#i did preface this saying i had a thought on the bus
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I experienced a thought on the bus this morning and I don't know why so uh yeah let's talk about elvin agriculture.
But first I must establish my credibility. As you see, Perry the Platypus, I got third in state for agricultural science for science olympiad and I may very well might have forgotten the vast majority of it.
Now we don't have an exact figure for how many elves there are and iirc Sophie said there was a meeting with a representative from every family but considering they don't interact with their family after they're, like, 18 I don't see how that makes sense but whatever.
The Elvin population is going to be constantly increasing at an exponential rate. Granted, it will be a slow exponential but birth rates will increase and death rates will remain near zero, resulting in population growth. This makes it so that the environment doesn't have a set carrying capacity for the number of elves and while the population growth may be slow enough in the beginning to adjust without much of an issue, eventually it's going to increase fast enough that it is an issue.
This population will require more food, causing current agricultural lands to deplete their nutrients faster. While in the past, a crop rotation schedule where half a field is used and half is fallow might shift to a more mediaeval era (in human terms) rotation of three sections.
And now this is where we go off on a tangent. First of all, I don't know where they would have space for growing food because they've got estates and they've got cities and nothing in between (or at least that's what it sounds like canonically). Now a place like Rimeshire yeah sure they've got gnomes why can't they have a garden but a place like Everglen idk if this is my fedex brainrot speaking but they seem like they'd be too snobby for that kind of thing. And foxfire has to get food somewhere and i sure as exile wouldn't trust level threes in an agriculture class.
Okay my real thought was "what about fertilizer?" Most of prev was just justifying that so uh sorry. Using my deep wild kratts knowledge, I know that bat guano is a good fertilizer. Commercially, other types of manure are used more often i'm sure. Google says manure has been used for 8000 years as a fertilizer...a time when the human population would've been fairly close to the elvin one today...so it is plausible.
...except elves don't keep livestock. Well. I guess that ends the train of thought.
But if elves still have a need for nutrients in their soil, there's a couple of options out there. The first is "don't worry about it, gnome songs are ~magic~ and avoid the need for chemistry." The second is, "don't worry about it, something something alchemy."
-> which does have its merit. The haber-bosch process--(3H2 + N2 -> 2NH3) which produces ammonia for plants to grow because nitrogen deficiency is less than ideal--was invented/discovered/verbed in the early 1900s which would have put it during the human assistance program.
Another option is bird poop islands, which is what the humans used before Haber went and Bosched the process and I found that thought entertaining until I realised the gnomes would be in charge of that and i don't think those little photosynthisizers deserve that.
But finally we get to my real point and i don't know how you made it this long. Another source of nitrogen is CH4N2O / NH2CONH2 (depends on who you ask on formula. Organic chem is like that sometimes.). But well this compound is commonly known as urea. Now, for extra credit, can you name something else that comes from the same origin? If you said urine, you win! Urea is found in urine!
Which means that if you as a gnomish farmer were really really really desperate for nitrogen and, of course, the chemical composition is the same technically you could pee in the fields to solve your problem.
#kotlc#kotlc gnomes#I'M SORRY#keeper of the lost cities#i did preface this saying i had a thought on the bus#this is your own fault
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Authorās note : Iām lowkey geeking that I just wrote that !! Ok ok sorry Iām dramatic and cringe. Basically I would just like to preface a few things. This fic is very unfinished, I wrote it a while ago and donāt know if Iāll ever finish. Iāve always wanted to dip my toe into creative writing but always been to scared ofā¦..sucking? This definitely sucks though.
Despite that I read someone say on here that your first writing is going to be bad. So here it is; my god awful Jason fic. What better way to start my journey of writing than fan fiction (please be nice Iām sensitive)
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BLOW-POPS
Jason Todd x reader
Warnings : suggestive language
Word Count : 763
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Finally,
You immediately braced your legs for the jump out of your seat. The ancient wheels on the chair create an uncomfortable squeak. You donāt pause to cringe at the awful sound, instead waving bye to your co-workers and making your way out the door. It had been a long day. Slow, but long. You had been laser focused on the minuscule arm that counted the final hour of the shift. As your legs hurriedly moved towards the car you could feel the tiredness seep through your bones. This particular shift had started in the earliest hours of the morning, as you start the engine your eyes drift up to the colors in the sky meshing together to create an orange hue. You let a hefty sigh leave your lips. The more thought put into it, the more excitement your mind created surrounding the prospect of taking a hot shower, watching some trash tv, and falling asleep on the couch. Smiling contently to yourself, you rush home.
Well. That was the plan. It really was.
You just may have forgotten to calculate for one important factor.
Red Hood.
Red Hood, who you may or may not have started a situationship with after he had saved your life last year. Your vehicle had been in the shop and you narrowly missed the bus for that night. Despite the fact that youād been living in Gotham for up to a year at that point, you still took your chance and walked home from work. However, luck had never really been on your side. This was an event he would continuously criticize over the next year.
āno concept of personal securityā
āno awareness about what's going on around youā
āif I hadnāt been thereā¦ā
āblah blah blah blah blahā
On one hand, you found it annoying that he really believed you couldn't take care of yourself. On the other hand, the delusional part, you relished in the thought of him giving a shit about what happens to you. To be frank, maybe situationship was the wrong word. Although you two were definitely not in a relationship. If you ever did come up with some miraculous courage, you would question the status between the two of you.
You seriously doubted that he would ever commit to a relationship. While he never specifically stated it, you knew. Despite the moments of softness he would spare, ones you would deny sent a fuzzy warmth into your head. Still, it was clear what he wanted from you.
You couldn't say friends with benefits either, that would insinuate that you two were friends. That would insinuate that you know more about him other than, he likes to be on top and has daddy issues.
Anyway, not the point.
Red Hood.
Red Hood, who was casually leaning against the marble countertops when you twisted the doorknob and stepped in. His helmet hung from his fingertips, leaving his face covered in only a black domino mask.
Red Hood.
Red Hood, who currently had you pressed deeply into the couch, leaving no room between your bodies. His full lips pressed harshly against your own, his tongue seeking entrance into your mouth. Once you slightly parted your lips, his tongue began dancing with yours, fighting for dominance.
He always won.
āYou taste like cherry.ā
This was the first he spoke since you had entered the apartment.
āI-ā you paused as he began suckling on your neck,
āI ate a blow for lunch. Well actually I ate like six. This nice old lady I helped today gave me a jumbo bag. Donāt ask me why she just carried that around because I donāt know and I wasnāt about to ask. I know that I'm not supposed to be taking candy from strangers but like she was really nice and I was starving. Now that I think about it, I probably ate like ten.ā
You rambled quickly, sounding almost breathless from his lips on your neck. You swear you felt him smile against your skin.
Meeting with him always gave you a rush of adrenaline. Meeting with him always created a very specific feeling you swore you could feel run through your veins. Knowing the hands that were gently caressing your upper torso were the same that ruthlessly pummeled the worst of Gotham. Maybe you were messed up, but hey, maybe that's what drew you two together.
That being said, you were tired.
As he moved to kiss further into the crook of your neck, you rested your eyes for a split second.
#jason todd x reader#jason todd#red hood x reader#batboys x reader#titans jason todd#dont hug me im scared#red hood#dc titans#batman#dc universe#dc comics
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Yo tarot reader # 2 here and this oneās going to be long.
Iāve done some reading for only some of the questions. If you find that your inquiry isnāt below, I kindly ask that you give me time to get around doing them and maybe the strength too (tarot reading can be quite tiring, sorry š)
Without further adieu:
šās view on š¦ /šĀ (this topic was from the comment section iirc)
Let me preface this by saying š is more hurt than she lets on
On the surface she thinks itās selfish cause when š¦ and šās ārelationshipā finally ends, itāll have a less than positive impact on the show and the dynamics of the team. So sheās trying to focus on the side that sheās upset because itāll affect everyone and the two arenāt being mindful of the cast and crew whoāve worked hard
On the deeper end, š kinda sees that š¦ās confession to her (as read previously by OG tarot reader) wasnāt serious at all. She has feelings for him but sheās keeping it from getting deep and now she thinks she did the right thing. However, digging deeper, she feels like sheās now the one with unrequited feelings for him. āHe moved on so quick,ā is one thing I get. Itās painful stuff and she hasnāt really dug into yet cause she thinks sheās not as affected or hurt but the cards say otherwise.
Yes itās a huge obstacle for š in reconciling the friendship with š¦, to answer the question. Based on the reading above, she thinks heās just fooling her or pulling tricks on her. The intensity of his words when he told her how he feels for her doesnāt match his recent actions. She knows heās unpredictable and mercurial but sheās wondering if heās a liar too or just switched his attention to her to fill his āboredom.ā Keep in mind she only started thinking this when š got in the picture. From the previous readings, š said no to š¦ out of her own walls and fears but now sheās overthinking everything because of š (whoās actually the rebound and the bandaid to š¦ās pain over š rejecting him but š doesnāt know that)
I pulled a card for the solution on how š¦ & š can work towards being friends again and š is kind of on her way, with introspection and time apart. However there are some obstacles which is why the timeline is kind of long. Time isnāt of the essence anyway and they need to take it slow. I asked if J2 (sorry I know but I had to clarify) is involved and not in the sense that he feeds on shit talking the š¦ / š thing cause he doesnāt know much but Iām getting the sense that he feeds into šās tendency to isolate. She does need alone time but J2ās presence is not helpful all around, regardless of the š¦/ š hullabaloo.
Is š thinking of being friends with š again? Sheās 50/50 about it. On one hand that was her close friend but she knows she wonāt be able to unsee what she knows. I asked if š is aware that thereās a pr thing and the answer I got is she doesnāt want to believe in it. But then again how successful she is in not wanting to is up for debate. Going back to the cards pulled for topics 2-4 above, š canāt help but think they did all that for pr if they really did so it hurts more cause itās a move that doesnāt resonate with her as a person.
Do š and š¦ flirt?
Oh hell yes and they enjoy it, especially her but sheās more coy about it tho he picks up on it (and also her trying to not show it as much) and he likes it. FLIRT CIRCLE is all I can say. Like THRIVING from it. At some point both probably looked forward going to work to flirt than to actually work.
Have they crossed the line (kissing, etc)?
Um yes after so much temptation. š kind of felt bad but more so because she liked it way more than she thought she would or would allow herself to. I asked the extent of it and it was until kissing only. Dare I say it happened only once but that was like THE ONE.
Anything more intimate between them hasnāt happened out of respect for one another and the bond they have but not without any hardships. Struggle bus for these two to resist and so far itās working because š has withdrawn and š¦ canāt do anything about it (well he sort of did with his I love you we should be together speech for š but that caused her to pull away so all he can do is respect that)
š¦ first impression of šĀ
š is such a breath of fresh air for š¦
Like he asks her āwhat planet did you come from?ā Out of wonder and awe
I get him thinking āmanna from heavenā like š is āheaven sentā
Something in š¦ shifted when he first saw her and then starting to get to know her, he felt something different and completely new to him
š first impression of š¦Ā
Oh my god she just knew š¦ was gonna cause an upheaval of everything she thought she knew
āThis guy can break my heartā
āHe can take me places Iāve never beenā
When did š¦ first catching feelings for šĀ
Messy, he was still married/his separation with his ex wife was still not a conversation (but it seems there was already trouble in paradise)
They had this one particular conversation (out of many) that went deeper than usual that just solidified all the feels he had for her that had been brewing and from then on he was like āwow, this is it. Sheās it.ā
Someone asked when š¦ās feelings for š went from platonic to romantic and it was super early. It might have never been platonic from the get go.
He also did his fair share of denying it because of his status at that time.Ā
When did š start catching feelings for š¦Ā
She went through a difficult thing and š¦ was there for her
āThis is the kind of support I want and needā
š never thought someone would get what she was experiencing and how she felt but š¦ did and it was like meeting someone you knew from a previous life like she didnāt have to explain herself at all.
I asked a bonus for this, who fell really fell first like acknowledged it to themselves. Guys it was š but ofc she the queen of hiding it or even denying it until she gave in a little.
what do the cast think, have they noticed š¦ & šās vibes, what tipped them off
Ebon
Is the one who knows the most
Wants the two to practice good judgmentĀ
Heās the balancer for both of them (without getting involved as much as possible vibes?)
He wants them to be wise about it not just for the rest of the team but heās actually rooting for them
Big brother vibes whoās 20% pragmatic and 80% shipping them
Liza
Is aware cause the two arenāt slick š
Doesnāt want to get involved or know more
She thinks sheās too old for all this
Lionel
Knows about it but doesnāt want to talk about or address the elephant in the room
Encouraging but not as adept at navigating it like Ebon who manages to be the wise advisor without actually stating the obvious about š¦ & šās situation(ship)
So he just doesnāt really talk about it but hopes for the best and he thinks it can do the two good to be together at some point
Storer
Surprisingly was one of the first to clock it?!
Heās more focused on the showās wellbeing and set environment so he doesnāt want it cause of the obvious problems if it goes haywire (good luck with š¦ and š tho cause thatās a ticking time bomb, but thereās a sense that heās not too pressed about that for whatever reason)
Heās not oblivious to the chemistry between š¦ & š that bled into their fictional characters
Welcome back š and thanks everyone āØ
this isā¦. all of this isā¦ i canāt even ššš
#anon#asks#no THANK YOU 2nd tarot reader#now im gonna spiral for the rest of the day THANK YOU š#šš¦#ayomy
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You know my love for navier can I please have a au where the female douma marries navier in the name of heinley .
šLike heinley came to late and she is like okay I will marry her in the name of heinley (King Charles the first did this in 1626 the bride was in France and the King was in In England and send a Duke to "marry "her and then marry her officially in England )
https://youtu.be/k7kWQ855zkM
šWhat whoud everyone there reaction be to her standing in because heinley could not make it time and her marrying navier in heinley his name.
šI don't know but it whoud be so funny to see the high priest is about to have a stroke because of this situation but he knows navier and his daughter well enough to trust them.
šImagen them getting married and sovieshit losing his shit because the woman who he loved married etchoter so he could not remarry navier and only did it because heinley wasn't there in time.
šHim suronding the trovi mansion like in the original story but he wants to force them both to stay in the eastern empire until the high priest tells he can't lock up his daughter and that she is now royalty from the western kingdom and cannot do it.
šHer being free to leave along with ergi and them smuggling navier out of trovi Manor like in the webcomic and ergi finding it funny how douma mc solved the problem.
Preface: Heinrey could not make it to the courtroom in time. However, since you were a demon (and the Upper 2nd Moon at that), you were able to run to the courtroom with inhuman speed. It was agreed that you would marry Navier in his place.
Sovieshu
He was surprised to see you in the courtroom, and you had wind tossed hair. What he definitely did not foresee was you requesting your adoptive father to allow you to marry Navier in Heinreyās place right after he and she agreed to the divorce. Plot twist #2 was when the High Priest accepted the request.
Before you could leave the Trovi Residence, he showed up at the door with a bunch of guards saying that you would not be able to leave. If the High Priest hadnāt come to visit you before you left for the Western Kingdom at this exact moment, you probably would have killed Sovieshu and the guards.
Unfortunately for you, the High Priest ordered the Emperor to let you and Navier go as it was not allowed to keep his adopted daughter against her will. Plus, you both had a Kingdom that you needed to get to so that Heinrey could be properly married to Her Royal Majesty. The Emperor had to call off his guard, lest he be excommunicated.
Rashta
She heard that you had arrived, and she was completely terrified of what could happen. Come to find out from eavesdropping, you were there to marry Navier in the name of Heinrey because he couldnāt make it in time. Honestly, this worked out for her because that meant Sovieshu would only be hers.
Unfortunately, when she heard that her husband-to-be trapped you and the soon-to-be Queen of the Western Kingdom within the Trovi Manor, she was upset. She thought that this would solve all of her problems and doubts about Sovieshu being loyal, but apparently not.
Thankfully, the High Priest stepped in and ordered the Emperor to release you and threatened to excommunicate him and the entire Empire. Thus, not only would he have to rule the land, but he would also have to run a religion. Rashta let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that you made it out of the Empire and she was done away with you both for good.
Navier
She was worried when Heinrey told her that he wouldnāt be able to make it in time. Cue her savior, AKA you. You volunteered to go and marry her in the Kingās place so that Sovieshu wouldnāt take away her right to remarry. Sure, the High Priest almost had a heart attack, but he trusted you both to know that you knew what you were doing.
However, as you were helping her pack her things from the Trovi Manor, you looked outside of the window to see that Sovieshu was camping outside of the door. You shouted at him to let you both out, but he refused. Fortunately for you, the High Priest wanted to stop by to say a quick goodbye to you and Navier and saw that the Emperor was holding you both captive.
