#i was rewatching scenes for Reasons and it hit me

[sisterdivinium]

Lilith might just have made the worst choice she could in going to Jillian, no? Not just because of basically becoming her lab rat and throwing herself into the unknown by walking into the ark, but because of the sharp, undeniable contrast that is painfully drawn between Jillian's love for Michael, which sees her stop at nothing to retrieve him, and Lilith's mother's indifference towards her own daughter.

Of course she had met Jillian before, but season one had another context to it. Now, however...

Here's a woman who will set the whole world on fire in order to help her son if she must; meanwhile, Lilith's mother could care less if she knew about her daughter's little season frolicking in the flame pits of hell after being dragged there by a tarask.

Lilith goes to Jillian expecting the brilliant scientist -- she finds her, but perhaps more than that she finds the devoted mother she does not have. There's a cruelty to Jillian's treatment of her, of course, but in this moment of recognition she realises that a) not only is her worth still seen as tied to her "usefulness" to others, but b) that nobody will do for her what Jillian is doing for her son... And that might just be the deepest wound.

[holydramon]

legitimately feel tri would have been way better received (and honestly just a legitimately better series) if it didn’t treat the 02 kids like that

[kalashtars]

bro I'm at the level of seasonal depression where my brain is like "maybe I should watch supernatural...."

[deathbyobiwan]

13, 30, and 33 for the fun asks!

hi winter! ♥

13. what are you doing right now?

working up the brain power to get my work done...

30. what’s one thing that never fails to make you happy/happier?

watching down with love. should probably also add s1/2 of ted lasso. they just always put me in a good mood.

33. any hobbies?

aside from fanfic, i like playing video games. the overwatch april fools update is very fun and i have too many skins in valorant to stop playing now. i also make jewellery bc it's enjoyable and you can make some nice things for surprisingly cheap. also good for gifts though i try not to abuse that!

from this ask game

[fifi2930]

Another reason why the #mirrorscene hits differently for me compared to other intimacy scenes in previous seasons (no shade to those either, they all worked really well within their seasons and stories):

There's this moment when Colin gets her permission to touch her, and then his eyes close when his hand moves across her skin. Kudos to the acting by Luke and the way the scene was shot, but the man looks like he is lost in awe and reverence. Like he can't believe he gets to touch her after dreaming of her, like he has to savor every second of it.

And consider it from Pen's perspective. She has been brought up and treated to feel unworthy of love, attraction, taught that she should settle for the first man who'll have her. She was ready to accept a loveless practical match with Debling because she believed true love was a foolish fantasy for someone like her. And then she finds herself with this man who physically aches for her, who is visibly revering her body, who is making sure she knows what an object of sexual and emotional desire she is is.

This is why one kiss from her and sex will never be casual for him anymore. This is why, despite knowing nothing of sex, Pen trusts him completely and lets him guide her through this first time with complete abandon.

Individually, love is a forsaken fantasy for him and an unattainable goal for her. Together, it is worship.

#off for my millionth rewatch

#this sex scene beats all others, fight me

#when he said Lie Down I became pregnant

[cyberyam]

If you do requests, could I please ask for a scenario where Jinwoo gets a little jealous of Jinah because his lover has been spoiling her rotten with gifts, food, (and worst of all) headpats?

Nothing serious of course. Just playful, harmless jealousy.

an. hehe okay :3 i hope you like it

not fair.

Pairing: Sung Jin-Woo x Fem!Reader

Summary: You develop a close relationship with your boyfriend’s sister, and Jinwoo starts to get jealous.

After four months of officially being Jinwoo’s girlfriend, he finally brought you home to meet his precious sister.

He spoke of her so often that every time her name came up, you’d ask when you could finally meet her. Then, one day, over coffee at your favorite café, he finally said the thing you’d been dying to hear.

“This Friday, I want you to come over and meet my sister. I’ll make dinner.”

That night over bowls of steaming bimbam stew, you and Jinah hit it off immediately. You loved the same music, the same shows—conversation flowed effortlessly, laughter filled the room, and Jinwoo sat back, watching it all unfold.

At first, he thought it was cute. He loved that the woman of his dreams and his sister got along so well. Really, he did.

But lately, it had started to gnaw at him.

“Babe.”

Jinwoo hummed in response, his phone sandwiched between his ear and shoulder as he bent down to tie his shoelace on the sidewalk.

“What flavor do you think Jinah prefers? Strawberry or grape?” Your voice crackled with excitement over the line. “There’s this new candy out, and it comes with a limited-edition keychain! The strawberry one has—”

His eye twitched as he secured his shoelace, dusting off his pants before standing up.

“You don’t have to get her anything, you know?” He picked up his grocery bag and continued his walk home. Tonight, you were coming over for dinner, and he already knew how the evening would go. So long as Jinah was in the room, he’d be a second thought. A silent observer to you and his sister’s personal hangout session.

“I know! But I really, really think she’d love these keychains—”

Jinwoo cut you off, his grip tightening on the bag. “What about me? What flavor do you think I’d like?”

He knew better than to sound jealous over his own sister, but still—you were his girlfriend, not hers.

There was a brief pause. Then, as if it were obvious, you replied, “Oh… but I already know your favorite flavor is grape.”

The lack of enthusiasm in your voice ticked him off more than it should have. Why weren’t you that excited about picking something for him? Sure, you already knew his favorite, but still.

“What if I liked the strawberry keychain better?” He challenged, readjusting the grocery bag in his hand.

