. Did Michael kick him out of the car and make him walk back to his house? Did he drive him back the way the just came and then drive all the way back out to the middle of nowhere to keep looking? (With THESE gas prices?!) It’s like they stage these scenes in a place that looks cool without any thought about how they characters got there, who all is there, when it takes place, how they end up where they do next, how long it takes to get anywhere, there is just no continuity!

So apparently squeezing their (alien?) organs produces enzymes that help powers manifest? Does everyone on Oasis palpate their kids organs to make their powers grow? Would doing so to Michael manifest any other powers seeing as how he’s also got DNA from Jones but only ever had the same telekinesis that apparently all aliens have until he found out he was immune to fire. Which apparently also now means he can summon it at will? Would have been nice to see that happening or talked about. Also, with as, frankly frighteningly poor control as Max has, I can’t imagine he’s had all these abilities from Jones and WASN’T basically Jack-Jack from The Incredibles going absolutely haywire all this time. And if all aliens have telekinesis, why did Max and Isobel have to work so hard to do it, when Michael had to work so hard NOT to and still many years down the line slipped up enough that he got branded as having demons?! (they were 7 when they came out of the pods? and 13 at the exorcism?) I want to be more excited about the alien stuff but it just feels like the writers don’t know anything about their own show or lore.

As fun as it’s been watching Liz and Cam have scenes together I’m once again asking why Liz isn’t having these heartfelt scenes with someone closer to her, like, oh IDK, ROSA! Yes Amber wasn’t available at the start but they could have done phone calls and just filmed Liz’s part and filmed Rosa’s later. The show wrapped before it started airing it’s not like they had the episode out before Amber was back on set. Or Michael who would also encourage pushing Max. Oh right, she did get to have her once per season 2.5 minute scene with m*ria to remind everyone they’re BFFs I guess 🙄 Also Liz brings up m*ria losing her visions means she can’t see Mimi anymore, but m*rai lost her visions BEFORE mimi died, and also, she died YESTERDAY. Not that you would know it based on literally anything happening. Also her “seeing the future” has literally never come in handy before so IDK why everyone is so distraught about it now 🙄

Clyde’s character continues to be all over the place, suddenly opening up to Michael, and being chill with Bonnie’s choices, not pushing about what happened with Eduardo, just, GIVING Michael the sky map, like??? Also sticking with my theory he and Bonnie should have been a couple. Also are we just supposed to....forget? that he AND BONNIE joined forces with Jones to commit genocide against their own people? But we’re supposed to buy wide-eyed, innocent Bonnie and Clyde saying the “first time” is always the hardest about her while 10 minutes earlier Bonnie was just saying she didn’t want to hurt people anymore? 

I haaaaate that they are having Max and Cam talk about how she was in love with him (is it past tense if she’s still wondering what could be?), and how much he cared for her too. This should have happened in season 1 or if Cam wanted some space to get over it first, it should have happened in season 2 at the latest. She wasn’t even IN season 3, we are well past the time for having this discussion and now it’s just eating up screentime.

I guess Alex getting kidnapped by Eduardo and then, I don’t know, sitting back and getting his additional soda flavors from the Deep Sky lab techs while Eduardo bonded with the team and helped take down Jones makes him “really important” to Alex. The thing is, I WANT him to be really important to Alex! Alex deserves a good father figure! But we haven’t SEEN it or even been TOLD about it until this moment, when everyone is looking for Eduardo while Alex is currently eating dirt in a hole and no one cares. 

The bandana is still a thing so why did we have to watch Alex take it off and them walk off alone through what looks to be a dystopian-ly empty town square while Jesse’s statue takes up the entire frame if they haven’t talked about it, and Michael’s still wearing it. If Rosa can come back as a Catholic miracle to Arturo and as Rosalinda to the rest of the town, SURELY Michael could get “miracle” surgery?

Max exploding in anger, what else is new? But even worse than him exploding in anger and hurting Liz and then the writers having HER apologize to HIM and decide to take equal blame, is the fact that the danger barely has a chance to register before it’s over. Instead of Max passing out after his outburst, or Tezca knocking him out and Liz getting hurt and Max waking up to Cam trying to keep Liz alive, and being worried that his fritzing powers are going to hurt her more, he just heals her in a blink and everyone moves on. THIS is the kind of drama we actually WANT to see, not the same cyclical patterns of them lying to each other and fighting about what avenue needs to be taken to fix whatever big problem is currently happening. That first healing where Max wasn’t even sure he could do it?! That moment is still amazing, and every time they have him heal her and brush it off it cheapens the power until it becomes mundane and I hate it.

