#also ​I’m a huge sucker for foreshadowing

[sufferu]

What do you think of the recent discussions in jp about otto "natsuki-san is a human and not just a hero so i will stand in his way" suwen vs julius "subaru is a prospective hero so i will support him and his choices" euclius?

I got the feeling that currently both of them puts subaru in a pedestal and not seeing him for who he really is, julius is biased because he sees the ideals he admires in subaru and otto is biased because he sees both subaru and julius as "pure"

I also think it's funny how even male jp readers of wn rezero are more interested in otto and julius fight over subaru rather than a potential emilia vs rem lol

I mean, the Emilia vs Rem deal is pretty much settled, ain’t it? I don’t even say this as a huge Emisuba fan, but like — everything is pointing to them being…at least the most LIKELY endgame pairing, and there’s been an awful lot of foreshadowing about a “polygamy == bad” message (Subaru being referred to (lightheartedly, but also somewhat seriously) as scum for stringing two girls along, Emilia directly turning to the audience and saying that she hates the idea of a polygamous relationship, the country that is literally the antithesis of the narrative giving its Emperor a harem, and probably more stuff I can’t think of right now).

And also — honestly I find (canon) Remsuba more interesting than Emisuba in a lot of ways, because I’m a sucker for really fucked up relationships in stories, but like. Them actually getting together at the end of Re:Zero would trample over all the most interesting parts of their dynamic that have been getting set up bf for the past…god, six, seven arcs? (Seriously my only real complaints have to do with how I feel the FANDOM brushes past a lot of their most fascinating elements, which is not the story’s fault lmao)

As for Otto and Julius…

Honestly I don’t think there’s enough to go on right now, but I do think it is worth keeping an eye on. Julius seeing Subaru as an upcoming hero, particularly, should be seen as…at least a little concerning, because this is not a story that uses “hero” as a compliment. It should also be noted that Julius is a complete dork and canonically a sucker for fairytales, which is likely coloring his perspective. And Otto…is really fucked up actually, and I’m excited to see where that goes.

[paigegonerogue]

Here’s why the infected scene in episode 5 of TLOU works so well…

Buildup: As of episode five in the series, we’ve seen infected multiple times already, and every appearance has built up this “threat-level” of them. In the first two episodes we see both the larger scale of the infected and how scary they can be in hordes (like the driving scene and the capitol building, as well as the absolutely brilliant overlook scene), but also how threatening they can be solo (Joel and Sarah in the diner and the museum scene)… also in episode three we get Bill’s little “ehehe” from an infected death which is just as if not far more important as well.

By the time we see the infected come running out of the crater, the writers have already intentionally and precisely given us the knowledge of just how scary the infected can be.

That’s also why I’m glad they only did this type of massive battle once in the series, because once they did it, it becomes impossible to recapture that buildup and almost “unleashing” of the infected, of seeing just how scary they are.

The buildup also includes the more typical rising tension of the episode (which was, like everything else in the show, done absolutely fantastically), and the foreshadowing of the infected by both Kathleen and Henry.

Scale: The infected scene in episode 5 is by far the biggest in scale action sequence of the show. The huge amounts of infected pouring out of the rubble and the massive Bloater, as well as how many people are involved, the fighting in the background, it makes the whole battle feel huge. It leaves you in this sense of almost “awe” that so many great action sequences have.

Horror: In the sequence there are horror elements added in to make it feel scarier (complementing both of the points above). Obviously zombies are already horror-esque, but that’s not what I mean.

I feel like the best example of horror elements being incorporated into the fight is the part where Ellie is in the car. Enclosed spaces are a horror staple. Ellie being trapped in the enclosed space with an infected, and later Henry and Sam trapped under the car, transition this battle beautifully into tension-filled smaller scale sections in this massive battle, with parts so pinprick focused on the people we care most about, and how bloodthirsty and terrifying these monsters are.

We also see it in Kathleen’s shocking and gruesome death, and the power of the bloater, almost reminiscent of the predator or other near-unstoppable horror forces.

Cinematography: The lighting in the battle is so good, with the fire and darkness adding to this scary effect of the battle, as well as this extra layer of dynamism and contrast.

Also, I’m always a sucker for background fight, following characters as they navigate through violence. The way this sequence does it is also incredibly well done, with the background ever-shifting and changing, with the focus of the shot being on someone actively trying to avoid the fight and get past this living mass of gore.

The handheld style of TLOU is something I can write essays about (and I will! Post about cinematography coming soon lol) but in this sequence it makes you feel like you’re on the ground with the characters as the battle rages around you.

Monster Design: This one is self-explanatory, I’d say. The clickers, and the Bloater, my goodness the Bloater, look so incredibly good. And the way that they created this almost alien thing overtaking regular peoples bodies and turning them into monsters is incredibly amazing, and the practical effects make it look so real and detailed (they had the makeup guy who did the Night King and Vecna)

Emotional Resonance: This one’s pretty simple. The battle makes you feel things. Not just fear for the characters, though there’s definitely a lot of that, but also showcasing Joel and Ellie’s growing bond, with Ellie trusting Joel to have her back and Joel desperately trying to protect her.

It was absolutely magnificent, and an absolute feat of filmmaking.

[runningfrom2am]

“Are you really the only woman in the Capitol who isn't insufferably annoying?” (The Wedding)

“It seems that all our classmates have monkey brains, or something.” (Empty Threats)

"The other one, it's hers." (Chapter VIII)

“I probably killed you.” (Chapter IX)

“I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose. Ever.” (Empty Threats)

“Yes, he knows you would never do that.” (Chapter XV)

“Trust is the most important thing.” (Empty Threats)

“Don't you trust me?” / “More than anything.” (Chapter XV)

“So you trust me?” / “Of course I do.” (Empty Threats)

UGH i am just a sucker for parallels and foreshadowing (kind of foreshadowing if it’s a prequel?)

also i’m gonna number these as well hope that’s cool bc i have THOUGHTS

2. i mean… he didn’t technically lie bc he didn’t do it on purpose. he quite literally (in his mind) was trying to save her from a worse fate (even if he didn’t know details and just thought they would be apart but to him that was unbearable for the both of them). he was just a little misguided but the energy was there. the “i probably killed you” is such a guy wrenching statement looking back when reading empty threats bc even though he thought he hurt her beyond saving he FELT SO BAD and i’ll cry ab this honestly

4. i would like to ADD:

“i’ve got an idea, but you have to trust me.” / “i do.” (The Finer Things in Life)

AH they just stay reassuring each other through the WHOLE THING which i think plays a huge role in why r is so quick to forgive him after the betrayal. she’s consistently been able to trust him- he’s one of very few people in her life she can trust so of course she’ll believe that he was trying to help. she just had to indirectly vent a bit of her anger first :)

alsooo maybe another parallel between r and tigris to be found here, tigris says he has to get lucy gray to trust him and that’s the best place to start, and r agreed and as we know, trust is big for her too. it also would make sense that this falter in trust within their family years down the line could lead to tigris being effectively exiled: they don’t trust her anymore, similar to how they no longer trusted lucy gray before she disappeared.

[autisticempathydaemon]

Hi! I’m here for the redacted boy pairing, I saw it on your blog and honestly wasn’t going to submit, until I read the questions and thought that they were super fun, unique, and interesting! The song I’m fixated on at the moment is This is what Autumn Feels Like by JVKE. The lyric I always look towards too whenever I play it is “Love is like riding a bike, scary but then it’s alright. I got the hang of it, right?” Because I feel like it’s a pretty good analogy! And I definitely relate to always wondering whether or not you’re doing something correctly 😅. My Enneagram Type is 6 apparently (I took the test just now) and I’m an ENFJ if that helps. I don’t think I’ve ever gone out of my way to listen to a ‘gargantuan YouTube essay’ but I do enjoy hearing people ramble about their interests if that’s similar! My childhood imaginary friend was Lucy from Narnia, I used to imagine that we would go horseback riding and I would run away to Narnia with her and never come back. To fall asleep I usually stay up watching shows (current obsession is criminal minds) or doing things like that and then passing out, though if I can’t sleep I usually just count until my brain shuts off. I would love the name Adrianna. I just think it’s really pretty and it has a lot of nickname options! Which is one of the few things I dislike about my current name, there are like 2 things you can call me to shorten it and one of them reminds me too much of my dad for me to feel comfortable with people using it. I think my favorite audio is either the decorating for the solstice one with David (I’m feral for the way he explains it all and then goes out of his way to tell Angel that he doesn’t want them to feel left out and that they’re the most important part of his life!!) or the one where Vincent tells Lovely about the monarchal summit (oh the foreshadowing) and about his first time there (I think it’s called Cuddling with your Vampire bf but I could be wrong). The Redacted boys I don’t get the hype for but don’t necessarily hate are Ollie (sorry dude, I’m sure you’re sweet and all but it’s just not my cup of tea) and Vega (I do actually dislike him! Everyone talks about this one video of him in the imperium but I’m too scared to watch the whole imperium and no one has given me a clear answer on what video it is that he’s not a ass). I’ve read the Lunar Chronicles (highly recommend) so many times that I practically know them by heart. I have a soft spot for twisted Fairy Tales and LET ME TELL YOU THEY DO IT SO WELL! This may be an odd answer but I’d want Damien as my best friend. I feel like we have a lot in common and I love me a sarcastic but incredibly driven kinda guy, that’s how a lot of my friends are. I don’t have a go-to topic when I tired, but everyone can tell because I start giggling like crazy, as if everything is funny 🥲. My gas station drink is the Cumberland farms slushies, I would mix the blue and red to make purple. I’m a sucker for the Spotify daily mixes tbh, bc I don’t have premium and they offer me the most amount of control as far as changing the song, replaying it, and only listening to the ones that I want to, plus it’s curated which I very much enjoy. My guilty pleasure media is probably in part Redacted 😅 but also I enjoy SOME Yandere stories that I find on like fanfic websites. And I’m talking about like ‘log this person is so dedicated to you! How fun! 🤩’ I usually scroll past when it’s like an actually ab-sive situation or senario. I really enjoyed this thank you!! 😊

