#one of the most emotionally complex characters on the show and maybe ever??

[pynkhues]

pls i literally saw a post saying shiv has no character arc besides tom like 🧍‍♀️r u fr

Y'know, typically speaking, I'd say that I don't think there's a wrong way to watch a show.

One of the things that makes watching and reading stories such a human experience is because audience is not a monolith. We all bring our own taste, our own interpretations, our own history, our own contexts to what we watch, and I really think that's what makes storytelling in any form such a rich and resonant artform.

Social media's out here trying to prove me wrong though, because there are definitely some people who watch Succession wrong, lol.

[televised-uhhh-nerdistry]

Cartoon rec of the week:

Craig of the Creek

I haven't seen enough people talking about the show, so I'm mentioning it here. Absolute 10/10 cartoon. Just three kids, running 'round, making friends, running their own semi-sustainable community in the forest (there are some concerns about how much trash they leave there but ultimately they're better than most adults). Literally such a dream. they encourage each other to be emotionally healthy and they protect each other from "danger". Like they'll help each other achieve their dreams as they come (and new dreams show up pretty often because they're young kids).

And they're so funny! Like genuinely these kids are so earnest and intelligent and incredibly humorous and full of heart! They have full lives and they live them to the fullest out in nature after school, on the weekends, and in the summer. It's one of the best representations of found family I have ever seen in a cartoon, and I absolutely love it.

Also several of the writers behind the show are POC and queer (I think the head writers are all Black but I could be wrong), so you know that it was written well and the representation is awesome like I know that it should absolutely go without saying, but representation is much more than just showing BIPOC people on screen, and in terms of cartoons I haven't seen that many shows understanding that fact except maybe the Proud Family, Fat Albert, and a few others whose names will return to me once I've taken my ADHD meds. But the point is that Craig of the Creek gets it right. Most of the characters throughout the show (from what I've seen) are BIPOC, and you can tell that there are caring nods to BIPOC communities (primarily Black American communities), and more than that, that the writers know what they're talking about and are deeply familiar with and are a part of those communities. Craig, the titular character, is a young Black boy, and his family are middle class and ultimately very successful Black people. Kelsey (one of the main characters) is Jewish and Polish, and written with more complexity than having a one and done Hanukah celebration. The Creek's main business, a trading post, is run by Kit, a young Black girl with a love for economy and business. And many other characters are racial or ethnic minorities as well, and it warms my heart to see these characters done justice time and time again.

There's great subtle queer rep too, and you can tell it wasn't written just for the sake of representation, like it was thought out and intentional, and it worked beautifully. There are queer witches, and there are no labels applied to them, they're just allowed to exist with no explanations, happily in love with one another. There's a non-binary character later in the series (I'm only like 10 episodes in so I haven't met them yet but I've read amazing things about them). Kelsey also apparently identifies as a lesbian later in the series (I say "apparently" because I haven't done much reading so as to avoid spoilers, not because I am discounting her identity). On top of that, JP (one of the main characters) has a sister who is dating another girl.

There's also a significant amount of body positivity in the show, at least far than I've seen elsewhere. Not only do they openly say "all bodies are beautiful" and follow up on that by defending one another, there's also very little need to defend one another, because there's a very unspoken and deep respect in the Creek for things like body type, skin colour, disabilities, and so on. The kids of the creek, and their grown ups, are all different body types, and given their penchant for community and uplifting one another, it's no wonder they all seem confident in their bodies.

Not to mention the disability representation. There is a character later on in the series who is Black and deaf, and he not only speaks in Sign Language, but in Black American Sign Language. In addition, though unconfirmed, many of the kids in the creek embody aspects of various neurotypes. For example, the three main characters, Craig, Kelsey, and JP all come across as neurodivergent, with special interests, neurodivergent ways of thinking, and so on. Some have speculated that JP has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is a disability often comorbid with ADHD. Not to mention that all the kids in the creek embody different special interests, most of which would be considered weird or frowned upon in everyday society, but that are given the opportunity to shine and flourish in the Creek's accepting culture.

Take the Horse Girls for example, a small clique of girls who roleplay as horses in a pasture near the Creek, and of course many of their behaviours are played as jokes, but ultimately they are accepted and involved in many adventures because of their unique interests and abilities which are ultimately how they aid the rest of the Creek. Every kid is a useful and accepted part of the Creek, with the exception of the ranger scout kids, who are essentially the same as cops, who are often exploitative, rude, and disruptive to the community as a whole.

Ultimately, the show is one of love, friendship, community, and acknowledging differences as a natural and helpful part of life. On top of that, it's not copaganda! What more could you want?

[prettyboykatsuki]

Whats so good about katsuki? Enlighten me.😌

he is a controversial character dljssjkld

but he is my favorite ever in this universe and world and no one has truly managed to get close except maybe isagi but its just like. leaps and bounds

i really think the ultimately appeal for bkg is the way he develops emotionally. it is simply not an exaggeration at all to say he is the most mature character in his entire class, because he put delibrate work into growing emotionally. he is sympathetic, kind, and charismatic all while being so so talented. he has so much finesse and skil. and he is realistic with his views of others and the world

he is internally motivated and incredibly hardworking. but to me the most likeable thing abt his arc and his character is simply how much he proves that people can change. his arc is incredible. its well written with no fumbles, and he does his job as deutargonist with an almost profound level of skill. you see every step along the way, and can understand how exactly he's changed despite not being offered his internal monologue. he has sm nuance and complexity and has these little moments of sincerity that show his growth so well and i just. . .

he is the embodiment of change and growth and hope and i simply love him so much and he is the most special guy ever to exist in the world. my angelll

[marshmallowwitharubberband]

I have a complicated relationship with Jiang Cheng.

As a character, I love his complexity, but I especially love how realistically it portrays one of the real-life outcomes of growing up in a violent, emotionally-repressive environment. When every display of emotion is labeled as weakness and answered with violence, some people eventually become programmed to turn any emotion into agression, see everything as an attack, and become secretly-people-pleasers with zero tolerance to frustration.

Actually, the Jiang siblings are excellent portraits of the different outcomes of what growing up in violence can do to you: you either become small and unnoticeable to survive, you become the kindest person ever so no one goes through the same, your self-worth gets reduced to what you can do for others, you go into substance abuse...

Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if MXTX studied psychology in some form because the personalities resulting of her character's backgrounds are surprisingly realistic, for the most part, but back to Cheng-Cheng.

Guy had all the pressure put on him by his emotions-hating helicopter mom. Yanli got a pass for being a woman and being "destined" to be a wife, and maybe Mme. Yu may have projected a little, maybe she thought if she, herself, was sweeter and meeker JFM would treat her better? Idk, but the fact is, Yanli was allowed to not be "strong" ('Cause Mommy Yu is definitely the type of person to equal strength to agression). WWX "didn't count" because he was just a servant, so she merely ground his self-worth into the dirt.

Poor Jiang Cheng had to bear the brunt of his mom's horrible expectations and it broke him. His agression is more like a scared animal's, he lashes out his fear and frustration as violence because it's the only "acceptable" way, the only way he learned to be taken seriously or handle emotions at all. Much like today's wall-punching macho wannabes.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jiang Cheng, in a modern AU, would be sucked into the red pill rhetoric, he's exactly the lonely, stressed, emotionally hurt and vulnerable demographic those jerks target.

So yeah, he is a complex character with very valid motivations and a horribly tragic story handled in a very realistic way, I love that.

As a person, though, I really, really hate him and admit that, at some points in the book I would skip over his dialogue because yeah, yeah, your suffering, your sacrifices, boo hoo, poor you, my god, just shut up, everyone in this place has suffered and lost and is majorly messed up, you're not special! (At least he didn't actively murder anyone)

But I am aware it's because he reminds me, uncannily accurately, of someone who irl emotionally abused me all through childhood while the other adults around me did nothing. They, too, were obsessed with what I "owed" them both literally and metaphorically, and showed their affection with criticism, aggressiveness, and irate explosions. And while I understand them more now and the cycle of violence they were a victim of, I cannot forgive their actions. And I kin Wei Wuxian too hard to ever forgive Jiang Cheng.

But I do like how The Untamed softened him a lot and took care to emphasize that he was just an insecure kid who wanted to be accepted and the universe made him its chew toy. It re-portrayed him as that younger sibling who just wants to be included in his big bro's adventures and keeps being pushed aside by everybody. TU JC is my sweet little baby and needs a hug.

Book JC can go fry asparagus.

