#I ramble about shots and framing and narrative too.

[sskk-manifesto]

:)

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

pt XVI good omens season 2 (still not traumatic) episode 3 EDINBURGH

HELLO IT'S ME IT'S THE OFFICIAL GOOD OMENS MASCOT WHY DO I STILL KEEP INTRODUCING MYSELF IDK. If you don't know who I am, thank God and Satan for their mercy and flee. Also, the day after I post this, I'll be watching the last three episodes on livestream for the first time so. You know. I'm hyped on the energy of this being my last day not enveloped in tears. Take the summary:

Before the episode starts, someone asks why Crowley said in the last episode that Aziraphale couldn't fall because look at him, all angelic when Crowley looked the same as starmaker. I reply that "Crowley thinks he deserved it, he sees Azi as something beautiful and untouched while he probably sees himself as idk marked in some way so god kicked him down."

I am told that I am learning too fast to weaponise the narrative to induce angst. So then I say oh, I go too fast for you. Tears ensue.

The episode begins! Everyone shrieks about Edinburgh, David Tennant, how it is their favourite episode, and SCOTTISH CROWLEY.

We open with lesbians being gay, and then Muriel enters as Inspector Constable! They are very sweet and very determined to do their job right, and they are adopted by Crowley and Aziraphale just like Jim.

Crowley sits on Aziraphale's chair's arm. The maggots all swoon.

Fine, I also swooned.

Aziraphale gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss-mansplain-manipulate-manwhores his way into getting Crowley to give him the Bentley keys (BOUNDARIES. BOUNDARIES.).

WHAT PLENTY OF USE DO BOTH OF YOU GET OUT OF THE BOOKSHOP?

The really ineffable plan is whatever the fuck was happening in Aziraphale's brain when he somehow went from London to Edinburgh via Loch Ness (check the map) and then proceeded to disguise himself as a detective who pretends to be a journalist.

Crowley slays in sleeve garters and a cardigan keeping house in the bookshop meanwhile, does not sell books, instead cleans with Jimbriel and periodically yeets book stacks into corners when distracted.

Aziraphale reads his old diary entries about Crowley, a (6000+) 13 year old with a crush.

MINISODE MINISODE. They are in Edinburgh during the mid 1800s. Victorian outfits, check. Scottish Crowley, check. Capitalist Karen Aziraphale, che-wait what.

Huh. Well. There's a wee bit of body snatchin' going on, to sell to doctors for medical research because there aren't enough murderers, and to make enough money to survive.

Aziraphale channels his inner capitalist judgemental Karen and ruins that plan, come on Aziraphale you have religious trauma but you're better than this, and long story short, Wee Morag dies after Aziraphale realises his error, her friend Elspeth has to sell her corpse for pennies, and is about to commit suicide with laudanum. Azi, oh god. I'm glad you underwent character development at least.

NOW CROWLEY HERE SLAYS. I KNOW THIS IS AZIRAPHALE'S PERSPECTIVE AND IS BIASED. BUT WITH THIS POV, CROWLEY SLAYS.

He calmly educates Aziraphale about how his whole "the poor have more opportunities and you shouldn't give them money or they'll lose the virtue of poverty" is absolute bullshit, and he does this understanding Aziraphale's situation and not losing his temper.

The framing. The framing of the shot when they see Wee Morag and Elspeth sitting down on a step and explaining their situation. Aziraphale stands above, bustling with righteousness, and judges them. Crowley sits down. He sits down next to them, rather than taking the high ground. He meets them where they are and empathises. It is the fact that he is fallen and damned that makes him behave really divine and sorry I wrote a whole hymn on him have it I'll stop rambling just know I love him.

I think his amusement is a facade so hell won't think he's genuinely being good. I think he's morally grey and incredibly brave and kind.

When Elspeth is bouta kill herself with the laudanum, Crowley grabs it and drinks it himself, and grows tiny and then huge, absolutely high off his head. David Tennant takes the opportunity to travel Scotland from east to west in terms of accent variety.

He gives us the good message of NO DYIN'. NO MORE DYIN'. IT'S NOT ON. And then forces Aziraphale (who doesn't want to ruin her virtuous poverty) to give the girl all the guineas he has in his pocket, and tells her to go off and start a farm or something. BUT NOT JUST PRETENDY GOOD, BE PROPERLY GOOD.

He then gets pulled into hell. To be punished for this. Aziraphale is frightened and heartbroken for him, looking around desperately, and we find out that Crowley didn't meet him for a while after. And later he wanted holy water. To protect himself? He got punished by hell. For how long? The whole month in between the incident and the diary entry? There can't be anyone better at punishment and cruelty than hell.

Sorry I'm just screaming here.

Never mind fuck I started this summary really happy and bouncy and listening to a dance playlist. Dionysus by BTS and Italian pop is still playing and now I'm crying.

Is this the natural progression. Fuck I'm crying. Sorry guys something else happens with Aziraphale politely talking to a phone and Crowley smiling really beautifully while unsuccessfully trying to manipulate two lesbians into a relationship and something about a visit I don't care everyone's being morally dubious as usual and then lovely Scottish music outro I CAN'T FUCKING ELABORATE I'M SITTING HERE CRYING OVER CROWLEY.

right summary done, time to go sob, lmao i thought i wouldn't cry today over good omens HAHAHAHA still not traumatic eh HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[dagnab]

ur so right abt Viktor's seasons 1 vs. season 2 characterization!

after re-watching season 1 tho the framing of Viktor's earliest private forays into body modification are framed/"shot" like they're a dangerous, taboo transgression. as a disabled person that really irks me because the writers/narrative like to pretend they're impartial but they're really really not. like people can be like well the hexcore/arcane was dangerous and it was reckless but that was of approaching narrative analysis completely sidesteps the fact that everything about the world was a choice made by writers/artists and probably shaped by execs. idk it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth because he's doing it because his body is getting in his way at a time when time is of the absolute essence and he really is one of the few people capable of making massive change in Zaun with his work. Feel like people's kneejerk to that is he could've left it to Jace, he didn't have to live to see the fruits of his labour but Jayce has shown him he cant be fully trusted to stay the path.

anyway sorry for jumping into ur inbox and rambling. i just wanna see more discussion around Viktor from disabled ppl because he's rotating like a microwave hotpocket in my mind atm

No seriously thank you for reading my rant and chatting up my inbox!! I need to converse with people about this or ill go stir crazy 🙏 anyone's always welcome to drop in. This activated another long ass manifesto from me so I'll put it under a cut.

On your point about Arcane's disability narrative- I totally agree. Looking back at season 1 I'm struck by how much better characterized Viktor is, but I agree that the disability metaphor isn't well thought out.

I can tell they course-corrected on purpose for season 2. Viktor's story became very much an anti-eugenics, "you were never broken" thing, and I appreciate that sentiment. But that misses the mark too in many ways. Many people have already posted about this, but isn't it reasonable for Viktor to want reprieve from his chronic illness, which was a result of his childhood poverty? In a world where people can replace limbs, doesn't it make sense for him to want to alleviate the pain of his bad leg and back with mechanical augments? It's pretty clear in s1 that Viktor isn't motivated exclusively by shame, he just doesn't want to die. Super reasonable goal, as you mention!

IMO they just kind of wrote themselves into a hole that couldn't be thematically tied up all that well. And not to be a preachy OG machine Viktor purist.. but I do think this started in season 1 when they decided to make the hexcore like an evil manipulaty magicy entity. IMO it should have stayed just an unthinking tool, like a hammer, able to do good or hurt depending on the will of the wielder. They even set that up here, in this scene:

This is just like, so much more interesting. These are devices explicitly made to help the working class.. but it's so obvious that they will one day be misappropriated as weapons. Heimerdinger's warning about the arcane corrupting it's users still applies even if Hextech isn't all inherently evil. Power will do that on its own. Viktor and Jayce want to use hextech to help the people, Piltover elites want to use it as a weapon. I think they should have just stuck with that core conflict. No need to twist hextech into an ontological evil. It majorly distracts from the class divide, which used to be THE overarching plot of Arcane.

In general, making the hexcore all sinister is one of those super common cop-out writing choices where the "villain" is obviously right so they need to find some way to "complicate" things. The hextech-evilification was also what led to Sky getting fridged, another meh writing choice they tried to roll back in s2. When I think about it, all of my (few) complaints with the first season's writing are a result of the hexcore turning purple! That deviation from the original lore ended up compounding in the long run, leaving us with a messy Viktor arc, political narratives being sidelined. etc.

I think the Viktor self-surgery scenes SHOULD have been dark and scary and full of shame and resentment, but NOT because "hexcore taboo". Instead the emphasis should have been placed on Viktor having to try to treat himself all alone, isolated in his lack of support. No need for Sky to get dusted, it's tragic enough that Viktor is resorting to playing solitaire operation. The finger of blame should point at Piltover, not at one disabled guy trying to survive.

Imagine you grew up next to a chemical plant and every other kid in your city had incurable lung disease and nobody in power was interested in researching the one possible treatment, they only want to develop it as weaponry. I'd become the machine herald too.

[solitaryandwandering]

A Ramble: Love in the Big City Eps 7-8

WOW. WOW. OKAY. I've been letting episode 8 sink in for the last couple hours, jotting down notes and just generally absorbing this wonderful show. So beautiful. I'm so glad I put aside time to watch this and talk about it with y'all. Just another heads-up: this is a RAMBLE. My thoughts on things usually change, like 15 minutes after I upload these. But they still matter! So I hope they inspire you to think more about your own interpretations or what the show meant to you.

Let's start off with cinematography, shall we? I talked a little about this yesterday, but this director's style is one I tend to gravitate to. I was searching for a way to describe it during the entirety of today's episode and I think I landed on it: "delicate." Not necessarily fragile but lighter in touch. Her style also feels relatively naturalistic. She's intentional in what she does with her camera and what she asks of her actors but the majority of what happens here translates as less-choreographed. Movement is clearly blocked but feels looser? Yeong's behavior specifically reminds me of how freely he moved in the first part. He’s still weighed down and grieving but it feels like Gyu Ho still did something good for him. He feels much more mature, that's for sure. Or maybe this is just coming across more as he visits Bangkok and his relationship with Gyu Ho?

I've also been struggling for a way to describe the lighting in this section - it's definitely intentional but is not as stylized as it was in the last section. I don't think "flat" is the right descriptor, but I do think they're using much more ambient lighting. It's all still pretty, I'm not using this as a negative. The coloring feels kind of dim in parts; I mentioned yesterday that I was reminded a lot of what is considered "indie" cinema which is a very broad statement. Again, what I think I'm picking up on is less reliance on studio lighting or highly-stylized camera blocking. I know for a fact they are not using handheld camera at least for the vast majority of these episodes but it still feels like they are.

Kim Se In actually does quite a bit to achieve her naturalistic style; she utilizes dirty framing (objects or people in the foreground), off-center angles or unique perspectives, and hides some of her more stylized choices with neutral coloring. She usually sticks to medium close-ups; when she doesn't utilize these she still chooses similarly-proportioned framing. Her camera actually moves quite a bit, though I found that they seem to move with what the viewer would naturally be looking at. She's not trying to direct our attention anywhere else. We are moving along with what is happening on screen and in the narrative. When comparing her camera movements to those of Part 1, for instance, she is not as sharp or pointed. Nor are her actors as energized; both the camera and the actors move more languidly or smoothly in comparison. The way she directs her actors around props feels different, too. But maybe that's just me. The score they use across these two episodes is also really interesting, though I'm not really qualified to speak on why.

Visual barriers are a BIG one in this part. We get so many shots of the viewer (or character) looking through curtains, bars in windows, glass walls of a shower, etc. My favorite shot in this part was in episode 8, when Yeong and Gyu Ho are in that really shitty room in Bangkok. They're lying on their backs on the bed, sweaty, and the ceiling fan blades cut between them and the camera. As they talk about the fan falling and smashing them into burger patties, the camera steadily presses in on the two of them until they’re both partially cut off by the frame. Stylized, but not unobtrusively so. It especially fits because it's within the context of a flashback.

