#easily one of the most interesting characters on the show lbr

[revelale]

TOA Anniversary Munday!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

tagging: you? :0)

Name: lilly!

Pronouns: she / they, big they though!

Birthday (no year): april 4th!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? pst, lmao. gmt-8, i think?

Roleplay experience: roughly like 20 years now? lmao, cringe.

Got any pets? yeah, my little buppy, max. he's a demon.

Favorite time of year: winter!

Some interests and things you like: cooking, baking, rhythm games, sleeping, lmao.

Some funfacts & trivia about you: i'm double-jointed in one hand; i tend to only bake cookies in batches of like 7 dozen or more; i've killed at least like six different succulents this year alone; every so often, i'll think about spider-man and its various iterations and fully forget what i was doing before i started thinking about it.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? the more recent persona games, a truly insane number of otomes, i still have not finished yakuza 0, pokemon, dress-up games, lmao,,,,,

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: dragon, dragonite!

How did you get into Fire Emblem? ......... wanted another dating sim real bad and my friend told me to play awakening please do not judge me—

What Fire Emblem games have you played? everything post-awakening, lmao,,,,, except for sov, which continues to elude me in completion for reasons beyond my understanding

First Fire Emblem game: awakening!

Favorite Fire Emblem game: would it be bad if i said none of them—well, okay. technically, i think an awful lot about fates, but i don't necessarily think it's my favorite? ..... but i do think about it a lot.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? nnnnnnot that i can think of?

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? wwww, awakening was chrom ( by accident ), then olivia ( intentionally lmao ); fates was takumi; three houses was claude lel; engage was pandreo, to no one's surprise.

Favorite Fire Emblem class: KINSHI KNIGHT NATION RISE!!!!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? villager, and i would have died four times before you recruit me.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? golden deer, probably, lmfao.

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? none, i'm firmly of the belief i'm an ultra npc.

How did you find TOA? chuu! had severe 3h brainrot, and chuu already was in the group and told me it was like full of people who didn't need me to be Online All The Time! it's funny because i ended up not even apping for someone from 3h either, lmao.

Current TOA muses: pandreo!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? cynthia, my silly little horse girl, lmao. i always think about picking her up, but it's always a debate of if i've done enough on her or not. easily my favorite character to pick up and start running with, though.

Have you had any other TOA muses? shigure, lon'qu, CONSTANCE VON NUVELLE, m!byleth, shiro, kiragi,,,,, i think that's it, actually? i don't remember any of my other ones, oopsie, lmao.

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? i tend to generally write characters in my wheelhouse, though i think i have deviations now and again lmao. like, who would think i'd write shigure, right? but, mostly cheerful characters, i think. mood-makers, the kind of people who would set a scene, but also be enough of a backseat player to the driving force where any protagonist or antagonist would take up the reins more comfortably? i think they tend to get written off as genki or filler characters, so i like kind of prodding at their insecurities and seeing what makes them tick instead.

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? lmao, lbr i'm made for the clown show. nonsensical moments, increasingly strange meet and greets? but, i like doing big establishing moments that suspend what you know about my characters at face value to explore what's deeper in there. i'll slowburn friendship, idgaf; that's my shit.

Favorite TOA-related memory: lel, team justice is still a highlight in my memory from l&k, but i also remember this very specific combat sequence i wrote with rai in the first major lore event with felix and cynthia that was sick as hell to do! ....... also, probably every piemageddon. it is funny seeing even the serious characters fear for their lives / get uber maniacal in a ridiculous situation.

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? do not look behind the curtain, lmao.

#✞ ` ‣ 【 OOC 】 #this was cute to do thank you neffi :softsmile:

[kellykadesperate]

ok so on one hand it’s not that insane for carlos to have lied/kept something from tk because lbr he has form. the last thing he lied about was his parents and he literally wasn’t going to tell tk about it. they had to run into andrea and gabriel for it to come out. carlos clearly wasn’t ready but and think that feeling of not being ready is what we’re seeing again with this. carlos is a control freak and likes order and awareness of what’s happening when so this timeline he’s given himself and the fact that just like with his parents he thought he could have had more time checks out for me. what doesn’t is that it’s iris? i feel like most viewers would be like eh? who? iris was hardly on the show and talked way more about than actually shown and even less talked about by carlos . the show presented carlos finding iris as a favour to michelle really. the scene of Carlos telling michelle about tk, literally someone he is interested in, starts with michelle still talking about iris’ disappearance and him having to be like HEY THERES THIS HOT FIREFIGHTER and michelle isn’t like??? priorities? your bestie/WIFE and my sister is missing.

what i still do not get is how his parents reacted to this?? it’s something that could have easily be discussed in s2, carlos could have been like: i came out to my parents, they did not seem to understand or care so i married my best friend to try and forget it too. but that didn’t happen. so his parents just assumed tk was cool with carlos being married? 

to stop my rambling and free you all, i feel like this whole sl is a clear example of the writers trying to add much needed layers to characters they neglected in season 1. carlos was, with quirks and everything, very much a side character. he was the hot cop, he was tk’s love interest, michelle’s friend. he did not have that much depth and we genuinely didn’t know much about him. so I think this is the writers trying to balance that out slightly, give backstory to him, flesh him out and make him as messy and complicated as tk. however. contextually it somewhat goes against what they have built up throughout the seasons. it makes you think - carlos, the anal, logical man just made no effort to try and get divorced as he entered into a serious relationship with someone? bought a loft for him and his boyfriend? he accepted a proposal from tk, after presumably knowing how tk’s last attempt at getting married went, without telling him something that big? or trying to seek iris out himself and get it done!?

it definitely isn’t all bad and the writers clearly think this is a bit slapstick like hey perfect carlos is married! we keep you on your toes don’t we? Wink wink. It’s quite funny! but. it definitely is a Choice

#hilarious to be honest #it's just dumb but what's funnier is them trying to say it's been in the works like. pls #911 lone star #tarlos #911 lone star spoilers #911 ls spoilers

[eldritchmoms]

For Tsaexl!!!

General: 2, 4, 5

Story Specific: 6, 11, 16

Romance: 1 (and if yes, 6)

BG3 Brainrot!!! (accepting)

((nothing explicit but have a CANNIBALISM CW for some of this))

General

2. Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?

Both Shadowheart and Gale label the choice of letting her join "interesting" in the kind of tone that suggests they have fresh concerns about your decision making capacity. Wyll is on edge and wary. Astarion demands to know why you are letting some "hideous cannibalistic savage" into camp and tells you you'll be lucky if you don't get one of them eaten in their sleep.

Karlach has some initial doubts but gets over them pretty quickly when she realises that there's no malice there, just a different way of looking at things. And Lae'zel decides that maybe there is some potential in Faerun after all: finally, someone who doesn't waste time on idle chatter and petty arguments and distractions from their goal and could bench press her lbr.

4. What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

You can generally raise her approval by showing strength and practical survival skills, judging people's combat threat level correctly, and appreciating good food.

Taking diplomatic routes with anyone weaker than you will earn her disapproval, as will using most forms of deception, but she'll disapprove of just charging in on dangerous foes or pointless/"wasteful" killing too. Avaricious options that only net you gold or treasure will lower her approval. Wasting or spoiling food? Straight to approval jail.

5. Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions? You can very easily choose to fight her rather than let her join. You can also throw her out when you realise that yes, she is serious about the not wasting all that meat you have left lying around the battlefield thing.

Story Specific

6. Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?

She doesn't have strong feelings either way, though she will approve of the goblins' attitude to post-battle cleanup. You can take her on either run, though you won't get much approval by playing the extremes of pure evil OR pure good.

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

Doesn't say anything, just lizard-blinks and gets up on stage. When set up for a joke, she comes back with a response that is completely literal and serious in a way that everyone in the audience assumes is great deadpan humour.

16. How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?

Confusion. These cuts are all wrong. This is not how you butcher a corpse. She will show you how to salvage the rest for eating, so the dead can be properly respected.

Romance

Are they a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

*Looks at the available romances.* *Looks at the scalie community.*

Sure, you can romance Tsaexl. If you can approach it with a lizardfolk mindset on these things, because softskin romance or flirtation is entirely lost on her. It's considerably easier as a Dragonborn (or other scalyfolk, I'm not the character creation screen, go nuts).

6. How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?

She accepts either easily. But the latter will come with comments on the other character's suitability as a mate from her perspective. Wyll, Lae'zel and Karlach are solid choices, will definitely stick around and pull their weight. Gale is very soft and you will have to be the one to protect and feed him, but she can see why you would be charmed by his colourful adornments and facial display growths. Shadowheart is untrustworthy and will not stay loyal. And Astarion is... why. What could you possibly see in that?

[opalsiren]

in fairness to charlotte if my boyfriend spent our entire relationship insisting there was nothing going on with him and his ex who he kept sneaking off with, only to get back together with her the second we broke up, i would also be apocalyptically pissed.

#i don't agree with homegirl on much. but i def would have. idk made a three headed water snake to attack her friends with or some shit #h2o just add water #h2o: just add water #h2o #h2o jaw #h2ojaw #h2o:jaw #charlotte watsford #easily one of the most interesting characters on the show lbr #such a well developed antagonist #.txt #i have given this approximately 0 thought but it's annoying to me how lewis dumping her is really the catalyst for charlotte's downfall #i think it could have been really interesting if they had framed charlotte's undoing around her being a traumatised teenage girl still #shaken after the death of her grandmother and desperate to find meaning in the chaos of her loss. but no it had to be about because she #fancied a boy. and lewis of all ppl jejdjsjssj #for your consideration: cleo and charlotte decide they're both done with lewis and get together with each other instead

[betweentheheavesofstorm]

rating the hats in The Untamed

apparently ranking things is my brand now! (and one day i will rank les mis adaptations by the quality of their nun hats) 

honestly my main takeaway from this was actually that there aren’t Enough hats in The Untamed. also shoutout to @aemlai​ for reminding me of a couple of them!

1. jin guangyao’s monstrosity

-1000/10

this fucker is almost the entire reason I’m making this post in the first place. I hate it so much. I hate it more than any character. every other bit of high fashion in the show is impeccable but this hat fills me with such a deep rage that words can’t do it justice. it’s a horrible hat and if i had the editing skills of digitally removing it from every scene i would. this hat killed my parents and framed my uncle. 

2. wen ning’s farmer chic

5/10

I like this hat. It’s a bit on the tattered side (hence the middling score) but it’s a nice look. Admittedly, this is also because Wen Ning looks nice most of the time and I can’t bring myself to say anything bad about him, but it’s a good hat! visually interesting as it changes up his look, as well as thematically appropriate for selling vegetables.

3. ?? clan hats 

6/10

I don’t know who these guys are but I wish I did because their hats are sick. finally some good fuckin food. I like the rest of their outfits too but that’s not what we’re rating here. their hats are tall and fun shapes. it’s a crime that they’re relegated to background shots. 

4. i also don’t know who this dude is

7/10

i’ve only watched the show once all the way through and i Did Not keep track of the minor characters/less important clans. I will say that this clan as a whole loses points for trying to shoot wwx but I can’t say anything bad about their hats. stylish AND they look secure enough to stay on during battle. i really like the combination of shapes. excellent hattage all round, pity about the guys wearing them.  

5. the hat wei wuxian is wearing when he says that if he’s going to die, at least it could be lan wangji who kills him

10/10

On a practical, aesthetic level, this is a Good Hat. It’s well-made, visually appealing, keeps the rain off wwx’s face so we get a front seat to his expressions of determination and despair. 

on a thematic level, I love this hat. It’s not fancy, it’s not grand, it’s just the right thing suitable for the occasion. The show has the long-running joke of “the Yiling Patriarch must be doing horrible things” and then cutting to wwx gardening/playing with a-yuan and this hat embodies what is happening in this scene so well. wwx’s rescue of the wen POWs and rebellion against the other clans is constantly portrayed by said clans as an act of malicious arrogance, he thinks he’s better than them/he does whatever he wants/he makes everything about him/he’s wildly irresponsible

but the hat?

the hat is something a farmer might wear, to keep the rain or sun out of their eyes. it’s sturdy, sensible, unshowy. it’s neither glamorous not exciting, but it needs to be worn. there are plenty of times that wwx does draw attention to himself in an conceited way, but the truth of this moment that is so widely perceived as arrogant and threatening is hammered home by the simple, unassuming hat. He’s not thinking about how he looks, just what he needs to do. 

5. wen qing’s goth hat

 10000000/10

you can’t complete an extremely risky and painful medical procedure if you ain’t cute ! not sure if the veil is meant to be a failsafe in case jiang cheng’s blindfold slips off or whether wen qing just hasn’t had an opportunity to wear it but either way absolutely stellar decision. sure, it “hides wen qing’s face from the audience so her identity can be revealed later” but lbr it was super obvious what was going on with the core transfer to everyone but jiang cheng lol. this is easily my favourite hat of the series! this is the hat that made me wish we had more hats!

