#but of course this is all speculation and reading between some lines so you know -- don't take any of this as gospel

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Your deep dive of ttpd was amazing💕 I just have one question. First off I despise MH and second I don't hate JA but I think he is a very depressing man who doesn't know what he wants out of life. Question is when TS performed at the 1975 concert with anti hero, were they involved then ? I am terrible at time lines not that it really makes a difference when he started to play her but he is so despicable I just wondered if they were together then.

Hi anon,

This is delicate and I'd also like to caveat that I am not privy to Taylor's personal life, nor is anyone else on the internet, so I can't speak in absolutes.

But going from the story she's laid out in TTPD: it's not necessarily likely they were physically involved at the time of that concert, but there were at the very least complicated emotional entanglements by then. IIRC in some article at the time of their relationship, someone (maybe Jack? idk) confirmed that they reconnected as friends (after years of not speaking) through Jack when he and Taylor were finishing Midnights in 2022 (and Jack was producing The 1975's album, hence the connection). I can't remember where I read this, but someone pointed out that Taylor and Matty were rarely if ever actually on the same continent until he showed up for Eras because of his band's touring schedule. But also don't take my word for it because I pride myself on knowing as little about him and his band as possible lol.

So like, the story we "know" is that they got involved for real when he showed up at Eras in Nashville in May, because he'd been on tour most of the year before then. As far as we know, Taylor and Joe broke up sometime between Arlington and Vegas tour stops in March of 2023. So there's at the very least murkiness re: the emotional affair, which she all but outlines in Guilty As Sin? and How Did It End?, but beyond that, what we know is what we she's shared in TTPD and what we saw play out.

TL;DR: there was probably risky (and ill-advised) flirtation happening at the time of that concert and an emotionally intimate relationship, but beyond that, we don't know, so I'm taking Taylor's word for it unless she offers other information in the future.

(Frankly, I also think if they'd been physically intimate at the time, Matty would have had no problem bragging about being "the other man" after the shitstorm in 2023 because he is the type and the fact that he hasn't leads me to believe they weren't, but I digress.)

[perseruna]

Endiness made a beautiful long post with all his quotes on that topic that I think is very informative and worth looking at, so here’s a link to that. And with that already discussed, I thought I’d make a thread of all his changes that we are aware of, because when you look into them, you find that none of his “book accurate” changes are actually book accurate. 

His decision to make Geralt grunt and cut his lines.

HC: "All the grunts, I either added or I didn't say anything and just grunted instead. It was often up to the other actors to go, 'I think he's not gonna say anything now.'"

JB: "Henry likes to cut his lines, 'cause he's lazy. No, he literally just likes to cut them. He likes to do more up here [frames his face with his hands] and just with face and hmms and grunts. There's a lot of hmms, and so I often have to take a lot of his lines and turn it into a lot of my stuff so that the plot happens."

So, as everyone who has read the books knows that Geralt is and always has been a yapper. Gerakt often talks or thinks in monologues, and definitely not in short grunts.

Of course when the audience started making fun of Geralt for not being able to speak in full sentences Henry promptly went back on admitting the blame and instead said that the big bad writers were the ones who didn't give him lines, and now it was his life’s mission to fight for a book accurate Geralt who speaks. 

Roach’s death scene

After S2 came out, Lauren received a lot of backlash for Roach’s death scene, with multiple sources citing that she wanted the moment to be more “comedic” before the brave Henry Cavill stepped in and refused to participate in such horrible anti source material activities.

LH: "Henry was so unhappy with the line. Finally I said, 'You know what, you come up with something. I trust you, you know this material so well, you know the book so well, you don't even have to pitch it to me.' And he came back the next day with a beautiful speech that's at the end of 'Sword of Destiny' when Geralt is facing death.”

This is the line he ended up using:

“Enjoy your last walk across the meadow and through the mist. Be not afraid of her for she is your friend."

This was Lauren’s response AND the original line.

LH: “Here's what was scripted, in homage of the fact that a previous Roach had existed, and another one will exist soon. It's hardly a joke. Henry wanted a longer, more emotional moment, which I was more than happy to give him. Don't create drama where none exists.”

So in S2 Geralt ends up quoting a part of his monologue from ‘Sword of Destiny’ when he’s at his lowest after thinking that Yennefer had died at the battle of Sodden Hill, and he has nothing left to live for. Which to me doesn't work that well with Roach at all. That line was a response to Geralt thinking he's lost the love of his life, not his horse. In my opinion, the original line Lauren penned out is more heartfelt and actually more emotional and more book accurate as well.

The absolute removal of any Triss and Geralt “romance”

This one we don’t have that much information on in comparison to others. But there were multiple reports that at the beginning of S2 Triss and Geralt were supposed to have some kind of a romantic scene with each other which then was cut during production, and it was largely speculated that it was due to Henry Cavill. 

“Several months ago we reported on a sex scene happening between Geralt and Triss, sometime in the first half of Season 2. That didn’t happen, as we all saw, but here’s what we know about the original plan for that: Geralt and Triss are in a room together, they seem friendly at first. They are playing some kind of weird game. Whoever wins a round, gets to ask a question. We’re not privy to the exact flow of the conversation, but it eventually leads to both of them ending up in bed. We can only guess why this was cut, but perhaps it was thanks to Henry Cavill.”

Now, irrelevantly on your feelings on book Triss and Geralt you have to admit that that short-lived “romance” is indeed a part of the books and therefor book accurate. So the removal of it would go against Mr I’m fighting to make this show as much book accurate as possible. 

The removal of the Yen and Geralt sex scene in S2

"We just wanted to be very careful that it was true and real, and it didn't turn into something that we, as actors, didn't believe it should be," Cavill stated. When Yennefer and Geralt unite, they embrace, but it doesn't go further than that. He continued: "We wanted it to be emotional rather than sexual. It was really, really important, and we had to lean away from what was originally on the page." Initially, Geralt and Yennefer were written to have a more passionate night. Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra went to "The Witcher" producers and explained why they thought a steamy evening was not the way to go. "These are people who believe one thing about the fate of another and then find out something else is true," Cavill said about Geralt believing Yennefer was dead. "That's not how they behave," the actor added. "How they behave is they just want to be with the person and emotionally recognize their existence again in that shared space.”

This one is a bit tricky because I am willing to get behind an actor who doesn't want to do a sex scene out of comfort reasons or whatnot, but Henry saying that "That's not how [Yennefer and Geralt] behave”, is quite absurd in my opinion. Because that is very much how Geralt and Yennefer behave, especially in the short stories and ToC. They are inherently a very sexual couple who come crashing in and out of each other’s lives while having very passionate sex. But I can understand wanting this scene to be more “emotional” (as if sex isn't emotional), so this one I am willing to give him a bit more leeway on. (But then again looking at the blinds saying that he refused any sex scenes because oh his “ideals” and was allegedly really nasty to Anya about it, well..)

Geralt being the perfect father figure to Ciri with no flaws and no struggles (which inevitably snowballed into the Yen Betrayal Arc)

This one I don’t see talked that much at all, and to me this one is his most detrimental one. 

@LHissrich: “In interviews, Henry explains how he felt strongly that Geralt NOT be bumbling, nor a struggling father figure. In fact, a lot of S2 is about how Geralt does come from a loving (albeit unconventional) family. Henry was passionate about this shift, and we discussed it a lot, and ultimately thought it was wonderful for his character development. But it also had the domino effect of changing what Ciri needed from Yen when she entered the picture. Thus, introducing the idea of balance.”

So I don’t know about you, but I love when characters have flaws and naturally progress be it for good or bad, some would say that that's what story telling is about, well that someone wouldn't be Henry Cavil. Geralt being a struggling father figure at first, someone who makes mistakes and learns from them and tries is very much a prominent theme in Blood of Elves and is actually very real, people make mistakes! Especially in huge shifts such as “becoming a father overnight’ but we didn't get that because Henry refused to play it that way. What we got is Geralt who already basically knows exactly how to parent, he always knows what to say, what pep talk to give and also doesn't hold any resentment and any negative feelings towards Vesemir at all. It's all one dimensional happy family here! Which goes against not only the books but what he preached about fighting tooth and nail to make the “forgotten” male characters three-dimensional as well because the horrible feminist Lauren only thinks about female characters. 

Lauren then goes on saying that “it also had the domino effect of changing what Ciri needed from Yen when she entered the picture. Thus, introducing the idea of balance” So, it is fair to speculate that Henry’s refusal to showcase Geralt having any flaws at all and act book accurate snowballed into The Controversial Yennefer Betrayal Arc. 

These are the ones that I can remember off the top off my head, so there might be more, there’s probably more that we aren’t even aware of. I think putting them all together showcase a very interesting picture. One of Henry Cavill never actually understanding who Geralt fundamentally is as a character, and of him not being a team player at all. I just hope that more and more people are aware of the insane PR his team did for him when it came to this show, and that more people are able to see through it. 

[jeonscatalyst]

https://www.tumblr.com/jeonscatalyst/770231943114670080/i-mean-i-get-that-they-use-communal-showers-but?source=share

When he started this live, a day after the shit storm on sm, i was wondering if he was gonna address it. Seeing him contemplating in the beginning made me sit on the tip of my chair. But it didn't come and honestly I was a bit sad abt it.

I talked abt it with my friends watching and they understood but told me he was not gonna do it like i was hoping for. You know, i'm also a fan of The Rose and Woosung and he's always so frank and dares to address his fans and his antis so guess i was hoping for smth like that to shut up that group.

So reading your post now, made me rethink it and indeed see how JK approaches this in a different way but one that is also very much clear. Do you also think that thus us exactly why he did this live now?? While he hasn't done any in months (he had time off b4) but now right after all that hate? He surely must have seen it?!

Ask #2

“After everything that went down yesterday (12/17), I find the fact that Jungkook went live today of all days to be interesting.

Could be a coincidence, but pattern holds.

He didn't say anything in regards to all that, but he came to share with Armys.

Boy is the very definition of "Actions speak louder than Words.” "

I decided to address these two asks together since they are somewhat related.

I find it interesting that Jungkook chose to go live after the ongoing chaos over the past two days. While I can’t definitively say that his timing was intended to calm things down as there’s no evidence to support that, I suppose we can all speculate.

What we do know is that the members are quite aware of the things fans say about them. They may not know every detail, but it’s clear they see and hear a lot. During the live, Jungkook spoke about Jimin quite a bit, often unprompted. For a while now, Jikook antis have been spreading all kinds of narratives about Jikook in the military. Some even claimed that Jungkook’s lack of public acknowledgment of his enlistment with Jimin meant he wasn’t happy about it. Yet, whether by coincidence or design, Jungkook addressed this directly, sharing several details about him and Jimin in the military.

I can’t say for certain whether Jungkook intentionally chose to share those stories to address the rumors, but it was fascinating, and I’m glad he did. Is it possible he saw what was going on and decided to subtly set the record straight? Of course …but again, that’s something we’ll never know for sure.

I don’t think Jungkook is in a position to directly address these issues. Some people believe he should have called out his solo fans, but I don’t think that’s practical. Jimin’s solo fans also attack Jungkook, and maknae line solos are constantly at odds with one another. It wouldn’t make sense for one member to call out their own solos while the other doesn’t do the same.

I doubt Jungkook or Jimin give much weight to what haters say anymore. After more than a decade as idols, they’ve probably seen and heard it all.

In his Live, Jungkook talked about his experiences in the military and shared anecdotes about himself and Jimin. He spoke about them as a unit, mentioning things they do together, such as singing and showering. That alone is enough to show there’s no animosity between them because if there were, he wouldn’t talk about Jimin in such a way.

I think we need to manage our expectations and try to see things from their perspective. Jungkook and Jimin love and respect each other, and they consistently show that whenever they can. That alone should be message enough, even though we know haters will continue to ignore it.

The truth is, even if Jimin or Jungkook were to call out their solo fans directly, it likely wouldn’t change anything. Solos have a long history of ignoring what the members say, so why would they start listening now? Anyone with a functioning brain knows that two people who don’t get along wouldn’t enlist as buddies. Yet Jikook antis choose to push these narratives regardless.

Solos wouldn’t be solos if they didn’t try to paint their favorite as superior while dismissing or undermining the bonds they’ve shared with their bandmates and friends for over a decade.

I am happy Jungkook went Live when he did. It might have not been intended but his presence brought so much peace and reassurance.

