#flicker's meta

[a-flickering-soul]

Tamsyn Muir, Gideon the Ninth / Ada Limon, "Accident Report in the Tall, Tall Weeds" / Sarah Ruhl, The Clean House and Other Plays / Tamsyn Muir, "The Unwanted Guest"

[transcription under cut]

Image 1: --whole body surging in spasm. Gideon's heart started up again. Before she could move, Palamedes was there, and with terrible tenderness-- though they were alone in the room and the world alike-- he kissed the back of Dulcinea's hand.

Image 2: There once was a very great American surgeon named Halsted. He was married to a nurse. He loved her-- immeasurably. One day Halsted noticed that his wife's hands were chapped and red when she came back from surgery. And so he invented rubber gloves. For her. It is one of the great love stories in medicine. The difference between inspired medicine and uninspired medicine is love.

When I met Ana, I knew: I loved her to the point of invention.”

Image 3: "The Warden,” she said, “has been exchanging letters with Dulcinea Septimus for twelve years. He’s been—a weenie—over her. One of the reasons he became the heir of the House was to meet her on even footing. His pursuit of medical science was entirely for her benefit."

Image 4:

Palamedes: (Pause) Look-- I doubt I'll get another chance to say this, so...

Voice: Don't. You don't have to.

Palamedes: I loved you. I love you still. I would have worked out how to love you better over time.

[hermit-frog]

for me personally‚ the flashlight in the museum (that Armand had stolen from the guard) represented her hope/dream (to be seen, to belong, to find home)‚ happiness (Madeleine)‚ and Claudia herself.

[riggerbison]

Fantasy vs. Reality (Phaya's Version)

[lacefuneral]

thinking abt ed's character development here

[pearlcaddy]

midgelenny + hollywood (jukebox the ghost)

[landwriter]

i am sorry i was so close-

[armorguard]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: ree my friend ree :D tagging: anyone who wants to do it ^^

NAME: Bronya Rand

BODY

height: 158cm / around 5'2

strength ★★★★☆ — she's fit, military trained, and resilient. only thing stopping her is a physically larger body.

dexterity ★★★★★ — has very steady and dextrous hands on account of being a marksman

health ★★★☆☆ — could be better, admittedly… she needs more sleep…

energy ★★☆☆☆ — similar to health

beauty ★★★★☆ — a cold beauty!

style  ★★☆☆☆ — dresses regally and primly as a leader but has little sense for personal style

hygiene ★★★★☆ — personal hygiene is great, but particularly tough days means she can neglect it a bit. you do not want to see bedhead bronya.

SKILLS

perception ★★★★★ — more for battle than for people; she doesn't really have the skill for reading others

communication ★★★☆☆ — communicates her orders clearly, more personal things are left unvoiced to her own detriment

persuasion ★★★★★ — it comes with the job

mediation ★★★★★— preventing a battle is better than winning it

literacy ★★★★★ — is very well-read thanks to being the supreme guardian's scion. that densely packed schedule means she has read dostoevsky.

creativity ★★☆☆☆ — tends to solve problems using solutions she already knows can work

cooking ★★☆☆☆ — decent at it (the things you learn when deployed!) but usually lets others cook for her

tech savvy ★★☆☆☆ — definitely knows how to repair certain weapons but still calls her phone an "android" so. take that as you will.

combat ★★★★★ — too good, too young

survival ★★★★★ 

stealth ★★★★☆ — can stage ambushes and snipe people

street smarts ★☆☆☆☆ — of course her education lends itself to certain situation but she's very much coming from a sheltered upbringing.

seduction ☆☆☆☆☆ — mm… not at all

luck ★★★★☆ — big part of preservation is constantly winning your odds

handling animals ★☆☆☆☆ — is largely unused with them, treats them very delicately

pacifying children ★★★★☆ — she's very gentle with them but please don't cry in front of her

MIND

intelligence ★★★★☆ 

happiness ★★★☆☆ — there will always be things bearing their weight on her mind but she is overall content

spirituality ★★★☆☆ — walks the path of Preservation more faithfully than her mother but does not necessarily do so for the sake of the Amber Lord

confidence ★★☆☆☆ — still prone to doubts, still relies on the insight of others to guide her. a leader cannot be overconfident. the people do not need an icarus.

humor ★☆☆☆☆ — if she's funny, it's not on purpose

anxiety ★★★☆☆ — has many worries that occasionally compound into nightfuls of doubt

patience ★★★☆☆ — tries her best but can have breaks in temper

passion ★★★☆☆

nice        ☆☆★☆☆ mean — would like to be kind but has a tendency to be relentless

brave       ☆★☆☆☆ cowardly

pacifist     ☆★☆☆☆ violent

thoughtful ★☆☆☆☆ impulsive — she thinks so much it haunts her sometimes

agreeable ☆☆★☆☆ contrary

idealistic   ☆★☆☆☆ pragmatic — has very big ideas on how the world should be that only recently became shattered; she will continue to work towards her ideal belobog, though.

