#I will also say a good amount of the main demon possession arc of the first season is a pretty well done metaphor for grooming until it
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theexorcistiii · 2 years ago
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I actually love the exorcist tv show it’s so unserious like the underlying plot is that a demon cult wants to assassinate the pope. That’s it. No further motive. Also one of the 2 main characters the bald guy from that gifset is canonically bisexual (obviously) but it seems like they were accidentally queerbaiting with him & the other main character ? Also the single link it had to the movies was so goofy & apparently they’re making a 5th exorcist movie that will render the show noncanon which is so funny to me. Anyway I can absolutely understand why it got cancelled (it was not good) but I would have loved to have seen where they were going with all that.
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meteor752 · 3 years ago
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Dsmp Hogwarts AU, except it’s all the characters and I go into why they are what they are, please reblog this took a long ass time
Man, what a title Huh? Anyways, this will obviously go over the characters and not the content creators, because in some cases those are vastly different
Also, before we start, I will go over an important thing that I will mention probably a few times, and that is the difference between Hufflepuff Loyalty and Slytherin Loyalty.
Both of these houses value loyalty, but in very different ways. Take for example that you’re a spy who has their best friend as their partner, and you’re out on some super important mission. Let’s also say that your partner got shot and is close to death, and the only way to save them would be to abandon the mission entirely.
A Hufflepuff would try to complete the mission because it would be the best for all, while the Slytherin would abandon the mission despite the fact that it could result in countless deaths, just to save their friend.
See it as Selfish Loyalty vs Selfless loyalty. Both are great things to have, but are still different.
Anyways, on with the show
Tomathy Danger Kraken Careful Innit
I have seen people try to argue that this boy is a Hufflepuff because of his loyalty and such, but gosh darnit everyone this child is a god damn Gryffindor. I mean, one of his main character traits is that he’s brash and too brave for his own good. The reason he got fucking exiled is because he burned down George’s house without thinking of the consequences, and then just screamed at Dream without thinking of the consequences. The same goes for Ghostbur’s “death”, it was because he had no real plan except Stab Dream with an axe. So yeah, Gryffindor
Wilbur Soot
Slytherin, 100%. This man has created one and a half nation, one entirely out of spite, he was both a general and a president, he’s a smart lil fella, and he managed to hold his own against the god of the server. I don’t even thing you guys wanna argue with me here
Tuberculosis Underscore
This one is tricky, because it’s really between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for me. Like, he does possess the Hufflepuff loyalty™ plus he is very kind, but he’s also one of the more logical and observant characters we have in this server (The bar is very low let me tell ya). But I think I will have to go with Ravenclaw, just because like, the boy invented nukes. He built fucking nukes. So yeah, a very chaotic Ravenclaw that will spout bee facts at you, be prepared
Technoblade
My man is a Ravenclaw, no doubt about it. I mean, he started talking about an old greek myth in the middle of a war? Just Ravenclaw things amiright?
Philza Minecraft
I will have to go with Slytherin on this one, simply because of the large amount of Slytherin Loyalty, but also because of his cunningness and resourcefulness, but for real this was very tricky, simply because I don’t like to think about c!Phil too much because as some of you may know, I kinda hate him (Not the cc though, obvs, he’s awesome)
Ranboo My Beloved
Hufflepuff. This boy’s ideology is literally “Choose people, not sides”, he’s an honest and compassionate boy who works hard, and has a very open mind. He’s literally the by the book Hufflepuff
Eret
Honestly, Slytherin. I mean, they are ambitious as fuck, both shown by them betraying L’Manburg for the throne, but also by working hard towards their redemption arc. They are also a good leader of the smp, and in general a great role model to have
Nikki Nihachu
This one is actually difficult, simply because Nikki has gone through quite the character arc the past couple of months. She started out kind, sweet and loyal, a classic Hufflepuff. Then she joined the syndicate and straight up tried to kill a child, which is less Hufflepuff but who am I to judge. But in her core, as seen through her discussion with Jack about Tommy’s revival, she is still a good person that works hard for what she believes in, wants the best for everyone (Despite sometimes working in her best self interest) remains kind through it all. So yeah, Nikki is a Hufflepuff, just a bit of a sadistic one. But we can’t all be perfect ya know?
Fun Jonathan Michael Vincent Georgina James Sus Dy Soot
Ah, my favorite character, and also one of the best examples of a Ravenclaw. And I ain’t saying that just cuz I’m a Ravenclaw, Fundy is one of the most Ravenclaw characters out there. He’s creative, Clever, Spontaneous, Witty, Curious, Sharp, and a real trickster. The idea of Ravenclaws being the goody two shoes kids that always does their school work is just false, we never do our Homework and instead sit and read about things we find interesting, and Fundy is a good example of that. Also he was quite the eager learner during the Dreamon Hunters arc, which again is a good example of a Ravenclaw. So if Ranboo is the by the book Hufflepuff, then Fundy is the by the book Ravenclaw.
Dreamwastaken
I’m pretty sure it’s confirmed that Dream is actually a Slytherin, and I ain’t arguing with that. This boy is cunning, sly, a leader, traditional, Self-Preserving, and a master with words. There is not much more to say here, apart from the fact that Slytherins main colour is literally green, so it all checks out, this boy is a snake.
George Lore
Mr not found over here really is hard to pinpoint down, simply because his main character trait is his apathy, which isn’t really a trait for any of the houses. I was discussing this one with my girlfriend, and both of us were pretty clueless of what to do with him. I was thinking if Hufflepuff since they take the ones that don’t fit anywhere else, but then I was reminded of the most recent Dream XD stream, which showed us one thing, and that is that George is clever, observant, and Sharp Minded, all the traits of a Ravenclaw. Sure, he could also be Slytherin as he was both cunning and sly as well, but I think Ravenclaw fits him more personally.
Sappitus Nappitus Boyhalo
Finally we have another Gryffindor, there’s been a serious lack of them on the list. My man is a fighter, he’s bold, he’s brave, he’s passionate, he’s confident, and he doesn’t really think that much of the consequences of his actions (Cough the pet war cough), so yeah this boy a lion.
Punz
Ah, Punzie, the mercenary themself. Tbh, I know very little about them because Punz don’t get involved that much in lore unless they are hired for something. I mean, they were in the eggpire, but even then they were barely involved, which is sad cuz I like Punz. But what we have seen of Punz is that they are someone who does not care about you or what you want, as long as you pay them. They are power hungry and self preserving, which means that I have to put them in Slytherin.
Jack Thunder1408 TV Manifold
The boy who I can’t help but be sympathetic towards. Jack is also a hard character to pin point because of the reason that he’s gone through quite the development. Jackie boy is a very broken character that has literally been through hell, so it’s hard to properly sort him. He’s quite confident and clever, yet cunning and resourceful, so for me it’s either Slytherin or Gryffindor. But I do lean towards Gryffindor more, partly because of his stubbornness and gullibility, and part because of all the fire imagery that’s associated with him. I mean, the cc described him as burning inside, he’s been through the scape of fire and death, and he burnt his nation to the ground. In case you didn’t know, Fire is the element of Gryffindor, so yeah, another red and gold boy.
JSchlatt
Schlatt is as both charming, charismatic and calm in the early days, using subtle manipulation tactics to get his way and achieve ultimate power. He’s ambitious, narcissistic, cunning, and tyrannical, while still hiding it all behind a facade of smiles and waves. He could also be both cruel and irresponsible at times, aka the time he had an underage child drink during an event, but ya know, mistakes. So all in all, I think it’s pretty clear that he’s a Snakey boy.
QuackityHQ
As much as I love CC!Quackity, I also fucking hate him because of the many, many different directions he’s taken this character which makes it possible for him to fit in literally any of the houses. The duckie is both Chaotic and lawful, he’s both friendly and hostile, he’s a smart cookie and a fucking dumbass, so like bruh. But, I’m gonna have to go with how he is now, which is manipulative, power hungry, cruel, and strong willed. Aka, another Slytherin.
Karl Jacobs
Finally, a character that is not broken down to the point of barely making out a readable personality. Karl is a kind and funny person, who is very open to new people considering how often he gives tours to visitors and new people, and he is quite literally loosing himself traveling through time in an attempt to help people. Hufflepuff
Awesamdude
This one I know will be controversial, but I’m saying Hufflepuff on him. Sam is one of the best cases of the Hufflepuff loyalty, literally letting both Tommy and Ghostbur be stuck and ultimately die in the prison just so he wouldn’t risk Dream breaking out. Before that point he was very kind and gentle towards Tommy, literally building a robot to keep him safe and take care of him. Sam nook is a reflection of Sam’s feelings towards Tommy, and they are kind and gentle.
Dropsbyponk
Ughhhh, another tough one. Ponk is a chaotic being who is mostly neutral in conflicts, but is shown to be very open about their feelings towards those they care about, like Sam or Foolish. They seem to be have strong feelings in what they believe in, and can be a bit brash sometimes, not really caring about the consequences of their actions, which is what makes me say Gryffindor for them.
Badboyhalo
Our favorite muffin demon. I assume, I don’t know what life you live. Anyways, Bad is like the stereotypical Hufflepuff. The kindhearted, well meaning, sweet, responsible Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuff that’s like in all of those incorrect quotes blogs and “Slytherin and Hufflepuff friendships uwu” posts. But for real, Bad is very Hufflepuff. He does however have Slytherin Loyalty, considering he pretty much sacrificed the entire server for Skeppy, but if you would try to convince me that Bad is a Slytherin I will just laugh at you
Skeppy
It was at this point I realized what I’ve gotten myself into with this post, which you know, not fun. Skeppy is both cocky and filled with energy, with a real ambition to cause chaos. He’s also shown to be willing to sacrifice himself for the person he loves, Bad, when he gave himself up to the egg. I’ve seen some people say Slytherin, but I’m kinda getting Gryffindor from the lad, so yeah, another lion.
Antfrost
Frosty here is a kind hearted person that for the most part seem to be along for the ride. He reminds me a bit of a parent of toddlers, with his patience and serenity towards the more chaotic people on the server, so of course my natural instinct is Hufflepuff. Buuuuut, then there’s again the issue with the egg and the Slytherin loyalty, this time towards his boyfriend Velvet who he was willing to join a cult for (relationship goals) but again, you can’t really say Ant is a Slytherin considering how wrecked he was about what he did while in the eggpire when he was released from it’s grasp. So yeah, Puffle boy
Captain Puffy
Oh captain my captain, you are such a Gryffindor. And some of you may disagree on that, stating that she’s a Hufflepuff or something (I did research before this to check what other people think, I know) but naaah, she a lion. Puffy is very motherly and protective towards other people on the server, especially the minors, but in the way that a Bear is protective towards its cub, which is gentle towards them but fierce towards others. Puffy also falls natural in the role of a leader as seen with Pro-Omelette, but that is kinda expected since she’s a past Pirate Captain. But she wasn’t the leader she was supposed to be, as she waited quite a while to act against the eggpire out of fear of hurting her friends, which lead to quite the damage towards the rest of the server. She’s also been shown to act on impulse, killing Antfrost and taking one of his lives after he killed her son. Idk if this is a good explanation of why I believe Puffy to be a Gryffindor, it sounds more like I’m claiming her to be a Slytherin or Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor I promise!
Foolish Gamers
Foolish is a kind and friendly being, if not a bit naive and easily distracted. He’s also not the brightest person, in fact I’d go as far as to call the guy a Himbo, and he can be a bit skittish sometimes if he’s stressed or haven’t taken a break in a while. But despite it all, the guy is someone who’s creative and hard working, with a brilliant mind for his building. The man is an artist who can get grumpy if you suppress his creative aura, and put his heart and soul into his works. He also has a habit of getting wrapped up in big projects, and ignoring sleep or personal care until he’s finished them. This all leads me to say that Mr Gamers is a Ravenclaw, just not the smartest one. But hey, we can’t all be geniuses, can we.
Slimecicle
Slime is very naive and very trusting towards people around him, taking every word they say as a fact. He can also be a bit dark and ominous at times, but quickly shakes it off as nothing important. This all makes him quite childish, which is very hard to sort, so I’m gonna say Hufflepuff for his friendliness and move on.
Purpled Bedwars
I actually started loving this guy the minute I saw him, purely because Purple is my favorite colour, like my man has taste. Purpled, like Punz, is a guy who helps whoever pays him the most. He’s not interested in most things on the server, too busy looking out for number one (And Dogchamp of course). He’s very self reliant and resourceful, but still quite passive. He may not be the most ambitious guy, but Purpled is definitely a Slytherin (It also brings me and my girlfriend Serotonin knowing that the mercenary siblings are both in the same house, we love those two)
Hannahxxrose
I don’t watch Hannah that much, but god I love her voice, it makes my lesbian little heart happy. Hannah is a friendly person who is very naive about the conflicts on the server, thinking it all can can be solved by placing a rose (God I wish). She’s a good decorator and a good hearted person, who unfortunately fell victim to the egg’s influence. I’m going with Hufflepuff on her, but I’m honestly not entirely sure as I don’t know that much about her.
HBomb94
H is a very well meaning person that only really wants people to be friendly towards each other. He had a strict moral code and he keeps to it, as shown where Fundy tried to get his help with blowing shit up. He’s very helpful to those who ask and is willing to back up his friends when it’s needed, which makes me say that the friendly totally not dirty cat maid is a Hufflepuff.
Connoreatspants
I just want you all to know that I’m writing this before Connor’s lore stream that surely will just go against everything I say because fate hates me, just so ya know. Connor is not a person that does stuff on the server with lore and he for the most part keeps to himself, so this is a bit hard. Connor also has this thing where he likes to say things just to confuse him, and also making a bit of cursed lore, but he’s still a fairly humble person. He does lie and steal a bit, and has this habit of moving into other people’s houses, but I digress. I’m actually leaning towards Ravenclaw on him, for some reason, so that’s what I’m going with until I have more of an established character.
ItsAlyssa
I know she has left the server and stuff, but she was one of the original members so it would be a crime not to include her. Alyssa is a bit chaotic, often going on killing sprees, or burning down the trees outside of L’Manburg. So I’m placing Alyssa in Gryffindor, but to be honest I don’t really know at this point.
Callahan
How do you sort a person who does not speak, stream, or show like anything of his personality? The answer is, you don’t. Hufflepuff is the house of those who don’t fit in anywhere else, and that’s where I’m placing him.
Vikkstar123
Please log onto the server I’m begging you, I didn’t watch you as a kid and honestly know nothing about you. From what I’ve seen of Vik he’s a very humble person that tries to stay out of it all, instead forming a land together with his bro Lazar. Honestly my instincts say Ravenclaw and I trust my instincts, so I’m putting him in Ravenclaw
Lazarbeam
Lazar was actually a big part of the exile arc which I realized after already have written his, so now I gotta rewrite it. Lazar is fairly ambitious on the server, and has the goal to obtain the most powerful objects on the server just to rival the other strong members of the smp. He’s especially against Tommy, and aims to do a lot to be the opposite of him, aka well respected and not a war criminal that got exiled (Totally fair goal). Despite that, he was able to show some empathy to the British child, even going as far as to give him a disk during his exile. This all makes me say Slytherin on him.
Michaelmcchill
Newest boy. Michael is a very apathetic person, showing little to no empathy towards most people’s trauma on the server. The person he does feel empathy for however is Dream, who of course did nothing wrong and is locked up in the prison which is just horrible oh no. Michael just truly does not care about what you’ve been through (as of now) which is why I’m gonna say Slytherin, because he does have Slytherin loyalty towards Mr Was Taken.
TL;DR
Tommy-Lion
Wilbur-Snake
Tubbo-Eagle
Techno-Eagle
Philza-Snake
Ranboo-Badger
Eret-Snake
Nikki-Badger
Fundy-Eagle
Dream-Snake
George-Eagle
Sapnap-Lion
Punz-Snake
Jack-Lion
Schlatt-Snake
Quackity-Snake
Karl-Badger
Sam-Badger
Ponk-Lion
Bad-Badger
Skeppy-Lion
Antfrost-Badger
Puffy-Lion
Foolish-Eagle
Slime-Badger
Purpled-Snake
Hannah-Badger
HBomb-Badger
Connor-Eagle
Alyssa-Lion
Callahan-Badger
Vik-Eagle
Lazar-Snake
Michael-Snake
So all together we have Seven lions, Ten Snakes, Seven Eagles and Ten Badgers. I think that’s fair tbh
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acid-vanir · 3 years ago
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Ok, Theory
Ok so in the webcomic Aurora, the “main” character Kendal is an entirely new uncategoriseable entity, a god’s incarnation that survived the god leaving it and developed its own mind and personality. 
Now the god that this happens to is the hero god of the city Vash and, like the Ancient Greek Eros or Nike is named after his domain. So what we know about Vash is that he cut his teeth in this god business by defending his city from and defeating the storm god Tynan, the way he does this is explained here with an in universe telling of the story. What we know is that an alien metal and jewel was worked into an incarnation of Vash at a thematically appropriate moment and became an extremely effective power up, enabling Vash to defeat the hitherto undefeated Tynan. 
Now how this works in the world built magic system of Aurora is really interesting. So in Aurora it appears they're are two (or eight depending on how you count it) fundamental substances of magic, the elements and soul energy, now we know where elemental magic comes from as a central piece of lore in the main storyline so far has been about the ancient war between the elementals and a Void Dragon and how the elementals died defeating this Void Dragon and their bodies meshed together supplying the materials as the world, but the elements still count, and can be persuaded to act, as one body essentially unique to the other elements and so because they belonged to a living entity with a soul can exist in two states, the material element and a sort of potential/soul element held in other materials or channeled by mages to enact elemental effects.
 Now soul energy is something very different and despite the excessive amount of time I've spent explaining the elements, is what we’re focusing on here. Soul  energy is what living things are “made of” being literally the material of souls, now I could be wrong but from I can figure out everything alive contains and in someway uses soul energy, and soul energy has a connection with other soul constructs allowing for an in any capacity uniform group of living things to develop a larger social soul that becomes a god. Vash for instance is a city of people and so through the interaction of their soul energy, construction of early incarnations, and people assigning these incarnations personality or motivations became the hero god the city imagined, as the god itself is made up of the whole cities population who once saw incarnation interpreted them a certain way and influenced some of their aspect. Basically, because the god is their domain how they are viewed by the creatures in their domain effects their personality and most comfortable form. 
So what does this really have to do with Kendal. Well if Vash’s sword was constructed from an alien metal, a solid substance, which issomething almost impossible to make without an elemental, after Vash worked his soul energy into like soul shaper monks do with human prosthetics, which would more than likely work some of this starmetal soul energy into his own soul lattice. Then its likely that Kendal’s soul is made of what little of soul star metal was in the solid material of the meteor. And it’s not just background lore magic systems backing this up.
In the series of pages telling the mythical story of Vash’s Sword we find out that it’s being told through the framing device of the smith god who forged it, to a similar style god to Vash of the Fire influenced race of Ignans. Now while why they're talking and what this incredibly effective smith who uses the arcs and emotional journeys of the wielders of his weapons in his smithing process is doing with a god of fire and fire people directly related to one of our adventuring party is incredibly plot important and personally intriguing, there is something else I wanted to focus on here.
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In these panels Tahraim appears to be talking about Dainix, a character Kendal is currently imprisoned with and who are jelling suspiciously well. Now we can see that Tahraim is using his Xanatos gambit forging technique of social engineering to forge out a weapon and fighter for Caliban (probably to fight the fire demon from Dainix’s backstory (who is probably another elemental emissary for Fire (like two other characters currently being heavily associated star metal soul Kendall (I see you Red, with each subsequent layer of brackets I get closer to the truth, witness as my bracketry grows)))) and describing some of the forging fires he’s using fo this weapon (who is probably Dainix, if not definitely)calls one of them “the divine blade”, referring to Vash’s starmetal sword currently held by Kendal, but the blade its self is isnt world shaking, its been around for millennia and everyone is very familiar with its power and prowess as a sword because Vash is an incredibly well known god. But that’s only as a sword, and we know Kendal is world shaking after his discussion with Ilia here where he is told explicitly that the gods fear what he represents but respect the fact that he is an incredibly powerful being with all the strength and ability of a godly incarnation but with no responsibilities of upholding a domain or the limits of staying within they’re domains range. And so the theoretical soul that is Kendal in this incarnation must be made of whatever remainder of star metal soul is left from the solid  star metal in the sword. That had been given the shape and properties of a human/incarnation soul by being weaved into and by Vash and then had the Vash soul ripped apart from they’re shared incarnation leaving the star metal soul to have to develop as its own being in this body
And if all you wanted is proof of this theory you can honestly stop reading here. So far this is dense and a lot and I wanna run through some stuff with this head cannon to nerd out. So if you don't wanna have to read anymore, my argument for this theory is basically through
Kendal being the star metal soul can provide a reason for, guess plot dent instead of plot hole? when Vash takes Kendal to where he is being held by the Collector. The reason this could be a plot dent is that one of the working theories for why Kendal exists can be found in the Sentinels. Essentially building sized stone statues animated by a god semi incarnating in them, its hard to explain so if your interested read here (Also read the comic, it’s really, really good. Like really good. If you get into the extra lore on the website and then scroll through Red’s Aurora Tumblr answers you get to appreciate how truly spectacular her worldbuilding and magic systems are. I mean clearly they’re cohesive and well thought out enough that just off of the magic system you could make a (if I don't say so myself) well reasoned prediction for a major character reveal.) the theory being that because these Sentinels can develop these echoes after being un-possessed by a god over time, the unique way Vash was taken out of his incarnation without dis-corporating it that the body developed a similar echo and is now ambient soul energy drawn into the empty body. However, this wouldn't make sense with Vash taking Kendal to the Collector’s hideaway in his sleep, as if Kendal is made of ambient soul energy he has no actual connection with Vash’s soul and so Vash shouldn't be able to bring him to the crystal he is being held in. But, if Kendal is in fact the star metal soul then he would still have that connection with Vash, as they are the same soul but different parts made of different materials, and so ca operate separately whilst still being so intricately connected.
On one final note, there is one character that already seems to know all this, Tahraim. That Kendal in everyway is the weapon he forged, that they're is a capacity for new elements and therefore different soul energies, that Erin has been possessed by the Void Dragon, and that the Collector has revived life, who has taken Alinua as an emissary, and is using this information not for his own divine or dastardly machinations but on commission. Which is A) a potential threat if Tahraim turns out to be a tad more amoral than he first appears, working as effectively for the next customer instead of esoterically guiding events for the cause of good and B) show cases an incredible mesh of world building and character work with gods being influenced by how their perceived and a god perceived and heralded as an unachievably proficient smith knowing more than any other character or entity we’ve ever seen before and doing exactly what is necessary to forge his commissioned weapons into the most powerful and effective instruments they can be almost only because of how in the magic system some gods are made from ideals and interpretations instead of groups of living things and actually fits the way they are most commonly perceived
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sokayisaidiot · 4 years ago
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Things I see people forget or overlook
Here’s a list I made, because I think other forget some certain aspects or just simply don't know them! Have fun with it :D
Dream was a caring person in the beginning, but slowly became obsessed with the thought of control, or maybe he is just possessed
The Minors are CANONICALLY CHILDREN
THE FUCKIN BIGGEST PROBLEM ON THIS HOLE SMP IS JUST MISCOMMUNICATION AND THE LACK OF THERAPY
Eret has betrayed L’Manberg in the first war with an after effect of PTSD
Niki and Jack WEREN’T in the L’Manberg Revolution
But both of them still do have their own amount of trauma
No one is a innocent person on this server
--------- read under the cut for more!
Wilbur did not always do the best for L’Manberg
Beating each other in a pit is not really good and healthy, despite people saying it’s “normal”
Jschlatt was a fairly elected President
Nobody is really certain on how to spell L’Manberg/L’Manburg or disc/disk
Tubbo was actually the last to join the rebellion of L´Manberg
Fundy was the third person and Eret the fourth
Sapnap actually dragged Tommy into the first kind of big war
Tommy could have refused, but he didn't know what would happen
 All of the people have their own trauma and inner demons to fight
Phil is also just a human who in the pressure of time and confusion, which is normal in that situation for everybody age, had to do something. Wilbur would have done it himself or searched for another person to do it. It was inevitable either way.
Tommy and Tubbo, even with their age and past have done some stupid shit. It should not be forgotten, but also the next to posts are needed to be read for this.
Age DOES make another Level for Trauma and doing actions seeable and it should not be forgotten
Childhoods and pasts filled with Trauma and PTSD do not just go the same way like normal childhoods and past without that. It leaves an impact on how you act and work.
Punishing is not teaching a lesson. It just makes the person more stubborn
But Tommy just apparently has the biggest amount
Opening about Trauma or past mistakes is really hard to do
You shouldn't use VIOLENCE as an ANSWER
Theres always more than one side to the story
Philza DIDN’T confirm Tommy as his son, because it was Tommy’s decision
THIS IS ALL A ROLEPLAY
Everybody, and I really mean EVERYBODY has done some kind of grieving, destroyed something with a creeper or simply made something ugly once. Try me, I can count up--
When you have a panic attack or mental breakdown, you won't be having a “villain arc”
Peer Pressure is real and can happen to any of us. Even the oldest or best fighter
The content creator will somehow see weird shits of weird people. Just stop doing bad things, especially when they told “you” to stop
Not everybody in this Fandom has respect, but you shouldn't go for violence or cussing either
We are not people to order others around in the chat
The CC ARE having clear lines between themselves and their characters
Even if you really love the Dream SMP and dedicate so much to it, remember to take care of yourself first! It won't run away and self-care is way more important!
Just because a character is joining a arc, doesn't mean they are stupid. It’s always probably talked about it offline to discuss their involvement
Tommy and Techno have one of the biggest miscommunications in the lore and both have betrayed each other in one way or another
There isn't really a good or evil
Don’t cross tag, promote your thing when it’s NOT related to the content or be a dick when you post something against a character. Use the negative or critical character hashtag and LEAVE OUT the main one. When you don't like to have hate on your main tag, don't spread the hate to others
Nobody is better than the other in the story line. You can have your favorite characters, but don't say something like “Ranboo is better than Tommy” openly and generously
Respect creators decisions in general. You can make funny jokes, but no crossing boundaries like getting aggressive or shit like that
A character isn't a good character just because their doing something with your favorite character. Respect their own storyline and plot. Maybe do a little research
SAME WITH THE PLOTS IN GENERAL
Don’t try to cancel someone because you JUST DONT LIKE THEM. If you have something really bad with enough sense to talk about, then act like a decent human being. The hole Technoblade situation is getting to my head. He made a joke 4 years ago. When someone else next to you, who you don't know, would make such a joke, you would just shrug and ignore. When someone like Technoblade is already a really supportive person of various positiv things, then you can see it was just a stupid little joke. Don't act like 13 year olds and please try to be more civil. You're just becoming a Karen or Chad of the internet. And that doesn't mean I found the joke funny, no I found it stupid, but nobody is fuckin perfect, you are not, the youtubers are not, streamers are not, Authors are not, your local shiny perfect fine family are not, I am not. We all make mistakes or just stupid things. And this was one of them.