[zhouxiangs]

You asked for insane meta about Way so brace yourself! This thesis is going to be a full-throated defence of the world’s most problematic loser (defence of his character, not his actions mind you). TBH I can’t believe I’m going to write an essay about a show which is at best nonsensical and at worst built around a premise I find both cringeworthy and inherently offensive, but what can I say – I’m a sucker for well-acted foils with sad eyes and complex characterisation!

In the aftermath of ep 9, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at the number of takes which firmly centre the assault (and the mind-influencing) in terms of Way’s supposed feelings of possession/jealously/entitlement towards Babe, without taking into consideration his identity as a victim of lifelong grooming and abuse, as well as the particulars of their specific situation. Before I go any further, I just want to issue a disclaimer (cos I know ppl will come for me) that a) I’ve not read the book and quite frankly would not go near it with a ten foot pole, so everything that follows is based on show canon alone (and anything in the book which might contradict me is therefore irrelevant!), and b) trying to contextualise someone’s behaviour is in no way the same thing as trying to apologise for or justify it – it’s about attempting to understand why someone felt compelled to act the way they did, which yes in real life is virtually always because of toxic masculinity/misogyny/male entitlement, but we all know this show is (thankfully) not based in the real world!

Unlike with other characters, we haven’t seen flashbacks of Way’s time at Tony’s so we don’t know as much about his experience. But there are some observations which seem fairly obvious and others which are reasonable inferences: we know he lived on the streets (so in all likelihood didn’t come from a loving, stable family environment), we know he takes anti-anxiety medication, we know he’s terrified of Tony, who has emotionally and physically abused him (just look at his entire demeanour in that one scene – no way that’s the first time Tony’s laid hands on him), and that everything he has (including the clothes on his back) actually belongs to Tony, who wouldn’t hesitate to take it all away in the blink of an eye. We know he was groomed to (ugh) impregnate Babe, and we know his power is very strong (and yet he’s presumably never used it to escape Tony which is further evidence of the effect of the grooming/abuse). It’s also likely that, until he met Babe, he hadn’t known much in the way of physical affection, not just because of the horrible environment he grew up in, but because it seems likely that anyone aware of his powers would be wary about getting too close (literally).

So bearing all that in mind, we have this messed up, emotionally stunted, not quite an adult who is sent out into the world with one purpose: to knock up Babe. And then he meets this person, who looks like Pavel, and whose ignorance means he thinks nothing of slinging an arm around Way’s shoulder, of hugging him, touching him – of course he falls in love! But he’s on a mission, remember. And if he fails, he can expect more denigration, more violence. So he thinks to himself, it’s fine – maybe he’ll fall for me too and then we can have beautiful little babies and Tony will be satisfied and leave us alone and everyone will live happily ever after (apart from the aforementioned beautiful little babies who will be trafficked but hey, you can’t have everything!). So time passes, and Babe is flirty but nothing more, and all the while Tony is there in the background, threatening, manipulating. And as the years go by, Way becomes more and more anxious, more and more desperate (ten years! Ten years he's been living this terrible double life!), because he knows that if he fails it will mean nothing but pain, not just for him but for Babe as well – better he gets Babe to love him back than having to let Tony do it his way.

And so let’s put the mind-screwing of Babe into that context: as I said, Way’s power is supposedly very strong, and yet (up until the last ep) when we’ve seen him use it on Babe it��s usually been more of a subtle influencing than an outright compulsion, and even then it’s one that apparently wears off almost the second Babe leaves his side! Way: ‘Oh Babe, you should totally dump Charlie, no good will come of it.’ Babe: ‘Totally, yes, you’re absolutely spot-on – I’ll get right on it!’ [Five minutes later, after Charlie has googly-eyed his way back into Babe’s orbit] ‘Eh, all is forgotten – let’s fuck!’ So forgive me for finding it hard to believe that Babe’s commitment issues have all these years been single-handedly engineered by Way. Do we really think Babe escaped Tony without any baggage, any trust issues of his own?? That he was totally open to and ready for unconditional love and a healthy relationship if only evil Way hadn’t interfered?? And have we forgotten the part where Way said ‘haven’t YOU always told ME not to tie my life to anyone else?’ (emphasis mine)? When Way says there’s no-one else who’s truly loved them, do we honestly think that’s manipulation and not just something he genuinely believes himself?? This is not a well-adjusted man, people!

But even if we disregard all that, remember the context! If Babe finds love elsewhere, what do you (or more importantly, what does Way) think Tony will do? Shrug and let Babe skip off into the sunset hand in hand with his new beau? If you put his isolating of Babe into that context then imo it looks very different – it’s not a jealous creep ensuring his target stays by his side, but a scared, conflicted pawn trying to buy them more time, stave off the awful inevitable. I might not agree with him, but I do think in Way’s eyes he’s PROTECTING Babe. Like I said earlier, Tony is still controlling everything; he’s ALLOWING Way this semblance of freedom, of doing it on his own terms, but only on the condition that Way fulfils his end of the bargain, and if he can’t, well Tony will just get it done himself, and you can guarantee it won’t be pretty. (Now I’m not saying Way’s feelings for Babe don’t also play a part, but hey guess what, humans are complex, multi-faceted beings who sometimes are not even aware themselves of their own motivations!)

Nowhere is that more obvious than in the assault scene itself. This isn’t a guy just trying to get laid, get what’s ‘rightfully his’ - this is someone falling apart, someone driven by desperation, who sincerely believes this abhorrent act is the best – the only – way forward (again, before the pitchforks appear: not saying that excuses/justifies his action – nothing does). Notice that after Babe revives, Way doesn’t try and compel him again, even though there’s ample physical contact tween them – he’s only interested in trying to make Babe understand. And notice he hasn’t tried to compel Babe in this way before – it’s only after his true identity has been revealed and he knows there’s no going back that he falls back on this despairing, horrific last resort. (And there's one thing I’m really curious about - Way’s just found out that Tony lied about him being the only enigma left, that Pete’s one too, and that Pete (who is evidently powerful himself) wants to take Tony down. So consider this: had Way’s secret not been revealed, do we think this revelation would have been the tipping point that let him envision another way out? One in which he doesn’t have to (further) betray Babe, but instead helps him defeat Tony and opens up the possibility of a future where they’re all truly free to choose their own destiny? Regardless of his feelings for Babe, you can’t tell me he seriously wanted things to go down the way they did.)

Okay, the end is now in sight, but just in case I haven’t pissed people off enough, here’s the part where I lay into Babe! Not about the assault, obviously. Would hope it doesn’t need to be said that he is in no way whatsoever responsible for that. No, my issue with Babe is the glaring discrepancy tween his words and actions when it comes to his friendship with Way. Time and time again he says that Way’s his closest, bestest friend, the only one he trusts, yada yada. And yet his actions never back that up. From what we see of their relationship, this unwavering loyalty and intimacy only seems goes one way – Way worships Babe, knows everything about him, and Babe is content to sit back and soak up all that adulation. It’s why he never addresses Way’s feelings for him - he doesn’t want to jeopardise their set-up. Yes, obviously it’s in Way’s own interest not to share with/confide in Babe because of what he’s hiding, but at no point do we see Babe actually express any real interest in Way as an individual, in his (lack of) ambition, his (lack of) relationships. E.g. in the conversation where Babe makes a comment about Way’s boy getting jealous and Way laughs it off saying he doesn’t have anyone and Babe knows that – Babe’s not actually concerned, he’s not actually interested, he’s not really even thinking about Way as he says it - he probably doesn’t even hear Way’s response! He’s preoccupied by his own relationship woes. Think about it, Way is only really able to maintain his secret identity because Babe is, to be blunt, not at all interested in his life! Let’s face it, nobody on this show is exactly great at stealth so there's no way Way (hah) would've been able to keep it up for ten years if Babe had ever actually tried to learn more about him. He doesn’t know Way takes anti-anxiety meds, he doesn’t wonder about Way’s lack of friends or lovers or family, he asks once about Way being content losing to him then accepts his answer and never thinks about it again. I genuinely think Way more or less stops existing to Babe the second he leaves his sight (unless they’re fighting but that’s only because it’s an inconvenience!). Sorry to say it, but Babe is just self-centred! I mean, look at the way his professionalism took a flying jump when Charlie entered the picture - he didn’t think about Dean, he didn’t think about how his blatant favouritism would affect the team dynamic or performance (yeah Way was totally right about that!) – he just thought about himself. He drops Way, his supposed closest, bestest friend, like a hot potato the second Charlie shows up, he cries on his shoulder when they break-up and then stands him up the second a reconciliation is in sight. And he never really apologises for anything – he just bats his eyelashes, gets a bit handsy, and wheedles his way back into Way’s good books because he knows he can. Because he knows Way can’t say no to him, can’t stay mad at him. Ignoring the unrequited love, the mind wipes, and the general batshit insanity of the plot for a second: Babe is just a shitty friend, there's no two ways about it!

