#maybe I would believe this scene more if the writers chose to actually DO something with kai and skylor instead of nothing

[viewlumia]

Behold, my least favorite line in the entirety of Ninjago!

[hiitsm]

Transient Connection: A Meeting of Worlds

You meet a beautiful woman at your workplace, who isn't a professional actress like you.

Fluff

Note: I'm not very well-versed in the acting world, so it's not described in great detail.

Request here

-

You just stepped out of the small makeup trailer, ready to shoot a brief scene. However, you didn't know who you would be acting with. You were aware that a character would be making a cameo, but no one had informed you which character or which actor or actress would be playing the role. This lack of information left you feeling annoyed, as you needed to know for your preparations.

You practically sprint to your manager’s trailer and burst inside. "Valentina, I love you, but please tell me how I’m supposed to prepare without knowing some important key information," you say, your voice a bit raised, though unintentionally.

You’re just a little nervous. This is your first big movie, your first major role, and hopefully, your first big breakthrough. While you’re not entirely unknown as an actress, having played roles in small series, you've never been the lead. This is different, and you want everything to be perfect.

"It wasn’t finalized until just a little while ago. She almost got cold feet and didn’t want to do it anymore," your manager Valentina says, her attention focused on her managerial tasks. Valentina is more like a best friend to you, and her multitasking nature is something you've grown accustomed to.

"That's just great," you say, rolling your eyes sarcastically. The last thing you want is to play this role with an unprofessional actress who would rather not be there. You believe that someone who is fully committed deserves the role. But maybe that's just your selfishness talking.

"I think she’s a professional football player. Everyone on this set loves her, really," Valentina says, wiggling her eyebrows at you.

You walk over and playfully smack her arm. "Why would they hire a professional football player? Doesn’t she just want to play football?" you sigh heavily, worried. The last thing you want is for this to go badly because they chose a football player instead of an actual actress.

"Just have some faith in the writers and everyone else who thought this was a good idea. And be nice and kind, just like your mother taught you," Valentina says, pointing at you accusingly.

"I’m always nice and kind. And since when do you talk about my mother? You don’t like her," you retort, taking a bite of your banana to fill your stomach before heading on set for a few hours.

"We both don’t like your mother," Valentina adds, raising her eyebrows. "But she did teach you manners, so use them." With that, Valentina hops out of the van, and you follow right behind her.

"We will first have a reading with her and her manager, getting to meet them now," Valentina tells you, almost running, which is unusual for her. You think maybe the two of you will be late, because Valentina never runs.

"I did hear that she’s very pretty," Valentina turns her head towards you, waggling her eyebrows even more.

"Of course she is, Val. She's a professional football player," you reply, shrugging your shoulders a little. "Maybe she has a nice manager," you tease, and before you can add anything else, Valentina shoves you while you're running, almost causing you to trip.

"Ah, there are the two of you. We were already wondering where you were," you hear a man's voice say.

You find yourself staring into a pair of beautifully greenish eyes.

That's not a man, you think.

Momentarily lost in their captivating gaze.

Where did the man's voice go?

Her eyes are stunning, and you can't seem to look away. Lost in your thoughts and dreams, you only snap back to reality when the man's voice returns.

"Hello, my name is Joseph, and this is Alexia," he says, indicating the woman with the enchanting eyes.

Ah, there's the man. Her manager.

Valentine nudges you slightly, bringing you out of your trance. You extend your hand for Alexia to shake, then Joseph's. "Hi, my name is y/n," you say a little sheepishly, feeling completely out of character. But as soon as you notice, you push the feeling aside, eager to make a good impression.

Valentine talks all three of your heads off, explaining a little bit to each of you as you walk to get the reading done. Alexia is walking beside you, and when you glance down at her hands, you notice they shake a little. You assume it's from nerves, and an urge to help her feel more at ease washes over you.

"Have you ever done something like this before?" you ask her softly. She blushes a little, quickly becoming shy. "No, this is all new for me," she says, with a hint of irritation.

You realize she probably doesn't want to be here, she just wants to play football. "You want to be back on the football field again soon?" you inquire quietly, careful not to overstep.

"Si, but we're in America right now, and my favorite football field is in Barcelona," she replies, her confidence growing at the mention of Barcelona.

"I love Barcelona. When I'm off, I love to go there," you share with a smile, watching as her eyes light up. You decide quickly that you want to see her eyes like that more often.

"Barcelona is great. I'm glad you like it already," she responds, wearing a huge smile, visibly more at ease.

"We both flew in only a few hours ago, so we are both a little bit jet-lagged. We have a strict schedule, in four hours, we need to get on the plane again because she has an important match in two days," Joseph tells Valentine.

You almost feel sad hearing this. You only have a few hours with her. But you can't dwell on it, right? You're a professional actress playing a scene with a professional football player who is now dabbling in acting. It's only professional to play the scene and part ways again after.

"The two of you can prepare for you seen there" Valentine's points to the secluded beach. It was be a beach scene anyway. Just a small talk scene. But you still notice that Alexia is appearing very anxious so you will still try and do you best to ease her nerves.

"The two of you can prepare for your scene over there," Valentine says, pointing to the secluded beach. It was going to be a beach scene anyway, just a small talk scene. However, you still notice that Alexia appears very anxious, so you resolve to do your best to ease her nerves.

The two of you walk over to the beach and start a small conversation. "So, if you're a professional footballer, what brings you to acting today?" you ask, hoping your tone sounds as kind as you intend.

"Just for the brand," she replies curtly, but you sense there's more she wants to say, though the words don't come out.

"That's nice," you respond, unsure of what else to add.

"I just want to play football, but this is part of it too," she says, her gaze shifting to the waves crashing onto the shore.

"I understand that a little bit. I love to act, but I don't love the interviews and all the promotion stuff that comes with it," you admit a bit shyly. This woman makes you feel shy, which is unusual for you.

"Yeah, I feel the same," she says, finally meeting your eyes again and giving you a big smile.

As you arrive at the beach, you initially wanted to offer her some acting tips, but you realize she's doing really well. The only issue is that she's a bit shy and awkward. However, with the preparation time you have, you know it's going to be okay.

The two of you were feeling at ease in each other's company, chatting about everything and nothing, and laughing a lot. She made you feel special, a different kind of special. After a while, Alexia received a phone call. You could only see a lion emoji as the caller ID, no name.

"Lo siento, that's my best friend," she said as she picked up the FaceTime call.

"Hola Ale, have you made a move on her yet?" you heard through the phone, and Alexia's cheeks turned bright red. "I mean, you love that show and you always tell me how good she looks," her best friend added, unaware that you were sitting right beside her.

"No, sí, no, ella está sentada a mi lado, idiota," she responded, switching to Spanish in her embarrassment.

"Well, just to let you know, she just picked up all her stuff from your apartment. I just wanted to tell you. Have fun!" And with that, the phone call ended abruptly.

There was a moment of silence between you two—comfortable for you, but maybe not for Alexia. You tried to break the silence without crossing any boundaries. "So, who picked up stuff from your apartment?" you asked quietly, hoping not to be too direct.

"My ex-girlfriend," she replied softly, and you noticed she wasn't ready to discuss it further. The silence settled in again. After a little while, you saw a tear streaming down the right side of her face. "Is this okay?" you asked, moving your finger toward her cheek to wipe it away.

"Sí," she said, looking out toward the shore. "Lo siento, she just hurt me a lot," she whispered, barely audible.

"It's okay to let yourself feel your feelings," you said gently.

"But I don't want to feel so sad anymore," she whispered again.

"You know what usually helps me feel a bit better?" you asked, and she shook her head softly. "Dancing on the beach. Come on."

You put a random song on your phone and started to dance. Alexia looked up at you with wide eyes, then a bright smile spread across her face as she watched you dancing so silly, so freely, so uncaring of what anyone might think.

"Come on," you encouraged, holding out your hand for her to grab. She finally took it, and both of you ignored the tingling sensation that passed between you. But you both felt it.

You didn't let go of her hand, and the two of you danced freely to the music. You were laughing and smiling, feeling an unburdened joy. It was wonderful to see her eyes light up and her smile brighten the world around you. Hearing her laugh was like music itself, a melody of pure happiness. Watching her, so beautiful and full of life, you felt an incredible connection growing between you.

"Are you guys done?" you hear behind you. It's Valentina, and you give her an annoyed look. She smirks at you, clearly aware that you've caught feelings for the blonde professional footballer rather quickly.

