#i know she does it because not saying anything has put him in dangerous situations previously

[littlelightfish]

Marcille telling Chilchuck that healing magic can be used to torture people only to use it as such a few days later...

It's like she's warning him about what she can and will do if he doesn't cooperate. I find it interesting.

We know they're friends, but he doesn't want to talk about it. They all know that. Chilchuck is not a fan of talking about his life and they aren't usually pushy about it. The one problem is when Marcille wants to know. Because she's curious and has her head full of romantic novels and she just finds out her friend has some delicious and controversial love story. She's not going to let herself not know about his life. Even if he doesn't want to talk about it. For better or worse, she takes advantage from his injuries to make him talk about it, to force him to open up about this. She quite literally tortures him (just a little bit but still) to get this info out of him.

I have just realized about all this, but.. yea, Marcille, that's a kinda fucked up thing to do to your friend.

[producedbysohyun]

Protective

Squid game x reader hcs

Summary: How the squid games characters would be protective over you

Includes: Thanos, In-ho, Gi-hun, Dae-ho, Myung-gi, Hyun-ju (squid game au)

Warnings: mentions of death, might be a little repetitive because I just feel like they would act similar.

Masterlist

a/n: Mb this is pretty short but I haven’t posted in awhile so I wanted to post something (I might add to this as time goes on) !! Please enjoy !!

Thanos:

Let’s just say that if anyone lays a finger on you, they are dead 🤗

You literally don’t have to worry about dying when you are with him

Always has his arm around your shoulder or waist so everyone knows to not try anything with you

During the night he holds onto you so tightly you feel like you could suffocate

He just really doesn’t want anything to happen to you 😔

If you really don’t want to play the games he will cave and vote X

You mean way more to him than money

No matter how bad his debt is

*cough* 1 billion *cough*

In-ho:

Idk how you would get in the game in the first place cause he definitely wouldn’t let you but

Ya you are not dying

Has full control of the game and will do everything he can to make sure you don’t die

Even if it means playing unfairly

Tells the guards to not kill you even if you didn’t pass the game

Definitely tells the guards to give you extra food so you have energy 😭

You’re basically just gonna be playing the games on easy mode

Gi-hun:

Bro has nothing to lose besides you so he’s gonna do everything he possible can to keep you alive

Doesn’t let you go anywhere alone

Beats himself up about not trying harder to end the games because if he did then neither of you would be in this situation right now

Never sleeps because he knows that fights happen at night and he wants to make sure you’re safe

Would immediately put himself in danger if it meant you would be ok

Makes sure you pass the games before even worrying about himself

Dae-ho:

Does not take his eyes or hands off of you

Is not afraid to defend you either verbally or physically

Even tho he is freaked out about the games as well he doesn’t let it get to him and tells himself he has to be brave for you

Always puts your safety above his

Ends up getting no sleep at night because he’s so scared something is gonna happen to you

Always insists on giving you his food even tho he is hungry

In his mind, you matter more.

Myung-gi:

Wanted to keep playing the games but when he figured out you were there he voted for X as he wanted anything but for you to be dead or hurt

Will literally kill anyone who bad mouths you (that one scene when he killed Thanos because he said something about Jun-hee 🤭 rip Thanos 😞)

Doesn’t let you leave his sight for a second

During the special game where the lights went out and everyone was killing each other he just kept you behind him the entire time

Boy was ready to risk his life for you 😭

If you get separated during a game he will probably scold you out of worry before realizing that he’s literally yelling at you for something you couldn’t control

You better believe he won’t let you get separated from him again

Hyun-ju:

Girl would do absolutely anything to keep you alive

Holds your hand 24/7

You guys are NOT getting separated

Doesn’t care about herself

As long as you’re alive she’s ok

Would absolutely crash out if anything happened to you

If you wanted to join the revolt with them she would tell you no instantly

Because if you ended up dying and it was her fault she would never forgive herself

Can’t sleep because she wants to watch over you pt.2 😢

a/n: I hope you guys liked this!! I know I say that requests are closed rn but I will take requests for hcs !! Not for a singular character but if it’s for multiple characters I will gladly write it !!

[sthilarions]

I’ve been sitting for many months on a meta about what Edwin did and did not know about Charles’s history, because I think Crystal was wildly misunderstanding what he meant due to cultural mismatch, and I’m very curious as to what he did mean. I’ve been sitting on it because I’m not best pleased with how it’s come out but whatever here it is anyway

To start with: Crystal thinks Edwin calling Charles’s dad “rough” is a dismissal and reflects a misunderstanding of the physical facts of the situation. I do not. Crystal’s missing Edwin’s cultural context here. In Edwin’s time, extremely severe corporal punishment was completely normalized. Edwin would unquestionably have experienced it; that’s not headcanon, it’s just historical fact. In Edwin’s cultural context, a parent being “rough” - so violent/out-of-control it goes past even that level of normalized beating to be namably unusual - is… A Lot. If anything, what he’s picturing is, on a purely physical level, more extreme than what we actually see happening to Charles.

I also don’t really think he’s missed the psychological effects, either (as Crystal assumes he has), though this one’s more nebulous. He’s very careful, with how he expresses anger and disapproval around Charles; Charles is the one who explicitly says he avoids being visibly angry around Edwin, but we see Edwin being careful about it, too. Edwin gets harmlessly snippy about meaningless things, and trusts Charles won’t take it to heart, yeah (We have the same left!). But when there’s, like, actually a problem?

Charles smashed a very important magical item and Edwin just calmly said “Time for another discussion on your impetuous behavior.” Which is disapproving, yeah, but imagine what he’d’ve said if it were Crystal; and it is notably less disapproving (and less loud/emotional) than when Charles does things that are much less significant, suggesting Edwin has deliberately downshifted because they’re now in territory where he risks Charles taking him seriously.

Charles murders someone, brutally, while she isn’t fighting back, with, as far as Edwin knows, minimal provocation, and Edwin’s reaction is a careful, quiet, “Charles, that was… extreme.” Which, again, is negative, or at least Charles heard it as such, but it’s also so much less negative than it could have been. Than, frankly, it would be reasonable for it to have been.

The one time we see Edwin actually yell at Charles - when he’s deeply re-traumatized, is so worried about Charles he’s 90% out of his mind from that alone, and the other 10% from everything else, has lost almost all of his filters - he says what Charles did, putting himself in danger, is “so fucking stupid it’s unbelievable” (not Charles, incidentally, but what Charles did) and then immediately apologizes. He’s barely coherent and he takes about 15 seconds to start apologizing sincerely for having yelled at Charles.

Which is all one specific narrow thing, yeah. But, like, it shows something, you know? And what it shows is that Edwin is careful, with Charles. Not just instinctively kind and gentle in general, but protectively careful… in a way that specifically reflects a knowledge that Charles has certain Issues.

(Remember when he introduced himself with “I shan’t hurt you”, because he could tell Charles was afraid, even in the first few seconds? He’s had a lot of time, since then, to learn the exact shape of Charles’s fear.)

So what is Edwin missing, then? My best answer is that he’s missing Charles’s - and even more so Crystal’s - cultural context. He’s missing “we’re allowed to admit this isn’t okay now, we’re allowed to say how much it hurts, how much it fucks you up”. He’s missing not the physical facts of the matter; not even the emotional damage therefrom; but the fact that these things aren’t normal anymore. That you’re allowed to call this “abuse” instead of “discipline”.

His failure to make a connection in the Devlin house was because even if he’s started to adjust to modern expectations of child-rearing (though given that he still believes in hysteria, that may be giving him a bit too much credit) he still, on an instinctive level, doesn’t find this so unusual that it occurs to him Charles might make a specific mental association.

Like, yeah, Mr. Devlin axe-murdered his family and that’s a bit odd even for 1916 (though I will note filicide being blanketly illegal is more recent than you’d think). But Mr. Rowland didn’t axe-murder his family; the connection Charles is making isn’t through the act, it’s through the fact of abuse/control, and that would not ping as memorable to Edwin.

…anyway, as I said, I don’t really like how this meta ended up, tbh, largely because I don’t feel like I can convey well what I think Edwin did learn (the effect of differing cultural context) without talking about some very extreme topics that I do not want to address here. But, like -

TL;DR:

“Rough” means something different to Edwin than to Crystal (and most of the audience). Edwin almost definitely knew Charles was badly physically abused; this was not new information. He very probably knew Charles was psychologically affected by it; this was unlikely new information. The new information Crystal gave him was the cultural context of that abuse.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

I have so many feelings about Vander, he's such an interesting, flawed, sympathetic, tragic, and infuriating character. I'm obsessed with him.

He is introduced as this genuinely loving father and nurturing provider, he loves and wants more than anything to protect his kids. He is kind, he is stern, he is protective. The sheer devastation and fear in his eyes chained to a chair watching his little teenage daughter go to fight a man twice her size for his sake absolutely haunts me.

But looking back on his parenting objectively, it really was far from perfect. He parentified his oldest daughter and made her out to be responsible for the well-being of her siblings (Zaun seems to have a culture of free-range parenting, so his lack of supervision isn't a problem so much as the fact that he pressures his teenager to be the supervisor).

Furthermore, he's struck a deal with Grayson to keep enforcers out of the Lanes business in exchange for them not interfering with topside's affairs, but there is an obvious failure on Grayson's end to uphold her end of the deal. We see enforcers in the Lanes multiple times, in the Enemy mv, and also it's stated by Vi to Powder that one time enforcers chased Claggor until he got his foot stuck in a gutter, then proceeded to harass him and LEAVE HIM THERE where he wasn't found until morning. Like, Vander, the cops hassled your child and put him in a very dangerous situation, but you keep your mouth shut and do what they say? It's clear that his fear of another violent conflict has resulted in a problematic level of complacency where he allows violence to be enacted against his people but acts in fear of fighting back. Sevika was right to call him a coward.

But it's also clear that he does struggle with mental illness to some extent, which I truly truly wish was explored more because it's such an interesting aspect of who he is as a person. The way in which he lashes out at Silco is horrifying. Whether they were friends, lovers, or even just comrades at that point, it is clear that Vander did not have his mental health and his anger under control at that point in his life. And I think that's why he was so complacent. He wasn't afraid of the enforcers, he was afraid of himself. Afraid of what he would do if he let himself be involved in another conflict. Afraid of who he would hurt next, if he was so capable and willing to hurt people he cared about before. Benzo? Sevika? Vi? Powder? Mylo? Claggor? It is my genuine belief that when he said "there are worse things than enforcers out there," Benzo understood it to mean Silco or at least the other Chembarons, but Vander was fully talking about himself.

Then, in the main timeline, he is "saved" and turned into the very thing he'd spent the last several years of his life trying desperately not to be, even at the expense of his people's freedom-- a bloodthirsty, violent monster with no self control. In a way, Warwick is the person Vander used to be. The person who lashes out and hurts people he loves, but also is willing to go to any length of violence to protect them. I don't like the idea that Warwick's violence comes entirely from the animal or something external to Vander, it should be very clear that this monster is Vander.

I also think it's so interesting. When he finally becomes violent at the Cannery, and chokes Silco out again, it is only after his sons have been killed. In the AU, a lot of people criticize this idea that it depicts a "utopia" where Silco crawled back to his abuser after finding the letter, but I don't think that's what's being depicted. It's never stated or implied that he found the letter in the AU. What is stated/implied? Vander's daughter was killed. On a job that she took out of bitterness against topside. We know Silco didn't give a shit about Vi at that point, I don't see this triggering him to find the letter or come crawling back. But we saw in the main timeline, that when Vander loses his children, he's able to become the violent revolutionary he once was. Which is exactly what Silco wanted, so I reckon that's what happened. He came back to Silco, and they fought for Zaun together again.

Losing people he loves pulls violence out of Vander like nothing else.

He's just-- he contains such multitudes. He is all of these things. He is a kind, protective father and a nurturing provider. He is a flawed parent. He is a coward. He is a monster. He is a sick and violent man who is willing to hurt the people he loves. He is fiercely protective and driven to intense violence and madness when people he loves are killed.

Vander, the man that you are.

[fancyfeathers]

I’m not too familiar with DC, but I must say that yandere Batman would be absolutely terrifying (and super hot🤭)

What are your thoughts on this?👀

Bruce Wayne is one of the most terrifying yanderes in DC, not because he would ever hurt his darling, no he would never even dream of doing that, in my mind he is one of the most protective yanderes in the DC universe (the most protective being Clark Kent) especially after what happened to Jason.

But both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman he is absolutely terrifying, he has more money than fathomable to most and money can buy almost everything, gifts, silence, and anything in between. Now he would not use it like that unless it was completely necessary, it would just feed into the corruption of other individuals even if he is doing it for a good cause. Then Batman is self explanatory, not only is he built like an absolute tank but practically everyone knows not to mess around with him, he literally has contingency plans for every member of the Justice League if they need to be dealt with, there is literally no way of getting out of this one.

Now he wouldn’t kidnap his darling, it would be selfish and-

Well those circumstances would certainly change if his darling was put in danger. Like say if his darling was caught up in a hostage situation or got injured during a crisis, she would be heavily injured either way so she would have to let him help her out of there. Of course she does not expect to wake up in a bed in Wayne Manor with her wounds stitched and wrapped up with Bruce Wayne sitting in a chair beside her, acting as if her being here was the most normal thing.

Then not to mention his kids, good luck getting out of there without someone spotting his darling. Like just picture Bruce catching his darling trying to sneak out and Damian is right behind his father, silently letting you know that he was the one who snitched.

Also yes he is very hot, like there is no other way to put it here.

[expectiations]

The Doctor does NOT and has NEVER loved River Song (And If You Think Otherwise, You Must Be Watching a Different Show)

Listen, folks. It’s time to face the facts. The Doctor has NEVER loved River Song. Not even a little bit. And I have 17 rock-solid, completely canonical, absolutely not contradictory reasons to prove it:

He only took her to Calderon Beta to show her the starriest night in the universe on her first night in space jail, which was also their honeymoon night. A night that is literally impossible to replicate with anyone else ever again. But no, not romantic. At. All. Just two people who happen to be married, spending a totally meaningless night under the stars.

He only stuck around for the mystery of her and once it was solved, he… checks notes …continued planning elaborate dates, risked his life for her, wrote her poetry, spent centuries in her company, and doing domestics with her. But yeah. Definitely just a phase.

He kept an entire diary to track their time together. But that’s normal, right? Just an intergalactic, timey-wimey version of a Google Calendar for the woman he definitely does not feel any sort of romance for.

He was willing to let all of time and space collapse just so they could have a linear married life. You know, because that’s what you do for a woman you have no strong romantic feelings for whatsoever.

He planned intricate dates just for her, dressed up for the occasion despite usually looking like a sentient pile of laundry, and bought her custom-tailored outfits so they could match. You know, just friendly little outings. Buddies. Chums. Mates.

Whenever she calls, he comes. No matter the situation, no matter how much danger he’s in, he drops everything and rushes to her side. He’s probably just really into checking his voicemail.

He wrote her love poetry. But, like, strictly in a platonic way. Just some totally neutral iambic pentameter for the fun of it.

Despite being universally known for his terrible time management, he is always perfectly on time for her. Which, of course, doesn’t mean anything. He just suddenly became a scheduling genius when she was around.

He keeps asking her to travel with him. Like, repeatedly. Like, he can’t take the hint that she has a life outside of running around in space. Almost like he wants her there. But that would be ridiculous.

The entire universe knows that the easiest way to lure the Doctor into a trap is to put River in danger. Because he will always come for her. But that’s not love. That’s just… reflexes.

He “only” took her to Darillium because he was lonely. And then, in an act of sheer, meaningless, absolutely not-love-driven desperation, he spent 24 years (and more) being domestic with her. Just hanging out. Not a big deal.

He built a whole planet just so they could have a little more time together. You know, because nothing says "total indifference" like terraforming an entire celestial body.

An entire archipelago, famously known as "The Lovers Dreaming Island", exists where the islands literally form the shape of their intertwined bodies. That’s just standard planet-building, really. All geography is accidental.

He physically defied the laws of the universe to hold onto her data ghost. The whole "ghosts can’t be touched" thing? He literally said, "Mmm, no thanks" then proceeded to french kiss her goodbye. But that’s really just the kind of farewell you give to someone you were forced to be with.

He keeps a spare TARDIS key inside a book called The Time Traveler’s Wife. No significance whatsoever. Probably just the only book lying around.

Her words gave him hope when nothing else could. Her voice became his mantra. But no, not love. Just, you know, some lady saying things.

But yeah, sure, he never loved her. The universe must be wrong. The Doctor must be wrong. The literal geography of an archipelago must be wrong. The foundations of time itself must be wrong. Or… maybe the Doctor is just the most emotionally repressed idiot in the cosmos, and we’ve all spent years watching a romantic tragedy disguised as sci-fi nonsense.

Final Conclusion: The Doctor absolutely, 100%, definitively does not love River Song. And if you believe that, I have a prime piece of real estate in the Medusa Cascade to sell you.

[lilislegacy]

https://www.tumblr.com/fate-of-the-envious/748795886289780736/concerning-snippets-from-pjo-chalice-of-the-gods?source=share

So, I'm neutral on Percabeth, but this post kind of has a point.

Do you have any counter arguments for these points? I want to keep an open mind and you seem like you'd have some good arguments.

Anon, thank you for the ask. I typically don’t respond to requests that want me to talk about someone else’s post, but I have some serious points to make here and I mean business. I am not trying to start anything or call OP out; I am just stating my own personal interpretation of this scene, along with other quotes that I will inform you all of, and the possible issues brought up. Nobody go attack OP. They have a right to believe what they believe and to post what they want.

For those who don’t click the link (though I think you should), the original poster is discussing the scene in Chalice of the Gods where Annabeth pushes Percy off the cliff into the water. The post basically says that Annabeth endangered him by not telling him what was going to happen, pushed him into dirty, unsafe water, and is responsible for him getting harmed and bloodied up. Then they say that this is proof that Percabeth is an unhealthy relationship.

So, I have two major thoughts on this post, and one major problem with it.

My first thought: I think it goes back to the same thing that the judo flip does. Was it the best way to do things? No. But was she abusing him? No.

I feel like people keep trying to act as if Percy and Annabeth are regular human beings. They are not. Can we as a fandom PLEASE stop acting like they have similar experiences, expectations, and physical limitations as regular people? As if they don't almost die on a consistent basis? As if danger isn't part of their everyday life?

The words “push him off a cliff” are alarming to us because we imagine a giant mountainside and immediate death. But that was far from the case here. She pushed him off a little hillside ledge into some water. Could a regular human get hurt from that? Sure. But again: they are NOT human. They are half-god. They are hybrids—humanoids, even. They don't get hurt or feel pain like we do. How many freaking times have they been slammed into concrete walls by giants? Pounced on by huge mythical creatures? Slashed, stabbed, and wounded by vicious monsters? Stuff that would immediately kill any one of us? A LOT. And each time, they are fine.

He is not going to get hurt like we would, and since she's the same way, she knows that.

