#a little disjointed

[setaflow]

Anyway I had fun this season

[northstarscowboyhat]

Toys and stickers.

[rockwgooglyeyes]

and in a blink. . . gone.

There's lots of things I could say about Round 7. This might not be my most coherent post ever but c'est la vie.

One of the most palpable things in Blink Gone's video is the color symbolism. The most prominent colors are green and red, with red being symbolised in the line "dark crimson air embraces us, lifting our spirits" and green pulling duty in the earlier line, "the verdant lights tickle my eyes and I smile." The thing that's so interesting about these two colors is, to me, the green represents life/rebellion/freedom in ALNST, especially with the inside of Mizi's hood being green, Hyuna's leg being green, etc, (green being shown when Till reaches out for Mizi, reaching out for freedom/rebellion.) Comparatively red represents something closer to loss/grief/love, with the skies of the meteor scene in Black Sorrow being red, Ivan's pupils being red, the flowers at the Garden being red (my clematis being the song that started it all), etc. (the flashback of the ivantill kiss is red as well, symbolising the loss/grief Till connects to it).

(Additionally, fun fact! I believe that teal symbolises childhood, or even simply the past, in ALNST because of the lighting style caused in the ANAKT garden images casting a greenish-blue tint on the shadows, as well as the fact that Till's eyes are teal and he is one of the people who has clung to the ephemeral, sweet moments of their childhood the fiercest.)

Purple isn't something with as clear symbolism in ALNST simply because it's not been around *as much* but I would argue that it symbolises the system and the oppression it exerts, as well as control in general. Luka's fingers are purple when he's in control of his emotions. The stage in Blink Gone is a combination of purple and green (largely) and I feel as though that represents the war between rebellion and the system (funny that, at the end, purple consumes the stage, symbolising how today, the system won) as well as the undercurrents of control showing how this entire round was calculated from the beginning.

The instruments in the midpoint of the song (the violin and electric guitar) being holographic in universe and being CGI in the video is actually significant, because of something that @alien-til-i-stage said to me, which was, the instruments represented Till's genius and his humanity. In my opinion, the fact that they weren't real and in fact were just stand ins (with Till's being green and Luka's being purple), while the prerecorded instrumentals played anyways, is a taunt, saying that Till and Luka's humanity is an illusion, and all they are in the end, is slaves to the machine. Something that is proved true by the way that this whole fucking round was rigged from the beginning, condemning Luka to a prolonged life within his gilded cage and Till relegated to a mere token, killed simply as a stepping stone on Luka's path to continued life and torture.

Maybe that's why Blink, Gone feels so empty to me, as a round. It rings hollow. Even the instrumentals feel incomplete, the way that the chorus is dominant and the verses are brief, most of the song being the repeated lines of "in a blink, gone" and "the clock goes tick, tock, tick, tock" because, see, to me the repetition is fitting but the more the same thing is repeated, the less substance it has. Perhaps that's fitting, after all, it's gone in a blink, you can listen to the song and blink in surprise once you realize it's over, stunned at how fast it went.

The song itself is about seizing the moment, carpe diem, that sort of shit, but it's from the retrospect.

Someone on twitter (as seen above) mentioned that the song isn't about love, it's about loss. Which makes the hollowness ring all the more loudly. Of course it feels empty- grief is the feeling you experience when you turn to say something to someone and you realize they're not there. (also note how during this still, it's purple but with a red undertone- reinforcing the system of oppression using grief as a tool).

It's about someone from the future, who has been hurt before, trying to insist to the person in the present that they need to enjoy what they have because loss is inevitable. "And I smile, before this piercing, radiant moment fades away," (from when Mizi realizes it's Till on stage) is directly followed by "and in a blink, gone, forget everything and just enjoy it" which is so manipulative it hurts. It highlights a moment of happiness, and then sucker punches you with how fleeting and ephemeral that moment is, basically saying "happiness is pointless, don't dwell on it, enjoy what you have and don't ask for more" it's an authority figure telling you to stop complaining about what you don't have because, hey, look, you have a roof over your head! Who cares if you're hunger, you're not out on the street, ungrateful wretch! "Don't miss the moment ... leave no regrets" the lyrics are more of a slap in the face than they are a heartfelt plea. This isn't someone telling you not to get lost in your head because you're missing out on the beauty of the present, this is someone telling you to stop dwelling on your grief.

Not only that but the later lines of "Exist for me, it's this moment or no," only deepen that manipulation of a hand being held out but that hand having a steep price. You can exist for this person, enjoy this moment, but that means leaving everything else behind and maybe that's easier, but is it worth it? Because when Till finally reaches out, takes that hand, fixates on the moment and forgets everything else, he’s shot down.

