#it’s HIS fans that seem to think he’s above any criticism
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I don’t know who needs to hear this but
Sky dying was Viktor’s fault and him covering it up was bad actually.
#anti viktor arcane#i like him but the way y’all coddle that man is a LOT#arcane#arcane league of legends#sky young#you can tell me something bad that one of my faves did but I already know#it’s HIS fans that seem to think he’s above any criticism#literally no one is#and having to see over and over again how this Brown woman dying horribly wasn’t on him…#it’s white boy stanning at its most insidious#that would be like me saying jayce killing that boy wasn’t his fault and he shouldn’t feel bad when it was and he should#they were clear parallels#even happened in the same episode#come on now#sometimes good people do bad things it doesn’t make them irredeemable#but they do need to be held accountable
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I don’t understand the fandoms love for Daemon, by all rights he should be as hated as Joffrey was. Not only did he do almost everything Joffrey did, he also did worse. Even Tywin wouldn’t hold a candle to his cruelty. I understand liking a villainous character, I do too with Cersei and Tywin, but I’ve never went out of my way to whitewash their characters. I love them because they are villainous and practically irredeemable, if team black stans liked Daemon for his villainous actions before and during the Dance of Dragons I wouldn’t have any problems with it. But the fact that they go out of their way to defend him killing Rhea Royce because “he was forced into a marriage he didn’t like!!!!” As if she wasn’t too. And the fact that they defend him sending Blood and Cheese to psychologically torture Haelena and kill Jaehaerys due to “a son for a son it’s only right” when they despise Alicents moment of madness when her son was denied justice, makes me want to hurl.
It’s alright to like villainous characters, it doesn’t make you a bad person if you like them. But you know what makes you a moronic person? Whitewashing everything that makes a character compelling because you want to like them without seeming like a ‘bad person’. Your opinion on a character does not determine your own morality, it doesn’t make you better or worse than someone who hates them. But what it does, when you erase their entire identity as a rouge to make them more palatable to you, is make you seem moronic, stupid, and lacking any critical thinking and reading comprehension skills.
Rhaenyra is a compelling character because she is entitled and spoiled and lacks any political experience, she shows how badly Viserys fucked up when he tried to compensate for his guilt of murdering Aemma. Alicent is a compelling character because she is a mother who is trying her best to protect her children from the reality that if Daemon took the throne for Rhaenyra, he would kill all of them because they are a threat. She is even more of a compelling character in the books because of her ambition and cunning and want for her family to rise far above the ‘station’ of being a noble house in the Reach (as if house Hightower aren’t the oldest house in Westeros who could trace their lineage back to both the Garth Greenhand the high king of the first men and the Andal Kings that came afterwards). Daemon, for all that I dislike him as a character, is compelling for his ruthlessness and shortsightedness in his pursuit of the throne. He didn’t raise an army for Viserys because he thought he was a competent leader, he did it because it raised his own standing within Westeros, he groomed Rhaenyra not because he loved her, but because having him in her good graces means that he stood a better chance of being king after she was named heir. His ruthlessness is compelling. Taking it away to make him into a ‘malewife’ or a ‘loving father’ or a man who is lacking any ambition beyond wanting a valyrian wife is taking away his agency. It makes him seem like a Gary Sue who only wants the throne because his brother said Rhaenyra was heir. It makes it so that he is so completely white bread like that not even I, someone who loved the more morally bankrupt characters in ASOIAF can find him agreeable in any way shape or form.
Daemon is a fundamentally morally bankrupt character and he should stay that way. If you like him you should acknowledge and accept that he is one of the ‘bad guys’. Just as Cersei fans acknowledge and accept that she is fundamentally a morally bankrupt person who is selfish to the extreme. We like morally black characters because they are morally black. To make excuses for their actions is to take away their agency which makes them unlikable and very hate-able.
Daemons actions aren’t justifiable, blood and cheese would never be justified. A son for a son is akin to the visceral disgust the fandom had to Alicent when she asked for Lucerys’ eye, yet I bet when season two comes out and Blood and Cheese happens we’d see Daemon fans applauding and trying to justify it as ‘not that bad’ and ‘team green deserved it because of Aemond’s actions’ when little Jaehaerys, a boy of 6, was as far removed from the incident as can be. It would be akin to Team Green saying that due to Jaehaerys’ death, Aegon III or Viserys II deserved to have their head cut off in front of Rhaenyra.
Let morally bankrupt characters be morally bankrupt. You aren’t morally bankrupt because you like said character, it’s a fictional story loosely based on Empress Matilda. It’s not that deep. Like the characters you like without trying to justify their actions. They might be monstrous but you aren’t because you like them. It’s not a measure of your own character because you like said character. But it is a measure of your intelligence when you try to change said character’s entire personality to make it so that they are more digestible to you and everyone else.
#hotd#team green#anti daemon targaryen#blood and cheese#pro team green#cersei lannister#joffrey baratheon#jaehaera targaryen#like the characters you like without trying to whitewash them please and thank you#fire and blood#house of the dragon#anti team black stans#anti team black
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When He Becomes a Hero
It’s a bonus part of THIS :)
pairing: Charles Leclerc x fem!reader
Summary: At the moment when Charles was about to be crowned world champion, he felt fear. He hated that his own fear might stop him from becoming a true hero.
word count: 2k
warning: fluff, imagine of Ferrari builds a champ car in 2026, mention of fear of failure, public proposing, Lewis feat.
notes: inspiration of this comes from an anon :) thanks a lot! Advices and thoughts are always welcomed.
“No doubt! Absolute control and absolute superiority! With every lap, Charles Leclerc has exemplified the essence of a true champion, pushing the limits of both human and machine to deliver unparalleled performances on the track. As he stands atop the podium, the world celebrates the rise of a true racing legend!”
“In a stunning display of skill and resilience, Charles Leclerc has clinched the World Drivers’ Championship for Ferrari, his unwavering dedication to the Scuderia Ferrari team has reignited the spirit of Maranello, inspiring fans around the globe with his unwavering commitment to excellence.”
“Also, thanks to Hamilton for his defenses and active performance throughout the race! He proved to the world that he is still among the contenders for the WDC. In motorsports, there’s no such thing as a prime age; as long as he still wants to win, this is his prime time!”
Everyone loves Ferrari because it’s full of topics and controversies.
Everyone loves Charles Leclerc. Because of his exquisite driving skills and unwavering determination, his face kissed by the gods, his dramatic experiences on the track, his fiery battles with Lewis, and his love life filled with pink bubbles.
As the showdown between Ferrari and Red Bull in Abu Dhabi, to decide the WDC and WCC is akin to a collision between Mars and Earth. And beyond the collision, as rumored, Charles will propose after the race, adding a melodramatic romance and a fairytale ending reminiscent of prince and princess.
The media is thrilled. It’s a surefire guarantee for attention.
The FIA is happy — soaring broadcast fees, investments bidding multiplied, and tickets that are worth their weight in gold.
They have no reason to be dissatisfied, to say it’s not perfect, or to express any inevitable regrets.
As Charles approached the main straight, gazing at the chequered flag looming almost within reach, took a few deep breaths, everything seemed so familiar to him, yet suddenly he was overcome by a strange sensation.
It’s not his first time been in the Yas Marina Circuit, not the first time saw the tumultuous mix of love and hate from the fans.
As long as he wins.
The air above Yas Marina will boil with excitement for him. Ferrari will win their long-awaited WDC and WCC titles, and he will be forever remembered as a key figure in Prancing horse‘s history. He may even unquestionably earn a Laureus Award.
No one can take it away from him, no one can say he’s undeserving. All the rumors and gossip will temporarily disappear—until his next failure.
It’s been many years since he was felt this way — uneasy, overwhelmed with thoughts, unable to clear his mind and grasp what he's truly thinking before the race.
The moment he entered the turn 21, he knew he’s made a mistake. He desperately tried to compensate, but suddenly realized that it's not the timing of his braking that was wrong, but the inner doubt he felt at that moment.
In that critical moment, he hesitated for a fraction of a second, maybe just 0.01 seconds, but it was after that 0.01 seconds that he crossed the finish line first, ending the race.
Maybe, even if he hadn’t won today, no one would blame him. He’s had 24 races this year, almost never leaving the podium. He's exceptionally talented, just really exhausted. But there’s no excuse. He’s Charles Leclerc, and winning is his only option.
The whole world will never know his moment of weakness, error, and confusion. The world still believes he’s like a hero incarnate, calm and unmovable, only seeking victory. Only he knew how anxious and fearful he felt when the pressure suddenly struck him in that moment.
After climbing out of the car, he stood by its side, letting the Ferrari fans roar his name and celebrate his uniqueness, letting the Red Bull fans silently stare and curse him for ruining another fairy tale, letting his colleagues sprint over, overwhelming him with cheers, piling on top of each other like human pyramids, celebrating by slapping each other’s backs or some part of their bodies. He seemed oblivious to it all, as if for a moment he was isolated from the world.
All he can felt is his own apprehension and disappointment.
“Is Charles okay?” You, after the initial excitement faded, suddenly sensed an unknown hint of something, giving rise to a certain doubt. “Xavi, Charles—”
Xavi couldn’t hear what she was saying at all. His cheeks were flushed with excitement, and he laughed heartily, high-fiving or shaking hands with everyone who reached out to him, sharing the joy or silently relishing in their envy, hatred, insincerity, and forced smiles.
Perhaps it was out of unwillingness to be left behind, or maybe just hoping to add to his glory, John Elkann deliberately put down someone who came to shake hands with him and bypassed Xavi, walking up to Pascale with a smile and said, “Ma’am, Signing your son may be one of Ferrari’s most wisest decision of the century.”