[accio-victuuri]

XZ Album 《我们 WE》 early cpns.

you know we just need a few things to see and it’s a whole bunch of cpns we can produce after 😂😂😂 that’s the magic of being a turtle. lol. we may be interpreting this whole thing wrong but that’s usual when it comes to speculations we make and i think that’s the joy of it.

i’ll start of with this one that made me want to scream and cry:

i mean… shut up…. noooooo… wdym 😭😭😭

why you gotta pull the wei wuxian imagery like that. i’m very very weak for this. the writing mimics that of a red ribbon. of all things. tho the WM here as how fans interpret it and how i think xz intended it to is WM: WǒMen (我们) as in We/Us or WM: We and Me (我和“我们”) (Wǒ hé “Wǒmen”). not to mention that the color scheme of this red is 911005. his bday. everything is intentional.

but still. red ribbon. come on. who can blame us for clowning like this when he makes it so easy. it’s not a secret that the untamed and the role of wwx is important to him career wise and well *ehem* personally *ehem* because of a certain someone. if you don’t wanna look that far then just go with the W as in WANG. lol. and if it’s WM, M flipped is still W. so that’s how transfixed he is with the letter W. i wonder why. 👀

now we move on to the snippets of what the song means & how it’s making us think of wyb’s previous single everything is lovely ( which has a separate cpn too between them )

QQ music said this line connected to the album/song:

“About me, about you, about TA (him/her), or the relationship between people in this big city.”

this is pretty similar to the message of everything is lovely — it’s about appreciating everyone and looking at life and your surroundings as interconnected. they both have that sense in them. what we do and say, it has an effect and we are all related even if it’s a big city we live in. plus the use of TA which does not specify the gender. we love that! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

we get more of an expanded idea too via xzs post of the activity for the release. it mentioned a description. you can substitute the we to us if that reads better to you:

“Some people say that WE are close friends, cats and dogs waiting for us to come home every night are concrete in life.

Some people say that WE make friends with all kinds of emotions... are virtualization hidden inside the heart.

These characters of “ME”, and emotions form different "WE".

We are placed in a prism named "life", where light breaks it down into multi-faceted spaces. We travel through different spaces as lights flow and capture our own colors.

Starting from "Me", feel the intersection related to "Me", and then return to understand "self". What is the "we" behind "Me"?

A trace of emotion, a thing, a friend... The bits and pieces around "Me" all make up "We".

i think if you are someone who have been watching them for a while and the messaging they are sending out then you will see the common theme/connection here. the cats and dogs waiting for us to come home every night. that reminds me of the cpn that they have a cat and dog at home, at some point. and it’s what they want too. the interconnection of you/other people and appreciating everything around you, that’s the vibe i’m getting right now. of course we will know more one we have the song/s and the full lyrics and possibly some backstory from xz.

a coincidence too that the “me and we” is giving the same energy as “ u and i” which is in wyb’s weibo bio. which i know is something UNIQ related but there you go.

what’s more chilling i guess is the “we” was emphasized and used as a caption between them by hui-ge ( cpn about this fansite here which is a primer of sorts but there are other instances aside from what’s there ) which was i have a we / i have us. i mean. come on. too bad they haven’t posted in so long especially because fans were looking too much into them ( cpn about this photo/ post here )

the use of “we” which they have mistakenly said back in 2019 when talking about themselves:

other minor similarities:

* the concept of multiple xz and wyb through something prism/mirror like.

* both xz and ybo using similar captions which is not new but most importantly, starting an activity for fans to participate in. which i’m not sure but possibly other artists do too. but whatever, let’s add that 😂

* and the PINK! because pink is the color of love! what are the chances they will use the same color?

lastly, one of the release dates is 11/19. and as cpfs we have a whole story about that and it’s nice that we get to continue that timeline. cpfs think it’s a confirmation of the importance of this date too ^^

-END.

i surely missed some things on here and that’s fine. if something important comes up i will make a separate post! i’m so excited for this month! xz really blessed us 🥹🥹🥹😅

[aziraphales-library]

this is going to sound slightly stupid i’m begging you to bear with me

you know those fanfics from like 2013, the rpf’s that (usually) were about musicians like harry styles or brenden urie?

they’d go something along the lines of, ‘not-like-other-girls’ sitting in the crowd of a concert her friend dragged her out to, but she just doesn’t care about the music it’s so not her thing so she reads a book during the concert (cue the groans). then the lead singer sees her and is totally taken by her uniqueness and calls her out from the stage or asks to see her after the show yada yada.

anyway, i saw some fan art of rockstar!crowley and normie!aziraphale, and i thought it’d be fun to see if there’s anything similar to those kinds of rpf’s but instead for crowley and aziraphale!

We have a #famous crowley tag you can check out. Here are some fics in which Crowley is famous and Aziraphale is not...

A rockstar's love by The_boxhead (G)

Crowley had a lot of problems finding someone to have a relationship with as the famous rockstar that he is. But that day when he entered that coffee shop and saw that blond haired man behind the counter, he didn’t want more than to get to know that beautiful angel with that cute smile.

Star Crossed by AppleSeeds (T)

When Crowley, the lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Sixth Circle, agrees to take part in a radio show discussion feature, the last thing he expects is to come away from it completely smitten with a man who must be the world's most adorable magician. Crowley's uncharacteristic behaviour towards Aziraphale during the show doesn't go unnoticed by the listeners, with speculation soon running rife online. Only one thing for it - Crowley just needs to engineer an opportunity to see Aziraphale again. All in the name of generating publicity, of course.

Never Too Late by AppleSeeds (T)

It's been thirty-five years since the height of Aziraphale's enormous crush on rockstar Anthony Crowley, but when he sees that Anthony is still performing, Aziraphale feels he owes it to his younger self not to pass up the opportunity to finally hear him sing live. The last thing he expects is for Anthony to actually approach him once the concert is over, extending an invitation that surpasses every fantasy Aziraphale harboured about him as a young man and resulting in the most memorable night of his life.

The Only One I Still Know How to See by Furuba_Fangirl (E)

Aziraphale has been an admirer of Anthony J. Crowley for years. However, the gap between audience member and stage actor begins to thin when they are given the chance to officially meet.

Soho by Lurlur (E)

Aziraphale lives a quiet kind of life, running a quiet specialist bookshop in one of the liveliest districts of London. He's content with his lot, happy with his friends, tolerant of his probably-human housemate, living vicariously through the gossip pages. One day, a chance encounter with Anthony Crowley, lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Demons, threatens to turn his whole world upside down.

Find the Light by klikandtuna (E)

I saw a collection of gifs on tumblr combining David Tennant as a rock star and Michael Sheen as a school headmaster (see the notes of Chapter 1 for a link to the post!) and someone said that it ought to be a fic, sooooo I've made it a fic. Here's a heapin' helping of rock-star Crowley and headmaster Aziraphale! Now with shiny new cover art, also by me!

Win a Date With Anthony J. Crowley! by Caedmon (E)

Crowley is a world-famous rock star who sells out arenas. His name is synonymous with 'rock-n-roll', and he thrives on the spotlight. When he agrees to raffle off a date with himself for charity, he's expecting to meet an overzealous fan that wants to wear his skin and very well might try to roofie him. What he's not expecting is to be instantly attracted to the quiet man with the unusual name who shows up for the date at the Ritz... and he's certainly not expecting for Aziraphale to have no clue who he is...

- Mod D

[toniko]

okay I agree with everything you said about Kim except his treatment of Baek. If you read as far as 161 then you know we see Baek constantly being conniving and sneaky and really is always looking for the next opportunity to backstab someone if it’s advantageous to him from Baek’s POV. In the Dream School Arc he makes a murder attempt on him which Kim artfully dodges. Baek’s whole thing is being a clown that keeps making his own situation worse because he keeps confirming for Kim that he’s frankly awful even when Kim tries to give him an out.

up to 161 still

totally will admit my section on Saheon was something I threw on quickly without explaining well. In frank words now, I’d say:

‘Kim Soleum seems to believe in the Baek Saheon (Viper-heon, Doksa) from the text a lot compared to the one in front of him. The one from the text is implied to be much more cruel. His discipline reflects as way too extra for this Baek Saheon.’

not that he isn’t a bastard in the first place lol. also yeah, I get that interpretation too. I just give the ol’ Baek Saheon some benefit of the doubt, more detail below. other reasons too

again big opinion piece

I was going to mention the attempt on Kim Soleum’s life in the school arc actually! Thought it would go on too long. In my mind, Baek Saheon reads as someone who’s overly hasty, almost bullheaded? He decides Kim Soleum is some kind of traitor very quickly and takes action. Actually his exact thoughts is that Kim Soleum would have a name tag anyway and he’ll just wake up. (He’s pretty stupid now to just assume that, doesn’t he? But he really does believe in the total competency of Kim Soleum after seeing him operate.) I think to even have thought that though means he’s adverse to committing literal murder.

Yes, his morality is loose, but killing people is not on the board yet and I think that’s the most clear line between the true psychos who use finishing team members, mad scientists and shitty bosses vs this guy that we’ve seen being an absolute bastard but backs down the moment he seems threatened. And input some of my own bias here, I think killing with intention is truly the line between a truly evil character and one that isn’t (because of the great emphasis of preserving life within the story) at least in this ghost story where psychopaths are rampant and bad personalities are abound.

I also didn’t describe what I believe to be Kim Soleum’s evaluation of Baek Saheon as a character. I think there’s a combination of Baek Saheon committing the first instance of ‘cruelty’ Kim Soleum witnesses in this new world and his previous knowledge of Saheon. We can only speculate what the original Saheon is like, but it’s clear he’s the character with the largest departure in his story from his original. The character in the text Kim Soleum often refers to is already a chief with many years of experience and lots of time for horrible acts to pile up. So this is the frame of mind I think Soleum has when thinking of Saheon.

Kim Soleum’s discipline is rather important for his safety of course! But rather, since we have some POV chapters from Saheon’s perspective, we can see how that guy immediately crumbles after any opposition lol. The longer Kim Soleum performs this discipline, the more it seems like he doesn’t need to be doing all that work. (Read cat note death threat before Saheon shows a semblance of scheming). It is also possible that Soleum is going overboard for fun (even though he likes to say that this is absolutely necessary).

In the end, it’s difficult to say Kim Soleum views Baek Saheon in an objective way regardless or without any bias from the darkness text. I can loop this right back to the impersonalization topic

Of course this is all very speculative! I do call it my personal interpretation.

I’m someone who believes Kim Soleum is not just reliant on the text, but was overly reliant on it as both his way to survive and interpret this world and to cope. I also think the writing is a bit of a trick most of the time, some classic unreliable narrator type shenanigans.

Here’s some meta elements I base it off of as well:

Baek Saheon is like one of the only characters that gets chapters in his POV and the most compared to other characters as well. So I don’t doubt he’s here for the long run. He’s set up as more of a comedic character for now but the angle for his character doesn’t seem like an antagonistic setup. But additionally with a character like Kim Soleum as the protagonist, I don’t think he’s in any narrative position to get worse.

please don’t take this as me overly defending Saheon, I make fun of him like every other Tuesday. Kim Soleum just doesn’t quite treat him like any he does with any other character in a drastic way so I can only theorize on why 🤔 (there’s more to say about this but man, this is not the post for that

[its-time-to-write]

Ooh I just read the other part to the baby Jamie tartt story and it was amazing!! What about where it’s bea’s first soccer game and the team shows up and Jamie is just a proud dad or she’s 2 or 3 watching her dad play and cheering super loud and getting into it!?!

Heyyo! Mixed this with another ask. It was fun to write! Thank you!

today’s a day like any other

Bea is two years old and five months, and she’s at the age where she is talking in sentences and can understand things that are happening around her. She makes little two-year-old jokes that only she understands, and her favorite person in the whole entire world is Sam Obisanya. 

You have a picture of her at her second birthday party, pointing at something while Sam holds her, both in matching Obisanya 24 kits. She can’t read, but she knows enough to tell that the markings are the same. She wears it every day it’s clean, and some days it’s not. You think it’s hilarious because Jamie has to cajole her into wearing her Baby Tartt 9 kit. 

Jamie is her second favorite person. She calls him “dada,” and shrieks whenever he comes home from training. Both of you are in your mid-twenties now, and you get stares whenever you’re out with her. The press is still the press, but they keep Bea’s face out of it when they speculate how long Jamie will keep “playing house,” or you will “put up with his antics.” They comment on young marriage and early divorce, and you and Jamie make the choice to laugh through it. 

He calls Ted about once a week for advice on marriage and fatherhood, and Rebecca stops by for lunch for you and Bea twice a week to give you advice on marriage and encourage you in motherhood. Bea adores her, almost as much as she does Sam. Almost. 

Rebecca had been hesitant at first to share, but once you said, “I’m pretty sure you know what red flags I should look for,” she laughed and went full steam ahead. 

All that to say, Bea’s favorite people are Sam, Jamie, and you, in exactly that order. (You could rank the rest of the team, but honestly it’s pretty close between some of them and they don’t need that type of competition.) 

Bea is two years old and five months, and she is at yet another football match, wearing her Obisanya 24 jersey and bouncing up and down in your arms. You’re three months along with your son name undisclosed so you can still hide it, but you’re wearing one of Jamie’s kits as opposed to your own. You put tiny lines of red and blue face paint on Bea and are standing up in Rebecca’s box, pointing things out to Bea. You point to a tiny Sam on the pitch, and Bea starts yelling, “Sam, Sam, Sam!” He can’t hear her, of course, but he’s looking around and smiling. The stadium is chanting, “Go, Sam Obisanya,” and Bea picks it up. You see Jamie nudge Sam and point up to where you’re sitting and Sam waves. Bea waves back, giggling.

“Bea, do you see Dada?” you ask. Jamie’s face is on the big screen, and she wiggles even harder. She’s practically vibrating in your arms. You think this might be the first game she actually understands enough to remember. You spend the first half narrating the game to her- “See, Sam has the ball. He’s trying to get it to Dada. Oh look, there he goes. Do you think he’s going to pass it?” 

