#he wanted to be a pilot when he was a kid for what its worth ? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bobluvbot · 2 years

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bonk!

pairing: bradley rooster bradshaw x f!reader

summary: in which fate uses a karaoke machine to lead the way for romance because you and Bradley are just too dumb and dense for it.

wc: 9k+ (sorry)

warnings: best friend!rooster, age difference, reader has a lot of insecurities like with body image (briefly mentioned, like one line only!) and self worth issues. implied sex so 18+ only! kinda beta’d. I *tried* to keep the angst at a minimum (i write angst but i am changing ok) but a LOT of pent up frustration. Still VERY fluffy though <3

A/N: Yeahhhhhhh. This started off as a single fluffy scenario with my beloved Rooster, but it kinda took a life of its own. Nonetheless, hope you enjoy!

Reader’s call sign is Indigo!

If there was someone to blame for all this mess, it should be Mav. More often than not, it’s always Maverick’s fault.

He brought up the idea first during one of those after hours of the Hard Deck.

If nothing much has been going on back in base, you and Rooster, sometimes the rest of the Dagger squad would stay behind to help him and Penny clean and get everything straight for the next day. You would do it so often that Penny, who was adamant in shooing you guys away claiming that she could handle it, gave up trying and now checks if you’re cleaning thoroughly.

“Pen,” he’d said in passing, leaning against the mop he was using. “You know what’d make this place better?”

“Are you saying it isn’t already?”

Mav stutters, now realizing how his words could’ve sounded differently than he originally intended, much to you and Rooster’s amusement as you listened in to the conversation. “No- I- you know I didn’t mean it like that, honey.”

“I know,” Penny laughs. “I’m kidding. What were you saying, hun?”

“We should bring in a karaoke machine.”

In retrospect, it was a good idea. Not everyone who’d drunkenly belt out lyrics to a song could hit the right notes without the background music, the jukebox has not been updated to have all the hit music the younger crowd wants to hear, and not everyone could remember the piano chords of their favorite song. And as much as it would please the public demand, the highly acclaimed Rooster Bradshaw and his Great Balls of Fire could not commit to a nightly residency at the Hard Deck due to his demanding day job of being a fighter pilot. Welcoming the machine seemed like a harmless decision, and placing it outside seemed to complete the often deserted outdoor seating area.

And for a while it did what was expected. It brought in an interesting crowd to the bar. The nights you were there, you had witnessed a group of stressed college kids out back, screaming their lungs out through Evanescence’s discography. Another time, a small group were hunkered down by the machine, seemingly on guard as their drunk friend sobbed through Adele’s Someone Like You and Roxette’s It Must’ve Been Love. You had been tempted to hop on in a session when a group of friends decided to have a 2012 night, from Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift to One Direction and Little Mix. It brought out a lot of emotions from the patrons of the bar and soon enough it became a regular fixture at the Hard Deck, that Penny had to whip out a reservation list just for the outside seating to keep people from fighting over the time limit each group has before the next can have their go. It somehow made the place even more chaotic, especially during weekends, but added more income so no one was complaining.

It became a problem when you and the rest of the Top Gun instructors gave in to the hype and had a go for yourselves. It started out as innocent, drunk fun. You and the instructors around your age were sick of hearing the oldies and their outdated playlists from the jukebox (Don’t let Rooster know about this) as they played pool, so you went outside and dared each other to grab the mic and pick a song that you used to cry to during your first heartbreak with the promise of a crumpled 20$ bill someone dug out from their pocket. From Lips to an Angel to The Reason to Perfect, your friends each gave their all for the sad bill. Determined to stand out, you decide on Taylor’s Teardrops on My Guitar as your magnum opus for the night. It was a perfect fit, and your friends groaned woefully as the nostalgia hits them. In your drunken haze, you wondered for a bit why you’ve avoided listening or singing this song for so long, but as the song continued, you figure out why.

—

It was 2007, the summer before college, and you had just gotten your dream iPod in pink as a gift from your grandparents for getting into Columbia. You already had a list of all the albums and singles you were going to download on the back of your physics notebook, and the first off that list would be Taylor Swift’s albums. It was nice that you were the same age, you could relate to each song if you tried hard enough, but your lack of non-fictional boyfriends and romantic conquests were a huge setback back then. You were halfway through your second listen when your grandmother asks you if you can bring the casserole she just finished making next door, and because you didn’t have the heart to say no after getting your iPod, you agreed and made your way to your neighbor’s house.

They seemed to have someone over, judging by the number of bikes strewn across the lawn and an inconspicuous blue Bronco parked in their driveway that you didn’t recognize. More reasons to drop off and go, you’d thought, so you rang their doorbell while you thought of a good excuse to speed off. No one responded despite the commotion you could barely make out from the inside, so with an exasperated sigh, you reached out to press the bell again.

You remembered freezing, with your outstretched hand retreating back to the handles of the pan as you made contact with the one who answered the door. He didn’t have blue eyes like Drew did from the music video, nor was he called Drew for that matter, but god, you found yourself breathless and in constant awe like Taylor when you realized who it was.

He broke out in a grin, greeting you with that wretched nickname he and his cousins gave you when you were young. Bradley Bradshaw— the boy that taught you how to hang upside down from the monkey bars at the park because your friends (his cousins) thought you were too heavy to do so, the boy you got so attached to every summer when he came to stay next door because he included you whenever the cousins played Pokemon cards or Super Mario on the playstation and would let you off easy and debt free whenever you played monopoly, the boy who shared your love for aviation and would drag you along with their family trips to the flight museums nearby, and it would take years more for you to realize but he was also the same boy you looked for in the sea of faces at school, in hopes to find someone remotely close to who he was, which just left you terribly single— was back, visiting from college. He was still breathtakingly beautiful, and the crazy beating of your heart as he dragged you by the hand inside to see the family should be the telltale sign that you were going to be ruined before you escaped to college.

Catching up after dinner, you learned there was a girl. There was always someone— he was interested in, confessing their feelings, seeing, crying over him. You should’ve gotten used to it at this point. Bradley was a light that everyone was just naturally drawn to. Maybe you could chalk up the blame to the angsty fanfic you’ve read earlier that day or to the sad Taylor Swift songs you decided to dwell on before you brought the casserole, but goddamn it stung. It hurt when it shouldn’t be hurting in the first place. Bradley was one of your childhood friends, the kind big brother you always wanted to have. You’re sure that if he was around more, he would’ve helped you scare away your bullies or have even posed as your date to prom so you wouldn’t feel as left out as you did. It was in between your third or fourth bite of the cherry pie Bradley’s aunt had given you for dessert when you realized you saw him in a different light now, and it didn’t take long for you to see that he didn’t.

Later that night, you found yourself clutching your teal guitar, Love Story’s chords long forgotten, blasting Teardrops on My Guitar on your alarm clock speaker at 10pm, with only the moonlight and your pink wallpaper witnessing your tear-stricken face.

–

“Oh my god, is Indigo crying?”

“She is, fuck. Hurry, we gotta record this!”

Before your friend could point the camera flash on your face, you kick his shin before whipping out your middle finger, turning away from them to hastily wipe the tears that betrayed you on your sweater.

Despite the waterworks, you were determined to finish the last line of the song perfectly, because this is the last time you’ll be singing this for the next thirty or so years.

“Drew looks at me,” you start, and the doors swing open to welcome an amused Rooster and the rest of the gang into your group outside.

Locking eyes with you, you sing, “I fake a smile so he won’t see,” smiling.

Yeah, at least the sting lessened to a quiet twinge now.

—

The oldies have infiltrated the karaoke machine once they saw how much fun you guys had that night. Soon after, they’d come in early and just play one round of pool before Fanboy drags you and Payback outside quickly, reserving the machine before the bar’s crowd comes in. People would think this is unfair because you were allowed in earlier and would have the advantage to hoard the machine all to yourselves, but they didn’t want to risk disrespecting you guys and buying a round for the entire bar so they kept quiet.

It wasn’t long till Rooster had migrated his trademark song from the piano to the karaoke machine, deeming that it was hard to remember the chords when he’s had a few drinks. You’d still have your turn singing throwback songs with the gang, but once Bradley gets a hold of the mic, you might as well head home because it’s either he sings five songs in a row or a five minute song (there’s no in between). It gets especially worse when he’s got alcohol in his system, the mans will hog the mic for himself. You once got into a fight because of it and it only ended when Hangman snatched it from both of your hands and used it for his own song, much to both your chagrin.

—

“No, absolutely not.”

Those were the last words you register before your phone gets snatched from your hands. Mere seconds ago, you were on Amazon, comparing prices of those bluetooth karaoke microphones that had built in speakers and had just added the highest rated one on your cart.

You’ve grown attached to the bar’s karaoke machine and would look forward to it after a long day dealing with your new array of Top Gun students. You found that belting out Fall Out Boy relieves more tension from your back than your regular chiropractic appointments so you’re determined to still have your karaoke session one way or another. But apparently, your best friend had other ideas.

“I’m relaxing, Bradshaw, but I won’t hesitate to kick your nuts if you don’t give back my phone.”

“Let me just—,” he mutters, tapping on your device that seems suspiciously like removing something from your cart.

You immediately spring into action and he raises his arms above your reach in response. Damn him and his height. You resort to climbing up his limbs, and when that didn’t work, you gave a mean pinch his side. This seemed to do the trick as he hissed, folding over in pain, and you take the opportunity to grab your phone back.

God, you were glad you were on your break and none of your superiors or students were around to witness two of their instructors tackle each other outside one of the hangars.

“I can’t believe you’d betray Penny like this, Y/N.”

“What the hell are you on about?” You ask, shooting him a mean glare while wiping his fingerprints off from your screen on your suit.

“You getting your own karaoke mic means you won’t go to the Hard Deck anymore to sing and that’s just incredibly selfish and I can’t allow that.”

“Well,” you start, “I wouldn’t be getting one in the first place if someone here plays fair and doesn’t hog the mic for himself.”

He scoffs. “You talking to yourself?”

You gasp, appalled. “How dare you. That was one time! It’s not my fault All Too Well’s ten minutes!”

“Uh huh,” he gloats. “I’m just gonna pretend we didn’t listen to the album together and I totally didn’t see that there was a five minute version you could’ve sung.”

This prompts a teasing smile from your lips. “Oh, so you were paying attention to the album. I thought you hated it because it was cheesy teen music.” You say, using air quotes while mocking how he had complained when you took out his Temptations cd from the Bronco’s stereo and replaced it with your new Red album the moment you got it from the mail.

“I had little to no choice on the matter, Y/N. You chose the longest car ride to play that album on repeat,” he responds exasperatedly, rolling his eyes.

You smirk at the memory. You both were off that day and you persuaded Bradley to drive from base to downtown Los Angeles for this dumpling restaurant you saw on Yelp that offered an AYCE for their opening day. It wasn’t easy to get him off his couch during his offs (understandable), but you bribed him with the promise of a full gas tank and a car wash. He did sulk for a bit, but you knew he couldn’t resist free things (or you whining for that matter).

“Don’t distract me from the real issue here. Just don’t get that mic, Y/N. Fighting over that karaoke machine at the Hard Deck makes it more fun.” He says a matter-of-factly.

“Fun because no one has the balls to snatch the mic from you.” You grumble, checking your watch and seeing your break time was almost up. “Whatever,” you say in passing while wiping off some sandwich crumbs that stuck to your suit. “I’ll just order it when you’re not around,” you sneer, sticking your tongue out at Rooster as you start to walk back to the main building where your classes are held.

He catches up to you quick, a smirk on his lips. Does this man ever run out of comebacks? “You’re forgetting the fact that that’s my Prime account you’re using.”

You halt, appalled, your eyes following his figure as he ignores you and continues his walk. “I pay for my half, you ass! That’s our account!”

He doesn’t say anything as he looks back at you, only a knowing expression on his face. You know there’s no escape from this. Because when you’d try to order it later, he’ll just cancel it on his end when he gets notified of the purchase. Frustrating. “I hate you.”

He hums in response, and you try to suppress the tingly feeling you’d always get when he does that. “Still up for dinner later?” He asks when you reach his side.

You feel the weight of disappointment and dismay from your ancestors as you mutter a yes to the man before you separate ways. Doesn’t matter how much Bradley Bradshaw riles you up every chance he gets, you’d always say yes to him.

—

“Just let me take you to lunch, please.”

You had tried your best to keep a respectable distance from your superior but it got increasingly hard as Rooster grabbed your arm and situated himself in front of you, his bulky figure blocking your way. Getting caught was one thing, but having all the feelings for this man you’ve kept in a box stowed away in some hidden part of your head unravel because of how close he is to you right now was another issue you’re not ready to face.

In fact, mere days ago, the thought of him hadn’t even crossed your mind. Renewed determination and excitement coursed through your veins as you started your advanced flight training. You worked your ass off to get to this point, and it’s only a matter of time before you get your wings. That alone kept your head above water. You might’ve taken the long route with your engineering degree, but it surely did wonders as you sped through most of your earlier classes in training. Soon enough you’ll be doing what you’ve always dreamed of as a kid. And nothing will stand in your way to fly.

Well, you didn’t account for having Bradley Bradshaw temporarily stand-in as your flight instructor for a week, so that’s oversight on your part.

You had looked around, relieved to see the hallway was deserted, before you hissed, “You’re too close! If anyone sees us, they’re gonna assume the worst and I’ll be dead.”

“Let them.” You glared at him and he took it back immediately. “Okay, fine.” He had said, taking one step away from you. “Lunch, with me,” he repeated again, as if you hadn’t been listening to him ask for the past few minutes. “I’ll let you order anything you want off the menu. On me.”

He knew your affinity for free stuff, and you never wanted to pluck that knowledge off his head than right now. You sighed, resigning. “You’ll leave me alone after?”

“I–,” he’d stuttered, caught off guard. “C’mon, Y/N, don’t do me like this. I haven’t seen you in so long. We gotta catch up.”

“It’s just,” you said quietly, avoiding his gaze. “It’s different now, Bradley. You’re my instructor and I’m one of your students—”

“Only for a week,” he interrupted, and you gave him a scowl. “Sorry, go on.”

Sighing, you continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I wanna go with you. It’s just that people might get the wrong idea when they see us outside and I’m this close to graduating and I don’t want anything to hold me back, you know?”

He noticed your anxious expression and he’d ran a hand through the length of your arm to comfort you. “I understand, you know I do.” Despite the thick material of your flight suit, his touch left a trail of goosebumps on your skin. The effect he had on you is daunting.

He paused to think for a second. “Hey, what about this. Let’s change out of these uniforms and then I’ll wait for you outside base. We’ll blend in perfectly. That sound good?”

A small smile had creeped into your face as you nodded gingerly. God, you missed him so much.

“I got you, don’t worry. Plus I already told some of my colleagues that you’re a family friend so they leave us alone.”

He probably meant that in a sweet, genuine way, but it still stung. You went through so many changes during the years you spent apart. You worked hard on your appearance and became more confident in the way you deliver yourself, something that you weren’t before. You’d never admit it but in some small part of you, you wished Bradley saw you like the girls he’d go crazy over.

You mustered up a tight smile for him. “Okay, See you in a bit.” You say before walking away.

A single thought remains in your mind: Still not good enough.

—

Lunch went surprisingly easy despite of what had happened earlier.

You’ve imagined this moment with Rooster so many times while you were away for college. Like what would your first meeting as adults would be, if you would ever cross paths again.

Would you have a meet-cute like the movies where you bump into each other unexpectedly, or where you’d trip and he’d catch you, literally sweeping you off your feet? And would it be a new beginning for both of you, finally seeing each other after years of being apart?

Would love just come naturally, fate tired from seeing you both struggle to see it?

Even if this isn’t as grandiose as what you’ve dreamed of, you and Bradley munching through breakfast for lunch and early dinner at Denny’s while catching up seemed like how things should be.

Just his mere presence made everything better (for your heart) and worse (also, for your heart) at the same time.

You didn’t tell him that running thousands of miles away from home didn’t do shit because all you’ve ever searched for was him and anything remotely similar to how he’s made you feel, nor how you’d always check next door first to see if that blue Bronco’s parked in the driveway again when you’d come home for breaks. Instead you told him good (boring) things about college, because those were the safest. It didn’t warrant any additional questions, questions that could prod at your already flaking defense and one wrong step could have him see how much you’re pathetically struggling to keep it up.