“Okay!” You said after a contemplating pause. “I have an idea. You’ll see tonight! Bye! Love you!”

Before he could get another word in, the line went dead.

Jinwoo pulled his phone away from his ear, staring at the black screen, pouting.

Unbelievable.

Dinner was… fine.

If you asked Jinwoo, that’s the word he’d use. Fine.

If you asked literally anyone else, they’d say it was great—especially you and Jinah, who spent the entire meal talking like long-lost best friends.

Jinwoo barely got a word in. He just sat at the head of the table, chewing slowly, watching as you both laughed over some inside joke he wasn’t part of. His chopsticks hovered over his plate, picking at his food while his eyes flicked between the two of you.

“Wait, wait—so you’re telling me the villain knew the whole time?!” you gasped, setting your spoon down.

“Right?! And the way they revealed it! I was losing my mind!” Jinah grinned, practically bouncing in her seat.

You groaned, gripping your hair. “I need to rewatch that scene. I swear I stopped breathing for, like, a full minute.”

Jinwoo exhaled through his nose. “Must be a good show.”

Neither of you heard him. You were too busy reenacting the scene while Jinah hyped you up.

He hated to admit it, but he didn’t like that he wasn’t the reason you were laughing.

He was jealous of his sister. That was a fact now.

After dinner, you and Jinah took over the kitchen, still wrapped up in your conversation as you cleaned up together. Jinwoo, left to his own devices, did the only thing that made sense—he tried to watch the damn show.

He even found a recap video online, hoping to catch up without sitting through all ten episodes. Maybe then he could actually contribute to the conversation. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so left out.

But the second he walked into the kitchen, trying to casually insert himself into the discussion, you crushed any chance he had.

“Oh, that episode? Yeah, Jinah, tell him what happens at the end.”

Jinwoo’s stomach dropped. “Wait—”

“Oh, right! So basically, the villain—”

“Don’t!” He practically lunged forward, but it was too late. The spoiler hit him like a slap to the face.

Jinah giggled, elbowing you. “Should’ve kept up,”

You tried your best to hid your smile, stifling your laugh at your boyfriends agape expression.

Jinwoo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. This was actually worse than being ignored.

Later, the three of you settled into the living room, and you finally pulled out the candy you’d been raving about all day.

“Okay! I got one of each flavor, so everyone gets both keychains.”

Jinah gasped, practically snatching them from your hands. “Oh my God, these are so cute! Thank you!”

She held up the strawberry one, twirling it between her fingers like it was some kind of priceless treasure. Jinwoo watched as her face lit up—like a kid getting their favorite toy on their birthday.

“I knew you’d love them,” you grinned, reaching out to pat her head. “You have good taste, Jinah.”

Jinwoo felt his eye twitch.

Then, to make it worse, you suddenly gasped. “Oh! I almost forgot!”

You dug into your bag, rummaging around before pulling out something else—a tiny banana-shaped stress toy, soft and squishy, with an adorable face printed on it.

“I saw this on my way out and immediately thought of you,” you said, handing it over like it was a sacred offering.

Jinah gasped even louder than before. “No way. This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” She squeezed it, watching it slowly return to its original shape. “It’s so squishy! Oh my God, feel this.”

She shoved it toward Jinwoo, and he reluctantly poked it, watching it deflate under his touch.

It was a banana. A literal banana.

You cooed at her. “I knew you’d love it! You little plushie-loving gremlin.” You patted her head again, ruffling her hair like she was some tiny, adorable pet.

And that was it.

Jinwoo gripped his keychain tighter, his jaw tightening with it.

What the hell was this? Why were you patting her head?

Later that night, you flopped onto Jinwoo’s bed with a satisfied sigh, stretching your arms over your head.

“Tonight was fun, right?” you mused, rolling onto your side to look at him.

Jinwoo, meanwhile, was sitting at the edge of the bed, arms crossed, back turned to you like a sulking child.

You blinked. “…Babe?”

Silence.

Oh.

You bit back a smile. “Are you seriously giving me the cold shoulder right now?”

More silence.

Jinwoo let out a slow, dramatic sigh and leaned forward, rubbing his hands down his face. “I just… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I was actually jealous of my own sister tonight.”

You grinned, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Yeah, I kinda figured.”

He finally turned to glance at you, lips pressed into a pout. “You patted her head.”

You blinked. “…So?”

“You never pat my head.”

You stared at him. Then, a laugh bubbled up before you could stop it. “Oh my God. You’re serious.”

Jinwoo groaned, flopping back onto the bed beside you. “Forget it. Just go give your new favorite sibling a goodnight kiss, then.”

You rolled over, resting your chin on his chest as you peered up at him. “You’re such a baby.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I want to be your baby,” he grumbled.

Your heart melted just a little.

With a grin, you reached into your bag and pulled out one last thing.

“Good thing I got this for you, then, you little baby.”

You placed a small plush doll onto his chest—a tiny, ridiculous-looking demon with a scowling face and tiny horns.

Jinwoo blinked. “…What the hell is this?”

“A demon,” you said brightly. “I saw it while I was at the store and immediately knew I had to get it for you.”

His mouth fell open. “Jinah gets a banana and I get a demon?!”

You burst out laughing, rolling onto your back. “It’s a cute demon! It reminds me of you!”

He scoffed, holding it up with a deadpan expression. “How?”

“Because you act all grumpy and scary, but deep down, you’re just a soft ‘lil cutie.” You propped yourself up onto your elbows and leaned over to poke at his cheek.

