#five doesn't have anybody who understands his experience

[sgiandubh]

Anon rebelde.

A Cait le ha costado pero ha aprendido como intentar hacer creíble su relación con Tony aunque el sigue tan poco colaborativo como se ve en el vídeo de IFTA

No hay llegada a los premios porque la ultima vez, el papel de guardabrigo de Tony a la salida del coche de Cait quedó bien patente y ese paso atrás como buen asistente ha quedado para la historia.

No hay desfile en la Red Carpet con Tony porque la velocidad de Cait para alejarse de el saben que es carne de gifs.

Las manos de Tony debajo de la mesa porque sus últimos aplausos denotaban un cierto manierismo muy poco varonil.

Cait radiante, esperando el barrido de la cámara, mientras Tony parece ajeno a lo que sucede alrededor con una sonrisa que podríamos describir como una mueca.

En resumen, la enésima puesta en escena del circo Tait. Si aún hay alguien que compre entradas para ese espectáculo es su problema, no el nuestro.

Dear, dear Anon Rebelde,

¡Te extrañé! Bienvenida de nuevo, en uno de los momentos más bajos que parece que nos gustan con tanto masoquismo, de este lado de la valla. Pero primero, la traducción:

'It did cost Cait, but she learned how to try and make her relationship to Tony look credible, even if he still doesn't seem willing to collaborate, as the IFTA clip shows us.

There is no arrival at the awards because last year, Tony's role as coat handler when leaving Cait's car was blatantly obvious and that relegation to good assistant went on record.

There is no parade on the Red Carpet with Tony because of Cait's haste in getting away from him. They know it's gif material.

Tony's hands are under the table because last year's applause denoted a certain, very unmanly, mannerism.

Cait beams, waiting for the camera to pan, while Tony seems oblivious to what is happening around him, with a smile that could rather be described as a grimace.

In short, the umpteenth staging of the Tait circus. If there is still someone who buys tickets for that show, it is their problem, not ours.'

I overall agree, as always, with your very balanced evaluation of the current state of play. But I also think tickets for that particular show will always be a hot sale in this fandom, either because it will be just up some people's alley (Mordor - I am amazed at the stupidity of their discussing the concept and some of them never heard of Tolkien: mind boggles), or because of the collective trauma/Stockholm syndrome many of us, here, still display. What I mean by that is very simple: for eight years now, we, shippers have been hostages of that Narrative and when something happens along those lines, we will surely react, giving all its toxicity renewed space and airtime. I am not judging anybody, here, because this is only human (and to many, the trauma is palpable) and there is nothing to judge. This is, however, a well-known group behavior dynamic that never fails to deliver. What she did was simply to double down on her PDA. But the experiment failed, because even five years after that Remarkable Week-end, the man still can't be arsed to show any organic enthusiasm or even involvement in his whereabouts. Cue in the SC nostalgia pic galore on shipping blogs and I have to say I am not really a fan: it just fuels that disco inferno cycle and exposes us to the same old, vile criticism, when the core of the shipping belief system is to be found elsewhere. Again, not judging anyone, just trying to understand behavior patterns, here.

Plus, I am really sorry, but he has been looking all sorts of terrible for quite a while, now. Blaming the camera angle (cortisone bloating) or the lighting systems is as mendacious and idiotic as the people circulating it. This kind of free propaganda is also known by all the interested parties and it also never fails to deliver, for many reasons it would be useless to further analyze.

Looking forward to read your witty take on things next time, darling. Siempre un placer leerte, corazon.

[kairiscorner]

May art thou request a Model!Miguel x Reader? Really love all your work. :D

OHHHHH OFC MY LOVELY 💖💖💖 yk, if you want, you can send a more custom request for that pairing/prompt :D BUTTTTT I HAVE AN IDEA, AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT 🤭

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

model!miguel o'hara x gn!make up artist!reader (headcanons and drabbles)

model!miguel is just your average guy behind all the advertisements and publicity this beautiful man gets. he lives his life one day at a time, having less free time than anybody else, even though he doesn't work a 9 to 5 job or have any family or partners that need tending to right away.

model!miguel used to live alone, in a quaint little apartment, catch the morning and afternoon trains to and from his previous job as an intern at alchemax. he hated it there, he felt so suffocated working at a place like that—and though he didn't have much trust in the modeling industry, he took it anyway, because posing for a camera in different poses and outfits was much more preferable than doing inhumane experiments on human subjects.

model!miguel was never the talkative type; he had a mouth that sprinted as opposed to just running, and he was usually really quiet and reserved when not bothered nor spoken to.

model!miguel was that distant co-worker of your model friends, and they always praised and complimented him for his looks, his ability to improvise, and to always captivate the camera readers, the audience; though the only complaints they had was that he never wanted to do anything outside of work, never wanted to talk to anybody... but you, who he found interest in for one thing.

model!miguel met you, a makeup artist for a bunch of amateur models, scrambling from here and there just to get back an eyeshadow palette you lent to the one doing his makeup. you were so out of breath and exhausted by the time you got to his dressing room, you looked like you ran a marathon to get there.

model!miguel couldn't understand a word of what you said, he looked at you in confusion as you wearily pointed to the eyeshadow palette you needed, and a few brushes you forgot to take back from them. "these?" he asked you as he takes the eyeshadow palette and the brushes you were pointing towards. you nod and wobble over to him, nearly falling into his arms as you stumbled; and you did, you did stumble—but he caught you.

model!miguel had amazing reflexes, and... an amazing body to boot. you were as light as a feather in his big, muscular arms–they were a lovely, brown tan with specks of gold when the light hit his skin; his lips were voluptuous, you wondered if they were natural because you've never quite seen lips like those, and... and his eyes–your friends were right, he was captivating, in every sense of the word.

model!miguel held you up and tried keeping you up on your feet, holding your hands so you wouldn't wobble over. "easy now." he whispered repeatedly as you slowly regained your balance and tried shaking the fatigue off. "hard to believe someone actually gives a shit in this place about their job, the makeup artist for me just dashed off the minute some younger model with dimples showed up and forgot all about me." he said with a frustrated huff. you asked miguel if his makeup was already done, to which he chuckled and shook his head at.

model!miguel sighed as he checked the time on his watch, it was five minutes until the shoot, and he wasn't even prepared in the slightest. "well, guess i'll be checking out job listings later. i can't deal with this anymore, it's humiliating." he breathed out in exhaustion as he went on his phone to check for online job listings.

model!miguel least expected the feeling of two smaller hands on the sides of his face, they were cold and a little moist, but they were definitely soft. he heard you muttering under your breath as you reached for some powder and a compact puff. you hesitated, remembering you weren't supposed to handle more popular models–that someone else was going to take care of his makeup for him... right?

model!miguel looked at you with a raised eyebrow, expecting you to do something. "um... you gonna do anything or...?" he asked you, snapping you out of your hesitated trance and stuttering out how you were a mere amateur at being a makeup artist—you didn't feel right doing his makeup when someone else was in charge of you. miguel sighed and gently held your wrist, bringing your hand closer to his face.

model!miguel had a soft expression on his face as he looks up at you. "i seriously don't think they're gonna come back on time before the shoot, it's not worth it to wait for someone who can't even remember you were here." he muttered as you looked back at him, feeling a little struck by his words in a way you couldn't describe, couldn't put your finger on. "sorry, did i overstep a boundary? you, um... you don't have to do it, though, i'll tender my resigna—" you agreed to do it.

model!miguel stayed silent as you puffed some powder on his face to keep him looking all matte and not glossy, to give him a more... natural look, as you would put it. you didn't put any makeup on him, you figured that putting any makeup on a man as gorgeous as him to look 'more appealing to the camera' was a damned crime. you combed through his hair though and told him he looked amazing, in about eight different ways.

model!miguel was surprised; you were nothing like the makeup artists he had before you, who were all stuck-up and did as they were told to, slather makeup on the models and send them off to the set. he knew you were actually passionate about what you did, you had a keen eye for beauty, natural beauty—and you smiled, enjoyed it at every moment you could.

model!miguel thanked you for freshening him up, with you telling him it was no problem, while smoothing out the creases on his shirt—even though that wasn't going to be what he was going to wear—you wanted him to look good, and feel good, by everything you did for him.

model!miguel appreciated your help, though he never really noticed small gestures and things done for him like that before, he now has a sort of throbbing feeling in his chest and a hot fuzzy feeling on his cheeks when he felt your hands roam across his chest, abdomen, and shoulders as you tried smoothing out his shirt. he liked the feeling of your hands, the little tongue flicks you do when focusing, and the little grins you show off when you get all excited and happy about something—but the mundane and exciting parts of the day.

model!miguel cleared his throat as he began to thank you, but faltering in embarrassment as he realized he never asked for your name. you introduced your name to him and instinctively reached a hand out for his—feeling all bashful now because you literally spent five minutes in the dressing room with him and not even telling him your name, introducing yourself like you were a stranger to him all over again. "what a... wonderful name you have. i'll definitely remember this one, i won't let my poor attention to names get the best of me when it comes to you," he told you, adding your name with a sweet smile at the end. it was a brief smile, a brief, tender moment that made you smile, as well.

you may not know it, but, when you two stepped out of that dressing room and went your separate ways... he hopes he can ask you for more than your name, more than just what makeup would look good on him for the next shoot—he wanted to ask you if you were interested in... going with him to the park maybe, and just, sit on a bench with a couple of coffees in your hands and get away from all the cameras, attention, and just breathe with him for a bit.

tags !! @miguelswifey04 @hearts4gabri @hisachuu @wreakingmarveloushavok @fictarian @yuridopted0 @simsrandomstuff @luvstarrstruck @popeheywardssecretgf @meeom @arachnoia @melovetitties @fable-library @ophanimgold @smokeywhalee @capnshtfce

[melit0n]

EUCLID ANALYSIS.

Told you guys it was coming, didn't I? I apologise that this has taken a bit longer than expected, my mental health hit me like a bullet train, but I do hope it's sufficient.

Part one -> You're already here!

Part two -> Line by line analysis part 1

Part three -> Line by line analysis part 2

Part four -> Musical/intrumental notes

Part five -> The Night in Sleep Token

Part six -> Conclusion

Please note this is a general analysis. Although I do go into theories, both my own and others, this is just general thoughts. Also note when I speak of Vessel, I mean Vessel as a character, not the person, unless I specifically state so.

Tagline: @rilllvri @a-s-levynn @fivewholeminutes @euclidsvessel @tonguetyd @moonchild-in-blue @kkarmatic @branches-in-a-flood

+ Some people were worried about spam liking/reblogging the last time I did one of these big analysis posts, and I want to say please don't worry about that! I get happy when I see the same users pop up liking and reblogging my work, because it means you're interested in this enough to go through the whole thing. Feel completely free to add your own thoughts, correct any errors I've made etc. As per usual, my DMs are completely open to anybody wanting to discuss ST <3

Let's start off with the basics. ‘Euclid’ is the anglicised version of the Greek name Eukleídes (Εὐκλείδης), mainly known via the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid of Alexandria, who is seen as the ‘father of geometry’, and most famous for his work on symmetry. Its general definition is something or someone who is renowned and or glorious (A) and the lesser known definition is something that is a copy of the same (B) (taken from Euclid’s ideas on symmetry), which we’ll come back to in a bit.