He in turn, tells you stories from college to his current naval career, and you listen. Or you try to, as you hyperfocus on how he looked; how this clean cut hair made him look more serious, far from the mop of curls he sported throughout high school and college to how his lips still looked plump and pretty, and you get reminded of how much you liked to sneak looks at them whenever he speaks from that one summer.

This is probably the closest you could be with him so you take advantage of it, marking the features you loved from the old Bradley that remained the same from the new ones you’d get to know from afar.

You manage to catch the important things: how attached he’s been to the California sun ever since he got stationed there and how he’ll take you there to visit once you graduate because he’s that sure that you’ll love it as much as he does, how he’s thinking of growing a mustache, and that he didn’t even consider taking up this job but he’s now happy he did.

He made a point that you know how proud he is of you for following your childhood dream like he did. He swore he’ll take care of you, making up for all those years he hadn’t been around.

You’d hate it later that night because you knew better, but after years of just bottling up all the feelings you felt for him, maybe today was the day you could indulge in the affection he gives you.

Even if it’s ill placed. After all, it would just be today.

Until you realized he meant what he said.

It got hard to remain level-headed in the mist, especially when he became the first person you’d want to call just to tell him about both exciting and frustrating things you got to do from training because you knew he’d understand perfectly, or when he had shown up late to your graduation because he drove for an hour to get you a big bouquet of peonies (your favorite), or when he took you to San Diego and introduced you to his friends who all welcomed you with fondness, finally giving you a sense of belonging and community in this stage of your life.

It was arduous to keep up when even after getting assigned to bases across the country, you’d randomly find packages of random food items that you’ve been craving mentioned in passing through facetimes and texts, or when he would have time to visit, you’d suddenly find that broken bedroom doorknob you’ve been ignoring fixed, the change oil light from your car finally turned off, and you’d always get dropped off in front of Target’s entrance while he finds parking in a busy lot.

Punishing to bear in mind when it’s been custom to have each other pick one up after deployment, when he trusts you enough to park his beloved Bronco at your place and even take it out for eventual maintenance checks, and when you’d lean on his chest when it gets too crowded and his arms find its way around you, tucking you in, and at once there’d be comfort in chaos.

This still isn’t what you hoped to be with Bradley; but you were given something greater, far more than that silly little crush you’ve ever daydreamed about, and suddenly, something you’ve been certain of ever since that day you handed him that casserole wasn’t as clear now. Risking all this for a confession of years of love and adoration didn’t seem worth it anymore.

Perhaps, this was okay. This was how things should be.

—

So you didn’t quite understand why you were fuming, and all that filled your head was hurt, hurt, hurt.

The scene unfolded like a usual Saturday night for everyone: Tipsy Rooster throws his hand across your shoulders, making you sway with him to the opening rhythm of Great Balls of Fire (his third song in a row), leaning close to your ear where his mustache tickles your skin and unsheaths a million goosebumps at its wake, to say that he promises, like pretty promises, to let you sing the last verse and chorus with him as a peace offering for hogging the mic yet again. And you believe him.

Not because the few drinks you’ve had impeded your better judgement, but because it wasn’t like Rooster to break promises. Neither a wash of alcohol nor adrenaline could waver that man’s conviction to a promise.

You relent, plopping yourself beside a warm Phoenix, who was busy playing an intense card game with Bob, Fanboy, and some other pilots. Through the windows, you could spot Hangman’s animated head bob along as he charms two women by the pool table while Coyote and Fritz played beside him. It had been a busy week for all of you back at base, so everyone was just out and about, eager to be distracted from the events at work.

You had felt yourself get dizzy after taking two swigs off your nth beer, so you closed your eyes for a bit, leaning your weight on Nat’s back as you listen to your best friend croon his heart out and have his karaoke moment. Music had always calmed Rooster down, and as much as you’d love to have your overdue turn to sing, you’re always willing to wait for him (even if you’ll never admit it out loud).

So when he finished the second chorus and the piano solo kicked in, you had willed yourself to come back to consciousness. It had been a while since you sang this song, and you’ve never shared a duet with Rooster before because both of you would just be too busy fighting for the mic. You might not have the best singing voice when tipsy but you’re singing with your best friend, and it was okay to be embarrassing with him.

But you never hear your name called, and you open your eyes just in time to witness everything. The door leading to the outdoor area opened and out it spat a woman you remember seeing in passing inside when you went to get a refill from Penny. She was beautiful and of course, she had eyes only for Rooster. Considering the recognition in her face as she saw him plus the sure steps he made towards her, you knew they have had history.

You couldn’t hear what they were saying but she was laughing, obviously sending the fuck me gaze in Rooster’s way, and you could tell he was chuckling too by the careen in his shoulders.

The piano solo gave you an insulting background music as you watched tensed up. Knowing this song by heart, you count the seconds and notes while staring at the two of them.

‘Anytime now, Roos will bid her goodbye and he would call me next to him and we would finish this song together,’ you thought, assuring yourself. ‘He promised.’

Except when the solo ended, he pulled her close, put his arm on her shoulders, handed her the mic, and they sang together.

He didn’t even bother looking back at you. It was as if you weren’t there in the first place.

You should really lay off on alcohol. Something about it makes you act childish and irrational.

Because here you were, a grown woman, an Ivy League and Top Gun graduate, trusted to fly big expensive planes through challenging and stressful situations, yet all you wanted to do was to throw things and wail right then and there because you didn’t know how to quiet the pounding in your chest or to silence the reverberating words in your head: hurt, and in a smaller voice, that should’ve been me.

Despite the open around you, it felt like the air was getting punched out from your lungs, and you just had to get out. Standing abruptly, you forgot the drink perched on your lap and it spills, the cold liquid soaking through denim. Wanting to slip away unnoticed was far gone because your clumsiness just managed to attract unwanted attention from Nat and the rest.

A chorus of startled and worried questions erupt at your wake, but they get swept up in the night breeze as you squeeze past them, muttering something sounding like an apology while your feet takes you down the patio steps and into the sand of the beach, your boots sinking on the sand with your laden steps.

It seemed like the faster you run, your feet get heavier and harder to drag off the sand, making your dash to the parking lot achingly slower. The world was mute, the once noisy bar with all its music and chatter, even the relentless crashing of waves to shore were absent. The biting November wind clings to your frame and to the wet trails left on your cheeks. You didn’t even notice you were crying, but you just hope they didn’t spill when you were squeezing past your friends. They didn’t have to see how pathetic you really were behind your collected front.

But here now, by the unlit back wall of the bar where no wandering eyes could see you, maybe you could let some tears flow to keep the dam from overflowing again. You have always prided yourself in being able to keeping your emotions in check. With a job like yours you couldn’t guarantee a day or two where nothing unexpected occurs, no one gets hurt, or no one treats you unfairly, so you had to learn how to let your work be work, and not let it bleed through your personal life. Same as with Bradley. Your longing for him was met in this friendship and had let yourself get used to that. You knew to turn away when he spots someone that sparks his interest in the bar, you learned to tune him out when he raved about this person he met, you had a set of answers to give when he asks you advice on what to wear for a date or what gift to give.

Because your needs were being met. You have a best friend, a confidant, a partner in him. You have made a joke of yourself, your feelings to keep the man you loved close. You could sleep at night before. You were okay before. You could pretend this didn’t happen tomorrow like before, so why doesn’t it work now?

You cry for the wasted years of devoting yourself to someone who wouldn’t even bat an eye for you when occupied with others that haven’t, or wouldn’t even attempt to do things you’ve done for Bradley, to make him happy, to keep that fucking smile on his face, to keep that light in his eyes burning bright.

You cry for all the times you have rejected or ignored people that expressed interest in getting to know you because you were too enamored and convinced that no one could make up for what he was in your life. And you’re not wrong. No one could make you insecure like he does whenever you act or dress like what he says he seeks for in a partner but he’d still look the other way. No one could be as dense as he is. No one could make you cry about a fifteen year old song like he does and make you feel like your teen self isn’t as different as you were now.

You wonder if you could’ve just given the guy who pursued you for a month with clear intentions and a kind heart a chance, a date, a night to prove himself to you, would you still be crying uncontrollably with your hand muffling your sobs, the rough wood patchwork on a dark corner of the bar the only thing keeping you from curling up into a ball as the years of regret catch up to you on a Saturday night?

Almost the entirety of your life devoted should be enough. It was time to quit Bradley Bradshaw.

Only it had to wait until sunrise to start. Because upon reaching the parking lot, you were smacked with a terrible realization: you rode with him to the Hard Deck.

You had sobered up from tears a little bit, but you feel another sob threatening to bubble out of your throat. Why were you so stupid?

You want to kick the Bronco’s wheels out of frustration but the baby didn’t do anything to deserve it (also because you had paid to get the car washed earlier that day). It was just an innocent bystander to your stupidity and unconditional love to its owner, so you drop down and hug your knees tight, shielding your face from the lights of the lot.

Maybe if you could sleep like this, you’d wake up back to this morning and this will all be a simple nightmare. And the exhaustion from the week and your sadness and anger were all too convincing for you to try it out, if it weren’t for the voice calling out your name in worry, the footsteps quickly coming towards you, and the strong arms that wrap around your frame, willing you to speak.

“Y/N, hey,” Bradley says softly, hand rubbing circles on your back. “Let’s get you somewhere warm, m’kay?”

Managing to muster up some strength, you push him away, or at least a sorry attempt to. Your palms were no match against his hard chest, and they just slide down hopelessly to your sides.

Grumbling, you say, “I can do it myself.”

“Okay, careful.” His voice remained soft, devoid of any annoyance or exasperation. This annoys you more. You wanted nothing but to hate this man to the guts but he makes it hard by being like this, like he actually cares.

You refuse to meet his eyes but you know they’re on you, watching as you hoist yourself up using the concrete as leverage. He had his hand outstretched to catch you if you stumble, and for a second you were tempted to grab it, but you resort to the side of the Bronco to keep your balance and the hand retreats.

Training your eyes to the ground, to anywhere except his stupid face, you explain, “I just need my bag,” gesturing at the lump on the passenger seat of the car. “So I can just catch an uber home.”

“No, I’ll drive you home,” he quickly refuses, fishing out his car keys from his back pocket. You wanted to lunge and steal it from him, but that’s just going to cause unnecessary contact with him. It’s best to avoid touching anything of him because you don’t know what it’ll do to the wall you’ve hastily built against him.

“Don’t bother. Last thing I want is to ruin your chances in getting laid tonight.”

Your words earn a quick eyebrow furrow from him and a miniscule wave of satisfaction runs through you. And you figure it out: if you can’t be happy tonight, no one near you can be.

A desire to cause a cascade of anger through him continues to consume you but he stops there. Face still laced with concern, he shakes his head and sighs, “Alright, let’s get you home.”

You watch him as he opens your door and waits for you to climb in while you remained standing where you were.

“Y/N.” He says it with a tonality he almost exclusively uses at work, when he has to put his instructor hat on or when he has someone to reprimand. “Please don’t make me carry you inside.”

You want to say he wouldn’t dare, but you knew he could easily do it. And even if you scream bloody murder, people knew you two always bicker like this so no one would think anything’s amiss. So you glare at him before noisily climbing up his car and shutting the door on his face. Whether it may be through words or actions, you were adamant to express your frustration to him, to this car, to this entire situation.

You could tell by the slump in his shoulders as he walked to the driver’s seat that he was bothered by how you’re acting but you can’t bring yourself to care. You just want to leave him troubled as you are, with his heart wrung tightly he couldn’t breathe.

The next words come out after a while of driving quietly through dark, empty streets. He was letting you calm down but your mind was far from it. You occupy yourself by counting the streets left to cross before you reach your apartment from the passenger window, wanting nothing but to get the fuck out of there and sleep.

“Y/N,” he starts. “What happened back there? Did anyone cause you trouble? Tell me what they look like so I can tell Penny and Mav about it tomorrow.”

You were thankful you had your hands tucked in, arms crossed over your chest, because you were certain if it had been anywhere else he could easily reach over and touch, he would.

When he was answered with silence, he tries again. “Were you hurt, Y/N? What did they do to you? Please tell me.”

“God, shut up. You’re making my head throb even more.”

“I will when you answer me. Even Phoenix doesn’t know what’s up with you back there. She says you just got up and left.”

“Maybe it’s just that.”

“I know you enough to know that it isn’t. Something happened that made you this upset.”

“Why do you care so much, Rooster? Dealing with you is suffocating.”

His mouth gapes incredulously, and if the car was stopped in a light he would’ve stared at you in disbelief. “Wha–,” he stutters. “Y/N, come on. Don’t be like this.”

“Like what, Rooster? Like a bitch?” You snort. “I already told you earlier I just needed my fucking bag. I didn’t ask for you to come drive me home. I’m only here because you insisted.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I–,” “I don’t want you to go home alone and upset. I hate seeing my best friend like this and not being able to help. I’m sorry.” There it was again, best friend. An affectionate word, even an achievement to have for others, but you never had a word that triggers so much hate in you as much as that. It sends your temper bubbling higher.

You scoff.

“Y/N, I’m sorry. If you’re mad at me, at whatever I did, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not letting you buy the bluetooth microphone. I’ll get you a new one personally as soon as we get home.”

Now you really laugh, insulted, like salt being thrown haphazardly on your fresh scars. You should’ve cut this man off ages ago. “All this, and the best you can think of is that I’m fucking upset over a microphone. God, I’m really seeing everything tonight, am I?”

“Then help me out, Y/N! I’ve been sitting here going through tonight and yesterday night and the last week, wracking my brain for anything I’ve said or did that made you this upset with me.” He breathes, trying his best to calm himself down.

In a leveled tone he begs, “Please tell me what I can do to make this right.”

“You actually saying that unprovoked just proves everything I’ve realized tonight about you, Roos. I just feel stupid now trying to convince myself that you weren’t dense and selfish when it’s really all about you, isn’t it? You only get bothered when someone lashes out on you. Then you self reflect. You only care about your feelings, about your happiness. You don’t give a shit about anyone else!”

“What? You know that’s not true, Y/N.”

“Knowing you forever says the opposite, Rooster. You have the world in your hands and God forbid anyone upset you and ruin your night—”

“God, Y/N, I’m sorry that I can’t read what’s on your mind! If you can just tell me what the hell I did that got you this pissed so I can apologize for it, instead of saying cryptic and hurtful shit that I know you don’t mean then we’d have a better conversation, don’t you think?”

“Wow, so now you’re telling me the things I mean and don’t mean. You sure you can’t read my mind, Roos?”

“I know you’d never say those things to me because you know who I am. You think I’m shallow? Okay. That I’m narcissistic, fine. But saying I don’t give a shit about anyone, about you,” he pauses. “You know better than that, Y/N. I know you do after everything we’ve gone through—”

“So now you want to compare the shit we did, shit we sacrificed for each other during this fucking friendship? Alright, I’m down. Go ahead.”

“What— no! Fuck, Y/N, please. I know what you’re doing, you’re trying to hurt me, making me feel the way I made you feel.” He pleads, his voice getting hoarse from all the screaming. “Just please tell me what you want me to do to fix this. Please.”

“I want nothing to do with you.” It came off so easy from your tongue it’s hard to believe you held this back for years.

It surprised him too, so much so that he gave up trying to make you admit you didn’t mean it. The certainty in your voice scares him enough to believe as soon as he heard it. “Why?”

“Because I fucking hate you.”

You see shock, anger, and sadness and all sorts of emotions you can’t catch because of the tears blocking your vision flit on his face quickly. With a morose expression, he shakes his head in disbelief, blinking some tears away, willing them not to fall. You knew he’s trying to think you didn’t mean it.

But now with tears falling freely, you know you finally do. “Because you make me become someone that I’m not and I hate it. You make me jealous, you make me spiteful of the girls that come near you, you make me hateful and bitter that I can’t make you smile like you do with people who barely know you. And I know that’s so petty and immature and I know better than that but you just make me stupid and irrational.

You make me dependent on you for things that I can do myself. I can drive myself home I can do my own groceries I can take care of myself when I’m sick but now that you’ve weaseled yourself in my life these things aren’t the same without you. I hate that I got attached to this fucking car that eats up gas so fucking quick. I hate seeing your stupid Hawaiian shirts you always forget to iron. I hate your stupid fucking mustache and how long you take to fucking shape them.

