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loveyourownsmiilee · 1 year

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Talking Buddie Language: Ep 6.14

I’m gonna start off by saying I really enjoyed tonight’s episode even though we didn’t get much Buddie scenes together. We have been so well fed this half of the season so I knew it was coming soon. However, I really do think we got a wonderful Eddie centric episode that is possible to set up his next character arc. And most of that arc, in my opinion, will be coming to terms with who he is as a person and figuring out who he wants as a romantic partner. I think he’s afraid to let himself think of that partner because of the deep rooted fear he has of being left alone. I got to say, there’s a lot more gifs than actual analysis this time around but they’re all important to the meta. So I hope you all enjoy 💜

Meddling Tia Pepa

I was really looking forward to Tia Pepa’s return but because my foolish, naive heart thought she knew about the Buddie of it all. Boy was I wrong because she was back with one goal in mind and that was to set up Eddie on a blind date. She literally called him over under the false pretenses of needing his help, thus blindsiding him with a girl she wanted to set him up with. I will say, I have missed the Diaz family and it was nice to see her back.

The moment Eddie turns around and sees the girl, Vanessa, he immediately freaks out. That entire scene at Tia Pepa’s house was very queercoded and I’ll get into my reasoning as to why.

E: What did you do Tia?

P: What has to be done.

E: You tricked me…into a blind date?

He is actively freaking out the moment he sees her and you can tell by the way he scratches his head. He turns around and wants do make a run for it. When he questions Pepa, his eyes are wide and he is in complete disbelief because he didn’t think she would do something like this. What man would act like this upon walking in and seeing a beautiful girl who is someone they could very well date? Oh yes a queer one.

Pepa isn’t having any of Eddie’s questioning and counter questions him into confessing what else he has planned for the day, only to prove her point.

P: What were you doing right before I called?

E: I was… at home. Christopher spent the night at a friends house. I-I didn’t have time to figure my day out. It’s Saturday!

The way he immediately avoids any and all eye contact, and looks to the side indicates he is trying to come up with some explanation that is very clearly a lie. He hesitates, and has to gather his thoughts to come up with a plausible answer, and that is what gives it away that he’s lying. Pepa also catches on to the fact that he lied to her. Now we can all speculate all we want but something tells me he wasn’t just at home doing nothing. We know, especially in recent episodes, that any time he’s not with his son, he is often found hanging out with Buck. So I found it really weird how he had to actually lie to his aunt about his whereabouts.

P: Aye Edmundo, it breaks my heart to see you alone. It’s been too long. You need to do something or you’re gonna be alone forever.

E: Tia, I can’t marry someone just cause you say so.

Literally who the hell is talking about marriage here?!? It’s so interesting to see the way Eddie’s mind works when it comes to relationships and dating. This almost confirms that he’s never really dated anyone just to date them. You can kind of infer from this moment that he probably had to marry Shannon because of outside forces and they didn’t really get to date. And he was most likely with Ana because he believed, once again due to outside forces *Bobby*, that he needed to marry the perfect woman on paper. Because she would’ve been a wonderful mother to Christopher and his son loved her. It seems as though Eddie has not dated somebody who he himself wanted to date. And he sure as hell didn’t date anyone without the impression of it becoming a legitimately serious thing. So I think this opens the door for him to really question what dating means to him and who he wants to choose as the person he does date. It also indicates that he is looking to marry someone eventually. And some thing about this scene just made me think that he has possibly considered getting married again and possibly even gone as far as to say he might know who he wants to marry, but doesn’t think it’s an actuality. These are just some thoughts I had after watching this whole scene with his Tia. There’s definitely something under the surface for sure, and I think this episode is slowly hinting at it.

The 118 Have Opinions About Eddie’s Blind Date

I love when we get to see the firefam discussing literally anything about their personal lives. It really just drives home the idea that they’re an actual family and that they all found each other and built this family together.

C: So how'd you leave it?

E: We were gonna text each other to meet up.

B: I mean you could always conveniently forget to text her.

C: He's not gonna ghost her Buck.

E: Yeah, she already texted me.

I really love how last episode we got to see Eddie acting jealous over Buck mentioning all the women he has slept with. I have mentioned it many times on my blog how Eddie is very overtly obvious when he is jealous. Buck, on the other hand, is subtle with his jealousy. This entire time they're talking about Vanessa, the only thing he contributes is suggesting Eddie ghosts her. I mean is that how a best friend would act if they were genuinely supportive of their best friend dating again? Even the way he sits down and looks all petty at Eddie indicates pure jealousy over this topic of conversation.

E: Now I gotta figure out how to let her down easy.

B: Ooh, you're not good at that.

E: No, I'm not.

One thing I love about this specific moment is that even in the episodes where we do not get a lot of Buddie moments, they will throw in something that makes us remember just how close these two are with each other. This was a direct callback to Eddie breaking up with Ana by telling her to just go home. There is no way Eddie didn't end up confiding in Buck, his literal go to confidant, about that whole mess. So Buck mentioning that little fact just drives home the fact that these two are very close and tell each other almost everything. Which then begs the question, why isn't Eddie just discussing this with only Buck. Makes one question the real reasoning behind the fact that we never see them talking about their possible romantic partners unless it is to get advice when it is falling apart.

(Gifs by @matan4il)

E: Well she seems nice. She already picked the place.

B: Ah.

E: I just hate being forced to a date. Feels like I have to perform.

Once again, the fact that the frame focuses on Buck, with his arms crossed, closed off and keeping him safe and away from being hurt in this instance, to simply nodding his head in a very jealous way is definitely something. He is the only one who seems to be that interested in Eddie's plans with Vanessa and it goes to show once more that he is not really being as supportive as he could be. These men both do this all the time when there is another woman involved. He is definitely not happy about Eddie going on this date and I don't blame him considering he was dressing up nicely just one episode ago to go out with Eddie.

I also really love Buck's reaction when Eddie says that he feels like he has to perform. He is confused but he smirks because he can't believe Eddie just said something like that in front of everyone. He basically laid all his cards out in front of him. What he said, about having to perform is also very queercoded, because it indicates him having to put on a facade to be able to date a woman, when he doesn't really want to. Almost as if he really isn't all that straight and knows he has to force himself to be in the right mindset to make everyone else around him happy. Buck seems to be questioning what Eddie could possibly mean and you see that with the downturn of his lips here.

Then Hen, or as Chimney so lovingly says, Tia number 3, comes in and questions Eddie. The camera also panned to her when Eddie said the bit about having to perform and I find it interesting that her reaction was very "I know what you are."

H: Or maybe you're anxious about said performance.

E: Anxious? Who's anxious?

H: It's ok to feel nervous. Vanessa's probably at work right now, panicking too.

E: I do not panic.

No, no, of course you don't Edmundo. You also totally didn't end up in the hospital because of a panic attack at the idea of being married to a woman. He is so silly and I really want to bring back mirroring because he is mirroring Buck here. We all know Buck always talks with his mouth full and I don't believe we have seen Eddie talking with his mouth full before. Either way, when you hang out with someone too much, you start adapting all their habits and mannerisms, the good, the bad and the ugly. Here he has definitely adapted Buck's bad habit of speaking with his mouth full and it really makes me giggle because it's such a small thing but it shows how similar these two have become.

This entire scene also was very Eddie being somewhat repressed and in denial about it. Him telling Hen he does not panic, when we all know he had panicked with Ana is definitely important and I believe it's going to play a key factor in his upcoming character arc.

The Fake Date

Ok I got to say how it was such a deliberate choice in having this date come after the poker game from last week because the differences are insane to me. Not only did Eddie channel Buck from the poker game with his outfit, but he didn't put the same level of effort in this date with Vanessa as he did when he went out with Buck. He's just wearing a simple suit and he doesn't really seem to be into the date from the beginning. Whereas last week, we had him in that plaid blue suit, with the turtleneck and his fancy gold watch. He also could not stop looking at Buck, whereas he barely even looked at Vanessa in the beginning of their date.

Not only that, but he literally was there to let her down easy, which he started to explain when he said, "Full disclosure," but was cut off before we can find out the reason why.

Some key takeaways from this date that really convinced me that it was not special and nothing important for the future were the following:

— He was being friendly with her, as he is with every other female friend we have seen him interacting with.

— He was understanding when she explained to him about her ex-fiance and how she is definitely not ready for anything serious

— His little "I do" moment was very much like that moment in 4.05 when he told Buck, "I know you did." The same softness sure, but this lacked the fondness and love his eyes hold anytime he's talking to Buck.

— He took out his phone to take notes. Literally what successful date includes note taking?

— He didn't seem mesmerized by her at all. He didn't have that twinkle in his eyes when looking at her. She was fun and sassy and he smiled at her, but it was nothing that would rival his special Buck smile.

— When she leaves, the biggest thing is that he does not turn his head to look after her. If he had truly been interested (or straight) he would have watched her walk away. BUT he did not. Instead, he kind of smiled and shook his head in disbelief that she bested him before he could. He also let out a breath of relief, because the man really did not want to be on that date. He didn't seem upset or heartbroken in any way. The only look I can describe this as would be possible bafflement at how his night went down considering he came in with one thing on his mind and that was taken from him when she ended it on her own.

Eddie's Date Review? No Sorry Performance Review

I found it hilarious how Eddie was really thinking about how Vanessa pulled a fast one on him.

E: Sorry uh, it's a lot to process.

BN: Didn't expect the brush off huh?

I don't know why but this moment reminds me so much fo the moment between Buck and Eddie in 5.02 in the bunk area when they're discussing Ana. The way Eddie avoids looking at Buck and tells him "Just feels like a lot man."

E: Not gonna lie, it's probably the worst one yet.

BN: Wait, you didn't even want this date.

E: Yeah so it shouldn't be bothering me right?

Well the reason this is bothering Eddie very much is because he is the guy who likes to have his control. The things that he cannot control are the things that end up bothering him the most. So here he isn't really thinking of a missed opportunity. No he is thinking about how he had a plan to go in there and tell Vanessa that she is a nice girl but he was not ready for a date. He probably had something else he wanted to say but that opportunity was taken from him when she didn't let him finish what he had to say. So of course this is on his mind and of course it will be bothering him for a while. Because Eddie Diaz likes his tight grasp on things he can control and when that's taken from him, he starts to spiral.

E: Maybe Hen's right. Maybe, maybe I'm anxious about not performing.

Again, this man is thinking about the fact that he has to perform. He cannot date a woman and be himself because he does not want to date women. This reminds me of that moment between Buck and him in 5.11, where Buck tells him, "You don't have to pretend with me." That's is isn't it? When Eddie is with Buck, there is no need to put on an act or have anxiety over it. He simply exists and is who he always has been. There is no need for a performance or to pretend to be someone he is not because Buck knows him and he accepts and loves him for who Eddie is entirely. And that is what they are showcasing here. How Eddie may need to perform with women, but when he is with his right partner, he can be who he is and know that he will love him anyway.

I love how Bobby gives Eddie the kiss of death AGAIN. Any time this man gives anyone relationship advice, they are immediately doomed. We saw it with Eddie and Ana in s4. So this only sets the curse for whatever other dates Eddie may eventually go on and that makes me laugh.

BN: Maybe it's time to find the right work/life balance.

E: Feel like I have that. Me, Christopher, we're a good team.

BN: You're a great father. But there's more to life that I think even Christopher would agree. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you get back out there.

