#also of COURSE i chose this scene!!! it makes me crazy!!!!!!

[emiliosandozsequence]

amadeus (1984) dir. miloš forman / pieta by sir anthony van dyck / the count of monte cristo, alexandre dumas / unknown / the selected plays of hélène cixous, 'the perjured city', hélène cixous / unfailing love by house of maria / the blood poems, 'poem for my beloved', jessica helen lopez

[misc-obeyme]

nightbringer lesson 41

Welp. That sure was a lesson. As always, my unfiltered thoughts and spoilers are below the cut. There will be screenshots, you have been warned.

Everybody still doesn't know we were gone. The only one who is aware of the fact that MC was in a different timeline is Solomon, as far as we know. It's possible that someone is hiding their knowledge, but I see no evidence of that currently.

HOWEVER. All the bros are SUPER clingy. Lucifer is constantly getting on their case about the fact that they can't leave MC alone. And at one point, he says he's feeling inexplicably giddy and he thinks that's what his brothers are feeling, too. So there is something that's changed and they can all kinda feel it... but nobody knows what it is and they all kinda just brush it off.

There's a lot of "huh we just saw each other but for some reason..." kinda stuff.

When Luke first sees us, that poor boy just bursts into tears. Simeon wants to pet our head, but we can also choose to hug him.

I have been known to have this affect on children, but still.

Overall, the brothers are being very much themselves. Beel is eating things and relating everything to food, Belphie is sleepy, Asmo loves pretty things, etc etc.

See what I mean? We did have some excellent one liners like this and I'll get to more of those lol.

My point is, nobody is acting off except for the thing where they all react a little weirdly to MC.

For a good chunk of the lesson, I was like... and where the HELL is Solomon after all this, huh?? But I'll get to him, too.

Because guess what? Diavolo has had another great idea and this time it's... the RAD Science Fair!!!

...

WHAT.

This feels very much like the usual thing they do where MC always has to have some kinda goal that requires them to spend time with each brother individually. I'm still not entirely sure how that's gonna shake out with this, though.

There are seven categories or "fields of study" as they're called. They all start with Devildom, so it's like Devildom math, Devildom geography, etc etc.

Diavolo tells them that the student council members are required to enter.

So they spend some time thinking about what category they want to go for.

There's this part where they're all heading home from RAD and MC starts to leave with Simeon and Luke. They tell you that not long ago, Simeon and Luke tried to go "home" to the HoL. Weird. All very weird. They all decide to go to a cafe instead.

They're talking about which category they're going to choose and then... Thirteen shows up!

Thirteen is so excited to see MC she has to give them a hug! Huh. How weird. (It's not weird, my love, you can throw your arms around me anytime.)

ANYWAY, they have a whole discussion and I loved how involved she was. Though we never have enough Thirteen content. And of course, she's still not dateable...

Then we find out that Lucifer has just chosen his brothers' categories for them anyway. MC gets to choose who they want to pair with. I chose Mammon, but I don't know if this actually matters or not. Usually I go back and try different options, but I decided to leave this one for now to see if it seems like it's going to make a difference in upcoming lessons. I'll report back if it seems to change anything later.

At this time, you also find out that Diavolo has decided to enter all seven categories, too. Barbatos is also entering, but only three categories. I almost lost my shit at this part but at least Barb gets to do only three. Diavolo is a crazy man who enjoys doing this sorta stuff, but Barb needs to take it easy he already works to much!

And that's basically it! There's this one cute part where you're finally at the HoL where you can choose to hang out with a set of brothers. No matter who you choose, it's a cute little scene and it always ends saying you had a lovely time together~ (Personally I thought the one with Asmo, Belphie, and Lucifer was the most entertaining lol.)

You talk to Solomon on the phone at some point too and he tells you...

Yeah. I was like ARE YOU KIDDING ME. GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW I NEED YOU.

And then he hits us with this:

And I was like, fine I forgive you.

BUT THEN. Spoilers here for the locked lesson (41-A, not the hard mode):

The locked lesson is of your very first night back. You're in your room at the HoL with Solomon. He tells you he's going to stay the night because the fact that the two of you suddenly appeared in this timeline might make things unstable. And if you're together, it'll be easier to tell if something's going wrong. Sounds like a feeble excuse to me, old man. I know what you really want.

But he also says this:

OH. Here I am like, it's a couple hundred, maybe a couple thousand? NOPE. SEVERAL MILLENNIA.

But then the brothers burst in and they're like we are not going to let you stay here alone with MC! So they have a gaming tournament in the common room.

Then when it's really time to go to bed, Lucifer stops you and Solomon before you get back to your room. He straight up kisses you on the forehead and says sweet dreams with a stupid smug grin before leaving and Solomon is like huh. That just happened.

YEAH WELL.

Solomon is back on his, you'll never be mine bullshit. (I'm not blaming him, it's not his fault, but it bothers me how often this narrative comes up because we never get the choice to resolve it. By telling him how much we love him.)

Of course if you tell him to cheer up, though...

Yeah, right after this we got a fade to black because you know he might've been talking about something innocent, like a kiss. But if I'm left to fill in the blank myself... well, let's just say I'm still in my smut mode.

Spoilers for the hard lesson now:

It's silly times with the Little Ds! I'm just glad we got more Dia and Barb content, to be real with you. They're pretty cute with the Little Ds.

Right after Barb says this, looking super aggrieved about it, Diavolo just laughs happily. Classic.

Extra stuff:

After the second story node, you get to see a chat between Raphael and Simeon. Raphael tells Simeon that Michael has summoned him, so he needs to go back to the CR for a few days. Simeon says okay and hopes that everything's all right. Then he tells Raphael to tell Diavolo. Raphael is like why? And Simeon says you're an exchange student from the CR, you have to get his permission to leave. And Raph is basically like okay, fiiiiiine lol.

Also, there is a very brief moment at the end of the last story node where we see Simeon acting odd. He's not really doing anything, he's just sorta grunting... like grh and frowning. If you ask him if he's okay, he says he's fine, he must not have gotten enough sleep. You get a chat between Luke and Simeon where Luke also asks him if he's okay and Simeon gives him the same excuse.

Sooooo what does any of this mean? I have no idea. Is it possible that the hard mode focusing on the Little Ds means there may be more to the Little Ds coming up? Is Simeon acting weird somehow related to Michael wanting to see Raphael? Does any of this Science Fair stuff mean anything or is it just another tactic to have MC spend time with their bro of choice? When is Solomon coming back? Why doesn't he have to enter the Science Fair? Simeon said that Diavolo wanted him and Luke to participate, so what about Solomon? Is he really out there gathering herbs? That feels like a weird thing to be doing at this particular moment.

And perhaps the most telling of all, what it does mean that this version of our characters remember things from the timeline we just left as if it only just happened to them?

All through the last two seasons, I have been trying to figure out why the characters from the past seemingly had memories of a future they haven't experienced yet. And now it's happening again. You could say they remember those past events, but they don't really seem to, do they? And even so, we now have confirmation that it would have been MILLENNIA ago for them. So this feels less like them remembering something that happened and more like they're just getting feelings that are related to the things that MC just experienced in the "past."

Ugh, okay, if I keep going I'm gonna make myself crazy. As always, we have not enough info and more questions than what we started with.

Onto my fave one liners:

Mammon's response to this is "Yikes!" And like... yeah, but damn Lucifer that's one hell of a threat lol.

Barbatos! Don't lump me in with them! :(

That was me in high school.

This part was just cute and wholesome in my opinion. This is the found family content that keeps me coming back to this game.

Anyway, after everything, I still just wanna know...

... where the FUCK is Nightbringer?