Pascale has experienced many sincere or insincere congratulations, praises, and flatteries from others, but even after a hundred times, the hundred and first time still made her feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. She still didn’t know how to respond. Before, she could only smile and said how great Charles was, but now she could look back at you.
Your lips moved slightly, but in the end, you temporarily suppressed your worries about Charles and smiled at Elkann, said, “Perhaps not making him an enemy of Ferrari was the wisest decision you’ve made in this century.”
The people in the garage paused for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.
At this moment, no one wanted to know if Charles had really lost his aura for a moment just now. All they needed is icing on the cake, to know that they had a hero on the field who could lead Ferrari.
And Charles is this hero, only he can play this role. Hero don't make mistakes, don’t hesitate, and never make mistakes or come close to making mistakes. They only move forward relentlessly.
At least for this second, he couldn't be a mortal.
No one noticed any difference in Charles from usual — this isn't to say they don’t care about him, but rather that although they noticed, they simply thought he was too tired to be as active as usual.
Faced such a high-level race, enduring 120 minutes of constant attack from Red Bull, if Charles returns to the garage too exhausted to say a word, too tired to even muster a smile, that would be completely acceptable.
Heroes are always treated with favor, heroes always have privileges.
Charles appeared somewhat weary as he walked out, but perhaps it was because he saw the Emir and his heir who hadn't left yet.
He leaned against the door for a moment, lips moving without saying anything, seeming ready to turn back to the driver’s room.
Some things can only be said to the closest people, let alone in front of the Emir.
Moreover, Charles was already hesitant about whether to let you know his thoughts. He approached with a strange courage, but any small obstacle — even just being touched—could immediately dispel all his impulses.
He glanced at you, who was talking to the Emir, suddenly feeling that perhaps he shouldn't tell you either.
You love stories of heroes, everyone knows that. Lewis is your hero, maybe now he is too.
The Emir noticed someone coming out behind him, glanced back, perhaps not expecting Charles to look so dispirited. But like everyone else, once he thought about the kind of battle it had been, he almost naturally let it go. He smiled at Charles and said nothing.
“Charlie,” you caught up with him a step after the Emir left, gently pulling him aside. You looked at him carefully for a moment before softly asking, “Why aren’t you happy?”
Charles hesitated for a moment, not saying anything.
You didn’t press him, just watched him.
A minute passed, feeling like a century, before Charles finally lowered his head and whispered, “I never said I wasn’t happy.”
You seemed to have something to say, but after thinking for a moment, you just squeezed Charles’s hand. “It’s okay as long as you’re happy, but if you’re not, you can tell me.”
Arthur called you loudly from the other side of the garage, wanting you to confirm something.
Seeing that Charles didn’t seem inclined to talk, you thought it would be better to go check on Arthur — but before you could take a step, Charles grabbed your hand.
“How did you know I’m not happy?” His voice remained low, with a hint of confusion. “Was it that obvious?”
But after asking that question, he denied himself. It couldn't be. He hadn't said a word, and no one else had noticed anything, so if you sensed it, it must be because you just knew.
This realization made Charles feel his heart swell for a moment.
“Yeah,” you sent your sibling to deal with Arthur, “When you came out of the car and stood there, I just knew you weren't happy — but I didn't know why.”
Charles suddenly felt both aggrieved and happy. He wanted to ask you why you didn’t know why he wasn’t happy, but he almost couldn’t resist the impulse to praise your understanding of him. In the end, amidst all the conflicting emotions, he just hugged you, resting his chin on your shoulder.
After a while, he said, “If I'm scared, will you still treat me like this?”
You froze for a moment, taking a long time to realize what it meant for him to be scared.
Charles Leclerc, at the moment of crossing the finish line, at the moment of almost perfectly embodying the hero image, was scared.
He was filled with fear that he couldn't be a true hero, and perhaps also fear that when you looked at him, it would be with an incredibly disappointed gaze.
“I’m scared too,” You said the word, but you voice was steady. “The thing I fear most in this world is seeing you unhappy, torturing yourself over a tiny mistake or someone else’s mistake. You may be a hero to others, but you need to know, you’re the love of my life, Charles. If I haven’t said it before, I’m telling you now, you are the love of my life. Legends are for others to see. I just want you to be happy and well. Do you understand what I mean?”
Charles held her for a moment, then suddenly bounded back to the driver’s room, calling out Lewis and Arthur's names loudly.
And then the door to the room was angrily kicked shut by Arthur, followed by louder noises emanating from it.
Five minutes later, when Xavi knocked on the door to call them out for celebration, they behaved as if everything was normal.
You didn’t notice that, contrary to his usual behavior, Arthur ended up at the back of the celebrating crowd. When you reached the garage exit, you habitually stopped, subconsciously intending to say a few more words to your interns. But completely caught off guard, Arthur pushed you out from behind.
A helicopter hovered above the Yas Marina Circuit, its cabin door open, showering what seemed like an endless waterfall of rose petals, as if to engulf the whole world.
Charles stood in the center of the rose storm, next to Lewis, who was smiling and holding a velvet box. And Charles opened the box, knelt down on one knee.
Inside was a teardrop-shaped green diamond ring. “Two years ago, I convinced you to give me a ring, and now it’s time for me to give you a gift other than today’s victory. You said you love my eyes the most. I’m willing to have my eyes shaped into your favorite shape and wear them on your hand, but I didn’t do that because I want to keep them to live with you. And I don’t want your fingers to be empty, so as a substitute, I found this. Now there are probably millions of people watching us. You love me so much, so you won’t refuse me and make me sad, right?”
You stood there dumbfounded, until Lewis turned to you. “Put on your ring and get your fiancé out of here! I need to get my trophy!”
#charles leclerc x you#charles leclerc x reader#f1 x reader#f1 x you#charles leclerc fanfic#charles leclerc imagine#f1 fanfic
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hii could you please do enha love languages? ty! <33
hii! this question has been in my inbox for a couple of months so thanks so much to this anon for the question and patience, i finally finished it!!
heeseung world of affirmation & physical touch
perhaps this is just my subjective perception, but i wouldn’t say that heeseung has a very noticeable love language that would immediately catch the eye, however, the words of affirmation seem to me to be his most noticeable love language. he really looks so happy and embarrassed when members or fans compliment him on his gaming skills or ask him to sing and admire his vocals. and this seems to be not only the language in which he chooses to receive love, but also the way he gives love. he always tries to praise and support the members and i’m sure that he would really be for his partner that person who constantly reminds you of what a wonderful person you are, really appreciates any of your skills and abilities, expressing his proud of you, never criticizes your ideas and always ready to listen and support. and physical touching seems a little less obvious, but he often casually touches participants by patting them on the back/head, patting them on the shoulder, and many other manifestations
jay act of service & physical touch (actually it’s seems like he has all 5, but i choose the biggest one)
the most visible language of love that immediately catches the eye is acts of service. he's literally the guy you don't need your brain with at all. you don't have to worry about ANYTHING. if you are going to go somewhere or even go on a trip, he will collect all the information, take into account everything you like to eat, drink, what you would like to see and experience, and based on this he will create an ideal route, all you need is your presence. if you are together, he will do absolutely everything for you, such as prepare food for you, set the table himself, serve you whatever you want, serve utensils, complete all-inclusive, i swear this guy is one step away from starting to feed you himself. cooking, cleaning, fixing anything, he is a wonderful housekeeper and knowing that you are tired, he will gladly free you from any household chores by doing everything himself. in any everyday matters, he is literally the most reliable person i have ever seen. at the same time, i cannot remain silent about how gentle he is in physical touch, he always treats members with such tenderness and is very responsive (?) to the desire to touch him from others. idk It sounds a little strange, but for example, i’m talking about that video where Jongwon was nervous and started to grab jay’s finger and jay immediately took his hand and allowed him to pull his arms, fingers, poke his knees and whatever he wanted as much as he wanted. there's nothing special with it, but it makes my heart melt. and as i mentioned above, he literally has all 5 love languages. we see how much he tries to spend time with the members the way they love, going bowling with niki, shopping with sunghoon and jungwon, playing with heeseung and so on, he really values quality time together. and he also often mentions the importance of spending time together, as he talked about how nice it would be to go on a trip with his family or how he imagined relaxing by the fireplace with a jungwon during the winter holidays. we see him constantly paying for the maknae, taking his mom shopping and always trying to buy her whatever she wants (+ quality time). and speaking about words of affirmations, i think it’s important to emphasize not only that he’s really very responsive and loves not only to talk but also to listen, which is very important, but also how attentively he treats his words. for example, when they were cooking something in one of the episodes of en o’clock, he wanted to joke that they weren’t doing very well and jungwon replied that he had crooked hands, jay thought it was because of his joke and was afraid that jungwon wouldn’t accept this is at his own expense, so he immediately said that his hands are crooked and jungwon does a good job. how much more confirmation do we need that he is literally husband material? (+some additional)
jake physical touch & world of affirmation
okay i think physical touch is more obvious. we see how he loves to hug members from behind, stroke their backs, smell their hair, and even inanimate things he always treats with some tenderness (like how he strokes pillows and all that). but he also has another side that is not talked about as often. he is really very good with words of affirmations!! members often mention that jake is the person they are most likely to want to talk to when they are feeling down or worried about something. they mentioned many times that he listens very well and knows how to choose the right words of support, and can not only provide moral support, but also gives good advice. and the way he supports the participants is always so touching and funny at the same time, like when jay teased sunoo that he wasn’t funny, jake immediately told sunoo “don’t listen, tell him let’s see how funny you are”. he is the person who will not only console and support you in private, but will not remain silent in public
sunghoon quality time & gift giving
i would like to say that his love language is teasing but i really feel like this guy is often underestimated behind the mask of a cold, frightening, unemotional person and he may seem like that, but only at first glance. he cares so much about his members and it often looks like his love language adapts to the other person. jake loves physical touch and sunghoon often touches him by patting him on the back, high-fiving him, or patting him on the back. jay likes to talk a lot and sunghoon listens to him (even if he teases him after...). heeseung loves to hear praise and sunghoon tries to praise him in all sorts of games and stuff. sunoo loves to giggle and sunghoon makes him laugh. engine want to speak to him in different languages and he tries every time even if he’s embarrassed by his english pronunciation. he always tries to take care of the people around him even if he does it unnoticed. and if we talk about his personal love language i would rather highlight quality time and gift giving, we all see that he is not very good at expressing feelings with words, so he would try to make up for it with actions. like just being together, even if you are not talking right now and everyone is busy with their own affairs, he would feel peace from the very fact that you are doing this next to each other in the same room. and speaking of giving gifts, he just constantly sponsors you with anything, but unlike jay, it wouldn’t be something expensive or something like that, just random things that he gives you with the words “nothing special, just went home, saw it and decided to buy”. i really hope that one day more people will see how much feeling and warmth really lies behind his cool exterior
#enhypen sunghoon#enhypen jay#enhypen jake#enhypen heeseung#heeseung enhypen#jake enhypen#jay enhypen#sunghoon enhypen#enhypen soft hours#enhypen soft thoughts#enhypen fluff#enhypen astrology#enhypen imagines#enhypen scenarios#enhanet#enhypen drabbles#enhypen headcanons#enha imagines#enhypen thoughts#enhypen
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Fuck it, I'm throwing my hat on the ring about the Emil announcing Nate from Fallout 4 is the bystander Soldier in the Fallout 1 opener.
