#constantly roasting himself except he is roasting his -future- self

[darabeatha]

Valentines' personality test ! : 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘

[writertitan]

have you eve done the fluff alphabet before? They can be kind of long but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Levi!

this is so cute, i’ve never done a fluff alphabet! this is the one i’ve seen go around by @snk-warriors​ (so cute thank u for sharing)

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

I think Levi is the type of partner who starts up a new hobby with a partner as a way of bonding with them. Like, the two of you just get super into candle-making together lmao. I think he’d want to spend most of his free time with his partner, even if it’s just in comfortable silence. He really appreciates feeling safe with his person and relishes in the mundane.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again. Levi doesn’t really have a physical type. He really pays attention to people’s character first. He would really admire how his partner is constantly trying to be their best self, and admires their strength, and he thinks it’s beautiful that they can see the good in life, because it helps him see the good in life too. He would absolutely love the most random parts of your body, though. Maybe it’s your cheekbones, maybe it’s the shape of your hands. Something that he thinks is so unique to you.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Levi is not a man of many words a lot of the time, but he is a man of action. If his partner is feeling down in any way, he’s there physically to help you through it. Over time, he makes little mental notes of what seems to help and what doesn’t, so that he can continue doing the things that help you and stop doing the things that don’t. If you prefer just being held for a while, no talking, he catches on quickly and offers himself up. If you need to talk, he listens and makes sure you know you’re the only thing in the world he’s paying attention to at that moment. He’ll know how you’ve calmed yourself down in the past, before he was in the picture, and takes up that ritual himself. Did you make yourself some mac and cheese to cheer yourself up in the past? He knows the recipe now, too. Very action-based man.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Levi, especially canon Levi, has trouble envisioning any sort of long-term future for himself. He’s just living his life one day at a time and pushing through. However, with a partner in his life, he indulges himself with little visions of the future. Things like marriage, children, are blurry wishes to him tbh, not out of the question but things that he won’t allow himself to indulge in. They’re kind of a given if you’re serious, and that’s enough to satisfy him. But near-future things are things he often thinks about. He wants to live with his partner, wants to think about how they’ll spend their next anniversary, he often thinks about what you both will be doing together for the holidays. Those futures comfort him immensely.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

I think it is actually rather equal with Levi. He has so much baggage of his own, that a partner willing to share the load would make him feel really safe. But, I think he’d subconsciously be more of the dominant figure. He dedicates himself to his loved ones, and would do anything for them, and his partner would feel that tenfold.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Levi definitely is an, “I’m too old for this shit” type of guy when it comes to fights with his partner lmfao. He’s not about the dramatics of fighting. I don’t think he’d really ever yell at his partner or vice versa. The fights would have a snarky energy - I can see him snapping at his partner sometimes, or making an infamous sarcastic remark when he’s irritated - but Levi would honestly rather just discuss the problem bluntly and get it out of the way. But my god, the man wouldn’t back down until it was all cleared up.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

SO GRATEFUL. I think Levi would be so thankful to have his partner in his life. He knows he’s a tough nut to crack, so having someone finally get through to him is scary but wonderful. He sees everything you do for him and I think he’d honestly be so emotional about even the littlest things, because he’s so used to taking care of everyone else. It’s almost uncomfortable for him to know that someone is unconditionally loving him, but he’s grateful he has that love. Never takes it for granted.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Per the above, Levi is a tough nut to crack, and I think it would take a really, really long time to fully open him up. Like, a really long time. Honestly, he may not ever completely open up about his past because it can be so dark, but that doesn’t mean that he would actively keep secrets from you. If anything, his partner would know him the best out of everyone. While he may keep some stuff about his past in the dark, everything else is no secret. He’ll tell you about his day, about what’s going on with his friends, all that good stuff.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

I think Levi with a partner would be a little softer, and a little more optimistic. I also think a big thing that Levi would change would be his ability to compromise (because I think it’s hard for him to compromise). He’d definitely be a lot happier and kinder to himself with a partner around. And, in private, he’d allow himself to be more vulnerable and actually show his emotions. Levi is a pretty level-headed person as well, and I think he would pass that trait on to his partner.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Levi is not a jealous person, but he’s very protective of his partner!! This is the hill I die on!!! He is always looking out for you, so if someone does hit on you, he watches to see how you react. If it’s funny to you, it’s funny to him, but if it’s creepy to you, then he’s already cracking his knuckles.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

I don’t want to roast this lovely man but I don’t think he’d be a great kisser at first LMAO. He’s so not used to being loved. Levi is touch-starved, confirmed on Tanny’s blog. I think the first kiss is okay at best, definitely awkward, and Levi definitely doesn’t really know what to do. He’s a quick learner, though. He’s a good kisser in no time, after learning how you like to be kissed, and after finally getting him to believe it’s okay to be affectionate.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

I picture it as word vomit (Levi’s version of word vomit tho, which is like, a couple of sentences). He’d confess his feelings for you once he just can’t physically keep the words in anymore. He’d definitely fight against it for a while but then the word vomit happens. I think, specifically, his first “I love you” would be quite intimate and very quiet, just a whisper in your ear when he finally realizes it. Realizing he loves you would be much easier for him than realizing he has feelings for you, so he wouldn’t even hesitate with saying it first, the sweet boi.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