And Techno would know if it was a really bad thing. He ain’t stupid
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capricornsicle · 4 years ago
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I have a feeling your ask box and I are going to be familiar. You might be hot-taked out after that killer Satomi discourse. But whenever you’ve got it in you, I’d sure love to hear what you think about Kira and her Jeff-deemed-absolutely-necessary departure.
Oh, definitely. And I do love content, so...
Kira Yukimura was done so dirty by the writers and Jeffrey “I’m not racist I’ll prove it by arguing to poc calling me out for it on twitter” Davis. Her treatment was racist, tokenizing, and it wasn’t even high-brow racism. It was sloppy and lazy. If you’re gonna write all your characters of color off the show, commit to it. She went to the desert like 5 times before she stayed. Cowards.
Kira was only meant to be on the show for the Nogitsune storyline in 3b. However, fans liked her so much that, as with Theo in season 6, she was brought back for more episodes. The difference is that Cody Christian is white-passing and male and Arden Cho is not. Female characters don’t exist on Teen Wolf without a relationship to a male character. Hayden existed for Liam. Tracy existed for Theo. Melissa existed for Scott and Argent. Allison existed for Scott. Lydia, the female character with the most screentime of all of them, spent a lot of her time existing in relationship to Jackson, Stiles, Parrish (shudder), and other male main characters. Women on the show were reduced to love interests and mothers more often than not, and Kira was the same.
I loved her character. I loved her arc. I loved Arden Cho, who in real life is as sweet and kind as her character. I enjoyed her parents, both Noshiko, who’s surprisingly funny and a total badass, and Ken, who’s the most wholesome man in the universe. The only straight man we stan. I love him.
Anyways, Kira was getting a fun arc outside of being Scott’s girlfriend, with her parents and her powers and all, and then wham, white-passing boy shows up and no more main character status for Kira. Guess there wasn’t enough room to keep the only interesting plot line of all the ones happening in s5. Personally, I would have chosen Kira over the Marrish garbage fire of underage relationships, but that’s just me.
Then. The Skinwalkers. I could write a whole essay about them, but this is a Kira post, so I’ll limit it to her. At least Luther got sent to the moon for a reason. Kira got sent to the desert for “rEaSoNs”. There was no indication that her power was out of control, but every indication it wasn’t. She was growing and learning. Then, suddenly, she was “too powerful” so she had to go to the desert and disappear for a few episodes and then go back and forth for a while before they wrapped up sending Theo to the upside down or wherever he went and she could finally go... hang out with the people who we were told could help her control her power but who only threw spears at her and gave her a season finale ex machina. Then back to the desert with you!
You can tell something was going on backstage in her treatment. Arden Cho wasn’t informed she was being cut, she had to be told by fans. Her departure was carried out as swiftly as possible, and not for any real reason. Kira would have been tremendously helpful against the hunters and in a lot of later scenes, against the Ghost Riders (and let me remind everyone that KIRA WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD LYDIA ABOUT THE WILD HUNT), against pretty much anything. Immune to electrocution? Don’t help with the hunters who love electrocuting people. Sloppy writing through and through.
And what’s more is that Kira was cut just in time for the Scalia thing, which was so fucking rushed oh my GOD nothing has ever been less natural- this is a Kira post, calm down capsicle. Anyways, Kira got replaced as Scott’s love interest and not much else by a white girl, no hate on Malia or Shelley but much on the writers. I loved Malia and Kira’s friendship, and if anyone should have gotten with Malia, it should have been Kira. (The first time I saw Malia I wondered if we were getting another ambiguously brown character, actually, but no, just Georgian and well-tanned. But I bet not all my followers knew Tracy was played by a Chinese and Cherokee actor. Or that Nolan was played by a Mexican and Caxcan actor. Or that Theo was played by a Penobscot Native actor. The list goes on of white-passing POC who got to stay marginally longer than Black or brown characters.) The “Scott ends up with a white girl he has no chemistry with” threw me for many loops, especially after I was surprised to find myself liking Scira, even though I’m usually bored by straight relationships because of their one-sided focus and nonexistent chemistry. Kira got to be a character outside of Scott, and I liked their romance better for it, and then desert for a thousand years!
TLDR on the canon end of things is that Kira and Arden were done dirty by a group of powerful white men who wanted to tell a cishet white story.
Now, on the fandom end of things, I’m stepping into the real hot water. It’s safe to say that Kira’s story was sloppy and Arden didn’t deserve that ending, but it’s less safe to say that this fandom doesn’t treat her that well either. Here’s the most popular x Scott ships on Ao3, under the Teen Wolf tag with no other filters.
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Scott and Allison. Scott and Stiles. Scott and Isaac. Then Scott and Kira, in dead last. Scott and Malia don’t even make the top ships list, probably because of how rushed and sloppy it was, but I digress.
People love Scott and Allison a lot, and I get that. I liked her too. I was also sad when she died. But, unlike a lot of sentiment I see in this fandom, I don’t think she should have been brought back to fight the beast in season 5 and get back with Scott. Not only do I think bringing characters back to life without very good reason and explanation (which they wouldn’t have, come on) cheapens their death, and that bringing characters back to life is weak storytelling in general, but let’s recall that Scira is still a thing in season 5. They’re still madly in love when Kira leaves. Allison should not have come back and love-triangled so Kira could be written off for a different white girl or so the massive amount of young white girls in the fandom who love Allison would be angry at Kira for breaking up their OTP. That would have been the one thing that could have made season 5 worse. (Well, they could have made Marrish a thing or killed Mason, but Jeff Davis thought about it and a shiver went down his spine because the ghost of Christmas future hears my name in its nightmares.)
Even if people aren’t “bring Allison back” campers, they largely ignore Kira’s entire existence. People who post gifsets and posts about Allison or Lydia don’t give anywhere near the same amount of attention to Kira. I see more Malia posts, actually. And while all of them had more runtime than Kira, none of them paired with Scott quite as perfectly, or had such strong independent storylines. Lydia almost did, but it kept petering out and she kept going back to main plot only. I see lots of appreciation posts for Allison and Lydia and Malia and the men, obviously, but NOTHING for Kira or Arden Cho. We all know what happened backstage because we read the same post in 2016 or whenever and then we all stopped talking about it.
Even the racism in this fandom skips Kira. Scott antis, I’m looking (controversially) at you. I’m glad Kira isn’t the subject of a bunch of obvious racism (as much as “bring Allison back!” makes it subtle), but not because she’s a forgotten side character. Kira made the main credit sequence! She has a sword! What else could you all POSSIBLY want?
And here’s where I burn at the stake: Kira was written off her own damn “look Fun Japanese mythology” storyline half the time so it could center around Stiles. A white boy. There were numerous issues with the mythology before that — “Oni” means demon, not “firefly samurai ninja”, and it refers to a similar mythology as the western “fae”, a large collection of creatures benevolent, malevolent, and in between, with different traits and origins. Kitsunes are meant to be red or white, not gold, and they’re foxes, not cats, animation team. “Nogitsune” refers to the malevolent class of “low” Kitsune, or “wild” Kitsune, who didn’t align themselves with the goddess Inari and do divine and pious work. There are many of them and the most they really do is harass people at shrines, not murder indiscriminately for funsies. They’re only malevolent in that they like doing bad deeds, not that they’re serial killers. And they’re not one of the usual 13 low Kitsune, two of which are bad of their own accord! (Spirit and Air. Google it!) They are meant to be dealt with by Inari-aligned high Kitsune, not your average tricky fox. Among other things.
So Stiles. Outside of the Kira storyline, he’s used in a lot of fandom discourse about racism and sexism. And queerbaiting. Y’all love a scrawny white boy. Anyways, Stiles gets possessed by the Nogitsune (that’s NOT how that works but okay Jeffrey) and suddenly s3 is about him. Kira’s not evil, now let’s look at Stiles being tired and messy and killing people. Dylan #1 did a great job playing that part, no hate on him, but the fact that a white boy became the main character in a Japanese (or Korean, if you’re Jeff, same thing) girl’s storyline is. Hmm. How do you call it? Blatant racism. And erasure. Which is racism. YIKES, Jeff. There is so much wrong with Stiles being the Nogitsune and controlling the Oni and his whole story (and oh my god the other guy who got possessed was also a white boy instead of a Japanese character played by the same actress Jesus fucking Christ). I’m not going into that, because that’s its own essay.
Anyways, because of how much this fandom loves Stiles, it’s easy to ignore how Kira and Japanese characters were treated. People project onto Stiles with glee. He’s white. He’s awkward. He’s (supposedly) not super attractive. (Yikes.) He’s ditzy and bouncy and all that fun stuff, but he also always saves the day. He got written off for most of 6b and he still saved the stupid day. And hey, dark!Stiles (let’s not get into calling him dark instead of Nogitsune that’s just too much wine we’d have to crack open to say it) is a fun trope and people like posting and creating about him. Except that he’s the white boy who took Kira’s storyline. Her independent story about Kitsune and the like was all given over to him, not just by the show, but by the fandom. So now every post about Kitsune is a Stiles post, even if it started with Kira. And because it’s Stiles, and this fandom loves him, and is easily offended by people leaning too hard on the glass house around them and him, Kira gets forgotten and swept aside. Everyone would rather talk about Stiles. Who is incapable of bad. Or cultural appropriation. But if you attack him you’re being ableist because he has ADHD. This is why I relate to Nolan for anxiety feels instead.
TLDR on the fandom end, y’all don’t treat Kira better than the show did. I see a few posts here and there from some dedicated users — typically the same people posting about Boyd, Deaton, Morrell, yeah that’s it I’m the only one posting about Kali. (Un-fun fact: Kali was not played by an Indian actor, but by a half-Black actor. Jeff Davis, when called out on twitter, said “wow ok idiots we tried to find an Indian actress but it was hard actually SUPER hard so shut up and stop telling me how to write MY show”, which is paraphrasing with intent to make fun, but exactly what he said.) Y’all who know about Arden and Kira should diversify your blogs to include more POC, especially ones where the actor AND character were rudely sidelined for vague white people reasons. Post gifs of Kira along with Allison, Lydia, and Malia. Post ship stuff of Scira too. Post about kitsunes, the origin story of the Nogitsune, when you post about the white boy who became the main character of that arc. Call the show out. Call the fandom out. Stop making every bit and piece of her story about Czechoslovakia White Boy. Demand Kira in any future runs of the show, if season 7 or whatever does happen. Include her in your fanfictions, in your headcanons, in your art. You don’t have to love her, but you have to remember that she’s as there as any of the white characters are.
This take is very hot. If I receive racist asks and/or messages about this, I’m going to make fun of each and every sender.
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john-smith69 · 4 years ago
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Ranking my favorite characters of each of my favorite animes / mangas
For the record: I don't own any of the following artworks bellow. All the credit go for their own original artists
Top 10: Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist)
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Olivier Mira Armstrong (オリヴィエ・ミラ・アームストロング, Orivie Mira Āmusutorongu), also known as Major General Armstrong is the primary heir to the illustrious Armstrong family, the commanding officer charged with the protection of Amestris' northern border at Fort Briggs and the older sister of Alex Louis Armstrong. Olivier is a severe woman who has a fearsome and commanding presence where she is harsh with her subordinates and peers and coldly merciless to her enemies, the deceptively beautiful woman's schadenfreude has earned her the nickname "Ice Queen" among the Briggs soldiers. Sharp-tongued and highly combative, Olivier is no stranger to furious chastisements and bursts of fiery violence, especially toward those who fail to live up to her high standards and staunch adherence to the "survival of the fittest" philosophy.
Top 9: Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)
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Mikasa Ackerman (ミカサ・アッカーマン Mikasa Akkāman) is the adoptive sister of Eren Yeager and one of the two deuteragonists of the series, along with Armin Arlert.
After her biological parents were murdered by human traffickers, Mikasa was rescued by Eren Yeager and lived with him and his parents, Grisha and Carla, before the fall of Wall Maria. Though she desires only to live a peaceful life, Mikasa entered into the military—where she is considered the best soldier among the 104th Training Corps. She later enlists in the Survey Corps to follow and protect Eren, becoming one of its greatest assets. She is currently serving as an officer (上官 Jōkan) in the Corps. Mikasa cares deeply for her friends and caretakers, seeing them as the last remnants of a family she cannot afford to lose. Mikasa also appears to have a soft spot for children, and she has a strong sense of right and wrong, doing everything she can to make her most impulsive friends to follow what she thinks is the right track. Despite that, she knows well that she cannot always sway them in decisions and makes it a point to follow them whenever they go, just so that she can be around to help out when trouble arises.
Top 8: Kamina (Gurren Lagann)
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Kamina (カミナ, Kamina) was a young man from Jeeha Village, the founder and first leader of Team Gurren and deuteragonist of the first arc of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. At first glance, Kamina is boisterous, hotheaded and arrogant. He demands recognition and seems hungry for greatness, illustrated in his tendency to call himself "the Mighty Kamina" and his signature catchphrase, "Just who the Hell do you think I am?!" He is an undeterred idealist, often to the point of ignorance; Yoko has described him as "a man of unlimited stupidity." Kamina is also very perverted, declaring that the urge to stare at beautiful women is the definition of a man.
However, Kamina is also extremely determined and never lets anything keep him down for long. Even discovering that his father was dead only made him solemn for a night or two (visibly at least). He is also devoted to defending and supporting his friends and loved ones, fighting with all his strength to protect them. In turn, he is very charismatic in the heat of battle, able to inspire even the timid Simon to accomplish great feats and almost single-handedly set the foundations for Team Dai-Gurren.
Despite his often brazen and practically insane actions, Kamina is fairly insightful, as his bombast and seemingly blind confidence usually mask his true intelligence in planning and combat. He even personally admits that his bravado and fearlessness is mostly a device he uses to hide his own worries and to support others, and that he thinks people like Simon are the real heroes.
Top 7: Sebas Tian (Overlord)
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Sebas Tian (セバス・チャン), alas "The Iron Butler", is the head butler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick with several manservants and other butlers under his command. He was created by Touch Me. He is also the leader of the Pleiades Six Stars.
Although he is not one of the Floor Guardians, his power closely rivals theirs. In a way, he is independent of their chain of command. He originally served as Nazarick's last line of defense alongside the Pleiades on the 9th Floor, to give time for the guild, Ainz Ooal Gown, to prepare for their final stand in the Throne Room. Like his creator, Touch Me, Sebas Tian has a great deal of personal justice. Unlike many other denizens in Nazarick, he does not completely despise humans or see them as inferior creatures. Instead, he believes that some humans are good people and it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. However, humans with an ugly nature disgust him and he will not hesitate to kill anyone who dares to oppose Nazarick. Sebas has a stoic nature, but also tends to question his own actions whether it was right or wrong of him to do them contrary to his master's order. Not sure why he does it, Sebas does believe that Touch Me's will is what encouragingly motivates him to act the way he does and that it conflicts with the will of his current master.
Top 6: Brago (Gash Bell)
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Brago (ブラゴ, Burago), alongside his partner and bookkeeper Sherry Belmont, are considered the rivals of the main characters Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine, even though the teams fought a relatively small amount of times. Since their first appearance, they were one of the most powerful teams in the series, and have been seen burning more spellbooks than any other one. Brago is very quiet and is rarely seen socializing with other mamodos, he is often described as being "strong and cool". He is often seen crossing his arms or sticking them in his pockets. Not much is revealed about his life or personality, other than he resents weakness and especially requiring a human's help to win the demon kingship. However, despite often complaining that Sherry is too weak to help him, he thanks her for all that she has done for him in the final battle. He is extremely strong, often defeating other mamodo teams without even requiring the use of spells; because of his strength, which was gained from undergoing special elite training, many mamodo have come to fear him as one of the strongest. Brago's specialty is Gravity Magic.
Top 5: Guts (Berserk)
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Guts (ガッツ Gattsu) , renowned as the "Black Swordsman", is a former mercenary and branded wanderer who travels the world in a constant internal struggle between pursuing his own ends and protecting those dear to him.
At one time driven solely by his will to survive, Guts finds purpose in life upon joining the Band of the Falcon, greatly helping in the faction's storied successes during the Hundred-Year War as captain of the band's raiders. He eventually becomes dissatisfied with clinging on to Griffith's dream, and departs from the band in pursuit of his own. Following the horrors of the Eclipse prompted by Griffith, Guts embarks on a two-year war against the God Hand and apostles, becoming increasingly embittered on his one-track quest for retribution. He in time realizes protecting his regressed lover is more important to him, as well as something he cannot do alone, and thus seemingly abandons his quest for revenge while fostering camaraderie with his new companions. Known for his air of austerity, Guts is a gruff, cynical man holding an overall bleak outlook on life. This is a consequence of enduring waves of suffering and numerous betrayals since his youth, with nearly all highlights of his life having, in time, become lows. In spite of his guarded, brooding exterior, he shows a more easygoing, compassionate side around the people he trusts, appearing markedly less unsociable and distant, though still retaining his dry candidness. Even as his inner darkness festers deep within him and its temptation becomes increasingly harder to resist, he retains his empathy and compassion, refusing to completely discard his humanity.
Top 4: Akemi Homura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
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Homura Akemi (暁美 ほむら Akemi Homura) is one of the main characters in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series. Ever since her arrival at Mitakihara Middle School, Homura is immediately depicted as being very intelligent, athletic, distant, and cold. It is revealed in episode four that she is only like this because she has seen so much suffering during her tenure as a magical girl. Because of this, she does not want Madoka Kaname to become a magical girl and tries to do anything in order to stop her from making a wish with Kyubey, going as far as to attempt to injure and even kill the cat-like creature. Despite her cold attitude towards others, she still very much cares for Madoka, as it is her sole objective to protect her due to the countless amount of blood, sweat, and tears she has shed over her jumps in time. Despite being regarded as emotionless by Sayaka Miki, Homura is far from it. Although she does not easily show signs of remorse, sadness, or pity, it is only because she had grown used to the suffering around her, and must put up a strong front to continue fighting for her goal. Homura herself has stated that she always feels badly with each life she's unable to save or alter, but nevertheless, it does not slow her down from staying true to her main objective in saving Madoka Kaname.
Top 3: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Bleach)
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Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (グリムジョー・ジャガージャック, Gurimujō Jagājakku) is an Arrancar and was the Sexta (6th) Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's affiliated army. While appearing to be a laid-back individual, Grimmjow possesses a brutal, impulsive, and excessively violent personality alongside a lethally short temper. However, despite his aggression and obvious blood lust in battle, Grimmjow possesses a feral cunning and has a knack for quickly exploiting any opening his opponent reveals. In addition, he is blunt, sarcastic and quite sadistic, revealing a psychotic grin or laughing maniacally whenever he becomes excited. He is also very rude and quite disrespectful. Grimmjow uses none of the honorifics in the Japanese language, except when addressing Aizen (though he is quick to discard the formality when Aizen is not around), and refers to Orihime Inoue as woman in conversation. Grimmjow displays little respect for authority and says whatever is on his mind, regardless of whether or not it is appropriate. However, he does have some form of a code of honor, as he is unwilling to fight an injured Ichigo, bringing Orihime to heal him beforehand so that their battle will be a fair one, though he also wants to defeat Ichigo when he is at full strength.He also saves Orihime from Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia, who were beating her up, to repay the debt of restoring his arm, though he immediately demands another favor afterwards.
Top 2: Kujo Jotaro (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
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Jotaro Kujo (空条 承太郎 , Kūjō Jōtarō) is the protagonist of Part 3 and also appears in Parts 4-6. Jotaro is the third and most recurring JoJo of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.
Jotaro is a delinquent who lives an ordinary life until the Joestar Family's old enemy, DIO, returns. Jotaro travels to Egypt in order to save his mother and stop the Vampire once and for all.
Wielding the incredibly powerful Star Platinum, Jotaro is the first JoJo introduced with a Stand, and is among the most well-known characters of the series. Jotaro is introduced as a rough delinquent, but he has a gentle heart, and is loyal to those he likes. He is highly perceptive, intelligent and quick-witted while keeping a perpetually cool, slightly neutral or disinterested attitude. Jotaro's most noticeable trait is his seemingly aloof nature. He is a quiet individual, often satisfied with expressing himself in short phrases. While he was shown to be mildly anxious when something unanticipated happens, Jotaro almost never goes as far as to lose his cool.
Top 1: Charlotte Katakuri (One Piece)
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Charlotte Katakuri ( シャーロット・カタクリ , Shārotto Katakuri) is the second son and third child of the Charlotte Family and the elder triplet brother of Daifuku and Oven. He is also one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates and serves as Totto Land's Minister of Flour (粉大臣, Kona Daijin), governing over Komugi Island.
Due to his actions and role, he is the secondary antagonist in the second half of the Whole Cake Island Arc. Katakuri has a very serious, no-nonsense demeanor, caring greatly about his crew and family's objectives. With his heightened Kenbunshoku Haki allowing him to see a little bit into the future and make smart judgement calls, he is dedicated to efficiently dealing with all possible threats within his vicinity, and is thus among the few Charlotte children that can be seen taking action without instructions from Big Mom herself. Katakuri is a pragmatic individual who puts efficiency above almost everything else, to the point of being considered a perfectionist. He rarely brags about his abilities, instead being rather focused on accomplishing his goals as fast as possible, intercepting and defeating his enemies in a quick, effective manner while prioritizing the elimination of threats he perceives as potentially serious, going as far as taking extra steps to ensure they are stopped in case his mother and siblings fail to do so. He is also capable of extreme brutality as shown when he pondered on how he should maim Luffy with his trident. Though ruthless to opponents, he is extremely caring towards his family and subordinates. Katakuri is also a honorable man who dislikes other people interfering with his fights. Though he considers Luffy his enemy and desires to eliminate him personally before he can become a threat, he wishes to defeat him fairly. After discovering that Flampe was the one attacking Luffy and lowering his performance in the fight, Katakuri injured himself in the same spot he injured Luffy to compensate and angrily shouted at Flampe for interfering in his fight.
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cringeyvanillamilk · 4 years ago
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Who are your top ten favorite black clover characters and ships? Talk about them.
YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME AND I’M READY TO DELIVER 1/2 OF YOUR REQUEST! I’ll post my top ten ships on your other ask~! <3
Sorry for the long text! I kind of went overboard with my explanations!
My Top 10 Favorite Black Clover Characters!
1 Asta
Before I got into Black Clover, I always heard a lot of negative comments about Asta as a character. “He’s too loud” “He’s extremely annoying” “He’s just a generic character”. After hearing so many of these types of comments, I was curious to see if what people said about him was true. And now that I’m up to date with the manga and seen every episode of the anime (except the recent filler episodes), I can confidently say, “WHO THE HELL WERE THESE GUYS REFERRING TO AGAIN???”. Like… hello?? I don’t know if maybe I’m just not that critical as a person, but I found Asta’s character to be quite endearing! People hated his voice but I thought it was pretty fine! It may be because I watched the dub, but even his Japanese voice isn’t that bad. Asta is just seems like an overall solid character to me! He’s not generic because he has a lot of quirks that makes him unique. One thing I noticed about his character was how family-oriented he was. You can tell by how he played around with other kids or comforted them that he has a lot of experience with kids! It’s honestly adorable how great he is with kids! And even though he grew up in an orphanage, he was able to find happiness as a peasant. I liked how he dreamt big even though he was starting from the very bottom. He didn’t have magic at all but he still had the determination to fight against all odds and strive to be Wizard King. Do you know how inspirational that is? And he’s not just doing it for himself,  he’s doing for his family back at the orphanage! He said it himself, as Wizard King he’ll fix up the church and spread the message that it doesn’t matter if you’re a peasant or orphan, anybody can be Wizard King. Asta truly has a heart of gold because his goal isn’t just full of self-interest. I also like how he wants people to be held accountable for their actions. Asta is a very fair person and isn’t one to automatically kill the opponent to save the day. No, Asta wants these bad people to serve their time and make up for what they’ve done. Like??? Wow, Asta, you have a lot of mercy for a shounen protagonist. I think that’s what I love about Asta’s character. He represents hope for other people. And I’m a sucker for characters who fight for what’s right and not because of some heroic prophecy or selfishness. 
This is where I list out random things I like about Asta’s character: Asta’s crush on Sister Lily is hilarious because it truly represents ‘fighting against the odds’ in a comedic way. Asta’s short stature is so cute, I hope he remains short for the rest of his life and grows to be proud of it. I really love Asta’s character design. He’s short, his ash blond messy hair is cute and unique, his sharp green eyes are beautiful, his shoes are two different shoes sewn together, and his fashion sense is simple yet nice to look at!  A very distinct design! And his anti-magic and demon possession is a cool addition to his character! I’d gush more about him but I think this is already too much lmao.
2. Fuegoleon Vermillion
I’m going to push aside my thirst for this man and actually talk seriously about what I love about his character. I’m going to first talk about his character design. I really love how Tabata designed Fuegoleon. For one, I really love how he’s wearing eye makeup. I think it’s a unique family tradition for each of the kids to wear this distinct eye makeup no matter the gender. His eye makeup and burned symbol on his forehead really made him distinct from other characters! It’s subtle but visually pleasing! And ‘subtlety’ is a good word to summarize Fuegoleon despite how ironic that word is. When we look at Fuegoleon’s hair in comparison to his other siblings, his smooth hair tells us he’s more orderly and responsible but his curly bangs tells us that he isn’t completely cool-headed. His red eye makeup could also tell us that he has a fierce side to him, as if his eyes are glowing red with fire. And comparing his face with Nozel’s (both are around the same age), Fuegoleon looks older with his eye wrinkles, telling us that he’s more of an old soul and matured fast for his age. That and he probably overworked himself with a lot of responsibilities. His color scheme is also very attractive! He has a balance of warm and cool colors which makes him look… balance! 
Now as a character, I really love the trope he represents! He’s the mentor figure for Leopold, Asta, and Noelle! For a character who isn’t part of the main cast, I find it impressive how impactful his words of wisdom was to the major leads. But it makes so much sense after all the things we’ve learned about Fuegoleon as a character! Fuegoleon has a lot of strengths as a character that I couldn’t help but fall for. Firstly, his debut of a character was short but memorable for me. During the Magic Knights exam, he was the only captain who passionately yelled about the rules of the next test. That was such a character defining moment because those few seconds perfectly described how intense and serious he is. He could’ve calmly announced the next test but the fire within him told him to jump up and yell those words with all his heart. The next time we saw him, we finally got to know him a lot better as a character and man did he win a lot of respect from me. Despite being a royal, he stood up for Asta when no noble did. He was the first noble to treat Asta fairly right away. In comparison to other nobles we’ve come across, Fuegoleon was a breath of fresh air! He wasn’t discriminating or condescending, which made him a lot more likable! I liked how he came from a privileged background but his sense of justice was still a 5/5. You just can’t hate this guy! His visuals are not only attractive but also his personality! He charmed me even more when he was the first to act and became a temporary leader for the other captains! His leadership, inspirational words, and fairness makes him an overall respectable character! I found him even more endearing when we saw his socially awkward personality. Serious + awkward are perfect combinations for a cute character. I also find his fire magic, salamander, and fire arm to be cool as well! He’s just a great character to me!