This is the second time they allude to the fact that Eddie is alone in raising Christopher. First Pepa said it in the beginning of the episode. Now Eddie mentions how it is just him and Chris. The weird thing with this is that we had 3 episodes before this that showed how intertwined the Diaz boys are with Buck. They showed what a family unit they three are and how Buck can be viewed as a wonderful partner and coparent to Eddie. Christopher begging Buck to come back home when he was in a coma was like any child begging their parent to come back to them. Eddie crying like the grieving widow he was did not indicate him being alone in this world. Not only that but just the episode before this they gave us heavy family feels with Buck and Eddie helping Chris with his homework and then Buck baking cookies for Christopher's class. So this begs the question, why the incessant need to mention that Eddie is alone when we all can see that he is not.

A part of me believes that maybe it's possible that outside to the Buckley Diaz trio, not a lot of people are aware of how close they are to each other. I made a post about how it's very possible people do not even know about Eddie's will because of what it can very well symbolize. Maybe Eddie does not want people to know how important Buck is to him because then he has to answer questions about that. Questions that he may not be fully prepared to respond to. Maybe this is his way of keeping his heart safe by not acknowledging the importance of Buck in his life just yet.

E: I feel like I haven't had a chance to really uh, collect my thoughts. So let me go out there and do some collections.

It's funny how he mentions this to Bobby before he heads out because from every thing we have seen up to this point, it is Eddie not really thinking about certain things in his life. He has not really collected his thoughts and come to the conclusion as to why he is so content with how his life currently is and why he does not need to date anyone. I think this foreshadows Eddie really taking some time throughout the next few episodes to reflect on his current life and think about things and choices he's made. I hope we get to see some of those thoughts and the conclusions they bring forth.

Buck, The Nepo Prince of The 118

I love love loved the cute little father/son performance review moment we got. I got to say, it definitely felt weird to see Buck have such little lines but I was also glad for it considering so many of the recent episodes were all Buck centric.

B: My PT scores are not right there. They're low and you marked me outstanding.

BN: Yes, considering...

B: Considering what, that I uh had an accident on the job, but I recovered.

BN: Buck, you died.

B: Yeah, so what, you're just gonna take it easy on me forever?

BN: Buck, I don't think that's entirely inappropriate.

The fact that we have had someone tell Buck he has died every single episode since he work up is very interesting and a little morbid. It is clear as day that man has not fully recovered or made his peace with the fact that he died. He keeps making light of it and avoiding talking about his feelings about it. The only time we saw him be somewhat truthful was with Eddie in his kitchen in 6.12. And given what we know about the next episode and him being intrigued by a death doula, I can see why they keep mentioning it to him. They are setting up the storyline to turn into him getting some actual help about his death and eventually making his peace with it.

Tia Pepa Comes Clean

I love how Eddie could not even fully remember the lie they came up with about the fake date. He immediately slips up and Tia Pepa catches onto his lie before he even has a chance to go any further. He told her that the date went "great" and that they decided to stay friends.

E: She was...very nice.

P: You're never gonna see her again.

E: I'm sorry Tia. I'm not ready.

Once again this goes to prove that any time Eddie has dated someone, it has been at the persistence of someone else. He only went along with it to appease his aunt and even then, he did it knowing his heart was not in it. He needs to learn to make these choices for himself and only himself. If something is not broke, there is no need to fix it. If Eddie is not ready to date and he is completely content with how he is living his life, it is not up to his Tia or anyone else to meddle into it and tell him how he should be living it. This scene once more further shows how queercoded Eddie is because there is something he is just, unable to say out loud to her in this moment.

When Pepa comes clean about her first marriage and how it took her 6 years to get over it, Eddie is visibly upset and can't believe this was kept from him. Now, why would he be upset at some family secret that’s been kept from him? Well given his reaction, I’d say it was important to his own history, which is why he was taken aback by the news. Eddie was also married and he seems to come from a very clean cut traditional family where divorce is not an option. So considering Shannon not only left him, but came back only to ask him for a divorce, really affected him for a long time. He felt like a failure and was mad at a dead person for a while there. Now, finding out that Pepa was also divorced and then found the love of her life, it connects him to her even more. There’s another Diaz who had a failed marriage but was still able to move on and find their right partner in the end. It almost gives Eddie hope and you can see that with the final moment he shares with his Tia.

P: I was getting set in my ways, and the longer you are alone, the easier it is. I don’t want that for you.

E: Me either.

Eddie has tears in his eyes and he really understands where his Tia is coming from. He knows she means well and he resonates with her. But this also leaves the door open as to yes, maybe he is open to finding the right partner, but how he plans on achieving that is where things get tricky. I really do feel like it’s possible that they are going to further develop. His character arc into him dating some people, and realizing why things are not working out with each person. Because deep inside, he has to know that he has already found that person. I just feel like he is very afraid to allow himself to feel the things that he does, and to want the person he does. But I think this episode really opens the door for him realizing he’s ready and he needs to go on this journey to find his perfect partner (we all know he’s found him. Now only he needs to figure it out himself.)

Ravi Comes Home

The reason I want to mention Ravi is because he said something that really made me think of Buck and Eddie. When he was telling Chimney about what happened with the accident, he says something about how, “But what haunts me isn’t the one that I lost. It’s the one I saved.”

Now why the hell would this remind me of Buddie? Well let’s take a look at Eddie and his partners shall we. When Shannon, his wife and mother of his child was in an accident, he could not save her. He had to sit there and watch her die. And that did affect him for a long time, and he was traumatized by it.

But then his work partner and other coparent was struck by lightning and literally died for 3 minutes and 17 seconds. Now who was the one that got his heart beating again?? Eddie. Eddie was able to save Buck. But he stood there for days and mourned because he didn’t want to live a life without Buck. He couldn’t look at him, he was crying and dressed like an actual widow. Not just that, he clearly has unresolved feelings about that whole thing because we saw him mention it to Buck in 6.12 about how he died and he’s allowed to have feelings about that. And he was quick to correct Chief Williams when she mistakenly mentioned how Buck was dead for 3 minutes. Eddie knows how long, down to the second he was dead for because in those 3 minutes and 17 seconds, he had to live his worst fear. And I feel like the fact that he did end up saving Buck haunts him every day.

It was so nice to see Ravi back with the team. Eddie and Buck hugging him like he’s their little brother was so wholesome. Buck lifting Ravi up while Eddie looked on with a big smile on his face was what we all needed. The final glimpse of Buck and Eddie in the background all blurry was wonderful. They’re clearly close as ever, considering they once again, do not know what personal space is. I also love the fact that you can see Buck in his blurry form, leaning his head on Eddie’s shoulder.

(Gif by @whosoldherout)

I personally can’t wait to see where their storylines go from here. I’m being optimistic and still think it’s really inevitable that they don’t get together romantically. I’m excited for this ride and can’t wait to see what the read is the season brings us.

Once again, thank you to @aa-lionheart for all the lovely gifs. I adore you tremendously. And thank you to each and every one of you who reads this through. I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know 💜

#Buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #ravi panikkar #bobby nash #pepa diaz #911 spoilers #911 speculation #911 meta #911 on fox #buddie meta #buddie language meta

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quuerbee · 5 months

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Just saw a picture of divine dragon chung myung before he got that title and it really hit me how small Cho Sam's body was when chung myung came back. This little thought has spoilers for chapter 400+ (I think anyway) and vague spoilers for everything past ch 400 until like. Ch 800

GOD OK so we as the reader understand chung myungs situation very very intimately. WE understand that he is an 80+ year old man mentally. WE understand that he is not in fact 15, then 17, then 19, 20, etc. Everyone around him, however, truly believe that he is those ages.

It's brushed upon multiple times throughout the novel, especially whenever chung myung is down for the count/recovering after a fight. The facade he makes around himself, the strong reliable leader, fades away and the "truth" of who he is reinstates itself to those close to him in this second life. His back, every time he wavers, is described as small. This is always through the perspective of anyone but himself. This is even more apparent whenever he is unconscious after a serious fight. I don't know exactly chapters, but i KNOW that baek cheon (and the rest of the 5 swords plus soso and hye yeon), at least once, has had the reality of Chung myungs apparent age dawn upon them. That they're youngest sajae (sahyung in soso's case) is constantly spilling his own blood to protect them. (This fact is straight up said by yu iseol after the particularly bad fight with Jang ilso, spitting her frustration with only getting in chung myungs way instead of protecting him).

This phenomenon is hardly limited to the main group of disciples. After the first myriad men siege on Mount hua (while The Gang is in Xian), everyone subconsciously gains courage with the thought that soon enough chung myung will come, that he'll protect them. The disciples (soso being the most prevalent since she's one of the main disciples focused on in the novel) of course correct this thought, realizing that they cannot rely on chung myung forever. Anyways moving on from just describing this arc. What I mainly want to focus on is Hyun jong and chung myungs interaction AFTER the siege is finished, after un gum is fresh off of his amputation, after chung myung has barely gotten treatment for his own (quite serious) injuries.

What do you think when through Hyun jong's mind, seeing his youngest disciple, the one who brought back the hope that had almost died out with his sect, ruthlessly kill the enemy, return heavily wounded, and then try to sneak out almost immediately to go back to smite those who have harmed his home? To us, Chung myung is more than capable. He's the plum blossom sword Saint, the one who (even with all the regret he holds over this) severed the head of the heavenly demon. He's an 80+ year old man trying to protect the only thing besides bloodshed that is familiar in this second life. We understand the guilt he has over not being able to protect his home the first time. We understand that he would rather die than allow Mount Hua to fall again.

Hyun jong does not know this. He does not understand chung myungs rage (and guilt and grief and longing and-). He looks at chung myung and sees an 18 or 19 (I don't remember) year old boy, covered in wounds, trying to sneak out of his home on a suicide mission of revenge. He sees a boy. He knows that if he let's this boy go, he will never see him alive again. So he uses chung myungs borderline (who are we kidding, it is way past borderline) unhealthy loyalty with mount hua to dissuade him from walking to his death.

ANYWAYS long story not so short, I need need need more analysis over what everyone but chung myung thinks about him. Everyone sees this young teen, then young adult, bend over backwards to the point where he has almost died so so so many times just so mount hua can flourish. They've seen him kill ruthlessly, they've seen him sob over the skeleton of an ancestor (one of his brothers, a reminder of what he has lost, what he will never get back), they've seen him silly and carefree, they've seen him almost mad with bloodlust.

To us, he is chung myung, the old plum blossom sword Saint, slayer of the heavenly demon. To them, he is chung myung, the scrawny 15 year old that changed their lives, that faces unknown traumas, that has had a life so, so unkind to him.

Sometimes I look at chung myung pre time skip, how small he is, how he looks like a child, how he acts nothing like one, and remember that only we, the readers, get the full context behind his actions.