#the untamed #mdzs #wei wuxian #wen qing #wen ning #jin guangyao #meng yao #there is definitely another hat-related followup post coming

[asleepinawell]

hiii not sure if it’s okay to ask a poi question but here it goes - i recall seeing you expressing (at least some level of) discontent with what Harold has done on the show (to root, to shaw and all those hypocritical decisions throughout). would you like to share more about your thoughts on this character? tks

always okay to ask poi questions. since the fandom is pretty small these days i was going to put my answer under a read more line so people could ignore it more easily if it’s a subject that bothers them but apparently you can’t add read more lines in ask answers? thanks tumblr! so if this is a topic that annoys anyone, please, just skip it. also, while some of this is facts or based on facts a lot of stuff is obviously my opinion and therefore not canon and not the only opinion etc etc.

in general, i wasn’t crazy about the way harold treated any of the other characters (with the exception of john who he had a pretty great relationship with). for root, there was the refusal to call her root, which i found very gross and uncomfortable (like, in general you should respect what people ask to be called, but also it was linked to the traumatic death of her childhood friend and he absolutely knew that so fuck that shit). he even said something along the lines of 'john reese is what you prefer to be called' to john right in the first episode? he was okay with using reese's fake name, but not hers because he made her identity into a power game.

he also tended to be..hmm, patronizing is the wrong word (and lbr root was extremely patronizing to everyone) but more that he treated her like ‘rehabilitating’ her was his pet project or something. i mean one thing that always struck me was his ‘what happened to you’ line in bad code and then the subsequent decision to put her in a mental institution instead of, you know, jail, which is where every other perp they ran into tended to go. he saw her as broken and flawed and in need of his help which, to me, came off as hypocritical and belittling.

also, putting someone in a psychiatric institution where they get pumped full of drugs when they don’t need to be? really fucked up! even if you argue root needed therapy/was depressed whatever, that’s not what they were treating her for. they were treating her for ‘delusions’ and ‘hearing voices’ which were...real things. like, the machine was speaking to her. harold knew that. he let her get put on all sorts of medication and put in solitary confinement and oh yes also her doctor was a really fucked up dude, something harold could easily have dug up if he’d bothered. also the whole ‘killing off a woman to advance a man’s character development thing’ is, uh, a bad trope. to put it mildly. i could write a lot more about his shit with root but let’s move on.

in some ways, his attitude towards shaw bothers me most. he consistently treats her like she’s violent and unhinged because she has aspd and despite the large amount of evidence to the contrary. she is, in fact, the most cool and controlled member of the team (not counting carter) and the least likely to go off half-cocked. shaw does play into this, but mostly only with harold and only through her words, not her actions. she knows what he thinks of her. when she’s captured by samaritan, harold gives up on her very quickly in a way he would never have done for john (and probably not for root either at that point). shaw’s reaction to sim!harold in 6741 of ‘did you even look for me’ says a lot about what she thinks he thinks of her. his whole ‘binary moral compass’ line to her is also, uh, heavily projecting. shaw and carter had the strongest moral compasses of the group. by a long shot. 

moving on to the machine. so first and foremost, if you’re creating a sentient being, whether that’s having a kid or making a self-aware AI, you don’t create something with the intention of locking it up and ignoring it forever. (and he was creating her for the bush/cheney administration???? who TM pointed out was terrible if he somehow had managed to miss that. root called them something like the worst people imaginable and she wasn’t exaggerating). was it too dangerous to let TM be free from the get go? maybe! but then don’t fucking make an AI you think can destroy the world, buddy. there are a lot of reasons he made TM and none of them make this acceptable to me. once TM had clearly proven to be not a threat and trying to help he continued to ignore her and act like she was dangerous.

harold always needed very badly to feel like he had the moral high ground and not be the person who made a bad decision, which yes, is probably partly due to the trauma from what happened to nathan but that doesn’t make it okay when being paralyzed by being unable to make a decision got people killed. more than once! also, most of his morals got tossed out when they weren’t convenient. wouldn’t kill the senator to save the world because killing is bad! next episode he’s like if anything happens to grace kill all of them. cool story, still murder.

i wanna conclude this rant by talking about harold as a character vs harold as a person. meaning, harold as a fictional character who is used as a narrative device in a story as opposed to harold himself without the context of him being fictional. i don’t mind characters who say and do things i dislike. it’s very important to have characters you dislike as people imo. feels like an understatement. but lambet, for example, is a slimy asshole. the story is aware of this. he gets an ending a slimy asshole deserves. harold has a lot of flaws, and causes a lot of damage, gets his friends killed, and his stubborn refusal to budge on his arbitrary moral high ground lets samaritan take over and almost makes team machine lose. he gets a happy ending. with the woman he lied to (and caused a lot of pain and grief by lying to). root ends up dead, shaw gets tortured and fights her way back for root only to have her die which is kind of handwaved as ‘well she has tm with root’s voice good enough’, and john, after having rediscovered his will to live and have a life in the end of s4 goes right back to his whole dying for someone else thing. only harold gets the happy ending.

the show was actually pretty good at highlighting harold’s flaws and making them interesting, and then it kind of forgot that at the end in terms of story outcome. like, if harold had suffered enough to get a happy ending, then why didn’t anyone else get one? so my annoyance was with the narrative’s failure to satisfactorily conclude the characters’ arcs. (and for the record, i’m not one of the people who think he should have died. i don’t think it would have served a point. also death doesn’t equal redemption to me).

so, yeah, not a fan of him. don’t write him in my fics since my dislike would take time and focus away from writing about the people i do like. would probably be less bitter if they’d ended the show better. i was 300k words fic level of bitter. there was some post i saw going around recently about how if your found family show doesn’t end up with your found family together then you’ve kind of missed the whole point of found family and yeah, that.

#mp #asks #poi meta #don't send me hate messages or comments about this #i will just block you without responding #too tired for fandom discourse #i said at the beginning don't read if it'll bug you #so if you did anyway #that's on you #Anonymous

[specialagentartemis]

Character meme: Nica Stamatis!

having just finished season 3 of Greater Boston: Aw yeah, she.

First impression

I remember going “yeah!! I know that place!” at most of the places she mentioned in her first-episode monologue, but overall I kinda thought her monologue was the least interesting of the three Stamatis siblings’, and I had no idea where this story was going.

Impression now

She!!! Nica!!! I love her and she makes me sad and I cry everytiem! She’s easily one of the most interesting characters in Greater Boston, complex and difficult and sad, and I am so compelled by everything she does and I want her to be okay. She’s spiralling out of control and so desperately wants to be seen, to be improtant, to be valued, to BE somebody. I want her to be okay and I am afraid for her.

Favorite moment

When she throws the message bottle into the Charles River, the chilling raw rage and pain of “Leon is dead, and you missed the funeral.”

Idea for a story

She brought it up with Dimitri, but: what WOULD have happened if she had gone with him? What would have happened with them, with Leon and Michael and Louisa, with Red Line?

Unpopular opinion

I don‘t know nearly enough about GB fandom to know what’s popular to say (other than, apparently, “[anguished] NICA!!!” which I fully agree with…) but, unpopular to the themes of the show, maybe: I think it might be healthier for Nica to take off to the West Coast and be a silly TV star with Fake Nica for a while, after this is all over. To clear her head a bit and make a separate name for herself.

Favorite relationship

Honestly this morning my answer was gonna say “This is a hard question because Nica is so good at ruining all the relationships she has” but lbr. Nica and her brothers give me ALL THE EMOTIONS and I love them… Nica and Dimitri… Nica and Leon… aaaaa. They.

Favorite headcanon

Hmm I haven’t thought strongly about hc’s for Nica… I’m still in the just absorbing it all phase. Though I absolutely got the impression that, when she became Emily’s assistant, for a while she wasn’t working for anyone anymore—not Emily, not Louisa, not really. She was finally the important one, the person everyone relied on. Still the “sidekick,” but also the power broker in her own right now. Emily needed her, Oliver needed her, Louisa and Charlotte needed her, and she wasn’t working for any of them anymore, trading secrets to every side, she was just, finally crucial to all of them. And that’s more what she was after than justice for the Red Line: being in the middle of something important, and being important in it.

#replies #deliverusfromsburb #Greater Boston #Nica!!!!!!

[auncyen]

So, my thoughts on bd2 so far (still not done) are both spoilery and...a little salty, so under a cut they go.  I’ll get the good out of the way first.

BDII is pretty nice as a return to the brave/default battle system and asterisk system.  The controls are pretty fluid (once I realized I could press zr to unbrave in the middle of commands lol).  Music and visuals are both nice.  THE CHARACTER THEMES ARE DISTINCTIVE AGAIN (I still like BD1′s set the most, but in BD2 I can tell you which theme is which character’s and uh.  I wouldn’t be able to do that with b2nd’s).  “A Hectic Moment” is very fun.

And then like.  Both the story and parts of the game design are baffling to me.  I was not surprised by the prologue feeling dry because.  BD game.  Partially because it was a BD game I half-expected Sloan to defy his death flag parade and simply be forced to retire due to a wound or something similar but ok, he died.  And first chapter made me hopeful!  I don’t care at all for Orpheus (even as “love to hate” he just ends up kind of “meh”) and Anihal and Bernard felt a bit one note at first, but the twist with Castor where it seemed like his flaw was prejudice and then it was oh no backstabber was good.

The maniacal laughter kind of ruined it a bit, but still, good.  (On this note, Castor and ...pretty much every ch. 2 asterisk holder had me thinking for a while that the asterisks handed out by the woman might have been tampered with and were driving people nuts, but at this point, seems firmly not to be a case, Castor was ax-crazy on his own.  Okay.)  And a later flashback about Anihal and Bernard made me regret a bit that the latter had died.

But like also at this point I’m kind of concerned that there hasn’t been any inner party conflict.  Or like.........internal doubts.  Or anything.

Ch. 2 was initially a bit funny for everyone having The Accent but eventually I got properly into it and, yes, all three people grieving a lost child was pretty touching.

Screw those woods though and why is the institute set up like that??? I know this is an RPG but guys.  Guys.  they’re supposed to be brilliant at that institute, at least one person would have set up the bare minimum of a rope ladder so they didn’t have to deal with the nonsense in between floors.

And then there was Folie.  Folie’s dungeon is AMAZING.  Her job is good.

Her boss fight is utter bs when you’re punished for using two different mage jobs and the character in general is just.............idk.  I kind of preferred Mona’s death being accidental because it seems rather odd for someone like Folie who does not seem particularly attuned to others’ emotions to be like “ah yes, let me kill zis little girl and zen all of these people will be emotionally vulnerable for me to give zem my paintings” --yes, I also hated the accent.

I am of the opinion that there is no bad VA in this game (thus far) but goodness, the direction some of them were given.

Ch. 3 was interesting intrigue wise and the reveal with Adelle was GREAT but it also hinged very heavily on this being a BD game, since they made it obvious from the start of the chapter that, hmm, there’s something funny about her.  (Honestly my guess had been shapeshifting dragon, so I wasn’t quite surprised by her saving Martha, though I WAS a little surprised by Martha not SAVING HERSELF BY JUMPING AWAY BECAUSE SHE WAS A FREAKING DRAGOON.)  The party’s surprise at this is dealt with very quickly.  Elvis’ reaction is kind of cute but it also just...........seems to cement that there’s never going to be any inner-party conflict, and there doesn’t seem to be any internal character conflict either, so it’s kind of just.  Guys.  Pls.  Something interesting.

Coming back to world design: this religion feels so dumb and poorly-designed (Martha is in DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE LORD OF DRAGONS BUT ISN’T TRUSTED TO KNOW HIS WISHES???  THE FAIRY TRIALS ARE A ‘TRADITION’ BUT ALL THE DRAGONS ARE COOL WITH ADELLE???) and why is their holy hall full of crumbling walls and is, in fact, the only place I’ve found so far to “smash rock”?  Yes, it has been bugging me.

the highlight of ch. 4 was Lonsdale, because he might not be the most original character concept, but it was interesting to have an antagonist with morals who has a friendly drink with Seth and warning for him at the tavern.  (Also Seth’s piss-poor job at pretending to be just recovered from a cough for all of one sentence.  And, in my game, while wearing heavy armor.)  The low point was finding out how absolutely pointless Adam is.

It’s just....been very mixed and somewhat mediocre with the story, and lbr bd and b2nd both had issues with story too, but bd had an endearing cast that b2nd heavily borrowed from.  The BD2 warriors of light seem very obviously inspired by bd crew but Seth never grieves his lost crew or misses his hometown or shows any uncertainty about the question of him living again.  Gloria welcomes Elvis and Adelle easily even though they’re both clear about working in self-interest and there are never any trust issues even when Adelle’s concealed identity is revealed.

I’m not saying they should have had the exact same issues (esp since Gloria didn’t have any set up for mistrusting fairies) but they don’t have ANY issues.

I may now be at a point where Gloria does have an issue but it’s just kind of...1) there should have been at least a couple tell-tale hints about this sooner, it could have been as subtle as the king of Halcyonia gently suggesting she consider the marriages which would have painted him first as possibly evil, then as possibly just sexist or out-of-touch, and then finally you realize oh he knew and was hoping they could find other solution and trying to get her to consider a future that wasn’t dying (I think he knows.  or at least I hope because if they gotta do this every 200 years then Gloria????? who knows to pass this down????  were you gonna teach your traumatized companions the secrets of being a vestal-lite as you were dying? because you didn’t.) 2) it’s just kinda.  too late.  A part of me is checked out.  I know there is more and that the bd-style tweeest is finally starting, but this was the end of ch. 5 and both the main crew and story just haven’t been that interesting.  If this wasn’t a bd game and I hadn’t gotten impatient enough about wanting to know about one detail that I spoiled myself for it being a fake ending, there is a high chance that I would have watched the credits, gone “well, okay.  that was the game” and just set it aside.