3. Finral Roulacase
Okay I’m going to try and not write too much like I did with Asta and Fuegoleon lmao. I need to chill-. Finral is the type of underdog character I always loved in anime. The character people don’t think much of at first but then they undergo a lot of character development! I liked how we saw subtle changes within Finral throughout the series and the resolve he gained as an older brother to Langris. His character arc was overall satisfying to me, especially during his final clash against Langris! Finral just has that good amount of light-hearted times (mixers, casanova wannabe personality, cowardly moments) and family drama! I would never expect a lot of depth in Finral based on his character trope but here we are. Finral is such a likeable guy. I just can’t hate him. I also like how he isn’t a perverted character. He just wants LOVE. Also his spacial magic? I love how unique it is! He’s a walking taxi but the fact that he developed a new magic spell to use it during combat is amazing! I also love how kindness is a big part of his character! A very peaceful libra~! I think what made him above Noelle was that I found his character to be charming ever since the very beginning! That and the fact that he can be considered the ‘underdog’ of the Black Bulls!
4.Noelle Silva
Oh Noelle! You beautiful and frustrating character! I’ll be honest, I had mixed feelings about Noelle when I first got into Black Clover. I was never a fan of overly exaggerated tsundere characters and so I would get frustrated with her tendency to act this certain way in the beginning. It was the true definition of slow burn but it’s through this gradual liking toward Noelle that made me feel strong and positive emotions towards her today. Slowly but surely, Noelle began finding her worth as a person and magic knight. All her life, Noelle was put down by those she called family and other noblemen for her lack of control over her magic. And it’s through this understanding of her backstory where I truly get why she wears that tsundere mask with other people. She can’t take a compliment normally because not only had she never been complimented before, but she grew up in an environment that taught her how she should act as a royal. She was bound to be unlikable at first, but it’s through a lot of character development and understanding where I found my love for Noelle. Noelle to me is how most shounen female leads should be. She has a crush on Asta but that’s not her entire character. She has internal struggles outside of her love interest and went through so much development that she became one of the most powerful young magic users in the series. Like the power ups she went through?? HOLY SHIT. The fact that she made me forgive her tsundere tendencies shows how great her character was.
5. Magna Swing
Man, I’m also a sucker for characters like Magna! I just love the delinquent with the heart of gold! Magna appears like your everyday punk but he really is such a good guy! It’s fun to see characters that subverts expectations and Magna is no exception! It’s small actions from this guy that makes him so likable! I really love how aggressive and uninviting Magna was in testing Asta only to heart warmingly accept Asta into the squad once he passed! He does this again when he makes fun of Asta for having a very small room but then tells Asta to send letters back home so that his loved ones aren’t worried! LIKE HELLO?? Why are you so lovingly contradicting?! Magna really tries to uphold his tough guy image but does sweet things right afterwards!! Magna’s character said never judge a book by its cover! I also find his loyalty toward Yami to be so sweet! He’s willing to gamble his clothes for this man and I call that DEDICATION. Magna is that ride or die friend that I’d love to have in real life. His interactions with other characters are also hilarious and his presence always brings a smile to my face! 
I know I keep talking about character design but I can’t help it since Tabata’s character design is GREAT! Magna’s design… I LOVE IT!! He has the cliche leather jacket and skull motifs to bring his delinquent look together! And Tabata had to give him blue shades!! The perfect accessory to complete the look! I also love his hair style and color! Magna is this close to having a pompadour but stuck with a Mohawk look instead! I also like how his hair has two different colors! It tells me right away that people dye their hair in this world! Interesting information for subtle world building! Light gray and black is such an nice color combination, too! I like how he becomes more of a pretty boy when his hair is down! It’s a nice surprise~! And his most iconic character trait. HIS SMILE! I love anime characters with toothy smiles! We can literally count how many teeth they have- LDKAFJSA. Reminds me a lot of Totoro! 
I  JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH.
6. Klaus Lunettes
Klaus… Santa Klaus… I think I may have a type because in my top three characters I’d date, he and Fuegoleon are up there together! Both are serious and high strung characters with a dorky side to them. These two truly captured my heart-! Klaus is overall a great character! Klaus is the straitlaced character who wants to be respected by others. Sadly nobody gives him that respect and I find that hilarious! I love how short-tempered he is despite how cool and collected he wants to appear to others! Everything about him is contradicting! His hairstyle and earrings are punk rock but his glasses clash with it. He seems disciplined and mature, but is the first to crack and get overworked by emotions. Klaus acts stern, but can be very protective and nurturing. His character did a literal 180 after Asta and Yuno saved them all from Mars. And when he gets worried over Asta and it always warms my heart!! Klaus is lowkey a tsundere but is actually subtle about it- wow! He’s so… comically dedicated. He doesn’t half-ass anything! Overall, he’s a solid character to me! I hope to see more from this nerd!
I’m just going to list out other things I liked about Klaus: I love how his character quirk is him readjusting his glasses. Like get some new glasses if they don’t fit you nerd. I bet he does it to look cool or something. Smh. I also love his outbursts! I mentioned that he reacts quickly and emotionally and I find these traits to be very charming! I like how he doesn’t make his worries towards Asta obvious. We only know this side of him through other characters! That’s so cute~!
7.Julius Novachrono
I deadass thought this man was shady af. I'll have to blame OP 3 and Tabata for clowning me like that but despite the initial suspicion, I really enjoyed his character! I really love how dorky and childish he is! I can never get tired of his fanboy moments in the anime! He's literally the strongest mage in the series but still gets excited over rare or unique magic! I also love how humble he is! He doesn't let his title give him a big head. Despite this quirky side to Julius, I liked how realistic and competent he is as well. He isn’t one to give hopeful answers to other characters. When he said in order to be Wizard King you must have merits, I respected his honesty. Having good morals isn’t all you need to be Wizard King and Julius made that very clear. When he killed off a few members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, that’s when his character became more real to me. Julius has the experience needed to be a well respected Wizard King and his support towards Yuno and Asta made me like him more! Julius just has a lot of depth and I really appreciate that in a character! I found the path Tabata put Julius in to be very interesting to me! I’m actually glad he’s still alive but as a kid! The series isn’t ready to lose their Wizard King yet and there’s still a lot from Julius I’d love to see in the future! Julius truly brings a lot of humor and epic moments in Black Clover which is why he’s in my top 10 favorite characters!
I also love his character design! I think the short and blonde hairstyle with the royal king aesthetic is pleasing to the eye! He could’ve been a total snob like King Augustus but he strayed away from that trope! His name is similar to Julius Caesar in which represents his leadership and powerful authority as Wizard King, but subverts negative traits associated with Julius Caesar! Clever Tabata~!
8. Vanessa Enoteca
I’m going to have to shout out Vanessa’s arc for making her character be in my top 10. Like if it weren’t for the witches’ forest arc, she wouldn’t have made it in my top 10. I thought Vanessa’s character was a given for a shounen series where we have at least one sexy female character for fanservice, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how deep her character was! Who would have known that there was an actual reason for her to have a revealing design! I think it’s fine to have a character who wears revealing clothes for the heck of it, but I feel like Tabata went the extra mile to be pretty thoughtful about it. For one, she was always caged in (literally and figuratively) ever since she was a child. This backstory indirectly tells us why she wears such revealing clothing. That’s because it symbolizes her freedom as her own person. She went from the modest dress she wore when she was caged in to a sexy dress! I really understand this mentality!!
As a character, I found her lack of freedom to be very relatable. I also felt sympathetic towards her character when she didn’t receive healthy motherly love. I felt a lot of emotions for Vanessa and that made me appreciate her character more! I feel like her character started to leave a positive impression on me when she acknowledged Asta’s strength and determination as well as her helping Noelle as a proper older sister figure! Her arc solidified herself into my top ten when she gained the powers of red thread of fate because of her love for the Black Bulls. That power up shows how much she values the Black Bulls and it always makes me feel soft just thinking about it! Her magic ability is also pretty cool. Thread magic? There’s a lot you can do with that magic! I like how she had a prominent role of maneuvering Asta during the Veto fight, too. Vanessa is another female character with an incredibly strong magic power. It became so useful in so many moments in the series! 
Other comments I’d like to say about why I like Vanessa is her sexy witch aesthetic. I think she looks very pretty and her color scheme is beautiful!
9, Charmy Pappitson
OH GEMINI QUEEN. I love you so. What I like about Charmy was how many times she surprised me. When I first saw her, she looked like she’s a kid but she’s actually 19 years old. What? Then when I saw that she was the glutton, I thought she’d be selfish with her food but then she shares it with others. Huh? Then I assumed she was a harmless character but then she knocked out that witch when she mistaken her for stealing her food with her sheep magic. Oh? And just when I thought I saw everything I needed to know about Charmy, it’s revealed that she was a dwarf and has food magic. HELLO? Like what else am I going to learn about Charmy?! She’s such an unpredictable character and that’s what makes her so fun to watch! The thing is, she still remains the same after all these reveals! She doesn’t really go through a lot of character development but these surprises make up for it! Charmy is overall a feel good character. She’s not one to be taken seriously all the time and that’s okay! She’s just there to have a good time! She radiates good vibes and I like how light-hearted Charmy is! She’s also pretty badass, too, so great combination!
10. Gordon Agrippa
And finally we have Gordon. Gordon. is. such. a. good. boy! There’s no bad bone in this man! He’s so dedicated and loyal to his friends! And it makes me feel bad that he doesn’t get the love he deserves in the canon story! Everything about him is so pure and soft! I love how he’s very quiet and mumbles a lot but the words he says are very sweet! I’d love to listen to his friendship speeches all day! Gordon is the type of guy I’d definitely want as a best friend. His quiet voice and my deaf ears aren’t a great combination but I don’t care! Gordon’s personality is perfect to me! I really hope we get to see more from him in the future!
In terms of character design, I absolutely love it! His goth aesthetic contrasts so much with his actual personality. I love the Marilyn Manson inspiration behind Gordon’s design. His character design is so distinct from other characters which makes him stick out like a sore thumb. This is random but I love how thick his lips are. The black lipstick and eye shadow also looks great on him! His nose is also cutely big! 
Gordon is one of the best boi. No question!
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michelles-garden-of-evil · 4 years ago
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Episode 31 Review: Danger to the Cryonics Capsule
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{ Not available on YouTube }
{ Full Synopses/Recaps: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }
{ Screencaps }
And now we reach Episode 31, the first episode that isn’t currently available on YouTube. In fact, none of Week 7 is available on YouTube, which means no Bad Subtitle Special until the end of Week 8. (Is anyone else disappointed, or is it just me?) It’s a pity, because this is both a good episode and probably relatively unchanged from Ian Martin’s original script, although the absence of cheesy one-liners about the Devil does suggest some rewriting.
Here's the synopsis for this one, by the way, from the October 24, 1969 issue of The Plain Dealer:
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It’s interesting to note that, while this summary comes from the period of the Lost Episode summaries, it still accurately describes the plot of the aired version of the episode. It doesn’t describe all of it, but then, none of the newspaper summaries do, before or after the Lost Episodes period. So, without further ado, let’s hurry back to the crypt on Maljardin and check on Erica Desmond’s cryonics capsule.
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Dan trying to stop the cryonics tank from malfunctioning, despite knowing nothing about how it works. Not generally a smart idea.
While Jean Paul and Elizabeth are still with Vangie at the French Leave Café, the cryonics capsule's cooling mechanism malfunctions and its tank starts spraying water upwards. Dan tries to get it to stop spraying, but his efforts are in vain and he calls for Alison. She freaks out and they both run down there, but it doesn’t stop until just after Quito arrives around the corner.
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There’s a scene where they’re trying to fix the machine and both of them are talking to each other, but the only audio we hear is the background music. Not sure if that was deliberate on the part of the writer or the director, or if it’s a blooper.
Alison asks Dan what he was doing down there, and he confesses that he was searching for the missing cyanide. There’s an interesting part where he says “I’m not sure I trust [Raxl] or that zombie,” and Quito--who is still hiding--clenches his fists as though angered by the reminder of his undead state.
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Quito clenching his fists just before the intro.
After they return to the Great Hall, Alison blames Dan--"perhaps you inadvertently crossed the wires," she says--but he denies it. I'm surprised that Alison would accuse cautious, practical Dan of something so careless, but I don’t know him as well as she does. I’m also not sure how inadvertently crossing the wires would cause a tank to start spraying water, and I’m not sure the characters have any idea, either.
On the main island with Jean Paul and Vangie, Jean Paul recaps his cryonics scheme in a way that makes it clear that Ian Martin and/or the meddling executives really didn’t want him to repeat his catchphrase from the earlier episodes again:
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Jean Paul on Erica’s resurrection: "It WILL happen. I made that vow the day my darling wife was stricken IN SPITE OF GOD!"
Raxl, of course, blames THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES for the leak in the capsule’s tank. Raxl may be right--she usually is about matters of the occult--but after learning of the note from the Episode 30 script about who pushed Holly down the stairs, I’m thinking that the true culprit is someone else, someone less obvious. This scene also provides some blatant foreshadowing for the aborted plotline involving Tarasca:
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Raxl: “The master must be protected from all demons, from the past and in the present, especially the witch who seeks to own him!”
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The next shot.
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A clear shot from shortly after of Elizabeth’s dramatic eye makeup.
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The witch’s own version of Bissits Face™?
Meanwhile on the main island, Jean Paul convinces Vangie to hold a séance to contact Erica's spirit, which she is willing to do if slightly reluctant because she knows that she will eventually die on Maljardin.  This suggestion excites Elizabeth, whom he has to remind that "it is not a game."  She also asks if he would ever let her go, and he says that he would only let her return to Maljardin: proof that Jean Paul is still on board with the whole detained guests thing.
In the lab, Alison is searching the drawers of Dr. Menkin’s cabinet for his notes on Erica and finds a small notepad hidden among the papers in one. She reads it, her mouth agape, as Raxl enters.
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What could it say about Erica?
Raxl lets Alison know that she knows about Dan searching for the missing cyanide in the crypt and is not pleased. She asks Alison if Dan doesn’t trust her, and she defends him, saying that none of them can trust each other anymore. Then they debate whether or not one of the other characters made the machine break down. Alison says that she now thinks it most likely broke down on its own, but Raxl still insists that someone (by which she means Jacques) tampered with it. Raxl has a point, because brand-new water tanks don’t generally start spraying out huge amounts of water on their own like the capsule’s cooling tank was doing.
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SCENE INTERRUPTING DAN: “Hello, Raxl. I didn’t know you were interested in lab experiments, too.” (LOL)
Even though the leak was clearly the work of supernatural forces, Alison still tells Dan, "Don't make any more waves around here." Good luck with that. You may want to talk Jean Paul into having Quito buy you duct tape the next time you see him, then tape Dan’s mouth shut and tie his hands behind his back to keep him from tearing it off. That’s the only way to stop him from accusing Jean Paul of being a murderer and imprisoning all of you here. (It will also make it easier to get with your far more attractive brother-in-law, especially if you leave Dan in his bedroom while the two of you wrestle with your unresolved sexual tension in the Great Hall.)
In the crypt, Raxl tells Quito that it’s time to begin searching the caskets for the conjure doll and the silver pin--which I thought she said they already did in previous episodes, but I could be wrong. Maybe they just want to double-check to make sure they checked everywhere in the basement. Quito begins pulling open Jacques’ casket and we cut to a couple filler scenes with the other characters. When we return to Raxl and Quito, we find her back upstairs searching the fireplace in the Great Hall for the doll and pin. When Quito arrives, she asks him if he found them in the casket and he shakes his head. They head upstairs to continue their search--which, again, I thought she said that they already searched upstairs in Episode 29, but I suppose they just want to double-check.
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Alison tells Dan when he next visits the lab that Dr. Menkin was trying to learn how to recreate an entire human body. Reminds me of Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Menkin both tried to play God by creating a living human body, but their experiments differed in that Frankenstein used cadaver parts to build his man, while Menkin’s experiments involved cellular regeneration and possibly (based on the sources referenced in Episode 26) robotics/artificial intelligence as well. I don’t know if Martin had planned to draw a direct parallel between the Drs. Menkin and Frankenstein at some point, but I suspect he was.
But Alison still doesn’t know enough about his experiments to satisfy her (or us), because all of Dr. Menkin’s notes from the six weeks before his death are missing. This is suspicious for obvious reasons, given his death shortly after her arrival, which she still doesn’t know was Jacques’ fault for no other reason than that she was upstairs at the time when he told Raxl his highly suspicious story about Menkin’s “accident” in the water.
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Really, Dan? A bottle of cyanide goes missing and yet you willingly drink alcohol that’s been sitting out where anyone could pour poison into it? SMH Yet another reason why Alison should duct tape your mouth shut.
Dan is suspicious of Raxl--who is just about the last character they should suspect of hiding the cyanide or murdering either Erica or Dr. Menkin--but even more suspicious of Jean Paul. He and Alison also discuss how Jean Paul may not have filed Erica's death certificate with the authorities and how suspicious this makes him look--which is recap, yes, but which I bring up again because it is still relevant. I am really thinking (and was really thinking as far back as last fall) that Martin was originally planning to reveal that Jean Paul killed Erica and was trying to resurrect her out of some combination of guilt, regret, and fear that Erica's death would make him look suspicious. This would not only make these clues worth more than red herrings (or, should I say, kippers?), but it would also connect to all the things that Jacques says about he and Jean Paul not being so different. I have a whole theory about this, which I plan to discuss in a future post sometime later in this arc.
Alison also mentions some sea caves five hundred yards from an unseen cove on Maljardin, which she says Raxl told her about (unfortunately, I don’t remember in which episode). This seems to be foreshadowing something--I’m guessing the discovery of Jacques’ pirate ship that’s mentioned in another episode--but they never visit the caves, unless that’s where the Temple of the Serpent is located.
Back on the main island, Jean Paul has returned, but Vangie has left to go somewhere. Jean Paul says that she is probably packing a few days’ clothing for her stay on his island. Elizabeth is relieved to hear that she will only be there a few days. She also reveals that she sees Vangie as "competition" for Jean Paul's affections. (LOL) I would say that she is deluding herself, but then, she is unaware that Jean Paul was possessed all the times that he flirted with her; in her mind, Jacques is the real Jean Paul and the Jean Paul who mourns Erica is “not himself.” It does explain, however, why she was clinging to him in that one scene from last episode. Even so, Vangie never has any love interests on the show. I’ve suspected for a while that she and Raxl secretly have a thing for each other. Obviously they wouldn’t have shown that on TV in 1969, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still ship them together.[1]
Elizabeth’s profession of interest in him motivates Jacques to possess him again, and we get
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HEADACHE FACES! Yay!
After possessing him, Jacques reassures Elizabeth that he is very much still interested in her (Elizabeth, I mean, not Vangie). He also sends the audience more false hopes for Holly's death: "I'd stake Jean Paul Desmond's life, virtually every day…What’s one life, more or less? It doesn't even matter whose life. Take your daughter for example, before she's twenty-one and inherits all those millions."
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Elizabeth looks appalled by this suggestion, but it’s hard to say if she truly is or if it’s all an act. I’m sure, though, that this is, roughly, the thought process going through Jacques’ mind:
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Coming up next: Jean Paul and Vangie make more arrangements for the séance to contact Erica and Raxl reveals more of Maljardin’s history.
{ <- Previous: Episode 30   ||   Next: Episode 32 -> }
Notes
[1] In the books, Quito is Raxl’s husband, but that obviously isn’t the case on the show, or else she would most likely be jealous of his affections for Holly. The fact that she isn’t suggests that the two aren’t married (or, at the very least, aren’t married anymore) in the show canon. This means that Raxl doesn’t have a canonical love interest.
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datleggy · 5 years ago
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a list of every anime i love/recommend, accumulated over the last 10+ years
1. NATSUME YUUJINCHOU 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
The main character is a teenage boy named Natsume, whose parents died when he was too young to remember them properly. He’s passed around random relatives homes, but because he can see yokai (spirits), he’s ostracized by classmates and his foster families (ALL HIS CHILDHOOD FLASHBACKS ARE SO FUCKING SAD) and eventually very distant relatives (an older couple who never had kids of their own and have so much goddamn love to give D:!!!) take Natsume in, and the story basically starts from there. 
It’s a very heart-warming story following Natsume’s new life in this new town, accepting his ability to see yokai, forging new relationships in the form of friends and family, and even with the yokai themselves. 
This is honestly probably my favorite anime/manga period, because it’s so sad but so cathartic and you watch as the main character grows and learns to trust those around him, and finally gets the unconditional love he’s always deserved, not to MENTION THE FACT THAT THEY DO A WHOLE EP WHERE NATSUME IS TURNED BACK INTO A LITTLE KID AND IT IS SOOOO GOOD OMG
Plus for those of you who enjoy whump, this show has a decent amount of it. Mainly emotional whump, but also some episodes where Natsume is injured or sick--as well as I believe one where his companion (the chubby cat on his shoulder who’s actually a pretty badass yokai) gets shot with an arrow and is down for the count. 
10/10 would and have watched again. 
2. KODOCHA NO OMOCHA 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW:  The main character is a sixth grader named Sana. She’s a gifted actress on a t.v. show everyone likes and she’s silly and fun, very intuitive and surprisingly empathetic for a child. 
Her main problem is in school, where Akito, who she deems the leader of her class’ wolf pack of rowdy rude boys, lets them terrorize not just the teacher, but all the girls in class, as well. 
I don’t really want to give a lot away, so I’ll just state the obvious. This anime/manga is shoujo, which means that it does focus on a romantic relationship throughout the series. Mainly the one between Sana and Akito. Sana is absolutely oblivious about her own feelings, while Akito is a stubborn little shit. 
I remember watching this at like, age 12 maybe? And I really enjoyed it because (although I do enjoy your typical silly doesn’t take itself too seriously slice of life shoujo) this particular anime, while super funny and light hearted at times, was also really dramatic and even kinda dark, which was surprising considering the characters ages and the general kid-friendly vibe (especially the opening for the anime). 
3. DETECTIVE CONAN
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SUMMARY/REVIEW:  Our main character is initially Shinichi Kudo, teenage detective, who’s on a date with childhood sweetheart Ran (whose father also happens to a detective but like....not a good one lmao), when his nosy ass self decides to go and check out some shady business and gets “poisoned”. 
The poison he’s given is intended to kill him, but what it actually does is turn him back into a child. And now, as Conan Edogawa, (who’s 7 but like....we just supposed to believe all these cops and detectives on the force are cool with a seven year old wee lil babe on these really gruesome ass crime scenes??? lmaoooo) we follow him on his adventures as he solves crimes and tries to solve the biggest mystery of all, his own! 
I absolutely LOVE this anime/manga, even though I’ll be honest, there is SO MUCH FILLER, but I like the characters enough that I really don’t mind. The show is at least 900+ episodes in at this point, and there are a total of 26 movies so far, last time I checked. 
Also, the show is a whump fangirls’ dream come true. The main character is thrown out of windows, balconies, shot at, and in one occasion actually shot, he’s had broken bones, sprains, almost been blown up or drowned/burned, been sick, and oh, his occasional transformations from child to teenager are incredibly painful. 
This show is probably at fault for my love of whump, since it was one of my first animes at like, age 9. smh. 
4. THE DEVIL IS A PART-TIMER!
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REVIEW:
I’m not even going to summarize this one. The title does it for me. This is truly one of the funniest animes I’ve ever seen. Motherfuckin Satan works at a McDonalds part time and it is the BEST. 
Technically I would count this show as a kind of harem, but only because there are like three main girl characters after the overlord Satan himself. I usually dislike harem type animes but the way this is done is sooooo good I couldn’t resist. 
I would watch a million filler episodes of Satan trying to solve problems at his minimum wage job tbh. I love every single character, I love the plot, I love everything about this anime! In terms of comedy (with the occasional plot driven serious moments) this is IT bro. 
5. BLACK BUTLER
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
The main character is Ciel Phantomhive (roughly 14 years old). His parents are killed, his house is burned to ashes, and he’s kidnapped (around age 9 or 10 I believe) and abused. During this abuse Ciel calls upon a demon to free him and help him get revenge on those who harmed the Phantomhive household, which is where Sebastian, one “hell of a good butler” comes in. 
We then follow Ciel and Sebastian on their path of vengeance, and along the way we meet Ciel’s human servants, three very clumsy and seemingly bad at their given tasks characters (i love them all), and some of his extended relatives and connections. 
My favorite thing about Black Butler is the art, both in the anime and manga. Everything is so detailed and pretty! 
The characters are interesting, the plot is dark but they manage to make most of the series overall pretty light-hearted and funny in general. Though of course there are chapters/parts of the series that get really grim (which duh, the whole thing focuses on revenge so...) 
I have to say, the arc I enjoyed the most has to be the movie, Black Butler: Book Of the Atlantic. It is beautifully drawn and sooooooo entertaining. 
6. INUYASHA 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
Our main characters are Inuyasha, a half-demon, who’s been in a sort of spiritually binding coma for the last few decades, and fourteen year old Kagome, who falls into an old well in her family’s shrine and finds herself being transported into another time period. 
Together, she and Inuyasha travel across the lands in the feudal era to find the scattered shards of the shikon jewel, a powerful jewel which grants anyone who possesses it ultimate power. 
I was too young to stay up and watch Inuyasha on adult swim, so my mom would tape the show on a VCR for me to watch the next day after school--yes, I’m old old. lmaoooo I ADORE this show. 
It’s so good! It’s got everything! A tortured lil half-demon with a sad past who’s stubborn and rude but got a good heart! A fierce and equally as stubborn main protagonist, who’s whole ass family knows exactly where she goes off to??? and are supportive af????? like???? her mama packs her and her squad of demon/exorcist/demon hunter pals bentos?!?! lmao i love it. 
The characters are awesome and funny and likable as all heck, and of course they all have their sad backstory, but like, unlike some animes (lookin at YOU Naruto) they don’t go mega overboard on it, at least not without some plot behind the episode. 
7. YU YU HAKUSHO 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
Before I even start in on the summary, ya’ll should watch this soley bc of the cute ass 90′s style animation alone. LOOK AT ALL THAT SHINY HAIR!
ANYWAY. Main character is teenage hooligan and overall cutie pie Yusuke! He gets struck by a car and fucking DIES in the first episode after shoving a little boy out of the way, only to end up in the spirit world where the head honcho up there (who looks like a wee baby) tells him “Oh shit, didn’t expect you to like, actually do anything self-sacrificing EVER so like, you’re not on our list of people who were supposed to die today...” 
And uh, I don’t wanna give anything away, so I’m just gonna say that if you haven’t seen this anime yet, you definitely should! It’s hilarious and dramatic, the fight scenes are very well done, all the side characters, who eventually become main characters are a blessing (specifically Hiei, who’ve I’ve had a crush on since I was 12) and the ending is a satisfying one, which you can’t really say for a lot of media. 
8. CHRONO CRUSADE 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
I still get weepy when I think of this anime, so all I’ll say is it’s about a badass demon slaying nurse and her demon companion and some very tragic shit. 
It’s a great anime overall, especially if you like crying yourself to sleep at night :) 
9. GHOST HUNT
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
The main character is high school student Mai, who is hired by Naru, the head of a Shibuya psychic research, and together, with a group of questionable exorcists/psychics, they encounter paranormal phenomenons and some outright scary shit. 
I’m not really a fan of the horror genre tbh but I do like mystery, and the series deals with that quite a bit. They deal with each case for several episodes so nothing feels too rushed. 