I fucking hate how I get so weak when I’m with you that I get all the feelings I know I should’ve given up on ages ago and I know, I have fucking known for years that you’ll never feel the same way I do and yet here I am. I hate that I can’t quit you after all these years I’m still here and I love you and I can’t do anything about it.”

You also hate that unlike the confession scenes in movies have the heroine crying but still look beautiful, you had tears and snot dripping on your shirt and jeans and you only found out when you tasted some while sputtering and spewing out all the words that haunted you for years on Bradley.

Finally everything was on the table. You’ve crossed the point of no return and instead of feeling relief you felt spent, exhausted, and widely aware that you don’t have strength to face your best friend anymore. In fact, you’re sure you just lost yours.

Tears have blinded you to what you were facing and you could barely breathe from the snot build up in your nostrils, so you pull up your sweater to wipe and sneeze into until—

BONK!

A searing pain erupts from a specific point on your forehead and you clutch it while curses flow from your mouth, tearing up again because it fucking hurt and it made your headache ten times worse. Bradley must’ve hit you with something and you’re mad but you also understand why he’d do that.

But as you blink some tears away you see him cradling his forehead as well, groaning and cursing in pain, mirroring your actions.

What the hell just happened? Did he just headbutt you?

Turns out you’ve thought that one out loud. “I didn’t, you dumbass. You keep on fucking moving.”

He grabs your face, encasing it with his big hands forcing you to look at him. You stare at each other for a second and after everything you’ve exchanged in this car you want it to last until it couldn’t, because you knew this would be the last time you’d have Bradley this close. Even if his beautiful features are marred with pain and frustration and other emotions you couldn’t name.

He groans, pulls on the sleeve of his thermal shirt and wipes the snot and tears off of your nose and mouth haphazardly.

And then he leans in for a kiss.

There was a blink, a split second of silence, before the chorus of voices erupt in your head: your five year old self disgusted that you’re kissing that snotty Bradshaw kid; a ten year old you guilty and scared that Ms. Carole will get mad at you for not asking permission to kiss her son; thirteen, appalled that you were basically making out with someone that’s clearly not Emmett Richmond from Legally Blonde; seventeen year old you screeching, screaming ‘FUCKING FINALLY!’ and immediately searching for a Taylor Swift song to accompany this moment; and a twenty six year old Y/N more confused than ever that you’d still end up here, living your adolescent fantasy instead of finding someone new and better.

Yet amidst the chaos, you find yourself mute. In the moment, yes, you were hopeless against Bradley’s lips, yours following his lead like a teenager on her first kiss because you haven’t had (or probably refused to get) enough practice to do this thing properly, but you found it graceless, like trying to walk in shoes that were one size too big— not quite right. Like you couldn’t give yourself fully to the moment because something hefty still lingers in the air, left unsaid.

So against your past selves’ wishes, you pull away. Looking down, you refuse to look at him, afraid that his eyes will confirm your worst fear. “Please,” you whisper nervously. “Please don’t kiss me because you feel bad. That’s… that’s mean.”

An exasperated sigh escapes Bradley and two fingers tilt your chin to face him properly. There wasn’t any trace of guilt nor contempt on his flushed face. Just pure exasperation for all the things you’ve done tonight but you can’t let yourself be so sure. No falling for anything without full certainty and a vocal confirmation. You had enough of your fair share.

“God, you’re the smartest girl I know but you’re also incredibly dumb. I kissed you to shut you up and let you know I do feel the same thing because I know if I just say it you won’t listen because you’re too fucking stubborn.” He huffs.

Locking eyes with you, he quirks an eyebrow waiting if you have another protest to make. If you weren’t in this situation, you would’ve laughed at the ridiculous irked face he’s making. Maybe he is telling the truth, you tell yourself. Maybe this time, it’ll be right.

Deeming your silence and waiting, parted lips as an answer, he says sulkily, “Now, can I continue this without getting interrupted?”

You hit his arm as you nod. Your lips meet again, the kiss deeper this time around judging by the arm that now encircles you, attempting to pull you closer to him but failing miserably.

“Fuck this shit,” he grumbles.

“Language, Bradshaw, damn,” you chuckle, watching him slide off his seatbelt, putting the car on park and the hand brake on.

“My right foot fell asleep because I was stepping on the breaks this whole damn time.”

Now you really laugh. What a giant dork.

“Yeah, yeah,” he waves you off as he reaches towards you and slides off your seatbelt. “Wonder whose great idea it is to confess feelings in the middle of a goddamn street.”

You didn’t get the chance to reply in between hysterics because he swiftly carries and maneuvers you around so you were straddling him, surprised at how comfortable it was. You never had him this close before and you sober up quickly into a mesmerized silence, just admiring how beautiful he looked this close, how the streetlight outside lands square on his face and you could see the speckles of green in his brown eyes, and how all of this is yours. God, saying that feels so foreign but right.

He lets your soft fingertips graze the contours of his face, from his lips to the tip of his nose before one finally settling lost in his curls and the other on the nape of his neck. You don’t know this yet, but he also had dreamed of this moment longer than he could remember.

Suddenly you get hit with a familiar wave of the longing in your pit for Bradley, only this time you can act up on it. So you did, crashing your lips onto his.

Like the other things you’ve imagined with him, this was certainly never in consideration. You’d imagine a spacious park, branches of a leaning tree lined with soft fairy lights that made both of you glow as he leans in, lips melding into yours perfectly as soft music crooned in the background. Instead you get a steamy Bronco two streets away from your apartment, and probably more odd locations in your place. Not that you’re complaining though.

—

You were going through some papers that needed to be graded on one of your students’ desk after class when you feel the presence of three amused pilots approaching you.

Even if you didn’t look up, you know by their steps that it was Fanboy, who took a seat in front of you, Phoenix, that sat next to you, and a snickering Hangman who opted to stand beside you, looming over your hunched figure.

“What did my kids do now?” You say, not bothering to greet them. Even if the students you had also took classes with some of them, you were adamant in calling them your children because despite of how much they annoyed you sometimes, you’ve gotten close to this batch and they to you. Some of the instructors would even ask you to sit them down and discuss about the mistakes they made in their other classes so you could work with them to do it better. Not without them holding you responsible when they act out (sometimes. It can’t be helped) of course.

“Oh nothing. They’re great, actually,” Nat replies. “We just wanted to see the beautiful face of our great Indigo today.”

Mickey pipes up. “Yeah, we didn’t even get to see you at lunch today.”

Moving onto the next paper, you say, “I was busy. But didn’t you guys visit my class earlier?” It was just Hangman and Fanboy casually walking across the back of the room, claiming to grab something very important (a random HDMI cord). They scooted out fast but not before getting a good look at your confused face. You thought you had something stuck to your teeth but you didn’t have your phone with you so you just tried to clean them with your tongue.

“Yeah. We did.”

“Uhuh. Need another cord?”

“No, we just need you to look at us, darlin’.”

You almost didn’t, half expecting Hangman to have a plate of whipped cream ready to smack your face, but food isn’t allowed beyond the cafeteria so you reluctantly raise your head to meet the expectant and scandalous looks on your friends’ faces.

No face smashing occurred, only a mesh of hollers, high fives, and nods of agreement.

“What am I missing?”

“Oh, nothing. We’re just happy you had fun last night with Rooster.”

“Took you guys too fucking long,” Mickey drawls, clutching his head in exaggeration. Phoenix joins him in agreement, grinning at you proudly like she’s your mom and you just got a medal for being a top student in class.

A sweat starts to break out of your forehead. You and Bradley didn’t tell anyone that you were together last night, hell, you didn’t even had time to discuss what you guys were now. The last thing you want is for people to make assumptions and you can’t tell them otherwise because you don’t know where you stand. ‘We just fucked all night in every hard surface you could think of, no big deal.’ won’t be an acceptable answer, especially when this reaches Maverick and Penny.

“Wha—,” you stutter. “I wasn’t with Rooster last night! Stop making up bullshit, Bagman.”

Jake just gives you that god awful smirk and nod combo that tells you he knows you’re full of shit right now.

You turn to Nat, desperate for your friend to back you up. ‘’Nat, I wasn’t with him last night I swear.”

She makes her way to your lap and hugs you sideways. You know you could always count on your wingman. “Oh, my sweet Indy,” she coos. “No need to explain. The same bruise you and Rooster have on your foreheads tell us everything we wanna know.”

#rooster #rooster x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc #rooster imagine #rooster fluff #bradley bradshaw fluff #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #miles teller #it’s maverick’s fault

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adracat · 10 months

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GWitch: Finale thoughts

Pardon for the lateness on this, got busy after the episode aired and then proceeded to write a fic using my achemy brainworms lmao. But here it is, the end of a terrific journey!

The permet stress really took its toll upon Suletta after her bout with Eri but that won't stop our girl from trying to save her family. So rough to see though.

Gotta say, besides Nika and Chuchu, Aliya is easily my fav Earth House kid. She's into divination, takes care of animals, and is just so chill

Surprise Surprise SAL are being cheeky assholes. They don't care what Delling/Benerit has to say since this is just a grasp for power on their behalf. They have all the cards atm with that WMD

This was nice I guess, but I really dislike him so I just rolled my eyes lmao. I guess the one Lauda stan is happy he got screentime.

For Mio to keep entreating Prospera is admirable on her part. She knows it might fall on deaf ears but she has to try for the sake of her future wife and hellish mother-in-law. It was so good how her faith in Suletta never wavers. She knows Suletta is coming and isn't surprised once she shows with Aerial

And Suletta demonstating her growth by ignoring Prospera's command? Top-tier fr fr. Loved that entire exchange and call back to ep12

I don't mind 4 but it is painfully obvious he was slotted into this role because of the truncated re-write. 'I guess I'm like her' No sir, you were explicitly not in S1 LMAO! But I guess they needed a newtype to overpower Eri even though it doesn't narratively make sense for 4 to be one. Ah well, in another world where Okouchi got the seasons he wanted ;-;. It was a nice send off nonetheless

Rainbow party permet is so cool, pride Gundam!! I wasn't too keen on Calibarn's design before, tho I love the broom, the rainbow really sells it for me. And that coven of gundams?? So cool. Schwarzette usage here, abysmal pilot, and wealth of unused symbolism stings a bit. They so clearly had an arc planned but had to cut it :/ I would love to see the initial draft before cuts were made

MIOMIO DISSOLVES BENERIT. Hell yeah. Had a feeling she would choose to go this route. Also, the stone cold way she stares down the barrel of a gun... Ma'am, my heart <3 The best peace princess ever

This hit me in the feels. Suletta forgiving her mother, Eri begging for all of them to be a family, and Prospera seeing the ghosts of Vanadis smiling at her lovingly. It was everything to me.

The soundless fake-out as Mio believes Suletta is dead was cruel and brilliant. The horror in her eyes that morphs into weepy happiness when Suletta awakens will stay with me for a long time. They even did the little gundam helmet bop again!

Shaddiq taking the fall for everything was good of him, but it feels a bit too neat haha (They had to wrap up loose threads hastily and it shows) He really is an interesting character that, in a longer run, could have been amazing

Surprise! Sulemio got happily married during the timeskip and now Mio has to suffer a keychain's negging. Super funny outcome but I hope Eri can move between devices or else that's a bit hellish

Mio stealing Shaddiq's highly trained girlsquad is amazing. Ain't no one getting to the president of GUND-ARM without a fight. This also opens up the possibility for more Sabanika, so excellent decision all around

THE RINGS!!!! Ahh any nitpicks are nothing compared to sheer happiness I feel when seeing them. They fought and suffered so hard for this ending and it was all worth it! Eri and Prospera sharing in their joy is the cherry on top~

This image is my fav. Suletta is such a special protagonist and her relationship with Miorine broke ground in a legacy franchise no less. They are in love! They married! And no one can take that from them. Thank you GWitch, I love you lots. This ride has been unforgettable from the beginning <3

#and they all lived happily ever after #g witch #g witch spoilers #suletta mercury #miorine rembran #sulemio #gundam witch from mercury #prospera mercury #ericht samaya

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buginateacup · 2 months

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Thoughts on the new Megamind movie and series

Hello friends it is Bug review time!

I have watched the new movie and show all of one time each. I'm gonna talk about what I liked, what I disliked and some thoughts on the new characters and places where there are cracks in the story to drive a roadtrain worth of fanfic through

A disclaimer before we begin, I am thirty or forty years old and I am not the target audience for this shit. I love Megamind and am a hardcore Megarox shipper and also a world building focused fiend. The original definitely had a broader age bracket appeal but this is a show aimed at something like 6-12 year olds. Therefore for better or worse they had to simplify and audience surrogate the shit out of a lot of this.

Megamind vs the Doom Syndicate

To be honest I think you could skip this and go into the new series cold. It's not a movie its a movie length pilot. It was fine and it definitely smacked of Studio Interference going "But you have to explain and set everything up!" (spoilers you don't). The Doom Syndicate is fun if very kid friendly and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them. Behemoth and Knighty Knight are my pals and Pierre Pressure and Lady Doppler are my catty bitches.

The dialogue was good but the pacing felt lopsided. It really felt like they were retreading things that happened in the original movie, especially Minion's entire arc which he just went through two days ago? They did a good job with it but still!

Stuff I loved

FAKE EVIL DATING - I wish they'd shown them actually having to pretend to evil date. But of all the things I thought I was going to get it certainly wasn't that! (So much fanfic y'all. So Much Fanfic).

All of the Doom Syndicate calling out that Megamind and Roxanne obviously have A Thing and neither of them dealing with it well.

Roxanne just casually hanging out in the Lair and also taking charge. that's my girl! Also she's a complete morosexual and she and Megamind deserve each other.

Mayor Roxanne. I didn't adore HOW they did it, I think you could tease a whole season (or an exceptional fanfic) out of Roxanne finding herself not only bored of her job but dealing with the trauma of "Every time I look at the camera I see Hal beyond it and maybe I have some issues with that" and wanting to make changes.

Megamind's Bedroom! There was a sound like a million fanfic writers crying out in glee.

Minion and Roxanne being bros!

Minion out of his suit! It was creepy yet adorable!

The Mayor being useless. When you are used to having a hero who solves every problem, why wouldn't you have a useless Mayor? (I like that he comes back in the show)

The Doom Syndicate in general. They had a good range of designs and were at their most fun when bickering together.

Mr Cuddly Snuggles.

Stuff I didn't love

It felt like a retread of a lot of things that happened in the original movie. Which it has been 14 years so fair, but also if you're going to set something two days after the events of the movie, why make it a photocopy of the original?

Everything that Keiko was doing in the movie that could or would have been done by Roxanne if we were still going via the original characterisation (Roxanne broke into an entire villain's lair right after Megamind took over the city but Keiko's the one with the bat???).

Megamind just spent a whole movie going on about how he didn't share the spotlight and it caused a rift with his oldest friend (again) but sure, we couldn't do this without you small child we just met an hour ago. Its pure audience surrogate and YoU CAn'T bE mEaN to CHiLdrEn! but it makes the pacing feel even more lopsided that this can be so rushed when the whole Minion thing (and not even touching on the whole Bernard issue) got all the attenion and sure we'll just shove this in as well.

(This is the part where I admit parentification of characters is a MASSIVE squick for me and anytime I read about people wanting to make Megamind and Roxanne Keiko's new parents it makes me want to throw up in my mouth.)

Also Exposition voicing the "I was bad but you showed me I didn't have to be" is sooooo not for me. One thing the original movie was extremely clever about was showing how privilege and wealth played a part in Megamind and Metro Man's eventual roles. Megamind wasn't just a bad guy, he was raised in a prison, totally othered, looked different to everyone else on the planet and sent to the naughty corner even when he tried to do things right. While Metro Man was a white western male fantasy who landed in the lap of luxury and even his bunker is a monument to himself.

This was totally discarded for the new movie and I think its the poorer for it, simply because it was such a SMART and SUBTLE thing that is actually relevant.

Again, for kids. Not aimed at me. But I still think it does a disservice to kids not addressing that whole very important aspect.

End result: It's been 14 years since we got any content and I will take it for what it is, a movie length pilot of Baby's First Megamind for a superior tv show. An opportunity for a thousand gifsets and Roxanne running somebody over with a firetruck. If you're watching to get something out of it you probably will. I will be writing 12394393487 fanfics about Megamind and Roxanne actually having to prove they are dating to the Doom Syndicate.

