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sokkastyles · 1 year ago

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How do you think the show shows us that Zuko is afraid of Azula? His fear of Ozai is clear, but his fear of Azula is less overt and that makes some people claim he was never afraid of her even though he was. What do you think?

Oh, that's a good question and it isn't something I see explored a lot.

Although I'll start by questioning why his fear of Ozai is more clear. There are scenes I can point to that I'd interpret as Zuko showing fear of Ozai but they're not more overt than the scenes where he shows fear of Azula. The only scene where he's crying and cowering is the one where Ozai burns him, and it's obvious he's afraid because of the way he's acting and the direct threat of physical harm. But most of the time, Zuko's fear of Ozai is portrayed more subtly. Less people question it because the domineering and abusive father figure is a more typical narrative. But if you removed those more obvious signs, a lot of the ways Zuko shows fear of Ozai could be brushed aside just as easily as his fear of Azula is, because Zuko isn't a character that cowers and cries most of the time. If you really look at most of Zuko's interactions with Ozai, he shows fear in the same way he shows of Azula, with defensiveness, uncertainty, hurt, confusion, and anger even when Ozai is appearing to praise him. He reacts the same way an abuse victim does who knows that all the fake politeness and the gaslighting and the manipulation are stepping stones to the inevitable violence.

To talk about Zuko's fear of Azula, let's start with their first interaction in the series, in episode one of book two.

To be fair, she chooses to introduce in a way that maximizes the whole "scary villain" thing, catching Zuko and Iroh by surprise. Which is a strategic move to put them off guard as she tries to get them to walk into her trap.

But both of them are immediately suspicious of her, something Azula points out to try to turn it back around on them. Zuko reacts with anger and asks her what she's doing there, but there's this moment before he gets angry where he looks like this:

And then his face quickly changes to anger.

And we know that Zuko's anger is often a mask for his fear. There's a moment where he looks shocked and vulnerable that is very shortly replaced with defensive anger, and his voice is low when he asks Azula why she's there.

This tells us, before we even know much about it, that there's a history between Zuko and Azula. Even though he hasn't seen her in three years, he's immediately on guard around her and knows that the reason she's there can't be anything good.

Azula brushes off his reaction, but Zuko still looks wary even when she tells him the very thing that he's been wanting to hear for three years, that his father wants him back home.

There's a lot going on in his expression here. He looks like he's trying to process what she's saying, and whether or not he can trust it. Azula also recognizes this, because she pushes him for a response.

Azula: Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news.

Azula also knows she has the advantage of Zuko's uncertainty about the situation and uses it to push him for an answer.

On first watch, a lot of this can be attributed to the shock of the news itself. We also know that Zuko has good reason to be wary of Ozai's goodwill.

However, later in the episode, and in the season, we learn more about Zuko's relationship with Azula and how he struggles to trust her because of how she's lied to him and manipulated him in the past.

If the news of Zuko's banishment being lifted had come from some random mooks, for example, Zuko would still be shocked, but probably wouldn't have reacted with the same uncertainty, which is specifically about Azula being there because he immediately asks her why she's there. These frames emphasize the power Azula has over Zuko, her strategically using the darkness and the element of surprise to both feed that fear and uncertainty that she knows exists in her brother, and his awareness that what she's offering is probably somehow double-edged, not just because of what we know is true about Ozai but because of Zuko's specific past interactions with Azula.

Which is also confirmed later in the episode when Zuko angrily accuses Azula of lying and her reaction is a sarcastic "like I've never done that before."

And then we get further context in "Zuko Alone," with Zuko saying in both the present and the past that "Azula always lies," and repeating it over and over to himself. This connects the current situation to the past and shows us that Zuko's mistrust of Azula goes way back to when they were small children.

The scene in "Zuko Alone" which is the originator of "Azula always lies" is actually one of the clearest signs that Zuko is afraid of Azula, and like with Ozai, it takes place when he's a younger child, before he had quite learned how to mask his fear with anger. We see that Azula as a young child has the same ease with which she plays on her brother's emotions, and gets the same enjoyment out of doing so.

And I can anticipate that anyone who doesn't believe Zuko is afraid of Azula here might say that he's afraid only of what she's saying. And that's partially right.

Here we see Zuko showing a more typical fear response, clinging to the blankets, his body huddled protectively in on itself, his eyes shut as he tries to deny the fearful words.

Obviously, Zuko is afraid to admit that what she is saying might be true, because he knows what Ozai thinks of him deep down, and that on its own is terrifying. But if you look at their conversation, Zuko reacts specifically to Azula being the one to say it, telling her that it's "not funny" and begging her to stop, before repeating to himself that she always lies. This not only tells us that Zuko doesn't want to admit that it might be true, but also that Azula has said similar things to him before, possibly because she thinks they're "funny." I don't know about you, but I think living with a sibling like that would be pretty terrifying. We also know, through earlier scenes in the episode, that Azula does regularly say things like this, casually and even gleefully suggesting the deaths of family members, and that Zuko thinks those are horrible things to say, as we see him in one scene tell her that she wouldn't like it if Lu Ten thought their father should die. Zuko is very aware that Azula isn't just being a messenger, he knows that she has an unhealthy fascination with violence. And it's being turned on him now.

I've also seen people brush off what Azula says about Iroh or Azulon dying so Ozai could become firelord as "she's just loyal to her father," but that also ignores the other signs we get that Azula as a young child is obsessed with violence, like her interest in Zuko's knife (and I wrote another meta about the difference between Zuko's play-acting with the knife versus Azula's interest in it as a weapon used for power, control, and domination.)

Also, once again, the way the scene is framed emphasizes the control Azula has here and the power she has over Zuko, who can't do anything but cling to the bed in some semblance of protection.

Another scene that emphasizes both Azula's growing tendency towards violence and sadism and Zuko's awareness and fear of it is when Zuko reacts angrily to Azula convincing Ursa to make him play with her earlier in the same episode.

If you were ignoring context, you could say that this is just a brother irritated at having to play with his baby sister. Except, combined with what we already know about Azula, and what Zuko knows about Azula, let's pay attention to what is actually going on here.

Zuko angrily says that he doesn't want to cartwheel. Which a young boy might object to as being a "girly" activity. But let's look back at what happened a moment before when the girls were cartwheeling.

If Zuko saw them cartwheeling, he probably saw Azula attempt to do a cartwheel and fail, followed by Ty Lee doing a perfect cartwheel and backflip before being pushed to the ground by Azula, who laughs at her friend.

This scene is so significant because of what it tells us about all three characters and their relationships to each other. We know that Azula lords her superiority over Zuko, and a lot of people take it for granted that she's just naturally more skilled. But here, we see how Azula reacts to someone who is more skilled than her at something, with a violent and petty need to punish Ty Lee for being better and reassert herself as the one in control by humiliating her friend.

This is such good writing because on the surface a lot of this is typical kid behavior, but combined with everything else we know about Azula and what she is learning from her father about how to treat other people, and how Zuko is learning that no one will protect him from his sister's growing violence, it paints a very troubling picture.

Even if you look at Azula's feigned innocence in the screenshot above of her convincing their mother to make Zuko play with her, look at how she has her arms around her brother and how Zuko reacts to it. Azula's possessiveness of Zuko is another thing I rarely see talked about but it's there in a lot of scenes where she's invading his personal space, inserting herself verbally or physically so that Zuko doesn't have room for objection.

And I kind of hate to bring up the comics, but I love that scene in "The Search" where Azula says that Zuko should have gone exploring with her more as a kid, but his fear held him back. We see the same thing when Azula drags Zuko along to spy on Azulon and Ozai and Zuko is afraid and tries to not go, but Azula grabs his arm.

You can interpret that fear as more Zuko's fear of Ozai that keeps him from doing things he's not supposed to, but again there's that possessiveness from Azula and Zuko's reluctance to trust her, Zuko's fear specifically that she will drag him into something that has the potential to get him into trouble (because we know who Ozai would blame first if they were caught, surely not his golden child), or something that could be dangerous, or that she might be specifically targeting him in a way that we see her do repeatedly. It's kinda hard to argue that Zuko's fears are unfounded when Azula does lie to him repeatedly, when Azula does drag him into danger, when he's the one who's always getting hurt as a result of her actions.

And that fear carries over into the rest of book two and book three and informs Zuko's mistrust of Azula even when she appears to be "nice" and his awareness that she has an ulterior motive and that he's the one who is likely to take the fall for it. Which is what happens up until Zuko finally says no and walks away.

And even after that, even when he's empowered himself and extricates himself from that dynamic, he admits that he can't face Azula without support. Not just because she is physically powerful but because of the emotional power she has over him. And Katara knows this too, and reacts to it when she tells Zuko that she's trying to manipulate him once again by proposing an agni kai. This time, Zuko is aware of what she's doing and has the psychological tools to counteract it, but it took a lot of courage and strength for him to get to that point. And he still almost dies.

The fallout of that is something I would like to see explored more often, and how that is going to have an impact on Zuko's ability to trust and feel safe around Azula even after she no longer has that psychological hold on him.

*Edit because of clarification from @zuzuthelord

This is such a great answer! But I just wanted to clarify that the screenshot of Azula with her arms around Zuko is an edit and that scene isn't in the actual show. I hope this isn't rude.

Not rude at all and thanks for the clarification and the compliment! That explains why that screenshot startled me so much when I found it and got me thinking of Azula's possessiveness of Zuko in a way I had not thought of before. I think what I said still stands, because of the many other times we see her grab or touch him in ways he is uncomfortable with or be overly familiar, or interrupt him, or push him to agree with her about things even when he can't respond.

I also saw the screenshot on google with a link to a zucest page and it's my bad for not verifying it, so that explains that, lol.

I'd actually say that Azula's possessiveness of Zuko is a big part of why people ship zucest, since a lot of people who do are the same people who are invested in making Zuko seem "just as bad" as Azula. It's a shame, since the emotional incest in their relationship and how that's another aspect of how Zuko is abused is so under-explored.

Now I gotta put an incest tw on this post, I guess.

#azula #abuse cw #the avatar state #zuko #zuko alone #sozin's comet #the final agni kai #ozai #incest cw #emotional incest

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somebody-909 · 3 years ago

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Stalkyoo - Black and White Formal Romantic Subtext Analysis

The beginning of I Love Yoo up until the Black and White Formal shows the development of Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi's relationship from strangers to reluctant acquaintances and eventually to friends.

Their relationship's development up until the present comic, in my opinion, reaches a peak during the formal arc, where we see both the completed development of their friendship (neither are reluctant) but we also see the fast emergence of new possible romantic feelings. The arc is pivotal in defining and developing their relationship and we continue to see its effects afterwards. So, in order to better understand the two characters' relationship, let's take a look at the key moments in the arc that explore their friendship and romantic tension.

Ep. 49 | Makeup - A Friendly Face and Romantic Tension

Shin-Ae is forced to attend the black and white formal to take care of her father. She is in an incredibly difficult position, with college exams the next day, her father ill, and now having to deal with this incredibly unfamiliar situation and this horrible dress.

When she sees Yeong-gi however, it’s great to see a comforting and familiar presence. We get a chance to see their friendship in this uncomfortable setting when Yeong-gi shows concern for Shin-Ae.

That is not all, however. The makeup panel (which was removed by Quimchee later on, but is included in the mid-season recap), introduces us to the first instance of genuine romantic tension between the two in the arc (and the whole comic up until here, really).

The two are very close together and look at each other softly. Shin-Ae seems to be blushing, as well. This moment is intimate and romantically tense.

This first scene does a great job at introducing the two major dynamics in their relationship that are explored in this arc: their established friendship and new romantic tension. These dynamics lead up to what occurs on the hospital balcony.

Ep. 49-51 | Hands - Distance and Desires

When Yeong-gi gets up to get Shin-Ae food, she reaches for him and grabs onto his sleeve. This panel introduces Shin-Ae's desire to stick with Yeong-gi throughout the night. We understand how comforting she finds it to be near him.

She extends her hand — showing how she is now also "reaching" for him and his companionship.

In Ep. 50, when Yeong-gi is scolded by his father and leaves to wait outside for Alyssa, Shin-Ae notices he seems down from across the floor. And for the first time, she tries to reach him. Up until now, she has been wary of Yeong-gi and his intentions, but now we see that their relationship has truly progressed to real friends. Shin-ae genuinely cares for Yeong-gi. But before she can reach him, she is interrupted by Sang-chul.

In the next episode, we see Yeong-gi respond to her call, reflecting what Shin-Ae did in Ep. 49, and extending his hand back towards her. Both characters' reciprocal desire to connect with each other is shown through their hands.

This scene, where they reach for each other but don't connect, introduces the arc's recurrent motif/theme of DISTANCE. Shin-ae and Yeong-gi want to connect, as they care for each other and find comfort in one another, but because of the circumstances at the party they are torn apart repeatedly.

And despite (literally and figuratively) reaching for each other, neither their hands nor their good intentions (like Shin-ae’s desire to be there for Yeong-gi) actually do reach each other. This repeats a few times in the arc, causing significant tension; due to the obstacles of the events around them, they can’t reach each other despite how much they may want to. As such, readers also feel relief whenever the two characters do manage to get together.

Ep. 55 | The Dance - A Kousuke and Yeong-gi Parallel

Kousuke, while having good intentions, struggles to understand what Shin-Ae wants, and instead goes for what makes sense to him. Yeong-gi, on the other hand, consistently shows an understanding of what would truly help Shin-Ae.

It is certainly true that Kousuke’s method was pragmatic. If the problem is that Shin-Ae feels humiliated and that he is embarrassed by her, what better way to show that he isn’t than by dancing with her in front of everyone? It’s a well-meant gesture that would show that he cares more for her than what others think and regardless of what they think. However, although his intentions were sweet, the outcomes were less so.

Shin-Ae DOES NOT want to dance. A scene that may have been beautiful, is tainted by Shin-Ae's true feelings of discomfort.

The truth is, Shin-Ae doesn’t want to go back in front of them. She doesn’t want to prove something to them. She doesn’t want to dance. But she feels like she has to. She can’t say no. The dance is actually… sad to see. She doesn’t want to be there.

But as she dances and feels terrible, Yeong-gi shows up. She is immediately excited and put at ease but is also worried about him since she hasn't seen him since he left to go outside.

But then Yeong-gi acts a goof. He understands that Shin-Ae doesn’t want to be there, but she has to. Because he understands the feeling of putting on a performance, despite being miserable… he immediately recognizes Shin-Ae's going through that too. So being the lovely friend he is, Yeong-gi goofs around. What better way to make Shin-Ae feel less tense in this too formal environment by reminding her of a friendly presence and doing something hilariously inappropriate? And of course, he knows how to help alleviate some of her discomfort, because they’re friends, after all, right? Yeong-gi shows a deep level of empathy for Shin-Ae.

The scene also develops a contrast between Kousuke and Yeong-gi — and the differences in how they affect Shin-Ae — that is paralleled many times later in the series.

Yeong-gi is the one who gets Shin-Ae to smile. He's the one who turns this scene from something uncomfortable to wholesome. And yet, he's not the one dancing with her. He stays to the side, in the shadows of the crowd, with distance between him and Shin-Ae, and with his head down. It fits his overarching character arc — staying hidden and away, and unable to chase for what he wants because of a quiet sense of shame and low self-worth.

The significance of him not interrupting and staying off to the side is purposefully emphasized in Ep. 57, when Kousuke says:

"I'm surprised you didn't interrupt my dance with Ms. Yoo."

Yeong-gi doesn't respond and simply looks away and slightly frowns. This emphasizes that there is a reason Yeong-gi stays away, and it's likely because his low self-esteem issues cause him to think, "Who am I to interfere?"

Overall, this dance panel achieves a similar effect to the earlier scene when their hands reach for each other, adding to the tension caused by distance — it feels like Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi should be together, but because of the circumstances, they can’t. They are reaching for each other, emotionally, but just can’t close the gap.

Ep. 55 | “We’re (just) friends... right?” - More Romantic Build-up

Although Yeong-gi knew exactly how to cheer up Shin-Ae, what he didn’t expect was her laugh… or rather the way he feels when she does.

Look at Yeong-gi’s expression — his eyes are widened. He has a look of awe and he seems shocked. He felt something unexpected. Maybe his heart skipped a beat... Could it be possible…?

He also has a resigned smile after, choosing to look at their dance from afar.

After the dance, Yeong-gi asks Shin-Ae to confirm their friendship.

But the panel and his tense smile seems… eerie. Faked. Like Yeong-gi might not be asking this question for obvious reasons. Even Shin-Ae notes that he seems uneasy, with a confused look and a nervous sweat drop.

We’ve already seen their completely established friendship. But as soon the two explicitly acknowledge this out-loud, we seem to have something new to deal with. Why does Yeong-gi suddenly want confirmation of their friendship, and in a manner that seems quite… sad? Why does his smile seem faked? We can look just a few panels prior to have a better understanding of what’s occurring internally for Yeong-gi.

Yeong-gi's shocked expression and widened eyes are similar to other moments of romantic tension, namely the hospital balcony scene and the earphones scene (albeit in a more muted manner). This is the second moment in this arc after the makeup scene that adds to the romantic tension leading up to the hospital balcony scene.

I believe Yeong-gi seems sad when he asks, “We’re friends right?” because when Shin-Ae laughs, he subconsciously feels the pangs of possible budding romantic feelings (it isn’t quite there yet, it is slight, but he is feeling something new) and he immediately subconsciously tries to deny those feelings by having Shin-Ae assert their friendship.

He feels dissonance between two facts:

“Shin-Ae is my friend”

“I felt something when she laughed”

This dissonance is uncomfortable, so he seeks to deny what is implied by the second part (that he may feel more for her). Additionally, we understand Yeong-gi struggles with self-worth. With the added pressure of those around him, as well as Shin-ae who has consistently accused him of being too pushy and a player, it is no struggle to understand why he immediately tries to avoid this feeling at even the first slightest hint of it.

But by looking for an affirmation of friendship to refute what he felt when she laughed, he unwittingly makes a link between what he felt to something beyond friendship.

Ep. 57-8 | The Bar - Brief Respite and a Kousuke/Yeong-gi Parallel

Due to the aforementioned tension, moments like the bar where Yeong-gi and Shin-ae are able to interact and joke around (about boobs in this case) feel incredibly refreshing — everything else is uncomfortable, but being with each other is comforting.

Once the others join them, we also get another slight Kousuke and Yeong-gi parallel. When Alyssa mentions Yeong-gi could dance with Shin-Ae, Yeong-gi refuses, likely due to pressure from Kousuke to be faithful to Alyssa. (We don’t quite know what he would’ve said otherwise). Shin-Ae responds to him refusing the dance, thinking:

“It would’ve been awkward anyways like my dance with Kousuke.”

The phrase "it would've been [negative adjective] anyways" usually implies a sense of settling for an outcome and sometimes slight displeasure.

I will admit that is hard to firmly state she’s disappointed that he said no. But the phase most certainly implies that she would’ve gone along with it if he said yes. (If this is hard to understand, Shin-Ae doesn’t think something like, “Good. I didn’t want to dance anyways.”) Her thought is relatively indifferent, especially in contrast to Kousuke whom she explicitly didn’t want to dance with.

Ep. 61 | Yeong-gi Takes a Stand - Relationship-driven Growth

When Yeong-gi learns that Shin-Ae is in trouble, but is yelled at by his father for his behaviour and not being with Alyssa, he is absolutely terrified at first (poor boy).

Randulph: "What are you doing? Fooling around again? It hasn't even been that long since I last reprimanded you!"

*Yeong-gi flinches*

Randulph: "How many times am I going to have to scold you tonight??? How hard is that head of of yours that nothing I say gets through to you! And Alyssa isn't even with you!"