"Just a second, we'll be right there," you say, gently pushing her away from the beach.

"Hurry up!" she playfully screams back at you. You roll your eyes, but when you turn around again, you're greeted by a breathtaking sunset you hadn't noticed before due to your dancing.

Alexia stands there, bathed in the warm glow, looking stunning. You wish you could do something, wish you had the courage to ask her to spend more time together. But you also know she's heartbroken, so you decide to give her the space she probably needs.

"The sunset looks beautiful," she tells you.

"Yes, it does. Do you want a picture?" you ask, and she nods excitedly.

It's a beautiful moment, and you secretly hope she'll share it on social media so you can see it again, maybe a thousand times more.

"Gracias," she says, grateful for the offer.

"Now, we should go shoot our scene." She grabs your arm and pulls you with her, and you follow, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

-

Maybe a part 2 in the works if y'all want to?

[halfetirosie]

🔥😅♨️ #SquadGoals ♨️😅🔥

(Exercise 10 - 13 React-os!)

1) OH SHIT, THE PROPHECY IS TRUE!!!

✨ THEY'RE GONNA LET QUINCY GRILL!!!!!! ✨

His Dad Energy™ will be off-the-charts!!!

2) PFFFT!!! 😂

You're getting too predictable, Dante!

Nah but, it will never stop being adorable how well Eiden knows his bois.

Plus, Eiden worked Dante-Teasing™ into his explanation so seamlessly, he doesn't even give him time to react before moving on! Outstanding move! 👌

3) Blade's Robo Abilities validating all the fanfic writers once again--

Kinda interesting that Yakumo gets nervous on boats. Maybe it's just because he's never been on one before? Or because it's so different from his natural environment, he instinctually dislikes it? 🤔

4) The return of Peepaw Kuya that canonically hates water!!! 🤣🤣🤣

He's gonna do his Ghost Bullshit of popping up behind him any second now, just watch-

Yup, that's our boi! 😂 Looks like Kuya's getting too predictable, too!

Kuya's like the fuckin Lord Voldemort of this universe. Don't say his cursed name!!!

5) That's kinda funny--- they accidentally re-created the Pokemon Starter Trio (except instead of Yaku for fire/red it's Dante)!

BRUH.

If I ever had to compete against their team--even if I were physically on-par with them--I would be hella intimidated. 2 of the 3 of them are insanely competitive by nature, and all three of them are workaholics that treat everything seriously. 😨

Not to mention, knowing my luck, I'd get stuck on a team with one slacker and one...shall I say....under-skilled person. Just, based on my history with college group projects... 😭😭😭

6) I am suddenly reminded of the crazy Australians/Floridians that wrestle crocodiles...on purpose...

(⊙ - ⊙)

...I better see fanart of this scene, or else I'll be disappointed!

I can't even blame Eiden for his awe at this weird-ass/random/kinda-funny situation, cuz I'm right there with him!

Also, Impromptu Fish-Wrestling is cool and all, but when do we get to see Quincy grill???

7) 🚨 I CALL BULLSHIT!!! 🚨

Pleaseeee. ( - _ - )

You expect me to believe that Garu and Yakumo, with their yokai-senses, would actually get caught off-guard by a random animal or something? Or that Kuya would honestly believe that??? Him, the one constantly hyping up yokai and their superiority????

...Yeah, that too. Kuya ain't that nice.

He's 100% the smartass lazy kid in the group project that shoves all the real work onto the other members, while pretending that the task they chose is actually difficult/time consuming when it actually can be completed in 5 minutes.

8) Always a fan of 🐾 Cat Dad Dante 🐾 moments! ♡♡♡

I'm also a huge fan of Sooley's thematic accessories!!!

I fuckin called it, dude!!! I knew Dante was jealous of Topper getting to have stylish outfits!!!! (And on that note---who made Sooley's lil' bandana? Eiden, I assume? 🤔)

9) Leave it to Dante & Co. to militarize cooking! 🤣🤣🤣

(ㆁ△ㆁ)

I mean, look at this shit! How are they so insanely coordinated?? Did they practice the choreography?????

10) (◔_◔)

Dante, babes, this situation isn't serious enough to justify one of your classic cheesy one-liners...

(Has anyone else ever commented on that? How Dante says a ton of cringey shit (affectionate) that sounds like it came straight out of an anime?)

--That won't distract me from his impressive skills, tho. I mean, I already knew he had some cooking knowledge from Frozen Echoes (in that side-stroy where he goes ice fishing and then cooks the fish with Karu, Blade, and Eiden).

But this isn't just the rudimentary "cook a thing over a fire until it's not raw anymore" sort of situation---this is an actual understanding of how to cook something and why you should use certain methods for the best results.

My mans is fun to tease, but honestly, he deserves more credit!

Go off, king! I'm proud of you!!! ♡♡♡♡♡

11) ---*snort*---

I'm sure this is still a compliment to Dante, but Eiden just can't resist goofing on him, huh? (≧∇≦)

🔥 End of report! 🔥

[maygrcnt]

been reflecting on the season a lot recently and on the topic of bucks bisexuality storyline, and i think ive come to the conclusion that theres maybe some catastrphization on the part of people who think the arc is horribly written, but also other people seem to be looking at it through rose tinted glasses and accepting anything given to them just because the storyline was such a long time coming. And i’ve had a hard time with figuring out why both sides of these takes just bother me so much so i sat down with my thoughts while work was slow and i rotated evan buckley in my mind until i had coherent thoughts

When it comes to the self discovery of it all i think that is probably the best thing the show did with the arc. episodes four and five were ultimately huge successes in my opinion on the topic of bisexuality. My main issue with this part of it is not specifically to do with the bi-ness of the storyline but the show in general. The show, showrunner, and Oliver want us to believe this storyline is different, that this is the one that finally changes everything, and I fully believe them in that being their intentions. However, they didnt show that to us well enough. The show has a glaringly cliche formula when it comes to buck and eddie love storylines that i used to think was intentional parallelism but now believe to be a writing rutt that they can't seem to break out of. They meet the partner, they have a romantic moment, something gets in the way of that romance, they meet up at a restaurant to “start over”. Ali, natalia, ana all follow this exactly and taylor sort of. its just tired? And the fact that this is exactly how buck and tommys relationship starts too just makes it so i cant convince myself that this is any different than before. Like i said i truly believe the writers thought they were pulling buck off the hamster wheel and the commentary outside the show tells me that he’s supposed to be doing something new, but they just can't escape their own romance formula enough to actually do it in the TEXT. and one thing about me is i think when it comes to TV, a viewer response lens is the most important way to analyze the story. the intention of the writer doesnt matter as much as the interpretation of the viewer because the average viewer of prime time television isnt reading tim minears interviews or listening to the podcasts oliver stark does, theyre tuning in at 8pm est and tuning out at 9. to conclude on the topic of bucks self discovery arc, i think it was done well. i think this is a general consensus, i feel like most people who think the storyline went sour still believe that episode four was done well at the very least

when it comes to the coming out of it all, this is one spot where i believe there’s some catastrophizing. the storyline had to choose carefully who got the long coming out scenes and i think it’s crazy to say that they chose wrong. do i wish there was a little bit of a longer beat with both hen and bobby about the storyline, yes absolutely. but i don’t think scenes with buck sitting down to formally come out to them would have been either necessary nor in character. bucks strongest canonical ties are to maddie, eddie, and bobby. two of which he never felt the need to come out formally to either by the way. i think a lot of people wanted to see more hesitation and fear from buck about his sexuality, but what they decided to show us instead was a man who realized something new about himself and immediately understood that the people around him were going to love and accept him no matter what. the only slip we see in this confidence is around eddie where… im trying to keep this analysis unbiased by non canon things so im not going to get into what i think of that but… in any sense bucks coming out moments were not about coming out at all but instead always about him being loved by his family. i rate this part of the storyline 10/10 because it all felt so natural and real for someone who has the support system and love that buck does (not saying it isn’t hard to come out even when people are supportive, just that i get why it wasn’t hard for buck). the storyline matched the character really well, but if they were to give the same easy breezy coming out arc to a character with the same backstory as say eddie then i would understand the want for more turbulence.