And then maybe a few days later gone “wait they never explained the book was it buried in some request” because there is SO MUCH buried in requests and reloaded the game, but yeah.  I still wanna fill in the gaps of what I’m missing, but I’m probably going to be slowing my pace and I really doubt I’m going to be active in the fandom because none of the characters have really grabbed my interest that hard.

#my thoughts on bd2 are also apparently a wall of text #so. that's a warning #bravely default ii spoilers #salt

[vagarius]

misukazu 21

(if you saw me fuck up the other one no you didnt)

EDIT I THINK THIS ONE GOT A LITTLE FUCKED UP TOO BUT IT’S... READABLE...

questions from this post, and answers originally written for this thread!!

If you had to change the pairing’s very first meeting, how would you change it?    their canon first meeting is already so good SHDGFLJASHG but if i had to choose a different one that's still within the context of mankai... meeting as kids and losing touch and coming back together completely different at mankai

What song fits your pairing the most?    uhhHHhhHHH i don't have a real answer but i do have a partial playlist for one of my misukazu aus and the only two songs in it are furaregai girl by sayuri and champagne's for celebrating by mayday parade and i feel like that says enough sldhgalsdhfalsh

What is your favorite AU/prompt idea/trope for your pairing?     ALL MISUKAZU AUS ARE GOOD but. i really love any au where their first meeting is in the future and both are still kind of lost but they're Older and it's hard to let themselves fall into the easy trust they find in canon. i just think that'd be neat.

Do you prefer canon ideas or do you have your own headcanons for them?     I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES BUT CANON MISUKAZU GIVES OFF MADE FOR EACH OTHER VIBES AND USUALLY I DON'T VIBE WITH THAT BUT THEY REALLY ARE WHAT THE OTHER NEEDS... AND I THINK EVEN IF THEY HAD TO PART THEY'D STILL BE ABLE TO BE BETTER PEOPLE BC THEY HAD MET

Favorite canon moment of them?     THERE ARE SO MANY but the one that immediately comes to mind is misumi carrying drunk kazu to bed (latest bday line) because drunk kazu is so soft and it implies that misumi wanted to wish happy birthday to kazu pretty late... what did he want to give him...

Least favorite canon moment of them?     hmm... there's not really one i can think of??? IM SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY I LOVE ALL THEIR CANON MOMENTS

Favorite headcanon trope/idea? (Your own or someone else’s)    this is somehow both vague and very specific but i think misukazu gives off this vibe: He's beautiful. I can't tell him. or "Kazu is always beautiful~" Don't call me that, Kazu thinks. I'm not. so... insecurities i guess ????? AJSHAJJD

Favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics?     THIS IS GOING TO SOUND SO CHEESY but i love how /real/ they allow themselves to be around each other. misukazu at their best is when one thinks "you're you. and i love that you" and the other knows this. i just. THEY VALIDATE THE OTHER SO MUCH CRIES

Least favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics? (Can be headcannon)     this isn't a "least fav" so much as "it makes me sad" but if either of them showed any sign of not being interested anymore the other is more likely to give up then push anything. sort of like "it was bound to happen, so i'll enjoy now until they drop me" or EVEN WORSE they think the other would be better off without them and pushes them away. so yeah the fact i can see one of these happening makes me sad.

If they aren’t a canon pairing, how would you get them together?     they give off "everyone knows we're dating but us" energy but at the same time i feel like they'd acknowledge there's something and just not define it bc a) they don't need to (misumi) or b) they're too nervous to (kazu). in other words i think one day they are holding hands and misumi says "kazu? is this dating?" and kazu holds his breath before asking "do you want it to be?"

If you had to take them and plunk them into another fandom, what fandom would that be? Why?     i think theyd be hilarious in any sports animanga (kazu is manager tho bc noodle arms but maybe they bond when misumi walks him through some of his usual training menu one night - ahem. anyway) BUT ALSO horimiya au...

How hard is it write/draw your pairing? Scale of 1-10.     AJDHAJDHSF I REALLY LOVE THEM SO IT COMES PRETTY EASILY... but sometimes you try to put them in tropes and realize they would Just Not Work Like That. idk where i'm going with this. but yeah. anyway 3 for sankaku.

Is there a pairing that you think rivals them?     in terms of what i ship, i tend to ship kazu and misumi individually with a lot of dif charas AJDHAKD. but in terms of like... in-universe "rival" pairings: kazu side: tsuzukazu (maybe, lbr it would take them 273924 yrs to actually get together), kazu x someone from winter (i... have my reasons but they'd take longer than what this answer entails) misumi side: ... surprisingly none that i can think of ahdjahd

Which character of the pairing do you like more? (Would you ever pair yourself with them?)     you know that tweet that's like "sometimes a ship is just your two favs"? yeah that's misukazu for me. but if i had to choose... misumi AJDHAJHDSF I HONESTLY WASNT THAT INTO YUME UNTIL THESE TWO CAME AROUND (NOT COUNTING 707)... but yeah if they wanted to hold me in their arms i wouldn't oppose

Which character of your pairing would be the one to break up with the other? Why?     OOOOOH BOY well. i think it could be either of them. i don't think they'd break up for lack of love but too much love and wanting the other to be happy and thinking that the only way to give them that is to let them go. so i guess the question is which of them would be more likely to be selfish and hold on. thinking this way, i think misumi would be more likely to break-up, bc kazu has lots of friends who are better than him!! and misumi is more ready to leave if he thinks he needs to than kazu is. now im sad.

Are they relatable as characters or as a pairing?     THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE BEEN CALLED KAZU KIN... in all seriousness kazu's struggles with speaking out and (shinobi spoilers) his uncertainty over his future hit real close to home... while i don't relate as much as misumi, his struggles always manage to tear my heart into pieces... ((oversharing alert) i guess what really separates me from misumi is his struggle with his desire to connect with family who has treated him poorly... whereas im more "lol fuck you") tldr i relate to kazu slightly more LOL

Did you once/ever dislike one/both of them?     i never disliked them but i was NOT expecting either of them to shoot up so quickly into my favs list ahdjahdjf. also i started shipping them Immediately After reading summer main story so there's that

On an estimate, how many posts have you made about them?    as of september 28th 2020 i make up 11/78 fics on ao3 in the romantic misukazu tag and 2/12 in the platonic one. i may have brainrot.

What made you decide to ship them?     TBH I FINISHED THE MAIN STORY AND WENT "OH MY GOD... THAT'S MY SHIP" but now that i'm here i continue to ship them because they have the potential to bring out both the best and the worst in each other and i'm all about that

Favorite genre for them? (Angst, fluff, etc.)     angst. i just. angst hurt/comfort all the way. im so sorry babies.

lol you thought there would just be 21 ANYWAY EXTRA 1: how do they spend breaks/vacation?    they'd travel a lot when they're older!! kazunari loves to travel and misumi would follow kazunari anywhere (also, new triangles!!) so they go somewhere new whenever they have the time. however i think eventually one or both of their future careers will take them anywhere and everywhere anyway, so their "ideal vacation" might turn into an evening in, cuddling and catching up (as if they didn't already send play-by-play updates over the phone of whatever they did during the day)

EXTRA 2: first date?     i don't they ever have an explicit first date, but if asked they'll cite the time they had a picnic in the park turned triangle hunt turned accidental dip in the duck pond. at least, kazunari will. misumi just tilts his head and wonders what you mean.

EXTRA 3: gifts?     IM FEELING REALLY CHEESY SO I'M MAKING THIS ABOUT ANNIVERSARY GIFTS they both end up getting each other jewelry (although kazu was really really nervous bc he wasn't sure if misumi would wear it). kazu gets misumi a bracelet (with triangles, of course although misumi only wears it sometimes because he doesn't want to lose it) and misumi gets kazu a pair of triangle earrings "so we can match!" and kazunari combusts at the implications

EXTRA 4: sharing clothes     THEY'RE ACTUALLY AROUND THE SAME SIZE (and tend to wear baggier stuff barring kazu's skinny jeans)... but they have completely different Styles so it's still really obvious when steal each other's stuff ahdjajdkaf. as cute as kazu would look in sumi's sweatshirt i think the much more likely scenario is kazu wrapping misumi in his jackets because this boy nEVER BRINGS HIS ANYWHERE anyway just. accidental shared wardrobe misukazu.

EXTRA 5: lake house au    consider: kazunari living in a house on the shore of a lake for a summer for Art Purposes (and a little bit for Dealing With Life purposes but he's not gonna admit that) and meets his lake neighbor misumi who kazu thinks might be a ghost or spirit for a while but he actually just lives further down the lake and misumi unknowingly helps kazu with his Life Issues and maybe they fall in love

#a3 #misukazu #kazumisu #ikaruga misumi #miyoshi kazunari #a3! #act! addict! actors! #headcanons #ernb its me

[okayoonoh]

HENDERY’S FAMILY

a/n: i honestly can’t believe that i’m almost done with the first part of the series! thank you for sticking with me and i hope you continue to as i still have a ton of ideas for more scenarios and all that good jazz!

here’s where you can find all things nct as dads related! go and check it out!

WONG KUNHENG

he has 3 kids, 2 girls and 1 boy. his son is the middle child. wong xiuying is his oldest daughter, 3 years later, his son wong mochou was born and 3 years after that, his youngest daughter wong zhangjing was born. 

WONG XIUYING: >> as a baby <<

i know i have probably said this about ever baby girl

but she’s a princess

i definitely feel like hendery would be an amazing girl dad

like he has a lot of sisters

so i feel like he really understands girls well

and he would show that with his daughter

i def feel like no matter how prepared he thinks he is as dad, he manages to mess up but make everything so funny

like the first time he changed her diaper?

he made you laugh so hard, post labor you had to change your pants (that seems like a tmi pero giRLS CHILD LABOR IS NOT PRETTY AND IT’S DEF NOT OVER AFTER THE BABY. YOU DEAL WITH STUFF FOR MONTHS AFTER)

and that was gross talk with amy time™ lol

anyway

out of all of the babies, xiuying is the giggliest

like i feel like even when she cries, she’ll giggle

for some reason, when she just looks at her dad, she just starts laughing lol

and like even when she cries, if she sees hendery, she’ll just laugh

i feel like hendery is one of the best uncles

like all of the kids love him

and its the same especially when it came to his daughter

there honestly would not be a day without laughter

like xiuying would manage to make you laugh

hendery would manage to make you laugh

your household is just full of giggles even before xiuying could properly talk

pero, back to the princess thing

like she was such a gorgeous baby

she inherited hendery’s HUGE eyes

and whenever she giggled and smiled

oh man

like she was just so beautiful

like she’s just naturally so pretty

she has the prettiest smile too

like there was just so much happy and joy in your life because she was there

hendery would just be so happy around her

like he could be super duper tired from tour or from practice

like really exhausted

but the second he sees xiuying

oh man

his energy is instantly restored

just knowing his happy daughter is there, all of his energy is back

hendery is there for everything tho

like he’ll stay by her even when she’s crying like there’s no tomorrow

regardless of how exhausted he is, he’ll do everything for his little girl

>> as a child <<

she’s still so pretty

like she’s in so many dramas and commercials and ads and everything lmao

she’s so iconic tho

like she’s so funny

she inherited hendery’s funny bone

tbh all of the kids did

pero yeah

everyone always think she’s like a docile little thing

buT LMAO SHE’LL SHOW THEM REAL QUICK

WHAT AN AMAZING SENSE OF HUMOR THAT SHE HAS

SHE’S REALLY SO FUNNY THO 

like she really is

she’s so witty 

and her reactions are the best

even tho she’s in dramas and such, she laughs really easily

they really do get frustrated with her doe

but she makes it up bc the end product is really really good

she’s straight up a crackhead tho lbr

she can out hendery the man himself

like maybe a younger hendery could keep up with her

but as hendery gets older and he has more than just xiuying

poor thing is starting to get pooped lol

she’s best friends with xiaojun’s oldest son, xiao zhangwei

like zhangwei loves to sing and won’t stop singing

and she can just keep up with him

like he’ll just be singing ever song he knows

and she’ll be in the back with a tambourine lol

she just vibes so well with zhangwei

but whenever they’re together, it’s so chaotic

it takes at least 4 people to watch just the two of them bc they’re just so chaotic lmao

her biggest flaw really is the fact that she can’t really control her energy

like she doesn’t know when to calm it down

it’s all okay tho

she’ll eventually learn dw

but yeah

tbh she’s such a funny older sister

she wouldn’t do anything super dangerous with her little siblings

but like she’ll just say the weirdest and funniest things

like she’ll scream at the top of her lungs

“MOCHOU POOPED HIMSELF MOM!!! IT STINKS!!!” 

like she’ll scream scream that lol

she takes compliments well

whenever she gets complimented she just says “THANK YOU!! YOU’RE ALSO PRETTY!”

she’s a charming little ball of craziness

>> as a teen/adult <<

honestly

she kept her crackhead personality

but she can get really serious when needed

like when it comes to her career and her family and such

she’s super serious

but in other situations

she’s honestly the funniest

xiuying becomes a really good older sister

like if her younger siblings are getting out of check

she’s really good at keeping them in line

xiuying is def not scary

but like her siblings just naturally listen to her

she becomes a model/comedian/tv personality

like jaehyun’s son, jung leon, she’s just so beautiful and so funny lol

she honestly could care less abt like being super “feminine” and stuff to maintain her model image yknow?