Once the problem was cleared, you and Duke Ergi smuggled Navier out of the Empire. You expressed your excitement at having her reign over the Western Kingdom, and Ergi made a joke about how you always solved the problem, and the soon-to-be Royal Majesty let out a slight giggle.
Heinrey
He was in distress, and he was pacing back and forth as he told you about it. Even if he flew, he wouldnāt be able to make it in time to save Navier. So, you put your hand on his shoulder and said that you were able to run so fast it was just like teleporting. Thus, you could run and it would take maybe 5 minutes to get from the Western Kingdom to the Eastern Empire to marry Navier in his name.
The King let out a sigh before agreeing to your idea, and you put on some trousers and started running. He could only pray that it would work, and he received a letter not too long after that it was successful. Only thing wasā¦ he was kind of missing his bride.
Once you both did make it back to the Western Kingdom, you let out a sigh as you told him that Sovieshu trapped you both inside of the Trovi Manor to try and get you to stay in the Eastern Empire. However, the High Priest threatened to excommunicate him if he didnāt let you and Navier go.
#remarried empress#the remarried empress x reader#the remarried empress#remarried empress x reader#sovieshu vict x reader#sovieshu vict#emperor sovieshu#sovieshu x reader#sovieshu#rashta x reader#rashta#navier trovi x reader#empress navier#navier trovi#navier x reader#navier#heinrey lazlo#heinrey lazlo x reader#heinrey alles lazlo x reader#heinrey alles lazlo#heinrey x reader#heinrey
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preface to this fic: the first time gabe and amelia said 'i love you'
~
a little over 3 months into their relationship, the L word was finally said
if you ask gabe, he would say he's loved amelia since day one. however, he never said it because he didn't want to rush her. the night he first said it he just couldn't hold it in any longer, and he didn't even mind if she didn't say it back, he just had to get it out
and he did
and she did say it back
and it's been said on repeat ever since
gabe felt like he had been waiting since the very beginning to say those three words and waiting anxiously for her to reciprocate them
he had been waiting since the beginning; down to a certain, specific day.
october 19th, to be specific. (click on oct 19th for the details)
on this night gabe went to say something to amelia, but he stopped himself
he wanted to wait for the right moment, and that moment was for after their first 'i love you'.
he promised her he would tell her in a few months
~
present day
gabe and amelia sat in his car
it had been a long, long night
bc had just lost their beanpot game against bu
everyone was down. gabe was down.
but not for long
being gabes girlfriend, who was head over heels in love with him, amelia always knew exactly what to say to cheer him up
and that's what she had been doing since the game ended
it's been a couple hours since the game ended, and gabe was finally dropping amelia off at her dorm
well, he intended to a half hour ago. they've been sitting in the parking lot; talking, relaxing, trying to bring the mood back up
after a while, the game felt like a distant memory
"how do you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better?" gabe asked as he looked at his girlfriend adoringly
amelia smiles and shrugs, "because i know you. and i love you."
"i love you, meels."
although gabe had said those three words numerous times over the past couple days, in this moment, the night of october 19th sprung to his mind
he grinned as the promise he made to her came back
"do you remember that night we went for milkshakes then sat in the car and you played me taylor swift songs?" he asks
amelia didn't have to think very hard, she remembers that night all too well
especially after gabe brought it back up when he gave her her christmas present; her necklace with his initial and hockey number
she smiles and nods as she recalls that night
"i do, of course i do. it's the night i made you a swiftie."
gabe laughs at her response
"that you did, babe." he smiles over at her "do you remember what happened after one specific song?"
this, amelia could not recall. in her defense, she played him a handful of songs that night
she shakes her head, and gabe nods at her nonverbal response
"i'll jog your memory" he says as he pulls up his music on his phone
he selects 'daylight' by taylor swift, and lets it play through the speakers of his car
the song had barely ended when amelia jumped up slightly
"OH! now i remember! you were going to tell me something, but then you stopped."
gabe smiles and nods, "yes, and?"
amelia thinks for a moment, "andddd.."
her face lights up as she fully remembers
"ahhh, you promised me you would tell me in a few months."
gabe nods, "mhmm"
amelia leans forward in her seat slightly, intrigued as ever
"well.. it's been a few months."
"that it has been."
"so.. can i know now?"
he smiles, "you can know."
amelia had no idea what gabe was about to say
"i love you." gabe says
amelia smiles at his words
"i love you, gabriel. is that what you had to tell me?"
"no, but it's what i had to hear you say before i told you what i wanted to say back in october."
amelia tilts her head in confusion
"the song we just listened to.. the lyrics."
it still wasn't clicking
he smiles gently, "you were so hesitant to give me a chance because you were scared of getting hurt. you didn't want to fall for me because the thought of falling in love scared you because of past experiences, yes?"
amelia nodded slowly at his words
"yes. that is true."
he nods, "that's what i thought. but you love me?"
"i do love you. i love you very much."
"and is that scary?"
she shakes her head, "not with you. it's fun, and exciting. everyday i'm with you i love you more than the day before, and it makes me feel the happiest i've ever been. with my gabriel."
gabe smiles at her words
"good. then i've passed."
amelia raises her eyebrow, "you've passed?"
gabe nods, and instead of saying something he replays the song, skipping to the bridge
'i once believed love would be (black and white), but it's golden (golden)..'
'i once believed love would be (burning red), but it's golden (golden)..'
"i've passed. i made you fall in love and fall in love with being in love." gabe says once the bridge ends
for the millionth time since they started dating, amelia stares at her boyfriend in awe. in awe of how he thinks of these things and puts meaning into every single thing he says to her and does for her.
"the night we listened to this song, i wanted to tell you that that's how i wanted you to feel about being with me, but it was way too soon. we weren't official yet and everything was still new. but i knew i would say it down the road, so i waited. waited until we said 'i love you', and waited until you were ready to feel like this."
amelia smiles at his words, "so that's what you wanted to tell me all those months ago?"
gabe nods, "yes."
amelia shakes her head, leaning over so she can grab her boyfriends hands
"well, gabriel.. if nothing else in our relationship made me relate to those lyrics, those words you just said to me were enough to. you are my daylight, and i love you so much for making those lyrics exactly how i feel."
gabe leans in slowly towards his girlfriend, gently slipping a hand on her cheek in the process
he brings his lips to hers, giving her a gentle kiss
"i want you to relate to all these songs you play for me, because i know they're exactly how you want to feel."
she nods, "they are. i love you.. for a million reasons. and that's one of them."
"i love you, meels. i'm glad i can make you the happiest girl in the world."
"and the girl who can say her boyfriend makes her feel like taylor swift songs" she grins
"and the girl who can say her boyfriend makes her feel like taylor swift songs."
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Hello! Reading your comment about Gr@mmys, I thought of something that makes my head spin.
Was it what happened with J!m!n and F@CE that got us out of the OT7 utopia āseven exact and equal slices of the pieā for each member? I expected to see differences, problems or competitions during this stage but I feel that F@CE was a before and after, at least for me. Now, I could yell at my "me" from the last concert in Bus@n, how naive and overly positive I was being.
I understand the factors that made this reality. I don't know the internal agreements between them and their company. For me Jungk00k's debut only shed more light on topic (he's not the villain of the story, blaming him is just easy way out) Family = seven = equal. Wasn't that the driven narrative? From my place I see how the members go out of their way to demonstrate healthy competition among themselves but the label does not accompany them with their actions/decisions. Actions that make me see company as inexperienced. Did they really have no way to avoid these conflicts? Shouldn't they take care of every detail of career of the artists they represent?
This has nothing to do with the decisions of each member. Some armys force too much -members decide everything- speech and frankly to me it feels like a re-victimization and the removal of responsibility from their representatives. Even if we look at this as a team it seems like someone isn't doing their part. May I disagree? I'm a different person. If everyone says that BH is a great company, I will tell them that it should be even better. The company where my father works has often not fulfilled its duties as an employer, but he will tell you that it's the best job, and I proceed to respect it. Just like that i feel
Whose responsibility is it really that everything has gotten to this point? From company and its silences, from fandom that allowed solo stans to grow, from everyone? Is it just the natural course of things?
There is something in this chapter that gives me the feeling of improvisation. Or was I just too used to everything being calculated and perfect in the B/T/S world?
If you had to give a prognosis for the next chapter, what would it be?
***
āFamily = seven = equal. Wasn't that the driven narrative?ā
No, actually.
Listen, I hear you and I get you completely. OT7 literally means love the members equally right? And thatās the agenda the company has been pushing and should show right? Well, not exactly. What Iām about to say is going to be very unpopular, but itās genuinely what I think.
People have a very narrow idea of how many things can look, and when they run up against a reality that looks very different from how they expected it, many people donāt know how to deal with that very well. And oftentimes what happens is that they turn to vilifying whoever they think is responsible for preventing them from getting that imagined outcome. It never once crosses their minds that maybe they had the wrong assumptions to begin with. Itās always the thought of maybe someone is gaslighting them, rather than, you know, maybe they were just wrong. For that context and for that groupās actual goals.
Thereās one post I wrote a long time ago that I think made me fairly popular with Jimin biases here, itās the one where I talk about some of the ways Jimin contributed to BTS that might not seem obvious at first. I prefaced that post by saying many in the fandom underestimate Jimin not because they dislike him or anything, but because they have a narrow idea of what āmeaningful contributionā looks like for a group like BTS. All I did in that post was point out things that perhaps were not framed in the right way to show how much Jimin contributes to BTS thatās more than songwriting, producing, or others. Itās the same thinking in recognizing that while SeokJin isnāt the strongest dancer or vocalist, heās served as the stable emotional support in the group, he serves as the key hinge in maintaining the uniformity in their choreography, and that without him in the group, the members would certainly clash very destructively. Itās not āequal contributionā in the way a lot of people envision, but I think itās perfect for BTS.
Granted all Iāve said so far is in terms of contributions, not rewards which is what youāre talking about. Youāre saying the company should facilitate things so that each member is meant to get equal rewards each time. Well, that would be dandy and possible for the company. Maybe. But itās also not weird, bad, nor does is spell sabotage for a company to allocate different resources and use different strategies after consulting with the members for their direct input, and to pursue asymmetrical results for BTS at certain times. The understanding is each member prioritized will vary in different years and eras. And Iām personally looking forward to all of it. Since July 2022, all the members have put forward a good first step with their debuts. Jungkook is the member getting a solid push now and I love that itās him. Iām secretly hoping he tours a bit too, maybe solo or with vmin, and maybe/not go to the military before 2025. Who knows?
A lot of things didnāt work right for all the members' debuts. Jiminās performance was impacted by far too many though, and many were issues the company simply needs to get their shit together on. Period. BTS makes a shit tonne of money for that company and the least they could do is go the extra mile and then some. Iām convinced HYBE already does this for BTS (recall how HYBE navigated extracting BTS from that Jamboree concert disaster, though public opinion was also on their side), but they could always do more. And I wonāt stop anyone from saying that.
But for anyone who thinks what theyāve seen so far is Jungkook / BTS / HYBE betraying their trust or going back on their principles or whatever, I want to say that theyāve done no such thing. This time around your bias wasnāt prioritized the way you wanted. Thatās it. Am I being naive and delusional by thinking the guys are literally taking turns for this kind of focus? Possibly. But I also know thereās a Pharrell collab somewhere in the vault. Rina Sawayama too (her Le Sserafim remix is really good. Please listen to it). And that the guys have very grand plans. All of them. Theyāre focused and driven and will always get what they ultimately want. Every member is like this. They've put too much skin in the game to walk away for less.
Or lol, maybe I'm just being a company stan. I just hope it's clear I'm not dismissing your concern or care for Jimin, Anon, it's that I disagree with your conclusion. But I know I'm in the minority here anyway.
āWhose responsibility is it really that everything has gotten to this point? ā
The fandom, mostly. For reasons that are very obvious. Such as most of the fandom claiming they actually like the whole group and trust their bias, but rather kinda see the other members as background characters for their bias. Fandom is like a pressure cooker, so nobody ever really stays 'normal' if they move too far off-center - people who heavily biases a member in an unhealthy way will never remain an ARMY, for example, theyāll eventually break off into fringe parts; people who dislike a member, only grow to further hate the member. Neutral is rare.
If BigHit wanted to make another try for a Grammy this year, Seven wouldāve likely been envisioned with all the members as a project to pursue, because a win for any of them is considered a win for the group. Especially considering the competition this year. And given BH already had a formula with the PET, they went with that same mediocre candy floss of a song thatās guaranteed to get the nomination chances, as in the past. Experience has taught the company Korean tracks will likely not be given fair consideration soon. So they went with Seven. Also, after that Billboard hit piece, Jiminās chances with Like Crazy are close to zilch. If by some miracle he gets recognition, I hope he wins. But yeah, that debacle with Jimin is one in which the fandom (meaning his akgaes, biases, and the wider/whole fandom) bears some blame. But at the same time, Billboard has never been a friend to BTS and they were likely going to change the rules again anyway. And thatās something they can keep doing.
"If you had to give a prognosis for the next chapter, what would it be?"
I have no real idea, tbh. What I want more than anything, is for all seven of them to be able to continue putting out dope, interesting music that they take joy in. Seeing Bangtan have fun has extended my life by several years I'm sure. That's what I want for them in the prognosis. I'm sorry I'm taking your ask about a serious topic and going all sentimental on it Anon, but rather than chart placements that they don't really need to prove, I want BTS to still be comfortable making the music they want to make. More Arson, Dis-ease, All Day, Change Pt 2, Snooze, HUH?!, Amygdala, Like Crazy, SMF Pt 2, Rainy Days, Seven, The Astronaut.
I hope the people who remain in the fandom core are able to last and tough it out while the fandom regroups. Because even though there'll be chaos and the number of solos will likely triple, they won't ever leave. Nobody who comes in contact with BTS ever really moves on from them. They'll say they're taking breaks, calling it quits or whatever, but give them 6 months tops and they're back. I see it happen all the time. And it makes sense tbh. I mean, have you seen Jimin? After knowing someone like him exists, how can you just go back to your regular life pretending he's not real? Like his existence doesn't mandate you looking at him and caring for him and his art. At least, that's how Jimin makes me feel. And the other members to varying degrees.
If we disagree please don't send me follow-up asks on this topic. It likely won't be productive.
#bts#jimin#jikook#jungkook#yoongi#hoseok#seokjin#taehyung#namjoon#bts chapter 2#bts army#bts fandom#army fandom#fandom behaviour#bang pd#bangtan
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Like I'm really asking why gege introduces characters just to off them. I hate saying its bad writing but I'm seriously looking like, why though. I really feel he got inspired by Togashi and is trying to come up with some banging plot twists and mind fuckery but it isn't slapping the same. Like "He can't keep getting away with this!!"
It is bad writing! I can talk about it for hours. It's a shame cause Gege writes so extremely well but suffers from telling more than showing.
When Gege takes his time, he writes amazingly! He has great symbolism and wordplay, good characters, and good plot elements, but then rushes all of it. In his defense, it must be hard to write on a weekly schedule especially under such pressure and under a company. I did add a tldr at the end cause I have so much to say.
But I noticed since around the Zenāin and Maki chapters that Gegeās biggest struggle as a writer is writing build up. Iām not the best writer myself, but itās such a huge problem in his writing.
To preface, he does have good build up in certain characters:
Geto and Gojoās relationship and downfall is done so exceptionally beautifully. Thereās a reason thereās so much discourse with their relationship and fandom tears about it. Itadori and Megumiās relationship mimicking theirs is also done very well.
Miwa and Mechamaru, as side characters, also have the right level of relationship build-up for their roles in the story.
Gege can even write deaths very well.
Junpeiās death sets up Itadoriās first failure, Sukuna as a non-ally, and sets the tone for the show that the good guys can lose.
Nobaraās ādeathā was unneeded for Itadoriās collapse. But as a character, I do feel she was completely fleshed out and finished. Ā She was a character who knew who she was and embraced that without failure or doubt. The only growth I could see for her character development was to gain more empathy for others and become more open minded (something she seemed to realize at her death). But thatās another discussion. Ā
Nanamiās death (although sad) was probably the best-done death in the series. Heās a fully fleshed out character, we know his motivations and his regrets, we were attached to him just as much as Itadori. Then, Gege adds on the juxtaposition of Mei Mei and Ui Ui to his death.
Spoilers below cut.
Where he goes wrong:
Gege tried to recatch the feeling of losing Nanami in Hiromi; but we got so little of Hiromi, it didnāt make an impact like Nanami even though Hiromiās introduction is really good, and we see that Itadori starts to look up to him.
Choso, I believe, got caught in between being an important character that fans love and being a character that probably would have the least consequences out of the people who got stuck in Sukunaās domain (i.e. Itadori and Maki) to die. So, his death would actually matter to the fandom; but after so many deaths, itās too late to make the fandom care, it only brings anger.
I have a feeling heāll do the same with Todo now.