Yeong-gi: *meekly* "Well — my friend was —"

Randulph: "I'm not through talking!

*Yeong-gi flinches*

Randulph continues scolding him, then says, "Forget about your friends."

To which Yeong-gi replies, "No... Castigate me, humiliate me. Do that all you want after I've ensured her safety!"

Upon thinking about the possible danger Shin-Ae is in, we see him, for the first time, advocate for himself and stand up to his father. Yeong-gi's concern for Shin-Ae allows him to stand up to the man who terrifies him. Shin-Ae takes easy precedent over the politics of his family and it shows how far their relationship has come and how it drives Yeong-gi's growth.

Ep. 62-3 | Sang-chul — Anger on behalf of Shin-Ae & a Shin-Ae and Alyssa Comparison

When Yeong-gi sees Sang-chul with Shin-Ae's jacket, he confronts him.

Sang-chul: "Back off bro. I don't want to start any trouble here."

Yeong-gi: "Too late for it now, innit? You asked for trouble as soon as you tried to take advantage of Shin-Ae."

Yeong-gi gets personally angry on behalf of Shin-Ae. It's another example that emphasizes their friendship.

We also see a contrast developed between Shin-Ae and Alyssa by Sang-chul:

"What is this Shin-Ae person to you anyway? You didn't react this way when I mentioned kissing your girlfriend... Where is she anyway? I still need my selfie and my kiss since you're fine with it."

Sang-chul assumes Yeong-gi must be romantically and sexually involved with Shin-Ae partly because he's a disgusting, sexist dirtbag, but also because, frankly, Yeong-gi seems to just generally like Shin-Ae more than his actual girlfriend.

I also want to draw attention to the fact that Sang-chul has mentioned kissing Alyssa three times: once before when they first met, and twice now. All three times, Yeong-gi didn't react.

In Ep. 63, Yeong-gi begins to move away from Sang-chul to get to Shin-Ae.

Sang-chul: "Heh. That's right. Wuss. Go run to your b*tch."

*Yeong-gi stops*

Sang-chul: "I'll go keep Alyssa company while you're at it! I still haven't gotten my kiss! Should be easy. She must be dumb as hell if she's dating you."

*Yeong-gi turns around, glares at him, kisses him, then punches him* "There's your damn kiss, you gobshite!"

Yeong-gi: "Don't you dare call Shin-Ae a b*tch ever again. And stay away from Alyssa."

Why is it, that now, he suddenly becomes agitated after already ignoring three taunts by Sang-chul to kiss Alyssa? Especially when he was in the middle of getting to Shin-Ae? I'm going to argue that Yeong-gi actually decides to punch him as soon as he first stops after Sang-chul insults Shin-Ae. Additionally, after the punch, Yeong-gi's first demand is to never insult Shin-Ae again, placing emphasis on this. It is also said more forcefully then the second: "Don't you dare... ever again" vs "And stay away". Alyssa is added almost like an afterthought.

There is a purposeful comparison here between the way Yeong-gi treats the disrespect towards the two women. Yeong-gi immediately gets angry enough to get violent when Sang-chul insults Shin-Ae, but barely responds at first when he calls Alyssa dumb and threatens to kiss her. He cares more for Shin-Ae than he does for his romantic partner, Alyssa.

Naturally, since the comparison is between his girlfriend and Shin-Ae, it also paints his feelings for Shin-Ae in a romantic light.

Ep. 63 | Yeong-gi Saves Shin-Ae

When Shin-Ae falls in the pool, it is Yeong-gi who saves her. Kousuke does not. This is another narrative parallel meant to contrast the two's relation to Shin-Ae. They both fall into the pool (parallel) but Yeong-gi, not Kousuke, saves Shin-Ae (contrast).

The episode also focuses almost solely on Yeong-gi's response to Shin-Ae's injury. He is absolutely terrified and feels terrible guilt, thinking he did this to her. But he is the one who saved her. He is the one shown to panic, yell for her, and scream for help. (We can also get into the authorial choice to focus on Yeong-gi's reaction and not Kousuke's... At the very least, it emphasizes that this moment is especially significant for Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi.)

Conclusions

The black and white formal arc serves as a climax for development between Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi — we see how in the face of adversity, the two value each other deeply as friends, and are given romantically tense moments.

There are also multiple narrative parallels, where Kousuke and Yeong-gi are put in similar situations, but the way they impact Shin-Ae are contrasted. Despite having multiple moments with Kousuke, Yeong-gi is who impacts her positively and who she wants to spend time with. This is continued in the hospital finale, when despite literally “reaching” Kousuke (he is with her and holds her hands), it is only after chasing Yeong-gi and being with him that she finds cathartic emotional support and finally cries. (Although these parallels jab at YooTip, I want to focus more on how it emphasizes that Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi's bond is beyond that she has with another person she has known for the same amount of time. It shows the difference between the more basic-level bond she has with Kousuke, vs. her bond with Yeong-gi that is surprisingly strong for people who have only known each other for a few weeks.)

Overall, this arc builds a base for when Yeong-gi first feels true romantic feelings for Shin-Ae: when she holds onto him and cries on the hospital balcony (you can see that analysis here). In this scene at the end of this arc, the two who so desperately tried to connect during the gala, finally do (although their hands still do not touch).

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jackonthelongwalk · 4 years ago

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Eye Contact and Facial expressions between Eli/Hawk and Demetri

Okay here are my thoughts about Demetri and Hawk’s use of eye contact, facial expressions and gesturing in their communication style.

Beginning with some information on being autistic, masking and mimicking. Many autistic people will use over expression because we think that’s what Neurotypical people want, and it’s how we experience their expressions so we mimick it but it often comes out looking “too much” because we can not naturally do it.

Making eye contact (I call it hard staring because that’s often what it ends up looking like) is something often force fed to us in therapy, we are forced to make eye contact and it’s often taught as a replacement for eye contact avoidance. We are taught to use eye contact in situations where we would usually avoid eye contact it’s a tactic of trading behaviours but it often ends up looking like over intense staring.

This gif is a good example (Hawk’s trying to seem intimidating or threatening but it honestly looks a bit silly/ too much)

One of Hawk’s most “obvious” signs of discomfort is darting his eyes around, before the major masking and mimicking comes in we see a lot of eye contact avoidance. We also see a lot of over exaggerated facial expressions (once he starts masking and mimicking) and hard staring.

But with Demetri this is not the case, Eli actually uses eye contact as one of his main forms of communication with Demetri which Demetri reciprocates, he also frequently changes his face and the type of gesturing his does when with Demetri even after he start masking heavily. We can only assume that because of their long standing friendship they’ve had a long time to develop a level of comfort and understanding that can be quite difficult for a lot of autistic people to share with someone.

Now let’s break some scenes down

First we have the lunch table scene, Eli communicates during this scene that he’s interested and attentive to what Demetri is saying (he also could be avoid eye contact with Miguel) by looking at him and holding eye contact while he tells his jokes as well as giving that soft Eli smile.

Demetri reciprocates this by giving Eli a lot of expressive eye contact he also uses a lot of gesturing to emphasize his point (he does a lot of gesturing in general but it seems a little more extra in this scene with Eli to emphasize that he’s being sarcastic in his joke)

Gif by @miguelsc

Next let’s talk about the dojo scene, Johnny’s making fun of Eli in quite a fucked up way and Eli’s eyes are darting around incredibly uncomfortable, his shoulders are rolled inwards. When Demetri first starts talking he looks over at him immediately and I think it’s safe to say he is comforted that Demetri is saying something.

As the scene progresses and both Aisha and Miguel try to jump in Eli looks back at Demetri again and pops his jaw, Hawk does this specifically with Demetri and it communicates that he’s upset, nervous, embarrassed.

Our next scene is the park scene, both Hawk and Demetri are trying to give Miguel advice and Hawk is giving some weird Johnny mimicked advice that Demetri is finding ridiculous (which it is). Hawk giving a lot of eye contact to Demetri as well as popping his jaw again. It’s quite plain to see Hawk is upset that Demetri does not accept the “new person” he has become. When we look at the eye contact, he’s not moving his eyes away from Demetri and honestly it seems like he’s begging Demetri to be okay with and accept Hawk.

In this next eye contact scene we’ve got the fight at the mall, Hawk is upset again because of the review which I think stems from a few different sources. Starting off Hawk is extremely loyal to Miguel and Johnny he trusts them, he believes his life has been ever improved by cobra kai (which is true in some ways) and this written “attack” on Kreese could hurt the dojo which hurts Miguel and Johnny which in turn hurts Hawk. It’s also accurate to say Hawk was still holding out hope that Demetri would join Cobra Kai, the whole time he’s been asking and trying to convince Demetri and he’s really hurt that Demetri isn’t interested. This also has to do with Karate being a special interest for Hawk, Demetri usually shares/ participates in his special interests but this time he’s not as enthusiastic and that is very distressing for Hawk. So in this scene we see the first of many scenes where Hawk is conflicted and confused about his choices surrounding Demetri. Demetri makes steady eye contact with Hawk throughout this scene you can’t just look away from this, I know WHO YOU ARE he’s daring Hawk to make a choice. Demetri knows Eli better then anyone in the world, and that makes Hawk uneasy, he can’t mask completely effectively and push away who he is if there’s always someone who knows him in his truest form.

The party!!

Hawk is coming off an extremely uncomfortable situation with Moon and Piper that was very awkward and difficult for him and then Demetri appears and let’s be honest Hawk does NOT put up much of a fight in terms of talking he caves pretty quickly and falls into a rhythm with Demetri.

With Moon and Piper though he’s displaying all kinds of uncomfortable stimming and eye contact patterns but as soon as he’s with Demetri he’s eyes brighten up and Demetri gives him the same excited energy back, Demetri is literally always trying to engage Hawk with eye contact. Let’s also talk about how Demetri brings up a special interest for Hawk (Dr.Who) that they both love, and Hawk absolutely melts at the mention. (He’s clearly been suppressing this special interest which brings us back to, how Demetri reminds him too much of his true self.)

Next we’ve got this fucking scene which is so intense, having a full ass conversation through eye contact, it starts off with Hawk weakly threatening Demetri but he quickly dissolves into Eli behaviour and patterns when Demetri lets him know he’s not afraid of him.

Okay this is me being wild but you notice the shoulder tap here? All of you know the shoulder touch/squeeze is my headcanon comfort touch between the boys and just like in the fight scene (the trophy case one) I think this is again an instance where Demetri is letting Hawk know he’s still cares about him. The eye contact they hold after Hawk slaps him back on the chest is lingering in a very intimate way.

Gif by @soe-leo

Okay the last two eye contact scenes I’m going to look at are from the last episode. First up we’ve got the post saving Demetri scene Demetri is obviously wary of Hawk at first I mean this little asshole literally pissed in his bed for years and had the fucking audacity to break Demetri’s arm. But then of course Hawk pulls out his Eli soft doe eyes unbroken eye contact “I’m sorry man” please please forgive me Demetri and Demetri just can’t contain his damn joy that his best friend is finally ready to come back to him, his face opens quite expressively.

Here we go the final scene at the Miyagi-Do dojo. Y’all see that held eye contact before Hawk looks away and pulls his Eli smile. It’s like when they hold eye contact it’s so genuine and comfortable but with most others it’s so put on for Hawk.

These scenes are so important to their relationship, as an autistic person watching this show with my partner (who points a lot of these things out to me initially) it’s really nice to see the display of a relationship between an autistic person and the person they are most comfortable with.

#hawk is on the autistic long walk #demetri x hawk #elimetri #demetri x eli #eli moskowitz autistic #binary boyfriends #autistic hawk

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cuntycassandra · 3 years ago

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Breaking down Hunter and Omega’s relationship: pt 4.

Hi everybody. My biggest apologies for the delay on this series over the past two weeks, I’ve had a lot of medical issues going on, alongside a big decision in my life I had to make before the end of September taking precedence. However, with a little more time on my hands and a new team of proof readers behind me, I’m hoping to be back on track soon enough! I hope you enjoy my analysis of ‘Cornered’, and please always feel free to reply/reblog/send an ask with your opinions and discussions! I love to hear and reply to them! 💛

(Pasted paragraphs: I would just like to add a disclaimer here. I am, in no way whatsoever, slating the other batchers for having differing relationships with Omega. I absolutely adore everything single one of the boys, and I think they all have wonderful and unique interrelations with her. Although I may point out these different approaches in comparison to Hunter’s, I am not stating these engages are wrong, just different is all!

I’m going to separate this into a little series- covering each episode in a separate post, which I’ll have tagged as the series progresses. Once I’ve tackled these two, as they’re my favourites, I’m going to move on to each individual Batcher and perhaps a few other dynamics such and Hunter and Crosshair, or Wrecker and Omega! Let me know what you guys would like to see!)

(Thank you to this weeks proof-reader: @very-depressing-waffel 💛)

Cornered: S1/E4

Although minimal, I absolutely love the small interaction between these two in the opening scene of this episode. While it would make sense for Hunter to take the chair, as he is navigating co-ordinates, instead he allows Omega to sit down and rest, the pure affection between them is particularly radiant in these moments. I’d also like to note that it is Hunter’s order to originally send them to Idaflor, where we can only assume he is heeding Cut’s previous advice given on the subject of ‘disappearing to start a new life’. By connotation, this essentially means Hunter was extremely ready to settle down with his brothers and both raise and protect his newly found little one. However this clearly becomes an evident concern of Hunter’s as Omega begins to whine, claiming she desperately wants to explore the galaxy instead of hiding away on an uninhabited planet. Although appreciating her enthusiasm, he insists they cannot risk it, not right now, showing he has all further plans to take her to see the universe whenever it may be safe to do so. Her safety has become his priority.

Also, another little mimic on Omega’s part is mentioned after Tech’s evaluates their situation- “Well, Pantora it is.” “Pantora it is :)”. This angel, she steals my heart.

Moving on slightly to the arrival of Pantora, Hunter’s civvies and Omega carrying his backpack for him, which is as big as her little torso might I add, makes the world spin. Notice too how her eyes never leave him for a moment, it’s a typical child trait when wanting to catch an adult’s attention for good behaviour. After Wrecker mentions the implications of sightseeing, which ultimately peaks Omega’s interest, Hunter is quick to diffuse the situation by insisting this is only a quick supply run. I strongly believe this is because although he intends to take Omega into the city with him, most likely recognising her desperation to explore, his main intention is to keep her safe and protected, I personally spy a compromise here. Finally, regarding this little interaction, when inviting Omega to join them, he calls her ‘Mega, ‘MEGA!!! Hunter is the first member of the batch to nickname her affectionately, and her little excited cheer in response says it all!

When strolling through the busy marketplace, I noticed that alongside drinking up all sights she can set her eyes on, Omega continues to perform the aforementioned ‘smile at parent because I am both well behaved and very excited’ technique, breaking away from her awestruck staring to give Hunter a cute grin, which he affectionately returns under the realisation that her purity and innocence has erupted through something as simple as a marketplace, another endearing trait his charge has displayed. I’d also like to shed light on the protective hand-on-shoulder movement Hunter uses after the squad of troopers pass by him, Omega, and Echo. His wary stare and protectiveness is an extreme diversion from his usual headstrong attitude, which we know is correlated to his need to protect his charge. (Hand-on-shoulder, AGAIN. Comforting Dad alert!!)

When offering to trade with the Gran merchant, I noticed that whenever Omega picked up a new item to inspect or show off to Echo, Hunter glances over his shoulder to observe her. I have reason to believe he might not only be watching her explore, but keeping an eye on her after the incident on Cut’s farm. I can practically see Suu’s words of advice ringing in his ears, and he wants to make sure she stays out of trouble. And after she does inevitably knock something over, although he scowls a little in her direction (as any parent would), Hunter swiftly turns his look of annoyance towards the Gran as he begins to scold Omega, once again showing his protectiveness in her regard, and in all honesty, he has every right to respond this way, we’ve already established this salesman is stubborn and conceited.

The entire plot of this episode is centred around Omega’s inevitable separation from Hunter and Echo as she ends up running off to chase a voorpak, who has stolen her new doll. We cannot fault Omega for her behaviour, it was a little juvenile at most, but we must take into account this would be her first time in such a situation, and she has never been taught otherwise. Hunter’s immediate faltering smile as he realises Omega is missing is honestly gut wrenching. He has just received 3,000 credits, a hefty sum for what they’re in need of, and now he’s lost his ward, and the pain and concern is fully mirrored through his halting eyes.

I’m moving ahead slightly to add a little character-action comparison! Now, this may just be me nitpicking, and I mean no hate to Fennec Shand (I actually ADORE her), but did anybody else notice the difference between her hold on Omega and how Hunter holds her? Fennec’s fingers lay beneath the nape of Omega’s neck, almost curling into her tunic’s collar, and so while it may seem protective, it actually holds very possessive and controlling connotations. Whereas when Hunter places a hand to Omega’s shoulder, his fingers are quite loose, and it only ever rests up her upper shoulder, allowing the girl freedom if she so much as wishes it. It’s extremely docile. Furthermore, I wanted to briefly comment on Hunter’s tenderness when retrieving Omega’s new doll, most likely using it to track her recent movement. His hold is very gentle, considering he is now clinging to the last piece of Omega he has contact with, and a noticeable shred of panic holds his upper body rigid for good measure. It’s very nicely animated.

Coming ahead swiftly to the brief ‘positive’ interaction between Omega and Fennec, I haven’t seen this mentioned before but I personally see the discussion concerning the need for protection when travelling the galaxy as a small nod to Omega’s newly found connection to the boys, and Hunter specifically. Omega insists it’s a good thing she has her ‘friends’. Noticeably, she is still very hesitant to label them as her brothers, as she most likely feels excluded to an extent (bearing in mind the boys were raised together with the exclusion of Echo, no matter her previous ties to them, Omega was always going to feel isolated to some extent), but not enough to deny she has an attachment to them, and vice versa. Hunter has already shown on multiple occasions (Kamino, Saleucami, the moon from episode 3) that he would do whatever it takes to protect her, but it’s nice to see Omega’s perspective on the newly found emotions too.

Finally, Hunter is able to catch up to both Omega and Fennec, and the sudden change in his demeanour and her aura of innocence is extremely present here. Hunter drops the worrisome parental act fairly quickly, and it’s replaced with the familiar soldier we all know and recognise, he needs to exhibit such strengths to assert the extent he is willing to go to protect Omega. Equally, upon realising Fennec doesn’t quite have her best interest at heart, Omega wastes no time jumping (recklessly) into action to save both herself and Hunter anymore trouble. Of course, being a weightless little girl, she isn’t able to do much, and Hunter ends up in a physical altercation with Shand, where he actually ends up taking his eyes off the assassin to address Omega directly, insisting she run. This not only shows just how much he cares about her, but how desperate he was to ensure her safety by putting himself at risk by not only getting into a fight, but exposing a vulnerability by taking his eyes off of her. (Her worried little face as she flees too, poor girl 😔)

(This point doesn’t have much to do with the relationship between these two, so feel free to skip over it if you want, but I did want to briefly comment on Omega’s timid exterior as she runs to Wrecker in the maintenance tunnels. It truly helps to perceive her genuine age and immaturity, the way she cowers into his neck and sits in his arms especially.)

After Tech informs Hunter of Omega’s current predicament involving the maintenance tower, it’s easily noticeable that when questioning Tech’s information, his voice mirrors the exact tone and edge it held when berating both the former and Echo after their ship was impounded in Saleucami. To me, this shows a clear connotation between the dire situations, and how quickly Hunter has taken to his new role in Omega’s life, and his job as her primary carer. Not to mention, she is literally hanging mid-traffic lane, and in desperate need of assistance. Alongside this, we see previously in this episode that not only was Hunter worried about attracting unwanted attention, after receiving such a thing and accidentally allowing Omega to hang in the balance (pun unintended), he actually steals somebody’s hoverbike in an attempt to rescue the little one, seeming to not care he is attracting even more unwanted attention. There is no hesitation on his end.