#ANYWAYS #this turned out to be uh. not so small.#but no i saw 15 yr old chung myung and went #wow he really does look like a baby #and then my thoughts went WILD #i know this is kind of just like. a summery of a few different parts of the novel #and i kjnd repeat myself a lot #but i read a fic a whole ago that kind of touches on this whole conceot #i Do Not remeber what its called #but its basically the mount hua elders discussing things #and then chung myung is brought up #and all of them are like #wow this kid has obviously been through some shit. life has NOT been kind to him #but uh no yeah #sometimes i forget that the people of mount hua do NOT have the same context we do #and in place of the chung myung we see #they see a very very traumatized and scarily capable teen/young adult #and they dont know WHY HE ACTS LIKE THAT #but yeah hope this kinda makes sense #this novel makes me sick #return of the blossoming blade #rotmhs #return of the mount hua sect #analysis

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ireneaesthetic · 1 year

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Simon and Marcus: Simon's pov

I've been requested to do it once and i've actually things to point out. I’m gonna focus on a specific scene, using it as a cue to dive more into their dynamic from simon's pov.

for whoever not interested, i swear the next analysis post will be wilmon centered - love y’all

Relevant fact: call me a marcus anti since day one. I found it kind of weird for him to act so friendly, self-confident and at ease even from their very first interaction in simon’s room, but maybe it’s just my shy closeted self talking!

However, the movie scene is probably the most significant one, showing a lot - if not all - about simon’s approach and intention in 'whatevership' he and marcus were starting to have. He walks into the apartment right after him, eyes wondering all over the room, his “cozy” word to warm the atmosphere, the looks and little smiles: he mirrors wille’s actions when he first entered simon’s room, recreating the same scenario. He tries to fill that space with the same thrill, energy, emotions - love.

It’s a nice try, but not even close to work. He forces himself to be flustered and feel what he knows this type of situation should make him feel. Pretending gets harder if memories are louder and the heart doesn’t beat as much as it did before.

Simon's eyes never lied: the truth is he was always sure about what he was not feeling, the chemistry he tried to find so soon so fast but that, just as quickly, was not pushing him to ask, want or need more ever again. He looked at marcus but never really looked at him: there were no such feelings for simon to communicate, rather vacant eyes and empty gazes that still showed things he was missing and couldn't seem to replicate with him.

The 'let's get physical' coping mechanism to step up the game is real but still: simon suggests watching a horror movie, he's the one taking the initiative, he goes for the upper lip into the kiss. He wants so hard to forget about wilhelm while unconsciously doing whatever it takes to remember him. to have what they had back. to feel something.

But with marcus it turns out to be just ... physical. it's all very rational: no connection or tension building up between them, no growing emotions are involved in pulling them closer, even simon’s hands movements feel thought through.

Falling in love doesn’t have to be rational tho, it comes to you so that you’re not supposed to search for it to happen - oh to be reminded that simon ends up not ever being the first in reaching for physical touch or pulling marcus into a kiss after this one. single. time.

Marcus telling him to take it slow and see where time will take them, it didn’t stir anything in simon but discomfort. He didn’t go to his place looking out for the comfort of a movie night fr or hoping to start something serious, but to prove himself that he was ready to forget and move on, to be with someone else, to love and stop hurting for once - he soon realized he could not do that.

And when he said it out loud to marcus later on, he was not listened to.

Simon’s “i just don't understand why i can’t fall in love with him” finds all the answers here: it was never about marcus, but shutting his feelings for wille down whenever they weighed too much instead. That's the reason why i think they were doomed from the very beginning: as much as simon could be rationally invested in trying to make it work, his heart was not.

Wilhelm’s step back - “i’m gonna leave you alone” - was simon’s realization point. He tried moving on to someone else for his own sake and also wanted to show he was capable of doing that, but to actually loose wille was never an option and he didn't mean it to end this way. It was like being faced with a choice, even though to choose was never really a thing: simon would've chosen wilhelm. always.

#bear with my rambling #i tried to make sense of it all #take a shot every time i say 'but'#young royals #simon eriksson #wilhelm x simon #yr analysis

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moonlessdusk · 3 months

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oh how i've missed your mkulia analysis. i love ur interpretation of mkulia, ur brain is so huge i was wondering if there is to be a season three, how would you personally want MKulia to happen if they were gonna be canon? and how would you want them to be handled? i feel you can go a lot of ways with it julia discovering she likes women arc, mkulia being one-sided/angsty mkulia, another character setting up mkulia, plain fluffy mkulia are a few i can think about! but idk what would hit the nail and/or work best for everyone

Thank you for indulging me anon, I’m pecking you on the forehead like a kitten ❤️

I think I kinda wanna start with what I hope the writers don’t do if they plan to make Mkulia canon. It’s sorta a blanket statement but I don’t want MK and Julia to get flanderized. TD’s writing has this issue where as soon as a couple becomes canon, the characters personalities are just reduced to the context of the relationship. I’ve griped before about Priya’s capabilities getting neutered this season for Priyaleb, Axel’s character development got derailed over Ripaxel, and Emma doesn’t get to be a character outside of Chase and twice now got eliminated right after him. Tbh the writing feels misogynistic in that sense, which might be why Rajbow has avoided this pitfall and Mkulia might avoid it too, being a wlw ship.

I hope Mkulia doesn’t just become a complete fluff ship because I’d also count that as flanderization. I still want MK to rib and annoy Julia but also have moments where she’s enthusiastically praising her, with occasional moments where she’s the serious one. Julia still needs have this 75-25 split of being the so called “straight man” to MK’s outrageous side vs just being being silly/flustered. This balance is what makes them enjoyable to watch.

I also don’t want MK to suddenly be flustered, I think she should stay the more foreword, self assured one. I just think Julia staying as the one more easily flustered and and self conscious one is more interesting for her character. Being worried about how MK perceives her is really the only context we see Julia feel vulnerable because otherwise she has such a good social and physical game in the competition that she’s never really anxious in a way she feels like she can’t take control.

I don’t think I really have a preference for how the show can set up the ship, they really can just do anything to establish it. If they don’t want to rehash the plot line of a character (almost certainly Julia in this case) realizing their sexuality, they really could just write Mkulia as casually getting closer (more touchy and having deeper conversations). It’s not like a point of conflict or anything, just passively happening. Maybe the other characters notice and it gives them sympathy points that help them dodge elimination because literally everyone else here votes based on who annoyed them that day or failed the challenge he hard enough as opposed to actually voting strategically.

However, season 2 was just full of rehashed plot lines so there’s a decent chance they’d do the discovering their sexuality thing again, which I’m not opposed to. I feel like they’d have to establish early that MK’s a lesbian though. I don’t know, maybe when Chris and Chef are explaining an unpleasant part of the first challenge MK makes a salty quip like “Ugh, sounds like my ex-girlfriend,”. Cut to Julia making a confessional where she looks flustered and says “Her what?”. Cut back to Bowie saying “Your what?” and MK rhetorically asks if she stuttered. Cut to an MK confessional where she shrugs and says something to the effect of she didn’t have a reason to bring up her sexuality earlier.

I think that Julia could periodically have confessionals where she shifts from defending herself with comphet (even if for clout), to denying she could be attracted to MK’s supposedly annoying traits, to a more pragmatic she can’t have a crush on her alliance partner because it would mess with her game, then finally lands on she can’t have a crush on her only real friend and risk ruining what they have if MK doesn’t feel the same.

Maybe further deterring Julia from saying anything is MK revealing that she’s actually had many short relationships that she cut off because she felt held back by them, she does pride herself on being honest and cold hearted, after all. But the piece of info MK omits is that she felt held back because her exes had an “I can fix her” mentality, whereas Julia loves MK’s sneaky and underhanded tendencies. I think it would be entertaining if MK catches on to Julia’s crush early and thinks it’d be hilarious to act oblivious while playing in to it until Julia makes a move.

I’m not going to get in to my specific hopes for season 3 story beats or what I’d realistically expect, but I’d like to see a midpoint merge Bowie/Julia double elimination where they really screwed over each other and MK and Raj go to see them off. Bowie has a quip about how it’s almost cute that his boyfriend and her girlfriend are both there. Julia is flustered but MK leans in to it because it’s funny, which gives Raj and Bowie a chance to say their goodbye.

This then leaves us with the MK vs. Raj, the wlw on mlm hostility feud I know a lot of use wanted. In this situation, Priya and Caleb are eliminated already so no one could oppose MK by association with Julia. Nichelle and Damien could still be floating around but I don’t think they would feel as threatened by MK. Wayne is gone too so Raj doesn’t have a morality pet. I’d like to see MK have moments where she goes “what would Julia do” and angst about not having her to lean on. Realistically it’s because MK’s social game sucks but it can have gay undertones. Then we get to the finale where both the gays lose, in actuality it’s because of Raj’s proximity to a winner and former runner up, and MK can’t win because she’s an antagonist and her proximity to a runner up. Maybe MK can get a kiss from Julia and promise of a date as a consolation prize. Idk if that’s verging into fanfiction territory but this more subtle approach is how I realistically think they’d write it if its not the main romance of the season.

A completely out there way they could write it is make them the first two boots. Cut the monologue every contestant has during their walk of shame. Instead have 30-60 second bonus clips like the ones from world tour but it’s framed as Julia and MK live-blogging the arrival of the next loser. But! It’s in the “Get Over Yourself” format where they’re mostly talking about themselves and we get just a couple lines from the eliminated contestant. Throughout the clips we can get a sense of their relationship progressing to romance.

On one hand, I think having a bunch of bonus clips with these two would be fun, on the other it would sort of suck to delegate them to this until the finale. But also I could hypothetically see it happening if network executives think featuring two gay couples in the show proper is too much to ask.

I guess what I really hope is that Mkulia just gets developed in some way at all. I’d hate for season 3 to start off by telling us they got together off screen, that would kill so much of the excitement over them being canon. I’d also hate for the relationship to be developed just to regress back to them disliking each other. TD’s writing has so many examples of taking a character or relationship (romantic or platonic), then getting to a point where they don’t know what to do with it anymore and go “fuck you for being invested” and ruin it.

I have hope though because if they could maintain Rajbow between seasons while writing season 2 without any fan input, I think they can do it with Mkulia. The writers have to be well aware by now that Mkulia is right next to Rajbow for most beloved ship of this cast so assuming there’s no network meddling, I expect season 3 Mkulia to be made canon and handled with care.

#total drama spoilers #total drama reboot #total drama 2023 #mkulia #td julia #td mk #total drama julia #total drama mk

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kloppinthekop · 2 months

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Have you ever wondered if among trent/jude/dom there is someone who is jealous type? Or are all of them like that? I feel trent & jude could be but not domi.

How do they deal with jealousy? And what are the stuff that turns them green with envy?

Oh good question, @lfcgirl23! 🌙 Hmmmm I feel like they’d all be jealous but in slightly different ways/to different degrees. I’ll start with Domi because he’s a Scorpio, and as a fellow Scorpio I feel like maybe I have some insights there (or maybe I’m just projecting, haha).

♏️ I feel like Domi would love very deeply, and he gets tunnel vision once he finds someone he really likes/loves. It’s a love that borders on obsession- but not necessarily in a toxic way. He wants to be so close, so intimate, that it would almost be like them becoming one person. So naturally, if he gets any inkling or suspicion that someone else is hitting on his partner, or that his partner’s eye might be straying, he would immediately try to find out exactly what is going on and try to shut it down. He’d set firm boundaries, and stick to them. He’d rather end a relationship than be strung along like a puppet on a string. If you cheat on him, it’s over immediately- no second chances: it’s just done, and he will cut off all contact. He is the type to hold onto a grudge for a lifetime, even after the other person has long forgotten or forgiven. The flip side of this is that he is intensely loyal—as soon as he’s in a serious relationship, that’s it for him: his heart will never stray once he properly falls in love with someone (that someone being Trent in my head, obviously).