The most ironic part is that Gege probably had the best character development moment since the Culling Games by choosing NOT to kill a minor character.
In this case, Iām talking about Remi and Megumi.
If we look at the Culling Games as the arc developing Megumi before he gets taken by Sukuna; we notice that Megumi is entering his serious, cold-hearted era. Heās making the sacrifices necessary to save his sister.
In this case, we see Megumi repeatedly killing other humans without stopping to think or any remorse. We touch this subject with all of the first years.
Itadori: struggles with killing humans, becomes regretful about doing so, hates himself for killing humans because of Sukuna. Then, he eventually resolves to do what is necessary as a cog.
Nobara: resolves this with her Bus Riding analogy. She wonāt get bent out of shape when it comes to protecting herself or over strangers.
Megumi: He has the exact same thought process as Nobara. He kills humans when they attack him. However, we are also aware Megumi tends to have more sympathy for strangers and enemies than Nobara even though he likes to act like he doesn't.
Despite Remi leading him into a trap, he comes to see that she isnāt that bright and is being taken advantage of. So, even though he doesnāt like her, he feels sorry enough for her that he protects her, tries to talk reason into her, and gets hurt in the process despite her initially betraying him.
It isnāt until she attacks him, that he officially marks her as āscumā.
Megumi later hunts Remi down as easy points in the Culling Games and because sheās someone who is an enemy. Remi even describes men as wolves as he hunts her down and is confused and panicking about the situation since sheās never had to think for herself.
Iāve seen these scenes used to describe him as not being a kid anymore and basically using it to downplay his depression over losing Tsumiki, the mahoraga and bum memes.
But Gege uses Remi as a way to still display Megumiās stipulations over killing others and his connection to Tsumiki as someone who helped him develop his moral compass and keeps him grounded.
Did Remi attack him? Yes.
But she was no longer posing a threat and actively running away from him, making her a non-enemy again. Megumi deciding to let her live is actually a solidifying moment in Megumiās character, his relationship with his sister, and re-establishes him as a character who despite being outwardly cruel and distant at times has empathy and kindness for people. It shows this holds true when he has no reason to be kind to them and even good reason to kill them. However, this is something a) Megumi would have probably regretted later or b) set him on a worse path. Most importantly, it confirms just how much Tsumiki's ideals and expectations of him as a person means to him, giving reason to why his soul becomes weak enough to possess towards the end of the arc.
This is actually such a good example of his writing once again being amazing. Gege is aware that choosing to let someone live, even minor unimportant characters, works just as well as choosing to let someone die in terms of character motivations and development. Something that he doesn't give to Itadori for some reason, other than maybe the slim chance Nobara might live.
However, because the culling games swaps to purely fights after this, itās a missed opportunity to continue exploring Megumiās downward spiral and relationship with his sister before losing her. Sure, it would've been nice to see Tsumiki as her own person as well, but Gege does a good job in making Megumi's feelings about her known like when Megumi only chooses to go with Gojo because of Tsumiki.
However, this makes his exploration Maki and Mai, another sibling dynamic, lackluster in comparison.
This issue probably bothers me the most in Makiās story and the story of the Three Big Clans.
After Shibuya, Gege has a chance to world build without Gojo as the issue. After all, the issue with Gojo being sealed was the dismantling of Jujutsu society.
He missed the chance to expand on the big clans and jujutsu societal structure as a whole. He has touched on the clans and their love of bloodlines, but he has not touched on how they function with each other and jujutsu society as a whole especially as they try to power grab and go against each other with Gojoās absence rather than solve the Kenjaku problem.
We have no idea about the Gojo clan except that Gojo is the leader and main political figure. Kamoās clan was slaughtered very quickly. As well as the Zenāin and higher-ups.
The manga couldāve used an arc focused on the downfall of Shibuya and the consequences, but we go straight to the culling games with barely a mention on Nobara.
Now with Maki, Gege once again sets up his relationships and character structure beautifully Mai and Maki. Their ending is also very well done.
However, thereās a lack of interaction between those two plot points. Gege consistently gives us just enough to make inferences but very little else.
We donāt see the twins react to one another outside their initial meeting and Maiās death. We understand both their motivations, but we get no further insight into their relationship or them having another discussion on their choices.
Imagine how much harder Maiās death wouldāve been if we had scenes with her together with Maki; the possible hope of them repairing their relationship. Even if they were still fighting and didnāt make up, Maki would receive more character development if it was shown that she would one day make things up to Mai and her failure to do so. Also, it seems like Mai suddenly knows everything about why twins are bad luck, and Gege once again exposition dumps us about this information. The fact that it isnāt until Maki kills her mother that she finally says āShe was so happy to have Mai and Makiā also rings very hollow.
The same with Maki and Naoya. We know Naoya is an asshole, and that he made Makiās life hell but due to our lack of insight to clans and chapters to absorb the new characters, itās lackluster. Naoya couldāve easily been swapped out with any other jerky character; the same way random sumo wrestlers helped Maki unlock all her potential.
Choso and Itadori suffer from this as well due to the month time skip. We care about Choso, and we know how much Choso loves his brothers, but I personally feel like I didnāt see Itadori truly accept Choso as his brother due to that time skip. Yes, he calls him Aniki, but I didnāt really see where the connection came from on Itadoriās end other than Itadori sympathizing with Chosoās feelings and his guilt over the fate of his other brothers.
Iāll probably get a little backlash for this, but the same can be said for Megumi and Gojo. Yeah, dad Gojo memes and fandom art are cute. Some of the games and light novels let us know that Gojo legitimately cares about Megumi, but we donāt get opportunities to see Megumi return that affection. In Japanese, Megumi only speaks casual to Tsumiki, and itās said in interviews that Tsumiki is the one that mostly took care of herself and Megumi.
In the long run, I feel like if it was between Itadori and Gojo dying, Megumi would care more on a personal if Itadori died despite knowing Itadori for only 3-4 months. I could be completely wrong, but Gege doesnāt give us the insight to know for a fact Megumiās feelings towards Gojo. Iām sure he cares about Gojo, but dad is pushing it.
Even Sukuna is suffering from this. Gege wants a story about a powerful villain, but he fails to realize that you still have to make the readerās either a) care about that villain or b) interested in the villain from a character analysis point of view.
However, all we learn about Sukuna has been through telling. We learn about his twin, we learn he was an unwanted child, we learn he was a god to humans.
The most we got of a flashback was Yorozuās crush on him, and Sukuna was rejecting her so hard that we didnāt really get any insight on how Sukuna feels about his past. Gege doesnāt give us anything to work with to care about Sukuna. Sure, heās hot; sure, he has fan theories and fanfic that build upon his character, but in the sense of the manga, I really donāt know why I should care about him other than power scaling and his character design is cool.
Donāt even get me started on the month time skip either.
Tldr; Gege likes to tell more than to show, and we just got to rely on taking his word for it because heās the author. He sets up beautiful plot points; heās an amazing author when he takes the time to build upon them, but more often than not he glosses over the build up for quick emotional shots.
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someone on twitter posted this chart that showed the average ratings for the inside no 9 episodes and i was FLABBERGASTED by the results of it... and like i didn't think my opinions on the eps were particularly Hot Takes but... now i'm not sure lol...
anyway prepare for a (very VERY long... i wrote over 4700 words what is WRONG with me lol?!?!) ranking list that no one asked for and no one wants lol
firstly check out the post i was talking about here (and potentially be equally as shocked at the results as i was lol)
ok so i will preface by saying i have seen most of the episodes twice, but some only the once atm... also, i kinda haphazardly put this list together so it's potentially subject to change lol
final thing is that i dont thing any of the episodes are BAD, even my least favourite are still good bits of telly, but ultimately i liked them less for whatever reason (which i'll go into because i love to ramble)...
i'll try not to do any spoilers in case anyone's reading this (lol) and hasn't seen the series (double lol)
also also we're going from my least to my most favourite because that builds suspense soooo.... here we go!
55) 1.4 Last Gasp
ok so i've not just put this one last because reece isn't in it lol (though that is part of the reason(ha) lmao). though i found the premise of this episode interesting, i think ultimately the characters and direction of the story felt a lot like something you would see in a sorta run-of-the-mill sitcom... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not really what i personally look for in an in9 ep lol...
54) 2.5 Nana's Party
another with a similar sorta vibe to the previous one, this is just slightly higher because i enjoyed the characters a bit more here lol... i think the 'twist' of this one was a little bit lame, though, if i'm being totally honest lol...
53) 5.3 Love's Great Adventure
i appreciated what this one was going for, and i think it built up the characters with each new day in a really believable way, but mostly i just found it Okay and not super memorable... i will say that i wish i could put this higher because the kid in this was genuinely adorable & his interactions with everyone were so sweet lol
52) 1.6 The Harrowing
a slightly disappointing episode for me, especially when the set up was SO good... and yes it was DEFINITELY let down by steve not being in it lol! i totally get why they wanted to try some eps without the both of them, but yeh it really felt like it was missing something for me...
the end was alright, but i kinda wish they'd gone further with it? i did enjoy the characters though and ofc helen mccrory is a goddamn LEDGE in it lol
51) 3.2 The Bill
this might be the first of my potentially Hot Takes(tm) lol... i thought it was just Fine lol... definitely some great interactions, and the premise is hilarious, but i wouldn't say it was one that stuck with me particularly? it kinda felt like a cut league of gentlemen gag which isn't a BAD thing, but because of that it didn't feel totally new/unique to in9... idk lol... great supporting cast, though, ofc!
50) 7.3 3 by 3
this one was definitely good fun, and lee mack is great in it, but it's not one i necessarily see myself watching again any time soon? i think part of this is because i didn't see this live, or witness all the Bus Episode(tm) fuckery so i think i am at a kinda disadvantage lol... but yeah mainly sad that neither steve nor reece are in it :(
49) 1.2 A Quiet Night In
another potentially Hot Take here lol... though i liked the whole idea of it being silent comedy, i think it was let down by a couple things. first, i kinda wish it had leaned more visually into the sorta slapstick/charlie chaplin era they were referencing (like i get they probably thought that it being in black and white would be a bit TOO on the nose, but idk... i kinda think it would've added to it? that might just be me though lol... i just like when things are in black and white lol)
honestly though? my main issue was the lame transphobic joke they made w/ oona chaplin's character lol... like even for 2014, the whole 'haha woman have penis = peak comedy' was a bit tired of a trope, coupled by what happens to her at the end of the episode? idk... rubbed me the wrong way and kinda stopped me from fully loving this episode lol
48) 5.1 The Referee's A Wanker (no i'm not censoring it like it does on the iplayer fuck that lol)
i'm kinda let down by being infinitely bored by anything football related with this one lol... like i liked some of the twists, and also the final twist (after my dad explained it to me because at first i was like huh what lol...), and the characters were fun, but yeh... not really much to say other than 'it was alright lol'
47) 4.5 And The Winner Isā¦
i actually did mostly enjoy this one lol! we're mostly getting to the ones now that i have minimal bad things to say about (which at number 47 out of 55 is p impressive lbr)
but yeh, the reveal of this was great, and i loved the individual characters (shout out to zoƫ wanamaker, she stole my heart lol <3) i suppose it's just kinda low because it wasn't that exciting lol? but yeh, a solid episode anyway lol
46) 8.5 Nine Lives Kat
i loved a lot about this one, the kinda russian doll style of reveals were really clever tbh! this is one that i've only seen once and i really do feel like i should watch this one again to get my full thoughts... so who knows, its ranking might change if i were to watch it again lol
also that kiss though š
45) 5.4 Misdirection
i loved the opening bit, plus the tension of this episode was fab! the twist was kinda predictable, which i don't consider a negative thing generally but it just means that it falls lower against episodes with more surprising twists lol... it's definitely one i wanna watch a few times since there's a lot of details you miss with just one!
44) 8.4 Love Is A Stranger
this one was probably the most black mirror-y feeling episode they've ever done (which is a compliment, btw, because i genuinely love black mirror lol) not just because of the technological elements, but also with the general tone and that twist! i actually kinda liked that steve and reece took more of a step back in this one, it let the other characters really shine imo!
43) 5.5 Thinking Out Loud
i feel kinda bad for putting this one so low since i think it's probably one of the most interesting both conceptually and stylistically, but... there are just so many good episodes what am i supposed to doooooooo?? (not much i can really say about this one without giving things away... i did really enjoy steve's american accent though lol!) 42) 7.4 Kid/Nap
i thought i was gonna kinda dislike this one when i started watching, the premise is pretty simple and i like the split screen stuff but was worried it was gonna come across as a bit gimmicky, but honestly? i had a lot of fun with it! some really brilliant twists and turns, and genuinely one of the funniest of the episodes imo! held together by the great performances and simple but effective story!
41) 8.6 The Last Weekend
this probably would have been higher if i had just based it on my first watch (which was before a certain other episode came out), but on second watch (and with the context of that other episode that has a similar sorta premise but, imo, done much better)
regardless, though, this is a pretty iconic and VERY memorable episode lol!
40) 1.5 The Understudy
ok so my very tiny complaint about this is i wish there were more of the surreal elements (kinda hard to describe but if you've seen the episode you know what i'm referring to lol)... anyway i generally really love things that are set around the theatre tbh and this one really highlights just how good they are as writers with a very limited setting and selection of characters!
but yeh... wish there were more of the surreal/strange moments if had dotted around!
39) 9.5 Curse Of The Ninth
i generally loved the spooky atmosphere of this one! another one that i feel i need to rewatch, i feel like the ending felt a bit abrupt on this one and i definitely kinda wish it had been slightly longer (just like an extra 5 minutes come ON lads) but overall i really liked it! it's my least favourite of series 9, which really shows how strong of a final series it was tbh lol!
38) 6.3 Lip Service
there's so much to like in this episode; great layers of comedy and tragedy, plus the twist really caught me off-guard lol! definitely one of the more complicated episodes (and yes, i also need to rewatch this one lol...) 37) 5.2 Death Be Not Proud
i first watched this one with literally no knowledge of psychoville, but even then i still enjoyed it (also jenna coleman!!! kinda wish we'd seen more of her since she kinda got overshadowed by the psychoville characters, but she's still great lol), though rewatching it once i had watched the other show definitely made a lot of the references make more sense lol
wish i could put it higher just because mr jelly!!!!! love that guy, but the overall story isn't the most interesting or unique compared to the others, but it's still great regardless lol
36) 9.4 Ctrl Alt Esc
another episode that has a similar concept to an episode i like more, which is sorta preventing this from being any higher, but regardless i adored the setting (i've never been to an escape room but i have a strong feeling i'd love them lol), and i think it did such a good job at making us understand the family dynamics really quickly and effectively! also one of steve's strongest performances, i gotta say! he plays these kinds of understated characters so well imo
35) 7.5 A Random Act Of Kindness
i really like the episodes of in9 that feel like almost love letters to a particular subject and how that relates to people and their relationships... curse of the ninth was about music and the act of creation, misdirection was magic and revenge, and this one is dedicated to science, regret and loss! i think i kinda wish it ended in a different way, but i don't think the ending took away any of the rest of my enjoyment of the episode lol
34) 6.6 Last Night Of The Proms
i was most shocked that based on the ratings this is apparently the least liked episode lol? it's arguably the most political of the in9 episodes so i don't know if that's why people are a bit torn about it? or the religious elements lol?
either way overall i really liked it! i think it did a good job of combining the absurd premise with the slight political commentary, plus i really enjoyed the characters (and loved the thick west country accents lol)
33) 2.6 Seance Time
there are so many great elements of this that i can't talk about cos i don't wanna give away any spoilers, but honestly this one has some great twists as well as some genuinely pretty intense moments! i can't explain it but i feel like this would be a really good episode for anyone who hasn't seen the show before to start with? i just feel like it has a perfect 'inside no 9' energy to it lol
32) 8.1 The Bones Of St Nicholas
this might be one of my favourite interpretations of a typical ghost story tbh! possibly genuinely one of the only episodes of the show that actually scared me a bit, ngl! the overall spooky atmosphere is just so great. plus simon callow!!!!!!!!
31) 6.1 Wuthering Heist
another of my potential Hot Takes since a lot of people didn't seem to like this one? i found it genuinely really funny, plus the whole commedia dell'arte + the breaking the fourth wall thing were such unique concepts to throw into one episode lol! i think maybe it's because there were so many slightly strange concepts that people felt it was a bit unfocused??? idk... the ending wasn't my favourite, but i just felt generally the episode felt like nothing i'd really seen before!
also gemma whelan (whose name i had to google oops... she's SUCH a familiar face to me but i don't think i ever learnt her name lol) was so good in this lol
30) 9.6 Plodding On
sorta hard to know where to put the finale tbh... i've only watched it the once through, so definitely need to watch it again at some point. at the same time it's basically a love letter to the rest of the show itself, so it's sorta difficult to judge based on its own merit lol...
that being said, i loved the drama and tension, plus all (well most, ahem) of the cameos from all the people who were in the show in the past were really lovely!
but yeh... definitely a weird one to try and rank... almost feel like i need to put it in it's own list pfft
29) 7.2 Mr King
one of the first truly Bat Shit episodes on my list so far lol! i love the setting and the kid actors in this were INCREDIBLE honestly! another one i don't wanna say much about it because it's kinda better to go in blind lol
only thing i'll say is: ok but whose dicks were those pictures of? they probably mentioned it in a behind the scenes episode or on twitter or smth but i've not seen anything and i'm kinda intrigued did they just.... find them online? did they ask staff? how does one find random pictures of penises(peni?) to use in your dark comedy show lol???