First and foremost, it was a stupid thing to say. As he backtracks to later, the conceit of Fallout's protags is they are supposed to be anyone (and that issue is precisely why some people hate the extensive prewar character background given to you in Fallout 4). For the lead writer to pull a JK Rowling (why would you do that? None of those went over well) is such a major marketing misstep that it wouldn't surprise me if Emil gets reprimanded for it before we even get into the implication of what he said.
Emil your voice is as good as God when it comes to the canon. You can't just say shit like that and expect it to go well. Especially considering the implications.
Speaking of the implications, I'm not mad about Nate being a war criminal. It's a coloring I actually would welcome if the games discussed concepts like Capitalism, Racism, and War in any meaningful way anymore. And if Emil also didn't say this.
Fallout's canon is rooted in reality. That is part of its whole thing. It's fun to do goofy shit like becoming the Silver Shroud and having a make believe superhero fight with the Mechanist or write a woman obsessed with Nuka Cola so much she traverses two games to basically kidnap the CEO's cryogenically preserved head so she can talk to him for all eternity, but the setting is very much rooted in reality.
You aren't dealing with fictional countries, you aren't dealing with fictional races, you aren't dealing with fictional hypotheticals. That is The Elder Scrolls job. You are dealing with actual countries, actual racism, actual history, and actual fucking politics. You have to be mindful of what you are doing and saying. You can't just do things because it's an interesting plot device without first thinking about the implications.
Fallout's world is a heightened version of our own, a path we seem to stumble towards with ever passing year unless we do something about it. It fucking sucks. I'm sure writing it feels like prophesizing the future and eats your soul a bit. It would mine. But that doesn't mean Fallout can just take a sharp left in terms of story and reality and get away with it.
To have Nate be the bystander Soldier and then meet him when he has a very good thing going for him (an expensive house during an inflation crisis, a robot butler, he gets into a vault for free for fucks sake) very much speaks to life rewarding him for his crimes. There is no hatred in his words when he looks at the flag of the country that made him kill innocents. His speech is speaks of remorse for leaving his family and the cycle of war, it does not speak of the horrors. Of watching you comrades bleed out in the Anchorage snow. Of the scream of shells overhead. Of the fear in civilians eyes as your buddy puts a bullet between them.
You all have to see how it looks like the man is fine with what he had to do during the war, right?
Not interacting with these concepts enough paints a picture of apathy and acceptance. In this day and age where being keeping the government honest and responsible for their actions is so important, that isn't going to slide without it being EXTREMELY purposeful, which it is not. It's tone deaf and lazy.
I respect a lot of what Emil has done in the past, but I am not above keeping him culpable when he has something so delicate in his hands. I hope this situation is what he needed to get his head on straight, or is the light bulb moment where he realizes he needs to pass the torch onwards. There is no shame in subject matter becoming too much as time goes on. There is shame in letting a previously critical series become the very thing it was criticizing.
He is going to keep getting dragged until he realizes that or he manages to convince the fans to be complicit in the degradation of setting. In doing so he is going to lose Bethesda most of its biggest fans who well and truly love the series and what it stands for.
But that's just my take, and I'm just a kid who studies polisci and history and can't shield myself from the inherent horror of nuclear war no matter how much I try.
War really never changes
#fallout#fallout 4#fo4#fallout new vegas#fallout 3#fallout 2#fallout tv series#fallout tv show#emil pagliarulo#bethesda
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Okay it's after 1am and I've had a lot of wine so obviously it's time for a late night wall-of-text post, but this time it's less likely to piss off your weird uncle or whatever because once again, I gotta talk about the best $4.99 a month I've ever spent.
Please, if you haven't yet, I'm begging you to look into all of the incredible content available on the Dropout.tv streaming service (formerly known as College Humor) . Not only did Whose Line Is It Anyway's Wayne Brady say that the Dropout crew are the only ones doing improv comedy on the same level as Whose Line, but they were also one of the only studios/streaming services allowed to work during the writers' strike because their contracts went above and beyond industry standards. (And, from my own observations, Dropout LOVES hiring queer, trans/nonbinary, and BIPOC performers + crew. Obviously I don't know much about the industry, but they seem like one of the most inclusive companies in Hollywood.)
"Alex, thanks for the recommendation! What shows do they have that you think I'll like?" Oh, you're asking me to gush about my favorite tv shows? Don't mind if I do!!!
Are you D&D curious, but took one look at actual play shows like Critical Role and thought "6 hours an episode? and there's like 750 episodes or whatever? oh baby not my adhd ass..." Don't worry, me too (sorry CR I love you I promise). But Dropout has a show called "Dimension 20" where comedians play Dungeons and Dragons with emotional, immersive storytelling, gut-busting laughs, and spectacular set design that makes you forget it's a fully improvised series controlled by the roll of the dice. They even did a miniseries perfect for D&D beginners called "Dungeons and Drag Queens" where absolute novices and Drag Race royalty Jujubee, Monet X Change, Alaska Thunderfuck, and Bob the Drag Queen embark on an adventure full of mystery, intrigue, and stupidity. I mean, Alaska plays a muscle-bound, axe-wielding, caveman-grunting Orc named Princess, what more could you want? Plus, the primary game master Brennan Lee Mulligan is so easy on the eyes. Oh, you're not into dorky ginger dudes? How about Aabria Iyengar, a 6 foot tall goddess who's equally as nerdy as Brennan but loves basketball. that's right, if nothing else, there's eye candy for every person in every season.
"Oh, why aren't there any good game shows on TV?" you wonder, wishing that the Game Show Network could come up with something that isn't a lame remake of a free-to-play phone game. Well how about Game Changer, "the only game show where the game changes every show (except for [...] Game of Games, Taskmaster, and a few others that have come to light AFTER [Game Changer first aired]. That's right, [the] players have no idea what game it is they're about to play. The only way to learn is by playing, the only way to win is by learning, and the only way to begin is by beginning." And yes, I did sit there and watch the beginning of an episode to make sure I was accurately quoting Game Changer host (and Dropout CEO) Sam Reich's description of his flaghship game show that has THREE separate spin-offs. (for context, he only mentions the other shows that copied his in the one episode I pulled up to get an accurate quote. could you imagine how uncomfortable it would be if he said that every episode? hah!)
Are you more of a traditional Whose Line fan? Look no further than Game Changer spin-off Make Some Noise, where contestants act out "improvisational prompts that [they have] never seen before, isn't that right contestants?" ("We won't know if we've seen them before or not until we see them!" Brennan insists every time he's on...)
You like musicals but wish they were less... ya know, scripted? Check out "Play It By Ear", a fully improvised musical! (you may be familiar with its primary cast members Jess McKenna and Zach Reino from the podcast that inspired it all, "Off Book: the Improvised Musical Podcast with Zach and Jess")
Or maybe you're more into trivia, cuz you're a total nerd like me (and every single performer that's ever appeared on dropout.tv). How about "Umm, Actually" where contestants are given an incorrect statement and have to buzz in to correct it - but you have to say "Umm, Actually" first!
Straight up, you can't go wrong on Dropout. Please, check it out. They're nearly doubling the amount of original shows they have in 2024, and no other streaming service is doing it like them. If I haven't convinced you yet, get the 7 day trial and give em a chance. There's no referral code I can give you that gives me some sort of kickback or whatever, I genuinely wrote what looks like a thousand word essay about Dropout at 1am just because I love them so much.
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#dropout.tv#umm actually#dimension 20#make some noise#game changer#brennan lee mulligan#aabria iyengar#for a late night wine-fueled rant on a broken keyboard i think this went well#actually i feel so guilty about my CR dig because i loved Exandria Calamity so much so please dont yell at me#also google said quiddie is exactly 6 feet i hope i did her justice
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I haven’t seen it as much online these days, but when season one was still airing, I often saw criticism that the batch, other than perhaps Hunter and Omega, ‘lacked character depth.’
It was something I didn’t think too much about at the time, but now, on my final re-watch of the whole show before the final season begins (😭) I couldn’t disagree more.
