#gush posting*

[drjohndisco]

jacks hair in this ep. is so fluffy. need to run my hands through it.

[hrokkall]

We are so bat

[opikiquu]

[girl-poss]

getting some stickers printed in this new year

[euniexenoblade]

she's literally me fr

[riza-hawks-eye]

The Royai moments the anime adaptations left out bc they are COWARDS

(I believe in fma manga supremacy)

Riza's Grandpa asks Roy to marry her.

So this one needs outside material to explain, but Arakawa confirmed in the 2nd Guidebook (released only in Japanese and French) that Grumman is Riza's maternal grandfather. Not necessarily a big Royai moment but, still it's interesting how Riza's only known living family ships it, and that Roy doesn't exactly say "no" to his request.

I am forever fascinated as to why any of this exists in the first place, what did you mean by this Arakawa? why have Grumman make this suggestion in the first place? 👀👀👀👀👀👀 What were you suggesting? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Anyway, I wish we had an in-text confirmation of Riza's relation to Grumman and I wish this moment had come back to the story at some point. Even if it was just Riza glaring at Grumman being like "Grandpa why are you trying to marry me off?????"

2. Roy's "Get your hands off my wife!" moment.

He really said, "is he bothering you queen?" I wish we had more protective Roy and frankly, I don't understand how this scene didn't make it to Brotherhood? Riza was getting manhandled by a tin can and clearly not into it. The fact that a tin can serial killer developed a crush on her is concerning to begin with. It just wouldn't be in character for Roy to be cool with this. Roy is also a jealous boyfriend, what can I say?

3. The "I'm glad you're alive" moment.

For some dumb reason, Brotherhood changed this so when Riza apologises for worrying him, he just snaps "save it for the end of the mission!" Like, why Brotherhood? why would Roy ever snap at Riza like that? especially when Riza is generally the one who is laser-focused on the mission. Roy has enough faith in her, he's not going to see this brief apology as her being distracted or less competent. The manga dialogue is also meant to show how Maes's death is still a fresh wound for Roy, so of course he's on edge at the prospect of losing Riza too.

4. He literally asks her out

I feel like both anime adaptations really wanted Roy to be more of a womaniser than he actually is. But this scene lowkey confirms Roy has limited game and he only really wants Riza. It feels like dude jumped at the opportunity to ask Riza out the moment she technically stopped being his subordinate.

5. Roy's codename for Riza actually coming back

Seriously, I love how Arakawa took the time to establish "Elizabeth" as Riza's codename only to use it later to have Madame Christmas suggest that Roy regularly spends time with "Elizabeth" to the point where it's weird that he isn't with her now. And then, when Roy bemoans how "another man took Elizabeth" (an obvious reference to Riza being taken hostage by Bradley) one of Christmas's girls gets excited at the idea she might have a chance with Roy. The suggestion is that Roy isn't normally available on account of his seeing Elizabeth.

It's a strong hint to the idea that Riza and Roy might have *something* going on and are bypassing the fraternization laws through codes. At the very least it suggests that Roy isn't interested in anyone but "Elizabeth". Also look how bummed out he is that his wife is gone. Why did the anime rob us of so much pathetic whipped Roy? WHY?

6. Just a lot more touching in general

There's actually a lot of touching between these two in the manga. It's mostly during the big fights like the Promised Day or the battle with Lust and it really cements them as a true battle couple.

In the case of the Promised day they are literally fighting in each other's arms. Riza is leaning on Roy as she's on the verge of passing out from her wounds, and Roy is clinging onto her now that she has become his eyes. The way they hold each other shows how they are each other's crutch and how one always empowers the other. It also symbolises how inseparable these two are as moments ago Roy was at the Gate and before that Riza was on the brink of death, they could have lost in each other for good but they're still standing strong together in spite of everything.

The post-Lust fight is just a nice moment were Roy clings onto Riza out of sheer relief that she's okay and he hasn't lost another loved one. Even though he's on the verge of passing out from pain and blood loss, he still finds the strength to reach out to her.

Then there's the scene in the tunnels where he lowers her gun for her. The noticeable difference in the manga is that he does this after he takes off his ignition gloves.

The anime forgets to do this. It seems like a minor difference but it's kind of a big point of characterisation. Because we know that Riza has been hurt by flame alchemy, from the process of having the tattoo done to her by a trusted parental figure at a young age, to the trauma of seeing how much damage it did at ishval, to her very literally being burned by the flames so that it won't do anymore damage. Roy is the one who burned her, he's the one who used her secret to do unspeakable damage and suffering, why would he hurt her again by letting her go anywhere near flame alchemy?

My final thoughts: Manga Roy is altogether more dorky and in love with Riza than his anime counterparts and I miss his adorkable self.

I also feel like Arakawa was so good at subtly hinting at how in love these two are and how they basically *do* function like a couple even if they might not be together in the conventional het married with babies way.