Bea is watching intently as Jamie zips by player after player. You see him fake out Wolverhampton’s last line of defense and then the stadium erupts. He’s scored the first goal of the game. 

Bea is yelling her head off and bouncing again. Jamie looks up to where he knows you are an blow a kiss, which only makes Bea lose it more. 

On the drive home, all she can talk about is how “dada got a goal,” and “dada is my favorite.”

— 

Bea is seven years old and one month, and she is very adamant that she wants to play football. Her friends are all playing, plus she’s Beatrice fricken’ Tartt. Isn’t football in her blood?

You and Jamie tried to talk her out of it, not wanting her to feel like she had to. She insisted.

So there you are on a Saturday morning, seven months pregnant (yes, again thanks to goddamn Jamie Tartt) getting ready to cheer Bea on in her first match of the season. 

Her kit says Tartt 24 because of course it does. The teams are doing little stretches to get ready, so you smile and reach down to get a juice for four-year-old Theo (no, you don’t call him Ted) out of the cooler Jamie brought. 

“Eyy, it’s the Tartts!” says a voice. You look up to a grinning Dani. 

“Dani! What are you doing here?” you ask, grinning back.

“Couldn’t miss my favorite niece’s first match, could I? And I heard you had drinks,” he says, peering into the cooler. 

You laugh and someone else says, “let me know what’s in the cooler, bruv.” You turn, and there’s Isaac, Colin, and Michael. Dani waves to someone across the field, and it’s Sam, Jan Maas, Richard, and Bumbercatch. Roy’s Jeep screeches into the parking lot, and you see him get out followed by a flurry of pink. Of course it’s Keeley. 

“I hope I’m not late,” says another voice, and Bea runs up to say “Aunt Bex!” and does a flying leap at Rebecca. 

All of Bea’s uncles are here, minus Ted and Beard, to support her at her first game. 

You think you might cry.

Jamie, on the other hand, is looking extremely proud of himself. 

Bea is showing of her number 24, Sam is grinning proudly, Richard, Isaac, and Jan Maas are hyping her up, and Dani is doing arm curls with Theo hanging onto his wrist. 

Jamie slides his arm around your waist and presses a kiss to your neck. 

“Jamie Tartt,” you say, “did you invite all of them?”

Jamie grins. “I might’ve.“

“That might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever done. It might even make me not mad at you anymore.”

Jamie pulls away a little, indignant. “What’re you mad at me for? I haven’t done anything!”

You point to your stomach and say, “Oh really, then what do you call this?”

Jamie fixes you with a devilish grin. “Proof that I’m still fucking sexy?��

You giggle like a teenager. He is definitely still fucking sexy. 

The game is filled with wild cheers from Bea’s aunts and uncles, especially when she performs a header. 

“I taught her that,” Roy says to anyone who will listen. 

They swarm her on the field after the game’s over, uncaring if she’s won or lost. It doesn’t matter. They don’t all play for Richmond anymore, but they will always be a family. 

—

Bea is sixteen years old when she causually mentions a boy named Thomas in one of her classes. You’re all at the dinner table and Jamie doesn’t clock it, but you do. 

Jamie is only a few years out from retirement. He’s around the age Roy was when Roy hurt his knee, and although he’s still tearing it up on the pitch, you both know his time is coming to a close. 

He’s a lot sadder than he lets on, but you remind him there’s more to life. Your family has become somewhat famous, even in the States, so he’ll still have opportunities to do what he loves. Just not with the League. It’s become a bit of a routine, at this point, having the same conversation at the end of ever season. 

Just one more, Jamie promises, One more and then I’ll retire. You just hope he isn’t forced to by an injury.

But anyway, Bea’s got her eye on a boy and Jamie is completely oblivious until you bring it up that night while getting ready for bed. He’s flossing his teeth and your putting lotion on your face. 

“She fuckin’ what?” Spit goes flying. 

“Jamie, that’s disgusting. Please wipe that up.”

Jamie grabs a towel and swipes at the mirror. “How d’you know? It could just be a friend. She’s too young to be thinking like that!”

You smile. Bea’s a very thoughtful girl. You’re pretty sure she timed the name-drop with great precision and care, testing the waters. 

She’s a lot like you. 

“Babe, I just know. And, not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s not seven anymore. Plus, I’ve seen Thomas around. He’s a very bright, respectful young man. Bea’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

Jamie pales, not listening to a thing you said. He grabs your hand. “Babe. Babe. Think about what I was like. Fucking hell, I was an absolute wanker. Oh fuck. This is not fucking good.”

He’s spiraling. He’s spiraling about his oldest daughter and it’s adorable. His hair is all crazy from running his hands through it, and his eyes are wild. You know what Jamie was like. You met a toned-down version of him, and you’re pretty sure he wouldn’t want Bea even near someone like that. You’ve heard the stories of how he was before. 

“Jaim,” you say, “it’s going to be ok. Seriously.”

“You don’t understand,” he says, hands now on your face. “I was an absolute shithead. I was rude and a fucking dick. I didn’t treat women well, or anyone well, and I don’t want Bea with someone like me.”

You understand. You’re not minimizing his concerns or apathetic about Bea, it’s just that you know the daughter you’ve raised, and you tell Jamie as much. “I know this is new for us, but she’s wonderful. And anyway, it’s not like she’s going to end up like me, twenty-two and knocked up.”

“We were married!” Jamie protests, “And twenty-two is like being a real adult!”

You raise an eyebrow. “We were barely married. And we were basically kids.” 

Jamie still looks distraught, so you place your hands on his wrists. 

“Darling, don’t worry. She’ll be ok. We made it this far being stupid, and she’s so much smarter than either of us.”

Jamie snorts, which you take as a victory. 

“And anyway,” you continue, “any boy that breaks her heart has like a million of her scary uncles to deal with. I promise, promise, promise she’ll be alright.”

Jamie smiles at that. “She does, doesn’t she?” He kisses the tip of your nose. “Suppose it’s a good thing you didn’t have any of those, otherwise we might not have gotten together.”

You laugh. “Alright, you sentimental dweeb. It’s past your bedtime.”

“Just one more kiss,” Jamie replies, and then his lips are on yours and you forget what you were even talking about, anyway. 

[callmelola111]

color me purple ♡ part three

 ✄ - - - -   part 1 , part 2 , part 3   - - - - soundtrack - - - - ♡

synopsis: it’s summer and you’re back at camp stillwater. as a counselor you mean serious business and you’ll do whatever it takes for your cabin to come out on top. the only thing in the way of that; ellie williams and her crazy antics. 

      | 𓆣 | pairing & wc: ellie williams x reader. wc: 3.4k

      | ❀ | cw (by part): 18+ themes (MDNI), modern au, fem reader, some angst, ellie and reader fight, sweet love confession, !!SMUT WARNING!! (minors plz steer clear of this fic + dni), swearing, dom!ellie, sub!reader, whipped cream play, slightly public??, fingering (e receiving), oral (r receiving), scissoring (e + r), pet names (princess, sweet girl, baby, etc.), praise, edging kinda, some aftercare (lmk if i missed anything!!)

a/n: hello lovelies!!! i apologize for taking a whole ass week to get out this last part, i was on vacation and not feeling very inspired. finally though, i present a nasty, sweet ending that i hope you all love. so fun to write and read back, like why am i all hot and bothered rn lol. like always, thank you for the support!! ♡~ lola

That night Ellie replayed your words over and over in her head trying to dissect their meaning. Had her player-esque persona finally caught up to her? If so, why did it matter to you?

Through some deep speculation, she began connecting the dots. There seemed to be a real possibility that you liked Ellie as more than a friend, just as she did you. There was no way to be sure though, not unless she asked. But, the task seemed daunting considering it felt as if she had already ruined what she didn’t know was there.

The image of your tear stained face was seared into Ellie’s mind and proved as motivation to confess, apologize, explain. As long as you’d listen she’d repair the damage done to your heart. A tinge of regret hit Ellie as she thought about the meaningless hookups of summer's past. It was her way of dealing with unrequited love. But of course, now that that love doesn’t seem so unrequited, her mistakes have come back to taint it. 

♡

The following morning kicked off bright and early. 8:00am to be exact. The sky was pure blue with no fluffs of white to shade from the fury that was the sun. In virtue of the rising temperatures the expansive lake beckoned masses of campers into its waters. Just in time for the kayak relay race about to take place.

Each team lined up in number order spanning across the weathered wood of the dock. At the very end stood teams 11 and 12, you and Ellie heading your rows of campers. With the sting of yesterday's interactions you continued giving Ellie the cold shoulder.

It took everything inside to void your gaze from her, trying to focus on the games, while Ellie lacked the self control to look at anything but you. She studied your glowy skin and the way your sweat gathered at the nape of your neck from the sweltering heat. She took note of the stray hairs that clung to the moisture you produced and the way your brows remained furrowed as you fought every instinct urging you towards her. It felt like absolute torture and although neither of you said a word, there was a mutual understanding of the shared pain. However, before the tension could beat down on you any longer a loud whistle blew, signaling the start of the race.

Each counselor kicked off the relay heading straight for the finish. You slipped into your kayak, gripping onto the red double-bladed paddle that propelled you forward. Ellie’s boat was in line with yours sending aggressive ripples in between the two hunks of floating plastic. The course stretched over 500 meters and as you reached the 400 meter mark you were still neck and neck with Ellie, fighting for first place.

This is usually how it went but something about today was different, something in Ellie’s eye’s hinted towards a more complicated journey towards triumph. She suddenly jerked her boat to the right, straight towards yours. The pointed tip of her kayak rammed into the side of yours rocking it side to side and throwing you off course. Knowing her abilities, you recognized this as a pursuit at instigation. 

“HEY FUCK OFF!” you shouted with anger before swerving your boat to the left, hitting hers in retaliation. Ellie continued to push back.

“Oh so now you’ll speak to me?!” 

“Are you serious right now? Stop fucking with me Ellie!” You attempted to continue forward, but as multiple racers passed you and Ellie blocked your path, it felt like no use. 

“You can’t be mad at me forever!” her voice was desperate rather than angry and this left you baffled at her exact motives. 

“Oh yeah? TRY ME!” Ellie took your words as an invitation and used her paddle to scoop at the murky water sending it your way. You screamed in irritation as it hit you right in the face, soaking your once dry body.

Before you knew it, you were rising from your seated position to catapult even more water back at her. Ellie then stood up right with you, continuing the petty fight and reaching across the edge of her floating device to grab ahold of your paddle. At this point the both of you were blinded with vexation playing tug of war with the rod of plastic. Your boat rocked back and forth, more and more violently each time as you began to lose balance. With one last wave of water and the pull of Ellie you both tumbled into the lake in a mess of arms, legs, and curses.

You quickly shot up with the help of your life jacket, now drenched. Screams and laughters erupted along with the violent blowing of Mrs. Campbell’s whistle to halt the race and deal with the trouble you and Ellie caused. The both of you had been sentenced to kitchen duty and expected to sort out whatever drama had ensued. With the weight of your decisions, you were then banished from the lake and sent off to prepare lunch in place of the usual cooks.

♡

The double doors of the mess hall swung open with attitude as you and Ellie waltzed in. The air was shockingly cool compared to the barren heat just outside. Your wet hair became a nuisance as its once cooling effect now left you cold and miserable in the air conditioning.

Ellie led the way into the sterile looking kitchen and you followed in silence. Little words had been said between the two of you since your rage filled water fight. Although now, all rage had dissipated, leaving only feelings of shame and heartache in the air you shared. The silence grew heavy and the things left unsaid began bubbling up.

You reached for a ratty gray apron hanging on the dull walls trying to focus on the assigned task of cooking lunch. Staring at the chipped paint, you fumbled at the strings behind your back trying to tie them but to no avail. 

“Uh- do you want some help?” Despite Ellie being the only one in the room, her voice startled you. She inched closer waiting for your permission to assist and you obliged. Ellie’s hands reached to the contour of your waist, gripping the fabric. The brush of her knuckles across the small of your back sent a parade of chills to your skin. Her touch was slow and agonizing. Part of you wondered if she’d purposely made such prolonged contact as she tied the strings into a sloppy bow.

Although Ellie’s duty was done, you both remained still, you facing the wall and her facing your back. She reached once more to your familiar waistline and quickly flipped you around towards her.

“There… all done.” she murmured. In that moment with just inches between each other, eyes locked, you finally felt sure of her feelings, and your feelings, and the fact that you couldn’t keep pretending to hate her. The universe would stop at nothing to bring the two of you together and it was time to surrender. Ellie’s emerald orbs were full of you and only you and she knew she had to say something. If not now, when?

“I’m so fucking sorry. For everything. Please– forgive me.” You collapsed into her body like a house of cards. These were the words you needed to hear. Voice cracking, you called out her name in desperation.

“Ellie-” She urgently completed the other half of the embrace. Your face nestled perfectly into the crick of her neck like it was fate. Pine soap and earthy lake water wafted through your senses as you took in a deep inhale of relief. The following breaths were rocky and unsteady as all your pinned up emotions rose to the surface. Still stuck in Ellie’s crevice you began a gentle cry.

“Hey- hey- look at me. Don’t cry bunny.” She pulled your damp face in the cradle of her hands and guided you into contact with her glassy, green eyes. 