My second thought, which I cannot stress enough:

She pushed him... into WATER. You know, his godly element—the thing that, when he's in it, puts him at his most powerful state; the same thing that heals any injuries he has; the thing over which he has total control and in which he spends most of his time.

By pushing him into the water, Annabeth put him in the safest possible scenario. Are people not reading the scene? The only way Percy was going to complete the quest (and it had to be him who did it) AND beat the river god was by being in the water. It gives him control over the situation.

Now for my major problem: The original post gives false information and takes everything out of context.

If you actually read the book, you’ll see that Annabeth KNEW he would be able to breathe because the water was not dirty where she pushed him in. In fact, right before he goes in, Percy states that the water below was “clear as glass, free of snakes, and just begging to be canonballed into” (pg. 126). Need I say more? (Don’t worry, I’m about to.)

THEN he says, “On the downside, it was ringed by sheer cliffs, with no obvious way down unless I wanted to ride the rapids downriver through Serpent Town.” So he knew he needed to jump in because that was the safest way for him to get there.

THEN Annabeth suggests, “You could jump in with the staff,” and Percy quite literally says, “Sure,” so now Annabeth knows he’s willing to jump down into it. But then Percy follows with, “The problem is climbing back up.”

However, Annabeth, ever so prepared, pulls out a rope. So Percy does have a safe way back up. She’s got him.

Then Percy remembers the river god and suggests that they take some time and make a plan, but then, from afar, they hear Grover start playing music, which means the deadly snakes were now all after Grover. Percy then goes, “The clock has started. Grover is in trouble.” And Annabeth says, “Times up.” That’s when she pushes him over.

He was going to jump in no matter what. That WAS planned. They discussed it. They were going to discuss a plan for what would happen if the river god showed up, but since their best friend was now in danger and both of their priorities were to protect him, they did not have time to make a plan. So Annabeth put the plan in action KNOWING that he would be okay in the water.

The only reason he got hurt—AFTER he landed safely and completely unharmed in the water—was because the river god attacked him, which was going to happen regardless when he tried to mess with the river. And then guess what happens IMMEDIATELY after the river god hurts him? The water—that Annabeth pushed him into, mind you—HEALED him. Just like it always has. Just like Annabeth knew it would if something were to happen.

The original post did not give half the information. It made it seem like Percy had no idea what was going to happen and that they hadn’t discussed it at all. The original post tells everyone that the water was filthy and that Annabeth didn’t know if he could breathe in it. The original post tells everyone that Percy was harmed BECAUSE of the jump. The original post tells everyone that it’s Annabeth’s fault that the river god harmed Percy—none of which are the case at all. The post is just a bunch of false statements coupled with out-of-context screenshots designed to manipulate people into feeling like they have to hate Annabeth Chase. It’s fine to not like Percabeth, but this post manipulates both the book and the viewers. Now, it’s fine to post opinions, but THIS aspect is not okay.

Now, could Annabeth have said, “Hurry! Jump!!”? Yes, she could have. That would have been the more gentle thing to do. But this was clearly a moment where a girlfriend thought it would be funny to push her boyfriend into some water—that he was about to dive into—instead of him jumping. No one here has ever pushed someone into a pool or off a diving board? Huh? I think it shows that their relationship is safe and comfortable enough that they can do things like that without it being a big deal. I feel like in most demigod relationships, this would not be seen as an issue. The only reason it seems to be on a larger scale here is because it's from a significant height, which again I'll remind you: doesn't get hurt easily + gets healed and powered by water = no injury happening. Annabeth also knew that Percy was comfortable jumping down into the water. It seems like a harmless situation to me. She made the decision knowing full well that he would be okay and safe because the water protects him. And all the negative and scary things that happened afterward were because the river god didn't want Percy to mess with the river. But Percy needed to mess with the river. Annabeth pushing him in did not cause that conflict.

Also, people are giving Percy no credit??? Why are we acting like he’s a weak little baby? This is Perseus Jackson, two-time Hero of Olympus, son of the brutal sea god. This guy is tough as nails, and Annabeth knows that and has full confidence in his abilities. People get mad when she is all soft and gentle with him because she’s “babying him,” but then when she treats him like an equal, capable demigod, they get mad because “she’s abusing him.” After she pushes him, Percy literally says that by doing it, Annabeth had “full confidence in [his] abilities” (pg. 128). She trusted that he could handle it because they are demigods and they HAVE to be able to handle things like this. She has seen him go through far, far worse than landing in some clean water and facing a minor god. She believes in him.

And isn't it somewhere around this time that Percy teaches Magnus, Annabeth's cousin, how to survive spontaneous deep plunges into icy cold water? Percy is such an expert on this that he teaches her cousin how to do it. Additionally, Percy and Annabeth quite literally fell into Tartarus—a slightly further drop than this—together, and survived because at the last minute they hit water, which protected Percy. And physically, he was fine then too. Plunging into water from heights is not a new experience for this dude. In fact, he's on the diving team at school—a little different, since that's coordinated, but still—the guy is very used to hitting water from heights. It's quite literally a daily thing for him. The only thing that shocked him here was the temperature of the water. And, mind you, this man has been to the bottom of the ocean. He recovered very quickly. Do people really think Annabeth pushed him in without the complete and utter certainty that he would be completely fine? I cannot stress how casual this is for him.

I would also like to add that Percy was in no way actually upset at her. A tad annoyed? Maybe, if you want to stretch things even more. But then, like, 2 seconds later after the river events, he's saying how cute she is, saying he loves her, kissing her, and they are laughing together. He is fine. They are fine. And if the roles were reversed and Annabeth was a daughter of the sea god and Percy affectionately pushed her off a ledge into some water, it still wouldn't be concerning.

I really do appreciate people like OP here wanting to call out harmful relationships in fiction, and I am never afraid to criticize Rick Riordan. I myself have said that I don't like how Annabeth acted in Wrath of the Triple Goddess (though I hold that against Rick, not Annabeth, since Rick openly admits he's writing them differently now to mirror the TV show versions). But Percy and Annabeth have consistently demonstrated themselves as mature, responsible, and kind human beings who love and support each other and make each other feel very safe and valued. Everyone is welcome to have their opinions and post whatever, but I really do think we should channel these types of discussions towards far more deserving issues, especially those that actually have factual reasoning behind them rather than false claims.

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

"My boby moved on its own" is an SNS trope . Sasuke is the type of person who always does something for Naruto and then finds a logical reason to cover that up.

1. His reason for offering his bento to Naruto

2. His reason for looking after Naruto who had been training all night.

3. His reason for to Save Naruto from Haku's attack.

4. His reason for why he wasn't able to kill Naruto in vote1

5. His reason for protecting Naruto from Obito

It gets so intense every time he protects Naruto from Obito. And Naruto notices how Sasuke protecting him from the attacks every time. Even when his Susanoo is already protecting Naruto, his hand is also going there to shield him.

We've never seen Sasuke do anything like this for Sakura, while with Naruto it's pretty consistent throughout the series. And Why do you think Kishi made 5 scenarios like this to point that out? Sasuke wouldn't do this kind of thing for anyone else. Absolutely no one. So what impression does it make?

In this war arc, Sakura herself acknowledged to the fact that Sasuke didn't care about her:

When Sakura ran up to Madara to get stabbed, both Naruto and Kakashi were either terrified or shocked as she plunged on someone she couldn't deal with. And Sasuke's expression was completely different from the others, he was just focused on the opening to attack madara. Where are Sasuke's instincts when it comes to Sakura? And the one who saved her was Naruto. Look at her dejected face! Even she herself accepting the fact that Sasuke doesn't even worry or care about her. Also, Sasuke put Sakura and Kakashi in their place by calling them "useless" directly to their faces while they were being protected under his Susanoo.

You know, Naruto is the one who asks Kakashi and Sakura to stay closer to him...without knowing what's going on up there. And, Sasuke was talking specifically to Naruto to not move around when he comes down to Naruto and he didn't mention the other two. He only wanted to save Naruto with his Sasunoo from the infinite tsukuyomi, but Sakura and kakashi just happened to be near with Naruto.

And Sasuke himself openly said Kakashi and Sakura just happened to be next to Naruto and that's all! Once again Sakura looked so dejected and realizes it even more in this scene. It's very clear that Sasuke didn't care about kakashi & Sakura. When Sasuke summons a hawk , and Naruto points to the right and says, "Sasuke!! Over there!!" to help Kakashi and Sakura, but Sasuke only saves Naruto

We know that Naruto cares about others and Sasuke knows this very well. And Sasuke is the character who will PROTECT those he cares about in dire situations. And who has he been saving repeatedly? NARUTO. But what Sasuke says and his actions are an underscoring for Naruto to prioritize his own safety and life in the war. Sasuke has a valid point that everything would be over if he and Naruto were to die, but it doesn't erase the fact that he doesn't care about Sakura and Kakashi and almost let them die because he was busy saving Naruto, a person who wasn't even in danger to begin with.

Simply put, he would protect Naruto, no matter what. And all Sasuke's actions are completely and purely instinctive and derived from his sub-consciousness.

To which Naruto said,

Raw: お��の言ってることも分かってるつもりだ... けど... こういう時は体が勝手に動いちまうもんだ ろ... 橋での時────

Romaji: omae no itteru koto mo wakatteru tsumori da ... kedo... kōiu toki wa karada ga katte ni ugoichimau mondaro ...kyōde no tokiーーー

Literal: I think I understand what you're saying. But...in this situation, a body moves on its own (unconciously)... Just like that time on the bridgeーーー

What he meant: " just like your body moved on its own to save me on the bridge.... my body also move on its own to save Kakashi & Sakura". Because Naruto does care about Kakashi & Sakura. Therefore, he cannot ignore them falling into the lava and dying.

The Land of the Waves arc, specifically the battle with Haku and Sasuke's sacrifice, was pivotal to Naruto and Sasuke's relationship, as they both realized for the first time how important and deeply they care for each other. It was a very emotional moment for both of them.

When they came back from Land of waves, Naruto couldn't even look at him without blushing, and then Sasuke couldn't even look at him at all. They'd rather die in this moment than admit that how much they care for each other, but their actions speak louder than words.

Whenever something happens between these two, there are always other characters pointing out what's going on. After they return to Konoha, Kishi uses Sakura to point this out, even though it's clearly visualized in the panel:

Raw: あ〜〜〜まだだわ!

Romaji: a〜〜〜madadawa!

Literal: Ahh〜〜〜 Not again!

Raw: この2人...波の国から帰って来てからちょっ と変���のよね...

Romaji: kono 2 nin...ha no kuni kara kaettekite kara chotto hennanoyone...

Literal: These two... have been acting somewhat/ a bit weird ever since we came back from the land of waves...

Raw: づ〜〜〜 何だか気詰まり...

Romaji: zu〜〜〜 nandaka kizumari...

Literal: oh〜〜〜 I feel ill at ease for some reason....

Raw: 早く来い来い! カカシ先生!! じゃーんなろー!!

Romaji: hayaku koikoi! kakashi sensei !! Shānnarō!!

Literal: Hurry up and get here! Kakashi-Sensei!!

Notes:

変な (henna) - strange; odd; peculiar; weird; queer; eccentric; suspicious; fishy; disturbance; funny; abnormal; unusual etc... It is used as a colloquial word that has many meanings.

何だか気詰まり (nandaka kizumari): somehow I feel awkward; Somehow I feel uncomfortable; I don't know why, but I feel ill at ease.

• the author choose the length of prolonged sound mark (ーーー) longer to implying that the sound is prolonged for longer than normal. e. g: Naruto saying "Time on the bridge."

• prolonged sound mark → a wave line (〜〜〜) is used instead of a straight line (ーー)...this often represents a deliberate prolonging of the sound by the character who speaks it or just a trembly, shaky voice of the character.

Only Naruto and Sasuke knew what happened on the bridge, others like Sakura and Kakashi didn't know about it or not very clear about what exactly happened there. Later, Sasuke & Naruto didn't talk about it, but this scene always comes at crucial moments that point to their "precious person". Finally after 5 years, saving Naruto from falling into the lava leads to Naruto talking about what happened on the bridge.

Sasuke saves Naruto even when he knows Naruto could have saved himself because of Kyuubi Mode, but Sasuke has been known to save Naruto even when he doesn't need saving. We also know that Sasuke would rather give Naruto a stupid and lame excuse than tell the truth straight to Naruto's face. So, this isn't the first time Sasuke prioritize Naruto over Sakura, a pattern that has been repeating since Kishi introduced Sasuke to the story in Chapter 3.

Naruto's feelings for Sasuke grew stronger at this point. After everything Naruto had been through and talking to Sasuke every time they met, Naruto knew for sure that Sasuke still cared for him. Naruto could see through Sasuke's actions. Naruto truly understand and knows that Sasuke cares for him and that's why he mentioned what happened in the Land of Waves.

Naruto only says "bridge", but of course Sasuke knows that he was talking about that time at "The Bridge in the Land of Waves."

Sasuke had a reaction to Naruto's words. No matter what Naruto says, he wouldn't say anything... Sasuke is probably trying to show that he's "unfazed," but in reality, he might be "fazed" because Naruto has seen through his heart.

Sasuke's reaction... His facial expression is hidden by his hair and "not visible," but this "invisibility" stirs up the reader's imagination

And he's confidently teasing Sasuke: "Even though I asked you to save them, you saved me...because your body moved on its own... because you cared about me. so I'm sure you understand my feelings to save them....Sasuke"

However, the "meaning" of this conversation...is something only Naruto and Sasuke can understand and it's their extremely personal thing (because the events on that "bridge" are memories shared only by the two of them). Kakashi & Sakura certainly not aware of this peculiar phenomenon that is unconsciously moving bodies.

Sakura's "inner words"... they really express her current feelings. Sakura is convince herself that what Sasuke says is "reasonable." Look at what Sakura says, she herself agrees with Sasuke: "It's as Sasuke-kun says (we're useless)... but (thank you, Naruto for caring about us)...." Sasuke didn't care about her desperate attempts to get his attention. And Even she herself acknowledged it, you know!

Years ago Naruto & Sasuke couldn't even look at each other pretending nothing happened, but now Naruto was talking about it with confidence. And he's clearly flirting with Sasuke.

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for qwertynerd97 behind the cut; “but it’s weird that it happened twice”. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“The lab dangerous to use right now?” Tucker asks, because he seriously never knows when the Fentons have put in some new security systems or booby traps, though usually the answer is “always”. Which, welllll . . . 

“The lab is literally always dangerous, man,” Danny says, so yeah, that’s still a thing. “Probably won’t kill us right now, though, so it’s our best option. C’mon, let’s get going, just in case Mom and Dad actually do find something. Like, it’s Amity, I’m not gonna assume they aren’t gonna actually find a ghost out there.” 

“Yeah, point,” Tucker agrees with a grimace, tucking his PDA away again and pushing his glasses up his nose. Badly-timed ghosts are very much a recurring theme in their lives. Actually they’re a major recurring theme in their lives, even these days. Heck, for a while in there, they just were their lives. 

Tucker is so, so glad they’re gotten genre-savvy in their own lives, but man was it a process. 

Jazz leads the way down to the lab while Danny texts Sam and Val, and Tucker brings up the rear just in case Dani stumbles on the steps or anything. Superboy falls in step beside her, his posture lazy and his walk more a saunter than anything else, and Tucker suffers about it. It does not make it easy to concentrate on Dani, is all he’s gonna say. Like, he’s doing it, but it is frankly painful. 

God, why is this dude so pretty. Why is that a thing? Tucker really did not realize he was into dudes, much less this into dudes. 

Okay, well, technically so far it’s just been this one specific dude, and to be fair Superboy is a pretty impressive one specific dude, but seriously, he is this into the guy? Just–seriously? 

Tucker is going to have to reexamine so many things about himself after this bullshit gets fixed. Like, just so, so many. 

“So like what kinda lab we talkin’ here, am I gonna feel right at home or am I gonna feel like I’m there to punch a bad guy?” Superboy asks Dani, cocking an eyebrow curiously. “Which admittedly those lines are a little blurred for me personally, but just like the general vibes.” 

“I dunno, it’s a lab?” Dani wrinkles her nose, then just shrugs. “Lotta chrome, never heard of OSHA, better-lit than Vlad’s.” 

“Who’s Vlad?” Superboy asks. 

“A very punchable dude,” Dani snorts, rolling her eyes, and Superboy laughs. 

“Oh, you the punchin’ type, boo?” he asks, draping an arm across her shoulders and tugging down his glasses to shoot her a flirty leer over the top of them. “‘Cuz I could get behind that, personally, that’s right up my alley.” 

Dani looks briefly bemused, then incredibly delighted, and cackles gleefully. Possibly over the promise of future punching or possibly over getting called “boo”; situation unclear there. Tucker has some maybe-weird feelings about the flirting thing despite being perfectly aware of both who Superboy very unsubtly is as a person and of Dani’s total disinterest in ever developing impulse control and both of their very loud and enthusiastic attention-seeking tendencies.

Maybe it’s just that it might be weird to solve a problem for Danny via bringing over a dude who’s gonna hit on his clone/daughter/sister/cousin while they’re trying to save her life? Because that would maybe be weird, Tucker can admit how that would maybe be weird. 

Though he hasn’t really heard Dani laugh in a while, so . . . yeah, that could be worse, for sure. 

“Like I’m gonna share the punching, please,” Dani scoffs, flipping her mussed ponytail over her shoulder. “Punching’s all mine, Superfly, I got dibs.” 

“I dunno, how fast you get, boo?” Superboy teases, and she laughs again. “We can work it out the old-fashioned way if you wanna just race it.” 

“You can try, if you think you can keep up,” Dani replies smugly, making a show of examining her nails. Superboy laughs too, and she grins up at him, and Tucker maybe feels like–

Then Dani’s mouth tightens, and her eyes flare, and she–flickers. 

Crap, Tucker thinks, and Superboy’s arm sinks a few inches into Dani’s shoulders as her tangibility stutters, and he yanks it back, and her face goes dead-white and her eyes glow, and Tucker curses and Danny whips around and Jazz whips around a beat slower than him as her hand snaps reflexively to the pocket she’s been keeping the Ecto-Dejecto in and–

Dani makes a choking sound, and it’s probably just as reflexive when she reaches out with a fumbling, halfway phased-out hand, and she’s probably meaning to reach for Danny, but her legs and feet go just intangible enough to drop her into the stairs and she goes straight down. Danny lunges down for her, not even taking the instant it’d take him to transform but already phasing to try and match her tangibility. 

And Superboy snaps out his own hand and catches hers, and it–doesn’t slip. 

Tucker–blinks. 

Wait. What–? 

Then Dani’s intangibility phases Superboy, and they both fall straight down. Dani shrieks and Superboy yells, and they both disappear through the steps as Danny throws himself after them. Jazz is already whipping back around to barrel down the stairs, the epi-pen full of Ecto-Dejecto already clutched in her fist. Tucker runs after her so fast he nearly ends up falling down them face-first, his heart in his throat as he thinks–is Dani destabilizing again or was that just a flicker, is she already melting, is she already melted, is she– 

And he thinks, in a more pragmatic and matter-of-fact and genre-savvy part of his brain: how the frick did Superboy catch Dani’s hand? 