The look of absolutely HORROR that crosses this man’s face as Omega drops from the tower and just about hits the hovertruck below. We haven’t seen a look like that cross Hunter’s features since Crosshair’s ‘betrayal’, another indication to his immense worry for the newest member of his family. Equally, this is mirrored by Omega’s wide eyed, petrified stare as she momentarily watches Fennec shoot straight for Hunter’s bike, realising both she and the closest thing she has to a parent are still in serious peril. We need to take into account that this little girl has never experienced something this grim before, and the internal panic is evident for both herself, and Hunter especially.

This brings us down to the “HUNTER!!” comment from Omega as she dangles from the hovertruck. I personally believe her first initial thoughts were not to warn Hunter of the oncoming Shand, but instead a desperation to cry out for help from her guardian. This escalated as she notices Fennec approaching, and her eyes even widen as she calls out for Hunter to watch out, giving further evidence that her first thoughts might not have correlated to her eventual dialogue. It’s also important to note that despite her incredibly tragic situation, Omega is still much more worried about Hunter’s predicament than her own.

(Slightly unimportant, but I love the way Hunter leans in to take Omega in his arm before Shand knocks him out of the way. It’s very parental.)

I never noticed this before, but as Hunter catches Omega’s hand and hauls her onto the bike, he actually scans her over briefly to check for any injuries, before insisting she hold on tight. Notice how his voice isn’t scolding or harsh, he’s very calm despite the dire situation, doing his best to remain neutral for Omega’s sake, especially considering the day she’s had. It’s also important to note that this is further improvement from the situation on Saleucami, another example of their ever-growing relationship.

The WAVE of relief that rolls from Hunter’s entire demeanour as he places the backpack down in the Marauder cockpit, knowing he can finally rest now that Omega is safe, while simultaneously anticipating the flurry of issues about to storm their already hectic lives with a bounty hunter after the kid. His eyes are exhausted, his shoulders are only slightly slacked to insinuate his rough exterior, and yet he still does his absolute best to comfort Omega as she begins to get upset over the prior events and the unknown future.

And, finally, a small action but important nonetheless. I noticed that Omega’s eyes quiver slightly as she begins to get upset, and in her final moments on screen, they direct towards Hunter. This may seem unimportant, but it provides further evidence to the notion that she seeks him out for protection specifically. She’s upset and frightened, so she looks to him because he protects her. It is set up as if she’s about to toss herself into his arms, because she needs him right now.

I hope you liked my analysis of Hunter and Omega’s relationship in episode four of The Bad Batch! Of course, I’d love to discuss these two with anybody who might be interested, so please feel free to drop me an ask or a DM, and if you’re captivated enough I’d totally recommend looking out for my future posts on the topic!

As always, much love to our ‘Megs and Hunter, thank you for reading! 💛

Part One: Aftermath

Part Two: Cut and Run

Part Three: Replacements

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pluviophile-bookworm · 4 years ago

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AWAE 3x2 rewatch: thoughts and reaction

This is dedicated to the one and only Lucas Jade Zumann, who turns 20 today. Now, without further ado, let’s dive right into this episode.

When did Marilla become what TVtropes calls an Amazingly Embarrassing Parent? I mean, it was a matter of time, now that she’s a full-on mother to Anne. And Gilbert’s reactions are everything. Everything, I tell you.

How wonderful - Anne is going to town to learn about her past. I love how they incorporated this into her story in the series, it’s, as Anne herself would say, so much more ‘romantical’ than what the books gave her as a backstory. Also, there’s something about train rides that I love so much... maybe it’s because I don’t get to ride on a train very often, so it’s exciting for me... but let’s turn our attention away from me and back to Shirbert on the train again.

‘Yes, I’ve taken notice of that.’ Wow, the wording. I bet he’s taken notice of something else, too. But with how Anne is treating him, Gilbert doesn’t seem in a hurry to confess any feelings just yet. Plus he seems not to know how... this is so perfect yet so frustrating at the same time.

Matthew’s awkwardness around women warms my heart. He’s just such a precious cinnamon roll and that’s that on that.

This ride makes it, once again, so clear just how similar Anne and Miss Stacy are. True kindred spirits. Her incessant talking and unquenchable excitement over everything, combined with Matthew’s awkward struggle to find words, remind me so much of Anne’s first ride to Green Gables.

Mary’s happiness over seeing her son, and his own cheerfulness compared to the last time we saw him are just everything. Everything - I’ve got a feeling I’ll be using this word a lot in this post. This episode is just that good, at least so far. I’ve allowed myself enough time and distance to forget what happens in it (or at least the details, I do remember some major stuff), so I can experience it almost as if for the first time. I love that about rewatches.

Elijah is thinking about staying - what a lovely family they could be. But he’s quite... wary of Delphine, as if he’s jealous of the family his mother has built herself in his absence. I don’t really know the feeling, but I can tell it’s a horrid one.

But look who it is - the man himself, Cole Mackenzie! I’ve been so excited to see him again, and now here he is, in flesh and blood. His friendship with Anne is just... you guessed it - everything!

I am so beyond happy to hear Cole talking excitedly about his new school and new friends, and his happy new life. This guy deserves the world - and he’s getting increasingly large portions of it now. So brilliant.

I see we’re being introduced to Winifred Rose here. She certainly seemed like a potential kindred spirit in her introducing scene - too bad her and Anne’s relationship to Gilbert wouldn’t allow this to happen. But who knows - maybe someday in the future... #renewannewithane

May I just say how much I agree with Miss Stacy on the matter of choosing to be single. No one should be forcing you to find a partner if that’s not what you want. I remember coming out to my high school ‘friends’ as aroace. Their immediate reaction was to try and find me a boy. Some people just don’t understand that not everyone needs romantic (or otherwise) companionship to be a happy, functional human being. I admire Miss Stacy for standing her ground on the matter.

Anne’s traumatic past haunts her more than ever once she goes back to the orphanage she’s spent most of her life in. I think I’m getting traumatised just by watching, imagine what Anne has lived through.

Poor Anne can’t even muster up the strength to speak, traumatised as she is. Thank gods for Cole, always there to help out. But I guess he must be realising now, just as I am for the second time, just as I was the first time around, how much Anne has really been through in her short life so far. She’s really lucky to have the Cuthberts now, and her friends, friends like Cole. But she’s still haunted by all the trauma. I’m crying. I don’t know if I can carry on with this rewatch. I might just stop right here.

Seriously, thank gods for Cole. How can he always bring so much light into other people’s lives, even back when he didn’t have that much light in his own? And to be honest, Anne does the same for people. She’s done it so many times that she needed someone to do it for her for once. Thank gods for people Cole.

‘If you’re having fun, you’re doing it wrong.’ That is a serious red flag. I know things were different back in time, but I really think that you can’t have fun with something unless you’re doing it wrong, it’s better not to do it at all. So Gilbert should pursue what makes him happy, not try to stick to formalities that, at best, bind him. But hey, he’ll have to figure that out for himself. I can’t possibly go in there and tell him. But gosh, how I wish I could...

‘The best part of knowing the rules is finding acceptable ways of breaking them.’ I feel like that’s an important message. Rules aren’t meant to be obeyed blindly. It is crucial to know when and how to a rule to make the world a little bit of a better place. I’m not sure that’s the message here in this situation, in fact I think it’s most likely not, but I’m taking what I can out of it, and I’m flying with it. Isn’t that what I always do? Twist any topic towards an aspect I can talk about - since I can’t really talk about a great many things. Well, whatever, let us try and focus on the episode at hand now. I really struggle with staying on track. But I still have half of this episode to rewatch, so let’s get back to where we were.

Elijah is seriously out of line. Seriously. I get he’s bitter that Delphine is getting the family he didn’t quite have, but his mother is right about him needing to sober up. And Bash’s trying to understand him, but some people really need to meet the business end of things rather than the kind, understanding end.

‘Catch a man. Is it like fishing?’ Gosh, Muriel Stacy, you crack me up. But she’s absolutely right, you know. Romance and courtship should not be like fishing or hunting. A partner is not an object to be obtained, not a prize to be won. They are a fellow human being with needs of their own. But if Muriel doesn’t want one, as I said somewhere above, she should in no way be forced to ‘catch’ a man.

Anne needs proof that she was loved... well, look no further than the pair of lone siblings who accepted you in their home and in their hearts. Look no further than the Cuthberts.

Gilbert is quite unusually cheerful today. I’m guessing that would be courtesy of Winifred. In another universe, maybe. Either way, there is a more serious issue at hand. Elijah again, who else. He’s stolen from John Blythe’s possessions, as if he has the rights to.

‘Fraternising with savages’? Seriously, Marilla? After all the good things I said about you? Not that they weren’t true, mind you, but that doesn’t make the part about calling other people, fellow human beings, ‘savages’. No one deserves to be treated like that.

Gosh, that was quite a way to say those three little words. Three heavy, meaningful little words. And sure, as far as I understand, for I am no mother nor do I want to be, worry is the biggest sign of a mother’s love. And despite all the things Marilla said about the Mi’kmaq, she is a good mother to Anne.

Let’s sum up: Marilla is an amazingly embarrassing mother, but a mother nonetheless; Anne is so cold to Gilbert that he has to resort to awkwardly courting Winifred - why?; Anne’s quest for her own past; Cole returns - thank gods for Cole; Elijah is also back, but I can’t welcome him with open arms; Miss Stacy is a true kindred spirit who, however, does not need a man to be happy; Anne is haunted by her traumatic past; Elijah steals from a dead man; ‘fraternising with savages’ - have we forgotten Anne was also a person whom mothers didn’t want their children fraternising with?; Marilla says ‘I love you’.

#anne with an e #awae #anne shirley cuthbert #gilbert blythe #marilla cuthbert #matthew cuthbert #bash lacroix #mary lacroix #delphine lacroix #cole mackenzie #muriel stacy #rachel lynde #winifred rose #awae season 3 #awae s3 #jnk watches awae

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lassieposting · 5 years ago

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4 Times Lucifer Showed He Cared The Demon Way (And Thought Chloe Reciprocated) +1 Time He Tried Showing It The Human Way

AIT BUCKLE UP YALL BC IMMA GET ON SOME BULLSHIT

prepare for a mess of a headcanon post in which i extrapolate wildly from single lines in the show, read way too much into interactions, and get very emotional

actual post under the cut because this is long as fuck, yo

1. Sharing Territory

Trust is the rarest commodity in Hell. Demons are aggressive, suspicious and territorial by nature, and taught from birth that you’re just as likely to be killed in a fight with someone from your own clan as you are to be cut down in a war with someone else’s. Maze recalls her siblings torturing one another, possibly for fun, and even among family there seems to be a certain level of wariness. Finding someone you can trust to share your space, someone who will keep watch while you rest, someone you don’t have to be so guarded around, is rare and precious and a big expression of real affection.

In 1x02 Lucifer lets himself into Chloe’s home while she’s in the shower, makes himself at home, and starts making her breakfast.

Now, Lucifer knows how door etiquette works. We’ve seen him learn about this, more than once.

In 1x03, he barges into Linda’s office, interrupting another patient’s session, but in 1x08 he knocks on her door and waits for her to call him in.

In 1x07 we see him ring Carmen’s doorbell and wait for him to answer, despite having a far better reason to barge in and wreak havoc (reclaiming his stolen wings).

In 2x01, again, he knocks on the killer’s door and waits for her to answer it.

So, this isn’t a case of “he’s not human, he doesn’t understand”. He only does this with Chloe. And it’s something he does repeatedly, even after he’s learned his lesson about knocking with everyone else - coming into her territory and leaving her, her family and all her things unharmed, showing her that he’s relaxed and comfortable in her space. And he gets the reaction he wants! She’s alarmed the first time she finds him in her kitchen, but as time goes by she gets used to it, accepts it as just one of his weird quirks, and no longer really bats an eyelid. By 3x05 she’s not even surprised to see him; she still ticks him off - “I said to meet me here, not barge in like you own the place.” - but it’s almost like she’s just saying it out of habit at this point. She’s not threatened by him at all.

We don’t know when Lucifer invites her to treat his penthouse the same way, but by the time she shows up drunk and trying to sleep with him in 1x10, he’s told her that “[his] door is always open”, an invitation to do the same. And she does (and has been doing already). Chloe is spectacularly comfortable appropriating Lucifer’s things.

In 1x09 when they’re dueting Heart & Soul she lets herself in unexpectedly and takes a drink from his glass while they’re playing (and here you can see him raise his eyebrows and smile at her, but he doesn’t comment).

In 1x10, she’s clearly intending to stay in his penthouse even after he tells her he was planning on going out, and she helps herself to his alcohol.

In 3x06 she’s comfortable enough with him to raid his closet, take over his home without his knowledge, try to break into his safe and sleep in his bed.

2. Hunting For Your Partner

Humans don't regularly hunt for their own food, but demons do - Maze asks Trixie in S4 at what age human parents teach their children to hunt, presumably because it’s a responsibility she intends to take on for baby Charlie. Now, to survive in a place like Hell, prey animals would need to be in possession of some hardcore natural defences; demons most likely can and do die in hunts. So providing someone with food would be a big deal; it shows how highly you prize that person’s wellbeing, that you’re willing to put yourself at risk and expend valuable effort and energy to keep them fed.

Lucifer tries to make Chloe breakfast in 1x04. This is the first time we really see him do anything domestic, and it’s implied he’s actually pretty handy in the kitchen - possibly because he just likes human food, but also the time and effort he’ll spend making her a proper home-cooked meal is the closest he’s going to get to hunting something the size of a small airplane for her in Hell.

Later, in 2x07, Chloe makes Lucifer and Trixie sandwiches. She goes to give Trixie the first one, because for humans it’s normal to feed your kid first, but Lucifer swipes it off the plate before Trixie can, claiming he’s “far larger and hungrier”, because in Hell the strongest and most vicious eat first (as with many pack predators).

Lucifer later asks Linda what deep meaning the sandwich had - whether it symbolised Chloe’s trust - and seems bewildered that for humans, a sandwich can just be a sandwich. He also brings her homecooked food as an apology after standing her up, all of which seems to imply that Lucifer grew up in a culture where food is valuable and meaningful and an expression of deeper feeling. (This could also be seen to a lesser extent in Maze wanting Lucifer to make her a drink in 2x04, when she’s trying to redefine their relationship as equals rather than lord and vassal.)

3. Fighting Together

Demons do have a concept of loyalty. Maze says “You don’t let your girl go into enemy territory alone”, and it seems to be a principle that’s important enough to her that she’s including it in Trixie’s training - when Maze is going to Canada, Trixie tries to hide in her bag because Maze needs someone to watch her back. Maze and Lucifer are also incredibly loyal to one another in the grand scheme of things - regardless of their issues with one another, they are a united front against outside threats, at least before they both start developing human relationships.

Lucifer is startlingly loyal to Chloe from the get-go, for someone who’s spent billions of years not being able to trust or lean on anyone except Maze.

In 1x02, he stops chasing after Josh as soon as he realises Chloe has been mobbed by paparazzi, choosing instead to go back and defend her - even though this lets Josh, who needs punishing, get away.

Now, in 4x01 Maze says that she (and probably demons in general) fight when they’re “Happy...or horny”, implying that fighting may be as much a bonding activity as a necessity.

With the paparazzi mob, Lucifer goes in all guns blazing, making it personal - “Back off, you mouth-breathing scum!” - because he’s protecting her, trying to deflect their attention from her. But as soon as he notices she’s holding her own, with her fist raised to hit the guy, he gets all excited and encourages her to go ahead: “Let’s punch them all!”

He now sees this as an opportunity to bond with her, show her she can trust him to watch her back, and when she declines to start a fight he’s visibly disappointed.

Chloe then joins the illegal Lux party in 2x09.

Now, she’s spent most of the episode being sensible and rational about the fact that really there’s not a lot she can do, which was understandably upsetting to Lucifer - it’s the first time he’s really seen his detective not be able to fix a situation. He goes to her repeatedly for help throughout the episode - he either hasn’t realised or doesn’t want to accept that the law has her powerless here - and sees it more as “her not being on his side” than “her not actually having any power over this situation”.

Her joining his sit-in reaffirms to him that he matters to her; that she has his back even though she has no personal stake in keeping Lux’s building from being demolished. This is all the more poignant for him because he’s very vulnerable at this point; he’s not just on the verge of losing his home, he’s also dealing with his mom’s manipulation and abuse, his own emerging human emotions, the new distance in his relationship with Maze. He believed he was completely alone in this. Chloe’s public show of support means a lot to him, and he even talks to Linda about how insanely grand a gesture Chloe’s saving Lux is to him - he’s never been given something without strings attached, without having to give something in return.

4. Your Enemies Are My Enemies

Making enemies in Hell can be lethal. Retaliation for a small slight can turn vicious in an eyeblink and generally it's not a good idea to get involved in someone else's grudges if you want to avoid a knife in your back. Adopting someone’s enemies as your own enemies, defending them against said enemies, inserting yourself into their preexisting quarrels as backup, is a big show of loyalty.

Lucifer is always getting in on Chloe’s arguments. Constantly.

From what we’ve seen and heard, Lucifer’s family isn’t big on backup. We’ve only got Lucifer’s word, and he’s very biased, so he’s not the most reliable narrator, but we can see it in the way Mum and Amenadiel behave.

When Lucifer is rowing with his mom in 2x08, Amenadiel doesn’t intervene at all. He’s already said that he’s on his mom’s side at this point, but he doesn’t defend her, either; he avoids the confrontation altogether.

Lucifer says that none of his family defended him when he was thrown out of Heaven, repeatedly, and with increasing bitterness the more he realises that the way his family treated him is a) abnormal and b) abusive.

Early Lucifer seems to have picked up this trait. He doesn’t involve himself in arguments unless he’s getting something out of it; when Maze and Amenadiel are about to throw down in 3x11, he literally sits back to watch with popcorn, despite knowing that this fight could go very badly for Maze.

With Chloe though, he starts jumping in from Actual Day One.

When Dan is gaslighting Chloe in 1x01, he stands up for her immediately: “She is smart. You’re the dimwit.”

Then he punches out Paolucci for calling Chloe a bitch in 1x05. Chloe tells him not to, that she can handle her own problems, and Lucifer not only tells her that she absolutely can but also clarifies to Paolucci before punching him that he’s not sticking up for Chloe. But the message is pretty obvious all the same: if you have a problem with her, I have a problem with you.

Chloe then refuses to call him a liar at Perry Smith’s trial in 2x10.

There is no one - not one single person - in Lucifer’s life who hasn’t betrayed him when it mattered. Even Maze, his oldest friend and closest confidante, goes behind his back in S1 to get them both sent back to Hell against Lucifer’s wishes.

Calling him a liar would benefit Chloe. She has a vested interest in getting her father’s killer convicted. She’s been offered the guy’s own lawyer’s help in getting a guilty verdict, if she humiliates Lucifer.

Anyone else in his life would absolutely take those terms.

But she not only refuses to turn on him, she tells an entire room full of people that he never lies, that he’s the best partner she has ever had, and that a) she knows she can rely on him and b) she wants him to know he can rely on her.

There’s an added layer of meaning in that the person she’s taking on is Charlotte. Chloe doesn’t know that she’s Lucifer’s mom, or what she’s really capable of, but Charlotte herself (without Goddess attached) has a reputation for being ruthless, surrounded by shady people, and an absolute shark in the courtroom. Having Charlotte defending him vastly increases Perry’s chances of getting away with murdering Chloe’s dad. It goes against Chloe’s own interests to defend Lucifer.