like tbh

she probably tried to reserved and calm and such

but her personality just is too powerful lmao

she would slip a lot

her manager would scold her and stuff whenever she did slip up

and it got to the point where her manager just gave up lmao

they just let her do as she pleased and she skyrocketed in personality after that

but yeah, tbh, she really does take her career seriously

like super duper seriously

xiuying wants to live an honest life tbh

like she takes her career seriously, but when her manager told her to maintain a pristine image, she didn’t sit well with it

bc the image they wanted her to maintain is simply not her

she talked to her manager abt it and they understood and let her do as she pleases

and it really did help everyone in the end

she’s still zhangwei’s best friend

zhangwei joins a band and he’s the lead singer

xiuying knows zhangwei better than anyone tbh

they def don’t get together tho

like they’re the best example of platonic, heterosexual, best friends

to be 100% honest

xiuying has a huge thing for the drummer of his band lmao

ofc she goes to zhangwei’s concerts to support him

but her true reason to go is to see the drummer lol

everyone gets along so well with her

like literally no one seems to have anything bad abt her

if they do and they talk abt it, she’ll just agree lmao

like someone will say “your nose is too big.”

and she’s like “yeah, my nose is pretty big. it’s okay, it allows me to smell yummy food easier and better then.”

or like

“your eyes resemble the eyes of donkey from shrek”

and she’ll be like “omG REALLY? HE’S MY FAVORITE CHARACTER THANK YOU SM”

she takes hate the best out of all of the kids

like if someone is struggling bc they get some hate comments, she swoops in and pats them on the back and is like “dw. xiuying is here. let me teach you how to deal with the haters.”

but yeah, she’s really goofy and so gorgeous and just a well loved person :,)

WONG MOCHOU: >> as a baby <<

he’s also so pretty as a baby

he also inherited hendery’s big eyes

pero

his eyes are lowkey kinda creepy

like it was endearing with xiuying bc she smiled a lot

but mochou is super duper serious lmao

like he loves to stare

and it was lowkey kinda creepy

but overtime, when he smiled more, it became endearing lol

for sure, hendery and xiuying’s reactions were the best lol

like hendery and xiuying would be playing with mochou, trying to get him to smile

and mochou is just :|

he’s not mad

he’s actually quite happy

it’s just he wasn’t really the smiliest baby

xiuying and hendery would just have the funnies reaction

mochou is quite a looker tho

even tho his eyes creeped all of you out

from an early age it was very clear that mochou would be a talker

he was babbing from the second he knew he could makes noises

and hendery would hold out entire conversations with him

for example

mochou: aaaabbaaaa taaa maaaa

hendery: you know, that’s an interesting point, i’ve never thought about it like that before

mochou: daaaaaa aahhhpoooo

hendery: no, it’s definitely crazy, i totally agree. so tell me, what are your opinions on the current state of our economy?

mouchou: baaa

hendery: good insight, my son.

mochou loved to imitate you guys while you talked

like if you said “i love you!”

he would babble a reply that is really similar

even tho xiuying would play with mochou a lot

mochou was really good at playing on his own

xiuying loves to just explain everything to him

like every little detail about everything

she’ll bring him the most random things and just explain everything she knows about it

mochou was most definitely cared for by xiuying

he was just a sweetheart who creeped you out from time to time

>> as a child <<

omg 

he had the biggest imagination

and he let the world know it

like he was such a creative kid

mochou would make a new world whenever he played

like if mochou and xiuying were playing together

mochou would create an entire new world and xiuying would just be so excited the entire time

like

xiuying: “sO YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT THE HOUSE IS A SPACE SHIP???”

mochou: “YES!!! CMON, IF YOU GO TO THE WINDOW YOU’LL SEE A TON OF DIFFERENT PLANETS!!!

xiuying: “OHHH MY GOSH THIS IS SO EXCITING!!”

all of the kids love to play with him because his imagination is just so crazy

he’s still a huge talker

mochou is amazing at carrying conversations

like he’s is a pretty social bee and loves to talk to everyone

he loves to tell everyone everything

mochou belongs to the 127 squad

meaning he’s best friends with jaehyun’s son, jung leon, jungwoo’s second daughter, kim jieun, and haechan’s second daughter, lee haeun

when the 4 of them are together

you need at least 10 people watching them

by themselves? they have a ton of energy

all together? oh no

when he does get tired, he loves to draw

mochou is naturally talented at drawing

in all forms that require creativity, mochou is naturally talented in all of it 

he was naturally really good at singing

he was naturally really good at learning instruments

he was naturally really good at painting, sketching, drawing, doodling

he was naturally really good at writing

mochou has a lot in his brain and the best way he could get it out was through drawing and painting

even tho as a baby, he was kinda stoic and such, he made of for it as a child

he became just a smilie as xiuying

xiuying and mochou have the sweetest relationship

xiuying likes to scold mochou even if he’s not doing anything wrong

mochou just smiles and listens to his sister.

even his younger sister liked to torment him a bit

but tbh, he would just take it

he loves his sisters to death

he would let them play with him as they’d like, he was honestly just chill  about it

hendery would sometimes take mochou on “man” dates

but tbh

it’d just be the two of them getting ice cream or something like that lol

hendery grew up with a ton of sisters so like I def feel like he would be a little confused with how to raise his son

but I mean, if his mochou was more on the feminine side? so what?

hendery loved mochou for who he is

omg, both boys would be so whipped for the girls tho

like if hendery was watching all of the kids, he would for sure end up dressed up as a princess

mochou too

when you came home, hendery would have a princess dress on him that def doesn’t fit bc it’s xiuying’s dress

mochou would be covered in head to toe with makeup

and hendery would be talking in his girl voice about being the beautiful queen of the land

it’s the best thing ever tbh

>> as a teen/adult <<

he becomes a creator/director for movies and such

like his creativity is so amazing and it remains the same way until he’s an adult

and the world needs to know his stories and such

he vibes well with yuta’s daughter, nakamoto akari

they both have such an amazing imagination and they both just want to share it into the world

he honestly follows in akari’s footsteps bc like she has a bit more experience in this field than he does

mochou for sure works in the same animation studio she works at

and together, they just build the coolest worlds ever

they def have their own ideas and stuff

but like if they work on a project together

they lowkey can just sync up and like they barely need words

everyone else who works in the animation studio is like???

bc like akari would talk to mochou for like 2 min

and then he just nods and starts drawing

then she starts drawing too

and like the characters from the drawings look virtually identical

it’s crazyy

they’re on the same wavelength

he for sure still parties hard with his 127 squad

like during work, he’s serious and straightforward

but like leon, jieun, and haeun would pick him up at the studio and he’s screaming for some reason lol

not out of fear,

out of excitement bc he’s ready to PARTY HARD WITH HIS FRIENDS

i feel like mochou would have the same exact sense of humor hendery has

like

as an adult, if hendery and mochou were just spending some time together

it sounds like there’s two hendery’s in the room

and oh no

tbh

mochou? he’s getting all of the ladies

i feel like he would be the type to have a different girl fall for him each week

i also feel like he’s too clueless to reject or accept their feelings

omg one time

while he was at a work seminar

one of the people he met would write her number on a tissue or something

and she would hand it to him

and he would be like “thanks! my nose was a little stuffy”

thEN PROCEED TO BLOW HIS NOSE IN THE NAPKIN

he would be so clueless and just throw it away

and like he def didn’t do it on purpose

he would just flash her a smile and act like nothing happened

bc to him, nothing happened other than a nice person gave him a tissue bc his nose was stuffy

mochou is a funny one, that’s for sure. 

WONG ZHANGJING >> as a baby <<

she’s really nice and sweet and such

zhangjing is the maknae of all of the kids (for now)

she’s the baby baby

anD EVERYONE TREATS HER AS SUCH

like all of her siblings, she was just such a pretty baby

zhangjing was most def the most delicate out of all of her siblings

she was just the smallest

zhangjing looked like a little doll

compared to all of her siblings

she was the calmest and the most docile

zhangjing wasn’t excessively giggly like xiuying

zhangjing wasn’t creepy like mochou

she was just sweet and kind

everyone in the entire group is so whipped for her just bc she’s the baby

like whenever the entire group is hanging out, there is for sure someone holding her at all times

the boys just switch off who gets to hold little zhangjing

omg jisung would hold her for a sec and like want to place her on the ground

and instantly EVERYONE excluding hendery would jump and and be like “jiSUNG NOOOOOO”

poor jisung would be too shocked and just stay frozen with zhangjing in his arms

hendery would step up and be like “guys... it’s okay. zhangjing can go on the ground, she’s not made of paper.”

the boys just thought little zhangjing was too good for the ground lol

omg hendery for sure lives for the compliments whenever someone calls zhangjing pretty

like if she’s on a baby carrier and one of the boys would gush over zhangjing, he’d say the funniest things

like “oh thank you, made her myself! this beauty was made on a fun night around 9 months ago.”

feel free to smack him on the arm for saying that

zhangjing’s natural cuteness just made everyone around her melt

tbh, if you look at his kids all together

all of them are so pretty

like it’s crazy

zhangjing also got hendery’s eyes lol (all of your kids have them lol)

but her stares aren’t as creepy as mochou’s were

tbh, zhangjing’s eyes were always busy

she loved to take in the entire world through her eyes

bc of this, she was a rather quiet baby, simply bc she was spending most of her time observing the world

>> as a child <<

lmao tbh

she’s sunshine

she’s the cutest 

zhangjing honestly looks so innocent

the entire group still maintains the “doN’T LET ZHANGJING TOUCH THE GROUND” sorta mentality

even tho they all know that she’s fine and can do whatever she wants

for some reason, she just gives off the vibe

maybe it’s bc she was the youngest at one point

she’s best friends with lucas’s youngest daughter, wong lina

lina’s personality is actually closer to hendery’s personality

while zhangjing’s personality is closer to lucas’s

like lina can be upfront about her crackheadedness and just does whatever she wants lol

zhangjing is just purely happy practically all of the time

when something makes her sad, oh no

everYONE IS LIKE “NOOO WHO MADE YOU SAD WE’LL FIX IT DON’T CRY”

if you see zhangjing cry, you are 100% going to cry too, guaranteed. 

omg like one time

you would come home from visiting your parents or something like that

and for some reason, your entire family is in the living room and their all crying

your heart drops bc you think something bad happened

so you instinctively hug all of your babies close and ask

hendery walks over and envelops everyone into a group hug, dramatically sobbing

you try to get him to explain and through a ton of sobs and hiccups he manages to get out something like “zhangjing started crying because she figured out lina is going to be gone visiting thailand for the next two weeks.”

you take a look at your youngest and immediately start crying too

why? you don’t really know. but seeing zhangjing’s crying face just triggered it for you

tbh, at this point, zhangjing has superpowers lol

anyway

she remained as a super curious girl

like if she’s every put into a new place, she’ll spend the first 10 minutes just observing

most kids would just run and play without thinking too much

but zhangjing would slowly and carefully take a look around, taking in all of the details of the entire place

she loves all of her siblings

they all baby her lol

zhangjing is just so observant and curious and for some reason, is really good at making people feel emotions they didn’t think they were feeling at the moment lol

>> as a teen/adult <<

she becomes an actress

her roles are usually the innocent girl and such

like if you’ve seen my first first love story

she would play roles like oh garin (from my first first love story)

zhangjing is the sweetest honestly it’s so cute

like she plays that role really well

sometimes when i see that role, i can get annoyed a bit

but zhangjing does it in a way that it doesn’t really annoy people

she keeps her energy levels

and she keeps her puppy like personality

the group still babies her a bit, but it’s not too bad anymore

she still maintains her natural cuteness lol

like she’s for sure really tiny

so it’s just natural for her to be on the cuter side

she adores her siblings so much

zhangjing would cancel her schedules just to see all of xiuying’s shows

during her breaks, she would be catching up on all of the news pertaining to mochou

zhangjing still remains curious

everytime she’s on a new set, she’ll roam around everywhere just bc

she hasn’t played a lead role yet so she doesn’t need to be dressed up and ready right away

omg tbh, sometimes they would have to edit her out of the window in a background

just bc she was wandering and she didn’t know they were filming lol

they all forgive her tho, dw

it’s not a big deal for the company

now is it her natural cuteness that is making everyone okay with it? idk.

she’s the quietest out of all of her siblings

and she has a hard time making good jokes like they do

zhangjing doesn’t cringe at the jokes

she actually likes them a lot!

she just has a hard time making them herself lol

which is fine bc her siblings definitely make enough for her share lol

whenever zhangjing is around lina

they both talk each other’s ears off

out of all of the friendships of kids, lina and zhangjing are the most talkative

they just have so much to tell each other all of the time!

they maintained their friendship even tho they took two different career paths

zhangjing was the baby of the group for a couple years, all before the next wave came (this “wave” refers to the on the way families!)

---

here’s hendery’s gang of mini-hendery’s!!! i hope you guys liked it!

the fact that all three of them look like hendery does resonate with me and i wouldn’t have written it any other way lol

anyway, my request box is open! give me some inspiration plz!!

- amy <3

#cznnet #nct #nct imagine #nct as dads #dad nct #hendery #wong kunheng #huang kunhang #dad!hendery #dad!nct #taeil #taeyong #yuta #kun #doyoung #ten #jaehyun #winwin #jungwoo #lucas #mark #xiaojun #renjun #jeno #haechan #jaemin #YangYang #chenle #jisung #nct fluff

[buildarocketboys]

For the fandom thing, Robin hood bbc? And for the character one, guy of gisborne?

