#instead of this indifference and refusal to show or portray any emotion | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writing-with-sophia · 5 months

Note

I'm not really sure if this is has been asked before, but how do I write a believeable egotistical character?

I don't mean in a cutesy, likeable way either I mean egotistical in a way that kind of makes you want to strangle them.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense. :')

How to write a believeable egotistical character

Your question is really interesting!!

Creating a believably egotistical character who evokes strong negative emotions can be a compelling challenge. Here are some tips to help you develop such a character:

Establish consistent behaviors: An egotistical character should consistently exhibit behaviors that emphasize their self-centeredness and inflated sense of self-importance. Show them constantly seeking attention, disregarding others' opinions or feelings, and demonstrating a lack of empathy. Consistency in their actions will make their egotism more believable.

Show excessive self-promotion: Egotistical characters tend to constantly promote themselves and seek validation. They may boast about their achievements, exaggerate their skills or talents, and constantly seek admiration from others. Portray them as always looking for opportunities to showcase their superiority or belittle others.

Highlight a lack of empathy: Egotistical characters often demonstrate a lack of empathy towards others. They may dismiss others' problems or feelings, use people for their own gain, or manipulate situations to benefit themselves. Emphasize their indifference to others' needs or emotions, and their tendency to prioritize their own interests above all else.

Use arrogant dialogue: The way your egotistical character speaks can contribute to their unlikable nature. Give them dialogue that is condescending, dismissive, or patronizing towards others. They may interrupt or talk over people, dominate conversations, and belittle others' opinions or accomplishments. Their language should reflect their inflated sense of self-worth.

Portray a lack of self-awareness: Egotistical characters often lack self-awareness regarding their own flaws and the impact of their behavior on others. Show them oblivious to the negative consequences of their actions, and resistant to feedback or criticism. They may be unable to recognize their own shortcomings and instead blame others for any failures or setbacks.

Create conflicts and antagonistic relationships: Egotistical characters tend to clash with others due to their self-centered nature. Develop conflicts and antagonistic relationships with other characters who challenge their superiority or refuse to tolerate their behavior. These conflicts can highlight the negative effects of their egotism and further emphasize their unlikable qualities.

Show vulnerabilities and insecurities: While egotistical characters may project an air of confidence, they often have deep-seated insecurities driving their behavior. Explore their vulnerabilities and the underlying reasons for their need to constantly assert their superiority. This can add complexity to their character and make them more human, even if it doesn't excuse their egotism.

Provide opportunities for growth or consequences: Consider incorporating story arcs that allow your egotistical character to experience personal growth or face consequences for their behavior. This can create a more dynamic character arc and add depth to their journey. Whether they learn from their flaws or suffer the repercussions of their egotism, it can make their character more compelling.

And here are some common features of egotistical character. I hope they can help you:

Constant self-promotion

Dismissive attitude

Interrupting or talking over others

Exaggerating accomplishments

Need for control

Lack of empathy

Sense of entitlement

Inability to accept criticism

Patronizing or belittling language

Overestimating abilities

Remember, it's crucial to strike a balance between creating an unlikable character and ensuring they remain believable and engaging within the context of your story. By incorporating these tips, you can develop an egotistical character who evokes strong negative emotions and adds tension to your narrative.

If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!

151 notes · View notes

thoughtsbynyx · 3 years

Text

Part 2 of Why I Ship Zutara

(and why Kataang took the short way out)

*this time with pictures* (it’s longer than the previous but worth the read, bare with me)

part 1

GAang Dynamics

(see Katara and Zuko’s portions I couldn’t figure out a way to incorporate them fluidly)

RoyalTeaLovingKookiness explains the GAang’s dynamic as well

Katara is (the G)Aang’s Mother/Older Sister Cont. (and character develpment)

In the GAang. Katara “adopts” Aang almost as soon as she bends him out of the ice

She almost always looks after Aang, keeping him on task, helping him learn, being the rational voice they all need to hear sometimes

With Toph she’s less of a mother and more of an older sister that tries to steer their junior in the right direction (they bud heads and have a couple fights, but manage to have fun together and help with what the GAang needs)