[oponions]

Goddamn, what a scene.

[evilwizard]

Hey, Happy Last Day of 2024! We made it! 🎉

My New Year’s gift to myself is casting a malicious spell that makes you all HAVE to watch AMC’s Pantheon. It’s required.

It drives me crazy how few people know about this gem of a show. The characters are endearing and relatable, and the story plays with the boundaries of tech, fantasy, and AI anxiety with a lot of skill. One of the best sci-fi shows of the best decade, and AMC gave it absolutely zero advertising.

You can find it on Netflix, or by sailing the High Seas (if you know what I mean).

Good luck, and make sure you go into it blind! (TW for a few scenes of animated gore in the first couple episodes, and for themes of unreality and depersonalization.)

[an-excellent-choice]

So, I have been musing about how Lorroakan mocked Gale for losing his status as Mystra's chosen and I just can't ignore that there is high possibility of Gale being judged or looked down by his peers even when he returns after saving baldurs gate to becomes a professor.

He had a great fall from grace and even though he was able to earn back Mystra's forgiveness, He wasn't really the same as he was in his prime and he now lacks Mystra's buffs that he had when he was chosen.

After everything though, Gale might not be a wizard as powerful as he before but he now is a better wizard.

Gale doesn't rely on his most powerful spells to fix everything.

He thinks on his feet. Rather than using a spell slot to defend himself from an attacker that got too close.

Gale just throat punches the attacker

[keii]

no sense of personal space

[drjohndisco]

This outfit of Daniel's from the pilot was god tier and I'm sad we didn't get to see more of it.

[ironinkpen]

i just can't get over zuko and aang's dynamic. these two tragic foils, these boys who both wear their history on their faces, who both lost their homes to the fire, these born enemies, both bound by big, grand, lonely destinies, the prince and the avatar,,,,,,,, and who, the moment they're able to interact with each other for more than two seconds, both immediately devolve into the pettiest assholes alive

[tragedy-machine]

Envision - Edwin and Charles are tasked by some sort of a supernatural being to find their missing grandson (a werewolf or a centaur maybe?)

They do and Charles is unsurprisingly brilliant with the child, who's very timid and quiet, but slowly warms up to Charles on their way back to his grandfather

Edwin doesn't know how to handle children, so he keeps his contact with the boy at minimum, that is, until as they almost reach the child's village, the kid stops in his tracks and refuses to come back home

They talk to him and try to convince him to cooperate, but the boy bursts into tears and says that his parents, siblings and classmates don't really like him and that's why he ran away in the first place

It makes Edwin think about his own experience at St. Hilarion, so he softens and squats next to the child to look into his teary eyes and tells him that he relates to the boy's problems

That later on in life he can actually choose his own family, one that will accept him as he is, just as Edwin has, and that he already has a person in his corner right now - his grandfather who even hired detectives to find him

Edwin asks the boy what his hobbies are and upon hearing he likes to read, Edwin responds, "So do I. You see, there are many people out there who will share your hobbies, who will like you and treat you like their family, you just have to find them and never lose hope."

And Charles just looks at Edwin fondly, thinking about how they found each other against all odds and became best friends, became family, and how lucky they are have each other

The child is starstruck and silent for a moment, but his tears dry and he reaches out a small hand to hold Edwin's and agrees to go back

After a few minutes, the boy looks up at Edwin and says "When I grow up, I'm gonna marry you, so you'll also become my family and we will read together"

And Edwin sputters in shocked embarrassment and doesn't know how to answer, and Charles just laughs at the scene they make, ruffles the kid's hair and tells him, while looking at Edwin, "Not if I marry him first"

Edwin is too stunned to speak or even to fully register the world around them, as the three of them finally reach their destination, with Charles and the kid bantering playfully the rest of the way, but he still feels the warmth in his chest

[eggsdrawings]

bus stop! 🚏🚎

[bastard-heir]

i was pregaming with the boys and my buddy tyler started going off on how cold it was gonna be that night, ribbing me for not bringing a jacket cause "man, you aways get cold!"

i offered to run down the street to my place to grab one, and he just stared at me like an idiot. "why do that when you can just borrow one of mine?"

i thought he'd just toss me one of his hoodies, but he ushered me back to his room and had me try on his leather jackets, watching me like a hawk and critiquing their fit more to himself than to me. "Nah, that one makes your arms look small," "this one falls on your hips weird", "you're swimming in that one, lol".

when he found one he approved of, he pointed me to a mirror in the living room where the rest of the guys were waiting. in my reflection was just some guy. just some guy, standing around with just some other guys, drinking beers and laughing at youtube videos. no too round shoulders or too wide hips or too long sleeves to give him away.

i locked eyes with our buddy jason through the mirror as drove his knuckles into my scalp and smiled, "That's our fucking boy!"