I don’t think Levi had ever considered marriage before meeting you. But after meeting you, that would likely change if you wanted to get married. He’d want to spend his life with his partner, and whether that means marriage or not, it doesn’t quite matter to him. Just the promise of being together is good enough for him. If the two of you do decide to get married, it’s no frills. Tbh, there’s no elaborate proposal from Levi, but he makes sure that he formally asks you and that it’s special to the two of you. Maybe he’d ask you at the place you first met/kissed/etc. The marriage itself would be just as lovely and peaceful as the relationship with him beforehand. Not much changes, except both you and Levi acknowledge there’s an added commitment as spouses. I think both of you would really cherish your new titles as spouses.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Levi doesn’t strike me as the type to give their S/O nicknames like babe, baby, etc. but I’m sure he’d have a specific nickname that only he uses for you. Other than that, just calling his partner by their name is enough.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Levi’s quite the stoic man, so while he presents that way to the rest of the world, his loved ones can actually see the difference between an “in love” Levi vs. a “not in love” Levi. It’s not that it’s a huge difference, he’s just softer somehow, and there’s more peace within his eyes, and he even smiles more. Levi’s not a huge fan of PDA, so he’s not prone to showing a lot of affection in front of others. In private, it’s a different story. Once he gets comfortable with affection, he’s more receptive and more giving. In front of others, he’s more comfortable holding hands or putting his hand on your back. He may not be a fan of PDA, but his eyes are on you frequently, and anyone who catches him looking at you can see how much he loves his partner.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Like I said above, not a fan of PDA. Doesn’t mean Levi’s secretive about his relationship at all. He’s proud to have his partner and proud to talk about his partner when the topic comes up. He’d be quite shy/uncomfortable kissing in front of others. Maybe not a fan of kisses on the lips, but he’d be more okay with forehead kisses, cheek kisses, etc.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Levi is so protective over his partner don’t @ me, and it just also means he’s naturally more attentive. He’d notice if your mood changes, he’d notice if something was “off” with you, he’d definitely remember you mentioning wanting something in passing and then gift it for your birthday/Christmas/a random Tuesday like MONTHS later. Memory of an elephant and more tuned into emotions than people give him credit for.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Again, not overtly romantic. Levi is a straightforward person, very practical, and very simple. But he’d give his partner the moon if he could. He believes in making things special, though, so I think he would actually put some thought/creativity in romantic actions rather than going for something cliché.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Oh absolutely. Levi is so supportive of his S/O and is happy to help with achieving any goal. He truly believes you can do whatever you put your mind to. You could lean on Levi for help with anything. He’s not one to make fun of your dreams. He’d just give his best advice and help you get a move on.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Levi definitely prefers routine. He’s a simple man with simple pleasures, and his whole life has been quite unpredictable, so he really loves the simple things in your relationship. Loves your morning routine, your night routine, loves weekly date nights. Of course, he’d enjoy trying new things with his partner, but he legitimately can’t get enough of what other might see as “mundane” parts of a relationship, because he thought he’d never get to experience that.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Levi knows his S/O like the back of his hand. He wants to know everything about them but is also respectful if it takes time for you to open up. He can be empathetic, but it takes time for him to get there tbh. He would be uncomfortable with blatant emotional conversations at first, just give him time. He just wants you to be comfortable with him at the end of the day and vice versa.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Levi’s S/O is so goddamn lucky tbh. He would never, ever take his partner for granted. He’s slow to get the hang of a serious relationship, that’s true, but he’s always trying his hardest to make the relationship be as good as it is. The best part is that Levi doesn’t lose himself in a relationship, however. He values his partner and prioritizes them, but you’d never catch yourself in a codependent relationship with this man. He wants you to be your own person and he wants that for himself, too. You’re one of his most important relationships, if not the most important one, but he understands that you are your own person and he is his own person.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Levi wears a ring with your initials carved on the inside.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

In public, again, not the most blatantly affectionate. In private, he’s more into it. He loves having his arms around you or vice versa. He just likes having the warmth of his partner there, doesn’t need to be something very sexual or very physical.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Levi would be more irritable if he’s without his S/O for some time imo. Have a week long trip you have to go on? He misses you more and more with each passing day, and he gets bitchier with each passing day. He does take it out on everyone else (poor fellas). If he’s not pissy, he’s otherwise quiet and just focuses on his own stuff until he sees you again.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Levi is extremely protective of his S/O and would literally put his life on the line for them. He’s kind of dramatic in that way, but he would rather suffer in your place any day. He would do anything for his partner.

[elvensorceress]

I had too many feelings after yesterday’s episode. So, here. Have an angsty snippet of angst. 

Everything Is Fine

It’s not the loss of light that bothers him, or even the whole station living on top of each other for days on end. It’s the unending heat. Constantly sticky, constantly sweating, constantly too much. But he wants to set a good example for his newfound probie protégé, so he does what he does best. He wears a smile and keeps track of what he can control and shows the world that he’s fine. 

Everything is fine. 

Except that nothing is. 

The blackout, the power outages, the zoo escapees, the sad food, the lack of his own cellphone — that he can handle. All things considered, they’re nothing really. Especially after last year. It’ll be over eventually. Those aren’t the things that keep gnawing at his insides and flooding him with worry and visions of a hospital ICU. 

Every time he closes his eyes. Eddie is pale, intubated, unconscious, fighting for his life. 