28) 9.1 Boo To A Goose
there's a lot to love about this episode, SO many absolutely incredible british actors (joel fry, susan wokoma, mark bonnar!!!!) plus drag queen steve!??! hELLO???? AND it's on a train!!!! the twist definitely felt reminiscent of a lot of other older horror media, but that didn't stop it being surprising or memorable!
27) 4.4 To Have And To Hold
1st thing: good for her.
2nd thing, this episode was SO good! i had no idea where it was gonna go with the story so the reveal was super shocking to me, plus nicola walker seriously KILLED with her performance ngl!
this is definitely a slow burn episode, so if at any point you're feeling like it's dragging i do implore you to stick with it!
26) 4.6 Tempting Fate
now, if we were ranking these on 'how cute reece looks' then this would be in the top 3 at least sorry not sorry... unfortunately we're NOT ranking them based on that criteria so it'll have to remain at 26th place lol
i really enjoyed the premise and characters of this one! i also especially liked how the hare from this episode is featured in every episode of the show which creates this really kinda insane idea that what if every single story is actually connected lol?!?!
25) 1.1 Sardines
i feel like i should put this one higher because it is pretty iconic first episode of the show, but there are just so many good episodes what am i supposed to DO?!!!!!!?!?
this is technically the episode i've seen the most, i believe, and i do still find so much to enjoy about it even though i've seen it like 3+ times at this point! so many great actors involved lol
side note, i had not actually heard of sardines as a game until i watched this and wasn't entirely sure if they'd just made it up pfft... anyway maybe it's just a northern thing or smth because i'm sure we didn't have this in the south pfft... just plain ol' hide and seek lol
24) 8.3 Paraskevidekatriaphobia
one of the most jarring twists (literally kinda feels like it comes out of nowhere, at least to me pfft), but i definitely still liked it! there was a nice bit of slapstick comedy in this which i appreciated! there were also a lot of superstitions in this that i wasn't familiar with (like the peacock feather one lol)
not really much else to say, it's just a really solid episode lol!
23) 7.1 Merrily Merrily
i did love that this one felt legit like a reunion between the (3) members of the league of gentlemen tbh they were obviously still playing characters, but their interactions just felt so natural and i really enjoyed it! plus diane motherfucking morgan is one of the funniest people alive i SWEAR to god lol! the pee scene made me cry with laughter ngl lol
i honestly think this one is kinda underrated? idk if it was because it was more emotional and character driven than some of the others? (which doesn't make sense since The most popular episode is an emotional, character driven one pfft... idk... people are strange)
22) 6.4 Hurry Up And Wait
so if we were ranking these based on 'how cute reece looks' then this would be RIGHT at the bottom because girl WHAT was that fucking wig?!?! thankfully we're NOT ranking it on that so this gets to be at 22nd lol
as said before, i really like films and shows that deal with theatre or actors, so it was really fun to see actors acting like complete divas lol i was a little worried that the mystery element was going to be another kinda lazy lame joke, but they actually went more of an interesting direction with it imo!
21) 2.3 The Trial Of Elizabeth Gadge
part of me kinda wished they'd done more historical episodes like this because I genuinely loved the setting! there's also a great load of humour in this one, which a pretty legendary couple of twists at the end that made me go like 'OHHHH!??!!' when i first watched it pfft
20) 3.4 Empty Orchestra
arguably the most wholesome episode of the entire show, and usually i wouldn't be a big fan of this kinda episode (like i said i didn't the bottom 2 eps because they felt too much like generic sitcoms lol), BUT there was something in the characters and the genuinely really uplifting and kinda sweet vibe of this one that i couldn't help but love lol!
it's also the closest we got to a musical episode which i'm STILL bummed we never got... like yeh i get logistically it's super hard to do but .... i wanted to hear them sing :((((((
19) 9.3 Mulberry Close
another case of 'there's another similar episode that i liked more' which is sorta why this isn't higher lol regardless, it's such a clever concept to be told entirely through the cctv footage, and the general story and collection of characters were super interesting! i haven't rewatched it yet so definitely need to give it another go lol!
18) 4.7 Dead Line
ok so i need y'all to know that i was watching this literally YEARS after the ep aired with me dad but we STILL got bamboozled by the show cutting out pfft... which might just be because we're dumb but i like to think it's also just because it's so well crafted! it is another one that you need to go in blind imo so please just check it out if you haven't!
recently watched a great video essay on yt where someone spoke about this episode (check it out here!)
17) 2.2 The 12 Days Of Christine
gasp 12 days of christine? not in the top 10???!?!
ok this is IS an amazing episode, and sheridan smith is honestly one of the most under-appreciated british actors imo
BUT idk i think on rewatch the impact of the twist had definitely lessened? like i remember coming up with all these theories on my first watch which were TOTALLY wrong lol... and yeh like there are definitely just other eps i like more... it's good! it's SO good! i still love it! i just... idk lol
16) 3.6 Private View
maybe it's the art nerd in me but i really did love this one lol! i liked the murder mystery vibe of this one with a group of people being invited to an mysterious location and as a viewer you spend the whole time desperately trying to figure out their connection lol!
i liked the small peter kay cameo, plus morgana robinson as a big brother celeb was so fucking funny lol! plus the twists were really mad and i loved them lol!
15) 2.1 La Couchette
very similar to the previous one, but i really did love the collection of kooky characters here lol plus as someone who has been in several hostels (not on a train, but hostels are hostels) i relate HEAVILY to being surrounded by just the strangest and loudest people you will ever meet pfft...
(shout out to the korean guy that came in at like 2am, showered (the shower was right next to the beds so we could hear everything) and he appeared to have everything he ever owned in paper bags which he rustled about for like 20 minutes... i really contemplated murder that night lemme tell you...)
uh anyway yeh this episode is great lol!
14) 6.2 Simon Says
we're onto my ultimate favourite episodes at this point btw lol
this episode is full of great twists and suspense, plus nick mohammed! i like the way they explored fandom culture in a way that didn't feel like it was being overtly mean to the idea of fandom itself (cough unlike sherlock cough and supernatural cough)!
also if we were ranking these episodes based on 'how cute steve looks' then this would be number 1 hands DOWN lol!
13) 1.3 Tom and Gerri
my highest rated series 1 epsiode! i'd actually forgotten about the twist of this one when i rewatched it recently, but i still really loved it tbh!
a great combination of horror with a really emotional through line, plus even at the end you're never really sure what is real or not lol...
12) 3.3 Riddle Of The Sphinx
this episode is SO fucked up and SO good lol!!! you never guess where the story is going next and it's just a wild experience lol! again, don't wanna say too much to give anything away but i will say i understand cryptic crosswords even LESS after watching this twice pfft...
11) 4.1 Zanzibar
if i had any skills i would write my review for this in imabic pentameter ... but alas i do not
this episode felt like such an amazing demonstration of reece and steve's writing prowess! it's funny, the story is absolutely mad with so many crazy twists, and a stellar cast! so worth a watch, especially if you like anything vaguely shakespearan and theatrical lol!
10) 6.5 How Do You Plead
another one where i had SO many theories of where the episode was going to go only to be completely wrong and the twist shook me and i LOVED it! there isn't really much to the story, but it's truly carried by the brilliant performances imo!
9) 3.1 The Devil Of Christmas
i've not really heard anyone talk about this episode much but i was so taken aback by how much i really loved it! jessica raine absolutely NAILS her performance as a 60s/70s actor, and the general film aesthetic and dialogue style is just perfect, and the reveals throughout the episode just add so SO much to the enjoyment of this!
i have a feeling this might actually go up in my rankings when i eventually rewatch it because there are just SO many interesting layers to it imo!
also i just realised i've included the two episodes derek jacobi was in back to back pfft.. wasn't on purpose but he is a legend lol!
8) 9.2 The Trolley Problem
highest rated 9th series episode woop woop!
i rewatched this one recently and realised it reminded me a lot of the story in Last Weekend, but just as i said in that review, i much preferred the way this story was handled to the other one!
(don't get me wrong, they're VERY different just... sorta similar vibes lol)
anyway this is a very dark episode, both physically (it's set at night and i can't see a THING) and conceptually, but the way this combined the psychology elements with comedy is truly masterful!
7) 5.6 The Stakeout
ok so Funny Story about this one
i'd been on a big binge of in9 episodes a few years back and i got to this one and was about half way through when i realised i needed to take a break lol it didn't help that the episode itself is pretty slow burn, especially after watching some of the others that are a lot more fast paced lol... so basically, i paused it with the intention of returning in a few days or so except... then several years go by and i STILL hadn't seen the end of it pfft
anyway, finally watched it this year and it instantly got transported into my top 10 because that twist was SO iconic lol! it's so simple of a concept (steve and reece spend the entire time yapping in a police car) but it's so cleverly written!
6) 8.2 Mother's Ruin
i was a little bit surprised that this one had a lower rating than the rest of series 8 tbh? anyway i LOVED this one lol! the incense line make me laugh every time i hear it, and in general i loved the relationship between the brothers and everything surrounding their mother!
also as someone who recently watched the film reece was in called 'the cottage' (which also starred andy serkis), i can't help but think it was at least somewhat of an inspiration for this episode lol (they may have talked about this already btw but idk)
5) 7.6 Wise Owl
oof... this episode made me go Oof about 500 times after i watched it
it's a good oof... but it is an oof lol
i haven't rewatched it yet and i'm kinda nervous about doing it cos it did sorta emotionally devastate me lol
4) 4.3 Once Removed
in terms of how this story is told, i'd honestly say it was my ultimate favourite inside no 9 format! it's not something i've ever really seen before and it felt so interesting and built the story in such a unique way! also shout out to monica dolan (whose name i forget EVERY time idk why) who is honestly one of the best british actors ever yes i know i've said that about everyone on this list but shhhhhhhhhhh lol
also absolutely loved all the andrew lloyd webber stuff (which isn't a spoiler btw lol...)
3) 2.4 Cold Comfort
another one where i mentioned before that in Mulberry Close there's another episode with the concept of the story being exclusively filmed through cctv footage (deadline also does it but shhh)! i love that concept, especially with the multiple screens where you're constantly aware of things happening in the other booths which just keeps you on edge!
the reveal is super chilling and though i haven't rewatched it yet, i am honestly really excited to because i feel there were SO many things i missed on my first watch!
2) 4.2 Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room
oof part TWO lol... another one i haven't rewatched because it made me cry and i need at least another few months to recover from the first watch pfft... it is still funny btw! i think a lot of people talk about episodes like this and how sad they are, but it has a lot of great comedy in it which is i think part of why the emotionality hits so hard!
side note, i keep accidentally calling this 'bernie CLIFFORD'S dressing room' and i have no idea why lol... i don't think there's anyone called bernie clifford lol??? help?????
1) 3.5 Diddle Diddle Dumpling
trying to figure out my favourite episode was kinda hard, and i think any one of my top 15 could ultimately take this place, but honestly? rewatching this one i just was so overwhelmed with how beautifully crafted this episode is!
it also features my favourite performance by reece... a amazing combination of subtle moments with the bigger explosions of emotion, you instantly feel so much for his character tbh!
the twist isn't necessarily as shocking or intense as others, but there's something so heartbreaking when you realise it that changes the entire feeling of the episode... also mathew baynton is briefly there which i enjoyed lol!
i'm so sorry this post was so long lmao i'm sure no one will have read this far but if you HAVE then THANK you <3 i really love this show can u tell? WHY did it take me so long to get into it smh smh smh smh
anyway if you have read this far then let me know what your favourites were or just if you have general thoughts on my general thoughts u know? idk basically my ask box is always open if anyone wants to ramble about this show or whatever else lol
#inside no 9#in9#reece shearsmith#steve pemberton#long post#ranking list#ramblings#i literally spent several HOURS writing this yesterday lol...
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I've been thinking about Munroe and wondering what about season 6 could have been different if her supernatural trauma was related to the nogitsune and the oni instead like in the hospital attack. I think it would be make her hatred of the pack a bit more compelling because they, especially Scott, actually did choose to save and protect Stiles regardless of the danger to other people and they could do something interesting with Scott and Stiles' guilt over it all. I also feel like it would be more believable for her to have supporters if they were other survivors who saw what they thought was the sheriff's son do something terrible and then have it completely covered up.
Do you think that's something that would have worked? How do you think it would have played out?
I think that your musings are inadvertently neglecting a very key part of Tamora Monroe's story. Unless I am mistaken (and feel free to correct me if I am) you're arguing that if her trauma had been directly connected to something the pack chose to do rather than something that they failed to stop, it would have made more of an impact. I agree that it would have certainly made her hostility toward the pack more personal.
However, I consider the fact that it wasn't due to a specific decision is vitally important dimension to her story. As usual, I'm going to preface my remarks by making it clear that Monroe is a villain, and my exploration of her motivations should not be taken as approval of her actions in any way.
To me, the central premise to Tamora Monroe's story isn't that she experienced trauma. A lot of people in the show experienced trauma and reacted to it in ways both good and bad. No, Monroe's fury arises from the way the main characters reacted to her trauma. She may have completely recovered from the damage the Beast did to her. She may have mourned the friends she lost on that school bus. What she can't accept is how unimportant the reaction made her seem. Something terrible happened to her but it was a side effect, a background detail to a trap made by a monster for others she saw as monsters.
In a bit of clever meta-narrative (with a bit of clear social commentary thrown in), Monroe existed as a minor victim, an extra designed, as T. S. Eliot put it, "to swell a scene or two." Her words to Corey in Said the Spider to the Fly (6x11) establish not only things about Corey's character but also hers.
Tamora: Look, I understand the need to keep up, to be recognized or noticed. Everybody feels invisible sometimes.
What Monroe went through wasn't given any importance. The bodies in the school bus were bait and afterwards, they were carted away never to be mentioned or dealt with again. If she hadn't survived, no one would have given her a second thought.
But she did survive, and even though she did, she still wasn't given enough importance -- enough value -- to be told what really happened to her. She figured it out on her own, and that is where her anger comes from. Her life didn't matter. That type of dismissal can be enraging, and she takes out that rage on those who she sees as acting that way in Raw Talent (6x12).
Monroe: I'm sorry. I should've told you. It's wolfsbane.
When I first heard that line, I was confused. Why would she say that to a werewolf she was hunting? However, it's clear on reflection that this line speaks directly to her motivation. Wolfsbane is dangerous to werewolves, so she should have told Brett that there was wolfsbane in the lacrosse ball, just as the Beast was dangerous to her, and she should have been told about the Beast. She is claiming an eye for an eye.
Her speech to the Sheriff in Werewolves of London (6x17) is also worth analyzing.
Monroe: Understand each other. Do you wanna know what I understand, Sheriff? Do you wanna know what I see in your little show and tell?
She speaks passionately because this is what should have happened way back after she survived the Beast. She should have been allowed to understand what was happening. She should have been listened to, but she didn't have any power. Only now, when she has power, are the people responsible willing to talk. She'll say that exact thing to Scott in After Images (6x13). Now that they're listening, she's going to do the talking.
Monroe: I see a sheriff unable to control the violence in his own county. A county he's sworn to protect. I see the same sheriff in way over his head. And not ready to believe the truth that's been staring him in the face for years.
It's clear that she thought she feels that people like the Sheriff were operating under false premises. They were supposed to keep the monsters away from people who couldn't protect themselves.
Monroe: I was told I was the victim of a wild animal attack. A bear. I was lied to. You lied to protect them over us.
The attack itself doesn't matter as much as the disregard. She was treated as a second-class citizen as opposed to monsters who can heal from stab wounds in a matter of minutes and grow claws and fangs at will. She was made to feel invisible, powerless, and unimportant.
Until she wasn't. Until she had enough power and enough followers to make them treat her differently.
So, what pushed her into become the woman who callously ordered Edgar the Werecoyote disposed of as trash? Well, she wouldn't be the first woman in Teen Wolf manipulated and used by a particularly selfish man to further his own ends.
Gerard: Someone who has been doing this a lot longer than you, but also someone who recognizes raw talent when he sees it.