She has to unlearn how to be a kid/teen because she learned to be a mom first

She bears a lot of the emotional work and trauma for the GAang, even before Zuko appears in Book 3

In Book 2 & 3 (mainly) she learns that she is allowed to be fun, immature, and selfish with what she needs/desires (which was something she’s been made fun of & had to apologize for)

She realizes and embraces the fact in Book 3 that she can be an individual person that follows what she wants without having to worry or care about what the others thing she should do (this also happens in the NWT, Ba Sing Se, and various places in the Earth Kingdom) (she becomes more assertive in what she needs/wants)

Zuko: the dad the gAang needed

He’s obviously educated (both in & out of banishment)

(Leadership skillz) He’s commanded a ship at 13

Has worked for a living wage at 16 (as seen by Jet, he can (barely) handle customer service)

When he was accepted into the group, he channels the only responsible adult he knows-- Iroh

making tea, reckless outings to help others, thinking ahead of oppnents and obsticles, letting them vent, providing shelter when they needed cover, dad jokes (”leaf me alone!”), and being a human shield

Look at FrostGaurdian’s post for more

Zuko’s Nature

In the Zuko Alone episode we can epsically see that he’s been in the shadow of his younger sister Azula

Throughout Book 1 he threw tantrums left and right

With his obession (read: hyperfixation) on honor, he was stuck in his “failure” against Ozai when he was 13

/\ \/ he relapses into this thinking when he joins Azula in Book 3

He took advantage of Iroh before they separeted, and even then he searched for his approval and validation

The Warped perception of Love and each other

It may not be obvious but Aang has an idea of Katara in is head that is not like her in the SLIGHEST (see Southern Raiders section)

He even points it out in the comics

Image description:

*13 and 12 year old Aang and Toph are discussing what it’s like having a crush*

Aang: “Believe me, Toph, I know what it’s like to have a crush on someone, it can blind--” *Toph is unamused*

Aang: “ Yeesh, Sorry. What i’m trying to say is, sometimes you can like somebody so much that it affects your perception of them.”

Toph: “Kind of like how your perception is affected by your fuddy-duddy traditions”

With Katara in the comics it points out the “right kind of love” but referencing Zuko’s sacrifice in protecting Katara

Image Description:

*Hakoda talking with Katara about love*

“So you know that the right kind of love-- the kind that’s real, that sacirfices--that kind of love doesn’t blind you. It actually helps you see“

In both instances it shows that Aang is putting Katara in a pedestal and doesn’t see her for who she is because of the crush he has on her.

The Fortuneteller

*Also even though Aunt Wu tells Katara she’s to marry a powerful bender it could’ve been anyone, not just Aang. Zuko, Azula, or Toph (maybe even be single forever and reject it all together because she’s a master bender) were also candidates. She didn’t get any more specific besides powerful bender*

a lot of the information that I gathered is from wednesdaywildheart’s post

This episode shows how Aang’s crush is just a crush, using Meng as an example

Meng points out how both their names rhyme “that rhymes with Meng!”

The Parallels

Like Aang is with Katara, she’s 2 years younger than he is

The “sparkles” show up when they both see their crush and plays the same music

They have tried to flirt the same way with their crush (and were both brushed off when their crush showed disintrest and indifference)

The Differences

Towards the end of the episode, Meng realizes and acknowledges that Aang doesn’t return her feelings and advances. She even tells Aang that she supports his feelings towards Katara

(This doesn’t happen until Book 2) When learning more about the Avatar State, and the Spirit World from Guru Pathik, Aang had to open all 7 chakras, however he couldn’t open the seventh (the Thought Chakra), refusing to let go of is attachment to Katara, blocking himself from the Avaatar State (which bit him in the butt (or back) when he faced Azula)

(of course this could be because he’s 12, and hasn’t learned the difference between between, lust and Iove, platonic and romantic attraction yet)

Ember Island Players

Catie-does-things goes in depth with analysis of this episode

You can’t tell me this wasn’t one the most Anti-Kataang, Pro-Zutara, Anti-Zutara, Anti-All three of them episode (besides Fortune Teller and Southern Raiders)

Even though the play is a mockery retailing Books 1 & 2, it does give a possible reason why Katara would choose Zuko instead of Aang, (“the Avatar? He’s like a little brother to me!”) and she even used a similar phrase in Book 1 (“he’s a cute little guy like Momo!”)