But she does anyway.

+1. Spawn Care

This one is...pretty much pure headcanon, but two things are clear from canon:

1. If Maze’s family is typical for demons, their family bonds are neither close nor particularly affectionate, but

2. They do/are meant to have some input in raising their children - Maze talks about teaching young to hunt as a parental/family responsibility.

Lucifer becomes a major adult in Trixie’s life by default thanks to his relationship with Chloe, but despite his intense dislike of children in general, he actually tries really hard to be good at it.

Lucifer doesn’t have a model of good parental behaviour to draw on. Chloe is the first competent, loving parent he’s spent any large amount of time with. What he has is an eternity’s worth of child abuse, gaslighting, manipulation and scapegoating by his own family. But if you look at how he treats Trixie, he puts a lot of effort into not just tolerating Trixie for Chloe’s sake, but being a good influence - or, what he considers a good influence - and a third parent-type figure for her.

In 1x01, he intervenes immediately when he notices Trixie’s distressed by Dan and Chloe arguing in front of her. It comes across as a throwaway comment, but it seamlessly breaks up their hostility by redirecting Dan’s attention and deflecting the shot he takes at Lucifer.

In the same episode, he also takes enough of a liking to Trixie (or Chloe) that he takes it upon himself to scare the bejeezus out of her bully, even though the kid is like 12 and has not done anything as heinous as the shit that normally makes him show suspects his eyes/face.

In 2x02, he spends a large part of the episode arguing on Trixie’s behalf that Chloe should get her the doll, to the point of telling Chloe she’s being a bad parent. Which would be a really petty and honestly irrelevant hill to die on, except that Lucifer’s own upbringing was horrific and he honestly believes she’s somehow damaging Trixie emotionally here. He doesn’t want her to end up with the kind of issues he has. He’s genuinely trying to advocate for her. And when Chloe doesn’t listen to him, he buys the damn doll himself and tells Chloe she can say it’s from her, because he’s very invested in a) Trixie’s wellbeing and b) Chloe’s being a good mother.

In the 2x07 sandwich scene, he actually seems disappointed that Trixie doesn’t challenge him over stealing her sandwich - he even asks Chloe is she always like this, like her generosity is a fault. My personal headcanon is that demon spawn would’ve done exactly that - he’s not exactly family, but he’s close enough that he’s a safe bet to practice one’s intimidation skills on, because he’d never really harm Trixie. He’s trying to teach her something, something he knows she won’t learn from her human parents. Maze contributes to raising Trixie by teaching her to fight (and babysitting) and Lucifer is doing the same, trying to pass on what he considers a useful life skill - something that has probably helped keep him alive in Hell for billions of years. When Trixie leaps off her stool and runs at him, his flinch/hands raised/ “GAH!” reaction looks overdramatic even for him; maybe if she hadn’t given him five and raced off, he might have handed over the sandwich and considered it lesson learned.

And in 2x15, he offers her driving lessons in exchange for her playing along with his trip to the school, which says a lot about how much he really likes her: he intends to teach her himself, and in his own car. The Corvette. His baby. Lucifer does all sorts of shady shit through his favours; finding someone to safely teach an eight year old to drive should be easy!

(Also, honorable mention for him hulking the fuck out when Tiernan’s gunmen threaten Trixie and Eve in his penthouse. Was there any need to shatter his own wall? Probably not. Did he do it anyway? Absolutely. Because children are hideous little creatures but that one is his hideous little creature.)

In conclusion: Lucifer is not remotely subtle about his feelings, Maze feels highkey sick watching them interact Ever, and Chloe’s thing with Pierce throws him so off guard partly because they’ve been in the Hell equivalent of A Relationship for like three years.

#lucifer on netflix #lucifer on fox #deckerstar #stepdevil #lucifer morningstar #chloe decker #this is SO LONG and kinda rambly but i have A LOT of feelings and this fandom is rly nice so #FLINGS THIS INTO THE VOID #also i have Many Thoughts on demon culture and how their society & interpersonal relationships work #anyway lmao #grown ass man? no he babey #lucifer in hell #lucifer headcanons

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romancing-lady-whistledown · 5 years ago

Note

How do you like S6 so far?

Hi, anon! :)

So far I’m surprised by how much I like it!

I was always kinda excited for the season after finding out that Eliott would play a big role in it because he is my favorite character along with Lucas and I always wanted a closer look at his character, not just as Lucas’s boyfriend but as his own character, from his own perspective. But that was just me being excited for parts of the season and I will be the first to admit I was not intrigued by the idea of a new character as the main. I need, above anything else, to be attached to the characters if I’m gonna follow a show. However if the main was gonna be a new character, Lola is probably the absolute best I could’ve hoped for. First of all she has a strong personality that immediately made her stand out from any other character on the show. I know alot of people had issues with her because her behavior, especially at the beginning, did not necessairily make her come off as likable, but to me it was alot more important that she was either intriguing and/or relatable than necessairily likable. To get invested in her, especially as fast as I did, I needed her to seriously catch my attention in the first episode, and she did. Secondly: I find her very relatable, definitely the character I relate to the most after Eliott, which means that so many moments this season hit close to home in a way they didn’t in any other season apart from S3. In short: I didn’t think I was gonna care for the main, but she’s honestly already one of my favorite characters and definitely my second favorite main after Lucas.

I also see strong potential for this season to contain my second favorite couple in the series, I’ve genuinely enjoyed Lola and Maya’s interactions. The other big relationships in focus this season are Lola’s relationship with Daphne and Eliott and I like what I’ve seen of both so far. I was honestly very thrown off by Daphne in S4 so I can’t say that she is a character that I love, but I’ve still felt most of her and Lolas moments so far, which I think has alot to do with Flavie and Lula and also the fact that I find the complicated sister-relationship very relatable. As for her relationship with Eliott, I adore it so far. They’re the characters I relate to the most in the show so I definitely see where their connection comes from and I love how it’s been presented so far. I know for some the friendship comes off as forced because they got so close so quickly, but to me it doesn’t at all because I have personal experience with this kind of immediate strong platonic connection and mutual understanding, I know it does happen and can even lead to long-lasting friendships. While I knew this would never be a romantic connection, I did worry about them potentially creating some fake romantic tension in order to set up the inevitable Elu-conflict we know is coming. Thankfully though, I have seen no romantic undertones whatsoever and it feels like a 100% platonic genuine friendship with big bro/lil sis vibes which I adore.

I do see some clear reasons why someone wouldn’t be able to enjoy the season. One would be if they can’t connect with Lola at all, because while Daphne and Eliott do have pretty big roles, this is still very much a Lola-season, and even if you’re here for Eliott or Daphne’s parts they’re gonna be connected to Lola and her story and mainly seen from her POV. The other would be if the spoilers overshadow every clip for you and you can’t enjoy them even when you otherwise would find the clip good. I can understand why either of these things would kill the season for someone, and if I had either of these issues, I’d probably skip this season. Thankfully neither of these are the case for me.

It’s hard not to be cautious after seeing how S4 and the second half of S5 turned out, as well as being wary of things we know will come, and I’m very much aware that things could still go completely off the rails. But based on what we’ve seen so far though, it’s defintely the season I’ve been enjoying the most outside of the one and only S3. Fingers crossed that even when we reach some messy parts this season, it doesn’t get to the point where it ruins the season as a whole for those of us who connect to it.

#skam france #skamfr #asks

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waynedunlaptheorgandonor · 5 years ago

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alpha/beta are carol/daryl foils: an analysis no one asked for; twd s10 spoilers, obviously

hoo boy. okay, so i’ve been intending to write this for days, but i had to let it marinate, and also i haven’t been sleeping and couldn’t concentrate long enough to write it down, but whatever, i digress. “we are the end of the world” was something, wasn’t it?? it is so weird to have a plotline in twd that’s like...good? and SO refreshing to have a villain who isn’t a macho, rapey, white dude. i personally believe that all showrunners should be women from now on. oh, i’m digressing again, my apologies.

here’s the actual content, under the cut bc it’s a fucking novel:

so, from alpha’s very first episode, when i saw her shaving her head, i literally thought, “oh, so she’s carol’s foil and they’re going to have an inevitable showdown, huh?” guess who was right? this bitch. but what i didn’t catch right away was how beta is also daryl’s foil, and how the main focus of this season is alpha/beta vs carol/daryl.

let’s take it apart individually first, yeah?

carol vs. alpha:

like i said, the scene that made me instantly aware of what they were setting up was when alpha shaved her head. carol’s hair was a big thing in season 9, and the fact that we had just had henry talking about carol growing her hair out long, juxtaposed with alpha shaving hers off, is what set the alarm bells off for me. i have said over and over that i don’t believe kang does anything unintentionally, and girl loves her symbolism, so those two opposing scenes was a taste of what she was setting up.

carol and alpha are both near-indestructible forces who also happen to be mother’s suffering the loss of their children at the hand of the other. (carol isn’t directly responsible for lydia, but she’s included with “the others” that took lydia from alpha, so i think alpha still sees her as part of it.)

carol and alpha both have transformed themselves to fit within the confines of the world they currently live in, while recognizing that their children weren’t meant for it, even within their own grief. let us refer to figures a and b (lol) below.

figure a:

here in “the grove” we have creepy girl who i hate and am terrified of asking carol if sophia died because she was weak, and carol straight up is like, “yes.” she doesn’t even sugarcoat it. she accepted that her daughter wasn’t going to survive from the jump, because “there wasn’t a mean bone in her body.”

figure b:

here we see alpha losing her goddamn shit, because she’s having a come-to-jesus moment with beta about losing lydia, because she can’t have lydia and be the alpha at the same time, because lydia “is not like” her.

conclusion: carol and alpha both mourn for their daughters, but have accepted that to be the people they need to be in the apocalypse, their children needed to die (or in lydia’s case, be dead metaphorically). in short, carol and alpha are two sides of the same coin. they’ve both found ways to survive, except one is for the good guys, and the other is for the bad guys, and now they’re head-to-head, and it is d e l i c i o u s.

moving on.

daryl vs beta:

idk why the parallels didn’t occur to me when they had daryl fighting beta. i blame henry, he was distracting me by being a delightful idiot (rip my dumb bitch), but that seed was planted in season 9, too. go kang for continuity. who knew twd could do that? anyway.

the big thing that compares daryl and beta is who they were before they found carol and alpha respectively. we obviously don’t know a whole lot of details about beta’s life, but we have enough to extrapolate and compare, and extrapolate and compare we shall.

alright, so we got our favorite lovable, filthy redneck, who grew up abused and isolated, and then here comes the apocalypse, and the only person he has left is his brother, and that’s what defines him until he loses him, both when rick chained him to a roof, and then again, after a brief relapse, when merle sacrificed himself.

next we have beta, who again, our info is limited, but he does not become “beta” until after whoever that walker alpha puts down is gone. judging by the size, approximate age, and the closeness beta had to him, i’m betting on, you guessed it, his brother.

observe:

figure a:

figure b:

these are both turning points for these men, where they Fully Become the dudes that we know. daryl couldn’t be the daryl we know and love until merle was gone for good, and whatever his actual name is couldn’t become beta until smiley face shirt guy was smooshed.

(side note: how fucking rank does that t-shirt have to be by now? at least the mask dries out, but do you think that t-shirt is just like, melded into beta’s skin at this point? gross.)

so time for the fun part.

alpha/beta and caryl in season 10:

season 10 finds both duos in similar circumstances, by which i mean, alpha and carol are losing their minds, and beta and daryl are like, “uhhhh, you ok?” the men are these women’s confidants, their person, the one they trust and love above all others. carol saved daryl and brought him into a community, and alpha did the same thing with beta. you want more visual aides? well, sure thing, scout!

figure a:

we’re carylers, we already know carol’s the reason daryl has the confidence and self-esteem to become part of the group, but juxtapose this with the following pic, which i will label

figure b (again):

and you will see that alpha sees something in beta that no one else does. she sees this lonely, talented man, who’s adrift and in solitude, and she essentially calls dibs. sound familiar? inorite?

so daryl and beta are now loyal to a fault to their women, and this season already has them being wary of how they’re acting. yes, i have more pictures. i like taking screenshots, okay?

figure a:

one of the first scenes we get with caryl is daryl asking carol if she’s still thinking about alpha, and if she is Dwelling, which is interesting, because...

figure b:

...that’s exactly the same thing we get with alpha and beta. the first scene in “we are the end of the world” with the two of them in present day is him questioning her motives, and then later on he’s like, “fuck, are you Dwelling?”

and both women immediately are like:

and neither dude knows wtf to do about this, because they’re used to the women being the strong ones. carol’s whole, “you’ve got to feel it, but not me, i’m good repressing, conceal don’t feel” thing, mixed with alpha’s, “we’re living like the dead and the dead don’t feel emotions so obviously I Am Fine” motto is what their boys are used to, but suddenly carol is hallucinating dead children, and alpha is making shrines, and our poor dudes are like, “plz stop???” esp bc they know these women are FUCKING TERRIFYING, and should never be left to their own devices if they’re being crazy crackers.

ergo, both men are clinging to the hope that they can bring the women back from the brink. my last visual aides, yes i know, how sad:

figure a:

figure b:

both scenes have these dudes reaching out to their women and essentially expressing, in their own way, “i’m worried about you, can you plz stay within eyesight at all times, ilu,” bc neither daryl nor beta is equipped to have a nice long sit down conversation about feelings, and obviously carol and alpha wouldn’t bother to entertain it in the first place, so like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. they tried.

will it work? unlikely! because after that showdown at the end of both eps 1 and 2, these bitches ain’t about to stop for nothing. they just straight up made enemies for life, and they’re going straight harry potter with this shit, neither can live while the other survives, someone has to die, and while beta and daryl are not super on board with this whole “being bonkers and bent on revenge” thing, you better bet your ass that they’re going to make sure their woman is the winner, which means they automatically are paired up against one another as well.

so in a nutshell: we could have just stuck goatees on mmb and norman reedus, cast them as alpha and beta, and called them mirror!verse caryl (star trek reference, yay/nay?), because they’re mother fucking foils setting up for the mother fucking fight of the century, and oh my god, can you feel it in your bones how exciting it is that it’s not going to be a rick + negan dick measuring contest again? i am So Hype.

and ofc, as a hardcore caryl shipper, i obviously have to throw in that alpha and beta are totally in love (which is esp fun, bc whisperers aren’t supposed to feel love, uh oh, vulcan violation, yes i made another star trek reference, bite me), and if they are paralleling caryl, well...extrapolate from the evidence.

i love kang, you guys. i love how she tells a story. i love that she knows how to tell a story. this show is good again, and idk how she did it, but damnit, she did.

thus endeth my pointless critical analysis. forgive me. i was an english major and have absolutely no other use for my degree.

i’m ashamed too.

that’s all. tomorrow is the early release of the caryl episode, i mean the new episode. looking forward to dying a valiant death with the lot of you. until then, friends.

deuces,

-diz

addendum: i was editing this, and was trying to think if there’s a parallel to the bracelet scene, and the only thing i could think of that alpha gives beta is his mask. she encourages him to take the face of his brother(?), and that keeps him grounded, which is interesting, bc my prediction for the bracelet is that it’s going to end up being a grounding device for carol when she’s dissociating. i don’t have a solid conclusion drawn there, but i thought i’d mention it before posting, just to plant the seed.

k, done 4 real, bye

#alpha/beta #do they have a ship name?#bc i'm worried it's gonna get tagged in that weird kink stuff #gdi #whatever #moving on #caryl #carol peletier #daryl dixon #twd s10 spoilers #twd #dunlap tp

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impracticaldemon · 5 years ago

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What are your headcanons for a SaiChi wedding in SSL?

Hmm, haven’t thought much about SSL (or modern day) Saichi. Thank you for the question! I note that “Scenario 2″ (below the cut) got a little out of hand, as I visualized various things that could happen with *everyone* involved.

Scenario 1: A Wedding Just for Two

Assuming that SSL Saitō doesn’t have anything to do with his family (or doesn’t have any close family living), and assuming that only Saitō and Chizuru were involved, I think an SSL wedding would be a very quiet affair, with some traditional touches and an exchange of gifts.

Chizuru would want to make a meal for the two of them afterwards, and Saitō would struggle with himself over whether he should let her, or whether they should go out for a fancy dinner. Since I’m an optimist, I believe that Saitō would make the right choice and they’d have a very romantic dinner for two at home, cooked by a thoroughly delighted Chizuru. The cuteness factor would be through the roof, and Saitō would find it very difficult to keep his hands off his new wife–and probably wouldn’t for very long, despite being a conscientious sort over not wasting food. Dessert would have to wait until much, much later.

They both value traditions, and Saitō knows that Chizuru enjoys making things “special”, so I can see vows of some kind at a shrine or temple, not just signing documents at a registry office. Saitō would want to ensure that Chizuru could have something nice to wear, and some kind of flowers. If she didn’t have much money of her own, and wasn’t yet working or established somehow, he’d find some way to help her out. [None of this would be accomplished without a lot of shyness and false starts, but he’d do it.]

They would *definitely* get each other presents, and the gifts would be practical, but also somehow sweet. Saitō wouldn’t mind exchanging wedding rings, if Chizuru brought it up, but wedding rings are a newer tradition in Japan than in western countries, and may or may not be worn regularly, especially by men. My headcanon is that Saitō would give Chizuru a ring, or exchange rings with her but not wear his much (for practical reasons and personal preference).

Unless Kaoru had improved a *lot*, Saitō would be wary of having him around, because he’s aware of Kaoru’s attitude toward Chizuru. While Kaoru is arguably more stable in SSL, his antics do cause problems for everyone, and specifically affect the “chocolates episode” during the SSL SaiChi route.

All that being said, unless they eloped, or were off on their own due to circumstance, Saitō and Chizuru’s friends would be keen to celebrate their wedding in style. Moreover, I think Sen would insist on a “proper” wedding for her beloved friend and cousin.

Consequently, I think that they’d wind up with a more formal wedding ceremony than either originally expected/contemplated.

Scenario 2: The Wedding Planners

Sen and Souji, as maid of honour and best man, respectively, would reluctantly collude (honestly, I could see a lot of snide comments back and forth!), although Souji would leave the ceremony and overall event planning (and Chizuru) to Sen. He’d look after the party, and Saitō’s part in the wedding itself. Sen would hate this, of course, since she wouldn’t trust anyone but herself to make things *perfect*, but Souji would do the equivalent of stick his tongue out at her and say that she was already getting her own way for most of it, so give up already.