TBC... (1/2)

LISTEN there's no real way to measure how good/bad something is, the only thing that actually matters is if you enjoy the thing or not; i've watched and am watching objectively better shows that don't mean a tenth of what this one means to me, so listen to your heart, anon. also here, take this. you deserve it:

that being said! thank you so much for putting this so eloquently because honestly pretty much SAME, and i could never lmao but i'm going to try to reply to this slowly so i can hopefully make sense of my thoughts/put them in order a bit. apologies in advance bc this will take me A While. (i really mean it when i say thank you so so much for this, i gasped when i saw the beginning of the ask and then the (1/2) at the bottom???? ANYWAY PEOPLE IF YOU'RE READING THIS 👆 which you totally should, because it's wonderful, enjoy! it will be very worth your time.)

psa: just like anon i am basing all my readings and theories solely on my observations of the show, since i haven't read the novel and i am considering it its own story separate from this anyway. please do not take this as any kind of invitation for novel spoilers. thank you. i will read it eventually. unless i lose interest before that happens, in which case i won't.

another psa i guess re: contextualisation of a character's behaviour and actions =/= justifying or excusing them. absolutely! i do not defend way's actions although i do defend way as a character; i would love to pry him open like an old clock and learn how those pretty gears of his make him work, for what is worth. but also we're talking about a fictional character and his fictional actions, please don't forget that. (not directed specifically at anon) (yeah fiction does have an impact in the real world but we should be engaging with it as discerning adults, so. yk.)

also one last thing (truly) before i get to the actual reply, because this will be relevant later so i'd rather make a blanket statement now: as the audience we're drawing our interpretations on things that may very well be a product of different acting abilities, storytelling, a weird script, etc. more than deliberate narrative or interpretative choices. sometimes roses don't mean a thing! such is life, but whatever the reason all this is still in the final piece, so we're pretending they do.

ok, let's go.

yeahh you can really tell how different people's readings of characters/situations are just from this, i've been reading some truly (to me) wild things especially since last ep aired. by which i mean that i simply don’t see how anyone gets to that reading. and of course that's normal, ymmv, and none of us might be correct at all; tbf we could even argue that there isn’t a correct way to interpret anything. after all everyone perceives life through the lens of their lived experiences etc. so let’s have fun with the meta. but back to way: even ignoring the fact that my understanding of his character and motivations seems to be completely different to some people's, i'd say generally i'm just more interested in understanding the why and the how more than caring about any kind of morals. this doesn't mean i don't dislike characters, only that it’s mostly just because (as an example: i don't like top from dff not because of what we saw in the last ep, but because he annoys me so much. on the other hand i like fluke, because he is. certainly something. still want him to die though.) it doesn't have to be related to how i’d see them as a person, if that explains it better; i’m not saying they’re fictional and therefore we shouldn’t care that much either or i wouldn’t be on tumblr in the first place. also i am currently writing about my blorbo so that would make me a liar lol i guess what i wanted to say with all this is that even if i agreed with those interpretations, that wouldn't necessarily make me not like way because this just doesn’t factor into me liking or disliking a character. also i don’t judge people and characters them the same way, and i don’t choose to like or dislike a character/piece of media independently of how objectively or morally good or not it is. i enjoy seeing how characters work and what they do, i just don’t assign any moral value to what they do idk. also it’s the blorbo that chooses the tumblr user, not the other way around. tangent over, hopefully lol

that’s something i absolutely need: way backstory. please. tbh i’m not sure how literally we should take the thing about being homeless (did he literally live in the streets or did tony mean that he didn’t have anything/a family and he would be completely alone without him?) but for the sake of drama i’m rolling with it. there’s a more obvious reason tony takes them in as kids other than they’re more easily manipulable, which is their malleability. if there’s something everyone knows about abusers is how much easier it is for them to control their victim(s) by isolating them from their families and loved ones, and the kids mostly arrived to tony already like that. they are completely at his mercy, and either through (the illusion of) love or fear, it is so easy for tony to control the children even into adulthood. also we’ve seen how he treats each one differently and i assume way is so love starved because of how he’s been treated his whole life, and while on some level i get keeping a tighter leash on him because he’s so special/necessary, specially being the only one left, and he may have turned out a completely different person/been less afraid and dependant if he wasn’t abused… holy shit. even when tony cups way’s face in his hand in jeff’s flashback as a sign of affection and encouragement, way doesn’t look anything other than terrified. so yeah, personally i have no doubt that tony’s been ruthless with him. as i said in a different post i think way is completely hopeless; to me he sees tony as someone all powerful, which adds to why he is still under his control even if way is, that we know as of now, more powerful than him and could technically use his powers to escape. also i think his powers work more as a strong suggestion, but i’ll circle back to this later when it’s relevant again, sorry lol

kinda tangentially: i would love to know if any of tony’s grown kids that he didn’t sell (yet?) love him in some way? either the ones we know or some others we don’t, because loving your abuser is not something you can control, and the father/child dynamic makes it extra complicated imo. i don’t believe tony capable of consistently treating anyone well for a second, but i do wonder if some of them were… luckier. 

OOOH THE PHYSICAL AFFECTION. can you believe me, certified way expert (self-diagnosed), hadn't even thought about that? i’m not naturally a touchy person except with animals for some reason, think… pretty much way with everyone else that isn’t babe lol, and maybe because of that i tend to notice touches a lot (bet no one could have guessed that from my gifs) so i noticed how stiff way is sometimes around everyone else, even with alan which seems to be the one he’s closest to after babe, when he’s so touchy with babe. and yet it didn’t occur to me even though jeff has explained before having to go through something similar because of his powers smh but yes that makes total sense! their physicality is one thing i love about their friendship, just because i love seeing people being like that, i think it’s sweet.

see this is something i find interesting regarding people’s reactions to both charlie and way, because charlie also approached babe under false pretenses while still under tony’s thumb. he lied to babe, and yes he may have had a completely different agenda to begin with, but ultimately both charlie and way approached babe with a goal, fell in love, and are trying to protect him each in their own way. only charlie is hopeful and less broken, and at the core of way there’s mostly despair, but both of them are doing what they think is their best to protect babe: charlie thinks they can escape tony so he tries to do that, and way believes none of them can so he thinks at least being together will make things more bearable. (i don’t think he’s thought a lot about the babies for some reason, maybe because i imagine myself in his position and think about how horrifying it would be to even ponder about.) i’m not saying we should condemn charlie, but i don’t understand the double standard. and not to turn this into the omegaverse oppression olympics, but it’s pretty clear already for the very little we’ve seen of way with tony that charlie has a way less brutal past with him than way does, so it’s no wonder to me that he’s still optimistic. not to mention that judging by age alone charlie has been in the family for a lot less time. AND not to mention comparing him to babe. worlds apart.

see?

literally!!! honestly i think way’s powers work more as a strong suggestion than anything else, which still doesn’t make them useless by any means but it’s not the same influencing someone than changing his mind, which is why he kept mind-controlling babe as his relationship with charlie progressed and he grew more desperate, because he had to kept going back every time babe thought through what he was feeling. imo he’s just putting an idea in the person’s mind not changing their whole psyche, so unless they accept it (babe believing his words because he’s someone he trusts) they can fight it off (both babe and charlie right after the SA attempt scene). 

ALSO YES ABSOLUTELY this is what i think about the most. everyone in that family is emotionally stunted and understandably so, but with this we get to the crux of way and babe’s relationship imo. (and again this is my interpretation according to what we’ve been told/shown so far, if it turns out to be something different nevermind, etc.) they met each other 10 years ago when both of them were alone and hurt (babe because he’d found out the truth, way because *waves around at everything*), they became friends, they became each other’s support, they became best friends!! and yes they had a father uncle figure of sorts they could rely on in alan and they had the rest of the team, but they became completely dependent on each other. their whole relationship seems to have been based around the ethos that no one else understands them like each other (which is funny considering how true that was for way even if babe had no idea, and in a way is no wonder he fell in love when babe didn’t) which kinda trapped them in a feedback loop. of course babe thought exactly like that 10 years ago are you kidding me? the commitment issues were the least of his concerns. they kept telling both themselves and each other that as long as babe had way and way had babe they didn’t need anyone else, but while way was waiting for babe to look at him and notice that they could be together romantically babe was slowly but surely healing and moving on from under the shadow of the chen family. something that way can’t do. and then charlie came along, and he didn’t have the pheromone which meant babe could enjoy their time together, and babe was finally ready to trust someone enough to fall in love, only that someone wasn’t way.