However, there is another Euclid in history that we’ll be referencing; Euclid of Megara. This Euclid, similar to our mathematician, was an ancient Greek Socratic (having been a pupil of Socrates) philosopher. I’ll be taking part of a text out of his Wikipedia article since his ideas have been explained thoroughly there.

(we'll be coming back to him soon)

First off, this is an incredibly interesting choice of name for a song. Outside of someone's maths and philosophy class, this name doesn't exist to most, so the fact it's been chosen at all is intriguing.

Vessel has shown time and time again he enjoys sometimes elaborate references in his art, an example being chemistry and biology in TPWBYT (most notable would probably be ‘Telomeres’), so, I think it would be easy to say that, whether it be a reference to Euclid the Mathematician or Euclid the philosopher, that said reference is understood and intended by Vessel.

So, let's start with our mathematician, shall we?

What I find interesting about Euclid of Alexandria is that his life and existence outside of his work on geometry is almost completely unknown. There's almost nothing known of him, as a person, other than where he spent half of his career (Alexandria; Egypt, hence his title), where he may have studied (Platonic academy) and a general idea of when he lived (around 300BC). What is known about this insanely famous man who created the foundations of symmetry is incredibly barebones. People take Euclid at face value for his work, just like Vessel (both as an artist, and a character).

Further, we, as listeners, don't have much of an understanding of who Vessel is other than being a mouthpiece of a deity known as Sleep, someone once human now grasping at the threads of humanity and someone sharing some of his struggles in life (both with Sleep and unknown people). Like Euclid, he is barebones, we take him at face value; a vessel. He is both a mouthpiece for Sleep, a mouthpiece for his own emotions (obviously) and a mouthpiece for us. His experiences transcend being just his, due to his anonymity, therefore allowing us to connect and express our own experiences. It's music for the sake of music; expression.

Now, having talked through Euclid as a person, it's time to talk about Euclid and his symmetry. Symmetry in shapes is 'reflections, rotations, translations, and combinations of these basic operations. Under an isometric transformation, a geometric object is said to be symmetric if, after transformation, the object is indistinguishable from the object before the transformation- a copy of the same’. So, of course, this means shapes like squares, rectangles, parallelograms and circles. Circles are a representation of infinity, wholeness, unity and loops. What does Euclid do? Loop itself (starts and ends with B major, which also happens to be the same chord that TNDNBTG starts with), and loops the three albums together, musically and lyrically.

Now, onto Euclid of Megara.

Euclid was born in Megara, Athens and was a follower of Socrates (sneaking into Athens to hear him speak, and he was also present during his death). He is most known for his philosophy that good is the knowledge of simply being and that the opposite of good does not exist, aka evil. The Good is described to be a perfect, eternal, and changeless Form, existing outside space and time. A form of Heaven without a God.

This idea could be linked lore-wise with Sleep Token; Sleep could, in a way, be The Good literally. Bliss. Further, with the idea that there is no actual opposite of good, then how can anything be bad? How can Sleep, as a deity, have bad intentions if there is no actual evil?

So far, with these two notable figures in mind, we can perceive Euclid as one of two ways (and there are more ways to come). Euclid can be seen as quite literally being a form of symmetry; a parallel that Vessel lays his life on because it brings all of the produced albums, all of his stories, together. Or, we can think of Euclid as Vessel. This brings me to @euclidsvessel's post on their theory on Euclid; what if Euclid was Vessel’s name before he became a vessel?

The theory that Euclid could be Vessel’s old name is not only extremely insightful, but very plausible as well. They explained their points very well in their original post, and I don't want to repeat what they’ve already said, so I do implore you to go read that! It's not detrimental to needing to understand this post, but I highly recommend it. Despite this, I am here to both support their argument and bring my own comparison. Take a look at the cover art for Euclid:

Let me repeat the lesser-known definition of Euclid; a copy of the same. A clone. A replacement. Held in the right hand is the decapitated head of Vessel's old (2nd gen.) mask. Specifically, the one that covers his mouth; the version that relinquishes the most amount of humanity. The album art is a representation of change portrayed in a symbolically gory way. Beheading, depending on the era you’re working from, symbolises both vengeance as well as a form of purification. By cutting off the head, you remove any ‘unholy’ thoughts. It's also among one of the most horrific and humiliating ways of killing someone (since it was typically done publicly, and sometimes the heads were placed on spikes of battlements as a warning).

Furthermore, there's a theory that's popped up a couple of times, lore-wise, that Vessel is not the first person to be turned into a vessel of Sleep, and he certainly won't be the last. So, considering the literal album art illustrates a replacement of Vessel, I’d say that theory is pretty much confirmed. In conclusion, the album art can either be interpreted as how Vessel will eventually be discarded and replaced by another vessel, or how Vessel himself will change, for better or for worse; clawing out of his own skin to become “someone new”.

So, to compare the idea of Euclid being Vessel’s old name, and to create the third perception of what or rather, who, Euclid is, what if Euclid will be the eventual replacement for Vessel?

[xylophone888]

actually headcanon: right after the agatean empire turned into a republic (maybe a federation or some other fancy word to describe not being a cruel tyranny anymore) open for trade rich people thought for some reason that they're gonna make an easy buck since "they just started trading so they must have zero experience" but were quickly disproven when they found out that over several centuries the agateans have created the most confusing disgustingly complicated viciously elaborate bureaucratic system in the entire history of the disc just because they had nothing else to do; any attempt to scam this government would be forced to go through at least fifteen different circles of paper and ink based hell controlled by people wearing square glasses and formal black and white attire strangely resemblant of the traditional clothing executioners wore before death penalty and all (known) methods of torture got banned... and then if even those found nothing the request to sell five tons of birch for three tons of gold landed right on twoflower's desk and no matter how naive this man is in interpersonal matters he knows precisely what birch is worth due to years of making sure he doesn't have to pay if the owner intentionally burns the entire forest down

in fact, these people know their worth ever since climbing out of the womb, trying to scam even the most average agatean will get you cussed out with some of the most detailed but uniquely non-obscene wordings known to anybody ever; they value themselves and their time and don't like getting lied to, that's why it was pretty easy to convince them the old empire deserved to be overthrown once they saw the first batch of foreigners come in not looking like cruel barbarian demons whatsoever; nowadays even the most conservative auntie will tell you that the old emperor was a total [redacted for legal reasons to avoid paying moral damages] and of course an absolute [redacted out of fear of invoking the emperors vengeful spirit] for trying to mess with his people about these weird backwards folks who had trouble understanding the most basic paper money before a wet guy made some for them

[esteebarnes94]

i don't know your ocs but ! general 4, 8, love 11, and domestic life 6 for the characters you mentioned in the tags? or anybody else if there is anyone else you wanna answer these for

Oh my gosh hi!!!! Thank you for the ask!! I will answer for (some of) the parents because I haven't introduced them yet. I'll answer for Janet and Anthony (Lola and Jack's parents).

General

4. Were they each other's first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

Janet is a bit older than Anthony so she's had more experience with relationships, but Anthony wasn't totally new to it when they met. They weren't each other's first anything in the typical sense, but they could be considered each other's first 'real' loves. Their past relationships were on a scale from 'okay' to 'not great', whereas now they're on the level of 'fucking love each other so much'.

8. Who takes the lead in social situations? How are they around each other's friends?

Janet definitely does. Anthony can be pretty quiet and a bit shy sometimes, but he still talks to people. He has conversation with friends and stuff but usually lets Janet take the lead when possible with new people. Though, he does work in customer service at what is basically their universe's version of a Radio Shack, so he is used to talking to strangers. He just doesn't exactly prefer it.

Janet is fine with taking the lead and understands he's not always up to it. She actually enjoys being able to lead in a way; it's very easy for her to direct conversation. She's not one to not let others speak, though. She just likes having that bit of control.

They don't meet up with their (few) friends much, but when they do they have a nice time. Again, Janet tends to initiate the conversation and keep it going while Anthony adds things when he wants to. Their friends know and expect this.

Love

11. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Boy oh boy do I think about this a lot. I love giving the couples unique nicknames. Janet and Anthony go for the really 'classic' ones. Janet calls him Love and he calls her Darling. Their kids cringe so much when they get all gushy with each other.

Domestic Life

6. Do they have any pets?

No, sadly, they haven't had pets at all. It's a lot of money to take care of a cat or dog. It's even harder when you have your five kids (or, well, teenagers) in the house.

I have ideas, though. ;]

[monkeygirl727]

So. No one really cares about reality TV but I've started watching Below Deck and I have opinions and I need to rant. Season 1 of below deck sailing yacht is a shit show by which I mean the head stewardess is an ass and like one of those people who knows their shit and they're going to let you know what you're doing wrong every step but like if they break the rules it's fine. The chef also kind of a dick also sleeping with the head stewardess cuz you know that will never cause drama. The first mate take him or leave him he's cute he's nice enough but the one that I care about the most is the guy named Parker. The entire first half of the season they are ripping into this guy, they're like oh he doesn't know a lot cuz he's new, oh he's still attached to his mom's breast (bro! Tf!!?) oh he's not good at following direction, he doesn't follow the hierarchy and like one of them jokes later on AFTER he resigns because he's like I can't deal with this shit anymore, is like the first rule of yawning is shut the fuck up and then they keep making jokes about him and two of the stewardesses are like visibly uncomfortable cuz they were his friends and like I don't know I see a lot of myself in that. This like trying to fit in in an industry that refuses to accommodate people who are a little different. He's like oh how about we do this and they're like shut up and do as you're told. And like the head stewardess I cannot reiterate enough how much of an absolute bitch this woman is and like I don't like to say that about people but she's constantly like I'm the one in charge so you have to listen and I guess that's a thing in boating. And like she has the audacity to use the master suite with the chef and they're like oh it's fine because we're in charge. The chef literally says hey if she says we can do it we can and it's like if anybody else were to do that they would be fired immediately. That shit infuriates me. Like on the one hand I understand experience and history comes with benefits but like?? Using a guest suite when you are a staff member??

The other person who I have a soft spot for is Madison who is the second stewardess. Because she gets shit from Jenna who is the head stewardess and then when Georgia the third stewardess comes on she doesn't know a ton so she's having to pick up her Slack and then they're like Madison why aren't you doing well and she's like I don't fucking know because I'm trying to do five jobs and yet Jenna doesn't know where the goddamn washing machine is but has the audacity to yell at me about laundry.

Jenna also has the audacity to be like oh Madison had a crush on Parker and like it's distracting her and she's not going to bed in a sufficient amount of time cuz she's staying up to talk to Parker meanwhile she's making out with the chef in the galley on shift and again using the master suite. Like?! I understand that being in a lead position comes with benefits but like don't fucking tell me what to do if you're going to go ahead and break the rules. And like Madison is well aware of like why Jenna does things and she's like oh so you're going to finally train Georgia for the good of everybody else and not because I called you out in front of the other crew for using the master suite and your boyfriend had something to say about it?

I love Georgia because she doesn't really cause any problems she's adorable she's a bit inappropriate and flirty but like honestly she's just trying to figure out how to keep everybody at peace and I support that. Cierra and Paget are dating and they argue a bunch because they're not good at being in the same work roles ie both working as deck hands and like having done the research in Googled afterwards they are not together anymore but like honestly she doesn't really bother me either other than the fact that she was a jerk to Parker. Everybody except for Madison and Georgia were jerks to Parker and for that they are on my shit list.