Sure, as there is so much action and plot occurring during the series premiere Aftermath, there is not much screen-time remaining to dedicate towards the emotional depth of the characters.
However, I’m a huge fan of the ways writers can use unconventional methods to show audiences the traits and roles of characters; As the bad batch are soldiers in every sense of the word, I believe there is no better way to highlight their individual personalities and talents than to show it through their battle strategy.
So, if you’re like me and love both star wars and unnecessarily in-depth analysis, I present…
Aftermath’s battle simulation: How one scene reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, and possibly foreshadows later events in the series.
(Part 1)
Across all star wars projects, the empire is always presented from above (in the context of The Bad Batch, think of the broadcast of Palpatine shown to the clones earlier during Aftermath, Raven’s Peak towering over the cloud cover on Eriadu, and Mount Tantiss surging over the natural jungle on Weyland). During the battle simulation, Tarkin watches from the viewing platform above the training ground, suggesting this scene will illustrate how the batch will respond to the new power of the empire.
When the team first enter the training ground, Hunter is the only one without his helmet on - he is already more humanized than the rest of his brothers. Of all the team, Hunter is the one who looks most like a ‘regular’ clone, despite his obvious attempts otherwise. He understands the importance of humanizing himself and his brothers - when he tries to save Caleb on Kaller, he removes his helmet in an attempt to get through to him. In this scene, Hunter only puts on his helmet and regains his status as a soldier when it is clear that a battle is about to begin. Even this small action could be interpreted as showing that being a soldier is not what Hunter truly wants, whereas the rest of his brothers are satisfied to continue in the way of life they have always known.
Once the battle begins, Hunter gives his brothers no instructions besides ‘You know what to do.’ Even as their leader, he trusts his team enough to know that they will succeed without his direct intervention. Even without a clear approach in mind, they all fall into places without any preamble - showing that Hunter is correct in his assessment of the situation, and that his brothers know each other well enough to do so without guidance.
The positioning of each member at the beginning of the battle is also important- as they move to the barrier, Echo, Crosshair and Hunter go left, while Wrecker and Tech go right, as seen below.
These positions could be indicative of their current roles within the squad at its peak. For example, the split between the right and left side could represent their difference standards of morals. Hunter, Echo, and Crosshair have, at this point in the series, been shown to be the most complex and strong willed members of the team - it is clear what each one of them believes in, and each one of them is unafraid to speak up when something goes against their personal moral code. This this shown prior to this point during Aftermath, as most of the discussion over Order 66 is between this trio, while Wrecker and Tech seem to be simply going through the motions rather than challenging them.
This is not to say that Tech and Wrecker do not also each have strong personalities, but so far they are much more focused on their individual interests than the morality of their lives as soldiers and their prospective roles in the formation of the new empire.
In this formation, Hunter is caught in the middle of all of his brothers, a position he is often placed in during group shots throughout the series. In this scene however, he is closely drawn to Crosshair’s side. Hunter’s reaction to Omega has shown that he has complex feelings about children being on Kamino, likely an attitude he has formed due to his own upbringing on the planet. It can be assumed by CT numbers that Crosshair (CT-9904) is the youngest of the batch, explaining the close yet intense relationship shared between him and Hunter.
Echo is also on the left side, but remains on the outside of the group. This could be interpreted as Echo simply arriving late to the batch and their having to reform this battle strategy to include him, but I prefer to think of it as a way to highlight Echo’s continued isolation, even amongst his brothers.
The placement of Crosshair between Echo and Hunter is also interesting. Echo, who has always been very focused on rules and regulations, and Hunter, the leader of a squad who openly flaunt their ability to break them. This positioning could be indicative of Crosshair feeling torn between two places, and his emotional conflict due to the effects of the inhibitor chip.
Located on the right side, Wrecker and Tech are both much more placid and easygoing. They are both often involved in childish bickering (as is Crosshair), but these two are never typically involved in intense conflict as the others are. As shown by the batch’s first appearance in The Clone Wars, Wrecker can be quick to anger when his brothers are threatened, but is easily dissuaded from violence by Hunter. Meanwhile, Tech is attempting to stop the fight from occurring in the first place, and is seemingly averse to conflict unless he deems the situation to be inescapable without it (e.g. the cafeteria fight).
Wrecker and Hunter are technically next to one another, but there is a huge space between them. To me, this gap represents the difference in their personalities as a result of their upbringing. Wrecker truly symbolizes the more easygoing, often-childlike comedic character, while Hunter is burdened by his concerns and responsibilities for his family. The pair were shown to have a closer relationship during their arc in The Clone Wars, with Hunter joining in with the jokes and antics of his younger brothers, and assuring Wrecker that he will beat Crosshair’s kill count during their next mission. In this scene, the space between them could foreshadow the upcoming degradation of their relationship due to the rise of the empire.
Tech is also on the outside of the group, but on the complete opposite side to Echo. Interestingly, since their very first meeting, Tech and Echo have been shown to have quickly developed a close relationship, with Tech being the main clone (other than Rex) to liberate Echo from captivity. The pair being on opposite sides likely is due to their similar technical skillsets but opposing ways off approaching situations- Echo is shown to possess a great deal of tact and patience when it comes to other characters such as Omega, whereas Tech can come across as nonchalant and uncaring at times. These positions also highlight how these two are the most independent of the group, both of them having no issues in leaving to compete missions alone.
#the bad batch#the bad batch season 3#star wars spoilers#star wars#star wars analysis#star wars the clone wars#tbb crosshair#tbb hunter#sw tbb#star wars tbb#tbb wrecker#tbb echo#tbb tech
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Do you ever think about water 7 and remember how many fans (way too many fans...) completely misunderstand Usopp's character and feelings towards Merry and reduce it to "he was only attached because Kaya gave them the ship" and forget that we are explicitly told that he sees himself in Merry and also later on we found out he heard Merry say she wanted to take them further, so we KNOW just how much Usopp saw her as another nakama (I know they all did, but he SAW and heard her first) and no wonder he didnt want to just get rid of her, do you ever remember that and want to cry?
Also I get that Usopp said hurtful things, and went against the captain, but if he hadnt Merry wouldnt have been able to save them... I always feel like Zoro was too rough on Usopp but I don't know, maybe I'm misremebering because Usopp haters always use Zoro's speech to say that Usopp was in the wrong or whatever (and it drives me INSANE ooh 😤 makes my blood boil)
I should rewatch Water 7...
Also unrelated but what are Merry's official pronouns?
Oh boy do I ever think about Water 7. I’ve posted about this before but Usopp’s reasons are numerous and just build on top of each other. Not only is it because of Kaya and seeing the Merry as a crew member and seeing himself in the Merry but it also is because of his own trauma and insecurities and abandonment issues. There’s a lot there and it all exploded out in a messy argument and is just…so sad and emotional and I don’t think anyone in universe (including Usopp himself) have still even know parsed out all of that complexity yet.
I think a lot of fan reaction here is victim to the point of view of the narrative. Luffy is our protagonist and the rest of the main characters are his crew, and that means certain expectations of loyalty. He’s the boss, which means they have to follow his rules. Which, you know, is fair enough: if you want to stay, you follow the rules that the boss sets. However, I think a lot of what actually goes on here is accepted at face value and not considered further critically. While Usopp’s actions here were wrong from the perspective of the hierarchy established on the crew, as well as from a personal standpoint because of some of the things that were said, they were also right from another point of view. Usopp’s argument here was that the Merry was a crew member, as alive as any of the rest of them. And, canonically, he’s fully correct. Luffy’s argument is that the Merry can’t take them further, which is also correct. They were both right, but the communication breakdown also means they were both wrong. And Usopp got most of the blowback because of narrative perspective, and because of the fact that he is not the captain and therefore is not going to receive the same loyalty in decisions that Luffy does.
Zoro is a character that is very much a vehicle for this narrative perspective: he is a strong believer in the ship hierarchy and believes that following it to the letter is not only the morally right thing to do, but also is the only way they will survive the journey to come. Is he right? The narrative certainly seems to direct us to that. But at the end of the day it’s just a certain perspective on how things work. Usopp here went against the loyalty that Zoro holds so dearly (and to Luffy in particular) and therefore Zoro felt it was his duty to set them (and him especially) straight. But again, this is very much from the perspective I mentioned above.
I think examining it further, like I said, shows that both Usopp and Luffy were right, but went wrong in how they communicated how each felt. Luffy may be the boss, and his word may be law in the ship, but I think as the boss he has the added responsibility to deescalate and manage his crew, and communicate to them his expectations clearly. Usopp failed here to control his insecurities and succumbed to them. Luffy here failed in his capacity as a leader in communication and deescalation, especially since he most certainly does not want to be an iron fist type leader. However, I don’t think that element of Luffy’s failure is discussed enough in and out of universe, which is also why I always say that I wish the crew challenged him and his decisions more.
With regards to Merry’s pronouns, I think she/her? I’m unsure though, if anyone can confirm that.