Sorry this is the same person who just submitted the last ask (the one with the imaginary friend being Lucy from Narnia) and of course after I submitted I thought of some extra to add 😭 sorry for the inconvenience, I just wanted to add that I’m an Aries and a huge swifty, have a good day!!

Hmmm, this is hard because I feel like ENFJs could really work so beautifully with a lot of people- at least, Redacted people. In the end, I decided to pair the Protagonist, the natural leader, with our favorite leader, David Shaw.

After all, ENFJs, Arieses, and Sixes can be summed up as confident, principled idealists, the kind of friend who takes charge and takes care of their own. You’d be a wonderfully extroverted contrast to David, the perfect mate of the pack Alpha. I also like David for you because Sixes tend to be motivated by a desire for stability and security in their lives, and… well, c’mon. He runs a security company. I need not say more.

In addition to the pun, there’s so many cute, little things that’d be charming about your life together. Criminal Minds marathons would be so fun with David; he strikes me as the type who can always guess the UNSUB, and he feels a strong kinship with Hotch. He wouldn’t really understand the Taylor Swift hype, but that wouldn’t stop him from pulling some security connections to get you killer seats when she tours close to Dahlia.

Song:

No matter where you are, I'll be there/ We can be the generation/ Who learns how to love/ Mistakes and empty promises/ Will never be enough/ So tear apart these giant hearts/ That beat inside us now/ Let's conquer the percentages/ And rise above the crowd/ And I won't let you fall (won't let you fall)

This song is one of the most down to earth yet romantic songs I know, and that’s why I like it for you and David. Fun fact, the duo who sings this are married, and this is the song they wrote and performed as their wedding vows. That’s the kind of heart-melting, ooey gooey lovey shit that I think suits David and his partner, because that man is a sap and not good at hiding it.

Runner-Ups:

Lasko, I like for you for two reasons. One, he could use a friend and partner like you, he needs it. Two, I can see him also being a Narnia kid growing up, so that’d be a really cute thing for y’all to bond over. Geordi, I also think could use a partner like you, but honestly he’s mostly a runner up because he’s my favorite Redacted boi to headcanon as a Swiftie.

note: it’s no inconvenience at all, lovey, you’re good 💚

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[thetylercxle]

Moulin Rouge!

5/5 (Spoilers)

First things first I’m gonna address my bias. I am an absolute sucker for musicals, and I honestly have yet to see one I haven’t liked. (If there is a really bad one I should watch please let me know)

This film however, knocks it out of the park in every aspect. There wasn’t a single moment in this where I wasn’t interested of what’s going on.

I could go forever listing all of the good things about this, but I think I only need to say a couple things.

Firstly, I adore how Moulin Rouge! looks. I am a huge fan of the Victorian aesthetic, and they do it in a way that is interesting and more importantly fun to look at. From the set design to the costumes and everything else, the vibrancy of it grabs at me throughout.

Secondly, the casting was incredible. Kidman and McGregor are great leads, and the rest of the cast felt like they were really in their roles and convinced me that they are these characters rather than someone playing them. Also, as expected everyone has extreme talent when it comes to singing, and the mixing together of all these wildly different voices came together in a beautiful medley of sound.

Third, the wackiness of this kept me in. I absolutely love that it isn’t afraid to be zany and over the top, and I don’t think the movie would have worked without it. The zaniness is easily one of my favorite parts of the film.

Fourth, despite being comprised largely of covers, none of the songs felt like covers. Each song had its own character and unique spin that kept me listening. They also did really well blending the songs with the dialogue; it was seamless.

Last is my favorite detail, and what truly puts it at a 5/5. In one of the beginning scenes they do a musical number essentially telling the entire story of the film in a few minutes. I noticed it was very obvious foreshadowing. Normally I don’t think I would care for the movie telling me the whole plot of itself at the beginning, but this did it in such a fun way. Most of all as I kept watching, I found myself more and more into a story that I already knew the ending of. I think that’s something that is really hard to pull off, and they did it very well. I didn’t care that I knew how it would turn out,l and how they would get there because it was so interesting to see the story unfolding, and exciting to realize what part of the story I’m at.

There’s so much more that I like about this film, but I’d rather recommend watching it if you haven’t already seen it. If you have, watch it again. I’ve watched a good amount of musicals, and after my first watch of this one it’s at least top 5, if not top 3 for my favorite. I could not recommend this more.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

A

Ok first let me respond to our convo LOL

Omg Mira truly soccer coded guys…1) hope you guys manage to stay cool! 2) NOOOOOO your unintentional rizz is actually too strong…props to that dude who helped you though omg!! Hope you guys are all okay though and that this doesn’t happen again that’s actually the worst…

Ok commentary

MIRA YOU ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS!!! Omg bfb Karasu edition was SO!! GOOD!!!!

Ok first of all jaw to the floor. No. Jaw through the floor THE WC??? You weren’t kidding about that but I feel like I just got surprised with like winning the lottery oh my god (smh tumblr for making you split it into two..) Ok I was ballparking 33k as the final THIS IS INSANE

I laughed though I read part two first and I was like “oh ok maybe there’s a flashback part?? We’re diving right into the college scene”. . . ……………….anyways

Ok but BABY SNOTTY KARASU >>>>>> awww the way that he’s just a cute little sibling who likes tagging along with his sister is so adorable….the first part where he started crying after playing trains and immediately stopped when his mom suggested watching tv is so funny LMAO

Also SHSGSHS THE “drowning” SCENE LMFAOOO ok that was so wholesome though…like y/n saving him the embarrassment from yayoi and furthering their trust in each other (??)…so good….

I saw that sneaky foreshadow where yayois like “stfu bro I’m gonna date a model” then I was like oh here we go Yukimiya incoming LMAOO for once no suffering for him though!!! Breaking the vicious cycle LOL

Ok but I LOVE the way that the whole kinda premise of the story relies on how y/n isn’t able to distinguish between romantic and familial/platonic love as an only child….like omg…maybe I’m just a sucker for tropes where characters haven’t fully developed a concrete/full understanding of the intricacies of love??? Kinda like bfb Otoya but in a different way!

Ok and I love the reasoning for the hair wax…like Karasu’s hair is just so untamable that they have to use heavy duty wax to keep it in place (this lowk reminded me of artistic swimmers and how they use like gelatin to full on encase their hair LOL)

Also just comparing the two I love the way that yayoi and seiko express their thoughts about y/n and their respective brothers differently? Where yayoi was like oh yeah we all kinda knew and expected it it’s whatever and where seiko is almost slightly in denial-ish and although ends up figuring out the signs is still like “you better not make her cry bitch” to Otoya LOL ofc the story context and circumstances kinda set that up but I enjoyed the different avenues!