Let me come back to the "the whole fucking round was rigged from the start" comment that I just made and breezed past because there is actual reasoning behind it besides "boohoo my twink died and that can't be canon without interference D:"

Why the fuck would Till start flagging in the second half of the song, if he was on drugs that Urak gave him? It doesn't make sense for Urak not to give Till the right amount of drugs to keep him aware and capable for the whole round, after all, Urak wants Till to win. Right? It certainly doesn't seem that way, considering the fact that the drugs couldn't have come from anywhere other than Urak, and that it didn't really matter who ended up here, at the finale, because they were going to lose to Luka anyways.

It makes me think that Urak was paid off, to make Till lose, because I sincerely doubt he would do it without incentive. Additionally, if he weren't paid and he just wanted Till to lose, there wouldn't be any point to drugging Till at all. Till was merely drugged to keep up the appearance of a fight and to keep the performance going, not to actually give him a chance to fucking try.

Not only that but the FUCKING IMAGES OF IVAN??? There's no way that they intended to even give Till a chance of winning.

God I mean I love that Ivan featured (and that Luka went through the trouble to imitate him, and that it worked, because that means that at least Ivan had some kind of effect on Till) but god, it hurts to know that at this point, he's merely used as a bludgeon to whack over Till's head and put him into the grave.

[saltpepperbeard]

so, hastiness of the sex and the literal and figurative distance that follows aside, something was really bugging me about the morning after. i couldn’t put my finger on it for a while, but now that i’ve sat with things, i think it’s finally clicked in my head:

stede’s reactions to ed’s sweetness. or lack thereof, really.

because goodness, they just slept together. they just bared body and soul to each other. they just survived a dangerous situation and made it to see the sun rise once again. they’ve been through so much, and faced so much adversity.

and despite all they’ve been through, ed is kind. ed is thoughtful, and soft, and sweet. he brings stede breakfast in bed. he tries to make it as pretty as he can. and then weaves beautiful gratitude and admiration in the form of his goldfish tale.

something that should make anyone sigh with fondness, really. something that make eyes flutter with hearts to match.

…and yet.

and yet stede reacts almost…casually to it all. not glittery how he was at the end of episode 5, for example—so warm and so bright and so very clearly in love. it all felt a bit more…stunted? reserved? unnecessarily curt?

and upon sitting with it as i said, i have two lines of thought, two theories.

one, it’s a sort of look into the heightening poison in his system, the good ol’ villain that is toxic masculinity. he feels the need to perform around ed, to be a man worthy of his love. he feels the need to be more than just “adequate,” more than just an “amateur.” and so he feels the need to be more masculine as a result. he’s not quite at his peak of course, not quite in the absolute thick of it—he still has moments closer to himself throughout the day. but the more poisonous seeds have been planted.

and what does that sort of masculinity often lead to? reserved emotions. stunted reactions. you’re not allowed to show vulnerability, or softness, or anything of the sort; you’re expected to be just a wall of strength and flat composure.

which, also, would align with the show: ed actively tries to combat that mentality in the morning. he straight up tells stede that the man who saved him was a fantastic, orange, sparkly mermaid. not some swashbuckling hero. not some colder, mysterious, more reserved man. but a beautiful, soft, dazzling goldfish.

and stede sort of just shrugs it off—turns it into a “well i hope we’ll both get through the violence” as opposed to realizing that ed is complimenting his true character.

but that brings me to my second theory: maybe stede reacts the way he does simply because…he’s never been loved like that before. he doesn’t know what to do with it. he’s never been brought breakfast in bed before, and now there ed goes doing so for him.

he seems to be fine when he's the one in the driver's seat. like, he's very romantic when he's dealing out the romance. but the second it's turned back on him, he can't seem to conceptualize it, even when it's coming from a man he knows he's in love with. like, ed complimenting his shirt led to a more incredulous reaction. ed saying that stede wears fine things well also led to a more incredulous reaction. and like...

"then you shaved your beard off...for me?"

he just can't grasp it. he can't grasp something so new and foreign to him quite yet. and it's of course also wrapped up in a lot of self-worth issues, because how can anyone love him when he really doesn't love himself (which i think is also the same for ed. help them. HELP THEM)

you just...can't catch a fish unless the fish wants to be caught.

[mogwaei]

Character sheet for my new Solasmancing Lavellan!