What if his heart is broken? What if the extreme hypovolemic shock and blood loss and trauma to his body weakened his heart? What if there’s residual damage? What if he had some kind of underlying condition that was aggravated when he nearly died four months ago? What if he suffers an attack or his heart starts failing and they can’t get him to a hospital this time? 

There is no chance in any sort of hell that Buck will just drop it and move on. 

He knows Eddie’s been carefully avoiding him the past few days. Not enough to be obvious. Not enough to make it seem like it’s anything out of the ordinary. To anyone else that is.  He still smiles when they’re near each other and sits beside Buck when they eat like they always do.

He’s just not talking. About anything more than work. 

And after something clearly happened when his girlfriend stopped by with salad and Christopher, Buck is done. He’s done. It’s not okay. He’s not ready to be a single parent. He’s not ready to watch Eddie crash and slip away from them. Everything around them is sweltering, suffocating, and he can’t bear to watch Eddie stop breathing. 

So, no. He’s not going to give up. Ever. 

He’s also not sure what to do with the revelation that Eddie is having panic attacks so intense and visceral that 1) he has to see a cardiologist and 2) are over the thought of his long term relationship becoming serious. 

Eddie and Ana are supposed to be great. They’re supposed to be doing well together. Eddie is supposed to be happy. He has to be because if he’s not then all of this is so much worse than Buck ever could have imagined. 

He’d been working on his relationship with his parents. He’d upgraded himself, turned a page, started a new phase. He’d been thinking about the future he wanted. 

Dr. Copeland told him to make a list — they could be goals, they could be dreams, it didn’t matter how far-fetched or ridiculous they seemed. She told him it was good to figure out what he wants his life to be and what he wants out of it. It would help him take steps toward those things. 

He knew it wasn’t possible. He knew it was a future he could never have. But it was a dream that existed, okay? 

When he looks at the smile on Christopher’s face, when he thinks of the way Christopher turns to him for help, when he feels the way Christopher hugs him and melts because he’s safe and loved and happy when Buck holds him. 

When he thinks of his own safe person, of reassurance, of compatibility, of comfort, of happiness, there’s no one he can picture but Eddie.

He can’t imagine a future without them. He doesn’t want a life without them. 

But he can only have so much. He knows that. It’s fine. Everything is. He just filled his nights off with an endless string of first dates that went nowhere instead of playing video games and watching movies and cooking dinner with his favorite people. 

He didn’t think about being replaced. He’s not a Diaz and never will be. He wouldn’t be missed. He had plenty of things to do on his own. If a lot of them turned out to be listening to Albert talk about the people he’d met while out clubbing and the ones he’d kissed or wanted to kiss, it was Buck’s fault for asking what he was up to. 

His loft was so quiet without roommates. Too quiet. When Albert was gone. When everyone was gone. 

But it was supposed to be worth it. Because Eddie was supposed to be happy. 

How the fuck can he stay with someone, knowing she is probably in love with him by now, when he knows he’s not in love with her? When he knows the thought of being with her and having a future together is something that literally, physically hurts him? 

How can it be enough? How can he live through giving up time with Chris? Time with Eddie? If this is what he gave that up for?

He stepped back. He made room because Eddie wanted someone and should have someone, and Buck knows there’s nothing on the future list for the two of them as anything more than what they already are. 

And that’s fine. He can live with that, too. As long as they still have each other in some way, as long as Eddie is alive, as long as Christopher is still somewhat his, Buck can accept it. 

But not like this. Not when Eddie is miserable and hurting himself and hurting someone who probably loves him. It’s not fair to any of them. 

“I have been Ana,” he says before he can ever rein in depth and layers of unrequited love. Maybe it’s not fair, but neither is holding on while you have one foot out the door or your whole entire self on another continent. 

Abby let him love her. She knew Buck loved her, wanted her, wanted to be with her. If she’d asked, he might have even followed her. But she didn’t ask and didn’t want him in return. Didn’t even tell him. In the end, he’d fallen in love with a ghost. A shadow. She confessed she wasn’t herself with him, and he wanted to say he didn’t know and couldn’t feel it. But he could. 

He’s not sure anymore if he’s ever known what it’s like to be loved by someone in that way. 

It hurts worse than the truth. The uncertainty, the knowing but having no confirmation, the suspicion and doubt. It breeds insecurity and jealousy and he already lacks in the department of self worth. 

If Eddie asked, there’s no question, no limit to what he’d give.

But he won’t ask. He wants to stick it out and hurt every single one of them. 

So, Buck leaves him to contemplate while he goes outside in the roasting sun. It’s too much. Too much heat and not enough relief. Too much always, always pulsing in his chest. The air smells and tastes even more toxic. Metallic, noxious pollution hovering within everything. 

It’s not fine. He doesn’t know how Eddie can be okay with it. 

