#I'm honestly so happy to see them develop more in s2!!!

[lemonsourcrisis]

Heartstopper — Tao & Elle "Then the third kiss was, like, amazing."

[xxsquiddkiddxx]

Viktor x Reader Headcanons

Pronouns for reader: Gender neutral, AFAB undertones if you squint

Relationship type: Platonic to Romantic

General Idea: Some silly little headcanons I have for Viktor because he's still my silly little princess. Even after the whole glorious evolution thing.

Content Warnings: S1 Viktor, no S2 spoilers, But there as little bit of s2 viktor's mindset, I'm projecting a little bit (a lot) but it's fine.

~☆~

I honestly see Viktor as asexual with light aromantic undertones (kinda like demiromantic, I guess??). He rarely ever developes romantic feelings. Like its a once in a blue moon thing.

Like... he has to know you for YEARS before something in his head is like "Oh... hey they kinda cute?"

However, when he DOES develop feelings that go beyond friendship, Viktor HEAVILY struggles with coming to terms with them. Not in like a "I don't DO feelings" type way, but more in a "Well... no... it could be this" type of way.

Oh, his heart rate speeds up a little bit when you two accidently brush hands? It must just be his nerves.

When he does realize that he has feelings for someone, it's kind of like that scene in Gravity Falls where Dipper is like "It's not like I stay awake at night thinking about Wendy" and it cuts to him laying awake thinking about Wendy XD

If he likes someone romantically, he talks about them a lot. Like as if trying to bring them up as much as he can. Like "Oh (Y/N) mentioned something about that book, said they really liked it" Or "(Y/N) actually said something similar about that topic" If he could yap about you for hours, he probably would.

Even if you're being PAINFULLY obvious about your romantic feelings towards Viktor, he will firmly believe you're just being friendly.

Why he does it is a mix between two things: one is that he's just not awesome with people. And second is that he firmly believes someone like you could never love someone like him back.

One night, Viktor had been constantly working without break, so you practically dragged him to his room by his ear and forced him to get some rest.

Viktor has a strong habit of having his workspace FILLED with old mugs, sometimes days old. He doesn't really mean to, just too wrapped up in Hextech to really notice.

He also struggles with meals too. Just like above, because he literally just gets too wrapped up in his work.

If Viktor actually confesses feelings, it's such an interesting experience. Because he doesn't just flat out say "Hey I have feelings for you". He stumbles over his words and rambles about something random in the middle of it. So you gotta help him out a little bit.

Viktor's love language is quality time. He'll make sure his seat is next to you when it can, he always yaps about what he's uncovered about Hextech.

Speaking of Hextech, if you just sit there and watch him work? He'd about die of happiness on the spot. If you, someone he really loved, took an interest to something he truly loved DOING? Perfect.

He used to get really flustered about physical affection. Like you held his hand one time and he about combusted. He was red in the face for hours. He got better with it overtime, of course. But for the first few months, he was pretty much bright red the whole time.

Dates are rare, neither of you have the time for it. But when you two do have dates of some kind, they're mostly stay at home type things.

You know that thing kids do? Like playing their own separate things together? Parallel play, I think it's called? Yeah you two do that a lot.

Viktor will be reading some papers and you'll be reading a book, your feet in his lap.

Speaking of, Viktor is such a reader omg He doesn't read a lot anymore due to his constant workload, but when he does, he reads a lot of like... old books. The ones with yellowing pages and smell nice? Yeah... those ones!

If you two slept in the same bed, he'd be all like... giggly and nervous the first few times. Just like affection, he'd get used to it. But it's still cute.

When you two are cuddling, run your fingers in his hair. He'll melt right into you regardless of the situation. It's like an instant relax button for him.

Him laying his head on your chest, and you running your fingers through his hair? Something about it just... works. It calms him down a lot and makes him feel at peace.

His favorite place to kiss is the crook of your neck. Especially if you're around his height (he's like... between 5'7 and 5'10. I don't remember exactly).

Or your temples. It's simple, it doesn't attract a lot of attention. And let's be real, it's underrated as hell.

He's not big on PDA, but he'll hold your hand in public. He likes holding onto just one of your fingers, like your pinkie or something like that. It, just like temple kisses, is simple and discreet.

He doesn't often say "I love you". He feels bad about it, but you don't mind. He often says I love you without saying it. Things like holding you while you sleep, kissing your forehead as you two read in each other's arms, weaving your fingers with his while he works.

He gets self-conscious a lot. He thinks you could do a lot better than him and that he's not perfect.

Please kiss this poor boy all over and tell him he's perfect as is 😭😭

~☆~

A/N:The Arcane brainrot has gotten to me... This is how I'm coping with the finale. But I've wanted to write Viktor or Sevika stuff for a HOT minute now. I've been in the Arcane fandom for YEARS (a fanfic writer even longer) but this is my first Arcane fic... wild XD

For more fics: my masterlist!

~Squeed

[jacketpotatoo]

Initial Thoughts on Arcane S2 (spoilers)

I think season 1 was far stronger because it told a much more focused story and centred its themes on the relationships of the characters. What I love about s1 is that you could pick two characters from anywhere in the show, and they'd be foils of some kind, or parallel each other, etc. We don't get enough time with characters talking to each other for that in s2. In s1, so much of the insight we gain from characters is through their conversations with each other - this is effective because they're there and reacting to each other, so you get the deeping of their relationships alongside development of the plot. I think this is why people resonate so strongly with Ep7 - it's so contained. The expanded cast of characters and expanded plotlines mean that at times, it feels like they're checking off plot beats rather than letting the story develop as its characters do. But this is also why I find the jayvik storyline to be the most compelling part of s2 - it's this beautiful medley of greater themes and personal ambition wrapped around inextricably in the other. I found the show's thesis on healing and destruction and the cycles of human violence compelling, and I liked that magic was a sort of tech/industrialisation stand in. Viktor had some GREAT lines that I need to spend some more time unpacking. Cosmic yaoi soulmatism is beautiful. Also speaking of episode 7, I also thought Ekko's arc was incredible and the best and he's the best and I love him.

That being said, I definitely think the ball was dropped on the class commentary. The writers simply took on too much - just trying to explore the class tensions between Zaun and Piltover is enough to take up the entire season. And it's so deeply integral to the politics of the season, and to the balance of the relationships of various characters, that it's just a bit. sigh. Especially when nearly all the new characters introduced get killed off. And we don't get much focus at all on Sevika, who's one of the only main characters involved in revolution. I love Isha, but she felt so much to me like a plot device to me that i find it hard to reconcile. And the lack of class-commentary sours their portrayal of Caitvi alot for me. I personally think Cait's revenge to reconciliation arc was handled fine, and that a verbal apology wouldn't mean as much to vi as the action of freeing her sister did, but the last line of the show is hard for me. "I'm the dirt under your nails." I get that it can be interpreted multiple ways (see: non-problematically), but that had to have crossed the writers' minds. Is it intentional then? A reminder of Vi's insecurities, simply glossed over by Caitlyn? Does it just draw attention to the inequality of their relationship, indicate that there's further work to be done between them and individually? Honestly I feel the same way about where Zaun/Piltover is left off politically. This sort of ambivalent state that isn't endorsed (the sneers the council throws at Sevika are intentional), but is unfortunately realistic. I don't think the ending is a happy one at all. Ambivalent really is the word I'd use to describe it.

I also figure that I need to rewatch the show in full, including season 1. Thoughts might change! I'm still working things out in the brain. I do still think Arcane is a fucking beast and a triumph, and I will forever be inspired by it. I love these characters. every shipper won something and I think that's beautiful. Fortiche's animation is revolutionary.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep8 Musings - Loustat (SPOILERS) Pt2: Reunion

You don't know the HALF of what Lestat feels for Louis, to let YOUR grimy arse steal his man, just for LOUIS's happiness. ANYTHING for Louis.

Am I the only one who felt left hanging? We BEEN knew it didn't make sense, but what's your POINT, exactly? If Louis misremembered Lestat whispering, it's just par for the course about the odyssey of recollection. But if Lestat DID do telepathy, is that evidence of...what? That the vampire bond works differently than what's been explained? That he COULD read Lou's mind? AMC, this is AGGRAVATING.

Your goose is COOKED, my guy.

The copium & denial pack Louis was smoking as he laughed was 🤌

That's right, start sweating!