DRUNK Y/N LMAOOOOOOOO omg that was lowk funny like atp I thought she was just gonna full on confess but plot twist there’s more!! Oblivious y/n still has yet to fully grasp her feelings……

Honestly there’s probably so much more I could say but either way THIS WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!!! Truly feeding Karasu nation a year’s worth of content this was amazing…..IN MIRA WE TRUST o7 can’t wait to see what you put out next!! But also take it easy this was huge LMAO Omw to go reread that masterpiece

- Karasu anon

LMAOOO i was born to be into bllk fr 🤩 and yes we have been doing our best!! it’s a struggle at times but not entirely impossible 😰 BRO IT WAS SO SCARY i was lowkey frightened asf but it all worked out for the best!! thankfully the other guy was there and said smth because i was lost…ig if he hadn’t been there i would’ve eventually thought to text my dad or brother to come from their seats to help me but lowkey the thought did not cross my mind in the moment 😭 hoping it doesn’t happen again fr though!!

COMMENTARY TIME LET’S GO!! YAYYYY I’M SO GLAD IT LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS 😋 and i told you the final word count was going to be insane ghdkdjsjs throwback to when i thought it was going to be less than 10k words…i cannot believe it ended up at over 40k LMAOOO like that is literally unreal to me 😟 what karasu does to a mf 😓

LMAO i hope you didn’t get too far into part two before realizing because part two is def better with the context of part one 😩 like i said in another ask i wish tumblr would’ve let me keep it as one part (that’s how it is on ao3) but oh well 🙁 hopefully most people don’t get confused and read part one first HAHAH

BABY KARASU WAS SO FUN TO WRITE TBH him with his little trains and his book about bugs and his blue raincoat with mittens UGHHHHH he’s so cute 🥹🥹🥹 and you know he was so round and squishy the entire time too omg i literally want to eat him

you know i had to include it 🤩 but i decided to make it a display of their bond (which as we know is very different than the one he has w yayoi) instead of anything too crazy…also slight foreshadowing because y/n mentions she won’t ever let him go and as we find out in the future she truly is incapable of that!!

YUKIMIYA IS FINALLY FREED FROM THE VILLAIN ALLEGATIONS!! HAHA i was giggling adding that little line in there 🤭 like yup you already know yayoyuki is CANON (to me) i had to foreshadow just a tad…to be honest they feel like they would be a very cute couple because yuki is so patient and kind versus yayoi is very sassy but also mature in a way?? they give very “he asked for no pickles 😐” energy HFSJSSK idk if that makes sense 😭

OKAY I’M GLAD THAT DIDN’T FEEL FORCED OR CONTRIVED OR ANYTHING i rlly wanted to show how she is just as badly in love with him as he is with her but she just doesn’t get it?? like girl…this is not normal friendly behavior…plus her dating the one guy from her high school threw another wrench in things because she liked him but LOVED karasu so she got the two things confused i guess?? I DON’T KNOW yayoi explained it better in the fic 😭 but it made sense to me considering how long y/n has known karasu…like yeah when you’re six years old you’re not in love with anyone but even back then she always gravitated towards him and i feel like it was almost inevitable in a way that they’d fall in love because of just how close they always were

NFJDNDSK i’m imagining karasu to have like a version of nagi’s hair but a little straighter and it sticks up a bit more?? so that’s why he has to use the wax because he literally just looks like an idiot without it 😰 plus i thought messy haired baby karasu fit so well with how he acted!! so now in my mind that’s the real reason for his crazy style 🥱 like if you’re going to put wax in it might as well do smth fun yk

i think that because of the length of karasu’s version we also really get to see yayoi’s friendship with y/n a ton!! especially because most of the scenes between karasu and y/n also include yayoi it’s very explicit how close the two are and how much they care abt each other 🥹 seiko on the other hand wasn’t as present in the otoya version because it just didn’t make sense for her to be there ig?? and also otoya and y/n’s relationship was much more lighthearted and resolved much faster compared to karasu and y/n’s…like a quick “fix yourself and we’re good” versus sixteen years of pining 😓 i wanted seiko and yayoi to feel like different characters especially considering one is a younger sister and one is older hence their diff reactions to the eventual relationship (plus yayoi is like 22 and seiko is 16 when the reader gets with their respective brothers so that definitely contributed) ☝🏻 also to be fair seiko has watched eita cheat on a bunch of girls and be bad at relationships whereas yayoi has seen tabito only ever be in love w y/n his entire life (and same for y/n honestly because lbr she was NO BETTER) so she no matter how much she bullies him she knows he’ll take things seriously and is probably the only person that’ll treat y/n as well as she deserves 🤩 but yes long story short i didn’t want to just have a “default sister best friend character” i wanted them each to feel unique and at least a little developed in their own ways even though they don’t even have NAMES in canon let alone personalities or anything like that 😔

DRUNK Y/N HAD ME LAUGHINGGGG poor karasu is such a saint for getting up in the middle of the night to carry her back to her apartment, give her water and food, wash her face and do her skincare, and then GET KICKED OUT AFTERWARDS 😭😭😭😭😭 i think her kissing him back at first was her confessing in a way but until yayoi talked some sense into her she just didn’t realize and thought she was a terrible person for taking advantage of “little baby tabito” like that (meanwhile he is a fully grown man who kissed her first)

YESSSS SO GLAD TO PROVIDE FOR KARASU NATION LIKE ALWAYS 🫡 i have two reqs for him that aren’t yours so more karasu content is on the horizon…however up next are my last two requests from my milestone event which are both for hiori!! so a little break from tabito 😲 i need to like reread white butterfly or smth to get into that mindset again 😭 but yes i have no idea when those will be out and they def will be on the shorter side because WHEW bfb took it out of me!! although i have the entire plane ride back home coming up so it’s very likely i’ll get bored and start working on it soon enough anyways 😨 the mira posting drought is hopefully over though!! i bet ppl thought i was on hiatus because of how long bfb karasu version took to finish and post 😓💔

[actiaslunaris]

Regina ‘live-watches’ Last Man: Zenmou no Sousakan S01E10.

This time, all is revealed, breaking and reforming relationships.

I can only imagine that Godo Shiori made it clear to Kyogo that she had to be at this meeting.

(I've been watching Critical Role, which is a D&D webseries, so:)

Minami makes a persuasion check and... fails it.

I can't help but think that this 'playtime' scene was all Masha's idea.

Me, too, Nanba-san, me too.

;_; Canon in D.

Timestamp 16:05, Fukuyama Masaharu, still the prettiest.

Oh god, that's a kick in the guts.  And Minami knows it. And knows, also, that Godo isn't above what he suggested he can do.

Kyogo is supremely unimaginative.

At least he came through.

Yeah, totally a case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.

Ahhhh. Godo's face, processing the truth.

Awww. This tiny baby is also crying and that's so cute. And so sad, but also cute.

I think there should be a moratorium on flashback-heavy shows. Pick a different way to tell a story. (Although, I knew it was always leading up to giving us some kind of extended flashback, so as not to waste the performances of the actors.)

OH BOY. OH, okay, then.  I have a lot of feelings and thoughts about that, but for now I'm going to stick that into a suitcase and put it at the back of the closet. Screw that, no truth is too horrible to know, not when you have a duty to say it to help prevent a worse outcome. Minami has done this twice now to Godo, but at least this time Godo accepted the reason with more trust and Minami offered the choice of the full nature of his revelation.

Ah, so that all makes sense.

These actors are really giving it all.

Oh, the angst. And now it's Oizumi's turn to be the prettiest, all teary-eyed.

Minami's injunction that children just want to be communicated with by their parents: yes, and also, how dare. That choked me up.

Somebody give Godo a hug. ... Okay, I guess back pats will have to suffice for now.

The drama of it all... awww.  :D  I am deeply affected and also so amused because I am.

I'm glad that whoever is directing this episode knows how to direct Masha because that can make a huge difference in his performance. Especially when it comes to the characters where he is expected to extrovert more. Which is to say that this scene could be cheesy but isn’t, thank the maker.

(I've only seen one thing with Oizumi Yo in it, so I have no thoughts about his performance apart from: wowie, he's impressing me to great extents.)

Yay, hug. Finally. It's the least you can do, Minami, for putting your brother through hell, there.

One reason I prefer watching J-drama (and even Asian drama in general) is that writers there know how to write stories that allow men to have emotions and express them. And, I know that myself and others watching this show were expecting something quite different, but I'm also pleased that this type of story exists, despite the soap opera nature of it.

(Also, okay, I totally am a sucker for melodrama. :|)

Nooo, he meets his father only to lose him.

I was so intrigued by the scene of Sakura yelling at Godo in the preview and I'm so glad that it is this. Yes, you should find her scary, Godo.

Fathers and sons, smh. This is a lovely scene between Izumi and Kyogo, however.

Oh, oh, Agatsuma knows how to run the show, too. Gentle femdom for the win.

As foreshadowing, both those two points suck, show. Pffft.

*lies down, rolls over, hides* What a ride.