Jinwoo groaned, dragging a hand down his face, but you caught the tiny smile tugging at his lips.

Then, without warning, you reached over and patted his head. “There. Happy now?”

He blinked. Stared at you for a long second. Then—without a word—he grabbed you, pulling you into his arms and rolling onto his side so you were locked against his chest.

“I’m keeping this,” he muttered, squeezing the demon plush against your back.

You smiled into his shirt, snuggling closer. “I figured.”

© cyberyam

[zairaalbereo]

“Please don’t do this.”

So after binging the whole four seasons of Black Sails last month, I’m now on a more leisurely rewatch… or so I thought.

But god everything hits so much worse or better or harder knowing about Flint’s past and motivation now. And then this scene came up, and I’m just… fuuuuuck. Crying, screaming, throwing up. I’m not okay. This is devastating. (Did I mention I cope with art?)

On my first watch, Flint killing Gates truly shocked me. He would really kill his friend just because he wouldn’t go along with his plans? To not have to give up on the Urca? Sure, Gates is going against his command. It’s mutiny, but Gates seems to be trying, and he sounds so bloody reasonable. And more importantly, he’s been a loyal friend up until now. A fatherly friend (I want to throw up). And even now he’s… trying to protect Flint, right? (Fuck. Seriously. Feeling ill.)

But yeah, I was shocked. And as he whispered broken apologies to the friend he just murdered, I wondered… could I forgive him for this?

And now…omg now it’s like watching a completely different train wreck happening, and it all makes perfect, tragic, horrible sense. The way the whole scene mirrors James McGraw’s futile attempt to convince Hennessy of their Hail Mary plan to save Nassau. Every step. The urgency when things have already gone sideways, but James refuses to give up, because it can still work. People just have to listen. Let him explain. Have a little faith. Back then he trusted Hennessy, and now he still trusts Gates. He trusts them to understand, asking them to believe in him. He doesn’t see it coming. (How does he not see it coming this time?)

And then the moment the floor is ripped out from under him. And it’s all there, on Flint’s face, in the moment when Gates says “They know.” It’s not the mutiny. It’s the betrayal. The way Flint’s face falls, and for a moment he looks just like James McGraw in Hennessy’s office. The same devastation and disbelief when he asks “You told them?” And of course for him it is the same betrayal. It is the same fight, to prove Thomas right. To stand against those who took him and everything else away from James.

And Gates, that poor bastard, doesn’t even understand what sin he is committing. He doesn’t even see it as mutiny. He sees it as doing the right thing, containing a madman. (Omggg…) And then there is Flint, reliving the worst moments of his life. And that point it doesn’t feel like it’s about the Urca anymore. It’s an emotional massacre, to which Gates seems completely oblivious. When Flint asks if he will see him get hanged, only to be promised an opportunity to flee for him and ‘Mrs Barlow’, Gates thinks he is doing him a kindness. Like Hennessy probably thought he was doing him a kindness, saving him from the gallows. It’s all right. Flint just has to leave, vanish and never be heard of again. He should be grateful. And the way Flint’s eyes close briefly in disbelief that this is happening. Again. The way he pleads with Gates, just like he pleaded with Hennessy. So unlike Flint. But once more he is told that his actions are unforgivable. Simply too much. He’s not just rejected, but he is abandoned. He is cast out for who he is and his supposed sins. A monster that can’t be allowed to exist amongst the rest of them.

The whole scene is executed so brilliantly, the way he fluctuates between James’ almost innocent appeals to be understood and Flint’s anger at being denied. But he keeps trying until the last moment. And then, when he acts, it’s not a calculated move. It’s pure desperation, the only purpose to do something, to stop what is happening. Because James McGraw didn’t. But where James McGraw hesitated, where he maybe still hoped, still didn’t comprehend, and where he still thought he had something to lose… Flint doesn’t. And yet we can see it break him. We can see how it breaks another part of his soul. 

(And of course it will happen again. Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.)

[emoboybrony]

Ill admit ive never been that into laurence (any his variations really) but something has been really bothering me since rewatching parts of MCD.

What really caught my attention about MCD Laurence is that he starts out as this well adjusted, loyal knightly and charming guy- and then after he becomes a shadow knight you just see this slow decay of him. Like hes slowly losing parts of himself and its causing him to become more and more unstable to the point where by the end of season 2 hes honestly kind of terrfying.

And ALOT of that is reflected with how his relationship with aphmau starts to shift. He goes from this sweet, suave and honestly pretty silly personality, to being so obsessive and vindictive towards her.

Theres this one scene, at the end of ep 95 S2, where aphmau has just essentially seen a ghostly image of aaron and is really shaken up by it. Laurence comes to sit with her and ask her about it. And at first, it genuinely seems like hes just trying to get her to open up so he can support her. But then it quickly spirals into him demanding to know why she cares about aaron so much and why shes greiving so hard for him, like its a problem. He becomes so aggressive and condensending to the point where Garroth has to intervene and he walks off.

In this moment you see how far hes really fallen, he goes from semingly reasuring and gentle, and by the end of it hes disrepecting a dead man, who gave his life to save both his brother and supposed love of his life, who he travelled and fought along side with for months, who close to the end of his life was taking care of an orphan (something he comlimented in aphmau), and hes thowing all of that out the window because hes taken Aphmau's attention, due to the fact he fucking died.