Liz saying they want things to be simpler than they can be just rubs me the wrong way because things SHOULD be simple! Look at Malex! They loved each other even as broken teens with poor coping mechanisms and walls a mile high. Their separation came from outside forces, compounded by their trauma responses and them stopping communicating effectively with each other. Once they moved past all that? It was simple! They still have to work at it, but Michael sounds SO excited and content when he says he regrets not letting Alex in every time he shuts him out, because he KNOWS how good it feels, how much easier it is to let Alex it. But that has never been Echo’s problem. They don’t have outside forces keeping them apart, they have fundamentally different ideas about how to do nearly everything and when they should be pulling closer and working together they are ALWAYS lying to each other and shutting each other out. It’s not “simple” because they...aren’t compatible. And I hate that because I LIKED Echo when the show first started and I wanted to keep liking them but the writers make it SO HARD to root for a couple that can never tell the truth and work together on anything. Also Max is....who they decided Max should be. Remember when he fell all over himself when he saw her for the first time and when he begged her not to die and every time he looks at her with heart eyes when she’s being incredibly smart? If they had leaned into that instead of the “brooding, dark, tortured hero” aspect, he and their relationship would be so much better and more interesting. 

.Supposedly Michael tells Dallas the fruit from the alien tree is fuel, not food? Even though he took a bite? Fuel for...their ships? For their minds? Did Clyde say that? Is this another thing they just pulled out of the air and put in a throwaway line to come back in 4 episodes where we’re expected to remember?

At least according to the preview for next week, that kiss from Bonnie was good for something besides proving that Michael is loyal to Alex, but honestly we should have seen Clyde say something to Bonnie by the end of that episode asking her like, a vague "did you do it?" and her saying yes and looking upset about it, and then seen Michael cough or something. Then this whole episode we should have seen a little something in each of his scenes, not much, maybe a sniffle here and a cough there, or a shiver, but something so that when he collapses at the end it all comes together. But we only saw his powers flicker once before that last scene and that was it! I honestly thought when I saw that, that we would find out there were alien flowers or something in the cave damping his powers. Instead they just had a kiss happen out of nowhere and then circled back 3 weeks later to make it into something different. As heavy handed aa RNM can be they somehow fully missed out on foreshadowing this. Like yeah it's a day or 2 in show time, but 3 weeks for the audience.   Also, Michael hasn't really been physically hurt since the shed and Alex isn't even there to catch his boyfriend when he passes out?! Alex isn’t there when Michel gets to sit and look up at the map to his home planet?! This is Michael all alone after finding out Sanders wanted to adopt him all over again.  

Speaking of Alex and the show missing opportunities, we are 3 full episodes and a month for the viewers past Alex getting quicksanded and you STILL want me to believe Michael isn’t the slightest bit worried about not hearing from Alex? I get that they need Michael to go nuts at the right time since apparently Alex is missing for quite a bit of the season and they needed Michael to be doing other things, but that’s like, SUCH an easy fix?! We JUST saw Michael being worried he messed everything up and Alex saying he trusts their relationship to be okay even if he’s gone for a bit. Michael being worried but forcing himself to push it back because he thinks he’s overreacting makes PERFECT sense for him! We should be seeing him leaving a couple messages every episode, updating Alex on what’s going on and sometimes just inane things like making fun of something Max said. We should see him talking with Dallas, and Liz, and Max about being upset Alex isn’t answering but how he thinks he’s overreacting until finally he says something to Kyle and Kyle validates that Michael’s not overreacting and he’s worried too. We should be feeling like the Jaws theme is playing in the background and watching the knowledge that something has happened to Alex getting closer and closer to their realization. Even if for some reason we couldn’t see Alex (though it’s the same thing as with Rosa, if he’s in a hole, they could shoot him alone in whatever space they are keeping him at a later date since the whole show wrapped before airing), we should be seeing everyone else, but especially Michael feeling his absence in every single episode.