now the most polarizing part of the storyline for sure is the “established relationship” part of the season i guess you could call it lmao. my personal main complaint here is that we immediately lose any and all insight into the *new* of it all. if you want to make a big deal about this romance storyline being different than the other ones, you actually have to show us on screen what’s DIFFERENT about it. it doesn’t bother me so much on a relationship side of things because the relationship isn’t my personal cup of tea, but i think it would have been nice to see more scenes focused on the reasons this relationship is something new for buck. i’m not a tv writer, i honestly don’t have a suggestion for scenes that could have made this better for me. i think a tone thing is big part of it, if they lightened up tommy’s interactions with buck made him a little more flirty and lively it would have felt truly like a new relationship still in the phase of navigating a new dynamic rather than. well it doesn’t matter what i thought the relationship felt like by the end that’s not the point here. another place i feel like they could have put some more effort in is the bobby of it all, he was very preoccupied but their conversation felt stilted and not actually how i imagine it going. when it comes to the acknowledgment of bisexuality and newfound personal experiences i rate the end of the season: bad. i don’t think this was by virtue of the show not caring or wanting to portray the storyline anymore, but just by virtue of the entire end of the season being… kinda bad.

finally the finale, oh the finale… i swear im trying to come at this as unbiased as i can when i talk about the BT dinner scene but just know that i didn’t like it and that may bleed through. i think it was unfavorable of them to frame this scene the way they did. by having the scene start en media res and having us jump in to the dinner already in progress it feels disingenuous, because now im supposed to believe buck left the hospital, cooked an entire meal, set up a date, started eating and only THEN was the topic of bobby’s health brought up? it feels like this scene was written in a way that it would be for a well established long term couple, not a new relationship we’ve barely seen on screen. in this very scene is the first time tommy even learns what bucks relationship with bobby is like, this is very obviously not a deep connection yet so why are they being given the framework of it? the show is telling us that this relationship has gotten more serious without any proof and i find it very hard to believe them. i think there’s ONE simple change that makes this scene work 100x better and makes me feel like buck is actually settling into the relationship rather than having to take tim minear word for it: just start the scene with buck coming home to tommy! if buck is just getting home from the hospital it doesn’t feel as out of character because there’s less assumed time where buck is for some reason not worried about bobby, which he WOULD be don’t even try to tell me he’s not. and if tommy is already in bucks apartment when he comes home we learn so much about their relationship with such a small gesture. that buck feels comfortable with him there, that tommy feels comfortable alone there, that they spend time there often enough that tommy knows his way around. it just feels like this scene was written in good faith but the forgetfulness by the writers on the overall context of where this scene was in the episode created a strange tone in which i’m supposed to believe evan buckley would ever plan a romantic date night while bobby nash is literally comatose. thoughts on the bisexual storyline in the finale: no. i’m not gonna get into the daddy issues line of it all because that’s a lot more opinion based and it would make this like double length. ask me about it if you want i guess.

all in all, i think there’s … a lot that could have and should have been done differently in order to maximize the goals and effects that tim continuously told us he was trying to achieve. when it comes to carefully telling a story of late life sexuality discovery, i think they did well. when it comes to most other aspects, i think the ball was dropped. pls feel free to send messages or asks regarding this topic because i think im still developing thoughts on it and id love to have conversations regarding :)

[peraltiagos-paper-rings]

the more I think about it the more it just annoys me what they did with roykeeley in s3…throughout the whole show it really seemed like they were building up to them being together and staying together, yeah they had their issues and setbacks but they were working through them together and could’ve continued to do so. but then in s3 the writers went “whoops lol actually they broke up!! will they get back together???? maaaaaybe…or maaaaaybe not…who knows?!?!?? 🤷‍♀️🤪”

obviously relationships can have their ups and downs and maybe I wouldn’t have minded them breaking up if the subsequent will-they-won’t-they teasing ending in an ambiguous “maybe” hadn’t just frustrated me…especially since in brendan’s AMA he says they were “exploring the love triangle trope”?? in the finale???? when roy keeley and jamie have never been presented as a love triangle before…keeley dumped jamie halfway through season 1 and chose roy and stayed with him until season 2 without ever seeming to doubt her decision or have lingering romantic feelings for jamie (apart from sleeping with him once to make roy jealous). jamie moved on and didn’t seem jealous over roykeeley to me, he went to check if roy was ok when he heard they broke up and he said in s2 that he respected their relationship and also if he really felt that keeley belonged with him wouldn’t he have tried to make a move on her when roykeeley broke up?? but he never did?? apart from that “I still love you” comment at the funeral in s2 but he apologised for it and said that was just his emotions being all confused and messed up from being around dead people or something didn’t he? and as for roy, his s1 rivalry with jamie was never about a girl and his jealousy was more about his self-hatred and not feeling like he was good enough rather than believing he deserved keeley more than jamie or whatever.

overall I just never got the impression that roy keeley and jamie were ever a love triangle, it really seemed to me that keeley and jamie’s relationship was over and roy and keeley were going to stay together - it felt even more official with the addition of having scenes with keeley and phoebe, making it feel like keeley was becoming part of roy’s family. i just felt it was dumb that they would bring up a rivalry again and make keeley have to choose one of them or neither when it seemed like she already chose and also jamie and roy had such a nice friendship going, why would you ruin it by having them fight like teenagers over a girl?? and in brendan’s AMA he said they wanted keeley to have this independent girlboss ending where she don’t need no man because she’s keeley fucking jones and like…yeah but?? she can have both?? she can be an independent businesswoman AND have a relationship?? being in love isn’t bad or anti-feminist, sure she doesn’t NEED roy or jamie to feel fulfilled or complete or anything but it isn’t bad for her to WANT one (or both!) of them…she was still keeley fucking jones when she was with roy, he said so himself!

in conclusion yeah it just felt pointless and annoying to me as well as unsatisfying to build up my expectations for them to be together and then end it ambiguously…especially after teasing that they slept together after roy’s love letter apology only to then be like “actually they’re just friends now” and then have roy say he wants to be more than that…but then an episode later they’re still not back together. feels a little bit like I rooted for them and believed in their love for 3 seasons but was rewarded with nothing. well not nothing I guess but like, they were the one endgame I was sure of and now you’re telling me they might not even be back together???? there was no ending where they kissed and made up and worked things out together????? and maybe they needed to break up so roy could work on himself and keeley could focus on her business but they both did that and they STILL didn’t get back together???? ugh

[darkfire359]

Thoughts on e6-e7 of The Terror

Continuing my first watch of The Terror, I just have to say... holy shit, that carnival!

I could tell something was going to go horribly wrong with how generically spooky it was, and I'd heard some vague spoilers of Dr. Stanley being a bad guy with respect to it. But he just straight-up arsoned the whole place in the most horrifically premeditated way possible. Possibly the most terrifying thing I've seen so far in the show, because while the Tunbaaq isn't real, overcrowded events with poor escape routes definitely are.

Also shocking was the fact that the guy Hickey stabbed there was an accident! I saw a second of that scene in an AMV pre-watching and I assumed that it was Hickey murdering things up Hannibal style. But actually Hickey was frantically trying to save the lives of everyone there and actively warning people that he was cutting through the tent. I cannot believe how much context completely 180'ed the meaning of that shot.

TBH if I hadn't watched e7 immediately afterwards I'd have wondered if the whole "Hickey is the show's villain" thing was an elaborate trick the Internet had agreed upon to prank new watchers. Even with e7 (when Hickey kills Irving and Farr) it seems hard for him to surpass Stanley's villainy? Maybe I'll be surprised.

The fact that the writers chose to have Hickey be the one coincidentally outside the tent, trying to save people, is... interesting. It's not that Hickey did anything particularly impressive or selfless what with moving the crates out of the way and cutting the tent open. But it's definitely a choice to make him more sympathetic (it could have been anyone outside the tent, in theory). I feel like I actually believe Hickey when he said that he found the dog with a broken leg (if he were lying, would he have admitted to killing the dog at all?) Relatedly, I'm glad we haven't heard anything more about the ship's cat—the dead dog and monkey were sad enough that I'm glad to be able to pretend that (somehow) the cat is happy and safe.

Also someone called me a Jopzier truther after my response to e1, and I was like "IDK, I don't even know these guys," but yes I 100% do ship Jopzier now. Jopson was so sweet taking care of Crozier when he wasn't feeling well! Plus Jopson was like "🥺🥺🥺 You didn't let me shave you or help you put on your underwear? 🥺🥺🥺 Plz dom me, sir, I can't function otherwise." and Crozier literally responded by promoting him. I feel like that might not have been what Jopson was aiming for, but still, sweet! (I started searching for Jopson content and immediately found Jopson/Hickey art, which I apparently also ship now despite first liking Jopson for the Jopzier angle.)