After that happens, aphmau has a conversation woth vlyad where he basically tells her that laurence has to accept what he is and go to the nether or else hes gonna go insane, and that the only reason he came back is because hes "chasing a fantasy". Aphmau responds by suggesting they get cadenza over so that he can be with family, and vlyad says she can do what she wants but implies its pretty much inevitable that laurence is going to hit a breaking point. And hes completely right.

Before laurence even gets to speak to cadenza, he eavesdrops on the conversation where aphamu reveals shes pregnant, and just immediately peaces out, out of fear that hes going to MURDER HER.

Not to mention that in that conversation, cadenza herself tells aphmau not to tell laurence because shes scared of how he would react. He has gotten so unstable that his own sister, who loves him more than anything, can recognise that he is a danger to some degree and shes RIGHT.

All this paints a stark contrast, the laurence we first met vs the man he has now become. Its tragic because its this inevitable downfall brought on by an act that was completely selfless, him sacrificing himself that got him turned into a shadow knight in the first place.

Even this is eventually tainted, his selfless act becomes a selfish one as he seems to cling to aphmau's love and affection as an emotional crutch. Aphmau obviously loves and cares for him deeply, but not in an explicitly romantic/sexual way. And if she doesnt love him the way he wants, then why is he suffering through this? Why did he bother to sacrafice himself at all if theres no reward? Its honestly horrifying how pretty much everyone who loved and respected him, makes what should be incredibly out of place predictions on him, but they always end up being right except for aphmau. She cant accept that hes changing and theres nothing she or anyone else can do change that. Its gut wrenching.

This all lead me to beileve that i didnt give enough credit to his character. I love this. This is the type off tragic story telling im here for. Theres so much more to this character than i ever expected.

Heres the thing.

Why the fuck do laurence's biggest fans seem to just completely disregard this? If you believed a good portion of the fandom, laurence is just this sauve uwu sad boy who was unfairly rejected and ignored by a woman who demamded the world from him.

Im dead serious, i saw people saying that laurence "deserved better than aphmau", that he deserved someone who recognised the sacrafice he made. Which like- there is so much to unpack there.

First of all, aphmau did recognise his sacrafice, she did love him and try to support him in the best way she could, even when literally everyone around her was saying it was a lost cause. She did everything she could for that man and forgave so much of what he did while struggling with the calling and she got nothing but shit for it.

Second of all, no the fuck he doesnt?? As illustrated in the examples above he did not respect Aphmau's boundaries. He did not respect her feelings. And by the end, he didnt even respect her bodily autonomy. Lets be honest here, he basically abandoned everyone he apprantly "loved", because bro tapped it before he could. She loved him so much, but because he wanted something she wasnt willing or able to provide, that being explicitly romantic and sexual attention, he just didnt see it. To try and argue that hes the real victim here, is in the same vain of "nice guys finish last". Him being kind, compassionate and selfless- shouldnt be reliant on whether or not this woman will fuck him or not. That is an insanely misogynistic way of thinking.

But most important to me in the context of this analysis- what is there to like about laurence with this interpretation? What possibly sets him apart from the gazillion other brunette pretty anime bois? Am i to gay for this? Is there something im not seeing?

I understand fanon can wildly divert from canon, and i understand that alot of this is probably down to the fact that i find dissecting and critiquing canon more intresting than reinventing it through fanon. Im locked into the Baldurs gate 3 fandom and i had the same experience there (laurence fangirls got NOTHING on Astarion girlies). But both experiences have left me with the same question- what draws you to a character, when all you do is boil them down to their most generic aspects?

I find Laurence intresting cause we are seeing this man crash out and become a monster in real time. And i dont see how he is worth even an honourable mention, when you take that away.

What is there left to be compelled to?

[abibliphobiac]

Guys, I hate to break it to you, but I’m rewatching Teen Wolf as an adult and:

-Derek isn’t an interesting or even good character til like season 3

-Isaac and Allison shouldn’t have been a thing (but could’ve been something w Scott 👀)

-Boyd and Erica should’ve had more time and been flushed out more

-Kora felt very thrown-in and wasn’t given any respect frfr

-Isaac my Beloved sassy man you are missed every scene you’re not present

-ALL of the characters should have been flushed out more (but oh well, ig that’s what fanfic is for)

-Peter pisses me The Fuck off

-The storylines are so ???

-Some of the scenes are corny as HELL

-Some of the scenes are COLD AS FUCK bruh

-Stiles and Malia were actually really great together imo

-Malia is so fuckin funny on god

-Dylan O’Brien is. THE actor fr

-I really like Scott and Lydia’s friendship and would’ve liked it to be explored more 💕 (platonically)

-Stiles needed the time away from Lydia to love her in a way that wasn’t toxic or obsessive (and yet still has some concerning tendencies)

-EVERY. SINGLE. FEMALE. CHARACTER. Deserved so much more development and time without a male counterpart. Period.

-Especially Kira, Braeden, and Lydia

-PUT SOME RESPECT ON KIRA and please 🧎🏻‍♀️ let overpowered characters BE OP and not two hits and down fr

-I need more Dread Doctors content in my life for Reasons™️ and I will not be elaborating unless asked

-Theo is a character that exists almost solely in The Grey and y’all ain’t ready to have a civil conversation about how well Cody played the nuances of him

-Hayden is fine, Hayden and Liam is ? such a high school relationship I can’t complain but I don’t love

-the beast was 🤣 like cmon guys

-Ducalien👌🏼 (but not the cgi)

-Theo and Liam are a Fantastic duo, romantic or not (but they should’ve been canon ngl)

-We deserved more Mason content TBH

-Also, Corey? I better not see any hate for that little shithead ya hear? He’s my annoying little brother and I’ll protect him and Morey til I die.