Though all four parts feel distinct there are common visual themes throughout all four parts. Mirrors are a big one. But we see a direct contrast in style in the flashback sequences which overlap with the prior section’s. Specifically with the two of them in the boat and running back to the hotel. In the prior depiction it felt more romantic, sunnier with a pretty score. The both of them are happy, carefree, Gyu Ho is helping to roll down the tarp, and I think less people are on the boat? I’ll have to double check. It’s interesting that the flashback does not feel as romantic as it did when they lived it. The way he remembers it, he became bothered as soon as it started raining and was more short with Gyu Ho. The light is dimmer and the camera angles less romantic. They’re also lying side by side instead of in different directions. What is more accurate? What they felt in the glow or after? He definitely blames himself so much for the way their relationship went.

The last thing I'll point out is how cool her use of zooms were. There’s a moment in the market where the camera literally focuses in on Yeong and Gyu Ho like a home video camera. She KILLED ME.

Habibi was such an interesting character to have around in this last section. A direct contrast to Gyu Ho and someone Yeong saw himself in. Lonely and closed-off. In their time together they were alone but keeping each other company in their loneliness. In his flashbacks we can see how happy Gyu Ho made Yeong and how much life he brought. With Habibi he's trying to revisit some of that energy, pushing each other to live. When they're drinking together it's to feel something, to grow closer to someone else. When they walk away one of them says “The taste was never important” - ultimately, though they allowed each other an escape and levity, they will not be able to experience flavor, not the kind which comes with a life fully lived.

I love the way this show was able to feel like a completely cohesive effort despite having four different directors at the helm. Themes I picked up on in other episodes: queer loneliness, heteronormativity (and its relationship to misogyny), ownership, distance, shame, and honesty/communication are all present in every episode. In this part, though, I was just thinking of emptiness. That, and what we do to fill it. Is it an act of futility to try, or is that the whole point?

Everything is empty. Rooms, empty doorways, physical and emotional space between people, soy sauce bottles, the space Gyu Ho used to occupy, relationships, balloons. The future. Yeong, Habibi, and even Eun Su are filling a void. In episode 7 especially it felt that Yeong's life had become empty and unmoving, with occasional intrusions from others who brought activity but not exactly fulfillment. Everyone wants to escape. In chasing his past, trying to determine what's fake and what's real, Yeong found his distraction in Habibi. Yeong and Habibi fill an empty stairwell with laughter, chasing adrenaline and a taste of life. When he's not there, Yeong faces his past and must reconcile with what has been lost.

In the end, what they are searching for is life. Yeong chooses to “live wholly" as himself and suggests Habibi do the same. Eun Sui leaves his unfulfilling relationship. I can only hope that Yeong will learn to take his life back from Kylie and anything which would constrain him. Instead of his life going by in a flash, I can only hope he can find the courage to face it with eyes wide open. Instead of pulling away from others because of disgust with himself, I can only hope he can learn to work through his shame.

Go Yeong means to shine high and bright. He tells Habibi that he's not a star but a nuclear bomb. I hope he doesn't condemn himself to loneliness anymore.

In the end, all he wishes for is love.

Perhaps love is about sharing ourselves, exactly as we are.

Thanks for reading my incoherent, over-written rambles! I was gonna write way more but it was becoming increasingly long and nonsensical. I loved this show, 10/10. Will 100% be reading the book after I finish the two I'm working on. Thank you @lurkingshan and @bengiyo for opening up a space for everyone to come together and talk about LITBC!

[iri-desky]

Oooooh I saw your reblog on my post and I'm intrigued to see what you can do! >:D

If you have the time, I would like to request for a Horropedia x fem!reader for a headstart... Maybe specifically with the reader also wearing glasses? It would be funny if he asked if the design is from any movie and stuff XP

No rush and good luck! 🙌

Thank you so much for the ask, yay! I tried my best. And sorry for the wait! I had school finals ;-; Didn't really have much time nor energy to write--nonetheless, I enjoyed this!

___________

(◇BESPECTACLED ◇)

♡ Horropedia x Fem!Bespectacled! Reader

♡ Type: Narrative, One-Shot-- Reader Self Insert (denoted by (y/n))

♡ Genre: Romantic Fluff

♡ Content Warnings: None!

Enjoy~

___________

"I'll admit, I can absolutely say the first X-Ray Monkeyman movie is fantastic, although the second film is compartively sub par..."

It was a quiet evening, sunlight flowing through the windows and painting the room in scarlet and tangerine. Within the pallid walls of the foundation, you were assigned the blandest of paperwork.

Well, it would've been a quiet evening if it weren't for Horropedia's--your best friend and current coworker-- perpetual chatter.

His voice tends to carry, Horropedia's, although nonetheless you didn't quite have the heart to silence his persistent jibber-jabbering. The absolute glow on his face whenever he discussed one of his favorite horror movies or was asked about the latest horror debate was incomparable to anyone you've ever seen, a gleaming grin on his face as his glasses shimmered with a tiny, piquant starlight in the evening sun. Eyes like honey, delicate and sweet, and an intellect, serrated, sharp.

Indeed, he had not a tint malevolence of in his jabbering or gaze, just passion.

"Hey! ... (y/n)? Earth to Miss (y/n)! You alright there?...It looked like you're looking straight into the void. Careful, the void stares back should you gaze too long," He chuckled heartily, taking a swig of his coffee.

"What? Oh, nothing." You muttered, shaking your head-- you blinked rapidly in the light of the sun, attempting to reorient yourself. "Lost in my thoughts. But, anyway, I still think the second movie's better than the first." You chuckled.

He smirked as he processed your counterclaim. "Actually, while I can respect your point, the first film is definitely better than the first. Scares are higher quality, the actors give a more believable performance..."

"Well, didn't the second film have better marketing?"

"Not quite. While the second film had a more active marketing campaign, the first one was more successful. In fact, in one of their first screenings, they sold limited edition glasses similar to the pivotal artifacts from the movie. It was only sold at the premiere, it was a huge success... in fact, these glasses aren't ordinary spectacles," He stated, proudly, pushing up his own glasses. "They were in fact the glasses sold at its premiere!"

"Oh, wait," He said excitedly, rushing over to you, "Those glasses look familiar... did you get them from the film's premiere? I did, myself--" He slipped off his glasses and stepped in front of you, proudly presenting the inner pattern of the frames to you, bumping shoulders with you. He was so absorbed in his ramblings, he didn't notice the streak of pink dashing across your face. "They may not look like much, but see here? This inner pattern--it's highly distinctive!"

Your face brightened at his enthusiasm. "I don't think so, but I guess you can look sometime."

He turned up to you, and slipped on his glasses again. "Wait, lemme see here for a second-"

Before you had a moment to object, he stepped right in front of your face and was peering to the side, in an attempt to see the inner rims--in doing so, he bumped noses with you as you gasped in surprise. It took him about three seconds to realize what he was doing.

One -- he touched noses with you, brilliant eyes amber in the dying sunlight, enthralled by his passions.

Two -- he peered to the side, searching for that telltale pattern in pure, analytical fascination.

Three -- he pulled a strand of hair out of your face, behind your ear, his movements, delicate.

It was to get a better view.

After that final moment ticked by, there was a beat as Horropedia stared at your face. Then his cheeks flooded with fuschia, his eyes growing wide as saucers. His hands began to shake.

"Oh." That's all he could stutter out.

For once, he had nothing to say.

"...I guess I'll...I'll...um..."

He slowly slipped off your glasses, taking a step back--just one.

He then, shakily, slipped off his own.

He stared down at the two pairs in his hands.

"...nope...haha...yours aren't the souvenirs..."

You couldn't speak.

His head tilted up again into your direction, glancing up at you as he continued to awkwardly fumble with both your glasses in his hands.

"...(y/n)?"

"...mm-hmm?"

"...Have I ever told you...uh...you look...look...I love the way you look...with...uh...your eyes with...your eyes are really gor--gorgeous with no glasses and your glasse-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. You had cut him off when your lips touched his.

It was a gentle, saccharine kiss, his supple lips meeting yours with adoring pressure and fast succession. His kiss was zealous, albeit pure--and clearly, he didn't mind it at all.

He was so absorbed into the kiss that, several moments later, both of your glasses clattered to the floor from his hands.

He dragged himself away, his visage frazzled and--to say it plainly, an absolute blushing mess.

"...Whoops," He chuckled, reluctantly bending down to scoop up both of your spectacles. He handed yours over, hands still shivering. "I--I believe these are yours." He said with an awkward grin as he shoved on his own glasses, brushing stray hairs out of his face.

You grappled your own glasses in your hands, an involuntary smile tugging at your lips.

"...(y/n)?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"... thanks for listening to my stupid questions."

You step back up closer to him, his flustered expression a badge of his affection.

"It's my pleasure," You smile. "And, Horropedia?"

"...yes?"

"... would you like to take your glasses off again for a second?"

_________

I had a great time writing this, but just FYI that this is my first request anywhere! So definitely feel free to give me some feedback. Hope you enjoyed!!

[what-a-messsss]

2x3 rewatch

I keep forgetting that Brach is still in S2.  Oops.  Also, I apparently went to check something in S6 last time I watched something, so it started at 6x2 instead of 2x3 and I yelled.  But anyway, on with this mess.  “Death Came in Like Thunder” apparently.  It sure did.

Ah yes, let us not forget that Branch is MANLEH.  This shall be proven to us by him murdering his cousin, Trunk, with big ax.  Chop chop, Branch, kill Trunk.  But oh no, must also show that he is People Smart, so must also lose because this makes him likable.  And many white people clap.  Yaaaay.  But be sure to say, “I let him win, Ferg,” while your competitor is right next to you, so he almost surely heard you.  Good good.

Oh Ferg.  Could you look more gormless if you tried?  (I mean, probably not, since presumably that was the goal of the actor, so he would have been trying.  But still.)  Bb.

Heh, nice thematic cut to Walt also chopping wood.  And YAY, Henry’s gorgeous truck (and gorgeous self).  I’m just going to take a moment to appreciate the fact that Henry rolls up and just helps himself to some of Walt’s thermos of coffee.  Because of course he does.  But I do so love these touches that they put in that do underline the fact that they are married have been besties for going on 40 years.  Also, I love this jacket of Henry’s.  The woven top, jean jacket sort of one?  Yeah, top 5 costume pieces of his for me.  (Also on that list, all basically tied with each other, basically any pants he wears.  I am reminded, when they cut back out to a full body shot.  Because I am very shallow, and he is very pretty.)

Haaaaaa.  And of course Cady talked to Henry before she talked to Walt.  Walt is a butthead.  And, yeah yeah, she just found out that he’d been lying to her for over a year, but that just proves my point that Walt is a butthead.  And we’re back to this whole idea that she left her phone, which just... ugh.  No.  But Henry’s face when he says that she said that she is safe, and he’s so worried, but still willing to respect her boundaries.

“She is an adult, Walt.”  “She’s my daughter.”  For fuck’s sake, you jackass, your ADULT daughter; that’s the whole flipping point!  Also, that little emphasis on my daughter, pfft.  If you didn’t want to feel like she preferred her cool dad to you, maybe try being less of an AAAAAAASSHOLE.  And, like, respecting her.  Even a weensy little bit.

“Etta Place”  I don’t remember if we find out why that’s the ‘assumed name’ that Cady chose, but I’m intrigued.  Wait, I just googled.  Looooool.  She spent years with Butch and Sundance.  Nice.

Walt is such a soft touch with teens.  *snack crackle pop* that kneecap back into place.  Vic starts this scene saying, “The 911 operator,” though, which is interesting, because I was kind of under the impression that Ruby was the main dispatcher, so it would be kind of heartening if she actually had back up with that.  ...Or maybe they’re just far enough out that a cell call made would be picked up by a tower farther out and have to be routed back in to the station/them.  I have no idea how that actually works.  Another rabbit hole for me to totally not go down.  Hopefully.  Shit.  They’ve apparently upped the fine for trespass since the show, though, because it’s $750 (or 6 months in jail) now and Walt says it’s $500.