Aang was lowkey OOC here, when it was stated by Actor!Zuko to Actor!Katara “aren’t you the Avatar’s girl?” to which Aang nods, a grim/serious look on his face (because of this he literally confuses canon with fanon, and at the intermission confronts Katara on a statement she never said herself, instead taking to heart what an actress portraying her said)

Literally one of the very few episodes where these two talk about their feelings toward each other (and it ends terribly)

Because Aang is 12 (and frozen for 100 years), he may not (completely) understand romantic and platonic boundries, getting upset at Katara, and not reading her (uncomfortable) body langauge before kissing her

Direct conversation from the episode:

Aang:“But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.” Katara: Aang, “I don't know.” Aang: “Why don’t you know?” Katara: “Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time.” Aang: “Well, when is the right time?” Katara: “Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m a little confused.”

To be continued in Part 3.....

some of what will be featured:

Southern Raiders (supposed to be here but this is wayyyy long)

Parallels

(Blue Spirit & Painted Lady, All Book Endings, Red & Blue ships, Lightning and Blood Bending, Oma & Shu)

#zutara #anti kataang #Zuko #katara #aang #atla #let me hyperfixate in peace

51 notes · View notes

residentlesbrarian · 3 years

Text

The Second Book I Read In the Dark: Another YA superhero novel for me to squeal over forever...YES, Please! Gimme Gimme!

Dreadnought by April Daniels

So Day 1 in the dark continues onward and I have already finished 1 of my 3 library books with still so much day left so what else to do but soldier forward and continue without pause. Well there was a short pause for delicious chicken soup cooked on a blessedly gas powered range (never gonna live in a house with an electric range; I swear this thing has saved our butts in so many power outages), but I digress; I was ready! This time I was taking a break from the whimsical and witchy and diving head first into all things super with an extra heroic twist.

I had heard so many good things about this book for so long but again it had fallen to the wayside of other distractions (a rainbow montage of movie and TV show gays runs back and forth through my head like the migrating fandom flamingoes). What finally made me make the decision to buckle down and do the thing was a video review done by one of my favorite YouTubers, Dominic Noble (Video Linked below). I love his series Lost in Adaptation, because as an avid reader I too find myself appalled by what Hollywood often does to my favorite books. Hearing him talk about Dreadnought was just the push my flighty brain needed to say, “Fine! Alright! We haven’t utterly obsessed over a teenage superhero book in like 6 months since we near bludgeoned our girlfriend with Not Your Sidekick! Fine! Let’s do it!” So...yeah if this intro is anything to go by this should be a fun one! Let’s dive right in shall we!

Unicorn Rating:

Blurb: She just wanted to paint her toenails in peace but then a superhero had to go and die and give Danny the one thing she never thought she’d have...her proper body. Now if only everyone else felt that way too. Life just got awesome and really really complicated all at once! Oh yeah and she can fly now. Bonus!

Disclaimer: I will try my best to not spoil anything from the book, but my book loving rambles may give more away than a traditional review. Here we go! Ramble time!

Review:

Holy crap! After the last book this was exactly what I needed! This book was just...so good! The plot...the characters...the world...everything about it just pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. Now I may have felt that way because I didn’t have anything trying to pull me away from this book but I don’t think I would have been easily pulled away if there had been distractions. And so many facets of this story were things I didn’t expect because I had never seen them portrayed before. Like the fact Danny having to deal with the rampant day to day sexism of being a woman now that her appearance matches who she really is. I’ve never seen that in a book before and I absolutely loved it! I was so dedicated to Danny’s story from page 1 it’s ridiculous, and look at that, a perfect segue into the phenomenal characters of this book...look what I did there switching it up going out of order on ya...gotta keep ya on your toes.