[tothe8andbeyond]

D-14 SVT 5TH ANNIVERSARY: MEMBER YOU THINK THAT CHANGED THE MOST SINCE DEBUT - THE8

This is both biased an an objective fact

FIRST OF ALL this boy's looks didn't mature naturally he actually EVOLVED like a damn Pokemon seriously the difference between Little8 and now is insane yet he's still the cutest

You can tell how quiet he was at first due to not knowing Korean (except when he needed to fight or roast someone 🤣) and now he talks a lot and is more comfortable

He has constantly worked hard to improve himself. He was put in performance unit for a good reason but has been working on his singing for so long. The vocals in his new solo song show how far he's come. He used to have no lines, half a line, or minimal lines and now he was the opening line of the most recent Seventeen song with multiple parts with significant length throughout the song! I'm so proud 🥺

He also is not afraid to try new things/interests and find new ways to express himself. His background is hip hop and bboying but he worked hard to be able express himself in a new way through contemporary dance. He has developed his sense of style and is now known as the fashion icon we all know and love and he gets booked for so many photoshoots in both China AND Korea, a lot of them being solo photoshoots. HE LITERALLY ADVERTISED A CAR WITH THE SAME NAME AS HIM! FUCKING 👏 LEGEND 👏!!! Not to mention he makes a lot of other appearances in China! We stan an employed man. He also takes his own photos and creates his own paintings. He works on his own music that he takes part in composing, writing, and choreographing for. He even has translated his lyrics into Korean. His love for wine is iconic and he uses it to spend time with his members, then makes the empty bottles into art as well. In conclusion, art creating art!!! #8painting #photobythe8 #8fashion #8music #8bar

Minghao has grown so much and overcome so much since debut. He went from the little boy who wanted to be a superstar, to the trainee who cried himself to sleep, to the man who accomplished his dream. He continues to work hard to improve himself everyday tho he already is a nearly perfect human. He has stayed down to earth and he really cares for everyone around him from his members to his parents and his friends. He has publicly stated his goals for his future and keeps it real with his fans, reminding them that he can't be their everything but is happy to be a part of their life (while also being savage and straight up rejecting any romantic approaches lol). He also has so many other wise moments and even makes conscious effort to take care of his health. If I actually put this much effort into my life I'd be crazy powerful like him but he does inspire a message of overcoming challenges and being your best self. I admire him a lot, he is truly is the coolest cutie with infinite potential ♾️🎱🐸💎

[margridarnauds]

3, 4, 12, and 27 for any Celtic or Arthurian ship (go wild with 'em!)

It is a fact universally acknowledged that I am A Soft Bitch. Also it has been SO LONG since I’ve dipped my toes into Arthuriana.  

(Sorry it took me so long; I had a Fourth of July dinner to go to and then afterwards I was so exhausted by people asking me about the drinking opportunities available in Ireland because obviously that’s why I’ve spent five years of my life dedicated to the field, amiright? + getting stung by fire ants because fuck Florida that I had to take a long freaking nap.) 

3. Who is the most romantic?

Bres/Sreng

I think that they actually both are, it’s just...how they express it. 

Sreng tends to be slightly blunter as far as he feels, he tends to show his affection for Bres via being a rock for him when he needs it most. He helps Bres with the children, he distracts him when the pressures of being with the Fomorians and the diplomatic hot potato get to be too much for him, he’s the one who Bres vents to when his father is being difficult on something, he tries to find ways to visit Bres whenever he can. He was the one in the tent with Bres when the news about Ruadan’s death came, he was the one who held Bres throughout the night as he SOBBED into Sreng’s last good cloak. 

Bres on the other hand is slightly less big on ACTIONS; it would be really, really easy for an outside observer to think that he’s less invested in the relationship. The truth is that he’s just as invested as Sreng is, if not more. He just tends to show it via, for example, curling up with Sreng’s cloak when he’s not there or being the one to take his hand when they’re in bed together, running his fingers along Sreng’s knuckles. 

Bres’ private space is very important to him, it’s part of why the Tuatha dé and he never really CLICKED, because the king of the Tuatha dé needed to be...well...an extrovert, someone who can host lavish feasts, someone who can humor everyone in the hall while maintaining the social order, and the longer that Bres stood in the kingship, the more he grew to despise everyone there. But Sreng is allowed IN there, he can go to Bres’ quarters with no problem, he can dine with Bres privately and Bres is perfectly at ease with him, he can share Bres’ living space to the extent that Bres tends to use him as a pillow. Also: Bres totally dotes on him and occasionally slips him a new gold neck-ring when he’s not looking. Because Sreng would be too proud for it normally but Bres can’t stand to see his decline. Which is big for Bres, given how we KNOW how stingy he was with the Tuatha dé. 

You know that if he’d won he would have totally spoiled Sreng. If that Fir Bolg wanted ANYTHING, he would have had it. It’s hard to use the term “consort” because the Medieval Irish were so BIG on marriage = children as a concept, but...Sreng would have been Bres’ nearest, dearest companion that he lavished attention on. Which would have rubbed salt on the Tuatha dé’s wounds even more. 

Mordred/Galahad 

Galahad. He has VERY high ideals of love and how it should be expressed, and so he’s constantly trying to court Mordred in the most courtly way he possibly can. Which is massively confusing to Mordred because he has no idea what to DO but...well...it’s nice. At least, once he realizes that Galahad id 100% serious. At first, he laughs about it with his brothers, but then as time goes on, he realizes that he LIKES it. (Namely when Galahad’s away on a quest at one point and suddenly Mordred doesn’t have that attention anymore.) Mordred is more the “I happened to find this by the side of the road, but don’t think that I LIKE you” type. 

