#i was so sure this season would explain it!!

[zephyrchama]

You are a sheep.

You have been in the form of a sheep ever since you came to the Devildom. It can be quite inconvenient at times, but life finds a way.

This particular morning, you were awoken in the early hours of the morning by an odd murmur. It was impossible to gauge the time, given the Devildom's eternal night, but something instinctual told you it was too early for whatever nonsense was about to happen.

Fighting your heavy eyelids, you turned your head. Seven demons were sitting on the floor beside your bed, staring at you.

"You're awake!" Leviathan proclaimed.

"I told you the noise would wake them," Lucifer sighed.

"We were being quiet, though," Belphegor remarked.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Asmodeus greeted you.

"Shut it! It's happenin'!" Mammon caused the room to go silent again.

If you've learned anything in the Devildom, it's that even sheep deserve privacy. You dragged yourself into a sitting position and bleated, "what's happening?"

"We're checking the weather," Satan informed you.

"It's a tradition of sorts," Beelzebub explained.

"Can't you do that... literally anywhere else?" The second half of your question got obscured by a yawn, but you were sure you made your point. "What time even is it?"

"It's 6:03," Leviathan said.

"In the morning? Are you guys kidding me?"

As you sighed a grumpy sigh and rubbed the sleep from your eyes, Satan called your name.

"What?"

"Have you checked your shadow?" he asked.

"Huh? What do you mean, checked it?"

"Did you see it?" Belphegor asked.

"My shadow?" There was hardly any light, let alone light strong enough to cast a shadow on your bed. You twisted your neck to look around. "I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"No shadow!" Mammon exclaimed, so loud you almost fell over again.

Lucifer nodded his head, hand placed thoughtfully on chin. "Spring will likely come early this year. I'll inform Diavolo."

Asmodeus launched himself at your spot on the bed. Before you could stop him, he had you lifted in the air. "You're the best!"

Everybody clapped. Leviathan was going on about "the springtime of youth" finally arriving, while Beelzebub said they'd all have to get hot pot one last time before it went out of season. Important context about what just happened was clearly missing, but you've learned that sometimes you need to just go with the flow.

You dangled ragdoll-style from Asmodeus' hands while he did a little dance and wondered if they'd all let you go back to sleep.

You know they won't. Happy Groundhog Day! Looks like irl we've got 6 more weeks of winter.

[hobbitkiller]

It’s not a perspective. Cait and Vi didn’t have different goals in that scene. Also, not every scene that sets up joining forces has to literally spell out that’s the intent of the scene. I honestly don’t get your insistence that everything be spelled out for you like you’re a child.

I’m also clearly going to have to explain foreshadowing to you. Foreshadowing is a literary and story telling device that is used to plant an idea in the reader’s/viewer’s mind for later. Introducing the idea that Piltover and Zaun had joined forces before was placing that idea in the viewer’s head.

You are very much reaching with your analysis of Ambessa just being there to raise tensions. You seem to not grasp how stories develop. In interesting, multifaceted stories like Arcane characters don’t show up with a moist ache to twirl indicating evil intent. That doesn’t mean it’s bad storytelling for them to become the major villain. That’s good storytelling, actually. That said, someone familiar with tropes and story structure could easily predict that she was going to become the new big problem.

Again, you keep acting like every bit of setup had to be super explicit in spelling out the two sides were going to fight together and that, if it didn’t it means that wasn’t the plan. That’s not how writing works. You’re supposed to be able to put all of the pieces together.

That said, they pretty explicitly showed where the use of hextech could lead without nuance in the second episode, so acting like that wasn’t set up as a major threat frankly feels intellectually dishonest. Sure, at the time we maybe thought Heimerdinger was being an alarmist, but everything that happened with hextech from that point forward drove the plot more toward that point he warned about. Even when they spell things out for you as clearly as they can, you don’t want to see it.

As for agency, season two was very much the “find out” part of “fuck around.” What happened with Viktor was a result of his dangerous experiments with hextech. If he hadn’t done that, Jayce wouldn’t have been able to use the hex core to heal him. Him and Jayce going their separate ways was the consequence of Jayce weaponizing hextech. The anomaly was the consequence of Piltover overusing hextech. Ambessa’s ability to take over was the consequence of Jinx blowing up the council. Season two was where characters had to deal with the consequences of the choices they made in season one.

None of these consequences were forced. Yes, they had big fantasy/Sci Fi fallout, but that’s because the show is Sci Fi/fantasy. That tends to be what happens in the genre. You could easily replace the implications and fallout of hextech with nuclear power or similar technical advancements that created massive problems in the real world, and an imperial power like the US, or Noxus in the show, taking advantage of social and political division in a smaller country to try to control its land and resources is a common refrain throughout history.

You’re right, the arcane isn’t the main focus. The main focus also isn’t the political strife. Both are devices used to tell the story of the characters. The show is not about Piltover versus Zaun. The show is about how that conflict has shaped the characters. Feel free to read my other posts on the subject.

Not sure wha t your Warwick point is. Yes, he is there to retraumatize Vi in the end. Yes, his agency is taken away. That would be the tragedy right there.

As for Mel continuing the cycle, that’s up for interpretation, I guess. I think the cycle she’s specifically breaking there is the one where “Medarda’s only take.” She ended the cycle where her family raises itself up by taking from others.

Your argument against the acceleration rune doesn’t make sense because the device that could only be made with it was Ekko’s which was, in fact, the difference. Pointing out how everything else is the same actually hurts your argument there.

Also, a big lipped alligator moment is something that comes completely out of nowhere and serves no purpose. Neither of those describe Viktor and Jayce. Do they have to explain the exact mechanics of what happened? Would stopping to go into some technobabble have made the show better? Because we always pay close attention to characters doing that in media right? We’re really in it for the made up technobabble.

Your desire for the show to end in a civil war makes it neither better writing nor what the show initially intended. You like to reference what actually happened in the Jayce Silco scene to try to say it wasn’t foreshadowing (again, because I can only assume you don’t know what foreshadowing is)? What did Jayce say would happen if they actually went to war with each other? Zaun would have been crushed. Yes, it would have been a blood bath on both sides, but a Piltover army with hextech and the Noxians would have either won or would have claimed victory and been dealing with insurgent attacks from Zaun for the foreseeable future.

There would be no reconciliation at all unless the show wanted to really abandon one of the ways it was most grounded, which is how violence and vengeance feed each other. There’s a reason why, after most revolutions and wars throughout history, the country is drawn into another war pretty quickly after. One conflict breeds another.

There’s a reason why regions like the Middle East are seemingly caught in endless cycles of violence—because people don’t generally forgive losing a war easily, because wars are costly in lives and resources, and because generational traumas and wrongs often come back to haunt us. Even if the war ended with a miraculous agreement on both sides to lay down arms, there will be people who lost family who will still want justice—to feel that their loved one’s death meant something.

If, however, people’s loved ones died fighting together, that’s a powerful reason to try to make a positive change. Because, again, people want the sacrifice to mean something. It supposedly partly why Britain and other European countries established services like the NHS after WWII. After living through the Blitz and the destruction, it made them want to create a better future.

You keep complaining that the show largely drops the class conflict story after episode four, and that would be a problem if that was what the show was about. However, given the show is about the characters and episodes five and six are mostly about bringing Jinx and Vi and Vi and Caitlyn back together, it made sense to narrow the focus back down to that family unit. The conflict is still there in the background—it’s in the tragedy of Vander, Silco, and Felicia. It’s in the fact that Noxus and Piltover feel entitled to take Vanwick, but it’s not the focus.

I’m honestly not a huge fan of episode seven, because I’m not a huge fan of TimeBomb, but that was an interesting take on what else could have helped bridge the divide between Piltover and Zaun—the tragic loss of a child and the loss of the technology that further drove Piltover and Zaun. The episode is about the class conflict in the sense that it introduces a world mostly without it, showing that, just like it’s possible to have “good” versions of Jinx/Powder, it’s also possible to have a works where Piltover and Zaun have peace. That was the lesson Ekko took away from his AU adventure, to not give up on a better world—that things aren’t “too far gone.”

I also find your point about Jayce not talking to Viktor weird…you do get that he wasn’t really in his right mind there, right? We also can’t say for sure what would have happened if he hadn’t shot him. Maybe the fallout would have been worse. Maybe Viktor would have made more followers so that there were even more dolls when it came to a head. But, again, Jayce wasn’t in the mental state to have a rational discussion right then.

The conflict does come back in the last two episodes because it is somewhat a question of whether or not Zaun will help—which would be Piltover suffering the consequences of its actions. Now, you’re right, arguably the question would be what choice did they have in the end, but that’s again honestly true to many real life conflicts. You’re stuck working with the lesser of two evils.

As I said, what would have been completely unrealistic would have been if everyone hugged and kissed and had a huge barbecue together with fireworks after the Noxians left. We know from history that old prejudices often return once the battle is over—take how Black soldiers were treated in the US after…I was going to say WWII, but really every American war.

I also honestly can’t help other people deciding Sevika being on the council is supposed to be a resolution instead of a first step. It was clearly not framed as a resolution with everyone sharing mistrusting looks and her looking, frankly, uncomfortable. If people decide to be obtuse and not read the overt visual language of the show, that’s a them problem.