Gerard had obviously been studying Monroe and figured out what I argue up above. It's not the wounds, it's the lies. It's the ignorance. Notice how many times during Season 6B Gerard emphasizes Monroe's importance or emphasizes how much she needs to learn, or emphasizes that this is what happens when the supernatural is unchecked. He's honed in on her psychology and uses her as a tactical advantage, one he's more than willing to discard once she's outlived her usefulness. Just as he did with Kate. Just as he did with Allison back in Season 2. It's the same thing -- take their feelings and twist them into action.
Monroe fit into Teen Wolf perfectly.
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Alchemy of Souls Part 2 (Eps 29-30): Analysis, Theories, Critique, and Thoughts
Hello Readers,
Let me preface this post by saying thank you to all the cast and crew for all of their hard work and dedication to this rather ambitious project. As for the Hong Sisters, I want to give them my sincerest gratitude for trying to do what other Kdrama writers have not done before. I am sure writing a 30 episodes fantasy kdrama was no easy task! I also want to tell them that I understand their sadness, disappointment, anger, and frustration when it came to not being able to tell the story they had initially planned. I definitely sensed all of these sentiments while watching Part 2. It is ok, Hong Sisters. I hope that in the future, the conditions will be right for you two to be able to tell the story you had intended.
For those who were super invested in AOS as I was, I know many were left completely disappointed by the way Part 2 ended. I was left feeling disheartened just because I had never gotten the ending for a Kdrama completely wrong before. Adding to this, my theories for Part 2 were almost completely wrong. I kept asking myself repeatedly how was it possible for me to get so many theories correct in Part 1, but not Part 2? While talking to my boyfriend the other night, he told me I should not be so hard on myself and that I really should be proud of the many theories I had gotten correct in Part 1. He also told me maybe it was not me or my analytical brain, but other external factors which may have contributed to why my theories were incorrect (i.e script changes, budget issues, etc). This was the moment when everything clicked in my head!
At the end of Part 1, I had thought Part 2 would be a continuation of Naksu's journey to discovering her true identity which was Jin Bu Yeon. However, this was where I made my first mistake. Part 2 was not a continuation of the her story. Rather it was a continuation of Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's story after she returned to her OG body (GYJ body) and died in Ep 1. This was why everything felt so soulless and unsatisfactory in Part 2.Do I think the Hong Sisters had intended for this to happen? No, not at all. This is why their writing in Part 2 paled in comparison to Part 1. The Hong Sisters' heart and soul were not in it when it came to writing Part 2. What they tried to do was make the best out of a really bad situation and they were really not happy about it.
Originally, they meant for Part 2 to be about Naksu discovering her true identity (Jin Bu Yeon), but a bunch of things happened behind the scenes which ultimately forced the Hong Sisters to completely rewrite Part 2. Just to be clear, the soul we followed in Part 1 was not the same soul shown in Part 2. They were two different souls. Part 1 was about Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's soul and Part 2 was Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul. For those who were rooting for Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's journey of self discovery, I would not bother watching Part 2 because her journey is currently in limbo.
And for those who have come here to argue with me by telling me I must be confused or lost, you can go elsewhere. No one is forcing you to read my post. I have proven time and again through my many correct theories for Part 1 that I did understand the Hong Sisters more so than most others.
Now for those who still want to stick around, good! Before we go down this rabbit hole, you all should be aware the events in Part 1 was still a soul switch not soul combination as others were led to believe in Part 2. I will explain more further down.
Anyways for those sticking around, it is time to put our thinking caps on! Time to analyze!
What Potentially Led To Part 2 Script Adjustments and FL Change?
Now, be aware that what I discuss here is highly speculative. So do not quote me or anything. This is just my impression and should not be taken as a matter of fact. Below is an AOS timeline. There may be some inaccuracies for the exact starting and ending date of Part 1 filming. However, everything else in red should be correct.
According to my Korean friend whose husband works in the Korean entertainment industry, the production budget is determined before filming starts and you are unable to request additional money later on. This means once the production budget is determined, the producers cannot exceed the initial budget. It works the same way in the US. Although in the US, exceptions can be made if a show or film holds great promise or if the producer is willing to receive less of their producer's fees.
Based on varying reports, the production cost for Part 1 (20 episodes) ranged from 35-40 billion won (28-32-million USD). For reference, the production cost for fantasy dramas like "Bulgasal" was around 31-40 billion won (25-32 million USD) for 16 episodes. From this, you can see the money for AOS was already stretched given there was a total of 20 episodes in Part 1. Something to point out is it is not clear whether the production budget was determined for all 30 episodes or broken up into two different production budgets (i.e 20 episodes and 10 episodes). I am thinking it was the former just because it would explain why the Hong Sisters had initially hired rookie actors/actresses over more seasoned actors/actresses. Rookies are usually paid less because they do not have as much experience in comparison to more senior actors/actresses. Therefore, by hiring rookies, they could save on money. Bear in mind this was a 30 episodes FANTASY drama so you have to save on money where you can so you can divert money towards CGI, set construction, costumes, larger filming crews, etc.
At the very beginning of AOS production there were a few very costly hiccups. Most notably, the OG FL rookie actress, Park Hae Eun, leaving at the very beginning of filming for Part 1. Luckily, the AOS production team managed to convince Jung So Min to play the FL role. Although this would eat into the production budget because Jung So Min was a seasoned actress, she would be able to give the show the stability it needed. And who knows, maybe the people who financed AOS would be more willing to provide additional money if the production team had hired a more seasoned actress.
I do want to point out that one of the production companies (High Quality; a CJ ENM subsidiary) left after Part 1. The reason for it is unknown. Was it because of this production company's departure that the AOS team were left unable to afford Jung So Min or was it because of Jung So Min's agency at the time did not allow her to sign onto Part 2 which led to High Quality's departure? I do not really know and can only speculate that it was the latter.
During the Part 1 press conference (June 14, 2022), the director said the Hong Sisters were currently working on Part 2 script (more like rewriting the entire script). Then on July 12th, rumors began to circulate the FL would be recasted for Part 2. Subsequently, Blossom Entertainment released the following two statements.
"We ask for your understanding that we arent able to tell you whether she'll be in part 2 or not because it would be a spoiler for Part 1." "She did not appear to get off, but originally signed a contract to appear in Part 1".
On August 2nd, it was announced Jung So Min would join a new agency. Following this announcement, AOS production team said on August 8th, there will be a one week hiatus "to enhance the level of completion for the second half" aka this means they needed time to edit Eps 17-20 so it could flow better with the narrative in Part 2. Who the hell knows what they had removed in those episodes. All I know is that Eps 18-19 felt weird.
Collectively, I think what ended up happening is that AOS production team was unable to get Jung So Min. They were forced to hire a rookie actress and not just any rookie actress, it had to be Go Youn Jung as to avoid even more controversy. This show did not need any more controversy. In turn, the Hong Sisters were forced to completely rewrite Part 2 while editing out things in Part 1.
If there is anyone to blame for the poor quality of Part 2, it's either Blossom or AOS production team and not the Hong Sisters nor Jung So Min herself. I am sure Jung So Min would have gladly sign onto Part 2 and taken a lesser fee, but was unable to because she was bound to whatever contract she signed with Blossom.
I am not even a screenwriter, but this just sounds super stressful. Like imagine if you had already planned to tell your story a certain way with the actress you want, but due to funding issues and actress availability, you had to completely rewrite your story in such a really short amount of time. The Hong Sisters were put in a difficult situation and were forced to make the best of it. Based on things were in Part 2, it seemed the Hong Sisters hated every minute of it. This was evident by the lack of pun filled and witty lines, double meanings, and tight writing. All the things that made Part 1 great and stereotypically Hong Sisters.
After reanalyzing everything from Part 2 and taking into consideration all the things that occurred outside of the show itself, I believe the Hong Sisters did manage to save the one character they intended to be the real star of this entire show which is Jin Bu Yeon/Naksu (meaning Naksu's real identity was Jin Bu Yeon). Continue reading below to see how the soul we saw in the majority of Part 2 was not Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon, but was actually Mu Deok/Cho Yeong, a soul I thought I though had gone back to her OG body and died.
Which Soul Did We See the Majority of Part 2?
Surprise surprise people..... it was "Mu Deok" whose real name was...drum roll please...Cho Yeong! Are you shocked? I mean this is what the majority of AOS fandom had been begging for during Part 1. Everyone was like OMG I want to know more about the real Mu Deok (because many thought she was the powerful Jin Bu Yeon lol) . And well, this is exactly what you got exactly in Part 2. As it turned out though, "Mu Deok" was really just Cho Yeong.... a damsel in distress who followed Jang Uk around like a lost puppy and a total superficial airhead. She was neither a powerful skillful mage nor a great shaman/divine priestess. Those qualities belonged to Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon who is currently a spirit lingering around waiting for Mu Deok/Cho Yeong to leave so she can finally have her own body, name, and face (JSM face) back.
A brief digression. In AOS where soul shifting is possible, names and their associated alternative names can get rather confusing when combined with bodies and souls. It is like do you call someone by their soul or body name? Imagine if my alternative name was "Honey" and my soul was in a body whose alternative name was "Biscuit". What would people call me? "Honey" or "Biscuit"? Well, people would just see your outside appearance and call you "Biscuit" even though you were "Honey". Then you find out the body's real name is āSarahā and the name of the body you were previously in was āTaylorā. Essentially, this is what happened in AOS. In Part 1, the soul inside was called "Naksu" (alternative name) and she lived in a body whose alternative name was "Mu Deok". Everyone in Part 1, called that soul "Mu Deok" instead of "Naksu". People called that soul by a body name instead of the soul name. For me, I kept calling her by her soul alternative name which was "Naksu". As for the what Naksu's true identity was? I ended up figuring out back in Part 1 that her true soul identity was actually "Jin Bu Yeon". All that happened in Part 1 was that she had finally returned in her OG body (but did not know it yet) and was on the path to discovering her real identity which was Jin Bu Yeon (not "Cho Yeong" as many viewers were led to believe). In doing so, her soul, body, face, real name would have finally become one aka Naksu soul=Jin Bu Yeon soul back in her OG body (Jin Bu Yeon body) and finally being called by her real name "Jin Bu Yeon" with her real face (JSM face). This journey would have finally came to its conclusion in Part 2. However, this journey got sidetracked REAL QUICK because the story in Part 2 got switched to being about the real Mu Deok's soul journey to discovering she was "Cho Yeong".....the anger I feel right now. For everyone who felt duped and angry by Part 2, I want you all to know, your feelings were definitely valid. Just imagine being the Hong Sisters who were forced to write this....they were probably like 1000x more pissed because they had worked so hard in Part 1 to set up certain things up only to have it never fully being shown. In this aspect, I can totally relate to the Hong Sisters. After all, I did end up having to delete numerous pages of stuff I had worked really hard on because of shit like plagiarists.
Before I go any further, I want you all to understand that the soul in the picture to the left IS NOT THE SAME SOUL in the picture to the right. I know we cannot see souls so that is why I have placed different color hearts as a way to help you all see this and to understand things better. The left red heart is Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's soul and the right pink heart is Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul. Got it? If you do not understand this concept then you can simply exit out of this post because I am tired of explaining things repeatedly.
Now, recall that the Cho Yeong body (GYJ body) to the left was burnt and gone. The body to the right is the Jin Bu Yeon body (JSM body) except with the face of GYJ (think of this like a mask). The reason why it looks this way is because Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul/energy is inside Jin Bu Yeon's body and her energy is being used to help Jin Bu Yeon's body (JSM body) to heal. Therefore, this is why the Jin Bu Yeon body (JSM body) has the GYJ face. It is suppose to represent that the soul inside Jin Bu Yeon's body is not the same soul we followed back in Part 1.
So, why did Master Lee bring back such a useless soul (Mu Deok/Cho Yeong soul)? Well, in an indirect way he was trying to help Naksu (whose soul was lingering around) to move on and become who she was all along which was Jin Bu Yeon, a mage/shaman/divine priestess tribrid. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon could never realize her destiny nor regain her shaman/divine powers if she could not discard her old life as "Naksu". Side note, Master Lee could have easily brought back Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's soul (since he had mastered Hwansu)....but like I said earlier, Hong Sisters had to completely rewrite Part 2 to somehow fit the appearance of Go Youn Jung.
A scene I want to revisit is the following below. Master Lee mentions two names during these scenes, "Jin Bu Yeon" and "Naksu". Keep in mind, Master Lee likes to change names to suit whoever he is speaking with. Often, characters and viewers tend to misinterpret what he means. For example, Mama Jin thinks Mu Deok=Jin Bu Yeon and Naksu=Cho Yeong. However, Master Lee knows it is Naksu=Jin Bu Yeon and Mu Deok=Cho Yeong...but he does not tell Mama Jin this.
I know this can be confusing. Just every time you see Master Lee mentioning "Naksu", he means Mu Deok=Cho Yeong, but characters and viewers interpret this as meaning Naksu=Cho Yeong. Why does he do this? To keep everyone else in the dark about the real truth which is that before Naksu became Naksu, she was originally Jin Bu Yeon.
If we redid this dialogue to make it more understandable, it would go like this "Cho Yeong (Mu Deok) did not take over this body using the alchemy of souls. Her soul was actually locked up inside this body." This statement is true. Mu Deok/Cho Yeong did not perform the Alchemy of Souls spell. It was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon who did it back in Ep 1.
After Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon had performed the Alchemy of Souls spell (Ep 1) and returned to her OG body (JSM body), she left Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul to return to her now dead OG body (GYJ body). However, Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul did not move onto the afterlife. Instead, she remained next to Jang Uk as an invisible spirit because they were fated for each other and were a pair. Master Lee saw Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's spirit lingering next to Jang Uk and this is why he told Kim Do Joon as much back in Ep 13. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon subconsciously trapped Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul and fed off of it until she had regained her full divine powers. Nom nom nom...soul food. Why did Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon do this? Because she was a soul who was willing to do anything to survive and accomplish a goal.
I know many will ask me when exactly did Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon swap with Mu Deok/Cho Yeong? I believe it was during the boat inccident. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon had tried to destroy the Ice Stone, but she somehow inadvertently swapped hers and Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's souls. Although, I would not doubt it was Master Lee who did it given how during that scene in Ep 19, it looked like there was someone watching from the shore. We may never find out if it was Master Lee or Jin Bu Yeon herself who did the swap just because the AOS team did edit those episodes.
Going back to Mu Deok/Cho Yeong, what did Master Lee erase from her? He erased Cho Yeong's memories from when she was a child to adult living in Jin Bu Yeon's body as "Mu Deok", the girl from Sari. Why did he do that? So that she would be willing to accept Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's memories as her own and not run wild. Side note, I still think Master Lee is probably Mage/Shaman Choi Cheol because he of how he was able to erase Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's memories. Who's to say he was not the same person who erased Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's childhood memories and changed it so she thought her childhood memories were Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's memories?
Although Master Lee was the one who erased Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's memories, it was actually Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon (mage/shaman/divine priestess) who planted her own memories inside Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's head. As Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon was remembering her real childhood memories (Jin Bu Yeon childhood memories; shown off screen because Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon is an invisible spirit right now and AOS team could not show JSM as an astral projection because of other crap), she began to become gain back even more of shaman/divine priestess powers which included abilities like transmitting her memories and changing a soul's memories, opening portals, jumping in and out of her own body, etc. Why did Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon do this? To give back the life she took from Mu Deok/Cho Yeong. Y'all lets take a moment to appreciate how freaking selfless Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon really was!!
Jin Mu...The Man Who Finally Recognized Naksu's True Identity
Throughout this show, I had felt Jin Mu was a pretty useless character. However, the real purpose of his storyline was to reveal something pretty important to viewers. He was one of the selected few who finally realized Naksu's real identity was Jin Bu Yeon. Let's take a look at some of the scenes below. In Ep 22, Jin Mu is confused as to why the Naksu face was called Jin Bu Yeon. This was the Hong Sisters' subtle way to let viewers know that back in Ep 1, the soul that was in the body known as "Naksu" was Jin Bu Yeon not Cho Yeong.
In Ep 23, Jin Mu says that even though the girl has Naksu's face, her energy is different than from the Naksu he knew. What does this tell you? That the soul currently residing in that body with the "Naksu" face is not the same soul Jin Mu and viewers had knew back in Ep 1. Jin Mu thought he was raising Cho Yeong to become Naksu, but in reality he ended up raising Jin Bu Yeon who became Naksu except he did not know this until later on.
Now the the person who summoned Jang Uk and CP to Gwido was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's spirit. Recall from earlier, I did say that as Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon began to remember more of Jin Bu Yeon memories, the more divine powers she would have. Therefore, she was the one who opened the portal for Jang Uk and CP. Why did she do this? So they could come rescue the useless soul that is currently residing in her body aka Mu Deok/Cho Yeong.