He also has some really complicated and unnecessary feelings about how Superboy didn’t let go of Dani’s hand when she phased him out and dragged him down with her. Like–that is standard superhero shit, Tucker reminds himself. Like–yeah. That’s standard. Fully normal and typical. 

But he’s definitely still having some weird feelings about watching the guy go right through the stairs with Dani without knowing jack shit about what was happening and not even hesitating. 

Okay, well . . . at least he picked a real ride-or-die type for this, Tucker guesses.

[jeannyjaykaydeh]

Merry Sinsmas (Part 2)

Alastor x Reader

Some of you have asked me if I could write a sequel. So, here it is. I hope you like it. :)

———————————————————————————

And there you are. Directly in front of the radio demon. Under a sprig of mistletoe. And everyone around you is expecting you to kiss him.

Including him.

Smug as he is, he grins down at you. Expecting you to submit to tradition and pressure.

How much you would love to.

How much you would love to give in to it all. Surrender to him.

And the longer you stare into his beautiful, ruby red eyes, the more you realise how incredibly in love with him you are.

But that simply can't be! No! That would be your downfall!

A relationship with Alastor would never have a future. He's a demon - no - he's THE radio demon. Dangerous. Feared.

He murdered people when he was alive. And possibly enjoyed it.

Would he even be capable of love?

"Come on now, doll," Angel urges you on his behalf and on behalf of everyone who is staring at you as intensely as if they were waiting for the show of the year, "it's just a kiss. Nothing wild."

You look to the others.

Charlie grins like a rainbow unicorn that's been eaten up by romance. Vaggie doesn't look like she approves of what's going on, but there's a certain curiosity in her eyes, too. Husk looks like he always does: unmotivated, bored, annoyed.

Niffty has a look of madness in her eye. It's a look that sends a cold shiver down your spine, but her grin reveals that she too wants to see this love that seems to be in the air here in action.

Then you look at Alastor again. He is standing in front of you, in his upright, elegant posture, with his arms behind his back. He probably hasn't even blinked the whole time.

What is he thinking right now? You don't know. You just can't read him.

You sigh. Then you gather all your strength and slowly shake your head.

"No. I don't want to," you say quietly.

Alastor raises an eyebrow. You hear annoyed groans from the others.

"Spoilsport," Angel condemns you with a teasing undertone as he strokes your head once to show that he means no harm by what he says to you.

You walk past Alastor and up the grand staircase to your room.

----------------------

You sit on the large windowsill of your room and gaze thoughtfully through the huge pane of glass, which offers you a breathtaking view of the Pentagram City skyline.

It's hard to believe how beautiful hell can actually be.

Speaking of beautiful: your thoughts wander to Alastor. As so often lately. And even more often since the mistletoe incident.

It was just a few days ago.

Since then, you've hardly dared to leave your room. The whole situation was so unpleasant for you, you just don't know how to deal with it now if you meet Alastor again.

You don't know anything anymore.

Suddenly there's a knock on your bedroom door.

"Yes?" you call out and shortly afterwards the door opens. Angel enters your room and comes towards you.

He sits down next to you on the windowsill.

"Well, little one?" he starts his greeting and gives you a touching smile.

"How much longer are ya going to isolate yourself? Do ya think you can hide in your room for all eternity?"

He chuckles slightly, because as sympathetic as he is to you right now, he also finds your behaviour a little amusing.

You shrug your shoulders: "I don't know. Maybe Alastor will be redeemed one day in four hundred years or so and then I can move around the hotel freely again."

Angel laughs softly. He knows just as well as you do that the idea of Alastor being redeemed is the most unrealistic thing imaginable.

"And what exactly are ya hiding from?" he asks curiously.

You reply: "I have no idea. I guess from embarrassment again."

"And do ya think it was only ya who was embarrassed?"

You look at Angel Dust. Your expression shows surprise and questions in response to his question.

"What do you mean?"

He puts both hands on your shoulders and fixes his gaze on you.

"Y/N," he sighs at your naivety, "sure, maybe it wasn't the most tactful of us to push ya into a corner like that and it's also yer right not to want to kiss someone."

He wipes a strand of hair from your face and continues: "But ya don't seem to realise how much Smiles likes ya. The way he looks at ya every day, that happiness in his eyes, and I could swear his permanent smile at those moments is a genuine smile for once. For months, this buck has been trying to get ya round, which we all notice, and ya keep turning him down. And the expression in yer eyes when ya see him is no different to his. Girl, we don't just see the tension between ya two, we feel it as soon as ye're both in the same room. And it's starting to hurt to watch ya still resisting it, even though it's clear that Alastor is exactly what ya want. Ya both really need to fuck. So please, do it already."

You look at Angel and raise an eyebrow. You can't suppress a slight giggle at his strange speech.

"Oh man, you're out of your mind," you reply jokingly, looking at him with a grin.

He laughs and replies, shaking his head: "Eh, no, YOU are out of your mind. After all, I'm not the one who's stupid enough to have broken the radio demon's heart."

Your laughter stops abruptly and you blink at Angel in surprise: "What? I broke his heart?"

"Absolutely, sweetie! Even if creepy voice master would never admit it, but I think I've known him long enough to realise that he was definitely not happy after yer rejection. Which is understandable, ya embarrassed him like that instead of just pulling yerself together and giving him a fucking kiss."

You broke Alastor's heart? What is Angel talking about? Is it even possible to break this man's heart? Does he even have a heart?

You think about it.

And the more often you replay this scenario in your mind's eye, the clearer it becomes to you how outrageously you behaved towards him.

It wasn't the fact that you didn't want to kiss him that was rude, no, it was that you went against your own feelings. That you treated him so disparagingly and he simply went out of his way to show you what a gentleman he was and that he seemed to be genuinely interested in you.

And that you don't admit to yourself how much you're in love with him, even though that's exactly what he deserves.

An uneasy feeling spreads through your chest. It's pity. Pain.

Poor Alastor!

Suddenly you leap from your windowsill and walk resolutely towards your bedroom door.

"Hey, what are ya doing?" Angel calls after you, curious and puzzled.

"Throwing myself into embarrassing situations," you answer him and hurry out of your room.

-----------------------

You hurry down the stairs into the lobby - Angel is right behind you.

As expected, you find the others there: Charlie, Vaggie, Niffty, Husk - and Alastor. They are all busy preparing the Hazbin Hotel for the next upcoming celebration: The New Year's Eve party.

Charlie and Vaggie are decorating, Niffty is cleaning, Husk is setting up the bar and Alastor is standing there in his usual elegant pose with both hands on his staff, giving instructions to his shadow demons, who are eagerly lending a hand.

You walk purposefully towards the radio demon - he doesn't notice you at first and when his gaze finally falls on you, it's too late for him to react, because you stand in front of him quite quickly, immediately grab the man by the collar of his coat, pull him down to you and press a short but intense kiss to his lips.

And his lips feel really good! Wow!

As you break away from him, you hear the brief, startled static and his wide eyes, which stare at you briefly but quickly return to their arrogant state. Alastor's grin widens slightly as he looks down at you.

"WOOOOOH!" cheers Angel, clapping his hands. Charlie joins in, Niffty claps along and Vaggie and Husk just stand there with their mouths open, as if they can't believe what's just happened.

Just like you.

Because only now do you really realise what you've done.

Why did you do that?

You look at Alastor, astonished and confused. Your own action has left you speechless, but you can see from the look on his face that he is waiting for an explanation.

"That- um," you start to stammer, "well, I still owed you a kiss... Because, about, um. Mistletoe and all that."

You pause for a moment as you notice Alastor looking at you with a raised eyebrow, amused at the way you're stammering.

You take a deep breath, then start again. With a serious expression and an honest look in his eyes, you say: "Al, I'm very bad at this sort of thing. Romantic gestures in public can really put me off and I generally have massive commitment issues. But the fact is that I kind of like you and I've realised that I should jump over my own shadow and give it a chance between us."

And that's where you stand now: with your trousers metaphorically down. You've poured your heart out in public and shown your weakness to the guy you should never show your weakness to. Your pulse is rising. The stress level in your head is high. You can feel the blush creep into your cheeks and take on the colour of his coat.

There is a brief but uncomfortable silence between you. So uncomfortable that it seems like hours, even though it's only a few seconds.

Alastor looks down at you with a surprised expression and a frozen grin.

And then the radio demon suddenly bursts out: "Hohohoho! Now that's what I call a surprise. Tell me, my dear, how are you feeling right now? Judging by your red cheeks, this must be more unpleasant for you than the moment I confronted you with the mistletoe."

Wait a minute! What?!

Horror spreads across your face. And questions. That's not the reaction you were expecting.

Well, actually, that's exactly the reaction you'd expect from Alastor.

But then again, you assumed that you had broken his heart.

"W- why are you laughing?" you ask meekly and anxiously.

You feel a little stupid right now.

Alastor tries to get his laughter under control again to give you an answer.

He puts a hand on your shoulder and replies: "Sweetheart, what makes you think you've hurt me? Me? Because of some pathetic mistletoe? Haha! Oh, that's downright hilarious!"

Your gaze falls on Angel Dust. "You said that-"

Angel grins sheepishly and replies, "Oh come on. As if I or any other cock here knows what's going on in Radiodaddy's head. Alastor's a walking enigma and he'll always be one."

So Angel just made it all up to get you to finally take the initiative. He just wanted to see you kiss the radio demon.

Furious, you shout at him: "YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Well, ah, ah! My dear! Watch your choice of words," Alastor admonishes you, "look on the bright side: you've finally managed to come out of your shell and now I know what's really going on inside you and that my advances weren't in vain."

You bury your face in your hands.

Then this difficult step that you finally managed to take was completely in vain.

Fuck!

You're so embarrassed.

----------------------

It's New Year's Eve. The party at the Hazbin Hotel is in full swing. Everyone is drunk out of their minds.

You're having an incredible amount of fun together, the music is good and the games Charlie has come up with amuse everyone who joins in.

But at some point, like at any party where alcohol is flowing, you feel the need for some fresh air - if you can call those smelly fumes that are spreading through hell fresh.

You excuse yourself and go out the door. You look down from the hill at the city lights and can hear the other inhabitants of Pentagram City celebrating from a distance.

You put your cup, which is filled with a sugary cocktail, to your lips and take a big sip.

You realise that you are already very woozy.

Suddenly you notice a hand moving out of the corner of your eye towards the cup at your mouth and taking it away from you.

"Hey!" you exclaim and are startled when you see Alastor next to you.

He shakes his head with mock indignation and says: "Oh, my little deerling, don't you ever learn from your mistakes? You barely manage to get through a day without embarrassment and then you still dare to pour yourself full of alcoholic drinks."

He takes a look at your cup, raises an eyebrow sceptically, takes a quick sniff and then grimaces in disgust. Cocktails really aren't his thing.

But the glass filled with whisky he's holding in his other hand is his thing.

You may be well drunk, but you still have the ability to notice that the radio demon is in the same mood.

He's trying to mask it and continue to maintain his mysterious, elegant demeanour, but it's clear he's having a pretty hard time of it right now.

"Well," you reply, shrugging your shoulders, "I've got nothing to lose now anyway."

"Hmmm," the man hums happily and slightly judgementally to himself. Then he says: "Do you know what your problem is, my dear?"

"You?"

A short laugh escapes him.

"Ah, hahaha. Hilarious. Oh yes."

He likes your joke, but feels a little offended at the same time, which is revealed by the dark undertone behind his laughter.

He continues: "You're trying too hard. Either you don't want to stand out or, if you fail to do so, you're trying far too hard to avoid the centre of attention."

"I see," you reply sceptically, "and what would be your advice for me?"

"Advice?" he asks in mock surprise, "hahaha! No, I don't have an advice at all. Oh no, little doe, I'm having incredible fun seeing you so pathetic. I'm just taking advantage of it."

You grimace. Anger rises in you. You turn your gaze away from him, cross your arms in front of your chest and stare silently into the distance.

And suddenly Alastor says something that throws you completely off course: "But I don't want to be like that, because - as you probably already know - I like you too. My advice would probably be that you should learn more from me. As Angel said a few days ago: I'm an enigma. None of you deluded souls could have guessed that you hurt me with your rejection on Christmas Day. Because none of you would have believed me capable of it."

Your gaze wanders to him again. You look at him, shocked and surprised by his words.

He's just openly said that he likes you? And has he just admitted that you hurt him after all?

Is he serious? Or is he just taking the piss?

Or is that perhaps the alcohol talking?

"So I did hurt you after all?" you ask without restraint.

He narrows his eyes menacingly and replies: "I hope you realise that this will stay between us, right?"

A warmth spreads through your chest - and it's definitely not the alcohol - and you're overcome with joy.

So he really likes you.

He seems to have a genuine interest in you.

And jumping over your shadow was not in vain.

Now you know: You are ready! Ready to embrace this feeling. Ready to get involved in a new relationship. Ready to get involved with this man.

A smile plays around your lips and you look at him in love.

"Ah, that smile suits you beautifully, my dear. You should show it to me more often," Alastor comments on your facial expressions with a warm look as he puts his hand on your cheek.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you at Christmas, Al," you whisper, looking intently into his eyes.

His smile widens a little, then he turns on his heel towards the door and holds out his elbow for you to hook onto.

"Let's go back inside, my dear. The evening is still young and the party is too good to miss. And believe me when I tell you that I know a thing or two about a good party. There was never a better party than in the Roaring Twenties. Ahaha!"

You catch up with him and you walk towards the hotel door together.

Alastor opens it and holds it open for you - like the gentleman he is.

You walk past him and enter the lobby. Alastor follows you, he walks upright and elegantly with his arms behind his back. He walks right behind you into the hotel and suddenly you feel him lean down a little and whisper in your ear:

"It's midnight in two hours, sweetheart. And you know by now that I'm a man of tradition. Where I come from, it's customary to kiss at the turn of the year, otherwise it's bad luck in the new year."

You look him in the eyes and giggle. A suggestive smile spreads across your lips and you reply while winking at him: "Don't worry. Unlike mistletoes, the New Year's Eve custom also exists in my home country."

@stattikdemon @coffeesefied

[lyricailove]

Does it ever hit you that because of Frank and Monica's emotional detachment, all of the Gallagher's seek out affection from romantic partners? But like to an almost obsessive degree.

Fiona's is obvious. She's hypersexual and falls in love easily. She will downplay her issues with Frank as something she's grown used to, but it's clear that it still affects her. She also does the same when it comes to Monica but I feel like her hostility towards other women comes from how she doesn't trust Monica, doesn't really trust herself, and sees those insecurities on other women. Ex: Her treatment of Mandy and distrust of her around Lip.

Lip is a classic case of a man dealing with his mommy issues by making it every woman's problem. He's hostile towards his romantic partners when they want a real commitment from him and he talks to women with so much disrespect that it's a wonder someone hasn't stomped his ass out yet. He's especially harsh towards his own sisters even though they've been the one's who have been there for him. He may hate Frank but he's noticeably giving and extremely forgiving towards men, even those he's only known for a short while. Almost like the story about the turtle was just as much about him hoping that he could fix Frank as it was about Frank crushing his hopes of a real father figure.

Ian being groomed is in no way his fault and is the fault of the creeps who pursued him. But I can't ignore the fact that Frank's abuse and neglect opened him up the further abuse he suffered at the hands of Kash and Ned. It's no coincidence that both Kash and Ned shower Ian with gifts and compliments about how impressive, smart, and mature he is.

Debbie 1. deals with comphet in the first few seasons, and 2. Feels ignored by her family so she tries to create her own family. Debbie is visibly the one most affected by Frank's issues and even when she for all intents and purposes gives up on him, it still affects her. Frank's hurtful words about her only finding love with someone "just as fucked up as she is" pushes her to put consider a dangerous situation with Heidi. She's also someone who struggles with control issues because she needs to help other people. She's a problem solver by nature. It's just that the two problems she wishes she could solve more than anything are out of her hands (Frank and Monica). She can't fix Frank's addiction, his selfishness, or his abusive tendencies. She can't fix Monica's wanderlust, her avoidance, or her aversion to long-term commitment.

Carl is so good at masking his emotions. It's easy to miss. But then you notice things like his attachment to Fiona, his absolute devotion to the girls he likes, and his need to protect. Carl is hypersexual, even though I've seen it rarely brought up in fandom, and longs for a long-term girlfriend. When he does get girlfriends he's all in from the beginning. When Carl loves someone he is all about them. He's so casual when it comes to talking about Frank and Monica, but that doesn't mean those feelings aren't there and they aren't affecting him.

Liam is still young so we don't get to see him in a relationship. He's the one Gallagher who's consistently treated like an actual kid. Probably the one who has the best chance at healthy emotional attachments. But then again, Fiona leaving most likely did a number on him and we weren't privy to what that looks like for him because the latter seasons forgot how to do long-term storytelling and emotional payoff. All we know is that he doesn't remember Monica, Frank being gone makes him an orphan and he's worried about where he's gonna live because Lip forgot that Liam was technically under Frank's care. We didn't get to see it, but I'd say Liam's first emotional crash is probably on the horizon.

[dunmeshi-darlings]

There are a few misconceptions on shuro and his behaviors. The reason he was furious at laios for reviving falin using dark magic isnt really that he used dark magic (kabru even poins out shuro would have done the same). But Instead his anger is because he used black magic he put Falins life (as well as everyone elses) in danger because he knows just how the western elves react to black magic and black magic users. As for shuro's feelings towards laios for not picking up on social cues, it was shitty of him to do that however you do need to also take into consideration the kind of culture/life shuro has. He comes from a highly dignified Japanese style royal family, We see that him asking for help saving falin was the first "selfish" request he has ever made. The fact it is considered a "selfish" request speaks volumes on the kind of world that shuro comes from. After shuro and laios fight we see that shuro is actually envious of laios and how he views the world, showing that a portion of his anger isnt really from laios not picking up on his social cues but perhaps more so that laios was ALLOWED to be how he is. Even after their fight shuro offers to give laios sanctuary from the western elves, giving him the bell that when rung would have shuro sending people to go retrieve him and his friends and keep them safe from the western elves. if shuro deeply hated laios he wouldnt have offered this, if he didnt care about laios he wouldnt have offered him a safe place to live if the western elves come after him. i also want to bring up people saying he abandoned asebi/izutsumi. Which is also not true, in his own words when asked about her being left behind. "she will come back to us if she wants to." he explicitly states if she wants to, she will come back. To me this is him letting her make her own choice on what she wants to do with her life. Something that shows to me that i believe shuro has always felt perhaps some form of guilt at her situation but not able to do anything because of who he is and his father and his caretaker with him.