Master manipulation; cuz he certainly would NOT have, as we soon find out. ANYTHING for Louis. (Dang, Imma have to take back some of what I said about Lestat's character development not having started yet.)

I was shocked. I was NOT expecting this plot twist. I was ready to throw Lestat out with the rest of the TRASH, in the DUMP. Well dang. Guess I'll only leave him rotting in a TINY landfill.

I nearly SCREAMED--@nashvillethotchicken and I were talking about Loustat as Bobby and Whitney ages ago! I cannot BELIEVE AMC threw in a New Edition reference in the year of our lord 2024; y'all are diabolical AF, Rolin, STOP IT.

I wonder if AMC used Hurricane Odette cuz the OG script was set in pandemic!2020, so it would make sense that a year later Louis would head back to NOLA during 2021 when Hurricane Odette last hit.

That looks like NOLA's Pontchartrain Hotel--lemme find out he bumped into the Mayfairs when Rowan & them were in town, LOL.

Lestat got more aliases than the KGB; meanwhile Louis just sprinkles his long AF unique AF name all over the place. 🤦 But I guess it's ok, since the tour guide never mentioned him & Claudia by name. (Not Tom Anderson in another finale, LOL.) Louis so offended the tour guide said he ran a voodoo cult. XD

Fall of the House of Lioncourt-Melmouth.

You're gosh darned right! THEE Louis of Troy is in the building!

You love to see it. "A wearisome fledgling; all the millennials are--" not Lestat making PALE PROXIES of rat-catcher extraordinare LDPDL out of millennials. 😭

Lestat, if you don't get your crazy arse outta here with that bloodstained wooden keyboard Imma ROTFLMFAO.

NO JOKE, I effed up my friend's whole set when I started screaming "Siri, Pause," cuz my friend's Siri started freaking out and effed up the volume! XD

HERE WE EFFING GOOOOOOOO

(Best scene all season, fight me on this)

You know this was TEARING Lestat up, cuz of what happened in 1973--I gave Louis to you so you could do BETTER by him than EYE did, and instead it's NICKI ALL OVER AGAIN.

Imma smack him--this is NOT the time to be self-loathing, Lestat!

NOLA is my home--and the SAINT is not a city--I'm gonna cry.

He did. He just forgot, when reality settled in and the allure/nostalgia/glamour wore off. "I tried to make nights awful for you." Not the whole time, Louis. Y'all actually were happy b4--even Claudia said "the easy times" stopped after Florence died; and esp. after Charlie died. Lou can't be blamed for grieving his mom's death, and he definitely can't be blamed for Lestat & Claudia falling out after Charlie. Everything that happened after that--the 7 years of depression--was ALSO Lestat's fault. "I wanted you to suffer, cuz I was suffering;" I'm glad Les just waved that aside and said they BOTH wronged e/o.

He's not suicidal anymore then! He has nights in front of him to look forward to! So Lou can finally "learn to live honestly" with HIMSELF.

And Lestat dove RIGHT ON IN with that! He's been carrying that with him for DECADES, worried about Louis & what happened.

I LOVE that Les' language changes (the way his voice CRACKS and goes so TINY, oml)--he asked Lou in 1973 if he was "ill," and if something had happened TO him; so as to not spook/trigger or blame him--but he can ask more candidly now in a (relatively) "healthier" 2024 if Lou tried to hurt/kill himself; and get a more candid/honest answer. CLOSURE, y'all, I'm gonna cry.

GOOOOOOD. Don't EVER forget your daughter. Y'all need to have a Claudia Memorial; to KEEP remembering her, as she was in all her vampiric splendour, the good times AND the bad times.

I KNOW this hurt Louis to his effing core. The way Jacob cried FIRE!

I'm so glad Lou hugged him--YES YOU WERE, Uncle Les. And you KNOW it; you FELT that bond b/t y'all, even if she never looked at you. The distance b/t y'all was in name only, cuz a little Black girl couldn't have TWO daddies in 1917 and have one of them be white on top of it. I AM YOUR MAKER, sure, but you were her BLOOD FATHER, and she loved you, which is why she hoped you'd help her.

ANOTHER ROUND IN THE STORMY ROMANCE OF YOU TWO. 😭👏

What are these magical off-mic speeches/pep-talks Louis keeps giving people in Season 2?!? THE PEOPLE WANNA KNOW, gosh darnit!

DRATS.

I get why Jam said they thought the Loustat ending was "satisfying." It was nice, even though I'd've preferred to see Lestat in the Dubai penthouse at the end. :\

I LOVE THIS, AMC, thank you! ❤️

[kie-kois]

MAJOR XO KITTY S2 SPOILERS I’M YAPPING

prepare for an extra long reaction post :3

ok so i’ve only watched 1 and 2 as of now but this will update as i continue

guys i actually might frow up OKAY OMFG DUDE THE FIRST FUCKING EP “but you did smile” DO U WANT ME TO JUMP? DO U WANT ME TO JUMP DAWGGDHDJFJNGMDHSH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

second ep dude juliana is SOOOO messy and honestly i think her and yuri might break up 😭😭😭 i can’t even be mad at her tho it makes her rlly rlly interesting. also i was so excited to see q and jin i’m soooo so excited to see how that develops BC JIN IS ALSO MESSYYYYY 😭😭😭

i also am not even upset abt stella/minho honestly bc while i don’t ship them like whatsoever IJBOL iiiii think stella is also rlly interesting i can’t wait to find out more abt her and i’m also just so strong (read: crazy) in my belief abt kitty/minho endgame so i’m believing that stella/minho won’t deter that LMFAOAO BC GUESS WHAT!!!! THE THROWBACK TO THE FIRST MOVIE AND MINHO GOING TO SEE IF SHE’S OKAY BOOOYYYY oh my god he never ever hesitates to go check up on if she’s okay it hurts so bad she’s always first in his heart i’m so serious… sob

also i was not expecting to like praveena as much as i do my 3rd favorite ship for kitty! i just do rlly appreciate how she’s someone who can sorta kinda be stress free for kitty bc like established she is outside of the immediate friend group

end of ep 2 BITCH WHAT THE FUCKKKKK

i’m like halfway thru ep 3 rn kitty and minho banter welcome back return of the king. also i rlly love how dae can sing it’s so good he’ll find someone thru that i’m sure

finished ep 3 and 4 during school here is everything i thought while watching

KITTY AND YURI KISS WE ALL CHEERED THANK U LORD ok yea i think yuri and juliana r breaking up bc DAWGGDFMSKDFJ

i'm sorry it's just killing me how minho is still subtly always looking out for kitty he always has her back no matter how much he likes to act like he doesn't he covers for her w no hesitation and IT HURTS SO BAD

ALSO GUUYYYSSS EUNICE AND DAE????!?!?!?! THANK U THANK U THANK U I WANTED DAE TO BE HAPPY EVEN AFTER KITTY i'm so glad he's able to move on sob sob sob

MY POOR MINHO 💔 i'm sorry when ppl around him r all like "give ur dad a chance!" i'm like yall u should know DAMN well 😭 FACK HIS DAD BRAH

i'm sorry praveena deserves better FACKCMFSLDK kitty i love u but please u know damn well u're not over yuri please do not play w this girl's heart she was supposed to be completely uninvolved

BITBCHCHCHCH I FIGURED SOMEONE WAS GONNA FIND THE LETTER BUT AN ENTIRE GROUP??????? OF PPL BITCH

DAE AND EUNICE R SO CUTEEEE I LOVE THEM GUYS I'M SO HAPPY FOR HTEM

KITTY 😭 KITTTTYYYYY UR FACKING LETTER no this is so humiliating it's being read out loud i'm so serious i would have to kill myself KITTY q in the back stressing bc he knows exactly who wrote it and who it was addressed to OMFG 😭

minho and dae r so funny abt jin omfg guys tbh i get mindae however i just also think abt it in the same way i do abt kittyuri halp

WE ALL NEED TO DIE RIGHT NOW MINHO PLEASE GAWWDWDWFDW U R ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR KITTY AND THE THROW BACK TO THE HOT TUB AT THE SKIING TRIP BITCH PELASESAEJEJASLKDF THEY HAVE TO BE ENDGAME I'M GONNA FUCKING VOMIT i'm actually going to throw up and cry dude we all need to jump

he got into the hot tub clothed for her guys. guys my fucking stomach u cannot fawking tell me they will not be endgame the thousands and thousands of parallels to lara jean and peter i'm actually gonna vomit GUYS 😭 minho is just so sacrificial for her in a way we do not see for anyone else oh my god my fucking stomach