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[no-passaran]

The story of Jesus Christ Superstar is the tragedy of its characters coming to realise that they have no power over their lives, fighting as much as they can against the role that history/God is forcing them to fulfil, but failing because they were doomed from the start.

Jesus in Gethsemane desperately asking God why should he be killed, how is that going to make anything better, only to realise that it doesn't matter what he believes or wants because it's already fixed ("why then am I scared to finish what I started? What you started, I didn't start it.") and there is nothing that can be done. Against his will, he will have to continue performing this role to its bitter end ("God, thy will is hard, but you hold every card. I will drink your cup of poison, nail me to your cross and break me, bleed me, beat me, kill me. Take me now, before I change my mind.")

Judas realises later, after he has already fulfilled his role in the story. This realization and regret leads him to commit suicide, being the only way out of a life that has already been fixed to make him the eternal villain ("you'll be remembered forever for this", "I shall be dragged through the slime and the mud")... even though this apparent choice of suicide was, following the same reasoning, also taken for him ("my God, I'm sick! I've been used! And you knew all the time. God! I'll never know why you chose me for your crime. Your foul, bloody crime. You have murdered me! Murdered me! Murdered me!"). Judas understands what he did, and he understands what he will be, forever. He understands that not only has he been Judas, he now knows what it means to be Judas: Jesus insulted him by telling him ("you liar, you Judas"). In the very end, he completely understands what it means to be a Judas, because of what he had done.

And Pilate is the last one to try by all means to escape his destiny. He's seen it in his dream, but he refuses to follow it. He refuses to sentence Christ, telling the crowd that he's a crazy man but that's not a crime, trying to convince them that it's against their best interest to ally with Rome, and begs Christ to let him help him get saved ("why do you not speak when I hold your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don't believe you understand!") but of course, the post-Gethsemane Jesus already has accepted that they're doomed, and he's the one to tell Pilate ("you have nothing in your hands, any power you have comes to you from far beyond. Everything is fixed, and you can't change it."). The realization is dawning on Pilate as he desperately continues trying to cling to his ability to take meaningful choices, literally begging Christ to let him take that decision ("you're a fool Jesus Christ, how can I help you?") but with the crowd's shouts for crucifixion, and the crowd circling him and pushing him against the wall, he really does realize it: he has no choice; he will have to play his part in the story. And he knows how it will end, he knows what his role will mean, he also knows what it means to be Pilate ("then I saw thousands of millions crying for this man, and then I heard them mentioning my name and giving me the blame"). The only thing he can do is remove himself from it, but even then he is aware that that won't stop the already-fixed history ("I wash my hands from your demolition. Die if you want to, you innocent puppet").

After all, we saw it from the very first scene. Isn't this what the story's framing means? The overture shows the actors arriving to the filming set by bus and getting ready to play their role. And, at the end of the film, they pack and leave. They came here to recite a script that someone else wrote, to fulfil a story where everything is fixed, and they can't change it. That was what they were made for. Innocent puppets.

[brainjvice]

Yapping about Kainess breakup

Kaiser was at his gentlest with Ness during his breakup and it was so fucked up for him.

Do I think it could've been worse? Yes. Do I still think it's still cruel for him to let Ness go this way? Absolutely.

See, Kaiser has never actually been nice to Ness: he was either mean or neutral towards him, calling him loser since day one (you have a way with words, Michael...).

The only other moment where Kaiser was "gentle" with Ness was in the hair cutting scene. I don't know how authentic Kaiser was being because we miss his pov. My theory about it is that it was some sort of last trial for Ness, to see if he really was the obedient dog that Kaiser spotted months (weeks?) prior.

It was less about trust and more about control. See how much Ness is willing to do for him. I think his first attempt for this was when he asked him to wash his hair in the shower scene. Kaiser was testing how much he could take from Ness without giving anything back.

He never planned to return Ness' "love", because Kaiser himself does Not see that as affection. It's something taken for granted, like the unconditional love you expect your dog to give you even if you neglect it.

Also Kaiser does not see Ness as a person, nor as something valuable. He does not see him "at his level", as a peer. Of course he would never want that type of love. Kaiser would probably feel love only if it's from someone he considers valuable. Someone he's at the same level on his imaginary hyerarchy.

On the other hand, we have Ness. Ness, who has poured his own whole identity into Kaiser. Kaiser is the centre of his world. The reason he is still playing football, his magic.

He's also someone he's projected onto like crazy.

Ness has never heard anything gentle come from Kaiser's mouth until that very moment. And then Kaiser shatters it all in the cruelest way possible.

I think the kindness he reserved to Ness was a vile way to let him down. See, if Kaiser had kept following his malicious pattern, for Ness it would've been easier to cope. But no, he chose to be kind and it's a slap right into Ness' face.

The words Kaiser deliver carry a double message. On one side, he's grateful for Ness, on another he's breaking up their friendship.

From Ness' pov, this is atrocious to witness. Because now what? Ness can be angry at Kaiser, hate him even, but he'd always feel guilty deep down, due to that sparkle of kindness Kaiser has shown to him.

I think I'd convey this sensation better using an example: imagine your (asshole) partner is breaking up with you and they do it by saying "I love what we had and you made me grow as a person, but I don't want you in my life anymore because I found someone else and it's different" or smt like that which makes you feel used. Like Ness gave everything to Kaiser, and Kaiser barely thanked him before moving on. Which leaves Ness with what? Nothing. Exactly. Not even an excuse to explode and be angry because of how "sweet" those words were for him. It's like Kaiser stunned him with a kiss before hitting him with a baseball bat. Like damn just use an axe next time jeez.

I think Ness will DEFINITELY have withdrawal symptoms after their separation is complete. Textbook withdrawal symptoms. Baby boy will struggle a LOT, and the fact he's all alone now? Without any support network? Damn.

Anyway from Kaiser's pov it makes sense and to him it's not even manipulative and he Is actually being kind. This is because, given that he sees Ness as a tool, he is just basically firing him from his job position. Like yeah you served me well but now I don't need you anymore so go serve someone else. Kaiser has no empathy nor shows any guilt and he's never attached himself to Ness as a person. To him it's like changing a pair of shoes, he's like "aw these don't fit anymore... anyway!" before discarding them away.

Is it cruel? Maybe. But given his backstory, his antisocial personality and his narcissistic traits... it makes sense for him to act this way.

((There's much more I could yap about but I'm gonna stop here and maybe make another post.))

[reviewsdefinitionofsatisfaction]

Taylor has been lying on Joe since You’re Losing Me (Important Thread)

I’ve been confident in this theory since Midnights, but didn’t know how to spread it. Taylor is now blatantly lying about Joe and rewriting history. SHE was the one who didn’t want to get married, and Joe broke up with her over it. She chose fame over marriage, and the evidence is all over her music.

Ever since I heard “Mine” I instinctively knew Taylor was afraid of marriage. It’s the classic child-of-divorce case. “You say we���ll never make my parents’ mistakes.” / “Brace myself for the goodbye ‘cause it’s all I’ve ever known.”

Her fear of marriage continues throughout her discography. Don’t let “Lover” and “Paper Rings” fool you—those were false promises to Joe at the start of their relationship. Listen to “champagne problems,” a song she and Joe co-wrote. What couple writes a song about breaking up because the girl is terrified of marriage 4 years into their relationship? Why, one where that’s happening, of course. “Your Midas touch on the Chevy door,” aka how she always references Joe turning things to gold. And don’t forget “Renegade,” a song where in the music video SHE is the one anxiously staring out the window being told to “open the blinds.” (“Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything or do you just not want to?”, the lyric referring to Joe asking for marriage) This was a song written by Taylor from Joe’s perspective at the time. “I tapped on your window on your darkest night” (referring to Rep era) / “Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night.” … “And then you squeeze my hand as I’m about to leave.” (Joe’s POV) / “It’s on your face, don’t walk away, I need to say…” Taylor was the one always blowing up on him and then apologizing, as illustrated in Afterglow, The Great War, and most obviously her post-breakup behavior. Joe was NOT the volatile one of the two (also supported by articles released by her team, stating Joe’s personality was “great for Taylor” because “he is very calm”).