Shuro is not a perfect person, he has his flaws. But he IS a person, thats what people are. We have flaws and make mistakes and have issues that we do wrong on. Shuro is a man living his life and one who makes mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. I wanted to post this and talk about it because sadly some people ar being incredibly hateful about him and people that like him. Which is a shame as it is mostly a misunderstanding. Though i wont lie some of it does feel like its starting to become racist or because of people upset he could get in the way of farcille ship.

[pamwritessometimes]

Tuesday's Gone — Chapter 3

Russell Shaw x reader

Summary: When the police does little to no help to find your missing daughter, you are forced to contact Colter Shaw. What you don’t expect is how his investigation will reveal secrets about both your past and your daughter’s, in ways you never imagined.

Warnings: missing child trope, mentions of being stalked, language

Title’s based on Tuesday’s Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Catch up on Chapter 2 here

Tuesday’s Gone masterlist

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You opened the door, expecting only Colter standing there. But he wasn’t alone. It was the man behind him that made your heart skip a beat. 

Russell. 

The past flooded back to you in an instant. Memories of the love you once shared, the betrayal when you found out the truth about him, and the pain of sending him away, and never telling him about the child you were carrying. Not that you knew it at the time or that you ever wanted to contact him again later when you did.

And it wouldn’t have changed a thing.

He lied to you. He kept secrets from you. No matter how much you wanted this to work out… he put you in danger. And now, even without his knowledge, he possibly put Emma in this situation, too.

Colter looked between the two of you, tension and a smudge of guilt in his stance. “I’m sorry. I needed to call him” he said cautiously. “He needed to know. And… he’s the only who can actually help.”

You looked between the two men, your eyes landing on Russell more than you dared to admit. He still looked the same, more or less. A few new scars here and there, maybe his hair and beard got a tiny bit longer– but he barely changed.

It was an undeniable contrast to your appearance. You felt the weight of raising a child alone while keeping your work… And now, your daughter’s missing. You felt it all being soaked in the way you looked. Your joggers were slightly loose now from the weight loss you experienced from it all, dark circles were decorating your concerned face, and your hair was a mess and unfortunately not in a cutesy, pinterest way.

But somehow, Russell didn’t seem to notice all these little things. He was focused only on seeing you again. The mother of his child. The one that got away.

As if sensing the tension in the air between you two, Colter nodded back to the front yard and said “I think you’ve got some things to talk about. I’ll take another look at the scene.”

You nodded, still in shock as you stepped aside to let Colter go. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving you alone with Russell. 

For a moment, neither of you spoke. 

Finally, he broke the deafening silence. “Y/N” he said softly, stepping closer. “I have so many things to–”

You swallowed hard, trying to steady yourself as you interrupted whatever he wanted to say. You didn’t have the time or energy for this.

“You shouldn’t be here, Russell.”

He shook his head, his eyes pleading. “I had to come. Colter told me everything. About Emma… about what happened.”

“I swear if this…if it has anything to do with you—“

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” he interrupted. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry for everything, how it all ended.”

“Sorry won’t cut it. You” you poked his chest with your finger. “I don’t have time for you. My daughter’s missing and—“

“She’s my daughter, too.” 

“No” you shook your head as a few stray tears made themselves visible in the corners of your eyes. “No, you can’t say that. You don’t even know her. Never even met her.”

“Y/N, please” he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. It was still a nervous habit of his, you noticed. “You have every right to be angry at me. Every goddamn right. But, please, let me— let me help. I want to find her. I want to—“ he trailed off. “I want to meet her. I need to know she’s safe.”

The vulnerability in his voice made your chest tighten. You wanted to believe him, to let go of the anger. But how could you?

“Why are you here, Russell? Are you actually worried about her… or are you just feeling guilty?”

“Because I didn’t know” he replied, his expression softening. “I didn’t know what I was missing until Colter called. He told me about Emma, about how scared you must be. And hell yes, I feel guilty. I— I wish I knew about her” he sighed. “Maybe I could have protected her from all of this.”

Just as you were about to answer him, to tell him another wave of fuck yous, Colter marched into the house. “I think you should see this.”

Both you and Russell turned to the younger Shaw, and you eyed him warily. “What?” you asked, still heated from the argument you and his brother had.

“There are new footprints on the front porch.” Colter said and motioned for you to follow him out.

Once you were out the door, he crouched down and nodded to Russell and you to do the same. You both compiled and once Russell inspected the new traces, his brow furrowed deeper. “This” he motioned to the dirty print “is new. Like, a couple hours new.”

“Exactly. Whoever was here–“ Colter stood up and once he did, you all could see that he had a great view from the window to the inside of the house. “–was watching you.” Colter looked at you.

Your heart skipped a beat. Someone was in your front yard very recently. Watchin– no, stalking you. 

You couldn’t believe this was your life now, not a lousy true crime TV show.

But whoever was here… they might be the key to finding Emma. And that’s good enough for you.

Russell remained crouched, examining the footprint intently. Y/N and Colter were too distracted by the chilling realization that someone had been watching her to notice the thoughts racing through Russell’s mind.

Frankly, he recognised these footprints. The grooves and pattern on the sole were unmistakable.

Ecca Boots. He owned one just like that – it was the unofficial tactical shoewear at Horizon. And they knew he would know that. They knew he would find it. This wasn’t just a trace left behind; it was a message meant specifically for him.

Another wave of guilt and anger rose in his chest. Now he was sure that Emma had been taken because of him. Because he’d left Horizon just months ago. 

It was a decision he’d agonized over for more than five years before finally walking away. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing ever was with Horizon. But this? Even for them, this was a new low.

“I know these prints.” he spoke up finally as he stood up.

Your heart stopped as you turned from Colter to him. “What do you mean you know them?”

Russell straightened. “It’s someone from Horizon.”

“You sure?” Colter shot him a look as he stepped closer.

“I’m sure. The boots, the pattern – they’re standard issue for field agents” His voice was controlled, but you could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface. “They know I’d recognize them.”

“So were they watching me, us, because of you?” you asked, your voice rising with that familiar anger. “You really are the reason for all of this mess?”

Russell’s eyes flickered with guilt. “I don’t know” he said, though even he didn’t believe it. Deep down, he knew this was all because of his choice to leave Horizon. But he’d rather die than admit that his decision had put his daughter, and you, in danger. “It’s… it’s possible” he added reluctantly. “They could be trying to draw me out.”

“You– “ you hissed. “you not only put me in danger…. but also Emma” you said, taking a step back. Putting you into a life-threatening was one thing. But now it was about your daughter, your little girl…

“I know” he said with a voice soft but firm. “I know, and I hate that I did. I thought I—“ he didn’t finish his sentence. He knew no explanation would make it better. “But I'm gonna make this right.”

You stared at him, torn between the fear that he was right, and the hope that maybe he could help. That maybe he was the only one who could.

Colter’s voice cut through the tense conversation. “We don’t have time to argue about this. If Horizon’s involved, we need to act fast. We can use this to our advantage. If they left a trail, we can follow it.”

Russell nodded, stepping forward. “I know how they operate. I can track them.”

You raised a brow. “And why would they leave you a trail this obvious?”

“They want me to follow it” Russell said. “It’s a trap, I’m certain” he sighed. “…but I’ll spring it if it means finding Emma.”

You crossed your arms, your mind racing a million miles per hour. Every instinct screamed and shouted not to trust him, not after everything he’d done to you and Emma. But at the same time, he was offering to walk straight into danger for her – hell, for you both. You had no idea how far Horizon would go, but Russell seemed to understand their tactics, and right now, that was more than you had. It was your only chance at seeing your daughter again.

“You really think you can find her?” you asked quietly, desperately trying to hold on to that strength that kept you going these last two days.

“I don’t just think it” he said, his gaze locking onto yours. “I know I can. In fact… I believe this is all made for me. They’re leaving just enough crumbs to keep me on their trail. It’s their way of making a point. A warning that nobody walks away from them that easily.”

Colter glanced back to the yard, the tension in his posture hardening to focus. “If Horizon’s watching you and us, they’d leave more than footprints. They must have left something here to know your routine. Or to lead us to them.”

Russell nodded, dropping back down to study the ground, and Colter moved alongside him, checking nearby spots with methodical precision.

You watched them both, your mind racing. Russell’s expression was intense as he was sweeping through the property, and it hit you again just how much he knew about the dark world he’d tried to keep hidden from you.

Colter circled the yard, crouching down to check under the shrubs. He reached beneath one, pulling out a tiny, glinting piece of metal. Just like he expected. He held it up, squinting as he inspected it. “Looks like a tracker” he muttered and looked up at his brother who took the device from Colter.

“They planted a fucking tracker in my yard?” you asked.

Colter nodded. “And they placed it where they could monitor you without getting too close. Plus, this doesn’t look homemade.”

Russell’s gaze fell as he studied the device closely. Those bastards are probably listening even right fucking now. It means they probably already know Russell’s involved. Just how they wanted.

“Yeah, figures. This isn’t just some basic eBay find. It’s high-end, military-grade. They wouldn’t bother with this level of surveillance unless they were planning something… thorough” he said as he destroyed the goddamn tracker with his bare hands.

You shivered at his words, but you couldn’t help and feel a hint of admiration for how easily he could break that thing. “If they had a tracker all along… why would anyone watch me from the window?”

“To leave a message to me. If we didn’t find the footprints we wouldn’t have found the tracker.” Russell replied grimly. “It’s all their scheming.”

You closed your eyes, every little information sinking in, highling the gravity of the situation. “So… they’ve been here, watching us… What else did they leave behind?” 

Colter’s eyes scanned the area. “They’ll have had an exit route, somewhere nearby and quick. Russell, think back– where would they go after setting up surveillance here? If you were still on their team… where would you go from here?”

Russell’s eyes narrowed as the gears in his mind were turning hard and fast. “There’s an old warehouse about a mile east, on the edge of town.” he remembered. “It’s been abandoned for years, but it’s got exits to multiple side streets and connects to the main road. If they wanted to avoid detection, that’s where they’d set up. That’s… where I’d set up.”

Colter nodded. “Why does it always have to be a warehouse?” he muttered to himself, already moving to the edge of the yard. “We need to check that out, then. If they’re using the area as a base, there might something that leads us to Emma. Y/N” he turned to you. “I know you don't want to sit here, but coming with us – it’s dangerous.”

You scoffed, your heart rising with frustration of them trying to leave you here again. “Dangerous? What about staying here where they can monitor me however they want? You call that safe?” you asked a little more harshly than you intended to. You sighed and continued. “I can’t just�� sit around here and wait when my daughter’s missing. She– she must be so fucking scared… She just needs me. So I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not.”

Colter’s jaw clenched, but before he could respond, Russell stepped in. “She’s right. If they’re watching, they’ll know when we leave. We can’t afford to split up. If Y/N stays, they might see it as an opportunity to–“ he didn’t even finished his sentence. He didn’t dare to even think about what they’d do to her. “We need to move as a unit.”

You kept your face hard as you managed to not roll your eyes at his words. Despite his intentions to help, your mind still struggled to accept his assistance.

Colter hesitated, but after glancing between you and Russell, he nodded reluctantly. “Fine.”

You followed them as they made their way out of the yard, adrenaline coursing through your veins. As you reached the edge of the property you turned back to look at your home, a place that had once felt safe but now felt polluted by uncertainty.

The house wasn’t anything special or modern. It sat comfortably on the edge of Idaho Falls, in a quiet neighborhood where people still waved to each other. The paint was slightly faded, giving it a soft, well-loved look, and the porch had a few creaky wooden steps that somehow added to its charm. Two rocking chairs worn smooth with age, sat under the shade of the front porch. The yard was small but cared for with wildflowers along the path and a weathered birdhouse nestled in a nearby tree. You loved tending the garden and the little oasis you created for yourself and Emma to play in.

It wasn’t much, but you were proud when you managed to afford it with your modest salary - and maybe a little help from your parents.

It wasn’t perfect, but it felt like home.

And at least it wasn’t a place where a murder took place. Not like your previous residence.

“What if they’ve already found out we’re on to them?” you asked with gripping anxiety.

“I’m pretty certain they’re expecting us. If they were listening,” Russell said as you three made your way to his car. ”then they know we’re coming.”

“They’re probably counting on it, using it to draw us out. But we don’t really have any other option here.” Colter added.

You rolled your eyes dramatically, unable to resist. “Great, so we’re the mice in their little cat-and-mouse game? That sounds like a fucking blast.” You couldn’t help it. Humor was the next step in your way of coping, even if it felt absolutely forced. 

“Look, I know this isn’t easy” Russell said, trying to keep his tone reassuring, but you couldn’t help but give him the silent treatment with your arms crossed tightly across your chest.

“Yup, definitely not easy. Just a walk in the goddamn park” you shot back sarcastically, shooting him a glance that was soaked with your lingering annoyance.

Russell opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. Instead, he looked ahead. You could tell he was trying to rein in his frustration, but you weren’t ready to make it easy for him. You still felt raw from everything… betrayal and pain, all mixed up with the fear for Emma.

The car ride to the location was tense. You opted for parking it a few blocks away, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves. Not like it made any difference. Horizon was already expecting them. Or so you thought, at least.

Colter led the way down the narrow street, and you two followed closely behind. The tension was palpable, and you couldn't shake the feeling that something was lurking just out of sight. And you hated that most of the time, your gut feeling was absolutely spot-on.

“Why is it always a warehouse?” you muttered, breaking the silence. Colter couldn’t help chuckle silently to himself as he heard you echoing his earlier thoughts. “Isn’t there a law against this? You know, ‘No illegal organizations allowed in abandoned warehouses’?”

After a few moments of tense silence, you finally arrived at the building.

“Okay, time to get serious” Colter said, his demeanor shifting back to focused. “Let’s scout the perimeter first.”

As you approached the entrance of the warehouse, the musty air hit you like a wave. You steeled yourself, feeling the adrenaline spike again. The shadows inside were deep, and you could barely make out the outlines of old crates and scattered debris.

Colter led the way, scanning the dimly lit interior with caution. As you moved deeper into the warehouse, you kept your eyes peeled for anything that might indicate where your daughter could be.

“Let’s split up” Colter suggested, after a few seconds. “We’ll cover more ground that way. Just stay within shouting distance.”

You nodded, but your heart sank. The idea of being alone in this dark, eerie, dusty (and other unsettling adjectives) place made you feel absolutely uneasy. Before you could voice your concerns, Russell stepped in. “No way” he said firmly. “We don’t Scooby-Doo here. I’m not leaving Y/N alone. There’s a reason we brought her with us, Colter.”

Colter raised an eyebrow. “Russell, we need to find Emma quickly. Splitting up is the best way–”

“We’ll go together” Russell interrupted, stepping closer to you and his tone left no room for argument. “I’m not risking Y/N being on her own while we’re in here. If something happens…”

You frowned at Russell. “Really? You think I can’t handle myself? I don’t need you babysitting me.” The truth was, you'd much rather handle this on your own than have him breathing down your neck the entire time.

Russell looked back at you, his expression softening slightly. “It’s not about babysitting. It’s about keeping you safe. I’m not letting you go off alone.”

Colter sighed but nodded, recognizing the tension. “Fine. Just stop arguing, we don’t have the time for this right now.” he hushed the two of you.

And then, you were left alone with Russell.

As you made your way through the maze of crates, the sound of your footsteps echoed eerily in the silence, and every creak of the floor made your heart jump. You felt a mix of gratitude and frustration toward Russell for being so protective, but the tension between you never really faded. It was – ambiguous, to say the least.

“Honestly, Russell, this is ridiculous” you muttered quietly as you walked beside him. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you keeping an eye on me.”

“I know you can take care of yourself” he replied. “But this is different. We’re dealing with serious threats, and I don’t want to risk anything happening to you. Especially since it’s all… my fault.”

You rolled your eyes, but you could hear the genuine guilt in his voice. But you won’t give him an easy time, not yet. “So, what? You’ll just hover over me the entire time? That’s not going to help.”

Russell shrugged, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips despite the gravity of the situation. “If it keeps you from getting into trouble, then yes. I’m okay with that.”

Just as you were about to fire back with a witty remark, something shiny caught your eye. You stepped closer and brushed off some dust, gasping when you saw it. There, half-hidden under a pile of old boxes, was a Barbie doll. Not just any Barbie –Veterinarian Barbie. Its lab coat was dirty and wrinkled, and her pink stethoscope was missing, but you recognized it instantly. It was Emma's favorite doll.

The one she played with when she was taken.

You would spot this doll anywhere. Emma loved pretending it was curing the plastic cat and dog that came with the set. She often said she wanted to be a vet when she grew up, and it made sense; she adored animals and pets of all kinds. Last Christmas had been especially tough because she asked Santa for a puppy, yet as much as you wanted to get her (and yourself) one, you knew she was too young to handle a dog, and you didn't want to take on that extra responsibility all by yourself.

“Russell, come look at this!” you called as you momentarily forgot how irritated you were with him.

He hurried over, squinting at the doll. “Is it — is it hers?” 

“Yeah,” you confirmed, picking up the muddy Barbie and holding it up for him to see. “This is Emma’s favorite. She was just playing with it in the yard before… before everything happened.” Your heart sank as you thought about how scared she must be.

“Then we’re on the good trail. This is definitely a message” he said, a grim expression crossing his face. “They want us to know they have her.”

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on you. “But we still don’t know where to start” you said, disappointment surging through you again. “This — this doesn’t tell us where she could be.”

Russell nodded, taking the doll from you. “Let’s go find Colter. Maybe he found something to guide us.”

Just as you turned to make your way back to the house, you heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps — heavy of tactical boots. The hair on the back of your neck prickled, and you froze, instinctively gripping Russell’s arm. Holy crap. Had he been working out even more? He was certainly ripped four years ago, but it was like gripping into a Schwarzenegger in his Mr. Olympia days.

If the situation weren’t so fucking serious, you knew that cocky bastard would be smirking, relishing the moment.

“Did you hear that?” you whispered, heart pounding like crazy. You were definitely going to need a solid prescription of happy pills after this.

“Yeah” Russell replied with a hushed voice. “Stay close to me.”

Before you could react, two men in black clothing emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath dark masks. They moved easily with practiced military precision, blocking your path to the way out.

“Going somewhere?” one of them asked.

Fuck. This really was a trap.

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Next on Tuesday’s Gone (Sneak Peek from Chapter 4):

You watched with a continuously racing heart as Russell pulled a paperclip from his pocket — of all things — and straightened it. “Can’t believe they missed this little bad boy” he murmured, working it into the lock. His gun and knife hadn’t been as lucky; those were gone in an instant. But the paperclip? Somehow, it had slipped right past their search.

With a quiet click, the lock gave way, and Russell shot you an annoyingly triumphant grin.

You threw the door wide, scooping Emma into your arms as her tiny hands clung to you fiercely. She was trembling. Crying.

“Shh, baby girl” you whispered, holding her close. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

Russell looked like he wanted to reach out, maybe even say something, but this wasn’t exactly the time for a heartfelt family reunion. His gaze shot down the hall.

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Right? It’s always a warehouse. Guess villains lack imagination. 🤭But we’re so close now… that long-awaited family reunion is just around the corner!