The series is really fun in a creepy, wtf is that way. I recommend the manga, only because it’s more detailed in terms of plot than the anime. 
10. ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM 
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SUMMARY/REVIEW: 
I didn’t really make this list in any particular order but if I had to say, Assassination Classroom and Natsume Yuujinchou probably tie for BEST ANIME PERIOD! 
This anime is about a weird ass “alien” creature, no one knows where it came from or why tf it’s here on earth, all they know is that in one year it’s threatened to blow the world up. 
His only request to the government is that they let him become a teacher for Class E, the worst class of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, and he will stay put, so that they can attempt an assassination on him during this one year period. 
AND LISTEN! I am a shallow hoe, so I literally never would have read this manga or watched the series had I not been roaming Barnes and Noble one day with my S.O. and picked it up to read as a JOKE! 
I was hooked after the first chapter and I am soooooooo glad I picked this manga up, bc it is absolutely not the type I would normally go for, cover art wise. I finally, after many many years, learned not to judge a book by its cover bc LORD this anime is so goddamn good, you don’t understand! Like, I’ve watched it so many times and still laugh at the same parts, cry at the same parts, am proud af at the same parts! like, this anime is an instant classic and should definitely be more popular than it is. 
assassination classroom and natsume yuujinchou????? MASTERPIECES! 
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arkus-rhapsode · 5 years ago
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Ok. So what do you think of the latest chapters of fairy tail 100 years quests? What what's happening to characters? I think you're so possed that you even stopped reading more
Hoo boy... *Cracks knuckles* We may be here for a while.
So before I start, let me make clear that I actually keep up with 100YQ, though not for any actual interest anymore. I now stay with it for ironic enjoyment. Because I could say EZ has dumb stuff, but at this point, if you’re Hiro Mashima’s main audience, its fine. No, 100YQ is unique in that it has WTF moments that transcend just the FT fandom sensibilities.
Before I dig in, I’m gonna lay out some formatting rules because we’re cover A LOT. Im gonna be fair and split this up into positive and negative aspects of the series. Because I at least try to be intellectually in what I do.
To avoid from going on tangents and jumping around, I’m gonna be going in chronological order of events. Now this will not be an overview of the series up to this point because that’s stuff I’ve already talked about. Instead I’m gonna start from the point this went from genuine interest to ironic interest. That begin the Whited Out FT Guild.
Positives:
The concept of the wood dragon god having a kingdom on his back is really cool world building. Its actually something that I really liked about the Sea Dragon God as well. Having a realm reliant on the dragon as well as a reason to revere them. What with the water dragon god controlling the tides while wood dragon god is the supporting the city on his back actually makes them seem like god figures and adds to the lore of the world of Earthland in a way that Ishgar and Alvarez sorely failed at.
Laxus punching out Kyria. Petty yes, as Kyria is my least favorite dragon slayer. However a lot of Whited out FT mages were getting jobbered like crazy or just given unceremonious defeats. So Laxus actually seeming like an obstacle was good.
The cat twist with Touka is actually a funny bit of trolling and was one of the few times there was effective foreshadowing with Touka having a tail. (Too bad it was suck in the meandering Gajeel plot.)
The Dragon Eater guild is a much better final villain army than Spriggan 12. The 12 had little structure as to who was the stronger members, resulting in multiple Spriggans feeling like such major disappointments.
Most Mashima Villain organizations tend to broken up like this: Boss->Special Units (I.E Spriggan 12, Nine Demon Gates, Element 4)->Fodder Units.
No one cares when the fodder of a villain group is beaten as they’re just faceless minions. However, when you get to the special unit, that’s wheen there are actual obstacles and the villains start becoming more like characters. However, Hiro has been bad at this when he’s dealing with bigger organizations.
He never had to worry about telling you which member of the villain group’s special unit were more powerful than the others. Due to working with units composed of low amounts of characters, such as Team Lyon, Element 4, and Death’s Head.
You could say that all were roughly around the same power threshold. However, where the spriggan 12 royally failed was there were 12 of them in that unit and they were all just given the blanket term of being on the same level of the number 1 wizard saint. Yeah... that’s a check so large that Hiro could not cash it.
Hiro even seemed to retroactively acknowledge this by stating that August, Irene, and Larcarde were the three best to cover his ass for the fact that all the spriggans seemed to be jobbered far easier than ones supposedly equal to the number 1 saint.
However, the Dragon Eaters are opponents we’re gradually introduced to over the storyline and we actually see a demonstration of what a group of them can do, instead of 1 just trying take on all of team Natsu at once. We see that Skullion’s team is roughly equal to Team Natsu, giving us a gauge for the Dragon Eater strength, but then we get both Wraith and Nebal, underlings not part of Skullion’s thre man team, implying that are of a weaker variety and thus serving as a stepping stone to fight Skullion. But also introducing us to the Black Dragon Slayer Cavalry. Members above Skullion’s team that give us an idea if when they show up what the audience should expect of their strength level.
There’s a reason why in One Piece why Yonkou opperations have so many categories. You’re not gonna care about the minor thugs, but by making a distinction between the Headliners and the Disasters in Kaidou’s crew, you’ve made it so that we the audience will not feel disappointed if a Headliner is beat by a weaker character like say Usopp but still know that they are more than a foot soldier so this win meant something.
Now time for the negatives:
The concept of White Out is not awful, and is actually a fairly interesting concept for a villain motivation in FT. However, the White Witch is one of the most transparently evil characters in the series, thus you know that she’s doing this morally ambiguous action because she’s evil. Imagine if this were about humans or royals who feared the growing power of mages. Or a disillusioned mage with the concept of people like Zeref or the GMG, where is seems like magic is endless and how that’s a threat to the world. No, White Witch really seems like she wants to be this grand manipulator and actively enjoys calling heer whited out people, puppets.
However, there’s also the fact the whiting out doesn’t make too much sense. Some characters seem like mind controlled puppets like Juvia, while others are basically the same except their evil now like Gajeel, Mira, Elfman, Laxus. And some are dumb jokes like Jellal.
So there’s no consistency to this brainwashing. Only other time I’ve seen a mind control plot like that in media before is Yugioh GX. Sometimes people act like they’ve been brainwashed into something different like Alexis. But then people like Bastion and a lot of the gag members of the society like Rose and Bob act as if they’re not affected by anything.
Yeah, this white witch plot feels distractedly ripped off from the society of Light from Yugioh GX.
The concept of Team Natsu vs FT in the vain of the fighting festival arc is dumb narratively from two standpoints. First from a story standpoint in the idea that why the battle of FT arc was opportunity, due to the fact they were all willing to fight to free the frozen girls. Which allowed for others to show shades to their motivations Like Alzack willing to mow through his other comrades for Bisca or Thunder God Tribe assisting in protecting Laxus so he’s the last man standing. There’s a tangible reward on th line that motivates the characters to act as do.
Here, the characters are clearly fighting against their will because of an intangible force. This white magic makes them slaves and are fighting because “white doctrine.” Something they only believeebecause brainwashing. As such, you want to see Natsu and gang beat them up to stop the white witch and free them. There’s no force or intrigue that makes the audience care about both sides like seeing Alzack vs Jet and Droy because you know they both want to save their partners but only one can. Instead people only care because a surface level of “friend turned evil” device. It takes the B and C list cast of the FT guild and makes them props.
And from a meta standpoint, there is no tension, due to the fact this is a post final battle with acnologia Team Natsu. The team is bounds ahead of so many guild members like Macao, Reedus, Max etc. that the only real threat is the S class mages. So that makes that big page spread of evil FT in cult robes dull as only like 3 of them are gonna actually matter.
Then there’s Wraith. Nebal was a boring an generic crazy guy is unimpressive, Wriath was actually really interesting at first. Is ghost magic allowed for an interesting fight and his possession actually having limitations on how effective it was made for a cool skill.
But then the reveal about him and Makarov. I eye-rolled at that point, but then I saw the previews and was like, maybe this’ll be the best thing to come out of this series. Everyone wants to know more about past FT around team Makarov’s time.
But all the potential of young Makarov and young Porylusica and the rest of their team is put on fast forward as they’re all suddenly thinking about leaving. But maybe the reveal with Wraith could be interesting. I saw a lot of good theories like Wraith was Makarov’s half brother or Wraith was the son of Makarov and Porylusica who was killed by Ivan.
Well... Any theory would’ve been better than Wraith was some random ass mage and when they say he a Makarov are related its because the bonds of FT that is real family and transcends death itself.
...Gag me...
And and Wraith just fucks off into the afterlife. Because we can’t actually end a fight because of the protagonist’s ingenuity. No, the villain just kills themselves because feels. Isn’t that right August and Irene?
In conclusion
That’s my thoughts as briefly and coherent as I could make them. So if you wanna know my feelings on 100YQ, it can basically be summed in FT being FT. If you expected more, you’re gonna be disappointed. But if you genuinely love the world and character regardless of Hiro’s writing, you’ll probably still enjoy it regardless of what I’m saying
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jeidafei · 6 years ago
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D.Gray-Man Vol.26: Komui’s Lounge (Extended) 4/5
>> Part 1 <<
>> Part 2 <<
>> Part 3 <<
Question 20: How many types of headphones does Marie have? And do they function differently?
Marie: Now I only have the latest model the Science Division developed for me. I keep it on at all times except when I go to bed.
Bak: I’ve contributed to the design as well. (ahem)
Marie: Did you? Thank you, Supervisor. 
Lavi: But you’ll hear countless noises and voices from a considerable range all the time, right? Isn’t that exhausting? 
Wisely: What!? You’re able to hear that much!? Where’s the respect for privacy?
Allen: Shut up about privacy, you.
Marie: Well, it was rough before I got used to it. I trained myself to listen for only important sounds from among countless noises. I’ve come to the point where everyday noises from people doing their chores and talking mostly just flow right by me, and since then I haven’t been “listening in” on anyone. 
Link: Aha. You really are a true man of character, Noise Marie. You’d better take notes, Walker.
Allen: How did this come to me?
Link: Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how you threatened me with Timcanpy’s recordings.
(T/N: I don’t remember where the omake in which this happened is, but it was the recording of Link when Timothy possessed him on the Louvre’s roof and made all those funny faces and slobbering in the Phantom Thief G arc.)
Question 21: I’m curious about the length of time Krory can maintain his enhanced capabilities and the amount of Akuma blood needed. And also whether it is possible to extend his activation time by training, etc.
Bak: As of now he can drink blood from Akuma up to Level Three, and can stay activated for 10 minutes with 250ml of blood. Looks like he’s also experimenting to extend that time with support from the Science Division. 
Lavi: Wouldn’t drinking more blood extend the activation time?
Bak: No, it wouldn’t. On the other hand, drinking less than 250ml will shorten the activation time to around 3 minutes.
Marie: When you said he can drink blood from Akuma up to Level Three, is it because he hasn’t experimented with blood from a Level Four yet?
Bak: Well, since obtaining blood from a Level Four is next to impossible...
Wisely: Ho ho ho. Indeed, indeed ♪.
Allen: Seeing Krory enjoying Akuma blood that much really does make you wonder whether it really is delicious, after all.
Link: Don’t try it out, Walker.
Question 22: Does Miranda always carry sweets with her while on a mission? And does she have a favorite flavor?
Link: I’ve heard that since her Innocence requires stamina, she’s come to carrying sweets at all times to supplement her calories, but about the flavor...
Marie: Miranda said she likes minty flavors.
Allen: Are you sure? Miss Miranda always gives me sweets whenever my stomach starts growling, and they’re always fruity flavors like strawberry or pineapple.
Lavi: That’s just coz you like fruit-flavored candies, isn’t it, Allen?
Marie: Haha. So she’s packing fruity candies just for you as well, huh.
Allen: Eh!? Is that so!?
Bak: By the way, whenever Lou Fa learns you’re coming to our branch, she’d always prepare Mitarashi dumplings, Walker.
Allen: Eh!? Now that you mention it, there really did seem to be Mitarashi dumplings around whenever I go to the Asian Branch.
Wisely: What!? If you really loved eating that much, then why didn’t you accept Tikky’s invitation to feast back then?
Allen: It’s not feasting that I have a problem with; it’s that Curly-Head. He’s the very man who tore a hole in my heart, have you forgotten? Do you expect me to enjoy a meal with such a groping pervert?
(T/N: Er, Allen...I think your point is a little off here...)
Link: So you won’t let your appetite win in that case, Walker?
Allen: Yes?
Link: Nothing. That’s a relief. 
Question 23: So before Lavi became an Exorcist, he fought with a dagger?
Lavi: Eh? What’s this?
Wisely: They’re probably talking about that time back in the Ark. When you were in Road’s dream, remember?
Lavi: Ohhhh, so that was it. Wait, how come you know about that?
Wisely: La-de-dah♪
Marie: Lavi’s an all-rounder, like Bookman, right?
Allen: What on earth is that?
Marie: Those who can make use of any weapon depending on the situation.
Lavi: That’s because as Bookmen, virtually all our logs are of war zones. So Gramps trained me to be capable of handling any situation, and that training also includes martial arts.
Link: What are you most skilled with?
Lavi: Hmmmm. I like cudgels best, I guess.
Allen: You’re always fooling about whenever we duel-train, Lavi, and I’ve been thinking perhaps you’re no good. Kanda beats you in a blink, you see. 
Lavi: Aaaawwww. Come on! It’s such a pain to fight seriously!
Bak: But back then, when you were dueling with Fō, you seemed quite serious, though.
Lavi: I wouldn’t call that a duel; Fō was coming at me like she’s dying to kill me, damn her. How could I not take it seriously!?
Allen: Yeah, Fō does mean it when she fights, doesn’t she. 
Bak: She’s more a berserker than a guardian deity, that one.
Link: I see. You will not get serious unless it poses a certain level of threat to your life. 
Question 24: Are Nea and the 14th the same individual?
Wisely: My my. Is this reader mistaking something here? “The 14th” is just the alias the previous generation of Noah bestowed upon Nea. There is only one Nea. 
Link: Though Nea himself doesn’t seem fond of it; he’s said it is “a nickname given out of distaste”. Guess I’d have to be careful from now...
Allen: Huh? Careful of what?
Link: Would you like some mango juice, Walker?
Allen: WEE-HEE!
Bak: I’ve been wondering. Why isn’t he called “The 14th disciple” like the other Noahs but simply “The 14th”?
Wisely: Perhaps that is the distaste Nea was talking about. As has already been revealed in the Gray Log Fanbook, Nea has no Noah Memory, and for that very reason, the other Noahs may have treated him as the black sheep of the family. Well, I guess I’ll leave you here with a cliffhanger until the boy uncovers Nea’s secrets in the main narrative. 
Marie: He has no Noah Memory, so he couldn’t reincarnate like the other Noahs, and that is why he implanted his memories within Allen?
Link: Exactly when did he implant them within you? Do you really have no idea, Walker?
Allen: Told you; I really don’t know! It’s said to be around 35 years ago! I’m sixteen, remember? I didn’t even exist then!
Wisely: ..............
Lavi: What the heck are you grinning about, Three-Eyes?
Wisely: Nuffink.
(T/N: OMG OMG OMG OMG OH MY FREAKING GAWD WISELY DID YOU JUST FREAKING CONFIRM THE PAST!ALLEN THEORY WITHOUT SAYING A SINGLE WORD???!!!)
Question 25: Allen’s left eye should have become able to project the image of the Akuma souls to others, but it seems nobody apart from Lavi has seen it. Is it deciding itself whether to let other people see the souls within the Akuma?
Lavi: Ah, that...Just remembering it still gives me the creeps even now.
Allen: Back then when Lavi and Krory said they could see the Akuma’s soul, at first I was definitely sure the curse has strengthened in power, and from now people other than me will be able to see the souls, too. But after that, nobody ever saw it again. Looks like it’s just a one-time thing, after all.
Lavi: It was right after your damaged eye resurrected with the curse’s power, right? With your eye being in an unusual state like that, anything can happen. Me and Krorykins were just unfortunately caught up in the curse’s rampage. 
Allen: Well, it’s a relief, anyway. After all, it’s not a pleasant sight to behold. If it ends with you not having to see it anymore, I’d say it’s for the best.
Bak: I’m interested, though. As part of the Science Division, we welcome any information on the Akuma.
Wisely: So am I. For even my Demon Eye cannot see souls. In what state are they, the souls within Akuma?
Link: How could you say these things like it doesn’t concern you when you’re on the very side creating Akuma?
Marie: Must have been hard getting used to seeing those souls, huh, Allen?
Allen: When I first saw one, I was so scared I couldn’t even bear to look. But Master was patientーWell, for him. “Those things aren’t scary”, he’d scold me; they were once living humans just like us, and they’re just screaming for me to save them, after all. It took a long time, but just like that, little by little I became able to look at them. 
Question 26: What do Kanda, Allen, Lenalee and Lavi smell of? Lenalee would probably smell very nice. Well, she’s a girl after all; she’s definitely using perfume and the like, right?
Marie: Hmmmm. Kanda’s scent? Soap is the closest bet, I’d say.
(T/N: Sensei, considering the general negative image of D.Gray-Man as a Yaoi manga may I say this is not a wise move? *laffs*)
Allen: And me, Marie? What about me?
Marie: You usually have a sugary smell about you, Allen. Like dessert.
Lavi: Because there’s always crumbs all over your clothes, Allen.
Allen: Lavi’s eyepatch gives out whiffs of Fabreeze.
(T/N: the popular Japanese brand of air-freshener/deodorant spray.)
Lavi: Oi! Don’t say stuff from the old Instagram page! Some readers won’t get it!
(T/N: In Hoshino’s old Instagram there’s a drawing of Allen spraying Fabreeze at Lavi’s face for some reason. I don’t remember the caption. She’s also reposted it on her new Instagram just to clarify this joke. Maybe it’s just that he never/rarely takes off his eyepatch for cleaning and it’s moldy and sweaty...?)
Marie: Hmmmm...as for Lavi...he smells of tobacco a bit. 
Allen: Yeah! Just like Master’s scent.
Lavi: Ah, Gramps’ cigarettes, huh? I’m aware of that. 
Wisely: Bookman is a heavy smoker as ever. A wonder his lungs are still holding out even at his age.
Marie: I think Lenalee usually has a flowery scent, though.
Bak: Yes, she does! Lenalee-san smells like sweet flowers!
Allen: Bak-san, keep your voice down! If Komui-san hears you, we’d be in for big trouble!
Lavi: Lenalee doesn’t use perfume, and still she smells so nice.
Allen: There’s this thing she uses. You see, a while back I was talking to Lenalee about having more scars or something, and she said; “This works wonders, you know.” and gave me some of this thingーkinda like Body Oil? Could it have been that oil’s scent? The scars would fade if you keep rubbing this oil on them, from the looks of it. It smells wonderful when she’s putting it on me.
Bak: SHE WAS PUTTING IT ON YOU, WALKEEEEEEER!? (snaps)
(T/N: Trust me I had a really hard time keeping this one from becoming Fifty Shades of (D.) Gray or Silence of the Lambs for that matter...)
Allen: NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE! REALLY!
Lavi: Body oil, huh...ah, my heart’s gettin’ all weird just hearing that.
Link: What’s with that dirty look on your face, Bookman Jr?
>> Part 5 <<
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greywindys · 6 years ago
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It’s that time of year again! I, and possibly a good number of you reading this, just spent the whole of 2018 in the Gorillaz fandom. Congratulations! You made it! Because this year...kinda sucked. Not just for the Gorillaz fandom but, if this Washington Post article is any indication, for the rest of the world too. Maybe on an individual level there were moments of light. Maybe Gorillaz was your moment of light. If it was I’m genuinely happy because that means you probably found a way to avoid or ignore all the chaos that went down this year. But overall? Fandom was rife with disappointments, confusion and conflict with some good parts (for me, at least) sprinkled in here and there. Below is a personal reflection on the top 10 significant events in fandom of 2018.
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1. Murdoc Goes to Prison
2018 started out peacefully for fandom. We were just finishing up sharing our scans of G-Magazine and theorizing over the next album when we’re treated with this - a nineteen second mocap of a frantic Murdoc accepting a Brit Award with an “oh by the way I’m going to prison.” We didn’t know why or for how long, and, though fans were confused and Murdoc going to prison is a tired, overplayed storyline at this point, it was cherished as any new Gorillaz content, especially animation, is cherished. Memes were made, most notably the #FreeMurdoc hashtag complete with a petition which was acknowledged by creators and caused the first big outburst in fandom for its messy tag. I did what I always do with Murdoc videos and went through the entire thing frame by frame to collect screenshots. Little did I know that this would be the only time I would get to indulge in this beloved past time. Little did I know that I would be wearing the same expression as Murdoc is in this screencap this entire phase.
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2. Murdoc hate
Murdoc hate has always existed. It’s also generally accepted. However, when it was confirmed that Murdoc was going to be in prison for an undetermined amount of time and that he may not even speak this phase (thanks a lot, phase 5 plot!) it reached unprecedented levels of viciousness. Some fans took every opportunity to drag him in the main tag, start debates with anyone who might mention one positive thing about him and expressed how they genuinely wanted him to die and/or never come back. It kinda reminded me of this season of MTV’s The Challenge when everyone ganged up on Johnny Bananas. Like, yes he’s an asshole and yes this was probably long overdue but also omg when is there and end point? Is there an end point? It was like some people hated Murdoc more than they liked Gorillaz. For some additional context - this tense environment was born out of an astoundingly severe conflict that happened in spring where three separate fandom storms that had been brewing since late 2017 collided into one huge mess. Discords were raided, friendships were lost, the police were called (I’m not even exaggerating). I won’t go into it more but if you were there, you know what i’m talking about. Murdoc wasn’t the cause of this, but his character was at the center of one of those storms and the canon sending him to prison only reignited the ire towards him. For awhile Murdoc fans weren’t sure were exactly they stood with the greater fandom, and new fans were confused as to why this one green character was the source of so much grief for haters and fans alike. This continued for most of the year (and still continues today), hence why it’s getting a mention now.
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3. Ace
Believe it or not Murdoc and Ace are confirmed #friends. You wouldn’t know that from all the Murdoc vs Ace content that sprung out of this year but Ace was the one who joined Murdoc for hot chocolate after he got out of prison, “they go way back” etc etc. Ace was a big deal because it was probably the only time the fandom guessed something correctly this entire year. Jamie began posting cryptic pictures of Noodle with this unidentified man, then another with only the Ace card visible. “It a Powerpuff Girls crossover!” Some people claimed. But that seemed so random? Really? A B-list cartoon villain from a cartoon targeting an entirely different demographic? More likely than you think! Ace never spoke a word and he wasn’t allowed to smoke or have sex. People obsessed over him anyways. To this day I still have no idea who he is or what kind of personality he has or really anything. But he wasn’t a bad guy (more on that later) and he was Murdoc’s friend so he’s alright with me.
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4. Messaging Denholm
By now the fandom was fraught with distress on so many levels. We were lost. We needed someone to guide us, to show us the way, to show us the #truth. I don’t know exactly who started this trend but it soon spread around Reddit and other social media sites that Jamie’s son Denholm was replying to dm’s on Instagram and soon, he was graced with a deluge of of inquiries from casual fans and Murdoc stans alike. The thing is though - he actually *did* answer them. Many of us had spoilers re: Murdoc and Ace’s friendship, Murdoc getting out of prison, etc. MONTHS before they happened. I believe he even told us that 2D was fine back in like, June or something. Denholm knew! Eventually we pissed him off but it didn’t stop him from answering. He just answered angrier. It also caused fans to argue more because people started accusing others of photoshopping his responses and nothing can ever be done peacefully here. I haven’t followed up on this story singe the end of summer but I think fans have finally scaled back on the messaging. But I hear he’s working on a Gorillaz documentary for 2019 so...I’m sure we’ll be talking again soon.
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5. Noodle
I want to take a moment here to also acknowledge the struggle AMA Gorillaz hosted on, of all places, Youtube. Thankfully, diligent redditors compiled a google doc of all the answers otherwise they would lost thanks to Youtube’s confusing interface. ANYHOW. The answer that stirred up the biggest milieu of debate and confusion came from Noodle. This isn’t exactly my lane - I don’t wade into Noodle issues and I don’t id as part of the LGBT community - so I’m not going to say much here other than, at the very least, this was the second or third time she has officially denied any interest in dating her bandmates.
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6. 2D’s journal/2Doc
Okay first of all: 2DOC...jk, jk...jk? But no, honestly, this actually did become a big story this year, much bigger than expected. The release of 2D’s journal was the catalyst here, revealing a number of drawings and images of Murdoc. “Souk Eye,” a song that came with visuals featuring close ups of Murdoc’s face and vaguely romantic lyrics was depicted in 2D’s journal next to yet another drawing of Murdoc. We were confused! 2D didn’t care that Murdoc was gone, right? 2Doc shippers were intrigued. I was hesitant. We were all called delusional. However, “Souk Eye” was later confirmed to be a love song by Damon Albarn, and Murdoc and 2D have both claimed their relationship is “better” since the end of phase 5 (hhMmMmM). Obvi, take this with a grain of salt because it’s Gorillaz but the journal was instrumental in confirming how closely The Now Now (and the entire plot of phase 5, really) was tied to Murdoc and 2D’s relationship, particularly what 2D thinks of Murdoc. Think of it as platonic if you want but they share a closeness on SOME level and the content of 2018, from interviews to the Murdoc chats to the album itself, supports this. I rest my case.
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7. Lost theories
Pour one out for all the lost theories. If you were a new fan this year you probably came up with a theory, or you got really invested in a theory. Some examples: HIM from PPG orchestrating the destruction of Gorillaz by possessing 2D and getting Murdoc framed with Ace as a double agent, or Murdoc’s imprisonment being tied to his trouble with EMI from phase 4, or phase 5 being about time travel, or Murdoc crashing Demon Dayz fest and fighting El Mierda on stage, or 2D being the one to frame Murdoc or Murdoc’s inmate number (24602) being a Les Mis reference implying that he’d get a character arc similar to Jean Valjean...you get the idea. But there are dreams that cannot beeee, and there are storms we cannot weather. You can argue about the budget or G-Shock or whatever but the truth is Gorillaz is just disorganized. This is their Brand™.
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8. The Murdoc Chatbot
Gorillaz did an interesting thing this year - it let us talk to Murdoc! Sometime around June, he writers decided that the plot of phase 5 would be best spent, not on exploring the band’s dynamic with Murdoc gone or developing Ace’s personality, but on Murdoc! Fandom spent most of the summer following Murdoc’s experience in prison and helping to “free” him via a chatbot you could access through Kik, Instagram or Facebook. Basically, Murdoc was Paddington from Paddington 2, and we the fans were supposed to be the Browns trying to break him out and prove his innocence. Other fans begrudgingly used the chatbot to make fun of him or tell him to die and follow along with the story (it was the only place you could get plot updates). It was a neat idea as well as a funny experience to pretend to be talking to him, and the plot was very engaging at times. It was the chatbot that revealed the very dissatisfying (albeit happy) conclusion that Murdoc is no Paddington and had lied about everything - being framed, El Mierda etc. - but felt really bad about it. His apology was basically this. I’m going to also tag the #FreeMurdoc merchandise debacle, how overpriced it was and how it ended up being pointless anyways because Murdoc wasn’t framed and didn’t need to be “freed” onto this, because it all falls under the same event. Oh, and you got to talk to Noodle sometimes, too. 