- more puppy pack was A NEED in general

And so much more that I can’t articulate at the moment.

[fanfiction-obsession]

Look I know we all collectively agree that Doof shows off for Perry all the time with his flashy rehearsed musical numbers and backup dancers and whatnot but Perry is just as much of a showoff, if not more.

I just rewatched Primal Perry and got to the part where he looks badass as fuck throws boomerangs and I’m telling you right now, that is not the experience level of someone who’s learned how to use a weapon for any practical reason. Let me set the scene. His life is in danger. Doof’s life is (sorta) in danger. The only thing that stands between him and doom by the name of a psycho hunter who wants to stab him in the neck is one twirly stick. The tension is palpable. All he has to do is throw it and hit the guy and you know what he does?

This motherfucker goes ‘ah yes, what a perfect time it is to show off this obscure skill I have’, does a fruity little jump, and twirls the boomerang around literally half of his limbs and his tail before he throws it with a fucking smirk.

Like seriously??? Seriously???? And you just know he’s spent hours in his basement practicing spinning that thing for dramatic effect just in case he ever got the opportunity to show off with it, because there’s zero chance OWCA taught him how to do that. Boomerangs are not an easy thing to throw, especially not a brand new one you’re not used to. That scene is nothing except for an expert in an outdated weapon almost nobody uses finally realizing he has a chance to use this skill he thought would never see the light of day and taking it, duck bill forward and beaver tail back.

[piesafterdark]

So I was rewatching the caitvi s2 prison scene and let me tell you there are layers. But for now, I'm going to focus on something rather minute: Caitlyn's face softening when she walks in on Vi.

From Caitlyn's point of view, Vi has no reason to trust her: she hit Vi in s2 act 1, became the figurehead for martial law and the persecution of zaunites, tried to kill jinx and isha (isha's death would've been accidental but still), and a slew of other things. Caitlyn always knew Vi would choose Jinx over her and, in her mind, her actions forced her into that decision.

Around them, zaunites are fleeing because of the impending war. With everything Caitlyn's done, why wouldn't Vi take Jinx, leave with the refugees, and start a new life somewhere else? Their dad's dead, Isha's dead, caitvi's broken up, Ekko's missing, the only thing keeping them there is sentimentality and Sevika. In the season 1 finale, Vi even tried placating Jinx with the "we'll leave this city together as sisters" promise to spare Caitlyn's life; it's definitely an option. So Caitlyn posts the guards at the Hexgates so the sisters can escape the city.

Caitlyn's made peace with the fact that her choices will lead to the woman she loves/loved possibly leaving her forever. Even Caitlyn doesn't forgive herself for what she's done.

Of course, Caitlyn knew that Jinx wouldn't cooperate.

When Vi says "I really believed she'd help" Caitlyn realizes that Vi's motivations for getting Jinx out of prison wasn't to escape, but to help Caitlyn defend Piltover and Zaun (yes and Zaun because Viktor's glorious evolution plan included all of humanity, not just Piltover) in the war. Despite every wrong thing Caitlyn's done since her mother's death (a lot), Vi is still with her and believes in her. That's why her face softens.

Her face also softens because she realizes Vi hates herself for being tricked and wants to comfort her, but I think it can be multiple things at once.

TLDR: Cait probably thought Vi was going to leave Zaun and Piltover after breaking Jinx out of Jail, but was shocked when Vi revealed that it was because she wanted Jinx to help in the war.

[tackykachowch]

Alright so I found another reason to hate the flashback in s2. Crazy right? Well tbf, it's not about the flashback in particular this time, but rather wasted opportunity. After rewatching some of Silco's scenes in season 1 I caught myself thinking: "Huh. This guy sure mentions sons and daughters/brothers and sisters a lot. Interesting thing to do for a character who treats people as resources". And then it hit me. There's just a GOLDMINE (heh) of untouched inner conflict to explore within Silco.

Just think about it. He probably went to work in the mines as soon as he was capable to and was raised by people there. Like he mentions in a dialog with Finn, they were a tightly connected community who always looked after each other, making sure everyone survived on the sparce resources they had. So wouldn't it be better to focus the flashback on that community rather than one specific person? We already know that Silco and Vander were the closest people to each other, so to introduce another person to the equation doesn't really make sense. The flashback can still happen at The Last Drop, but a party could be happening there. Maybe not even to celebrate something, but to just have a good time with everyone. And we could be shown how Silco interacted with all these different people, knew their personal struggles and goals, excitedly discussed what they're gonna do after liberation with them, what everyone is going to do once they'll be fully free of the mines. To really show us and emphasize the fact that BOTH Vander and Silco built the Lanes. Vander wasn't the only one to value the community, he just wasn't the one who was ready to sacrifice it for their goal. And this is very important too!! Because it's easy to think of Silco as a ruthless calculating machine that never cared for the people. But he clearly did. And we could be shown how desperation broke him, because even after everything he and Vander did their friends and adoptive family were still dying. Some from the accidents in the mines, some from diseases caused by the Grey, some from enforcers' brutality etc. So it was REALLY hard for him to cross that line and place the cause above all else. And a parallel can be created there: in ep3 Vander says that he cooperated with Grayson because he "didn't have another choice", so maybe Silco thought the same when he made a decision to stop valuing his people above else? A really interesting conversation can be had there, but "bLiStErS aNd BeDrOcK" is cooler apparently.