Glen, the captain. I would die for that man he radiates Grandpa/dad energy, he is like the boat dad and he's great. He is very much unlike Captain Sandy who is on below deck Mediterranean in that he's like you don't have to call me Captain just call me Glenn and like always willing to lend a hand anywhere on the boat if he's not doing Captain things like he helps load provisions he helps move things he's just the kind of person that I want more of. I can't agree with the entire boating industry opinion of "respect the hierarchy or shut the fuck up and get out of the industry". This is all to say that I can't wait for season one to be over so I can move on. I won't even get into the guests because they range from a group of adult men who basically act like Frat Boys the entire time and like one of them picks up Madison and uses her as like a weight lift much to her extreme dismay and she's like please put me down several times and then they're like oh don't tell anyone and then when she's out of your shot they're like what she going to do report us to the Greek police? Essentially the entirety of this show is rich people rented a boat for a few days and some of them are wild and crazy and others are like you but with money and the crew are trying to not kill each other because you know essentially living with six people that you never met until the beginning of this season constantly causes Growing Pains.

[sayakxmi]

[Magi rewatch] Episode 12: Determination and Separation [Part 1]

Sorry I did little to nothing last week, I had two exams and then I badly needed to recharge. But now I feel pretty alright!

On a different note, I've finished the first part of that Final Arc rewrite which I've been (probably?) mumbling about every now and then. Pretty excited about it, ngl. One day I might even post it, lol.

Ok, but the actual episode.

I genuinely cannot imagine being under so much pressure.

Five days till the wedding.

No one will let him breathe. Only more pressure and responsibility.

-judging-

God, look at the relief on his face after Sinbad joined the conversation.

So, I joke a lot about Sinbad and Alibaba's father-son relationship of sorts, but tbh, I don't blame Alibaba. It's not just about Sinbad being his hero, or being an adult guy who acknowledges his existence more. Sinbad is probably the first person since Anise and Cassim who made him feel less pressured about everything. By taking control of the situation, Sinbad took some of that responsibility from him - if something were to go wrong, Sinbad was there to fix it. That's kind of what parents are meant to do for their children, ensure they have somebody to fall back on in a difficult situation. The sheer relief he must feel that Sinbad is there must be unreal, especially after years and years of guilt and having to fend for himself. Alibaba is seventeen, and people are putting the responsibility for an entire severely messed up country on his shoulders.

More judgement.

Cool shot, ngl

:(

"My homeland needs somebody to save it... but is that person really me?"

Can't blame him for these doubts.

Honestly, it's kind of funny how his eyes go soft as he starts talking about Sinbad, even though I know it's about self-deprecation. Also, again, bro, you're 17, and Sinbad had years of experience with this stuff.

"Compared to him, I'm a nobody..."

In the manga he doesn't add that "I'm a nobody", I think, but, honestly? Not a big change. You get the impression that this is how he feels, anyway. And, like, can you blame him? Everybody's always putting him down, and he's the type to care too much about everything. It's bound to mess him up somehow.

Also, birds again. I guess it's symbolic? Of what, though. Freedom, or maybe that he'll take action soon? Cuz they're flying - moving forward. Hm.

...maybe it's about them being connected by fate or something, since Rukh are golden birds... Or just fate in general...

"S: This country needs to be built anew by somebody who really loves it. / J: You mean Alibaba? / S: To be honest, I don't have high expectations of him."

Bro's seventeen. Not everybody has been told that their special and can do absolutely anything since they were like four, cut him some slack.

But I'll be actually honest, I don't blame Sinbad for coming to this conclusion. I don't like how he is about it, bc he makes it sounds like it's Alibaba's fault for being a kid and getting very understandably overwhelmed, but he isn't completely wrong. This entire time he sees Alibaba following others around (Cassim), fail at actually leading the Fog Troupe, and even fail at easing his people's worries. Even when he's faced with the fact that his country is about to be turned into a slave factory, Alibaba still can't answer nor promise anything to anybody.

This is something I've always liked about Magi - there's so many points of view, and sometimes it's not about who's right, because simply nobody is completely wrong in the conclusions they make. Except Hakuryuu, maybe. But Hakuryuu's an exception to many things. Including the consequences of his stupidass actions. But that's a rant for another day. But anyway, Sinbad isn't wrong to have doubts about Alibaba, just like Alibaba's fears aren't really out of place and irrational. That's just how it is sometimes.

On a different note, I also don't completely blame Sinbad for drinking here. Bro really went to restore trade with his country, then got caught up in this entire mess, and had to take charge there. He might be more together than Alibaba, but it doesn't mean he isn't stressing about it. I would say it's actually a decent way at humanizing Sinbad to us - he might be an amazing person, but he's still a person.

You go, girl.

Ok, it's a small difference, but I have mixed feelings about it. In the manga she talks about Alibaba on her way out, but here she starts while she's still in. Idk, I feel like the former gives you the impression that she was still deciding whether to say it or not, while the latter is like, yea, I overheard and came to argue.

Always gets me that this is how Morgiana views it. Alibaba didn't think so hard about it, he just did what he believed to be the right thing. It actually happens a lot with him - he doesn't realize how meaningful his gestures are to others, even the simple ones like offerring to be somebody's friend. And at times it comes off as man, this world really is sad that something so small is so important to the other person, but at times it's Alibaba not realizing how much he actually does, because to him it's just the barest minimum. Not enough to warrant more than simple thanks at most.

Once upon a time I was talking with a friend, and they've said that it wasn't Alibaba who broke the chains but Aladdin and Goltas, and the thing is, Alibaba would've been the first person to say that. To him, he did nothing of importance. To Morgiana, he told her she didn't need to be in the Dungeon, and then stayed in Qishan, freed all the slaves, made sure that being free is something that stuck with them, and only after that left. It changes so much about that Dungeon interaction, bc in Amon it was easy for her to see it as Alibaba trying to pretty much bribe her - which wouldn't have been that uncharacteristic for him - but once they left he didn't change his mind all of sudden. He more than proved that while, yes, sure, he tried to get her to stop attacking them, he still meant what he'd said. I feel like that was what recontextualized that entire interaction to her, and that's why she sees him like that benefactor.

On a different note, the smile he has in her imagination is really cute.

"I believe he can save this country."

Ok, sliiightly disappointing. In the manga the Banker literally lied to... I fucking hate this guys name, I always have to check the spelling, I'm gonna start calling you 23rd like my friend Henry does. Anyway, in the manga the Banker tells him that Kou isn't a brutal and strategic country, which in a cool way transitions to Sinbad saying that, yeah, they're a militaristic country, bad news. Here the Banker simply doesn't add that last part that they're not a danger at all, which, F.

Here that person has normal pants. Also, I haven't noticed the magi silhouette until now, F. Love how these guys always have braids.

No hilarious "Was it the same for you, Sinbad-san? / No, I'm different.". What a shame. Ok, there it is, later. "But I'm an exception.". I still think "No, I'm different." is a much funnier wording.

Oh, hey, in the anime they added Kouha and Koumei! I love Kouha's mad grin. You go, little murder boy, you go.

Kouha is kinda like Judar, except not an awful human being.

Haven't noticed until now, but they added chess here. Kinda random choice, but at the same time, it's a scene where they pretty much only talk, so maybe it was done to have, idk, some animation be there.

Back to the father-son thing, another thing Sinbad does is offer guidance (from Alibaba's perspective, at least). And it's worth noting the way Sinbad goes about it. Just like Cassim, he pretty much tells Alibaba what to do, but he's much gentler and more calculated about it. Cassim pretty much emotionally gut-punches him whenever Alibaba tries to question him to shut him up, while Sinbad let's him cool off. Not even that, Sinbad is actually trying to build up Alibaba's confidence there rather than drag it through the dirt. He talks about his father, how Rashid spoke about him etc, while Cassim constantly reminds him of something he blames himself for even though was compltely out of his control.

Sinbad: Alibaba, you're special. And a Dungeon Conqueror, just like me! : ) Alibaba: No.

The moment he sees Alibaba freak out abt the whole You need to become a King, he immediately offers his support.

I don't blame Alibaba for reacting like that. I would've gotten overwhelmed, too.

Damn. In the manga he looks more sad/disappointed. In the anime he looks kinda pissed.

Pretty

[catreginae]

Ash always enjoyed the moonlight and being outside during the night. Although, being a vampire, nightfall provided an extra layer of comfort and security. The moon couldn't hurt her like the sun could. That night would have been perfect too, if she wasn't distracted by the constant clacking of her roommate typing on his laptop and the soft voices from whatever video he was watching on it.

“Do you mind?” she asked, breaking her view of the glorious forest that made up their backyard to the man sitting in their patio swing.

“This is far from the last night you can enjoy,” Link answered. “But I think I found a lead.”

Curious, Ash made her way to the swing and sat down beside him, looking at the screen. There was some sort of game on the screen, with two guys sitting in the corner of it. One had curly brown hair but the other had blonde hair, with some streaks of pink through out it. Only one of them had a controller.

“These are two of the heroes I was talking about. I taught a third and fourth... including me, there's five. Things are starting to get interesting.”

“Can these heroes even help? You'd be the only one who remembers magic. Even if these people were all heroes in their past lives, that doesn't help anybody now.”

“Hmmm, not necessarily true,” Link said with a smirk, letting his fangs poke out. “The goddesses work in ways we can't always understand. It's in their interest to save the magical world, with how close to the scared realm it is.”

Ash sighed. She was only a hundred and twenty years old, so she didn't have the history or the direct contact with the magic that he had. He was also Chosen, the mark on the back of his scarred hand being proof with that, so it made sense that he more experience. She just didn't want to say it. She just wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face.

“Well, what are you going to do? There's still four of you unaccounted for, right?”

The smirk on his face grew. “How do you feel about going to school?”

[the-firebird69]

Become a Candidate - Charlotte County Democrats

"County Offices

Election Tuesday, November 5th 2024

Charlotte County elections will include the County Commissioners in Districts 1, 3 and 5, the School Board seats in Districts 2, 3, and 5, the Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, and Sheriff, among others."

https://www.charlottedems.com/get-involved/become-a-candidate/#:~:text=County%20Offices,Sheriff%2C%20among%C2%A0others.

