#i think watching all of s2 in one day was perhaps too much all at once because that was a LOT of pain and drama and screaming all in one da

[ridiculously-over-obsessed]

look LOOK all I'm saying is that I love the development from someone's weapon to her own weapon to her sister's saviour but like... DID THEY HAVE TO HURT ME LIKE THAT????

I am weak for a villan -> unlikely hero arc, ESPECIALLY when the villian's redemption costs them their life, it's delicious angst that I come back for time and time again BUT JINX???? MY SWEET LITTLE DAMAGED PSYCHO???? MY HEART????

[eternalfics]

*holds hands out like a little peasant boy* do you have any crumbs.. perhaps, saiki kusuo as a bf with a reader who can sing? perchance...

saiki with a reader that can sing!

a/n: hmm, perhaps I maybe have some leftovers.. and uhh rlly sorry if u have been waiting 4EVERR 😱 (or maybe I just don’t pay attention to my notifications and it’s been a day.) but still sorryyy

warning: a lil joke about blackmail..

the song I was listening to while writing this:

you’re basically just in the friend group, whenever the group goes somewhere you follow. but you and saiki have the most in common, you guys are like bread and butter. you have so much in common, that’s probably why saiki asked you to date him. like you both are quiet, you both like quiet. anything do to with quiet. 😊 of course you still have conversations, but everyone calls you “the definition of shy”.

so saiki doesn’t expect for you to sing at karaoke night when everyone goes, he just thinks you’ll sit and chat with him. but something told him that you weren’t really interested in talking about coffee jelly right now. as you were looking at kaido singing TERRIBLY, you were kind of thinking of pushing him off and singing the rest.

and you did! well, you didn’t push him off. you obviously waited for your turn 😭 and you obviously SLAYED. your confidence rose up so fast, and you shocked everyone around you. you swear you were about to burst out laughing as soon as you saw saiki’s surprised look. but another part of you was so proud of yourself! it was basically saiki saying oh wow, but without words and using his facial expression. (I REFUSE to watch s2 without it being dubbed.) and guess what! you saw a glimpse of teruhashi’s angry face, looking like she was about to tear you up like a dog in the corner of your eye.

and basically since that day, you’ve been singing everywhere WITH ✨CONFIDENCE✨. you sang in your Pom, near saiki, near your friends, at night (quietly bc people are sleeping 😒) , when your favourite song is on, you know it. and everyone got used to it, that shy, uncomfortable y/n you knew was gone 4ever. now, they got replaced a new, confident y/n ✨

saiki, as your boyfriend, had to hear it all the time. and he wasn’t sick of it AT ALL. (sometimes he was, when he was trying to sleep with you on call or when you were singing just. too. much! but that didn’t happen often.) and sometimes, he’s just a big softie. 🙂 saiki asked you one time (in a very flustered way) if you could sing a lullaby for him to sleep, and of course you did it! (right after you teased him and pinched his cheeks.!) now in random moments, you remind him of the moment and you have a very red-faced kusuo saiki at your side. (sometimes you use that information for blackmail-)

whenever you get into arguments, saiki doesn’t like it at all, because he’s used to hearing your voice all of the time. 🕰️ and whenever you’re angry you don’t sing AT ALL. like AT ALL. and saiki has to find ways to make you feel better, he reads your mind, he’s follows you around like a lost puppy, and he tries to signal that he’s sorry but he doesn’t say it, like for example: giving you his LAST, EXCLUSIVEEEE 😱😱 coffee jelly 😓. but you always forgive him in the end, and then he can have that sweet voice near his ears again.

one time, you were at his house and you were coming downstairs secretly. saiki had that ring of his on, you never knew that saiki wore rings? but you always thought that it suited him. but as you get closer, you hear some humming, sweet, unexpected humming. he was humming that song you always sing. 🎶 when you start humming along with him, he jumps and looks behind him, seeing you, he visibly relaxes. seeing him relax, made you giggle. but you guys both knew that you were gonna tease him later.

damn I wrote a lot

[signedkoko]

Hi Koko! Can I request some romantic Fizzarolli headcanons that take place in s2 e7? Perhaps reader is helping Fizz prepare for his big show, helping him with ideas, props, and visuals etc.

Thank you so much for the opportunity, and could I be 🐈‍⬛ anon?

Fizzarolli X Reader [Romantic]

In which you help your dearest Fizz prepare for his entrance into this years pageant. Reader is genderneutral.

It was the big day—the very same big day that occurred once a year throughout your relationship with the imp

But no matter how many times, it never got any less important to Fizz, so you always pushed to make it as smooth as possible for him

You'd made sure to prepare meals the day before and ensure everything he needed had a backup and was on a checklist, ready to be packed and brought to the studio

Fizz told you there could be no mistakes, and you'd never let him down

Honestly, you took such a weight off of him; he wondered how he did it in his first few years without you

Whenever Fizz found himself panicking, you always managed to conjure some miracle solution to everything

All he had to do was the performing, and you handled everything else

All the props, settings, and lighting were checked by you during the rehearsal after you'd spent nights watching him perform his choreography

Usually it changed a bit before each show, but Fizz made sure to never change too much so you wouldn't be overworked

Even minutes before the show, you were in the changing room

Stradling his hips, holding his foundation and concealer while fixing up every last touch

You'd kiss his cheek only to cover it up, and he'd laugh at the white makeup staining your lips

His favourite moment in the whole show wasn't talking to fans, performing, or the cheering afterwards

It was right before the show, when you'd sit with him and pay every drop of attention just to him and how you wanted the makeup to look

Fizz didn't mention the change of plans, his desire to quit on stage, or the change of song

He didn't want to think that this would be his last time sitting in the changing room with you

He just wanted to savour it, and he could ponder tomorrow what the future holds for the two of you

After the show, Fizz makes sure to pick up some extra flowers on stage to give to you

The two of you make a run for it considering how pissy Mammon is, but it ends with the two of you panting, laughing, holding onto eachother

And you can't help but ask

" Are you sure about quitting? "

And without hesitation, Fizz replies with a smile

" Absolutely. "

Author's Note - A lil fizzy action! I am so surprised that I never got requested for him solo, he's defo one of the cutest patooties in Helluva Boss!

[shouyuus]

I LVOE UR VI STUFF SO MUCHHHH FLEHF9QHTQONTEUEN it's so good omg ur popstar reader x vi fics I start squealing so hard THANK U FOR UR WRITING 🙏🙏 (alsoooo js out of curiosity do u ever plan to write for anyone else in arcane !! :3)

lskdfjs thank u!!! the popstar!au was the first one that came to me when i first started writing for vi for some reason (it's bc in that au, i know nothing bad will happen and i needed a safe space where i could pamper vi okay sdslfkjs) BUT IM SO GLAD that other ppl like it too its such a silly cute lil au <3 ;;; and uhM as for other arcane characters? idk? at the moment, no. i just don't feel a super huge muse for any of them? like cait or jayce would be the only other characters i MIGHT ever be interested in writing for but even then that might SUPER huge like. im afraid vi is my one and only (for the moment at least u__u)

(i combined this with some other lovely anon asks!!! i hope u dont mind!!)