most importantly, it’s not only that things will go badly for both of them (which. is already enough lol) after this, but that way wants for things to stay the same. up until charlie showed up babe legitimately only cared about racing, the team, and way. even if way hadn’t been in love with babe, i think it’s perfectly understandable that he would have felt left behind, even with babe still spending many hours with him, just because they used to be together all the time. even alan said so.

and of course to make matters worse there’s the whole thing of the inescapable horrors of tony’s plan and all that, so really, no wonder way has been getting so desperate. also (and i can’t believe i’m using exactly the same defense i was using for CHARLIE at the beginning of the series) i do believe way has been sincere in that he believes what he says and he believes he is doing the best he can for babe. does not mean it actually is the best or good at all but it’s what he truly believes, and that’s what’s important.

the assault scene was so hard to watch, and not to diminish babe’s pain in the least but you could really tell what way was going through and how much it hurt him to do what he was doing, because indeed, way hasn’t done anything like this before. if he was that bad he could have done it 10 years ago and be done with it, but he didn’t. (again i’ll get back to this later because i have more to say about the type of mind-control.) it’s only when he’s been found out and he sees no way forward when he does what surely tony would want him and probably has told him to do. and still he’s so devastated over it, you can see his desperation the whole time and like you said, he has more than ample opportunity to get babe back under his control but as soon as charlie stops him he doesn’t continue. it still doesn’t excuse that he made even the attempt, but i firmly believe that he was as glad as i was when charlie showed up. 

about pete, even if it’s just because it’s what makes sense to me narratively with the whole enigma parallel, i think this knowledge has to change something in way. at some point he has to realise that he's just trying to delude himself by believing tony's lies, and i think having pete near has to be the catalyst for that, because he is also the living proof of there being a way out. he’s an enigma, he was one of tony’s children, and now he’s free and he’s not connected to tony anymore. so yeah, i am waiting for that way redemption arc, and it better come fast. 

and this is the part where i have to defend babe lmao i don’t think you’re wrong with it maybe being a case of telling and not showing which isn’t great, but it could also be about babe being so enamoured with charlie that he’s neglecting way… momentarily. we still see them alone together, but way is more tense and stressed than ever and babe has constant relationship drama with charlie, so i think it’s understandable there’s more attention to that. also this may be just me projecting but i do think babe is dumb af irt way’s feelings towards him, either in really not seeing them or gaslighting himself (as he tries to do everyone else) in there not being anything to see in the first place; it’s clear he doesn’t feel the same way and he doesn’t want to loose his best friend, so he takes the easy way out by pretending there’s nothing there. i do think he’s putting his foot down with everyone else if not way himself by repeatedly defining their relationship to them and saying in no unclear terms that they are friends and they couldn’t be anything else, same as when he said the thing about way’s boy

i think it was a not-so-subtle way to tell him to look elsewhere. but then we get things like the joke in that flashback at the aunt’s restaurant (which tbf was from many years ago) which felt like a punch in the gut to me lol there are a couple more moments when babe jokes about way being his boyfriend/makes a comment about him acting like his boyfriend which is what makes me think he’s just dumb and not cruel.

about the racing i honestly. don’t know what to say because why would the hours spent training be more important than the actual performance? i still do think dean should have been the one to race, don’t get me wrong, but the logic isn’t really logicking for me there. i don’t think the narrative supports my belief that he’s better than charlie at all but still charlie is using babe’s senses to race and not winning, so. why would you (babe) do that to my child, specifically when we’re told that he would have been fair/respected all the work dean has been putting into training if not for charlie?

[covenofthearticulate]

20 Qs for fic writers

1. How many works do you have on A03? 22

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 134,415

3. What fandoms do you write for? Vampire Chronicles, plus a few Umbrella Academy pieces

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? La mort dans dentelle (Death in Lace), Pink, An Aching Pulse in Search of a Home, and Bright Star. (Basically, all the fics that I no longer really like, that I wrote pre-hiatus in like 2018 that have been up on AO3 the longest so statistically have the most kudos just from age LOL)

5. Do you respond to comments? I really really try to!!! Most of the time I get really overwhelmed though like YOU GUYS ARE SO NICE LMAO so just saying "Thank you!" doesn't feel like enough and I get really nervous about not seeming grateful so it takes me approximately 10 years to reply to comments. I try to catch up every couple of months, though.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I'm sorry I love angst, but I am one of those writers who likes to have a satisfying emotional wrap-up at the ends of my fics so honestly most of them end on a sweet note. The closest thing is maybe les rousseurs amères de l'amour which was still soft, but definitely bittersweet.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? aksdjfhcabdsfk they all have happy endings bc I am a sucker and a sap!!! Home Court Advantage is definitely the silliest fluffiest ending though :)

8. Do you get hate on fics? Only if you count the comments that compliment my writing as being in-character for the tv show characters LOL (seriously one time someone commented that they could hear Jacob Anderson's voice come through in my dialogue and I had to go lie down lmfao)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? These days I mostly write smut LOL but even in the pwp pieces I see most of my smut as opportunities for character building, so most of my work tends to fall into the Smut With Feelings category lmfao

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I don't write crossover fic anymore, but back when I was crazy active on my rp accounts, I wrote hella crossover! It was moreso on the Umbrella Academy side than my VC side, but I did have some fun rp threads between Louis and Philippe D'Orleans (specifically the tv Versailles version lmao).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge! Please don't do that!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not yet!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Once upon a time, baby High School Ash co-wrote an insane crossover fic with a friend I had met through tumblr. It was Barnabas Collins (from Tim Burton's Dark Shadows) x Mrs. Lovett. I feel so brave for admitting this LOL I really truly was so emotionally invested in that fic and it's so cringe-worthy but I had fun and that's what matters!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? I mean. I'm a Loustat girlie through and through LOL but I also love Louis with Armand, or in any configuration of any of the poly ships! As long as Louis is there, you can count me in.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Maybe one of the Louis/Lestat/Armand pieces I started....I love the 3 of them but I get burnt out so quickly because all 3 characters are so complex and so everything feels like an Ordeal with them because they're all very opinionated and only work in a certain dynamic if that makes sense!

16. What are your writing strengths? I think the thing I'm most proud of is my lyrical prose! I like writing sentences that just punch you in the face with feeling! I want my writing to feel evocative, I want the words and details to stick in your head and rattle around.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I wish I had better stamina and pacing to write longer pieces LMAO like honest to god it's looking like my next fic is gonna be around 9k-10k and it really truly felt like I was going to die writing it LOL it's taken me like 2 months and it has felt like pulling teeth the entire time. For someone who likes writing, I sure wish I liked writing more asdsfkfjghdxghn

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Like Kacy said, if it's done well and adds to the world of the fic, then sure! I'm definitely guilty of this trope, but I try to reserve it for the really high-stakes moments so that the language lands differently and is more impactful. But I also think dialogue (and even certain dialects) in different languages have the power to do more harm than good. Like, as a reader, I know that if I see a line of something in a language I can't read, the first thing I'm going to have to do is open another browser tab to google translate, and then go back and read it in context again, and by that time the flow is disrupted and everything is off and it's just hard!!

19. First fandom you wrote for? ooooh girl you should've seen some of the spicy Sweeney Todd fic I was hand-writing in my notebooks in high school. Actually it was more psychological angst than smut but LOL listen I'm a ride or die Mrs. Lovett girlie, what can I say.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I think in the grand scheme of things, Air Catcher will always have a special place in my heart. It was one of those rare lightning in a bottle instances where the idea came to me so suddenly and so clearly, and the concept felt so obvious I was like "SURELY someone has written this already???" but then I checked and NOPE no one as far as I was aware had written about vampire top drop, and so I just fucking went to town with that fic. It was among some of the first writing I'd done since coming out of hiatus, and to this day I think it's the only fic I've ever written where the end product was exactly what I had envisioned and hoped it would be. That fic was a gift from god to me LOL and it'll be one year old this summer! wild!!!!

Tagged by: @monstersinthecosmos <3 Tagging: adkjhfbcjhdsb once again I feel like all my fic-writing friends have been tagged by this point but PLEASE if you're reading this, do it and say I tagged you <3

[graceshouldwrite]

How to Write Devastating Betrayals (Pt. 2)

[FIND PT. 1 on @ grace_should_write on IG, or by scrolling through my Tumblr profile!]

Here are more elements + tips on satisfying betrayals that will destroy both your characters AND your readers! Sorry for the wait... 😅 As usual, the examples all contain spoilers!

1. How does the TRAITOR feel?

This is first because I feel it's SO so undercovered. I've definitely seen lots of tips about viscerally describing the feelings of the betrayed, but...how does the traitor feel?