THE FUCKING HUG R U KIDDING ME THNAK U THANK U THANK U THANK U JESUS FUCKING CHRIST TEARING OUT MY HAIR

ok sorry idc that stella saw them LMFAOAOAO

yea i’m sorry dae deserves to be mad LMFAOAOA like yes him and kitty were broken up already but dudeeee it was so fresh and minho rlly did just confess when he wanted to

AAWWW YURI TALKING TO ALEX 😿😿😿😿 THE HAN SIBLINGS

UGH GUYSSSS. GUUUUYYYYSSSSS MY MINHOKITTY 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i like how we got a moment where minho’s there to witness kitty finding out things abt her family bc those r always important events to her

i’m laughing at how they definitely amped up the minho calling kitty “covey” thing bc he is DEADASSSSS the only person who calls her that and it is almost every single time he calls out her name like GAWWDDD 😭😭😭

OHHHH MY POOR KITTY 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 guys every time minho is there to comfort her i am just the most glad i ever am 😿 he always picks her up when she is down he treats her so dearly it hurts i’m so happy she has him

he want that cookie so effing bad yall…

DAE’S DAD????? NOOOO NO OMFG

PETER’S HEERRREEEE YAYAYAYAYAYAAASS AAUAUUUUAUAUAUU 😭😭😭😭😭😭

U’RE FACKIMG LYINGNGNHSJSNDJJFJJDNSHHEH MINHO RUNNING INTO KITTY AND PETER YES YES EYYEYESSSSS RIGHT EXACTLY RIGHT BC THEY’RE ENDGAME YAYAYAYAASSSSS MEETING THE BROTHER IN LAW

that’s actually so funny that peter and minho beef (/lh) i should’ve seen that coming entirely

“he totally still likes you he calls you by your last name” CLOCK IT PETEEEEEERRR

YAAAAYYYY DAE AND MINHO MADE UP YAAAAYYYYYYYY

yuri and kitty too thank god 🥹🥹🥹🥹 guys they mean so much to me

STELLA WE ALL KNEW LMFAOOO but honestly i can’t even be mad at her u go girl! also bc this gets kitty and minho tgt LMFAOAOAO

ok no BUT NO I DON’T WANT THEM TO GET TGT THIS SEASON i rlly do want to see kitty’s feelings for him develop more AND IF THEY GET TGT THIS SEASON AND IF THERE’A A S3 I DON’T WANT TO RISK A BREAKUP PLEASE

ok nvm it was kitty’s dream HAHAJFAJ YESSSS THIS IS PERFECT

guys so much happened i screamed every time minho came on screen w the music ALSO THE RAIN SCENE BITCCHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔 OH I WANTED TO SOB MINHOOOOO AND I GOT TO THE END OF EP 7 MINHOOOO U WANT THAT COOKIE SO EFFING BAD “if you touch kitty—” BOYYYY

AND HOW THEY BROUGHT BACK THE “a little bit. or, a lot.” LIKE GEYEYEYAYAYAYAASSSS GUYS THEY WERE MEANT TO BE 😭😭😭😭😭😭

guys. oh guys that was a wonderful ending oh god it ended exactly like i wanted it to the slow burn is killing me but i’m glad it’s there i LOVEEEE slow burn

actually the only part in this season i rlly rlly cried at was when the grandmas reunited 🥹🥹 that was such a sweet part of the plot also the margot return that was so good

MINHO 😭😭😭😭😭 LETTING KITTY USE HIS DAD’S PRIVATE JET 😭😭😭😭😭 GAAAWWWDDDD

i’m actually heartbroken abt yuri SHE got her heartbroken AND NOW SHE’S BROKE TOO? WHAT DID MY DARLING GIRL DO TO DESERVE THIS if things don’t look up for her in s3 i’m gonna kms for real

[karuvapatta]

buckle up, I'm gonna bitch about Arcane season 2 for a while.

disclaimer: the animation and art direction is absolutely stellar, writing and voice acting is mostly solid, music ranges from good to amazing, sound design is great, and it's a great show overall.

HOWEVER:

There were so many interesting subplots and ideas, but not one of them had enough room to breathe or time to develop organically.

(spoilers under cut)

Caitlyn - I love the subplot about her becoming a fascist dictator and Ambessa's pupil, I really do. But then it sort of fizzled? She faced no repercussions for installing a police state and using chemical weaponry against civilians? The last one got to me especially - her mother built this system claiming that "the people of Undercity deserve to breathe" and Caitlyn then turned it against them. Okay, Vi and Jinx both called her out and it left to her rift with Vi, but... she's still in charge at the end, having seemingly learned no lessons?

Vi - uh, she was there. Sort of. Most of the time. Again, she joined the Enforcers, and it led to SOME conflict, but... is she going back to being an Enforcer? how does she feel about that? Who knows - Vi was mostly there for Cait and Jinx's subplots than her own.

Jinx - her subplot with Sevika and Isha was my second favourite thing about this season. The idea of her becoming a symbol and uniting Zaun is great. That little moment in the prison was awesome. But, ultimately - it didn't amount to much. Her sacrificing her life for Vi (or not, I don't know if she actually dies) didn't hit as much because we already knew she was actively suicidal.

Isha - had the potential to be super annoying, but like I said, I ended up really liking her character. Her death rubbed me the wrong way, however - it was very emotional, but the framing was very strange. Were we supposed to find it inspirational? Tragic but beautiful? Proof that Jinx isn't irredeemable?

Sevika - again: loved her, loved her interactions with Jinx and Isha.

Silco - I found it weird how this season consistently framed him as a good guy. Jinx and Sevika remember him fondly, he was the only thing holding Zaun together, there are cute flashbacks / AU versions of him and Vander being happy... he's a complex character and we love him for it, but let's not forget his many, many crimes.

Singed - kinda weird that he got what he wanted with no repercussions.

Mel - all right, her subplot bothered me perhaps most of all. Mel is a joy every time she's on screen, true, but last season she had been established as a savvy politician and businesswoman, motivated by her mommy issues, and a corrupting presence on Jayce. She pushed for progress at all costs to fulfil her own ambitions and prove something to her mother. That's a great setup! But what we got in s2 is... random superpowers out of nowhere. Mel always had power - she was the richest woman in Pilltover and basically ran its Council - but now instead of confronting her with the potential side-effects of Hextech, the consequences of her ambitions, and the futility of proving herself to her abusive warmongering mother, she just gets... more power. Out of nowhere. And validation from Ambessa. It was just weird.

Jayce and Viktor - easily the most compelling part of this season, and my favourite subplot. And STILL - it felt rushed and incoherent. I thought at first that Viktor would become jealous and resentful because Jayce is everything that he isn't, and I am honestly so glad they didn't take that route. But instead, Viktor gets... brainwashed by the Hexcore I guess? Ascends to a higher plane of existence? His Jesus Days and his cults were fascinating, but I didn't get the philosophy behind them at all. I can see why Viktor would want to shed his physical body for a machine that has none of its weakness, and how he might convince others to follow that path, but instead he chose to brainwash his followers and then assimilate the entire human race? What? There were so, so many potential sources of conflict between himself and Jayce - the Hextech weaponry Jayce built, Pilltover's fascist takeover of the Undercity, Jayce reviving him against his will and not destroying the Hexcore, accidentally poisoning Ekko's tree through their irresponsible use of Hextech... but the conflict we got didn't built on any of that. And I don't understand why.

(But I get you, Jayce/Viktor shippers. You won this round.)

[mazzystar24]

Thank you so much for being so kind and replying to my ask! I think I understand it a little better now and I do agree with some of it. There were really sweet moments between them that made me happy but OH how it hurt to see buck just standing outside the restaurant. Yeah he freaked out a little but even lou said it wasn't ok of tommy and he wouldn't have done that. His defenders should really look into that lol judging from his interviews, he is a buddie endgame shipper and I love that

I'm kinda used to people blaming everything on buck but it still sucks. If he "shoved tommy back in the closet", they also have to acknowledge the comment tommy made when eddie was there...thank goodness he was so oblivious

But I do blame the writers a little bit for making tommy seem so...distant? Mysterious? There's potential because he has a connection to their world but we don't know nearly enough about him. We know chim, hen and bobby were good with him when he left all those years ago but now? Show us!!