And guess what? The show isn’t about class conflict. Yes, it’s an essential element, a major theme, and vital context. It is not what the show is about. Just like unchecked scientific progress is a theme, but not what the show is about.

You bring up what Silco said about the cycle continuing. My point is not about how all violence will always and forever be no more; it’s about how these specific characters are breaking their cycles. Again, this show is about the characters first, which is why it makes sense that they didn’t solve class inequality in a year. It’s about these characters and their stories.

Really, though, much of this conversation has strayed from the original point, which is that this was the direction that was set up in the first season. You may not like it. You may have wanted it to go another way. But it was, in fact, set up. The memory Heimer has of the horrible fallout from Arcane is essentially what happened. They deliberately planted the seed (which, again, is the purpose of foreshadowing—not explicitly stating what’s going to happen next, that’s just exposition) that the thing that originally brought the cities together was a common enemy. They had this conversation one episode after Ambessa, a war monger from an imperialist nation, was introduced.

Even if the show did what you wanted and went with a civil war, there’s a very good chance it would have developed into Piltover and Zaun versus Noxus anyway. Cait/Jayce would be trying to stop the war on Piltover’s side, but Ambessa would refuse to give up the fight and leave with nothing. This would have caused Noxus to turn on Piltover, and then it would have been up to Zaun to either help or let them take each other out first and then fight the survivors. Maybe that would have been better. I personally would be asking, “Hey, what happened to the existential threat posed by hextech that was also being built up in the first season?” But maybe you’re fine with dropping the whole “arcane” bit of arcane.

“What happened to rebel Vi? Season 2 destroyed her character!”

“What happened to rebel Vi” is that Vander took her to the bridge where her parents died in his revolution and asked her what she was willing to lose. Then she meets Cait who is gentle and kind while still being tough and it makes her rethink how she sees topside. When Jinx tells her she changed too, that’s what she’s talking about.

I’m sorry if you thought Vi was going to be a topside-hating revolutionary in Season 2, but that’s clearly not where her character arc was going. Remember how she forced her way between Ekko and Cait? It seemed very straightforward that was the role her character was taking on.

I feel similar about people who act like the show was betraying its premise because it ended with reconciliation/Zaun and Piltover working together. Again, the fact that two of the most important relationships were between characters from both sides and that they made a point of talking about Zaun and Piltover first coming together against a common enemy was a pretty clear indicator that was the plan.

Now, I get being annoyed that that was what they chose to do. You don’t have to love the creative decisions of media, just like media doesn’t have to compromise its creative direction to satisfy you. But not liking that they went that direction is not the same as the show having bad writing or engaging in character assassination.

Everything Vi did in season 2 was very much in character with how she changed and who she became throughout Season 1. Hell, she used enforcers and Hextech to raid Shimmer facilities before Commander Kiramman ever threw on a beret. So, yes, actually wearing the uniform was a huge and complicated decision that she was definitely not happy about, but it also fell in line with what she had been doing.

There’s meat for another post at some point about the three different Zaun/enforcer partnerships we see in the show: Vander/Greyson, Silco/Marcus, and Cait/Vi; but I’m not going to go into that now.

TLDR: “Rebel Vi” who wants to fight all of topside hasn’t existed since the end of the second episode of the show.

Editing to add that Vi doesn’t see attacking Chem Barons as attacking Zaun; she’s taking down the people who are destroying Zaun.

[wendichester]

hi, i have a question could you do a dean or sam one where the reader is deaf and she comforts dean or sam after a really bad hunt. it can either be an established relationship or not.

i love your work ❤️

⋆˚࿔ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ signed comfort,

summary. you comfort sam after a crappy hunt

pairing. sam winchester x deaf!reader

wordcount. 300

notes. i'm currently going through season 12 of supernatural and I just love but chemistry between sammy and eileen, so I kinda took inspiration from them to write this ehe

The bunker is quiet when Sam stumbles inside, exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders. The hunt had been brutal—messy, drawn out, and far too close for comfort. His knuckles are raw, his body aches, and his mind won’t stop replaying the things he saw, the choices he made.

Then he sees you.

You’re curled up on the couch in one of his sweatshirts, reading a book. The second you notice him, your face softens, eyes scanning over him with concern. You set the book down, standing, moving toward him without hesitation.

Are you okay? You sign, your hands moving fluidly, gently.

Sam exhales, shaking his head. He doesn’t even have the words to explain it, not out loud, not in a way that would make sense. But you don’t need words. You never do.

Without hesitation, you reach for him. He sighs as your arms wrap around his waist, pulling him close. His own arms wind around you, holding tight, grounding himself in your warmth, your steady presence. He doesn’t realize how much he needs this until he’s sinking into it, into you.

You pull back just enough to cup his face, your thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. Your eyes are soft, understanding, full of something he can’t quite name but feels deep in his chest.

You’re home now. You’re safe.

Sam’s throat tightens. He nods, swallowing hard before pressing his forehead to yours. He lets his eyes close, breathing you in, letting himself be here, with you, where it’s quiet and safe.

You don’t ask him to explain. You don’t try to fix it. You just stay, your fingers threading through his hair, your presence steady and sure.

And that's the beauty of your relationship with Sam. You don't need words. Just you and him, together, it's comfort enough.

want be part of the taglist.ᐣ ⋆.˚ ★— @iloveeveryoneyoureamazing ⋆ @deans-daydream ⋆ @ariasong11 ⋆ @ambiguous-avery ⋆ @itsdearapril ⋆ @whereiwakewarm ⋆ @nymphet-quenn ⋆ @bluemerakis ⋆ @titsout4jackles ⋆ @hauntedrose555 ⋆ @chevroletdean ⋆ @dulcescorderitas ⋆ @blackmarketfruitrollups ⋆ @impala67rollingthroughtown ⋆ @nervoussystemss ⋆ @daryls-luvrr ⋆ @defnot-svnshine ⋆ @sunnyteume ⋆ @drakelover78 ⋆ @angelblqde ⋆ @mostlymarvelgirl ⋆ @whisperingdaze ⋆ @bossyblondie ⋆ @iluvnewtie ⋆ @dyhsversion

[miyakazashi]

Xia Fei's whereabouts

I've thought about it for a bit (2 days to be exact), and I found an theory that could potentially make sense, so hear me out...!

Bridon Arc Episode 6

from the last scene of Bridon Episode 6, we know that Xia Fei went missing 3 years after bridon arc and also after the "Li tianchen, Li tianxi incident", but what else also happens 3 years after bridon arc and after the "Li Tianchen, Li Tianxi incident"

Season 2 Episode 12 (btw I love this scene so much help-)

Liu Xiao returning to China and "recruiting" Li Tianchen (atleast in the original timeline, but I'll believe Vein "dying" doesn't effect this event), and it is also confirmed in an earlier episode that Liu Xiao only came back from Bridon recently.

Season 2 Episode 1

After what we've seen in Bridon arc, I'll assume Liu Xiao "recruiting" Li Tianchen is probably the start of his and Vein's plan in china (ignoring what Vein has been doing on his end), basically they're gonna cause havoc, but where am I going with this you may ask.

What if, Xia Fei returned to China with Liu Xiao, which basically implies that he's still working with Vein and Liu Xiao, whether that be because he knows what Lu guang did or something else, that's for another theory, anyways for obvious reasons (cause he's famous and all) he had to sneakily take a plane from Bridon to China with no one noticing. And in that case, he would indeed be considered "missing" to the people of Bridon and China etc, but not actually missing if you get what I mean.

Bridon Arc Episode 6

Plus, Xia Fei got to know about the “時光照相館” so that's one way to explain why the season 3 gang would know where Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu guang are (not like they need it though, there's probably hundreds of other methods for Vein and LX, plus Li Tianchen probably knows, but just something to note)

On an unserious note though, I wonder how that plane flight would look like😆 or would Xia Fei make sure he doesn't sit next to Liu Xiao on the plane, that is, of course if Liu Xiao doesn't buy the tickets for him, and basically forces Xia Fei to sit next to him- you know, friendship and stuff

Bridon Arc Episode 6

And you may ask, "But what about that Jack guy that literally none of us care about" ahem, the other missing model — Jack, and look, I actually have no idea why he's reported missing at the same time. Oh but while I was brain storming, one thing (not related to this theory) came to mind, which is, what if he was disguised as Vein so Liu Xiao could get the real Vein out of the mortuary, but alas, I don't know how that would work, cause like a ten is a ten and well, Jack....Jack's not a ten. Ok,ok on a serious note, I think it could still work with enough make-up and stuff, but like...it wouldn't make sense for him to be reported missing 3 years later, unless people just don't give a sh*t about him, like us.

And I have another weird thought about Jack's disappearance, for context though, I was watching someone talk about Xia Fei possibly getting an ability from someone before or during Season 3, and don't know why but Jack came to mind, I was like "what if Xia Fei (or LX) killed Jack to take his ability or something" but the more I think about it, Xia Fei, being in the Bahati school, which is assumed to be like a school for kids with abilities, probably has a higher chance of having an ability than this Jack guy, so....

If anyone has any guesses regarding Jack, or is able to link a Jack theory to the "Xia Fei flew back to China with Liu Xiao theory", please, be my guest😌 but yeah, that's basically all I have for you all.