Then, just look at Midnights. The Bejeweled music video (which Taylor wrote and directed) is the clearest thing. A video all about choosing pop-stardom over a ring from a prince? While she and her boyfriend are having marriage disagreements? Hmmm. Interesting. Seriously, just go watch the intro to that video and tell me Taylor was the one fighting to get married behind the scenes.

Midnights lyrics: “He wanted a bride, I was making my own name. Chasing that fame.” (a person who WANTS to get married would NOT be writing this song!!!) “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride. The only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife.” “No deal the 1950s shit they want from me. I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser.” “I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money. She thinks I left them in the will.” (accompanied by elaborate scene displaying family-related anxieties in music video)

This is someone who is terrified of marriage and being an adult. I believe she launched herself into a fame-hug to avoid confronting her issues with Joe at this late stage in their relationship. After he broke up with her, she realized how deep of a mistake she made during the Eras Tour. Hence, the big lie in “You’re Losing Me” (which was written THEN, in 2023, conveniently dropped during the Matty Healy controversy) and her daring him to “say something” about the lie. (False God lyric: “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this, staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town.” When they fight, he was always the one ignoring her craziness.) And soon after, her peculiar surprise song choices on June 23: “Paper Rings” (“I’d marry you with paper rings”) and “If This Was A Movie” (“If this was a movie, you’d be here by now”).

The initial breakup article by People (Tree Paine’s mouthpiece) even outlines this story. “According to multiple sources, Swift and Alwyn had been ‘talking about marriage as recently as a few months ago.’ But at the end of the day, the couple wasn’t ready for a future together. ‘Taylor didn’t see them working out in the long run,’ says the insider.” This was before she wrote YLM, trying to provoke him, and now she will be driving it further with this new album I’m certain she wrote during 2023, NOT 2 years ago like she and Jack are trying to push. Her having Jack drop YLM’s “2021 date,” and then liking that tweet implying Sweet Nothing was not about Joe (when it was clearly about Joe)… she’s rewriting the narrative. You can’t trust a word she says.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

I'm so sorry I know I've asked a lot about this topic but I want to relieve myself and my curiosity. You told me before that Erwin no longer loves Mary and that she was a person from the past, so why is it that whenever Erwin sees Nile he asks about her in the game Attack "Wings of Freedom" Erwin asks about her and says "How is Mary? Before she married you she was the cutest girl in the bar", and Nile replies that she is fine and that he is crazy for choosing the giants over her. And in the drama CD of Erwin monologue "I chose the path of fighting the titan over the girl I loved" Why do I see her name repeated a lot despite her unimportance and only a childhood crush . I hate it when they make her the center of Erwin's life or his only love that he will not love after her. What do you think of my words🥺?

Sorry it’s taken me so long to answer your ask, I’m a bit slow with everything at the moment.  I know that @momtaku has already answered your ask and I agree with all the points that she’s raised.  One thing I would add is that every time Marie is brought up, the point being made is that Erwin chose to fight Titans rather than settle down and have a family. Although I think the significance of Marie is frequently overstated (see @fallenrazziel's Mary Dok Card), what is important is Erwin’s decision to give up the chance of having a “normal” life in order to join the Survey Corps and pursue his father’s dream.  This is a pretty fundamental aspect of Erwin’s character, which is emphasised in most iterations of the story. “Not choosing Marie” is convenient shorthand for Erwin’s decision, which is always highlighted as being in contrast to Nile’s, who does choose wife, marriage and family.  This in turn sets up the scenes in the Uprising Arc that @momtaku has already mentioned.

I think it’s also worth adding that we don’t really see Erwin pining for Marie. There’s never any suggestion that he regrets his decision or still holds a torch for her.  Quite the contrary, it appears that Erwin was happy to help Nile court Marie (see the Smartpass story Erwin’s Letter) and he remains on good terms with the couple (The incident of the scout’s mysterious advertisement).

Of course there is one other appearance by Marie that hasn’t been mentioned in this discussion.  I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions from this...

[watchingblsnowandforever]

Hello again! =D

Here's Part 1

*looks at all the remaining screenshots and sighs* I really need to learn to take screenshots more selectively-

Warning: long post 😊😅

This is the sole reason Phum chose to ride the cycle, because we all know he brought his car.

I'm not complaining though. In fact-

Peem, give this man all the hugs in this world. He deserves them. <3

HANDS!!

Aunt Pui Live Reaction

She ships them hehe

She's the best wingaunt 😭🫶🏼

Oh, it's his turn with the braincell finally hehe

Oh, that little kernel of insecurity making him question this :(

And it's Phum's turn to immediately refute any doubt about his feelings.

Oh yeah, telling him all the reasons you like him is the only reason you'll "have" to stay over at his place, Phum. It's not like you wanna cuddle him or anything. Pfft of course not.

Peem's reaction is so cute (no pun intended-) oh gods 😭

This is what told me for sure that Phum knows about Peem's feelings.

The way he framed this, the absolute lack of hesitation in his voice, the way he smiled, the way he looked at Peem.

Just because he doesn't confront Peem about it doesn't mean he doesn't know his feelings are reciprocated.

No wonder Peem's reaction looks so genuine 😭 (Pond improvised this part)

What do you do when the guy you like keeps shrugging off your hand? Keep trying of course! And then lock your hands so he can't shrug them off.

Mission Side-Hug Your Crush: Accomplished 😌✅️

Me:

Wait- WAIT, you're gonna leave the cycle right there in the middle of the driveway?! WHY 🥲😭

👀

Yep, same pic.

The moment I saw this I was like where have I seen this before- OH yeah.

See, now Fang isn't hesitating to call him out on it. Now he knows for sure Phum likes Peem, and it's okay to talk to him about it. But he still doesn't prod much, and only takes what Phum tells him.

In conclusion: Fang is a good brother. 😌

Others: Byee! Have a great time!

Chain: I'll play the guitar for you.

Let's be honest, who's the enabler here? Pun might come up with the strangest most complicated plans, but who's the first to go along with it?

ASKFDGHYTRUASKJNCHDFJ

WHAT WAS THIS KISS?!!!! AND WHY WAS IT TAILOR-MADE TO MAKE ME GO CRAZY?!!!!!

WINNYSTANG. I liked you before but to be very frank, I was kinda indifferent, but now you have my full attention. Make me go even more crazy.

Ooh they have a third brother??

See, up till this point, I was willing to ignore their parents (not what they did, but them as people, because they do not deserve any attention) but this? Stopping Fang from going to check on his brother? NUH UH. That's a line you don't cross.

So now, I'm handing Peem and Tan their weapon(s) of choice and letting them have a go at it. The bodies? Oh, don't worry about that, we'll handle those. :)

What I really love about this scene is that Peem hugs first, then asks questions.

Ah I love hugs so much 🥹🫶🏼

No. They can't.

And similarly, our parents can't always be right. They might always want what's the best for us, but that doesn't mean that what they do is always the best for us.

Also- I'm completely normal about the fact that Phum and Fang went to Peem and Tan - their respective safe zones. Very normal. 🥺

AND THOSE 'I LOVE YOU'S BY TANFANG OH MY GODS I-

I could write a whole essay about just these few minutes (of that PhumPeem hug and this TanFang moment) but I don't have that much time or energy 😭

I'll just go sob in the corner because this entire ep was made to attack my heart with fluff but this scene just broke me.