Most of all, I hope they are not "done" with buck's storyline because he deserves more. He was barely a side character for the remaining episodes and that made me really sad. Oliver looks happier again though, so maybe there's hope?

No problem ofc like as long as you’re respectful to me I’ll always give that back

UGHH YESSS ABT THE COMMENT AT THE DATE LIKE IF TOMMY WAS IN FACT OUT AND BUCK WAS PUSHING HIM IN THE CLOSET AS THEY CLAIM THEN TOMMYS LINE WOULD IN FACT BE OUTING HIM

Like personally I do take it as dig meant for buck only to understand - which brings its own fucking rage to me ngl but these toxic fans’ interpretation is somehow even worse for their fav

Me personally sorry but I’m kinda like just get rid of tommy atp and you know that but I totally get how you feel and would be disappointed in your place too

Also I totally agree and definitely hope that they really delve into and develop Buck’s bi arc further

I think they honestly kinda fumbled last season because of the shorter season and how much shit they tried to fit like I was saying this before but s8 should’ve been treated like s1/s2 where like you have some character building and like personal shit and then keep the rest fairly uncomplicated with like a few big things here and there and a strong sense of found family in it and hitting that balance of not overloading yourself while also keeping things interesting

Instead we kinda had boom big thing boom big thing boom here is an even more complicated big thing boom another big thing and it all felt very frazzled and all over the place and also really fragmented

And cos of all these big things you end up not able to give any one big thing the levity or development or the depth it can have

Leading to a mess of having buck pushed straight to the sidelines story wise after two eps of his bi arc then bobby having shit from Minnesota but also cartel and also house getting burnt down but also him being suicidal but also him nearly dying and us getting no scenes from the team at his bedside and then you have Eddie and his doppelgänger mess and chimney and his enciphillitus and it’s just all gives you a little bit of an overload without ever getting the pay off or the development

Like I love the show and love the writing for the most part but I gotta say s8 had a strong start that I thought it’d battle for my fav season but then it just started slipping when you could feel how limited in eps they were and also the writing style of not planning ahead for a lot of things

Idk if I explained any of that clearly 😭😭

[oscconfessions]

ii is like actually really good, amazing, even. like it's not perfect since nothing is but it is REALLY good. you can tell AE cares about the show and the characters and the story. i will say, though, a big problem as to why people often come across as pretty negative towards the show, it's thanks to the fact that pretty big people on the fandom often treat ii as terrible, completely misunderstand the story on purpose, make up things about it, and actually don't care about the characters themselves. i know, i know, listen, crazy, how does a fandom not even care about the show they like? and i think that it is thanks to said popular people and how the fandom treats the fanon as canon, and thanks to the fact that again, the fandom only really seems to care about shipping and the character designs and. it's really discouraging. since back then from what i saw, the fandom actually cared about the show. you could tell they cared deeply about it and looked into the characters deeply, and were overall pretty calm too.

i really hope that with the coming back of s2, the old fandom of ii comes back. it is much nicer to have people who care and want to learn more about it than people who just... hate the media they're watching and genuinely believe it is bad, but that the fanon "made it" good. (spoiler: it did not).

like even regarding the things the big people on the fandom say, you can literally just rewatch the show yourself and realize that "Wow, they're wrong" or that they're straight up lying in some cases (that one Cabby thread, Mic's character in the way the fandom sees her as a whole and the way people insist that Nickel hasn't changed). Like. I genuinely encourage all of you to actually watch the show and to look deeper into it outside of ships and designs and the basic storylines, AND outside of the fanon. And also please watch III. People complain about it being bad but it's not! It's really not! Main problem is that most of the rejoiners are characters who's arcs have been already closed (those being TT, Fan, OJ, and Paintbrush), so that ultimately only leaves Yinyang, Nickel and Balloon as the only guys who get development (the invitationals do too, of course, but what I mean is that those 3 guys are the s1-s2 rejoiners that ACTUALLY get development and it was for the better.)

And people willlll complain about it "not living up to s2's writing" when that was never the purpose of it! S3 was made so that AnimationEpic could take a break from Season 2, which was emotionally taxing to them! They even said it themselves! It is meant to be more lighthearted, but that doesn't mean that it can't portray emotional or serious moments because of it. Do I think it could've been better? Of course! But that's still not really AE's fault nor I think people should hate them for... wanting to enjoy making a show again. And the reason as to why PB, TT and Fan were even there was because of viewer voting. AE ultimately wanted to make their fans happy and I think that's a nice sentiment. I am very sad on the way the fandom treats AE and how they overall act regarding the show.

Please, stop believing everything that the popular people on the ii fandom say, it is usually pretty bad takes on the show and they often take things out of context as well. Make your own judgement on the show. Be interesed on it. Don't stay in the fanon. Please, please care about the show. Care about the stories. Care about the characters. Care about the friendships. Care about the growth these guys had. Please. Give the show the same love AE has been giving it.

I'm usually more angry about II not being treated the way it should be (with love) but honestly, I'm just heartbroken nowdays about it. Not even angry. I just want people to care about it and to not follow fanon, to not believe what big artists say all the time, to make their own mind and to look deeply into it. I want people to care about II the way people used to do, to care about it the way AnimationEpic and the people who worked on the show do.

I love Inanimate Insanity and I love how much care AE has poured into it. And I hope that with time, the fandom gets to understand it and to care about it for what it is. Or that it goes back to how it was. When people actually liked it.

I really do hope so.

(also, mods, you don't have to tag the characters here! i just mention them briefly and it is mostly just my thoughts on the way the osc treat inanimate insanity and it's content.)

- 💛🎤 anon

.

[littlespoonevan]

*slips you a fiver* hi i'd like to hear about those abby/tommy parallels please

oh anon, i am Obsessed with you for asking me this question askdjf let's go!!!

okay. so rewinding to 5x04: the thing that endeared me most to buck/tommy as a pairing and the reason why i'm more on board with them than i ever was with buck/taylor or buck/natalia is mostly because of buck's reaction to tommy during the kiss. it's been over a month but i still haven't quite come to terms with just how lovely???? his reaction was???

because buck, in the immediate aftermath of the kiss, is just so in awe. and so shocked at the possibility of this thing that he never thought he could have. and it honestly really reminded me of how he was with abby??? i think i made a post about it at the time but in both instances it felt like a moment where buck was realising, "oh i can have this if i want it???"

in abby's case, the 'this' in question was romantic love. the possibility of real feelings and a real connection with somebody who wanted him back.

in tommy's case, the 'this' is obviously the idea of romantic love with a man and discovering a part of himself he never lingered too much on before.

in both scenarios, it offers us up a side of buck that's just so genuinely happy and excited and giddy almost??? most likely because of how real it feels and how much he's letting himself feel it??? like, idk if you've rewatched s1 recently but s1 buck is just so Open with his feelings for abby????? and regardless of what happened afterwards or if you ship them, seeing that side of him is just askfja it makes me giddy lmao.

and i definitely think we're seeing something similar with buck now. like, it's a little different - buck being open in s1 meant him being very charming and very upfront about his feelings whereas in s7 buck is more open in the sense that he's not shying away from his feelings for tommy even though coming to terms with his sexuality is obviously a very big thing too.

and i just don't think we've seen that from him with ali/taylor/natalia. with ali, it's understandable since she was barely in s2 and it was really just his attempt to start moving on after abby. with taylor, i think the 'buck is taylor's abby' theory still holds a Lot of weight and i think he never really knew how to be all in with her the way he was with abby. and with natalia, well, we all know that didn't really get any development. so seeing him like this now is just very refreshing, y'know???

(i'm not saying he didn't care about those partners, he obviously did, but the sense of anticipation there now is very much something that i feel is only on a par with his pursuit of abby)

and then ofc, on a more basic level, there are parallels in them both being older and having a lived a Life outside of buck that maybe he doesn't full comprehend yet and them both being a sort of guiding hand to him as he navigates a new part of himself.

but in terms of where things'll go now and how it might affect buck? i think buck is a very different person from season 1. he's also lived a Life (several really at this point) and his current personal life is so much more full than it ever was when he was dating abby so i don't think he'll be pinning all his hopes on tommy the way he sort of did with her. i think he can definitely still get swept up in his feelings (as we've seen lol) but i also think he's willing to take this thing between him and tommy for what it is and not put pressure on it like he would've before.

tl;dr it's not necessarily about the tommy/abby parallels and more about the buck parallels when he's with both of them, y'know??? :')

[frostfires-blog]

"Most of the ships in this post are great (love them too)! Sadly OP have to add the gay ships. Really, can't we just have normal ones without gayness".