Our protagonist Danny is such a phenomenal example of a genuine kind caring person who is also deeply scarred and angry. It was so amazing to read a character that was flawed and struggling and doesn’t see how much a hero she really is and the small moments when others take that double take and go, “You’re the real deal, huh?” But those moments just confuse the living hell outta Danny cause she’s just Danny, she got super powers as a fluke. She is also hilarious and courageous and smart but knows she isn’t perfect and has weaknesses. She may be the strongest person on earth physically now but she acknowledges that that isn’t everything someone needs. Danny is such a good bean, but she has issues and that isn’t glossed over which is so rare. Now the next thing I want to touch on is a very tough subject but is very prevalent in the book so I wouldn’t be a very prudent reviewer if I didn’t bring it up. Danny is, without question, an abused child. This isn’t even really a spoiler, it alludes pretty heavily to it in the blurb, but what I’m gonna touch on next does dip into that territory so I’m gonna break it into a new LONG paragraph so just scroll on by if you don’t want to read this bit.

So at one point in the book Danny mentions a health screening at school that revealed she had hearing damage in her right ear that has now been healed by the mantle of Dreadnought. At the time of the screening she didn’t realize why until her dad had another Mount Vesuvius day and she assumed her usual position of curling in on herself and turning her head to the left so he would yell into only her right ear. Now how loud and how often do you have to yell into someone’s ear to cause permanent hearing damage? I don’t know and honestly I don’t want to know. Why am I highlighting an overall tiny moment...because for me this moment jumped out and gut punched me. Brought literal tears to my eyes. Tears of pain. Tears of rage. Tears of hate. I’m a weepy bitch when I get emotional. I’ve read a lot of books that try and portray abuse and how Daniels wrote Danny’s abuse from her father took my breath away because it felt so real. There weren’t really any good days, there were bad days, there were really bad days, but most days were just anxiously waiting for the next bad day, because Danny knew there would always be a next bad day. Something that did surprise me was my feelings about Danny’s mother. I knew going in I would hate her father, before even meeting him I hated him, but her mother, that was a hate that lay dormant until it exploded onto the scene and froze me to my core. I’m not gonna get into my own demons here but there is one thing I cannot abide by and that is people turning a blind eye while someone abuses another. Danny’s mother is the textbook definition of someone who “goes along to get along”, she will do just about anything to keep the peace, but at what cost? Instead of protecting her child from someone who literally screamed so long and so loud at her child that it damaged her hearing she just sat back and let them. That’s not the worst though, no, after Danny’s transition her mom seems to be understanding of the fact she is happy being a girl and is buying her things she needs like bras and undeniably feminine shoes, only to reveal it was all to keep Danny docile so she wouldn’t cause more fights with her dad. That to me is unforgivable. Not worse than the abuse of the father, but still undeniably selfish. She never cared about Danny or listened to her and what she was really saying. She just didn’t want there to be anymore fighting. Well I’m sorry, but sometimes, as a mother, you should fight to protect your goddamn child when someone is hurting them. The last thing I’ll say before going back to the more spoiler free and fun part of the review is that the fact Danny can never make herself say she is being abused hits so close to home for me. As a reader looking in from outside, there was a scene with a member of the Legion that I felt like, as an abuse survivor myself, I was standing there begging Danny to accept her invitation. To get out of that house. To get away from her father. To see what he was doing for what it was. But I knew she wouldn’t, she wasn’t ready, and it broke my heart to watch her fly away.

Anyway moving on from all that heavy stuff lets talk about other things like some freaking superheroes and one particular vigilante. We have the Legion members: Doc Impossible, Valkyrja, Magma, Graywytch, Chlorophyll, and Carapice. Now How do I want to talk about these characters...in what order...hmmm...how about from best to worst. Okay? Okay. Great!

I freaking love Doc Impossible! She is a character that from the moment I met her she gave me ‘kookie grandma’ character vibes and I get DOWN with kookie grandma characters. Now I know she isn’t a grandma character nor is she particularly crazy in the way she acts; it's just a vibe I get from her that I love. Now one thing I do want to say without spoiling anything is how Doc is one of the few characters that never tries to take away Danny’s agency in everything that happens around her in all this superhero craziness. Danny can always be her own person and most importantly a kid around Doc, and I feel Danny really needed that. I will stop myself now because I could go on for hours about Doc and how much I LOVE HER!