Also- we finally get actual wind-ruffled hair in BL hehe

Isn't he already Golden Retriever enough? 😭

[Also, at this point my anxiety spiked because I had 7 more screenshots, but I'd already done 25, so tumblr would allow only 5 more 😶😭]

Yes.

Peem finally getting his confidence and sass back! Hehe

That peck had me blinking and then smiling so wide and rewatching those few seconds at least four times.

He says no, and yet his face is tilted and eyes closed and he's all ready to be kissed so sweetly.

You betray yourself, Peem *smh*

HANDS!!!!

The day I stop screaming about hands is my last day on Earth.

This broke my heart, but this hug and Peem's reply put it back together. <33

He-

He said it. While he was awake. 😶

Listen, that nose boop and him telling Phum he'd done a good job the first time changed my brain chemistry so much I collected all the stray strands of my nonexistant giffing skills and made a gif just to put it as my header (replacing that scene from Cherry Magic that I've probably watched a million times now, and had changed me viscerally).

AND THEN THEY GIVE ME THIS.

They're playing table tennis with my heart 🥲

Anyways. Love this scene. So much.

BONUS: I couldn't upload the screenshot of this, but that horse riding scene is so funny to me, because Phuwin is the one who can ride, and Pond's the one a little scared (a little like that roller coaster scene except reversed hehe).

Also "I feel like a prince, riding my horse led by my servant." uh huh. no reference here. just a random line in a random series where the main leads acted in a series previously where one of them was a khun chai and the other worked for him. no reference at all.

Finally!

That's it for ep 12, see y'all next week!

If you got this far, thank you so much for reading! 😊

Here, have some pancakes 🥞

All my previous We Are posts.

@inonetoomanyfandoms here's part 2 hehe

[dangermousie]

This is such a !!!! scene on so many levels. Here is 17, changing, and even with only inner robe on, he looks pristine and perfect, just the way his reputation paints - a wonderful young master heir blah blah.

And then the camera pans down and you get horror. And the thing is, I love it for so many reasons - this is a vanishingly rare costume cdrama narrative where scars don’t fade - usually people spit blood and look pristine and it’s an aesthetics I dig, but this isn’t it, this is very much torture and suffering is not pretty in the least. There is nothing appealing about 17′s bare torso. It’s honestly pretty damn hard to look at. And I am genuinely impressed at the drama for going there. But also, it’s so in keeping with the thrust of the narrative for ALL the characters - traumas do not magically heal and go away; you learn to live with them and heal the best you can, but the marks remain for good and you are forever changed. It’s pretty clever of the drama because we saw all this mess in ep 2 but he’s been dressed to the neck ever since and I honestly just assumed it all got healed; no it normally wouldn’t but I am used to drama logic. And then it just smashes you in the face. Nope, still there!

Crazy fiancee bursts in with another attempt to woo or w/e and then sees this...

It takes a pretty impressive kind of discipline to get this reaction and then turn to fully face the other person, exposing all the horror while knowing the revulsion you are going to get as a reaction and, in fact, counting on it to help break the engagement. If Jing wasn’t such a nice person, he’d be honestly terrifying.

She runs off, of course, and it strikes me again no wonder the hugeness of his reaction to XY blushing around him shirtless (when he looked even worse) and how it restored his feeling as a man when this is the reaction he gets from his fiancee and probably 99% of any woman around. Looking like this and still being seen as desirable - yeah, that’s got to be huge.

As I said. Good lord, he could be quite terrifying if he chose. But also, it’s all so symbolic of how he looks like the perfect Tushan heir and that idealized image but he really is not - because he’s hurt by his past but also because nobody can be this bloodless perfection. XY likes him with all his trauma, physical and otherwise, just as he likes her the same - they see each other’s real self. But here, even if fiancee wasn’t evil, it is like the infatuation of that musician outside that tea house - based on idealized image, not reality.

Pssst, fiancee’s notion of a better man? Jing’s torturer brother. Her main complaint is “dude, the torture you inflicted on your brother makes him look gross!!!!”

I love how their delusions are what’s blinding them, just as both believe he’s back for revenge because that’s the only reason they’d be back.

Sweetheart, you are a murderous psycho but I am forced to point out that a man who could torture his own half-brother who he grew up with and who did him no harm, do it for years and so severely the man is permanently terribly scarred and with a busted leg, for literally nothing the man had ever done to him but because he was pissed at his mom and had an inferiority complex, is not a good choice of partner? One day he’s gonna get pissed at you!

I hope you both get to experience cousin’s maggot box at length but also, if there ever was a fitting match in this drama!

[mariposahxh]

KilluGon and the Chimera Ant Arc

idk what to title this. but it’s basically just a few interesting killugon parallels and connections i found in the CAA. (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

1)

“Precious.”

“You’re the only one for me!”

The Killua scene happens in chapter 219. The Palm and Knov scene happens right after, in chapter 220.

Y’all know the story. Killua fights a rabbit and proclaims Gon as his “most precious friend” . Killua thinks of all their moments together, the most emphasized one being from the dodgeball game when Gon said some gay shit to him.

“KILLUA JA NAKYA DAME NAN DA!” is the exact phrase Gon used.

It’s a romantic phrase in Japan. The English equivalent is :

Killua is the only one for me! ; it has to be Killua! ; Killua is my one and only!

READ THIS ARTICLE. IT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING ABOUT GON AND THE PHRASE HE USED.

The top panel is the next chapter when Knov caught Palm using her power without his permission. He manipulates her by saying “Your blood is precious resource.” , knowing exactly how that word would affect her. After hearing Knov say “precious” , Palm thinks to herself “Knov is the only one for me!”

clips from the anime bc i luv how they portrayed these two scenes

i wanted to address that each scene uses different wording BUT they all mean the same thing, just like how there’s multiple ways to say English words and phrases, it’s. the. same. thing. romantic phrases. preciousness. one and only.

Gon :

じゃなきゃダメなんだ (Ja nakya dame nan da) = You’re the only one for me / It has to be you

Palm :

しかいない (Shika inai) = You’re the only one for me / There is only you

Killua :

大事な (Dajina) = Precious / Important

Knov :

貴重 (Kichō) = Precious / Valuable

Anyway, the point is, Togashi’s intentions with this little connection is clear. Knov calling Palm’s blood “precious” and Palm saying “Knov is the only one for me” which was expressed in a very romantic manner, and it all happened like 15 minutes after Killua and Gon said the same things abt each other.

Palm and Knov paralleled Gon and Killua from the very moment they were first introduced.

I’m working on a separate post that focuses solely on the parallels between PalmKnov and GonKillua because it’s a lot.

2)

“Can I stay by your side?”

“Would you stay by my side?”

The bottom panel is the conversation between Meruem and Komugi before they... you know... shinjuu.

I know I talk a lot about Palm and Knov paralleling/reflecting killugon but the parallels with Meruem and Komugi go CRAZY. It's so underrated. The above dialogue is just one example of the many parallels.

Isn't it interesting how Togashi chose to make Gon and Killua reflect not just one but TWO romantic pairings so far?

"I want to stay by your side... always........."

"I'll stay with you... forever!!"

(they make me so sick it hurts)

3)

Importance

I never realized how big of a theme "importance" was in hxh. It connects everything all together.

In the top left panel, it explains how Komugi is important to Pitou because of how Komugi is important to Meruem, and Meruem is important to Pitou.

But the thing is, although Pitou already knew it, Meruem (at the time) didn't realize that Komugi was the thing most important to him. The thing most important wasn't his initial goal of taking over the world, but the person he met along the way, the one who flipped his world upside down and gave him his first feelings of friendship and love.