This is how I found your post (top 30 ships). Sorry, I dislike the one who said the above, but because of them, I found your blog and fall in love with your posts....

Thanks for your posts and your metas (especially the hanakotoba analysis).

See, as multishipper, most that I found are either gay & lesbian ships only or het ships (like the one who said the above) only, but you really saw the dynamics a d chemistries of the characters. That is why I love your top 30 ships post.

Like, at first I thought you'll ship IzuOcha (like most people who love het ship) in BNHA but you ship BakuDeku (amazing) or IchiOri (bland) in Bleach but you ship IchiRuki (great) which both (later) ships have the best dynamics in the series (more than the former ships)..!

Sorry, I'm not really a fan of most m/f ships (it's easier for me to love m/m & f/f compared to m/f) but the ones that you love are all great!

My top 10 favorite ships from your post :

♡ Hua Cheng/ Xie Lian (best love story ever, one of my all time fav danmei ever)

♡ Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian (Wei Wuxian will always be in my top 10 characters ever, love him so much)

♡ Hak/Yona (best shoujo ever for me, will always love this couple)

♡ Bakugou/ Midoriya (will always be in my top 10 otps ever, love them so much, have shipping them since 2019)

♡ Cheng Xiaoshi/ Lu Guang (start shipping them since ep 1 s1, my love for them got deeper after finished s2)

♡ Obi/ Shirayuki (can't believe you have both ships with Shirayuki, but I love Obi more, for me, Zen is kinda bland)

♡ Taichi/Chihaya (yes, they're canon. I'm so happy when I read the end of the manga, Taichi will always be special)

♡ Minato/Kushina (one of the best ship in Naruto, love the build up and the tragedy, this is my 2nd fav ship after NaruSasu)

♡ Ichigo/ Rukia (why Bleach have to end like that, IchiRuki have way more chemistry than the IchiOri)

♡ Itadori/Fushiguro (love their bond so much)

Have you watch these 4 new fav anime of mine (for the story and the ships): Cherry Magic, I'm in love with Villainess, Yakuza Fiancee, and Nina Starry Bride?

Sorry for this long ask, feel free to ignore them, hope you have a wonderful day.

I'm sorry you discovered my blog due to such a distasteful comment, but I'm glad to have encountered someone with such great tastes in ships. I rarely manage to encounter someone who likes so many ships that I do. Oddly enough, I haven't managed to find that specific comment, so it's likely that person blocked or subsequently deleted their comment without giving me the chance to respond... Oh well...It's not the first time I've gotten criticised for my tastes in ships, and unfortunately, it definitely won't be the last...

Moving on, I'm glad you enjoyed the Hanakotoba metas! They're my favourite types of posts to make, even though they're the most time-consuming. Unfortunately, I probably won't be making another one for a while since I haven't encountered any material to work with in the shows I've seen recently. Here's to hoping The Apothecary Diaries S2 gives me something to work with... But if anyone has any suggestions, I'm keen.

Most people are very rigid about their tastes in ships. Admittedly, I used to be, too, but over time, I've become more open-minded and contemplative—though I still have a long way to go. When it comes to shipping, I prioritise development, character dynamics, and aesthetics in that order. Gender and official status (i.e., canon or non-canon) are unimportant to me.

This is honestly the first time I've seen someone else who ships IchiRuki and BakuDeku... Honestly, I'm so happy! IchiOri/IchiHime is literally the bane of my existence. I could write a full-length essay on what I ship IchiRuki and dislike IchiOri/IchiHime. These days it's especially difficult being an IchiRuki shipper, as we receive nasty comments on most Ichigo/Rukia-centric posts and edits. Just because another ship was made canon doesn't mean you're not allowed to ship anything else. The great thing about fandom spaces is that there is a place for everyone—so I don't know why they can't let us be.

As for IzuOcha, it just lacks the development and depth that BakuDeku and a lot of other BNHA ships have, and consequently, it seems bland in comparison. BakuDeku was actually the very first M/M ship I supported—so I have a lot of attachment to them—and it becoming such a beloved ship has made me immensely grateful and happy. Inexorably, the brighter light shines, the more shadows it casts... As its popularity has increased, the ship garnered more detractors, making things more difficult recently. Seeing people condemn and degrade BakuDeku shippers because of recent events is incredibly hurtful.

The double standards I've seen from some of the people who disapprove of non-canon ships like BakuDeku and IchiRuki are insane. These same people who disapprove of the age gap between IchiRuki will happily use Isshin/Masaki's dynamic to bolster IchiOri or will go on to ship other couples with age gaps like Inuyasha/Kagome. These same people who use Bakugo and Deku's or Ichigo and Rukia's friendship as a reason not to ship them then go on and fawn over the friends-to-lovers trope elsewhere. Perhaps I've ranted a little too much... However, I didn't intend to insult anyone; I was merely trying to point out things that didn't add up. If anybody here doesn't ship BakuDeku or IchiRuki but is respectful towards their shippers (i.e., refrains from antagonising them unjustly) and can recognise the basis for both ships, please know that my irritation isn't directed at you.

I probably mentioned this already, but you have great tastes in ships. Just a few things I wanted to note as I went through your list and comments... ❉ You're right Hualian truly has the greatest love story ever!

❉ Wei Wuxian is in my top 10 favourite characters too! Each member of the MXTX protagonist trio is so well written tbh.

❉ Akatsuki no Yona is my favourite shoujo manga. I'd love them to animate the rest of it. I'd ascend if we got a Fruits Basket-like remake!

❉ Coincidentally, I also started shipping BakuDeku in 2019, which is when I started BNHA.

❉ As for the ObiYuki vs. ZenYuki debacle... My heart is torn in two, which is why I haven't read the manga yet. I started the show and shipped ZenYuki, but over time I started drifting towards Obi instead. ZenYuki is a solid ship, but ObiYuki really packs in all of my favourite tropes. So, I ultimately included both ships, knowing that both sides of the fandom might not be pleased with me. I've never been an OT3 person, but I feel like that might be the direction I'm heading towards...

❉ Regarding Taichi/Chihaya I actually have a funny story concerning them... As I was bingeing S3, I saw some spoilers, which led me to believe they weren't canon, which upset me so much that I refused to finish the anime—whereas, before this, I'd been planning to start the manga immediately. After a few months, I realised I'd been misguided, and they were in fact canon! I subsequently finished the anime but haven't gotten around to the manga yet.

❉ I'm never going to get over the ending of Bleach. Before the TYBW arc, all the development and symbolism pointed towards IchiRuki becoming the endgame... The switch-up was insane!

I've been trying out a lot of new anime recently. I actually only started watching new anime seasonally from the first episode a year ago, so keeping up with 12 anime this season has been challenging. ❉ I'm currently watching Nina: The Starry Bride as it airs. Since I heard good things about it from manga readers and had been itching for a fantasy shoujo anime for a while now, I checked it out as soon as the first episode dropped. It's definitely been a journey, and I'm still formulating my thoughts about it... In all honesty, the first episode was lowkey disappointing—but I think that's because my expectations were too high. I feel like it lacked the drama and intrigue that Akatsuki no Yona's first episode had—which was what people had compared it to. However, 8 episodes deep, and I'm really enticed! I really look forward to it every week and am excited to see where the story goes! Are you rooting for Azure or Sett?

❉ I'm also currently watching Yakuza Fiancee. The show really shook me to my core. Like damn, these people are crazy! It's really entertaining though, and for once I have no idea where the story is headed since the show is so unpredictable to me. However, I'm not sure I can commit to shipping Yoshino with Kirishima yet. I kind of want her to stick to her plan of up and leaving in a year... But we'll see...

❉ I watched Cherry Magic as it aired as well. It was pretty funny and sweet—but sadly, for some reason, I didn't really form a solid attachment to any of the characters... It's possibly because at the time other shows gripped me more, but I can't say for certain. I might revisit it again sometime when I'm under less stress. ❉ Lastly, I haven't seen I'm in Love With The Villainess...

I tried to cover everything. Sorry if I rambled too much... Hopefully I didn't miss anything important...