I just wanna say that I am absolutely in love with the way you write Vi. Especially the roommate Vi au. I’ve had a pretty hard week and your headcanons about her make me actually squeal, giggle, and smile every time you put out something new :)) I actually love your mind I appreciate every bit of what you write for her, please don’t stop 💕💕💕

awww im so glad it was able to make ur hard week a bit better! last week (and the week before that too) was rough for me as well, so i feel you there. i was def writing those to make myself feel btter as well u__u and yeah like. roommate!vi supremacy tbh. sldkfjsodi

Switch!Vi truthers unite!!!!!!! She’s such a cutie pie

SWITCH!VI TRUTHERS!!!!!!! no like. i think it's so, so canon. like in the show you see her take the lead but also give it up when someone else steps up like ITS JUST WHO SHE IS !!!! (also SHE WHINES IN CANON. LEMME AT HER)

I've almost finished season 1 of arcane and watched two episodes of season 2 so far yes new fan. But since getting into the show and looking for fan finds on my girl vi and finding you, you've truly made me love vi as a whole again baisvally falling in love with ehr character all over again. Hope this makes sense I'm calling you an amazing writer Also...I voted in your poll about vi and God I need a jealous/possessive vi or reader shut right now xd Have a good day!

OMG nonny this is so so sweet!!!! thank you <3333 BUT ALSO OMG GET READY FOR S2 ITS GOING TO BREAK UR HEART (but also pit!fighter vi will revive you trUST).

asdlfkjsd im so glad that ur falling for her again (as you should!!!!! she deserves all the love!) and yES omg lol i mean ur clearly not the only one like 37% of ppl in the poll voted for the jealous sex one HAHAHAHAH so it'll be done! worry not. just. not sure as to WHEN it'll be done....

the way you write vi from arcane is criminally good, i can’ttt omgggg! Please never stop its like some of the best this I’ve read on this app!! 🩷✨

cRIMINAL u say ? ;) perhaps enforcer!vi could arrest me im JUST SAYING -- SLDKFJSD lmfao thank u so much nonny!! it makes me happy to see ppl enjoying my vi-shaped brainrots LOL

[most-normal-eccles-cake-ignorer]

celestial surveillance + some garden of eden parallels

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. - Luke 8:17 (NIV)

Over and over, we see how the bookshop feels safe/private while simultaneously being sort of a fishbowl, leaving its inhabitants quite exposed to onlookers. *garden of eden vibes*

Similarly, Aziraphale and Crowley tried to conduct a class-A surreptitious 6000+ year agreement/slowburn romance and yet their 25 Lazarii relationship is fairly obvious to others.

Reminiscent of how Crowley is painfully aware that nothing is certain and time is horribly finite, Aziraphale lives with the knowledge that anything he does or says can be used against him—or much worse, used against Crowley or others our little guardian cares about. Unlike his emotional support demon, however, Aziraphale was afraid Before the Beginning, before The Fall.

While Upstairs aren't the only ones watching, they have the potential to be the most dangerous threat (emphasis on potential bc they have to take an interest and also maybe stumble into important clues): The heavenly office overlooks the entire world. Where Hell had to send Furfur to the theatre with a camera, Heaven's got Earth Observation Files they can pull up to see what someone was doing at any point in history—not even St. James Park can keep you anonymous in the face of thirty-seven classes of scriveners/recording angels!

Aziraphale may tend to underestimate danger in general because of his misplaced hope that Heaven is truly Good, but in the same way that he can be both clever and stupid, I think he trusts Heaven and fears it at the same time. Why else would he be so worried about breaking their rules even when he knows they are wrong?

Of course, Aziraphale is also a courageous little bastard with a deity-defying protective streak! Despite Heaven's indoctrination, we see him navigating all sorts of grey area as he learns to 'blur the edges'. But he knows it isn’t safe to do that openly. He keeps this more human side hidden and tries not to think too hard about why doing good is wrong in heavens eyes. (lol other people's aziraphale metas are my main food group rn)

At the end of S2, we see him leave A.Z. Garden & Co. after tasting the forbidden fruit large oat milk latte, armed with his naïve/misguided 'knowledge of Good and Evil'. (and perhaps he knows he can't 'let the sun can’t go down' on him in Soho lest the the Metatron mete out death instead of coffees?) When Adam and Eve left Eden, Aziraphale and Crowley observed from above. When the angel and demon leave their own garden, we get the sense that they are also being watched.

(also idk if this is anything but Adam facing off against the lion while Eve looks on in the bg seemed a bit like Crowley watching Aziraphale walk into danger w the Metatron. could be a good sign since the lion gets turned into salami)

There are hints at the end of S2 that the watching is getting a little a spicier (at least I think they are hints haha): the bookshop windows are still broken during the last part of E6, further decreasing privacy; the zombies used binoculars to watch A&C from the Dirty Donkey under cover of darkness in 1941 but the Metatron just looks across the road in the light of day. And then there's the whole 'hefty jigger of almond syrup'.

[variousqueerthings]

hi hello the exorcist show for the ask game please!!! (hope you are well!)

AHHH HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO

awwyeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (also known as: the show of all fucking time that nobody watched before it was too late, including my good self but lbr they were never giving it a third season but does it matter???? we got two seasons of some of the most beautiful narrative you can imagine. chill im chill you know im chill gosh im so happy you watched this show still!)

my favorite female character ooh, this is interesting, because I never had a Fave fave out of all of them, but i think a toss-up between Angela Rance (duh, perhaps, my beloved Geena Davis), Mother Bernadette (i miss u babe), and Rose Cooper (head solidly on her shoulders as she navigates the utterly bizarre, adopts all the kids 😭😭😭)

my favorite male character YOU KNOW! HOW DIFFICULT! THIS IS! YOU KNOW I HAVE TO GO MARCUS BUT THEN TOMAS WOULD ALSO SAY MARCUS (but then Marcus would say Tomas, so forwards and backwards we go) - my midlands orphan who was groomed and abused by the Church to become an object/weapon, who has somehow maintained an inherent belief in People, in Goodness, and above all who will never ever let another child suffer on his watch!!!! who sees abused children and wants to save them!!!!!!!!! who is queer and deeply repressed (canonically this time, we say this about many a character, but Canonically!!!!) and working through it!!!! played by the beauteous and yet rugged Ben Daniels!!!! This character Did Things to my psyche forever and always, he is nestled softly in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my favorite book/season/etc Mmmmmmm there's only two to go for... I think........ argh. hm. ok. no. i can't do it. coward's way out. soz babe

my favorite episode (if its a tv show) me like, damn it's so episodic, what happened wheeen but ok in terms of Moments in the story: s1: when we properly discover who Angela is. the rug pull is so so good for me and pulls everything into focus as a Story! s2: toss up between "Marcus makes out with a sexy fisherman (called Peter!!) while Tomas embarks on The Horrors alone," and the finale............. gosh that s2 finale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my favorite cast member I've seen Ben Daniels onstage and it absolutely rocked my whole world, but I cannot go without shouting out Alfonso Herrera (yes, he of Sense8 fame to anyone reading this trying to connect the dots!) Geena Davis, and John Cho!!!! like!!!! this cast is fucking Stacked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my favorite ship Tomas/Marcus. whatever they are, they are everything to one another! which is the whole core of the show

a character I’d die defending Father Devon Bennett!!!!! I don't know if he needs defending from fandom, but holy cow the way we leave him is so so bleak it hurts my soul!!!!! can someone come save my baby boy 😭😭😭

a character I just can’t sympathize with Idk man. the demons? OH NO WAIT I KNOW FUCKN! MARIA WALTERS!!!! Truly a "ok sob story, still evil" kinda thing (which is the point, this woman!!! this fucking woman!!!!!!!) -- i do like how absolutely pathetic she was in a particular way I usually see in these powerhungry guys! girlboss! cancer killed the demon inside of her (lol)

a character I grew to love I'd say Mouse. I think the thing about Mouse is simply that we didn't get to the next part of her story, so she's In Potentia permanently. I also think it was a slight misstep to ground her in a past will-they-won't-they with Marcus, because it puts her into that fatal position of "oh so she's just a love interest after all" vs giving her her own journey, BUT! HOWEVER! She does have her own journey! very much so in fact! it's just that that wig Ben Daniels had in the flashbacks was fucking atrocious and you were maybe more interested in the current-day stuff on first watch but then on second watch she really came into her own for me, especially everything she was doing with Bennett! I wish we'd had more of them doing Stuff together! I wish we could have seen her and Tomas properly bonding!!!!!!!!!