Megamind Rules

Definitely better quality than the movie (I'm not going to talk about the animation etc because frankly the answer should always be pay your animators better and give them more time).

LOVED Megamind just breaking into Roxanne's office. Nice to seee some things never change. LOVED the Bodyswap episode (again, so much fanfic). LOVE LOVE LOVED Megamind and Roxanne laying on the kitchen floor together. We did not get enough scenes of them alone together.

LOVED Christina Christo, tired adults just trying to get their jobs done is my JAM and CREAM and SCONES and I love her (also why I loved Roxanne in the original). Loved her and Minion hanging out in episode 5. They need to be buddies more.

LOVED Roxanne wanting metal tickets for Megamind, everything about them having a shared history and interests filled my heart with glee.

LOVED the shot of Roxanne aiming the degun, Mucho sexy.

Loved Roxanne and Lady Doppler havign a history. How come we got more about tha than we did Megamind and Roxanne?

LOVED Megamind and Roxanne bonding over old kidnappings.

Ep 3 was heaps of fun. Doctor Doughnut was silly yet joyful. and I appreciate the Go Fish gang appreciation of his evil laugh.

The move from news reporting to streaming is actually a reasonable thing to happen, but I wish they'd delved into it better from Roxanne's side of what the shift away from traditional reporting and media meant for her. Social media and news have changed A LOT since the original movie. Again its one of those rich seams that fanfic exists to delve into.

LOVED the cockroach episode, but a missed opportunity for YOU RAISED A CHILD (TWO CHILDREN!) IN JAIL HOW ABOUT WE EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE MAYBE??

I guess we just...have a giant Minion in the lake now?

LOVED the Doom Syndicate just hanging out. Lady Doppler is me, sitting on a bench drinking tea.

The cliffhanger is a cliffhanger because they wanted a cliffhanger. But so help me if Roxanne isn't working from the inside in the next 8 episodes I will riot.

Characters

Megamind. Learning to be a person is right. Every time he got to be one on one with another character he became more himself. Every time he was one on one with Roxanne I was riveted.

Roxanne. My girl! They sidelined the shit out of her in this series! Sure she went off and got herself top job (Megamind and Minion calling her "Your majesty" was for me specifically) but so much of what made her a fun character in the movie (complete lack of fear in the face of villainy, her banter with Megamind, her willingness to just break into a villain's secret lair to find shit out got pushed onto Keiko and it left Roxanne with nothing to do. I don't know what they're planning for the future but I could see Christina taking over as Mayor eventually and Roxanne joining the crime fighting crew.

I HATED every time they called her Roxie, that was set up as an unwelcome nickname in the movie so I don't know why they backflipped on it here. HOWEVER I am prepared to accept it on the basis it made Megamind saying "Roxanne" in episode 8 that much more impactful (though they still could have used Miss Ritchi).

Keiko. I love Keiko as a character? But I hate her role in the show. She's the audience surrogate and the "Kid Relatable" for the kids to latch onto and they had her Exposition Voice in the DS movie what was actually much more cleverly crafted and characterised in the original movie. As a person she's cool and I like having her in the show I just wish it wasn't at the expense of Roxanne. They could have kept her as streaming socials girl and still left the investigation/danger to Roxanne and it would also have meant more time to explore what the Megarox relationship could be building towards/developing from.

I cringed all the way through Keiko dealing with the Doom Syndicate because it was telegraphed from a mile away such a tropey Kid Approved plot. I LOATHE making the tension about characters who have fucked up needing to admit they fucked up when its way more impactful to have them fess up immediately and put all the tension into how to solve the problem.

Machiavillain. He looks like a cunty Barbie villain and I love that for him. I assume we have to be getting the other 8 episodes at SOME point because otherwise that's a lot of Adam Lambert for not a lot of payoff.

Minion/Chum. ALSO learning to be a person and I have always had a soft spot for him. Showing that he has about as much sense as Megamind is a delight.

Christina Christo. I love her and I love that she and Megamind are constantly arguing for Roxanne's affection. Probably my favourite new addition.

End result: It's very Studio Approved For Kids! Enjoyed the show a lot more than the movie length pilot. Needs more Roxanne. Needs 10000 more game nights with Minion's electroshock orgasm ball.

Megamind was and is a PARODY of the superhero genre, break more rules! Don't just plod through the studio approved plot points! Having the original movie be all adults was actually really refreshing because you could get a lot more out of subtle shit without having to spell it out. One of my biggest peeves and the cause of a lot of fanfic is why is shoving Megamind into the hero role any better than shoving him into the villain role? Let him go be a mad inventor without having to save the city! Let him be a crime fighting villain!

And finally, so help me if Roxanne isn't front and centre beside Megamind where she belongs in the next season I will start biting.

FUTURE FANFIC I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING/WRITING

All of the evil fake dating. Make them have to fooool the Doom Syndicate. Make Roxanne need to stay over. make it only one bed. Make kisses with Megamind where they haven't even talked about the Bernard thing yet and they are both so messed up about it. (Fun fact! I wrote a fic with this premise way back before the show was even announced.

We're still fooling the Doom Syndicate and oh no they want to help plan the wedding.

We're still fooling the Doom Syndicate and oh no now we're actually getting married.

Roxanne actually dealing with her issues after the movie and why and how she goes into campaigning for Mayor.

Megamind and Roxanne breaking in the mayoral office (obviously).

Filthy sexy bodyswap shenanigans

How did Roxanne figure out Megamind's ticklish spots?

10 thousand character driven Roxanne hanging in the Lair moments

10 thousand Megamind hanging on the couch in Roxanne's office moments

A highly charged Roxanne and Lady Doppler bitter evil exes interaction (just for you @ejga-ostja)

Doom Syndicate shared public workspace office. Or just some random person going in to use the printer and constantly getting dragged into lackeying for them.

Metro City Meme War

An actual introspection on the move away from traditional news media and how it impacts Roxanne's decision to seek a new career.

Christina and Roxanne eat doughnuts and bitch about municipal planning

A Christina POV watching Megamind and Roxanne flirt/have awkward moments/dance around the Thing via a crack in the office door

A Christina and some other person in city hall epsitolary fic told via emails reporting on Megarox developments to the person running the pool and slowly getting more invested in these morosexuals getting together.

Megamind coming to find Roxanne for game night and finding her sacked out on the couch because being Mayor is HARD and napping on the floor beside her because being a hero is hard too

An absolute fuckton of hypnosis kink

Roxanne using her mayoral powers to address the fact that Megamind and Minion were raised in a prison and NOT ON MY WATCH THERE WILL BE REPERCUSSIONS AND WE ARE GONNA ADDRESS SOME SHIT

#Megamind #Megamind rules #megamind vs the doom syndicate #bug thoughts #someone save my girl she doesn't deserve to be sidelined for a kid character #Keiko is fine she is just IN THE WAY #shoo child the adults need to have nasty sex on the control desk

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mdhwrites · 2 months

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Belos' Empire Was Perfect

In theory. For a kid's show dictatorship, I don't know how much better you could do with your concept, especially with the themes that TOH was going for.

I want to emphasize this because it's going to sound like this is praise for a bit: IN. CONCEPT.

Belos' dictatorship has a very easy methodology to it as presented by literally the only three elements of oppression we ever see. The Conformatorium in episode one and the prejudice of wild witches which... Wait on that one. And finally the last one is of course the coven system. This forms the backbone what is frankly one of the most basic elements of any dictatorship: The loss of self. Without individuality, you do not have self worth and thus do not consider whether the treatment you are being given is what you should be getting.

This is coupled by the Wild Witches being the enemy of all. You do not question the state because they are the only thing protecting you from that boogeyman under your bed that will destroy all that you know if not for them. Adding theology to that is honestly barely a change. It just means you worship the government approved god rather than the government itself. It really cannot be understated how that BARELY changes the actual mechanics of a dictatorship besides them likely implementing prayer more.

But none of this is violent besides the wild witch stuff and even TOH tried to be clever in showing that the enemy never existed (in the dumbest possible ways that I have discussed before but I couldn't find my blog about it). So... No violence but all the oppression of a dictatorship! That's literally perfect for a kid's show about rebelling against a system that wants to push you down and put you in a box.

Partially because it allows for some of the best parts of being a kid to be the driving method for success: Friendship and Creativity. Your open heart and open mind. In a world that is stagnant, you will bust it open with your ideas and your unique personality, especially while mixing with others and giving them back their own individuality. This isn't complicated but it works EXTREMELY well.

And TOH executed on none of this concept.

That isn't even an understatement. Wild Witches DO exist, we see them being round up in Eda's Requiem, but that's also the ONLY time we see them. So the main enemy is only humanized through Eda who is a genuine piece of shit before Luz so Belos is kind of right about her unfortunately. So the boogeyman is real and indeed the only people who give a shit about them is the EC so yeah, the populace is just correct to fear them.

And why wouldn't they when they have complete freedom under the government? We see PLENTY of weird people during the time of TOH and none of them go to the Conformatorium. The prison may as well exist just for the pilot for how much it actually matters or does its job. The idea that being different and unique will get you jailed just straight up does not exist after the first episode except for a VERY discordant moment of Luz and King being jailed for walking on grass. Otherwise, NOTHING.

(To drive this home briefly: Someone in my Discord pointed out while I wrote this that Gus' interest in humans is seen as weird and discordant from the rest of the populace. It is why he isn't more popular despite his skills. So... Why is he able to be loud and proud about that interest if your unique interests get you jailed?)

And in return for submitting to the coven system, the citizens of the Isles enjoy protections they don't appear to have had before, have a level of technology that COULD NOT have been a thing during Belos' rise or else he literally couldn't have done it because his rise to power is genuinely terrible, and they have freedoms that anyone in America shares. As far as we know they don't even censor which is dictatorship 101. They don't even enforce their own rules because so long as Eda, the most wanted criminal on the Isles, doesn't literally point herself out and scream at the top of her lungs who she is, no one, not even the guards, will bother coming for her. The Isles is genuinely idealic in this way.

And it comes back to a problem that TOH has of well... Yeah. It had to be appealing and easy because Luz is a genuinely terrible person. If the Isles had been awful, a place truly hostile to her like Amphibia was to Anne, then she would have just gone home. The only way she decides to stay in the Isles is because she's cosplaying. Not because she actually has a sense of justice or duty against corruption, otherwise Luz might not have taken until HOLLOW MIND to actually for once speak against Belos or do literally anything against the EC (and only once she doesn't get to have her witch cloak because of it because these writers have no idea how to write a genuine hero or honestly a properly good person. Just nice ones.) but because she can pretend to be Azura. We even somewhat got confirmation because she literally ends the series just admitting she sees Azura as her. She quotes the god damn book and what is supposed to be cyclical is actually INCREDIBLY toxic because it's just a fulfillment of her fantasies rather than any acknowledgement of reality or growth besides "I only can exist in a fantasy world," which is GREAT messaging to your LGBTQIA+ and Nuerodivergent fans. Thanks show.

So this concept they have for their themes essentially REQUIRES that there be a dictatorship, and allows for one you can do in kid's shows (reminder: there is somehow a stock trope of a villain getting ultimate power and immediately going Nazi with it in kids' shows. They ABSOLUTELY could have shown more than what TOH did.). They just also couldn't because the protagonist they wrote and the wish fulfillment they wanted to play into, as well its 'subversive' elements, literally couldn't function with it actually existing. With the show actually being about taking down that hates you just for being you.

And I REALLY want to emphasize that that's not new. POKEMON has their main villains, including Team Rocket, not care about the individuality of their Pokemon, and thus be willing to brutalize them, because all they care about are results. The main villain for Slugterra's whole thing is robbing slugs of who they are, turning them nasty and violent, just to make them 'more powerful' and that WAS a Disney show. TOH could have done this...

They just didn't and I cannot tell you why besides them not actually being interested in telling their own story or themes because otherwise, why did you include this?

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house

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foxgloveinspace · 3 months

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tron fic recs??👀

Hi there! I have to preface this by saying I mostly read (and currently write) Sam/Tron (or Rinzler depending on the fic). While I do read a bunch of just general Tron fic, I tend to have a ship I like and stick with it.

I am really enjoying Salvage What You Can by TooManyTeeth, more so the concept then some of the ideas. (I don't ship sam and quorra), but I can get over those for the concept of Rinlzer and Tron being in the same Grid and not the Same People, and Rinlzer finding out he's the 'evil twin' as the tags put it. I'm only on chapter 14, and there have been some moments that have down right broke my heart. Lots and lots of Rinzler angst.

Want some fluff about pre movie Tron and Clu learning swear words?? No Stupid Questions by bowiesinspace is the fic series for you! It's crack (in the since that it's silly, not you know. weird). and Just an all around fun time.

While this one has a bit of of Sam/Tron in it, the pov is Alan and it's not exactly about Sam and Tron, it's about how Alan feels, seeing and being around Tron, and is very very emotional. But also my second favorite fic in the fandom. And that is Mea Culpa by 2019-2020 (EnglishLanguage).

My first favorite fic is by the same author, and that is Genesis. I don't have words for this fic honestly. It's from Sam's POV, and it's about him coming back to a completely empty Grid. There are lines in this fic that literally left me gasping for air. It's almost GEN but there's hints of the fact that there will be something more between Sam and Tron.

I'll be a bit of a silly goose, and plug my own fic here, Whatever Here (That's Left of Me) part one has no shipping besides Lora and Alan, and is about Sam fixing the Grid from the other side of the screen, having a lot of family moments with Alan, Lora and Quorra and talking with Tron. The second part will be about Sam and 'Tron' falling in love. (which knowing me and my writing, means also at least two smut scenes). So if you just want to read part one that is a-okay with me!

Lastly, in this category I am recommending every single one of Solar_Siren's fictober collections. (and one Angstpirl challenge in there as well) There is a lot of different ships in here (Mostly Tron/Yori) and a lot of Uprising stuff. A lot of REALLY good fics in here.

and now the rest of these will all be just Sam/Tron.

for T rated fics,

Sam and Tron going on a first date, and it's not going as well as Sam would like but they have a good time. Falling in Tandem by bowisinspace (I also rec all their fics. they are all very nice. The kudosbot fic??? HUh?? Why am I emotional over a little ai?? *cries*)

Late Onset Digitalism by EnglishLanguage & Lobster_Emoji is not finished, but I really enjoyed this fic, and I don't think it ended on a clif hanger? I only read it the one time though. I still think it was worth the read. another Sam fixing the Grid fics, but with some fun twists.

We Are Pilots by shirozora is a CLASSIC samtron, and just Tron in general, fic. I read this fic once a year and its just. really good. Sam goes back to the Grid to try and see if Kevin left any clues on what he meant by 'Quorra will change the world' and instead finds Tron, and a Grid in chaos. (One small note is that, even though it's rated T there is some smut towards the end.)

E rated Fics:

First two are longer fics where the smut is only a scene or two. Last one is a smutty one shot.

Someone Has To Draw First Blood by dreamlittleyo is another classic. Kevin took Sam to the Grid when he was a kid, and only luck is the reason that Sam didn't go with him that night of the coup. When Sam shows back up as an adult Tron follows him out the Grid, and then they fall in love.

One Miracle at a Time by dreamlittleyo another 'Sam goes back to the Grid' fics. I haven't read this one in a while, but I remember really liking it. I should reread it soon. Maybe I'll do it tonight.

Patience, Sam Flynn by bowiesinspace (how many of their fics have i recced haha). Short one shot, it's very nice, I love the end cause they get very snuggly.

#hihi!!!#Dakota's fic recs #sanitizedagent8 #hope you find something you enjoy!#sorry if samtron isn't your thing. I think at this point that are one of my longest running ships??#any way. doesn't matter haha. hope you enjoy!#or that there's at least ONE fic you haven't read and would like to read lmao #but uhh. since this is the first (I think) time we've really spoken. I don't know what you like to read oof.#oh well. Hope you have a good rest of your day!!#samtron #tronblr #tron #idk what to tag this as really

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helluvapurf · 2 months

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*claps* Soooo, its been a hot second since I uploaded a Tier list here, and since we're most likely gonna be getting the next batch of Helluva Boss eps pretty soon (dunno if in this exact month or so, given Hazbin Hotel's focus in February .3.), I figure it'd be safe to still give my general opinion of all the HB eps we've gotten so far (from the initial pilot to the Mammon ep). Hope you all enjoy reading!