#that all goes to the way loyalty is portrayed in one piece#but that’s a whole other conversation#one piece#op#usopp#speaks#asks#water 7#monkey d luffy#roronoa zoro
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Whoa whoa I think I missed some stuff, is it okay to hate TW and how he ruined Thor now? I've been bitter about his treatment of the mcu and his attitude for years but never expected to see any mainstream agreement, what did I miss! (If u don't mind me asking, you seem to have better kept up with marvel stuff than I've been able to lol)
haha it's become mainstream to hate on waititi now, friend. we will not be publicly executed the way we'd have been back in 2017 when thor3 released.
i'm not sure how this came about tho. thor4 released and everyone suddenly decided that they will hate on it FOR THE SAME THINGS THEY LOVED THOR3. i don't understand this. make it make sense. the one reason people give for this is - the humor was balanced in thor3 but not in thro4. it is NOT TRUE AT ALL and these people should get some critical thinking instead of regurgitating sexist youtubers.
also, his attitude during thor4 was also picked upon by people to be unacceptable - calling thor's gf useless and boring, saying he set out to make a film that fans would hate and daring them to hate on it, saying he wanted to put cancer jokes in the film, and crapping on the vfx artists who worked to death on his trash film.
anyway, the general consensus of thor4 was that people surely want to see thor again but not at waititi at the helm at any cost. so, marvel kicked him out. fans rejoiced. moreover, marvel specifically wants the next film to be as far away from his 2 films as possible. fans rejoiced even more at this.
waititi had stated his ideas for the future of thor's story during thor4, implying he'll be stuck to thor forever. but then he also said that he'll only come back if chris does, implying that marvel will have to beg him to give his genius to them again and also take care of this side actor mr. hemsworth.
all this came back to bite him when he was unceremoniously discarded. since then, he has went in an overdrive trying to have the last word at any cost. first, saying he knew he won't be invited back and he doesn't care because he has so many films in his kitty anyway. second, backtracking and saying he said no to marvel actually. and third, saying he only made thor3 for money, taking a dig at superhero films in the process and saying he's above them.
this act in particular has incited fans the most. even people who didn't hate on him have now started calling out his sore loser act. this is why you're seeing a serious uptick of people hating on him and his beloved thor3. :)
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(tw for racism, pedophilia, transphobia, child impregnation mention)
yeah idk why y'all read this
i was originally going to just post this and have some tags with my reasonings, but i realized that opens me up to too much bullshit from people who may think i'm being unnecessarily mean or whatever. so i'm going to explain exactly why the screenshots above are something i hold issue with.
firstly, and i just want to get this out of the way, this post is not intended to be a hit piece against the creator. i've seen how she reacts to any mild-mannered or slightly joking criticism, so i know this post is probably going to not land well. but it isn't my intention to make her mad or anything--she's writing a piece of content for the internet, which means she is just as open to criticism as any other poster. and what i intend to go into in this post is criticism. i'm allowed to do this, as that is the nature of the internet. people are allowed to critique whatever they please, and if you don't want critique then you shouldn't post. simple as!
i am also making no attempts to posit myself as better than the creator. i'm not doing this for clout or moral superiority or any of that dumb shit. i simply want to discuss something that's been bothering me for a bit, while simultaneously warning people who haven't read this yet (who may be sensitive to the issues above) to steer clear. if things like casual racism or transphobia aren't properly tagged, then readers who are affected by such things run a risk reading this! same goes with people who are triggered by lewd content involving minors. i wanna make sure people are getting a more critical scope of this work than what has been hoisted up by others.
okay, now that i've gotten that out of the way, i'm going to get into my points.
firstly, the subtle and not-so-subtle racism throughout this fic, especially in relation to serizawa. i'm white, so there is only so much i can speak on without trampling over the words of other fans of color, but some of this feels so blatant it's odd it hasn't been noted earlier. it's important to note before i go into it that serizawa is specifically written as half-black half-japanese for this fic, in case the screenshots don't make it abundantly clear. but there are just too many moments of casual racism in this fic. i'm not talking about the plot point of serizawa being bullied as a kid for being mixed; i'm not mixed, so i can't speak on the accuracy there but it is well-known that black people face a lot of racism in japan. i'm talking about how it seems everyone else has these racist moments that aren't acknowledged by serizawa or the narration as being bad.
reigen hypothesizing over serizawa's exact ethnic background is just strange. yes he's a fairly observant guy (he has to be, with his job), but there is no canonical evidence to suggest he would immediately jump to theorizing whether serizawa is american or not. and the way it's posed in that first quote--"he has darker skin and the kind of hair texture that would likely indicate African ancestry"--is not great. that's an extremely inappropriate way to bring up someone's race. i don't think most people would stare at someone and be like "hmmm well your nose shape and hair texture would suggest you're of this race". it's racial essentialization that is only slightly covered up by the excuse of "oh he tweets in english". there are some other smaller moments of questionable wording, like calling serizawa's afro "sloppy" when it isnt (which btw there's another issue with the creator only referring to an afro as a "fro". it's a hairstyle; you're allowed to use the actual name of it). even if reigen cuts his hair in canon, he never states it's because serizawa's afro looks sloppy. (also there's something to be said about the casual racism baked into making your employee cut his natural hairstyle for a job, as that is a very real issue many black people face when wearing their natural hair or even protective styles in the workplace.)
i'm especially bothered by toichiro's very casual racist remarks. toichiro in this fic is a general bother of mine (most of which can be boiled down to "he would not fucking say that"), but the way she chooses to characterize him in relation to serizawa feels gross. calling a black man a slave should be a very obvious red flag, but also saying serizawa (again, as a black man) has a "brutal masculine appeal" is also extremely stereotypical and racist. and really there is just no need for it; toichiro's actions in canon prove how shitty of a guy he is without the need for him to be racist (along with other things i'll get to in a bit). as my girlfriend put it: he doesn't need to be a member of the fucking kkk to show he's a bad guy.
there's also, again, the very casual racist remark of calling serizawa a "dog". i don't care if that isn't the intent; when you are writing a character of color you need to be aware of your wording, even in insults (unless she intended to make tsuchiya racist, which i don't think she did).
secondly, the eugenics/child pregnancy bit. it is surreal to even have to write this, but i seriously do not understand the purpose of either of these bits in the story. they are so minor yet so jarring you can't help but wonder why they're there. once again, i do not think you need to have toichiro doing esper eugenics just to prove he is an evil guy. he has nuance, and by making him casually reference child pregnancy (like that isn't an INSANE thing to say) reduces that nuance to nothing. that's the only reason i could see why that bit was included: to make toichiro look worse. but, even still, the author is running the risk of potentially triggering victims of csa or people who don't want to see that by not properly tagging the mention of it (or, at the very least, warning readers in the intro notes). the only other explanation for it would maybe be shock factor??? but that's a pretty shitty thing to use for shock factor, if i'm honest. also the fact that the esper eugenics was referenced again in a more recent chapter just has me very disturbed and confused. there isn't a canonical explanation for why we see less espers who are women than espers who are men, but that doesn't mean we need to jump to fucking Eugenics. it's weird!
thirdly (and this is probably one of my biggest problems and the main reason i wanted to make this post), the weirdly lewd/sexual language shou uses constantly, along with referring to reigen as a pedo or a creep at several points. frankly, i think it's pretty fucking gross for someone in their near-40's to be writing a 12-year-old talking so casually about sex like that's normal. which, i'm sorry, but it's not. yes, teens know about sex and like to joke about lewd shit. but a 12-year-old is not about to make references to a grown man's virginity. 12-year-olds draw dicks on their desk bc they think it's funny. 12-year-olds say the word "buttfuck" because it has the words "butt" and "fuck" in it, and those are the two funniest words on earth to a kid that age. i literally do not understand the purpose of having shou be so lewd all the time. for one, it doesn't make sense for his character. shou is shown time and time again to be extremely mature for his age, but that maturity extends to shit like assembling a counter-terrorism unit and extending a hand to his father to allow him to try again. and even then he's still just as naive as any other kid his age! the omake where he's telling his guys to go to the "far right corner" based on ritsu’s advice proves that he still has plenty of blindspots that are indicative of his age. leaning into this raunchy, lewd version of shou is just weird. and, again, i think it is made a bit weirder given the author's age!!! not ageshaming or whatever--i'm 23 and i write fanfic, clearly i cannot judge there--but it is just extremely inappropriate in my opinion. also having shou be more versed in sextalk than serizawa is odd too and speaks to a larger issue of serizawa's infantilzation throughout this fic, but that's something i can get into in another post if people want an explanation.
also, the way she constantly calls reigen a creep and even has him being accused of being a pedophile during the twitter cancellation is extremely inappropriate when, again, there is NO CANONICAL BASIS FOR THIS! everyone just calls him a fraud and a scammer during separation arc; there is never a reference to reigen being seen as a pedophile in that arc. and, yes, while there are versions of mob psycho where reigen is very clearly written as a creep (looking very specifically at the netflix adaptation), that doesn't mean it's good. honestly, the creep mentions all just feel like really poor jokes that do not land in the slightest.
finally, the transphobia (aka WHY IS SHIMAZAKI A CHASER). i literally do not know what else to say other than: why? why is this a thing? why is he a chaser? what is the purpose of this? is it a joke? i feel like it's supposed to be, but seeing as the author is cis i don't think that's a joke she should really be making. it not only comes out of left field, but it's just kind of a weird thing to ascribe to a character for no reason. not to mention, it's uncomfortable! trans women deal with enough creepy antics from cis men in real life--why must they be accosted by this guy too? it's just weird and uncomfortable.
i wanna round out this post by saying, once again, that i'm not trying to attack anyone with this post. but i do hope people come away from this with a new perspective on this work, and maybe think twice before recommending it uncritically to someone. to the author specifically, i hope you can read my post without rage or indignance blinding you. i might be a little blunt or rude in parts, but it's only because i'm passionate and i don't mince my words when it comes to things i'm passionate about. to the readers, understand i am not judging you for reading this fic without noticing these things. your own life experiences will give you certain blindspots and there's nothing wrong with that. i have plenty of blindspots of my own! it's what makes us human.
there is more i could say, but this post is long enough. i ask that if you come to me in my inbox or in dms about this that you treat me with respect, as i will do that for you. writing something like this took a lot out of me, as i'm usually not so open about my opinion on shit like this.