frugal ☆★☆☆☆ big spender 

extrovert   ☆☆☆☆★ introvert — she's not that good at socializing…

collected   ★☆☆☆☆ wild

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ★★★★☆ — you're compelled to follow her orders but might find her a bit awkward in more casual situations

empathy ★★★★☆ — is quite soft-hearted

generosity ★★★★★ — the supreme guardian shall ever-provide

wealth ★★★★★ — it's a given since she's the supreme guardian, though given belobog's debt situation, perhaps the qlipoth fort coffers aren't as full as one would think…

honest  ★★☆☆☆ deceptive  — hides things from people but for what she believes is good reason

leader   ☆☆★☆☆ follower — she leads and follows her people

polite   ☆★☆☆☆  rude — born to cuss out people who annoy her, forced to say "oh, i understand."

political ★☆☆☆☆ indifferent

BELIEFS

higher power ★★★☆☆ — see: spirituality

fate/destiny ★★☆☆☆ — believes in it but not in its power: it can be endured

magic ★☆☆☆☆ — doesn't know much about the universe at large

soulmates ☆☆☆☆☆ — she doesn't know she's yuri in every universe

good and evil ★★★★☆ — certain things are good, other things are evil, but there is a complicated in-between that's shaped like her mother

luck ★★★★☆

PRIORITIES

family ★★★★★ — she still loves her mother, in her own complicated way. i think a lot of her desire to do well also has to do with upholding legacy.

friends ★★★☆☆ — has only recently started having friends

love ★☆☆☆☆ — still struggles to grasp love as a whole

home ★★★★★ — everything for belobog

health ★☆☆☆☆ — …she forgot to eat today

praise ★★★☆☆ — doesn't actively seek it out but… well… a little compliment won't hurt.

justice ★★★★★

truth ★★☆☆☆ — sometimes the truth costs too much

power ★★★☆☆ — wants to maintain influence but in a way that has integrity and consideration for due process

fame ★★★★☆ — fame has some very selfish connotations which i don't think bronya has but... well. see answer for "others' opnions" for a better explanation

wealth ★★★★☆ — in terms of belobog's economy; the visit from the ipc has made her realize how fragile they are

others' opinions ★★★★★ — it's important to her that the people of belobog see her as someone reliable and trustworthy. they must have faith in their guardian, otherwise, their "guardian" is nothing more than a tyrant.

[tyrannuspitch]

vampire thor vampire thor...

this is a more meta and kind of critical take, but i feel like thor (the character) is quite uncanny sometimes.

like, there's the vampire thing of cold, uncanny, inhuman beauty - and how we're expected to believe that thor's shrinkwrapped abs are his everyday appearance, when that basically isn't biologically possible, and would probably be indicative of a severe eating disorder even if it was.

and then there's also the fact that thor commits so many extreme acts of violence, but we never get to see the blood and gore. his weapon is a HAMMER. he is smashing open people's SKULLS. where is the blood, the brains, the fragmented bone? how are his hands so unnaturally clean?

and then there's his near invulnerability. his plot armour, his cursed immortality, his unshakeable ability to survive, even as the sole survivor. he should be dead many times over by now. and yet. and yet.

[stuckasmain]

Why is this man shirtless when talking to his ex situationship.

You stop that.

[dreamlandbarnes]

tw flickering, implied/referenced abuse

the way jamie’s eyes dart around after beard physically drags tartt sr. out of the locker room is so haunting. it’s like jamie completely dissociates. he doesn’t have a moment to feel relief or remorse. he’s just standing there in shock, about to accept whatever comes his way (whether it’s a sucker punch that never comes or a crushing hug from his childhood hero).

it looks like jamie’s line of sight is stuck on the locker room doors until roy pulls him into his embrace, bringing jamie back down to earth. jamie doesn’t even notice his presence until roy is right there in front of him and filling the empty space of where his father was. of course he flinches (how was he supposed to know the next form of physical contact wasn't going to be violent? was this the first time jamie reacted with physical violence? or did he already know what to expect from his father when he fights back?) but then jamie buries his head deeper in roy's shoulder. he doesn't need to fear his father in that moment; roy has him in his arms and he can let go and cry and be the little boy who's been holding onto so much hurt.

and roy is there for him in every sense of the word. for a second it looks like jamie loses his balance, but roy is steady and solid as a rock. he only squeezes jamie tighter when the sobs get louder.

not joking when i say i think about this scene every day. and every time i edit it i always find something new. i currently have like three versions of this with different colouring and music lmao. i love the original scene and the choice the editors made to have that moment of stillness and silence before roy brings the music to jamie and "beware of darkness" starts playing. i can't find the interview where they talked about it but it was definitely an intentional decision that i'm very fond of.