4. Who can’t keep their hands to themselves?

Bres/Sreng

...Bres. Bres is just...Bres. He can’t keep his hands to himself and he will make bad jokes the entire time in his attempt to be smooth. He deeply enjoys trying to find excuses to touch Sreng whenever they are at a feast together. This drives Sreng absolutely batty since there’s really nothing that he can do to reciprocate when they’re in front of some of THE MOST POWERFUL FOMORIAN NOBILITY TO EXIST and Bres is behaving very casually, making pleasant conversation and Oh, Queen Cethlenn, is that a new silk dress? I hadn’t noticed it before while he raises his goblet at Sreng. Sreng always takes his revenge in the end, waiting until they have at least a sliver of privacy before pinning Bres against the nearest hard surface and kissing him absolutely senseless. Which was totally Bres’s intended purpose.

Mordred/Galahad

In general, Mordred, despite often seeming aloof. Mordred is very, very handsy with his boyfriend because, even though he won’t ADMIT it, the boy’s touch starved, and Galahad is endlessly compassionate when it comes to that. Though Galahad DID get tipsy once and was, as it turns out, a very affectionate drunk, which gave Mordred fuel to tease him for WEEKS. (And the rest of Camelot tbh. Given that we know that they are not above roasting someone given Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.) Galahad can’t enter the Great Hall without blushing for ages. Mordred tells him that his father’s done far, far worse in his time. 

12. What first changes when it starts getting serious?

It’s odd with them because their bond’s been intense since the first time they met. They just had one of those instant connections, so in some ways them finally going from friends to lovers...wasn’t THAT big of a step, because they always were serious. Their meeting is actually really, really unusual in terms of how two champions from opposite sides GENERALLY interact in-text, given that they both are on such good terms with one another and they STAY on good terms with one another even after everything happens. No, this did not feature in my undergrad Capstone in any way, what would give you that idea? 

I think that Bres is really, really surprised that Sreng stays by his side after their reunion. He puts on this very confident front, but privately, he puts a lot of his self identity on his looks. And when they went with Cairpre’s satire, that was a HUGE blow mentally and physically, even before it touches how it affects his kingship. He knew on some level that Sreng was interested in him, but they’d left things at a confusing place. So, he didn’t think that Sreng would keep an interest in him when his looks were marred, Sreng didn’t think that he had ANY interest in him...it’s a mess. And both of them still kind of think that the other’s going to change their mind at any given time even after they begin the process of clearing things up, not the least because neither one of them have really ever been in a place of stability in their lives. 

But then, it’s a month onwards, then it’s a year, then it’s two years, and both of them are still there, and it’s just like “Oh. This is a Thing” and there’s just this general feeling of security that starts to creep in. And, gradually, their lives just kind of naturally intersect. Both of them interact with one another regularly, both of them know each other’s families (regrettably, in Sreng’s case, given that he is the founding member of the Elatha Hate Club, even though he does love Bres’ children dearly), both of them have stuff over at the other one’s place. In the modern day, it would be painfully obvious that they were a couple, but since it IS this time, everyone else thinks They’re Just Good Friends, because that’s how good friends ARE at this point in time. Except for Lugh, who post-Cath Maige Tuired firmly believes that Bres is The Actual Devil and that Sreng and he have some sort of devious plan to take Ireland back. 

Mordred/Galahad

For once, they stop thinking about their respective destinies as much. 

Like, don’t get me wrong, in Galahad’s case in PARTICULAR, his eventual destiny is something that’s ALWAYS at the back of his mind, because he’s spent literally his ENTIRE CHILDHOOD being told that. We do not discuss the truly endless depth of my hatred for his mother and grandfather for THAT ONE + their treatment of Lancelot. 

And for Mordred, I think that on some level, there’s just this resignation that he’s going to be the villain, he’s going to kill Arthur one day, he’s going to be Evil™. He’s known that since he got the prophecy, and I tend to see him as having this “Then let me BE evil” moment after he murders the old priest and then Lancelot, the knight who he’d IDOLIZED and probably had a little bit of a crush on, tries to kill him. And that’s why he tends to see all the bad in Camelot, because it makes it that much easier to bring it all down. 

But, for a little while, there’s this period of time where they have the luxury of thinking about something outside of their fates, they can have a LIFE that’s theirs, without worrying about the future. It’s one of those things that they don’t even really NOTICE until it’s like “Wait, I haven’t thought about my tragic but inevitable death for a month now, where’s the time gone?” 

27. Why do their friends get annoyed with them?

Bres has FRIENDS? 

Alright, alright, that’s probably a little cruel, but...Well, he doesn’t really HAVE anyone. I tend to HC that Sreng’s brothers don’t really understand the relationship AT ALL and tend to view Bres as The Tuath Dé Who Shamelessly Seduced Their Brother (If you ask Bres, HE’LL say that it was the other way around, if you ask Sreng, he’ll just shrug because honestly to this day he has no idea how he scored Bres.)  

Tailtiu thinks that Sreng is essentially tying himself to a sinking ship. (Which...is she WRONG?) And Bres’ presence is basically a gigantic wedge between Sreng and Lugh being Bros™, which would obviously be Tailtiu’s endgame of choice. That, and Bres did. Kind of. Try to kill her former husband. Even though he had a Very, Very Good Reason for it at the time. Still. That has to sting a little. 