Let's use the example of cheating, universally recognized as one of the biggest forms of romantic betrayal. Obviously, the person getting cheated on will probably feel devastated, but this betrayal can be made even MORE gut-wrenching if the writer explores how the cheater feels.

Maybe there's guilt that occurs before, during, and after the cheating. It might build over time, going from a small tinge to absolutely crippling shame. The cheater will probably realize what they really lost after they get caught. Maybe they reminisce on all the good times they had with their proper partner and immediately feel thrown back into reality, asking themselves how they could ever have done what they did. Maybe, after all this, it still kills them to see their partner so hurt by their actions.

Guilt is one of the most common feelings traitors have after betrayals, but a portrayal of the flip side—a ruthless, pragmatic satisfaction—can also be interesting.

One of the best historical examples I've seen of this is the life of Joseph Fouché, a French politician active from the 1789 French Revolution all the way to 1816, during the Bourbon restoration. For reference, that's a crazy long period of time for any politician to hold so much (albeit behind the stage) power.

Aside from being a master at political scheming and intrigue plots, he was known as a "chameleon"—able to seamlessly and shamelessly shift his loyalties. He never really committed to a single group or person, always joining a group as soon as it became, or had the potential to become, influential, and leaving it (often actively working against it) as soon as the group was projected to lose power.

One of the biggest manifestations of this is the juxtaposition of his own childhood to his adulthood—he was raised and educated in the Church and even taught in a Catholic institution for a while during his young adulthood. He never harboured any sort of hatred against the Church.

Then, when the French Revolution rolled around and religion was seen as highly unpopular and ultra-traditional, he was one of the most enthusiastic church ransackers and dechristianizers. He wanted to "[abandon] the role of religion in society altogether" just one year after he'd advocated for "the role of the [Church] in education." He pulled this sort of turncoat trick on group after group, even including Napoleon.

While guilt is generally recognized as emotionally effective, the LACK of guilt in a traitor is a super underrated tool. Often, a lack of guilt can be even more surprising and jarring to the reader, eliciting not only sadness, but anger, or just pure shock at how depraved humans can be. If the context doesn't really call for those emotions, at least this type of betrayal will be quite memorable.

KEY POINT: If it's something 100% morally reprehensible, e.g. cheating in a safe relationship, a parent selling a child for money, a friend betraying another purely for power, etc., NEVER justify the traitor's actions.

Showing the side of the traitor doesn't exonerate them; it just allows the reader to get hit with the full complexity of both parties' emotions. Twice the turmoil!

Of course, in more morally complex cases, you could choose to mainly explore the traitor's actions and motivations. For example, Brutus betrayed his friend Julius Caesar because he thought Caesar was becoming a tyrant who would take away democracy from the Roman Republic.

Here, Brutus' betrayal could be condemned if you purely look at it as "a friend betraying a friend." However, it could also be justified if you see it more as "a person sacrificing a personal relationship for the greater good of a nation."

2. How does the BETRAYED feel?

This point is definitely covered more than the previous one, so it will be shorter. However, here are a few other ideas of how the betrayed character can feel/react instead of the typically seen, angry "WHAT THE HECK? No way! How dare you?!"

they had suspicions very early on, and the betrayal doesn't shock them as much as it confirms their beliefs -> emotions like sadness, disappointment, and generally less aggressive forms of resentment will probably come out. (e.g. I can't remember where I've seen this but I have lol...but have a meta example. Think of when YOU see a character with major betrayal flags actually betray! Isn't that feeling just...more quiet resentment than fury? Now, think of how a character would feel)

they are understanding. Even if they're surprised, they can see why the betrayed chose to do what they did and aren't as resentful as they are compassionate. (e.g. Il-nam when Gi-hun betrays him in the show Squid Game)

they accept it. Although similar, this is still different from "understanding" because the betrayed character doesn't necessarily sympathize with the traitor; they just acknowledge that they're powerless to do anything at the moment, and they won't waste any energy getting angry. (e.g. Jesus when Judas betrays him)

quiet horror. No room for aggressive resentment, just that slowly dawning feeling of fear or hurt when they realize it happened. (e.g. Lydia Rodarte-Quayle when Walter White betrays her at the very end of the show Breaking Bad)

A diverse range of reactions can help your reader be more emotionally receptive. Seeing the same type of reaction to fictional betrayals can be quite numbing—these less commonly used ideas can feel more like cutting open a fresh wound, instead of rubbing salt in an existing one, if you get what I mean...

3. Aftermath of the betrayal

I RARELY see this covered at all, so I'll slip this in here: Betrayal is MORE than just the moment, even more than the foreshadowing in events leading up to it.

One of the most important parts of betrayal is the aftermath. The key question to ask yourself is: what is left behind?

What is lost? What is left? Most importantly, WHAT HAS CHANGED?

Now's your chance to imply, or even show, how the betrayed person/people/party will recover. Will they do it healthily, or destructively? What does this mean for the future of their relationships (existing or potential), endeavours (are plans ruined or improved?), self-image, and anything else important?

For example, lots of characters go on their angsty, "I'll never open up to anyone ever again and I'll brood forever" arc after a betrayal. Still, others try to process the betrayal as it tanks their self-worth. Of course, there are characters who process their betrayal through healthier coping mechanisms. They might choose to continue trusting and being open in the future.

For bigger parties, it can be even more complicated. Was the traitor an important person in an organization? Will the organization collapse without them, or will it thrive because they were only in it because of non-skill-related reasons? How did other people in the organization see them? So many options!

The aftermath can amplify feelings of anger, sadness, emptiness, or anything else your readers feel after your betrayal. It also allows for a more satisfying story conclusion (if that's what you're going for). It will even help your readers be even MORE invested in your characters because a betrayal is another big milestone that they've now experienced along with your characters.

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

WHEW! Took a while before I finally fished this one out of my drafts and continued it. I love LOVE media and historical analysis in general, so I hope the length of this post is kinda complemented by the information I tried to provide.

I hope everyone's doing well! I'm super excited for a grad trip to ITALY NEXT WEEK!!!! As such, I might miss a post over that weekend, but stay tuned for more posts that week before then! Thank you all so much for engaging with my posts, it means the world ❤️

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated :)

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3

[jihyoruri]

me when it’s time for the yearly anon confession potluck and I have to admit that to me… wowyn.. is just.. 🙂. I think she is a little toxic and the wonyn situation takes me out so bad like it’s genuinely the funniest thing to me EVER. like I can not explain why but the wonyoung is like eh ik u like me but I don’t rlly wanna deal with that so! uhm!.. anyway! and wowyn just… listens tew her😭😭like ur telling me wowyn breaks up w girls If wonyoung doesn’t like them LMFAOO😭

idk for some reason wowyn to me is more of a loser than loseryn not even in a mean way just.. I don’t know I feel like if I met her fr I’d be like.. ur such a sad person…

moving past this… who is your favorite yn? we all know mine…

(1. shamelessyn 2. richgirl yn 3. aespayn/firecrackeryn)

i may not be the president of the aespayn or richgirlyn fanclub but I’m actually both of their therapists btw. yeah Ik you guys don’t know but my side gig is actually fixing them. yeah no aespayn is in the trenches… it’s bad in these streets. (I love richgirlyn almost the same amount as shamelessyn I’m a cheater sorry)

also side note I am sat for anything u write but I hope you continue to explore richgirlyn’s dynamic with chaewon and the other members.. idk maybe it’s bc I grew up with a lot of money but the way ppl w wealth act has always been so.. weird tew me. like I know these r just sillay yn works but I feel like people who write rich characters forget like.. these r the most emotionally stunted people on earth. they never learned to socialize or explain their emotions 😭dealing w rich people is insane because no one talks abt anything or knows how to interact with regular people like they have such hard times w it for some reason?? (because they never had to)

ANYWAY sorry for the long ask 😞I hope we get some aespayn fans out here for 4/20 SHOW SUPPORT FOR UR GIRL😭😭