Read Chapter 4 here

Taglist:

@bitchykittenconnoisseur @smoothdogsgirl @spnfamily-j2 @winchesterwild78 @deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @zepskies @kr804573 @sebastianstangirl01

[butterflydm]

Wheel of Time 3x06 Deep Dive (show spoilers)

Spoilers through 3x06 of the show -- show spoilers only.

Liandrin's cold open; 95 years ago, so now we know how old Aludran was when he died. He did look pretty old.

I am torn. I honestly do feel like (given how limited our time is during a season) that some of this Liandrin backstory expansion could have been cut to give time to other characters and plotlines. I like that we got some of this but I'm not sure we needed all of it.

Of the various Liandrin backstory expansions, this cold open does seem like one of the most useful, as it shows us Ishamael's recruiting process and we get to see young Liandrin being so vulnerable, and reminding us of how dangerous deals in dreams can be, and showing us the statue of the Shackled Man.

And it is telling to see how young she was when Ishamael found her, especially since we've had some conversations about how unbreakable the Dark Oaths are -- so Ishy gets them young and then traps them in it for life.

Moghedien (3x01): "You know what happens if we break our Dark Oaths, right?" ... "We lose our souls. A true death."

Now... is it true that a darkfriend who breaks their oaths loses their soul? We don't actually know. It might be a lie, told either by the Forsaken to the more minor darkfriends, or told by the Dark One to the Forsaken.

Lanfear implies that it would take the destruction of the Dark One in order for her to be able to break her own Dark Oaths, but I am relatively sure that entire conversation with Rand was her manipulating him, so I don't trust anything she was saying there.

Ishy is so comforting in this scene with Liandrin. Ishamael coming across as thoughtful and gentle is exactly what makes him so dangerous and what made him so good at recruiting for the Dark One -- he sympathizes with your troubles and offers you a hand out of "the dirt you were born in", as Dana put it. And the price-tag doesn't show up until later, after he's had a chance to walk with you into the darkness. And so Ishamael takes Liandrin's very understandable pain and rage and he channels it into a weapon that he can use.

Another benefit of this cold open is us seeing Liandrin spontaneously channel, and fairly powerfully, because it backs up us seeing the strength of Mat's sisters and their instinctive ability to heal Alanna later in this episode. We have seen that when people are originally sparking, they will sometimes have these spurts of strong bits of channeling that doesn't need to be carefully trained into a weave but comes out more instinctively -- Rand breaking down the door to escape Dana, Rand protecting Egwene & Co in the Ways, Nynaeve's story about Egwene 'getting better' from the fever that should have killed her (after Nynaeve sat with her all night) seems like another example (and is confirmed as one in the books).

Strong channelers often have these early instinctive bursts of the ability, and how it comes out is based on what they need. Liandrin needed to escape a dangerous situation, so she gave herself a weapon, without needing to think about the details of creating the weapon.

So this cold open in particular is doing a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time, so this isn't what I would have cut from Liandrin's screentime (if I were the one making the choices). It probably would have been something in 3x03, because I think that Egwene needed something more in that episode. I'll talk about it when we get to Egwene.

It also leads directly into Liandrin's scene with Lanfear, where we learn a lot about both of them and where they're at -- Liandrin misses the White Tower (I mean, she did go back to the place she probably hates the most in the world) and her ambitions in the Tower.

We learn that Lanfear has lost control of Liandrin and her cabal. Maybe because she's been too focused on Rand & Egwene. She doesn't know why Liandrin is in Tanchico -- now, before we got all this Shackled Man backstory and etc. in Tanchico, I did assume that Lanfear was behind the plan with Rand. It makes Liandrin more interesting that it's something that she came up with on her own, and it shows us that Lanfear's manipulation has failed already when it comes to Liandrin -- in retrospect, Lanfear did kill the only man that Liandrin ever cared about and then expected Liandrin's loyalty afterwards.

Miscalculations due to her 'casual cruelty' slipping out and ruining her plans -- Lanfear's mistakes with Liandrin echo the mistake that she's been making with Egwene and Rand.

"I stayed in the Tower as long as I could," is a very interesting line from Liandrin, because it puts a different on her "I tried" from 3x01. It was Lanfear who wanted Liandrin to stay put in the White Tower, and the cold open was actually Lanfear's plan failing as Team Light made a move that made it impossible for the Black Ajah to stay as hidden as they'd always been when Ishy was in charge.

So what 3x06 is revealing to us are all the ways that Lanfear has ruined her own plans -- first, by believing that she'd successfully snagged Liandrin from Ishamael by 'mercy-killing' Aludran in s2. Ishamael, presumably, protected Liandrin and her son until they could get to a place of safety in Tar Valon, so that Liandrin could become an Aes Sedai. I'm assuming he did this via getting other darkfriends to help her along the way, through talking to them in their dreams. He invested in Liandrin because he could tell she was powerful and that she was vulnerable to his pitch.

Liandrin could have tried harder not to blow her own cover in the White Tower. She wanted that fight. She wanted to leave (so that she could do the appropriate funeral rites for her son). She was not content to obey Lanfear. After working for Ishamael for 95 years, it takes her roughly a month to break free from Lanfear's orders.

(this also implies to me that Liandrin was probably acting outside of Lanfear's orders when she tried to have Moiraine killed in s2, as Lanfear has found Moiraine to be a very useful ally/tool, and probably saw her as more valuable as leverage against Rand than if she were dead)

Lanfear says to Liandrin - "[You] miss feeling like you're important?"

We learn later in the episode that Liandrin's plans here are about making herself one of the new Chosen (again, I have to wonder if this is a bug that Ishy planted in her ear, because Dana also talked up the idea that being the one to deliver the Dragon to the Dark One would lead to her being raised up above everyone else), so she definitely does want to feel important, though Lanfear doesn't catch on to how Liandrin plans to do that.

"Are you working for him? ... Rahvin?"

Lanfear leaps to the assumption that Liandrin must be working for another one of the Chosen now that Ishamael is dead. We see a lot of Lanfear guessing incorrectly about people's plans and motivations in this episode.

"All of us were loyal to Ishamael. But he's dead now, I hear." Because Ishy invested the time into building up relationships with each one of the BA sisters, I bet. From what we saw, Ishy didn't issue threats -- he solved problems and he made promises. And now Ishamael is dead, and while Lanfear might assume that loyalty should automatically transfer over either to herself or another one of the Chosen, Liandrin makes it clear during her actions over the rest of the episode that her loyalty is now only to herself (just like the Forsaken are all only loyal to themselves!). It was Ishamael who was holding everyone tightly together and, without Ishy, everyone has fallen into selfishness and chaos. Instead of one vision of how to be a darkfriend, we have a fractured multitude of visions.

(I'm thinking of how Jaichaim protested to Moghedien in 3x01 that he had been loyal and hadn't broken his oaths -- I suspect that's the truth; it's just that he was still trying to follow Ishamael's game plan, which is not Moghedien's)

So all this scene does is give Liandrin suspicions that some of her colleagues might not be loyal to her, which leads directly to Nyomi's death. "My cabal is loyal to me, and I am loyal to you," except that Liandrin is not loyal to Lanfear, and Lanfear's threats don't scare her the way that Lanfear believes that they do. They do motivate her and give her a deadline on rooting out her potential spy.

We get a quick glimpse of servant!Moggy, spitting into the cabal's food before she delivers it.

When Liandrin is awake, we can see that the first person she casts a suspicious glance at is Nyomi, and then towards Jeaine. She reveals to them all that she knows more about what they're searching for -- that she's connected the dots of the old Tanchico folktale about the Shackled Man with the way that the Seanchan a'dam works, and that the rest of the pieces that they need to capture the Dragon are almost certainly somewhere here in Tanchico. And she couches it as "something the Chosen would prefer you didn't see".

I'm also guessing that Moghedien placed a subtle Compulsion on the group so that they wouldn't note that a servant is being awfully nosy about listening in on their conversation.

So... one part of three: one bracer in Liandrin & co's possession (but Moghedien could claim it whenever), one bracer found via Mat (but now in Moghedien's possession), and the collar (which we discover later in the episode is in the Panarch's Palace).

"I need the collar and the second bracelet tomorrow, or our master will be displeased." So... has Liandrin not told any of the rest of the Black Ajah that Ishamael is dead? Or is she alluding to the Dark One here? If she is talking about Ishy, then this might have been bait to see if any of the other sisters gave away that they know he's dead and that they're talking to another one of the Chosen.

And, once again, it's Nyomi that she looks over to after she says this. Liandrin has already decided who she thinks the spy is.

As Nynaeve and Elayne get dressed for their investigations, we learn that Elayne knows who all the Black Ajah Sisters are, but Nynaeve doesn't think any of them are important except Liandrin. Another bit of emphasis on the relationship between Liandrin and Nynaeve, which I definitely feel like will be coming into play in 3x08.

Elayne has prepped so hard for her undercover investigation, I'm so proud of her. <3

It is hilarious how Mat snags the "I'm highly-priced" veil away from Nynaeve so that he can wear it himself. Oh, Mat. We actually see the process of him taking it away, then playing with it throughout the rest of the scene, before emerging wearing it.

It is a very fun scene, especially since it sets up some neat reversals -- Mat does talk to people, Min does use her visions, but Elayne and Nynaeve are anything but subtle.

For the record -- Mat's veil is the biggest, then Elayne's, then Min's, and finally Nynaeve's.

We shift over to Egwene's situation now -- instead of going to Rand and talking to him about what she saw in the dream and telling him that she's being stalked by one of the Forsaken, she went to the Wise Ones for more lessons. This was the first point in the episode where I got frustrated, because the way the promo was cut made me expect/hope that we would be getting the Randgwene confrontation right off the bat, so that we could move forward past their break-up, but instead the show edged me with it until the end of the episode, which was very frustrating for me. I just... I honestly think that choosing to drag out the Randgwene break-up only damaged Rand's character in viewers' eyes and we didn't get much of value out of it, so I wish they'd just cut the cord early on in the season. Maybe we'll get something in 3x08 that will make the prolonged Randgwene feel like the only choice they could have made but right now... I wish they'd broken up in 3x01.

In technical terms, Egwene only holds back from talking to Rand for a single day, but in narrative terms, it felt like forever (plus it meant that she heard Lanfear's side of the story before she heard Rand's, which did not help matters).

The Wise Ones seem... frustrated by Egwene, but agree that her situation is dangerous enough that they will continue to teach her, despite her revealing that she's been lying to them, and they tell her that though she likely can't defeat Lanfear in TAR proper, she is the one who has the power in her own dreams.

From one dream to another -- after checking in on Liandrin, Lanfear goes to check in on Moiraine (who is curled up like a little spoon missing her big spoon, so I can guess how her dream with Siuan potentially ended).

Given that the rest of Lanfear's plans are failing in this episode due to her own missteps, I feel like Moiraine's apparent submission to her must be a plan-within-a-plan, some narrow way that she is trying to walk due to what she saw in her visions in the rings. I can't figure out precisely what it might be.

I suppose Moiraine's plan will come to light in 3x08. It definitely involves the sa'angreal but, yeah... idk. Sneaky sucker-punch of some kind, because Lanfear won't expect it of her?

I do wish that Moiraine's time in Rhuidean had led to her being honest with Rand about her deal with Lanfear, but maybe she saw that revealing it would be a disaster. Still, it makes me sad that the one thing that Rand most wishes he could get from Moiraine is the one thing that it feels like she's unwilling or unable to give. He wants to trust her so much and she's hiding so much from him!

But Moiraine's behavior is firmly rooted in what we know about her as a person, and the places she grew up, and the twenty years she spent on the road. Moiraine keeps secrets and keeps her own council. It's what she does.

Half-truths and lies of omission... Moiraine has used them her whole life. She spent twenty years only able to trust two people, and even those two people she cut out of the information loop in s2 when she was worried that her non-channeling state might make them try to take her mission away from her. Not telling people things is Moiraine's default way of life.

Given that we learn later this episode how wildly Lanfear was misreading Liandrin, I will take that same approach to her scene with Moiraine -- is she reading Moiraine correctly?

Because, on rewatch (and I noticed this in a gifset that I saw last night), Moiraine doesn't look scared to me, like Lanfear says. She looks angry (and yeah, there's some fear in there, but I think there's more anger, a fury that is being tightly suppressed so that Lanfear doesn't catch on).

"You've been hiding from me. You're afraid of me now." This is Lanfear's deduction of Moiraine's emotional state but... yeah, look at Moiraine's face. Girlfriend is angry. Lanfear is making an assumption based on Moiraine's behavior. It also sounds like Moiraine may have been keeping herself awake with the One Power since Rhuidean, until she went to Egwene last episode and asked for a dreamwalking session.

Much like Rand keeps not answering Lanfear's questions, Moiraine avoids answering them as well. Lanfear demands to know what Moiraine saw in Rhuidean and Moiraine responds with a question.

It sounds like Lanfear has been harassing Moiraine in her dreams, much like she's been harassing Rand & Egwene -- Moiraine was 'supposed' to keep Egwene away from Rand, but Moiraine says that trying to force Egwene away will only make her cling more tightly out of stubbornness (we had so much this season of other people saying what Egwene was doing while Egwene maintained that she was doing something else, and I don't think we got enough hints that the other people were the correct ones and Egwene was in denial all season -- I think she came across as being sincere for the most part, which is going to influence people when it comes to the big Randgwene blow-out later this episode).

So Lanfear gives her warning to Moiraine about a "surprise" for Rand, and Moiraine does not warn Rand about it, as requested by Lanfear. Moiraine looks very frustrated at the end of this scene.

"I was looking for Egwene" - something else that I feel like was potentially easily missed is that Rand tries to find and talk to Egwene this episode but they are kept separated because Egwene is spending time with the Wise Ones instead. Rand knows that he needs to talk to Egwene after what happened last night, even without knowing that Egwene already found out about Lanfear, and then he's kept from doing it by other people.

But we do get this adorable scene with Rand and Alsera, where we see Rand genuinely engaging with Aiel culture and the Aiel people, and we see that Aviendha is continuing to warm up to him, despite her own desire to keep being annoyed at him. Her assumptions about Rand -- that he doesn't care about the Aiel people or culture -- keep being upended by his behavior.

Obviously, it's building up to Alsera's death at the end of the episode, but it does so much more as well, in terms of embedding Rand more deeply with the Aiel, and giving Aviendha more reason to soften towards him.

"She's studying with the Wise Ones, learning about our people, as you should be," is something of a fascinating assumption from Aviendha, because that has absolutely not been the actual content of the Egwene & Wise Ones scenes. But Aviendha is definitely NOT a neutral observer and there's no sign that she knows what the Wise Ones are teaching Egwene, so she's just going off her assumptions about why the Wise Ones would have taken Egwene under their wings. But this also ties into Rand's assumptions about what Egwene has been doing when we get to the end of the episode -- for Rand, Egwene's time with the Wise Ones is being framed as a learning experience that Egwene is choosing to undertake, not as something that she's doing specifically to fight off someone real and alive in her dreams who is hurting her. If Egwene had mentioned that to Rand, then he might have been able to deduce that she was being hunted by one of the Forsaken aka Lanfear.

So, yeah, it's lack of communication that killed Randgwene, but I feel like the way it was contextualized in the season really put the weight/blame of that lack of communication on Rand, as opposed to on both of them, because the viewers know that Egwene is doing this for life and death reasons, not just because she wants to learn from the Wise Ones.

Rand incurs toh to Alsera here, and is not able to meet it before he accidentally causes her death at the end of the episode. Will we see Rand trying to meet his toh to Alsera in 3x08?

We also see Rand taking Alsera's upset at him seriously in this scene (when he accidentally does something that dishonors her in the eyes of Aiel culture), which is something that impresses Aviendha. He doesn't brush Alsera off or make any excuses, he just tells her that he has toh towards her and agrees to meet it the way that she requests.

Catching up on Perrin and Faile after what happened to them last episode! Perrin is hurt real bad and Faile is worried and concerned over him. Their relationship is a very sweet thread throughout this episode. We see that Bain & Chiad made it back safely, and learn that Alanna is also very hurt and we see Maksim fretting over her sickbed. I really liked them in this episode too.

"My father... he always said a leader can either take care of the living or weep for the dead. Not both."

And us getting into Faile's background and the way that she was raised was also very smooth and well-done by the show. It felt like her naturally wanting to share with Perrin, not like exposition.

We get the reveal here that Padan Fain is leading Trollocs and darkfriends into the Two Rivers, and we'll see him at the end in a bloody Whitecloak uniform, so I feel like the implication is that he and his followers killed off the Whitecloak reinforcements and stole their shit. And a whole army of Trollocs & darkfriends arrives at the end of the episode through the Ways. No sign of the dagger -- I do wonder if we'll get a single line at some point saying that it got punted off the side of the boat on the way to Tar Valon. We know the show still has the prop, because evil!Mat was wearing it during Moiraine's vision that all the kids had become the new Forsaken.

Undercover in Tanchico time! We can see how well Elayne's prep work has paid off! Technically, Elayne gets absolutely zero information out of all the chatting with men that she does here (it's Mat and his ta'veren pull on the threads of the Pattern -- which Thom mentions later when he shows up -- that ends up netting them the second bracelet) but I'm so proud of how into her undercover work that she is. <3

We don't see Mat playing any card games, but he is ~shopping~ and planting the seeds that he wants a pretty collar necklace for himself, and we see that one gentleman in particular is very taken with him, which pays off when that same fellow gives the second bracer to Mat later in the episode. Mat seems perfectly willing to do a little light flirtatious bargaining here, which is fun to see.

Then Mat hears Thom's voice and goes chasing after him! Again, I would call this a reflection of Mat being ta'veren -- he's pulling on Thom's thread, and Thom will probably end up being useful in some way in 3x08, I would expect.

I like how this kinda reflects the Cauthor reunion that we got back in 2x06 -- hearing the voice of someone that you'd thought you'd never see again. Haha, Thom's reaction isn't exactly as overwhelmed with tearful happiness as Mat and Rand were at seeing each other, but it's a fun reunion.

But from Thom's perspective, it must be so wild! He gets away from the Fade, and then basically goes as far away from where he met those boys as he possibly can, and runs into one of them again!

Aww, but I love how Thom is all "I don't want to be involved" but obviously still cares (that hand on Mat's neck) and ends up being very easily talked into coming back to the hall to hang out with Mat and hear the story.

We shift over to Min and Nynaeve, and those two had a fun little bonding session in this episode, with Min trying to get Nynaeve to trust her and to loosen up a bit, and succeeding in both. We also get Min lying about her visions as a way to get information out of someone, and later on Nynaeve accidentally using being ta'veren as a way to just happen to mention Liandrin in front of someone who recognizes the name.

I'm interested in where the show is going with the Min-Nynaeve bonding -- will it end up mostly being about the two of them potentially working together to help Mat in 3x08? Or does it have another purpose? I have some thoughts about it that I will expand on in my other post.