♎️ With Trent, he’s a Libra—he is a bit flirty with multiple people (albeit awkwardly flirty, haha), so he really is in no position to be judging others… But, the other factor that goes against that is how incredibly competitive he is about everything. He almost views love as another playing field—not that he treats it only as a game, but that he always wants to win, be the best. So if he thinks that his partner isn’t fully invested in just him, he’s going to be pretty annoyed. He probably wouldn’t confront the situation head-on, at least not at first—he would likely try to drop subtle hints, would probably be a brat about it, starting little fights or changing up his behavior in order to signal that he is not happy with being ignored/treated second best. For Trent, love is about quality time together—so if you start cancelling dates or flaking on him, that’s when the jealousy kicks in. He doesn’t want to appear like he is jealous, because that could be seen as a weakness, but inside it’ll just rankle his spirit until eventually there’s a big argument and he has to finally admit that he is, in fact, susceptible to jealousy.

♋️ I don’t know enough about Jude to give an extended analysis, but if we’re just going off vibes/star sign, he’s a little more laidback at first when it comes to relationships, having fun and vibing on dates—but once he is serious with someone, he (like Domi) is very loyal. He is used to getting what he wants (and to be fair, he puts in the work to earn it), and any real relationship he’d be in would be no different. His star sign is Cancer (a water sign like Domi), so he feels very deeply, but he’s less intense than a Scorpio would be. He’s a bit of a sensitive soul—not as a weakness, but more in the sense that he has a lot of love to give, and just wants to be loved as much in return. He loves physical touch, would love to cuddle constantly and play with his partner’s hair. He’d be green with envy if he saw his partner touching someone else, especially if he suspects that it’s something beyond just a friendly pat on the shoulder or a goodbye hug. Jealousy for him looks a lot like heartbreak, a lot of trying to hold back tears but ultimately breaking down and crying. But if it’s real love, he’s willing to work through his feelings and make things work out.

𓂃₊ ⊹ Thanks for the ask! ✨

#ask #headcanon #dominik szoboszlai #trent alexander arnold #jude bellingham #headcanons #star signs

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igotanidea · 1 year

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The fear: Jason Todd x fem!reader part 2

part 1

"I don't understand. Why isn't it working on him?” regardless of Jason’s protest, the second he got Jimmy to safety Dick and Tim took him to the batcave to run some test and assess the damage. Surprisingly, seemingly the toxin did nothing.

“I don’t know” Tim muttered, torn between confusion and curiosity “but it’s disturbing. I believe Crane has been altering the formula and the effects are yet to come.”

“Maybe I’ve just become immune to Scarecrow’s tricks.” Jason was sitting on the nearby chair, arms crossed over his chest, right leg bend and rested on the left, utter annoyance on his face “Will you two just let me the fuck out of here?!” he hissed

“NO!” Dick and Tim said in unison, however, the motives of the answer were slightly different for each of them. While both of them were worried about Jason’s state of mind, Dick didn’t want him to be alone. The oldest Wayne knew exactly what memories could come back due to the fear gas and felt the urge to help Jay through it. On the other side, Tim didn’t want him to suffer if there was something he could do about it. He just needed more time to figure it all out.

“I hate you both. Truly, madly, deeply.” Jason huffed

“Oh, come on, Jaybird, we all know if you wanted to get out you would have already done that. And yet, you’re still here. No one’s keeping you captive.”

“Shut up, Grayson.”

“Nah, I don’t think I will.” Dick smiled

“Don’t you have anything better do to? Anyone else to save?”

“You’re my priority at the moment.” Suddenly the air in the cave got a bit more serious and tense.

“How long do you think this may take?” Jay asked quietly “I got job to do.”

“We’ll cover for you if…..”

“NO! Hell no, I told you to stay away from Crime Alley.”

“If you don’t want to be alone you could have just said so.”

“Shut up, Grayson!”

“Why is it always me who has to witness this?” Tim rolled his eyes, begging whatever bigger entity there was for mercy “Can you two just calm down?”

“NO!” apparently, the sides turned and now it was Dick and Jason yelling in unison at Tim

“I wasn’t really expecting any other answer.”

“I….” Jason exhaled deeply “how long?”

“If my analysis is right ….”

“….. and it’s always right…” Todd mocked

“.. it may take up to 10 hours.”

“Great. That is just freaking great. Anyone up for the board game while we wait?”

***

Now

Tim was right. After 10 hours it all started coming back. Slowly.

At first, it was only the knot in his stomach, origins unknown. Then, his head started spinning and his vision became blurry. Soon, Jay felt surrounded and suffocated by the green fog.

And then it was only worse. Dick and Tim were forced to watch their brother crouch in the corner of the room, his eyes wide in terror, fixed on one point in the space yet blind to everything that was happening as his brain was working against him.

The memories from Ethiopia. The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor. The vicious laugh of a maniac who was attacking a kid. The feeling on crowbar on every part of his body. The smell and metallic taste of blood. He was going to find him again. Joker was going to torture him and kill him again. The story was going to repeat itself. There was literally nowhere to hide. Poor Jason. He hid his face in hands, sobbing quietly, silent begging to just leave him alone.

“I… I don’t want to go back…..”

“Um, should we do something or…..?”

“What do you suggest we do, Tim? How do we help him without letting him know that we see him in this state? It’s still Jason. Any sign of vulnerability he’s shown may be the cause of another fight. And he’s terrified. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather avoid it.”

“We can’t just leave him like this.”

“Of course not. But we also cannot help him. There is however one person that can.”

“You surely don’t mean …..”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

“She won’t like it.” Tim warned

“But she will come. She always answer when needed.” Dick took a few steps forward and squatted next to Jayson. “Jaylad? Hey, I need you to look at me. You’re gonna be fine, all right? I’m calling Y/N”

“What?” for a second Jayson’s sight became a bit more aware “Don’t you dare! I don’t need her here!“

“We both know that is not true.”

“I don’t want her here!”

“Jason….”

“Don’t you dare calling her! I can handle myself. There’s no need to. I don’t want her hurt and he’s coming to get me. I need to keep her safe. I have to keep her safe……” his whole body shook, since it couldn’t process the possibility of the girl getting captured by the Joker and tormented the same way he had been.

“He’s too far gone now.” Tim pointed out “I think we really have to call her for the rescue.”

“Told ya.” Dick was already dialing the number of his friend “Y/N?”

“Dick? Hey there, boy wonder. It’s been a while.”

“Really? It seems like you never left. We still got your framed picture on the display.”

“Oh, please, after a month? I never thought you to be sentimental, Grayson.”

“Only for you, Y/N….”

“Oh for crying out loud!” Tim hissed and took the phone from his brother “Y/N.”

“Tim? If you’re there than can only mean you have an emergency.”

“I need you to come. We need you to come. Please?”

“Of course. You know you can count on me. Is it Damian or…. Jay?”

“It’s Jason. If you don’t want to….”

“No.” she cut him off instantly, her voice a bit more concerned “What happened in the past stays in the past. I promised you something when I left and I intend to keep that promise. I’m on my way now. See you soon, bats.” The click on the other side indicated that she disconnected.

“Do you think this will work? I mean, given all the history…..”

“The plan’s in motion now. We better hope it works.”

to be continued

part 3

@shadow-pancake9

@lwtmonster91

@your-local-cryptid87

@princessbl0ss0m

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idontdowellunderpressure · 2 years

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Garou's "Crush"

I wanted to make this little meta as soon as I read Chapter 170. Long story short, I couldn't at the time, but I can now and apparently there's some discourse going on? IDK. There's a reason I generally avoid Twitter ￣へ￣

Anyways, here's my two cents about that time Murata tried to "no-homo" Garou and, in my opinion, ended up backfiring wonderfully. Keep in mind, this is coming from an asexual, so my understanding about sexuality and romantic attraction may be skewed.

So, let's digest this panel:

In it, Bang makes the valiant attempt to bond over what he thinks is a safe subject matter. Garou's a young man, right? And what do all teenage boys have in common? Their raging hormones and crushes, obviously. Only, Garou doesn't seem all to keen to discuss this particular topic. Blabbing about the rotten morality of so-called "heroes" to some random stranger? A-okay. Admitting he has a crush to his father figure? Atrocious.

In fact, look at the facial expressions Garou's making:

Dude is looking like he's gay straight up not having a good time. He looked shocked and anxious and uncomfortable (just look at that sweat). And, yeah, the phrase "if you twist my arm" can, and frequently is, taken to be more sarcastic than genuine, Garou isn't really someone known for masking his feelings all that well. His facial expressions are vast and he always shows his genuine feelings, whether they're shock or fury or fear. (good compilation of Garou's many expressions compiled by someone more talented than me: https://the-nysh.tumblr.com/post/185831833031/garous-so-cute-and-more-like-his-age-when-his)

But he does give in and provide a name. And, honestly, his answer made everything clear to me. Like how Saitama knew Garou wasn't "Absolute Evil" despite all his bluster, I knew Garou wasn't Straight™ with this one answer.

Garou names a character. Not a real person, but a character from a show he, most likely, watched as a kid. This is like back in school when any gay kid in the closet would go "I'm not gay, I totally love Britney Spears", or maybe "No, yeah, I totally love boys, I've got a Jack Sparrow poster up in my room". You know the drill. Celebrities are a safe "crush" because they are unattainable, and you will never have to actually act on such a declaration. Fictional characters, by virtue of being -you know- NOT REAL offer even more separation. (And the reason I bring up the fictional character angle, is because Garou remembers her character from the show before her name, suggesting that he has more of an attachment to the character than the actress).

So now he's done it. He's declared a crush. He's answered the question. He's safe. Now what?

Subject Change.

The very first chance he gets, Garou shifts the topic immediately to something else. And look at that. The cockiness is back. The sweat is gone. I daresay, he looks ecstatic to be talking about literally anything other than a girl he supposedly likes.

Just look at his smile (ಥ ◡ ಥ)

And if that weren't enough. We are told exactly why Garou picked this character, this actress, of all the others at his disposal.

Okay. So, first off, that's sad. Like, major oofs here for Garou and his Mommy issues. Secondly, you mean to tell me that Garou likes this woman because she seems kind? Really? That's the main reason? Because, not to get too shippy on what is supposed to be a semi-serious sexuality analysis.........BUT, do you know who else is really kind? Someone who gives off major "familial" vibes? (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Hmmmm, I wonder if there's someone Garou's met who he's seen to be very kind and protective over his ward.

Some who, thematically, represents the strong familial love Garou has never had and, apparently, craves. Someone who is closer to his age and he might be able to relate to. Someone who, canonically, he operates on a similar wavelength with?

I dunno, just a thought ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyways, thanks for playing "no-homo" Murata, but I'm afraid I'm still sitting tight on this Batarou train. Maybe next time ;)

#batarou #metal bat #garou #garou the human monster #one punch man #opm #opm webcomic #opm manga #aretheygay #theanswerwon'tsurpriseyou #anime #gay boys #yusuke murata #chapter 170 #with a dash of other chapters I don't feel like looking up

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wen-kexing-apologist · 9 months

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Thai QL Favorites Game

*sigh* y'all seem to love torturing me with the terrible, terrible weight of having to pick favorites.