Ahhh Rouke I love you so much for this!

Robin Hood BBC:

Favorite character: Guy of Gisborne (who else? I blame Richard Armitage, Sarah Kennedy on radio 2 for planting the idea in my head, and my easily swayed 12 year old self. But also he's a good fucking character lol)

Least favourite character: uhhh as a *character* probably Robin. Literally such an arrogant piece of shit who rarely acknowledges his own privilege (when it comes to his gang and the fact that he's a noble and they're...not) or his own faults. And we're still meant to see him as the ultimate good guy/hero. Pass.

5 favourite ships:

- Guy/Marian (I want to be clear though, this is one of those ships where the character dynamic is absolutely fascinating and a joy to watch, but I honestly don't think it actually becoming canon would be a) a good story or b) good for either of them)

- Guy/Allan (just. I fucking love how Allan gives no shits and treats Guy like a normal fucking human. He calls him Giz! And that dream Guy has about both Marian AND Allan massaging his shoulders while sweet talking him...I'm just saying. Anyway as opposed to Guy/Marian I actually think these two are good for each other and I wish their dynamic had been explored more, especially when Guy joins the outlaws in s3 but it's not explored *at all*)

- Marian/friendship with any female character. Fucking seriously. Let her vibe with Djaq (although ig I hc Djaq as nb. Any non-male character then) and bitch about the boys. PLEASE. She needs it.)

- Marian/Allan friendship (I'm realising doing this that I care far more about the friendships in this show than the romantic relationships. But seriously, these two people are in exactly the same position in opposite sides ie spies for the various teams, and that's fascinating, especially as Allan still protects Marian/has her back after he's found out. They probably kind of mildly dislike each other at first but it's bc they see a lot of their worst selves in each other. But honestly together these two can rule the world with banter and pure deviousness)

- Much/literally anyone who respects and values him as a person I'm begging you pleassssee (seriously, he gets this for like half an episode with Eve, which is lovely, but then it's back to being the butt of the Gang's jokes and Robin's punching bag/servant/""best friend"". And when Much wants any kind of display of friendship and affection from Robin, Robin makes fun of it and acts like it's such a chore. Ugh.)

Character I find most attractive: Guy of Gisborne started off my lifelong Richard Armitage obsession so it can't be anyone else. That is a beautiful, beautiful man. Marian is also gorgeous.

Character I would marry: Djaq or Much

Character I would be best friends with: literally all of Team Castle - Guy bc he badly needs /someone/ to be his friend (although I doubt he'd let me), Allan bc he'd be hilarious, Marian bc we could bitch about everyone and just have some good times. Ultimately Allan is probably the kind of person I'd be most likely to befriend irl.

A random thought: @Robin King Richard sucks bro and when he dies Prince John is gonna be king anyway, monarchy as a concept sucks anyway, consider dismantling it instead of putting all your faith in things getting better when the king returns

An unpopular opinion: I actually don't hate s3 the way much of the fandom seems to? Yes it was a trainwreck (hello? Have you watched this show? The whole thing is a trainwreck) and I hate that Marian died but I do think it went some interesting places we hadn't been before, especially re Guy (who lbr is the character I care most about). Don't get me wrong, it didn't do it very well, but I rewatch it more than s1.

My canon OTP:....uhhhhhh....does Guy/Marian count?? They're not really an OTP anymore though (although they used to be when I was like. 13.) They just have a cool dynamic.

My non-canon OTP: Guy/Allan ig

Most badass character: Marian, 100%. Especially s1 Marian. Icon. Queen of guerrilla fighting and sassy comebacks and saying fuck you to men.

Most epic villain: I guess the Sheriff? Idk about epic but he is the epitome of cartoonishly evil, which is fun to watch. Love to hate him.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Robin/Marian 🤢🤢🤢 (not saying it's bad if you ship it lmao, Robin is kind of a dick but it's more I can't stand how unbearably cheesy it is)

Character I feel the writers screwed up: What character DIDN'T they screw up? But I feel like they screwed over Isabella the worst. They made her seem unreasonably evil when her anger was entirely 100% valid and fair.

Favourite friendship: None of the friendships I actually enjoy were written to their full potential. But I guess Guy and Allan?

Character I most identify with: Allan or Djaq

Character I wish I could be: wouldn't want to be in her situation but would love to be as badass as Maz

Guy of Gisborne:

How I feel about this character: my terrible overdramatic emo son. Wish he could have had a proper redemption arc without killing Marian.

Any/all people I ship romantically with this character: Marian and Allan. And I guess Meg for the brief moment in time where that was a thing.

My favourite non-romantic relationship for this character: I know we only get a hint of it (and she dies) but I love Guy's relationship with Ghislaine. I just feel like they had such a loving relationship and then it all went to hell :( I also kind of think both Guy/Marian and Guy/Allan might work better/be more interesting as friendships

My unpopular opinion about this character: tbh in this fandom even liking him is an unpopular opinion to a lot of people 😂 I think if you took away the sheriff, he'd treat Marian better than Robin treats her (I mean, in some ways he already does but also like...he burns her house down soooo)

One thing I wish had happened with this character in canon: oh boy so many things. But the two places my mind goes most often are 1. Escaping the castle (with Allan and/or Marian), probably after Treasure of the Nation (ie my favourite RH episode of all time) and either joining the gang (equal parts hilarious and angsty) or starting a life somewhere new, away from all this bullshit and 2. Just more gang shenanigans after he joins them in s3. We had some, which was great, but I would have love to see more, to see him grudgingly becoming the weird ex villain friend and then actually building relationships with some of the gang

Favourite friendship: Allan

My crossover ship: Guy + therapy (also I'm sure I've thought about this before but I really can't think of a good answer). Maybe Eleanor Shellstrop (as friends)? I feel like that would be a fun dynamic to explore.

#asks #ask meme #afaintcloudyhaze #robin hood bbc #guy of gisborne

[epouvantes]

❛ willa fitzgerald, cis woman, she/her ❜ was that charlie brodeur? the twenty-six year old nurse has been in town since birth. the human has a reputation for being kindhearted & quick-tempered. you know they’re around when you get flashes of ( messy buns, deep breaths, cracked iphone screen & fairy lights strung all over ). rumor has it, they have no affiliations. { samu, est, 25, she/they }

( OOC: TW: ANXIETY MENTION AT THE END OF THIS PARAGRAPH. hi! i’m samu, i’m 25 and i use she/they pronouns! i’m so so so so so excited for this rp and for you all to meet my babies!!!!! i wanted to make this lil ooc section just to let y’all know that i’ll be posting longer and more detailed intro-like posts for my charas eventually, but i wanted to be able to give lil summaries and connection ideas before then so!!!!! there it is!!!!! thank u sm for reading!!!!! also if i ever message you to plot, which i’d like to do with everyone if my social anxiety allows it, pls don’t feel obligated to plot with me at all!!!!! i love connecting with other writers and stuff but i’ll completely understand if you’re not up to plot with me and my charas <33 ) ← this is the same ooc paragraph in all of my first three intros, so pls feel free to skip it! <3

brief introduction.

charlie’s mother was born and then spent all her life in ottawa, ontario, until she got pregant with charlie (original name is charlotte but charlie legally changed it as soon as she legally could after turning eighteen). isabelle, charlie’s mother, had a double citizenship (canada/usa) thanks to her mother (who she had a very complicated relationship with) being american, so when she basically ran away from home (although not really because she was twenty years old at the time), the move to the states was somewhat easy (or well, as easy as it could be).

charlie and her mother are very close!! kind of similar-ish to lorelai and rory in gilmore girls when it comes to closeness, except that they’re more like... soft, i guess? very intelligent and curious like the gilmore girls, sure, but not necessarily as quick-witted, humorous and energetic. well, isabelle sort of is a bit more so than charlie, but yes! basically, charlie and her mom are super close!

charlie’s mom (isabelle) made herself quite the stable home in blackthorne, and it’s been a home to her and charlie ever since they arrived (whilst charlie was still a fetus, of course)! nowadays, the two of them don’t live together anymore, but they see a lot of each other and get along rlly rlly well! i don’t want to set isabelle’s job in stone since i’ll probably make a wanted connection for her, but i’m picturing her doing something either really artsy or people-focused! or even both?

charlie has known she wanted to be a nurse since the age of thirteen. back in her pre-teens, isabelle and charlie’s elderly neighbour, mrs. cunningham, got quite sick and though charlie obvi didn’t do physical tasks to help out, just holding mrs. cunningham’s hands and being there for her felt right. charlie has always felt best when she's helping or caring for others, and that doesn’t seem close to change any time soon!

she was honestly a bit difficult to get along with when she was younger? bc as kind as she tended to be, she got angry VERY easily, especially when it came to other kids being careless and not paying attention to others. like, since childhood, there’s nothing that frustrates charlie more than people not taking others into consideration. also, um... when she gets mad, she gets MAD. she’s a fire sign (zodiac wise) and it really, REALLY shows lmao!!!!! she also tends to be quite dramatic and theatrical when it comes to her anger so idfjlkdjlkfdj it can lowkey be entertaining for those not involved in whatever is going on!

rn she’s living in a two bedroom apartment with two roommates! i picture charlie sharing a bedroom with one of her roommate (and can they PLEASE have bunk beds iM begging sjdljfdljfdlkfdj), and for the other roommate to have their own bedroom! i feel like both bedrooms would be REALLY small, but that actually all the other rooms would be quite roomy? and that it’d be a super well lit apartment? and like definitely not high class or anything, but DEFINITELY homey!

can be a bit reckless when it comes to her own safety, especially if others are in danger (she does have a bit of a hero complex), which is DEF not ideal right now lmao dflkjdlkfjlkdfj

loves partying btw!!!! she works rlly rlly hard as a nurse and is generally quite chill outside of work, but she feels the need to let loose, like really loose at least once every two weeks or more!

connection ideas.

CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND: along with her mother, this is the person charlie trusts and cherishes the most. and also lbr she can be a TINY bit more of herself with her best friend than with her mother, bc no matter how much she loves her mother, she’s still her mother. and this best friend would actually probably get along with isabelle really well too! i didn’t necessarily picture charlie’s best friends as one of her roommates, but if you’d like to go for that too, i definitely wouldn’t be opposed! ( 00 / 01 )

ROOMMATES: as described a lil bit above, charlie shares a two-bedroom apartment with two other roommates! the rooms are all pretty spacey, except for the bedrooms which are on the small size! still, charlie shares one of the bedrooms with one of her roommates (probably with bunk beds!!!!!! the adult-y kind?? where the bottom bunk is like a bit bigger??), and the other roommate has a room of their own!! the apartment is also really well-lit, with a lot of well-placed window, and though it’s definitely not luxurious, it 100% has a very homey feel to it! ( 00 / 02 )

COLLEAGUE(S): people who charlie works with! other nurses would definitely be interesting because they can unwind together and understand each other in a way that other people can’t? ooooh, although there could also maybe be a “rival” nurse to charlie for whatever reason we can work out together (bc charlie is caring af so maybe if your character is more ambitious and has a different way of dealing with patients - which is probably just as good as charlie’s but only different - so maybe they clash about that?) but also!!!!!! dOCTORS PLEASE!!!!!! knowing some people in health services, the way doctors act with nurses can vary quite intensely (from what i know which ofc is only a small sample tho so!!), but like....... mayhaps a doctor who really respects nurses and understands how they can have a unique point of view when it comes to what’s happening to the patients, and who tries to work with the nurses as a team!! therefore a doctor who charlie probably really admires and appreciates!!!! on the other hand, though...... a doctor who seems to think they’re above nurses (whether they really are or not is up to you, but it could be the impression that charlie is getting!) like maybe a doctor who doesn’t take kindly to being questioned, especially not by people who aren’t doctors and like...... lmao charlie doesn’t care!!!! she’ll question you!!!! (also lowkey..... this is FAR from necessary but i just stumbled upon a list of enemies to lovers novels and this seems like such a cliché plot but slfkjlxjfkljdf i wouldn’t be opposed to that if it works out with the chemistry and all of that? i’m not into planning long term romantic plots bc i feel like it hinders things and what not, but! it can be a possibility if you’d like that, maybe?) ( 00 / ?? )

EX-FIANCÉ(E): charlie’s high school sweetheart!! they started dating when charlie was fifteen (and your chara was in the same year as charlie but ig depending on the time of year they might have been the same age or a few months older or younger sflkdfjlkjfd), and they got engaged when they were twenty-one years old! charlie’s mother actually didn’t really approve of the union, even though she loved your chara, as she thought they were too young, but back then, charlie didn’t care about what others said about she and your chara’s relationship! they were actually engaged for two years before they both realized that they kept on pushing off the wedding. and it wasn’t just because they were scared; they just weren’t sure they actually wanted it anymore. then, they decided to take a “break”. that was around three years ago, and the two have barely talked to each other since, avoiding each other’s stares when they walk by each other on the street, something that happens much too often to their taste. they both still have their rings, but i feel like they’re probably just holding on to them out of nostalgia, because it seems quite clear that their relationship is over. problem is, they were close friends before they started dating, and they honestly miss each other’s friendship. also!! i don’t have a gender preference for your chara tbh!! at the age of nine, charlie loudly announced that she liked girls after climbing on the tallest tree in the park during a special school outing (to the park a block away from their school..... ok it wasn’t that special of an outing, but most of the school was still there in the park!) and at the age of fourteen she officially came out as bisexual! ( 00 / 01 )

EDIT: i wanna post this now so i won’t make a lil paragraph for it right now, but!!!! party friends is def an idea that would work very very well!

i can’t think of anything else right now, but i’m definitely open to many many more ideas! these were just the few things i could come up with right now!