*lifts up head*

I'm proud of myself, though. I watched ten episodes of a J-drama and commented on each one of them. I didn't even manage to do that for the second season of Galileo, so, yay.

[zkyeline]

Setting the ground rules

-

I just read What We Can’t Have by @nightshiftblues

[blood-starved-beast]

It’s so interesting how in that duel with the boxing machine at the Arcade in ep5 Jinx is so upset that even as an older teen she’s unable to beat Vi’s old score and therefore still not able to “live up to Vi’s legacy.” It says a lot about Jinx’s self image and how she idolizes Vi and puts down her own unique skills cause I’m pretty sure if she were to go up against Vi in ep5 she’d be able to beat Vi in a fight? Ignoring the fact that Vi at this point in time wouldn’t dare lift a hand against Jinx or Jinx wouldn’t be emotionally stable besides between the gun-slinging, the bombs, the fight skills she’d gain from taking on the Firelights she has she’d be able to hold her own pretty well. Yeah she probably wouldn’t survive a direct sucker punch from Vi but that’s why she’s got those insane reflexes for. It’s just fascinating how even after years of honing her skills and mastery of engineering she still devaluing them cause of that potent mixture of wanting to live up to her big sister who’s got the skills her childhood family valued vs. that huge trauma dump that ended with her killing most of the family vs. the guilt she feels from that vs. the insecurity and lack of self-confidence she had since childhood. And at this moment she can’t even rely on Vi’s words of encouragement - “what makes you different makes you strong” cause that’s tainted by their last interaction where Vi calls her a Jinx which is an identity she’d long since reclaimed but not without much personal pain (and the show even highlights it there).

Also the animation editing almost portrays that machine battle as a fight between baby!Vi and Jinx as much as it was Jinx’s competition to live up to Vi’s legacy. It’s almost as if it’s foreshadowing the inevitable battles the sisters will end up having. That’s cool too. (I still think Jinx would be able to win here, assuming she’s not hindered by an episode or Vi gets an upgrade as well as a fix to her gauntlets. that shimmer boost man)

[scandalsavagefanfic]

Hello! I am a huge fan of ur writing. I've loved everything I've read of yours. I've read alot of what you've posted, except for a couple of the tags that are squicky for me (so I'm very thankful you tag very thoroughly). No judgement for the squick, it's just not for me. & when I'm having a bad day, I usually just go thru ur ao3 and find something to reread. I think about Therapy's Bruce & Jason every damn day. While I obvs appreciate ur darker more "problematic" content (I really vibe with some of the themes you write about bc of my own trauma, & so it's very cathartic to read about in a fictional setting), I am truly a sucker for ur more happy content. The Happily Ever After verse also lives in my head rent free. Idk more wholesome stuff just seems more special when you write it. Anyways. I would die for you. But the point of this ask is cause I'm curious as to why you don't like Urban Legends? I'm sorry if you already talked about it here or on twitter and I missed it. I was just wondering because I really enjoy your take on things and would love to hear why you dislike it. I've been enjoying it so far personally, but I am always open to DC comics criticism.

Aw thank you so much! I'm so flattered by everything you just said. You're so sweet ❤❤❤❤❤

I haven't talked about Urban Legends here or twitter (I haven't been very active in either place lately. Just a lot going on and no energy 😔) but I'm happy to do it here.

Before I start though, I just want to add a standard disclaimer and make it clear that if you like it, there's nothing wrong with that and you don't have to let me ruin it for you lol. Like what you like.

That said, since you asked...

I said this when I was talking about it on discord, that there is a difference between hope and expectation. I always hope that a new story centered on Jason (or anyone really, but things have been especially egregious for Jay for 15 years) will be good or at least treat the character with a minimal level of respect (to be honest, the bar is super fucking low). But my expectations always temper my hope, to keep it from getting unrealistic. Because my expectations are based on experience.

The long history of Jason Todd, since even before his resurrection, has been one of retroactively trying to make him "a bad seed" in order to absolve Bruce of any responsibility in his death.

I don't even expect DC or their writers to start honoring the fact that Jason was not an angry, reckless Robin (and less of the later than Dick or Tim and definitely Damian). There plenty of ways that retcon can be folded into his history and be compelling and sympathetic. And if they're going to stick with that retcon, I'm only asking that they do it in one of those compelling and sympathetic ways because Jason was 15 when he died, heroically, in one of the most selfless acts in comics, to save a woman who literally handed him over to be brutally murdered. He was 12 when Bruce plucked him off the streets, he'd been homeless and fending for himself for at least two years. I personally think that Jason's story hits harder for him and Bruce if their original, canon relationship, of Jason as starry-eyed and eager to learn and absolutely devoted to Bruce and Bruce to Jason, is preserved. But Jason's origins does leave room for a meaningful interpretation of him as angry and frustrated at the lack of meaningful results of Bruce's methods.

And that's really where my irritation at stories like Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer and Batman The Adventure Continues has it's roots.

Every time one of these stories comes out, I think (or hope, rather) that this will be the one that remembers and respects the origins of the Jason and the Red Hood, that takes into account the changed sensibilities of comics readers in the 30 years since Jason's death and the subtle, 20 year, retroactive campaign to make him the "bad Robin". The "born bad" trope is played out and literally no one likes the message it implies. That some kids are just bad eggs and there's nothing parents or the adults around them can do. Especially when it's played as the kid's fault. If Jason's time as Robin is going to be characterized by anger, then it should be rooted in anger at the social injustices he witnessed as he grew up in an impoverished, crime-ridden, area and the horrors he faced raising himself when every day was a battle for survival. There are topical, meaningful, stories to tell with that backdrop.

But those are never the stories we get.

⚠⚠ Spoilers for Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer ⚠⚠

I'm particularly disappointed in Urban Legends because for the first issue, it looked like that was the kind of story we were going to get. I was put off by the first flashback of Jason being mesmerized by Bruce's guns, and I got that feeling in my gut that it was a bad sign. Jason depicted as impatient and overconfident and the scene with the guns is heavy-handed foreshadowing that got my spidey-sense tingling. I had a inkling then (in the first three pages) of how this story was going to play out, but it was early and I could still see many narrative paths that could lead to a satisfying story. My concerns were soothed somewhat and the little flame of my hope fanned, with the flashback of Alfred scolding Bruce, with Barbara's concern for Jason. A bit of worry returned with the way Jason ruthlessly pursued an addict who didn't appear to be a dealer and with the ending of the issue. The stuff with the addict sat wrong with me but the ending was tempered some by how despicable Tyler's dad was written. The scene was clearly set so that the reader could sympathize with Jason's decision and the scene with the addict could be brushed aside as a side-effect of comics over-the-top need for constant action, so I still held hope.

Issue 2 made me uncomfortable and it's where my hope starts to take a backseat to my expectations. I can dismiss Jason's self-deprecating internal monologue as unreliable narration, except that the flashback reinforces his thought process to explicitly show that it's not unreliable narration, and should be taken at face value. Jason faces physical abuse at the hands of his mother's drug dealer and when the flashback continues later, Jason kills the drug dealer. To be clear, this is a pre-Bruce Jason. His mom is still alive. He's like... 10. He kills this guy for shoving his head into a wall and implying Jason's mother paid for her drugs with sex. This is a scene that serves a single purpose. To show that Jason has always been prone to violence.

In the spirit of full disclosure, there is the small chance the drug dealer might not be dead. But the story obviously wants the reader to think he is, and it hasn't done anything to change that yet.

Starlin already did this story with The Diplomat’s Son in 1988 and he did it infinitely better. AND that’s still technically canon. So now I’m supposed to believe that Jason lost his cool bad enough to kill two douche bags before his sweet 16? Like it’s totally normal for abused kids raised in poverty, who’ve led hard and heartbreaking lives to just... haul off and kill people? That’s bullshit, and when taken with the Jason in the third issue, who is little more than an idiot thug, this story is really doubling down on some fucked up stereotypes.

Which brings us to the most recent issue. I went into this installment with very low expectations. I thought this story was going to be about Jason, through this experience with Tyler, a young boy with a similar background to Jason's, coming to the realization that Bruce's way is the best way and that Bruce did his best by Jason.

That would be annoying (in no small part because it takes increasingly absurd levels of plot armor to keep Bruce's no kill rule relevant, let alone irrefutably right). But I can probably live with that, if only because maybe if Jason officially falls back into line with the Bats crusade, maybe I'll get stories that treat him with respect, stories that don't relegate him to comic relief, dumb brute, or a background body with no lines in a story about the Joker burning Gotham (like Jason would just fucking stand there quietly for that).

And that may still be where the story is going, Jason realizing Bruce is right.