And once again, we see Vic actually wearing gloves while investigating a suspicious death, and Walt just squinting into the distance helpfully.  I suppose “things got bad” in Basque country around WWII, but there has been friction there that dates back before the Spanish Civil War, or even the Carlist Wars the previous century.  It did get gnarly with the dictatorship of Franco, and the formation of the ETA in retaliation, though, so yeah.  (Francisco Franco is also on the list of people who anybody with a time machine should go back and beat the shit out of.)

Shit, I forgot about the animal death.

Knock knock, no answer.  Better just wander in without a warrant.  I know that the guy who they know lives there is dead, but still, no fricking warrant; I suppose the worry of a poisoning could count as probably cause?  

Gods, but there are moments when I do absolutely adore Vic, and they are usually when she’s taking the piss out of Walt.  “Reclusive bachelor chic; you and Marco have the same decorator.”  Looool.  But also, sad, because Martha has only been gone for a little over a year, and Walt is not the kind of person who would, like, change stuff and get rid of her things, so that’s kind of odd.  Maybe Henry and/or Cady went though and put away some of her things to try to help Walt move on?  But damn, the ‘excuse you’ look on Walt’s face when she does say it, pffft.

AND AGAIN, Vic wearing gloves, Walt with his bare ass hands picking up the picture of Picasso’s Guernica; can you at least *pretend* you’re a cop, *some* of the time, buddy?

Lol at the barrabilak; they are pretty well by the Rocky Mountains, so it’s probably not all that surprising that Walt’s had some “Rocky Mountain oysters” before.

I had forgotten that Vic had four brothers.  But her comment about Sal going off to look after the sheep and how if someone had told her that one of her brothers were dead she “wouldn’t care about any damn sheep,” I don’t know.  It kind of annoys me.  It’s totally in character for her, which is good, but I think it’s part of what can annoy me about her character.  Different people grieve differently, but also, I know she’s only been in Wyoming for a year or two, tops, but how is it so hard to fathom that someone one would be concerned about their livelihood, even in the face of personal tragedy?  Just, seeing beyond her own very narrow experience doesn’t seem like something she’s very good at.  It would be one thing if she’d framed it as “this is suspicious, and here’s why I think so as a cop,” but it was, “I wouldn’t react that way personally, so it’s sus.”  

Sure, be suspicious because there’s a suspicious death and family members are always suspects until ruled out, but approach it like a cop.  Or at least think about it from more angles than just your own, not terribly similar experience.  You’re a white city cop who can’t (or won’t) adjust to being in BF rural-ville, but these are immigrant shepherds whose family come from a homeland where the cops were just as likely to kill you as answer questions, and you’re side-eying a guy for going to make sure that their meal ticket doesn’t get obliterated?

I need to keep reminding myself that I really did want to like Vic.  I really did.  She just... they don’t make it easy for me.  Maybe she’s serving as an avatar for audience who don’t know about some of the culture stuff, and the audience get answers from her ignorance?  But honestly, I wish they’d picked a different way to handle that, if that’s what they were trying to do.  Her response to Henry being salty about Thanksgiving still really pisses me off.  Because it was shitty and racist, and... do we really need a character basically rolling their eyes and saying, “It was so long ago, why don’t you just get over it,” about something that is intrinsically tied to the genocide of so many people?  Why are Indigenous people just supposed to “get over it” but “Remember the Alamo” and “Southern Pride,” and shit?  Fuck’s sake.  Honestly, that might have been the moment when they lost me on her character.  She has moments where she’s awesome, but they never really address her being fucking racist or give her a chance to grow into a better person.  Which sucks a lot.  Fuck.  Ok, that was a lot.  Sorry.  Back to the actual ep.

AH, nice of you to beam in from the campaign trail, Brancheroo!

Uh, so I paused it to look at pic in the newspaper, and then being me, started to look at the articles surrounding the pic.  And the one with the headline “Fans Injured At Local Game” is actually about the Stewart case?  From 1x3?  I’m guessing that somebody went to the trouble of writing up an article for that for some S1 ep after it and they just plugged it in because when not paused, you might catch “Sheriff Longmire” there and that’s all they need.  Especially since the text starts to repeat after the first paragraph.  (I am the worst pedantic little shit.)  Ooooor, maybe even though it’s S2, it’s hardly been any time since 1x3?  The date on the newspaper is March 31, 2012, so there’s a timeline hint. 

Awwwwww, once Walt points out the bird, Ferg knows exactly what it is.  Occasional twitcher, are we, my lad?  “A red-tip meadowlark,” indeed.  Oh bb; Ferg’s face when he sees Walt looking at the pic of him with Branch in the paper.

“You go too fast, you miss the little things.”  Every once in a while, he actually sort of mentors Ferg.  I wish he did more of that, especially since we see later how capable Ferg can be.

Go suck an egg, Branch.  Why does she get all the “good” assignments?  Maybe because she was actually on the job when they found the body, not campaigning.

OPE.  Lizzie’s gift.  Yeah, I’d probably choke on that coffee if I were you, too, girl.  Better hope that there wasn’t perishable food stuffs in that gift, because that has been in there for a whiiiiiile, hasn’t it.  Wait, was Ferg in the office when Lizzie dropped off the gift?  Because his face said more than just “Did somebody give Vic a present?”  Suuuuper subtle with that whole pushing the drawer closed with your foot there, Vic.  Pfffft.

“Cyrano Caballero”  How daaaare that skeeve take Cyrano’s name in vain?!?!  (I have a thing about Cyrano de Bergerac.  It’s quite possibly my favourite play, and I adore the character, and have exactly 0 chill about it at all.  I find Brian Hooker’s translation of “The Ballade of the duel at the Hotel Bourgogne Between de Bergerac and a Boeotian” with “Then, as I end the refrian, thrust home,” vastly superior to any other translation that I’ve heard or read, though for the rest of it, I will grant that there are others to be preferred.  But that version of his Ballade is exquisite, and I will not be swayed.  Holy shit, FOCUS.  That is so very much not the point.)  It’s not even a throw away line in this ep, it’s just a random, very well chosen, if utterly appallingly insulting, company name.  It’s actually incredibly clever for what the business is, and if it didn’t make me so stomping mad, I would applaud whoever came up with it heartily.

Vic’s face listening to this jackass’ spiel is a thing of beauty.  “A good woman goes a long way of easing the obvious stresses of your daily life,” the jackass says, cutting his eyes at Vic when he says “obvious stresses,” and I caaaackle.

What is it about this guys’ horrible glasses that just makes him so much more hate-able?  I’m not entirely sure, but kudos to whatever costumer put those on him, because they are perfect.  In the ‘I want to punch him’ way of perfection.

And after all of that about Walt’s “lady friend,” Vic brings Lizzie’s present.  Womp womp.  That went super well.  Yuuuup, run while you can.

Poor Ferg.  Branch manipulates him, Vic ignores him, Walt shuts him down...  Poor guy just can’t get a break.

I actually kind of like this motel manager--the one who “doesn’t judge people” and is a stickler for warrants?  At least somebody in this county cares about warrants.  Also, those doors are actually really pretty.  Nice colour, and the carved scrollwork designs are nice.

What an odd shot: the one when they’re coming out of Walt’s office after talking to Skeevy McGrossFace and Rosa.  It’s a weird sort of shaky-cam stepping back, just preceding Branch walking, and then turns to follow him when he sit’s on his desk.  But it’s a really different style of shot than I can remember, so much so that it’s a bit jarring, especially after the series of nearly stationary close ups that we just had.  Weird. [18:42-18-50]

Cady!  I haven’t made much note of her costuming before this, but it seems notable that’s she’s only in monocromatics.  Especially next to Fales in muted tones, but still some colour, and surrounded by the colourful grafitti of the alley where her mother was stabbed.  Nice way of setting her apart from everything.

SHEEPIES!  Ooooo, that wagon is so cool.  Ah dang, the way that Sal corrects Walt’s pronunciation of his brother’s name is so gloriously passive aggressive.  Good for you, my dude.  Names are important, and people should have the respect to make the effort to get them right.

Aaaaaand Walt, the definition of Do, Don’t Tell, just shoves the guy to keep him from drinking the possibly dangerous water, rather than, like, using his words.  Walt’s gonna Walt.

Iiiiiiiii am a mess, truly.  It cuts to an architectural model and I start giggling like a 6th grader, because I know it’s going to be a Jacob scene.  He’s not even on screen yet, ffs.  HANDS.  I’m fine.  Totally fine.  (That’s totally a lie.  I just rewound to the beginning of the scene because I kept giggling too much to pay attention.  What the hell.)  First time we’ve seen one of the chips, which at this point must be a marketing mock-up, since nothing is built yet.  And he actually types, not just doing the hunt-and-peck thing that is sometimes easier on a tablet.

Looking at the weaving that is up on his wall (maybe a rug?) I’m hoping that the prop people actually did buy from Northern Cheyenne artisans.  They apparently did most of their filming in New Mexico, so I hope they made the effort to get the patterns right, and buy from the actual tribe they’re supposed to be portraying, I guess?  And now I’m distracted by the fact that the random hanging light behind Jacob is at a weird angle?  

Look, ever since I realized that the “Hey,” that Jacob does is apparently just A (thanks to it also happening in That Damned Xmas Movie) I am endlessly amused (and charmed) whenever Jacob does it.  I don’t know why it makes me so happy, but it does.  (This is legitimately embarrassing.  How much trouble I am having focusing.  Beyond my normal focus issues, which, as shown above, are already impressive.  Because thiiiiirst.)

“My boys at the lumber yard did just throw you a campaign rally.”  I love how Jacob is basically apparently not just his secret angel-investor, but also a sneaky campaign manager.  Did Branch just think shit like the rally just happened?  He’s not fricking Ferris Bueller; somebody organizes those.  And apparently it’s either Jacob himself, or someone who Jacob appointed to do so.

“I thought you were just a casino developer.”  You have noooo clue, Brancheroo.  “I prefer to remain a silent partner.  White people get nervous when Indians start taking back their land.”  Oooooope.  Especially interesting because there are previsions for the Tribal Council to purchase land to be Tribal land (Section 6 of Article IX of the Tribal Constitution), but this seems more along the lines of personal acquisition.  Though maybe not, because “on the board” doesn’t necessarily equate to being the owner.

The set up of Jacob’s office is so interesting.  Functionally for the show, it’s probably for better shooting angles, so that we can see more of Jacob behind the desk while Branch is sitting in front of it, but from an in-the-verse decorating standpoint, bit’s fascinating.  He has this focal wall with the gorgeous wall hanging, flanked by floor to ceiling window, but instead of having his desk centered on that wall and directly facing the bulk of the room, it’s at an almost 45 degree angle on a huge rug, and it’s so unexpected.  I kind of love it, and want to analyze it for days.  Also worth noting is that pride of place is given to the  Hotamétaneo’o headdress which is on a stand centered in front of the wall hanging.

How fucking tired must Jacob be.  He’s used to Walt... Walting, but then Branch comes in, who he is literally spending his own money to support in his bid for sheriff, and he pulls the same shit of assuming that he’s behind Bad Shit.  And then Branch frames it as “bad P.R,” so he’s there to “discuss it with [him] privately.”  And then basically threatens him with Walt.  I swear.  ...there is something a little amusing about Walt being used as the stick in the carrot and a stick method of negotiating.  He certainly is enough of a blunt object most of the time.

Oh fuck you so much, Branch.  Playing the “can’t give you details about an ongoing investigation” card as though you have some professional or moral leg to stand on after basically blackmailing Jacob with Walt’s vendetta is just such shit.  You don’t get to look down your nose at Jacob’s quid pro quo pragmatism when you were the one who came to him for financial backing.  You sanctimonious little shitheel.  If you didn’t want to deal with Jacob, you shouldn’t have taken his $100k.  He’s a business man, and you’re an investment, and not a quixotic one.

“He’s probably the only person to have died from [hemlock] since Socrates.”  And then Walt’s incredulous look and her, “Alright, I googled it,” were subtle comedic gold.