Speaking of shipping, I'm increasingly appreciating Goodsir/Lady Silence. You go girl, be the big spoon to your scared little man! I'm sure you two aren't doomed by the narrative at all...

I'm also disappointed that for all the fan content I've seen about Fitzjames's gender feels, he apparently doesn't even WEAR the dress? He just holds it up in front of himself??? Tragic. It looked like there were people in dresses at the carnival too, so he totally could have gotten away with it though only metaphorically; he literally might not have been able to escape the fire otherwise.

[asmallmoon333]

Hi!!! Just wanted to pop in and say that I love Time Speaks so much and really admire the effort and thought you put into every chapter. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you go about writing and planning? Every chapter is just so well organized and the caliber of writing, plot creation and character study is just amazing, you are an extremely talented writer 💜 💜💜

I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer this. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to say, you asked my Achilles heel :'D

First of all, thank you for loving my writing <3 It makes me happy to write, and happy when people enjoy it!

So here's what took so long lol: describing my writing process. So, the process itself is more like a domino effect than a plan. Or maybe like a growing seed. I know the main "what is going on here" of the world, so I can stay within those boundaries, but the plot itself develops mostly as a series of consequences. Each lifetime has a theme that I have a vague idea of where it's going, but I don't plan chapters out in detail, I don't plan lifetimes out in detail, nor did I plan all the lifetimes in advance. I usually only know as far as what the next life will be like. I also always knew the ending, but there were a thousand paths I could have taken to reach it, because its an ending that is inevitable simply due to who L and Light and everyone else is.

Now, when it comes to the details or character interactions/development, those usually just develop while I'm writing. I sometimes joke in my notes that 'Lawlight made me do it' or 'they wanted to go this way' and I'm partly serious about it. Usually the conversation just flows and interactions just happen as a consequence of them as people. They, to put it honestly, write themselves. One character says something, and the other responds in the way 'they' would respond, and this happens in a world where every action and reaction is a result of multiple character motivations. My plot is not so much planned (outside of the Big Things like where they are and why the loops happen) as it is just growing with and around L and Light.

Basically, in my writing, I follow the 'rules' of the world (unmovable rules, like gravity's existence) and also the 'rules' of each character's personality (Like Light is petty if he can get away with it). We got through ten lives because of who L, Light, and everyone else are as people, instead of who I planned them to be and to become. And we got to our current point because it's what they chose to do. And yes I often know the choice they made and the repercussions of it chapters in advance, so it feels planned, but it's really just.... half-planned I guess? Sorry lol I'm making no sense.

It all feels like a cohesive whole because this was just where they were always going to end up, simply due to them as people + the basic rules of the world I created. It feels like it was planned I suppose cause it was a slow, gradual, and organic change of them as people. L and Light are reacting to the world rather than being led by a plot.

So at its core Time Speaks is the story of "L and Light are in a time loop, and this is how they'd react to that." And then combine that with "This time loop exists because of this reason, and this is how other characters react to that."

The story is just me doing my best to write the motivations and consequences of a whole bunch of characters' choices, again and again and again. And the hardest part is keeping the details straight in my head, while trying not to force the plot to go a certain way. I'm actually quite flexible as a writer and something massive changes happen in the moment cause it feels more organic to go that way instead of following my vague, preconceived notion of where it was going. (This has made me sad sometimes cause I've wanted to write a whole bunch of scenes that never saw the light of day cause they simply didn't work anymore.) Instead, of forcing the plot to go as I believe it should or sometimes even as I want it to, the characters have to be the ones to choose. (Cause I personally would have taken the loop as a happy thing, an eternal playground, and not bothered at all to investigate why it was happening; I would not have cared lmao. L and Light are different.)

My writing at its core is, I suppose, respecting the characters' choices. (And keeping all those choices in mind, cause the details are sometimes so complicated :'D )

So, yup, here's my incoherent mess of an answer, hope it made some sense!

[star4daisy]

Wife on her duty as a perfect wife i'm!

For the asking game, babe. Give me what i need... 3, 4, 14, 17, 19, 30, 35, and 43 (even tho i already know the answer).

Lov u sfm🖤

omg it was a joke luv <3

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

I'm the worst person to answer this I have no process sometimes I plan everything out and then write based on that and actually do what I planned, most times the characters take life and change everything and I keep trying to go back to the original plan and sometimes can still fit some things, usually not lol when I have time I just go with the flow and then if I'm interrupted I have to write down what I want to happen next otherwise I will not remember when I open the docs again, on the good days I write without actually thinking about it so I don't remember it well just feels like my fingers can't type fast enough lol very automatic

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

(I think I've answered this before in a better way) everywhere, things come to me at the most random times, usually when I'm daydreaming before falling asleep, sometimes by other books, tv shows or music but mostly it just feels like I spent six years of my life repressing my creative side so I could do physics and calculus so now that I'm letting it loose it's running wild lol

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

I don't write emotional scenes, I can't do emotional or vulnerable therefore neither can my characters which is why I mostly write from Barty/Evan's pov lol it's a different type of emotional I guess I have a dificulty in making my characters say I love you, I just cringe so badly. I don't feel what they feel at all lol and the only personal experience would be from emotions like anger

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

inspiration never lacks the problem is the lack of time, but when things aren't flowing I stop and go watch something, read or go to the gym until my mojo comes back

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

Morally Ambiguous Characters and Graphic Depictions of Violence

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

sometimes I just post the draft lol I cannot re-read things before posting so the first few people reading are definetly getting screwed over sorry, but then I feel the pressure of having people seeing all my mistakes and it forces me to go polish it

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?

question what are his motives and why did he chose that path and maybe not make him one-dimensional like his whole purpose isn't just to go against the hero, make him compelling, make us believe in why he chose that path make us understand him and feel sorry for his motivations, I always like that lol

43. Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" kind of person?

Definetely the first, I'm very disattached to death, I have cried in very few fics and it's not when people die lol sometimes living is more painful so I never expect people to say they cried and when they do I'm always in shock

thx <3 I thought this was gonna be harder lol but maybe I just didn't answer as I should lol

[bubblyshortie]

oh i see you finished 2521... well you see the ironic thing we found that they wanted to do this whole "realistic" thing but the main couple who literally formed a deep connection and understanding and bond before they were even together, talked through things... just somehow couldn't make their distance work at the time?? but also how is it realistic for them not to end up together but the couple that got together based off vanity got married and endgame like?? lmfao. yeah i didn't like the ending. i enjoyed it until ep 14. the last 2, they can keep. you can't show me the whole series that they are capable of understanding each other on that level and end it like that. the scene of them crying holding on to each other, they legit did not want to let go. in the end, it was the writers who desperately wanted to fit this weird narrative and had to make them act out of character for it to work. i legit enjoyed the show and its lessons but that was not one of them. plus, if they actually wanted me to believe heedo moved on and accepted it, why is everything around her a reminder of yijin? the colored chairs, the naming of her daughters ballet shoes where she wrote on it like yijin did her sword, her face when she hears his name... like? the problem i had with this personally is, when two people like /them/ like that.. with respect and understand of another, i dont see this ending being realistic in any way /for them/ like ive been in a bad relationship where the communication wasnt there etc & the basic opposite of those two and he was my first love and its more realistic for us not to have worked out and we didnt. but THEM? no.. i won't accept it and i would never accept this ending *sigh* sorry saw ur post and something made me angry all over again. the show def has replay value though i watch it when i want to feel encouraged like heedo or find my way again like yijin. i'll never forget those lessons, but i will forget the ending.

dude, the fact that i never thought about this point of view, but i agree with everything you said... like, you opened a whole new door for me and i will gladly get in

you made a really good point right there, so im afraid i wont be able to add up more into the argument

but, i want to highlight what you said about them not being the kind of couple that would end up like that. exactly!!! their characters were designed in a way in which it doesn't make sense they didn't end up together. almost as if the screenwriters spent more time justifying why they're meant for each other, instead of making up good reasons of why they had to break up

portraying how couples, as much as they can love each other, may not be together forever is a worthy lesson, someone's gotta talk about it!! that's what's more common between real people! and it's okay!!! but they didn't do it right in this story. they could've shown a couple with more downs than with ups, a couple that maybe didn't try enough, etc. but these guys, heedo and yijin, prioritized communication, naturally understood each other, they tried so hard because they loved each other and they chose to love each other every single day

the main difference between yijin and heedo's mom's actions is that yijin did tried. for instance, if he ever couldn't arrive at time, he would go to her house anyway... and heedo was truly okay with that because she understood him and they appreciated each other's effort no matter what. that was until the screenwriters remembered they were supposed to break up.

that last hug showed how the characters didn't want to break up, that reason wasn't worth-breaking-up enough for them

so, yeah

sigh

[gaiamossiah]

Very random but hear me out, this has been in my mind for a while and finally for the first time since 2010, i can finally talk about it.