But holy shit do I not have the right words to describe how fucking insulting and gross issue three is.

From start to finish--including the flashback--Jason is written as cruel and fucking stupid. Like straight up dumb.

The entire issue is Bruce explaining the fucking basics to Jason like it's his first day. And Jason flies off the fucking handle and terrorizes a doctor he knows isn't a part of making the Cheerdrops, beats the shit out of some random addicts, and finally, when he can't accomplish anything on his own because he's a dumb brute he calls Barbara for help and rushes in with no information where he's promptly incapacitated and must now wait to be rescued by Batman.

This panel is the least of the issues sins but I can’t screenshot the entire story but it’s representative of the tone for the whole issue (and retroactively tainted the prior two issues).

This is beyond insulting. The only conclusions Jason comes to in this issue are the ones Bruce leads him to by talking to him like he can’t make the simplest connections. And like... in this story Jason can’t make the simplest connections.

This (and the Jason throughout the entirety of this issue) is a far cry from the Jason we fell in love with in Under the Red Hood, who was competent and strategic and intelligent enough to seize control of Gotham’s underworld from Black Mask (who’s no fucking slouch, he’s the first and only person to unify organized crime in Gotham) AND elude and manipulate Bruce until the time and place of his choosing.

This is a far cry from even the Red Hood and the Outlaws Jason who is competent enough to fight the League of Shadows and Ra’s al Ghul (among very dangerous and skilled others) and smart enough to create antidotes for mind control nanotech viruses.

As he should be, by the way. Jason Todd is one of the best, most comprehensively trained fighters in DC’s stable of non powered vigilantes. He’s not irrational or hot headed. He’s pragmatic, tactically minded, and patient. He’s a detective. Right now. Has been since he was 12. Bruce doesn’t have to make him one because he already is. 

Jason is not a stupid thug who uses his fists because his brain doesn’t work. And I can’t tell you how so very exhausted I am by this narrative. 

This is actually the most egregious example of Jason’s skills and intelligence being not just undermined but dismissed entirely. Even Morrison’s Jason had some degree of competency. 

The one, single redeeming factor of this story is the art. It’s beautiful. And Marcus To is a godsend he seems to be one of only a couple of artists who remember that Jason was a child when he was Robin and I’m literally only buying this book because of him. 

Anyway, I’m sorry. I didn’t want that to come out so... um... passionately lol. I’m just very very tired. My intention with this isn’t to ruin it for you, if you like it, that’s fine. 

But this issue shot this story to the top of my "Vehemently Despise” list. 1) Batman: Urban Legends (Cheer), 2) Battle for the Cowl/Morrison’s Batman and Robin, 3) Batman The Adventure Continues.

I hope the next issues somehow salvage this dumpster fire. But I’m not expecting it.

(Damnit. That sounded harsh again. To reiterate, I’m not trying to judge anyone who enjoys it, I just personally hate it and you asked me why lol 😅)

[tsutsumi-kaina]

Theory: AFO Gave Tomura Decay (Part 2)

Continued from this post (link!)

Warning: This post has spoilers for both the most recent chapters of MHA (up to ch. 316) as well as spoilers for Vigilantes (up to ch. 109).

Straight to the point:

5. Tomura’s eyes and hair change color with the activation of Decay

It’s easy to write this one off as the anime making questionable choices about Tomura’s color scheme yet again (five years of baby blue hair ya’ll)— but just for giggles, let’s just assume that Horikoshi did intend for Tenko's natural eye color to be black, just like Nana and Kotaro. 

Now, there's a theory that Decay's activation destroyed all of Tomura's melanin, which is a theory I enjoy because it totally tracks (albinos lack pigmentation and they have "red eyes" because we're seeing their blood vessels rather than the actual color of their irises). I also like the “his hair went white from the trauma” and “he straight up went super saiyan” theories, because I’m a sucker that kind of specifically anime bullshit. 

But what if none of those theories are right? What if there was another reason why Tomura's hair and eyes change color? What if the change was meant to foreshadow something just a bit more... sinister?

Presented Without Comment

Through Dabi/Touya’s story we know that quirk factors do have an effect on things like hair color, and can even change a person's hair color upon activation— when Rei’s quirk factor becomes “dominant,” we see that Touya's hair gradually begins to turn white as his body changes to become more suited to an ice quirk despite his own quirk being fire-based.

That sound familiar?

So, Tomura's change to red eyes and white hair specifically  starts to look more than a little insidious if we assume that A) AFO has always  planned to turn Tenko into a new vessel, and B) Tenko actually got his first “dose” of AFO in the form of Decay + a pseudo-vestige, and his body has been gradually changing to become more hospitable for AFO's quirk factor. Exposure to AFO’s quirk factor (and it raging around inside of him like a damn virus) may be the true cause of Tomura’s palette swap.

6. Tenko is 5 when decay manifests, even though it’s been repeatedly stated that age 4 is the latest age that quirks manifest.

This point has also been discussed to death, with people arguing that Tomura simply had to amass enough hatred for Decay to fully manifest (see point 2 on why this “explanation” was most likely just AFO being a gigantic fucking troll). I’ll instead encourage folks to evaluate this point from a narrative standpoint— Hori drew attention to Tenko’s age and his quirklessness for a reason.

“Will he like me if I get my quirk!?”  Uhhh....

And Tenko likely having been born quirkless leads to the next point:

7. Tenko, The Quirkless Wonder (or: how having a quirkless vessel is an integral part of AFO’s plan to snatch OFA and not straight up fucking die in the process)

Tenko being born quirkless makes him a perfect candidate to tolerate the simultaneous burden of both OFA/AFO without his lifespan getting completely drained in the process-- the nomufication surgery was more likely just a measure that was taken to make sure Tomura's body was strong enough to make use of both quirks right away.

8. You know what? *beats the dead horse anyway*

Man, isn’t there a sale at Men’s Warehouse you’re late to???

I know I said I wouldn’t touch on this point but come the fuck on, mister twenty-four-seven biz cas isn’t even trying to hide it 

Bonus Points:

Machia's sense of smell - Machia tracks others through scent, and is somehow able to locate Tomura after the LOV has hidden themselves deep within the mountains. This is in spite the fact that they've never met before (Machia literally asks Tomura "Are you the one who succeeded AFO?"-- so we can assume he was not secretly tracking or observing Tomura from afar).  We know that if Machia's never met a person before, he obviously can't track them via scent-- we see this when he has to stop and literally ask Mina for directions during a flashback. But he still manages to track down the LOV when not even the police/heroes had any inkling of their location. So. If Machia and Tomura have never met before, how was Machia able to find him? As funny as it is to imagine AFO rubbing a pair of dirty sneakers in Machia's face like he's an overgrown bloodhound, I'll put forth the following theory-- Machia was sniffing out Decay's quirk factor rather than Tomura himself. If Decay was formerly in the possession of AFO, and/or if a part of AFO’s quirk factor already exists inside Tomura, then tracking him down is a cinch for Machia.

AFO's pasttime is villain creation - There's a whole scene in Vigilantes where AFO discusses the true nature of a "villain," then brags about being able to create villains by causing imbalances in one's quirk + giving people unsuitable quirks + stimulating quirks with a "violent will" and forcing them to go haywire. It's, uh. Fairly damning, to say the least.

AFO may have used Decay to kill Nana - This one is more conspiracy theory than actual theory, and it may seem like a huge stretch, but hear me out! In its untrained form, we see that Decay reduces people to chunks instead of dusting them-- but it leaves their hands perfectly intact. It feels far too coincidental that AFO just so happened  to leave Nana’s hand intact after killing her, and apparently decided to preserve that hand for 30 years on a total whim— and then, wouldn’tcha know it, Tenko just so happens to manifest a quirk that pulps everything but miraculously leaves the hands of those victims perfectly intact. And AFO being sick enough to give a little boy who wants to be a hero the same quirk that killed his hero grandma is a given at this point.

 - - - - - - - - -

Anyway, I get that a lot of folks dislike this theory because it takes away a lot of Tomura’s agency-- but honestly, his entire character arc has been about him trying to rediscover his true self and reclaiming his agency after a lifetime of having his identity abused out of him by pretty much everyone he’s ever met. AFO was always going to be the final boss of that character arc, which has been less about “becoming the greatest villain” (and hoo boy people on twitter are reeeeally hung up on this particular misconception about Tomura’s arc) and more about discovering his true convictions and “becoming his own person”-- Just as Izuku’s character arc is about becoming his own person and learning to actually value himself, rather than him just becoming All Might 2.0 who acts as a hero at the complete expense of his own personhood.