Assuming a wedding not too long after high school (or maybe immediately after some form of post-secondary education), with all the usual crowd in attendance, I could see:

Chizuru in a traditional (Japanese) wedding outfit, which would be Sen’s gift to her (Chizuru would be shocked by the cost, so it would be a rental - and still more expensive than Chizuru would like) (naturally Chizuru would look adorable, and Sen would be delighted); Chizuru would have a much simpler outfit for after the ceremony, probably a dress she could use for some other formal occasion in the future

Saito in traditional, but plain, male wedding/ceremonial attire; he’d change into a good black suit after the ceremony (but he rather likes wearing hakama, so nobody has to twist his arm over the old-style formal-wear)

Sen and Souji as attendants, possibly with Kosuzu as a second attendant for Chizuru; Sen would want traditional Japanese attire, but Souji would threaten to wear a sword with his (which would be illegal); in the end, Sen would get her way, since Souji would discover that traditional Japanese attire meant hakama, not just a kimono or yukata (Kondo might be able to lend Souji something)

pale blue and indigo as wedding colours (despite being unusual) at Chizuru’s request; probably some pink thrown in to lighten it up a bit (per Sen)

a small, but vibrant party with great music and excellent saké after the wedding; both Saitō and Chizuru get a little drunk, but hawk-eyed Sen prevents it from going too far; hard to say if Saitō is actually drunk (it takes a lot, and his expression doesn’t change much), but either alcohol or happiness has loosened him up

a live band, and an impromptu performance by Harada, Nagakura, Heisuke, Souji, and Saitō, after everyone is a little bit tipsy; the real band leaves after the first hour of the party, and the guys take turns providing DJ services (the music is good, but the commentary is better - or very embarrassing, depending on whose turn it is)

Souji taking pictures - a lot of pictures; Chizuru is immensely happy to have them, and Sen is forced to concede that they’re good; everyone is tolerant except Hijikata, who scowls a lot (entirely for show - several more candid shots show him actually smiling)

Yamazaki trying to prevent Souji, Nagakura, and Heisuke (in that order) from spiking the non-alcoholic drinks with alcohol (he succeeds, because he has paranoid reflexes when it comes to drinks); to his surprise, he has a fascinating discussion with Sannan-san about a recent medical break-through that does not involve ochimizu

Hijikata drinking more than he should (which isn’t much), and giving a brilliant satirical impression of a recent ultra-popular TV actor he happens to loathe (he’s jealous, but shouldn’t be, because he’s been very successful in a recent venture into acting); Kondou fetches him coffee when he switches to reciting depressing poetry

Harada flirting with Sen all evening, and shocking everyone by stealing a kiss and not getting slapped (yes, these are my headcanons, lol)

Kazama surprising everyone by (a) showing up; and (b) behaving quite reasonably during the ceremony and the short time he stays at the party; his melancholy-but-noble expression draws a few compassionate sighs (mostly from friends of Chizuru and Sen), and annoys most of the “Shinsengumi” crowd (i.e., it’s a success)

Kaoru sulking; he’s kept firmly in line by Souji and Sen (who both scare him into mostly good behaviour); it really annoys him that once Saitō got together with Chizuru, his influence over Chizuru lessened dramatically [if the wedding is quite a bit after the main events of SSL, then maybe Kaoru has improved - as mentioned above, Saitō would be wary]

Saitō eventually just stealing Chizuru away from the party at an opportune time, because they’re both fairly quiet people; between the alcohol and the excitement, Chizuru would be pretty tired and sleepy, but if Saitō has any qualms about keeping her up, she would dispel them pretty quickly - and a fine wedding night would be had by both!

And that’s it for now, but ohhhh, so much more could happen… I mean, I didn’t really get to explore all the different characters etc etc.

Hope this was interesting, and thanks for the ask!

~ Imp

#hakuouki #haku headcanons #saichi #saitou hajime #saito hajime #yukimura chizuru #okita souji #senhime #hakuouki ssl #hakuouki modern #saichi wedding #asked and answered #imp chats

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mariocki · 5 years ago

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RIP Sheila Steafel (26.5.1935 - 23.8.2019)

I recently started watching Granada's 70's children's series The Ghosts Of Motley Hall (1976 - 1978), as certain mutuals will attest, and found it suddenly became compulsive viewing - so much so that I watched all three series in a little over a week. It's with some sadness, then, that I read of the passing of Motley Hall star Sheila Steafel during that very week.

Born Sheila Frances Steafel in Johannesburg, in 1935, to English emigrees Harold and Eda, Sheila was introduced to the stage at an early age. Her father directed and acted in amateur theatre productions, whilst her mother was a gifted pianist, and her childhood was one of music and culture: both parents were involved in organising a choir at the local synagogue, which Sheila sang for. At school she got into trouble for writing a risqué pantomime - already she was making waves as a comic performer.

In 1953, Steafel abandoned her university education in South Africa and moved to Britain. She applied to study at RADA, and completed a preparatory term before being told that her 'unusual' looks and mannerisms would be a hinderence for a young performer; she was advised to wait until her thirties and try to become a character actor. She refused to give up on her career, however, instead enrolling in the renowned Webber Douglas Academy, winning the Margaret Rutherford award for comedy.

Roles on television soon followed, with guest spots on the likes of No Hiding Place (1959), and a supporting role in the 1960 adaptation of H. G. Wells' Kipps. She fared even better onstage, taking over the role of Barbara opposite Tom Courtenay in Lindsay Anderson's celebrated production of Billy Liar in 1961. There were some more genre credits - episodes of The Odd Man (1962) and it's sequel It's Dark Outside (1965), Sergeant Cork (1963) and Danger Man (1966), as well as small film roles in the likes of Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966), Quatermass And The Pit (1967) and Otley (1968). By the middle of the decade, however, Steafel was settling happily into the genre for which she had always seemed destined: comedy.

Over the next decade or so, Sheila became the first choice of support for almost every major comedian on British television. The list of shows she worked on makes for an enviable CV, and she was variously comic foil, stooge, straight-woman and love interest to anyone who was anyone in TV comedy. She worked with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Frankie Howerd, Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan; she was in every episode of Bernard Cribbins' 1970 sketch show, appeared alongside Tommy Cooper, The Goodies, Kenny Everett and Roy Hudd. She was part of the regular cast of the seminal satirical series That Was The Week That Was (1966 - 1967), playing against John Cleese and Ronnies Barker and Corbett, all at the start of their long careers. The 'unusual' looks that had seen her dropped from RADA did not, seemingly, prevent her from becoming an almost ubiquitous face on British comic television throughout the 1960s and 1970s - it didn't hurt, either, that she had impeccable comic timing and a versatility which meant she could turn her hand to almost any role.

In 1976, Sheila was cast in the role which, for many viewers, she would be best remembered. Richard Carpenter, the actor turned scriptwriter, had already made his name with the children's series Catweazle (1970 - 1971) when he started work on The Ghosts Of Motley Hall. Unlike his earlier work, Motley was more of an ensemble piece, following the misadventures of a group of spirits tied to a former stately home as they attempt to prevent it's sale or demolition. There were to be five ghosts in all, representing a range of eras; from Arthur English's Elizabethan jester Bodkin, through to Freddie Jones' 19th century General, Sir George Uproar. The cast was completed with Nicholas Le Prevost, as Jones' dim ancestor Sir Francis Uproar, and Sean Flanagan as young stable boy Matt. To round out the show, Carpenter needed a female character - so Steafel was cast as The White Lady, the spirit of a long-forgotten and mysterious woman whose true identity is a mystery to everyone, including herself.

I was a little wary, going into the series: although I have enjoyed quite a lot of the classic children's television I have watched as an adult, it is undeniably a mixed bag. I needn't have worried, because Motley is that rarest of things - a show that truly appeals to the whole family. It's fun and it's silly, and there's just enough excitement to cater to a young audience, but it's also filled with subtle comedy, jokes and references for the older viewer, and moments of surprising pathos. At it's heart, it is held together by five superb performances from the central cast; Freddie Jones is having just the time of his life as the loud, blustering blowhard Sir George, Arthur English is gently good humoured as the fool whose jokes have aged as badly as the Hall, and Le Prevost reveals a gift for subtle physical movements that make his moments of confusion or distraction much funnier. As a young performer up against four seasoned professionals, Flanagan equips himself very well, and makes for one of the more relatable and likeable teen leads in this kind of programme. And, floating between them, Steafel creates one of her most memorable and endearing characters. Particularly nice is the unique relationship she has with each of the others - she is the ghost best suited to calming Sir George from his pompous rages, or curtailing Bodkin's comic performances when the others have had enough - and especially in her relationship with Sir Francis. It isn't outright stated, but the two spirits are clearly close friends: whenever there is a dispute, they side together; whenever the ghosts must search the hall for an intruder or lost item, it is Francis and the White Lady who team up first; if ever one of the others is rude or ungentlemanly in her presence, Francis immediately springs to defend her honour. Most adorably, they are shown more than once to spend time together relaxing without the others - in an early episode they discover a television together, and end up practicing yoga as a duo. It's a lovely, deep, subtle friendship that is never brought centre-stage but plays itself out in the background of the main plots.

Like her earlier comedy work, Motley allowed Steafel to try her hand at new things and to stretch her performing skills - the White Lady gets some wonderful moments, and a real range of storylines. There are moments of sorrow, concerning her lost identity and feelings of isolation; fury, when the business of the other ghosts interferes with her practice of wailing on the stairs; and much comedy, particularly from the discovery late in series one that she is the only spirit that can be seen by Gudgin - the hall's caretaker, played by sitcom stalwart Peter Sallis. This revelation leads to an ongoing element in the series, as the White Lady brings messages to Gudgin and notifies him of any complaints among her fellow ghosts - her insistence that the caretaker is slowly becoming accustomed to her presence, and in fact even becoming fond of her, in the face of his obvious and continuing terror, is one of the sweetest things about her character.

Like the other four key cast members, Sheila appeared in all twenty episodes of The Ghosts Of Motley Hall. Afterwards, she continued to make television appearances, but spread her wings wider - she became a regular voice on radio, and returned to the stage, making memorable appearances in the 1985 RSC production of The Merry Wives of Windsor and as Meg in the 2006 revival of Pinter's The Birthday Party for the Bristol Old Vic. She took numerous one-woman shows to the Edinburgh Festival, and her dry wit and sparkling personality made her a regular booking on all manner of panel shows. She continued working into her later years, making numerous appearances on TV soaps like Holby City and Doctors, whilst also turning her hand to writing. Her first book was an autobiography, When Harry Met Sheila, published in 2010 - in it she recounted her long career, as well as the story of her marriage to Harry H. Corbett. The two had met as young performers and married in 1958, divorcing some six years later. Sheila didn't remarry, but had several relationships and many close friends and colleagues throughout her long and distinguished career. In 2012 she published another book, a collection of short stories based on real encounters she had in her long life. With wry good humour, she titled it Bastards. Sheila Steafel leaves a legacy of laughter and entertainment, and a litany of comic performances that would be the envy of any young actor.

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sheikah · 6 years ago

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Dying to hear your opinion/recap from last nights ep!

I’m so sorry for taking four days to write a review haha but here you go! My thoughts on 8.01 :)

Ok so a fair warning going into this: I’ve endeavored to be more positive on my blog during this season because it’s the final one. It’s the last time we will ever get this rush of new episode premieres, the active fandom, all of it. I also still love the show in spite of its flaws and mistakes, and I don’t hate D&D. But this episode made a lot of character mistakes that I don’t feel I can overlook. I spent the past few days making positive show content hoping to mitigate my negative feelings about the episode, but they’re still here, so I’m going to post this analysis and be honest about it. If you don’t want to see any GoT negativity, turn back now! There’s good and bad in my review, but a lot of bad. There’s also a lot of tangents to past episodes and plot points, and a healthy dose of ranting. But it’s all relevant, I promise :P Also, please don’t interpret any of this as character hate. As I try to make clear in my analysis, I feel the problem is that people are being written OOC, so when I don’t like what they do, it’s because I feel it’s not true to who they are. I love all of the remaining characters, so this isn’t “anti” anyone. Except maybe David Nutter lol.

The episode opens on the procession into Winterfell, and I loved the callback to 1.01 where we saw Arya rushing to see Robert’s forces marching through the gates. This time, Arya is all grown up and watching another child excitedly reacting to the soldiers.

I really enjoyed this opportunity to see the scene through Arya’s eyes, because it was so clear to me that she was happy for Jon, and that she was thrilled by the dragons. The moment where she sees Jon and beams with joy, but is too nervous to call out to him, was an early gut punch to my feels and really set up the suspense for their eventual meeting. I also liked that even while the other Northerners were running around panicking about the dragons, Arya was calm and looking up at them in wonder. It was an important moment to the tone, because it established that the Northerners’ fear is misplaced. Arya, who trusts Jon, knows he wouldn’t bring anything dangerous to Winterfell.

I also liked how this scene showed little clues of the intimacy of Jon and Dany’s relationship. The last we saw them was boatsex, and there were a lot of unknowns about the time skip and where they would stand as a couple or partnership in the aftermath. But the scene (and the whole episode) really put their romantic relationship front and center. They ride side-by-side as equals, a total “royal couple” image. When the Northerners are wary of Dany, Jon is right there to comfort and reassure her, basically telling her he expected this reception, and trying to keep things light. I also love that when she seems down about the Northerners’ glares, the dragons do their flyover and it brings a smile to her face. The dragons have been a source of comfort to Dany in rough times since 1.01 with Drogo, way back when they were just little eggs :) I’ve seen some antis saying her smile at the flying dragons is a sign of madness because she’s smiling while people scream. But I disagree. The scene is showing that even when she’s sad, the reminder of the dragons–her children–strengthens her and lifts her spirits.

We also get to see Missandei and Grey Worm during the march, and this scene in particular really struck me. @goodqueenarya made a great gifset of the moment and rightly captioned it as racism and xenophobia from the Northerners. I realize it’s uncommon to apply those terms to a medieval context but it is clearly what’s at play here. The close-ups on Missandei’s face, her uneasiness bordering on fear, Grey Worm’s concern, and the open hostility of the Northerners in the crowd, are all working together to show that this moment is upsetting to Missandei and Grey Worm and possibly reminiscent of their time as slaves. Remember, the entirety of Dany’s army is made up of people who aren’t only foreign, they look it, and this clearly seems to be a factor in the Northern hatred. It effectively set the tone for a whole episode of tension between Team Dany and the North.

When the shot cut to Tyrion and Varys, I was excited, but the very first bit of dialogue is about Varys’s balls (or lack thereof). This was the beginning of an episode fraught with weird writing that didn’t deliver imo. I love the humor on this show but Tyrion’s joke wasn’t actually funny so I wouldn’t even qualify this as effective humor in this instance. There are so many things they could have been discussing at this moment that would have been interesting exposition: Jon/Dany, how Tyrion will react to seeing Sansa again, the Northern hostility, ANYTHING. But we got balls.

The scene when everyone finally arrives inside Winterfell was kind of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I noticed the musical parallel–the same music was used during Robert’s arrival. It made Jon and Dany seem even more the royal couple, which I appreciated. I also liked how the arrival was much more informal than Robert’s. There was no kneeling involved, which emphasizes Dany as a different sort of ruler. Jon seeing Bran and immediately dismounting his horse and kissing his little brother on the forehead … it was beautiful, and we saw so much raw emotion and happiness from Jon. I didn’t love Bran’s response, though I do think it was fitting writing in-keeping with his robotic characterization since s7. Still, that characterization makes me sad. I wanted Jon to have a warm reception from his family, at the very least, and for there to be at least some catharsis in seeing Bran for the first time since 1.02.

This brings me to one of the things I most hated in the episode, the reception from Sansa. I was happy to see Sansa and Jon hugging, showing that things haven’t completely deteriorated between them despite the long absence and her disapproval of his choices re: Dany and bending the knee. But when Dany comes over to greet Sansa, and greets her with what I considered to be genuine kindness, I absolutely hated Sansa’s response. Jon and Dany are in love. That much is certain, and even from this early in the episode, both Jon and Dany have been happier than we’ve ever seen either of them in the whole long history of the series. I bring this up because I fully believe that Dany was eager to make a good impression on the sister of the man she loves. I don’t think her greeting to Sansa was an empty courtesy. And for Dany to attempt genuine kindness and be rewarded with Sansa’s prolonged up-and-down glare and reticent “Winterfell is yours, Your Grace,” is just unnecessarily cold.

I understand that Sansa cares deeply about Northern Independence. I also understand that she doesn’t know Dany or what she stands for, who she is as a person, or what she’s achieved. She doesn’t know how Dany saved her brother’s life, or how Dany will be invaluable in saving every life in the North and beyond. Regardless, Sansa is smart. She’s studied under political masterminds like Cersei and Littlefinger for the greater part of her adolescence and she’s learned hard lessons. I was surprised to see her display such obvious dislike to a visiting monarch right out of the gate. Additionally, I believe that Sansa does, to some extent, trust Jon’s judgment, so I expected her to use that trust to give Dany the benefit of the doubt. And as we can see from later moments in the episode, she doesn’t. This is what I was talking about when I mentioned above that I have problems with the writing. I don’t think this level of pettiness is actually in-character for Sansa.

Going further into the episode, I feel the same way about Sansa’s other scenes as well. The scene in the Great Hall exasperated me for multiple reasons but I’ll talk about the issue with Sansa first. Again, I want to emphasize that I believe Sansa to be intelligent and good with political maneuvering. She successfully covered up Lysa’s murder in the Vale. She successfully saw through Littlefinger’s treachery in s7. I would think this would lead her to approach her dislike for Dany with some delicacy and subtlety. Instead, the writing decides it would be more fun to have her unleash petty and biting remarks at Dany for fun. The bit about how she is going to feed the army was incredibly stupid writing for two reasons:

Dany is coming from the South, an area with more agriculture. She would have easily been able to collect and then transport food to feed her own armies. Additionally, she was able to feed her armies while on a literal rocky, mountainous island at Dragonstone. If she managed it then, she obviously would have planned for the North. For the writing to insinuate that Dany didn’t plan to feed her people is ridiculous since Dany has been a queen feeding the Unsullied and Dothraki who follow her throughout their travels since season 3. By failing to acknowledge or mention this the writers essentially guaranteed a conflict that makes no sense.

Similarly, Sansa has known that they would need Southern allies since 7.02. Her line about how she didn’t plan to feed Dany’s forces doesn’t line up with past events. She knew that more armies would eventually need to come North, AND she knew specifically that Dany and the Unsullied and Dothraki were coming North ever since Jon’s letter in s7. So it is similarly bad writing for Sansa, and also another example of unnecessary cattiness on her part. The delivery of those lines was clearly directed the way it was for a reason, and it makes Sansa come across as spiteful and not the professional noblewoman we saw in s7 lining breastplates and planning grain storage. And whether she planned for the Targaryen forces or not, she needs them. Treating them with scorn is stupid and helps no one. Additionally, I found it oddly telling that the sequence of dialogue goes something like this: Tyrion mentions the Lannister army is also coming North.This is when Sansa interjects. When she complains of feeding the greatest army ever, she complains of feeding the Unsullied and Dothraki only and doesn’t mention the Lannister army, even though the Lannister army is what Tyrion was talking about at that moment. Gotta love how it’s only a problem when it’s Dany’s forces and brown people. That’s the issue for her, not the Lannisters, the family who have been killing and oppressing the Starks for the better part of a decade. Where is the logic for this dialogue? I genuinely feel Sansa was written out of character in this sequence because I think of her as kinder and more tactful.

After this bit Lyanna Mormont steps up to berate and belittle Jon Snow, because why not? I found this scene to be ridiculous. These people in the North purport to want Jon as their king, and yet they treat him with no respect. I’m not saying that subjects shouldn’t be allowed to disagree with a ruler, or that there shouldn’t be open discussion in meetings like this one, but the way she talked down to him was just absurd. When have we ever seen any leader addressed this way? No monarch has ever been spoken to this way. Even at the Night’s Watch, Jon wouldn’t abide being spoken to this way. But because it’s Lyanna Mormont and it’s cute, it suddenly makes sense for her to stand up and shame Jon and say he is “nothing at all?”