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9. G-shock ends phase 5
I put “ends phase 5″ in strikethrough because G-Shock on its own is actually pretty cool, and made up for the lack of videos (2 in total) that were released this year. The now Murdoc inclusive band goes to space and starts an alien war! That’s fun! Completely removed from whatever phase 5 was, but fun! (And I say that genuinely) What was messy about G-shock was that it came out of nowhere. The final Murdoc chat, that was SUPPOSED to reveal the ending to the prison arc, hadn’t even happened but suddenly, Murdoc was back to sell watches to aliens with the rest of the band and Ace was gone. But the final chat was delayed by a month and G-Shock came out anyways. Out of this came memes about how phase 5 ended so Gorillaz could try to sell us watches.
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10. Cass Browne Tells us the True Plastic Beach Ending
We ended 2018 with not one but two major interviews from the fancast, Hallelujah Monkeyz but I’m choosing to cover their latest interview with Cass Browne, writer of Rise of the Ogre. If you were new this year you probably heard older fans mention ad nauseam how much they missed this guy name Cass. Well, Cass came back and dropped actual bombs about the true ending of phase 3, Murdoc’s lost backstory and the Plastic Beach book he found AND that a sequel to ROTO was planned and dropped. Understandably, this sparked a lot of discussion and also revealed just how important Cass was to the continuity of the Gorillaz storyline. Back then, we had ROTO and Plastic Beach. Today, we have “Murdoc drowns in poop and reunites with the band offscreen”
And that’s the year! And look I’m not saying this because I’m a stan but this was a Murdoc year. He was at the center of like, at least 80% of the angst and joy of fandom and I could make separate “top 10 Murdoc moments” or  “top 10 2Doc moments.” I guess for me, on an individual level, it was an alright year. For one, I actually talked to more people this year and met some really great friends (something I don’t typically do in fandom). I also get to check “write a fanfic” off my bucket list (it’s still a WIP but it’s the first WIP I’ve ever had so I’m counting it). And personally, my life has changed and without getting into too many details I’ve overcome a lot, grown professionally and...I think I can be kinda proud of myself for that. I expect 2019 to be a slower year than this one, and, I think the fandom needs that. Hopefully I’ll still see some of you around because I’m going to be here for at least the next few months while I finish up you know what. 
Honorable mentions: 2D “Dies” of Ligma and other 2D memes, 2D writes The Now Now, Benjamin Clementine says he regrets working with Gorillaz, Noodles old VA confirms Jamie ghosted her and recast Noodle without telling her, Gorillaz delay the final Murdoc chat by a month, Demon Dayz doesn’t get streamed, Music video releases - “Humilty” and “Tranz”, Cyborg Noodle returns with boobs and causes debate, the “Let Ace Speak” petition,
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whitewolfofwinterfell · 6 years ago
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My favourite Charmed episodes - season 4
This is the fourth part of my Favourite Charmed Episodes meta series all posts in the series will be tagged as #favecharmedeps.
Season 4 is a brilliant season, there’s no denying that. Over the years whenever I’ve seen fans discussing their favourite seasons, season 4 is usually always near the top and for a good reason. This season is when we’re introduced to Paige, whose transition onto the show is done brilliantly, the sister dynamics are beautiful and each of the sisters has their own unique arc. Overall, it’s just a great season that is strong throughout and although I think season 3 was a great season, I feel like this season is when Charmed truly hit it’s peak. I’ve picked 8 episodes from season 4 (which is the most episodes from any of the seasons) and they are - Charmed Again, Hell Hath No Fury, A Knight to Remember, Brain Drain, A Paige from the Past, Lost and Bound, Charmed and Dangerous and Long Live the Queen.
Just a heads up before you start reading, this post is pretty long (I just couldn’t help myself, season 4 is my favourite season). 
Charmed Again Part 1 & 2 (4x01+2)
I’m including Charmed Again parts 1 and 2 as one episode (and I’ll refer to it as one episode from now on just to make it simpler), even though they’re technically two because they’re the same story split across two episodes. As the years have gone by I’ve come to love Charmed Again more and more. Despite how sad it is because it’s the first time we face the aftermath of Prue’s death, it’s a fantastic episode which manages to successfully explore the sisters grief and gives fans some closure about Prue’s death, introduce Paige as the new sister and stay true to Charmed whilst also establishing a new dynamic without Prue and with Paige in her place. It’s no easy task to kill off a main character in the middle of a series and Prue was a very big character and very important to the show. Her death could’ve easily destroyed the show, but the writers handled it amazingly. I’m one of the biggest Prue fans in the world, and even I can’t deny that they did her death justice and introduced Paige in a very authentic way despite how rushed it was and the way in which Prue (Shannen) left the show. 
I love the opening scene of the episode and the way in which it makes us doubt whether Prue is really dead, only to bring the hard-hitting reality back home. I love the contrast between the sisters grief with Piper outwardly expressing her devastation and Phoebe retreating into herself and trying to keep busy and hold everything together. It immediately demonstrates that the sister dynamic has been completely turned upside down, since Phoebe in seasons 1-3 is known for being the youngest sister and the least responsible, but now it falls to her to take charge. These differences in how they handle Prue’s death is also shown in how Piper completely shuts down and refuses to continue being a Charmed One and saving innocents, whilst in comparison, Phoebe throws herself into trying to save Paige and believes that whether Prue is alive or not her premonitions still have meaning and she needs to act on them. The follow-up from this is the different ways in which the sisters react to finding out that Paige is their sister. When Patty tells Piper and Phoebe about Paige, Phoebe’s instant reaction is shock but also joy to an extent, whereas Piper’s is just shock and anger. She says that she’ll save Paige because she’s an innocent, but she has no interest in developing a relationship with her or reconstituting the Power of Three. Personally, I think Piper’s closed-off attitude to Paige in contrast to Phoebe’s open attitude perfectly shows the ways in which they dealt with Prue’s death in different ways. For Piper, accepting another sister feels like a betrayal to Prue. I also think that at this point, deep down inside she resents Paige because Prue’s loss is so fresh and in Piper’s eyes, nobody could ever compare to Prue. I think she probably hates herself for thinking it but some part of her probably wished that Prue was still there in Paige’s place and that was very difficult for her to deal with. But for Phoebe, she sees Paige as the only positive to come out of Prue’s death. She grieves Prue, of course she does, but she chooses to see Prue’s death as having meaning because it has brought them to Paige. Phoebe is faster to accept Prue’s death and that acceptance enables her to open up to Paige and see it as an opportunity to bond with another sister.
I love that the writers chose to write it this way, because I think these two different reactions from the sisters represented how most of us felt as fans and viewers. Some of us were Piper - in denial and distraught to have lost Prue; some of us were Phoebe - accepting that Prue was gone and open to the new start that Paige would bring. And whatever side we were on, it was important to that we saw those two reactions from Piper and Phoebe, because that allowed us to come to the acceptance stage through them. 
Putting aside the sisters grief over Prue, this episode is one of the most intriguing and mysterious episodes of Charmed because Prue has just died and now anything can happen. In regards to the plot, it is super interesting to see The Source attempt to corrupt Paige, because there is that feeling of I don’t know what’s going to happen. As a brand new character there are no guarantees that Paige is safe from dying or that the sisters are capable of saving her without the Power of Three. Even when the Power of Three is reformed, there’s uncertainty about whether it will be as powerful as the original trio. Overall, this episode has very high stakes and no matter how many times I watch it, I find myself being sucked into it. 
The introduction of Paige is seamless and she is immediately established as a unique character different from the other sisters. She’s sympathetic and it’s easy to connect to her from the off. Although I can’t quite put my finger on how, the writers and Rose manage to portray Paige as having Halliwell characteristics that make her feel like one of the family very quickly. But she still has that element of individuality that makes her very different from the other sisters. We learn enough about Paige - that she doesn’t drink, she’s scared of being hurt, she’s a social worker, her parents are dead etc. - to like her but not too much so that there’s an element of mystery about her that leaves us with the oppourtunity to continue getting to know her throughout the season. Although we are emotionally aligned with Piper and Phoebe since we’ve been with them for three years and are dealing with Prue’s loss, Paige’s dilemma evokes a similar amount of empathy. Her world is turned upside down and the only person she has to turn to is Shane, who is possessed by The Source. Paige’s inexperience and lack of knowledge regarding the magical world makes her an easy target and her denial of what’s happening to her is very understandable. In this episode we see Paige go on an emotional journey and the end is such a fantastic pay-off - the sisters bring her to the manor and she meets Patty for the first time. To date, I still consider that one of the most beautiful scenes of the series. It’s the perfect end to the episode and solidifies the fact that although there’s still a lot of development to be had, Paige is absolutely a Halliwell and she belongs with Piper and Phoebe at the manor. 
Overall, this episode is the perfect follow-up to All Hell Breaks Loose. When I was younger I had a lot of problems with the way the episode skipped right over the immediate aftermath of Prue’s death and felt we were robbed of seeing that process, but now I see that actually the episode handles it exactly right. Prue is gone and Paige is here and this episode shows that without being too forceful or making it so that Paige is Prue’s replacement, even though in reality that’s exactly what she is and we all know it. 
Hell Hath No Fury (4x03)
This episode is one of my all time favourites across the entire series. Why? Because it has everything - Cole, Piper and Phoebe working together to fight demons, Paige experimenting with being a witch for the first time with rather humorous consequences and then being forced to step up and face the reality of being a witch as events take a dark turn, we see Phoebe dealing with being the middle sister and having to mediate between Piper and Paige just like Piper used to do for her and Prue, and of course we see Piper’s grief over losing Prue. It’s the perfect continuation from Charmed Again in addressing the grief over Prue’s death and establishing Paige in both the magical world and the Halliwell family. 
Holly’s acting in this episode is phenomenal and that’s something I have to mention when discussing this episode. Her breakdown in the mausoleum is far and above one of the most raw and emotional scenes of the entire series. It’s so powerful and it doesn’t matter how many times I see it, it still really upsets me. In fact, I find that scene the most upsetting one out of all the ones there are about Prue’s death including the scene where she actually dies, because I think that’s the moment where it really sinks in that Prue is gone and she’s not coming back. Although Charmed Again reaffirms the fact that Prue is gone, by the end of the episode Piper was still in denial and in this episode Piper has shifted from denial to anger. It’s the natural process we’re all familiar with - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 
What is so beautiful about Piper’s outburst towards the end of the episode is that Paige is the one that is with her. The two struggle to bond as sisters because of Piper’s grief over losing Prue, but in this scene in the mausoleum they are able to connect as two people who have lost their family. Paige knows exactly how Piper is feeling and she’s able to articulate that for her in a way that no one else can because she’s experienced that kind of loss. It’s actually a very underrated sister moment between Piper and Paige, because it’s the first time they really connect, even if it is only for a brief moment. It’s overlooked as a sister moment because the focus is on Piper’s emotional reaction but there’s a bond that’s forged in this moment between the two sisters. The writers were very clever to specifically choose Paige to share that moment with Piper, because it wouldn’t have worked in the same way if it had been Phoebe. And them sharing that moment is what allows Piper at the end of the episode to finally open herself up to Paige for the first time. The scene at the end of the episode where Piper brings Paige muffins and calls her her sister is one of the sweetest moments ever, because it’s such a simple gesture but it demonstrates that Piper has reached the acceptance stage and is ready to welcome Paige into her life and her heart. 
Speaking of Paige, I love her development in this episode. In Charmed Again she reacted very negatively to being a witch and wanted to run from it, yet in this episode we see her start to embrace it. Like any other young woman in her position would, she starts to wonder what perks being a witch could bring and although her stealing the Book and casting a series of spells is technically wrong and against the rules, I can’t help but love her for it because it’s so human. Who wouldn’t do that in the same situation? I’d definitely want to have some fun! That happening also demonstrates though that the sisters aren’t there for Paige in the way they should be. It’s understandable given how fresh Prue’s death is, but Paige really needs Piper and Phoebe’s guidance and support and as Phoebe rightfully points out, the fact that they don’t give her that time leads her to steal the Book not knowing that it is wrong. So not only is it a valuable lesson for Paige on personal gain, it’s a valuable lesson for Piper and Phoebe, who take a much more hands-on approach with Paige from this episode onwards. As the episode progresses, Paige has to deal with Piper’s transformation into a Fury, despite being completely new to the magical world. But like Phoebe tells Piper at the end of the episode, she doesn’t freak out, she handles it and she actually takes initiative and figures out that the Call For a Lost Witch Spell will work if they substitute the word sister for witch. And on reflection, Paige is actually the one that saves the day in this episode. Her actions are what save Piper. Her idea to change the spell and use Cole as bait is what draws Piper back to them and Paige’s intuition about Piper’s feelings allow her to get Piper to fully open up about how she’s feeling and that’s what turns her back into herself. It’s very subtle but this episode shows that whilst the death of a sister broke Piper, the discovery of another healed her. And that’s why in Sam I Am in season 5 Piper talks about how Paige brought the family back together and how she’s the reason she is still standing there. It’s true and the legacy of that sister relationship begins here. 
What I love most about this episode is how authentic it is in exploring the aftermath of Prue’s death. It shows that grief is an ongoing process, it doesn’t just magically get better overnight and it manifests itself in a variety of ways. Piper handles it very differently from Phoebe, but they both struggle in their own ways. But the important thing that this episode establishes is that the new trio has the potential to work, both as a sisterhood and The Power of Three. Paige manages to overcome her fears of demons to fight back and she takes initiative to find Piper, all demonstrating her potential as a witch. She also manages to access the deepest part of Piper’s grief and enable her to face it so that she can finally open herself up to Paige for the first time. It’s just such a beautiful episode with a great payoff and really lays the foundation for what the new trio can be and what they eventually become. 
A Knight to Remember (4x06)
The reason I love this episode can be pretty much summed up in one word: Paige. Up until this point Paige was likeable to me, but this is the episode that really showed me that Paige was an individual with her own personality and uniqueness and that I could love her every bit as much as I loved Prue.
Generally speaking, I am a sucker for any fairytale-esque episodes, so that’s likely part of the reason I like this episode so much, but mostly it’s because of Paige. It’s so good to see her relationship with Glenn and her past self in the form of the Enchantress because it gives us a deeper insight into Paige’s life before she met the sisters and also her depths as a character. In the past Phoebe always chastised herself for having a past self that was ‘evil’ (in Pardon My Past) so by creating the same for Paige, there was a common-ground for both the sisters which acted as a bond for their relationship. All of the sister relationships are unique, but Phoebe and Paige’s relationship is unique because of the way in which they can relate to each other for being more rebellious and ‘dark’ in nature, and although we see elements of that before this episode, the seeds of that are fully sown in this episode. 
Moving on from that for a moment, I love the scene at the beginning of the episode with Piper going into Prue’s room and putting on her leather jacket. It’s important to see that the grief process is ongoing and that Piper has moved past the raw emotion to be able to remember Prue in a more peaceful way. I always felt that Piper putting on Prue’s leather jacket was very symbolic of her taking her rightful place as the eldest sister and accepting that responsibility, since she’d been quite resistant and slightly resentful of it up until this point. 
Back to Paige, it’s interesting to see that inner battle she’s still having about what being a witch means for her. On the one hand, we’ve seen her embrace being a witch to some extent in previous episodes, but in this episode we see her still being reluctant to give up her ‘normal’ life to fully commit to being a witch. She strongly resists moving into the manor, insisting that she wants to keep a life separate from magic along with her privacy, but really her reasons are deeper than that and much more emotional. Paige is afraid to live with the sisters because it’s a huge step, not just for her but for all of them (something that Piper and Phoebe fail to consider until later on in the episode) and she doesn’t feel ready. She’s worried that the sisters are still grieving Prue and will compare her to Prue, placing her in Prue’s shadow and resulting in her feeling like an outsider. This is huge for Paige since she actually doesn’t have a family (except Uncle Dave, who is only mentioned once and never again, which still kinda annoys me, but that’s a separate issue haha) and finding the sisters means a lot to her. Although Piper and Phoebe embrace Paige eventually, finding her doesn’t mean the same to them at this point as it does for Paige. Piper and Phoebe didn’t need or want family, they had each other and Prue, but Paige was practically all alone in the world. When the sisters ask her to move in, she doesn’t want to potentially ruin that chance at having a family because it means so much to her, so she tries to run from it instead. What this episode does is allow Paige to come to terms with moving in with the sisters in her own way. Her determination to deal with the Enchantress alone has consequences and Piper and Phoebe get pulled into a portal, and it’s at that point that she realises she needs to start working with her sisters, not against them. Again, this is the beginning of an ongoing issue for Paige whereby she has to constantly try to negotiate with her sisters, give up her independence and adjust to being part of a team and a family.  
Putting the deeper emotional and symbolic meanings aside, this episode has some light-hearted humour with the Prince arriving in San Francisco and being head over heels for Paige. Also seeing Leo take on the guards in the past was a legendary moment. 
Overall, I like this episode because it solidifies Paige as an interesting, unique character with her own personality and past. And of course, I love to see the three sisters in the manor where they belong. 
Brain Drain (4x07)
Years ago, this episode definitely wouldn’t have made it onto my list. I always found it very creepy because of some personal issues and deep-rooted fears I have regarding some of the themes featured in the episodes. However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve really come to enjoy and appreciate this episode for everything it represents and its importance for Piper as a character. 
Piper goes through a huge change in this season because of Prue’s death. I always think it’s a little unfair that Piper gets all the attention when it comes to Prue’s death and Phoebe is kind of forgotten, but objectively, no one can deny that Piper is more profoundly affected by it. It really comes down to the fundamental differences in Piper and Phoebe as people but also their relationships with Prue, but I digress. The point is that Piper undergoes a huge change and in the episodes leading up to this one we’ve seen her dealing with the loss of Prue. However, by this episode there’s almost an assumption that Piper is totally fine (because outwardly that’s how it appears) and that she has fully embraced Paige, but what this episode does that no other does (not even Hell Hath No Fury) is address Piper’s emotions and underlying grief head-on and give it complete closure.
In previous seasons we’ve seen the sisters be targeted by demons and warlocks who seek to worm their way into their lives and strike when they’re most vulnerable. Generally, Phoebe has been the target because she’s perceived as the easiest to infiltrate because her inherent optimism and caring spirit compels her to see the good in people and trust them. In this episode, Piper is chosen because her emotional fragility makes her susceptible to the Source’s master plan (which, in my opinion, is a very effective plan and I actually think the Source’s intelligence in this instance is very overlooked). Piper is a very unhappy person at this point - Prue is dead, she wants a baby but feels she can’t because of the danger the baby would be in, she craves a normal life but feels she can’t have one - and seeing her friend Wendy reaffirms all of the negative emotions she feels and that desire to be ‘normal’. By attacking Piper’s mind in the way he does, the Source is able to dig into the deepest part of Piper’s fears and desires and it’s very revealing. The entire basis of getting Piper to reveal the power relinquishing spell is to tell her that Prue is still alive. Over and over Alistair (the Source) tells her that if she allows him to help her she’ll be able to leave the institution and be with Prue again. That’s how powerful Piper’s grief still is at this point - so powerful that the thought that she could see Prue again is enough to tempt her to give in. In addition to this, we see the Source play on Piper’s desire for a life without magic by bringing in her friend Wendy and her baby. But what’s taken forgranted, is that this desire for a normal life is linked to Prue. Although Piper expresses in season 1 that she just wants to be normal again and we see her say something similar on a few other occasions, this season is where we truly see that desire rear it’s ugly head and it’s directly connected to Prue’s death. Piper no longer sees the value of magic, can no longer make sense of its purpose and believes that ultimately all it does is put her loves ones in mortal danger. She wants a normal life because she can’t face anymore loss and she doesn’t want to have to live in a world or possess powers that she feels are responsible for getting her sister killed. The scariest thing about all of this is how close Piper comes to giving it all up. By preying on these emotions and thoughts she has the Source manages to break her spirit in the harshest way and the turmoil Piper endures in this episode is really overlooked, in my opinion. 
What makes this so significant is that when the sisters and Leo appear to her and the spell is broken, Piper is finally able to appreciate her life and her sisters in a way she’s been unable to since Prue’s death. She realises that she’s not alone - Phoebe understands how she feels about losing Prue and both Phoebe and Paige understand what it’s like to want a normal life - and she also realises that she can still have some semblance of normal life whilst being a witch. It’s a huge turning point for Piper and a reality check for her to appreciate what she has and find a way to get the balance in her life between magic and ordinary life.  As a side note, this is why My Three Witches (and season 6 onwards generally) really bugs me because it’s so inconsistent with Piper’s character development. In this episode she faces up to what a life without magic could look like and realises that her notion of having a ‘normal’ life isn’t everything she imagines it could be and that she’s actually very lucky to have the life she has (a theme that’s continued in Lost and Bound, which I’ll discuss more in-depth below). So to then revert her back to the whole “I want a normal life” mantra is so frustrating.
A Paige from the Past (4x10)
Once again, the reasons I love this episode are probably a little obvious: it’s Paige centric. This is one of the most important Paige centric episodes across the entire series because it’s the only one that actually gives us real insight into Paige’s life before she met the sisters and more importantly, her parents. It still frustrates me so much that we only get to meet Paige’s parents once and that they’re barely mentioned again.
However, this episode beautifully explores Paige’s underlying guilt over her parents death and how it’s shaped her life. We learn that Paige was a rebellious teen that defied her parents and that her actions indirectly led to their death. That one event in Paige’s life is what led her to change and from the day of her parents death she devoted herself to striving to be better and do better to honour their memory. It’s a great insight into Paige’s psyche, and just as A Knight to Remember establishes a connection between Paige and Phoebe through their similarities, this episode provides a common connection between Prue and Paige through their trauma over their parents deaths. Prue was hugely affected by Patty’s death and that ultimately shaped the person she became, just as Paige’s parents’ deaths shaped who she became. Just like Prue who actually saw Patty when she was dead, Paige witnessed her parents die and that profoundly affected her. 
This episode reinforces an important and valuable lesson that the sisters already discovered way back in season 1 in That 70s Episode, and that lesson is that you can’t change the past no matter how much you may want to. Destiny is a huge theme throughout the show and some events are fixed because they’re meant to be. We’re told that Prue is meant to die because that leads Piper and Phoebe to Paige. Similarly, Paige’s parents are meant to die because that shapes who she becomes and is part of a sequence of events that leads her to Piper and Phoebe. In addition, the purpose of Paige going back in time is to understand and realise that she wasn’t responsible for her parents deaths. It was a tragic accident that was out of her control and she was saved by magic because she was supposed to. Without going back in time Paige may have carried the burden of guilt for the rest of her life and that would’ve prevented her from being able to fully move forward and grow as a person. And the fact that Paige not only gets to interact with her parents in the past, see their death from an outside perspective and understand it wasn’t her fault, she also gets to communicate with them in the present. The one thing she wanted was for her parents to see the person she became and be proud of her, and she gets that chance. That is a pivotal moment for Paige in allowing her to truly move forward and continue to blossom of a person. A price really can’t be placed on Paige being able to see her parents and know they’ve seen all that she’s done since they’ve died and that they’re proud of her. It’s a beautiful moment to witness, and one of my favourite moments for Paige because of the meaning it holds for her. 
The side-plot of the episode with Phoebe and Cole being possessed by ghosts is a somewhat comedic off-set to Paige’s plot. But it also allows Phoebe and Cole to vicariously live through Frankie and Lulu and deal with their difference of opinion on marriage. It’s also good to see Piper try and effectively manage the situation without Leo to lean on, as it’s all part of solidifying her new role as the eldest sister. I also like seeing the close bond that’s developed between Leo and Paige in this episode. Leo has a unique bond with all of the sisters’ and it’s good to see how supportive Leo is of Paige as both a Whitelighter and brother-in-law. 
Lost and Bound (4x12)
In this series there’ll be quite a lot of episodes that most people would also list as being one of their favourites, but this episode isn’t one of them. Generally, I don’t think this is an episode that stands out in people’s minds because it’s not particularly memorable but I really like it for a few reasons.
First of all, I should say that I, like most fans, find Tyler very irritating. The character himself is good and works in the episode well, but the choice of actor was awful and I wish they had picked someone more appropriate and experienced for the role. But this doesn’t deter me from listing this as one of my favourite episodes because of the character development. I know I keep blathering on about character development, but for me personally, an ‘average’ episode plot-wise can still make it into my favourites if it has good characterisation and that’s a pattern you’ll notice with most/all of the episodes I choose. 
This episode is the perfect follow-up from Brain Drain and great for Piper. As I mentioned above, Brain Drain delved into Piper’s desires to be ‘normal’ more so than any other episode up until this point and this episode shows us how Piper has moved forward and grown from that. We see her in this episode acknowledging the importance of magic and how special it is for probably the first time. She feels so strongly that magic is a part of her as an individual and her family heritage that she gets into a dispute with Leo about the possibility of binding their future child’s powers. Tyler acts as the perfect conduit for Piper’s issues in this episode, because not only does he give her the chance to establish a bond with a child that connects to her motherly instincts, it also gives her clarity on the issue of being a magicical child. She helps Tyler try and control his powers and see that it can be channelled for the right purposes which further reinforces her belief that magic is valuable and something to be cherished. But Tyler’s decision to bind his powers at the end of the episode also reminds her that she also once (not so long ago) wished to be non-magical and that having powers means something different for everyone, but particularly for a child. As a child Tyler doesn’t have any desire to be different or special, he just wants to be like every other child his age and to fit in. There are so many negative repercussions to having powers as a child that I really can’t blame him for making the decision to bind his powers. The scene with Piper and Leo at the end where Piper talks about how Grams binding their powers gave her and her sisters the greatest gift of all - the gift of innocence - helps her to finally see Leo’s perspective on binding their child’s powers and to respect the decision that Grams made when the sisters were young. It’s really a beautiful episode in addressing Piper’s issues with being a witch and bringing this character arc to a wholesome conclusion. Now she doesn’t want to have an ordinary life or to give up her powers, she understands that they’re special. She also knows that there are negatives and dangers that come from having those powers, but that ultimately, she would never give them up because they’re fundamentally a part of who she is and she is able to do much more good with them than she could without them. 
In addition to Piper’s character development in this episode, Phoebe also has a great arc. Throughout season 4 we see Phoebe have a bit of an identity crisis following on from Prue’s death and her transition from the youngest to the middle sister. We also see her struggle with Cole’s marriage proposal because she doesn’t feel ready and is generally afraid of marriage and what it represents. In this episode, we see the perfect play-out for this underlying fear Phoebe has. Although the way it’s done is somewhat comical, Grams’ cursed ring allows Phoebe to quite literally live her greatest fears of marriage. She becomes a domesticated housewife whose sole purpose of existing is to please and look after her husband at the detriment and sacrifice of her own identity. By being able to experience this Phoebe comes to the realisation that her notions of marriage are just that - notions. It’s not the reality and marriage’s are unique depending upon the couple. In the final scene with Cole the couple discuss this and agree that they aren’t those kinds of people and their marriage will not become what they perceive to be ‘typical’  because they themselves aren’t ‘typical’ as a witch and an ex-demon-turned-human. Along the way we get to see some funny scenes - the scene in the bathroom is a particular favourite of mine and Leo’s face when Phoebe asks him the ‘very important question’ of whether Tyler is staying for lunch. Not forgetting her little song; “I’m making soup for Cole, he’ll eat it in a bowl, I guess that’s my new role, just making soup for Cole” haha. 