[kotegiris]

[2024 Birthday Card Story - Lamli] No Matter Which Side of Me

another request! hope you enjoy it anon! again, thank you to my friend who shared this card with me

Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1

-The day before Lamli’s birthday-

It has become the season where the sunlight is dazzling… And Lamli’s birthday is coming up tomorrow.

For the butlers’ birthday this year… I already decided what to give them as a present.

A ring for the pinky finger…

A “pinky ring.”

Apparently, wearing a ring on the pinky finger will “prevent happiness from escaping.”

With that meaning in mind… I prepared a ring embedded with a small labradorite gemstone for Lamli. 

Then, I made preparations for the opportunity to hand him the ring… And wrote him a letter.

“Let’s have dinner together on your birthday.”

After the butlers went to bed… I placed the letter in front of the 3rd floor butlers’ room…

That night I fell asleep while looking forward to Lamli’s reaction after he reads the letter.

-The day of Lamli’s birthday-

Knock, knock…

Lamli: Aruji-sama. Can I come in?

> Yeah. > Come in.

Opens

Lamli: Good morning, Aruji-sama!

> Morning, Lamli.

Lamli: Thank you for the letter!

> Did you read it yet?

Lamli: Yes! Of course I did! Thanks to your letter, I’ve been feeling super happy since this morning.

Lamli: Thank you very much.

> I’m glad you’re happy.

Lamli: Fufu, so…

Lamli: According to your letter… We’ll be having dinner together today, right?

Lamli: Could you tell me more about that?

I explained to Lamli.

I told him that this whole day is for him…

We'll go out somewhere together and enjoy his birthday to the fullest…

And finally, we’ll have dinner together.

For dinner, we can decide where we want to go.

I told him that since it’s his birthday, I want him to enjoy himself without holding back.

> Don’t worry about anything and enjoy your birthday. > Let’s eat your favorite foods.

Lamli: W-Wow… I can have Aruji-sama all to myself today…

Lamli: That’s the best news ever!

Lamli: What should I do… I wanted to make you smile lots today, but…

Lamli: I’m the one who ended up smiling so much. I’m so happy…

> If you’re smiling, then I’m also happy. 

Lamli: Aruji-sama…

Lamli: …Geez, you’re too lovely!

Lamli: Fufu ♪ Today I can have Aruji-sama all to myself, and we can go out together…

Lamli: This will be the best day ever!

> Do you have somewhere you want to go?

Lamli: Huh? Is it okay for me to decide?

> Of course. > Let’s go where you want to go.

Lamli: Actually, there’s a place I’ve been wanting to go to with you!

Lamli: There’s a show that just opened recently…

Lamli: It seems like you can see stars there even in the daytime!

> Stars in the daytime?

Lamli: Yeah. I’m not exactly sure how since I’ve only heard rumors, but…

Lamli: From the moment I heard about it, I thought of you… I’ve been wanting to go there together with you!

Lamli: Aruji-sama, would you… Go together with me to see the daytime stars?

> Of course. > Let’s go!

Lamli: Thank you, Aruji-sama.

Lamli: Fufu. I don’t know what kind of stars we’ll see in the daytime, but…

Lamli: Just seeing it together with you… Will make it the best starry sky ever!

Lamli: Then, I’ll go back to my room and get ready to head out!

Lamli: When I’m done, I’ll let you know!

And thus… We decided to momentarily split up to get ready to go out.

-A little later-

Knock, knock…

Lamli: Aruji-sama, I’m done. Can I come in?

> Yeah. > Come in.

Opens

Lamli: Excuse me.

After I finished getting ready, Lamli came inside my room once again.

However… When he opened the door, I saw that he was wearing a different outfit from before.

> That outfit is…

Lamli: Fufu ♪ How do I look, Aruji-sama?

Lamli: It’s this year’s birthday outfit!

Lamli: How is it? Do I look good?

> It looks really good on you.

Lamli: Fufu. Thank you ♪

Lamli: Ever since I got this outfit I’ve been wanting to show it to you.

Lamli: I’m happy I finally got to let you see it ♪

Lamli: Then… Let’s go to the venue!

Lamli: It seems like you can see the daytime stars at the theater in Espoir!

And so… In the carriage that Lamli prepared, we headed to the theater.

【 Espoir - A Certain Theater】

Some time later… The carriage stopped in front of a bustling theater.

Lamli: It seems like the starry sky is on the basement floor here.

Lamli: Looking at the starry sky in the basement… It’s a bit exciting, isn’t it?

Lamli: I wonder what it’s like.

> I’m looking forward to it.

After going to the receptionist… The person in charge guided us to the venue.

Lamli: Woah~... It’s a bit cold going down these stairs.

Lamli: It feels nice since it was hot outside.

Lamli: But you might get cold. Aruji-sama, are you alright?

> I’m alright.

Lamli: Then, I’m glad.

Lamli: But let me know if you get cold!

I’ll go tell a worker and borrow a coat for you!

> Thanks.

The venue we were led to was pitch black, and I could barely see anything around me.

But from the buzz of people, I knew that there were quite a lot of guests here.

Lamli: Aruji-sama, it’s dark, so please watch your step.

Lamli: Oh, I know! Aruji-sama, excuse me for a little!

Saying that…. Lamli gently took my hand.

> Huh?

Lamli: Fufu, this is safer ♪

Lamli: The venue is dark and dangerous, so… In the meantime, can we hold hands?

> Y-Yeah. 

And so, while holding hands, we looked for our seats.

Lamli: Ah, there it is! These are our seats!

Lamli: Aruji-sama! Please take a seat!

> Thank you.

Even after we sat down, Lamli made no move to let go of my hand.

While feeling the warmth of Lamli’s hand… I patiently waited for the show to start.

Step… step… step…

From the wing of the stage, a man came out and bowed gracefully.

Announcer: Welcome. Thank you for coming, everyone. I will now take you to the sea of stars.

At the man’s signal… The dark surroundings instantly changed to a starry sky.

Lamli: Wow! There really are stars!

> (It’s like a planetarium…)

Lamli: It instantly became a starry sky… I wonder how they did that.

Announcer: First, please take a look at the brightest star on the northern side…

Announcer: It’s a star that has continued to be in the center of other stars for thousands of years…

Announcer: That star guides travelers and is also known as the guardian star of the Grovaner family, who have been protecting mankind.

Lamli: Fufu… Isn’t it pretty, Aruji-sama?

> Yeah, it really is.

Lamli: …Ah, that star… Aruji-sama, do you know what that star on the right is?

> Which one?

Lamli: That one over there…

Saying that, Lamli pointed at it.

But… As if he remembered that we were still holding hands…

He only moved his hand slightly and then went back to holding my hand.

> …Lamli?

Lamli: …Fufu. We should be quiet now since the show’s starting.

Lamli: Sorry, Aruji-sama.

When Lamli said that… He had a cheerful and tender smile. 

Then… he lightly squeezed my hand.

I knew that I should be focusing on the stars, but… I couldn’t help myself from focusing on the feeling of his hand holding mine.

Chapter 2

-A little later-

Mesmerized by the beautiful starlight… The show came to an end. 

Lamli: Aruji-sama~! That was amazing!

> It was pretty.

Lamli: It was my first time seeing stars that close up!

Lamli: Being able to see stars during the daytime and in a basement… It was so exciting!

Lamli: It was really pretty… How did they do that?

> Hm~....

Lamli: I’m a bit curious…

Lamli: Ah! Why don’t we go ask the announcer?

Lamli: I saw him go that way. If we go after him now, we can still catch up and ask him!

> Let’s go.

Lamli: Fufu. I thought you’d say that ♪

So we decided to go after the announcer.

Lamli: Ah, there he is!

Lamli: Hey! Announcer~!

After going into the hallway and walking a little… We found the middle-aged man who gave the explanation for the showing.

Lamli walked up to him and began to talk about his thoughts on the showing.

Lamli: The starry sky earlier was so pretty!

Lamli: The location of the stars was pretty much on point too… …There were some that were a little off, though.

Lamli: But it was really amazing! Hey, just how did you do that?

> Lamli, let’s calm down a little.

Announcer: Thank you for your compliments. You’re very knowledgeable about the stars.

Lamli: Yeah! I love stars!

Announcer: Fufu, I see.

Lamli: So… How did you do it?

Announcer: Hm… Normally, I cannot reveal that, but…

Announcer: Your honest feedback made me happy.

Announcer: …As a special service… Let me tell you the basics of the method.

Lamli: Yay! You’re a good person!

Announcer: Fufu, thank you very much. …Now then, about the method…

Announcer: It’s actually not that complicated.

Then, the announcer explained to us the basics of it.

Lamli: Heh~ So that’s how.

Lamli: That’s a very smart way. I look at stars a lot, but I’ve never thought of that~

Announcer: Fufu… Thank… you…

Announcer: I am honored… By your… compliments…

After the announcer answered Lamli’s question… He suddenly became unsteady.

Announcer: Ug…

Lamli: W-Woah. Are you okay?

> He doesn’t look okay.

Lamli: Yeah, he looks a bit sick.

Lamli: …Hey, are you alright?

Announcer: I-I’m alright. My apologies for causing you to worry.