And this is one of the things that makes me so angry: no one ever really listens to Jon. This particular point isn’t one I consider a fault of the writing because it isn’t anything new so I believe it’s consistent and is done on purpose, but I hate how selfish everyone around Jon is. Jon Snow has lived selflessly for the entirety of the show. He meekly accepted secondhand status in the Stark household as a boy, and quickly acclimated to the fact that he wasn’t special at the Wall, either. While at the Wall he protected Sam, something that he did for no reason other than his inherent goodness and concern for others. After learning about the Freefolk he treated them with respect and forced the Night’s Watch to do the same at great personal cost. After his death he agreed to take back Winterfell FOR his family. He had no desire to enter into the Battle of the Bastards. He wanted to head South, but he stayed and he fought for the Starks to retake their birthright, something he believed he would never really be part of. When he was named King in the North he didn’t want it but he accepted it and did his best to rule with honor and bravery. When Dany asked him to bend the knee, it would have been easier to immediately agree, but he was thinking of his family and his people first. He endured political tensions with a possible ally and spent a great deal of time in the South because he was trying to do what he thought was best FOR OTHERS. He only swore to Dany when he became certain that she would be a good queen to his people. Regardless of how the fandom wants to spin things against Jon, he’s always put other people first. And after everything Jon has done, and everything he’s sacrificed, he is still constantly being criticized and attacked by his people. Dany’s people, by comparison, trust her judgment for the most part. There have been exceptions, but her core group–the Unsullied, Dothraki, and her ruling council–see her actions and they follow her willingly out of admiration for her deeds and her ideals. Jon’s people see his actions and his kindness and take advantage of it, constantly questioning his judgment and speaking against him both behind his back and to his face. I literally don’t understand why these people are mad that he bent the knee when they so obviously do not have trust or faith in him as their ruler.

Anyway, I appreciate Jon doing a little to defend his choice in bending the knee to Dany, but I didn’t like the way that was handled either. Because what Jon said isn’t completely true. He didn’t bend the knee only to save the North. Dany agreed to save the North BEFORE he bent the knee, so he did it because he believes she would be a good ruler for the North. He did it because he admires her leadership and because–as he has now expressed at least five times–he doesn’t want to be king. That’s what I wanted to hear from him, not, “Oh, I had to do this to save the North.” He is saving the North. He is. But he wasn’t forced to bend the knee, and the Northerners need to know that. It would help ease them into trusting Dany.

I also would have liked to hear from Dany herself in these moments. I realize that she didn’t want to overstep or make things worse, but other people spoke for her all throughout the episode, and it irritated me because I believe Dany’s natural leadership and pragmatism could appeal to Northern sensibilities given the chance.

Additionally, I also think it was out-of-character for Dany to sit back and let Jon be harangued on her behalf this way. I have brought up this scene dozens of times now but it bears repeating here: in season 6 Dany granted independence to the Iron Islands and allowed Yara to be a sovereign monarch, a queen. She allowed this after knowing Yara for all of five minutes. And when Tyrion asked her, “Are we going to give everyone who demands it their independence?” Dany replied with something like, “She didn’t demand, she asked. Others are free to ask as well.” This, coupled with Dany’s last line of dialogue from s7, “I’m not going to conquer the North, I’m going to save the North,” led me to believe that Dany would, in fact, allow Jon to remain King in the North, or allow the North to remain an independent kingdom.

Let me be clear to all my fellow Dany stans reading this: I don’t think there is anything wrong with Dany wanting to be queen of all 7k. If she decided never to allow Northern Independence or even Independence of the Iron Islands, I would be fine with it. There was one, absolute ruler of all 7k for centuries. Dany deserves to want the same thing, and I know she would be a good queen. BUT Dany has consistently said she wants to make the world better than it was, to “break the wheel.” Those ideas, coupled with the dialogue mentioned above from s6 and s7, make me think it’s more consistent with her character at this stage for her to decide that it doesn’t matter if Jon is King or Warden of the North, so long as there is a good person leading the North. And let’s face it, Jon is a good person, Dany knows this, and she’s in love with him. Additionally, she has seen the Army of the Dead firsthand. She’s one of the only people who has. I think it would make far more sense if Dany, being the person she is, and having seen the Night King, would put the Northern bickering to rest by assuring them that she isn’t taking their sovereignty and that she will allow them to be an independent kingdom under Jon if they so choose after the war.

I realize that Jon doesn’t want to be king. But if he is so averse to it that he would say no to a crown even if Dany offered it to him, then he needs to say that. That needs to me made clear, so it doesn’t appear that Dany is taking away Jon’s and the North’s rights or independence against his will. By keeping her silent on these matters the writing left a lot unsaid that needed to be said. And when Dany did speak I didn’t always agree with what the writers chose for her, either. I’m talking specifically about her saying, “I’m her queen. If she can’t respect me …” about Sansa. Did they really need her to ominously trail off? I mean, really? Dany is not this scary, ominous person. She just isn’t.

Moving on, Jon’s reunion with Arya was absolutely beautiful and made my cry. The running hug, Jon’s face, all of it was what I wanted. I’m glad they got the moment alone they deserved. I also loved them comparing swords, and the dialogue about Jon not surviving the knife in the heart. When Jon asked her if she’d ever used Needle, Maisie’s acting was so perfect because it showed Arya’s reluctance to remember just what she’d used Needle for. The past hurts her just like it hurts Jon. They’ve both been through hell and grown and changed, but they still love one another deeply. Which brings me to my one issue with this scene. Why did Jon and Arya’s reunion have to turn into Jon insulting Sansa so that there is an opening to Arya defending her? Jon and Arya were always ride-or-die bffs, they were each other’s favorite. The way Arya said she and Sansa were defending their family as if Jon isn’t doing the same just rubbed me the wrong way and I don’t feel it was necessary to the scene, and neither was Jon’s negative comment about Sansa. I’ll be interested to see how Arya handles Dany’s presence moving forward, since Arya wasn’t around for the scenes addressing everyone’s explicit displeasure at Dany being in the North.

Arya’s reunion with the Hound wasn’t what I wanted, but it could’ve been worse. Being who he is, I do think Sandor calling her a bitch was something of a grudging compliment. He hides behind a mask of cold callousness himself so to recognize something similar in Arya was meant to be the closest thing to kindness he could manage, I guess. But I loved their dynamic in the past, and the moment when Arya was in the House of Black and White and Jaqen hit her for lying about wanting the Hound dead. I knew she didn’t want him dead, not really. I knew they cared for each other. I would have liked to see a little more of that. I’ve liked the little interludes of people who were mentor figures in Arya’s life, like how Lady Crane resembled Catelyn. I think Sandor was something of a weird father figure for Arya so I was expecting a bit more warmth in their reunion.

Her reunion with Gendry, though, was PERFECT. It was absolutely everything I wanted and more. Everything about it. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was shippy without being cheesy, cute and flirty while still completely in-character for both people. I was smiling so hard the whole time and I literally can’t want to see more Gendrya. 11/10 would watch again haha. Joe Dempsie is sexy and Arya is getting Gendry in his prime and I am 100% here for it. Arya flirting is something I never knew I needed in my life but I’m so glad it’s here haha.

Speaking of shippy things, I can’t believe I’m saying this as a rabid Jonerys stan and mainly Jonerys blog, but I didn’t love the dragon scene. It felt incredibly sudden to me, and wildly out of place in the episode. Everything about the dragons in the episode confused me. Earlier in the episode when Bran told Dany about Viserion, the moment was all but ignored. I feel like it was literally added in post. Like they forgot to include it in the original script and didn’t film a reaction, so they just had Isaac say it later and added it in lol. It was that weird to me. That should be a huge bombshell, to EVERYONE. Yes, Dany in particular, but everyone should be distraught that there is now a DRAGON on the enemy’s side. But only Dany reacts, and she barely reacts at all beyond a brief moment of concern.

She seems much more concerned when the Dothraki tell her the dragons aren’t eating much, which leads me to the dragon scene. The whole reason that Dany and Jon are approaching the dragons is apparently because they aren’t eating, but that subplot is completely dropped, she doesn’t address it beyond saying “they don’t like the North,” and then she mounts Drogon as if nothing is wrong. As a shipper, I loved the cute teasing that came next, and Dany trying to keep a dry sense of humor about it while messing with Jon as he considered riding Rhaegal. It was absolutely adorable and I can’t overstate how much I loved seeing them happy. I was basically yelling every time either of them smiled. But that doesn’t mean the scene made sense. I’m sorry, but it didn’t?

Jon and Tyrion are the only people in the show aside from Dany to ever even touch the full-grown dragons. Jon touching Drogon in s7 was a HUGE deal. Dany was amazed, Jon was literally crying with wonder, the music was serious and emotional. It was a beautiful and momentous scene and the directing made sure it felt that way. But when it comes to riding a dragon, everything is suddenly slapstick humor, and the scene has literally no setup at all?

I am NOT opposed to Jon riding a dragon. I’ve always wanted him to ever since I found out about R+L=J in like 2011 lol. But I wanted there to be a reason he attempts it. Dany is the only person in over 100 years to ride a dragon, and for no reason other than her teasing, Jon is suddenly going to attempt it? Ideally I would have liked it to be AFTER the Targ reveal, but I do understand why it was before. In “Inside the Episode,” Benioff comments that only Targaryens can ride dragons, and that Jon is “slow on the uptake.” So they did it beforehand to make it more believable for Jon when Sam tells him he is a Targaryen. That’s fine. But couldn’t they have at least contextualized why he attempts it beforehand? Couldn’t Dany have said, “Hey, we now know the Night King is riding Viserion into battle. The stakes are somehow even higher. We’re going to need all the air support we can get, and I trust you to try and ride Rhaegal. I need you to try it so we have a better chance in a fight.” That would have taken literally 30 seconds and it would have made a lot more sense. Instead, we are given, “Hm. My dragons aren’t eating and are unhappy. I’m going to ride one though. You should do it to. Learn by doing. XD”

And the scene itself felt so cheesy. Again, I’m not opposed to humor, but to have Jon dangling off and everyone in the Winterfell battlements gawking at him was just … silly? I wanted it to be a badass moment, I guess. A memorable and intense and iconic GoT moment. And I was let down. I do appreciate that they show dragon-riding as an acquired skill, and that Dany’s an expert. But I didn’t appreciate the silliness.

Anyway, when they landed at the waterfall I liked it better because it was the fluff I was waiting for. The dialogue was cute, and the makeout was super hot. I was grateful for that, even the goofy cutting to the dragons watching them. It was only the dragon riding that rubbed me the wrong way. But as a shipper I couldn’t be happier that they gave us fluffy, happy, totally in love, beaming-with-joy Jonerys. I’ve probably watched that bit 20 times already haha.

But of course, that joy just has to be short-lived. This leads me to my least favorite part of the episode: the Tarly drama. Randyll Tarly is a piece of literal garbage. He sent Sam to the Wall on threat of death. He used to chain Sam up in a dungeon. In the show, we’re shown that in addition to this, he is racist toward wildlings (despite living nowhere near the Wall???) and he calls Gilly a whore, as well as constantly fat-shaming and verbally abusing Sam. He also betrays the Tyrells and sacks Highgarden with little to no urging from the Lannisters. In the episode preceding his death, he encourages Bronn and Jaime to flog tired and wounded soldiers who can’t march fast enough. There is almost nothing else that could be done writing-wise to establish how badly Randyll Tarly sucks. And Dickon Tarly, for all his supposed innocence, bore witness to all of the above. He was complicit in everything that happened to Sam and fine with it because he would receive Sam’s inheritance. So after s7 finished up, John Bradley, who plays Sam, gave an interview wherein he said that Sam doesn’t even consider himself a Tarly anymore. He also said Sam would never get between Jon and Dany about his father and brother’s deaths because he wouldn’t be that upset. This was, of course, before Bradley was given an s8 script. But I think it’s worth noting that these were his thoughts before being given a script and forced to stand by the show’s writing. It makes no sense for Sam to be as upset as he was at receiving the news of Randyll’s and Dickon’s deaths. He can be sad about his brother, sure. I understand that. But it’s what he did next that drives me crazy.

Jon’s parentage is one of the biggest bombshells of information in the entire series, if not THE biggest. I’ve been waiting for eight years to see this scene. But Sam isn’t prompted to tell Jon out of the goodness of his heart or concern for his friend. He goes while emotionally compromised about his family’s deaths, and that motivates the conversation and taints his entire message. He doesn’t even tell Jon the circumstances of Randyll’s and Dickon’s death. Hell, the writing doesn’t even give Dany a chance to tell Sam the circumstances. Sam just tells Jon that Dany executed them, without giving a reason at all. It’s not because they refused to bend the knee. She doesn’t just burn people for refusing to kneel. They were TRAITORS!!! Why is that being ignored? In 7.01 Jon and Sansa argued over traitors and how seriously they must be punished. It was established that the penalty for treason is DEATH. Why is Dany being maligned for that? Why are people discussing the incident without using the word treason? WHAT IS THIS WRITING????

And since the writing doesn’t mention the important underlying circumstances of the Tarly deaths at all, Jon’s Targaryen heritage becomes more about opposing Dany than it is about Jon, his identity, or his feelings. Literally what prompts Sam to tell Jon, is that Jon says Dany is the queen, and Sam says she “shouldn’t be.” This is so beyond fucked. Sam is Jon’s best friend, and he isn’t selfish. Sam is one of my favorite characters. But it is so wildly out-of-character for him to use this moment for his own personal anger and bias against Dany. Yet he does, and when Jon finally believes it, when he tells Sam that he isn’t/doesn’t want to be king, Sam presses even further insisting that Jon is and must be king.

I know that in the past Sam showed faith in Jon’s leadership by nominating him as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but this is different. Jon has said so many times how he hates ruling. Even Robb didn’t want to sit on the Iron Throne. No one who knows Jon would think he would ever want it. No one who cares about Jon would push him toward it. So this ties back to a point I made earlier in this post about Jon being surrounded by selfish people. It seems everyone except for Dany and Arya and Davos want to use Jon for their own ends. Sansa and the North want him to maintain Northern autonomy and Sam wants him to usurp Dany’s claim because he’s mad about his family. Everyone is selfishly ignoring Jon’s own desires for how he wants to live his own life, and more importantly ignoring Jon’s strategy for literally saving the world and fighting the Army of the Dead. It’s getting very old.

What Bran said early in the episode should have been the title of the damned episode, because the episode skips so many important conversations and facts that I feel like the writers themselves were the ones who decided “we don’t have time for all of this!” Yet, at the same time, they’re wasting precious time with conflicts that shouldn’t even exist. I wanted to scream with relief when Davos finally suggested a marriage alliance with Jon and Dany. We all know that if the writing weren’t trying to milk every drop of drama out of Northern Independence and the parentage reveal that they possibly can (drama they’re milking at the expense of YEARS of characterization and development) that Jon and Dany would already be engaged. S6 ends with Dany breaking up with Daario to form a marriage alliance when she arrives in Westeros. She arrives in Westeros and falls in love with Jon Snow–a king, her equal, and an honorable man. Jon wants to help Daenerys and wants her help, and Jon falls in love with her, too. The only problem is her desire to be queen and its conflict with Northern Independence. If they married, all of this would instantly go away because they would both become royalty and the North would have its chosen representative literally ruling alongside the queen as a king himself. And again, I can’t repeat this enough, the fact that they’re literally in love should only make this solution even more obvious.

But until that solution is reached I fully expect the Northern plot to continue being out of character for literally everyone involved, and I fully expect to continue being upset about it lol. And where the hell is Ghost?!

Anyway, I don’t have as much to say about the incidents outside Winterfell. The Theon/Yara scenes were actually my favorites of the episode. Gemma and Alfie are honestly amazing and their expressions in every scene were perfect. I cried when they hugged on the deck and Yara told him their house words and added “but kill the bastards anyway.” THAT was good writing. Perfect. A+. It was everything I wanted and more and I’m excited that Yara is still going to be in the game somehow (which I assume since she mentioned aiding in Dany’s forces’ retreat from the North if needed) and that Theon is going to Winterfell.

The Cersei/Euron bits just made me sad and confused. I was sad for Cersei because she looked so miserable and reluctant to sleep with Euron. The idea of even more sexual coercion on this show is sickening to me. But then I was confused because afterward it felt almost like she was kind of into him? Until the end of the scene, anyway, when he mentioned wanting to get her pregnant. I do believe she is pregnant already, so I guess they’re setting up something where Euron might think her pregnancy by Jaime is his (assuming her pregnancy lasts)? I do think it’s funny how the elephant thing became such a meme. And I also expect her to send the Golden Company–elephants or no elephants–North immediately. When Qyburn mentioned other plans for Dany, I assumed Cersei was going to try to kidnap her when the Golden Company attacks the North. We have multiple stills from the next episode but none outside Winterfell. I’m thinking maybe they can’t show anything elsewhere because it might spoil the GC leaving to head North. But this is just a theory.

Speaking of Qyburn, the Bronn scene was trash and I can’t believe in s8 we’re still having to look at pointless prostitute sex scenes. But the bit about Cersei asking Bronn to kill Jaime or Tyrion was chilling and I guess I expect him to at least attempt it at some point. That’ll be interesting.

The scene at Last Hearth was another I actually really enjoyed. Edd’s line about Tormund’s blue eyes was hilarious and I love both characters so much. Most of all, the gruesome display of Ned Umber’s corpse and all the severed limbs was genuinely terrifying and I was so scared when he woke up and started screaming haha. It was great horror and a necessary reminder that the White Walkers are still around and are still a serious threat.

The ending with Jaime and Bran was a great sign-off to the premiere and provided excellent meme fodder all week. I have to say the one good thing to come from robo-Bran has been the memes. The Curb Your Enthusiasm one is my personal fave of the week.

Tldr, the good: Jonerys kisses and smiles, Jon and Arya reunion, Theon and Yara, Last Hearth creepiness. The bad: Everyone up North is OOC, with Sansa, Sam, and Dany standing out to me especially in this regard, pretending Viserion didn’t get turned into a wight basically, weird jarring tonal shifts throughout

Overall I obviously didn’t like the episode but I don’t want to dwell on that. I’m looking forward to more and hoping they will be better. I hate to be this negative about it because I love Game of Thrones. It’s my favorite show of all time and writing and talking about it is pretty much my favorite hobby these days. I went into the season expecting to love it, and I still do, but even after sitting on 8.01 for days, I still feel let down by it and I want to be honest about that. That being said, I don’t want to simmer in negativity so this is hopefully the last I’ll be complaining about it. I don’t want to answer a lot of negative asks on it (sorry for being so behind on asks, by the way :( I’m trying to balance making content and working and it isn’t going well haha). Here’s hoping Sunday’s episode is better.

If anyone actually read this far, thanks and I hope you enjoyed the episode more than I did do disagree with me, that’s ok, too! These are just my opinions, and they took hours to write. So please be civil haha.

#game of thrones #got #8.01 #episode review #got negativity #got critical #answered #if brevity is the soul of wit #then i'm an idiot lol

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countryshitposts · 5 years ago

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what if... German Empire... didn’t die after the Great War... and witnesses Weimar succeeding him and trying to restore their nation... but after too much pressure snaps and becomes TR. haha... just kidding... UNLESS???

The first day after the Great War, things have turned about in the household of the Germans. The Second German Empire had to be deposed, to be played with, and replaced by his firstborn son, Weimar. He loves his son, to the inferno and back, but he realizes that Weimar is not fit for ruling a war-torn Germany, especially when it is in debt and broke, the economy falling towards oblivion. The Second German Empire decides to stay and witness the Allies harrasing his son to giving them more money than he can ever make. But he didn't interfere. He couldn't interfere, his presence like a transparent window, always open but never closed. He lets in fresh air, his voice, to advice Weimar, but in the end he couldn't get through him.

Since Weimar was now busy with the country's affairs, The German Empire stays home and watches his grandsons, East and West, play with each other with the old toys German Empire had made for Weimar. He usually replaces their childish, happy faces with Weimar's, remembering the times his son's face was filled with delight. He rarely sees it now, often plagued with sadness, his eyes giving off a different kind of tired- sleep can't cure the circles underneath his eyes, his posture slouched due to how much workload he receives in one day.