Although Paige isn’t as central in this episode, we even get to see her growth as she writes her first ever vanquishing spell by herself, demonstrating her abilities as a witch and the potential she has, which we get to see plenty of in season 5. 
Even Cole’s characterisation is good in this episode as we witness him struggle to make the transition from demon to human and get his first job. It’s interesting to see that inner struggle he has between his instinct to do good and his instinct to do good things in not-so-good ways. For example, he desperately wants to get justice for the awful actions of the slumlord, but ultimately his solution to that is to use violence. Personally, I love this version of Cole because it demonstrates that he’s a very morally grey character and unlike the other main characters - the sisters and Leo - he really can’t be boxed in as being wholly good or wholly bad. It’s a very realistic take on his struggle to find his identity as a human who has been a half demon for over a century, and it’s a shame that his character arc didn’t continue down this road. 
On a final note, I really enjoy this episode because everything just feels together. Piper and Leo are happy and planning to have a baby; Cole and Phoebe are happy and growing both individually and as a couple; Paige has found her feet within the family and the trio and the family feels united and strong. I actually think that the first half of season 4 up until this point is when the family is at it’s strongest and I loved seeing the togetherness of Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Leo and Cole. 
Charmed and Dangerous (4x13)
Many of the episodes in this series are episodes that I’ve come to love and appreciate more and more as I’ve gotten older, but Charmed and Dangerous has always been one of my all time favourites. It’d be impossible for me to ever choose my number one favourite episode, but this one would definitely be near the top because for me, this is Charmed at its absolute best.
For me, The Source is the Big Bad of the entire series and as much as the writers attempted to conjure up bigger and more powerful evil nothing topped The Source. This episode is a build up of almost an entire season of mentions of The Source, of him sending demons and warlocks after the sisters and it’s a glorious pay off. From start to finish it’s a thrilling ride that feels unpredictable. Even now when I watch it, I know what happens and how it ends, but it still feels like the sisters really may lose this battle and that anything can happen. The Source is cunning and has spent a very long time gathering information on the sisters to discover their biggest weaknesses and using the Hollow to steal their powers is a very effective method of attempting to defeat them. The sisters genuinely believe that there’s a high chance The Source will kill them which we see through Piper planning a will and Paige using magic to help Carolyn get her son back. The stakes are high in this episode and the tension is palpable. The reveal of The Source’s face for the first time is a great moment and the general action in this episode is gripping. It’s interesting to see the sisters trying to win the fight without their active powers and it’s pretty refreshing to see them use their other wiccan abilities, since as the seasons progress they become more and more dependent upon their powers. 
Strangely, I don’t have much more to say about this, because it’s not so much about characterisation in this episode as it is about plot and action. It’s a satisfying and gripping battle between the sisters and The Source - which is essentially the greatest force of good versus the greatest force of evil - and come on, what’s not to love about that?! Plus the ending with Cole becoming The Source is a great cliffhanger to the episode. 
Long Live the Queen (4x20)
How could I not include this episode? Regardless of whether you love or hate Cole and his relationship with Phoebe, this episode is amazing. We see the sisters take a walk on the dark side multiple times in seasons 1-3 but never like this. Previously the sisters have been turned evil either by transformations e.g. Piper becoming a wendigo, Phoebe a banshee, Paige a vampire or by possession, but this time Phoebe is corrupted by love and her pregnancy and chooses to become Queen of the Underworld. Because of that, in this episode, much like Charmed and Dangerous, there’s a sense that anything can happen.
From the opening scenes of the episode the tone is set with Phoebe killing some of Cole’s subjects out of annoyance and simply because she can. It’s a very clear statement that Phoebe has completely gone over to the dark side. This is a particularly interesting transformation for Phoebe since canonically she is the sister that is portrayed as having more of an inclination to the dark side. Part of me wonders if from the very beginning Phoebe falling in love was part of that underlying pull she had to darkness. She didn’t know Cole was a demon, but she also knew that he was mysterious and I also think that deep down she did know he was a demon before the reveal in Sleuthing with the Enemy, but that’s kind of a separate issue. What this episode does very well, as it has done in previous episodes, is show the inner battle between good and evil that exists within most of us. Phoebe struggles to find the balance between her new place in the demon world as Queen of the Underworld and her conscience and love for her family which compels her to want to continue saving innocents. But more than showing us Phoebe’s inner turmoil with the light and dark that coexists inside her, this episode perfectly explores the heart-wrenching pain of having to choose between the love of a partner and the love of family. And what I respect about how this episode handled that issue is that it showed how difficult of a choice that was. Phoebe didn’t know who to choose or what to do until the last second when she was forced to choose between the lives of her sisters and Leo or Cole. I could never ever judge Phoebe for how reluctant and unsure she is in making that choice because I can’t imagine having to choose between the person I love and my family. In the end Phoebe’s choice doesn’t just come down to family, it also comes down to good and evil. Phoebe is completely in love with Cole but she knows deep down in her heart that he’s evil - he’s The Source after all - and there is no future for them as a couple or a family (with the sisters and Leo) if they’re evil. As Cole rightfully said in Bride and Gloom, there is no such thing as evil love. Watching Phoebe go through this emotional struggle is heart-breaking to watch, but also compelling. It’s the first time we really see a sister come up against this kind of emotional and moral dilemma which is so huge that the word ‘dilemma’ seems too light a word to use. 
Obviously Phoebe is the central focus of this episode, but it’s also very interesting in regards to Piper and Paige and the dynamics between the sisters. Piper’s pessimism stands in contrast to Paige’s determination, and for a lot of fans Piper’s reaction can actually come as a bit of a shock. Personally, before watching the episode if someone had asked me how Piper would react in this situation I would’ve said that she would do whatever it took to get Phoebe back and wouldn’t stop until she did. However, knowing how she does react and having had plenty of years to reflect on it, I completely understand her reaction and it’s perfectly fitting for her to react that way under the circumstances. Prue’s death was the biggest trauma in Piper’s life and although outwardly by this point she seems completely fine, this episode is just another reminder that that pain is still with her. Just as we see Phoebe struggle with the transition from youngest to middle sister, Piper struggles with the transition from middle to eldest sister, and in a way, the transition Piper has to undergo is more difficult. Piper is practically the opposite to Prue; she’s not a natural leader, she’s not very pragmatic, she’s not commanding and when it comes to the sisterhood (particularly as witches) in seasons 1-3 she takes a much more passive position within the trio. So for her to lose Prue, who was her strength and her security, and then to actually have to become her was incredibly difficult for her to deal with. The scene where she’s drunk in P3 demonstrates how she feels she’s failed in her role as the eldest sister and although she doesn’t explicitly say it, the subtext almost says, “This would’ve never happened if Prue was still here”. She feels that she’s failed Phoebe by not being the best big sister she could be and it reflects that insecurity she has that she’s not capable of being the responsible big sister and that she’s not fit to fulfil the role Prue once did so well. So her pessimism towards Phoebe may come across at first as resentment for choosing Cole over her family (I don’t doubt some part of it is), but in reality, it’s her own self-loathing coming out side-wards. She hates herself for allowing Phoebe to go to the place she does but instead of admitting that, she projects that onto Phoebe and it comes out as anger. And there’s also the fact that she is most likely devastated because she feels that she’s lost yet another sister. Unfortunately, there’s not really a solid resolution in this episode for Piper’s feelings. Phoebe choosing to vanquish Cole to save her, Paige and Leo ends Phoebe’s reign as Queen, but it doesn’t solve this underlying insecurity and uncertainty Piper has about being the eldest sister. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see how Phoebe’s stint as the Queen impacts Piper. 
As for Paige, this episode just reaffirms how much I love her. This is a young woman who was thrust into a world of magic completely out of the blue and had to learn the craft and attempt to fit in with the sisters and develop a relationship with them organically, without treading on Prue’s toes and giving them the space to grieve her and then this awful thing happens with Phoebe becoming the Queen of the Underworld all she cares about is helping Phoebe and Piper. She never once shows any fear, she fights to remain positive and chooses to believe that Phoebe still has enough goodness inside her and love for her family that she can be saved. In the face of Piper’s emotional downward spiral, she stays strong, saves the innocent (by herself, might I add), picks Piper back up and encourages her to fight for Phoebe with her. Paige is truly a hero in this episode and her strength and determination is overlooked because the focus is primarily on Phoebe. But this episode is just more proof of how awesome Paige is and how much the sisters need her. 
Returning to Phoebe and Cole who are obviously at the centre of this episode, nothing really compares to those final scenes where Phoebe says the vanquishing spell and kills Cole. It’s shocking, it’s heartbreaking, it’s a relief; it’s just so damn emotional. Nothing shows the strength of Phoebe’s character than that moment, and weirdly, in my opinion, no other moment shows the strength of the love Phoebe and Cole have than in that moment and this episode as a whole. These are two people that are not themselves (Cole is possessed by The Source and Phoebe is under the influence of The Source’s spawn) and yet their love is powerful enough to overcome all of the evil that is taking them over from the inside to be together. In reality, Cole should’ve killed Phoebe a long time ago when he was first possessed by The Source, but his love for her is so strong that he can’t. And Phoebe, despite knowing from the second she makes the choice to be with Cole that it’s wrong, makes her decision out of love. It may be wrong, it may be unhealthy, but once again, I don’t judge Phoebe and I think that some fans judge her decisions and actions too harshly in this situation. This is also where I have a slight problem with Piper’s reaction, because her belief is that Phoebe is delusional for choosing Cole because she should’ve chosen her family point blank, end of story. But it’s not that black and white and I’ve always thought that if Piper had been in the same situation, she would’ve done exactly what Phoebe did. Piper prioritises Leo above her sisters so many times because he is her husband and the man she loves, and because of how much she loves Leo I always felt that she should’ve been slightly more understanding. Phoebe didn’t choose The Source, she chose Cole. 
Back to the point, this episode is one of the most emotional and memorable in the series. It explores some very heavy issues regarding good vs evil, love vs family, duty vs loyalty and choice vs conscience. And the very last scene with the sisters comforting Phoebe is by far one of the simplest yet touching scenes and sister moments across the series. It encapsulates every bit of emotion from the episode in just a 2-3 minute scene without even a word of dialogue and I love it. 
And that brings me to the end of my favourite season 4 episodes. I know this was quite a lot longer than seasons 1-3, but that’s because season 4 is my favourite season so I have lots more to say about it. Like any long-term Charmed fan, my favourite season has changed over the years, but season 4 has always been near the top because it’s the best season in terms of character development and arcs. All three of the sisters have fantastic, coherent character arcs and the transition from the original trio to the new trio is organic, and despite the heartbreak of Prue’s death, it’s actually refreshing and enjoyable to watch. It’s a rare thing that I’m able to watch a show after the death of my favourite character and still find enjoyment, and embrace the change of tone and pace, but with Charmed, I really do. Admittedly, the Cole/Phoebe plot gets a little too much focus towards the end of the season which is slightly detrimental to the season overall, but it doesn’t take away from the brilliance of the season in overall. Beyond the character development this season far and above has some of the most memorable scenes and episodes of the season - the whole of Charmed Again and Hell Hath No Fury, Cole’s vanquish, the face-off with the Source and Phoebe becoming the Queen of the Underworld - whether you like it or hate it, few people can deny that those are the scenes that stick with us most for how powerful and emotional they are. 
As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts and feel free to share yours with me. The next post will be my favourite season 5 episodes which is currently my second favourite season so once again you can expect lots of analysis. 
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elizabethrobertajones · 6 years ago
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14x04 watching notes
Happy Birthday, Davy!
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Mittens just ominously warned me to warm up this notepad while I waited for the episode to finish downloading.
The nice guy from the phone provider has recently restored our internet after 4 days of radio silence from me, but it's only about 4'o clock on friday, so really some good timing!
Expectations: pre-mittens warning, Davy back on his nonsense with the scary episodes and expected nonsense of sinking back into MotW after mytharc but in capable hands because, you know, new writing team is aces and all.
post-mittens warning: idk but I should get a stuffed toy?
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That's a suspicious amount of ghost lore.
Has Heaven started dumping the spirits out now and if it really IS a ghost it's not going to behave properly?
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Oh my god it's a Hell Hazers poster.
There was something I would have talked about pre-episode but had no internet so didn't, but the focus on Dean and nerds and the expectation that this episode would be about a comic book store, did remind me of 9x07 and the action figure which was all "i clobber evil!" and was a strong Dean mirror, including that he needlessly burned it on the stove to try and get rid of the ghost of the mom but it turned out she needed to be talked into letting her son let her go in a scene which has all sorts of shades of Dean vs Mary in 12x22 now and also Dean's entire mark of cain arc was in the self-destruction of his self as an action figure that clobbered evil. A reminder that Dean is this figure seems fairly timely with him coming down from being possessed, as of course he has been used as an action figure. And his willingness to turn himself into one in 13x23 was very much turning himself into the Michael Sword, which in this cosmos is practically like the rarest collectible action figure of the universe. This harks back all the way to the first season and Dean's issues with John's control and the whole blunt little instrument arc, also something that fed directly into demon!Dean, and is being reflected this season in Nick, who murdered a guy with a hammer, after his family was murdered by a hammer, and said yes to Lucifer because of all that angst about hammer murder. Subtle.
Anyway, this is sort of the emotional background to me for action figures in the show.
A Hell Hazers poster also reminds us that Dean is a horror fan, his own connections to the genre, a CLASSIC episode, and a time when he was living his best life briefly.
You know, before he sold his soul for *waves at previous big paragraph* reasons
Fitting for how season 13 ended with Dean this close to happy world peace retirement living his best life :P
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Awww the fake movie the MotW comes from is called All Saints Day. Davyyy :')
People I know who are born on like October SECOND consider themselves extra spooky halloween people. I can only imagine what it does, as a 23rd Oct. birthday person, to the psyche to actually be born ON it.
This episode's subtitle is just "Lol I have the best birthday, fuckers"
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ACTUAL CLIP FROM 2x18!
And the fucking racist truck >.> Which in-universe was teased as another different movie using the footage in the trailer for Hell Hazers II.
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My mum has that exact Wonder Woman figure
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This guy is wearing a trenchcoat-featured jacket with a maroon t-shirt under it. I could not tell you what he represents but the trenchcoat part is amusing.
I can't *actually* start saying everything is party!Cas symbolism though so I'll just shush
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Er this rando that people were saying was dressed like Sam from the promo images literally is called Sam, and she's wearing a very very loud checkered shirt, of course featuring a lot of orange. I'm guessing with that info it's next to impossible to say she ISN'T in some way a Sam parallel :P
Comic Book Guy is possibly caught in the middle of stealing an action figure, and I can't work out if he is just nervous about that or has a crush on Sam because his behaviour was so suspect, but from the promo scene where he looks a lil worse for the wear he talks about breaking up with his goth gf, and Sam is very clearly a nerd, not a goth.
(Goth nerds are things. The media will get there one day :P)
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Oh okay after a few lines of the exchange, yeah this guy is a dick, I have NO clue why he's wearing that coat symbolism wise, and Sam really ought to fire him because wow, uncool and also he seems to be a stereotypical nerdbro gatekeeper who would literally rather scare off customers but be right than just enjoy what they all enjoy together.
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Then he apologises for getting angry for saying he just gets spun out sometimes. Honestly, this seems to be crossing over into Dean territory considering the last thing from the recap was Dean being told he was like Michael by Bad Kaia and being really angry when he said he was nothing like him... He also used "spun out" about himself in 12x20 but in rather more tragic lost-Cas circumstances but obviously this parallel has a different lesson to tell than just making them equivalent. This guy is so awful and is using his anger in a petty way over things that don't really matter. He's getting spun out over made up battles rather than real angst, and whether he has his own underlying trauma that makes him behave that way or not, the straight white nerd is one of the secondary main villains of the century so far after the literal alt right, with some overlap of course. Think Kylo Ren as one of the dominant critiques of this behaviour :P Compared to the open of 8x11 for example, where the nerds were harmless weirdoes despite also being straight white and obsessive, the aggression and obsession are played not just as a harmless trait of people who like LARPing and collecting toys, but gatekeep, yell at kids over superman facts, and refuse to have their own dominance challenged.
Thinking he could fight superman might actually explain the Cas like jacket - it's too short to be a coat - that he idealises these heroes, is wearing Batman (who in pop culture most recently was around "v superman") and Cas of course has all his superman comparisons from both 6x20, and his rebirth in 12x01 where he came back to earth as a fiery comet and was immediately mistaken for a spaceman. There's some dark idolisation/mirroring here, that he's debating how to fight the guy (krytonite gloves = the BMoL knuckledusters) and at the same time mirroring the show's Superman in his dress. Only much, much lesser. More subtextual mockery about his weakness and how he doesn't really measure up.
I think in a lot of ways the discourse about nerds in pop culture is moving on now to  make this difference clear, that the ones who will be mocked are the ones who deserve it for being too cruel to respect, while in many other ways the mainstreaming of nerd culture into pop culture, meaning a large amount of it is no longer mockable, that everyone had at least SOME nerdy indulgences, means that in general nerdom is more accepted and exalted than ever. SPN obviously having its own deep roots into nerd culture has some direct room for commentary here, and this is also a way of reminding its own fans to be cool and not to be this guy.
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Oh, huh, he safely exited the shop. I did not see that coming.
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LOL he has batman bedding on a fold out bed in either a shed, garage or basement where he lives.
(This detail was tragic in Attack the Block but it's quite clear in this case the guy is fully grown and is being used as a detail to show his forward progression in life)
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Wow, you really have some rage issues here. Especially trying to wrangle free pizza i mean dude. Talk about a line that personifies him 100 different ways in one go :P Who shouts at their pizza delivery place?? They remember your number! This is how to get extra toppings.
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Oh my god please get beaten to death by this lil guy
(I know I know he survives he's in the promo)
Is this like... haunted kidney episode... but better?
Actually, Fallen Idols plus Mannequin episode but better.
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You know how we saw in the last new year? Watching Small Soldiers for the first time since like the 90s or whenever it came out
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The show's animation is so much better
Than Small Soldiers and itself from past years
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Oh DEAN
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I mean he totally deserves a day off.
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I can't believe he owns these socks. Who got them for him for Christmas?
Okay, well first we have to work out which was the last Christmas they had where they were not in prison or in an alternate dimension or dead or -
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Cas. It was Cas.
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He literally had no idea this wasn't just a cute commentary on how much Chinese take out Dean eats
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Anyway as far as I can tell Dean is living out the bisexualdemondean header just to spite Michael for defiling his temple. He's filling it with noods and pizza (and I am sure he didn't yell at the delivery guy, but tipped him well instead for making drop offs at a shady street corner miles from where anyone lives)
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Honestly it's been 12 years since Hell Hazers II... What took them so long
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Dean's drunk a full thing of Margiekugle mom beer, which is a lil worrying just in terms of him using it instead of comfort from her like in 12x02, now that she's back.
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God I want Dean to meet the asshole from the comic shop and for him to get into a dick measuring contest about Hell Hazers II and Dean to be like uh I WORKED on it you ass
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Er, does that vending machine contain the nougat of choice of your consumptive son on the other side of the wall?
(who may be out with Cas concealing his consumption on a case so not bothered by all this TV noise)
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God I love and have missed Dean, my trashy guy who is sitting hugging a pillow like a teen girl at a sleepover to watch his hatchetman slasher to celebrate being back to himself and get the much-needed R&R, since, you know, last time we saw him he threatened to "break" Kaia and was in a very very bad place (lol)
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This guy about to get murdered for trying to snatch a nougat bar is dressed like the unfortunate bandmate (Tommy?) to Vincifer. Is this an oblique Ladyheart reference to set up a weird scenario where Hatchetman is punishing a Lucifer-adjacent asshole for trying to steal Nougat?
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I can't believe there's a red exit sign behind him which means Wanek is Waneking in multiple dimensions at once
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"Mint Condition" flashes up over Dean indulging in his pizza, saying, hey look it's our guy back in shape. Or, you know, ironically so. Either because Dean being Dean means eating junk food and wallowing because his husband has wandered off with the kid and isn't home to snuggle him while he does this mandatory bedrest, or because, of course, Dean is not Mint Condition at all. He's literally and emotionally scarred.
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I am pretty sure this shirt that Sam has on is 12 years old.
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Statistically, they're gonna get murdered in each and every one of their original Kripke era shirts until none of them are available to be murdered in later.
I say for no particular reason.
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Leave Sam alone. He doesn't shave you mock him, he does shave, you... also mock him. He was doing really well while you were gone! No one got even slightly stabbed who didn't deserve it! This is an all-time record. A beard is a price to pay for that.
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Honestly I think Dean is stoned but they're not going to say so but I am treating this scene like it is.
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"I wanted to check up on you," Sam says, pulling over a chair. This is so like how he was in 14x01 when he was powering around the Bunker being the boss, and given Dean's been on bedrest, again, much-needed, Sam is treating him like another one of his charges, and once more is in a position of authority... But now, despite shaving to act like nothing has changed a bit more, he is the one in charge of Dean as one of his wards. Everything has changed. Your dynamic is actually wobbling in a weird way.
In season 10 when Dean was laid up with the Mark blues especially around 10x12, which this intro also reminds me of, re: Dean spending a week in his room and Sam popping in to check on him, Sam was still keeping a very wary eye on Dean more that he was a bomb that may explode, and that while he needed to be managed, the power dynamic was extremely, extremely horrifying in that if Sam messed up Dean would murder him. Not an ongoing implicit threat between them, but the knowledge that Dean could become a demon again and demon!Dean would attempt to kill Sam, and so Sam had better do his utmost to keep Dean in a good place. Even if it eventually meant a series of convoluted secrets to try and fix him against his wishes.
Obviously, things are different here. Sam has developed a LOT since then, with season 11 beginning a recovery of his character in tentative little steps which actually kicked off in season 12, and, specifically, in 12x04 under Davy Perez in American Nightmare heralding the new era of Sam focus and lovingly stroking his hair and lavishing him with Sam-sculpted episodes the like of which we hadn't seen all through Carver era.
Now when Sam comes into Dean's room and pulls up a chair and sits down to check up on him, he actually radiates a comfortable, competent authority to do so.
... however he is doing it in that pink shirt which I honestly love the concept of but just wish that I couldn't see Sam in 2x06 showing up in it for the first time, like, my brain is just screaming at him to go get a bunch more pink shirts and refresh his wardrobe
I'm so certain of it but now I have to check because 12 years is such a long time but
http://www.homeofthenutty.com/supernatural/screencaps/albums/SPN2x06/SPN_0060.jpg
Mittens yelled "OH MY GOD" when I sent her the link so I think I'm right
Like, conceptually in every way it's great because it's this long pink shirt that fits him well, fuck toxic masculinity, blah blah action heroes in pink shirts, love it love it love it, but also: it's another fucking plaid shirt Sam has owned since he was a gap-toothed child six years younger than Jack presents as
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Dean is lacking his second bedside table, as he has been for seasons, but I'm just staring at him lying sideways on his bed, wondering about his set up, and if this is in any way similar to how he watched all those cowboy movies with Cas, since Davy, of course, was the one to suggest that they had been watching movies together.
-
"And... not that I'm complaining... House is full of strangers"
Yeah, we know you hate it, Dean. God, it's tragic. In a wonderful way. Sam's built this little empire for himself and it's on top of Dean's old nesting spot. Dean's been forced into his room not just to hide away because he's ashamed but because he doesn't want to be seen and there's too many strange eyes out there. However this resolves, it's going to force some growth. Honestly, as much as Dean loves this room and it means to us, it's also a bleak lonely spot and in the like 7 years they've had the Bunker, Dean's never hooked up in that bed, while it has come to be very much like, well... The bed of an angry nerd living in a basement still using Batman sheets. Again, dark parallels, but of Dean in a dark place.
I'd love if he moved out and got a house in the suburbs.
I mean.
Cas has a house in the suburbs.
(Re: long-running Lizzy watching notes in-jokes about where he stashes a bunch of stuff like demon tablets, first blades, metatron's grace, etc etc)
But yeah, no. I like the idea of Dean nesting, of course. But aside from the obvious conveniences, the Dean Cave, etc, there's no reason it HAS to be here except that this is their inheritance and it's safe. But as I constantly talk about with the library abutting the war room, the work/life balance is always in question and filling the Bunker with strangers is a great way to shove all the life balance out, and leave the only spot left of that to Dean in this room.
If the AU peeps don't all get sent home but remain at least in part a hunter community and maybe even network and grow as the Winchesters finally open up the Bunker's resources and share them and stop being all isolated like Carver era fiercely protected... Dean might have no choice but to move his nesting down the road to somewhere with a sofa where he can park his car out front, and choose to commute in to work.
-
Awww they have the "our lives are a scary movie" argument again, in a well-worn way. So well-worn this is repeating dialogue from somewhere or other... 2x18? 4x07? God I don't know, implicit in Sam's eyerolling at Halloween in 1x01? All of the above? I am not looking that up. But anyway their stances haven't moved, possibly because this is something that has never really been challenged before. If Sam didn't hate scary movies already, watching 18 hours of Hell Hazers II dailies probably did in any remaining sympathy he would have had towards them, while Dean thrived there.
I guess he may finally have had time to watch it?
And of course stay for the credits to see his name.
Anyway Dean has historically cited movies as research or job adjacent, or vicariously enjoyed watching monsters at work from the safe remove of a screen, while Sam throws it all in to that box where of course it goes to 1x01 where he's running away from ALL of it and has his oddly specific choices to avoid halloween in his day to day as Lawboy. He's struggled to indulge in the weird as a hobby, likes serial killers as, as far as we can diagnose, an outlet of darkness but purely human, and keeps the work/life balance in a rather unhealthy way of denial and boxing things away, because so much of his early seasons arcs were about resisting the life and refusing the call. This harks back to their literal first episode characterisations of Dean being all in and Sam being all out and it's interesting to have us back here in season 14, in a period of such deep reflection, when Sam has finally sort of accepted the life, found a niche in the work that suits him as the boss, and Dean is struggling now with retirement questions, and taking a week off, not liking his home full of strangers, etc etc.
-
"More Michael Monsters?" Dean asks immediately quick fire when Sam says he has a case.
He may have taken a week off to indulge in pizza but that obsession lurks under his skin. He's in no way done, though I think perhaps better prepared to enter this case than he had been, though of course he's billed as still struggling.
-
Dean also instantly recognises the Thundercats name, and I'm afraid it's something I'm just not familiar with, that I clearly missed some wave of it when I was younger and it hasn't come back around as an adult... I can't wait to read stuff by people who know more about it and say tragic things about Dean's connection to it. But the important thing here is the dark mirror to the guy who got beat up by the toy, because Dean is being shown as also an enthusiastic nerd who knows the franchise and is excited by this concept and is leaping into a case about it with a "strippers, Sammy. Finally!" level of enthusiasm.