Tagged by @telomeke

Favorite Thai QL: Moonlight Chicken

gif by @jaehwany

This is so fucking hard because like…I Told Sunset About You, 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us, and The Eclipse exist and I could wax poetic about all of them, about how much heart went in to them, about how strong the performances of the actors are, about how emotionally impactful these shows were for me. Because all of them were, and they were impactful and relevant to me in so many different ways. I can say with utter confidence that I have not been as impacted by a piece of television as I was with ITSAY and 180D. But, fundamentally, Moonlight Chicken is the show that started it all for me. Moonlight Chicken is the first show that I started writing analysis about, it is the first show that I started interacting with other people on this website over, I have so many tumblr friends now explicitly because of how I engaged with this show, and how others engaged with this show. And so, regardless of how many other incredible, impactful, cinematographic masterpieces grace my screen, Moonlight Chicken will forever be my favorite because it gave me a community I didn’t have before.

Favorite Pairing: First and Khaotung

gif by @gunsatthaphan

I want to make it very clear, I do not condone fanservice. I am generally opposed to speculating about the nature of two actor’s relationships to one another outside of work. So, when I talk about my favorite pairing, I mean it strictly as scene partners. First and Khaotung are my favorite pairing because they are incredible fucking actors. First is a fucking chamelian, like seriously, I saw him in Not Me first, then in The Eclipse, and I think it took me until I looked up what else First had been in during my first viewing of The Eclipse that I even realized he had played Yok. And that blew my fucking mind because Yok and Akk are radically different characters. Yok is loud, chaotic, comfortable, and open. Akk is quiet, stressed, distressed, closeted, suppressed, and First does such an incredible job with both of those characters. After I watched The Eclipse for the first time, I went back right after to watch Not Me so I could compare First’s performance, and I was just blown away. I have since rewatched The Eclipse about six times.

gif by @choikangho

Then I saw him as Alan in MLC and again, First was able to be an asshole to Jim while maintaining a sympathetic position, he navigates so well the razor thin edge that has to be balanced when it comes to making a character that first appears as an antagonistic force but whose pain and anger is immediately understandable, and he does it with ease. It both makes me sad and happy that Aof did not know how good of an actor First was. I heard from @so-much-left-to-learn that Moonlight Chicken started filming before The Eclipse was released, and that Aof wasn’t ever on set for The Eclipse and therefore would not have really had a chance to see him playing more serious roles. I am glad that Aof acknowledging how blown away he was by First means that First actually can act and I am not just distracted by the angelic face of his. Also, this boy can fucking cry.

gif by @gaykey

Khaotung similarly, I think my first exposure to Khao was The Eclipse and then I saw him in A Tale of A Thousand Stars and I was like “Hello??????????? Where did my rat bastard go? This is a sweet ray of sunshine!” Khao is a powerhouse, and a master at displaying, expressing, and articulating grief that it radiates out of the screen. It is unsurprising to me that everyone was singing his praises in MLC and I feel some type of way about the fact that Aof knew how talented Khaotung was and trusted him to carry the heavy responsibility of portraying the grief of losing a parent so soon after Aof lost his. And everyone who said that your eye can’t help but be drawn to Khao whenever he is on screen is correct. Khaotung is a force to be reckoned with, and though you are drawn to him, I don’t think when he is not the focus of the moment that he ever steals the scene. Also, this boy can fucking cry.

gif by @thebvbbletea

I think it was @ginnymoonbeam who said that First and Khaotung elevate every role they play, and I have to agree. But further, they elevate each other, and I so enjoyed the clips I’ve seen of First and Khaotung discussing their friendship and how they had never gotten to work together, and how they had a conversation with each other when they got cast opposite one another in The Eclipse being like “this is probably the one and only time they are going to have us work together, so let’s show them what we’ve got” and they just like…demolished those fucking roles, and now are scene partners in a number of shows. I loved watching the Behind the Scenes videos where First and Khaotung describe what they have learned from each other working together, especially how First is always going back to look at the camera and to observe the scene they have just recorded so he can see how the scene is looking, take mental notes, and adjust as needed, and how Khaotung had never done that until he was on set with First.

Again, I will not speculate in any way, shape, or form about the true nature of their relationship to one another outside of work, but inside of work they do appear to be deeply deeply important to each other which is just so wonderful to witness. Regardless of whether or not their friendship is that strong when cameras aren’t rolling, I love seeing sweet, vulnerable, and strong displays of male friendship where First and Khaotung are literally crying at the thought of not seeing each other every day. Like, I just think shit like that is incredibly important for people to see in hopes that they will understand that it is okay to love your friends loudly and strongly.

Most underrated actor: Jennie

I love Jennie so much, my face always lights up when she is on screen. I think she is a great actress, and gave a very compelling performance as Mae in 3 Will Be Free. I would love to see her in more things, in larger roles.

Favorite Character: Akk, The Eclipse

gif by @fuligongs

Thankfully this is a Thai QL tag only so that I didn’t have to pit two bad bitches against each other (Wen Kexing and Akk). Ohhhhhh Akk, you are trying so hard to please everyone around you, and you are so scared, and so prone to being manipulated, and so stressed out. You have so much pressure on you, you are carrying so much doubt and fear and pain. You tried to murder your classmates, you cry yourself silly over problem you are partially responsible for. You are complicated, and suppressed, and constantly on the verge of bursting, and I want to just wrap you in a blanket, give you hot chocolate, and tell you everything is going to be okay. Akk is my beloved BL boy. I relate very hard to the composition of his character. I am not an Akk apologist, because he has done some very wrong things in his life, but I love him because of all the wrongs he has done. Because he didn’t know any better, because he had a lot to lose if he did not do his job to a satisfactory degree, because he saw a hot boy who was immediately mean to him and fell head over heels, and because Akk is constantly evaluating and questioning his worldview, and adjusting it accordingly. He has such a huge heart and he’s not quite sure what to do with it.

Favorite Side Character: Chot, Step by Step

gif by @mushiemadarame

This man has his shit together and spends too much of his precious time corralling his love sick, dumb fuck gay boy boss and his love sick, dumb fuck gay boy coworker around their enclosure.

Favorite scene in a QL: 180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us, Ep. 8

The farewell Wang gives to In near the end of Episode 8 is probably my favorite scene in a QL ever for a very innocuous and unexpected reason, and that is the flashback to Mon comforting Wang in the aftermath of their confrontation. Now, poor @bengiyo can attest that when I first saw the literal like…ten seconds of Wang falling against the doorframe of his mother’s bedroom, and then collapsing sobbing in to her arms, that I was sent in to the most intense emotional distress of my entire life for deeply, deeply personal reasons. I shared this entire clip because I think the confrontation itself is a marvel to behold, the way the tension has been building and building and building the entire show, and you can almost hear the whistle as the pressure finally becomes to much, and then erupts. GOD THIS SHOW IS SO FUCKING GOOD. Anyway, it took me thirty minutes to calm down and breathe properly from Wang’s “Ma” moment in this episode and because of how strongly it impacted me, it is my favorite scene.

Favorite line in a QL: “You’re allowed to be weak, at least with me” / “You don’t have to be strong, not with me”

This is a line that is very frequently said by at least one half of a pair, Akk and Ayan say it to each other in The Eclipse, King says it to Uea in Bed Friend, I’m pretty sure there is some variation of it that Praipai says to Sky in Love in The Air. It is cheesy, and tropey, sure, but boy oh boy how I love the level of safety and comfort it implies between characters. Like, fundamentally, an aspect of relationships that is constantly evaluated in romance, is who knows you better than anyone, how you show your most authentic self to the person that you love. I mean, seriously, how much of romance stories revolves around hiding parts of yourself you fear no one would ever love? How much of romance stories revolve around keeping secrets because you are scared of losing the person you have? How much of romance has their conflict arise from the revelation of the secret, but not the secret itself? How much of romance has their resolution occur after moments of complete and total honesty?

I love all variations of this line, non-verbal ones included, non-verbal ones especially: from Pran sobbing in to Pat’s shoulder in Episode 10, to Tien fainting in Phupa’s arms, to Akk and Ayan always holding one another while one or both of them cries, navigating nightmares, and panic attacks, bearing witness to abuse, etc.

All that said, the other line that has been haunting me recently is “No one has asked me how I am in awhile” said by Tawan in My Ride because oof, yeah, in many ways and in many aspects of my life I am Tawan and truer words…

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Only Friends

First being a slut. Neo being a slut. Mark being a slut. Force being a slut. Khaotung being a slut. Book being a slut. JENNIE!

This chart:

This clip from the trailer:

(gif from @ahxiang)

The playlist:

I am 0% looking forward to the fan reactions because I feel like this is a show rife for the picking around discourse, but I am looking forward to seeing what kind of a ride (haha) Jojo takes me on.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: Mork and Tawan, My Ride

gif by @save-the-data

I haven’t finished this show yet, I have the last two episodes to watch but I really love the reciprocal relationship the two of them have, I know it seems funny and ironic to say this, knowing that Mork did withhold information from Tawan and continued to try to alleviate his fears by lying to him about it, but they are open and honest with each other in a really wonderful way, I love their dynamic, and I think that as they continue to know each other, and love each other that they will only get better and better with open, honest communication, and mutual respect and care.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: Akk and Theo, Enchante

Sorry if you like this show, and sorry if you like this couple, and I know this feels out of left field when VegasPete exists, when FUTS exists, when Boss and Toy exist but like…

Theo does fuck all for Akk, he just creates the most elaborate lie, doubles down on it, triples down on it, lets four other boys try to woo him, and Akk’s devotion to Theo and Theo’s downright obliviousness to Akk’s life needs leads to Akk getting fucking FIRED FROM HIS JOB BECAUSE THEO COULDN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO RIDE THE BUS. Like…I’m sorry, but as much as I do believe that many relationships have some inherent level of imbalance, whether that is time, emotional needs, income, life experience, etc. and that can be fine and does not inherently make a relationship terrible or “toxic”, folks I’m sorry, I have seen 60 BLs at this point and I think this is the couple that I like the least.

Guilty pleasure series: There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure, I own that shit…

My guilty pleasure series is not so much a series as it is revisiting certain scenes in different BLs that I love. I have rewatched a number of the fight scenes, make out scenes, and sex scenes in the shows I have seen: Eclipse, Bed Friend, La Pluie, LITA, KinnPorsche, Moonlight Chicken, etc.

gif by @liyazaki

There isn’t a particular order, and there is no intentional plan, but sometimes a backing track of a scene gets stuck in my head and I have to watch the scene to get it out, and sometimes I’m like “damn I miss my boys”, and sometimes @colourme-feral is an asshole and reblogs King and Uea gifs and I am seized with the urge to see them again. I tend to watch kissing scenes and sex scenes a lot in the shows that I’ve seen because I love breaking down the choreography of the scene. If you don’t know by now, I spend a lot of my time in shows analyzing the body language of the characters and there are no scenes more rich with body language to analyze than the strongest emotional moments, which come through the eruption of a fight scene, or through the intimacy of a love scene.

gif by @alexshenry

I will often watch a particular moment of a scene like four times in a row, trying to parse through every microexpression on an actor’s face, or wonder how the hell they managed to get through a scene without laughing. I love watching other people have strong emotional responses in a television show because I cannot and do not act, and therefore I am constantly amazed and curious about how a person is able to make their face move like that, make their body move like that, make their eyes shine like that, etc.