Next up we get a two for one, Valkyrja and Magma. We don’t see much of them but what we do get is pretty good. They are adult superheroes who have their own priorities surrounding what is going on with Danny, but aren’t mean or cruel and seem to genuinely care about Danny. Valkyrja is funny and surprisingly down to earth even though she is basically a scandinavian goddess of sorts. Also the hilarity of her being Danny’s long time celebrity crush never gets old. Oh Danny, you useless little lesbian. Magma is a precious big hot boy that seems like he’d give good hugs. Yeah, that's about all I got to say about him that won’t spoil anything.

Now we have another two for one with Chlorophyll and Carapice. These two I'm between dislike and indifferent on. They weren’t outright mean to Danny but they treated her more like a means to an end or down right refused to acknowledge she was the new Dreadnought whether they liked it or not, but we didn’t really get to see them enough to really learn more about their motivations.

Finally to round out the Legion we have Graywytch. Excuse me while I get this out. *Exaggerated throat clear.* First of all, Imma slap that stupid robe of ya stupid head. Then Imma stab you with your stupid fancy atheme you like to wave around all the time. And don’t even start on your “Typical male, always resorting to violence” shtick, cause guess what, I’m a ciswoman and I still wanna stomp a mudhole in your ass. And for that...Imma slap your dumb bird too. *Deep breath in. Looooooong exhale.* Sorry about that. Mama had to express some rage. I have never had a hate-sink character that made me feel the fiery flames of rage quite like Graywytch...obviously. Her treatment of Danny had me gripping the book tightly and growling about slapping birds and “shanking bitches” more than I should probably admit. She is one of those characters that I love how much I hate her. She served the exact purpose she was meant to and it was never cast in a light that she may be right in her treatment of Danny, we are always aware that her mindset is ridiculous. Like the fact outside of her parents Graywytch is the only character to blatantly deadname and misgender Danny. To go off on a small tangent here I may relate too much here because I have a younger brother who is trans (don’t worry he is fine with me discussing it in reviews and such) and I went to a graduation party when my best friend graduated medical school and he was out to the family but not extended friends yet. After only referring to him by the proper pronouns for so long at home hearing the wrong ones caused legitimate eye blinking record scratch cognitive dissonance for me. I had the same feeling anytime Graywytch opened her stupid mouth and blatantly misgendered Danny. Because the way this is written Danny is Danny, she is exactly who she is meant to be. Suck it Graywytch!

Okay, I know you probably want to hear about the plot I know, but we have one more character we have to talk about and that is Calamity, the rootin’-ist tootin’-ist vigilante that ever did come through these here parts. Sorry, I have to talk like this now, it’s part of the persona, you have to commit to the persona. But real talk, I absolutely love Calamity as a look into “graycapes” and the real dive into the world of superheroes beyond the big heroes. We get to see how someone who doesn’t have the backing of the Legion goes about helping people, the little people, those that maybe the Legion way up in their tower can’t see from so high up in the clouds. And y’all know me, I love a morally gray vigilante with a heart of gold. She had me at “You wanna go capin’?”

Now obviously I couldn’t get enough of the characters but the plot was pretty darn good too. It was so intricately woven in with Danny and her inheriting the mantle from the previous Dreadnought that she had no choice but to be an integral part of it. Now I obviously don’t have as much to say about the plot as I did the characters but know if you come for the plot you won’t be disappointed. It kept me guessing and threw me for an absolute curve ball at the end that I did not see coming! You won’t be disappointed.

So final thoughts...there isn’t much more I can say without going on an hours long squeal fest about how much I freaking loved this book and the characters and the intricacies of how Danny’s powers work and how she was written and how she interacts with different characters and just everything that would mean massive untakebackable spoilers! So I will end on this note; Danny is a character that it would have been easy to lean into the superhero aspect and let the reader forget that she was trans, but April Daniels didn’t want that. Danny was gifted the easiest transition in the history of the world. What takes most people years of HRT and surgeries and therapy Danny did in the passing of a mantle, but it never took away the fact she is and always will be trans. It was a unique reading experience that I have only been blessed with once before but that’s a story for a different review on a different day.