my anti otp um. dunno really. Marcus and the wig. I wasn't necessarily compelled by Marcus and Mouse romantically either, I will say, but her hero-worshipping him and misreading it a certain way (she was a young nun, he was a mysterious exorcist), that I can get behind, especially since present-day Mouse is so Capable and Jaded, we like that journey for her

Anyway... that fucking show. forever in my mind. forever hurting my soul. forever waiting for a third season. forever recommending it because even without a full ending it's so so satisfying!

sry needed to add gifs of marcus touching tomas like he's precious

[thescreaminghat]

There’s so much to talk about Arcane S1 and S2, and what I want to focus on for this ramble is the issue I take with Singed being Corin Reveck. I’ve said this before, but this was one of the choices that I was worried that the writers would make back when s1 was airing. I actively dislike the idea of making Corin and Singed the same person, and not just because I think it unnecessarily humanizes the awful, awful person that Singed is both in League lore and Arcane while taking away what is a tender and mournful story revolving around two relatively unimportant characters in the broader world and stakes of Runeterra (namely, Corin and his only daughter, Orianna).

My two main gripes with this writing choice are as follows:

It makes the world so much smaller and less interesting than before. In the most recent iteration of Orianna’s game lore, Corin was a famed artificer known for building prosthetics in Piltover (this could be seen as a "doing good work for the people" kind of job, even if he is running a business). This background in itself wouldn’t be too surprising even if directly transposed to Arcane Piltover and Zaun, as even prior to Hextech improvements, we see that body augmentations/modifications are accessible to members of the council (though I much rather prefer League’s idea of Piltover and Zaun as having all sorts of inventors and academics exist in both cities, with Zaun having its own Academy of Techmaturgy, rather than having a handful of named characters be responsible for much of the city’s technological development as we see in Arcane). However, to me, what makes Corin and Orianna’s story so compelling is how easily it can be overlooked amidst all of the grander narratives in League P&Z, the in-fighting between chembarons and the class hierarchy enforced by Camille, Jinx being Jinx, etc. Corin has importance as an inventor, but there are so many of his type—perhaps not specializing in prosthetics, but another field of study—that he really feels like another “ordinary citizen” of Piltover. There is no world-ending stake involved in his and his daughter’s story, but that is precisely why their narrative is so compelling to me—when Orianna rushes to the site of an explosion in Zaun, in secret, to apply the skills she learned as her father’s apprentice in order to save others, and returns home with irreversible lung damage, I feel as though I am witnessing a ”day in the life” of someone stuck within the conflict between P&Z. Corin and Orianna are still privileged, and their situation is vastly better than the actual Zaunites who Orianna made it her mission to save, but Orianna’s biography suggests that despite Corin’s renown, he and Orianna were left largely to their own struggle following Orianna’s illness. I.e. they did not have the kinds of resources and help presumably available to the houses with even greater authority in Piltover.

When Corin devotes himself tirelessly to saving his daughter with his own skills, and Orianna is watching herself lose bits and pieces of her own body, I feel as though we are meant to understand this as a small blip in the overall circumstances of the world, that there are far greater events demanding the attention of the many, and a father’s grief over his child, and a child’s horror at how her body no longer looks the way that she remembers it, is relegated to a quiet, personal tragedy to be shouldered by the pair alone (even though it shouldn't be).

When Corin and Orianna relocate to Zaun, after Corin spends everything he had in order to save his daughter, I can imagine the kind of small relief that father and daughter perhaps felt, realizing that as long as they had each other and their passion for their craft, then that was enough for them, regardless of what happens in the complicated landscape of P&Z. When Corin subsequently falls ill due to the toll that his stress has taken on his own body, and Orianna is forced to make a deal with a chembaron to obtain a hextech crystal in an effort to save her father, we are left wondering how many Zaunites and Pilovians alike may have fallen into similar circumstances, how many secret meetings have taken place between desperate people and good-for-nothings in positions of power in P&Z. And when Orianna ultimately saves her father by giving him her last, healthy organ, the physical embodiment of her emotional core—her heart—and decides to leave her home as a machine powered by hextech, there is no fanfare, but we do get the sense that a tragedy has occurred, that even if there was no “fatal flaw” or twist villain, that something unjust has taken place in these sister cities. And that is how it was meant to be, I think, in Orianna’s story. These are characters, who, by interacting with the world of P&Z as we know it, give us insight into how this world works for its citizens. Their stories don’t need to lead to a grander narrative or tie into timeline-changing events; they are meaningful because they allow us to see how a character could live and thrive and struggle within the backdrop of the world. And that allows us to imagine other stories that could organically come from the politics of P&Z, and other ways its citizens could envision change (e.g. what if working-class Zaunites were given better protections, and Zaunite industry designed to be safer for its workers, so that explosions like the one that was slowly killing Orianna didn’t occur? What if Piltover had better medical support systems so that Corin wouldn’t have to destroy his own health in order to keep his daughter alive? Did Corin’s initial attitudes towards Zaunites change? After all, Piltover effectively failed to assist them, and he and Orianna were forced to move to Zaun in order to continue their business, something that could be regarded by more elitist Piltovians as a “decline” in one’s respectability, regardless of the quality of work produced by Corin and Orianna for their clients. Etc. Etc.)

By making Corin the same person as Singed, the possibilities that Orianna’s narrative opens up for an exploration of other people’s lives in P&Z are removed. Because Singed is so closely tied with shimmer, with Warwick/Vander, with Viktor, with the trajectory of the arcane, with the surgical “creation” of “Jinx”, there is little room to let a backstory of a father and daughter breathe, let alone introduce an audience to the non-plot-related interactions that this duo could have with the richness of the world. It also, in my view, makes the world so much smaller/more extreme (e.g. we can only have a scientist who engages with grandiose, unethical experimentation for the sake of his child, because that is what we would commonly think of when we are presented with a scientist father; we cannot have a father who also happens to be a scientist, where the focus is on his introspective, personal mourning on how his field of study and his community of peers have, in many ways, failed him, but despite that resentment, he continues with what he has, representing one path in a set of circumstances that could drive a different person down another path). And I get that Arcane s2 in particular literally opens up the idea of the multiverse and “other paths,” but that felt somewhat hackneyed, and I much prefer the idea that the multitude of paths that an audience can explore is right here, in the world we currently see, as different people live through their different circumstances.