The soul who entered that body after the wraiths scene was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. Before that moment, it was just Mu Deok/Cho Yeong soul. How do I know this? Because of the personality differences. The main difference between Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon and Mu Deok/Cho Yeong is that one soul fights back regardless if they are physically weak while the other soul runs, but does not fight back and waits for someone to save her. I do understand though that it can be difficult to differentiate between the real deal or just someone who has someone else's memories. Mu Deok/Cho Yeong deep down is like cotton candy while with Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon is like hellfire!
It was during the scene below that Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon regain nearly all of her Jin Bu Yeon childhood memories which allowed her to enter her own body once more to take revenge on Jin Mu. This is literally one of the most important scenes that many viewers had overlooked. Look at what Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon says to Jin Mu. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon (not Mu Deok/Cho Yeong) tells him about finding the Ice Stone when she was a child as Jin Bu Yeon and then she called him "Danju" to indicate to him she was also his assassin...Naksu! It was at this fucking moment that Jin Mu knew he fucked up. Jin Mu finally realized that the soul he groom to become "Naksu" was not Cho Yeong, but was actually Jin Bu Yeon. BOOM LOOK WHO IS RIGHT! Me! Small victories! Collectively, this scene proved that Naksu's real identity was Jin Bu Yeon, not "Cho Yeong"!
Why Did Neither Seo Yul Nor Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon Never Tell Jang Uk About the Divination Bells?
After exiting Gwido, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon (not Mu Deok/Cho Yeong) meets up with Seo Yul. At this point, best boy Seo Yul has finally figured out Naksu's real identity was Jin Bu Yeon and that the soul from earlier in Part 2 was just Mu Deok/Cho Yeong and not actually Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon herself. Seo Yul disclosed all of the information about the divination bells only to her because he knew he was talking to Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon now and not Mu Deok/Cho Yeong. Seo Yul thought one of the biggest reasons Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon did not want to stay is because she felt guilty for killing her own father (Jin Woo Tak) and ruining her sister's wedding. And Seo Yul did not want her to feel guilty since it really was not her fault.
He also tells her all of this because he wanted her to stay.
However, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon said regardless of whether or not it was her fault, she still did perform the Alchemy of Souls spell which allowed her to be controlled by Jin Mu in the first place. If that was discovered, people would also eventually find out that she did kill an innocent person (Mu Deok/Cho Yeong) since she had forced Mu Deok/Cho Yeong to return to her OG body (GYJ body) to die in Ep 1. Anyways, both Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon and Seo Yul decide to not tell Jang Uk about the bells because they do not want to burst Jang Ukās bubble of ignorance lol. They will continue to let him think he is married to the soul from Part 1 so he can be happy.
This is the thing about Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. She wanted the people she cared about to always remember her as Jin Bu Yeon, a kind and beautiful soul and not as someone who committed terrible acts while she was Naksu (soul shifter through using soul ejectors/AOS spell, forcing an innocent soul to return to their OG body and die, killing her own father, ruining her sister's wedding, killing her lover, etc.). I know this is not what the Hong Sisters had intended to happen to Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon.....BUT THIS STILL HURTS Y'ALL. I still think originally everything was suppose to framed so that all the blamed would be placed on both Jin Mu and Jang Uk, but again crap happened behind the scenes so the Hong Sisters had to rewrite stuff so that all the blame was placed on Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon instead.
Another rant. It was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon who was suppose to get a happy ending not fucking Jang Uk. If Jang Uk had died (it would have added to his character growth arc), then Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon could have been reunited with her family and marry a man who truly loved her, Seo Yul. This could have acted as a connecting point to the past. A marriage between Seo Yul and Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's would have symbolized something that was suppose to happen 203 years ago between Seo Gyeong and Jin Seol Ran. And she would finally get to fucking shine with all of her immense powers!!!! The reason why characters like Seo Yul, Mama Jin, Jin Cho Yeon, and Park Dang Gu had their stories either pushed to the side or made to be a villain is because their development had depended a lot on Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's story which I mean did not really happen in Part 2. Like the events of AOS story started with a Seo and Jin being torn apart so it would have made more sense that the story ended with a Seo and Jin finally being together (coming full circle). Instead, it ended with Jang/Cho being together and Seo/Jin still separated?! K...tell me the logic in that.
Who Did Jang Uk Marry In Part 2?
That idiot ended up marrying Mu Deok aka Cho Yeong. He really did not recognize that the soul he had fell in love with in Part 1 was not the same soul he met and married in Part 2. This is a marriage of two idiots honestly. All the while, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon was an invisible spirit who had to witness this whole wedding...how painful is that?! Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon was unable to do anything except watch. This was almost as bad as when the Little Mermaid (non Disney version) had to watch the Prince marry the Princess and the Little Mermaid was helpless to stop it.
Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's Final Goodbye To Jang Uk
So who was Master Lee referring to when he said "her"? He was referring to Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. What Master Lee meant was that he hoped Jang Uk and Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's love for each other would reach Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. And well, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon received that message loud and clear because she used her divine powers to summon Jang Uk through the yin and yang jade.
This was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's final attempt to get Jang Uk to recognize her. She allowed him to see her true self which is Jin Bu Yeon. And did he understand what she was communicating? Hell no. So then Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon went back into her body to literally spell it out for Jang Uk and motherfucker still did not understand. It was during this time that Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon finally realized that she and Jang Uk were never meant to be together from the start. It was really Mu Deok/Cho Yeong and Jang Uk who were meant to be together. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon severed this fate when she swapped back into her OG body (JSM body) and left the Mu Deok/Cho Yeong soul to swap back into her OG body (GYJ body) and die.
Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon tells Jang Uk he truly did not recognize her which is true. Jang Uk still thought she was Naksu as in Cho Yeong hence why he mentioned she killed him to avenge her father, Cho Chung. In reality, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's real father was Jin Woo Tak. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon chose to not tell Jang Uk about the bells because it would be futile. Jang Uk would have never believed she was Jin Bu Yeon regardless of what she showed or told him.
Jang Uk was seriously a lost cause. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon allowed him to see the innermost part of her soul AND HE STILL DID NOT FREAKING GET IT. What an idiot. Literally...how could he not tell the difference between the real soul and a soul who has someone else's memories. Good riddance Jang Uk, you truly did not deserve Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon to begin with. After witnessing how everything unfolded, Naksu chose to finally let go of Jang Uk so she could go on to becoming someone greater...her real authentic self....Jin Bu Yeon.
Naksu Finally Emerging as Her True Self..Jin Bu Yeon.. The Phoenix
Cue the entrance of Naksu now Jin Bu Yeon. The metaphorical egg had cracked wide open to reveal Jin Bu Yeon, the Phoenix. And next to Jin Bu Yeon is none other than loyal Seo Yul (the real man who saw Naksu for who she truly was....Jin Bu Yeon...a divine goddess). These scenes below of Seo Yul and Jin Bu Yeon are a call back to Seo Gyeong and Jin Seol Ran. The OG fated lovers and pair before there was ever a Jang Uk and Cho Yeong. Two pure souls reunited! Side note, for continuity purposes, they should have had Jung So Min during these crucial last few scenes.
If you noticed in Ep 7, Jin Seol Ran was always in the light while Seo Gyeong remained in the shadows. And this theme is depicted once again in EP 30 through Seo Yul's dark colored clothing and Jin Bu Yeon's light colored clothing. Jin Seol Ran had a lot of darkness in her, but Seo Gyeong embraced it all so she could shine like the bright star she was. And for Jin Seol Ran, Seo Gyeong was her light in the darkness.
Seo Yul stuck by Jin Bu Yeon's side until the very end. You will also notice that during the following scenes below, Jin Bu Yeon did not directly talk to the other characters. Rather, it was Seo Yul who was the one communicating her thoughts for her to the others. It makes me wonder if one of Jin Bu Yeon's divine powers was telepathy.
Now, let's take a moment to appreciate Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. This girl had to endure so much pain and sadness and in the end, she saved all of her friends as well as all of Daeho. And no one with the exception of Master Lee and Seo Yul, would have known any better. Side note, they could have included Jung So Min without the blindfold to show that the soul from Part 1 was the one who saved everyone, but like I said earlierā¦.there were problems behind the scenes. Anyways, I will say it again....NAKSU/JIN BU YEON DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!!!!! Once Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon remembered all of her memories (JBY childhood memories) and let go of her past life/pain/resentment, her energy changed from pink to white, symbolizing purity. Additionally, her powers could be glowing white because when she was Naksu, her powers did glow white, symbolizing mage powers. Point being, we got to see her mage and divine powers combined. I AM NOT CRYING RIGHT NOW...BUT REALLY I AM BAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hong Sisters if you are reading this (and I hope you are since I sent you a link to blog since early August), please have Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon come back for a Part 3. This time please have Jung So Min play her!!!
Naksu now Jin Bu Yeon's Final Gift to Jang Uk
So what was Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's final gift to the man who did not recognize nor really love her? The useless freaking idiot, Mu Deok/Cho Yeong, who could only see energy. Contrary to what Cho Yeong said, she does not have any other divine powers other than seeing energy. Meaning, she would not be able to cast spells nor Chisu, Tansu, or whatever else. The reason why Mu Deok/Cho Yeong would be unable to perform any divine acts of magic is because Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon only gave her the memories. Additionally, Mu Deok/Cho Yeong's soul is not a divine soul thus it does not have any divine powers whatsoever. If push came to shove, she would be flailing around screaming for Jang Uk to come save her.
Despite having Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's memories, some things could not properly be translated into Mu Deok/Cho Yeong such as the qualities which made Naksu/JIn Bu Yeon a truly unique soul (independence, motivation, ambition, fierceness, bravery, self sacrificing, etc). Mu Deok/Cho Yeong is like imitation crab meat of the real deal (Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon). As for Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's sword, she does not deserve it because she is not Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. She is just Mu Deok/Cho Yeong....a plain, stupid, superficial, foolishly kind, weak, and helpless soul. Additionally, did anyone notice how Mu Deok/Cho Yeong wore her hair in that ponytail hairstyle? This was similar to how she wore it as a child. In Part 1, Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon had ended up wearing her hair in a similar style as when she was a child (hair down with side braids).
If and when her and Jang Uk have kids, they would probably be powerless kids. Why? Because the King Star energy does not transfer to their offsprings. If it had, Seo Yul would have the King Star energy given that he is a descendant of the first King Star, Seo Gyeong. When it comes to Cho Yeong, she only has Cho clan energy so maybe at best their child would reach Chisu? Then again, their kids would have very lazy parents so maybe they would never ever make anything of themselves.
So yea...these two superficial and immature souls are definitely a match made in heaven! They were able to get the life they got due to others' hard work and sacrifice. And the truly sad part in all of this, is that they did not even realize it. Ignorance is bliss. That is the dark side to the seemingly bright "happy ending" of Alchemy of Souls Part 2.
Who Knew Naksu Was Really Jin Bu Yeon?
Not many. Literally there are only two people left alive who knows the real truth about Naksu and those people are feigning ignorance so that everyone else can heal and move on. The only reason why Jin Mu and Seo Yul knew the truth was because they had known Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon the longest in comparison to other characters. And Seo Yul had met Jin Bu Yeon before she even became āNaksuā in Danhyanggot.
Those who knew the real truth which is Naksu's soul=Jin Bu Yeon's soul:
Master Lee
Seo Yul
Jin Mu (right before he had the empty Ice Stone placed inside of him)
Those who think Naksu's soul=Cho Yeong's soul:
Mama Jin
Jang Uk
Those who think Jin Bu Yeon is just Jin Bu Yeon:
CP/The King
Park Jin
Kim Do Joon
Park Dang Gu
Heo Yun Ok
Jin Cho Yeon
What Happened to Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's Soul Afterwards?
Either she is in hibernation in her own body or lingering as a spirit next to her fated other half (Seo Yul) or back in the Ice Stone waiting to come out again. Do I think she is completely gone? Hell to the NO. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon is a survivor and a divine soul. She also still has unfinished business to attend to which is to destroy the Ice Stone. Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon should pluck out that damn Ice Stone out of Jang Ukās chest. I will be patiently awaiting for that moment as well as when she retakes her sword!
And let's be real here, Mu Deok/Cho Yeong neither has the galls nor the powers to remove the Ice Stone out of Jang Uk's chest. That much is apparent. She does not have what it takes to do what is necessary for the greater good.
Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon also has the power of Hwansu (method of coming back to life..I just think of it as reaching nirvana or a full enlightenment). Meaning she could if she ever wanted to, float into a dead body. The Hong Sisters could then have that dead body have the face of Jin Bu Yeon (JSM) as to indicate the soul inside is Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. I mean that's the logic they used with the GYJ face anyways.
Letās review all the things Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon managed to accomplish while she was around:
1. Discovered her real identity 2. Punished the man who ruined her life 3. Avenged her father 4. Gave her former lover someone else to love 5. Gave the soul whose life she stole a second chance filled with love, family, and friends....NO BUT REALLY FUCK MU DEOK/CHO YEONG. 6. Leave her real name untarnished by her horrible past
7. Save all of fucking Daeho because letās be real here, without Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon and her divine powers, Jang Uk would have never been able to wake up big bird himself.
FUCKING PROUD OF YOU NAKSU/JIN BU YEON!! YOU ARE A BADASS BIRDY!!
Final Thoughts on Part 2
I am brain dead. It has been an emotional roller coaster. Was Part 2 worth watching? No. Was it the Hong Sisters' best work? Hell nah. Did the Hong Sisters want you to love Part 2? Hell no they did not. I will say though, they could have express their frustrations in other ways rather than taking it out on some female characters. Although I get it haha. They had planned for Jang Uk to either die or marry Heo Yun Ok and since that did not get to happen, they made her into a petty bitch. And with Soi...do you guys know what her story ended beautifully? It was because her character's story had paralleled Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon's story. Meaning that Naksu had grew up in a dark filthy world and the only brightness she ever saw was when Seo Yul had visited her in Danhyanggot. Also, with the whole foresight thing and the firebird situationā¦..umm if Jin Seol Ran had foreseen this a long time ago, why did she not have Seo Gyeong destroy the firebird back then? Furthermore, if Jin Bu Yeon was Jin Seol Ran with the gift of foresight, why would she allow herself to be used by Jin Mu to find the Ice Stone in the first place? I smell lies haha. Maybe Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon and Master Lee had worked together to deceive others with their goal being to help others to move on from Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon. Therefore, maybe Jin Bu Yeon was just Jin Bu Yeon and not a reincarnation of Jin Seol Ran. The Hong Sisters had done something similar in Hotel Del Luna. For example, the old lady deity had tricked Man Wol into believing Chan Sang was the reincarnation of Chung Myung when in fact he was not. Therefore, I would not put it pass the Hong Sisters to not pull the same trick again in AOS.
Potential for Part 3?
Hong Sisters, if you're reading this, since you used some stuff from my blog, might I suggest some titles for Part 3? How about "Alchemy of Souls: Reincarnation" or "Alchemy of Souls: Resurrection"?
Now I do not want to get your hopes up, but I really do feel there is a lot of potential for a Part 3 plot wise. However, this is wholly dependent on certain factors such as actor/actresses schedule availability and funding. The Hong Sisters would not have to do much in terms of writing other than some minor tweaks. I think they would still want to tell the story they had worked so hard on in the first place. Alchemy of Souls was suppose to be the pinnacle of the Hong Sister's career as kdrama writers but it ended up crashing into flames. I can only imagine the disappointment they must have felt to see their story ending this way.
Maybe one of the reasons the Hong Sisters had left some major plot holes is because they are hoping to eventually produce a Part 3. For example, the Ice Stone in Jang Uk's chest or the unoccupied leader positions of Cheonbugwan and Seoho Fortress. Sure, some would say their other dramas had some plot holes, but I would argue and say those dramas only had at most 3-4 minor plot holes. While in Part 2, there were so many major plot holes that if this were a boat, the boat would have already sank within one second of being in the waters.
How could things go if Part 3 were to happen? Well, it could start with Jang Uk's death. Sorry to all of those who were hoping to see more Jang Uk. I have been done with his stupid ass of a character since Part 1. Anyways, through his death, the Ice Stone would be used to fuel Jin Bu Yeon/Naksu's resurrection. As for Mu Deok/Cho Yeong since she is his shadow, her soul can leave with him too. Since the Ice Stone is back in the world, a new King Star should also rise to destroy the Ice Stone once and for all. Although the King Star isn't so much new, but more like old haha.
Building off of the logic of how fated lovers are always born in pairs, it would not be farfetched to think that when Jin Bu Yeon (the reincarnation of Jin Seol Ran) was born, her other half Seo Gyeong was also born/reincarnated too. And who might that be? Seo Yul. Part 3 could be about how after Jin Bu Yeon is revived, she could help Seo Yul to remember his Seo Gyeong memories which could enable him to have his King Star powers again. In doing so, it would explain why Seo Yul had coincidentally ran into Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon in Danyanggot of all places as well as why he kept having weird visions throughout Parts 1 and 2. Seo Yul also seemed to be a real old soul from an early age just like Jin Bu Yeon was. Something random is Seo Yul's final outfit in Part 2, they were nearly the same colors of Jin Bu Yeon's outfit when she was performing the firebird awakening ritual. Could it be that Jin Bu Yeon gave Seo Yul his Seo Gyeong memories back and this is why he decided to take over the Songrim position? Hmmmm.