“Els, you- you have no idea what you do to me.” you struggled through the vulnerable sentence. Ellie pulled you back into the warmth of her body squeezing you even tighter like she was worried you might float away. Your words sat in the air waiting to be tended to until finally Ellie acted.

“I think I might.” Her answer was like a warm blanket around your heart. You looked up from your sanctuary in her frame and she stared back. You played a cat and mouse game of glances from eyes to lips and pressure rose.

Ellie took a deep inhale and asked the anticipated question, “can I kiss you?” With no time for words you dove into her soft mouth. Your top lip slotted perfectly in between hers, sealing the gap of yearning that had amassed from years of rivalry.

The peck was hard and long. It’s tenderness evoked cries of queer happiness from the both of you. Your tears mixed with hers was an act of love, and a long-awaited one at that. Ellie’s lips began to wander down to your neck and then your collarbones evoking sweet giggles from your throat. 

“Ellie- Ellie- enough. We do have to cook, you know.” A disappointing realization but true nonetheless. 

“Fine, fine.” Ellie’s kisses halted but you could still feel each one radiating off your skin. Your smile didn’t falter once as you and Ellie whipped up lunch for the campers. Who would’ve thought punishment could be this fun?

♡

After the 12 cabins passed in and out of the mess hall, consuming the meal, you and Ellie followed behind to clean up. After the kitchen was tidied, you both ventured into the dining area to wipe off the tables scattered throughout.

You dipped your sudsy rag into the bucket of cleaning solution and swirled it across the laminated wood. The table was long and wide forcing you to bend over the edge to extend your arm towards the hard to reach parts. Your ass up in the air was like a bright flag waving for Ellie to come over and assist, but not with the cleaning. She snaked both arms around your waist connecting them at your tummy. Her groin then pressed at your hips with reverence. She admired your shape and the way you somehow always slotted perfectly into her.

“Ellieeee…” You drug out her name nice and long, disguising your pleasure with annoyance. She began planting more kisses in the same pattern as before.

“What? Do you want me to stop?” You sat up now parallel with her body, ass still against crotch. Breathy air escaped from your mouth as Ellie gently nibbled at your ear, sending your head into a spin. You gulped out a string of “nos”, adamant about how much you needed her. And how you needed her now.

Your expression of desperation triggered Ellie’s strong hands into action. The 5 digits dragged up the right side of your ribs causing the soft red fabric of your shirt to bunch up, her firm motions stopping at the underside of one of your breasts. Ellie kneaded hungrily at the mound of fat, reveling in your braless form and hardening nipples. 

“C’mere, turn towards me. I wanna see your pretty face.” Her request flowed from her blushed lips like a symphony and you quickly obeyed. The table dug into your back leaving a mark as Ellie towered over you in desire like an animal. You tugged at the hem of her blue T-shirt sliding your hand under the linen. You were just as needy. Her abs flexed with the exploration of your eager hands. Wanting more, she leaned in close to deliver the message.

Her hot breath tickled you ear as she whispered, “you wanna make purple?” No matter how hot and bothered the both of you were, Ellie still found time to insert in her stupid humor. The cheesy sexual innuendo made you snicker but only for a moment before you were pulled back into her world of desire.

You nodded fervently to urge the escalation of this interaction, so she scooped you up by your pillow soft thighs and whisked you away to the kitchen. The stainless steel countertop where Ellie had positioned you was cold and left the back of your legs moderately numb. Overflowing with lust, you went for Ellie’s lips but she quickly pulled away before you could reach them.

“Ah, ah, ah.” she tsk’s before dashing away to the large industrial fridge, sending the double doors flying open with her pull.

“Els? What are you doing?” you questioned, feeling the ache between your legs amp up. You weren’t sure how much longer you could wait for her touch.

“I’m hungry.” she answered simply, pulling out a large red canister of dairy. Confusion was your prominent emotion but you didn’t dare to question her methods. Shaking the metal up and down vigorously she ran back, popping off the cap on the way. Your clenched thighs were quickly peeled apart by Ellie as she made room for herself between your dangling legs. In one hand she hoisted up the whipped cream and with her other she took your chin, angling it upward.

“Open.” she commanded. You separated your lips in obedience but it wasn’t enough.

“Wider.” Ellie’s hand cradled your jaw as it dropped even further this time. With this she squirted the milky, white cream down your throat. 

“Now swallow,” she instructed until your compliance, “good girl.” A cocky, power hunger smirk painted Ellie’s face as she watched you melt into the palm of her hand. You were sure that the thin cotton of your panties was now far from dry. 

“We’re gonna have some fun now... hands up.” With assistance from the girl in blue, you shed a layer of clothing. Your tit’s instantly perked up with the frigid air of the kitchen now surrounding them. Ellie watched in awe as dozens of fantasies played out in her head. It was a struggle just deciding what she wanted to do to you first.

The whipped cream assisted her next steps as she sprayed it across your remarkable chest. You gasped in pleasure at the cold, wet sensation. Drips of white began to trickle down your stomach as Ellie played clean up with the help of her tongue. The pink muscle pressed flat to your sternum collecting a heaping of cream and then venturing back to your own mouth. Teeth clashed and tongues wrestled as the white liquid swirled between the exchange of salvia. You left the kiss just for a moment to let out an urgent mewl. Ellie’s attention was then diverted back to your beautiful, beautiful body. She continued lapping up the sweetness taking time in between to suck on your erect nipples.

“Shit- baby, it got all over your cute little shorts,” she continued, her voice smooth like butter, “we better get these off of you then, huh?” Your bottom lip quivered in sexual agony, anticipating the future promises of friction. Ellie took her built arms and hooked them around the back of your legs. Upon swift movement she pulled you to the edge of the counter, stealing your shorts and panties in the process. Frigid steel made contact with your puffy clit aiding in some sense of satisfaction while you pleaded with Ellie.

“P-please, n-n-need you Els.” You bucked your hips demonstrating the amount of discomfort you were feeling. Ellie played dumb.

“Need what?” She teased your aching cunt with gentle brushes of her fingers at your thighs and you yelped.

“Need your fingers- your mouth- something- pleassee.” The words came out in a long slur but Ellie knew just what you were begging for oh so desperately. Having fun with her little game, she brought back the canister of white fluff, this time dispersing it across the heat you held between your inviting thighs.

Red plump lips belonging to Ellie planted deep into each bit of your flesh before eventually reaching their final destination. Your exquisite folds were glazed in milk and sugar like a special treat waiting to be devoured. For just a few seconds everything was frozen as Ellie was trapped by your fantasy-like beauty. Saving the image to memory, she dove into your crotch like it was her first, last, and only meal. Her tongue swirled through every crevice of you, taking only a few beats to express words of praise…

“My sweet, sweet girl.” , “You’re all mine” , “You taste so fucking good princess.”

Although, her affirmations could hardly be understood over your exuberant cries of pleasure. In your case, sentences were the last thing being formed as your bliss began to reach a fever pitch. 

“Close,” you mumbled, “so close.”

Ellie halted all movements, not wanting it to end.

“You think I’m gonna let you cum that easy? No way baby, we still have more fun to be had.” She shook her head taunting you. No matter how much it hurt, Ellie was in control and you clenched hard trying to prevent any further acceleration to your orgasm. You wanted to be the very best girl for your very best girl. 

“Come on, let’s take this to the pantry.” She hoisted you up off your place in the kitchen and assisted you there, your slick dripping down the innards of your legs as you walked (it was really more of a wobble and hop). 

With a glistening face of your wetness, Ellie then commanded you again, “Lie down for me pretty.” You did so as Ellie stripped herself down, meeting your bareness. She dipped into your form on the cold tile but the heat of your bodies was enough to distract from all the outside factors.

Purple and blue welts appeared across your neck and breasts as Ellie sucked every bit of skin she could in between the wrath of her teeth. With her parallel to you, your hands reached down to confront the mess that was Ellie’s folds. 

“So wet.” you whimpered in satisfaction. Knowing how just your sole pleasure could do that much to her drove you mad. You couldn’t help but slip a finger inside her tight little hole, trying to give back even just a sliver of the bliss she gave you. Ellie gasped as you filled her up, releasing the bit of flesh in her mouth that she had been suctioning to.

As much as she reveled in your pleasure, you reveled in hers. More whipped cream squirted between your bodies, mixing with the influx of sweat being produced. After many sloppy, in-and-out pumps of your digits you pulled them out to taste.

Ellie took this as an opportunity to grab your hips, holding them still for her own to align just right. You both began rocking against each other, unsteady at first, but with practice you gained a perfect rhythm. Clits bumped as heaving breaths and loud groans shot through the air. The mess hall pantry has become heaven on earth. 

“Fuccckkk,  I think I’m gonna…” Ellie erupted and you followed.

“Mmmmm.” Your back arching and her hips bucking chaotically, Ellie assaulted your sensitive ball of nerves with her own. The stars aligned and the angels sang as the both of you reached the climax of your lives. It was euphoric. White flooded your vision as you continued to ride out this high with the girl of your dreams. Sweet, sweet Ellie Williams.

Finally, the ravenous movement and desperate attempts at pleasure caught back up, leaving you limp and fucked out. Ellie lay next to you with a firm grip on your hand, maintaining contact as a sense of comfort and slight fear that if she didn’t hold on you’d vanish into thin air. You rolled to your side scattering gentle pecks on her arms and torso. 

“My special girl” you whispered into her skin, just loud enough for Ellie to hear. She smiled at you and then let out a large sigh of release, kissing you back.

“God, you’re sticky. Wonder how that happened??” A stupid little grin was stamped on her face as she teased about the recent sexual escapades.

“Let me clean you up, yeah?” You nodded with adoring eyes. She was an angel in bed and out of it. With a wet rag Ellie cleaned up the sugary, sweet mess, giving an occasional kiss of tenderness. It was all you could’ve ever asked for, and it continued that way for the rest of the summer and many more to come.

 ✄ - - - -   part 1 , part 2 , part 3   - - - - masterlist - - - - ♡

taglist...

@endureher @gold-dustwomxn @alexpritch @4rt3m1ss @robinismywifee @sophlovesbooks @97cityy

(taglist is for all callmelola111 works, if you'd like to be removed just kindly lmk)

[thetriboulet]

Woooo so the Magnus Protocol premiered and I have things to say and things to overanalyse!

As we know, 'Chester', 'Neil' and 'Augustus' are, maybe?, Jon, Martin, and Jonah, respectively. Hence this:

And, of course, there's 'J1', 'M1' and 'J2' in the trailer.

However, I've seen confusion over the fact that the third 'Error' is voiced by Tim Fearon, who as far as I'm aware has not previously voiced any characters in the Magnus universe. Even though the name is distorted, I can make out what looks to be an H at the end of the name, so this very well may be Jonah.

My theory is this: 'Augustus' is Jonah (or just his voice). However, since the body of Elias was killed in the Panopticon, Jonah does not use Elias' voice anymore. Jon, Martin, and Jonah are all disembodied, if we are to believe they are somehow inside the computer/other technology (ie Alice/Sam's phone in the pub scene) or in some way somewhere adjacent to the world of Protocol. So it could, in a dream-logicy eldritch sense, follow that Jonah is able to survive in his own creepy old ass man way, and use his original voice. Obviously, I cannot corroborate this claim in any meaningful way. We have not heard Augustus speak yet, but I think it is a possibility nonetheless.

The fact that Augustus supposedly shows up to read cases aloud significantly less than Chester and Neil could also be a clue. Maybe Jonah is weaker than Jon and Martin due to his injuries, and is therefore unable to materialise as often as Jon and Martin. Maybe the voice that speaks the true cases (because, similarly to how true statements were identified using the tape recorder in TMA, I imagine true cases will be singled out using the text to speech system) is relevant to the case itself - ie, Jonah only speaks when a case is heavily linked to the Eye, etc.

Furthermore, there's the question of who is spying on who and when/why. By this I mean that we hear our perspective switch between devices (the phone, the computer, the security camera during Colin and Sam's interaction, etc), and I believe that this happens because one or more of the 'Errors' (as I am going to refer to them henceforth) is travelling between devices to spy on the characters' conversations. What we hear is dictated by what the Errors, characters who have prior knowledge of the Fears, deem important. This is backed up by the episode's closing scene: Colin's paranoid closing lines. It is clear that Colin believes someone is listening to them, and it is implied that he has made a connection between this and the Errors. What intrigues me is the Errors' motivation for doing this at all. If what they deem important is what we hear, and this is the first that we are hearing, then it seems to me that it is Sam's arrival that has given them cause for concern, or (in Jonah's case) hope (if he is plotting to return, or something, I don't put it past the scheming weasel). So, why are they listening? And how can we really tell if what we are hearing is the spying of Jonah, or of Jon and Martin?

Another thing. Jonny makes a point of letting us know that Alice does not think the work they do is of any significance, or is checked by anyone. She constantly mentions it in passing and is very casual in her attitude towards work. We obviously have the foresight to know this isn't true. The reason I point this out is because of what Sam does when filling out his paperwork: he ticks the 'Response' box, to which Alice responds that it doesn't matter. This could be nothing, it probably is nothing, but I feel like the fact that Sam has ticked the onboarding box of a mysterious department of an already mysertious organisation might come up later...

