#devil may cry 1x04

[1liv]

DEVIL MAY CRY 1.04

[tarysande]

Lucifer 1x04 Manly Whatnots

So, @thedeckerstarnetwork is doing a S1 rewatch and I have to talk about this:

This scene happens IN THE FOURTH EPISODE. THE FOURTH. EPISODE.

I feel like I could write a ten-page paper on this scene alone, quite honestly. At times like this, I wish I knew the first thing about gif-making, because I swear I would break it down frame by frame, if I could.

This moment follows some crazy-inappropriate moments: Chloe shows up, for work, and finds Lucifer naked. Worse, he then speaks one of the most-cringeworthy lines of the entire series (“The berries are ripe and ready to be harvested.”—I just legit shuddered typing it out).

The emotional whiplash in this scene is used to masterful effect. A scene originally providing comic relief—Lucifer being Lucifer; Chloe being both horrified and, if her gaze is anything to go by, weirdly turned on (watch her expression in the moment before she notices the scars; she’s considering it)—shifts in a heartbeat to one of the most revealing and nuanced and magnificent moments in the series.

The second Chloe sees the scars on Lucifer’s back, her entire demeanor changes. All awkwardness, all irritation, all wide-eyed almost-appreciation vanishes. She is visibly distraught, upset, horrified. She almost can’t speak. These scars are huge and ragged and obviously old. From her perspective, his response—God the father, wings, Maze cutting them off—must seem, to her, like deflection of the most extreme variety. She’s a cop; the deflection and the scars must be absolutely screaming abuse victim at her.

Chloe is a detective and a mother and she cares. Sure, Lucifer still drives her batty. Sure, he’s Trouble with a capital T. Sure, he’s inappropriate and weird and possibly insane. But he’s also been hurt. The kind of hurt that leaves visible scars—and to Chloe Jane Decker, that’s abhorrent. It’s contrary to the core of who she is. It throws kerosene on the fire of her desire to help people and see justice done. She wants to get to the bottom of what happened, yes.

But, and here’s the rub, here’s the big deal … more even than justice, she wants to comfort him. She doesn’t reach for his scars to ogle. There’s nothing sexual about it. She’s not morbidly curious.

She is distraught and her heart is already breaking for him and she reaches for him to comfort.

This single moment changes everything between them. In fact, I’d put hard cold cash on a bet that, had Chloe shot him before this scene, he wouldn’t have bled. I think this is the first time someone has looked at Lucifer Morningstar and, instead of seeing sex on legs or a favor about to happen or desire, sees the soul underneath. Instead of harvesting berries (how many, how many, people have seen him naked and haven’t even noticed the scars?), she reaches out to comfort him.

No one comforts Lucifer Morningstar. Not only that, up until this precise moment, Lucifer has never felt like he needed comforting. He didn’t feel weak or wounded or vulnerable. He didn’t feel exposed. All along, he’s been thinking something is wrong with Chloe, but this moment crystallizes that maybe, just maybe—and, in fact, as we’re about to see at the end of the episode—something is wrong with him.

Lucifer is shaken to the core of his being. The foundations are already crumbling.

Lucifer Morningstar was in no way prepared for Earthquake Chloe.

When Lucifer grabs her arm and says, “Don’t, please,” it is the first real crack in his (pardon the pun) devil-may-care facade. A couple of things are important here, though:

He doesn’t hurt her. Remember, he’s strong. He can throw a dude through glass with a gesture. He stops her—using lightning reflexes and an iron grip—but there is no indication on her face that he’s causing her pain. She doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t utter a cry. She doesn’t even gasp.

She doesn’t look away. I’ve talked about this before (and it’s been confirmed by the writers) that Lucifer uses his gaze like a predator does. It’s all about power. It’s all about control. He can remain unblinking for a long, long time; his gaze is terrifying. Chloe is human—with eyes that get dry—and yet from the moment she reaches for his back and he reaches for her, she does not look away from him. Lucifer looks away first. Lucifer is the one who gets flustered. Lucifer runs away from her. It’s not because she’s using her gaze the way he does, oh no. It’s because she’s looking at him with genuine compassion, genuine empathy, and genuine support. She says, “Okay,” and it’s not because she’s scared of him and wants him to release her … it’s because, like the audience, she’s seen behind his facade.