Elatha REALLY doesn’t like Sreng or the relationship, because he views it as a Distraction™ (that, and he doesn’t understand the appeal. If his son’s going to throw everything out on the line for someone, couldn’t it have been someone better, more attractive, more witty, less blunt? Someone that he could bend to his own ends), but he also knows that he has to tacitly allow it to continue, because he does NOT want to deal with the fallout. (Not even from Bres. Oh no, there’s a bigger threat to be considered. Eriu. Who is Very Happy That Her Boy’s Found Someone To Make Him Happy and won’t hear a bad word against Sreng, who she considers to be A Very Nice Boy. If she were a modern mom, she totally would be knitting Sreng a Christmas sweater while they speak and asking them when the wedding was even before either one of them had really THOUGHT of proposing.) 

Bríg does NOT like Sreng at all, not necessarily because of personal jealousy (she never really loved Bres, he never really loved her, even though there was a definite possibility that they could have loved one another in the early days), but because of the Nuada Incident. She doesn’t really understand why Bres would spend so much time with him when he’s The Enemy, and he’s a Fir Bolg so he’s inherently lesser than the Tuatha dé anyway. 

Bres’ brothers don’t really understand it either. Over 3000 years in and the Dagda STILL thinks that Bres’ problem is that he doesn’t get laid enough and that if Bres would just get away from That Fir Bolg... (If only he knew, if only he knew.)

Meanwhile, the Fomorian lords, sans Elatha, are more or less completely oblivious. Tethra might have a better idea than the others, but does he care? Nope. He’s not overly invested in this whole thing anyway. He’s got his own issues at home to take care of, thank you VERY much. He participates in the raids because he has to dole out the loot to his men the same as anyone else, but he’s not INVESTED in it. It’s a necessary part of maintaining his kingship, nothing more. Sreng isn’t overly fond of them because he considers them to be essentially a snakepit of intrigue and corruption that will stab the two of them in the back at their earliest opportunity and he’s not wrong for the most part, though the one thing I WILL emphasize is that it’s not because they’re Fomorians, it’s that they’re...well, medieval kings, but they have a decent enough working relationship because they both hate the Tuatha dé’s guts. 

Mordred/Galahad 

Agrap-Agravaine tends to be annoyed that his brother’s spending all his time with someone who’s such a goody two shoes. Mordred and he have always been the closest in terms of age and personality, and suddenly he’s no longer Mordred’s Favorite. 

I actually think that Morgause would like Galahad? She’s definitely very, very pro-her sons being happy in Le Morte d’Arthur and Good Mom Morgause is a hill that I’m willing to die on. Because fuck T.H White. I do think it would be a little strange, to say the least, given that obviously Galahad is staunchly religious whereas I don’t REALLY see Morgause having that same bent. Morgause just...lives her own life, regardless of what society says, and I think she would have some trouble understanding why her son would go for someone like that when he’s HIM. But I do think that for the most part, she would just be thrilled that Mordred has someone who he’s devoted to given that he’s REALLY not been OK since That One Quest With Lancelot. 

ANY of Galahad’s friends tend to be annoyed at Mordred simply for the fact that Mordred is...Mordred. He doesn’t have the best reputation for a REASON, and it’s very, very dissonance inducing to see the two of them constantly in one another’s presence, even though they try to frame it in terms of Mordred being a charity case of Galahad's.

And Lancelot obviously hates Mordred because he knows of The Prophecy™. He is NOT pleased by this turn of events, and it goes way beyond “annoyance.” 

[themurphyzone]

Meta: The Evolution of Heinz and Norm’s Relationship

Any relationship with Heinz is bound to be an interesting one. This post will focus on Norm specifically. AU episodes will not be taken into account. 

Norm first debuted in Greece Lightning. While he wasn’t much more than another invention in this episode, later episodes developed him from minion to son. 

“What did [Perry] do to you? Did the bad little platypus switch you off?” 

Funnily enough, Heinz does express concern for Norm at the end of this episode when Perry switches him off. It’s notable that Norm isn’t destroyed here, and Heinz doesn’t usually express this level of horror towards his other inventions failing. 

Heinz likely did see him as more than another invention early on, but constantly denied it to anyone who implied it. 

Hail Doofania is the first episode where Norm takes on the role as Heinz’s assistant in evil schemes. He’s developed enough sentience to start talking in sentences that aren’t stock sitcom phrases. 

Like most assistants to villains, Norm is unappreciated and berated constantly. 

Sure, Heinz wanted to play hide and seek so he didn’t have to see Norm, but it sure means a lot to this big guy even if he can’t play well. 

“Well, next time you can do all the cooking and I’ll stand around coming up with evil plans that ultimately fail.” 

Norm’s infamous roast. Had to include it. 

“Would it kill you to say please once in a while?” 

The above two lines show that while Norm does love his dad, he isn’t afraid to draw attention to his flaws either. Heinz doesn’t express gratitude for Norm cooking all that potato salad, nor does he say please when being transported to LOVEMUFFIN’s event. 

Since Norm acts and thinks like a human, it would only be right to give him the same level of respect as a human rather than operating under a master/robo-assistant dynamic. 

Undercover Carl shows that Heinz does occasionally humor Norm from time to time with him building the popsicle stick bride. 

Sometimes a parent takes us to a zoo, or they teach us how to cook. We hang onto those memories as proof that they love us, though sometimes they make us feel terrible too without realizing it. 