Yes I know I am jumping to a lot of conclusions, especially where the Errors are concerned. Please take every theory you hear, from me or anyone else, with a grain of salt, this is all speculative. From a writer's perspective, I honestly think it's pretty likely that Chester and Neil aren't actually Jon and Martin, and just their voices taken by the Web or something, but shh I can dream.

Edit: oh my god they changed his name to Norris that is even worse. Jonny and Alex were fr like 'neil is too kind, we need the name to be Chester levels of horrific'

[kathlare]

rumor has it

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie navigates a press interview ahead of her album release, answering lighthearted questions until the conversation shifts to speculation about her connection to Lando Norris.

Wordcount: 1.1 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

July 9th, 2022 - London, United Kingdom

The bright studio lights beamed down on Amelie as she sat across from the interviewer, her hands clasped together in her lap. She had done a dozen of these interviews already, running through the same cycle of questions—her inspirations, the creative process, her excitement for emails i can't send finally being out in the world. It was supposed to be an easy press day, just another step before the album's global release.

And at first, it was.

The interviewer smiled warmly, flipping through their notes. —Alright, Amelie, before we wrap this up, we have a few fun questions for you.—

She nodded, offering a relaxed grin. —Go for it.—

—What’s your favorite track on the album?—

—Ugh, you can’t do that to me!— Amelie groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. —I love all of them, but right now, I’d say Tornado Warnings has a special place in my heart.—

—Interesting choice.— The interviewer scribbled something down. —And which song do you think fans will relate to the most?—

—Honestly, probably Because I Liked a Boy. I feel like a lot of people have been in that situation where their reputation is suddenly decided for them.— She shrugged. And I wonder why, she thought bitterly.

The questions kept flowing, lighthearted and safe. Until they weren’t.

—Now, we have to talk about the elephant in the room,— the interviewer said, shifting in their seat. —A lot of people are speculating that this album is heavily inspired by Lando Norris.—

Amelie’s smile froze.

Her heartbeat stuttered, her body going stiff before she caught herself, forcing an easy laugh. —What? No, no, that’s... that’s funny.—

—So you’re denying that most of the songs are about him?— the interviewer pressed, raising a brow.

Amelie’s brain was screaming, panic clawing at her throat. She could feel her hands getting clammy, her carefully rehearsed composure threatening to crack. But she was an actress. She knew how to play a role, even when she didn’t believe the lines herself.

—Of course I’m denying it,— she said, keeping her voice light, playful. —Lando and I were never a thing. We were just good friends, and that’s it. People really need to let go of this idea that there was something more between us.—

The words tasted bitter on her tongue.

The interviewer gave her a knowing look. —So you’re saying that the fans have been reading too much into the lyrics? Because let’s be honest, some of the songs sound… pretty personal.—

—Yeah, because they are personal,— Amelie said, her voice sharper now. She took a breath, trying to keep her cool. —But they’re not about Lando. Not everything has to be about some guy. I write about my experiences, my emotions. And sure, some songs are about people in my life, but this whole narrative that my album is some love letter to Lando Norris is insane.—

She forced a laugh, shaking her head. —It’s honestly so funny to me because I think people forget I actually had a life before I met him. Like, I was on Broadway, I was writing music, I had relationships. I’ve been through things that have nothing to do with him.—

The interviewer nodded, but they didn’t look entirely convinced. —So, to be clear, you and Lando never had any kind of romantic relationship?—

Amelie felt her stomach twist. The truth was sitting at the back of her throat, threatening to spill out.

We did. It was messy. It hurt like hell.

But instead, she smiled, cool and composed. —No. Never.—

She didn’t even believe herself.

—Well, that settles that, I guess,— the interviewer chuckled, clearly picking up on her avoidance but knowing better than to push further. —I’m sure your fans will be dissecting the lyrics anyway, but it’s good to have your perspective.—

Amelie just nodded, stomach churning.

The rest of the interview went by in a blur. When the cameras finally cut, and she was led backstage, she let out a shaky breath, pressing her fingers against her temple.

—That was brutal,— she muttered to Elysia, who had been waiting for her off-camera.

Her twin handed her a water bottle, raising a brow. —You okay? You looked like you saw a ghost when they mentioned Lando.—

—Yeah, well, I didn’t think they’d be so direct about it.— Amelie took a long sip of water, trying to steady herself. —I thought I was prepared for this, but it still caught me off guard.—

Elysia gave her a look, knowing her better than anyone. —Because you’re lying.—

Amelie let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. —I mean, technically, I’m not. I said what I had to say.—

—Mhm. And that’s why you look like you’re about to throw up.—

Amelie groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. —Fuck, Elysia. I just want this album to be about me. I worked so fucking hard on it, and now all anyone is going to talk about is him.—

Elysia softened, squeezing her arm. —I get it. But you knew this was coming. The moment you put those songs out there, people were going to connect the dots.—

Amelie clenched her jaw, frustrated. —I hate that they think they know everything about my life. They don’t know what happened. They don’t know what it felt like.— She exhaled sharply. —I just… I don’t want to be tied to him forever, you know? I don’t want to be the girl who wrote an album about Lando Norris. I want to be me.—

Elysia nodded. —Then you just have to own it. No more panicking, no more bullshit answers. Let the music speak for itself.—

Amelie swallowed, nodding.

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t that easy.

Because no matter how much she denied it, no matter how much she wanted to move on, there was still a part of her that wasn’t ready to let go.

[menlove]

your posts about the juliette greco thing have me thinking and I have such a clear vision like....the fact he wrote 'my soul mate' after that description he wrote in his book...like a direct message to someone who maybe went on and on about how if he were a girl that's who he'd want to be . so many Thoughts

LIKEEEEE the thing is too is that he's talking about yoko in that section

at least ostensibly. putting on my tin hat and pulling out the red string for some Speculation here but a couple of things stand out about this to me

"someone that I had already known, but somehow had lost"

and

"although I had numerous interesting 'affairs' in my previous incarnation, I'd never met anyone worth breaking up a happily-married state of boredom for"

like he's very obviously comparing yoko to juliette greco here, but the first three paragraphs (well paragraph & two sentences) could be about paul before you read on. and they're the opening sentences, too, in this little short opening "the ballad of john & yoko" which just tells their story

which. with my own "they were fucking the whole time" beliefs could 10000% be on purpose. especially bc "someone that I had known, but somehow had lost" makes absolutely 0 sense for yoko. but given my own personal interpreted timeline from The Events would put the petering out of their sexual relationship around 67/68...

like just for a Moment imagine that he was purposefully egging paul on here like "oh yeah I know and you know that I made you think this was about you but now I'm comparing Her to the woman you wanted to be like, fuck yourself"

and with that in Mind it would absolutely be a further dig to then say "yeah I had some interesting affairs but none of them worth leaving my marriage over" which also like. what's so interesting about an affair between a white man and a white woman? as far as we know, there's never really been much reported on john having any long lasting affairs. he obviously slept around, but out of the 4 he really didn't have any steady girlfriends or long-term affairs going on. no one's come forward with any (as far as I know) so it's just a very odd statement to make. unless, of course, you consider it another little backhanded comment at paul to piss him off lmao

which wouldn't even be out of character for this little autobiography bc later he downplays how important the beatles were to him at all & insults them in a very tongue in cheek way, saying:

which likeeee. some people think he's being sincere in calling them avant-garde thinkers, but many also speculate he was just being a dick & sarcastic. which I absolutely think he was being lmfao. and saying that they weren't more important than any other part of his life & less than some. like he's being a cunt.

ANYWAY SORRY YOU DIDNT ASK FOR ALL THIS I just think his mind is an interesting place & it would not be out of character at all for those opening lines to be him being a dick to paul about something he Knows would be a sore spot

[batsplat]

Vale to my knowledge has made up with all his rivals bar Marc, he’s even made up with Jorge who he said with the help of Marc where in kahoots to keep him from the 2015 title so I’m wondering what about Marc makes it impossible to make up with him also post 2015 what were the changes that 2015 made Marc go through cause the way he presented himself post 2015 was so different. Also despite Marc saying he doesn’t care anymore about 2015 I think that’s a big fat lie. (Also despite vale not liking Marc post 2015 he never put Marc ability down of anything he was like no he actually is good and I was wondering if that stems from just acknowledgment that Marc is an amazing rider and like skill recognises skill)

Sorry this got long

valentino is actually quite straightforward with this: it depends on what bond you had with him at the point in time where the feud gets going. so on the one hand you've got riders like biaggi, casey and jorge, where they don't have any sort of significant bond with valentino to be destroyed... and on the other you've got sete and marc. sete's the other big one where... okay, on paper, valentino's publicly moved past it, but it's also pretty obvious he hasn't actually forgiven sete. and, crucially, he's also the other rival who valentino was friends with before things got ugly between the pair of them. the distinction between the two categories of rivals kinda becomes obvious once you pick up on it

in his autobiography, published in 2005, he puts it like this:

included in this post, where I talk about the preconditions needed for valentino to hold a grudge against a rival. like here:

as I said in that post, I think in general he can engage in rivalries where he doesn't let the animosity get to him - though he knows himself well enough to understand that it can be a good idea to take things personally. he's said as much in relation to sete:

that and the extended quote is discussed in this post, and in general I do come back to the sete rivalry a lot when discussing how things with marc went down (see here if you're interested in reading more about that rivalry). valentino needs rivals to motivate himself, he likes having someone to bounce off of, to define himself against... and that is something he's deliberately integrated into his competitive process. that being said, there's a line... this type of ultra-personal rivalry like the kind he has with sete doesn't really feel like the mode of engagement that's the most comfortable to him. sete is for the most part carefully excluded from the narrative of his autobiography - but it's worth pointing out that the autobiography quote I included above, "if I were betrayed by a friend, then, yes, I could hate him", was published in the immediate aftermath of the drama with sete. we don't know whether that was a conscious reference to sete, but it could be. and at that same time, in 2005, valentino was also distancing himself from his new rival - who just happened to be his childhood friend melandri (more on that here). it's just speculation, but you do wonder whether valentino had been burnt enough by the sete rivalry that he wanted a slightly neater separation between the professional and the private. see:

by the time he gets to dani, casey and jorge, he's a lot more disciplined with this I reckon. he's always had a pretty friendly relationship with dani, of course, one that doesn't seem to have been massively affected by how dani was supposed to be the challenger to the throne (more on their relationship here). still, they weren't friends, and valentino was always aware that dani might end up challenging him for titles. casey's an interesting one because he wasn't supposed to be the challenger... casey thinks that valentino pulled back a little when casey established himself as a competitive threat - but at the end of the day, this is all quite cold-blooded on valentino's part. they're rivals, valentino is establishing some distance, no real emotional investment on valentino's part or friendship that could be ruined. more on that push and pull dynamic here, which includes this bit:

healthy professional distance! as far as valentino is concerned, in any case. I think that's the way I like framing that distinction, yeah, where you've got "intensely personal rivalries where each offence is deeply felt" and... not that. casey is very much in the 'not that' category. they were never friends, casey developed in spades the ability to piss valentino off, but he could never hurt valentino. the same is if anything even more true with jorge, who basically got the cold shoulder treatment from valentino from day one. at least valentino had pretty good repartee with both dani and casey... this seems to have been pretty absent in the jorge dynamic. the interpersonal coldness will definitely have been exacerbated by how jorge got the yamaha seat, making him an immediate direct threat from valentino from inside his house... but it may have existed independently of that too. like, honestly I do just think valentino disliked jorge's vibe lol. here is more on their dynamic in 2008-10, which does ofc include discussion of valentino's approach to that rivalry:

so valentino had less than zero interest in befriending jorge, which does help. this is just good old fashioned honest dislike, zero pretence. as I discuss in that post, they did manage to be mostly civil to each other for the first two years of their partnership, but 'civil' is really as far as they would go. like, this is the kind of thing that was being said the first time that partnership ended

god I miss them so bad

anyhow, by the time you get their second partnership, they've made it back to being mostly civil - until the entire drama kicks off in 2015. it's not all that surprising that valentino has been willing to bury the hatchet with jorge. while valentino did at the time say something along the lines of how jorge's reaction was making him think jorge was really in on the whole thing, for the most part valentino clearly thought of jorge just as a passive beneficiary of the whole marc affair. he was still pissed at jorge in 2016, believing that he'd put a lot more effort into keeping that relationship civil from 2013-15 than jorge had... but once their teammate partnership ended for the second time, he was basically willing to call it bygones

so... if post-sete valentino knows himself well enough to understand that a sort of impersonal, shallow hatred towards his rivals is the best way to motivate himself, then how on earth did things go so badly wrong with marc? why was marc the kind of friend who could betray valentino in the first place? I had a stab at answering that question here, and I think a large part of it is the competitive context of the previous few years. the long and short of it is that valentino had spent several years in competitive wilderness, knew his time fighting for titles had almost certainly come to an end... and was perfectly primed to see marc at least in part as a successor, as someone who had made himself in valentino's image, rather than an enemy. see this bit:

and it's also discussed here:

the way this process of distancing himself from rivals works is... I reckon there's a dual purpose here. on the one hand, you just need to put yourself in the right head space to fight someone, right. you need to motivate yourself, make yourself as determined as is possible to beat the other guy. friendship complicates things, it takes away a little bit of that 'violence' that is needed to maximise performance. valentino is a storyteller, he needs his victories to mean something - and who he's defeating is a key part of the story. there's an element there of wanting to build up the opponent in his head... you can be friendly with your rivals, sure, remain more or less cordial (as he was for the most part with casey and even jorge when they were actually fighting for titles), but that's very different from friendship. conversely, it was of course also part of his toolkit to be friendly with the opposition (x):