Meruem didn't realize Komugi was most important to him until after they were separated and reunited again. He fully understood her importance as they prepared to die together (shinjuu).

Oh, and then we have Gon, Killua, and Palm, of course. And Ging.

We're all familiar with Killua's little breakdown. Palm reassured him that she wasn't the one most important to Gon, but that it was Killua all along. Killua is the most important to Gon.

Killua then also becomes important to Palm, because of how Killua is important to Gon, and Gon is important to Palm.

But the thing is, although Palm already knew it, Gon (at the time) didn't realize that Killua was the thing most important to him. The thing most important wasn't his initial goal of finding his dad, but the person he met along the way, the one who flipped his world upside down and gave him his first feelings of friendship and love.

Gon's true feelings and thoughts are actually still unclear, which leads me to believe that his story with Killua isn't over yet. I can only assume that he'll have a similar realization just like Meruem.

According to the bottom right panel, Gon will "inherit" the heart of realizing what (or who, in this case) is truly important. Togashi told us right there in bold lettering.

You alr know that man is cookin somethin real good up 🔥

"Killua is the only one for me!"

"You are the one most important to Gon."

4)

Love

"It'll be a lovers suicide."

"His most beloved...." "Gon."

"Love will always prevail!!"

Ok but can we talk about how HISOKA of all people was the first to say it outloud that Gon and Killua are something more than friends? His little speech doesn't sound that ambiguous to me, he make it pretty clear that Gon is KIllua's beloved, right after using a hetero romantic couple as an example. read my post about this moment here!!

Love love love. HXH IS ABOUT LOVE. The main love of focus is between Gon and Killua, obviously.

And yeah, i know two of the panels aren't CAA related, but everything is indirectly connected to that arc so i'll allow it.

I already have a post regarding "the teachings of love" and how it connects to killugon. here ya go.

yeah. that's all i got for tonight.

long story short :

hxh gay killugon canon killugon reflect romantic pairings everywhere even hisoka admits it KILLUA LITERALLY ADMITTED IT OUT LOUD. killugon will reunite and maybe shinjuu together. thats how they end. just like komumu and meruru

WAKE UP. HXH WOKE!!!!! TOGASHI WOKE!!!!!

[mytalemyworld]

YABANI / ASI & ALAZ SEASON 2 THOUGHTS

It's been months since I wrote here: a very busy real life schedule, a finger injury, not any tv show that piqued my interest caused me not to come here but escapism is very much needed right now. And Yabani is like that your old friend you know you should stay away but as long as it's there, you don't have power to run away.

I seriously didn't expect much from the show considering what we've got so far. Also I really understand the difficulty the new head writer has to live. She took over a wreck, nothing they would write could save the show. So that's why I just watch Asi and Alaz and care about only them. They still make me emotional even though their scenes last only like 5 minutes. Yeah yeah, the new plots, the new characters etc. These are just excuses, because they already have a good, exciting story potential yet the writers choose to ignore it. Once again.

For example, the new bearded guy and the evil lady. You know those old casettes which have two sides: A and B. A side is always aimed to give you the best tracks and as for B, it kind of exists only to fill the casette. To me, no matter how hard the writers try to make them look like an A side track they are just so useless and end up B side. I don't even want to know what their stories are.

The other problem, just for the rating, Asi's long lost family turned out to be a bunch of lunatics. No need to say they're the second B side track for me to skip endlessly.

I am not surprised anymore, I just want to express my frustration.

So let's take a look at our problematic couple.

The things I like:

The fact that he has never moved on.

It's kind of realistic. He's an extreme character, always going back and forth over two opposite edges, and turning any emotion into an obsession level of craziness. Be it love or hatred.

So, it's not surprising to see him like this, desperate, aimless, lost and tired.

The guy has never had a life purpose, not even in season 1. His journey is not about finding himself or his potential etc. He seeks love and wants to be loved. So the first conflict was about the lack of parental love, then Asi (he even chose her over his brother, I mean, it should give you an idea)…and now it's also about his baby.

If the story gives me a wrecked man, I would like to see a consistent behavior. Otherwise all scenes about how lost he is wouldn't matter.

To avoid this kind of problem, the confrontation between Alaz and Asi shouldn't have been his dream. It MUST have been the real one.

Because it would make sense.

Because no effing one could hold himself back after going through a never ending torment for these two years.

Because the actor killed it.

I am not good Asi. Not at all. Every day I've thought this moment. If I found you, If I saw you what would I say? There's not even a single moment that I don't regret, Asi. We could have been so happy. If we had a baby…I always thought it would be a girl. We could have named her Ece. Then we, three of us, would set off by a caravan. You'd sing and I'd play the guitar. Maybe she wouldn't have a perfect life but would be so happy. Because we would love her so much. Because we loved each other so much. And I still love you so much. Please…please, forgive me. I can't do without you. Please don't give up on me.

The fact that he realised he could be a good father because he loves the mother of his child and she loves him back, because he could give all his love to their kid and make him/her feel loved. The fact that he finally realised they have what his parents lack: a mutual love which could make the child literally a love child (he knows this makes a difference) and of course caring about the kid you make, putting his/her needs first.

And he probably came to understand why Asi wanted to keep the child: The need for having a family which he felt like he lost two years ago.

This kind of desperation is so hard to come by on tvs right now. And let me tell you, I've been watching tr dramas for almost 25 years and this is one of the most intense scenes I've ever seen. So raw and so strong.

His soul is on his knees, he wears his heart on his sleeves, he is dying to find out if he has a second chance. He looks like a candle burning and perishing slowly.

However God knows for what reason they chose to keep this scene only in his mind and gave us this:

You still love me.

Sometimes I feel like he has a serious personality disorder. Look, he kind of slayed this too, however it didn't go over well especially after 37th episode.

Maybe I am right maybe he's really unstable, I mean look at him. He has this selfish side that doesn't seem to get healed even after 2 years. He loves being loved, he enjoys seeing being wanted, he has this telling look which says he's glad that she can't move on either no matter how painful it's for her.

Well, he's kind of saying he wants her back and is ready to do anything for it but the scenes are so short which makes the effect weak.

STILL.

They have an effect on me anyway.

[allpersona]

“FROM THE SHADOWS…”

~~~~~{<<><><><><>><>}~~~~~

~~~~~{<<><><><><>><>}~~~~~

Content warning: SMUT!! Voyeurism, stalking, and talk of bad pasts.

Disclaimer: This is the first smut I'm posting on here. I don't write much but bear with me. Someone said to write the smut you wanna see in the world, and there's not enough huck love!!! This is set right after season 2! Anyway, enjoy, and give me some feedback!

————————————————

You were a new hire at Olivia Pope's “ not law firm”. Being a gladiator was tough, you felt like you were fearing for your life every day. But Olivia took you in, so you didn’t ask questions. Just like she didn’t ask any when you were fleeing your home, and NEEDED protection. Just like the others you were broken, like a doll, and she put you back together.

The person you gravitated toward the most was Quinn, she also had to run from her past life. Leave the ones she loved. Unlike her though, you were guilty. Still, it was nice to not be alone in the confusion, anger, and craziness that being a gladiator can be. You and her often just look at each other in awe as the others jump into action. It makes you feel seen. The other person you gravitated towards was Huck.

You didn’t really know him, you didn’t even know his last name, but he comforted you. Of course, he also comforted Quinn, so you try not to read into it too much. He’s quiet, doesn’t speak much, jittery, and always secretive. But…you can’t help but notice how he stares at you…especially how it lingers when you say goodbye ( of course he stays later than the rest of you).