have a good day :-)
#mp100#side quest#yeah this is all from <- that fic btw#ive been sitting on this for about a week or so bc ive been nervous abt posting something like this#i dont want people to think im making a callout post just to call shit out#im doing this bc i dont want people to get triggered by this content and because i want fans to be more critical of the content they consum#media literacy is something A LOT of fandoms struggle with and it leads to things being praised uncritically#i simply want people to have perspective when going into a thing#anyways uh. goodbye <3#edit: took the tw tags off bc tumblr was suppressing the post bc of it#so PLEASE heed the warning at the top if u have specific triggers and things
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top five moments of 6x02 ♡
OMG I CAN ONLY PICK FIVE?? OK LET’S GO:
lie detector (tim’s ily) — I think this moment is my favourite part of the episode by far, because first off you have the question about the bugs which was SOOOO cute and so encapsulating of chenford’s relationship that it had me giggling at my tv and twirling my hair lol. but then lucy takes the time to seek out confirmation of his love out of her own will, not because she needed to be proven right but because she wanted to hear it 🥹 and he immediately says yes! he loves her! we finally get to hear it and the lie detector shows it’s true and it’s just so gratifying for chenford fans to finally get this
cop cutie! cute and on duty! — GUYS I KNOW IT’S CORNY BUT HATERS WILL HATE, DADDY COP IS A BANGER!! this was so funny and such an earworm— and to those saying they thought it was an old episode when it opened on that scene, lemme just say SAME lol— but then to up the ante by pulling out the choir as if literally singing for and rejoicing the 100th episode was just so perfect and classic rookie: a little hokey but well executed and fun and all around heartfelt. 10/10 I need it on spotify right now.
if I ain’t got you by alicia keys (lucy’s ily) — okay I’m scared some of you chenford girlies are going to tar and feather me for not putting this at number 1 or 2 but HEAR ME OUT: I’ve expressed my problems about this temporary argument solution!! I think this whole scene is so gorgeous for so so so many reasons: lucy and tim dancing as a couple for the first time, the matching outfits, the kiss, ugh all PERFECT I love my babies 🥹❤️ that being said, I don’t like how so much of the resolution/peace between them relied on tim being completely in the wrong when I feel like it’s a more nuanced issue than that and denies lucy any opportunity to critically reflect on her own feelings about this. and also, it does seem weird to me that she wouldn’t have said ‘I love you’ back to tim when he first said it?? they smile at each other but then they’re back to looking awkwardly from afar at the wedding (prior to this scene of course) and so I’m a bit uneasy at the implication (which the writers did not necessarily add on purpose) that lucy’s ily depended on him admitting he was wrong in any way. but idk maybe I’m just being too nitpicky here, I still ADOREEE THIS SCENE FOREVER AND EVER I want it on my grave k thanks
tim down on one knee — need I say more?? this imagery of him on his knee with the ring staring up at lucy was a glimpse at chenford’s future and it was such cute teasing, god I love writers and showrunners when they add messy fun little teaser moments like this! plus tim totally kicked ass, all covered in blood and ready to pass out, and ah, I do always say the best kind of lust is bloodlust 😌
bailan wedding vows — I actually cannot believe the day has come where a bailan moment is in my top 5 episode moments but these wedding vows showed me how the writers are finally able to articulate what works about them as a couple!! with someone as impressive and as versatile and skilled as bailey, I think literally any other man would feel threatened or emasculated, but nolan really is just Some Guy™️ who’s really into her and obsessed with her and is very sturdy ground for her to come home to. I wish we dove more into her past as a survivor of abuse because I feel like that previous situation informs so much of why she loves john even though, let’s be real: she’s eons above his league holy shit it’s not even funny how out of his league she is. but also she could never be with anyone else! she really just loves him and they have such a nice soft relationship which the wedding really sold me on. I liked it a lot even though I had my qualms about her and him as individuals and together.
honourable mention to wade and luna because I love them so much y’all they are adorable!! anyways, here’s my list and lmk if you agree
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Star Child Part 4
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
They arrived at the green room for the little dive bar they were playing at the next day. They always sold out stadiums, but this was a way for them to give back to the dive bars that got them their start.
Sitting among the swaths of things mentioned in their rider was a bouquet of flowers.
Jeff turned to the owner, Jess. “Hey, what’s this? We said no fan gifts in the green room.”
“I wasn’t sure where else to put it,” she said with a shrug. “Because it’s not from a fan. Or at least not the usual kind.”
Eddie walked over to the flowers and picked them. Inside the black tissue paper were some of the most beautiful black and dark red flowers he’d ever seen. There was a card.
-Eddie
Good luck, in case I miss the concert.
Steve
And there was a little heart next to his name.
“Oh.”
Jess smiled. “So I was right, not the usual fan.”
The other three members crowded over Eddie’s shoulder and read the note.
Gareth looked up at her and grinned. “Nope, you were so right. This a suitor for the fair Eddie.”
Eddie smacked his arm. “Fuck off, man.”
“So is he going to try to come to the concert then?” Brian asked, pointing to card.
“That’s what it looks like,” Jeff said.
Eddie leaned around his friends to look at Jess. “But I thought it was sold out.”
“It is,” Jess agreed. “But if he bought a ticket before hand, he’s going to get in, right?”
Eddie just frowned. Steve didn’t seem to know about the concert tonight when they talked yesterday.
“He bought me flowers.”
He cheeks turned as red as the roses.
Brian just squeezed his shoulder.
“Come on, man,” he said. “Let’s get set up.”
*
Eddie kept an eye out on the crowd looking for any pop stars in tight leather pants, but to no avail.
So with a pout he slunk back to the green room and there sitting on the ratty neon green sofa was Steve Harrington.
He gave them a dorky little wave.
Jeff laughed. “How the hell, man?”
Steve turned on his cheesiest grin. “Jess and I went to high school together.”
Jess came in behind the band and glared at him. “And if you tell them anything else, do not forget I have still have our eighth grade year book.”
Steve’s grin turned feral. “I don’t have to tell them anything, sweetheart. Or did you forget Corroded Coffin are Hawkins High boys, too?”
Jess circled around them, eyeing them critically. “I think I’d remember those hot asses.”
Gareth laughed. “We were sophomores when you were a senior, well except Eddie here.”
“What the hell were you doing hanging out with sophomores?” Jess asked.
“Trying to graduate for billionth time,” Eddie groused. “I was the year above you, your year, and the year after you.”
“And then we made it big and didn’t matter anymore,” Brian said, clapping Eddie on the back.
“We all still graduated,” Jeff said. “We made sure of that.”
“Lucky you,” Steve said with a pained smile.
“What?”
The whole band turned to Steve.
He shrugged. “I have my GED, but I never actually graduated. I was too busy learning dance moves and trying to keep my falsetto.”
“Thank fuck that didn’t last long,” Gareth said flopping on the couch next to Steve.
“What the dance moves or the falsetto?” Steve asked bumping him with his shoulder.
“The falsetto, man,” Jeff agreed. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have got that kick ass performance two nights ago.”
Jess moved further into the room. “What’s this? I didn’t know you guys performed together.”
Steve and Eddie pulled out their phones but Eddie was faster, pulling up the video of the “Low Key in Love” portion of the concert.
And Jess watched as Steve started the song. And then her eyebrows went up and she glanced at Steve who ducked his head blushing.
And then it got to the end and she stared at him open mouthed. “Holy shit dude. Why are you still doing bubblegum pop?”
“That’s what I want to know!” Jeff said.
“Contract.” Steve’s smile had gone and a mask shuttered his features.
Eddie frowned and then realized why.
“Sometimes you’ve got walk before you can run,” Eddie said putting his phone away. “And when you do release that kickass alt rock album, give me a call, I want in.”
Steve’s expression cleared to something resembling hope. “Yeah? I’d like that. A lot.”
*
The guys were in the green room clearing up their stuff, so Jess and Steve left them to it.
“Those boys know what you are?” she asked, popping a cap off a beer and sliding it over to him.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Steve said, scraping the label with his fingernail.
“Steve,” Jess said, low. “A lot of us figured you for gay or at the very least bisexual.”
Steve’s head rocked up in shock. “What?”
“I don’t know how you thought you were being subtle,” Jess said opening up a beer for herself. “You were eyeing Billy’s ass as often as you were eyeing Nancy’s tits.”
Steve blushed.
“So I’m gonna ask again,” Jess said, leaning on the bar. “Do those boys know what you are?”
Steve huffed out a laugh. “I’d sure hope so. I’m flirting with their lead singer.”
Jess boggled. “You’re Steve, the Steve that sent the flowers?”
Steve grinned.
“That’s right,” Gareth said, coming up from behind. “Steve-o here sent our Eddie flowers.”
“And what flowers they were,” Eddie agreed. “Very metal.”
Steve laughed again. “That’s a good thing I hope.”
“The best,” Eddie said with a wink.
“Beers for all you boys?” Jess asked.
“I’d kill for a cocktail,” Brian said. “Not sure what I’m in the mood for, but I want something sweet.”
Steve chuckled. “I know how to make one cocktail. Learned for an girlfriend who loved them.”
Jess raised an eyebrow. “This I’ve got to see.” She stepped out from behind the bar and bowed.
Steve laughed.
“All you boys wanna try this or am I just making one for Brian?” he said as he slid easily behind the bar, looking around for what he needed. “Where are your glasses?”
Jess pointed them out and looked over his shoulder. Everyone agreed to try Steve’s little cocktail so he got out four glasses. Poured the tequila, orange juice and the grenadine making a beautiful color gradient in the glass.
Everyone grabbed a glass and downed the drink.
Jeff began coughing. “Holy shit, dude, that is way too sweet.”
Gareth shrugged. “It’s not bad, but it’s not my thing.”
Brian grabbed their glasses and hoarded them. “I’ll take them then. Mine!”
Everyone laughed.
Steve turned to Eddie. “So what did you think?”