[jane-newby]

Why I love Caitlyn Kiramman (S1 & 2)

Decided to write this just because... and well I've seen a few "why I hate Arcane Cait" so I am writing why I think she's awesome.

1. I am a sucker for misfit characters. When Cait meets Jayce in the rain and solidifies their relationship by admitting she's a misfit too, my heart was sold. Of course, many of the Arcane characters are misfits, but Cait because of her birth into high society runs against many of the expectations and beliefs of her station. She gives off Sherlock vibes when it comes to social interactions and her skill of deductions/sleuthing.

2. She's an excellent shot. There is something about a girl with a great aim that I love (Hunger Games Katniss is the first that comes to mind). My favorite shooting scenes are from S2 in the Jinx/Sevika skirmish and the final battle when she takes on a sniper role.

3. Noxian training montage. After being kidnapped, knocked out and almost choked out, it was about time Cait learned hand to hand to combat. While I would have loved a longer scene it was nice to see 60 seconds of her Mulan-esque training session.

4. Badass Disney princess/prince vibes. She had a heart of gold and was in the pursuit of justice and truth ever since her Season 1 convo with Grayson ("What are you shooting for young Kiramman?") Cait spends most of Season 1 defending or attempting to save others (i.e. Jayce, Vi, the people of Zaun). She is willing to listen when she is in the wrong (aka conversation with Ekko and the Firelights) or understand the experiences of those she knows little about.

5. Cait and Vi’s Slow Burn Romance. “Will they won’t they.” A Romeo & Juliet aka other side of the tracks romance. Opposites Attract. Again I am a complete sucker for this romance trope. Step Up. Mulan. The 100. She-Ra. Miles Morales and Gwen (Please never compare Jinx and Ekko just because the ethnics match. They are not the same.) You give me two unlikely characters who go through the ups and downs of life and then finally consummate that relationship. I am down HARD. I like the tension. The tennis match of love and hate until they finally figure out they are meant for each other. Cait and Vi could have made love in a tree and I still would have happily rewatched because their love was multiple little scenes of looks, nicknames, rescues, fights, a kiss, and “I am down bad,” shower scene. What’s not to like?

6. Cait’s Character Development. From the fires of tragedy, a naive, eager, idealistic, bright eyed Young Kiramman princess develops into an older, wiser, humble leader. 

To me, her arc is about the passage into adulthood. An examination of that age old question “What does it mean to be human?” As the years pass, Cait clung to Grayson’s words–essentially her why, her purpose. But what happens when that purpose is challenged or marred by reality, by pain, anger? 

Cait’s purpose is immediately challenged when she finds out the Enforcer sheriff is corrupt and almost kills her in order to hide his sins. While it’s clear, there is no love between the two, Marcus’s corruption and her confrontation with Ekko challenge her belief in a system she joined in her pursuit of justice. Immediately, after, she attempts to broker an agreement that will help Zaunites but the Council selfishly rejects her proposal. You know the rest of the story.

Hours later she is kidnapped, tortured by the sister of her crush. Then the same sister drops a bomb killing not only people she knew, but her mom. Then at the memorial, another attack occurs presumably from the same sister–Jinx. The Council is eager to annihilate Zaun, but Cait attempts to be a voice of reason while grieving. Then when she has a chance to kill Jinx she fails and pushes/hits her girlfriend away. She loses her brother, and the only council member who notices she’s struggling. Her father is MIA. A known genocidal general begins to manipulate her. 

In a matter of months, Cait’s purpose is crushed by tragedy and a need for revenge. In season 1, Silco states, “There’s a monster inside all of us.” Cait’s monster rears its ugly head as she dawns the evil cloak, broods in dark rooms (thank you ep 4 beginning montage) and embraces oppressive tactics to fulfill her new objective. Cait’s conflict is not just an external manifestation but an internal one. Will she let bitterness take over or will she stick to her values of justice, truth, and kindness? We know that she has not fully embraced Ambessa’s ideologies, as she is constantly questioning Ambessa directives. Her conversations with Singed and her decision to spy on Singed’s actions also show that internal war. Ultimately, it is the decision to help Vi and betray Ambessa that led back to Cait’s core. She didn’t need to make a Youtube apology video. She chose through her actions to get back to a new, healed version of her purpose. Her last words in S2  “Are you still in this fight?” are a reflection of Cait’s own journey–to rise from tragedy and her own mistakes to make a difference even when pain, challenges, evil can make the journey seem impossible. 

Cait said it best in Season 2’s final memorial, Our only consolation for every loss we found some good, some light, worth gaining, worth fighting for. And though we are doomed to revisit the error of our ways, spark ever more conflicts, our story isn’t over.

And this is why I love Cait because of what she represents. A strong female character with quirks. A sense of justice. Love. A closet full of demons. Transformation. Humanity. And Badass shooting skills.

[azaharinflames]

I was rewatching the Bucktommy scenes from Season 7 (as one does), and a thought popped into my head. Now, I might be way off-base with this one, and it might be just my perception, but hear me out:

Season 7 was for Buck. Season 8 is for Bucktommy.

Let me explain. The Bucktommy scenes we got in Season 7 were great (I maintain the first kiss scene is one of my absolute favorites from the show as a whole), and it did give us the start of them as a couple. But did it establish them? I know they were working with a shortened season, and considering that, they did an amazing job, but still. I feel like Season 7 just began to explore what Bucktommy could be - especially if we look at Season 8.