Ooooooo, that was a nice little shot.  Not quite foreshadowing, but showing Branch’s suspicions and sort of inviting the audience to share them.  Walt says his bit about the Army poisoning “Indian wells” to kill them off and get their land, and then we see Branch fiddling with the Four Arrows chip and narrow his eyes considering and slip the chip into his pocket, looking suspicious.  It’s a really neat little moment of visual storytelling, no lines, literally three seconds long, just sort of snuck in there, but super effective.  Really nicely done.

And again, Cady is in monochromatics.  And, shit, just gave Fales Henry’s name.  Aaaaaand right after, she realizes that the junkie was killed and realizes that it had to have been one of her dads (or so she thinks).

Sal’s monologue in the cell is a good emotional payoff that plays off of Vic’s comments towards the beginning of the episode.  I see the narrative worth of her making them, and how the structure of the episode benefits from it; but seeing those writing elements from the outside of the show doesn’t make me able to like her as a character who said them in-universe.  And then the threat Sal makes of vengeance on someone who killed one he loves also underscores the stuff with Cady’s investigation into her mother’s death very well.  As much as I gripe about the writing *cough S6 cough finale cough* there really is some damn good writing in this show, and I don’t show enough appreciation for it.

Huh, and now there’s a sort of inverse of that weird shot preceding Branch from earlier, but this one is much more effective and less off-putting.  This one [33:00] precedes Walt as he walks back into his office, still a medium close up, but it’s much steadier, and the way it is framed, it does quite a bit to convey his mindset, and he walks out of the shot and we see the three deputies following him in like baffled ducklings, making the shot serve another purpose, too.  Which honestly makes that earlier shaky follow shot of Branch even weirder, because this one was so much better.

And then Walt has his creepy little speech about how someone would want to watch the light go out of their eyes and not caring if you get caught.  I do appreciate that when he’s talking about the psychology of killing with poison he doesn’t just call it a “woman’s method” which media so often does.  It might have been the writers keeping who the killer was abstruse, but it was still more gender neutral.  Especially since according to The U. S. Department of Justice's report on Homicide Trends in the United States (1980 to 2008) of all poison killers in that time period, 60.5 percent were male and 39.5 percent female.  (Table 5 on page 10.)  So that long held idea that even Sherlock Holmes was written to have that poison is “of course” a woman’s weapon is pretty crap.

Awwww, the good old days when Walt paid attention to animals.  ...I am still bizarrely salty about the fact that he never named his horse.  What a good pupper!  

And then we have a classic example of Sneaky!Walt, which always takes people quite by surprise, because he’s usually as subtle as Miley Cyrus.

Also because when he does this, it tends to be pretty fucked up, in a Make Someone Think They’re About To Die way.  And then he does His Thing, where he just lays out all of his suppositions, with no proof, only the terror of her thinking that she’s been poisoned and you’re withholding medical intervention to get her to confess.  And is, irritatingly, correct about his theories.  But I’m pretty sure this qualifies as coercing a confession?  She thinks she’s fucking dying.  Even Vic looks at him like it’s fucked up, and her moral compass where he’s concerned is... skewed.

They way this reveal was played out, (”How’d they find her so fast?”  “Hard to say...”) is somewhat ambiguous as to whether it’s supposed to be that Branch went there to tell Jacob or not, but I kind of doubt it?  I kind of figure that the meeting that Jacob was having when Branch rambled in was already with Rosa signing the paperwork.  Jacob is smart.  So, HAH.  Little good your “can’t comment on an ongoing investigation” schtick did.

And then the news that someone in law enforcement has been asking after Henry.

“Lizzie was waiting for you here tonight.  You should talk to her, Walt.  She seems to think she is in a relationship with you.”  ....omgs.  The tone.  I mean, yes, the blisteringly glorious SASS, but how does one not read that as incredibly shippy?  Howwwww?

“You are an honest man, Walt.  I would like you to stay that way.”  Oh Henry.  When did you decide that you weren’t?  Was it when you hired Hector?  Or was there something before?  ...I feel like there were things before that.  Hello darkness my old friend.

“It is not your job to protect me.”  “It is my job...”  THOSE WERE THE DAYS.  Those were the fucking daaaaaays.  And the emotions on Henry’s face after Walt says, “That was my right,” as though Henry cheated him of something.  I am so deep in OT3 feels I cannot even see daylight here.  The feels of them having been an OT3 and then Walt pulling this shit, and Henry having to defend his own “right” to avenge Martha?  It wrecks me.  “A good woman was murdered.  A bad man is dead.  End of story.”  

[aprilblossomgirl]

I swear this is my last rambles about the episode. I left this in the tags on one of my reblogs, but I'm just going to make a post about it anyway. So, this:

It somewhat intrigued me how they showed Wat taking a picture or a shot by placing his camera lens in that exact position in this scene. From us, the viewer's side, it looks like the lens was framed by the bedframe's bars and Akk's body. So I take it as Wat wanted a particular shot to be taken from a particular point of view. But what if I like to think this means more than that?

First, Wat loves indie movies. We knew this from episode 2, where he was so excited to find out that a movie by his favorite director was showing in Bangkok that he went all the way 'breaking' the rule of not using a phone in class to get the ticket. Although this is not always the case, we are often made to understand that indie movies have different artistic styles or angles of presenting content depending on the maker's ideals and visions. So Wat placing his camera lens that way might imply he has a different stance on things happening around him.

Second, back to the positioning of Wat's camera lens. There's plenty of space to move the directions of lens if Wat places the camera a bit over the bedframe bars. Space that allows him to take wider view without any barriers blocking it. But maybe he needs those bars to frame his shots precisely the way he wants them, thus the placing of his camera. Again, he wishes to shoot with a specific context to tell.

Third, I think Wat is the most observant among the three of them. Not too strict nor too loosely. Just right in the middle. When he got into trouble with Teacher Waree (due to his attention being divided into that indie movie ticket hunting) and then having Kan accused Akk of taking Teacher Waree's side and not his, Wat tried to calm Kan down. He said that Akk taking Teacher Waree's side was necessary, and then he said that Ayan was also helping him, but using a different way. I think it is important that we're shown Wat's voice here, where he didn't take the side of either Akk or Ayan but instead focused on the 'problem' that is arguing with Teacher Waree.

I think this is the neutrality they wanted to show us. Thua might be the one who's literally voicing out about "trying to be neutral," but I think it's Wat that has the potential to act it out. Being neutral is not always the same as being silent. Being neutral is having the ability to observe deeper and further, listen more carefully and attentively to the voices, and build the necessary frames to present these observations at the right time to be on point. Just like Kan finally understood why Akk did what he did, as he listened to Wat when he refused to talk to Akk. So here, in a way, Wat became the voice of Akk to get through Kan. That's Wat on the middle ground.

Talking about filmmaking as a way of documentation, I could imagine Wat being the one patiently and silently collecting evidence and building narratives through a filmmaking as a different form of protesting that could strike down the school authorities. However, if none of these is canon, then let's just say I have my headcanon way too early for this one.

[agirlunderarock]

Long over due character ask

@azorell You sent me a character ask like a long time ago, and I thought I had it saved in my drafts but apparently when I moved to answer the question tonight and saved in drafts on mobile, Tumblr decided to eat the whole thing. But I had my notes so I know you asked about Bilbo, because you know I could ramble about Boromir forever, and I’m finally going to get to answer that, because you are absolutely right I can ramble about Bilbo forever too!

Its just taken me a while to answer this because of course my hyperfixation is on star wars right now and I just never log into tumblr on my desktop- BUT THAT ENDS TODAY!!

What I've come to realize recently, is that I love and adore Boromir, he's a fascinating character, he's not one that brings me a lot of comfort. In the narrative of lord of the rings he makes me happy, but he also stresses me out in that I start viewing the other characters from his perspective and-

We're getting off track

So second of all

Bilbo Baggins though 😏  there's a little lad I haven't raved about

First impression: So my introduction to the lord of the rings came when I was 9 and lacked a lot of big brain critical thinking skills to recognize Bilbo as anything other than Frodo's weird uncle who sometimes looks like a demon, and has instilled the fear of getting old in little me. Honestly I can't say I had much of an opinion on him aside from that.

Impression now: Let me just say, after having read, watched, and written fanfiction for the Hobbit,  Bilbo Baggins is by far one of my FAVORITE characters. Does he bring me a whole lot of comfort? Sometimes. Like if I grow up (I say this like I'm not in my mid twenties) to be someone's eccentric aunt with piles of books and unfinished manuscripts laying around my house while I learn to make my own wine and throw elaborate parties just to vanish before I have to clean up, then I might end up decently satisfied late in life. I don't know, Bilbo is an interesting character to me. He's written to represent the "proper" English Boys who went off to fight in WWI and then come back to a completely different life. I mean Frodo does it do a lot more drastically than Bilbo, but I think Bilbo is a fun character to look at for a model when trying to get a hold on character development. Like reading, and even watching the Hobbit, you can see each chapter he's learning something and growing in some way from the previous one.

Favorite moment: Clearly his birthday left an impression on me lol but honestly my favorite scene in the books and the movies, is when he comes home and is standing in his freshly ransacked house. That scene just hits so hard, and is the true reminder that, even though you’re back home, you’re back where you started, you’re never truly the same person, and home is never going to feel quite the same. In the movie the color difference between the opening shot of Baggend is so bright, and we see light coming in through the windows, and just that center frame of him in the door way hits so hard. I think the first time I saw the movie- like I cried through the whole thing- I started my last round of crying when he’s just standing in the doorway. Its like getting closure but its not the kind that makes you feel whole. Its the same feeling I had when I graduated high school and university, and nothing but that scene ever seemed to really capture that feeling for me.

Idea for a story: Now am I going to be the one to write this? No. But I would absolutely read the heck out of Bilbo doing the actual planning for his party or even one of him having to get all hist stuff back from his neighbors. Mundane maybe, but I feel like you could have so much fun with it in making up so many different Hobbit ocs as Bilbo tries to gather up his things and re furnish his house. Also though if you add any of the weight from the afore mentioned scene to the story, I’ll probably cry and thats always a win.

Unpopular Opinion: I don’t know if its unpopular or not, but I do know a lot of the fandom says Bilbo is gay, I’m a personal fan of him being asexual/aromantic. I feel like both work, but my personal interpretation is aroace. And I have this listed as an unpopular opinion just because I know people used to get really defensive about the shipping and stuff, and like even today, people start acting like clowns when you say a character is ace or aro instead of gay. So unfortunately this goes under unpopular opinions. Like to each your own, engage in fandom how you want my dudes, I know how to curate my dash, ya know? So maybe its not so unpopular anymore, I hope its not, I’d like to see more aroace characters that are more dynamic and fun and sweet and charming.

Favorite Relationship: In the book it was Bilbo and Balin. I loved their friendship so much, they just stuck together for most of the journey. I like to imagine they had tea or beers together if not both. Bilbo is the type who’s eager to learn and Balin is more than happy to tell him what he wants to know- this happens a bit in the movies too. From the movies specifically though Bilbo and Bofur were my absolute favorite! Like Bofur is always asking for and looking out for Bilbo through the journey, and then in Lake Town, Bilbo is looking for him. They’re chaotic + responsible friends and I love that for them. I love that in the Extended Edition of Battle of the Five Armies, Bofur is the one who sees/catches Bilbo leaving Erebor and that whole conversation is lovely and tells us so much about what the dwarves think of the situation.

Favorite Headcanon: I actually don’t have many headcanons for Bilbo, again the only one being that he’s aroace. There are just so many other people who have actually really good headcanons about him and the other hobbits. My interest was more in the dwarves, specifically Thorin’s brother and sister who of course are never mentioned by name in the movies  I could wait and look to see out of the people I follow who has given my favorite headcanon, but like then I won’t publish this for another four months and its been waiting in my ask box long enough

Once again though thanks for the ask! Next time I promise not lose it!

If anyone else would like to send in a character the ask list is here and my ask box is always open!

[lordelmelloi2]

The way... that Fate/Zero approaches the topic of pain and trauma and suffering is so .... 