We get a closer look at Moghedien's behavior, which is definitely effective in filling out her characterization, as we learn that spitting into the cabal's food is the least of what she's been doing.

Egwene has spent all day with the Wise Ones, trying to teach herself how to force people out of her dreams. We saw her with the Wise Ones early in the morning (when Rand was looking for her), and now it's implied to be nighttime (Liandrin with the candles in the previous scene) and she's still with the Wise Ones.

After practicing all day, Egwene is finally able to push the Wise Ones out... only to get snagged by Lanfear (I'm guessing Lanfear just went to sleep for the night and noticed Egwene's dreams pop up in her alert window. Girl, please get a hobby that isn't centered around stalking your ex-boyfriend from three thousand years ago).

And it was at this point (Lanfear snatching Egwene into a nightmare), that I said out loud during my original viewing, "Wow, Egwene will do literally anything to avoid having a real conversation with Rand." Luckily, even Egwene, master avoider of uncomfortable conversations, realizes by the end of the episode that she needs to actually have a conversation with Rand. Probably would have gone better if she'd talked to him before letting Lanfear poison her mind with lies! But, you know, we take what we can get when it comes to Egwene and Rand and their terrible communication skills with each other.

Anyway, to the actual scene -- Lanfear fucks up so much in this scene. She does manage to plant seeds of poison into Egwene's mind about Rand potentially having already known about the nightly tortures but she really misjudged Egwene's character, because Egwene believing this about Rand means that she's willing to override her "cannot have awkward conversations with Rand" factory setting and instead leap into confrontation mode (because now she's worried that the corruption has taken him), which means that Lanfear's house of cards is able to tumble down (of course, Lanfear's real mistake was letting Egwene see her face in 3x05 -- we know that Lanfear can do fake faces in TAR. She could have made it so that Egwene thought Ishamael or Moghedien or anyone else was torturing her. But she wants to twist the knife, and so her own pettiness just lost her the campaign that she's been waging since Ishamael first released her in s2).

Lanfear confirms a bunch of things for Egwene -- firstly, that Lanfear is very aware of who she is. We get some signature Creepy Face Touching from one of the Forsaken. Lanfear mixes lies with the truth -- yes, Rand is aware that she's one of the Forsaken (though the implication that Lanfear gives is that he's been aware the entire time, which is definitely not true); yes, Rand is aware that Lanfear has been tormenting Egwene and doesn't care (this was a big mistake of a lie on Lanfear's part, because Egwene does know Rand well enough to know that he would never approve of that if he were in his right mind, so if he does know about Lanfear's torments of Egwene, it means he's gone mad and that she needs to confront him, so this lie may be what triggered Egwene to finally decide she needed to talk to Rand instead of trying to handle it all herself).

"Oh, he knows everything."

The funny thing is that... Lanfear should know better, you would think. Except she doesn't. Lews Therin saw the darkness that she'd been hiding from him and ran the fuck away and married someone else. But she has convinced herself that she can successfully get her do-over LTT to care about her so much that he doesn't care if she hurts the people he loves but, much like Ishamael said about Rand last season, "He's not ready. He won't choose us."

Lanfear has been able to do a lot to manipulate Rand this season but the final piece -- the thing that actually worked to get him to kiss her -- wasn't her manipulations at all (though they primed him for it) but him seeing Mierin in the columns of Rhuidean. Everything else, he could tell himself was a lie or a manipulation from Lanfear. But seeing Mierin made Rand hope that maybe Selene hadn't been a lie after all. Weeks of Lanfear working on him wasn't able to get him there. It was that moment of honesty that she had no control over that did it.

If she'd done things in a less petty way this season -- no torture of Egwene, for example, and no attack in 3x01 -- Lanfear might have gotten everything that she wanted. With Egwene's PTSD not being tripped every night, maybe she would have been more willing to talk to Rand about their relationship, and they would have broken things off naturally early in s3. Then, when Rand saw Mierin in Rhuidean, and kissed Lanfear in 3x05, there would be no big lie that she was hiding from him about how she was torturing Egwene in her sleep.

But that's not her. She's not that girl.

This is who Lanfear is -- petty and cruel.

That's why Lews Therin stopped loving her. We already know that from what Selene told Rand back in s2. It was because he caught a glimpse of who she really was and went, "um, no thanks, bye!"

And now Rand also has the chance to see who she really is, what's been hiding underneath the Soft Selene Illusion that she's been showing him all season. And it isn't pretty.

But even now, Egwene wants to get back to work on learning to consistently kick the Wise Ones out of her dreams before she goes to talk to Rand. I think I sighed in frustration here, in my original viewing, because all she's doing is letting her feelings and the lies that Lanfear told her stew in her brain.

Rand hasn't been able to talk to Egwene all day (they haven't talked since Rhuidean, Rand said in the last episode) and we learn here that Moiraine has also been avoiding him since Rhuidean (which we saw happening in the previous episode).

Moiraine and Rand's conversation... I wish she could be honest with him. It is so clear that Rand wants to connect with Moiraine here, and she is all vague one-word answers. They do manage to connect here to a certain extent, despite Moiraine being as transparent as a brick wall -- she tells Rand that she's been listening (instead of issuing orders), which makes him smile.

But whatever she saw in the rings, she doesn't want to share too much of it with anyone. Even Lan only got a small fraction of her fear and worry.

I do think Moiraine's "Sometimes" in response to Rand asking if he kills Egwene probably informs some of Rand's behavior in the break-up scene with Egwene later. Much as it frustrates me that I feel like the show set up Rand to look like "the bad guy" in the break-up, I don't think that Rand (the character) cares about being seen as "the bad guy" in the break-up and is much more invested in Egwene wanting to stop protecting him so that there's less of a chance that he'll kill her if he goes mad. If she hates him, that's fine. He can live with that more than if he killed her, or if she got killed because of her proximity to him.

Once again, it is Rand who reaches out to connect with Moiraine -- he tells her that he knows she has the Sakarnen (which I can only spell right because of the caption on the screen, lol). Which tells us several important things!

As much as he is coming to hope that Lanfear really does still have Selene | Mierin in her, he didn't tell her about Moiraine having the Sakarnen. He knew that Moiraine has this object that Lanfear desperately wants, but he didn't tell her about it.

He doesn't try to get the Sakarnen away from Moiraine. He doesn't want Moiraine to force his choices, but he's not going to try to force hers either. And he actually does know that it was placed into the tree for the Aes Sedai to reclaim later, so he might even feel that it's Moiraine's by rights, if she wants it. He may see her as Latra's rightful successor, much as his journey through the rings also transformed his view of Mierin | Lanfear.

Moiraine only asks Rand for help on using the Sakarnen after he's revealed that he already knows about it. She wasn't going to tell him.

She also doesn't tell him about the deals that she made with Lanfear. To stand aside while Lanfear allows him and the people that he cares about to be attacked. That she made that deal partly because she agreed with Lanfear's goals and motives -- isolate the Dragon Reborn from the people he cares about, and push him towards embracing his destiny and his power.

I really do worry about Rand finding out about that deal from Lanfear, and that potentially having a negative effect on events, but given how understanding Rand is about Moiraine's closed-mouthed nature here vs how he felt about it before Rhuidean... maybe it won't be so bad if he does find out from Lanfear. Is that one of the thousand-thousand futures that Moiraine saw?

We get a foreshadowing of Rand's power (and his lack of control over it) during this scene. Rand's issue isn't struggling to find the One Power or even in fearing it the way that Nynaeve fears hers, it's in resisting the urge to use it all the time and in trying to turn it off again once he's allowed it in.

But I do like that we do see Moiraine asking Rand's advice here, even if he basically had to set up the easiest goal in the world for her to be willing to go for it. And it's a good moment between them. But, yeah. I wish that Moiraine was more willing to be open with Rand. I will probably always feel that way.

I find Rand's perspective here really interesting -- that, in essence, the One Power has some base similarities and it doesn't matter if you're accessing saidin (the male half) or saidar (the female half).

"If the Aiel and the Forsaken have taught me anything, it's that the Aes Sedai don't know everything about it."

I am really curious if this is a change to how the One Power works on a fundamental level, or if Rand is mistaken here in what he believes. I saw some speculation that it may be a matter of power levels -- that once you reach a certain level of power, then you can't submit, regardless of if it's saidin or saidar, and that we may see that at play with Nynaeve in the future, which was a very interesting theory (was that @ace-and-ranty who said that? apologies if it was someone else!). That would be an interesting way to approach Nynaeve's block.

There are definitely whispers while Rand is getting lost in the Power, and if you close your eyes and listen hard... I do think you can hear a specific name that has not been said on the show before. I almost don't want to mention it here. I think I'll take my thoughts to the other post.

We get an interesting reveal at the end that Lan was listening in on all of that. How will that come into play in 3x08, I wonder.

Faile's backstory -- I like it! It makes her reasons for running away from Saldaea get a lot of pathos and depth. Let me try to get the exact timeline down:

Mom sits her down and confesses to being a Darkfriend and urges Faile to make her oaths too

Faile says something to buy herself some time

Tells her brother about it and then books it, signing up to be a Hunter for the Horn

Her brother confronts her mom and is killed

Faile finds out about it at some point

Did her dad find out the truth about his wife? We are not told that here.

As for the timing... I wonder if it was triggered by Ishamael trying to get all hands on deck while he was figuring out to reach Rand. She says it happened "last year". The timeline is a bit fuzzy in the show, I'm not certain where that would fall with the events of the previous seasons.

But overall, yeah, Faile having this background, one that goes this dark, helps Perrin to able to talk to her about what happened with Laila, which is incredibly important for the development of their relationship. Faile and Perrin, out here showing what can happen when you have honesty and connection in a relationship!

And Faile can bring Perrin a different way of thinking about Laila's death -- instead of focusing on her death, focus on her decision to stand up and fight against the Trollocs.

"There is so much darkness in this world, Faile, but when I look at you, all I see is light."

That's a great line. Very smooth and romantic. <3

Padan Fain and his fake reinforcements arrive in the Two Rivers. Dain is drunk and sitting near the body of the woman that he handed over to be tortured to death by Valda. I'm sure this will all go great.

Thom continues to protest that he doesn't want to get involved -- but he perks up when he hears Liandrin's name (a new member of the Liandrin Grudge Squad?) and when Elayne gets into trouble and needs back-up, he swings into action, giving her an alibi (he also recognizes her as the Daughter-Heir of Andor and mentions that he was once in Morgase's court).

And so we get the very delightful "Hills of Tanchico" scene, where Elayne realizes part of the way through the song that it's a bawdy tavern song about breasts, and not actually about the literal three hills of Tanchico City.

from wafflelovingbatgirl:

I wonder if the song is about the bracelet and collar actually. Ones not enough (to hold a man), three’s too many (he isnt an equal partner), two bring a man to his knees (and make him submit to their control)

I also think this makes a lot of sense as the origins of the song that then later became about breasts. I do think there's potentially another, meta-textual reason, but it has additional spoilers so I won't get into it here.

We didn't get any kind of personal chat between Mat and Elayne the way that we did between Min and Nynaeve, but it's really lovely to see the way that he reacts to her embracing doing this tavern song -- if he was thinking about her as a snobby princess who didn't want to get in the dirt with peasants (as he sniped last episode), this night out with her has shown him that he was wrong and Elayne is actually a lot of fun.

(I do think a lot of the sniping on the ship was meant to convey cabin fever more than actual dislike between Mat & Elayne, though, and I feel like that bears out in their interactions in this episode)

I don't have too much analysis for this scene -- it's a lot of fun and Ceara really throws herself into it, and I love how relieved and supportive Mat gets once he sees that Elayne can pull it off. And Thom's expressions first when Elayne offers up this song and then when he sees her realize what the song is actually about -- great fun. These three already have an enjoyable dynamic and I hope we get a bit more of it in 3x08.

Mat actually figures out what the song is about before Elayne does, and his reaction to that is also hilarious. I'm guessing that this song was in the guidebook that Elayne was pouring over on the boat. "Famous Tavern Song of Tanchico" or something like that, lol.

Meanwhile, Min and Nynaeve seem a bit drunk, so we can excuse how loudly Nynaeve mentions Liandrin's name. Though they do get information out of the man here, it looks this is also when Ispan spots them and then goes to inform Liandrin (and then Rahvin, presumably, who wants to find the girls so that he can discreetly kill Elayne).

Liandrin gets the information out of Nyomi that the collar is in the Panarch's Palace, and though Nyomi swears that she was planning to tell Liandrin, she gets a bullet-to-the-head weave. Was Nyomi going to tell Liandrin? Hard to say! But there were probably better ways of dealing with that than instant murder. Nyomi also says she has "powerful allies" and Liandrin assumes that it's the 'Chosen' but... that plural. None of the Forsaken are really working together, from what we've seen, so I'm not sure Nyomi was talking about them. There might be something more there.

This is also when we get the tidbit that Liandrin aspires to be one of the Chosen herself.

Back to Alanna and Maksim, and she must be feeling really bad, because she offers to either block or release the bond here, which Maksim refuses, and this whole scene made me very emotional, thank you! There have been a couple of times when it's felt like we've gotten maybe a tiny bit too much Alanna & co, but most of the time I feel like she's brought a lot of value to the show and she's basically been a combination of several different Aes Sedai concepts and she's shown us a lot.

I love all the little pieces that come together on an emotional level in this scene -- in the cold open, we saw young!Liandrin invent the bullet-to-the-head weave, but here we have the contrast of the Cauthor twins, who work together to heal Alanna (and who were able to push Dain away in the last episode without hurting him, not that he appreciated it). The girls being able to pay back Alanna for helping to save them, and then Alanna is able to pay it forward by healing Perrin. It's lovely. I'm worried that some of them may die next episode, but this is a lovely moment for all four characters. We get to see Alanna's patience as a teacher and her choice to come to the Two Rivers is rewarded on a grand scale when she is able to help talk them through healing her.

I also find it very interesting the way that Bode & Eldrin seem to channel together, without needing to do a formal link. A twin thing?

Perrin telling Faile about being a wolfbrother! And Faile's reaction is so darling and precious. Back during s2, 'Selene' gave some great advice about letting someone love all of you, and we're seeing that in action here between Perrin and Faile.

And then we have the charming note of Perrin telling Faile about Mat blowing the Horn! Lovely! <3 <3 <3 <3

Perrin being the first one to make a move and kiss Faile also feels really perfect. It really does feel like a breath of fresh air, romance-wise. Would I have liked a little more build-up? I mean, sure, but they went through a pretty intense experience. Much like Lan & Nynaeve hooking up in 1x07, it feels like it makes sense.

Then we get our little reunion of the two investigating pairs in Tanchico, with Mat helping Elayne off her table, very cute. I can definitely see them being drinking buddies in the future, as long as it isn't in a cabin in the middle of the ocean, lol. Nynaeve and Min meet Thom! They do not get the s1 lore on Thom, just the recent events of him helping out Elayne.

Something really nice here is that Mat introduced Thom as a friend and everyone is straight-up willing to trust him and let him hear their secret plans. Min is also in the group based on Mat saying "yeah, you can trust her", so this is a continuation of that, but it's neat! Nynaeve and Elayne value Mat's opinion about who can be trusted! <3

Oh, hey, I do hear the Seanchan score while Mat's admirer is handing over the second bracelet to Mat. That's neat! Thom also knows about the Shackled Man lore of Tanchico, so all of this group is very aware of how dangerous all of this is to Rand.

Ispan goes to report in to her Forsaken phone-a-friend, but Moghedien is already there. Moggy gives us a bit of foreshadowing about Sammael's upcoming move, calling him "impatient." We don't actually find out here exactly who Ispan was going to report to, but I feel like Rahvin is probably more invested in the Wondergirls plotline, so I think it's probably him.

Ah, Nyomi WAS also working for Rahvin or Sammael, so Liandrin did guess correctly there, so it sounds like Nyomi and Ispan were in it together. Ispan also tells Moghedien about Liandrin's aspirations to become one of Forsaken. Hmm, saying that word in front of one of them might not have been the best move, as Moghedien kills Ispan, and we've lost another member of the Black Ajah. She also spills the beans about "two of the five" that the Dark One wants being in Tanchico. So that's a lot of information that Moghedien just got!

Then we get a very effectively done rendition of one of the creepiest scenes in the books, when Moghedien does her Compulsion-based interrogation of Elayne and Nynaeve. I was so creeped out when I originally watched and it's still creepy on the rewatch. The fake giggly smiles that Elayne and Nynaeve have when they answer Moghedien's questions! And the delicate precision of Moghedien's weaves.

And the way that Moghedien takes a particular interest in Nynaeve, first when she senses her power, and then when Nynaeve is able to almost resist her Compulsion and try not to give her the bracelet.

We also get some insight on Nynaeve's feelings about her relationship with the Power -- it frightens her and she even hates it. And we get the very very creepy hug.

The note about "beating it out of you" is very interesting because Moiraine actually told a story about that back in 1x08 -- she was having troubles, and an Aes Sedai came and beat her with the Power until she was able to channel to fight her off.

Luckily, since Rand didn't announce his plans to go to the Aiel Waste until after he'd separated from the group, they can't tell her where Rand is.

But she does get the bracelet from them.

This is also where we learn that she's lent Rahvin two Gray Men to kill Elayne but they've failed both times. And it is also really clear in this scene that Moghedien finds Nynaeve more interesting than Elayne. But she found them both useful, and tells them that she might come back for another visit, and she touched Nynaeve's face, calls her a 'good girl' and scratches her cheek. Which, given that she wants them to remember nothing of the conversation, seems like her letting her impulses get the better of her.

Elayne and Nynaeve's fogginess after the Compulsion is released is also very well-done and creepy. And they immediately go to check on the bracelet and find it missing.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the Randgwene breakup scene.

a. I'm so relieved that it finally happened, after being needlessly dragged out all season. We can move on with our lives! And hopefully get a s4 and fun new dynamics for the characters! Fingers crossed for renewal!

b. I feel like the tone of the break-up was... not what the show actually wanted to deliver, based on the interview that Rafe & co give on the "inside the episode" extra on prime, where they barely even mention the Lanfear issue.

c. the actual break-up argument itself doesn't paint Rand as 'the bad guy', I don't think, but all of the context around the break-up does, which is unfortunate, because it sounds like that was not the intention. But the scene isn't by itself in a bubble, and the outside context colors how people read the scene.

d. I think a big key to this is that I don't feel like Egwene's season-long emotional conflict successfully came across on screen -- Maddy talked in a couple of interviews released after 3x05 about how Egwene is torn between wanting to protect Rand vs worrying that she'll have to stop him and that is... that is just not on the screen in the actual episodes. All we got in the actual episodes was Protective Egwene. Which means that when Rand 'calls Egwene out' on leaving him behind, it can come across as disingenuous and him trying to deflect the argument away from his own bad behavior rather than him accurately stating something that Egwene has been in denial about (which is what it seems like we were supposed to take from his part of the argument, based on what I've seen Rafe, Maddy, & Josha say in a couple of interviews). So I don't think that landed the way it was meant to.