Lamli: But you’re swaying a lot.

Announcer: ……..Recently, this show has been gradually becoming more popular… I’ve had to be on stage for longer.

Announcer: I knew it had been taking a toll on my body, so… I decided to have a stand-in starting today, but…

Announcer: …They’re running a little late.

Announcer: I have one more show left to do before my substitute comes… I just have to endure it a little more.

Lamli: B-But… It doesn’t seem like your body can handle one more show.

> It’d be better for you to rest…

Announcer: …The show’s finally gotten popular. I can’t cancel it now.

Lamli: Hmm~... That’s true, but…

Lamli: At this rate, you’ll collapse…

> What should we do…

Lamli: Hmm~~~…… …………

Lamli: …I know!

Lamli: I’ll do the show for you! In the meantime, you should get some rest.

> Lamli?

Announcer: What!? B-But…

Lamli: If it’s explaining the stars, then there’s no need to worry! You saw how knowledgeable I am about it earlier, right?

Announcer: C-Can I really leave it to you?

Lamli: Yup ♪ You explained to me how it works earlier, so…

Lamli: As thanks, I’ll do the show for you once as your substitute.

Announcer: T-Then… I will accept your kind offer.

Lamli: Fufu ♪ Leave it to me!

Lamli: I said that, but… Sorry for just deciding on my own, Aruji-sama…

Lamli: But… I can’t leave him alone when he’s about to collapse…

Lamli: I know I’m being selfish, but… Could you go along with it for a little?

> Uhm……

I thought it was very nice of Lamli to want to help the announcer, and I knew that he was very knowledgeable about the stars.

However… I had something else that I was concerned about…

He’s always very energetic, so I wondered if he could create a mellow atmosphere for the show…

I couldn’t get rid of my worries.

> Will you really be okay?

Lamli: I’ll be fine! We saw the show earlier, so I know what kind of mood I need to make.

Lamli: And I know which stars I need to give an explanation for!

He answered, brimming with self-confidence.

I thought it would be rude to keep worrying over him, so I decided to believe in him and leave it to him.

> Do your best, Lamli!

Lamli: I will! Thank you for believing in me, Aruji-sama!

Lamli: I’ll do it properly until the very end, so… Don’t worry and just watch me from the audience!

> Got it.

Then, the announcer guided Lamli backstage.

I sat down in the same seat as before and waited for Lamli’s show to start.

While I nervously looked around the dark venue…

The sound of elegant and light footsteps resounded in the dark.

Lamli: Welcome. Thank you for coming, everyone. I will now take you to the sea of stars.

> (That… Is that really Lamli’s voice?)

Lamli, who had a different air to him than usual, gracefully bowed.

At that moment… My surroundings were instantly enveloped in a starry sky.

Lamli: First…

Lamli: Everyone, please take a look at the brightly shining Big Dipper on your right.

Lamli: Because of its bright shine… It has been passed down for generations as a constellation that resembles a certain person’s weapon…

Lamli: That’s right… It’s the person that we all give thanks to during Thanksgiving, Goetia-sama.

Lamli: According to the legend…

Lamli: Thousands of years ago… Goetia-sama protected this land from the angels all by himself.

Lamli: He was loved and respected by the people.

Lamli: It is said that after Goetia-sama passed… Out of respect and devotion, the people created this constellation for him.

> (Lamli’s amazing…) > (I can’t help but be drawn to his explanation…)

Lamli: And on the other side is…

Without any mistakes… Lamli elegantly continued explaining.

Despite my concerns… The show ended without any issues.

The guests left the venue looking satisfied.

Lamli: Aruji-sama! How was I? Did I do well?

> You were perfect. > You were amazing. 

Lamli: Really? Yaay!

After the show ended, Lamli immediately went over to me.

Without a doubt… It was the usual cheerful him.

Announcer: Thank you very much for doing the show in my stead.

Announcer: Thanks to you, the show was able to go on without any cancellations. How could I ever repay you?

Announcer: I know! There’s still a little bit of time left before the next show.

Announcer: I’ll fully reserve the venue for just the two of you until then. Please take your time and gaze at the stars all you like.

Lamli: What!? Really?! Yaay!

> Thank you.

Lamli: Fufu, I’m so happy ♪

Lamli: …Earlier I was giving an explanation to all the guests, but… Actually, I wanted to give an explanation to only you.

Lamli: Aruji-sama… Could you leave it to me to tell you about the stars?

> Of course. > Please do.

Lamli: Thank you, Aruji-sama!

Lamli: Then… Let’s hurry before the next show starts!

> Yeah.

And so we decided to return to the venue to gaze at the stars again.

Lamli: Look! That’s the froggie constellation!

Lamli: Ah! Do you know what’s over there?

Lamli: If you connect the brightest stars together… It becomes the Aruji-sama constellation!

Lamli was telling me, not about this world’s constellations, but… His original ones that he came up with.

> Uhm… Which star is it?

Lamli: That one, Aruji-sama!

Lamli: …Ah, I know. Excuse me for a little!

Saying that, Lamli took my hand and pointed at the star.

Lamli: That star! Do you see it?

> Y-Yeah…

Lamli: Fufu… Then, next is…

> Lamli, our hands…

Saying that I looked at our joined hands…

Lamli looked as if he just got caught pulling a trick and gave me a small smile.

Lamli: …Aruji-sama… Can’t we keep holding hands like this?

Lamli: At the first show, we had to be quiet, and I couldn’t explain anything to you like how I am now, but…

Lamli: This time, I want to directly tell you about the stars while holding your hand.

Lamli: It’s just us here, so no one will see…

Lamli: So can’t I? Is it no good, Aruji-sama?

> That’s…

Lamli patiently stared at me, and I couldn’t refuse him…

I felt my heart beat faster and timidly nodded. 

> …Alright, let’s keep holding hands.

Lamli: Fufu… Thank you, Aruji-sama ♪

This was my third show of the day… My heart raced at feeling Lamli’s warmth…

We enjoyed a very happy and fun time.

-A little later-

Our small and private show came to an end… And we arrived at a restaurant with a stylish feel.

The seats were all private rooms, so there was no need to worry about the gaze of other people.

We were able to freely enjoy a delicious dinner and take our time looking back on today.

Lamli: The star show… It was so amazing!

> Yeah, it was.

Lamli: We were able to see so many stars even though it was daytime.

Lamli: I heard the rumors, but… I was surprised at how beautiful it was in person.

Lamli excitedly talked about the show. Seeing Lamli’s smile…

I thought that now would be a good time to give him his birthday present. 

> Hey, Lamli?

Lamli: Yes? What is it, Aruji-sama?

> For you.

I took out a small box from my bag.

Of course, inside the box was… The pinky ring I wanted to give him.

Lamli: Is this… a birthday present?

> Yup.

Lamli: I didn’t think you’d go out of your way to prepare a present for me…

Lamli: You spending the whole day with me today was already the best birthday present…

Lamli: I’m so happy; I think I’m gonna cry.

Lamli: Aruji-sama… Thank you.

Lamli: Uhm… Can I open it now?

> Of course. > Open it.

After getting permission from me, Lamli immediately opened the box.

Upon opening the lid… The mysterious shine of the labradorite poured out from within.

Then, I explained to him about the birthday present.

I decided to give the butlers a pinky ring for their birthdays because…

I wish for each and every butler’s everlasting happiness…

And… The reason why I chose to have Lamli’s ring embedded with labradorite is because…

Labradorite is said to be a mysterious stone with a beautiful and deep shine that changes depending on the angle it’s viewed from…

I thought it was like Lamli since the more time I spend with him, the more different and charming sides of him I see.

I told Lamli everything.

Lamli: …Charming?

Lamli: You think that someone like me is charming?

> Don’t say “someone like me.”

Lamli: Huh…

> You’re very charming.

The usual cheerful Lamli and the calm Lamli that I saw today at the show…

All of him is charming… I straightforwardly told him that.

Lamli: The me today…too?

> That’s right.

Lamli: I see… …So you like me when I’m calm too.

> Of course I do.

Lamli: …Thank you, Aruji-sama.

Lamli: ……Uhm… Aruji-sama…

Lamli: Between the calm me from today and the cheerful me… Which one do you like more?

> Huh?

Lamli: I…

Lamli: I want to live as the me you like more…

> …Which one is more comfortable for you, Lamli?

Lamli: Huh? More comfortable…?

> I don’t want you to force yourself.

Lamli: Aruji-sama… You really do care about me.

> Because you’re precious to me.

Lamli: …You’re too kind, Aruji-sama.

Lamli: …But… You don’t need to worry; I’m okay.

Lamli: If I’m able to have your love… Being either side of me isn’t tough.

Lamli: As long as you love me… I can be either one.

> Lamli…

Lamli: So please… Pick one, Aruji-sama.

Lamli: Between the calm me and the cheerful me… Which one do you like more?

> There’s no need for me to choose.

Lamli: Huh?

> Both sides are you after all.

Lamli: Aruji-sama… But…

Between the cheerful Lamli and the calm Lamli… I can’t pick one.

Both sides are precious to me because they’re both a part of Lamli.

> I love all of you.

Lamli: Aruji-sama…

Lamli: …Thank you. …I’m so, so happy…

Lamli: Fufu, me too…

Lamli: Your kindness and warmth… I…… love all of you too.