2) Singed being Corin Reveck removes so much of what made Orianna’s dilemma—whether she is a “machine” or a “human”—so interesting. Orianna, by having her limbs and organs slowly replaced with artificial ones (I emphasize this because the nature of Orianna’s transformation becomes a “ship of Theseus” question), also loses her sense of what it means to be human (e.g. the unbridled creativity that is suggested to have previously animated her craft seems to be gone, and she instead produces “masterfully tuned mechanisms,” rather than “works of art”). She becomes “disconnected” from herself, presumably both from her internal sense of self as well as her physical body, even as her care and love for her father lead her to literally give up her own heart to keep him alive.

One can see the parallels between League Orianna and League Viktor, and how they potentially contrast (or complement!) the other. Viktor claims to have replaced his flesh with metal in order to rid himself of the weaknesses inherent to having an organic, decomposable body, while Orianna is forced to replace her limbs and lungs because she is experiencing, real-time, what the limits of that organic body are, even though she obviously does not want to experience something like this. Viktor claims that it is humanity’s emotions that leads them to make errors in judgment and hinder efficiency and progress, but Orianna’s love for her father leads her to perform a successful operation and save his life (and Corin’s love for his daughter leads him to “create” the kind of mechanical being that Viktor would praise, as part of his ideology). Viktor’s actions suggest that he believes it is necessary to move beyond “limiting” emotions like fear (e.g. his injection of that experimental serum into Naph) while Orianna’s whole struggle is trying to replicate, once more, those feelings, trying to indulge in sentimentality and romance (e.g. When she tells the automaton, Fieram: “I like to ride the Rising Howl at dusk to catch the last of the day’s golden rays,” . . . “From the very top you can see the harbor beyond the sea-gates, and the endless glistening ocean. From up there, you can imagine the smell of faraway lands.” – are these the thoughts and language of a machine, or of a human? And when she desperately destroys the casing around the automaton, believing herself to be freeing a boy like her, are those the actions of an “efficient” consciousness, or of a child encased in steel?). I can imagine, in the world of League P&Z, scientific and philosophical debates regarding the nature of Orianna’s existence (what makes her more human than machine? More machine than human? Is it her lingering connections to memory? To emotions? Or something else entirely?).

All of this to say, that there are some interesting questions to be explored through the way in which “Orianna”, whether she is an identity, a physical being, or something else entirely, emerged through Corin's gradual and necessary removal of her physical body. Making Singed and Corin Reveck the same person strips away these complexities.

Both League and Arcane Singed are awful people. That is undeniable. Regardless of his reasoning or emotions, Singed did unspeakable things to Vander, and was a catalyst for much of the violence, or its escalation, in Arcane, particularly with his production of shimmer in line with Silco’s aim of weaponizing and distributing the substance in the undercity. The circumstances of Orianna’s creation, with Singed noting that everything he had been doing was for his love of Orianna, are thus tinged with a layer of ethical wrongdoing so thick that not even Jesus Viktor could remove it. Similarly, Orianna was not replaced slowly, with the mechanical equivalents of her limbs and organs. She appears to have been yeeted back into existence with the magic shenanigans in S2 Act 3. Any interesting questions about Orianna’s identity, in my opinion, are overshadowed by the starting premises that, yes, Orianna should not have lived or been brought back to life in Arcane, if it meant that the horrible things that Singed, whether directly or indirectly, had done to the people of P&Z could have been avoided, and yes, Orianna in her current form may literally not be herself because we have seen the hexcore/multiverse/ascended hivemind Viktor shenanigans play out already. And this doesn’t even touch on the lack of agency that Orianna has in Arcane, as an unconscious thing for Singed to show the audience for sympathy points, versus the Orianna we get from League lore, who consciously made the choice to disobey her father to help Zaunites and was conscious and present throughout the entire process of her body modification/replacement.

The League lore also sets up an interesting exploration of how patriarchal power is used and its relationship to the mechanical female body—Corin comes off as not only overprotective of his only daughter, something that could also stem from class considerations towards Zaun, but as a sort of “Prospero” figure, guiding and warning his daughter to never venture outside of their neighbourhood in Piltover (like Prospero’s warnings to Miranda), while only permitting her to indulge in fantasies that he approves as “appropriate” for her (e.g. theatre performances). Even when he builds Orianna her artificial lungs, Corin keeps the key to these lungs in a safe, to prevent Orianna from leaving his sphere of authority.

When they do move to Zaun, Orianna not only takes on the traditional role of the breadwinner due to her father’s ailing health, but is in some ways able to gain more agency in her interactions with other elements of the world, such as the chembaron. When Orianna decides to make the choice to save her father, she takes with her the last object that he can use to maintain some form of control over her. While his control is not framed as intentionally abusive, it does lead to questions about how Orianna’s feelings of “detachment” from her sense of self may also be tied to the control that her father exercises concerning her physical agency.

None of this was explored in Arcane, and I never expected the show to focus so much on these kinds of issues for minor secondary characters, but that’s exactly the problem. By introducing us to Singed as “Corin Reveck,” and effectively tying him with Orianna and the intriguing possibilities available through the existing lore, Arcane, which has now ended in terms of its story, ends up failing to deliver any sort of exploration of these issues. Orianna and Corin could have been left as a side story in an Arcane spinoff, or as a cinematic like the Annie origins cinematic, etc. but because the Arcane writers seem to want to make everything “interconnected,” it just feels like we missed so much potential, and even if we did get something on these issues, it feels, from the path that the showrunners have gone so far, that they would narrow these possibilities to whatever can fit the ”interconnected stories” narrative.

Not everything needs to be tied to something else to be good, it can just be good—tying Singed of all people to Orianna’s story was the strangest of these kinds of choices made in Arcane S2, especially when we could have just explored Singed as Singed (i.e. exploring ethics in science from a broader perspective), and hopefully I’ve been able to explain why.

*Note: the above is just my opinion, so please ignore if you feel so inclined.

[iris-sistibly]

The Targ Talk: House of the Dragon S2

Episode 3 commentary:

Late to the party again but anyway,

Alicent and Criston's lOveY doVey moment before the cunt left is cringey af.

Rhaenys defending Rhaenyra from the council full of men is *chef's kiss* she's the only one who understands why the queen has been holding back. I get the council's point that they should be acting now because the greens are advancing. If you really think about it, it's really too late for peace negotiations, but the queen's desperate attempts to choose a peaceful way to end this conflict--despite how hopeless, was because she knew how important it was to keep the houses united (the prophecy), she also knew that this war will cause the downfall of their House, and more innocent lives will be claimed including her loved ones and she cannot allow that.

Rhaenyra sending her babies away to keep them safe will never not be heartbreaking. I feel bad for Rhaena too, all her life she felt useless and unloved. It sucks because she never felt like a true Targaryen just because she didn't have a dragon at the time (she wouldn't have Morning until much, much later). But my girl would be taking care and watching over two future kings. A role that Rhaenyra entrusted her, which is just as important.

I've read that Geeta Patel confirmed that Dany's dragons were actually Syrax's babies, which surprised me because those three looked more like Dreamfyre than Syrax or even Caraxes (if he's their dad). I even thought that Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal were those three eggs Elissa Farman stole from way, way back (like Rhaena Targaryen, the OG rider of Dreamfyre days). Perhaps they purposely did that since Daenerys came from Rhaenyra and Daemon's line but they should have at least made Syrax look like Dany's dragons 🤷.

Milly Alcock briefly appearing in Season 2 🥹🥹 Although that scene when she was sewing Jaehaerys' neck while singing gave off a really creepy vibe, it served as Daemon's conscience and I love the way they delivered it. Hands down to Matt Smith!!! I love that scene when Daemon teared up upon realizing how much pain he had caused Rhaenyra, Matt was impeccable.