It’s really easy to miss, but when she says, “Okay,” she brings her other hand up to cup his hand, the one that’s holding onto her wrist. Again, there’s no pain. There’s no movement toward fleeing. She is physically doubling-down (quite literally using both hands) on comforting him. Lucifer has never experienced this before. He is touched only for sex. He is touched only when there’s an equal amount of give and take (I give you an orgasm, you give me one in return). This is, quite possibly, the first time anyone has ever given to him without expecting anything in return and without there being any favor on the table. Lucifer needs scales to be balanced; it’s a vital part of who he is—it’s how he (ironically) maintains control. Chloe has just upended the scale and he doesn’t know how to handle it. This is the moment he freaks out, breathlessly says, “I should get dressed” and runs away.

The Devil runs away.

Just think about that for a second.

Yeah.

In fifteen seconds, Chloe’s compassion and kindness and caring create a visible, quantifiable crack in a wall Lucifer’s been building for eons.

Chloe Decker sees him. Him. Not the Devil, not the playboy, not the godling, not the provider of favors. Him. The him he hasn’t been in … a very long time. This is the moment she makes him vulnerable. And this is the moment she starts to care about him and let him into her life (where he’ll make her vulnerable, too), instead of just approaching the whole partnership with a kind of longsuffering acceptance. Lucifer is shaken to his core. Chloe has seen a glimpse of someone worth saving, worth caring about, worth—as we’ll come to realize as the show goes on—loving.

All in a two-minute scene that happens in the fourth episode. I mean, God forbid this is the moment you looked down at your phone to check Facebook, or ran to the bathroom, or something. The entire emotional core of the show is born right here. Season 1. Episode 4.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, February 2—Sunday, February 3

KID: But you're ... you're just a girl. Buffy pauses in the doorway. BUFFY: That's what *I* keep saying.

~~The Gift~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Devil May Questionnaire, Part III (Xander, crossover with Devil May Cry, G) by madimpossibledreamer

Patrullando (Buffy/Spike, G, in Spanish) by delirante

Not (But Totally Is) A Date (Xander/Oz, Willow/Cordelia, G) by AWanderingSoul

Just Plain Evil (Spike, Tara, Miss Kitty Fantastico, G) by Hello_Spikey

Donutocalypse (Buffy/Spike, T) by Hello_Spikey

Romance at the Galaxy (Lindsey/Spike, E) by Hello_Spikey

Can a Crow Love Again? (Buffy, crossover with The Crow, T) by Crowsims

Phoenix (Buffy/Giles, T) by DHW

Before I Go (Buffy/Willow, G) by wonderslayer

Lay Yourself Down (Spike/Wesley, E) by Hello_Spikey

Empty Places Redux Part 1 (Buffy, Dawn, screencaps) by ltcastillo

Empty Places Redux Part 2 (Buffy, Willow, screencaps) by ltcastillo

Breaking the News (Spike/Reader, not rated) by writing-fics-instead-of-homework

Buffy the Vampire Slayer + Depressing Fridge Poems (Buffy/Angel, screencap) by a-slayer-world

The Mixtape In Your Heart (Buffy/Angel, T) by butimbroken

If Love Were A Whisper (Buffy/Angel, T) by butimbroken

Living Underneath The Surface (Buffy/Angel, T) by butimbroken

[Chaptered Fiction]

Your Back to Mine, Part II (Buffy, crossover with Dresden Files, PG-13) by jedibuttercup

The Artifact, Chapters 1-20 (Buffy/Spike, Angel/Spike, E, COMPLETE) by Hello_Spikey

The Wrongest Yard, Chapters 1-4 (Angel, Spike, Lindsey, E, COMPLETE) by Hello_Spikey

Codependent, Chapters 1-2 (Riley/Spike, M, COMPLETE) by Hello_Spikey

Buffy the Vampire Slayer REIMAGINED, Chapter 10 (BtVS Ensemble, K) by Stuart Reinke-williams

Too Good to Be True, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Slayerette16