Lamli smiled, but it wasn’t his usual smile that was bright like the sun… It was an earnest and peaceful smile that was like the stars.

> Happy birthday, Lamli.

Lamli: …Thank you, Aruji-sama.

Lamli: I’m truly glad that I met you.

Lamli: I’m truly glad that I was born…

The lively Lamli and the mature Lamli…

And whatever other sides he may have… Lamli is a precious person to me.

Whatever may happen, that fact won’t change.

With those feelings in mind… From the bottom of my heart, I wished him a happy birthday.

END

[lemotmo]

I have never sent you one of these before so I hope I did it correctly. I found this very helpful because I also don't always understand the nuance or subtlety of a scene. Glad to know it's not just me.

Q. I'm not sure if you can even do this but I have autism and I struggle immensely with understanding subtext, framing, sarcasm and anything else really that I'm supposed to be able to pick up on in media. The direct dialogue or action in a scene tends to be what I take as fact. I understand that's not the case and things are always there that aren't being spoken or directly stated. Can you try to explain the Buddie stuff that points to them going canon? I want it but I don't know how to spot those clues. Does this even make sense? Please feel free to ignore this if it's not something that's explainable.

A. Hi, anon. Your question makes perfect sense and I am more than willing to try and see if I can explain or offer some context into some of the scenes. I have a friend who has Asperger's and he struggles with all these things as well so we try to explain things to him as often as he needs. For the sake of length, and not wanting to make this thread too long to keep up with, I will relegate my examples to a few things from seasons 7 and 8 only. Otherwise we would be here all day. I will start with episode 7x4 because that's the episode that is most widely misinterpreted.

As everyone now knows the episode ended with Tommy kissing Buck, keep in mind that we had spent the entirety of the episode up to that point watching Buck apparently being jealous because Eddie was spending time with another guy. The direct dialogue of the scene leading up to the kiss, when Buck tells Tommy that trying to get his attention had been exhausting, is the argument people use to show that the episode was really about Tommy. But Tommy himself doesn't believe that. The audience sees Tommy surprised by that statement, because he was also aware Buck was bothered by Eddie spending time with him, but he clearly thought Buck was bothered for the same reason the audience thought Buck was bothered, because he wasn't the one Eddie was spending time with. That's why Tommy responds with a confused/surprised "Me"? The episode played very much like Buck was jealous of Tommy NOT Eddie. The most obvious example of this was the scene in the firehouse when Eddie is on the phone in the locker room and Buck is trying to get his attention while working out. The show never tells us who Eddie is actually talking too. We don't know who's on the other end of the conversation, neither does Buck. The only thing Buck sees is Eddie laughing and having a good time while ignoring him. Tommy wasn't at the firehouse so he was never going to see Buck trying to show off around the weight room and Amazon priming a basketball to himself so he could pretend he was interested in something he knew Eddie was interested in. The other interesting thing about that episode was the way Eddie was framed, in other words shot and filmed, throughout. He was consistently lit in golden/sunlight, colors associated with warmth and happiness/joy. Tim made a point of telling everyone that the episode was from Buck's perspective which means that's how Buck sees Eddie. Buck associates Eddie with happiness and warmth and joy. The joy theme is important to remember because it comes back into play during season 8. I'm not in any way suggesting that once Buck became aware of his male attraction that he didn't find Tommy attractive, he clearly did in some capacity. But it is not out of character for Buck to over correct himself in the wrong direction. Both times he asked his partners to move in with him were direct results of his belief that he needed to make up for some wrong he had done to them. He asked Taylor to move in with him after he kissed Lucy and he asked Tommy to move in with him after his reaction to the Abby news, and Josh's speech about what they owed the older queer community. Josh said many things in that speech, a speech I did not love, but he said many things and it was telling that the only part of that speech that seemed to register with Buck where Tommy was concerned was the part about what they owed to the community that came before them. It was wrong to ask on both occasions. Taylor said yes. Tommy said no. We will get back to the Tommy one shortly but those are perfect examples of Buck over correcting himself in the wrong direction in order to avoid dealing with the actual issues.

When we arrive at season 8 we get the scene of Buck hearing all the different noise and static in his head when he's trying to calm himself down while Gerard is yelling. The only voice that is clear and audible for the audience is Eddie's voice. Eddie's voice is the one used to calm and recenter Buck. It was an intentional choice to make it Eddie's voice. not his boyfriends voice but Eddie's voice. Episode 8x6 was the biggie though. The episode is titled Confessions. It was the only episode of the season so far where Buck and Eddie didn't say a single word to one another, but I'll come back to that. Eddie was the focus of that episode, it is important to note that episodes 7x4 and 8x6 were directed by the same man. It was intentional on the show's part for these two episodes to sync in some capacity. They have kept the Buck storyline and the Eddie storyline linked since the beginning of season 7. Their storylines are connected. We see Eddie at the juice bar pick up a bottle of juice and hand it to the cashier. He changes his mind though and swaps it out for a bottle of water (a good note to have here is that in the first episode when the crew is running the stairs Buck is holding a bottle of juice, not water, once they make it to the roof). Father Brian watches this interaction and decides he wants to talk to Eddie. We then see Eddie sitting outside at a table, with plenty of empty tables around him, but Father Brian asked if he could join him anyway. Father Brian attempts small talk, and Eddie, unprompted, tells him, 'sorry, I'm straight'. This is not something television has straight characters do. It's not necessary to declare your heterosexuality. In fact it is far more common for television to use dialogue like that to foreshadow a sexuality realization for that character. It is a very common beginning to a sexuality arc. Father Brian then wants to know why Eddie swapped his juice for the water. Eddie tells him he felt like water instead and Father Brian then equates Eddie denying himself the juice as a way of denying himself joy. He tells Eddie that he's punishing himself. Then they talk about why Eddie has the mustache. Eddie tells him he wanted a full beard but the LAFD doesn't allow full beards. A very interesting conversation indeed for a character who has just explicitly stated that he's straight. We all know the term 'beard' and its history within the queer community. Father Brian then tells Eddie to do one thing that brings him joy. That entire scene was written like foreshadowing. I will skip ahead now to Buck and Tommy's break up. Tommy explains to Buck that at some point he is going to figure out what it is that he really wants and even though he won't mean to, he will hurt Tommy once he figures that out. Tommy has known since 7x4 that something is there for Buck where Eddie is concerned. But he also knows Buck is not ready for that realization yet. He makes a point of telling Buck that he's his first not his last. They also made a point of having Buck say sometimes those can be the same, meaning your first can be your last. Tommy says sometimes that can be true but not most of the time. Meaning there is an exception to that rule. The right person can be your first and your last. Tommy was not the right person. Fast forward to Eddie shaving off his mustache and doing his risky business dance.

Buck goes to Eddie following the breakup. Eddie answers the door in his underwear and he and Buck do not speak. Buck holds up a beer bottle and walks in. They don't talk. They sit on the couch in silence drinking their beers. That is the final shot of the episode. An episode entitled Confessions, and the only episode of the season where Buck and Eddie don't say a single word to one another. Again the framing of that scene is also important because of what surrounds them in the scene. Buck and Eddie are on the couch. It's right it's where they belong but the timing is not right. The blurry picture of Christopher between them on the table behind them is intentional. Christopher is missing from their little unit. Then there's the picture of Texas on the wall behind Eddie. Texas, and everything it represents for Eddie, looms over them. Those are the obstacles that have to be dealt with first. They existed in that shot because Buck, and especially Eddie, cannot escape them. They have to be dealt with and fixed first. They didn't talk because they have things they need to do first.

The last shot of the mid season finale being Buck sitting alone on the Diaz couch was also foreshadowing. Eddie is going to Texas. Yes, that scene also indicated that Buck is finally at a place where he won't be able to ignore or misinterpret his feelings for Eddie any longer. Eddie isn't there yet. Texas has to be dealt with first. Therefore Eddie couldn't be physically on the couch with him in that scene because Eddie has to leave first. Eddie has to be the one person who leaves Buck and chooses to come back to Buck.

I hope this made sense, anon. It was still longer than I anticipated. Please feel free to ask me anything at any time. I am more than happy to try and explain something as best as I can, if I can. I have no idea if this was helpful but I hope you were able to get something out of it. 🩷

Thank you Nonny! This is lovely!

Such a great breakdown of the overarching Buddie storyline for Buck and Eddie. Such a great resource for people who have trouble recognising subtext and nuance in a storyline.

I am going to add my own breakdown of the entire last Buddie scene of episode 8x08. Right after it aired someone with autism contacted me with the question if I could break that specific scene down for them.

You can find it here: breakdown of 8x08 final Buddie scene

If anyone ever needs more help in this department, feel free to send an ask. Just like Ali, I'd be happy to try and explain what the viewer is meant to take away from a scene.

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[ask-obt]

For the author!

Now that you have the physical books out, does the art feel, final? Like you redrew the first two chapters a bunch, do you feel like you can’t edit the pages anymore? Probably not explaining this well, but I’m proud of the progress and I personally think it’s cool that you see your art evolve over time while reading!