[apatheticlexicographer]

i'm about to get mauled ALIVE for saying this but here goes:

i think m'leven's relationship should be based on a mutually requited crush. both the implications it would have on their personal development as characters and the message it would send to the audience would be substantially more impactful, healthy, and progressive than if they only dated out of obligation. in fact, the thematic message of their relationship SIMPLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE without a foundation of genuine romantic attraction.

still with me??? okay, good.

when shows deal with romance they tend to fall into the categories of either having pretty much every character shipped with every other character at some point, or of having the endgame ships be the most obviously pushed from the start. byler has definitely been built up from the start, but the majority of the show's audience didn't consider it as an option for canon until s4, when they started making it blatant. hell, a lot of people didn't even realize WILL was queer until s3 (again, when the show started to place heavy emphasis on it), and even then a lot of people thought he might be ace rather than gay.

mike and el, on the other hand, were practically the show's flagship couple for the first 2 seasons at least. it wasn't until s3 that their popularity started to dip and their relationship began to receive a lot more criticism. which makes sense, considering they hadn't actually been IN said relationship in the previous seasons. they had a couple of romantic interactions, sure, but we didn't see how they would interact *as a couple*. people obviously couldn't predict how their dynamic would actually pan out!!! that isn't to say that the negative aspects of their relationship were a bait-and switch, though: red flags were visible since at least s2, but they were far from being the focal point and a lot of shippers interpreted them as being cute (like el's jealousy over max).

having a show acknowledge the fact that the first person you get a crush on (because correct me if i'm wrong, but i'm pretty sure they're canonically each other's first crush???) isn't necessarily your ~soulmate~ is a great thing. even better when they go a step further, and play with the concept!!! the text of stranger things doesn't actually push m'leven as a paragon of romantic love. if you listen to what the other characters say about their (romantic) relationship, their opinions are entirely neutral/negative???

lucas teases mike about his crush in s1, but calls him hopeless in s3. hopper is out of line with how agressively he acts about their relationship, but the resolution of that character arc for him is about him acknowledging that he's been overbearing and accepting that he needs to let el grow up, and NOT some hammy realization that "what they have is true love, i was wrong to interfere!!!" max thinks their clinginess is sweet at first in s3, but she isn't very close with either of them. once she and el start to bond AND SHE LEARNS THAT EL HAS NO EXPERIENCE WITH ROMANTIC ATTRACTION OUTSIDE OF MIKE she encourages el to assert her own self-worth and dump him. [which... actually mirrors the progression of opinions in a lot of audience members??? 🤔🤔]

and those are just a few examples!!! i won't go on an exhaustive list, because honestly we'd be here all day.

furthermore, m'leven's steady downward trajectory is not the only instance of the show basically dunking on the trite expectation that a character's first love interest is automatically their happily-ever-after, AND the recurring motif that any relationships a character explores before their endgame ship are wrong because the alternate love interest is Bad.

dustin has his first crush (onscreen, anyway) on max in s2, but ends the season happy despite his sadness over rejection and later gets together with a girl who's basically his perfect match. in s3, robin confides to steve about how she was so far gone for tammy that she would cry into her pillow. in s4 she's able to laugh over just how bad her singing is without denying it, and is tentatively flirting with vickie. joyce was genuinely really happy with bob, but after having time to heal from the tragedy of what happened to him she's ready to move on with hopper.

again, not an exhaustive list. why??? because outside of m'leven, the only relationships where the characters ARE each other's first love interest are: lumax, whose entire arc together is about growing up as a couple (you know, the exact arc m'leven shippers pin on mike and el, as if it would make sense for 2 couples to have the same format and message...); stancy, which is only one prong of Love Triangle Hell and the controversy around it speaks for itself; and TED AND KAREN. WHO ARE POINTED OUT EXPLICITLY BY THE TEXT OF THE SHOW IN S1 NO LESS, TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF A WORST TIMELINE FUTURE THAT CHARACTERS DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT.

but if you're reading this, you already know all of that.

the point i'm trying to make is that stranger things shows a consistent palette of themes across all the relationships it portrays. i've obviously been going over the romantic ones, but this applies at least as much to the plationic bonds as well. those themes are of GROWING AND MATURING, of SHIFTING DYNAMICS, and of BECOMING SECURE IN YOUR PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE.

i'm sorry but to present a pair of characters with apparent mutual feelings; to elaborate on how dysfunctional their relationship is; and to ultimately reveal to the audience that actually they were both just confused, they never had feelings for one another in the first place and that's why their relationship didn't work out; sends an extremely mediocre message, to put it nicely. all the characters learn from that lived experience is "don't date people you don't have feelings for, and if you were unsure about how real those feelings were... get good???" meanwhile, all the audience learns from that VIEWED experience is "if the relationship doesn't work, it's because the people involved don't like each other enough." if byler goes on to be canon and is immediately much healthier, that only enforces that shitty message. in that situation the only reason THEIR relationship works while mike and el's didn't is that they actually have feelings for one another!!!

from a show which has explored complex arcs and messages with *LITERALLY EVERY OTHER RELATIONSHIP* they touch on, this would be beyond disappointing. particularly as the central message for the arc of 2 of the mainest main characters in the whole show!!!

on the other hand, to present a pair of young characters at the start of the show and flag them as having an obvious mutual crush; to allow them to explore that crush as a serious prospect; to have them realize that their relationship is dysfunctional; and to have them move on as friends; sends???

a great???

fucking???

message???

they both get to progress and move on as more enriched people than they would have been without their time in a relationship, and that is fucking wonderful.

el has a deeper understanding of romantic interactions based on actual lived experience and not just TV shows. she's able to develop into her fledgeling sense of identity more securely with the knowledge that relationships can change, and that's okay. not everything has to be forever.

mike understands how to process and manage his own feelings much better, and is equipped with a firsthand understanding of how a relationship can become emotionally dysfunctional without proper communication, making him ready to enter a new, healthier relationship. he has displayed the same overprotective behaviours towards will as he has to el, but he's begun to learn how to manage them so that he doesn't stifle his partner. after previously failing to communicate his feelings to both el and will in s3 when he fought with them, he's been making a deliberate point of doing so in s4. this didn't work with el when he tried to open up about his own experience with bullying, but it DID work with will when he admitted to his failings in balancing relationships.

are either of them finished in their personal arcs??? no, of course not!!! they're not even fifteen!!! but they have both grown as people, not in spite of their romantic relationship, but BECAUSE of it. you don't change as you grow up, so much as you start to understand yourself better. but self-discovery and subsequent self-acceptance CANNOT come without self-explaration.

it's okay to try things out, and it's okay if they don't end up being right for you.

meanwhile, the broader message about relationships that this imparts on the audience is an extremely important one. one which gets overlooked continually by storytellers in every industry. one which the show itself has brushed on, but not explored in depth.

one which fandom, in particular, likes to ignore.

ATTRACTION ≠ COMPATIBILITY

(...and that's okay!!!)

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Here's MY thoughts on the love island the game's seasons, for no reason other than I want to:

Also because the majority of the people following me are here for OM! & I want to drag more people down into the litg hell with me :)

Season 1: why is everyone so bitchy for no reason????? Talia & Jake are okay but other than that it's meh... don't really like the art style either

Season 2: Immaculate. Chef's kiss. They hit a high they never reached again. Somehow managed to balance the drama & the found family aspect and created a dynamic where you can actually believe everyone is friends and having fun even if sometimes they try to kill each other. Characters are flawed but generally decent people who are allowed to grow throughout the season. You get the option to make MC a bi gym-bro who can devour an entire cake in one sitting and bench press her partner. There's a reason this got two sequels.

Season 3: It's fine ig. Short and kind of boring. Nothing much happens. AJ is so cute though she almost makes up for it.