So, overall, I'm still feeling like Randgwene should have officially broken up in 3x01, and this fight should have been purely about Lanfear, and Egwene worrying that Rand has fallen under Lanfear's sway. The two issues being separated from each other would have made each of them land better, imo.

At the very latest, I think they should have officially ended things before the show had Rand give in and kiss Lanfear. If their goal was to have a mutual breakup with "no bad guys".

Because the Randgwene relationship has been incredibly fragmented and lacking in emotional intimacy, but it was still lingering and the contrast between Egwene being fiercely protective about Rand while Rand is drifting away from her is going to contribute to the feeling that Rand is Doing Her Wrong, because Egwene is Doing The Work of the relationship and he's not. Rand mentions in 3x01 that he and Egwene haven't talked about their relationship, but they both act like they're in a relationship and that's how viewers will see them, and so Rand's statement about how they haven't talked is likely to just get dismissed. People will believe what they see over what they've been told.

We -- in the Faile & Perrin love story -- have also gotten such a striking contrast to Egwene & Rand, and I do believe it's intentional. In an episode where Egwene avoids Rand for most of the episode and then when they finally do talk, they talk past each other for most of the conversation... we contrast it against the sincerity and honesty of the Faile & Perrin conversations, and how it leads into them wanting physical intimacy after they've just shared so much emotional intimacy.

Even just the contrast between Faile insisting on being by Perrin's side going into the camp in the last episode vs Egwene wanting to handle everything on her own in this episode, only involving Rand when it becomes impossible to avoid the conversation.

And there's nothing wrong with Egwene wanting to handle things on her own, it simply illustrates that she doesn't think of herself and Rand as a team. Faile wants to be partners with Perrin -- not only lovers (she definitely wants that too) but equal partners.

Egwene wants to be strong to protect Rand, but not so that she can act as his partner. Instead, she seems to see herself as something more like his watchdog. She leapt to "he's gone mad" really quickly in this argument -- too quickly for it not to be something that's been on her mind for a while.

That is a place where I feel like we suffered by Egwene not having anyone to confide in emotionally, because it meant that she was basically locking all of this inside her own mind until it came out in 3x06. On the surface, Egwene was 100% Protective Girlfriend 24/7, but according to an interview of Maddy's that I saw, she's been thinking about the dangers of Rand going mad in the back of her mind during this period and... yeah, I don't feel like that came across on-screen. I think we needed a specific scene about it, somewhere around 3x03. The worry was introduced on-screen in 3x01 (the Accepted Test) but Egwene never reflects on it. She never talks to anyone about it, and then we don't get any kind of reinforcing scene in-between 3x01 and 3x06.

I was talking this over with @markantonys and she pointed out the perfect example of the kind of moment that I'm talking about -- when Mat tells Min that he's not worried about the drawing of him being hanged, but then the audience follows him to the hammock and we see the weight of it on his face and in his body language. We desperately needed a moment like that for Egwene before 3x06, imo. A moment where we see her lose her mask of being the Protective Girlfriend.

I've gone into the details of why I think Rand hasn't talked to Egwene about Lanfear in a previous deep dive -- essentially, he hasn't told her about Lanfear because he didn't know how to tell her about Selene. Caring about Selene was one of the things that helped Rand genuinely move on from his relationship with Egwene, and then he found out that she was a lie. And then he found out that while he was with Selene, Egwene was being kidnapped and was put into a horrible situation.

Now, between Lanfear's nightly manipulations and Rand seeing Mierin in the visions of Rhuidean, Rand has finally come to a place where he believed that it's possible that Selene had really existed -- that Selene was Lanfear showing him the Mierin side of herself, as opposed to Selene being an act.

And, like, I love the drama of that. I think it's great, because of how painful it is and how much it makes sense based on how Lanfear has been manipulating him. But I also think it would have played better if Rand and Egwene were already broken up when it happened. So much of the genuine tragedy of Rand coming to believe that Selene could have been a real person and not a lie that Lanfear made up, right before the rug gets pulled out from under him... I think that a lot of that tragedy gets lost because it gets lumped under Rand "being a cheater".

Young men being preyed on by older women is not taken anywhere near as seriously by general viewers as it should be, imo, and we also see the effects of that in some of the responses I've seen to the argument -- I think that Egwene "reads" as having been traumatized more easily than Rand does, because viewers easily understand that what happened to her in s2 was traumatizing, while a lot of Rand's trauma is dismissed by people going "oh, wow, a hot woman wanted to have sex with him? poor boy lol!" without her lies and manipulation being taken into account. And given that this is also an issue that comes up in the books (I won't go into the details here), I'm sad that it feels like Rafe & co didn't realize they would need to compensate more for the audience's potential lack of understanding on the issue.

I think the show is aware of how Rand has been manipulated by Lanfear and traumatized by her, but didn't fully take into account potential audience disconnect, and how doing this story while the audience still sees Randgwene as "together" also harms the Randfear storyline and makes people dismiss how traumatizing it's been to Rand, because Egwene's trauma is so much more 'in your face', especially with Lanfear spending most of the season triggering Egwene's PTSD over and over.

Because in a lot of ways, Rand is finally having the conversation with Egwene that he desperately needed to have directly after his emotional realization in 1x08 that allowed him to let go of his dream with Egwene and embrace reality (a lot of his arguments here tie directly back to s1 and his epiphany in 1x08).

But then he thought he'd succeeded against the Dark One and he left Egwene & all his friends behind to protect them from himself. And once he and Egwene did finally reunite, his guilt over abandoning everyone (but especially Egwene) meant that he felt like he couldn't have this conversation with Egwene, despite how much it is clearly the very first thing on the tip of his tongue.

If Rand has been both wanting and yet avoiding the "I know you don't actually want me as your partner" conversation with Egwene (because he doesn't think he has the right to be the one to start it), she's apparently been avoiding the "I think you're going mad and I'm worried I'll have to kill you to stop you from doing horrible things" conversation with Rand. But Egwene has had zero people to confide in, so she's basically been a closed box on this subject.

Which has been... unfortunate, imo. I think we needed insight into Egwene's emotional conflict. We caught a tiny glimpse of that conflict back in 3x01, but then she spends the entire season claiming that her only intentions are to Protect Rand and pushing back hard against any suggestion that she might fear him or the madness. And we haven't gotten any breaks in her mask to suggest that her emotional conflict is still going on underneath her brave front.

So, yeah, I really wish that the show had done more to bring out Egwene's emotional conflict this season, rather than the entirety of that weight being on Rand's shoulders, because I do think that Rand is the one who paid the price for it (in the eyes of viewers).

I'm thinking the show could have some minor incident around 3x03 or 3x04 that brings up a hint of fear/worry from Egwene that another character calls her out on? (Aviendha, maybe? You don't have to make them besties to give them a brief convo where Aviendha tries to figure out why Egwene has issues with the "destruction" part of the savior/destroyer figure that is Rand, or notes that Egwene is clearly afraid of Rand but trying to hide her fear and Egwene can brashly deny it but then we get a moment where she turns away from Aviendha and her face drops and it's clear to the audience that Aviendha was correct).

The most important part is that it's something that's directly shown in the episodes and not merely subtext that's meant to be gleaned from the acting. It doesn't need to be said, per se -- Mat didn't need to tell us he was more worried about the drawing than he was letting on -- but it needed to be focused on either via dialogue or camera work. I think the show maybe tried to do this via Egwene's incredibly firm denials and push-backs against Moiraine & Siuan early in the season (that she's protesting because she's in denial), but we didn't get the 'mask-dropping' moment and so she just comes across as being sincere in telling them that she has no interest in helping them 'control' Rand.

Even Lan has gotten more chances to be open about his emotional state and to be vulnerable than Egwene has in s3 (due to the presence of Melindhra and his moments with Nynaeve, Moiraine, & Rand).

I kinda feel like the show could have taken some of the backstory expansion time that we've spent on Liandrin this season and given it to letting Egwene have a moment where she lets the audience into her emotional conflict that is haunting her this entire season but that we only barely catch a glimpse of in 3x01.

I could look at this as the show reversing and foiling Rand's emotional conflict from s1 -- Rand spends all of season 1 dealing with a conflict that the audience doesn't learn about until 1x07, when we find out about his father's confession to him that he was a baby found in the snow during a battle. Now it's Egwene who has spent all season dealing with a conflict that the audience isn't let into until the last couple of episodes. And maybe when I go back and rewatch the season as a whole, I will see the moments where it feels like Egwene's mask is breaking and we're seeing her worry about Rand going mad.

The difference between the two for me, I guess, is that (as a book reader), I had already assumed, as I was watching s1, that Rand had gone through that conversation with Tam, and so getting that scene in 1x07 wasn't a surprise to me. I was glad to get it, but I wasn't surprised that the conflict existed for Rand, and I felt like I could see it in how Josha played Rand in the previous episodes. While with s3, I wasn't already in on Egwene's secret emotional conflict.

And, counterintuitively, I think the fact that we were let into Rand's emotional conflict this season but not into Egwene's led to the break-up feeling much more like it was 'about' Lanfear than it was supposed to be for either of the characters*, because after initially showing us Egwene's secret fears about Rand's madness in her Accepted Test in 3x01, we have had nothing from Egwene except the constant refrain of wanting to Protect Rand, with her not showing a hint of the "or stop him" that Siuan and Moiraine have both openly worried over - we only got strident push-back from her when Siuan and Moiraine brought it up as a possibility and... maybe it'll feel different on rewatch but, at the time, I didn't see any hint in Maddy's acting that some part of Egwene agreed with Siuan or Moiraine but was trying not to let it show (and I don't think I saw anyone else speculating on that idea either). We needed an actual Event somewhere in mid-season to bring that out of her.

(*basing this on the roundtable "inside episode six" extra that's on Prime, where the talk about the break-up wasn't really about Lanfear at all, but about nostalgia and clinging to your old life even though you know you can't really go back)

Egwene's emotional struggle this season (in retrospect) seems like it's supposed to mirror Moiraine's, but we've gotten Moiraine's struggle highlighted while Egwene's was hidden and all the on-screen focus was on her ptsd and on Lanfear torturing her.

So, that's my critique about the argument scene -- I feel like we needed more set-up on it from Egwene's side, to make it feel more naturally coming from Rand & Egwene's differing paths and less like it was about Lanfear. We couldn't just have other characters telling Egwene about herself -- it needed to be a moment that actually came from Egwene.

So, the emotional states of the characters going into the break-up talk:

Egwene -- already upset by what she saw in Rand's dream; has been primed by Lanfear to view Rand with even more suspicion, as Lanfear planted the thought in her that Rand may have known all about the nightly torture and was chill with it.

Rand -- has been putting on a brave face during the day but letting his exhaustion show when he's alone. Has been trying to find time to talk to Egwene but keeps being told she's off with the Wise Ones.

So, Egwene's opening remark is - "She's a Forsaken, Rand."

I'm guessing she was hoping for a response like "What are you talking about? Who is a Forsaken?"

Instead, she gets Rand nodded in acknowledgement and saying, "I should've told you." He apologizes, and she gets more upset, asking if he's apologizing for lying to her or for betraying her trust.

And then things get ugly. Egwene calls Rand a fool for "sleeping with a Forsaken", which seems like the quickest way to put someone on the defensive. But from Egwene's perspective, Rand has just validated one of the things that Lanfear told her, which is going to make her worry that the other thing Lanfear told her (that Rand knew about the torture) was also true.

But Rand was pretty apologetic and quiet up to this point, and it's only after Egwene calls him a fool for sleeping with Lanfear (which, yeah, I'm sure Rand has called his s2 self a fool in his head so many times for not seeing the truth about Selene) that Rand pulls away from being apologetic and leans a bit on the excuses that Lanfear keeps giving him (Egwene will never understand you, only I will understand you).

Rand doesn't ask her how she knows about Lanfear. At this point, I think he's decided that it doesn't matter how she knows -- this is an end-of-the-relationship conversation, and that's what he's forging ahead with.

Egwene throws another claim at Rand that he could dispute -- "this whole time, every night, you're with her" -- Lanfear enters his dreams without needing his permission. He did not tell Lanfear about his plans to go to the Waste.

He does not try to tell Egwene this and I think it's because he's decided to take the hits so that he can end this between them and if it ends with Egwene hating him, then that's fine. At least he won't kill her when/if he goes mad. Rand doesn't defend himself against any of Egwene's accusations against him here -- because he doesn't want to sound like he's making excuses, or because he doesn't want to open the door up to a potential reconciliation?

The first thing that Rand actually disputes is when Egwene says, "I came here for you." And I think that's because it hits on his s1 insecurities about his relationship with Egwene.

He knows that she doesn't want him like that, so why does she keep pretending that she does? But much like how Egwene had incorrect information from Lanfear, Rand has incorrect information from Aviendha. But it's really kinda unfair to Rand that the show did this, I think. Because the audience knows better. The audience knows that Aviendha was talking out of her ass when she said that Egwene was hanging out with the Wise Ones to learn Aiel culture, and that it was actually about protecting her dreams from Lanfear.

Both Rand and Egwene have some true information and some false information, but 'true information' about Rand (that he kissed Lanfear knowing that she was a Forsaken) is much more recent than the 'true information' about Egwene (that she doesn't want Rand if she has an option that she views as superior). That's season one information, and it's unfair to expect a casual viewer to remember it off the top of their heads. But for Rand, it feels much more present because it feels like she's doing the same thing with the Wise Ones.

But, yeah, when the audience has been watching Protective Girlfriend Egwene all season, it can be difficult for them to believe Rand when he says that Egwene doesn't actually want him. So it feels like the show weighted the deck against Rand in this break-up, and that's somewhat frustrating.

But notice that Egwene doesn't argue this point. She doesn't try to say that's not what she does. She just transitions to asking Rand if he loves Lanfear.

Rand doesn't answer, which Egwene assumes is a 'yes'. I... do not. Because Rand also didn't answer when 'Selene' back in s2 asked him to confirm that she loved him. Because Rand didn't say it back when Lanfear said it to him only last episode.

But Egwene does assume that silence means 'yes', because she assumes if the answer were 'no', then Rand would just tell her that.

But I also think this is Rand trying to retreat back to stoicly taking the hits and letting Egwene break up with him the way that she wants -- he only lashed out with that one line because it hit on his specific insecurities, I think.

And then we get Egwene assuming that Rand has gone mad already and Rand is... I mean, I think he's given up on the conversation at this point, honestly? He basically just tells her to believe whatever she wants to believe, and tells her that he knows he isn't enough for her, and that he respects for that, and I think that was the end of it for him, and it's okay with him if Egwene hates him for it.

"We both know the truth, Egwene. You don't want me. Even back in the Two Rivers, there was always something you wanted more."

And this is where I really think we needed some earlier hints that Egwene was in denial in the season. Because this isn't an attack (and Egwene doesn't take it that way). It's supposed to actually be the truth about their relationship this season, but I think it does not play that way to a lot of people because Egwene's Protective Girlfriend Mask never falters thoroughout s3. We got that tiny glimpse of her fears in 3x01 and then nothing but Protect Rand afterwards.

"I'm not enough for you. And I'll always respect that about you."

Because, again, Egwene doesn't deny what Rand says here. But because she has been so fiercely protective of Rand over the course of the season, I think it makes it harder for people to believe that Rand is calling her out on a truth here, as opposed to him making up excuses so that he can hook up with another girl.

Egwene honestly seems genuinely touched at this part of Rand's speech to her, tbh, until she remembers the other thing that Lanfear told her, and she hits Rand with that now, to find out whether or not he knew that Lanfear was the person hurting her.

And Rand gets to have his 2x04 realization all over again but he's learned since last time -- note that he doesn't ever deny what Egwene tells him about Lanfear.

"I didn't know" is what he says. Not "She wouldn't do that." Not "I don't believe you." Back in 2x04, he denies what Moiraine tries to tell him about 'Selene', until Moiraine reminds him that she can't lie.

Rand does believe Egwene, which is part of what makes this so devastating for him, because he had only (the night before) begun to believe that maybe he could reach Lanfear. Maybe he could save her. Maybe he could make something good happen. Maybe he isn't only destruction.

So, overall, I do think this conversation itself is fairly nuanced and honest to the characters, but I feel like the context around the conversation weights it against Rand really heavily, and that part sucks.

And the ground starts to shake as Rand tries to process this information from Egwene, even before Sammael & co show up.

But then we get a Sammael interruption! He's been itching to attack Rand - he's found out where Rand is, and he's going in for the kill.

From what we see here, it looks like Sammael is working with the Shaido (and I have to admit that I assumed that the reason no one else has rushed to help Rand is here is because more Shaido also had attacked, outside the building, and so the rest of the Taardad were busy. and probably some budget constraints).

It seems likely that this is the "surprise" that Lanfear told Moiraine about.

Egwene uses weaves that she learned during her time as a damane to fend off the Shaido, while Aviendha bursts in and creates spears of fire and attacks Sammael when he's going in for a hammer blow on Rand, probably saving his life.

Rand yells at everyone to get out of the building as the attack continues and then, when Sammael comes for him again, we get Rand blocking with an effortless, enormous shield, and then taking Sammael down with lightning strikes (I have to admit, I assumed during my original viewing that Sammael wasn't 'for real' dead and I'm a bit surprised that some people assumed that he was, though I guess we'll find out for sure in 3x08).

We do get to see a really nice taste of how overwhelming Rand's potential power can be, and then we see the tragedy that using that kind of power without fine control can be afterwards, when we learn that Alsera didn't make it out of the building, and got crushed by the crumbling stone.

This scene is pretty powerful, and we see Rand's strength as well as his desperation, and his grief over Alsera, and... and how helpless he can be sometimes. Being the Dragon Reborn isn't always enough.

I like what Aviendha tells Rand here -- sharing the Aiel philosophy about death, "Life is a dream from which we all must wake". Though Rand is not ready to hear it.

Moiraine shows up after the fight but before Rand tries reviving Alsera and she reaches out to Rand to get him to stop trying to bring her back.

Another nice moment that would be nicer if I didn't have to worry about Rand's potential reaction to learning that Moiraine knew something would happen this night, and she let it happen without warning him. Same as she did in 3x01. But she does reach out to stop him and bring him back to himself, which perhaps Lanfear would not have wanted her to do. I'm torn.

I definitely continue to have my issues about the decision to drag out the Randgwene relationship for so long -- I feel like it's a choice that made Rand look worse while not bringing any great advantages to the table, but I do feel like the conversation that they had has nuance (some of which is likely to be lost on anyone who didn't rewatch s1 before they started watching s3, unfortunately), and the scene afterwards with Rand defeating Sammael and trying to bring back Alsera is very powerful.

One of the themes of this episode is how Team Shadow is screwing up their own and each other's plans because of their character flaws and lack of trust. Team Light is also having issues because of their character flaws and lack of trust but... not as bad as Team Shadow.