Healthy nerds and unhealthy nerds. But at the same time, Dean might be a better nerd, but his anger last episode is still being examined through this guy.
-
I love that for Sam and Dean, dressing up for Halloween is dressing up like total nerds in a totally different pop culture way - the old appearance of geeks which is wildly outdated but damned if they aren't putting on pocket protectors anyway. It's a caricature but it's one that is at total odds with who they are as people... More of a traditional halloween thing where normally Sam and Dean are really scary people with weapons, so when you make them dress all topsy turvy, they dress like this instead. They ARE halloween costumes, in their day to day.
-
Dean continues watching in the shop, Sam eyes up the Red Hood.
I watched that a million years ago with no idea that Jensen was in it, though I had watched the first couple of seasons at that point. I think it was during my "aww the show was cancelled" phase where it was completely off my radar. It's hilarious to me now, because I don't think I COULD watch it, now I know Jensen's voice so disproportionately well. It would be so off-putting.
-
"She's like your twin."
Sam and Sam both tuck their hair behind their ears at the same moment.
"What are you talking about?"
So. This is going to be extremely subtle.
I hope New Sam survives the episode D:
-
Sam points out the other guy who people were saying based off the promo pics would be the Dean to this girl's Sam with no idea what was to come. He and Dean in this case are both eating lollipops purloined from the halloween candy.
I guess this guy in the All Saints Day t-shirt shares Dean's love of the same franchise, and seems to represent the bizarre venn diagram with Dean on one side and Andrew Dabb on the other. Their nerdy overlap.
-
I feel like Sam is just pointing out this character mirror to be an annoying sibling and wow do I love seeing them like this.
I also feel like there is no way Davy would do this if he wasn't about to troll the fuck out of us with these parallels in some terrifying meta way and pointing out that character parallels are a thing this blatantly is about to be Awful somehow.
-
The Red Hood is staring disapprovingly at them through all of this
-
Anyway of course Dean Parallel immediately recognises Dean's enthusiasm for Hatchetman and encourages him to press the button, which Dean does with glee. I CLOBBER EVIL. Wait no.
Sometimes we do bad things.
Oh dear.
Oh deeeeeeeeeeear.
Yeah, Hatchetman is like... idk, michael!Dean or something. Or some dark part of Dean where all his violence is and this twisted version is almost like the burned result of the I Clobber Evil hero being melted by Dean and - too meta, I am in pain.
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"Vintage hot wheels!"
I know what you want because I have a smol 67 impala on my shelf. Nyoom.
-
He has an eeny weenie mystery machiney so he can make them race.
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Okay guy who got beat up by a toy is called Stuart (I am so bad at names, honestly.)
Of course he got kicked out by his roomie for being insufferable about something as pointless as subs vs dubs, and Sam is already apologising for him before they even go meet him.
Considering there's 3 people working at the shop and Stuart had a trenchcoat, but is also being mirrored to Dean, darkly, I feel like there might be some serious shuffling going on here that surface level, Stuart had that Cas marker, but... yeah
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Heeee Dean stealing the Flash mug and making Sam have the one with the cats all over it. One mug representing Stuart, one representing his mum.
I mean it is Sam's turn to have a relationship with THEIR mom this season. Idk if the mugs are actually symbolic over anything other than Dean living his best geek life right now.
I mean he's added the glasses to his ensemble, he's really living it up.
I hope he's still wearing Send Noods under this
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Awww it's hot apple cider. What a good mom. This is a perfect halloween drink.
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*Stuart Rage Sounds from below*
Wow this is subtle that he has some rage issues.
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"Campbell and sons insurance" Hey remember when I said that this whole season's emotional set up with Sam's ownership of the AU peeps reminded me of season 6 and the Campbells? They also literally are the sons of Mary Campbell, so.
No lies, at least, with some serious stretching of the truth.
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God, the detail that Dean has played Zelda.
He's being nerdy out loud constantly, and without much fear of judgement. It's wonderful. I guess he's been jostled up enough by Michael that he doesn't really care to hide this random pointless thing that in the grand scheme why should he be ashamed, and also he feels so much worse about other things that this is just an escape to have fun. It also reminds me of last season when he was mourning Cas except that this indulgence Sam is allowing him is co-sponsored by Dean and he's throwing himself into enjoying the smaller things and being more openly Dean-ish than he has in a while. Like, I don't think character comparisons to 8x11 for the nerds is the only way the episodes link :P
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In 8x11 Dean's initial reaction to LARPing is that it looks awesome, then he corrects at a look from Sam to being more judgy. In 9x04 as scripted, Sam is surprised that Dean want to read Game of Thrones. So idk if that's just Robbie character interpretations since my 2 surface level examples are from his episodes or if that's just been where open nerdery has lived in past years, but anyway. Sam isn't stopping Dean from indulging in the same way - it seems he also recognises Dean's nerdiness and is less threatened by it than before, in the sense that he doesn't feel like Dean isn't acting himself, but now accepts the nerdiness is a part of Dean.
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"Who needs goth girl drama" dude you are the most awful over-dramatic asshole on the show now Lucifer is dead
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LOL he's trying to lie about being attacked by a toy now, and Dean points out that he got whooped so thoroughly he was beaten on the back and genitals - so yeah we look at his face and wiiiiince
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"Lady you wasn't kidding."
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"Big Bang in there..."
Goodness are we calling out the Big Bang theory for its toxic nerdery? Love it.
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Sam and Dean halloween costumed as total nerds, still driving around in the Impala. The reverse of someone rolling up in a boring old modern car and, like, a bunch of Draculas get out.
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Sam can shave off the beard but it can't stop him Bobby-ing
Dean side-eyes this
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"Yeah, it was Riley, he'll be fine."
"I don't know who Riley is, but cool."
God, I am so into this whole dynamic.
Tell me more, Davy.
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"So seriously, what is your deal with halloween?"
"I don't like it"
Dean, I am watching this episode on November 2nd, just so you know.
Anyway. This is literally. 1x01's opening adult Sam moment. But Dean's going back to poke Sam about it since he's someone Sam won't lie to in the same way that Sam was concealing his entire being from Jess. I mean this isn't subtle - in 1x01 Dean calls Sam out for doing this. But then, Sam doesn't exactly develop beyond it - in season 8 he does this with Amelia.
Because obviously if Sam is going to move forward and develop there's still things which are not addressed. And if Dean is having his idea of home and work challenged, and his nest disrupted until perhaps he will fly it... Sam has never ever actually addressed his work/life balance in the meaningful way where... like... this was how his difference was introduced when we first ever meet lil babby Sam smiling innocently at us on screen as a kid who has the whole future ahead of him and no idea what torment he's gonna go through. 14 years later, if he's ever going to be a grown up who can handle himself in a relationship and know what is work and what is life and how he can watch halloween movies and not feel personally offended by them but enjoy them as a fantasy and a way of boxing off their world into a safe place they don't have personal responsibility for...
Maybe he might just get a girlfriend who he can tell he is a hunter. Like. Dude. Dean was past that step before the show ever STARTED thanks to his time with Cassie.
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Sam, also, metaphorically is an angry guy living in his mom's basement, but perhaps in a more metaphorical way where it's to do with living his whole life under the shadow of his mom horrifically dying as a result of the supernatural and being brought up feeling like a freak and just wanting to be normal and all
wheeee
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Anyway Dean is probing for actual answers so I assume Davy will give us a solution to this this episode, but this is my take on it before we get into it properly.
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Alternative hypothesis: Davy is personally offended that Sam doesn't like halloween despite it being the best holiday, is determined to fix that and fuck canon, characters can change even 14 years later.
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"Don't give me this 'every day is halloween' crap because one it aint, we don't eat that much candy"
I have missed Dean and I love him with every fibre of my being, brb I need to vibrate out of existence at the sheer joy of knowing him
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That was the worst "we aren't here staking out your house" move I have ever seen.
You are professionals who have been doing this together for 14 years
why was that so laughably bad?
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The youtube comments are so cutting and a bunch of them are unfortunately true. It's self-awareness of using the loser nerd trope but also, cutting in a way because of course Stuart is coming across so much as someone who deserves it - and we're starting to see his mom is sweet and doesn't seem to have caused any trauma in a surface read, and that he was the one who dumped his online gf, and he starts other fights at work or with roomies, so this is getting more and more into territory where he seems fully to blame for his own situation, and therefore you CAN mock him for living in mom's basement, because he PUT himself there, and is single because he chose to be, and so on. The pervading sense that if he was a nicer person, none of this would be happening to him, right down to him stealing the toy in the first place.
-
Oh boy, the bloody handprint on the wall... We are back in handprint territory, and, you know, maybe because SOMEONE walking past it has been scarred on the wrong shoulder by the actions of an angel or something
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There's a chinese take out carton on the shelf in this basement. I doubt it's a collectible.
Send noods.
-
Okay, that's sort of weird.
-
If the mom is in costume I don't get the reference. I hope someone else has handled that.
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We're going to get her POV on her loser son now, I guess.
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"Everything's fine :)" *leaves the room* "everything is not fine!"
Are we calling them out for using "fine" so loosely again too huh?
(Side note: Jack saying he's fine while consumptive, and yeah I am still upset about that. What are you doing to the boy????)
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Dean and Sam split up and as Sam walks off a nurse eyes him up and smiles. No idea how intentional that was but I mean, can you blame her? :P
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You know, I don't know anything about this franchise, but Sam just jumped to see a toy of a guy who looks weirdly similar to the vampires that ATE HIM a few weeks ago.
He checks over his shoulder in case Dean manifested at his side just in time to see that
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Awww Dean and New Dean meet. "he must have awesome insurance"
He calls Stuart's mom "Babs" which is hilarious. They seem close.
New Dean has issues with his dad and Stuart lets him crash with him no questions asked. I suppose Dean isn't going to think too hard about how Sam's choice for his parallel has issues with his dad.
This forgiveness for Stuart's behaviour because he's kind to his own people is a very TFW trait, which makes New Dean more like Sam or Cas forgiving Dean his outbursts, as he's by far the ragiest of them, with Cas trailing in second and Sam the zen fucking master.
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Lol Dean and New Dean are both dragged into the room to watch All Saints Day 3 like they're being pulled in on a line
-
Oh dear, they're bonding.
Davy isn't usually on top of these things but he's channeling a lot of Edlund today and Edlund always had these sort of guys like Andy or Aaron who are so Dean's type in a harmless shared interests and getting stoned together way. This is a bit extreme with the guy's tininess and scruffiness but you know, we'll see how this develops, if it's an accidental twins or a missed connections soulmate dealio.
... You're taking to someone who's still bitter that Andy and Dean would have been perfect together, so.
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Also this New Dean guy is demonstrating how to be a Good Fan - he may be as intensely nerdy as Stuart, but he and Dean can compare movies and even though they don't share a favourite, agree that the whole series is great and can see the merits both in each other's favourites, and in another movie that isn't either of their favourites but could be if they happened to be inclined that way.
So healthy :')
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"It was always nice to check out. I like watching movies where I KNOW the bad guy's going to lose"
Ow ow ow. But yeah, there's Dean's pro-Halloween rationale, that the tropeyness of the genre has its comforts that every ridiculous horror thing is entirely safe and no one is ACTUALLY going to get eaten by any of these things. Which is also how normal people enjoy horror but at the metaphorical remove of being scared by things we may not literally meet but still represent anxieties we might have in our real lives.
Catharsis, yo
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Sam barges in on New Sam to ask her the usual series of increasingly weird questions which get the "are you really insurance?" eyebrows.
"Downtown Salem" - are they in Salem as in the witch hunt one?
-
I kinda love how New Sam is talking with a speech bubble beside her. So meta.
-
I think New Dean is called Dirk.
-
Oops Stuart wasn't one of the co-owners because he kept getting fired for stealing D: Stuart, dude.
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"And you hired Stuart back?" "he's my friend"
I think there is commentary appearing here about not just Stuart's unhealthy explosive rage, but that the people around him enable it - even Jordan fired him TWICE rather than banish him forever. The cycle of coddling him without encouraging him to change... Again, this speaks rather more of season 10 and a critique of Sam n Cas from there rather than much currently ongoing with Dean. Sam was complicit in originally abducting Kaia and he and Jody didn't move to stop Dean with Bad Kaia, so though it's in the focus as a critique on Dean's reactions, I feel like the real bad cycles were in Carver era. Though the behaviour still somewhat exists in Dabb era, the overall unhealthiness has declined so much, there isn't a constant oppresive blanket of it as there is here in this shop with Stuart being so awful to everyone and self-destructive.
(It's probably also not a coincidence that this thing has latched onto Dean as well, a la 4x06 I'd guess... Sam got no ghost vibes in the basement, Dean did, and was attacked... To me this is seeming to suggest that his current state has picked up the ghost's ire in the same way in 4x06 he was vulnerable. Loops and loops of things going on so I'll unpick that later if it does turn out to be the case clearly.)
Anyway. This seems to be more about destructive cycles and abusive dynamics, and I would hope a nudge for Dean, though his exile at the start of this episode also suggests to me he knew full well after threatening Kaia that he'd overreacted and needed to take 5, even if there was also a layer of sulking until news of Michael. Her call out was clear enough to make him self-reflect. So I would hope that this episode is here to try and steer Dean's reaction through various pathways, ideally to keep him from falling into anything too awful, as a reminder of where this may lead?
-
Sam sees the glass case freeze over, and pulls out the EMF, playing it off and being like "nothing... carbon monoxide detector" even as New Sam is understandably a little freaked.
Is this messing with Sam's refusal to tell Jess about monsters by having him keep the truth from New Sam until she's physically endangered?
-
I mean, carbon monoxide in enough quantities to make the blatantly homemade gadget go "WHEEE" and light up every single LED is a good enough reason to flee the room
-
"I think you're in danger -" Sam is smacked around the head by Hatchetman because he delayed too long and now he has been knocked out
-
"Samantha?" Sam determined not to let New Sam out-Sam him
-
I mean if she is you then she has been knocked out
-
How does this keep happening to you
how much head trauma has Cas healed over the years?
This is why they have to keep him an angel...
-
"Is this expensive?" "Wha - no don't!" *BOING* *silence* "yeeeah it's shatterproof glass"
HA
-
If Jordan really just wants to kill Stuart for getting them a 1 star Yelp review then this also has a weird shade of 11x07 where the ghost was getting revenge and took a few attempts to kill that one guy, eventually succeeding as the clown.
Except the clown was tuned to freak Sam out
and Dean's probably gonna be thrilled to fight Hatchetman
-
Dean having movie night with new Dean (probably stoned but we can't see it) with comatose Stuart in the middle
incredible
-
2 dudes watching horror movies 5 feet apart with a comatose guy in the middle because they aren't gay
-
Dean is thrilled to fight Hatchetman
I feel like this can't last
-
Davy throws in a gratuitous Halloween moment of Hatchetman walking through the park which is just bedecked in Halloween nonsense
no one cares about him wandering around because it's Halloween
It does make you wonder just HOW much nonsense happening on Halloween really is monsters and stuff out there enjoying themselves because it's expected, which, again, like Sam n Dean dressing up as nerds for this whole episode, having monsters mixing with regular folk and being treated as equals is literally the whole Halloween thing. There's less threat than in 4x07 because we're assuming at this point in the episode that the ghost does have a pretty one-track mind about killing Stuart because with all the characterising nonsense filling the episode the actual plot has been pretty sparse considering we're getting to the final 10 minute run now. So, yeah. This Hatchetman ghost is just out there being a part of the festivities, because that's what happens on Halloween, man
-
LOL And like Sam not telling his double until it was too late, Dean gets this call and is really open in answering in front of new Dean, and now he's filling in New Dean on everything instead of trying to get him to leave or protect him not just from the monster but from knowing about it at all.
-
Davy like, hey, remember when ghosts used to do loads of freaky stuff on this show just to be scary? And maybe it seemed like you all were getting bored of it or something, but hey this guy has no idea after 14 years that he shouldn't leave the salt line when everything starts thumping in the room despite having been warned the ghost is coming...
-
Hehehe Dean gets an axe... The moment of him going to smash it then not and checking if it's open... Whether that was improv or not, it's a good character thing in the sense that Dean is being encouraged not to smash first and ask questions later by the meta plot of the episode
-
Omg New Dean is as brave as our Dean in some ways... He sees Babs in trouble, and immediately is like "HEY" and starts confronting Jordon in Hatchetman
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"He's MY friend. He's OUR friend." That's an interesting take on my/our, because that statement works on both levels - both that Dirk is protective of Stuart because he cares about him, but also that Jordan has his own investment in not killing Stuart that he should remember. In terms of emotional appeal, the first is confrontational while the second is the deep appeal to the ghost.
Filed in the deep deep deep deep deep flips of the crypt scenes, this moment demonstrates about 3 different kinds of flips, while still holding true to possessing thing out of its right mind confronting loved one
-
Omg the hospital security guards watching the Hatchetman chase a damsel through the hospital while New Dean is chased through THEIR hospital. Talk about dramatic irony and a whole commentary on the metaness of Dabb era in the story reversals and extractions to new levels and repurposing of scenes and narratives...
-
And despite it playing out scene by scene, the guards are laughing at the bad dialogue and pointing out how Hatchetman is so slow, so how can he even catch them, while the damsel slows herself down and badly fakes a trip so that he can catch up to her...
-
"We killed you! You're dead!" "We all do bad things sometimes"
And there we get the context for the cool quote the Hatchetman model can recite - just as how in fandom often things are quoted out of context as lines which seem emotional or special but are actually awful. Just for starters, all the Sam n Dean fans using "there aint no me if there aint no you" when Dean didn't even SAY that. Now we see the context of this line, we see that while Hatchetman really isn't deep, he's at least not just saying it to sound cool and talk about himself, he's judging the protagonist for her behaviour, as well as invoking relative morality. Which brings up some interesting ideas about what Hatchetman considers good and evil, in regards to seeming to have a concept of it but not including kill himself as a good thing to do. Obviously completely wild in context but in the philosophical language of the show, the nature of monsters and all is one huge question, along with if Sam and Dean are murderers themselves, and of course how they have done bad things for good reasons and vice versa.
-
Also I think Sam is about to blow up the door?
-
"I had a messed up childhood" he says, about to blow up a vintage SCOOBY DOO lunchbox to freedom.
SAMMY. Stop destroying symbols of childhood.
At least he's talking freely to New Sam about himself, which is probably already more than he ever let on to Jess. He really wanted to pretend to be well-adjusted to her, that he probably, like, would have rather waited for a locksmith with her than just pick the door to their apartment if they were locked out, you know?
-
RIP Scooby Doo.
-
"Cool" they both say, and share a smile.
It's probably weird to ship Sam and Sam just because the shipname is Sam
-
Dirk went to hide in the fucking Morgue
well done
-
Okay I need the security guards back to comment on how the fuck Hatchetman knew New Dean would come to the morgue with enough time to beat him there AND cover himself in a sheet and play dead.
-
Also before that happened Dean grabbed New Dean by the correct shoulder, and made him jump but aw don't worry it's just your new best friend.
-
Ghost Jordan is still a fucking nerd even in death because rather than talk to them, he presses the button to summon a catchphrase
It's good to know some things never change even when you are a murderous shell of your former self.
-
UGH SIGH DAVY ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO DO THIS TO ME?
(The director might also be to blame)
So now they are cobbling together a fake trailer for Hatchetman, using footage from the show
That is to say, Hatchetman is set on Oct. 31st, 1983, or, of course, 2 days before Azazel ruined everything.
I'm not sure if this shot is from the show because we have so few Halloween episodes that an exterior shot with Halloween elements would have to be faked up, but the house looks very much like the old Winchester house, but with a bigger porch and more dramatic features. It does, however, strongly feature the tree branch shadows over the appropriate wall to make it look exactly like the opening shot of their story, while this is the opening shot of the Hatchetman story.
"David Jaeger was an honest man making an honest living" *generic shot of something being worked on*
*shot of the back of John Winchester's head walking into his garage in 5x13 to discover his boss out cold because Anna is about to attempt to murder him, said boss hilariously visible in the shot if you know he's there*
So. That happened :P Hatchetman is John. That ain't subtle if you recognise the back of his head in a split second. Even if you don't they're casting him as a car mechanic which is of course directly connected to Dean and John.
"Until one night when a practical joke turned deadly"
*footage of the wife spectre-rage killing her husband in the cold open of 8x06 because she was still pissed he slept with someone else on prom night*
I think the burning vehicle was the car from 10x13 that Sam and Dean burned early in the episode, where it was violently reminiscent of them burning the memory of John for some meta reason I can't remember at the time, but definitely inspired a lot of frantic fandom typing.
Of course the ghost in that episode was the classic ragey vengeance ghost which was blatantly paralleled to the path Dean was on with the Mark of Cain, complete with being crypt scened out of it by a trenchcoat-wearing widow.
They're implying he was then burned alive and left for dead and I don't recognise the footage of the burned feet but I assume they're from some episode or another.
Anyway then they go to more new footage from the "actual" hatchetman movies. This one is set on Nov. 1st so it's not even a "Halloween" movie but ACTUALLY All Saint's Day (All Hallow's Eve being what Hallowe'en is a corruption of), Nov. 1 being of course a meta nod to the fact the episode is not even airing on Halloween but Davy just really really really really wanted his halloween episode so shut up and enjoy it :P
Oh, it's All Saints Day III The Reckoning. Because of course it's a reckoning. That's all that happens in Dabb era, reckonings.
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I am so upset.... I made a joke about 5x05 waaay back, and now it's true because of the whole random thing about Dean's random Axe that was John's that Paris Hilton was going to use to Reckoning him but then Sam murderered her before she could. Now Dean's being reckoned.
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Okay Dean is a lil dark right now but his come at me bro of "I was hoping you'd say that" and the preceding speech is incredible. I can't believe this show has Jensen except that I CAN believe that with Jensen we go 14 seasons because FUCK he's scary and intense when he wants to be.
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But he delivered that chilling speech and then had the ghost use a red button to talk to him and then was badass at it
I mean
he can put the terror into ANY situation
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I am a hysterical laugher, I could not have stood where Dean stood in that moment and taken Hatchetman seriously, even under threat of mortal peril. I once nearly got expelled for hysterical laughing over an untied shoelace that started a rapidly spiralling incident.
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I love the new fight guy
I love how Dean is spoiling for a fight, and really enjoying how he can push back against this ghost, in a really, really scary way. But in a cold way, not the red hot Mark of Cain way he was dark last time. He's grinning and enjoying this nerdy ass fight, but it's got a vicious streak.
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I especially love the choreography of Dean smashing Hatchetman around the head with clashes in time to the music followed by an elevator ding as Sam and New Sam emerge in the next scene.
Poetic cinema
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New Sam guesses the key thing for ghost attachment and Old Sam is impressed.
Careful buddy, they're lining you up for replacement.
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Dean seems not to have won this fight with the Hatchetman. I bet if Stuart was awake he'd have some useful advice for how anyone could beat him in a fight but especially Stuart, if they knew the correct thing to do.
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New Dean saved Old Dean! Maybe we can teamwork distract the Hatchetman and win together. Possibly this is a metaphor for... working with yourself...
Is it foreshadowing for a fight later in the season of plot significance, just like in 11x07 Sam got beat up by a clown in a cage, as a not too subtle metaphor for Lucifer? I'd love an in Dean's head kinda nonsense with Mikey.
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"Dean, key chain!"
TEAMWORK BROS ARE THE BEST BROS
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New Sam chips in for her part with fuel for the fire.
Everyone high five the Sam or Dean/Dirk to your left
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Oh, COOL effect of a ghostly spirit burning out of a model Hatchetman, who is unscatched by the ordeal
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I mean, good, he's probably a really expensive collectible
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He falls over with a thud, and goes out on a warbling "time to slice and diiiiiiiii" much like "I clobber evil" died on the fire with a last gutteral noise.
Hopefully bookending each other in terms of models with representations in their voices that haunt Dean and all.
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Dean, unprompted, thanks Sam for getting him out of his funk and giving him an easy ghost hunt to win. I guess what 13x05 was supposed to be is what this actually turned out to be.
(Honestly, giving Davy episodes post-drama to let us all unwind is turning out to be an extremely good idea with 13x06 as well)
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I am MAJORLY concerned about the time stamp on this episode. It better end in a few seconds and go to a full 3 minute trailer for Hell Hazers III or else.
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"It was awesome!" "it wasn't really," says Sam, who burst into the room in time to see his brother pinned and choking
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Sam moves on to confronting Dean with the concept of not just hiding in his room when they get back.
He gives Dean the "OI, CHEER UP" talk we've all been yelling at the screen. Good. Good Sammy.
Dean turns to the camera. "I'm never going to get over it. I'm just not."
Look, Sam, just because Dean stabbed Lucifer for you, and now you are sleeping without fear, doesn't mean everyone has that luxury :P
-"
elizabethrobertajones Oh dear, there's still 4 minutes left er I guess I keep watching .... *grimaces nervously*
mittensmorgul :D just watch it in context with the rest of the episode
elizabethrobertajones um what I didn't get far enough into what happens next to know what you mean so that's super ominous Sam is still psychoanalysing Dean in car NOW yo uhave me REALLY worried.
Hey, remember how I started this episode with a vague warning from Mittens? Why am I now getting the feeling that I still haven't watched whatever that was about?
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"I'm not doing any good cooped up in my room. So whatever you need, I'm there." ("Chief"?)
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"Alright, Chief?"
Oh, man. I'm turning into Dean.
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Also Dean appears to have, finally, ceded power over to Sam. Again, the reversals of season 10 - Sam was put in this position of power he just was not ready to cope with and not with the stakes that were laid against him. But here, Dean might be driving the car but he's putting all the real power into Sam's hands.
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elizabethrobertajones Is it why Sam hates Halloween because Dean turns out to have set an alarm on his watch to remind him to bug Sam about it again the intrigue you have spun is starting to get to me more than actually watching the episode :P
mittensmorgul oh gosh, I should've just kept my mouth shut. It was seriously just an innocent comment for a nice BM scene :P
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I am more horrified about the concept of Sam telling an embarrassing story than I am about any amount of slasher and gore. Look, I can Not handle social squickiness and I love Sam and that is going to make this extremely hard to hear.
Dean's gonna love it though, I can tell.
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Please. Protect. Sammy.
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"It was soooo bad" he says with a haunted look of a man who has been tortured by the devil
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Andrea's party got there first
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"Next year, we're doing halloween right"
Oh no, don't you dare start talking like you're going to be alive and ready for a party next year, Dean Winchester. I will perish in your place to make it happen.
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BAHAHA Dean coming up with matching outfits and suggests Bert and Ernie, before rejecting that one as too weird.
Yeah, you might not remember but we do
We are never going to let you live it down, in fact.
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Also, listen, his mouth runs miles ahead of his brain, that was not suggestive until he realised it was and backtracked
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You also can't go as Shaggy and Scooby unless you go to a party WITH them and they go as you and Sam
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Thelma and Louise... Dean, stop.
Okay it's hilarious that Davy managed to get both Bert and Ernie and Thelma and Louise into this like... somewhere riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight deep down Dean's consciousness is putting things together. It doesn't remember half the shit he says, but like. Hey. Why ARE those two sets of on screen pairs connected, huh, Dean?