#blackthorneintro #general: introduction. #general: character development. #charlie brodeur: all. #charlie brodeur: intro. #charlie brodeur: character development.

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 25: 1x16 The Galileo Seven

I took a half day off today and had a three hour nap in the afternoon. Now I’m feeling, I think, better?? Perhaps?

Anyway, today’s ep is The Galileo Seven, aka capitalizing on Spock’s popularity time.

Hmm, a vague and undefined phenomenon perfect for scientific study--Spock will love this. (Aka Kirk’s real reason for investigating the quasar. Just a little gift for the bf.)

Yeah Shuttlecraft Galileo! I love the shuttlecrafts; I think they’re adorable.

New Paris Colony.

The Commissioner isn’t wrong, though, like this probably isn’t the time to go on a random exploratory mission. Ah, yes, this weird space anomaly full of unknown dangers--let’s launch our most important officers right into the center of it while we have time sensitive supplies onboard. I mean come on, there’s a plague going on!

Love the shaky movements of the shuttle as it flies through space.

Hmm they’re exploring an unknown weird space thing and something goes wrong? Who could have predicted that? Other than Boma, who’s like ‘this is actually really normal though?’

Kirk’s sigh right before the credits lol.

Uhura taking over for Spock.

Those doors looked awfully, um... not metal when they opened. But I still like the design.

This is a good episode for understanding what ‘logic’ means to Spock. Like people, including people in this ep, talk about it as if it were just being emotionless and not caring about others but it’s a whole philosophy/value system and he adheres to it pretty well.

Shuttlecraft Columbus.

Kirk has such a big headache right now. He hates having someone step on his command toes.

I love this Bones and Spock conversation. “This is your chance for command.” “I am a logical man.”

Those pants really are terrible. Everyone always on about the skirts but no one ever talks shit about those horrendous pants.

Spock gets to show off his legs standing in a V like that though lol.

Philosophy 101: The Trolley Problem.

“My choice [of who to leave behind] will be a logical one.” Stop bullshitting, Spock lol. “Idk man... logic?”

Well his decision just got easier by about 1/3.

It’s Pauna! Oh wait wrong show. Thank God.

Spock is talking about how this spear looks like something Native American but lbr it looks like a Vulcan spear and he should know. He’s the bitch with the ancient weaponry hanging on the walls of his quarters.

Spock could move the body way more efficiently, I mean he’s 3x stronger than these other fools. Look at the way he throws the spear as if it were made of cardboard. Which it is definitely, definitely not lol.

That quadrant name would make a good wifi password.

The commissioner truly has NO purpose here other than to be a human clock.

I understand Spock not wanting to waste time with the ceremonial duties of command or with burying a person while he could be working to save the people who are still alive...but I don’t believe for one moment he doesn’t know elaborate funeral services. The Vulcans love their rituals.

“We have no fuel! What alternatives?” Yeah lol that is pretty bad.

“Sensitive Vulcan ears.”

He literally just said they’re not tribal, Boma, are you not listening at all?

“I’m frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life.”

Like Kirk always says, this isn’t a democracy.

Honestly this insubordination kinda seems like xenophobia to me in that I feel like everyone thinks it’s okay to be disrespectful to Spock because he’s an alien, because their human morality and philosophy is inherently right and Spock not following it is deserving of ire, even though he’s in command.

They’re on Spock’s back when he doesn’t seem to respect life enough and when he respects life too much like he cannot win.

Our duties to other life forms.

At least the reboots got Spock’s sass right.

I feel like Spock’s logical and emotionless responses are helpful though because I would be a straight up anxious mess. It just seems so clear to me, all the places where being unemotional is allowing him to act and keep control where a scared and confused person ruled by emotions would not be. I mean they’re all Officers and it’s not like McCoy and Boma are wandering around weeping or anything but still. Not all of Spock’s decisions are right but I’d be soothed by his attitude.

“Luck may be the only tool we have that works” reminds me of “Captain, you almost make me believe in luck.”

Kirk also makes a lot of command decisions here and it’s interesting to compare his style with Spock’s.

Loving the creature design and this is not a sarcastic comment.

“Certain scientific curiosity” about whether the crewman is dead. Sure okay.

See, I was right, he can lift and carry a grown man by himself.

That spear very much hit him lol.

Spock is upset. He lost a crewman. And logic isn’t working like it’s supposed to. I love that “They should have respected us” bit. He is a little arrogant, and for someone who’s spent most of his adult life around aliens, rather set in his idea that rational responses are the only responses.

He’s really having some revelations here. I bet he can’t wait to discuss all this with Jim.

I’ve seen that shot of Scotty just shoving a wrench in the wall and making sparks fly used in memes. Out of context it is quite hilarious.

Ugh, this is such a tightly constructed narrative. Love it.

Yeah, Boma, back off. This is just crossing a line.

“You will have your burial, provided the creatures permit it.”

Poor creatures honestly. These weird aliens keep showing up and bothering them.

This Captain’s chair is pretty wide too but Kirk manages to sit in it and look cool @ cpine.

Noooo you can’t leave them behind!

Uhura posing behind the Captain’s chair and looking at the screen like google earth always taking pictures.

Lol, space normal speed. (You’d think the Commissioner would show up at this point to be like bUt ThE pLaGuE but actually we never see him again.)

Those creatures aren’t even AIMING the spears they’re literally just throwing them parallel.

“Get us off, Scott.”

“Yes.... my first command.” Oh, Spock. I love him.

Love that Scotty’s really, genuinely proud of him. Scotty’s so Unproblematic. He really is just here to do his job and he’s never mean or causing trouble of any sort.

Jim will see the flares because he loves you!!

This poor actress playing the Yeoman has nothing to do. “Oh, it’s hot!”

Really living for Kirk’s face journey as he thinks all hope is lost and then realizes they’re (mostly) okay.

I want to hear what Kirk and McCoy are saying at the beginning of the last scene. I bet they’re talking about Spock.

Everyone gently making fun of Spock but in a ‘we love you buddy way.’ And Kirk using this, their one scene together all ep, to lay on the flirting extra thick. “Mr. Spock, you’re a stubborn man” is really pushing the flirtation meter off the charts.

They’re mocking him for making an impulsive decision but he was totally right AND he was totally logical imo? Like “you reasoned that it was time for an emotional outburst” is certainly one way to put it but another way is “the only possible chance we have of being detected AT ALL is to make a big scene and if it doesn’t work we’ll just die faster than we would have anyway” which is logical, and in fact, I think someone too caught up in their emotions might hesitate to do it. I mean, I’d probably hesitate--I think the emotional response to the situation is to want to stay alive as long as possible, even if you know--logically--that the difference between living another 6 minutes and another 26 minutes is nothing. You’d be better off giving away the chance for 20 extra minutes in exchange for a better chance of not dying at all. That’s logic bitches!

Kirk sees some hope for himself here. “Oh, Spock can follow his heart??? Perhaps... to me??”

I am not a fan of these fake laughter endings. They are so overdone lol. Uhura is literally pointing and laughing in the background. It’s not THAT funny guys.

That said if Beyond had ended with some fake laughter it probably would have improved the film substantially.

And that’s it! An excellently plotted episode, really well done on the level of craft. I really get off on that kind of thing. I know a lot of shows that can write entertaining episodes/seasons/multi-season plots but don’t have any, well, real logic to them and that’s not necessarily the worst but then when you see something that’s really just well made, it... well for me it triggers a very certain satisfaction.

Also this is easily a top 3 Spock episode. Great character stuff.

Next up is the Squire of Gothos, which I think is one of the weaker S1 episodes. Not bad, just not Classic level like almost every other ep.

#star trek tos #the year 2020 #2020: fandom thoughts #2020: star trek

[8241991]

Would it be too much of I asked for all the hearts of the ask meme for moonriver?

Fam, you got it 100%, thank you so much for this. This probably took forever and I am so sorry I’m on mobile rn but I will do this to the best of my ability.

1. Who is more affectionate in public? In private?

I think both Near and Light are reserved people so this is a tough one, but after thinking over their characters they would be uniquely affectionate to each other in private. I could see Near crafting things for Light, making models and heartfelt gifts. Near is not one for random physical affection really, but I could easily see him stroking Light’s face or holding his hand gently. Light would be the type to return this with other kisses and caresses, but again they’re both very reserved people even in private.

In public, I think they would still be reserved but it’d be equally unique. Light and Near would probably do more activities suited for the both of them (hello art museums) and I think that would be their way of showing affection to each other in public, by genuinely showing interest in each other’s hobbies and creative passions. I know this is a ‘which one’ question but I think they’re both rather similar in how they approach affection!

2. Who is the bigger romantic openly? Secretly?

Tbf, Light would be more openly romantic. Not saying Near doesnt have the capacity or capability, but I think he can be rather wrapped up in his tasks or whatever activity he’s doing sometimes to be openly romantic. I can see Light being more conscious about what Near would enjoy romantically and not worrying about enough reciprocation- he knows how Near is and it doesn’t bother him, it’s why he does it.

As for secretly, I’d definitely say Near. Near is a sensitive person for starters and while as I said earlier he can be wrapped up in whatever he’s doing, he feels things a lot heavier than most people would imo. So while he may not be outwardly romantic with his words and actions, he certainly feels these things heavily when it comes to Light.

(Sorry if this is weirdly worded this one was kinda hard to answer!)

3. Who is more likely to initiate hand holding in public?

Light would, tbh. I can see it being a slow transition- Near definitely isn’t opposed to the idea, but I can’t see initiating romantic gestures (especially in public) as being something Near does. He’d be able to do it later on, especially if he felt the mood was right or needed comforting, but I believe Light would initiate it in a pure romantic sense at first.

4. Who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

Tbh, neither. Not saying they won’t make declarations of love, but they’d be unique and way quieter. As stated above both are reserved and can control their emotions well. A ‘huge’ declaration of love between the two (especially in public) is not something that would happen. I feel as if they know it’s not something that needs to occur. However, when it comes to quiet gestures they’re like, kings. Kissing discretely, soft leg rubbing, that sort of thing.

5. Who developed a crush on the other first?

While I believe they both would have a mutual interest in each other, I think Near would develop feelings first. Near would probably realize this once he started thinking about Light more and it started affecting his crafts and hobbies- making things he think Light would like, shaping things after him. That’s besides the point, but I think Light is one of those people who needs more time to understand his feelings for another person in a romantic sense, while Near can feel these things sooner and it would start affecting him in different ways.

6. Who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

Near and Light are both fairly confident people and understand what they both like, so while I can’t see it being really a big deal for either of them, I think Near would be more thoughtful as he’d want to make something for Light. Light isn’t an established artist (I don’t think he even draws once in canon), so he’d resort to buying things. Near would want to plan out what to make for his partner. He appreciates gifts that are bought for him, but believes to make gifts for those he cares about as a sign of affection.

7. Who initiates the most physical contact?

Light. Again, we both got two confident people here so when I say Light or Near I’m not doubting the abilities or expertise of the other, but I’m simply stating who is more likely. Especially in private, I can see Light being highly sensual with Near. Shoulder rubbing (especially after a hard day), hugging, playing with the others hair etc.. Near is receptive and often reciprocates.

8. Who is more likely to send cutesy texts to one another?

Oh man, define what you mean by cutesy. If you mean playful, I can see that being a Near thing. He has a sense of humor, and would probably enjoy teasing Light over text. However I can see them very rarely texting as I can see them working together (BOTH ARE GOOD DETECTIVES OK...) and living together so. When you’re around a person that much texting is limited. But yes, Near.

9. Who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

And again, this goes to Near haha. He has some sort of spiritual side, he indulges in tarot so I could definitely see him looking into astrology. Now I don’t think he’d put the entirety of their relationship into it, he would tell Light interesting facts about their zodiac signs and how they get along. Also in rare fights he’d probably say ‘god you’re such a fucking pisces’.

10. Who is more protective?

Oooooooooh man, this is also another tough one. Lbr: both are scrawny and underweight so physical protection is kinda hard to determine. Near wouldn’t win in this because he’s so tiny, so I guess Light would feel a need to be more physically protective, but both are willing to protect each other when it comes to their emotions. Especially with how sensitive Near is, even despite his confidence, if you manage to hurt him I could definitely see Light coming for your ass (which is like, a rare moment where I kin Light).

11. Who tends to get sick more often? Who takes care of the other better?

I can see Near having a weak immune system really, and he would get sick more often. Light wouldn’t freak out about this because he’d probably just get light colds and maybe something a little bit more serious, but Light would be more competent in the caretaking department. He’d know what to do and would put intense research into it, haha.

12.

(Took a screencap because I didn’t want to remember and type this lol)

They both say ‘I love you’ rarely because they don’t really feel the need to say it, but if it were up to me I think Light would say it first. Near would certainly feel love for his partner, but wouldn’t always verbalize it. Light would want to wait for the right moment, and he’d make it meaningful (possibly on a special occasion).