NOTE: Like with my past tiers, these are all just my own personal opinions listed below, so DO try to keep things civil if you disagree with anything here. Thank you- 🙏

~Fave~

-"Ozzie's" (S1 Ep. 7) By FAR the ep that truly captured all of the show's best qualities into one, and I still find myself going back to it more times than I could count!~ 🤩👏👏Everything from the gorgeously animated Lust ring visuals, the whole climax of the ep being carried out through-song, Fizzarolli & Asmodeus making their debuts as the wickedly fun power couple, and of course there's the major focus to Blitz and Stolas as a whole here :O What started as a faux-date in order for Blitz to sneak into Ozzie's club/spy on M&M, became something that truly tackled the inner flaws to both their characters; Blitz as the emotionally closed-off, insecure imp who finally told off Stolas when-alone ("-Stolas, DON'T act like what we have is anything more than You. Wanting Me. To F*** you. Okay?? You make that really clear, all the time..."), to Stolas's own transgressions being turned against him in-public ("You used to have a smoking wife! A kid! You had it ALL~! I hope you didn't give it up, so you and him could get it ooooon... you sold your life for a thruuuuuust~!")... all resulting in said prince silently reflecting on what he had done, all alone out on his front manor steps, now....💔 Just... daaaaang, now THAT was truly something I never expected to see in a silly, raunchy assassin-focused show like this... but man was I eager for more once the credits came to a close! 😭👏👏

-"Loo-Loo Land" (S1 Ep. 2) Definitely one of the more "classic" S1 eps for alot of people, and the one that most definitely got me into the show full-on~ 😊 While maaaaybe an odd choice to have the second-ever ep of a series focused on a side character (or, in this case a side character's child lol), I was very much invested in Octavia's story the more we got to know her~ 🥺✨ A lonely owl princess who used to be filled with wonder in her childhood years... torn apart by her parents' crumbling marriage (+Stolas' infidelity) as a teenager. And now with her dad trying to recapture old memories by taking her back to Loo-Loo Land, we got a new glimpse into Stolas' character as he does all he can to be a doting (if ignorant) dad, struggling to balance those attributes with his attraction to Blitz (+him & the other IMP antics at the park), only for everything to backfire at the Robo Fizz show in-question. Ultimately, all building up beautifully to Stolas being acknowledged as having acted selfishly ("I just wanna go home, but home doesn't feel like home anymore. You ruined it..."), but at the same time... also showing him capable of admitting when he's wrong, enough to make things right by his daughter 🥹Which just... d'awww, never fails to hit me in the heart ngl~ 🙏💜

~Amazing~

-"Mammon's Magnificent Musical I'm not typing the whole title lol" (S2 Ep. 7) P h e w, quite a mouthful of an ep this was... and yet one I gladly ate up in-full for how entertaining it was!~ 👏👏 Fizzarolli coming back to show more of his insecurities/fears of losing his status in-life, all the great songs and visual imagery to explain his plight, Mammon being a surprisingly fun villain who was both bombastic and threatening, Asmodeus & Blitz serving well as supports to Fizz, and I even loved the smug-but-determined bitch energy for the Glitz & Glam twins~ 👌 Even if part of me kiiiiiinda feels like we could've gotten a whole season's worth of story with Fizz's focus here (as is, we most likely won't get another one of these with him if he's not gonna become a main-stay lead :c), I still very much recommend this one for anyone up for a good bit of musicals, angst, feels and hope for a character like Fizzie~ 🥹💜

-"Oops" (S2 Ep. 6) For the first ep that really dove into Fizzarolli in his own focus plot, this remains a pretty fun ep in alot of different ways! 😄 From Fizz being a chaotically goofy weirdo to root for, his adorable relationship with Asmodeus, the reunion with Blitz bringing back SO much angst and feels (esp as they both got kidnapped), it all really made you invested to see these two work through things once the plot got rolling~ 🥹🙏 Now, was it a "totally" perfect ep? ...Weeeeell, I'll admit I was a bit bummed that Asmodeus didn't get to do a whole lot than just sitting in a boring ol' office, Stolas (though he had some amusing lines) lowkey felt a bit pointless here as he just read a bunch of papers all day, and while I'm glad we got even more of Striker as a threat... idk, him randomly teaming up with Crimson just felt like an odd writing choice ngl .x. BUT hey, we got to see Blitz and Fizz finally making that move to amend things between them, some interesting plot potential with Stolas buying an Asmodean crystal (most likely to end his "deal" with Blitz), and the potential for Fizz to truly shine as a main lead really made it a worthwhile ep nonetheless~ :3

-"Truth Seekers" (S1 Ep. 6) The penultimate ep before the S1 finale, and boy was it a thrilling one!~ 👀 Even if the main human characters from the DHORK agency weren't too terribly interesting, the rest of the ep remained pretty solid in getting us invested to the action!👍From all the intense action of IMP racing to save one another from the human agents, the deep dives into Blitz & Moxxie's psyche as they reveal their genuine value to one another as friends (beyond just the snarky jests/insults), and even that end shot of the humans revealing they've captured everything on-camera really added to the stakes for what our protagonists could get into next~ :O Now, granted I can see why some could take issue with certain parts like the deus-ex-machina style ending (cool as it was seeing Stolas becoming an eldritch horror lol), along with some of the conflicting implications from Blitz's "trip" (like, are we meant to see Stolas in a good light with all that golden/“heavenly” imagery… or someone we’re meant to root against with Blitz being chained to him? .-.), but ultimately its not enough to take me out of the ep overall imo.

~Great~

-"Harvest Moon Festival" (S1 Ep. 5) As the first-ever introduction to our fave cowboy Striker, I'd say I still find myself having fun going back to this ep here & there :). Seeing his sly charm & charisma with our main leads, his genuine strength during the competition/end fight with the IMP crew, and the way he was able to break through Blitz's own inner-struggles with Hell's hierarchy ("-You are SO above suckin' on a disgusting, rich, pompous Goetia, only to sneak topside for scraps and work for bitter sinners, who could care less who you are, when you could be slaying Overlords...")... was just peak character-building, right there~ 👌👌 With all that said... why is this ep not ranked higher with the others above? ...Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a lil salty that this turned out to NOT be a Millie-centered ep T-T. Like... come oooon, we're right here in her hometown, her whole family's here, AND there's a whole competition about Imp fighting & Wrathian strength... you're seriously gonna give most of the spotlight to Moxxie instead, and then leave poor Millie more to the sidelines (even during the big Striker battle)? Smhhhh... -n-

-"Queen Bee" (S1 Ep. 8) About time we finally got the "official" last ep of S1... and though not quiiiite as grandiose compared to "Ozzie's", I couldn't help having fun with it nonetheless ^^. The Gluttony ring visuals were pretty, Bee(zlebub) was a fun new character, we got to see Vortex back as a supportive bud to Loona's struggles at the party, and even Loona & Blitz's father & daughter-bond focus (esp during the ending) was honestly pretty touching 🥺 Though, sadly I can't quiiiite rank this one much higher, due to this more-or-less being on the "filler"-range of eps (and Loona's development here unfortunately not carried through to S2... which ironically aired before this one did, so... oof >>; ), its still nice seeing the final vision of it after so long of waiting for it way back then 😊

-"Spring Broken" (S1 Ep. 3) One of the more "low-stakes" eps of the series, but one I still find a nice bit of charm too on its own accord ^^. We got a fun mix of cattiness from Blitz and his popstar-ex Verosika, Loona showing more of a softer side through her crush on Vortex, and a fun change of scenery by having the main IMP gang go up to challenge the Succubi at the beach (-all over a petty disagreement about a parking space, of all things lol). Granted, I do wish we could've actually seen more of a proper resolution to Blitz & Loona's fight (rather than them abruptly dropping it for a monster fish threat (+Moxxie getting drunk)?), but nonetheless its a nice lil palette-cleanser for those who want a break from shipping drama & angst :>

~Good~

-"Helluva Boss" (aka: The Pilot) While it may not be considered "canon" anymore in the grand scheme of things... I honestly can't help still having a soft spot for the original pilot that kicked off this whole series ^^. For the time, it was a nice mix of casting we got from Blitz introducing his classic "raunchy dumbass" self, Moxxie being more of a down-to-earth snarker to Blitz's antics than a punching bag, and even those like Loona & Millie had a nice bit of "bite" to their characterizations (that didn't just left them feeling like the token "girls" of the group). Heck, even Stolas seemed like he would've made for a fun villainous threat with the whole phone call scene with Blitz (pushy, threatening but still keeping his posh-rich guy schtick... think Brandon Rogers' British series in a way lol). As unpolished & awkwardly-paced the pilot was in hindsight (as even story-wise it lowkey felt more like a bunch of skits than a cohesive plot, I'll admit .w.; ), I think it could still use some fan-appreciation nonetheless 👍

-"Murder Family" (S1 Ep. 1) The more "official" first ep of the series... and, while admittedly not as memorable as the OG pilot, I think its still a fine ep on its own accord imo ^^. The main cast is still generally solid, I enjoyed Mrs. Mayberry & her story against Martha (+her secret killer family lol), and though a lil low-stakes in the long run, I think it sets up some interesting potential for characters like Stolas to become more relevant (-albeit his whole "deal" with Blitz not... exactly aging well, even for his previous-established creepiness .-.;; ) Still, for what it was I'd say it was a fine start to the series👍

~Ok~

-"C.H.E.R.U.B." (S1 Ep. 4) Seems to be considered the general least-favorite for alot of the fandom back when it aired... buuuuut tbh, I don't really think its that bad, looking back? ^^; Like, yeeaaaah its not a perfect ep; as the Cherubs (save for the purple one) were a bit forgettable in-hindsight, the old geezer duo weren't too interesting to get invested in, and I can see why some would take issue with the lowkey-unfair ending (I mean... really, kicking the Cherubs out of Heaven purely for an accidental death? Harsh :/). ...But other than that, I'd say this ep was honestly a bit refreshing to not be focused on melodrama or ship angst... as instead it kept its focus more on the IMP crew's assassin gig & their wacky shenanigans against their squeaky-clean rivals lol. With honestly a good handful of jokes I still find myself chuckling at today, I think if this ep just had a lil bit of polish/fine-tuning, I think this could've very well been a good pattern to have kept going for the rest of the show imo. 'Cause after all... wasn't that what the show was advertised as at the start, a series of goofy assassin-based adventures? lol

~*shrugs*~

-"Western Energy" (S2 Ep. 4) For the time, I'll admit to finding this among the more "okay" S2 episodes... and, I guess I still think thats the case (albeit a lil less now)? Like, yeah its not exactly the most special looking back given its... kinda clunky-handling of the "Stolas gets kidnapped" A-plot, Striker (tho fun as it is seeing him return) coming off a bit watered down character-wise, Stella's brother Andrealphus feeling randomly thrown-in (no proper intro or however he's just... there as Stolas & Stella are having tea? .-.) whereas Stella's just left as a joke in-comparison, and... yeaaaaah I still don't get why they only NOW decided to address the "Ozzie's" drama on-screen (...through a blink-and-you'll-miss-it text message, wow 🤦‍♀️). ...Buuuut, at the same time, I did find myself enjoying some of the B-story with Blitz & Loona (even if she was silent for it all), as we got a sweet lil view into Blitz's priorities at-play (preferring to keep his daughter comfortable at her appointment ahead of dropping everything for Stolas👍). Could the humor & pacing been better? Certainly... but for what it was (along with M&M's contributions during their Stolas rescue), I don't mind going back to this ep for at least those lil highlights .3.

~Ehhhh...~

-"Exes and Oohs" (S2 Ep. 3) Now, admittedly I didn't mind this ep too much back when it originally aired... buuuut the more I think on it nowadays, I'm just not sure if its "aged" the best tbh. Even with the unique premise of focusing onto Moxxie's side of things, from his family upbringing to his devotion to Millie... it ultimately fell kinda flat since Crimson (admittedly entertaining as he was at times) basically felt like any other generic mob boss at the end of the day, Chaz being a painfully unfunny presence with all his "hurrhurr I'm sexy~" humor, and even as I wanted to enjoy Millie taking a stand for her husband's defense... idk, it just kinda felt like the same "Millie gets to be kickass while Moxxie watches" song & dance we've been used to, already 🤷‍♀️ Not to say the ep's completely without its merits, as I did enjoy Blitz's addition as more of a chaotic doof than his usual asshole schtick here, the murkier green atmosphere a nice change of pace setting-wise, and the childhood Moxxie flashback being chillingly sad to watch... buuuuut if yall are gonna immediately backpeddle from such intensity through a literal d***-on-the-wall gag, then like... whats the point? :/

-"The Circus" (S2 Ep. 1) Definitely seems to be the most... "base-breaking" ep of the series, as you've got half the fans who do love it for exploring Stolas' backstory... to those who can't stand it for the continuity errors, melodrama & fanfic-y writing. For me... while I don't outright hate it, personally (as I do still enjoy some of the pretty visuals, Paimon (voiced by Jafar lol) being an entertaining asshole-type character, and some of the flashback scenes with the kid-aged cast were cute), I just... have the hardest time fully-enjoying the ep whenever I look back on it :( Namely for this... sadly being the point to where Stolas went from a well-balanced, complicated character w/ gray morality... to just your average "uwu poor bean who did nothing wrong & only wanted true looooove~ 🥺🥺" protagonist from literally any cheap Y/A romance story 🤷‍♀️. Nothing really seeming to be his fault anymore as we've got Stella being confirmed a heartless shrew their whole marriage, Paimon having been the catalyst that instilled the Goetia's toxic views into Stolas from childhood, and now Blitz having been shown as the one who "lead on" Stolas since the get-co (even as kids as he basically stole all his stuff under the guise of being his playmate + seduced Stolas (while he was drunk) as reunited adults). And like... if the show needs to bend over backwards THIS much to make you root for a character... then I just ain't interested in 'em anymore. Sorry :/

~No. Just No...~

-"Unhappy Campers" (S2 Ep. 5) Y'know, it says alot about an episode when it becomes the universal least favorite for alot of the fandom overnight... myself included -_-. Like... really? This has to be the point in finally giving M&M the major-A plot together? One where they're basically both at their absolute worst (from Moxxie being a whiny drama queen, to the writer's attempt at "Millie depth" feeling more like a half-assed ploy to ward off her critics), the humor being an absolute cringe-fest all the way through (like... whyyyy oh why did they had to make the setting at a kid's camp, of all things? 🤢), and as much as I wanted to enjoy the B-story with Blitz finding his sister Barbie (even more for her not immediately forgiving him right away)... the fact that it was ultimately just too rushed in and forgotten about by the end doesn't do the ep any favors for me :/ Need I say more...

-"Seeing Stars" (S2 Ep. 2) Ugh... while I guess not technically the worst HB episode given the previous one I mentioned... this one just, never fails to bug me for how filled to the brim it was of missed opportunities🤦‍♀️. What should've been a wholesome & touching ep focusing on Octavia's struggles with her parents' impending-divorce, getting to bond with Loona, and allowing them space to just hangout & have fun outside of their respective homes... was instead just a pointless venture into a bland af Hollywood setting, cheesy Stol*itz fanservice at some sitcom-set eating up the runtime (-all the while not addressing any of the drama from the prior "Ozzie's" ep), Loona being WAY too violent to her dad for no reason (even beyond her usual grumpiness) that it felt OOC, M&M adding nothing but fluff for the upteenth time in another side-plot... ...and the worst part of it for me, was just how backwards in logic it was to paint Octavia as "wrong" for being upset at her dad... WHEN SHE HAD EVERY FREAKIN' RIGHT TO BE??😑Yes, I know he loves her, and that he IS trying his best after the shitty cards he's been dealt with in-life... but jfc Stolas, did you need to stay on the phone arguing with Stella all-morning? Did you need to act so helpless and distracted at the studio with Blitz (-when you're literally the same dude who raised hell to save IMP in "Truth Seekers"...WITHOUT the grimoire on top of that)?? *sighs* And like... as much as I want to give Stolas kudos for (kinda?) apologizing & making amends at the end with Via... idk, I feel like that ultimately further-added to me growing disinterested in his overall character 😔. I could go on but... yeah. Even as a Via fan, this ain't an ep I'd watch again anytime soon...