Djin'zidei - "Mirage or errant wish" / "the path beyond the mirror"

lore below:

Djin'zidei was born to a clan with a love for family and knowledge, enough so that many are encouraged to seek out other clans as an eternal quest for wisdom. It becomes necessary when Djin'zidei herself discovers she is possessed of a heightened sensitivity to both the Fade and the Veil. This gift, or curse, causes her frequent trouble, leading her to constantly experimenting with various substances to manage her 'episodes.' Despite the challenges, she remains deeply fascinated by it. (What this all entails will be explored in a fic) 👀

Through a series of odd events tied to her travels, she ends up encountering an odder Adventuring Crew of treasure hunters and historians (there's a dwarf & a rogue Grey Warden for instance) with her sibling. They decide to join, as her sensitivity makes her very useful for exploring ruins and other ancient places. The group becomes tight-knit when they find they all share a ravenous hunger for knowledge, thrill, and chasing mysteries.

then everything changed when the fire nation attacked...

[flowercrowngods]

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 (these make one big story, you won't understand this part without the others)

day 07: free space a happy ending

Wakefulness embraces him so slowly and gently that Steve’s not entirely sure he isn’t dreaming when he sees Eddie lying next to him, watching him with an easy smile as his fingers tap out a slow beat on his pillow. Steve looks at him, blinking away the remnants of sleep, not quite daring to do anything more than that for fear of it being a dream after all, scared that Eddie would disappear if Steve reached out to touch. 

But then Eddie’s smile widens. “Good morning, sunshine.” 

Steve gasps a little and moves his hand to Eddie’s cheek, tucking a few strands of hair behind his ear, his breath hitching when Eddie leans into the touch. 

“You’re here,” he whispers, his gaze wandering over Eddie’s features, taking it all in and looking for any indication that this is a dream. 

Eddie hums. “And you’re pretty.” 

It hits him out of nowhere, the open sincerity in Eddie’s voice, the fondness in his eyes, the honesty in everything about him. The love, open and free now — or getting there, at least. It’s still so raw, though, so new, that Steve doesn’t know how to handle it yet. 

“Shut up,” he huffs once he’s caught his breath, rolling over to hide his face and the way his cheeks are heating up. He rolls right into Eddie's chest, though, and he's so warm, so close, smells so good that Steve wants nothing more than to bury his face in his neck and stay there for the rest of the morning. Or maybe the rest of his life.

The reflex to pull away is there. The urge to run and hide, to laugh it off, to freeze up and find something else to do, something to occupy his hands and stop them from reaching for Eddie. Years and years of muscle memory telling Steve to leave. 

But Eddie's arms come around him, holding him close and pulling him even closer. And Steve breathes him in, remembering that it can be okay. Remembering that they get a chance now. 

Remembering the words. 

What are you doing? 

Changing the world. 

So he tries that, too. Changing the world. He tries by winding his arms around Eddie, too, and breathing in again and again, learning that Eddie won't disappear if he does. 

Slowly, he dares to move his arms, stroking along Eddie's back in slow, gentle patterns, lulling himself into a safety he hasn't felt in a while. Maybe ever. At some point Eddie begins to hum, and Steve thinks that it's just another one of his audible smiles, inviting Steve and the rest of the world to join in if they're so inclined. But then he detects a familiar melody in the vibrations of Eddie's neck against his skin, and he holds his breath to find out what it is. 

His heart jumps when he recognises the song as one he used to listen to on repeat like a lovesick fool around the time his feelings for Eddie turned into something more, something better, something infinitely worse. 

It skips and he forgets how to breathe as he lets his hands travel over Eddie's back, slowly and tentatively daring to slip underneath his shirt and touch his skin. 

Eddie begins to sing, then, and Steve wonders if he's even been in love with him before, because nothing of what he's ever felt compares to Eddie's gentle, hoarse, sleep-rough voice as he sings Somebody to Steve, to their little bubble, or to the world outside. 

"I want somebody to share, share the rest of my lifeShare my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details."

He closes his eyes as he listens, focusing on the vibrations, on the warmth, on the closeness, on how this moment is everything he's never even dared to want. Everything so perfect that he couldn't even dream it up. 

Everything. You're everything. 

He needs to be closer still, so be buries his nose in Eddie's neck and breathes him in, tangling their legs, filled with a breathless kind of joyful bliss when Eddie's breath hitches, too, and he stumbles over the words of the second verse as Steve tries to climb into his skin. 

"I want somebody who cares for me passionatelyWith every thought and with every breath."

You have me, Steve thinks, pressing his lips to Eddie's pulse point. It's not a kiss, not quite. It's something deeper. It's a promise. 

Eddie's hands come up to hold him there even as his voice carries through the drumbeat of Steve's heart in his throat, running fingers through his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp, making him purr along to the melody. 

"But when I'm asleep I want somebodyWho will put their arms around me and kiss me tenderlyThough things like this make me sickIn a case like this, I'll get away with it."