13. Who believes in soulmates?

I could see this with Near, but I don’t know how much weight he would put into it. He’d probably go back and forth, but more leaning into ‘we’re soulmates’ territory once their relationship was further along, you know?

Again, thank you so much, I hope you like my answers. Pls feel free to ask me more ❤️

#anonymous #ask #moonriver #nate river #near #light yagami #death note

[johannas-motivational-insults]

She-Ra season 2 episodes, ranked

All right, I have a lot of feelings about She-Ra season 2 and what was good and not so good. I’ve been doing a lot of shitposting but this is legit analysis/meta, or at least it wants to be.

To be fair, though I’m trying to rank these as objectively as possible, it will be influenced by what I care most about and find most interesting in the series. I stan Catra and the Superpal Trio and think Adora is a loveable mess, and I really can’t stand Swift Wind. So, take this with a grain of salt. Needless to say, SPOILERS AHEAD.

7. 2x03 “Signals”

I would rank this episode higher, except the A plot was so meh. It felt like it should have been a Halloween special, and if it was I’d give it a pass, but I found it so thoroughly disinteresting I all but tuned out. Of course, people who stan the Best Friend Squad might have still loved it, but their dynamic isn’t as interesting for me anymore because we’ve seen so much of it, and this episode didn’t do much to change it other than add Swift Wind in (and he really, really annoys me). The only real thing it did to move the plot forward was introduce the subplot about the mysterious transmissions, and it didn’t do anything characterization wise. Ultimately, it’s a set up episode, and to be fair it might be more interesting in retrospect once we get some payoff and see where that whole thing is going. But I dunno, I kinda doubt it.

It’s mostly a set up episode in the other subplots too, but I enjoyed watching the political machinations in the Horde because there were real, tangible stakes and important power shifts. Catra learning that having power and authority is not all it’s cracked up to be was a crucial bit of character development. That bit of her getting the air sucked out of her lungs was more genuinely scary than the creepy ghost holograms by far. You felt her desperation trying to save face with Hordak and regain her sense of power and safety after that terrifying threat, and watching Shadow Weaver tune in to and play with her insecurities was a good bit of development for and insight into their relationship. It also foreshadows how easily Shadow Weaver is able to manipulate Catra later in the season.

Meanwhile, Entrapta’s excursions and work with Hordak supplied some comic relief (which I think the A plot also tried and failed to do) and also made the Horde plot take an interesting turn. This is the episode where Catra really starts to lose power, and meanwhile Entrapta gains a lot without even meaning to. She just wanted to fix the problem with Hordak’s experiment, dear girl. On that note, I did not expect to enjoy watching Hordak and Entrapta so much, but one thing this show does really well is throw together unexpected combinations of characters and make an amazing dynamic (e.g. the Superpal Trio, Scorpia and Seahawk, Catra and Glimmer and Bow).

The Entrapta subplot was the most interesting of the episode and unfortunately it was relegated to the C plot. This episode would have been way better if they’d put more focus on the Horde side of things and/or given the “Best Friend Quad” something with more substance.

6. 2x01 “The Frozen Forest”

This episode was fine, but it didn’t do much to stand out. It was important, of course, to follow up on the end of season 1, and if they had skipped this episode entirely it would have left a huge gap. But with the two main groups of characters not interacting at all in person, there was little reason to be emotionally invested in the fight scenes. We don’t really care if Horde bots get destroyed. It would have been more interesting to see the Superpal Trio directly fighting the Princess Alliance, but on the other hand it did set up just how big a role Entrapta’s tech knowledge was going to play this season. The stuff with the princess alliance was cute, I always enjoy seeing more of Mermista, and they did some character work (which I can always appreciate) with Glimmer and Frosta. But since we only see the princesses once more this season, it hasn’t had much of a chance to pay off yet.

The highlight of this episode was Adora fighting Catra in the simulation and her ensuing conversation with Light Hope. (“There. There.” and “I also have buttons” were two of my favorite one-liners of the season.) The simulated fight was very cute, and I definitely screamed when Catra grabbed Adora’s hand while delivering her customary “Hey Adora,” right before taking her down. And look, the fact that Catra was flirting so hard with Adora in that simulation means that an AI with very poor social awareness has picked up on their sexual/romantic tension, and that’s hilarious.

The Horde side of things gave us more time with the Superpal Trio, who are always delightful, but not a ton happened over there either. This episode established that Entrapta has fully moved in to the Fright Zone and Catra is comfortably leading the Horde’s advances and has respect from Hordak and the Horde’s soldiers. It also foreshadows how impressed Hordak is going to become with Entrapta’s work (and unimpressed with Catra’s) when her EKS bots steal the show in that meeting. Finally, the episode introduced the shifted dynamic between Catra and Shadow Weaver now that the power position has flipped. That ongoing subplot was possibly the saddest part of the season, and this one scene did a good job of setting that up.

Overall, this was a good and necessary setup episode, but because it had all that exposition and setup to do we didn’t get a ton of good character/relationship moments (Frosta/Glimmer and Catra/Shadow Weaver being the notable exceptions). So yeah, it was fine. But there were definitely stronger episodes, which we will now get into...

5. 2x04 “Roll With It”

This was a very cute episode, a fun one to watch. The reason I ranked it fifth is because there are three very strong episodes this season and 2x07 had higher stakes, being the season (mid-season, lbr) finale. On the Horde side of things, I loved seeing more of Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio. Lonnie really shined this episode and I keep waiting for someone to realize how smart and capable she is and promote her. And of course, Scorpia. Darling oblivious Scorpia who just wants to impress her crush. She’s not very smart but she’s earnest af and can pack a punch, and this is the first episode where she really stands out.

The planning session in the rebellion camp was really fun to watch, though I’m sure I missed a ton of jokes because I’ve never played D&D. The chaotic way the princesses all play off each other was more evident here than in 2x01, which made for some great gags. The different approaches they each take and the different aninmation styles used to portray them were a lot of fun. Glimmer’s noir hero fantasies were my favorite, personally. (And apparently she sees Catra as a very sexy villain? I need more on this, please.)

Adora’s monologue about the worst possible secenario revealed all her insecurities, and it was one of the highlights of the season. Her anxiety issues and messiah complex have been touched on before many times, but this is the first time they’ve really come bubbling to the surface this season. It was really nice to see the whole group reassure her that she isn’t in this alone, much like Bow and Glimmer did before the Battle of Bright Moon. And while it’s been hinted at before, this episode really solidified her obsession with Catra. And Scorpia’s too, as I mentioned above.

It’s easy to forget that Catra wasn’t actually in this episode (AJ Michalka was, but her character was not, not for real) because you felt her presence everywhere. The bit with all the princesses’ different renditions of her was hilarious. But you know, it was nice to see the show put together such a strong episode without Catra. Having the emotional focus on Adora again was a nice change of pace.

4. 2x07 “Reunion”

This episode gave us what 2x03 lacked: it made the Best Friend Squad interesting again. That group is most compelling to watch when there’s conflict among them, like in the stretches of 1x01-1x02 and 1x08-1x10. They weren’t in an actual fight this time, but Glimmer and Adora being so thrown by Bow’s secret family life meant that things didn’t feel “as usual.” Glimmer’s insecurity about not meaning that much to Bow resurfaced, and Bow’s “coming out” scene was extremely moving. But thankfully there was comic relief, too. Adora mispronouncing words to try and sound scholarly was a great ongoing gag, and the eventual fight between the Best Friend Squad and the elemental was really fun because it was so chaotic with Bow’s dads being extremely confused.

Okay and look, Bow’s dads. Finally we get to see why Bow is the most well-adjusted person in the group. His parents aren’t perfect, but they did way less to fill their kids with insecurities than Angella or Shadow Weaver. Angella’s not a bad mom but it’s easy to see why Glimmer feels so inadequate. And Shadow Weaver is, well, Shadow Weaver.

This episode was sort of oddly structured for what is essentially a mid-season finale in the sense that the A plot was about relationships more than the overarching plot, but that’s not necessarily bad. And they tied the plot back in at the end with the reveal about the Crimson Waste, setting us up to finally move forward in this transmissions subplot in season 3.

There wasn’t a lot of time for Horde stuff this episode, but Scorpia forcibly loving Catra and turning her into a burrito was one of my favorite scenes of the season (maybe I will do a Top 10 later on). Catra opening up to Scorpia about her problems for the second episode in a row was huge, especially after experiencing a heart-shattering betrayal in the previous episode. Catra’s final scene where she gets exposed as a liar and choked out felt a bit truncated to me... like after they set that up as this terrifying threat in 2x03, they lingered a lot less in the terror of that moment in this episode. So that was kind of disappointing, but it still worked well as half of the cliffhanger (the weaker half, imo, but it was still extremely nerve-wracking).

It was hard to pick between #4 and 5 on this list, but ultimately the amazing cliffhanger was what put this one over the top. Both our protagonists are in danger, at the mercy of our two worst villains, and even though I knew what was coming as soon as I saw Adora sleeping, the shot of Shadow Weaver standing over her bed made me scream. I hate this show for leaving me hanging here, so they did it right.

3. 2x02 “Ties That Bind”

Ranking this one so high may be an unpopular opinion, but I personally loved this episode. I didn’t care much for the B plot except it was good insight into Adora, but the A plot was so delightful it made up for it. Mixing members of the Superpal Trio and Best Friend Squad almost always results in something good... maybe not for the characters, but for the audience. Watching Catra and Glimmer play off each other’s insecurites was great, and it was sweet watching Bow attempting to befriend Catra, just like he did with Adora. The conflict between him and Glimmer about how to treat their hostage felt very in-character, a good callback to the beginning of season 1.

Of course, Catra is a much more annoying hostage than Adora was. Her being a little shit and doing everything she could to get on their nerves was amazing, and I would have gladly watched a full hour episode just of that. The sassiness and manipulation we see from her in this episode balances nicely with the deep emotional stuff she goes through this season in her fight to win approval and prove her worth. It also produced my favorite joke of the season: “How are you such a nightmare?!?”/”Eh, years of practice.” I felt that in my soul as a youngest child. I also loved all the cat mannerisms they incorporated in this episode, it was very cute.

There is a bit of emotional meat to that story, with Catra and Glimmer’s confrontation at the end after Glimmer says Adora ran away from Catra, not the Horde (rude, btw). But the real emotional moment comes when Bow and Glimmer find out Entrapta stayed willingly with the Horde. That was heart-breaking. Heart-shattering, even. Especially because Bow and Glimmer feel such guilt for her being left there in the first place. I wish there had been more follow-up on this major emotional beat, but that’s not a weakness of this episode itself. This was my favorite Entrapta scene of the season, even though there were a lot of other great ones.

Like I said, the B plot was... okay, but not amazing? The bits with Light Hope glitching were funny, if a bit creepy. (But she’s always creepy, so.) Swift Wind annoys the hell out of me when he’s being hyper, but seeing his eventual heart-to-heart with Adora gave him some good depth and development. Plus, this episode does a really good job of illustrating not only how uptight Adora is, but why. There’s that messiah complex again (which I don’t blame her for btw, that’s Shadow Weaver’s fault). I like episodes that focus on Adora emotionally, and separating her from Glimmer and Bow meant her storyline got to be a bit more serious and in-depth. I just wish it hadn’t been opposite Swift Wind... not because it wasn’t effective, but because Adora’s arc was good but I have little desire to rewatch it if it means I have to watch more of him. Sorry, I guess I’m an anti.

2. 2x05 “White Out”

As I’ve said before, this episode is the highlight of season 2. Once again, that has a lot to do with the dynamics that occur whenever we mix members of the Best Friend Squad and Superpal Trio, and this time we got all of them in one place! And they added Seahawk to the mix too, which I didn’t expect to like because he tends to get on my nerves, but pairing him with Scorpia was a move of pure brilliance.

Scorpia and Sea Hawk’s little heart-to-heart about feeling unappreciated and Drunk Adora validating and encouraging them was so so cute and heartwarming. All the Drunk Adora and Scorpia stuff was great, actually. It was funny but also made very textual how much Catradora is an insecurity for Scorpia and how she’s afraid she’ll never be able to live up to that and Catra will never open up to her the same way. And Adora actually seems to genuinely like Scorpia when she’s not focused on the evils of the Horde, so that’s good to know moving forward. And yeah, that pairing also brought us “Girls night in!” and the closet joke, another highlight of the season.

In the other mixed grouping, Catra and Glimmer renewed their rivalry, and that’s always fun to watch. Entrapta continued to be her usual chaotic self, and any time we see her interacting with Bow it tends to be a great scene. The reveal at the end that she had the tech all along but didn’t tell Catra because she liked hanging out in this remote place with her friends was really, really cute.

I would be amiss to not mention the Catradora of it all in this episode, because holy shit this is actually the only time they interact in person all season. That is just wrong, by the way, but I did thoroughly enjoy what we got. It’s very clear they still have an emotional hold over each other despite their attempts to “let go,” between Adora’s overly-focused anger and Catra’s expressions whenever she hears or sees Adora. Adora actually kind of hates Catra right now and I think that caught Catra off guard. Catra’s panic when Evil She-Ra almost killed her was a great moment of vulnerability, how she tried to appeal to the Adora inside. She dropped the act for a moment and genuinely tried to connect with Adora, and maybe it made me tear up a little.