German Empire knows that one day, Weimar might snap, and it'd be one of the worst moments of his life, and probably the twins as well. German Empire reads a book from page-to-page, feeling its smooth paper underneath his gloved hands, and smiles, liking this kind of peace and tranquility surging through his veins.

The tranquil air around the room is suddenly stolen by a cold vibe, its claws digging through the skin of tranquility, and dragging it down below with him. Weimar slams the door open, looking out of breath, clutching his chest, red in the eyes. He was wide-eyed, his blue eyes looking every where, as if searching for something that isn't there in their surroundings. The children drop their toys, looking worried for their father, who looked like he had seen a ghost. The Second German Empire closes his book and immediately makes his way towards his son, sweating as if his whole life depends on seeing his son bright-eyed and happy again.

"Son", German Empire replies, trying to touch his son's shoulders, but he ends up trying to step away from his father, limping, crawling away from him. Weimar was breathing harshly, clawing at his hair, and the Second German Empire sees a light red tint on both his son's fingers and uniform. It could be a fluid that he had seen wildly flowing in the war fields, but he didn't want to envision his times during the trenches again.

"Get away from me", Weimar snarls, his voice shaky and brittle, like it was about to break any moment with a high pitched vengeance. "J-just stop tormenting me."

Naïve, German Empire thought his beloved son was hallucinating those Allies harrasing him for money again, "I am not them. I am your father, Weimar. Please calm down, you are scaring your own children."

Instead of snapping out of it, out of this episodic attack that will mark the first time that the Second German Empire looks at his son with fear, and the first time Weimar is plagued with a brand new character walking to their lives and destroying the next thing German Empire loves, Weimar walks towards his room, muttering something about a dead cab driver.

Second German Empire tucks East and West to sleep, kissing them both on the foreheads, like how he had watched Weimar do to them so many times. He has never done this to his child, and he can feel regret seeping in. He yawns, feeling the goddess of sleep trying to tug him down, but he decides to visit Weimar's room, to ask about what had transpired this sunset. He knocks on his son's door, and hears a muffled hum, thinking it was an affirmation that he can see Weimar. Second German Empire opens the door, which squeaks, but before he can utter a word towards Weimar, he sees his son snorting a gram or two of inhalants.

German Empire and Weimar lock eyes for a few seconds- German Empire's fierce blue eyes and Weimar's ecstasy-filled ones. German Empire's concerned feelings towards his son gives way to anger and disappointment, as he reprimands and berates his son for such an inappropriate way of dealing with his problems. Before Weimar can respond to his father, German Empire slams the door loudly, to the point it echoes throughout the large house.

The second time it happens, German Empire is awoken in the middle of the night, by the sound of someone shattering bottles of gin in the cellar. He thinks it was one of the drunken states, getting ahold of German Empire's beer in an effort to drown themselves from the exhausting work being given to them. German Empire, with this light assumption, goes back to seeing black again.

Then German Empire is awoken by the sound of loud footsteps, thundering throughout the house, the wooden staircases shaking and creaking underneath their footsteps. German Empire's sharp ears hear a familiar voice, singing an old German melody, slurred. They drop the bottle of beer they were holding, near German Empire's room, and the German curses that follow it. German Empire hears the person try pick it up, but results to more cursing in German. The man gives up on trying to pick up the shards of glass, but still stands on the middle of German Empire's room, still singing an old melody. German Empire's ears are ringing, and he finally leaves the sweet comfort of his bed to investigate who was outside the door.

As he opens the door, the lights go dim, and the hallways become quiet. Confused, he tries to take one step, expecting glass shards- there were none trying to puncture his skin.

In the morning, as he and Berlin make breakfast for everyone in the German household, he sees Weimar playing with his children. His sharp eyes catches the bandages around Weimar's hands, with the a tint of the familiar red hue around it. He stares at it for a moment, but it seems to become more than a full minute as his staring becomes widely known by his son, who pulls his hands away from German Empire's eyes.

"Why are you hiding your bruise when I have already seen it?", Second German Empire asks, and all eyes turn to Weimar, including West's and East's, eyes gleaming with confusion and curiosity. "It's like you're trying to hide that you are dying to a doctor."

Weimar's blue eyes look down, but German Empire didn't back down.

"I know that you were the one breaking bottles last night, Weimar", Second German Empire approaches his son, and leans in. "Do not think I have heard your voice."

Weimar's downcast eyes turns to a look of confusion. "Papa, I have never snuck out last night!"

"Explain me hearing broken bottles and an old German melody being sung, then", he turns to the people in the room, "have you heard those sounds waking you up?"

A chorus of affirmation rises from the crowd, and Second German Empire looks at Weimar sternly, who was rapidly shaking his head.

"I swear I didn't do something as hazardly as that", Weimar says, "I would never touch Papa's bottles of whiskey!"

"Explain the wounds on your hands, son", German Empire says. "Explain how you got them."

A second of absolute silence is all what German Empire needs to get out of the house and smoke some cigars.

The third time it happens, Weimar looks like he was about to snap America in half. German Empire was quite happy to get invited to a show by America, along with Weimar and his sons.

"It's a movie", America had said, pursing her lips together to make her look like one of the American actresses German Empire had seen before, "and you four are invited." She handed the tickets to Weimar.

Truth be told, German Empire was quite delighted to see the twins being excited to go to the theatres for the first time. After all, they were born after German Empire's most embarassing loss yet, against those damned Allies. He knows he should still be wary of them, but when he sees Weimar talking to America as if they were friends, he decides that the civil meetings the two had eventually blossomed to a friendship, and German Empire loved the idea of his son finally having friends.

The theatres were quite dim, and German Empire can't help but go back to the trenches where he shared the night with Austria-Hungary, or the clinics where he sees many men die because of him. He would always see them in his dreams, forever miserably moaning and cursing German Empire, cursing and asking him why their fates had to be this cruel. German Empire would always reply that he didn't know, that the fates were cruel, that God was unjust for letting this happen to them.

When the film begins, the setting looks so familiar to the point that German Empire has to squeeze his eyes shut to not let an influx of memories take over. Then, he hears a gunshot, ringing out from the film, and he sees Weimar covering West and East's eyes. Of course, he wishes to protect the children's innocence on such violence. But when a newspaper has been printed on the film, it answers the questions to why it was so familiar.

It was a reenactment of the Great War, from head to foot.

And just like the film, the memories start to go over his head again, all his cells the equivalent of the people in this cinema, and he mentally shuts down.

He awokens to the sound of someone screaming angrily, and, as much as his head is hurting from the memories, he tries to stand up and ultimately fails, stumbling a few steps, realizing that Weimar, West and East, were nowhere near him. He sighs, trying to keep his dirty blonde hair from falling down as he looks for them with his half-asleep eyes. Sleep is softly whispering to him to come back to her domain, but he wouldn't let her, as German Empire stumbles through all corners of the theatres, and finally finds Weimar shouting at America, face full of fury. America looked bored, as if the man screaming in front of her is the least of her problems.

"Son", German Empire says softly, approaching the group and tapping his son's shoulder. Weimar swiftly turns towards German Empire with a fury, but it quickly vanishes to a worried look. "What was the movie all about?"

"It was about the Great War, Papa", Weimar says softly, unlike the shrill sounds he had been making towards America earlier. "And she tried to make us look like bad people."

America scoffs, possibly her only verbal response towards this entire conversation, "You are bad."

"We're not!", Weimar bellows, and the twins flinch at their father's harsh way of speaking. German Empire sighs, as he pulls the children closer to him, away from their angered father. "You're the bad person here, along with your family!"

We're all bad, German Empire thinks to himself, looking at his son and America as they continue their one-sided argument, that leaves Weimar in shambles, as America leaves, her heels echoing throughout the floors, and Weimar goes to the bathroom. German Empire instructs the twins to stay right there, as he follows his son towards the bathroom to, possibly, comfort him in his own way.

But as he nears the bathroom, Weimar locks it before German Empire has the chance to catch a glimpse of his son. He tries knocking and telling Weimar that this is his father, but to no avail. The bathroom was silent for a few minutes, and German Empire thinks that Weimar was silently crying in one of the stalls. After those few minutes of silence, he hears a series of choking, and the sound of vomitting something into the toilets, which is quite strange, as Weimar had not eaten in a day and a half, despite being told to. Is he trying to force the remaining food left from his stomach to the toilets? German Empire can't let that happen, and he tries to force the door open, but to no avail. He hears a soft melody from Weimar, his voice hoarse and harsh due to probably vomitting a lot, but hears a set of nails, scratching one of the mirrors, and German Empire absolutely fears it. Then, he hears his son muttering, muttering that they will pay, they will pay for what they did to him, before his mutters become incoherent nonsense and soft laughter. The soft laughter turns to manic laughter, and German Empire runs towards the twins, telling them that Weimar is currently having troubles in the bathroom, and treats them to a nice lunch.

Weimar only comes back to the German household in the evening, looking more tired and messier than usual, his hands mangled and stained with what German Empire would deny seeing. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone, and he goes and locks himself in his room.

German Empire is kept up all night by the sounds of German melodies being sung on his doorway.

The fourth time, German Empire actually witnesses it. He wakes up one morning, and goes to Weimar's bedroom, to find him currently missing. German Empire decides that he must have gone to work earlier than usual in that morning. German Empire, after breakfast, decides to smoke a cigar, and goes outside, not wanting to puncture the twins' lungs. He is greeted by the cold morning air around him, and he sighs, smiling a bit to himself.

He walks around the neighborhood, greeting his usual neighbors a good morning, as if there was no such thing as their entire country going bankrupt and still in debt. No such thing as many different parties trying to make Weimar crack. No such thing as German Empire dying. He glances at his skin, slowly disintegrating every single year. It had disintegrated his hands, and now it's moving towards his arms. He will die, sooner or later, and he cannot escape the death cycle- it will come back to bite him in the worst ways possible.

Then, as he nears the urban areas, he hears noises in an alley. He hears the sound of a man, trying to make his way out of a labyrinth, before his distressed cries and pleas for help become a scream of horror and terror. German Empire, who could not control his urges, runs towards the direction of the noise. He leans along the brick walls, trying to become as invisible and as stealthy as he ever could, and glances at the horror spectacle that he was about to see.

Out of all things he expected would happen, he never expected to see blue eyes, madness and ecstasy ruling over it, his calm, soft smiles becoming a vessel for maddened laughs and insane smiles, his usually smooth and blonde hair, messy and covered with dirt, his skinny but calloused hands embracing all the dirt and blood, as he digs into his victim's flesh.

His son.

His son, his beloved son, whom he had watched grown up, his innocent smiles turning into sad and tired ones, his gloved hands unafraid to touch the smallest spec of dirt, turn into something else, a darker figure, a brand new character molded from above. German Empire watches as Weimar tears his victim apart, snarling like a wolf as they devour their prey.

German Empire takes a step back, and runs towards the direction from where he came, not coming into contact with anyone as he races towards his house, on top of the floors, and checks Weimar's room. He glances in horror, as he looks at the dead bodies scattered around his son's room. He can feel Weimar's presence inside the room, warning the intruders of what was to come to them in such an abrupt time.

"Father." For the first time in German Empire's life, he flinches, afraid of the voice from behind him. Rapidly, like a hunter caught in his own trap, he turns, to find Weimar, glowing with a brand new aura, an aura of evil and a sense of a brand new coming, to wipe all away with one drain.

German Empire decides to face his son, the son who had done horrendous crimes right in front of his eyes, but he decides not to see that, as he comes face-to-face again with tired but innocent eyes looking back at him.

German Empire, without thinking about his decisions, embraces Weimar warmly, to the point his son could hardly breathe.

German Empire was saved from yet another nightmare by the shrill screams from below the floors. He wouldn't say he was saved by the screams - this was even worse than seeing Austria-Hungary's decapitated head - it was more of a nightmare in real life. A darker nightmare, one he couldn't just wake up from and find solitude from one of the cigars in his cupboards, no. This was something he can never escape, and the first thing he does is check Weimar's room.

He races through the hallway, feet thudding and making the worn floorboards creek under him, as if screaming a song they can never unhear, and screeches to a stop just in front of Weimar's door.

German Empire can't understand what is happening to his son, to his only child who he loves to the point he'd rather die than seeing his son's body, but he knows that it was those annoying and unpleasant political parties trying to murder Weimar and use his body as revenge. He's seen revolutions, full scale ones, he's seen the revolutions revolving and rotating to the point the person representing the land still retains aspects of themselves.

He opens the door, sweating with anxiety. German Empire wanted to deny that Weimar had turned evil, after an opposing party had come to destroy his party. Before turning the door knob, however, he hears someone stepping behind him, but before he could react or scream out in fright, he is hit with the sensation of death trying to tear him apart, and him dropping to the floor.

Cold air wakes German Empire up, as he drowsily opens his eyes only to find darkness. He can feel someone carrying him, without grunting or making noise, like he was only a suitcase meant to pack and store away to some cruise ship, which will eventually hit an iceberg and sink ever so slowly into the ocean, knowing that Death's clock is ticking, and the people on the ship had no time to lose, jumping into the water to evade a sinking death, but freezing due to the ice cold climate.

German Empire, despite his head still hurting from the blow to the back of his head, tries to struggle, but it seems that, by smart choice, he is binded by strong ropes, and he can feel them depriving him of his movements and air. He stops struggling, knowing that the only way to face his incoming death is with courage, and hope. Hope that he can see Austria-Hungary again. He can feel Austria-Hungary's aura around the air, and German Empire, maybe out of either desperation or desolation from removing the love of his life from this world, screams, and he hears the echo coming right back to him. German Empire didn't cry, despite his heart slowing their beats for Austria-Hungary, he will not cry. He won't cry teardrops that'd only be frozen in the air.

The person carrying him makes a stop, and German Empire can hear the sounds of ships and boats. They were going to kill him the same way the Allies killed all his friends. They didn't kill Austria-Hungary like that- they opted for a more cruel way of killing him right in front of German Empire's eyes. The person starts walking again, right next to an old and miniature boat, and German Empire can feel his stomach churning, wanting to empty itself.

The opportunity never came, as it seems his time is up. The minutes, then hours, travel around German Empire so fast, to think that one revolution around the sun would only be like a day to him, a revolve around it an hour to him. The days of his youth, his teens, and adulthood blur into one, the Great War now just a scar and an unpleasant memory, that will pop up in his mind from time to time with no warning. He can see Death now, holding his scythe in one hand, and a contract that German Empire will sign, once he's stopped breathing, once he can't think anymore, once he's just gone. He turns to face the man who had brought him to his doom, and his heart breaks the second time in only a decade.

"Oh, Weimar", German Empire says, shaking his head rapidly from side to side, knowing that the day Weimar would snap is near. "How did we end up like this?"

Weimar's emotionless blue eyes glint with fury, ambition, and madness. His lips curl up to an ear-splitting grin, as he looks st his father. "To finally seek vengeance on those who wronged me."

German Empire rapidly shakes his head, biting his lower lip in the process. "We don't need our vengeance to be grest again, Weimar. Please, come back to me."

Weimar laughs, closing his eyes, as if his father's anguish is such a thing to laugh about. "How much do you not understand? I am not Weimar, he is gone from this place. I am irreversible, and I will be the salvation to all Germans."

With that, Weimar abruptly stands, and, without warning, pushes a dagger through German Empire, and the latter chokes, pain surging up inside him, like a dozen bows finally hitting him at one point. His son, his own son, finally pushes him off the boat, and into the saltwater, and German Empire holds his breath. He flinches and tries not to scream as his fresh wound comes to contact with saltwater, someone puncturing and forcing pressure into it. German Empire can see crimson blood, running from his wound, and floating into the dark blue waters.

His lungs run out of air desperate to breathe, and he trashes around, trying to float towards the midnight sky dancing upon him. He can feel the pain on his body increasing, and German Empire releases his breath and inhales the saltwater, its content puncturing his chest and lungs with a thousand knives. He can feel himself dying, limbs going slack, body going rigid, lungs feeling in with water and the stab wound bleeding out too much blood.

Before he can see darkness again, this time irreversible, he can feel Austria-Hungary's hands embracing him one last time.

#writing #mine #Countryhumans #countryhumans second german empire #countryhumans weimar germany #countryhumans past germany #HEADCANNON #i wrote this on my phone #sorry for remaining typos

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rkjxy · 5 years ago

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──── k.arma september 2019 schedule ╳ weekly idol guest appearance ❞

she approaches everything with slight trepidation—feeling somewhat out of her element despite the fact that she’s completely looking forward to what they’re about to do. joy considers herself as the type of girl who knows where her strengths and weaknesses lie. today’s venture definitely falls on the weakness part of her spectrum and she knows better than to put her entire being forward.

unless she wants to embarrass herself completely by the end of the day, that is.

the setup was as daunting in person as it looks intriguing on television. the ever famous white walls of the basement location has been home to a few famous faces and soon enough, theirs would grace it as well. she tries not to feel too intimidated by the fact that appearances here had exposed its guest to a plethora of opportunities and simultaneously, bad press. like any other rookie, she wants to impress everyone who would turn on their television come that day when their episode would be released. yet at the same time, she fears that she would have too boring of a personality to unleash that kind of impression on anyone.

be kind, her subconscious speaks to her. after all, this is only their first variety show appearance and she can’t possibly expect everyone to fall in love with her at first glance. some things are hard earned and considering her lack of variety talents, she should expect that hardly any eyes would fall onto her as the show goes on.

when the camera starts rolling, she watches with amazement as the hosts kick off the show with such ease. they were all huddled to the side, forming one line as they wait for themselves to be introduced. when the camera pans to them, she’s all wide smiles and clapping hands as they walk quickly to position themselves in the center. she’s flushed, nervous, shy, and excited all the same.

“—hello, we are k.arma!”

there’s a lot of teasing with regards to the fact that they have never appeared in any other variety show before this. then they laughed, words were exchanged and before she knew it, the attention was on her. introduce yourself in a minute, the host says. she’s flustered but because she’s talkative, it didn’t take her a half-second to think about what she wants to say.