#helluva boss opinions #helluva boss critical #(*dunno if I should put this in the main fandom tag or not for... obv reasons lol*)

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nikki-is-a-nerd · 5 months

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Raising Kanan and Ephraim

(aka a look on Ezra and your married life ft. The ghost crew!)

Note: this will be in the bullet point format and mainly consists of notable events in reader and ezra's married life and what it was like having kids.

Also mentions of sexual intercourse because babies don’t come from storks! (Im looking at you mom.)

Newly Weds

• The married life was finally yours. After years of pining, waiting and finally dating, you and ezra finally tied the knot.

• its a small and intimate wedding, followed by an even smaller reception since the both of you decided that purchasing a shared house in Lothal was easier than spending too much credits on a nice hotel in Naboo or Coruscant.

• The honeymoon was nice, repainting the house, fixing up the rooms, christening the rooms with sexual activities for fun, cooking and eating together, etc.

•Most of your time was split with working for the resistance and spending much needed time together.

• You and Ezra knew you wanted kids and were actively trying to conceive, so you can let your imaginations wander as to how you two spent your free times.

• All in all your life as newly weds was as fun and full of trying to get used to each other.

Pregnancy and all it involves

• Ezra and you found out about your pregnancy after you got sent to the infirmary after your mission went awry.

• Ezra found out first since you were still asleep as you lost consciousness. To say that he was happy beyond relief was an understatement. He felt so overwhelmed.

• The moment you woke up he hugged you and peppered your face in kisses, both because you woke up and because you two were about to become parents. Ezra told you the news when you got to clm him down.

• Most of your pregnancy was spent having the rest of the crew watch over you, having Jacen literally help you around as you were banned from taking missions (something princess leia and Luke were very adamant about when Senator Xiono was about to send you when you were around 3 months pregnant. Ezra didn’t take that lightly and nearly wanted to let Jacen and Chopper do as they please.)

• You had very normal cravings. You wanted more fruits and bread, which ezra, who was finally learning how to bake, got to put his skills to the test.

• finding put that you were having twin boys was also funny. Ezra fainted and yet woke up immediately and was very emotional. Sabine had to console him because him being emotional made you emotional and the doctor didn’t know how to comfort two crying adults.

• did anyone hear ✨uncle jacen✨, seriously Jacen refused to be called anything less than uncle. Did he know about the responsibilities of being an uncle? Kinda. Did he care? No.

• Hera guided you and ezra in the majority of your pregnancy. Giving you two a lot of pointers, while the ghost crew helped ezra baby proof the house.

• when you gave birth, ezra cried again. He loves his sons, he claims they look so much like you but with his hair and his eye color.

• there were lots of sleep less nights but it was all worth it. You just had to scold both ezra and jacen about showing the babies their lightsabers.

When The Twins became Older

• When they were around the ages of 5, ephraim, the younger of the two boys, showed prominence in his ability to wield the force. He was happy to finally send toy blocks to smack Kanan from afar. You scolded him for that.

• kanan, although not strong in the force was a very protective boy over you. Whenever you or ezra were gone for missions and they were left with Huyang whenever he was also left behind by ahsoka, he would find that both boys are force sensitive, but kanan couldn’t wield it like ephraim.

• kanan wanted to be like you, a pilot. He used to tell his younger twin that one day, he’ll become a pilot so that you can have enough time to rest and enjoy life again. Such a sweet boy.

• ezra loves his children, but he also loves teaching them things, like coming up with aliases, claiming hag the name Jabba the Hutt is now a name they can all use since the legendary slug is dead.

• ezra gets pranked by his children the most. They once claimed that if he was so force sensitive he should’ve been able to dodge that bucket of water by the front door. Ezra was preoccupied that time.

• Uncle jacen teaches the kids some basic first aid and show them around the resistance base whenever you all visit.

• when they became teens, Ephraim went with luke to train for a few years to be able to wield the force properly, while Kanan, studied to become a resistance pilot. You and Ezra were moved to only do jobs when really needed since you two weren’t as young as you were before.

• Xiono, though was still alive, doesn’t get any peace as Kanan finds new ways to prank him whenever he finds out that you and ezra were separated from a mission because Xiono said that having the two of you work together all the time was a waste of resources. Kanan set off a lot of paint explosives in his office and bedroom.

• Ephraim returned to you all and he was happy taking on a desk job for the resistance and also helps his brother, Uncle Jacen, and the rest of the ghost crew in convincing you and ezra to take on less strenuous missions or just do desk jobs or even retire completely.

• By the time they were adults, around 20-26, they had you and ezra back in your home in lothal, spending most of your time relaxing and just gathering information and sending them via secured communication. Ephraim was already a high ranking officer and Kanan was one of the most decorated pilots. He befriended poe dameron and he enjoyed teaching him little tricks and stubts, often getting in trouble together and stressing Ephraim out.

• All in all, your marriage was one of the things in your life that you considered a huge success. You and Ezra didn’t try for another child after the twins since, ezra and you were happy with your two boys.

• ezra proved to be an amazing father, husband and confidant. While ezra got to experience a life with you. Though not always perfect he washapoy that he just finally got his chance to be happy with you and build your beautiful family.

#ezra bridger x reader #fanfiction writer #ezra bridger #fanfic #fanfic writing #fanfiction #starwars fanfics #star wars imagine #eman esfandi #bring ezra home

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dokiyeom · 1 year

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— PILOT OF A SHOOTING STAR ☆彡 profiles 2

— SUNGHOON: accounting major @ decelis university because he claims he wants to be rich enough to be one of those people that plays golf every weekend even though he barely knows how to golf. actually wants to be a barista and make silly latte art all day long. best friends with jay and jake since high school!

— JAKE: applied physics major @ decelis university and is currently dying because of that choice but also not really. thinks of himself as somewhat adjacent to troy bolton because of his constant internal dilemma because he’’s both a physics nerd and on the rugby team. his most listened to songs during his freshman year of university were getcha head in the game, break the status quo, and breaking free from the hsm soundtrack.

— JAY: business major @ decelis university but wants to transfer to a different major because he feels like soul being sucked away in every business related course he takes because the people are unbearable. has a constant culinary school application tab open on his computer but never goes through with it. also has been warned to not help yn and joshua with their uranuspaste business because its supposedly a pyramid scheme, but they don’t seem like the type, so what’s the harm?

— HEESEUNG: women’s studies major @ decelis university and is very proud of it! he loves women, so why wouldn’t he study and get a degree in them? met jake in general physics class and nearly sobbed when jake offered to help him make sense of the lectures. often disappears from the group to hang out with some tall kid named riki from the dance team

— JUNGWON: biochemistry major @ decelis university with a premed course. is constantly questioning whether or not the money is worth the pain (it is he’s just dramatic) also has frequent nightmares about the mcat even though he still has a few years until he needs to take the exam. is sunghoon’s roommate and is still in shock that sunghoon is an accounting major because in jungwon’s eyes, stem and sunghoon don’t match.

previous | masterlist | next !!

#— pilot of a shooting star 🌟#enhypen smau #enhypen fluff #sunghoon smau #sunghoon fluff #sunghoon imagines #park sunghoon imagines #park sunghoon fluff #enhypen fic

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blossoming-sun · 9 months

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Only one person asked me about my headcanons and now I'm sad so to punish you all I'm telling you them anyway

Sheriff:

He went to war at like 13. Why anyone allowed this I have not a clue.

Ryan smuggled him into the battlefield and when someone finally found out they were just like "oh well lol"

He didn't get much of an education while in the war so he's not that book smart

He's done so much farming that he hates it

He realised he was pan from seeing all the hot army dudes soldiers

Secretly very insecure

Very buff because its funny also he probably did a bunch of exercise in the army

Allergic to feathers

Really oblivious when it comes to romance

He tried to rip off his arm at one point but gave up

Everyone has had a crush on him at some point

unironically uses bad pick up lines

Apocalypsis

He is blind (got stabby stabbed when the apocalypse began)

He uses his sword as a walking stick

Can hunt/fight mutants by listening to them

Uranic

Secretly has crushes on everyone (he is good at keeping secrets he is a ninja

Polyamorous

Trans man

Katani

doesn't drink alcohol

Has been in love with Apocalypsis for years

Gave Apocalypsis motivation to keep going after he went blind

Loves to garden

Stronger than he looks

Homo ace

He's been playing the flute since year 3

He's the one who got apocalypsis into karate movies

Probably broken his arm like 4 times

Leviathan

You cannot convince me that he wasn't a twitch streamer

He has gills, webbed fingers and scales (in colossus form)

He is the biggest romance fan ever

Your new wingman

cries at every single movie

Is fine without a partner

Loves to play matchmaker

Veruca used to call him 'fish boy'

Tells you random fun facts

Was for some reason immune to the mental effects of mutation (seeing humans as prey/ enemies, becoming more savage etc) so he's just going along with it

SURFER

Sings really loudly in your ear if you annoy him

Adopted and has the best bond with his family

His biological family sucks though

Dr Seuss was the only author he liked as a kid

Self conscious about his voice and only feels comfortable when rapping

Quiet

Somehow managed to always attract trouble as a child

Really muscly but a literal child could beat him in a fight

Has a high score of 329 on Flappy bird

Valley Claire

Not biologically Vegans cousin, but they took a blood oath so yk

Attributes self worth to objects

Bi demigirl

A lot of internalised homophobia

Doesn't really know what boundaries are

She met Sheriff before the apocalypse when she was in flight school to become a fighter pilot, but only once

Can't read a room

Says 'like' constantly

Tell me if you want a part 2

#mutant busters #mutant busters headcanons #Mutant busters shooter #Valley claire #yk what pretty much every character #I'm not tagging them all

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dyed-red · 1 year

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phyn! happy wincest wednesday! I am thinking about how Sam and Dean are both not great at sharing their feelings. they're inconsistent and bottle everything up until they blow up at each other. do you have anything to share about FEELINGS and the ways the brothers are similar, and different, in how they handle theirs? not sure where I'm going with this but have at 'er

mmmmmmm feelings. they taste so good when they're all suppressed and thorny. this is all opinion and initial thoughts and a super long post but here we go:

Similarities

Compartmentalization is the big one, to me. Although there are some differences in what and how they compartmentalize, both of them are masters at it. Dean is a bit more blunt about this, especially early on, although I'd argue the pendulum sort of swings at a certain point and we've got Sam with more boxes of unacknowledged shit he's placed in carefully organized rows down in the depths somewhere.

they're also both far more likely to use problem-focused coping, sam especially in the early seasons despite how he tries to get others to acknowledge their emotions. from seasons 1-4, at least, possibly including s5, sam's main (only?) coping skill is to Solve The Problem. this often looks like identifying the issue, researching it, finding a solution, committee 200% to that solution no matter how insane it might be, and putting that plan in motion.

(see: driving the impala into a derelict house in the pilot, the entire episode of Faith, the way he throws himself at finding dad and then at the yellow-eyed demon all to the detriment of saving others and his own life until dean pulls him back from whichever ledge it happens to be this week, the way he approaches the special kids stuff, then the entirety of season 3, and especially how this manifests in both mystery spot and the period we see in 'i know what you did last summer' when dean was dead, and it's part of what makes him so susceptible to ruby who promises solutions, and part of how he ends up rationalizing blood drinking and the kill lilith at all costs attitude)

and i put this under similarities because while dean is actually honestly genuinely better at emotion-focused coping than sam is in those early seasons, he is very solution-oriented in how he tries to approach feelings and emotional issues. this is most especially true for the big things as well: he wants to solve sam's grief in season 1 and he wants to do it by throwing him at women, he decides to solve sam's death by selling his own soul, he even attempts to (re)solve dad's orders to kill sam if needed by trying to convince sam that they should maybe give up hunting early in s2 (it's a weak and half-hearted attempt but worth noting).

and then of course there is just straight-up suppression. play through the pain, push it down and let it come out through bouts of alcoholism and violence, Do Not Talk About It even if you acknowledge its impact on you (sam and his grief over jess, both of them over john's death, dean eventually and his time in hell). this is different than compartmentalization in that it's there on the surface in a huge way and it's plain as day and you know it and acknowledge it but there's nothing you can do about it so you just sort of ignore it and refuse to sit with it or talk about it and just... continue existing with this wound bleeding inward or outward.

(see: getting angry and breaking things, being reckless or self-destructive and endangering self and others, etc. this is not a tactic that works. this is bottle up and explode.)

distractions is one i should mention here too, as one of their core (more healthy and adaptive) emotion-focused coping strategy, but i'm tempted to talk about it more under differences because they have really different distraction methods except for one. they both use fresh/new hunts to distract themselves from whatever it is that is causing them stress or pain.

Differences

continuing on the thread of distractions, dean uses media and escapism through narrative in a way sam simply Does Not. dean watches scooby-doo and horror movies and explicitly says he enjoys the escape and knowing that the bad guy is going to lose in the end. he references books and quotes them far more frequently than sam, everything from aesop to vonnegut, and we know that he loves music quite a bit, probably part of how he drowns out reality or escapes from it when he needs to.

in general, i think dean also dissociates more than sam does. this is integral in some of that 'dean as object' stuff. he separates himself from his physical body and steps behind it and away, so that what is happening to his body isn't happening to him, often when a monster or demon is threatening and implying some sexual violence.

conversely i think sam rationalizes and medicalizes a fair amount. he wants to understand and be able to explain (at least to himself) what his emotions are and what he's going through, because / as if the ability to understand and explain it provides a degree of power over it. sam craves control, and rationalizing affords illusory control over his emotions, allowing him to convince himself he has mastery over those feelings even when he's in fact very off the rails and being dragged around by his emotions like a dog on a leash.

this tends to mean that sam is up in his head explaining and re-explaining his own shit to himself until he's got a handle on it, and dean is out of his head escaping.

sam uses distractions as well, as i said with a new hunt, and with reading the lore. the lore thing is two-fold though -- it provides a sense of control over things again, illusory or real, because that knowledge can help in a pinch, even if it's not related to a current case. so he can kind of convince himself he's reading for work or for a present problem or that it will be helpful, even when he's using it as a distraction.

sam also somatizes more, i think, which is when your psychological stresses manifest in your physical body. we're dipping a little into headcanon territory here but i picture him as someone more prone to headaches and stomach aches than dean as a result of stress and anxiety (dean's stomach aches are earned through eating food he shouldn't have).

i connect this partly to sam's clean living/eating/exercising more as time goes on, although that is also about control. much like reading the lore 'just in case' and developing encyclopedic knowledge of things they may encounter no matter how far-fetched, eating well and exercising affords a small advantage against monsters.

exercising as a coping mechanism more general can also be a way to distract oneself and is a good emotion-focused coping mechanism when used to get restless energy out and improve one's mood. i think sam does use exercise adaptively and healthily like this and it's generally good for him, but yeah that it can and does tend toward obsessive control/coping sometimes.

something i think they do in different ways is also their problem- and emotion-focused approach to 'tend and befriend'. we can cope with our own shit sometimes by getting out of our own heads and focusing on others instead -- helping them with their problems or giving them stuff or just generally socially connecting with laughter and fun.

on this, sam likes to find a person experiencing a problem, get them to open up, provide empathy or offer words of support, and in so doing, stop focusing or worrying so much about his own shit. he does this with dean but also with victims on cases and gets more out of hearing about their issues and offering them advice/support than dean does. dean will engage in the practice too, but it doesn't emotionally feed him the way it does with sam, who processes his own emotions through empathizes with others, and dean does it out of necessity more than anything.

in contrast, dean likes to solve another person's problems for them (see: trying to throw sam at women) or distract himself by hearing about what is going on with others (see: asking cas to distract him when crowley and gadreel are co-possessing sam). solving their shit allows him to stop worrying about it or allows him space to process his stuff, potentially by hearing about theirs and having his own churn themselves along alongside the other person's, or in the meantime.

relatedly, dean also tends to mother hen others, and in so doing he uses caretaking as a means of coping with his own shit. this is part of dean's illusory control methods, because it affords him the sense that he's doing a job and if he does it right then things will be okay. he engages in caretaking by identifying and meeting the needs of others, and this is distinct from him trying to solve their problems only in how it tends to be more emotional, whether that's being 4 or 5 years old telling his mom things will be okay, as an adult pointing out bobby's drinking and later giving him whatever speeches he needs after he's become paralyzed from the waist down, and manifests in so many ways with john and with sam it's not worth counting.

tl;dr

while both brothers use compartmentalization, suppression, helping others, and distractions at a broad level, at a more specific level, both sam and dean have very different emotion-focused coping mechanisms, and different ways their problem-focused coping manifests.

sam hits his head against a problem until it cracks open, and does so rigidly and to his own (and the planet's) detriment until he is forced to learn some more emotion-focused coping mechanisms after the cage. he is always seeking a sense of control so he reads lore, eats well, pushes his body, and rationalizes/medicalizes until he can gain a sense of control. some of this is adaptive. eventually he learns to sit with his emotions enough to process them as they arise and threaten to overwhelm or overtake him, which allows him to compartmentalize them more effectively as needed.

dean copes with a similar sense of helplessness by distracting himself from the issue through hunting and the job, and sometimes through narrative transportation and by taking care of others, all of which can be adaptive for the smaller issues or one-off hurts, but causes him a lot more pain with the big stuff like his betrayal over sam going to stanford or his emotions about his father (john's death and his treatment of dean and their messed up dynamic all included) or what hell wrought on him. when bigger hurts stack up, much like sam, he is eventually forced to learn more adaptive or flexible ways to navigate overwhelming feelings, which i tend to think involves sitting with them and acknowledging them and allowing himself to think about them, something i don't think he did when he was younger except when he lost control over his compartmentalizing, but that allows him to go over them and then set them aside better, when ready.

for both of them, when circumstances demand or emotions overwhelm, they will open up and talk out or acknowledge the emotion. this tends to manifest in distressed sadness from dean and in distressed anger from sam, when they're at their wits' end, with dean expressing shame but seldom guilt, and sam expressing guilt but seldom shame. exceptions include how dean expresses guilt over ways he's hurt sam or others and how sam expresses shame over actions taken related to victimized aspects of himself. at the end of the day though, they both get better and more adaptive and healthy as time goes on at sitting with their feelings instead of trying to control or ignore them.