This side reflected, Chapter 8 (Buffy, Faith, Willow, T) by Jinxgirl

Enchanted Evenings, Chapter 11 (Angel, T) by Constant Comment Tea

What You Do Afterwards: Season Three: Forgiving, Part Three (AtS Ensemble, T) by myheadsgonenumb

What about her happiness?, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by FluffyVampire63

Five Nights in Sunnydale, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by zabjade

Skipping the Stone, Chapter 14 (Dawn) (Buffy/Spike, R) by sandy_s and Badwolfjedi

[Images, Audio & Video]

Banners: Willow/Fred by nightshade

Artwork: Willow and Tara by hestiacygnus

Manip: Buffy & Giles by 51kas81

Artwork: Buffy by sanshodelaine

Artwork: midnight hot chocolate! (Jenny, Willow) by jenny-calendar

Artwork: Saint Buffy by tarastheory

Cosplay: My first attempt at Illyria! by kindashewantsto

Video: Cordelia Chase | thank u, next by 1SnoWhiteQueen1

[Reviews & Recaps]

Revelations & Lovers Walk by elisi

Rewatching Buffy 1x03 by soullessgingersociopath

Rewatching Buffy 1x04 by soullessgingersociopath

Thoughts on BOOM! Buffy #1 by baumanhp

Video: Angel (the episode) | Review and Analysis by Caitlin Bloody Mary

[Community Announcements]

Up Next: My Life Closed Twice by Anaross by The Sunnydale Fanfic Club podcast

Ideas for Buffy Appreciation Week? by dailybuffy

[Fandom Discussions]

More Links Than A Bag Of Sausages (Faith/Angel fic rec) by petzipellepingo

Re: Would you ever do an Angel rewatch? by marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer

Thoughts on Potential(s) by forwardwithoutseeing

My feelings on Spuffy are actually pretty mellow... by slayers-every-one-of-us

Re: Do you think Xander was being reasonable in his advice for Buffy to give Riley another chance in Into the Woods? by sulietsexual

one of the things that i love most about spike is that he’s actually really poetic! by dadgiles

Unpopular opinion: Buffy didn't deserve the amazing declaration of love done to her by Spike by mrs-lackobreath

Dawn Summers had the most interesting backstory... by slaughtercunt

S3 Buffy has serious PTSD by fanficwhatfanfic

Re: Top 5 reasons you love Angel as a character by we-pay-for-everything

Top 5 Reasons to Ship Bangel by we-pay-for-everything

Re: If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why? (Spuffy) by sunalsolove

How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction? by sunalsolove

Rank the Season 5 Episodes by RDHWesley

Buffy's Love Life by Multiple posters

Rank the Angel season 1 episodes by RDHWesley

Discussion of 2.03 "School Hard" by Multiple posters

Vampire Hunting, Sunnydale and 2019 by DeadlyDuo

What would you change? [about BtVS Season 4] by RDHWesley

BtVS rewatch: SEASON 6 by Multiple posters

BOOM! BtVS 1.01 by Multiple posters

Joyce Summers thoughts? by i_eat_payste

Just how does Spike's chip work exactly? by LukaStarkiller

Favorite lines? by ghostproofing

Drusilla's Role in Lovers Walk? by GAT4u

How do Slayers get called after the events of Chosen? by TravelHobbit

What characters would have been great villains? by CharlieWhiterun

I ship Giles and Anya by IssyRuck

The allegory of a girl fighting her demons every day by nettiegulls

Would Buffy agree to releasing Angelus in Angel Season 4? by jdpm1991

Who is your favorite baddie? by rettgoat

Losing a soul due to roofie..what?! by MegantheMomma

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

THE WRAP: Sarah Michelle Gellar Says She Won’t Appear on ‘Buffy’ Reboot – But It’s a ‘Great Story’ to Be Retold by Jennifer Maas

[jerepars]

Heartthrob Story Notes

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile). The story is here.

I wrote this after watching Riverdale all the way through three times (Season 2 doesn't premiere until October 2017 and Season 1 only has 13 episodes). I've definitely overanalyzed the charactsuers, their key moments, their relationships. Everything.

I've loved TV shows before, loved pairings on TV shows before, but I don't think I've ever been so emotionally invested as I am in Bughead to the point where I wanted to write something. I've only ever been inspired to write by music and hockey, really.