remember, for a while there he had a reputation for being an especially friendly racer - and it's an element of his game he never entirely abandoned. he did keep a little bit of that to him, even as he cultivated some distance with his biggest rivals... you could argue there's a little bit of that 'confusion' to early years casey, for instance. ruthless as a racer and charming in-person isn't always the easiest combination to deal with

the other purpose distancing yourself from the opposition serves is as... well, a bit of a self-protective mechanism, doesn't it? defending yourself from any potential future harm. maybe there's a little bit of that with the melandri dynamic in 2005... and then, of course, with marc in 2015. it's preempting the feud, in a way, almost like a method to emotionally protect yourself in case things get ugly. it does seem fairly clear that valentino feels more comfortable in the impersonal mode of rivalry, the stuff he did with biaggi, casey and jorge. he's happy enough to admit that he was responsible for at least some of the nastiness there - which he's recently talked about with biaggi:

which, y'know, that's not a million miles off the stuff he was already saying in his autobiography in 2005:

like there's not all that much of a progression here, not too much reflection needed. he's always known that he plays his part in making these rivalries ugly - he just doesn't really think there's any issue with that. it's part of the game. he's talked more broadly about how he thinks these rivalries are intrinsic to sports, how there's something natural to rivalries being a little bit nasty, how he thinks that sometimes the nastiness makes these rivalries more honest. how it's better to just admit you hate each other. that quote linked to above in which he talks about the sete rivalry also includes this bit:

but crucially, he does make a distinction as to where he thinks sete really went wrong: by playing a dirty game. ultimately, it's the same thing with marc... in the end, he feels like those no longer were 'honest' rivalries, that an important line has been crossed - and it's the previous friendship that makes this betrayal hurt so badly. which makes it unsurprising that some of these rivalries are a lot easier to move on from than others. valentino never cared about biaggi enough to have any real animosity towards him after their rivalry ended. he got over the casey thing by mid 2013 at the latest; with jorge, they were generally fine the moment they stopped being teammates. those are the kinds of rivalries valentino enjoys... ugly, yes, nasty from both sides, featuring two guys who desperately wish to beat each other, who violently hate each other (as valentino puts it)... but ultimately, this is just how the game works. this is sports. what happened with marc was something different altogether

the other elements of the ask... well, of course marc still cares about what happened. in terms of how he changed how he presents himself towards the outside world, I talk a bit about that here - in general, there's unsurprisingly a little more wariness from his side. the knowledge that many people now hate him, an awareness that what he says will gladly be used against him... and yes, valentino has generally been quite disciplined in how he criticises marc. we've already established that this type of rivalry isn't particularly fun for valentino - and he didn't exactly enjoy 2016 either. not just because he had lost the title, but also because that increased level of vitriol and toxicity kinda got to all of them. for the first few races, he's still caught up in his own bitterness and resentment and frustration, but that's just not really how he can approach competition. he needed that slight rapprochement with marc because he needs to be able to enjoy himself. none of this was fun anymore

knowing how intensely people reacted to this rivalry is I think part of the reason why valentino is so wary of needlessly adding fuel to the fire. the casey rivalry provides the easiest contrast as it's... well, look, I discuss all of that here, but it's basically the rivalry where valentino undoubtedly did respect the other guy's raw ability but was also far more willing to take cheap shots at him when the mood struck. like, tonally that rivalry is completely different, because casey and valentino are willing to just pick the lowest hanging fruit imaginable and throw it in each other's faces. but that kinda tells you how it simply was not that serious from valentino's perspective... it's basically just years worth of extremely petty bickering between two blokes who are extremely adept at pissing each other off. no hard feelings once it's all over (from valentino's end, anyway). marc and valentino are the complete opposite. valentino barely criticises marc, doesn't react adversely to any of their on-track confrontations in 2016-17, at most drops an ever so slightly snide remark about the "special treatment" marc has for him - but clarifies he thinks that part is fine, because it's just good honest battle, right. even when marc harasses valentino with his towing addiction as late as 2019, valentino basically goes, 'well he's a dickhead, but you gotta hand it to him' (discussion here):

he also never diminishes marc's skill as a rider, is always willing to acknowledge just how good he is. there's this pair of clips I always come back to (2014/2018):

like, I do think this is kinda notable. he's sticking by what he said in 2014, he's not going to take easy shots at marc just because. again, the casey contrast is pretty funny here, because both of them are pretty sensitive to having their achievements diminished in that manner and both of them are more than happy to do exactly that to each other. it's just a far more straightforwardly spiteful rivalry than what marc and valentino have got going on. valentino is far more careful in not diluting his core complaint with any petty day-to-day complaints. and yes, I am aware that there's an obvious exception to this rule - argentina 2018. I give my take on that whole situation here, but my general stance is that I really don't think valentino was just looking for an excuse to reignite the feud... if he had been sufficiently motivated, he really could have been more bitchy in 2017 than he was. he just lost his head because marc managed to severely piss him off, he worsened a feud he wasn't actually trying to worsen, and while he never walked the comments back... well, it's kinda notable he doesn't exactly repeat them either, isn't it? for him, his grievance is still completely sepang 2015. argentina 2018 doesn't really feature. that incident is the exception that proves the rule, in a way

so yeah, mostly I reckon valentino's continued open respect towards marc's abilities as a rider is a question of convenience, of not wanting to unnecessarily increase tensions. valentino doesn't actually get that much out of keeping this feud going; there is a reason why he's been very happy to call it bygones with most of his rivals once there's no longer any competitive purpose to hating the other guy. the reason why this feud still exists at all is because it hurt him on a personal level - and that's why he still talks about it. that's less strategy and more compulsion. that being said, valentino is hardly being dishonest when he's complimenting marc as a rider; he's not saying things he doesn't really believe. he's always been aware of how good marc is, after all - and to him, that's not why they actually ended up fighting. that valentino has been so disciplined over the years in what he criticises marc about is a function of how deeply felt that rivalry is to him, almost like he wouldn't want to taint it with more lowly complaints. it'd be a healthier rivalry if valentino and marc had just insulted each other for several years straight... instead it'll continue on, unabated. a special rivalry until the bitter end

[hakugin0]

So that new Levi card, woah boy(positive). I get how setting is slightly dubious but unfortunately my brain stopped at the ‘childish jealousy’ part and yeah childish was the perfect word he actually is throwing a bratty tantrum about MC talking about their time with Minhyeok WHILE THEY'RE NOT EVEN NEXT TO HIM. Levi, babey, you're not beating the Tsundere allegations.

Also the part about the sins was very interesting ‘cause it kinda puts in perspective why he feels like there's no King he's close to. Or at least that's my read on that part, all their sins have some positive parts while his is the only fully negative one so of course he couldn't feel close to them. (Personally I do think that part is his viewpoint on their sins and it would be interesting to see the other Kings’ too, Satan in particular since I feel like his sin and depressive mood swings do go hand in hand)

Now for the read more aka wiiiild speculations because he didn't come home in the reduced ten pull aka see you in 3 months bae when I have 500 pulls and you still refuse to show up(looking at you bath Satan), fair bit of character analysis and slight canon divergence(???) plus personal MC involvement.

GONNA PREFACE THIS BY WAVING NY ‘LEVI SIMP’ FLAG UP HIGH, IF THE CARD STORY WAS OFF PUTTING TO YOU OR YOU DISLIKE HIS CHARACTER IN GENERAL THEN MORE POWER TO YOU BUT PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS POST! IT AIN'T MEANT FOR YOU HOMIE (it's meant for me first and then anyone else who wants to witness my 3am insanity)

Aight? Aight! Here we go gamers

Gonna start this off by saying that when they dropped the first teaser for the card my expectations for the story were jelly Levi wants to replace minhyeok and thus enters MC's memories except surprise surprise it was actually some corn set in a high school (don't pretend those aren't a thing, we're all adults here, and with MC’s track record in that game it would not be surprising) in part because the story had to get spicy at some point.

Personal belief is that what we see in the prologue of Levi is the closest thing to a ‘normal’ him aka a version of him that got to experience a normal childhood and not have all the trauma of… ya know… HIS WHOLE PAST. The way he expected an attack when MC initially trips breaks me in a very particular way, he has never known peace, he expects everything to be some sort of attempt on his or his people’s life. The one time he wasn't as uptight ended up with him heavily injured (Bloodshed card).

There is also him ascertaining that they had different starting points. Now this could refer to a lot of things but to me one thing that does is put a definite line between them. To me it sounds like he's reasoning with himself that because of their very different lives they would be incompatible (combined with that thing about his sin being the only negative one it shows he always separates himself from people he would otherwise form bonds with)

Now he's still not nice, far from it, but he can be accommodating and look out for MC when he is not thinking 24/7 about possibly being attacked. Whether he reasons that it would endear himself more to them or out of pure instinct he looked out for MC, those were not Minhyeok’s actions he mimicked but his own.

So yeah, average Levi is horrendously bad at emotions and frankly probably the one who understands his own emotions towards a potential romantic partner(since tbh that is what MC is) the least. (This is a whole other can of brainworms about how aside from Solomon he probably has not been attached to anyone in that way until MC based on something he says in his H-Scene, but that can of worms shall be opened later) please get some therapists in Hell, clearly everyone would benefit from it.

There is also something impossibly endearing to me about seeing Levi in a high school setting even for a bit because that's not something he ever experienced and I wish his time exploring that part of MC and Minhyeok's past was a bit longer. I want to believe MC gets to ask him later in the story how he felt about it.

---

If you were only here for the character analysis then thanks for reading, have a lovely day/night/evening, we are going into wild speculation territory and some personal things regarding my MC Jin in that particular scenario.

tl;dr: After Jin's parents were killed she pretty much secluded herself in their home doing most of her studying through online courses and only showing up physically at school for a couple of days.

I choose to believe she was aware of stuff from the start but in that way you're aware you're in a dream while you sleep, she can tell things are a bit off but not fully what is wrong. She knows the person with her is not Minhyeok, she also knows who Leviathan is, but there's a certain disconnect when trying to piece it all together, but the further the dream goes the more she ‘realises’ and ‘awakens to the truth' if you will.

She cannot help but pity Levi’s situation even if she knows if she ever said that she'd probably get insta-hanged, so a part of her cannot help but wonder if he wanted to experience some normalcy for once. (She's not the brightest tool in the shed so the fact that he wants to replace Minhyeok would not pass by her singular braincell) (I love her I swear, being mean is my love language)

So I imagine after the whole dream thing is over and she next visits Hades she doesn't raise any questions about that event. She seems annoyingly unbothered and not curious at all. If anything this just makes Leviathan more angry because she can't be that unbothered after everything and pretend nothing happened, he should've been the only thing on her mind and yet she still sometimes mentions that detestable human. Oh how he should hang her for it. And then one day she has a conspicuously familiar candy in her mouth. “Was the experience at least a bit pleasant?” She's soft spoken anyway but she sounds almost apologetic. Why yes the experience was quite pleasant if Levi had to be honest but he'd never praise her openly… and then it hits him. She's not asking about that, she's asking about how he felt in a normal human high school.

When she gets no answer she stammers and starts speaking again, trying to fill the void. “I didn't exactly… go there often…” The pauses are plentiful and her shoulders droop almost in shame. “... so I imagine whatever you saw was rather lacklustre… aside from… my pathetic display-”

“It wasn't bad.”

A short sentence and it was enough to make the human girl perk up instantly. From anyone else that would be considered nigh an insult, but with Levi's temperament that was the highest praise she could hope for. By the time Jin was next to his desk after he'd beckoned her with a wave of his hand her visage had brightened significantly. ‘Stealing’ the lollipop from between her lips was ‘child’s play’ after that, the girl clearly took stunned to speak and becoming redder by the second.

“Yes, not bad at all.”

[heliphantie]

Lot to say about Encanto

If you’re not new to this blog, you may know I often accompany my artworks on Encanto by lengthy ramblings. Some of these are bits of my personal headcanon and context to my pictures and comics set in universe of movie, and some are either speculations or attempts in analyze of events depicted in movie, sometimes backed by info from production process and director Bush’s responses to fan questions (these latter I prefer to take with grain of salt and not as hard facts, in all fairness, though they occasionally give some food for thought). There is number of such attempts in analyzing and reading between the lines, that I didn’t have opportunity to discuss previously, so I decided to put them in one (or series of) post(s) on its own.