// Even with things published, I'd still be open to the idea of massaging in some revisions! Though I'm certainly not in any hurry to, haha. At this point it would purely be for vanity purposes, since I think the writing doesn't have any conflicting foundation with what I want to work with nowadays.

I do think it's interesting that there's a consensus that I redrew the first two chapters over and over, when the reality is that there have only ever been two versions! (Unless you want to count me slightly resizing pages and adjusting the text so they'd be print-friendly, but the only "redrawing" involved there was just expanding the background in some panels.) Rest in peace, fluffy pink Rune...

If I ever did go back and revise chapters 1 and 2 again, I'm not really sure how I would handle the print situation. Obviously new books would use new art, but maybe I could put together a sort of mini-book that just has both versions of chapters 1 and 2? But print run season gets hectic enough for me as-is where I'm a single person running on not-for-profit margins, so the easiest thing to do for now is to just not make any more revisions B)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

And this isn't even the only case of canon doing this nonsense! The most similar example is Adrien doing the exact same thing with Lila, taking about the same amount of time to acknowledge that she was a problem and that his previous advice was bad. Marinette's kwagatama is another good example. Introduced in season two only to be forgotten until season five! That's nonsense pacing!

This is not a deep, nuanced show where every moment matters. A show where you have to watch closely to understand the plot. It is, in theory, a fun comedy for kids. In that context, it is not reasonable to expect the average viewer to remember things across multiple seasons without even a token reminder between the setup and the payoff. That's not even how serious shows work! Serious shows put in that multi-season stuff for the hardcore fans, but write the show so that the surface level stuff makes sense to the casual watcher. Miraculous isn't doing that. It only makes sense to those who can quote every episode and, even then, I use the word "sense" lightly. Just because I can put two and two together doesn't mean the plot actually functions on a technical level.

I watch Miraculous with my adult partner who is an extremely casual fan - meaning he has only seen each episode once and is totally divorced from the fandom - and he gets totally lost when this stuff comes up. The season five final was incredibly confusing for him because it had been years since we watched the specials and he - understandably - forgot who all the special-only characters were!

Even if you could argue that the average viewer should remember everything, that doesn't work here because canon will straight up ignore what it established in previous seasons, making it impossible for even a dedicated fan to know what matters (for a well-known example, see canon suddenly forgetting Lila's ongoing lies about Ladybug being her best friend). That's part of what makes Miraculous so aggravating. There's no way to guess what will matter and what canon introduced for a cheap cliffhanger. Will Adrien's kwagatama ever be used? I don't know! And the fact that I don't know is bad writing! Why would you introduce that right after you explained how they're used if Adrien wasn't going to immediately use it? That doesn't even fit his character! He's supposedly desperate to know more about the miraculous and yet I'm supposed to believe that he didn't care about this magical link to all the previous holders?

Sure, writers. Sure.

Whenever I think of Miraculous's attempts to do context, I think of Gravity Falls.

Gravity Falls was a great show, especially in how they did off-screen context and overarching plot.

SPOILER ALERT

When they did the reveal of Stanley and Stanford, Alex Hirsch used subtext to tease the truth. Ford's glasses, the different nameplate on his car, knowing Gideon wasn't a real psychic since he kept calling him Stanford instead of Stanley—they were all there, but these tiny hints, while are noticeable, generally didn't mean much until the big reveal.

But the fun thing was that the fans saw the subtext, and because of the mystery genre in Gravity Falls, it's almost like audience participation in putting together the clues.

Obviously, I'm not expecting Miraculous to do this. It's a whole other genre, a whole other storyline. But I feel like a distinct parallel that can be taken from it is mainly WHEN said subtext is subtext, and what's not.

One example I can think of is Despair Bear. Adrien told Chloé to fix her attitude otherwise they won't be friends. Relevant for the episode, fine.

BUT THEN

They ignore it for episodes on end until Queen Banana, where Adrien suddenly uses it as a bargaining chip. And when people complain, they act like Adrien's tried this whole time and Chloé's just mean.

Basically, what Miraculous did wrong that Gravity Falls did right was knowing when to call attention to something and when not to.

In Gravity Falls, they were careful with the Stanley-Stanford reveal hints; things like the nameplate and Gideon were small in the grand scheme of things and passed you by if you weren't paying attention. But then they remind you of the mystery surrounding Stan by using small but overt scenes to make you think about it.

However, in Miraculous, they didn't do that. Again, Despair Bear. Adrien threatens their friendship, Chloé gets her act together, blah blah blah. But the issue is, post-episode, it's never mentioned again until practically a whole season later, after which we're just supposed to believe Adrien tried.

When you call attention to scenes from prior episodes, usually through quoting, you're inviting extra scrutiny on how you do your context. However, there's nothing to call attention to! You have Despair Bear, then radio silence until Queen Banana, after which it's treated like the last straw when it was the only straw.

It feels sudden that Adrien cut off the relationship because it was sudden. There was no added context or reminder, like visual effort on Adrien's or Chloé's part to preserve their friendship, and because of that, the conflict in Queen Banana feels thrown out there at random.

When conflict is supposed to coincide with previous episodes but said conflict stretches far from the start of the issue to the actual fight, you need to pepper in reminders to people that this is an issue that will have relevance in the future. You can't just declare it as something, just because that's what YOU think happened. And who knows, maybe to you it did, but we're not in your head, so how are we supposed to know if you don't show it to us?

The audience is usually more eagle-eyed than you think, and if over 90% of the audience missed the context, that's not the audience's fault. It's the creator.

The issue is the same for the infamous wax scene. Discomfort aside, Adrien's attitude towards Marinette post-episode never changed. No lingering glances, no moments of confusion in his feelings, nothing. So when it hits that he apparently has feelings for Marinette, it comes out of the blue. Or the whole Marinette and Cat Noir switching their crushes, with Marinette now like Cat Noir and Cat Noir now liking Marinette. There's just not enough context to justifiably believe that it is what it is.

Sorry for how long it is. I was just thinking about Gravity Falls and one thought turned into another.

This is an excellent time to give one of my favorite pieces of writing advice: if you want to tell stories, then you should study how mysteries are told because most stories have an element of mystery to them.

The mystery genre is the literary equivalent of a puzzle because a good mystery is all about setup and payoff. If the ending of a mystery doesn't come with a feeling of, "oh, how did I miss that?" or "Yes, I knew it!" then you've probably told a bad mystery. But that rule isn't unique to mysteries. Anything with a twist or a reveal requires you to set up those things and, generally speaking, you want to set up these non-mystery twists and reveals the same way you set them up in mysteries. The big difference will be that people aren't aware of what the mystery is, so the clues won't play like clues the first time through.

If you look at Gravity Falls, you know right from the start that there's a mystery afoot because the series begins with the character Dipper discovering a mysterious journal marked with a six-fingered hand and the number three:

This means that everything in the story should be viewed with the knowledge that this journal exists. Viewers assume - correctly - that they are going to learn more and more about the journal as the story goes on. They can also make some logical guesses based on the things they learn. For example, later on, the story introduces a nearly identical journal marked with the number two. For some viewers, this was an "oh, shit!" moment. For others, it was a major win because they'd guessed that this reveal was coming. After all, why would you mark Dipper's journal with a three if it was the only one?

Let's compare this to Miraculous and how it handles things.

I would not call Miraculous a mystery, but - like many non-mystery stories - it has a mystery at its heart: what happened to Emilie Agreste? The answer comes with the reveal that Adrien, Felix, and Kagami are sentimonsters. But, for many viewers, that is not a satisfyingly reveal. They don't look back at the show and go, "Oh, that's why X happened in season one and Y happened in season two! It all make sense now!" Instead, they go, "Wait, how did Gabriel lose in Chat Blanc if Adrien has a remote control?" or "Wait, if Adrien is a sentimonster, then why didn't Chat Noir go nuts when he was cataclysmed in Miraculer? And what about Claw Noir in the Paris special? Why was he totally fine? Gabriel showed us that being transformed doesn't protect you from a cataclysm, so there's no reason why these two didn't act like other sentimonster here."

There are also lots of smaller-scale mysteries going on such as the fate of the eyeglass that Félix used to find Emilie in the season for final. Canon then let Adrien find the abandoned glass in the season four final, making everyone think it was going to be an important plot point in season five. No one knew how it was going to be used, but the hype was real! Hype that went no where because canon apparently forgot about Adrien finding the glass. Mid-season fine, it randomly shows up in Gabriel's possession, a twist so confusing that the wiki can't even figure out what happened here:

In "Pretension", Gabriel somehow finds it and gives it to Tomoe, who uses it to track Félix's scent during her akumatization after he kidnapped Kagami.

Nevermind how Gabriel found it, how did he even know it was Félix's??? Nothing about this makes sense.

This is what I mean when I say that you want to write non-mystery stories like mysteries. No matter the genre, you want your stories to make sense. For stories to make sense, you need to make use of various setup and payoff techniques like foreshadowing. You can also make use of distraction techniques like red herrings. Everything mystery writers use is on the table for other genres. The big difference between mysteries and non-mysteries is not the techniques used, but the timing of events and how the characters are played. In a mystery story, you start with a body on the floor. In a non-mystery, the body might not show up until the end, but the reason it's lying there still needs to make sense!