[madeimpact]

Y'know I think it could be interesting to write a thread where my little man just gets to go completely apeshit. The problem is it takes a LOT to get him to that point. But it can be done

[a-flickering-soul]

what's interesting also about the fionna and cake finale is that it almost seems like a rebuttal to a lot of the previous Big Adventure Time Themes-- that love and creation and community and joy conquers all, even against forces we can barely comprehend. i actually think this was alluded to in the finale itself, when gary threw his pastries at scarab and marshall lee tried to play at him, all to no avail. sometimes, love isn't enough. in every universe, finn and jake and bonnie and marcy find each other, because they love each other and they make each other better. sometimes, you can love someone and need to let them go. sometimes, love isn't enough, and that's also okay.

[tatort-sideblog]

Gegen Tote wird nicht ermittelt, das wissen Sie.

Karow & Rubin Meta

[pix-writes]

tlou meta: the watch

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD (look away now if you don’t want the game/tv show spoiled)

Here’s the thing that has insterested me since I finished the tlou game like 10 odd yrs ago & with the show making sure the watch is a recurring ‘theme’ on screen:

Throughout the game (and through the show so far), we are reminded frequently of how Joel has done some terrible shit to survive, has fucked over innocent people in the name of survival.

But the thing about his watch is, is that it is a symbol of his humanity. Not just of what grief he’s been put through, or of survivor’s guilt. Because his watch is what he looks to when he is in situations with Ellie, where he ultimately decides to keep going, to keep protecting her. It reminds him of Sarah, of course, but thematically it holds so much more weight than just a reminder of what he lost. It’s a reminder of what he used to be (a father). 

I could go on about why this is (though honestly i’m too tired/wired to think it out coherently) but the main, interesting part of this train of thought is that if the watch is a symbol for Joel’s ties to being human, of making the ‘right’ decisions (to protect Ellie), is that Joel has NEVER taken the watch off!

[denkryn]

Imogen feeling… strange that she can no longer hear laudna’s thoughts because back when everyone’s thoughts were chaotically swimming in her mind, the one place she could go to—her safe place, her solace—was laudna’s mind and her thoughts. She was so reliant on this one thing for so long, so dependant on it to live—not even live, but to survive. And now, she doesn’t need it anymore. And it feels like a loss. It feels like she’s lost her safe place—her home. Suddenly, it’s not there anymore. There’s just an emptiness. A silence.

Sure, the chaos is gone, but so is the joy.

[armorguard]

hc + 💌 for a romance-themed headcanon !

thematic headcanons (accepting!) | hc + 💌 for a romance-themed headcanon

okay maggie i see you. fine. let's talk about romance!

i'll start off by talking about how bronya sees love. given her upbringing and the values that have subsequently been instilled within her, i believe bronya loves through duty—devotion, loyalty, unwavering resolve. i don't think bronya has a very clear idea of what love is outside of this. i think her construction of love is not intimate or personal at all. she very much loves like a leader. which is great when you're, well, a leader! but not so great when you're courting someone.

poor seele…..

so why isn't it so great? i personally see it like this: bronya is incapable of recognizing love in a romantic way. she's familiar with it from other people—she knows how courtship goes, she knows how people can fall in love. but she doesn't know how it manifests within her. which is why, when it does start happening, i think bronya is oblivious at first—then a bit anxious once she realizes the depth of her feeling.

romantic love is just such a… strong feeling for her to have towards one person. cocolia is probably the only person she's had quite a deep, personal connection with, and her relationship with her mother is… was… well. you know! so i think bronya doesn't know what to do with it. especially when within the proximity of her, let's just say, object of affection. she gets a bit lost. she feels the urge to fight against it because she fears what it will do to her judgment.

but i think she'll eventually overcome it. this sort of issue is a result of her past and, as we can see throughout the story, bronya's been trying quite hard to break free from that. so i think she'll get her shit together and realize that it's not so bad at all. she wants to love. she's only so afraid of it because she also wants to be careful. but once she lets go of her inhibitions i think she'll be corny as fuck LOL. if you've seen her texts you know she can be a bit of a boomer. she has that traditional noble sentiment. so basically she's a hag stuck in a 22 year old's body. so i think she'll do things very traditionally—flowers once a month, candlelit dinners, perfumed letters.

for now, we're stuck with her being a bit of a disaster. oops. actually i've been writing her to be a bit disastrous but i feel this will change the more she interacts with different people. always love me some good character development! presently, though………… yeah you're gonna have to forgive her