I love how Crispy Cunt and Gwayne were scrambling to save their asses from getting burned by Moondancer. Baela scaring the shit out of them is priceless, and her dragon is a cutie.

Strangely, even if Aegon is back to his Joffrey Barratheon era I don't hate him as much as the latter. He is so easy to manipulate to the point that it makes him so pathetic, I feel sorry for him that he's only king by name. However, I feel worse for Helaena. She was setting aside her own grief because she felt like the small folk had it worse. Girl you are allowed to mourn, you did not deserve that kind of trauma.

Speaking of which, I wish they have shown more of Helaena's grief--the guilt, the nightmare that kept haunting her, OR Helaena setting her emotions aside because she felt that she does not deserve to mourn the death of Jaehaerys because she felt guilty of what she did. I think that would have been truer to what Helaena actually feels (and closer to her story in the book). Though I commend her strength for being able to "forgive" Alicent, not just for what happened to Jaehaerys, but perhaps for the things she fucked up in the past. Though I've read a fan theory that the scene could also depict Helaena's vision that Alicent might betray the greens in an attempt to correct her mistake or something like that, what do you think?

Ewan Mitchell is brave for doing that nude scene to show Aemond's vulnerable side. He is cold, fierce, and intelligent on the outside, but underneath that armor, he is someone who has suffered so much at a young age and is still hurting until now.

I'm still mad at this incredibly stupid writing that Alicent thought Viserys was referring to their son Aegon. Imagine losing your children, killing each other, and traumatizing your surviving loved ones over a misunderstanding. A fucking misunderstanding. Idk what the screenwriters were thinking or who came up with this idea but...I cannot.

Rhaenyra's last attempt, as expected was pointless. Even if Alicent admitted that she fucked up, and declare Rhaenyra as the rightful queen, she knew it wouldn't change anything. Aegon [most likely] wouldn't just suck it up and accept Rhaenyra as queen knowing how angry he is at her for his son's death, and it's not like the council would listen to Alicent anyway, so much are already at stake and I don't think the greens would back down just like that.

[markantonys]

Ok I just need to come here and say: got costumes were not that great. They were showing off with the embroidery, but it was made purposefully “rustic” which contributed to it looking unprofessional, and made Cersei look like an idiot. The embroidery was very detailed, true, but you couldn’t see it while watching, it just looked like a blob usually.

The colours were dull, and most of the costumes were not well thought through. And also I don’t really think they fit that well? what looked great on Lena, looked very questionable on Sophie, which was not supposed to be happening. I’m not even going to discuss the jewelry.

Wot costumes are much better, are clearly comfortable for actors to be in (remembering Sophie again and how awkward she moves in the dresses sometimes, and like compared to the way Madeleine and Zoe look and move, even though they have spent most of the second season in uncomfortable clothes), show status clearly without the insane classism of got “you are either wealthy and beautiful or literally live in a pigsty” and are weather appropriate. And they embody the “early 90s late 80s fantasy looks” much better than got. So in my book wot is definitely much better.

Sorry I’m the costume rant anon. Wanted to add that a lot of costumes in got and wot have a similar silhouette and the difference in quality is like. Obvious. I know it’s subjective but like. I think we have been gaslit that got costumes are THAT good

iiiinteresting! i only know GOT costumes from seeing them around social media, so i can't weigh in here since i haven't seen them in context while actually watching an episode, so it is interesting to get a perspective from someone who's watched both shows! (and who knows stuff about costumes and how to judge quality - i don't at all haha i just go "oh that looks pretty, i like it!")

but i definitely agree that WOT costumes look generally pretty comfortable in the sense that i buy real people would actually wear these clothes day-to-day (i mean, except for statement pieces like lanfear's TAR dominatrix outfit or siuan's ceremonial attire). one that jumps to mind right away is one of alanna's s2 outfits - super pretty, but also looks quite cozy for just a normal day at the tower teaching novices!

and that's a really great point about how status comes across in WOT costumes. here, we can obviously tell that moiraine is upper class and egwene is a humble villager, but egwene's outfit is still pretty and well-made and colorful and clean, just simpler fabric & style than moiraine's (and she gets to wear jewelry too despite being a humble villager, just simpler jewelry than moiraine. and her skirt is a cute plaid pattern and she has a nice dash of simple, handmade-looking embroidery on her top - perhaps she added that embroidery herself to jazz up her Best Feastday Shirt!)

[drconstellation]

More Half-and-Half-A-Miracle Thoughts

Part 3: The Third Archangel

Updated 10 Nov 2023

Part 1: Miracle Power Ranking is here Part 2: The Dark side of Aziraphale is here.

Before I try to put the full picture of the mighty miracle together, there is one other Archangel I want to talk about first, because yeah, if the "little" miracle had an Archangel x an Archangel x (ex-)Archangel in the equation, all working in synergy, that's some pretty serious potential power right there.

S2 has given us much to discuss about Crowley and his past. We know he is different in that he has an imagination. We know he is the only ethereal entity, angelic or demonic, who can stop time, which is no mean feat. I have a list of at least nine, possibly thirteen clues (it keeps growing! 21 clues And yes, I'm counting,) that he was once a

senior Archangel, one of the seraphim, before his Fall (but not which one in particular, for sure, alas. We can debate that later, its not important here. Really. Don't @ me about it, I'm not going to engage in this post.) They (updated link to a new discussion: the idea of Crowley previously being a very powerful angel) have all been mentioned already, none of them are new. This implies there is a huge amount of potential power that Crowley could pull upon to put into the miracle performed on Gabriel. So he is our obvious ex-Archangel in the equation.

And we already have Gabriel, in the middle.

Which just leaves us with Aziraphale, and his green-paneled waistcoat...

I've led you all on thinking he's somehow connected to Hell? Or been associating too long with Crowley? No. (Or maybe, yes? To hanging around a demon, I mean.) On one hand it does show us he is not like the other angels. On the other, it tells us something else altogether.

For all that I've been recently rabbiting on about dark horses pointing mainly to Crowley and Saraqael, we have perhaps been deftly misdirected from the biggest dark horse of all: Aziraphale as our 'missing" seraphim, Archangel Raphael, incognito.

Now, I'm certainly not the first person to suggest this at all. There have been multiple metas about it, even way back from S1. I agree with them, fwiw.

Why am I saying this now? I think this recent post about Aziraphale being present at Sodom and Gomorrah sealed it for me, especially since I had made a recent note about Raphael being the one to be assigned to escort Lot from Gomorrah. And for all that I've just discussed how dark Aziraphale can be, he is still clearly affected by what he witnessed that night, so long, long ago.

"Oh Lord, heal this bike."

Green is also the color primarily associated with Raphael, the healer. I've seen a few other colors mentioned as well (in fact, the more you search, the more confusing it gets) but mostly the color you'll see mentioned is green. And its the color Aziraphale conceals on the back side of his waistcoat. Plus he did heal Anathema (and her velocipede) back in S1 after they collided with the Bentley.

Finally, in the Islamic tradition, Raphael is known as Israfil, and he is essential to announcing the Day of Judgement, with a trumpet constantly poised at his lips, ready to blown when God so orders.

Guess who just got taken back to Heaven to start the Second Coming?