Apologies if this comes off as pretentious I have to try to write my thoughts down 

The reason why the Joker was funny to me for the first half before my blood pressure started raising was because they were hitting the nail on the head far too much by insisting that all of it was because of untreated mental illness. With a shot of the Joker circling “mental illness” on a notepad full of his other ramblings, with a shot of a sign that says “Smile/be happy” or whatever, with the juxtaposition of his job as a clown but his own mental illness issues being just hammered into you (But doctor, I am Pagliacci!). It was too much. It was too on the head, not subtle at all, and such an inaccurate, like... self-centered narrative of mental illness that it was hilarious. The kind of ideology that purveys people to be unable to recover from mental illness at all and they’re just “like that” and you don’t have to do anything to try to make your situation better. 

It’s absolutely absurd, and absurdity is funny. 

Fate/Zero has the same thing going on. We see firsthand how Kiritsugu has a history of trauma and pain and mental illness going on but he does absolutely NOTHING to try to change it (and Irisviel, unfortunately, supports him not changing it because she doesn’t KNOW anything other than the ideology he’s taught her). Kiritsugu is so deep in his self-centered narrative of needing to kill all the bad guys so all the good guys can survive (a very black and white view of the world) and that the greater good is what matters the most (again very un-nuanced) but in the setting of Fate/Zero we see him actively think about running away and then get convinced not to by a woman who he taught himself to reinforce his bad ideology. That’s the healthiest thought he had had before digging his heels in again. And time and time again we see how he fucks up his relationship with Saber because he has such a hang up over her being King at all that he refuses to try to talk to her or explain anything or even just express himself or his feelings to her and it’s just him self-sabotaging and saying “well it has to be like this” over and over again even though he’s aware there’s a way out. The absurdity of his choice of actions is funny. 

Kariya doesn’t have the exact same narrative, but it’s similar - his goal is actually noble, it’s a great goal, but his insistence in doing it in the way his family has going on rather than trying to subvert it at all and also hyperfocusing on saving Aoi and Rin as well instead of just Sakura has narrowed his point of view to a sliver of what he was previously capable of. His affection towards Aoi becomes an obsession where he refuses to think of her point of view or feelings, and the worms are likely to blame for that since he isn’t of a good state of mind for like NINETY PERCENT of the novel. But again it’s just so hammered with him being hit from all angles constantly that it can’t be read as tragedy anymore, like, ... you are full of fucking worms and they’re making you insane. His case becomes so absurd that it’s funny. 

Kirei is already absurd in the first place. We don’t really get the bit of information that elaborates on why he’s unable to experience happiness in F/Z, but you can understand later if you look into it that he’s a child soldier, an Executor for the Church at a young age, and so his brain is rewired effectively for him to be unable to process joy/rewards as anything other than Others’ Pain. He has no fucking idea that this is because he’s been an Executor for the church or that he has mental illness at all. He literally simply believes he’s built this way. And as we’ve said before he has a totally inappropriate, misunderstood parasocial relationship to Kiritsugu where he believes Kiritsugu’s pain and emptiness is the same as his own, and Kiritsugu is terrified of Kirei, and yet Kirei seeks him out as though he wants to sit down and have a drink with him to talk but the only way they can meet each other is if they were going to kill each other. and all Kirei Actually wants to do is talk and understand Kiritsugu emotionally. it’s. Beyond insane. It’s absurd. It doesn’t make any sense. And so his obsession becomes funny. 

What happens to Saber isn’t really very funny if only because she really is a victim of her own circumstances. It is absurd what is happening to her, though. Being told she’s not a real King despite all of the suffering she’s gone through. Being ignored by her master and used like a tool despite her having a better grasp of the situation strategically. Having a bond with her master’s wife more mutually fulfilling than he does. Being told by Gilgamesh that she’s going to become his wife and then being shot at with weapons when she says ‘no’. This is the case where it’s not her fault that this is happening, but the fact that it’s happening at all makes it so absurd that someone’s response may be to laugh and say “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??? BRO WTF IS SOMETHING GOING ON WHY DO I DESERVE THIS PUNISHMENT WHAT DID I EVEN DOOOO” so to speak (lol). 

And then amongst Fate Zero you literally have a coming of age story where Waver is growing up and learning to have more self-esteem and then crying and being traumatized but being emotionally supported through his trauma and the juxtaposition of his story, which is fruitful, to the sheer repeat-tragedies and chosen self-serving idiocy of almost the rest of the entire cast.... Again... the absurd becomes hilarious. “One foot in the darkness, and the other foot in a hello kitty roller skate”. 

So when I say “Fate Zero is a comedy” or it’s a gay art house series or whatever, what I mean is this: the framing of the series as an intense-straight-man-pain-trauma-suffering-fest compared with the course of the characters’ actions being presented as ‘what had to be done’ despite the very real options they could’ve taken to avoid, like, anything that had happened if they had simply tried to improve themselves or the situation at hand at all, creates a sense of absurdity and disbelief strong enough that you can’t help but laugh at it all and laugh at how obnoxiously stupid the cast is for chosing to dig their heels in, and the writer, Urobuchi, for expecting us to take this seriously in the narrow lense he wants us to read and interpret it in. I realize the previous sentence is kind of a run on but I hope my ideas can be understood from it. 

[oversimplify-it]

Story Process Tag by @herpixels​

I was tagged by @dynastiasimss​ - Thank you so much for tagging me!! 😊💖💗 This will most definitely get a bit wordy because I’m terrible at explaining things concisely! 😂 Also, I’ll mostly be talking about my process for 2.B.A Grandmaster but I’ll touch on my process for Erin in San Myshuno too!

I’m also going to get tags out of the way up here so that no one has to scroll all the way through this ... absolute novel that is under the cut LMAO so I tag: @cyansimblr  @x-simss @matchacake and any other simblrs who wanna do this!! and feel free to skip if you want!

1. Your writing process My writing process is very, very chaotic, and changes with the wind... Erin in San Myshuno doesn’t really have a process, I just play the game and then put in some dialogue based on the events. None of it is guided by my hand at all though! 2.B.A Grandmaster on the other hand is written in part based on what happens in game and in part by my own creative vision. Most of the time, I let stuff happen, and then fill in the blanks in between events. I go in game, play Sims as I normally would (skill build, take care of needs, go out to venues, etc.) and then watch what weird and interesting things happen. For example, Augusta’s meeting with Xavier in the beginning was completely the game’s doing! He was the only one to show up for the Welcome Wagon event, so I rolled with that. Scenes like Kaitlin’s meeting with Maverick and those sort of things are planned by me, as they’re necessary to create a more full narrative! It’s like collaborative storytelling, but my “partner” is a game that is weird and random and crazy. 😂 After stuff happens in game and I get screenshots, I then actually write for it. I chose to write novel style for the series because - as some of my long-term followers may remember - I had another story that was just screenshots with dialogue on them? And it was very hard, LOL, it didn’t suit my workflow very well and I ended up dropping it after a month or so. I wanted 2.B.A Grandmaster to be something I could post consistently, and so I opted for a style that I was more familiar and experienced with!

2. Scene building For the most part, I just work with what sims gives me, but as I mentioned above, some scenes I actually go to the trouble of setting up. For those, I still use the sims animations mostly (I’ve used poses about 3 times in 2.B.A Grandmaster so far) but I do usher my sims around the "set” as I see fit. I build a lot of my own lots and locations for 2.B.A GM because I tend to get a vision in my mind of what I want and refuse to settle for less. 😂 One such case is the scene where Maverick meets up with Octavia--

I made the alleyway we see here - it’s two entirely empty buildings sandwiched side by side on an otherwise empty lot in Oasis Springs. The only part I bothered to decorate was the alley itself because I knew I wasn’t going to use the rest of the area, but maybe we’ll revisit it sometime and I’ll finish the two buildings! I actually loved making this set and like how it turned out, LOL~

Then I just have whatever sims are involved in a scene interact with each other for ages until I feel like I have enough screenshots to make a scene. I usually have a vague idea of what’s going to be said in any given scene - especially the ones I actually planned out beforehand - but I get some excess screenshots to be safe. I try lots of different interactions and pause like every few frames to get interesting expressions and stuff, LOL. Lots of “Complain about Cold Weather” and “Give fake bad news” ...

3. CC/Pose making I don’t actually make my own CC for 2.B.A GM specifically (I’ve made a couple eyeshadows but I don’t use them super frequently) but there is a scene coming up in the future that I plan to make poses for. I have a very clear image in my mind that includes a lot of subtle expressions and very specific things that I doubt I could find poses for, so I’m gonna have to brave the terrifying landscape of blender in order to make it a reality. 😧

4. Getting in the zone I don’t have any sort of “ok, show time” ritual like some people do but I wish I did, because my motivation waxes and wanes so unpredictably. Some days I just don’t feel like doing anything, and other days I edit and write for 5 posts in a row! I am always listening to something though, usually music, every once in a blue moon a video with lots of talking. 5. Screenshot folder

UGH... 

6. Captions I don’t do captions on 2.B.A GM posts, but for my city living gameplay I do! I keep them simple, because I don’t want to make it too much work for myself. Erin in San Myshuno’s style of editing is 100% based around ease, because I wanted something to post often that didn’t put too much of a strain on me. Verdana in white, typically 35-40 px, with a gradient border. Each sim we encounter has a different gradient color, usually based on their outfit or just the ~vibe~ I get from them. Erin’s gradient is Hot pink to ... gee, what would you call it. Sonic the Hedgehog Blue LMAO-- I chose that gradient because that’s the color of the overlay, which I’ll talk more about in the next section!

7. Editing My two ‘series’ - and I use that term loosely LMAO - have different editing processes, so I’ll try to summarize them both. Basically, for 2.B.A Grandmaster, I touch up the saturation and brightness depending on the scene. If it’s evening in the shots, I usually won’t touch brightness, and if it’s night, I might even lower it a bit for more accurate lighting! Once that’s done, I blur everything but relevant elements of a scene, usually the character we’re following or who is speaking. I have to select the character from the background manually which takes a bit, but other than that it’s very minimal.

My shots aren’t super glamorous, but I prefer simple screenshots and actually being able to keep up with a story schedule as opposed to what happened with my last story. 😬 As for Erin in San Myshuno, barring captions which I only do when I feel it’s necessary, it’s literally just an overlay on otherwise untouched screenshots. 😭 I would do more, but again, it’s supposed to be an easy downtime sort of series for me so~

This goes over top all screenshots on the “Add” setting at 20% opacity. It brightens things up and softens them, as well as making the colors slightly more harmonious! If anyone wants me to go more in depth on editing, or maybe captions, please let me know! I’m happy to talk about it if it’ll help anyone, and I know that a lot of tutorials cover how to do stuff in Photoshop, whereas I use FireAlpaca (which is 100% free btw! It’s more of an art program, but not bad for editing) 8. Throwback!

Oh boy, so this is one of my first posts on simblr. For starters, I didn’t know about camera mode at the time, so that’s the first thing I would change obviously LOL. 😬 The framing I did at the time was ... cute, but it makes the pictures feel kind of cramped and small in my opinion, so I did away with that for all of my later stories. Also, Amy and Gemma aren’t very well centered in this picture! Other than that, this isn’t actually terrible I don’t think, so aside from maybe blurring the background as I do on 2.B.A GM now, I wouldn’t change too much! Thankfully, I had observed other people’s stories before making my own on here for a little bit, so I wasn’t starting with absolutely no idea what to do, but I still think I’ve improved since I made these. 😊

This was a ton of fun!! If anyone has questions or wants more info on anything I covered in here, absolutely feel free to ask, and thank you so much if you actually read through all of this - I know I rambled for quite a while!! 🙏

[septembersghost]

you say you love almost everyone and that's so nice to me since there is a TON of hate and negativity from feuding sides in this fandom against the boys and i find that depressing ): but it also makes me wanna know...who DON'T you love?

my scrap of advice regarding the vitriol, since I was once badly affected by it and found it damaging to my relationship with the show at certain points (cruel negativity =/= constructive discussion/thoughtful criticism, of course, I have plenty of that myself, but there’s definitely some really unpleasant stuff out there that is simply toxic for the sake of it) - people have strong opinions and you, friend, are allowed to ignore them! I admit it is far easier said than done, I am NOT good at doing this when I see hate directed at Dean, but I have gotten a lot better at not focusing constantly on things that make me so upset and bitter that I start to resent characters, and that has really helped me. another thoughtful person mentioned yesterday how it can be useful to try to see various perspectives in the story, even if you do not agree with them (this is where there’s a difference between sympathy and empathy - I find I feel the former a lot for various characters, whereas Dean gets the depth of the latter, but both are types of care). find your safe, good space, and don’t let anyone take it from you. <3

who don’t I love? hmmm. one shall not be named, but if you know, you know. (this is not S or C.)

the D*bb era was NOT good to supporting characters, even ones I love, and had trouble utilizing/handling them well, but there are still many that I have a lot of fondness for.