So why would these two need to be at their best? To stop whoever or whatever enemy the Seo's were fighting along the borders. Maybe the enemies at Seoho Fortress are like the equivalent of Ice Walkers from Game of Thrones who are controlled by the ruler of the country next to Daeho. This would require a group effort from all the other characters like Jin Cho Yeon, Park Dang Gu, the King (sorry I still want to call him CP), and whoever the new leader of Cheonbugwan is. And we would finally get to see Jin Bu Yeon at her finest in action....a mage/shaman/divine priestess tribrid fighting the enemies to the west of the Daeho. And there could more scenes of Park Danggu being a bad ass archer and Jin Cho Yeon using the relics to assist in the fight against the enemies along the border. Somewhere in between all of that craziness, itāll be great to see Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon having some much needed sister time with Jin Cho Yeon. She could even help babysit Dan and Gang haha.
Also, itāll be great to have a scene with Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon Chisu her way to the top of the tree and see the moon (she said in P1 how she used to love going up the tree to look at the moon). Seo Yul can Chisu his way up there too and join her haha. With regards to the relics in Jinyowon, they could further explain why Seo Gyeong and Jin Seol Ran had created all these relics in the first place. I mean there was a mirror of longing, binding bracelet, fluffy, Gwiseo, and other countless relics. In Ep 7, they said the relics were created with sorceryā¦.so did Seo Gyeong and Jin Seol Ran dabble in the dark arts or something? Why didnāt they destroy the relics in the first place if they knew they were dangerous? And remember Master Lee? They could even introduce the plot twist that he was really Master Choi Cheol, the first mage to perform the Alchemy of Souls and how he never really died inside of Gwido as many had thought.
And at the end of this long journey, Jin Bu Yeon/Jin Seol Ran would finally be reunited with her family and married to a man (Seo Yul/Seo Gyeong) who was as pure and kind as she was . A match some 200 years in the making! NOW THAT WOULD MAKE FOR AN EPIC ROMANCE.
OK THAT IS ALL I GOT OUT OF ME!! If you have any more questions, I will be more than happy to answer them. I am sure I have forgotten to talk about some things! Oh well!
#alchemy of souls#Alchemy of souls light and shadow#aos#jin bu yeon#jung so min#naksu#seo yul#hwang minhyun#Jang uk#lee jae wook#arin#jin cho yeon#mu deok#go Yoon jung#cho yeong#jin sell ran#park dang gu#yoo in soo#shin seung ho#crown prince#mama jin#jin ho kyung#theories#analysis#there are probably grammatical mistakes#I am tired of writing more#mind melt
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Let me preface this by saying, I LOVE BARBIE. Iāve loved Barbie for a long time and she is a quintessential part of my child hood. The first website I learned to go to was barbie.com, I learned how to sew to make my barbie little outfits out of scraps, my sister and I have had our own running plot with our barbies, and to me she has always been a symbol of confidence, femininity and fun.Ā
So it is sad for me to say that I didnt really enjoy the Barbie movie. I thought the sets, sounds, acting was great! But i thought the plot was a cacophony of mixed messages. The story when examined in parts was good but made no sense as a whole narrative. Like did we address at all about the concerns America Ferreraās daughter raised in the cafeteria about the current image of Barbie, we never had Ken apologise for taking over Barbieās house and world, is this what we want young women to see, that its okay for a guy to take everything you love and then you apologise for making him feel insecure.
The best scene imo was the scene with the older lady and Barbie at the bus stop and barbie calling her beautiful was made pointless coz literally 20 mins later shes on the floor saying sheās the stereotypical barbie she has no skills and only her looks. The monologues to break the brainwashing were almost comical coz they felt very feminism 101 and a bad explanation of how they had no immunity to the brainwashing because they had never experienced it was stupid. And as a solution instead of showing any nuance on how patriarchy hurts not only women but men too and that we should always aspire for equality in the Barbie world we end with a weird supposed āmirrorā image of our world where the Kenās have to occupy lower level positions and maybe theyāll work their way up, what kinda message is that!?Ā
And to top it all off, the ending after weāve had barbie just come to terms with who she is and what she wants to do (ie be in the human world) instead of showing her going to do some work to rehabilitate her image for the younger audience who are maybe disenfranchised, no we end on a fucking gynaecologist joke.Ā
tldr really good in parts but as a whole every movie in the animated Barbie cinematic universe has a better plot than this oneĀ
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Okay so i saw one of your posts earlier about problems with wheelchair/disability accessible entrances and I was reading a bunch of people's comments on how they've had issues and it made me feel upset on your behalf because we should do better. People shouldn't have to worry whether they can get somewhere or if the bathroom is out of order or the stpid button hasnt been fixed and apparently no one has done anything about it or various other things And i thought id ask is there anything more that I as an individual can do? I try to listen to what people say they need and give them space if desired. I am definitely gonna start trying to pay more attention about possible issues and bring it to the people in charges attention, but that seems like not enough? No pressure absolutely cuz obviously you can't know what every person might need or want and it's not fair to ask that of someone I just thought you might have general suggestions or things that you have wished people did/said/knew?
For context this is the post: https://www.tumblr.com/whistlingstarlight/721296650605330432?source=share
Ok I've been unsure on how to answer this for a while but I think it's a very important thing to talk about
To preface I myself am not a wheelchair user, I reblogged that in solidarity with wheelchair users because I think it's an important issue. I'm not going to even try and speak for wheelchair users because it's not my place (however if anyone with experience has input please please please don't hesitate to share! I want this to be as informative as possible)
I use crutches when needed, and whilst I'm fully aware it's not the same thing I have also experienced issues regarding accessibility features. I do not want to speak for others, so I can only speak from personal experience.
Personally, I'd say that asking people if they need/want help is the best thing you can do. Most of the time I only need to use one crutch, but it's held in my dominant hand so even then it's a bit of a hassle. Holding the door open or offering a space in the priority seating on the bus can be very helpful.
And sometimes, it's all you can do. For example, my workplace claims to be disability-accessible. It's not. The door to the disability-access toilet slides open, but the door to get through to the toilets is a manual push/pull door, and quite a heavy one at that. So if you were in a wheelchair and needed the loo, even if you could manage the sliding door to the cubicle it would still be a hassle actually getting to or from the toilets. Also there's only really one table that's easily accessible, the aisles are very narrow.
So I think the safest answer I can give is: don't assume people automatically need help just because they're disabled, but you can politely offer help where it looks like it could be needed. Don't assume you know better than them, they know their own body and what they can and can't do.
Again, if anyone else wants to give their input please do so!
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So I am sitting here and having thoughts about how budgeting time/energy with a disability is a lot like budgeting money on welfare or a minimum wage part time job.
I'll preface this by saying: I have always had a kind of issue where I'm way more self-aware about really mundane things than anyone is willing to believe of someone who looks like a young woman and sounds like a 5 year old girl. And I am... off baseline, a little weird, my flags are beige and shrimp coloured. So when I assert that something is true about myself or my life, I get a lot of push back that's like "oh sweaty, everyone does that tho, which means you too." or "No one is really actually self aware about that kind of thing." or "You must not actually be doing things as strictly as you -think- you are." Right? And we'll get into an example here in a minute...
But I also like self-experimentation. You learn a lot testing things out for yourself. I'm never afraid to put my money where my mouth is and actually try something, even if I know it won't work, so I can document exactly how and why it's failing. I'd say I am open to surprised, but... and don't hate me for this... I am never generally surprised.
So back when I was working my first job, my second job, and later on welfare while disability faffed around... I'd get a lot of people trying to give me "budgeting advice" and I would be like "Actually, my money is going where it has to go, and 'budgeting' won't change anything"... and they'd give me one of those "Oh sweaty..." replies and shake their heads to themselves about me being self-destructively deluded.
So for years I kept a notebook of all the money I had coming in, and everything I spent it on, and how much went to savings. And every month I would get money, pay my rent, buy some food, pay for really basic necessities like soap or shampoo, very cheap and occasional makeup when I wore any [that I would use till it was gone regardless of expiry dates]... Any clothing I actually needed for work or practical reasons, and very occasional other misc things like crafting supplies or whatever, the bus if I needed it... And every month I would come in WAY under what they told me I should be spending, and the rest went to savings.
Because the amount they lay out for every person to spend on things like transportation, eating out, entertainment, makeup and that sort of thing is just money I was never spending. Even when I got comfortable buying books, media and art supplies, I was just never going to spend as much on that as most people my age were going to spend on makeup, clothes, fancy products, switching out their home decor, impulse shopping, taxis, fast food, movies, etc and so on.
So all the advice that when you keep a budget you see where you are spending money that you just don't have to and can cut back to have the things you really value... Didn't apply to me. Just as I was originally asserting, and yet until I had bank statements, I kept a monthly record of spending for just utter ages to prove that point on paper if anyone ever asked about it, because they did, because I was poor.
If anything, keeping track of things like that made me occasionally spend more, because I could see how "good" I just naturally was with money and how much it was defying expectations. Through my 20's I spent way more on art supplies than I otherwise would have because it was my only expense and around disabilities I had some free time on my hands.
But now, without a credit card for shopping online, even before the plague that was all of my extraneous spending. I have thrifted my clothes locally for my whole life 80% of the time or more because I just do not have a construct in my head about "new" clothes having more value or meaning anything. I disinfect my makeup with 70-90% alcohol and apply it using methods that avoid contaminating the container, so until the formula breaks down from age...? Also I stopped wearing makeup for gender reasons. I can't eat out at all anymore due to plague and food allergy reasons. I have never really enjoyed going to theaters that was something I did to have a social life. I have never gone to a club [a strip club once], I have been to a bar like 3 times [I grew up in one, my mom was a bar tender, waitress, and occasional bouncer her whole career].
And usually, when I want something nice, its cheaper and more engaging to make it for myself. I'm picky, I get to have what I want that way.
So in a post plaguapocalypse world, with no credit card to my name and none I can use for shopping online, where I can't even go out for coffee without it being added risk I don't need? I'm right back to spending like I did when my budget was 200$. I buy food, I buy little treats, I buy stuff I need at the hardware store when I need it, I buy soaps or whatever, no makeup, no new clothes I have clothes already, no going out, I walk everywhere due to plague reasons...
My bank statement looks like, 28th-ish onward: Get Chob, Get pension, Get tax money, pay rent, pay phone bill, pay internet bill, buy groceries, put rest in savings.
Every 3-4 ish months there's the added items of: Get more tax money, get random supplies at Walmart and the dollar store or hardware store, buy 100$ of alcohol mostly for mouth sanitizing.
Once a year: Top up account I use for buying things online from people who take paypal not backed by credit [currently buying games when they go on dirt cheap on steam], maybe buy a birthday present for myself?? Or seasonal treats? In the fall I do groceries for all winter, but then all winter I put everything into savings after my bills are paid.
I also don't buy gifts -or supplies to make gifts- for other people anymore because I have no friends and stopped talking to my mom :/
And most pre-prepared foods even from the grocery store have stuff in them I can't have due to MCS or allergies. Or they have too much iodine or whatever.
So my worker thought I might be doing a fraud when I started asking about what kinds of savings I am allowed to have, because we are in an economic crisis and the amount you get on a disability pension should not, by any means, be enough for a basic quality of life, let alone to save up, and my rent is 1000$... I asked about having an RDSP vs an LDSP and because I was able to save money at all she started grilling me about whether I had a job I wasn't reporting or other income and then insisted that in order to answer my general questions at all she needed a year of all my bank statement so she could "see what I was talking about"... When the question was whether an RDSP was exempt from the asset limit [it's not, apparently] and whether I had to claim the interest on my savings account as income [you don't]. Answering these questions did NOT -in fact- require bank statements, but I am starting to see why no one wants to ask questions.
I mean, think about that for a second, we are being given so little compared to the cost of living that our workers think it should be entirely impossible to save up any money at all, or to financially plan for the future, without doing fraud. Even asking questions gets you audited. But that's slightly off-topic.
And it isn't something I am doing because I think I don't deserve nice things, or out of some sense of moral obligation... I just don't -enjoy- going out, and have little interest in the clothes and makeup or fancy products that are available. I am easily overstimulated and smells bother me and I like to sit alone at home and build something, or create something digital or do a little craft, have some damn crops in the ground somewhere that I have the outdoor space to tend to preferably so I can eat fresh veggies.
And I resist spending any money I saved up on things like fancy furniture because I am trying to have enough to live in a house... But I could probably stand to start replacing my furniture [Now is the worst time to do it though so I think I will wait till the cost of real wood comes down]... I'm just easily satisfied and particular, peculiar, and not very social and I 0% buy into constructs that would compel me to feel like I "need" makeup, or clothes or body products etc... Also I am not trying to attract anyone, and advertisements don't really work on me. My autistic gay swag insulates me from spending money.
And I had a perfectly good sense of this when I was a teen, and then later when I was in my 20s. I heard the way other people talked about spending money and things they "needed" and I knew that wasn't me.
And as far as money on crafting supplies goes... Everyone needs a hobby and that is part of a basic quality of life. It's cheaper than going out. I don't take vacations or have a car, etc... I don't date.
And if you were ever at my side while I bought some new clothes or spent on something I didn't have to or that you couldn't understand the necessity in, there is a very good chance it's because spending money/shopping is a 'social activity', I had wanted/needed those things for a while anyway, or I had a craft in mind for them, and I did that with you there instead of spending money "going out", and I never actually spend that way when I am alone, you just happened to take me physically to a place to buy things that I don't normally bother going to on my own. I have -had, anyway- a very limited social circle and wasn't going back there with anyone else either.
So you might ask "why don't you have mad savings then!" Well, 1. I keep being forced to move by circumstances, 2. I keep having to pick up the slack in various ways and with various supplies for roommates, or having to support someone other than myself, 3. I keep picking up the slack on bills for roommates and family members, 4. having your life turned upside down by bad relationships and bad roomies on a constant basis is generally expensive, 5. The cost of living is utterly balls to the wall out of line and I am on a pension, 6. Not for nothing, but there are things you buy when disabled that you wouldn't otherwise need to get or maintain, like canes, carts, shower chairs, etc... and 7. I do, actually, once again, have quite decent savings, despite it all.
And I want to stipulate again, I do not think it is HUMANE to expect other people to be like this, no matter how poor or disabled, if this is not their natural inclination.
So, I'll say again: The money is going where it needs to go, and nowhere else, and budgeting does nothing, for me personally, because there isn't anything that I could possibly make myself more self-aware about.
Maybe that's different for 99.9% of people! I encourage other people to not only have a budget, but keep track of what they -actually- spent on! It's good practice! I did it for years! The worst you find out is that you don't need it! Or that you did IG...
But the thing is, when you have a very limited resource, and set things it HAS to go towards with no exception, and either no room in the budget for anything else, or no interest in anything else... The resource goes where it needs to go and that's it. Writing it out on paper changes nothing.
That's true of the poor who spend all their money on food and bills.
That's true of the disabled who spend all their time and energy on just maintaining their environment and whatever limited hobbies they need to stay sane [or at least functional].
The only time a planner or bullet journal help me is when I have enough energy/constitution to be doing more than the bare minimum of maintenance and cleaning, or when I at least don't have to spend all my extra energy on extra organizing because of another move.
And that's the hard truth of time management for some disabled people, even those of us who also happen to have adhd or autism... Basically, what needs to get done is going to get done and nothing else, and writing it down doesn't necessarily change anything.
Some of use will benefit from "time budgeting" some of us just won't. I encourage you to experiment with time management methods because if you find something that does help you, it tends to unburden your whole life a little... I benefit from a really scratchy bullet journal when I actually have some energy and good health to spread around.
But I find that a lot of able bodied people, and even otherwise abled ahdhers or autistics have it in their heads that disabled people -or otherwise disabled people- lack time and energy in a day because they aren't being aware enough of how they are spending it, or aren't managing the symptoms of adhd+ as well as they could be, like it's 'just' unmanaged time-blindness or something... And they just straight up overlook that management isn't always the issue, a lack of energy or physical health sometimes is, and that -yes- some people are perfectly self-aware about how their time and energy is being spent, even with adhd.
Sometimes when you stack physical disabilities on top of neurodivergence, it renders some neurological symptoms 100% beside the point. If depression is making me feel tired and not like cleaning sometimes, it doesn't really matter if I am gauging whether I clean by how physically hard it is to move my limbs without pain, and gratefully rushing to clean my house whenever I can without it feeling like I am damaging my own body by doing it, for example.