Most underrated series: He’s Coming to Me

Honestly, I would say 180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us is also a highly underrated series, but 180D is very heavily reminiscent of stage plays (which makes sense since the director is a playwright) and I that is not a style of performance that is as easily watched for everyone. So I can understand the physicality, and the pacing, and the space to be a barrier to actually enjoying the show. Which is why I am going to say something most other people have said…He’s Coming to Me.

I am picking this one because it is filmed in a similar style to most other GMMTV BLs which means that it is accessible to a wider audience. But it’s released was impacted by a number of different issues, including fan pushback, which is to say the least a goddamn travesty. This is a beautiful piece of media, with (unsurprising) stellar performances from Ohm and Singto. Aof knows how to do an Episode 5 roof scene, let me tell you. I have seen it on a recommended watch list from time to time, with mostly just the statement that people should watch it because there is a really good coming out scene. Which is literally all I knew about the show when I started watching it, and which promptly became a thing I got a bit miffed over, not because I didn’t love the coming out scene (I super super did) but because this show is so queer. This show is a gay trifecta (by, for, and about queers) and no one fucking told me?!

Like, seriously the only thing anyone at all had to say about this show was that the coming out scene was good? Not the way that seeing ghosts is a metaphor of queerness, not that Ohm delivers one of the most gut-wrenching screaming apologies? Not a peep have I seen about Ohm’s ramble about people’s assumptions about what and who he likes by his friends in the locker room?

Everyone needs to see this show. I know that the distribution of it prevented a lot of people from seeing it in any timely fashion, but it is available on YouTube now and I would highly, highly recommend it. This was a 10/10 show for me.

Tagging @solitaryandwandering, @colourme-feral, @ranchthoughts, @rocketturtle4

#la pluie #step by step #moonlight chicken #bed friend #mlc #hctm #3wbf #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat #jennie panhan #ohm pawat #singto prachaya #180 degree longitude passes through us #kinnporsche #only friends #thai ql tag challenge #wka long post #Spotify

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dyk3medown · 2 years

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study buddy

eddie munson x reader

summary: a study session with eddie quickly takes a turn after you decide to reward him for getting the right answers

warnings: fem reader, smut, friends to lovers, unprotected sex, kinda fluffy especially at the end, mentions of Wuthering Heights (yes that deserves its own warning)

a/n: apparently i am unable to write an eddie fic where his hair pulling kink isn’t mentioned at least once. this is gross and fluffy at the end but i couldn't figure out another way to finish it so. also i haven’t read wuthering heights in a few years so please excuse me if my analysis is a bit off lmao.

smut under the cut <3

Contrary to popular belief at Hawkins High, Eddie Munson is not dumb. Sure, he’s in his third year as a senior, but this year he’ll graduate; he just knows it. You think so too and are determined to get him to pass his English class, the one he’s failed multiple years in a row. He’s actually really smart, he just needs a little help channeling his intelligence into academics rather than crafting an elaborate DnD campaign.

You’re sitting in Eddie’s room, trying to help him study, but his mind keeps wandering, and you’re having trouble getting anything substantial done.

“Look,” you sigh, “we’re getting nowhere with this.”

You bite your lip, pondering an idea for a second. “What if I… give you an incentive?”

You don’t mean it to be, but your tone is slightly suggestive. Eddie’s eyes widen, and you watch his adam’s apple bob in his throat as he visibly gulps. “What, uh, what kind of incentive?”

“You can pick, I want it to be effective.”

“Why don’t you take off some of your clothes every time I get an answer right,” Eddie jokes, grinning at you.

“Okay.” Your face remains serious as you feign nonchalance, despite the nerves wracking your body. There’s always been some tension between you and Eddie, and you frequently jokingly flirt with each other, but this is taking it to a whole new level.

“Wait, what?” Eddie’s smile has turned decidedly more nervous.

“I said okay.” You repeat. “I told you to choose an incentive and you did.”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Unless you want to pick something else?”

“No!” Eddie exclaims loudly out before bringing his voice to a normal volume. “No, that’s fine, we can do the uh, clothes thing.”

You let a small smile through your stone-faced facade. He’s so cute when he’s being a dork.

“First question,” You clear your throat and look up from the paper. “What is one thing symbolized by the ghosts in Wuthering Heights?”

Eddie thinks for a moment before responding. “An absence of, uh, closure? And the lingering presence of the past?”

“Yes, Eddie, that’s really good!” You beam at him.

You reach down and tug off your socks, shooting him a stern look when he makes a sound of protest. “Socks count! Get another question right and you’ll get something better.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Eddie replies cheekily, giving you a mock salute.

You ask him another question, and he gets that one right as well. You shed your jacket, now just in a shirt and shorts. If he keeps this up, you’re going to be very naked very soon.

“Next question.” Your tongue darts out to wet your lips, and Eddie’s gaze flickers to your mouth before snapping back. “What point does Brontë demonstrate about revenge through Heathcliff’s character?”

Eddie’s brow furrows as he tries to think. After a minute, he throws his hands up in defeat. “I don’t know.”

“C’mon Eddie, you got this.” You give him an encouraging smile. “Think about the end of the story, how Heathcliff died and how he felt.”

“The point is, um, revenge won’t give us what we want?” You motion for him to continue. “Heathcliff gets his revenge and is still miserable before he dies. So, uh, focusing on the events of the past only prevents us from achieving happiness in the present?”

Eddie looks unsure, but you nod, clapping your hands together excitedly. “Exactly! You’re doing so well, Eddie, you’re going to destroy this test.”

You both look at each other silently for a second before you realize. “Oh, right.” You pull your shirt up over your head, and you can hear Eddie’s breath hitch as your bra is revealed.

You put it on the ground next to you, feigning nonchalance, but your heart is racing. Goosebumps rise on your skin, but you’re not sure if it’s from the slight chill in the air or the weight of Eddie’s stare on your chest.

“Hey!” You snap your fingers in front of his face, and his eyes shoot up to yours, not even having the decency to look embarrassed. “Let’s keep going, okay?”

You continue to quiz him, and to your pleasant surprise, he gets most of the questions right. After some stalling - taking off my necklace counts, Eddie! - you end up in just your bra and underwear, sending a silent thank you to the universe that you had picked out something cute that morning.

Eddie is clearly affected by your state of undress. His hands grip white-knuckled onto his thighs as if he’s physically restraining himself from touching, you or himself you’re not sure. You’d been politely ignoring the way his pants had tented, but now you’re finding it hard not to look.

With all the blood in his body directed far from his brain, it’s really a miracle he managed to answer so many questions correctly.

You force yourself to look back at your list of questions. “Last question,” you inform Eddie, your voice wavering just slightly.

He gets it right.

Locking eyes with Eddie, you reach behind your back to unclasp your bra, letting the straps fall down your arms until it falls to the floor. His eyes darken as more of your skin is revealed, breaking eye contact to gaze hungrily at your chest. You fight the urge to cover yourself. Part of you is incredibly embarrassed, but another part preens under his attention, loving how his breathing has turned ragged from watching you undress.

“Why don’t you ask me one more question?” Eddie asks you, leaning forward slightly. “But this time I want a new incentive.”

Gone are all the traces of Eddie’s familiar goofy behavior, now replaced by a simmering intensity that threatens to overwhelm you.

“What do you want?” You’re replying to his question, but in reality, you’re asking much more than that.

“If I get it right,” Eddie’s fingers twitch on his thighs, “I get to touch.”

You inhale sharply, pulling your knees up to your chest as you consider. The tension in the room has reached a fever pitch, and if you keep going, if you take that leap, you know there’s no way you’ll be able to stop.

“That okay, princess?” Eddie has moved closer in your moment of contemplation, now close enough to place his hands on your knees and push them down, exposing your chest once again.

“Yeah, that’s okay.” You clear your throat and try to formulate a new question.

“When was Wuthering Heights first published?”

It’s an easy question, one that Eddie should immediately know the answer to, considering it’s been written on the board in his English class for four weeks straight.

Eddie’s lips curl into a smirk as he answers, “1847.”

Before you can even tell him he answered correctly, Eddie’s hands are on you, surging forward to finally do what he has been craving for so long. One hand runs up your thigh while the other goes to your chest, squeezing gently. He runs his thumb over your nipple and you shudder, so on edge that even the slightest touch sends shockwaves through your body. He shifts forward to nip at where your neck meets your shoulder, the scrape of his teeth followed by a swipe of his tongue to soothe the sting.

Eddie continues his path upwards, resting his hand at the base of your throat for a moment before moving it to cup your cheek. His other hand has crept far enough up that he’s only centimeters from the apex of your thighs, dangerously close to where you’re desperate for his touch. His thumb rests gently on your bottom lip as his gaze flickers between your mouth and your eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” Eddie asks softly, and you can only nod, not trusting your voice to work.

Eddie leans in slowly, lips barely brushing against yours before pressing more firmly in a kiss that quickly turns heated. He’s quite talented with his tongue, and you can’t help but imagine where else he could put it to use.

His fingers graze the waistband of your underwear, dipping in slightly.

“What do you want?” Eddie pulls back, echoing your earlier question.

“Just touch me.” You pull him back into a searing kiss, gasping into his mouth as his hand moves down and his fingertips brush your clit.

Eddie dips lower, a low groan escaping him as he feels how wet you are. He brings his fingers back up to your clit and starts to make slow circles, moving easily with how you coated them with your slick.

Your head falls to his shoulder, panting against his neck as he gradually speeds up. You link your arms over his shoulders as you turn your attention to the pale skin of his throat, kissing and sucking until dark marks bloom under your attention. Eddie’s hand starts to falter, and you quickly grow impatient, pushing him back and reaching for his belt.

Eddie takes off his shirt as you fumble with the buckle, replacing your hands with his own and taking it off with ease.

He rids himself of the rest of his clothes as you do the same, greedily taking in every inch of skin that is revealed. You clench around nothing at the sight of his cock when it springs free, long and thick and surprisingly pretty, a word you never thought you would use as a descriptor for something like that, but nothing about Eddie follows the norm.

Eddie pulls you into his lap, and you tangle your fingers into his hair as you bring him in for another kiss. His lips seem to fit perfectly against yours and, god, why hadn’t you done this before? You tug gently at his hair, and he moans into your mouth, prompting you to do it again. He moans even louder as you pull harder, head snapping back and hips jerking up.

“Fuck, baby.” Eddie pants as the head of his cock brushes against your entrance. “Need to be inside you.”

“Yes please, Eddie, want you to fuck me,” you gasp as you shift and the tip nudges against your clit.

He lines himself up, and you sink down slowly, both of you moaning as he fills you up. You pause for a moment when he bottoms out, clenching around him as you adjust to the rather large intrusion. You’re incredibly grateful that his uncle is gone for the night because you don’t think you could hold back the noises you’re making.

Bracing yourself on his shoulders, you lift yourself up halfway before dropping back down, repeating this action until you’ve built up a quick rhythm.

“Fuck, princess.” Eddie grabs onto your hips as you bounce on his cock, gently guiding your movements. “You feel so good around me, so fucking tight.”

He plants his feet on the ground and starts to fuck up into you, thrusting up every time you drop down.

“Eddie!” You cry out as he gets even deeper, angling his hips slightly to hit the spot inside you that makes your eyes roll back.

You reach one hand down to rub your clit, clenching around him at the extra sensation.

“Shit,” Eddie curses, “keep doing that, baby, you look so good playing with that pretty pussy for me.”

You let out a whine at his words, moving your fingers faster. You’re not sure where his sudden affinity for dirty talk came from, but you’re certainly not complaining as he continues to praise you, calling you his good girl in a tone that makes you shiver.