“hello! i’m k.arma’s dancing queen, kil. just like my name, i’m someone full of killing charms on stage and happy laughters off stage. um, i was born in athens, greece but six years ago i moved to seoul to pursue my idol dreams. my favourite food is seollongtang and the greek good baklava! i’m very happy to be here!”

it was a dysfunctional introduction at best but joy thinks it fits well enough. in one go, she was able to explain what she hopes to highlight with her stagename—the duality in the way that she shows herself off to the masses. she smiles widely afterwards and waves enthusiastically to the camera. exposing a sliver of her background isn’t something she’s particularly wary of and she hopes that it would make their fans feel closer to her. maybe telling something about herself now would open more doors for her to connect with them in the future. she can only hope that any incriminating information about her past were tightly tucked away in the corners of her deepest secrets and something that no one can ever pull apart.

afterwards, things pass by in a blur. more segments were introduced and in doing so, they had to attempt at singing ticket in a capella. watching them try multiple times and subsequently fail at it was amusing and she feels she’s laughed so much already she probably couldn’t laugh even more. yet when some of the members proceeds to showcase their tiger jk impressions, she had to clutch her stomach to prevent it from hurting from all the laughing she has done. there’s a sense of achievement when they emerge from another round of a capella singing with absolute success, officially determining no playboy as an easier a capella piece. then finally, her most awaited part arrives.

joy cannot deny that she’s watched multiple episodes of the show and longed for when she can finally take part in the famed random dance play. she’s filled with nothing but excitement as she and the girls huddle together in preparation for the game. the prizes were set but even more, she’s looking forward to experiencing what the fuss is all about. she’s steady where she stands, waiting for the first song to come through and when she hears it, it didn’t take her long to rush to where she should be. immediately, she’s dancing and pays little mind to what’s going on around her. it’s hard though, when the mc’s were being distracting and she can hear the flustered reactions and laughters of her members. despite her seriousness, she laughs too whenever a new song breaks out, glances every now and then to make sure that her position is correct. when the first mistake was announced, she playfully groans. “unnie!” she complains with a lighthearted smile, making sure that the older member knows she’s just kidding by giving their arm a tight squeeze or a sideways hug. when the hammer falls on the member’s head, she gasps loudly in equal parts surprise and worry, hands flying to her mouth to cover it. she feels bad for them, and in one instance when she sees that sohee’s eyes watered slightly from what she assumes is pain from the hard hit, joy immediately rushes forward and envelops the older and smaller girl in a tight hug.

unsurprisingly, they fail at the game. yet that didn’t stop her from feeling exceptionally lighthearted and evidently happy. she enjoyed it nonetheless and it didn’t matter that they wouldn’t receive their prizes. afterwards, they were ushered into chairs to discuss the profiles they wrote prior to the show. joy watches the entertainment unfold, laughing, cheering, smiling, and at times cringing, until they get to her part.

she was asked to speak in greek, given that it’s a talent she wrote that in her profile despite it being her first language. she can only happily oblige, choosing to say “our first variety show appearance is going well and i’m very happy!” in her mother tongue with the ease and fluency that no one probably expected from someone with such east asian features as her. she smiles brightly, translating her phrase into korean when the hosts asked for it. afterwards, they move forward and she’s asked about what she means when she says she can do a combination of hip hop and contemporary dancing. she explains, “it’s like when combining the sharp and quick movements of hip hop with the tenderness, flexibility, and more emotional approach of contemporary. it’s like moving more in-tune with the music.” it was a logical explanation but still, she was asked to show it. with a gleeful smile on her lips, she walks up to the middle and completely transforms as she performs te emo with a self-choreographed piece. it was as though she was heartbroken even when she’s not, as if she’s feeling an onslaught of heavy emotions even when at the moment, she’s perfectly elated. dancing like so always feels like an out-of-body experience but she enjoys it with such fervour passion. when she finishes, cutting it short by wrapping up as soon as the chorus fades into the background, she bows and laughs softly. they clap around her and she floats in easy happiness.

afterwards, everything speeds up. they all go through the remaining members’ profiles and then finally, the twice speed dancing. as soon as she hears their song sped up twice more than normal, she can’t help but break out into a loud laughter. after she’s gotten her amusement out, she moves quickly. eyes focused, she moves from one position to another. they’ve practiced for so many times already that the performing the choreography even with it being sped up feels like second nature already. by the time they’ve reached the second chorus, she’s ready to fall down. it’s exhausting being asked to move quickly and she breathes heavily through her nose and makes grunting sounds as they reach the conclusion of the task. with her hair a mess and her breathing laboured, the song ends. the success and their prize in the end makes it all worth it.

all in all, she thinks it was an amazing experience. their first variety show appearance emerged as a striking success and she cannot wait for all of their fans to see it. this would always have a special place in her heart and one that would certainly benchmark all of what’s more to come.

#solo #k.arma:sep19 #fiery ─ 카르마 *#era ─ ticket *#trcfeat;#wc; 1469

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tigerlilynoh · 5 years ago

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Almost Got ‘em

Written for the 2019 @spnsummergen. Rating: G Featuring: Original characters, and a couple familiar faces Word Count: 3,143 Warnings: foul language Author's Notes: The prompt was “Early season - demons in hell plotting to take the Winchesters down.” I was immediately inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Almost Got ‘im.” Summary: Deep in the depths of Hell, a group of demons discuss the two latest pains in their collective ass: Sam and Dean Winchester. Rumor is that the brothers had found the Colt and even killed a demon. Of course, rumors are just big talk— yet a pair of demons patiently listen; their plan is already in action.

Two figures made their way through the halls of the third lowest dungeon in Hell. As they walked the jagged stone walls seemed to close in around them, but their petite, female forms prevented the blade-like rock from tearing at their temporary flesh. Even if they were injured it would be of no importance; they were demons and there was a meeting that they very much wanted to attend.

Both were wearing lean, blonde women who might’ve been mistaken for sisters, but that was the limit of their outward similarity. The slightly older of them wore a gauzy, white dress that, when combined with her delicate steps, gave her the air of a drifting spirit. Her partner was another story. The younger demon’s black combat boots thudded with every step, announcing her presence. Her attire was entirely leather—the cow sort, not human—dyed dark enough to hide spilled blood.

Neither of them said a word as they approached the auxiliary dungeon rumored to be containing an unusual sort of rendezvous. The pair didn’t have anything more to discuss for the moment. They both knew their immediate goals, responsibilities, and when push came to shove, which of them was in charge. They damn well better have known. Between the two of them, they’d spent over a decade putting their respective pieces in order and double-checking their work.

When they reached the unmarked door that they’d heard whispers about, the demon in the white dress pushed it open without hesitation. She stepped through the door with an unassuming demeanor. Her colleague followed her, studying the contents of the chamber with a wary eye.

Inside there were eight lesser demons standing or sitting around a storage room. Three racks had been laid out flat, then pushed together to create an improvised conference table. Five of the occupants were perched on crates of acid, steel nails, and other implements of pain. The remaining three leaned against the far wall, cautiously keeping some distance.

A brutish-looking man with pasty skin, a pronounced brow, and stringy black hair glared at the newcomers from the opposite side of the table. He stared with the intensity of someone who had taken charge—he certainly didn’t hold any noteworthy rank as evidenced by his badly calloused hands that hinted at many decades or centuries of wielding a whip, the shoddy ones meant for working souls.

In a low growl he asked the two women, “What do you want?”

“We heard that this is the place to be if you truly hate the Winchesters,” answered the elder one.

He stared at them for a moment before replying, “Get inside and shut the fucking door.”

The pair entered, closing the door behind them. From the way that everyone turned their attention to a stout demon sitting on a box labeled ‘spiders’ they assumed that it was his turn to speak. The two women settled themselves on a non-technically-iron maiden that was lying along one of the walls as if it were a bench.

The stout demon resumed addressing his audience. “So then I tore the cow apart—six chunks, big ones but still enough to spread around, and some smaller hunks. You don’t want to waste it by piling the whole cow in one corner of the room. You might as well not bother cutting the damn thing up—Anyway, I hung pieces of it throughout the house.” The sound of scuttling inside the box he was sitting on filled the room as he fumed for a moment in anger. “It’s a classic omen! It’s a horror! And the older of the brothers makes a joke about hamburgers!”

“So disrespectful,” muttered a female demon with hollow eyes and frayed white hair. Several demons nodded in agreement with her comment.

“That kind of work takes time,” complained the portly demon. “I’m not a high-caste demon. I can’t just wave my hand and make things move. Do you have any idea how long it takes to cut up a cow? And the first cleaver broke and I had to find a store—”

“Was it a vegetable cleaver?” asked the lean demon with a mangled left arm and long, frizzy brown hair sitting next to him. When he looked up at her face in confusion, she rested her hand on his thigh, then said in a soft voice, “Milmont, sweetie, two kinds of cleavers. Vegetable ones aren’t made for bone.”

“I don’t fucking believe this,” muttered a red-haired demon. He was dressed like Billy Idol but his rosy cheeks undercut the attempt at an edgy look. “Did you fight them or not?”

“I fought them!” Milmont replied indignantly. “I had a knife—”

“Paring or bread?”

“—and I swung at the older one’s neck.”

One of the demons standing in the shadows noted aloud, “Swung means a miss. You got your ass kicked.”

The stoat demon flustered a bit before reluctantly explaining, “He shot me in the chest with rock salt and hit me in the face with his gun—”

“You fell on your ass,” guessed the red-headed demon.

“The younger brother can perform an exorcism really fast,” Milmont said while shifting, jostling the box of spiders.

“You shouldn’t have gone after them,” said the brutish leader of the group. “You’re too weak.”

The stout demon glared as he hissed, “I have every right to go after the prey I choose. I’m allowed to prove myself!” He waved his hand at the rest of the room as he asked, “How many of you have been exorcised by them? If you’re here bitching about the Winchesters on your weekly one-hour break, yeah, I’m guessing they made you look like an idiot too.”

Several of the demons nodded in acknowledgement of the point or murmured agreement. The leader let out a small grumble as he reached into an open crate next to him. He pulled out an unlabeled bottle containing reddish-tawny liquid, then yanked the black cork from it with his teeth. After taking a swig, he handed it to Milmont.

“Corceo.” The stout demon toasted him before having a sip.

“You’re lucky that you were only exorcised,” the hollow-eyed woman told him while reaching out, wordlessly asking for a drink. Milmont passed it to her and she took a sip before continuing. “Rumor has it they possess the Colt.”

“Dajhila, they don’t have the Colt,” replied the demon with the bad arm. “I brawled with them ten days ago and they didn’t shoot me.”

“Maybe you aren’t worth the bullets?” jabbed the rosy-cheeked punk.

With her good hand, she picked a knife up off the ground and stabbed it into the wooden table in front of her, inviting him to fight.

Corceo, the leader, hit the table, drawing everyone’s attention. “Tisha, don’t carve Frey a new asshole. He has plenty already,” he joked, earning a chuckle from one of the demons watching from the wall. “The fact is that they had the gun. They killed Tom.”

“Tom was an idiot,” huffed Frey. “The only reason he wasn’t wading through viscera like the rest of us was because he was Azazel’s son.”

“Apparently he was attacking Sam, and Dean shot him,” Dajhila explained. “There were witnesses.”

Frey shrugged indifferently at Tom’s death. “Silver-spooned nepotist should’ve been the one to get his ass beat before he got shot.”

“I’m fine with the younger Winchester getting that bludgeoning,” interjected Tisha. She snarled, “You know that little shit is a psychic? I was so close to killing them. It took me three weeks to lure them to this abandoned insane asylum. I’d murdered twenty people in there—six hunters came before the brothers finally took the bait. That’s the shit I had to deal with in order to roll out the red carpet for those thick-brained, underwear-model-looking—“

“They aren’t that good looking,” said Milmont.

“They are,” countered Corceo. “Now let her finish or I’ll tear your fucking tongue out.”

Dajhila with the hollow eyes quietly said, “We should’ve kept the talking stick.”

Frey held up the pointy, splintered remains of a blood-stained wooden dowel that had evidently been used to stab someone. The woman shrugged, conceding that it had worked better in theory than in practice. The red-haired demon tossed it aside, grabbed the bottle of alcohol from where it had settled on the table, then gestured to their current storyteller.

Tisha waited a beat to see if anyone would interrupt her before continuing. “I swear on my life, that Sam kid really is a psychic. They knew it was a trap. I’m sitting there with a semi-automatic rifle—I’m not fucking around—and all of a sudden the sprinklers are raining holy water.” Her lips curled downward at the memory as she snarled, “Sam used a megaphone from the parking lot to exorcise me. I only got to see their faces as my cloud was getting dragged back down.”

“Jesus,” exhaled Frey. “A megaphone… and you had a rifle.”

“What weapon did you go after them with?” asked Tisha.

He thought for a moment before finally admitting, “A big rock.” Everyone stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter, so he added, “Sometimes simple is best. We’re stronger than them and there was a big rock right there that I could throw— It was a tactical decision.”

“With genius thinking like that, it’s no wonder we can’t catch a break against them,” said Corceo.

Dajhila commented, “The only good news is that the dad, John, he died two months ago.”

“John Winchester, hunter savante— That piece of shit finally dropped?” Milmont looked around, eyes wide with excitement. “What did ‘im in?”

“I do not know.” The hollow-eyed woman crossed her bony arms. “Margot, down in processing, says his file is classified, but it is there.”

Frey leaned forward with interest. “File— We got him? Fucker isn’t playing a harp?”

“In the pit as we speak,” she replied smuggly. “Rumor is that Alastair’s working him personally.”

“Alastair?” asked Corceo. “They’re breaking out the Grand Torturer himself for a Winchester?”

Tisha nodded slowly to herself as she put together a few pieces. “Well, he is classified.”

The two women silently observing from their place on the iron maiden exchanged a knowing glance. The one in leather subtly placed her hand on a bulge by her belt that was obscured by her jacket, but the woman in the white dress discreetly shook her head and gestured for her to wait. At the order, the younger demon gave a quick roll of her eyes before relaxing her posture. By the time they’d turned their attention back to the meeting, the conversation had switched back to discussing different methods of pursuing the still-living brothers.

“Dean is a hedonist,” commented Dajhila. “Take a meatsuit with a figure as an hourglass and lay yourself in his path.”

Tisha raised an eyebrow. “You really think he’s going to fall for something like that?”

“He’s young and proud.”

Tisha countered, “He’s a paranoid with low self-esteem—“

“Here we go,” muttered Milmont.

“—You all think they’re heroes out of a fucking Greek epic, but they’re just men—feeble, petty little things—“

“Little,” Frey scoffed. “Have you even seen them?”

Tisha slammed her fist on the table. “They are mortal children, too absorbed by their grief and self-pity—Yes, they are little, but that makes them paranoid, partially-psychic, sneaky cunts who use megaphones.” She paused a moment to look around the table at the others, then said, “And maybe they don’t have it now or maybe I wasn’t worth the bullets, but they know about the Colt. They know how to kill us— Kill, not exorcise.”

After a brief, pensive silence, Milmont asked, “When was the last time you heard of one of us getting killed? Cain going nuts and turning traitor? That was almost 150 years ago—Earth time.”

Corceo nodded. “Half the crew in my dungeon wasn’t even turned back then. The sniveling pups thought we were immortal until they heard the news: the fucking Winchesters killed Tom.”

There was a grumble of shared frustration at the indignity. Humans had managed to kill demons, for the first time in over a century—and the bastards hadn’t even had the decency to stick around long enough to be killed in return.

“We have to stop them,” said Milmont quietly.

Frey scoffed. “Have you been listening or are ya’ as dense as iron?”

“Oh, choke on a ball of blades,” Tisha hissed.

The red-haired demon waved his arms, sarcastically miming fear.

“Save it. The enemy is up there.” Corceo waited to see if anyone would interrupt, then continued. “I’m tired of all this theatrical, solo bullshit. We murder them in their sleep. If they salt the door, we use guns. If they ward the building, burn it down. Fucking drive an oil tanker truck into them—this is war. So how do we find them?”

Milmont replied, “Since their dad died, my denmate, Bahshin, spotted them a few times with another hunter: male, middle-aged, reddish-brown greying hair and beard, baseball cap, one of those grizzled sorts.”

Tisha nodded. “I know the one. His name is Bobby—don’t know the last name. I’ve run into him and his partner a few times. He sticks to the north central U.S. Rural looking, lots of plaid. He had an old truck.”

“Fucking hick hunters,” muttered Frey.

The woman in leather sitting along the wall wordlessly withdrew a small notebook and pen from her pocket, then wrote down, “Margot: soul processing department grunt,” and “Bahshin: den-dweller, has an Earth pass.”

Corceo eyed the two silent newcomers from his place at the table. “Taking notes? Dainty little things like you gonna go gunning for the big bad Winchesters?” He laughed. “Well get in fucking line. You come here, don’t say shit, and crib off our hard work— How close have you come to offing them? What makes you so cocky you’re gonna be the ones to kill the bastards?”

The woman with the notepad gestured to her partner, inviting her to address the challenge. The demon in white stood up and smiled, unconcerned by the hostile attitude of the others in the room.

“We haven’t tried to kill them,” she replied. “And we have a plan, the likes of which history has never seen.”

“Ready to shared with the class?” Frey asked. “What brilliant plan are you two peons gonna try?”

“We’re gonna give them what they really want.”

Corceo’s eyes passed over the two women. “A pair of eager-to-please blondes in suggestive clothes?”

The woman in the white dress corrected him. “The only one we’re eager to please is our lord, Lucifer.”

A few of the demons chuckled at the absurd statement. Lucifer was a fairytale, as much as God and angels were to the humans.

“I’ll bite.” Corceo’s mouth curled into an amused grin, punctuated by the occasional barbed fangs. “What are you gonna give them?”

“We’re gonna make them heroes.”

The demons around the table laughed outright at the reply.

“You’re going to make them heroes? Those hunter bastards know about the Colt. They killed Tom. They’ve been exorcising us.” He placed his hands on the table and stood up, ready to confront them. “The Winchesters aren’t scared of us—not the way they should be. We’re demons. That still means something. So I don’t know what crazy scheme you’re thinking up, but it isn’t happening. They don’t get to be heroes. They die.”

“They’ll die when we—” She gestured to her partner “—say they die.”

“Looks like we have something of a race on our hands.” Cerceo walked up to her and stood so that they were only a few inches apart. A head taller than her, he glared down at her before hissing, “You think you can beat me to them?”

Her eyes turned white, causing his jaw to drop. “Child you’re busy boasting and we’re on step fifteen.” Lilith waved her right hand, locking the door to the room. In a quick backhanding gesture, she threw Corceo against the far wall, then turned to look at her companion. “Ruby.”

Ruby stood up and smiled as she drew her knife from the holster on her belt. She systematically worked her way through the room, killing the others while her partner held them in place with telekinesis. Afterward, she placed the bodies on the table, then rested her palms on the topmost corpse. A few lines of Aramaic later, blue flame engulfed the bodies, destroying the evidence.

While watching the fire, Lilith asked, “Is Meg ready?”

“She’s still running recon on the other children. In terms of pressure points so far: four have lovers, eight of them are close to a parent, and we have a few like Sam where the sibling could be an incentive. As of yesterday, she was watching the stoner with imprinting telepathy to figure out his achilles’ heel.” Ruby wiped her bloody blade on the sleeve of her jacket to clean it while asking, “Did you take care of Crowley?”

“I encouraged several of his aides to let a few deals lapse. Numbers are down. He’s dying to get a big deal.” Lilith looked at her. “The second Dean Winchester’s soul comes across his desk, he’ll sign off on the contract just to get his name on something. The grubby-fingered broker didn’t check the fine print on John; why should the son be any different? I’ll hold Dean’s contract and the moment he bites it, he’ll get expedited delivery to Alastair’s dungeon. No official processing. No gossip—” She gestured to the smoldering remains of the demon who had accidentally outed Margot as a leak in the processing department. “—No mistakes this time.”

Ruby huffed an unamused laugh. “The two of us sure as hell won’t have time to clean up any messes once this show gets rolling. Round one we could afford to have things go a little sideways. Once we pop up on Sam’s radar, that’s it. We’re in, and I’m not coming back downstairs on a fucking milk run.”

“It will all turn out,” Lilith assured her. “Our lord wills his return. He cannot be denied.”

Ruby didn’t reply to the pious statement. Instead she studied the charred racks in front of them. “I know he’s your mentor and we couldn’t have done this without him, but Azazel can’t survive this. You know that, right?”

Lilith nodded. “When he finishes aligning his pawns, he’ll throw the fight. He knows how important it is that Sam’s anger be directed solely at me. That means clearing the field for the next generation of nemeses.”

“Don’t worry,” Ruby placed her hand on her partner’s shoulder. “When I’m done with him, Sam will be foaming at the mouth to kill you.”

“I envy you,” Lilith sighed. “You’ll live to see our lord. It’s going to be beautiful.”

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If you enjoyed this story, check out my Sam/Ruby Fic Masterlist or my Full Fic Masterlist.

#my fic #spn fic #spn fanfic #spn fanfiction #Supernatural fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #spn #supernatural #spn ruby #ruby #lilith

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