-🎏

LOL babes imma have to correct you on some things. 😭

it’s not that wony is like “eh ik u like me but I don’t rlly wanna deal with that so! uhm!.. anyway!” she’s genuinely playing hard to get with yn, she feels like yn will always wait for her so she just doesn’t want to get into a relationship just as yet, I think I’ve mentioned it in early asks but wonyoung is playing hard to get with yn😭. wonyn is really a sad situation when you think about it because they’d be really good for each other but they’re not on the same page at all like wow!yn doesn’t think wonyoung likes her even tho wony does hold some feelings for her but she’s waiting it out but realizing that her time is running out. The only reason why wow!yn breaks up with people sometimes if wony doesn’t like them because wonyoung is genuinely her best friend if Giselle didn’t like one of yn’s gfs yn would probably break up with them as well, it’s so easy for her do that because she was just bored like she wasn’t in the relationship for real feelings if she acc had real feelings for the person it would be a different story take winter for example BOTH wonyoung and yujin didn’t like her and yn knew that but yn didn’t break up with her because she genuinely liked her but then she realized that she genuinely liked her so she broke up with her LMAOOOOOO. I wouldn’t call wow!yn a loser because she genuinely has problems, she has some mental instability. like her problems with her dad has definitely affected how she thinks about things and butchers how her mind functions in certain situations, she is a sad person tho. ANYWAYS moving on from wow!yn

my favourite yn and wow!yn and nwjns!yn THE SISTERS honestly I love wow!yn because she’s my most complex yn and honestly she’s just such a shit head and it’s so fun and amusing writing her and nwjns!yn is just a sweet mess like when I finally introduced her fic you guys will see what I mean, she’s the exact opposite of her sister 😭 (also a respectful mention of aespa!yn)

LOL they both need therapists for real so you got the job‼️ aespa!yn is a mess she’s a rich mess (I just took in that you like the two extremely rich yn’s LOL also firecracker!yn is always on someone’s favourite list and it always makes me laugh LMAOOO)

yes I am totally gonna explore richgirl!yn more, I tried my best to give a small peak into richgirl!yn having some problems I was so happy when you picked up on it in ur last ask for her

I honestly love long asks so much so this was fun to read LOL and thank you so much for reading and enjoying my works

[heartslobbf]

i watched heartstopper s2 because i was an avid osemanverse enjoyer in my early teen years (back when alice oseman still had anons on rip) and owe some of my aspec self-discovery to their writing. i knew they had written an aroace storyline into this series and wanted to see it because whilst i knew as an aroallo lesbian i wouldn’t totally resonate and might be a bit cheesed off by aspects of it, i enjoy aromantic crumbs, and i enjoy discussing aspec Stuff even more. it was……. an interesting experience? has certainly given me a lot to think about. gushy rant below the cut :)

i will say, i think that the amatonormativity is still strong, and rigid in this show. it’s like, isaac is the exception to the rule and his true love is books, and he gets to yell at his friends for all being so damn couple-y and romance-obsessed but there’s no resolution to that. is that realistic? yeah, sure, allo friends can fucking suck, but heartstopper is the kind of show aiming to do certain things for queer kids where id expect a dialogue about this. you know, charlie & co coming to understand aspec identities and becoming more conscious of how amatonormativity affects them, interrogating it in such a way that these queer couples can also be liberated from its trappings. juicy shit like that. didnt happen tho. isaac gets a book about asexuality (no mention of aromanticism on its cover!!! the word is used by the artist who vaguely explains both terms to isaac, but there is a much greater focus on asexuality, so much so that this morning i saw pink fucking news celebrating isaac’s asexual storyline without a mention of his aromanticism) and that’s it.

a lot of that criticism is arguably coloured by my experience as an aroallo person, because i just want aromanticism to be engaged with as aromanticism. you know aroaces we are besties in arms solidarity and all that, and im so fucking happy you got some great asexual rep that frequently used the word asexual, as well as your flag and iconography. like fuck yeah!!!!!! let’s go!!!!!! however, aromanticism is not a subset of asexuality, is not an ‘extreme form’ of asexuality, does not necessarily have anything to do with asexuality. im sure the aspec folks know this, but allo fuckers dont and that means that this canonically aromantic character who was emotionally affecting to me is one that im gonna be barred from resonating with again and again.

you know, moments of isaac’s story were so profound and moving for me. i cried at the kiss scene in episode 5, it was probably the single most relatable moment of tv (related to my experiences with sexuality) that ive ever seen. its certainly not my favourite tv moment of all time lol, relatability ≠ quality, but when youre part of a marginalised group and experience a lot of loneliness and alienation surrounding your identity it is great to see it reflected. i honestly loved that shit!!!!! ive been there!!!! that’s me!!!!!! the wanting and the not wanting!!! the jealousy and confusion and alienation, the longing to be able to feel what you can’t just so you don’t have to be so lonely, the knowledge that you’re just not that person…… oh it was great. it was fucking great. so you can maybe appreciate how upsetting it is for other people to neglect the aromantic facets of this canonically aromantic character, when we dont get shit.

having said that, asexuals also dont get shit; my issue is absolutely not with isaac being aroace, but rather with how mainstream understanding of aspec identities is still so piss poor that people neglect the aromantic aspect of that identity. i found isaac to be a relatable character and i enjoyed and appreciated that about him; i wish more people would talk about him being both asexual and aromantic, because aromanticism does not get talked about enough as anything other than an ‘extension’ of asexuality, an idea which only diminishes the complexity and vastness of both (fucking awesome and beautiful) identities. love and light and solidarity forever with all other aspec folk <3

[br1ghtestlight]

Gene ofc

first impression: i straight up do not remember for gene LMAO i watched episodes he was in years and years before i ever got super into bob's burgers like boys just wanna have fun-gus and i cant really remember what my impression of him was....?? most likely i just thought he was a silly lil guy and didn't dig any deeper. i got into bob's burgers tumblr because i had a Vision for my genderfluid gene fanfiction so certainly more recently my impression of him was THAT boy is genderfluid and nobody is doing anything about it

impression now: my son.... my literal angel sweetheart etc my perfect boy <3 probably my favorite bob's burgers character but its tough to say bcuz so many of them are so funny and great. my beautiful boy nonetheless and severely underrated

favorite moment: his scenes with louise in large brother, where fart thou? especially the ending scene 😭😭💔

idea for a story: my MANY many unfinished fanfic ideas staring at me.... one im not gonna really do anything with is the idea of jimmy jr x gene just because i think the dancer x musician thing would be fun to write. two creative music appreciators. and we should be doing MORE with that

unpopular opinion: gene is as emotionally complex and developed as every other main bob's burgers character people just don't pay attention bcuz his emotional problems are more understated than like. tina or louise's are. there isnt a lack of episodes focused on his deeper emotional issues or implications for how he processes things but him being conflict avoidant and generally staying out of trouble/hiding his serious emotions makes that harder for ppl to pick up on. we always need more gene episodes BUT i dont think it's fair to say he's under developed compared to other characters in the show. he's just underrated and perceived differently by fans. Not me though im different ❤️

favorite relationship: bob and gene and louise and gene are both soo adorable i love them for different reasons. also throwing in the highly underrated tina and gene dynamic

favorite headcanon: genderfluid gene maybe?? i like the idea of him becoming a famous musician when he's older and he'll def be in a band regardless but i would love to see him become an elementry school music teacher or a piano tutor

[applejuiz]

Look, am I completely biased towards Parker because she’s my favorite Leverage character and one of my favorite characters ever? Yes.

Am I still right that Leverage: Redemption (especially season 2) functionally ignores her? Also yes.

The closest we come to getting a Parker-centric episode in Redemption is The Paranormal Hacktivity Job and The Date Night Job. (I’m counting a Parker-centric episode as one where her emotional arc is the one with the most weight/screentime. I can see an argument for The Hurricane Job being Parker-centric in the same way as The Date Night Job but I think Eliot’s arc is given precedent and also I hate The Hurricane Job.) That’s one episode out of 16/13 per season. I can also count on one hand the number of emotional moments she gets outside of those episodes (her convo about Hardison leaving, her being nervous about mentoring Breanna, her being worried about Eliot leaving, her giving Eliot advice about Maria, and I’m literally blanking on any from season 2). Everyone else, new and old, get to have episodes where they face an exceptional challenge, confront their past or something that reminds them of their past, or just get too invested in the client like in og Leverage. But not Parker! She just is there to be comic relief where the joke is look at how weird and zany she is. And sometimes she is allowed to mention that she misses Hardison. (Actually it does feel a little like the show doesn’t know what to do with her without Hardison, and seems to forget that her relationships with Sophie and Eliot are just as deep and important to her as her relationship with Hardison. Which is a little yikes.)

(Also I don’t have a better place to put this but Sophie sending Breanna along with Parker when Eliot’s going to visit his father because apparently nobody trusts Parker to be emotionally competent enough to handle the situation was a line seemingly constructed as a personal attack against me. Parker has been Eliot’s friend for fifteen years! Sophie once believed in her ability to connect to people despite her neurodivergence! Did the writers of this show even watch The White Rabbit Job?!?!)