Season 4: Honestly a close 2nd favourite. We get a lot of character backstory and like s2 it touches on some serious issues. The season with some of the funniest moments/lines of dialogue - multiple moments where I just laughed out loud. I'm still only half way through it but the "villain" is just straight up mean for no reason and doesn't get any character development like the characters in S2 but makes up for it by having some of the funniest interactions with other characters and I was so sad to see her go. Also the season where I desperately wish MC was allowed to be in an open relationship till the very end and finish off the season in a polycule with every other islander who was in the love "triangle"s of the the season because this was the hardest season to pick a LI - Najuma is just all around amazing, Bruno is sweet & funny, Tom is so pathetic* MC & Thabi's friendship is also the best thing? It's great seeing a platonic relationship that is as loving (if not more so) than the romantic relationships. It's literally:

Season 5: Psychological horror. The producers said 'hey wouldn't it be funny if we torture this woman on national tv' and then committed to the bit. My memories are hazy because even though I only played it earlier this year it upset me so much I did my best to block most of it out but also I'm 100% sure there was actual galighting happening. Don't know why MC stuck around till the end because all she's gonna be able to use the money for is to pay for her therapy. Anyway I think MC should have been allowed to brutally murder everyone, she deserved it <3

Season 6: I liked the concept but I think they should have utilised it more. I'm still right at the very beginning (around ep 9) and I KNOW the general consensus from everyone who has reached the last eps seems to be that Amelia sucks MAJOR ass. But look, this is the first time a game has given me a MC with a canon family member who is also part of the game so in my opinion Amelia could commit war crimes and she's still be the most precious little uwu ever because I'm activating MC's insanely overprotective oblivious to all faults ""big"" sister mode

Edit:

*I just played more of S4 and holy shit someone needs to get this man away from his parents and also maybe get him some therapy jfc

Edit 2:

** youcef, mc & valentina helping tom figure out he likes flowers and pink and tie-dye clothes and makeup and being complimented and called pretty and getting hugs is getting to me okay his parents better watch the show and see their adult son finally discovering himself and what he likes instead of what they think he should like and finally being able to let loose and have fun without worrying about what others think of him and finally being happy and they better get some sense knocked into them OR he should go to therapy and realise that no matter how much he loves his parents their love and regard being so conditional to the point that he's hidden his entire personality and is now so extremely self-conscious of it whenever it does manage to peak out, that he nearly cries on national tv after a practical stranger compliments those hidden bits is not good. Also the man has some of the most insane repressed queer vibes???? What do you mean he sees a canon nonbinary person wearing a floppy hat and is reminded of the floppy hat he loved as a child that his father threw away and replaced with a baseball cap and then when he "lost" the baseball cap his father bought him the exact same one again

Edit 3:

*** i was 100% sure i was going to get mc to stick with najuma (dorky mischevious goth who is so so bad at flirting hello!!!?) but i got caught by "sad & shy with serious self-worth issues hidden badly behind an overconfident exterior (who blushes & gets flustered easily because he so rarely receives genuine praise/compliments) experiences postive regard for the first time and loses his shit" for the third fucking time

Edit 4:

Okay but why does Dylan get (rightfully) called out by everyone in S4 for all the bullshit he does to MC from blatantly lying to her to not listening when she says "No" But in S5 when Suresh (admittedly, more subtly) pulls off the same shit no one says anything, even MC's "friends" don't believe her.

In S2 when Luke/Henrik gets a little too forceful after MC says no, he gets called out by MC's partner and immediately apologises

In S4 when Dylan does the whole "stop pretending you don't want me" routine after MC rejects him multiple times, the rest of the islanders band together and basically chase him off the island

In S5 when Suresh pulls literally the same thing from the very first episode itself but none of the other islanders believe MC, and Suresh keeps getting to do this until almost the very end while also managing to constantly play hot & cold with MC and chase away all of MCs other romantic interests

[kaelyx-zac01]

I've seen a lot of Aziraphale hate after the S2 finale -- furious that he chose Heaven over Crowley -- which is TERRIBLY ANNOYING because a lot of people seem to miss the events that led up to the tragic finalé.

Because, let's get one thing straight: Aziraphale was only excited to go to Heaven upon knowing he could be with Crowley there.

Aziraphale literally outright rejects the Megatron's request almost immediately. He didn't want to go to heaven. He loved Earth. He has come to enjoy the delights that our world offers. "Where will I get my coffee?" perfectly exemplified that Aziraphale has grown attached to our world and the life, the home he and Crowley had built for themselves. It is only when the Metatron brought up the idea that Crowley and him could be angels together that Aziraphale accepts the offer.

And let's not forget that, the scene before that, Aziraphale was THREATENED to be erased from the Book of Life by Michael. Metatron came in like a saving grace and presented him with an opportunity to escape that threat, to possibly change things, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, have Crowley with him safely as well.

Did people not see how DESPERATE Aziraphale was to make Crowley come with him? He literally breaks down as he says "I need you." Because HE DOES NEED CROWLEY. He literally reconsiders his decision after Crowley's rejection. Crowley wouldn't be with him anymore. And, he is the one he wants to bring with him to Heaven, more than any book or object in his life. Their home isn't the earthly life they built --- it's each other. And in Aziraphale's eyes, Heaven will only be home if Crowley's with him.

Lastly, Aziraphale is literally an angel at heart. He still likes to do good deeds despite not having to. He likes telling about these deeds to other people, particularly Crowley after they retired from their respective divisions. More importantly, Aziraphale is a believer in the fundamental good in all people and beings. Which is not naivety. I think after the Apocalypse incident, Aziraphale isn't limited anymore by duty to see things as black and white anymore. But, of course, he still believes in doing good. And I think most importantly, he still believes that Heaven should represent what it ought to.

That's where his similarities end with Crowley. While Crowley is too disillusioned with the system to think of the possibility of change, Aziraphale isn't. And as someone who also saw the errors in the system, Aziraphale was hoping Crowley would be happy to help him change that. This time, he wouldn't live in fear of falling as a demon again. This time, Crowley's suggestions wouldn't be a cause for worry. Aziraphale will always welcome them as his second-in-command. And most importantly, the threat of the Book of Life will be kept far from both of them. Which goes to show that Aziraphale wasn't wrong to choose Heaven. And sorry, but I don't think he deserves to do an apology dance either.

Honestly, I get why people don't see Aziraphale's side that much. The first time I watched S2E6, I was slightly hoping Aziraphale would change his mind and miraculously appear in Crowley's car. Nevertheless, hating on Aziraphale just shows how much of the ending's nuance flew over these people's head. Did the ending hurt? Like hell, of course. But, would I want it to end in any other way? Fuck no. Let these two idiots pine for one another. Let longing break their masks and allow their characters and their relationship to mature and develop. I'm sure that whatever Neil has for us in S3 will make all the angst ever so worth it

[citrusrick]

season 7 episode 10 "Fear No Mort" (MAJOR SPOILERS)

there is so much to unpack in this episode, i am sitting here struck almost speechless by it, honestly. this episode made me feel so many things and i'm emotional lmao, there's no way all my thoughts are getting into this one post.

morty's big fear being losing rick in any capacity: rick dying, rick replacing him, rick moving on from him/the family and leaving him behind. like we knew this, but seeing it portrayed in this way really got me. and though he's afraid of losing rick, he's also afraid of how much he relies on him.

also, we see rick using anti-aging serum to stay alive as morty ages within morty's fear-simulation, which means morty is afraid of rick dying and keeping himself alive synthetically. loving all these complex emotions in morty.

this episode kept making me think of season 1 episode 4 "m. night shaym-aliens!). a lottt of season 7 episodes had callbacks which i really enjoyed personally!

getting to see rick and diane actually interact with each other for the first time ever (though it is morty's fear-brain idea of them) was very interesting. but we can't be sure that's how diane really was since morty didn't actually know her (only second through whatever he's been told), still interesting though.

rick's character development this season (and honestly throughout all the seasons) has been absolutely amazing to watch. we really saw it when he didn't follow morty down into the hole and trusted him to handle it while standing back to watch over him, when he actually hugged morty back, and especially when he didn't go back into the hole when morty said diane was in there. rick really is starting to heal and move on.

"You just look real sad, which I'm afraid of. You know, of being responsible for your sadness." when morty said this, oh my god MY HEART. i feel like that line held so much more meaning, too, because he knows how intense rick's emotions can get and what he's capable of, and morty would never want to be the cause of that.

"I'm afraid that if I jumped into a hole, you wouldn't even jump in after me." HE WOULD, MORTY, HE HAS! (s2,e1 'a rickle in time')

season 7 as a whole really fed the fanbase, with the evil morty, rick prime, and diane storylines. i was nervous about how this season was going to go, and i'm so happy with the end result! god, so fucking good. i am so excited to see what happens in season 8 and what they do with all these new developments we've seen in both rick and morty.

god, i just love this fucking show so MUCH!