Eddie looked him in the eyes. “It’s good. Not something I’d order myself. But if I was handed it to me a party I wouldn’t turn it down.”
“Fair enough,” Steve said.
“So what’s it called?” Jeff asked. “The Harrington special?”
“Fuck no,” Steve said with a laugh. “It was invented in the 70s.”
“You going to tell us what it is, then, big boy?” Eddie teased.
“I don’t want to say, it’s embarrassing.”
Jess laughed. “I’d say. So cliche, man.” She slapped the bar. “You learned it for an ex girlfriend, should I guess the one?”
“No, no, nope,” Eddie said, waving his hands. “I don’t want to know. Let me enjoy the drink.”
Jess laughed and Steve blushed.
“You can look it up,” Steve mumbled. “It’s the second fill in when you start typing in tequila.”
The boys hurried to pull out their phones. One by one they started laughing when they got their answer.
Eddie rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. “Hey Siri.”
“Yes?” came the robotic voice.
“What is the drink called with orange juice, tequila, and grenadine?”
“A tequila sunrise.”
Eddie slowly licked his lips. “Thanks, Siri.”
Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16
Tag List: @failedstarsandgoldenclouds @novelnovella @anything-thats-rock-and-roll @gleek4twd @gregre369 @whatthemeepever @cutepumpkin4 @spectrum-spectre @livelaughlexa @ohlook-afrog @linkydinky06 @goodolefashionedloverboi @moonshadows-13 @eboyawstenn @avacrebs @bejeweledbaby
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this is a general point but one thing i find to be really frustrating from non-talia fans is the automatic condescension and assumption of unintelligence as if talia fans are idiots who believe morrison is the only writer who has ever been racist to her and like we don't dwell on the issues in her writing across history wholesale because we tend to know it like the back of our hand. obv morrison is the most prevalent writer in talia discourse bc their work has been the most damning for her. there's no erasing what they did to her character bc dc will never erase damian's existence nor will they ever be willing to change his origins to account for her original characterization bc he's the more popular character by miles
but that's not to say that these discussions about other racist stereotypes and misogyny attributed to her portrayals from other writers aren't prevalent within talia fan circles. the above post is only one example of the assumptions made about her fans (although it's a common accusation) but i honestly find it quite laughable bc any talia fan who is dedicated to understanding her history and maintaining her character integrity is well aware that dixon's work on her in the 90s and early 00s is nothing short of terrible. it is her most prominent dragon lady portrayal prior to morrison's and you would be hard pressed to find a talia fan who actually enjoys any of those portrayals or believes they did her character any service. the thing op and so many others seem to ignore is that writers from tower of babel and onward more or less forgot about these arcs or talia's part in them bc her impact was so inconsequential. there's not even a hint of the talia who was power hungry to be her father's heir or sexually assaulted by bane in the portrayals written by waid and early 00s superman comics (although you can obv argue about whether ignorance of her trauma from the bane arc was a good thing). so ofc we don't complain about it as much bc it didn't have any long lasting effects on her character (unless you want to count her portrayal in the dark knight rises, but i think even that was egregious enough for the most wormbrained fans to recognize it was a disservice to her)
and i am always incredibly fascinated by the number of people who like to dress up the o'neil era the way op did bc it's an immediate tell for who's actually read her comics and who hasn't. there's certainly things to be said about the al ghuls and the fu manchu stereotypes o'neil and adams drew from to create the daddy-daughter duo, but no one who criticizes their holistic portrayals here ever seems to actually understand the nature of their crimes in this era or that this is perhaps the most tame ra's has ever been before writers in the 80s and 90s took his ecofascism to new heights. the ra's of the 70s is highly suspicious and wealthy and entitled, but most of his crimes are so vague and far flung they can't even be categorized as anything concrete. half the time he's fighting for control over the league more than he is actually making strides in ecofascism, which is what writers like mike w. barr more specifically dedicated themselves to portraying. it's also notable that one of the last stories o'neil wrote for the al ghuls in this era featured ra's and bruce cooperating to save the entire planet from a deadly chemical. ra's was an ecofascist at origins but very few people seem to understand or care that he was built with standards for himself and didn't believe in mass murdering humanity despite all of its crimes against the earth. that's a nuance that writers seem to have lost over the years and obv the every day batman fan isn't going to care about them lol
even beyond the ra's portrayal though it's interesting how talia gets tied so closely into his alleged "crimes" from this era bc unless her father is under threat or imprisoned talia doesn't play much of an active role in his criminal plotting at all. if anything that's a criticism talia fans have of o'neil's work bc while she's portrayed to be incredibly intelligent and possessive of a unique concept of loyalty, her role during this era doesn't really go beyond the bounds of henchwoman or on some occasions bystander. but the highlight of these portrayals is that in the rare moments that she is an active player, it's always to do the right thing and protect an innocent. talia is very staunchly anti murder and only inclined towards the act when people she cares about are threatened (like in her very first portrayal where she shot darrk to protect bruce, and even then, you can tell that murder wasn't her intent, and the man may have survived had he not fallen onto the train tracks; there is also her almost-murder of a man in daughter of the demon when she believes he's killed ra's, but once bruce tells her ra's is actually alive she relents. you can criticize her for that still if you're inclined to but the notable thing about it is that talia is not driven to murder as a prerogative unless extremes present themselves). o'neil explicitly designates her as a pacifist who is only chained to ra's out of a slavish devotion which other writers obv build on in later decades to help her ultimately evolve out of the role. but all too often non-talia fans take the bond girl ambience and surface matter of these stories to designate her as an entitled, heartless war criminal bc that's already the way they have of her from modern work, projected back onto work from the past. there's no room to see the nuances in her writing in earlier comics bc her future has already damned her
this is personally why i think paying attention to writers when building a concept of character history is so impt. swaths of issues get jumbled together to act as one conglomerate on a character but there's a plethora of nuances and shifts in tone and portrayal to notice when the work of different writers is distinguished from each other and analyzed. and that holds esp true for non-white characters whose trajectory can shift so suddenly bc of the biases of a writer
#talia al ghul#ra's al ghul#personal essays#well. i sacrificed going to school early to study for this. property reading i'll be leaving a measly ten minutes for you#but yeah lol this post in particular severely peeved me but it's also a general floating sentiment i have seen from a LOT of non talia fans#in general with non white dc characters but esp the dragon lady victims people really do not seem to care about#distinguishing their history at all. like it's all one broad brushstroke none of these people actually read each issue and differentiate#and it's like. BITCH. i have spent hours overanalyzing these issues more than you ever could have please sit down (derogatory)
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Max Verstappen and his brand
I'm not sure why I wrote this (and its very much just my opinion and apologies if there are any inaccuracies, I am thinking out loud) but here it is...
I wouldn’t call this a rant, more just random thoughts based on certain opinions I have seen about Max’s “celebrity status” or “personality” and people somehow using this as a reason to suggest he’s not that popular or couldn’t really be the face of F1 (not that Max would actually be bothered about that)
I think these days there are very much two parts of F1 - the racing and the show. Which is fine, I’m not someone who would ever think less of someone who came to the sport through DTS and I wouldn’t suggest that these people care less about the racing. You can come into the sport any which way and be as passionate and invested as the next person and I fully mean that - the sport shouldn’t be gate kept, I love F1 and I love it when other people come to the sport and fall in love with it. But still - I think its fair to say that in recent years the popularity of the sport has exploded and with it there seems to be a lot more attention on the driver’s personal lives and building them up into celebrities as well as being sportsmen.
The thing is, Max is not someone who chases after celebrity status. He’s not always hanging out with celebrities or going to trendy events etc. He is a driver who is passionate about the racing. That is clear if you look at his criticism of the Vegas GP. During the run up to the race he was very critical, for example he wasn’t shy about saying he felt like "a clown" standing up on those stages at the opening ceremony. He also didn’t hold back when giving his views on the disaster of FP1 and fans being kept out, he literally said he “would tear the whole place down”. To understand what Max loves about F1 you only need to look to the speech he gave where he very eloquently described the emotion and passion behind racing and why it is more important than the show. Even then there were headlines in certain corners of the internet describing it as a rant as if he is completely wrong or out of order to give his opinion.
Max is very honest and is all about the racing and what is best for the sport. Max’s brand is not based on celebrity it is based on racing which I think some people either fail to see or just flat out ignore. Look at his involvement with Team Redline or check out Verstappen.com Racing if you need proof of how invested he is.
Also I found this article which I had never read before about the feedback he was able to given when testing a GT3 car recently - HERE
To suggest Max isn’t popular because he’s not seen hanging out with celebrities or not trying to build a brand outside racing is ridiculous (and this is not me having a go at any driver who wants a brand outside racing - that is also fine of course!). The man was responsible for bring fans in to the sport in droves during the 2021 championship battle. He also has fans who literally travel around the world to watch him race - he has grandstands in multiple countries that sell out and through his website he offers ticket packages etc. His rise in popularity also resulted in the Dutch GP coming back on to the calendar.
Max has been instrumental in pushing the sport forward - but he does that on track.
Despite all I have said above - if you have ever watched Max in interviews or filming the marketing promos for Red Bull you will see he is far from boring. People who think he doesn’t have a personality have probably never spent time actually watching him. Now I know not everybody likes every driver and that is fine but I can’t help feel that people decide they dislike Max without ever really knowing anything about him.
I saw a post from someone calling 2023 uninspiring and it was one of the strangest takes I have seen on 2023. Max absolutely smashed record after record and completely dominated and picked up wins even in difficult and changeable circumstances. How is that uninspiring? I bet if their favourite driver had been the one picking up those wins they would have been hailing it as an amazing season. Yes we all like to see our favourite driver win but to say another driver’s record breaking win is uninspiring is laughable.