Queer Wrap-up: I would give my left kidney (that’s my good one btw) to give this book five unicorns, but alas I cannot, a one off conversation in an elevator hinting that a certain improbable doctor may have a one sided thing for a particular sadly straight scandinanvian god being is just not enough to count as additional rep. As much as I love this book, and I love it A LOT! We only have Danny as our queer rep and she is fantastic rep and our protagonist so a 4 unicorn rating was a no brainer on this one. Danny is the kind of trans rep I want to see more of in the world of books, YA and otherwise. Being a trans lesbian is a huge part of her character but she gets to do so much more than that in the breath of the story and that’s what I look for in great representation, so Danny easily earned these 4 unicorns on her own merit just being her amazing self.

Links:

Goodreads

Dominc Noble’s Review

Alright so...this one got long. Ah hell, I ain't gonna apologize for it! This is a damn good book and I wanted to get my fangirl squeal on y’all.

Oh no, I think I’ve been thinking about Calamity too much I slipped into the persona without meaning to! This book was just far too much fun to read to the point I started reading it out loud with a full cast of voices (hint: the Calamity parts were my favorite) because it flowed so well and was genuinely so funny at parts and heart wrenchingly sad in others and so action packed the next moment. I finished this book in less than a day and if I had been more present and not under a pile of blankets and wearing a headlamp I might have thought to keep a timer to tell you the exact number of hours it took me, but alas know it didn’t take me many.

So the adventures reading in the dark continue on to the next review after this one but as always if you want to read this but don’t want to spend the money without knowing for sure you are going to like it, go to your local library. You’d be surprised what they have on their shelves just waiting to be discovered. Trust me, I’m a lesbrarian.

#Dreadnought #april daniels #nemesis book 1 #resident lesbrarian #4 unicorns #mtf transgender lesbian #ya novel #ya science fiction #go to you local library #but wear a mask #and wash your hands #and stay 6 feet apart #be safe guys gals and nonbinary pals

37 notes · View notes

popcornbutterflymedia · 3 years

Text

this is written on the on the afternoon before the fourth episode of the series on after my fourth viewing of this third episode, which is crunch time for my favorite episode yet. i figured this would write itself. this might be as short as a note, let’s see where this goes. this is the most complete episode thus far. while all three episode are great in their own right, the first two seem like expository, introductory episodes, this feels like the beginning of classic hih. this is where we begin to play.

the third episode begins where the second season left off. we see just how hard max took the bullying, not because she was hurt, but because the harassment has gone too far that it has caused her the means of taking care of her family. the first two gaps collectively is proof that belle is max. i don’t see anyone else as max. it’s belle’s ability, willingness, and daring to transform. just know you have won me, and a lot of us over. belle is such a drama princess in the best ways possible. she pretty much owned that confrontation, and the mantra scene after. now, i don’t know the shooting sequence, so i don’t know at what point donny decided to grow up, i just know that at some point, he did, before that point though, he was already warming up to it. this is if that same confrontation scene is our reference. donny takes time to lock in, at least at this point, but when he finally connects, he’s there with you and you feel it.

more family drama. max gets home after a harrowing day of dealing with deib and his merry band of bullies, only to face her dad as a basang sisiw. there is no question as to her dad’s gentleness, his walking the tightrope where this daughter is concerned, the eagerness to make up for it, the desire to be a dad. on this episode it’s his reassuring ít’s okay... as his daughter was scrambling for acceptable words to explain why she was caught in such a precarious situation, that got to me.

macy is a different story. she isn’t necessarily the evil stepmom, but i don’t trust her. and that air of suspicion is why i adore the portrayal. i never know if she’s sincere or not. i’m in between wanting to hate her, while still being respectful of her valid fears and trust issues. i suppose max being her husband’s daughter isn’t enough. how unfortunate.