Heinz has his ups and downs as well. Sometimes he’s appreciative, other times he’ll complain without letting up or not display any tactfulness. When the latter happens, people and platypi get hurt emotionally.  

“I know I didn’t make you that smart, but you can’t even walk straight?” 

Personally I think Heinz has the right to be angry that scalding coffee was dumped on him, but he definitely could’ve scolded Norm more gently. 

Heinz decides to replace Norm without asking how he felt about it. Here Norm is just another appliance that can be replaced when broken. 

Heinz’s main flaw as a parent stems from thoughtlessness. To Vanessa, it manifests as not considering what she’d want and is basing his actions off what he wanted to have as a child. To Norm, he gives many harsh putdowns and treats him as another expendable invention without taking into account that Norm has a very advanced AI and is human in all but physical components only. 

That being said, Heinz is appreciative when Norm saves him. However, it takes a near-death experience to make Heinz say it, and he probably wouldn’t do this in everyday life. I’m sure Heinz will be back to denying he’s Norm’s dad tomorrow. 

And here’s where we get to the main entree. Buckle up folks, I’ve got a lot to say about the episode “A Real Boy.” 

This episode really highlights the favoritism Heinz is unconsciously repeating with Vanessa and Norm. When Heinz thinks he made Vanessa feel terrible, he instantly tries thinking of ways to cheer her up. However, Norm doesn’t know the doting and overprotective father that Vanessa knows. 

“Sir, you can have a game of catch with me. I’ve always thought of you as my fa-”

“Norm, you’re in my light!” 

“-ther.” 

Heinz expresses that he wouldn’t mind having a son, but shows a complete lack of self-awareness towards how Norm is as much a member of the family as Perry the Platypus and Vanessa are. 

With the exception of Phineas and Ferb Busters, in past episodes Norm can usually shrug off Heinz’s hurtful comments with a passive-aggressive remark of his own. 

But now we see that Norm is very much affected by Heinz’s refusal to accept him as a son. 

“And I’m the father! And I have to treat her with the respect she deserves in a caring, fatherly fashion.”

...

“I’ll blast her with one of my inators!”

Of course, blasting your daughter with an inator isn’t exactly respectful, but compare this line to the above with Norm and there’s a huge contrast between how he proudly admits that he’s one child’s father while the other gets the shaft. 

Heinz does not have any positive parental influences to draw from. Since the dynamic in his childhood was golden child/scapegoat, that’s what Heinz learned.

This is going to be hard to admit and I know you guys don’t want to think of Heinz in this way, but Heinz is repeating the emotional abuse he received in childhood on Norm. As stated above, Heinz goes through cycles in which he puts Norm down one moment and plays hide-and-seek and makes popsicle stick brides the next. 

It’s ironic that Heinz is unaware that his treatment of Norm is the most evil he will ever be. 

I’m putting the entire song of A Real Boy here because I want you to pay close attention to the lyrics. 

Norm puts himself down at the beginning of the song, likely with phases that Heinz has used on him. 

Now he asks himself, “If I were a living, breathing human boy, would my father accept me and take me out to do activities that a normal father/son would do?” 

At the end, he tells the backup singers not to worry about him. He’ll be fine. Who cares about what I want, amirite? 

Heinz was in the same boat in his childhood. Constantly putting himself down, asking what he could change about himself to make a parent show their love, and telling himself that the way he’s living is fine and he’d better not sound ungrateful or else. 

I’m hesitating on calling this a lie when Norm claims that he’s Heinz’s son while the latter is affected by his Forget-About-It inator. This is one of those moments where you can understand why someone acts the way they do even if it’s not right. 

Honestly, it feels like I’m going in circles with this whole “here’s a moment where Heinz appreciates Norm and doesn’t put him down and here’s another one where he mistreats Norm!” 

Give credit to Vanessa. She looks out for her siblings regardless of species. 

“It occurs to me that though I’ve never had a son, there is someone who I can always count on to be there. Someone I've begun to think of as family. And that someone is Perry the Platypus. See you around, junkpile.” 

Don’t worry Norm, he’ll treat you better next season. He’s still in denial unfortunately. 

“Try not to be a complete disappointment.”

Oh really? How about you try not to be a complete disappointment cause your brother is way more accomplished than you could ever hope to be, Heinz. 

History is repeating itself. 

It’s interesting how Norm shows similarities to Heinz here. They’re both out to prove themselves to someone, they monologue, and they’d love nothing more than to be accepted by their parent. 

However, Norm shows that he’s willing to break from the mold by developing a weapon to force submission rather than use the normal routine. He’s not afraid to assert his individuality because he wants to win his father’s love through the most effective means possible. 

“If I’m gonna be a conqueror and win my father’s love, I’ll take it to the people with the eagle, not the dove!” 

Norm’s entire motivation for taking over the Tri-State Area is simply to make Heinz proud. How many plans has Heinz scribbled up over the years to make his parents proud only to have them backfire spectacularly? 

Norm fails to realize that Heinz is against complete annihilation because there wouldn’t be anyone left to subjugate. 

As expected, Heinz isn’t happy with Norm’s attempt to take over the Tri-State Area. 

Maybe next time, big guy.

“Space is cold and unforgiving, like my father!” 

Perry, Vanessa, and Norm know when to show sympathy and when not to take Heinz’s crap. That’s what I love about them. 