Eddie pulls you in for a surprisingly tender kiss, a clear contrast to his harsh thrusts.

“I’ve wanted this for so long.” He says as you break apart, resting his forehead against yours. “Wanted you, wanted to make you mine.”

“I’m yours.” You can’t help the smile that grows on your face. “It’s always been you, Eddie.”

“Yeah? You ever think about this, baby?” Eddie asks, his sincere tone turning to something much darker. “God I used to jerk off all the time thinking about you, imagining how you’d feel around my cock.”

You whine as he gives a few particularly harsh thrusts, hanging on to his shoulders for dear life. You find yourself rapidly approaching the edge, throwing your head back as you bounce even faster.

Eddie matches your pace, his grip on your hips tightening to the point that you’re sure he’ll leave marks.

“Not gonna last much longer, princess,” Eddie warns, voice audibly strained. “Where do you want me to-”

“Inside,” you cut him off. “I’m on the pill, I want you to cum inside me.”

“Jesus fucking-” Eddie’s voice breaks. “Yeah, I can do that, baby, you want me to fill you up? Want me to fuck you full of my cum?”

“Eddie!” His words are enough to tip you over the edge, chanting his name as you cum.

“Fuck!” Eddie follows you with a punched-out groan, the feeling of your walls spasming around his cock too much to handle.

You collapse against him after you ride out your orgasm, his cock still twitching inside of you. You rest your cheek on his collarbone, and he bends his head down to place a kiss on your forehead, then the tip of your nose, then your lips.

Eddie eventually slips out of you, half carrying you to the bathroom as your legs prove to be more than a bit shaky. He helps you clean up, kissing you every so often with an infectious grin on his face.

He gives you one of his shirts to wear and drags you into bed with him, wrapping himself around you like an oversized koala. Who knew Eddie Munson would be such a cuddler?

As you drift off in his arms, you can’t believe how lucky you’ve gotten, that you get to have him like this.

All in all, it was definitely a successful study session.

taglist: (if your tag doesn’t work, pls message me so i can try to fix it!!!)

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#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader smut #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson #stranger things x reader #stranger things smut #stranger things imagine #st4 #stranger things #eddie munson x you

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grandhotelabyss · 5 months

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What makes an artwork highbrow? What makes another low?

Keeping in mind that this is a sociological rather than an aesthetic distinction, I believe the distinction hinges on how much you already have to know about art in general to appreciate any given work. As the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu writes:

A genre containing ever more references to the history of that genre calls for a second-degree reading, reserved for the initiate, who can only grasp the work’s nuances and subtleties by relating it back to previous works. By introducing subtle breaks and fine variations, with regard to assumed expectations, the play of internal allusions (the same one that has always been practised by lettered traditions) authorizes detached and distanced perception, quite as much as first-degree adherence, and calls for either erudite analysis or the aesthete’s wink.

This is most obvious in the case of a work that is both intensely allusive and extremely sophisticated in technique, like Ulysses, but it also applies to works of a radical simplicity or even contentlessness, like the writings of Gertrude Stein or the paintings of Jackson Pollock, where you have to know enough about art to know why this apparent non-art ("my toddler could paint that!") is actually very serious and meaningful art.

In practice, these distinctions don't hold. They don't hold aesthetically, because most actual practitioners say that the relevant distinction is not high and low but good and bad. But they also don't hold sociologically. The high-low distinction only applies after the mass literacy of the late 19th century, which generated both a mass culture industry and writers and artists who wanted to set themselves apart from this mass culture industry. The very same industry, however, produces such a proliferation of niche markets that even low-art genres become as complex and recursive in their own traditions as the high-art genres, such that you can't really just hand The Big Sleep or Dune or Watchmen to a person off the street anymore than you could with Ulysses. This is the symbolic import of the factoid I am always insisting upon: that this all comes from Poe, that Poe invents both Mallarmé and Lovecraft.

Then "middlebrow" as a concept presents problems of its own. A serious critic wants to scorn the middlebrow and uphold only the raw energy of the lowbrow and the radical intellection of the highbrow, but this standard is too severe. Anti-middlebrow critics get trapped in a hipper-than-thou spiral, or, to vary my image, they futilely chase an unreachable horizon of authenticity and difficulty. There is such a thing as middlebrow—we know it when we see it—but if you become obsessed with the idea, then soon you'll find that nothing is astringent enough for your taste. Anti-middlebrow critics may start by dismissing Our Town and The Grapes of Wrath, but they will inevitably end up writing "Against Ulysses."

Finally, these categories assume too much about who attends to what, and where and when and for what purpose. I quoted that Bourdieu passage above this summer in my Oppenheimer essay. Is Oppenheimer lowbrow, middlebrow, or highbrow? A film made for and sold to a mass audience through memes and sex appeal (lowbrow), a film full of Big Themes and Human Interest and Major Issues (middlebrow), a film formally ambitious, politically ambiguous, tragic in theme, and freighted with unexplained scientific, historical, political, and cultural allusions (highbrow)? I just don't think it's a very interesting question.

Do these categories explain why I read about Ulysses on Microsoft Encarta when I was 13 years old? (It included a recording of an Irish actress doing some of Molly Bloom's interior monologue.) I first checked the novel out of my suburban public branch library the summer of the same year and determined to read it, a task I admittedly didn't accomplish in full until later, when I was in college, just as Bourdieu would predict. But the ambition first found me in the lower-middle-class suburbs through a simple consumer conveyance rather than through any type of elite training.

I don't mean to sound a note of false populism here, to suggest that there's much hidden greatness in the morass of cranked-out junk clogging Amazon. It is, as I've written, "lonely at the top." My populist instinct, insofar as I have one, runs in the other direction: not "low art is actually great" but rather "great art is actually for everyone." (Or perhaps not "everyone" but "anyone." Not every single person but any single person capable of being found by it, which can't be determined in advance.) Still, the worth of a work of art is not extrinsically determined by the position it occupies in the social field, as the sociologists claim, but rather relies on its intrinsic merit in dynamic interaction with an unpredictable range of actual and potential audience members.

#pierre bourdieu #sociology of art

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hazelnut-u-out · 2 years

Text

EPISODE REVIEW TIMEEEE:

(spoilers ahead, obviously)

i’m a huge fan of “final desmithation”!!

overall, the plot was interesting, funny, and compelling. i actually DID feel bad for jerry for once, though. poor guy didn’t deserve to be blasted on tiktok and bullied like that…

ouch, summer and morty.

i really wanna take a moment to appreciate rick’s character development. this whole ep had some serious moves that show rick is becoming a better person.

my thoughts on some specific moments:

- i think it’s super cute that he attended the family dinner despite hating panda express.

- HOW SWEET OF HIM- first of all, to not join in on bullying jerry like he would have in the past, but also to initially just want to save jerry from said bullying.

- ofc, when he saved jerry instead of taking over the weird fortune cookie empire thing.

- (rick is a fucker of many species, but not ones that can’t give consent- thanks for clearing that one up, writers.)

- rick fucked joyce?? i feel like this implies he’s cucked leonard lmao.

- RICK IS SUCH A WEEB.

- my seamstress rick headcanon dreams came true this ep.

- WHEN RICK POCKETED THAT FORTUNE JERRY WROTE HIM???? MY HEART- (though, i will admit to giggling at the slap.)

- the ending was super cute- morty is just ADORABLE. as much as i loved this ep, i hope we get more of morty soon. i’m feeling a bit incomplete without him being very involved.

- sapphic horse girl zoo date.

- as horrible as they were, i’m glad morty and summer are getting along. that was cute asf. i probably would’ve also teamed up with my little brother to give my dad shit for that, so i can’t really judge too harshly lol.

(i DO wanna say that i’m kinda uncomfy with all of the incest-central plot lines lmao. pls stop.)

great ep overall!! one of the first out of the season to focus pretty heavily on the humor aspect. can’t wait to see more of rick being a total sappy (albeit badass) father, in-law, and grandpa!!

i’ll definitely rewatch for some meta/analysis later :)

#rick and morty #rick and morty spoilers #rick just fucks everyone atp #rick sanchez #morty smith

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lurkingshan · 1 year

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Bed Friend

Overall, I really liked this show! Uea and King felt like very fully realized characters to me. They were interesting, flawed, very human in their reactions to each other and the stressful situations the show put them through. The actors had excellent chemistry and really made me believe in their connection. For me, the peak of the series was episode 6 - it was the height of the tension between them, just after we started seeing that they had something real, and featured the only pre-finale bed scene that actually felt deeply intimate and sexy to me (this is not a knock, I think this was quite intentional on the part of the show).

After that, some of the plotting got a little dicey, with very serious conflicts suddenly getting dealt with far too conveniently. I didn’t like rich boy King just making a few phone calls and neatly dispatching all of Uea’s abusers; those resolutions didn’t feel equal to the magnitude of the trauma we were taken through with Uea. And there were a few instances, like the confession scene at the end of episode 8, where I believe the translations were bad because the emotions and reactions of the characters just were not lining up with what my subs claimed they were saying. But even with those quibbles, the core relationship stayed solid and I believed in their emotional development, and I appreciated that the show took some time getting back to their physical connection once they decided to be serious about each other, and that we got to see Uea essentially adopted into King’s family. The finale was just a horny epilogue (I’m making fetch happen @shortpplfedup) and fluff fest, which felt earned for this show more than most.

Many smarter people than me have already done a ton of thorough analysis on this show, so I’m just gonna reblog folks like @wen-kexing-apologist instead of attempting to break it down myself. But I do want to weigh in on a couple things that were on my mind as I tracked reactions (with help from excellent weekly recaps from @bengiyo and @waitmyturtles) and considered whether I wanted to watch:

Is it realistic for this much terrible shit to happen to one character?

Does this feel like trauma porn?

On the first question, let me just say it unequivocally: YES. I have personal and family experience with a lot of the types of trauma Uea went through, which I won’t get into because… I don’t wanna. If you don’t, and therefore find it hard to believe a parent could be that awful, or that this many predators could find one person, I am glad for you. But the truth of the matter is that yes, some parents are really that hateful toward their children, and it’s quite common for victims of abuse to be perpetually targeted over the course of their life. Abusers have some sort of uncanny radar for vulnerable people.

On the second question, I won’t speak for anyone else, but for me the trauma depicted in this show did not feel gratuitous or exploitative. Uea’s experiences, and their effect on his mental health and ability to connect with others, were taken seriously. King, while certainly not perfect, treated him with respect and supported him as soon and as much as he could with the opportunities he was granted. We got to see Uea find some peace, make a new family for himself, and truly start to heal. If you’re going to lean on trauma to drive characterization and relationship development, this is the way it should be done.

This show gets two thumbs up from me, and I will be enthusiastically seated for Middleman’s Love.

#bed friend #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

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transbeeduo · 1 year

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Hey! Welcome to my Blog! Call me Crunch! I'm fine with whatever pronouns, but I mostly alternate between She/He/They! I identify as Asexual, Ambiamorous, and Panromantic! Also I’m an adult 👍

Alt Tumblr: @eelblazes (CURRENTLY MUTUALS ONLY) TIMES I HAVE HIT POST LIMIT: 11

https://linktr.ee/transbeeduo (I also have a Discord, which Mutuals are free to ask/dm for!)