as max retreats to the safety of the written word and her babu, the question still looms: who is babu? it looks like the email address is giving away the confidante’s prized identity. does it?

hospital stories. hospital stories are my absolute favorite moments of deib’s in character, it’s where he is most human, most disarmed. this is where donny is his most engaged, of his own scenes without belle. i am guessing this is after the growing and glowing up? moments by the his brother’s bedside amaze, because the character doesn’t need to shed tears for me to start bawling. it will always be the keeping it together that will get to me the most, and that i will understand and resonate with so deeply. having said that, deib’s unravelling is a curiosity. as much as dale’s identity is also a curiosity.

on the topic of humanizing characters, it’s interesting how max and deib both, are each one person respectively less of being cursed as stereotypes and caricatures of their own characters. for max that person is her lola, with an uncle as a bonus, and for deib it’s his brother. lola is max’s keeper, kuya dale is deib’s. relationship with his brother is a reference point for his soul. it’s a soul that was willing to come forth, if that soul was enough to weather the noises of the world, and ward off the expectations of social stature in the high school hierarchy. it wasn’t at this moment. ego and reputation still won. the shame is understandable, but why blame max for her friends’s clumsy fingers? it’s really any opening to get to max, is it? everything is max’s fault, even the beloved star players almost losing game.

the marked social outcasts of benison high converge away from prying eyes, and we get to find out more of the bad words that must not be spoken. the same bad words i am excited to meet in person. that’s such an odd sentence to write, but dalia, the girl is reliable for queenly behavior herself.

with the ceasefire off the table, all eyes are still hot on our heroine. our star player is getting too close to comfort, still a pain but in a mischievous playful way that involves floral undergarments and height differences. it was funny, and would have stayed funny if mister headmaster did not see the two in the middle of playing.

an anti-bullying project together in exchange for not being suspended, just so she wouldn’t be her father’s headache, and he wouldn’t miss game practices. much as they abhor working together, i am sure we are secretly thanking mister headmaster as early as now for bringing our lovebirds together. they’re portrayals convince me of their cat and dog dynamic, but the inability to stay away, and the constant glint in his eye makes me think there is already an attraction there from the start. i can tell that for him it’s the fascination for her difference, and indifference, the attraction to her emotional abandon, which i imagine is a big deal for someone who has had to be calculated for most his life, and to think, that even with that already calculated nature, he still can’t get on his mom’s good side. hahaha! wait, i am crying again, as i am writing this.

at their usual hangout, said project raises taguro’s friends’ eyebrows. taguro finds out sensui has an older brother (human moment max, enough to be curious about your adversary?) it turns out, deib having an older brother in a coma, the reasons for that coma, as much as they are narrative altering curiosities, aren’t as narrative altering as the person credible enough to tell the truth of said confinement: the calm and quiet big sister that is michiko. dale’s friend and batchmate, and probably something more? is dale going to be the third wheel to tob and michiko? how will that change the dynamic, if ever? is michiko the key? the key to what? so many questions. does dale have to wake up for the questions to be answered? am i watching too many kumu live sessions? i love those!

i could be wrong. if i am, don’t mind me. i know nothing about the books. i probably should get my hands on them when it becomes available. how many are original characters, and how many are hybrids of two or more characters? is michiko an original character? if she is, i just feel i need to say this: kaori is michiko taranza. michiko has so much to be thankful for, for kaori being her vessel. a lot has been said about the casting of this series, one of the most resounding is the belief that kaori should have been max, because she has some traits and characteristics of the character, which i admit to seeing. if kao was cast as max, then there would have been no one else more perfect to play the japanese big sister role. apart from the fact that belle is doing a fantastic job as max, it isn’t kaori’s loss that she was chosen as michiko, it is michiko’s gain, it is her blessing to be played by kaori. a role she’s doing such a great job portraying. if hih is an exercise in acting for these kids, and acting is a transformative process, then kaori is doing a great job filling in the prim and proper big sister shoes. i just need to explicitly say that. more than being the right casting, this is the sensible casting. they just make sense.