Lucifer, particularly Lucifer played by M*rk P, should never have appeared again after Swan Song. (if we had to have Sam’s hell hallucinations, they needed to figure out some other way to frame them, because it doesn’t even make sense that he sees Lucifer in Nick’s vessel. it would have been much more horrific if he had seen HIMSELF as possessed by Lucifer, but I get why that would have been difficult to film.) it stole a large portion of his power and effectiveness, and the archangels’ presence kept getting more and more reduced and diluted overall. the fact that we had to deal with him literally down to the wire in 15x19 (and I liked many aspects of Inherit the Earth)...mind-boggling. (we also didn’t need Nick’s storyline? who asked.)

Metatron? I just cannot stand him? laying aside the fact that he brutally murdered Dean in a way I found actively traumatic (yeah! I was indeed messed up about one of his deaths long before 15x20. 9x23 actually gave me nightmares at the time, and that was the WORST hiatus because I was so horrified that I considered quitting, which is the one time that ever seriously happened, although, looking back, maybe that was the smarter instinct...? tuning in to 10x01 and feeling extreme trepidation was not fun, but then demon!Dean was like, “heyyyyy girl, I’m charming and more naughty and unhinged than actively evil and you will actually want to have fun and unleash me!” and I was like...damn, okay, I guess. love my boy, whatever he is! /rambling) the concept of Metatron is interesting and could’ve added some great elements to the narrative (they tried), but he creeped me out and I cannot stand the way they characterized him. (I feel bad because it makes me want to tear Curtis Armstrong’s head off when he shows up in anything else, which I recognize is an unfair reaction!)

Amelia is maybe the one lady (possibly Toni too? idk I barely remember her existence. Naomi’s not my fave by a long-shot, but Amanda Tapping handled the portrayal well) I find nothing worth defending about, it’s not even hate at all, she just is so boring and straight out of a bad soap (it’s JARRING, yes, our show did indulge in all its glamour and its trauma and its fucking melodrama, but she’s from some other genre. it probably doesn’t help that I resent that storyline in S8, and she and Sam have black hole negative chemistry. I do hate the bright filter they used on her scenes).

Chuck as soon as he became a megalomaniacal villain and broke the logic and rules of the entire narrative. again, I understand what they were aiming for, the idea of God as a villain and wresting back your own agency/control/freedom is one that I am deeply drawn towards, I think it’s an important idea, I love the philosophical and gnostic aspects of what they were tackling. I didn’t even mind it when we found out he was God (it had been theorized for so long!), but then the way it was addressed at the very end damaged a lot of key pieces and it forces us to ignore that to even allow the rest of the story to retain its cohesion.

It’s a very small list in a vast world of characters beyond our mains, though! There are even one-off characters who I happily stan. It hurts me that so many of them suffered (SPN doesn’t discriminate on its pain and torment, unfortunately, and no one is more evidence of that than Dean himself now, but when you think about what any of them went through...), but I enjoy more of them than not!

[botwstoriesandsuch]

Just me rambling about Breath of the Wild’s opening cut scene because it is masterfully crafted and just a really good display of fantastic game design and story telling...Welcome to my TED Talk. 

[And spoilers for the end game, of course]

The first five minutes of game is a master class in foreshadowing and developing the tone that is set for the rest of the game. 

The very fist screen that you see, besides the simplistic title screen, which is genius by the way. Having a super unassuming and small logo really puts into perspective how Nintendo doesn’t need to amazing with it’s title right away, the gameplay speaks for itself. Anyhow, the first screen is that of light and darkness. Obviously, it can be interpreted as Zelda’s awakening power, and in a broader sense, the small silver of hope everyone has that the Calamity could be defeated. Most of all, it’s framed in a way similar to how one would open their eyes for the first time, squinting in the light. (Yeah I know all that is kinda obvious...but still, I just think it’s neat) 

[more below the cut]

It also perfectly parallels the end of the game in its framing and lighting. Even the opening hum, is the same sound as the Bow of Light being drawn and Zelda appearing out of Dark Beast Ganon.

Ok back to the opening scene. Now the act of Link actively opening his eyes, we’re greeted with this frame, Zelda now clearly telling Link to open his eyes, and we get this blue shape (which is the glow of the shrine) but it’s in the shape of an eye, mimicking Link’s own blue eyes.

Now I get that most of us are used to it by now, but just imagine, or remember the feeling of waking up in here. Most loz games start you off in a cozy home, a forest, or at the very least somewhere medieval. But waking up in this futuristic bath tub immediately places you completely out of your comfort zone. Whether you played every Zelda game, or this was your first, this setting is completely foreign and you have no idea what’s going on. And that feeling of not understanding or grasping where or when you are, immediately puts you in the same shoes as your playable protagonist, Link. Nintendo has already made you sympathize or at the very least find comfort or familiarity in Link.

Now does this look familiar?

It will...

(Also the parallel with the Great Plateau,overrun with the beauty of nature, vs the complexity of a man made castle. Plus the Calamity being portrayed more as a disease that festers upon Hyrule rather than just some tyrannical guy? *chefs kiss* I love my narrative parallels.)

Anyhow, next we have the Sheikah technology. There are a lot of references to blue in the game. From Link’s blue eyes to the Sheikah slates blue eyes, to the Champions tunics and the royal blue shared by the royal family. Blue is the least common color in nature (other than the sky/water. You don’t see a lot of blue trees, grass, animals, or rocks, do you?) so the rarity of it in the vast natural land of Hyrule, emphasizes it’s importance right away. Blue = power/importance. Through out the game, you’re drawn to the blue glow of shrines and towers (although initially orange, but after they are blue, more explanation later...), along with the blue of the water, in which Nintendo intentionally places civilization/treasure across. Plus, the opposite of blue, is the purplish/red glow of ganon. Mmmmm color coordination. 

The layout of the Shrine of Reserrction is a straight line, leaving no room for player error/distraction. It’s forcing you to go down it’s desired path. (At least initially...*cough cough* speed running and wall clipping *cough cough*) So the straight forwardness emphasizes the artificial nature of the place. 

Now, when exiting the Shrine, the artificial glow of the Sheikah lamps is now replaced with the warm orange sunlight. (See what I did there? Get it? It’s another parallel with the Sheikah technology colors, with the unused technology glowing orange, but when actively used by Link is glows blue? Therefore kinda giving blue an association with technology and power again, and orange with nature and exploration?)

Also more parallels with light/hope

Exiting the Shrine smoothly teaches you how to interact with objects, walk, and climb very naturally. It also teaches you the importance of the Shrine pedestals, an attraction towards chests, and ingraining you with the desire to explore, as the setting give you no information whatsoever. Even Zelda’s dialogue is vague, just saying “long slumber” and not how long, or “that [Sheikah Slate] will show you the way” giving no specifics. And that’s why its all the more satisfying when the vastness and detail of the outside world hits you. You are starved of information, making you more susceptible to the game’s theme of exploration.

The cold, artificial, dark enclosed space of the Shrine, gives way to this shot.

Do I even have to say anything? The way the music swells as Link runs out into the field, and the camera pulls out to really show the vast scope of things. The center piece of a dark castle in the distance, the symmetrical framing of Death Mountain and the Hebra peaks? The lush green shade in the foreground shifting into darker shadows and silhouettes when nearing the horizon hear the Calamity? The way the ridge to the side obstructs the view of Medoh and Naboris, with the natural angles of the mountain ranges hiding Rudania and Ruta? The fact that the sun is just rising, symbolizing a new morning. AND the stark contrast with the artificial, straight line Shrine you just went through, now your new path is more open. Even the path you take to the Old Man is curved, and at a much steeper decline. Also, notice how you’re declining, moving down and out of the Shrine, might not be a stretch to say it’s like you were descending from heaven as the savior of Hyrule. You’ve come back down to the ruins of a fallen kingdom. Although you don’t know that yet. 

The opening shot gives no big signs of civilization, the castle being too far out into the distance, and the trees obstructing any destroyed ruins. So when panning to the much closer and reachable Temple of Time, it really grabs the player’s attention. The framing of the Temple of Time is in such a way where it still looks intact. The gaping hole in it’s side faces in the other direction. All it seems to imply is that it’s old. No ruined guardians, or clear, distinct destruction can be seen yet. Also, the point of the Temple’s tower is in line with the Duel Peaks, almost perfectly. Both have stood the test of time, but it was the construction of man that did not last, where as nature has stood strong. 

Then, pan into the Old Man, a mysterious figure, you don’t know if they are friend or foe. But given your circumstance your eager to explore and investigate. Especially with how he is placed in front of an warm orange fire, because yeah more color coordination. Orange, serves a similar purpose as the color blue for attracting the players attention, but it’s symbolism is different. One, for it’s association with nature as previously state, but now here in the context of familiarity. Throughout the game, when you see a campfire, that either means enemies or people. All the same, it means company and you’re drawn to it. 

The camera zoom and focus of the scene barely shifts at all. When you first exit, Link is at the low center of the screen, even with the pan to the Temple of Time, and the Old Man is also in the low center of the screen. This anchor point allows for a smooth transition with the players attention, and adds to the natural environment and tone of the scene. 

So here you are, heading east, towards the sun, an old man, a camp fire, and the Temple of Time. No coincidence they are all in the same direction. 

Just look how much story and tone you are able to grasp in the first five minutes????? It embeds the feeling of curiosity and the desire to explore by starving you of information and freedom, before punching you in the face with the openness of Hyrule. It foreshadows a conflict with Ganon, a disease that ravage the world of man, and will next take on nature. The themes of technology and civilization, of time moving on. COLOR COORDINATION. And just the overall wonder of opening your eyes to an beautiful world waiting to be discovered. All this is conveyed to you whether subconsciously or unconsciously. 

That’s five or less minutes in to a game you can very well pack hundred of hours into.

Ugh, I love this game.

[the-melting-world]

Between the Pages

This fic came about when @arcanecadenza and I realized that her oc Dante and my apprentice Kipling were both very turned on by libraries and research. So naturally, we had to see what would happen if the conditions were just right. 😏

***

In which a humble gardener meets a shy alchemist...

~ 2k words

Warnings: mild spice

{Part I}

It wasn’t too often that Kipling Bronne could take the afternoon off. So she wanted to spend it at one of her favorite places – the library. Kip wished she had the luxury to go more often, but she didn’t want to think about that now. She was here and that was all that mattered.

This particular location was one of her favorite libraries in all of Vesuvia. And one of the only ones where she didn’t have a record of overdue books. Walking halfway across the city to get to it had been absolutely worth the inconvenience. With its high ceilings, cavernous lighting, and cozy furniture, Kipling could get lost in here for hours. 

And she certainly intended to do so. The problem was deciding where to direct her time. The literary section was calling her name, begging her to go hunting for the elusive spider-themed fables from her childhood. But she didn’t have time for silly rhymes. She was a business woman who needed to invest in her craft! And that meant looking up books on landscaping. In this she had no formal training and would never be able to save up enough money to support herself while she interned with a professional. So it all came down to teaching herself.

Kipling promised herself that next time she would browse the ancients and spend time with the nostalgic stories of her youth. But when Kipling entered the cool, dark building, she could already feel her resolve start to slip. After asking for directions to the nonfiction section, she didn’t so much as let her eyes wander in the direction of the popular literature.