Along those same lines, the one thing that pissed me off about this episode was that we didn’t get to see Catra interacting with Drunk Adora. That would have allowed Adora to interact with Catra in a vulnerable state too, and in general it just would have been amazing. And the trailer kinda suggested we would get to see that, so that made it extra disappointing. Can’t these two just talk about their feelings and actually hear each other and communicate properly, please? Ugh. Still, despite these frustrations, I loved the Catradora content.

But the real highlight of the episode was Scorptra. The scene where Scorpia tried to ask Catra out on a date was amazing and so freaking cute. Of course there’s also the stuff I mentioned where her insecurities about Adora came spilling out. And the look on Catra’s face when Scorpia aborted a mission to save her life and then whisked her away despite her protests... that was a huge moment. She doesn’t think of herself as worth saving, but someone else does. And despite the fact that Scorpia disobeyed direct orders, I think this is where Catra really comes to trust her. It’s certainly where she comes to respect her. And then they shared a blanket! God, this was so cute. I expected to enjoy the Catradora stuff more but a) there wasn’t all that much of it and b) this was so incredibly pure and sweet, watching Scorpia finally make some headway and Catra finally open up to someone again, even if it was only a little bit. I am a multi-shipper now, I can’t help it.

1. 2x06 “Light Spinner”

It was hard choosing between this and White Out for top spot, but I’m a slut for villain backstories. This episode was the less entertaining of the two, and I think I’d have to say White Out is my subjective favorite, but objectively I do think this is the better episode. Why? Character development.

Shadow Weaver was a bit too twirly-moustache of a villain at times in season 1, so seeing how she became what she is now did a lot for her character. Seeing how a desire to do good mixing with a thirst for power can drive someone to make mistakes and turn evil was very interesting, and having Micah be part of the backstory made it all the more compelling.

The ways Shadow Weaver tries to mold people with more intrinsic power than her so she can use that power was a crucial new insight, one we’ve never seen before. It explains why she’s so obessed with Adora, which was never really explained in season 1. And it also suggests that part of Shadow Weaver’s dislike for Catra came from Adora’s connection to and therefore influence over her. Shadow Weaver wanted Adora’s loyalty to be to her above all, even above the Horde, and Adora having a close friend (who’s a rebellious loose cannon, to boot) was a danger to that goal.

This episode is essentially about Shadow Weaver and Catra, both separately and together, and it does a great job of drawing parallels between them even before Shadow Weaver outright tells Catra that they are the same. They both go off on a rant about how no matter what they do, no one listens to or respects them. Shadow Weaver seems to have a bit of a self-loathing streak that she took out on Catra, too... kinda like Glimmer being annoyed by all her worst qualities manifesting in Frosta.

As for Catra, it shocked me that she was so upset about Shadow Weaver being sent away to die. Though she obviously still craved Shadow Weaver’s approval, I didn’t expect her to react so badly to this. Clearly Scorpia didn’t either, and her trying to tease Catra’s reasons out of her was sweet. It was nice to see Catra continuing to open up to Scorpia after that moment with the blanket at the end of White Out, but there’s still a lot she’s holding inside. She still genuinely cares about Shadow Weaver despite how she’s been trying to hurt her for revenge and her own satisfaction... that sound familiar?

And unfortunately, Catra’s connection to Shadow Weaver and her need for maternal love and approval was her downfall. After she mocked the rebellion for their bleeding hearts and how easily manipulated they are, mind you. This is where Catra’s tendency to sympathize with Shadow Weaver (which we saw at least twice in season 1) finally came back to bite her in the ass. It was terribly sad because Catra actually has a big heart and Shadow Weaver knew that and took advantage of it.

It’s hard to say how much Shadow Weaver meant of what she said to Catra when they had their big confrontation. It wasn’t clear whether or not she had seen her badge hidden in the food, whether she was only trying to manipulate Catra or if she was being earnest about any of it. Was the physical affection she gave her genuine, her way of making up for things and saying goodbye, or was she just fucking with Catra? I dunno, but either way this betrayal she pulled was awful, and if she was trying to be nice she would’ve been better off holding Catra at a distance than letting her get her hopes up. For real, Catra’s reaction when she realized Shadow Weaver had used and betrayed her was gut-wrenching, one of the rawest moments we’ve seen from her. I might have cried, a lot. She let herself be vulnerable in a way she rarely does, and for that she got absolutely obliterated emotionally. Again.

So yeah, this wasn’t a particularly fun episode, but it was a very strong episode of television and it did a lot to make Shadow Weaver more fleshed out and interesting. It finally brought one of the show’s most fraught relationships into the spotlight and let it combust in front of us, and as painful as it was to watch, I can’t help rewatching the Catra and Shadow Weaver scenes again and again. I never expected Catra to so openly ask Shadow Weaver why she was never good enough for her and what she did to deserve all the abuse. It was an incredibly rewarding scene to watch with great emotional payoff. And for a stan like me, that made it the best episode of the season.

#spop #she-ra #she ra #meta #season 2 #spoilers #episode rankings #scorptra #catra and shadow weaver #catradora #best friend squad #superpal trio #superpal duo #scorpia and catra #catra/scorpia #catra #adora #scorpia #entrapta #shadow weaver #screencaps #pics

[machihunnicutt]

What the Downton Movie Owes Me (but will probably not give me): Some Thoughts on Thomas Barrow

yes...I wrote 1k+ words on this. I’m so sorry.

I’m watching Downton Abbey for the 3rd (4th?) time with my sister who hasn’t seen it. I love this glorified soap opera to death, y’all, with the full acknowledgment that this show does a horrible job with a lot of its plot lines designed to tackle complicated issues: disability (the ableism against Bates via the house that he never gets apologies for, Matthew and his spinal injury/wheelchair that is always framed as life-ending and making him nothing but a “burden”), class (the Branson/Sybil marriage is alright, but there are countless missed opportunities to interrogate the relationship between upstairs and downstairs, particularly Carson’s attachment to a family that monopolizes his life and the lives of all its employees), (I’m going to leave race and gender alone because I think it does a pretty decent job when these issues come into play but feel free to lmk if there’s something I missed!), and sexuality, which is what I want to get into.

So granted, I understand that I’m not the target audience for this show. I understand that Downton’s gay characters were not written primarily to be relatable, multifaceted representations of gay people in a period drama. I get that Downton’s target audience is older, straight people for which representation isn’t super important. But, I have watched this show at least 3 times now and I’m still angry about its treatment of Thomas Barrow, so I’m going to break down why:

1) Things We Know About Thomas Barrow

I really like early seasons of Downton because, for all its drawn out drama and plot twists, it cares a lot about character development and consistency. Many characters (dare I say the majority) do mean and bad things and yet, we are still empathetic because we’ve spent time with them, understand why they make the choices they do, and see them learn from their mistakes (early seasons Mary is an excellent example.)

Thomas Barrow is my favorite Downton character because of the great narrative work they do in this regard. In the first episode we learn several character traits of his that continue to be important throughout his arcs:

- He doesn’t trust easily and has few friends in the house. (AKA, boy’s got a bad attitude. It’s better to act like you hate everyone than give them the chance to reject you.) I found this immediately endearing (because of who I am I guess lol), and though I understand why people don’t like his character because of this, I think it’s a good move for a character you intend to have grow over a long period of time. Opening up, accepting help from others, and showing kindness are all parts of Thomas’ future storylines, actions that show his slow growth from this facet of his character. I also think it’s important to note that when Thomas does make friends he is loyal to them (I’m excepting O’Brien from this category given there’s so much backstabbing between them that it’s a stretch to call them friends) and will take risks to protect them (Examples: befriending Lt. Courtenay and later fighting Dr. Clarkson to keep him at the hospital; befriending Lady Sybil and speaking kindly about her when he doesn’t have nice things to say about anyone else upstairs, later earnestly mourning her death in a show of vulnerability he generally masks; befriending Jimmy and looking out for him when he gets drunk at the fair, going as far to get beaten up to save Jimmy; befriending Andy and helping him learn to read; befriending the kids of the house and saving them from that one nasty nanny who was mistreating them.)

- He’s a romantic. The man wants to be loved and jfc I wish the show gave him a good love interest.

- He’s easily manipulated. (More on this later, but for now...) The Duke plays him, and it’s cruel, but it shows how easily Thomas can be tricked when he’s offered affection and the chance to leave Downton for something better. (Also note: from day one, he’s wanted to leave Downton!)

- He’s the evil gay trope. The gay villain trope has a long and complicated history and sure, you can say Thomas’s sexuality and role as an antagonist aren’t connected, but the show doesn’t exist in a vacuum and it feeds into a long history of villainizing LGBT and LGBT coded characters. The thing I hate most is that they get really close to subverting it in Thomas’ best moments (his work in the hospital during the war, his relationship with the kids, his gradual opening up to people in the house) but alas...

2) Why I Hate The Jimmy Kent Arc More Than Anything

Okay, so it makes sense for Thomas to be manipulated by O’Brien. That’s consistent with his character and I don’t fault the show for melodrama because that’s what it does. What I hate, is that the show depicts Thomas’ attraction to Jimmy as predatory and when he is punished for trying to kiss Jimmy while he’s asleep (which is assault) the house (and I’d argue, the show) frames this as bad only because Thomas is gay and Jimmy is not. In the show’s narrative Jimmy is mad because he’s homophobic, not because he’s been violated. And his and Jimmy’s ensuing friendship would be genuinely sweet if it really was just an issue of homophobia and not one of ASSAULT!

I’d argue, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t portray Thomas as predatory and then brush it aside to make a statement about tolerance, because assaulting people is bad regardless of the sexuality of the perpetrator. You either need to punish his actions for what they are or get better at story telling and not rely on the predatory gay stereotype.

But, secondarily, I’m bothered by this arc because it doesn’t seem in character, to me. I know Thomas does a lot of bad, stupid things, but I don’t think it makes sense for him to be predatory. In his best moments he is protective, romantic, and loyal. Yes, we see him as rash and naive, but his actions never felt right for the character, to me. I just think it’s lazy writing to handle his attraction to Jimmy this way, especially given the development of their friendship afterward. It would’ve been so much more satisfying and narratively interesting for Thomas to express his feelings for Jimmy in a respectful way. Jimmy is the only character we see Thomas have genuine feelings for (not motivated by upward mobility as in the case of the Duke or I guess(?) racial stereotyping in the case of Kemal Pamuk...but lbr his pass at him was mostly a plot device) and I think the arc would’ve been so much more fulfilling if we saw it as Thomas’ attempt to love someone fully and honestly, even if it ultimately doesn’t work out the way he wants it to. And I don’t get why they didn’t do this! Because the Jimmy/Thomas friendship ends up being sweet, and useful for each character’s development. They just had to make it gross by beginning with an assault. Just a huge, lazy, waste of a potentially good idea.

3) The Last Season Was Bad For A Lot Of Characters But They Did Thomas Extremely Dirty

I don’t know where to start with the last season because I think they ran into so many problems because they forgot how to use great characters effectively (Mary is a prime example!!) and started just throwing them into dramatic situations for the sake of plot and not keeping actions consistent with established character.

For example, life at Downton is the roughest it has ever been for Thomas in season 6, to the point where he is alienated by most in the house (I’m not going to talk about how badly Carson treats him and how much of a tyrant Carson is in the last season because again, I think it comes down to the writers forgetting how to use their characters effectively) and attempts suicide. All in all, I just don’t like this because it’s predictable and overdone. Gay people in period pieces almost always have overwhelmingly tragic stories and it’s not fun for me to watch anymore. What most disappoints me though, is that when everyone else is getting paired off in the fan-servicey ending, Thomas’ consolation prize is being the butler??? To a house full of people who’ve hated him??? He’s wanted from the beginning to leave Downton and in the end he doesn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, if the show had shown me his change in attitude and relationship to the house, given me this character development in meaningful ways, and not used a suicide attempt as a half-assed catalyst for change, I would be all for Thomas as Downton’s butler. I think that if they’d done the work of making it a believable and constructive next step for his character, that I’d really like it. I think Thomas’ relationship with the kids (particularly George! I’d watch a whole movie about that!) is well done and I think it echos Carson’s relationship with Mary, but better. But you! have! to! do! the! work! to! get! the! audience! there! You can’t give me a whole season of Downton nastiness and Thomas suffering and then expect me to buy that this is his happy ending.

4) What I Want From This Movie

I don’t think I’ll get it (though a love interest for Thomas via the trailer is encouraging), but here’s what I want:

- Show me why Thomas Barrow as Downton butler makes sense. And if you can’t, let him leave and be happy somewhere else because he deserves it.

- Show me how he’s grown. Show me his relationship with the kids and how he’s better than Carson because I need it!!

- Let Thomas be in a relationship that is healthy and not manipulative or coercive or a plot device for drama.

- Let him be in love and don’t make it a sad story. Please.

I find Thomas Barrow such a compelling character because he isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes. He does bad things. He grows. He changes over the course of six seasons. He’s a gay character in a period drama whose story isn’t about being ashamed of who he is. It isn’t about denial or apologies or pretending he’s someone he isn’t. And I think that’s significant. I just wish they’d done a slightly better job. :)

(Thanks for reading. I’m gonna keep being a Thomas Barrow stan even when no one watching with me thinks I’m valid lol.)

#thomas barrow #downton abbey #downton movie #awi makes things #downton abbey rant #jimmy kent #lgbt media #rant