This also goes for this weird new brand of aggression I keep seeing where some ADHDers seem to think that people in my position are talking about time management or "time blindness" issues like it's 'some unique thing that only we personally experience' "oh silly you" when actually we are describing how our OTHER DISABILITIES -do- Uniquely pile on top of time-blindness or actively make time blindness irrelevant. Me not being aware of how long it takes to shower and get ready genuinely doesn't impact anything or fucking matter, when it takes me 2-12 TIMES longer than everyone else to do those things, randomly, by no predictable pattern or schedule, because of my other disabilities. Not being aware of how long it "should" take to walk somewhere doesn't ever matter when it genuinely DOES take you up to 2 hours to walk there. You have to set that 2 hours aside for it regardless of whatever effort you could theoretically put into timing yourself or constructing better "time awareness". I might have time blindness but I also have "genuinely takes me 12 times longer to do everything" disorder [chronic fatigue, and 7 or more other physical disabilities].
I don't think I am uniquely experiencing time blindness, I think you are overlooking how it impacts someone's planning when an appointment and recovering from it GENUINELY DOES take up the whole day, even when that is the only thing they are doing and they are being perfectly efficient about it.
The thing is, keep track of it on paper or not, I am going to get through what I get through and the rest just isn't getting done yet. Budgeting the time I have in a day is a lot like budgeting for having 200$ left after bills. I shouldn't -have- to show my work on paper endlessly for anyone to believe me, or believe I know myself and my own life.
Sometimes operating at 100% efficiency and inhuman effectiveness with disability or poverty looks like you are only half-assing everything.
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May 24 - Kinkakuji
Today was an even shorter day compared to two days ago. We woke up kind of early. I think I canāt even remember all that well to be honest. I ended up taking a nap at around four till about eight thirty so Iām already forgetting some of the stuff we did today. Anyways, we visited Kinkakuji this morning on our first full bus expedition of the trip and probably our last. Taking a bus is actually a lot more convenient than trains in my opinion just because of the flat fare and how little people were actually on them. Anyways, we got to Kinkakuji relatively early but it still had plenty of people walking all around. There were so many tourists gathered to see it that the whole corridor for walking was pretty much full. The temple was cool but it felt almost more yellow than gold. I was talking to our guide who was explaining to me about how there was a different temple called Ginkakuji or the silver pavilion. I honestly would rather go see that just because I like places with less people and the sheer amount of tourists was crazy today. I stopped midway through the walk to buy a hello kitty charm and by the time I looked up everyone was gone. I had to essentially run through the place to catch up to everyone but it took a good ten minutes to find someone. Me and our guide got stuck talking to some foreigners about the ice cream vending machines but I think they thought I lived in Japan my whole life because they were asking me what Japan was like pre covid. After Kinkakuji was Daitokuji which was only a 20 minute walk away. It was complete opposites to Kinkakuji in the amount of people. I saw about 6 tourists throughout the whole thing and it was amazing. We got an explanation on some of the sekitei or rock gardens and got to sit and meditate for a while. It was amazing. I just wish I wasnāt coughing as much as I was today otherwise I wouldāve had a better time. After we broke for the day the usual group headed to a place called The Burger which gave us all a little taste of home. I got an Oklahoma style burger which Iāve been craving for the past week. The whole restaurant was Texas/Vegas themed which was really funny to see in Japan but it was pretty good so I was super content. After getting back to the hotel via bus I promptly took a quick shower and passed out for one of the best naps I have taken in a long while and Iām about to go right back to bed now.
Academic connection
Learning about the burning and restoration of Kinkakuji had my expectations more gravitated towards a more slightly broken image in my head. In all reality the restoration was seamless and looked amazing. I would have never been able to tell the building had burned down had I not read about it. It was kind of astounding thinking of the context that the building had as a preface. It really did seem to draw people in with its lustrous golden figure which was a sight to behold on its own. I could see how it could even go to drive some crazy. Past that we see Daitokuji which is known for its sekitei and elements of zen buddhism. The sekitei were wonderful to see and the guide lady told us what each little garden was trying to express. My favorite was a piece that she completely skipped over which was a little rock fashioned almost in the shape of a bowl that was holding water. There were bugs that would occasionally pass by and land for a sip of water or something but it was interesting to say the least. The gardens felt incredibly peaceful especially in the time when everyone was just not speaking. There was also a little part of the tour where the guide was explaining what I think was a poem to us which expressed kanji in a way I have never seen before. Buddhist teachings really can be clever with their expressions.
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To Keep // 2
Prev/Next - Ao3 Link
cw: brief mention of suicide attempt in Encounter 2 - Addition
Encounter One
A note from future Cub: Despite Scar and the vex sharing his body being separate entities, for simplicity, both will be referred to as Scar in these entries.
It took a week of searching before I caught a trace of his magic. It wasnāt a surprise no one else had found him in the couple of days before the beginning of the tenth season; when it came to vex, no one has the experience I do. Scar was careful. I suspect he either has limited access to his power, or that he uses it sparingly; only to cover his tracks. Even after a whole month, he seems to be extremely diligent in leaving little to no trace of his presence on the island. I did not know him well enough before to know if this behavior is typical of Scar or if he is being influenced by the vex. However, it should be noted that his former crew talk about him as if he was reckless, unlike now.
I spent quite a while following whatever trace of Scar I could find. It seemed like he spent a lot of his early days traveling, though he never wanders too close to the islandās edges. Maybe heās afraid of being spotted by passing ships? Seems a bit irrational, but to each their own. Regardless, he seemed to settle eventually, as evidenced by the magic traces becoming more and more common. Though, I didnāt get the chance to actually see where he had camped out before being attacked and killed.
Now, maybe it was stupid of me to not be more careful. Scar clearly did not want to be found, but I suppose I didnāt realize how defensive he would be. I will be more careful in the future. To be honest, Iām very disappointed I didnāt even get to see him. However, I didnāt learn nothing.
Given that our contact was so short, it was difficult to know for sure, but I believe Scar could touch me. I expected him to use a weapon if he did attack, but after a lot of thought, I believe I was bitten. Scar should not have been able to bite me. I also thought I felt his hands- or maybe just his nails- on my back, another thing that should not be possible. But it was quick. Too quick. I will be returning as soon as possible to see if I can find some answers. This time Iāll bring a bat or something. Iāve found success against vex with those in the past.
Encounter Two
To preface, I believe my head was still foggy after my previous regeneration, and as a result, my judgment was.. lacking. A note for future Cub, for when he inevitably thinks going out to do something dangerous immediately after a regeneration is a good idea:
You dumb fuck, Scar is much bigger than a vex, regardless of his behavior. The bat was a horrible idea. Stop sabotaging your future research.
With that being said, I did not learn much. I hurried back to the last place I saw Scar, but given my use of firework rockets (another reckless decision), Iām sure he heard me. I did try to keep my distance, seeing if I could spot him from the sky, but these forests were untouched, so I couldnāt even see through the treeline.
Needless to say, it was not long after I landed that Scar attacked, again from behind. At the very least, I was ready enough to turn around. I swung the bat, but I was slow, and it was very quickly ripped out of my hands. At this point, I attempted to turn around and fly out of his reach so I could see him better, but was pulled down. At that point, it was over. A complete waste. Maybe the first time, he had thought heād scared me off, but now, heāll know I plan on coming back. I was lucky in the first place he hadnāt moved, but heās sure to be gone by the time I make it back out there. I didnāt even get a good look at his face. Stupid.
However, there were a couple things I noticed.
It was clear this time that only parts of Scar could make contact with me. When he pulled me to the ground, I felt very clearly his fingers, but not his hands. I felt his teeth, but not his face. Thereās a presence, like a phantom feeling, but nothing concrete. Very odd.
I also find it weird that Scar has not used any weapons. Even vex use swords, and I remember Scar having one the first time we met. Did he lose it? Does he just prefer to kill with his hands? Maybe he just wasnāt ready for me to come back. Maybe Iāll ask Cleo the next time they visit the island. I can probably find out without raising any suspicions. Iām going to take some time before I look for Scar again anyway. I'd like to have an actual plan.
Encounter 2 - Addition
Cleo ended up visiting this weekend to work on her starter base, so I did end up asking if she knew about any of Scarās weapons in the name of a future museum. Unsurprisingly, I got told that was a horrible idea, but after a little pushing, they told me they had taken his weapons before arriving at the island to keep him from hurting himself. When their boat was destroyed, his sword and other weapons were lost.
I may have pushed my luck by asking more about Scarās āpossession,ā but I think Cleo was more uncomfortable talking about the event than she was concerned about the reason I was asking. She told me Scarās threat of suicide was intended to destroy Mumbo and Pearl because of their heightened connection at the time, and she only noticed odd behavior after she had knocked him out. The feeling of being watched, little movements, and quiet talking. I didnāt push for anything else. Given those were the events leading up to her death, they couldnāt be pleasant to recount. (A note for any future, human readers: Cleo is undead, but not a ghost like the rest of us, as she failed to return after her death off the coast of the island. Her form is more akin to that of a zombie.)
It is interesting however, that Scar was unconscious when this took place. Maybe heās unconscious now, and has been for weeks. He might even be dead. It is also interesting to note Scar is most likely weaponless now. The use of his teeth is probably out of necessity, rather than an attempt at intimidation.
Encounter 3
There was no trace of Scar at his old settlement, which was no surprise. While I had thought it would be a good place to start in tracking him, he had done quite the thorough job of confusing his trail as much as possible. Not only that, but the place was full of traps, which I am a bit embarrassed to admit caused quite a few severe injuries and more than one death. See, to track magic traces, itās easiest to sense by blocking out other distractions; visual, auditory, or otherwise. I do a lot of walking around with my eyes closed, perhaps against my better judgment. Unfortunately, it slowed me down quite a bit. If that was Scarās goal, he did a damn good job. Maybe if I can get a word in before he kills me next time, I can appeal to his ego. I'm not above flattery.
However, after my thorough search of his old place, it took quite a bit of time to find where he had run off to. Part of the time sink was Scar being very good at hiding, but I took a lot more care to stay undetected as well. I wanted to see him this time, really see him. I ended up getting my wish, though I was not counting on Scar being covered in blood. Thinking back, there was probably a reason he didnāt notice me for so long. His focus was on the pig.
I knew I was getting close, but hearing the distress of the animal caught my attention. I hadnāt actually considered what/if Scar ate, and while I doubted Iād actually see him hunting , that thought was exciting. Turns out it was my lucky day. When I finally found him, he was crouched over the hog, breathing heavily. Breathing. He was alive. Though, physically, he didnāt look like it. His clothes were in tatters, his hair matted, and he was awfully skinny, almost emaciated. The scars that rippled across his body had turned the same blue color as his vex wings; ghost-like. His fingers, which now curled into claws, were colored similarly. While I am sure he is alive, I canāt say it wasnāt a debate for me during my regeneration. Maybe the vex doesnāt know how to care for a human body?
Scar stared at the pig for a long time. It had been pretty thoroughly maimed, but I donāt think he was particularly bothered. He looked.. confused, maybe. Honestly, Iām still not sure what he was thinking. I got too comfortable in his stillness, but in my defense, I think anyone would jump if the person you were watching started yelling out of nowhere. Scar, however, didnāt seem to notice the leaves I rustled backing into the treetops. He was focused on this pig, his eyes wide and terrified.
āWhat am I supposed to do with this?ā he shrieked, which I remember so clearly because I gasped. I donāt know exactly why, but I just hadnāt expected him to speak. His head snapped up at the sound, and we stared at each other for a long moment. Now, I should have run. I should have flown above the treeline where Scar couldnāt reach. And while I could make excuses about his speed and ferocity, I must emphasize the abject terror of a man covered in blood, vaulting himself up a tree with inhuman speed for the sole purpose of catching and ending you. I froze. I admit, I think this is the first time in years I was truly afraid of something.
It was exhilarating.
Scar threw me from the tree; we must have fallen at least eight feet, him on top of me, before crashing into the ground. That alone was probably enough to send me back to Spawn, but Scar wasted no time tearing through me. I must have looked as frightened as I felt; I remember hearing laughing, but I was pretty dazed at the time. I wonder if he enjoyed it. Part of me hopes so. I think before I died, I wished him luck with the pig.
Iāve gotten distracted, no doubt in part to the mind fog after regeneration. Note: Continue this tomorrow. Summarize what youāve learned.
Encounter 3 - Addition
I am not the type of person to linger. I would like this to be clear. I am not the type to feel lonely, and if I do, it is not usually the lack of human connection. Thereās an annoying little thing about vex; they prefer to be together in small groups, an evolutionary thing no doubt for securityās sake. They get anxious, alone too long. I am not immune to the feeling, but usually, I can dispel it with a couple captured vex to keep in my room.
Itās not working.
I am passionate about my work. Iāve been known to get lost in it, to neglect my needs, few as there are. I donāt believe this feeling is anything relevant to my research. Anyone would be distracted. Best it be documented anyway. This is stupid.
Encounter 3 - Addition 2
I do not linger. I wonder if Scar does?
#cw: animal death#cw: violence#cw: blood#tw: suicide mention#hermitcraft#gtws#goodtimeswithscar#cubfan135#cubfan#zombiecleo#boatemghostsau
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Before I start my rewatchā¦another hunter-hating thought.
Why donāt people ever call the fucking cops on hunters in Teen Wolf?
I want to preface this by stating outright that, in real life, I am not at all a fan of The Law and will only call them as a last fucking resort because I am Black and like living, but this shit has always pissed me off so much about this show, especially in the case of Stiles being abducted off of the lacrosse field by Gerard. This was such a human fucking crime that was committed, but everyone was so goddamned concerned about keeping the normies out of shit that they completely overlooked the totally valid option of using human tactics to fight the humans. Like, seriously, why are we out here acting like human problems do not require human solutions? Did it occur to no one that because everyone had to keep werewolves a secret, INCLUDING THE HUNTERS, they could have weaponized that shit against the hunters in the same way the hunters turned it on the werewolves constantly? If no one knows that the people being victimized by the hunters are anything other than human, then you can very easily prey upon that ignorance and use it to your advantage. Call. The. Cops. The hunters absolutely used the fact that werewolves healed and had to keep themselves a secret against the werewolves all the damn time, but likeā¦I donāt get why no one was ever struck with the idea that that shit works in reverse because, if the mundane human authorities are out here thinking everyone involved is also human, then thereās no universe in which itās just okay to chase people through the forest at night and shoot at them or to kidnap children and attach them to car batteries and shit. Or like, even that one time when Chris & Co. snatched Stiles and Jackson out of a hospital hallway and started throwing them around in an empty room. Because thatās a super normal thing for a group of adult men to do to teenage boys. The whole time that was happening, I was like, āOkay, but like, scream for help because this is illegal and your dad, the County Sheriff, is presumably right down the hallā? Could you even imagine Chris trying to explain that away without being able to be like ābut werewolvesā? Because even if he wanted to throw werewolves under the bus to protect his own evil hide, he absolutely could not because he had no one there who could prove that he wasnāt a raving psycho who thought werewolves were real. Because you know Stiles would immediately be like āPapa, please help, the crazy man is saying crazy man thingsā.
I just have such a fucking problem with the writers of Teen Wolf shoehorning in this absolutely idiotic rhetoric that every problem that occurs on the show simply has to be handled only by āthose in the knowā because of this strange idea that it will somehow expose the supernatural to the town. Meanwhile, you have Scott out here doing Olympic-level gymnastics floor routines on the lacrosse field after previously being known to practically the entire town as a severe asthmatic who could barely walk let alone run, like that wasnāt a super obvious sign of something hinky going on. It should absolutely go without saying that turning the hunters in to the proper authorities for doing crazy-ass human shit like destroying property and/or unloading full-blown automatic/assault weapons in populated areas and/or assaulting people (minors, at that) and/or full-blown fucking kidnapping people poses no risk at all in revealing the whole werewolf thing because these things are just mundanely illegal. Like, remove the fact that the people who were on the receiving ends of these actions are werewolves, this stuff is just regular-ass illegal. Even if none of the kidnappees have any evidence of physical injuries because of werewolf healing, itās still not going to be a good look for the hunters when the cops bust into their torture chamber to find seemingly innocent people strung up and hooked up to car batteries and shit. Like, hello?! Would you do the same thing if the situation didnāt involve werewolves but you still knew exactly where someone was being held illegally? No, I donāt think you would.
Moral of the story: I hate hunters in Teen Wolf because theyāre just a roving band of dumb little self-important psychos, and I really feel like they were infecting others with their idiocy because holy shit, the ease with which we could have been rid of them by the end of season 1 is wildly overlooked.
#thoughts#my thoughts#a rant#teen wolf#hunters#the argents#idk if you can tell but I have no respect for hunters in this universe#I can't stand when fandoms enforce a lack of common sense for their characters#like come the fuck on
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