Sheriff prummel has been a massively abusive person of our son and our daughter and it's getting rid of the morlock which is a part of thinking he'll hide and someone else's body one of the candidates for that is our son's body he says what you would not survive in because he's very much A different race and idiots and a****** about it and doesn't get it and that proof is coming up and people will vote for him to be executed when they see it it's coming up very soon and the reason is that he's trying for stuff and he says he needs power and he tries to take mute his bodies to experiment with them and he ends up dead for the most part Cooks and he's cooked and people get rid of his people and get rid of him and that results from several incidents that he's blamed for one of them is the starkiller incident and he's trying to imitate George who is out and in the grave for the suit and he screwed up the laser and you can see him in the video does gort and then he does the movie The Day the Earth stood still and people get rid of him he's a low-level low life puke is ruining his people's stuff and the empire thinks it's great but they won't when they see what he's really doing and that's coming up soon they'll see it in Virginia what a little b**** that guy is he's a freaking a****** he's going down we're going to take him down

Thor Freya

You see him already and what he's doing and we know he's trying and we're hitting him he's trying to capture his son so many times it is gross we had to hit him today about five times when she got home off of his switch bike and we took him down and we blew him away no he got sick and died in his brain stopped and he became stupid which is good and it kept doing it and he's going to leave and he's next door again like this homesick lovesick little puppy dog waiting to take a beating and feel good about it well we're going to assassinate you permanently and it is coming up pretty soon and you go around and making all sorts of mistakes out of here you get kicked out but we are going to sue you too you're a loser and you're disgusting and we are going to take your money too all of it you want to live like a poor person you're going to and bja too we both liabilities and we're ready to get up right now we need you out now and you need to be road Pizza. Little kid doesn't even know innocent b**** and you're an innocent little b**** trying because you don't know what happens to you everybody else can recount how many times you died this week but you and due to what you're doing here and I'm not really concerned about stupid I'm happy you're leaving you need to leave Jesus Christ you dumb they're going to pay for it too you're a nutcase okay I'm saying to your face get the f*** out are you done and you sit there you're saying so you're dead why can't you understand that I don't care if you can get it from me or not I'm the one having you killed cuz you're trying to threaten my life so you're dead stupid f****** piece of s*** anybody who's associated with him is out any of his clan or kids you're not going to have anything cuz I'm asking everybody else to beat the f*** out of you to get you out of here you already discussing f****** moron you ran on everybody of your kind every single stupid group to say that we're attacking them and then you go ahead and try it and you get beat up cuz you're saying someone's going to you're a huge freaking loser

That was our son so we're going to print this guy is a massive horking loser

Thor Freya

Olympus

He gave up on selling things so now we're moving and we're taking things and we started getting rid of him and taking things and over the past few days he went for about 7% to about 3.8% and we're not done taking stuff yet

Thor Freya

What do you care right Trump your AI boy and Dave has the AI and he's going after you too from beyond the grave how about that I'm s*******

Zues Hera

[lunarsilkscreen]

Influences on Zelda: Miyamoto Musashi

Ronin are a big part of Japanese culture post feudal Japan, and being a Ronin creates an easy entry point into the Hero' Journey story archetype. And for the west, Ronin creates a unique perspective that *kind of* mirrors European Knights or American Gunslingers, but in a completely different way.

Unlike Knights, who are royalty who have no choice but work as officers. And unlike Guns for Hire (Mercenaries), Ronin can be either Samurai, who are more similar to the European knight (who lost power when their lords fell, and might rise to Lord themselves) or they might be the Foot soldier. Trained from a very young age, and know much about the ways of warfare.

They might have sworn fealty, and been devoted to the cause. But after your Lord drops you entirely, or is defeated, or you otherwise find yourself lord-less. You are now Ronin.

The Ronin could've been anybody before they became Ronin, and post being a Ronin they have nothing. No allegiance, no ties, and in some cases we're expected to perform harakiri because they were a failure.

A living Ronin in that regard is open defiance to the social order. A warrior of any experience level who should be dead, but is not. Who had a cause to fight for, but now does not. And randomly appears where their skill is needed.

Otherwise, they're considered nothing but a bum. Who nobody will hire unless it's menial labor below their ability. Or, unless you're Link, who technically doesn't even exist in society's standards.

And either shows up to break pots, or save people's lives. Depending on how he feels that day.

Miyamoto Musashi was a swordsman (I'd say "no relation to Miyamoto Shigeru" but nobody knows that except him.) Not just a swordsman, A legendary one known as a "Kensai". If going by the modern day "belt system" of martial arts, he probably wouldn't even register on the scale.

Miyamoto Musashi wrote the book "The Five Rings". Which was a bare bones explanation of his martial art. Understanding that there were many schools in which to learn the sword, or other Martial Arts, Musashi instead wrote about that bits that all the schools share instead of focusing on sharing his own personal school of martial art that was common in masters of the time.

It's so broad in scope, despite being a bare bones manual, even entrepreneurs use the "Five Rings" as a manual in which to do business.

Musashi has four names by the way; which includes: Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, and Niten Dōraku.

(theory: Niten-Dō, Nitendo, Nintendo) at the very least, Fusajiro Yamauchi (Founder of Nintendo) may have been inspired by Miyamoto Musashi.

Who knows for sure; perhaps the Spirit of Niten haunts and protects Nintendo.

The story Behind The Three Godsesses in Z64 are tightly bound to the fundamentals in this book. And the opening might sound similar to the Bible.

The first chapter is Earth; In the beginning there was the earth.

The second chapter is Water; And the (Goddess Nayru) Flooded the Earth

The third chapter is Fire; And the (Goddess Din) said "let their be light"

The fourth chapter is Wind; And the (Goddess Nayru) brought life (creatures) to the earth.

5678.

After that is "Void". It is described as "esoteric musings", but last I read it, it was Musashi trying to explain what it's like to understand that which does not yet exist. Or the inner workings of a thing you don't know how it works. Trying to explain to students, not just to learn what is taught, but to learn what cannot be taught.

In modern day parlance; trying to figure out how the "black box" works.

This is depicted in all sorts of ways, fighting the shadow, fending off death, learning and creating new things. Life, etc... not just relying on the "same old" but accepting the new things that replace the old.

The autumn that gives way to spring.

The Miyamoto Niten that gave way to Miyamoto and Ninten. (I'll see myself out.)

[in-tua-deep]

Hey, hope you don't mind me asking, I don't want to pressure you, but I was wondering about your narnia au, love your writing, and hope your having a good time

narnia au is something that I ever so occasionally add to whenever I’m in a sentimental and wistful mood - which I have been watching an unreasonable amount of call the midwife lately lmao

so here’s a snippet - 

--- “We all have ghosts, Five.”

“Klaus can literally see ghosts. I think if Dad was hanging around, the whole house and half the city would know about it by now.”

Susan gives him a disappointed look that makes him look away, out the window. “You know that isn’t what I meant, and you know it.”

“If anyone has a monopoly on ghosts, it’s my brother.”

Susan sighs, reaching up to cup Five’s cheek in her hand. Her skin is soft, it doesn’t feel like tissue paper against his cheek but it feels delicate, fragile. He can feel the way her fingers shake ever so slightly, stabilizing against his jawbone. “Oh, love. We don’t choose the ghosts that haunt us, and how we live with them until we can put them to rest.”

“My ghosts are my own fault. I was the one that killed people. I was the one who said that my siblings were more important than anyone else, than anyone else’s siblings.”

Susan taps her fingers against his cheek, “Oh? You killed your father? You hadn’t told me that one yet. Good, bastard deserved it.”

It’s enough to draw a startled laugh from his throat, “No! I mean, maybe I should’ve, but Dad died thanks to his own stupidity not mine, thank you. That’s one thing I won’t take the blame for.”

Susan hums, leaning back and taking her hand from his cheek to reach down and grasp his hands between them again.

Fire hesitates, looking down at their entwined hands so that he doesn’t have to look at Susan in the eye. “Sometimes I wake up and I forget, just for a minute. I wake up thinking that I have to get up, because Dad hated us being late for breakfast. He’d give us a swat with a ruler for every minute we were tardy. Allison always teased me about being late even though I could jump, but he was always twice as mad when I did that.”

“It must be a relief to realize you can lie in.” Susan smiles, but Five can’t smile back.

“No. There’s a moment in the morning when I think Dad is still alive, and that’s terrible, but in the same moment I think I’m going to go downstairs and my siblings are going to be standing at attention around the table. I think that I’ll see Klaus trying to kick the back of Ben’s knees without Dad noticing, that I’ll see Vanya hiding a book in her cardigan, I’ll see Luther’s stupid judgemental face even though Allison was late more times than me and she never got his stupid faces. And then I remember all over again, and I lose them all over again.”

Susan looks at him with sad eyes. 

“Is that why you moved to America?” Five asks, shaking his head to try and ignore the stinging between his eyes, “So you wouldn’t get stuck in memories so much?”

“Sometimes.” Susan says slowly, “I won’t say that it wasn’t a factor, that I didn’t think about it. That I don’t think about the English countryside and think of Lucy with mud on her face and Edmund trying to put tadpoles down the back of Peter’s shirt.”

“Klaus put spiders in our beds when he was mad at us. It only ever scared Luther, though. I think Vanya just cried because she thought she squished one by accident.” Five whispers, and Susan graces him with a smile. “I thought about that, in the apocalypse. I ate spiders, sometimes, when I could find them. I always thought of Vanya crying when I did it.”

“Lucy scolded Edmund something fierce over it as well.” Susan shakes her head at the memory, “She was in tears when Edmund pointed out that people ate frogs, but I think they were more angry than anything else. He had a bruise for weeks where she thumped him, yelling about how we didn’t live in France.”

They spend a little while in silence, taking a moment for themselves to remember their respective siblings. 

Susan pats Five’s hands gently, “I was a bit like you, you know, when I came back the first time. Not right away, when we were at the professor’s house, but when we went back home. I hadn’t realized how much I’d forgotten.”

“Forgotten?”

“About home! I went back up to my room, and there were all the things I’d forgotten. My collection of hair ribbons was still on the dresser. My favorite ones were a royal blue, I’d thought I looked so distinguished with them in. I’d forgotten all about them, until I saw them on that dresser.” Susan pats his hand, looking faintly wistful.

“My room looks the same as well.” Five admits, “Exactly the same. It threw me off, at first. It was all rubble in the apocalypse, I didn’t even think about it until I had to go upstairs to get my uniform. My books were still on the nightstand.”

Susan nods sagely.

“At least, I think it’s exactly the same. I don’t remember, is the problem. If - if my siblings moved stuff around, or took anything away, or - or anything like that, I don’t think I’d know. I think it bothers me, that I don’t remember.” Five shakes his head, “It’s been so many years. There’s so much I might have forgotten, but how will I know I’ve forgotten it?”

Five can’t help the affronted look that settles on his face when Susan just shrugs. His mulish expression must be terribly amusing, because it makes Susan’s eyes twinkle with laughter.

“It’s important to remember the past.” Susan tells him gently, the twinkle never fading, “But I think it’s equally important to forge the future, to make new memories. I left England because it was painful, yes. But I also left because America was new, and brilliant, and exciting. Because I wanted to.”

Susan squeezes his hands gently, he isn’t sure if she can squeeze much harder anyway. Her strength seems to come and go like the tides these days.

“Change isn’t a betrayal of what came before, love. Sometimes change is necessary.” Susan hums, “I threw out those hair ribbons, when I came home. Edmund and Lucy swapped rooms entirely. I learned how to put on makeup - they didn’t have red lipstick in Narnia, I can tell you that. It was different, but different was good. Less painful.”

“Allison’s been talking about painting.” Five offers. “She wants to set up a room for when Claire comes to visit. I can’t imagine her in the mansion though. She always sounds so happy, on the phone. Claire, I mean. So carefree. I don’t think we were ever that carefree.”

“If your home isn’t one you can imagine happiness in, perhaps you should ask yourself how you can change that.”

Five snorts, “Doing away with the wall art would be a start. Daily reminders on exactly where to stab each other with our silverware.”

“How ferocious.”