I don’t feel that Decay being an implant from AFO harms Tomura’s character arc in any way-- rather, confronting the lie that he was somehow “born evil” and exists as a slave to Decay’s destructive impulse feels like the next hurdle Tomura needs to overcome before he can truly reclaim his agency. 

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Ehat is your favourite rwby moment? Or moments if you are indecisive.

I don't like picking favorites but you gave me the option of Multiple so here's the ones I really really like:

Ren killing the Nuckelavee. I got into RWBY in volume 4 and this was The Moment for me, the one where I really, really respected what the show could do in terms of character and storyline. That entire fight felt so goddamn satisfying.

The triple awakening of Penny becoming the Winter Maiden, Oscar using magic, and Ruby using her silver eyes. That scene was just so goddamn cool how they shot it, and Penny was one of my favorite characters anyway so her becoming the Maiden is just a really cool moment of affirmation. Even if her being the Maiden turned out to be a bad thing down the line, I still refrain that Penny as is was meant to be a Maiden, and the problems came in when people tried to make her into a Maiden rather than let her decide what being a Maiden meant.

Qrow stopping the bomb. Qrow suffered this massive setback at the beginning of the volume, but I liked how even if he thought he was back to square one, the show didn't treat it as such. He opened up to Robyn and admitted he was hurting. He listened to her when she told him that he was better than petty vengeance. He tried to get through to Harriet and he finally made the choice to take a leap of faith that he could be more than the bad luck charm he believed himself to be. Characters in this show get better, get worse, have setbacks, but none of it is ever wasted. No one is exactly who they were before, and all the progress Qrow made before still existed in the middle of his relapse and helped save and transform him. Seeing how his Semblance is a metaphor for depression and I've struggled with the exact same thing, it was a massive balm to see this on screen. I've said before I don't pick favorites, but Qrow's arc is definitely one of the top 3 moments in the show because of how much it resonated with me.

The other shoe dropping in Gravity. I'm a sucker for a good villain arc, and what makes it so good is that this isn't treated as a "well he's evil now ". This is the tipping point and he spends the rest of the volume and volume 8 falling further and further until he's helpless on the floor and it is finally, finally too late to turn back. The ultimate tragedy of Ironwood is that at every moment he had an opportunity to turn back... and yet refused each one. It was the moment when I fully understood where they were going with him and how good it was going to be, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Cinder getting her groove back near the end of volume 8. I always hated how people insisted that Cinder was a useless or one-note villain because her trauma (and bad luck) was interfering, so this felt like vindication. They needed her to be off her game all those volumes because it took them this long to actually match up to her. She has finally, definitely, won. And she's about to find out how hollow that is.

Maria and Neo fighting. I dislike smug villains (not in a case of they're bad writing, more in a case of i just hate smug people in general), so seeing Maria knock her down a peg was quite satisfying. Plus, I'm a sucker for "plain old combat experience trumps tricks" any day, and how it reinforced what Maria said to Ruby about how the most important thing was to keep on training and learning.

Emerald's freak out moment with the Salem illusion. It was just so creepy and cool.

The Apathy, because they hit so close to home and because of Ruby's silver eyes and Qrow's alcoholism intersecting with it so well. While we're at it, the Hound as well. This show does horror very well.

Yang reading Raven for filth, both times. All those years of psychological manipulation and she wasn't having it.

Salem manipulating Cinder into staying on her side after electrocuting her with the arm. It was masterfully done and just underscored what an absolute monster she could be. Doesn't hurt that it was followed up by her shattering Atlas' defenses.

Ren seeing everyone's emotions. I am a HUGE sucker for characters gaining new senses, I loved Ren's entire Atlas arc (introverts being allowed to introvert and gaining power and understanding through that! what a concept!) and the visuals were so goddamn cool. Also, more magical girl powers.

Penny gazing into the stars after she decides to hold up Amity. In a volume about how Penny's choices were limited and the tragedy that followed, it was a great moment that showed how deeply Penny loved the people she cared for and the world she was born into, and how magnificent she could have been if she'd been allowed to fully realize herself. Helps that I'm a firm proponent of the Penny 3.0 theory so I see this as potential foreshadowing for when Penny truly comes into her own.

[waaty]

back in 2020 i started keeping track of what things i finished (books, movies, games, etc.) so now i have two years worth! i thought i’d make a post on 2021 of stuff i did and enjoyed. :^) it was a pretty hard year for me so my numbers aren’t very impressive, but i still found a lot of stuff i enjoyed.

summary:

books: i read/listened to 4 books, 2 of which i read before. this is 4 more than i read in 2020.

comics: i read 7 different comics/manga (16 volumes total). in 2020 i also read 7 different comics (total of 27 volumes).

movies: i watched 9 movies, 4 of which i watched before. this is 7 less than i watched in 2020.

TV shows/shorts: i watched 8 shows/shorts, 4 of which i saw before. this is 4 less than i watched in 2020.

video games: i played/watched 4 video games (including 1 “extra scenario” type game). this is 3 less than played/watched in 2020 (including 2 “extra scenario” type games).

ten things i enjoyed (in no particular order) that i finished in 2021 under the cut! i posted basically the same thing on twitter as a heads up.

american psycho (movie) - probably my fav movie i saw in 2021! i watched it because of that stupid fortnite song but i’m really glad i did. i’m usually bad with horror stuff but this movie was surprisingly really funny? love how patrick bateman has huge feral catboy energy + the more psychological parts of the movie

the mitchells vs the machines (movie) - a very cute movie! the animation was fun and it felt like there was a lot of love and care put into it.

super mario 3D world (game) - i played this with my partner and it was probably the most fun i’ve had with a co-op game! it has a really gentle difficulty curve which is kinda nice tbh and the level designs are pretty good. just a solid platformer imo!

infinity train (show) - watched it all after it got cancelled. :( but it was fun! honestly the first season didn’t really grab me but it got better and better as it went on. i really enjoyed the world it built and the foreshadowing it alluded to so it’s a shame it ended!

evangelion 3.0+1.0 (movie) - god what a movie!! idk what to even say about it. i really enjoyed it as a whole. i’ve only seen it once so i probably gotta watch it a billion times like i did 3.0 but man, it just feels weird that rebuild is over since i’ve been into evangelion ever since 3.0 came out

deltarune chapter 2 (game) - even better than chapter 1 imo! i really enjoyed the character writing and everyone was super fun. this game kinda got me back into playing games again.

silent hill 2 (game) - ok technically i watched my partner play it but it counts!!! super scary (sometimes too scary) but i really enjoyed the more psychological aspects. theorizing about what represents what, and finding out what really happened to his wife… it’s heavy and really good.

dune (2021 movie) - i did read the book but i honestly enjoyed the movie more! maybe it was because i saw it in theaters (first and only movie theater i went to in 2021) but i felt like the pacing was improved. there were a few scenes i wish were adapted tbh but in general i enjoyed it as a whole!

showa: a history of japan (8 volume manga) - this manga was really cool! my fav parts were when it followed the mangaka, shigeru mizuki’s, life. i really enjoyed learning what everyday life in japan was like at this time in a (what seemed to me) surprisingly unbiased way. i can see why he’s such a legend in japan!

his dark materials (book) - technically 3 books but whatever! when i was a kid i read almost all of it but stopped a bit over halfway through the amber spyglass for some reason. i enjoyed it as a kid but i missed SO MUCH… i didn’t even catch that it was about religion honestly. either way, it was a lot of fun and i enjoyed the world and the suspense of wondering what will happen next. i’m also a sucker for multiple universes and angels and demons.

ok that’s it!!! i also tried to finish banana fish and smt5 this year too but that’ll have to be for next year.

[ourkidswouldbemartians]

 My thoughts on 10x18, ‘Find Me’ 

(I’m trying to be as neutral as possible so there will be #Positivity and #negativity) 

When I first heard about the spoilers I was like HELL NO!! I’m not watching this load of shit! AMC can fuck off!! But then I stopped being dramatic and admitted that I am sucker for TWD and that no matter what this show releases I’m still gonna watch it anyway. I mean I’ve even watched the Morgan making cheese with a goat episode at least three times and on purpose so :/// 

So anyway I eventually watched this episode with the following mindset: if there’s anything storytelling has ever taught me is that drama and angsty arguments are part of the game, it gets worse before it gets better. I watched this episode telling myself: there’s a spinoff, think about all the good stuff that s10 gave us. 

I have made a list of what I found positive or negative and speculated some stuff about what the future may hold: 

Goodie :)

- Many caryllels between the past and present, between Daryl @ Leah and between Lea and Carol.  There is a reason for this I’m sure and I hope the writers will talk about it. 