Edit: Since I first posted this, some additional information has come along to add to this. I finally bumped into a post about the wonderful golden collars in the Job minisode (It's so, so important to put at least one or two relevant tags for meta-writers like me to help find your posts readers! Then you can shit-talk in the tags all you like.) and that lead me to a webpage on basic angel symbology and the major angels, which helped to firm up a few things I'd been wondering about. One observation is angels usually go about bare-footed, but Raphael wears sandals when on Earth, as he is chief of the guarding angels, and is the guardian of the young, and watches over pilgrims and travelers. And who was wearing golden sandals during the Job minisode?

Doing some guarding of the young as well...

And Raphael is assigned to the direction of the East.

Now we have three Archangels, three seraphim, no less, side by side.

That's a mighty shitload of potential miracle power, whichever way you want to look at it. No wonder the ol' Metatrash got a bit nervous about what happened and decided to take a personal hand in things.

If your sitting there going "'Hang on, op, hang on just a darned minute - Aziraphale hasn't even been promoted to Supreme Archangel yet and Crowley could just be a Dominion, you don't know, and Gabriel's a drooling idiot, how could he contribute to it - " Just stop. Take a breath. Go back to Part 1 where I discuss the problems with our knowledge about miracle powers and their potential. Their potential. And its frustrating that in the end we just don't have enough knowledge to be certain.

So take this as my personal head-canon. I may not have really answered why the miracle was so strong. But as I said at the start, I don't think we can. Too many factors involved, too many unknowns. Too much hidden.

Bring on S3, I say!

[verdart]

I made the unfortunate decision to comment on a tiktok saying

"Blitz has every right to doubt Stolas' intentions and I will di on this hill defending Blitz"

Which made me actually realize in the context of Stolitz how much the fandom vilifies Blitz.

Upon rewatch I realized that he is actually kinda innocent lmao. So here comes the rant hop on in Verda rants at 4am again train.

The thing is first of all we need to work our media literacy muscles. So Stolas stans who think he is a uwu babygirl that dod nothing wrong repeat after me. "Blitz didn't watch "just look my way", "owl in a cage" or any other Stolas longing scene that we cried over"

Now that thats setteled I don't want to hear any "he is trying" bs because as of now (pre full moon s2e8) he hasn't actually done anything that Blitz is aware.

Lets start from the top my initial comment was about how Stolas treated him for so long before actually catching the feelings and how Blitz has a right to think he is not genuine.

Up top lest start with the condescending pet names and I won't be hearing Blitz cant be mad at that Stolas does it bc he thinks he likes it... jesus okay s2e1 when stolas starts the imp dirty talk what does blitz do a) encourage him b) get naked and dtf bc that was hot, c) shuts him up

Ding ding ding C. Stolas can still take this as bedtime play sure but we have a case for Blitz not liking it from day one. Other than that we all know he views Stolas' (perhaps in his mind endearing) pet names as condescention.

Secondly even if we ignore the power imbalance Stolas is the one to suggest the transactional fucking... s1e1 even tho in the forst time it was Blitz's doing, sorta. So don't at me saying well Blitz just uses him for the grimoire, like girly duh that was the premise. But Stolas also uses Blitz. Imo lending a book vs fucking in payment is a bot excessive but for Blitz's case beggars cant be chosers.

Now to the elephant in the room... Ozzie's. Does Blitz invite him (Stolas) purely out of selfish intentions that has nothing to do with him? Yes. Is he a dick? Yes. But Does Stolas hide his fucking face when he has a reality check? Yes. But then y'all be mad bc Blitz pulled his hand back.

That night Stolas was read once, Blitz was like at least 2 times... if we don't count the stuff for Stolas by proxy. He was having a hard night bro. And after Stolas invites him he is like no and Stolas respects that. Which if the show didn't add s2e2 in between it wouldve been a perfect stepping stool to get the Stolitz on healthy communication territory but that didn't happen.

I cannot for the life of me pin point when Stolas genuinely falls for Blitz. If its from day one damn it took him long enough to understand what he was doing was wrong.

Anyways we as fans can't be mad at Stolas because we know he is starting to understand the absolute power imbalance he created and the position he left Blitz in. He has realized that the thing is lets remember and repeat "Blitz is not watching the show with us". Blitz doesn't know of this sudden change of heart.

Now to adress a few meaningful interactions we have after ozzies. The fucking pixelated phone texts from s2 western energy.

Stolas apologizes but in that way that I look down upon. "Sorry if" like girl own it up anyways Blitz brushes it off and Stolas instead just goes hehe I didnt care either. Yall need relationship therapy my god. Important thing is Stolas was trying to reach out. But instead of going anything I said that made you upset etc he could've actually apologize properly for getting ashamed. Tho Blitz should also apologize for inviting him on a date for his own gain but thats another bag of worms I won't open tonight.

Other than that he has put off seeing him and doing the transactional fucking for a while. During those times. And as we know from all the phones Blitz breaks after talking to Stolas and hearing hus dirty talk he isn't too excited about. We don't exactly know if he comes or not on those nights. But he is also showm to be quite comfortable in s2e2 with the "my dick is good but its not that good" comment so maybe they do continue the arrangement... idk. Either way we know they haven't really talked.

All I am saying is that both parties of this ship are guilty af of hurting eachother and taking advantage of eachother. But as the power house of this power imbalance, Stolas needs to be held accountable. And he is doing that now!! Or will, in s2e8 and I can't wait to see how that goes. Overall, I can see totally why Blitz shuts down any signs that Stolas might actually be into him. He has a good bunch of reasons too. And as far as we've seen from the trailer we will get to hear him say it out loud as he should.

[dinoace2]