[ethereal-blossom]

jealousy, jealousy

summary: how would a few of my favorite bsd characters react if they were jealous? part 1. Pairs: dazai x reader | chuuya x reader.

warning(s): none

this is the updated version that i personally recommend reading instead!

so, i feel like dazai isn't the type to get jealous easily?

he's rather more of a possessive kind of type. i mean, he's quite confident in his looks and charm with good reasons.

but still, that doesn't mean he'll appreciate someone flirting with you. especially if dazai really loves you, he wouldn't want to risk losing you to anybody.

if dazai is jealous, he isn't an angry kind of jealous. his eyes would narrow and turn cold while his smile is robbed from any warmth, his brain calculating already twenty-five ways to get your attention back on him, only him.

imagine if you were at the cafe below the armed detective agency and dazai walks in and sees someone trying to flirt with you.

he's not surprised because who wouldn't want the heart of such a gorgeous human being? however, dazai is absolutely ready to show that your heart already belongs to him.

dazai would honestly radiate confidence walking over to you. it's dazai. he's not going to sit there and watch somebody trying to seduce you. it both irritates and amuses dazai how they think they have a shot.

and when dazai comes over to you with an exaggerated cheerful attitude, he slides an arm around your waist to push you tightly against him. "belladonna! it's such a pleasure to see you here." next he kisses you gently but intense. "how are you, love?"

if that one person still doesn't get the hint and stays over to keep flirting, it's game on. literally dazai hands are all over you: his hand caressing the curve of your neck, fingers running through your hair, a hand on your thigh, hand placed on your shoulder- anything to remind everybody who you belong to again i feel like dazai is rather the possessive kind of type but obviously you belong to yourself.

however, if they still have the nerve, dazai is going to play mental tricks on them. i mean, your man has a talent of getting under people's skin. so, this will definitely do it.

nevertheless, if dazai is jealous because you spend more time with a friend or a colleague, he uses a different approach (since he feels less threatened): the whiny approach. dazai would totally act on his clowns performance in the hope to catch your attention.

is literally going to be on cloud 9 if you give him attention.

or better said, that is the reaction he shows on the outside. from the inside, he's relieved.

he trusts you, but damn did this man go through some shit-

chuuya isn't necessarily possessive or someone who gets easily jealous. again, he trusts you. however, he is also a bit cough hot tempered and prideful.

let's say you're waiting for chuuya in the bar and somebody takes the opportunity to flirt with you.

oi, who's that? chuuya thinks when he enters the bar and sees how flirty this person acts around you. are they really- okay, who is it who has the audacity to flirt with you?

chuuya can see why because you're bloody gorgeous and everybody who can't see that is blind... but his fist itches seeing how close that person is standing next to you.

okay, maybe he should give them the benefit of the doubt? so chuuya walks towards the two of you. he gently wraps his arm around your waist but you can feel how his grip is tighter than usual. after chuuya greets you with a kiss on the corner of your lips, he introduces himself to the person next to you.

when the person is still trying to flirt with you even after seeing your significant other, chuuya experiences a roller coaster of emotions. first, disbelief: do they not understand you are taken? was the kiss not enough? the intimate touches? the nicknames? are they DUMB? secondly, anger: who do they think they are trying to steal you away from him?

you can feel chuuya slightly shaking next to you. his tight grip now feels almost claiming like he was desperate to keep you next to his side.

that's when chuuya will be straightforward with his thoughts. he would step between you and the person, look them right in the eyes and say: "listen mate, i do not appreciate the way you're flirting with my significant other. you better leave or else-"

listen, chuuya is small but that threatening glare of him, the clenched fists and the anger he radiates is a clear message to run which this person obviously does.

nevertheless, if chuuya is jealous because you're spending more times with friends or a colleague, i think he's not that bothered by it?

if chuuya feels like you two don't spend enough time together though, he will plan a date that will fit both of your schedules and treat you like the treasure you are.

[eagles-translated]

Answering Eagles questions before the season 3 finale (Part 2/2)

I've received a bunch of questions since 3x08 and 3x09 dropped, so I compiled all the questions into two posts. I had to split them up because Tumblr only allows 10 images per post. Anyway, keep reading to see my answers and enjoy! 👇

There might be some kind of collaboration between Amie and Ludde like last season—we have only heard snippets of Ludde's song submission to the music school and it wouldn't surprise me if we saw Amie perform the song in its entirety in the last episode. I touched on this a little in part 1 of answering these questions.

It seems like Amie singing at the end of the season has become kind of a recurring theme. She performed “Follow” in 1x08 and “Second Sight” in 2x10 (on the radio, but my point still stands). I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed this trend by having Amie perform a new song in the season 3 finale.

I'm not sure if she'll recommend Ludde to the record label, though. I honestly still feel like Amie's whole storyline with sending in a rather basic demo written by two teenagers with little to no experience and then getting praised on it with comments such as "it's going to be a real summer hit" felt so unrealistic to me. Maybe they only said that so Amie would accept their offer or something, but that's still very strange because she would have still said yes without a doubt.

I can understand that they thought Amie was marketable as a person and there was this bonus with her having gone viral before on Felicia's Instagram, but that demo did not seem good enough for me to be immediately released as a single and then have them decide on the spot that Amie would be given a contract.

I mean, come on. It never felt earned because we never really saw Amie struggling with her songwriting journey to achieve this dream. Sending in one demo to one record label and having them immediately want to make a whole album with you just doesn't happen in real life unless the song is extremely good or you have a very unique voice. Amie is really talented but there are hundreds of people just like her, if not thousands. I was never convinced by her getting signed so quickly in season 2.

I understand that they wanted to establish her as a successful artist, but that felt so rushed. I was so sure that the record label would screw her over and steal the song rights to record it with another artist who was already established, and that we'd have to see Amie work even harder to achieve her dreams. But we didn't get that at all. Where was the struggle?

Anyway, I'm getting a little off-topic here. To be honest I have a lot of problems with the writing sometimes, even if I still love the show and its characters. Of course I wanted to see Amie achieve success (and I was happy when she did), but the journey there was so bizarrely easy.

She didn't start to seriously work on making her music career become a reality until season 2. Amie had dabbled in music prior to that, like when she auditioned for the school band and did that performance of Follow, but she didn't truly start to work towards it until season 2 when she decided to have her work sent to professionals in the business. And then, just five episodes later, she gets contacted by the record label in Stockholm.

To put this into context—season 2 took place somewhere around March, and episode 5 around three weeks into April. So when Ludde first started helping Amie it took less than two months for her to get signed. You could argue that the song was just that good or that Amie is just that talented, but it never felt like a realistic storyline to me.

So, back to your question! I need to stop getting so sidetracked while answering these haha. I don't think it would be realistic for the record label to hire a teenager with no professional songwriting experience, likely a very small portfolio of his own work in both size and variety, having a criminal record, and on top of that being infamous in the press for abusing his ex-girlfriend. If Amie offered the ultimatum to her label that she'll only return with Ludde, who has an incredibly bad reputation right now, it feels like she would be running the risk of losing the contract entirely.

There's only so much her label can put up with. We've seen Amie ignore their calls with no intention of reassuring them that she's coming back soon. Honestly, with the way things are looking right now it makes the most sense for the contract to be dropped. By Amie or by the label, I don't know.

The episode description for the season finale says that Ludde will get some sort of justice and it could be about his music (or something related to whatever Andreas is doing).

I believe Amie will be doing a live performance of Ludde's song at a New Year's Eve party in episode 10 but I doubt that Ludde will be picked up as a producer. If he actually does I would find that to be a very unrealistic plot point, to be completely honest with you.

This is an issue I had with 3x08 and 3x09 as well. I had a hard time actually enjoying the moment between Felicia, Klara, and Amie knowing that her family was getting increasingly worried for her and even thought for a short moment that Felicia was lying dead at the bottom of the ocean. All that could've been avoided.

To add, it didn't make a lot of sense to me that when Klara finally decided to call someone she called Amie instead of Elias. An ex-friend of Felicia's instead of her brother who could've helped a lot more. What was Amie supposed to do when she showed up at the hotel, exactly?

I know there was the thing with Klara only knowing Amie's number off the top of her head, but there is no reason why she couldn't have gone down to the reception while Felicia was sleeping and asked to use a computer just to get a quick message to Elias. Like, "hey, Felicia attempted something bad but she's safe with me, we're at this hotel in this room but she didn't want me to call anybody, I don't know what to do". That would've been so much better than keeping quiet about the situation for nearly 24 hours.

I know that Klara probably has trauma from leaving her dad at the hospital after his suicide attempt and that she probably didn't want to go against Felicia's wishes. I understand the first part 100%. But Felicia was in a very bad place emotionally and was thinking that her whole family hated her when that wasn't the case. I feel like in a situation like that you kind of have to be the bad guy just to ensure the family that Felicia was safe. Even if everything turned out alright in the end, it could've gone so much worse if Felicia had wanted to be kept hidden for longer.

The ending of 3x08 was super tough to watch and I can't imagine the feeling of thinking your only daughter/sister drowned herself after you just yelled at her and showed no support. Klara couldn't have known any of this, but I feel like she should've at least contacted Elias if she wasn't taking Felicia to a hospital.

Elias calling Amie would've been an easy solution to this whole debacle but we would've lost the drama. It's still somewhat of a plot hole though, like you said.

Thank you for reading that whole post @detectivejulesohara!

The clip you're referring to was posted on Yandeh Sallah's Instagram account, so not in a trailer for this season.

I think that was either just fanservice or it will appear in season 4 since it was posted in May of this year, and I believe the filming of season 3 had already wrapped by then.

It might indicate that Elias and Amie will be a couple by season 4 (this actually seems very likely regardless if this is actually part of a scene or not).

I think Elias is getting increasingly frustrated with hockey and the fact that he doesn't really have any other ambitions to strive for. He was raised with nothing but hockey surrounding him and it's in his blood. Elias got drafted to the US at around the same age as Mats, but Elias left after a year because he just wasn't progressing.

That must feel like a huge step back, and on top of that Mats was probably thriving in his successful career around the age that Elias is now. It's a tough difference in success to have weighing on your shoulders when you're in a team that's second to last in the rankings.

There's even the accusation in the press that Mats paid for Elias to advance in the rankings, and I'm sure that's going to affect his career negatively.

I think Elias overworking himself could also be the result of him feeling like he has to prove that returning to Eagles—a small club that is probably having their worst season ever—was in fact the right choice and not the death of his elite hockey career. That choice was very questionable from the very start and his agent advised against it. Even Mats found it strange. Elias said that he didn't really have a choice most likely because of the clause in his contract, but then he also claims to Mats that things just turned out that way.

Ludde: You don’t regret coming back [to Eagles]? Elias: I didn’t really have a choice.

The idea that he didn't have a choice in the matter doesn't seem accurate. His agent told him there were other alternatives like Jokerit (a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland) and that they could find something better than Eagles. Elias seemed kind of defeated already and the decision to return to Eagles didn't feel thought-through at all. It's almost like he just didn't care.

Agent: [...] Jokerit has called and I’ve had a great conversation with them, so they’re on. Elias: You know what? Let’s skip all the trouble. Let’s go with Eagles, it’ll be great. Agent: What? Elias: I’m so tired of moving all the time anyway, plus I’ll be close to my family. Agent: Wait, I thought that you— Eagles has big economical problems, and… Sorry, but their season started awfully. We can get a better team. You understand, right? Elias: Yeah, but we can’t get a team that needs me as much. Plus— If they say they want to see development, I’ll give them that. Agent: Wait�� They’re under the line. We’re talking about qualifying down directly. You can’t in earnest believe you’ll change that on your own. Elias: It’s perfect. I’ll only go up, as you like to say.