When the song ends, Eddie's words faded out, replaced once again by the gentlest silence, Steve feels raw. Vulnerable. Open and exposed. But he also feels safe, and loved, buried in Eddie's skin and held there, as though Eddie is just as scared of fading away as Steve is. 

He lifts his head just slightly, enough to meet Eddie's eyes – only to find that they're closed, an expression so serene like Steve has never seen before. Mesmerised and overflowing with affection, he reaches out to trace the line of his brows, down to his cheeks and all the way to his lips, where his eyes are glued for a second. 

The thought of kissing Eddie is right there. The opportunity is, too. But he doesn't. He barely dares to move as it is. But he does roll them over the rest of the way until he lies comfortably on top of Eddie, and tucks his head underneath his chin, finding one of his hands and lacing their fingers. 

"You've got him," he breathes eventually. "That somebody. If you—“ 

"Yes," Eddie says, his other hand finding its way to the nape of Steve's neck to play with his hair again. "I want."

"Good." It's lame; far from what he wants to say. From what he has already said last night. It feels like they're doing this backwards, starting with the I love you and catching up with the slow build-up afterwards. "Good. Me, too." 

"Good," Eddie hums, and there's that smile again that Steve can't help but mirror. 

They fall asleep again like that even though it’s already late in the morning; cuddling and holding and cradling each other, still trembling slightly. Maybe that's what changing the world will do to you. Maybe that's the bravery more than the love. 

Or maybe it's just Steve and Eddie. Steve and Eddie. SteveandEddie. 

I love you. 

~*~

It takes a bit for Steve to relearn loving Eddie. To not associate it with tragedy and sadness and a bone-deep loneliness that'll leave him breathless even on the best of days. 

It takes a while for Steve to learn a whole new kind of breathlessness, a whole new kind of aching when it comes to Eddie. 

And Eddie's not much better than Steve, pulling away when Steve wants him closer, swallowing his words and needing a second, third, fourth try until he learns that he gets to love Steve now. 

Years of unrequited love, or feelings unreturned, of words put out into the universe with no one to receive them, are not easily or quickly unwritten. But every time Steve's breath gets lodged in his throat and he wants to run away, Eddie is right there to remind him of what they can have now. Every time Steve tries to be a little less of who he really is, Eddie is right there to coax him out of his head with gentle touch and a lot of hugs. 

Every time Eddie starts to doubt himself and all the ways he makes Steve the happiest person on the planet, Steve is right there with the words he only has for Eddie. Words that don't get stuck anymore. Words that finally get a recipient. 

~*~

Their first kiss, the first real kiss, doesn't happen that first morning. They spend the first week only holding each other, barely wanting to let go, hiding their vulnerabilities within each other. 

Steve is worried about it at first, seeing Eddie so quiet, so reverent, lacking his usual cheer, his energy and snarky comments. He asks about it one night, ready to prove right that he isn't and can never be enough for him, that all he will do is steal the things that make him Eddie. 

Eddie stops then, lifting Steve's chin with a finger when he's too scared, too ashamed, too vulnerable to meet his eyes on his own accord. 

"Stevie," Eddie says, his voice so gentle that Steve immediately feels stupid for doubting. "I have loved you for ten years. I've had you for three days. Let me bask in it. Let me be unable to be myself with how absolutely and utterly overcome I am with the knowledge that I have you now. That I get to hold you. That I get to kiss you and keep you and... God. I'm not unhappy. I'm so much the opposite of that that I'm not sure there's a word for it. Other than devoted. Smitten. Bewitched, body and soul."

Steve wants to kiss him then. Almost does, with the way they're just staring at each other, breathing the same air —air that smells like Eddie now. In the end, Eddie just holds him, brushing a kiss to his cheek, his forehead, his temple, and whispers, "Let me bask in it." 

And so they do. 

Wayne called Eddie not long after with the words, "Chrissy just told me the wedding's off. Please tell me that means what I think it means." 

Eddie just blushed, reaching for Steve, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Yeah, I, uh. I finally talked to Steve."

There was a very loud cheer on the other end that made Steve laugh, falling into Eddie's side, holding him tight, a weight falling off his shoulders knowing that Wayne was okay with them. 

You know, I always figured it would be you. 

No matter what happens, you'll always be a son to me.

It made his eyes sting again, but he basked in the moment and in the knowledge that Wayne was on their side. Always has been, always will be. 

"You better come here on Sunday, and bring Robin and Chrissy, too." 

"Robs and Chrissy?" Eddie asked. 

"Oh, you're in for a treat. I'll see your asses on Sunday, boys." 

And with that, he hung up. Steve immediately went to call Robin, hopeful and giddy with Wayne's implication, knowing that Chrissy was Robin's person just like Eddie was his. 

"She loves me," Robin said, on the verge of tears, and Steve joined here right then and there. "She's– Steve. She's so– She... God!" 