The only thing i didn't like about the 2006 animation of D.Gray-man was the filler episodes of Lulubell chasing the cross team. Actually, separating the group as they travel to get to Cross was NOT a bad idea and is actually kind of a good way to introduce Lulubell. BUT the way they got separated is quite dissatisfying 😅 like, would Lenalee really fall for something like that?? You see your double, won't you stay alert and keep your distance? Allen's eye is not reacting, yes but of all times, do we forget the Noahs now? Lenalee has been very helpful and reliable prior to this filler arc, she of all people would be on guard in this peculiar situation. Curious, but ON guard. There is so many ways to prove she's the real one haha and the writers just chose not to do it. For the plot, i guess. So i was really shocked to see them make her fell in the trap in that way. A noah popped out, out of nowhere during the Rewinding Town incident... Why not now when the Earl has officially announced war against the Order? And they are on their way to meet a General which Noahs seems to be targteting and with Allen?? The guy who can differentiate akuma from humans??? And he already met a Noah before this?

[I was actually doubting myself because i discovered that some filler episodes aren't really fillers but scenes (or at least based) from DGM Reverse, the light novel so it's not in the manga but still written by hoshino at the very least??? (the arc with Mother and the broker doctor as an example) so i was worried that that arc and lenalee being like that is actually canon but I've yet to find any written official content with it so i guess it's safe to say that the lulubell arc was really a filler. ]

That stupid act of pushing each other in circles can easily be avoided by Lenalee. I don't really get why would she go along with it instead of pushing those arms down and stop the nonsense.Tricking Arystar and Allen (with him used to relying in his eye) is one thing. But Lavi, Bookman and Lenalee??? Maybe Lulubell did such an amazing job on shapeshifting that the Bookmen, with their awesome eyes (Lavi found the real key in the Noah's ark, right?), weren't able to point the real one, i can accept that. But the pushing around in circles sh*t was beyond me. 😮‍💨 They could have done better, Lulubell could have done better. I know this sounds stupid that I can't specifically say exactly what they could have done instead but at the back of my head, i know there's a better way to do it lol. Specifically the part wherein Lulubell causes the confusion of which is who.

Haha idk it just felt like a very desperate attempt to make Lenalee look like a damsel in distress 😞(she is not btw, if there is any confusion) i kind of believe that any lenalee hate that i see mentioning that's she's like that pink-haired character from another anime, started from this arc. The portrayal was so poorly done. Which evidently clouded most people's reactions when Lenalee suffered after losing control over dark boots after the Level 3 fight.

Tch, my girl needs more respect!!!! Would you not be frustrated if suddenly you can't fight? Would you not cry if you see your teammates get injury one after another and you can't do anything because apart from losing control over your weapon, the enemy has started targeting you cuz your condition seems special?? Thuuuus having your already injured friends protect you, too???!!

I have so much more to say but I'll stop here before i offend anyone 🥹 thanks for reading if you did (hopefully no one does, i just want to get this off my chest)

[achillesmonochrome]

The end of an Era?

I didn't want to make any posts on my own or talk too much about it because for the respect I have left for this show, I kind of preferred just move on and not give it any more of my attention.

But then the Kiss with the Bees happened and even if I don't ship it anymore (oh that shit sailed A LONG time ago,) I was curious enough to start tuning back in.

And oh my, I don't regret, and is not for any good reasons.

What a shit show, I left this show at the beginning of volume 7 not because I was angry at their stupid ass decisions or they did something problematic (because I would had left even earlier if those were the reasons.) I just, legit couldn't be bothered.

I stuck with this show for as long as I did because I was a fan since the second trailer, I was part of the early community in the Latin American fandom, I did edits and fanfics of this thing. I rarely watch shows when there is still nothing of them yet and I was hoping if I saw this from waiting for the first episode to the final conclusion, it would be an experience to stick with me for a long time.

Yeah I chose the wrong show.

Because ADHD brain, I rarely stop watching things as a conscious decision, it ultimately ends up being me forgetting when something is coming out because I don't care enough for it. So for me to pause mid episode, and just decide not to bother anymore, was a big deal.

I ended up watching back when the Kiss of the Bees aired for a couple of things.

I never thought they would actually do it and they would just continue queerbaiting.

I was curious if they actually stuck the landing, considering I stopped shipping them years ago I wondered if they could actually turn it into something good.

Did I watch from the last point I watched to be up to speed? Pff no.

Watching the bees scene alone felt a bit odd since there are a few things that DEFINITELY felt like they are talking about someone's else love story, and other moments that didn't make sense to me. And after doing some digging watching the rest of the volumes actually makes the scene worse because at least I could pretend they had a good development.

Of course I caught on the other shit show parts, and decided to tune back in not because I thought it was interesting, but because the whole thing with Ruby and the Ever After made me wonder what kind of bullshit they were going to do next.

And oh boy, that ending didn't disappoint in that aspect!

I was laughing, like a lot, because a bunch of shit just didn't make sense; like hey maybe is my ADHD or english being my second language but what part of the anything that was happening to Ruby on the other side made her decide she wanted to be herself?

I could go into more detail into things that don't make sense, but really that's why I was laughing my ass so much.

So much shit happens and goes just because, and at this point I can only laugh at the dumbass writing decisions this show has.

Like I cannot believe that not only, this is the shortest season, the one rw//by fans needed to wait the most for (which yeah, covid, I will not give them grief for that part) but it ended up being all for nothing?

Again I understand that they may need to have a shorter season or take more time because of the pandemic, but what part of that means having a season that is practically just filler?

I swear is so hysterical I'm laughing.

In my opinion, there is no saving for this story. The villain goes into "It's so powerful it's a nightmare's writer to find a way how to defeat them" territory which I can't believe how fast they nosedived into that (Shonen villains normally take awhile before resorting into that shit thanks to the constant power scaling,) the story just keeps getting more convoluted and nonsensical and let's not talk about the characters.

And as funny as I find all of this, part of me is a bit sad you know? I cannot watch the trailers or the earlier seasons without feeling extremely sad at seeing all this potential turn into this.

Because don't get me wrong, the earlier seasons are not masterpieces or anything, not by a long shot. But there is a charm in the simplicity and over the top battle choreography; even when the story was about some teens fighting monsters on a special school, you could laugh with the characters and get a good time.

Now? I honestly thing, canning the show would be better outcome for this show, because there is no way to wrap up this nicely, and considering how much they are dragging this show even if they got all the seasons they wanted, I doubt it would be better.

One thing I must said, as a positive.

Thank RW//BY Volume 9, for teaching me how to watch shit ironically, that's the best I got.

Also, I like the music, I really hope the composers and singer can go to better places because they deserve better.

No idea if this show is actually canned or not, or if RT would go down (which honestly, I think they need to considering the systematic abuse the workers are facing can only be over with the company gone, because it really doesn't look like anyone is getting better there.) And the show will die from it.

Who knows? Maybe since they are owned by Warner, someone could bring back RWBY and know what to do it.

For now? I can't believe I am saying this, but this story may be better being canned that having an actual ending.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

this is going to be a long ask so i apologize in advance, but i'm still confused about ichiro and samatoki's side of things regarding tdd's disbandment. why was it that they chose to let ichiro have jiro and saburo back even after he lost? i understand that nemu was already hypnotised at that point but why would they have samatoki lose nemu no matter what the outcome was? i might have missed something but jiro and saburo somehow coming out completely unscathed (i don't think chuuohku would have hypnotised them so for lack of better words that'll do) felt like it was forced due to them later joining buster bros. maybe i'm looking too much into it, but regardless the hypmic manga does have plot holes sprinkled in so i can't help but overthink this when it doesn't really seem fair (which, while chuuohku seems like the evil bad guys, i don't think their main goal is making everyone in the main cast absolutely miserable.) this in turn confuses me even more because everything that happened on this side of the conflict felt unnecessary. it doesn't really give ichiro an actual reason to hate samatoki's guts besides losing respect for him, and chuuohku's actions just feel targeted at samatoki.

so i guess in short, i'm asking about your interpretation on samatoki and ichiro's conflict at the end of the tdd manga. my rambling might be hard to understand as my first language isn't english but i hope this gets the point across.