Essentially Max is not chasing after celebrity. He is someone who has a very successful brand centred around racing and likes to keep his personal life private as much as possible (most of the stuff we see is actually from Kelly’s posts not Max’s).
If alongside all his racing stats his legacy is that of someone who was outspoken and a defender of the most important part of F1 - the racing - then I think that is amazing.
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I have to say that your breakdown of themes and issues in the prequels is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
I’m still always surprised that not everyone sees it this way because
1. That’s clearly how it’s intended to be viewed.
2. It always just seems so plainly spelled out for us.
I am not an Anakin fan, I have more of a love/hate dynamic with him, but it seems like it’s Anakin apologists above anyone else who like to demonise the Jedi and I just don’t get how people don’t realise you don’t have to choose one or the other. The downfall of Anakin and the Jedi go hand in hand because they were both manipulated by Palpatine. It really takes away from the emotional impact of the story if you don’t acknowledge that the Jedi were a genuinely good group of people who did support Anakin to the best of their ability, he was just convinced that that wasn’t actually the case.
Although I do feel empathy for the hardships Anakin endured, the Jedi had such a beautiful culture and way of life and people are missing out on so much by pretending they’re the “real villains”.
Also it was obviously genocide. How is there even a debate about that? I don’t know if there’s ever been an entirely successful genocide in history because it’s essentially impossible to completely eradicate a group of people but that doesn’t stop it from being classified as genocide. If you have to argue that it technically isn’t genocide, you probably don’t have the strong argument you think you do.
Thank you so much <3
I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't want this blog to be a platform for people to debate if the Jedi were "really good" or not with me (hence my blog description) and I don't really like getting into debates with people who are anti-Jedi or Anakin apologists.
Firstly because, in order to think the Jedi are the "bad guys" of Star Wars, it requires a certain level of bad faith assumptions, ignorance, and disregard of literally everything that canon shows us.
Secondly, because I have anger issues and it's kinda hard to work on controlling my anger and not letting it control me when I'm arguing with people who--at best are saying the Jedi caused their genocide, and at worst are saying they deserved it. Especially since Star Wars is my comfort franchise and the Jedi are my comfort characters--so it's just frustrating to see them so mischaracterized.
I'm glad my 2 am anger-induced, sleep deprived, aggressive rant resonated with you, though lol
I'm not a big fan of Anakin either and I'm largely of the opinion that Anakin caused most of the problems he had in general, but I'm not completely unsympathetic to him--my main issue lies with his apologists.
I don't really care if other people like him, I can see the appeal and I get that he's your blorbo. I also don't really care if other people don't like the Jedi, I have the "anti-Jedi" and "Jedi critical" tags blocked for a reason. I don't engage in debates with these people because I know it's pointless, and I leave them be--let them have their side of the internet and I have mine.
I do, however, have a problem with people coming onto my blog and posting their ignorant, bad-faith arguments. Like what you like, have your opinions, but keep them out of my space. Y'know?
I'm all for letting people like what they like and have different opinions on the media and leaving them be, but the moment you come onto my blog- (which literally says "this is a Pro-Jedi blog, fuck off with any Anti Jedi bullshit you have and keep it to your own page") -and start spouting that shit is the moment all of that flies out the window.
And yes, it's insane that the words "well, it wasn't actually a genocide" were actually present in that person's argument.
#star wars#sw prequels#pro jedi#in defense of the jedi#jedi appreciation#anti anakin#anti anakin skywalker#anakin skywalker critical#anti anakin apologists#jedi enthusiast's fandom debates
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wangxian rookies in showbiz au where newbie idol Wei Wuxian is on set of a commercial wearing a ridiculously uncomfortable outfit getting yelled at for dumb reasons by his incompetent agent while bottom-of-the-totem-pole production assistant Lan Wangji is being bossed around by the awful director
Except wwx isn't actually a newbie he was once popular child actor Wei Ying seen everywhere, the golden boy of the industry known for his upbeat personality and the smile constantly on his face.
That is until his final role when he was 13 where he played a dark jaded teenage psychopath in a psychological thriller and was forced to perform intensely emotional scenes without any counselor or anyone there to keep an eye on him (his manager at the time Madam Yu's focus was always her other children's careers, Wei Ying was just an extra way to make money you see). He even got badly injured on set, and now has an ugly burn scar above his heart from a poorly done fire stunt.
But the movie flops and things just keep getting worse from there...
It gets no attention from critics that is until former golden boy becomes the teen misfit all the gossip rags talk about, with constant cover stories showing him at 15 doing drugs and partying and eventually getting kicked out by his manager/aunt at 16. The narrative becomes clear that Wei Ying is a flop and another failed child star turned deplorable diva
He disappears for a few years, only ever coming up in a low budget TMZ special or some commentary youtuber's videos, but Lan Wangji never forgot him.
Lan Wangji had often worked with his uncle when he came on as a consultant on set and so was able to watch and admire Wei Ying from afar. He's especially fond of Wei Ying's role as the happy go lucky middle child on a popular sitcom role and his smaller movie roles where he played a genius child inventor and solved crimes alongside a precocious bunny rabbit.
So well Lan Wangji has always been a fan of him so he's shocked when the new idol on set of their cheap commercial stage looks so similar to Wei Ying.
But at the same time, they're not the same at all. While Wei Ying was known for being friendly and silly, Wei Wuxian is acting like a pompous and cocktail overly confident ass, flirting with the director and everyone else while making a show of whiny and being cutesy with hopes for more screentime.
It's very unnatural and there's a moment where LWJ thinks he must have been mistaken but there's a moment in between when he's running back and forth on the producer's order while balancing cups of coffee when he spots WWX sitting by himself, huddled in a corner of the soundstage deep in the shadows where no one else is around.
He's staring at the fingernails they've painted and stuck gaudy fake jewels on and fiddling with the ridiculous black demon wings he's wearing, as he picks at the layers of makeup and stickers they've put on his face. He's tugging on his red crop top, cut indecently short and revealing so much, as watery eyes dart back and forth in front him like he's worried someone important might see.
In general he doesn't seem anything like the person he was under those lights just minutes ago.
As lwj approaches he sees that actually wwx shoulders are shaking his hands are clenched into fists, his eyes shut tight so that his makeup doesn't run
Wei Wuxiann watches as the director is barking orders for someone to fix the set as another idol takes wwx's place and finishes the shoot. Apparently his acting wasn't "peppy enough" so they've replaced him with someone else
But this was his first gig in months, years actually but months since he tried to come back and for it to fail like this, so fast without anything to show for it is absolutely devastating. He'd tried so hard to give them what he thought he wanted, desperately hoping for his big break. Only to fail again.
What does he do? What can he say? Why does he even bother?
He's staring at the floor like it might have the answer to all his problems when a pair of white sneakers appear.
He tracks those sneakers up to meet the stonefaced stare of one of the PAs he's seen running around, the youngest one who's been doing the most menial tasks. He looks somewhat familiar but his face is impassive and wwx can't tell at all what he's thinking
The PA hands him a bottle of water that wwx takes with both hands, too taken aback to do much else. Then the PA slips his headset off and sits next to him, the black faux feathers of wwx's wings brushing against the PAs arms, though he doesn't seem to mind
And so they sat. Two nobodies hidden in the shadows of a forgotten corner in a busy studio, far from the reach of the shining spotlights and stage. Little by little, wwx finds it easier to control his breathing and stray sniffles.
Eventually, the PA starts taking off his hoodie, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. He reaches into his pocket and holds out a marker for wwx to take as he turns so his back is facing him.
When wwx, understandably confused, doesn't do anything, the PA glances over his broad shoulders and just says "Sign, please."
Wei Wuxian blinks waiting for the punchline but it never comes. He's not even on the roster for any boy group, just a trainee idol whose only fans are the diehards who follow the trainee circuit and his sister. And this guy doesn't seem like the former and he definitely isn't the latter.
But the PA just sits and waits, back facing wwx.
Eventually, almost mechanically, he signs his new autograph, the one where he uses the 2 W's to make a smile.
He asks for a name to make the signature out to, and the PA answers in a quiet hesitant voice that he can barely hear over all the background noise, "Lan Zhan."
That name sends a spark up his spine like it should be familiar but wwx can't figure out why. So he finishes his autographs with a star and a flourish. He hasn't gotten to test out the new signature yet. He thinks he likes it better than he'd expected.
Wei Wuxian beams up at him, heart beating a beautific beat against his ribcage and asks, "Why would you want a signature from a nobody like me?"
He means it as a teasing joke but the PA, Lan Zhan his brain corrects him, gives him a grave look that steals the breath from his lungs.
"You're not nobody, Wei Ying"
Lan Zhan takes the marker and slips his hoodie back on, covering the autograph with their two names side by side, and with a final nod he walks away, melting into the general chaos of the production floor.
It takes a long moment for Wei Wuxian to realize he'd never told the guy his real name.
(originally a threadfic here)
#if you noticed the reference to DO's new MV gold star to you#this originally came up cause i saw the girl's outfit and my brain went wwx would absolutely kill that look#mdzs#mo dao zu shi#the untamed#chen qing ling#wangxian#mdzs fanfiction#the untamed fanfic#wei wuxian#wei ying#lan wangji#bushy writing#i have an idea of where i want this to go from here mostly i want them to go on and become like insanely successful on their own but like#they keep tabs on each other and see each other every once in a while like all their milestones#lwj is there helping with production on wwx's first concert appearance and when he wins an award while wwx follows all of lwj's small#indie films and is even there at sundance to see him talk about one that wins#and they're growing with a handful of encounters but they keep missing the oppportunity to really become something until they get to work o#a project together and then it's just a matter of time#but yeah im still working out my ideas for this i just wanted to share it#hope you enjoyed!
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