Let's break down the Known Plans, starting with Moghedien, who got a pretty big win this episode:

Moghedien -- she snuck off to try to figure out what Lanfear's plans were. Discovered Liandrin's cabal (likely through TAR), discovered the Wondergirls, got one of the bracers that can be used to control Rand. So presumably her next plan is to get the second bracer and the collar. Out of all of the Forsaken & darkfriends, she's probably making out the best currently, and we will likely see her making a move for the second bracer (with Liandrin) and the collar (in the Panarch's Palace) in 3x08. otoh, we've seen that Moghedien has some impulse-control issues, and she left evidence behind when she scratched Nynaeve's face, so that may come back to bite her. And Elayne & Nynaeve did realize right away that the bracer was missing.

Sammael -- wanted to make a strike against Lews Therin and was impatient by Lanfear's affection for 'Rand al'Thor'. It looks like he may have gone in with some Shaido warriors, so there are darkfriends among the Shaido that he's working with. We saw that Rand was able to fight against him pretty easily, and he is currently unconscious or 'dead' (in the same way that Lanfear was briefly dead at the end of 2x04). He was brash and rushed in, and paid the price.

Since Rand potentially knows how to create a shield (in 2x07, he saw the one that Ishamael put on Moiraine but he didn't see it being made), Sammael may end up shielded by Rand in 3x08. We will see! Given Lanfear's 'warning' to Moiraine (which I think was mostly a test to see if Moiraine would still obey her post-Rhuidean, to which the answer appears to be 'yes'), Lanfear likely helped set up this attack, trusting that Rand had enough instinctive control to protect himself, and fine with any collateral damage that might happen as a result (in fact, she probably figured any collateral damage would create yet more guilt in Rand that she could ~soothe~).

Rahvin -- apparently has been borrowing Moghedien's Gray Man to try to kill Elayne (I thought it looked like Elayne was the target of that Gray Man in the White Tower!) and they keep whiffing on him, which Moghedien mostly seems to find amusing. Mostly set-up for future plotlines, I expect (which I very much hope we will get to see). So, Moghedien says that Elayne was the target of "two" of her Gray Men. We've seen three. Obviously the one in the middle was sent after Elayne, but I wonder if Jaichaim was also supposed to kill Elayne but got foiled because of her disappearance from the Tower, and then hung around to kill the Black Ajah Sisters, or if the Gray Man from 3x01 was meant to try to go for Elayne but got the wrong woman because Elayne was up on the roof with Aviendha?

Lanfear -- looks ascendant right now, but her pettiness has screwed her over when it comes to her actual goal ("forever isolated happiness with do-over LTT"). Her pettiness has, perhaps, been screwing her over the entire season - it seems possible that part of what has been making Egwene cling so hard to Rand was finding his familiarity comforting in the wake of her Lanfear-induced nightmares. Is it possible that Egwene would have been willing to break up with Rand sooner if Lanfear hadn't been constantly tripping her PTSD?

And then we have Lanfear needing to have Egwene see her face and see that Lanfear has 'won' Rand. Petty, petty. And that all leads to Egwene being able to tell Rand about the situation, and now Rand gets to re-live the moment of realization that Lanfear implied Lews Therin also had back in the day. That he looked too long and saw the darkness that she was carefully hiding away from him (2x04).

Lanfear was banking on being able to hide all her cruelty away from Rand and that worked for most of the season (since Moiraine was willing to conspire with her), but she let the mask slip just far enough with Egwene that it led to Egwene revealing the truth to Rand.

(I have to admit, it kinda feels like the continued Randgwene relationship was serving Lanfear's story more than it served either Rand's or Egwene's but I will try to stop rehashing all that at some point!)

Lanfear's fallibility comes across in another place too -- we learn that she's lost control of Liandrin & her cabal and doesn't know why they're in Tanchico.

I also suspect that Moiraine will turn the tables on Lanfear in 3x08, because she looked more angry than afraid in that scene early on in the episode.

Semirhage & Graendal -- they exist. Theoretically, they have an alliance with Rahvin but given what we've seen so far, I'm sure that they are making their own plans behind his back.

Eighth Forsaken -- ????

Ishamael -- okay, yes, he's dead, but I want to point out that he had his plans on lock-down. Even our brief glimpse of him here in the cold open shows that he was an expert at finding vulnerable and powerful people to recruit to his cause, and he's likely the reason that the Black Ajah are organized into hearts for secrecy, and the reason they remained undiscovered for so long because, wow, the second he's dead, everyone starts falling into chaos and in-fighting. You understand why the Dark One might still be moping over his death (as Lanfear implies in 3x03) and doesn't want to talk to any of the rest of his Chosen. Ishamael was the organized and thoughtful one.

Back in s2, Ishamael was the one who had the long-game plan (that got ruined when Lanfear fast-traveled Rand to Falme), and tbh his only mistake was waking up Lanfear. Likely out of loneliness, from what we saw in 2x08. I suspect that it was talking to Rand at the end of s1 that made Ishamael crack enough that he wanted to wake up Lanfear, because LTT was the thing that he and Lanfear had in common and he wanted to share the emotional weight.

Liandrin -- oh, Liandrin. Wanting to be one of the Chosen. I... do you have the power to back that up, Liandrin? She might be assuming that the Dark One can boost her power (or assumes she'll get access to the power that let Lanfear resurrect herself after Moiraine slit her throat and stabbed her in 2x04). It does seem like Ishy made some pretty big promises to the darkfriends working under him -- Dana also thought that she would be richly rewarded for capturing the Dragon for Ishamael back in s1. In fact, now that we know that Lanfear isn't involved in Liandrin's plan, I wonder if Ishamael is where Liandrin got her inspiration from -- though, of course, hailing from Tanchico is definitely part of it (the story about the Shackled Man is a show-only thing, I believe, so we couldn't really know that Liandrin had ways to know about the collar and bracers on her own until that was revealed in this episode).

So there were 12 total Black Ajah Sisters that were working together in 3x01 (per what Verin, Siuan, & Leane have figured out). One of them is unknown and suspected to still be in the Tower and, as of this episode, three of them are alive in Falme (Liandrin, Chesmal, and Jeaine). Over half of them have managed to get killed in less than a season (and three of them were killed by their own side).

Will any of them make it out of the season alive?

[rockrosethistle]

I actually fucking hate Mr. Jägerman here's why

Mr. Jägerman is a character in the Hatchetfield universe who is never onstage and only mentioned in 1 (one) line. This was enough to ignite my rage.

It's because in this one line, so much is revealed about Max's character. So let's dissect that.

Max is mean. We know this. The very first thing established about him is how threatening he is. But I think his character often gets lost in the 'bully' identity, because just like every other Hatchetfield character, he is layered and complex.

We also find out two other things about him pretty much immediately: He has a crush on Grace (we'll come back to that) and he needs to feel in control.

There's a lot of evidence to support this. He repeatedly refers to himself as the 'god' of Hatchetfield High. He creates arbitrary rules around who his friends can date. He creates arbitrary rules around where the nerds are 'allowed' to go. And the moment someone implies he is not as powerful as he thinks he is, he retaliates violently.

This isn't just Max being a jerk. These are all signs of someone who is almost certainly deprived of control in their home life, which forces them to find it elsewhere. Max likely has little to no say in what happens to him at home. He's clinging to a sense of control wherever he can find it. And that line basically confirms that his home isn't a safe place for him.

Back to the crush on Grace, when you look objectively at the actions Max takes in the show, you'll find that he's not really a bad person, he's a mean person. He's a little shit that processes his need for control in the entirely wrong way, but people are shaped by their surroundings. The actions that come from him are different.

His crush on Grace only supports this. Every other bully in every piece of media sees the girl they like and whistle and say "yo lemme hit that." And if the girl rejects them, they resort to "tease bitch." Not Max. The first thing he does is start a conversation with her, laughs at (what he thinks is) a joke, then offers to carry her books. Like, I wish my highschool bullies were that nice to their own girlfriends.

When she rejects him, it's true that he continues to pursue her and calls her "dirty girl," but that once again comes back to his need to feel in control. But he doesn't get aggressive, he doesn't do anything that screams 'bully.'

We don't get a lot of scenes with pre-ghost Max. But when we do, they're interesting to analyze. Like, have you ever noticed that when he finds Steph in the Waylon Place, his very first instinct is to tell her, "Get behind me, I'll protect you" from, as far as he knows, actual ghosts? He feels like his life is in danger, but he's still putting Steph's safety first, despite having no interest in her romantically. That's huge.

There's even some evidence to support that Max terrorizing the nerds is, from his perspective, not so one-sided. When he finds out they were the ones who pulled the pranks, he says "I thought you guys hated me."

And he's open to change. He's not stubborn, he's not brutal. He doesn't continue hating the nerds just because it is what it is. Moments before his death, he is showing signs of opening up to them, and actually seems like he's coming around.

And none of this is meant as trying to defend Max's actions. I know he's the antagonist. I know he treats people unfairly. But all of this has to come from somewhere. I'm trying to say that there was clearly a foundation of a good person underneath all that cruelty. So what toughened his shell?

Mr. Jägerman. Max reveals in that one line that if he were to go back home from the 'party', his dad would call him a 'little cuck.' "can't even fight off one lousy skele'uhn." In this, he reveals his dad is demeaning to him. He's the kind of man who would hear that his son was in a life-or-death situation, and instead of comforting him, he would have made fun of him.

What must that do to a person? As someone who grew up in a home where Dad wasn't always a safe person to be around, I know that when I was younger, a lot of my bad bad behaviours were something I learned from him.

The prank meant to scare Max was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for him.

I think a lot of what happens in NPMD is indirectly Mr. Jägerman's fault. "Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein is the doctor, wisdom is knowing Frankenstein is the monster" type of shit. It is directly because of his actions and the way he treated his own child that any of this happened.

or maybe I'm reading too much into this. But I fucking hate Max's dad so much.

[sugar-grigri]

Denji is awake, Asa is already inside and Yoshida is Chainsaw Man's ally

We interpreted the last chapter in reverse, so why not continue the exercise?

I haven't read any reaction, but I know in advance that Yoshida will be shown in the same way: as a cold being always there to make Denji's situation worse. But the observation is quite the opposite: he's the one who's constantly negotiated for his situation. Worse still, interpreting him as an ally makes everything absolutely clearer.

I know what I'm saying may come as a surprise, after all, he's the one who announced Denji's dismemberment and doesn't seem to be doing anything to stop it. But don't interpret things that way, the whole answer is in the title.

The title refers to the ambient sounds of Denji's dismemberment, having no words at all, whereas titles usually refer to the dialogue in the chapter. Why is this? Because the answers are in the scenery and the unspoken words.

For example, the answers lie in the questions that seem to be answers (stay focused): for example, we learn that Denji slept for a week… OK… but why exactly did they let him sleep for a week ? The protagonist asks Yoshida: why didn't you wake me up before?

In addition : why wake him now?

The chapter deliberately focuses on a cold Yoshida, who announces that he's put him back to sleep. But why wake him up to tell him all this and then put him back to sleep? After all, the contract had already been broken, Denji couldn't negotiate.

Because it's been a week since Yoshida negotiated to give Denji one last chance. In any case, the time that has elapsed shows that there have been negotiations about what to do with this out-of-control Chainsaw Man. Why is Yoshida doing this? Because more and more, he starts trying to protect him, even though he's supposed to control him. We'll see that his principles and his own way of surviving will also be increasingly undermined.

Yoshida knows that Asa has a connection with devils, whether it was when he prevented Denji from revealing his identity after fighting Yuko or or when he assisted Yoru during the aquarium arc. Telling her to stay away from Denji was a means of protection, as he knew that she was a disruptive element, which could lead Denji to either reveal his identity or transform and thus put himself in danger.

In chapter 132, Yoshida appeared in an extremely dominant position with a bound Denji, with Yoshida looking almost antagonistic. But in reality, the direct consequence of Yoshida's intervention was an equal negotiation around a table about Nayuta and being Chainsaw Man in the chapter 133 that followed. Above all, Yoshida presented himself as a malevolent force when, in reality, Nayuta arrived earlier than expected, a sign that she was safe and already freed.

Above all, we know that there is a mole because the information leaked to the detriment of the church, the public hunters were aware of the attack to the point that Quanxi stopped it before it went off at 5pm. Worse than a leak, there was an exchange of information because the church was not at all destabilised and had already planned its response with the fire demon.

If you're still not convinced: then interpret Fumiko as the strict inverted product of the system that Yoshida has become. Fumiko is a hunter who presents herself as younger than she is, calling Denji senpai even though she's older than he is, while Yoshida never behaves like the teenager he is.

Fumiko also presents herself as Denji's ally, showing that she sees him as a child, whereas she has never had the will to protect him and has always dehumanized him. Yoshida does the opposite, presenting himself as Denji's enemy, playing on the fact that he's the only figure among the public hunters to negotiate with him and face his wrath, preventing him from doing what he wants while secretly helping him.

Yoshida is beginning to worry about Denji, otherwise he'd be totally indifferent to the fact that he doesn't grasp the stakes of the dilemma the hunters are imposing on him. The aim of the public hunters was to send a hunter around Denji's age for more connection, but in reality it's Yoshida who is becoming more sensitive to Denji's actions than Denji is to Yoshida's words.

By being this mediator who enters into direct negotiations, he feels that he is not only responsible for what Denji may do, but by dreading the fact that he breaks the rules, he also begins to dread the consequence of having broken them: Denji will be in danger.

Negotiations then took place for a week to improve Denji's situation, but failed given the way Chainsaw Man behaved out of control. Yoshida could do nothing officially, so he turned to the last resource he had left: the war devil.

When Yoshida confronted Asa, we sensed that he himself was unsettled by what he was doing. We also feel this unease expressly in this chapter, when he sees the state Denji is in.

But what interests us most is that he apologizes to Asa for attacking her, even though she had followed the rules. It's as if Yoshida realised that, even if he made sure that we totally complied with the State and its conditions (Asa had to stay away from Denji, Denji mustn't transform), that wasn't enough to guarantee the security they were hoping for in return.

All this overturns Yoshida's principles in two ways. From a relational point of view, Yoshida sees solitude as a way of life less likely to be hurt, and we also see that his criteria for normality are the fact of being isolated. But the hunter's tactic backfired: instead of not getting hurt, he became increasingly concerned about the fate of the man he was supposed to dehumanise.

On another level, Yoshida's survival strategy is to trust the system, to trust it blindly and to accept its logic, hence his eyes without a glint in them, like Kishibe's, who had integrated them so as not to suffer. But more and more, he realises that this is not enough to guarantee safety. He realised this when he attacked Asa himself. But above all, Denji himself has never broken the rules. He never revealed his identity to anyone. And when he turned into the Chainsaw Man, the contract had already been broken by the actions of Barem, who attacked his dogs and cat. In reality, Denji trusted Yoshida's words, he had fully integrated them, but the state failed to protect him as it had promised.

It is easier, even if only politically, to accuse a 17-year-old teenager of not honouring his commitment than to recognise that the state was unable to protect dogs and a cat from the actions of the church to prevent this transformation.

But above all, and this is what's fascinating, is that Yoshida uses this very political way of presenting this state failure when he opens the doors and is heard by Fumiko and the other agents, as if to convince them that he's still on their side. Yoshida thought it was enough to be alone and trust the system, but Asa and Denji proved that it wasn't enough. This trust in the state can be represented by the tako-tsubo trap: the octopus enters these cylindrical jars thinking it can protect its fragile constitution by sticking to the sides, but in reality, the octopus remains at the bottom of the trap.

Yoshida becomes aware of the trap he is in and helps Denji more and more. When did he have this realisation? I can't date it, but what I can say for sure is that in chapter 156, he intends to help Denji. He wakes him up to talk to him one last time, he gives him information, if only temporal, and Denji only confirms the failings of the system: Yoshida doesn't know Nayuta's fate because the state has completely failed to protect her.

But more importantly, takotsubo is also a fairly rare heart condition that can be brought on by a great emotional shock, which Yoshida wants to avoid by isolating himself. But as we said, he's already in the trap, so he's already become more emotional.

So Yoshida wants to help Denji, but how? By doing the opposite of what he was supposed to do, bringing Asa back into the equation by warning her about Denji's situation and his position.

The dismemberment of Chainsaw Man is a more than secret operation, and Fumiko asks Yoshida for confirmation, a sign that he is one of the only people with the most reliable information about Chainsaw Man's fate. No-one else could have warned Asa. But above all, Yoshida's information is going to help the war demon: by redeeming himself.

Denji has one leg removed, then the other, but what's left? His arms, right? Whereas Asa's legs are shown at the very end. But what was she missing? Her arms, right?

And what are these doctors doing, harvesting limbs and obviously? On top of that, it's a big number... 26... 27... what the public hunters are surely doing is to weaken Chainsaw Man as much as possible by dividing him up, but to accentuate his division, they're pulling on Denji's strap to force his regeneration while playing on his sleep to leave him unconscious. A large number of Denji's body members are harvested.

And who cut off Asa's arm? Yoshida. What could he do? Place her arm among all Denji's arms. To leave her with a weapon of choice within these walls. Warn Asa, and take advantage of her severed arm by recovering it, was Yoshida's plan B.

I know your headache's already there, but let's get on with it. What's the chapter title? Ambient noises, right? But who hears them?

I'm going to say the first sounds are those of the helicopter. The others are those of the dismemberment operation. But who hears all these successive noises? Isn't Denji supposed to be asleep?

Quite simply because Denji has woken up, not physically but to recover his senses a little, hence the detail of his clenched fist and the fact that he can now hear. How is this possible? Probably because Yoshida made sure not to shoot him completely. Why not? Because not only does he need Denji to remain at least minimally conscious, he also needs him to stay awake out of fear for the uncertainty surrounding Nayuta's fate.

We can see that Nayuta's fate agitates Denji and even makes him semi-conscious. Telling her that she was fine would have had the opposite effect, as Denji would have had no desire to get up. I think you can see where I'm going with this, but it was in Denji's interest to frustrate him even more about Nayuta and that's exactly what Yoshida did.

Let's make a brief philosophical and legal point: Leviathan by Hobbes is a work that forms one of the bases for thinking about the relationship between man and the state. Hobbes wrote this essay while traumatized by the English civil wars, for whom the only way to avoid chaos would be to give our liberties to a powerful monarch.

Man is a danger to social well-being; his natural reflex is domination, enslavement and violence.

Giving our freedoms to the state provides a powerful arbiter who in turn ensures security and social peace - the social contract. Why Leviathan? Leviathan is none other than the State, a creature invented by men, against which no individual can compete. Yoshida works for the state and therefore symbolically for Leviathan, the octopus demon.

The quid pro quo of this contract with the State, the Leviathan, is security, which is not guaranteed, as Yoshida can testify. So what does Yoshida do? He helps the figure whose popularity threatened that of the State as the guardian of social peace. But above all, he is helping the element that the state fears most - civil war, i.e. war within its borders. Within its walls.

If Yoshida and Asa have one thing in common, it's that they prefer to be alone to avoid suffering. What they do, however, is join forces to prevent Denji from stopping suffering, to enable them to move forward just like the legs they lack.

Just like friends would do.