☆ ready for my closeup ☆

From time to time, he picks it up and twirls it between his fingers, with whiskey or a cigarette in the other hand. He stares at this tangible evidence that selflessness and compassion are real. And as big and wide and ever-expanding as the universe is, there’s still enough softness l in the three worlds left that even someone like him can experience it. Maybe…

So… take a look in this. This is one of old arts by Viv from many years ago, and it sparked a thought that I can’t stop circling back to. What if Mimzy was canonically in a relationship with Alastor when he was alive?…

Not necessarily a perfect or healthy one but a real, emotionally significant connection. The more I think about it, the more it would explain a lot about how Alastor relates to closeness, intimacy, and attachment now… We know Mimzy appears in season one after seven years… and she doesn’t actually come back to check on him, reconnect, or even ask how he is. She comes back because she needs protection. Again. That alone paints a very one-sided dynamic.

If Mimzy was someone Alastor genuinely cared about in life: romantically or semi-romantically… then this pattern fits painfully well: every time he lets himself care deeply about someone, it ends up being unequal, transactional, or exploitative. And that wouldn’t be the first time.

The first person Alastor ever truly cared about was his mother… and she died. Then Mimzy who, consciously or not, learned to rely on him for comfort and survival. Even if at some point he ended the romantic aspect, staying in a “friendship” would still keep him in that familiar role: the provider, the protector, the one who gives more than he receives…

It’s also interesting that Alastor seems far more comfortable spending time with women than with men. He keeps a noticeable emotional distance from men, while appearing more relaxed and playful around women - yet still guarded.

Another layer to this is the fact that for most of his life, the company of women seems to have been safer for Alastor than the company of men. We can already infer this from the way men look at him in his flashbacks… there’s judgment, tension, dominance, something threatening in their gaze.

Meanwhile, his closest and most formative emotional bond was with his mother - a woman he deeply loved, and who died while he was still alive. She is gone forever - if she’s in Heaven, he will probably never see her again. That kind of loss matters…

It creates patterns. And when you think about Alastor’s history, those patterns repeat themselves almost painfully clearly. Mimzy doesn’t feel like an exception… she feels like part of a cycle. A cycle where Alastor gravitates toward emotional bonds that are uneven: where he gives protection, stability, presence… and receives very little in return. Where closeness exists, but only on terms that ultimately cost him something.

This is why I don’t think he’s incapable of intimacy or that he rejects it outright. I think he’s traumatized by it. By what intimacy has meant in his life so far: loss, imbalance, exploitation, emotional risk and the constant threat of losing control - either over himself, or over the situation.

It’s also telling how often men in his past are framed as sources of pressure or danger. Between the judgmental stares in his flashbacks, the dynamic with Vox, and the way power struggles tend to form around him, closeness with men seems to carry an added layer of threat for him.

Women, by contrast, appear emotionally safer, familiar territory. Not harmless, but less confrontational. Less invasive. And even then, he keeps his distance. All of this makes me believe that Alastor isn’t someone who hates touch or affection by nature.

He’s someone who learned that caring deeply almost always comes at a cost. That letting someone matter means risking being used, abandoned, or losing control over himself. So he adapts. He masks. He keeps things playful, theatrical, ironic. He stays just far enough away to never fully fall.

Because as he himself says: ”there are no friends in Hell” And yet… beneath all of that… This lines up with the old Alastor playlist Viv made years ago -The songs chosen for him. She has framed him as deeply sensitive, emotional, and capable of genuine attachment. Just… extremely guarded. That all makes me think this isn’t about a lack of feeling at all… It’s about survival. But he won’t admit it for sure…

Miss Piggy doesn’t have a subtle bone in her floppy felt body. There is no possible way she could ever make it look like an accident.

1. The Setup (Separate Worlds)

Each character is introduced in their own emotional world. We see:

Their wounds, needs, and flaws

What they want vs. what they actually need

Why love is currently not working for them

This stage sets up why the romance matters.

2. The Meet Cute or First Collision

They meet in a way that creates friction, curiosity, or disruption. This can be cute, hostile, awkward, or intense — but it must change something for both of them.

3. Attraction and Tension

They feel drawn to each other, but:

There are obstacles (external or internal)

They deny, resist, or misinterpret their feelings

Chemistry builds through proximity, conflict, or emotional glimpses

This is the slow pull stage.

4. Forced Proximity or Emotional Intimacy

Circumstances push them together:

Working together

Traveling together

Being trapped together

Sharing secrets or vulnerability

This is where emotional bonding starts, even if they don’t admit it.

5. The First Shift (Romantic or Emotional Breakthrough)

A moment changes the nature of their relationship:

First kiss

Confession

One saves the other

A moment of deep understanding

After this, the story is no longer “will they notice each other?” but “what does this mean now?”

6. The Honeymoon or Hope Phase

Things feel good. There’s closeness, trust, or passion. The reader is allowed to believe the relationship might actually work.

This makes the coming conflict hurt more.

7. The Break (The Black Moment)

Something shatters the relationship:

A betrayal, lie, misunderstanding, or revelation

A fear or wound resurfaces

External pressure pulls them apart

This is the emotional low point of the romance.

8. The Growth and Choice

Both characters grow:

They confront their flaws or fears

They choose love intentionally, not accidentally

They become capable of sustaining the relationship

This is where love becomes a decision, not just a feeling.

9. The Reunion and Resolution (HEA or HFN)

They reunite with honesty and emotional maturity. The story resolves with:

A Happily Ever After (HEA) or

A Happy For Now (HFN)

The emotional promise of the genre is fulfilled.

✦ Why This Structure Works

Romance isn’t just about attraction — it’s about emotional transformation through love. Each stage:

Builds intimacy

Introduces risk

Forces growth

Rewards vulnerability

1. Slow down at emotionally important moments.

Big emotions need space to land. If a scene feels rushed, pause the plot briefly to show how the moment affects the character.

2. Add reactions, not explanations.

Instead of explaining what a character feels, show it through physical responses, hesitation, or small actions that reveal emotion naturally.

3. Ground every scene in the senses.

If a scene feels thin, add one or two sensory details—sound, texture, smell, or temperature—to make the moment feel lived-in.

4. Let thoughts interrupt action.

A line of internal thought can deepen a scene without slowing it too much. Thoughts show stakes, fear, longing, or conflict beneath the action.

5. Expand consequences, not events.

You don’t need more things to happen—you need to show what matters. Focus on how events change relationships, decisions, or self-perception.

6. Strengthen setting where emotion peaks.

The environment should echo or contrast the emotion of the scene. Setting is not decoration—it’s emotional reinforcement.

7. Add specific details instead of general ones.

Underwriting often relies on vague language. Swap “they argued” for one sharp line of dialogue or a specific breaking point.

8. Let dialogue breathe.

Short dialogue exchanges without pauses can feel flat. Add beats—silence, gestures, interruptions—to give the conversation weight.

9. Show transitions between scenes.

If scenes jump too quickly, readers feel disoriented. A brief transition helps establish time, mood, and emotional continuity.

10. Clarify stakes early in the scene.

If readers don’t know what can be lost, scenes feel empty. Make sure the character wants something specific and fears losing it.

11. Use the “what are they feeling right now?” check.

After each major beat, ask what emotion is dominant in that moment. If it’s missing on the page, the scene is likely underwritten.

12. Expand scenes that feel “too clean.”

Date posted: November 12, 2025

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