Long read below, approach at your own risk, and my apologies for grammatical mistakes:

The reason Bruno is feared by villagers:

Something I thought about because of annotation to upcoming official novel, which is claiming to give a reason for agreement to “not talk about Bruno”, and if there is a need for it outside of what is revealed. In the song, people have petty complains all coming down to Bruno having habit of rubbing mundane things perceived as negative in their faces, which made the “bad” future set in stone, in their opinion. Which, of course, creates unfair picture of Bruno’s abilities being unreasonably demonized, and because we are set to sympathize with his and Mirabel’s point of view, it’s too easy to see the villagers malicious at worst, ignorant at best. And for Bruno himself to genuinely believe his gift is truly harmful, it’s not enough a convincing reason? But in context of bigger picture, their fears seem, possibly, less childish if we remember most of villagers are of triplets’ age or slightly older, ones we have seen voicing their opinion on Bruno, at least. They are born and/or raised in hermetic paradise, knowing about the dangers of outside world at best from the seniors and having vague idea of it, in all fairness. They never have to fight for their lives, always supplied with food and good natural condition, all their illnesses are cured, and, given not so big timeframe since the village was set, it’s possible there weren’t a lot of cases of natural death in their wake. As a result, they’re living in unperturbed bliss and don’t need to even worry about future. Hence, once they are compelled to face it, they are getting scared of concept of changes itself, especially if it’s not ones that improve welfare, but ones that involve irreparable loss – of their youth, great shape, and simply death. But again, because natural death is not frequent case, and untimely death is prevented by elimination of illnesses, animal death is, probably, only evidence they encounter on regular basis. (I speculated, based on signs of Señora Pezmuerte’s age, she’s much younger than triplets and could have received “prophecy” in her childhood – asking a prophet about condition of one’s pet is something more suitable for a kid, after all, so it just could’ve been her first encounter with death, leaving life-long impression on her, as childhood traumas, small or not, tend to.) They are somehow like these people on AXIOM in “Wall-E”, except not so easily willful to engage in major life changes (hey, remember Bruno’s lair includes reference to Wall-E, a plant planted in a boot? Like Wall-E, Bruno is someone who pushes people toward their ultimate fate, but also, he’s one who lived before them and embodies connection to roots – ability to plant seeds for new life circle.). Notice how none of “bad” predictions are even objectively “bad” – they’re all just natural occurrences, including passing of living being, just reminders of course of time. Or they are setting the stage for events that stay untold, presumably because further events depend on decisions of recipient, like in Dolores’s case. Thus, Bruno’s predictions come in two variants: either natural conclusions having precisely nothing with anyone’s will, or set-up of event which is inevitable, but its conclusion is entirely in hands of person that receives prediction since the moment they get knowledge of it. (Is Mirabel the first one who figured it, just as of possibility of asking for hypothetical future based on certain decision, instead of one solid set in stone possibility?)

The problem is, people not even seeing difference between two kinds, for them it’s all the same destiny thrust upon them, which they simply gladly accept when it’s desirable, or bemoan when it’s not. What seemed to be an issue with Bruno’s gift (and canonically with a miracle itself), is everybody taking it for granted, instead of thinking about what are the reasons and consequences of prophecies. Even with seemingly positive ones, there’s Isabela who had “life of her dreams” inevitably coming true, but accepted it as the making of fate, barely knew what she could’ve dreaming about, just waiting for vague happiness coming her way as long as she follows her assigned role, and only feeling increasingly uneasy with it. She wasn’t really forced into her role, nor into marriage, she just never questioned if she’s cut for it, or voiced any objections. Too apparent, everybody has contributed to their collective misery by depending on the miracle as convenient force to solve everything in advance, without working for their destined goals, while it should be clear that events of future based on actions can only come to fruition if it’s set by decisions made in present. And also realize that “constellations shift” and one must deal with changes and losses in their life to move forward, because eternal satisfaction is unnatural even by means of magic, otherwise it’s either complete decay or renewal.

~~~

Twofold prophecy:

On the matter of Bruno’s unique prophecy about Mirabel with two alternate paths on display. General conclusion seems to be that there was never unresolved fate: it just shows two stages of the same event. Mirabel contributes in destruction of miracle, and then she repairs it. But it never confirmed directly, and it only stated by Bruno as a case of uncertain future (it doesn’t refer to any cases he could receive visions like that, and how it was resolved), so it’s safe to assume there really was two ways for events to go, and it settled on “bad” one, as Bruno feared. Why such an honor for Mirabel alone to get a “multiple choice” of prophecy? Closest to “canonical” explanation is, probably, because Mirabel is a “chosen one”, the game-changer, to whom providence is not a law, because she decided everybody’s and her own destiny, and because she’s initiative one, who doesn’t depend on miracle to guide her. Thus, she’s not “predictable” for Bruno’s powers, it makes them glitch, or working like it should’ve been for anyone, if they weren’t putting all their trust into prophecies. She just figured how to utilize Bruno’s gift right way, as it was designed. Seems accurate.

However, I, too, have alternate version of explanation. And it all comes down to Bruno himself. He, apparently, whole his life has been answering requests of others, using his gift solely to serve the community, by the teaching of Alma. And based on requests revealed in the movie, for the most part it was about personal cases of various people, including his relatives, none of which seemingly would be an interest of his, nor affecting him in any way (no matter ambiguous nature of some of it, as it’s not clear which of them are prophecies, observations, or wishing). We don’t know if he’s even been using his gift for personal gain in any point, and considering strict rules in regard of gifts, he probably didn’t. Until at one point, potential danger for entire family raised its head, and even then, he summoned vision by demand of Alma (if you take in account visual storytelling, in his memory he looks genuinely concerned along with Alma). We know he is indisputably willing to give everything away for sake of his family, so it’s no doubt he was deeply interested in answer this time, and was ready to take any action needed to protect the family. Thus, first time in his life, outcome of prophecy depended on his actions, too, and on the act of gaining knowledge of future that, by itself, sets events of said future (classic scenario, look no further than myth of Oedipus). The gist of prophecy is, fate of miracle in Mirabel’s hands somehow, but what that fate is, unclear, and uncertainty is alarming by itself. Which affects Bruno’s inherent propensity for taking desperate measures in case any of his kin is in apparent serious danger. Bruno immediately firmly decides to hide the prophecy lest it affects Mirabel’s life in the same way his gift affected his, and one of scenarios depicted in prophecy is a direct result of his actions without him realizing it. Including second prophecy, act of conjuring which is also a result of his decision, now when he’s resigned from professional duty of using his gift, he’s got the choice whether resort to it or refuse to. And he chose to act (with little pressure, but still, at least he’s got no excuse to not do it, and was interested in positive outcome). Ultimately, there would be no use for Bruno to using visions for any internal motives, as it will always “corrupted” by him unable to stay apathetic. He has no choice but being master of his own future and do everything in his power to help his loved ones, even in lieu of professional ethics of seer.

So, to summarize all of it, the prophecy about Mirabel wasn’t “set in stone” because its completion depended on Bruno’s own ultimate decision.

~~~

Dynamics of Bruno and his two sisters:

Among of many things left to speculation and imagination in the movie is exact dynamics of Madrigal family before the events of movie, going as far as back in times when there were only four of them. We see something as characters reminisce of past (mainly Pepa’s biased memory of her wedding day and Alma reexamining her past), but even these snippets are colored by feelings of characters. As sad as can look Bruno striving for recognition by his mother in “Dos Oruguitas” segment, it’s important to take in account it’s how she, ridden with guilt at the moment, sees the situation. Likewise, Bruno set to mischief is something conjured by Pepa’s disdain for him (and we, again, given no clue what informs such perception, so I let it aside), so she’s an unreliable narrator once again. All we got to work with is various interactions in present. One obvious thing is, no one holds any grudge for Bruno, either because they come to realization, he had best intentions all that time, or because no one really was mad at him and merely discouraged by his sudden withdrawal and struggled to wrap their heads around it.

There are some interesting clues in regard of Bruno’s personal relationships, as distant as he seems to act to relatives as whole. First, concept arts that display the cast more of less established (just with some traits not yet switched around, mainly the gifts, their connection to personalities, and color schemes) put each branch of family together, with Mirabel and Alma (current and future head) in center, and Bruno’s placement is always deliberately slightly apart yet by the side of Julieta’s branch. It just appears to me that his core personality renders him to feel more comfortable beside of, similarly sentimental and gentle, Julieta and her family, each member of which seems to possess somehow introverted personality (they all tend to can their feelings, act more collected than inner turmoil allows them), as opposite to Pepa’s family, who, save Antonio, are more exuberant and generally tend to wear their feelings on their sleeves.

Even then, if glimpse of Pepa-Bruno dynamics gives some food for speculating, Bruno’s exact disposition is to his other sister is kind of elusive. We see his notable fondness to Mira, can have assumptions it’s partially fueled by her bearing similarity to Julieta, and also see Julieta’s equal (and seemingly connected) affection to Bruno and Mira, but that’s where it ends with no further clues. One other moment of interaction signifying something is, during his attempt in grand apology, after acting all cheerful and brisk around Pepa, Bruno seems to become strained and frustrated around Julieta and even looks slightly uncomfortable in response to her giving him a hug. His distress over an embrace by sister is much more obvious compared to reaction to Alma’s embrace earlier, startled but otherwise pretty stoic. It’s somewhere stated, in director’s Q&A session I believe, that Julieta had to take motherly position toward her siblings early on, back in her childhood, in order to share the burden of her single mother. May it be, while Alma grew all more detached and started feel more like authority rather than loving mother to her children, in their minds Julieta become more feasible mother figure they directed their sentiments to. Thus, Bruno feeling particularly crushed by letting her down in particular back then when he decided to hide her daughter’s destiny from her, and possibly expecting her to chastise him for that.

What is more curious is, the difference between reaction of two sisters to Bruno finally revealing himself. Notice how Julieta displays deep shock for longer than Pepa, whose surprised expression is immediately replaced by loving and relieved smile, holding her hand over chest as if she just got huge weight taken off her, despite her previously fuming in anger over memories of him (verdict: Pepa the tsundere!). She doesn’t even seem surprised too much; her expression rather says “I always knew he never could leave us” as if she takes revelation as something long expected. (There is, of course, off-screen possibility that she received notice from Dolores at some point and took it planted some hope into her heart, but as far as official confirmation goes, she stayed silent on the subject all the time.)

One conclusion I can come to: reactions of the sisters seem to indicate how each of them is receptive to particular side of their brother. Julieta, called “the most empathetic member of family” by director Bush, responds to Bruno’s vulnerability, and probably is more open to realization he’s not infallible and would prioritize his own wellbeing, or, alternatively, that he would sacrifice his bond with family (after she  learned true meaning of his withdrawal) to not tarnish anyone else along with himself, but Pepa knows better that, along with sensitivity, he possesses persistence and resilience, and also can be quite scheming if he’s inclined, while with well-meaning intent (so, possibly, his disappearance is all part of some contrived plan to save the family after all). It’s also directly reflected in the ways Bruno approaches each woman, which could mean he’s feeling free to express opposite parts of himself with each of sisters. (And maybe, in his opinion, Pepa is unable to take apology or any serious talk unless it’s rendered in form of dance and song!)

I’ve started to sketch a mini-comic on the subject some time ago, which still may see light somewhere down the line…

~~~

Hidden depths of Julieta:

Last thing I want to discuss for now is, Julieta the dark horse of the cast. It’s known that some of characters had sufficient part of their role cut down for the purposes of more tight narrative, but Julieta appears to suffer the most from it (well, Alma to some degree seems to take damage too, as some unused material deals more with her situation and showcases her own admirable qualities to justify her role as charismatic leader). In the end, she’s just well-meaning ordinary mother who loves her children, but struggles to give them proper support. (Then again, who else struggles to properly express his care for the family?) It’s implied, I think, that triplets have certain shared qualities, so you can say by actions and expressions of one of them, other two are having similar mindset without pointing at their similarities, instead focusing on distinctive traits of them. But there is something interesting in storyline that was abandoned early in development, before the final version of story and characters was established, probably, yet one that fits surprisingly well into narrative of movie and enriches understanding of its characters and their bonds.

«…there was this idea that Julieta, Mirabel's mom, had purposefully made the choice to prevent Mirabel from getting a gift in order to shield her from all this family pressure, and it was a secret that came out at the end of the movie.»

I just assume the big secret of Julieta was replaced by Bruno’s big secret in final draft, probably along the same point when he became mysterious estranged uncle instead of Mirabel’s young cousin, so none of it can be applied to the story we got, except it could shed some additional light on the early dialog between mother and daughter, where Julieta openly tries to talk Mirabel off investigating strange occurrences lest she ends like her brother (interestingly, she cites Bruno not as Mira’s uncle, but as her brother, indicating she takes his fall deeply personally), losing her way with family. Makes it all the more poignant if she desperately tries to hide from Mirabel her own fault in both Mirabel’s condition and Bruno’s indefinite, but tragic fate. Seeing suffering of Bruno over the years, she made decision to prevent another person from the same treatment, but in the end, the sabotage backfired causing harm for both Mirabel and Bruno. And with Julieta’s effort going awry, Bruno getting vanished very next day and Mira’s fate unresolved, the silent guilt and grief she felt must’ve been tremendous all these years, rivaling that of Bruno’s own guilt. Isn’t that a bitter and poetic irony that both siblings, unknowingly for each other, went for desperate measures out of love to each other and that child (who probably reminded each of them of other sibling, as shared traits between the three are noted in the movie), and caused troubles out of good intentions and mutual protectiveness?

~~~

This is all for now. There are other subjects I’d like to discuss, but that demands separate long posts (like one entirely about Mirabel), and this one is long as it is.

For the previous long rambling on the characters and my perception/theories about them, see this post about parallels between Isabela and Bruno, or this one about Dolores. Or this one, where I touch upon another excluded storyline and character.