The real life explanation is that the TDD breakup scene was probably planned very early on in Hypmic - I believe it was first shown in December 2018 - and like many early Hypmic things, not all the implications were fully considered. Hypmic in December 2018 when the TDD breakup was first hinted at was significantly different than Hypmic in July 2020 when the TDD breakup finally appeared in its complete form in the manga. By that point in time, it’s possible that the writer’s goals had shifted, leading to an extraordinarily contrived scenario. The TDD breakup as a whole feels like a really epic scene you’d imagine in your mind but then have to construct an elaborate, unwieldy setup to make work.

In universe, the Samatoki and Ichirou fight was a trial run for the DRB system as a whole. Otome wanted to see if men would rap battle each other for entertainment purposes, and as such, she had no desire to actually harm Jirou and Saburou or remove them from Ichirou’s care. 

I agree that what Chuuouku did was unfair to Samatoki. They couldn’t take Ichirou’s siblings since, as you mentioned, the Buster Bros are a team in present day canon. Additionally, they wouldn’t be accepted into the Party of Words as they’re both male. My assumption is that the Party wanted Nemu anyway and simply chose to kill two birds with one stone. Nemu is a high-ranking officer in present canon despite her age and short amount of political experience, so she’s clearly being favored in some way.

Ichirou’s bone to pick with Samatoki is that Samatoki chose Nemu over Ichirou’s brothers, and Ichirou, who at that point in time had made his life’s purpose be protecting his brothers, felt like that was a betrayal to his deepest core value. Because Samatoki willingly chose to hurt Ichirou’s brothers (never mind the fact that they were fine) meant that Ichirou had to make Samatoki his enemy or else change his core sense of identity.

[lovelycleon]

So I decided to make an analysis about the last scene of Infinite Darkness

But before I start with the fun part, I just want to tell you that my history with “angst ships”

I had a bad experience with another ship, soul mates full of angst tropes and true love, beautiful... and a really bad ending because the showrunner fought with the actors (I wasted years watching and I regret it).

Anyway, after suffering that kind of pain, no other ships and angst scenes can hit me hard enough. I'm numb or just got used to it. You choose.

So maybe the scene of Leon and Claire's argument wasn't that impactful for me because of that. But for all the fans who felt hurt, I understand and it's okay to feel that way, because the scene was meant to hurt. The scene exists because of that. And your feelings are valid.

So let's get to the fun part.

spoiler alert, it's not that fun, it actually hurts 😅

The scene starts with Leon going to meet Claire at the gates of the White House.

I don't think anyone denies the fact that, whatever Leon is doing, he just wants to protect Claire. And he doesn't want her involved because of it.

But this dialogue makes this even more evident if we analyze how it begins.

Nothing in a show or movie is by accident. Everything is handpicked for one reason or another. The meaning is not always that deep, but there is still a meaning behind it all.

So when – of all the ways a conversation can be started – they decide to make Claire joke that she sneaked out of the hospital, Leon takes it seriously and she has to clarify that it's a joke, there's a reason:

Show that Leon is taking what happened to her too serious, and Claire not that much.

When Claire makes a comment about when he's going to stop treating her like a kid and he says probably never. There's a reason:

Show that Leon wants to protect her (or being overprotective) and Claire doesn't like it.

Of course, some might argue that this specific line is capcom trying to show that their feelings aren't romantic and sink the ship completely. And, ok, people are free to think that.

But if they really wanted to sink cleon forever, they shouldn't have done the scene of Leon saving Claire the way they did. They did it because they knew it would tease a certain part of the fans... They knew exactly what they were doing...

And there's simply no reason to tease a ship you want to sink.

So no, I don't think that's it...

For me the scene means the classic and simple: "stop being worried about me🙄" "noooo🗣️"

Another way to intensify Leon being overprotective is Claire's broken arm. A reminder that she was injured following his plan. Just as she was hurt the last time they saw each other in Harvardville.

And yes, I know Degeneration made Claire hurt to take her out of the action. It is undeniable. But somehow I don't think the same situation and reason applies to Infinite darkness.

Because Claire was already out of combat, following Leon's plan and showing no intention of doing anything different. It's not like she's going to attack the monster that is several platforms higher than where she is. She couldn't fly around and there were no guns where she was anyway.

So why hurt her to get her out of combat if the story itself has already done that?

Again, you are free to think differently. Capcom made Claire dirty, she was underestimated and they wasted her potential. I won't argue with that, I'm also on the team Claire deserves better.

I just don't think it fits this specific situation.

The injured arm is there and a awkward conversation about Leon being overprotective starts because of it. I think it makes sense.

So moving on.

Claire mentions the chip and Leon looks disappointed for a moment and says he thought they were going to dinner.

This is to indicate that he didn't come to see her with the intention of breaking their friendship. Leon just wanted to spend a good time with her and nothing more. Some place a little more normal, maybe?👀

But Claire wants the chip and tells Leon her plan. The same plan that Shen May was killed trying to convince her partner to follow. Is there a parallel here?

The only difference is that Jason broke her neck while Leon decided to break Claire's heart.

Okay now I could show more parallels between them, but I won't because this is already too long and I know maybe I'm reading too much into this. Resident Evil isn't that deep most of the time 😂

Anyway, Claire asked for the chip and Leon said no.

And that's the point, right.

The climax of the conversation and the turning point in their relationship.

Note that Leon took a few seconds to say he couldn't. That was the moment when he made his decision...

He went to meet her for dinner, remember? He didn't expect to have this conversation or make a decision like that. But he had to.

Now, I'm not from the US and I don't trust politicians in general, fiction or not. But I admit this sounds realistic.

Just imagine if the president makes a speech about peace and prosperity and whatever and the next day the media reveals that members of the government are involved in BOW and planning an attack on another country.

At the very least, it won't look good.

In the worst case, it will be a catastrophe 😂

So... I don't agree with Leon, but I understand why he chose this.

It's an important decision, however. And how long it takes him to say something and how he's quiet after saying it shows he knows what's on the line. Not just the security of the country and “peace”, but also his relationship with Claire.

And despite everything... He didn't lie to her.

It would be much easier for Leon to simply say "the chip was destroyed in the fight" when she asked. Claire would never know about it and probably never doubt him. And they would still be fine with each other and having dinner.

But he didn't lie. Why?

Because their relationship is not based on lies. And it's not based on betrayals.

And while it may be hard to believe right now and it hurts to think about it, this relationship is still based on truth and trust in each other. And now their relationship is being tested.

It's easy to trust someone you're on good terms. How hard it must be to trust someone who has let you down.

There is a lot of room for development here.

Obviously Claire felt hurt in this moment. Maybe even betrayed. Heartbroken. I think we all feel that same way.

But Leon played fair there. He said he had the chip, showed it to her, and then said he wouldn't give it to her.

He was honest with her. And this act also shows respect.

They are two people with different points of view and that truth hurts.

There is silence as they look at each other. She never asked his reasons and he obviously never told them. The exchange of glances is enough for them to understand what was happening.

When Claire says “you do things your way and I do mine” it's almost like “do you know what that means? ”

Then Leon nods and another moment of silence. The time they need to accept that the relationship is broken.

Now that's angst

Interesting choice of camera angle. Showing her broken arm as a visual reminder of why he was pushing her away like that.

Claire leaves, but looks back and says again that his outfit doesn't suit him.

What's interesting here is that the director has done a few interviews over the past few weeks and he always said that the suit is a representation of Leon's position in government.

Claire commenting that it doesn't suit him is basically the writers/producers/directors admitting that this position doesn't look good.

And while all the characters praising Leon for his success, Claire is the one who sees this reality and who he truly is out of the suit (position)

And that's good angst.

Claire walks away and Leon with a sad look watching her leave and he has to say to himself "I will stop this".

Could it be just one of his one-lines? Yes.

Could it be a way for him to remind himself why he's doing this, even if it means sacrificing his relationship with Claire?

It's already done, now he has to make it worth it.

Whatever happens after that is a mystery.