By the time Kip reached the section with the books on floriculture and design, her shoulders were practically sagging. That’s when she ungracefully crashed into another patron. Of course it had to be a handsome one. 

Kipling quickly assessed his long, dark hair drawn back at the nape of his neck, his ocular frames, and the smell of parchment and chalk clinging to his garments. As if he were born right here between the shelves. Meanwhile Kip probably smelled of soil and terracotta clay. She hadn’t even had time to go home and change out of her apron and toolbelt. So she carried her entire office and all of its supplies on her hips. Not ideal for sliding in between these narrow bookshelves.

Still, Kipling over-apologized. “Gods, I wasn’t watching where I was going!” She bent down to pick up the patron’s frames, which had spilled onto the dusty floor in their collision. She did her best to clean them off on the sleeve of her blouse before hastily returning them to the owner’s face. This probably wasn’t the best course of action because they landed rather crookedly.

Kipling didn’t want to laugh, but the patron hadn’t moved or barely made a sound beyond grunting when they bumped into one another. Mostly he stared sort of slack-jawed, bringing Kip’s attention to what could have been a dark mote of dust or just a natural skin marking on the center of his lower lip. The longer she looked, the more she wanted to find out.

Reaching up to adjust the frames, Kipling tried to stifle a chuckle. “I probably shouldn’t cause any further damage, but –” her hands were able to smoothly rectify the problem without – bless the gods – poking him in the eye. 

It seemed that whatever spell the patron had fallen under had worn off because he was grinning subtly as she cleared away the finer wisps of hair determined to sweep the freckles off his face. 

“Thank you,” he said, not seeming to mind Kipling’s fussing. In fact, Kip realized as she reigned her arms back, the tilt of a thick eyebrow suggested that he didn’t seem to mind at all.

Jamming her thumbs behind the leather of her toolbelt, Kip struggled to find something else to say. This handsome individual was obviously familiar with this part of the library, and she didn’t want to say anything that might betray her ignorance in any of her weaker subject areas.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to because he was already rambling off questions. He spoke so fast and so eagerly that she could only parse out one. 

“Oh, I’m just looking for...” Kipling hesitated to say the Basics of Landscaping, so she said, “I’m here for work.” Noticing that he wasn’t carrying any texts or scrolls, she asked, “Are you looking for something in particular, uh… I don’t think I caught your name?”

“Dante,” he blurted. Then he cleared his throat. 

Kipling’s hand shot out faster than she intended. “Dante,” she repeated, appreciating its literary implications. “I’m Kipling. Or Kip, if you like.”

As they shook hands, his awkwardness dissolved under a more confident expression. 

“Kip. That I do like.” He made a thoughtful sound and added, “I’m here for work too.”

They were both slow to disengage from the handshake. Excited at the prospect of talking about a profession other than her own, Kipling asked, “Oh? What is it that you do, Dante?”

The confidence flickered, as if the patron wasn’t prepared to answer such a question. His eyes flitted about the dark space as he faltered, “I am... a...”

Kipling tried not to smile too eagerly as she waited for him to collect his thoughts. Finally, his dark eyes settled on a spot seemingly on the far side of the library before reconnecting with Kip’s.

“I’m a poet,” he said rather deliberately.

Kipling set her jaw and reconsidered her options for that afternoon. Browse through these very informative, but drab textbooks on topics devoid of narrative or verse? Or go hunting for her whimsical poems with a local expert?

She didn’t need long to think it over. Taking Dante’s hand again and tugging him away from these cramped shelves, she said, “Oh! Do you think you can help me with something? There’s a collection of children’s rhymes I’ve been trying to locate ever since –”

Kipling carried on as she tugged Dante in the direction of the cozier, warmer aisles where she knew her beloved poems were bound to be.

***

{Part II}

To Kipling’s surprise, Dante, although claiming to be a poet by occupation, did not know anything about the ancient bard scholar Ananzi or any of his prolific works within or outside of the realm of children’s fables. 

Either way, she was happy to have him by her side as they sat cross-legged at the base of one of the many shelves of poetry, leafing through anthology after anthology. Every time Kip paused in her treasure hunt to check on Dante’s progress, she found him staring at her or, dare she even say, pretending to read. One thing that she had noticed him making progress on was the state of his hair and attire – both of which were on a steady descent toward disheveled hell.

When Kipling could no longer ignore it, she quietly laughed. “You’ll never find anything with all that hair in your face.”

Dante looked about himself as if he just now realized what he had done. “Hm. I’ll admit that my priorities have shifted a bit.” He shot her a disarming smile.

Kipling, knowing full and well that she couldn’t focus on nostalgic pursuits when the present opportunities were so tempting, closed the book and said, “Dante, are you trying to distract me?”

“Yes.” The so-called poet looked rather pleased with himself. “Is it working?”

Kipling set the book to the side. “It is.” She turned to face him a little better. Looking pointedly at his hair, which was now undone and cascading about his shoulders, she asked, “May I?”

His eyes went a little wide, but he granted her permission. While Kipling took her time threading her fingers through his gently textured waves, Dante asked, “Do you know any of your ancient’s poems by heart?” Then clearing his throat, he added, “because it might help jog my memory. Certainly I know of whom you speak. It’s just buried under all the other, uh... ancients that I know of.”

Off to side, Kip rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him. “I know how the beginning of one goes.” Then as she began to recite the verses, her voice took on a different quality. It dipped low and broke up the common tongue in ways that only those from the islands could. 

Her poem told of a spider assassin who fell in love with a god king that she was assigned to kill. Dante’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned against her hands, which had gone from gentle touches to deeper massages along the nape of his neck.

When she ran out of verses to remember, Dante asked, “How does the poem end?”

Kipling withdrew her hand and gave a sad smile. “The spider drives herself mad because she can’t choose between carrying out her assignment or sparing the king’s life.”

Dante opened his eyes and chewed on his inner lip. “And this tale was meant for children?”

Kipling chuckled. “Oh, that one? No. Sorry, I should have specified.”

Dante smiled back. “It was very beautiful. Mostly due to the way you told it.”

Kip couldn’t stop her hand from wandering up to the ghost lock by her temple and winding it around her index finger.

Dante followed the gesture with his eyes. “Why did you... why did you stop?” Without waiting for an answer, he gently took hold of her free hand and fed it back into his hair.

Kipling’s laugh came out a little louder than she intended. “Gods, you’re worse than my familiar. I’ll admit, I’ve been distracted by the mark on your lip.”

Dante’s grin grew more confident. “Oh? Would you like a closer look?”

Knowing exactly where this was going, Kipling let her voice slip into the huskier accent from before.

“Only if you want me to.”

She was pleased to see that even in the amber shadows of the library, she could detect the band of blush forming across his freckled face. 

“I would.”

Kipling reached for and removed his frames. She folded them carefully before setting them off to the side on top of a book. She found that with or without glasses, Dante was very easy on the eyes. But she could tell that as soon as the frames came off, his confidence slipped. 

Luckily for him, Kip wasn’t in the mood to tease. She moved with purpose, guiding a wavy lock behind his ear and leaning in to coast her lips along the underside of his jaw. Dante made a shy sound that betrayed a more bashful nature under all that swagger from earlier. As Kipling walked her lips up his face, she felt him relax more and more. 

“You can touch me, Dante,” she whispered against the corner of his mouth. She demonstrated her meaning by slipping one hand along the base of his neck where she gathered a handful of his roots. She tucked her other index and middle finger into his unbuttoned collar. Her hands became opposing forces – one tugged down while the other slipped higher. 

“Oh. Mmm.”

Dante fumbled with his own hands, but Kipling didn’t wait for him to figure out a plan before she finally found his lips. And found them again. And again. 

Dante’s hands rested on a spot high on Kipling’s waist, just shy of her breasts. Occasionally, his knuckles would catch the soft underside, which only made Kip slow down the kiss and unburden more of the buttons on his shirt.

Drawing back some, she whispered, “You’re not a poet, are you, Dante?”

His slightly disoriented expression sobered a bit. “No.” He had the courtesy to meet her gaze when he came clean. “Is that... going to be a deal breaker?”

Kipling didn’t know where she found the discipline to hold back from surrendering to that downright irresistible mouth of his. Tapping the dark bead on his lower lip and schooling her features into something more contemplative, she said, “Only if you lie to me again.” 

“It won’t,” he whispered hastily, “happen again.”

Dante’s sober expression edged towards something more defenseless and hungry as Kip let her finger linger on the mark.

“Good. Because I want to get to know you, Dante. The real you.”

[votsalot]

2, 5, 11, 22, 31, 35?

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

I started writing fanfiction when I was 9 because I had all these things I wanted to see characters do and experience, and basically I wanted to be like. Their life-planners. Now I write it because I still want to see characters in situations we either don't see or which wouldn't happen within the frame of their original narratives!

5. What's the fic you're most proud of?

I'm most proud of Three-Fold - even though it's still in progress I think it's one of the best fanworks I've done.

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

I like to write about outcasts, people overcoming sad things happening, and finding the places where they are meant to be, with the people they are meant to be with. My one-shots don't follow this rule as much as my longer works do, though!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

I listen to movie soundtracks, emotional music compilations, classical, as long as it doesn't have lyrics :) Lyrics make me feel too restricted

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

I have some baby OCs for a short story I've had on my mind since Spring, 2019 - some WWI VADs and orderlies, but they need more development! But yes they are gay. And yes they were inspired by Downton Abbey, as well as the novella The Deep by Mary Swan.

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

Some of my fondest fic memories are from 3 am in the morning, looking for Gargoyles fanfiction on ff.net in 2009. As a new fan of a show that'd been out since about as long as I'd been alive, there was a lot of time for great content written to accumulate. It was also one of the first things I publicly posted fic for.

[coinofstone]

On Balls and Sticks

Just FYI I dug this out of an abandoned 14x10 post that’s been sitting in my drafts for a year.  Now, my swiss cheese brain doesn’t remember if anyone’s already covered this, so apologies if I’m rehashing someone else’s work. This was part of a much longer post analyzing the shit out of the set dec in these scenes, which I ended up abandoning because I couldn’t get the images to work. Now that I’ve solved that dilemma, I may revisit the post in its entirety in the future, but after seeing the ‘Drowning’ video Shaving People Punting Things posted, I had to dig this back up. For now, I want to talk about this shot:

At the time it stuck out to me because it’s so deliberate, but also so seemingly odd, random, until I stared at the pool table for a while. Is it insane to analyze billiard balls to this extent? Maybe, but here we are. This is the section I originally wrote on this shot:

All hail Amanda Tapping. Now I didn’t catch this shot, other than noticing that it seemed odd for what it was shooting - but that’s because the pesky dialog and characters in the background aren’t the goddamn point. I’ve gotta give @naruhearts @thetwistedwillow​ and @castielslostwings all the credit in the world for a) bringing this up and b) midwiving this shit out of me. The first thing I’ll bring up is the (white) cue ball and (black) 8 ball being positioned across from each other, easily interpreted to represent good and evil. The three numbered balls positioned defensively, or perhaps defiantly, in a row in the middle: green stripe (Dean), blue stripe (Castiel) and maroon solid (Sam). The Dean and Cas balls are stripes, but the Sam ball is a solid. To me, it’s intentionally differentiating Sam from Dean and Cas - those two have something in common with each other that they do not share with Sam. (Hint: it’s romantic love.) This is especially notable considering the maroon color of Sam’s ball is also available in a striped ball in any given set. The cue stick between the white ball and the numbered balls indicating the divide separating TFW and good - God and his self-imposed restriction from meddling in human affairs - evil (8 ball) has no such restriction, while still being in opposition to or confrontation with the colored balls. So TFW is left to fight evil or Lucifer without assistance from God or Heaven.  Additionally, the lights above the table - notice how there is three framed together and one on the opposite side of the pillar? One off on its own. Anyone who has read my Jack Meta piece knows that this episode spent a good chunk of time painting Jack as ‘other’ in the context of TFW. I believe this also represents that, three lights (Dean, Cas, Sam) together and one, the same but separated (Jack). Dean, Pamela, and ‘drunk’ vamp are also framed together within that shot - further representing three together, as well as the three stools and the three beer taps. These don’t have the single lone figure off to the side, (though the stools might, there IS one on the other side of that post but honestly it’s not really a focal point in this shot) so I think it’s more about the unity of the three than it is about the isolation of one. There is a whole load of actual color meta that can be read from this, but I’m not going to go into that here.