Norm often delivers scathing remarks that Heinz deserves, whereas Heinz doesn’t badmouth his parents even though it’s completely justified. 

Love at First Byte gives us a huge development in their relationship. Heinz doesn’t automatically disregard Norm’s feelings about not having a date for the block party, and spends the entire episode giving him advice. 

Forgive me for inserting my personal headcanon here, but I believe that in order for Heinz to take this huge step forward, he would need to do some soul-searching about the way he treated Norm in the past. It probably took a few smacks from Perry to drive the point home as well. 

Heinz wingmaning for Norm is great. This episode has a lot of great father/son bonding in general. 

Off topic, but I still want to know what Heinz has against Sagittariuses since that’s my star sign. 

He’s so proud of Norm. 

Fact of life, Heinz. Your children are always going to somehow find themselves in a Romeo and Juliet situation. Without all the dying. 

Another similarity: dates tend to end poorly. 

You’re not father and son until you’re trying to get rid of pests together and fail miserably. 

They’ve both come a long way since Norm was invented in the early summer. 

He’s so proud of his son. 

Conclusion: Heinz and Norm’s relationship is very complex. Even though they had a rocky start and both still have much to learn in the future, Heinz has finally come to accept Norm as a son. 

Themurphyzone is out! Peace! 

[underthebluerain]

me before rewatching merlin: just a casual rewatch I know what happens so I won't get mad haha

me while rewatching merlin: what the fuck. what the fuck!! all the women in this show are horribly treated, merlin worked against magic almost for the whole show, instead of fighting the oppressiveness and genocide that was going on in camelot he eliminated any threats to it and protected its two main enforcers because he was told by a manipulative lizard that one of them would get better one day, this fucking self-righteous shithead is the biggest hypocrite I've ever seen, he fucking left morgana to die and then poisoned her because she was acting suspicious yet never lifted a fucking finger against uther aka actual genocidal dictator because it "wasn't the right thing" apparently, the morality of this show is so messed up that if it had any self-awareness arthur and merlin aka good guys would be the villain protagonists, uther's been carrying out a purge of magic users including children for years yet apparently they are bad for wanting him dead, gwen is the only main good guy who is actually good but gets constantly sidelined and mistreated and why the fuck did no one ever find out she was enchanted into cheating, also why did arthur never fucking apologise for banishing her and breaking his promise of letting her live in her family's house forever, the way morgana turned evil makes no fucking sense they just skipped over the development and twisted her character into something she was not, merlin keeps killing left and right yet never gets off his more-ethical-than-you-morgana high horse, they literally had to bring morgana down to uther's and merlin's level so that she would seem like the villain and it still didn't make them look good, there wasn't a single episode centered on gwen except her storyline about being tortured and brainwashed and the other episodes that could've been about her ended up focusing on someone else or on her romantic relationships, instead of treating uther like the villain he was they made him appear progressively softer and more sympathetic, made it seem like he loved his people and was loved by them and even got a heroic death, the dragon pushed merlin to mistrust a persecuted orphaned child and a terrified lonely woman because it was necessary for camelot's great destiny but didn't give two shits about that when he tried to burn camelot kill as may people as possible and roast arthur alive, yet merlin still considered him a friend and listened to him and turned morgana and mordred into villains himself by mistreating and mistrusting them and trying to get them killed, elyan the only prominent black man gets killed of course, arthur never found out the truth about his birth and his father's hipocrisy, what the fuck was up with only freya's hand coming out of the lake instead of her, many villains were in the right but were depicted as completely evil nevertheless, the merlin&arthur relationship eventually became a parody of itself and kept being retconned and anyway they were awful to each other, gwen ended up fucking nursing uther after he'd condemned her to death twice, vivian remained enchanted possibly forever and it was played for laughs, no queer characters but a whole lot of queerbaiting that got progressively ridiculous in merlin&arthur's case and was a disservice to their friendship, why did freya and nimueh and lancelot and gwaine and morgause and balinor and so many other good characters die, we never got the full backstory of the previous generation, merlin and especially gaius just watched as morgana became more and more unstable and lonely and scared and didn't do anything to help her realise or actually control her magic except lie to her and drug her, merlin couldn't even have a single bad vision of the future without losing his shit and trying to kill someone while morgana endured countless alone, there's like 3 non-white characters and they either die or are mistreated, there was never a big collective reveal of merlin's magic and then the dealing with it, pretty sexist that elena is only a clumsy tomboy while possessed by an evil fairy but becomes a proper feminine lady when she's back to normal, they just did away with gwen and morgana's relationship as if morgana never cared about gwen and gwen never found out why morgana changed, morgause went from a mysterious capable antagonist to an ineffectual villain who gets taken out by being thrown against a wall twice one of those times by gaius are you fucking kidding me, arthur never became even a good king and his stance on magic never changed he didn't even pull excalibur from the stone why the hell was it merlin, morgana turned into a cartoonish 100% evil villain when she should've been an interesting morally grey antagonist at worst, how can arthur hold a sword to a child's neck and still be a hero, why do so many women disappear or get killed for mangst or male motivation, gwen and arthur never found out about the things merlin did neither the good nor the bad, why the fuck was gwen left so alone in the end, we never got to see the promised golden age of camelot with magic becoming legal and seen as good again so the whole show seems pointless, wHY DID I FUCKING STAN THIS SHOW FOR SO LONG