Similarly, your non-mystery characters may not be trying to solve anything, but you'll still need set things up so that they get the information they need to have in order to make the ending work without it feeling like said ending came out of nowhere. While season five of Miraculous sucked in most ways, it did this to a certain extent by at least taking the time to establish that the Emilie videos existed before bringing them into the final. They also took the time to setup Lila knowing that Gabriel was Monarch. Imagine how much worse the final would feel without those things.

This need to set things up goes beyond plot elements. It applies to character beats, too! Adrien and Chloé's relationship is a wonderful example of a relationship arc that needed to take some lessons from mystery novels. As you noted in the ask, Despair Bear setup the idea that Adrien would cut Chloé off if she kept hurting others:

Adrien:(sighs in disappointment) Chloé, how long have you and I been friends? Chloé: Since we were adorable little tots, Adrikins. (Pouts) Adrien:(disappointed) Well, I'm sorry Chloé, but I can't be friends with someone who treats other people like this. You've gotta be nice to people! Chloé: N-Nice? Adrien: Yes, nice. It's not that hard.

But this setup doesn't pay off until the end of Derision:

Adrien: I know about everything that you did to Marinette last year, Chloé. You're going to go and apologize to her and prove to everyone that you can change. I'm sure she'll forgive you. Chloé: (cackles) Forgive me? What do I care about her forgiveness? I couldn't care less about Dupain-Cheng's feelings! She and the likes of her only exist to suffer for my entertainment. Why bother having power if you can't use it against those who don't have any? You're the one who’s getting things wrong, with your baker girl! You're a prince! You belong with me, the princess! You're in this world to shine! To make fun of all the losers who are only good enough to be used as doormats!  Adrien: You're nothing like a princess, Chloé. I supported you. I gave you multiple chances to become a better person. Everyone reached out to you, including Ladybug and Cat Noir when they gave you the Miraculous of the Bee again. But all you ever think about is yourself. Chloé: And what else is there to think about? Losers and nobodies? The little bees? The planet? Adrien: (angrily) We will NEVER be friends again, Chloé. You and I are DONE. (walks away in anger)

And between those two episodes, the most we get is Chloé breaking up with Adrien in season four's Queen Banana after the two have a fight about her behavior:

Adrien: Hey, wait! Chloé:(turns around) Adrikins, it's sweet of you to want to console me, but I'm fine. I'm going to get my revenge and send Zoé back to New York. Adrien: Actually, I came to suggest that you apologize to everyone. Chloé:(vehemently) Are you ill?! They've ruined my film! Adrien: It was never your film, Chloé. It belonged to the group. You promised me you'd make an effort to stop being mean to everyone. I warned you that if you didn't, then we can no longer be friends. Chloé:(ends her friendship with Adrien) You're as ridiculous that film! It's over, you're no longer my Adrikins, you're Adrinothing! (Runs off to the limousine and cries inside.)

If you look at this like a mystery, it's a pretty awful one. The pacing is terrible and the events don't link together. When Queen Banana had Adrien call Chloé out for breaking her promise, I wasn't sure what he was talking about. The wiki links that line to Despair Bear and that makes sense to me in terms of what happened in Despair Bear, but if that's what he's talking about, then why did it take him two seasons remember his original threat? Why is Queen Banana his breaking point and not Miracle Queen, Zombizou, her theft of the bee, or any of the other awful things Chloé has done? Things that saw Adrien do and say nothing, making his claim that people reached out to her ring rather hollow. He let her get away with some pretty major crimes and only speaks up when she's mildly petty which isn't a great look for his character.

I've also seen several people confused by Derision's ending because they thought that Adrien and Chloé were already done, which is a perfectly reasonable thing to assume since Chloé cut Adrien off in Queen Banana and Adrien doesn't really talk to Chloé between Queen Banana and Derision. Two facts that really undermine his actions in Derision because why did he even bother talking to Chloé at that point? And why was Marinette's trauma the thing that made him finally reach out? It's especially weird when you remember that Adrien didn't get to watch the Derision flashback like we did. He just learned about one "prank" from Kim and went on the warpath. Not an overreaction given how bad the prank was, but a bit of an overreaction when you considered everything Chloé did that Adrien was happy to tolerate.

For this breakup to work and have weight, the show needed to have Adrien consistently reacting to Chloé's bad behavior. We need to see him actually trying and failing to push her to improve. We need to see him struggling between his new friends and his old friend. Those are the clues you use to tease Adrien cutting her off. The setup to the payoff of the breakup. We don't get those so Adrien and Chloé's relationship arc feels like a waste of time because they don't really have a relationship. You could have removed their "friendship" and the show would lose nothing. Just rewrite Despair Bear to give Chloé a different motivation and you're good to go.

[le-velo-pour-dru]

UMBRELLA ACADEMY FANS OF TUMBLR. PLEASE HELP ME HERE.

WHAT DOES THE POST CREDITS SCENE FROM SEASON 3 MEAN

I WAS CONVINCED SEASON 4 WOULD GIVE ME THE ANSWERS BUT I STILL DON'T GET IT AT ALL 😭 DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE?? PLEASE AND THANK YOU <33

[lesbianherald]

I'm going to be so real here I do not think Jayce killing viktor was done well and I don't think the aftermath was either it didn't feel properly weighted in either of their psychologies and the moment itself was incredibly rushed.

[caitvibing]

At the beginning of Episode 6, Viktor describes the hexcore as a 'sophisticated conjuration' which is 'simultaneously self-replicating and self-annihilating'.

Let's assume that at this stage the hexcore is essentially a living entity, right? So, from a biological/evolutionary standpoint, the main way I can make sense of this quotation is that an entity might annihilate the parts of itself it finds to be weak/disadvantageous to the continuation of the species. For example, our human bodies 'annihilate' cells which do not function ideally and thus threaten the function of the rest of the body.

Applying this to the latest evolution of the hexcore (i.e. the version of the hexcore which is spreading through different individuals via Viktor) I wonder if the evolutionary disadvantage here is in fact Viktor's humanity. This is most evident in his reaction to Vander: he is aware that he is risking his own life, and everything he has built, by extending his powers to the max in an attempt to save Vander, but he does it anyway because he is 'worth it'. Viktor is compassionate to an extent that it risks the continuation of the hexcore species.

Therefore, when Viktor says "that isn't Jayce, but there is another will at work within him", perhaps he is correct. Perhaps the hexcore recognised the risk to its own existence, and evolved in a way that allowed it to show Jayce the absolute horrors that could arise as a result of Viktor's influence, in order to convince Jayce he needed to destroy his dearest friend. Perhaps the hexcore's influence on Jayce deliberately persuaded him to annihilate the biggest threat to its existence: Viktor's humanity.

As other theories have pointed out, there are indications in the trailer (and in Viktor's final in-game form) that Viktor is not permanently dead: he most likely will have one last glorious evolution to become the Machine Herald in Act 3. But I would not be surprised if Viktor as we know him - Viktor's selflessness, Viktor's compassion, Viktor's humanity - will not survive the transformation. And thus, if the hexcore's biggest threat has been taken out.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Jayce had good intentions. But I wonder if it's possible that his visions were empty threats conjured by the hexcore, if Viktor's death was needless, if all of this was indeed just the result of an entity 'simultaneously self-replicating and self-annihilating', simply desperate to survive whatever the cost.

[mangora]

I just know that if ROTI took place two years later, Mike would not shut up about NBC’s Community

[scoopstomyahoy]

thinking about a no upside down au steddie fic where steve and eddie run into each other years after moving away from hawkins, and eddie remembers steve and his fall from grace as king, and is kind of intrigued to see what kind of person he is now

and steve doesn’t remember him at all at first, because, look, eddie changed his hair again, and steve’s had a few head injuries (no upside down but i imagine he still went thru some shit with the party and with robin), and he didn’t really think about eddie in high school anyway, and he’s trying to forget about hawkins as much as possible (besides the kiddos, but they’re all moved out for college now, anyway) (obviously he lives with robin)

but steve is different now, happier, more open, flirts with guys, flirts with EDDIE, and eddie….. well, he wants to know more! and he tells steve he knows him from hawkins, and steve’s sunny little smile flickers a little, but he just apologizes for not remembering him and mentions he has some memory problems

and they get to know each other, and eventually as eddie tells him more (and maybe with the help of some yearbooks) steve remembers eddie. and. well. they like getting to know each other. and they like each other. and then they get together

eventually they’ve been together for a while, and eddie thinks he wants to maybe introduce steve to wayne, and he mentions he’s going to go back to hawkins for a long weekend (as he’s done a couple times) and this time he’d like steve to join him

and again steve’s sunny smile flickers a bit, but he says he’d love to meet eddie’s uncle, and… they go to hawkins. and it goes well— meeting wayne, at least, but steve seems a little on edge the whole time they’re there, tense when they drive in, fidgety when they go to the grocery store, et cetera. eddie thinks maybe steve is nervous about staying with the man who raised eddie, which is ridiculous, because wayne LOVES steve.

it’s not til they leave the town altogether that steve relaxes, and eddie realizes it wasn’t “meeting the parents” but rather going back to hawkins. and speaking of meeting the parents, steve didn’t ever bring his own up, even though eddie knew they still lived in hawkins. and the way steve glanced around whenever they went in public, like he was scared of getting recognized

and he asks about it, and steve doesn’t really want to talk about it, but he gives eddie snippets of it. people he wanted to leave behind in hawkins, memories that resurfaced, things he wants to forget

eddie goes back to see wayne sometimes, and the first time he doesn’t know whether to ask steve to come, so he just mentions he’s thinking about going to hawkins for some weekend and steve immediately starts making plans with him as if the invite is implicit. they go back to hawkins several more times, steve still tense and pent up the whole time they’re there

over time steve reveals more and more to eddie. everything that made hawkins hell for him, from the things he himself did in high school to the things people did to him. stuff tommy and carol and billy said to him. some of it is just typical high school bullshit (and oh, the nancy thing.) some of it is the tragedies steve went through, the horrors he had to protect his kids from. the injuries he sustained. more generally the homophobia that permeated the whole town, keeping steve from being himself. the lack of support in the indiana public school system for a high school senior who’s had two concussions and gone through incredible trauma.

his parents. the reason why steve’s mail is addressed to ‘steve buckley’ now, not ‘steve harrington’.