Now, the benefit of hindsight here is that I can pat myself on the back for the stuff about Jack being framed as ‘other’, but the real treat is that now I can look back on this and go ‘Wait! the fucking pool cue is Jack too!’ - I’ve specced that the ultimate endgame move for the show will be to have Jack resurrected at full power and use those powers to defeat a weakened Chuck, possibly locking him away like Chuck had once done to Amara, but more likely just locking him the fuck out of our universe. Looking back at this, I think it’s plausible that however it’s done, Chuck is going to be cut off from the rest of our world by Jack, much like the cue ball is cut off from the others by the pool stick in the shot above. While this does slightly alter my original perception of the visual narrative in this shot, foreshadowing God being cut off from the rest of our world deliberately by Jack versus Chuck cutting himself off from our world and the boys’ fight against evil, one thing remains the same - it’s still TFW vs evil, unrestricted. I’m taking this to indicate that by the end, they’ll not have sealed off Hell completely, or permanently rid the world of monsters, but they will still be there to fight them, or (hopefully) advise and assist others who choose to do so, in a more supervisory capacity. Interestingly, now that we know Rowena sits on the throne as the Queen of Hell, given her own character journey it’s entirely possible that there is a further layer to the positioning of the balls in this shot. Evil, or in this case, the Queen of Hell herself, could very possibly be read to be... on the same side as TFW against Chuck, you could say, backing them, even... Now there’s an interesting thought. Well, time will tell, anyway.

Now, I know you’re saying, ‘But Coin, why the fuck are you rambling about a shot of balls from over a year ago, now? What’s this got to do with the Drowning video? Why are you posting two separate analyses in one night when you usually average about one post per year?’ WELL. I’ll tell you, since you’ve asked so nicely. It was another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot from the Drowning promo video, but I would’ve shot up from my seat in triumph when I saw it, had my sciatica not been acting up. Behold, my validation:

What’s that you say? I’m insane you say? Well, you’re not wrong, but neither am I:

Look I spent like three days teaching myself to make gifs from blu-rays I haven’t figured out how to make the words I add to pictures shrink legibly when I resize for tumblr and I’m not gonna figure that shit out tonight, so just - it’s the fuckin balls again. The TFW balls are positioned with Dean and Cas together and Sam slightly off on his own, one space away from Dean. Maybe the orange solid ball between them is Eileen, GASP! maybe it’s Rowena because GINGER, maybe I just need to go to bed, but I’m NOT seeing things.

I’m just sayin’, man. The fuckin DeanCas balls wanna be together.The Sam ball wants to be slightly off on his own. Who is Sam even playing pool with he has no friends. I’m not going to sit here and suggest they set up like a trick table or something to get the balls to do what they wanted them to do - but, you know, as long as Jared hits it consistently they really only need a couple takes to realize placing all three of the relevant balls on the back line isn’t going to work because they will mostly scoot off on the break - leaving the Cas ball on the back line where it’s sitting sort of, say, on top of, or under, the Dean ball (ahem.) while still being visibly next to it, doesn’t hurt the metaphor/visual at all while also adding that layer about Cas going off on his own sometimes, which is something he, ya know, does. Sam’s ball not moving much could indicate that he intends on staying in the bunker or in the life, or it could very well just be where it ended up. This isn’t mean to be a conspiracy theory post and I really don’t want to dive any deeper into the possible machinations behind this shot - but I do want to point out that Sam’s initial rack is not how I learned how to rack, and contrary to what this post suggests I don’t actually spend a lot of time analyzing the pool tables in this show, so I don’t know if they normally follow any kind of method or if they just throw the balls in all willy-nilly every time. What I do know, is that this little blip in the promo made me think of the shot from Nihilism, and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[lionettea]

ok no one asked for this but here comes some moomin analysis!!

the last scene in Moominvalley episode 12 The Invisible Child with Too-Ticky and Moomin got me thinking about that ending song “Ready Now” and (of course not to distract from Ninny’s amazing story at all) but how the narrative seems to want us to ALSO consider this song in relation to Snufkin. keep reading for a rambly analysis of why I think so LOL. its long read at ur own discretion lol

(moominvalley spoilers if you’re not caught up!)

Alright alright alright so first off. When Too-Ticky tells Moomin to watch out for other lost souls, at first I thought it was going to be a touching but generalized message to the viewers to look for invisible children in their own life (very good) but THEN-- after Moomin thinks for a sec he seems to realize something, and then as the music starts the camera pans over to where Snufkin is walking away.

stuff like that in animation is rarely coincidence and usually super planned out, so it’s not a far leap to think the song also relates to Moomin and Snufkin!!!

Before I get into lyrics I wanna point out a few things about Moomin. Bless that guy. So I’m obviously not 100% on what Moominvalley canon is as far as how long he and Snufkin have known each other & what adventures they’ve already gone on before the first ep, but it’s clear that they’re already good enough friends that Moomin knows how to respect his space, even in Snufkin’s mind/memory.

And he is able to guide others in doing the same (like when he stops Sniff from continuing to bug Snufkin after Snufkin has reached his limit)

I think this experience helped him tremendously when it came to Ninny! Out of everyone there (besides Moominmama, where he must have learned his patience from) he is able to intuit her needs the best of everyone and is most effective in making her feel welcome! (probably from having dealt with Snufkin so much, or maybe its just in his nature) It works well until he gets ahead of himself and starts talking over her/thinks he knows what she needs without listening to her. This fails, and he quickly realizes what he did wrong and makes amends and is the first to realize how important it is to LISTEN! and then he explains that to the others.

Moomin’s ability to understand and be friends with uhhhh basically everyone he meets is nothing to sneeze at AND is pretty unique to his character when you think about it. More than anyone else (excluding Moominmama cuz she’s God Tier) he shows again and again --even when it may take some time-- that he has the patience to get to know someone and find value in them, no matter how different they are from him or how annoying they are to other characters. We see this in Sniff, the ghost, the ancestor, Little My, Ninny, (a hint of it with the groke), Snorkmaiden, Moominpapa, Too-Ticky, etc. etc. (and way more in the books but I’m just talking about Moominvalley for now) and of course our dear Nuuskamuikkunen.

Basically Moomin is really good at at least giving empathy a shot, something not every character can do (moominpappa, little my, and sniff can be kinda bad at it). That kind of caring can be life changing to someone who hasn’t really had much understanding before! 

Which brings us back to Snufkin, who’s privacy/introversion isn’t often respected/understood.

To the point where (even though he DOES like people!!!) he often gets overwhelmed and can’t see any way out besides to just- leave. Like he left Moomin at the party, like he left moomin & sniff at his own campfire with an abrupt “sleep well”, & how he leaves every winter. 

And why does Snufkin act like that? I really hope Moominvalley dives into it!! *rubs hands together* Besides it just being his Nature or whatever, in the books it says that he was found abandoned in a box (if memory serves) and basically grew up totally on his own as a wanderer and never had a home of his own and DEFINITELY never had anyone he could rely on besides himself. When you grow up that unstable, its no wonder you might want to take the stability into your own hands anyway you can. Why form strong attachments if they’re not going to last, or if it means you have to give up an integral part of yourself/your freedom/the only thing you’ve been able to control? This is just speculation though (I’m still reading the books too and I’m curious if the show will even address his past much at all!)

Anyway, considering how often he’s misunderstood even in super friendly Moominvalley who knows what he experienced elsewhere. It’s easier to retreat inward and fall back on to relying on yourself and no one else. The fact he views strong connections to people as something that can cage you/prevent you from being free, reveals a lot about the relationships/lack of relationships he’s probably known. however. we keep seeing hints that Snufkin isn’t always.. totally okay with this. we see that sometimes Snufkin needs company too.

(It’s also worth noting that when Snufkin realizes he feels lonely he assumes he must be sick or something because it feels so at odds with his identity. THE BABY DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO DEAL.)

He really has no idea how to grapple with the concept of Sometimes Needing People. He doesn’t know how to admit it to himself let alone others. In general despite spouting a lot of generic wise hot-topic-like phrases of advice (hehe i love them), when it comes to explaining himself to others (ESPECIALLY MOOMIN) he has NO idea what to do. which is seen in him stuttering and being evasive and hurrying away whenever questioned LOL.

Even when he does think he understands himself and is happy with his own solitude, he gets kinda knocked down a peg with both Titi-uu and Little My/the woodies. Both instances leave him realizing that, while being alone is great, company can also have some benefits!

Okay now we’re ready for the song “Ready Now” (hehe) and Moomin & Snufkin’s relationship. To Snufkin, someone as considerate and unendingly patient and loving as Moomintroll is probably still new, foreign, and full of constant surprises! (he was so shocked when Moomin wasn’t mad about the party thing...)

“You saw through me all this time I'd forgotten people are kind”

Even though Snufkin cares deeply for Moomintroll & does NOT hesitate to help him in a pinch and often goes against his solitude nature in order to comfort him (letting moomin&sniff eat by his fire, letting the dragon go), when it comes to verbalizing his OWN needs he struggles. And yet, Moomin somehow still seems to understand him and is gentle and forgiving (again with the hemulen’s jail, he never demanded an explanation or even an apology, he just wanted to help his best friend despite being stood up haha). 

Point is Moomin seems to be able to understand how to connect with Snufkin in an effective way.

“I was hurting and you knew So you showed me what to do You said "I will listen, tell it all When you're finished we'll talk more" But I didn't know how so we took it in turns To my surprise we found my words”

If Snufkin will open up to anybody it’s Moomin. And we’re talking year after year slow burn.... You can even tell that Snufkin wants to open up as seen in his imaginary conversation with Snow-Moomin. That’s the best back and forth convo they had specifically about Snufkin’s needs and it was in his head.... orz... (just talk to him you KNOW he’d understand...)

But, as revealed in this conversation, a big thing he talked about was not being ready (specifically to come back to Moominvalley, but the way it’s framed hints it’s also about other things as well) and now these lyrics....

“Feet firm on the ground, We stood hand in hand The world seemed to tell me That I have a plan Together we sang

I'm ready now.”

Obviously a big part of Snufkin’s character is that he doesn’t do things the conventional/common way at all. He very much does his own thing and won’t let anyone else threaten that. But the thing about Moomin is that understands/tries to! Moom doesn’t want to force him into a lifestyle or role that Snuf doesn’t want to fulfill, he just wants to be with Snufkin in whatever way works, even if its unconventional.

“You said "I will listen, tell me it all You don't like the ending? Then we'll find one that's yours."

To have someone who’s willing to work with him like this, big or small-- This is probably new to Snufkin!!! Or at least, maybe Moomin has always tried to put that out there, but it’s taken a while for Snufkin to finally start to believe/understand/trust that? He used to think building a strong relationship would mean sacrificing a part of himself, but maybe learn to see that he wouldn’t have to? He’s growing! and its a good grow!

“Something new, something strange Ten feet taller, I had changed I believe you, I'm not wrong Oh, it suits me to feel strong“

There’s that little bit of euphoria where he realizes.. caring about someone deeply can be a really good and positive thing.

And finally... remember how all of Snufkin’s life and identity revolves around wanting to be free? And how at first he thought being free meant to have no strong attachments? But maybe... just maybe... after working in loving tandem with Moomin....

“Oh, how did you know? That's all we need? A promise of hope Is enough to feel free.”

:’) the end

the potential is all carefully set up and there, I’m so excited to see what Moominvalley does with it! Especially since Moomin’s storyline seems to be revolving around him becoming more independent and finding his own, while Snufkin’s is about learning it’s okay to need others. They meet in the middle.

But things are never quite that easy in Moominvalley, so who knows how lost we’ll see snufkin before he gets “found”...? or vise versa. I can’t wait to find out!!!!