You noticed how gentle he is…how soft..how caring. Of course, he is a hardened EX-CIA Assassin, but he’s also the man who makes sure you don’t freak out at crime scenes. He once held your hand ( it was to make sure you didn’t trip over a body, but it still counts). You can’t help but want him for yourself. But you know it will never happen.

So now you’re going home, after your exciting day as a Gladiator to your empty second-floor apartment. You go to your bedroom and slip off your work clothes before lying in bed. Thinking about the man you want but can never have, as your hand slips into your panties.

————————————————

Huck is addicted to you. He’s always been prone to addiction. But you’re different. The way you look at him. the way you bring him little treats and water, making sure he doesn’t overwork himself. The way you smile at him, so full of light. Which is why he feels so dirty watching you right now. It’s bad. And he knows it, but he can’t stop. Not when you keep your curtains wide open. At first, he bugged your work purse and followed you home. he told himself it was to keep you safe.

You were new, so innocent, and open to the evils in this world. But ever since then, it’s become a habit to watch you….getting his work done early..working himself to the bone..so he can watch you. It doesn’t help that you keep your curtains open. So as you took off your clothes and laid in your bed, he couldn’t help but be captivated. And when you started touching yourself..he couldn’t help but start sweating. He immediately turned on the listening device in his pocket and sat there.

Now he’s sitting here, listening to your soft moans. He can feel his body getting hotter, and he can’t tell if it’s hell or his attraction to you. But he is moving his hand towards his straining bulge. He can’t help it, you sound so..heavenly. You’re untouchable, which is why he’s fighting the urge to go to your apartment and take you here and now.

He slowly unzips his pants and pulls down his boxers. He can see you as your hands are moving underneath your sheets. Your face contorting in pleasure as his device records your moans. He touches his cock and can’t help but whine. He’s so hard that it hurts. Luckily he chose the perfect abandoned alley.

He shouldn’t even be doing this, but his hand slowly travels his length at the same speed you’ve started fingering yourself. He can’t help but feel dirty as he imagines that it’s him inside you. As you moan and blubber incoherent words and syllables. He can almost feel your walls clenching against him, as he strokes himself faster. Then he hears it…. “huck”.

He thought he was hallucinating for a second, but then he heard it again. “ Huck please”, and he almost came right there in the car. “ Huck please I need you”…you are calling out to him? He needs to be closer. he wishes you would put your bag next to your nightstand. He immediately starts stroking faster, letting out groans of his own.

As he listens to you call out his name in private, he wishes he was there. He wishes he could answer your prayers, like the angel you are. He can feel himself getting closer and closer as his pace gets sloppier. “ Huck please, I need you” you whine over the recording. And he’s over the edge. White leaks all over his hand as he rides his high. Man..he will never get enough of you. Of loving you.

Now he has to clean up and go before someone notices the noisy car in the alley and calls the cops. And he doesn’t wanna explain that to Olivia.

————————————————

You can’t help but pant a little as you finish, feeling yourself come down from your orgasm. You feel relaxed, but you can’t shake this feeling. This feeling of being watched? You shudder, as you close your curtains. But before doing so, you catch a glimpse of a car rounding the corner. “It’s strange, this is a dead-end alley.” You think as you turn around to finally go to bed, maybe you’ll tell your friends at work tomorrow.

[sunboki]

SUMMER SOLACE — Behind The Scenes

hi everybody! in case you were curious about how my recently posted fiction was created, i’m here to deliver some info about the writing/designing process. love ya’ll <3

( 1 ) — Designing the header.

The header wasn’t a huge issue (compared to other things..) but I had a few runner-ups along the way. In the end, I was left deciding between the two below.

As mentioned before, SKZ-FLIX was a HUGE source or inspiration for this fiction (and just overall inspiration). But I love the layout of a Netflix-inspired header considering “SKZ-FLIX” in a whole, so I chose the second option as a result. Also, the small note in the first header reading “Can I crash at your place for the night?” is from a scene in the fic! 🤍

( 2 ) — Deciding on the AU.

Probably the easiest step in creating Summer Solace. Immediately after watching the first upload of SKZ-FLIX the inspiration came to me, but maneuvering around applicable situations was a bit tough. Otherwise, scenes started dropping left and right. The real challenge was how to tie such different realities together in a way that would be satisfactory for everyone. Trust, my notes were a madhouse of bullet points. Some of which are listed below…

Of course, like any of my writing, everything was very much loose-ended. And as I work there was no doubt the plot and certain scenes would mold differently compared to the final piece.

( 3 ) — The Writing Process.

Likely the longest process (duh). I really wanted to incorporate themes of Stray Kids introduction as well, and I utilized the “Film Festival” in SKZ-FLIX as an opportunity to thread 3RACHA’s creation when creating their film’s sound track and establish the developing bonds there. In the case some of the people reading this have been STAY’s for awhile now, I wonder if you’ll catch onto some patterns from the past such as Hyunjin and Han’s rivalry, Han’s regards to his song ‘Alien’ when he describes himself, or how Hyunjin and Han were intended to have ran into each other at the supermarket Leeknow and Felix are seen at in the ‘SKZ-FLIX’ video. Plus, my personal favorite, Changbin’s love for his Snorlax plushie. Not to mention Felix’s brownies making an appearance in a scene too!

Summer Solace was intended to have a “nostalgic summer” feel, so I’m hoping I’m able to convey that between the cheesy lines.

( 4 ) — Aug’s Notes.

Overall, I want to thank everyone that has supported me thus far and helped me to get to this point. I know Summer Solace may not be for everybody whether it’s due to the lack of genuine romance between two characters, the stupidly sentimental nature of it or what, but my main focus was the healing aspect of it. I prioritized the slow and steady building of trust and friendship that occurs between each person, and I hope you can catch wind of that as you read. If you enjoyed this fic, I would love to hear your thoughts!! Thank you again everybody.

As always, this fiction is wholly fictional. No theme, plot, character, struggle, or member of Stray Kids are meant be taken seriously, along with their situations and backgrounds in this fic. If this isn’t for you, click off, you won’t hurt my feelings. P.S ( I also noticed Chan wrote on bubble about the members being his reason to ‘live on’ right after I posted Summer Solace, I thought that was a crazy coincidence (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) )

— Sincerely, August.

sunboki, may 2022 ©

[kanmom51]

JK 'Seven' Campaign Behind-The-Scenes Film

Hey all, coming a little late to the party here, but hey, it's the weekend.

Basically JK is gorgeous.

End of post.

Nah.

Not really done, although there isn't too much to say about this clip.

One thing we got was JK in a white singlet, which is one more parallel to JM's Face photo shoot campaign.

One more piece just falling into place.

Oh, and obviously we all saw this too, right?

You know, the mud on the pants.

Mud that happened to be all over JM's Like crazy MV.

Was JK also walking through the mud? Together with JM? Is that what JK is telling us? Just in case we didn't know who these lines were meant for:

Every night you spin me up high

The moon that embraces you

Let me have a taste

Give me a good ride

Oh, I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Oh, it's gon' be a good night

Forever you and I.

And the spikes.

Let's talk about the spikes a second.

Yes, they both have the spikes. JM on his actual skin, JK on his jacket.

I had a little interesting back and forth with @ffjj5 about this.

JM's spikes on his skin representing inner struggles, finding a way to be happy in his own skin, to find his real self and accept both his masculine and feminine sides. @ffjj5 bringing this up. How possibly it was his own skin that was the cause of most of his pain.

On the other hand, JK's spikes are on his clothes. And my thoughts were perhaps JK's spikes are on the outside, because the for him, the struggles were external. JK, the golden maknae, the one that at 15 was front and centre. the one with "the best voice", the one that BTS cannot do without, the one that literally EVERYONE had the highest of expectations of.