[xoxoskai]

Before anything else, I want to make it abundantly clear that these are all speculations.

I have taken whatever I could from the books and little hints and crumbs and come up with this theory and in no way does it reflect what will really be in the book.

Before I present my theory as to who the White Mask is, I want to cover who it isn't.

1. Vaughn Morozov

For everyone who doesn't know who Vaughn is, he's Kirill and Sasha's son and was, until recently, prime suspect #1 but Rina confirmed he will not be a part of Legacy of Gods so that essentially votes him out of this immediately.

2. Remington Astor

Before I started reading this series and had only heard of the White Mask, my first immediate guess went to the most unsuspecting person, Remi. Simply because no one would expect that from him and also because chances were that my man had more demons in his closet than he was letting on (like his Dad). However, he is not getting a book and the White Mask mystery is too good to not be revealed in a book which made me rule him out (sorrows and prayers, RemiAri you will always be famous)

3. Eli King

First of all, why would a 26 y/o participate in a passtime game of tag with college students? He's preparing to inherit an entire kingdom and I can't see him chasing people around for shits and giggles or for a more bloodthirsty reason. He simply does not have the time for it. Besides, even if he's not part of the Elites, he's dedicated to the entire united front that the Kings love to showcase which he won't betray just to satisfy his bloodlust (he might have other methods for it that does not require him to join the Heathens).

Which brings me to my prime suspect,

Ava Nash

Over the course of the first three books (Legacy of; Malice, Pain and Wrath), there were a lot of things that were said about Ava or in connection to her that hinted on something far more than simply words tossed to the wind.

(I will be referencing all of them and going forward will refer to the White Mask as WM)

I think the first, most obvious conclusion most people made was that the White Masked Heathen could be a girl. While the four known Heathens are all described as tall and muscular, it was specifically mentioned that WM was leaner.

(God of Wrath, Chapter 1, pg. 10)

Comes and goes as they please.

(God of Malice, Chapter 19, pg. 1)

Cherry could seduce the guards but not WM.

(God of Malice, Chapter 38, pg. 13)

Choice of weapon: Chains.

I always found this the most interesting because Killian, Jeremy and Nikolai rely on their strengths to wield their weapons whether it's a bat or a golf club or bare fists. It takes a considerable amount of power to swing those and inflict enough damage and pain.

But chains are easier to maneuver if you do not possess the actual strength to physically overpower your opponent. They can be swung at someone, used to disarm them or trip people or effectively cut air supply without exerting too much energy.

(God of Wrath, Chapter 1, pg. 9; God of Malice, Chapter 16, pg. 2)

Yes, I hear you. All of this is nice and good and obvious but where does Ava fit in?

Remember when Ava Nash took a shot for having done illegal things but not elaborating? There is so much more to her than what meets the eye.

Time and again, Ava has displayed tendencies that depict that violence does not bother that. That she finds it fun.

God of Malice, Chapter 7, pg. 2; God of Wrath, Chapter 4, pg. 8; God of Pain, Chapter 5, pg. 3; God of Wrath, Epilogue 2, pg. 1; God of Wrath, Chapter 25, pg. 2 God of Wrath, Chapter 25, pg. 2

Most Heathens: Jeremy, Killian and Nikolai partake in the brutal initiation to satiate their bloodlust of some sort. While Ava might not necessarily have the same level of thirst for violence as them, she is definitely a rule-breaker, loves treading the line between what is allowed and what isn't and has the most inside knowledge about the Heathens, something I will discuss in more detail soon.

If it's not obvious enough still,

Rina Kent does not like going with the obvious. She loves surprises and plot twists and I love getting surprised and having my mind blown.

Ava finds the entire concept of the initiation "fun" when mostly everyone outside of the Heathens has expressed distaste.

The reason I brought up WM's weapon of choice is because it was fascinating to me how Rina didn't go the conventional way of making Ava a pianist or a violinist which are usually what music majors in fiction pursue. She's a cellist. So, she probably has experience lugging her instrument to and from places. It speaks of considerable strength that she probably has carrying an instrument that weighs roughly 5-7 pounds around the campus daily, for years.

Every LoG book so far has been a Heathen X REU pairing.

Killian Carson X Glyndon King

Annika Volkov X Creighton King

Jeremy Volkov X Cecily Knight

Mia Sokolov X Landon King

Nikolai Sokolov X Brandon King

And lastly, Ava Nash X Eli King.

MORE STUFF SOON<3

[confirmeddead]

Going into season two, I was basically fifty-fifty if DM had happened in the past, I was also already okay with a reinterpretation of DM - in which past DM didn’t happen. Especially after the season premier, because I thought the tension between Daniel and Armand was great. I’m a little sad though that Daniel is already a vampire, because so much of what makes the DM relationship interesting and compelling is kinda related to it. I just don’t want it to be a cookie-cutter enemies-to-lovers - I can’t help but feel that would be a bit shallow. I want the relationship to have some depth and be actually romantic - you know? I see some speculation about a reverse chase, which could be cool - but Daniel doesn’t have a reason to chase Armand if he was turned out of spite. Unless he wants revenge, which given San Francisco is fair enough I guess. Also Rolin stating that the turning won’t be shown at any point and the decision not to show it made me lose some faith in the investment of the writers in the relationship tbh. I understand not showing it in s2 but never? I just feel like it’s even more of an important event if pastDM isn’t a thing. I’m happy to be proven wrong here, but I don’t know if I dare believe in what they have planned… but I’ll try to be more optimistic!

The three somewhat possible ”clues”/”hints” which might foreshadow a past DM are for me 1) Daniel’s comments about his memories of the 70s being ”all a blur” and waking up without any memory in a parking lot in Milwaukee 2) JA’s comments in the TV insider interview:  “But I will say, I think that Louis and Daniel, maybe there was more there. I’m going to get in so much trouble,” he giggles. “I’m going to start talking about it all.” 3) The comment about Daniel feeling freer to hold Alice’s hand in Paris.

To go into more detail:

1. Could be nothing, just a way for the writers to add some context to Daniel believing at some point that he did black out, as it becomes more believable for Daniel to believe that if his memories of that time are somewhat muddled in general. However, that line of dialogue does feel a bit like a foreshadowing line - as if there is something more about this very specific mention of an instance of memory loss. And if there is, it raises the possibility of a book similarity, in which Armand after imprisoning Daniel decides to stalk and follow him. In the show it would ostensibly be to find out what makes him ’fascinating’

2. JA’s comments are wild! What is he referring to? One way to interpret them could be that he is implying that there might be some sexual tension between Louis and Daniel, which might be revisited next season. “I’m going to start talking about it all.” does sound like someone talking about future plot lines. Another reading could be that there has been some sort of relationship between them in the past, which is to be revealed. This is especially interesting given that scene in s2e2 where Daniel asks about, and Louis and Armand tell him, about all the ’young men’ they would date/drain. Th framing of that scene, with Daniel at one point in-between Louis and Armand, could be read as foreshadowing a revelation that Daniel was at one point of of these young men. Of course, again this could be nothing. Just simple foreshadowing of s2e5, about specifically Louis draining the young gay men of San Francisco. I would not say it foreshadows Daniel’s encounter with the two of them, since that had already been revealed in earlier episodes (even Armand being asked to ’join’).

3. This one I’m the most doubtful about. I don’t believe in general that Armand is being kind to Daniel in this scene. I believe that he is actually going full ”manipulative gremlin” and trying to divide and conquer Louis and Daniel, to ensure the truth of the trial and San Francisco doesn’t come out. He is the one who in the previous episode told Louis that they together could bring the more manageable ’boy’ back (and starts off the whole thing of digging into Daniel’s past with Alice) and in the next episode he tries to apologize to Daniel on Louis’ behalf. Armand telling Daniel about Alice’s reasoning behind her refusal, can also be read as a form of intimidation - similar to how Louis asks if they should look into what Alice thinks of Daniel now. He does arguably try to hold back Louis a bit at one point, which could be an acknowledgement of them going too far and being hurtful (or being him as speculated being caring of Daniel since they have a past) but could also be Armand starting to try to play the ’diplomat’ or ’nice vampire’ to Daniel. The reason Daniel gets a PTSD-flashback is also in my mind not because there’s a connection between Armand and Alice, a take I still see here and there, but because Louis diving into his memories and bringing them up is so similar to Armand doing it that it triggers a flashback. However, with all of that said - what does Louis mean when he states that Daniel felt freer to hold Alice’s hand in Paris? It could be a reference to Daniel walking around in Paris with a guy (who would be Armand), finding it easier to deal with his internalized homophobia in a country where no one knows him, but could also be as others have speculated, that Alice is not white. The thing that does invite speculation about this is that they don’t reveal what the reason is, but this could be because at some point the idea was to actually show scenes of Daniel and Alice in Paris as they were brought up. So perhaps, that was cut because it wasn’t deemed necessary, leaving us with a bit of an unresolved comment.

Overall I find JA’s comments to be the most compelling possible clue. Also because I feel that the scene of Louis and Armand telling Daniel about their ’young men’ hasn’t really been resolved? But that could be nothing. However, if Louis dated Daniel together with Armand in the 70’s I can’t believe that Louis wouldn’t’ tell Daniel, especially after their connection at the end of s2e5. An easy reason could be that Armand erased Louis’ memories and that he did this simultaneously as he erased Louis’ true memories of the San Fransisco incident. This would also explain why Armand used the language of ”abandoning him” when referring to leaving Daniel. But, that would mean that Louis and Armand at some point decided to reconnect with Daniel after they left him at the drug den, which doesn’t seem very likely to me. Possibly Daniel sought them out again - similar to seeking out Lestat in the book, as he does not remember Armand torturing him. However in such case, Daniel’s last memory of Louis is the latter attacking him, which would be sufficient reason for Daniel to not seek him out. So while I’m intrigued by JA’s comments and would find a past DM-plot line compelling I don’t know if I believe that where the show is going.

What do you think? Any clues you find more or less compelling? I would very much like to hear about where you think the DM relationship is going/how it will play out - and what you would like to see? Especially if, as I agree is likely, pastDM won’t be a thing. Thank you! Sorry for long post!

So I actually have an idea as to why Daniel would reverse chase Armand!

Daniel’s background in investigative journalism and “nailing” the subject (no matter how difficult) is one of the main reasons he pursued Louis.

Let’s take Louis’ words as fact and agree it was out of spite (and Armand is gone)- do we really think DANIEL would just sit back and shrug it off? He’s independent and wouldn’t need as much guidance as book Daniel, sure, but if there’s one thing Daniel doesn’t do is drop the freaking subject. He keeps at it, even at a detriment to himself (continuing to poke at Louis even after Louis messed with his Parkinson’s in s1).

I get the whole enemies to lovers comment you make, but I think it’s little more nuanced than that given the SF event and Armand’s overall history. I made a post a week ago saying it’s SO fucked that even after everything that happened in SF, Paris, with Louis, and what Daniel will learn Armand did in Lestat’s past, Daniel will STILL go to Armand.

Daniel has gone through two divorces, has two kids, two Pulitzers, etc. like this guy has so much history with relationships and is an overall incredibly intelligent man (albeit a little self-destructive) and will still go to the evil, evil Gremlin that is the vampire Armand. It’s kind of hilarious.

Okay, Rolin’s comments regarding the turning were very odd to me and still kind of irk me tbh. Like it was such a pivotal moment for Armand and he shrugged it off. I gotta remember Hannah’s comments regarding this and her trying to calm the fans down about Armand’s character arc. They 100% know it pissed fans off (and annoyed Eric and Assad), so maybe they have something on the back burner regarding that? Just a thought!

Regarding your theories-

1. I 100% believe Armand followed Daniel throughout the years because we can all agree he can never let anything go EVER. Also, if this were true I’d be interested to know why he still didn’t want Louis to do the interview (besides the SF erasure)… maybe seeing him again would spark his fascination.

2. Jacob is a Devil’s Minion fan so I do think his little comments come from something. I’m actually making a big post on this and why I believe it’s literally in the script. I don’t know how much Jacob would know outside his own character arc but the scripts might have been very telling…

3. They may have been doing a good cop, bad cop thing but I do think Armand felt some sort of pity for Daniel, especially if we believe he was there the day of the proposal (doing his stalker stuff). I think the constant Alice comments are going to be important in season 3, especially with Daniel facing his immortality and likely having to contact his family. We’ll see more about this, I’m sure, especially with Lestat bringing up his own family dynamic (Gabrielle having to watch her own family die, Lestat’s estrangement with her, etc). Maybe getting to see Daniel’s thoughts about his family and his own maker in contrast with Lestat’s?

Overall I’m excited to see where they’ll go. My biggest concern isn’t the will they/won’t they (because we know they will) but moreso how much present-day Armand we’ll even get. Really biased look at things because I know it’s TVL time (and Louis is still a main character!), but it genuinely spooks me that we might not see him til Lestat meets him in 1700s Paris.

I want more Luke, I want conflicted feelings about his (Daniel’s) maker, and I would very much like at least one present day Armand and Daniel interaction to kickoff a 🤞season 4 🤞Devil’s Minion storyline (literally NO excuses, Rolin! It’s QotD!)

Thanks again for your ask and sorry for the delayed reply!