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Oh, whatever, he's just trying to annoy Sam now
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Nyoooom
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IT'S THE SECURITY GUARD
RUN, MAN, RUN
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Ew, I left it playing to type that and it told me to watch Legacies
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Well that was the one wrong note in this whole episode so I suppose something had to happen like that :P
141 notes · View notes
han100894 · 6 years ago
Text
My NNT Ships
The people I ship, how I feel about them, and Misc headcanons
My two fav ships are Escalin and Monderi
Escalin: I got into Escalin after I first watched the first season, wanted more, and looked up the manga—reading VoE for the first time. Escanor is just so cute, and I always “fall” for the depressed/anxious but trying hard characters so I was routing for him with Merlin. Later as I read the mange I started rooting for him more, though it was only after I took a break and then came back with Season two and caught up in the manga that I got really attached, probably because it wasn’t until then that the two actually were face to face again.
I see them still needing some time to work out their feeling before they get together CoughMerlinCough but once they are together I think they’d have a pretty good relationship. Originally I had them as not having kids, but @bertazsleepyhead convinced me otherwise with her cute picture of Escanor sleeping with a little daughter ^^ so now they are the only main ship that ended up with a biological daughter ^^
Monderi: I’ve shipped Monderi since I first noticed they always seemed to be together (and also Deri sleeping of Mons leg), and partly it was for the shallow reason that they looked good together. But as time went on, and they had more little hints I feel hard, especially once they ended up in the villege, the talk they had before Esta showed up… I just love it ^^ They just have so much angst and history together, and I so wanted them to be happy…
Three things:
I actually like to think what was going on with Rejine wasn’t an onesided attraction/love triangle. Instead I like to think Monspeet actually did love her in return, it’s just that he ended up falling for both sisters. So yes, in a perfect world the three would be in a v-shaped threesome (Aka Monspeet would be dating both sisters)
Despite Derieri having been a commandments since she was a child, her and Monspeet didn’t really interact until after her hundredth (human-like demon’s majority) birthday, to avoid the uncomfortableness that could cause.
I have an OC, Lokan or Loki, a little half human/ half demon boy who often ends up more or less adopted by Derieri (and if Monspeet is alive) Monspeet.
Kaine: I like Kaine, it was my first big ship when I watched season one, and I still enjoy it… but I’m not as invested in it anymore. I think the constant losing of memories eventually tired me out a little. It’s still sweet, and I’ll write them as background ship in my stories, but I’ll probably never write them as a main ship in a story.
Also as HC, considering Fairies are born from plants, I HC that King is sterile. Since they both still want lots of kids they end up adopting a bunch across multiple races ^^.
Banelane: (Is that how it’s spelled?) these two are cute. I never shipped them super, super hard, but I want them to be happy and together after all the effort they went through ^^.
Plus, and I know this is an uncommon opinion but…I took the fight Ban and Meliodas had during the tournament to have been not “Loli vers Boobs” as I’ve seen some describe it, but Cuddling vers. Sex, and so I actually see them as an asexual couple, which makes me feel good because it’s really rare for me to see people like me in the things I watch or look at.
(I actually HC that fairies kinda default to asexual, partly because they come from plants and are sterile anyway, and partly because they have very little experience with outside races most of them to learn about sex as they have a much lesser instinct drive for the most part in that regard. King is a bit of an exception to that mostly due to the amount of time he’s spent with humans.)
And yeah that goes against some theories, like them having Lancelot, which my HC that fairies are sterile also messes up, which I figured… they could mentor the kid instead, or adopt (Though I actually see them as the couple who doesn’t really want kids, they want to go on adventures together, and are happy being aunt and uncle to others kids, but don’t really want their own.) Like, Merlin isn’t an old man and only met Arthur later in life, Escanor only takes the powers from his namesake and otherwise is completely different, and Gowther is nothing like his namesake except his armor kinda, let alone Merlin’s half-brother—it’s not all 1 to 1 connected… *shrug*
Meliodas/Elizabeth: Okay so real talk…I never really could get into this couple. Meliodas “Playful” sexual harassment turned me off pretty early on, made worse by Elizabeth being sixteen (Which is already kinda of uncomfortable) for most of it. Was it supposed to mostly be comic relief, yes. Did I find any of it funny, no. No shame to people who do like them, but I just can’t fully get past the squick.
That said it will show up, considering how major a thing it is in the story itself, as a background ship—one which will always either take place after Elizabeth got her memory back and is at least not mentally 16 or in some cases I upped her age to 18, to make me feel a bit better, even if it’s really not that much better. In AU’s I’ll sometimes also flip things around, aka Elizabeth is Margret’s and Veronica’s older sister (Taking inspiration of Goddess Elizabeth I suppose) instead of have her be the younger one.
Jericho/Guila: I love these two okay, ever since they became partners I’ve loved them, and that was only reinforced during the last battle of arc one. I love their relationship, and I wish there was an actual chance they would get together…
Veronica/Grimoire: I love these two, their “are they together or not” –ness is fun to watch and look at. I also feel bad for them quite a bit, both of them always seem to get the wrong end of the stick. Grimoire goes to train and gets turned into a child for a month while his firneds get even stronger than him, Veronica goes to train, sneaks off in armor to her uncle…and then nothing comes of it. I really hope they get at least one decent moment in the future.
Gil/Margret: Nothing really to say about this couple, they are cute, very canon, and will hopefully both survive what’s happening to them. Margret taking up a dsword and going out to find Gil was nice (Though it did kind of feel like she took Veronica’s arc from her a bit), and Gil’s devotion to trying to keep her safe while she’s possessed is also sweet. Also bonus point for being pretty much the only canon couple that doesn’t have some kind of abnormal height difference/age gap…
Honorable mention:
Ban/Elaine/Jericho: Look, the Raven’s arc was the best arc, and Jericho had the best character development ever, and honestly I could kind of see it, in a sense at least. Either way I want to see these three interact more together.
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real-life-pine-tree · 7 years ago
Text
Leo Will Never Know: Surviving a New World (10/?)
In an alternate timeline, Yugi indirectly prevented the events of Arc-V from ever happening. But how could this small change have an impact on a few selected people? A spin-off of the Arc-V Aftermath series. Based on the hilarious comic by @justanotherotakuandartist​​​​. Co-written with @violetganache42​​​​​.
Back in the Spirit World, night had fallen across the sandy terrain and the three suns were replaced with a single full moon that was like the on back on Earth. There hasn’t been a single Duel Monster ever since the Harpie Lady Sisters got destroyed, so it was safe to go outside for now. It still doesn‘t mean it was going to be a pleasant experience for everyone, unfortunately; even though a small campfire was lit on one of the school’s structures, the dread still lingered, as heard from a mix of whimpers and sobs.
An annoyed Chazz demanded, “There’s no crying at Duel Academy, so cool it, will ya?”
“We’re sorry, boss,” Ojama Yellow answered. “We’re just getting used to gravity is all.”
“And there are monsters out there,” Ojama Green added.
“That’s right. Real, big, scary, mean monsters,” Ojama Black agreed.
“Hello? You guys are monsters,” Chazz retorted.
Ojama Yellow laughed nervously a little because they were being somewhat hypocritical. “Oh, yeah. Good point, boss,” he said.
“Now let’s see if the three of you can still fly!” Chazz shouted, dealing a blow which sent all three Ojamas off of the building. They all fell onto the dunes, landing on a spot near where Syrus, Alexis, and Hassleberry were standing.
“This really stinks. What if it stays like this forever?” Syrus asked, sounding a bit worried. “Is this really how it’s all gonna end for us?”
“Don’t worry, private,” Hassleberry responded. “There’s probably a rescue team comin’ here right now.”
Alexis simply glanced up at the sky, lost in her thoughts; although she heard what they were talking about, she could tell it would be practically impossible for a standard rescue team to search for them.  In her mind, she wondered, But where’s here?
At that moment, Ray showed up with Hope Dragon Flower. "Are you guys hungry?" she asked.
"A little," Syrus complained "But Dorothy said we only have a week's worth of food and water."
"I think I can help with that," Ray said. "Hope Dragon Flower, care to show off your special trick?"
"Of course, mistress," Hope Dragon Flower replied.
A pink aura surrounded the floral dragon’s body, indicating she was activating her special ability. The flowers on her body reacted to the glowing as they drank the energy the aura possessed and their petals curled outwards and sprouted open far wide. When the glowing coat dissipated, its reminants stayed behind in the now fully-bloomed flowers, ranging from roses, hibiscuses, and tulips to violets, lilacs, and irises. It felt like there was an endless variety of the floral plants draping all over Hope Dragon Flower. Normally, this would only occur when utilizing one of her effects during duels, but Ray had just discovered not too long ago there was actually more to it than she initially thought.
She told Hassleberry, Alexis, and Syrus to take any flower they like, so the three walked up to the dragon and picked off three of them. Thanks to the ability’s energy coursing through her, the three flowers that were removed started to bud and bloom again; of course, that was only just the beginning. Ray signaled the three to go ahead and eat the plants they were holding, adding a reminder to pull the petals off to obtain the best flavor. Syrus was the first to try out how edible the flowers were, taking a petal from a red rose and putting it in his mouth; a few seconds in and he was left mesmerized at how delicious it was. Alexis and Hassleberry grew more curious and decided to consume a couple petals from their pink lily and marigold respectively. They also relished in the delicacies with each bite they took. Ray explained she discovered her Hope Dragon’s trick back at the infirmary and how all these flowers have an excellent amount of filling in them, which helped her regain some of her stamina because the lack of food was one of the contributors to her fatigue from earlier.
"So your dragon can supply us with food?" Hassleberry asked.
"She can," Ray confirmed. "Even if we run out of food at the academy, Hope Dragon Flower can produce edible flowers for everyone. I also spoke to Bastion earlier and he told me how he was able to use Water Dragon to stay hydrated. Now we can explore this world without running out of food and water."
"Your Hope Dragons sure are amazing," Syrus praised. "Is there anything they can't do?"
"Well other than function in the real world, nope," Ray jokingly replied.
Back inside, a Duel Disk blade popped out and the Graveyard compartment opened up, resulting in a red light to glow. Very shortly after that, a deck of Duel Monsters cards were placed in the Main Deck slot. It was revealed to be Jim, who was arming himself with his deck in case more threats occur and was accompanied by Jesse as they walked down the hallways.
“Hey, is Adrian okay?” Jesse asked.
“Yeah,” Jim answered. “Miss Fontaine patched him good as new. After a good night’s rest, he’ll be right as right.”
“Hope so,” Jesse said. “Hey, does that croc ever get heavy?”
Meanwhile, at the library, it was still darkened and closed for the time being, which was a perfect time to see how the demon arm has been doing… But wait a minute. Where was the arm? The canister is now completely empty albeit the orange bubbly liquid. This was not going to be good for Adrian, and speak of the devil, he arrived at the library and found the capsule armless, baffling him.
“Huh?” He ran to the table where he left the capsule to get a closer inspection. The arm’s not in there, he thought with a scowl on his face. Where could you have gone? Did someone come in here and take you while I was away? I got to get you back here. He turned around and began running in the opposite direction, initiating his search with one more thought in mind: We had a deal.
He dashed down the stairs where he came up from, headed to his right, and passed the bookcases before reaching the exit. While scurrying down the halls, he continued thinking, I have to find it ‘cause if I don’t, everything would have been for nothing. It owes me.
As for some of the other students, they were all hiding away in the classroom with white blankets covering their entire bodies and leaving their faces uncovered. They were clearly scared and some of their complaints consisting of but not limited to how long they will be stuck away from the island, not wanting to be in this dimension, how scary it is, and wanting to see their mother made it more evident. Among the huddled crowd was Blair and her newfound friend Marcel Bonaparte; there were a few hiccups here and there upon their first meeting at the start of the year, but there were signs showing it was smoothing out…at least for now.
Not too far away from them, the orange ghostly spirit of Viper’s deceased son Pierre skipped down the halls, ready to begin a plan of its own. “I’m sensing a dark soul that will serve me well,” it ominously said. “I feel I’m getting closer. You can’t hide from me. No one can.” The demonic spirit stopped skipping and looked up to sense the source of the dark energy this soul presents. It rose up from the ground and soared to a nearby classroom door.
“He’s here,” it presumed. “I’m sure of it.”
"Hey, um... Marcel?" Blair asked.
"Yes, Blair?" Marcel replied as he lifted up his blanket.
"Will you, uh..." Blair blushed. "Will you come take a walk with me?"
"Where?" Marcel wondered.
"Just...down the hall," Blair answered.
"Don't worry," Marcel reassured as he and Blair left the classroom. "I had to go to dez twilet as well. At least there won't be a line."
"You're so funny," Blair complimented with a small laugh. "Got any other jokes?"
"Sure," Marcel answered. "Knock, knock."
"Who's there?" a nearby voice responded.
Meanwhile, back in Nurse Fontaine's office, Jaden had a hard time sleeping. As Winged Kuriboh cuddled up to him, he sat up in his bed. "Axel?" he asked. "You awake over there?"
Axel glanced at Jaden. "Oh good, you're awake," the Slifer Red student noticed. "Couldn't sleep, huh? I just wanted to say, what you did back there in the lab was really cool. So I owe you one, pal."
"You're welcome, Jaden," Axel replied. "Now get some sleep."
Before Jaden could get a chance to lie back down, Winged Kuriboh woke up and flew out of the bed. He had this strange feeling that something amiss is going on.
“What’s up?” Jaden asked. “Is something wrong?”
All of a sudden, there were two overlapping screams echoing not far from the nurse’s office; one was a boy and the other was a girl. Axel shot up from the bed as the screams subsided and asked, “Did you hear that?”
Jaden nodded in response and added, “Let’s go!”
The duo climbed out of their beds, with Axel heading for the side and Jaden dashing to the bottom to get his shoes. He wanted to stay behind at the infirmary to make sure Ray, Bastion, and Adrian would be fine by tomorrow but with the alert of a new danger, he needed to make sure whoever screamed will be healed up for as long as it will take. Once his shoes were on, he aimed for the door that leads out into the hallway to follow Axel.
As the door slid open, Axel turned to his right to find the source of where the screams came from. “This way,” he instructed Jaden.
With them now out of Fonda’s office, they dashed down the halls to see if any of the students that led out the loud screams got hurt. Surprisingly, in what felt like no time at all, they both caught up with Jesse and Jim.
"Hold up!" Jaden called out.
"Jaden!" Jesse remarked, glad to see his friend. "So you guys heard it too?"
"What, are you kidding me?" Jaden asked in response. "I think the whole academy heard that!"
"We better move it," Axel instructed.
"Right," Jaden agreed.
When the group turned around the corner, they were in for a surprising sight. "It's Blair!" Jaden exclaimed. "What happened?" He picked her up. "Blair, wake up..."
Blair groaned as she opened her eyes. "Jaden.." she weakly said. "It took him... It took Marcel... I tried to stop it, but...it scratched me with this gross-looking hand..."
"What do you mean 'it'?" Jaden asked. "What was it, Blair?"
"Look at that," Axel said as he lifted Blair's arm. "It scratched her. I tell you, I've never seen a scratch like that."
"Blair, hang in there," Jaden advised. "Ms. Fontaine will know how to fix this right up."
"Take her, and we'll go look for Marcel," Jesse said. "Sound good?"
"Alright," Jim agreed.
After everyone else agreed, they all parted in opposite directions; Axel, Jesse, and Jim continued their search to see where Marcel could be while Jaden strayed further away from the trio to heading back to the nurse’s office. He ran as fast as he could as he carried an unconscious Blair in his arms and an anxious Winged Kuriboh floated by to see how severe the peculiar, demonic wound was. In the approximately same amount of time to find her, questions have already flooded Jaden’s mind. I wonder if what attacked Blair is the same thing that attacked Viper on the platform? But why Blair and Marcel? And what’s with that wound?
Jaden inspected the state she was recently stuck in, knowing this wasn’t a natural injury, but hopefully something can be done to make it better. “We’re almost there,” he assured. “Just try to hang on.”
Elsewhere, a forbidding atmosphere was slowly budding in the darkened interior of the library. There was no source of light except for two candleholders on their individual small shelf, carrying three candlesticks each with newly lit flames flickering within the dense shadows. Their combined luminosity unveiled an elevated portion of the floor containing a table with six chairs around it and a throne where Marcel was seen sitting on; however, he had a more eerie appearance as shown by his spikier hair, a grayish-brown cape, and a more menacing glare from his eyes as he stared down onto the floor.
“Who’s in here?” a familiar voice interrogated.
He didn’t glanced up to see a figure of a cloaked Duelist walking up to him, noticing the unnerving change in the library before stopping to see who was sitting in front of him. “Aren’t you that kid Marcel?” he asked.
“Not anymore,” “Marcel” answered as his upper eyelids lowered. He moved his left arm from underneath his cape and rested it on top of the armchair to show him it has been completely corrupted by the recognizable demonic arm in addition to a distorted voice that took over his French accent. “Surprise,” he simply added.
Adrian gasped at this bold move the demon took. “But… I thought we had a deal,” he said before pointing directly at its vessel. “You promised to share your power with me! But now it looks like you got yourself a new plan, so what gives?!”
“Nothing has changed, Adrian. You have my word,” “Marcel” remarked as he stood up, still retaining his dark, evil grin and stare, which made Adrian a bit uncomfortable. “I can still give you the power you desire.” He raised his demonic left arm and made a gesture with his hand that suggests they should reach an agreement. “All I require is that you follow my every command,” he continued, with his voice becoming distorted again.
Adrian didn’t have a response to this per se; everything he heard the demon say rendered him speechless. Everything about its possession over Marcel, from the creepy tweaks to his hair, face, and attire to the transitioning deformity of his voice, was rather unsettling. At the same time, it sounded like it was a entity of its word. All it did was find a temporary host to use until it was satisfied with the results of whatever it has in mind, then it can move on to helping him achieve his personal goals, but…will it all be worth it for him?
Meanwhile, the other students were in line for food. Aside from the academy-provided meals Dorothy was handing out, there was also edible flowers provided by Hope Dragon Flower.
"It's chow time, everybody!" Hassleberry announced.
"Okay guys, come and get it!" Syrus announced. He handed a tray containing bread and a bottle water to Chazz. "Enjoy."
"'Enjoy'?!" Chazz repeated. "This ain't food!"
"It's all we have," Syrus explained.
"Hey Chazz, can we have some?" Ojama Yellow asked.
Chazz groaned. "Ever since you guys became real, all you are is hungry! Go ask them!"
"Sorry, you three," Alexis said. "But we have to ration our food, so you'll have to ask Hope Dragon Flower."
Next to the table containing the rations of bread and bottled water was another line forming for the floral treats provided by Ray and Hope Dragon Flower. After giving them out to her friends as a snack last night, she figured the whole school could use some of the flowers, and once Bastion feels better and gets cleaned up, he’ll join up with her and provide more amble supplies of water from his Water Dragon. The Ojama trio have heard about Hope Dragon Flower’s ability and how it can be used for survival purposes, so them falling down to the ground was good timing on their part; at least they don’t have to eat Chazz’s loaf of bread.
“Come on! Hurry up!”
Chazz turned his head to see three impatient Ra Yellow students standing behind him. The yelling came from the one in the middle, who had shaved brown hair, small, circular glasses, and a voice that sounds strangely and exactly identical to the protagonist of an easily recognizable and iconic ‘90s shonen action anime.
“It’s our turn! We got to eat too!” he continued.
Chazz simply turned away from them, much to their disdain. “We’re starving,” the grayish-brunette student added.
“Now move it, buddy!” the spectacled student demaned.
"Be quiet!" Dorothy spoke up. "We're all here together, so we can't run out of supplies. I hope you understand, but we don't even have enough food for Pharaoh." She noticed the cat nuzzling up against her leg. "No matter how he tries to butter me up."
Meanwhile, in Nurse Fontaine's office, Blair was sleeping peacefully. Thanks to Hope Dragon Bird's feathers and large wings, she provided a proper cushion for the Slifer Red Student.
"I'm worried about Blair," Bastion said. "The school doesn't have the proper resources to treat her. We must get back to our world before her condition worsens. I'm sure a real hospital would be more than capable of helping her."
"You're right," Jaden agreed. "But at least Ray let her borrow Hope Dragon Bird."
Blair stirred in her sleep, causing Hope Dragon Bird to nuzzle her. "I am glad to provide assistance to this young human girl," the dragon spoke up. "Any friend of my mistress is a friend of mine. However, I do not provide the proper healing supplies she needs, so I all I can do is make sure she is properly rested."
"You mustn't worry," Bastion advised. "It's clear that Blair appreciates your help."
"But there's gotta be something we can do," Jaden said. "Right, Ms. Fontaine?"
"Unfortunately we've run out of the medicine we need," Ms. Fontaine reported. She gave Jaden a small list. "Now unless you know where to find a first aid kit with all these medications, Blair's condition will only worsen."
Jaden looked at the list. "That's a pretty long list," he commented.
"Did she say 'first aid kit'?" Bastion checked. "The submarine! I saw one stranded in the desert. It must have a first aid kit on board!"
"You think Crowler will let us go?" Jaden wondered.
"Probably not," Bastion pointed out. "We better ask Ray to accompany us. Surely Crowler will let us go if she's with us."
Sure enough, he was right. Because she was one of his favorite students, there was no way Crowler wouldn’t let them go off in the desert on their own; besides, since there was a year difference between Ray, Jaden, and their friends’ ages, she is more than capable of being their chaperone.
"I see..." Crowler said once Jaden finished explaining. "Well as long as Ms. Akaba is accompanying you, I don't see a problem." He looked over at Ray. "But are you sure about this? Two of your dragons are currently busy."
"It's alright," Ray replied. "I still have Hope Dragon Wind and Hope Dragon Moon. I can duel with just them."
"Very well," Crowler decided. "Just make sure everyone comes back in one piece."
“Don’t worry,” Axel reassured. “If I’m with them, nothing’s gonna happen.”
“You got that right, mate,” Jim concurred. “You see, Axel and I have both recently taken dueling in the desert, one-on-one." He looked over at Axel. "Now show 'em what else we've got."
Axel took out some notebooks. "Student notebooks?" Syrus asked.
"Correct," Axel confirmed. "But once we've reconfigure their hard drives, we can use the notebooks as if they were global positioning homing beacons. Which will help guide us back to Duel Academy."
"Just don't take too long," Crowler advised. "It's bad enough the vice chancellor is fretting over one of the student's disappearance. I don't want any more students vanishing."
"It's alright, Dr. Crowler," Ray replied. "I'm sure we'll all make it back in one piece."
Moments later, the students departed the Academy and split up into two groups to carry out their mission. Jaden, Jesse, Ray, Axel, and Jim were all geared up and near the sandy dunes whereas Hassleberry, Syrus, Chazz, and Alexis were closer to the Academy’s entrance.
“So here’s the game plan: we’ll look for the first-aid kid and you guys guard Duel Academy,” Jaden proposed.
“Sure,” Chazz acknowledged. “If trouble comes looking for us, me and my Ojamas will handle it. Right?”
The Ojama trio cowered behind their boss, grabbing a hold on either his shoulder or resting on top of his spiky, black hair and whimpering out of fear. Unlike what usually happens when they tend to get like this, Chazz raised both eyebrows and had a surprised expression as his reaction; he should’ve seen that coming.
“I’m going with you, Jaden,” Adrian declared as he walked towards the group setting out to find the submarine.
“Okay, but I thought that you were hurt,” Jaden recalled.
“I’m feeling much better,” Adrian informed. “Plus, after Ray saved me from that Harpie, it’s the least I can do to say thanks.”
“Cool. Sounds good,” Jaden replied before turning his head to see Jesse. “We should head out.”
“Yeah,” Jesse responded as he nodded in agreement. “Let’s go find us a submarine.”
“You got it,” Adrian stated.
“Chazz, good luck,” Jaden encouraged.
“Luck is for losers,” Chazz retorted.
“See ya,” Hassleberry and Syrus both said, which was followed with the former giving some quick advice. “Duel first. Ask questions later.”
With all said and done, Jaden, Jesse, Ray, Axel, Adrian, and Jim all set out back into the sandy terrains in search of the submarine Bastion saw; given the path he took when they found him reuniting with the Duel Academy alumni, it would hopefully give them some kind of clue as to where it would be. Wherever it is, the first aid kit was absolutely essential if they wanted to patch up Blair’s abnormal scratch wound and bring her fever down. There’s no telling what will happen to her if her condition worsens.
Shortly after they initiated their expedition, Adrian went back into his thoughts again, determined to make sure the others don’t find out about his true colors. This excursion is providing the perfect cover for me to find that sub and cover my tracks ‘cause if these guys find out about that card I’m after, my plans could be in serious jeopardy, he internally monologued while turning around to look back at the Academy. And I can keep him happy by watching Jaden’s every move.
On top of the school’s structures, the demon-possessed Marcel was standing behind one of the walls, peeking on Adrian as the six students trailed further and further away. Everything was going according to plan. “Watch them well, Adrian. You work for me, now,” he commanded in a low voice so that no one hears him. He moved the attached demon arm out of his cloak and angled it at around 90 degrees, causing it to mutate it appearance. Bone-like features ingrained within its composition surfaced on top and expanded outward to form a custom Duel Disk that looked nothing like the ones made by KaibaCorp or the ones at Duel Academy.
“Now to send Jaden a little welcoming present,” “Marcel” schemed with his mouth forming an evil smirk and his voice sounding distorted once again. He took out a card and placed it onto one of his Monster Zones, reading it with a briefly lit green light.
"What now?" Jesse asked after a bit of wandering around.
"Well Jess," Jaden replied. "Since our Duel Monsters are real, I thought we'd just fly to the sub."
"I can take it from here," Ray said as she took out two cards from her deck. "I don't want any of your monsters to get involved in accidental duels."
"You sure?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Ray insisted. "My Hope Dragons should be big enough to fly us over there." She activated her Duel Disk and put her cards on it. "Come on out, Hope Dragon Wind and Hope Dragon Moon!"
The sky increased in brightness for a short time, enveloping the three suns as trails of lunar energy soared from over the horizon and flowed to where Ray was standing. It may be daytime where they are right now, but somewhere within the Duel Monsters dimension, it is already night because the moon never leaves the atmosphere. At the same time, gusts of winter winds sailed across the land and blew from below her feet, forming large tornadic spirals around her that sent smalls chills up her spine. The combination of the lunar energy and the winter winds condensed into one glowing white sphere with a windy atmosphere, almost like Neptune, until it imploded on itself and bursted out cold air coated with stars and snowflakes. As the smoke cleared, Hope Dragons Wind and Moon hovered side by side in the spot where the sphere once was.
"You want us to use your dragons as transportation?" Adrian asked.
"Aw, don't worry about it," Hope Dragon Wind reassured as she and Hope Dragon Moon knelt down. "We can carry all of you with ease."
"But please slow down, sister," Hope Dragon Moon advised as Ray climbed onto her clawed hand. "You tend to be a speedy flyer."
"Geez, I know!" Hope Dragon Wind. "I know better than to fly my usual way with humans on my back!"
"Come on, you two," Ray said. "We can worry about that later. Time to find that sub!"
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