So JM was dealing with internal struggles - spikes on the skin.

And JK dealing with external demands - spikes on the jacket.

JM dealt with some of these issues during Covid and this came to be in Face.

And with JK, well, we've kind of seen him fighting back lately, perhaps his way of dealing with some of these external demands.

Oh, and did I mention the song playing in the background during JK's clip?

13

Just another coincidence?

Anyway, I love how every single thing JK does is thought out. Might not be that our interpretation is the one he was thinking of, but 100% there is a reason for every single thing he does.

One good thing coming late to the table is that I get to see what others are talking about before I open my big mouth. And well, how people twist every single thing they can when it comes to JM and JK.

How people take the "JK being JM's copy cat" and twist it all around to JK stealing JM's ideas? Plagiarism? Really?

Let's start with what plagiarism actually is:

Before people go open their mouths, maybe better they go check what the meaning of the words they throw around mean.

Did JK ever come out and say this was all his idea?

Did JK even talk about the photo shoot, the concept, the ideas, how he came up with them, and why he chose them?

Of course he hasn't yet.

So how the hell is this plagiarism?

The day JK says "this is all my original idea, omg what a surprise, didn't even know it looks so much like JM's", then fuck them haters, maybe then they could open their disgusting mouths and say that word. But see, that day won't come. So for now, they need to stop talking shit.

Did we forget this?

or this?

Now, this one isn't about JK stealing JM's ideas like some want others to think. It's about JK looking at JM, seeing him as someone who inspires him. Someone whom he admires. I saw @roo-bastmoon use the term muse, and I agree. JM is JK's muse.

So, the way I see it is that JK is mirroring JM.

Like I said, every single thing JK does means something. It's well thought out. The outfits, the muddy jeans, the silver rings, the spikes.

So, instead of seeing JK doing this, showing up styled so very similarly to JM's Face campaign, inspired by JM, mirroring Like crazy, not copying it, honouring it in his own way, people are taking that and making it out into idea theft.

The way JK is underestimated by this fandom surprises and angers me every single day.

Oh, and btw, JK's morning concert on GMA is sold out. Surprise surprise.

Oh, and one more thing:

Please don't hate me for this.

Yes, he's damn adorable, but please, that hair style... no more... Please.

[sapphic-agent]

It is SO interesting how Glee fans (the Glee Subreddit) label Mercedes with an attitude problem. Let's rehash 3x03 for a minute.

Mercedes Quitting

Mercedes, clearly struggling: My ankle hurts.

Schue: Push through it.

Mercedes, bent over in obvious pain: I don't feel good.

Schue: You're fine.

Mercedes: No I'm not.

What absolutely irks me about what people choose to focus on in this scene is that Mercedes didn't start off yelling. She was communicating very quietly and respectfully that she was in pain and couldn't continue. It wasn't until Schue dismissed her twice that she began to raise her voice.

(There's also a stigma around Black women, especially bigger Black women, and pain. Schue not taking her seriously in this scene is actually a bigger problem than most people realize)

She then points out that Schue is always picking on her, which is very much backed up by him being supportive of and easy on Finn but then pushing her ten times harder. And don't say it's because Finn put more effort because Schue prior to this would have had no way of knowing how much he practiced at home.

Mercedes: Where's Rachel, huh? I don't see her here! Being "apart of the team!"

Finn, under his breath: Rachel practices-

Mercedes: Nobody asked you, Finn!

What's crazy to me is that people harp on Mercedes for this in particular. Finn had zero right to insert himself into the conversation. And he knew that too, that's why he said it so quietly. No one else said anything because it wasn't their business. And of course it pissed Mercedes off more. Everyone's showing grace to Rachel, but no one bothered to do the same with her.

(Also, we never saw Rachel practice this specific choreo. So what Finn said might not have even been true because let's be honest, Schue wouldn't have made her anyway)

Mercedes: You give that skinny Garanimal-wearing ass-kisser everything! And for two years, I took it. But not anymore, I'm done.

You can certainly make the argument that this was disrespectful... But then you also have to admit that Rachel was the same, if not worse. You cannot say that Mercedes had an attitude problem, but Rachel is just so silly and "peak Glee." That isn't fair, especially because Rachel has done it multiple times, for way less justified reasons. And was never threatened with being kicked out permanently like Mercedes was.

Judging Mercedes harder than Rachel here is a double standard.

Mercedes Giving up Maria

Mercedes: Are you double-casting any other roles?

Bieste, Artie, Emma: No.

Mercedes, getting up: Thank you for your time

Very respectful here. Not one ounce of attitude.

Mercedes was better than Rachel. Rachel knew it (even admitted it) and so did everyone else. So the fact that they still chose to double cast it was such a slap in the face. They were pandering to Rachel, and screwed Mercedes over in the process. Of course she was insulted.

Bieste: Where are you going?

Mercedes, to Rachel: Tell me you are better than me.

Again, not even the slightest hint of malice towards Rachel. Mercedes respects Rachel to a degree, and doesn't feel the need to insult her to get her point across. Mercedes handles this whole interaction very maturely.

Artie: Mercedes, don't make this a stupid pride thing.

Mercedes: Oh, it's a pride thing, but it's not stupid. Congratulations, you've got the part.

Artie's intervention in this scene is very telling. Mercedes was calm, collected, and respectful here but he (and everyone else, just look at their faces. They're acting like she's yelling and swearing) still acts like she's being combative. If a Black woman stands up for herself, she's being aggressive or rude or problematic. She's blowing it out of proportion so it's easy for everyone to brush it aside.

If you think Mercedes has an attitude problem because she stands up for herself and doesn't roll over for Rachel or Schue or Finn, check yourself. Just because a Black woman isn't afraid to speak up doesn't mean she has an attitude

Argue with the wall

[otakween]

Digimon Data Squad (Savers) - Episode 12

Woohoo! The plot is plot-ing!

This was probably the episode with the most "serious business" tone yet. We also got some exciting foreshadowing for revelations to come. Also, new partner digimon (x2?) and a new bad guy! It's...(checks notes)...Mercurymon (メルクリモン)? Not to be confused with Mercurymon (メルキューレモン). Okaaaay...that's a choice.

Notes:

Okay, so apparently Masaru's mom knows way more about digimon than she's previously let on. She implies that her husband worked with DATS (or maybe just was associated with digimon) and that has something to do with why he's not around. Color me intrigued! Better than him being a deadbeat or dead from a mysterious illness. (I guess he could still be a deadbeat depending on where this is going lol).

So apparently a digimon appearing as a digiegg in this world is rare and the rule is that they need a human partner AND that human needs to join DATS if they want to stay in our world. Seems pretty strict, but I guess it makes sense from a public safety perspective. (From a real world perspective recruiting kids to DATS is crazy, but it's a shounen anime lol)

Feels a little random to bring back Biyomon for Chika. I mean, I know that they brought Agumon back for Masaru, but it's not like Biyomon was a fan favorite or anything (as far as I know lol, maybe they were). Maybe they wanted a bird since the ninja digimon is also a bird?

Speaking of Chika, it's a little surprising how big of a role she's played in this series. Masaru's mom too. I thought they would be more background characters but we've seen so much of both of them. Maybe they're trying to appeal to younger and older kids at the same time?

I kinda wish they stretched out this plot a bit, maybe keeping Biyomon a baby longer or something. It just feels like the emotional attachment between Chika and Biyomon was kinda forced and quick. (Of course, I've been saying that about digimon since Adventure lol). It was hard to be too invested in the "sad" scenes since we've known Biyomon for like two seconds.

I guess they made Biyomon masculine in this in order to differentiate from Adventure. Where's our feminine Agumon then? lol

Masaru beating up Biyomon was pretty intense. That was a lot of hitting before getting GeoGreymon involved!