It also seems like he's maybe realizing that hockey isn't everything and that there are other things he might want to explore and pursue in his life. I think Elias is feeling kind of stuck right now. He's been training his whole life for one purpose which is a professional career in hockey, and maybe he feels like Mats wouldn't allow him to quit. That option doesn't exist to him.

Like you said, Mats had that comment where he labeled Ludde a "quitter" and Elias stressed the fact that there shouldn't be anything wrong with losing interest and deciding to pursue something else.

Mats: Can you imagine that he’s just quitting? I mean, I’m completely— He really didn’t strike me as a quitter. So fucking close. [...] Elias: [...] Ludde, he’s… He’s not a quitter, he’s just didn’t want it anymore. That should be fair.

However, quitting is seen as failure to Mats. Mats dropped everything when he got drafted. He left his relationship with Petra seemingly without a second thought, because hockey comes before everything for Mats. Felicia even mentioned back in season 1 how her father was just a voice in a telephone for most of her childhood. He barely had any presence in her life because he was busy with hockey.

When Klara tells Elias that he's always putting hockey first, he gets angry but he doesn't outright deny it. In fact, he kind of changes the subject to shift attention away from Klara's claim.

Klara: This— You haven’t changed at all. You’re always putting yourself first. Elias: Excuse me? Klara: Yes, it’s either you or hockey. Elias: Stop! What the— Klara: I can’t take this. Elias: Are you leaving now? I wasn’t the only one you dumped. You’ve been acting like shit to Felicia. Yeah, and Amie and Ludde too, for that matter. You haven’t thought about that? So don’t come here and say I’m the egoist.

This is kind of an interesting thought—that maybe Elias subconsciously knew that was Klara is saying is true to some degree and that he has been putting hockey first. He decided to get on the train to the draft combine in Seattle instead of staying with Klara, and a year later he realizes that things didn't turn out the way that he'd planned and he returns to Eagles.

Maybe Elias is trying so hard to be someone who he just isn't, and it's affecting so many aspects of his life negatively. He lost Klara, he had to repeat almost his whole last year in high school because of moving to the US, and now he seems to be stuck in Oskarshamn. He's previously expressed to Amie that this isn't necessarily where he wanted to end up.

Elias: [...] Hey, is it just me or is there something about this town that… It sort of feels like no matter how much you try to get away, it… It pulls you back somehow.

It's kind of strange that he doesn't want to be in Oskarshamn, and yet he was the one who chose to return. Maybe he somehow feels like he has some purpose there because it keeps pulling him back. He just doesn't know what that purpose is.

Elias tried coming back to Eagles to turn things around for them, and they did win a game against the Capitals but that victory was later tarnished by the fight that broke out between the two teams (and to add to this, the loss of Ludde who used to be one of the star players and Klara as a sponsor). That kind of overshadowed their whole victory. Elias was very determined to do something to help and it very much feels like he needs Eagles to succeed—he needs to sort of "redeem" himself.

Elias: [...] Can I do anything? Can I go talk to— I could go talk to the sponsor. Mats: Let’s deal with it later. I’ll solve this. You have to go to school now. Elias: But we can finish talking— Mats: You can— No. Try to think of something else. Alright?

I think that Elias's desperation for Eagles to do well could absolutely lead to him eventually deciding to be a coach. He doesn't really seem to want the life that Mats had after seeing how success turned out for him—a broken family that he barely cares about because hockey occupies his mind more than caring for his children or repairing the relationship with Leila.

I think Elias being a hockey coach could suit him, but I would also love to see him exploring things outside of hockey—maybe even his interests outside of sport entirely.

I kind of agree with you on this. Klara has apologized to Felicia and been forgiven, but we've never seen her properly apologize to Amie for filming that video of her and posting it on social media. Amie and Ludde were in the wrong, yes, but that video being posted was humiliating for both of them. They had to deal with the ramifications of that for months after with the whole school judging them in silence.

To be fair, the video was posted a long time ago in the show's time frame (nearly two years ago if I'm right?) and they all kind of moved on from it. To add to this, maybe she felt it would've been kind of awkward to apologize with Felicia in the room.

Felicia was so hurt by that video being posted and I think it would feel very weird for her that Klara would apologize for posting the video when it's the sole reason Felicia found out what had been done to her. Without that video, she would've probably gone a few more months without being told what happened at the Halloween party.

I'm waiting for a Klara and Amie reconciliation in this season finale. I feel like this is something that should be discussed between just the two of them, and maybe they'll sneak in some blessing from Klara with the whole budding Elias and Amie relationship? I'd be happy with just a reconciliation, though, but I'm unsure if we'll get one. I have a feeling they'll start the season finale with a time jump and I don't know if Klara is even going to be in Oskarshamn by that time.

If we don't see them reconnecting in the season finale I will be pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Thank you! I really appreciate you too @lunawedlers (your gifsets are absolutely magical)!

This question was sent in a while ago but as season 3 had just started airing I was very excited to see the development of Elias and Amie, mostly because the director had been hinting on Twitter that something would happen between them this season. I've been really interested in them ever since 1x03 and so far the wait has been worth it.

I think all episodes have great visuals, but if I had to pick one I would probably say 3x06. All those shots of Elias and Amie on the walk through the park, the drone shots, and then the view from that bench spot were so gorgeous visually. That answer is more of a scene rather than a whole episode haha, but I think they really made the beauty of Oskarshamn stand out in those shots.

I think Amie will have some sort of performance in the final episode of a new song and that Elias will be watching her! After reading the episode description for the final episode and seeing that there will probably be some New Year's Eve party going on, I have a feeling that Amie will be performing. She's always had a performance of a new song in every season finale and this one should be no exception.

They tricked us a little in the season 3 trailer with us thinking that Elias would be at one of Amie's concerts in Stockholm, but now I'm sure that this scene fits in at the New Year's Eve party.

I think we should keep our expectations low for a kiss between Elias and Amie. They just started developing their relationship, and I like the slow pace they're going in. They're not rushing anything. I also have this feeling that their development has deliberately been so slow because they're sort of "saving the best for last".

Elias and Amie are fan favorites and their relationship has been very talked-about from the beginning. I can see the writers maybe having decided to push their relationship more towards the end of the show, which is why we haven't really gotten any Elias and Amie content until now. That's frustrating if you're impatient and I've seen some people thinking that maybe Elias and Amie won't happen at all, but I don't think we need to worry at all. The fact that Elias and Amie's development has been so slow should indicate that they're much more likely to be endgame.

A kiss in episode 10 could definitely happen, but I don't know. Maybe they'll drag it out further. As I've said before, if they don't get one in season 3 they will absolutely be getting one in season 4. I've noticed that it's always best to keep your expectations low when it comes to this couple.

The episode description for the season finale said this about Elias, which some have interpreted to be about Amie.

New Year’s Eve is here. [...] But is Elias brave enough to say what everyone else already knows?

This could mean anything, really. I'm actually leaning more towards this being about an individual thing rather than Amie being involved. It could be about Elias admitting that he's been overworking himself and not eating properly, or coming clean about the fact that maybe he doesn't want a career in hockey. This is something that everyone else already knows, so I think it might be about hockey.

Felicia has observed the overworking, Mats has told him to stop with it, and Ludde might've had some inkling about it while he was still on the team. Even Amie has probably also noticed that he's been spending a lot of time at the gym lately.

I could absolutely be wrong about this though.

Thank you for the question @lunawedlers!

This is a hard one because season 3 has had so many strong episodes already, and usually my favorite episode ends up being the season finale because it's basically the culmination of the whole season. I really loved 2x10 for this very reason since the ending montage was so well done.

If I had to pick between 3x01 - 3x09 though I would probably have to say it's a tie between 3x04 — Date night and 3x05 — Wounds! These two episodes showcased what Eagles should be all about so well, which is relationships plus the struggles you go through as a teenager in a small town, and then of course hockey. The hockey game episodes are really good, even if I don't think 3x05 topped 2x05 (the game where Ludde got tackled and knocked out).

I loved the contrast in Date night of the budding relationship between Elias and Amie and then that fight between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff. That whole scene between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff was actually really beautiful, especially when the sun had gone down.

It was interesting to see how this sweet gesture from Felicia turned into a fight between the two of them. I thought that was very realistic, because no matter how big of a gesture Felicia made to apologize there were still underlying problems that they needed to talk about.

I also loved the "non-date" between Elias and Amie in this episode. It was cute to see them goofing off before the movie started and then talking about it on the way home. I liked how Elias could connect to her on how they had both returned to Oskarshamn.

The recent episodes that dropped last week (3x08 and 3x09) were very strong and discussed some important subject matters, but I had a few problems with them that I discussed in a question above. They were dark, but not necessarily bad because they needed to happen.

However, I have to say that I prefer Eagles when it's about hockey and teenage relationships. 3x04 and 3x05 made me kind of nostalgic for season 1 and I liked the vibe they both had.

I agree, but I think we could maybe get a combination of both! Relationships can have all these romantic and sweet traits like you described, but also be more passionate and show public displays of affection.

I think Elias and Amie fit the more laid-back and sweet characteristics, but we have yet to really see what Amie is like in a relationship. We've seen her with a crush on Ludde and we got a glimpse of that thing she had with Robin (which was apparently a relationship but I did not pick up on that at all), but we don't really know what Amie is like in a relationship. Maybe she's never really had a "real" one, either.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to see what's in store for Elias and Amie. I'm very positive that they will eventually become a couple in season 4.

[teamfreewilllover]

Almost Lover: Part 4 - Xavier Plympton Imagine

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Y/N was happily seated in between Xavier and Chet, as the group roasted marshmallows by the campfire. The nurse, Rita, had joined them a few minutes earlier, much to Y/N’s annoyance. Rita soon brought up the night stalker, as Y/N watched Brooke grimace at the mere mention of his name. However, clearly she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Xavier quickly stood up and walked over to Brooke, placing his arm behind her back as he leaned in closer to her.

“Rita. I totally understand the tradition, and usually I'm cool with that, but our friend Brooke here had a for-real assault, and we're just not in the mood for a bullshit ghost story” Xavier explained, a protective tone in his voice.

Y/N practically bristled as she watched Brooke give him a grateful smile. If it wasn’t bad enough that he still seemed to like Montana, now his attention was drifting towards the new girl.

“It's not bullshit. And there was no ghost. I'll be honest with you. I've never been a nurse at a summer camp before. And you've never been counselors. So how did we get these jobs with no prior experience? That's because anybody that knows anything about Camp Redwood doesn't want to be in Camp Redwood” Rita announced, as Y/N gave her a dubious look.

“Then how come your here, Rita? If it’s so dangerous?” Y/N accused.

“I like a little danger” Rita shrugged, as Y/N brushed off the comment, turning her attention back to Xavier.

Xavier seemed to notice she was staring at him, as he straightened up a little, a somewhat guilty look on his face. Y/N was barely listening to Rita’s ghost story about some weirdo named “Mr Jingles”, as she gave Xavier a confused look, which he shrugged to in response.

“Am I boring you two?” Rita questioned, noticing neither of them had been paying attention.

“I was listening. He was a freak who liked to cut peoples ears off” Y/N shrugged.

“You’re wrong. There was a lot more to him than that” A voice told her, as they all turned to see Margaret had snuck up on them.

“Don’t take it personally, Margaret. When these two are around each other, they don’t really pay attention to anything else” Montana teased, as Y/N had to restrain herself from stepping over the fire and strangling Montana.