Finally, and much as I’m ready to FINALLY get the Kybel train moving, I was absolutely correct that it would be rushed and either they wouldn’t get together until the end, or they would shove them together RIGHT after the breakup and either way it wouldn’t feel like the story Kyle and Isobel deserve. I guess this is the better option as we have more episodes to enjoy Kybel content (that is, if they don’t decide to be awkward about it and Kyle doesn’t get quicksanded with Alex to keep them apart), but BOY does it feel cheap to not only have them getting together within about 24 hours of Isobel breaking up with Anatsa, but also to have IN THE SAME EPISODE, in the span of a few hours, Isobel going from crying about driving the best relationship she’s ever had off a cliff to “she wasn’t my person”. And Isobel brings up something Kyle said two full seasons ago as like, a reason she never thought he was an option, but she was off hooking up with someone else that night, so how are we the audience supposed to connect that blip of a moment that I do not remember to Isobel liking Kyle this whole time but thinking he didn’t like her? AGAIN, this is something we should have been seeing hints of since that episode or at the very least had Isobel mention something last season before going out with Anatsa about thinking he’s not an option for her so she’s going to take a chance on someone else. It’s just so frustrating that all the tiny crumbs are being held up like, “look this has been here all along!” because the writers are bad at their jobs and can’t seem to hit the broad side of a barn-sized emotional beat to save their lives.

Finally finally, here is a live reaction of us waiting for literally anyone to care about Alex because if I don’t laugh a little Imma tear my hair out

[lesbianmarrow]

i watched legends of tomorrow 5.12 “freaks and greeks” i enjoyed it a lot :) it is so bright and colorful and wacky, which is nice since last episode was very spooky and sinister. i enjoyed the college setting even though it was nothing like my own college experience it was still very fun to see. i also liked the focus on astra and on sisterhood/community, and how those two story elements came together. very nice episode :)

astra is the greatest i am already so down with her joining the legends. especially bc she’s so tall and she makes everybody else look short. this episode does a really good job of exploring how unmoored and out-of-place astra feels now that she is no longer a crime boss in hell or working with lachesis and instead is allied with a bunch of people who were her enemies. she has the trauma survivor problem where she has the skills she needs in order to survive in the situation she has recently left (literal hell, in her case), but she doesn’t yet have the skills she needs in order to get by in her current life now that she has left that situation. so she’s cruel and aggressive and independent, but only because she had to be. but now she has to learn to be different. 

astra accuses the legends of not accepting her as she is and trying to change her to fit in with them, and that’s not entirely untrue. but as charlie explains, the legends are very accepting of difference and only want to help astra become more functional and happy in her new life, and that will inevitably change her in some ways, but that’s not a bad thing, and she will still be her. i really really love that this episode explored the dynamic between astra and charlie, as that’s a dynamic i was really looking forward to seeing. if there’s anyone who understands the pain of being betrayed and manipulated by lachesis it’s charlie. and she also had a rocky start when she first joined the legends. it’s also kind of neat bc i feel like there havent been 2 Black women on this show at the same time so that’s interesting to see. i guess there was amaya and kuasa but they had a very different relationship. 

i think it makes a lot of sense that the legends would create a sorority in this episode since the cast has become so female-heavy in this season. it just makes sense to focus on those bonds of female friendship for an episode. i like how the legends’ sorority is a place where people can just be themselves instead of forcing themselves to fit into the standards that the other sororities dictate. it’s very in line with how the legends are all about helping each other to be their best and truest selves. i feel like this storyline shows how community is so important and you need the support of other people in order to thrive. and then the emphasis on finding community with other women is also really nice. idk i just liked it. and i liked how zari was especially excited at the idea of forming a sorority. it was cute. she looked nice this episode and also i liked her flirting with constantine a little. hehe

the mick and lita stuff continues to get me in my heart....i think it’s really good how this storyline thematically ties into the main storyline about not caring what the wider society thinks and just being yourself and knowing that the people who care about you will love you for being yourself. i know i keep saying it but it really is such a queer theme of this show, the importance of finding your found family and disregarding the people who look down on you for who you are. for this storyline in particular there’s also a class aspect which i think works really well. and since mick is an ex-convict it’s also a little about that. i just love how this father-daughter relationship is developing i just think it’s so sweet and touching always ;-; 

um i don’t think i actually have much else to say. super exciting that everyone is gonna be immortal for a day. can’t wait to see how that goes down