Things Left Unsaid

Cute sad moments is how I cope ok

1.2k words of soft Aziracrow angst

s2 spoilers!

~~~~~~

Crowley paced the shelves of the bookshop. He always did. If there was nothing else to do, then he would spend his days looking over the dragon's hoard of literature that built up over the past millenia or so. Why was he there anyway? Perhaps waiting for something? But Heaven knows - no, he knows - that what he's hoping for isn't going to return.

The new guardian of the shop found this to be a normal occurrence now. She would watch the demon wander aimlessly for hours at a time, keeping an eye out for nothing at all.

Muriel occasionally brought him pastries and to-go coffees, by Nina's recommendation, so that he wasn't walking a marathon indoors on an empty stomach.

After far too long of walking toward an unattainable destination - onlookers could argue he'd carved a groove in the hardwood floor of the path he'd followed - his legs led him to the chair of Aziraphale's desk in the bookshop's study.

They collapsed beneath him as he finally sat, the overworked limbs numb from use. Now that he was still, he was exhausted. His whole body felt heavy, weighed down nearly equally by fatigue and sorrow. His eyelids were heavy, and after a moments' hesitation, he let them close.

The door's bells chimed, not necessarily uncommon for this time of day, but the footsteps that followed made their way...right to him.

"...Crowley..."

The demon froze and his eyes shot open, now quite awake and very aware of his surroundings.

He scrambled to his feet, pulling his glasses off his face, hoping this wasn't some sort of trick of the lighting.

He reached out, tentatively, as if the being in front of him were to shatter or vanish at his touch.

"Angel?"

Aziraphale gently took hold of his outstretched hand, his crystal blue eyes gazing lovingly at Crowley.

He took a breath, then opened his mouth to speak. "Crowley, i-"

Nothing else got through. The angel was cut off, his lips interrupted as the demon pulled him into a tender embrace, and an even gentler kiss.

This one was different than the last time.

Last time was rough, aggressive...afraid. a desperate pull, a final plea for Aziraphale to see things from Crowley's perspective. Begging him not to leave.

But this one?

Both angel and demon were clinging to one another with the same level of need. The same want, the same desire. The same mournful feeling of having missed the other for so long. Crowley's fingers curled in the hair at the nape of Aziraphale's neck, and Aziraphale, still quite unsure what to do, rested his hands on Crowley's back.

The kiss broke breathlessly, the pair leaning their foreheads together. Neither dared to break contact with the other, lest his beloved vanish before him. As long as they could feel one another, they would remain. As long as they held each other, they were real.

Aziraphale reached up, gently swiping tears off the demon's cheeks with his thumbs. "Please don't cry, Crowley..." he whispered.

Crowley shook his head, reaching up to hold the angel's hand against his cheek. "I...i didn't think you would come back..."

"I'm so, so sorry, Crowley, I really am," Aziraphale said gently, looking up at him. "I was so...overwhelmed by heaven's offer...and...i...I really did think I would be able to make a difference. I thought that...together, I - we could..."

"Doesn't matter," Crowley muttered, pulling his angel into a tight hug. "Because you're back. You're here. We're together again. And-" he took a shaky breath. "I can tell you what I wanted to say before..."

He stepped back, taking both of Aziraphale's hands into his own. He breathed steadily through his nose, gazing intently into his eyes. Those eyes he missed so much, those eyes that, no matter what else changed over time, were always the same gorgeous sapphire shade. No matter what happened, he knew his angel would stay the same.

"Aziraphale...i- ngk-" his voice caught in his throat, and he took another breath. "I'll spare you the dramatics. I think I used 'em all up last time anyway." He let out a weak chuckle. "...i...I love you, Aziraphale. I don't know how long I have, maybe always, but I need to say it now. You're the only thing I know I can count on. You're everything to me, and you always have been. You were my first, only, and best friend, and my heart broke when I thought i lost that. It's unfortunate that it's taken this long for me to say so, I know...but...we have the rest of, well, forever, to try and figure this out. And no matter what comes..." he squeezed their hands. "We can do it together."

As he spoke, Aziraphale's eyes welled with tears, and for the second time in existence, he found himself completely speechless. He reached up and kissed his demon once more, pouring his entire heart into their embrace. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't find the words. The depth and feeling of everything he could never tell was coming out through his actions now, or at least he'd hoped so.

When they parted for breath, he hugged him tightly. His entire body was shaking as the tears spilled over his cheeks, feeling too overwhelmed to say everything he wanted. After a long moment, he finally pulled himself together enough to whisper, "I love you too, Crowley."

They held each other for a long time, neither wanting to let go.

"Crowley...?"

"Yeah?"

"Crowley...."

"I heard you, angel...what is it?"

"Mister Crowley, are you okay?"

"...why are you talking like that, what's going on?" He opened his eyes.

Muriel stood over him, shaking his shoulder gently. "Mister Crowley, you're crying...you were sleeping..."

The demon sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He was still at the desk. Still sitting. His legs still burned from walking so much. Tears blurred his vision and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt like everything was shaking. Muriel studied his expression intently. "...are you alright?"

Crowley let out a long sigh, putting his glasses back on and lightly pushing her aside as he stood up. "Im fine."

The young angel looked at him worriedly, while he made his way to the shop's door. "Where are you going?"

He sneered, pushing open the door with a familiar ding. "I need a drink."

‐

The Archangel Aziraphale looked at the square, a little window to Earth that he couldn't quite call a screen. His vision blurred with tears and his shoulders shook as he watched Crowley empty another glass.

They'd been apart like this before, but...this time he felt further away than they ever had been in six thousand years.

Due to his new assignment, he couldn't leave Heaven...no matter how much he wanted to.

He'd remembered stories through history where angels visited in dreams, and he wanted to try. It worked, but not nearly as long as he had hoped it would.

He didn't get to say what he wanted to. It always seemed to work out like that. His heart ached with everything he couldn't say. "Im so sorry, Crowley...."

He sighed, closing the 'window' and slumping down in his desk. "If only I could've asked you to forgive me..."

He choked back a sob and held his head, the angel's cries echoing in the empty, endless halls of what humans called paradise.

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading! :]

[late-draft]

Some thoughts on S2 from a first-time watcher!

It's good that I saw a bunch of spoilers before watching S2 and S3, because after seeing how the plot arrived to some of these points, I feel like what I imagined would have worked better; useful for understanding one's own likes and writing.

I thought Toph would have been in bigger danger while in the metal box. In canon she's technically just being dragged back to her family, right? But the emotional impact of her success of bending metal (something believed to be impossible) would have been stronger if she was in a much bigger danger, in worse circumstances, for longer.

Long Feng was so quickly "taken down" at the start when the Earth King decided to stop following him! Yeah the Dai Li still answer to Long Feng but it felt like him losing outward power happened too quickly and he was actually scared that he had lost all power instantly. He even allowed the kids to try to show the king the truth. So which is it, do Long Feng and Dai Li have huge power, or little power?

I liked the plot twist with plot twist with plot twist with plot twist with plot twist with Azula and her goons in Kyoshi warriors' disguises, and the Dai Li still answering to Long Feng. This uplifted the plot part a bit that had been sunk in my mind just before.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Jet was actually ok in S2; he succumbed to a weakness of his by getting obsessed with "random" firebenders, but then he truly tried to be of help, he beat the goddamn brainwashing and did everything he could to help Aang and his allies. He was given a "heroic death" offscreen! Perhaps he survived, gravely injured but who knows. The writing portrays him as an ok person at the end.

If he was supposed to be an "evil version" or "irredeemed" version of Zuko, that could have been portrayed only if Jet had demonstrated more, and persistent negative traits that he would refuse to change. Before giving him an on-screen death.

It wasn't very believable to me that Iroh managed to follow Zuko so quietly and so well under lake Laogai; but from spoilers, I was convinced that Zuko had arrived to a moral decision to set Appa free and let go of his need to belong back at the royal family of the Fire Nation, all on his own. That might have been a bigger triumph of character, but... even coming to this decision because Iroh pressured him into thinking about choices (the fact that he had choices), doesn't diminish what he decided by a lot.

Fever was excellent lmao. Iroh gave him some ibuprofen But the subsequent very cheery behaviour feels like big and heavy Copium from Zuko to me!