(that doesn’t come out until much, much later, and eddie is kicking himself for ever suggesting steve come back to hawkins.)

eddie, who hardly had an easy time of it in hawkins, is absolutely blown away by what steve had gone through in the same town, right under his nose. the entire persona that steve was trying to leave behind — the cool as a cucumber, unaffected, douchey mask he wore to hide all that he had endured. the head injuries. the emotional tragedies he had gone through. the way he had to be the rock for the kids even as he went through the same things as them.

he tries to tell steve they never have to go back to hawkins again, and steve is having none of it. he tells steve wayne can come visit them in their new city, and steve thinks that’s completely unfair to the man who had raised eddie, seriously, you’re going to make him come all the way up here?

and well i don’t know exactly what the ending is but steve is so stubborn about trying to love hawkins because it was eddie’s home and he wants to be able to go see wayne because wayne deserves to see his kid and eddie deserves to see his uncle and steve doesn’t want to be the problem :(

[victorluvsalice]

Merry Christmas Ace!

@ace-of-tales You asked for Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens visiting Secundus, as you thought Aziraphale in particular would like all the inventions there...and then I mentioned him getting a taste of the March Hare's tarts, and you were like "YES THAT." XD So here that is! Hope you like!

--

“Oh, these – these are absolutely amazing! Crowley, you have to try some!”

Alice did her best to stifle a laugh as she watched one half of the newest pair at the tea table go to absolute town on the March Hare’s tarts. “I take it you’re pleased with the vittles on offer?” she commented, leaning on her elbow.

“I think it’s safe to say this is now his favorite part of our trip here,” Crowley replied, grinning at his partner over an untouched cup of tea. “Always been a bit weak for good food, haven’t you?”

Aziraphale shot him a playfully-scolding look. “It’s your fault,” he declared once his mouth was empty. “You’re the one who introduced me to it.”

“Yessss,” Crowley said, smirking back. “Best bit of temptation I ever did.”

Aziraphale chuckled. “I won’t argue with that.” He grinned over at the March Hare. “Genuinely, these are absolutely fantastic. I thought Jane Austen’s tarts were delectable, but these – ! Oh, you can simply taste the love.”

“I make every batch with as much love – and strawberries – as I can fit in them,” March said, beaming back and bouncing in his chair. “Delighted to hear they pass muster! Though not mustard. That’d be horrible.”

“It would,” Victor agreed with a little laugh.

“Oh, indeed – but instead, now you can tell everyone who comes by that your tarts are truly heavenly,” Richard added, giving March a nudge and a theatrical wink.

“Oh, I’m sure they’re much better than that,” Crowley said, picking up a tart and examining it. “You lot are a lot more – creative than Heaven or Hell. Part of the reason Aziraphale and I were so keen on sticking around on Earth – that and avoiding all the nonsense Upstairs and Down. Humans make some fascinating things, when they put their minds to it.”

“I’m a hare,” March pointed out, pulling up his ears for emphasis.

“I think he’s using ‘human’ to mean sapient creatures as a whole,” Alice said, patting his head. “After all, it doesn’t sound like they have anything like you, Dormy, or Cheshire where they come from.”

“Not that I’ve seen – our world is quite sadly lacking in intelligent animals with stupendous baking skills,” Aziraphale confirmed. “I don’t believe we have anyone quite like your ‘Touched’ either, which is a shame. Some of the inventions you have around here are fantastic – that clock tower, for instance, with the giant bird coming out of it on the hour. Most amusing!”

“Oh, Cuckoo Ben? That nearly scared the life out of me when I first heard it go off,” Victor admitted, grinning. “But it is funny, once you get used to it.”

“Me, I liked that motorized bicycle we saw the other day,” Crowley said, with a sharp-toothed grin. “The one that fellow was bragging could outrun any horse. Reminded me of the Bentley, the way he was zipping around. I could something like that while we’re in the city. Get us places a lot faster than that carriage we rented.”

“I’m – I’m rather content with the speed at which our horses move,” Aziraphale said, grinning nervously. “And that demonstration did end with the inventor going straight into a wall. I had to, ah, assist slightly in making sure he didn’t end up in the morgue.”

“I noticed – though I don’t know if you really had to,” Crowley pointed out. “Based on what we’ve heard, these folks could have just shocked him back again.” He frowned, turning his tart over in his hands. “Which – does feel like it should be causing more of a fuss on both our ends. Hell doesn’t like a sinner escaping.”

“And Heaven would be rather cross about the population going down,” Aziraphale agreed. “But I don’t know much about the local theology.”

“We’re still trying to figure that out ourselves,” Richard told them. “The recently undeceased don’t tend to remember much about their time on the other side. What little we’ve gotten out of them makes it sound like everybody gets chucked into a waiting room first.”

“Mmm – meaning the local versions of Heaven and Hell might have already compensated for our propensity for bring people back to life by not letting anyone in until they’re sure they’re dead,” Alice added.

“Maybe,” Crowley shrugged, and took an experimental bite of tart. “Not like I’m going to – oh.”

He stopped, blinking behind his sunglasses. “Oh wow,” he continued, sounding lightly stunned. “This is good.”

“What did I tell you?” Aziraphale chuckled. “Congratulations Mr. Hare – you’ve won over the agents of both Heaven and Hell with your cookery.”

“Excellent – though it does feel like those should cancel each other out,” March noted, rubbing his chin. “Guess we won’t know until I die, though! And get past the waiting room.”

“Which hopefully won’t be for a long, long time,” Alice said, patting his head. “Anyway – is there anything else you two wanted to see while you’re visiting?

“Well...” Aziraphale grinned. “I did hear something about a restaurant where the food literally rains down from the sky...”

[freakinator]

If you don’t mind, I’m gonna yap for a second.. I think another problem with Kab is how sudden the turn around was. Like in the first convo where Kab was acting “evil”, Zam fought back with the argument that she’s wasn’t really evil at all and I think he did believe that at least a little. And if Kab slowly began to turn her path around then he would be a bit more trusting cause he would have SEEN her actual emotional growth but the turn around was so fast, it feels like there was no emotional growth at all and that Kab is still the same as before, cause she basically is. She still wants Mane dead no matter the cost and she’s still, intentionally or not, trying to manipulate Zam, but she wants to be treated as if she’s had that whole long term emotional growth

yeah ii think this is where her majority experience with short-term smps really bit her in the ass, i think there are two main directions that other ppl take it tho: 1. is as what you speculate in that some ppl think that she hasnt had genuine growth and hasnt changed at all and 2. that she genuinely changes too quickly and is therefore unreliable regardless of if shes being honest or not

i think the reason zam was so receptive to her in silent scream was cause this has been a recurrent plot point for a couple streams now, kab trespassing zams base to yap while zam tries to decipher her wants and motivations until eventually she just let it all out and in that instance i think he did genuinely believed that she changed even if it was slowly/just a little bit

....but then die for you happened lol

ssee the thing about kab is that shes shes all-or-nothing, going from one extreme to the next after just a little bit of change in character which can be jarring to some ppl to say the least (unless you thought she was lying and therefore any character development shouldnt be believed i suppose) but is something that was a great asset in shorter and arena-based smps where you had to get as much advantage against your opponent as possible without having to worry about the long-term consequences of these actions ie them not trusting you while still having to interact often in mundane ways even after messing with them. while she Can be swayed this only really works with things she was already unsure of which while a great motivator and trait to keep her on track with her goals (again another great trait for short-term smps), can be really jarring and distressing for other ppl if the things she was absolutely sure about goes against their own perspective like for example her thinking that derapchu killing her constitutes zam getting payback for her as the protector of the server (The protector, not A protector like zam insists, The protector of the server)

i think shes far too used to the fast-paced instant acceptance of changed personality in arena smps that is a natural consequence of them being short-term and having a revolving door of members and teams which is why she expects ppl to accept her growth and efforts so quickly even if realistically nobody would hand over their trust that easily esp after essentially being harassed in their own home multiple times, like even in normal smps where theres a baseline amount of trust ppl still wouldnt trust you after doing that, what more in a server like lifesteal where general trust is low basically all the time?

[smile-files]

i continue to find ii3 baffling. why did they make it (this isn't to hate on the season, i'm genuinely curious)