So. In my overanalysis of the show and the situations the characters have been put through, it dawned on me that Archie isn't actually the heartthrob he's presented as. Sure, he's an All-American jock with a pretty smile and nice abs. But when you peel back all the layers, see what his problems are, see his cluelessness about basically everything, you're left with what he really is--in my opinion--just a fuckboy.

And so emerges the true heartthrob of Riverdale, Jughead Jones. He's literally in all of the best scences (exhibits: fighting with Betty, calling his mom, when he goes to see FP). He's pretentious but smart. He's the emo loner kid stealing the audience's hearts, stealing Betty's heart.

Damn this show for their perfect portrayal of Bughead. Watching it feels so real, what it really felt like to be a teenager.

Wanting so badly for Bughead to be endgame and believing Jughead is the real heartthrob of Riverdale, I came up with this.

I sat thinking for a long time that I don't really have any good original ideas because wow, I looked, and the Bughead shippers have it covered really well. When it was about to be Father's Day, while re-watching Bughead clips for the umpteenth time, I sighed at something adorable and audibly said "aw, Juggie".

That became it, the story. That's the tl;dr version of the story, really, just "Juggie!"

When I started writing I just intended for it to be some light fluff, Betty and Jughead in the future, as parents, and instead of their kid calling him her dad for the first time, she calls him what everyone else that loves him calls him. I think it got a little darker as I went along, adding in the backstory. I think that makes sense because it's not actually a light show, despite being a "teen drama" on The CW.

As per usual with my story notes, there is an awful lot of overexplaining below. I've linked a lot of clips from the show which may or may not be spoilers. I think this drabble still makes sense if you've never seen Riverdale or if you don't care to, but they're there if you so choose.

These mornings were tough. Waking up at the crack of dawn to the sound of a crying baby through the baby monitor. Not that these kind of mornings were new per se - there had been a period of time, during his sophomore year of high school when he set his alarm for this time, when he had been living in a tiny closet at Riverdale High School. Somehow that had been a better alternative than staying in the trailer park with his usually absent alcoholic father.

The first paragraph is a reference to the opening scene of 1x07 (0:00 to 1:10), where Jughead wakes up from a dream in the closet at the high school, where he's been living, and he has to explain himself when Archie catches him.

Given the so-called destiny he’d believed his two best friends were meant to have, Jughead hadn’t planned on falling in love with Betty Cooper. He’d always thought his destiny was to remain the weird loner kid, always on the outs. It took until they were sophomores in high school for Jughead to realize Betty was it – the light at the end of the tunnel waiting to envelope him and pull him out of the darkness. And as it turned out, where darkness and light were concerned, they evened each other out. Facing her own demons, her own darkness, Jughead had been her spot of light seeping through.

It was a delicate balance between the two of them until they got out of Riverdale. Just as quickly as he'd put on the leather Southside Serpents jacket, she'd made him vow it was only temporary, to protect himself and to protect them. She made him take an oath that one day when he took it off, it would be for good and he would never put it back on again. Betty had made him promise the civil war in Riverdale wouldn't be the nooses around their necks, and hand in hand, they would make it out of their devil town not just to live, but to thrive.

I was listening to the Bright Eyes cover of "Devil Town" a lot while I was writing backstory about Jughead's past and their town, Riverdale. In the same way that the narrative talks about the delicate balance of light and dark and of Betty and Jughead, I like the way the song sounds light but is talking about darkness.

And, come on, how could I not give The Jacket a shout out?

Years later, on the day he married Betty, at the wedding reception, while giving the maid of honor’s speech, Veronica had quipped about the irony of it all. Jughead had gone from the brooding Holden Caulfield-esque loner outsider to the heartthrob of his own novel, because he was the one who ended up marrying the beautiful blonde cheerleader to have the happily ever after with.

In 1x07, again, Veronica actually refers to Jughead as Riverdale's version of Holden Caulfield (1:11 to 3:15) after a "Scooby Gang" meeting where Jughead puts his arm around Betty and the group doesn't know about them yet.