“Duly noted” Margaret mumbled, as she walked over to Y/N and raised an eyebrow.

“If you want to hear what really happened then I should at least get a seat” Margaret went on, placing a hand on her hip.

Y/N rolled her eyes, as she reluctantly stood up from where she was seated on the log. She could see that there were nowhere else to sit, so she marched over to Xavier and got ready to kneel on the muddy ground.

“If you’re going to tell a story, tell it right...” Margaret began, whilst Y/N stopped listening when she felt a warm arm wrap itself around her waist.

She looked down and realised it belonged to Xavier, as a blush began to rise on her face.

“You can sit with me” Xavier mummured, not looking at her, as he was trying to listen to Margaret’s story.

“There’s no room” Y/N pointed out, as Xavier pulled her onto his lap.

She sat on his thigh, as he kept his arm still wrapped around her waist. By now, Y/N could tell her blush had grown, not to mention her heart rate had sped up. She tried her best to listen to Margaret’s story and ignore her current position, when Xavier began to unconsciously stroke her hip with his thumb. Y/N bit her lip, as she wondered whether Xavier really didn’t know what he was doing. She was brought of her trance as she saw Margaret stand up, as Y/N guessed she had finished her story. From what Y/N’s preoccupied mind could gather, Mr Jingles had killed everyone but Margaret, who had gone on to be the star witness and send him to jail. Y/N was beginning to question this, when she felt Xavier rest his chin on her shoulder.

“She’s kind of spooky, huh?” Xavier teased, his cool breath on her neck.

“Uh...I’m...I’m going to check on the hiker...” Y/N stuttered, as she quickly stood up.

“I’ll come with you. I want to make sure he’s alright” Brooke informed her, standing up.

“I’ll come too” Xavier announced.

“You really don’t need to. We’ll be fine” Brooke stated, as Y/N crossed her arms and looked away.

“It’s no problem. I’ve got to keep an eye on my best girl” Xavier teased, making Y/N rolled her eyes.

“I’ll just leave you two to it then” Y/N mummured as she began walking away.

Brooke shook her head fondly, as she saw Xavier watching her go with puppy dog eyes. The pair were so clearly pining for each other, but neither seemed to realise it.

Y/N burst into a fit of giggles as she watched Montana all but drool over the new arrival. Trevor had clearly captured her interest...or at least a certain part of him had. Whereas Brooke seemed uncomfortable as he stretched in front of her, his crotch more or less in her face. Not for the first time, Y/N couldn’t help but question if Brooke was even interested in men.

“You’re a legend” Montana informed Trevor, a dreamy look on her face.

“Thanks” Trevor replied, with a small smirk.

“You’re welcome” Montana said, in a breathy tone.

“Okay, down girl” Y/N giggled, as she nudged Montana.

“It’s cool. I’m used to fans” Trevor grinned.

“You better be careful on your way out...I’m not sure your head is going to fit through the door” Y/N retorted.

“Ah...but which head?” Trevor joked, as Y/N laughed.

“You got me there” She giggled.

“Cute...he’s mine, Y/N” Montana whispered, but was still loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Don’t worry, she’s not my type, baby” Trevor winked at Monatana.

“Rude!” Y/N exclaimed.

“Hey, you’re a good looking girl, kid. But your still...well, a kid” Trevor pointed out.

“Montana’s only four years older than me” Y/N scoffed.

“And you know what that means...four years more experience” Montana smirked at Trevor.

Later that night, Y/N was sitting on the floor, her back against the bed Xavier was lounging on, while they watched the beginning of the Olympics.

“I heard the male athletes outnumber the females five to one. That's some tough competition” Brooke teased Chet, who had a devestated look on his face.

“What the fuck would you know about it?” Chet retorted, in an angry tone.

“Woah!” Xavier exclaimed, as he pushed himself upright.

“Dude, shut up already. You’re being a dick” Ray told him, as Chet scrunched up the can he had been drinking from.

“Fuck You!” Chet yelled, as he threw the metal can at Ray, who held up his hand to protect himself.

“Chet, what the hell?” Xavier gaped.

“You need to calm down right now” Y/N told him, pushing herself up.

“Shit...” Ray trailed off, as he saw his hand was now bleeding.

“My bad...I...I didn’t mean to-” Chet began, approaching Ray with a concerned look on his face.

“Back off!” Ray shouted.

“I’m sorry, man” Chet sighed.

“Damn roid rage” Ray mummured, as Chet shook his head and stormed out of the room.

“Chet, wait up!” Y/N exclaimed, following close behind him.

“Y/N, just leave him. It’s not worth it” Xavier insisted, as Chet left the cabin.

“He’s our friend, X” Y/N retorted, as she rushed outside.

“Chet, it’s okay-” Y/N began, but he cut her off.

“No, it’s not! Ray’s right, look at me! I’ve ruined my life and for what? I have no career, no girlfriend, no future...” Chet trailed off, almost sounding like he was going to cry.

“Hey, it’s not all bad. At least you’ve still got your abs” Y/N suggested, as Chet chuckled.

“Yeah, they are pretty rad” Chet nodded.

“Just come back inside, okay? Apologise to Ray, and just...chill” Y/N told him.

“Yeah...thanks, Y/N” Chet smiled at her, as he pulled her into a hug.

“Uh, Chet? You’re kind of crushing me” Y/N giggled, ushering to his arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Oh, sorry” Chet laughed, as he pulled away slightly.

Just then the cabin door opened, revealing an annoyed looking Xavier, who frowned as he saw how close the pair were standing.

“Am I interrupting something?” Xavier questioned, gritting his teeth.

“No. Uh, is Ray still in there?” Chet asked.

“He’s gone get bandages” Xavier replied, with an angry tone.

“I’m gonna’ go after him” Chet announced, as Y/N nodded, watching as he went back inside the cabin.

“Seriously, Y/N? Chet?” Xavier accused, as he shut the cabin door so the others couldn’t hear their conversation.

“Nothing happened. Jesus, what is with you lately? One second your avoiding me and the next your breathing down my neck? Are you that pissed that I’m leaving?” Y/N retorted.

“Maybe...maybe I am. Your my best friend...I don’t want to lose you, okay?” Xavier sighed.

“Just because we’re not going to be living in the same state doesn’t mean we won’t still be best friends, X. I’ll be home all the time” Y/N explained.

“That’s not why I’m worried about losing you” Xavier admitted.

“What do you mean?” Y/N frowned.

“I care about you...a lot. More than I should-” Xavier began but was cut off by Y/N.

“Did you hear that?” Y/N gulped, as she looked out into the forest.

“Hear what?” Xavier inquired, following her gaze.

“I thought I heard...nevermind. Let’s go back inside” Y/N mumbled, as she opened the cabin door, with a frown.

Was Margaret’s story just getting to her or did she just hear keys jingling?

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list and if you have any ideas for future parts!

Tag list: @bedazzled-bandit-ban @avacadontyoudare @cheshirecat107 @fandoms-allovertheplace @theeonlyroman @anoud1970 @mysterious-adventurer @littlelimonchik @delightful-pirate @grippleback-galaxy @molethemollie @rachelle3musicals @shadesofbarryallen @vixi3303 @mostawkwardperson101 @freeshavocadoooo @chris-parkers @yady24 @miskwaadesiwag @isletsoflou-gerhans @thefandomzoneisdangerous @trickei @catastrophicneed @rainbowmagicpixecorn @alexandrathegreat3 @gorgeousmisery @quacksonbarnes @btsarmygirl417 @rhiannon-the-troublemaker @yn-yes-from-the-imagines @faith-alons26 @uwonman @kellysimagines @psychobitchtess @thexmancometh @snarkyanimecartooncop @ace-fiction @anon-1112 @perfect-ginger-maniac @professionalunicorn15 @jetblackpayne @ren-ni @luna-xxxxx @courtcourt2607 @fuck-yeah-bruno-buccerati @myluciferiscody @codyl-angdon @deadly-unicornius @rubbrninja @shydragonrider

[valkerymillenia]

Umbrella Academy

season 2, episode 7

More thoughts and live blogged reactions.

1982. I'm assuming Five used a briefcase... But in s1 we saw that the briefcase travels are tracked (Hazel and Cha-Cha got reprimanded for Klaus's Vietnam trip) so I'm not sure how the board doesn't know someone is coming... I might be overthinking.

Five being creepy.

Is that a Fudge Nutter like Handler mentioned in season 1? Oh, it is.

Jesus, Five! Anger management for you, old man.

AAHH! THEY LET FIVE SAY FUCK! Fucking finally! 🤣

How did nobody notice that destruction? 😆

Oh, the axe! Is Five going to go all American psycho? Because I'd love to see that.

HOLY SHIT!

That smile!

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

Is he using tiny time travel bursts like Reggie said? Or a briefcase? Or is he just that fast?

AJ hiding under the table 😆

Pausing to drink water and grin, what a psycho, I love him.

He's definitely using time jumps but they are so controlled that I'm guessing briefcase or Handler little time stopping trick. I'm so proud of my mass murder baby.

... Vending machine? Lady, you have interesting priorities.

CRICKET BAT!

Wait! AJ's human body feels pain? How?

Please make Five swallow the fish like in the comics! Please, please, please, please.

The dancers are just like

I LOVE FIVE! The lengths this little killer will go for his family are unbelievable, nobody should ever doubt his love and devotion for them ever again.

This whole murder scene was incredible and Five's obvious glee made it even better. FEAR HIM!

Jesus, Klaus is so afraid of being possessed that he's afraid to sleep and Ben just mocks him? 😘💋 I get that this is supposed to be a funny 'brothers messing with each other' kind of thing but Klaus feels so unsafe that it makes me uncomfortable. What happened to you, Ben, when did you become so dark? You were the nice one!

Ben just getting closer and closer every time Klaus closes his eyes just gave me Doctor Who flashbacks.

"I hate your face" "I hate all of you" - Don't say that boys! You know you love each other.

Ok, Ben has a point. I'm actually liking this conversation. And I'm liking that Klaus is starting to understand his brother.

Ok, this is such a brother conversation. And Klaus constantly pretending not to know who Jill is 😆

Ground rules... Well, at least it's consensual now. That's something. See? Communication works.

Damn, the tension at the lunch table cut be cut with a knife. I'm scared what Carl is going to do.

Ray and Allison have a lovely relationship but I finally identified the problem, the tension I was feeling between since them a few eps back. It's not about Allison's secrets at all, is about Ray being so obsessed with his crusade that he completely overlooks Allison's feelings, he only pays attention to her when they are on the page about the mission. He sees her powers and his first thought is 'we could use this for the cause', Allison is clearly distressed and sad and even says she doesn't feel well and all he can think about is the damn JFK meeting. He's not a bad person and he's not doing it on purpose but he has a workaholic one-track mind that could easy turn into neglect for Allison. He clearly loves her and I'm rooting for them so much but I know that if asked to choose between Allison and his cause, he'll pick his cause.

So Five is done with the killing. I figured this might weigh on his conscience, it's one thing to kill for a greater good or survival, coldly and detached, it's another thing to slaughter for selfish reasons (even if his selfish reasons are a greater good).

Handler going all mom on him and wiping his face. 😆

"What I did today, I did for my family" -we know, baby, and they better respect you for it. You love then so much.