I was foolish enough for one second to think that The Museum Makeover Job would be about her. One of her international teams need help, and they’re up against an Interpol agent she has a past with. Surely, we will get to see her go into Mastermind mode or reflect on a past job that had emotional weight or confront something challenging for her or get too invested in the con or— oh wait, the Interpol agent is Sophie’s daughter and the whole thing is a ploy to get revenge on her and she and Eliot will have their deep convo about redemption and purpose while Parker talks about vents for the dozenth time? Cool. (And not to be exceedingly bitter, but then also the whole joke is that Parker’s actually the one overly invested in her rivalry and it isn’t important at all to Astrid and we never get a beat of resolution for that at all. Thanks, I hate it.)

My bias might be showing, but Parker is the character in the og series that grows the most, and watching her development is one of the great joys of the original series. She becomes the Mastermind because of how much she learns and changes in front of us. She was allowed to be funny and competent and weird but also emotional and scared and loving and she got to feel things and to learn things and to be things. I used to think that Redemption was exaggerating her neurodivergence in a way that felt ooc, and while that might have some merit, I think the real issue is that they just took away everything else that made her a character. Her being WeirdTM and a TheifTM and ParkerTM is all that remains to a once complex and revolutionary character.

Maybe I should just be glad that I don’t have to watch Redemption potentially butcher her character on the main stage instead of in the background. But it does leave a pretty bad taste in my mouth that she is uniquely sidelined and ignored by a show that once ended by handing her the reigns.

[deerlirium]

I love will he’s such a complex character. I rewatched twotl and he really does just shove them both off that cliff. And it’s like yeah maybe he did it so they would be together forever or something but maybe he also did it because he knows for either of them there is no coming back from it and he’s always been far more empathetic to the world than Hannibal. And he can’t let either of them continue being in the world, especially not together, because that would spell complete disaster for so many of the people they come across. It’s his final admission that what he and hannibal have done together is beautiful that also kind of seals their fate to die because he can’t live without hannibal, but he also can’t live with himself if he doesn’t do anything to stop hannibal. Wills internal turmoil has always been largely about his distress that he is so talented at thinking like a killer that he basically might as well be one, being in situations where he is forced to kill it comes naturally to him and doesn’t affect him the same way it affects other people. He’s lying when he tells abigail that killing is the ugliest thing in the world and he’s scared of how much of a lie that really is. I’ve always liked to imagine that that’s specifically why he became a profiler; in his head if his job is to stop killers, maybe it will fix him and he’ll stop thinking so much like one. But really all it does it put him in the perfect position to meet and be manipulated by Hannibal lecter, whose goal it becomes to show will what he is missing out on and to coax out the killer that he knows is inside. And partially will is genuinely being gaslighted and manipulated but he’s also on some level aware of what is happening (at least after a certain point) and allowing it to happen. And after the end of 3a his marriage to molly is kind of this desperate attempt to be like “see, I’m normal and I can live normally” and recover from hannibal, but he knows the truth is that nobody ever will know him like hannibal does and he will never fully be himself unless it’s with hannibal. So he’s stuck in this life that he doesn’t mind but that he’s not fully happy and not anywhere near fulfilled with (not that he doesn’t love molly or her son, just that it’s not the same) trying to prove to himself and to everyone else that he doesn’t need hannibal and he doesn’t need to think about killing people to get by. And then jack asks for help and he has to see hannibal and he spends all of 3b finally coming to terms with the fact that he can never truly be himself unless it’s with hannibal, and that he is capable of and enjoys violence like hannibal does and that he can be happy and fulfilled but only if it’s with hannibal, and only if they are killing people together. So when he and hannibal finally kill dolarrhyde it’s literally the happiest he’s ever been in his life, the most satisfied and the most at peace. And that’s also when he decides once and for all it has to end here, because what they did to dolarrhyde is quite literally only the tip of the iceberg of what they can and will do if they stay alive together. And while will can finally admit to himself the beauty they both see in violence, he is not a psychopath or at least as emotionally detached as hannibal tends to be. A lot of will is sacrificing his own mental, emotional and physical well-being for other people, so it makes sense that his final response is to fall off a cliff with hannibal. Can’t live with him, can’t live without him, can’t live with himself if he lets either of them live and wreak havoc wherever they go next.

[zephrunsimperium]

Two months ago, I watched Gravity Falls for the first time. (I'm a little late to the fandom, I know, but I'm here now, so all is well) After finishing it, like any GF fan, I desperately wanted more content, so I took to AO3 and it was there that I discovered a piece of writing that so enriched my life that I have no choice but to sing it (and @fordtato’s) praises. So here's what I wrote after finishing it; may it inspire you to read Jersey Boy. :) (I did post a bit of this essay as a comment on Chapter 13 of Jersey Boy)

3-4-23

Today, I read a piece of writing that changed my life. I always knew Gravity Falls - and Ford in particular - was something special, but I swear Jersey Boy took everything I wanted/needed and presented it in... literally the most beautiful, impactful writing I have ever seen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Jersey Boy is about an 18 year old Jewish boy trying to find out who he is amidst the tragedy of his personal life - an abusive father, depressed mother, estranged brother, and peers who labeled him a freakish outcast - and the tempest of a cold society featuring homophobia, anti-semitism, and war. The Stanford Pines it features is THE most realistic, emotionally rich character I have ever come across in any form of media. Because I KNOW what it feels like to try and find who you are outside of your family and I KNOW the dangerous knife edge that perfectionism forces you to walk and I KNOW what it's like to be ashamed and confused by your sexuality.

And three months ago, had I walked into that boxing gym? I would have pulled the trigger too.

And McGucket, my god. If you would have told me after watching S1E2 of GF that Old Man McGucket would make me as emotional as he does now, well, I wouldn't have believed you.

Anxiety is an old friend, good pals with its partner anger. So I have all the empathy in the world for Fiddleford's loosely wired personality featured in the show and especially in Journal 3. While I don't think I have any reason to engineer a memory erasing gun, I do understand reaching for a fidget toy like it's a lifeline and oh BOY do I understand sacrificing everything for someone you love on a dime, letting them tear you apart.

I was worried after reading the first few chapters that Jersey Boy's depiction of Fiddleford had made him too charismatic and confident. But after reading further, it was obvious to me that Fiddleford was Ford's match in complexity; he was just being depicted through the lens Ford saw him; all rosy and angelic, incapable of wrong-doing. And in the end, it made him even MORE dear to me, because hiding your anxiety behind a wall of confident passion and blue eyeshadow (or red lipstick in my case) is all too familiar.

Pretty motifs, expert wordcraft. It's a gritty story, of course, one that doesn't pull punches. And yet, I have to assert that we need more stories like that. Because LIFE doesn't pull punches. Life is cold and cruel and strewn with glass shards...

But there will always be people with Ridiculously Warm hands that make you feel like you have five fingers. Even people with personality aren't fine sometimes, but you just have to keep going and the sun will rise and your shards will shimmer in the light.

And maybe being a freak isn't so bad after all

And maybe the only person who you aren't enough for every second of every day is yourself

And maybe Love really is the most powerful force on earth

And maybe humanity is fucking beautiful

And maybe the only people who need to remember you are the ones you care about because who needs a legacy anyway?

[letshaveadepressionparty]

Gus Gus!! I can't remember if I asked you this or if we've discussed it but I'd love to know or re-learn it again lol.

What's your favorite movie and why? It can be any medium, live action or animated! *but bonus points if it's animated jk hehe...maybe lol*

I'll do you one better, I'll tell you all of my favourite animated movies because honestly I can't pick only one AND SORRY I TOOK TOO LONG TO ANSWER I went completely nuts with this btw.

The Tigger Movie

This movie, this fucking movie, because of this movie and Winnie Pooh in general I love the found family trope. That need of Tigger to find his family, all the others jumping in to help him and then trying to cheer him up, and then him realizing that his family has been there right in front of him all this time, his relationships with Roo and Rabbit mean everything to me, the acting and animation YOU COULD FEEL TIGGER'S SORROW, Tigger is my favourite character and this movie fucked me up emotionally and I love it so much.

Lilo and Stitch

OHANA MEANS FAMILY. FAMILY MEANS NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND OR FORGOTTEN. It has aliens, complex but loving family dynamics (with found famiy mixed into it), great fucking music (I knew all the dances) and it's beautiful. I've watched every single bit of media related to Lilo and Stitch, every movie and the tv series, and I love it all, but the first movie is so very special to me. The movie kinda grew up with me in a way, because when I was younger I related a lot with Lilo, but then I started relating so much with Nani, mostly because I'm the oldest sibling. Also Jumba and Pleakley are married I will die on this hill.

The Iron Giant

He wanted to be like Superman and he WAS he really was. I haven't seen this movie in a while now, I should rewatch it, but the friendship the kid and the robot had is something beautiful, and just all the humanity and care and love he experienced, he showed all of that way more than most of the humans from that movie. IT'S ART.