He had written a novel. It had been about Jason Blossom’s murder and its impact on Riverdale. But the narrative was from Jughead’s perspective. He was a constant in the book’s pages because of his connection to all those involved, most notably FP, his father. When the book sold well, even Hollywood had come knocking on his publisher’s door. They’d wanted the film rights to the novel, they wanted to sensationalize the most terrible thing to happen in Riverdale, to tell the story of his teenage angst. They’d even dropped the name of the actor who they would target to play his own ‘character’—a former Disney star with a sharp jaw, slightly nasal voice, and gigantic social media following.

Jughead never did sign on the dotted line for the project but it was true that he was a living, breathing cliché of the American Dream, and he loved it. He’d grown up to be the heartthrob of his own life. He was reminded of that every time Betty smiled at him, and now, every time Sadie did, too.

Last sentence of the first paragraph: that's just me, breaking the fourth wall, in a sense because um, the description is literally Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead. I did this to amuse myself more than anything else, really. Maybe I think his voice is a little nasal. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I think it suits him. Alluding all the way back to the Archie comics, I think it suits Jughead's character, too.

Despite Jughead's non-conformist attitude as a teenager, I feel like it's appropriate for him to accept the American Dream, be proud to have it even, in this adult version of him. In 1x04, when he's whining about the Twilight Drive-In closing one of the first things he mentions is "a nail in the coffin of [...] the American Dream," and he's upset something good he's held on to is being taken away. I think part of the reason Jughead becomes isolated and non-conformist and a self-proclaimed loner is not because he doesn't want the American Dream, but because he's always thought someone in his shoes can't ever have that.

He caught her arm before she could saunter off and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her on the mouth hard, one hand ghosting up under the shirt she was wearing to graze at the bare skin of her upper thigh and one hand cupping the back of her neck. He sighed, content, and for a moment was transported back to a moment—their first moment—in her childhood bedroom surrounded by floral wallpaper.

There were times when he still felt like he did back then, crawling through her window to comfort her after they’d found Polly at The Sisters of Quiet Mercy, while also nervous, at a loss for words because he wanted to kiss her so badly, to let her know what the connection they’d forged while investigating Jason’s murder meant to him.

Basically just a reference to everything Bughead in 1x06 leading up to their first kiss in Betty's floral bedroom. Juggie called it their moment, so I called it their moment.

“Nearly everyone in my life who loves me has called me ‘Juggie’ at one point or another,” Jughead reminded her. “What’s one more?”

Cereal forgotten, Betty moved her hand under her chin, thinking about his statement. He was right. She called him that. Archie called him that. Jellybean called him that. It was a short list, but Betty knew it was the only list that mattered to Jughead.

I think the first time he's called "Juggie" on the show is actually in 1x03 when Betty recruits him for the school paper. Archie calls him that later on. They're both sort of wrong about only the shortlisted people calling him this, because in the opening scence of 1x13, Pop Tate calls him Juggie as he slides over the coffee (1:01 to 1:06; WARNING: major spoilers in this clip!).

Oh, did you think I was kidding about how thoroughly I've watched this show? No, no. I'm neurotic.

I still think it's a valid point though. Jughead doesn't like very many people so it makes sense that very few would ever get so close to him to call him Juggie.

“Who's your daddy?” Jughead made a face and kicked Betty lightly under the table. “Please never say that again, Betts. It's creepy.”

I couldn't write this and not make reference to the whole "daddy" war thing the Riverdale cast had going on. Obviously.

Also, I am trash and I hate myself.

He gave her that look, the one he saved just for her. The look that meant he loved her completely, entirely, with everything he had. She'd seen that look before, when they'd told each other for the first time they loved each other, and on their wedding day, and when Sadie was born.

First, he takes the beanie off. Then the look Jughead gives Betty when he tells her he loves her (0:53). Then the look Jughead gives her when she tells him she loves him (1:04). That's the look. Oh, my heartstrings.

I wrote this listening to Tegan and Sara's Heartthrob and Paramore's After Laughter and The Gaslight Anthem's American Slang. At the end of it all, what it really is, is a love letter to Bughead, I think. It's an exercise in writing that I hope is a launching pad that gets me back to hockey stories.

Doing this all weekend was fun. It immediately took me back to how consumed I get when I am writing. I don't have writer's block, because I never do. I don't have time to write.

I want to make time to write.

We'll see.