90 minutes??? Wtf, I knew Handler would try to screw Five over but that's just cruel, she's forcing him to uproot the family without even giving them time to say goodbye and that's even IF he can get to all of them on time.

It's not a name, you idiots. Also, that's Olga, not öga.

Don't harass the poor woman... Oh God, you guys are such morons... Diego, you dramatic little bitch...

"Wrong number. Have a lovely day" 🤣🤣🤣

I love the new dumbass buddy cop dynamic between Diego and Luther. This is the sort of positive brotherly dynamic they always should have had instead of being pitted against each other all their lives.

"you have some blood on you" "a lot of blood, actually. Five, what did you do?" -the casual, mildly annoyed way they ask is hilarious, if they knew what he did they'd be horrified (and possibly impressed).

Handler's militaristic chic dress is fabulous. I personally don't like it very much (or the message it sends) but it's haute couture and incredibly designed. Also, the bleached hair is back!

"any questions?" And then she leaves without listening. Power move 😏

Luther trying to comfort Diego like the dork he is. 🤣

Really though, I feel bad for Diego, and Five is under so much pressure that I don't blame him for snapping.

"I'm shy" -are you, Klaus? Are you really? You keep walking around in underwear in front of dozens of people, you're not shy.

So is Klaus lactose intolerant?

Ok, so far the possession thing is not as bad as some people were claiming. So far.

"stay focused" *giggle* -oh Ben, you dork 😆

Ahah, Ben enjoying all the different sensory stimuli. Adorable. He's just so happy, poor boy.

Dirt angels. SO CUTE ❤️

I know this all supposed to be cute and all but it would also be a perfect moment for Ben for experience Klaus's powers (the constant hauntings) as well as his addiction and the claustrophobic expectations of the cult. It would be an excellent chance to make Ben understand why Klaus is the way he is, seeing as Klaus is making a huge effort (and sacrifice) to do the same for Ben. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening because I think they want to keep this part about Ben.

By end of season 1 Klaus cried that people still didn't take him seriously, his compassion despite all his suffering made him likeable and deep, but this season he's back to being the family joke, I don't like that there's no resolution to that. But let's see where this goes, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Oh God, Carl's talk is freaking me out.

"who I am is not a disease" -very powerful LGBT+ statement considering it's the 60s!!!!

Oh, the blackmail...

Everybody keeps expecting Vanya to explode every time she gets emotional but this scene proves how much control she truly has. Respect!

Oh, finally Claire is mentioned! I've been rather upset that Allison hasn't mentioned her daughter even once this season (does Ray even know he has a stepdaughter?) seeing as most of her arc in season 1 revolved around her love and guilt over Claire.

Luther is right when he says they don't get live formal lives because they are special but Allison is even more right when she says that's not fair. This is why this family needs to stick together and love each other, they are the only ones that can really understand each other's struggles.

"hope" -Luther, you really are such a sweet summer child.

OH! I CAN FINALLY SEE ALLISON'S SCAR! The lighting in this scene makes it really obvious. Finally.

Ben and the strawberry. 🤣

"you're different today. You're dorkier" ah! First time anyone called Ben 'Sassy' Hargreeves dorky.

Oh Ben, you're adorable... Wait, "smell your hair"? What the fuck, Ben? You weirdo.

Holy crap! Jill is really forward, isn't she? Hippies, man.

Ben stuttering! 😆🤣 He died a virgin, didn't he?

It's funny but please tell me he isn't actually considering that in his brother's body...

Wait, did Klaus slap him because he doesn't want to have sex or because he's trying to stop Ben from ruining his own chance by saying too much?

Actually, I'm almost sure it's the second one, Klaus is playing wingman on his own body!

WHAT????

Ok so Ben IS a virgin but "you, me and Keechie"? What the fuck, Klaus? You slept with the fanatical crybaby and your brother's crush????

"Klaus, you're so filthy!" "Yes, you are, daddy." -Ben, this girl is not right for you. Run, boy!

AHAHAHAH ASDFGDDGGHSGSGASFHDBKDIS 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 DIEGO CALLING HIM DADDY!

Wait, AJ can speak without the body/suit/whatever?

Handler is going a little bit fascist dictator, isn't she?

Gotta admit, Handler really is such a mom in her own twisted way.

Ben giggling when he talks to Diego. Cute.

"Luther sniffs Dad's underwear" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

AWWWWWWWW, BEN AND DIEGO! THE CHILDHOOD HIJINKS! THE HUG!

GOD, THE HUG! ❤️

I need all the siblings hugging Ben now!

"you stay in this body, we need someone responsible behind the wheel" -Diego, I understand what you mean given the situation, but you playing obvious favorites between your brothers when free will and body autonomy are on the line is a little creepy.

"no one is insignificant" -that line is so loaded when used on Vanya.

Oh no, Vanya and Five playing the blame game is so bad... They used to be so close... They are both under so much pressure, this won't end well.

Oh boy, Five looks like he's on the verge of crying and Vanya sees that! I bet that's why she backed down. 😲😢

The Lila and Diego conversation is heartbreaking without even trying...

Is that Elliot? Is Diego burying Elliot because nobody else will? Diego really does have a heart of gold.

Don't drinkit! I'm pretty sure Lila is drugging you.

Yup, there it is.

What is she planning?

Once again, it's all about the movement with Ray.

"I would take my one year with you over a lifetime with anybody else." 😭 Oh Ray ❤️

But I get the feeling this won't end so easily.

There it is, the Swedes just arrived. And the smart assholes went right for Allison's throat.

You don't need the coffee can, Sissy. The Hargreeves are loaded.

Sissy, hurry up.

BEN, YOU ARE SUCH A 90s KID!!! So the Backstreet Boys are Ben's fault, God, I love this dork 🤣

Come on, Allison, you can fight better than this!

Good girl!

Klaus and Ben running and fighting each other at the same time 😆

Holy shit, that is some Exorcist level vomiting!

Poor Klaus, I totally get Ben's side in this (pretty sure he was trying to save Klaus by getting him to Five ASAP) but this whole thing made me mildly uncomfortable. Klaus just keeps sacrificing for everyone and nobody respects his boundaries.

Holy shit, Allison! That is so cruel! I like it though, so ruthless and vicious. 😈

Problem- Allison can't just leave Ray with a white corpse in the house. Especially not in Texas, death penalty and all.

Oh Sissy, you dumbass. You're a sweetheart but also a dumbass.

Ok, Lila is pretty insane. That's for sure.

Five:

"I don't want to hurt you" - well, Vanya warned them.

My baby is getting really good with her powers.

I hope that hit to the head doesn't give Vanya her memory back, that's so cliché and convenient, or would be really bad writing.

SHIT IS HITTING THE FAN. I'm dying to see more!!!!!!

[hajimailhinata]

Hi, Hajime. I hope I'm not bothering you... I just wanted to ask something... So today, my teacher and the class started talking about becoming more social and stuff like that... But it got me a little cause I'm a very shy person that doesn't have any real friends... And, when someone talks about a delicate topic like that, I kind of feel like crying... I don't want to seem like a crybaby for that... I was just wondering what I could do to be less shy.

Hey, don’t feel so bad, number one. Being shy is just a person’s nature, same as whether they’re right handed or left handed. People can just be shy, and that’s not something to berate yourself for. Feeling fragile, not knowing how to talk, wanting to cry sometimes… I’m sure everyone has been in those shoes, shy or not. You just experience it more frequently, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone in it. There’s nothing wrong with an inherent shyness. Ah, but- I do understand wanting to change the way that shyness limits you. I just wanted to tell you it was alright off the bat.

Anyways, I… wasn’t really too shy growing up so much as I was super quiet and unengaged with others. It took a socialization simulation to teach me anything about forming bonds with the people around me, but maybe some of the things I learned might help you, in spite of our differences? I’ll try my best. You’re my friend, after all.

..Well. First of all, I always had the incentive of going home if I stepped it up and forced myself to interact with others. It’s not quite the same for you, but a similar system is always helpful. By that I mean, setting a quota in your head and doing your best to meet it. Try and establish a set amount of conversations to have in a day for at least five minutes each, and alter the stakes where you see fit. Rewarding yourself isn’t a must, but it does help train your mind to approach the task more easily if you know you’re going to celebrate your successes. 

You might think talking regularly sounds like too much, but this is where the important of small talk surfaces. There’s sort of a stigma about small talk because people say it’s too predictable or whatever, but it definitely isn’t. Being able to politely ask someone how they are or how many hope shards they’ve gathered steps into a round of easy questions for both parties to answer. There’s nothing too complicated to discuss, and the warm-up actually goes a long way into opening up the opportunity for deeper conversation later on. 

In any case, shallow exchanges like that are low stakes and easy to rehearse. They might feel awkward, but they definitely teach you to start taking initiative and approaching others independently. Don’t feel weird! It’s just practice, and there’s no backlash to worry about with simple topics. The best part is, if you feel it went badly, that’s exactly the kind of talk that you can use to approach anybody, so you can transfer targets no problem.

Another issue with talking to others is regretting the things you say, right? Tsumiki’s always backtracking even when I’m just there for an appointment, so being shy can also stem from that sense of regret. Even I’ve felt like that. When you’re navigating a life or death trial, you tend to stumble over your words, you know? But that doesn’t mean you can’t move on. In all honesty, half the times you’re stressing out over something you said, nobody else is going to linger on it if you don’t bring it up yourself. 

Continuing on like you made no mistake, and acknowledging that it’s okay to mess up… You have to do those sort of things! You have to look at the people you’re talking to and realize that you’re the only one who’s going to latch onto the alternatives you could’ve used- Anyone listening is only concerned with what you went through with saying, not the ways you could’ve corrected it. It’s okay!

When you have those moments of regret, try your best to resist imagining how you could’ve been better. The harsh reality is that the past is already in the past, and you can’t change what’s already done. But accepting that reality is the only way to accept your mistakes and understand that if you want to do better, you can only really look to the future. 

Focus on pushing yourself forward in little ways the next time you’re talking; Don’t go overboard, but make mini attempts not to mumble, to think a little more, to be the first one to broach a certain question… Small goals, one at a time. And don’t worry if you can’t manage them immediately; Practice makes perfect, okay? Just keep trying. Nobody knows what you’re attempting but you, so nobody else is going to be embarrassed or criticize you if you don’t quite get there.

Finally, try to prolong your exposure to situations where you might feel awkward! I know that sounds counterproductive, but listen. If you run away all the time without pushing yourself to work on your shyness, how are you supposed to get anywhere? Comfort zones are always important, and it’s fine to retreat to them if you really, really need to, but… If you can bear your nerves for a little while, you should see what you can do with them. It’s only after you confront those feelings and find success in interaction that you can ever begin to ease them and push your boundaries a little further. If it’s seriously too much, put yourself first and go find somewhere private to calm down, but if you feel especially strong… Try to mimic the way others are behaving around you, and see if your efforts rake in any results.

At the end of the day, don’t nitpick what you do wrong, and don’t be hard on yourself for being shy. Nothing will change unless you try and force it with your own hard work, so don’t give up in favor of embracing defeat. It’s not impossible for things to go your way! You don’t have to be a social butterfly, but if you can become a little more confident, that means you’d be happier with yourself, right? That’s… the only reason I’m being kind of blunt. Because I want you to have that..! You deserve to be happy and to have friends who love you, shy or not. 

Whatever comes of it, I’m rooting for you. Seriously.