"Yeah," Steve laughed at the ceiling above his bed, grinning because Robin sounded so happy, not even caring that she didn't have the right words for it, because he could hear Chrissy laughing in the background, too. Laughing and saying hi to him and interrupting Robin's ramblings and groans and giggles with kisses that always left her dumbstruck for a good two seconds each time. 

When the call ended, he went right back to the living room, where he and Eddie started watching Pride and Prejudice before, and fell right on top of him with a happy, happy smile. 

~*~

It happens at Wayne's, exactly one week after Eddie showed up at Steve's in the middle of the night. One week after the phone call. One week after I love you. 

It happens in the soft glow of the fairy lights Steve and Eddie helped him put up years ago. I happens after Wayne hugged him tight once more, after he pulled Chrissy to the side and promised her that she's still his kid, that he still loves her, and that he's happy to see her smile like that. After he promised the same to Robin.

It happens when Wayne's inside to refill their drinks and Chrissy and Robin are caught up in each other that they're blind and deaf to the rest of the world. When Steve turns to find Eddie looking at him with the softest, gentlest expression. 

"Eddie," he whispers, leaning in to rest their heads together, lacing their fingers and stroking his thumb along Eddie's palm.

"Yeah, baby?" 

Baby. It fills him with butterflies, with the urge to scream, to shout from all the rooftops that he loves Eddie, and more importantly, that Eddie loves him back! Baby. Baby.

"I love you." 

"Hmm. I love you more." 

No, you don't. Just longer. "Can I kiss you?" 

He can feel Eddie's little gasp before he leans in even closer, rubbing their noses together, cradling Steve's face with his free hand. "Please," he whispers. 

And Steve does. He captures Eddie's lips, pouring into it everything he feels and more. Sealing the promises he's made and all the ones he's yet to make. The promises to love and cherish Eddie. To be brave. To be there. To stay and keep and bask. 

It's nothing like their first kiss all those years ago. There is no question behind it this time. Only declarations, only promises, only the beginning of a shared future. 

And there are many, many more after this one.

🌷🤍🌷 THE END 🌷🤍🌷

tagging: @sexymothmanincarnate @mcneen @livsters @eddiemunchondeeznuts @abstractnaturaldisaster @steddie-as-they-go @hyperfixationgoddess @goodolefashionedloverboi @stxrcrossed186 @eddiemunsonswife @bidisastersworld @ghost-ly-s @romanticdestruction @walkingaftermidnight07 @anaibis @rainydays35 @mightbeasleep @sunfloweringstories @korixae @tuesdaycats @totoroinatardis @ilovebookshowboutyou @musical-theatre-gay @theluckyalien @copingmechanizm @srra @changelingbaby @sassygoop @obsessivelyme @r0binscript @hardboiledleggs @estrellami-1 @bisexualdisastersworld @space-invading-pigeon @swimmingbirdrunningrock @y0urnewstepp4r3nt @oxidantdreamboat @spilled-jar @phirex22 @littlemsterious @captaingigglyguinea @animecookie95 @sharingisntkaren @haluton @littlemsterious @animecookie95 @suddenlyinlove @bisexual-bilingual-biped @jinx-nanami @makewavesandwar @scheodingers-muppet @morcantinon @hexdbog @homosexualhomocide13

god i can't believe it's over. i thank you, every one of you, who cheered for me, cried with me, screamed and yelled at me, and stayed with me throughout this past week. i have no words right now other than thank you 🤍🌷 and i hope this is okay

[until-the-brahmin-come-home]

sorry i wanna complain about the show's macguffin for a second but like. what a fuckin useless nonsensical item. i can handwave the existence of cold fusion because a lot of shit exists in the fallout universe; why not. the question remains: who the fuck is this for? power is useful, yeah, but only if you have the infrastructure to do anything with it. that shot of all the lights coming on at the end...even pretending that all that stuff would have survived the bombs dropping + over 200 years without maintenance, is there even anyone living in that area? hooray, the lights are on, we're still starving and drinking irradiated water. the water chip and the geck are both macguffins that have very immediate application to people's survival. the hoover dam is also about water, and is allowed to also be about power because there are very obviously large locations in the mojave in need of power. something has to keep all those neon lights on and casinos going. who's going to spearhead a huge civil engineering project with the ncr remnants to recreate a power grid for the area. if they hadn't destroyed the ncr this would be a much more feasible goal of theirs. you could even tie it in with new vegas - the ncr lost the dam and are scrambling for a separate power source. you can't establish a classic wasteland with everyone fighting over scraps and then declare electricity is going to save everyone. but none of that matters anyway because the brotherhood yoinked it i guess.