[urlocallesbiab]

for a long time i couldn't settle on a precise timeline of when exactly do dirk and todd each fall in love and then realize the feelings, and what do they do about it, and now i think some things have finally clicked into place

for dirk, it's the instant he meets him. it's a nebulous feeling then, somewhere between boundless excitement about a new friendship and a giddy crush, too large and joyous to be fully examined and understood; it simply is, and it's fuck-off happy.

throughout the next few days, he gets pangs, deep and fluttering and breath-catching pangs, when todd agrees, helps out, acts brave, accepts, when todd chooses him, despite everything; but it doesn't fully settle until that day in the woods. they're so close, having actually great time, side by side; they nearly die together; todd's hands are soft on his face — and it washes over him, crystal clear, decisive, as he sees this man stand before him in full light, open and honest and ugly and trusting and raw, the truth simply reveals itself to dirk: "i am in love with this man. i love him."

but still, it's more of a friendship to him at that point; having a friend is so new, incredible, mind-blowing, and todd's platonic affection is so dizzyingly tangible, and "i am your friend" is everything dirk could have ever wanted in his entire life. he is perfectly, absolutely happy, and honestly doesn't wish for anything else.

then he's alone; he's alone for quite a while, and he begins to want. he fantasizes about what he can't have, and since he can't have anything, he thinks about everything — his desires reach further, encompass more; the dreams grow more frequent, more tender, closer. "he's perfect" with a hopeless, breathy, utterly-in-love edge to it.

and finally they meet, and god, the want does not go away. s1 is a crush developing into a bright, sure love, and s2 is love developing into a lovesickness; s2 is when dirk pines. he casts yearning looks after todd; can't help but think, forlornly, unthankfully, "oh, but what if he kissed me. what if he kissed me. oh, please, please"; reaches out to catch todd's hand and never does; puts space between them, bristle and brittle and too-close-to-something; hopeless. he gets awfully drunk, professes undying love, makes out with todd harder than he ever did in his whole life, and in the morning pushes it all away and under the rug; it was all magic, wasn't real, didn't count — not in the way dirk wanted it to count. and then altogether too many awful things happen, and he mostly worries about that.

when todd is back by his side, it is such awesome undescribable joy, there's no space for anything else; they're alive, alive, alive! and they scramble to stay alive quite a bit, after that. when dust and horror and otherworld strings settle, it's neither peaceful acceptance nor painful longing; dirk is happy, warmly fully brightly soaringly happy, and also hopeful. he wants some things for himself. he's not fully sure how to go about that, but he does, and he will.

***

for todd, there’s not a certain moment of falling; it's all a mess, frankly, a whirlwind, an ugly mix of apprehension and annoyance and hatred and trust and excitement and lies and truth; it's too much to think about. he doesn't have a perfect understanding, or a good label, but he does have a ratty t-shirt, a dry mouth and a swoopy stomach, determination, and some earnest words. "i'm here because i'm your friend," — whatever it might mean between them. it means everything.

then it's even worse of a mess, despair, sleepless nights, running, chasing, some shapeless feeling haunting him, some vague suspicion rising in his stomach, restless, a romance growing and snapping, settling into a soft "lets not talk about it", some vague suspicion tensing in his chest and lungs, something, almost; and then, somewhere inbetween seeing dirk in the middle of some fucking field and losing his mind with delirious glee so badly he just screams, and making an indignant face at the question of "you blew up life for this?" (what, like he wasn't meant to? like there ever was another option? like there's any life worth living that isn't this?) — somewhere inbetween that, it becomes, suddenly and fully, so very clear. he is in love.

it's a simple feeling, one he doesn't examine, because there's not much to examine; it's bright as day, calm, steady, existing. he doesn't feel guilty about it, or conflicted, or pained: frankly, he's got more important things to worry about. he folds his hands around dirk like a hurt bird, gentle, careful, gives him space but coaxes him out, confronts but comforts him, plays their little jokes and gives their grand speeches, stays just behind and dashes forward, saves him, saves him, saves him, with all he's got. he speaks his mind for dirk, honest (almost; to the plea of "why, why, why—", "this is all for amanda" is a good lie, an almost-truth, stable, a reasonable choice). he does, with all his heart, the right thing.

even when they kiss, he almost doesn't feel guilty — if he scrunches his eyes real hard, he can nearly convince himself that it's all magic's fault, that things happen, that dirk has (should have) probably forgotten, that it's alright; that he shouldn't bother his best friend with all these weird feelings when dirk's mentally struggling and that he won't, that it's okay, really. soon enough, he's got much worse things to worry about; and much worse things to actually feel shameful over.

when dirk swoops back to save his life, radiant, this gets maybe a little bit harder to control. it's still devotion, steeled, forged, but maybe a little more fervent, with grasping touches and unchecked decisions and unfiltered words; affection spills out of him, unbound, bold, feverish, when he looks dirk in the eyes. it's unclear whether dirk sees it or not; it doesn't matter at all.

they emerge utterly victorious. they celebrate, and hold each other, and todd doesn’t have the space anymore to pretend that he would choose anyone, anytime, over dirk. the future before them is unpredictable but so hopeful, so promising, and he feels alright, truly, actually alright; and his inhibitions feel maybe a little bit cracked under the exultant weight of everything, and especially dirk's hand. he'll figure it out, he guesses. honesty is the game.

and i don't know yet what'll happen in my version of s3, but that’s for Sure the season where they confess and get together, though not without drama, obviously — a lot of drama, as is due.

[criminalmutantsins]

Sylki Rewrite

(Note: Although I don’t like Sylki, I don’t have a problem with anyone who ships them.) Warning: Internalized Homophobia Mention

Two weeks ago, I binged the Loki series. To put it shortly, I loved it! Loki has one of the best character development I’ve ever seen. He moved past his insecurities and realized what he truly wanted- to be loved and seen. The time aspect was easy to digest and didn’t complicate or overinflate the concept too much. I loved the new characters, especially Mobius and O.B. Mobius and Loki’s chemistry was amazing and so natural, which makes sense since Mobius was his first friend. O.B. was lovable and so nerdy. I hope they both return to future projects. Though I didn’t connect with her as much, B-15 was a good addition, and would be happy to see her return. When it comes to Sylvie, I'm mixed with her. She’s well-written for the most part, but I didn’t like the Sylki romance in S1, and her attitude got irritating in S2 (I'll most likely write a separate post on it). Alongside thinking Loki being attracted to a version of himself is weird, their romance felt rushed and unnatural. I couldn’t really see Loki being attracted to/like/in love with someone that quickly and Sylvie looked like she barely tolerated him, even in the second season. Honestly, I think this romance was pushed by Disney instead of the writers, mainly because there was a moment in Episode 4 where Mobius rants about how strange the attraction was. I’d like to think that was the writers calling out Disney for how weird this idea was. I would’ve liked it more if Loki and Sylvie had a sibling-like relationship. I would’ve written it where Loki feels protective of Sylvie because he sees a bit of himself in her such as his anger, loneliness, and wish to belong somewhere. But, he also respects her because she lived alone and in survival mode, teaching herself how to use magic and escape death. In turn, Sylvie sort of resents Loki, especially when he mentions his relationship with Frigga, since he lived in Asgard and had a family while she lived alone and in fear. I would have a scene where Sylvie lashes out at him (maybe when he accidentally breaks the Tempad), calling him a fool for taking his family’s love for granted. On the other hand, Loki snapped and said how she had the chance to be her true self while Loki lived under Thor’s shadow and Asgard’s expectations. Maybe go as far as to mention how he felt he had to hide his bisexuality and genderfluidity out of fear of not being accepted. By the end of the argument, both realize how their pain does not absolve others and that there is good and bad in their lives. Other than the kiss scene, the scene with Loki trying to stop Sylvie from killing He Who Remains was great. 

I was so glad S2 left the ship behind. It was one of the reasons why I think S2 is a big improvement. I can’t really describe their relationship since there are moments when they get along but there are others when Sylvie is really standoffish and doesn't seem to like Loki. Maybe the closest description would be bickering siblings, which is close to what I wanted.

Did anyone else get nervous that there would be a Sylki kiss in the S2 finale? I was, especially when he was trying to stop her from killing HWR again. If they did, it would've messed with my enjoyment since there was no indication in previous episodes that they were continuing the romance. Thankfully, they didn't and the finale was perfect, even if it broke my heart that Loki will live alone for as long as he's alive. I wanted him to be happy with everyone.