Ice Age

The first one specifically, the second one is really cool too but the others are kinda meh to me. Anyway I had this movie on vhs and I watched it so so many times, I know most of the movie by heart. And hey we have a beautiful found damily dynamic yet again!!! How Manny, Sid and Diego's friendship and companionship evolves as the movie progresses is awesome, Sid is fucking hilarious, Manny is a mood, I had a bit of a crush on Diego I'll be honest, and you really feel for all of them. And Scrat is Scrat, an absolute delight to witness.

The Spongebob movie (the first one ever created)

Just like with Ice Age, I know basically all the dialogue all the songs, I would watch this again and again with my little brother (this time on cd) it never gets old man. No thoughts only SpongeBob.

Over the Hedge

I have the soundtrack for this movie in my playlist, enough said. THIS MOVIE IS EVERYTHING, AND AGAIN FOUND FUCKING FAMILY. I'm realising with this list that I like that trope more than I thought, idk what that says about me. Hammy is my favourite guy, he's my little guy he can do no wrong whatsoever. And Stella the skunk is the character ever we love her in this house.

Shrek (the whole fucking saga)

There's no need for explanation here. Might be one of the best animated movie saga out there let's be honest here. AGAIN I have seen these movies so many times I know everything about them but I still enjoy the absolute fuck out of them.

Aardman Animations

Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Flushed Away, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!...AMAZING FILMS ALL OF THEM. I know not ALL of them are stop motion/claymation, some are computer animated, but because of these movies (and Laika's of course) my love for this animation medium began, and I could not be more thankful for that.

Monster House

My love for horror increased 100% after this movie, it's funny, it's spooky, it gets sad as hell, it has a great plot twist???? What more do you need.

Laika

Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings are my favourites from Laika, but all their other movies are gems as well. Coraline, I don't know if I can completely express why I like it, it's a classic and it's so ingrained in myself after so many years, I can't not love it. Kubo and the Two Strings is a movie I watched much recently, last year I think, and I love it so much, the way it's animated is absolutely stunning it's a beautiful piece of art (much like all of Laika's work) and the story and characters are so lovely. Like I said before, seeing Laika's animations, seeing how much work and love is put into these films made me love stop motion so much and inspired me to become an animator.

Meet the Robinsons

THIS MOVIE MAKES ME SOB UNCONTROLLABLY. That part when Lewis sees his bio mom leave him at the orphanage???? The ending???? The message???? FUCK AHHHH. I'm a mess every time I watch this movie. Everything about it is, lovely oh so lovely, the characters we meet, the story, how we put the pieces of the puzzle together as the story goes, Goob kills me man (also he's literally me for real) I just, this movie means a lot to me. "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Reading that and hearing the ending song absolutely DESTROYS ME.

HONORARY MENTIONS (that everyone should check out btw)

Emperor's New Groove and Kronk's New Groove, Road to el Dorado, Treasure Planet, Monsters Inc, Ponyo (and every other Studio Ghibli movie), Song of the Sea (and all other movies made by Cartoon Saloon because they are top tier, absolutely incredible movies), Megamind, The Lego Batman Movie, Manuelita (argentinian animated movie), every fricking 90s/00s Scooby Doo animated movie, Chicken Little, Brother Bear (the first one, the second one is kinda meh to me personally), Sword in the Stone, Klaus, Bolt, Spiderman into/across the spider-verse movies, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs.

[bredforloyalty]

it's strange seeing people's opinions who are fans of rick and morty but don't feel deeply for rick or who empathize with him to an extent but ultimately condemn him as a character and think his loved ones and the narrative should condemn him as well. i keep wondering why they even watch this show and what's in it for them, really, emotionally.. seems to me like the point is the opposite, you watch it and you're gonna hate rick but you can hate him in the first place because he has potential and you can't help but care about his past and his struggles too and not just about the people he hurts (or his 'victims'. but i'd rather not use that word lightly so i keep saying 'people he hurts' gysgvy)

i am saying he has potential like every single person in the real world and he has the innate capacity for love and that's what makes him tragic and makes it cut so deep when he does the awful things he does. and if you see the humanity in him that's obviously there despite everything (& despite not even him believing it) and you see the complexity of his character don't you think and feel that he too deserves better? don't you love to exercise your ability to believe in the inherent goodness of people, but if we want to refer to it as something other than goodness, the inherent potential all of us have to do good things and turn to the world with love?

i mean clearly not, lol, not all of us watch this specific thing expecting to stretch this specific mental muscle or experience this kind of catharsis but i think this is the show's strongest suit. that it asks you to, in the most basic human meaning of this incredibly loaded word, love this one terrible guy even when he's terrible. and hold on to your hope that he won't be so terrible soon and think that maybe the terrible people you know who you can't let go of can also improve and if you've ever been terrible to someone you don't need to despair because it's all in your hands still. aren't these nice things that we all want to believe so we can feel secure in society and in the universe. anyway yes that's what it means to me and i do think it's intentional on the part of the writers and you're Supposed to love the main character, not love as in excuse or ignore the heinous shit he does but love him With that, on purpose, and marvel at your ability to put faith in people and at your capacity for forgiveness and compassion

[trustfundandpunishers]

           —    🎬    just   announced,    avery    burton    is    casted    as    willow    rosenberg    in    upcoming    buffy    reboot.    the    twenty    three    year    old    is    trending    as    people    are    debating    if    the    quiet    life,    new    york    city    lights,    saviour    complex,    early    retirement    plans    aesthetic    that    they    are    known    for    is    enough    to    make    them    as    good    as    original.    a    quick    google    search    shows    that    their    fans    call    them    understanding,    but    internet    trolls    think    they’re    more    cold.    i    guess    their    newest    interview    for    variety    where    they    talk    about    giving    up    on    roles    for    their    mental    health    will    let    people    to    know    them    better.    

WANTED CONNECTIONS / / PLAYLIST / / PINTEREST .

﹙★﹚ 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 ::

♡ full name. avery burton. ♡ nickname(s). avy / baby burton (by the media). ♡ zodiac. capricorn sun, pisces rising, pisces moon. ♡ gender. non binary. ♡ pronouns. they / them. ♡ orientation. homoromantic / homosexual. ♡ nationality. american. ♡ ethnicity. caucasian. ♡ occupation. currently playing willow rosenberg in the buffy reboot.

﹙★﹚ 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ::

♡ birthplace. new york city, new york, united states. ♡ current home. los angeles, california & nyc (flies back and forth). ♡ language(s). english (native).

﹙★﹚ 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 ::

♡ positive traits. understanding, giving, loyal. ♡ negative traits. emotionally constipated, closed off, cold. ♡ character inspo: chloe price.

tw. parental death, addiction, poor mental health. 

2003 — NEW NEPO BABY IN THE AREA? (justin burton finally announces why he’s been taking a hiatus from the big screen!)  :: it only took the actor about three years to come out and say it— he and late rockstar eloise burton did have a little bundle of joy way back when. since her sudden death we’ve all been wondering if it was just grief or something more keeping him away from us. it’s clear as day now: avery burton has their dad busy, maybe too busy.

2005 — DAD AND BABY STAR TOGETHER! (avery’s first role— and maybe last?) :: aren’t we all just obsessed with single dad justin burton and his most recent role, single dad goes on dates? well, this publication thinks it’s getting old. come on, dad! hire a babysitter and come back to your diehard fans.

2017 — BURTON IS PULLING STRINGS! (can his child ever live up to his career?) :: well, folks! it seems like little avery is getting their very own show— we’re expecting nothing more but stellar performances from someone with such big shoes to fill.

2018 — NO MORE BEST DAD EVER! (is single dad finally too tired to keep going?) :: apparently, dad’s new engagement has left little avery in a hoot! underage drinking and defacing a property all in one? i guess we’ll have to wait and see what the burton-roans decide to do next.

2020 — AVERY BURTON’S DEADLY COMEBACK! (can a good performance make us forget it all?) :: cut off from daddy’s influence, they’ve been having to fend for themselves… but maybe it’s for the best. their role as jamie in the haunting of bly manor has left all of us pleasantly surprised. are things turning around for our favorite little nepo babe? 

2022 — JUSTIN BURTON DEAD AT 42?! :: this publication is devastated to announce the tragic passing of actor justin burton. his management has yet to announce a cause of death.

2023 — OOF! BACK FROM REHAB AND ALREADY SEEN AT A BAR! (things aren’t looking so good for avery burton lately…) :: it took them less than forty-eight hour to drop out from almost all of their projects and get a pretty clear shot of themselves leaving valerie with their arm around another one of the various nepo babies infesting new york city right now. is avery ever getting their shit together?! come on, do it for dad.