[sgtpepperstanheight-gordon]

Thoughts on your two humans? :]

they are both warm! and as bad at sleeping as Specter and me are.

short dad is always looking at me and saying "chat, are we cooked? should i go back to the camera life?"

whatEver That means.

10/10 i love themm a lot

[paarthursass]

Rip to all the people saying this season of Ted Lasso sucks. I however am a Trent Crimm girlie and am winning.

[phopollo]

It's time for that thing I always do when I get obsessed with a fandom and I get super self indulgent and start drawing its characters in outfits that belong to my OCs

Teehee

I thought this was a suitably fun and silly story to put these guys in the outfits of

I'd love to add in more Hilda characters in my OCs' outfits, but unfortunately since the one these came from is such a wip, there's only these 4 characters so far, so it'll just be the freaky friends,,,

[astralwhat]

enthusiastic about many 'ologies!

[methoughtsphantom]

plot bunnies about an idea i don’t have enough motivation juice to write. red hood identity reveal variety

smol jason

So, Red Hood reclutantly working alongside the Bat to take down a child trafficking ring when he is hit with a de-aging spell. It even isn’t the first time Batman encountered the end of this particular spell so he already knows the victim would have no recollection of their memories, so he protects the now child (he guessing 11 estimate age) and guides him through the panic of not being able to take off the Red Hood helmet. the one that canonically has a bomb in it (cause older Jason is a dramatic bitchTM) so like, Batman catches the child’s prying fingers and takes them away from the latches because Hood has implied the existence of a bomb and that’s enough for dread to set in his gut. Bruce gently coaxes the child to let him confirm this with a device he takes out of his belt and raises it eye level to the kid’s head. It beeps. And B feels the ground sweep out under him. Because indeed this child has a bomb to his head. (and he’s suddenly hearing another bomb go off in the distance and a warehouse and —)

anyways, B ends up taking (read kidnapping) this twelve year old to the Batcave so they can pry off the helmet and I can only picture the ANGST because this is Jason and Bruce each unaware of who the other is. Jason still lives in the streets in his mind according to him and well, according to B, he’s dead. So they start bonding, kinda awkwardly at first cuz of the helmet’s voice modulator, but Jay at that age (at any rlly) was a spitfire and like he genuinely makes B forget this is a crime lord for a second (kinda difficult to that when the kid is stuck in the helmet) but whatever. I can only see Jason being his cautious self but kinda being at ends here because he kinda does need Batman’s help to get this thing off him, so he can only, just like narrow his eyes when the Bat approaches him for a blood sample. (“Need to check for magic residue, lad.”)

(Jason’s only allows this because he has a knife he found in the clothes he’d was drowning in earlier)

As u can guess, Bruce was obviously lying and wanted to run the blood sample to see if it matched any from his database (as the Red Hood has also implied that they have met before)

Anyways Bruce just gets the alert that the blood reading was finished almost at the same time they can pry the helmet off, and because he got a little attached, he just wants to see the face of this lively if wary teenager that has the same name as his (dead) son. (he managed to pry it from him earlier, how, i dunno) It’s literally Bruce’s martyr and huge guilt-complex that goes like ‘ah yes let me see the face of a child that was failed so throughly by the people who should’ve taken care of him’. So they pry off the helmet and then Bruce feels like he’s been doused by cold water. it’s like he’s staring at the ghost of his dead son again, the image completed with ruffled hair, slightly upturned lips and blue guarded eyes that look up to him with recognition but not recognition.

Bruce immediately hardens, shuts down any hope he can feel rushing in and desperately tries to close the dam and let his confusion and rage turn into anguish. “Who are you?”

The boy—the imposter quickly tracks the 180 demeanor change and immediately goes defensive. A painfully familiar scowl appears in his face.

“I’m Jason, I already told you that, what, your old age catching up to you?”

Batman stalks closer and then the boy’s taking two steps back for every one the Bat takes. He tracks the loose outline of a hand closing in tightly around the hilt of a knife in the boy wearing his son’s face and he can only think how dare he.

“Lies! You’re not my son! Who are you?”

Heart in throat, Jason struggles to keep distance between him and the towering black shadow that’s so angry he can sense it in his very bones. He doesn’t understand.

He doesn’t.

“I-I my name’s Jason. Jason Todd. My father is Willis Todd, not—not, Batman.”

And there’s that for the little snippet. Sorry this is so disjointed😭. After that’s just the mental image of Dick cutting in with Zatanna trailing closely behind him and being all “Hey I got your message about a de-aging spell and—“ and just stopping at the scene.