while mean girls are served as secrets are uncovered at the barb, in a covered court not far off, egos are bruised, dares are made, scores are settled, and for a three on three friendly game, (”friendly” being the operative word), it’s an all out testosterone fest. and it’s awesome! we finally get to see what the lone shark is made of. the boys did great that it expanded the show’s source of rivalry and tension. we finally get to see miah in action, and to say that he’s effective is an understatement. that boy’s good, real good in character, if you want an actor to play a bigger role on a show (rj, perhaps? i know nothing), you could surely count on miah. you know he’s great because he made donny step up. he made donny even better. i don’t mind more of these competitive encounters in the future. the deib the star player lost by one (so i need the bears to win on the next court meet ups. and yes, i am speaking about these encounters like they’re absolute certainty). the star bear lost by one, again, and the barb is about to swallow max whole. good thing she was able to work around her schedule to accommodate her master nemesis. taguro refuses to get suspended she is willing, instead to enter the lion’s den. just for a school project she insists. it’s home court advantage, to keep sensui’s enemies closer, and not at all for a second kiss. as max is leaving, michiko reminds her to play nice. “magpakabait ka ha? natalo si deib.” she calls out. somehow, that reminder has more weight in tagalog. it’s a heaviness i would love to understand more of, and see lighten.

max makes it in time to the enrile mansion. somehow, the difference between her rugged motorbike and elegant, imposing home is striking. this also speaks also of the stark difference between its owners.

for someone who has everything, deib’s home is empty. i don’t know if that’s surprising or not. it’s hollow, a nanay (yaya) on every floor as max’s welcoming party. the first nanay thinks taguro is pretty. i don’t know if this piece of information is relevant to the story, but it is personally striking that someone like her knows so much about her ward, because sometimes they’re the only people who care to know. and that’s incredibly touching. does deib tell her about this girl?i wonder what he says about her. why the need to share? do they approve? is there anything to approve of in the first place? completely irrelevant, but i am crying again. it’s the lolas and the nanays for me any day.

a hollow house with a maze for a second floor, a floor too easy to get lost in, although not quite as loss as i suspect those who reside there. max got lost anyway. does max know a boy’s room isn’t a bathroom? a boy’s room is where she found herself in, not just any boy, but the sensui to her taguro. deib enrile.

this is deib enrile at his rawest, without his defenses, stripped of his public perception and reputation. he was able to use his homecourt advantage for a split second, until the glint of fascination in his eyes returned and gave him away. poor max had to deal with his looming, imposing presence with no time to run, and no place to hide. she probably does not know it yet, but the tables of whatever this game they’re playing turned. the stakes shot higher, the air of tension around them thickened, and in that moment something shifted. hers is the winning hand.

his enchantment for this spitfire girl is irresistible. her introduction to him deepened so suddenly. it feels like they’ve made falling a competition, and all these together made for a supercharged last moment of this episode.

a few things:

i am so glad both donny and belle are of legal age. i am so glad belle is of legal age, and game, and brave.

i still can’t put my finger on why scenes like these feel different with these two. this isn’t the first scene of this nature i’ve seen, but i know it must’ve required time to build that trust and comfort level. and in the context of the story, to have this moment this early on in the story is daring, and throws the narrative wide open for possibilities.

on first viewing, this moment earned all caps twitter screaming, as well as actual screaming. the succeeding views still have that same effect, but calmer, quieter. it still somehow hits stronger when you realize that deib, in all that he did, was deliberate. max, once the shock subsided, i believe had a moment to decide, and she stayed.

saying yes to moments like these also throw the door wide open for possibilities of what donny and belle are willing to do and are game for. i am excited to to see their choices and where their choices lead the both of them together. i can’t wait to see them fly.

episode 4 tonight! and sesson 2 please? :) apart from the pandemic, i hope it’s an easy decision.

for a post written in two half days, that began, the day before the fourth episode, amd written between real life and birthday parties, this post really did write itself. i must love this episode that much. i know i have so much love and gratitude for the show, and the team. who all make it easy to find words that are hopefully inspired. 💙🐻💘

#tv #tv: he's into her

0 notes