- The fight wasn’t as bad as the spoilers made it seems, they’ll come back from it for sure.   A confrontation had to happen about the fact that Carol left several times and I’m glad it did, because that’s what Daryl’s most hurt about in the argument imo. I also think Carol doesn’t want to run anymore and wants to be where Daryl is (10x14 made it clear) but it’s sad Daryl doesn’t see it yet. And in this episode she says “I’m not going anywhere” which I feel is an emphasis about how her mind is made up: she knows where she belongs.

- Their banter was adorable, I just love how much Carol loves teasing him. And he teased her too!

- Carol is pretty

- The soundtrack was beautiful as always when they share a scene

- They’ll be ok again for sure... The way he looked at her when she left after the argument made me feel like he kinda regretted his words already. But that’s opened to interpretation. 

Baddie :( 

- Daryl was unfair to Carol but I wouldn’t say OOC, Daryl is not an angel, he’s a complex character who in this episode said hurtful things. He too has made mistakes that NOBODY is throwing at his face but it’s all about double standards with writers uh? 

- I still do not understand the purpose of Leah. I get it, Daryl was alone, lost, Rick’s gone, Carol’s married, everyone from Team family is scattered everywhere so he needed someone. I think he was even suicidal considering his behaviour during the storm... So I think meeting Leah made him feel better. But did it have to be romantic? We’ve heard a billion times that Daryl doesn’t do relationship so when it happens it will only happen once. So why giving him a relationship with no on screen kiss or sex? In one episode with almost no buildup?  Knowing that’s something everyone wants to see for Daryl (not necessarily w/ Carol)? I cant understand the writers’ choices. I simply don’t understand the motivation here. And I mean that without even thinking about what Leah means for Caryl. 

- It’s my fault for expecting this but I thought Carol may have had some kind of reaction towards the Daryl/Leah thing but she didn’t. But she was a bit taken aback when she found the note which makes me think she didnt know about the romantic aspect of it or that Daryl once felt like he belonged with someone other than team family

//////

Not ship related: 

- Carol was perfect in this episode. Beautiful. Talented. Brilliant. She broke my heart when she said “I just needed a friend” ... she feels so lonely, she deserves the world and she’s alone :( or feels like she is at least. Everything that happened with Alpha happened because her son got brutally murdered and for that she deserves nothing but understanding. She’s right for not being sorry. Anyway... I’m with her not matter what. I ship her with happiness first and I always will.

- The acting was on point. Nothing to say here, NR and MMM are simply stellar together. Leah’s actress is good too. And her character is likeable tbh. 

- The scenery was beautiful

/////// 

About the future: 

I don’t think all hope is lost for Caryl but I’m no longer 100% sure about them in a romantic way. They put an emphasis on the word friend in this episode and I feel they will conclude the L/D thing one way or another: Leah will be back. Carol has her knife in Diverged and Daryl said to Dog “we’re gonna get her back” which foreshadows her return. I see things possibly going two ways: they could restart their relationship, it doesn't work out / she gets killed off and that leads him to want to start over somewhere else and then he goes away with Carol (=spin off) OR: she comes back but it leads to a love triangle and he chooses Carol, they get together and Caryl is finally canon. 

In conclusion I am still confused, it’s a huge I don’t know for me. It’s not all bad, but not all good either. . I don’t fully understand the writers’ choices, in my case the only thing that could make me feel 100% hopeful about caryl being endgame is knowing what will happen in S11. So only time will tell I guess. We just have to wait. 

Caryl on and forgive my typos  ❤︎

[k-s-morgan]

Wonderful heart shattering snippet! It’s fascinating how I can both be absolutely enraged by Tom’s action but also genuinely feel bad for him. Just now I was binging your story again (for the millionth time) and reading the last part on what Tom basically did to Harry was like a sucker punch to the gut, I kind of forgot how terrifying and violating it was but then again with this intense snippet my feelings get conflicted again... Btw this isn’t me criticizing or anything on the contrary your ability to create such complex characters such dualistic natures are both riveting and fascinating! However, I was wondering if Tom’s decision to bind Harry in that way was immature egotism to satisfy his present needs or did he genuinely think that Harry would appreciate this on the long run? Obviously he changed his idea on horcruxes when he learned about Harry’s immortality and I get why he wanted to stop the harming part but why the forced fidelity? Maybe a more correct question would be after all these years of intimately knowing Harry did he not think that this would massively backfire? Or am I yet again overestimating Tom’s understanding of human relations. Anyways sorry for this huge post binging your story made me appreciate the foreshadowings and nuances even more and especially made me appreciate the way you tactfully wrote Tom as well. I hope that Harry finds a balance that will somehow benefit him too. Also sorry if I asked this before but will we see scene were Tom analyzes the memories in the pensive as there is a lot to unpack there? Whatever you write will be great in any case! Thank you so much for the snippet.

Thank you so much! I'm glad you have mixed feelings for Tom - this is one of the goals of this chapter. Tom is still a terrible person who cannot simply stop being terrible, but he's genuinely, entirely heartbroken. And he's going to try to be better, though how successful he is in this remains to be seen.

As for your question - I think Tom's decision to bind Harry to him in this way was both an expression of egotism and a belief that sooner or later, Harry would understand and appreciate it. It is very difficult for Tom to empathize with someone and to understand that what he feels is not necessarily what another person feels. When he hears "no," it's a "maybe." When he hears "maybe," it's a "yes." In his eyes, Harry is going to agree to be with him romantically, and it means that fidelity is something Tom expects himself and believes Harry to expect from him. So he eliminates both of their potential sources of worries by ensuring that their devotion to each other will be absolute. 

This conviction has many holes, and Harry is going to try to explain it to him in the next chapter. Tom definitely underestimated Harry's reaction: he knew Harry might be angry and upset, but he just cannot understand why Harry would leave over this. To him, it's just a solidification of something that's going to be there anyway, so he never thought Harry would be this furious and hurt.

And yes, we'll see Tom analyzing the memories! In fact, I think this is going to be another snippet)) I just have to decide which memory to pick.

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. XCIV

It was a love story from the very beginning.

And you are not here... (Part. II)

(13x02/13x03)

Hello dears! We are here again, witnessing Dean's mourning for Castiel, and we are suckers for that.

I will try to convey in this meta two episodes, so let's see what happens!

The rejection

At the beginning of the episode, we had Sam and Dean talking about Jack. Dean keeps rejecting the kid because he put on him the weight of loosing Castiel.

They find a motel, and Dean plays the tv, and there's Scooby, and for a brief moment we saw him smiling. Then Dean gives Jack the Bible, and the kid opens it in the Book of Song of Solomon, which is from the Old Testament, and it talks plenty about a two lovers that try to find a way to be together. So the poems describe their passionate and beautiful love for each other, their sadness and their difficulties. Is narrated romantically poetic of that time.

This is very meaningful because the book could be symbolizing Castiel and Dean, trying to be reunited. And the kid is the one who will help to do that. Two lovers that were separated by death but also, who had lived a lot of difficulties together.

Also this quote from Asmodeus:

ASMODEUS: The pain, the, uh, the total humiliation… it forged an eternal bond between us.

Is just a little taste of a dark parallel to Destiel. Is a dark, toxic bond, forged by pain and humiliation, all the opposite of Destiel bond. And we are witnessing this quote because is in the next episode the one Jack will wake up CAS through Dean's mourning. The power of their bond forged by love. The lovers will be finally reunited again.

This scene is when Jack shows Dean is his role model... But also, let's check out the colors...

Go f credit @deansplushy

The room is blue (Castiel) and the kid is imitating Dean, Dean knows it and looks very done with it.

But the whole room is painted in Blue, as if Castiel were in Jack and Dean's mind the whole time.

Then, this foreshadow...

DONATELLO: Sam? Dean? Is God with you?

Donnie was certainly sensing the new God, but also these words...

DONATELLO: (...) So… a few days ago, I’m online, checking out condos in Boca, and I am knocked off my feet by this weird wave of power. Not exactly like God’s. More like… something new, something fresh. I was drawn to it. It’s here.

Something new, something fresh, that's a good description for a new God that just had bey born. Donnie knew it the whole way long.

After this they decided to brought Jack to tattooed the sigil... And this very symbolic dialogue happened between Jack and Dean:

JACK It hurt.

Gif set credit @demondetox

This is the description of grief. So, if Dean was trying to give himself a message and to push the kid into that idea, Jack took it well. He knows he has to endure it. Even if Jack is talking about physical pain, or emotional pain, it fits perfectly with the lesson is floating around loosing Castiel.

Another discussion about Jack happens and this time Dean explodes into hurtful words, and Jack flies away.