I don't think Claire believes that Leon is going to cover up the government's involvement in things (their discussion would be much more intense if that were the case), she probably thinks he's going to resolve it internally without taking anything public, which is precisely what she wants to do.

I also don't think Leon believes Claire is going to give up on the investigation, he probably thinks it's going to take some time to her to get real evidence and he has time to carry out his plans.

But this is capcom... They are masters of forgetting plot points. So who knows.

Angst is only good if it has a good closure. I hope they keep that in mind.

In any other tv show that used this kind of angst trope and drama I would be completely fine...

I would expect a sequel to this plot. The characters find each other unexpectedly, having to work together and acting awkwardly because they don't know how to stick around each other after the argument. Then the story would develop and they would gradually mend their relationship.

That's the trope.

So that's all I can hope for.

[purpleheartskies]

A main reason I'm not looking forward to s5 that much is because it seems like there are going to be these forced "family" scenes with Johnny getting his ideal "family" and Robby getting shafted as an unwelcome afterthought in this "family".

If the characterization of Robby's traumas aren't minimized as he is tacked onto Johnny's ideal "family", then being around Johnny and Miguel is going to toxic and triggering for Robby, especially since now he'll be forced to witness firsthand the bond that Johnny built with Miguel and not with him. For example, Robby will have to sit and listen as Johnny and Miguel recall good times they've had together because Johnny did a whole bunch of activities with Miguel that Johnny never chose to do with Robby. A lot of fans will probably want Robby in those scenes to be happy and laugh along with Johnny and Miguel and maybe even say something like "Hey, Dad! It's cool you abandoned me and didn't care about doing any of those things with me, but atleast you did them with Miguel. I especially loved how you choose Miguel over me over and over again even though I needed you because I know I wasn't worth it to you, but Miguel is worth it to you and that's all that matters. Ha ha ha 😁" But, since we'll probably be stuck with these types of scenes, then I atleast don't want the writers to minimize Robby's traumas for fans who want Johnny to be rewarded for abandoning Robby in favor of Miguel, but to depict the true impact of Robby having to be in this situation with Johnny and Miguel. It will be heartwrenching to watch, but I want realism in this because this shit is real for so many people and shouldn't be made into a joke.

Johnny isn't going to care or acknowledge Robby's feelings while Johnny forces Robby to be a part of Johnny's ideal "family". We already know this because he's going to be tricking Robby into going to Mexico with him just to look for Miguel without even caring how Robby feels about it. And it seems like Robby will force himself to be a part of Johnny's ideal "family" just so that he can get whatever scraps of love and attention he can from Johnny.

It's so dissappointing. Since s1, I've been hoping that, when we finally got Johnny and Robby bonding scenes, it would be about just them and be really great and awkward father-son bonding scenes. But from what we know, it's just gonna be more crap of Johnny mindlessly running after Miguel and now Johnny's having Robby run after Miguel too, risking Robby's life for Miguel's, so pretty much choosing Miguel over Robby again. It seems Johnny's also going to force Robby to be a third wheel in Johnny's relationship with the Diazs if Robby wants to have a relationship with Johnny, which is so sad because Robby has always wanted a real relationship with Johnny but now Johnny is allowing it but with this condition.

I don't know... maybe we'll get some good Johnny and Robby only scenes that are just about them and their relationship. So far it's been so few each season, that we fans who actually care about Johnny and Robby developing a healthy, non-toxic relationship feel so let down. Their scenes have always been and will continue to be so much more meaningful than Johnny and Miguel scenes have been or will ever be. The writers owe Johnny and Robby's characters, especially Robby's character, atleast more screentime of the two of them focused on about just them, but actually they owe Robby's character so much more because Robby is Johnny's victim and Robby deserves his ideal family as the ending to his story and doesn't deserve to be forced into Johnny's ideal "family", which Johnny the deadbeat child abandoner doesn't deserve. Why people believe a deadbeat child abandoner should be rewarded for traumatizing his child for over 17 years is something I will never understand.

[beepboop358]

I'm the anon about the queerbaiting.. What I meant was it wouldn't be queerbaiting if Byler does NOT happen because all this queer coding would turn out to have been accidental. Yes I've seen your Byler slides and to me the only real intentional hints are those about Will being gay, and maybe having a crush on Mike. The rest could just be accidental, or a case of apophenia. For example the eyewitness parallel, I'm sorry I don't think the Duffers have even seen eyewitness. They usually reference movies in ST, not TV shows (see the Video Store Friday). (Also, every person claiming Mike is gay seem to have forgotten about his reaction to seeing El looking like a girl for the first time, with the dress and wig. I'm sorry but if anything, Mike is bi). But even then, my opinion is that the writers just wanted to depict a beautiful friendship between two boys and we took it to mean something else. That being said, maybe they realized the potential of this story and decided to actually go there in ST4, which is why I still have some hope for canon Byler. But I really don't think queer Mike was intended in S1,2,3 (and yes I've seen the evidence). Too many things would have been different if they wanted to go there, and we would have the same amount of hints for Mike than we have for Will (I'm talking in quality, not quantity). Thanks for answering these asks by the way :)

hi again anon!

I don't think there's any chance it's accidental because it's just so intricate, you know? And I really don't think it's apophenia because all that queercoding stuff I talk about in the slides, is really there in the show. We're supposed to pick up on it. I don't think we are turning this into something else at all, because all the stuff we claim as proof is not made up it's really there for us to see :) And there's just so much of it.... And this all has to go through several different departments, to even happen in the first place, so everyone on set knows about it. Like the art department has to know Mike is gay to put up that rainbow heart drawing and Will's drawing in El's room, set designers have to know Mike is gay to give him rainbow bedsheets, the costume designer has to know Mike is gay to code his clothing (like dressing him in the colors of the gay men's flag), the editors have to know Mike is gay to do the music coding, the writers obviously have to know he was gay to write him as queer coded, etc, etc, everyone involved in this production has to be on the same page, and that is how we end up with so much evidence and queercoding.

I think if they wanted to just depict Will and Mike as friends, they would not use rainbow imagery for both of them, and they wouldn't put their relationship into romantic contexts. Like paralleling Will and Mike to Dana and Venkman from ghostbusters in s2, and so much more :) That's an iconic 80's classic that almost everyone watching the show knows, it's a very visible romantic parallel with Mike & Will. Like they could have written the season so Mike and El were paralleled to Dana and Venkman, but instead they chose to have El away from Mike for pretty much all but 5 minutes of screen time. Also most of the slides are actually about Mike being queer coded, Will actually has less queercoding in the show, but because he has never shown any interest or attraction to girls, I think it's much easier for people to accept that Will is not straight, than accepting that Mike isn't either.

I totally understand what you're saying about Mike possibly being bisexual, and that's a very real possibility! I personally think he's gay rather than bisexual, because of how he acts in season 3 displaying comphet and internalized homophobia. I mean...that opening make-out scene in s3 is so queer coded towards Mike I still can't believe they did that LOL. The drawing of Will's on El's wall, the rainbow drawing with his name like the one in his basement in s1, taking her hands off him as they kiss, the "just a little more time could open closing doors, just a little uncertainty can bring you down" lyrics are just so GAY omfg. I read an article once (I forget where but I'll try to find it) where someone (it might have been the music director?) saying they search for the perfect songs for months, so that song was definitely intentionally picked for queercoding that scene. And hats off to the art director for those rainbow drawings in El's room and the drawings of Will's. Which a Netflix account recently confirmed, but has since deleted (sorry the quality is so bad, this is a screenshot of a screenshot of a screenshot that wasn't loading LOL)

You could be right the Duffers themselves haven't seen eyewitness, but someone on the writers team definitelyyyyy has. That parallel is so freaking close there is no way that wasn't intentional. It's pretty much exactly the same. And just because they normally use movies in the show doesn't mean they won't or can't use TV shows too, they use Dawson's creek (as found by kaypeace) in the show, to parallel Mike to Jack, the gay boy who is *currently* dating a girl, and Matt Duffer said he was obsessed with the show (her posts here and here)

The scene of the snowball in s2 when Mike sees El is very interesting, and there's so much coding in that scene, and when Mike sees El at the dance, his face doesn't scream head over heels, he looks shocked and surprised, and then uncomfortable...