(Someone call PETA!)

We finally see Sunflowmon again and they're extremely useless -_- (at least they made it into a gag this time)

Not really into ninja-themed characters. It's just kinda a boring character type to me. Still looking forward to meeting the final mystery MC from the OP tho.

Seriously, when they introduced Mercurymon I was like "wtf?" I thought he might be a digivolution of Frontier!Mercurymon, but no. They really just chose an extremely similar name. Anyways, I googled him so I could get a closer look at his design. Did not realize from this episode that he was humanoid! He's giving Indigenous God vibes with his outfit (Aztec was the first one that came to my mind).

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The Lady Whistledown Papers : 2x01 Capital R Rake (Part 1)

Welcome back, Gentle Readers, to The Lady Whistledown Papers, where I’m taking an in-depth look at Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s character arcs and romance within the show Bridgerton!

For previous issues, follow tag : The Lady Whistledown Papers

It's Season 2! Which I really like - it's a big fluffier and upbeat and a lot more going on. The Polin stuff in this season is delicious and while Season 1 created a great foundation, Season 2 digs in deeper and gives us some fantastic character development. The reason Season 3 is so great is that Season 2 does some wonderful leg work, and it'll be so much fun to dig into.

Welcome Back

We open this season with Eloise's debut (and a fun reintroduction into the Bridgerton family) and with an interesting conversation between the Queen and Lady Danbury -- in which the Queen deduces a now obvious statement -- that Lady Whistledown is one of them. And after last season's reveal, Penelope as Lady Whistledown, and the duality that it creates for her, will now be front and, well, secondary but still center during this season.

Because directly after that scene with the Queen, we move to the Featherington home, where Penelope is sitting by the window, waiting anxiously. Why? Because she is Lady Whistledown, and LW has made her own return back to society -- perfectly in time to disrupt Eloise's debut.

And I want to point out that the very first thing we see this season is how Penelope, as LW, is helping her bff Eloise, because the last thing we're going to see this season is how Pen and Eloise's friendship is torn apart by LW. An interesting juxtaposition.

So, I need to point out a tiny little detail, Penelope is reading Samuel Johnson's The Rambler -- a collection of essays from the mid-1700s that dealt with social and moral issues mostly concerning the middle-class moving into the higher class. And it makes me wonder if they chose that book because it's ideas would be something Penelope would read (which, yes, this girl likes to educate herself) or if the title just stood out (Penelope is, after all, a 'rambler' herself). Either way (or both) it's a great smaller detail.

Anyway, we get caught up on the previous season's left over plot threads -- they're still mourning the passing of Lord Featherington (though their wardrobe has shifted from black to dark colors - interesting that Penelope is wearing brown), and that they're awaiting news on the new Lord Featherington (who will be a major part of this season). Plus a tidbit about Phillippa's engagement to Albion Finch. Mostly, it's a lot of set up for the season.

And, of course, Penelope is preoccupied with other things -- not only is Lady Whistledown it's own thing within the season, but as usual, her family really isn't paying that much attention to her.

As Eloise nervously paces for her debut, she laments that Penelope is not there -- and then we get cut to Penelope looking out the window, even more anxious than before. I kind of love the fluttering and the playing with the book as she waits.

Portia scolds her about being at the window -- exclaiming that she'll freckle if she's by the window too long. I wonder if this is a nod to the fact that they decided to change Penelope's make up -- the previous year, they added freckles to her face, to make her seem younger. It is noticeable that, despite the kind of crazy wig game going on, they are allowing her to mature. She does look older this season though it is still awkwardly between the previous year's childish looks and the more adult, grown woman transformation we're going to get in the next season.

I will say it's also a nod to the fact that Penelope is constantly at that window, no doubt, often peering out so she can watch the drama outside her window, look for the Bridgertons, and no doubt (despite his glaring absence this episode) keep an adoring eye on Colin.

I also love that she even when acknowledging her mother's concern, she shows no sign of actually stepping away from the window.

So, the new LW arrives, and Penelope's diabolical plan works -- as the Queen is so interested in the news that she ignores Eloise completely. I LOVE the LW theme that flutters up and down as everyone gets a pamphlet handed to them.

[As an aside -- I do kind of love the beat at the end of this sequence where Daphne says good luck to Anthony for the season. I do kind of love the baton hand off of it.]

And then we get Julie Andrews's voice kicking in as LW returns 'Dearest Gentle Reader, did you miss me?' she asks -- as Penelope giddly looks from the window. Not only are we back. But now we're well aware that these LW voice overs belong to Penelope.

I love it.

Sharpening the Knives

After the intro, we get another LW narration, stating that while she's been gone she's been honing in her writing skills -- or, sharpening the knives as she so diabolically puts it. She looks so deliciously devious here. And as we settle into this new revelation that Penelope is LW, what stands out is that she loves being LW, this is a really important point, She's excited to get back to work and start writing about the gossip again.

But I mean, also, can we take a second and talk about the fact that, despite the fact that he father died and she was stuck with her mother and sisters all summer (? - i'm slightly confused by the timeline, and it's inconsistent so I'm not questioning it), she hasn't had such a bad time away. And I mean, I should point out she has been practicing writing the whole time -- because what has she been doing? Writing to Colin. A correspondence, I'm sure, that's made her wistfully thrilled.

The girl looks good as we return, and while this entire season is kind of going to be Penelope's slow descent to hit rock bottom as the LW secret starts to tear her life apart, it's great that she starts up so highly on top.

I kind of love the montage we get next -- which kind of pulls back the curtain on how Penelope has been able to sustain the LW persona. I love that the first thing we see is Penelope hanging out near the wall, literally sneaking by as people ask how LW accomplishes things. She's a sneaky one, that no one notices, and while people talk, she just listens.

Portia's comment about her not being able to do it by herself is intentional -- as we start to see the mechanics behind Penelope's stint as LW. She's got the help of the servants -- namely carriage drivers who seem to signal when they're ready to take her to the dark parts of London to be published.

I love her sneakiness. And the fact that she hides full pieces of parchment in her cleavage. Talk about a woman knowing where to hide secrets. Also stashed away in that carriage is a secret cloak and costume which allows her to disguise herself so she can get to her publishing house.

I cannot say how much I love LOVE when Penelope goes into the Irish accent as she proctor deals with the publishing house. You just know that Nicola Coughlan probably had a blast doing that. (There's such a joy bursting through during this little moment -- I'm sure there's a slight knowing glow from Nicola as a nod to the audience that, yup, we're doing the fun thing.)

But also, omg, Penelope and her business savvy skills. This girl is, what, 20? And she's negotiating with this big brute of a guy -- being very confident and demanding as she levees what she needs. It's really quite brilliant -- because her confidence here stems from a need to keep her business going to an enjoyment of doing it -- because she clearly does delight in the secrecy of it. It's such a fascinating little moment.

As the narration continues, taunting the readership with the fact that she knows her identity is a hot commodity that won't ever be given out, we see Penelope putting coins underneath the floorboards of her room -- where she has a secret stash of LW items. And it's interesting that it's really not commented on much -- but it shouldn't be a huge surprise in Season 3 when Penelope talks about how much money she's made. Because we see here, she's already got a lot going for herself.

Back in present time, we see Portia and the sisters delve into the new issue of LW as Penelope slowly makes her exit, absolutely delighted that she's captivated everyone's attention. No one knows it's her, but that's okay -- because she's happy enough knowing that people want her writing -- are devouring it, praising it, and loving it. And it feels as though they're loving her and accepting her without even realizing it.

Penelope is at the top of her game and happier than ever. Ooff, that fall to rock bottom is going to hit even harder at the end of the season...