The scene in which Sam is talking with him is very beautiful, but also, the colors caught my attention again...

Gif credit @deansplushy

Again, the color blue behind Sam and Jack, is another reminder of Cas. We also have the green (Dean) behind Sam, and Sam is talking about him. Is a very nice played scene, because Dean is to Sam what Cas is to Jack here "a father" but the good one. And Sam trying to explain why Dean acts like this...

SAM: Dean doesn’t hate you. It… Look, sometimes the wires in Dean’s head get crossed and—and he gets frustrated, and then he mixes frustration with anger, and—and fear.

JACK: Why would he be afraid?

SAM: Because Dean feels like it’s his job to protect everyone. And right now, we need to protect you. But we may also need to protect people from you.

JACK: Maybe I’m not worth all this.

SAM: Your mom thought you were. So did Cas. So do I.

Sam is mentioning one of Dean's inner issues: THE BIG PROTECTOR, as a raised first born, and as a obedient soldier, Dean is trying to fulfill the order his father gave him the night their house were burning and Mary died. John Winchester gave Sam to Dean, and asked him to take care of him, so, the GUILT HERITAGE as I spoke so many times, is playing rudely in Dean right now. He wants to fulfill that mission, because his father asked him to. This is the toxicity in Dean's personality. In harmony with the quote that is said in this same episode: the sons that try to please their fathers.

The Anger and the Patience

When the episode starts, we are immerse into a psychic house, in the window we can see an eye, as a representation of psychic but also, the eye in the triangle represents God. And we all know Chuck is about to come in season 14.

We can distinguish too a book: 'The knowledge of ourselves" in Dede's house. Is an interesting reference to what I about to come: the whole season 14 will be a self-knowledge path Dean will take based on his experience of being faced with himself in the possesion. As I described in my metas, the experience of the possesion is similar to being in Purgatory for Dean: all his human necesites will be gone, and the purity in his heart will be exposed: What do you want?

When Dede is in front of the spectrum, she can see his true form, just like we will see through Anael's eyes, AUMichael's true form.

Let's jump onto Jack's scene watching a video Kelly left him. The mother's message is very pivotal in Jack's life.

KELLY: Hi Jack, it’s uh… I’m your mom. I guess I should tell you, um, I always wanted to be a mom. I’d play with dolls. I was that kind of girl and daydream about my baby.

Kelly is certifying here he wanted to have Jack, Jack was loved. Not rejected, but loved. Kelly says I WANTED TO BE YOUR MOM.

KELLY: Jack, don’t let anyone tell you who you’re supposed to be. Because who you’re supposed to be isn’t fate, it isn’t me, it isn’t your father. You are who you choose to be. And I know you’re going to okay. You are going to be amazing. You have an angel watching over you.

'It isn't me (not human) it isn't your father (not an angel)' is the perfect description of Jack, because he is gonna be the New God. And the last quote is a recall of Mary saying the same to Dean, when she was pregnant. And, emotionally linked to episode 15x18, in which Case says 'I got you' to Jack and then to Dean.

Dean keeps rejecting Jack, calling him a monster, is a blatant self punishment facing the huge guilt he carries in his heart after losing Castiel.

An important scene happens between Missouri and Dean. She, as a psychic, can sense Dean's mourning and depression.

MISSOURI: Oh honey, I’m sorry for your losses.

Dean looks surprised to these words, all the pain he was trying to hide, mostly in front of Jody and her, it shows.

Another self reflection in the mirror of the spectrum foreshadowing Dean staring at the mirror, possesed by Michael.

The conversation between Sam and Jack shows how Jack feels himself as a monster, also he has GUILT, we are witnessing here the GUILT HERITAGE from Dean to Jack, just like John did with him.

Also, Sam see himself in Jack, through his experience with the darkness in the past.

A parallel with Kelly's messages is reflected on Missouri goodbye words to her granddaughter Patience in the cemetery.

MISSOURI: I promise, no matter what happens, no matter where I go, I will always look out for you. You hear?

The words are different but the feelings are the same. Mostly because Sam was reading a book about how to help gifted kids, and this episode talks about two gifted kids: Jack and Patience. The two of them trying to control their powers. But Jack is encouraged to do that and Patience is not allowed to do it by his father.

A little bit interesting point we have in the spectrum WRAITH feeding by psychic's brain, is a continuity with AUMichael living inside of Dean.

When everything ends, Dean has some words with Patience that caught Jody's attention...

PATIENCE: I talked to my dad. He thinks I should put it away. Dad says we should just get back to normal. Maybe he’s right.

DEAN: He is. This life, hunting, monsters, there’s no joy in it. There’s nothing but pain, horror and death. So if you get a chance at normal, you take it.

Dean speaks directly from his broken heart, he had just lost CAS, so he lost everything. There's not meaning in keep living for him. He had seen the death that being a hunter brings. So, he had changed. Everything is sadness, grey and dark for Dean. There's no hopes, no light.

But Jody will speak again, just like Kelly did with Jack, using similar words for Patience:

JODY: Patience, wait. I may be out of line here but you don’t have to listen to him. To either of them if it’s not what you really want.

Not me, not him, Patience need to find herself, just like Jack. Just like the book prayed at the beginning of the episode.

Okay, we are going to focus now in theast scene, so so important!

When Sam sees Dean is back, they started talking about Jack again...

SAM: How was it? Uh, Jody told me about Missouri.

DEAN: Yeah, just another day at the office. How’s the kid? He go dark side yet?

Dean talks about Missouri here with apathy, emotionlessly. This is part of his depression. Then, Sam confronts him.

SAM: No, Dean. He’s messed up because of you. Dean, you said you’d kill him.

DEAN: It wasn’t exactly like that.

SAM: Then how exactly was it?

DEAN: I told him the truth. See, you think you can use this freak but I know how this ends and it ends bad.

SAM: I didn’t.

DEAN: What?

SAM: I didn’t ‘end bad’. When I was the freak, when I was drinking demon blood.

Sam sees himself in Jack in the good way, with hopes, but Dean sees himself in Jack as something that needs to be killed...

DEAN: Come on man, that’s totally different.

SAM: Was it? Because you could’ve put a bullet in me. Dad told you to put a bullet in me, but you didn’t! You saved me! So help me save him!

DEAN: You deserved to be saved, he doesn’t!

SAM: Yes he does, Dean, of course he does!

I will stop here, Dean reflecting himself in Jack is blatant here: HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE SAVED. Is the self knowledge of his inner GUILT and MONSTER. Dean sees himself as a monster that doesn't deserve to be saved.

DEAN: Look, I know you think that you can use him as some sort of an interdimensional can-opener and that’s fine, but don’t act like you care about him! Because you only care about what he can do for you! So if you want to pretend, that’s fine! But me? I can hardly look at the kid! Because when I do all I see is everybody we’ve lost!

(Gif credit @foxthefanboi )

Here, my mind went immediately at the scene from previous episode, because Jack behaves so like CAS, and Dean can see it. The pain in Dean's face is getting louder and louder, his eyes, the way he is talking, with cathartic anger will reach the high point when he starts mention the most important person he lost in his life... Castiel. All his pain and anger are because Castiel is gone.

SAM: Mom chose to take that shot at Lucifer. That is not on Jack!

But is not about mom...

DEAN: And what about Cas?

SAM: What about Cas?

Now, the pain and the anger are released in front of his brother. And Sam just confirms and faces it in silence.

DEAN: He manipulated him, he made him promises, said, ‘paradise on earth’ and Cas bought it and you know what that got him? It got him dead! Now you might be able to forget about that, but I can’t!

(gif set credit @shirtlesssammy )

Sam is silent, he takes every drop of anger and pain from his brother, the very cause of Dean's grief is revealed to him. Dean is mourning Castiel. Dean can't forget CAS is dead. Dean can't forgive Jack, himself , for that. That's why. That's the truth. That's why Sam keeps silent.

But the kid is listening...

The grief and the longing is so huge, Jack is able to reach Castiel in the Empty through it. Just like Amara reached Dean through Castiel.

(Gif set credit @shirtlesssammy)

To Conclude:

These two episode showed us how Dean reflects himself in Jack.The guilt and the pain, together with the anger is so huge in Dean's heart, he can't barely hide it.

Sam is the one keeping the flag up for hopes, but Dean had lost everything.

The profound bond is important again now, because is the way Jack reacher CAS in the Empty and wake him up.

Hope you like this meta, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996 @lisafu02 @asphodelesauvage @destiels-canonahhhhhhhhhh

If you want to be added or removed from this list, just let me know.

If you wanna read my previous meta from season 13 go to this link.

Buenos Aires, December 27th 2020, 12:45 PM