Because I feel like Season 7, naturally, focused mostly, if not entirely, on Buck. Again, makes sense - Buck is our main character and the one who was discovering his sexuality. Tommy was an old side character we hadn't seen since Season 2, and they did a great job re-introducing him and making us fall for him, but the focus was on Buck.

(And I do recall some of the criticisms towards the ship were how little development we saw on our screens from them. Again, they were working with what little time they had, but it meant we didn't get a whole lot. And it does feel like the writers, or Tim, saw that and went: alright. Bet)

Season 8 is very much about Bucktommy. Yes, Buck is still our main guy, and we still explore his feelings and his growth, but there is a tiny difference that I noticed when rewatching Season 7. And that is, the show is making sure that we are also aware of Tommy, even if he is not in our screens. Whenever the plot touches Buck (and even if he's only indirectly affected by it- see 810), we are reminded of Tommy. The only time during this season Buck has had an entirely separate storyline from his relationship was during 804, and that was in order to bring Bobby back home, and during 809, where he was dealing with Eddie leaving.

Buck's journey this season isn't as solitary as it was last season. Because last season, despite Tommy being the reason Buck started to realise his bisexuality, it was about Buck, period. But this one? Buck is not riding alone on this one. When we think about Buck's storyline this season, it all draws back to Tommy. To them.

This is also seen in the way they treat Tommy this season. Because not only are they making sure we are aware of his existence in the 911 universe, but they are also making sure we know how he's feeling. They are making sure we're aware he's completely gone on Buck, but is apparently terrified and very insecure about his overall place. The show is making an effort with Tommy and is not trying to hide it, to make us relate and be sympathetic, and to make us aware (as much as they can do it when Lou is recurring) of his feelings.

(To make the audience long for them and for a reconciliation. To make them want to see Buck finally figure it out and win Tommy back. But I digress)

I might be reading too much into it, but the thought hit me like a truck when I saw the hospital kiss. The way we've seen Bucktommy in Season 7 and 8 is different. And, even if I am putting on my clown shoes by saying this, it very much feels like this season is the season they've started to treat them like the other main couples (that is, giving them drama).

Anywho. Please do tell me if I sound insane.

[laser-tripwires]

so i've been rewatching redemption and. we need to talk about directing parallels in the one man's trash job for a sec because i don't know how much marc roskin gets paid but he deserves a raise. also, eliot spencer and sophie devereaux are two of the most fascinating characters ever written.

i'm going to talk about two parallels today, and let's start with the marginally less painful one.

i'll set the scene: they're attempting to take down an artifact smuggling ring. eliot's blending in in a car park as a mechanic, in dark clothes and a beanie - there to provide backup and run in if needed, which he almost moves to do. the con has just gone to shit. sophie's about to spin out an entirely new plan but in the process get caught up in her past as charlotte prentiss, and the things she left beind in london. she'll spend the rest of the episode getting vey wriggly and trying her best to not explain any of her past to the team, but enough slips through the cracks for us to get a picture; and it sets the tone going forwards in the season.

kign george job or one man's trash?

because.... that's pretty beat for beat. i refuse to view it as a coincidence.

in the original show, King George Job is pretty much the sophie backstory episode. it hits right at the midpoint of both her arc and the show as a whole, providing us with a centrepoint to return back to. r2, of course, has a very different setup - it's sophie's show, now, and this is her season. her redemption. so all of that gets dredged back up but, as seen here, we never quite escape the original context and that's by design. look at how the theme of collateral damage echoes over, too, playing the same part in sophie's story.

i'm actually of the opinion that the whole of r2 is fascinating from eliot's perspective, especially with what he ends up doing to sophie and what he thinks of arthur. none of it is atall as new or incoherent as people say - i'd actually argue that this is the season wherin eliot grows the least. a lot of stuff happens and a lot of stuff is revealed, but it's much less about change than it is about interrogating where he is.

heck, eliot's perspective for most of r2 is the same as the one he had in the king george job - sitting in the sidelines, never quite trusting, with a past that makes sophie's worries about collateral damage look like child's play.

because eliot knows what it's like when your past nips at your heels. he also knows that there's nothing in sophie's tale that is half as dark as what's in his own.

interesting too is sophie's "Everyone here has a past, and everyone here respects that." line when she's trying to get eliot off of asking about wilde. because to everyone she's explained the job - but eliot's caught onto the things she's trying to hide here. sophie taking that tack in that conversation here is probably the reason why eliot does what he does vis a vis digging up information from billy towards the end of the season.

everyone has different reactions to guilt - and we know from the king george job that sophie's main one is to get veeeery wriggly and stop answering questions.

so of course she screws up, a little. loops wilde in on the con, etc etc, you don't need me to explain the episode to you.

and it's eliot who call sophie out. "This has nothing to do with the new plan. This Wilde guy is not just somebody that you used to know. Before, when he was on the outside, if you wanted to pretend that then that's fine. But he's on the inside now."

sophie has spent a season and a half waxing lyrical to harry about loyalty and honesty; now it's her turn to put her money where her mouth is, even if it hurts. in the original show, the eliot and sophie relationship landed much harder on sophie's arc influencing eliot's than it did the other way around - but with the shifting of dynamics in redemption and sophie being the protagonist now, that's clearly changed and, like a lot of r2, it's a nasty wakeup call for sophie. this episode is for her what the tower job was for harry, what inside job was for parker, and... what the big bang job was for eliot.