Damn. Aang literally speedrun all those chakras opening. Guru Pathik seems alright to me and doesn't feel like a huge deus-ex mechanism considering many other elements the show has used. But I feel like the show would have benefitted a LOT more if separate episodes were devoted to unblocking the chakras. Those are supposed to be a big deal, something difficult to overcome for the hero. But also; Aang refusing to let go of Katara right at the moment when he sensed she was in danger, is actually a correct choice (from a narrative standpoint) - we aren't supposed to cheer for him to let her die. Of course we as the audience want him to try to help Katara! However what Guru Pathik had told him about attachment still stands in the writing (maybe it could have been made more clear that this attachment in question means a selfish possessive one). The writing still sets it up so that it seems like Aang WILL have to let go of the attachment in the future to successfully open the last chakra. Just... later, because this is not the right moment! ^^

Oh man. The best the writing could do for Katara was to have her make a dumb joke about Momo knocking over figurines in the war meeting? And the plan was just... "go forth and attack the Fire Nation during a solar eclipse"? This was the best the text could do?? No bits of additional strategy, problem-solving, no Katara being serious about it? And after that she decides to go for tea despite being on a crucial mission? And why would the delicate scroll requiring the Earth King's seal to set the entire army in motion be left to be carried around outside by one girl. Just so that she could run into Zuko and blow his cover, despite having last seen him as broken, crying over his uncle, fighting against his sister the Fire Nation princess. Feels like the plot really got super convoluted here just to get to points it wanted. Sadge.

[lost-inanotherlife]

Ummm... I need to ask you losties a question.

As you know I'm a big Jack Shepard apologist (he's the only fictional white man that I'll protect at all cost just because we're trauma-bonded) and, although I honest-to-god think that he has a lot of chemistry with Sawyer, I've always loved his relationship with Kate because it's lightning quick but messy, cute but full of unsaid things.

Aside from fanon readings (unfortunately the show has never taken queer relationship to heart), the Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle was, more or less, interesting until s2 max s3. After that? It was just a tired trope that they continued to use because the show kept running but they had already reached its resolution and didn't really bother to find more interesting ways to develop the relationship between these three.

Today, however, while I was re-watching "The Little Prince" (S5) I realized one thing: perhaps the reason why it feels like it's a tired trope is because, narratively speaking, it's pretty unbalanced?

I mean, in S4 we see Jack and Kate relationship both on the island and back home. Like, we literally see them as they develop their relationship along two different timelines. In other words, we're given more material and, as I've already said many times, it's clear as day that by S4 the love triangle thing has been resolved.

However, because in S5 time works differently, we keep continuing seeing Jack and Kate's relationship but we also see the last remainder of Sawyer's attachment to Kate. But, by now, 20+ episodes have passed, different timelines have been explored so... the "bond" between these two characters feels... diluted?

As in, it makes sense for Sawyer to still think about Kate because only a few weeks have passed to him. But to us? For us three years have passed + what happened on the island with Jack and Kate in s4 so it kinda makes also sense to us that the love triangle is done.

It's like what I said about Kate and Jack's fight in s4: it makes close to zero sense for them to fight over Sawyer, not because they've just forgotten about him but because we see actual events happening to them in-between those years. And these events are all pretty though so the Sawyer-of-it-all almost pales in comparison!

So what I'm trying to say, I guess, is that while the time-travels storylines are cool as fuck, when it comes to feelings and love... they leave a bittersweet taste after viewing the episodes because the relationships suddenly don't feel earned anymore.

Like, we literally see Sawyer develop a bond with Juliet, open up to her, show his vulnerabilities etc. On the other hand, we also see Jack and Kate being domestic etc. So all the sudden "pathos" between Sawyer and Kate is just... not there?

Up until s3 they were GREAT together but after that? Just too many things happened and their relationships wasn't as "fated" as Kate's with Jack. It would've made more sense if they'd either showed a rekindling that actually made sense or they'd just developeded their dynamics differently.

Anyhoo, I've written too much, I really wanna knw what YOU folks think!

[bajinsetan]

THEORY FOR THE OPENING OF S3 GOOD OMENS OPENING SCENE!

So both first episode openings have been an early biblical occurrence. Garden of Eden and Creation of a nebula.

Both occur different times before and after Crowley's fall.

Season 1 begins as it will end with a Garden. The garden of Eden with the creation of humanity, and the first sort of understanding between Crowley and Aziraphale. For the first season, the main point of this scene is to establish their friendship and how they sort of fall in the middle of between both of their respective sides. It also depicts the Crowley we all know, the sort of lazy mischief maker accidently doing good all the time, but with an air of melancholy. And through both S1 and 2, we see the remnants of the Angel that dared to question God.

Season 2 begins before the beginning. Before the wars, before Eden, before Crowley's fall. We see a happy wide eyed innocent Crowley. One just elated to watch the stars burst and the gases form. An obvious departure from the Crowley we are used to. The angel Azirphale knew and feels afraid for. Doesn't want him getting into trouble. We end the scene, and knowing what we know, what is to ultimately befall Crowley.

So if we continue the trend of each Season set near the very beginning, the biblical introduction. What is the missing link between Angel Crowley and Demon Crowley?

The Fall.

I think S3 will open with either Crowley beginning to ask the questions, or with the actual fall itself. Will Aziraphale be there too? As he was for the other 2 seasons? I think it would be interesting and thematically poignant if he wasn't. S3 opens with Crowley's freefall into the boiling pit of sulfur. Emerging as a Demon and completely alone. Bitter, angry, and still with so many questions. No God, no answers, no Aziraphale.

Then cut to current day Crowley. Alone. No Angel. Bitter and angry.

It would certainly fit the tone of the ending of the last season and help set the tone of the beginning of S3. The heartbreak, anger, sadness. A good catharsis for a fandom in turmoil itself from the heartbreak of s2.

Maybe Aziraphale could be there, helping Crowley out of the pit or something, but I'm not so sure it would fit in with the narrative. (as much as it would please me.)

Anyways I think it would be a really cool S3 opening and personally would love to see David Tennant acting his tiny ass off as a confused, angry, newly fallen Angel. Really showing how traumatic and heartbreaking it was to be cast out of heaven and why he'd never want to go back. Perhaps it would even end with rainfall, and no one there to shelter him from it.

[piebingo]

There needs to be balance tho this time, it can’t be s2 all over again. They deserve to be happy and be silly boyfriends in love for at least half season (throughout it all). It’s not even about having expectations, I really don’t have any plot wise, but we are only getting them back one last time and I wouldn’t want to have them just sad and crying all the time or most of it (as I have not seen the season I don’t know how it will go, I’m just saying what I wouldn’t like).

I also would feel kinda meh if they had their resolution/happy ending rushed in the last two minutes like, again, s2. Bc that’s not only repetitive, but again, they deserve more?

No one expects s3 to be angst-free, no one is asking a hs kinda season, with butterflies and leaves and hearts, people got the message loud and clear from Omar on how the season will be. They are just scared it will be a repeat of s2. That’s all.

Balance looks different for everyone, and that’s okay. I thought s2 was pretty well balanced actually, almost the same as s1 was. I would have elongated their reuniting scene in Wille’s room, but that’s pretty much the only thing I felt was truly missing. I laughed and cried and smiled in s2, and sure some plot points I might have liked less, but there are some things in s1 I also didn’t enjoy. As for s2´s ending, it didn’t feel rushed to me, I actually really liked how it was done and thought it was perfect. But again, that’s how I see it and it’s okay to see it differently, that’s the beauty of opinions and tastes.

Imo s2 wasn’t a repeat of s1, so I don’t see any worries about s3 being a repeat of s2 for now. Lisa talks with so much love about the show and is an amazing writer, she hasn’t given me any reason not to trust I’ll like this last season. If you didn’t like s2, maybe you’ll feel differently.

As for Omar, I’m partially convinced he’s trolling sometimes and that he knows it makes people talk. The words he used to describe the show are words I would mostly use both for s1 and s2 too. He has said in smb, days before filming the last scenes, that wilmon is in love. Both he and Edvin said that they truly want wilmon to smile this season. Bringing tissues can mean that we can cry of joy, who knows. To me what he says about s3 tends to be more positive than what he said about s2.

Again, it’s perfectly okay to have different views and it’s totally normal that the seasons don’t please everyone. But I do think that stressing about it right now, when we know virtually nothing, is probably doing more harm than good. That’s my biggest point really. And ofc, saying "trust Lisa and don’t panic yet" is easier said than done. Perhaps I just liked s2 more than some and this is why I’m not worried🤷‍♀️ I really do wish the fandom will have fun watching the last season. Maybe it didn’t come across like that.