Because that’s Batman towering over a clearly scared kid. Said kid using the distraction to try and stab Batman. The action clearly enraging Batman—that doesn’t make any sense?! B would never— Dick immediately sprints into action and steps in between the two.

like Dick just giving his back to the kid and not seeing. Batman clearly shaking his head in denial and snarling, treating the kid like his crime lord self and Dick not understanding. Having to receive help from Zatanna to get the kid the hell out of here (but like where would they even take him? The manor??)

Zatanna just takes them to the other side of the cave and takes note of the teenager. How he has a dead grip on a red helmet and his gaze is stuck upon it.

Meanwhile Dick has to physically restrain Batman from going after the kid and he raises his voice just enough to demand what the hell is happening?? Why is there a kid in the Batcave? …Batman??? Report. As he is demanding answers Dick had slowly loosen his grip on his dad only to now found him staring at his gauntlet’s data hologram.

The information displayed? 99.98% Match confirmed to Jason Peter Todd.

So as this is clearly pure angst, I want Jason to lash out, sticking only to Zatanna only to realize she’s the magic user that’ll quote on quote will return him back to normal.

Jason is just like on really uneven ground here, even though he doesn’t think he’s ready to retur. But then Batman is just like “Jaylad” … “Jay…” and taking off his cowl and reaching up to him and looking at him like he knows him, like he’s something fragile and precious. Which is sooo fucking jarring you can understand. Jason internally is all what the fuck

Jason just wants them to back off. Jason is an overwhelmed bean. He looks up to Nightwing for help but the man is also mirroring the Bat, domino off and eyes suspiciously bright.

Zatanna is literally the only person in the room not emotionally compromised. She’s with Jay in the ??? train.

Suddenly she looks down and there’s the little boy whose eyes are pleading in helpless confusion. Eyes practically conveying the question you can return me back to normal right?? he pointedly doesn’t rip his eyes from hers as Zatanna puts a hand on his shoulder, pretending she doesn’t notice how he trembles and wordlessly asks if he’s sure.

cut scene

Bruce interrupts because information overload and he can’t compartmentalize this is too important and he and Dick stop Zatanna to which she too is ?? because that was literally what she was called for here. Dick is no help.

Dick is torn.

[imsociallyanxiousgetoverit]

It’s so sad

The idea that Arthur truly cared deeply about Merlin and believed he knew that

and Arthur believing Merlin would never lie to him

only to find out he’s been a warlock all along

Arthur is about to die and finds out his best friend and most trusted advisor has been lying their entire time together

He quickly passes the anger and falls into the pain of Merlin not trusting him

into the realization he spent his entire life as prince, knight, and king not showing himself even to his closest confidants

He could have died any moment before and he never said a word of his true feelings for Merlin and of the value their relationship has to him

He’s dying now and there’s not much time left to say it

Merlin is a warlock and has been lying and Arthur cannot care because he is a dead man who never expressed himself while alive

[libraryleopard]

girl help i am writing more fanfiction about jenny and the cat king bitching at each other

[hikayunas]

Hikaru being reduced down to nothing but "horse" jokes by the wider fandom -- instead of treated as a proper character to be examined and taken seriously -- is something that's stuck with me for a while. It's ironic, if a bit sad in its irony, once you think about it for a moment or two.

Hikaru being "the Horse" isn't just a gag thrown in for a cheap laugh -- "the Horse" is Hikaru's coping mechanism; how she dehumanizes herself, and creates a mental disconnect between herself and her identity as a Futatsugi magical girl -- as a weapon -- a tool -- to further Yuna's goals, for her use alone. Hikaru may not want to stain her hands for Promised Blood's goals, but if Yuna wills it, then Torayamachi's Horse certainly does -- "the Horse" will take as many lives as it can for Yuna, or die trying.

"The Horse" started off innocently enough; Yuna suggested it when she and Hikaru were both still fresh into the ranks of Futatsugi's magical girls. It was meant as nothing more than a nickname, inspired by Hikaru's ability to summon her army of smoke-puff soldiers -- Hikaru would be Yuna's Horse; her cavalry in the shadows to assist when called upon by their general.

But it did not stay that way. At least, not entirely. "The Horse" has certainly stuck around as Hikaru's playful nickname among Promised Blood's ranks -- but it runs much deeper than that; much deeper than Yuna ever intended for it to. For a nickname, it's incredibly personal to her -- she's quick to become offended when Juri makes a mocking play on it, calling her a "stupid mule" instead of the usual "Horse." And, constantly having the "Horse" title referenced in Promised Blood just reinforces the disconnect between Kirari Hikaru, Futatsugi citizen, and Torayamachi's Horse; pack animal, weapon, and tool for Kureha Yuna's use only. In Promised Blood, she is the Horse -- she is not Kirari Hikaru.