I think Mike is very heavily queer coded in the first 3 seasons, and I think everything is perfect as is :) I don't think they are trying to tell a "straight forward" (ahaha) story about sexuality with Mike at all, I think it's supposed to be a little messy and confusing, because that's what Mike is experiencing. He's confused, real life is messy, and it's sometimes HARD to figure out your sexuality, so the show reflects that. Not everyone always knows. Will and Mike imo represent two completely opposite ways of coming to terms with your sexuality. I think Will has always known, and Mike hasn't.

And, things change because life changes. What once was will not always be, especially when you are a kid. Mike dating El or finding her attractive at one point, doesn't rule out at all he could be gay (bc comphet). It's hard to figure yourself out, and Mike's story is alllll over the map with that, perfectly so. Will has less quality and quantity of queercoding than Mike does, which is actually really surprising to me. Mike's queercoding is littered everywhere in the show, but Will's is only in a few scenes...I'm not sure why most viewers accept that Will is gay, but not Mike when Mike has even more queercoding than Will does.

But again, I respect if you or anyone has a different opinion than I do :)

thanks again for the ask! I hope you're doing good! xx

[fluffywolverine]

so season 6 of lucifer came out.

there were some things that i liked, but generally i hated it. i believe that was SUCH. BAD. WRITING and it left me frustrated. so i decided to write down all things that pissed me off and sometimes i try to fix this by giving other ideas that – in my opinion – would have made the story better. Check my points out and feel free to add your points of view. without further ado: let’s talk.

- imma start with the big one – fucking time travel. ok I generally hate this trope in the media, because it’s complicated and often leads to some logical mistakes – and they happened here. so rory time travels because of her anger which was caused… by her anger?? i think this was unnecessary. it also brings trouble with this whole free will vs. fate discourse. lucifer says, that he chooses free will… but at the same time he goes the path of his fate. he disappears from rory’s life, because he HAS TO in order of the events of the season to happen. just because he chose to do it, doesn’t mean it’s free will.

- lucifer becomes the very thing he desperately didn’t want to become. “bUt It WaS fOr ThE gReAtEr GoOd” screw this bullshit, if writers wanted to make it better, they could have easily do so. they could have altered the rules of time travel so that his choice of staying could have resulted in rory disappearing. yes, that would have been heart-breaking, but it would have been a great lesson for lucifer, that he can’t make the same mistakes his father did.

- chloe and Lucifer get a child without even talking about it. “bUt MaYbE tHeY tAlKeD aBoUt It We JuSt DiDn’T sEe It” you may say. but the point of writing anything  - whether it’s a book or a script – is to show any thing that matters. and talking about having kids is one of the most things any couple should do. also not every couple needs to have kids and forcing deckerstar to have it feels so far-fetched. this thread was very unnecessary.

- rory herself is a big problem. to begin with – she wanted to KILL her FATHER. i get her frustration, but commiting a murder?? just because he wasn’t there for her?? I would have thought that chloe taught her better, taught her that, like, killing people is bad. turns out she did not. secondly… she just isn’t necessary here. i elaborate later so in conclusion – her thread could be altered with michael’s and it would have made much more sense. i also don’t like the actress (why was she blinking so much??) so i certainly didn’t help.

- of course ella has to end up with a boyfriend. because earlier she always ended up with “bad boys” and now, without any help, she is just able to have a healthy relationship! yay! for me this creates a toxic view, that in order to be happy one HAS TO be in a relationship, because being alone is aLwAyS bAd. well, it’s not.

- i also have troubles with lucifer starting up a foundation for her. firstly, he didn’t ask her. secondly it – AGAIN – shows, that anything good ella got, was because of another man. firstly because of her relationship with carol, secondly because of lucifer’s idea. it could have been so easily altered! there could have been a scene of a conversation e.g. with amenadiel where she expressed a will to do better and be better for someone (given that she sees a lot of dark in herself). amenadiel could have then told her, that she is an inspiration and that it is her biggest strength. that could have been where ella came up with an idea to start a foundation blah blah – it’s just a rough idea but I believe that written well, it could have been so much better;

- and the last thing about ella – of course she had to find out about celestial stuff because sHe WaS tHe OnLy OnE rEmAiNiNg. umm what about trixie? i'll come back to her later. ella was portrayed as the only one believing in god and having her seeing that he really exists ruins the concept of faith. it’s not about knowing something exists, it’s about believing in it.

- WHERE THE FUCK IS MICHAEL. i must admit that i loved this character AND I CAN’T STAND HOW AWFULLY HE WAS TREATED HERE. so at the end of season 5 lucifer says “everyone deserves a second chance, even you michael". and what does he do then? COMMANDS HIS TWIN TO CLEAR THE FLOOR IN HELL. yes, i agree that michael should have been punished for his rebellion plan, but… he already has his wing cut off. now he’s stuck in hell, with no way out and is he supposed to learn his lesson? this is cruel. instead of this the entire season could have been centred on him – his journey to self-acceptance, learning how manipulating someone is toxic and starting to realise how to be a better person. at the end he could have become god (because amenadiel is such an obvious choice), which would create a beautiful connection – michael in heaven and his twin in hell.

- lucifer doesn’t feel like being god and that’s cool. damn. people died for him to win this place and he’s like “actually you know guys i’m not the right person bye”. while i believe that anyone should step out if they have a reason, but at the same time lucifer should have faced any consequences of his decisions. falling frog and kool aid in the river are not enough.

- adam’s plot feels just quickly sketched, not actually written. i really appreciate this take on toxic masculinity but it all felt too fast-paced. it’s good that they show this idea of “strong and not-showing-any-feelings man” kind of attitude, but it is impossible for ANYONE (especially The ManTM) to change their mind in a matter of a few days. it takes weeks, months, years even, especially given that adam is like a gazillion years old, he should have especially taken a long time to process this.

- carol is just too pure to exist. he’s also one of the most boring, plain and one-dimensional character i’ve ever seen. i feel like they gave him a problem with alcohol because the writers were like “hmmmmm he has to have some weakness. LET’S MAKE HIM AN ALCOHOLIC”. we don’t see any signs of his everyday struggle, why did he fell into this problem, how did struggle. it just feels like a dull plot device to show that he has flaws. oh and also he’s so pure that he doesn’t mind ella BREAKING INTO HIS HOUSE. acceptance should have boundaries and violating someone’s personal space isn’t right.

- why did they forget about trixie again? yes, i know that scarlett estevez had another project but this does not justify the bad writing. the girl lost her father and we only see her crying once because of that. no signs of this affecting her everyday life, not showing any consequences of her relationships with other people, not  glimpse of any change in her behaviour. oh and also she loses lucifer too because time travel! great idea, writers! losing another close to her person would have been soooooo good for her psychic for sure.

- i also hate the idea that suddenly rory becomes the only child they care for. where is trixie when they spend their day on the beach? where is she when her mother dies? did writers forget about her as well as they did about michael?

- amenadiel being a police officer is… problematic. i was looking forward to this thread, i was kinda scared too and it turned out… meh. i’m white and not American, so this of course does not involve me at all, but i felt like this was not enough. harris basically said that there is nothing they can do to make it better for black folks. even though chloe and amenadiel want to make everything more just, we don’t actually see any change. the only thing is that harris becomes a detective (right? i’m not sure if i understood it correctly, so correct me if i’m wrong, please) which is a total contradiction of what she said before. suddenly she does not have to protect people anymore?

- in season 5 they stated that heaven and hell need to be fixed, as the system is unfair and unjust. at the end we don’t see any change, the only thing that is different is lucifer helping damned souls. it doesn’t help at all! these people still go to hell, they still suffer and there’s nothing that changed here! plus there is also this thing, that a sociopath who murdered people in cold blood goes to heaven (because he does not feel any guilt) and a person abused by her parents/partner/whoever goes to hell (because have been manipulated to feel guilt).

- dan making amends with trixie while… there wasn’t really anything to make amends about. like, most of the parents make mistakes while upbringing their children, but does this make them unworthy of heaven? i would have preferred dan to slowly regain his self-consciousness, how he positively affected the lives of people around him and by doing so – through conversations or maybe reliving some of the memories, he could have proved to himself that he is worthy of love and redemption.

phew, what a ride. i really liked dan being reunited with charlotte (it went just as i imagined) and mazeve dynamics. i even felt like they are finally a real life relationship – with people hurting each other by not understanding each other, but then talking and seeing other’s perspective. generally though, i’m very disappointed.

sorry for any mistakes, lacking commas etc. writing a text this long in not my native language was not easy.