I'm primarily a MCYTBLR blogger! I mostly tend to stick to the DSMP side of things, although I'll often post about OSMP and QSMP, and occasionally dabble in other MCYT related fandoms! Along with that I post about Five Nights At Freddy's, Pokémon, or whatever else I'm interested in at the time!

TAGGING SYSTEM

Crunch's Nibbles: Used for just my little ramblings, and not any significant stuff

Crunch's Bites: Used for more significant, longer posts. Usually analysis or like me just making a fucking paragraph about C!Bee Duo or something

Crunch's Chomps: Headcanons!! These r going to be more for like. Posts that are dedicated headcanon sharing posts, like my headcanons about how I imagine DSMP is like post-finale. (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO ANY TRIGGER TAGS PUT IN THESE POSTS BECAUSE DARK/POSSIBLY TRIGGERING CONTENT IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN SOME OF THESE)

My Art/Asks: I'm putting these together because they're pretty self-explanatory. But it's art I make and asks I receive! (Feel free to send me asks! I love getting them always!)

SYSTEM TAGS (Not used super often due to mostly just being me here)

⛏️ : Posts from C!Crunch (NOT Crunch Transbeeduo!! Two different people!)

🎸: Posts from Monty (Montgomery Gator Fictive)

📼: Posts from Cassette/Cass (Generation Loss/CC!Ranboo Factive. DON'T FUCKING NOTIFY RANBOOLIVE ABOUT THEM BTW DON'T DO THAT SHIT)

🪓: Posts from Ares/Techno (DSMP/OSMP Technoblade fictive)

📺: Posts from Lolbit (Lolbit Fictive)

🎁: Posts from Oleander/FMAN (FMAN122 Fictive)

🔥: Posts from Pyro/Sapnap/Saps (C!Sapnap Fictive)

🌋: Posts from Groudon (C!Tubbo/Groudon/Q!Tubbo fictive)

Anything not tagged: Almost always Crunch Transbeeduo! Just assume it's them!

(LINKS TO A PRONOUNS.CC PAGE WITH MORE INFORMATION COMING EVENTUALLY)

I quite like every DSMP character, so they'll all tend to show up on this blog, but the most discussed here are C!Beeduo (if it wasn't obvious), along with Michael + my Fankids for them! (Found under "#Bug Posts" and "#Wizard Posts") but I also quite like The Eggpire/Badlands, The Syndicate, and Las Nevadas!

For OSMP I'm usually going to stick to O!Beeduo, while for QSMP I'm quite a fan of Q!Tubbo and Q!BBH! (I don't watch QSMP, only really absorb it through the dash! I do have plans to watch it soon though!)

(Credits for these!)

CC Banner: @////tmmyhug (X added by me)

Beeduo Banner: @////cannosoup

Loves Beeduo: @////thedialup

Technoblade, Sootings, and Parasocial Blinkies: @////block-toad

Michael Feed: @////doodlebloo

Genloss Banner @////Pathtrick

Tommy/Tubbo/Phil: @////Offishly

QSMP Eggs + Theory/Analysis Blinkie: @////etoilesbienne

Alliumduo/Peerpressureduo Banners: @////theenderwalker

Koraidon Banner:@///sweetpeauserboxes

Quackcicle/Ranboo Banners: ???? (Couldn't find the OP, if anyone knows please tell me!)

All other banners: Mine!

BOUNDARIES/BYF UNDER CUT (please read!!):

If it's not incredibly obvious, I do NOT want you here if you support the CC! DTeam or William Gold/Wilbur Soot. Get outta here go. Scram

I AM NOT A CC SHIPPER, I AM NOT SHIPPING REAL PEOPLE NOR DO I CARE FOR SHIPPING REAL PEOPLE IN A SERIOUS MANNER. Everything I say shipping/headcanon wise is about FICTIONAL CHARACTERS.

I block somewhat liberally!!!!! Please do not follow me if ur under 15, I post suggestive things on here sometimes!

PLEASE ask if something I discuss needs Content/Trigger warnings!

I'm not the best with words, or articulating the things I'm thinking about really well. If I say something that doesn't make sense or is confusing I'm sorry.

Please do not be weird in my Inbox. Don't ask me about discourse, don't spam me or ask me to follow you or promote your things, don't like be weird to ME. (Also please don’t ask me anything personal, I am uncomfortable sharing that kind of information online)

I AM NOT A DISCOURSE BLOG!!!!!!! I'll discuss it sometimes but that's just because I like being a hater sometimes. Don't treat me as a discourse blog

PLEASE don't send me C!Beeduo /neg shit unprompted, or if you do at least tell me it is.

#not putting this in the main part but remember this IS still my blog so like. if its not for you dont get mad at me #if i missed or phrased anything wrong im gonna scream #pinned post #blinking animation #blinking gif

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patrocles · 7 months

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❤️‍🔥 give us ur most unpopular opinion on hotd/asoiaf ships

well idk how unpopular this is and hopefully i can explain myself as concise as possible but i feel like the culture of shipping has genuinely eradicated so much critical thinking and analysis of how hotd and specific characters are talked about.

now i’m not saying that any individual ship is bad or shipping in general is (bc obviously that would make me a hypocrite). even if there’s ones i personally dont care for, i genuinely don’t care about their existence or people enjoying them.

my problem stems from how much personal identity is attributed to ships. this isnt necessarily unique to asoiaf/hotd but still extremely pervasive. what this looks like is people who get so invested in a ship that the mere existence of another feels like a personal insult. and instead of just accepting that other people have different tastes and preferences, their uncomfortable feelings puts them on the defense.

sometimes you cant even post about the thing you like without getting radioed and being insulted on a personal level bc your enjoyment of a ship directly contrasts with the way they enjoy a different ship. one person talks about the dynamic between alicent and criston and within minutes you can expect accusations of homophobia and being pro incel. one person says they’re interested in seeing what kind of character sara snow is, you’ll quickly see them accused of being an anti black racist. if you post about rhaenicent, you can soon expect accusations of shipping rhaenyra with her abuser. see what i mean?

i think people need to just unclench for a second

that all being said, i think the whole “i need it to cope” when talking about extremely taboo topics within shipping needs to be fucking eradicated. i’m all for advocating for people to curate their online experiences— if i don’t like a thing, i will do what i must to make sure i dont see the thing. however i think the promoters of things like p*dophilia in ships to a very extreme degree who like to default to a position of “well its all fictional its not serious!!” and even going so far as to mock people who dont like seeing pedo porn for being prudes make you look like an absolute asshole.

and to be very clear, i’m not saying that any specific theme or topic of dynamic is illegal and you cannot explore them. but shipping an adult with a child and writing explicit porn about it makes 🫵🏽 you the bearer of responsibility to make sure the people you dont want to see your content dont— that means utilizing tagging systems and more than just “dead dove” in bio cus that’s not a catch all term. and the whole “to cope” thing absolutely holds no weight when you’re going out of your way to trigger other people who may also be victims of the thing ur posting about. with HOTD especially, what i’ve seen a lot of is not even just a lack of grace or carelessness in a fandom space but a deliberate act of trying to be as extreme as possible to be edgy and to pwn the antis~

it’s really not other people’s responsibility to accept taboo ships/themes— that isn’t to say that you cannot engage with that thing, no one will stop you— but you also cant be shocked when people are uncomfortable if not wholly disgusted with explicit depictions of a character as played by a minor with an adult. like that’s just going to happen especially when you’re posting it on a public platform for everyone to see and it’s all just for your personal kinks

#asoiaf ask

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dreamcaught · 8 months

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I don't like Angel. I didn't like him in season 1-3 on my original watch when I was a kid, and I actively dislike him as an adult. I think he's creepy and I think his obsession and romantic entanglement with a 15-17 year old girl is really fucked up. People who have worked on the show have said that Angel was the perfect fit for Buffy as she's coming into her powers. I would like to wholeheartedly and vehemently disagree.

The show is brilliant in its use of allegory to show the trials and tribulations of growing up. Vampires, demons, etc. all represent different things that regular teenagers have to "slay" as they make their way through life and hardships. Surrounding yourself with friends, good coping mechanisms, found family, etc. are real world ways to get through life, and I love how the show emphasizes their importance.

The thing is, though: Angel's relationship with Buffy is romanticized abuse. Calling Angel Buffy's true love, or that she should choose him after their relationship ends, or that Angel was a good fit for Buffy in any way whatsoever, is problematic.

Let's break this down:

Angel is an authority figure in Buffy's life. He brings her secret information from the underground. He is older than she is. He is attractive, but he is friendless and lonely. He tells Buffy that she is special, interesting and unique - that she is important to him in a way that no other person has ever been important to him before. His mysterious persona is romanticized. Buffy is supposed to fall for the dark, mysterious stranger - much like many 15-16 year old girls do.

Buffy wants to change aspects of herself so that he will like her more. She tries to act older, more mature and more attractive to get his attention. She feels that he understands her because they were both given destinies that neither of them really want, so he makes her feel special, but also alone, because only he can make her feel better.

These are red flags.

If, in the real world, any of these things were happening to a 15-16 year old girl that you know, the right thing to do would be to tell them that this is not a good, healthy relationship to be in.

The purpose of Angel and Buffy's relationship is to demonstrate this. In some ways, it is actually very well done. When Buffy and Angel get serious and he turns into Angelus, the allegory is that as soon as men have sex, they've gotten what they want and will give up the relationship as meaningless.

(They do this more explicitly again with Buffy's relationship with Parker, but let's not get sidetracked.)

Their relationship is meant to be a representation of the difficulty of teenage/adult romance and the danger of underage sex. I'm going to sidestep my opinions of how any kind of sex in BTVS is represented, because I think that deserves more analysis. The point is that the audience is meant to see, in no uncertain terms, that Buffy's relationship with Angel is wrong.

But... we're not supposed to think that it's wrong. We're supposed to think that it's tragic. The show is trying to teach me that Angel and Buffy are soulmates who are meant to be together and that they can't be is a problem.

They are saying that all of these red flags, all of the things that I've pointed out as being actual real life examples of abusive relationships do not matter. It is all swept under the rug because Angel and Buffy are in love. He can do absolutely no wrong because he's not really himself.

I admit: their story is convoluted because of the supernatural elements of the show. I love how complicated it is that Buffy's lover turns into a monster that she has to fight. It's brilliant that she has such a large character flaw in that she feels so unworthy, so unlovable that she finds herself in an abusive relationship wherein she literally has to kill her abuser to get out of it. That is gorgeous closure for people who have fallen for these same tricks, for women everywhere who have been in abusive relationships.

But then Angel comes back, and this closure is lost.

The divide between Angel and Angelus permits the viewer to see their relationship as only romantic - as tragic, and heroic, and terrible for both sides because the love must have been real, right? Since it is possible to separate out the abuser, we can. We do. Angel gets a free pass because he's trying to do better, to redeem himself, and so they should end up together after all.

And I think that's a horrible message to send to viewers.

Imagine you meet a young girl who is terribly infatuated with an older man. The older man says he loves her, but he separates her from her friends. He treats their relationship like a freak show. He needs it to be secret because he feels too guilty, but prevents her from having relationships with anyone else. That is emotionally abusive, controlling and a terrible way to introduce someone to what healthy romantic love should look like.

It is certainly not a relationship that I would call a perfect fit for anyone.

#btvs #btvs meta #meta #anti angel #anti bangel #abusive relationships #long post

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