"Just like when it happened to me, when it happened to Parker… you gotta come clean."

thus we reach our second parallel.

dark blue shirt? check. crossed arms? check. dead-eyed expression? check. innocent dude sitting down to the left wearing a rumpled suit and not really following what's going on? check. irritating irish guy who's the henchman to an evil ringleader our current focus character used to work for? check, check, check and check.

we've been here before.

but the fact that we get eliot saying there's nothing about arthur that says they can trust him and then the very next scene is arthur saying "You don't trust me, Sophie Devereaux? Fair enough. You shouldn't."

and then at the end of the episode arthur telling sophie she hasn't changed and him being clearly wrong but just right enough to trip her out because her past is still there, that pain inflicted did happen, but she's a different person now. so many setups for the Museum Makeover Job, both for sophie's final confrontation with wilde but also eliot's conversation with sophie, eliot as the person with non-metaphorical carnage in his past, the themes ringing down through the season and across the shows.

sophie thanks harry for pointing out her blindspots but the episode clearly and deliberately shows it was eliot who did that. an oft-underdiscussed theme of this season is sophie's coping strategies and worldviews clashing with the reality of the present and the past. fitting, for a story about redemption that's set after moving on from grief.

i don't know. leverage: redemption isn't perfect but man, it's really damn good in places.

[shiiro-arts]

Thank you so much for replying to my previous ask in such detail (I loved it and really, really appreciate your efforts 🙏)

I just started rewatching the anime and I saw the focus they kept on Lisanna hence my doubt. From Erza I felt it was more of a sibling type dynamic (that Erza sees Natsu and Gray more as her younger brothers) but they really pushed the Lisanna narrative in the beginning. And given the way he reacted differently to Lucy and Lisanna like becoming flustered with Lisanna I wondered.

Please do talk about the killing himself part too.

I love reading your analysis!! Thank you so much for your hard work ❣️ (Feel free to push in NaLu scenes that show it their bond more obviously)

Hi!! I'm happy you liked it, I'm going to try and talk about Natsu and Lisanna a little bit more and then I'll start with the whole killing himself thing. (following this post)

I think the reason they focused on Natsu and Lisanna at the beginning is because a lot of studios/mangakas have the need to create a couple, even better if it's an MC. And pairing Lucy and Natsu up from the beginning doesn't make any sense, they just met and didn't know each other.

Lisanna is a really important person to Natsu, although they hardly interact anymore.

She supported Natsu when he first came to the guild and became his first friend. Not only that, she helped him with Happy, hence the whole wife and husband thing, they represented a family.

Natsu is not as stupid as they make him out to be, he knows what marriage is, exclusivity to a partner

and things only adults are supposed to do.

He knew what Lisanna meant by "we'll get married in the future," and if she had never "died," NaLi would have made sense.

But it happend, Lisanna "died" and Natsu had to get over her. This doesn't mean forget her tho, as I said, Natsu LOVES his family and friends, forgetting about lisanna just because she died would not make any sense. It takes time to accept death, and after Igneel's disappearance, the death of lisanne hit him, HARD.

The only thing he could do was getting over her, but not forgetting her.

And that's when Lucy comes into the picture.

She keeps bumping into him, buys him food for "no reason" and talks all mighty and good about his family, basically, she gives him good vibes. He takes her to FT and for some reason she follows him everywhere and before he knows it, he wants to partner up with her.

This is development by natsu's part, he is ready to open up to new people (Lucy) and pretty much they become attached to the hip, because "she is nice", yeah, that's his reason.

Lisanna wasn't meant to come back, mashima himself said so, the only reason they brought her back was because the animation staff preasured him to because they liked her. NaLi is not happening because Mashima never had anything planned for her, and I'm not saying this because I'm a NaLu fan, it's just facts. Thats why she is so useless in the manga, because mashima doesn't know what to do with her. She is just there.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Let's beging with the whole suicide thing

I want to clarify that this is MY PERSPECTIVE, you might agree or disagree with me and thats completely fine.

Let me beging with one thing, and that is that natsu IS NOT SUICIDAL.

He wants to live his life at the fullest and he looks forward to the future.

Then why do I say he wanted to kill himself? because when lucy "died", he was so full of grief that he just didn't care any more.

One thing that they make clear is that the demons of zeref, once awaken, have only one thought in their minds: KILLING ZEREF

Lucy's "death" is what awoke END, Natsu felt so desperate and he was so full of grief that he literally abandoned his humanity.

She was gone and he blamed zeref, because if he had never started the war, she would be alive, that was enough for him to abandon his morals and look forward to kill someone.

Now comes the important part: his confrontation with grey

This part is really important because it shows that Natsu is aware of his actions.

If he really was completely possessed by END, then he would not have hesitated and warn grey about getting out of his way, he would have just killed him and keep going, but Natsu warns him several times

Until he doesn't give a damn anymore and attacks him.

Natsu was adamant about going after zeref and killing him, but he is also aware that if he does so, he will die. Zeref told him so himself.

But lucy is dead, so he just doesn't care anymore.

Igneel talked to him about looking at the future

But Lucy wasn't in that future anymore, so he can't look forward for it, because it died the moment Lucy did. if she wasn't in it, why bother? He knew that killing zeref was killing himself.

Gray literally saved Natsus life confronting him

This whole panel is foreshadowing to Lucy dying and Natsu wanting to die because of it