#characterization #long post #long post for ts #sam #dean #emotions #my meta #wincest wednesday #but no wincest to speak of sorry #also this is of course opinion #and if i thought about it a bit deeper i might come to different conclusions on some of these #so if you anyone feels differently and wants to point out or share why please feel free to rebagel and discuss!#right on queue

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duhragonball · 1 month

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Neon Genesis Evangelion 11

Most of this episode is just characters restating the problem over and over.

Basically, Tokyo-3 experiences a power outage. The NERV base is also affected, which results in Misato and Kaji getting trapped in an elevator the whole time.

What makes this especially irritating is that the story keeps teasing interesting plot developments only to abandon them immediately. For example, the episode opens with Ritsuko and other NERV staffers discussing the three Magi supercomputers that run Tokyo-3's government. So maybe the blackout is tied in with the Magi? No, it's not. Ritsuko had planned to run tests on Eva Unit 00 today, so maybe that's what caused the blackout. No, it wasn't that.

Oooh, maybe Gendo Ikari sabotaged his own facility, as part of some weird scheme he's up to... nope, he doesn't know who did it either. He just knows it must have been a human enemy, which is ironic, since NERV is trying to save humanity from the Angels. Well, at least it'll be fun to unmask the saboteur... no, that never happens. If we ever find out who did this, it isn't in this episode.

Vice Commander Clownshoes points out how it would be disastrous if an Angel attacked at a moment like this, and that's exactly what happens. So you'd think this episode would be focused on getting the power back in time to fight the thing, but not quite.

Mostly, the focus is on Shinji, Rei, and Asuka as they attempt to enter the base without any power. Rei has emergency instructions in her purse, and Asuka declares herself the leader, and they bicker the whole way in. For some reason they crawl through ductwork, and it's kind of boring because it's not like anything will attack them on their own turf. There won't be a malfunctioning security system or anything like that, because the power's down.

As the Angel threat becomes more pressing, Gendo Ikari orders the Evas to be prepared for launch, using a diesel engine that was set up in case of emergency. We see him helping the others to set up all the stuff with pulleys instead of machines. I'm not sure how any of it works, but whatever.

So when Shinji arrives, he's surprised to find the Evas ready for use. Ritsuko tells him that his dad believed that the pilots would show up when they were needed, and so they did. Nice.

So when they're finally ready to deploy, the Evas have to ascend a vertical shaft, but the Angel is waiting above them, secreting a corrosive solvent down onto them.

They only have a few minutes of battery power to work with, so Asuka finally proves her worth and comes up with a plan. She takes her Unit 02 up into the shaft to defend the others. Rei goes down to retrieve the weapons they dropped earlier. Then she'll hand off the weapon to Shinji, who will open fire on the Angel. Asuka takes the defense job because it's more dangerous and she wants to repay Shinji for helping her out of that volcano in the last episode.

And it works! Another Angel bites the dust. I think this is the eighth one? It's enough of them that I've lost count.

With that settled, the kids chillax outside while they wait for the grownups to restore power to the city. Rei waxes philosophical about how humans fear the darkness, so they scrape away at its edges with fire. Whatever you say, kid.

#neon genesis evangelion #2024ngeliveblog #shinji ikari #asuka langley soryu #rei ayanami #gendo ikari #clownshoes #misato katsuragi #ritsuko akagi #kaji ryoji

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starset21 · 4 months

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Chapter 7: Changing Perspectives

Standard Disclaimer: I only own my original characters, I've done some research but there will likely be Navy/military inaccuracies, and I do not consent to the posting, translating, or publishing of my work to any 3rd party site, the only place it may be found is on tumblr and Wattpad under @.itswildflower

Looking for the other chapters? U.S.S. Christmas Masterlist

A/N: This story is heavily inspired by the hallmark movie of the same title and is very self-indulgent. I'm also trying a different format than I'm used to using so it may change in later chapters.

Summary: Kate finally tracks down Jonah and Dorothy

“Good Morning,” Jake greeted his father.

“Morning son. So... Kate told me that you had a great day in New York,” Ron started.

“Yeah, it was nice. We ended up at the train show.”

“The same one I took you to as a kid?”

Jake nodded.

“Oh!”

“Yeah. Brought back a lot of memories of Christmas. And memories of the divorce. You know, we never really talked about you leaving, pops. One day you just moved away and it was… The code of silence after that,” Jake confessed.

“I regret that. Somehow it just seemed easier to act like nothing happened,” Ron shook his head.

“I-I just... I didn't understand, especially at Christmas. I just wanted my dad,” Jake told him.

“I failed you. I failed your mom. But I want you to know how much I missed you. When you got older, why do you think I wanted you to be a pilot so bad?” he asked.

“To follow in your footsteps?” Jake guessed.

“To… To be close to you. You are the most important thing to me in my entire life, more important than any career,” Ron confessed.

“Your career is everything to you,” Jake pointed out incredulously.

“And I'm proud of my service and what I've accomplished. But nothing… Nothing holds a candle to my only son,” Ron finished.

“Thanks, pops.”

“How's my Christmas story coming?” Kate’s editor in chief asked as soon as she got into the office.

“I'm still working on it, but I'm honestly not sure if it's gonna be done in time,” Kate told him.

“Well, I'm counting on this. You have till end of day, then I'm gonna have to go with something else,” he told her sternly.

Kate left his office with a frown and went to her desk, sitting down and putting her head in her hands. “I can't believe this. I finally have a heartwarming story worth telling, and I don't even know how to tell it. I… I don't know what else to do,” she lamented.

“Go get hot chocolate with me?” Abigail, her best friend asked.

“With marshmallows? Lots of marshmallows?” Kate asked sadly.

“As many as you want,” Abigail confirmed.

“Okay. Lets go,” she told her, standing up.

“So you can't find any record on Jonah William?” Abby asks as they get on the elevator.

“Oh, no, I found plenty, but none that match the age and profile of our pilot, its so frustrating. It's like he's a ghost or something,” Kate groaned.

“I can't believe it's this hard to find someone,” Abby commiserated.

“I know. It's a mystery,” Kate sighed.

“Sounds like you've had quite the adventure on that ship. By the way, whatever happened to Mr. Military man?”

Kate’s face heated. “We, um… We almost kissed,” she confessed.

“What?!” Abby nearly yelled.

“Abby! Shhhh. But it's not going anywhere,” she told her.

“Wait. A romance grounded before taking flight? Do you like him?” Abby pressed.

“Yes. But it's not that simple, Abby,” Kate told her.

“Just imagine the wedding! All those handsome groomsmen in uniform? With their swords? Your bridesmaids in peach? That is my color palette, by the way,” Abby smirked.

“A wedding announcement!” Kate’s eyes snapped to Abby’s.

“I'm convincing, but…” Abby trailed off.

“No, no, maybe there's a wedding announcement for Jonah and Dorothy,” Kate started as the elevator door opened. “I don't know why I haven't thought about this before. You're on to something…” Kate trailed off as she spotted a familiar head of blonde hair. “Jake?”

Jake nodded to the woman at the reception desk and turned. “Can we talk?” he asked.

“I hope it's okay I came to see you,” he said after they came to a stop in a park.

“Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything's good. Oh, I... I brought this for you. You know, just in case you find him,” he told her, pulling out the ornament that said ‘To Dorothy.’

“I... I can't believe you came all this way just to give me this,” Kate told him.

Jake’s adams apple bobbed before he spoke again. “You know, I… Really didn't want to say goodbye to you yesterday. When you left, it felt… It felt wrong. You know? Like I was losing something. I've fallen for you, Kayleigh Wells. And before you say anything, I know how you feel about what I do. The military life. But… I was just hopin' maybe I could take you out on a date. We can see where things go,” he explained.

“Jake. What if one date turns into two, and then two dates turns into three, and… Look, if… If this goes somewhere, it's not gonna end well. So is it even worth taking that risk?”

“Remember when you asked me if I was ever scared when I'm flying, and I told you that I'm not scared of anything?”

Kate nodded.

“Well, the truth is… I'm scared of falling in love. But I'm willing to take that chance,” Jake told her.

“Jake... i-I'm so sorry. I can't…” she looked away from him.

“So is that it? Kayleigh, what if our whole lives have led up to this point? What if you and I found each other just like Jonah and Dorothy did?” Jake asks.

“I have to go back to work,” Kate told him, water beginning to line her eyes.

“Kate… I'm not gonna hurt you,” Jake says quietly.

Kate shakes her head. “You don't know that,” she told him before walking away yet again.

“He seems sweet,” Abby attempts to start the conversation when Kate returned.

“Yeah, he is, but romance grounded, remember?”

Abby frowned at her.

“Look. That's them. They were married on Christmas day in 1974. But their last name isn't William, it's Williams. They must have gotten it wrong on his file before the fire,” Kate told her, pointing her computer screen towards her friend.

“Fire? Whatever. You're a genius. Keep going.”

“Last known address… Veterans home in Norfolk.” Kate picked up her phone and made a quick call.

“What did they say?” Abby asked when she hung up.

“They moved out a couple of years ago and they can't give me any information unless I'm family,” Kate sighed.

“So close! Wait. Look at that. The call sign painted on his plane. What does it say? "Picas... so"?” Abby pointed to a photo Kate had found.

“Picasso. That's funny,” Kate mused.

“What?” Abby asked.

“There's a diner I've been going to since I was a little girl, Picasso's diner. Do you think there could be a connection?” she asked her friend.

“It would be a Christmas miracle if there is. Go get 'em, Kate.”

Kate quickly made her way to the old diner. “Hi, Sharon,” she greeted as she stepped inside the establishment.

“Kate! Your brother joining?” she asked.

“No, no, I'm not here to eat. No, I actually have a question about a story that I'm working on,” Kate told her.

“Is it about that bank president?” Sharon asked.

“No, not him. It's about a man named Jonah Williams, he was a pilot for the Navy, he married a woman named Dorothy?”

“Yes, Joe, he owned the diner. He sold it about 25 years ago. I worked for him as a teenager,” Sharon told her.

“Any idea where he is now?”

“No, but I do believe that he has a daughter in Virginia beach. Lily is her name,” Sharon told her.

“Sharon, you are amazing, I'll see you on Christmas day!” Kate exclaimed before heading back to the office.

Kate couldn't help the smile that was growing on her face as she heard the words spoken on the other end of the phone.

“Okay! Thanks! Okay, that sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow,” Kate hung up and threw her hands up in the air out of excitement. Abby sent her a questioning look.

“I did it! I found Jonah and Dorothy. They live with their daughter now, I'm heading to go see them tomorrow,” Kate told her.

“That's great!” Abby exclaimed.

The next morning Kate knocked on the hardwood door of the Williams residence.

“Kate?” the daughter Lily asked.

“Yeah! Hi! Merry Christmas,” Kate greeted.

“Merry Christmas. They're on the back porch, come on in.”

“Okay, thank you.” Kate stepped through the front door and followed Lily through the house.

“Come on in. Mom, dad, this is Kate from the Norfolk register,” Lily introduced.

“Hi! Lily told us about this story you're working on,” Dorothy smiled.

“Yeah. Yes, it's just, oh, your life, it's so exciting. Do you mind if I record this?” Kate asked, taking a seat across from them.

“By all means. But I don't know what all the fuss is about,” Jonah laughed.

“Well, from what I could tell, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, you just have such an incredible story. Now, tell me… What happened after the tiger cruise, how did you win over Dorothy?” Kate asked.

“Well, her brother told me where the dance studio was, so after we docked, I drove seven hours to find her in New York City,” he started.

“He made it in the Nick of time. Practically had to duel the doctor I was seeing. I wasn't sure about that guy. But there was something about Joe. So I ended my relationship, and after a few dates, I knew. He was the one,” Dorothy chimed in.

“We got engaged shortly after, and we were gonna wait to get married until after I got out of the service. But then I got called back to Vietnam,” Joe sighed.

“I told him I would wait as long as it took. I just didn't realize how long it would be,” Dorothy added.

At Kate’s questioning look Jonah picked up the story.

“My plane got shot down in Vietnam and, well, the next seven years I was a pow,” he told her.

“I had kept hope alive. But then when the war ended, two officers walked up the driveway, and I thought for sure Joe had died. Instead they said he was alive! I fell on the ground crying. It was the greatest moment of my life,” Dorothy told her.

“What gave you the strength to not give up on him?” Kate asked.

“I prayed every night that he'd come home. He had to. He's my one true love, after all,” Dorothy told her.

“Okay, and, let's see. How did you end up at the diner?” Kate asked Joe.

“Well, I was an artist. That's why the guys gave me the call sign "Picasso." They were always teasing me because whenever I wasn't flying, I was sketching. But I couldn't make any money in art, so I opened the diner. But it's amazing that you figured this all out,” he told her.

“Oh. Well, uh… It was tricky with your last name having two spellings,” Kate chuckled.

“Oh, yeah. The Navy messed that up. They left off the "s," and I just left it as "William." I finally got it corrected to Williams when I came home from Vietnam,” Jonah informed her.

“And do you two have any more children?” she asked.

“We have two older sons in the marines corps, five grandchildren. And they're coming to visit today!” Dorothy exclaimed.

“How were you okay with just uprooting your life like that for Jonah, for the Navy?” Kate asked.

“Easiest decision of my life,” Dorothy said immediately. “It didn't matter. Joe was my home. Wherever we went, all I needed was him. And I had the kids and my dance career, which always kept me very busy.”

“You know, the U.S.S Polaris is named after the north star. It's the way sailors have been finding their way home for centuries. And in this case, it led me to Dorothy,” Jonah told her and Kate nodded.

“Actually, I have something for you,” Kate told them, pulling a tin that she had placed the ornament in out of her bag and opening the lid. “I think this belongs to you,” she offered it to them.

“Oh! I don't believe it! Joe, look! It's the star you made for me,” Dorothy smiles, looking at him.

“Where did you find this?” he asked as Dorothy carefully pulled the ornament out of the tin.

“A pilot I know, he found it in an old box on the ship,” Kate told them.

“It's a symbol of our everlasting love. Thank you. Did this pilot help you track us down?” Dorothy asked.

Kate nodded.

“Well, please... thank him. For us,” Jonah smiled almost knowingly.

“Oh, I will. He's… He's a wonderful man,” Kate tells them.

#starset writes #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin fanfiction #hangman top gun #jake hangman seresin #pre top gun maverick #top gun maverick au #au

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moonstone27ls · 1 year

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Unpopular opinion with Owl House...