As far as coping mechanisms go, it's not as good as she believes it to be. It certainly does get her through the harder parts of magical girl life in Futatsugi, and later on, through the Kimochi wars as a member of Promised Blood, and it serves to connect her and help her bond with the other Promised Blood members -- but it is, by exact definition, dehumanization. Kirari Hikaru -- the Horse -- is not a person, she is not a human being; it is a pack animal, a weapon, a tool, for Kureha Yuna's use. Without Yuna, it is nothing.

Hikaru cheerfully agrees when Ao says that she really is an empty shell, grinning and chirping back without hesitation that as long as she's with Yuna, she's full. A horse needs its master; a weapon needs a general to wield it; a tool needs someone skilled to put it to use. Without someone to use them, they are useless. Without Yuna, the Horse is useless. If Yuna dies, the Horse -- and Hikaru, with it -- dies, too. Where Yuna goes, the Horse follows.

Every little thing that the Horse does is for Yuna. The Horse is not its own person; it's not a person at all. Yuna is Promised Blood's general, and a general needs her loyal horse. When all is said and done, Hikaru does not need to feel any guilt nor remorse for the blood on the Horse's saber, even if their sabers are one in the same. This is simply what the horse was meant to do. It was made to do this. The horse is not its own person; it's not a person at all. It is a pack animal, a weapon, a tool. Its decisions are not its own, and certainly not Hikaru's own.

...which is to say, boiling her character down to nothing but "horse" jokes is something that I think about a normal amount.

[spaceorphan18]

Hi! You mentioned you were a bit disappointed by part 2 - what do you think could've been done better? Personally I needed more Colin, I felt like he got lost in the Whistledown plot

Hi Nonny!

Ooff, I have very complicated feelings about all of this, lol.

I was initially disappointed when I first watched because there are a lot of subtle emotions going on and it all goes by so quickly, and is in such short bursts that it's hard to unpack all of it on first watch. It also COMPLETELY plays with expectations and has them in the middle of a fight while getting married which is... so bonkers. So bonkers. And it is incredibly disorienting.

Having rewatched it (multiple times now) and having some MAJOR revelations about Colin (I mean I was casually watching two months ago -- I had zero real idea bout his character) I actually love a lot of the second half, and really appreciate what they were going for.

Is it perfect? No - there are still some issues (I'll get to that in a sec) but I appreciate the story that they were attempting to tell. Because it's fascinating. And there are a lot of delicious elements to it.

I think one of the biggest issues is that they were trying to cram this incredibly complex story into 8 episodes. And with the addition of the million subplots, it didn't fully work. Honestly, I wish we had gotten an episode or two longer just to let the full story breathe a little more.

I agree that, overall, they we needed a tad more of Colin's process. It's there but it's subtle. And I think his entire character arc, while there, is subtle. As just a casual viewer who hadn't watched the previous seasons - ngl, I felt slightly lost and slightly disappointed that we didn't get to see /more/.

Also it's hard. HARD. That they don't get to connect post-wedding, because Whistledown still hangs down over them. Because you WANT to them to have that post-wedding bliss. You WANT them to consummate the marriage and have that after glow and we don't get that. And my god, I really wanted to wake up in bed together, happy and blissful like we got with Kanthany.

But that's not the story.

I will say, once I unpacked it a little - the story we get is absolutely delicious. And I actually really love what we did get. There's this fascinating angst there -- where the characters are so IN LOVE and yet they both have their own journeys of dealing with the Whistledown of it all. And the fact that they do go through with this wedding, the fact that their their friendship means they have groundwork to get them through the nonsense, it's so good. I really love it.

But yeah, ultimately, I just wanted more of it. Because we don't get enough. But, honestly, I feel like we'd never get enough really.

About the side plots -- I haven't gone back and watch the first two seasons other than the rewatch I did a month ago. I'll have to see how many subplots are in those seasons, because idk know if there are /that/ many more. It's just that we're used to Polin being the subplot that it's odd when someone else takes that space.

About the ending -- here's where I feel like it could have been better. And here's where I think that maybe Season 4 can deliver on what was ultimately cut short in Season 3. I think Season 4 will have them be a united front and whatever Pen is going to go through they go through it together.

But we also get the happiness we didn't fully get at the end of Season 3. I hope -- would like to believe that Polin will settle into their comfortable roles as subplots again.

And maybe selfishly, I hope the show can keep Nic and Luke as long as possible because -- with their story being there from the beginning they have the chance to be a backbone of the entire show. And I mean, think about how much story that accumulates over all those seasons.

Anyway - I have more to say about the episodes, and maybe I'll kind of write up more on Season 3 as a whole, or episode by episode or something. Because, y'all who've been here with me know, media analysis has just become my second job. (I say as if I don't love every second of it.)