Well I hope its not too unpopular. Since the finale I’ve seen a bit on their criticism of the finale. Which I don’t mind, there were mistakes/it was rushed and I felt there were unanswered questions. But writing this one cause I feel no one’s wrote my view on one issue.

Soo please don’t hate/or belittle me 8B. Whats my opinion? I’m still disappointed we didn’t get more of Vee. Again no mean comments.

I can’t help it. I’ve heard vents on “Oh Belos should have had more”. But I’m like “What about Vee?” (was gonna add Gus in here but I just found one post. Its not much but one’s better than nothing).

I dunno ever since “Yesterday’s Lie” I’m still SUPER convinced that Masha’s card reading was directed at both Luz and Vee. And to a degree if you think about Vee is like reverse Luz. She lived in a magical world because due to her own standing as a basilisk she wouldn’t fully be accepted, like Luz.

She found friends in the human realm, that by the “norm” account stood out. (Also disappointed that they didn’t get more attention). Just like Luz, Camilia is practically her more calmer side of Eda.

I feel like had the series not been force to cancel, I feel like Vee and the teenagers would have eventually met Luz and the gang. I feel like Vee would had been the glue or whatever that would helped connect Luz back to human realm. Cause I mean don’t get me wrong, I do LOVE Willow/Gus/Amity/and Hunter.

But I think story overlooked that since the pilot, Luz had thrown away attempts at the human realm. She just automatically decided it wasn’t worth giving a chance. And I think that was a big mistake, because Vee’s introduction showed what she missed had she given that summer camp a chance. I think she would have made kindred spirits with Masha and their friends. I think again had she given it a chance, she would have even found new friends in the new students in “Thanks to Them”.

I don’t think any of these teens were put here just for background. I still strongly feel they were meant to eventually join the story arc and help Luz/Vee’s characters. How I dunno?

Again I think Vee is suppose to help somehow. Maybe overtime Masha gets suspicious or just outright asks. Whether its Belos looming in/or Luz’s antics I feel at some point Vee would have to come clean and admit what she is to her friends. And they’d love/and accept her. She’d have to introduce them to Luz, and Luz would see “I’ve cut myself from a lot,”. And I get why, Graveside rejected her “weirdness”. But isn’t the whole point of this story is “weirdos stick together”. Again because we run with that theme, I feel Luz overlooked the human ones.

She’d have to see that she herself, (whether over that whole trauma/selfhating over the Belos/Philip thing) shut out her own fellow weirdos who did genuinely want to be her friends. I would have loved to see the Hexside group(Ed/Emira included but sadly didn’t get that either) befriend Masha and the human teens. The teens learning/and embracing the friends from the demon realm. Heck it could have helped Luz during this as well.

Now as to if they could have been a help against the Collector and eventually Belos... uh I dunno. One half of me says no cause their kids. But Luz is their age and she’s risking her life. I feel Camilia would have stopped them... but again I dunno? In all honesty.... I feel since Vee stayed because she wasn’t ready.

I feel like even that was done on purpose. Why? Because Vee would have been crucial fighting back. You saw her when she went against Belos. The irony a creature he brought back to drain magic was fighting back against him.

I feel like Masha and the human teens would have helped her address her own trauma and decide to join the others in fighting against Belos.

But before someone goes “oh but there was no more titan’s blood/portal.” Dudes I know but I think again the story was shorten cause of the cancellation. I think that arc was planned to go on longer and that would have meant there would had been a moment for Vee to eventually join. Maybe they find more Titan’s blood? I dunno again this is theorizing.

And also “Yes” I know Masha’s cards weren’t really tarot, cards. Still believe though that reading was directed at both of them. Which meant, Vee was meant to go and help Luz in that final battle. Granted yes that would mean Masha and the teens would risk their lives... but again I don’t know about Masha’s two friends or those two teen boys from luz’s school enough to know which ones would risk it/and which would stay behind. Maybe some? Maybe all?

Or maybe Masha and one or a couple of others would also wanna see the demon realm and learn magic. Thus more aid. And yes I know again its dangerous, but heh. Its not the first series teens risk their lives to help friends. Plus Luz was doing the same thing, Camilla was risking her life as well but you know.

I think this journey would have focused on Vee and the teens reuniting with the others. Maybe they would have found other surviving groups(do I use that term survivor? since the Collector didn’t kill anyone he just turned them to toys?). Vee could have found her siblings. Maybe there would have been an episode where the Hexside students/ or community see past their past prejudice or knowledge of basilisks (because you know of that one from the episode at the school). Saw them as both victims/and eventually allies.

But thats my thoughts sorry for venting/ranting. Just disappointed and was sad no one else is noticing a wasted potential with these characters. Actually there were several characters who didn’t get more time with development. Gus, the Blight twins (still wish they could have been with Amity in the human realm), Alador? (I feel like they were hinting he was in a group of survivors. Never saw him as a toy), the rest of the Head of the Covens, Skara (did I spell her name right), I guess even Boscha, the Bat Queen, I think even the Collector had a big potential for the story.

There are probably other characters but I’m tired I’m going to bed now nighttt

#The Owl House #vee noceda

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bloodgulchblog · 1 year

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Starship Troopers is an interesting book (note: I said interesting, not good or correct), and I really think most people don’t know what it’s like.

If you haven’t read it, you probably have some idea of the shape of it based on 1) the movie and 2) the sheer volume of things that were heavily influenced by it (or heavily influenced by a work heavily influenced by it, given that the thing is over 60 years old and is retired with grandchildren now.)

You would be forgiven if you naturally suppose that Starship Troopers would have a lot of military action and alien fighting. It seems like a pretty obvious conclusion to draw. Hell, that was what I expected from Starship Troopers when I first read it as a teenager.

Starship Troopers is, at its core, Robert Heinlein conducting an extended thought experiment about morality and government. There are actually very few scenes of military action, much of the book is consumed by characters talking about how parts of their society (and especially the military) work to lay out an incomplete sketch of a “utopia.”

And the end result is pretty fucking wild.

Strap in, gang, this is a long one:

Our protagonist, who narrates the whole shebang in the first person, is Juan “Johnnie” Rico. If Troopers can be said to have a plot, it’s a coming-of-age story for Johnnie. The first chapter is a relatively exciting (if you enjoy Heinlein’s style) 20 page jaunt in Johnnie’s boots as a cap trooper: a power-armored soldier who drops from orbit with his unit to fight aliens. (The original idea from which MJOLNIR armor and ODSTs would come from is exactly this.) After that, we record scratch over to you-may-be-wondering-how-I-got-in-this-situation and go back in time.

Johnnie lives on Earth in the space future. He’s a rich kid on the cusp of 18. His parents expect him to start learning to be a good businessman, so he can one day take over for his father as head of The Family Business. (I don’t remember what The Family Business is, and I suspect Heinlein never bothered to tell me.)

However, there’s a flaw in this plan: Johnnie’s very best friend Carl has been talking to him about enlisting for Federal Service. Johnnie has never seriously considered it, and his parents haaaate the idea, but the thought won’t leave him alone. He goes with Carl, and when they encounter one of their classmates (a very pretty and smart girl, Carmencita) who wants to become a starship pilot (because Heinlein really thinks he’s really doing something with having only women be pilots because they’re naturally “better” at it) it cements the decision.

This is where we hit upon the foundation of Heinlein’s experiment: The thing about Federal Service in this world is that it’s the only way to become a full citizen with voting rights. Most people (like Johnnie’s parents) don’t think the right to vote is worth the effort and risk.

(I want to let you know an extremely funny spoiler: Johnnie's conflict with his father is finally resolved when, late in the book.... Johnnie's dad enlists in the infantry too because his son was a much bigger man for it and he is so proud of him now and Johnnie is so proud of his father and we are clearly supposed to be cheered and enheartened by this wild fucking reunion.)

Heinlein would later argue in an essay that he was sick of people assuming that Starship Troopers’ Federal Service is always military, but… That very much is the implication in here and I think it’s fair to read it that way. The 18-year-olds are met with a recruiting officer with multiple missing limbs, who has the job because it’s supposed to give them pause. He even tries to warn them off, but they’re all very sure.

(It's actually like, really funny to me.)

BONUS ROUND: the doctor that gives Johnnie a clean bill of health talking about how silly and stupid it is to go in for Federal Service, and some extremely 1950s science fiction verification of documents:

Carmencita is sharp enough that she’s probably a shoo-in for a pilot and Carl has zeroed in on working with electronics since he was a kid, but Johnnie has never been a particularly good student. He puts infantry down as his very least preferred option for service (you don’t get to choose, you see, but placement considers your preferences) but quickly figures out they’ve decided he’s unfit for anything else.

It’s okay, though! He can still back out! There will be no consequences… except forfeiting ever getting the chance to vote.

The first half of this book concerns Johnnie’s training to become a cap trooper in the MI (Mobile Infantry), which is intense and full of opportunities to quit and also we get to hear Heinlein talk about how public flogging (with an actual whip) serves a super important social function in this society.

There's a Big Fucking To-Do when one of the men in Johnnie's class successfully punches their drill sergeant, which gets him posted up for 10 lashes and dishonorably discharged.

The thing about that, however, is how it gives Starship Troopers the opportunity to have Johnnie overhear a conversation about it where Sergeant Zim is trying to get transferred back to a combat team because he is so ashamed of this as a personal failure:

Johnnie himself fucks up bad enough during training that he is also flogged, but he 100% believes that it was Totally Good And Justified And Fine so it's Fine.

The back half of the book has some of Johnnie in the MI, but most of all it’s about when he decides to go career and goes to officer candidate school and then the big mission that determines whether he gets to be a lieutenant or not.

Style-wise the book is an easy and approachable read, but you quickly figure out that many scenes boil down to an older, more experienced man (usually a flashback to his one high school teacher, later usually one of his officer school instructors) lecturing Johnnie about how the world works, why it does, and why that’s so very good. (All of these characters have pretty much the same voice.)

Here are what I understand to be the central ideas that hold up the roof in this book:

1. A human being is, by nature, a selfish short-sighted creature uninterested in anything but own survival, and strict discipline is necessary to train somebody into being a productive member of society. (It’s pretty much the same thing as the Christian “people are by nature sinful” thing but Heinlein managed to turn it around into a “scientific” evolutionary biotruth mess for himself instead.)

2. Corporal punishment is useful because pain is the most evolutionarily natural way for a human to understand that what they’ve done is a threat to their own survival, so switching children and flogging adults is a Good Idea Actually.

(Bob....)

3. In this fictional world, the government is good because the only people who vote are veterans. This isn’t because veterans are smarter or superior or impossile to corrupt, but because sweating out a term of Federal Service proves that someone is capable of putting the good of their civilization over their own safety/wellbeing and that proves they have the right, mature, moral character to help make decisions. Heinlein really, really, really wanted to tell the audience here that being willing to fight for your country (and the women and children!) was the noblest thing a human being could possibly do and he spent a lot of ink about that here.

(Bob Please)

4. Emphasizing that people have “rights” and not making them work for them coddles them and makes having rights meaningless, and also what about all those ne’erdowells that will use their rights to make bad selfish choices???? Clearly this system would be so much better.

5. All the people in the service are So Good And Noble because Heinlein’s magical space military is so super good at weeding out almost all the bad eggs during the selection process, and if anyone Truly Bad is in there it’s an unpreventable freak accident (that should properly be resolved via execution, and they’re willing to do that so It’s Fine.)

6. An officer is to be the best of the best of the best as a human being and all of the officers we see are EXTRA noble and good because they love their people SO much and it’s so hard to be an officer but they’re all SO BRAVE and SO SELFLESS and and and and-

7. Imperialism and unlimited expansion are Fine Actually because if you don’t expand, you’re going to be expanded upon yourself by somebody else so you might as well, and all wars are Actually just about population and need for territory anyway:

(Bob please I'm DYING)

8. The alien bugs are a pretty stupid analogue for communists because Heinlein was fuck deep in the red scare at the time. Mostly, they’re an implacable brick wall enemy that we get to feel zero remorse about because they are So Incomprehensible And Alien. Also, the whole rest of Heinlein’s super noble space military doesn’t look quite so good when they don’t have anything to fight/if we might feel bad for whoever they’re fighting.

9. The best and happiest place for Johnnie in the whole universe is aboard his specific ship (The Rodger Young) with his specific unit (The Roughnecks) and every passage about his time with his unit between drops is dripping with yearning for this imagined perfect manly cameraderie. The death of his unit's Lieutenant hurts him worse than the death of his actual mother when the Bugs attack Buenos Aires.

But oh, Johnnie is definitely not gay, he waxes poetic about how beautiful and important and good women are at every mention, here he is talking about R&R on a safe planet and being Extremely Normal about the one guard posting on a ship where you watch the door to the part the female crew uses:

The main thing to know about Heinlein’s vision here in this book is that it is, of course, obviously completely bonkers. He clearly thinks he has figured people out and knows how human beings work. It's very earnest hard-sf white man nerd shit where he thinks that the problems of very large numbers of human beings are a puzzle you can solve if you put all the right pieces in the right place just so. He’s so excited about how he has invented this imagined future where women don’t face sexism and can do all kinds of jobs (while he clearly has plenty of sexist ideas about women on display) and people are not judged by their race. (Many characters, including Johnnie himself, are not white and there’s even a conversation where Johnnie and another character talk about how they both speak different languages with their families, and Heinlein is clearly convinced he’s writing a race-blind meritocracy, but also Heinlein does shit like compliment a Native American character by comparing him to his “scalp-hunting” ancestors like ???????)

Heinlein is so very wrong. He has a pretty poor theory of mind, which is easily evident because his characters are very samey and wooden. (I’m told this is pretty par of the course for him, and this matches what I remember of Stranger in a Strange Land. ) This extends to his inability to figure out why people do what they do, and his failures in that are how he arrived at these fucking buckwild conclusions. Is it any wonder his ideas about how to run a good society are fucked up when he’s operating from premises about humans being inherently selfish and the only possible reason to not just go along with The Rules is ignorance of their purpose?

Starship Troopers is dripping in rationalization. Starship Troopers desperately wants its military to be good and noble and necessary, it thinks that if it pushes around all the numbers of officers and men and arrangements of rules into exactly the right shape it can solve all the problems like equations and everything will snap into place and run perfectly and be totally moral and perfectly justified.

This is why this book was controversial, and why it launched decades of discourse in science fiction. The thing about milsf is that even if you hate Starship Troopers and want to read other milsf that hates Starship Troopers, it’s still in dialogue with Starship Troopers and the legacy of Heinlein.

I didn’t like this book for its content, I found it really interesting to engage with because of the connections I know it has.

BUT WE TALK ABOUT HALO ON THIS BLOG...

That's why we're here, so let me give you all a tour of various items of interest and relevance to our subject of hyperfixation here on bloodgulchblog dot tumblr dot hell.

Heinlein invented ODSTS:

The idea that has endured the most from Starship Troopers, more than any other (which is thankful considering what I've been talking about all through this post), is powered armor. Heinlein pretty much invented the space marine as a science fiction trope, and especially the powered armor:

When someone talks about a "bug hunt" when it comes to fighting aliens in a scifi story, that terminology was born here.

As you may have noticed here and in the section about Bugs: Heinlein's Terran Federation has the power to bombard planets with nuclear weapons to reduce the surface to radioactive glass, golly where have we seen that?

(See also in the bug section: a planet-cracking weapon called a nova bomb!)

Plus I would feel remiss if I didn't show you some of the naming scheme for some ships in this world:

...I'm not sure how to end this one.

I have a movie to watch, so I can finally comment on it. (The movie is controversial. Fans of Starship Troopers who agreed with Heinlein hate it, people who recognize how bonkers Heinlein's ideas are appreciate that the movie seems to understand this just as well. I need to go see it for myself. It's on archive.org if you spend 2 seconds hunting, if you also want to.)

I also have an anime to watch.

DID YOU KNOW THERE WAS AN ANIME?

youtube

This thing got a six-episode OVA released in 1988, right after Heinlein died and nine years before the live action movie. (It's supposed to be a lot more faithful to the novel, so I Will Report Back On This.)

Anyway: idk, if you also want to poke around in a weird dead thing, the full text of Starship Troopers is incredibly easy to find. It's less than two-hundred pages long. It will make you feel like you're taking crazy pills.

#not halo #starship troopers #heinlein posting #summaries of things

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